Yagami Hiroto remained silent as he kept his chakra flowing through the earthen bullet, occaisonally making adjustments to the flight path to avoid collisions with any hills or mountains. He would assuage Izzy's worries once they stopped.

xxxx

Sundown.

"We're going down," muttered Hiroto as the bullet descended toward a small port: Sukyo.

From the air, one could see that there were mostly ships, docks, and warehouses to store goods, wares, and supplies. Aside from these, the only thing in this town was an Inn and a saloon; the shipping and fishing industry was the lifeblood of this area. Most of the goods in Konohagakure obtained from overseas actually came through this port town.

Imagine the local fishermen and sailors' surprise when they saw an earthen projectile slow down and stop in their midst, with twelve humans on board.

Hiroto pulled his hands out of the bullet; immediately, the bullet disintegrated into loose soil. "There."

He then slumped down onto the ground, much to the shock of the eight Genin. "HIROTO-SENSEI!" Izzy knelt down beside the fallen Jonin, worryingly sputtering, "What, but...I mean, what's wrong?!"

"Heh. Nothing's wrong...just a depletion of nearly all my chakra." His voice sounded strained and tired. "It's to be expected, especially considering I spent the last several hours propelling a 400-pound mound of dirt over 200 miles at 30 miles per hour." He raised his head, chuckling nervously as he said, "This may sound odd coming from me...but will someone drag me to the boat?"

Ryu and Kai eagerly obliged as the grabbed each of the Jonin's arms and hauled him along with the others, following Mr. Hurtz through the docks. A worried frown came to Kai's face; it was odd seing their sensei seem so...weak.

Hiroto smiled at the sound of the Genin's facial muscles contorting into a frown. "Even Jonin aren't invincible...after a day of rest, I'll be back up to speed."

Suddenly, Mr. Hurtz stopped. He readjusted his eyeglasses as he stared at the vessel before them. "The Nautilus; on loan to me from Gato." The wooden cruiser, coming to a total of 300 feet, was slim and contoured; for a ship its size, it was remarkably hydrodynamic. The hull was painted jet-black from bow to stern, with the word 'Nautilus' painted on the port side of the ship in white. Three masts stood upon the vessel; the first and third bein 80-feet tall, with the center being 140-feet tall. It was a mighty vessel...and it was fast, too.

The businessman turned a wary eye to the ninja as he got off of his personal carriage. "Come on board." A ramp was led off the side by a burly sailor, and Mr. Hurtz went up, followed by his two guards. Each of the Genin followed, with Ryu and Kai dragging up the tired Jonin up in the rear.

The moment they were on, the sailor pulled up the ramp and shouted, "SEND US OFF! WE'RE DEPARTING!"

The three masts let loose billowing white sails; fortunately, an easterly wind was blowing, and it would do so for the next week. It had been something Mr. Hurtz had been counting on. He turned towards the nine Konoha-nin and said, "We'll arrive at the Water Country port of Mioto within three days. In the mean time, I'll be waiting belowdecks." He calmly walked towards the cabin door and opened it, disappearing inside.

Aside from the sailors doing their duties, the Genin and their Jonin were alone.

Riko sighed as he took a big whiff of the salty air. The sight of so much water - he had never even SEEN an ocean before, much less sail upon one - was both relaxing and exhilirating to him at the same time. So much water...more than any ninja could ever hope to wield. I wonder what kind of secrets it holds...?

Pssssss...

That was the sound of Genonosuke relieving himself over the side of the deck. Riko paled at the sight of his cousin. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"Doing my business, numbskull," grumbled Genonosuke as he wiggled around, trying to shake as much out as possible. "I've been holding it ever since we left Konoha, so forgive me if I couldn't wait. Besides, it's not like we haven't done our business in the river back home."

Riko slapped his head out of exasperation. "That's not what I meant..." He pointed. Genonosuke followed his line of sight...and blanched at the sight. Unlike the other times, he had decided to go in front of the girls.

Akura had turned away, flushed out of embarrassment. Daio had simply turned around, a minor blush on her face. Suki, meanwhile, was merely staring out of slight awe and revulsion. "Ick! Couldn't you have done that out of sight?"

Genonosuke quickly pulled his pants back up. Smooth one, idiot.

Izzy merely snorted to himself. Feh. No technique at all. He needed to be a bit more smooth. Still, gotta give him credit for mooning the girls...even if it was unintentional.

"All right...did you have a question for me Izumo?" asked Hiroto as he propped his back against the guard rail surrounding the deck.

"Oh. Right." Izzy quickly knelt down beside the Jonin as he asked his question about the 'demon' ninja.

Hiroto chuckled. "They are merely Mist ninja of the Chuunin level. Upon advancing to Chuunin, the Mist ninja are given new hitai-ate; these headband protectors sport hard, horn-like protrusions that make your shadow seem like that of a demon's. Intimidation mostly...plus, by that stage, a Mist ninja is ferocious and undying in his willingness to do whatever it takes to complete a mission."

"But that still doesn't give us much info on our enemy," replied Riko. "I mean, even though the Hokage said we weren't going to be facing ninja, I just find it hard to believe we won't be...because if this Shirow guy was important enough to capture with ninja, why not guard him with ninja?"

The Jonin calmly rubbed his neck with his left hand before answering. "First of all, you must remember that the shinobi were originally introduced during the days where individual warlords ruled over their lands and fiefdoms; ninja were made for hit-and-run missions, assassinating in the dead of night, and capturing someone before anyone can raise the alarm. However, now that Shirow is under lock and key in a secure location, common guards are all that's needed...but then again, I wouldn't be surprised to see a ninja or two once we get there, so allow me to explain what you're going up against." As the eight Genini listened with rapt focus, Hiroto continued. "Mist ninja, due to their environment, specialize in Water-element and Earth-element ninjutsu techniques, with a healthy supplement of Taijutsu and Genjutsu mixed in. The Jonin are particularly deadly, as all of them have served a mandatory term of one year as part of an Assassin's Corps; it's how Chuunin graduate to Jonin. And one last thing; all of the Mist ninja have blood on their hands, so they won't hesitate to kill you."

Blood on their hands? "What do you mean, Hiroto-sensei?" asked Daio.

Yagami Hiroto remained silent for a few moments before answering. "The final part of the graduation exam for cadets is...to kill the classmate they've been assigned to." If he still had his eyes, he would've seen looks of absolute shock and repulsion. "Every year, at least half of all cadets die...while the survivors become Genin...so if you meet a Mist ninja in open combat, don't hesitate to use force, because they won't give you the same measure of mercy."

The eight Genin remained silent out of shock. The Mist ninja...do that just to become Genin? Akura gulped out of utter horror; her already shaky level of confidence was rapidly deteriorating.

Hiroto lightly smiled, assuaging everyone's fears (at least somewhat). "But cheer up...you guys are tough. And you've got me! What bad could happen? Anyhow, it's getting dark...I'm sure if you guys ask nicely, a sailor will lead you down to your personal room. But if you feel like staying outside and watching the sun set...well, do as you wish. Just don't break anything."

The eight Genin calmly stood up and started milling away, doing what they wished; staring at the ocean water, gazing at the sun, merely talking...or, in Izzy's case, throwing up over the guard rail as sea sickness took over. Riko followed Akura as she dashed over to the far side of the boat (probably out of fear of what was waiting for them). As Genonosuke stood to follow...

"Wait."

The dark-haired Chakuya turned to face Hiroto, who was looking at him with a stoic expression. "Yes sir?"

"One last thing...and this is just for you, considering your talent." The Jonin calmly said, "There are seven Jonin of Kirigakure that specialize in the art of swordsmanship...their skill is unparalleled. They are very deadly, and their style of swordsmanship varies between each one...collectively, they are known as the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. Without a doubt, they are the finest swordsmen in the world...although..." He chuckled as he, with his all of his senses, 'looked' at the boy; there as an odd grin on the Chakuya heir's face. "...it seems the prospect of facing one feels 'right' somehow, doesn't it?"

Genonosuke said nothing. He merely said, "Thank you for the information sensei." Enemy swordsmen...all of them elite ninja. I couldn't ask for a better test of my abilities! As he turned to walk away...

"You'll prove your father proud on your own merits."

Genonosuke turned towards the Jonin, startled at the kind words...but the Jonin was already asleep. The swordsman quickly bowed out of respect. Thank you.

The first star of the night appeared high above.

Izzy sighed as he looked off of the ship's starboard bow. "There he goes again... What does he get out of that?"

Riko was performing his suisuberu no jutsu beside the ship, keeping mostly even with it despite the ship having an excellent wind. Riko smiled as he realized he was getting faster. Mist ninja... They're going to be more powerful with water than I ever was... If I keep practicing... With this, he brought up two Mizuboorus, and cupped them in his hands, closing his eyes and concentrating. Then I might can at least hold my own. Riko opened his eyes and threw the balls of water, guiding their path with chakra. They collided together with the surface of the water. FOOSH. The explosion shot water high into a pillar as Riko sighed. "That's my only offensive jutsu... Maybe I need to work on another one? I have three days..." Riko slowed his gliding, and rushed at the side of the ship. Concentrating hard, he jumped and placed his feet on the ship, and ran up its side vertically. Izzy jumped back as Riko leaped onto the deck, grinning.

Genonosuke smirked as he extended the length of his blade. "This is great! Heh heh... I can manipulate my blade now in ways I never thought possible..." The blade shortened to the size of a dagger, then returned to normal and formed the shape of a hook. "And best of all... No bend marks!" He straightened the blade, and ran a finger along its still smooth surface. In fact, smoother surface thanks to Genonosuke. The blade was old, very old, but now the former scuff marks on it from Genonosuke's early training and a few of the old ones left after it was last re-tempered had vanished. Genonosuke frowned as he looked around the ship though. "Man... I can't train my magnetic jutsu in here, though..." His eyes focused on the various planks nailed together. "...I suppose I could work on my swordsmanship, though." The thought of possibly facing one of those elite ninja in battle... It sent shivers down his spine. "Though it won't likely happen for years..."

Akura sat in the crow's nest, overlooking the sea. The wind pulled through her hair, and she sighed. She had always liked the wind, even though this was a bit different from the winds of Konoha. She pulled in the smell of the salty sea-water, and smiled as she noticed Riko jump back on deck. "So, do you like him?" Akura turned around to find Suki sitting on the side of the nest. "U-um..."

She immediately began blushing, and Suki laughed. "Don't worry about it. I can tell..."

Akura's color faded, and she nodded. "Yes... I've always liked Riko-kun. He was the first friend I ever had..."

Suki showed interest at this. "He was, huh? I noticed he seems to be the only one you hang out with."

"Yes... In fact, he's my only friend. I've gotten to know Genonosuke, but..."

Suki frowned at the thought of Genonosuke, then edged off the side of the crow's nest, and stood up. "Yeah, I kinda figured it was like that. You're just so shy, and I can't understand it." Suki smiled. "I've always been pretty outgoing, I guess. I find it easy to make friends. You just gotta look in the right places... unless you don't want to?"

Akura shook her head. "It isn't that I don't want to make friends, but..." Akura hesitated for a moment, then said, "People have always criticized me for my appearance. Didn't you hear those who called me 'demon-girl'? Or 'possessed'?"

Suki thought for a moment, then her eyes widened. "I do seem to remember hearing about it, but I didn't know they were talking about YOU... You always seemed like a nice girl, and I wouldn't judge people just cause they look different. If I didn't know either of you, Diao would probably freak me out more, and, well... I'm one of her best friends."

Akura smiled, thinking of the prospect that Diao's eyes could weird people out more than her own appearance, but then frowned. "If it isn't just my appearance then... What is it?"

Suki shrugged. "I couldn't tell you. But don't be so glum about it! You're a good person, and that's all that matters, right? So don't listen to those people, and let go!"

"...Let go?"

"Yeah! Just let go of your concern with them. And by the way... I kinda liked your hair better like it was. Right now it looks like the color purple came alive and is trying to strangle you."

Akura laughed, then nodded. "I will let the dye fade out naturally, then. ...Thank you, Suki."

"Hey, no problem! Just gotta keep a positive outlook on things, right? Later!" Suki did a backflip off of the crow's nest, to Akura's horror. Akura rushed to the edge, and found Suki smiling up at her from the deck and waving. Akura also smiled and waved back.

It seemed that night, Akura made a new friend.

