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Soul Ketushai Vice Captain
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 Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 2:24 pm
I'm no ANBU...
*Soul overlooked the village with his hands in his pockets and the wind blowing ever so slightly. He looked over to Westly, running the boy's idea through his mind. He gave the him a nod towards the village*
Go ahead; Walk into the side of the village as if you were a local. Find out what you can without being so obviouse. Oh, and don't get into trouble...
*Soul got down to a knee, placed his nap sack on the dirt gently, and began digging through it. He took out a small silk bag tied with a skinny line of rope. Soul closed up the sack, threw it over his shoulder, and carefuly put the bag in Westly's hand*
But if you do, use this. The bag contains a very sensitive, highly combustable powder. Just toss it a good fifteen feet and it'll signal us. Put it somewhere safe, and for the love of God, don't sit on it or something.
*Soul looked at the other two in his group and signaled them to follow his lead, he walking slowly down the path straight into the tar pit areas*
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Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 4:38 pm
Westly blinked. "Really? Huh. I thought you were." His mind briefly went into full-on wild speculation mode. Hasn't he been here since before the village itself? Why haven't they haven't promoted him yet? Has he been napping for the past five years, or did he just piss off someone with some serious political power? Nekage, probably. Chaos and Masa were never particularly subtle about it if you got on their bad side, and Azure's not the type to hold grudges.He pocketed the bag of powder. "More things are more better, but umm..."Westly pulled out a scroll, placing it gently on the ground, and released the seal on it. A large wooden handcart sprung out of it. It was bristling with random trinkets, potions, powders, and pouches of leaves, both tea, tobacco, and herbs and spices for cooking. It was an impressive little display, and yet Westly looking at it, confused. "Huh. I thought I put some of my spare fireworks in there. Would've been more dramatic that way." He found an open spot on the cart and stuck a dozen or so large firecrackers there. "Yeah, you know the family that owns the explosives shop? I cut a deal with the son back when we were Genin together. Taught him a few illusions, he taught me how to make fireworks. Standard part of my style ever since." He grinned. "They're just like fire jutsu, except better in every way. No chakra molding, and you can spend your time studying an element that isn't dumb."Westly made a few handseals, ending with a motion where he dragged his hand across his face, like he was putting on a mask. Odd way to perform a transformation, but it worked: Westly was a large man in his late thirties, a little on the portly side, with a travel-stained silken garb and a boisterous laugh. Or rather, he looked like he had a boisterous laugh; any who looked at him just expected one. He looked like a caricature, like a living stock character. "Traveling Merchant" was instantly recognizable, and yet completely nonspecific. He was an archetype, and he was welcome in every town in the world. Braving the wild places between civilization for the promises of gold won through trade, he was a bringer of strange and wonderful things from the outside world, be they goods or news. He stood out, but he was expected to stand out; thus, by meeting that expectation, in standing out, he blended in. He'd walk into town singing, children would follow after his cart, he'd toss them a few candies from his stock, and men and women would come out to barter goods by day, and gossip by night, and the next morning, he'd leave to do the same in the next town over. People least suspected what they expected to see, what past experiences had taught them to dismiss as harmless or beneficial, and the Intrepid Merchant was both. In short, Westly was getting very good at understanding how the mind worked, and how to use that to his advantage. "Natural Genjutsu", Atsuma had called it. Most people would just call it "messing with people's heads". "Ha! Alright, I'll see you in a bit. Take care of yourselves!" Leaning forward, he put his massive shoulders into it, and pulled the cart the rest of the way into town proper. He started hawking his goods to anyone he saw as he made his way to the village's bazaar, or wherever it was that trade most frequently happened. (( Intrepid Merchant TV Tropes Article )) (( Intrepid Merchant Theme Music )) (( Disclaimer: Any conclusions Westly draws do not necessarily represent the beliefs of the author writing him, nor do they necessarily represent objective reality. Mostly because Westly believes in neither. ))
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Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 9:33 pm
Kei stood silently on the cliff as he looked out towards the horizon where he could make out the tar pits. For whatever reason it gave Kei sense of foreboding, as if something were out of place. He tilted his head wondering what it was that was bothering him but he couldn't quite put his finger on it, and as such he put it the back of his mind and watched as Westly changed.
"It's almost scary how that kid manages to pull some of that stuff off." Kei muttered to himself as he followed after Soul. Kei wasn't one for espionage although he was quite good at becoming invisible, not so much as fitting in but by making himself so uninteresting that he was overlooked. He was a handsome raven haired youth and perhaps he would be noticed for a moment or two but afterward he would just be another body in the crowd.
No, Kei's gift was for combat, on that level he was nigh untouchable. A formidable foe with a relish for a good fight, he enjoyed walking the razor's edge that separated life and death. Without understanding your own mortality life becomes a monotonous and scheduled bore. Living on the brink was to know life in every aspect of simply being.
