[Kayahara Urikohime]

The port town seemed quiet and peaceful in the shadows of night, and a gentle rain pattered on the rooftops, lulling those within their houses to sleep. It all seemed so idyllic and peaceful, and anyone who was just seeing this town for the first time in their lives would think it was a quiet, calm place. And yet, the town was, even though apparently asleep, wide awake, and goods and services were still moved as vigorously as they had been ferried around during daybreak. However, at a time like this, the things being transported were of such a kind as to draw the ire of the powers-that-be. One of these was a strange drug referred to as Sage Snuff.

Highly addictive and fast-working, it seemed to boost one's chakra reserves while sending them into a high. Unfortunately, taking an overdose of the drug could lead to death due to some odd form of exhaustion. A little shipment of this Sage Snuff had been intercepted by authorities of the town, but they had been unable to uncover more, except that it seemed an organized group was responsible for trading it. A request had thus been made to Konoha to send assistance in weeding out the facilitators of the trade of this deadly substance, as well as medical help in dealing with the comatose victims of this drug. 

And that was why Uriko found herself in a raincoat, waiting in an inn for her partner to arrive.

---

Hyūga Shigure

[Hyūga Shigure]

"smugglers". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." MEETING AT THE INN That was rather odd. He had been assigned to go on a mission with the green-haired girl he met not too long ago. It was a B-Rank Mission involving smugglers in Port City, a place Shigure was alreaedy rather familiar with due to more than a few missions taking place in the area or its vicinity. They had been dispatched to investigate the smuggling of a substance that could give a boost to people's chakra, but that was also quite addictive and could potentially kill the users, even if they didn't abuse the substance a lot. Their goal was to find the smugglers, intercept their shipment and make sure that the Sage Snuff was gone for good from the city. Because there might be victims of the drug, they decided to send a medic, and at one point, Shigure had hoped for Wahei, but that was not the case. He would have to believe that the girl was up to the task. Entering the inn where they were supposed to meet, Shigure would quickly identify her figure, approaching her and sitting at the table she was at. "Urikohime-chan, I was surprised to see you are assigned on this mission with me. Well... I believe your medical abilities will be very important, but I have to urge you to leave combat to me, unless it can't be helped, okay?" he asked her, with a rather serious tone. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." B-Rank Mission [2/20] Meeting up at the inn [Kayahara Urikohime] [243 words]

[Kayahara Urikohime]

Uriko did not have long to wait; as a familiar face seated himself at the table where she waited. "Welcome, Shigure-kun," she said happily, almost using the 'dono' honorific to address him, but remembering he didn't seem to be fond of such levels of deference. She paid attention as he spoke, noting the seriousness in his voice. For one who seemed quite sociable and friendly, it seemed a little odd to hear him sounding so serious, and Uriko was sure that he had legitimate reasons for asking her to leave the fighting to him. She had personally been surprised to have been assigned the mission, especially as she was presently serving as an apprentice in the Medic Corps HQ, and didn't think she was skilled enough to go on a high-ranking mission such as this. But she had been assured that her particular skills would be useful for a mission such as this, and so she had accepted.

Perhaps it would be for the experience. The mission was definitely something to not ignore, but Shigure would have likely been enough for the mission, if it was only to stop the Sage Snuff from being traded. Her presence meant she was probably being tested; Konoha authorities had been handed samples of the contraband drug, but when she had asked her mission handler about its specifics, she had been told to figure that out, as well as how to counteract its effects. So it was likely something that medical knowledge and some quick thinking would solve. Or so she hoped. "Aww, you're worried about me," she giggled. "Don't worry, I won't do anything stupid or involve myself in battle if I can help it. And I'll follow your directives as well." Her tone had become more serious now, although the smile returned. "Alright, Shigure-kun! Please take care of me!"

