Cage..

Sitting down outside as the clouds passed overhead bathing the ground with dark moving shadows the white clouds stuck out the blue sky making it appear as if someone drew them onto a blue piece of paper. It was wondrous to his eyes as he continued to watch motionless, focused on every aspect of the beauty the civilians around him could only gaze at him in silence as the man enjoyed each moment he was spending. The world around him would continue on without him; he was now lost without time smirking to himself. It was calm and peaceful staying to himself on this day he didn’t seek out the need to make new bonds on this day. He lusted to train and grow. He wanted to be the perfect weapon to the lady one that should call on anytime but for that he needed someone with a strong sense of duty. Only one person traveled across his mind; his sense of purpose was so unique that people feared him out of respect for their own lives; indeed this monster was one he could see. As his eyes continued to watch the clouds dance through the empty sky he mind raced, sending him deeper and deeper into his thoughts there had to be a way to get contact with him. Sporting his usual attire of the blue and white kimono now with the headband of the village hanging off his neck for all to see he was now shinobi of the land. Maybe this would allow some training time with the monster himself, maybe even allow him to gain some type of knowledge of this mysterious land on his right where his blade sheathed in a blue case.

Cracking his neck he leaned over pulling the weapon closer as he sat it between his legs pulling the handle closer to his heart at this point from the outside perspective it was probably just another maniac in love with his weapon. This was his chance to progress with such a weapon till the time came for him to put it down or go down with it in hand; he had no intention of being parted with the last of his family. From father to son passed down from the deceased to the living in hopes his future would be better clenching the blade in his hands tightly the presence of being watched never left his side. Gazing upward towards the sky once more he watched the clouds glide across calmly and silently. It must have been peaceful to just look down upon the land and see the world for what it truly was, never having to deal with the problems of humans. With this thought in mind it only shed a new expression upon Burittsu’s face: that of anger and regret for now he could only think about how he was the last of his family. Truly at the end of the day he was alone the last of his blood when it came to his actual people his expression was nothing but focused until the very end. His lips cracked as he grinned once more before standing up on his two feet. The time for him to wallow in his pain and despair was for the future when he completed all he needed then he would shed for his fallen members till then he could only push himself forward without hesitation. He journeyed towards the docks where the spider hid if he was to find this man could only hope he would be taken seriously enough to be trained in the proper manner. Gripping upon the case once more it seemed he focused on being skilled enough to make it through the nights he lost.

“...”

Sero was indeed at the docks. A small boat meant to be usable for one person but large enough for four comfortably on a short journey was being prepared. The dock hands working quietly loading it with fresh water and food though Sero did not actually need the food. It was still more comfortable to live normally than it was to simply remain hydrated. Still the food was limited to salted meat mostly. He hadn't really pitched in for flavor but simply something to last him for a time. After all there was something that had recently come his way that he needed to investigate. Or rather train. The fog bank had already begun to gather around the bay as Sero waited. As if inviting him to enter into it and fade away. Of course Sero himself was in plain white robes as per usual with his bare feet resting on the creaking wood of the docks. Already darkened from the moisture of the morning as a cool breeze blew through as a relief from all the heat. The men working felt it and sighed in relief as they began to finish up. Two ten gallon clay jars of water with a lid sealed on top and tied down with a small sealed bag of twenty pieces of salted beef were not much to load but they did not mind the easy task so long as it meant being away from him.

Sero himself was paying them little mind. His hands were folded behind himself with both hands holding a bone encased scroll of some age on it. Of all things it had been sent to him by one of his predecessors in a clan that had not only abandoned him but attempted to have his father murder him in his birth crib. Who had left him barely able to function for twenty years alone in a hospital. He had a great deal of hate for them but having seen the scroll he knew he would need to train this jutsu well away from the village. And the training grounds simply would not do. However there were several islands nearby and many of them uninhabited. Or inhabited by pirates. One such place actually had a terrorist group in an old abandoned manor. So he would deal with them as per the villages request and make use of a space already cleared by these missing nin zealots. Murdering the lot of them would be the easy part in his mind. Still he would be about ready to disembark for a couple of days when he would hear the sound of someone approaching the docks. This was an odd thing to hear on this part so early in the morning. The fisherman had already left before the sun came up to catch the early morning swell of fish. Instead his eyes would fall on a familiar face. A quiet boy it was hard to discuss anything with due to his reluctance to utter a word. Sero would speak to him in his usual monotone voice all the same.

"What are you doing here Blitz?"

It was the same as last time, all too familiar with the mist and docks. It seemed he always appeared before everyone when they seemed to be doing something important, such was his luck. A figure wearing white stood upon the docks Burittsu could see a small boat on the water with supplies of some kind; it was indeed his luck to always find himself in the midst of someone else's task. The mist seemed to spread out hiding everything so well Burittsu could only gaze for a while before bowing his head once to the male in a sign of respect the docks were empty and he came all this way for one simple goal in mind. Watching as the man turned around and gazed at him he knew it was the right time for him to step forward as he walked closer to the male with confidence in his walk and stare. Burittsu reached for his own neck grabbing onto the headband that was passed down to him from the lady. It was a burden but one that came with a lot of resolve. It was once on her as she fought for the village. Now the legacy was passed on it felt as if it was a heavy weight never to be taken off as if her eyes were always watching the responsibility only forced his hand to become stronger with each passing moment it felt as if he was pushed. Coming to a stop as his feet ended up swallowed by the mist it was now clear to see the male who stood in front of him he was determined to grow stronger and it was a risk to even try with someone he didn’t know. But the power he had underneath his belt made him stronger than those Burittsu had encountered so far in mere moments after stopping Burittsu began to speak with the man.

“I'm here to grow stronger..Wiser.. And faster.. Wherever you’re going please take me, I won’t slow you down..”


Gazing into the eyes of the beast it seemed like a two way street. Either he left his fate in own hands or he was taught by someone who knew more than he did. Gazing upon Sero he knew this one had multiple teeth to show but Burittsu had none of his own he wanted to grow his own pair and prove his own worth to himself and honoro the fact he was passed down such a trophy. If he wanted to fight he could get the answer he wanted Burittsu knew this was all he had planned. If he was denied then he would do anything possible to attain new heights he refused to be given such treatment without paying her back for the kindness. It wasn’t only her but the monster in front of him for giving him his first mission and the means of survival. From that day he kept the money tight and secured but he wanted to grow more and become a warrior not needing to be guided. Walking towards the man as he made out the boat and the supplies it was carrying it was clear Sero was off somewhere with all these rations enough for more than one person. Giving off a grin Burittsu took a couple more steps before making his way off the docks and onto the boat himself placing his katana underneath the bench and began to grab a oar already ready to set off to wherever the destination was too. Waiting for the male to board with him he wondered if he didn’t bite off more than he asked for but regardless it was worth the risk at the end of the day.

“...Time doesn't wait for anyone.."

Sero would watch the boy silently as he moved. Unconcerned with his sudden appearance. At the moment Sero viewed everyone as a threat but at varying degrees. He was quiet and came across as slow. But he was determined. He inquired about going but did so rather insistently. However the need to grow stronger was a familiar sensation to Sero. There was something within him more powerful than himself and Sero needed that to change. He needed more power so he himself could be stronger. Stronger than anyone. Still those cold blue eyes would settle on Blitz as he entered the vessel. As if certain Sero would take him with. Yet Sero did not move even as the young man picked up an oar. Cold eyes never blinking as they stared after the young man. Contemplating something a moment before he glanced to the workers. Who hesitated a moment at the unexpected guest. His cold eyes settling on them causing them to flinch a moment before Sero spoke again. His hollow voice carrying out to the men on the dock as they listened.

"Unload the supplies. They are already paid for so you all my keep them. We will be leaving without them."

Sero would watch them hesitate before doing as asked. At least they could resale it or use it themselves. And while it made all that effort seem pointless they were not about to argue with the commander. Quickly they would set about their work and as they finished Sero would shift and almost seem to glide from the docks onto the small boat. His cold eyes on Burritsu a moment as the men finished and watched them. Sero would settle across from the boy and cross his arms within his sleeves. However there would prove no need for the oar as the water around the boat shifted and lurched. Pulling them along rather quickly away from the docks. Heading away from the mainland and the crew relieved to see them gone. The water around them moving them as it responded to Seros will and mastery over the suiton arts. The docks would fade into the mist before Sero would speak again. The water splitting along the front of the boat from their speed and leaving a calm path fading behind them.

