[Hyūga Shigure]

"the hills have eyes". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." THE HIDDEN GRASS VILLAGE Shigure had been taking on a lot of missions since becoming a Chuunin, and his performance on them was good enough that he was assigned with a special type of mission, one involving cooperation with one of their allied villages, the Hidden Grass. He was honoured with such an opportunity to help foster the relationship between their villages, especially during such ominous times, but there was also another reason why he was very much looking forward to going to the Hidden Grass: he wanted to see some of the friends he made during the Chuunin Exams, especially Koume. He was trying not to think too hard about it, of course, but it couldn't really be helped, for the girl had been assigned as one of the members of the team he would be leading. Thinking about that made his heart beat fast, and the butterflies in his stomach to go a bit insane; it was a warm, fuzzy feeling which was still very much alien to the young Hyuuga. In any case, the motivation helped him make haste to the Field Country, and he was happy to notice that his movement speed had indeed increase substantially; his training was being most fruitious. In the past, such a trip would've taken him maybe double the time. As a Chuunin, Shigure was wearing his official Hidden Leaf attire, flak jacket and all. Once he arrived at the entrance of the village, he would present his identification documents to the gate guard and the scroll with the mission signed by both the Hokage and the Lord of the Hidden Grass, and thus be granted entrance to the village. It was his first time in the Hidden Grass Village, so it was not surprising that Shigure was looking around with quite the curious look on his face. Although much smaller than the Hidden Leaf, its charm was undeniable, with its lovely looking buildings. It did feel a bit packed, but that just made it look lively. While wandering around the entrance, he was hoping to meet Koume soon, and of course, the other boy he was taking alongside them to the mission, a Genin named Kojirou. Shigure had brought them a little something he had sealed inside one of his scrolls, but now that they were about to meet, he was feeling a bit embarrassed about it, which was a first. "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." C-Rank Mission Hidden Grass Village [@yamo Honō Kojirou] [403 words]

[Honō Kojirou]

… There it was again. That heavy pinch in his stomach that brought back old wounds of the past. He was about to join a couple other shinobi on a mission today, which meant that he postponed his neck-breaking schedules back in the clan for this. Taking missions and traveling around would prove just as crucial to his development as any number of sit-ups, push-ups and hours spent under skin-burning temperatures.

Back home, the echoing sounds of clanging metals were traveling about outside. Still, in the shelter of his house walls, Kojirou prepared his equipment diligently; instead of taking the rectangular Katana Case Holder with him, he decided to carry his katana in a wooden sheath on his left hip. His Hidden Blade was strapped tightly to his left wrist, and the small armor vest protected his front torso under his red haori. The rest of his equipment were packed in a pocket above his tailbone.

If he did well on this mission, then… maybe he had gotten over the past issues of his. He dearly wanted to confirm that, though.

He felt reassured knowing that Koume, the kunoichi he met at the training grounds not so many days ago, was coming with them too. Maybe they could team up more in the future… but enough wondering! Watching the young Honō boy dash out of the clan grounds in haste was a relief to the other members outside, and it wouldn’t take long until he reached the entrance of the village.

Upon spotting a shinobi with a brown ponytail and the Konoha vest on, Kojirou slowly came to the conclusion that he must’ve been the Chūnin tasked with accompanying their little group. Out of nowhere, the young swordsman just waved over to him upon approach, his mind trying its best to just take things easy and calm down. This guy had never met him before, and Kojirou wasn’t a terrible teammate, so there were no needs to be careful or cautious…

To think that one event in the past would scar him that greatly…

"Hey there… I’m Kojirou,” he greeted softly, suddenly noticing key traits on the Chūnin’s face and posture, "Wait, the Chūnin Exams… I saw your fights there. Glad to see you passed, pal. I’m… hoping to participate in the next Exams, myself.”

