Team Cybele: The Hare and the Snake

[ZeroNumerous]

Sugomaku Caves

Defeating the mercenaries takes some time, but the three surviving genin succeed. Both Houshi and Yousuke take some damage in the battle, but are otherwise okay. Their client is saved, and the giant spider creature retreated further into the caves after taking substantial damage. Most of the mercenaries surrendered when the spider thing withdrew. They claimed to have been hired by a woman--blond, svelte, large chest--when your team questions them. They don't provide a name, but whomever she is wanted them to kidnap Mitsuyo and hold him hostage. They were told not to harm him, but also not to let him run around without any problems. They claim to have not expected a ninja, but you suspect they were lying, which implies that their employer had prepared anti-ninja defenses.

Your teacher hadn't shown up throughout the entire fight, nor did she miraculously appear after the battle as you would expect. In fact, the dead girl at the cave entrance combined with the absence of your teacher makes for a sticky situation for your team. Then Mitsuyo opens his fat mouth.

"I expected proper ninja, not children, but I thank you for the work all the same." His neck jiggles as he frowns down his nose at the three of you. Eisen looks disgusted, and opens his mouth to say something but Mitsuyo cuts him off. "Do not bother me with excuses. You're late. Unprofessional, but acceptable in light of the circumstances. Now, be good boys and take me home. Quickly." He doesn't glare, but the way his fat little mouth is twisted into a disgustingly condescending frown tells you just how little he cares for your safety. Eisen glares daggers at the fat man, but says nothing. "Well? What are you waiting for?" The man jiggles like jello as he waits for your group to lead the way.

Both Houshi and Yousuke take [roll0] lethal damage from the fight. Both of them gain 150 XP for overcoming the "encounter".

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke grit his teeth and bit down the disparaging remarks that threatened to bubble past his lips in response to the man's flippant attitude. Like it or not, the corpulent bastard was a paying client of Soragakure and Yousuke was obligated to pay his respects, however begrudging. He plastered a smile onto his face but was summarily unable to stop the glare from reaching his eyes. He forced his gaze downward and chewed on his lips, lest he anger the merchant any further. He would not be able to build up his reputation in Soragakure if his first mission ended with a demerit for unprofessional conduct.

"Of course Mitsuyo-san, we will double up our efforts to protect you for the remainder of of the journey," he ground out in what he supposed was a respectful tone.

Again, avoiding Mitsuyo's eyes, Yousuke took point and continued toward home, ignoring the injuries in favor of completing the mission as soon as feasibly possible. "I would be in a better condition if that girl hadn't done something to me..." he thought bitterly. However, try as he might, he could not think ill of the girl who had lost her life on their nigh-disastrous mission. They had not gotten along but Yousuke had been taught better than to spit on the memory of the recently deceased.

She deserved that much at least.

[ZeroNumerous]

Eisen

Eisen takes up his position beside Yousuke. The boy keeps his distance, but doesn't do anything to hide his anger toward Mitsuyo. He also keeps watch. After a few moments of walking Eisen seems a bit spooked, but does his best to hide that from Mitsuyo. He leans a bit close to Yousuke, not far enough for the other boy to breathe on him, but close enough that his whispers won't be audible. "Did you see that?" Eisen looks straight at Yousuke. His eyes are a bit wild-looking, and he seems to be legitimately worried.

"She was over there." Eisen stops at the cave entrance. "Tell me that was just the shadows."

Eisen's Spot/Listen: 16/22 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3633867/).

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke nods ever so slightly, hesitant to give away his knowledge of the situation to whoever was watching them. He holds back the temptation to grip at the hilt of his katana, and whispers back, "I saw something purple and I definitely heard a giggle. After you inform Houshi of the situation, take a position nearby Mitsuyo and try to watch his back."

Remembering protocol for this kind of situation, Yousuke added, "If something goes down, shove him down to the ground to keep him out of harm's way. Use force if need be." He didn't want to seem over eager to harm the fat merchant but sometimes you had to hurt people to save them.

That somebody was eluding their watch was somewhat worrying but completely understandable, given that they were merely genin fresh out of the academy. This was not a typical mission, and some part of Yousuke was telling him that the entire ordeal was a test of some sort. It was of course suspicious that their jounin instructor had not retrieved them yet, and doubly so that a team of untested genin were being sent into the field to protect what seemed to be a paying customer of Soragakure.

Perhaps Sune was not as deceased as she wished for them to believe. Shinobi and swordsmen alike did not live long by ignoring their better instincts, a lesson that was especially prudent for someone like Yousuke.

He would play along for now, and act accordingly. If his suspicious turned out to be true, he could pat himself on the back for keeping a cool head. If the dangers on the trip were life-threatening then he could at least say that he had done all that he could given the circumstances.

Kunoichi were, after all, quite devious.

[zeone3000]

Houshi was his usually stoic and withdrawn self. Though, he was half smiling with the self satisfaction of surviving their first real fight with minimal injury. It would figured that they a rescued bloated, pompous ass in exchange, You win, you lose some... or a lot in this case. He planned to revisit the rules on rude clients at the very least.

He did note the silent conversation between his teammates. From his vantage point, it was hard not to. He shrugged, knowing if it was important they would inform his momentarily.

[ZeroNumerous]

Eisen

Eisen just nods at Yousuke. He seems pretty shaken up, but goes off to tell Houshi exactly what Yousuke had told him.

The young boy slowed down until Houshi and the hostage client reached him. He quietly pointed out to Houshi that both Yousuke and himself had seen someone out of the corners of their eye, and heard some one giggling. He relies what Yousuke said, and seems to grow calmer as he talks.

DM

Your group steps through the cave entrance and into the summer sun streaming through the forest's leaves. A girl stands there in the clearing. Her burnt flesh pokes through the tattered remains of her Soragakure uniform. She bears a half-destroyed metal headband with the symbol of Soragakure gracing its ruined plating. The long purple hair you remember is gone, leaving behind a scar-covered bald head. You can't quite see her feet, but if it's the girl you think it is then Yousuke still has her shoes. She turns empty eye sockets toward Yousuke, and then opens her mouth to say something.

But you blink, and she's gone. A hot summer wind cuts through the forest as if to dispel the illusion that she was ever there. Your client tromps through the forest with all the grace of a hungry gorilla, but he doesn't seem to be heading toward Soragakure. Instead, he's trundling through the forest toward the northeast. "Come on." He says without acknowledging or even noticing the presence of the girl.

"I have to get home, and I have to do it soon. I'm losing money by the minute with you kids, and the idiot in charge of my business is likely burning even more." If you head toward wherever Mitsuyo is headed, then you'll be going even further away from Soragakure. On the other hand, you might find your AWOL instructor out there.

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation and fought off the beginnings of a headache and sighed miserably. Just his luck, five minutes into the return trip and the petulant merchant had already managed to make a mess of their first mission. Of course, thinking back to Sune's original mission briefing, they had already completed their mission. They had orders to dispatch mercenaries and to rescue a man by the name Esune Mitsuyo, of this they had done so without fail. Was escorting the client back home part of mission protocol? It was in his best interests to ask the others.

Turning to Houshi and Eisen he quietly asked, "What do you think? Technically we've completed our mission objective and may be free to return home. On the other hand, if we leave him alone he may just die of a heart attack. Or a bandit ambush. Or meet several other horrific ends that I am in no way imagining as of this second."

On one hand, they had an obligation to protect the man after all the work they had put into rescuing him but on the other they did need to return home to submit a mission report of some kind.

Ninja Lore check to remember appropriate mission protocol. I'm not sure if Ninja Lore can be used in this way though... But anyway, here it is just in case.
Ninja Lore - [roll0]

[ZeroNumerous]

Eisen

The young boy gives Yousuke the most deadpan look he can muster. "Seriously? Screw that guy. He can rot as far as I'm concerned." He shivered at the thought of saving that ungrateful creampuff. "Mission or not: Those mercenaries were looking to kill us, and this entitled bastard thinks less of us for not being older? We're adults in the village! We deserve to be treated better than this!"

[zeone3000]

Houshi nods, "I don't believe we should waste our time or the village's resources escorting him home." His gaze narrows as he peers over his shoulder at Mitsuyo. He returns to his teammates with a shake of his head, "It wasn't part of the mission. If he wants one, he'll have to return to the village and request one. Besides, we need to tell our sensei about you-know-who."

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke nodded, thankful that his fellow genin were in agreement. The merchant would simply find his own way home and any additional time spent in the man's presence would only serve to foul Yousuke's mood further. "We will be returning then; I wish you a safe return," Yousuke said to no one in particular, not really caring if the man had heard him or not.

With the mission now complete he turned back toward Soragakure and glanced behind to see if the team would follow.

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

The fatman rolls and jiggles as he turns to face the trio. "What?" His voice is incredulous, and he's obviously upset. "You'd leave me here?" His fat jowls bunch up as he gives the group the most confused look he can. "What if those mercenaries came back? Or whoever hired them decided I was too much of a hassle to capture and easier to kill?"

The fatman straightens up a bit, his voice becomes deeper, less hysterical, and more authoritative as he seems to change from a scared merchant to an amused man. "If you leave, and something happens then would your conscience let you live with the fact that you allowed a man to die?"

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke pointedly ignores the man, looking instead at the mysterious ANBU standing a ways behind them. She was quite literally everything that Yousuke feared in a woman and to say that Yousuke's heart was beating in nervous palpitations would be an understatement. If she was as dangerous as she seemed, he highly doubted that his battle-weary team would be able to fight her off. Realizing that his anxiousness was showing on his face, Yousuke forced himself into calm. Thinking about it rationally, the woman before them was in all likelihood, their jounin instructor.

Though he had never met Cybele, the rumors and descriptions certainly matched the woman currently leaning against the tree. Her ANBU mask alone gave away her designation and the telltale red and white of her fan symbol spoke of her rumored Uchiha sympathies. And though this was likely Yousuke's biases talking, she did look rather scary and violent.

Still, the woman before them could very well be a disguised enemy ninja wearing Cybele's appearance. Having never met the woman Yousuke could not honestly tell. Intent on finding out for sure, Yousuke asked,"Are you Team 4's Jounin instructor?"

Bluff - [roll0]

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Behind the fatman, hidden in the copse of trees, stands a tall woman. She bears a black skin-tight outfit that blends into the shadows between trees. A black-and-gray plate-lined battle vest protects her buxom chest from blades and fists. Her thin hands and arms are covered by bone-white wrist guards, and matching shin guards jut up from her boots. Her legs would make most supermodels envious. Hers is a body made for love, almost a living work of art, but the muscle tone under her uniform belies her true nature as a fighter. A pair of long chains dangle from her waist, and each one bears a single silver bell on it. You don't remember hearing a bell making any noise, so it's not a hard leap to assume the woman is a ninja.

Long purple hair cascades down her shoulders with the tips just narrowly brushing her thighs. She's looking at the cave entrance, but you can't see her eyes or face as they're obscured under a bone-white snake-like ANBU mask. A symbol, a fan half-red on top and half-white on the bottom with a break separating the two halves, dominates the forehead of the mask. She doesn't bear any clan headband or symbol, but you get the feeling that she's dangerous and probably unfriendly. You can't quite put your finger on why, but your nascent combat instincts tell you that she's on the edge of violence.

The woman leans against the trunk of an aging red maple. A somber aura permeates her appearance, but she doesn't seem to be paying any attention to your group. That is, until Yousuke speaks. She turns to face the group, and her aura of violence disappears. A gullible ninja would say she dropped her guard, but a smart ninja would hedge his bets that she simply hid her killing intent carefully. She unfolds both arms and begins moving toward the group at a slow stroll. The ninja is clearly in no hurry to reach you, and certainly doesn't respond to Yousuke's question.

The fatman wheels around, his entire body jiggling like so much jello packed together in a human form, to see who Yousuke was talking to. He becomes deathly pale at the woman's appearance, falls on his ass, then begins to crawl toward the group in a desperate scramble to flee. His confidence earlier is completely shattered in the presence of this new threat. "H-help me! I-it's her, their leader! She'll kill me, please help! I'll do anything, give you anything, please!" The fatman begs and pleads for his life in the tone of a truly desperate man. As the kunoichi gets closer and closer, the man's pleas become more desperate and less cohesive. After awhile, he simply covers his hands with his face and mutters about how he doesn't want to die.

The implacable glacier that is the strange kunoichi continues forward toward your team. She still hasn't spoken, but you can guess from your ex-client's reaction that she intends to kill the fatman unless you intervene.

Description reposted for anyone who happens to be reading it.

[Bad Situation]

As satisfying as it was to see Mitsuyo cowering before the masked ninja Yousuke knew that he had to do something. Drawing his blade, Yousuke inserted himself between the woman and Mitsuyo, settling his feet in a guarded stance. It would seem that the woman was not their jounin instructor as he had initially believed, though he still found it strange that an enemy ninja could be found so close to Soragakure's borders.

She was dangerous regardless of her village affiliation. That still however, begged the question, "What business did she have with Mitsuyo?" As far as Yousuke could tell the man was a merchant with an inflated sense of self-worth and equally nasty disposition.

"If she is in fact the ninja hired to kill you then I doubt I would be able to beat her," he says, not looking at the man behind him, "I would not bother with running away either; something tells me I would not be able to stop her if she were to run past me."

He took in deep breaths as she approached, willing the fear in his heart away. A Konpaku swordsman struck a balance in both body and soul and if he could not face the masked kunoichi he could never hope to face his own mother. In the calmest voice that he could muster, Yousuke asked, "What business do you have with the merchant? I do not wish to fight but I ask that you give reason for your approach," quite aware that his voice was cracking.

Sense Motive - [roll0]

[ZeroNumerous]

Cybele

"You don't want to fight me, but you draw your sword and make demands?" The woman smirks underneath her mask, but the snake's glare doesn't change. Her voice is light, and playful. As if she spoke to three young children playing ball rather than a trio of dangerous ninja.

"That's good. Keep that defiance. It's pretty attractive if you can back it up." You can almost feel the smirk boring its way through her mask. She stopped a mere twenty feet away from your group. Both her hands are in plain sight, and she hasn't adopted a fighting stance. Regardless, you get the feeling of her body being tense and ready for a fight. She points toward the cowering man as she begins to speak.

"So what do you intend to do if I tell you that my goal is to kill that man?" She shrugs, then turns both palms up toward the sky and continues to speak.

"Because there's nothing you could you possibly do to stop me, so why don't you put your sword down like a good boy?" Her hands go to her hips as she admonishes the child who dared bare his blade at her.

"Little boys shouldn't try to pick fights that they can't win. This is the world of adults you know. If you screw up now, then you'll die." Her voice takes on a more playful tone as she talks down to you. This woman clearly saw you as children, even if the village saw you as adults.

[zeone3000]

Houshi's eyes dart to and from the masked women to Mitsuyo, then he scratches the back his head. He lowers his head, rubbing his chin. His eyes widen in sudden realization before slapping his forehead over and over again with each word, "Stupid, stupid, stupid..."

He takes a deep breath and turns to the woman, "Now that we have graduated, we don't have luxury of being children anymore. Our lives are no longer ours to throw away... sensei." He motions for his teammate to at least relax his stance. As a fellow swordsman, he could understand his intentions but he felt it wasn't the time. There was something they were supposed to be learning that may save their life someday.

At least he hoped so and they weren't actually about die in a few minutes, "We saved the man, that was our mission. If you tell us that you are here to kill this man and we know we are starring death in the eye, I know we shouldn't blink."

[ZeroNumerous]

Cybele

"Bwahahaha!" The woman laughs. A deep and unrestrained laugh that is as much an insult as it is anything else. She clearly felt nothing for Houshi's self-assured declaration of her as their teacher. Her laughter continues on for some time, but she slowly calms down.

"Sensei", the woman giggles again, "you silly boy. I'm not a teacher." Her slender well-cared for fingers play across her mask. Her fleeting touch dances across the snake's surface swiftly as she speaks. "This mask means I'm part of a village's ANBU squad. Black-ops don't have names, histories, nor do they take on students." The glare of the snake's unmoving eyes settles on Houshi. The woman looks at him like a child underneath her mask, even if he was much larger than herself.

"If I take this mask off, then I can never return to the ANBU." Her voice gets listless, almost as if leaving the ANBU was something she dreaded or regretted. "Once I assume my identity within this village, then I'll never go back to who I am." With that said, her aura of violence returns.

"Or I could kill you all, destroy your bodies, tell my superiors you never showed up, and continue on with my life. So tell me boys. Why should I take off this mask? Are you worthy of me throwing away my livelihood to train you?"

[zeone3000]

Houshi's pupils dilated as he smiled even though that hair on the back of his neck stood on end. This was it, this was the moment his shisou talked about. That time between paradise and euphoria where he was going to prove his life was worth a damn and then some.

He was already on edge as the final push gave away. His full strength and speed bubbled to the surface. Then, he released the first lock as he drew his blade, knuckles whitening on the hilt, "Then come and let me show you!!!"

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke blanched at his teammates admission and his not-sensei’s casual dismissal. He had a feeling that assumptions and half-guesses would get them nowhere with this woman. She asked them a question though and to that end he would answer it to the best of his abilities.

It was not an easy question but thankfully he knew exactly what to say, "I cannot give you a reason. I cannot tell you how you should spend your life, nor can I demand you drop everything in order to take in three students. It is your duty to do such but it is not your obligation. Just as I am not obligated to defend the man behind me.”

These were big words from a lowly genin, dangerous even, but they were all that Yousuke could think to say. He had been saving these words for a very particular woman all his life and if he would not live to meet her then he would get them off his chest now. Looking at the woman and her reasoning for not taking in students and it became very easy to imagine her as his mother. It helped that she was currently scaring him half to death.

He took a step to the side, no longer barring the woman’s path to the merchant, but continued speaking, “But it is my duty to defend the man. I do not need to prove my worth to you; for the master I have chosen to serve is Soragakure and if I have been called on to defend such a man then I will not stand down as such.”

“If you demand it, I will fight and I will die by your hand. It is as you say, we cannot best you nor can we outrun you,” he admitted lamely, “But know this, I will not give my life to you so easily.”

As he spoke his calm gave to passion and the longer he looked at the woman the more and more he could see his mother staring right back at him. Frustrated by this he added, “There are many things I must accomplish before I die and I will not let my dreams end here, even if I have to tear the mask off of your face myself!”

“The entirety of my dreams and ambitions could not hope to be contained by that mask of yours.”

With all that said and done he charged at her.

[ZeroNumerous]

Cybele

The sky-nin's mask doesn't move. The harsh snake stares you down with all the fury and power it can muster. The jounin doesn't draw a weapon, nor does she move to defend herself or take a martial arts stance. She simply waits, watches, and wonders what you can do. You can tell from her relaxed stance and body language that she doesn't consider you any kind of threat. You weren't adults in her eyes. You were just childing have a little tantrum, and it was her job to set you right.

"Alright. Alright", she says with a lighthearted tone, "I'll play with you kids. How about tag?" She taps the front of her mask lightly.

"One touch, and I'll consider you worth my time." Her tone stays as light as a feather as she speaks. The whole thing was a game to her, and not some kind of fight or struggle.

"But, if you fail, then I'll kill you. All of you."

Eisen

The young ninja boy breathes a gout of fire at the purple-haired woman. The swirl of fire surrounds her, but dissipates shortly afterward to reveal her standing exactly where she had once been. The ninja has no visible injuries or even burn marks on her equipment.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c26/ZeroNumerous/CybeleBattle.png

Key-
Purple: Cybele
Yellow: Mitsuyo
Blue: Eisen
Dark Red: Houshi
Dark Gray: Yousuke
Green: Grass
Dark Green: Trees, can be climbed with kinobori. 100+ft tall.
Brown: Dirt

Initiative Order: 13 Eisen, 10 Houshi, 7 Yousuke, 16 Cybele[Delayed].

Regardless of results, Cybele delays until everyone else has moved first. Feel free to post combat actions.

Eisen uses Elemental Beatdown Rank 1: Fire type. Cybele takes 19 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3642082/) points of fire damage with a DC 14 Reflex Save for half. Cybele rolls 11+14 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3642083/)=25 on her Reflex save, and takes 0 damage due to Evasion X.

[zeone3000]

Houshi leapt forward, fullblade ready to strike, "Sangeki Hissatsu Waza..." With a visicious, yet controlled down swing, Houshi began, "Igeki!"

Move 15' North, auto passes tai check and uses SHW: Igeki.

Hit Points: 27/29
Chakra Pool: 16/23
Chakra Reserve: 8/8
Armour Class: 14
Ongoing Effects: Str/Spd Rank 1 (1/5) Kai-Mon Kai (1/3)

Sangeki Hissatsu Waza: Igeki
Attack Attack: [roll0]
Damage Roll: [roll]3d8+15 [roll1]
Chakra Cost: 3

If it hits, DC 23 Fort Save or she's stunned for 1 round.

[Bad Situation]

If they were going to die in the forest then he would at least make the most of it. Rougasai was a swordstroke that his grandfather had warned him not to use lightly but this was as good a situation as any.

Charging forward, Yousuke radiated killing intent into his blade and drew into the midst.

Hit Points: 13/30
Chakra Pool: 2/22
Chakra Reserve: 10/10
Armour Class: 21
Ongoing Effects: Str/Spd Rank 1 (1/5), Striking Tiger Stance, Charging

Move Action!
Yousuke charges 20 feet and uses Rougasai (auto-pass) on Cybele.

Attack Action!
Kansatsu Waza: Rougasai
Attack Attack: [roll0]
Damage Roll: [roll1]
Jutsu Damage: [roll2]
Chakra Cost: 8

[ZeroNumerous]

Cybele

The snake-mask doesn't move as Houshi swung the giant hunk of metal he called a sword. Houshi is sure he's hit spot on, but feels no resistance of his blade cleaving flesh. Where it should have hit flesh Houshi's sword only finds air, and when it should have been dangerous the woman only finds it amusing. The snake-mask had been millimeters from Houshi's blade, but its wearer stepped back just far enough to not be hit.

"Ahaha. That would have been dangerous if I was a few years younger." Yousuke's own blade comes in after Houshi's. The Wolf's Fang goes low, toward her waist, but the woman leaps over it. Her body gracefully twists in the air, and the way she lands would make a professional gymnast jealous. "Maybe you would have been able to touch me if you had gotten a chance to live a little longer."

Then she's gone. One second she had been standing there, mocking you, and the next there's nothing but empty space and the echo of her words. Then you hear a loud pop followed by the merchant's scream behind you. You turn around just in time to see the woman dusting off her hands as Eisen crumples to the ground. His body hits the ground harshly, and his face makes no movements. He's not moving at all. Not even the rhythmic rise and fall of a sleeping person's chest is there to tell you he's alive. She just heartlessly murdered one of her genin.

"One down. Which of you is next?" She claps her hands together, as if she had a great idea. "Oh! I know. I'll be a good teacher and let you boys decide."

The masked woman points toward Houshi, then to Yousuke, then back again. "So which one of you kids thinks he has a better chance than the other, hm?"

Eisen

Eisen is unable to act.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c26/ZeroNumerous/CybeleBattle-1.png

Key-
Purple: Cybele
Yellow: Mitsuyo
Blue: Eisen
Dark Red: Houshi
Dark Gray: Yousuke
Green: Grass
Dark Green: Trees, can be climbed with kinobori. 100+ft tall.
Brown: Dirt

Initiative Order: 13 Eisen[Unconscious], 10 Houshi, 7 Yousuke, 16 Cybele[Delayed].

