[M&M3e] Naruto

[Izzarra]

Nara Kimiko

"Do we know if any of the targets can use Ninjutsu?" Says Kimiko as she considers the first day they met sensei and the test that they were given.

[dangelo]

"Yes and no. We have reasons to believe that those leading the smuggling operation are rogue shinobi from the Hidden Village in the Grass. But they have tons of henchmen that we should be more concerned about, since they're the ones that will try to run away."

"However, this is the real thing. We can find ourselves facing shinobi if things go wrong. In that case, we will retreat and try to buy some time for the back up troops to arive."

[Izzarra]

Nara Kimiko

"Do we have time to meet the other teams before we start?"

Spoiler: OOC

Show

This is the last question I can think of right now, I believe that I am ready to move forward now.

[dangelo]

"We will eventually communicate with them through radio, then we'll identify ourselves. I heard that some of the support teams are already there, but the whole thing is going down one night from tomorrow. We'll only be there for the final blow."

"Sandaime-sama assigned this B-rank mission to Inuzuka Nituro, head of the Inuzuka clan. His team will bust in the warehouse and take it down by the inside. If any of his henchmen make it outside, we'll catch them. It would be better if they were taken alive, and they're just civilians, so you won't even need me to take them down. That's why we'll split up."

"Nituro is a skilled fighter and is by far one of the fastests shinobi in the village." Then he casually adds" "We actually went to the Third War together."

[John Cribati]

Kyori

She takes a deep breath and blows out, hard. She'd tried to keep certain things a secret, but she could forsee scenarios where she could end up screwing with the whole mission.
Okay. Alright, here's the thing. Exactly one teacher at the academy knows this, and I made sure it didn't go to my record... I can't tell people apart without my senses. Or, I've been using them to tell people apart since I was a literal baby, and as a result it's the only way I can. I have to meet them in person, because if I don't get a chance to see them, or hear them, I'm not going to be able to tell them apart from anyone else on the battlefield. And you can see how that can go wrong.

[dangelo]

Yotsuda takes some time to think about that.
"That's... interesting."

"I can arrange the meeting, but I would have to justify it."
"Do you need to meet them personally? If we exchange messages attached to kunai, can you pick up their scent by their belongings'?"

[John Cribati]

Kyori

I've tracked with my nose before, so I think that should work.

[dangelo]

"Don't worry. If any ally should approach us, we will be let known beforehand through radio. If someone claims to be an ally but no one told you they were coming, then you know it's an ambush. Worst case scenario, we'll be there to help you sort everyone out."

[Izzarra]

Nara Kimiko

"I will try to stay close, just in case."

[dangelo]

In the following couple of days there is gossip among the clans of the forest (such as Nara, Inuzuka and Senju) about who will be involved in the warehouse mission. The head of the Inuzuka Clan is receiving a lot of praise for this operation; apparently he's responsible for most of the investigation and will lead the jonin strike team to arrest the smugglers.

The four of you meet at the gates an hour before sunset, planning to arrive at your final patrol area by noon.

When you get there, you find not only Yotsuda but also another full genin squad lead by Sarutobi Asuma himself. The three genin are all boys, two of them which you've seen before: the emo Inuzuka kid and the distant Hyuuga boy who followed you on graduation day. The third one, Shimura Dairomaru, is the same age but looks a little more mature than the others. He has spiked white hair in a samurai hairstyle and a katana in his waist.

"Hello, kids." Yotsuda calmly greets you.
"Our teams are the last ones that will join the operation. But we won't stay together for long." He raises a hand in a tranquilizing gesture. "They'll cover some ground to the west of us."

[Izzarra]

Nara Kimiko

While bowing, Kimiko introduces herself to Asuma "Nara Kimiko, it is a pleasure to work with you."

[dangelo]

Santuro whispers something in his friends' ears.

[John Cribati]

Kyori

Kanjiro Kyori, she offers with a half salute. Just met you, so I'll have to wait a bit before I decide it's a pleasure or not.

[dangelo]

Asuma greets you happily, though immediately seems like he was just about to leave. He leads his squad away to a distance to discuss last minute mission details before leaving to the field. Santuro, sided by his father's old black wolf, makes sure to give you all a bad look over his hunched shoulders.

Yotsuda then gives you the order and you immediately bolt out into the forest. It's not a long way, and since you travel swiftly through the woods, it's not gonna take longer than 2 hours or so.

"Kimiko, Kyori. You have a good amount of ground to cover, so keep moving. Try not to split up, I know it's a temptation to cover a larger area, but it's unnecessary if you follow protocol."
"I can't strees this enough: this is a mission to the Land of Fire. We might be just support, but everyone's watching. Don't mess up your careers so early on by trying to be a hero."

[Izzarra]

Nara Kimiko

With the reality of the situation setting in Kimiko's heartrate begins to rise with Apprehension and excitement. "Yes sensei."

[John Cribati]

Kyori

Got it.

[dangelo]

"We're getting close. Good luck, girls." And without any ceremony, Yotsuda and Kaede vanish into the woods. You know they'll be somewhere to the west of you, while Asuma team will be to the east. The warehouse itself is a few miles to the south, but you're not supposed to get really close.

You have a few hours to "kill", assuming nothing goes wrong. Roll Investigation for patrolling and/or Deception for laying traps, or anything else you're up to.

[Izzarra]

Nara Kimiko

"I think we should set up several alarm trip wires. Just something to let us know if somebody is trying to get past us."