Upon turning his face to each side, the young swordsman did wonder: "I wonder if Koume will participate too…”

WC: 404
@yamo Hyūga Shigure

[Deleted]

[attr="class","ig"]

[attr="class","ninety"]

[attr="class","joker"]

[attr="class","game"]

for @tagsomeonehere
notes here

[attr="class","kikan"]

"Woah!” A soft voice called out frantically within the walls of the small one bedroom box that Koume called home. "Oh no, where is it? Roku, we're going to be late!”

Oh please, don’t put the blame on me! You’re the one that took your precious time getting ready and you’re the one that lost your equipment pouch.

"I know but…” Her sentence was cut short, she remembered that after training she threw the pouch in her closet! "Yamato is going to be so mad that i'm late for this mission.” She voiced to herself as she fell to her knees and began to remove all the clothes in her closet one by one until she finally stumbled across the light brown tactical wear. Fastening the pouch just short of her lower back, she would be ready to move. "There! Alright, let’s go.” Despite being crunched for time, Koume still made sure that all of her lights were off before making her way to the front door. "I’ll be back later!” The girl’s enthusiastic voice spoke out, echoing throughout the empty home before the door slammed shut behind her. She’d sprint through the streets of Kusagakure and towards her destination.

If there was one thing that the Rokubi admired about Koume was that she was capable of keeping a good spirit, even when things weren’t exactly in her favor. He knew that she had no parents, guardians, or anyone that checked on her routinely other than Yamato and ANBU Operatives, but would they check up on her if she weren’t hosting the village's secret weapon? Probably not, and Koume was aware of this.

After a while, Koume grew closer and closer to the village’s gate, arriving just short of her genin counterpart. Taking a closer look, she could see a somewhat familiar figure standing around at the entrance. "Well…I guess I’m not late after all..I don’t think.” Her mumbled tone spoke out as she continued. "Wait..is that..”

Not this guy again.

"SHIGURE-KUN!” She yelled out from a distance, as she picked up her pace yet again, pink hair taking to the wind as she sprinted towards the chunin. The girl didn’t expect to see him of all people, honestly, once the exams ended she never thought she would see him again - at least not this soon. Koume stopped just a foot away from the Hyuga, emerald eyes widened with joy as she gave him a smile!

"They didn’t tell me you were leading the mission.” She’d look down at the outfit she was wearing, while still cute, it definitely wasn’t the best she had.

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[Hyūga Shigure]

"the hills have eyes". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN It didn't take long for the first member of his squad to show up. He was a long haired teenager, maybe fifteen or sixteen with paper earrings and a sword on his obi, just slightly shorter than Shigure. The Chuunin waved at the boy in response to his greeting and then he took a few steps towards him, so they could talk to each other. As they got closer, the boy took the initiative, introducing himself, and Shigure nodded in acknowledgement, but before he could introduce himself, the boy seemed to have recognised him from the Chuunin Exams. "Oh?" he had to admit he was a bit surprised people had noticed him, but thinking back on it he shouldn't really be surprised; Shigure performed really well on it, and although he did not win his first fight, the other two went in his favour. The Hyuuga cracked a large smile and nodded to the boy, giving him an enthusiastic thumbs-up. "I guess that means you have an idea on how I fight, that will be useful for our mission." he started. "I'm Shigure, from the Hyuuga clan. It's a pleasure to be made your acquaintance, Kojirou-kun." he added, with a short bow with his head. The boy, however, was not done, for he mentioned Koume, prompting Shigure to widen his eyes ever so slightly. "I wonder... She had to leave it before the third round..." he thought to himself. It was a shame, because the girl had a lot of potential. Of course there would be other chances, but to be completely honest, the part that saddened him the most was not having a chance to bid her farewell; he only found out she was gone once he arrived at Kagamino no Shi. "So, Koume..." he said, looking at Kojirou. Before he could continue, however, he heard that familiar voice, and expeditiously turned to its direction. His white-eyes immediately perceived the familiar pink hair moving with the wind and a genuine, almost silly smile took over his feature. His voice, before so determined to talk to Kojirou, vanished for now. Upon crossing their gaze, she shouted his name. As a reaction, his cheeks grew a hue of red, but his eyes never left the gaze of her alluring emerald orbs. "Koume-chan!" he responded, with a vibrant tone taking over his voice. For a moment, he forgot Kojirou was standing there and took a few steps towards her. As he got closer, he noticed the happiness in her eyes and that made him feel warm inside. The girl admitted she was oblivious to the fact that he would be leading the mission, and that made him chuckle. "Well then... Surprise...?" he joked, shrugging. "It's uh... Great to see you again! You are looking good!" he said. "Smooth, man..." he grimaced internally upon noticing what escaped his lips. But fortune had not abandoned him entirely, for he had something to steer the conversation away from that. "I uh... I made you a little something. I cooked it before I left the Leaf, give me a sec..." he chuckled again, opening one of the pockets on his flak jacket and grabbing a small scroll, which he promptly opened, unsealing a small container with three salmon onigiri - they were still warm thanks to the sealing technique - and he offered her. "I hope you like it." he added. "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." C-Rank Mission Hidden Grass Village [Honō Kojirou @yamo] [583 words]

