[Akira]

Hotarubi had not known this was not the first time that Kiro had done this, but it was the first time that Hotarubi was one of the two people guarding the enforcer to fight bandits. It... was necessary. It was annoying. It was bothersome: to Hotarubi, any dealings with his own clan had not ended well - but it would be necessary to increase his standing with his own clan to have a good standing with one of the two enforcers

So, it was no surprise that he'd had also found Midori there as well. In his own mind, the man was wondering just exactly how this was going to go - how strong this 'runner-up' was and why it was a C-rank mission. Hotarubi was under the twilight shroud and outside the clan compound: because of his father's stern words he didn't even want to set foot in the compound, though it had not expressly been the area and more the man's house - but this was also where Midori would also be setting foot.

Being as it may, Kiro had not yet shown up so it wasn't all that bad. The worry of someone outside his clan seeing his powers were growing less and less, because the man had clearly been using it on a world stage: what matter did it matter if he was simply more powerful? And this was what it was about. There was the other half though: Hotarubi knew the deep disrespect of thieves entering an ancient ground, but was it his place to get involved? He didn't want to upset the enforcer but at the same time.. it boiled his blood to know the disrespect they were being shown. Dead people could not retaliate: it was a pathetic excuse of humanity to pillage the dead.

So there was also a bit of a time crunch as well. Hotarubi waited.

---

SPOILER: Click to show

The Mask of Nobility
Mission Rank: C
NPC Required: [NPC Optional]
Random Mission Scenario: Enabled
Participants:
Place your team members here, don't forget to tag in their profiles.

Description:
The Yamakira clan has been a trusted ally to Takigakure for centuries, yet it's new Enforcer seems much to distracted with trivial pursuits to focus on his future as the Chief's Protector. As such, the young Kiro wishes to venture out into the wild to fight bandits that have managed to cross into sacred grounds held by his ancestors. Assist the young warrior in his quest and ensure his safety against the thieves that wish to defile their ancient hunting grounds

*Repeatable

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[Netsu Midori]

Midori was, to be honest, just slightly uncomfortable to be taking on a new mission that seemed to directly involve more of the Yamakira clan. It was even more awkward because she was going to have to take the mission with someone that she had taken a mission with beforehand, that being Hotarubi. While she'd started off insulting him, as she often does with others, the mission had ended almost amicably, though rather awkwardly with Hotarubi being blamed for a partial mission failure as he'd had both of them remove their chakra-closing seals when they had been attacked. Midori had been paid, but apparently Hotarubi had not. Now they were given another mission, and it was somewhat odd that Midori was also picked for this one, but perhaps her clan felt that she needed even more missions with her signature on them. After all, Midori was never going to get any younger, and the chakra cores did eventually go out. There was always a bit of a time crunch where the Netsu clan was involved.

As it is, she comes to the Yamakira clan compound to find Hotarubi standing outside of it, and she crosses her arms, though she's not nearly as aggressive as she was in their first meeting. This Chuunin had clearly earned her respect, because she's not berating him or giving him any harsh insults on his failure of the last mission. Instead, she greets him as though nothing had happened, a huge step forward for the Genin that was often quite volatile towards others.

"Hey. Who's this pipsqueak we're supposed to protect for this mission?"

Well, at least she didn't insult Hotarubi, just their charge. Midori was still wearing a similar outfit to the one where they'd had to deliver those packages, though now she was already wearing those Hung Gar rings on her wrists and ankles and had her weapon pouch attached at her slim waist, so that the pouch itself hang on her hip. Her hands were on her sides, arms akimbo as she appears content to wait, but not for long. Luckily, long she did not wait, for Kiro comes right out of the Yamakira clan compound, apparently ready to be off and get the mission done, though Midori doesn't seem to think much of his apparent eagerness to get going.

"You'd better be able to pull your own weight, kid, because ballast just gets dropped. Right?"

