Viridian Dreams Forum

Miyu inclines her head in tacit acceptance of the unspoken apology, and turns to greet Taru.
"Hello, Taru-san," she says politely.

Toshizo runs up, looking a bit disheveled. "Am I late!?"

"No, Yamanaka-san," Miyu replies calmly. "You are precisely on time."

Tatsumaru looks at Toshizo.

"No....but you are the last to arrive, which means you get first watch tonight. Anyways I assume everyone has their things. You all know where we're going. Taru-san you take point, I'll bring up the rear. Toshizo-san you watch the left. Miyu-san you take the right. I don't expect any problems. But no sense asking for trouble. We clear?"

Toshizo snaps a crisp salute. "Clear, Sir!"

"Easy Toshizo-san. You can call me by my name."

Toshizo looks down awkwardly. "Uh, right. Sorry, Tatsumaru-san."

"It's fine. I'm not huge on formality. So long as we all do our jobs there's no need to stand on ceremony. Taru-san, Miyu-san are you ready?"

Taru nods sharply, pulling the glove on his left hand taut with his other hand, and quirking an eye at Toshizo.

"Yes, ready to go."

"Yes, sir," Miyu says with a faintly amused smile.

"Alright then."

The team leaves for Eshimo in the pattern prescribed. They make good time through the trees.

After several hours of swift travel, the team reaches the road just outside the border of Eshima. The sun burns a strong bronze, casting the town in a similar color.

Tatsumaru holds a hand up for them to halt.

"Alright team. You know the mission. Right now I am going to use the standard bait and switch. But if anyone has a better plan than two of us attacking the enemy camp while the other two grab the target. I am open to suggestions."

Toshizo silently shakes his head.

Taru shakes his head as well.

"Simplest plan is the best plan."

-"So here's the plan," she said. "We'll hold them off while you take him and run."
"Don't worry about us," he added. "We can handle it."-

Miyu tenses slightly.
"I would advise against splitting up," she says. "Unfortunately, I do not have a better suggestion."

Tatsumaru nods. And thinks for a minute.

"Wait. Taru-san you have some sort of super Henge yes? If you used that to infiltrate the camp and then the rest of us hit the camp hard. Could you get the target without any problems?"

Taru nods.

"Sure, I can do that. I'll need to get close enough to get a look at them first so I can match their general appearance to keep from looking out of place, and then back off a ways before I change. The process is...kind of noticeable."

"How much time will you need?"

"To completely transform doesn't much longer than a normal Henge. Its just kind of flashy."

"Alright we've got a few hours until the sun goes down. When it does Toshizo-san, Miyu-san and I will attack. You have until then. Understood?"

Taru nods, and forming a quick ram seal, disappears in a swirl of leaves and a faint chiming sound, , most likely headed in the general direction of the bandit camp.

Toshizo frowns and raises his hand. "Um, if Taru can just waltz in under a disguise, why can't he just get in and remove the target immediately?"

"He can't that's why we're doing a distraction. Although he can get in. Taru-san can't get the target out without drawing everyone to him. To prevent that and to keep him from being overwhelmed we hit them in the front. If we do it right it'll also distract anyone who might be able to detect Taru-san's little trick."

Toshizo hesitates, but then nods. "Yes, sir."

The bandit camp is simple to locate, located squarely in the glade listed most likely to contain it. Several men laze about in various levels of inactivity, while a central fire seems to have some animal roasting on a spit. North of the fire was the main tent, with several smaller ones clustered around it. There are perhaps four men on guard, all showing an inattentiveness that would have provoked a citation in a ninja on duty. In a word: Cake.