Kensuke sat in one of the chairs present in their new basement HQ and awaited the arrival of Team 7. The past day and a half he'd spent patrolling the two locations indicated by the map together with Hideki, switching at set intervals. He'd also sent a message to Zakito, but he hadn't disclosed that yet. He didn't like trusting the headphones too much, especially for debriefings.
Arriving back at the new HQ, Karma went and sat down in one of the chairs. She gave a brief nod to Kensuke before beginning to speak "The first apartment you told me to go investigate appears normal and untouched in any manner. Talking to the neighbours also suggests that the family is still around. The second apartment was different. That one was much like the other apartments we had discovered, with minor signs of struggle and the place being completely empty despite the large family that was supposed to live there. Trying to wait for anyone to come back did not help, which may suggest that once a family is taken, they do not go back to cover their tracks or ensure a perfect job is done."
Leaning against the wall, Hideki had his arms crossed with a deepening frown as he listened to Karma's report. More abductees... It was giving him a headache. At least they'd pinpointed one of their safehouses. "I have some news as well," Hideki said, scratching his nose. "Regarding Zakito-san." He looked around. "Meilin ought to be here soon, no?"
Kensuke nodded at their reports and looked at where the rusty iron closets where guards used to dress made room for the only staircase up. "I haven't heard anything over the earphones." Kensuke said. "And she hasn't given us the secret signal that she's okay with the stones." Kensuke said. "If we don't have news by tonight we'll have to go and look for her." He said.
"Either way," He then said, forcing himself onto the matter at hand. "Hideki. What can you tell us about Zakito-san."
"An operative of his managed to track me down via the blood samples of the Intelligence Division. He wants to set up a meeting — preferably as soon as possible," Hideki lied. The truth was more intricate, of course, but there was a time and place for everything, and Hideki doubted the time for this would ever come... At least not in the near future. But Kensuke was not to be underestimated.
Kensuke nodded after a glance at Hideki. "Alright. We'll discuss a time and place for this after we collect our intel." He said. "But for that we need Meilin's report." Kensuke's gaze bored into Karma. "No one heard anything of her?" He asked. "Not even at her house?"
"She hasn't been to her house." Karma replied with a calm tone to Kensuke before looking at Hideki "How do you know it is an operative of Zakito? How can you be sure it hasn't been sent by someone from this fanatic group?" She asked. Without further details, she wasn't going to risk herself or possibly her family.
"Handwriting. Of course, forgery is not out of the question." Hideki said, somewhat dismissively, not really answering her question in its full capacity.
The door would suddenly be opened as a young lady with a rather attractive face stared down at the three in the room. Wearing nothing that seemed to make her look out of place the young woman frowned as she tilted her head. The light brown eyes eyed the three in front in the room. By the looks of it seemed that she was more lost than having a purpose nor was she carrying any weapon with her. With a basket filled with some wares, a frown would appear on her brow.
"Oh hello there. Didn't expect anybody being here and manage to survive the... scent." The young woman stated in an amused and friendly tone. However, her eyes quickly moved towards Hideki as there was a visible shift on the features of the young woman.
Startled, Hideki wasted no time in activating his Byakugan, iris obtaining a crystalline glow. With the revamped vision, the blood drained from his face. "What the—" A sickly green haze swirled around her in miasmic eddies, revealing a grisly interior beneath the attractive face... Was she even human? Limbs twisted askew... hideous flesh wounds crisscrossing her torso... face the likeness of a ravaged corpse... A sudden nausea washed over him. The state of her legs resembled the aftermath of a direwolf attack, skin peeling in jaundiced shreds... And the chakra signature... Rotting?
The sudden appearance of the new woman made Karma jump to her feet. Looking at Kensuke and Hideki, she wondered briefly if they knew her, or if this was the so-called contact, until she noticed Hideki's reaction changing as he looked at her. She quickly begun forming seals, putting her hands in a trumpet-like manner and then blowing water towards the woman.