[Akira]

Hotarubi waved with a single and simple flick that alert that he saw her and noted her entry. In good timing as well since she would have been left behind if Kiro had exit any earlier. But Hotarubi chuckled when the enforcer was called a pipsqueak.

"It's one of the two enforcers our clan has. Chosen by the Chief- er- clan leader to protect them. War Dogs. Might as well be dogs themselves." It was clear that he had distaste for the role in some fashion. "Poor fucks who desire the seat but aren't powerful enough to take it." Obviously he himself was likely in no position right now to do the same. He didn't want to be ruled any more than he had to be and he hadn't been known as a 'King of Ruffians' because he got on well with authority. "Instead, they're picking on talentless thieves instead of-" Whether or not he participated in the Clan life he was more than aware of what the implication was of these choices rather than doing his own duty.

Sure, they needed to train and live and whatnot - but it wasn't a life that Hotarubi would have picked for himself and he was so out of the limelight he would likely have not been chosen. Hotarubi would have continued speaking but he shut his mouth as Kiro exited the gate in high spirits. When he spoke, Hotarubi didn't initially realise that it was the shorter of the two looking up at him, absolutely deterred by the size differential, and size didn't mean too much to a Yamakira.

They definitely had an ego to match Hotarubi's - and Hotarubi rolled his eyes. "You don't need to worry about me." Hotarubi spoke plainly, cautiously. "Just make sure you cover your own back so that we don't have a new enforcer by the end of this mission. Wouldn't want to have to take your spot because you get beat by some cavemen with sticks." "Like you could replace me! I'd knock the seven shades of shit out of you-" They wistfully boasted. It was a very different vibe - since Midori had observed what Hotarubi had been in their previous mission, it was certainly much more tense. "Eat shit." "Oh? You want me to tell the Chief your insubordination??" "My insubordination? Should I tell him you're out killing rabbits? How noble." Hotarubi sneered as they grew closer to one another and it seemed without intervention it was already going to lead to blows from the bat.

What had happened to the Enforcer from past who had done this mission previously that made them so outspoken? This was all a part of the fun. "Let's get it." "You got it." Hotarubi would knock heads with the man - an informal way the kids these days said hello, they were both made of solid rock so it wasn't like it was hurting. And to Midori - this was just one weird circus of dick measuring.

---

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[Netsu Midori]

Midori is barely even put-off by the aggression shown between the two Yamakira, and is actually apparently busy filing her nails. Through her gloves, for some reason. Once it seems the two have made some type of manly agreement between each other, only then does she actually speak up in regards to the two of them, while putting away her nail file back inside her weapons pouch, which is at least somewhat acting as a purse and somewhat acting as an actual weapons pouch, apparently.

"Now, if you're both finished squabbling over your fantasy shinobiball teams, let's get this mission started. I can't wait to break some faces."

Midori certainly seems ready, if her clenching and relaxing of her fists is any indication. Or that might simply be impatience. Both aggression and restlessness are common traits among the Netsu, and not without reason, since their chakra gets weaker with age, and in that regard, Midori is practically pushing middle age as far as her expectancy to utilize Kesshoton is concerned. Of course, in spite of her eagerness to go out and start the mission, she doesn't really know where such "sacred grounds" are, and she feels that it's somewhat silly to even have anything like that in a village surrounded by an often deadly and venomous jungle. It could be encroached on by all sorts of plants or animals and they wouldn't be able to do anything about it, and some bandits had decided to make it their stomping grounds. The Netsu woman didn't think they'd likely stomp for long before something bigger and meaner or smaller and far more deadly decides to stomp on them instead, but nobody can wait for nature to take its course. She lets Kiro lead the way, since he's apparently the one in a position of power, and he probably knows where the sacred grounds are, and she wants to hang around Hotarubi more, anyways.

"Are the Enforcers all like this, or is this Kiro guy particularly special?"

