[Sora Minami]

Sora stared out at the seemingly endless expanse of water and sighed. The pink-haired Jounin had been taking on more high ranking missions as part of her ongoing penance for what had happened at the Red Keep, and today was the day one of those commitments came home to roost. With a bit of finagling, she had been selected to be part of a joint task-force between Kiri and Yuki that was meant to establish two bases across the Kaminari/Shimo no Kuni border- not military bases, but rather trading posts, places where commerce could flow to across the mainland in order to bypass the excessive fees charged by the port cities in Lightning and Shimo.

Together with Houzuki Mizuki (a familiar face, if not one she had ever been on a mission with), the two of them formed one of half of the task force that had been sent out to weed out any and all threats to the builders who would be establishing these bases. The other half was to come from Yukigakure, a Shinobi of the Nakajima clan named "Daigo” who, apparently also served in their Diplomacy corps.

We’ll see how useful he is once he gets here. Sora thought as she stared out at the endless expanse of blue before her, leaning against the Mudskipper’s starboard railing, sky-blue gaze lingering on the slowly setting sun. Mizuki was somewhere on the main deck, hopefully handling their lodging, but the Kiri Jounin had chosen to remain here for now, waiting for their Yuki counterpart to arrive. Mudskipper hadn’t yet left the port, the large wooden galleon held up by the need for all three of the task-force’s Shinobi to be present… and given how far the Yuki-nin had to travel, she had no idea when he might arrive.

"Man had better not be making us wait so he can get his hair done…"

Hōzuki Mizuki Daigo marz

[Daigo]

    Despite his position within Yuki, or more so his multiple positions, he wasn't overly concerned with relations between Kiri and Yuki as much as perhaps he should have been. If a large scale war were to break out, sure it would be great to have an ally with the strength of Kiri on their side, but otherwise he much preferred for them to keep to themselves. His beliefs in other parts of his life certainly didn't lend themselves to wanting to be overly or overtly friendly to multiple shinobi villages, but no one would have known it in most cases.

    In most cases, he certainly wouldn't have been taking on missions involving multiple villages without good reason, as he felt he had long since paid his dues for busy work. His missions tended to stay in the realm of diplomatic in nature, and in a sense this was certainly that, but it was also one with a high likelihood for combat, which was without a doubt the types of missions he would normally avoid. In some ways he was perfect for this mission, and in others he was outright the worst, but he wasn't in a position to say no without good reason when asked to help. Over the previous days he had tried finding at least one other Yuki-nin to accompany him, but none were interested or available, so he'd be slapping on his best fake smile, best strong hold hair products, and meeting with Kiri representatives alone.

    Without warning, without as much as a sound or any seeming notice of arrival, Daigo was standing right next to Sora as if he had been there this entire time.

"My hair is naturally this well-kept."

    It wasn't, but he was speaking up for dramatic effect of showing up suddenly, not to be honest about his hair. There was a wide smile spread across his face, and a soft tone, both meant to be at least minimally disarming and calming. Looking out at the water, he didn't move, or even turn to look at Sora at first, trying to orient himself being on yet another boat, and he was really getting tired of boats lately. When Daigo had arrived it was hard to say, as there were at least no visible ships entering Kiri waters for as long as Sora had seen, and unless directly asked, Daigo wasn't likely to give any explanation.

"Your hair is quite beautiful as well I must say, and with that fetching color, you must be Minami Sora."

[Hōzuki Mizuki]

As Sora leaned against the starboard railing, Mizuki acknowledged the significance of their mission. They had been chosen to form one half of the task force assigned with establishing trading posts across the Kaminari/Shimo no Kuni border, a mission that held strategic importance for both Kiri and Yuki. Mizuki held Sora in rather high regard from their training session, although they had never been on a mission together. However, the familiarity provided a sense of reassurance amidst the uncertainties of the task at hand.

While Mizuki finished handling the lodging situation their acute senses tingled with the arrival of another presence, a subtle shift in the chakra signature nearby on the Skipper. It was unmistakably Daigo, the Yuki counterpart they had been awaiting. They had appeared so quickly and without so much as a blip on the edges of Mizuki’s radar before he was already on the boat next to Sora.. With a swift acknowledgement of the new arrival, Mizuki hastened their steps onto the deck of the Mudskipper.

