After a few days' travel immediately West of Konoha they finally reached the looming edge of the 'Cursed Wood'. It was so densely packed with trees only little light made it towards the forest floor, making the forest look very dark. The place looked like a forest where your bad dreams came from, and despite years of grim experience Kensuke felt uninclined to head inside. The forest continued over rolling hills in the distance and from their vantage point high up in a tree none of them could see even a single clearing.
"Alright. There's the forest. Let's go over the rules one more time." He said, turning towards Team 7 minus Hideki, who was on a mission with Kiyomi's guard. "We are to deliver this scroll to the capital of the Blackroot branch of the Sarutobi clan. Named Blackroot." He said, pointing to the scroll he was carrying in the scroll pouch on his chest. "They're very secluded folks and aren't too eager to receive visitors. Like their forest. They mostly speak Chonobi and they'll be watching us closely while we're there, so be on your toes. If they find our help, Konoha's help, undesirable, they have every right to send us back." He continued, looking in the eyes of every member of his team.
"We don't want that." He added, looking at Meilin in particular. "That's because they're fighting the same religious zealots we encountered in Keishi. They have been trafficking their victims through these woods and have been fighting the Blackroot eversince. We'll help them do that and crush this local cell." He finished.
"Any questions?"
Remaining silent, the face of Meilin was pale. While no word of protest had left her lips, she was aware of the rumours and tales that she had been growing up with regarding the Blackroot Vale. Her left hand rested on her hip, while her right hand was gripping the handle of her sword. There was no way that she would agree to even come this close to the dark woods and home of the Blackroots if there wasn't a slim chance that she could make those bastards pay and get her family back.
In a normal situation, Meilin would've scoffed at Kensuke or made it clear that he was the one who should likely be on his toes when it would come to interacting with Sarutobi, regardless of what origin they were, as she was certain that he couldn't even speak a single sentence of Chonobi. Now, however, she was more distracted with keeping her gaze focused on the woods. The teen wouldn't find it strange at all if some large, dangerous beast would snatch at them the moment they would take another step towards the woods.
Listening to Kensuke's briefing, Meilin just remained silent. She decided that it would be in her own best interest to be focused on her own. Being send back was the least of their worries in her opinion as there were enough horrible tales about the woods, but she doubted that the others would take her warning or advice serious at the current moment.
Karma kept quiet, only listening to what Kensuke had said the entire way there. Upon hearing his most recent briefing, she wondered why would he even decide she is needed here, She did not know Chonobi, nor did she know anything about the Blackroot branch of the Sarutobi clan. All she did was nod slightly as an indication of understanding his words.
The red headed genin didn't say anything as the team was brought up to speed on their mission. Sen had heard some interesting stories regarding the forest they were to enter, and as frightening as those stories were there was no point in trying to get out of it. This was their mission, and her first mission. Sen was determined to do well on this mission and help however she could.
Kensuke gave the members of Team 7 a final glance before he nodded and turned towards the dark woods. Somehow they looked even less welcoming than a minute ago. He shrugged mentally and reached for a rudimentary map that was given to him upon the start of this mission. It vaguely described a path leading towards the Blackroot hidden village.
"Let's go then."
Traversing the dark forest was everything he'd expected it'd be and more. It was disconcerting to say the least. While the wind was clearly audible as it made the dense crown of leaves above them move and rustle in an infinite rythm it barely reached under the foliage. What little light made it through the same roof of leaves was constantly moving and flickering because of that same wind, making it seem as if every little dark corner hid a lurking creature poised for attack. The lack of sunlight also meant it was surprisingly cold inside the forest. It made you more conscious of your own warm sweat. Sounds were also strangely muffled by the overgrowth. They didn't reach very far and sounded distorted. Sounds that small, innocent animals made suddenly took on the proportions of that of unknown lurking dangers. Kensuke's body told him everything about this forest said he wasn't welcome here, that there was a predator nearby. That the forest itself was a predator.
Then he smiled. He was a predator too. His trust in his ability to kill that was the source of his shame on other days now became his ally again. Moving with the shadows of the ever-moving pattern on the forest floor he led his team through the forest.
They were actually doing this. She wasn't sure what was worse. The fact that they were trusting on some map in the forest which had the reputation for making people who trusted on maps vanish or that they weren't even considering to get a guide. Trying to be on guard of their surrounding, Meilin narrowed her eyes. The idea of just turning around and going away was big. Not because she was scared, but her trust in how this was going already made her doubt that they would get any success.
"Know what is interesting about this woods?" Meilin spoke up while trying to stay on guard. The whole sensation that they felt while being in the woods pushed her to the edge. It was just a question of how long a person would be able to endure the atmosphere before likely turning insane or desperate. Just a matter of time before a mistake would mean their end.
Following Kensuke and Meilin, Karma merely shrugged at the question her teammate brought up. The place gave her an overall bad feeling, so she felt it would be best to keep quiet, in case anything may try and sneak up from somewhere, or if perhaps something was already lurking around, then she wanted to make sure she makes the least amount of noise possible, as to not attract anything. And that was before she thought about the fact the Blackroot branch of the Sarutobi clan may very well know the forest like the back of their hands and thus be capable of setting traps for anyone that does not follow a specific path.
She followed her team into the forest and upon entering she started to feel unsettled. The unsettling feeling only grew as they continued to go travel through and Sen's eyes darted around nervously. After a few seconds of her eyes darting around the genin decided that she needn't let the unsettling feeling distract her from following her team. It was her best guess that if she allowed herself a second to stumble and pause that she would most likely lose her team. Shaking her head, she put all her effort into keeping her eyes trained on Karma and Meilin who were following Kensuke. Every now and then her eyes darted elsewhere but she would catch herself and try to focus again. Her left hand would wander to her bow in which she would brush it against the smooth surface reassuringly.
