The Train Job

Mission Details:

Kara had been thinking long and hard about what Kensai had told her in the slums the first day she’d met him in Sunagakure. About using her wealth and station to help affect positive change in the people around her. She was still somewhat on the fence about the idea, as for the most part the concept didn’t overly benefit her at all. Though she could at least see the merit in becoming a trusted member of society and being viewed as a philanthropist. Her parents did the same and it afforded them a good deal of political and social power.

With this in mind she had perused the mission boards, looking for something that might be able to prove her willingness to at least attempt to help those in need. More than she already did of course, she had set up a small clinic in her home after all. After some deliberation she picked one that involved medical supplies; even if they weren’t able to be retrieved she could at least use her skills to make up the difference. Since there were bandits involved however she had left word with both Kensai and Azuma to aid her in her endeavours; her last experience with bandits had not been a terribly pleasant experience and she had no wish to come to harm.  

Dressing for the occasion was going to be a bit more difficult for her. Most of her clothing was entirely inappropriate for travelling in the desert, and most likely ill suited for a tussle with bandits. She chose a pair of loose dark green pants with large cut outs on both hips and a tight fitting dark green and gold strapless shirt with flowing panels attached to her upper arms and paired it with the only pair of flat soled footwear she owned, a gift from her father when she was a young girl; a pair of jika-tabi. Why he had thought this was an appropriate gift for his princess of a daughter she would never know, but she was finally glad to own them. She tied her hair back into a top knot, allowing the length to fall down her back, she thought her hair may end up being problematic but at least most of it was out of her face. The split toed shoes felt surprisingly good and as she stood there looking in the mirror she felt like she looked a little more like a threat and not like some helpless civilian. Perhaps the bandits would think the same.

Before she left to meet her companions at the gates, should they arrive, she saw there were two things missing that would complete her look. She grabbed her kunai from beside her bed and fashioned herself a type of sheath out of a bit of leather and tied it to the bare part of her left thigh, and took a scarf made of the same material as her clothing - dark green and gold - and tucked it into her waistband. She wavered momentarily about bringing her parasol, but it was a habit so ingrained she could not bear to leave it behind. Heading out towards the gates to the village she had a lightness in her step; she was finally on an adventure.

As the sun broke over the village Kensai woke up in a place he still wasn’t accustomed too. He didn’t know that sleeping in a real bed would make such a big difference on the state of his back and knees, or the pain in his neck. He wasn’t cold in the cool desert knights, nor was he as hot as soon as the sun made its occasionally unwelcome appearance at too early o’clock. He would rise from the bed and fold the blanket carefully, placing it at the foot of the bed before listening to his roommate getting ready to leave. He, himself, would go outside into the back and meditate as she prepared, impressed by her dedication to the task she had set out for herself, and he was looking forward to seeing the fruits of that labour.

When he felt her leave the house he would go inside himself and begin getting ready, meticulously dressing and armouring himself, starting first with his Tabi socks and Hakama before carefully wrapping his Kyahan and equipping his Waraji while it was still easy to do so. Next was the first of the Sangu, his Suneate being attached to his shins and his Haidate to his waist. He would then attach his Do, tying it into place with the Sarashi around his waist, leaving just enough space to hold his weapons in place. He would fix his katana and wakazashi on the sarashi, putting the quiver of arrows in as well before moving to attach his Sode over his shoulders. It was then that he would wrap his kusurigama around himself and affix his yumi to his back. Lastly he would grab the Kabuto, affixing his demonic feline-esk menpo before making his way out of the house. He was ready for whatever would come at him.

He knew he had enough time to do this after Kara had left the house, knowing full well that she was fairly slow and making his way towards the village gates. The full samurai regalia was something he would have to get used to wearing again, as it was indeed quite warm, especially considering the fact that Okane had felt the need to forge the underplates from black metal before working the braiding onto it. He would eventually see Kara nearing the gate, walking up beside her and speaking casually.

“It’s good to see you are committing to being a better person. The people we are aiding will be extremely grateful...as am I. Putting your resources to use for good proves that you are a better person than I had initially thought, and I thank you for proving me wrong.”

