Almost Back

While You Read...:

Mission 1:

Mission 2:

Mission 3:

In the early light of day, Lucian departed from the modest confines of his home, the air tinged with the burden of a new day. As a member of the fiery hearted Goka clan and a genin of Kumogakure, his duties as a shinobi often dictated the rhythm of his life. But as of late, things held a different significance. With a solemn determination to refine the synergy of his Goka and Uzumaki DNA, Lucian had taken a hiatus from his usual missions, redirecting his focus towards an intricate task: the harmonization of his disparate bloodlines. Born a pure soul but transitioned into an abomination, he was aware of the fact that it marked him as both unique and potentially powerful. Nevertheless it was taboo...unless of course he made resounding progress in becoming a master of both bloodlines. And so these past few months had been dedicated to training the divergent chakra coursing through his veins, seeking to unlock the full extent of his latent abilities. The Black Star had learned what his status as a mutant meant; not only to himself, but for his potential. And so having meditated on his direction, he knew what he needed to do in order to progress his development. 

Today, however, marked an end to that training regime and was the return to the fold. Gathering his resolve, Lucian set out from his dwelling, a quiet confidence radiating from his every step. The morning air whispered through the streets of Kumogakure, a testament to the vibrant life of the village hidden in the clouds. Yet amidst the bustling activity, Lucian remained singular in purpose. Navigating the familiar paths with practiced ease, he made his way to the designated rendezvous point where his fellow genin awaited. It had been just outside the training grounds, where his team should be tasked with quelling the threat of a bear and deciphering its source of rage. And as he approached, a sense of anticipation welled within him, mingled with a trace of apprehension. Who would be his comrades together? And if they were familiar with Lucian, would they notice the changes he had wrought within himself during his absence? Were those changes even noticeable? For someone like Ryuko, most probably. But perhaps that was only due to his keen perception and visual prowess.

But such musings were cast aside as he caught sight of what must have been his comrades drawing near. Their faces, familiar yet tinged with the uncertainty of the new day, mirrored his own sentiments. And as they got closer, the Black Star crossed his arms and boasted a smug half grin having recognized one of those genin all too well.

WC = 447
+1 Life Stack

He and Asuka had slept wonderfully the night before, or at least he did. He had been sleeping much better since he began sleeping at Asuka's place. Usually he would sneak off in the middle of the night to perform his blood rituals, but last night? He decided that he didnt' want to leave her side. He woke up and rubbed his eyes, trying to have them focus in on the waking world. He looked upon his darling Asuka, and he would wrap his arms around her and squeeze her tightly and whisper in her ear. "Darling. We gotta get up. We have so much planned for the day, and we can't be caught lying in bed all day... again." He would laugh lightly as he kissed her neck.

He would throw the covers off of his body and he would begin the morning routine, getting dressed, making Asuka breakfast, her forcing him to eat alongside her. This time he made extra to make sure that she ate enough. He would listen to her stumble in the bedroom, and he would chuckle once again, soaking in her existence. He would set the table for them both to eat at, knowing that Asuka loved to eat his omelettes, he would be certain to make her with some freshly squeezed orange juice.

They would eat breakfast at her small dining room table, and he would ask her how she slept and other means of small talk that couples would have in the morning. His mind would be slightly elsewhere, feeling out of sorts without his consumption of blood, out of his routine, but he would relish in the time he had with the most beautiful woman in the village. He knew he was running low on blood anyhow, needed to find himself a new means of collection since he had quit his night job. But that was a worry for another time. For now, he was focused on trying to be a normal person, someone who could socialize. He had failed miserably the last time he had tried, but this time he had his darling with him from the beginning, and would likely allow her to do the talking.

When the two were prepared to tackle the day, he would offer his arm for her to wrap her own arm around, and they would be off. He would speak to his darling Asuka, saying that there had been notice of bears in the training grounds beginning to come closer to the village, even having encounters with the villagers population. "My darling. I am sure you can handle a bear, and as a matter of fact, you might be the perfect person for this job. Your gentle fist technique can shut the bears down in a nonlethal manner. But if anything happens, of course, I will be right there to protect you, sweetheart." He would kiss the top of her head as they walked.

They would arrive and there would be someone standing there with a smug smile on his face. Akira would simply bow his head toward the man, showing some respect. "Oh well hello there hands-" he would stop himself. "Ahem, friend. We are here to dispatch of some bears. I do hope that you are along for this same reason. This is my darling Asuka. She will be joining us in our endeavor. And trust me, if anyone can handle a bear in a non-lethal manner, it would be this bombshell of a woman to my right." He would smile and look to Asuka, hoping that he did good with the talking thing. If she would give him 'the look' telling him otherwise, he would whisper sorry to her and let her continue the talking and he would take note of how she handled the situation.