Cybele makes her unarmed death attack vs Eisen. She rolls 15+15 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3644239/)=30 to hit and succeeds. She deals 5+11 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3644236/)=16 non-lethal. Eisen's rendered unconscious by the non-lethal damage compounded with the damage he took from the cave. Eisen auto-fails his save vs paralysis as a result. Eisen's paralyzed for 2 rounds, and a DC 15 Spot check can tell he's not dead.

[zeone3000]

'My god, she actually did it!' Houshi proceeds to break out in a cold sweat before exclaiming, "I think both of our chances are pretty much nihil at this point. So, I say we pass together or die together. Besides, who ever heard of a solo squad?" Looks like Houshi's coping mechanism was comedy. Then, another sudden realization, "Also, who's to say you won't kill us both now anyway? I know I'm not gonna keep quite about a friend's death if I survive this."

He caught Yousuke out of his peripheral, while keeping Cybele front in center, waiting for his response. He realized at this moment that while they just met, he was really going to have to got to know him if they survived this ordeal.

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke watched in agony as Eisen crumpled onto the ground, motionless. The masked ANBU was not playing around and he only wished that he had not so arrogantly challenged her to battle. Two of their number were already dead and if they did not act soon then another two would be following suit. Nodding grimly at Houshi he decided that this would not have to be the case.

"I said that I would tear off that mask of yours," he repeated firmly.

Fingers shaking, Yousuke dropped his sword, already twitching without the familiar weight of the sword tugging against his hands. This would likely be the death of him but if it protected Houshi from her wrath, it would have to be so.

Hit Points: 13/30
Chakra Pool: 2/22
Chakra Reserve: 10/10
Armour Class: 22
Ongoing Effects: Str/Spd Rank 1 (2/5), Striking Tiger Stance, Charging, Spd Rank 2 (1/5)

Free Action!
Burn an Action Point for [roll0] Temporary Chakra.

Free Action!
Activate Speed Rank 2.

Move Action!
Yousuke charges 25 feet and makes an unarmed touch attack against Cybele.

Attack Action!
Unarmed Touch Attack - Mask
Attack Attack: [roll]1d20+12[roll]

[zeone3000]

Houshi immediately followed after, abandoning his sword as well with a loud thud, "Oh no, you don't get to be the hero today. What did I just say?" Coming in right besides Yousuke, he aimed for the mask too.

Hit Points: 25/29
Chakra Pool: 16/23
Chakra Reserve: 8/8
Armour Class: 14
Ongoing Effects: Str/Spd Rank 1 (2/5) Kai-Mon Kai (2/3)

Unarmed Touch Attack - [roll0]
Action Point - [roll1]

[ZeroNumerous]

Cybele (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZoCkMkktFE)

Yousuke dashed forward with his hand out and conviction firm. As he got within the masked woman's range he felt an instant of murderous intent focused directly upon him. An eyebrow twitched, her body tensed, and she almost reacted unconsciously. But her conscious mind suppressed it with a great deal of effort. The murderous intent vanished, and she just quietly stepped to the side to get out of the way. Yousuke's hands only find air, and now he was within that murderous bitch's reach. Her hand raises up as she takes a calming breath. "And so we have our first volunteer. Goodbye, Yousuke."

Her arm shot down like a guillotine aimed straight for the young boy's neck. It would be all over for him in a few seconds. She'd effortlessly snap his neck like she had done to Eisen, then she'd finish off Houshi and be back to her life.

Just as she's reaching down to make ready on her promise to get rid of her "students" the big meaty cavalry arrives.

WHAM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCmTJVew_tY)!

Houshi's fingers obscure her vision as the giant boy grabs her mask. She releases Yousuke, and vanishes again. No puff of smoke, no blur of movement, she is simply there one moment and gone the next with nothing to mark her passage. Houshi feels the mask break into pieces in his hands. The way it crumbles feels a lot less like ceramic and more like dirt. A light cough draws your attention toward Mitsuyo, and you notice the purple-haired woman behind him. The mask is gone, and without it you can tell her face matches her body. If she had a normal life this woman would definitely be a model of some type, or possibly an actress. Her hands are crossed across her chest, but one hand reaches up to push a pair of thin framed glasses further up the bridge of her nose. Those glasses ever so slightly obscure a pair of purple eyes, just like those Sune had.

She runs a light hand through her hair, closes her eyes, opens her mouth to speak... Then closes it again. A soft sigh escapes her lips as she shifts her weight to the other leg and points toward your group. She moves to speak once more, but nothing comes out. She grows more uncomfortable with the silence, and kicks Mitsuyo. The fat merchant seems unnaturally composed, then you notice he's gone limp and doesn't seem to be breathing either. His fat sags forward, almost as if the muscle and bone in his body had vanished, then the merchant explodes into smoke.

When the smoke clears the fat merchant is gone. In his place sits a lithe girl you remember. She's wearing the same kind of ANBU uniform as her pretty sister, and has the same half-lidded look she had when she picked you up at the academy. Sune's giggling, blushing, and hiding her face with her hands like she just heard a dirty joke. Even so you get the feeling she isn't laughing at your group. The older woman's eyes are closed, her face is red, and she's clearly growing angrier and angrier. It's been several seconds since the formerly masked woman had spoken, but she breaks the silence by yelling at her sister. "Sune! Explain what happened."

The giggling girl just smiles through familiar half-lidded eyes. "Ai, ai. Cybele-chan doesn't like to talk, ze? Hehe." The last bit earns her a punch from her sister. The younger one rubs her head roughly, then looks back toward your group. She continues speaking with a much more somber tone.

"To put it plainly: We lied. A lot."

She gets up, brushes herself off, and bows politely to you. "There never was a Mitsuyo, or any kind of danger. I was kind of worried you'd figure that out a lot earlier, and it made me so nervous!" The girl giggles, laughing at her own bad acting, which honestly should have been a tip off that something was wrong. A ninja isn't that bad at bluffing... right? Then a lightbulb goes off and she has a sudden realization. The mercenaries you killed were clearly dead, and actual people. What about them?

"Ah! But don't worry, those guys you killed were really bad guys. A bunch of criminals we told could go free if they killed you." She lets out an uncomfortable laugh, and the older girl just closes her eyes and frowns. "So, it's not like you're murderers or anything. Trust me, they were really bad guys."

Her sister lashes out again, giving Sune a second knock to the noggin. "Get on with it!" The younger sister just smiles, laughs, and continues on.

"We set this up to know who you were. Ya, we got reports. We had dossier on all three of you, but that doesn't tell the whole story." She scratches her nose lightly, and looks like a child ashamed of what she's done. "Now we know who you are under pressure, when others die around you, how you act when lives are on the line, so on."

Eisen

The boy starts breathing again a few seconds into Sune's speech. Cybele rolls him onto his back while her younger sister is explaining. Yousuke can see that she's in the process of performing some basic first aid. Without her mask, she's much more gentle with the young boy. After a few moments, she lightly taps Sune on the leg. The younger ninja kneels down, closes her eyes, then raises her hands above Eisen's chest. A blue glow envelops the genin, and his wounds begin knitting together. Yousuke can tell it's some kind of medical ninjutsu, but fails to identify which one. Cybele stands up and looks the two of you in the eye, but doesn't speak for several seconds.

Then she coughs, looks away, and finally says. "Any questions?"

[zeone3000]

Houshi's arm falls lip and what's left of the mask in his hand falls to the ground. He blinks a few times as the explanation ensues, starring in mixed awe at the antics of his now megane tsundere jounin-sensei and her little sister. He shakes his head a few times to regain his composure then goes for his fullblade, "Just one. When do we start?"

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke opened his mouth as if ready to protest but instead, sighs and slumps his shoulders defeatedly. Of course it was a test. He had his suspicions at the cave entrance and then on the trip back but the second the ANBU appeared he lost his composure in the heat of the moment. It was a testament to how much he still needed to learn before he could really consider himself a true swordsman. Despite his claims of uniting body and soul he had truly let his emotions get the better of him.

In all honesty he did not mind the subterfuge. It was practically expected from ninja to lie and it did make sense that a mission, even fake, would let their soon-to-be sensei know more about their team dynamics. Still, it was rather headache inducing for a first day. "I'm going to need something sweet before the day is over," he uttered to himself. He could only imagine how the other jounins tested their prospective teams.

It did bother him that their own instructor was having her subordinate explain the situation. Or was it sister? It probably did not matter but it did raise a few questions. He bowed low to avoid their eyes, both out of respect for the two ANBU and fear. "Is Sune to be a permanent fixture in the team? If not, why is she addressing us when you are supposed to be our sensei?" he asked, placing special emphasis on 'supposed to be'. It could not be that she simply did not know how to deal with her students could it? That was about as hilarious as it was ridiculous so Yousuke discarded the thought.

"Are we your team, Cybele-sensei?"

[ZeroNumerous]

Cybele

The older woman closes her eyes. Cybele grimaces, opens her mouth, then tries to speak. Several seconds pass. Nothing comes out. She crosses her arms, grimaces, takes a deep breath, then breathes out slowly. "T. I." She grumbles, clearly growing angrier with herself, then tries one more time.

When Yousuke starts to talk, she gets visibly uncomfortable. Her face goes extremely red and she reaches up to touch her face. "My mask", she whispers quietly, "I don't do well without it. I need my mask." Sune finishes healing Eisen just in time to look up and she her very red-faced sister in a bit of a pinch.

Sune looks toward Yousuke, then Cybele, then back to Yousuke. "Oh, you're asking about who's the teacher? Ya, we're a package deal, ze!" She hops up and smiles. "Eurayle-chan, at your service. This is Cybele-chan. Please take good care of us." The girl bows politely. Then she bows deeper as Cybele whacks her across the back of the head. "Hehe... I'm kidding. I have my own team to deal with."

Cybele nods, and you get the feeling that Cybele's not the kind to talk a lot. "I. Yes. We're a t-team." Her hand goes to her face, rubbing her cheek likely, then continues on. "We'll start tomorrow."

[zeone3000]

Houshi couldn't help but find his sensei's conundrum cute, even though she was threatening to kill them just moments ago, She must have been in ANBU for a very long time to not be able to function without her mask. Still, he has to shake his head at Yousuke, "You have to be sensitive when you talk to girls. Didn't your parents teach you that?" He turns to Eurayle, "Though, what does T.I. stand for?"

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke let out a breath he had not realized he had been holding in. Euryale would not be anywhere near them for future missions, small mercies he supposed. The sister unnerved him greatly, far more than their dangerous masked sensei could. She was at least upfront during their exchange, while Euryale seemed dangerous in a more roundabout manner. Of course, with his sensei being her sister, he would likely be seeing more of her before the year would end.

Yousuked frowned, not quite comprehending Houshi's words. What did sensitivity have to do with anything, much less girls. He had been respectful and clipped, making himself very clear to his superior. Was this not the appropriate tone? Deciding that Houshi was being particularly annoying with his lecturing he decided to tease the large genin some.

"Says the genin who destroyed her mask.." he says in a teasing monotone.

Looking at his sensei, Yousuke could not help but feel that she had long since exited the 'girl' stage of her life and wondered if he and Houshi were looking at the same thing. She was acting very cute, no doubt about that, but somehow he could not quite separate her from the dangerous ANBU that had only previously attacked his team. However, he would give her the benefit of the doubt in spite of his bias. "Of course, Cybele-sensei. I will endeavor to be more respectful in our future exchanges," he said officiously.

Wondering why Eisen was being so quiet, Yousuked turned to observe how their third teammate was doing. He had never able to get along with the smaller genin during their academy days but their pseudo-mission had been quite the eye-opener in regards to his former classmates.

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

The young girl looks toward Cybele, who shakes her head, then back to Houshi. "Sorry, not my place to tell, ze." Sune just smiles, then Eisen finally starts to wake up.

He's sitting up now, but his eyes aren't completely focused at first. He'd heard most of what had just happened, but asks about the woman. When he's told that she's their new teacher, Eisen loses it.

"What?! She attacked me!" He angrily jabs a finger at Cybele, and the jounin jumps as a response. She's clearly not used to being yelled without her mask, and shrinks back as a result. "She's crazy! She could have broken my neck with that stunt back there!" Sune gets visibly angry, but Cybele just gets more upset. "Hey now! My big sister chose not to kill you. It wasn't an accident that you aren't dead, and I--"

"Shut up", Eisen yells to cut her off, "I don't care about that!" He motions toward Houshi and Yousuke. "We're adults in the village now. You can't just treat us like that! Why I--"

Sune opens her eyes completely, and Eisen seizes up immediately. Both Houshi and Yousuke can see he was injured, but they don't see what or how. Sune maintains eye contact with Eisen, and does so for far longer than she had done to Yousuke. She's angry, and whatever her eyes do she's using them to vent her frustrations on Eisen. After several seconds Eisen's nose starts to bleed, and Sune finally half-closes her eyes. A scant few seconds later, Eisen finally takes his first breath since Sune had opened her eyes. He's completely red in the face and utterly furious.

Eisen gets up, then starts stomping his way through the forest as he heads back toward Soragakure. Sune holds her anger close, but lets it go with a sigh after a few seconds.

"He'll probably request a transfer. I'll go make sure he makes it back to the village. I'll see you all later, ze." She waves goodbye, then disappears from view just like Cybele had done before.

Cybele

The two of you are left with your jounin. She seems a bit dejected after the episode with Eisen, and without Sune here there's not much conversation to be had. In fact, it seems she's doing her best to keep her back to you. A hand idly goes through her long purple hair as she waits for any questions, thoughts, or any kind of prompt from her team. Her body language shifts repeatedly. Arms crossed, uncrossed, hands on her elbows, hands at her sides, legs tensed, legs relaxed... The tall jounin goes through a variety of stances before finally settling on one: She stands with her back to you, standing at attention, with her arms crossed in front of her. You get the feeling that she simply doesn't know where to start, and freezes up as a result.

[Bad Situation]

Okay, maybe he had been right about Eisen after all. Though, loathe as he was to admit it, Eisen's actions seemed quite hurtful to their new instructor. Here they were, all ready to be a team and their third just walked away on them. Yousuke wondered how Cybele would be feeling about it. Was she feeling guilty about pushing Eisen away from the team? He could not tell with her back turned to him.

The silence, having become palpably unpleasant, was beginning to get to him. As he awkwardly shifted from foot to foot he remembered that they had not been given a time or place to meet. With this in mind he asked, "At what time will we be meeting at tomorrow and where?"

Now realizing that his sword was still in the ground he approached the now, slightly dusty katana, and sat down to wipe it clean. As he cleaned his blade he added, "Are you perhaps, new to teaching?"

[ZeroNumerous]

Cybele

Yousuke shattering the uncomfortable silence made Cybele tense up. Whether she had gotten used to the silence or not was up in the air, but she clearly hadn't expected to her anything from her team.

"I, uh, yes. Tomorrow at noon. At Sora's training grounds." She's quiet, but a bit louder than before. Not being able to see you seems to have bolstered her flagging confidence. She relaxes after Yousuke's question, then tenses up again when the genin speaks the second time.

"Yes. I didn't actually want to teach, but Kaede-sama signed me up." She visibly relaxes when she speaks of this 'Kaede' character, but whether that was because of Kaede or getting used to speaking is up in the air.

"If I can endure this, then..." She shakes her head. "Yes, it's the first time I've ever taught, and I'm not sure I can be of help to you." She grows a bit bolder as she speaks more and more, possibly because she's growing comfortable, or because talking helps her mask her own insecurities.

"Well, I suppose we should introduce ourselves. What're your names, likes, dislikes, dreams, and goals?" She doesn't turn around as she speaks. Probably because turning around would simply shut her up again.

[Bad Situation]

Finished with his cleaning, Yousuke stands to sheathe his katana and to answer Cybele's question. "I am Konpaku Yousuke, disciple of the Konpaku style." Clearing his throat, he continues, "I like sweets, training, and 'incorporating' sword techniques into my family's own style."

He pauses momentarily to consider his dislikes and adds, "I dislike people who duck out of responsibility and I hate people who turn their back on family." Becoming more and more comfortable talking about himself, he hardly has to think about his last statement.

"My dream is to restore my clan's fleeting prestige, and to transcend the Konpaku style into it's next stage of evolution." Satisfied with his answer he turns and looks at Houshi for his response.

[zeone3000]

Be teased was nothing new to the big guy, but the friendly kind was. Finding it hard to get a word in edge wise, Houshi finally tilts his head down at Yousuke, one brow cocked, "You rather be in Eisen's shoes right now then?"

He straightens back up before clearing his throat, "I'm Takeada Houshi. I like swords, training and railways." He looks down, already having time to think about it, he immediately continues, "I don't like bullies and disappointing others."

He looks back up and up to the sky, "My dream is to become a great ninja in everyone eyes even though I can only use taijutsu. I'm the first in my family to become one so I want to inspire future generations to greatness." He continues starring out to the horizon until some addresses him.

[ZeroNumerous]

Cybele

Cybele waits for her genin to finish. She doesn't move much, and doesn't turn around, but you still get the sense of her listening and paying attention. Once Houshi finishes she responds quietly. "Remember to keep those dreams close, because the road of the ninja is hard and you might lose things that are precious to you. But no matter what, no one can ever take your dreams."


A deep breath gathers the jounin's courage, and she begins speaking once more. "You did good to stand up to me today. That courage, when backed up by strength, will take you far in this world. I'm proud of you both for not abandoning your comrades to die."

"I am", she says a little nervously, "Cybele of the Eurayle clan. I like lots of things, but especially cute things. I don't have a lot of dislikes." The woman finally turns around to face you. Her purple eyes and strange square pupils focus on Yousuke first, then up to Houshi, before finally her head turns toward Soragakure.

"We should probably get going. Do you have any other questions?"

[zeone3000]

After removing her mask, Houshi knew Cybele was going to be different. He wouldn't have guessed this. Though, from personal experience, knows how different people can be in training. He rubs the back of his neck, "Errr... which way is the village?"

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Your jounin guides you back to Soragakure, but stops at the village gate. If questioned, she simply responds that she doesn't live in Soragakure, but felt obligated to walk you home anyway. Cybele reminds the both of you to show up at noon, on the dot, at the Soragakure training grounds. She also reminds you both to go to the hospital. They'd happily treat the injuries you took during the fight with the mercenaries.

The day passes without further incident, unless either of you make nuisances out of yourselves. The night's training is uninterrupted, and tomorrow comes as slowly as always it does for children.

Both of you can benefit from the effects of a Mystical Palm Technique if you chose to visit the hospital. Otherwise, you only heal naturally.

Yousuke

The young ninja wakes up to the sound and smell of his grandfather making breakfast. Yousuke finds his nose and ears to be working perfectly when he gets out of bed and heads to the kitchen. Youki stands in front of the stove, knife and spatula in hand, with a smoking pan in front of him. The old man could use his knife and spatula in the kitchen like a samurai wielding his daisho in battle. A flash of light denotes a moving utensil, the heat kept all the pans glowing slightly, and every bit of food quickly became bundled in a blanket of spices. Ultimately, everything the old man produced could be compared favorably to pig slop, but it was an interesting experience to watch.

Yousuke's grandfather shoves a plate in front of him. Some yellow goop coated in oil dominates the plate, and Yousuke could swear it was still alive by the way it jiggled. Youki pokes his grandson with the plate to entice him to hold it. As soon as Youki's hands are free he produces a fork for the younger man.

"Good morning", Youki says as he ladles what would generously be called eggs onto a plate for himself, "Did you sleep well? Oh, before I forget! This beautiful young lady came by today with something for you."

The old man drops his plate down on the table, then heads into the living room for a few moments. He turns with a gray box with a light grey bow tied around it.

"Think fast!" The box hurtles through the air after Youki chucks it at the boy's face--overhanded, of course, because nothing was ever easy with Youki.

Whether Yousuke is hit or catches it he discovers the box contains a small white-colored cat doll. It looks at its new owner with closed eyes and a wide smile. One paw rises up above its head, and the other holds fake ryo over its stomach.

DC 10 Reflex Save to catch it or take [roll0] points of damage from it hitting your face.

Houshi

Houshi wakes to the sound of his parents going about their morning routine. Mom made breakfast, Dad watched and helped, all the while both tried their best to be as quiet as possible so as to not wake their son. Ms. Takeada worked quickly, but efficiently, as long as Mr. Takeada kept himself busy. Of course, things settled down as soon as Houshi opens his door.

"Good morning", the both shout at the same time. Mr. Takeada sits down at the table and motions for Houshi to join him. "I hope you're not too much of an important ninja now to join your family for breakfast." He gives his son a goofy grin, and hands the boy the paper he'd just finished reading. "Oh stop Hiroshi, you know our boy would make time even when he's a big shot."

"Oh! Yes, I almost forgot", Houshi's father says while digging around in his pocket, "a pretty girl dropped this off for you. Now, I won't judge, but she was a bit small for you son." Hiroshi gives his son a knowing look. He trusted Houshi to do what was right, and it showed. After a few more seconds of searching he produces a small scroll. A giant circle and a tangled web of seals are inscribed on the inside of the scroll.

"I didn't look, and I promised your mother I wouldn't pry. But--", Hiroshi's caught off by Ms. Takeada. "Hiroshi! Let the boy have his youthful romance." She turns to look at Houshi while providing him with an ample plate of food. "I think it's wonderful. When do we get to formally meet her? What's her family like? Is she one of those little ninja girls--", Hiroshi interrupts for just a moment, "kunoichi, dear,", and Ms. Takeada continues on without a hitch, "--thank you hun. Is she one of those? She was quite pretty. Definitely a keeper."

Ms. Takeada nods sagely to herself, while Mr. Takeada just gives Houshi a look that said: Just don't get burned.

A ninja lore check can determine what the scroll is.

[zeone3000]

Upon returning to the village, he took his sensei's advice. Bidding his team a good morrow, he stopped at the hosiptal. He didn't feel like being sore on the first official day of training as a shinobi. It was still hard to believe that he was one now.

Right after that, it was time for training with his shisho. Even after all of today's event, Houshi could always focus on his kenjutsu. After building one last sweat, he took a shower, got dinner while talking about his day. Ironically, he made a point to leave out the adult content, like his sensei threatening to kill them all. Even if they weren't in any danger, it's best his parents didn't know about that. Though, he gave elaborate details about beating the bad guys and splitting one in half. That was his second favorite part, the other being able to rip off an ANBU's mask with his bare hand. Who can say they've done that when they were a genin?

The next day, the half awake genin is fully awaken by his parent's greeting, "Ah, morning." He rubs his eyes then takes his seat, "Are you kidding? Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You taught me that dad."

In an embarrassed tone, Houshi exclaims, "Dad! It was probably just a messanger." He snatches the scroll before giving it a once over. He watches his mom fill up plate, then sighs, "Oh, not you too mom. I don't have a girlfriend." He plays with his food for a moment, "Not that I don't want one..." He glances over to his dad, "Stop looking at me like that. You two would be the first to know if I did have one."

[ZeroNumerous]

Houshi

"Haha. There's no need to be embarrassed son. I'm sure she's a nice girl." Hiroshi laughs again, but he's cut short when Ms. Takeada drops his place in front of him.

