Ambitious Arrangements (Squad)

Mission Details:

Mitsukira had decided to be proactive in her military career. For once. The future of Iwagakure was of utmost importance to her, and if she wanted the Rock Village to have a fighting chance against any further invasions, she needed to ensure that the shinobi within it could help defend it against attacks. That meant training, and not just for her, but for those enlisted. She arguably wasn’t the best person to be starting a squad, she’d never even been in a squad, let alone run one herself. But with the political state of the world she hardly thought it mattered who had experience with what, it was more important that people tried.

Mitsu had sent word to her potential squad members and was now awaiting their arrival in the Stone Yard. She had signed them up for a simple mission, one that hopefully wouldn’t be too difficult but would provide her with a baseline for what everyone’s capabilities were. She sat cross legged on a rock, her pink eyes heavy lidded in the bright sunlight and her long white hair blowing gently in the wind. She wasn’t exactly dressed for a mission, opting to wear a white and gold dress with rich brown accents that had slits along both thighs to allow her ease of movement. On her feet were brown and gold sandals with ties that secured them to her shins and along her sides she had hanging her two razor fans; Daybreak and Nightfall. She had her hands resting lightly on her knees in a meditative pose as she patiently contemplated the mysteries of the Universe’s Grand Design.

Tadara was truly an unassuming man. There was very little people would see about him that seemed particularly interesting. He held no real sway to his step and stood rather too rigid. His clothes today were simple as well. Black hiking boots with black slacks neatly pressed over them along with a button up white shirt with the two top buttons undone. A silver necklace hung from his neck with his birthstone in the center. For the cold he had put on a black peacoat with his clan symbol over the left breast pocket. His hair was white as the snow in the mountains but a mess as if he paid little to no attention to it outside of the thin ponytail in the back down to the small of his back. His black eyes seemed glued to the notebook he carried with him filled with primarily his own notes that he liked to review to improve upon his habits and techniques. One only improved if they reflected on the past in order to create a better future. Still he would walk into the agreed upon meeting location and narrowly miss getting run over by a cart with flashing lights and all. As if he never even noticed it.

Of course getting assigned a mission was no surprise. It had been some time now since his last group of missions but they had left him alone after completing over a dozen for a while. He hadn't done it out of any sense of loyalty. Rather he had done so many to convince the higher ups to leave him to his own time. With the economy broken his contributions had bought him some personal research time. Since he had been conscripted into the military he didn't much care for any of it. He was a researcher before all that. Still he was not one to shirk his duties. Still he would walk through the stone yard without any sense of caution. Not even noticing when some workers yelled at him for being an idiot until a bee emerged from his hair and buzzed next to his ear. Drawing his black eyes from his book up to the woman sitting on a boulder in a dress. He would blink twice before snapping his notebook closed and speaking in monotone.

"Doctor Kamizuru Tadara reporting in. Do you require a summarization of my role?"

A singular note denoted to Shin where and when his presence would be required for a mission and a squad. The note’s writing itself was not too familiar to him, though the signee of the document was enough to give Shin a picture of how the squad could potentially turn out. While he would definitely keep Mitsukira’s confidence from their previous encounter, he at least hoped she was doing a lot better than the last time they spoke with one another; upon her return to Iwagakure no Sato. Shin was still not too familiar with too many people, only really knowing two beyond just name and could possibly be considered a friend. So there was little in the way of guessing who was in the squad with him until he showed up.

Dressed in his usual attire, Shin would spot three figures in the distance as he made his way towards the trio in the Stone Yard. As he approached closer, he could make out the figures of Mitsukira and Katsumi… Well, having Katsumi on his squad wasn’t the worst possible situation. It could be just him and Katsumi sent on another dozen or so missions once more. The stranger of the squad was someone who Shin did not recognize, though his hope was he was not another Katsumi he would need to deal with. One was enough. He’d approach quietly, choosing not to say a singular word, though he would give a nod in greeting to any who looked in his direction.

As Mitsu sat on a rock waiting for the arrival of her squad, she smiled warmly at each shinobi as they approached. Tadara was first and she was surprised at the formality he showed when he spoke to her. Not wanting to inhibit his enthusiasm, she would nod as she relaxed her arms and set her palms on the stone, scooting forward a bit so her legs could dangle off the edge of the rock. As she went to answer Tadara, Katsumi and Shin showed up and both nodded to her as she caught their gaze.

