There wasn't time for anything tricky, smart, or extensive as a well-reasoned plan. Just raw twitch instinct, and the knowledge that whatever pain they could dish out…Tobio could take it. Wasn't that what he'd been building himself up for, all this time?
"Take cov-" Hibachi started to yell, but Tobio didn't really hear him. He was already throwing together the hand seals for the Human Bullet Technique. And then in an instant, an explosion rocked underneath his feet, propelling him up into the air.
Sailing through the air toward a sea of kunai, fire release chakra exploding underneath his feet, he felt pretty good about his life choices. The sheer concussive wave of his impromptu flight sent most of the kunai off course from the initial surge toward his friends and allies behind him. Even if it was annoying how some of them sliced against his clothes and flesh, the damage was at most superficial.
A well-thrown kunai could certainly kill the unaware, yet most of the time, they were a delaying action, forcing someone to dodge rather than get closer or attack you. Most people wouldn't be so keen to go through them, though, which was an advantage only Tobio had. Then again, it helped when you had a lot of co-dependent traits compounding on each other to make it very feasible.
Ultimately, he got through that main barrage, only to continue hurtling in the air toward the four shinobi coming their way. All in a matter of seconds, with the speeds that he was going at. For a few brief seconds, Tobio wondered what he must have looked like to them.
A half-feral twelve-year-old, with fire underneath his feet, a kunai in one hand, and a mad grin on his face with the other. Suddenly, he was among them, and there was no more time for thought.
The first man Tobio impacted had wide eyes, as if he couldn't believe what was happening. Then the air was being knocked out of his lungs, while Tobio's kunai found a home in the gentle meat of his neck. Much to the Genin's surprise, it was easy to kill a man. Easy to snuff out a life, as he saw the panic in his target's eyes briefly flash, struggling in Tobio's iron grasp.
And just as easy for the Oni-blooded Genin to turn to the next target.
Twisting mid-air and kicking off his first kill, he was just in line for the other three, as he raised up his hand rapidly. Though he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to get off his Fire Burst, with how they were reaching for their kunai and shuriken. Right up until his allies entered the fray.
Out of the corner of his eye, Ami went into a flurry of hand seals. Then, one of the men dropped like a rock, arms and legs straight down, as if he was tied with heavy chains. The raw look of surprise on his face made it obvious she'd hit him with the Temporary Paralysis Technique.
Then, Hibachi tried to hit someone else with the Manipulated Shuriken. But the boss of this group of grunts seemed to be made of more capable stuff than that, as he threw a shuriken to match and neutralize the one Hibachi was controlling.
…But not quick enough to stop Tobio's Fire Burst.
The reason the Rasengan and Chidori were such unmitigated bullshit was the speed by which a proper user could bring them forth. Close range like they were, as they plummeted toward the water, Tobio didn't even hesitate to push chakra into his hand, as he roared out into the world.
"FIRE RELEASE: FIRE BURST JUTSU!"
Like the fires of hell, the flames that sputtered forth were so pure, they bordered on white. The two men barely could do a thing to stop or dodge, as they were burned alive, horribly so, before the three of them hit the water. It was quiet for a few moments, beyond Ami rushing forth with a kunai to viciously stab and butcher the man she'd locked down, before Tobio's head broke the surface, sucking in air…but alive.
The men he'd flash-cooked? Not so much, as they rose to the surface of the water. If they weren't already dead, well, their injuries and drowning would see to that shortly enough.
Much to his surprise, he didn't have too long to settle into how becoming a killer felt. Not before the system had decided to reward him for it.
[HIDDEN QUEST COMPLETED: KILL ONE PERSON.]
[REWARD: 1x MINOR MIGHT PERK ROLL.]
[NEW QUEST: KILL FIFTY PEOPLE.]
[REWARD: 1x MODERATE MIGHT PERK ROLL.]
[NEW QUEST: KILL ONE THOUSAND PEOPLE.]
[REWARD: 1x MAJOR MIGHT PERK ROLL.]
Tobio did his best to ignore the immediate and instant hunger those words instilled in him. As long as he limited his targets to appropriate ones, this would be a perfectly acceptable run of quests to try and complete. There had to be enough bandits in the world, right?
Whatever. He'd consider the moral ramifications later, as the din of the battle began to settle down. Everyone was fine, minor scraps and scrapes non-included, as the corpses of their goes floated in the water. Blood colored the otherwise pristine falls to a more pinkish hue, as the Genin breathed hard, heart still racing.
