[Oonakayama Arashi]

Field Research TAG.Arai Shimako WORDS. xxx NOTES:

Midnight Run While may not have been the most exciting mission in the world, it was something that required handling none the less. Though in truth, Arashi had a feeling of partial responsibility to the extremes in which things had been taken. Looming overhead as she could see the suspected bandits moving from the outskirts, Arashi would remain perched on one of the old structures as she allowed herself a moment to take in their scent. Best to not lose them in a crowd and this was clearly going to be quite the long evening. The individuals in questions had been operating within the village for some time, mostly in the outskirts, and had been doing some rather interesting activities in the last few months. Of course, this wasn't something that went without notice, but it had been difficult to actually pin them down with anything as much as disturbing the peace. Which, in truth was a joke within this part of the village. In fact, it may as well be the Sekara. Still, there was balance and order to things, and the actions of these people in general had been way more organized than the usual lot that roamed about. Hence, Arashi had been keeping tabs on them. Though sadly her recent departure had allowed for this matter to be overlooked. Among a lot of other things... Thankfully, what she had left in place had given her enough of a lead to go on, and it wasn't great news... Someone within the militia had been feeding these people intel and was clearly the one helping them along. Of course, an internal investigation went into play and that lead to nothing more than hearsay. Though she had her suspicions. For now, the best way in which to get the traitor was to follow along with the group and gain some information. Keeping low and to the shadows, the young female would jump down to the ground and disappear behind a corner, seeing three of them move inside, and the other four waiting outside. Before long, the three would return from entering one of the supply deposits, sacks and crates in hand. These locations were filled with mostly resources such as water, food, tools, metals, and fabrics. Things that mostly were given out to those here. Though the way the three moved, it appeared as if they were taking everything that wasn't nailed down. "And not a guard in sight..." Cupping her hand beneath her face, Arashi would frown as she honestly was ready to jump right in, but she knew better. Doing so would just scare them off. They needed more information and to find the leak within the militia. Not to mention, she was still waiting for her partner for this operation. The Hawk Sage... SPOILER: Click to show -S.A Used- Ultimate Defense A Skill granted by her continued use and developed relationship with Shukaku over the continued use of his control over sand, Arashi has a stronger connection to the element, allowing her to use it at a much more intensive rate than before. As such, her defenses are much more adapt and capable of taking on stronger attacks and reinforcing itself at faster speed. This adaptation to the sand shield allows for it's reaction time to have increased and make it more challenging for attacks to connect and break through the first layer, while acting still on the natural inclinations of auto-repairing itself for the next strike. -Jutsu Used- -Items Used- -Familiar Used-

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[Arai Shimako]

Going on stealthy, information-gathering missions like this was a rarity in Shimako's line of work. She was someone with a fighting style that was loud and bombastic, intended for breaking down fortresses and barriers more than for hiding in the shadows. To put it more precisely, she was usually the one who came in after missions like this, to clean up with brutal force using the information that the previous team had attained.

Still, it was the essential nature of the shinobi to engage in a little espionage. And her skills not being 100% suited to the task created an interesting opportunity. Her teammate for this mission was The Desert Rose, the little princess, Oonakayama Arashi. Getting to see the skills of the renowned daughter of the Kazekage take center-stage would surely be unique!

She prepped for the mission by actually putting on a stealthy look for once, black fabric covering most of her body except for her face, draped over her back to help disguise the massive scrolls kept there.

Finally ready to hit the road, so to speak, Shimako made her way to the meeting spot that had been agreed upon with Arashi. She was surprised to find the young woman already there (though so out of sight that Shimako had missed her on first glance). Keeping low, Shimako moved up to join her.

When she was sure that they were out of earshot of anyone being able to overhear, she would whisper to the girl,

"Any action yet? Or are we still waiting on something interesting?"