The moment he noticed they were no longer alone he was on his feet. He gave the pretty woman one second where she enjoyed the benefit of the doubt, but as soon as her eyes settled on Hideki with a sickening intensity he acted. With a practised flick of his wrist his sword sprung in his hand, chakra running along the edge. A wide, horizontal blade of wind began rushing towards the woman as Kensuke completed his draw-cut, one of his most practiced moves. The art of iaido.
Spotting the change on the Hyuuga's face the smile became wider on the face of the woman as she tilted her head to the right. Before she could say something the other team members launched an attack. Only for the 'woman' to remain standing. The water technique seemed to not touch the woman's skin as it would vanish as it got close to her. The blade of wind didn't seem to have much luck either as it simply vanished before it could carve the woman in half. "Is it now my turn?" The woman asked on a sweet tone. Her eyes darted her focus on Hideki. "Or should I wait? I got time plenty, now."
"Don't!" Hideki yelled, witnessing the disease-like aura soak up their attacks as would a sponge, the green haze thickening like some protean membrane. "It's useless. She's absorbing them." He focused anew on the woman, armpits slick with sweat. "Wait? I'd prefer that, yes, but I question the sincerity behind that offer." Gingerly he produced a kunai from his pouch, hefting it before him in a semi-offensive, semi-defensive stance. How come she was so focused on him? Surely this was not related to...
Seeing the attacks from both her and Kensuke vanish without making impact made Karma quickly lower her hand to her pouch and take out a couple of shuriken, throwing both at the woman as quickly as she took them out. Just because she could absorb chakra based attacks did not mean she could stop physical attacks.
As his fight-ending blow failed to harm his opponent Kensuke's expression sank into a determined smile. A fight it is then, he said to himself. The woman began talking to them with a cruel smile around her lips, but Kensuke'd learned long ago that talking during a fight was generally useless. It bought him the time to make new handseals for a second lethal attack when Hideki's words reached him. Absorbing chakra. That was not something he could not overcome. He collected the pen he'd been holding just now from his pocket and held it in front of his mouth, so that when he fired his air bullet the pen went flying at the woman, crossing the short distance between them in a blink.
Just as the woman was about to speak, answering back to Hideki, there would be a soft thud as the shuriken bounced off against the woman. A somewhat displeased expression was about to flow over her facial features as she wanted to look down at the shuriken present at her feet. Another thud, this time louder, resonated through the room for a moment. "You know," the woman began speaking in a less friendlier tone than before, "I start to see why you people are needed to be brought to Him." Her left hand went up and picked up the pen that Kensuke had fired at her. There was no visible physical damage to be seen.
"I would suggest that you all take in consideration that I wouldn't have come here if I didn't expect you to attack me. So, lets try to be civil?" Her attention went back to Hideki as the smile returned on her features - even though Hideki would see quite another image of the stranger. "One eye and a Hyuuga? I take it that you're Hideki Hyuuga? I was tasked with bringing you with me. We can fight and struggle, but I prefer a bit more diplomatic manner. Is there a possible manner that you would like to trade? Or wait..." The woman placed her basket down before she would clap her hands. The image of the attractive woman with the brown hazel nut hair would slowly seem to morph into another. One with short blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. A familiar sight for all of them. "I take it that this image would've been more appreciated? So, shall we trade?"
Hideki squinted as the shuriken rebounded off her person, spotting minute ripples of chakra where it should have penetrated the flesh, the coat of fetid chakra semingly rebuilding itself in minuscule whorls. He would have liked to study it further, his emotions a mix of astonishment and horror, but her subsequent transformation put an end to his curiosity. Heart pounding in his chest, he stared at the effigy, sweat beading on his palms. There was a long, protracted silence, in which words seemed to have sunk into a vacuum, then, after what felt like an eternity, he spoke, somewhat feebly. "'Appreciated'... As for the trade, I suppose there's no room for negotiation?