"Where I am going you may die as you are. So we will be spending a week training. This training will include finding your own food and water. As well ash shelter from the rain. Survival talents should not be taken lightly even by shinobi. Besides that I will wear you down to nothing so you can build up again. If this does not suit what you were after. Abandon ship now and swim back. If it does suit you...Tell me your real name."

He was astonished to see the male have all the cargo be removed off the small vessel. Maybe he said something that didn’t need to be said or in all seriousness maybe he was going to die on the boat. Stepping into the den of a lion came with consequences be that permanently maimed or death either way doing such things invited danger which seemed to be what he wanted. It had seemed the best way to grow and adapt to the people of the village. They lust for battle to become stronger and worthy of praise or it seemed in reality Burittsu didn’t know of his reason to continue on forward except for the weight that he carried around his neck. And the weight he bears with his sword wanting to become an excellent shinobi to become her best weapon seemed far but he wanted to grasp everything he could. Watching the shinobi sit directly in front of him Burittsu was ready to begin to haul to his surprise his arms were of no need; it had seemed the plan to go with the beast was on track. As the boat was pulled inward away from the land it all seemed a distant dream as a fog of thick mist veiled over the boat and its crew concealing them from the outside. In mere seconds the voice of the male was now projected at Burittsu informing him of the conditions of this trip and his only means of out was currently at the very moment.

One of these conditions seemed to hit him in a spot where only one person could reach the only one he allowed to get close to see his true nature but this man in front of him encouraged something deeper. He wanted to know his true name for a reason he knew not if he answered would the man attack and kill him off in the boat or would he hold true to his words and train Burittsu to become a proper shinobi. But indeed he almost forgot that blending in was the prime objective and he played his part too well. It had seemed it was best to give the man a real answer. Before an answer could slip out he chuckled a little bit at the thought of how he made it to the point where she would be proud of him dearly. It was only a name but it seemed he was growing accustomed to the people of the land. He enjoyed this type of pressure. The male across from him was a monster with amazing abilities. He would be a fool to not accept this and introduce himself to the lady when he feels presentable gazing at the shinobi in front of him his voice would respond swiftly and precisely. Heavy but smooth to the exact letter as it seemed he let off at least a tiny bit of his guard.

“Burittsu Yuki the kanji for Burittsu is Blitz.. I prefer the latter.. Only one other person may use my real name..”

He could only grin in excitement as he had found a way to push his limits and no one better than a person who casually invites death to his door he was told to jump off he didn’t feel the need to share his name. It was just name afterall what's the worst that could happen if the training would go as planned he should be a splendid shinobi within time as long as he keeps up with the one in front of him. Nothing was going to stop him from achieving his own personal goals; this very thought continued to remain on his mind. A grin was placed once more upon his face indeed he would sacrifice what he had to gain more than he would ever think. Without even thinking it poured out all at once with his mind fluttering with thoughts of everyone he couldn’t let down from the lady to this beast of a warrior in front of him.

“From now on I'm your student so I shall call you Senpai. I'll try my best to meet every expectation from this day on. I accept the conditions.”

Gazing off into the mist he only began to think of what this meant going forward would he actually reach a goal without losing anything in the process. Or was this all a test to see where he stood in this life that he was brought into. It was suitable for someone to find a place in the world to call a home. With this one he was brought into it had a lot of different characters each humble to their own degree but deadly to the teeth if poked the wrong way each deserved their own space. Burittsu saw it differently; he wanted to get closer to each one to truly understand how each worked and maybe understand their reasoning for being a shinobi in hopes of finding his own reason eventually. Maybe during the week-long training session an answer would be given to him why he should continue to push forward in life then sit like a duck waiting to be fed on.

“....”

Valen was looking for Sero, as instructed by the man himself. It had been three days ago when Valen how joined the nightmare brigade and during that time the diminutive shinobi had obtained a solid katana and his uniform that he was to wear on missions and such. He didn't really care one way or another what he wore so it was no particular bother to him to wear it. As such, since he was wearing said uniform. Valen was dressed in black shinobi gear, pants, shirt, boots, and a cloak. As well as a white porcelain mask that had the image of a spider upon it. He wore the gear, the mask skewed to the side a bit to show his face. He would put it in when it was time to. The point of it was to hide his identity from potential enemies who could potentially escape and target him otherwise but there were no enemies about at the moment. When he had gone to the training yard he had been directed here. Told that Sero was preparing for a trip somewhere. Valen of course, had been told to find Sero after three days. Sero hadn't told him where he would be.

Valen however took orders quite literally, and so he had come to find Sero. Truth be told Sero could have already left and Valen simply would have taken another boat to find him in order to report. It was the way he was. He was a good sailor too and so he would be confident in his chances of catching up to the man. Still, his timing was fortuitous, and as he moved down the dock he would spot the boat leaving with Sero speaking with none other than Blitz. He had not gotten the opportunity to spar with Blitz when they had last met just the other day. That had been because he had been in the market originally, where they had met, to get the very uniform he was wearing then. It appeared he had either been told to report to Sero as well, or had simply been looking for the man he had referred to as 'Sensei' in order to get him to train him. The mans presence made no difference to Valen. Sero's orders had been to find him, and he hadn't said who he was with mattered in the least. So Valen would simply hop off the dock and catch up to the boat. When he did catch up to the still visible boat he would give Sero a bow of greeting. "Sero-sama, I have sought you out after three days. During those days I obtained a proper sword and my uniform, as ordered." He would say simply before falling silent, awaiting the man's directives as he continued along with the boat.

“I am here as well Sero-sama, as ordered.”

A voice would call out from behind the swordsman as Takano tramped towards the deck, looking curiously at the cargo being hurriedly unloaded by sailors that did not look terribly pleased about what they had been ordered to do. Then again, most sailors Takano had met had always been displeased in one form or another, so perhaps that wasn’t extraordinary.

Takano himself, however, had clearly not skimped on preparations for this journey. The Uzumaki was dressed in blacks and light greys, the clothes made of tough, wear-resistant fabric and steel arm guards adorning his arms. His forehead protector was bound around his neck where it could be pulled below the neckline of his travel cloak for easy concealment. As he drew his cloak closer around him to block out the pouring rain, a variety of sheaths and pouches were visible around his waist, and a large backpack with two medium-sized sealing scrolls belted to the sides completed his mission-ready loadout.

Drawing level with the man with the sword, Takano would also clasp his hands in a bow towards Sero, eyeing the two others. Blitz, he was aware of, having engaged the other shinobi in a tournament match a few days before. A bit of a straightforward man, but he was skilled and fast, and he seemed trustworthy, or about as trustworthy as any ninja could really be. The other genin, however, was a man that Takano had never seen before, and, if the mask on his face was anything to judge by, he was not exactly of little threat. Hyperaware of their few feet of separation, Takano spoke again.

“May I ask what you would have me do sir? Your letter was a little sparse on details on this assignment.”

Sero would glance between each of the three of them at a time. Burritsu would state his name finally. Explaining the blitz name as well. Sero would only need to know the name. He had no need to force boundaries with the young man. If he prefered to be called by another name so be it. He was a monster after all...not an imbecile. Still Sero would move to the back of the boat allowing for room for the other two. He had suspected they would arrive at the dock or track him to the island. He assumed them capable of as much. He left rumor and fear in his wake and the practiced eye could track him easily enough. Once they had boarded he would settle at the far back of the boat. His eyes settling on each of them with a cold gaze. Burittsu was eager but did not seem as if the world had truly hurt him yet. Valen was cold but lacking emotions could mean lacking connection. Something to fight for. Takano was a soldier but he had his own ghosts haunting him. It was something deep in his eyes that said he had fear to overcome. Sero could sense it even now more than the other two. All three were warriors though.

