Aburame Sozoshi - The costly theft - 26/02/618

**Team:** Naifumi Tadashi Tsuki Seikishino, Uchiha Koguto, Aburame Sozoshi

**Mission brief:** The small team were to infiltrate a known Inn in Restraunt Country to recover an object that was stolen from a Witch faction. They had received the code needed to unlock the safe, but were missing the final digit needed, and were instructed there was no preferred method to complete their task.

**Mission events:** The team arrived in Restraunt Country slower than they could have, walking most of the way so Naifumi could brief Sozoshi before arrival. After locating the correct Inn, the team instructed Sozoshi to utilise his clan's scouting abilities to determine the number of threats inside and where might be the safest entry point. A very rough estimate was determined to be around 10 guards and above 20 civilians in the structure, with the roof being sparse. After brief discussion, the team decided to go with Koguto's version of the plan, trusting the one with a vest, and proceeded to the roof as they were running out of time to delay.

The incident started off poorly, the 4 guards seeming to assume bugs swarming over the open space to be a hostile action, but the tactic got the civilians back inside before they had to witness any conflict. Koguto proceeded to drop down and eliminate 2 of the 3 guards he targeted with his tools assault, while the fourth launched an arrow at one of the shinobi hiding on the roof. Naifumi's snap reactions gave Sozoshi room to advance, though they weren't fast enough to completely save him from the arrow, taking the hit directly to the left shoulder. The spear user seemed to easily beat back Koguto, but Sozoshi's advance was able to provide ample distraction for the Chuunin to recover from the arrow shot in his back by the 4th, his vest saving him from most of the injury. Naifumi then proceeded to join the conflict and very quickly pin the archer to the ground to question when the conflict was over. Koguto proceeded to engage the spear user in a difficult melee, the guard appearing to be more skilled than the shinobi, while Sozoshi stayed back to avoid further injuring himself with the arrow still in him. In hindsight, it was clear this spear user was the guard captain the team knew had the code, but they already had the archer so Koguto hyper focused on his plan to kill everyone else. The Chuunin would be driven to use both his Sharingan and Nintaijutsu to deliver a brutal kunai blow to the captain's chest, killing him, then proceeded to execute the final guard via sword through the mouth while he was pinned despite Naifumi's promise to let him go as he complied to giving as much information as he knew.

The team then proceeded inside. The harsh executions left on the roof as they had no time, the building already evacuated. They would try to seal the safe to open later away from danger, but Naifumi would be repelled by a protective seal. As they were recovering and deciding to just carry it out, all the doors were sealed and a giant of a man entered. The highly skilled Akimichi introduced himself as Gentle Dai, and proceeded to knock Koguto down, smash both Sozoshi and Naifumi back, and toss Koguto out of the building through the wall. Naifumi would then proceed to negotiate their way out, saving Sozoshi as the Akimichi tried to use him as a hostage, and avoid fighting the dangerously skilled giant in an enclosed space. In the end, he would strike an agreement of 107 gold directly from Naifumi's pocket rather than the demanded 200 from the village and pardons for a number of future crimes in Fire Country. The Akimichi would then open the safe for them, give them the object, punch Naifumi's face to make him look injured, and toss them both out the hole in the wall.

The fall would push the arrow all the way through Sozoshi's shoulder, injuring him greatly, but they had their objective and were able to leave, the entire team bruised. They'd meet the contractor by the mountains, a forest witch going by the name Asuna, the 'Fox', and exchanged the object for a trinket to show they completed the mission, along with a few words. She would then bandage up Sozoshi's wound in a caring manner, providing ointment to avoid infection from the mud and rain, and disappear.

**Follow up:** The mission was successful, albeit leaving a bad image for the village despite the two Genin warning against it. Koguto and Sozoshi would have the arrows pulled out of them in the hospital, the latter unable to use his left arm for the proceeding days, and Naifumi would be treated for his bleeding nose and bruises.