A front united (Group Mission) - Closed

"Hope I'm going the right way..."Arashi said to himself, a little concerned since it was his first mission. His cloak was open and fluttering slightly behind him, he wore it despite the heat so as to get a little respite from the sun in it's shadow, his pale skin was almost unable to get enough melanin for the sun to stop itching. His eyes were almost always looking down, partially because he was unsure of himself, he walked fast through the desert, his katana slightly bouncing on his left hip, He wore his sandals which, didn't protect much from the burning sand still he didn't let this slow him down. He usually walks quite fast everywhere not because he wants to be early, but just because his mild anxiety from meeting new people gives him the energy to do so without him even noticing. "Should be close already..."

Arashi looked around a little, noticing some ruins in the distance and next to them the rock where he was supposed to find his partners for the mission. "Okay time to get over the nerves shall we."He muttered "Remember: look up, you got this." He moved a bit faster, this time willingly. Getting ready for the encounter, hopeful that he will have a chance to prove his worth

Arashi sneaked closer to the rock where his partners were, He saw two of them, both taller, he proceeded to introduce himself. "Hello, I'm Arashi Tento, glad to meet you guys." Despite his best efforts he talked shyly, he did a small bow as to be polite.

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Arashi Tento's background
Arashi Tento's Character sheet

“Late again huh” The straw hat wearing Kensei grunted under his breath as he walked sluggishly through the desert, his right fingertips gently scraping against the remains of a broken down tower of sorts. Its stones had retained some artistic features and designs of craftsmanship it had desperately held on to as it laid there decaying alongside the lifeless husk of the dead across the barren desert. “I wonder how it fell” his mind creating the circumstances in which the tower was brought down, the tower which must have served as a guard post, albeit one that ultimately failed in its primary function. He stopped as he reached the entrance of the abandon outpost, now in ruins, it laid beneath the burning hauls of sand. Kensei leaned against a shattered wall as he scanned the area, reaching into his open cloak, which draped over him like an oversized gown,  with his left he brought out a large jug of sake uncorking it, taking a brief respite along the shade provided by the ruins around. He made out a the figures he made out a few at a relatively short distance gathering besides a larger rock. Exerting little energy at all he pushed himself off of the wall and moved slowly towards the others, sipping on his drink, a baby suckling on his bottle.

He was tired but not from his trek here but rather from the evening he had spent chasing along animals in the wilderness, specifically a giant bear sighted across the not only the forest but even the desert. Thus he had exhausted majority of his chakra before arriving, and had left just one bottle of sake in his arsenal much to his dissatisfaction. “One bottle of sake… no smoke… no chakra… ugh this better be quick”
Paired with his lack of sleep, the bare chested, bare footed cloaked shinobi had felt himself becoming more and more agitated, the scorching sun above him only adding to the thick tension in the air. As he reached the river bed by the others he tipped his large straw hat upwards, his eyes falling immediately on Sojiro.
“You again Soj? I can’t get away from you if I tried huh” He called out to his friend derisively followed by a grunt seemingly mocking the grunts sojiro was known for giving. Standing now in front of them he  turned to the other two he flashed a sort smile, giving them both an individual nod while dusting off his baggy black sweat pants.
“Pleased to make your acquaintances”
He gave them a short peace sign as he walked passed them, looking out at the river bed imagining the river that once flowed there.
“I apologize, I was a bit hmm “under the weather” when I received the mission details. Someone fill me in… are we just roughing up some squatting bandits? Is that why they assembled such a monstrous squad”
He chuckled to himself, his voice monotoned as he found himself lost in a vivid day dream of the desert as a tropical paradise. Without breaking his gaze he tossed the sake bottle he had held in his left hand behind him, in the direction of the others hoping hayed catch it and be interested in joining him for a drink.
“You can call me Kensei."
Unlike before he spoke softly and gloomy to them as he introduced himself.

Arashi couldn't help but to smile and scratch the back of his head at Genkumaru's comment, but when hearing Sojiro's Interjection He nodded firmly. "I hope not to disappoint!" He said in an enthusiastic manner. He just stayed standing sometimes shuffling around or walking a little, basically he was nervous and didn't know where to wait. But it didn't matter, since not much long after, the fourth and final member of the team joined them. After listening to Kensei's Introduction Arashi spoke "Pleased to meet you as well Kensei, my name's Arashi"