[John Cribati]

Kyori

Yeah. I'll sniff out the area, see if there's anywhere people tend to pass through more frequently. Question is, do we focus the patrol on those areas, or leave them to the traps?

[dangelo]

Kyori identifies at least two chakra signatures belonging to people who occasionally patrol this area, and both trace back to the warehouse. There are also more recent tracks from other Leaf scouts. The suspect signatures tracks branch off to both sides, never getting farther away from the warehouse than that.

[Izzarra]

Nara Kimiko

"We would want to include the traps in our patrol, in case they are noticed or do not work."

[dangelo]

Every 30 minutes or so Yotsuda reaches you over the radio (he is extremely strict about using the correct radio phraseology and military procedures)

"Yotsuda to Team 7. I'm getting updates from all the support teams, the situation is calm and under control. Strike force is getting ready. Over."

"Yotsuda to Team 7. Asuma team also decided to split up, he took the eastern portion of their area with Inuzuka Santuro, so if you meet an ally it will probably be the Hyuuga or the Shimura kid. Over."

Spoiler: when we're ready to move foward:

Show

"Yotsuda to Team 7. The scouts are done mapping out the place. Support teams are on their positions. If anything moves, we'll catch it instantly. Check your traps and find a place to hide. Over."

[Izzarra]

Nara Kimiko

While going around and setting up traps in the area they are responsible for, Kimiko keeps an eye out for a nice tall tree that she might be able to sit in and keep an eye on things.

[dangelo]

"Yotsuda to Team 7. They're i-"
As you hear the faint sound of a distant explosion, the radio signal gets noisy and you lose communication. You feel a warm breeze coming from the direction of the warehouse.

As the seconds go by, multiple things happen at the same time.
Someone tries to stabilish a connection through radio, but all it does is a grainy distorted noise.
One of the traps laid by Kimiko are activated, ringing a bell at the hidden attacker's location. It's far enough that Kyori couldn't yet detect it, just barely entering your patroling area.

Kimiko and Kyori will have an entire round before rolling initiative. They know someone's coming from the warehouse, but are not sure yet about their numbers or strength. The radio was supposed to be working already.

[John Cribati]

Kyori

Showtime. You more comfortable with distance or close quarters?

[dangelo]

Both Kimiko and Kyori remain completely hidden as the sound of quick steps gets closer by the second. There was a specific clearing in the woods that Kyori noticed it was frequently used as a point of reference for the criminals to navigate the woods, specially considering there are several civilian smugglers that are not able to just body-flicker across the forest and need meeting points to access the warehouse.

The two enemies are wearing balaclavas and heavy gray cloaks over camouflaged suits. One is taller than the other, but otherwise their identity is a mystery. They carry kunai pouches and wear regular tabi shoes.
They reach the edge of the clearing and jump into the bushes to hide, taking a moment to scout the area. The shorter smuggler, apparently the one in charge, nods to the other and they start running across the clearing.

They proceed unaware of the girls' presence.

Radio still out.

[Izzarra]

Nara Kimiko Chakra: 45/45

"If we are going to try to capture them for interrogation I should probably engage them from a distance." says Kimiko as they find places to wait.

Kimiko prepares to try to capture one of the enemies using Kagemane no Jutsu if they come within range.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Kagemane (Shadow Imitation): Affliction 5 (Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Strength; Dazed, Stunned, Controlled), Ranged, Concentration, Cumulative, Instant Recovery, Limited (Targets adjacent to surfaces that characters shadow can get to)

[John Cribati]

Kyori

Cool. I'll get as close as I can. Make them salute when you catch 'em and I'll knock them out.

With a puff of smoke. Kyori's clothes change to match the general aesthetic of her targets. She also seems to gain about a foot in height and more than a few pounds of muscle, though beyond that, there doesn't seem to be anything that really stands out about her new form.

With that, she moves along the edge of the clearing, trying to balance speed and silence as she tails them.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

So for One, this is a use of Transformation "Jutsu":

Morph 2
Any Human Form
Limit: Nondescript- Kyori cannot assume the form of a specific person
Linked: Stealth +4
Linked: Enhanced Advantages: Hide in Plain Sight, Skill Mastery: Stealth
Linked: Reduced Awareness 2

And then I make a Stealth check as well:

(1d20+6)[19]

[dangelo]

The two mysterious criminals dash through the clearing, quickly nearing the other side of it where Kimiko and Kyori are hidden.

Kimiko falls to the backline, just deep enough into the woods so she would be able to land her technique on the targets as soon as one of them finishes crossing the clearing. Kyori then body flickers forward, swiftly keeping her presence hidden from the targets. She's now sure none of them are sensory types, lest she would have been already detected without proper concealment.

Now that Kyori takes a closer look on the targets, she notices that one of them is carrying some sort of heavy ceremonial jug under their cloaks. Due to her eidetic memory, she can recall and replicate the markings for future research.

On top of that, a strong chakra scent fills her nose. An acid, sour smell, coming from the other enemy's kunai pouch. Possibly some sort of poison coated in the user's chakra? Kimiko may know it's properties provided she can identify the substance.

Radio makes some noise but still out.

[Izzarra]

Nara Kimiko Chakra: 45/45

While waiting for the criminals to move into range of her technique Kimiko wraps an explosive tag around a kunai so she can throw it into the air above the trees to draw attention to their position if they need help.