Ami was standing over the body of the shinobi she'd personally dispatched, pulling her kunai out of the man, grimacing all the while. Hibachi was collecting his supplies, but was keeping himself together. Really, the only ones affected were the children who'd witnessed some brutal murders, and Tobio was fairly sure that Shibuki was covering them with his body.
Even if it meant that the coward of Takigakure had to witness the fight himself.
The sound of shifting water filled the air as he waded out of the falls, heart rate slowing down. That sense of danger had fallen as well, which meant they weren't immediately about to be ambushed. "Is everyone alright?"
"I-I'm…" Ami swallowed, cleaning off her blade and blinking rapidly, eyes wet and jaw trembling. "I'm fine. I'll be fine."
That didn't sound like the words of someone who'd be okay, but Tobio didn't open that can of worms. Instead, he glanced over at Hibachi. "You?"
"I barely managed to do anything," he spoke, sounding miserable, and distinctly trying to avoid the sight of the charred bodies floating in the water nearby. Normally Tobio would have been following suite, but he was pretty sure his brain was a little fucked of late.
"No, you distracted them with your Manipulated Shuriken," Tobio pointed out. "I might have done the brunt of the killing, but you did help out. But now we've gotta decide on what to do next."
Shibuki was…stopping his trembling, rather than the complete and utter lack of helping he'd been doing. If Tobio's opinion could fall any lower, he wasn't sure how.
"This is a new mission by this point, isn't it?" Ami asked, as she rummaged through the belongings of the man she killed. Taking more kunai and shuriken, she padded over to the group as well. She didn't look keen to do it, rather looking on the verge of vomiting, but the girl was forcing herself all the same. "Enemy shinobi action is...higher than any C-rank."
Tobio nodded in agreement. "I take it personally when people try to kill me, so yeah, it's fuckin' on."
"Let's get a plan together then." Hibachi was at least recovering from his own lackluster efforts, eyebrows furrowing together in thought. "Is one of us hanging back to protect the kids and their mother, or are we all going in?"
Then, he paused, before glancing down at some of the corpses. "…Who even are these guys, anyway?"
Only the one with gray hair seemed to be wearing a headband, though it was scratched out. It looked like they were dealing with Amegakure missing-nin.
Shibuki seemed more lost than anything else, as the decisions seemed to be made by Genin, but none of Team Eleven was missing a beat here. Their sensei wasn't around, and the situation had escalated to the point where even running might not help.
So, Tobio figured if there wasn't any help coming? They'd have to help themselves, and come to a few decisions.
That, and he had to decide whether to roll that new perk now, or hold it in reserve. Chances were though, it wasn't going to hold anything too groundbreaking for this given upcoming fight. But any advantage was better than no advantage.
Charging into an entrenched position where the enemy was waiting for them was just not a good spot for a trap specialist like Hibachi. Which meant that some decisions had to be made. Especially one that Tobio didn't think his teammate would like very much.
"Hibachi," Tobio sighed. "I think you should stay behind to protect the kids and their mom."
"…What?"
The look in his eyes was hard to parse. There was some obvious hurt, or surprise, but then something else. A more active and uncomfortable realization of his own lack of ability. It wasn't that a trap specialist couldn't be useful where they were going…it was that they were at their best on conditioned ground.
And that just wasn't the situation at hand. "It's not an indictment of your capabilities," Tobio promised. "It's just that we're going in for active, heavy combat, and your arsenal isn't up for this particular mission."
"I didn't even know you knew the word indictment."
"It's been a day of surprises for us all."
Ami watched the back and forth silently, dark eyes peering at their faces, but silent all the while. Hibachi's jaw worked back and forth, before the boy sighed, and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "You're right. Even if I hate it, you're right."
That was one crisis settled. Next, Tobio looked at Shibuki. "Are you going to lead us to your village, or not?"
The crisis going on in the older boy's face was clear, but in the end what choice did he have? When combat had sprung up, he'd stayed cowardly against the ground, while everyone else fought. If he needed more fighters, where else was he going to get any?
"…Fine. But you must swear yourselves to secrecy on the entrance!"
"Shibuki, let me be the first to assure you of how little the Hidden Leaf cares to screw over the smaller villages," Tobio assured him. "Not unless you betray us first."
With multiple hands helping, the mother was relocated, while Ami, Shibuki, and Tobio headed off alongside the cliffside to the secret entrance. Hibachi stayed behind, watching his teammates disappearing out of sight, before he huffed and broke out his ninja wire to start setting up the perimeter. If he couldn't help the rest of his team, by Kami, he'd protect these kids and their mother.