WC: 636

That morning Asuka awakened pleasantly as she felt Akira’s embrace and heard him encouraging her to get up. She would lay there for a few moments as he got dressed seemingly not wanting to move. Soon he’d make his way out of the bedroom and into the kitchen to prepare them both breakfast. As she smelled the food being cooked, she would pull herself from the bed and stretch as she made her way to her closet. She was unsure of what he had planned for the day, so she took quite a bit to decide exactly what to wear. After trying on a few different outfits she’d finally find something that would work.

Soon she’d walk out of the bedroom, and Akira would see her dressed in a very flowy white Kimono with mint green flowers embroidered throughout the fabric. Her long straight hair lay flat against her back, and her bangs dangled slightly in her face. For shoes, she wore a simple pair of matching white flats.

Asuka would thank him happily for breakfast before joining him at the dining table. While eating they would engage in a bit of small talk, discussing various things. Soon however they would finish and she would make sure to clean up any messes that had been made. After making their final preparations the two of them would be off to the meeting point. He would offer his arm to her, and she’d gladly take it, allowing him to lead her to their destination. As they walked he would inform her of their tasks for the day. She’d seem a bit tense at the mention of having to subdue a bear since her only experience in combat thus far had been a spar with Akira.

She wouldn’t say much as they walked, she was too busy wondering how she was going to pull it off. Asuka had been training more and more as she grew interested in the betterment of the village. Her focus had shifted significantly from proving herself as a chef, to being a helpful and productive member of the village. As they reached the meeting point she noticed a teenager significantly younger than the two of them and she wondered if he would be joining them. Asuka would bow at the same time Akira did and allowed him to speak first though would nudge him slightly at his comment about her. As he finished introducing them, Asuka would smile pleasantly at the young man before speaking in a soothing voice.

”It’s lovely to meet you, please don’t pay him any mind I assure you that I won't be of too much help. Though I promise to assist where I can!”

Her calm, relaxing aura permeated the space around her as she began to discuss their task more in-depth.

WC:472

After a long night of reading and studying, he had returned to his bed to slumber and also to take in all that he had looked over. Sticking to his nightly plans he made it in bed no more than forty-five minutes after undressing and tending to his nightly bathing needs, but more so he had to make sure things were in order for the morning. He had signed himself up to do more missions on the new day to accumulate funds, but to also meet more of the shinobi of the village. With his most recent outing and meeting of the Genin Hikari, Kensei had noticed one thing about himself. By holing himself deep within the mountains and only tending to his duties within the small area he had been missing out on meeting some of the more interesting batch of people that had been popping up inside of the village. Making it a point to apply a keen presence and learning what he could about them and possibly making some new comrades along the way. The night slowly waned onward as he finally touched his bed and began to fall asleep, allowing the howls of the wolves to slowly guide him into the dreamlands. His body's internal clock would stir him close to three hours before dawn, allowing him to get up and tend to his duties as normal. With a small yawn he would slowly get out of the bed and scratch at his stomach, noticing at least he had been hungry. As he moved down the wooden stairs and into the large living room, he would make a right and head into the kitchen where he would begin his pre-morning routine. A pot of Jasmine Jade tea had been put on the stove as he moved to grab his morning food ingredients. Eggs, Chicken Sausage, Rye Bread, and Rice were the things he had obtained from his pantry and slowly he would begin to make his meal.


By the time he had finished making his breakfast and eating it the sun would have just passed over the mountains and began to shine into the village. The only reason he had truly known this was due to the unique howls the wolves would do to initiate their own morning time routines. Wiping his mouth clean of any leftover food, plates and cups would go into the sink for his afternoon duties and from there he would finish getting dressed. Dressing in his regular attire he would head out of the mouth of the cave and out into the world, greeted by his wolf family. Giving them a small bow he would continue onward with a few of the pack following him down, but stopping at the entrance path into the mountains. Watching their Warden and family member leave they would offer him a farewell howl before trotting off into the depths of the mountains and for him? He would continue to head into the village. After a brief walk he would find himself in the village and heading toward the meeting area in which he would meet the other three. He had not thought about being the last member of the group to arrive, but once he had seen that the others were here he would cast a small glance to the three of them before coming to a small mental conclusion on his own. His icy blue eyes would however remain on Lucien for a moment as he tried to recall something. Maybe he had seen the male in village at one point or possibly ran into him in an otherwise likely congregation point, but for the moment he would offer him his hand in a handshaking gesture addressing him first followed by the others," I did not realize I would be the last to arrive. Either you all are over achievers or I woke up an hour later. All that matters is that we are here now it seems. I am Kensei Onomori, a Chuunin of the village. Either way," he would pause for a moment, taking his hand back from Lucian and returning said hand to his side," I think the mission details might have mentioned you being lead on this if your name is Lucian. So i shall defer any and all judgements to you and if there is anything i can do to assist past the mission parameters just let me know," his tone wasn't authoritative, at least at this moment. For once he had been rather calm in how he addressed people until he had seen differently at least.

