01 - 01: to the end of neverland.

[matsumoto-kun]

It's best not to be reminded of such trivial things. Memories are sometimes what hold us back. They prevent us from realizing that before us lies an ocean of new, and more exciting memories. Forget about old things. They bring no benefit. There are things that continue to captivate, however. There are things that remain in the present, the here, the now, that fulfill every desire that one would hope to have realized. The darkness of the past, and the faulty footing that is shed upon it is nothing compared to the sleek ambience of the present. This is where our story begins. Now.

It was a weekday. A day that one or two of us might be able to remember as some sort of eventful evening. The rest of us will continue to pass over it in the history books. There are things that happened that day that set up the rest of the week. Projects were finished, tests were completed, lunch was had, and so on and so forth. This weekday, however, was a bit more spectacular for one person in particular. 

Long, sleek, dark hair seemed to be carried along within the midsts of the summertime gale that swept over the town. From atop the village walls, the child could see the rest of the town below him. The dim lights which seemed to bleed onto the streets from each respective home showed signs of life. Perhaps it was a bit precocious to assume that each would represent a 'soul' inhabiting the room. The same could be said for the stars, which hung above the village almost as if an ocean reflecting it. This often seemed to be his hiding place. A locale where the souls within the stars, and the souls within the city would convene to show themselves off. Who held more light, who held more life? It was a constant battle that the genin seemed to have appreciated.

Matsumoto Ushinawa had been a resident of the village for nearly three months now. Having gone through the motions of graduating the academy was nothing more than a casual reminder of things he had already learned during his time in the desert. It was a bit symbolic. To his back, there was a vast darkness which composed the countryside of Kaze no Kuni. It was his previous home. To his front, was the illumination of life, and the 'souls' of each of his comrades, new and old. There was still much for him to learn about this village... but some things would seem to be a constant.

[Comatose]

[ GM - C-RANK ENCOUNTER - 2 NPC - B & C RANK ]

The symbolism of the boy's back went further than one would suspect, for they had tailed him for days now. When the two bounty-hunters had caught wind of his existence within Sunagakure they had become elated, ready for the easy mark. The boy had been running for a long time, running from his past and previous misdeeds, something which would graduate from a mere haunting today.

To the village they were nothing more than shinobi, disguised as the same ANBU that patrolled the streets, having dispatched a few earlier in the week and replaced them for the sake stealth. That was one of the poor designs of the ninja guard and law enforcement system, nobody was expected to be able to dispatch these most of elite guards and replace them, but if they had the job of hiding one's face was already done for them.

"You there!", the older more powerful of the duo yelled from underneath his stolen mask. "What's your name, what are you doing here at this time of day?"

There was a procedure within Sunagakure about certain things regarding loitering, even upon something like the very wall he sat upon. The two would use this to their advantage and get the information they sought, for they need only confirm who the boy was before they could begin the process of capturing and taking him in. The duo had done this many times and to many shinobi over the course of their years, and had developed a process for it. Hidden underneath their cloaks lied their methods, ready to strike upon the boy for nothing more than a 10,000 ryo reward.

[matsumoto-kun]

A cursory glance to his right would reveal the sudden appearance of two masked men. While this would have normally caused reason for alarm, within the world of 'ninja,' it wasn't too uncommon. Years in battle had often revealed that men who cover their faces were often also covering other things. Of course, despite this understanding, it would seem to have fallen on the wayside this night. With his palms curved against the corner of the wall, his feet hanging over the side, he would catch their glimpse with complete stability. With a slight flutter of his eyelids at the sudden altering of his attention, he might have caused a bit of confusion amongst the duo. It was clear to most that Ushinawa was a man, but to strangers such as these, it would be far less clear. His voice upon answering, filled with soft speech patterns and delicacy of the tongue, didn't appear to lend any clarification.

'ANBU?'

"There's no cause for alarm. I'm simply enjoying the view."

While the explanation was presented in a very matter-of-fact tone, it would be clear that he had wished he hadn't been bothered in the first place. Leaning forward, the boy's strangely lanky legs would bend forward as he placed a step against the top of the wall. As he stood, the long dark hair, which draped across his shoulders as though a part of the night above them, would flutter outward towards the exterior of the walls. Curving his body slightly to account for the wind, he would give notice to both the position of the man accosting him, and the man who seemed to be approaching him in support. With their positions accounted for, he would also notice the considerable width of the walls in which they stood. Five meters from the interior to the exterior, it would give him more than enough space to flee should the two attempt to wrongfully detain him.

Raising his right hand, the cape which covered the entirety of his torso would lift. Revealing a sliver of metal at his waist, the image of an hourglass etched onto a metal plate could be seen hanging from his belt. While his opposite hand would remain hidden behind the cloak, his right hand would reach into his pocket to remove the ninja identification book he had received upon passing the genin exam. It was a small green book that was carried by most children of his rank. Given his status as a refugee, it was even more likely for him to carry it in circumstances such as these.

