The Merchant Safety Net [Mission. Nickito]

[Krethean]

SPOILER: Click to show

PRECIOUS GOODS
RANK: C
DESCRIPTION: The forests of Kusa no Kuni can be treacherous to even those who remember distinct pathways in to the village from their mind. A lot of areas within the country haven't even been explored by people for several years, and remain hidden and untouched by man. Due to the perilous nature of this land, when traders come in to the village in order to exchange goods, a few call for Kusagakure shinobi to help transport them from the border and in to the village with the safest route. Not wanting to be attacked and robbed by bandits or get lost within these dangerous forests, it's your duty to take care of these people and the cargo they bring, and make sure that no harm comes to them.
OBJECTIVE: Meet the traders at the border, and then guide them in to the village through the forestry. Fend off any possible enemies that may be a danger to the success of the mission, and make sure that they arrive safely!
PAY: 200 EXP and 1,000 Ryo.

It was a cool, crisp morning, with fog rolling low at people's feet. The sun was shining brightly just over the horizon, but had yet to warm the land up fully and with the thick canopy of trees surrounding the village, it made the area cooler than normal. Ujiyasu walked to the gates, whistling a chipper tune as he did so.

After recent events, just getting back to work put him in a better mood, plus he was able to work with one of his squad at least. Who knew where the other two vanished to... but if this was to become a frequent occurrence, he would have to think about replacing them. Being in a team wasn't a necessity, but it did offer some things that going it alone simply couldn't.

Regarding this mission however, his clients were quite smart: they decided to enter the country early, before the sun could warm up the jungle-like terrain and make it treacherous for those who aren't used to the humid and confounding environment. It also gave Ujiyasu the perfect excuse to get this out of the way early. He wasn't one for the heat himself, and he figured it would be easier to get this out of the way first, and do the other three missions today, as they were all in the village. That and he was sure theives wouldn't strike early in the day, when hardly anyone would turn up to rob from.

When he reached the gates, the ANBU, vigilant as always, stopped him. Ujiyasu handed the masked man the mission slip.

"I'm here to guide a merchant to the village. I'm also bringing a Genin, Kasumi Sansei as well. She should be here any moment."

I hope. In truth he was unsure if she would turn up, being that it was early, but he had told her that if she sleeps in, she'll miss out on the reward, and she'd fail the mission. Sure that she was striving to do her best, failing is the last thing she'd want. Besides, a shinobi needed to be ready at any time... even if they were groggy and half asleep.

That and he found that he had warmed a little to her, and her teasing ways became something that he took a great deal of pleasure in reciprocating. He found that she did make things more fun as a group, and people needed to relax at times.

Today, he aimed to see what she's capable of, help the village out considerably, make a good deal of money in the mean time and lastly, to brush up on his skills. It had been a while since he took a mission. Aside from the one that led him to Kumogakure that is.

[Nickito]

ENTER~

The air was thin and chilly, the cloud cover and tree shade bringing the temperature down rather considerably. More than Kasumi would have ever thought possible had she not experienced it herself. She hadn't ever been one for the cold, even though the place she hailed from was rather cool and known for such temperature. After all, it was Mizu no Kuni, made up of a group of islands located far from the main continent. Its Hidden Village was another indicator, being that its name was Kirigakure, the Village Hidden in the Mist. As a child, she had rather enjoyed the cool mornings and cooler evenings, but ever since leaving she had begun to lean towards the warmer and steamier places. Perhaps it was just adaptation due to living in so many tropical environments, such as the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass.

The sound of her heels tapping on the ground signaled her arrival, starting as a dull ticking noise and growing into what could have been mistaken for someone knocking at a door. Her arms were crossed over her chest, each hand attempting to rub warmth into the opposite arm. The bare spot on her legs had turned from white to a dull red color due to the irritation of the cold, and her face was lightly blushed, as if she had just had a risque encounter of some sort. She couldn't help but realize the irony of the situation, seeing as she was going on a mission with the leader of her team, a Chuunin who just so happened to have an affinity for the cold. As she came within sight, she began to jog a bit and removed her hands from her arms. Perhaps it would appear as though the running had made her red.