Once they were all on board it became clear the varying differences in preparation. Sero had brought nothing. Only himself and the clothes on his person. Burritsu was at least armed. Valen had come in full uniform and Takano was ready for a veritable long term mission. Sero would wonder a moment if having more tools or lack thereof would be cause for divide between them. Still a smile would form on those pale lips. Those blue eyes seemed to glow in the dim light as Sero spoke to them. Civilization seemed to fade into the fog and nothing but the wilds was soon around them. The darkest part of the swamps where man did not wander. The boat seemed to carry off into this swamp of its own accord. Of course a part of Sero had slunk under the boat and was spinning at B rank coordination to speed them along like a propeller. Pushing the boat along at about B rank speed while it steered itself. Still Sero would finally speak to the men before him. All warriors sure of their abilities. Or their experience.

"Very well so we shall begin. This experience will test your will. Your intuition or instincts if you prefer. You will need to remain determined and clever to make it all seven days. However you will experience madness. The lack of suitable shelter here and its cold nights will be yours to overcome. As well as hunger and thirst. You will not be allowed sleep and any attempt to do so will be met with consequences. You will be tormented by enemies that will attempt to kill you at random intervals as I drop men marked for death on the island. Work together or alone but you will be monitored at all times. To end your participation at any time raise your right hand and declare 'I surrender'. Help will be immediate and anything attempting to kill you will be dealt with. At which point you will be escorted from the island. At the end of the seven days we will attack a terrorist compound. In summary. Hostile territory with freezing temperatures at night with no food, water or shelter to start. It is about nine in the morning now. Giving you twelve hours to prepare. The island will be just ahead shortly. Are there any questions?"

Turning his head over his shoulder it had seemed something more caught the attention of the one in front of him. It was indeed a little surprising to see others who come close to seeing this being in person. He had thought it was people he had never seen before but as he continued to gaze upon them slowly and surely each became a recognized face one of them fell from the tree as the other one was in a tournament around the time he attempted to give a great welcoming with such strikes it indeed stuck in the mind of Burittsu. As each climbed on board in mere seconds the boat itself began to move on cutting through the surface of the water as it now took the four passengers farther from the land. Around the crew of the boat it seemed everyone became engulfed in mist hiding themselves from the world. It was only a mere second before Burittsu looked over his shoulder and glanced at the two shinobi from his earlier adventures. Each of these people were different in their own way but it seemed like each had their own mission and goals in this life. Gazing back towards the male only to be greeted by such an introduction to the location and how many days were being spent on the island.

It was an idea bold enough to work for Burittsu; he had a chance to grow right there on the spot followed by another mission after all it seemed better to do so after his growth. He only needed his own personal goals to be met regardless of his outside appearance; he found himself a path that led him to growth. Teamwork did sound essential but what would be the point of growth if he didn’t struggle on his own for a while it seemed best for him to stay on his own path he did tire of putting up a face. Watching the monster across from him smile just before the conditions were placed only told him that this was the path that led those who truly yearned for a chance of greatness. But most likely he was just as crazy as the man on the boat willing to risk his life and sanity for a chance at becoming something more from where he currently resides the way it seemed they were a team but on this island Burittsu would consider them rivals for the time. Competition seemed the best way to push each other and with that in mind he himself would smile as he gazed off towards the water.

“Interesting Senpai..”

Valen would sit within the boat, ensuring his sheathed katana did not get caught between his legs as he sat. Afterwards he would look around for an oar but find none and wondered briefly how the boat was supposed to move before the thing actually began to. Looking back toward Sero, he would remember the man being able to turn into water and wondered if he had simply used that ability somehow to propel them. It was possible he supposed but did not make much difference to them. As the boat began to move down the current, the craft seeming to guide itself, it would be very quickly evident that the fog was going to make things interesting. Already they could no longer see any signs of civilization as the fog bank swallowed such signs up and the swamp they passed through seemed to get darker and more sinister. Valen would simply look around idly, looking at their surroundings. Right up until Sero started to speak, causing Valen to look toward him and listen. He spoke of them spending a week on an island with no sleep or supplies. They would have to survive either as a group or individually. Valen would prefer the individual option, mostly because he preferred working alone at this point rather than relying on others.

After the week was up they would go and attack a terrorist compound where Valen presumed they would kill everyone therein for their crimes. That would be mildly amusing, but Valen was not particularly one for slaughter. Instead he would much rather enjoy a good fight, the competition, the contest. Overcoming a strong opponent that pushed ones capabilities further. That was what Valen wanted. Still, the compound would obviously need to be handled lest the terrorists become a problem. They were supposed to take care of such threats. Even if Valen did not expect much from them. "So we survive for a week and go kill some terrorists? Fine, no questions necessary." He would say simply, turning his gaze toward the direction they were traveling in. His first step to surviving such an endeavor would be to find water. That was a necessity and it was the challenge when surviving at sea as much as on land. Granted he had next to no land survival experience. Although he could fish well enough so that was a plus. Still, seven days awake, he hadn't done that in a long time although he had done so. Back when one of his old masters had needed to outrun some authority figures. The man had caused such situations multiple times so he had handled such long stretched without sleep before. It shouldn't be too difficult and he had some ideas on how to make it work out here. The question remained was whether or not he could make and of them work.

[2]

Takano suppressed a shiver as Sero’s predatory eyes roamed over him and the other genin, setting his shoulders back definitely and staring right back at his superior officer. The Uzumaki had stood before Sero at full blast only a few days before and had withstood it. The Uzumaki would not allow a mere passive aura to break his body and spirit, not while his other two companions were able to withstand it. His stubborn nature, and his warrior’s pride would never allow such a thing to pass.

As the boat set off with a large jolt, Takano would nearly stumble due to the surprise, having noted no oars set to see or any sails on the small boat. The currents in Kirigakure’s harbor were not nearly intense enough to do such a thing, and that only left Sero as the only invested party powerful enough to perform such an act. Takano briefly considered the how and why of jutsu, before mentally shrugging and filing as another example of the extreme powers of the Shinboi elite. After all, once you saw a man lay waste to several square miles of thick forest with a few hand seals and utter casualness, nothing really seemed beyond his reach. The fog, however, seemed rather natural, and only boded problems if their commander was going to throw them into some sort of combat assignment.

As Sero started speaking however, Takano realized that his chronic overpreparation…hadn’t been that at all. If the commander of Kiri’s black ops division was going to throw them in a jungle for a week with zero preparation and little chance at sustenance for the next week or so. Not only that, but nukenin were going to be thrown headfirst at them near constantly, leaving little chance to acquire food, water or shelter, while they were also expected to be combat ready at the end of it all, and in top form too if they wanted to take out an entire terrorist compound with only four men. Devoutly glad that he had forced himself to learn barrier techniques after seeing Sero’s techniques, Takano immediately dropped to his feet, quickly retrieving an ink bottle and several blank sealing tags, quickly beginning to replenish his supply of explosive tags with a practiced ease. The two other genin on the boat seemed content to answer Sero with noting but a nod and a grunt, but Takano preferred to have a little more tangible assurance of success.

“Sounds fine by me sir. I’m guessing the twelve hour grace period doesn’t extend to sleeping? Otherwise I understand the assignment.” Takano said distractedly, drawing seal after explosive seal with quick, accurate brush strokes. Some more advanced Fuinjustu practitioners were able to inscribe such things with a wave of their hand, but Takano was not quite at that level of chakra control, not yet at least. Therefore, the old-fashioned way.

Assuming Sero answered his question, and nothing else happened, Takano would immediately retreat to the stern of the ship, sit and lean against the wooden railing, immediately closing his eyes and attempting to gain some rest before the arduous task ahead. It was a shame that he couldn't simply sleep until they go there, but Takano didn't trust Sero not to throw some sudden curve ball in at the last second. It looked like he was going to need a few vacation days when they got back, to fix his sleep schedule at the very least.