As if summoned by their thoughts, Daigo materialized beside Sora, his sudden presence bringing a momentary pause to the scene. Even from a distance his thick charismatic demeanor was evident even from a distance and his well-timed entrance added a touch of levity to the atmosphere, easing the tension that had lingered in the air.

Having just concluded the arrangements for their lodging, Mizuki's focus was now entirely on the task at hand. The mission ahead loomed large, its significance underscored by the collaborative efforts of Kiri and Yuki. With Daigo's arrival, the task force would be complete, and Mizuki's anticipation surged as they awaited his appearance.

With their ally’s arrival though Mizuki would finish up their business and board the Mudskipper with incredibly swift footfalls that resonated against the wooden planks as they ran back to join Sora, who had been patiently waiting by the starboard railing. The hues of the setting sun cast a warm glow over the port and the ship, lending an air of anticipation to the moment.

With a slight wave as they boarded, Mizuki called out with a greeting as they approached the pair already on the boat. "Hey! I’m sorry it took so long, I was just finishing things up. Hopefully I’m not interrupting you two love birds," Mizuki spoke warmly with a smile, and bowed a little bit before finally addressing Daigo, "It’s nice to meet you by the way, I’m Mizuki.”


Sora Minami Daigo marz

[marz]

With introductions out of the way, the graying captain of the Mudskipper wastes no time in pulling the ship out of the marina to set off on toward their first destination. The trip would be no less than a few hours one way, and for the time being all they had to worry about was the open sea and the threat of rogue pirates and their insufferable king.

For now, things are going relatively smoothly. The further from land they sail, the lower the clouds hang. Eventually, only fifty minutes into the endeavor, a fog suffocatingly thick has taken over the horizon. With their destination mapped out by a seasoned sailor, they weren't going to lose trajectory, but their pace slows down just a bit. If they'd pester the old man about it, he'd only grunt and grumble at them.

Because of the fog, threats would not be immediately visible. Heading northwest, an hour and a half later, the ship would be sailing between a scattered cluster of islands. Any of these islands could be enemy territory belonging the pirate king or other naydowellers, so keeping a lookout would be pertinent. Danger could be lurking around any cloud.

[Sora Minami]

Sora did not react to Daigo’s appearance, not literally. To react would mean to think, to process the information her senses gave her and, even if only for the briefest of moments, try to determine the best choice in order to get the results she wanted. No, the pink-haired Jounin was far beyond reacting when the Yuki-nin made his presence known. She moved without thought, his appearance too sudden to be anything but a threat, her body twisting as he spoke, chakra flaring from her fingertips as she pivoted on one foot, thrusting a rapidly blooming Finger Blade directly at his face, the storm in her chest pulsing with anticipation…

Only to freeze, her will slamming the cage in her mind closed before she could do something ,the tip of her chakra blade quivering less than a millimeter in front of the Nakajima’s right eye. He hadn’t even finished his sentence, but in the span of a single blink, she pivoted, got in close, and nearly killed him. Would have, had she not caught herself. Wonderful first impression.

"You shouldn’t sneak up on women like that, Nakajima-san." The pink-haired Jounin said after a moment, dispersing her jutsu and lowering her arm as she glanced towards Mizuki, noting the Houzuki was headed this way. The man’s compliment, if it was even a serious one, went wholly ignored; instead, she looked him over, sky-blue gaze cataloging his physique and demeanor, noting how he stood (confident and brash, chest puffed out to accentuate what muscles he had) and, most importantly, how he moved. He hadn’t blinked when her blade had come for his face, which was a plus, but that only went so far. "Particularly not this one."

Sora turned her attention to Mizuki then, her face flat with an unimpressed expression, lips pursed in a thin line that had her looking far more severe than she normally would have. "You’re just in time, Mizuki. Nakajima-san was merely enlightening me on what he’ll be bringing to the table to help us achieve our objective."

And with that, the Kiri Jounin yielded the floor to Daigo, her gaze lingering on his eye for just a moment, wondering how he might have reacted had she been even a fraction of a second slower… or faster, given the situation. Still, she hadn’t done anything- and given her track record with high stakes missions, that was a good thing. So the Kiri woman listened, watching the horizon as the sailed, looking out for any hint of danger- though she would likely have to rely on Mizuki’s sensory capabilities more than her own eyesight, given the weather.