[Oonakayama Arashi]

Field Research TAG.Arai Shimako WORDS. xxx NOTES:

Midnight Run Arai Shimako... To say that there was limited information on the individual was an overstatement, but Sages tended to be a bit on the distant side when it came to village affairs. Arashi had heard of one a long time ago when she was younger, but she had never got the chance to meet them. Still, the woman beside her was indeed good at what she did. So far, there hadn't been any issue to really call for the two of them to work together, but this was a bit of a tricky situation. Arashi may have been good at keeping up trails with her nose, but her sight was a different story. So an expert in such areas was required and a good one... In hearing her voice from close by, Arashi would look behind her to shake her head as she returned to watching the group. "Depends...if ya like seein theft in action..." Frowning, Arashi would then release a soft breath as she reminded herself that this was indeed an opportunity within a tragedy. After all, she had every intention of getting that stuff back. "At the moment, the group is raiding one of the Outskirt supply depots. Which, happens to not be guarded...and I had a guard posted there..." Arashi had made it her business to look out for this area because it needed the most attention at times. It was slowly becoming better over time, and much of the repairs having been done since the events of the war. Of course, there was still much that needed to be attended to, and some within the area weren't exactly keen on it becoming more than what it was. Some like the darkness, the history, even the reminder of just how close the village was to danger being presented in the ruined structures. "Nice to see ya Shimaka...Thanks for takin this on...pleasure to work with ya...I've heard stories..good ones..." With a small smile on her face, Arashi would then close her eyes as she continued. "We're trailing this group due to the fact that someone within the militia has been feeding them information and giving them access to resources that should be limited to the public. I've been managing to find only small connections, but the latest news of a traitor is all we have so far. That being said, we're trying to get information in which to better handle the situation..." Looking back over her shoulder, she'd then point toward the four others who were still loading the supplies up within a wagon, apparently taking turns being handed the goods being taken from inside. "Our hope is that by following them and learning where their going will lead us to our traitor...While it would be easier to just root them out, this is connected to a larger problem that happened a few months back..." Remembering the General, Arashi would narrow her eyes before then shaking her head. "In the end...we just gotta find out more...any questions?" SPOILER: Click to show -S.A Used- Ultimate Defense A Skill granted by her continued use and developed relationship with Shukaku over the continued use of his control over sand, Arashi has a stronger connection to the element, allowing her to use it at a much more intensive rate than before. As such, her defenses are much more adapt and capable of taking on stronger attacks and reinforcing itself at faster speed. This adaptation to the sand shield allows for it's reaction time to have increased and make it more challenging for attacks to connect and break through the first layer, while acting still on the natural inclinations of auto-repairing itself for the next strike. -Jutsu Used- -Items Used- -Familiar Used-

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[Arai Shimako]

Shimako listened to Arashi's explanation of the situation. She'd gotten the mission brief, but having additional detail from her partner was helpful, especially since it seemed Arashi had a little more experience with the broader context of the situation. Shimako wondered if Arashi kept her touch on Sunagakure's pulse in general, looking out for all kinds of trouble so she'd be ready when something like this came up.

Theft in action. These guys moved quickly, and were bold. Even if they didn't have to worry about guards because they had someone on the inside helping them out, it seemed like they weren't being cautious at all either, to be so easily spotted. Their confidence was building, which was both a good and a bad thing. It meant they'd be sloppier and getting intel would be easier, but it also meant Arashi and Shimako had a shorter amount of time to spy before their behavior would escalate. Hopefully they'd get all the info they needed tonight and this wouldn't be a weeks-long affair.

"Such a rude group, taking from those less fortunate," Shimako huffed as she watched the bandits work. Targeting an outpost like this wasn't unexpected, but she did have such a strong distaste for bandits. They loved preying on the weak.

"It's good to be working with you, too. I've heard a lot of good things about you as well. You've got a big reputation," she hummed, giving Arashi an encouraging smile.

"I don't have any questions... The situation seems clear. We'll need to keep a pretty close tail on them. You seem to know a lot more about this situation than I do, so I'll take your lead. I can bring my hawks here to swoop in for a closer listen if needed."