Tobio focused on that nugget of potential inside of him as they traveled…and let it cast out into the distance, searching for some new power to grant him.
As always, the System never disappointed him with the options returned to him.
The Will to Stand up Straight Library of Ruina As a battle continues onwards, emotions run high, people grow excited, bloodthirsty, and desperate. For you, this has a more pronounced effect, your reserves of power refilling in bursts as dramatic revelations or turns happen, and your speed ever so slightly increasing to keep up with the ever-excitable pace of battle.
Barbarian Baldur's Gate 3 Your power comes from the fire of primal rage burning within you. Your source of rage may vary, but the important part is that you are angry and will SMASH any opponents that stand in your way. You are the most durable class there is and your hurts pack quite a punch as well. Raise your weapon barbarian and break anyone who dares obstruct you.
Alchemist's Physiology Generic Alchemist Your body has undergone changes from the application of various alchemical processes over the course of your studies. For starters, you need only a fourth the normal amount of food, water, and sleep, as well as allowing you to go four times as long without air before detrimental effects set in.
Every one of them was pretty good. But going into a probable hard fight, he only had time to allow one to settle in. The real question was, what did he want or need the most?
In a normal situation, the choice he'd spring for was Alchemist's Physiology. It wasn't even close, compared to the sheer utility of the ability he was looking at. Reducing his need to sleep, eat, and drink to only a fourth was objectively useful in the long term. But none of that would matter if he didn't survive to see that future, so he slowly turned away from it.
The other two choices were objectively better for his immediate survival.
If Sworn Brotherhood gave him the literal power of friendship, The Will To Stand Up Straight was the narratively convenient Shonen power-up boost. Not enough to win him a fight by itself, just enough to keep him going through all the twists and turns of a fight. For someone as designed for endurance as himself, it had an earnest appeal.
Unfortunately, it was up against a fairly heavy contender in the form of Barbarian. He'd played enough Baldur's Gate 3 and D&D to understand what that perk would mean for him. Especially if it came with the long road of abilities and scaling skill, all the way to level twenty. If it did…then while it might have been the most immediately useful, it was useful enough, marrying the needs of the moment with the potential of the future.
So Tobio made his choice, and felt the hollow inside of himself settle once more. Slowly but surely, they are growing to accommodate the changes. And there were changes, that much he was sure of.
Physiologically, not much was shifting. He could feel his posture straighten and his muscles thicken incrementally. Most significant shifts were internal, beneath the skin and in his mind's expanse.
Deep within him, he could feel his rage simmering beneath the surface. More of a state of mind than anything else, than the gamified status it'd been reduced to in the tabletop and video games. That single-minded surety of purpose would see him through grievous damage. Beyond a portion of his mind being psychologically conditioned, the more unusual addition was the gift of knowledge.
He didn't just know how to use weapons. Tobio was trained with such a vast and dizzying array that he'd skipped the foundational training and gone straight to a level of lethality. If he got his hands on a longbow, sword, mace, whatever, at that moment? The Genin felt confident in his ability to use them to kill, without hesitation or dawdling. Styles and forms, wholly foreign to the Elemental Nation, were designed to take advantage of the fact that he would not yield in the face of adversity.
Though interestingly, he wasn't sure how he'd describe the effects of Unarmored Defense. It wasn't so much that he was immediately and overwhelmingly resistant to damage, as it was he knew how to turn his body with blows. Most people had to be mindful of how to fight like that, barely armored, but Tobio had some not insignificant advantages. His Oni blood made it so that he was already tougher at a baseline, which was before mentioning his skeleton.
The forces needed to make him break were far over most people. And that gave him a singular, if bloody, leg up. Something to keep in mind for the future.
His newfound athletic prowess and intimidation skills were much less impressive. Useful to be sure, though, given he now had more of a grounding on how to throw around his strength and weight or project some degree of killing intent.
Hopefully, this would make the difference, since he sincerely doubted that he'd be earning anything else until this whole affair was done.
"These natural surroundings have served as a barrier, protecting our village from most of our enemies," Shibuki narrated, as the group clambered up some rocks. "The only way into the village is through this waterfall."
As the three of them stood atop one, Ami looked dubiously at the waterfall, one hand raised to shade her eyes as she tried to peer through it. "Is there is really an entrance down there?"
"There is," the sole Chūnin among them confirmed. "Though again, I must emphasize that you do not reveal this secret to anyone."
