[TAKEDA SANOSUKE™]

At this point in Sanosukes career as a Shinobi, there wasn't much left he hadn't done minus the missions reserved only for the Elite of the Village. Catch animal, hunt animals, catch thieves in the village, outside of it, and diplomatic missions were some of the few he'd done so far, but this mission? It was definitely the first of its kind for him. It was a Sensory mission, and while he wasn't the lead, a huge emphasis was place on his ability.

This would be the first time he'd get to truly make use of his Byakugan. He was excited to show one of the villages more formidable Shinobi what he was capable of doing. Not to mention the hand she could have in helping his goal to become JITE a reality, but that was more of an unspoken thing for now. He was also being joined on the mission by Yumi. Someone he'd gone on a mission with before in the past back when they were a Genin.

A lot had changed since then, one of them being her promotion to Chuunin after her participation in the exams. If she was any stronger than she was back when they went on that mission to Kiri together, then they were going to be a force to be reckon with. Nevertheless, the mission had them going to Moseushi, it was one of the most heavily guarded placed in the country of Arashi no Kuni. After all, the area was an integral part of Amegakures industrial technology and weaponry.

According to the intel provided to them, the train lines that run directly through it have come under attack by bandits looking to steal from it, and while they hadn't had much success, the Sensors that were previously placed in charge couldn't ping when they were coming until it was too late. This was where he came in. The Byakugan, unlike your standard sensor abilities were far more advance and could see things that no one else could.

The bandits in question were apparently capable of masking their chakra signatures, hence the reason for why they couldn't be pinged in time. With his eyes, he'd be able to catch them before they even got the chance if he did what he was supposed to. Needless to say, this mission was extremely important, and if he was looking for a promotion then this job would be the one to do it. For the time being Sanosuke waited by the gates of the village for his team to come so they could finally head out.

[Yumi Yuie]

TAKEDA SANOSUKE™

Rōhō Yukine

With her painted cheek laying gently on Muyi’s shoulders, Yumi had her puppet carry her across the village and towards her destination. It had taken her a little bit to get used to being carried around like a puppet, but after a while she had gotten used to it. By wrapping her arms around Muyi’s necks and having her puppet hold her legs, the journey was actually quite pleasant. Her puppets were made of sturdy stuff and it was paying off.

Staring dully in front of her, Yumi looked around for her teammates that were participating on this mission with her. One of them was someone she hadn’t met before while the other had been her superior on a mission when she was a genin. It didn’t take her long before she located the latter. The older man was waiting by the gates, and with a wave from Muyi he was notified of her arrival.

Standing a few feet away from him silently, Yumi waited for their leader to arrive. Their mission was to hunt down some elusive bandits that were causing their sensors a hard time. As a JITE operative, she had learned some strategies for dealing with situations like these and it would be quite interesting to actually put it into practice. Plus she’d be able to use some of the new puppets she had designed recently, something she was definitely looking forward too.

notes: ~

?

[Rōhō Yukine]

3/20 TAKEDA SANOSUKE™ Yumi Yuie Han

For someone who was now a bodyguard of the Amegakure Lord, Sumire was certainly spending a lot of time searching for excuses to get away from the man. That's what this mission was to her, despite its importance, an opportunity to avoid Tatsuo and the sense of anger she still got when looking at him. But she admitted to herself that even without the ulterior motive she would have been willing to take part in the mission. The thought of bandits striking at her fellow soldiers was not something she would be willing to let stand. She had gladly volunteered to lead a team to put the hurt on whichever group had the gall to provoke Amegakure. The two accompanying her were both rather young in age, but they had both been promoted to chunin, so she was confident they would be able to perform adequately alongside her. Yatagarasu let out a caw before landing on her shoulder, alerting her to the presence of the others - the sensor and the puppeteer. A bright grin spread across her face as she approached them. "Sanosuke and Yumi, correct?" she said with a cheerful wave, making her raven croak in displeasure as his shoulder perch moved. "Ubukata Sumire, I guess we’ll be working together. Ready to set out? Or are there any questions you have for me?" Best get them as caught up as they need to be before they leave instead of keeping them in the dark until the last moment. She wouldn’t be a very good lead if that happened.

► kaigra ◄

[TAKEDA SANOSUKE™]

If there was anything he remembered from the first time he met Yumi, it was that she was the silent type. He expected that with more experience, and more power that her conviction in not speaking only got stronger. Regardless, he was glad to be working along side someone he had the chance to work with before, and he was even more excited to see how much stronger she got since then.