He then saw the whole bottle throwing thing and how Genkumaru caught it, realizing the situation he was in, he got a bit nervous that is until he saw Sojiro's reaction. When the bottle was passed to him, Arashi just passed it back to Kensei "I don't really drink... Mostly because I like to remain in full control of my mental and physical faculties." He then got a bit closer to the rest of the group listening in on the plan. He crouched and inevitably ended on tip toes, his feet unable to remain anchored to the floor due to the length of his hamstrings, he was enthused, ready to see how he would fare in combat with a team. "I don't see any problem with the plan, as long as Genkumaru remains in a relatively close and visible place. Would hate to get separated and see any of us get hurt against a bunch of bandits." Arashi said this without much thought, only realizing how it could be interpreted half a second or so later. He then got a bit embarrassed realizing how this made him sound like an overprotective mom. "It's not that I doubt our skill... It's just... Well... We don't really know their skill and we just have an approximation of how many they are, and if they have traps they could separate us with debris or something... You know what never mind..."

Arashi then stood up, stretched his legs and his arms a little " Ready when you are!" He fixed his sword and jumped in place a little, Excitement brewing inside him.

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Arashi Tento's background
Arashi Tento's Character sheet

05.12.2020He nodded in response to Arashi’s introduction, taking a quick look at the shinobi from the corner of his eyes. They were a competent looking group, he noted and all seemed respectably strong enough to handle their fair share of layman bandits. As the bottle was passed around Kensei looked over at the two who had decided to pass on with a short look of disdain. He shook their heads at them in disapproval as he grabbed his bottle, taking a long swig if it once more before wiping his mouth with the side of his hand, corking the bottle and returning it within his cloak.
“ahh, that was much needed. Genkumaru the pleasure is indeed my own, you’ve managed to honor me by accepting this drink. In some cultures a man would never be able to share a battle field with another without first breaking bread. A man I once knew told me you’d never let a friend drink alone. Today I’ll call you friend.”
He gave Sojiro an unsatisfied look, and then rolled his eyes before letting out a short chuckle.
“I guess you can say that Soj, I could have used that nose of yours last night, for more than just white powder. Although I do hope in this comparison its  more or less an expensive hooker. I am a man of acquired taste.”
He nudged soj with his left hand on the shoulder hoping to tip his balance over. As the others spoke he listened closely nodding in agreement.
“Solid plan, although I do agree with your reservations Arashi. Therefore I’ll volunteer as the distraction. I’m running low on chakra anyway, they may pass me for a drunken fool anyway. We can trust Sojiro’s nose to alert us of any changes in the air. If they are skilled and wise enough to set traps or hinder our sensory abilities then we fight fire with fire, or fire with explosion.” He gave a evil grin in Gens direction before turning his head in the direction the others had faced. “ I’ll put on the show, sprinkle some fireworks in the mix. Hopefully some bangs will make them dance. Don’t intercede on my behalf until you are certain that we’ve rounded up at least a majority of them. We don’t need a third party interjecting in the midst of our battle. As for smoke.... let me take care of that if it comes to it. ”

Arashi sighed, he completely calmed down after hearing the reactions of his teammates to his worries, he then began to listen closely at the exchange that was going on. After Genkumaru made his move, and Sojiro started his, Arashi decided it was time to move as well. "I'll go hide on top of the ceiling of their main building. I think there were some boxes farther back, so when Gen explodes the door, And Soj attacks.I'll come out from behind the smoke of the explosion and attack them from above"

Arashi proceeded with his plan, he sneaked closer to the building trying to be as silent as possible, then approached the wall and shimmied nearer to his hiding place. he then moved a bit back, to a point were he was sure none of the bandits would see him unless they stepped out, and with two large steps he jumped up to the wall and wall-jumped to the roof. the sound was minimal thanks to the sand and his dexterity, and the walls were thick enough that between the whole bar noises it was unperceivable to the bandits. Arashi then sneakily walked to some boxes up in the ceiling using them as cover from windows or any bandit that looked out before the group was ready.

Arashi was ready. waiting for his moment to strike, his hand was shaking while holding his sword's scabbard, taking a deep breath he calmed down a little. At this point he couldn't tell between anxiety and excitement, he muttered. "Alright, we got this." And so he waits.