[Akira]

Both Hotarubi and Kiro almost looked offended. While Hotarubi explained, Kiro scoffed "No. No." Hotarubi shook his head. "We're here to support. Kiro is there to do the work." It sounded weird to her: but it would have been an offense to actually get involved if they did not need to. They were a bit like the proverbial orcs of honor and found in fantasy books.

"Nope. Chief chooses the enforcers, but they're usually ranked on power." Hotarubi spoke with "It's always about power. But we're only there just in case it goes tits up... like a Shinobi that they can't deal with." That's all they were realistically doing. And they wouldn't even need to leave the village that far!

The sacred grounds were intended to be quite far out: and Kiro was leading the way with vigor, full of 'vim' and ready to beat down some chickenshits. There would be a portion that he wasn't sure how Midori was going to get through - but if thieves were getting in, there had to be a route for her to enter as well. "Kiro-wait up!" He would look at Midori and giving a knowing look before jogging to catch up with the shorter of the three. "If it's Taoreta tani, won't Midori -" "Who?" Kiro would look quizically before looking back at the third. "Oh. The human. Continue." From the brief pause, Hotarubi was already being amped up a bit more. "The entry won't be possible for her - so we should find where the thieves got in." Hotarubi asserted. It was a way to get in that Midori would not have been able to easy access. "It's not that one. I did that one before with a couple of others. This one is Shita no ishi no sakeme. (lit: Bottom Stone Rift)." Hotarubi nodded. That helped. It was one of the places they buried their dead - alongside the other... valuable items placed there, it was an amazing hunting ground since it hosted the larger varieties of creatures. Huge snakes: millipedes.

Hotarubi would relay that to her. "It's an easy way to get in but be prepared to fight. It's not the one I thought it was... this one is more like a 'pit' our dead go into, but it's got huge creatures in there. Think jungle creatures, then increase their size. A lot." Unfortunately it meant there would be involvement - and that whoever was thieving... they definitely had some skill.

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[Netsu Midori]

Midori seems even more confused that they're going along on the mission at all, since the Enforcer is apparently chosen by their clan leader based on their strength; if he's all that strong, then even if the bandits have a ninja with them, that one of the strongest member of the Yamakira should be able to handle them all on their own. She doesn't say it out loud, though, since Kiro and Hotarubi both seem to be at least somewhat defensive on their clan. Besides, if they just get to sit back and relax, and they still get paid, she's not going to complain too much, although she's going to feel rather bored during the mission, or at least she thinks she will be. It's a bit odd when Hotarubi moves ahead to speak with Kiro for a moment, and she wonders what they could be discussing when she catches a bit of what they're saying, suggesting that she might not be able to get in.

That's apparently not a concern for where they're going, at least, so Midori relaxes until Hotarubi explains that they're going to what is basically a graveyard, and that there are large creatures in there. The Netsu ninja smirks at the suggestion that they're really massive jungle creatures. She throws out a line she'd heard somewhere before, maybe an old poem or something, but a line she remembered probably from her parents and during her childhood.

"Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my..."

She shrugs, though, apparently unconcerned. She was a member of the Netsu clan, after all, a clan she considered quite powerful, though they were normally intimidating partially due to the armor every member used to wear in order to avoid becoming something of a human bomb if they couldn't control their Kesshoton chakra. Midori didn't have that, but it was seemingly a clan that not many even within Takigakure was aware of. She might put the fear into the thieves or the animals and earn herself some recognition. Not that she was really in it for the recognition, just for the extra cash.

"Animals are dumb, even big ones. And Kiro is gonna be taking care of the people that managed to outsmart or outfight the big jungle creatures. I'm not worried, and you shouldn't be worried for me. I'm pretty good at beating the shit out of all kinds of things, and I plan on doing that a lot."