Clearing her throat gently she would address the group, her musical voice floating on the breeze as she hopped down onto the ground and moved closer to the three shinobi.

“Welcome, everyone! I’m pleased to see you all here on this bright morning. As I’m sure you’ve gathered, I am forming a squad and I have hand picked you three to be a part of it. Your dedication and hard work to the village of Iwagakure has not gone unnoticed and I would like to nurture that. The Land of Earth has gone through many hard times these past years, and I believe we are finally on a path forward to a new and exciting future and I want you three. . .” She would pause and focus her attention on each of them in turn before continuing. “. . . to be a part of that future. From reading the impressive pile of mission reports from all of you, I know a little about your capabilities. However I would like to hear from you all about your strengths and weaknesses.”

She would pace back to the giant boulder and lean backwards against it, her weight resting on her elbows. This part she thought might be difficult, from what she had observed Shinobi were notoriously proud and being asked to divulge their weaknesses in front of others was not something that she thought they would enjoy. But she had also found that it was easier for people to admit weakness if someone else did it first, and she couldn’t think of anyone with more weaknesses than her. “I’ll go first, since I think that’s only fair. I’m Mitsukira Tatsudashi for strengths. . . I’m a decent fan fighter and medical nin and am fairly proficient with wind and lightning. Weaknesses, well there are lots. I have ridiculously bad eyesight and coordination in bright light, I’m not exactly physically strong and tend to get injured a lot.” There was a lot more to that than anyone but Shin knew, but she wanted to focus on facts first; things that might come up as issues during a mission where people relied on her.

She would wait for anyone to comment before gesturing towards Tadara. “Would you like to go next Tadara? I’d like to hear, what did you call it, a summarization of your role.”

Tadara would notice the other two arrive if only because he already had his nose out of his notebook. One he recognized for having worked with him before. The man was more compassionate than Tadara but most were. Still he was efficient enough to rely on and capable enough for the rank of genin. No one would be forcing them to go beyond their capabilities he assumed so this would mostly be a good experiment to see his new squad mates capabilities and formulate uses for him. The other he did not know well and dark blank eyes would stare at him. From just looking at him he had a rather lean build much like Tadara did. Likely that suggested that he did not focus in close combat. Those who did had muscles that were noticeable even with clothing on. A glance shifted to his hands as he would study him openly as he approached. He also didn't have the practiced hands of any sort of equipment specialist. So that combined with the lack of any equipment on any of the three of them outside of their would be leader....Likely some sort of ranged specialist that didn't use bows or summoning. Ninjutsu was most likely.

He finished his deduction as the woman who invited them began to speak. Addressing their reason for being here as cold black eyes settled on her. She wanted them all to break down their skills and weaknesses. Some would consider it pure foolishness to reveal your weaknesses to anyone. However he could see the reasoning behind it when it came to squad objectives. He had offered it earlier for a reason though. She did mention how she was a weapon user who specialized in fans. However she wasn't much more physical than any of them. Likely she relied heavily on high maneuverability tactics. Those who used fans often did as they were light weapons. Next she would address him directly and he would fold his hands behind his back speaking matter of factly.

"Doctor Kamizuru Tadara. Primary profession was researcher. A top tier medic and a chemist. I can provide us with provisions, poisons, medicines and drugs of the highest caliber with the right funding. I am also an effective scout unit. My bees can travel up to seven hundred and fifty meters to collect data and act as a delivery system. I can also create honey and wax with Ninjutsu. However while I am trained in the basics of taijutsu and genjutsu and non elemental ninjutsu it is vastly preferred I remain outside of any direct engagements. My bee's attack if needed. I do not. The risk is simply too great to place myself willingly in harms way."

What Mitsukira had requested of them was fair enough, providing their strengths and weaknesses to see how the squad would gel and where it would require work. Of the three other people in the group, Shin was only unfamiliar with the one that would eventually introduce himself as Tadara. He would try to make a mental note of everything that everyone would state, to best be prepared in case a situation ever called for someone’s specific strengths, or more importantly, how to cover someone’s weaknesses. While Mitsukira did delve into her strengths and weaknesses, Shin knew there was more to her statement than she said, especially after their talk at his home. Tadara, from what Shin deduced, was somewhat similar to him, to an extent; mainly they worked better at a longer range between themselves and their opponent. While Shin was more familiar with Katsumi in a mission-related setting, everything they had done thus far did not require extraneous use of their chakra to complete.