Kensei looked over his formidable group and smiled in approval, they would be successful today he had no doubt about it. He nodded in response to Sojiro as he extended his hands taking the poison pellets and antidote from him and placing them within his secret compartment inside his robe. "Oh these will definitely do, hm you don't happen to have something just a bit less lethal would you? I have a friend who'd love to try… I mean experiment a bit on these for medical research."
He chuckled before watching the other three take off to find their vantage points. Kensei waited a few moments, letting the alcohols effects kick in fully before taking a deep breath and stepping forward. He walked slowly deeper into the ruins, making sure to take small sips from his bottle every so often. As he stepped closer and closer he began to hear distant chatter, and the shuffling of feet. A large watch tower stood at the center of the square, Kensei made up two shadowy figures observing from above. "Two on the tower" He thought as he took to the shadows to avoid detection for now. As he turned a corner entering what appeared to be a run down market square he noticed the empty canisters of food, the littered bottles of alcohol plastered across the unkept streets. Above a small domed shop three men sat playing cards, at ground level four had gathered preparing a fire and seasoning a large boar. Three newcomers walked out of a nearby building, two carrying supplies, and a third drinking form a large bottle of alcohol.

As Ken itched closer down the street and into the square he noticed another man standing near him, his back towards him. Kensei looked at his bottle of sake, then again at the man as he stepped silently towards him. "So far Ive spotted 13. Sojiro sensed over 20. The rest most be inside." As he pondered his next move he stopped a few meters behind the man, silently attempting to conceal his presence for the time being. After a second of reflection, Kensei took a long deep gulp from his bottle, then spilled the remaining substance on himself, drenching his clothes and scent in alcohol. Chuckling to himself he sucked his teeth disappointed by the wasted alcohol. Shurggin he took steps forward, this time sluggishly, loudly, and with a drunken stutter in his step. The man closest to him was quick to notice the heavy steps behind him and turned, katana immediately drawn.

"Oye! You there!hic!"
Kensei called out, his speech slowed and slurred, he was stumbling with every step forward, while he waved the empty sake bottle in his left hand frantically. The blue haired bandit was initially tense, but upon seeing the state of the approaching man loosened the grip around his weapon.
"What? where did you come from you drunken idiot! Why are you in the middle of the desert."
The man spoke loud enough that the others began taking notice of the scene forming out front. Kensei burped loudly while he continued to flare his arms like a bird. "Ive been traveling the desert friend! you see my story is one that is long and disheartening! would you all hear my tale?" "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU ! Is he alone?!" Called out a ma from atop the tower above, as the others began encircling the drunken youth. A towering pale hairless albino man emerged from another building close by, he appeared stronger than the others Kensei noted, "14"
"Is he alone?" The newcomer called out in repetition, while the others began to tighten their grips around their weapons, others began moving into position to flank Kensei. "Oye! You there trying to sneak up behind me, isn't that hic— rude. You see everywhere I turn my honor is slighted! does no one care anymore about the tears of a weary traveller? Hear me brothers in arms,  my tale is one of a man in love! have none of you ever loved?! you at least have each other! You see I travel far and wide from a land covered in snow, colder and not at all as …. enchanting as the companionship I've found myself around here in this barren desert! I come from a wealthy family of nobles! oh but my only sin was falling for another mans wife. You see I understand your lifestyles here, the take what you want mentality! I too understand the villages and the ninja world has forced you guys into this! as I was forced into the arms of my beauty! as her husband forced her into my arms! I too understand your plight! we are products of a system that failed us. LISTEN TO ME FRIENDS! for our stories are not far distant, mine are troubles of the heart as is the lot of yours! look how we are forced to live on the outskirts of society why! is our love not equal to their own, do their rights outweigh our own! "


As he ranted, his face was red and filled with gloom that would bring sadness to even the most masculine of men. The bandits around him expressed a multitude of emotions, some snickered and laughed in the back, others listened closely to the ranting of a broken man, others held firm, reluctant to lower their guard. A heavy headband wearing man stepped forward, he wore only a tank top which only served as a brace to keep the rolls of fat in place. He spit to the side of Kensei, as he took a bite from a drumstick.
"Get the frack out of here before we use your skull as a chalice drunk fool. Any other man would be dead on the spot, but we've pillaged enough for today, run along and never come back to the desert, run back to your snow covered noble house."
"Listen here ugly! Ive had enough disrespect today! I will not tolerate dishonor! Listen to me.… she loved me.. but her husband was jealous and when I challenged him to a honorable duel they beseeched my name and legacy! I lost almost everything! forced to run from my home or face persecution or death! my love lost forever. Don't you see we are all the same."
"Ugly? Let's gut this bastard now!"
The visible bandits had now circled around Kensei while the albino watched at a short distance. Almost all of them had began now laughing at the story and show being put on, with kensei expressing everything said with his hands and with a short animated dance detailing the events that occurred to him. When he fat man spoke the others stepped forward, prompting kensei to put his hands up in the air in a plea.
"Let me have my last words ! Ive travelled the lands hoping to find a reason to continue, but I've only found them at the bottom of the bottle." I only strolled into these ruins in search for some life…" Pointing at the containers of alcohol near the unprepared campground. "I only wished to continue my travels through the desert with my companion but…"
tips over the empty bottle of sake illustrating to them the empty bottle.
"We aren't going to give you our rum you fool, why wouldn't we just kill you now, instead of you killing yourself slowly with our alcohol. You aren't walking out of here alive anyway drunk."