---

Hyūga Shigure

[Hyūga Shigure]

"smugglers". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." MISSION STARTED Shigure's personality was quite different when he was out on missions. The general carefree attitude would give its place to a serious and dedicated one, who cared about the safety of his team more than anything else. He had lost plenty of people in his life as a shinobi, and he wasn't willing to let history repeat itself. "Of course I am. It's my duty as captain to make sure you come back in one piece. I won't have it any other way." he said, with a rather determined tone. It gave him some reassurance when she said she would try to avoid anything unwise, and that she would avoid battle as much as she could, finalizing by asking him to take care of her, to which he nodded, giving her a thumbs-up. "You can count on me! Now, let's get ready. I have a lead of where they might be." he said as he got up from the chair, walking away from the inn. Once outside, he would wait for Urikohime to catch up, so he would explain to her how they were going to proceed. "I will scout ahead with my Byakugan to see if I can pinpoint the location. You have the sample of the Sage Snuff they found a while back, right?" he asked her. If he could take a good look at its composition, since it was chakra based, he would have an easier time tracking it down. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." B-Rank Mission [4/20] Goes out of the inn and asks for sample. [Kayahara Urikohime] [252 words]

[Kayahara Urikohime]

Uriko, for some reason, found Shigure's admittance of being worried about her to be heartwarming. While it did make her feel safe, even though she was taking part in a mission which was normally supposed to be higher than was expected for her to partake in, the feeling of being under the Hyuuga's protection made the young kunoichi interested in growing herself, so that she would, in the future, be able to say similar words to younglings under her care. But to get to that level, when she would be able to be trusted enough to be responsible for lower ranked ninja, there was some improvement to do. And though Shigure would be doing most of the heavy lifting, Uriko was determined to help him as well as she could.

At his admonition to get ready, Uriko nodded, and followed the Tokubetsu Jounin out into the light rain, feeling the contrast of the warmth and light of the inn to the cold and darkness beyond. Shigure's plan for tackling the mission was straightforward but effective. There was no need for unnecessary and more complex planning, if the situation did not call for it. Retrieving a small bundle of the contraband good, Uriko held it up for Shigure to see. "Here it is," she replied in the affirmative, waiting for him to do his stuff. Having a dojutsu seemed so convenient, especially one that could track things over long distances as the Byakugan. It made her slightly jealous. But jealousy did not solve issues. The best thing to do would be to find what she was excellent at, and become amazing at it. After all, it was unlikely that Shigure started off with his Byakugan as good as it presently was.

---

Hyūga Shigure

[Hyūga Shigure]

"smugglers". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." TRACKING CHAKRA The light rain didn't bother him in the slightest. As the two of them were out there, he asked her for the drug that the smugglers were using, and she promptly have the stuff to him. Shigure grabbed it and then the veins around his temples bulged and he focused on the material at his hand, checking deep inside of it to see how the chakra inside of it worked. It was an infused chakra of sorts, so that would make things easier to track, because the chakra leaked from the stuff, meaning it was not good for a long time after being produced; maybe a couple days at most. "I see..." he muttered to himself, cracking a smirk in the corner of his mouth. He would then look up and start scanning around the area, trying to find traces of that kind of chakra. It would take him a few minutes, give or take, and he would see something near the docks, in a warehouse. There were traces of the chakra there, leading to a hidden entrance to a large basement, where they had an improvised - yet large - facility, where a number of people seemed to be working on the product. In there, there were a also some people in cages, probably the people they were testing the product on. What concerned him the most was a mysterious man there. His chakra was exactly the same as the one being injected in the product, meaning he was the source. That was probably a mysterious kekkei genkai or something like that, he couldn't know for sure, but he would have to take care of the man. The prisoners also looked rather sick, so they would need to be taken care of. "I found them." he would announce, suddenly. "They have a facility hidden in a secret basement of a warehouse by the docks, twenty three hundred and thirty four metres to the east from here. Now... I need to tell you what I saw in there... And it is not looking good." he started, giving her some time to digest what he had just said. He wanted to make sure she was keeping her cool, for he would need her at her peak focus from here on. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." B-Rank Mission [6/20] Finds the hideout of the people by tracking the chakra leaking from the products [Kayahara Urikohime] [391 words]

[Kayahara Urikohime]

Uriko watched Shigure keenly as he used his Byakugan, not because she could learn anything significant, but simply because she had never seen anyone use this dojutsu in close proximity. As he studied the drug and then lifted his head to scan the area, Uriko noticed that he, unlike a normal person looking around, did not turn his head much, as he searched. She had heard that the Byakugan allowed its user the ability to see in an almost 360 degree range. That was incredible. How did the brain interpret the view from behind one's head? Could one see the back of their own head? Or even their own brain? YEs, these were stupid questions, but Uriko couldn't help being curious.

