Chapter 28: Yokobe Clan

It took them thirteen days, thirteen days to follow the tracks to a camp.

The tracks led up north bordering the Land of Frost.

The surrounding turned cold, the snow although not heavy would eventually clear the tracks.

Trees started to grow more and more common. 

Yet the three persisted. Ritsu in particular refused to relent, he needed to know who these people were.

'How did they manage to keep the Chakra stable out of their body.'

Ritsu grew tired and frustrated, he never picked up how to track, and unluckily neither had Kaz or Riku.

'I'll have to pick up on this skill or better get someone who is capable of tracking.

Though luckily we managed to find our target,' Ritsu gazed at the camp yet his facial expression couldn't help but twitch.

The camp was filled with wounded, a lot of women and children.

Most of the camp looked emancipated and thin.

'Huh, I mean they did pose as bandits so I can't expect much.'

The three kept monitoring their target until they identified the individual perceived as the leader of the group.

 It was a woman, she was tall and her body was slender, petite one would say.

Her hair was a light gray brown at least what they could see from their distance.

She was carrying a bow and a quiver filled with arrows.

[Noriko Yokobe - Jonin

Age: 27

Affiliation: Yokobe Clan

Loyalty: Yokobe 100

Kekkei Genkai: None

Bloodline: 83%

Talent: Fire C, Wind C, Chakra Threads B, Traps C, Leadership A, Marksmanship A

Summary: A loyal and honest woman dedicated to her people. At a young age she witnessed a rival clan decimate her clan. She watched as her father held the attackers off as she led the remaining survivors away. 

They successfully managed to escape yet they found themselves without food as the only remaining child of the Clanhead the survivors turned to her as their hope for survival. Now years later their clan is in decline as they turned to a nomadic lifestyle in fear that they were found by their enemies.]

Ritsu frowned at marksmanship, 'a bow isn't particularly useful at–cross that it's useless in front of shinobis with substitution, defensive jutsus, or pure raw power.

Unless it's just pure chakra…..but no it might be possible though, I will find out in the future.'

Ritsu watched as the abled prepared food, the children waiting by the sides while some of the mischievous ones snagged what they could.

'Years of traveling and poor condition have taken a toll on these people. Their faces say it all, they're tired, they have no place to call home.

However, do I take them in? Their clan is no more. For all I know they don't have the scrolls that detail how to use their techniques.

Their use of the bow doesn't fit the picture of Kirigakure. Well it's better to find out then make the decision.'

Ritsu, making his decision, proceeded to drop down from his hiding spot as Kaz and Riku followed.

They slowly make their way to camp.

The kids were the first to notice them as some were playing around the periphery throwing snowballs and such.

They ran away towards the camp most likely to inform the adults of them.

Once they made their way to the camp they were met by the able bodied people with bows aimed, and a few with katanas.

At the center of the people was Noriko, the leader of the remnants of the Yokobe Clan, her black eyes narrowed as she shouted, "Stop! Don't come any closer."

Ritsu simply stared her down.

Seeing the group made no motion to introduce themselves or state their purpose Noriko took the initiative to ask, "Who are you? And what is your purpose in approaching us.?"

Seconds passed as Ritsu pondered what to say.

Once Ritsu felt the silence was starting to get awkward he stated his reason, " I've tracked you guys down from a town that you raided two weeks ago."

The tension from Noriko's side grew as more people lifted their weapons ready for a fight.

"Are you here for revenge or did they send you?"

"I'm not here for either of those, I could care less about those people. I only care about those I consider my people.

But you see as I examined the scene I found traces of chakra. I thought to myself about a group of shinobi that are acting as bandits?" Ritsu paused as he eyed every single person,

"It's disgusting...." Noriko and her group couldn't help but feel ashamed but they didn't look away from the group of three, "is what most clans would say, but you see I was more interested in the fact you had a thin line of chakra used for a trap.

Now normally chakra would last longer outside the body the more chakra there is but a thin line of chakra in a trap that still works despite being hours to a day old.

So I wanted to know how your group did it."

"If we tell you how to keep the chakra stable outside of the body will you let us go?"

As soon as Noriko proposed to teach the group of three of them, her side started to dissuade her.

"Noriko, why should we tell them?"

"These are teachings of our ancestors, of our clan."

"There's only three of them we can take them on together!"

One of the younger members of the group didn't wait for an order and let loose three arrows in quick succession.

The arrows he shot were faster than normal by using Wind nature and a boost of muscle strengthening using chakra on his arm.

The young man was confident that the arrows would kill, yet that confidence faded when Kaz caught all three arrows.

Noriko wanted to admonish the young man as his actions will make them seem hostile to the other party.

However, before she could, Ritsu interrupted her, "I think there's been a misunderstanding although I do want to know how your group achieves this technique, but I also want your Clan."

Ritsu eyed them yet the group didn't seem to show any reaction to his words.

"I'm afraid that what you are asking for is too much. We the Yokobe Clan will not bow to anyone not anymore."