The two of them would be met with the presence of the woman who was to be in charge of their mission. Ubukata, Sumire. The Raven on her shoulder reminded him a lot of the last Ame Lord, Sairin. He was known for having a flock of them, or something like that. It had been years since he saw the man, and almost as long since he was replaced again by Lord Tatsuo. As expected from a woman of her rank, she went straight into gear with the questions.

If they had any questions, this was going to be their chance to ask. For Sanosuke the mission was pretty straight forward. "No ma'am, the higher up were pretty clear about what my role here is.." That of course didn't mean the group wouldn't communicate later on as the mission progressed, but as for what was expected of him? The Takeda was already aware. This mission was of great importance to the village, and with all the diplomatic relationship being worked on, this mission could not be anything less than a success.

After Sanosuke responded he'd merely wait to see if Yumi had anything else to add. Sanosuke hoped that they wouldn't have to run into any issues, but if they did he'd come prepared. In hand were his signature six weapons, and of course as always, he was packing with the power of two clans. Of course he'd be careful not to let that get to his head, but he understood the kind of firepower he was going to be bringing to missions like this going forward.

[Yumi Yuie]

TAKEDA SANOSUKE™

Rōhō Yukine

Shaking Muyi’s head, Yumi watched dully as her two partners quickly conversed. Their leader, an older black haired woman, seemed to be blunt and to the point. Something the girl appreciated. She hated talking, so whenever she had to work with those who chose to ramble on and on she usually suffered. Thankfully it seemed like such a case wouldn’t be happening today.

Sanosuke and Sumire were the names of the people she was working with and she made sure to make a mental note of it. She doubted she would ever need to say them, but it was better to always be prepared. Nothing offended someone more than calling them the wrong name.

With a subtle gesture of her hidden fingers, Muyi began to walk with her team as they began to exit the village. They had bandits to kill, and they wouldn’t be killing any if they stood around all day. Once she was partway into her journey, she’d need to unseal the rest of her friends, but until then  just Muyi would have to do. Having all of her puppets out at once usually made the travel cramped, as she had come to find out. Although it usually depended on the locale. Releasing them when she’s about to fight always seemed to be the better option after weeks of experimenting.

notes: ~

?

[Rōhō Yukine]

6/20 TAKEDA SANOSUKE™ Yumi Yuie Han

She pursed her lips, side glancing at her raven. Ugh, kids these days, so serious. One would think that this sort of mission would get their blood racing with excitement, but no. The Takeda was so serious, answering politely and denying that he had any questions that needed to be answered. And the Yuie girl didn't even manage to say a word. This was going to be a long journey if these were the chunin she was to be working with. Rolling her eyes, her grin turning wry, Sumire shrugged and turned from the teens towards the road they would be taking. Making sure that they were following close behind, she left the village to begin the mission. The trip to Moseushi wasn't that long. It wasn't far from the main village, due to the need for high security. But Sumire expected their trip to take longer than normal, that was the whole reason they were heading out, of course. "So before we get too far away from home, I believe we should devise a plan. Feel free to speak up with any ideas," she said as they walked, her eyes scanning forward as Yatagarasu kept his black eyes on the outskirts. "The vagrants we're looking for are able to mask their presences from sensors, as you know. There will be a train heading out to Moseushi soon, and we'll be meeting up with it, though they don't know that. We can follow along at a distance and you'll be able to catch wind of the bastards before they get too close, Sanosuke." She raised her arms, interlacing her fingers behind her head in a relaxed stance, though she was ready to go at a moment's notice. "Any thoughts? Objections?"

► kaigra ◄

[TAKEDA SANOSUKE™]

As much as Sanosuke hoped to hear from Yumi, he wasn't exactly surprised when he didn't. She wasn't the talkative person back then, so technically he couldn't expect her to be now. In regard to Sumire, she seemed to be rather straight forward, but there was nothing he could pick up right now in terms of guessing what kind of personality she had. The only trait he got from her was that much like everyone here, she was serious about this mission.

Nevertheless, once all the small talk in relation to the mission was out the way, the three of them headed out. The group at this point was relatively far out from the village gates, but not that far, and before they did Sumire suggested that the three of the devise a plan of action. All of them were free to provide whatever input they felt was needed. Before they did though, Sumire gave them a rundown on what they were to expect from the opposition.