Kensei chuckled villainously before reaching into his cloak, sending the bandits into a reactive step forward, before retrieving a small black bag. Shaking the small pouch the sound of clinking coins filled the surrounding area around, the bandits looked on confused looking at each other and then the rank before them, attempting to make sense of the scene.
"I have lost everything but this, 390 Ryo. I managed to escape with on my personal when I fled. My honor tainted! I see no reason to go forward except the chance of redeeming myself as manly as I possibly could! I have no problem ending it in the desert here! but honor me! Id like the chance to fight each and every one of you guys in single combat. If I win I will take with me all of your alcohol, If I am defeated you may take my ryo and my life."
"Again why would we not just kill you and rob you and be done with this ridiculousness."

"I can tell your mother wish she would have swallowed you huh…. before you swallowed her that is… This is about honor, or do you fear a drunk man so much that you'd avoid since combat!"

"You'll die! ill fight you first"

The fat bandit stepped forward tossing aside the bone he had bene gnawing at while he spoke and running slowly towards Kensei, before he could reach however a booming sound halted his approach.
"Enough!"
The albino mans voice boomed through the empty streets, it was obvious he was the leader of the band, his tall muscled figure and his command making it all but obvious.
"You have a death wish fine… my men have been thirsty for blood and entertainment. I don't know how you found us, but you will not leave… not while we stand. You will have your fight… however do not take me as a fool… if you've made it this far in the desert you're obviously much more skilled than you have led on…. therefore… choose your weapon of choice, you'll have a head start to flee if you wish… but you'll be fighting all of us, starting with me!"
As he finished his words, he snapped his fingers, behind him several other shadows emerged from the building the leader had originated from. with a vicious laugh he leaned forward and jumped into a full sprint towards Kensei.
"Run or die Kid!"
A smile spread across Kensei's face as the other bandits began to laugh expecting the full slaughter of the wandering drunk. Closing his eyes Ken took a deep breath before quickly reaching into his cloak, retrieving two Kunai's tagged with explosive bombs. He waited, for the leader to come face to face to him before leaping a meter backwards into the air, and flinging both Kunai through the air aimed at the watchtower. On contact the Explosive tags would be released and explode against the tower, catching an unexacting guardsman in a blaze, while sending another into a frenzy as the tower flurried in flames. Down below Kensei gave a nod to his watching teammates having brought out what he believed was the grunt of their fighting force. With he tower down, their eyes in the skies limited, Kensei expected the fray to be the opportune time for his team to make their appearance.
"A damn shinobi! Kill him!"

1 Bandit Killed

Arashi waited while listening closely for the signal to go out of hiding, he started to listen in on the whole conversation, impressed by Kensei's act he wondered if Kensei was holding the drunkenness back before or if he was just that good of an actor. Anyways that didn't really matter, what mattered is that it was getting the distraction job done, so Arashi just waited for the signal... And soon enough it was there! The tower started to crumble down, he panicked for a second trying to think if he should come out already, or wait for a bit longer which could be dangerous since the tower might fall on top of him. After a second of that panic and stream of thoughts he realized that thankfully the tower fell to the other side and besides some debris from the explosion he didn't have much to worry about.

Then Genkumaru fell and his battle cry was heard, Sojiro was first to act, Killing one of the bandits. Arashi a bit shocked, hurried and jumped down from the building unsheathing his sword in mid-air, landing on top of one of the bandits who was paralyzed by the commotion and close to the building, he stabbed the bandit right through the neck as he was falling, Immediately killing him. "You know Sojiro... Kinda late to ask that" Arashi said with a nervous laugh while scratching his cheek, there wasn't much time left to ponder since a bandit tried to attack Arashi after seeing the guy next to him be killed, the bandit attacked with his weapon, a makeshift club, Arashi hesitated for a fraction of a second but responded just in time by sidestepping and slashing at the bandit's arm with his katana.

He hesitated since he had never really killed someone before, he didn't know how to feel about it, didn't have time to figure it out either. Then again his choice of weaponry didn't leave him much choice of whether to kill or not. He brushed his doubts aside knowing he will have time to worry about them later, unless he kept having them that is. And so the battle raged on!