"He's embarrassed Hiroshi." She turns to Houshi and smiles."We'll talk about it whenever you're ready."

The rest of the breakfast goes smoothly. Houshi's father complains about a few of his coworkers not showing up, and Houshi's mother complains about a few broken lines. Breakfast ends quickly, and both parents are out the door for work. Houshi's left on his own. He could train, but if he started now he'd have to stop half-way in order to meet his teacher.

[Bad Situation]

Completely unamused by his grandfather's antics, Yousuke snatched the package in a practiced motion. Everyday was an opportunity to train and any place was a suitable training environment, the breakfast table being no exception to the rule. He quietly ate the rest of his meal, having developed an immunity to his caretaker's terrible cooking over the years.

The food was bad but at least it was be contained within their home. He honestly hoped Youki never got it in his head to prepare lunch for him. Eating was easy, but explaining the contents of his meal to Cybele and Houshi would probably be a chore.

After sliding his plate away he picked up the cat doll and examined it all over, searching for some kind of clue left behind by his sensei. Thoroughly confused by the strange gift, he decided to probe his grandfather for answers. "Did the woman say anything when she gave you this?"

[ZeroNumerous]

Yousuke

Upon closer examination you see that the cat doll is a grotesque caricature of a cat. It's head is as big as its rotund belly, and the coin it carries is as long as its body. The cat seems to be sitting on its haunches, with the coin at its belly, and its front paws supporting the coin and beckoning you closer respectively. It doesn't have any writing on it, nor any kind of identifying marks on it. However, it does have a strange weight to it. Almost as if the cat was hollow.

Youki stops to think about the encounter, and after a few moments he begins to sport a visible nosebleed. He shakes his head to clear his mind, then answers his grandson.

"No, she was far too pretty to question", the old man closes his eyes and blushes lightly as he talks, "and what kind of cretin would I be if I refused a heartfelt gift from such a lady? I thought I raised you better than that Yousuke."

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke rolled his eyes, wanting to say that he had not been raised so much as he had been trained but held his tongue, lest his grandfather decide on an impromptu 'training' session. Training with the old swordsman always left him in terrible shape and he was still sore from yesterday's make-shift briefing.

"A simple 'no' would have sufficed grandfather. And I ask because that 'pretty' lady was probably my sensei who I am supposed with today," he responded.

And as an afterthought he added, "And no, I will not introduce you to her."

He took another look at the cat doll, deciding it was cute enough and placed it back into its box. He would find a place for it in his room when he got back from training. Guessing that the gift would have something to do with today's training he stowed the cat into his bag and prepared to leave. He returned to his room to dress and prepare his tools, taking care to settle the doll comfortably in his bag.

If he left now he would be able to purchase something to snack on at the sweets shop and return in time to meet his team for training. Hopefully his grandfather would not hold him up at the door.

[ZeroNumerous]

Yousuke

The old man frowns deeply. He raises one hand up to his face in a gesture of faux prayer. "Oh ancestors, please forgive my terrible grandson for his terrible abuses upon his humble grandfather. Please continue to smile upon his horrible little head and give him your blessings."

Youki smiled as he spoke, clearly just teasing the younger Konpaku. When the boy starts to leave his grandfather gives him one passing word of advice. "You'll have to take up -that- sword soon, you know. I hope to see it in your hands before I go meet your grandmother."

On that somber note, he waves goodbye to his grandson and goes to do whatever it is Youki does when Yousuke isn't around. The old man never seems to work, or leave the house, but bills get paid anyway so he has to have some kind of job. Whatever it is, it's probably boring and mundane, but that isn't important.

---

Yousuke arrives at the sweet shop with only the familiar ringing of its bell to announce his arrival. Tsumaki Yuri, the second daughter of the family-owned Tsumaki Treats, sits behind the counter. She doesn't greet him, because she's absorbed in staring at someone sitting in one of the small booths eating a bright pink parfait. The customer is a small girl, not much bigger than Sune or Yuri herself, but Yousuke doesn't recognize her from the academy. He can infer that she's been mentored, or isn't local, since Yousuke was part of the first graduating class.

Once Yousuke makes any movement at all Yuri snaps out of her stupor, jerks her head toward Yousuke, and gives him the look of a cat caught cleaning itself inappropriately. She looks quite angry that someone interrupted her, but all that vanishes when she notices it's Yousuke. Her mischievous grin wakes up, and she beckons the young swordsman closer. The girl's red twin-tails seem to twitch, and you'd almost mistake them for cat ears rather than hair. In fact, if she had a coin in her hand and about fifty pounds on her body, you could even mistake her for that cat doll.

"Hehe. Coming to see Sacchin, aren't 'cha?" The girl's clearly referring to her older sister, Tsumaki Satsuki, who frequently ran the shop when her parents weren't in. "Well she's not in today, but I'll tell her you came by to leer at her."

[Bad Situation]

He closed the door quietly behind him, resisting the urge to slam it, somewhat bothered by his grandfather's parting words. He knew he would have to take up the sword eventually but now just wasn't the time for it. Exorcising the anxiety from his mind he made his way to the sweets shop.

---

Yousuke frowned as he entered the familiar sweets shop, noting the presence of Yuri at the counter. The very presence of Yuri in the sweets shop promised a bad day. That she was even related to Satsuki was mind-boggling. The bad day was officially confirmed when she opened her big mouth.

"I do no such thing," he intoned, punctuating his sentence with a glare, despite knowing that it had no effect on the girl. Glancing at the other customer he added, "though I doubt that you are any better in that regard Tsumaki-san."

He wanted to leave but he had already come so far and was unwilling to depart empty-handed. The small girl's parfait did look rather enticing though. "I will have whatever she is having," he says, pointing at the shop's other patron.

[ZeroNumerous]

Yousuke

Yuri blushes ferociously when Yousuke brings up her own leering history. But she just looks away, crosses her arms, and huffs. "At least I have the common courtesy to do it when they aren't paying attention." With that last spiteful shot Yuri heads into the back to make a fresh parfait. Due to being a mom-and-pop run shop Tsumaki Treats didn't have a huge freezer to store premade ice cream or other treats in. Instead they had to make every ice cream based treat right in front of the customer, but that gave their treats a unique niche and generated more foot track than any large scale ice cream shop in a big city could hope to match. And fortunately, lots of ninja had sweet teeth.

The girl in the back continues to eat her parfait, either she didn't hear your conversation, deliberately ignored it, or was too entranced in something else to respond was still up in the air. She's wearing a genin uniform, but the gray-green style isn't one Yousuke immediately recognizes. Her headband isn't visible, and is probably tied around her leg or incorporated into her belt or something. She idly runs a hand through her dirty blond shoulder-length hair as another spoon full of ice cream goes into her mouth.

Yuri harshly slams a solid ceramic cup onto the counter in front of Yousuke. The shopkeep gives the young genin a powerful death glare, and it's not hard to guess why. She confirms any potential suspicions when she leans in close to the counter and growls quietly. "She isn't your type. That'll be 350 yen."

Yuri gives Yousuke the cold shoulder as she takes his money, rings him up, and gives him a receipt.

[zeone3000]

Houshi bid his parents a fawn farewell and a hug. He then decided to train but just the usual daily drills. What ever his sensei had planned, he wanted to be thoroughly warmed up and not drained of his stamina. Also, while he couldn't read the scroll hopefully Yousuke could. With plently time to spare, he headed out to the training grounds. He was extremely excited and it showed.

[Bad Situation]

Yuri definitely had a way with words. Words that made him angry. Words that sometimes made him do stupid things to prove a point. "Oh I would never think to steal her away from you, Tsumaki-san. Perish the thought." He was obviously not thinking straight as he continued, "But it is my duty as a Soragakure shinobi to extend a measure of hospitality to any visitors who would so grace our fair village. I will of course be sure to give you a stunning recommendation."

As he walked toward the booth he began to regret his decision and wracked his mind desperately to think of an out to save face. He unfortunately could not come up with any excuse to leave and found himself sitting across from the girl with an identical parfait on the table.

Not having any sort of back up plan he fell back onto one of his usual strategy for dealing with girls. He glared into his parfait and ate it mechanically.

[ZeroNumerous]

Yousuke

Yuri grits her teeth. She mentally calculated the odds of how a fight would go in her favor, and ultimately decided that jumping the counter and punching Yousuke would not end well. Instead Yuri settled for turning her death-glare on high and hoping she could kill Yousuke with her mind. Fortunately for the young genin it proves to be quite ineffective.

The girl in question looked quite stunning when observed up close. Her soft features spoke of a girl who had few hardships, and the warm smile she gave as Yousuke sat down was one reserved for an angel. She accepted Yousuke's glare with a bright and sincere smile completely without reservation or judgment. The girl eats her parfait calmly while maintaining eye contact with Yousuke. She certainly couldn't be pushed around by an angry glare, and backing down was clearly something foreign to her entirely.

Finally, after finishing her parfait, the girl slides her glass away and attempts conversation.

"Good morning, Sora-nin-sama." She reaches for one of the chest pockets on her ninja jacket. "Do you need to see my pass?" Clearly she's referring to the passes that every ninja not of the village needed to enter Sora's gates. But she doesn't display her village affiliation anywhere visible to Yousuke, so the young sora-nin doesn't know where she's from quite yet.

Houshi

Houshi heads through the winding streets of Soragakure. Normally, heading to the training grounds took just a few minutes, but one of the more direct rails had been damaged somehow during the night. So Houshi's forced to reroute through the commercial district. The hustle and bustle of the commercial district contrasted strongly with how ninjas were supposed to act. Instead of being secretive, the ninjas of Soragakure invited ground-side merchants up to open their own open-air stalls in Sora's commercial district. And many people of all ages gathered in the open air market to purview those goods. It was certainly a lucrative business opportunity, and a powerful source of tax income for Soragakure.

As Houshi wandered through the open air market he spotted an interesting sight. A short young girl with distinctive purple hair held up a wonderfully made choker. The necklace in question mimicked a set of woven reeds. Silvery-white metal woven together in strands, which were in turn interwoven in ropes, and studded with sparkling gemstones of an unknown type to create a beautiful silvery-white choker. Sune wore a set of thin-rimmed glasses as she admired the intricate design of the choker with wide open eyes.

Amon

Amon wakes like she does most every morning. The family butler quietly informs the young mistress that breakfast has been served, then vanished back downstairs like the ghost he frequently mimicked. Breakfast is served atop a table that cost more than the average family made in a year, crafted from the finest imported ingredients possible, cooked by a professional chef hired exclusively for her nutritional needs, and ultimately eaten alone because her parents were already busy no matter how early Amon woke up. Even the family butler didn't show up during breakfast this morning, so likely one of her parents was home and capitalizing Satosei's time.

However, today was different than most days. Amon had received her paperwork last night, and she had to go meet her new team at the training grounds promptly at noon. She was finally getting back on a ninja team, even if both her parents strongly discouraged her "playing ninja" anymore. Even if they distasted it, neither Yamana would ever forbid her from continuing her studies. Amon had always gotten her way since coming to the Yamana household, and even now that was no different. No one arrived during breakfast, and likely they wouldn't arrive until after Amon had left. Her parents were quite upset about her continuing to "play ninja", and likely forbid the help from interacting with Amon as a form of punishment.

[Bad Situation]

Well, she was visibly polite, which was more than he could say about the younger Tsumaki sister. He had no real interest in a conversation but would gladly commit to it if it meant angering Yuri. Besides, eating a parfait alone while somebody you hated was watching was not exactly conducive to a good meal.

Willing a small smile to his face, he waved away the pass. "There will be no need for that. I am a mere genin of Soragakure, it would unbehooving of me to so rudely ask for your identification." Mentally, he snorted at his grandfather's morning rebuke. It was not as if he had slept through to Youki's various lectures concerning the opposite sex. He just never saw it prudent to treat the girls in his class any differently from the rest of his classmates. That is to say, somewhat rudely.

"My name is Konpaku Yousuke." He extends his hand over the table. "I apologize for my forwardness but I have chosen to sit here out of a desire for your company. However, if you would have me leave I will gladly respect your wishes."

[ZeroNumerous]

Yousuke

The girl continues to smile that same vibrant smile she'd worn since Yousuke sat down. Over her shoulder Yousuke can see Yuri's stare attempting to bore into his skull. She stared with a dagger-like gaze that would contain actual daggers if not for her inability to hit combined with the beautiful young girl sitting opposite Yousuke. Her stare somehow escalates as the kunoichi takes Yousuke's hand and shakes it softly. Her hands are supple, tender, and lack the callouses of truly harsh work. The kunoichi's smile grows a little as she speaks.

"Well aren't you just the perfect gentleman," she says in a slightly teasing tone, "after the shop owner wouldn't talk to me I was worried people in Soragakure didn't like outsiders." She releases Yousuke's hand, then rests her own against the table in an open manner.

"Ah, where are my manners. Hisakawa, Hinami Hisakawa. I don't mind if you sit here, Konpaku-san." Her smile died down a bit, but didn't leave her face. She maintained eye contact, but doesn't volunteer conversation. Yousuke was clearly going to have to work to make this spiteful little exercise truly sting Yuri.

[Princess Tracy]

Excitement floods Amon as she chokes down the last of breakfast, and with it some unmistakable stress. Yay, I get to go in the field again, but what if I mess up? about sums up her thoughts. As she pulls her her gear together, her old foot showing a bit of stiffness as she yanks her unmentionables on, she tries going over everything in her head, her sense of protocol quite rusted by nearly two years of inactivity. Do I have to do something when I meet the squad captain, I forget... Ah, careful, Amon, you almost smashed that vial of poison just now, stupid! Oh man am I on for a day... maybe we'll get to fight something! I should at least get to spar or train in some way right? Nah, I guess there wasn't that much of that. Mostly back then it was odd jobs that shouldn't pass for any sort of ninja-necessity. It's only by some luck the Old Jounin taught me some moves before...

That old memory of before bugs her again. The day she was trounced, and her squad lost, and with it her career. No, she puts it form her mind. Her avdentures are back on track, finally, she can't dwell on the past. She crosses off the equipment in her head - too stressed out to travel light. Shelving most of her oddball inventions on the basis of field-testing them some other time, she stuffs her poisons and ammo in her specially-crafter bag along with her tools and scrolls, snatching up her 'perfectly normal' cane, and ties the blowgun around her neck for safe keeping. "Chemistry kit, wrench, gas mask... what am I forgetting? I feel like I'm forgetting something. Ah, this is gonna bug me. Forget it, how important could it be? I have everything down to my passport, so..." She thinks better of bringing her parents financial support; she'd scraped together some emergency dough, and she intended to us eit to prove she could. Not wasting any more time, she doesn't even bother with the stairs as she simply leaps form her third floor window, scaling the house downwards easily enough as she makes a dash straight for the grounds.

She gets two blocks away before it dawns on her what she forgot as she sees a fellow ninja passing by her in the street. "Oh crap, my HEADBAND of course!" She heads straight back to the house to retrieve it. As she clears the porch, having to use a jagged rock to pick the front door, having also forgotten her key (resolving to fix the lock on her way out before anyone notices her shenanigans), she instinctively calls out "I'm home," the futility of the cry and her loneliness instantly dawning on her. Of course they weren't around. The one time they should be here, their smotheringly supportive selves to wish her good luck, and nowhere to be seen. She wasn't too good with figuring people out, but she knew them well enough to hazard a guess why. They didn't want her being a ninja - though that was more knowledge than a deduction. Her replacement fingers no longer itched and that was all the reason she needed to dive headfirst into the field again, but... They'd been a little cold all day yesterday. They certainly weren't happy with her joining a team again, even if it was just as a medic. Which despite their information, if she had her way it wasn't. Well, if they're mad anyway i might as well do what I want, right? she lies to herself. With a breath to calm herself, she digs out the old headband. She hadn't worn it much since the incident, and it was pretty tarrnished form back then, the main fabric largely damaged to only being a third of its normal effective width. With a sigh, she rips it a bit, going all teh way as she thins into one, long strip. Finally, she ties it around herself like a necklace, making a note to sew it into her headband at some point.

They'll come around, I'm sure, Amon thinks to herself as she heads to the training grounds. One day they'll be proud of me for doing the thing I WANT to do. I hope.

---

At the training grounds.

Amon Yamana walks into the training grounds, looking a little fidgety as she goes over what to say in her head. At the sound of anything so evocative as a stray cat, she shouts out the words currently mulled over in her head "HELLO I AM AMON, NICE TO MEET YOU SENSEI, PLEASE ACCEPT ME IN YOUR TEAM!" before clamping her hands over her mouth. With a nervous cough she adds "Um, hi, I'm the new Medic, yeah that's it..."

She's a decently built girl - stout yet lithe, with some visible muscle. She's blonde, with big, sparkling blue eyes. her long hair is tied up in a worker's bandana. A Sogajure headband, quite tarnished but with its badge still shining radiantly, lies tied like a necklace over her chest. She has donned an odd sort of pink and green poncho lying over her dungaries and a sleaveless top. One foot wears an oddly-healed boot, while another is clearly not a foot but some sort of animated wood, a prosphetic. In mimicry of it, the ring and pinky fingers of her left hand are also replaced, a few scars dotting the surrounding skin in both cases. She hauls a decent sized bag and has a cane at her side that seems to support her odd-foot. She wear medical supplies like a bandolier. She's 14, 5'2, and has a clearly analytical gaze brimming with brilliance and excitement. After settling in, she has a well-honed smile clear on her face at all times. Her right hand constantly twitches as she thinks, as if pulling at her very thoughts or tinkering with her ideas, but is kept reserved and utterly steady when she has no 'need' of it.

Spot DC 18
The cane is actually a sword cane

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke smiled, having been given an opportunity to speak of Yuri. "If you are referring to Yuri, then you need not worry. She is the shopkeeper's daughter and for as long as I have known her she has been quite rude." This was not a lie, so to speak. He had never gotten along with Yuri and the years following their first meeting always left them off worse than when they began. He was, admittedly, quite fond of provoking her but it was not as if she was not responsible for some of their more heated exchanges.

"You will find that Sora-nin are very courteous to outsiders, or at least, I like to think so." He made to touch her hand but decided against it and jerked back in an awkward fashion. Talking was fine, touching was not. Even their brief handshake had unsettled him some. It would be best to continue their conversation.

"If you do not mind me asking, what is your business in Soragakure? I have seen many foreign ninja in in the village before but I have yet to meet one so young." This was also somewhat true. Most of the foreign ninja he saw tended to be older or accompanied by a mentor or some such. In his experience, it was an oddity to see a young ninja by him or herself. Of course, his 'experience' was very much limited by the few days he bothered to leave the house. He was genuinely curious of this, despite himself.

Now realizing that his parfait was still only half-eaten he swallowed his anxiety and pride and added, "Would you care to help me finish my parfait Hinami-san? I will be leaving for training shortly and I would hate for it to go to waste."

Even if she refused, it would be well worth it to see the look on Yuri's face.

[ZeroNumerous]

Amon

The training grounds aren't really a grounds so much as a sector of well-made buildings. Each one is stout--a mere three stories high at the tallest--and double or triple reinforced. These marvels of engineers were designed with the intention of allowing ninja battles to take place between each one, and many of them lacked walls. They did have several support columns that kept the roof from collapsing, but otherwise mimicked a variety of territory. You could train everywhere from man-made lakes to deserts within those structures, and could even fight across several buildings at once due to their proximity to one another. One could even think he or she had vanished into another land if not for the fact that the rest of Soragakure was visible in the distance. The address that Amon had been told to report to was a squat one-story building with a very high roof and no windows. The door's open, but a little sign sitting on a tripod in front stops anyone from entering. The sign reads "Reserved for Team 5" written in flowery script. The inside of the building is completely dark, and seems to be empty at first blush.

"Hi, do--" The unknown voice from behind Amon is cut off when she shouts out what she's thinking. "Uh, right."

The voice behind Amon belongs to a young man, probably only a year or so older than Amon, whose dirty blond bangs dominate his face and head. The hair hangs down and obscures his eyes, but the feeling of being watched tells Amon he's looking up at her. From his height of five foot even the poor boy has to look up to make eye contact with lots of people his age. No headband could be visible under his hair, so the Soragakure symbol is wrapped around his upper forearm. He wears a strange black-colored full body suit, and a huge scroll rests against his back like a sword. The boy sticks out his hand for a handshake, and the first thing Amon notices is that it lacks the callouses that develop from hardwork. He doesn't wait for the handshake before continuing to speak.

"Misaka Saicho. Are you looking for something, miss...?" The boy peters off at the end, raising his voice a little as he expects Amon to fill in the silence with her name.

Yousuke

The girl nodded sagely at Yousuke's comment about Yuri, as if she had known the girl her entire life and Yousuke was merely reaffirming what she had already deduced. Yuri interrupted the pair for a moment to Hinami's glass and spoon away. The Tsumaki sister gives Yousuke her strongest glare, and Hinami her brightest smile, before leaving. She immediately placed both items in the sink, then went right back to eavesdropping. Hinami continued to smile through the exchange, and maintained eye contact so long as Yousuke did. She nods when Yousuke asks his question, and responds warmly.

"I am in town to escort a prisoner with my team. Soragakure captured her, and we're taking her back home." She doesn't seem to understand or care that Yousuke cannot see her village affiliation, and thus wouldn't know where 'home' was. She continues on without a hitch. "Since it's allied territory, we were allowed to wander while the prisoner was gathered up, so I'm enjoying the hospitality of the Sky Village."

Yuri becomes absolutely furious when she hears Yousuke offer his parfait. Sharing spoons would be an indirect kiss, and she immediately regretted taking the girl's glass and spoon away. Yuri looks around quickly, snatches up a spare spoon, then starts to head toward the table when Hinami responds. The ninja blushes a little, then politely refuses Yousuke's offer. But Hinami does take the chance to tease the young man. "An indirect kiss from sharing spoons? Scandalous. What would your girlfriend think?" Hinami motions with her eyes over her shoulder toward Yuri. She seems to think that the two are an item. Yuri beams when she hears the ninja refuse. Yousuke couldn't take this girl from her, and that meant she'd won!

[Bad Situation]

Hisakawa had somehow come to the conclusion that he and Yuri were dating. How any one could mistake their arguing and passive aggressiveness for attraction was beyond him. In fact, he was not entirely sure as to where Yuri's interests lay but he was fairly certain that he was as far removed from that list as remotely possible. It would be wise to nip this in the bud as quickly as possible.

"Oh! I would never date someone as crude as her," he explained with a smirk. It was time to drive the final nail into the coffin. But did he dare to go through with it?

Upon seeing Yuri's triumphant face however, he found the resolve to do what needed to be done. "In fact, if anybody were my type it would be a sweet girl like you." He reached over to gently place his hand over her own. It did not feel right but no matter, sometimes sacrifices had to be made to get the better of your arch-nemesis.

[Princess Tracy]

Misaka Saicho... she thinks for a moment, trying to think if she'd heard the name before.