"I'm here, I'm here," she called out just moments before slowing to a stop beside Ujiyasu. She reached around inside of her satchel in search of the proper mission slip to show the ANBU Guard, and after an embarrassingly long period of time, finally located it and pulled it out. "Here you go, tiger," she said with a grin, attempting to replace the previous awkward silence with some other type of energy. "Sorry if I'm late," she said to Ujiyasu. "I was contemplating a change of outfit since it's so chilly, but I figured I'd better just go with what works." She winked at him, and turned back around to wait for the ANBU to hand her slip back. "Don't worry about us defecting. Knowing that a big, strong ANBU Guard is waiting for me is all the incentive I need to come back," she said in a salacious tone. She was ready to get a move on and start the first mission in what would hopefully be a long line.

[Krethean]

Ahh there she is.

She ran towards the ANBU and Ujiyasu as she drew closer, before she searched for the slip. After a while, she produced it, and the ANBU examined both, before nodding and vanishing in a whirl of grass blades.

Now clear to proceed, Ujiyasu took the first step out of the gates, and proceeded down the road.

"Well, it may be cold now, but in a few hours the sun will make this place pretty warm, and by midday, it'll be very hot, very humid. Our client wants to beat that heat, and get to the village so they can do what they need to do, then relax for a while before setting off."

He looked at her with a reassuring smile as they walked along the pathway, the sound of dirt crunching against the footware.

"Besides, you'll probably warm up anyway as we get there. You probably won't even notice the cold in a bit."

"Anyway... our client'll be coming in from aroooound... here." Ujiyasu indicated by pointing with his finger at the general direction slightly to their right. "They'll be arriving shortly at the border of Kusa no Kuni, so we'll meet them there first."

With that, Ujiyasu leaped up to the top of the tree and began to blitz his way to the border. It was colder, so he could do this without too much concern about dehydrating from exertion, and he was sure Kasumi could fare well enough. Heck, this mission as a whole should be simple enough. Kasumi's sensory abilities will be very useful in identifying would be bandits well before they would become a threat, and Ujiyasu would be able to dispatch them without too much trouble.

He's had plenty of experience in dealing with bandits anyway.

[Nickito]

As the ANBU vanished in a way that most of their members likely did, Kasumi returned the slip to the safety of her satchel and closed it up. She couldn't help but think that one day, she would like to be in such a position, one of Kusagakure's Elite ANBU Shinobi. With a bit of work, she would be able to get there at some point, surely. However, it was something to be left until she became at least a Chuunin, making that her number one thought and worry. With her thoughts distracting her, she almost missed Ujiyasu's cue to start walking, but she managed to stay beside him as they stepped through the Village Gates.

"I hope you're right," she said, the crunching noise of the dirt beneath her foot filling the awkward silences. "I think I might have mentioned before that I don't really do cold," she added with a small, playful grin. "Even though I remember the part of Mizu I lived in being cold, I think I just acclimated to the warm as we got further away and stayed in more comfortable places." She nodded in understanding as he spoke about what the clients wanted, and she understood the desire. "We aim to please," she said in an almost sarcastic tone. "Our headbands should have little stickers that ask 'How's by Ninjaing?' and some directions for contacting the Atrium." Her snarky side was coming out because of the displeasure the cold brought her, but she kept her head high and tried to act as if it wasn't bothering her in the slightest.

As he rose up into a tree, Kasumi followed suit, pushing up with a medium amount of force and began to follow him, albeit from a smaller height. Since they knew the general area that the clients were to show up, she probably wouldn't need to use her Sensory abilities to find them, but if it came down to it, her range would be able to pick them up easily. It was more likely that she would need to keep a careful look out for any bandits once they got further away from the village. She was sure that there were plenty of them lurking around. "So how should we play this?" she spoke up. "Once we get a little further out, I can sense for any possible hostiles."

[Krethean]

Ujiyasu smirked at his companion's snark. It was something he was being accustomed to, along with her flirtatious nature.

"Oh I remember. So I guess that means you don't want me around so much?"

