[H2][CENTRE][color=fff200][b][ARC 2][/b][/color][/CENTRE][/H2]
[H2][CENTRE][color=fff200][b]KUROZUMI HAKU[/b][/color][/CENTRE][/H2]


The dark clouds rolled in, and throughout the town, Haku kept to the quiet areas as he looked through the place.

Once he spotted his quarry, he quickly approached the man quietly before flinging his arms once from out of sight.

—

Ryu Burnet, wherever he was, would soon receive a letter. One that flew towards him and stuck into a table, attached to an iron needle that would’ve easily be used for knitting rather than sewing.

Reading it, a simple message stated its intention and location.

[color=fff200][i]Will be helping for the night but stay alert sir.[/i]

-H. Marine of the Kirin[/color]

—

In the dark depths of the forest, a blurred figure flitted past the trees almost like a wight as they blurred from one tree to another.

Haku eyes looked around as the storm was now beginning to pick up and winds interfered with his ears, barely able to pick up finer details as the entire forest shuddered.

Patrolling around the area outside of the village and expected zones, Haku landed in one of the shorter trees. Stout but wide enough for him to hide amongst it, and in this dark, he might as well be invisible.

Studying the path, it felt odd, they’ve should’ve been traces of something if the pirates planned to do something.

Then he noticed something, a fruit, alone a fallen tree log. It wouldn’t have barred a second look but Haku mind wondered idly as he looked around the forest.

Why is there a fruit out of nowhere, one that was far away from its trees?

Suspicion came and he moved closer with a leap, observing the area from above before his keen eyes noticed something.

There were a lot of tracks, and odder, it was the imprint of a person's lower body.

[color=fff200][i]Someone was trapped here.[/i][/color]

Using the branch as a foothold, he wrapped his legs and hung upside down like a bat sleeping as he took a closer gander.

He looked at the fallen log and to a set of lighter tracks, which came from the direction of the village.

[color=fff200][i]Another one came.[/i][/color]

This was where a third set of footprints came, with none of them going back to the village direction and instead headed in the opposite direction.

That struck his suspicion immensely as he trailed the tracks quickly. The rain would’ve erased everything so forgoing perfect stealth, he opted for speed instead.

Minutes passed as his surroundings blurred, his immense focus tunnel vision on the tracks as it felt like hours before he reached what looked to be a small harbor, an area that he had missed due to time constraint.

In the ever-darkening skies and light, it took a moment to recognized the tracks leads further and it didn’t take him long to realize what was going.

Moving to a higher ground, he finally caught sight of a familiar shape against the water. Being hidden almost perfectly in the dark, it would’ve missed his notice if Cadog hadn’t drilled him sufficiently.

[i][color=fff200]Pirates.[/color][/i]

His thoughts slowed as he took multiple deep breaths to steady himself for a moment of clarity. Only, then did he made his plan as he looked at the surroundings and back to the suspected area.

If there was a village that was kidnapped, then it’ll be imperative that he rescue them first.

But if he does that, then the pirates will no doubt range forward to the town for easy pickings and there’s a chance others might get hurt.

A choice came, and time was of the essence.

Haku steeled himself as he quickly moved away from the high ground

Using his outdoor skills, he quickly moved around and crafted simple traps. Logs and trees that stood normally but small vines at a level just above the feet, leading to people that simply walked into it having a rude surprise.

Small little holes that are meant more to suck people’s foot in, delaying them. Haku contemplated adding little wooden spikes into for further damage but that wasn’t his intention. It was a delaying action.

Just in time too, as the rain now begun to fell harshly. Now those little traps, hard to be seen on a moon light night was now invisible to all but the most competent ones.

Observing the first few pirates moving away as time crept on, Haku decided to make his move.

Cut off their way of escape, rescue the hostage and engage in a hunt.