Removing it from his pocket, he would take a step forward before tossing the book in a spinning manner towards the ANBU's chest.

"That should be all of the proof that you need."

[Comatose]

[ GM - C-RANK ENCOUNTER - 2 NPC - B & C RANK ]

The more powerful of the duo caught the book with ease as it was tossed to him, furrowing his brow in disapproval at the acts of the young boy. As he examined it, he noted the name with a nod and an invisible smile underneath the ANBU mask showing it to the other man. He too replied with a nod before they simply tossed the book.

"Thanks, that's all the proof we needed."

The powerful ANBU opened up his cloak, revealing the housings of what seemed like hundreds of scrolls underneath while the second ANBU revealed his bow. Immediately, taking out one of these scrolls - which featured two specific symbols upon it, he opened it and released it's contents in the direction of the young boy Matsumoto. From the scroll a weighted chain would spring forth, it's opposite end still contained within the school itself as it continued off in Matsumoto's direction. Though, the distance between the Fake-ANBU and Matsumoto was equivalent to the distance he had to maneuver in any direction the weaker Fake-ANBU was smart enough to not give him any extra options. The weaker Fake-ANBU had acted at the same time as the stronger one, his bow loaded and fired several times in that instant, though not directly at Matsumoto, but at his potential escape routes all along the walkable portion of the wall.

SPOILER: Click to show

{ Fake-ANBU Duo}Suppressing Fire
Rank: B
Range: -
Type: Supplementary
Handseals: -
Chakra Consumption: High
By practicing their ability to draw, knock, aim and fire an arrow, the user can learn to quickly lay a lot of damage downrange. Suppressing Fire is aptly named, for its function is, literally, to suppress a target through overwhelming fire.

Note: This essentially allows the user to increase their movements by a profound degree, capable of preparing and firing two arrows in the time it would take to fire one. This effect last for three posts before it will need to be cast again. This ability can never be combined with Danger Close, regardless of masteries.

Baku Ryusei (Attached Meteor)
Rank: C
Range: Close (0m ~ 5m), Mid (5m ~ 10m), Far (10m+)
Type:. Offensive
Handseals: -
Chakra Consumption: -
The user brandishes one of their smaller Weapon Scrolls, and immediately, a length of weighted chain springs forth, rocketing towards the target. Should they make contact, the chain will instantly wrap around the victim, the end remaining sealed within the scroll, making for a capture. After a successful capture, the user may then release the rest of the weaponry stored within the use scroll, all homing in on the chain-bound target.

Note: Your scroll must contain "Manriki" and, this technique can be used in conjunction with [Kai].

[matsumoto-kun]

The passing of the booklet would go smoothly at first. Falling into the possession of the lead ANBU, he would review it before showing it to his partner in a casual manner. As the book would fall back into Ushinawa's possession, the ANBU's words would appear all the more ominous. Within an instant, as if moving in slow motion, the Genin would observe as his superior would reveal the contents of his cloak, his partner revealing a weapon of his own.

'What!?'

The response seemed almost instinctual. The brandishing of weapons, regardless of who's hands carried them seemed to revert the ill-reformed solider into a state of what could only be described as: desolation. Within what seemed like slow-motion, the hands of his enemies carefully moving in delicate states in order to unveil their varying instruments of death, as would the hands of his former comrades delicately maneuver up the nape of his neck. His spin would tingle with the nerves of a warrior. His heart raced, blood pumping through his veins to ensure the adrenaline which would course through his body would find its way into each and every muscle, tissue, and cell. These men had marked him as a target, and he had given away any semblance of secrecy he might have once carried. This was no longer in the realm of ninja- no- he had left that world as quickly as he had arrived. This was now something much more severe, something much more realistic: this was battle. 

A word was used earlier to describe the moment in which Ushinawa had begun to embody. The word used, despite its odd placement, was desolation. This was not because of his odds. Two versus one was nothing outrageous. It wasn't because of his placement, far away from the possibility of assistance from someone who might believe that he was an innocent party against an attack from two ANBU. No, this desolation was onset by the idea of killing. The two, profound, hazel eyes which would catch the light of the moon as he set his gaze against the masks of his opponents might convey this. There was no wasted movement, there was no fault in his intention. These men had fallen into the realm of his victims, just as he had fallen into the realms of theirs. They were all faced with the desolation that would soon come of this. They would all soon be faced with the inevitable outcome that death loomed over them.