Ryu sat on his bunk in the cabin, staring up at the ceiling, mulling over how he was going to survive this mission, let alone succeed at it. He had been in battle a few times before, but never like this...
He wondered if his simple Wood ninpou would be enough to protect him if it ever came to that. He sat up and jumped down off the buk, then walked over to the pack leaning in the corner. he opened it, then took out a small bonzai tree in a pot. He set it on the floor, then knelt down beside it and concentrated. Yes, he could feel it. There was still residual energy from The other times he had exeerted control on the tree. He began to manipulate the tree's life energy, intertwined with his own. He made the tree stretch skyward and expand outward, growing into the size of a sapling, then an adult tree, poking out through a window in the side of the ship. With a thught he could change its shape back into a tiny bonzai, but he left it as it was for now, roots steadily climbing down the side of the ship into the ocean,
and went to practice his archery up above-deck.

The night passed without incident.

xxxx

Morning.

The sky was a calm, grayish color. The sun, little more than halfway above the horizon, was shrouded by thin gray clouds. Mr. Hurtz was still down belowdecks.

Ryu yawned as he stepped out from the cabin onto the deck, looking around.

A sailor was holding a harpoon - the rope attached to it held tightly by Kai - as he showed Suki, Riko, and Izzy how to catch fish from the deck (and, with Izzy sitting down and Suki standing up, he had one heck of a view up Suki's skirt. But he wasn't about to let her know that, lest he get a black eye). The burly man threw the harpoon into the water, with Kai keeping it from being lost forever in the ocean. The Shiake male quickly dragged the harpoon back onto the deck...and impaled on its point were a few fish that had been trailing the Nautilus.

Akura and Daio were both together atop the center mast on the lookout platform more commonly known as 'the crow's nest'. They were looking at the cloudy horizon in silence, their hair being whipped by the wind.

As for Genonosuke...he was holding Kintetsu, staring at Hiroto.

The Jonin - his chakra replinished after a night of rest and relaxation - calmly pulled out a kunai knife. "So...I hope you've gotten SOMEWHAT better since our last bout."

"You bet I have," replied the Chakuya heir as his chakra aura began coagulating around his sword. "Now get ready! Kinzoku; Kinkumikaeru no jutsu!" The katana suddenly thinned and elongated, forming a metallic whip.

Hiroto arched an eyebrow out of surprise.

Genonosuke smirked. "AND...Kinzoku; Kinjiki no jutsu!" A magnetic charge surrounded Kintetsu as he lashed out at Hiroto's kunai, pulling it out of the surprised Jonin's hand. The Genin smirked as he grabbed the Kunai and morphed Kintetsu into an axe. "Heh...do you think I'm better now?"

Hiroto was silent.

Then, he chuckled.

Then, all-out laughter.

"HA HA HA HA HA! Heh heh heh..." The blind ninja calmly raised his right arm, a curved weapon coming out of the side of silverish gauntlet. The arm-blade was curved into a thin 'S'-shape, its tip gleaming with dew. "Looks like I've no choice BUT to use this...en garde."

Genonosuke blinked as Hiroto was suddenly in front of him.

SLAM!

The swordsman gagged as he went bouncing off the deck and into the side of the cabin, bouncing off the wall. Several coughs escaped his lungs as he looked at Kintetsu; it was cracked from the blow. With an angry grimace, he reformed Kintetsu into its normal form - the katana - with his chakra.

The Jonin calmly leaned down and grabbed his kunai. "Not bad at all...still not good enough to beat one of the Seven Swordsmen, but you're getting there." The Jonin calmly walked away, watching Riko, Suki, Izzy, and Kai getting their shots at harpooning for fish.

Genonosuke stood, his arm and back still hurting from the blow. "Damn..." he muttered, staring at the retreating figure of his sensei, "Well, I got him to use the arm-blade. I know I'm improving..." Genonosuke promptly bowed to Hiroto's back, then began training his magnetic jutsu on deck; a place where there was less likely to be interference or danger from the nails than the cabin, since he'd have to direct the magnetic flow downwards for any to be snagged. Luckily, he wasn't too close to the harpooners either...

"Alright, I figure I've showed you youngsters enough. Why don't you try now, kid?" the sailor said heartily as he slapped Riko on the back, handed him the harpoon, and grabbed the rope. The young Chakuya struggled for a moment with the weight of the thing(despite looking small and thin, this harpoon weighed at least 50 pounds to better help spearing fish), then used his chakra as a supplement. Riko stared into the depths, and saw shadows flicker around. I kinda feel bad about this... The whole thing with that supposed summoning contract and all. Oh, well... Riko hefted the harpoon and readied himself. Get out of the way, fishies... he thought, and hurled it with all his might. The harpoon flew straight and landed in the water with a splash. "Ye caught one, kid!" the sailor yelled, and started pulling. "Geez, it's a big'un! Wat da hell did ye spear, kid?" Kai and Riko proceded to help the sailor drag up the harpoon, and low and behold...

"W-what the heck is that?!" Kai leaped back, unsure of what to make of the now-dead monster in front of him. Riko, too, was shocked at this creature, and upon asking the sailor what it was, the man laughed cheerily. "Why, this here's an octopus, boy! Don't see too many of'em near the surface this time o' year. In fact, don't see too many of them near the surface at all. And the harpoon actually stayed stuck in it... I say this right here's a rare catch! Nice goin'!" Kai poked the eight-tentacled thing with his finger. "Is it... edible?" "Edible? Kid, this thing here's consider'd a delicacy in sum parts! We hadna had octopus in a year now. The crew'll be mighty pleased!" He clapped Riko on the back again, and more sailors came to drag the carcass off. Riko stared for a moment, then looked at the water, thinking.

Akura sat on the crow's nest, this time with Diao. The girl had been quiet ever since she came up, but Akura didn't mind. Quiet was nice.

Ryu watched the others use the harpoon to obtain fish, he wondered if he could do the same with his bow and arrow...

He grabbed a section of the rope and tied it to the end of an arrow...and instead of aiming for the waters, he looked up.

THWIP.

The arrow flew.

SPLICK.

Dead on. The target fell into the water. Kanshisha Ryu calmly pulled the arrow back, looking on with slight admiration at the gull he had caught. Hmm. We Genin alone might provide enough food for everyone to eat tonight.

xxxx

Day three.

Izzy frowned at the sight of the tremendous ocean. "Man...we left three days ago. Why isn't the Water Country in sight yet?"

"Because," remarked Hiroto. "We left at night on the first day. We'll arrive tomorrow."

The perveted Genin grumbled. "Man...I'm getting tired of seeing nothing but water."

"Speak for yourself," replied Riko with a smile.

xxxx

Next day.

Noon.

"LAND HO!!!" roared a sailor in the crow's nest.

Hiroto and Special Squad One remained silent as the shorelins of the Water Country port of Mioto came into sight. Seeing as how the Water Counry was nothing more than a series of islands gathered around a roughly 100-mile wide, perfectly octagonal land mass. Kirigakure was located dead-center in that continent, with the country's capitol taking up the entirety of an island to the east of the octagon. Mioto was located on the southwest corner of the main land mass.

Izzy calmly fidgeted with his umbrella before putting it back in place. "The Water Country...we've made it."

"And thus our mission begins," muttered Hiroto as he stood on the guard rail. "Mr. Hurtz will be waiting for us in Mioto...and we'll have a total of three days to obtain Shirow before the Nautilus returns to Sukyo...so we have to be quick. And to avoid detection, we swim to shore from here." He stood on the guard rail. "Everyone, follow me. We're going to come ashore south of Mioto...and then make our way to the prison from there. So stay close." He then dove, his body making a minute splash in the water.

Genonosuke gulped at the sight. "Oh man...it's at least 200 yards to shore!"

Riko remained stoic as he got onto the guard rail. "Then we better start swimming." The blue-haired Chakuya quickly dove overboard.

Moments later, the other Genin of SS1 followed.

xxxx

Kirigakure.

A stone tower with a number of pigeons floating around it stood high above the village. It was a meditation tower, used by Kiri-nin for refining their chakra control.

Rico'ki used it once every week. During his meditation, no one dared to intrude; those who did interrupted his concentration and made his battle instincts flare up impulsively.

The first few times someone interrupted his meditation, they had been diced apart by his chakra aura reacting out of impulse.

Needless to say, everyone left him alone.

Which was fine by him. He liked the quiet and solitude.

However, every month, he would also perform his primary purpose for being here: intelligence delivery.

He calmly pulled out a scroll; on it was information he had compiled over the last month detailing the Mist Village's missions, financial expenditures, ninja profiles, and secrets garnered from meetins with high-profile figures. Using his chakra, he calmly covered the scroll with his chakra...and then he said one word.

"Henge."

The scroll transformed into a pigeon...and as Rico'ki closed his eyes, he willed the scroll to move with his chakra. The fake pigeon flew out of one of the several windows of the meditation tower; amongst the real pigeons living there, it caught no one's eye.

Rico'ki settled into a deep meditation as his chakra carried the scroll over long-distance toward the port of Mioto; a runner who made a living fishing in the port would then travel to Sukyo to sell his wares...and in so doing, delivering it to another runner who would travel to Konoha to give the scroll to the Hokage.

It was a system that had been perfected...and it was the Leaf's sole source of information from Kirigakure.

For the next hour, Rico'ki would not open his eyes, so focused was he in delivering the scroll with his chakra alone. Such was the power of one with utter mastery over his chakra.

Riko smiled as the fresh, cool blast of salty water surrounded him as he submerged. Opening his eyes, he could see better than he thought he would be able to. Stretching his arms and legs, he quickly began to thrust himself through the cold water at about five feet under. Hiroto was already half-way to the shore by now, as Riko observed. Riko swam through the water, using his chakra to propell himself through it in almost the exact same fashion as on top of it, except now he required a much larger area to expel his chakra from. He observed the fish as he swam by, and even saw a strange creature that looked somewhat like a blanket with a devil's tail. He would later come to find out it was a sting ray. Riko easily reached the shore without the need to come up for air, thanks to years of lung capacity training at home. Stepping out onto the beach, he breathed in a gulp of air and smiled, as he looked back.

Genonosuke frowned as he swam through the surface of the water. Damn, this stuff's cold... Bah, it's nothing, though. Hm... Wonder where Akura's at? Heh... She's probably still wading at the ship. Genonosuke looked back, only to find Akura speeding past him in almost the exact fashion Riko swam. What?! Man... Genonosuke swam harder.

Akura reveled in the feel of the water and wind against her face. She felt at home here on the sea, for some reason... Good thing my purse is water-proof, she thought with a smile. Some had wondered why exactly Akura brought her purse along with her on a mission, but... You know how women are. Besides, she had a few useful items in there, too, including a few medpacks for emergencies. Besides, that was where her forehead protector was attached to, and not many ninja perform missions without them. She soon reached the shore, finding she and Riko were the only ones standing besides Hiroto.

"GACKK!"

Ryu thrashed around in the water, trying deperately to stay afloat. At last he was able to gain control and tread wate,r but he couldn't move anywhere, especially not with all his equipment weighing him down.

This is getting me nowhere fast... wait!He thought, being struck by an idea. If I can just use my Root Ninpou... It's a bit of a stretch with all of this water, but just maybe...

He quickly did the required signs, and all of a sudden Seaweeed began stretching up from the sea floor, lifying him up on a green cushion of plant matter and coasting him gently to shore.

"Heh... Worked like a charm. I've got to remember that one."

The Jonin was the first to reach shore. He shook himself off like a dog first, trying to do away with the excess moisture. He then turned around to look at the Genin of Special Squad One. To his surprise, Ryu was using a ninjutsu technique to coast to shore. Resourceful.

Ryu came first. Riko and Akura were next, with Genonosuke right behind them. Next came Suki and Kai, with Daio and Izzy lagging behind.

Izumo spat out a mouthful of salt water as he squished some water out of his hair. "Man...why couldn't we have just gone into Mioto? The water's cold!"

"We're trying to avoid detection, and Mioto is a major port. Mist ninja often have missions here; the last thing we want to encounter is an enemy ninja." The Jonin pointed towards the forests about one mile away. "We go through there towards the prison. We walk; we can't afford to be detected."

As the eight Genin followed the Jonin, Ryu felt a bit exuberant; there were forests here!

Riko took a glance over at Ryu. He hadn't noticed, but it seemed that the Wood-element user had actually beaten him to shore using a jutsu. Guess I gotta work on my underwater gliding... My chakra isn't as efficient as it is on top. He looked around the area they were walking in, and observed the surroundings. There was a forest nearby, and an estuary leading into the ocean. The sand clomped grittily under everyone's shoes, and the sea breeze still highly smelled of salt. So this is what a real beach is like...