Daigo Hōzuki Mizuki marz

Jutsu/SA's/Equipment Used

SPOILER: Click to show

Jutsu:
NAME: Tōken Yubi [Sword Fingers]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Low (On use), Very Low (Continuous)
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu
ELEMENT: Non Elemental
HANDSEALS: None
REQUIREMENT: Secondary Bukijutsu Specilization or better
DESCRIPTION: This is a simple technique that does not have any preparation time in the form of handselas and can be used quickly, allowing it to be used as a surprise technique to attack someone or combine with another technique. What the user does is put his index and middle finger together and coat them in chakra, which they form into a short blade like shape. With these 'blade fingers' or more commonly called 'sword fingers' they can attack like they have a short weapon in hand that due to the chakra coating has a strong cutting and piercing ability. Of course this will only work to varying degrees, if the opponent is wearing a strong armor or blocking with a weapon, the user might injure their fingers instead. To keep a stable blade form, the chakra coating can only be up to 15cm long. (6 inches)

The stronger point of this technique is that the user can use this 'sword' they create to act as their weapon, which enables them to use Bukijutsu that require a sword but no chakra usage. That bukijutsu's effectiveness is one tier lower and as such weaker and halved in range if above a C-Rank. This Jutsu is famous for being a popular way swordsmen gauge each other's strength, but also a way to humiliate someone who's weaker than oneself, by allowing the user to not need to draw their sword. Assassins also use this as s silent killing method sometimes.
Special Abilities:
The Kunoichi That Goes On And On And On… [Endurance SA]
Perhaps part of her genetics or simply a random quirk of fate, Sora is unnaturally resilient, be it to physical pain or the toils of extended combat. While most Shinobi would collapse in exhaustion at having used all but the smallest sliver of their chakra reserves, she pushes on; while most Shinobi would wilt beneath the weight of sleepless night after sleepless night, she keeps going. This does not mean she does not feel pain/the strain of extended combat, but rather that her threshold for shutting down because of it is far higher than others. To give an example, if she were to be stabbed through her abdomen, she would still feel the pain of the injury, and it would hinder her ability to move/act, but it wouldn’t stop her, whereas a normal ninja might freeze up or shut down from the pain.

Bet You Didn’t See That Coming [Speed SA]
A byproduct of her enhanced endurance, Sora (despite what many would think) dislikes being injured- and with that dislike comes the intense desire to avoid getting hurt, a desire that has pushed her to hone her body until it could move faster than most others of her rank. In short, Sora is fast- very, very fast.

POWAH! UNLIMITED POWAH!! [Chakra Reserves SA]
After a lifetime of utilizing nearly every ounce of chakra in her body just to survive, Sora’s chakra reserves have expanded a considerable amount to compensate- while she’s no Jinchuuriki, her ability to toss out jutsu after jutsu and still have enough chakra to keep going is quite remarkable, a testament to just how much of the stuff she actually has.

I Am Not Left-Handed [Kenjutsu Mastery SA]
Sora is not merely a Kenjutsu specialist- she is a master when it comes to the art of the sword; after over two decades of training, her skills are unrivaled within Kirigakure, falling short only to the Seven Swordsman themselves… some of them, anyway. This mastery allows her a distinct advantage when fighting other Bukijutsu specialists of similar or lesser rank.

If You Try For Speed, You Do Not Achieve Speed [Bukijutsu Speed SA]
Beyond being a master of Kenjutsu, Sora has practiced for decades to become the faster swordswoman she can be. As such, her Kenjutsu techniques come out faster and move quicker than those performed by others of her rank.

Equipment: Samidare | Spring Rain Blade (Drawn)
SA’s
Unbreakable
Whatever metal and forging process was used in the creation of Samidare, it worked; Samidare is utterly unbreakable by most any means, capable of being engulfed in an S-Rank Jutsu and remaining unscathed. Though it is possible that the blade could potentially be broken by a sufficiently powerful attack (such as, say, a Bijuu-dama), this has never been tested, so it is not known if it would survive.