[Honō Kojirou]

Kojirou did pay attention to Shigure’s fighting style back at the Chūnin Exams, most notably his keen mastery of the Gentle Fist – a highly praised and revered Taijutsu Style from the Hyūga Clan. While that was what Kojirou knew of, it was... honestly difficult to keep up with Shigure’s movements from afar. He moved at such speeds that the young swordsman wasn’t able to take in the exact forms and postures in time, creating a sort of flickering blur between Shigure’s arms and legs when he fought. That was the level of combat for those who participated in the Chūnin Exams... if Kojirou participated back then, how well would he have been doing?

It was a thought that lingered in the mind of the swordsman. He couldn’t help but compare his own skills with those around him, and he kept disappointing himself and his present level of strength as it just… wasn’t quite enough yet. What he wasn’t aware of was that comparisons internally weren’t enough to draw a conclusion by, and who knew? Maybe Kojirou’s strengths would’ve shone brighter if he actually participated for real… but for now, all he could do was speculate, wonder, sigh and prepare for when that day finally came.

"The Hyūga... as I’ve heard, your Taijutsu is amazing,” Kojirou admitted with a slight blush on his face, "My clan’s not nearly as organized when it comes to Taijutsu, but we do love our weapons more than anyone.” While he didn’t tell the name due to Kojirou’s mind being an enigma at this point, the red strands at the edges of his hair combined with his equipment clearly screamed Honō.

Speaking of Koume… well, they didn’t get to speak at all before she called out to ‘SHIGURE-KUN!’, earning a grin from Kojirou’s face as he witnessed the two interacting. He… really didn’t want to feel like a third wheel at the moment, but the world was being cruel now.

"… Oh, onigiri,” the young swordsman lit up at the view of freshly cooked, summoned trio of onigiri from Shigure’s scroll. Since there were three of them, Kojirou helped him-

… This reminded him of an event from the past. His old teammates always ate together, and with how absent Kojirou used to be, he’d end up just butting into their lunch breaks out of nowhere. They were annoyed by his sudden, uncalled arrival and never wanted to share any meals with him…

With quite some willpower, Kojirou comically backed away from the onigiri, turned his back around to hide the sudden but quick look of paranoia on his face, then took a deep breath. Remember those breathing lessons with Kizumi-sama, Kojirou.

"… S-So, yes, I’m ready for some beast-hunting. I’ll try not to get eaten, pinky promise, I swear.”

WC: 464

Hyūga Shigure @yamo

[Deleted]

[attr="class","ig"]

[attr="class","ninety"]

[attr="class","joker"]

[attr="class","game"]

for @tagsomeonehere
notes here

[attr="class","kikan"]

Koume smiled at the Hyūga’s jokiness, even bigger once he had complimented her. Something that Shigure found embarrassing only seemed to make the day even brighter for the rose haired genin. She’d simply giggle and give him a thumbs up as she replied. "I’m glad you think so!”

