Chapter 2: The Land of Vegetables

Just as Raiku turned the corner, the servant wheeled around the same corner, striking him in the chest with an open palm and sending a surge of chakra through his arm and into Raiku's body, paralyzing him as he dropped to the floor. “Don't worry, it's only temporary," the servant said with a wicked smirk. His body shimmered like a mirage, and revealed himself to be Yu. “But know this: this little incident was only for shock value. Tell the daimyo he has 24 hours to give up his position. Come after us, and he and his beloved will be joining his father soon." With that, made a handsign and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"I saw it," Mugen said with a shocked look on his face, "that guy, I saw that he was an enemy but I couldn't move at all,

As Raiku turned the corner he was surprised by the servant, who was apparently expecting him. Before Raiku knew it, the servant had palmed him in the chest, paralyzing him. The servant, who revealed himself to be Yu of the rebel trio, spoke a few threatening words before vanishing. "Darn it," thought Raiku, "I was too careless. I let him get away."

The blast has knocked Kaze onto his back and Kaze was frozen with shock from the sudden attack. Kaze reached for his bag that was on the ground but was mostly singed from light blue to black. Kaze found his mother's sword and pulled it close to himself and unsheathed it revealing the silver blade with black markings on the blade.

After about half an hour, things had settled down. Aydo was in a recovery room being healed by a medical ninja. Raiku got his head bandaged up and the team waited outside of the palace. Raiku had recovered from the paralysis only about 10 minutes ago. Kaita exited the palace and looked at Raiku and his team. "We should get going," she said. She continued on passed them in the direction of the mountain region.

Mugen did not hesitate to follow Kaita toward the mountain region. He was angry with himself in the fact that he saw something was wrong but didn’t act on it. “Next time I’ll fight back,” he said to himself.

Kaze walked slowly behind the group in silence. He had his head set low as he thought of what could have happened to his team and himself. Kaze looked up and noticed Mugen was on edge, Kaze rushed forward to talk to Mugen. "Hey, are you ok Mugen?"

“This is gonna sound weird but for a while now I’ve been seeing things,” Mugen said, “When that guy gave the kunai to Aydo sama I saw that it was a trap. It was like my body began to scream when I looked at it. Kaze when we get to the mountains let me take point I wanna recon the path before you guys come though.”

"Mugen," said Raiku, "I don't want you going out ahead. We're not sure what we're up against, and this is your first real mission after all. Having you take point is risky. You don't have enough experience and you don't seem very sure of why you're "seeing" things. Raiku looked over at Kaita. "I'll take point if that's alright with you miss," he said. "Call me Kaita please," she replied in a monotone voice, "And that's fine. Do as you wish."

Kaze put his hand on Mugen reassuring Mugen that Kaze trusts him. "I believe you Mugen if it was up to me I would let you take point with someone by your side of course." Kaze said quietly to Mugen. Kaze continued walking next to Mugen.

Although unhappy Mugen accepts Raiku and Kaze’s decision with a nod. He grabs the scroll and uses it to summon a short staff. “Well let’s go,” He says with a smile, “don’t wanna keep whose assholes waiting.”

The group finally arrived at the mountainous region in the north. Visibility was much more limited as they walked into a canyon. "Everyone keep an eye out for anything suspicious," said Raiku, "Kaze, Chie, you guys hold up the rear. If anything comes at us from behind, use your wind chakra and syrup trap to slow them down. Mugen, Kaita, watch those cliffs. They might attack us from above."

Kaze nodded as he fell back to the rear of the group with Chie in tow. Kaze walked slowly behind the group and pulled his mother's katana out of it's scabbard.

“I'm just saying, in hindsight, we could've killed him and sacked the village.." “Simple-minded thinking as always." Farther inward towards the valley, Yu and Ken argued outside of the cavernous mountain that served as their hideout. It resided by the lake, adjacent to the small forest just above them that ended in a cliff, with a barren valley and mountain view ahead. “The plan is to instill fear in the daimyo and force him out of power. Strong arming him is optional, but not recommended." “Whatever, it's not like they have any better forces. Hell, we WERE those better forces before we detected for a real cause," Ken scoffed, folding his arms. He looked back at Yu with a mocking grin. “If I remember right, you almost blew your cover along with Daimyo Aydo's face."