He continued on, smiling as he said that. He was sure she knew full well that his own chakra nature was rather cold, especially when they first met she straight out told him that she didn't like the cold. Paired with her flirting, he liked to play around with her for it

"Maybe, but if those bandits and crooks happen to get a sticker that fell off from the humidity, I'm pretty sure the merchants wouldn't appreciate getting jumped more frequently."

When Kasumi asked about how they should handle this, Ujiyasu's eyes became quite serious. This mission won't be too hard, especially with the two of them there. The trees whipped by from the speed the two Kusa shinobi were moving at. It wouldn't be long before they reached the border, where their clients would be approaching.

"This will be simple. You scout for any bandits, I'll handle any that come our way. In truth I am not sure how well you can fight while sensing, if at all, so if you can't, then there won't be any issues. If I miss any though, I will need you to deal with them, even if it means dropping your sensory ability for a short while."

He saw the jungle begin to give way to a clearing, which was a sign that they were approaching the border of Kusa no Kuni. The sun shone brilliantly on the horizon still, but was a little higher. The morning sunlight basked as much of the land as it could reach, but it still hadn't warmed up the area yet. Within the hour, however he figured it should be more comfortable.

"I don't expect much trouble. These crooks aren't usually able to fight on par with Shinobi and Kunoichi, and on the off chance they are, they probably won't be too skilled. More capable rogues don't usually resort to highway robbery."

[Nickito]

"Well if you remember that, then you probably remember the other thing I told you that day," she said, a small smirk forming on her lips. "Something about you being cute and me being able to deal with it because of that. Am I ringing any bells in that icy head of yours?" she asked with a small laugh. Her words were mostly harmless, especially since Ujiyasu was the leader of her team, and they were currently on a semi-important mission that, if they weren't careful, could involve some violence. On top of that, there was somebody else that she had what felt to be much stronger feelings for. With that in mind, she began to look at everything around her very carefully, looking for any sign of an ambush or attack, pulling back on her flirty advances.

"That makes two of us," she admitted. "I've never actually tried to fight while I was Sensing. I mean, I can move and all of that, but I need to close my eyes while I'm doing it." A deep breath in, and a deep breath out. "I guess there's a first time for everything. I should be fine if I need to, as long as I know what the layout of the area looks like and there aren't too many obstructions. Worst comes to worst, I just make a note of location and number and then turn it off," she said, her eyes flickering from her surroundings to the area that they were coming up on. A clearing on the edge of the forest, blanket by the sun in a small area. One of Kusa no Kuni's borders, though she wasn't entirely sure what country was on the opposite side. Though she wouldn't ever admit it, she hadn't been paying attention to the direction they had begun to travel in.

She nodded as he spoke, and picked up her pace to move forward and arrive in the clearing a little quicker. However, before she came to the edge of the forest, she stopped herself and rested on a tree branch with her hands against the trunk. "We should stop here so I can scout the area. We don't wanna just pop into the clearing and be left wide open if there are any enemies around," she explained, placing her hands together and closing her eyes. "This shouldn't take long," she added, clearing her throat as she activated her Mind's Eye of the Kagura.

Almost immediately, she detected Ujiyasu's Chakra, seeing as he was so close to her. She made a sweep with her senses after their positions were established and still, traveling 50 meters forward and circling around in a somewhat clockwise motion, almost as if she were using her mind as a radar that would report back any nearby Chakra Signatures. As she came to scout the area just to their right, she picked up five average Chakra Signatures about 25 meters away. "I've got five possible enemies about 25 meters that way," she said, pointing in the designated direction. "Nothing special about them, I don't think they have any sort of shinobi skills or training. At most, they'll probably have some weapons and basic Taijutsu," she explained before opening her eyes and dispelling the technique. "So... What's the plan, captain?"

[Krethean]

"Heh... perhaps I was a little too distracted when you said that. I'm sure you'd understand."

With a smile, he ended that topic with a fair bit of cheek. He was young, like Kasumi, and in truth, he hadn't felt able tomuck around like he could before the Chuunin Exams. Maybe it was because he was a mentor and felt more able to mingle better with his students (his youth certainly helped), or maybe Kasumi's nature sparked his old, mischievous personality. While he loved a good fight when he was in the Academy, he always wanted to have some fun and not worry about things as much.

