Squad 5 IC

Yukari Hyuuga
Stepping through the gate, Yukari didn't have long to take in the scene before lightning struck just above their heads. A blinding flash and deafening crack of thunder left the Hyuuga disoriented for a moment. It likely wasn't any better for the other three with her. Hikari's already fluffy coat likely tripled in size thanks to the lightning strikes. "Well, fuck this..." Would it have killed Koma to give them a little more heads up? She was still wounded after all...

The Hyuuga fell silent, watching the lightning striking the pillars in the distance. Wherever a pillar had been broken, the ground was struck instead. She bit back a sneer at her teammate's suggestions. So she really was just some hindrance to them, dead weight. "I would prefer if neither of you did such a thing," while reserved, traces fo venom still lingered on her words.

Traveling quickly was going to suck... immensely. But there were advantages to having good chakra control, bursts from the bottom of her feet would speed things up even if a little bit. Yukari didn't wait for their response before moving towards the nearest intact pillar.
 
Sei Teshima

"Yukari, wait!" Sei only hesitated for a second before bolting after her teammate. What was she thinking? Sei made it to the next pillar before lightning cracked overhead. She yelled and sprinted forward.

Yukari was surprisingly fast considering her condition.

Probably using her chakra. Why couldn't she just accept our help and save her energy?

Putting on a burst of chakra, Sei sped up. "Yukari!" The hairs on the back of her neck prickled. She darted under a pillar just as lightning struck the ground in front of her. Pausing to catch her breath, she looked back to make sure Misumi was doing alright.
 
Misumi Sarutobi
​
Misumi wanted to immediately chase after Sei and Yukari, but a flash of lighting struck the ground in front of her and stalled her a little. She used one of her arms to shield her eyes from the flash and bolted toward the next metal pillar once she could see again. She stopped under it and waited for lightning to strike before sprinting toward the next pillar. She repeated the process multiple times and managed to go at a fast enough pace to stay a pillar behind Sei.

"Keep going after Yukari. I'll catch up," Misumi yelled to Sei over the thunder. Right now she was more worried about her recovering teammate. She wondered why she hadn't accepted their help. It could have been due to Hyuuga pride, or something else entirely; either way, asking for help wasn't an easy thing to do. Though in a crazy situation, like dodging bolts of lighting, working together would be more beneficial; safer too. Some of the pillars father ahead seemed to be broken. Would Yukari be able to cross the larger gaps by herself? Even with chakra helping, it could only last for so long. Misumi didn't want to imagine what would happen if her teamate's steam puckered out in the middle of one of the damaged areas.

Misumi took a quick moment to catch her breath and wiped the sweat from her brow, some of it from the run while the rest was from just being in this adrenaline-filled-situation. Another bolt of lightning struck the pillar she was under; after it was gone, Misumi began to methodically dash under a pillar, wait, and dash again.
 
BUT THEN A THING!


As they made their way across the trail, lightning seemed to strike between each breath, the pillars that lined the trial taking each blow from the sky like stalwart guardians, protecting the group as they made their way across. The lightning seemed to never give up, constantly clashing against the stone and iron beings without quarter, each strike brightening the iron heads of the pillar red hot, before immediately cooling.

This continued until Yukari came to one of the points that a statue was not present, the shattered remains laying upon the path like the body of a defeated warrior. To move across this path would require swiftness and timing. The others trailing behind just mere moments as the sky continued to roar above.​
 
Yukari Hyuuga
Paying little attention to Sei's calls, Yukari worked from one pillar to the next. It would be easy enough to feign not having heard her with the deafening thunder so close. She probably did miss a lot of what was being said. Stumbling to a stop at the pillar before the fallen one, she worked to catch her breath. Her ribs cried in protest with every breath, but stopping now wasn't an option.

A soldier pill crushed between her teeth, the Hyuuga focused more chakra in her feet than she had been. If there was a pattern to the strikes she hadn't seen it yet. Hearing a strike just a few places back, she launched herself forward.
 
Sei Teshima

Racing from one pillar to another while dodging lightning strikes was terrifying. Sei stopped under one archway to catch her breath while keeping an eye on Yukari. Damn. If she could keep up this pace despite her injury, then Sei needed to up her game. After her lungs didn't feel like they were on fire. Looking back, she made sure Misumi was still doing alright.