“If I remember correctly, Dangan told you to tag along simply as an insurance policy," Yu retorted with a sneer. “That's enough from you both,” a voice said from the top of a mountain. They looked up to see Dangan with a displeased look before he jumped down, landing with a barely audible thump to mountain floor. “Shou, I didn't see you there," said Ken. “Of course you didn't," he replied back while rolling his eyes, “that alone makes me wonder why I left you to guard this part of the valley... nonetheless, the daimyo, got our message I presume?" “ Yes. They don't have long, though, before we-" Yu stopped mid-sentence. He turned to south of the valley where the nearby canyon began. “Huh... Five ninja have made their way here." “What the hell, you can sense them that far?!?" Ken exclaimed; even Dangan had a slight look of surprise. “Don't be stupid, I had a clone scouting out closer to the village."

"Can you tell who they are?" Dangan asked.
"One of them is Kaita, I recognize that chakra anywhere," Yu replied, "the other four are a little unfamiliar. Must be the Leaf Ninja I saw; three genin and one Jonin." "Leaf Ninja, I see," Dangan said while letting this information sink in. “Honestly, to send them after us, I'm not sure to feel honored or insulted. " He looked towards the general direction of where Yu sensed them. "Prep our guest like I planned, and get ready. They made their choice, now they will not leave this place alive..."

Hey Kaze so we're looking for something or someone right? my question is what did you and Mugen see anyway? cause I didn't see anything and by the way your mother's katana looks amazing if my dad was here he would want to study the craftsmanship of the blade.

Kaze looked at Chie and smiled. "Thanks, but we are to keep a look out from the rear so no one can sneak up from behind us and ambush us. In other words we are going to be partners if a battle were to ignite." Kaze said while periodically looking behind himself.

Kaita walked up to where Raiku was. "What do you think about splitting up?" she asked, "This terrain is so vast it would be much easier to search if we were spread out." Raiku looked back at the Genin and then turned back towards Kaita. "If we were to do that," he replied, "I'd like to send you off with Chie, then send the boys off together, and I'll go off alone." "Are you sure you want to go off alone?" she asked, "Last time you did that you were stunned for about 20 minutes." "He caught me by surprise," said Raiku, "It won't happen again." Raiku stopped and turned around to face the group.

"Alright guys," he said, "We're splitting up. Kaita and Chie will go up the side of the canyon and head west. The rest of us will continue north until we get out of the canyon. Then, Kaze and Mugen, you two will head East and I'll continue north."

Kaze looked up at Raiku and nodded. "Well Mugen looks like you're with me! Let's go!" Kaze said as he quickened pace to a light jog.

“Alright I’ll take point then,” Mugen says jumping ahead of Kaze as they began moving eastward.

Kaze looked at Mugen with a worried look as they ran eastward. "I hope he is going to be ok." Kaze whispered under his breath.

Kaita looked at Chie, "Well kid, let's get going."

Futher North, Raiku had split off from the boys. The group was now split up into three different groups. Each one searching for clues as to the whereabouts of the rebels.

“I'm afraid you won't be going anywhere,” said a voice behind them. Before they could react, Yu dropped down from one of the dead trees and drop kicked Chie, whirling around and sending a flurry of quick, short jabs into Kaita's face and chest before moving around her and elbowing her to the ground.

Meanwhile, towards the east, as Kaze and Mugen made their way, a hand suddenly sprouted from the ground and grabbed Mugen by the face as the rest of the attacker sprung forth in the air, revealing to be Ken. He shoved Mugen's face into the ground with brute force, jumped in the air again to bring his fist down on Kaze, shouting, “Say goodnight, kid!!”

As Yu drop kicked Chie, Kaita looked over, shocked. Yu immediately whirled around to attack Kaita with a flurry of punches. She swung her umbrella off of her shoulder and opened it up in front of her, infusing it with her chakra. This created a shield which absorbed the impact of Yu's punches. As he swung around the umbrella to attack her with his elbow, she extended her free hand and caught it, pushing it away as she jumped back to create space.

"That was a close one," she thought. "So you've decided to engage us huh?" she said, "I hope you didn't think you'd get the best of me that easily Yu. After all, we went through the same training."

“Of course not, " Yu replied, as he flicked his hands inside his sleeves and pulled out a handful of shuriken. “You of all people should know that attacking head-on was more of Ken's style, whereas I was the strategist." Yu then gave Kaita a suspicious and snarky smirk. “Besides,” he continued, “I don't have to best you... " Yu then flung the shuriken at his target from each hand simultaneously.

Kaita used her umbrella shield again to defend against the shuriken storm.