[Oonakayama Arashi]

Field Research TAG.Arai Shimako WORDS. xxx NOTES:

Midnight Run A smirk crossed the young woman's face as she nodded back toward Arai and then looked back at their targets. It appeared that they were indeed finishing up their score from the outpost, meaning that it would soon be time to move out. Keeping a close watch on their movements was a worthy suggestion. They were confident in their success, meaning that they would likely get sloppy in being discrete. It was proof enough in their actions...that and the fact that they were using a wagon as a means to gather what they wanted. Hearing the snort of the cargo carrying horse, Arashi would then narrow her eyes as she could see the seven now moving onto the transport. "The only reason I know as much as I do is because a few months back I confronted a disgraced militia General who had been in service to the village since the last war. Sadly, he wasn't exactly keen on how things were being run by the current Kazekage..." Rising up to her feet, the Suna nin would then begin by allowing some of her sand to rise up from off her fingertips, sending it outward as she allowed it to land unsuspectingly upon the back of the wagon. In confirming her connection to it, she'd then look back at Arai with a calm expression. "Sadly, despite my best efforts to talk them down...I had to kill him...I imagined there'd still be some within the military that might follow in his stead, but I didn't think it run so deep..." A mistake on her part for sure, but it wasn't much that she'd be able to do aside from deal with the pockets of individuals that had disagreements. Despite their actions, the General had seemed to hold the interests of the village in mind, where these people seemed to be lacking such morals. "Not much else can be done on that side of things...but I don't have to sit behind a desk and wait for it to be resolved..." Which, was in true fashion for the Oonakayama princess... With the wagon now moving out toward the desert, Arashi would signal for Arai to move with her, prompting her to keep to the shadows as much as she could, waiting for them to move on as she then stopped short of the depot to look in. "Think it's time for ya hawks now..." In stating this, the woman would begin to scan the outside of the structure, checking for anyone within. Upon confirming it's status, she'd then release a breath before preparing to move on into the desert after the wagon. "See if they can eavesdrop into their conversation on the road. They might slip a name or two in passin and I wanna know..." Keeping close, yet allowing a good distance, her sand sensing would allow for her to mark just where they were, even if they may give them the slip in the night. It was dark out in the desert, and it was quite possible to lose them if they weren't careful. SPOILER: Click to show -S.A Used- Ultimate Defense A Skill granted by her continued use and developed relationship with Shukaku over the continued use of his control over sand, Arashi has a stronger connection to the element, allowing her to use it at a much more intensive rate than before. As such, her defenses are much more adapt and capable of taking on stronger attacks and reinforcing itself at faster speed. This adaptation to the sand shield allows for it's reaction time to have increased and make it more challenging for attacks to connect and break through the first layer, while acting still on the natural inclinations of auto-repairing itself for the next strike. Enhanced Smell Somehow, Arashi has gained an enhanced sense of smell. It appears that she’s been hanging around dogs for too long and has obtained a sense of smell that rivals that of a blood hound. In reality, she has simply discovered that by channeling some chakra to her nose she can enhance the cells within it and gain a super sense of smell that may act as a sensor and tracking technique. She can smell out strangers, steel and various other things. Arashi may retract her chakra from her nose as well to make her sense of smell return to normal. Due in most regards to her heavily enhanced sense of smell, With her continued usage of this ability, she has now become capable of near passively monitoring the exact range of a target and their positioning within 250 meters. (Able to turn "off and on" this enhanced sense at the 'prick' of chakra to her nose) Hunter's Instinct With her training from her mother, along with the lessons she learned from her time with the Saeko's Clan, Arashi adapted her tracking ability to a level similar to that of a sensory nin. As such, allowing her much more precision in her ability to find and keep on the heels of individual targets or groups through use of her enhanced sense of smell and ability to identify individuals and objects at long range. -Jutsu Used- NAME: Sunano Senshingu[ Sand Sensing] RANK: B CHAKRA USAGE: Low CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu ELEMENT: Jiton DESCRIPTION: By dispersing chakra enhanced sand into a specific area, the user is able to discern the presence of bodies that come into direct contact with it. This sensing sand can be spread across a wide terrain of 100 feet, or even float in the air allowing aerial foes to be detected for an extended range of 150 feet due to it's lack of being stationary. Once the sand comes in contact with a person, it will wrap itself around them, rendering even invisible targets, visible. -Items Used- -Familiar Used-