She had been so excited to see the Hyūga, that she practically forgot to greet her friend, Kojirou. But they always saw one another around the village, so it was only natural that the two grew used to one another’s presence, but that wasn’t an excuse in the slightest.

Before she could greet the boy however, Shigure brought up a gift that he got for her, causing her eyes to gleam with excitement as she watched. From his flak jacket, the Hyuga brought forth a small scroll and once unraveled a small container would be summoned forth. "Ahh.” She wasn’t the smartest person, but once she saw the container Koume figured it would be a bit of a sample of his cooking, something that the two had talked extensively about during the exams. "Hehe. Thank you!” The girl didn’t hesitate to accept the gift, opening the container and grabbing the first that caught her eye.

"Kojirou..” Turning to face her fellow genin, she’d notice that the boy turned around briefly.

I wonder what that’s about?

Who knows?

"Is everything alright? Want an onigiri?” Koume inquired with a smile on her face, extending the container out to the Hono. It would mean the world to her if he accepted, but she didn’t want to force him to do anything. Regardless, she’d turn her attention to Shigure, extending the container to him as well. If he didn’t accept, then Koume would simply store the container away in her pouch and ready herself for the mission to come.

"Hehe. I sure hope the monsters aren’t too creepy.”

Roku. You can take the day off, I want to do this all on my own. Okay?

Whatever you say brat, I’ll be watching.

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[Hyūga Shigure]

"the hills have eyes". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." MISSION START It wasn't like him to ignore people, Shigure was quite polite, but he was mesmerised by the pink-haired girl and he just couldn't help it. Of course he was now getting a better grip on himself and feeling a little more embarrassed for having ignored Kojirou, but he would make it up for it. On the bright side, it felt like it wasn't just Shigure who forgot about Kojirou, so noticing that made him feel a little happier, but then he also felt guilty he was feeling that way. "What's wrong with me... I shouldn't feel happy about that... But... I do..." he reprimanded himself mentally. He was eager for her to try his cooking. Modesty aside, Shigure was a very good cook and he had been practicing and polishing his skills for years. She didn't hesitate in picking up one before talking to Kojirou. Shigure turned to face the boy, who Koume inquired if he was alright, and offered one of the Onigiri. "Oh yeah! Where are my manners hahaha... Please, Kojirou-kun, grab one for yourself." he said with a firm nod before grabbing the other onigiri for himself, giving it a big bite. "Turned out pretty good!" he was mostly talking to himself, but it was loud enough so others would be able to hear easily. Now that they were all together, they were good to get this mission started. "Alright then, now that we are all here, let's take care of those beasts." he said with a high-spirited tone, chuckling lightly when Koume hoped that they would not be too creepy. "I hope not, Koume-chan, but in any case, with the three of us together we have nothing to fear." Shigure gave them both an enthusiastic thumbs-up and then - all of a sudden - the veins on his temple bulged, and his otherwise featureless white eyes gained a barely visible iris. "According to the information I have, we should be there in less than three hours. I will scout the road as we go." he added, and then he rushed out of the village, trying to keep a decent pace. He wouldn't run full speed in order to preserve his stamina and also to allow the others to keep up with him. With his Byakugan, he could see all around himself in a two kilometres range, so there was no way they could be attacked by surprise. The road to the village would be mostly uneventful, which allowed them to chat a bit, to get to know each other better, which was especially true for Kojirou, since him and Shigure had just met. "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." C-Rank Mission Using Byakugan to scan the area around the group [Honō Kojirou @yamo] [445 words]

[Honō Kojirou]

… Kojirou did want an onigiri. The reason he acted this way was because he was being pessimistic… wait, no, was that the right term? Anyway, seeing Koume treat him one of those delicious onigiri made his eyes shine, and he quickly accepted one of them. Taking a single bite flushed all the pessimism away, and his heart began to warm up to the group again. Don’t judge a book by its cover.