Wrapped up in these thoughts, Kei walked after Soul, his actions were reflexive and second nature due. But he paused after a step and looked around, he had finally noticed what was bothering him at the top of the cliff. It was the listless, lifelessness of the area. With so much open plain you'd expect some kind of animal activity; nin were taught how to pick up on animal markings and so far Kei had only seen old markings. Nothing fresh. "Soul, you notice that the animal population hasn't strayed near this village for weeks? I'd understand if predators kept their distance but i don't even see a bird in the sky."
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Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 1:10 pm
The entire village was entirely abandoned and empty. Not one soul walked the streets, it was almost as if everyone vanished. As they walked to the center of the village they quickly took note of the remains of a public execution site, were countless Tar ninja's bodies lay. At that moment however figures walked out from around the buildings surrounding the group. These men wore odd armor but had no symbol of who they served, that was except for one man.
This man was a green haired girl who sat on a the shoulder of a large armored man. She laughed with joy as the man walked, almost like she was having a piggy back. Her smile remained even as they neared the group. "Well well well... Look who it is. A few little Gaioh ninja! I wonder if they are as much fun as Chaos?" She said with a giggle. "Oh but he is on our side now... Will you be joining us?" The girl had on her shoulder a tattoo of a white hand holding the world. She was a member of the White hand.
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Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 6:07 pm
"Tch," said Westly, bemused. He made a few handseals, and the disguise faded. "Shame, really. Waste of a perfectly good ruse."
He looked around at the enemy ninja, taking the measure of them. His stance was casual, and he made no offensive motions. "...is that all?" he asked. "Not your numbers, your proposal. 'Hey, we just wiped out a village, wanna come hang out with us? Chaos might swing by later.'"
He shook his head, chuckling kindly. "You need to work on your sales pitch. Throw in a monologue about your utopian vision for the future, offer me power beyond imagining, maybe throw in a few nations for me to rule once you take over the world.... I'm not saying I'll bite, but come on, I was expecting a little temptation here. Not even Judas betrayed his lord for free."
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Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 2:42 pm
At that point Kei swatted Westly in the back of the head, not hard but not exactly a gentle pat either. "Jeez, how did Aona stand you!?" the jounin asked in exasperation as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Addressing the girl, "Excuse my companion's rudeness, he really doesn't mean to offend anyone but his wit sometimes gets in front of his reason." Kei said with a sigh as he scratched the back of his head. Sparing a glance at Westly, Kei caught the Chunnin's eyes and gave a small nod.
If there had been any doubt towards Chaos survival after his fight with Masamune then it was now dispelled. Looking back towards the girl, Kei asked a question in turn. "Would you happen to know if Chaos will be showing up around here soon? Or that female handler of his?" Kei inquired, their job of course was to investigate this village but it would seem the answer apparent as to the cessation of communication. Their objective was now to return to Gaioh and report, preceded only by subduing Chaos if he showed up. he had asked about the handler, as in the female lightning nin that Kei had tangoed with earlier, solely because Kei had a bone to pick with her.
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Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 4:13 pm
(( *sobbing, his plans in ruins* ))
Actually, Kei's hand passed right through Westly. Remember when he made a few handseals? It didn't take any handseals to dismiss the disguise. It was just to cover his movements while he performed a genjutsu he'd cooked up: a displacement technique. The casual stance had been a deception. Westly was actually standing a couple feet to the right, weapons drawn. If things had come to blows, the enemy ninjas would had missed him with their first attack, and they wouldn't have expected his own attack before he'd even drawn his weapons. And Kei had just squandered that element of surprise on casual conversation.
Resheathing his weapons, Westly turned his head to glare at Kei, furious. "Waste of a perfectly good ruse," he repeated, trying very hard to hold his tone in check.
What he really wanted to say, and indeed, what he was thinking, was to the effect of, Why the HELL would you smack the guy who's entire schtick is evading his opponent via genjutsu?!? WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!? Whyyyyyyy.... *sob*
He cleared his throat and went back to smiling at the girl. "I'm sorry, you were saying?" he said pleasantly, as if nothing had happened.
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Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 6:12 pm
Kei returned the Chunnin's glare with one of his own, transmitting his own thoughts. 'I'm not a freaking mind reader and you didn't exactly discuss a signal with any of your teammates! And how about trying not to provoke all the badies who have bleeding surrounded us!!' Kei was ready to unleash a chain of expletives of his own, and he was fluent in several languages so even Westly would have learned something.
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Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 8:02 am
Three small lizards, chameleons in breed, crawled along the walls surrounding the medium sized group. Their natural camouflage kept them hidden from the groups eye. One larger figure stalked the group. His body hidden by an advanced pigment alteration technique, causing a color-shifting coat of a paint like enzyme to cover his bulky shape. Practically invisible, he quietly waited for either a signal from his teammates or a sign that they did not have things under control. Forza knew damn well how dangerous it was to get in the way of one of Kei's techniques.