Moving forward, the path led them along a barely noticeable outcropping of rock, that went behind the waterfall. Then, into what appeared to be a massive cave, dimly lit by the given light coming in from the entrance behind them. Various pools of water lay about, yawning and wide, as they cautiously entered.
Though from Tobio's senses, he wasn't picking up any danger. They were probably safe from another ambush, at least at the moment.
"We're clear, for now," Tobio commented, eyes flitting about the darkness. "Where to next?"
"This way," Shibuki guided, as he walked right up to one of the pools…and dived straight in.
The two Genin looked at the pool, and then each other, as Tobio grimaced at the thought of diving through an underwater cave. "…Are we sure about this?"
"Now is when your sense of self-preservation kicks in?"
"Oi."
Clicking her tongue, Ami dove in after Shibuki. And faced with a lack of options and choice, Tobio huffed and dove in after her. Fighting overwhelming numbers, outgunned, and with long odds against him? That was easy. Swimming through an underwater cave, barely able to make out the backsides of Ami and Shibuki, moving through the gloom…?
Nah, he wasn't a fan.
Holding his breath, he made powerful strokes through the water, before they came through the other end of the tunnel. Sunlight, diluted as it was, bloomed above them, as the group slowly began to surface. Just barely poking their heads above water, if only to get a better idea of what was going on.
And, Tobio would admit…Takigakure was a beautiful village.
One truly massive, monstrous tree dominated their surroundings. It was so big, the sun couldn't even fully get past it, only poking through the foliage like fingers of light. One long, sturdy bridge connected the base of its roots to the inhabited village.
Swimming over to the village-side shore, the three of them kept low. Tobio could feel his danger sense spiking, but as always, it was hard to tell what precisely was grabbing his attention. Something that was obvious, as the three of them looked around carefully.
"…Where's all the people?" Ami quietly asked, lips pursed.
"I'm not sure. Shibuki, do yo-" Tobio started to ask, before glancing back and seeing the Chūnin beginning to dive back underwater.
…This fucking guy.
Tobio barely had an opportunity to react, though, as that sense of danger spiked. There were shinobi rushing down toward them, three toward him in particular.
As usual, Tobio's brain didn't operate off anything like logic, or thoughts. He did what felt right in the moment, more than anything else. And what he felt was that putting his faith in Shibuki was the last thing that he should do. So far, for as long as they'd known the older boy, he hadn't really impressed any of their team.
So rather than putting his faith in a virtual stranger, he'd put his faith in Ami, Hibachi, and himself. He had hope, and hope was the magic that turned dreams into reality.
"Stay on the periphery and pick off targets!" Tobio yelled, leaping forward, and out of the way of the three shinobi approaching him.
Moving out of the way, it was just in the nick of time. Three kunai slammed down into the dirt, right where he was standing only seconds before, as the Oni had a moment to breathe and reorient himself.
She didn't hesitate to jump away, her hands flying into hand seals. "On it!" Sworn Brotherhood lubricated teamwork to a ludicrous degree, and it'd be even better if Hibachi was there…but alas, he had his own part of the mission to follow through on.
Then, he focused, reached deep into that well of rage, and decided to crash out.
In his first life, he'd heard about monks who spent their entire lives meditating. They all attempted to reach a certain zen state, and free themselves from the mortal coil of physicality. It was, in many respects, a lofty goal.
A rage was the complete opposite, opposed in every way to this concept of mental serenity.
It was entirely focused on the temporal world around him, as his heart began to pound. Blood rushed in Tobio's ears, eyes widening, and body boiling with a fury unlike anything he'd ever experienced. This singular, terrifying state of mind, designed for one thing and one thing only.
Killing whatever was in front of him.
The snarl erupting from his mouth didn't make him sound human, as killing intent washed off of him in thick, heady waves. Those three shinobi, so eager to maim and slay a child flinched back. It was the last tactical mistake they'd ever get to make.
He didn't even remember making the seals for the Human Bullet Technique, so much as he felt the rush of air that came from speeding toward them. Between blinks he was amidst the men, kunai in hand, teeth bared like an animal.
Shrinking back, the first of their number had the singular displeasure to suffer his wrath. A hand, stronger than any Genin's had any right to be, whipped out in a lightning-fast punch, as Tobio stuck himself to the ground with chakra and impacted the man's jaw. Putting everything he had into it, there was an uncomfortable snapping sound, as his target's neck simply gave out underneath the impossible strain.
The shinobi's head turned, dead instantly, but Tobio didn't have time to confirm his kill, before he was onto the next one.