768 WC

Standing at the rendezvous point, Lucian observed the interactions between the two genin, Asuka and Akira, with a passive interest. Their flirtatious banter and the mention of Asuka fighting a bear hinted at a shared camaraderie that might prove useful on today's missions. Mentally cataloging their appearances—a flowy white kimono for Asuka, contrasting with Akira's striking long red hair and pale complexion—Lucian realized he didn't recognize either of them. They appeared older, a fact that sparked a curiosity within him. It was interesting that them as two genin were so interested in each other, potentially romantically, which the young Goka had no clue was permitted in the shinobi force. Nevertheless, he thought it was...nice...that they both had someone they could lean on in a variety of ways, assuming their relationship transcended banter and flirtation. When Kensei, the chunin, extended his hand, Lucian accepted it with a firm grip, meeting the chunin's gaze with a silent intensity that spoke of his seriousness despite his youth. Releasing his hand, "I'm Lucian," he introduced himself to the team, his voice steady. "Today, we've got three missions lined up. Thank you, Kensei, for the opportunity to lead the team today. As much as I enjoy pleasantries, I'd like to make haste at once to complete these missions." This comment was no slight towards anyone, but more of a testament to Lucian's hyper - focused demeanor at times. Unless any of his team had interjected, he'd turn his back towards the group and calmly instructed the team, "Let's go."

As they made their way towards the plaza just outside of the training grounds, Lucian took the lead, his steps purposeful and determined. "Reports indicate the bears are in this vicinity," he informed the group as they walked, his tone semi - authoritative. "We need to proceed with caution."

Reaching the designated area, a spacious plaza just outside the training grounds, Lucian's gaze swept across the scene. The plaza, flanked by buildings on one side and the sprawling expanse of the training grounds on the other, boasted a central fountain, its waters glistening under the morning sun. Surrounding it, stone benches offered respite to weary civilians, while colorful banners fluttered in the breeze, imbuing the space with a sense of vibrancy. As Lucian surveyed their surroundings, his eyes landed upon two bears: one within 20 meters of the group rummaging through a dumpster in the alleyway, and other about 30 meters away and pressing its stature against the glass window of a store front. His focus sharpened with purpose as his mind immediately landed on a plan. "I'll immobilize one of the bears...that one by the store" he declared, his voice cutting through the air with unwavering determination. "Someone needs to render it unconscious while I keep it under control. I trust the other members of our team can subdue the garbage bear."

Should his teammates agree, he'd commence the plan. He'd quickly maneuver his way through the street, being careful not to alert either bear. And when he'd reach the storefront, with practiced precision, Lucian directed his attention towards the massive form of the bear, which was a stark contrast against the tranquil setting of the plaza. Once close enough, he'd swiftly execute the handseals for his Temporary Paralysis technique and extend its reach out to the bear as well as 5 meters in all directions of the Goka. The beast would freeze in place, and strain to let out a powerful roar, alerting the other bear in the alleyway if the shinobi team hadn't already done so. But when this was completed and the bear was restrained, Lucian would call out to his teammate, "I can't hold him forever! But try not to get caught within the range of this technique!"

WC = 627. TWC = 1074
+1 Life Stack, 2 Total

The pleasantries were largely gone over in a hastened fashion, Akira respected that they were here to do a job, and do a job they would do indeed. He followed the man that was dedicated as the leader to this particular party. He would be fine with this as the idea of leading the group would cause him to throw up in his mouth, so he was thankful for the fact that someone else took this position. He would have his darling Asuka's arm in his when their leader would speak on the fact that they had reports of bears in the plaza near the training grounds.

There would be much that he would think he could do, but he truly did believe that his darling Asuka would be the one to carry this home with her ability to drain people's ability to move with her gentle fist techniques. So he would simply decide to be the one to get the damned bear's attention. It wasn't long after they had reached the plaza that he would activate his eyes, so he could see the blood positioning of any bears that may be hiding behind the buildings within the plaza.

Their leader would point out two separate bears, one rummaging through the trash, and one pressing against a glass window. He would go for the one by the store, so he would look to Asuka and nod to her, "You and me got the one with the trash. We can do it! I'll hold it down and you strike it!" Without even a second thought, he would rush toward the bear and hop onto it's back and wrench it away from the garbage, then he would yell to Asuka, "NOW!" He would yell out as he would wait for her to attack the bear.