[Akira]

"None of those things." Bears didn't even - well. They were rarer to the region but they could be found. It just wasn't what could be found

In truth, Hotarubi had not been to this area before and did not have any idea what was to await him: it had been the bed time stories of yore that fuelled his imagination. Beyond that - Kiro wasn't talking, he wasn't posturing, and maybe he was more concerned than he gave on? Hotarubi was reading into it a bit too much as the enforcer modelled himself like the chief with him at the front and his two 'enforcers' to either side of him like petty thugs.

There they came to their destination outside of 'Takigakure no Sato' with the jungle seeming to swell in density and flora, this being a route less traveled made the floor less obvious that they were heading to any one place - finally, an entrypoint from an incline that was simply built into the jungle countryside.

"here we are!" Kiro spoke cheerfully. Even more so as he stepped over roots and pointed at what was other track marks. As they moved inside, it was also obvious that there had been boxes left around - someone had set up camp here. Hotarubi peeled open one of the boxes, and it was an array of various items. Some of them symbolically significant, others were just more 'valuables' in nature.

It didn't go straight to vertical but then broke open inside and went dramatically down - there was a gash in the earth above them that allowed light to peer on through - the second of 'underground' places that he and Midori had been together. "My kind of talk." Hotarubi nodded. This was at least more of a direct

And as Hotarubi peered over the edge of the entrance - less of an entrance and more of a 'gaping maw' - Midori would have observed that this didn't look like any sort of sacred ground. "It's wider inside than it is on the outside." "We going or what?!" Kiro was ready to go in. Hotarubi nodded. They both looked at Midori. Kiro - on the other hand, began to disassemble. "See you in there." Turn into dust: wisping its way into the hole in the earth. Hotarubi on the other end did not. "You know tree walking?" Hotarubi himself seemed to take on a more softer face instead of the blocky nature it normally was: chakra ran through his body as flesh and blood came to be. He would be using the tree walking technique as well.

As they began to descend into the well of ever expanding walls as pieces of rock: bridges would become apparent of a kind, between places: there were many, many areas in the walls that were carved. A graveyard: areas had been carved out for people to have their final resting place.

However, those of a less fortunate nature... many, many more skeletons would be seen from the light above them at the bottom of the ravine. Those less fortunate were tossed in - and that would be that.

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[Netsu Midori]

Midori is starting to get even more antsy and excitable when she sees that there are boxes laying about once they get closer to the area that was apparently a secret and sacred grounds, with the crate filled with various supplies. Midori herself picks up a piton from among the equipment; it was actually similar in shape to a kunai, though unlike the ninja tool, the piton's square-shaped cross-section made it almost worthless for cutting. This sharpened stake was best used for jabbing into rock and then hammering in. She puts the piton back, though, as she doesn't really need anything like that. Midori then sees that past that supply box was a deep drop into the earth, which would have been difficult to get into without the use of chakra, but not impossible.

She looks right back at both Yamakira as they gaze at her, as though expecting her to have some qualms about going down into the dark pit; after all, it only had one source of light, and it was a small one. But if either was expecting her to speak up about getting down herself, they needn't have bothered, as she looks unperturbed by the expectation. Hotarubi asking her about tree walking caused Midori to raise an eyebrow, then gesture towards a nearby tree; while it wasn't as thick around as one of the great trees that made Takigakure's canopy, it was thick enough that it could easily hold a person's weight, and around it was a firmly-tied rope, with the end of it still dangling into the hole, going far enough down that it disappeared into the darkness.

"I don't, but I don't need it, for now. The enemies left behind a present, just for me."

Midori moves to the edge of the opening, holding onto the ridge firmly with one hand so she can grab hold of the rope with the other, and then wraps the same leg around the rope to fully secure herself to it. As an added bonus, she was able to use both hands and her leg to control the speed of her descent. Getting back up would be annoying, but not impossible. She throws Hotarubi a cynical salute before she slides down the rope, protected from any burns by her gloves and her catsuit, ensuring that she isn't going to be harmed by her method of entry. She can somewhat make out what the inside of the cavern looks like, but if she's bothered by being surrounded by the dead, she doesn't make much of a show out of it. Midori looks simply bored, although it is somewhat interesting that the cavern goes down so deep.