Being separated was a stupid idea. They couldn't hear each other over the thunder. If someone got hurt or couldn't go on, no one would notice until the end of the trail, wherever that might be.

Sei waved to Misumi, letting her know she was doing alright. Facing forward again, Sei realized her mistake. She'd taken her eyes off of Yukari for just one minute and she was rushing into the open. Pillars were down. If lightning struck now . . .

"Yukari!"

Sei sprinted from cover. Lighting flashed and thunder crashed around her.
 
With the first to pass the gap on the way, the world seem to quieten for but a moment. With the lightning having pounded constantly with an immense roar the sudden brief quiet was like the having one's heart skip a beat. With the pillar dropped, and them both in the open, Sei and Yukari were indeed in an extremely vulnerable position, tempting the very skies above to rain down their hellish destruction upon them.

And, for but a moment, it seemed the clouds gave mercy upon them.

For but a moment, until the blinding light struck down with a searing roar once more, sending lightning down upon them like the rage of an angry god!

But, lightning did not reach them as within the blinding light, a immense hammer had appeared, crashing down just before the strike, coming from seemingly nowhere as the lightning was drawn into it almost unnaturally, but like a dog that had it's leash brought back, the lightning continued to fire down furious that it';s prey was escaping.

But the hammer, unlike the pillar nearby, remained stalwart and strong as it towered above the group, tossed by an unseen hand.
 
Misumi Sarutobi
​
As Misumi dashed from pillar to pillar, she wondered how her recovering teammate managed to stay ahead of Sei and herself. It seemed like it was a mixture of luck and Hyuuga chakra control, and as the group approached an area with a broken pillar it seemed like luck wouldn't last forever. Preparing for the worst, Misumi boosted herself with her chakra as she tried to catch up to Sei and Yukari. She didn't stop running once she reached the area with the broken pillar and indented to push her teammates across the rest of the way.

Suddenly a crashing sound above her caused her to stop. Thinking something was about to fall on her, she instinctual used her arms to cover the top of her head. When she glanced up she noticed the metal hammer being struck by lighting. She let out a sigh of relief when she realized that the team was alright, for the moment. She was a little upset that she had allowed her emotions to cause her to act rashly. She could have been struck by lighting and died trying to save her teammates. It is said that dying for your friends is a worthy cause, but living with them awhile longer would spare them from the emotional pain. After the attack on the village, Misumi didn't want her comrads to feel a similar pain. In short, she was grateful to the god of the mountain, if he had been the one who threw the hammer.

Misumi used her chakra to quicken her running pace enough to catch up with the other two. "If you want to get to the spring on your own two feet, I get that, but don't feel like you have to push yourself," Misumi said to Yukari in a concerned tone. "You've proven that you can handle yourself out here, just know that we'll do whatever it takes to get you to the healing spring."
 
Yukari Hyuuga

At first, it seemed like she'd get through the large gap without incident. In fact, she was really damn close to reaching the other side when the lightning struck. The crack of thunder left her ears ringing as she fell back onto the ground. Spots danced in her vision from the blinding flash. Her entire body complained about the fall as she slowly pushed herself up. The massive hammer towering over them seemed to take the numerous strikes without flinching. Though Yukari could have sworn she still felt them in a way.

Could the hammer have been from the mountain's guardian? All Hikari said was he wasn't to be messed with, not leaving them much to go on. She felt, more than heard, her teammate's approaching. It was likely for the best she didn't hear them, it may have just pushed her over the edge.

The Hyuuga's body swayed slightly as she started forward once more. Why was she so off balance? It wasn't nearly that hard of a fall. Behind her, the lightning continued to strike at the hammer as long as it remained. Yukari stumbled, barely managing to stop herself from hitting the hard ground once more. The hell was wrong with her now? And why were the sides of her neck wet?

...Oh...

Shit.

Hopefully, this spring was able to mend damaged ears.
 
Sei Teshima

"Yukari!" Sei's scream was drowned out by the lightning and thunder. She stumbled when the hammer fell and saw her teammate fall. No, no, was she hit? Covering her ears, Sei ran forward. "Yukari?!"

