Disguised to Protect Part 2 [Solo]

And as the girl saw them draw their blades, she would think back to a horrible miscalculation. Never in her mind had she thought that perhaps the person she was tasked to protect wasn't in the carriage. The chances of that had been slim but for her not to double check beforehand was a fatal error. Never had she talked to her client, nor had she seen his face. Ami had just assumed that he was sitting in the carriage. Under normal circumstances she would have at least made her identity known to her client, so that there was somewhat of a trust relationship between the protector and protected. For some reason she hadn't thought about that for this mission. What had thrown her off most was her need to disguise. It seemed so strange now...but to some extent it made sense. The Hyuuga would have little time to think of the mechanics of what had happened as she unsheathed both of her blades, one in each hand.

Why had she been so stupid?

The girl watched the three guards carefully. It seemed that they were skilled weapons users at least. She wasn't sure what was happening but she now had three opponents, not counting a fourth if there was anyone in the carriage. Three against one wasn't something she wasn't used to, having fought bandits and shapeshifters by herself before. But these men were prepared and seemed to be a lot more skilled. She would have to fight with weapon against weapon. Since she had put in contacts, it probably prohibited her from using kekkei gekkai. Had these men knew from the start that her disguising herself would limit her doujutsu abilities. Had that been part of the trap as well? Whichever it was, she would have to deal with it. Her blue eyes now looked from one man to another. They were obviously fighting as a group, possibly coming from the same style as well, as their stances were identical. They would most attack her together as well. The girl would have to rely on Ninjutsu and her weapons to help her with this fight. In her mind she was already trying to think of the possibilities for combinations. It would probably be her first time not being able to use her Byakugan, meaning that she wouldn't be able to pinpoint her opponents' chakra systems. A big setback for a Taijutsu user...but not one that couldn't be compensated.

"Who are you? Why....?" her questions couldn't really formulate as the three men charged at her unison. Although she had been prepared for their attack. she would take a few steps back, distancing herself while she looked at each of them in turn, trying to see the direction they would be coming from. Since she was holding two katana in her hand, she would start with simple swords. As her blades clashed, she realized very quickly that it was a matter of time when she would be overpowered. Taking a slash to her left arm, she would drop one of her blades, using it as an opportunity to jump backwards to distance herself from the three men. The girl formed handseals to one of her favourite water jutsu techniques, water whip. She would try to bind at least one of the men. She bound one of the men around the waist and pulled him close to her, pulling out her kunai to stab him in the chest. It was a swift motion, retracting her kunai from his body. Her eyes narrowed towards the other two men who were quite shocked at her ability. It was true she was no expert fighter, but she definitely knew how to defend herself when need be. The girl locked onto her next target, the man on the far right.

She was having fun...a little too much fun.

All the while she had been eyeing the carriage that was still parked about five meters away from them. She wondered if she would find someone inside. Ami struggled, and then remembered that she had recently learned a lightning technique that would be useful against two enemies at the same time. She formed the necessary handseals to Chidori Nagashi. It was the first time she would use this jutsu, unable to resist the idea of paralyzing or restricting their muscle movements if they dared touch her body. She remembered this jutsu well, having been on the receiving end of it when she fought against Genkumaru. How exciting it was for her to be able to now do the same, utilizing one of her favourite elements with ease. It conflicted her that she was a heavy user of ninjutsu, as a Hyuuga, but she learned that not every Hyuuga member was exactly skilled in Taijutsu, having seen one of her relatives fail to use the gentle fist style when she was young. Ami charged at the two remaining targets, her eyes expressing her true feelings while she fought. By now she would have sheathed the other blade in her hand, knowing that it was better to use something other than swords to end a battle quicker. She still hoped one day that she would be as skilled as Keiji in using weapons, a dream she dared not admit to her lover.

The girl finished the two of them swiftly, a combination of Nin-Taijutsu capable of doing more damage than she had imagined. She would then finally move to the carriage, which all this time had not moved or budged. She would see a man tied up in rope, his mouth gagged with a piece of cloth. "Hey, are you alright?" Removing the piece of cloth from the man's mouth, he would start thanking her profusely for saving his life. He was indeed the diplomat she had been tasked to protect and escort, but not to the Sun village. The three men had bound him inside the carriage so that they could infiltrate the village through the means of escort, perhaps to get important information. Although Ami had completed the mission as intended, her heart still felt guilty and heavy,. She would take the initiative to escort the injured man to the village gates, asking that a doctor be summoned to look at his wounds before she turned to leave. She had finished a mission but it felt so awkward. Had she given some thought about the little things, the crucial things, then she wouldn't have been attacked like that. It was only by chance that the three men were not exactly strong in battle. Had they been shinobi, or even half skilled in any specialization of jutsu, she would have probably died. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, pained that she had failed herself. The girl vowed to be extra careful in the missions following, especially ones which were done in a group. One mistake could be the end of not just her life but the lives of whoever was tasked to join her.

Although she had risen through the ranks at an alarming speed, she realized that with skill came a lot more. There was responsibility, observation, practice, management, rationale and much more that accompanied being physically strong. As the girl turned away towards Kataki Road she was definitely more than a little shaken. She would make her return journey home slowly, taking the time to reflect and to think of ways she could better herself for the sake of her village and herself.