At the Hyuuga's announcement, Uriko unconsciously stiffened, her body getting ready for action, even though she was supposed to avoid the fighting, as much as she possibly could. Her eyes widened as Shigure pinpointed the location of the smugglers to over two kilometers away. He could see that far with such clarity? The Byakugan was really incredible! If the situation had been less dire, she would have made a joke about having his children or something, but it did not seem the right time to jest. "Please, go ahead, Shigure-kun," Uriko said as bravely as she could, although the statement about things not looking good made her heart beat with worry.

---

Hyūga Shigure

[Hyūga Shigure]

"smugglers". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." COURSE OF ACTION "Very well..." he would start before he went on to explain where the hidden basement was, the number of people who seemed to be working on the place, which was four: two men, and two women, with one of the man being the source of the chakra he had identified on the Sage Snuff. He also mentioned the people who were being used as guinea pigs, being kept locked in the cages they had there, three in total, one of which was but a teenager, no older than thirteen, he would guess. Once he finished explaining that, Shigure would sigh. "Well, this is the scenario. So... This is how we will approach this." he paused, so that she could pay attention in what he was going to say next. "When we get to the warehouse, I want you to stay outside, standing guard. Put on your radio, and I will send you a message when it's safe to come in. Now... They may have other accomplices out here, so there's a chance they might come, so I will leave you with one of my Eagles, just in case... You may have to fight, but don't be reckless, and if someone shows up, you are to send me a message immediately, ok?" he asked her, wanting confirmation she was good with the plan before they could continue with the mission. The weight of the responsibility of keeping her alive was something he took very seriously, especially because she was putting her trust on him. He would not be failing Urikohime, or his village. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." B-Rank Mission [8/20] Discussing the plan [Kayahara Urikohime] [266 words]

[Kayahara Urikohime]

Uriko paid attention as Shigure explained what his Byakugan had revealed to him, managing to stay quiet as he spoke, although her eyes widened when the Tokubetsu Jounin mentioned someone with a chakra signature more or less identical to that of the Sage Snuff. Did that mean they were somehow distilling this fellow's chakra and manufacturing it into the drug? That did sound rather interesting, although the rather unethical practices involved made her feel too sour about the matter to feel any form of regard for it. There were three innocents; they would most likely need medical attention, going by the way things seemed. Hopefully, she would be able to take care of them when the time came.

As Shigure relayed the battle plan, Uriko nodded her head to show that she was following. She was to be left with an eagle of Shigure's as an added protection, and while the Genin wanted to protest that she was probably fine alone, she did not wish to be at variance with her commanding officer, and therefore acknowledged his directives with another nod. "Right-o, chief," she replied with a thumbs-up. To make Shigure aware of her intention to stick to the plan, Uriko set her radio earpiece in her ear and turned it on. It had a long-lived battery, and was weatherproof, so putting it on now would not be a problem, and would save time and space if they were ever taken by surprise on their way to the warehouse. Such things could happen.

---

Hyūga Shigure

[Hyūga Shigure]

"smugglers". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." RASA With her understanding and agreement, Shigure would then bite his thumb, extracting some blood from it, and quickly waive a set of hand seals before slamming his hand on the ground. "Kuchyose no Jutsu!" from a poof of smoke, a three-feet tall, easter imperial eagle appeared, with dark brown - nearly black - feathers, would appear, looking at both of them. "It has been a while since we saw each other, Shigure." her tone was rather dignified and Shigure offered her a respectful bow. "Indeed, Rasa. We have an important mission today..." he started as he explained the course of action to the eagle, who nodded in acknowledgement. "Therefore, I need you to provide assistant to Urikohime-chan." he concluded, and Rasa nodded in agreement, turning to the girl. "You will be safe with me." the eagle said before taking flight, ready to follow them from above. "Let's go." and with that being said, Shigure would rush to the warehouse, but holding back his speed enough so that Urikohime could keep up. Still, it would be a bit hard for her; he was known as Shigure of the Tornado after all, and he did deserve it, for the Hyuuga was indeed extremely fast. It would take them but a couple minutes to get close enough to the warehouse, and once they were there, Shigure would stop at a rooftop nearby. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." B-Rank Mission [10/20] Summons Rasa, heads towards the warehouse [Kayahara Urikohime] [232 words]