The Hyuga stood and stumbled, waivered. Red dripped down her neck.

Damn it! Sei ran over, catching Yukari's arm to help steady her. "Yukari? Are you hurt?" Her lungs burned. It was hard to concentrate with the lightning so close. "You're going to be okay," she spoke slowly, raising her voice in the hope her teammate could hear her. "We need to find shelter." Gently pulling on Yukari's arm to get the point across, she motioned Misumi ahead of them. "Go on ahead and see if there's a place we can rest. I'll help her."

Glancing back at the hammer, Sei offered a quick thanks to whatever spirit had saved them before trying to coax Yukari to let her help. "Come on, just trust me for once."

KageYuuki KageYuuki shadowdude505 shadowdude505
 
Misumi Sarutobi​

Misumi froze in her tracks under a pillar after witnessing Yukari stumble. A shocked expression appeared on her face as she noticed the blood dripping from the Hyuuga's ears. First the Mist Jonin and now this. Why was Yukari getting the brunt of bad circumstances. "It just isn't fair...," Misumi thought with a clenched fist.

Misumi slowly released the tension in her fist as she realized Sei was trying to tell her something. She didn't hear all of it due to the constant thunder, but she heard enough. Misumi nodded her reply and started to make her way further up the path. She spotted a cave entrance underneath one of the pillars and took a moment to peak inside. She wondered if it was a good idea to take shelter inside, but ultimately decided that it would be better if they rested and tried to protect/mend their ears. They'd just have to deal with whatever new wrench was thrown into the plan.

Misumi turned to look down the path and waved down Sei to get her attention. She pointed at the cave entrance and gave her teammate a questioning shrug as if to say, "Do you want to take shelter here? It's the best I could find at short notice."
 
Yukari Hyuuga
Everything hurt. Her injured ribs cried in protest from running, her shoulder was aggravated by the fall. An incessant ringing in her ears left her off balance. Weak. She grit her teeth and pushed forward. A burden. Spots still danced in her vision from nearly point blank flash of lightning, further hindering her already unsure step.

Yukari stumbled and felt someone grab her bad arm. Sei nearly stood over her, trying to be reassuring. She watched her motion their teammate ahead to scout and started trying to guide her to a cave of some sort. Nothing but dead weight. A hopeless case that needed guided practically everywhere.

Her Byakugan flaring, Yukari pulled her arm free from Sei’s grasp and staggered a step from the effort. They were no better than the clan. The Hyuuga’s lip twitched as she barely suppressed a sneer. Turning away she started back down the path.

Just find the damn spring so we can be done with this...
 
Sei Teshima

Damnit, why wasn't she listening? Sei briefly wondered if she should just follow Yukari's lead and wait for her to decide when to rest. After all, she knew her breaking point better than Sei did, but years of following her parents around hospitals with overly stubborn and over-enthusiastic patients had taught her to trust a medic's opinion over the patients.

"Yeah, that's good, Misumi. Give us a minute."

Catching up, Sei stepped in front of the Hyuuga and caught her arm again. "You need to rest," she pointed to Misumi and the cave, hoping that would help get her point across. "Come on, it'll just be a few minutes. We can all catch our breath and figure out our plan moving forward." She glanced at the blood from Yukari's ears. Even if her teammate could hear her, it was probably muffled and garbled. Trying to reason with her wasn't going to work.

"Come on," she coaxed, tugging at Yukari's arm again.
 
Misumi Sarutobi
​
Misumi pulled out one of her fans and started to fan herself as she waited for Sei and Yukari to reach the cave. Watching her teammates wasn't an easy thing to do. Even in her condition, Yukari seemed pretty adamant about going further up the path. The effort was commendable, but to her, it didn't look like the Hyuga girl would be able to make it to much farther on her own strength.

Misumi let out a sigh as she started to second guess herself. She hated the uneasy feeling in her gut and started to fan herself a little faster than before. Rest or keep going. Both options were equally viable, but one could be more costly than the other. Misumi furrowed her brow as she quickly thought through her options. Her fanning became faster and faster; and then suddenly, it stopped.

