Mysterty at the Border Town {Mission}

Spoiler:

It wasn't storming, a little windy maybe, but otherwise a nice day. Here he was, looking out over the village from a nearby cliff. From this distance it appeared to be just any other town. Amesuke had sent him with Kohaku to investigate some strange goings on. The journey hadn't been hard, and had made good time. Lakin was sure that there was something going on, of course, if there wasn't there wouldn't be an investigation. It was just about noon, and warm. The wind held a light bite, but the warmth of the sun made it bearable. Lakin was dressed for a mission, though he had taken his coat, and if the wind was any indication that would be a very good thing for him to have done. His hazel hues scanned the area for anything suspicious outside of the town. He didn't see anything, but that didn't mean it wasn't there. The village was not too large, and had a clearly visible location. From where he was, he could see the path that led down the cliff face and then through a wooded area to the village.

"Well, are you ready to go?" He asked his partner for this mission.

He waited for the answer, and turned to walk along the top of the cliff, it didn't matter if she was ready, they were wasting time. In an investigation you had to catch the trail as quickly as possible, and it was possible they may have to wait for something bad to happen before they could even learn anything. He adjusted the pack on his pack, the cooking utensils inside rattled around eerily. There were no signs from this distance that there was actually anything wrong, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something just off about the entire area. The sounds of wildlife were fine at the top of the cliff, once they reached the bottom they were there, but almost muted. It caused a shiver to run down Lakin's spine. He looked down the path that lead from the cliff face through the woods to the village. It seemed to be well maintained, but the foliage of the trees made it very dark, almost like it was a perpetual night within the borders set up by the trees. The atmosphere that came from inside was slightly oppressive. Lakin didn't let it stop him, he continued regardless, and they made it into the village without being attacked. Once there, he could see that many of the homes were boarded up, and a few even seemed to be completely abandoned. He didn't see or hear any children playing. It was almost a ghost town, and so he lead the way to the part of the village in which he saw the majority of activity. Maybe he could find someone who would be able to offer some information.

She had grown accustomed to the heat at this point. Thanks to her heritage, the sun seemed to carry an added strength when it beat down upon her pale, soft skin. This had been a sign for her to change her outfit of nothing else. Her old, pink bodysuit had become worn and old, not to mention hot as hell. Wiping her forehead, she would unzip her jacket slightly, showing the silhouette of her barely-developed chest behind her new, black bodysuit. The red jacket was thin, but it was enough to make her sweat a tad bit. She would yawn as she arrived at her destination, seeing another shinobi standing before her. She had been told that this mission would be solo, but now that she'd really thought about it, Amesuke wasn't stupid enough to send a Genin out by herself on a mission, especially one he had just "confiscated" for defecting from her own. A sigh would escape her mouth, then a sharp inhale, as if nervous to meet this boy.

"Hey... I'm--" The sentence would be cut-off as the boy would ask if she was ready to move. She would exhale, rolling her eyes subconsciously, and put on hand on her hip. He had begun to walk ahead before she could even reply, so she figured it was best to just move along with him. From his age and stature, he couldn't be any older than 16, however, once again, Kohaku didn't believe Amesuke was simple-minded enough to send her out without some sort of adequate protection. Though, this protection probably wasn't to keep her safe, rather to keep her from escaping. It was a prospect that Amesuke had offered on many occasions. Escape wouldn't be very hard at this point, the shinobi who was supposed to be on this mission with her probably wouldn't even notice if she darted away for her own plans.

For some reason, however, she couldn't bring herself to do it. Amesuke had made no threats or reasoning as to why she was unable to leave, yet, she rather liked the Stone Village. It was a quiet little grotto for her, and it was the closest thing she could imagine for as a home. She pondered the thoughts for a split second, noticing that the boy had gotten a tad bit farther than she had expected him to get, making his way down the hill towards the village. She would grumble to herself, yelling out, "Hey! Wait for me!" Pushing forward, she would run along the edge of the cliff, only to have her stride cut tragically short by the fragile rocks beneath her feet. The cliff crumbled inward, causing her to topple downward. Her heart raced for a split second before watching her body lose its balance. In an attempt to correct her step, she would twist her foot, feeling a sharp snap between the bones in her calf and her foot. Her ankle had either broken or twisted, causing her to immediately fall from the side of the cliff onto the steep, sharp rocky trail.