Genonosuke double-checked Kintetsu. The corrosive sea water and air hadn't been good on the blade, but he'd been keeping that in check. Heh. Still good as new. And I even managed to take my magnetic jutsu to the next level... Heh heh. Wait till everyone sees my newest power! He took a glance at Riko, then frowned. But Riko didn't goof off either. He may not have known it, but I saw him do a completely new jutsu... Something way more powerful than that water ball attack he showed me... How the hell did he manage to summon enough chakra to do THAT?! That had to be a Jonin level technique at the very least... Something's not right here...

Riko glanced at Genonosuke and smiled inwardly. From his cousin's expression, his experiment last night had been a success. Wouldn't do anything to Hiroto-sensei, though. Or more skilled opponents, likely. Should work for normal guards, though.

Akura felt the breeze of the sea on her wet back, and shook her hair. The sea water seemed to have already removed some of the dye, making her hair a lighter purple. She removed a candy from her purse, and popped it into her mouth, savoring it. It was called peppermint, and it seemed to have a very invigorating power over her.

"Come," muttered Hiroto as he quickly dashed towards the forest in ten seconds flat. He quickly glanced back at the others and motioned them forward with two fingers, as if telling them to 'bring it!' (as it so often happens in fighting games. :P).

Izzy brushed some water out of his hair before saying, "Okay everyone...let's do this." He took off.

SLAM.

Only to trip three feet later.

The Genin sweatdropped. Hiroto sweatdropped.

Izzy groaned. "Ow..."

A few minutes later, everyone had gathered in the forest with the Jonin. "Good. Now, we try to advance as quickly as we can; stay off any beaten paths, and don't step on any dead leaves or twigs. That shouldn't be a problem, considering it's almost summer...but still. Stealth."

"Yes sir," simultaneously said the Genin.

Hiroto smiled. "Alright...move out."

They all disappeared into the forest as they moved northeast.

xxxx

In Kirigakure...

"So, how was your mission?" asked the Mizukage, still shrouded in the seemingly 'alive' mist.

The person he was speaking to was hidden by the mist being sprouted off by the Mizukage...but one could see two sheaths strapped to his sides. The figure spoke - the calm, yet cocky tone revealing the person as a man - with a strange smile on his face. "Oh, it was nothing...my lovely Mugenjin and Chaketsu got lovely workouts."

Mizukage snorted at the mighty swordsman...for he was one of the Seven. "In any case...I called you here to assign you to the prison outside of the village."

"Oh? Is it for that engineer?" asked the swordsman. "It doesn't really concern us; the Hidden Mist is self-sufficient. It doesn't really matter if our country's shipping company is on top or not."

"Indeed," muttered the Mizukage. "However...it would prove wise to actually attempt guarding the facility...four Chuunin are already on patrol in a five-mile radius around the prison. If you went...it would show the Water Country that we are 'serious' about its interest...thus resulting in more clients."

A satisfied snort came from the swordsman. "Cunning. Very well...I'll be off then."

It was exhausting, not just the report but the whole assignment. Lately he'd been wondering if they really read the reports, or if they just sent him here to get rid of him. He heard the residents of Konoha talking behind his back, what was it he was again? Guardian of Evil?

Lately he'd been wondering why we was helping them, what point was there to helping people that glared at him with cold eyes behind his back. For over a year now he'd practiced those eyes to perfection, so much so he couldn't remember how he used to be. That was a lie, a lie to himself, inside he remember smiling and laughing. But he wouldn't allow those memories to surface.

They said it was a death of the fourth that caused the change in him, made him repressed and moody. They had no clue, searching for a scapegoat to ease their own guilt.

The report had been delivered, he'd stay in meditation for four more hours to recover his strength. He was severely weakened by the exercise, suddenly his eyebrows twitched. Something was between him and the pigeon, as he broke the link he felt it, it was familiar. After the link was gone he couldn't find it again, the stubborn spy began searching again, the tower making a perfect point to use the ambient chakra in the mist to look for his target.

Foreign chakra stood out like a white rabbit in a tar pit, and when the chakra was familiar it was even easier to find it. Familiar chakra, one of the seven, was heading away from the village. It took a few hours to assess the scenerio but it was clear both sources were headed for the same location.

Suddenly the young man's eyes shot open as he growled one word, "Hiroto". He forced himself up, there was no time to recover from his ordeal. Fast as he was he'd need to conserve his energy to get there first. The red haired man walked slowly out of the tower to try to prepare himself for the run.

Thirty minutes later, Rico'ki qucikly advanced toward the path out of Kirigakure: his destination was the prison.

However, a certain member of the Seven Swordsmen watched as the red-haired man left. "Hmm..." muttered Zabuza to himself as he followed in silence.

xxxx

Hiroto's eyebrows furrowed. He was hiding behind a thrush of small bushes...and he witnessed two Kiri-nin who were switching shifts with another pair of Kiri-nin, and they were taking the scant time period to chat. Hmm...judging by their chakra level and the wind contouring around their hitai-ate...they're Chuunin.

The Jonin quietly turned away and slipped unnoticed back to the eight Genin under his command. Riko asked. "Well sir?"

"Four Chuunin are on patrol in a five-mile radius around the prison. Luckily, they're now switching shifts...and as a result, all four are in the same place." The Jonin took note of the fearful gulps by a few of SS1. "Don't worry...they may be four Chuunin, but I can take them myself. Your assignment is the prison itself, which is guarded by only simple guards with spears, swords, and shields...easy prey for shinobi."

Suki asked, "What do we do sir?"

The Jonin quickly drew a rough schematic of the prison in the dirt with the tip of a kunai. The prison was T-shaped, with the arms being slightly longer than the stem. Six dots were arranged outside of the T, representing guard towers. A circle was drawn around it, representing the river coming from Kirigakure about twenty miles away. Another schematic was drawn; a 3-dimensional graph of the prison itself (so to speak) from an isometric view. Arrows were pointed at the door at the tip of the T's 'stem'; it was the front door in reality for the prison. A second level was drawn below the main complex; the bottom level was a straight corridor, with a big X drawn it. "All right...the prison is T-shaped, separated into a Main Wing, an East Wing, and a West Wing. However, there's a basement underneath the main complex: political prisoners and criminals condemned for execution are kept there." He tapped the 'X'. "Shirow will be there."

"But how do we get there?" asked Izzy.

THWAP.

The perverted Genin winced as Hiroto - having whapped him with his fist - muttered, "I'm getting to that." He pointed at Ryu. "You'll use Uddo; Ibara Ne Hishigu to strike at the guard towers from a distance." He pointed at Izzy. "You'll be a spotter. Once the two guard towers near the front are taken down, you'll use your 'Bakushi-endan' to create a smokescreen for Alpha Squad."

Ryu and Izzy nodded.

Hiroto pointed at Daio, Kai, and Suki. "You are Alpha Squad. You'll be storming the prison from the front doors. Don't worry about making a mess of things; just try not to accidentally kill Shirow. Beyond that, it's open season."

Kai pumped his fists. "Yes! Time to show my mad skillz!"

Daio sweatdropped. Bonehead.

"Beta Squad," The Jonin pointed at Riko, Genonosuke, and Akura. "Will be joining Izzy on clean-up duty once Alpha Squad's inside. The three of you boys will attack any guards that try to get inside the prison...use any means at your disposal. There's a river circling around the prison, serving as a moat...so you should be fine Riko."

Akura feebly said, "What about me...?"

"You'll jump onto the rooftop and serve as scout. The building's only a hundred feet tall; not as bad as some of the treets in Konoha, at any rate. If you can, pick off anyone from above if you get the chance. But mostly keep an eye open if reinforcements happen to come from Kirigakure. If reinforcements come, signal to Riko, Genonosuke, or Izzy."

"And you sir?" asked Ryu.

The Jonin smiled as he flexed his fingers. "Once everyone gets into position in the forest right outside of the prison's moat, Ryu will start taking out the guard towers. I'll be attacking the four Chuunin on my own. Won't be too difficult. Then I'll join up with you guys and help you extract Shirow. It'll take you guys about seven minutes to reach the prison from here...so this little 'hit-and-run' should take no more than a half hour. Once we get Shirow, we leave for Mioto."

Daio raised a hand. "One question: what does Shirow look like?"

Hiroto whipped out a photo from a vest pocket. "Courtesy of Mr. Hurtz." Shirow was a frail, almost spindly-looking man; his glasses, long frizzled black hair, and white trench coat made him look like a mad doctor stereotype from a cheesy horror book. "That is Shirow."

Hiroto stood up, his voice becoming stern and serious. "Remember. Be quick. Be swift. Strike to kill; these men are hired guards who won't offer you any mercy. Watch your backs. Watch your teammates' backs. And finally...stay alive. You have your orders. Move out."

The eight Genin nodded as they burst off for the prison.

xxxx

Izzy's eyes were silent as he looked at the large prison; with the stem being 100 yards long and 40 yards wide, and with the two stems combined being 120 yards long and 50 yards wide, the total area was roughly 10,000 square yards...and with one hundred feet of height, that equaled over 330,000 cubic yards. Add in the basement (if Hiroto's drawing was to scale), and that equaled over 500,000 cubic yards. That was a lot of area to cover.

The prison itself seemed normal enough; hard gray blocks of stone, with metal bars lining the windows, the doors made of hardened steel, and the guard towers of black stone. A few dozen muscular men armed with spears and short swords marched around the prison, their black jumpsuit and white masks being the only uniform they had. Even so, they were imposing enough. Atop the six guard towers were three archers each.

"Man, security looks tight," muttered Riko.

Genonosuke smirked as clutched the hilt of Kintetsu. "All the more fun for us."

Ryu calmly looked at the others. "Everyone remember their roles." He calmly moved off into another section of the forest and began concentrating, his chakra flowing around him. Finally...

"Uddo; Ibara Ne Hishigu!"

He quickly bent and touched the ground with one finger.

Moments later, as the ground rumbled...

CHOOOOOOM!

Startled shouts emerged as the guard tower to the immediate left of the prison door was broken apart at the base by massive thorny roots. The archers yelped out of shock as the tower crumbled underneath their feet, disappearing in a pile of rubble and rock.

Before the guards could realize what happened, the roots tore through the guard tower to the immediate right of the front doors.

Izumo's eyes narrowed. NOW! He darted out of the forest, reaching for his smoke bombs. "Ninpou; Bakushi-endan!"

The guards all yelped as smoke rushed outward, disorienting them even more. Izzy roared, "NOW!"

Daio, Kai, and Suki both rushed forward. Suki yelled, "We need to open those doors!"

"Leave it to me!" yelled Kai as he performed several katas before taking out his axes. "Doton; Dotonoonyuudou no jutsu!" He slammed both axes into the ground. Four earthen hands erupted from the ground, slamming into the steel door. They flew open, busted from their hinges.

As Alpha Squad ran inside - and a third guard tower was taken out - Beta Squad ran out into the field, with Izzy accompanying them.

Izzy drew his umbrella. Genonosuke unsheathed Kintetsu. Riko quickly made a dash for the moat. Akura ran towards the wall, hoping to make it up to the top...and, failing that, using the natural indents between stone blocks to climb up.

So far, so good.

xxxx

The four Chuunin's ears perked as they turned towards the prison's direction. "Chakra...and a lot of it."

"Think it might be in attack?"

A Chuunin with dark red hair snarled. "Who cares? Let's just hurry back and-"

SPLICK.

A kunai knife was impaled into the back of his skull, killing him instantly. The Chuunin next to him yelled, "WHAT THE-?"

SLASH!

He was beheaded by one clean swipe of a Leaf Jonin's arm-blade. The two remaining Chuunin quickly tried to perform some katas...

But against Yagami Hiroto, it was too late. He was already upon them.

xxxx

The swordsman with two swords blinked as his senses were 'pinged' by the sudden upswing of chakra flow...coming from the prison. "Hmm...puzzling."

The swordsman was roughly 5'11" tall, his hair fashioned into a messy bowl cut. He wore black robes over a white jumpsuit, with a red belt tying two black sheaths to his waist. The left sword's hilt was jet-black in color, with the right sword's hilt being colored pure blue. His dark eyes were narrowed into slits, and his childish face was was light in color.

One of the Seven Swordsmen quickened his pace towards the prison.

Unbeknownst to him, Rico'ki was roughly ten miles behind him.

And Zabuza was trailing one mile behind Rico'ki.

The stage had been set for one heck of a battle.

Izzy looked at Genonosuke, and then studied the guard patern. There was seven in front of him, so he figured he could shoot a kunai off each finger on his right hand, except his thumb, but there would still be three more. He could use the umbrella, but he wanted to save it for an overwhelming time. He looked at him and they were facing the same direction. "Okay, it's time for a back to back formation."

They assembled back to back, facing opposite directions. They were ready and set to attack. Izzy drew four kunai and put the loops around his fingers. He started to spin them, perfectly. They didn't even interrupt each other.