After Katsumi was finished, it was Shin’s turn to share with the squad. Shin would take a moment, just a brief thought, as to how to answer the question. While he did have access to his clan’s Kekkei Genkai, he had yet to utilize it in a controlled setting and perfect his control with it. Thus, he figured he could leave that slight detail out for the minute, but make sure to include it regardless. “I’m Shin Muramatsu. I specialize in long-range ninjutsu, particularly with doton, katon, and fuuton. I have yet to master my clan’s kekkei genkai,” Not a lie, though not the full truth, “so it’s not something I’d consider a strength or weakness at the moment, though it will certainly be useful once I can use it properly.” Shin did not elaborate on his clan’s kekkei genkai, for he figured they could deduce what it was, for Dust Release was something synonymous with the name Muramatsu. “As for weaknesses, it would definitely be close range combat of any sorts. As I am right now, I’m more acquainted with offense than I am with defending against techniques.” It was a short description, not delving in too deep, but should a question arise regarding his abilities, he was more than prepared to provide an answer.

Mitsukira was pleased at how everyone took to the request she had made of them. She had wanted to go a bit further and have them all tell some interesting things about themselves, but she had held off for now. ‘One step at a time Mitsu. We can work on camaraderie later.’ She leaned on the boulder behind her and listened intently to each person as they spoke, offering an encouraging smile to each shinobi in turn.

Once everyone had spoken of their strengths and weaknesses, she would push herself off of the boulder and place her hands on her hips while grinning from ear to ear. She was here to build them up, and this next part she felt was crucial to that. “Thank you everyone. I know that wasn’t necessarily easy and I really appreciate the trust you’ve placed in me, and each other, by speaking today. That trust is going to be the foundation of our squad, and the work that we do together.” She would turn and address each man in turn as she commented on what they had each said. “Tadara, I must say that I am absolutely fascinated by the bees you have and that you can communicate with them at such an impressive distance will surely come in handy. Katsumi, I look forward to seeing more of what you showed here today, Bakuton is fearsome and I can’t wait to see all the creative ways you can use it. Shin, I am intrigued by the elements that you can wield and I hope that I will get the chance to see you master your Clan’s Kekkai Genkai.” She was moderately concerned that it seemed like she was going to be the main ‘front line fighter’, but that was a problem for future Mitsu. Right now she just had to see if the four of them could handle a simple delivery without too much trouble.

Once she had gone around the loosely constructed semi circle of shinobi she would gracefully jump up on the boulder and point over towards the road that led out of town towards the mines. “Today I have signed us all up for a mission, it will be a relatively simple one I hope, but may require some combat. There have been bandit attacks on the shipments of ore coming from the Makoto Mines on their way to Meijing and so we’ve been hired to escort the ore shipment and deal with any situations that arise. I know you all have different specialties, but I think that between the lot of us we can come up with a strategy to get the ore and the people transporting it, to Meijing safely. It’s a decent walk to the mines so we’ll head out now and you can discuss strategies on the way.” Assuming no one had any objections, she would hop down from the rock and gesture for the three men to follow along with her out of town and to Makoto Mine.

After he finished and the other two would go and speak up about themselves, Tadara would pull out his notebook and begin making notes on each of them. Adding general statistics under each of their names and any other pertinent information. He would make shinobi cards on each of them later to better strategize in the future. Katsumi was the closest out of the lot of them outside of their squad leader for close combat. This Shin character specialized in long range ninjutsu and held an affinity for three elements. Not to mention the potential for one of the more destructive forces in Iwa. That would need to be practiced upon to unlock. After all Tadara had an interest in both dust and blast release. Perhaps there was even a way to combine them. Of course Tadara would glance up from his notes as she mentioned their mission. An escort mission was simple enough if planned properly. She was already getting up from her rock as dark eyes settled on her. So it was up to the group to come up with a plan? Well that was fortunate enough. Anything Tadara came up with would be more suitable than any of the soft skulled enemies they came across.

Still he would begin reviewing his notes as they began to walk. Idly he would hold out his right hand and for a single chakra point he would produce ten bees. They appeared to crawl out of his skin yet no holes were made. Almost as if his flesh was more like liquid for them. Having finished creating them from nothing these bees were not being used to their full potential. Instead they flew around him at B rank speed before his hand would drop to his side and they split in unison in ten different directions. Keeping a scouting patrol five hundred meters around them with the ten of them. With that done Tadara would begin speaking as if he held some authority there.

