[COMPLETED] Time to Backfire [MISSION]

Mission Info: Time to Backfire.

The still of the night reigned like a quiet and disciplined kingdom, only much more beautiful. The dark sky was pitch-black, tiny flecks of white pinpointed the sky while blemishes of pink and purple gifted the view with a celestial touch. It's true when rumours declare Hoshi no Kuni's sky as the most majestic and transfixing of them all, distinguished by the divine and heavenly colours. The peace, as well, was relaxing. All was silent, albeit the natural call of the night predators, roaming indistinct to the Missing's eyes. Differing Kaminari no Kuni's fierce gust, the Star Country was dominated by a warm and soft breeze that petted the girl's skin and playfully toyed with her sleek hair.

But below this beauty, like an alligator below a butterfly, coexisted terrain so dead and so grey Jena felt at home. The ground dull and crackly, trunks of ashy wood piercing the fragile crust. The twigs zigzagged uneven and thin, no green nor orange sprouting to life on them. Any vegetation crawling out of the earth was withered and denatured, pieces of the former plant cracking and falling. As the kunoichi dragged her feet, specks and after-images of mystic-like dust departed from the friction between the heel and the ground. Yes, this was all Jena could ask for a setting.

A tranquil pace drove the body through the gloomy and otherwise calm terrain, a bizarre mist faintly coming to view in the distance. The strange barrier of thick, poisonous gas had an unappealing magenta shade, similar to her menacing eyes and her dark chakra. It cut the land in half, separating the Village Hidden in the Stars from the puzzling area making up the Star Country. A neat and useful addition to the village's protection, if not deadly. The Missing-Nin observed the gaseous fence from afar, keeping a perpendicular direction from it as instructed by the exiled Hoshigakure Shinobi.

Seriously, though, could they not annihilate those enemies by themselves? It was enough that she had to deal with the venomous gas, and she was even told she had to bring down the muscly-described guy if he was to spot her. This particular and optional section reminded Jena of that mission back in Oto no Kuni, where that Hammer dude had left her to recover from those nasty bruises. At least the Otogakure ninja that taught her that new Fuuton technique was a chill guy, laughing every once in a while and making the teaching lesson quite more enjoyable. See? Those are good people to the Meiton girl.

Now then, a few minutes went by, her trusty cloak hiding her garments and moving feet. The cloudy barrier seemed to stretch on forever, practically swirling and swishing in mockery. It was as if it had a life of its own, confusing the female Shinobi for its own pleasure. It was when a shady and haunting shape loomed ahead that Jena regained proper sense. Oh, was she already there? What a pity, she desired to contemplate the uttermost graceful landscape for longer. Well, a task here was at hand and her reputation, as well, at stake. Those ninja looking for trouble with fellow Missing? Hah! Now they'll see what real trouble is.

---

The first thing Jena did upon arriving to the camouflaged base was study. Her sight darted here and there, taking in any details that might aid her during the infiltration. No soul stood behind the the windows or doors, the aura of the establishment ghostly frozen. It was as if it was totally empty. She knew that was obviously not the case. The wood used to build the place gave off an antique fashion about it, and the girl guessed that, due to that and her streak of bad luck, it might just creak under her steps. Good Lord of Hell... Her feet inched forward, reaching the low and choppy stairs leasing to one of the various doors on each outer wall. Internally screaming, she prayed that her weight would shift elsewhere (impossible thing, yes) as she ascended, somehow not emitting noise.

Nevertheless, she made it. Jena gave herself a congratulating and victorious nod as she lifted up the sliding door to swipe it open silently. All those years living in an abandoned house payed off, eh? Once inside, the kunoichi admired the relics and paintings refuged inside. How much did these imbeciles steal~? It all sparkled with the vibrant moonlight, and the female approached a round table where two or three polished necklaces awaited for some grabs. One of then was silvery, with a black jewel adhered to it with an iron circle. Ah, why the heck not? Jena snatched the adornment slowly so that it wouldn't clink, and deposited into her hip pouch for further use. Oh, come on. No one would help it, so no judgemental stares. It's as if she was never in here, so what would it change?

Like a mice the Missing-Nin sneaked through the corridors, mostly sticking to the walls where the weak floor did not moan in hurt. She moved like a shadow in the darkness, the only thing giving her presence out being her gleaming magenta irises anxiously searching for the guard. There was no sign if said man, and the only things she could sense then were her shallow breathing and the slight snoring of a tired body. The source originated from a room at the right end of the current hall, and as Jena approximated the fragile door she spotted three figures tidily aligned in the floor, what would be their chests raising in synch with their breathing. No more time to lose, then.