The intel provided to them by the village spoke on most of what she mentioned, but it was still good that she provided some sort of timeline so that the three of them could plan around it. The easiest part of this plan was going to be the element of surprise they had. Especially with having the ability to spot them without them ever getting the chance to know. Depending on what Sumire and Yumi brought to the table, their plan could be even more formidable.

"Thoughts? Well, the opposition shouldn't be able to mask anything from me given my eyes unique prowess. That is unless they found a way to suppress their chakra signatures completely. Then again, I'm almost certain at least one of us will know what the people in there are supposed to look like anyways. I think we'd be able to spot them well before they'd even get the chance to do anything."

"If we use all of our collective skills together we could have them all at our mercy, and as you guys might be aware of, my skill is being able to microscopically find people. Walls, smoke, people, and definitely anything with Chakra wont be able to get away from me.. That is, unless they're more than roughly, aboooout, two kilometers away."

[Yumi Yuie]

TAKEDA SANOSUKE™

Rōhō Yukine

"No.”

Replying in a low monotone voice, Yumi walked quietly as her other teammate gave his response. It seemed that Sanosuke would be the biggest help in this mission according to the details that Sumire gave them. Finding the hiding vagrants would be quite irritating if they didn’t have Sanosuke, so she was glad he was here. She wanted this mission done quickly and efficiently so she could work more on her puppets back home. But only time would tell if she would get her wish.

Turning her head slightly to look around her, Yumi watched the nearby surroundings as the group progressed towards their destination. It wouldn’t be that long of a trip, but neither would it be that short of one either. So basically the usual for missions such as these. The enemies that they would face shouldn’t be that challenging either. The problem was locating them first so they could deal with them. But they had the basics of a plan now, as simple as it was. Find the vagrants, attack them together, win. Simple but effective. Yumi doubted that any vagrant could stand up to the trio’s combined attacks. If they could, then the mission would be a higher rank.

notes: ~

?

[Han]

The group marched on until they reached their destination, a mostly barren area - sparring a heavily wooded forest nearby and river - with train tracks running through it. Moseushi was a little ways away, but this was not their goal. Not necessarily, not unless they chose to go to Moseushi deliberately. There were a few mountainous cliffs nearby as well, torn apart from the train track development over the years. Now they stood crumbling and lonely, once a greater mountain range but like most things in this particular area near Amegakure no Sato, the natural resources had mostly been torn down to replace it all with technology.

From here, it would be up to the group to decide what it is they wanted to do. Stake out the train tracks, inspect the train tracks to decide where the majority of the attacks on the traveling trains were - and thus where the bandits might attack next - or go to the village of Moseushi to get an opportunity to sense out their targets from a distance. There were several ways to go about this, though unfortunately only truly correct way. Would they hide well enough if they searched the train tracks? But would they be able to arrive in time even if they did manage to sense out the bandits from the nearby village?

For now, all was silent, the rain started to pitter-patter against the ground, and a breeze would stir the leaves of a nearby forest.

Rōhō Yukine TAKEDA SANOSUKE™ Yumi Yuie

Made by Riley at THQ!

SPOILER: Click to show

You've arrived at your destination. The village is nearby, before you are the train tracks, and beyond them a heavily wooded forest. Several cliffs are also around and present. Several choices to be made, some perhaps not listed as options in the post, be creative (or not)? Search the tracks and risk being spotted, or go to the village and potentially miss your opportunity to catch the culprit(s)? What will you choose?

[Rōhō Yukine]

10/20 TAKEDA SANOSUKE™ Yumi Yuie Han

As she thought, it didn't take them long to reach their destination. Whoever was causing trouble for the trains hadn't made themselves known on the trip there, denying Sumire of completing the mission early and being home in time for dinner. Nothing was ever nice and easy. Once they came within a short distance away from Moseushi, Sumire called for the group to pause. If she was judging the time correctly, it was only a short time before the scheduled train would be coming through. They were close enough to the town, that only a complete idiot would attack anywhere between there and here, so she was confident that it would be safe to strategize for a moment. There were a couple of ways they could go about this, as the mission lead the chūnin would probably be looking towards her to make the decision on which way they went forward. Holding her chin in her hand and her elbow in the other, the jounin looked out over the forested area, trying to decide the best strategy. Intel hadn't ever reported any attacks from within the town. Given what was protected beyond its borders, the guard there was ever vigilante - stealing directly from Moseushi was near impossible. That's why all attacks had been aimed toward the trains once they left the safety of the town. At least that was what she assumed. The best strategy, in her mind, would be to tail along with one of the trains. Anyone approaching from the outside would assume that they were just another part of the guard that was always present on the trains - but with Sanosuke, they wouldn't be able to sneak up on the train as the vagrants usually did. The jounin had done her research, this was going to be the only train running to and from for a while at least, it was perfect for bait. "Yata can keep an eye from the sky, but I'll be relying on you Sanosuke to stay sharp as well." Sumire shrugged her shoulder, forcing Yatagarasu down her arm. She launched the raven into the air and he took off into the canopy with a disgruntled squawk. He would be able to scan for anyone approaching from the air - his eyesight and hearing were better than any humans'. "Once the train approaches, I believe we should tail it - the criminals haven't' ever attacked anything other than trains, so chances are they'll show up."