First, upon hearing no response, Meilin wasn't sure if she was only willing to do something about the unsettling atmosphere or if they just had chosen to ignore her.
"Okay then..."
Mumbling the two words to herself, Meilin wasn't sure what to think of the silence. Sure, they had a job to be on watch but to just remain silent in the current situation was anything but relaxing. Or were they perhaps feeling more at ease with this silent tension? Or perhaps it was that they didn't wish to interact with her? Her lips slightly curled down as she tried to remember that one evening with Team 6, while continue following Kensuke. She had imagined being on a team was different. Perhaps she had raised her standards too high?
Every so often Kensuke paused and took a look at the map he was carrying on him. He had learned in hard lessons from his sensei that keeping your nose buried in a map was a one-way ticket into an ambush. Instead he looked at the map for recognisable waypoints at regular intervals with a good estimate each time of how much ground they had covered. If he would travel off-course he would realise it as soon as he'd cross the next waypoint he'd set for himself and he could adjust quickly without losing much time, while at the same time keeping up the pace and without lowering his alertness too much.
The problem of the forest was that there were hardly any easily recognisable waypoints. Usually he would climb a tall tree and orient himself from there with his igurai. He tried this multiple times and each time he was greeted with the image of endless rolling hills covered in the same dense woods. It certainly didn't help that the map he was given was very vague in its description of the terrain, as if drawn for someone who already knew the general layout of this place, just as a reminder what signs to look for to orient himself. Kensuke thought to himself it'd be nice to know where to look too.
After missing a first waypoint and deviating off course until Kensuke didn't see the next one when he felt they should have encountered it Kensuke decided to take more time to identify each waypoint more thoroughly at the cost of decreasing their speed. Significantly. As they traced back their steps towards the previous correct waypoint Kensuke stiffened very suddenly.
"I made a mistake." He said and looked around. "I wasn't looking for an inscription of a bear or a large bear-shaped trunk like the previous waypoints." He said while he reached for his blade. "The next waypoint is the bear."
As he said this each and every one of them would feel the dreadful presence of the creature imposed upon them as if by naming it. What Kensuke picked up only moments earlier as killing intent now reached all of them as a wave of fear without direction. They noticed there no more birds singing or squirrels protesting their passage. The woods were starved of sound by the bear's presence.
Kensuke smiled. "Reminds me of my very first mission." He said light-heartedly to disguise his own fear. "Defensive formation girls. Here it comes"
Upon hearing that he had made a mistake the lips of Meilin curled down even more than they already were. The way how he took it was also anything but making her happy about it. So they were lost in a forest in which they could go easily for the image of being trespassers or not sure how to leave it? Tracing their steps back wasn't, after all, an easy task due to the atmosphere of the dreadful woods and the foliage.
As the uncomfortable sensation turned into something primal, the hair on Meilin's neck would rise. Gripping the handle of her sword tighter the teen would throw a glance at their team leader. The fact he was smiling and just didn't look serious made her approval of the jounin sink, lower than it already had been at the start of this mission. Her free hand would shove into the pouch, her fingers curling around a small object. Remaining silent while she would take up a position in the formation, the teen would turn her focus on their surrounding. Though she wanted to speak up, trying to not just remain in the already dreadful silence, Meilin remembered how she had been ignored before. Clenching her teeth on each other the raven-haired teen tried to calm herself with counting slowly in her mind.
As Kensuke spoke, Karma's eyes narrowed. A waypoint being a living animal? That sounded both deadly and really effective against people who are not meant to pass it. The exact same sensation as when Kensuke used his Killing Intent came over her, but this one felt a lot more primal, making her slightly shiver as she reached to grab her Naginata that she carried on her back for this mission. She started taking deep breaths, trying to calm herself down as she did before. The last thing she needed was to let the bear get close to her.
Sen's eyes would widen considerably at what he said and then look down for a second before she would start to feel something seriously intimidating. The intensity of the primal feeling that surrounded them was enough to make her stumble as she got into the defensive position. Pulling her bow from her back and grabbing an arrow quickly as she readied her bow. Sen tried to calm her breathing as it was getting a little eratic and she waited for something to happen or not to happen.
A loud bustle of branches announced the bear's presence moments before it was actually visible. It came bowling out of the undergrowth with dreadful silence. It was at that point that Kensuke unleashed his own killing intent, hoping that predatory intimidation would dissuade the bear from seeking prey here. The bear stopped dead in its tracks and rose on its hind legs, bellowing its pride after Kensuke's challenge. A new wave of bestial intimidation rolled over Team 7, buying them some more time if they had the mental strength to push through the beast's fear.
Kensuke glanced back at his team in this moment and noticed that both Meilin and Sen had moved into a defensive position, but that Karma has frozen in place. Having learned a great deal of how animals worked the last couple of times he faced a giant beast he turned his back to the bear and dragged Karma into position.
"It'll attack in just a moment. When it does, run. With any luck he isn't interested in eating us anymore." He said and turned to face the bear as it landed back on all fours, eyeing the four intruders closely as it did.
For a moment Meilin broke formation to be certain that while Kensuke had turned his back to the bear that she would be capable of trying to move in any way of attack or charge. Once the Nimatsu had dragged Karma into position, she would move back in her position.
"Sir, not to trouble you, but," Meilin spoke up as she kept her gaze locked on the bear while remaining ready to act when the situation would go south, "Perhaps it might be wiser to use a smoke bomb to distract it and breaking the use of smell?"
