midnight murder [anbu-trial]

[Sayomi]

I found myself upon the outskirts of Kusagakure, away from the dead silent streets of the village and standing within the chimes of the forest's ethereal bellow's. It was dark out, the sky flocked by ebony, raven feathers, and iluminated by the ivory glow of the half moon that sat perched, untouchable by even the most greedy of hands. With the cool air kissing my cheeks, I raised the crimson scarf over my mouth.With my usual leather jacked zipped to the very top, finger-less gloves upon my hands, and ankle length gray pants on my legs I looked no more menacing then any other shinobi or theif. That was what I was going for.

Not exactly the outfit you plan to wear when your goal is to assassinate someone; however I was given orders quite simple and clear, and I harbored no intentions of failing. This was my trial in order to become an ANBU, and I would live up to my moniker. There was a reason why people since I was young have called me, Kusugakure's silent predator. My slow pace walking had brought me into the thick bamboo forest, the chirping of the insects grew louder and louder as I stepped foot within it's concaves. Calming my subtle breaths, I matched my breathing with that of the forest, and sighed as I leaned back upon a nearby tree; folding my arms.

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[enzan]

_________

It calmed me on the inside watching her every movement. The way she walked and how much energy she exerted when she did so was analyzed constantly by my eyes. This iris-less eye knew only the inner world of the ninja while most can merely see the outer world. I barely had to move, my movements silences by years of training and natural skill. It would seem there was a need for new Anbu to join within the ranks, and, I couldn’t care less about it actually.

I was laid back but only because becoming tense lead to stress and I can’t gain stress marks and old people lines at my young age. Anyway, back to the situation at hand, I appeared behind the opposite side of the tree our “recruit” was upon. There was no doubt my movements were deaf to her experienced ears. I smiled, my mask of course concealing my ludicrous expression from her view. My movement simple and smooth as I turned and snuck from the darkness partially in view, I was a meter to the “subjects” right.

” Good. You’re on time, and, that is a good starting position for you. Three Points”

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[Sayomi]

Something ominous had arrived, its careful steps hidden behind a veil of silence. The only thing that gave them away was the presence I undoubtedly felt, as a tingle crawled slowly up my spine. Drawing in air through my lips I did nothing as a voice crept out from the receding shadows. The masked figures silhouette shrewdly, but surely became visible, the dull glow of the porcelain mask beneath the shine of the moon was all the info I needed to piece together who it was that stood to my right. Staying still I simply pulled down the scarf from over my mouth, blowing the cool air from my lips into a thin, trail of air that would unfurl and fade away.

"Glad to make a good impression." Speaking, I would prop myself up from the trunk of the tree I leaned against, using my elbows to push. Staggering forward for three or four steps, I would catch my footing as my hands would find themselves in my pockets. Hunched over, with hair falling over my eyes and forehead, casting shadows over my face, i'd look up through the obscurity of my unkempt tufts of hair; his figure but a hazy blur. "Alidia Hotarubi, here as requested."

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[enzan]

_________

My aura would change slightly to a much darker and fiercer one, and, this was the moment I dreaded. This was a moment where I had to destroy their ideals, an incorporate the ideals of the village into their minds before they start. My body slightly stepped backwards into the darkness, the trickery of my aura and the darkness would make it seem as if a dark monster was waiting behind me. The porcelain mask I wore being touched with a kiss of the light from the moon. It was a terrifying appearance which I had grown accustomed to and she will have to as well if she wishes to survive.

”I will deduct one point from you now. You screwed up when you opened your mouth. You’re trying to become and Anbu, we are shadows within the dark erasing the mistakes that have slipped past. We are efficient to the point we become déjà vu to our enemies, and, from this point on you are no longer a name but a number . . . a weapon for the village’s protection.”

I hated having to be harsh but it was needed since the last person sent on this mission died horribly. My tone would shift back towards a monotone and anonymous sound which held zero recognition towards my recruit. I wanted her to feel welcome but at the same time I didn’t want her to die which was weird, it’s been so long since I had a human reaction to one of these recruits. I waited a little bit for her to absorb some of the information I had given before continuing again.

”My examination will be scored using points. The maximum to pass my test is a grand total of eight points. If at any time you drop to zero I can decide whether to pull you out of the mission and fail you or allow you to continue onwards. Do you understand?”

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[Sayomi]

Heavy. The mood of the atmosphere became thick with weight, the masked Anbu's tone was sharp and venomous as he chastised me. This wasn't the time for casual conversation or even manners, if i were to become a tool-deaths device, I would have to become cold. I closed my eyes for a moment, inviting in the darkness and breathing in lowly before I aligned my spine into its correct position. Running my fingers through my hair, i'd push them aside; all of this however held no true purpose, one could say it was just my way of dealing with the situation, my way of clearing my own mind. Not knowing how to react could cost me this opportunity, so I would have to handle the situation with tact.

Each word I spoke, each action i made could potentially lead me astray or to the path I sought. It wouldn't be easy, but I wasn't going to let it be difficult either. So many things passed through my mind. The type of mission I was to be trialed on, what dangers and obstacles that awaited me, exactly what would i be deducted from and what would earn me the most amount of points, but at the end of the day it all simmered down to erasing myself. So erased I had to be. "Yes." I'd leave my response simply at that, not wanting to risk losing anymore points or just any bad impressions. I had to be seen as exemplary, anything else I may have wanted to say or ask was now irrelevant. I was on my way to becoming a shadow that brought death. A name at this point was not important to me.

So I'd cast it away.