Each of the three would acknowledge him in some way. A strange and eager hope within them that did not yet dwindle. Yet he wondered if they would work together to survive. Each of them bringing a certain strength to the table. Blitz was the obvious one. He could survive the cold at least. His own chakra nature virtually making him immune to the freezing temperatures. He also held a certain close combat expertise which would help them when ambushed. If his skills won out that was. Exhaustion both physically and mentally would drag that down significantly. However despite how quiet he was Sero found him to be naive. Valen on the other hand would be valuable for catching fish as well as experienced at dealing with mental and physical exhaustion. If they decided to be bold he could even help start fires. However he was not used to relying on others. His solo act could only get him so far before eventually he would need someone. He needed to learn early to rely on others. Even if they were simply to anchor you down to the situation. Takano on the other hand was an experienced soldier and as prepared as one could get. He had experience on his side and likely could help prepare defenses and shelter. His tools however were limited and there were three of them. The demand for them could grow and thus contempt for each other. He wondered if Takano would succumb to his paranoia from his past first.

Sero had a plan for himself of course as this sort of survival test was simple enough for him. His katon chakra would keep him from freezing and he was trained to blend into the fog. As for food and water his nature only required him to drink to survive. Any creek or river would suit him fine. As for rest...he could leave a clone out to observe them and rest in the water or a cracked tree somewhere. Being able to take water form meant hiding was a simple task. He was needing to observe and protect them if needed so he wouldn't participate fully. Besides he had already done this when he first left the hospital. Three people in a cave with enemies everywhere and freezing temperatures and no supplies. This had been the origin of the Nightmare brigade. It was only fitting these three experience it too. Still he would nod to Takano as he finished what appeared to be some form of seals. Further preparation for what was to come. The mist only growing thicker as they traveled for about an hour. Far enough from civilization and law that he would be able to find the criminals out here easily enough to supply them for their training. He would finally pull up to a large land mass covered in pine trees a frosted over. It was cold but the day was almost mid day. Just above freezing by the feel of it. Once night fell it would be much worse.

The fog here was thick enough that one couldn't see more than twenty meters out. The boat bumping up onto a rock covered beach with a loud scrape that seemed to fill the chilled air. Finally coming to a stop as it pulled off to the side. It was low tide so the boat was fine for now. But he would leave it up to them to secure it or lose it. Perhaps even use it. With the fog it was difficult to tell the size of the island or where the nearest edges were based on where they stood. In truth the island had varying slopes and was three miles long and two miles wide. Dense forest and never ending fog with nights that left the surface of any none moving water solid. Steam would rise off of Sero as he stepped off the craft and glanced around slowly. After all enemies could already be present. But he expected them to be on guard already. Finally he would turn to the three of them and fold his hands behind himself.

"This is your testing grounds. Stay within the confines of the island for the entire time period. Be on your guard. You have eleven hours to explore and prepare including rest if you can. As the boat ride was already an hour. Be prepared though...it is just us out here as far as back up goes. And who knows if there are already inhabitants out here?"

Burittsu only had the mist to entertain him; it was the matter of how he shall grow stronger. Both these individuals had their own reasons for coming to see the monster as Burittsu hoped to learn more from him. It was only the way the path kept on continuing he ended up with a like minded group of shinobi who yearned to grow and better themselves in this world. Regardless if they truly knew him from what he represented on the outside but this was training no one needed to be serious until the boat arrived. Glancing over his shoulder he watched the two behind him both farther in life and experience when it came to living out in the world he only got lucky and made it out. One seemed to be in good communication with Sero as he appeared to do his own thing and head off the back of the raft to relax; the other was one who owed him a spar but obviously skilled when it came to being out in the world. Each encounter with one of these shinobi were interesting but the monster in front of him caught his attention the most. Burittsu didn’t have to say a single word; his expression itself was a message of hunger; it seemed competition was on board and only those who wanted it would return home from such a place. Even if the monster did let one of them die it would only show the true hardships of the shinobi world that being said if that did happen he would prepare himself for such a report.

Fixing his gaze back towards the water he remained motionless thinking to himself for the remaining hour on the voyage through the thick mist with nothing but the creatures of the land. All mysterious and vague, some coming in fierce as others low and mellow spreading their influence throughout the world giving it such life that Burittsu would want to see for his own eyes. This thought danced in his mind about having such freedoms but only after paying the debt that he owed with a home given to him he was now expected to protect it and even if he had to get his hands dirty to keep it that way. Everyone on the boat did not seem like family but the way the lady seemed to cherish this village it seemed to her they were all family, each person worthy of her love or anger depending on how you approached or reacted she was indeed a fair judge of character. Time passed as Burittsu remained still until the very end hearing as the bottom of the raft scraped up along the land watching and listening he could only wait as the monster himself made the first move in getting up and observing the area. Keeping the coast clear for the fledgling shinobi and most likely keeping his eye on the prize after all this was a mission for him at the very end.

Awaiting for the all clear signal Burittsu listened to the voice of Sero tell them the situation but it all seemed the same to him at this point he wanted them to survive but if they were willing to work together. It would all seem the best of plans bending over as Burittsu removed his weapon from underneath the bench of the raft he stood up securing it upon his waist once more as he removed himself from the raft stepping onto the island itself. Gazing around it seemed it was time to start his own progression of becoming stronger and at least earn himself some type of ground. The group he was with currently would surpass him and leave him in the dust. He even wondered if it was worth sticking around dragging the others down; he could only think to himself before coming up with an answer that didn't make it seem like he was being out of the ordinary. Crossing his arms as it seemed he was ready to make some sacrifices of his own to see his own goal come to fruition.


“Pick a team captain already..”

Valen would assist in pulling the boat ashore and securing it if necessary. Of course in this regard he would be helpful. Even if someone took the boat the ride had not been long enough for any of them to be concerned with chakra consumption. Valen himself would then listen to Sero's instructions, telling them that they had eleven hours to prepare and explore their surroundings to the best of their ability. The could even use that time to rest of one wanted but the diminutive genin had no intention of doing that. He needed to find a shelter. The island was big enough for caves to be possible on it and if he found one he could use it as a base of operations. He had an unerring sense of direction due to all his time at sea and being able to read the stars or even the sun. He had options he could use if needed. Buri would be in the middle of his words when Valen would simply leave, running into the islands foliage and moving through the terrain searching. A captain didn't matter, not here. Not for this. So the fire user moved through the trees and streams, none of which were particularly clean. At least not one that he had seen yet. Stagnant water nearby tended to cause even the streams to be dangerous. As leeches and other such organisms enjoyed the lightly moving water. As such Valen wouldn't even put his foot into the streams as he moved through the area searching for shelter, a cave preferably.

It wouldn't matter if it was occupied, he would simply take it. After a good competition with the inhabitants of course. If he died, it didn't matter, and if they did, then he would take the cave. As he moved he would keep his form down and do his best to keep his noise level to a minimum while his senses were open. Doing so would be important to trying to get the drop on any inhabitants. At the while he would also be on the look out for wild animals he could cook. He could fish, but if found something while searching for shelter than it would be even better for a time. The fog around him kept his vision to only twenty meters or so and sound tended to carry in such scenarios. Finding a cave in this would be difficult, but if he found hilly terrain or a rock structure at all he could easily circle around it, or follow it to it's end point. All he would have to do is mark his starting point so he would know when he had come back around fully. He had eleven hours to prepare as best he could, and if he could find shelter he could progress the rest from there.

Takano started awake as the rough scrape of wood against rocky beach roused him out of his half-doze, his hand immediately flying to the hilt of his kunai as he established his surroundings. The pine-covered island was picturesque to be sure, but food and fresh water would be quite difficult to find on such a small island, especially when the resources would be stretched between four people at the bare minimum. Caution and creativity would be the words of the week it seemed, especially if he wanted to be in fighting shape at the end of it.

As Sero spoke his final instructions, Takano was already moving, quickly moving to the sail locker and retrieving several lengths of the waterproof cloth, quickly sealing it inside a medium-sized scroll where it would be both safe and easy to carry. Similarly, Takano would take a kunai and begin prying several wooden planks off the deck of the ship, even as Blitz spoke his question. “Given that the other guy ran off, I suppose the team just consists of us. Follow me, we’re wasting time.” Takano said, sealing the wooden planks in a similar manner and sprinting off into the underbrush.