At first she felt both Kensuke's killing intent, which wasn't as bad considering she was already facing one killing intent, but then the bear had apparently retaliated with more bestial killing intent. Looking at the bear, Karma couldn't help but wonder if perhaps this was abusing an animal, making it into a defender of a village and having it possibly die each time someone wishes to come here. Unless they had a way of making the bear back away, or at least stop its aggression.
As she continued to ponder about that, she suddenly felt Kensuke's hands bring her into a defensive formation. She slightly readjusted and mouthed thanks to him while keeping her eyes locked on the bear. As long as they had no way of knowing how the Sarutobi branch would bypass the bear, they had to be ready for an attack "I'm against using smoke. While it can prevent it from smelling us, the moment we step out of the smoke's area, it will be capable of detecting us in an even stronger manner due to smoke's attachment to our clothes. If anything, we should aim to distract the bear in some manner, and we have to assume it is possible, as Blackroot branch members must be capable of passing through here for different purposes and I'm doubtful they fight the bear every single time." Karma said, not looking away from the bear.
Sen soon felt her sensei's own killing intent which was almost as frightening as the bears that was now eying them quite intently. Unfornuately, Kensuke-sensei's killing intent didn't seem to do much as the bear released a new primal sense of intimidation on them which was starting to her hands shake a little. Sen sook a few deep breaths, her heart rate was beginning to go up again and she needed a steady hand in case the bear decided to attack them. "I agree with Karma," Sen said. If the members of the Blackroot Sarutobi branch could get through without being attacked then it was very possible they could too or at least that is what she hoped.
"Or, the bear decides not to track down three very dangerous rivals over hundreds of miles of forest once he's chased them away." Kensuke said while his eyes remained glued on the bear who was prowling around them, awaiting any sort of response. When that didn't come, it charged without warning.
"Disperse!" He yelled and sent a gust of air at the bear resembling a giant wingbeat before he jumped straight up to end up suspended from a tree branch. The bear, expecting to meaningful resistance, stumbled and missed a stride. It quickly regained its footing however and tried to catch something in its claws.
For a moment Meilin couldn't feel the killing intent anymore. The idea that this random bear was related to the Blackroots or the thought that it wasn't just a wild animal was so random enough that it almost made her wonder what kind of information the chuunin had learned, if any.
"Indeed, they would kill it," Meilin mumbled, feeling already mentally tired.
With Kensuke's command, Meilin would dash to the right. Her hand travelled from the handle of her blade to her earphone communicator, switching it on. Running as fast as she could, while not obstructed by any obstacles as she would apply her experience and skill, the genin felt her heart skipping beats. Hoping that the bear wouldn't give chase after her.
Hearing what Kensuke said, Karma waited. She just barely caught what Meilin mumbled before hearing Kensuke's command and making a dash to the left, going fast, and as soon as she came across a small blockade of trees, she climbed up one of them in order to continue travelling, just through the tree branches instead of on the ground.
The genin focused on the giant bear as Kensuke-Sensei attacked it before she darted diagonally to the left. She sprinted at a steady speed in the same direction hoping the bear wouldn't go after her or any of her teammates. Sen wondered how her sensei would fair in the fight against the bear and for a moment she almost felt bad about the bear getting attacked. This was after all its home.
The bear saw the group of creatures that had dared enter its domain scatter and flee like a flock of birds and gave one last satisfied roar to let them know they shouldn't return.
Once he'd created roughly a kilometer as the bird flies in distance from where they encountered the bear, Kensuke stopped and dropped to the forest floor. Now he took a moment to pay attention to the signs he saw a tree with its bark stripped off by the bear, used for sharpening its claws. The waypoint was obvious enough now.
"That should be enough distance, gather on me." He said in the earcoms and reached for a paper tag in which a flare had been stored. He wrapped it around a stone and tossed it up in the air, through the dense foliage where it combusted in a bright red flame and smoke. While the dense woods might obstruct the flare from view, the loud sizzling noise following the small explosion was enough of a hint. Or should be.
As she kept on running Meilin didn't look behind her. Running in almost a straight line there wasn't anything that rang over the communicator, but that didn't mean she would just yet stop. Slowing down to a halt the teen glanced around her. Remaining silent, there wasn't any sign she could pick up or see that she was still in danger. But there was the problem in what dispersing had caused.
She wasn't with the group.
"Well, beats dying by other means, I guess," the teen sarcastically mumbled to herself.
Then a sound attracted her attention, causing Meilin to turn to the direction. From on the ground, she wasn't able to see anything, but there was a reason why she wavered to inspect it. If she had heard it, then who else could have heard it? Considering her options, she wondered why somebody would've opted for such an option to attract attention or regroup instead of using their communicators. It wasn't like they were already kilometres apart from one another, right? A soft sigh escaped Meilin as she wasn't sure what was more uncomfortable. The group or being alone in the woods of the Blackroots.
"Without any disrespect sir, but... can you give me any directions or other signals? Am kind of lost, here." She decided to try, waiting first for a reply. Then again, she doubted somebody would if she would consider how communication had occurred before. The trouble was mostly in the fact that she wasn't sure from which direction she had came from. Making her become more anxious than before.
Also gathering a bit of distance away from the bear, she came to a halt upon hearing a sound from the distance. The sizzling sound was off, unlike anything she would expect to hear from any kind inside a dense forest like this. While she did hear Kensuke's instruction, she felt like going directly to where the sound came from would be the equivalent of going to a large fire while knowing there are enemies all around that try to possibly find you. The Blackroot branch might not be hostile entirely, but they certainly did not leave an impression of people who would just accept anyone to come in. Letting the Naginata hang from her back once more, she decided to start slowly make her way towards the noise source, not intending to arrive at it, and giving herself time to hear if Kensuke would reply to Meilin or if Sen may say anything. As she begun walking, she also concentrated on surpressing her chakra, so that if the Blackroot faction members were using any sensors, then she would have a slightly better chance of not being found quickly, though something told her that would barely matter for people who know the forest well.