[Akira]

Hotarubi grunted at her response.

That was one of the things that would have disqualified her from becoming a Chunin and she didn't strike Hotarubi as the complacent type. The man would only wait as long enough for her as was needed. "Jackass." Hotarubi's tone would echo from above Midori as she took off. She reminded him a bit of Nageku. he would begin to scale - walking down the wall, even if that meant going across the scarred and grafted earth outsides - over the names and the historical figures, over the religious symbolism (as a Yamakira would) as he descended.

However - that was a bit more candour in his voice.

At the bottom of ravine - bones. Some were fresher. Ruby couldn't tell from just there: but if he didn't know any better, that was the thieves, but people died: some might have been sent here recently.

Where just had Kiro gone? Hotarubi scanned the area - being a Yamakira himself he had a good insight of what to look for. Like most things - it was too quiet. Life all but stalled in some areas and that was natural... but Hotarubi had expected like, bats? Or something.

What Hotarubi hadn't realized as he scaled down he moved onto something that was a different material, and a few steps later hell broke loose for him. They had been there to hunt: broke from the wall as it had clamored to it and taking the human-Hotarubi with it as he smashed his body against the opposite side of the wall. The light shining off the glossy, waxy exterior was a millipede: a large one. Between the two others, they would not see Hotarubi.

He, on the other hand had reverted quickly: as a matter of instinct - but his body had broken apart into two, his 'legs' falling from his body as he gripped ... what were they? Horns? Daggers? Whatever it had been, it had immediately tried to mutilate him. Hotarubi's lower body began to reform, but he - would stab at it with a newly formed spear hand and drove it through, but it would not even break through the outside of the beast. It had scratched, though, because it flung the rock man what could be a hundred feet - and his body soared through the air and crashed at the bottom of the cave, through the bones: into the arms of his dead ones.

Kiro, on the other hand - reassembled near Midori. "They were already dead. This will have to do!" And the man jumped from his position - aiming to land atop and astride the beast that had flung Hotarubi as far as he had. But a screech echoed: there were more of them. And Midori was still caught in a place she likely didn't want to be.

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[Netsu Midori]

Midori lets half of her mouth turn upwards when Hotarubi calls her a jackass; she certainly was one, and she wasn't likely to try and dismiss what might have been an insult. After all, some insults are true. She watches, descending more slowly than Hotarubi could with the tree-walking technique, and this is even more of a reason that she should really take up that offer from Yukari to learn that technique from her. But that would have to wait until later, as she was already busy with the mission in the here and now. Instead, she watches as she descends slowly down her rope, before stopping halfway down to see the bones at the bottom of the cave. There was something-

But before she could think on it, Hotarubi was already down on the floor, and with a sudden heaving, the beast comes alive, something that is definitely massive in size and clearly quite dangerous. So dangerous that she surprises herself by calling out to the Chuunin that gets split in half by the armored predator. Strangely, Hotarubi wasn't actually dead, his upper body still attacking the armored carapace, but barely doing any apparent damage. The crawling thing throws Hotarubi away instead. With a snarl, Midori considers jumping down onto it and trying to break through the metal-hard plates herself, when she has her plan of action interrupted by Kiro reassembling near her and then jumping down onto the beast to begin his assault. Thankfully, it seems the mission won't be nearly as boring as she had expected it to be, with more, smaller beasts crawling out to see the cause of the commotion. Midori follows Kiro down, apparently fearless, and uses both her legs to keep her descent at a controllable pace.