After a minute or so of running, it was clear that Blitz was not, in fact, following. Takano didn’t understand, sure staying together would lead to more competition for resources, but it would also vastly increase their chances of survival if they were attacked. It was extremely aggravating to say the very least, but he supposed that no allies were better than reluctant ones in the end. All he had to do was make sure that he got through the week: other considerations could wait for later.

After reaching a cliff on the north side of the island, Takano would stop, peering out over the misty vista before him. While dense fog choked most of the island, the cliff reared far above it, giving him an advantage in visibility. Unfortunately, this also meant it would be a prime target to attack by the hostile forces Sero had assured him would be soon arriving, making it far too dangerous to set up a camp. However, this did not mean that he could not use it to his advantage….

A few minutes and several explosive tags later, Takano had set up three separate traps in the immediate area, artfully concealed behind various loose rocks and scraggly underbrush. The explosive tags were linked by a seal that the Uzumaki had personally developed, which spread a thin amount of chakra in the center of the square formation formed by the tags, functioning as a “trip wire” of sorts. Once the seal was triggered, the chakra would immediately reform into a chakra box, containing and focusing the explosion to a narrower area to reduce any intruders to mush.

Surveying his handiwork, Takano nodded to himself. If he was a rogue ninja loosed on this island for the hunt, the first place he would move is the cliff side in order to gain oversight of the operation area. With any luck, this meant that they would trigger the traps on their way up and the problem would be solved for him. To raise it to an art form, Takano wove several more handsigns before slamming his hands on the rocky edge of the barren cliff. Slowly, his chakra permeated the soil, sifting down through the rock, searching for any loose water and slowly funneling it upwards. After a few minutes, the trickle became a stream, then a flood. With an almighty crash, a small waterfall pored over the lip of the cliff, forming a small pool at the base. A freshwater source, both for his own use, and to assist in the attraction of enemies to the spot. Perfect.
With his initial preparations done, Takano retreated into the forest, slowly making his way through the woods, collecting fallen branches as he went and hefting them over his shoulder. Once he had enough, Takano would dump them in a small thicket of trees, before forming a few handsigns and summoning several water clones to his aid. With their assistance, it only took around twenty minutes to construct a narrow teepee, utilizing the sailcloth he had stolen from the ship as covering. The habitation was a little rough, and would need to be repaired to make it a little more livable, but it was enough for Takano’s purposes at the moment.

At this point however, the sun had well and truly descended over the tree tops, causing the temperature to drop to dangerous levels. Drawing his coat closer around him, Takano moved quickly now, circling his campsite with a radius of a few hundred meters, carefully locating tree holes and pockets in the knarled roots of the large pines in order to locate spots to place the outer tags of his Five Seal Barrier. After around ten minutes, Takano was finished, and placed the final tag right in the middle of his teepee, causing a good-sized red barrier to emerge over his campsite, encompassing it on all sides.

With the defenses seen to, Takano would retrieve his flint and a kunai from his hip holster, as well as the several lengths of dry wood from his storage scroll. It only took a few tries (and several curses at the poor quality of his kunai’s steel) to get a small blaze going, although it was a weak and pathetic thing. Smoke, at least, was not an issue, with the little the dry wood produced flowing out through the hole in the roof of his shelter, mixing in with the mist to become almost indistinguishable. With warmth and his immediate needs taken care of, Takano would wrap his coat around him like a blanket, slipping into a light slumber for the few hours that remained, his weapons close at hand.

Trained 350/350:

OOC Notes:

Sero would simply remain where he stood and watched quietly. This would be an experience for the three of them. It would either build a foundation for their strength...or it would break them. Either way their future path would be chosen here. Would they be warriors that struck fear into the enemies of the nation? Or would they falter and see a dim future indeed? Forcing them to confront the idea of death and perhaps even select a more peaceful life. For the time being it was unclear as to what the results would be. But he had given them time to prepare. Valen was the first to depart as he ignored Blitz completely. Takano would seem to rob the boat of what materials he could as they weren't needed anyway. Taking what he wished and remaining the majority of the supplies. He was a prepper certainly. And given the time he had to prepare this was all to his benefit. Still Sero would never shift expression or even blink. Blitz and Takano would leave the remains of the boat behind with Sero but he really didn't see if they split off before setting up camp somewhere. The mist cutting off vision of them quickly after they departed.

With the three of them splitting up they would cover more ground and perhaps set a few traps or alert systems. Maybe forage for food and find shelter. Just to get an idea of where everything they needed was. There was water flowing around the island and fish actively within the water. But that meant going to the edge of the island. Not much else shifted here however. Nothing really in the form of life anyway. No birds or insects. This place seemed to have been lost to the cold nights. Valen would find a couple of positions in his search. The first was a part where the earth under a huge tree had parted underneath it on one side to create a three meter deep and wide hole under the roots. Deep enough to mostly hide the light of a fire but at the bottom was a small pool of water and soaked mud from collected rainwater. Half frozen already. The tree itself only clinging to the ground with about half its roots. The second would be a cave with a narrow entrance. Just about two people wide and big enough for a bear. With this cave and the nearby fish this was a suitable habitat for the bear and it had grown to barely fit if it squeezed in and out of this cave. A massive beast for Valen to face. But wind hardly got in here and rain certainly didn't. The inside of the cave was a ten meter diameter ten meter tall almost perfect dome. The walls and floor cold stone but still dry. Just a bear in the way.

Sero would depart after searching each of them out and getting an idea of where each of them set up camps. He would need to monitor where the bad folks he was bringing were going and who was there if anyone. He wasn't a tracker by any means but none of them seemed to truly incorporate stealth into their search. So they were relatively easy to track. Once he spotted each of their territories he wondered what they may have accomplished together. Still it was for them to decide. He would depart to the nearby islands. Searching through them swiftly and after a few hours he found a ship harbored about two miles away. Not even well hidden this far from the village. Some of their crew died before Sero could explain their glorious purpose as they chose to attack him. But a crew of ten survived. It was only the first night after all so a few pirates would do them some good. He promised them that should they kill all 3 boys they would be allowed to take their ship and flee the country. Of course he had no intentions of actually keeping a promise to pirates. He would let them approach the island and follow them at a slight distance. The bad guys moved as a group so that meant if he stayed near them, the boys wouldn't be in danger without him present.

The group would approach from Takanos section of the island. Moving quickly in search as temperatures dropped. Some of the pirates had on furs and kept warmer but already four of them were experiencing hypothermic conditions. Two of the four would move and stumble right into the freshwater pond. Falling with a hollar and emerging gasping for air. The captain was a man with wild grey hair who would growl out of them to build a fire if they wanted to survive the night. A pipe in his mouth as his one good eye looked over the terrain. This water was too clean...to fresh...He would order two of the remaining freezing men to scout out ahead if they wanted to keep their fingers. Punishing them for being idiots. The two who fell into the freezing water would barely be able to move as they curled up as close to the bonfire that was quickly made as possible. However by the time it was well built...one of the two scouts stumbled upon the deadly trap/alarm. An explosion would echo across the entire island. Pieces of the poor pirate popsicle falling in bloody chunks into the fresh water pond and soiling it since it was directly underneath it. The captain would click his tongue against his teeth behind his bushy mustache in irritation.

"Useless idiots...the lot of ya. Ruined the only fresh water 'ere and alerted the enemy. Get warm quick lads...they know we're 'ere and they won't likely let us do as we please."

One heading off the other direction as one other insisted we stayed together to form a better chance of survival but all that was nothing but delayed efforts as they came to train and grow stronger. As he watched the distance grow between himself and everyone it seemed like he only had to care for himself for the time being until it was clear that mission was coming to an end walking off into his direction he was contempt with growing stronger. Walking off deeper into the island he only sought out for anything edible or anything worthy of a fight with his blade on his hip it seemed like a good chance for himself to practice on what he thought a shinobi should appear as. With the mist running around Burittsu seemed to only enjoy the fact that an island such as this was sitting in his new homeland; it was silent as if the animals never came across the aisle. He wandered deeper into the island than he wanted in search of something more than a meal; it would seem that he was eager to test himself; he even thought of the idea of remaining isolated from the rest of the group. Gazing around himself it was clear none had eyes on him he was allowed to breathe and let his guard down allowing himself to feel the freedom of the world for once.