The metal links which combined this chain would clink and clank in their approach towards him. The stretch of the bow would echo, only to be followed by the sounds of its release. Noticing their clear frontal assault, it left Ushinawa with little options for escape. Within the instant the duo would carry out their planned attack, the Genin would carry out his escape route. Within a flash, the black cloak which draped over his body would flutter under the force of his leap out of the way of their attacks. Having been at the edge of the wall since their arrival, it would serve as a quick escape route, given the circumstance. While his right hand would drop the booklet which held his identification, his left hand had already gripped the kama strapped to his belt, just as it had been upon the arrival of the masked men. Twisting his body to ensure he kept a visual on his attackers, the kama would launch forward within the same instant it took for Ushinawa to toss two smoke grenades, both in his enemy's (the weaker ninja) direction. 

'P-POOF'

A less than subtle explosion of smoke would fill the entirety of the makeshift battlefield. Thick white smoke would fill the area in an attempt to blind the duo while Matsumoto's feminine body would begin to fall at an average rate, surrounded by the rippling of his cloak. Having ensured that he had an ample amount of time to fall before having to close the distance between himself and the wall (roughly 1.5 meters) he would have already made his way at least 3 meters down the wall. With the intention of catching his target's neck, he would also understand their attempt to deflect it. That being done, of course, would simply allow him to bring the blade back towards the back of the stronger ninja's neck- either decapitating or bifurcating him. If this was avoided still, the Kama would at least catch the edge of the wall, allowing him to rappel safely against the interior of the structure. 

With the smoke beginning to spread, assuming he had enough time, Matsumoto's right hand would quickly reach into his satchel once more as he focused on the oncoming smoke, and a break in it that might reveal his enemy's location.

-- kusarigama used.
-- 2 smoke grenades used.
-- ___ prepped.

Comatose

[Comatose]

[ GM - C-RANK ENCOUNTER - 2 NPC - B & C RANK ]

"Fuck! -- Over!"

The stronger of the duo yelled as he waved his hand about attempting to remove the smoke from obscuring his view, before rolling to the instinctually to the left. Nearly in tandem, the weaker man did the same - causing a rather lucky dodge of the Kama. The stronger male immediately brought his hand against the chain of the Kama, his muscles buldging as he snatched it's chain from midair without a second thought, pulling it up and over - his strength affording him the ability to easily lift and pull the feminine male's weight up into the air should he still have have hold of the weapon.

"Up!"

Their camaraderie led to an understanding deeper than the world itself as the weaker male aimed up high, knocking nearly a dozen arrows at once before firing, noting the apparent trajectory the boy would take if he was indeed lifted up in the air. Though, even with this consideration the weaker male had something up his sleeve, his hand motioning a seal and holding a second.

SPOILER: Click to show

{ two old men}
Weak Man:
Shotgun - Mid x3
????

Strong Man:
Haaku (Catch) - Low

[matsumoto-kun]

As the chain of his weapon would follow the trajectory of his Kama, the sudden jerk and pull at the end of the genin's weapon would alert him to what might have followed. With a sharp expression covering his face, his only evident option would be to release a portion of the slack that he had gathered within his hand. Pulling him slightly closer, the instant feeling of the chain slithering away from his grasp would alert him to the fact that he was no longer in control of the bladed end. The only clear option would be that he would have to gain control of the only piece left: the weighted end. Slipping from his fingers, the kama would continue on its path up and over the duo's heads. Switching the loose grip to his right hand, he would continue to fall until the tip of the chain would brush past his hand, and into the screen of smoke which covered the entire top of the gate.

Ensuring that he would be able to catch his feet against the side of the wall, his chakra would come alive as they planted firmly against the stone which would lay the foundation for their battlefield. Within instants of his enemy having hoisted the weapon from his position, and having fallen behind the cover of the wall in case the smoke was somehow cleared, his hands would move to activate a quick handseal to begin his counterattack. Given that his enemies were at the top of the wall, while he was roughly three meters below them, on the side, the debris which might have affected him otherwise would no doubt be negligible. 

tch-BOOM.

The explosion would no doubt shake his portion of the wall, the vibrations sent down the wall would startle him. Within a crouching position, would slightly raise, however his stature and all-black attire would no doubt keep him less obvious than otherwise. The force of the explosion would send his hair and cape in a powerful thrust behind him, his right hand raising to cover his eyes from the dust which would expound outward. The smoke would partially scatter before being filled with the dust of the stone wall's surface. Of course, this was a short lived reflect, his hands instantly moving back together to continue to form seals as he would skip backwards, increasing the distance between him and the masked men.

"If you're after me, then you know that I won't be losing so easily. Who sent you?" He would shout, confident that the two had survived the explosion. 

While he would be giving up his position, the explosion would no doubt alert others to the scene. If it was more ANBU, or a cursory ninja, he had a better chance at trying to find help than not. As it stood, these two had shown expert battle technique- and if he wanted to get out of this alive, he would have to continue his focus on the still spreading screen of smoke and dust for any sign of movement.

-- x1 explosive note used
-- fubaku houin used (190/200)
-- ______ prepped



Comatose