"Try not to kill them, okay Gen? We don't know these guys' stories. They could have a wife and kids. Get them in the leg or somewhere non-lethal if at all possible."

Izzy didn't like it when people died. These guys were just prison guards, not demon ninjas. They're just trying to make a living and survive. Maybe they have a little girl waiting for him at home. Maybe a beautiful wife. Maybe they live alone. In any case, it didn't matter because they didn't deserve to die.

At first thought, they are bad people. At second thought, they are just our enemy or objective. On third thought, they're the good guys where they live, and the bad guys where we live. I'm sure their first thought is that we're terrorists, but at the village, we're like the freedom fighters.

Genonosuke cocked a grin. "Yeah, they're just normal guys. It's the Mist Ninja we have to watch out for. But... Are those kunai even necessary, man? I say we just beat the crap out of them with blunt objects until they pass out." He transformed Kintetsu into a dull club, and readied himself. "Ok, Izzy... NOW!!!"

Riko observed the situation. In addition to the guards Genonosuke and Izzy were taking care of, there were four coming after him, and two going after Akura, who had slipped halfway while trying to run up the wall. She was climbing slowly, but the guards chasing her had bows. Not good...

Riko stood on the water of the moat, concentrating, then formed two katas. "Bird! Hare! Mizuboorudan no jutsu!" He spread his arms and cupped his hands, and the guards approaching him stopped in their tracks as the water flowed into Riko's hands. A brief ripple and a glow went through the water balls as Riko charged them with a small amount of his chakra, and he threw them at Akura's pursuers.

"What the?!"

"YAAAAARGH!"

The water balls hit the two men and exploded on contact, creating enough concussive force to send them flying ten feet and unconscious. Probably a broken rib or two, but nothing fatal. Riko grinned at the other four, who had suddenly decided to rush him. If I let loose my newest jutsu now, it'd ruin the surprise... Besides, I don't have enough water to make a convincing attack... Riko sighed, and focused again. Two larger balls came out of the water, became charged with chakra, then split into two normal-sized balls each. FOOSH! FOOFOOFOOSH! The other four guards were sent flying and all collapsed into a heap. Riko jumped off of the moat and walked to the pile of unconscious guards. He picked up one of their spears, and smiled. This'll make a nice souvenier. He Henge'd it into the form of a small ball that he placed in his pocket. The amount of chakra he had used would probably keep it that way for a few hours. Suddenly...

"Hands, up, kid." Riko felt a poke in his back and realized a guard had snuck up on him with his own spear. Riko smirked, and raised his hands as told. He was quiet, but I bet he's pretty slow... Let's see how he handles this. Riko took a half-step foward, bent backwards, and grasped the guard's spear with his hands. "Hey, what the?! LEGGO!" Riko suddenly did a backflip, and landed on the spear, crouching. Still holding onto the spear, he did another backflip and landed behind the guard, ripping the spear out of his hands. Before the guard could move, Riko had used his chakra to enhance his strength and bent the metal spear to restrain him with it.

"U-urgh... Please... Don't kill me! I have a wife and kids..."

"Kill you? I'm not a Mist Ninja! I'm no bloodthirsty monster like them... I can't guarantee anything about my cousin, though... And I do want some information." Riko grabbed the spear and forced it down, bringing the guard to his knees. "What do you know about the Mist Ninja, for starters?"

"I-I... Like you said, they're bloodthirsty monsters from what I know... But I wouldn't dare say that to their face!"

"Do you see them often?"

"T-they don't usually hang around here, but yes, I do see them when I'm not on duty..."

"What kind of water techniques do they know?"

"I ...haven't seen any myself, but I hear that they can do things like that water ball you threw... But much more greater, and deadly! They can suspend a person in a ball of water, and force them to drown! Or they can replicate themselves, or even summon a dragon made of water!"

"Replicate themselves, you said? Like a Water Clone? Mizu Bunshin?"

"Yes, that's it... ...Please, don't hurt me..."

"Ok, that's enough. Thanks." Riko bent down and unwrapped the spear around the guard.

"W-what are you doing?!"

"I'm letting you go. Is there a problem?"

"They'll kill me if I return now unhurt and alone..."

"...Ok, then. I understand..." Balling up his fist, Riko slammed his knuckles into the guard with a chakra reinforced punch. The guard fell cold to the ground.

Riko stared at the guard for a few moments, wondering about what horrible people the Mist Ninja must be if even the guards here were afraid of them. Huh. Well, no one said a ninja community-clan had to be good... just loyal. I still can't believe people would mistreat our... gift like that though. Killing classmates, drowning opponents, and giving their shadows the likeness of a demon to instill fear... I'm going to do like Hiroto-sensei said... No mercy for those bastards.

Akura looked around from the top of the prison, scanning the horizon. Everything looked clear... no, wait a minute...

"RIKO-KUN! GENONOSUKE! IZZY! There's someone coming!!!!"

"WHAT IS IT AKURA?!" Izzy screamed. He hoped that it wasn't anything terrible and may be it was just sensei.

Oh man, he would be so proud of us!

He snapped back to three other guards and threw shuriken at their feet, stopping them dead in their tracks. He ran over to them and punched the one in the middle in the stomach, and kicked the one on the left in his....area. He grabbed the one on the right's nose and yanked it, bringing him into a head lock position, still tugging his nose.

"OWW! THAT HURTS! LET GO!" The guard said in the kind of voice that someone would make with their nose plugged.

"IT'S SUPPOSED TO HURT!" He thought for a second of funny things to do to this guy. He remembered sensei. He let out a yell. "NOOGIE NO JUTSU!" Then, he proceeded to give him noogies.

Genonosuke had to keep himself from rolling as Izzy made sport of the guard. Riko, though...

He was already running up the side of the prison, barely keeping his chakra balanced enough to keep from slipping. "Where, Akura?" Riko said as he joined her at the top. She pointed, and Riko squinted. He could barely make anything out from this distance, but it definitely wasn't Hiroto-sensei. The approaching stranger was coming from the opposite direction Hiroto had been in, and even from this distance, Riko could tell that his clothing was different. "A... black robe? He looks armed, but he's not wearing the same outfit as the Mist Ninja. With any luck, he's only the warden or a random passersby." That last one can't be true, though... Riko leaped off the building, landed in the moat, and shot out of the water. "Genonosuke, Izzy! A Swordsman in black robes approaching from the east! He doesn't look like a Mist Ninja, but be ready for anything!"

Genonosuke suddenly grinned. "A swordsman, you say? Randomly showing up, wearing robes instead of the Mist Ninja or prison guard uniform... Maybe he's one of the Seven!" Genonosuke was shaking from excitement, and he turned to face the east.

Riko shook his head. Whoever it was, he didn;t want trouble with him. But if the guy was looking for it... That was a different story. Izzy twitched. "One of the Seven...? The Seven Swordsman you told me Hiroto-sensei told you about?"

Genonosuke grinned fiercer. "Yep! Just a matter o' time."

"Genonosuke, don't underestimate him. If he IS one of the Seven-"

"Aw, shut up, Riko. If he's one of the Seven, he'll probably kick my ass. Yadda yadda. There's three of us, and we're not exactly pushovers. Still, you're right. I'm not going to underestimate him. In fact... While we're waiting, let me tell you about this idea I had."

"Hmmm?"

As Ryu watched the last watchtower crumble, he couldn't help but feel a little bad despite what the Sensei had said.
Every one of the men on those towers was a father, a brother, a son... he thought, running to aid the rest in their respective tasks. He knew that Sensei had told him his job was enough, but he just couldn't sit and wait while the others might need assistance. But I know to never let my feelings cloud my best judgement as a ninja.

When he reached the main area where the others were,he boosted himself up to the roof using some ivy growing on the wall. All of a sudden, his attention was drawn to a black-robed figure walking calmly over the battlefield towards them. "The towers are down; everyone, but keep your wits about you. This guy might be too much for all of you." He warned the others watching his approach.
"And who are you, the sensei all of a sudden?" Geno asked tauntingly.
"Well, no, but I don't think we can afford a fight, even four-on-one, with whoever this person is right now. We have to keep focus on the task at hand." Ryu spoke matter-of-factly, calm even in the heat of the seige.
"Yeah, I know, are you going to shut up and let me talk?" Genonosuke retorted.
"I suppose so."

Akura walked up from behind Ryu, and stood next to Riko. "Make that five on one, if it comes to that." I'm not abandoning my friends now!

Riko nodded, and felt his heart pounding. He had never been in a serious combat before, but now... Their very lives might be on the line.

Genonosuke grinned his ever constant grin, and patted Kintetsu. Riko and Izzy had been impressed with his idea, but it was still a longshot to work. "By the way, Riko... I saw you use a Jutsu yesterday. Think you can muster that particular one up again?"

Riko smirked. "Sure. And I'll make sure you're not the target this time."

Genonosuke blanched. What?! I thought he didn't even know I was out there... What does he mean, "I was the target"?

OOC: So many people posting today. o.o

xxxx

"Doton; Doruki Gaeshi!"

Hiroto calmly flipped a patch of land upward before slamming it down atop the four corpses of the Kirigakure Chuunin. It would keep them hidden for the time being. The Leaf Jonin smiled. "That didn't take long."

He quickly turned his attention in the direction of the prison-

Hold on.

One...two...THREE sources of chakra...BIG ones...

And one very familiar one...

Yagami Hiroto burst off toward the prison.

xxxx

Daio looked at the cringing, muscular guard before her; her 'Banmoku Kon no jutsu' had shown her the guard's worst fear...strangely, it had been a strange-looking Mist swordsman. Naturally, she used 'Henge' to transform into the white-haired swordsman...at the mere sight of her transformed form, the guard had screamed and had fallen into fear-induced spasms. Who is this person that makes him so scared?

She grabbed the keys and chuckled somewhat nervously. "I've got the keys."

"GOOD!" bellowed Kai as he and Suki walked into the tile-covered room; they were in a junction that led to the basement stairs. "Now we can find this Shirow guy and get the heck out of here!"

Kai led the way down the stairs, both axes in hand. Daio was in the middle, one kunai in hand. Suki had the rear, her hand holding one large shuriken (easily two feet in diameter). They had already incapacitated two dozen guards...no deaths yet.

"LOOK! INTRUDERS!"

Further down the stairs came five guards, each one armed with swords. Kai laughed. "All right...time to teach you guys a lesson!" The Leaf Genin brandished his axes and leapt forward.

xxxx

Akura paled at the sight of the white-haired swordsman in black coming towards the prison. He looked...deadly. Very deadly. Something about him didn't sit right.

Before Genonosuke could share his idea, she yelped. "Look!"

The other four Genin turned to see the swordsman suddenly stop. Izzy blinked out of confusion. "What's he doing...?"

It was at that moment that swordsman suddenly grabbed the blue hilt of one of his swords...and even from a mile away, they could hear his roar.

"SCREAM CHAKETSU!"

The swordsman swung.

To the shock of the four Genin, a blue wave sliced through the ground in a straight line, splitting the prison in half. The concussive force of the energy caused everyone to stumble to their feet.

When they finally got to their feet, they could see the white-haired shinobi standing on the roof, ten yards away...looking at them with narrow eyes and that creepy grin.

"My my," said the swordsman, his voice sounding childish in tone...but the underlying chill was enough to send a shiver down the Genin's spine. "Leaf ninja...and Genin at that. Where's your Jonin-sensei?"

Ryu's eyes narrowed as he cocked an arrow and took aim. "None of your business." It was a feint; he had no intention of actually fighting the swordsman. But he had to show that he wasn't afraid...

Of course, it only made the swordsman laugh. "Silly boy...you think that trinket can harm me? Now...tell me why you are here in the Water Country."

"None of your business," grumbled Genonosuke as he tapped his left foot. Another tap and that would be the signal to enact his plan. "Tell us why YOU'RE here...because I don't think you have jurisdiction outside of your village."

The swordsman giggled. "My my...gutsy fellow. If you must know, I am one of the Seven Mist Swordsmen...Goukamaru the Double-Blade. And I was sent here by the Mizukage to prevent the prisoner Shirow from escaping."

The five Genin paled; they had suspected ninja involvement...but nothing so bad as a Jonin...and a MIST SWORDSMAN at that. And now there was a conflict of interests.

Goukamaru smiled as he grabbed the right sword's hilt; the jet-black one. "I've already showed you the power of Chaketsu the Chakra Blade...now I'll show you the might of Mugenjin, that commands the Blood Flame..."

Genonosuke tapped his foot again.

Time for the plan.