► kaigra ◄

[TAKEDA SANOSUKE™]

Given their locations proximity to the actual village it didn't take long for them to get to where they needed to. Sanosuke could sort of feel the energy of the place changing now that they were in the territory where things could start going wrong. He didn't expect anything to happen now so soon, but everything for here on out was going to need every bit of the attention they could provide.

Upon there arrival, a stop in their travel was initiated by Sumire who more than likely was about to go over what they were going to be doing from here on out. It didn't take long for her to begin speaking, but there was a brief moment in between where it seemed like she was analyzing their position. As a Jounin he could only imagine the amount of idea she probably was able to come up with utilizing her experience.

When she spoke, she decided that her Raven would be keeping an eye on things from the sky and that he was going to be the groups secondary eye from the ground. A head nod was given before he decided that it was time for him to activate his Byakugan. Veins begin to appear and stretch across his eyes before its infamous red ring surrounded it. From here, so long as he maintain focused there wasn't going to be much he would not see going forward.

Afterward, she decided that once the train approached that the three of them were going to tail it because the likelihood that they would attack anything outside of the train was little to none. As she noted, chances were that they were eventually going to show up. "Great analysis. With your Raven in the sky, and my eyes, their chances of surprising us will be slim to none. I look forward to showing these idiots that we aren't the nation to mess with."

SPOILER: Click to show

HELLS LAW | WEAPON |

• HEAT END ABILITY - NOT ACTIVE -
  
• B RANK ABILITY - NOT ACTIVE -

TAKEDA STRENGTH CHART.

• BOOST 1 - N/A
  
• BOOST 2 - N/A

SA ACTIVE:

• Devil Bringer | KKG - Allows Sanosuke to use Takeda abilities.
  
• Byakugan | KKG - Provides Sanosuke with 360 view radius minus a certain spot in the back of his head. Ability to see through pretty much anything, microscopic site far and near, and to somewhat discern if he's in a Gen if the timing is poorly used.
  
• Great Sword Prowess | BUKIJUTSU - Allows him to use his great sword at speeds and efficiency that rival some of the better of his rank using smaller weapons, and even a few in the next.
  
• Physical Enhancement | SPEED - Ability to run, dodge, escape, attack on par with some of the most athletic Shinobi in his class and above.

POUCH ITEMS

• --

JUTSU

• ----
  

[Yumi Yuie]

TAKEDA SANOSUKE™

Rōhō Yukine Han

Taking a small amount of time to think strategically, Sumire announced her plan a few moments later. Her crow would keep an eye on the sky while the group would wait for the train to approach before tailing it. Judging from the bandit’s actions in the past, the odds of them showing up near here were pretty high. As they waited, Sanosuke would keep watch with his eyes, letting the team know if he saw anything. All in all, a solid plan of attack.

Although Yumi could send a crow puppet into the sky as well to watch out for the enemies, it would be redundant. Also with her puppet she would only be able to keep a lookout. Unlike Yata, who could smell and hear as well. She wasn’t doing much right now compared to the rest of her team, but her true moment to shine would be once the enemies appeared. It was there that she’d be able to show off her puppet collection. But until then, she’d just have to wait patiently as her teammates did their thing.

"Once we spot the bandits, I’ll unleash the rest of my puppets.”

Speaking to her team quietly, Yumi waited for the action to start. Usually the team would have to deal with a number disadvantage, but with her and her puppets, she could negate such a thing quite fast. One of the upsides in specializing with puppetry.

notes: ~

?