How things change so quickly.

It was something he didn't want Kasumi to go through, but their line of work offered no chances in protecting them from the cruel reality. She would likely experience it for herself sooner or later... but it was Ujiyasu's job to ensure she could hold her own, and hold together when things got serious.

"Whatever you feel comfortable with. I'm here too, so don't feel you need to do everything at once. Just let me know what you're going to do, if and when you change plans and we can work from there."

They stopped near the edge of the canopy, which gave Kasumi some cover for her to use her ability. After a brief period, she reported that there were five bandits with rather average abilities, which made Ujiyasu smile a bit.

"Sounds easy. Alright, I'll have a clone scout the area and look for traps. Quite sure they would want to disable the merchant before they loot them, We'll meet up with the merchants when they appear, introduce ourselves and then go with them. Those bandits should be more hesitant about taking on the merchants since they'd have to deal with ninja. If they lack the brains, then we should be able to beat some intelligence into them. Maybe."

With a smirk, Ujiyasu finished up the last line.

"Some people are a lost cause as far as getting smart goes."

With that, Ujiyasu performed a string of handseals and created a clone out of the cold air and the freezing moisture. Knowing what to do, the clone darted from tree to tree in the direction Kasumi indicated, looking for the bandits in question, as weel as any traps that would cause headaches for the merchants, and the two Kusa nin. Ujiyasu's old hobby as an explorer and a hunter would come in handy once again, as not only did his clone visually spot the bandits, but it also identified a rudimentary tripwire that seemed to lead to some caltrops as well as some rock launchers.

As stealthily as possible, the clone descended and disabled the trap at the launchers, so that the bandits weren't clued in to their gambit failing. The clone then made its way back and hid on the treetops with Kasumi and the real Ujiyasu.While the clone could have dealt with the bandits right then and there, there was no point in doing so. It was their choice whether to continue despite their trap failing. That and his Ice Clone isn't the best choice for being stealthy about this... his Mizu clones were the better option, but there wasn't any water around to use.

"Alright, looks like we're clear. They had a trap waiting, but that's dealt with. Aaand right on time too. Here's our client!"

Not too far ahead of them, a merchant's cart could be seen traversing the dusted road into the border of Kusa no Kuni. Ujiyasu leaped down from the tree and landed on the ground, motioning for the cart to continue. His clone waited on the tree to surprise the bandits they were likely going to deal with.

The cart drew near as Ujiyasu greeted himself to the elderly man at the helm of the cart and the horse with a cheerful wave.

"Good morning sir! Friendly neighbourhood Kusa ninja, here to escort you to the village."

"Ahh good. I hoped to get in before the sun gets much higher. Heard it gets horrible later on."

"It does. Plus the bandits that like to be around and raid honest folk. Anyway, let me know when you're ready to go. Cleared the way for you, and we should be able to deal with whatever the crooks throw at us. You and your cargo will be safe."

[Nickito]

"Well, what could be a better opportunity than against some simple bandits, right?" she said quietly, waiting to follow Ujiyasu's lead. She looked at Ujiyasu as he spoke and nodded in understanding, and watched as he formed a clone out of what looked to her like nothing, but felt like a winter breeze. Though it was only momentary, a quiet shiver ran through her body before the clone darted off to perform its function. A clone would be more than a match for the simple villains that she had sensed out. "If they do attack, their traps' failure to activate might also unnerve them. We'll have that small upper hand... Not that we need it." A small grin that might be described as sinister in nature placed itself upon her face. She was looking forward to maybe releasing some tensions on the bodies of the bandits.

She waited quietly until the clone returned, and as it had seemingly carried out its miniature mission without a hitch, it appeared clear for them to advance on their larger, main mission. As Ujiyasu announced the arrival of their target, Kasumi looked out and spotted the man as well. It struck her as odd that a merchant would travel anywhere without an accompaniment of some kind. Surely Kusa no Kuni was not the only land plagued with bandits, and surely it was worth the peace of mind to hire protection. After all, if a merchant was caught without any type of bodyguard, their wares would surely be stolen and destroyed, leaving them with nothing. As Ujiyasu made his way to the ground and motioned for the man to continue, Kasumi took a moment to ponder the thought.