Riko snapped to attention, and filled his hands with shuriken. Goukamaru smirked as Riko threw the small yet deadly weapons at the Mist Swordsman. He easily sidestepped them, but not before he noticed a flicker of movement. His eyes trailed over the Genin, but none of them had moved, it seemed. Was it his imagination?

"BANZAI!!!!!" Goukamaru suddenly looked behind him to find Genonosuke, who had had Riko quickly replace him with a Bunshin so as to fool(?) Goukamaru. Genonosuke had quickly moved around and on top of the prison, and was now STANDING on two of the flying shuriken. Genonosuke flew towards Goukamaru on the shuriken, directing his flight path (and those of all the other shuriken) with his magnetic jutsu. Genonosuke waved his blade in the air. "Kinzoku; kinkimikaeru no jutsu!" Goukamaru just smiled, and began to draw his blade.

Riko, however, wasn't standing around anymore either. Summoning his strength, he called water from the moat and launched two Mizuboorudans near the Mist Swordsman's feet, which distracted Goukamaru for a split second. Genonosuke changed his blade into the magnetized whip from before, aiming for Chaketsu...

Somethings already started, I'm late. But it couldn't be helped, I would have not been in any condition to fight had I not slowed down to recover.

Hiroto, this will end here. The nightmares will end tonight.

In mid-run the very un-athletic looking young man made a few seals and muttering silently to himself, "Datto no Jutsu." He felt a massive surge of energy wash over his whole body, making the effort of running non-existant for him, and faster, much faster. It also effected his vision, the trees came exponentially faster and forced his awareness to raise in an equal amount. He'd be there soon.

Zabuza felt the sudden burst of speed and increased to match it, it was a strain. Something was odd, he'd never had trouble keeping pace with the physically inferior Rico before. Had he been holding back, and if so, why?

"ROAR...MUGENJIN!"

Goukamaru drew his other sword; it looked like a normal katana...except the blade was saw-edged, like a steak knife. He spun around, striking the ground with his blade...

And suddenly, fire encompassed Mugenjin. The five Genin paled as he spun around in a circle, creating a cyclone of fire that spread outward.

The water that Riko had used evaporated. Genonosuke was pushed back, as were the others. When the flames receded, the swordsman was smiling with a sadistic grin on his face. "Trying to get the best of me...? SURELY YOU JEST...YOU LITTLE WORMS!!!" He charged at Riko, Mugenjin drawn and at the ready.

Akura's red eyes widened. Oh no. Riko-kun! Her legs moved on her own as she dashed as fast as she could...

Riko hurryingly tried to perform a few katas, trying to do SOMETHING...

Goukamaru reared his arm, as he scratched the tip of Mugenjin against his metal sheath; the flames roared once more around the sword...

Riko raised his arms; he couldn't do anything...

Goukamaru swung...

FOOSH

Riko felt nothing.

He opened his eyes...and saw a girl with light purple hair standing in front of him. NO.

Bachiwaka Akura had taken the blow meant for Riko. A diagonal slash across the chest...the flames having cauterized the wound...but it was still a ghastly thing.

Akura gurgled. "Ugh...Riko...kun..."

Before Riko could do anything, Goukamaru kicked her in the face, sending her into the air...off the roof...and into the moat. The swordsman snorted as he dismissed the flames with one quick swipe of the sword. "Silly child..."

Chakuya Riko had never been one to show much emotion....but never had he felt such raw, all-encompassing fury...and rage...this man wasn't like the guards...he deserved nothing except DEATH! "YOU...YOU'LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO AKKI!" He pulled out his two keys and formed his special Bo staff, aiming it for the swordsman's forehead.

Goukamaru quickly unsheathed Chaketsu; aside from the blue hilt, the only thing making it different from Kintetsu was a design ornamentation: a blue line that weaved around the sword. He held both blades, ducked under the Bo staff, and roared, "X-SLASH!"

Riko soundlessly gasped as the blades slashed across his chest, creating an X-shaped wound...and unlike Akura's wound, it was fresh and bloody. The blue-haired Genin gurgled as he flew backwards from the blow...and fell into the moat.

Goukamaru smirked as he licked the blood off of Chaketsu. "Mmm...invigorating."

"...he's insane..." muttered Izzy out of absolute fear. He slumped to his rear, a cold sweat coming down his forehead. "...this isn't right...we're not supposed to be fighting Jonin-level ninja yet..."

"Too bad," said Goukamaru as he walked towards Genonosuke. He turned his attention toward the black-haired Chakuya, his narrow eyes looking at him as if confused. "Hmm...you're not even going to defend yourself?"

Genonosuke wasn't entirely sure. He had Kintetsu in his hand, once more as a katana. One quick slash...but he couldn't. He was frozen in place...his plan hadn't worked...and it had angered the Mist Swordsman enough to make him strike Akura...and Riko...

Akura...Riko...!

"Pathetic," muttered Goukamaru with a sneer. "Dying like a coward...you give swordsmen a bad name."

Genonosuke could only muster up an infuriated growl...but he couldn't find it in himself to feel offended. After all, he was about to die.

"Farewell," muttered the Mist ninja as he raised Mugenjin.

Yagami Hiroto suddenly appeared between Genonosuke and Goukamaru. "A bit too early to say goodbyes, don't you think?"

The swordsman blinked as he saw the right gauntlet...and he paled at the hitai-ate over his face. "You...you're in our bingo book...you're Yagami Hiroto...the Blind Sentinel of the Leaf!"

"Glad you noticed. KONOHA HASAI ASHIGE!"

Goukamaru gagged as Hiroto delivered a crushing kick to his gut, sending him flying. The Leaf Jonin immediately took off for the Mist Swordsman.

Izumo nearly soiled himself. "...wow...we're alive...oh man...my heart won't stop..." Ryu shared Izzy's shock with silence instead of words.

As for Genonosuke...he merely pounded the roof out of anger...and regret. He had frozen up...just like when he had beheaded Hiroto's Shadow Clone...but this was different...this time...when it had mattered...when he had had the chance to avenge Riko and Akura...he had choked up.

This sucks.

xxxx

Searing pain. The water, which had been so cool and refreshing was now like a smoldering iron to his injury. Riko grimaced as he tried to move...but he couldn't. The pain was too great.

He barely tilted his head...and looked at Akura, floating face-up in the water. "A...Akki..." He tried to reach for her...

Then the darkness of unconsciousness claimed him.

Moments later, a red-haired man arrived, slowing to a stop outside the moat where Akura and Riko lay, floating and out cold.

The determination that Rico'ki had felt slightly ebbed at the sight of the children...but he quickly steeled himself and looked afar towards Hiroto and Goukamaru, who were now on the ground and off the prison roof. It ends now.

EDIT'D AGAIN: POST IS BACK.

IC:
Ryu, angry at himself for not doing anything during the battle and the others for choosing to fight in the first place, ran to the edge of the roof, being careful to avoid the places where the roof had weakened due to the fierce battle.

He looked over the edge into the moat, and saw his two unconsious teammates floating in the water, ignoring the approaching man in his haste. He realized he had to do something or they'd drown. He exerted the same control which lingered from the destruction of the towers to summon a pair of giant vines from the earth, which gently wrapped around the two floating bodies and lifted them upward, depositing them on the roof in front of him.
Acting quickly, he took out the medical kit which William had given him before Ryu had departed and cleansed and bandaged the wounds, Wincing at the blood flowing from Riko's chest. He laid both down behind a battlement, where he hoped they would be relatively safe from the battle between the two Jonin.

OOC: There. Also, someone needs to summarize what just happened in the last page or so. All this rapidfire posting is getting ridiculous.

"SCREAM CHAKETSU!"

Hiroto dodged to the side as wave of energy sliced at him from Goukamaru's blade. The Leaf Jonin quickly performed katas with one hand before yelling, "Doton; Doryuudan no jutsu!"

An earthen dragon erupted from the ground, slamming into the swordsman with a resounding crash. A quake rumbled through the area for a few moments.

Hiroto remained silent...and then he slowly turned around to come face-to-face with a familiar face. "Rico'ki."

"Hiroto," muttered the pale spy.

Hiroto smirked as his ears twitched. "Your muscles haven't grown at all. Neglecting to work out?"

Ignoring the obvious attempt at trying to rile him, Rico'ki grumbled, "You've done well, considering loss of your eyes."

"Oh, I managed," said Hiroto as he looked at his former teammate. "So...if you don't mind, I've got some teammates to tend to and a mission to complete. Mind stepping aside?"

xxxx

The quake caused by Hiroto's earthen dragon caused Riko and Akura - both still unconscious - caused the battlement that the two lay upon to crack and crumble. The building had already been considerably weakened by Goukamaru's Chaketsu...and the miniature quake caused parts of it to break.

Riko and Akura both fell from the roof and back into the moat, creating large splashes...but due to the rumbling quake, no one else had heard.

Riko and Akura both surfaced, still KO'd.

Footsteps.

Momochi Zabuza frowned at the sight of the two wounded children. "Hmm..." He glanced at the mound of dirt that Goukamaru was trying to dig himself out of...and Rico'ki, who was facing a Leaf Jonin. "Hmm? Interesting...the Blind Sentinel of Konoha...Yagami Hiroto." He sneered. It's been awhile since I've seen his face...it looks better considering his condition last time.

The Jonin turned towards the two children. "Hmm..." He smirked. He was one of the few who knew of Rico'ki's hidden affinity for children...and these two would be perfect for luring the powerful ninja into a trap. Once he removed him, an obstacle over the long-term would be gone.

Zabuza smirked as he hoisted the girl and the boy over his shoulders. The entire fate of Kirigakure itself was going to change over the next few days...and he would be the one to set it in motion. He just needed to remove a few pests...and Rico'ki was one of them.

With that knowledge, Zabuza of the Seven Mist Swordsmen left the prison and set off for Kirigakure...with an unconscious Riko and Akura in tow.

However, Izzy managed to see him leave at the last moment.

xxxx

OOC: There. That should fix the continuity bug between Wonderbat's post and Zabuza fishing them out of the moat.

OOC: There goes my post. I'm out untill you stop paddle ball posting and give me a chance.

"AKURA! RKIO! NO!" He screamed. "He whispered to Genonosuke, "We have to go save them. We have to find a way to get past that mist ninja." He thought about his Jutsus for a second.

Maybe I could use the Hellview jutsu...nah. I haven't perfected that yet. Maybe someone can help me do a Shadow Windmill technique, and they could transform into the one of giant shuriken, and I could run past him while he's distracted.

Gen, you're good with transformation jutsus, right?

OOC: Okay, I'm a bit confused here.

Wonderbat: Out of continuity? What was so bad about Zabuza finding Riko and Akura?

Rico: Okay, now I'm really confused now. Your post made it seem like he WANTED to face Hiroto.

Preposted OOC: He does, but it won't let him. You don't get to know what 'it' is.

OOC: Trying to salvage this. If you don't like it, too bad. Rico couldn't have gone afer Hiroto first, physically he couldn't have. It's to do with his background. Like I said, Rico DOESN'T like kids. Theres something else as work here.

Finally, we finish this. The cloud will lift and... He made a pained grunt trying to move.

The voice slammed into his brain like the edge of a sword. "Those born like us cannot help our fate, it is decided what we will be. Tengoku cannot neglect their duty, because its not a duty they choose. You will protect the innocent before all other things, there is no way for you to stop it."

Rico snarled and lurched forward, trying to break into a run toward Hiroto, only to fall in the moat with Akura and Riko from a seemingly invisible pain in his head.

"Rico'ki" A voice sighed in his head, "Stop playing around with that kid, people will look down on for it. He's not like us." Water all over, cold, he couldn't move. It wasn't hypothermia, it was his mind, it wouldn't let him go. "Don't let me die Rico-kun!" The was small and weak, but familiar. The cloud refused to lift, he couldn't remember anything.

His eye's opened, his brain finally giving him control of his head again. He saw the two kids badly injured, then thought about Hiroto again and tried to force himself to standing. He fell back down again, unable to move.

"Don't let me die!" The voice came loudly, he could almost see the person yelling. The form fell silent quietly falling into a small heap, slowly the blur became worse. He managed to open his unsubmerged eye again to see the blur again. Suddenly he forgot why he was there, the blur cleared this time. The form that had be crying for his help in his mind had turned into an unconscious Riko, in Zabuza's possession.

There was a suddenly flare to the man's eyes as he sat up and stared at the retreating kidnapper. He remembered the child trapped in the cave, it sent something through him had hadn't felt in a long time, since before the cloud. He couldn't remember much else. The voices he couldn't place. But he knew what his mind was screaming for. He shot to his feet, the small nub of a ponytail his hair was in messed up by the fall. All his attention seemed to be on the now vanished Zabuza as he jumped up out of the moat. His muddy overcoat fluttered around him from the force of the jump.