She guessed that she had put enough distance between them as she came to a stop and gave herself a moment. She heard Kensuke-Sensei over the earcom and was about to ask where he was when she heard a sizzling sound. "Aha," Sen said to herself. She started jogging in the direction that she had heard the sizzling and waited to see if Kensuke-Sensei replied to Meilin or if Karma would offer some help to their teammate. Sen waited another a second before she said into the earcome "Hmm, I'm sure everyone would like some directions in this forest. Hang in there."
It occured to him that spreading out might've been an effective way to defuse the situation but that it also exploded the pathfinding problem into new proportions entirely. Then again, they were shinobi. "Climb the trees and look over the sea of leaves. You should be able to find my position easily enough." He said through the intercom system, wondering why the other members of the team'd decided to stay on ground level.
"Or you just wait."
The voice would come to the right of Kensuke, speaking with a certain accent. Softly the jounin would hear a few sounds. As if the wood had spring them out of the thin air, there were a few cloaked and hooded men. Various of them wielding a bow, with the arrow nocked and at the ready. Their faces were masked and much like their garb coloured in the 'theme' of the surrounding. One of the men spoke up, nodding towards Kensuke, but the man who had spoken first shook his head as he would answer back in Chonobi. "Please, refrain from making sudden movements." Even though the tone seemed polite, there was a certain sliver of threatening undertone to the voice of the man. His right hand was leaning on the hilt of a short sword, sheathed for now in its scabbard.
This wouldn't just happen alone to the Nimatsu jounin. Just as Karma surpressed her chakra, she would feel something sharp in her back with voice sneering something in Chonobi before various figures would really become visible. The same would happen to Meilin as Sen would also be halted in a similiar fashion.
The tall man turned around casually, hands still in his pockets and faced the masked men. He raised both eyebrows and nodded at them. That was genuinely impressive. He'd been caught unaware by not just one or two, but an entire squad of them. That hadn't happened since ... well, a long time. He shrugged and leaned against the tree he'd been standing next to, chakra-coated hands still in his pockets.
"So you're the Blackroot. Not bad."
Coming instantly to a halt, Meilin raised her hands up. Understanding what was being said, she remained silent for a moment. Noticing that the forest seemed to move, the eyes of the teen recognised slowly but surely the camouflaged men. While she had been aware of the reputation, this was something she hadn't expected. How long had they been tailing her?
Speaking back in the same language, there was a subtle difference in stance from what she could spot from the masked and cloaked Blackroots. Requesting to allow to use her communicator, she would slowly lower her hand to activate it for speech once more as soon as permission was given.
"Sir, change of plans. The Blackroots have found me. Best if we regroup at your location, no?" The teen asked. There was a brief temptation to see if they understood what she just said, but even as the men around her had lowered their weapons she wasn't keen on testing their patience.
Feeling the sharp object against her back as she surpressed her chakra, Karma wanted to curse but kept quiet. Soon after a couple of men became visible in front of her, and she could only assume there were at least a few others behind her, but she didn't dare to check how many, nor did she stop surpressing her chakra. Something told her that right now doing so might be dangerous in case they had a sensor among them, who could instantly warn them. Hearing Meilin's voice in the earcom, Karma did not react. She would most likely never learn Chonobi, and something told her these men were not about to start talking in the language convenient for her, so she stayed still, waiting to see what will the men instruct her to do through their gestures and reactions.
The unsettling feeeling of something quite sharp being pushed into her back suddenly had her quite unsettled. Sen really didn't feel like turning around to see what or who was pushing something sharp into her back instead she stopped and allowed herself to be caught by the people she assumed were the Blackroot. She had learned that they shared the Chonobi language with the Cho but her common sense told her not to try to engage in conversation with them.
The 'speaker' of the group didn't react to Kensuke's statement or compliment. One of the men mumbled something as two others chuckled, but nobody would speak further up nor make a move. On hearing a certain bird sound the speaker turned his head to throw a look over his shoulder. Saying something in the same language as before, two of the men seemed to blend in with the woods as no sound was detected as they would leave out of sight. "You are lucky." The man stated, throwing a glance at Kensuke, but not giving much more detail for his cryptic comment. With the others being brought to the location the speaker seemed to eye the team of Kensuke, before speaking up again. "Is this everybody?" He asked, though the certain sound of before could be heard, causing the speaker to throw another look in the direction of the sound.
He heard Meilin's question but could not reply. He had the distinct feeling that even reaching up to activate his microphone for a response would earn him a few shafts up his guts. So he waited. Eventually the rest of his team was brought to him by more of the illustrious cloaked men. When their would-be leader finally said something in the common language he understood he nodded.
"Correct." He said, and pushed himself up and a step closer towards the leader, hands still in his pockets. "I assume by the size of the welcoming party and by howlong you've followed us that you know why we're here." He suggested, and looked around. "We should get moving."
Being brought to the group Meilin hoped that nobody would piss these guys off. There was no telling how many of them were around, but judging on how had caught her off guard made her wonder how they had surprised the likes of the most experienced members of the squad. There was the curiosity to spark a conversation with them. How often did one have the chance to talk to a Blackroot? Though she doubted that they were interested in exchanging pleasantries with her. A certain cool and serious attitude were held up.
Being brought to the others, she was partly relieved to see nobody was wounded or bonded. Or anything that made it clear that they had done something for the Blackroots to restrict their movements or actions.
As a man spoke up, asking Kensuke if they were all present, Meilin took the time to cautiously eyed them.
Meilin glanced sideways at her squad leader, hoping silently that the man would understand these men weren't keen on dealing with outsiders. Thus she lightly cringed as Kensuke made a suggestion to get moving, while there was something clearly happening.
