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Novvus whirled around as the voice of a young woman called a cease and desist to the brawl-in-the-making. An ANBU operative, the voice whom it belonged to, walked out of a shadowy corner in the room. The dark-skinned boy let his mirror sublimate into thin air, fighting the urge to bow to his superior.
Forgive me, but i cannot blow my cover... he thought, shifting his gaze to the ground. The female ANBU began debriefing the genin on the events of the previous night. She began by explaining how the attack was set up, and how bad the damage to the village was, stating the number of casualties and injuries due to the attacks. She then went on describing the perpetrators of the attacks: Sai, Sorain, and a third person named Sennyo, who by the description appeared to be an elven dwarf. I didn't know there was a third person, thought Novvus with a frown, This just complicates things further...
The woman stopped momentarily to catch her breath. When she resumed, the ANBU operative announced that the four of them, along with two others were going to be teamed up in a six-man cell assigned to bring the Jiinchuriki twins and their accomplice back by any means necessary. After informing the group on where to meet up and what to bring with them, the female ANBU melted back into the shadows and vanished, leaving the group of genin alone.
The guy Novvus had protected picked up his victim and carried him up the stairs, everyone else just made their own remarks and went about their business, leaving Novvus alone in the room. He sighed wearily. The female ANBU had just made his job easier. Had it not been for her appearance, things would have gotten ugly pretty fast.
Novvus stepped out of the building and looked up. Judging by the position of the sun, he had a few hours of daylight left to pack his bags.



The next the day, found the dark-skinned boy at the docks with his shoulder pack. The other two shinobi from the day before were there along with Kaji and Kurosai. They had all climbed aboard the boat.
"Looks like i'm the fourth to arrive." said Novvus with a half-smile. An outraged roar rent the docks as Kaji yelled his disapproval of the lack of meat on the boat. Novvus laughed. "Someone already isn't happy." he popped a couple of peanuts into his mouth and advanced up the gangway, chewing happily. Novvus was wearing his travel clothes and open-toed ninja sandals. More insults could be heard coming from within the ship, then there was silence. Novvus spotted the other Inuzuka walking to the forward area of the ship. He approached the fox-like duo and extended his hand as a sign of friendship. "Sorry about yesterday. My name's Novvussor, but you can call me Novvus for short." After a pause he added, "Please excuse Kaji. I don't know what family issues you guys may have, but he's the type to attack first, and ask questions later. Also he's pretty quick to get angry."

After a good deal of searching Kaji found a place he could call home for the remainder of the voyage to find the Orosaki twins and their short companion. He hadn't really brought alot with him in terms of supplies, but Kaji knew he could manage just fine on his own. The feral boy cleared a space on the floor and curled up to have a nap. Kurosai curled up beside him and quickly fell asleep. Kaji however was having trouble sleeping. He had something on his mind. It was as if there was something out of place, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. With a heavy sigh Kaji rolled over onto his side and tried to forget about everything that had happened recently and just get some sleep. After nearly an hour had gone by Kaji finally managed to fall asleep, and he was greeted by a hellish nightmare from which he would not be able to wake.

Kaji found himself on a lush green hill top. It was early spring, and there were only a few small clouds in the sky. A gentle breeze swayed the newly formed leaves on the tree branches, as the birds chirped happily. Kaji smiled and took in a deep breath of the cool crisp morning air. He could smell the earliest blooming flowers starting to open up for pollination, and everything seemed perfect.

It was then that the sky began to darken as the clouds grouped together and seemed to suffocate the sun. A piercing scream from a village below broke the peaceful silence. Kaji got to his feet and looked down from the hilltop at the burning village. For some reason he felt compelled to travel down into the commotion, and as he did the screaming grew louder and more frantic. The flames seemed to form a cage around the villagers slowly eating away at their bodies. The smell of burning flesh turned Kaji's stomach as he himself was trapped by the fire. The feral boy charged through the flames, and as he passed through them the wall of fire disappeared.

Now Kaji saw the aftermath, and destruction the fire had caused. He found the bodies of children lying in the charred rubble that was once their home, and wounded villagers crying out for help as their last breaths slipped from their bodies. Something seemed familiar about this village, but Kaji couldn't quite figure out why. It was then that he saw his own house from his childhood burnt to the ground. This is where he had grown up. Kaji was mortified when he realized that the charred corpses that littered the village were not just nameless villagers, but the family and friends that were taken from him as a child.

A bubbling fury began to build inside of Kaji as he found his older brother's charred corpse on the steps to his old house. They had never really gotten along because Kaji was the favored son of the clan, but seeing his brother's blackened remains sparked something inside of Kaji that had been dormant up on the hillside. A strange power stirred inside of the feral boy's body as the air around him began to crackle with electricity. Then suddenly the power began to consume Kaji's mind and his body. His skin began to bubble and peel away, and his blood dripped from his body hissing as it vaporized upon contact with the ground. The feral boy felt as if something was trying to claw it's way out of his skull, as his mind was slowly torn in two by the power that consumed him. Kaji fought with all of his might to regain control of his mind, and as quickly as the power had appeared it faded away.