[Han]

The raven would soar into the sky and then into the canopy, nothing to note as of yet, but perhaps a good strategy to cover more bases than what would be possible from simply on foot soldiers. Meanwhile, Sanosuke would activate his Byakugan, and unsurprisingly he wouldn't really pick anything up. If there was anyone even around, they were doing a good job at hiding their chakra signatures. Or perhaps there was just no one around? It was hard to tell thus far.

Sometime later, about thirty minutes from the moment that they would set up, the train would be heard from a short distance away. The train tracks would vibrate and the stone all around would make the train's quick entrance into the area very obvious. It moved at a decently quick pace, though not so quickly that it would not normally provide ample opportunity for bandits - or whoever it was - to attack the train just in time before it arrived in the next village's station.

If they were on the train tracks it might be a good idea to get off of them as the train would announce its presence if the shinobi were spotted with a loud horn. If they were not on the tracks, now would be a good time to either board it or begin to trail it as planned.

But, where were the supposed attackers?

Rōhō Yukine TAKEDA SANOSUKE™ Yumi Yuie

Made by Riley at THQ!

SPOILER: Click to show

The train has arrived, but there is absolutely no sign of attackers yet. Trail the train as planned and see what happens next... Perhaps this is all according to the plan of the bandits? After all, reportedly in the past, there was only a blip of activity before an attack.

[Rōhō Yukine]

14/20 TAKEDA SANOSUKE™ Yumi Yuie Han

Rocking back onto her heels, Sumire waited for their train to make its appearance. She wasn't impatient, but standing in one spot for too long made them vulnerable to all sorts of trouble. But, luckily, the small group didn't have to wait long. Yatagarasu let out a loud caw from overhead right before the sound of a train whistle reverberated through the area. It was followed by the sound and vibration of the machine cruising down the tracks and before they knew it, the train appeared in their vision. Sumire had said they should probably follow the train, but the same affect of what they wanted could easily be achieved by hopping aboard. Since they would have to save their energy for whatever they faced, less walking equaled the better option in the jounin's mind. She made eye contact with her chunin team and jerked her head in the direction of the train. Hoping that they understood what she wanted, Sumire took off after the train, easily catching up with its chugging pace, and leapt from the forest floor onto one of the platforms situated between the cars. There was a ladder there that led up to the roof of the connecting cars, and Sumire grabbed onto it, hoisting herself up partway. She didn't want to go up the entire way, if their targets did watch the train before attacking, seeing a few people situated on top of the train might scare them off and then they would lose the opportunity to catch them with this train. That wasn't an outcome Sumire would accept for this mission. She stayed in place, looking for the others, wherever they had placed themselves. "Keep an eye out," she reminded them both, voice low, and made herself comfortable in the spot that she could keep an eye on both the roofs of the cars and the surrounding forests so she could hear Yata if he gave out his signal.

► kaigra ◄

[TAKEDA SANOSUKE™]

Without a doubt this was one of the most important parts of the mission, but it was also the most boring. They were stuck having to wait around for things to happen, and the only plus they really had was his eyes and the raven flying above them. He hoped that whatever plan these bandits had in mind could be discovered well before they'd even get a chance to make the first move.

Sanosukes eyes remained vigilant as they waited for the train to show up. There wasn't a spot that was left unchecked. Even the ground beneath them was being viewed by the Takeda. He refused to let anyone destroy the hard work put in by Tatsuo to get Amegakure where they were. He also refused to allow that same person to believe that he was a has-been. He was going to become one of the villages most valuable assets, and today would be the moment he would show it.

After about half an hour passed the sounds of the train could be heard approaching. The ground shaking was also a good indicator of how close it was to getting here. Sanosuke knew that once the train came that anything could happen at any moment. In the midst of still monitoring the area he'd be sure to check in with Sumire for any indications that they would be ready to move, or even if there was a change of plans, which they were.

When the Jounin moved her head in the direction of the train Sanosuke knew that it meant they would be boarding the train instead. Sumire must have realized a flaw in her original plan. Nevertheless, Sanosuke quickly followed behind the Jounin before take heed of the place she chose to sit in. Sanosuke decided that he would do the same by jumping in between the train tumblehome car behind the one she hide in and elected to do the same thing.

His Byakugan looked beyond the tumblehome and remained on her for a moment to see if she planned to use the ladder in between the cars that were between her to get up top the train, but she did not. He figured this was the position they were going to hold until something happened. The latter of which would hopefully be picked up by himself, or Sumire's Raven.