Rolling, she would put an arm out, about halfway down the cliff, reaching onto a sturdy rock and gritting her teeth. She had suffered several cuts and scrapes along her legs, forearms, back and stomach. Luckily, she had managed to preserve her neck, and face, making the wounds minor, aside from the damaged ankle. In attempt to gain leverage, she would pull herself back to the top of the cliff slowly, feeling the pain in her ankle begin to fade. The adrenaline had begun to numb her pain, but it wouldn't last long, she would need medical help fairly soon and though she was capable of healing herself on an average day, she wouldn't be able to heal something as fragile as her own broken ankle, especially with this type of pain. Pulling herself to the top of the cliff, she would lay on her back, breathing heavily and looking toward the sky. Tsuchikage-sama... I'm going to kick your ass when I get back. She could already imagine Amesuke laughing at the incident when she returned. Today simply wasn't her day.

Even though there were lots of people in the small market place, there were few people who would even talk to him once he started asking about the events that were what he was here to investigate. Those who still spoke to him ignored his questions and tried to sell him stuff. He passed, they didn't need anything yet, and he couldn't waste funds on anyone not willing to talk about what he needed to talk about. He noticed that Kohaku wasn't nearby, and at first he assumed she was elsewhere also asking questions, but after fifteen minutes, the bazaar had mostly cleared, even the shopkeepers were starting to close up shop, and she wasn't there. He knew she wasn't exactly helpless, but there were other things that could happen to a genin, and it was his responsibility to watch over her, and to keep her safe from things that were out of her range. When he didn't see any sign of her after going back over his own steps, he began to get worried.

He rushed back down the path to the cliff from the village, hoping she hadn't been attacked. When he made it back to the wall He saw a small amount of rock debris on the ground, and looked up. The source of the debris was high enough that if she had fallen to the bottom she would certainly still be there, which meant she had to have held on, and then climbed back up. He went straight to the top with a flicker, and there was Kohaku, nursing what was at the minimum a severely bruised and swollen ankle. He knelt down and took a closer look at it. Probing it lightly with his thumbs, it was quickly apparent that it was broken, but fortunately it wasn’t severe, and it was simple, which was obvious visually as there were no bones broken. He stood, and said, “Stay here, I will be right back.” He then removed a kunai from one of the many places he kept them secured, and went to the nearest tree, broke off three pieces, and shaved the bark and spurs entirely off of two, and half off the third.

He returned, and knelt back down, placing the shave sticks down next to Kohaku, she would now be able to see that those two at least were very straight, and he pulled a roll of the same kind of wraps he used for his hands and feet for protection from abrasion. The third stick Lakin handed to her. “Bite this so you don’t scream. This is going to hurt. A whole hell of a lot.” He then proceeded to place both hands on either side of her ankle, and adjusted it so that the fracture lined up properly. After this, he created a simple splint by wrapping the sticks to either side of her ankle, tight enough to prevent movement in any direction, which also likely hurt. “If you know any Ijutsu you might want to use it to make sure that your ankle sets properly, adjust the swelling and what-not.” He knew only basically what the medical arts could do, and so he simply knew what could help without actually being able to heal it.

He stood back up, and gingerly picked the younger girl up, in a scoop, with one arm under her knees and one behind her back. He then walked slowly and carefully back to the village, and forced his way into the first abandoned house, which happened to be just inside the village perimeter, and set her on the cleanest spot he could find. “Stay here, I will see if I can find any medicine. He then left the room, only to return shortly after with a handful of herbs. “Chew on these, they won't taste very good, but they will help with the pain.” That was all he said before he sat down against the wall opposite the front door, with Kohaku between him and the entrance.