Ninja Lore check? [roll0]

Amon takes his hand and shakes it as she has been trained to, in those ways of manners, making sure to lead with her less-disfigured hand, though can't deny herself her countryfolk-like wit. "Amon Yamana, damn pleased to meet ya," she says, cheerfully, a calm yet exciteable smile playing at her face. "Are you with the team I've been assigned to by any chance? I guess I'm looking for whoever my new boss is. I'm pretty excited to begin working again!" she says, holding up her other, damaged hand with a joking laugh. "If there's one thing you learn from taking a bad hit, it's the importance of being able to patch people up, so I specialise as a medic. I'm in team 5. So what's your deal?"

[ZeroNumerous]

Yousuke

The girl waves Yousuke's attempted compliment off, withdrawing her hand to do so. "Sorry young man, but you're not my type. I prefer more... gentler, softer, people. Not that you aren't a dashing young man, and I'm sure you'll make some girl quite happy someday." Her smile doesn't fade as she blows Yousuke off in the gentlest manner possible. Yuri at first reacts angrily toward Yousuke's advance, but as the kunoichi blows him off Yuri spouts a sudden and powerful nosebleed. She stumbles away loudly to find a napkin, and Hinami either doesn't notice or pretends not to.

The kunoichi checks the time, then theatrically sighs. "I need to go. It's almost noon, and I have to meet my team then. Sorry young man, but we're not meant to be." She shrugs dramatically, then gives Yousuke a pat on the head. "I'm sure you'll grow up to be a real lady killer someday." With that, she gets up and goes to the counter. Yuri, nose covered by a pink-tinged napkin, gives Hinami a dreamy stare as she waves goodbye.

Then Yuri snaps out of it, looks toward Yousuke, and grins under her napkin. "Eye ween", she says through her held nose, "End you wose."

Amon

Amon doesn't recognize the boy, nor does she remember anything about him. He's probably from the new genin class that graduated. The boy's grip is firm, and belies a fire hidden behind his obfuscating bangs. Saicho shakes his head at Amon's question, and responds promptly to her description of herself.

"I'm from Team 1, and I'm meeting my teacher to train. Team 5 is headed by Eurayle Cybele, and she's not here right now. Now where did I remember seeing her..." The boy puts his hand to his jaw as he thinks, then slams his hand into his palm as if to say 'Eureka' with his body.

"Ah! Yes, she was at Central. Probably getting mission orders or something." The boy points toward the center skyscraper of Soragakure. Central was just another name for the governmental core of Soragakure, and existed as both a shop selling ninja services and as a home for the Council.

"You can't miss Cybele-sensei. She's tall, has really long purple hair, and weird eyes."

[Princess Tracy]

Amon mulls it over a minute. "Well the sign here says things are reserved for the team I'm on, so I wonder if I should go look for her or stay here for a bit... yeah, I'll wait it out for a bit, I guess. I'm pretty sure I made it here a little early anyway, it would be rude to not give it ten minutes," she thinks aloud.

"Well, if you have to go train I won't keep you. It was a pleasure meeting you, Saicho-kun." She gives a smile and a short boy as she perches on the ground, leanng against the entry to her team's training grounds.

If left alone, Amon waits for a couple of minutes before having a look around the training grounds. If no one is there yet, she goes back to waiting. If no one turns up within ten minutes, she takes the most direct route to Central, hoping to at least bump into her captain coming the other way, and begins looking and asking around for her.

[Bad Situation]

If he had been any other boy he would probably feel embarrassed. Thankfully, Yousuke was not any other boy. In a lot of ways he was actually very relieved, if she had actually expressed a real interest in him he probably would have run away. If he had actually cared about pursuing her perhaps he would have been angry by her casual let down. Now was not really the time to be thinking about it anyway, not when he had somebody else to talk to. If he played his cards right, he could goad her into taking a swing at him. This teasing, along with the sweets, were one of the small pleasures he allowed himself in life.

"Seeing as how I was not interested in her in the slightest, I believe I have come out as the victor in this exchange," he said imperiously. "As a matter of fact, she seemed to believe you were very rude to her. It does not reflect well on you to disrespect our honored guests Tsumaki-san."

"Thankfully, I was here to set things right. Do not worry about repayment. Helping you was its own reward."

[zeone3000]

Arriving at the station, Houshi immideately thought, Ah, so that's what mom was talking about. He shrugged and took the detour.

He couldn't help but marvel at the energy of the district. Though, in a setting like this, he stuck out like a sore thumb. While awe struck, something crossed his mind; he was a genin now. Maybe, just maybe, they wouldn't point and stare but know that this mountain of a man was now protecting them. It was comforting image to say the least.

When he spots Sune, he couldn't help but lean in over her, "I didn't know you wore glasses too."

[ZeroNumerous]

Yousuke

Yuri doesn't seem to react to Yousuke's goading. She just keeps the same smug grin on under her napkin, and when the young ninja thinks he's gotten the upper hand and plays his trump card...!

"Yowr wighteh. Eye was rood. But eye lurnded summthing." Yuri sniffs, rubs her nose, then removes her napkin. Her nose has finally stopped bleeding enough for her to talk normally, and she takes the chance. Yousuke can now see her wonderfully smug grin, and hopefully realizes where he's screwed up at. But if he doesn't, Yuri is there to rub his nose in it. The young girl puts a dainty hand on her chest and swells with pride.

"I now know she likes girls, and won't have to embarrass myself by asking her out and being wrong." She gives Yousuke an honest smile. "Thank you for that." He had actually helped his archnemesis, even if by accident. And Yuri knew that fact alone was a far greater burn than anything she could come up with.

Houshi

Naturally, no one says anything out of place about Houshi. His headband alone was a badge saying "I'm not to be messed with", and everyone obeyed it equally. The ninja among the crowd gave him a salute or nod of the head as he passed, and the mundanes among them gave him a fair berth, didn't make eye contact, and said nothing. Sure, no one made fun of him, but that headband also made everyone but fellow ninja afraid of him.

Sune leans back to look Houshi in the eye. Her eyes are dark brown under the glasses, and she gives the tall genin a wide smile. "Hee. We have to. Well, Cybele-chan has to. I can control my eyes a bit by closing them like you remember, but it gets blurry." She shakes her head, and you can guess that keeping your eyes half-closed all the time makes it hard to get around.

She taps her glasses and angles her head to the side in an obvious attempt to make herself look cuter than normal. "I got these for when I wanna look at something up close!"

Amon

The boy looks at Amon like he was worried that she was a bit off. The lights weren't on, and there wasn't anyone around. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that her teacher wasn't around, and the young man had just given her a very good reason. Even so, it was her time to waste, and he wasn't gonna question it openly.

"Well, take care." Saicho wanders northward toward a building with a sign much like the one Amon was now standing in front of. No one else seems to be walking anywhere near Amon, and Amon doesn't see any purple haired women in the crowd of ninja wandering between buildings.

[Princess Tracy]

Amon spends most of her ten minutes tinkering with her equipment, recoiling quickly as she sniffs one of her many poison veils - "ARGH, why did I DO that, my nose hairs are tingling, gah... what if I had mislabelled something and it was a gaseous poison? I could have died. Ah man, I'm out of it, and bleh, I can taste it..." Thoroughly corking her poison, she stands, trusting her sense of time, but severely wishing there was a clock or something around. Shrugging, she guessed it had been about 10 minutes and 11 seconds, or thereabouts.

Amon takes off, deciding her sensei probably isn't coming as she heads to central in search of the purple haired woman. "Maybe I should have brushed my hair or something to make a good impression. Eh, she's not an investor, she's a ninja. I'm sure appearances don't matter that much to her," she says aloud as she heads through the streets.

Past 2am here and liking my intro so far. Probably good point to sleep. Though may stay up for a bit too see how this search for her goes.

I'm sure some plot convenience wil happen to drop me off wherever I need to go, but in case the fates ar ealigned against me, let's try a gather info check. [roll0]

[Bad Situation]

He could not let Yuri get the best of him. He would not stand for this. Remembering the reason for the foreign nin's trip he spat back, "Fat chance, Yuri! She's only here to pick up a captured ally, you're never going to have another chance at asking her out."

He could not lose here, there was too much at stake. A victory for Yuri here would tip the precarious balance they held in their burn to burn ratio. It was truly a battle for the ages.

[ZeroNumerous]

Yousuke

Yuri slams her hands on the counter. "What?! No, you're--No... She wasn't from here... Damnit!" Yuri looks apprehensive for a moment. She's worried, and it's written all over her face.

"No! I'll do it!" Her fear is instantly replaced with steely resolve as the young girl throws off her apron, leaps over the counter, then...

...leaps back and snatches one of the donuts from the shop. She quickly boxes it up, then stares at Yousuke with an incredulous look on her face.

"Why are you still here? We're closing! Get out!" The girl leaps back over the counter, and starts to shove Yousuke outside. "Out-out-out!" Once Yousuke is outside, she dashes back in, then bolts back out carrying a small styrofoam box. She quickly locks up the building, hangs up the closed sign, then starts running toward the Main Gate.

Amon

As Amon meanders over to Central she doesn't see any tall women with purple hair around. Though she does see several blonds, two blues, four greens, and at least one gold whom she could swore had a glowing aura around her. Amon reaches the rail and slides her way to Central without event, and ultimately arrives just as the bell rings. Central's equipped with a large bell that rings on the hour, and this time it rings twelve times. A crowd of ninja swarm out of the building, but Amon can't pick out individuals too well at this distance. She could stay there and scan the crowd some more, or she could shout, or do any other activity to try and find her sensei. Surely it wasn't this hard to find a purple-haired woman, was it?

[Princess Tracy]

Grinding to a halt, and looking over the ninja crowd, Amon assesses the situation. "Well, my lungs could use a bit of a workout..." Scooching down into earshot of the crowd to not be too much of a brass neck nu going even louder, she shouts out "Hey, has anyone seen, or is anyone themselves Cybele-sensei? I'm to meet her today to join her team, you see. Purple hair, from what I hear, anyone?" she asks loud enough to be heard a block away while looking the crowd over.

Spot it is then, but that's hardly any more promising. I have no ranks and a wisdom penalty.
Still though I'm due for a good roll...
[roll0]

[ZeroNumerous]

Amon

A light tap on the shoulder draws Amon's attention, and she's greeted by a five foot six woman who looks more at home as a model than as a ninja. She has a very light muscle tone, but her ample assets, long shapely legs, and thigh-length silky hair would make most women her age green with envy. She gives Amon an appraising look as the woman's purple eyes and rectangular pupils gives the young genin a once over. Cybele pushes her glasses up, closes her eyes, and nods.

"Yes. You look like the girl I was expecting." She keeps her eyes closed as she turns and heads toward the rail leading to the commercial district.

"As you know, my name is Cybele. I'm your teacher from today on. Sorry, but we don't have much time to talk. We've got a mission, and we need to meet up with the rest of the team." She doesn't waste any time, and hops up onto the rail leading to the commercial district.

[zeone3000]

Walking through the plaza with the admiration of his peers, the fear of the villagers was an interesting feeling to say the least. He nodded back to his peers and held his head high. To Houshi, there's was no where for him to go except up in his mind. He felt fear would inevitably give away to respect and that would turn to inspiration.

Houshi leans back to a standing position, "Hmm, I see. That would make things difficult. Well, I gotta go meet the rest of the team. You already knew that though. With the rails being down, don't wanna be late." He turns around, then quickly turns back around and pulls out the scroll, "Oh, I know you should be able to read this. I got it this morning from my parents. They said a pretty, young girl dropped it off according to my dad."

[ZeroNumerous]

Houshi

Sune just looks at Houshi confused. She wouldn't know anything going on in their team, since she had her own to deal with. Even so, she simply shrugs and lets it go, but she doesn't let him get away. "Uh-uh! Stop right there and look at this!" She drapes the intricately made necklaces over her shoulders, then poses with it. The silvery-white metal runs down her neck, dipping into the neckline of her tee-shirt, and ending just above her chest. The necklace does nothing but draw attention to the fact that she's... well, Houshi's mother would say she was "developing". His father would call it "flat".

"Whaddya think?" She poses again, plainly ignoring his question about the scroll. The necklace still only accentuates the fact that she's got nothing going on up there. Frankly, the whole necklace would be completely wasted on her, and it would fit someone with much larger assets much more comfortably.

[Princess Tracy]

"Yes ma'am," Amon says with a salute, following her new teacher wherever she led that was not currently on fire.

"So what's in store for us today then, ma'am?" she asks, hopeful. Please not another D-rank mission, please please PLEASE...

[zeone3000]

Houshi leans in, making sure to give it a fair inspection. He nods, rubbing his chin, "It is very nice. Are you getting it for you sister? It would accent her features very nicely. Now, seriously, I have to go. Good day."

[Bad Situation]

As Yousuke fought to keep a grin off his face as he stood outside Tsumaki Sweets. Honestly he did not care if Yuri managed to catch up the foreign nin. The frantic look on her face as she ushered him out of the door as well worth the trouble he had gone through. He took a deep breath and adopted his usual calm. Knowing that it was close to their meeting time, Yousuke headed for the rails, eager to make it to their first team meeting on time.

[ZeroNumerous]

Houshi

Her sister? Her sister! Sune turns ice cold as Houshi talks about how nice it would look on her sister. Her purple eyes narrow to thin purple lines, and her killing intent spikes instantly. She reaches up to remove her glasses, but stops when she sees something behind Houshi. She just glares at the giant genin. "You get to live. Today. Enjoy it." If Houshi turns around he sees Cybele and another girl coming toward him.

Amon

Cybele doesn't respond at the beginning. Instead, she simply heads to the rail leading to the commercial district and starts grinding that way. When Amon follows she's greeted by the huge crowds of merchants, ninjas, and civilians buying and selling a wide variety of goods and services. The shouting and general murmurs of the crowd make it very hard to hear, and Cybele turns to say something to Amon when they land. Unfortunately the younger genin cannot hear her at all, and her jounin does not repeat what she said. Cybele heads deeper into the commercial district, and would have lost Amon in the crowd if not for her distinctive purple hair.

The purple-haired jounin points toward a very tall man in the distance standing beside a small purple-haired girl. Cybele motions for Amon to follow, then starts heading toward the pair quickly.

Houshi and Amon

Houshi's jounin arrives just in time to see her little sister glaring extremely angrily at him. Cybele loudly introduces the girl behind her. "Houshi, this is Yamana Amon, she'll be replacing Eisen." She turns to the blond-haired genin. "Amon, this is Takeada Houshi. He's one of the genin on my team." Cybele turns back to Houshi, then asks him an important question. "Do you know where to find Yousuke? We've got an emergency mission, and I wasn't given his address."

Yousuke

Speak of the grim, and they shall appear. Yousuke steps out of the sweets shop just in time to see his jounin, Houshi, Sune, and some girl he doesn't recognize standing around talking. Sune looks angry at Houshi, and Cybele looks rather concerned. Whether it's about what Houshi did or not is up in the air.

[Bad Situation]

Well, that saved him the trouble of finding his team. He strides casually to the group, casually waving his left arm as he approaches. They looked tense. Something Houshi had done perhaps? He hadn't known the larger genin for long but as far as he could tell, Houshi had a tendency of saying very annoying things. Still feeling somewhat argumentative from his exchange with Yuri he asked, "What did Houshi do this time?"

Evidently, he was still not over Houshi's offhanded remark about his parents.

He had to admire Sune's glare though, having practiced his own for so long he began to take notice of the eye's of his peers. Sune, to her credit, had a nice pair of eyes and an even nicer glare. A shame she didn't do it more often. It was fine so long as they were never directed at him.

[zeone3000]

Houshi rose eyebrows in confusion, "I... will?" He shook his head until Cybele showed up with another in tow. He saluted his peer as he was introduced, "A pleasure." He turned to the jounin, "No, I have not sensei."

Houshi roses his arm in defeat, "Forgot to not give my honest opinion to a younger sibling. Another lesson of life, lie. Apparently, I'll live longer. Even if I'll be ashamed of myself for not telling truth." He sighed before noticing where Yousuke came from, "You really do like sweets. Sorta ironic when you can be so sour." Finally, he noticed the jounin's distress, "Okay, something's wrong, what is it?"

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

"Alright! That's it!" Sune reaches for her glasses, whips them off, and starts to level her newly purple eyes on Houshi. You only see a flash of those crystal-like purple orbs before Cybele intervenes. The jounin's hand goes right around the younger girl's head. Her hand succeeds in blocking Sune's eyesight, but can't close her eyes. The older girl grimaces as her hand tenses, almost like she was attempting to crush Sune's head by squeezing it like a grape. A few minutes of this goes on, and ultimately Sune is the first to give up.

"My head, my head! Stop it~" Cybele releases her younger sister, and Sune puts her glasses back on. The suppression effect happens almost instantly, and her purple eyes shift to dark brown. Cybele attempts to hide the hand immediately, but both genin notice that her hand doesn't actually move out of the claw-like shape it's been twisted into. The veins on her hand stand out a little, and the tendons in her fingers poke out from beneath her skin. She responds to Houshi's question quickly as well.

"We have an emergency mission. We've been assigned a guard mission by Central. Normally they would assign a chuunin team to this mission, but their teams are running a bit thin due to... problems with Konohagakure. So it's being delegated to us." She seems a lot calmer than she was yesterday, or maybe the sense of urgency is driving her new found courage. Either way, she hands each of you a pair of soldier pills.

"Take one when we leave, and keep the other for later. We'll be out on a four day mission, and won't have a chance to sleep." She starts walking toward the Main Gate, subtly switching her injured hand around to her front so the genin don't get another sight of it. Cybele motions for all of you to follow with her good hand, and Sune just angrily glares at Houshi as the group walks away.

"We'll be escorting a rebel to the Kazekage, Yusa of the Black Sand, to Sunagakure. We've been assigned as extra guardians, but we'll have to walk due to the prisoner. A unit from Sunagakure were dispatched to retrieve her, but they're short-handed too."

Cybele pauses to emphasize what she's going to say next, because it's extremely important. "This is our chance to make peace with Sunagakure. We cannot fail."

[Princess Tracy]

Was that some sort of dojustsu? Who is that strange girl? I'll assume she's not on the team. Her attacking one of the group seems to have been taken a little too casually though... Amon holds her tongue, not wanting to start a fight with someone so quickly.

Amon appearance (revised)
Long blonde hair (reaching halfway down her back), blue eyes, a little over five feet. Her clothes keep her upper assets a little ambiguous, but she has very full hips. She's a fair bit older than the average genin, but her eyes have that same curious sparkle as anyone of rookie status. Soft, round features, but with often sharp, inquisitive eyes. She's pretty quick. moving with great coordination, and has more muscle mass than most girls her age, though not enough to compete with a Taijutsu master
Clothes: pink and green patterned poncho, denim dungarees, armour slightly visible under her poncho and over her top.. A boot on one foot. Wears a bandana
Injuries: Her right foot is entirely missing, replaced by some sort of chakra-animated prosphetic foot that works largely quite well, as are the pink and ring fingers on her left hand. A few scars dot her in odd places, particularly around the severed body parts.
Accessories: wears her sogakure headband with a stretched out sash like a necklace, dangling along with a piece of bamboo one might identify as a blowgun. She has a single hooped earing on her left side of pure silver that she thinks makes her look like a pirate. A golden chain attached to the top inside her poncho and hanging lightly over it bears what looks like a high-grad monocle (no seriously)
Equipment: Carries some sort of finely made cane. A tightly bound bag over her bottom looks to be a regular old shuriken pouch. She hauls a large bag bulging with equipment that would be good for camping, though you suspect she didn't bring a tent.

Amon fumbles as she tucks away her soldier pills. Oh, this won't help my case any. Running off for days at a time - I won't be back for a week, and without explanation too. Ah, I'll deal with the consequences later. With a deep breath she regains her composure, cracking the knucles of her remaining fingers. She bows to her teammates. "Well, time is of the essence so we'll make time to talk en route. I'm Amon, pleased to meet you. I'm glad to be on a team with swordsmen - gives me something to hide behind." She giggles, though the valley-girl airhead is clearly a crude act - there's something technical about her speech most of the time.

"Do we need to grab anything? Well, with soldier pills I guess we won't be needing to sleep or anything, though I wish I'd grabbed more ration pills." She coughs, seeming to discipline herself for whining as she adopts a more regal posture. "I am ready to head out post-haste. Lead the way, ma'am."

[Princess Tracy]

Knowledge check
OOH Hell ya - natural 20 on the village. Citation: OOC post. Now spill the juicy secrets of Sunagakure, won't you?
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=13718333&posted=1#post13718333

[Bad Situation]

An escort mission for foreign ninja traveling to secure their captured rebel. This sounded eerily similar to Hisakawa's story back in the sweets shop. The coincidence was too high, and somehow he doubted that Soragakure had captured two different rebels and arranged for their villages to retrieve on the very same day. This did not bode well for the young Konpaku. However, regardless of his feelings on the matter, this needed to be reported to Cybele.

"Cybele-sensei, I believe I have met one of those Suna-nin today. She went by the name of Hinami Hisakawa. Does that name hold any significance to you?"

Noticing the new face in the party, Yousuke nods in Amon's direction, acknowledging her presence.

Ninja Lore: Yusa of the Black Sand - [roll0]
Ninja Lore: Sunagakure - [roll1]

[Princess Tracy]

Given a moment to think, Amon ponders, recalling quickly every slightest thing of note about that old village of sand. Doton and fuuton users, one tailed shukkaku, primary military force of the wind country, capable of competing with konoha, her scrambled thoughts echo. She draws a blank on the kage though. And on Yusa. She feels extremely dull for even conceiving of her question, pondering if it would be better to ask now or on the road. She'd spoken so quickly, she wasn't sure if Yusa was the name of the kage or the fugitive. Dammit, how could she POSSIBLY recall all there was to know of the village that any outsider Genin could hope to and yet be so thick as to not recall the damned Kage's title? No no, best save, there'll be a time when bringing this up won't seem as stupid to ask about... When that test said I was a genius, it LIED TO ME!

Knocked from her extremely stupid conundrum by a simple nod from Yosuke, Amon pauses then returns in kind, her smile returning. "Who are you then?" she asks quickly, a little concerned about holding her sensei up yet honestly curious. To make up for it, she stretches her leg a little, looking about ready to run a dash at the Olympics as she bends oddly, her fake foot creaking eerily. She sniffs the air suddenly as she readies a soldier pill, smiling to Yosuke, the source of her olfactory curiosity. "And why do you smell like ice cream? Did you bring enough for the rest of the class?"

[ZeroNumerous]

Cybele

Cybele answers Yousuke while the group walks. "Hinami Hisawa? Well at least this won't go poorly if Yusa's allies attempt to free her. She's an ex-Iwa-nin. She was a mercenary for awhile, and even hired onto a lot of Soragakure's jobs, but ultimately joined Sunagakure permanently. She has a bloodline ability that lets her turn her skin to stone."

[Bad Situation]

Glad that his misadventure had proved some use in their mission, Yousuke nodded.

He frowned at the new girl's probing, bristling at her completely vapid questions. She had to know who he was by this point, and if she really could not put two and two together it was probably not worth telling her. The slight nod had been meant as a sign of greeting but now he was beginning to regret his decision. He had no intention of initiating a conversation, least of all with a girl. His time in the sweets shop had been enough interaction for at least a week, if not a month. He supposed that it was a foolish hope that their third member would be a male. Though he was not particularly fond of Eisen at least the smaller genin had the courtesy of being quiet during their time together as a team.