"Mhm… it’s so tasty,” he commented in bliss, raising his own spirits before they were about to go. Maybe things were looking brighter now… Kojirou was being mean to compare these shinobi to those from back then. It was one event, one experience, and it didn’t speak about the rest of the world. For now, he should just focus on completing their mission. Shigure’s and Koume’s relationship passed off, to the swordsman, as a result of… wait, did they both participate in the Exams back then? He knew that Shigure had, but had Koume as well?

Regardless of that, he didn’t feel jealous at all about their warmer exchange of greeting. Instead, Kojirou was getting eager to get this mission started, and once Shigure had began charging away from the gate, Kojirou nodded towards Koume in agreement and followed suit. The roads were sort of empty, but Nohara no Kumi was nonetheless a beautiful landscape. Most would tell that the broad fields of grass and vegetation were too bland, but there was a beauty in simplicity. It also lifted the atmosphere and allowed the bunch of get to know each other more.

Kojirou was from the Honō clan and took the time to inform them about Lava Release. Since that was a huge thing – these elemental Kekkei Genkai – he wanted to clarify that not all Honō clan members possessed it. This was to differentiate it from the Byakugan, which Kojirou thought was inherited by all members of the Hyūga clan. Compared to that, Lava Release was a rarity, and the clan members back home held such high expectations for Kojirou who had drawn the lucky straw upon birth. The burn marks on his forehead were dark and visible, and his entire body was covered in them, but they were badges of honor from all of his training. He was far from done with said training, though.

He had a clear goal; to fully master all of his clan’s Secret Jutsu and become its next leader, and to become a great kensei while he was at it too. The road to that goal was coated in magma, but he was resolute.

"Say, Koume... I see you hanging out with the Daimyō, so you must be training with him a lot too, right?”

WC: 454
Hyūga Shigure @yamo

[Deleted]

[attr="class","ig"]

[attr="class","ninety"]

[attr="class","joker"]

[attr="class","game"]

for @tagsomeonehere
notes here

[attr="class","kikan"]

Koume took a bite of the onigiri and fell in love. Wow! She thought to herself, emerald eyes widening as she noticed just how good of a cook Shigure was. "It’s so good!” That was to put in lightly. Despite being close to one another, Koume was genuine in her words, as if it had been bad she wouldn’t have been able to hide her distaste. Nevertheless, it would be best if they got a move on so that they didn’t fall behind schedule. The last thing Koume wanted to do was traverse through Nohara no Kuni’s land at dusk.

Despite there being a few fears, some focused on the monsters, others focused on the monster within herself - Shigure had a way of creating calm amongst everyone, which was great as he would keep Koume out of her own mind and focused more so on her confidence. She’d give him a smile as she balled up her fist in excitement.

"You’re right!”

She voiced energetically, trying to give herself another confidence boost before they headed out. According to the Hyūga it would take approximately three hours to get to their destination, which was quite awhile but nothing that the trio couldn’t handle.

"Right! LET'S GO KOJIROU!” The girl yelled out as she pointed a finger towards the sky. Shigure had gotten a bit of a head start, but it didn’t take long for Koume to catch back up to a degree. As they traveled, Kojirou would inquire about the girl’s relationship with Lord Yamato, she simply smiled and gave the boy a nod. "Sometimes, whenever we aren’t busy.” She answered. The girl still had the onigiri, so she didn’t plan on talking much while eating, but she would answer any question or speak out whenever needed.

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[Hyūga Shigure]