Chakra - 109.5/110
(20 exp)

Sabaku no Akuto, The Desert Rogue, had gotten word from Karasu that she requested his aid in a Mission, and as the woman's personal bodyguard and Head of Security within the Company they represented, he couldn't say no. Not that he would've, even if they was just friends he'd have went with her anyways, knowing she would be defenseless if she went alone. Not that she'd be alone, Kensai--the Samurai Azuma had met previously when dealing with a rampaging Centipede--had moved in with the woman as a roommate. Kensai was also an employee of The Stag Emporium, hired on by Okane it had seemed, and now was part of the security team Azuma lead.

The man had gotten up early, before dawn, and prepared himself. All his equipment, a healthy meal, and plenty of time to arrive at the gates early enough to watch the sun rise while he awaited them to arrive. The young Jounin had dressed in his new Silverthread outfit, a clear upgrade from his previous one, despite having the same overall looks. He'd have his white Kimono with black accents wrapped about his torso by a black Obi--further bound by the pop of crimson that was the cloth of his headband, wrapped around the Obi as an additional 'belt' about his lower torso. He had on a pair of black Hakama, made of the same expensive material as his Kimono and Obi. These pieces was all fireproof to a degree, able to handle above average Katon jutsu while protecting the man wearing the clothes. He finished this with wrapping his feet from his shins to his toes, wrapped in a way that allowed his Geta's thong to slip between his wrapped toes.

He'd sit high up atop the walls that surrounded Sunagakure, right at the main gate--where he had been for some time, the man sat with one leg extended out, the other bent at the knee. His hands, covered in a pair of fingerless leather pair of gloves, would have one rested beside him, while the other was propped on his knee, held up but hanging lazily out in front of him, only supported by the knee. His arms had been wrapped from shoulder to his gloves in bandages, and as the wind pulled at his sleeves, it'd become clear he had on his arm guards, and hidden under the hakama was his shin guards. Sat flat across his lower back, situated along with his hip pouches, was his Chokuto...no longer stored within a Scroll, as he liked to keep a slot within the scroll open, and with his recent acquirement of what was Kai's glaive, that filled one of his five slots. Plus, it was simple to get to this way, and required no chakra to unseal. He clearly had all his gear.

A sigh passed his lips, as he looked out across the desert, watching the sun slowly rise above the horizon in the East...an Eastern breeze pushing and pulling at his soft and baggier clothing as he waited. He was suppressing his own chakra, making himself invisible to other sensory masters, hoping not to be bothered while he sat up there, making himself not as easily noticed. He would sigh and shift himself to turn about, sitting now in a way that let him watch the streets below, the man awaiting the arrival of the two he expected--Kara and Kensai. It wouldn't be too much longer and he'd see both approaching...Kensai was fully armored up and stuck out like a sore thumb, and Kara was always eye catching. He'd slowly stand, rising to his full height of 6'4" when wearing these new shoes. He'd stretch and loosen himself up a bit before turning around.

Sighing the man shut his eyes and took a leap backwards, almost just falling backwards off the wall, a slow flip as he did, dropping down to ground level somewhere in front of them, not too close to spook them though, but close enough ti instantly tell who it was--the man landing into a tightly coiled spring, knees bending to absorb the landing. He'd rise to his full height and opened his eyes to look Karasu and Kensai's way, his expression neutral as he did. "Morning...Kara-san, Kensai-san" he'd greet them simply, voice deep but smooth, giving a nod in the direction of the two--mismatched hues shifting between the two.

---

CP: 110/110

Chakra Suppression

Kara was surprised at the back handed flattery coming from Kensai, he was a man of few compliments usually. She would peer at him to ascertain whether he was joking or not before laughing quietly. “I was born to prove people wrong my dear Kensai. However, no thanks are necessary, I would gladly prove you wrong without a thought of recompense.” The yellow eyed woman would wink as she moved towards the gate. She was only teasing him, and she found it to be relatively easy to do, the benefits of having such a stoic companion. She noted that Kensai was considerably more geared than she was, the amount of weaponry he had on display was probably enough to ward off most people with ill intent. Were he not someone she knew and trusted she might find herself feeling uneasy in his presence.

