[Warai Ameko]

She’d been expecting a degree of stealth, truthfully. Ameko wasn’t sure why’d she’d expected as much, it certainly didn’t seem Senshi’s style, but she and Risuki had scaled the walls and taken out the lookouts. It stood to reason the youngest of their number would use a similar approach. She did not. Screaming and fighting erupted almost immediately, and Ameko’s widened. Both in surprise, and in anticipation. There was no hiding now. Whistling deeply, she barked the order, revealing her position to the remainder of the base, "Kill!” Yuki and Kori streamed in after Senshi, joining the fray with fang and with claw. Following Risuki’s lead, Ameko leapt over the parapet, albeit in a less dramatic fashion. Her own feet touched the wall, and she ran down with all the elegance her body would allow her. Which was to say very little, hands and feet alike made contact with the stone. Not for long, however, for an unfortunate bandit had ventured too close to her position, allowing her to leap upon his back and force him to the ground with another of the techniques she’d learned from Arashi. Claw like hands dug into his flesh, leaving him yelping and wounded. Bloodlust overtook Ameko’s senses, although she stopped herself before the whimpering form below her lost his life. The same could not be said for the unfortunate souls who Yuki and Kori had jumped on. The base had erupted into violence quickly, Risuki and her pelt having left more than a few broken jaws in their wake. But it was the man clutching at a bleeding crotch near Senshi that left Ameko wincing more than the death or bite marks. Eerie silence settled over the garrison building in the wake of the massacre, for that was what it was, only the groans of the injured filling the air. Flicking blood from her hands, Ameko quirked a perfectly innocent expression to her teammates, the hint of a sadistic smile touching her cheeks, "Well, no way the other didn’t hear that. Let’s get moving!” A hideous giggle left her chest as adrenaline coursed through her.

Kyokujitsu Senshi Karamatta Risuki Jutsu Used SPOILER: Click to show NAME: Inu no ikari [Wrath of Dog] RANK: D CHAKRA USAGE: Low CLASSIFICATION: Taijutsu ELEMENT: N/A DESCRIPTION: A technique that is meant to overwhelm a target, Wraith of Dog is a take-down attack that involves the user lunging towards their opponent and striking against them as a means to bring them down to the ground. Using a mixture of swift slashes, they strike at the face in a beat-down fashion, keeping their arm pinned with their knees, while attempting to assert their dominance or cause the target to submit into a defensive position. NAME: Kinobori no Waza [Act of Tree Climbing] RANK: D CHAKRA USAGE: Very Low [Continuous] CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [General] ELEMENT: None DESCRIPTION: An advanced genin level technique, it serves as a means to both enhance chakra control when mastered as well as a means to change one's advantages on the battlefield. By applying chakra to the soles of the feet, the shinobi gains the ability to walk and stand on vertical surfaces or even upside down.

[Kyokujitsu Senshi]

Senshi was still kind of digesting the fact that she'd killed a man. Granted, he was trying to kill her first. She honestly just kind of panicked, and when she did turn and run, blowing up her kunai and the people that went to help? She was kind of glad that she didn't have to see it, though she did hear several cries. Groans afterwards from those that were caught in the blast, but didn't have the fortune of dying from it. To those that did get close enough to chase her? Senshi found herself turning to see her hyena friends charge forth into the fold.

Skidding to a stop, she turns, and with it, her eyes shake for a moment, as she heads back into the fight. Senshi'd never killed someone before. Immediately, she finds herself dodging swiftly to the side as a spear thrusts for her head, the blade narrowly missing her frame, before the length swings for the side, looking to catch her neck with the serrated edge. With her hands, she forms a cross like motion, intercepting the shaft as she swerves and grasps the edge, the bandit looking to wrench their blade back and slide at her hands and wrists. Clenching firmly and digging her heels into the sand, it was only when Yuki and Kori leaped atop the bandit to maul him did he let go, as Senshi gasps, feeling real killing intent on this field.

The battle seems to rage, and with it, as the remaining bandits rush out from the fort in a rage, Senshi finds herself oblivious for a moment as one of the archers in the nearby doorway fires. As Senshi just finishes off fighting one of her opponents. Kicking a man in the balls. She can hear the twang of the bow, and as she turns, she can see an arrow whirring towards her. Her eye widens, and instinctively, she swings out with her arm, and it hits true. Sinking deep into it, and she swerves it outwards, as her arm twists, and the arrow sinks through the other end. A move that required quick thinking lest it sink and pin into her chest and through her heart. It was probably the first time she'd felt such pain. It wasn't anything like the academy.

Probably the first time they'd heard a scream as shrill. She cries out into the air, and whatever composure there was fell in that moment as she fell down onto her knees, shaking as the archer closest to Ameko immediately takes out another arrow. Her hand dropping to caress her opposite shoulder, with tears spilling out. It hurt! It hurt!