Another scream pierced the deathly veil of silence as Kaji was once again in the burning village. Now he was on the other side of the wall of flames, and completely isolated from his childhood home. The feral boy tried to run through the flames, but he was hurled to the ground by some unseen force. He got up and tried again, this time he stood his ground against the unseen force, but it held him just a few inches short of the flames. The flames seemed to lunge at Kaji as if they had a will of their own, and he was forced to step away before he too was caught in the fire. Tears began to flow down the feral boy's face for the first time in almost 11 years as he was forced to listen as his mother screamed in agony. He was held in place by the unseen force as the flames parted to show his only brother being consumed by the inferno. Kaji was helpless to save his brother as he watched his eyes melt and run down his face. As the flames devoured the body of his now dead brother the feral boy fell to his knees and buried his hands in his face. He sobbed uncontrollably as the smell of burning flesh forever etched the memory of his village's destruction into his mind.

As the smoke rose from the charred remains of the village Kaji's father stood on the hilltop dispassionately. He raised his hand and pointed at his feral son. "You did this. You could have stopped it, but you didn't. Your family is dead because of your cowardice and weakness. You are not my son. I have no son." The words dripped with malice as they left his father's mouth.

Suddenly Kaji was a boy of six again, and there was no ruined village or green hilltop. The only thing that the feral boy could see was his father, and a menacing darkness that seemed to hang in the air like some kind of sinister fog. "But there was nothing I could do! I tried to save them! Father please..." Kaji pleaded as tears streamed down his face, but his words fell on deaf ears as his father turned away and walked into black void of darkness. As his father faded from view the feral boy felt as if the darkness was pressing tightly against his body in an attempt to suffocate him.

Just as Kaji felt the last of his strength slipping away a voice echoed through the void. "Kaji, you must stay strong. You must find your way back. Endure the trials along the path, and find the strength to overcome the horrors you must face. Have faith in yourself, and do not forget that you are not alone in this world...Unless you choose to be." The words of wisdom seemed to cut through the void, giving Kaji strength he did not know he had. Slowly he took one step forward into the darkness, and as he did so a ribbon of white light weaved it's way through the darkness. Now that he had a path Kaji had no other choice but to follow it. He took one step after another and the white ribbon expanded with each step until it was wide enough to be an actual road.

As the feral boy continued down the path, he found someone blocking his way. As he got closer Kaji realized that the person blocking his path was the first man he had ever killed. The man held his father's head in one hand and a bloody sword in the other. "You got lucky that night kid." The man said with a hollow voice as he tossed the severed head to the six year old child. The head fell just short and hit the ground with a thud, before rolling to Kaji's feet. The feral boy's body began to shake with rage and he let out a loud growl. His nails slowly formed into claws and he was about to speak when his father's voice cut him off.

"You couldn't even save me. You're a failure as an Inuzuka, as a ninja, and as a son." His father's words cut into Kaji like knives, but Kaji found the strength to tune them out. "You'll pay for taking my family from me you b*****d." Kaji growled as he stepped over his father's head. As soon as the feral boy lunged at his father's killer the man vanished into the darkness. Kaji panted heavily as he cleared his mind and calmed his spirit, before continuing on down the path. When the feral boy finally came across a place to rest it seemed like he had been walking for days. The small seemingly abandoned camp was a welcome sight, and Kaji took the opportunity to sit down and rest. After a few minutes his weary eyes closed and he dosed off.

When he woke up he was on the path again, but this time it was much narrower than before. The feral boy began to feel very uneasy, as if there were something watching him. He continued to follow the path but remained very cautious. Kaji's caution paid off when suddenly something tried to grab him from within the void of darkness. He quickly pulled away but in doing so he stumbled off the path. The feral boy was immediately assaulted by images of his family dying horrible deaths, and found himself unable to breath. The darkness forced its way down his throat and flooded his lungs. Kaji's body grew heavier, and heavier, and then eventually it went numb. The darkness began to encroach further on his vision until the feral boy was blind, and even as his mind raced with fear Kaji could feel himself slipping into death's cold embrace.

The feral boy woke with a gasp as he threw torso forward. Kaji's heart was still pounding in his chest as he wiped the sweat from his face. He leaned forward and closed his eyes trying to calm himself from his earlier panic. Unlike most of his dreams every detail of the horrifying nightmare remained crystal clear in Kaji's mind. The memory burned in his brain as he tried to forget the look on his brothers face as the flesh was seared from his bones. Unable to shake the image from his head Kaji decided it was time to head out to the main deck for some fresh air. When he got to the railing of the deck he found his knees suddenly weak and as the smell of burning flesh flooded his mind his stomach churned. Kaji leaned over the side of the boat, and with out even a wretch the contents of his stomach poured out of his mouth. When his stomach was empty he fell to his knees on the deck and clenched his eyes closed tightly. His body shivered furiously as he teetered on the edge of shock from the horrific dream.