As they reached the gate proper she would glance around looking for Azuma, she wasn’t entirely sure how punctual the man was as of yet. She was relieved when she saw him land a few feet from where she stood. She noticed that Azuma was also more geared than she was and unusually had a weapon strapped to his belt, as opposed to stored in the scroll he carried as she’d seen previously. Apparently they all had a similar idea as far as appearing overtly combative. She matched his greeting in kind, an almost imperceptibly raised eyebrow as she nodded to him. The lack of the proper honorific was noted, and she took a moment to decide whether to address it or not. On the one hand it did show a deference to Okane that was not afforded to her, which was annoying. On the other, it did mean that he was more comfortable with her than with Okane, which would likely prove to be useful in the future. Deciding that it was more trouble than it was worth currently, she would merely smile and speak cheerfully to the two men. “I have absolutely no idea how this is going to go, but I’m sure it’ll be simple enough. If it helps I am a fairly good strategist if not a seasoned fighter like the both of you.”

Chakra 110/110

Kensai would let out a slight chuckle at Kara’s response. “Please do” would be the simple words he would speak before his attention was brought somewhere else. He had long before their arrival seen that their third member was waiting for them at the wall, his expertly trained eye able to see the horizon line, and the wall being far closer than that. As they reached the wall, not being in any particular hurry to do so, he would watch something happen that would bother him, as had he not known who this was the man in front of him would have likely been dead.

It was impossible to miss the backflip off of the wall, and the chance that a would be assailant was coming for Kara due to her status and wealth wasn’t completely out of the realm of possibility. The man’s eyes were closed, and while in the air there would have been no way to avoid the expert attack from the defending samurai, his reflexes sharper than most in the entire world as he would draw his blade and fatally wound a would be assailant. Fortunately, that didn’t have to be the case. Asuma would great them with surprisingly informal honourifics, something Kensai wasn’t sure he had earned, but at the same time he wasn’t bothered by it as he nodded his head politely in greeting.

Kara would say something about being a good strategist which would cause Kensai minor annoyance as he would cock an eyebrow, an action that would be lost on the two individuals with him as he wore the menpo that covered his entire face. He would consider letting it slide, but decided that this was a time to lay down his expectations of what was about to happen.

“Dearest Kara, we have known each other since we were children. I am the most capable warrior you know, and am a proficient and extremely efficient killer. I have never once needed a word of strategy advice from a non combatant. I was hand selected to be a part of the Stag organization by Okane to serve as a solo operative, sent on the most imperative and dangerous of missions and answering only to him specifically due to this skillset. While I’m sure that your strategic mind is brilliant in a game of chess or the political boardrooms of company life, I pray you leave the battlefield to those who have made it their life’s work and craft. You know full well I mean no offence when I say this.” He would shake his head and look towards the shinobi.

“I’m sure that Captain Flashypants here would also have no such issues formulating his own strategy as Okane and you saw fit to put him in charge of the security of the company. So long as we stay out of one anothers’ way I see no issues befalling us.”

Chakra – 109/110
(40 exp)

The young Desert Rogue would earn a nod from Karasu in greeting, his sharp eyes picking up the very subtle raising of her eyebrow as she did--even if it wasn't really meant to be noticed, not much got past Azuma's eyes. It'd seem Kensai had been expecting such an action out of Azuma, he hadn't paid enough attention to it to notice, but the Samurai had kept his eyes on Azuma leading up to the landing a bit ahead of the two of them. He also got a similar nod by Kensai, although making any notes about Kensai's expressions became hard, the man fully decked out in a rather loud set of armor.

For a moment Azuma's attention was brought back to Kara, as she was the first one to speak up, expressing not having an idea how this Mission was to go, and noting her willingness to help with strategies if need be. There was no doubt Kara was smart, between the three of them she was easily the mental powerhouse--even if the two swordsmen were physical powerhouses. Still, she wasn't a fighter...something Kensai would be quick to try to make clear to Karasu--mismatch hued shifted from the blonde bombshell to her armored up friend. Azuma listened in as a third party to what Kensai had to say to Karasu, his expression very neutral the Jounin listened.