"The simplest plan is the most obvious. I will be positioned on the shipment itself. Keeping my scouting radius centered on our objective. We have two individuals skilled at close combat. Mitsukira and Katsumi. You should be placed on either side of the shipment to deal with anything that gets close. My bees will act as an early warning detection system. Preventing any ambush tactics. Our main system for attack would rely on Shins long range ninjutsu. It allows us to attack an enemy without endangering the shipment itself. None of us leave the shipment by more than twenty meters and we prevent anyone from approaching it unknown. With this method our enemies will be eliminated before ever interacting with the shipment itself keeping the mission objective paramount. I calculate a 95% success rate with this plan."

He would watch the newly created bees fly around before they all dart off in different directions, to presumably scout ahead. Shin wasn’t too particular with how the Kamizuru communicated with their bees, but that was a detail Shin did not need to worry about at the current time. “Hmm...” While Tadara came up with a strategy, Shin only paid attention to the details that would directly impact him. Shin knew he could probably devise a strategy as well, but there was no point when he’d focus on one aim; destroying those who were opposing them. Thus, it was simply better for him to leave the details to someone who focused on more key details. Besides, there was only so much strategizing one could do when the end result was just pure destruction. As long as he wasn’t required to deal with anyone at close range, Shin was fine with the strategy that was concocted.

As Katsumi chimed in indicating his abilities, Shin would continue to follow behind Mitsukira towards their intended destination. Shin opted to remain silent, even with Katsumi’s input of it being Mitsukira’s call about how to handle the mission. He was, at best, fine with the proposed plan and capable of handling his own if the time came to it; having been on quite a few solo missions as of late. His gaze would drift towards Mitsukira to see what her response would be towards Tadara’s proposed plan.

Mitsu could appreciate a well thought out plan. She never had any personally, but she did like when other people made them. It wasn’t that she was incapable of planning, it was that she was whimsical and changeable like the wind and plans didn’t. . . flow. So when Tadara came up with a full strategy on how to accomplish the mission with optimal success she was happy to go along with it. It was a solid strategy, a bit less human and personal than she was hoping for but that was something she could work on with everyone given enough time. For now it was important to have them all doing something together.

As Tadara summoned ten bees Mitsu would move closer to inspect them as well as she could before they flew off. Her pink eyes were sparkling with interest as she examined the spot on his skin that they had crawled out of. “That was amazing Tadara! I don’t mean to sound ignorant, but does that make you sort of like a beehive? Do they live within you? Or are they summoned?” She had next to no knowledge of the Kamizuru clan and exploring nature was always on her mind. She would give Tadara a moment to answer her questions before addressing the mission plan.

“I like the plan Tadara. You and Shin will remain close to the cart itself, with Katsumi and myself able to fend off close combat attacks.” She had neglected to mention that she was also a sensor, but that fact was overshadowed by Katsumi’s comment about also being a long range ninjutsu user. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to feel like they were being underutilized during this first mission. ”Orrrrr. . . How about one long range and one close combat per group if we need to separate for any reason? Our main objective is to transport the ores, so all of use staying close to the cart makes the most sense. But your ability to do both close combat and long range combat should prove to be quite useful Katsumi. I will put myself wherever you all decide is best, though rest assured, I will not allow harm to come to any of you. We’re a team now, and there’s nothing I won’t do to protect my team.” She smiled happily at each of them as they walked along, her words as genuine as the smile that spoke them. This was her team now; Tadara, Katsumi and Shin. And she would protect them even if it was the last thing she did. She did very much want to focus part of the plan onto Shin’s abilities, but his stoicism was making that difficult currently. She knew with time that he would warm up to the group, she just had to be patient.

The day would wear on and assuming there wasn’t anything to interrupt their progress the mine would come into view just before dinner time. Throughout the journey she would regale anyone who would listen with interesting facts about the flora and fauna that lay around them, with the occasional song or dance step thrown in for good measure. She would gesture towards the tall wooden gates that sat open in the distance. Beyond the gates could be heard the sounds of metal tools on rock and metal and the murmur of people working. There was a cart partially visible from this distance, though Mitsukira had to squint to see it. “There it is, the Makoto Mines. Which of you wants to talk to the foreman?” She could have just as easily done it herself, and if none of them volunteered then she would. But she was interested to see which of them found that facet of the mission, the human element, intriguing.