-110 lines for this post-

Rinku was pulled aside as Kyu gave him the lecture he was expecting. But there was a tone of nervousness in his voice. He could tell that he was about to go up against something he was not even sure he was prepared for. But when he mentioned the word jinchurikki he realized why. Not just one… but two jinchurikki. Rinku knew all about them. He remembered a long time he had read in one of his novels about a man who used the power of Shukaku an ancient and demonic demon that loved to kill and that had chakra beyond anyone’s imagination. Rinku felt sick I’m gonna die… The news that he had been kicked off the team never came, in fact he was practically recruited on the spot. He tried to smile and put on the hero act, but it wasn’t the time for that, he couldn’t even muster it up anyways. Rinku’s energy levels dropped to next to none. Two things were ringing clear in his mind. One was that he wasn’t ready for this and that he’d probably get in the way, and two was that he was most definitely going to get killed, probably very badly especially from the demons. Rinku tried to muster up a little pride. He thought about his parents and how they died protecting the village. He wanted to honor that and hell, he wanted to be the same as them. If he could die trying to protect the mist village, maybe his parent’s would be proud of them if he ever meets them in the afterlife. Rinku looked up at Kyu who was obviously angry at him for his disappearance. He coulda fought him and said that he was the one that left him, but arguments were not going to solve anything. Furthermore what Kyu said was right. The only way they stood any chance at all was if they utilized teamwork. Rinku knew that his abilities were nothing compared to the others, but if he could distract the enemies for any amount of time then it might give the rest a fighting chance. At least I can try to do something… Rinku nodded at Kyu and gave a weak “…sorry… I’ll try not to mess things up this time…” Hoping that the conversation would end there. He jumped onto the boat, figuring that this would lead them to the battle. He stared at the misty water and sighed. If im just a tool to be used, then I guess that makes me a true shinobi dosent it… ha… sucks… but someones gotta do it… He pulled out a bottle of milk from his pack and sucked it down hoping that it would ease his stomach some.

Rinku looked out to the sea, but Kyu came back at him from behind saying that he wasn’t finished. Rinku just gave him a weak look, but payed attention nonetheless. Kyu was taking it rather easy on him and he later figured out why. It appeared that Kyu was actually making an attempt to bond with the others. He was trying to get some good food for Hibiki and another shinobi he was unfamiliar with. Rinku realized that the reason he wasn’t yelling at him was because he sorta wanted to bond with him too. He wondered what the sudden change in attitude was all about, but figured. I guess when your opponents are super demonic killers with massive chakra reserves you need all the help you can get… too bad hes comin to the wrong person… whats he expect me to do… Kyu’s plan was for Rinku to get better aquainted with the people on deck and try to ease the tension, which was understandable, even Rinku who is usually in such high spirits is fearing for the pain he later will most likely face. However the job should be easy for him. Afterall it always feels good to have someone admire you, he could call them all heros and marvel at their powers, hell it was probably the only thing he could do, which was why Kyu assigned him to this. By the end of the lecture Kyuzaku exclaimed that if he could do this that he would drop him being MIA and that he might help him to get stronger. Rinku sighed, his spirits were not very high, but if he could help the team in anyway, this would have to be it. Afterall if he could do this successfully then perhaps Kyu could transform him into a slightly decent fighter. Rinku put his empty bottle back into his satchel and gave Kyu a serious look. “Ill do my best…” Rinku needed to mingle with the other shinobi on the ship, but he was unfamiliar with either of them. He decided to wait until all of them were assembled in here that way he could try to catch them all at once. Rinku got to a higher place on the ship and prepared himself. The butterflies in his stomach were on fire. “Tensions are high alright…” He said gripping his stomach. “What are we going to be fighting against…” he looked to the sea and coughed a little. “I hope the rest of these genin are up to this challenge… cause im certainly not ready.” He went over his current skill list which went down to one. Bone Prison, and this would not catch a jinchurikki or any shinobi of any level. He had hand to hand combat in which if he attempted to go against a demon, he would get crushed quickly. Rinku closed his eyes tightly. Theres only one other technique I know, but its not ready yet, and it cant come close to fighting these powers. Rinku opened his eyes and looked into the water. If I cant fight, or sense, or be a medic… then all I can do istry to ease the tension a little. He was finally able to muster a smile. He laughed weakly to himself. Let the show begin.