"Sir, with all respect," Meilin whispered, "Might I suggest to be extra... careful?"
Soon enough she was lead back to the rest of the group, where she saw Meilin and Sen also being brought, Kensuke standing there but no one was visibly threatening him, though she assumed the Blackroot members still had a member or two hidden around just in case. Hearing what Kensuke said made Karma want to slap him for acting like himself at a time like this, and afterwards also distant herself when she heard him say they need to get moving, while still having several Blackroot members around them, and she highly doubted they would just about to let them go. When she heard Meilin's suggestion to their team leader, she nodded twice in agreement. Caution was most likely the best course of action currently.
The red headed genin was eventually led to her teammates with a very uncomfortable escort. Sen didn't as much as smile or lift a hand in greeting to her teammates in this situation. Picking up what Meilin said about being careful and finding that she quite agreed. While both Sen and the other Cho could understand the language she still found it best to not engage in pointless conversation with people who caught them despite being sent here to help them.
"Yes," was the sole word given as answer to Kensuke's question and comment, though he didn't make clear to what. One of the men spoke up, in a hushed voice, to which some others chuckled and one even briefly unleashed a laugh. In a protective formation the men would start to guide the team of Kensuke deeper into the woods. Slowly, but surely, however, the majority seemed to blend away with the surrounding. The only few who seemed to remain to be visible was the spokesman as a few others. Now and then, a member of the team would be able to see a shadow moving at their side or a pair of eyes looking around. There were the sounds of the woods, but no visible animal that they could detect.
Then silence seemed to dawn upon them as the spokesman raised his right fist up. Coming to a halt for a moment, the man spoke up in an irritated fashion. One of the other men would speak up. As the spokesmen sneered something, there was a brief pause before the group would start to get moving again. It was a long walk before there was a visible difference becoming appearant. "We camp here." The spokesman stated. Speaking once more Chonobi, he was clearly ordering members of his group before turning to Kensuke and his group. "You remain here," this time the man made it clear that it wasn't any request, but an order before he would start walking away.
Raising an eyebrow at the mysterious display he felt no need to argue. Given the nature of the map they'd been given he felt little inclination to press for information. He turned towards his team and pointed his thumb over his back.
"Well, you heard the man." He said and sat down on his backpack, reaching inside for some travelling rations, inviting the rest of his team to do the same. He waited until they were all seated and then looked at the oldest girl in ther team.
"Meilin, Can you tell me what they're saying?" He asked.
Her cheeks blushed for a moment as she overheard what was being said at first, to which a few of the Blackroots chuckled. Deciding to focus on where they were heading, the wood hadn't become less ominous even while they were now being guided and protected.
Wondering why they had come to a halt, Meilin would just listen to the conversation that sprang up between the leader of the group and the others. Frowning for a moment a bit of colour would vanish from Meilin's face. Her left hand would lower, lingering near the handle of her sword as her eyes would scan the area in front of her.
Then with the group being led further the leader of the Blackroot group made it clear that they would camp here. Seeing how Kensuke reacted made it evident for once and for all that the Nimatsu wasn't even aware of what was just being said. Realising how relaxing that could be, Meilin would just nod. Her hands shook a bit as she would crouch while putting her backpack on the ground. Following Kensuke's example, she didn't feel hungry. In fact, she didn't want to eat but keep moving.
Forcing herself to start eating something the teen wondered about something. Her train of thoughts was interrupted as Kensuke asked her something.
"Hmm? Oh, well," she thought for a moment, "It is a bit complicated to translate it, but roughly, we're now located in a zone that is being contested. They spoke of... a boggart. No clue what they meant with that. North of here, there has been a skirmish and the targets," Meilin spoke slowly as she thought about how to translate it all, "were on the run. Something that... pissed them off."
"A contested area huh?" He said and smiled at the girl's nervousness. "Maybe we're ought to offer our help?" He suggested. "We're sent here as allies after all." The jounin continued on the same light-hearted tone, only his eyes that kept scanning their surroundings betraying he took her words seriously.
She flashed an uneasy smile.
"I am not sure if they would accept that sir," she said while wondering if she should clarify on how their escort group thought of them, "Besides, the way I think is that they don't consider us yet as allies. I don't even know what a boggart is."
Thinking about it, she would take a bite. Chewing for a moment she would speak up after clearing her mouth.
"How much do you know of the Sarutobi clan, if I may ask that sir," Meilin asked, clearly pondering on something.
He nodded appreciatively. They didn't consider them allies at this point. He wondered if they considered them merely the container of the scroll they carried at this point. Her question caught him off-guard, lost in thoughts as he was.
"Not terribly much. They're big friends with the Hon." He replied. "If that was a problem they'd have sent someone else. I'm always eager to learn though, if you happen to be better aqcuainted with their customs."
Nodding slowly as he gave her an answer, Meilin thought for a moment. Leaning a bit closer before taking another bite, she would keep her voice hushed.
"Then might I advise you to not mention your surname or origin unless explicitly asked for?" Meilin asked, though she reckoned that he would be willing to know why.
"It is true that the Hon and Sarutobi are close, but the Blackroots are... different. I am not a true expert, but the Sarutobi have various..."
Thinking on how to explain this to him in a short version was harder when she actually thought about it. Deciding to just give him a rough shot of what it was, she hoped he would understand it.
"Various houses, so to say. They are similar, but there are differences among them. The Blackroots have been known to be only interested in venturing out and interacting when the Hons go to war or raid. Much other than that? Don't think many ever had the 'honour' of speaking with a Blackroot, let alone see one."
"Makes sense." He said. "Have you seen a Blackroot before then?"