He stormed off after the man with a look of pure hatred on his face. His pace was very slow, as if it was a fast as he could move.

"RIKO! AKURA!" Genonosuke saw Zabuza hauling off his cousin and friend, and suddenly lost it. "YOU BASTAAAARD! THEY'RE ALREADY HURT OR WORSE, AND I'M NOT GONNA LET YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE TO THEM!" Genonosuke suddenly rocketed at Zabusa with unparalleled speed, but the Mist Ninja simply shrugged, and held up two fingers. Mist enveloped the area, and Genonosuke lost sight of them. "AAAAAAARGH!" Genonosuke ran foward through the mist, and promptly ran into a tree. "Riko... Akura... Dammit! Forget the mission for now... The others have it more than handled with sensei's help! Huh. We were chosen because of our bond, right?! Well, I'm going to show what that bond means! I know it's against the rules to leave in the middle of a mission like this... And those who break the rules are scum." Genonosuke scratched his nose, and suddenly took off through the clearing mist. "But those who abandon their friends are WORSE SCUM!"

"Genonosuke!!!" Izzy called. Dammit, where did he go? Izzy sighed, and got back to the job at hand.

Much Later...

A villager was pinned against the wall in Mioto, with Kintetsu pointing at his throat. "Where is the Mist Village?! Where is Kinagakure?!" "I don't know, I swear!" Genonosuke tossed the frightened man to the side, and swore. This was getting him nowhere.

"...You wish to go to the Village Hidden In the Mist?" a voice asked from behind him. Genonosuke turned to find a Mist Chuunin standing there. "I can take you there." Genonosuke raised an eyebrow, and scoffed. "You're a Mist Ninja, why should I trust you?" The Chuunin frowned. "I know why you wish to go there. I saw Zabuza, one of the Seven Swordsman, take two children away on his shoulders. You shortly followed, but went in a completely different direction. I followed you here..." The Chuunin's eyes shone in the light. "...I sympathize with you. For my Genin test, I... I had to kill my best friend. That day... I wish it'd never have happened, that I had been the one to die. Unfortunately, life goes on. I killed him. There's no going back. But your friends are still alive... And let us just say I don't necessarily agree with the Mist Village's ways." The Chuunin extended his hand in a gesture of friendship. "My name is Dagaza Hyuuten. Call me Hyuu." Genonosuke hesitated for a minute, then shook the Mist Ninja's hand. "Chakuya Genonosuke."

A shaky alliance later, and the two were heading for the Hidden Mist Village; Genonosuke's team unaware.

OOC: O.o

I have absolutely no friggin idea what the hell is going on! SOmeone wanna help the stupid kid out on this?

OOC: Since there's enough OOC'ing going on already, I'm putting my other post back up since Ultra says it doesn't F*** up the storyline.

OOC: Okay. Due to the insane posting today, everyone's in a bit of a mix-up. I'll post a recap, along with a post tying things up. So no one post till I edit.

Okay, begin the recap, starting with SS1's arrival to the Water Country.

Special Squad One travelled from Mioto towards Kirigakure, as the target prison was near the mountain range that surrounded the Hidden Mist Village. While they were heading for the prison, the Mizukage commissioned one of the Seven Swordsmen - Goukamaru the Double-Blade - to assist the four Chuunin currently on patrol around the prison. At the same time, Rico'ki - who had just finished delivering his spy reports via long distance - sensed foriegn chakra. Recognizing Hiroto's chakra, he immediately left...and Zabuza, feeling curious, followed as well.

Outside the prison, Hiroto drew up a plan: Ryu would destroy the closest guard towers; Izzy would then used 'Bakushi-endan' to provide a smokescreen; Alpha Squad (Daio, Kai, and Suki) would storm the prison and release Shirow; once Alpha Squad was inside, Beta Squad (Genonosuke, Riko, and Akura) would be joined by Izzy in dealing with the outside guards (Akura's task was acting as scout from the rooftop). Hiroto would deal with the four Chuunin before regrouping with the others.

That's when Goukamaru arrived.

Using Chaketsu, he sliced the prison in half and revealed himself to Ryu (who had joined the battle after destroying the guard towers), Izzy, Riko, Genonosuke, and Akura on the rooftop. Riko and Genonosuke tried to take one of his swords using some trickery, but they failed; all that happened was that Goukamaru became ANGRY. He attacked Akura, who had jumped in front of Riko, and kicked her into the moat. In a fit of rage, Riko attacked...but he was also dealt with in one swift strike, joining Akura in the moat. Genonosuke, Izzy, and Ryu were frozen stiff by the swordsman's swift attack...and just before he struck down Genonosuke, Hiroto arrived.

(Okay. Due to some discrepancies on my part, there was a mix-up with Riko and Akura. After some minor editing in my 'Kidnap' post, I managed to tie in Wonderbat's post with Ryu putting Riko and Akura atop the roof to Rico's post with Rico'ki falling into the moat they were in. Apologies to Wonderbat for making a mess of things.)

Ryu placed Akura and Riko on a battlement atop the prison roof while he joined Izzy and Genonosuke in witnessing Hiroto fighting Goukamaru. At this point, Rico'ki arrived...and after Hiroto buried Goukamaru in a pile of dirt, he spoke with the Leaf Jonin, all but announcing his intention to fight. Suddenly, Rico'ki collapsed into the moat for reasons unknown to everyone except himself. He arose from the moat just in time to see Riko and Akura - who had fallen into the moat due to a minor quake from Hiroto's Earth Dragon Blast - being carried out by Zabuza. In a sudden fit of quiet fury, he began following the Mist Jonin...which brings us to now.

Zabuza took Riko and Akura and is heading back to Kirigakure. Rico'ki has suddenly decided to pursue Zabuza leaving Hiroto and the other Genin to deal with Goukamaru and the rescue of Shirow. Genonosuke abandoned Special Squad One to find Riko and Akura, but lost his way due to Zabuza's 'Kirigakure no jutsu: Hinding-in-Mist Technique'. Then - much later - in Mioto, Genonosuke is alone and desperately trying to find a way to the Hidden Mist Village...where he obtains the help of a disillusioned Mist Chuunin named Hyuu.

That should cover it. I'll try and tie everything up so we can jump right back in to the nitty gritty. Hope that's cleared stuff up.

xxxx

Hiroto frowned as he suddenly watched Rico'ki fall into a moat. What the?

"RAH!"

The Leaf Jonin turned around to see Goukamaru erupt from the earth, his swords sheathed. He performed several hand signs and yelled, "Mizu bunshin no jutsu! Water Clone!"

Ten streams of water - water from the moat - snaked around Goukamaru and formed ten exact copies of the Mist Swordsman. All eleven Goukamarus unsheathed their blades.

Hiroto frowned. "Fine then. I'll bite. Kage bunshin no jutsu!" Ten Shadow Clones appeared...and all eleven Hirotos brandished the arm-blade and a kunai knife in the left hand.

The twenty-two combatants engaged in a furious melee of flashing steel, neither one paying attention to Rico'ki suddenly getting out of the moat.

xxxx

Zabuza suddenly frowned as he whirled around. Although he was too far away to see Rico'ki...the murderous intent was unmistakably strong. Unthinkable...that frail little weakling intends to kill me...and he has the power to back it up. I'll have to make a change of plans and drop these kids off somewhere...

He knew where.

He quickened his pace, using his 'Kirigakure no jutsu' to create a thick blanket of fog and mist to mislead the pursuer.

xxxx

Izzy was having a nervous breakdown. "Oh man...this is not good." Riko and Akura had been kidnapped, and Genonosuke had run off half-cocked to rescue them on his own. "Crap. Crap crap crap crap!"

Ryu frowned as he said, "No use worrying about it now...I managed to bandage their wounds, so at least they won't die on their way to wherever it is they've been taken to."

Rumbling.

A large hand made of earth erupted from within the prison, clenched into a fist. Ryu and Izzy jumped as the hand curled and opened...dropping four figures onto the roof.

Daio.

Suki.

And Kai, who was holding a frail man with frazzled and unkempt black hair. The glasses he had in the photo were gone; obviously taken away. He wore nothing but gray workpants...and his chest and arms were lined with whip marks.

Ryu grimaced. "Tortured."

"Yes..." whispered the engineer, a cocky smirk on his face. "But they didn't get the blueprints...only I know where they are...they'd have to gut me to get me to spill the beans..."

"Good enough," said Daio as she looked around. "...three team members are missing. Where's Akura? And Riko?"

"And Genonosuke?" asked Suki as she looked down into the hole; the guards Alpha Squad HADN'T incapacitated were busy trying to settle down the inmates, who were all on the verge of rioting.

Izzy grimaced. "Riko and Akura were both hurt badly...and they were taken by a Mist ninja with a large sword on his back...one of the Seven Swordsmen. Genonosuke left to get them..."

Daio frowned. That wasn't good; Genonosuke leaving on his own in ENEMY territory? He was as good as captured. "This is bad..."

Suddenly, Goukamaru was fell onto the roof near them. The swordsman grunted as he stood, glaring at Hiroto.

The Leaf Jonin brushed at the several cuts along his arm and leg...but they were mostly superficial. "All right Goukamaru...we've already gotten Shirow, so you failed trying to keep him from escaping...besides, your little 'move' earlier nearly destroyed the prison. I'm sure the Water Country won't be happy...or Kirigakure for that matter."

The Mist Swordsman grimaced as he looked at the spindly man being held by Kai...and then he smiled. "Fine then...it doesn't really matter to Kirigakure anyway whether this guy stays here or not. Besides...some of your number is missing. I'll take consolation in that." With a series of quick leaps and bounds, he was gone.

Hiroto sighed as rubbed his neck. "Well...that's taken care of." He turned to Shirow as the arm-blade receded into the gauntlet. "We'll be taking you to Mr. Hurtz in Mioto...and since I don't want to waste any chakra, I'll carry you there on my back."

Shirow eagerly accepted. "It's fine. I'll be glad to be back in the company of some civilized people for a change." As Hiroto gave the engineer a piggyback ride, a confused Izzy asked, "But...aren't we going to rescue Riko, Akura, and Genonosuke?"

The Jonin calmly said, "We have a mission to complete first. That's all there is to it." Without hesitation, he leapt off the prison roof and leapt away. Five confused and tired Genin followed suit...with more than a few wondering if they were abandoning their comrades.

xxxx

Outside Kirigakure.

Zabuza calmly stood inside a thick forest that stood on one of the mountains surrounding the Hidden Mist Village. He had managed to beat Rico'ki back by a safe distance...so he had time to try and get the red-haired ninja off his tail. He calmly stuck his massive blade into the ground and pried open a hidden lid of metal; it had been concealed by sod and grass: a clever disguise.

Zabuza calmly descended down into the darkened cavern, Riko and Akura on his shoulders. After a few minutes of walking in near darkness - due to his training in an Assassin's Corps, he could've made it through there blindfolded - he finally took note of ambient light from further ahead. "Haku."

"Zabuza-sama!" chirped the young boy as he brought a torch and lit the rest of the way for his lord and master. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of the two children on the Jonin's shoulder. "Who are they?"

"Captives," replied the Jonin as he sat them down beside each other on the cot. It was a tight fit, but it was manageable. "Keep an eye on them. If they awaken, don't hesitate to feed them or give them water. I want them alive...and if they try to escape, don't hesitate to bust a knee or anything."

Haku nodded with an inncoent smile. "Yes Zabuza-sama."

The Mist Swordsman smirked as he returned from where he had come; once reacing the surface, he closed the lid back into its resting spot, sealing the hidden cavern once more. Now he had to go through the gates of Kirigakure and make a beeline straight to the Meditation Tower. If Rico'ki decided to ask anyone, he'd get the answer that Zabuza came alone into the village and went to the Meditation Tower. And seeing as how Rico only knew of the cavern entrance INSIDE the village...hopefully, it would make him think he had dropped the children off elsewhere.

Zabuza smirked. Soon...Kirigakure will be mine.
xxxx

Evening.

Mioto.

Mr. Hurtz smiled at the sight of SS1 and Shirow. "Excellent...you're missing a few members, but that's to be expected from such a harrowing mission."

Kai snorted. Pompous douchebag.

"Did they get the blueprints?" asked Mr. Hurtz. Shirow shook his head. "No...I'll show you why." He suddenly started convulsing...swallowing air...and then, he suddenly vomited.

Out came a small plastic bag with a crumpled piece of paper inside: the blueprints.

The Genin's eyes widened; Shirow hadn't been kidding when he said that he'd have to be gutted for the blueprints to be found.