Sharper Than Your Average Blade
Due to its nature as an unbreakable blade, Samidare bears a cutting edge that is of particular note, which allows it to slice through even steel with little in the way of resistance, so long as the proper force is applied. Additionally, this edge never needs to be resharpened, as it never grows dull or rolls, thus making it perfect for frontline combat.

Light as Spring Rain
Perhaps a quirk of its forging (or perhaps an intentional feature), Samidare is considerably lighter than a blade its size and length ought to be; while this would normally result in a less effective weapon, Samidare loses none of its integrity or cutting power, as it is somehow able to leverage the same amount of force through less mass. This lightness allows the user to swing the weapon about with much greater speed for the same amount of physical exertion.

Chakra Conduction
Being Chakra Conductive, Samidare is capable of channeling all types of Chakra for use in Bukijustu, and, more particularly, it has a slight affinity for Raiton chakra thanks to Sora’s constant use of the blade for that purpose. This affinity does not do anything of real note, but it does feel as if the blade were more eager to drink in Raiton Chakra than other types.

[Daigo]

    This woman next to him seemed to almost ignore him for a woman, then with a movement far quicker than he realized turned and seemed as if she would strike. Given the distance between them, at his best he wasn't fast enough to physically stop her attack, but had she connected, neither of them would have been having a particularly good time of things. As her fingers stopped short of his face, he has finally had the chance to at least react in a way that would share the discomfort, as his fingertips on his right hand were glowing brightly with burning green fire. Assuming he's been taking the attack, he focused on his hand, thankfully stopping just short of her stomach, not quite burning her clothing but the heat was obvious all the same. An inch or so closer and she would have been having an immense amount of trouble controlling her chakra for the foreseeable future.

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Gogyou Fuuin - [Five Elements Seal]
RANK: A
CHAKRA USAGE: Medium
CLASSIFICATION: Fūinjutsu
ELEMENT: N/a
DESCRIPTION:

The user forms an elemental seal on each of his fingers, one for each of the following five "elements": water, metal, earth, fire and wood. The odd numbered seal is used to disrupt the spiral core of one's chakra circulatory system, essentially embargoing the release and control of chakra in a shinobi's entire network. For shinobi of high chakra control, this limits their ability to wield the chakra as expertly as before, while those who lack such refined control seemingly have no way to even wield the energy outside of burst-like techniques such as Kage Bunshin.

    Despite how close her finger was to his eye, he never even as much as blinked as he had been looking down at his own hand, finally looking up to her with a much more serious look on his face. Slowly the smile returned and his shoulders relaxed, as he pulled his hand back with the clear glowing seal signs on each finger, starting to fade away.

"You shouldn't be so unaware of your surroundings."

    Shaking his hand the fire went out completely as he dusted his hands off, but didn't move any further from her than he had stood. Her reaction certainly wasn't doing anything to change his view on how quick to violence Kiri shinobi were, and it made him wonder if she was trying to prove a point, or if she was in fact just that unobservant. He wasn't a fan of either path, and let it slide from his mind all the same for now, but took note to keep a much better eye on her. With the smile fully returned to his face, he gave a wave towards Mizuki as if nothing had happened at all, even the slightest of bows.

"Nice to meet you. I'm sure you're aware of my name, but all the same, introductions; I'm Nakajima Daigo. You must be Hōzuki Mizuki. What I'll be bringing, well me of course. I'm not terribly fond of swinging around sticks, so I'll make sure to stay out of your way."

    His voice temporarily raised in a cheerful tone as his smile widened so much his eyes nearly shut in response.

[Hōzuki Mizuki]

Mizuki's approach to the deck of the ship was swift yet composed, their footsteps echoing against the wooden planks as they made their way toward Sora and the sudden arrival of Daigo. The subtle shift in the atmosphere did not escape Mizuki's notice, their senses finely attuned to the energy surrounding them.

As they drew nearer, Mizuki observed the scene unfolding before them with a sense of measured curiosity. Sora's reaction to Daigo's sudden appearance was palpable, her chakra flaring with a precision that spoke volumes of her combat prowess. The tension hung in the air, a silent reminder of the stakes inherent in their mission.