Chewing on a bite Meilin threw a look around. She tried to spot one of those Blackroots, but it was clear that they wouldn't be seen in their woods unless they wanted to be seen. And it was just the question if that was comforting or more ominous.
"No sir," she answered, "I haven't ever even been to the homeland of my own clan," was Meilin's answer.
"I have heard enough stories. How they resemble... something old. Something menacing. That in the older days they would venture out of the Blackroot Vale to kidnap children and eat them alive. More than likely just rumours and stories to scare children. Also heard various stories about these woods."
Wanting to say something more, Meilin suddenly decided against that. "Though, a tip," she said, trying to sound more cheerful than before, "If you wish to start a conversation, try to... well, try to speak on their way. This is their home, so we can either be a guest or an intruder. With you not able to speak Chonobi, I won't mind trying to translate for you to make it sound more... appealing, for them, you know?"
"That's an idea we'll come back to later on." He said, not adding that right now he didn't think they'd appreciate if they suddenly began communicating with them in their closely-preserved language amidst their secretive and guarded forest. "The stories don't surprise me as much though. If you listen carefully you'll hear those stories of every clan. I'm willing to bet that they have stories about how the Nimatsu cut your wrists and hang you from some mountaintop for fun too." He finished the last bite of the riceball and shrugged.
"Is their chonobi different from yours in any way?" He then asked abruptly.
Meilin listened and she thought for a moment. Thinking back on what was said earlier, the teen wondered if that was true. Judging from what she had heard and so far had seen, she would answer back.
"If you say so, sir."
Finishing her ration the teen felt the need to get up and going. Sitting here felt weird. It was clear that they didn't belong here and even as they were ordered to camp or at least remain here, Meilin didn't want to. The question of Kensuke caused her to look surprised, clearly not expecting him to be either this interested or talkative. Raising her left hand to brush aside some strands of hair, she sighed softly.
"In a way, yes," she said, "It is really small, but it is the manner of how things are said. You could state it as accents in a way, really. It is hard for those who aren't familiar with the language to catch the differences, but I am certain that they will catch on that I am a Cho. At least, I assume that. Can't tell with seeing I doubt that most of them would leave this woods for my clan's homelands."
"Nice to know." He said and rubbed his lazy beard. After a long pause where the thought about this he spoke again. "Would someone who probably never heard chonobi before notice the difference, you think?'
Thinking about the question for a moment, Meilin shrugged lightly.
"Chances are that one could. It is just that you need to know what to look out for. Think that if you listen well between me and them that you might pick up some differences. Then again," she was now more thinking out loud as she was getting interested in figuring how different it could be between her and the Blackroots, "I am not certain how different it will be. Already noticed some small phrasings and emphasis that I say in a different fashion."
Throwing a sideways glance at him, there was a frown appearing on her brow.
"Have you mastered any other language by any chance than the we one speak now, sir?"
"No, I didn't." He said, laughing softly. "Language never really interested me. Same for politics." He replied and spread his hands. "And look where we are now." A plan was forming somewhere in the back of his mind as he spoke. "How do you think we should approach these people once inside?"
"Aha," Meilin uttered softly as she threw a glance once more to see if she could spot a Blackroot. While she couldn't say that she cared much for politics the teen couldn't argue that was at times intriguing. Seeing how it was played by a faction, but unlike him, she wasn't even remotely close to any political play. All she knew was what she had heard, read and could imagine. The idea of being allowed to enter large halls and complexes where political meetings were held had something, in her opinion.
"In a region where there are more organisms that desire us dead than alive?" Meilin asked, briefly forgetting that she was talking to her squad leader as she hadn't held back a mocking tone about their situation.
"Sorry, sir, just being a bit tense now. I don't like this situation," she said though she wagered that nobody felt truly comfortable at the given moment. With Kensuke asking another question, Meilin decided to focus on that.
"Calm and collected. But," Meilin said as she tried to seek the correct words to phrase how she felt it could be best approached, "Imaging them to be comparable to the Sarutobi isn't going to work well. I have some personal experience with Hons, but can't yet be certain if they are more similar to the latter." The teen said, thinking more out loud for a moment.
"I guess that the best approach once we're brought inside their home that it would be best to not ask a lot. They are keen on their homes and judging by the history of the Sarutobi people, they might be a bit quick... to dislike somebody who is in their home and can make it uncomfortable, so to say," a brief pause followed her words, "I am sorry if I am a bit vague, but think that it is best to let them lead in a way. And try to make certain that nobody is acting out of line or do something that will piss them off."
Briefly, Meilin wondered how much Sen was acquainted with this all, but she didn't feel like asking the other Cho to help. There were some personal reasons why Meilin hadn't decided to try start anything with the other girl. Certainly not how both Karma and Sen had both acted so far.
"I agree." He said. Politeness and caution would be the best course of action at this point. For a momeny he looked as if he wanted to say something and then decided against it. "Let's not overdo that though."
Upon hearing that they shouldn't overdo it, Meilin released a soft chuckle.
"Think that is the best. Think it just takes some time for the Blackroots to accept us. Can't blame them, though," she said, thinking about what she would do or feel when people would enter what she called home. Even if it was a sort of invitation, but that could be viewed in various manners she reckoned.
The night would pass as the team of Kensuke would take their watches and camp at the location, where they had parted with the Blackroot patrol. Howling of wolves sounded in the distance, breaking the eerie silence of the dark wood that the team was in. Those on watch, regardless of their skill, would sometimes see movement in the shadow, but nothing came out to attack or bother them during the night. As the night was almost passing by, a faint light at the sky in the horizon - heralding the arrival of dawn - a bloodcurling sound would move through the air. Its origins weren't clearly human or the wolves of before. The brief disturbing brought a certain silence down that was even more eerie than before. As the light of dawn tried to pierce through the thick foliage, the team would be able to enjoy a moment of reprieve as well some rations for breakfast.