Mr. Hurtz smiled. "Clever." He turned towards Hiroto and pulled out a check. It was detailed for 10,000 dollars. "Payment for services rendered."

The Jonin remained silent as he pocketed the check inside his inner vest pocket, zipping it shut. "Very well...now that's done with. We've completed our mission...and we have allies to rescue."

The five Genin suddenly perked up, their attitudes becoming considerably better. They were going back to Kirigakure!

Mr. Hurtz snorted. "I've no time to wait."

"Two days. That's all."

The businessman frowned...and then he sighed, running a hand through his green hair. "Fine. I'll try and keep the Nautilus at shore...but hurry. Gato doesn't want to be kept waiting."

Hiroto nodded. "Good..." He turned to the remaining members of Special Squad One. "Follow me. We'll go to Kirigakure via a different route...and enter the village by morning. We'll go over details once we get set up camp for the night."

The five Genin nodded as they followed Hiroto away from the docks. Mr. Hurtz and Shirow both boared the large vessel, intent on resting for the night.

Hiroto led Ryu, Daio, Suki, Kai, and Izzy out of Mioto...at the same time Hyuu was leading Genonosuke out via a different route. Their destination was the same: Kirigakure.

And thirty minutes later, the Nautilus left Mioto; Mr. Hurtz had no intention of waiting.

Douchebag indeed.

xxxx

OOC: There. That should help.

And DDK, it's 'Kirigakure', not 'Kinagakure'. 😛

OOC: BANANA POST aka I slipped up.

OOC: Genonosuke got it wrong, not me. =P

IC:

Riko slowly came to, a sweet smell in his nostrils. What the...?

"I see you're awake."

Riko's eyes snapped open, and he noticed he was restrained. A ...girl? ...boy? ...something was kneeling in front of Riko holding a basket of freshly picked herbs. "Someone tended to your wounds already, but these herbs should also help. They'll also render you drowsy, so you can't escape easily. I am simply glad I could find herbs like these growing in this area without exposing myself." Riko's eyes faltered. Yep, he was pretty drowsy. But, who...?

He must have said it aloud, because the boy looked at him with a new expression. "...I am Haku. Zabusa-sama has given me the task of watching over you."

"...Za...Zabusa...? Who is that?"

At this, Haku smiled. "He is a wonderful, beautiful man. I owe him more than I can ever be grateful for..."

"So we're captured. You're a Mist Ninja, then?"

"I am not of the village. Zabusa-sama, however..."

Riko's eyes suddenly widened. "Zabusa... Now I know where I've heard that name before! I did some research on the Water Country and read about the Demon of the Mist... Is this man the same?"

Haku frowned. "So, I see your people call him the same as the rest of this country, who blindly assume they know him? I assure you that there is only one Zabusa-sama in Kirigakure."

Riko looked around. "This is a cave, not a dungeon... I'm guessing this Zabusa didn't capture us for the village... What is he planning?"

Haku smiled again. "It is not my business to question what Zabusa-sama does. You, and I... will find out sooner or later if Zabusa-sama wishes."

Riko sighed, then suddenly a light came on in his head. "..Akura?" A low moan issued from his side as he turned to find Akura waking. "Her wound was not as serious at first because it was cauterized." Haku said, applying fresh herbs to her stomach. "However, she has severe burns, and I'm afraid she may have damaged internal organs. I will do what I can since Zabusa-sama needs her, but..." Haku stopped his talk right there, and said nothing more. Riko, too, was silent, and only looked upon Akura with guilt and shame from what happened earlier. "Akki-chan..." he said quietly, before dozing off again.

xxx

Genonosuke was shocked at how lethal the poison was. Hyuu dragged the body of the other Mist Chuunin to a nearby river, where he began to strip the corpse. "You'll be needing his clothing. Fortunately, our Mist outfits are very concealing, and this Chuunin kept to himself. He has many deaths on his hands from those who pissed him off. No one will bother you. Just be sure to wear your forehead protector as so:" Hyuu had already gotten Genonosuke into most of the dead man's costume, and frankly, Genonosuke was creeped out. "He's about your build and your voices are similar... Just keep your voice tone down and no one will notice a thing. And I mean it. Keep your voice down. If anyone recognizes that you are not this man, then your life and possibly mine are forfeit." Genonosuke looked at Kintetsu for a moment, but Hyuu smiled. "Go ahead, wear it. He was also a swordsman, but often switched weapons. No one will notice that either. I'm actually surprised how convenient this disguise is, but hey, can't complain, right?" Genonosuke still said nothing. It had only been an hour since they left Mioto, but he had already started taking a liking to Hyuu. Couldn't let him know that, though, or it could be used against him.

Genonosuke looked at his reflection, and smiked underneath the concealing gear. If he didn't know any better, he'd never guess that wasn't a Mist Ninja looking up at him. Hyuu motioned to Genonosuke, and whispered, "Good. Now, let us take this path. We cannot risk bumping into others, especially your squad if they come looking for you." They quickly left.

Unknown to Zabuza the long pursuit had given Rico time to recover, he'd stopped the pursuit shortly before the mist ninja's detour to the cave.

He was knelt in front of a small, hidden, shrine. There were strange symbols on it. Archiac, foreign, arcane symbols not intellible by those in Kirigakure or Konoha. However the red haired runt seemed to know exactly what it was.

His eyes were shut, almost like he was begging. He stayed silent for some time, then woke with a start. As if he'd been answer by some unheard voice. He spoke out loud, though he was the only one around, "I see. So you only help those that help themselves. And that wasn't what I was doing was it. I'm not normal, then. Those born with Tengoku in them aren't normal. I'm not a genius nor am I talented, my power is your power isn't it. But why? Why me?"

He paused as if listening to the answer before nodded, "People change, master. But yes, I felt it, it wouldn't let me leave them. Now that I felt what it is for someone to need me again, I'm starting to feel strange."

He sighed and shook his head, "No, I can't return yet. Not until I can remember. Not until the clouds are gone."

He nodded, "And you as well."

He took in a breath and put his hands together, "Kijutsu. Teisatsu Byakko." He held his body still as strange, small, white ghost-like animals seemed to dart around him into the forest.

OOC: Any need a path to town? Just follow the bouncing ghost fox.

Night.

Hiroto calmly separated the fruit and nuts he had gathered from the nearby trees; he and the five Genin with him were going to spend the night in a forest thicket before moving on in the morning. As he passed out the rations, he said, "All right...things have gotten considerably more hairy since the prison."

"No kidding," muttered Kai as he chomped on a wild berry. "Riko and Akura were kidnapped, and Genonosuke's off on his own. Not only that, but we had to fight a Mist Swordsman!"

Hiroto nodded. "And Mist Swordsmen are all Jonin-level ninja...seeing as how we're going to partake in conflicts with ninja very soon, I'm afraid this mission has now been upped to an A-Rank mission...that is, if we were facing only Chuunin."

The five Genin blinked. Suki asked, "What do you mean Hiroto-sensei?"

The Jonin's expression turned dour as he muttered, "A-rank missions are those where combat with enemy ninja is expected...but if those ninja happen to be Jonin-level...then it's upgraded to SUPER-A Rank. The highest mission classification there is."

A chill ran through the five Genin. They were on a Super-A Rank mission...how were they supposed to deal with Jonin? Izzy grumbled as his shoulders slumped. "Wonderful...just the news I needed before going to bed."

"Before that, I need to know...who was the person you saw take Riko and Akura?"

Shiranui Izumo grimaced as he thought back. "Well...I didn't see his face...he was muscular with dark hair...but the thing that stood out most was the sword on his back. It was bigger than he was!"

"Hmm...then it's most likely Momochi Zabuza of the Seven Mist Swordsmen...like Goukamaru, he has his own little 'name'...he is often known as Zabuza the Demon." Hiroto smirked, ignoring that Izzy's breath suddenly drew short. "He may be tough...but it's no biggie."

I'm not so sure, thought Daio with a frown.

Ryu suddenly asked, "What about that red-haired guy you talked to...? Who was he?"

Yagami Hiroto suddenly became silent...and it was unnerving. The Jonin calmly leaned against a tree as he said, "Fokkusu Rico'ki...former Leaf ninja...and the one who gouged out my eyes."

This sent a wave of shock through the five Genin; the betrayer of Hiroto was HERE?! A hundred questions suddenly came to mind for the Genin...but the Jonin was already asleep.

xxxx

Meanwhile, Akura was stirring.

Izzy couldn't sleep. He was too worried about Riko, Gen, and Akura. He always saw those guys as brothers and sisters after his parents left. They're probably okay.

He walked over to where Daio was and sat next to where she was laying. He thought about her for a minute. She never talked much. She was always kind of mysterious. She was very pretty. Suki was nice to fantasize about, but Daio was more...wholesome might be the word. Doesn't matter because none of these girls had an interest in him anyway. He always has and always will feel alone.

Akura opened her eyes, slowly. She had been in a state of somewhere between dreams and consciousness, yet she had still managed to hear and remember the conversation between Riko and Haku. She checked herself, and found she was not restrained like Riko was... Odd. Her eyes trying to focus in the dark, she noticed Haku balled up next to a burnt-out torch. That boy... Haku? He's tried to keep a vigilant watch on us, but it looks like he fell asleep. He is rather young, still... Without moving from the cot that Zabusa had placed her in, she pulled out her purse(it had been slung around her shoulder when Zabusa picked her up) and began going through it. Aha! Here... She removed an ink pen and a photograph that she had kept with her at all times. The photograph, being of Genonosuke, Izzy, Riko, and Akura, really was a treasure, seeing as photographic technology only went so far in Konohagakure at this point. She scribbled a quick message on the back about "A cave underground in the mist", and carefully placed it against the wall. "Henge no jutsu!" she whispered, and the photograph turned into an earthworm. It began digging through the soil, and Akura noticed Haku start to stir. She nervously laid back down and concentrated. As soon as she felt the soil give way, she concentrated further, and the Henge changed shape; it became the pigeon she was familiar with, and flew off into the night. I don't know what direction it's going in, but it... feels right...

OOC: I probably won't be able to get on this weekend, due to a little trip I'm taking. Ultra is free to RP my characters until I get back, if he wishes.

OOC: Well, saw a new episode of Naruto...apparently, the five elements are 'Earth, Water, Fire'...and instead of 'Metal and Wood' for the forth and fifth, it's 'Thunder' and 'Wind'.

...my bad. o_o;

Oh well, for the purpose's of the RP, we'll continue with 'Metal' and 'Wood'...but people are free to use Thunder and Wind jutsus. Once again, my apolegies.

xxxx

The two ninja had set down for the night, hiding inside a small gorge lined with bushes...but as you can suspect, they weren't asleep.

Genonosuke glanced upward at a pigeon flying slowly overhead. "Hey. I see a light night snack."

Hyuu glanced upward at the pigeon...and frowned. "That's not an ordinary pigeon...its chakra...is strange..." The Mist Chuunin quickly pulled out a chain of shuriken (causing Genonosuke to widen his eyes out of slight surprise) and swung it around, his hand protected by a clawed metal glove, thus keeping his flesh safe. The shuriken chain wrapped around the pigeon...and, oddly, there was no squawk of pain.

Dagaza Hyuuten's eyes narrowed. "Hmm..." He pulled it down, looking at the dead bird as its outline flickered. "This has been the subject of a Henge."

Genonosuke quickly sat up - taking a quick moment to scratch himself (after all, the Mist Chuunin's uniform was a bit itchy) - and looked at the pigeon...and blinked as it faded to reveal a photograph. "Holy crap...I know this photograph." He grasped it, looking at the grinning faces of Riko, Akura, Izumo, and himself...he quickly flipped it over and paled. "This is Akura's handwriting..."

Hyuu frowned at the message. "A cave underground in the mist...that must be where she's being held captive...in Kirigakure."

Genonosuke's eyes narrowed as he suddenly stood up. "I suddenly feel like going on a little more tonight...how about you?"

"Sorry...but no. This is probably the safest spot to find, and we need to rest for tomorrow...so please be patient. At least we know where the look." With that said, the Mist Chuunin turned over and slept.

The Leaf Genin begrudgingly agreed.

xxxx

Akura's eyes opened as her concentration was broken by the pigeon's capture. I hope it was one of my friends who got it...

"They won't find you."

Akura squeaked as turned around, looking at the smiling Haku; he was still lying on the floor where he had gone to sleep. "This place is too well hidden...and I'm afraid your message left out an important bit of information."

The female Genin frowned. "What do you mean...?"

Haku giggled as he pointed above him. "Well...we're actually underground...but we're also in a mountain that forms the border of Kirigakure...so you should've written 'Under a mountain outside of the Mist'."