As the cart drew nearer, Kasumi descended to the ground as well, landing about two meters behind her team leader. She surveyed the cart, but was unable to determine what types of things he sold as they were all packed away and covered up. If she had been a bandit, not knowing would have only made her curious and more likely to attack the businessman. It seemed to her as if he was asking to be robbed, but it was not her place to make judgements on him. Instead, she offered a kind smile as Ujiyasu introduced them, and she moved a hand to her headband to draw attention to it. If the bandits were watching, perhaps they would have seen it and begun to think twice about taking action. To add further insult to injury, she threw a glance in their general direction. If they were able to hear what Ujiyasu had said, she hoped her eyes would serve to set them off balance.

"I kind of like it," she mumbled to herself in reaction to the man's remark about how the days felt as the sun got higher, and Ujiyasu's reply. "Don't you worry. If there are any bandits stupid enough to take us on, they'll only delay us by a few minutes, tops. We'll get you back to the village before you have a chance to suffer," she said, the last part carrying just a hint of sass, mockery even. Surely he wouldn't pick up on it, though Ujiyasu might.

[Krethean]

"Well I guess I shouldn't have anything to worry about then."

Despite the man not picking up the girl's tone, Ujiyasu did. He smirked only a little, so the merchant wouldn't notice before the elder man talked again.

"I have some space on the cartif one of you want a ride. The other'll have to walk though. It's the least I can do until we get to the village."

At this, Ujiyasu looked at Kasumi and smiled, waving his hand toward the cart.

"Well, this works out for you. You can keep an eye on things and ensure there are no hidden surprises outside of the group we already disabled. Then when you're sure there's no complications, you can join in and give the police more paperwork."

He was being pretty light-hearted with this mission. In truth, he knew he could handle this, but he wanted to see how Kasumi would fare, and co-coordinating their strategy would help see how they would gel as a team.

As the trio trekked along the dirt path, Ujiyasu's Ice Clone kept up with them on the trees, ready to ambush the ambushers. Ujiyasu and the merchant made some small talk to pass the time, while the Ice Clone prepared some hand seals.

It won't be too long before they reach the group of bandits they found earlier. Ujiyasu was hopeful that this was all they had to deal with.

[Nickito]

"What a gentleman, Ujiyasu. With all that wild hair I never would have thought," she said teasingly, walking past him towards the cart. She smiled at the elderly man as she passed him, nodding a thank you while she was within his sight. As she climbed aboard the merchant's transport she heard Ujiyasu chime in, and with a grin she replied to him. "I'll keep my eyes peeled." With her hands coming together to form the Ram hand seal, she closed her eyes and activated her technique again. She was able to detect the same bandits she had earlier, as well as the merchant's small Chakra Signature. Ujiyasu was there as he had before, and his clone had a decent Chakra Signature as well, still in the trees.

As they began to move forward and back to the village, Kasumi's attention rested mostly on the group of bandits from before. She expected them to stay put and out of harms way, especially since Ujiasyu's clone had been able to disable their traps without their knowing, but they proved her wrong when they began to move in the same direction that they were. "Pretty ballsy of them," she muttered just loud enough for Ujiyasu and the merchant to hear. "I think they're gonna try something. They're moving at about the same speed we are, you should notify your clone somehow." With her senses on full alert, she did a quick scan around their area and found that there was nobody besides them and the group of thugs. It wouldn't be too difficult to deal with them if they did decide to try something, but for the sake of convenience, Kasumi was hoping that they would lose their nerve.

"It's nothing to worry about," she spoke up, addressing the merchant. "Its just a small group of lowlife's, if they try to attack we'll just beat them up a little and send them on their way," she explained, her eyes still closed as she tracked every movement of the five members.

[Krethean]

"Ah he'd already know the moment you told me"

Ujiyasu grinned as Kasumi informed him of the bandits' movements while the clone looked at the rough area where the bandits were and spotted them moving. Like a... well... ninja, the clone kept pace, while maintaining stealth, and prepared a string of handseals, ready to incapacitate them.