Thanks to her legs being used to control her descent, it frees her hands for a series of four handseals before she gathers up Kesshoton chakra in both hands before she lands atop one just as it crawls out of the tomb. With the strength of her chakra combined with the additional weight of the Hung Gar rings, she slams a fist down into its head, just above where its antennae lie, and smashing its head into the ground to crush it underneath its own unbroken plates. She would lift it then, and use its hard carapace to protect herself when another of the millipedes attempted to take a bite of her, and it only gets to eat one of its own kind, instead.

"Don't let a Genin show you up, Hotarubi!"

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Atsuki Ken [Heated Fists]
RANK: B
CHAKRA USAGE: Medium [Initial] | Low [Constant] to High [Constant]
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu
ELEMENT: Kesshoton
HANDSEALS: 4
REQUIREMENT: Netsu clan

DESCRIPTION:

Rather than expelling the Kesshoton element quickly in order to damage the opponent with a blast, this technique allows the user to cover both their hands in Kesshoton energy, causing them to glow with erratic plasmic energy that can add a concussive component to their physical strikes with their hands, increasing the power caused by their Taijutsu strikes to a level that matches the amount of chakra usage of the technique. Although their hands have a high level of absorption, absorbing such a large amount of electrical energy requires an equally high amount of chakra from the user in order to contain the energy until it can be released through Taijutsu. After absorbing that Raiton chakra or electrical energy, the chakra usage for the technique increases from Medium to High in order to keep the energy absorbed under control for further use of the Atsuki Ken.

[Akira]

Hotarubi reformed.

Groaning - not out of pain, but of disorientation. Regathering his senses: like a hydra, for the one large one that had appeared - its activity brought out the smaller ones. The opportunistic hunters that tried to nab the small scraps. Small was an understatement considering they seemed rideable. Hotarubi made a noise of disgust as he observed them while standing himself up, or trying to - his weight was a problem here since being a few hundred pounds and sat atop a bed of bones meant that his standing was making it incredibly difficult.

Kiro had jumped - "MINE!" He was all too happy, it seemed. While the large beast tried to tear Kiro off, it was able to turn back on itself undeterred, but Kiro had edged himself far up enough it would be like a snake trying to bite its own neck: it didn't have that kind of movement. The man on one hand would grip while the other would dig beneath the carapace - and began shooting projectiles into the flesh - causing ensuing screeching to occur. Kiro was utterly unconcerned for his two enforcers, must more enjoyment being driven from this.

Hotarubi, however, jumped: laxly hitting the wall, and on grapple accidentally pulled a statue over as he gained his bearings. The man was torn between his clan duty to let Kiro do his thing and to help Midori do her thing. Would he be told off for trying to help?

The millipede which tried to bite Midori and had failed would wrestle the woman's grip for the millipede she had used as a shield. If she let go of it, the beast would not continue to attack but instead try to take off with its meal, having obtained a satisfactory result for an opportunistic hunter. But - if she did not, she would have to contend with it writhing and trying to peel around her and wrestle the meal off her.

The others, however - they were all spreading out to try and find a meal - one toward Hotarubi at the bottom as he made his movement, and the others. Hotarubi began to ascend by climbing: having a lot easier of a time considering he was just punching his way into the earth when there were not applicable things to climb, but it was slow: because his weight and the state of the cave meant that he was pulling off pieces whilst also punching into the wall to climb. One of the millipedes was upon Hotarubi, and only for a moment as he held his position and thrust a blade arm intro it - it would screech and die as he performed the Seikeigeka [Plastic Surgery] technique. Withdrawing his arm, it would flop to the ground. Another would come to collect it and run away. "Collect them up, kids!" Kiro would shout out as he tried to keep mounted and astride the large beast as it continued writhing. It began doing a death roll - keeping its maintained position in the air whilst also trying to remove the foreign object from its back.