Then without a warning the Blackroot that had ordered them appeared in the line of sight. No sound or scent had warned any of the shinobi. Standing at the edge of the team's camp, the man spoke up. Not more friendly than the day before. "You need to come with us." He told them, waiting for the team to break up their camp. There weren't any signs or indication that the other Blackroots of the day before were around, but an observant person could notice some dried up blood on the right arm and bracer of the man.
Once the team was ready to move the Blackroot would turn around on his heels, starting to walk in a quick pace. Not once did he look to see if they could keep up with them. So did a hour pass as the group would be led to a place that started to have less foliage. A more open area that held various stone columns and rubble, given away that there was once a construction in place. Only to be overgrown and collapsed by the surrounding folliage. Leading the group further into the ruins the Blackroot came to a halt. From their right a sharp whistle would resonate, only to followed by another one from their back and front. None of this disturbed the leading Blackroot, who seemed to be quite relaxed by the sudden, sharp whistles. From the directions came various cloaked and hooded men. The majority holding a longbow, but having a sheathed sword or axe resting against their hip. The Blackroot who had guided Team 7 made a clear signal that the team had to wait as the man would approach the others. Most of the cloaked and armed men took up a position, wary and alert. Once more there was dried up blood on some of the men's clothing or even the blade of their visible axes. A conversation sparked between what were likely the leaders of each group. A few times one of the 'newcomer' leaders pointed at Team 7 and shook his head, clearly disagreeing with the others. The one who had guided Team 7 before spoke up and so did the conversation continue.
Certainly no stranger to camping outside in various places, many of them ominous or uncomfortable, Kensuke felt almost at home laying down inside his sleeping bag with the familiar presence of disease making his hairs stand upright. As his mind categorized the different sounds he heard from harmless to dangerous he sank into a light sleep, disturbed every time a new sound peopped up. It would have been exhausting if he wasn't so used to it.
Kensuke observed the commotion with the appreciative eye of a leader who liked to see well-ordered men. Despite that he failed to understand but a word of what was being said or done, he recognised the watch-signals, the spread out combat patrol in a loose formation that would catch anything coming their way. It was all very admirable, up until the officers of the respective groups of warriors began arguing, with many wild gestures being made in their direction. It became clear that not all of the Blackroot unanimously had agreed with the decision to involve Konoha in this. After the conversation had been going on for a few awkward moments he turned to his team and gave them a reassuring nod.
"So far so good. Keep looking reliable and trustworthy while we sort this out. Meilin, on me." He said and turned towards the conflicted group of men with a confident stride, as if he belonged to this officer's meeting. "Translate for me please."
The genin had remained silent. There wasn't much talk and Meilin started to wonder if there would be any talk. It made her consider some decisions, but for now, she would just have to put up with the silence and awkward interaction. Funny enough, only so far Kensuke seemed to be willing to talk or interact. Though the last conversation had been sparked because he was in need of her. It could have very well been Sen who he could've asked to translate what had been said. So she sat at 'breakfast', being silent. There was also another reason why she was silent. That ominous screech that had ruptured through the silence of the night had made her clear awake. At first, Meilin had expected that a fight was going on. But it seemed that they weren't bothered or being attacked, causing her to feel on edge.
With the man of the day before appearing again, Meilin felt somewhat relieved. It was somewhat ironic. The sight of a Blackroot being a relief.
Packing up her belongings and ready herself, Meilin wanted to talk. This silent was so annoying, but she doubted that there would be much interaction back. Instead, she focused on observing the Blackroot that led them. Then her attention shifted as they were being led into some ruins. Causing her to wonder what had been build. Who had to build this and what or who had caused it to become a ruin? Her curiosity was growing and she decided to approach one of the columns. Having expected some Chonobi being engraved on the column, Meilin was confused by the sight of a foreign language. Wanting to understand or at least try to read more of it the teen quickly turned around as sharp whistles resonated around them. Her right hand shot to the handle of her sword, turning to the direction of the last whistle. Seeing more Blackroots Meilin would release a soft sigh. Once more at ease, she would just lean her right hand on her left wrist - with her left hand resting on the pommel of her sword.
As the leaders of the groups started to converse, Meilin frowned when Kensuke spoke up. "Hm? Wait!"
Reaching out the teen would grab the young man by his right wrist. "Just hold it there for a second," she told him in a hushed tone, eyeing quickly if the Blackroot had noticed what he almost had done, "Remember what we are? Guests. We can't just barge into what they consider their own affair."
The teen would cast another glance, this time to spot if the other members of the team weren't deciding to bother any of the other Blackroot.
"Okay, I will try, but can't speak much louder," Meilin said, still holding on to the hushed tone, "Not sure if they will like that or not, but let's see..."
Becoming silent she would listen to the conversation, starting to softly translate what was being said by the men. "The nearby skirmish went fine. No casualties on their side, but 'they' managed to get away in the... tomb," the teen frowned, but wouldn't stop, "They were considering to move to the northern post of the area to find any traces of activity before going back. The man who pointed at us before is disagreeing with bringing... well, let's state that it was outsiders," Meilin said, sounding not comfortable as she continued, "We don't even belong here according to the man. That and they spotted two more boggarts entering the... southern entrance..."
Staying silent as everything occured, Karma kept observing the area around her. Ever since the first encounter with the Blackroot, she has been quite intrigued by them, or if to be more specific, by the technique they used to ambush them. It was very possible they used the exact same technique Kensuke uses, but something told her that wasn't the case. That it was something more suitable for the woods they lived in. She knew very well that asking them about it was out of the question, so she could only ponder it with herself or the others once they were done with the mission. Upon seeing Kensuke and Meilin walk towards the two Blackroots that were discussing, she made sure she was ready for movement at a moment's notice.