With the last seal made, the air around the bandits began to cool rapidly as spikes made of ice began to form from the increasing moisture in the air.

"What the hell?!

"Ice?! What's going on?!"

That moment of confusion was all that was needed for about a hundred needles of ice to form around the ground. A moment later, all of the needles launched themselves at the minor group of crooks at high speed. Meaty thunks could be heard as the needles shot through their limbs, not killing them, but making them incapable of resisting any more, while the clone brought the battered, bloody and unconscious criminals to the road. Ujiyasu scribbled a note and handed it to the clone, who placed it on top of the pile of incapacitated criminals.

If one were to pass by, it would read "Crooks who failed at being a crook. Feel free to lock them up."

After that little, simple exchange of ice and pain, the clone took to the trees againand kept up with the cart. The merchant was speechless, needless to say, and anyone could tell that he felt much safer after that.

After a while, they reached the gates of Kusagakure, where the ANBU would stop them. Seeing Ujiyasu and Kasumi, he nodded and allowed them passage, after confirming that it is the merchant they were waiting for. From there, balding man turned to Ujiyasu and Kasumi, bowing graciously to them.

"Thank you both! I'm just glad we got here alive, intact... and in before the sun really got too high!"

Ujiyasu handed the man his mission slip and flaed a smile.

"No problem! It's what we do, and we can always use more merchants. I myself would be interested if you know anyone who'd be looking to sell some wood, ore or scrap metal even. I'm keen to make some more tools and such... possibly even protection and weapons if I have the time."

"That I can do. I know a few people who could do with that kind of business. I also have some basic materials with me if you'd like a look. I'll be here for a week before I go and restock."

The merchant handed Ujiyasu his mission slip back as the Chuunin responded in a brighter tone.

"Great! I'll swing by in a few days then. I should have some free time then."

[Nickito]

"Told you I'd be back," Kasumi said to the ANBU as she moved past him, a quick wink directed at his mask. As the cart came to a full and complete stop, Kasumi cracked her neck, her back and her knuckles before hoping off of it and onto the ground. Before moving over towards Ujiyasu and the merchant, she stretched her arms and her legs, bending over to touch her toes for a rather prolonged period of time, a small smirk's existence known only to her as she did so. As soon as she rose to stand straight and turned around to walk towards the two men, it had faded away.

With the man's bow, Kasumi nodded and she couldn't help but giggle at his gratuitous statement. "Didn't I tell you we'd have you here before you had a chance to suffer?" she asked jokingly, her eyes drifting towards Ujiyasu briefly to see if he got the joke she was making. She handed the man her mission slip and listened to the two speak while she waited to have it returned as verification that the mission had been completed. She thought it was funny that he was attempting to do business with the merchant just as soon as they had gotten him within the village's border. A shake of her head and a laugh was her only reaction to it, and as the business talk became too much for her, she decided it was time to take her leave.

"I hope business goes well for you here. I'm sure it will, since you managed to snag your first customer after only being here for a few minutes," she said with a kind smile. She turned to Ujiyasu and looked at him with a twinkle in her eyes, his long blonde hair captivating her momentarily. Hopefully he wouldn't notice that she had spaced, even though it had been quite obvious. "I'll head over to the next mission," she said, leaning in and lowering her voice to a whisper that only he would be able to hear. "See you there," she said, and before walking away, she reached a hand around and squeezed him just below the back, a fiery grin cementing itself on her face as she strutted away.

EXIT~

[Krethean]

After the two men talked business, Kasumi mentioned her intention to go to the next mission... with a gesture that he figured he should have expected, but didn't think she would have the courage to do.

After his mind recovered from the hormonal rush, he bowed to the merchant and let him go and run his stall, while he departed for the next mission. He let a small smirk appear on his face as he went to catch up to his student.

Just you wait Kasumi... I'll get you back for that.

She definitely was pushing the boundaries, and in a way, he found himself quite excited by it. He hadn't felt like being mischievous in many many months. They had three more missions to do, and the day was still young. Perhaps today would be more fun than he first figured after all.

[/exit]

[The Dude]

k: 54
@n: 46