Sora's terse acknowledgment of Daigo's presence showed a guarded wariness, her scrutiny revealing a depth of caution that Mizuki understood all too well. The delicate balance between vigilance and restraint defined the delicate dance of the shinobi, it was important to be wary of a sudden new presence; however, your allies were often just as stealthy as your enemies usually, so you needed to be capable of stopping yourself from cutting down an ally on accident.

Once the tension slowly faded the young special jounin would let out a sigh of relief, Mizuki approached and greeted the Yuki-nin with an air of congeniality, their demeanor calm and welcoming despite the undercurrent of tension that lingered. Daigo's cheerful introduction and disarming smile helped alleviate the tension of the situation as well.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Nakajima Daigo-san, and sorry about the cold welcome," Mizuki responded with an apologetic bow, their tone warm and respectful as they confirmed the man’s suspicions of their identity.

Mizuki's gaze shifted between Sora and Daigo once more, their expression reflective of the situation as another sigh would escape their lips. For the time being they'd simply try to explain their role in an attempt to cut through the tension, "Your chakra is a bit dense so I’ll do my best to provide a large sensory net to make sure people don’t sneak up on us, but if anyone gets close it’ll probably be on you guys’ to keep track of them. I'll do my best to provide support once the enemy is close.”

With their task force now assembled, they stood poised to confront whatever trials lay ahead, united in purpose and resolve. As the Mudskipper sailed through the fog, Mizuki cast out their chakra sensory to its maximum range and remained keenly attuned to the subtle currents of chakra that ebbed and flowed around them, if a chakra signature got within 2km they would be the first to know.

Sora Minami Daigo marz

[marz]

The fog is dense and threat might be lurking just outside their reach, but nothing out of the ordinary indicates this. It's nearly two hours into the ride that they come between those clustered islands, the possibility of danger rising slowly but surely. The thick fog makes it hard to even see these glimpses of land, but nothing seems out of line for now.

The water that they can see stretched out beneath the foggy horizon is murky and black, lapping at the hull in hungry waves. The sun burns somewhere overhead, considerably weakened by the thick clouds surrounding them and not at all strong enough to warm them against the bitter winter air. Because they are miles away from these impossible to see glimpses of land, Mizuki would not be able to pick up the chakra signals of anyone who might be adorning land. Nor would they sense anything within the closest two kilometers.

Currently, it seems all is well; as if the trio has some time to talk, to plan, to strategize - or to simply be quiet on their journey. The cruise has hours to tick by, and not much else they can do in the mean time.

[Sora Minami]

Tch. Prick. Sora thought as the Yuki-nin spat his retort back just before Mizuki returned, leaving the effeminate man to his jabs as she turned her attention to her comrade, noting their slightly apologetic tone and mannerism. She knew, at least from the outside, that the situation did not cast her in a favorable light- she had been the first to attack, after all, and that was rarely a good thing when it came to dealing with allies. Fortunately, however, the man backed off, his hand retreating almost at the same time hers did, the heat emanating from it fading as they both looked to the Houzuki.

"As long as you can keep us abreast of any incoming chakra signatures before they get too close, we should be fine." The woman said, her voice flat but noticeably less hostile as she looked at her fellow Kiri-nin, gesturing to him with her thumb. "I’ve a few decent ranged attacks, but we’ll likely be relying on pretty boy over there to handle the bulk of our distance fighting while we close with an enemy ship."

She paused then, giving the other two a moment to process and reply to what she said before continuing, her gaze shifting towards Daigo, voice still holding that flat, almost bored tone- although with a notable edge to it that had not been there when addressing Mizuki. "You can handle that without setting us all on fire, right?"

Daigo Hōzuki Mizuki marz

[Daigo]

    Unless whatever they were walking into was a mess of massive proportions, he wasn't too worried about who could do what in truth, as he had been neck deep in far worse situations than this by himself. If he had to guess, one or both of these Kiri shinobi could handle this alone, but he was on the boat and it was already moving, so it was far past worrying about that much at the very least. Unbeknownst to either of the others however, he wasn't planning on any sort of fighting, long range or otherwise, unless his hand was quite frankly forced. A barrier here, a seal there, and a word whispered in the right ear and he was confident this wouldn't be anything close to expectations, but in his mind these Kiri-nin were more often than not looking for a fight than a proper problem to solve.