[Karamatta Risuki]

Risuki and Ameko's battle seems to be going well enough, until nearly all of the bandits are taken care of, but then she hears a stomach-churning sound, followed by one that makes the redhead nearly panic. First was a twanging, followed almost immediately by a shrill scream of dreadful pain, and she turns her head rapidly to see that Senshi now has an arrow through her hand. She gestures towards where she'd heard the twanging sound come from, suggesting Ameko take care of the vagabond that had just hurt their teammate. The hyenas, she knew, would do a much more appropriate job, judging by the cruelty of those wild animals that even the Warai clan could not fully domesticate.

Meanwhile, Risuki is rapidly moving to Ameko, backed up by her companion Sota, who takes up a guard position between Risuki herself and the archer, while Risuki moves her body in front of Senshi's own in order for both of them to shield the blonde girl who had been joyfully laughing only an hour before. Risuki doesn't really have time for anything but basic first aid, but all she knows is that the arrow has to stay for now, that medics had been quite cross with her when she'd removed a sharpened stick from someone who had been stabbed during training. She's also having a bit of a flashback to Sota's death at the hands of a bear, and she's not entirely thinking clearly. For now, she decides that it's time to abandon the mission to Ameko for clean-up duty while she carries Senshi to Sunagakure, where there should be plenty of medics that can help her with her hand.

She uses her strength to easily lift Senshi in her arms, cradling her like a child as she rushes from the barracks towards Sunagakure, calling out behind herself for Ameko.

"Complete the mission, Ameko! I'm getting Senshi outta here!"

[Warai Ameko]

The giggle that had been upon Ameko’s lips died when Senshi screamed. Despite the violence, despite the bloodshed, Ameko had been enjoying herself. Part of that, most likely, had been born out of her youthful sense of immortality. Sure, the occasional scratch or wound would be suffered, but she’d never truly considered that she and her teammates could be injured, could die. They were shinobi, after all, what were but a few bandits? Senshi being injured changed that. The blood-curdling scream set Ameko on edge, her hackles raising as she rose from her position on the downed man. The world seemed to move in slow motion, Risuki and her undead companion moved to protect the youngest of their number, covering her downed form with her own. Ameko watched her move, feeling useless as the redhead protected the blonde with her own body, cradling her and rushing her away from the danger. That same lulled sense of time continued as Risuki called back, an order to finish the mission. Ameko stared for a moment, before nodding, turning her attention back to the remaining bandits. It seemed the remnants of the garrison, as well as reinforcements from the other two buildings had sallied forth in order to meet the threat before them. Ameko had not witnessed Senshi’s wound, she did not know her status. All she knew was that her teammate- no, her friend- had been wounded, had screamed, and had been cradled like a babe in retreat. These animals had done that. Yuki and Kori circled the battlefield, jaws snapping and dodging out of the way of an occasional arrow. Ameko whistled, a sharp sound, a harsh sound. Then the order came, "Kill.” With her teammates retreating, Ameko and her animal companions were outnumbered, the bandits from the remaining forts rushing forth to join the fray and overwhelming their small number. Fortunately, the combined jutsu of the Karamatta and the Kyokujitsu had done enough to wound and bloody the enemy force. The Warai may have been outnumbered, but she was fighting remnants. And she was furious. Rage and blood filled her, the sole thought on her mind being that of vengeance. Senshi was wounded. Senshi may have been dead. The bond between her, Yuki and Kori pulsed with chakra. And she leapt forth. Her legs collided with the buildings, the interior of the fort becoming her playground. Her twin kunai and teeth slashed and bit, drawing blood and screams from the enemy as her Claw Cacophony was unleashed. Like a pinball, she leapt from surface to surface, just too fast for the archers to hit her. In time, those archers would become the first to fall to her blades. Leaving the melee combatants to contend with Yuki and Kori. The hyenas fought viciously, any semblance of civility or dog-like friendliness abandoned in favour of naked aggression. Teeth closed on throats, men screamed. Knives and swords slashed at the beasts, and they yelped and bled, but their fight did not end, it could not end. With time, exhaustion overtook Ameko, and her own jutsu was halted by a well time hit from one of the bandits. His club collided with her ribs, sending her sprawling and sputtering for air as she slid across the ground. Sharp pain tore at her, and her ears welled with tears as she struggled to fight through the agony. She had to force herself to all fours, staring down the man as if she were a wounded animal and not a teenage girl. Wounded and dead filled the fort, only three men remained standing, one for each of the trio. With simultaneous movements they streaked forward, teeth beared, their wounded and bloody forms attacking with practised movement. The hyenas’ teeth once again found purchase at their enemies’ windpipes, and Ameko found herself joining them. Her own teeth bit, ripped, and lifeblood filled her mouth. Bestial rage flooded through her, adrenaline pumping as she finally released her jaw. She ached, she bled, and she was covered in the viscera of her enemies. Dumbly, she realised she had no energy left with which to stand. Slowly, she quirked her head to look at Kori, the smaller hyena padding over to her with a limp in his gait. He whined, and it was all Ameko could do to place her head against his. Maybe they could just sleep a moment. Exhaustion overtook her, and the garrison fell silent.