[Kayahara Urikohime]

After Uriko had expressed her agreement with his plan, Shigure summoned an eagle, by far the biggest one she had ever seen. It looked majestic and regal in its bearing. Momentarily, the Genin remembered a discussion she'd recently had with Azarea on another mission, in which Azarea had said something about rabbits being Shigure's favorite animal, because of his summons. Seeing the eagle made Uriko recollect that Azarea had mentioned that he summoned eagles. She did think that having a favorite animal because it was good food was a bit odd; she would have said cruel, but perhaps such a mindset had merit in its utilitarian approach to life.

After Shigure's explanation to the eagle, who Uriko now knew to be named Rasa, she bowed to the eagle who spoke to her. "Thank you, Rasa-dono. I am in your care." And then Shigure was off. Uriko was alarmed at his speed, pushing herself as hard as she could in order to keep up. What alarmed her even more was that as a medic, she knew more about the workings of the human body than the average Jenny; she could see the way he moved, the way his muscles contracted and extended, and she realized that he was not apparently exerting himself to the full, which meant that he was moving so that she could keep up! Just how fast was Shigure really?

Uriko was thankful when they stopped on a rooftop, which provided good cover from which to observe the suspicious warehouse from a hidden vantage point. "That-- that speed is... illegal..." she wheezed, resting her hands on her knees as she strove to catch her breath. "How did you learn to move so fast?"

---

Hyūga Shigure

[Hyūga Shigure]

"smugglers". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." INFILTRATION Taking the skies, Rasa followed them from above without the need for much effort. The eagle was quite fast on her own right. Once they reached a rooftop near the warehouse and stopped, Urikohime would turn to him and mention his movement speed, which made the Hyuuga crack a proud smile on his face. "Lots and lots of training and a good amount of chakra control. Took me a few years to get to this level, though." he admitted, remembering how much effort it took and how long he had to train to get to the level of skill and power he currently had at his disposal. And still, he had ways to go before being able to call himself an elite shinobi. With that being said, it was about time for him to progress with the mission. "Keep your guard up and stay vigilant. I'm going in." he warned her, and then leaped from the rooftop, sneaking through the alleys and approaching the warehouse. There was a back entrance which he used, and with the Byakugan, it was easy to find the location of the secret hatch. Shigure would then make his way, infiltrating the place, while Rasa continued to watch things from the sky, making sure they would be warned in case someone showed up. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." B-Rank Mission [12/20] Infiltrating warehouse [Kayahara Urikohime] [218 words]

[Kayahara Urikohime]

Well, it was expected that Shigure's speed would be the result of a lot of training. Still, Uriko could not help going for a bit of humor as she said, "oh, what a pity. I was hoping it would be some tag that I could get in the Shinobi Market for a bit of coin." Still, Uriko was not unscrupulous enough to not care about the benefits of hard work, and she valued the merits of fastidiousness, as there was something more rewarding about getting to a stage where you could look at your own progress with a good deal of pride. She had seen the pride in Shigure's smile, so she knew he was telling the truth when he said he had worked hard to get to where he was, as far as speed was concerned. Maybe she would later try to get pointers from him in future about improving her own movement speed.

As Shigure went in, Uriko remained as hidden as possible, in the shadows of the rooftop, watching the area below. She was not sure she could do much from where she was, so she decided it would be best to patiently wait until Shigure gave her the 'all-clear' to come in. The sound of barking interrupted her thoughts. She was sure Rasa would probably see them too, but there were three people who seemed to be heading in the direction of the shady warehouse. From the way they looked and were dressed, they did not look like the sort of person you would want to meet in a dark alley at night. Two of them each had a dog on a leash. "Shigure-kun, there seem to be some people heading towards the warehouse," Uriko whispered urgently. "They've got dogs!" Were they on patrol, or just heading for the warehouse? In any case, Uriko hoped the dogs wouldn't smell her, and if they did, that they would take no notice of her.