Kohaku initially planned on standing, then attempting to make her way down the side of the cliff toward the village, however, before she could make an actual movement, the boy had shown up at her side, crudely feeling her ankle. It took almost all of her strength to prevent herself from yelling. The thoughts banged on the inside of her mind, trying desperately to free themselves and formulate into words. What the hell? You had to feel around to see that my ankle was broken? The pain from the boy touching her ankle would cause her to grit her teeth lightly. The adrenaline and the numbing was beginning to wear off and she was soon to feel the full force of the pain. The boy was clearly not a medical user and was only able to fashion a crude splint on which her ankle was able to rest. It wasn't very durable, but it would hold long enough to get her into town.

She was quickly picked up by the boy, something that she deep down, was completely against. She was never a fan of being carried, especially by a boy that wasn't much older than herself. However, she wasn't really in a place where she was able to protest against the action. She was already in his arms at this point. Additionally, she didn't much care for the idea of hopping into town on one foot. It was a predicament that she would bring up later, when she was in a better position to complain. Upon reaching a house which seemed to be left abandoned, she would be placed on the ground and she would slide her back up against the wall, looking down at her ankle. It was in pretty bad shape and although she was a medical ninja, she hadn't taken time to really delve into the jutsu that were based in that style. It was a decision that she was now regretting.

Seconds later, she would notice the boy walk out of the room and she would think to herself aloud. I still don't even know this guy's name... Maybe he's not very social... Shrugging and patting her thighs, she would unzip her jacket all the way, moving hair out of her face and pinning up with a pin in the shape of a flower. Before she could do anything more, the boy would return, a bundle of leaves in his hand. A disappointed look would show on her face. Taking the leaves, she would put them on the ground, We're in a village. I'm sure there's a doctor somewhere around here. She wasn't much of a fan of anesthetics. They often came with a side-effect that meant light-headedness or an annoying defect to your equilibrium that would prove fatal if she was put in another situation like before or if she was thrown into a fight.

Standing with her hand on the wall, she would brace herself and walk, only letting her damaged foot barely touch the ground. Her voice carried a strong feeling along with it, something that would be unexpected from a girl who'd only recently suffered as much damage as she. I will find out what I can about the village while looking for someone to take care of this ankle. Ask the locals what you can about the location. Priority one is finding information, two is healing this ankle. If things turn bad, and this ankle isn't healed, I'm not sure we'll be able to complete this mission and if we can, it won't be pretty. Becoming a leader was something of a bad habit for her, especially when it wasn't particularly needed.

Walking from the building slowly, she would stand with her hands on her hips, only the tip of her left foot touching the ground. Even with this light contact, the pain was clearly there. Looking around the village, there was an awkward emptiness that seemed to waft throughout the location. It was eerie to say the least. There was no sound of children, no sound of animals. Only a mute silence that almost made you strain your ears, searching for any sound. Clearing her own throat, she would move slowly through the corridors, finding very little proof of even the slightest bit of civilization. Seeing an older man moving to a building, she would quicken her pace, only slightly, feeling the pain in her ankle increase. The man would notice her approach, turning his head and would inhale, darting to her and grabbing her wrist to help her into the building.

Noticing the Iwagakure symbol emblazoned onto her shoulder, the man would motion for her to have a seat, grabbing her a glass of water and sitting across from her in what seemed to be an old living room. So you're from the stone village, huh? They've finally dispatched Shinobi here, only now its too late... The words ran through her mind.

Too late...? Too late for what? We've been sent here to investigate the distress messages we've been getting from this village. A small laugh would escape the mouth of the man. He would sit back in his chair, brushing his finger against his nose in disbelief. There was a small silence before the man would speak again and Kohaku had nothing else to say, feeling that her questions would be answered soon enough.

This village... It's a village of calamity and death... I suggest you leave. Immediately. Before the mist gets you. There was a chilling, deathly seriousness behind his voice.

The... Mist? She thought back to the instances where there seemed to be mist about. Thinking back to the trail and back to when the boy was in the bazaar. Continuing to speak, with increased speed, What can you tell me about the mist? The man would place his hands onto the table, standing and grabbing a sketchpad from a counter near him. Flipping through them, he would begin to speak.