Sen listened to men talking and then nodded as she agreed with what Meilin said. She was by no means the best at Chonobi but she could hold her own in a decent conversation and she glanced at Karma with a smile. "Have you been in team 7 long?" Sen asked as she was also ready to move at a moments notice if the need be. She then caught up to Kensuke and Meilin as she had an idea. "Perhaps, if we showed that we do respect their culture and aren't completely clueless then they might feel more comfortable with us?"
The team leader turned on Meilin when she grabbed his hand. She had a point, he had to admit. But it wasn't entirely correct. "No. We are envoys, carrying important information, representing the Konoha shinobi force and the Empress." He said after hearing out her translation. Which was exactly the reason they had to be careful. They were representatives, and in this far-off corner of the realm that meant they were now the face of the entire empire. And then Sen spoke.
She had been so silent during the entire mission so far he missed an exchange in the conversation going on behind, not that he understood it anyways. He turned on the youngest member of Team 7 with something of a smile on his lips. "So, how would we let them know we respect their culture while also suggesting we are not stupid? I'd love to hear that, it'd fix a lot of our problems right now."
"That's the point sir," Meilin said, wanting to continue but then Sen joined the conversation. Waiting for a moment to let the others speak, Meilin threw a look at the discussing Blackroot leaders.
"Sir, I mean no disrespect, but," raising her left thumb to point at herself Meilin's right eyebrow perked up slightly, "I can't consider myself somebody from Konoha. I am sure you mean that we're in the imperial service, but the capital means little to me other than where I am starting to settle down." Having said that Meilin lowered her hand, placing it on her hip as she would continue.
"These men don't regard us as anything else than guests in their home. Even if we have important, it is up to them to decide if it is important or not. Until we are directed to the person that is in charge of the region, I suggest we keep it cool and calm. I suspect that they will want to get rid of us as quickly and without as little consequences with it. So please," the teen paused for a second. There were already certain words laid out on her tongue, but those were phrased in a certain disrespectful manner.
"Just consider ourselves as guests now. Not sure how it would work in your clan, but doubt that your kin wouldn't fancy if we would consider ourselves important cause we carry a scroll with information that might or might not yet be known to them. Give it a bit of time and first, try to get a better timing. Cause right now, they are dealing with matters we don't even know about. Unless somebody can state what a boggart is?" There was almost a challenging tone in her voice as she glanced at the team, waiting for a second to make a point before continue on.
"As for my suggestion on respecting their culture, that means we have to know their culture. And doubt any of us is really acquainted with the traditions and manner of the Blackroot. All I have are rumours and what I can get from stories I read and was told."
With Sen going up to Kensuke and Meilin and joining them, Karma didnt see much reason to respond to her question. After taking a few more seconds, she decided she didn't want to stand around on her own, feeling like it could be seen off for the Blackroot branch members, and went to join the rest. She arrived in time to hear Kensuke finish saying something about fixing their problems, and then upon listening to Meilin, she understood a bit better what they were discussing "Going on rumours and stories isn't something we ought to go on when it comes to other people. We could try to do something to understand the them, but the way they behave and choose to not communicate in our tongue makes me think we shouldn't test our luck in how far we can get on hunches." She whispered to them, moving her gaze between her team members.
"I'm not entirely sure how accuracte I'll be but from a few books I've read a boggart is something with ill intent that can change its shape. Most of the time it's mentioned is in folklore and myths as something of a bad spirit. I would think in this situation they could have a few people using perhaps a form of the transformation jutsu and such. As far as their culture, I do have to agree that going off rumors and stories isn't wise. Rumors sometimes are exaggerated truths but without a way of knowing deciding truth from fiction we might need a more open approach. Perhaps if we show them respect despite our mission and act as Meilin said like guest then they might feel more inclined to share what they know. Important scroll or not, if we can't get them to see us as friends who are here to help then this mission will be more difficult," Sen said. The genin would then look to Karma before turning her attention back to Kensuke-Sensei.
He looked at the three girls who'd just chastised him in order of age and scoffed at the humour of the situation. He looked at each of them and considered the arguments they had all gathered and made a decision. "I think that the easiest way to show that we respect them is by doing a good job. They look like professionals. Let's just act our part and in time we'll have a chance to show them why we're here." He said. "Now let's get into travelling formation. No better way to show we're ready." He said and added deed to word by lifting his backpack and securing it for the undoubtedly dangerous way ahead.
Just as Kensuke replied back, a voice spoke up. In a rather harsh and stern manner. "You lot," the man who spoke was the same as who had led them to the ruins before, "Seems you're coming with us." Though the man made that statement, it was clear he was anything but happy about it. As the other leaders rallied their groups, it was clear that they were splitting off. In the distance a weird howling sound was made, causing the Blackroot to grow silent for a moment. The speaker turned to Team 7 again. "And seems we are growing out of time," grumbling some more commands in Chonobi, various members of his group would approach Kensuke's team. Pieces of cloth were held up by the few, making it clear what their intention was. "You're going to be blindfolded. No reason for you lot to know the road, anyways. Don't try anything funny, unless you want to be left alone."
That being said, the majority of the present Blackroot started to move away from the site. In the fashion that they did with a few and short phrases uttered in Chonobi, it would be clear to all that something nearby was happening. Not that the shinobi were given much chance to investigate or learn more as the blindfolds were applied. Guided by the same group as before the team would be escorted from the site. A firm hand on their shoulder, pushing and guiding them from behind, would lead them further away. Faint sounds of battle cries and the same howling as before rang through the air, but would soon fade away as the group kept moving.