Katsumi would pipe in mentioning how he too could handle close and long range combat. Tadara would pull out his notebook and review the notes. Had he missed that? Yes the young man had mentioned he was versatile. Long and close range. Odd how he would leave out a detail like that himself but well, The strategy for this level of mission would only really require one long ranged individual given their early warning detection system. still he was perturbed for leaving out an essential detail like that as it was unusual for him. Perhaps early onset dementia? His mind was whirling at the concepts of memory loss and possibilities. He thought to himself that surely he could not be capable of making such a simple mistake. Perhaps a virus or maybe he was running a fever? Dozens of scenarios ran through his mind before suddenly his sensei was in front of him. He was alarmed at being touched but did not pull away. She was examining him and he was accustomed to such. Still she was inquiring on if he was a hive or not to which he would raise an eye brow before responding in the usual unemotional tone.

"My bloodline does not simply store bees in our body as the Aburame do. Our chakra is capable of creating them from nothing but the chakra itself. A sort of Yin release. Much how you might produce an element from chakra alone we create living bees. It is why they are connected to us intimately. If one gets destroyed for instance I will know it. A common misconception though. I would not think on it for too long."

She had managed to distract him from his mistake. Still her plan included the capabilities of Katsumi as they would remain close but split up into two groups of two. Both sides having long range offensive capabilities. With a prewarning system that seemed best though the issue was on if anyone got close to his group. His eyes would glance to Shin a moment as he didn't show much reaction to any of it. Perhaps this one was simply along for the ride. A quiet man he could accept. Still if he played his role there would not be any issue. Besides that their squad leader had promised she would make sure all of them made it back safe. She held rank over them so some part of it had to be true. Still as they approached and she asked which one of them would like to be responsible for interpersonal relations Tadara would shake his head no.

"I find the blue collar community does not appreciate my thoughts or when I voice them much. It would be more benificial to the mission as a whole if someone else handled that part. The difference between my successful negotiation chances of around twenty percent shoot up dramatically for cooperation to between sixty and ninety percent if one of you handle it."

Shin would remain quiet, mentally going over the requirements that were needed to perform his clan’s Kekkei Genkai if the opportunity to use it was required; he was saving it as a last resort, but it was something he would need to use on the battlefield to truly get acquainted with it. It simply was not a technique he could use in a normal spar against an opponent unless they were utilizing kage bunshin no jutsu. He would let the rest of the squad decide on what strategy they would utilize, his primary purpose was destruction, that much was obvious. Tadara seemed more proficient in the matter where it came to strategy and he agreed with the doctor for the most part.

As it was nearing later in the evening, Shin would spot the mine that was their destination. Shin was already familiar with Mitsukira’s antics to a degree, though her knowledge of flowers and fauna he certainly wasn’t too aware of. The only recollection he had of that was something regarding a cactus fruit. What caused him to think she would tone it down when leading a squad was beyond him, though it certainly made the time fly by faster than if they traveled in utter silence; even if he was used to that.

When the question came about for who would speak with the foreman, Tadara’s quick negative whittled the field from four to three. Katsumi volunteered for the position… and Shin was fine with it so long as he did not mess up. “Go for it… Just don’t mess things up like you usually do.” The smirk that etched its way to Shin’s features echoed a similar sentiment when he went on numerous missions with Katsumi in the past. There was almost always a comment in such a manner thrown around between the two of them and Shin had no reason not to attempt to antagonize him.

Mitsu listened with wide eyes as Tadara explained how the bees were formed. She understood that in the same way that they were all created from chakra these bees were also tiny cogs in the chakra that made up the Universe. This also meant that at their core they were no different than bees that weren’t produced through his kekkai genkai, but having run into varying degrees of boredom when she related her theories about the Universe she kept her thoughts to herself for the time being. She would nod and smile, offering sincere appreciation for the answer.

She wasn’t overly surprised that Tadara turned down the task of speaking with the foreman, he seemed more the bookish type. And while she did want to eventually encourage people to strive for skills unpracticed, today she didn’t think that was necessary. As Katsumi spoke up she would smile encouragingly, only to raise an eyebrow at the comment from Shin. It didn’t appear to be malicious, and she remembered that the two of them had gone on many missions together, so the camaraderie made sense.

