Walking the Water

Spoiler:

Sachio had been atop a building positioned to face the soon stetting sun that would signal the cooling period of the day. It was always a sight to see. Sunagakure evolved at night. Rather than the bright vibrant yellow feel the place had due to the sun reflecting off the sand, not correlating with happiness, at night the place adapted a deep blue feel to it. Calmed and incognito. The lights that came on also added to this feel, small orbs and rectangles of illumination, may they be hanging as lanterns outside of homes or the lit windows of homes. Sachio was currently working on a new piece, he was a painter, but rather than the norm he was painting the landscape. The norm being scenes of violence and war and things of that nature. His strokes were paced and well thought about before being made. Just about halfway done, moving in for another stroke a messenger bird landed on his arm, it mistaking the positioning of the arm to paint as a signal to land.

Sachio's lips curled into a painful falsified smile only able to be manifested through the thoughts of strangulation that flashed through his mind. Taking the message the bird had to offer, he sent the wretch away before he killed the damn thing and read what was inside. It was a mission, a mission that lead him outside the village better yet. "God damn I actually get to have some fun after all." He rolled the scroll up and smuggled it into his kimono, taking a deep drag form his pipe, before blowing the fumes out and coming to a stand. With a single digit he tapped the back of the pipe till the ashes fell free and the pipes was put out. None of said ashes touching his person and dying in the gust of wind that came after. Now Sachio moved to the gates of the village for his mission, the reason he left immediately was due to the fact he was called in as a substitute since one of the Genin hadn't showed up. Sucks for him, arriving at the gates in a minimal amount of time Sachio greeted his teammates. One of which were carrying a large set of scrolls on his back, these scrolls carrying the precious water they were to protect as it was sent to various villages outside of Sunagakure's walls.

Taking no time beyond introductions to lollygag the trio departed. With the sun setting at their backs, they had a perception of what was behind them with their ebon shadows stretching for many meters beyond them, their shadows cascading out in front of them not he landscape. This landscape was flatten sand from gust of wind, they had yet to reach the area where actual dunes of sand were, but they would reach this area within a few minutes, maybe a half an hour.

Just like Sachio estimated in that amount of time they entered the area infested with sand dunes and the sun's descent had made it nigh night time, just a pinch of the sun left visible, but the village was in sight. Their lanterns and various other lights guiding the three as they descended upon eh village from a rather steep slope. Sliding down, saving his steps, Sachio awaited the others at the bottom before walking in the village and requesting the presence of the elder or leader. Soon enough, formalities given, mission summary, credentials, etc, the Fuinjutsu Specialist took the scrolls off his back and released the water into an oasis that was a bit low in volume. It was apparent it was a man made oasis and not natural like the one in Sunagakure. All the water emptied out and the Oasis nearly full like the workings of an elf at night, the trio went back into the unforgiving desert to try to make it to Sungakure before midnight.