This was finished with a bit of a backhanded comment, or compliment, towards Azuma, which earned zero response in expression, 'Sabaku no Akuto' waiting for the Samurai to finish. He'd go ahead and take a few steps closer to the two, mismatched hues falling upon the Samurai, then Kara. "I am sure your input on strategy could be just as valuable as any sharp warrior's. and is nothing to underestimate." he said with his smooth and deep tone, before amber and white hues shifted towards Kensai. "Hm...Its hard to call me flashy, when you stick out like a sore thumb in your fancy armor. I do hope we don't need to be more...quiet and stealthy on our Mission, as we'd simply have to leave you behind." he'd go on to mention to Kensai, the difference of a Shinobi and Samurai already being shown--Azuma's focus on stealth tactics clashing with Kensai's up-front-and-personal style, which lacked such tact.

Azuma would give him a slight smile though, a hint not to take his words too personally, more an observation then anything to mean actual offence. "Anyways...shall we be on our way?" the man would suggest with the greetings out of the way, at least as they had awkwardly came. Azuma would glance back to Kara, and his hands shifted in a gesture that spoke 'Ladies first' without actually saying it. Once Kara would continue on past him, assuming she made no big fuss about his gentlemanly thought, he'd begin stepping towards the gates of Sunagakure, hoping Kensai would come along wherever he would in the lineup. Azuma simply had awaited for Kara to go before he did, she was his boss after all. The Shinobi would check in with a guard at the gate he seemed familiar with, a simple head nod shared between the two--the guard even smiling at seeing The Desert Rogue. With this the three would be able to pass through the gates without a second glance...well, Azuma at least.

Kara would earn glances of interest, being as attractive as she was, and in such an...interesting outfit. Meanwhile Kensai earned some weary or questioning eyes from those around the gates of Sunagakure, the armor-clad Samurai a very strange sight to see, rare among Shinobi villages, but no one was mean-mugging him, simply unsure of a Samurai in Sunagakure. What lied ahead of the trio was The Sunrise Desert...although with all three of them having pasts filled with travel and wandering, surely the sea of sand beyond Suna's gates was oddly familiar to each of them. It surely was for the man who was known well enough to be called 'Sabaku no Akuto' out loud. Assuming nothing happened to pause their movement, they would push through the gates and quickly feel the soft sand under their feet. This is also when Azuma would stop suppressing his chakra, becoming a blip on Kensai's radar, as he begun emitting his own Sensing Technique. Two sensors was better then one, yes?

"Kara-sama..." he called over to Kara quietly. "Please be sure to stick close to one of us at all times...I am aware Kensai-san may protect himself, but I don't want you taking any unnecessary risks...okay?" would say to the young woman. If she was to look at Azuma, he was looking to her with hints of concern in his mismatched hues, although hard to read through the stoic expression. Azuma did know one thing...his ears burned with every movement from Kensai, however subtle, as the armor shifted.

---

CP: 109.5/110

Sensing Technique

At her suggestion to assist with strategy she earned herself a small walk down memory lane with Kensai. It wasn’t the worst thing, she had enjoyed her time spent with Kensai when they were both younger, what little interaction they’d had. He’d been the same sort of stoic and blunt creature then as well, though in a way happier. She did find it amusing that because she didn’t wield a weapon she was automatically dismissed as a combat strategist; lesser people would have been insulted but her ego required no stroking. She would just give a shrug and a smile at the comment as if to say ‘suit yourself’. As Azuma insisted that her input would be useful she resisted the urge to laugh, not in any mean way, but the fact that both men were on opposite sides of the issue without any real knowledge of her capabilities was funny. What did make her laugh was Kensai’s good natured ribbing at Azuma, she imagined that this trip was actually going to be quite fun.

She gave Azuma a quick nod before heading out of the gate, intentionally ignoring the guards as she went. Once she was a few feet past the wall she would take out the scarf she had brought and carefully tie it over the lower half of her face. The maneuver was made with some difficulty as she had to precariously balance the handle of her parasol between her shoulder and her jaw. Once she had the scarf tied and secured over her nose she would turn and give the other two a wink. “Gotta dress the part.”

Kara would slow down as she was instructed to not take any unnecessary risks by her bodyguard. Realistically she couldn’t adhere to that as she was already participating in something that was definitely a risk. But instead of pointing out the obvious she would nod in acquiescence. “Worry not, I’ve been relatively capable of keeping myself alive thus far, and I expect that trend to continue.” She would raise her voice to address both of them as she kept walking, her steps slowing somewhat. “Is it very much further you think? It is terribly hot and I’m not sure if either of you are aware, but there is sand everywhere.”