    His eyes slowly turned to the water, then back to Mizuki again, the smile turning back to something of a natural grin before responding.

"I'm from Yuki, all of our welcomes are cold."

    Watching her with a partially open-mouthed smile, he watched for a response to his purposefully bad joke, before turning around again and looking out towards their direction. Nothing but water, and if you've seen one drop you've seen most, so it was far from an interesting view.

"I find my chakra being an issue for the sensory types often unfortunately. Apologies for that, truly. One moment."

    Quickly raising his hands and creating three handseals, his chakra signature near disappeared in an instant. It would take a very specific and pin point level of concentration to even feel that his chakra signature even existed. It took a bit of concentration, but it was certainly better than the wave of distraction coming off of him otherwise.

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Chakura Yokusei [Chakra Suppression]
RANK: B
CHAKRA USAGE: Medium-High [Very Low to maintain]
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu
ELEMENT: -
HANDSEALS: 3
DESCRIPTION:

Through utilization of exquisite Chakra Control, the shinobi is able to suppress their own chakra to varying degrees. This control is measured in terms of effort rather than that of exuding further chakra to accomplish. Whether to only slightly shield their full power or to get their signature to that of a minuscule (near non existent) level, this technique allows them to suppress chakra and fool those utilizing typical passive sensory abilities. While in use, a shinobi is unable to mold chakra for any other abilities or jutsu.

"There, how's that?"

    After a moment of silence, he turned to look towards Sora once more, a mostly emotionless face, as he sighed and looked out over the water over making eye contact.

"I'm not sure how your shinobi in Kiri are trained, but in Yuki we are taught to control our power and fight only when necessary. My flames only go where I intended them to go when I intend them to."

    His slightly look towards her made it clear what he meant, and wasn't making any attempts to hide the fact. As much as he was a representative of Yuki, he had no care to placate someone so quick to violence with the need to constantly make cutting comments. He had no patience for it and in his mind no need to charm them any more than his minimal attempt that fell flat. He had a mission to complete, and that was all.

"If you hold your sword as poorly and impatiently as your tongue, then it's not my fire that's the focus of concern."

[Hōzuki Mizuki]

Mizuki observed the tense exchange between Sora and Daigo with a growing sense of concern. The atmosphere crackled with unspoken animosity, especially considering Sora's known prickly demeanor. It was a difficult situation, Mizuki had never been on a mission with either of these two, so it was difficult to tell whether Daigo was the type to work better with someone that’s antagonistic or whether it’d be better to try and defuse the situation.

Turning towards Daigo after he offered and suppressed his chakra, Mizuki's expression softened into a genuine smile of gratitude. "That’s perfect, Daigo-san. That’ll make it a lot easier for me to coordinate and maintain awareness of my surroundings. Thank you for that."

As their two teammates both continued to bicker, a bit like children, Mizuki’s eyes would shift between them trying to determine the correct action. Addressing both Sora and Daigo was probably the more correct action given the tension, so Mizuki would sigh before adopting a bit of a pleading tone. "I know you guys didn’t get off on the right foot, but we’re all working on the same team for now and allies. Can’t we at least try to get along."

This was Mizuki’s second big mission as a Special Jounin. They had been getting placed on more and more important missions nowadays and they were a bit overwhelmed during the last mission where there were like 13 trained shinobi opposing them in a single mission. Despite the initial tension, Mizuki was a little stressed in their own way and trying to foster a sense of camaraderie among their team before they ran into opposition.

She’d let out a bit of a sigh before four bubbles would peel from her body, and slowly take the shape of Mizuki before solidifying into clones. It might catch Sora and Daigo by surprise since the Bubble clone jutsu didn’t require any hand seals, so Mizuki would explain the intent, "I’m just gonna hide a few clones in the water around the ship. They’ll let me know if anything pops up on their radar and they can help us fight if it comes to that.”

Once the brief explanation was done, the clones would one-by-one drop into the water and take their cardinal positions around the boat and focus their chakra sensory out as far as possible. If any of them sensed anything using their sensory capabilities they would essentially alert Mizuki of the general direction the enemy was coming from a bit in advance.