Kensuke's eyes hardened when she morphed appearance again, this time into Saki. He poured chakra into his eyes and still could not distinguish her mask from her true identity or whether is was simply a technique. What he could easily see however was her body language, and it clearly didn't match Saki's. As the woman and Hideki talked Kensuke secretly grabbed a kunai and began coating it in fire chakra this time, hidden behind his hand. "Hideki, how did she stop the physical attacks?" Kensuke said as he almost teasingly threw a small flame at her form, seeing it dissipate into nothingness when it came close to her.
There was a growing amount of delight being spotted on the features of the stranger as the lips curled up and her hands were brought together. Before she spoke back to Hideki, she threw a glance at Karma and Kensuke. "It is rather rude to ask for somebody's secrets. I will get to you in a moment, Nimatsu. Don't go anywhere." There was a sliver of a threatening undertone being present in the playful phrasing as the person turned her attention back to Hideki. "Oh, there was. But one more attack and I am just going to take you. It is only fair, after all. You guys took away one Hyuuga from us. It would only be a fair trade if we get one back." Pausing the stranger frowned. "You got only one eye and that other... I forgot his name, had two. How about we else trade him for you? Now, I could take you with me. Your allies will try to fight and we can make it as difficult as we can make it." She started, on a rather casual manner now, "Sad fact is that if we fight that I might expose myself. Same does counts for you lot and seeing we all try to avoid that, how about we just go along with this trade, hmm?"
Bitter devils fighting in his gut, Hideki swallowed. His throat felt like a desert, dry and parched. What choice did he have? She had some unknown connection with Saki, circumstances blotted out. Shit... feels like the bottom has fallen out... Just as Hideki was about to hold out a hand in front of Kensuke and Karma, he hesitated. A dozen incandescent figures had popped up like little will o' wisps beyond the entrance, slowly but surely drawing closer to the basement. "Seems we got company, sir," he told Kensuke, before turning his eye back to the creature. "And what role will the men behind you play? Surely if we trade—'diplomatically,' as you yourself stated—the others in my team are spared the hassle of tangling with your goons?
They were discovered. His previously dark mood turned pitch black and he had to focus on the threat at hand with all his might not to give in to the anger and frustration. They could be useful tools a fight ahead, but for now he had to think clearly in order to make use of the time Hideki was buying them. "You don't seem to understand the concept of trading. We have one of yours hostage. If you wish to trade then I suggest you present your own hostage, so we may take your offer into consideration." Kensuke said with a voice dripping with sarcasm. Somewhere in Keishi one shadow clone vanished without warning.
Everything that occurred made Karma pause her movements completely as the others kept on talking with the stranger. She could absorb chakra based attacks and seemingly deflect physical attacks. This was bad. She glanced at the woman with narrow eyes as she mentioned fair trade. The woman seemed rather bent on taking Hideki with her, and would most likely not care for what happens to Kensuke or her.
Rolling over towards Hideki, Karma placed her hand inside her weapon pouch during the roll and took out a kunai as soon as she was next to Hideki. Looking directly at the woman, she placed the kunai against Hideki's neck and her free hand on Hideki's back "You want Hideki, we know that much. Unfortunately, we cannot afford to give anyone to you that possesses vital information." She said as she pressed the kunai on his neck just hard enough so that a drop of blood would begin to show.
Karma's left hand, the one behind Hideki's back, would begin moving across his back, making very specific movements that would not be visible to anyone in front of Hideki and Karma.
"Goons? Ah, yes. You see, I am not going to let just myself have some fun. You all can just cooperate and we will avoid a nasty situation. If you will come with me then you won't," the form of the woman started to morph again. This time into a slightly shorter female with a long scar running over her left eye and jade coloured eyes. There was a small smile reflected on the lips while the blonde hair had made place for red hair, tied in a ponytail while two bangs flowed over a bit over her forehead. "Be hurt. Believe me, I wouldn't like to deliver somebody important wounded when I can avoid it." Her attention went to Kensuke as the Nimatsu spoke up. Before the stranger spoke, her nostrils widened and a shiver of delight moved over her spine.