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Arashi Tento
Arashi Tento's Character Sheet

Kensei let out a loud laugh as he continued to back pedal dodging the swinging attacks of the pursuing Bandit. As his friends began to make their appearance, he began to tease the bandits around him. Many of the bandits hadn't noticed the newcomers, focusing their attention on Kensei, believing him to be the primary target. "Your mother moves faster than this at night." he called out to the fattest bandit, as he huffed and chased after Ken. Encircling them as he moved, he attempted to hold their attention as long as possible while keeping them moving in a linear rotation. He taunted, his tongue sticking out at the bandits that followed, several of them lunging attempting to chase, attack and surround Ken, he continued back pedaling laughing on. Out of the blue another bandit sprung forth from behind him, a katana at hand. He pushed forward with a heavy swing aimed at Kensei's backside, without hesitation kensei spun around, all the while bringing forth a Kunai that would clash and clinch with the blade. Kensei stepped back shaking his head at the Bandit that had chosen to fight him.
"You should worry bout your surroundings… Im the least of you problems here."
He glanced at Aroshi, who had engaged and maimed his opponent, then Sojiro who had begun his devastation of the bandit core. A smirk appeared on his face as he reached back into his bag, retrieving an explosion tag in his hand. As the bandit lunged forward kensei stepped back, launching the Kunai past the bandit, striking a building behind him. The bandit lunged with his blade once more swinging at him horizontally twice before Kensei met his blade. As the bandit cut through Kensei the body Kensei's body poofed into a burst of smoke, a Kunai would be struck and ricochet in his place, Mid swing, the Explosion tag held by Kensei had left his hands, floating as it fell in place of the disappearing Kensei. Kensei would appear leaning against the wall where the Kunai had once dug itself in. At that very moment the explosion tag would be detonated, the explosion would consume the body of the lunging bandit instantly, as the flames would consume the falling bandit.

Kensei pushed himself off the wall, moving towards Arashi as two other thugs emerged to face him.

"Lets do this Arashi."


Substituion jutsu used.
Chakra 110/120

The world was spinning, every muscle ached in Gen's body as he choked on... blood? Had that beast of a man really flung him to the side like it was nothing? Gen was a big man, muscle bound and tall, for another human being to just chuck him so... easily was disconcerting at the least, if not down right terrifying! Patting his body on the front side he couldn't find anything sticking into him or any noticeable outward damage, "Oh good.. It's just internal. That's just great...", rising slowly from the table that had broken his fall, he looked out and into the chaotic city plaza that made up the battlefield they occupied. He saw his comrades fighting their hardest against the bandits and succeeded or so it seemed. This was his time to shine now, and prove he was equally capable. 


Clambering out of the rubble of the long ruined home he was thrown into, he saw the Albino man standing up where he had been tackled previously barking orders at his men as they slowly were being decimated by Gen's own comrades. Trying to walk forward he stumbled a little, something wasn't right, his body ached more then just the throw should have done to him. Steadying himself for a moment he again attempted to cross the distance towards the Albino man slowly and quietly as to not alarm him that he had already come back for seconds. Charging his Bakuton chakra into his right fist and left foot he waited until he was within striking distance of the Albino before going for it.


He would release the Bakuton in his foot using Propulsion Strike on the mans left knee cap by performing a side rolling kick, causing the leg to make a sickening popping noise as it dislocated sideways and gave way from under him, the Albino falling to a crouched position on his knees. Following the rotation through Gen used the centripetal force to carry him to the right side of the Albino, and as his face lowered towards the ground it met Gen's right hand which then released its Bakuton charged Propulsion strike, causing a sickening crushing of the mans face plate around Gen's fist, crimson blood dripping into the sand like a flowing river form what used to be the albino's face. Each blow had a sonic boom like sound erupt as they struck, a byproduct of the explosion that would release behind the contacted appendage pushing the fist or foot further and harder into its intended target. 


Looking around towards his comrades he shouted out in the guttural roar from before, "How is everyone doing?!?", the concern in his voice for his new comrades would be palpable if they heard him. Rising from the kneeling position he had ended in he ripped his fist out from the dead Albino's face cavity causing blood to streak out and onto the nearby building on Gen's right, looking over to see what he had done he called out, "GROSS!!!!", he would shake his hand violently to try and get anything that clung to his fist off of it. 


If any of his comrades looked towards Genkumaru they would see what he hadn't, the reason he felt so bad was not necessarily because he was thrown through the building earlier but because a broken ceiling beam roughly two feet in length was sticking out just below Gen's left shoulder, seemingly embedded into him from crashing through the building. A small blood trail followed him as he got a little closer to the others with the rest of the movement he could muster. 