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[Netsu Midori]

With her shield of no real applicable use for her, Midori lets the other millipede have its meal. This gives her enough time to focus on more pressing enemies, such as the giant millipede that was now trying to throw off Kiro. She sees that Hotarubi has managed to kill off one of the others, and she watches where it drops so as to avoid that part of the tomb as the other millipedes go about tearing apart and eating one of their own. For these beasts, there was clearly no distinction between their own family and other prey. Midori couldn't help but think to herself that perhaps this was somewhat similar to some people in a few clans, though this retrospection would have to wait for a time when she's not trying to make sure she's not a meal herself.

She performs a series of three handseals now as she gathers even more Plasma Release chakra in her fists, bringing them together before throwing both hands forwards as a millipede rears upwards, getting up in a position to attack just in time for her to blast its underside with a focused ball of chakra. The concussive force blasts the bug back into another, starting up another feeding that results in more death. Midori watches with some consternation as Kiro fights on the back of the largest millipede, and she doesn't really like the look of its tail, but her focus is divided back to the smaller ones angling towards her. She certainly doesn't much appreciate their criss-crossing motion, making it difficult for her to attack them at a distance with another Kesshoton shot, so she can only wait for them to try and attack her before she meets a lunge with a harsh, face-rupturing fist, driven forwards by the Hung Gar rings in order to break their carapace.

Midori works methodically at least, putting her aggression to good use, but also being given a little bit of resting time between each encounter as the millipedes get another meal to drag away and consume. While it's tiring, Midori is at least allowed to work her way through them gradually, and it's allowing Kiro plenty of room to fight against the larger mother. Or what she assumes is the mother, as there doesn't seem to be any larger millipedes around, making the one giant fighting with Kiro the broodmother by default.

[Akira]

Hotarubi continued climbing to ensure he remained in his earthen body, not having much problem prying off millipedes as he encountered his own problems. Midori was carrying herself well that he didn't need to get worked up over it. Unlike Midori who was advantaged with her rope, Hotarubi was starting to get crowded on the opposite side - losing out on his combat effectiveness there as they tried to bite the rock from him and possibly ending up confused at how little they were actually getting. 'Round them up,' Hotarubi thought, annoyed at the request by Kiro. Yeah, because that was easy.

He jumped from his position, so that he would be able to scale the wall on the opposite side as the rest of them - delivering a swift Keimou Hiji Ouda [Enlightened Elbow Strike] - combining it with his weight and speed as he took position, the noise was so palpable as the feedback would have sent a small reverb through the cave as he had become more imprinted in the rock: as did the unfortunate glossy carapace of what was formerly a small millipede. But, his form was continously regenerating. If either of them glanced over they would have seen his form - and the chunks of everything missing from various parts of his body in a range of sizes. But, the holes continued to fill themselves in.

On the other hand, the largest millipede was able to throw the Yamakira enforcer off its back - and would opportunistically try to curl Kiro up inside the ball so that the many thousands, however many they were: to try and puncture through it. Which, it did: but there was no noise of screaming, crying, pain or otherwise: "in we go, I suppose!" and being at the underbelly, it dissolved yet again and seemed to disappear - given the many projectiles that scarpered through the body it was presumably into the bullet holes and Kiro was in fact, inside of the largest Millipede.

And the millipede would fall - giving into whatever pain was being caused as it started to crash and writhe against the walls, falling down, down and eventually into the floor. It was like a birth giving the way that the body grew - before Kiro exploded out of it in the signature style.

"Dōka," Hotarubi breathed quietly. He knew that technique as well... well. The bastardized version of it plus his own unique skillset, but he was glad that Kiro hadn't chosen to do the larger counterpart, Ōka. Hell would have broken loose, but even Kiro knew not that kind of disrespect was something he could get away with.