MADE BY VEL OF GS

[NPCTICIAN]

FIELD RESEARCH
B-RANK MISSION

The bandits were, as Arashi and Shimako surmised, confident. Overconfident. They split up and worked together efficiently; three darting inside to take everything not nailed down inside of the warehouse, as Arashi had observed, while the other four remained out by the wagon to help load up. Their guard was lax—it didn’t need to be tight, with not a single ounce of opposition in sight. Either the thieves were deeply fortuitous, or the ease of the heist had been arranged. Arashi’s sand flitted up onto the back of the wagon, where it went unnoticed by any of the seven in the group. They chatted amongst themselves as they prepared to travel, seemingly in no rush at all as they watered the horses, made sure everything in the wagon was secure, and got their gear in order. If Shimako sent her hawks over, she would be able to overhear a conversation between a tall, dour woman with weathered skin and salt-and-pepper hair, and a younger, chipper man with twin swords at his hips and a rakish grin on her lips. Their exchange was brief, but it seemed as though the woman was the one in charge, and she informed her subordinate to remind the others that they would be traveling through the night; the guard around the warehouse was only guaranteed to be gone until sundown. Arashi, while checking the warehouse itself, would find no one within, not even the wayward guard that she herself had appointed to the structure. All of the goods within were gone, loaded up into the thieves’ caravan, and she would find no evidence of forced entry or violence within. Oonakayama Arashi Arai Shimako -- 6/20 LAIKA OF THQ

[Arai Shimako]

A conspiracy in the military, with people opposing the current Kazekage. Such things were not especially common, but also sadly not unheard of. Shimako herself was entirely neutral on the Kazekage as a man and as a leader - though, perhaps, that was unsurprising for the village's sage. Despite how long she'd lived here, she never could get herself invested into all that politics and such when the world seemed so much bigger than a position like that. Yet, people would have their little squabbles. They would defect and they would hurt others in pursuit of their power. ...How sad.

The duo crept down to the warehouse, keeping to the shadows, and assessed its state. No guards, supplies gone. It was as if they'd just walked right in and taken everything without an ounce of trouble.

"Someone made this very easy for them. How troublesome," Shimako sighed. It was time for a hawk. For a trail like this, just one should be enough.

She bit her thumb to draw a spot of blood and summoned forth Shingi. A greyish-brown hawk with a peaceful demeanor appeared, her air quiet and restrained.

"Why do you call me?" She asked, voice younger than her appearance implied.

"We're on the tail of some troublesome bandits. Could you help us keep an eye on them and try to listen in?"

"It shall be done."

With some direction, Shingi took wing, sailing out into the desert with a quiet flight. In the desert, it was hard to hide, but Shingi was experienced in stealth, and could at least confidently play the part of normal bird while getting into range to listen.

Shingi couldn't report information back to Shimako until circling around, so she would retain the information on who the leader was for now, and wait for more.

"Shingi should be able to listen out for anything suspicious and come back when she's confident she's learned enough. For now, we can give distant tail."