Even with the mist in the way all it seemed Burittsu was able to do was continue to gaze around the landscape taking it all in even without the wildlife it was still something that attracted his attention. Feeling peaceful was only temporary as he crossed through the forest stepping over streams that seemed to carry off towards hidden parts of the island with the silence of the world around him as the day grew darker and the night grew cold it was all peaceful to the boy. But yet peace was only a thing he had time to dream of. It didn't matter how long it took but he was convinced that his training would pay off from this experience. Wandering through the darkness with no means of a plan it had seemed Burittsu was a lost cause to anyone else who would see this man walking through the cold darkness. Stepping on whatever was in his way Burittsu did not seem to find a need to stop searching for harm as a little fatigue would grow on him during his march.

Soon it happened the echo of a thousand claps screeching through the air of the night spreading like a plague informing and also alerting everyone who was on the island at the time. Clearly whoever caused the explosion to happen was either lucky or dead none of it mattered to Burittsu he remained in the freedom of his own at this point with no one to watch over him it seemed the perfect way to gain some stride. Maybe it was death he was truly searching for a way to return back to his loved ones or maybe it was the will of those he took along the way first his fathers sword. Next came the village headband from the lady herself in hopes of him growing with some expectations whatever she held of him; it seemed that was his only purpose in life currently to grow and continue to forge his own way while heading down the paths that seemed to be opening up bit by bit.

As the headband hung off his neck and the blade remained secured fastened upon his side the blue haired boy continued to ravage towards the sound of the explosion bit by bit making his way through the dark. Creeping around every dark bush as he could, Burittsu seemed eager to train himself regardless of the conditions; he had no abilities except some measly skill with a sword. Yet he remained with a grin on his face truly he lusted at the fact the enemy triggered some type of explosion as he continued to think about it he began to wonder if it was even an enemy it would indeed ruin his fun if it was one of his comrades that got blown to the heavens. This would only mean Sero would have time to train only two of the others. It would be a sad cause to see someone fall so quickly especially if it wasn’t himself out there fighting but to die by some trap. Making his way through the darkness it had seemed Burittsu himself over estimated the island and whoever was the founder in a quick step pressing his foot on a thin line a hole quickly emerged from underneath his footing. Swallowing his body into the darkness it was only due to his speed he was able grab the edge of the ground and quickly pull his body upward onto the solid land. Peering back over his shoulders it was a dark pit as the moonlight pierced through the darkness shining some dim light over the pit it was clear to see large wooden stakes each sharpened to the point. The trap was either new or ancient, not even a single drop of blood seemed to be on it regardless it would seem he would and could indeed die from such annoyances if he continued to run into them.

Making his way around to standing upon his feet it was clear he was hungry for more of this island then he anticipated indeed he was lacking anything else but heart and the will to grow. Nothing else was needed from him living in a village such as this, no one to fight for or anything to love besides the silence and food. The people were different from himself so he knew he had nothing in common with anyone. Truly an outsider in his own rights with nothing to lose or anyone to cry for it had seemed his life was truly one for a shinobi at this point in time he could only fight and continue to grow until the time came for him to be put to rest. Continuing on his path growing closer from the sound of the explosion he could only smile as he wondered what would become of him.

“Interesting.”

As Valen traveled he would first find the tree with the space beneath it. It seemed like a suitable place for a small camp as he could go without fire given his higher average body temperature. Not only that but he could boil water himself with his katon chakra to give himself clean water. He had learned that much while on his many years on the slave ships. Collecting rain water and boiling it to provide clean water. He knew he could live without food for a week or more so long as he had water. Of course, living without food wasn't exactly 'Plan A'. Still, he would rather find a cave if he could so he could be out of the rain and the mist. So while he would remember where he was in reference to this tree. He would move on until he would find the cave entrance. Of course approaching it Valen could tell it was inhabited by a large bear. Mostly because one couldn't miss the smell]/i] of a large bear. As such he would approach the cave cautiously. He would rather have this cave as his shelter than not. He didn't mind competing with a beat for that. So when he entered the cave it would be silently. He would take to the walls, moving up them as quietly as he could.

He did not know if the creature was awake, but the lack of wind in the cave should make it more difficult to smell Valen since there wasn't a wind to carry the scent. So if he could successfully slip into the cave unnoticed he would take the time to let his eyes adjust so he could see just how much of a fight this would be. He doubted he could do enough damage with a single strike to kill such a creature immediately. So it would be down to if he thought he could take the beast in a straight up fight. Honestly, given his sword skills and access to fire. He felt like his chances weren't the worst in the world. So it was with a certain amount of resignation that as he entered the cave to see how big the bear was. An explosion would rock through the island, announcing the presence of people. Or perhaps it could have been Takano or Blitz. Still, the timing of it would be unfortunate for him because he highly doubted the beast would not notice and at least look toward the entrance. Still, Valen would be prepared if it did and he himself would be prepared to continue slipping inside if the bear somehow didn't notice.

[4]

OOC: Gonna go ahead and turn this into a Flashback for Valen here. For those in the topic know that this will not affect your exp in any way, shape, or form. It will just make it so that I personally cannot learn jutsu or anything like that and will half my experience gain from this topic from this point on.

that said flashback rules specifically [i]half the exp gained from the topic for those who are using it as one which means I will be getting 10 exp a post as opposed to 20. For the ease of math it starts at 10 exp a post due to Buri and Sero, became 15 a post when I joined, and finally 20 a post when Takano joined. Since I'm halving that from this point onward for myself I will now take 10 a post.

Takano’s hand was already on his kunai before he came fully awake, as his explosion rocked the small island. His small fire had long since burned down to mere coals, barely possessing the strength to fight back against the all-encompassing cold that surrounded him. With a grunt, Takano threw another one of his precious wooden planks on the smoldering fire, leaning back as a fresh swirl of sparks lit the improvised tent. The Uzumaki wasn’t sure how long he had slept, but at least it had been deep: it was likely the last chance he would get for the next seven days. With his proficiency with water release, clean water wouldn’t be much of an issue, making a heat source and food his main priorities. And, of course, finding out what just triggered his trap seal.

Before he did that however, he would dig a small trench next to his tent, still well within the confines of his barrier.  Lit by the soft red glow, Takano would form a quick series of hand signs before pressing his calloused hands into the unearthed dirt, sending tendrils of his chakra sinking into the earth, searching for moisture. Within a few minutes, the Uzumaki had made a small, clean source of spring water, with which he filled his small canteen. The waterfall would still hopefully be his main source of potable water, however the explosion and whatever intruders had arrived on the isle had likely damaged it significantly.

Takano would begin to move quietly but quickly through the forest, keeping a wary eye out for any sign of danger, or, more importantly, food. If he happened across a squirrel or any other small animal, he would immediately through a shuriken at it in the hopes of acquiring even the smallest bit of food to feed his body. Granted, with his stored body fat he could easily survive the week without it, but it would be rather uncomfortable to say the least, as well as impacting his overall combat performance. Within a few minutes, Takano would arrive at the fringes of where he remembered the cliff to be, and he carefully parted two branches to view the scene.

Sero seemed to have found a fairly standard band of bandits to test them. There were nine of the rough figures, remaining, two of which seemed to be incapacitated by the campfire for whatever reason. However, the Uzumaki’s eyes were not on them, but instead greedily fastened on the furs some of the bandits were wearing to keep warm: such clothing would boost his ability to retain heat in the cold nights immensely, and he needed them if he was to survive. It was time to hit this group fast and hit them hard.

With a single handsign, Takano detonated another one of his traps, just far enough away from the final trap to avoid wasting valuable explosive, hopefully distracting his prey. Marshalling his chakra reserves and gritting his teeth, Takano wove a few more handsigns and threw a large amount of chakra into the Exploding Colliding Water Wave Justu, forcing the moisture in his body and in the air to rapidly multiply. The water built up in his mouth and lungs, before the Uzumaki spat forth a truly immense amount of water downhill towards the group. With any luck, the wave would sweep the lot of them off the cliff or into the river, leaving their skins and supplies to be collected for later use. Even if they didn't die immediately, as long as they didn't completely dodge, the hypothermia would surely cripple them enough for Takano to remove them as a threat with little difficulty.