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[Netsu Midori]

Midori continues her work of smashing and crashing the millipedes, though she does stop for a moment when she can see that the Enforcer they were meant to be back-up for was suddenly pulled from the greater beast's back and curled up on. The Genin prepares to try and smash the millipede herself, but thankfully she can see that the giant is being pierced in many different locations simultaneously, causing it to writhe and shiver as it slowly dies, going through its death throes and burying itself down with its squirming reaction to the pain of its death. As Kiro comes back out of the giant millipede, Midori gives him a few slow, sarcastic claps, before noticing one of the smaller brood rearing up to her left. She waits until the last moment, then drops down with a bend of her knees, so that her body is bent backwards with her shins and the top of her feet on the ground.

In such a position, the millipede thrusts its head forwards at open air, with Midori flat underneath it, where she jabs a weighted fist directly into its soft underbelly before she turns her torso in order to crash its face directly into the ground, stopping the millipede from counter-attacking her. Midori climbs out from under it again and dusts herself off as she sees that the numbers of small creatures are dwindling rapidly. She flips her long black hair back over her shoulder as she sees most of them retreating back into their various hidey-holes, most with meals, all of them with an apparent cowardice at possibly being the next one to die at the hands of these humans, clearly stronger than the group that had been here before the trio of ninja. With their retreat, Midori finally lets out a hard and harsh exhalation, too hard to be called a sigh, but definitely an expression of how tired she was from using so much chakra all at once. Kesshoton was typically fairly draining, and she'd been using quite a few of the techniques in a short amount of time.

"All right! Easy money!"

Midori glares up at the rope that would probably also be her way out, and this time she really does sigh before leaping up to grasp the rope, similar to the way she'd grabbed onto it to climb down, and now she uses a contracting and extending motion to climb up. She uses her legs to keep herself from sliding back down, and her arms to pull herself up along the rope.

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Fukisoku Kaihi [Irregular Dodging]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Low
CLASSIFICATION: Taijutsu
ELEMENT: N/A
HANDSEALS: N/A
REQUIREMENT: Taijutsu Secondary or Agility SA

DESCRIPTION:

While any individual can try to jump from the path of an attack, those truly skilled at the art of evasion will find less obvious methods to avoid attacks. Dropping down to a split, flipping just over the area of attack, contorting their body into unusual angles and so on. This technique is effectively just a higher degree of training to use either the terrain or the blindspots of an attack to dodge in usual ways so that the user may either more readily escape or press their counter attack.

[Akira]

It seemed that everybody had their hands full - and Hotarubi had gotten rid of less than the two of them (Kiro taking out the big one counted as lots of little ones, in his eyes.) But he supposed.. they had done the mission? Supposed?

That hadn't been a fun exercise at all, realistically Hotarubi had done very little and it had been the benefit of the type of animal they'd faced that Hotarubi had not needed to use many techniques. If it had been something that god forbid actually needed to use a wider repertoire he might've not feared so well.

Kiro, looked happy. "Sufficiently bloody for you, Kiro?" Hotarubi asked as he continued scaling the wall, ignoring Midori for the time being. "Didn't even whet the appetite." The man grinned as he stood atop the prize. It had done something. At the very least, Kiro would appear by the entrance faster than the other two. Prowling about the boxes and 'loot' that had been steadily rendezvoused just by the entrance. Eventually Hotarubi would arise from the descent and be on flat flooring yet again. "Where'd you get the tip off that there was anyone here?" Hotarubi asked, finally getting there around the same time as Midori did.

"Tipped them off." Kiro shrugged. Hotarubi's head tilted. The man continued theatrically observing a ring he had plucked from the box. "Needed to blow off some steam. Let slip that this area was rich." Hotarubi looked at Midori, and then back as he realised just what Kiro had suggested. Hotarubi stared, and eventually looked down to the floor. Quiet.

"Something to say?" Kiro asked. Hotarubi was conflicted. "Wouldn't have been an issue if they weren't thieves." Hotarubi eventually landed on a thought. It was hard to feel sorry for them when it had been their own actions that brought them here... but something still sat tense in his stomach and he couldn't put a finger on it.

"Let's get out of here." Hotarubi spoke monotonously.

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