"the hills have eyes". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." A HOT TRAIL His heart was filled with joy when Koume said his onigiri was very good, and he knew that she meant that, her body language didn't deny it. Kojirou also liked it. "I'm so glad you guys liked it! It feels my heart with joy!" he commented, chuckling lightly as the red hue in his cheeks intensified for just a moment. He wasn't very embarrassed, but the happiness made him feel all warm inside. In any case, the food was good and all, but they had a mission to do, and with the two of them looking confident enough, he was certain it would be successful and nobody would be in real danger; he would make sure of it, no matter what it took. The two Genin were able to keep up with Shigure pretty well, and they continued their path in a triangle formation, with Shigure spearheading it and keeping his Byakugan active to make sure they were not going to be jumped by anything or anyone. While they travelled, the two Genin talked for a bit about a topic that concerned their village alone, so Shigure kept it to himself. They were allied nations, but that doesn't mean they shared everything. And he didn't want to look like he was snooping or anything. Once they got to less than 2 kilometres away to the village, Shigure would speak to them again. "I can already see the village. Hmm... It's weird, there's nobody on the streets, but I can see people inside their homes. They look afraid." he said, frowning his brows as he continued to leap from tree to tree. With his Byakugan, he scanned the place more thoroughly and that made him grit his teeth. "Dammit! Someone died... I see a half-eaten body in the middle of the street... There's a trail of blood too... It's still a bit far, but the trail is still hot... I can see the heat in the footprints, although is vanishing quickly. We need to hasten our pace." he warned the before increasing his speed, which would force the Genin to work much harder to keep up, but they couldn't afford to lose that trail. For people who weren't used to seeing the Byakugan in action, his words would've sounded so otherwordly; they were still so far from the village, and he could already see and assess so much. "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." C-Rank Mission Analyses things with the Byakugan and relay the information. Hasten the pace towards the village. [Honō Kojirou @yamo] [414 words]

[Honō Kojirou]

Maybe she had only recently begun training with the Daimyō. Still, to have that honor was a reason for respect, and she had Kojirou’s. He wanted to train under a great master too… y’know, someone who wasn’t from his clan. Spread his wings a bit more and all that… wait, Kizumi-sama was pretty rad. She was his great master, in the end. Settled.

The road towards the village was long despite only being three hours away, but Kojirou was perfectly capable of keeping up with the two others. He had intended to ask Koume about what exactly the Daimyō was teaching her, but Shigure’s notion of the village up ahead surprised him. "A-Already? That’s...” Kojirou spoke up in awe, as they hadn’t gotten anywhere visually nearer to the village yet. Shigure, with his mighty Byakugan, had already gotten a look at the village, and while Kojirou was awestruck at first, it turned to worry once he heard that someone had perished. A half-eaten corpse was likely the result of an ambush by the monsters that they were planning to hunt down...

Kojirou’s right fist was clenched a bit harder at the news. He kept quiet for now and watched Shigure up his speed, while he himself tried to follow suit. Shigure was going so fast, and it took all of Kojirou’s focus and strength to catch up – the veins on his forehead were proof of that. Still, the drive to stop these monsters and prevent any more deaths strengthened him.

"H-Hang in there, Koume! And Shigure...!” Kojirou called up to both of them, "If it comes to that point... t-then beware of my Lava Release! It can be destructive! I’m best at close-range fighting, but I may not be able to take on many at a time!” He felt the need to warn them about the chaotic properties of Lava Release, but maybe he wouldn’t need to use any of those Jutsu today... only maybe.

And given his previous training with Koume, he felt like she was more of a... mid to long-range? Honestly, she could fight in any conditions, couldn’t she?

WC: 352
Hyūga Shigure @yamo

[Deleted]

[attr="class","ig"]

[attr="class","ninety"]

[attr="class","joker"]

[attr="class","game"]

for @tagsomeonehere
notes here

[attr="class","kikan"]

If there were no further questions or topics to discuss, Koume would continue to snack on the onigiri for the majority of the journey that they were on. It was the only thing keeping her quiet for most of it all, for without it the girl may have talked them to death right there on the spot. Nevertheless, it didn’t take too long for the group to grow closer and closer to their destination, in fact they may have just been ahead of schedule - though Koume surely wasn’t keeping track. Between the back and forth banter from her and the Rokubi, as well as the many unimportant yet interesting things they saw along the way, it was safe to say that her attention was divided the entire time.

Until Shigure spoke out.