"That's quite a shame, a shame indeed, but you see I was never asking in the first place. I am Ritsu the heir of the Karatachi Clan, I have annihilated three clans so far, I have recruited numerous clans under me, I have even subdued a clan into subordination they numbered a thousand strong. 

Tell me Clanhead of the Yokobe Clan… tell me what makes you think that I won't subdue your group."

At the end of his words, Ritsu unleashed his chakra, flaring the absurd amount of chakra that kept refilling in his chakra reserves. 

The Yokobe clansmen started to pale as they watched the amount of the chakra the boy kept releasing, the few sensors watched as the reserves of the boy never dropped.

The young man who had released three arrows earlier dropped his bow. His inexperience caused him to blank.

As Noriko watched her clansmen freeze in fear her eyes showed determination. She seamlessly drew her bow and arrow releasing five consecutive shots.

Despite knowing these arrows will never reach her target, she wanted to make a statement to not touch her people.

As expected Noriko watched as the arrows dodge and countered.

Yet the boy in front of her didn't seem annoyed or angry by her actions instead he had a wide smirk.

"Your bow technique is useless. I will have your clan abandon such a technique in the future the bow is not meant for shinobi."

Thought Ritsu out loud which caused the Yokobe Clan to be displeased.

"What gives you the right to say what we do, you're not our leader."

The random shinobi decided to show his anger at being commanded by such a young boy even more from someone who is not from his clan.

As the random Shinobi was about to retort even more he found out he couldn't do so anymore as his face was planted into the ground by Kaz.

Kaz's face showed a look when a teacher was scolding a student, "You should be glad that my young master has taken interest in your clan," his hand firmly gripped onto the man's mouth.

Before the others could think of helping their fellow shinobi Kaz continued his lecture, "Although my young master wiped out my clan I still follow him wholeheartedly. 

The strength I have, the life I have is all because of him.

Now choose your next words wisely as it will determine the fate of your clan."

The shinobi of the Yokobe were perplexed by the words of the shinobi who had just scolded him.

'Your clan was wiped from existence but you still follow this young man?

You can still follow him with a not guilty conscience?

You even dare to glare at me as if I was doing the wrong thing, I mean who bends the knee to some shinobi who wanders into your encampment claiming that he takes this clan under him.

Who would agree to that on the spot?'

The shinobi of the Yokobe all share the same sentiment clueless on how to approach their eyes landed on Noriko.

Noriko sighed, she didn't think that they would be tracked down to their encampment.

Normally they wouldn't last more than a week in one place, always on the move.

Their clan has offended a lot of people from their raiding and pillaging.

They never found a place to settle down.

Noriko was weary, the weight of guaranteeing the future burdened her.

"We don't have much of a choice….But!!.. As the Clanhead of the Yokobe clan I can not bow my head so easily to another shinobi, I demand a fight should you best me I.. our clan will follow you."

"That makes it easier for me very well…. All of you against me seems to be a fair arrangement.

Now see this coin I will throw into the air and once it hits the ground the fight will start."

The shinobi were about to stop Ritsu from such a proposition however he had already flipped the coin.

While the ignorant tried to dissuade Ritsu, the few who acted on instinct to ready their weapon were the lucky ones.

Once the coins hit the ground the prepared shinobi deflected all the kunais thrown at them and right when they were about to counter.

They were met with a fist before losing consciousness."

The last one standing was Noriko as she was surrounded by the unconscious body of the abled men of the Yokobe Clan.

She stood there in awe as she watched a blur blitz across their members as they all fell to the ground.

Through her eyes one could see admiration yet inside those eyes was a tinge of fear.

"Do you surrender if you do it will make it hard to communicate with the rest of your clan."

Noriko paused for a moment before deciding to not engage in battle anymore. 

His strength showed that he could probably wipe them even if they were three times their number.

Noticing Noriko's expression Ritsu tried to console her, "It was an unfair fight if you had more members I guess it could have been more on equal ground. 

Unfortunately your clan is small, but with my backing hopefully that will change in the future so I hope you can work hard towards that goal."

Ritsu said nonchalantly as he stood by Noriko's side. 

"Who…..," Noriko noticed that Ritsu's eyes showed that he was dead serious, "Young master, I'm not that type of person, I don't wish for the responsibility of a family."

Ritsu showed a disappointed look, "That's a shame."

'She has such a high bloodline percentage, she should just get a house husband if she doesn't want to take care of the kids.'

"Kaz, Riku help her with her unconscious clansmen."

'I believe this will be the last clan I will recruit. Any other will have to be unfortunately subjugated.

Though Kirigakure was known for its subjugation, discrimination, and heavy handed methods.

Although I won't change much ther..Wait I feel like I'm forgetting something.'

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A/N I'm on spring break so I will be posting three chapters throughout the week including this one. This clan in the chapter is known as the Fuma Clan from the hidden sound village. However since there was already a Fuma Clan I simply renamed their Clan from Fuma to Yokobe.