Chakra 110/110

Ken would cock an eyebrow as the ninja among them would indicate he believed that the woman who had likely never been in a fight in her life (certainly not during Ken’s history with her) would say that her input would be useful. He would bite his lower lip, and then chuckle when Azuma would then refer to his armour as fancy, as well as the comment about stealth.

“Samurai prefer to deal with their issues head on, but most also are not as fine tuned in their hearing as people like us. Our armour is made to be as quiet as it is possible to make such a protective thing, which of course would ring like a bell to us, but the average bandit would never hear me. Just because the ninja like to be sneaky and underhanded, doesn’t mean true warriors are the same way.” This, of course, was said in jest. He had seen Azuma fight and while his fighting style was very loud, he was a decent combatant. He watched as Kara would affix a scarf around her mouth, causing a nod from Ken as she was clearly protecting her face from the elements which was something he had discussed with her before.

He would pull out his new bow, the Devil Showgun’s Yumi, as he had decided to nickname it, a beautiful construct from the old bowyer that was a wonder made from Senju Wood and a tremendously durable zuru. The Tanahashi family crest was stamped into the bow, similarly to his armour, and it made him smile to look upon it as he pulled out an arrow and began to scan the horizon line for potential threats. He knew that there were bandits all over this area, and he wouldn’t be disappointed today he was sure, as he could see traces of camps around the area in the direction that they were travelling.

Hmm...

He saw an active camp, a runner moving towards it. It was fairly far, though with his eyes and the new bow he was feeling a little bit adventurous today. He watched the trajectory of the individual who was running, aiming the arrow in front of him and taking note of the arc the arrow would need to travel and how long it would take to travel to its target before letting it loose, watching the arrow soar across the sands for over a kilometre until finally the bandit stepped directly into the spot where it would connect with the side of his head, causing him to fall to the ground and slide through the sand as all of his momentum continued to push him forward.

“There was a scout running towards a camp a ways up, looks like they might decide to come crash our party. It wouldn’t hurt to be prepared for the worst...Also I want that arrow back...I’m poor.”

Fuck.

Chakra 108.5/110
(60 exp)

He'd notice the shrug and smile towards Kensai, before Azuma's own words drew a chuckle from the girl. But quickly his attention was brought back to Kensai--who'd explain his choice in armor, with showing just a bit of shade towards Shinobi. Not viewing them as true warriors. Azuma understood this mindset was common among Samurai like Kensai, and the tone hinted he was making more or less a joke, not meaning any ill intent with his words. He'd simply let it go for now, not commenting any further. He earned a nod from Kara before they group set off--They had a task at hand anyways.

Once out the gates he'd glance over to see the young woman taking a scarf and struggling a moment to balance it and her parasol, before finally getting that situated how she wanted, giving both men a wink. Azuma smiled slightly, a sign he had to hold back a small laugh at her 'Gotta dress the part'--something she'd seemed to take to heart considering she indeed had tried to dress much more like a Ninja. Very different then the outfits he'd seen before, her more casual but fancy look in the tavern--her more business-like style in Okane's office. Now she seemed to be trying to look more like a Ninja then a civilian. It was amusing seeing the roulette wheel of outfits Kara adorned.

He kept a glance to Kara as she spoke, a response to his suggestion that she sticks close to either of the men for her own safety. This would already be a dangerous mission as is, JashinGod forbid she got separated from them and ended up in even more danger without either Kensai or Azuma to help her out of the situation. Azuma was never a fan of a non-combatant coming along for a mission, but was also used to it--having escorted a number of VIPs through the desert over the years. Even across the countries during his wandering years, those same years he'd unknowingly met Karasu during. He had no interaction with her besides being out cold back then, but she'd recognized him the night they met as the protector of her caravan back then.

"I just don't wanna see you get hurt, Kara. I'd rather not fail my job on our first day out, hmm?" he said, casting her a kind smile. Clearly the man despite not knowing Karasu all that long did show care for her. After the night they met...well, how could he not? It'd likely never be brought up again, their night that started in a simple tavern, and ended with her crying on his shoulder, him doing what he could to comfort her. But this would be pushed to the back of his mind. She already was asking how much further it'd be, and making them well aware of the fact...there indeed was sand. "Well, we do live in a Desert Mad'am Doku. That implies it is very sandy." he said with some tease, harping back to what he said on the way out of Okane's office last they met.