"Sei, why don't we compromise instead," she said with a steely expression. "I'll carry her on my back the rest of the way." Misumi slid her fan back into the carrier on her hip and proceed to take off her backpack. She turned her back toward Yukari and crouched down. "Get on. We're going to the top!" Misumi said as she glanced over her shoulder. She pointed toward the top for added emphases. "I don't care if you don't fully trust me yet, I'm not going to stand idly by and watch you push yourself more than you need to. You've done more than enough. Let us help shoulder the load; it'll be less painful then stopping in that cave," she added with a fiery expression.

She wasn't sure how much of her spiel Yukari heard, but she hoped that her intentions were clear due to her actions and expressions. Whether or not her feelings would be interpreted correctly was another question altogether,

Kimiwriter Kimiwriter KageYuuki KageYuuki
 
Yukari Hyuuga

Just how daft were her teammates...?

Yukari was forced to a stop as Sei jumped in front of her, taking her arm once again. Moments later, Misumi suddenly joined them. Her teammate taking off her pack and saying she was going to carry her of all things! These two... the Hyuuga could no longer keep the bitter snarl from overtaking her features. "How dare you." She bit out, her voice low and dangerous and likely not even audible in the midst of the eternal storm raging above.

"Both of you..." Yukari ripped out of Sei's grasp, taking a step back. Her clenched fists trembled at her sides. In a sudden motion, she drew a palm back and thrust it towards the ground. An eruption of chakra tore loose from her hand, kicking up a large cloud of dust. The Byakugan allowed her to move unhindered. By the time the dark red cloud dissipated, she was already well on her way to the top of the hill.
 
But then

Standing above on the cliffside stood a immense being, silhouetted by the display of lightning above, it glared down upon the trio. "Hmph, got through did they? That little twerp got in the way... Just as I had them where I wanted... But they will soon be there... best we get ready to keep them away." the being turned and began to walk away waving to another shadow in a nearby cliff, they made their way towards the spring.

"They wont get passed us this time... Thats for certain."

And soon

Rising up the mountain, the path became more and more flattened, coming to a plateau finally when they had reached near the top. The flat area carried for some time, coming to the sides with sheer cliffs on any side one might walk. The place was filled with an eerie silence, but from where they were, no lightning made an attempt to strike down upon them, even with the pillars coming to a distinct end at the entrance to the plateau.

But the oddest sight before them was a large humanoid man, with deep red skin, a tiger skin loincloth and an immense tetsubo, with menacing spikes along it's sides. With a large horn coming out of it's skull, it stood with closed eyes before any who enter in the middle of the area.

behind it, a small tunnel, that seemed to glow lightly with a pale teal color, faint steam comes from within.​
 
Sei Teshima

Sei flinched when Yukari pulled away. Was she really going to strike them? it wasn't until Yukari had launched herself that Sei's own temper flared. "Damnit, Hyuuga!" She craned her neck, trying to watch Yukari's flight path. "Are you alright, Misumi? Can you keep going or do you need to rest?"

Even as she was asking, Sei started jogging up the path. If something attacked Yukari, would she be able to handle them on her own? Probably; she was a Hyuuga after all. But she was injured and the were dealing with yokai.

Damnit. I thought I was doing better on my endurance. She struggled to catch her breath, but slowing down wasn't an option. Thankfully the trailed became easier and the clashing of lightning and thunder grew fewer and quieter until they were no more. Thank goodness. But now the silence and landscape created an eerie feeling in the air. Like the world was holding its breath. Sei slowed slightly, searching the side of the trail for danger.

KageYuuki KageYuuki shadowdude505 shadowdude505
 
Misumi Sarutobi
​
"We're just trying to he..." Misumi wasn't able to finish her sentence as Yukari blasted off. She instinctively turned her head and used her arms to block the dirt. When the dirt settled, Yukari was already gone. "What on earth is bugging her?" she wondered.

"I'm fine," Misumi replied. She scooped up her backpack and began to chase after Sei. She ended up passing Sei after she stopped to catch her breath, but she managed to stay within earshot of her teammate. Luckily now that the thunder and lighting was subsiding they could communicate better.