Seeing how the vulpine duo looked at his outstretched hand, Novvus took it back and put it in his pocket. The way the vulpine boy spoke of Kaji creeped Novvus out. How can he talk like that while keeping that weird smile on his face? he wondered, keeping his face expressionless. The vulpine boy introduced himself as Hibiki and his Ninsune as Kuro. What a coincidence. Their canines have similar names... Novvus made a mental note on Hibiki's way of speaking. "Yes. Kaji is that guy." replied the dark-skinned boy. He did not want to reveal his and Kaji's relationship to Hibiki. If anything the vulpine boy might use it against him.

Kuro suddenly transformed into Hibiki and began to walk around the boat while the original stayed back to converse with the dark-skinned boy. The vulpine boy asked Novvus his opinion on the mission, and if they were being used as cannon fodder.
"My opinion is that most of the people on this boat should be here, including myself. I personally do not live in the village, but it is my home. It is where all the places and people i have come to like live. I will not let some self-righteous bastards ruin my livelihood. To be honest, we might be. Then again we are all strong in our unique ways. If we construct small teams that work well to complete certain objectives i'm pretty sure we can take down our enemies." Novvus stopped to take a breather. He didn't like when people questioned the judgement of the higher-ups. The dark-skinned boy turned to leave. "Well, it was a pleasure meeting you Hibiki. I think i'll go familiarize myself with this vessel for now."

Novvus first made his way around the first deck, noting where all the ropes and life boats were, then went up to explore the upper level. It granted an amazing view of the harbor, which opened out to the ocean. This was the first time Novvus would travel over the sea, and he held high expectations of a smooth trip. The dark-skinned boy passed the hour gazing at the blue expanse of water before him when a movement from below caught his attention. It was Kaji, who was running to the railing. By the way he leaned over the wood, Novvus guessed that something the feral boy ate did not sit well with him. The dark-skinned boy vaulted from the upper deck and landed on all fours with a small tap.
"Hey, Kaji, are you alright?" he asked.

Kaji looked up at his two team mates, and it was obvious that something was very, very wrong. His feral features had been replaced with those of a man who had seen the grim reaper himself. The long haired boy's skin was chalk white, and his breathing was ragged and labored. Even when a helping hand was offered Kaji just sat there in silence staring off into the distance as if trying to read something on the other side of the ship. He tried to open his mouth to speak but the only thing that came out was an indistinguishable jumble of muttered words. He reached out and fumbled blindly around looking for Kurosai but the dog was still asleep in the hold. Kaji's eyes went wide with horror and he began to sweat profusely, as the memory of the nightmare played through his head over and over again as if it were real.

"Village...family...burning...So dark...so cold..." Kaji mumbled as he curled into a ball and began to rock back and forth. "So much screaming...I couldn't save them...just smoke...all smoke and ashes..." His rambling was interrupted by a grimace that crossed his face. In the feral boy's mind his skin was bubbling and peeling away as his blood boiled. He began to thrash about as if he were in actual pain, and clutched his skull tightly. As his memory progressed through to the end of the nightmare Kaji clutched his throat as if he were choking, and his face was a portrait of pure terror. Slowly the memory faded away and He returned to rocking back and forth clenching his eyes shut.

Hibiki began to nod absentmindedly as Novvus began to express his opinion. So much heroic banter. I could care less how he thinks of the overall situation, just the fact that its a few genin retrieving the country's Missing-Nin. He is also foolishly optimistic, but if we are strategic enough, we might stand a chance. The boy the said a formal goodbye before exploring the rest of the ship. Hibiki sighed, Yes, if we each focus on certain objectives in the mission, maybe it'll turn in our favor. After that thought, he lifted his sweatshirt slightly, which was bigger than him giving an impression that Hibiki was younger than he was, and pulled his flute out of his pouch. He constructed it while humming a tune, and then did a scale, or two, for a warm up. After that, he took a deep breath before playing the well-known tune of 'What do you do with a drunken sailor'.

Meanwhile, Kuro, disguised as Hibiki, wandered around the ship aimlessly, sniffing almost randomly to familiarize himself with the various scents aboard. He spotted Kyu and Rinku speaking together, which was odd since the latter of the two had disappeared during the chaos. "Reenkoo and Kyoo? Vat are zhey speaking aboot?" The Vulpine questioned out loud in his Russian-like accent. With a slight gasp, the psuedo-Hibiki turned to see their ANBU guide. She announced her medic-like abilities and that they should announce what their names, abilities, and role so they may formulate a plan.

Kuro jumped lightly as Hibiki came up behind him and listened for a short bit before letting out his opinion, "Kekeke," He chuckled in his ominous way, "Completely unknown other than to the Shinobi Council and Kage on why they are Mising-Nin? We all saw what they did; they attacked the village! Only the most naive would believe otherwise." He stated boldly, as the pair stood beaming at the newest ANBU to grace their presence. "By the way, Hibiki and Kuro Inuzuka here, Tracker-nin."