“Well then, Katsumi it looks like you’re in charge of the talking part of the mission for now. I’m right here, though I doubt you’ll need me.” She would gesture towards the wooden gate, indicating that Katsumi should go first. Should he take her silent suggestion she would follow along after him, calling out to Tadara and Shin as she went. “Come on, let’s go get some ore! This is going to be fun, right guys? Oh! That reminds me, on the subject of fun. I forgot to mention what I thought the name of our squad should be! How does ‘Team Discovery’ sound? Or if not, we could all come up with some ideas and decide together!” She thought it sounded more personal than assigning a number, even though numbers were how squads were normally referred to. She was more artistic and whimsical than a number, and she wanted them all to feel included in and motivated by the name.

Katsumi would offer to take over the role of interpersonal relations with their contractor. This suited him fine as Tadara had no interest in actually doing any part of that role himself. He held his talents in other categories and had never managed to improve his communication skills. If he were to have to handle that portion it would be like a riptide tearing down the entire mission itself. However the other individual...this Shin fellow seemed to make a rather snide comment towards Katsumi. Dark eyes would shift to him and study him a moment. Quiet and reserved was the first observation. However the relationship between him and Katsumi appeared to be somewhat strained. It was unclear as of yet what was the source of this. Some history the two held together. Pieces of a puzzle that didn't fit. Frustrating but still useful for something or another. If it was a rivalry base it would do wonders to increase their capabilities. However if it were simple hate...well Tadara would need to consider which was the stronger option for him to ally himself with. More history with Katsumi and he could follow directions. Shin seemed more set on the cold shoulder though....

His attention would be drawn to their team leader though as he would shift that empty black gaze. She once more confirmed she would keep everything going smoothly. Coddling them even in case their inexperience were to lead to any faults on mission behavior. Tadara was ready to focus more on hanging back for this portion. She would mention a team name and his eyebrows would raise. Most teams had a numeral designation. Theirs would actually be named? As for discovery....what were they discovering? Most of Iwa's species and minerals had already been discovered if not all. Perhaps conspiracies? Were they designed to root out secret factions? He wouldn't comment on it for now though. However he would glance up as one of his bees was returning to them. One of ten landing on his ear and buzzing in his ear before taking off again. Tadara would clear his throat before they went to the meeting.

"Be aware there is someone outside of the mine observing us from a cliff face approximately three hundred meters to our north by northwest. As there are no records of this mine having a security look out outside of the mine itself I believe it is safe to assume our aggressors will be aware we are here. If logic is there they will leave this shipment alone to reduce risk. However as attacking a villages shipment is illogical in itself we should expect them to come prepared. Likely with numbers on their side to make up for firepower. Ants....just like ants."

Shin considered it a win on his part when Katsumi had sighed after his comment, a little jab to Katsumi’s ego should keep him in check as far as Shin was concerned. Once Katsumi took the lead, Shin would follow with the remainder of the group. The declaration of a potential squad name had him raising an eyebrow and he was more inclined to agree with Katsumi than with Mitsukira in this situation. The squad name itself did not make any sense to Shin, so it was a definite ‘no’ from the Muramatsu. Shin himself did not have a name to offer for a squad, he found it rather redundant in the end; a number would suffice. But, it seemed Mitsukira was more than likely to shoot down such an idea. Though he did have one suggestion in mind which he would supply.

“As much as I hate this, I’m going to have to agree with Katsumi on this one. I’m more partial to something like Team Torimodosu, if you want to go the non-traditional route of a squad number.” Whether the team knew the meaning of the word or not remained to be seen, but it was definitely a word to live by. Shin’s proposed squad name was more directed at Mitsukira when he spoke the words. It was definitely a word he wished Mitsukira lived by rather than what he had seen from her when she returned from Konohagakure no Sato.

As Tadara informed them of someone observing them, Shin’s fingers would twitch slightly at his side, anticipating just about anything that could potentially happen at a moment's notice. As Katsumi would go further into the mining encampment, Shin would hold his position just at the edge. While Tadara could easily spot any potential enemies with his bees, Shin still was not familiar with the male like he was with Katsumi and Mitsukira. It was the unfamiliarity he had with the other male and the lack of having experienced the usefulness of his scouting. Not that Shin did not believe the man, Shin just never seen it from his own eyes.