"I was seen just outside of a closed sweets shop. You may come to your own conclusions," he intoned. Without looking back he speeds up to stand by Cybele's side.

"Cybele-sensei, are we the only genin embarking on this mission?"

[Princess Tracy]

Amon blinks at the odd tone in Yosuke's voice. Well, sure enough, that's a sweet shop over there, she sees. Geez, I just wanted to know my teammates name, and maybe make conversation. Ah well, it's 4 days of travelling - he'll warm up to me before we get there at least, I'm sure. Eh, look at him. He's tall, but I'd place him at maybe 11, 12 tops. Some inexperienced kid who knows only how to fight and hardly much of the finer sex - where have I seen THAT before? She sighs fondly as she remembers an old teammate. A pity that one so quick on his feet would never walk again... She tries to make herself feel less guilty on the basis that for taking what would have been an axe to the face for her, his family was well compensated on his retirement, but still...

"Focus on the now," Amon mutters to herself, seeming no less ready to go. She nods to Hoshi. "Don't suppose you're anymore chatty?" She gives Yosuke one last look, suddenly stopping. "Uh, you look a little beaten up there, guy. Hard training session yesterday? Are those bruises just for show or could you use a pick-me-up. I'm a pretty good medic, you know."

[ZeroNumerous]

Cybele

Cybele shrugged at Yousuke's question. "We're the only team from Soragakure being dispatched on this mission, but Hinami might have genin of her own."

[zeone3000]

Houshi keeps pace with Amon as thinks about her question for a moment, eyes drifting away before holding his thumb and pointer very close together. He starts to speak before she stops and notices Yousuke's injuries.

He tried to hide it but a lot of the ninja lore went over his head. He didn't even know where Sunagakure was let alone who the Kazekage is. What he did know is that his sensei said that they cannot fail. Their first mission and already given a very important missions. He clenched his fist and held it to this chest, Time to earn that respect. Once again though, that scroll runs through his mind, "Oh, can one of you guys read this for me. It was delivered to my house this morning." He produces the scroll from his person and hands it to whoever offers.

[Princess Tracy]

Amon stops for a moment, grabbing the monocle hanging over her poncho and pushing it in place in her eye as she examines the scroll. "Hm, odd.. let me look see if there's anything of note," she says like someone who isn't wearing a swanky monocle as she eyes Hoshi's scroll

Uh, let's see... Decipher Script!
[roll0]
Oh **** yes, karma uber-high roll! Man that one rank may just pay off! Assuming I rolled the appropriate skill

[Princess Tracy]

"It's... some sort of summoning contract, I think. Between turtles and somebody called Fujiwara Min. Where did you say you got this? I think it might be active. Give me a second..." Amon removes her monacle, focusing on the scroll.

I use my awesome Sense Chakra ability on the scroll and use ninjutsu to identify any relevant effects. I rolled OOC, and got a 28

[Bad Situation]

Watching Houshi's own mystery object reminded him of his own. Digging into his bag, Yousuke retrieves the cat doll and presents it to Cybele, hoping to get some sort of answer. "My grandfather told me that somebody dropped this off for me. Do you know what it is?"

[ZeroNumerous]

Cybele

The jounin takes the tiny cat doll, smiles a bit as if reminiscing about something dear to her, then returns it. "It's a fortune cat doll. If you keep it close then something good might happen, but kids these days mostly give them to crushes."

[Princess Tracy]

"Ooh, that's cool. You any good with ninjutsu? It doesn't even matter if you are. What you have there is a - I think - reusable completion scroll. Apply a bit of blood to it and once a day you can summon a turtle - no chakra, no expertise required. I'm sure summoning turtles will come in handy in a bind, so take good case of that scroll before I consider just taking it for myself." Amon claps, pleased with her analysis. "Looks like we're pretty well equipped after all! Let's go kick some ass. If I read my files right, you're Hoshi, aren't ya?" She extands a hand to shake.

Is that guy sure he doesn't need a bit of healing? I don't want him collapsing halfway through travelling - it certainly wouldn't make MY job any easier.

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke cracks a tiny smile at that. "Well, you need not worry about that Cybele-sensei. I will appreciate your gift as it was intended. Thank you." He bowed politely, happy that she had been so thoughful.

"Is this what having a mother is like?" he wondered idly.

[ZeroNumerous]

Cybele

Their jounin looks down at Yousuke with a mix of surprise, confusion, and with a gradually growing blush. "I-I didn't give you anything. I-I mean you're a nice young man, but I would never... N-Not that you're.. I mean--" Cybele sighs as Yousuke cracks her concentration and composure with some strange off-the-wall remark. "You'll probably make some girl really happy someday, but you're far too young for me Yousuke. You should aim for girls your own age. It's healthier for you."

[zeone3000]

"Houshi," he politely corrected while carefully shaking her hand. "And yes, I am. As for your other question, no. I can't even use ninjutsu or genjutsu for that matter. Though, I was the best at taijutsu at the academy. Probably still am really. The best they seen in a while actually."

He tucks the scroll back away, "Trust me, I will. Whoever gave dropped off must be my guardian angel."

Houshi shook his head with a grin, "Uhm, sensei, I think he meant that in a more maternal fashion. Like a lion protecting her cubs."

[Princess Tracy]

"Houshi, right you are," Amon says with a nod. Listening into Yosuke's odd exchange with her new sensei, she titters. "You know, if you don't give me your name, guy, I'm just going to call you Ladykiller for tactics like that," she teases. "It takes a certain type of girl to fall for tricks like that. If you want to put them off balance, it's best to have something to follow through with." Her advice is laced with sarcasm, yet has a sort of wisdom to it. How often does she gets wooed, or indeed woos other girls, one wonders. "For instance, in this case, one might follow up your line with..." she seems to see how flustered the sensei is and is taken aback herself. "Well you certainly put her off balance..."

Amon taps her foot, thinking. "Do we have a compass? Or a map? I can hardly navigate my way there by memory - I've never visited out destination, after all."

[Bad Situation]

He blanched at the misunderstandings and grumbled at his team's teasing. It seemed as if he was genuinely cursed to deal with difficult women all his life.

"Please do not misunderstand my intentions Cybele-sensei. I did not mean it in the manner in which you seem to be receiving my thanks as. It was strictly a professional thank you between a teacher and her student."

[Princess Tracy]

Amon pouts in response to Yosuke's quick recovery. "So professional. You're no fun."

[ZeroNumerous]

Cybele

Cybele's look shifts from mainly being flustered to honest relief. "Ah, good. I assumed you got that doll for me. Who gave it to you? Is she pretty?"

Cybele's question is left in the air as your group arrives at the Main Gate to Soragakure.

DM

The Main Gate of Soragakure isn't like that of most other villages. Most hidden villages had an ostentatious and grand gateway clearly intended to strike awe and terror in equal parts. But Soragakure had a simple steel reinforced gate, with extremely spartan defensive barricades, and a secondary steel gate behind it. The Main Gate of Soragakure didn't intend to awe others, but it did intend to protect the village to the best of its ability. The gate's spartan nature combined with Soragakure's floating nature to make the Main Gate an impregnable stronghold. As the only possible way to attack from the ground it needed to be practical, and extremely well defended. Several ninja, mostly mercenaries without the Soragakure headband, stood at attention around the gate at all hours. Today wasn't any different, and the defenders of the gate stood in preparation for any attempt to break through.

The gate stood open even though it was so well defended, because just as it was the only way to attack it was also the only way to get trade through to the village itself. Several merchants and civilians looking to hire ninja traversed the gate quickly and efficiently. Each one went under the careful scrutiny of the village's defenders, and some were taken aside to be questioned. Almost all of them were still allowed entry, but a few had a ninja dispatched from the gate to go with them.

A quartet of ninja standing in front of the gate draw your attention. All four of them seem to be dressed as genin, appear to be teenagers, and wear gray-green uniforms. All four also bear Sunagakure headbands in various places. The dirty-blond haired girl in front seems to be their leader, and she wears her headband as a belt tightly wound around her waist. She stands with a lazy indifference to the whole affair, but wears the faint smile of a content youth. She doesn't seem like a ninja, and has the body type of a civilian who does minor amounts of exercise. Yousuke remembers her from the sweets shop.

Her nearest companion is a young boy not much older than Yousuke. His head is wrapped in tight bandages, and his uniform has several rips and tears in it. He glares roughly at everyone around, and seems to be quite upset about being in Soragakure. He wears a pair of ninja-to strapped across his back, and has the physique of a swordsman. His headband is wrapped tightly around his right bicep. Beside him stands another girl, but she seems much happier than her sword-using teammate. She waves at a small crowd of people nearby, who wave in return, and seems genuinely sad to be leaving. She seems to be crying a little, and certainly seems to have made friends in their short time in Soragakure. Unlike the others, her sleeves and pants are cut very short, and you wouldn't be surprised if you could see her unmentionables on a high kick. She doesn't seem to be armed, except for a pair of throwing needles stuck in the bun her brunette hair is rolled into. Her headband is where it should be.

Their final teammate is a dark-haired young man wearing a set of small black sunglasses. He's got his hands in his pockets, and seems uninterested in the antics of his bubbly teammate or the disgust of his angsty teammate. He, like the leader of their team, doesn't have the physique of a ninja. He slouches a lot, and carries himself as if putting out more than the bare minimum of effort was just too hard. He wears his headband stitched into a gray-green sash that runs across his chest.

All four sand ninjas seems to be standing around waiting for something or the other.

Cybele

Your jounin points out the quartet of Suna-nin standing at the ready. "Those would be our partners. It seems like the prisoner hasn't arrived yet, so we should go greet them. Best behavior, everyone."

With that said Cybele leads your group toward them. Hinami waves toward Yousuke, then diverts her attention to Cybele. She speaks in a calm, polite, but slightly playful manner. Almost as if she wasn't taking the whole scenario as seriously as Cybele had made it out to be.

"Oh? So they sent the Stone Heart Cybele as a liaison? I'm honored to be in the presence of such a brutal killer." The girl's faint smile never moves, but her words feel more like mocking than true admiration.

"I'm a teacher now. Has the prisoner arrived?" Cybele brushes it off, and the girl just shrugs at your jounin's words. "No", Hinami says with a sigh, "but I was told you'd have her. Sure you haven't killed her yet?" Cybele visibly tenses, but doesn't take the bait. Clearly Hinami has some kind of problem with the purple-haired jounin, and she's trying to goad Cybele into doing or saying something foolish.

Any further fights are stopped when the prisoner arrives. The darkly tanned woman was beautiful in the right light, but her sharp nose and rough features leave something to be desired. She has a light muscle tone, but clearly lacks the dedication of more focused taijutsu users. She's wearing a white-and-black striped jumpsuit, and a headband around her head marked with a series of seals across the metal surface. No hand cuffs or leg cuffs impede the movement of her limbs. Her eyes are unfocused, and her gaze drifts off into the distance as she walks docilely beside the ANBU leading her along. The gray-armored and crow-masked ANBU shoves the woman--likely Yusa--toward Hinami.

The sand-nin grunts a little as Yusa roughly plows into her shoulder-first. Yusa says nothing as Hinami helps her steady herself. Hinami, on the other hand, keeps the same soft smile while muttering under her breath. She pets the unreasonably demure and extremely docile Yusa on the head before turning toward your team. "Are we ready to go?"

[Princess Tracy]

Do those seals sedate her then? I have to say, it is more efficient than dragging her in chains - certainly less risky than her slipping a hand out and performing some half-seal to kill us all when we're distracted.

Out of some odd, peppy instinct, Amon raises her hand and speaks a word of greeting to the prisoner before she has a chance to think better of it. To divert attention away from it, she stands at attention giving a quick salute. "Ready when you are," she says to the girl, thoigh her eyes can't help but quint in thought and perhaps contempt. On the list of things that she wondered would end well, she wondered if Cybelle giving the girl a quick slap was on there. Quite ah, um, nice prisoner there. I wonder how sedated she is, or if it's just that her abilities are sealed and she's lost motivation. I know I feel down when i run out of juice. In test, as they pass through the gate and with the scuttling of feat, when she's sure no one is watching, in the name of holy SCIENCE, she gives the prisoner a pinch on the bum to see if her reflexes are working at all. I don't trust what I don't undertand, and I'm not sure I fully understand these seals. I never took a funinjutsu class in my life!

[zeone3000]

Houshi, being much less informed then his peers, looks at the prisoner with a tilted head, "What are those for?" Then realizes how bad that probably sounded, "I mean, they're obviously working but how are they doing it?"

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Hinami looks at Houshi. "Seems your teacher is worse than I thought." The sand jounin reaches up and parts Yusa's scruffy and unclean black bangs with her hand. Yusa's clearly not been taken care of, and seems to have no drive to take care of herself. Hinami points to the headband partially hidden under Yusa's bangs.

"Sealing technique. She's constantly under the effect of a genjutsu that keeps her docile. She can't speak, can't resist commands from sky ninja, can't use techniques, and can't run."

A hint of disgust creeps into Hinami's voice as she speaks of the technique. "But she still feels pain. An Iwagakure specialty."

"Too embarrassed of this one to tell them about it?" Hinami looks toward Cybele, and maintains her pleasant smile as she takes the time to mock the other jounin. Cybele just looks away, visibly upset, but she doesn't say anything in response to the accusation Hinami hurls at her.

[Bad Situation]

Where did the Sun-nin get off like this? However, he would handle this respectfully and diplomatically, for the honor of his village. "I do not understand the circumstances of your anger but I will not stand for your mockery of our sensei. This is not the time for such crude displays of pride. There is work to be done and it is at the detriment of my honor should we delay it any further. " Hopefully, the Suna-nin would follow in kind.

"I of course, mean no disrespect to you and your team, Hisawa-san," he added with a clipped bow.

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Cybele just reaches out and places a hand on Yousuke's shoulder. She shakes her head as if to say that he shouldn't interfere. It's almost like she wanted to fight her own battles, but she has made no effort to resist the abuse Hinami heaped on her. Hinami herself brings up why.

"Oh, Yousuke." She sighs as she shakes her head slightly. Hinami seems to pity the young swordsman for stepping into something he didn't understand. "Don't dirty yourself by standing up for this scum." Her ever present smile lessens slightly. Not that it actively shrinks, but it grows more transparent and empty as she speaks.

"Me and her go a long ways back, and I got every right to say what I want to you, don't I?" Cybele doesn't respond, nor does she appear to acknowledge Hinami's question. Being ignored causes the suna-nin's anger to flare, and for the first time she drops the smile. "Talk to me you filthy b--" "Not here."

Cybele's firm words cut through whatever Hinami would have said, and the sora-jounin continues on. "Who I am now isn't who I was, but if you want to resolve this then it can wait until we end this mission."

[Princess Tracy]

Amon blushes oddly as the details of the seal are laid out. Her mind is always aflutter with a sick perversion at this sort of technique - the control of another. She does her best to drown it out with conscious though, regaining her composure. Genjutsu, huh? Wonder if I can figure it out? There is that one technique I'd been working on developing, pretty similar in some ways to this. As the argument with Cybele and Hinami becomes more fierce, Amon snaps, slamming her foot down as she interposes herself between her sensei and the annoying girl.

"You are the instigator here, not her, a role that is necessarily vile, and it is hardly becoming of any of us, least of all you. Drop it - for the duration of the mission at least, lest your feud compromise your duty on the basis of false trust. You are both ninja who are respected enough to be in the service, so there is no point to taunts. In fact, for the sake of the sanity of all here who don't care one iota for your grievance, do not talk to my sensei unless it is through the medium of another or critical to this mission - I believe you would do your own psyche some good to not pursue conflict, personally. Now come, there is business afoot. Business."

With that, Amon stomps forward, making to leave the village, stopping a few dozen yards from where she started to see if they were coming. She snaps her fingers, thinking to try the genjutsu out, once again mentally cataloguing everything. "Come, Yusa," she addresses the prisoner with fascination.

[zeone3000]

Houshi rubs the bridge of his nose accompanied by a low sigh, And here I was hoping for a nice, quiet journey between fellow ninjas... Build a bridge over the hatred and find some common ground. Anyone who looks up to him excepting him to come to his sensei's defense, he holds hands up and shakes his head, They are two grown kunoichi, if they can't solve their own problems... How screwed are we then? Either way, he just starts walking behind Yusa.

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke bristles at the almost-insult but backs down when he feels Cybele's hand on his shoulders. Thankfully, he manages to subdue his retort in time and huffs, turning away from the Suna team. "It is as you say Cybele-sensei. This can wait until after the mission." Yousuke sags his shoulders in shame, annoyed that his anger had once again gotten the best of him.

"I will have to redouble my discipline before this mission is through."

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Hinami regains her composure during Amon's outburst. She gives the Soragakure kunoichi an amused smirk as she barrels through her tirade. The suna-jounin seems to regard Amon as nothing more than a child sticking her nose into matters far beyond her comprehension. As Amon finishes her long speech, the suna-nin's only response is a shrug. "Done? Good. Children should be open and honest, but sticking their nose in business of their betters isn't healthy for them. Come back in ten years after you've lost some comrades, and then I'll care about your opinion."

Cybele remains quiet all throughout Amon's tirade. She neither speaks for or against her treatment by Hinami, and seems to openly ignore anything the suna-nin says or does to goad her. When Amon leaves Cybele follows her, and so does Yusa when she's beckoned. The purple-haired jounin reaches over to pat Amon on the head. "Don't interfere. I know you want to be a peacekeeper, but it's for the best if you ignore her for now."

Yusa moves to follow Amon without so much as the slightest word. She's sluggish in her movements, and seems ready to stumble at any moment. Hinami and her team follow the Sora-nin, and keep a fair distance between the two groups. Hinami's genin seem eager to engage in conversation with their increasingly distant and temperamental teacher. Your group can overhear snippets of their conversation, and they seem to be talking to her about anything but the mission at hand. Whether that's to take her mind off her personal feud with Cybele or not is yet to be seen.

---

The combined groups of Team Hinami and Team Cybele trek west through the Land of Rivers. There are no stops to rest or relax, but the trip still feels agonizingly slow. Yusa is unable to run or leap, asd so the group has to match Yusa's speed. Unfortunately, the prisoner only has two speeds: A slow stumbling pace, or a fast shambling pace, and neither are particularly quick.

The slow pace further compounds the dark atmosphere between Cybele and Hinami. Whatever Cybele did in the past has clearly irrationally infuriated the sand ninja, and Cybele herself makes no efforts or overtures to defend herself. Your jounin simply allows Hinami to say what she will, and it seems like a matter of time before Hinami starts to get physical. If Cybele truly didn't want to hear it anymore, both Yousuke and Houshi know she could simply disappear as she had in their first meeting. Yet their jounin endures for reasons she won't elaborate, and Hinami merely redirects all inquiries into the matter at Cybele.

Hinami's team, on the other hand, are much more open people. You learn their names: The lazy ninjutsu expert, Ito Sojuro, the brunette kunoichi, Matsuki Yukiko, and the bald swordsman, Shinozaki Shoin. Yukiko is affectionate and friendly with your group, asking questions about who you are, where you're from, your family, and other things. In particular she likes to talk about celebrity gossip and fashion trends. Sojuro talks about himself if asked, but volunteers no information. He seems much more comfortable talking about the weather, politics, go, and foods rather than himself. He's not quite as friendly as Yukiko, but definitely isn't as antisocial as Shoin. The tall boy with a bandage-wrapped but otherwise bald head doesn't speak unless spoken to, and even then he speaks in a blunt and unapologetic manner. He's neither openly hostile nor particularly angry with your team, but he makes it clear that you aren't friends or comrades. He views your team as the enemy, but keeps to the truce enforced by circumstances.

You find out from Yukiko that she's a hand-to-hand taijutsu user. She doesn't say what Sojuro or Shoin does, and changes the subject back to the latest fashion or celebrity gossip.

---

The sun begins to set around eight hours after the group set out from Soragakure. Unlike the ninja present, who have no need of sleep, Yusa is starting to tire and stumbles a lot more than before. Dark clouds begin to circle overhead, and the low pressure in the air warns of an impending rainstorm. Hinami calls for a stop as Yusa, and by proxy the two teams, stumbles into a small village.

"Yusa can't take much more walking without rest, and she'll vomit the drug back up if we try to feed her soldier pills. We're resting here."

Cybele looks at the Suna-nin, and receives a glare in return. She sighs, then reaches into one of the pockets on the breast of her vest. She retrieves a rolled up map, opens it, studies it for a little while, then closes it and her eyes before saying anything.

"Yusa, stop. We've arrived in Kokasou Village." The village in question appears to be quite small. A single large building dominates its center, with a series of three smaller buildings surronding that one, and a ring of much smaller houses compromising the bulk of the village. All the buildings are made of reed, and seem to have been built in another era. The village seems to be asleep, as no one can be seen in the streets but lights are on in several houses. The large building in particular seems to have several lit rooms, and probably houses their village leader.

Cybele points toward one of the larger buildings off to the side of the largest one. A sign hangs in front of the door, but it's impossible read in the dark. The only clue to its purpose is the shape of the sign: A big candle held inside a candlestick. "That's likely an inn. We'll house Yusa there, but those soldier pills will make it impossible to sleep."

Hinami crosses her arms as she turns a mirthless smile toward Cybele's team. "We'll watch her today. Your team can have tomorrow, then we'll trade off one more time before we arrive in Sunagakure." Hinami then turns to her genin and sends them toward the inn. The sand jounin follows them without saying another word to Cybele or looking back at her for confirmation.

Your jounin sighs, then looks toward your group. "In that case, you're free to do as you will until tomorrow morning. We'll be leaving at five AM sharp." She turns to Yusa, and asks the prisoner to follow her. She follows Hinami toward the inn in order to put Yusa to bed.

[Princess Tracy]

Hinami regains her composure during Amon's outburst. She gives the Soragakure kunoichi an amused smirk as she barrels through her tirade. The suna-jounin seems to regard Amon as nothing more than a child sticking her nose into matters far beyond her comprehension. As Amon finishes her long speech, the suna-nin's only response is a shrug. "Done? Good. Children should be open and honest, but sticking their nose in business of their betters isn't healthy for them. Come back in ten years after you've lost some comrades, and then I'll care about your opinion."

Cybele remains quiet all throughout Amon's tirade. So neither speaks for or against her treatment by Hinami, and seems to openly ignore anything the suna-nin says or does to goad her. When Amon leaves Cybele follows her, and so does Yusa when she's beckoned. The purple-haired jounin reaches over to pat Amon on the head. "Don't interfere. I know you want to be a peacekeeper, but it's for the best if you ignore her for now."

Yusa moves to follow Amon without so much as the slightest word. She's sluggish in her movements, and seems ready to stumble at any moment. Hinami and her team follow the Sora-nin, and keep a fair distance between the two groups. Hinami's genin seem eager to engage in conversation with their increasingly distant and temperamental teacher. Your group can overhear snippets of their conversation, and they seem to be talking to her about anything but the mission at hand. Whether that's to take her mind off her personal feud with Cybele or not is yet to be seen.

"Lose comrades!? I'll show you lost comrades, you loathsome..." before she can stoop to Hinami's level, Cybele pats Amon on the head, making her blush oddly from surprise and stifled anger. With a deep breath she regains her senses. "Using fallen comrades as ammo in a feud is so lowly..." she whispers to her sensei. "As if I've been a ninja for two years and not lost anyone." She holds up her mutilated hand. "This was the least of my losses, by a long shot," she says, her eyes misting in painful reminiscence. She falls silent for a while, wondering where her her sensei stands compared to her.