The sands had cooled off extremely as opposed to how they felt when they first embarked on their task even though the sun was setting. No urgency int heir steps, the trio were set on conserving energy and staying hydrated by not exerting themselves and doing unnecessary things, even talking to a degree. Small talk every now and then was acceptable and even Sachio indulged in a few conversations here and there, but for the most part the whole trip the trio was not talking to satiate their boredom. In Sungakure one became very well acquainted with the idea of appeasing boredom with ones thoughts, probably why every fucker that came out this place seemed to be so twisted. Sachio chuckled at his thoughts, also a common occurrence not written off as odd in Sungakure when traveling. The two just gave him a look and a faint smile of acknowledgement. Sachio in the back, the Fuinjutsu Specialist in the center, then the other Genin in front, the leader of the group stopped. "Sachio put your pipe out." Sachio closed one eye and gave him a questionable look though his back was turned when he spoke. "Huh?" "Put out your pipe, we're being followed by the scent of the nicotine." Sachio sighed, his head drooping as it shook side to side in dismay. "You gotta be fucking kidding me. First we have to walk to a dot int eh middle of the sand ocean, now we have someone tailing us." Sachio walked up to him, grabbing the Fuinjutsu user by the shoulder as he walked forward to keep him nearby. "How are you so sure?" Sachio asked inquisitively looking at the Genin's eyes. "I purposely lead us in a circle and there are four paths of footsteps rather than three see. 1-2-3-4." Sachio's heart dropped in anxiety and the Fuinjutsu Specialist too adopted a mask of fear. "Shit." He blew out his pipe and dissolved the fumes lingering in his mouth and throat in his lungs with an inward pull of oxygen. Snatching the ninja they were escorting close by, sandwiched in between eh two Sachio withdrew a single kunai that was already tagged with an explosive note. The other Genin did likewise save for the paper explosive. "Alright you already know we know you're out there so just come on and make this simple." Silence for but a moment before a sand dune was blown to a granular state, the bits of toasty sand flying about in the air as a perceivable shell of wind chakra was heading towards the group. Sachio shoved the Fuinjutsu Ninja out the way and jumped to his own right to avoid the wind shell he turned to face. The sphere detonated in mid air close to their location blowing more sand about. "Shit, you, get over here and stay close." Sachio beckoned urgently for the Fuinjutsu Ninja to come and he did so, the other Genin was out of sight however. No bloodstains in the sand, Sachio figured he wasn't hit, but in hiding. He still needed to locate the enemy however to provide adequate support. "Come on." He said coming out his low crouch towards where the shelling of wind came from. There were many dunes int eh area sot eh assailant could be anywhere along with the other Genin they were traveling with. Sunddenly the sand shifted near Sachio's feet. Whipping his kunai to a front handed grip for stabbing he directed the blade to have it but an inch away front eh Genin's face still in his hand. "Shit don't do that . . . you find him." The Genin nodded as he pulled himself out eh sand then brushed himself off.

"Behind that sand dune over there." He pointed to a low lying dune, probably about 5m in height. "Alright I'll send a clone to draw his attention then we can attack from atop the dune." The other Genin nodded as Sachio blazed through the seals for an academy clone. Soundless and weightless, the clone didn't even have a shadow, but that was barely perceivable in the deep blue atmosphere created by the now set sun. Along with the other Genin, Sachio climbed the dune, the Fuinjutsu ninja having moved tot eh base of it on the opposite side of the target. The clone had moved around the perimeter of the dune to then run out and at the rogue once in sight. The man pulled out his own kunai and ran at the clone, perfect. Sachio and the Genin assaulted from the back leaping off the dune and charging. The Rogue then turned, he had yet to reach the clone, so under his impression he was trapped/sandwhiched between the two forces. Sachio felled back to slice as did the other Genin, but the rogues hands came together to make a single hand seal before he propelled himself upwards. Blowing sand everywhere effectively blind the two for the duration the sand sprayed since the closed and cover their eyes, Sachio back hopped multiple times to avoid being hit by any weapon toss the Rogue may make. The peppering of sand no longer kissing his skin, Sachio looked up to see the rogue descending and the other Genin gone yet again having used the cover of the sand upheaval to conceal his own jutsu. Once the rogue landed and pair of hands shot out of the ground and clasped his ankles. Sachio already knew what to do. Tossing his kunai as fast as he could, with nothing in its way it sped through the air and pierced the rogue in his neck. He was happy he didn't need to use the explosive tag too. Gurgling and coughing up volume of blood, Sachio walked over, the Genin surfaced and the Fuinjutsu Ninja came around with Sachio's signal. "Clear.'' "Lets take him to the village. And Sachio no more smoking on missions, you almost got us killed." The teen groaned in agony as if in pain at the Genin's words though he was right, so Sachio made note of this occurrence and would certainly work on it. With that the trio headed back to Sunagakure. Sachio was tasked with carrying the body since it was essentially his fault, something he didn't try to shrug off as not. He was aware. So carrying the body of a dead ninja, probably a Chunin, while the other ninja carried three large scrolls and the leader carried the moral of the group, they traversed the desert sands. They wouldn't make it back by midnight, but they surely couldn't afford to set up camp and rest outside in the desert. They didn't have the supplies. So with that they pressed on and made it back about an hour passed midnight,t he corpse funky with death.

Late, but all was well since they came with the surprise of the missing Sunagakure Ninja. Scratched out the Bingo Books, Sachio felt pretty good having assisted in such a task.

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