The sound of Kensai shifting about in his armor burned Azuma's ear and he glanced to the Samurai--then forward. It seems Kensai was making sure he was ready for anything, and it didn't take but a moment for Azuma to spot what he spotted as well in the distance. Granted, the other man had an advantage there, able to see further then Azuma could and make out the details. Still, with the relative flat sands, sans some dunes, the man could see the target Kensai was now aiming for with his bow. The sound of the bow firing had a quality snap to it, surely another piece of equipment from Okane. Azuma had placed his order with Okane for a new sword...but it hadn't been finished before leaving out on this Mission. He till had plenty of weapons though, the man was almost a walking armory--he just didn't look like one, unlike Kensai with every weapon carefully placed or wrapped about his person.

Time would pass, the time it taking for the arrow to cross the space between the trio and Kensai's target counted off silently in Azuma's head, seeing if he had the right guess as to how this was about to go. Sure enough, the moment Azuma expected, the target would drop, and slide along the dirt--now too low for Azuma to even focus on him at a kilometer out. He'd let his eyes glance back to Kensai as he spoke, explaining the scout he'd just taken care of. The last bit...Azuma had to hold back a chuckle, the way the 'I'm poor' was delivered was funny in the situation, but Azuma knew being poor was nothing to laugh about. In fact, in reality, Azuma was pretty poor right now himself. His new outfit from Inari, his sword he didn't even have yet's down payment, it'd wiped out the man's Ryo Pouch. But this was fine, he could always do more missions. The man was a working class warrior after all. He didn't mind. He'd simply nod in response, before speaking with his smooth confident tone.

"I have to say, clean shot. I do hope it was your intent to actually hit them...you can probably see it better then I, bit hard to tell if that was a scout or a simple villager. But I'll trust the true warrior made the right call." he said, giving Kensai a smile with a hint of a smirk, clearly referencing what he had said earlier, the 'true warrior' said with a emphasis.

---

CP: 109/110

Sensing Technique

Kara found it incredibly entertaining; the teasing between the two warriors. Both of them were quite skilled in their fields and as far as she could tell a good portion of what they were both experts in did not overlap so she suspected that it was more good natured ribbing than anything. What was more interesting to her though was when Kensai pulled out his bow, nocked an arrow and let it fly at. . . something. According to both Kensai and Azuma it was a bandit, but her eyesight was not nearly as good as either of theirs and so she just had to take their word on it. The shot inspired her though and while she had nothing to prove regarding her combat prowess, she was eager to try fighting someone in a relatively safe environment. By safe she meant with two expert sword fighters to back her up should she fail.

As Kensai said he wanted the arrow back Kara would leap down from the deck of the sand skiff with a wink and run while pulling out her kunai in the direction of the, presumably fallen, bandit. “I’ll go get it, don’t worry I’ll be fine. I’ve yet to test my skill in combat and this seems like as good a time as any. If I’m going to die please save me, but otherwise leave me be.” It was a far run especially for her and she had never actually been glad before to be wearing practical footwear, but it seemed she was going to be participating in two firsts now. Practical shoes and bandit fighting. As she would crest the sand dune which she believed to be the one where the bandit had been hit she was surprised and delighted to see she was correct. To her right was a man lying mostly face first in the sand, an arrow sticking straight up from the side of his head leaving a pool of blood soaking into the sand beneath him. Just beyond that was another man very much still alive and currently mid crouch as he rose to run at her.

Kara was not especially fast, she was not strong and she was virtually made of paper as far as her constitution was concerned. All in all she was not someone that ordinarily should engage in combat. What she did have on her side though was her intellect. She was extraordinarily smart and extremely well versed in the mechanics of the human body, she had studied it all her life. With her kunai held firmly in her left hand she took a step towards the bandit. She could see, or rather extrapolate, the entire fight before it even began. The man was putting more weight on his right leg than his left, signs of either an old injury or perhaps pinched nerves due to crouching in the sand; what it meant for her though was that he was off balance. His swings with his drawn blade would be slower and slightly less accurate with his center of balance shifted, he would also be much easier to topple over. She didn’t have the strength to kill the man in one stab but she didn’t need to if she used his weight against him. She also noticed his gaze drawn to his fallen comrade, a distraction that should allow her a brief window of opportunity.