"Excuse me, but you got a delightful scent on you now. Anyways, I do understand the concept of trading. I am presenting the chance to avoid a bloody conflict and allowing you to keep that whiny dog. I believe he spoke of you several times. Oh, oooh," a short laugh escaped the stranger, "You would probably be willing to die to hear what he said about you. Though I assume that if we are going to collide now that I will have to reunite you with him. I am sure that you two got a lot to catch up on." A wink followed the woman's words as she would turn to Karma. This time the smile seemed to vanish as the woman eyed Karma now a bit better.
"You know, I came here with such good intentions. Instead of a fight, I propose a way to avoid one. I won't blow my cover and you guys can scurry around in the mud. Then we all can be happy and healthy." A sigh now escaped the woman. "So, last proposal. Just to prove that I am indeed not planning to commit any violence today. I will let you keep that whiny kid that you got captured. I will not take your souls today and in trade," The woman pointed at Hideki. "I will take him with me. You can have him back later, even. All I want is to... borrow him. Just for a day or two. If you want, you can even come along Nimatsu. I am sure that you're curious." The smile started to shift into a grin. "You know, you two can even save two others if you just cooperate. Unless you want to endanger others in need of your own health?"
The situation had left Hideki utterly confused—so confused he expressed little surprise in seeing Kiyomi's face morph into existence above the cadaver-like interior of the creature. Were they in danger, Saki and Kiyomi? How could that be? Kiyomi was the Empress; she ought to be in her palace conference room, sipping tea and poring over plans and diagrams. And Saki.. Closing his eye for a moment, Hideki grimaced as he tried to force a semblance of order to his thoughts. When he finally opened it, a tiny spark of resolution had kindled within him.
Did it really matter if he put himself in danger? He should have died months ago, then months before that, and maybe a year before that. For all he cared and knew, he was a dead man walking anyway. "Very well. I'll tag along,"he said, matter-of-factly. Karma's finger having tracing his back, he belatedly interpreted the message: Flying Whistles Will Follow, a small pause, then, Be careful. He nodded in his mind, thankful for the gesture. Another notion entered his mind just then: surely Meilin had not gotten herself in trouble?
Kensuke's rage was like a black beast that boiled under the surface of his skin, longing for freedom. It reminded him of the concept of a tailed beast, and that thought calmed him, however slightly. As the woman held her monologue and Karma held Hideki hostage Kensuke considered their plan. And his own. And the situation.
Then he dropped his hostile pose and hid the chakra-coated kunai in his sleeve again. "I feel nothing for your terms, but I am in no position to bargain." He said with a disarming smile. "Karma, please continue with the mission as planned while we're gone." He said, gesturing for her to release Hideki. "Whereto?" He asked while his shadow clone observed the ambush outside.
Hearing Kensuke's instructions, Karma gave him a clearly angry look before moving her kunai away "Got it." She said before looking at the woman briefly and taking a deep breath to ensure her tone was calmer "It seems you got what you wanted. If your men spot me outside, will they attack me?" She asked.
Just watching the scenery the stranger remained silent. Her hands were placed at her hips as the grin remained on her features. Clearly she was enjoying the situation. As Hideki made his decision and the rest of Team 7 reacted the stranger waited till she was sure that the team was done. "Good. We shouldn't wait much longer. I got more things to do!" She said, almost cheerful that the Hyuuga had decided to cooperate. Glancing at Kensuke the stranger briefly seemed to ponder about something. "You know, I or somebody else will come for you. Let's hope that you won't be as rude as you were today." Winking the stranger half turned around, but would answer Karma's question. "Outside? Oh, who knows," The stranger turned her attention back to Hideki, "Come, little pet! We got much to do and don't have much time. Do you like to be surprised, by any chance?" The woman asked, reaching out her right hand towards Hideki.
