[center][b][i]A plan in motion.
A dangerous hunt.

Part IV

A collab between Lillydove and Gerontis.

Summary :
After some days of travel, Team 3 is wandering around. Both are sent on a mission to bring down or capture a missing nin that had murdered his parents, after which he tried to spark a conflict between the Cloud and the Fire Union .[/center][/b][/i]

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[hider=Launching the trap!]

Her mind was racing to find a solution to this problem, the spores had been close enough for her to have to worry about them and her clone had moved forwards some. Having of heard what Satoshi-Sensei said she nodded and glanced to the missing nin with a perplexed look on her face, she knew that her chakra would eventually run out and continuously going underground would exhaust her so there had to be another way, maybe she could change the labyrinth, that might work. Give him a false way to go that would lead to a trap, it could work. She took a deep breath and then focused her chakra as she changed the labyrinth, creating a way out for him temporairily but also forcing him to head towards the scroll if he did not want to get hit by an earth wall.

Imbueing the blade with chakra again, Satoshi would run to the right, leaping to land against the wall. It was clear that the man's attention was focused on him and that he didn't seem to be willing to even try to get out of the labyrinth of Hanako. Though he was a bit worried about her chakra reserves, he kept up with his movement as he would try to use another Flash, to drive the man into giving an opening to Hanako. With sharp wave of chakra was soaring towards the missing nin, who managed to duck underneath it and wanted to close in the distance with Satoshi. However, both men were taken a bit by surprise as they noticed a change in their surroundings. [i]A way out?[/i] Satoshi thought, wondering for who it was. But as he turned his head to look back, he had to leap away as the missing nin had thrown several kunai towards Satoshi, while he started to run to the path that Hanako had created. Landing on the ground, Satoshi made a quick roll, after which he swiftly went on his on feet. Turning to see how the missing nin created distance, Satoshi threw a glance at Hanako, wondering what she was planning.

By time the labyrinth had finished its change, Hanako was underground as she tracked the missing nin as he continued to put distance between them. The clone followed after him on foot as it continued to drive the missing nin down the path towards the scroll and where the real Hanako waited at the dead end of the path. The clone began throwing kunai and closed some distance just as the scroll detected his chakra signature as the mud wolves formed the from the ground lunging at the missing nin.

Deciding to follow the clone, who he thought to be the real Hanako, Satoshi noticed that the missing nin turned and leaped backwards to try to keep an eye on them. He already pulled out several kunai and aimed them towards both Hanako's clone and Satoshi. With a quick grab, Satoshi would throw several shuriken to intercept the thrown weapons of the missing nin. The sound of steel clashing against each other rang in the air just before the trap of Hanako was activated. Satoshi halted as he noticed the technique and understood now what she had planned.

Muttering curses, the missing nin moved back as the mud wolves were approaching him. He had thrown three kunai in order to bring two down, but even if they had hit their mark, the mud wolves reformed and started to charge at him again. Surprised for a moment, the man started to open his left hand as he was gathering chakra before he would throw a large gust to drive back some of the wolves. Seeing an opening, Satoshi decided to throw a few kunai to keep him occupied. Hopefully they could drive him further back and then capture him. 

The mud wolves kept coming at the missing nin, the clone kept throwing its kunai and shuriken as it ran towards the missing nin. The missing nin was forced to go back more and more as the wolves closed in and the clone pressed closer to him, it would only be a few more paces before the nin was in capture range for Hanako. As the wolves kept lunging and snapping at him the more he went back until he was mere inches away from Hanako, she adjusted her position and then performed the handsignals for the technique that had failed to work before as the clone lunged at the same time the wolves did as the missing nin went down throwing kunai and causing some of the wolves to disperse before reforming. The real Hanako was now above ground as the missing nin now thrashed about. 

Several projectiles had made some cuts as the man had a busy time both driving the mud wolves back as the thrown kunai and shuriken. Satoshi held back as he saw no need to waste chakra in an attempt to try to bring the man down. He was being driven with his back to the wall, slowly losing ground. He was briefly caught by surprise as he noticed how Hanako had managed to close in and was further more pressed into defense as he had expected an attack. At least, that was what Satoshi thought he was doing, until he caught the man forming several handsignals. Before he could give Hanako a warning, the missing nin slapped his hands together as he would create a sphere of wind around him, pushing what approached him back with a strong pressure. Readying himself, Satoshi moved in as he would fend off any potential further attack as he didn't want the man to try to land a hit on Hanako.[/hider]
 
Her sensei was for the most part sucessful in keeping the attack from hitting her but some managed to hit her and she had to grit her teeth at the impact. [b]"Any ideas, Satoshi-Sensei?"[/b] Hanako asked. At the moment she was out of her own ideas, her chakra was low and she was starting to feel low on energy as well. She did not enough chakra to change the labyrinth again, the mud wolves reformed and lunged as the remains of her rock clone lay scattered on the ground.

