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This post marks the start of a mission using these storyboard elements:
-Sniff out a dissenter (2)
-Train a small group (2)
Story: Coming back to her people, its time for Kazumi to train up a group of Anbu for her village and personal bodyguard. After finding a string of mistakes, Kazumi finds an infiltrator that is trying to sabotage the group.
As Kazumi returned to the village, things seemed to go back to normal for a while. The village was happy and content, the weather was normal and nice, everything seemed fine. There were a few events on the horizon that Kazumi would have to attend to and leave the village for. This concerned Kazumi a bit as the last time she left, someone had attacked the village and tried to distrupt her entire life, and she could not let it happen again. She had made preparations for evacuation tunnels and everything for the villagers to escape but it was time to train and fight back. Kazumi called in her top trusted villagers and told them about her plan to create a small elite task force of Anbu to protect and watch over the village. They would be silent watchers and no one from the village would know their identity or who they were, but they would be there.
After a few days, Kazumi went to a secret underground chamber hthat was specially prepared for her to train the new recruits. It had everything she would need, training dummys, weapons and tools, what ever Kazumi would have to do to make sure that these people were adequately trained to defend her people and the village from outsiders. A soft patter of feet had come from the hallway as the arrival of the recruits were announced. There were 5 of them following Kazumi's adviser as they entered the chamber, 4 men and a woman. Kazumi recognised most of them in one way or another, whether they were merchants or traders, or craftsmen, but Kazumi could feel a sense of purpose and strength within each of them. As the adviser left Kazumi filled in the 5 on the details of her plan.
You will be shadows that watch the village, silent protectors in its time of need, ghosts that will look over the village and ensure that no harm will come to it. No one will know you protect the village, no one will know that you are the dedicated few who can. Your identity will be unknown outside of your everyday lives, and you will make sure that this village will always have protection.
They silently nodded and understood what it meant, laying their lives down on the line for no praise or acknowledgement to save the people they live with. It was a tough job.
Kazumi then proceeded to train them starting by evaluating their skills and strengths and weaknesses, taking notes of who would be specialised in what. Kazumi decided that with each of them she could concentrate a small elite force that could easily pick off targets instead of worrying about large scale attacks that the village itself could not sustain.
It started off relatively tame, most of them showing skill in the basics of combat, knowing how to throw punches and being able to take them as well. Kazumi would then step up the training, being an expert in Taijutsu herself, she took advantage to show them more advanced techniques. Over the next few days, strange occurrences started happening. Gear started going missing, and things started to hinder the training of Kazumi's Anbu. Kazumi was suspicious at first, but then was convinced that this was more than mere coincidence. Deciding to separate the 5 applicants, she would interview them and see who was the one that would be trying to prevent this force from being established.
The first interview with Makoto went along with no problem. Born in the village, a blacksmith, reliable and strong hearted Kazumi couldn't see or feel any reason to doubt him or suspect him as one of the dissenters.
The second interview Kazumi grew a little suspicious of Tai, but didnt have any reason to suspect him as the dissenter. He was born in the village and went out regularly to hunt, giving him cause to find and interact with others perhaps being paid to hinder the village. But fortunately after checking background sources in the village after the interview, nothing seemed out of the ordinary from his behaviour.
The only woman in the group, Kazumi felt a comradery with her, trying to prove herself among a group of men and trying harder than them top prove that she was as good if not better than them. She was a merchant, and well taught, sly with her words with her silver tongue, Kazumi felt proud to have her in her village. She also decided that Era was no threat to the Anbu.
Then came Jako, and Kazumi put him into the suspicious threat category. He was very shifty, avoiding eye contact, reluctant to answer questions and was hard to pinpoint where he had been in the past month. Kazumi tried to believe that no one in the village would betray them, but the more questions she asked, the more he seemed to almost resent the village. After thanking him and moving on to the last person, Kazumi couldnt help but shake the feeling that it was Jako who was sabotaging everything.
Lastly there was Terra, and much like the first interview, Kazumi had no reason to suspect any treasonous activity from him, as a pillar of the community, and patriotic almost as much as Kazumi herself. She quickly allowed him to leave.
She still had her doubts about Jako, but Kazumi decided to create a trap to catch who ever was sabotaging everything in the act. Gathering them up, Kazumi announced that tomorrow would be the graduation and that they would be presented with their uniforms. Showing them the special outfits they would wear, she told them that they would be kept here in the trunk overnight to be kept safe and making sure that they would be here for tomorrow. With that, They all left and Kazumi's bait was set.
Night had come, and Kazumi had blended herself into the shadows of the chamber waiting for the dessenter to appear. Kazumi wouldnt have to wait long till about an hour after waiting, a shadow appeared in the corner of the room drawing Kazumi's attention. Who ever it was, was excellently train in stealth even in Kazumi's standards, but she couldnt make out who it was, their outline hidden by their cloak draped around their body, obscured by the shadow. Kazumi was positioned on a beam above the chest that contained the unifroms and waited for the target to approach. As they did, the target seemed edgy and constantly looking around. As they approached the chest, Kazumi waited for the right moment to drop, and that was when she saw the explosive tag in their hand. That was it, the traitor. Dropping down and holding a kunai to the throat, Kazumi spoke out.
Which one are you? I trusted you and here you are trying to sabotage the village. Why?
Pulling down the cloak, Kazumi saw the scruffy short brown hair of Jako.
Jako.....
You cant stop them, they are coming....
Who?
The Masters!
With that he tried to turn and swing at Kazumi but she was too quick for him, striking the kunai directly into the jugular of Jako, blood spilling out onto the floor and top of the chest staining it brown for the future. The image of what it takes to protect the viilage and here by known as the the Anbu, to always be covered in blood. Kazumi took his body out and gave it to her associates as they took it to the outskirts and buried it.
The next day came and the 4 members couldnt help but notice the Jako was missing. Rather than tell them a lie, Kazumi took the direct approach.
Sometimes our most dangerous enemies arent the most obvious ones, but can even come from within. Today you have all been trained and acknowledged as the protectors of the village, not only from outside forces but inside it as well. Always be vigilant and make sure to protect this village what ever the cost.
With that, Kazumi gave them each a uniform and mask, keeping the 5th in the chest, making sure that it would always be there as a reminder that one had to be vigilant.
They saluted Kazumi and moved out to start their new dual life.
END