---

Hyūga Shigure

[Hyūga Shigure]

"smugglers". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." QUICK ACTION When Urikohime spoke to him through the radio, he quickly identified the people she was mentioning with his Byakugan. They seemed to be checking around the area, and were likely related to the criminals down there, but right now he would be able to get into the place without being spotted. "Keep an eye on them, and if they try to enter the warehouse, take them down with Rasa. I need to take care of the criminals inside so the hostages can be saved." he responded to her, and then he would open the window and get inside. Quickly moving around, he would find the hatch and open it, slowly going down to the hidden basement, where the people were working on the Sage Snuff. Taking a deep breathe, Shigure would use his incredible speed to charge against them like a blur, his palms ready with the chakra of the Gentle Fist, and with two precise strikes, he hit a man and one of the woman with a palm strike to their chests, destroying their heart in the process and taking their lives. "Two down with a surprise attack, now only two to deal with." he thought to himself in triumph. "How the fuck did you get in?! Oh... Leaf! Well... You will not be leaving, little shinobi!" the man who was the source of the Sage Snuff said, as he cracked his wrist, his skin slowly turning brown and his eyes yellow with black sclera. "This doesn't look good." he thought to himself. The other woman seemed to have stayed back, closer to the cages. The real battle was about to begin. "So what if it seems hopeless? If it were me, I still wouldn't give up. Embrace your dreams. And, whatever happens, protect your honour as a Shinobi, for the price of freedom is steep." B-Rank Mission [14/20] Takes down two enemies, gets ready to fight the other two [Kayahara Urikohime] [284 words]

[Kayahara Urikohime]

Uriko gave an affirmative huff in response to Shigure's directives. She was no trigger-happy person, so if these people did not seem to be going to enter the warehouse, she would simply leave them be. If they seemed to be lingering in the area, then she would have to deal with them, as she was sure that these guys would not be amenable to the shinobi carrying out their mission and leaving. Quietly, Uriko drew out four kunai, and prepared herself. If possible, she would fight from a distance, and they might not even see who was attacking them... if she was lucky.

From the way they were moving, it was almost assured that they were heading for the warehouse. Uriko was sure that Rasa would know how to handle herself, so the Genin did not bother to try finding out what the eagle was up to. Performing a few handseals, Uriko threw her kunai, moving her hands as the airborne projectiles made curves in the air which were normally unnatural for them to fly when simply thrown. The kunai hit their intended targets, though not with the degree of accuracy Uriko had hoped for. One of the dogs was dead, and the other was bleeding out, but the two men that her final two kunai had been aimed at only managed to injure them. The living dog turned towards the rooftop where she had been hiding, snarling and barking as it ended its last moments in futility. But a shout went up. The men had spotted her.

"Update: I've been spotted, but I think I can handle these guys with Rasa-dono's help," Uriko whispered into her radio, as the men pulled out crude weapons. "Don't worry about me."

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Fūton: Kaiten Shuriken [Wind Release: Rotating Shuriken]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Very Low-Medium
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu
ELEMENT: Fūton
DESCRIPTION:
By coating wind-natured chakra into weapons the user is capable of controlling their weapons remotely. While they are in this state the user has free range over the weapons trajectory and the weapons themselves gain a natural boon in their range, effectively allowing them to weave around obstacles to hit their targets from much further than standard ranges. The user must utilize their hand(s) to direct the movements of the weapons & in the event of multiple weapons one is capable of using each hand to control different weapon trajectories. While this technique can be used effectively from afar the control one can place upon them tend to lessen with extended use that normally come with large distances far beyond their standard effective throwing range. However, the amount of chakra an individual must use to effect one's weapons varies in terms of both size and design. Range & Control can also be reduced based on the design of the weapon itself such as a Shuriken, designed for flight, would have a greater control range than a Katana. Can control weapons upward to 3 posts while within range.

Very Low: 4 Max: Shuriken, Kunai, Arrows, or other similar sized ranged weapons.
Low: 2 Max: Folding Fūma Shuriken (or other of similar size), Swords.
Medium: 1 Max: Giant Fūma Shuriken, Zanbatō's

1-10m: Full Control
11-30m: Minor Control
30m+: No Control

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Hyūga Shigure