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[enzan]

I wondered for a second why all of our recruits were predictable, except such was the way of these shinobi dudes now a day. They don’t know how much the village really values them so they either feel neglected or way too energetic. Now of course I was making a generalization which had nothing to do with the little girl who stood before me. I didn’t want to do this but it was what all anbu had to go through for initiation, and, that was to prove themselves as the true shadows of their village. Oh Kishi, I’m rambling on once more within my mind the poor girl by now must think she had done wrong since I spent at least a minute trapped within thought.

I guess I should comfort her and push herself on to the next phase of the mission.

”You’re a jounin of the village . . . someone of your skill shouldn’t be so naïve or tense. Your possibility of passing my little test is at a higher margin then most chuunin who have failed it. Yet my test is different than most since they want you just to kill one person. I want you to infiltrate the family of this enemy and play nice until you find the perfect moment to kill all of them. . . Do you agree with the mission parameters?”

I constantly tested the woman in front of me to the point I knew she would either give me the correct answer or not. I no longer have honor or pride because of my status as a Jounin Level Anbu, and, I held all of my brothers and sister shadows in high regard though. To join my family will take her to the brink of her own sanity because sometimes assassinations sometimes pull on the heart strings. If a heart was still a beat within the chest of that shinobi then death or acceptance of death was the only way to make it grow cold. I vanished before her eyes except I could still hear the lingering sound of the answer she had given.

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[Sayomi]

An eerie, brooding silence enveloped the world around me, my senses on edge for any single word or sound breathed into existence. The situation had become nerve-wrecking, and just when I thought i would go mad from the quiet, he began to speak, snapping my attention from the dark reaches of the bamboo forest and back onto his porcelain mask that dimly glowed in the faint, oblique light of the moon.

It was a mission right up my alley.

"Without hesitation."

I responded seriously, my voice blunt and clear. I was ready to become a shadow-death itself. I would become the visitor, who brought dismay to the enemies of Kusagakure. My blood was pumping profusely throughout my body, my heart beat was accelerating. Why? Because the moment I'd trained my entire life for was about to unfold upon this very night. "You can consider them taken care of already, whenever your ready, I can start." I wasn't cocky, haughty words I spoke. It was simply truth, I would see this through to the very end without fail, and my performance would be nothing short of flawless.

Tonight was a good night for an inauguration into the "dark side"

[enzan]

The Jounin would notice a lone piece of paper falling towards the ground as the darkness was lifted a bit. The document would chronicle the time frame of the mission and the secret of it all was not even the anbu who transported the document could have known what was on the paper. The list stated that the family that the Jounin would have to kill would have a settlement on the outskirts of kusa no kuni. The family consisted of five people a mother, father, two daughters, and, a newborn child just brought into the world. It would seem the children are trained in the genin arts and the mother and father are at least chuunin ranked in power.

The mission was simple befriend the mother gain Intel on what was stolen and when and then kill the entire family including the newborn then hide the evidence. The message would of course feel hotter as she read but there was a small explosive tag upon the back of the paper. The ending kanji would read “this message shall be terminated within five seconds of opening”. The tag was extremely small to the point it would just destroy the paper and if still held would cause slight burns. The start date was instantly if she had read that far she needed to depart to the exact location which was upon the papers.

Sadly this was the hand of man. . . and fate would intervene soon enough.

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[Sayomi]

As if everything was a dream, he was gone, a piece of parchment was left floating aimlessly towards the earth-the last an only remnants of his presence besides those that lied within my memory. My hand reached for it as it slowly began to cinder away in my grasp, the hot heat wafting about my cold fingers. Exhaling, I was sure to swiftly read the the note. It documented all the info I would need to complete my task. Knowing all I needed to know I'd toss it behind my shoulder as it'd reach the conclusion of its life and burn out in a small explosion that rippled throughout the quiet night.

The nights air was cool to the touch as it'd gently brush against my cheeks, the wind, combing throughout my locks as I took off from tree to tree, the world flashing before my eyes. My targets were a family who'd just bought life into the world, they were people who had those who cared for them, and sadly I would have to be the one who took their loved ones away. This was the kind of mission I think no one relished, but my duty was stronger then any convictions I could harbor. I knew deep down I was ready to do this.

It wasn't long before I leap from the concaves of the bamboo forest and out onto the open plains of kusa no kuni. Cultivated lands covered the landscape, digging my heels into the soft earth I came to a halt. There must be something I had to figure out from this family since I had to befriend them, otherwise I could just dispatch them without becoming acquainted. Just what was it exactly that was truly being asked of me? I looked out into the distance, surveying my surroundings.

My move would be made soon...

[enzan]

While the aspiring anbu was traversing the lands of kusa no kuni, within the foliage of a bamboo forest was the house she needed to reach. The home wasn’t large, it was and average house with two floors, and specially made to look like a semi-circle. The smoke of the chimney would become visible to the jounin, the dense cloud, blackened by the logs they were burned to produce it. The front door would open ominously and a figure would be produced, her face smiling in greeting towards someone walking within the distance. The figure she was smiling at was her husband; he was carrying home some more wood.

” Hello, Hunny. It was weird today, my mokuton seemed to pick up something . . . ehh it must be noth---. “

His and her smile disappeared when they looked off into the distance. It would seem if you were in there vicinity that they had spotted you. If you act accordingly and react correctly the couple may invite you into their house. Yet, if you react in a way which threatens them you will lose almost all of your points.

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[Naitome]

Masumi: +33
Sani: +29