Once Katsumi, and whoever went with him returned, and recounted the information the foreman provided, Shin would pose the simple question to no one in particular. “Do we know anything about the bandit’s previous methods of attacks? Are they simple bandits or do they have some shinobi training?”

As Mitsu mentioned her idea for a team name she was met with raised eyebrows all around, which had her poorly attempting to suppress a giggle as the unspoken coordination was almost comical. “Alright, alright. Not ‘Team Discovery’ then. I fancy myself an explorer, but you all don’t have to be. I do like the suggestion of Torimodosu though.” She would nod knowingly at Shin as he suggested the name, she knew full well what it meant and why he had suggested it. 取り戻す Four kanji to sum up the concept of perseverance and inner strength. Something she was in short supply of apparently. While she certainly had the will to keep going, continuing on in any meaningful way despite her long list of tragic experiences had proven to be difficult. It was in no small part why she had decided to form the squad in the first place. While it was true that Iwagakure was in need of more effectively trained shinobi, Mitsukira also needed purpose. Whether they knew it or not, these three men were the reason she got up in the morning, the reason she tried. Eventually she would be able to stand on her own, but for now she drew strength from their strength.

She allowed Katsumi to take the lead on the ‘talking’ portion of the mission, trusting his abilities by not shadowing him and respectfully waiting a few feet away. She was still well within her range of hearing and she would activate her Sensory ability as she watched from a distance. She was relying more and more on sensory these days, not just on what her flawed eyes and ears could determine. So when Tadara mentioned a person observing their movements from a cliff face she was internally horrified that she hadn’t noticed it. She was certainly glad that Tadara had and would say as much, but she worried that she may not be strong enough to follow through on her promise. It was moderately concerning that Tadara compared potential bandits to ants, and also fairly inaccurate as far as she was concerned. But then again she valued nature far more than most others did. She did notice the slight twitch in Shin’s fingers as Tadara relayed the news of a potential problem. Yet another thing to worry her; she was pleased that Shin was ready for combat, but concerned that he was so quickly ready. And again she doubled back on her own thoughts as she considered that in all the scenarios Shin had ever been in, he had never been stabbed. So perhaps her concern about violence wasn’t warranted, as between the two of them his approach appeared to be infinitely more successful than her own. She kept the worry from her face and would offer a reassuring smile to both of them, including Katsumi as he approached and relayed the information from the foreman. “Thank you for the update Tadara, I trust you’ll keep an eye on that and keep me informed. And Shin, that’s a good question. From what I read the previous bandit attacks consisted of about half a dozen to a dozen people with simple weapons. Though I also read one account that said there were fifty and one of them brought a dragon. So to be perfectly honest - I’m unsure. It seems to me though that it would be reasonable to expect around ten people with at least one trained in the shinobi arts. And thank you Katsumi for taking care of that. Masterfully done.”

She would pause as a large horse drawn cart came through the wooden gate and her eyes would light up with joy at the sight of the horses. “Okay, so we go. Piece of cake, although, someone should probably stay close to the horses. Just, you know, in case. . .” Her eyes kept wandering from the group to the horses and back again, making it clear that she thought she should stay near the horses. And if no one objected she would make her way to the front of the cart and gently pat the muzzles of both steeds. “Such good horses.” She would murmur lovingly to the animals as the red haired foreman looked at her quizzically. “Just acquainting myself with the horses, don’t want to spook them. We can go whenever you’re ready.” Her words were punctuated by pointed looks at each other member of the squad, hoping for confirmation from them that getting moving was the correct call.

[Activated Sensory - 259.5/260 CP]

Tadara would listen to each of them in turn but not give much in the way of input. He seemed rather quiet and reserved when it came to socializing. He even carried himself rather proper without any failure in the way of posture. Though he didn't look all that tough. If a fight happened he didn't look like he would be much use outside of his scouting abilities. Still he would nod in acknowledgement to his orders. Adjusting two of the other bees from the direction of the camp to track and observe the spy above. He did not however notice his team mates reactions to possible danger. For him he cared not for the fear as it served no purpose other than survival instincts. With his forewarning they shouldn't have any issues dispatching some common thugs with one of them possibly trained in the shinobi arts. Still Katsumi would return after a minute to inform them they would be heading out soon. A good and prompt schedule. Everything in order just how Tadara liked it. There would be flaws to his plan to overcome but for now Tadara would note the position their squad leader immediately took. Something or another about horses.