[Bakuton Propulsion Strike C-rank x 2]

CP: 75/100
SP: 80/100

3 Bandits Killed Total

The bandit who had attacked Arashi let go of his weapon after being slashed in the arm, having an open wound in the forearm that went all the way to the bone. Having some time Arashi looked around for his companions, in less than a second he managed to both giggle and wince, first looking at Kensei's well executed substitution, and later looking at Gen's wound which was thankfully healed fast. After looking at this he concentrated again in his handiwork, it was then that the almost one-armed bandit entered a psychotic rage which led him to just lunge towards Arashi trying to punch him with his healthy arm, Arashi seeing the opportunity and how out of it the bandit was, just slightly stretched the sword towards the attacker, which made the bandit stab himself in the stomach, Arashi pulled out and his opponent died not much after "Dumb-ass..."

After this Kensei got next to Arashi, right as two more enemies approached "Alright!" Arashi said preparing for his next attack. He then sprinted towards the two new opponents, hoping to be followed by Kensei, Arashi passed through the middle of the bandits slashing one on the ankle severing several tendons and leaving him immobilized, then Turned around forcing them to give their back to either him or Kensei. Putting his katana in between him and the bandits, Arashi was ready for the next round.

The scene had become a blood bath as the once quiet dusty square had now been filled with the sounds of clashing blades, shrieks of pain, and blood against the sand. Kensei stepped forward as Arashi struck another bandit down, he spun around the wounded bandit in the direction of one of the two others who had stepped up to challenge the two. A drunken smile crept on Ken's face as one of the two bandits, the smaller one who had darker skin and blemishes across his face along with a huge gap in his teeth, stepped back hesitantly as the other turned around to face Arashi. The gap tooth bandit appeared somewhat the same age as Kensei, and only saw red as his comrades around him fell. Kensei sensed this, as the boy trembled, his grip around the kunai he had weakening. He frantically looked around then back at Kensei, before letting out what appeared to be a frightened screech, dropping his kana and running in the opposite direction.

Kensei chuckled and watched the young man run off, effortlessly walking off the staged battleground, leaving gate second bandit to Arashi. Kensei walked one to where he had first spotted a few large bottles of island rum, grabbing the closest one he could find and uncorking it, taking a long deep swig from it in the midst of the chaos. He let out a sigh of relief as his thirst was quench, however his satisfaction was seemingly interrupted by the fall of a burning man from the watch tower above. Unfortunately for them, the burning man had landed over a pie of boxed gunpowder the bandits had been stashing. The gunpowder ignited causing a massive explosion at the watch tower entrance, the foundation of the building itself crumbling at the pressure. Frantically Kensei grabbed all the alcohol bottle he could carry and skipped as far form the collapsing tower as he could. As the building crumbled two bandits were immediately caught in the collapse, while the others more or less began to panic, ants in a fray, away from the falling debris.
"Gen, Sojiro! Get out the way!"
Ken called out to his friends, running past one of the bandits before spotting one of the fatties that had surrounded him earlier. The chubby man struggled to run as the building fell, his pants falling, his backside showing. Kicking him in the back of the head as they retreated, Kensei turned and stuck his tongue out as he stepped on and over the mans head.
"Go kick rocks you ugly mother-"

He called out laughing hysterically all the commotion had fueled his bloodlust and he was having a wonderful time. It didn't hurt that he had enjoyed quite a large amount of a mixture of sake and rum. By his count three more bandits had fallen, with a fourth retreating. His friends as expected had been making quick work of these nomadic bandits. The image of the boy he had faced earlier however was still fresh on his mind, how many innocent men and women were corrupted by their circumstances, how much responsibility did his own village have on these people living in the outskirts. Not too long ago another band of shinobi might have found him and treated him the same. Kensei stopped and without worrying about what had been happening up until now, taking a seat on the ground, crossing his legs in front of him placing the bottles besides him and closing his eyes. His breathing became steady and he began to ponder on the ensuing chaos and what it all meant. Was it the fault of the bandit for being corrupted? or the society who's systematic forms oppression leave people with little little to no hope for their own well beings outside of operating outside of the confines of law.

"hmm"

As he pondered a retreating slim katana wielding bandit spotted the meditating Shinobi a few meters in front of him. A wicked smile grew large on the man who wore a plain colored kimono and his red short hair tied in a bun. He ran at Kensei waiting to be just about a meter from him before leaping into the air at him, katana held firmly in both hands, and slashing forward vertically with all his might.

"Die you worthless Shinobi!"