With all of this information in place she decided on a course of action that would almost certainly guarantee her success. With a dextrous tumble she would vault over the dead bandits body using the motion to land on her knees and slide towards the feet of the advancing threat, at the last moment she would simultaneously turn her hips so that her right leg collided with the man's weak leg and thrust her left arm wielding the kunai straight up to where his rib cage would be as soon as he fell. The forward momentum paired with her trip would have the desired effect and as the bandit fell down on top of her and her weapon a grunt would sound from the lips of both combatants. One of effort and one of pain. As her kunai pierced the man’s flesh slipping deep between his ribs as his full weight came crashing down, Kara instantly regretted her decision to do it this way. Being beneath a deep chest wound was not exactly the best place to be when trying to preserve cleanliness. Kara also realized as fresh warm blood trickled over her that she was also not strong enough to lift the now expiring bandit off of her. Were anyone close enough to hear, a muffled ‘help’ was all that was heard from beneath the pile of bandit.

Chakra 110/110

[Precog Used 1 of 3]

Kensai would look towards the shinobi as he made a comment that seemed as though it was in jest after Kensai had killed the bandit, claiming he may not have been what he was. “I don’t make mistakes, and this isn’t a time for jokes. This is the time for killing, we can joke around after every one of those bandits is laying in pools of their own blood and entrails.” Kensai always became a different person when he got into combat mode, someone who was purely serious and didn’t mess around. Every kill was absolutely imperative and should be carried out with extreme precision, each strike felling an opponent, and he was proud of his mastery in this particular style of fighting.

Kara would tell them that she would retrieve the arrow and kill a bandit, telling them not to help her. As she dismounted the skiff and began her...impressively slow tear across the desert, the sand flying from her feet moving with greater speed than her, he would consider how long it would take the woman to get to the target and almost laugh at the thought of it. “Worry not Azuma, we’ll have fun yet. Lots of bandits to kill. It seems like Kara is truly getting into the spirit of giving back, which makes me happy.” The brief break in character would be a humanizing moment before he himself dismounted the skiff and began to run towards the woman, seeing the outcome before it even happened as there was no way she was going to kill the man without using his momentum against him, and that likely meant he was going to fall on her...

Ken’s suspicion was proven right as he caught up to the two, pulling the arrow from the other man’s head as he heard Kara asking for help. He would pick up the bandit who had fallen on top of her, tossing him to the side and letting out a small chuckle as he did so. “There you go, you killed one...now please stay where it’s safe while we take care of the rest.” The blood covered arrow was knocked as he fired another shot into a “nearby” sentry, felling him as well while he would begin to charge towards the camp, not wanting to waste any time...

Chakra - 108/110
(80 exp)

Kensai seemed quick to shut down Azuma's 'joke', only drawing a sigh from the Shinobi as the Samurai seemed intent on being a killjoy. But he'd leave it alone, besides, it wouldn't be to much longer and Ken would be firing back with something akin to a joke, even if it had its serious understones. But that wasn't until after Kara decided to take it upon herself to retrieve Kensai's arrow. This earned the woman a deadpan, 'really' sort of look from Azuma as she took off at blistering speed...at that pace, it'd take her...oh, five and a half minutes to cross the roughly one kilometer distance between them and Kensai's deadly shot's victim?

This is when Kensai's words burned Azuma's ear, the Jounin looking to the slightly older Ronin. "She is very eager today, thats for certain." he'd respond to Kensai in agreement towards his comment about Kara's spirit to give back. With that he watched Kensai run off after Kara, the man much faster then her and easily could pass her up if he tried. Azuma for now hung back...not because he meant to let them handle things, no, he just knew he could clear the distance quicker. At some point he'd finally take off, crossing the distance in about ten seconds, appearing somewhere vaguely near Kara as she neared her target--to her, Azuma simply would 'teleport' into place--to Kensai, he was able to track Azuma perfectly.

He would let her do her thing, ready to take action if need be, but he'd not need to, she would roll and slid into her attack, a sweep of the leg able to fall the target, right where she wanted--onto the kunai Kara had picked up that night in the Tavern--the one once used to threaten Azuma while he protected the woman for the first time. Now it protected her--things came full circle it seemed. But he'd sigh upon the one thing she hadn't thought about...the feeling of a dead body falling on her, and pinning her down. Azuma shook his head as Kensai arrived and would remove the bandit from Kara--Azuma stepping over to offer a hand to the woman to help her up.