[everything else that happened]

...
en route
...

Amon behaves nicely enough to the other Genin, finding even 'the bald one' agreeable enough and wondering silently how they could bare working for such a shrew. Eventually she draws the conclusion Hinami must not normally be like this, lest her attitude eke into her subordinates. She does her best to keep Cybele's advice and ignore the other woman.

...
In town
...

"Wish I had a watch," Amon comments as the other team pulls away, her cheerful mood returning. "Maybe I could build one before we set out. Well I could try, but where would I get the materials? I don't know if I even brought the right tools for small devices like that. Well, if that doesn't pan out... hey, you two." She turns to her team-mates. "Want to do something mildly productive and exchange techniques? I have some cool abilities my last team shared that you could probably learn before we complete this journey. Like, do you know how to walk on water yet? I'll trade that technique for some basic taijutsu if you want - I need to brush up my skills with that discipline badly. I'll give a bigger technique in exchange for something more powerful though. Ooh, maybe sensei has something cool to teach us?" she turns to Cybele, her eyes twinkling hopefully. "Pretty please, sensei? If you're not doing anything? I'm kind of not very good at sensing things, is there a technique to compensate for that I could learn before we have to do guard duty? I know I certainly don't have much better to do in this town overnight."

[Bad Situation]

Rather than leave to his own devices, Yousuke decided to approach Cybele. He did not particularly trust her yet, but she definitely didn't deserve the treatment she had faced at the hands of Hinami. Also, she was their teacher. Perhaps she had something worthwhile she could teach them. Though he had been practicing his taijutsu as per his grandfather's desires his skill in the ninjutsu department was surely falling behind.

He follows Cybele and Hinami a respectable distance behind and to her right, waiting for a chance to ask questions.

[ZeroNumerous]

Cybele

Cybele shakes her head at Amon. "I'd be happy to give you pointers, but I have nothing to teach you."

[Princess Tracy]

"What?" Amon asks, taken aback. "No way, I can tell just looking at you - you're, like, a mature, sexy-spectacular, awesome jounin-ranked kunoichi, you must know dozens of cool techniques, at least a few have to be at our level." She pouts, making puppy dog eyes and batting her eyes at the older kunoichi. "I could trade you for something - my old jounin taught me this cool technique that i bet even YOU don't know, sensei." She edges closer, her clenched hands at her chin like the paws of a cat as she invades Cybele's personal space a little too much, trying to come across as cute while begging. "Pwetty pwease, sensei? Amon-chan will do whatever she can for Cybele-sensei's supa-cool techniques!"

[ZeroNumerous]

Cybele

The older woman just sighs. Normally, the praise heaped upon her would crack her calm facade and send the poor jounin into flustered hysterics. Tonight her focus is much tighter. Whether because of Hinami's constant abuse since leaving Soragakure, or some other unknown experience, Cybele speaks in a calm manner and tone as she responds to Amon's desires.

"I'm a special jounin, Amon. Do you know what that means?" She continues on without letting Amon answer. "It means that I have jounin-level skill in one area, but not jounin-level skill overall."

"I'm specialized, and it isn't in a specific area of jutsu." Cybele crosses her arms over her chest, putting an imaginary distance between herself and her genin. "I have jounin-level ability in silent killing. I can hide even when you're staring right at me. I can mimic the movements of a target and hide myself in his or her blind spot for hours at a time."

Her purple hair bounces and sways as the older woman shakes her head at Amon. "There's no chance you can replicate my technique, even if I wanted to teach you how to. As for ninjutsu: My natural chakra is Earth and Wind based, which makes me incompatible with your Lightning-based chakra. The sealing techniques and genjutsu I know aren't for children. At most I could teach you how to train your body."

[Bad Situation]

Hearing what he wanted to hear, Yousuke steps in. "Then can you teach me Cybele-sensei?" If her reason for not teaching Amon was only due to elemental incompatibility then he was in luck. Wind happened to be his only element at the moment he was looking for more ninjutsu to add to his repertoire. "I too am a wind element nor would I say no to any physical conditioning you have in mind."

[Princess Tracy]

Amon's eyes widen in fascination as Cybele tells of her ability, a stealth operative, stifling a 'SO COOL' comment before it leaves her lips at one point, being a complete geek for any legendary-level ninja skills. "It's true I'm not very good at stealth... I'll have to work on that if I want to be nearly as cool as sensei." The last comment gets to her though, shaking her a bit. "Sensei, I'm not a child you know... I may be a lot younger than you and a lot weaker, but I'm not that innocent that I can qualify as a child. Like I said before..." she holds up her hand, the one missing fingers, in mimicry of when they left the village all those hours ago.

Amon bows her head, whispering so only Cybele can hear her, whimpering a little despite her protests to being called a child. "I've lost a lot more than just this. The future of a promising, honourable shinobi, the life of honest teacher and the trust of..." she gulps, but not out of some distant romance "...the trust of a lover. And I almost lost my chance to keep being a ninja, because i was too weak to support myself, let alone anyone else. I don't want to keep being a child." She pauses, looking a little wounded as she glances to the side. "I don't know why I tell you this, except, I guess... It's been so long since I've met anyone that might understand loss, save for one man. But then, he officially doesn't exist. So I just thought sensei might understand what it means to keep trying to be better to avoid more senseless death. No one takes my duties seriously except me..."

She pulls back, suddenly shaking herself. "Whoa, ha ha," she remarks, putting on a facade of her usual light-heartedness. "Where'd that come from? Must be the Soldier Pill talking, those always did a number on me after the first few hours, ha ha! Well, sensei you should know telling me you won't teach me something because I'm a child just makes me want to learn it more" The last statement rang definitely true enough.

"You, Yosuke, Houshi," she remarks, turning on the shinobi as she holds up her cane. Tugging it, she reveals her walking can to in fact be the sheath and blade of an ornate yet functional sword. "Why don't you teach me some interesting way to use this thing and I'll teach you, oh, let's say, how to dispel genjutsu techniques. Deal?" If not stopped, Amon begins scouting out a decent spot just outside of town, preferably near a body of water, to begin training, away from the path. "Although, sensei, if that's the case, if you're a great stealth operative," she remarks, turning as she makes to walk away. "Why did you walk in plain sight the whole way? Having a jounin, even a special jounin, guarding the group from the shadows, particularly consideirng our slow pace, would have been a more effective strategic use for your talents than another hand by Yusa's side."

[ZeroNumerous]

Cybele

The team's jounin grimaces. She had forgotten that Yousuke was Wind-natured, and her own reasoning caught her. She couldn't refuse to train him, but there wasn't a way to keep her secret much longer. A soft smile creeps onto the jounin's lips as she formulates a plan.

"It'd be rude to teach you something that the others couldn't participate in, so we'll have a group training session."

When Amon talks about why Cybele had been in the open, the jounin doesn't respond at first. A soft smile graces the jounin's lips as she seems to contemplate how to respond. A few seconds after Amon finishes, Cybele just shrugs as if to brush off the question. Then she steps to the side. Behind her stands... herself. Another Cybele is hidden within the jounin's own shadow. The second woman mirrors the exact stance of the first, and sounds just like her as she speaks.

"It was easier to use my clone", the "clone" says, "to make it look as if I was in the open." With you now looking directly at her, your jounin reverts to her more common personality. A light blush overtakes her, and she adjusts her glasses.

"B-Besides, if I hadn't been visible, then the sand ninja would have gotten suspicious. I-It was easier this way." She probably just didn't want to hear Hinami's not-so-subtle jabs anymore, and started switching places with her clone at some point.

Cybele's clone explodes in a burst of smoke. Once the smoke clears you notice that the original is the only one left. "Well, I'll teach you Yousuke. We'll have to train outside the village, since we don't want to bother the natives." The clone's disappearance seemed to have allowed Cybele to regain her composure, and she speaks plainly to Yousuke. She then turns to Amon.

"Amon, Houshi; You'll both need to do some self-study if I'm teaching him. I'm pretty sure you can find some private space over on the other side of the village."

[Princess Tracy]

At Cybele's little display of her mastery, Amon's flair finally and truthfully returns. She clasps her hands together, her knees bending and hips waving to and fro in fascinated excitement. "HA, I knew it! I figured something was up when you just stood in the open an let yourself be insulted, in addition to the general strategic overlooking it would take. That's just awesome, sensei!" She bursts out laughing. "If nothing else I think you can teach me something for strategies; Cybele's 12 step lessons To Sound Transportation of Prisoners While Avoiding Annoying Hags! Ah, spending the rest of the night knowing someone else is getting your special training is almost worth it for that one reveal. God, I love being right, sometimes!"

"Come, Houshi," she orders, finding some rough terrain away from the village's line of sight or earshot. As she leaves, she says "We'll meet back here at quarter to 5 then, deal?"

Once alone with Houshi, she starts flexing, preparing herself for a much needed workout. "So, want to exchange techniques? What are you decent with? I'll assume Taijutsu from that nice weapon you have there, whihc I'm quite lacking in so a pointer wouldn't go amiss. I have a fair few techniques in chakra control and genjutsu I could teach you, but my specialisation is ninjutsu. What say you, would you care to exchange training o train by yourself?"

Yes, I know Houshi has CCD, but Amon doesn't. if nothing else it should be a decent icebreaker.

[Bad Situation]

Before Yousuke moves to follow Cybele he glances at Amon and regards her calmly before shaking his head and cryptically responding, "The blade of the Konpaku style is is a blade forged in the heat of battle, borne by men and women who die by the sword."

With that said and done, Yousuke followed at his sensei's heels, like an overeager dog.

[ZeroNumerous]

Yousuke

Yousuke follows Cybele out of earshot and sight range of the village. The duo head into a small clearing, but they aren't alone. Yousuke and Cybele find a suna-genin--the bald swordboy Shinozaki Shoin--standing at the ready. His arms are crossed and he's glaring at the intruders. He doesn't seem to have been training at all. Shoin looks toward Yousuke directly, and doesn't seem to address or notice Cybele at all. "What're you doing here? Don't you have guard duty tonight?"

Amon and Houshi

Amon and Houshi head off on their own in a seemingly random direction. They arrive in a small clearing, but they aren't alone. A pair are already in the clearing, and they seem incredibly close together. They seem to ignore the approach of Amon and Houshi. Since neither sora-genin is terribly stealthy, you can infer that they're just too busy to notice. As the sora-genin get closer they discover that the pair are two suna-genin--Yukiko and Sojuro--and they seem to be making out. It's not terribly odd to see, but it's strange that those genin aren't guarding Yusa.

[Bad Situation]

Realizing that Cybele was not going to make an appearance, Yousuke decided to take the first word, "Hinami-san told us that your team would be watching the rebel today and that our own was free to do as we pleased." This sounded remarkably fishy, no doubt Cybele was suspecting something too. "Then I believe the more appropriate question is, what are you doing away from your post?" he asked distrustfully.

[Princess Tracy]

"W-What the..." Amon fades out of her conversation with Houshi as they draw close enough to see the genin. "Normally I wouldn't begrudge a couple of kids getting frisky on their offtime, but tonight they're supposed to...!"

Think, think, Amon... if these two are here, that means there is a maximum of two people guarding Yusa of the expected eight, meaning our defences will never be weaker than they are right now, but there's more than that. This is well outside the boundaries of the village or anywhere near they agreed to guard her - she insisted on taking the guard duty, right? But there's a diferent between a couple of youngsters slipping in a quick snog in another room and them being WELL outside anywhere serviceable to their duty and at their liesure... in other words, their duty in their minds is already sufficient, but what could convince them of such a ludicrous notion? Did their jounin dismiss them? What honest intentions could she possibly bring to bear being alone with the prisoner - for if these two are dismissed, why not the other one. Is this some kind of trick? A genjutsu? Perhaps some delusion genjutsu is upon them? Wait, in that case, at what point were my perceptions influenced? When we made those arrangements, is it possible that both teams were told the other would guard Yusa? Perhaps they are not there but there is ambush for us...? Hinami is the only one in that group who can use Yusa's genjutsu to order her if I'm correct. Forget it, step 1 is doing everything in my power to clear these perceptions!

Step 1: Amon performs the Genjutsu Kai technique at the cost of 2 points of her 6 points of temporary chakra from the soldier pill, targeting herself
Dispel Check [roll0]
Step 2: She scans the area with her Sense Chakra ability for the better part of a mnute, just long enough to detect any genjutsu tampering hopefully, if there is any (though knowing whatever genjutsu has occured has already taken effect)

Amon stomps her foot, readying her guard, her hand grasping the hilt of her sword hard. "Yukiko, what on earth are you doing out here!? I don't care what you do with Soujiro on your spare time, but you're on guard duty, are you NOT?! Where is Hinami? Where is Yusa?! TELL ME!" Her voice is furious, having just made a thousand deductions and possible conclusions, and none of them as simple as two kids fooling around. "Who is watching Yusa!?"

[ZeroNumerous]

Yousuke

The swordsman looks confused, but his stance doesn't change. "What are you talking about? Hinami said your group would take care of things." He seems to think for a moment, and after some internal monologue or deliberation he finally looks at Yousuke and says.

"Your teacher must have done something to Hinami-sensei. She dismissed us after telling us that Cybele would take guard duty, which means she was deceived or caught in a genjutsu. Your teacher isn't here, and you just happened to know exactly where I was planning to train at."

His eyes narrow as he takes stock of Yousuke. Luckily the young genin's less-than-bulky frame causes Shoin to underestimate him. The suna-nin draws both his ninja-to as he drops into a defensive stance. "So how should I take this Yousuke? Because right now, I think you're here to kill me, and I certainly hope that's the truth. But you could just be a patsy of your jounin's machinations, and I don't wanna fight you if you're just a pawn."

Yousuke gets a distinct feeling of being alone here. Not because the suna-nin left, but because his burgeoning combat instincts tell him that his back is open. Wherever Cybele went, she certainly wasn't backing Yousuke up right now.

[zeone3000]

Feeling like a dog on a short leash, Houshi is dragged along with Amon, mainly couldn't get a word edge wise. He clearly stated when they first met (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13721704&postcount=94) that he isn't capable of performing let alone learning anything he could show him. Though, he didn't feel comfortable letting her wander off alone, even if she is a kunoichi.

Once he see's the two suna-genin in exchange of passion, he immediately turns around and heads back to the inn, Not what I wanted to see tonight...

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke barks a harsh laugh and draws his sword in kind. The enemy was clearly taking him lightly, but his claims of their village's deception left him blistering. "Oh, as if the team led by an ex-missing nin from Iwa could preach of betrayal."

He was angry, more angry than he had been in some time, and not just because of the implications the Suna nin was placing before him. Still, he would attempt to keep this diplomatic if he could help it. "Make no mistake, I do not wish to fight here but I will not take your disparaging remarks lightly. I am no traitor nor is my team. If you will not look past your prejudices I will be forced to subdue you."

"I do not know whatever pathetic styles they teach in Suna, but the Konpaku Style knows no peer."

[ZeroNumerous]

Amon

Amon's shouts elicit a gasp from Yukiko, and the two suna-nin separate instantly. At first both look much like one expects teenagers caught in the act to look, but then Yukiko's ninja training kicks in. She takes the most logical conclusion--that there's something wrong where Yusa is--and throws it right out the window.

"I knew it! You guys were just gonna spy on us. Well, if you think you're gonna tell anybody then you've got another thing coming!" Yukiko unnaturally assumes you were there to eavesdrop and report to either her teacher or your own. She immediately adopts a fighting stance, but Sojuro just covers his face with his palm at Yukiko's utterly random conclusion. The young man puts his hand on Yukiko's shoulder to hold her still, then addresses Amon.

"What are you doing here? Did something happen to Yusa?"

Houshi

Houshi should be able to make it back to the inn in a minute if he walks, or about if he runs. He hears Amon shouting behind him, and can clearly hear Yukiko's response, but not Sojuro's statement.

Yousuke

A wild grin takes over Shoin's face. He was clearly ready for the fight, and certainly wouldn't take his words back if it meant not getting into a battle. "Haha! Coming from you, that's amazing." He adopts a low stance, and gets ready for Yousuke to do something first.

"Hinami-sensei told us all about your teacher. She was an Iwa-nin too you know. Spent years in their ANBU team, until she gets the hots for some guy and leaves. Not after carving up her team, of course." Unlike Yousuke there's no anger in Shoin's voice. He's more jovial, and seems almost happy that he gets to fight a swordsman from another village. Even so, Shoin knew the value of psychological warfare and took another shot at Yousuke.

"So I guess she's moving on from your little village now. The way I see it, she's fooled you into fighting me so she can swoop in and kill the winner."

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke faintly recognized that the Suna nin was goading him but instead of rising to the bait, he chose to respond to the swordsman's insults with his own. "You Suna nin may know nothing of loyalty, but in Soragakure we are loyal til the end. I have my reasons to doubt my sensei, but these fears are nothing in front of the loyalty I owe her as my jonin-sensei."

Yousuke slid into a comfortable stance of his own and watch the swordsman carefully.

[zeone3000]

Houshi comes to halt to Yukiko's shouts, "Tch... those bastards!" He turns around, draws his blade and sprints back to Amon's side, "Don't worry! I'm comin'!"

[Princess Tracy]

"We've been had," Amon says simply, her words lacking any feeling as they escape her mouth, the dry conclusion of it all sickening her before she launches into a tirade. "Something has meddled with out perceptions, it is as I feared - both teams believe the other was on duty to watch over the prisoner, and so, nobody is. I suspect some genjutsu has meddled with out perception, though by who exactly I don't know. Hinami, Cybele, one of our fellow genin, any number of ninjas who have stalked us from the wilderness, who knows?! By my recollection, Hinami insisted taking first night's watch with your team. I am beginning to wonder if this tripe was even necessary. We must make haste - if some external force has led both groups away from out prisoner, they have a ten minute head start to escaping - even at Yusa's pace, the probability distribution of their location grows thinner by the second. Or worse - if this is an inside job, tehy could be working to remove Yusa's bindings, making our objective nigh-impossible. I ask you again, where is Hinami!?"

As Houshi hurtles back towards her, Amon holds up a hand in ceasefire to him. "We seek not conflict - whoever initiates conflict now would be the ultimate crafter of our downfall. Houshi, we've been tricked, Yusa is unguarded. I don't think these two are responsible - both teams believe equally teh other was to guard her... DAMMIT!" She stomps her foot, readying herself to dash towards the inn, but thinking better of it. there was no reason for ANYONE to be there, no one had to rest after all...

[ZeroNumerous]

Houshi and Amon

Houshi's reappearance while brandishing that giant slab of steel he calls a sword incites Yukiko further. "They're attacking. Sojuro, cover me!" She charges toward Amon! Sojuro seems a bit confused, and was hoping to get an answer to his question, but Yukiko's quick anger would only ruin their chances. He yells out to stop her.

"Stop you idiot!" Yukiko skids as she tries to stop, but then falls forward and barrels head first into the ground. She turns around to look at Sojuro, and sniffles a little.

"I'm not an idiot. Jerk."

When Amon clarifies her thoughts, Sojuro confirms that he was having the same idea.

"Hinami-sensei told us that your team would take the first watch. Then your teacher brought Yusa with us to the inn. Hinami left with us, then went to train Shoin independently. We--Uh, well, you saw what we were doing."

Sojuro looks at Yukiko and blushes, and the kunoichi just smiles back at him.

"Hinami would never do something like this, so I can only believe that your teacher or an unknown third party is the culprit. Logically, the simple answer is usually the best, so your teacher is likely a traitor."

Yousuke

Shoin makes no overtly threatening gestures so long as Yousuke doesn't either. "The only loyalty in Sunagakure is to family and friends. Hinami-sensei is a dear friend, so I refuse to believe she would ever do this. If it isn't her, then the only other person sufficiently proficient with genjutsu to fool everyone has to be on your team."

[zeone3000]

Houshi sheathes his blade with a long clang, glaring at Sojuro, "You can throw accusations around all night or we can go and find out." With that, he turns back around and dashes towards the inn once again. Though, he puts a little more into it, trying to get there first, I refuse to believe it just yet.

He activates speed rank 1 for 40 ft move, ie 160 ft run. Get's there in 2 rounds.

[Princess Tracy]

"We'll decide who the culprit is when we catch them," Amon says simply, thrashing her head with her fingers in an odd attempt at mental enhancement. "Perhaps all signs points towards Cybele, but that information is taking up unnecessary space in my thought filtration, so I can hardly account for it..."

"Dammit... okay, who here can track? No, that wouldn't work... We were clearly affected by a genjutsu of some sort, but the key is the more powerful it is, the more uncertain any information we have is. However, using multiple instances of a genjustu on so many people presents increasing possible instances of failure, particularly with multiple jouning. Therefore, a more simple technique would suffice... Transformation Technique to impersonate Cybele and escort the prisoner to the inn, then? yes, if we weren't there then a singel operative must have.... In which case they must have spent at least a minute there before Hinami was pleased with accomodation, meaning... dammit! Wait, Hinami willingly left a jounin she didn't trust alone with teh prisoner? Unlikely, nonetheless..."

Amon spoke so quickly her entire last series of deductions fit into about 10 seconds, throughout which she prepared various pieces of equipment. "Desperate times call for desperate measures - with no jounin around, you'll jsut have to trust my judgement. Houshi, you and Yukiko go find Shoin, NOW! Loverboy, you're with me!" With that order Amon sets out immediately, running and making a beeline for the inn, hoping her designated companion followed her.

When she is within maximum range, that is to say, about 80 feet of the inn, she grinds to a halt, casting her sword cane aside as she gathers her hand seals. "I hope this bang and light show is loud enough to get everyone's attention - if there is a genjutsu user strong enough to fool two paranoid jounin, we'll need all the help we can get. Raitin: Rakurai no Jutsu!" She conjures lightning, hitting the upper broadside of the inn, arcing the hit upwards to get everyone's attention as thuner crashes and the lightning flashes, that brief instance of light filling potentially teh whole town. Hopefully Cybele and the other's take notice of a technique of that magnitude being used so far into a civilian area. If there was any villain in the building they'd also be alerted to her presence, though she was quite sure she only struck the roof, likely hurting no one. At the very least, if concentration was required, she intended to break it.

Attack action to use Lightning Bolt Technique, at the cost 4 temporary and 1 reguilar chakras. I only hoipe thunder and lightning is enough to grab at least Cybele's attention, since that's the whole point of this technique here.

That done, she continues charging straight for the inn, crashing through the front door as she steps onto the landing of the place. "YUSA, IF YOU'RE HERE, SHOW YOURSELF!"

[Bad Situation]

He somehow doubted that Cybele was behind this, and despite his statements to the contrary he didn't believe that Hinami was responsible either. Cybele herself had admitted her specialty in silent killing, meaning she was not jonin level in Genjutsu. How skilled could a Suna jonin be if they could be fooled by meager genjutsu. Not wishing to disclose Cybele's information to the Suna nin he reworded her admission, "Cybele-sensei is not specialized in Genjutsu and I must doubt that the genin on my team are even capable of fooling a jonin with an illusion."