The chaos was high in the air as Gen panted and leaned against the nearby building. Something was wrong and he wasn't sure what. He tried to focus on his comrades but his vision faltered whenever he tried to focus for too long. Seeing what he thought was Arashi decimating some foes with quick and deliberate cuts, as well as Sojiro taking out the man around him liek a raging animal, his vision finally rested on Kensei going to partner up with Arashi as they fought on in tandem. Having lost track of Sojiro, when he had jumped on to Gens back it took all he had in him to remain upright. Feeling a sharp tug and then a warm feeling on his back, his strength and focus returned to him, looking at Sojiro now he saw what had wounded him so, it was a fucking beam in his back! The only thoughts that ran through his head were WHAT THE HELL?!? That was in me! Taking only a moments respite, his body began to burn with fury, he yearned to explode outwards! He had entered into the legendary battle lust of the Iwamura as he bounded after Sojiro who had ran into another group of enemies. 


Watching Sojiro work was a thing of beauty as he quickly dispatched of his foes, and when he offered the beam to Gen he grabbed on, he was in a red fury! Feeling that Sojiro's grip was extra tight he realized right away the intent and so jumped into the air towards the nearest bandit, letting go of the beam as to let Sojiro keep it, weapons were not his style. He would aim his body so that he could flip into a rotating front flip while in mid air, using his muscle packed frame to literally snap the neck of the bandit as his back collided with the bandits head. Not stopping there he let his feet touch the crumbling body of the dead man and leaped again towards a group of four bandits near them all with kunai drawn and quivering now at the sights before them. 


He would land in a front roll and gather sand in his hands charging it with Bakuton as he launched his secret technique Bakuton: Scattered Flowers! directly at the men, as they moved to shield their eyes from the dust cloud its true goal became apparent, the sand detonating all around them and leaving them horribly burned and broken. Reassessing the situation he saw that Kensei was about to be struck down by a bandit and cried out in this furious roar, "GWAHHAA!!!", what ever had taken hold of Genkumaru had transformed him into a bucket of rage and vim! As he shouted he pointed his right fingers at the bandit and shot a Gingham Shot right into its torso creating a foot diameter hole in his chest cavity that you could see clear through. After doing so he would rise to his full height and thrust his arms to his sides flexing his full muscle mass to the men who remained his crimson mane flowing in the wind, and let out a guttural roar showcasing his rage and fury! Gone was the gentle and kind man, only the Crimson Lion of the Sun remained! 


[Bakuton: Scattered Flowers and Bakuton: Gingham Shot]

6 bandits dead - 7 total by Gen.

CP: 45/100
SP: 80/100

8 Killed by Sojiro... (3 technically from the tower falling)

Arashi got surprised by the runaway bandit, and by Kensei just leaving to drink. This gave the Ankle-less bandit enough time to slash at Arashi with a wakizashi, he couldn't stand or move properly but he had enough strength left for at least a slash. Arashi was caught of guard and couldn't block nor dodge properly, the slash was aimed at his stomach, but by trying to dodge he ended up intercepting it with his right leg. It was a strong slash that got through the clothes and hit his knee the bone stopped it but not without being chipped at. Arashi winced for a split second and then did a downward slash towards the bandit's head, getting as far down as the nose, killing him. "Hmpf, fucker..."

Right as Arashi said that another bandit fell on top of the boxes where he was hiding before, which then exploded, blinded by the smoke he couldn't see more than a few centimeters ahead of him and decided to run towards his left, to get out of the smoke. Thanks to his now chipped kneecap, the slight bleeding coming from the leg and the first pieces of debris from the explosion, he was slowed down a little but he managed to get out of the smoke zone in time to see the tower falling. It fell towards Genkumaru and Sojiro, And some of the heavier debris would have fallen right on top of him had he not moved, Arashi was now in front of Kensei at the other side of the tower. Seeing as Sojiro got right pass the falling tower and the rest of them were pretty much alright, he let out a sight of relief. But just after that, a bandit had lunged at Kensei who seemed to be... Meditating? Being too far away he couldn't do much, but he tried to get closer and call out his name, just as he did this, one of the last remaining bandits stepped in front of Arashi, katana in hand, they both got into fighting position, this showed that the bandit at least knew his way around a sword, still he was furious and Arashi planned to use this to his advantage.