The girl gave a few more rounds through the labyrinth that was the base, growing frustrated at the missing treasure room. Where in the devil's nine hells was it?! Suddenly a fancy-looking door near a mostly ignored corner caught her attention. Ah for fuck's sake, finally. As she slid the rather heavy door, the kunoichi found herself with obscure stairs welcoming her to the abyss of the facility. A rattling sound echoed from below, muted by the set of doors behind her. Closing them, carefully descending underground, Jena halted to glance at the marvellous frenzy of rare items, such as scrolls, swords and scrolls, encased within the golden-wall room, words caught in her throat. It was in that second that a shadow's back altered her.
Wait, was that - ?!

---

A shuriken hissed, slicing through the air and flying centimetres away from the man's neck (on purpose, of course!). The weapon dug into the wall, lodged tightly in its place. The abrupt surprise did not faze the gruff figure ahead, the only reaction given was a straightening of his posture and a raise of his head. The ninja spun nonchalantly around, a handsome face with blond hair and magnetic steel eyes meeting a fairly young girl. Instantly a smirk stretched his lips, hands now resting on his kimono's obi. "Well well... What have we here?" His mature voice ringed. "Not a spy, not a Hoshi-Nin... What lovely surprise."
"Not as lovely as you think," Jena sighed, body firm. "Not here to have tea or anything."
"No, I supposed. You might be looking for these, in fact." One of his hands fixed the thick lace, making a couple of scrolls bind together with a tough thread appear. Jena's face made the man chuckle, juggling the scrolls in one hand while the other was placed on his waist line. "Of course, you were sent here. I would rather we leave in good terms. We both get out, I keep half of the loot and you the other and we bid farewell."
"You..." The Missing-Nin muttered, baffled. "You're betraying them? Why didn't you kill them off first?"
"There are plans to follow, fake trust to gain. Listen, let us not delay. I can even offer double for your payout. What do you say?"
The girl hesitated, hands gripped tightly in pondering. The man looked dangerous enough already, and his offer was convincing... "It's a shame I'll have to kill a pretty face like you."
"Heh, smart girl," he murmured softly. "Alright, show me what you can do."

---

The high-pitched shrill of two blades clashing with one another pierced the atmosphere, the two rogue ninja locked in offensive. The traitorous guard had unsheathed a razor-sharp katana and lunged forward, and Jena could retrieve Yuugure just in time to block the starting move. As soon as the golden weapon was taken out, the man's eyes shimmered in glee, appreciating the wonderful craft. "Beautiful katana," he whispered, putting force into his hands and pushing with his blade. The girl fought with the dominating strength and resisted. Knowing that she should move quickly, she tugged near the hilt to cause him to revoke the stance, and the skill made him hold the weapon unstable. The Missing-Nin used this chance to deliver a blow using her right shoulder, digging it into his sturdy chest.

He skidded off a few feet, and regained his footing before diving back into the fight. His sword slashed and flailed, but with the Meiton girl's Shunshin no Jutsu, she was able to swiftly dodge him and his flurry of attacks. Just then the man tangled his fingers into seals, and white chakra enveloped the silver katana. Then, he performed a swing to extend the iridescent chakra to the tip and beyond, stretching and barely touching the front of the cloak. Woah, she'd never seen such a Bukijutsu as that. "Hold up," Jena held a hand up, then moving it to detach the cloak and throw it off her. The view made the guard arch an eyebrow, startled as to her intentions. Then she proceeded to unzip the black jacket with beast claws, and also throw it on the pile of clothing. "Okay done."

The katana suddenly sliced her left shoulder blade, cutting open the grey tank shirt and the skin with it too. A warm scarlet liquid dropped slowly, staining her clothes. It felt like getting a splitting sunburn. He had countered with a Body Flicker Technique, fooling her instincts. Well damn he was fast. She did not reach a hand to the wound, and rather rushed to him. Instead of vanishing away, the man answered the challenge with a blocking of his own weapon. They sparred on as this for a bit longer, separating each other either by physical hits or clever tricks. It was in a heartbeat when the kunoichi managed to push his blade away from her and gave a twirl, bringing down Yuugure with all the power she had. Sadly the steel-eyed man was fast with his mind, and so he performed a flinging of his own katana from below.

The two weapons vibrated as they caught each other in mid-air, a melodic clink resounding extensively. This debilitated the grip on each of the combatants' hands, causing them to let go of them and watch as they both flew momentarily and landed distance away. In that instance the two ninja glanced at each other, knowing that attempting to reach the blades would mean the other had a greater advantage to strike. "We'll have to settle this by other means, then," the male concluded, though the fact was quite obvious itself. Shrugging back in response, Jena rapidly performed some hand seals and opened the palm of her right hand. Blowing into it, the wind accumulated and made itself visible, curling into a circle of thrashing gust. Giving the samurai in front a wink of warning, she impulsed the palm forward, loosening the sphere of wind and directing it to him.