Turning his focus on the Suna nin's other statement he added, "And if loyalties in Suna are to family and friends, then are you not insinuating that your own team is a group of potential traitors? I know for fact that we are not friends, after all."

[ZeroNumerous]

Yousuke

The suna-nin tenses as he prepares himself. Clearly they weren't going to solve things with words, and Shoin wasn't the type to back down anyway. "You're right. My team certainly would kill yours if they were in danger. But Hinami told us to work with you." Shoin grits his teeth as he psyches himself up to betray his jounin's orders.

"But we're not gonna solve things like this. You have your belief, and I have mine. So we'll just let our swords decide who's right and who's wrong."

But an explosion of light emanates from the village before Shoin can move to attack. He's completely taken aback, but the sound of the thunder afterward tells both ninja that it was lightning. Yousuke knows that Amon has lightning-natured chakra.

"So you were just here to keep me busy!" Shoin charges toward Yousuke.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c26/ZeroNumerous/YousukeBattle.png
Light Green: Grass
Dark Green: Trees. Can be hidden in. They range from 20ft to 30ft tall.
Gray: Yousuke.
Red: Shoin.

Shoin charges. Yousuke is not flat-footed, as he was expecting combat.

Shoin's Attack Roll: [roll0]
Damage Roll: [roll1]

Amon and Houshi

Yukiko and Sojuro follow Houshi immediately after he leaves. Not that anyone would disparage Amon's planning abilities, or the plan itself, but the sense of urgency in the situation meant acting rather than waiting. All four genin arrive within eighty feet of the inn within twelve seconds. Amon's giant lightning bolt destroys the roof, and stops Yukiko and Sojuro in their tracks. Sojuro yells at the sky-nin.

"You idiot! What if Hinami had been in there?!"

The roof where Amon had struck collapses and catches on fire. It seems like the building will just burn down, but one of the walls explodes before it does. The pressure wave blasts the flames back, and a familiar woman steps out from behind them and into view.

The darkly tanned woman looks like she'd been raised in an area where the sun beat down on her everyday. She was beautiful in the right light, but the glow from the flames of the inn wasn't it. Her bright jade eyes narrow as she glares down her sharp nose at the quartet of genin standing in the road. Her glittering black dress, modeled in a more western style with a plunging neckline, seems to ignore the powerful wind kicking up. A black colored gourd marked with the kanji for "Forgotten" covers her back. She hops down, and two others follow her. She's wearing a Sunagakure headband, likely the one Hinami had been wearing, but the symbol has been scratched out.

The first is a woman you're familiar with, Hinami, but she's changed out her Sunagakure headband for an Iwagakure one with a scar running through the symbol. The second is a light skinned redheaded woman wearing a beautiful dark green qipao embroidered with twin scarlet dragons. Her lithe form is much more of a dancer's form, but Houshi's growing combat instincts warn him of a great deal of danger from that woman. She's probably some kind of fighter, because the only other ninja to give him this feeling was Cybele. She wears a headband with Konohagakure's leaf on it, but hers is also scratched out.

Hinami's genin are understandably upset, and Yukiko shouts out.

"Why's she free? What's going on Hinami-sensei?" The ex-Iwa ninja just shrugs. She knew full well what was going on, and so did Yukiko. But Hinami simply didn't feel like answering, or refused to answer as to spare the younger girl's feelings. Regardless of which one, Yusa interrupts any further attempt to talk.

"We should get going." Hinami scoffs. "I want to watch that Sora bitch burn." She's just waved off by Yusa, as if to tell her to do whatever she wanted, before the ex-Suna ninja leaves. The huge guy from Kirigakure followers her, but the ex-Leaf ninja and Hinami remain behind. Hinami turns to watch the inn burn, but the redheaded ninja just watches the four genin.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c26/ZeroNumerous/Amon-HoushiBattle.png
Light Green - Grass
Light Brown - Dirt
Dark Brown - Inn
Red - Fire
Dark Blue - Hinami
Dark Red - Houshi
Light Blue - Amon
Gold - Sojuro
Dark Green - Leaf Ninja
Yellow - Yukiko

Initiative rolls if you wanna fight. Otherwise, Hinami and the unknown ninja

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke nimbly evades the Suna nin's sword stroke, dodging with the barest of movements, and somehow sniffs arrogantly, "I suppose that's the extent of your abilities th-."

Before Yousuke can continue he remembered something Cybele had said about the loudmouth earlier that day:


which makes me incompatible with your Lightning-based chakra.

Eying Shoin, Yousuke decides on a truce. "There is something going on here that we have yet to see. Regardless of your personal feelings on the matter that flash of light means trouble and I intend to investigate. If you will not comply to a truce then I will investigate it, with your unconscious body slung over my back."

[ZeroNumerous]

Yousuke

A growl escapes from the sand ninja's lips. "How do I know this isn't some kind of trick? You sheathe your sword first, then I'll consider it."

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke shrugged at the suggestion, "Fine."

In any other scenario, Yousuke's pride would not have let him sheathe his blade in the middle of a battle. A clash between two swordsman was typically one of honor and dignity, but there was no honor in fighting a supposed ally while one's own team was in danger. It had hardly been a battle at all, merely a Suna genin's attempt at a slash. Rationalizing it like so, Yousuke sheathed his fine katana, but did not let himself tense.

Besides, if the Suna nin did plan on betraying him there was nothing stopping him from drawing it once more.

[zeone3000]

Houshi gaze narrows on the redhead, hand already on his hilt, No visible weapon, exuding blood lust... Definitely an unarmed taijutsu user. He heaves a heavy sigh, "I doubt we can convince you to let us rescue Cybele from some horrible burns and possibly death?"

Init: [roll0]

[ZeroNumerous]

Yousuke

The boy holds up his end of the bargain, and looks toward the village. "Alright then. Truce until we find out what's going on." The sand ninja starts running that way.

Shoin will arrive on the third round since he isn't using speed ranks. Assuming Yousuke runs, then he'll arrive onith speed ranks, Yousuke will arrive on the second round. Without them, Yousuke will arrive on the third turn.

Houshi

The girl in the green qipao just looks at Houshi with a confused look plastered across her face. "I won't stop you, but she might." She jerks an upturned thumb in Hinami's general direction. "And I can't let her get hurt."

Hinami continues to ignore the group of genin in favor of watching the fire.

[Bad Situation]

Feeling a sense of urgency, Yousuke unsuppresses his latent speed, and takes off through the forest and toward the fire.

Unsupress Speed Rank 2

[Princess Tracy]

Eyeing the situation, taking everything in, Amon says through gritted teeth, not taking her eyes off the unambiguous enemies, "In response to your question, Sojuro; I calculated that if either sensei was in that building, there was at least a 70% chance they were traitors. If they were alone, that number well exceeded 90%. I played the numbers. And I must retract my earlier statement, Houshi; I hate being right."

I knew it. A third operative and Hinami working together is easily the simplest solution. The redhead could have taken Cybele's form to accompany her to the inn, but then that resolves nothing owing to the fact the 3 sand-genin didn't seem to hear the conversation of - WHAT DOES IT MATTER, focus! The third operative, Konoha, scratched out headband, same as Hinami. Doubtless both missing-nin - partners? Or more? To be trusted with such a mission deep undercover, either lover or keen organisation. Two woman with nothing in common leave teir respective ninja clans and are seen at a crime working together many years later - only two conclusions, most likely involving organization, unlikely just containing these two, of likeminded missing-nin, those who draw a sense of common ground from their pure betrayal of the ideals they were expected to embody as ex-ninja. Does that mean there are more operatives in the area? Or among our numbers? Cybele... there couldn't be more than one, and my strategy of holding back from the shadows in case something goes wrong certainly seemed up her alley, yet I doubt Cybele is responsible. Rather, there may still be an operative unseen - though the odds of there being more than just one are extremely unlikely. Four person groups are optimal in tactical situations, perhaps an even smaller number in espionage - more group members present means a higher chance of being discovered. What is Cybele's relationship to the group then - a deserter of the deserters? Or simply an old feud? Was she at all related to this? From the state of teh headband, I'd say they came out to recruit Yusa to their ranks - why wouldn't she join? I think I may have seen a man.. dammit, Yusa's outside my range. Forget it, you wouldn't be able to combat her anyway. Focus on salvaging, as planned. I was prepared to try and outmaneuvre Yusa and Hinami, in teh hopes that the tactical knowledge of Hinami her subordinates would have and Yusa's weakening by her only recently released state would allow us to in some way get the drop on them if we had to fight two people of their power. But this third face is throwing me off entirely - there is little we know of her except what we can deduce - and we certainly don't have the drop on anyone now, perhaps that's my fault but there's no time to dwell on a strategic move's bugs. Speaking of...

Where is Cybele? Did Hinami just say she was 'watching the bitch burn'? There's only so many people she would take such joy from watching the suffering of, but what if it's a bluff? Then again why bother bluffing to gain the upper hand on US? If Cybele isn't incapacitated, should I try and keep them talking long enough for her to get here so that we might make good our escape? What are the odds of us being allowed to walk away? I haven't learned the art of speed as the others know it - running now would be an exercise in entirely surrendering myself to their mercy to not chase me. Do they really need us dead? We ARE witnesses, but do they care about reputation? If Hinami was wiling to be discreet, she'd stick to her regular uniform, or at least wear a mask - their group may want the prestige taht comes with this little jailbreak. If Cybele is incapacitated, she is almost certainly in immediate mortal peril and unable to be saved under her own power, but if she couldn't defend herself, what chance do we have of saving her? Could we even be expected to? Would she want us to take the risk?

If their eyes were off us for even a second, and if we knew precisely that Cybele was in that room, I could perhaps have a decent way of saving her... Hinami certainly seems distracted, trusting her companion to watch her, not expecting four lowly genin, children to be a threat to the two of them...

As Houshi makes ready to do battle to save Cybele, Amon grumbles, seeing their fate already decided. Was telling him to wait even an option? Might as well make the most of it - he seemed capable enough, she supposed, at least to draw the Konoha's attention. She was thinking on her feet, hardly an exercise she appreciated as she felt death drawing near. "You know, part of me hoped this was a training exercise - entirely illusory. Our two sensei bicker all day and seem to betray by night, leaving their genin to act at their own discretion as a test, however ridiculously high stakes. Far too late for that now." She forces an obscene chuckle. She doesn't exactly speak loud enough that Hinami will exactly hear her, it's more a sort of angered whisper. "Was there ever a need to rest her here? No, you just needed ten minutes alone to release her seal, explain the terms to her and move out before any one was any the wiser. Cunning, though I would critise the finer points of your plan; I would have waited more than half a day's slow waddle way from Sogakure, when you were further away and harder to track from either village. I wonder, was there ever a need to transport Yusa? Bit suspicious - two low ranked groups of genin and two jounin, both some sort of missing nin, assigned this task when both villages are too shorthanded to oppose such a plan... Maybe I got lucky and that lightning bolt at least slightly disturbed your plans. Or maybe it..." A thought occurs. Was her technique responsible for incapacitating Cybele!? Guilt and frustration anew course through her veins.

Our only possible use here would be to save Cybele's life, but Hinami almost certainly won't leave until she's finished burning to death. Wait a second, if she could fool Hinami all day, why not now? Actually, on the concept of trickery, I may have just the right Genjutsu. It's close range though, and a jounin may see right through it. Though I wonder if her willingness to believe it would affect her resistance to the effect? If she's dying in there, I'll need 30 seconds to have a chance of getting her on her feet - I won't be able to drag her away very far if she's unconscious. If she is on her feet in there and waiting for an opportunity, i could cast lightning to grab their attention, but they may even ignor ethat... but I only need the attention of one. And if Cybele is beyond saving, unable to help or whatever else, our best option would be to split off and run as hard and fast as we can to get back to town, report what's happened and possibly get backup - they can't get all of us. perhaps there is a compromise between those plans - if some of us leave as if to run, we'll create an opening, hopefully, in which i can retrieve Cybele. But is it worth it to try? Do I even stand a chance?

I've decided to withhold taking any actions until I discuss my plans with the group OOC, or at least until my next post if I'm not patient enough for that.

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Hinami continues to stare at the spreading fire, and makes no move to defend herself or even acknowledge the presence of the genin. Clearly she sees them as so far beneath her that they pose no possible threat. The leaf nin on the other hand takes their appearance much more seriously. She moves closer to Hinami and adopts a defensive fighting stance.

Sojuro looks toward Amon. "It seems I was wrong. We can't hope to recapture Yusa, so we should flee while we can."

Yukiko yells at Hinami. "We trusted you! Hinami-sensei, why?! Why would...!" She grits her teeth and seems ready to do something incredibly stupid.

The crackling flames rise higher and higher as a spiderweb of red spreads throughout the structure. There's no screaming or yelling from within, nor does anyone run out. Clearly whomever had been working during the night was already dead, and whether Cybele is inside or not remains to be seen. Another beam collapses, and the inn's lowest walls bulge out slightly as the weight of the upper floors rest unevenly on the roof of the first floor.

Yousuke

The sky-nin and his sand-nin companion will arrive within a scant few seconds, but both of them can already see the burning inn and several people standing around in front of it. "Yusa was in that inn. What's going on? Could an enemy have attacked, or is it betrayal from within?"

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c26/ZeroNumerous/Amon-HoushiBattle-1.png

Light Green - Grass
Light Brown - Dirt
Dark Brown - Inn
Red - Fire
Dark Blue - Hinami
Dark Red - Houshi
Light Blue - Amon
Gold - Sojuro
Dark Green - Leaf Ninja
Yellow - Yukiko

Unknown Initiative roll:[roll0]
Hinami Initiative roll: [roll1]
Sojuro Initiative roll: [roll2]
Yukiko Initiative roll: [roll3]

Hinami does nothing. Unknown leaf nin enters an unknown taijutsu stance (DC 21 Taijutsu check to identify) and readies an action to defend Hinami.

[zeone3000]

Houshi closed his eyes and ready himself with a deep breath. His muscles bulged as he summoned his full strength and lunged forward, blade over head, "Hokujutsu..." He brings it down in viscous fashion but with little accuracy, Damn it! Not the time.

Moves 5' NE, 35' North, auto passes check and uses HJ: Daibutsu.

Hit Points: 29/29
Chakra Pool: 22/23 0/5
Chakra Reserve: 8/8
Armour Class: 13
Ongoing Effects: Str Rank 1 (1/5), Spd Rank 1 (3/5)

Hokujutsu: Daibutsu
Attack: [roll0]
Damage Roll: [roll1] [roll2]
Chakra Cost: 4

If it hits, DC 23 Fort Save or she's knocked prone.

[Princess Tracy]

Amon nods at Sojuro's evaluation. He's right, we need to get out of here. If Cybele is dying my chances of saving her from this position are nill anyway; if we can make them give chase I might be able to at least circle around, and I don't think a woman of her stature, taht knew the risks and responsibilities, would want her subordinates to die on a hunch. She rests a hand on Yukiko's shoulder. "Get a hold of yourself. If we do anything rash, we'll all die and they'll escape into the night," she instructs her. "Come on, well use the duplicatioon technique and scatter, meeting back at Sogakure - it may not be neutral ground, but it's the closest friendly territory. As long as we remain calm, we'll - WAIT, WHAT NOOOOO!" Amon screams from surprise and frustration as Houshi charges forward. "NOW YOU'RE ASSERTIVE!? WHY WOULD YOU -!?"

Damn it, just after they line up perfectly, now he's in the cross hairs... Guess I'll have to do this the hard way. "Swim or sink time, you two," she addresses the sand-nin. "Either use duplication technique to cover your retreat and run as fast as you can, or follow my lead and see if you can help me keep your former teacher distracted."

Amon bursts forward, closely following Houshi, her heart feeling like it was about to explode - looking calm being about all she can muster. Trying to remain close behind him, she tosses overarm a smoke bomb she'd had in hand since they'd emerged from the inn. The smoke is aimed to shroud the ten foot cube containing the two enemy ninjas. "Houshi, get ready to pull back you impulsive bastard!" Sensei, if you were waiting for an opening, I hope that smokescreen qualifies... please...

Initiative 16
Move action to go 30 feet north, then standard action to toss smoke bomb. Amon should come up just behind Houshi, using him as a wall between her frail self and the enemy ninja

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Amon's smoke bomb signals the beginning of an orgy of violence. As soon as it explodes Hinami and her leaf-nin friend dash out of it.

The leaf-nin steps dodges Houshi's swing, then her hand shoots out and strikes the genin's wrist. Her other hand follows the first, but grips the handle of his massive blade instead of striking the genin himself. In a single flurry of movement she's twisted the giant blade out of Houshi's hands and into her own. She plants the blade point-first into the ground then uses it to pole vault herself up to kick the young genin in the chest. She drops the fullblade afterward, then steps on it and resumes her stance--practically daring Houshi to try and take it back.

"Good try", the leaf-nin says in a songbird's voice, "but what can you do without that giant slab of steel?"

Yukiko shrugs off Amon's hand after Houshi charges in. "There's no way I'd run!" She charges in toward the green ninja and launches herself into the air for a flying kick. Yukiko's kick meets the leaf-nin's extended hands as she blocks the sand-ninja's foot. Yukiko lands beside Houshi, then looks toward the giant ninja. "Even if we aren't friends, I've still got your back for now."

Sojuro laughs to himself. "We wouldn't get away fast enough anyway." He moves closer, draws a kunai with an exploding tag already wrapped around it, then charges the tag.

Hinami finally turns to recognize the genin's presence, and starts to pull of a technique when a blur of motion shoots out from the burning building. Her technique is interrupted by an iron spike stabbing into her left arm. The "kunai", if it could be called that, is a thick slab of slivery-white steel sharpened to a point, but lacks any discernible grip. The spike's attached to a very long chain that Houshi would recognize as the same chains Cybele had worn when you met. In fact, the jounin in question appears behind Hinami with a pair of these strange kunai in hand.

Whatever technique Hinami was going to attempt had been stopped by Cybele. Cybele tenses up as she gets ready for whatever Hinami is planning to do next.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c26/ZeroNumerous/Amon-HoushiBattle-2.png

Light Green - Grass
Light Brown - Dirt
Dark Brown - Inn
Red - Fire
Dark Blue - Hinami
Dark Red - Houshi
Light Blue - Amon
Gold - Sojuro
Dark Green - Leaf Ninja
Yellow - Yukiko
Light Gray - Smoke
Dark Gray - Yousuke
Pink - Shoin
Purple - Cybele

Initiative order:
Unknown Leaf Ninja - 22
Amon - 16
Hinami - 11
Cybele - 10 [Readied action]
Houshi - 10
Sojuro - 10 [Delayed]
Yukiko - 9

Whew, lots of stuff going on this round. Yousuke and Shoin arrive at the bottom of the map, and may act on their initiative count on this turn.

Leaf-nin five-foot-steps into range of Houshi then attempts to disarm Houshi. She does not provoke an AoO due to Improved Disarm.
Unknown Disarm Attempt: [roll0] vs Houshi's Disarm Check: [roll1] (Houshi gets +9 for BAB+STR, +4 for being large, +8 for his weapon being huge, and +3 from Strength Rank 1 for a total of +24). If the leaf nin succeeds, she drops his weapon at her feet. If she fails, then Houshi is unable to counter-disarm due to her Improved Disarm feat.
Unknown Unarmed Attack: [roll2] to hit vs Houshi's AC of 13.
Unknown Damage Roll: [roll]1d8+10[roll]. 18 damage (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13743098&postcount=335).

Yukiko does a charging unarmed attack vs the leaf-nin.
Attack Roll: [roll3]
Damage Roll: [roll4]

Yukiko designates Houshi as the target of her Guardian's Mind ability, and grants him a +2 circumstance bonus to AC for 2 rounds.

Sojuro draws a kunai with a lesser paper bomb on it as he moves, then charges the paper bomb with one charge.
Chakra Control check: [roll5] vs DC 10.

Cybele makes a charge out of the burning building vs Hinami.
Attack Roll: [roll6]
Damage Roll: [roll7] Kunai + [roll8] Sneak Attack.

Hinami attempts a technique, but is interrupted by Cybele. She has a +3 Concentration check, so I won't even bother to roll.

Results
Leaf Nin potential AC: ~27
Damage Dealt: 10.

Hinami potential AC: ~31
Damage Dealt: 14.

[Princess Tracy]

Amon resists the temptation to cheer as Cybele appears, knowing that hardly means they're out of danger yet. If that second kunoichi wasn't here, defeating Hinami might be easily doable, all things considered. She's certainly physically threatening, but I wonder if she's the biggest threat... If I could back up Cybele, she might be able overwhelm Hinami so we can refocus ourselves, but in those few moments who knows what might happen to the Genin engaging the enemy Kunoichi. But if CYBELE is overwhelmed, our only chance at victory will vanish. I would shoot a dart filled with poison right in Hinami's ass and hope for the best, but even she's not distracted enough for that to work and I might hit Cybele from this angle.

As she sees Yosuke approach, she recalculates her odds. She does her best to shout the situation over to him as quickly as possible. "HINAMI IS A CONSPIRATOR - SHE'S RELEASED YUSA AND HAS BACKUP, A KONOHA ABANDONER. SAND-GENIN DIDN'T KNOW, ALLIES - CYBELE innoce-.. NOT GUILTY. ENGAGING NOW!"

Wait... Hinami's physical abilities likely pale by comparison to her ninjutsu - she hardly has the stature of her companion. I have it! I was hoping to use this technique when those two were put together, but this way may be even better. I'll rob her of her senses - or at least her concentration!

Amon dashes a little more, going 15 feet north and 15 feet northeast, all the way cursing the short range of her technique but knowing what must be done. "Yukiko, Houshi, get ready to move before you get a kunai in the ass. Houshi, use that superior stature of yours and Yukiko's help to try and knock her into the burning wreckage - the foundations should be sufficiently damages that knocking down a wall and dropping the inn on her should suffice - it'll keep her out of the fight for long enough at least. YOUSUKE, HOUSHI'S HURT, GET OVER HERE AND TAG OUT, ASAP! Cybele-sensei, go all out stabbing her repeatedly, Sojuro, focus on either distracting the the leaf-nin or damaging Hinami, your choice!" She immediately regrets a few of those orders, knowing she may well have put too many expectations upon herself, but knowing her next technique may just do the trick... She prepares the hand-signs, softly murmuring the the incantation in contrast to what would shortly follow. "Rousuru Onpa no Jutsu."

Ready an action to interrupt Hinami: if she makes to use any technique, use the Deafening Sound Wave. Amon makes sure to veer it in the opposite direction of Cybele, hoping to keep her out of teh area of effect even if Hinami moves, which she likely will as I think that smoke bomb is due to expand - though the flames of the inn may be supplanting them, the air pressure pushing them away or the smoke of the inn's own fire supplementing it, who knows. Point is, the move will go like so...

If Hinami makes to use any technique, Amon uses Deafening Sound Wave, focusing it on her. She is allowed a DC 19 fortitude save; on failure she is deafened for [roll0] rounds. WHETHER OR NOT she succeeds on the save (as in, this WILL occur, this effect), she takes [roll1] sonic damage, likely thowing off the concentration required for any given move.

Hinami using a technique should include if Amon somehow misses the use of the technique but sees its results, such as a fireball, I think. Hopefully you're a bit liberal with taht. I'm hoping to get the drop on her here - I'm standing at just a little closer than max range and she doesn't think of me as a threat.