Without waiting to see the results of his action, Takano vanished once more into the forest, resuming his impromptu hunt.

Trained 300/300:

OOC Notes:

Sero would watch from a distance. The cold had expanded out the mist a bit allowing for about forty meters of vision. The fog too heavy to keep from slinking to the ground and blanketing it but not so heavy that it eliminated the vision loss entirely. Still forty meters suited him fine. It wasn't as if either party wasn't aware of his presence. The captain even would look his way occasionally as if contemplating something. This was the harshest island this side of the forbidden Isle that no one went near. Its temperature fluctuations too harsh to make a settlement or base on. Still he had essentially a skeleton crew left and was woefully underprepared. Still if he could pull this off without reaching for further resources...Perhaps this thing would let him leave...or at least allow him to get enough of a crew together to actually accomplish something. For now he was stuck with fools with all D ranks stats. Basic gear on the lot of them. But he was just with that one ship from the fleet. There was a risk to revealing the rest of the fleet to that monster though. A rather large one of possibly losing the fleet.

Valen on the other hand would find that an explosion had indeed woken the bear. He would be able to get into the cave as it stirred but a second explosion would draw its attention fully to the entrance and thus Valen. A deep rumbling growl would fill its lungs as it snarled and rose up onto its back haunches. The bear itself was massive. But it had lived a simple life with the fish and cave and nothing competing with it. Gaining more fat than muscle. The thing would only have C rank speed and coordination but it had B rank constitution and A rank strength. One hit from its claws would spell the end for Valen if he took one head on. Inside of this small cave escape was a difficult concept. However if he did manage to hurt the bear enough it would force its way passed him and out of the cave. Abandoning its home to return to its original life...the way it ended up all the way out here....Pirates who intended originally to use it for combat. Feeding it and training it. At least they had never cut it up and lit it on fire. But it would be back. Memory of pain and a conquering short little man fueling its rage.

Burittsu would be somewhere in the middle. Heading towards the explosion but further out than Takano by some distance. Takano was the only one engaging the group at the moment and Buri would take until after Takano had already started his tactical assault. Just in time to see a wild wave of water wipe out the cover Takano was behind and head towards the pirates. The captain heard it coming and despite the explosion which had drawn his mens attention his was drawn closer to home. He would slam his palm into the ground without any hand signs and a wall of stone would erupt between himself and the water. The two would collide and the fire as well as all but two of his cloaked men who dove behind the wall would be washed away. Without a fire they would be dead within a few minutes due to the cold. Yet the captain cared nothing for it. The wall would crumble after the wave collided with is and cold eyes would take in the jutsu source. Ordering his two men with a growl. "Kill em." before turning. Spotting Sero the captain would walk straight towards him. Ready to plead his case. Two angry pirates would draw swords and charge towards Takano. Approaching from slightly to either side of him so they wouldn't easily be caught in the same jutsu. Ready to draw his blood for their dead comrades.

Making his way through the darkness as he finally was met with an opening of the scene and no doubt it was eventually such a marvelous show from both sides on one side he watched his so-called comrade commence his attack. But he refused to see it through the end such foolish choices would cause the death of himself and others, probably indeed it was interesting to know he possessed such raw talent for a shinobi in the same rank as him but it was easy to see he was in his own calibur compared to Burittsu. With this he decided the soldier did not need any of his aid and as for the other one he appeared to still be off in the woods doing what he pleased such things were interesting if this was a team to even begin with regardless he could not speak. The only thing he brought to the battlefield was his determination and heart skills such as these were still off limits to him and his current need to be taught only watching how others work with these skills was his way for now. As such things seemed to proceed nicely the wave of land and water came crashing down but in an instant it was met with resistance such choices were only made in case of life and death.

Watching from the opening above he saw what seemed to be a large stone wall erected from the earth itself in mere response to oncoming attack bracing the frontal attack of such a degree was indeed. Something for Burittsu to remember on how these skills matched and compared from one another as for the caster for the skill itself to be quick enough to respond how did he do it with hand seals or did he even use any at all. Questions he needed to answer for himself as he began to descend down slowly continuing to focus upon the scene as the mess began to clear up a figure appeared. Burittsu watched as that figure moved from what he could make out that seemed to be the one casting the wall. But it was odd as it seemed he began to move towards one specific location after all this chaos. Making out the path to where he was heading Burittsu saw it for his own eyes something that appeared familiar. One figure that he knew for a fact to not play any games, the shinobi who seemed to know about the alias he had given, quickly descended down faster than ever; he was now determined to fight alongside this monster once more. Sliding upon the earth quickly before almost losing his balance he came to a quick stop and leapt up into the air grabbing the nearest tree branch.

Swinging his body back and forth Burittsu quickly propelled himself onto the branch and began to move rapidly through the trees nimble and quick he rushed towards the side of the male he called his teacher. Even if he knew he would slow him down he would take the chance to use this time to grow regardless of the situation he’d rather risk it all instead of being the one to be haunted by the thoughts of regret later. He himself was foolish enough to believe someone would leave this island without a scar or wound. It was clear it was hungry for such battles that provided him a chance to grow. Such was life as he saw it before the weak died if they did not stride to eat the strong would dominate and crush them from his point of view he in fact was the weakest out of the team by all means. But the determination he carried in his heart to excel and maybe one day catch up to those in front of him only made his heart beat race faster and bless his face with a grin. As he cut through the night of the trees he could only hope there was enough action for him when he got there.

“Senpai.. Wait for me..”

As he had expected the explosion caused the large creature within the cave to stir. Valen looked at the bear, surprised at its sheer size and not really knowing what in the world the thing was. He had after all, never seen a fucking bear before. It was large, covered in fur, and due to a second explosion right after the first its head was now turning right toward him. Valen backed up a step as he performed hand seals. The bear was rising up, lifting it’s massive weight off of the cold stone floor as Valen went through the seals for the fireball jutsu. Only rather than stop it there, he would take it a step farther. Adding the snake seal to the jutsu he would add on the jutsu Sero had taught him just a few days ago at the ninjutsu yard just outside the nightmare brigades base of operations.

The jutsu amplification technique was a powerful technique in that it would increase all aspect of a technique he used so long as it was to the element he had assigned it to. Of course that element had been fire. What else would it have been? The bear would finish it’s ascension to quadrupedal glory as Valen landed on the snake seal, the last one. Without that done the short man would breathe in deeply and exhale a massive conflagration. In all actuality of course it wasn’t all that massive. It was however more than large enough to fill the cave. Especially since Jutsu Amplification increased the size of his technique as well. The cave would be filled with powerful fire of B rank in power and as the diminutive genin exhaled the flames that he was trying to kill the bear with he would place a hand on his katana, ready to move quickly draw the blade if necessary. He would also listen carefully, ready to move to the side if the creature began to charge. The sound of such a large creatures feet shouldn't be able to be missed when it moved. The bear was an enemy, mainly because it resided in the shelter Valen wanted. However he might also be edible food and with its size and the cold of this island it was entirely possible that the meat of the bear would keep for the entire week. He could signal Blitz and Takano if that worked out and they could take shelter here, making this their base of operations.

Stuff:

In the end, it simply the terrain that betrayed Takano.

His initial assault had gone off without a hitch: the wall of water roared past the outer edge of the thicket in which Takano hid, rapidly gathering speed as gravity and momentum did their work. Although the most well-dressed among them (which Takano surmised to be a leader of some sort), was able to summon an earthen wall to defend himself, the majority of the bandits were directly impacted by the attack and were sent flying with various degrees of injury.

Unfortunately, Takano had underestimated the sheer strength his Water Release techniques had achieved since he had once again begun to train. Several of the trees that were concealing his position snapped like matchsticks, and the remains of which were sent tumbling down the slope alongside the water that had destroyed them. That left the Uzumaki almost completely exposed, and with two very angry adrenaline-charged pirates sprinting up the hill towards his position. His hit-and-run attack had changed into a full-fledged combat scenario, Takano’s first real fight in almost a year.