Sora Minami Daigo marz

SPOILER: Click to show

Chakra Sensory
Fostering their chakra control naturally led to Mizuki discovering they had a talent for Chakra Sensory, opening up the possibility of sensing objects and living creatures without the aid of their five main senses. At the moment, in the heat of combat Mizuki can passively sense up to approximately 400 meters; and in the event that a shinobi leaves that range they can concentrate in order to increase that range to 2 kilometers. This sensory ability allows them to easily locate and attack shinobi that are trapped within the haze of their Kirigakure no Jutsu.

Note: The clones are sensing out 2km, but since they are a bit to the north, south, east, and west of Mizuki the effective range is potentially 2.4km in each direction.


NAME: Mizufūsen Bunshin [Water Balloon Clone]
RANK: B
CHAKRA USAGE: Low
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [General]
ELEMENT: Suiton
HANDSEALS: --
REQUIREMENTS: High Chakra Control
DESCRIPTION:

A clone that is created by using the Hydrification Hijutsu of the Hozuki to alter the user's own cells into water. The clones can be as simple in function as a vaguely human shaped bubble for use in the Body Replacement Technique or a completely mobile and sentient clone capable of utilizing any jutsu in the users repertoire. the clones themselves have the ability to travel far from the user and are able to communicate with the original.

Moreover, since the clone has the ability to merge with any existing water source, it is also great for reconnaissance missions. By directly touching the clone with their hand, the user can either absorb the clone back into their body or change the shape of the clone.

Unlike other clone techniques, the Water Balloon Clone doesn't disappear when hit and takes the damage to a certain degree. This makes it the perfect clone technique that makes it nearly impossible to see through. However, the clones are inhibited by the actions of the user, so if they are preoccupied with other tasks the clones will not be able to act to their full potential.

[marz]

It would seem some inner conflict was already turning the tides. The waves are angry, rocking their ship. The captain grumbles, says something a bit louder than that to warn them about keeping their heads on straight. Mudskipper evens out, continues its journey. Mizuki's clones beneath the surface of the sea would find that the depths are plain, endless without any light. Darkness gapes like a yawning mouth beneath their feet, ready to swallow the collective whole.

Soon, Daigo and Sora would find their polar ideals coming to a head, a situation to weigh between them just over the horizon. Mizuki's right-most clone to the northeast would sense it first; a grouping of twelve chakra signals, all generally weaker in comparison to the party at hand. About a mile and a half ahead, this crowd approaches rather slowly, but on a much bigger ship. Although their pace is a meander, almost friendly, Mizuki would be able to sense their man-made weapons, namely the cannons they're loading beneath the deck. Three windows dot each flank of their craft, open to reveal the o-shaped mouth of each fat mortar.

This slow approach would be met by the Mudskipper and its haul none too long, but there's a moment to think beforehand.

[Sora Minami]

Sora let loose a long, low sigh at Daigo’s retort, closing her eyes as she bit back a response. She knew Mizuki was right, knew the best course of action was to hold her tongue and simply work together to get the job done- but there was a part of her, that raging tempest she kept in check every day, that was screaming for the Yuki-nin’s blood. Every instinct in her body was telling her he was dangerous, and not just in the conventional way- there was something wrong with Daigo, something deep and dark that set her otherwise dormant senses off. But she held them back, ignoring the warnings and the urge to cut his pretty head clean off, and simply nodded once, walking away before she said anything more.

So it was that the time passed slowly, with a good bit of time dwindling away without incident; it wasn’t until one of the scouts spotted a ship on the horizon, meandering towards them at a pace that was just a hair too insistent to be friendly, that the pink-haired Jounin so much as spoke again, her focus on Mizuki and their clones. "Looks like you’re up, Mizuki. Are the friendly?"

Hōzuki Mizuki Daigo marz

[Daigo]

    Unless Sora had made further attempts to attack him, his attention fell away from her near completely, looking out over the water for any signs of anything really. Mentally he was preparing himself for what they might come across and how best to deal with it, and making sure to calm himself so when he inevitably dropped this jutsu it wouldn't interfere with the sensing of his temporary teammates. Being on a boat, waiting for something to happen or for land to appear on the horizon, all of this was something he hated but was getting used to more and more as he was spending time going between Yuki and all these other nations. He couldn't understand how Seika spent so much of her time on the water as she did. In truth he hated this down time, this staring at nothing but water and fish.