As Misumi got higher on the mountain, she could begin to make out a large silhouette ahead of her. She began to slow down as she approached it. "Are you the God of the Mountain?" she asked. Bowing reverently just in case.
 
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Yukari Hyuuga
Finally, the damned lightning and thunder seemed to be letting up as Yukari reached the plateau. Sure, there was still an incessant ringing in her ears, but she could at least begin to make out spoken words. The Hyuuga continued onward, it was time to get this damnable mission over with and head home. Though their trials probably weren't over yet. Nothing was ever that easy - even if there was nothing easy about dodging lightning hellbent on wiping you from existence.

She slowed slightly as the towering figure came into view, studying him carefully. While there may have been caution in her movements, there was no fear. "No, that's an Oni..." She replied to Misumi. Of course the chuunin still knew next to nothing about the Yokai world. Not that Yukari could claim to be an expert on the matter.

Kneeling to make things easier, Yukari retrieved the scroll from her pouch and unrolled it. Once her hands were pressed against the paper, a pair of large, white jars were unsealed. "We've come to collect water for our village's guardian spirit as well as tend to wounds of our own." Her voice was surprisingly clear despite the shape she was currently in.
 
A huff could be heard from the great bestial being, indeed, it was an oni, skin red as crimson. it's huff was like that of a bull, steam flaring out of it's nostrils. God of the mountain, damn straight he was, no matter what that little twerp says or does, HE was the big dog here! ...Crap... the blind one knew about Oni... WELL HE STILL WAS THE BIG DOG DAMN IT!

"Shoooo, yoush come for dah spring watersh havesh yea?' a deeply slurred voice rung out, much higher in tone than one might've thought at first... Sounded something like a pasty nerd with a speech impediment more than a big evil creature... It might be due to the teeth that appear to be hanging out of it's mouth, fangs or not, it definitly messes with speaking no doubt.

"You've passhed the tesshhht to get here... But I'm not letting yoush get off that eashily! That little twerp shhaved your buttshh!! Without him yoush wouldn'tve gotten thish far!!" the oni began to get irrate, but the voice again making the scene seem almost like it was a big buff whiny child. "I ssshould crushhh you right now!!!" he whined again, as Sei could spot a blue arm climb up the side of the cliff!!

"Nyeheheheheheheh!! Shhurrounded now!! theresh no way you three will get passt ushh all!"

A blue oni rose up from the cliff, a large eye patch covering his left eye, one the same side it had a broken horn upon it's face and a third oni showed up as well! the third being a odd yellow color, it looked.. Much less like it wanted to be here than the others.

"Nyeheheheheheheh!! No wheresh to run!!"
 
Sei Teshima

Sei spun to face the blue oni climbing the side of the cliff, a kuni instantly in her hand. Keeping an eye on it, she ran through all the jutsu she could use on it. Would genjutsu work on a half-blind oni? It didn't work on any other spirits. She couldn't win on brute strength which left her with poison breath, but her teammates would be exposed and then they'd all be in danger, or the mask Koma had given her. Maybe a flash and smoke bomb combination, giving them time to get past? Would attacking be a wise choice? It was self defense but would the mountain god see it that way? Come on, what are our options?

She shifted closer to her teammates. "Maybe we should try bargaining?" With what? Sei considered what she could offer; it wasn't like she'd brought any kind of valuables with her. What would an oni accept anyway? She forced herself not to glance at Yukari. Typical. Of course I'd suggest the wimpiest way of dealing with this situation.She could only imagine what her teammates thought of her. Worry about that later. "We could give them one of those bottles."
 
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Misumi Sarutobi
​
Misumi stared at the red oni. His size and musculature made it clear that he would be a strong opponent, just maybe not in the brains the department. He seemed to have the temperament of a bratty teen that thought he was "hotter stuff" than he really was. The voice wasn't helping him escape from this first impression. Misumi had arched one of her eye brows the first time she had heard it, it wasn't quite what she was expecting an oni to sound like.

Misumi took off her backpack and dropped it on the ground beside her. If a fight were to break out, it would be a lot easier to move around without the load on her back. "So...average bullies exist in the Yokai world too...," she said to herself in a dismissive tone. The Yokai world was defiantly stranger than the human one, but maybe it wasn't that much different either.