"Remember what I said about taking unnecessary risks? This is what I meant...I'm glad you had your fun Kara-sama, but please, heed Kensai-san and I's words...neither of us wanna see you get hurt, if I may assume Kensai-san shares that sentiment." he'd say to Kara as he offered to help the woman off the desert floor. If she took his hand and allowed him too or not, he'd glance the direction Kensai now fired an arrow off in to take out another 'nearby' sentry, before rushing off towards a bandit camp. Azuma sighed...while he agree'd they couldn't keep allowing a bandit camp be in such proximity to Sunagakure, he also knew this was not the objective of their mission. But morals triumphed, they had to take care of business...but he also couldn't leave Kara out here alone--and for sure didn't wish for her to advance on with them into the upcoming battlefield.

Azuma deactivated his sensory skill, while focusing upon himself to give a natural boost to his coordination--quickly the man formed a half tiger hand seal, and in a poof, a perfect shadow clone of Azuma appeared beside him. Now that Kara had a literal embodiment of her own Bodyguard standing beside her, the clone giving her a wave and smile, the real Azuma bounded away after Kensai and the camp before them--ready to backup the Wandering Ronin in the battle to come.

---

CP: 104/110
[Original: 52/52 | Clone: 52/52]

Shadow Clone Technique
Weapon Artist UA (+1 Tier to Coordination)

Being trapped under a dead body was probably not the worst thing Kara had ever experienced, but it was definitely up there on the list. At least she had put it there herself, she imagined it would have been more terrible had she not seen it coming. Given enough time she probably could have wiggled her way out from underneath the expired bandit, but as luck would have it she didn’t need to wait. As the body was lifted away from her she breathed a sigh of relief and would accept Azuma’s hand to rise to her feet as quickly as she could. She was barely listening to either Kensai or Azuma as they both felt the need to instruct her to ‘stay put and don’t die’. As if she somehow wasn’t aware of the danger of the situation; she was obviously very aware especially as she looked down at her clothing that was now going to be stained as she stood covered in blood, the true reason for her inattentiveness.

She had found it impressive how quickly both men had caught up with her, it made her wonder how much of their training had been in running. With a pained smile she would address them both. “I know, I know. Don’t do anything dangerous, don’t die, I get it. Thank you for allowing me to experience that, it was . . . exhilarating. And thank you for the timely removal of this dead weight.” She would smirk at her unintentional pun, a better emotionally balanced person would probably be experiencing some signs of shock at this point, but not her. A certain amount of empathy had to be sacrificed in order to be a doctor, it was also not the first time she’d killed someone intentionally.

As a second Azuma appeared Kara nodded her approval, although she wondered if the clone knew it was essentially being relegated to babysitting duty. The thought didn’t bother her too much, being protected and coddled was something she had endured her whole life. But this clone was so life like, she wondered just how much sentience and autonomy it had. “Well it looks like I’ll be fine, I have my own personal Azuma now. You two go have fun with all your murder, I’m going to go retrieve the skiff. Come along Azuma the Second.” Kara was pretty sure that her voice was still well within the two mens earshot even as they took off towards the camp so she hadn’t bothered raising her voice to call after them. With a resigned sigh she would roll her shoulders back and straighten her spine, looking first at the clone and then at the bodies in the sand. She noticed a rectangular object in the pocket of the bandit she had killed, and curious, went to pull it out. She would let out a happy ‘oh!’ as she discovered it was a pack of playing cards, beautifully hand drawn by the looks of it. Wiping her kunai off in the sand she would place both the cards and the weapon into the band of leather on her left thigh.

With a wink and a laugh she would address the clone. “Shall we go get the sand skiff? In all the excitement it seems it keeps getting forgotten.” She and ‘Azuma the Second’ would head out towards the ship at a fairly relaxed pace, Kara simply didn’t have it in her to run the distance a second time, the first had very nearly killed her. As they approached the vehicle Kara turned to her companion and asked him a question in a fairly mischievous voice. “Do you ever play cards?”

(100 exp)