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Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2009 3:56 pm
*Soul had remainec quiet for a while, observing what his team would do; he was sadly disapointed. He gave a "tsk, tsk" here and there as Kei and Westly bickered. He turned his head to them and whispered as lightly as he could, but in that angered adult tone*
I know we aren't exactly on good terms with these people, but the least you could do is not embaress the village with your constant back and forth.
*Soul turned back and took a good look at every person standing before them. He eyed everyone from head to toe, looking for possible wounds or opening in their armor. He took a second to clear his throught and stepped forward, letting his words flow to the green haired girl*
I am deeply sorry for their behavior. Now, if i may ask, what is all this...?
*Soul nudged his head to the bodies that had seemed as if they had little time to rot*
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Soul Ketushai Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2009 5:05 pm
Technically, we're openly at war with these people, thought Westly, though he said nothing more, only smiled politely and waited for the girl's response.
He was furiously analyzing the positions of the enemy ninjas relative to himself and to the nearby buildings, trying to decide what the best direction to bolt in would be if things came to blows. Melee combat wasn't Westly's specialty. He was a passable martial artist, certainly, but between Forza, Soul, and Kei, there were far more useful things Westly could be doing in a fight than trying to keep up with their swords and fists.
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Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 5:05 pm
The girl looked at Westly and stuck her tongue out at him. "No! Chaos won't be swinging by! That guy's a jerk! He broke all my toys the last time we played!" She then looked over at Kei. "His handler? Doesn't the master watch over him directly? Oh wait... I know who you mean! No... She won't be coming either... She is so much fun too!" She gave a childish laugh. She then looked over at Soul who walked up a bit. She turned her head to the side, then jumped down from the large man and walked up to a few steps before Soul and looked up at him. She was a little girl, not even 10 it appeared. Yet something about her just seemed off. "This is my play ground! I was ordered to destroy the Tar village and nearby villages and turn their men into my slaves! Isn't it great!" She said with a wide smile. "How about you four? Will you be joining my go getting team... Or will you play with us?"
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Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 7:16 pm
Oh, thank the gods, she stopped looking at me. I only needed a second or so to get this jutsu off.... Westly made a quick trio of handseals. Nothing visibly happened.
He didn't make a sound, but Westly's voice echoed in the minds of his teammates. It was another one of his weirder applications for Genjutsu: if you can make people hear things that aren't there, why not use it for silent communication? "Hokay, lemme explain this to you guys quickly: one-way telepathic communication, you can hear me, but I can't hear you.
"I see two main options here: one, we attack and try to capture her alive for questioning. Two, we play along, see what kind of secrets she's willing to confide into a 'friend' of hers, and if a few distant villages get hurt, it's not Gaioh's problem. Soul, for option one, run a hand through your hair. For option two, rub your eyes. If you're considering a third option, scratch your neck. Right hand in each case if it's a definite decision, left hand if you want an in-depth analysis of an option."
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Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 4:13 am
*Soul did not break his current emotion, but on the inside, he chuckled. Never had he thought of a telepathic jutsu; it was genius. He looked down at the little girl, and he didn't have the heart to hurt her, even if she did exterminate a village. Soul took his index and middle finger and rubbed his eye a little. Hopefuly Westly would know what he was doing with his back turned to the genin. Now that he and Westly, the one he was most worried about, had an understanding, Soul crouched to get somewhere close to the girl's height; it failed, for he ended up an inch shorter than her*
Play? That sounds terrific, but what kind of game would you like to play?
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Soul Ketushai Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 6:16 am
Westly's eyes widened in horror. He was morally flexible enough to accept Soul's decision, but Soul couldn't be that bad at picking up on subtext, could he? Maybe he was just a terrible judge of character. In which case, it kind of made sense to bring a headologist* like Westly along.
The choices had been 'join our go-getting team... or come play with us'. In this context, 'playing' was most likely how she referred to fighting, probably in a manner as sadistic as only a child could muster. Soul had asked what kind of game she wanted to play. The answer probably was probably along the lines of 'Pulling the Wings off a Fly'.
"What my friend here means," said Westly, cutting the girl off before she could answer Soul's question, "is we'd be happy to help you with the other villages!"
Seriously. That must be a rule somewhere: creepy little girl says "Come PLAY with me," you ******** RUN. Doesn't matter if you think you can take her. Run away very fast. Or at least get to a sniping position. And before you ask, yes, any girl who refers to the site of a recent massacre strewn with fresh corpses as her "playground" does, in fact, qualify her for the "Creepy Child" archetype. Doubly so if she was personally responsible for said massacre.
*Headology is the study of how people's heads work, and in application, how to properly mess with people's heads. See entries "Discworld" and "Granny Weatherwax" for more detail.
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