Misumi pulled out one of her fans and started to fan herself while using it to block the unamused frown on her face. She glanced over to her teammates after the suggestion to bargain from Sei. "Sensei might not have told us everything, but at least he was thoughtful enough to provide a bargaining tool," she stated calmly, referring to the sake jars.

"Red-sama," she called out to the red oni, who seemed to be the leader of the group. "We'll give you three some of our sake if you let us through to the spring and out of this realm." She gestured toward the sake jars with an outstretched palm. "I think you'll find it to your liking," she added with a diplomatic bow. Her tone of voice had been respectful sounding as she made her pitch, but in this instance she was forcing herself to be civil. She hoped that the oni would accept the bargain, but began to mentally prepare for a fight in case one broke out.
 
The three paused for a moment, trading glancing eyes. the red one sniffed the air for a moment. "Wash that? Sake?" he asked, before sniffing ion more air, and pressing a finger to his nose to shoot outa mass the narrator deeply wished not to tell about. With a now clear nostril, the oni took in a deep sniff of the air. "yessh.... yeshh I can shmell it now..." like a man, or in this case oni, possessed the being came forwards, roughly walking past the trio, as the other two came forwards as well, inciting sudden rage from the red.

"BACK OFF! FIND YOUR OWN!"

"But they gave it tuh the three of us! yea can't just take it all!" the blue interrupted, looking rather irrate.

"I can and will! Thishh is mine!"

"Nuh uh, Mama taught always to share." the yellow stated, looking now abit more meek than before.

"I don't care what mama shaid! It'sh mine!" the red pushed back the yellow, causing the blue to grab the red from behind. "let me go!"

Yellow, in a fit of anger tackled red, and in connection the blue, causing the trio to start rolling about in a fit og almost brotherly rage as the wrestled and fought. their bickering was as childish as it was stupid. Enough that they continued to fight even as they neared the cliff side, nearer, and nearer, until they all fell down in a big ball of red, blue and yellow anger confusion and greed.

before them the sake remained untouched, inanimate objects that stood uncaring and complacent to the chaos they just caused.

But before the trio stood the entrance of the cave, open for them to enter.
 
Yukari Hyuuga
Yukari inwardly groaned as two more oni approached them, all of them unhappy about the chuunin making it this far. Her byakugan flared to life, working to keep tabs on all three spirits. The blue one that lingered near the cliff edge would be easy enough to deal with, one good hit would send him tumbling back into the valley below. The other two...

She shifted slightly, flexing her fingers just in case it really came down to a fight. Sei's suggestion was what she'd hoped they could do. "It's likely why we were given those jars."

Sure enough, they accepted it. Kind of. Yukari rolled her eyes at the fight that broke out between them. But the way was clear and they didn't have to fight the giants off, so she didn't care all that much. Walking past the arguing brothers, she stepped into the cave.

Finally, this mess was over and they'd reached the spring.
 
Sei Teshima

Sei followed Yukari into the cave, casting a worried glance back at the fighting oni. Maybe Koma hadn't sent them in completely unprepared for once, assuming there wasn't something worse waiting for them by the spring.

The cave and spring seemed almost normal. It wasn't what she expected. If a traveler somehow missed the pillers and lightning and somehow the oni hadn't stopped them, they might just think it was a natural hot spring and never guess it had healing properties. She glanced around again before stopping at the water's edge. What made this spring's water so powerful? Besides the fact it's from the yokai realm. Maybe it had been blessed somehow? Taking a small sample for experimenting was probably unwise considering the oni outside.

Stepping back, Sei stood along the wall with her eyes cast down. Once Yukari was healed, she wanted to talk to her. Apologize for whatever she'd done to offend her teammate, try to get things back on track. . . Why should I, though? I'm trying my best and if that's not good enough for her, is it really my responsibility to make things better? Should I let it go or confront her? Do I even have the nerve for that? She shifted.

"Hey, Misumi. . . this might sound out of no where but do you think I'm a coward?" They had only a short span of time before Yukari's ears would be healed and Sei would have to make a decision. Maybe she should talk to Koma or maybe she needed to up her training? But that would all have to wait until they got back to the village.

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