Hideki grimaced, somewhat disgusted by the notion of holding the creature's hand. Gives me the creeps... "Not particularly. And would you mind assuming a different shape? It'd be great..." Taking a tentative step forward, and turning a deaf ear to the wolf-like howls of his better instincts, Hideki reached out a clammy palm and grasped her hand, mangled and bloody to his eye.
Armed in silence the Nimatsu clanleader heard the woman's threat. He allowed himself a wolfish grin. "I never was really good at courteous behaviour. I do hope you'll find it in you to forgive me." He said with well-disguised sarcasm.
Placing her fingers against her mouth, Karma decided to wait for the others to go outside first while just barely opening her mouth and beginning to bite her finger. She wondered how was Meilin doing, and kept her eyes focused on Hideki. All of the things that were occurring appeared bad to her. Like they were following each other in an army march kind of way. This enemy, whatever his name was, seemed to think about every possible move.
As Hideki grasped the stranger's hand it would feel cold. In a way it would be almost like a stern reminder of the dark nights of winter itself, colder than a corpse. A smile flowed on the lips of the stranger, shifting back into the first appearance she had used. "Hope this is better. Don't worry, you will go to your friends soon enough." She said. Just as she said that the stranger turned her attention one more time at the others in the room. "Don't worry Nimatsu. I was told before hand how you are. I have to admit... Hmm, I am disappointed." The grip on Hideki's hand became tigther.
The ceiling suddenly collapsed as the rumbling of explosions went the ceiling coming down on those in the room. Pulling Hideki closer to herself to get more out of the room the other hand of the stranger would grab the Hyuuga by his shoulder. An intense cold started to flow through the hand and over to the arm of Hideki as the stranger narrowed her eyes. "Just need a moment to figure out where... I ... can find them..." She whispered. As the debris would fall down the dozen of men responsible for the collapsing ceiling wouldn't wait long to jump down and try to end Kensuke and Karma. Armed with short weaponry they did work with more care and precise movement than the goons that the Team had encountered before.
With the chill came another sensation: like that of insects scurrying across his skin, minuscule barbed legs digging into flesh, gnawing bone. And then, like iron knuckles battering his skull, an overpowering presence, surging into his bloodstream like some hysterical crimson beast. Gritting his teeth, Hideki felt his eye slowly roll back in its socket, a trickle of blood down his nosetrils. Something, something, something... The presence commingled with his thoughts, forcing themselves to be integrated— Screams and voices, unseen machinery, smarting his organs as if a thousand tiny knives. Fucking hell... a tiny voice whispered, tingling his eardrums from some hollow depths before dwindling out of existence. Pressing his feet onto the shaking floor, Hideki tried desperately to counteract the presence with a burst of chakra of his own, hoarse screams lodged in his throat, seeking escape—
The feeling was like going mad, everything disintegrating, cells bursting like acorns — images flashed before his eyes, spiralling through his being until there was no telling what the hell was happening, even where he was. A blue-white chakra began to amass around him with the instinctual defense, moulding in and out of shape, indecisive. The seal on his right shin ached, pulsating with a mind of its own. Fucking hell, fucking hell, the voice whispered, echo and reverberation, flitting back and forth, to and fro, across and beyond—
The very moment the woman moved Kensuke moved too. The kunai in his sleeve fell into his hand while he moved next to the woman as she retreated a step as if they were a dancing pair. The kunai's chakra coat shimmered cruelly as he raised it to stab at her, and then disappeared entirely right before he powered it towards the woman's eyesocket. When the men who'd set off the explosions began jumping down Kensuke's shadow clone, now invisible, leaped down, targeting the last man to jump down. Invisible chakra coated his blade for a fatal attack.
Suddenly the ceiling blew up, making Karma look up and start trying to dodge as many as she could. She got hit by a few small pebbles until a larger piece of the celling hit her leg, bruising it and making her wonder momenterily if her bone is about to crack from that hit. Before she knew it, men dropped from the celling. Cursing in her mind, she looked at them and noticed the short weapons in their hands. Aiming her hand at the closest man to her, she flicked her wrist and sent several small lightning sparks towards him, or more specifically, his weapon, intending on having the sparks gather in it and then shock him by using it as a conduit.