"Oh no. That’s not good.” Koume voiced with concern lingering beneath her tone. Good news was that they were somewhat close, bad news…well the bad news only seemed to get worse. A life had already been taken, they were already far too late for Koume’s liking. A pit grew in the stomach of the teen as Shigure continued to relay information to them. What followed next nearly brought the girl to a complete stop, she fell behind a bit, overcome with anxiety and uncertainty. Koume placed a hand gently over the seal worn on her stomach as a way to keep herself collected.

"There’s nothing to worry about. There’s nothing to worry about. There’s nothing to worry about.”

She mouthed these words over and over in a hushed tone, reassuring herself as well as the beast inside of her that they would be fine. Everything will be okay. Unfortunately, she would fall well behind Shigure but Kojirou was still in her line of sight, allowing for her to follow despite being a bit behind.

ℳ𝒾𝓏𝑜.☽[newclass=.joker]width: 360px; height: 140px; padding: 20px; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -moz-transition: 3s all; -webkit-transition: 3s all; -o-transition: 3s all; transition: 1s all;[/newclass][newclass=.ig:hover .joker]background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4); -moz-transition: 3s all; -webkit-transition: 3s all; -o-transition: 3s all; transition: 1s all;[/newclass][newclass=.game]letter-spacing: 2px; text-align:center; line-height: 9px; margin-top:10px;opacity:0;font:bold 10px muli; color: #ffffff; text-transform: uppercase; -webkit-transition-duration:.3s;transition-delay: .3s;transition-duration:.3s;-moz-transition-duration:.5s;[/newclass][newclass=.game a]letter-spacing: 2px; font:bold 10px muli; font-style: italic; color: #ffffff;[/newclass][newclass=.ig:hover .game]margin-top:0px;opacity:1;transition-delay: .3s; -webkit-transition-duration:.3s;transition-duration:.3s;-moz-transition-duration:.5s;[/newclass][newclass=.ninety]width:400px;height:180px;background-image:url(https://i.imgur.com/9d8i188.jpg);[/newclass]

[newclass=.kikan]width: 65px; height: 65px; border: 1px solid #e3e3e3; transform: rotate(45deg); z-index: 2; margin-top: -27px; margin-bottom: -39px; filter: grayscale(100%);-webkit-filter: grayscale(100%);-moz-filter: grayscale(100%);[/newclass][newclass=.ig:hover .kikan]filter: grayscale(0%);-webkit-filter: grayscale(0%);-moz-filter: grayscale(0%); transition: 0.6s; transition-timing-function: linear;[/newclass][googlefont=Roboto][googlefont=Open+Sans]

[Hyūga Shigure]

"the hills have eyes". "No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living." CSI Shigure nodded when Kojirou warned them of the destructive power of his Kekkei Genkai. "Don't hold back on my account, but let's try to keep the damage to the village at its minimum." he warned, for these people had already suffered enough with what was going on in their homes to have to deal with the aftermath of shinobi battle. However, one thing concerned Shigure: Koume seemed to have taken the news quite hard, and she slowed down considerably, falling behind the team. Shigure grit his teeth, not annoyed at the girl, but angered at the situation. A person had died, and they needed to make sure there would be no other casualties. "Kojirou, slow down and let Koume catch up to you. Let her know everything will be fine, I need to rush ahead and pick up this trail before the heat is gone." he asked the Honou Genin, and with that being said, he finally was able to dash at his full speed ahead, arriving at the place where the body was and kneeling beside it. "Dammit, those things have nasty teeth, and they must be quite big if they are capable of eating an adult like that..." he thought to himself as he analysed the scene. With the Byakugan, he could see not only the heat marks of the creature's foot prints, but also a lingering bit of chakra. "Fuck... This thing has chakra as well. Well... Even more pressing that we find it." the trail was quickly vanishing, meaning the creature left over fifteen to twenty minutes ago, but he could still see it, it was warmer in the distance, and it was heading towards some nearby woods, and then into a cave, the cave being too deep for him to fully see, while still focusing on using his infrared sight. Satisfied with the assessment, he would get up and put a piece of cloth he found in a stand nearby atop of the body, people didn't need to see it, they had enough pain in their hearts already. The Hyuuga clapped his hands together and gave the deceased a silent prayer, hoping his team would catch up shortly. "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." C-Rank Mission Assessing the 'crime scene', picking up the trail [Honō Kojirou @yamo] [371 words]