Tadara would of prefered the horses have a cloth or something placed over their eyes to prevent them being startled. However if she said she could calm them he would leave it at that. For now Tadara would mount up to a seat by the driver without a word. He didn't feel like wasting his energy walking and this would give him a clear view as well as a raised position for the bees to come to. With that done he would nod to Katsumi. Simply expecting them to assume to formation. Shin up front with Mitsu and Katsumi either on the cart with them or walking nearby. Perhaps even sitting on the rear of the cart to cover their flank. All in all Tadara wasn't very concerned. Their firepower was simply superior to any realistic reports of these bandits. Had they any brains they would take the logical step and avoid the escorted carts all together. However Tadara knew people were foolish with their greed. The driver would raise an eyebrow about the prim and proper young man sitting next to him looking straight ahead with blank black eyes once more. He didn't say anything because he assumed by now each of them knew their role. Nor did he bother glancing to see if the spy had moved. His bees would return to him when he returned to his comrades and he would gain numbers and position from that. In due time.

Shin was prepared for the mission at hand; from what he gathered this mission was not as dangerous as some he had handled on his own, so having to act with a squad would be the ultimate adjustment factor for Shin. If this was Shin on his own, he’d go all out the moment he caught sight of his enemies. A few well-timed high ranked jutsus would be enough to get rid of a band of bandits. A squad of six to twelve bandits with simple weaponry would be easy enough to deal with at a range. If there happened to be one person trained in the shinobi arts, then there could be some problems, but nothing that an overpowering technique could not overcome.

Shin was glad he did not need to constantly be on the lookout for an enemy, for Tadara and his bees would be infinitely useful in scouting ahead. The only issue came if someone was able to evade the sensory abilities of Tadara, but Shin was confident in his abilities; he had no reason to doubt him right now. As the cart began to move, Shin would follow behind it on foot, wanting to keep active for the time being; otherwise, he would opt to sit on the back of the cart and wait for the enemies to appear. “Tadara, the moment you sense a group of two or more… let me know.” His words were calm, though confident with the promise no one would survive should they be part of the bandit group they were looking out for. If they came one by one, they would be walking into their death... if they came in groups, well, they had a better chance of survival.

Mitsu got to walk near the horses. It was probably the single most exciting part of the mission so far. At least for her. Mitsu adored animals, and so any chance she got to be near one, she took. After hearing a ‘ready’ from Katsumi, and no objection from anyone else, she would direct the man driving the cart to make way. As they walked along, Mitsu would sing quietly and continue her chatter to anyone that cared to listen about the landscape around them.

“So those rock formations over there, the ones that look like tiny houses? Those are called Fairy Chimneys! Waaaay before people settled here there was a volcano and it spewed ash everywhere. And then over time the rain and wind eroded it and formed the ash and everything into harder basalts and then bam! fairy chimneys! Sometimes you can find them big enough to actually carve out and live inside, but those holes there are only big enough for small animals, mostly birds.”

With little to occupy her time in the Land of Earth other than administrative duties, she was able to do a lot of reading about the local geography. And every chance she got she liked to speak about it. The rock formations in question were a few hundred meters off the road and as Mitsu was explaining their historical significance she noticed several small animals run out of the base of one. She had to squint to see properly, but it only took a few seconds to realize what she was looking at. It was a pack of seven dogs. The dogs were running full tilt towards the group of them and at first Mitsu was happy; she would let out a squeal of excitement and start pointing at the new fuzzy friends that she got to interact with. “Look everyone! Puppies!”

They were not puppies. As they quickly closed the gap between the rocks and the cart, it was clear to even Mitsu that they were not small. These were crossbreeds to be sure, but dogs crossbred with bears or some other large animal was more likely. They did look friendly as they ran, and Mitsu was cheerfully calling out to them as their tails wagged and their long tongues flapped majestically in the wind. Once they were within petting distance of Mitsu at the front of the cart a sharp and high whistle would be heard - in a register not heard by human ears. The horses stamped and panicked as they dogs, who had spread out around the cart, began growling ferociously and lunged at anything that moved. One dog managed to clamp its jaw down onto the flank of the horse that she stood next to, and with a yell she would look around for her squad. “Stop them, don’t kill them; they’re pets.” She hadn’t heard the whistle, but she had noted the abrupt change in behaviour, and if the dogs belonged to someone then that someone wasn’t far behind.