    He could hear a bit of the commotion before it was officially relayed, then a comment from Sora and finally something was coming into view. Unlike this Mizuki, he had no sensory abilities, likely Sora didn't either if they were relying on just this one person, but all they could continue to do was wait. Unless there was a ship filled with skilled shinobi, he wasn't too concerned in truth, and if he had it his way he'd simply walk across the seas to the other ship, sink it, and go about their business. Maybe it wasn't a threat at all, as not every pirate attacked ships at random, but given their goal, it wasn't impossible they were in waters they weren't exactly welcomed in.

    Turning to look at Mizuki, he waited for a word, keeping his chakra suppressed for as long as he could, for now.

"Let me know when there's a threat. I can't cast jutsu while holding this suppression technique."
    

[Hōzuki Mizuki]

Mizuki observed the interplay between Sora and Daigo with a mixture of concern and understanding. The tension between them simmered just beneath the surface, threatening to boil over at any moment. Yet, despite the underlying animosity, Mizuki remained focused on the task at hand, their senses attuned to the subtle shifts in the environment.

As the Mudskipper continued its journey through the tumultuous seas, Mizuki's clones beneath the surface diligently scoured the depths for any signs of danger. The darkness below loomed ominously, a stark reminder of the perils that lurked beneath the waves.

Then, a disturbance on the horizon caught their attention—a ship approaching with deliberate intent, its chakra signatures faint but unmistakably present. Mizuki's right-most clone detected the gathering of chakra signals, a dozen in total, emanating from the vessel. The slow pace of the approaching ship belied its ominous cargo—loaded cannons poised to unleash devastation upon any who dared to oppose it.

Sora's voice cut through the tension, drawing Mizuki's focus back to the present. With a nod of acknowledgment, Mizuki turned their attention to the incoming vessel, assessing the situation with a keen eye. The question lingered in the air—were they friend or foe?

"From what I can tell, it seems like they are loading large weapons below deck, and there are about 12 small chakra signatures that i can sense," Mizuki replied to Daigo and Sora, their voice calm as they relayed the information. "I can reposition my clones and have them intercept the projectiles that might hit the boat, but that’s about it. I don’t particularly have any great techniques to stop cannon fire."

Mizuki would start to move two of the clones over to help the clone that was stationed towards the boat. This would allow them to potentially come out of the water and try to stop any weapon fire before it hit the boat that they were standing on.



Sora Minami Daigo marz

SPOILER: Click to show

Chakra Sensory
Fostering their chakra control naturally led to Mizuki discovering they had a talent for Chakra Sensory, opening up the possibility of sensing objects and living creatures without the aid of their five main senses. At the moment, in the heat of combat Mizuki can passively sense up to approximately 400 meters; and in the event that a shinobi leaves that range they can concentrate in order to increase that range to 2 kilometers. This sensory ability allows them to easily locate and attack shinobi that are trapped within the haze of their Kirigakure no Jutsu.

Note: The clones are sensing out 2km, but since they are a bit to the north, south, east, and west of Mizuki the effective range is potentially 2.4km in each direction.


NAME: Mizufūsen Bunshin [Water Balloon Clone]
RANK: B
CHAKRA USAGE: Low
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [General]
ELEMENT: Suiton
HANDSEALS: --
REQUIREMENTS: High Chakra Control
DESCRIPTION:

A clone that is created by using the Hydrification Hijutsu of the Hozuki to alter the user's own cells into water. The clones can be as simple in function as a vaguely human shaped bubble for use in the Body Replacement Technique or a completely mobile and sentient clone capable of utilizing any jutsu in the users repertoire. the clones themselves have the ability to travel far from the user and are able to communicate with the original.

Moreover, since the clone has the ability to merge with any existing water source, it is also great for reconnaissance missions. By directly touching the clone with their hand, the user can either absorb the clone back into their body or change the shape of the clone.

Unlike other clone techniques, the Water Balloon Clone doesn't disappear when hit and takes the damage to a certain degree. This makes it the perfect clone technique that makes it nearly impossible to see through. However, the clones are inhibited by the actions of the user, so if they are preoccupied with other tasks the clones will not be able to act to their full potential.