Akura would've facefaulted...but that would've awoken her friend Riko.

Haku poured water into a small wooden bowl and walked over to the cot, sitting down beside Akura. The Leaf Genin blinked as the young boy suddenly raised her head and placed it into the bowl, making her lightish-purple hair wet and watery. "What are you...?"

"Even in this cave's dim light, I can tell that's not your real hair color," muttered Haku as he began trying to wash out the dye. "It's just...Zabuza-sama took me in when everyone else would've left me for dead...and he wanted my powers...powers that others feared. Powers that once made me ashamed...but now make me happy." Haku smiled. "So...it just seems a bit silly to me to hide your true hair...don't you think?"

Akura blinked out of slight shock. This boy was truly strange...

xxxx

Izzy, while he had been awake, suddenly found a hot spring.

Of course, he promptly took a bath.

But, when he had got back, Hiroto had commented how his body odor was gone, as no streams were nearby...so Izzy had told him.

Naturally, the Jonin had woken up and commanded the other four Genin to take a quick dunk in the hot springs. Ryu and Kai would go first, followed by Suki and Daio. Naturally, Ryu had said he'd rather take one alone...so the Jonin obliged.

First Ryu.

Then Kai.

And now Suki and Daio; seeing as the two were friends, they didn't mind sharing the hot spring. Besides, it was pretty big; at least twenty feet in diameter.

Suki sighed as she dunked her red hair under the hot water. "Ah...this feels great. A girl's gotta be clean, you know?"

"True," remarked Daio as she long, pale blue hair's tips floated in the bubbling water. "Do you think we'll be able to find the others?"

Suki nodded. "Sure. After all, it's not like it'll be too hard. We have Hiroto-sensei on our side...you saw him in action earlier! He managed to fight off that swordsman!"

Daio nodded. "True..." But I've got a feeling that swordsman wasn't exactly the strongest of the foes we'll be facing...

Meanwhile, from a tree branch high above, Izzy was, of course, peeping on them. After all, for a guy who didn't have a lot of luck with the ladies like Genonosuke (heck, even Ryu had been the object of a few girls' crushes back at the academy...as for Izzy, not so much), peeping was the closest he'd get to seeing a girl baring it all.

Hmm...Daio's a bit small on the chest, but she has some nice curves...

Suki suddenly looked around...and reached out of the hot spring to grab a pale blue flower. "Hey, Daio, it looks like your hair! Wanna try it on?"

Suki's got one nice butt.

"No thanks Suki. I'm not one for flowers."

Suki frowned as she got back into the hotsprings. "No fair."

Holy crap, her BREASTS! They're big for her age! C-cup, definitely!

Crick...

...oh snap.

CRACK!

Izzy yelped as he fell, plummeting straight into the hot spring. The two girls yelped at the sudden splash...and growled as the reddish-brown haired Genin suddenly rose. "Um...hi?"

SMACK!

POW!

WHAP!

Izzy twitched as he was sent walking back to the thicket where the others were. On his way back, he saw Yagami Hiroto leaning up against a tree. "You really need to learn how to control your libido."

"Yes sir," muttered the wet Genin as he curled up against a tree as he went to sleep.

OOC: Aww man. That was great! I pictured all that in my head and I started geeking out! I don't know where to go after that!

OOC: What can I say? I have a talent for RPing perverted characters. 😛

(makes a plan for Izzy in the long run)

Anyhow, it looks like DDK is back, so I'll wait for him to post before moving the RP on to the next day.

Well I'm waiting for smedgeoff. I also can't wait to see what you have planned for Izzy in the future. I hope he gets a girlfriend!

Riko's eyes slowly opened, and the world came into focus. A smaller torch than before had been lit, and Riko was surprised to see Haku washing Akura's hair. Riko once again tried to move, but couldn't. What the heck am I bound with? he thought. Whatever it is, it actually feels rather nice. Riko's eyes widened as he realized that the bonds were cold and wet. "You..." Riko said, startling Akura and causing Haku to look over at him. "You restrained me with ice?" Haku nodded. "Yes. I have mastery over water and ice. ...That is the power that everyone hated me for, and the power that Zabusa-sama needs me for." "So why didn't you restrain me?" Akura asked, quietly. "You are not strong enough to carry him away, especially given your wound, nor do I think you would leave him." Riko and Akrua frowned, knowing these were true. "However, I will keep my eyes on both of you, just in case..." Riko grunted. He might have been able to break these bonds had it been normal ice, but it seemed to have been reinforced with chakra. In addition, he couldn't break it with a jutsu because his hands were pinned to his sides, and he didn't know any one handed katas or jutsu, and even if he could break free, his newest technique; a Genjutsu rather than the Ninjutsu Genonosuke thought it was, couldn't possibly work in here. Haku smiled again, and continued washing Akura's hair. The true white was much more dominant than before.

xxx

Genonosuke grunted, kneeling before the old tree in pain and exhaustion. It lay before him in sloppy splinters, due to a highly unrefined jutsu he had tried. "You can't be serious." came Hyuu's voice as he observed Genonosuke. "That looked like a pathetic version of Goukamaru's chakra blade technique. ...That IS impressive for someone without a special blade, though even if it is a bit weak and messy." Genonosuke grunted again, and then sighed. Focusing a large amount of his chakra; he had managed to create a blade of chakra extending from Kintetsu, effectively increasing the blade's relative size by two feet, and adding quite a bit more power. However, it used that chakra unmercifully, and he was now kneeling over the ground, tired.

"Yeah, I know it's not so good. But I gotta start somewhere, right?" Genonosuke stood up again, slowly, and raised his blade.

"Wait." Hyuu's voice came again, this time more concerned. "If you try that again so soon, you're going to kill yourself! Try making your own version, instead of duplicating Goukamaru's... I arrived only to see the final bits of the fight, but I heard the screaming blade a mile away. I know that's what you're trying to do it, but forget about it. There's no way a Genin like you can match a Jonin's technique. If you kill yourself, there will be no one to save Riko and Akura. I will pretend you did not exist, should I not be caught." Genonosuke glared at Hyuu, who simply smiled through his gear.

"Please, don't look at me that way. I am a realist, and although I am sympathetic with you, I am only escorting you to your friends. I won't provide you any aid afterwards unless I'm caught, though I won't fight you either if I'm not."

Genonosuke shrugged. "I understand. I couldn't really expect any more than that out of a complete stranger. Thanks."

Hyuu's smiled widened, and then returned to a neutral expression. "If you're so intent on training, I might as well teach you a few things." He pulled out the chain of shuriken, and drew a short sword hidden in his boot. "I know you don't have such a chain, but I believe you could improvise with the magnetic jutsu you mentioned to me. Now, let me teach you the finer points of fighting, as the Mist Ninja learn. Our ways are bloody, true, but they are also practical in this cruel world. Your intent is to kill any Mist Ninja that oppose you, right? That's a good thing. Most Mist Ninja will not be like I am. You will have to MEAN to kill them though, and I can teach you that. Now, come."

The two trained into the night.

They were getting too widespread, Rico was starting to call back his scouts so as to not use chakra in such amounts that he was be felt by any Mist ninja still in the area.

*pant pant pant* The incandescent vulpine shot through the woods darting over tree roots and under hanging limbs. Suddenly it burst into a clearing and picked up speed, using the open area to gain more momentum.

*YIP*

The white fox tripped over something and hit the ground, skidding to a stop on its side. After a low moan and a few shudders it got to its feet and limped over to the cause of its injury. A few sniffs told it that this was odd. Something was making the soft moss stick up in an strange fashion. The small creature started digging, and contined to for some time.

*scratch scratch*

Metal? It dug around the hole it had made in the undergrowth. More metal, a lid of some kind. It fox back out of its hole and shook the pieces of plant off of it and blinked at its handiwork. Then took in air and started yipping loudly. In no time the forest seemed to come alive with barking and yapping of the various scouts he'd sent out.

Rico'ki's eye shot open, he looked thoughtful, then stood up and looked into the forest, as if he knew exactly where his loyal scout was barking from. He closed his eyes again and focused on a few clumsy handseals muttering, "Datto no jutsu." He felt his body charge with energy and without a moments pause he was off, shooting through the mist as if he'd changed his mind and didn't care who sensed his presence.

Morning...and it's cold...and my dream was interrupted... He let out a growl and mumbled something. He then picked up his black shirt and put it back on and got his umbrella and all his kunai and shuriken. He was ready today, for everything and anything. For mist ninjas, for Daio, for finding Genonosuke, Akura, and Riko.

He really wanted to find those two. They were like the only family he had. He always looked at Akura but she was more of a little sister to him. If people looked deep enough they'd realize that they were stares of concern and not romance.

He snapped back to reality. For a second, he thought he had felt something. Lots of energy. Chakra maybe? It was moving pretty fast.

Maybe I should wake up Hiroto-Sensei.

"No. That'll just slow me down!" He whispered to himself. He took off towards where the energy was going and he ran as fast as he could, hoping to intercept who...or what.

Ryu awoke with a start. Quickly looking around, he noticed something odd. Izzy had left, possibly some time during the night. Where could he have gone by himself? He's going to get himself killed, like--
He quickly broke off this train of thought before it reached its inevitable conclusion.
He got dressed and wandered out, searching in vain for Izzy before deciding to return and alert the others to his disappearance.
"I guess we don't need 5 missing today." He said to himself, walking back to where the others were still resting.

Morning.

7:00 AM.

Yagami Hiroto frowned as his eyeless stare gazed at Kai, Daio, Suki, and Ryu. "So...Izzy went off on his own."

Ryu nodded. "I thought about going after him, but I decided it would be bad to split us up even more."

The Jonin scowled. Perhaps it was a bad idea for the boy to take a bath...I can't smell his natural body odor on anything. He hasn't left a trail... "Well, this isn't good...I can't sense his chakra either..."

This sent a few waves of worry through the four Genin. "What do you mean Hiroto-sensei?" asked Kai, his blonde hair slightly swaying in the wind. "I mean, you've certainly proven to be like a human radar with chakra before!"

"True, but here's the thing: Goukamaru cut me a few times yesterday with his blade 'Chaketsu'...one of its unfortunate abilities is to sap the chakra out of those it cuts. So even though my wounds weren't that bad, a lot of my chakra was siphoned off...so my senses weren't completely in-tune last night, otherwise I would've been able to sense him leaving..." Yagami Hiroto scowled; he couldn't afford to lose his entire team on this mission. Too many good people... "All right. If anything, he probably went on to Kirigakure to find the others. We're still en route to Kirigakure..."

The four Genin nodded. Ryu tightened his hitai-ate. Kai, Daio, and Suki all bound their weapons down more tightly: Kai's axes, Daio's scythes, and Suki's short spears.

Hiroto smiled as he said, "Let's go." The five Konoha-nin disappeared into the forest.

xxxx

Haku suddenly whirled his head around. Someone's here... He stood up, frowning at the foriegn chakra aura coagulating outside of his hiding spot. "Keep quiet."

Akura and Riko frowned as the young boy suddenly performed almost a dozen hand signs...and began drawing in water from the cracks in the cavern. Water was in great abundance for Kirigakure...for most of their water came from underground.

The two Leaf Genin remained silent as the boy controlled the water and began formulating it into spikes...all according to his will. Amazing...and without even blinking or flinching. He...he probably has better control over water than me.

Haku's eyes narrowed as she gazed at the long passageway to the secret entrance...for the first person to come through would be skewered.

xxxx

Rico'ki stopped outside of the spot where all of his white foxes had gathered. His trackers had inadvertently found a secret passage. "Hmm...interesting."

Suddenly, the last of his white foxes came to him from behind a thrush of bushes. The red-haired ninja remained silent as the vulpine creatures dissipated into chakra and merged back with his being.

It was at this moment that a Genin with reddish-brown hair leapt over the bushes, landing softly on the ground. "I know I saw that white fox come this way..." He looked up...and nearly wet himself. "...red hair...Fokkusu Rico'ki...you...you're the one who took my sensei's eyes...aren't you...?"

The man gritted his teeth and flinched, quickly regaining composure. "It was better than killing him, I don't suppose he told you everything." He left the sentence hanging, still eyeing the metal that had been uncovered by the spirit fox's digging.

Izzy's eyebrow cocked and he put his hands up.

"Dude! Please don't hurt me! I'm just looking for my friends!"

He then noticed what Rico'ki was looking at. "Wh-what is that?" He put his hands down and walked over to him, cautiosly, watching every step he took. What if this guy takes out my eyes too?

Rico'ki looked at him. "Don't worry kid. You can ba around me safely for now."