Fighting like this, in the throes of his rage, wasn't a particularly tactical experience. It was all that well-trained muscle memory, amped up to eleven, as he leveraged every iota of his body's strength and speed to its utmost limits. And then beyond it, in ways that a lesser mortal would have never been able to handle. But he was made of tougher stuff…literally.
Raising up his hand, he let loose another Fire Burst jutsu. Point blank how it was, even with one of them trying to get away? He was roasted alive, as Tobio poured chakra into the technique, his target's scream cut off haphazardly. Turning to the last, he was happy to see that Ami's own jutsu had taken off.
She had a talent for genjutsu, Tobio distantly thought, as he saw the man sluggishly move under the effects of the Temporary Paralysis Technique. As someone who'd suffered under her tests with it, he'd recognize that almost restrained movement anywhere. He was about to duck in and take out that third, but apparently she had it covered.
Taking out a kunai, he noted it had a special tag wrapped around the hilt. Even the mixed-blood Genin had to grimace, as he saw that kunai soar through the air, and miss the target by a hair…only to have Ami make the 'Rat' seal with her hands.
Which promptly caused the explosive seal she had attached to the kunai to explode.
It was overkill, but they were trying to deal with people attempting to kill them in turn. So…he wasn't particularly perturbed about it.
That was three down. But he sincerely doubted that they were the only shinobi to lock down a Hidden Village of this size. Someone had to let them inside, and frankly, Tobio was leaning toward a fucking traitor. Unfortunately, he didn't have enough time to settle his rage, before his danger senses rocketed up again.
"Oh shit!" Ami yelled, as she began to duck out of the way of a whip made of water. But he practically feel that she wouldn't make it out of the way in time. And then…something weird began to happen.
Ami and Tobio began to make the replacement jutsu in tandem.
Each of them only performed half of the seals, Ami the Tiger and Boar, Tobio the Ox, Dog, and Snake. In a just world, it wouldn't have done a thing. But Exalted was a world full of edge cases, once upon a time miracles, heroes and villains fighting on the tapestry of Creation on a scale that most people couldn't possibly fathom. And there were fewer forces stronger than the miracle of a Sworn Brotherhood, fighting against all of the odds to survive.
Ami and Tobio swapped positions, breaking the rules of how both of them even thought the Body Replacement worked. Under the weight of a bond that could make Creation bow and bend before it, what were the fickle rules of jutsu and techniques?
Without missing a beat, Tobio let the whip curl around his arm. Ami readied her weapons, her teammate prepared to advance, and the brown-haired woman at the other end of the whip pulled, preparing her own next strike.
Until a voice rang out, authoritative and clear. "Hisame! Pull back." The source of it was a mystery, until Tobio and Ami looked over to see a man. Unlike the other shinobi they'd been facing up to this point, though, there was something about this man that made them sit up and take notice. Maybe it was the way his presence just reminded them so much of their sensei.
Or for Tobio, it could have been the way his danger sense was screaming to him. The figure in front of them was strong. At least, strong compared to any other threat they'd been fighting so far.
Hisame, the brunette, hesitated from the order, before releasing her whip, and jumping back to join the man's side once more. The two of them by themselves wouldn't normally be so intimidating, but there was just something about this guy that put Tobio's teeth on edge.
"Konoha shinobi," the man spoke. "Out of a desire for no conflict with your village, I'll forgive the excesses and killing of my subordinates."
"Very gracious of you," Ami snarked, even if the humor didn't entirely reach her eyes. "What's the catch?"
The man snorted, as he crossed his arms. "That you leave. Walk away. This isn't your village, your fight, or your people."
"It sounds like you might be scared of us to me," Tobio pointed out.
"Hardly," the man scoffed. "But the longer we fight, the more that foolish boy may get meddlesome ideas. Better to situate my flank, while I deal with the real problem, and get what I came here for."
This was a solid deal, wasn't it? To just…walk away? Tobio didn't like to admit but, but this really wasn't their battle, or their conflict. If they walked away at this very moment, nobody would think less of them. Just by getting involved, they'd gone above and beyond anything their sensei would have expected of them.
And yet…
Tobio felt that itch beneath his skin, as he stared down the older man. That desire to test himself, no holds barred against a powerful opponent. To see if he'd grown enough to take out what was undoubtedly a filler villain for the likes of the main cast.
If he couldn't take this bastard down, how was he supposed to contend with the real monsters in the world?
"So…" The man flexed, and in that moment, an aura settled around him. A killing intent radiated off of him, thicker than Tobio's own, as he took a step toward them. "What will your decision be, Genin?"
Well.
Fuck.