The missing nin was sliding backwards as he flipped his kunai to hold it in a reversed grip. Glancing at his student, Satoshi wasn't sure if they would be able to capture the man if they would try to keep going as they were going on now. The mud wolves were held back as their opponent's taijutsu was able to keep up with the mud creatures. Using the moment to catch some breath, Satoshi gained an idea. [b]''I'll force an opening. Then knock or pin him down.''[/b] Satoshi calmly instructed her as he waited for a moment. The missing nin kicked a mud wolf away and ducked to avoid getting worked against the ground by another. As the man straightened his back and punched a third wolf at his muzzle, Satoshi moved in. 

With another attempt of his Iaidō technique, he tried to aim a slash at the midsection of the opponent. Slashing the blade towards the side of his foe, their eyes locked as steel penetrated cloth, skin and flesh. Slowly blood started to flow out of the wound, that was on Satoshi's side as his attack had been blocked and the man had used his free hand to stab him with a kunai. Twisting his weapon, Satoshi groaned and cringed due the pain. Dropping his sword, he quickly grabbed the man by his wrists and tried to hold him in place. [b]''Hanako.''[/b] 

Hanako nodded and prepared to launch one more attack on him, hoping it would work. The mud wolves reformed and lunged, making contact as Hanako saw the missing nin land a hit on her sensei. She almost dropped her technique to go help him when she heard him say her name and had to finish what she started, she became submerged underground and positioned herself under him as she tried to capture once more as she surfaced and the missing nin went down trying to get away.

Shouting at first curses, it was clear that man couldn't move as he was stuck in the ground. Glaring at the two, he kept throwing death threats at their adress. Glancing at his wounds, Satoshi frowned. Returning his attention back at the missing nin, he sighed. With a quick movement, Satoshi's right foot hit the side of the man's head. The effect was visible as the missing nin became somewhat dazed, but then was knocked out by another kick. [b]''Almost even.''[/b] Satoshi muttered as he looked at Hanako. [b]''Good work.''[/b] Right after his words, Satoshi then poofed away.

[b]''Sorry if you were a bit worried.''[/b] Dropping from wall, Satoshi had his hands stuffed in his pockets. He looked with a calm expression at the knocked and captured missing nin before back at Hanako. [b]''Was already doubting if I had to come out, but seeing you were doing a good job, I thought that sacrificing a shadow clone would be a better plan.''[/b] Smiling, Satoshi glanced one more time at the missing nin.

She let her posture go a little slack at what he said, now that the missing nin was knocked out and no longer a problem for them at the time she glanced at her Sensei in time to see it poof away. A shadow clone? [b]"I guess if it works then it does not matter how it is done,"[/b] Hanako said. Nonetheless, she was glad it was over and done with.

[b]''Hmmm.''[/b] Satoshi pondered on it, but decided to not get philosphic. They had captured the missing nin as he wanted after noticing how oddly the man had behaved when they were tracking him down. Perhaps the intelligence division at Kumogakure could research why he had behaved so out of line. [b]''How are you?''[/b] He asked. He had depleted almost half of his chakra reserves. Normally he didn't like to rely on shadow clones, but when the dust and snow had made a sort of make-shift screen, he saw the chance to create a trap with it. Walking towards the katana that the clone had dropped, Satoshi picked his weapon up and smoothly sheated back in its scabbard.

Should she have noticed the two chakra signatures? Maybe she would have been able to tell and form a better plan, but it was no bother now. [b]"I just have a bit of chakra left, the Labyrinth took most of it,"[/b] Hanako said. She performed the needed handsignals and watched as the huge walls of earth sunk back into the earth. [b]"What about you?"[/b] she asked him. She dispersed the mud wolves and glanced to the missing nin.

[b]''Nothing to complain about.''[/b] He said, a bit cheerful. The mission was a success, he had been able to see how his student worked with a combat situation and was overal content. Even if he was still a bit worried and pondering on why the missing had not done what would be reasonable in his situation, Satoshi didn't see a reason to complain about any small details. [b]''Let's head back home.''[/b] He said, pulling out some wire. It would be a good idea if they would make sure that the missing nin wouldn't be able to run away or cause any sort of trouble.[/hider]