"Hmm... It seems you at least know which one is the pointy end, huh." "Shut up you bastard!" The bandit said while slightly tearing up in rage. "You're no better than us! You just seek carnage for the thrill of it! His words made Arashi hesitate, "..." Arashi started to sweat and tightened his grip around his sword. "Not gonna say anything... You sick fuck..." The staring contest continued for a around half a second, at that moment the bandit lunged going straight for Arashi's harmed knee. to which Arashi responded by putting that leg back and doing a downward slash. Instead of going back this bandit went with the motion while spinning, which allowed him to block the attack, what he didn't see coming was the fact that Arashi wasn't harmed enough to be unable to kick, he did a side kick at the bandit's ribs making him fall to the ground, since he was already in an awkward position. The bandit rolled and managed to stand up before Arashi got to him, this was mostly due to his wounded knee. After this both got into fighting position again, This time The bandit went straight for the head with a strong overhead slash, but he committed a crucial mistake, he lifted the sword after starting to advance, this made his swing just slow enough that Arashi managed to do a high kick to his face, and in the confusion and hesitation he slashed at his opponent's stomach, cutting his abdominal muscles and spilling his intestines on the floor. "Ugh... Gross..." Arashi had his doubts, but he couldn't hesitate, not in this kind of scenario.

Kensei's left eyebrow raised as he heard the approaching footsteps, yet he found himself motionless as he pondered on his role in the oppression of the poverty riddled masses. These bandits, he knew, were a product of their environment and had probably resorted to crime as a result of limited options, and limited positive streams of success within their social comforts. The villages themselves were responsible for the dystopia that had to grown across the land, the smaller towns and villages falling prey to the extortion, influence of bandits, gangs, and unsavory organization. His village had helped create the reality they lived in, one in which every man, women, and child that hadn't won the generic lottery of life would be thrusted into uncompromising, unrelenting upbringing - he himself had become a cog in the systematic oppression he swore he'd abolish. His mind twisted back to the boy from his earlier clash, the nervous teens crooked stance, the heavy perpiration on his forehead, his jittery fingers over the loosely gripped katana, another young mind, his spark and individuality stripped form him, his chance at a long and prosperous life dwindling with every moment spent out here.

But who's life would ever be long and prosperous, he snapped back, reminding himself the cold way of the ninja world a man would be lucky to have seen 30. In that moment he heard the Bandits battle cry, Kensei was content with allowing himself to be cut down as he sift heavily through his wn philosophy, he had done more bad than good he thought. In a split second the sound of a roaring blast and a passing gust of wind would pause his train of thought before he'd open his eyes, adjusting them to the new realities as the dust from he blast settled. Not too far from where he sat the twitching body of the mortally injured bandit, laid bloodied and his chest blown in. He rubbed his eyes ashamed of the massacre, before looking around at the end result of their battle. The former outpost had become a battled wasteland, the surrounding building catching ablaze, blood had stained the market square and smoke had descended into the clouds above.

"We really trashed this one didn't we"

As he pulled himself off the ground he reached into his satchel retrieving a Kunai with an explosive tag and launched as high as he could into the air directly above him. Once the Kunai began descending downwards the tag would detonate causing a loud explosion above the fray. The remaining combatants found themselves surprised by the sudden new explosion, pausing in the midst of their retreat, attack, or their freezing fear and turning towards its origin.

"Enough!"

He called out to all those within range of his voice, hoping his friends would listen. He looked over the faces of the broken bandits.

"Return to your homes, there won't be anymore blood spilled here. Learn from your experiences, your fallen comrades have paid a costly price for their lifestyle. Brothers, this life is not the only path for you, think of your families, think of your sons, to throw your lives away like this its not worth it. I know your struggles, go on home, hold the ones you love closely, forgive yourselves outdo not forget this day. The purpose of the shinobi is not to destroy the lives of those they swear to protect, but rather stand as a beacon for hope. This isn't all we are about. Go, and don't return to this place, no, any place with banditry in mind. GO! as many others in your position would be cut down where they stand, we are not ruled by such bloodlust. The next time you wield a weapon pray it is for the protection of your family of your homes.. or we will be back"

His voice trailed and deepeened as he spoke until his eyes flashed a hint of red, he ended his speech with a sullen warning. Looking around the remaining bandits dropped their weapons, stripping themselves of any colors or clothing that affiliated them with their bandit group hero scattering. Kensei looked over at his teammates, all three sustaining minor injuries relative to the status of the fallen foes besides them. He flashed them a soft smile as he walked past them and towards the outpost exit, impressed by how they handled themselves.

"You guys did great. Lets get back home and make sure you guys get your wounds licked…. Once Sojiro feels up for it he could provide some sort of relieve on our way back. I can't say I enjoyed this as much as I expected to, but I'm very pleased by our overall coordination. Gen, I believe it was you who fired off that blast. You might have saved my neck out there, Thanks."

With that the gang took off out back to the Sun village to report their success and take in some much needed R&R