The stranger kept a firm grip as the 'torture' continued for Hideki. The Hyuuga would notice the images that she was looking for. Images flashing by of Saki, Kiyomi and trying to find more. Just as she was about to pass on and trying to delve more information out from the Hyuuga she was forced back. Not by the attack of the Nimatsu, which she seemed to not care much for as the chakra racing towards her eyesocket wouldn't pierce it. A loud thud would resonate as a painful vibration would move through the Nimatsu's arm. Only a short glance of the woman was thrown towards the Nimatsu as the kunai seemed to stop a mere inch before her eye. An intense cold would start to become noticable for the Nimatsu, gripping and starting to pull slowly. As if it wanted to try to pull Kensuke into the same mess as Hideki was experiencing. Instead, the woman would suddenly back away as a hiss escaped her.
The sudden resistance of the Hyuuga seemed to be the cause of her last movement. The corners of the woman lowered as the amused expression made place for a discontent, only followed by what could be described as a deafening screech. It would be loud enough to make those in front of her suffer a pain shooting through their mind, giving the woman the opening to turn around and bolt away.
The dozen attackers seemed to not suffer from the screech as an observant person would notice that their ears were filled with what seemed to be wax. One of the man that was making his way quickly down and heading towards Karma held his short blade out in a defensive position, wary of the chuunin. As disciplined and cautious as he appeared the man would be a fraction too late to avoid the attack of Karma. What he had anticipated as an attack directly at him, the man would feel a shock running through his arm, causing him to curse out loud. Another duo seemed to speed forwards, their movements revealing that they had seen combat before as they readied their weapons.
The other remaining men started to descend down, targetting the Nimatsu and Hyuuga. Save it for the last unfortunate man, who was about to join his comrades only to be maimed down. Releasing a scream of pain as he would feel a sharp pain moving through his system.
Ostensibly not inured to further pain, the screech pierced Hideki's ears, slithering in to jangle his skull. He fell on his haunches, vision distorted, pain and confusion tearing at his bones, glimpsing in the periphery of his Byakugan the assailants drawing nearer with brandished weapons. He stared down at his hands, tracing the lines, making sure his mind was still functioning according to nature's intent, then, forcing himself on his feet, spun and let go off a vacuum shell, bursting from his palm to hurtle toward the men. The recoil and dizziness from the sudden motion caused him to stagger backwards, two steps, avoiding a slab of crashing debris by a hair's breadth, his movements drunken. What have I now gone and done... Three men were hit by the vacuum blast, leaving them tangled and vulnerable on the floor.
As the cold moved through his arm, numbing it almost immediately Kensuke flinched away from the woman. An invasive force began dragging at his mind and Kensuke finally unleashed his killing intent in an attempt to deflect it, which seemed to help somewhat. The kunai which was beginning to turn red and then white from the fire chakra with which he had heated it began sizzling in his hand as the handle began burning but before he could attempt to strike again the woman's expression changed and a fierce screech came out of her mouth, stunning him and making him stumble. Then the woman was gone and the thugs were all round him.
One of them landed right in front of him and he casually tossed the kunai at the man as if handing him a bottle of water in order to buy time. By lack of proper instructions the cudgel-armed bandit caught the white-hot knife in his free hand with a victorious smile, until he added one and two together. Which was far too late to save his hand of course.
The man was caught off guard, and was temporarily shocked. Before she could start preparing for the other two men heading her way, there was a deafening screech. Karma narrowed her eyes and tried to remain in focus of her incoming attackers, but it was very hard. Performing a few seals, she brought one hand to her mouth in a trumpet holding appearance and the other to the ear that did not have the earphone, putting her hand over her ear as she started shooting out water towards the men very briefly, aiming to make them move to the sides as she took a step back, trying to ensure it was steady as the earphone and her hand proved to be very partial covers for the painful screech.