WC: 303
TWC: 939

Asuka patiently watched the exchange as the man who introduced himself as Kensei approached the three of them. She’d listened as Lucian requested that they skip the pleasantries as he wished to quickly begin the mission. Asuka gave an affirming nod to him, as she looked between Akira and Kensi. Soon they would move from the meeting spot, and into a plaza just outside the training grounds. Lucien would inform the group that bears had been seen in the area, and that it would be best to proceed with caution. Deciding it was wise, Asuka would activate her Byakugan and began scanning the immediate area for the beasts.

Around the same time as Lucian, she noticed two rather large bears. One of them seemed to be attempting to break a window out of a storefront, and the other looked to be rummaging through a dumpster. She couldn’t help but be intimidated by their size, however, this wouldn’t stop her from completing the mission. Lucian would then begin to explain his plan of attack, deciding that it would be best to split up. Asuka would share a knowing glance with Akira as he suggested that they should go to the one by the dumpster.

She would allow him to take charge as her focus moved to the body of the bear. Using her dojustsu she’d quickly assess its body and a handful of its pressure points. Akira would hop on the beast's back, pulling it away from the dumpster as he called out to Asuka to begin her assault. At her top speed, she’d blitz toward the poor animal as she rapidly began attacking various pressure points throughout its body. After a few moments she could tell the bear was having a hard time standing so decided to try and end this a bit quicker. With her right hand, she’d direct a two-fingered strike towards one of the weak spots. Before impact, she’d activate the Tenketsu Needle technique she recently learned and then slammed her hand into one of the pressure points near its neck.

The bear would sway slightly as it slowly began to lose consciousness. Asuka would motion for Akira to climb off its back if he hadn’t already as she watched it’d body slump over before it. She’d take a few moments to look down at her knuckles which were now a bit dirty and covered in bear fur. Then her attention would turn to the rest of her group as she watched them take down the one near the shop window. If they seemed as if they needed assistance she would intervene, however, they looked to be rather capable as she watched their encounter.

As she looked down at the bear near her feet she couldn’t help but feel bad for the creature, but knew that they would have potentially harmed a civilian if left to their own devices. However, she was happy that they were tasked with only subduing the creatures, and not directly killing them so that slightly put her mind at ease. After Lucian and Kensi finished knocking out their bear, Asuka motioned for Akira to follow her toward them. Once she was in front of the other two she’d smile sweetly before speaking up.

”That wasn’t too bad, great job you guys!”

Asuka then would stand there as she happily waited for further instructions.

WC:579
Total WC:1057

A smile played upon the Wardens face as his hand returned to his side before both arms came as he crossed them near the center of his chest. This one was a notch above the rest how easily and calm he was in the face of leadership. He was definitely one to keep an eye on and in due time, maybe even after these missions he might have a sit down with him to assess his goals and aspirations. In the meantime he would nod and begin to follow the others as soon as they began to move, only speaking a few words before they began," Simple and to the point. Interesting, but lead on." For the duration of their short walk to their mission objective, he remained silent opting to listen to their surroundings to assure that they were safe, which was a force of habit for him. As long as he had lived in the mountains he had grew accustomed or rather was trained to always assess his surroundings with his basic senses before ever relying on his chakra sensory. Maybe it was also due to living with the wolves within the mountains that caused him to develop a heightened sense of hearing and smelling. As they arrived to the area where the bears had been, he stopped 3 meters to Lucian's right and listened carefully to his explanation of the plan and what they should do to achieve an outcome that would mitigate lives lost and also assure that the mission had been done. Two bears, two teams. The two who had seemed to be in some sort of relationship would tackle one bear, and while Lucian held the other down with one of his own techniques Kensei would spring into action. It wouldn't be anything flashy on his part and due to him being someone who refused to waste movement or power in an unnecessary way, he would bend both knees at a ninety degree angle before dashing forward.

Both arms would be pulled in forming two right angles as he pulled both hands into fists, not too tightly but ready to release a calculated blow when ready. Moving at his maximum speed he would remain steadily outside of the range of Lucian's attack before arriving at the right of the bear. Taking in a deep breathe his right arm would shoot forward with precision and calculation performing a series of quick jabs. His left arm at the moment of impact from his right would move forward as well adding into the flurry of blows. Kensei knew bears had thick fur and their bodies were also muscular and hardy, so his strikes would have to be timely and hit the correct areas. After his first blow the bear would go down, woozy but still conscious but after the second it would drop the ground, breathing but all of the lights would be out. No one was home. Once he had confirmed the bear unconscious he would look over to Lucian giving him the okay to release his technique and once he did, Kensei would squat down and pick up the bear almost effortlessly as he looked over to the team lead for further instruction," I know you are the team lead but it would be ill advised to simply leave them here unconscious. Perhaps there is an area we can deposit them to where they will not be so inclined to dumpster dive again," he'd of course listen to any and all objections, but in his own mindset he couldn't dispatch them as they were only doing what nature had intended, but he couldn't also leave them here.

WC:612
TWC: 1,398