He had not expected the Wind Release: Spiralling Wind Ball, and so he was forced to evade it by jumping to a side. Unfortunately, for him, another two icy-blue spheres were travelling to him, one landing on his right shoulder and the other on the centre of his chest. This knocked the air out of him as he was dragged by the violent breeze. His ears slightly picked up the screeching of shurikens, and he raised his head to realise two were heading his way. The iron weapon cut the right side of his torso, and the remaining one cut right above the wrist. The samurai thought it was over, until the light revealed a very thin shine covering the shurkiens' path. "Cr-" The guard could not express his swearing, and felt the sharp points of the tools dig deep into one of his talons and the calf from the contrary leg. "Soushuriken no Jutsu, eh?" He laughed, holding steady amidst the agony.

"Now it's my turn to play. Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu." Oh for - it had to be fire! The man ignited the cord attached to her shurikens, the flame catching up with Jena's hand. The blaze spread upon her, almost arriving to her elbow. She wanted to scream in pain, but swallowed the need and shook her arm free of the red and orange light. The skin instantly went red, and the sensation of sunburn multiplied by ten. The blond did not let her breathe any longer, since he announced, "Katon: Endon." From his lips were expulsed bullets of fire which hit the vulnerable chest of the female. Holy shit that burnt. She wasn't going to give up, no. He could throw all the little candle flames he wanted, but she wasn't throwing the white towel. "You want to play?" The girl spat, clearly hurt. "I'll give you something to play with now. Fuuton: Kami Oroshi!"

Jena extended her hands forward, one of the gloves toasted and the other splattered with blood. From there, and in a bat of an eye, a raging vortex of wind blasted itself to the traitorous samurai, throwing him to the nearest wall and sustaining him there. The air was limited inside the portal of gust, and the female sent forth kunais to give the man a taste of his own blood. Many dug into his chest, while the rest went contempt for laces such as below the collarbone, the stomach, the arms, thighs, wrists and that. The force of the Godly Wind also pulled nerves from the muscles, straining the pain and making him sore. Soon enough, the attack subsided, and the man collapsed on the ground, fatigued and hurt. He faced the ceiling, and saw a shadow tower over him. Jena had trudged to him and knelt besides him, exhausted and injured as well.

"You have proven yourself strong," the blond stuttered, blood still streaming from his lips. "Well then, I guess this is it."
"You fought well," Jena forced the remark, gasping for breath herself. "Heck you were a tough one. I admit this was far from any boring battle."
"I am honoured you enjoyed your time. My time has come, but do grant me two final wishes, however. Pierce my heart with your golden blade, so that I may leave this world proudly. And if you're up to it, do bid me farewell with a kiss...."
Jena snickered at the last sentence, blushing at the charming smile of the man. "What a playboy." She leaned forward, lips touching the soft yet cold cheek of the man. He could very well snatch a kunai and end with her then, but he didn't, and just closed his eyes. Almost as if it were in slow motion, the Missing-Nin grasped the hilt of Yuugure and rested the tip over the upper left side of his chest. She pressed down, and squirts of red splashed the katana and their clothes. The handsome guard choked in a cut-off breath, and then ceased to move. "Thanks for the scrolls," she muttered, taking out the weapon of the corpse and forming hand seals. In a cloud appeared two clones of Jena, each approaching the dead guard and picking him up, one of them reaching into his obi to retrieve the Hoshigakure scrolls.

---

In a while they stepped out of the base, the real female Shinobi eyeing the area. Everything was the same, except for the tints and splashes of orange rising from the horizon. The clones brought the man's body out, the weight much more lighter now that his soul had departed his meat and bones. The lively trio walked away of the dark establishment and into the depths of the grey forest. After a couple of steps the near growling and snarling of hungry beasts halted them. Out of the dim shadows paced a pack of white and black wolves, their red, yellow and crystalline-blue eyes inspecting the trespassers. With that, Jena signalled with a swipe of her hand to the clones, which obediently flung the man near their clawed paws. Smelling the juicy blood they leaped upon him, their jaws and strong limbs making a joyful feast out of him.

With a puff, the clones disappeared, and Jena spun around to leave the gruesome scene. She walked near the barrier of gas, and there she noticed, with a smile, four shadows emerging with gas masks and headbands with Hoshigakure's star crossed out. "Job well done, Hoshikuzu..."