Feeling a sudden white hot rage — perhaps at his failure, perhaps at being toyed around by some corpse impersonating his friends — Hideki shook off the dizziness for the moment and leapt at the three assailants he'd sent to the floor, delivering a series of 'gentle' fists to a crescendo of moans and groans, his jaw ground all the while. What the hell happens now— Where will she go? What will she do?
Kensuke's sword shot out of his scabbard cutting open the screaming man in front of him revealing six other individuals, two of which headed for Karma and three for Hideki, leaving only one other for him. A mistake on their part. Kensuke's shadow clone leaped down onto his only opponent allowing Kensuke to take down one of Karma's opponents while his shadow clone headed over to help Hideki. When he saw how fast these hapless men went down he felt a tinge of remorse. The woman was gone, and it looked like she had all she needed of them. The men were just a distraction to delay their pursuit.
As the screech subsided, Karma looked up to see Kensuke taking out one of the two men that were headed towards her. The other one merely moved to the side to dodge her water trumpet and caught up to her, allowing him to send a kick to her already injured leg, making her fall flat on the ground. As he started bringing his weapon down towards her, she flicked her wrist and sent sparks toward's the man's weapon, repeating the same proccess as with the man before. This man knew to let go of his weapon as soon as he spotted the sparks, but some of the shock still reached him from seperate sparks. Karma then flicked her wrist once more and grabbed the man's leg, making all of the sparks go directly into him, making the man stumble back and fall on his back as well. Trying to get up, Karma could feel very well how now it was certain, her leg was at the very least fractured, if not just plain broken.
Glimpsing Karma's battle through his Byakugan, Hideki, along with Kensuke's clone, fought off the three men, steel and limbs flashing in a fierce torrent of blood and sweat. Smacking one's jaw from below with his palm, electricity biting into skull, Hideki aimed a kick at another's crotch, leaving him vulnerable for Kensuke's clone, who had already dispatched the third man, all mangled and bloody on the floor. Another precise hit of knuckles skidding across jaw sent his opponent keeling to the floor, counting birds.
Kensuke observed Hideki take down his last opponents together with the clone. He stomped on the man's hand holding the dagger producing a shriek from the man as the blade slipped from between his maimed fingers. kensuke lifted him by the collar and slung an arm around his neck, and pushed the man's head forwards with the other until he felt resistance fade as the man slipped away. He dropped him before the man was fully unconscious and tied his hands and feet together with some shinobi wire. "Is everyone alright?" He finally said as the sounds of combat died away, revealing the soft noise of the dust settling to be heard.
Pushing herself from the ground to a sitting position wasn't easy, but Karma managed to do so with an aching expression on her face. Moving slightly until her back was against the wall, she looked around. Many unconsious, if not dead men laid around, Kensuke and Hideki both appeared to be mostly fine, so Karma begun bringing herself to a standing position, making sure to lean her weight on the leg that was still fine. She put on the best calm expression she could to disguise the pain and nodded to Kensuke. The way this entire thing occured felt wrong to her, as if it was entirely planned in advance. In fact, nearly the entire mission she had this feeling.
Hideki made no response to Kensuke's question, a dour expression on his already dust-laden face. He was in the mood for more violence, and the notion scared him. Failure aside, violence was no way to handle anger and disappointment. He knew that... Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm down his nerves. Then, feeling some minute relief, turned to Karma, his eye fading into its usual lavender-tinted white. He'd seen her take a hit to the leg. Hopefully it wasn't too grave an injury.
He looked at Karma struggle and then at Hideki who had his own kind of struggle. Then he sighed. They were too much like him. Too proud to admit they were hurt. He walked over to Karma and inspected her leg. "Doesn't look good." He said and reached over towards one of the blocks of reinforced concrete lying about. Severing several straight strands of metal and melting them together in a rudimentary splint with the same fire technique with which he repaired his armour he then gave her his sheathed sword as a crutch. "This'll have to do for now. We'll need a new hideout. Let's get moving." He said after inspecting his handiwork.