Thankfully, his combat analysis hadn’t completely rusted away from disuse. Takano rose from his half-crouch, backpedaling to gain himself a few extra seconds to think. In a no-holds barred fight, he was confident he could easily take the pair down with some powerful jutsu or even a few well-placed slashes to the vital areas. However, in a situation like this where he had no idea how many of these men Sero would throw at him, nor if he would be able to find enough food to sustain himself, Takano figured it would be better to avoid injury or excess chakra expenditure as much as possible. He had already spent much more than he liked on removing these men’s friends as a threat: he’d rather not spend more.

Noting the pirates’s spacing, Takano drew two kunai from a pouch on his waist, pre-loaded with some of his precious explosive tags. With quick flicks of his wrists, Takano hurled a kunai at each man approaching him, not willing to take any risk with their wide spacing perhaps reducing the tag’s lethality. The quick throws came with a cost however, as the left kunai was noticeably off-target by several feet, possibly allowing the man to avoid the blast.

Irregardless, Takano would detonate the tags, infuse some of his chakra into the soles of his feet, kicking backward with all his strength and bringing his arms up to shield his eyes from the explosion.......

Sero would only observe for the time being. His cold blue eyes taking in the destruction as sections of the island were washed over, blown up and lit on fire. These three were proactive in their training for day one. Or at least two of them were. Valen and Takano had both taken some cautions for the week to come. All he had noticed of Blitz was what appeared to be mostly aimless wandering. As if he were waiting for something. He had assumed it would be the battle but even as the young man came across that he would gaze upon it and then upon Sero. His eyes seeming to choose Sero over the purpose of the island. As if going to Sero held some purpose or reason. Perhaps he wanted to go home already? His will power would come across as weak at that point. As he would not have taken a single life. Or even fought for his own for that matter. However Sero would not be the only eyes on the young man. As he raced through the trees the captain would spot him too. Forming hand signs before scraping is hand along the earth in a swipe towards Burritsu. Dozens of shuriken made from earth would fly forward as they sailed through the air rapidly. Some of them would crash against the trees but there were dozens. Filling the air between him and Burritsu as a way to knock him out of the tree. If they caught him any that hit him would dig into him as C rank cuts. But out here a cut could fester and blood loss could be a death sentence. He rose his hand to follow up with a stronger jutsu but suddenly the captain's hand would be caught and dread filled him. Sero wouldn't allow him to actually kill one of the boys.

However Burritsu would be able to see whether he got hit or not that the two would exchange words. There would be an intense moment of silence between the two. Then Sero would release him and the captain would run off. As if some deal had been struck. Those cold blue eyes would settle on Burritsu before the fog seemed to rise from the ground and swallow Sero up. He was simply gone after that. Carefully blending into the mist but watching. On the other side of the island Valen filled the cave with fire. Wall to wall and even a little against himself. Not enough to do more than redden his skin but even if you produced it...standing in fire was uncomfortable. The Bear itself would seem to think so too as it suddenly came charging out of the fire. Its fur burning as it roared in pain. If Valen wasn't fast enough to get out of the way he would find himself bodily crushed against the wall as the bear forced its way out one way or another. Sword or not. Burning and fading into the fog as well as the cave smoldered. Abandoned for the time being. Its occupant heading for water to put himself out. Injured and angry but not out. Still Valen had conquered a home base for the time being. Off to the side with one way in or out as best he would be able to tell. However there was a doton user among the enemies...precautions would need to be taken...if only he knew.

Takano on the other hand was a one man warfront. Having used his explosives and water jutsu to wipe out the enemy. Utilizing the terrain and climate to his advantage. As best he could without supplies for the temperature. The adrenaline would keep the cold off for the time being. Still he had wiped out an entire skeleton crew of pirates short of the captain. However it was the first night and that was probably about half his supplies used already. He would need to either turn to the other two for assistance or figure out how to make those supplies last. For now he had single handedly handled the first wave with surprise attacks and explosives. Still despite the destruction all around him he likely could see where Burritsu was attacked. The captain gone too quickly for either of them to catch up too. Meaning he knew what he was up against a little more and if he came back....he would be more prepared. However the two furs of the two who charged him were charred and torn. The rest were soaked. If he intended to use those he would need to figure out how to dry them or the wet furs would only serve to make him colder. If he hadn't put the fire out back at his camp it was out by now. Nor would it be suitable to remain on the part of the island the enemy had encountered you on if your fortifications were so light.


It would be up to the three of them how to continue. Dawn would be in a couple of hours...Burritsu was attacked and likely injured. With no real supplies or a camp of his own. Valen had a home base but had missed the first wave and made a potent enemy himself. But he could stay dry and perhaps even hold the cave alone....perhaps. Takano had used up some supplies already with six more nights to go and the enemy had an idea of his tactics now...but his camp wasn't easy to defend and fairly easy to come across. All of this Sero simply observed. Moving about the island as he had two proctors join him on loan from the village. If they were going to remain split up he would need some extra eyes on them. Hidden eyes specialized in remaining undetected even by sensory.

Leaping through the darkness it all happened to him faster than he could react as he felt the tearing of his flesh quickly causing him to glance down towards the sharp pain. His eyes were widened as he saw for himself a stone shuriken impaled into his body barely missing his rib cage but deep enough to leave a scar. The first blow took all his attention in a mere second he was met with a storm of stone shurikens cutting up his clothing and skin as Burittsu could only raise his arms in defense as he protected his vital spots the best he could. It was over as fast as it came but at a price with three more stone shurikens lodged in his body he could only sway from left to right attempting to keep his balance on the branch. His eyes grew hazy rather quickly as he focused on his breath but even that seemed to begin to slip away from the growing night. The bright moonlight once more shined through the darkness this time brightly upon his body as he stood motionless in the light from his point of view it had seemed he died and was already awaiting the white clouds. In reality he met with three new battle wounds, another shuriken this time piercing his stomach bathing the front and right side of his kimono in blood. Upon both his arms he was struck with two stone shurikens each hanging off by the meat of his body clinging to his arms as the pool of blood began to form upon his feet as each stream began to make its way from his body.

Dripping from his fingers as some drops of blood fell upon the land below him the rest that didn’t drop off his body was now soaked upon his feet and spilling all over the branch leaking upon the earth below. Burittsu could only focus on what was in front of him gazing without a single movement; he continued to eye the base of the tree, his only support for a time like this; he knew he was alone. With his balance slowly withering away with his energy and strength the feeling of his footing felt off as Burittsu slipped off the blood soaked branch with only a reaction his body stopped in its tracks. Hanging in mid-air Burittsu appeared to have caught himself using his right arm before smashing down upon the earth but it was all temporary as his arms were tired from the wounds and pressure he knew this was a better way then falling from even greater heights. Gazing upon the ground as he did back up towards his arm he watched as the blood stain began its journey spreading wider and wider till Burittsu himself knew he had to maintain whatever left was possible inside his body.

As the blood from the branch continued to drip down Burittsu thought it was best to let go as he landed down below upon the earth. At first the landing seemed successful as Burittsu stood straight up before leaning backwards, nearly falling upon his back. In a fierce display once more it was obvious he was the one with the least talent and skill to survive out in such a world Burittsu could only wobble his body from side to side as he dragged himself back into the darkness of the forest. Each step upon the earth felt heavier than the last as if he was ready to fall over and take a well rested nap for the rest of his life he could only keep on moving if it meant him surviving. Falling to his knees in the middle of the darkness he could only look up and gaze upon the stars that shone through the dark if these were his final moments and view it as a sign of peace and an ending of his time upon the world. In a fierce cough Burittsu quickly began to throw up blood as the red sea bathed his face, clothes and ground. Gazing around as he crawled his way to the nearest tree turning his back and resting upon it leaving a trail of blood in his path. Regardless if it was the enemy or ally he probably would meet with death himself only time could tell he had no regrets of dying but only those of when he was living it all seemed for the best. Gazing upon the stars his eyes began to blur the nature and environment around him as he slowly began to pass out quietly in the middle of the dark only to talk to himself before fully losing the battle.

“Least.. I won’t slow them down..anymore..”