Karamatta Risuki Kyokujitsu Senshi Jutsu Used SPOILER: Click to show NAME: Tsume no Fukyōwaon [Claw Cacophony] RANK: C CHAKRA USAGE: Low CLASSIFICATION: Taijutsu ELEMENT: - HANDSEALS: -- DESCRIPTION: Using the clan's powerful leg muscles, the user bunches and springs, catching opponents with slashes as they pass, bouncing off surrounding objects to continue the attack. The primary difficulty is if an opponent is on the move, it can be difficult to focus the attack on the target.

[Kyokujitsu Senshi]

For Senshi, there was a blinding, stunning pain that seemed to permeate through her body. As she felt a ringing in her face and ears as her arm and hand twitched involuntarily. She tries to move to stand, but her breathing is unsteady. It was like everything was spinning. As if there was disconnect. Before she's picked up. Feeling blood spill out of her wound. It hurt. Then? She'd grasped. Held like a baby in Risuki's arms and picked up. "A-Ameko. T-The mission." She gasps, trying to breath as she looked at the hyenas and her friend in the distance. God...It hurt so bad. Though. It helped. It helped knowing her teammates cared so much about her. That their camaraderie was real.

Senshi looked on, and couldn't help but feel worried. "Have to go back." She says, but as she was carried off, she shook her head. Knowing that going all the way back was going to cause a problem. A risk. "Leave me here." She says, shaking her eyes tearily. "Go help Ameko. I'll be okay!" She says in a pleading tone, as she knew she could lay in the sand. Acclimating to the pain as it became more of a sharp throb, droplets of blood dropping to the sand. They could go home together. Together. Together...

"Please Risu-Nee..." She says, resting her head atop the wolf cloak of hers. Not knowing until later that the battle was already done. The bandits lay dead, and the garrison cleared. Though with life lessons and wounds that they would learn from. Their job was done, but their duty? Their duty never did. Nor would it end for a long time. They were soldiers. They were shinobi. They were ninja.

[Karamatta Risuki]

Risuki seems to mostly ignore Senshi's pleading, knowing better than to leave her on the ground, in the heat and in the middle of combat where she might end up being targeted more because she was wounded than ignored because she was likely down for the rest of the mission. She's also not going to berate Senshi for her request; she found the demand to put the mission first honorable, but unnecessary. Even if the mission failed, they could try it again, and not much would change, really. The Sappers would simply wait a little while longer for their barracks and have to be unhappy with that extra wait. But she had faith in her teammate and in her hyena partners, and she needed Senshi to feel that confidence that Risuki herself had.

"Ameko is strong enough to take care of 'em! 'N she's got 'er hyenas, too, they'll never let 'er down. We gotta worry about gettin' you somewhere safer 'n a battlefield."

Risuki can hear, though faintly, the sounds of combat, and as much as she wants to turn right around and leap back into the fight with Sota, Ameko, and the two hyenas with her, the more important duty for the redhead is getting the smaller girl to a medic. The sounds of combat quiet, and she's not sure if it's because she's too far away to hear them or if the fighting is done, but she'll need to high-tail it back as soon as she drops Senshi off with the village gate guards.

Hang on Ameko, I'm comin'.

Risuki presses the wolf pelt cloak of Sota over Senshi, willing Sota to protect the girl as she hands her over to the gate guards before turning and sprinting back towards the barracks, though her body is nearly as red as her hair from the heat and the exertion, only to find Ameko and the hyenas wounded, but at least not as heavily damaged as Senshi had been. Most of the blood on them wasn't their own, and she lets out a sigh of relief before squatting down and lightly clapping Ameko on the cheek to wake her up.

"C'mon, you couldn'ta saved one fer me?"

She gives Ameko a smile, one that belies her worry for Senshi, and her momentary worry when it had taken more than one light smack to Ameko's cheek to wake her up.

"G'job. Let's get to reportin' this mission complete, then you can sleep as much as ya want."

[Warai Ameko]

It was with great discomfort that Ameko is recalled from the world of dreamless sleep. The darkness had been so comforting, so warm. Although as she struggles to force her eyes open, she realised that the warmth likely came from the panting body of Kori beside her… that and the lifeblood that coated her face and body. She blinked twice, thrice, and struggled to reorient herself in the aftermath of the battle. She didn’t quite know what she’d been expecting, but the sight of Risuki peering over her wounded form was certainly on the list. Perhaps not at the top, but she’d not actually put together anything in the form of an actual list. A wary smile was offered in response to her teammate’s own, her voice cracked and croaking as she responded, "You left… ‘em all to me…” She coughed, struggled to sit up, then fell back into her sleeping hyena’s form. It was all the strength she could muster to bring her hand to rub at her aching cheek. No doubt an after effect of whatever method Risuki had used to bring her back to the world of daylight. "Mission complete?” Ameko forced her head to the side to overlook the carnage that their team had unleashed, "Huh… Guess we did it.” Raising a hand, "Help me up will ya?.. Considerin' your smile, I take it Senshi oversold the drasticness of her injury…” She coughed violently, phlegm erupting from her chest in that post-work out way. "Gonna kill her for makin’ me worry,” Ameko muttered, before adding, "What happened to your dog?”

Kyokujitsu Senshi Karamatta Risuki