[Honō Kojirou]

Kojirou noticed it quickly… how Koume had begun to slow down. Was it because of the news? Maybe he should try and talk with her about it quickly. Shigure appeared to have the same idea and allowed him to let Koume catch up. The swordsman nodded, putting his trust in Shigure’s words that he would keep a grab on the hot trail before slowing down. Soon, Kojirou’s advancing form was shrouded by shrubbery passing by, and he spotted Koume once more.

Did she have a stomachache? She was grabbing onto her belly in what looked like a minor sting of worry. Soon, Kojirou was advancing across the woods right next to her as he glared at the cherry-haired kunoichi with a brow raised. "… Shigure-senpai’s catching up to the creatures right now,” he began explaining, "He’s hurt too. But we see this mission through, and the creatures will not harm a soul ever again… but we need your assistance. I know you understand.”

They needed to see this mission through. For their own sakes, and for the sakes of the surviving villagers. That was why Kojirou was still able to crack a small smile. "Everything will be fine. The villagers can’t grieve properly if the creatures are still around, so… let’s complete this mission for them.”

With that said, he did something unorthodox and grabbed her wrist with his left hand. He was intent on conveying the message to her – everything would be fine, look at how confident he was that he’d even prompt her to speed up. They had a mission to complete, and they were just the right people for the task ahead! Nothing to worry about, Koume… they’d complete the mission together, and the villagers would be able to live through their peers’ funerals.

… Maybe it was uncalled for, grabbing her wrist like that. Kojirou paid little mind to it, he just wanted to encourage her to hasten up and not lose herself in worries. He figured that was the reason for her expressions earlier, and when he was in bad spirits himself, his clansmen simply pushed him forward and showed him that he was capable of far more than he thought. He hoped that the same would work for Miss Bubblegum…

"…” It was smart of Shigure to cover the body up, for as Kojirou arrived – perhaps still holding Koume’s wrist in worry himself or not, depending on whether she got her spirits up already – he wasn’t able to see the exact damage dealt to the poor villager. "… Is it… close by?”

WC: 428
Hyūga Shigure @yamo

[Deleted]

[attr="class","ig"]

[attr="class","ninety"]

[attr="class","joker"]

[attr="class","game"]

for @tagsomeonehere
notes here

[attr="class","kikan"]

She was surprised to see Kojirou stopped in his tracks, turning back towards her. A sense of guilt and pity fell over her heart and mind, the girl’s anxiety was already through the roof now she had to worry about letting her teammates down. There’s no way Shigure could be friends with such an unreliable person such as herself. These thoughts raced through her head as Kojirou finally spoke to her, relaying the information that Shigure was catching up with the monsters as they spoke.

Koume sighed, emerald eyes averting towards the earth below them. It was imperative that they all saw the mission through and through, and that was something that the girl understood, but it didn’t change the fact that there were many factors that worried her, and if she didn’t take hold of her emotions, then those monsters would be the least of all of their worries.

Nevertheless, Kojirou continued to provide reassurance that everything would be fine, and that they had to see it through for the sake of the villagers, in which Koume simply nodded in agreement. "Y-Yeah.” She said in return, acknowledging the boy’s words of wisdom. Without much warning however, Kojirou would take the girl by the wrist and make way towards Shigure. She wasn’t that fast naturally, so keeping up was difficult, but it did manage to get her there quicker than the pace she had been traveling previously.

She stood before Shigure in the midst of prayer, the girl refused to look in the direction of the corpse, but wanted to see how Shigure handled himself in these moments. A look of wordy worn over her face as her voice spoke out softly. "I think I’m ready.” The girl explained, looking around only to see a ghost town conditioned by fear.

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