[Oonakayama Arashi]

Field Research TAG.Arai Shimako WORDS. xxx NOTES:

Midnight Run It wasn't exactly an individual that came to mind at the root cause of this. If anything, the guard was certainly one person she'd be having a conversation with once this was done. Still, for the moment, this was indeed a failure on her own part for not realizing how deep this went. It wasn't acceptable, and it wasn't right. Though it did bring a lot of things into question as to what might be the leading cause of the state of of the Outskirts and why they remained the way they were. If this was the attitude of those within authority, then was it any wonder why people weren't exactly trusting of them? Or the leadership of the Kage? Or her for that matter? Though the comment of how easy this was prompting the idea that this couldn't have been the group working alone did at least confirm that they didn't. Now what remained was finding out who was helping them. As Shimako went to work in summoning her companion, Arashi would take another sniff of the area to gather the scent of those who had been within, along with checking her own tether to their wagon as she sensed her sand. They were still in relative distance, but better to keep to the plan of following in darkness. With further inspection proving that they had just as easily walked in as they did out, Shimako would release her Hawk into the air, telling her of their intention as Arashi nodded in agreement. "Agreed....lets move..." In saying this, Arashi would make her way out of the warehouse, waiting for Shimako to join her as they began to make their way after the group. Keeping up with them would be relatively simple. Though it the need was required, Arashi was prepared to fashion a means for them to increase their pursuit. But for the moment, stealth was their best option, and they still needed to find out just who or where these supplies were going to. SPOILER: Click to show -S.A Used- Ultimate Defense A Skill granted by her continued use and developed relationship with Shukaku over the continued use of his control over sand, Arashi has a stronger connection to the element, allowing her to use it at a much more intensive rate than before. As such, her defenses are much more adapt and capable of taking on stronger attacks and reinforcing itself at faster speed. This adaptation to the sand shield allows for it's reaction time to have increased and make it more challenging for attacks to connect and break through the first layer, while acting still on the natural inclinations of auto-repairing itself for the next strike. Enhanced Smell Somehow, Arashi has gained an enhanced sense of smell. It appears that she’s been hanging around dogs for too long and has obtained a sense of smell that rivals that of a blood hound. In reality, she has simply discovered that by channeling some chakra to her nose she can enhance the cells within it and gain a super sense of smell that may act as a sensor and tracking technique. She can smell out strangers, steel and various other things. Arashi may retract her chakra from her nose as well to make her sense of smell return to normal. Due in most regards to her heavily enhanced sense of smell, With her continued usage of this ability, she has now become capable of near passively monitoring the exact range of a target and their positioning within 250 meters. (Able to turn "off and on" this enhanced sense at the 'prick' of chakra to her nose) Hunter's Instinct With her training from her mother, along with the lessons she learned from her time with the Saeko's Clan, Arashi adapted her tracking ability to a level similar to that of a sensory nin. As such, allowing her much more precision in her ability to find and keep on the heels of individual targets or groups through use of her enhanced sense of smell and ability to identify individuals and objects at long range. Enhanced Smell Somehow, Arashi has gained an enhanced sense of smell. It appears that she’s been hanging around dogs for too long and has obtained a sense of smell that rivals that of a blood hound. In reality, she has simply discovered that by channeling some chakra to her nose she can enhance the cells within it and gain a super sense of smell that may act as a sensor and tracking technique. She can smell out strangers, steel and various other things. Arashi may retract her chakra from her nose as well to make her sense of smell return to normal. Due in most regards to her heavily enhanced sense of smell, With her continued usage of this ability, she has now become capable of near passively monitoring the exact range of a target and their positioning within 250 meters. (Able to turn "off and on" this enhanced sense at the 'prick' of chakra to her nose) -Jutsu Used- NAME: Sunano Senshingu[ Sand Sensing] RANK: B CHAKRA USAGE: Low CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu ELEMENT: Jiton DESCRIPTION: By dispersing chakra enhanced sand into a specific area, the user is able to discern the presence of bodies that come into direct contact with it. This sensing sand can be spread across a wide terrain of 100 feet, or even float in the air allowing aerial foes to be detected for an extended range of 150 feet due to it's lack of being stationary. Once the sand comes in contact with a person, it will wrap itself around them, rendering even invisible targets, visible. -Items Used- -Familiar Used-

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