The mist is a poisonous hallucinogenic substance that causes the victim to believe there are several living people within the village that are out and about... I'm not sure how many people are truly left in this village, but from what I can gather, it started at roughly 2,000 civilians and maybe 300 armed shinobi. The village was small, but from the amount that the man had said, it didn't seem impossible that the shinobi would be able to protect them all. She would begin to speak, but would be cut off by the man who would speak ahead of her, The real problem comes at night. Every night... Something... Comes... Devours the living. I've been recording it for two years now, surviving only by staying in doors. It seems that whatever it is has eyes that cannot handle light, so if you leave a fire on all night, the monster won't dare attack your house. Unfortunately, msny do not learn this secret before their untimely death. The word death would echo throughout the room, leaving a silence.

Why is it that you knew immediately that I wasn't a hallucination? A question that she had been waiting several minutes to ask, only waiting out of respect for the older man.

The beast can only replicate the image of those it devours. Since I have no record of shinobi from other villages being here... I took a leap of faith. Though I'm not sure if it was desperation, or intuition. He would laugh at the last portion before stopping and speaking quickly, Wait! Didn't you say you came here with another person?! We need to find him, immediately! Kohaku would stand quickly, feeling the sharp pain in her ankle. She swore she had seen stars before falling to her side. The pain had been enough to immediately knock her unconscious. The man would put his face into his palm, sighing before looking at her ankle and untying the forehead protector around her neck. Placing it in his back pocket, he would dart out of the room, looking for the girls companion.

As if Lakin would simply return after such a short time. The reality was that the Lakin that had returned so quickly was nothing more than a water clone, which if Kohaku were to return to the temporary base would know by the fact that the Lakin that had sat against the back wall would be replaced by nothing more than a pool of water. Instead he had drifted around the area, looking for anyone else, he still didn't find anyone with medical experience, just a few terrified families. He finally gave up, and returned taking to the rooftops. On his way back is when he saw Kohaku wandering around, in an obvious amount of pain. He probably hadn't properly described what the plant did. It wasn't an anesthetic, that particular herb was an anti-inflammatory, it would reduce the pain by reducing the swelling, which would also allow the bones to set properly. He hadn't really been looking for it, he had found it when he walked to the corner of the building. He remembered the lessons his parents had taught him about survival, and one of them was the effects of certain plants to reduce swelling, pain, and could even prevent infection. There was one thought that traveled his mind about her behavior in relation to his attempt to help; 'She is far too stubborn for her own good.'

He decided to shadow her, see if she could dig up any information. It wasn't long before she had wandered a decent distance from anywhere he had managed to look as yet. This area somehow felt different than the other areas. It was still eerie, it wasn't better or worse, just different, and he couldn't put his finger on how. She made it a few more houses before an old man spotted her and caught her before she fell. He moved well, certainly better than one would suspect an old man to move. Still, with his vantage on the rooftops caused him to reflect on how people so rarely looked up. Even if he was little more than a shadow, and was on the roof of the house the old man had darted out of before he assisted the young girl inside. Once the two were inside, Lakin dropped down to be able to listen through the window. She was good at asking questions at least, at getting to the matter.

What the old man was saying was that something, he was very vague about what, had managed to decimate the population here, including the shinobi of this village. Two thousand civilians and three hundred trained and armed shinobi, the cause of this had to be strong, whatever it was. What's more, there was a mist that cause hallucinations. This man seemed to know a lot about the events, and yet seemed to know little about the village. He had either been new to the village when these events started, he was hiding something, or both. Lakin pondered the information he was gaining, but suddenly there was the sound of a chair being pushed back, and the man shouting about finding Lakin. He certainly sounded confident about being able to find a shinobi. Lakin moved around to the front of the building, leaning against the corner of the house when the door practically burst open.

"Two things, most people can't find a shinobi unless they desire to be found. Second, I don't believe in supernatural monsters." He said, before moving around to the door. "As for you, young lady, if you don't stop being so stubborn about things, you could end up maimed, or dead." He waited to be invited inside, he wasn't going to just enter this man's home, he wasn't here to do any fighting, he was simply here to investigate. He wasn't going to voice his suspicions, but it seemed more likely that this was a group of shinobi who was doing this, and not some supernatural beast.