The smoke is both a blessing and a curse. I hope I haven't screwed my initiative up for nothing here since this may be our only chance to seize the upper hand.

Stats
Amon - AC 16, HP 25/25. With my delayed action, I should be at initiative 10
if you need any additional data, I'll edit it in.

[zeone3000]

Houshi smirked, "This." With a reverse spinning backfist, he cleared a path for the kunai. Little did the missing nin know, that Houshi's taijutsu was just as useful without his sword. If he could get it together that is.

Moves 5' NW, auto passes check and uses SHW: Igeki.

Hit Points: 11/29
Chakra Pool: 19/23 0/5
Chakra Reserve: 8/8
Armour Class: 15
Ongoing Effects: Str Rank 1 (2/5), Spd Rank 1 (4/5), Guardian's Mind (1/2)

Sangeki Hissatsu Waza: Igeki
Attack: [roll0]
Damage Roll: [roll1] [roll2]
Chakra Cost: 3

If it hits, DC 22 Fort Save or she's stunned for 1 round.

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke surveyed the battle and clicked his tongue irritably, annoyed that he was now 2 for 2 in terrible missions. Granted, the first one had been a test, but even that had resulted in a reassigned teammate. And just as if his luck could not have gotten worse, it seemed as if there was now yet another obstacle in the form of a women. Were Konpaku males fated to deal with troublesome women? He would have to ask his grandfather when he returned to Soragakure. And he would return, for he had no intention of considering the alternative.

Seeing that Cybele was engaged against Hinami, Yousuke wordlessly charged to give aid to his jonin-sensei. Or, whatever was posing as Cybele. It was hard to tell.

Hit Points: 23/30
Chakra Pool: 20/22 (0/7)
Chakra Reserve: 10/10
Defense: 22
Ongoing Effects: Str Rank 1 (1/5), Spd Rank 1 (2/5), Striking Tiger Stance, Charging

Free Action!
Unleash Strength Rank 1

Move Action!
Charge to (16,5) and draw Katana.

Attack Action!
Sword Art: Moon Slash
Attack:
Damage Roll: [roll1]
Jutsu Damage: 2d6
Chakra Cost: 4

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

The leaf-nin gracefully slides under his outstretched arm and moves in closer with the same beautifully efficient movement. Her arms lash out at a speed that neither Amon nor Sojuro are able to follow with their eyes. Two strikes home in at Houshi's heart and head with killing intent. But they don't connect with the big genin. Yukiko hurls herself into the oncoming fists as she aims to protect her fire-forged comrade.

An uppercut catches Yukiko in the head and sends her skyward. Yukiko yelps like a beaten dog, then slams into the ground roughly as the leaf-nin's foot catches her in the ribs and propels her downward. She bounces off the hard packed dirt, lands on her back, then lays motionless. She's still breathing, but her pained yelps and groans are those of a dog beaten within an inch of its life.

The leaf-nin retakes her stance and turns to Houshi. "Maybe you can do better."

"Yukiko! Ahhh!" Sojuro hurls his explosive kunai behind the leaf-ninja, hoping to bring her down without harming either Yukiko or Houshi. The explosion catches the leaf nin by surprise, but she survives it intact--albeit with some singed clothing.

Yousuke and Shoin charge the sand ninja's former jounin simultaneously. Yousuke's blade finds flesh and draws blood as he cuts the jounin across the stomach. Shoin is less lucky as his ninja-to finds nothing but air and dirt in its path.

Hinami falls back into the smoke as it spreads, which prevents both Amon and Cybele from acting as neither one is able to see her. Hinami makes herself immediately visible when she summons a sudden and violent windstorm. The slicing winds cut through smoke, grass, and flesh alike as they overwhelm Shoin, Yousuke, and Cybele. Shoin avoids a grave injury, and Cybele avoids injury entirely. The smoke is blown away by Hinami's wind technique, and its absence reveals the jounin in a much more muscular form. Her skin is rough and almost rock like, and she looks near impossible to harm with conventional weapons.

The sky-jounin steps forward to follow Hinami, simultaneously a dark shadow darts out from the jounin's own shadow and into Hinami's. Cybele's twin spikes dart forward, and the first one finds flesh while the second is narrowly deflected. Unfortunately Hinami's bloodline prevents Cybele from dealing damage.

But then your teacher appears behind Hinami as well. She closes her eyes tightly, pulls off her glasses, and shouts. "Yousuke, close your eyes quickly!" She hopes Yousuke obeys, and opens her eyes. An intense coldness washes over the genin, as if ice had been injected directly into their veins. A powerful pressure follows it, and it seems like the next movement you make may be your last. Then it's gone, and Cybele's eyes are closed again.

Hinami is left standing, breathing heavily, and clutching her left arm. Dirt and dust crumbles off her body as she breathes, and a casual glance tells anyone watching that her left arm was now a beautifully crafted statue of a human arm. The weight of the limb threw Hinami off balance, and the jounin struggled to keep herself upright.

Hinami starts looking around for places she can bolt to.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c26/ZeroNumerous/Amon-HoushiBattle-5.png

Light Green - Grass
Light Brown - Dirt
Dark Brown - Inn
Red - Fire
Dark Blue - Hinami
Dark Red - Houshi
Light Blue - Amon
Gold - Sojuro
Dark Green - Leaf Ninja
Yellow - Yukiko
Light Gray - Smoke
Dark Gray - Yousuke
Pink - Shoin
Purple - Cybele #1 and #2

Leaf-nin
Double attacks Houshi, but it's intercepted by Yukiko.

Iaiken Attack Roll #1: [roll0] vs Yukiko's AC of 21. Hits.
Damage Roll: [roll1] + [roll2].

Iaiken Attack Roll #2: [roll3] vs Yukiko's AC of 21. Hits.
Damage Roll: [roll4] + [roll5]. Dead.

Yukiko
Yukiko uses Guardian's Heart, spending 2 of her 4 uses for this encounter to intercept both attacks vs Houshi. Houshi gains a +2 morale bonus to attack rolls and weapon damage for his next attack.

She's brought down from 31 to -7 and is dying.

If she's still alive, she'll attack the leaf-nin with her fists.

Unarmed Attack Roll: [roll6]
Damage Roll: [roll7]

Sojuro
Throws kunai at (11,2), aiming to only hit the leaf-nin with splash damage.
His kunai explodes for [roll8] fire damage, which the Unknown ninja can halve on a successful reflex save([roll9]) vs a DC of 15.

Shoin
Shoin's Initiative (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3658547/). Uses Ryuutsuki on Hinami.

Attack Roll: [roll10] + Action Point [roll11] - Whiff.
Damage Roll: [roll12]

Hinami
Backs up and uses Kamataichi on Cybele, Shoin, and Yousuke. She empowers it to [roll13], halved on a successful reflex save against a DC of 16.

Shoin Reflex: [roll14]
Cybele Reflex: [roll15]

Cybele
Clone five foot steps forward then full attacks. Real one Hirameku's behind Hinami, remaining hidden and hiding in Hinami's own shadow. Cybele sneak-attacks with her doujutsu.

Clone(C2)
Attack Roll #1: [roll16] - Hit
Attack Roll #2: [roll17] - Whiff
Damage Roll #1: [roll18] - DR reduces this to 0.
Damage Roll #2: [roll19] - Whiff

Real(C1)
Flat-footed Touch Attack #1: [roll20] + Action Point [roll21] - Hit.
Flat-footed Touch Attack #2: [roll22] - Hit.
Damage Roll #1: [roll23] Doton + [roll24] Sneak Attack - Unaffected by DR
Damage Roll #2: [roll25] Doton. - Hit, actually.

Results
Leaf Nin potential AC: ~27
Damage Dealt: 17.

Hinami definite AC: 24(touch 19; Flat Footed 20; Flat Footed Touch 15)
Damage Dealt: 68.

Yukiko: Down and bleeding out.
Shoin: Minor cuts.
Sojuro: Mint Condition.
Cybele Clone: Mint Condition.
Cybele: Looking extremely exhausted.

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

The leaf-nin looks over to her compatriot, realizes that they're in a bad position, then makes due. She slowly moves away from Houshi, and toward the battered and broken Yukiko. Once she's within range the leaf-nin steps on Yukiko's throat and holds up her hand to stop the fighting.

"Stop, or I'll kill her."

She applies a bit of pressure on Yukiko's throat to demonstrate her resolve. The action elicits a pitiful half-groan half-yelp of pain from the injured sand ninja. The redhead ignores her and continues to speak.

"I'll give her... ten seconds, at best, before she bleeds to death. If you let Hinami and I get away, then I'll let you have her. Otherwise... Well, I stomp her throat in and kill as many of you as I can."

A bit more pressure goes onto Yukiko's throat, and the beaten sand ninja cries and weakly claws at the pressure on her windpipe.

"Choose quickly"

Double posting because Red goes first in the initiative order.

She grapples Yukiko, who cannot fight back due to being in the negatives. She immediately takes Yukiko hostage.

[Princess Tracy]

Dammit, I'm so tense I let it cloud my judgement - OF COURSE, she would step into the smoke where I can't see her perform a technique. At least it's gone now. Amon gets halfway through shouting instructions - "So, grab Yu and get her out of there, swordsmen, get Houshi's sword back to him and press the leaf-nin, I'll-" when the leaf-nin grabs Yukiko and it all becomes moot. No no no no, NO!

She looks helplessly to Cybele for judgement, seeing her more than a little preoccupied. Will either village look on it favourably if we chose the life of a Genin over capturing the only people who could lead us back to Yusa? Forget it, what's right is more important than your career. And it's hardly as if I know these two to be the ONLY link back to Yusa and the rest of their gang.. Her eyes flutter again to Cybele, this time in hope that she knew at least a little. She fit the profile for their members at least, so maybe she knew SOMETHING Nothing else for it... After all, Houshi is a team member and she did just take those hits for him. And if I hadn't wasted time trying to give Cybele an advantage when things were obviously going her way, Yukiko may not have gotten hurt in the first place. I'm an idiot - saving her is the least I can do.

"Fine, just... just let me heal her, okay?" Amon raises her arms in surrender, casting her sword down as she cautiously takes a step towards Yukiko, desperately hoping this woman was at least sane enough to understand mutually assured destruction. Wasting no time, yet not wanting to appear aggressive, she steps right up to the leaf ninja, her heart in her throat as she stares her down in her arm's reach for the first time - feeling the terror that comes with combating a superior foe. If this woman snapped, Amon would likely be in an even worse state than Yukiko. "Just be calm, okay," she says, her own voice breathless. "I'm just going to perform a medical jutsu to save her. You just..." her eyes flicker to Cybele, trying to get the message across. "...do what you feel is necessary." She turns her attention back to the enemy, hoping she didn't notice her slight espionage-like tactics. "It would be unbecoming of one as skilled and sexy as yourself to not uphold their end of the bargain," she comments with a slight nervous stutter, hoping she was vulnerable to compliments in the same way Cybele was - or at least that the strangeness of calling an opponent 'sexy', however true or false in teh middle fo a fight, would diverge her attention away from the meaning of what she just said to Cybele.

Gulping, she crouches down to Yukiko's level and performs her hand seals. As her eyes level with the mad ninja - strong, dangerous, beautiful - it throws her off entirely, and she barely manages to focus on the technique. She nods calmly to assure the enemy of her peaceful intent as she lays her hands upon Yukiko to patch her up. If Cybele thinks we should keep fighting, she'll just keep striking her Hinami; otherwise she'll let her escape. Quite simply, as the most experienced one here, the decision is still in her hands. Her eyes flutter up towards Houshi, a silent plea to not do anything rash. A sudden thought occurs. Maybe she doesn't know enough about medical jutsu to know if when she sees it. Maybe I could just for a second catch her off guard and use my technique to - the feeling of the woman's breath on her face strikes an odd fear in her, putting all thoughts of rebellion from her. N-no, she'll kill me, or worse... Her eyes widened from fear, she just tries to avoid making eye contact again for fear of losing all focus on her technique.

Amon - AC 16, HP 25/25, Chakra Pool 17/20
use 2 chakra to initiate Medical Ninjutsu: Healing - First Rank. Amon will focus on healing this round, on the first round healing Yukiko for [roll0] HP, at least stabilizing her.

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

The leaf-nin's face remains the same implacable mask of indifference as Amon approaches. "Alright. You can heal her, but only enough to stop her from dying. The rest of you, drop your weapons." She clearly wasn't going to let her bargaining chip die just yet, but she was just as unwilling to let Yukiko go. The leaf-ninja didn't respond to Amon's mindless chatter. She either didn't want to talk, or simply didn't care about what was being said. Even Amon's attempt at flustering her is rebuffed with cold and enduring silence. That doesn't mean she stopped paying attention either, as she remains vigilant against any movement made by the others. So long as no one makes an overt movement the leaf-nin does nothing to cause Yukiko any further harm.

Cybele, Sojuro, and Shoin all stop resisting and drop their weapons. Shoin looks pissed about the whole thing, particularly since he seemed to honestly believe his sensei would never abandon him or his team. And yet here she was, letting this rogue leaf ninja stomp all over Yukiko like she was some kind of doormat. Shoin grits his teeth as he tries to talk to Hinami, but everything comes out aggressive and angry.

"She looked up to you...! Why?! How could you just abandon us?" For all his self-righteous anger his words fall on deaf ears. Hinami either doesn't care, or doesn't want, to respond to Shoin's indignation. The rock ninja had more important things to do, and Yukiko's misplaced hero worship threatened to ruin those things. Hinami still looks tired, beaten down, and struggles with the weight of her now stone left arm. But the words that do come out of her mouth in the wake of Shoin's outburst are surprising given her condition.

"Meiling. Kill her, then the other girl and the boy." Hinami tries to stand up straight, and seems to accept the death that would come after Meiling followed through with her orders.

"No, don't! Please, let her go. You can have me instead!" Sojuro cries out in a vain attempt to stop Meiling, but the leaf-nin ignores the mewling of children. Even so, she doesn't move to obey Hinami at all either. Instead she just looks at Hinami with all the obvious disinterest of an intellectual watching a particularly rousing session of paint drying.

"No", the leaf-nin speaks quietly, "Yusa-sama gave me an order, and I am bound to obey. You must survive, and I do not intend to throw your life away on this pointless vendetta." Meiling looks toward Hinami, then shakes her head. "You lost. She won. Let it go before you jeopardize our organization again."

"Enough", Cybele #1 says while glaring at Hinami, "You win. Let her go."

Meiling holds her position as Hinami runs away first. After few seconds, Meiling joins her. The second Cybele disappears after them, but the first remains behind. The older jounin's chest heaves as she seems much more tired out than should be reasonable given the exertion she put out during the fight. Her body shakes, her breathing comes in ragged gasps, her body tenses and untenses unnaturally, and she seems ready to pass out. By now, several villagers have filed out of their homes to see the inn burn. Some of them start up a bucket brigade, and attempt to enlist Houshi and Yousuke to help. Fire licked the outside of the inn now, and the upper floors collapsed into the lower one. Soon nothing would be left but ash and painful memories.

Sojuro and Shoin run up to Yukiko, desperate to know whether she'll make it or not. The girl in question fell into blissful unconscious once Amon started her technique. Once confirmed one way or another Shoin wanders off to be alone while Sojuro remains at Yukiko's side. Occasionally the female sand ninja tenses up, whimpers, and twitches as if she were dreaming of something. The chaos of the villager's appearance, and their requests for help, allowed Cybele to disappear somewhere.

The genin get 1300 xp for defeating Meiling/Hinami. You're free to do as you will for the evening.

[Princess Tracy]

As Hinami's order to kill rings out, Amon's heart skips a beat. It's all she can do it that single moment of facing death to let out some of her bubbling rage - "Oh, you antagonising hussy, I'll -!" When the situation evolves further though, and she is left alive as the two flee, it's all she can do to keep her head down and keep healing, hoping to not draw anyone's ire.

Once the two enemies make good their escape, Amon holds back tears as she tries to speak, no words forming at first. A great shame weighs heavily in her heart, of failure. One tactical decision on her part may have cost them the entire fight - if she'd just incapacitated the leaf-nin in some way rather than trying to claim glory by helping Cybele they may have won by now... She continues her healing in sullen silence as another jolt of healing sets in.

After 5 rounds, probably just after negotiations have closed out and the two depart, Yukiko heals an additional [roll0] HP

Then again, i know we were bending the rules a bit in haviung her be healed at all while unconscious, so as a compromise I decided to write in that I essentially can't raise her above -1 HP (or 0 HP) at your discretion. Either way, she's not back on her feet is the point, which seems more or less in keeping with the intent of the technique, so I thought it would be okay.

"I'm sorry, sensei," she says in the direction she thinks Cybele lies as the sand-genin gather around her. "If I'd kept a cooler head, if I'd been stronger, Yukiko wouldn't have gotten hurt and... and they wouldn't have had a hostage to... I'm so stupid..." She tries to look up, only to see the worrying gaze of Sojuro and having her shame compound once more. Sniffing, she admires her handiwork a bit. "She'll.... she'll be fine. This technique isn't quite designed for getting people back on their feet like this, but... she's certainly stable. She'll make it, just get her some bedrest." As she speaks in her doctor-like voice, she forces herself to calm down a bit more, lest her sorrow eke into those that need it least.

Amon at last stands. "T-trust me." She clears her throat. "She'll be fine - any furtehr healing on my part now would just slow her long-term recovery. Get her a bit away from the fire and -" She stops, taken aback as she looks to Cybele, and finding her gone. "No... dammit..." Breathing deep to keep herself calm, she turns to the sand-genin, putting on a smile and some attempt at bedside manner. "I'll leave her in your care, loverboy." Before her guise of calm breaks, she turns to face her teammates.

"She ran off," she says, trying to pull them a little out of Sojuro's earshot - he had enough to worry about. "She's our only potential link back to this mysterious organisation and the only one caapable of posing those two a threat. Best case scenario is that she gave chase, but that's hardly favourable - she looked to be in an oddly bad way." She makes to give further evaluation, of her not waiting to receive healing for her exhaustion at Amon's hand before making off, but she suddenly finds her mouth very dry. Her strategies had been failing her all night, so perhaps shutting up for once would be best. If I were that smart, I would have slit Yusa's throat while we were travelling. Could you imagine the look on Hinami's face when she turns around and finds her comrade - leader even - bleeding to death, killed by a lowly genin. Giving a sick laugh on the inside, she stumbles, her knees buckling as she falls back, flat on her back.

I guess we'll just stay at an inn in this town and hope Cybele comes back in the morning. Wait, I guess the soldier pills make sleeping imposible. But we can't be splitting up and Yukiko's in no travelling condition. Maybe if I stick my hand down my throat I can coax myself to throw the pill up, ha. I'm certainly mentally checked out, it would be nice to match that with a fluffy bed. If Cybele isn't bach by morning, I guess we'll leave a note and try t get back to Sogakure before something bad happens. Wait, what if just the sky-nin returned - backup would arrive by morning easily then, of course! From the ground, she simply lies, spread out like a star, her prosphetic fingers twitching as if itchy. "I'm not attentive or fast enough to find Cybele, nor smart enough to know what i should do if I did find her. The best we can do is... well I guess help get this fire out. I'm fairly certain everyone was dead, but I still started this fire, I think, so I might as well help put it out before it spreads to the rest of the town. Wait, there may be important evidence within!" The sudden idea stiking her, Amon springs back to her feet.

Amon looks over the inn, about ready to jump in and drag out a body or two for autopsy, before the second floor falls on top of the first. Well, they're not getting any more destroyed than they are right now. Shifting her bandana around to the lower half of her face to shield from the smoke and let her golden bangs hang free for the first time all day, she goes to join the bucket line. "Next mission, I must remember to earn some sort of fire-extinguishing technique." Amon does everything in her power to help the townsfolk put out the flames.

"Hey, Yousuke, you're the fastest. By my estimate, if you run, you should be able to get back to sogakure in maybe two hours. If you do that, you should be able to get another jounin or two out here - our sensei is at best missing and at worst..." the events of teh night had made her look upon everyone as a potential traitor in her delirium, a condition she becomes aware of at that moment as she reels it back. "Either way, 6 genin are not capable of handling this, so if you could be a dear and do that, that'd be swell."

Once the major flames of the building are extinguished, Amon treads lightly to not disturb the already tattered inn's structure as she looks around for any signs of life. Or indeed corpses. Either would be fine for her purposes - even 1 corpse would be fine and she's certain there must be many. If there are none, well...

Search check, I guess [roll1]

[Princess Tracy]

While the town's population goes to work fixing up the wreck of the inn, Amon returns to the group. "Houshi, come here, ya big palooka - crouch down so I can reach your wounds. Look at you, I think she broke your jaw, hold still while we fix you up, okay? Speaking of, we won't be able to sleep our wounds off I think, so everyone line up to receive healing once I'm done with our friendly giant here." She seems to slap him with the healing technique. "You had me worried back there, kid..." she whispers to Houshi as she begins healing. "You be sure to thank Yukiko for taking those hits for your crazy ass when she wakes up, got it?"

If Houshi stays still, Amon uses Healing First Rank to heal him over the course of 25 rounds at the cost of 2 chakra
Initial damage healed [roll0]
Then over the next 5 round increments, 1. [roll1] HP, 2. [roll2] HP, 3. [roll3] HP, and 4. [roll4] HP

[zeone3000]

Houshi gives Amon a death glare, picks up his sword and shuffles off to help the villagers, "I am not a child... not anymore. Therefore, do not call me kid. I know you mean it an endearing manner but I'm in no mood." He peers back at Yukiko prone form, shaking his head with a heavy exhale, "I don't need you, of all people, to tell me that. I saw it, I was there and worst of all, I couldn't stop it!" He starts clearing derby and putting out fires, No one said being a ninja would be easy, but damn... It's our first mission and this? Seriously? I hope when we look back on this, we are stronger because it.

[Princess Tracy]

Did Houshi shuffle off before or AFTER I finished healing him? Or indeed before or after I started applying healing? Those 2 points of chakra might be important, after all

Amon falls silent for a moment, her forced joy fading fast as his talk of not being a kid strikes a chord with her. She walks with him, making to continue lending aid by his side. "You don't want to be called a kid and you don't want to feel as powerless as you tend to do when facing down a superior foe - only to be saved by the sacrifice of an almost-stranger. You and I..." She exhales softly, thinking. "I know the feeling, Houshi," she says, suddenly serious. "I've spent the last two years being thought of as nothing more than a child - I almost starting believing it. That I couldn't get anywhere beyond that, that I was powerless... If you let the guilt of powerlessness set in, it never leaves. It's like I've always said." She grabs Houshi's hand, putting her mangled one in his as she holds the two of them up as close to his eye level as she can muster, showing the missing fingers all over again. "This was the least of my losses. You think I've not been in fights like this before, where the fight turns against you? Listen to me well, Houshi and never forget it. Things turned out grandly this day. Yukiko will live, that's more than I got last time **** hit the fan. You fought your hardest and as smartly as you could; this world is filled with people more powerful than you. But never feel the fear or shame of powerlessness. I won't allow that in you. You're old enough to make something of yourself, a hero a guardian, whatever you aim for, but you're certainly too young to be collecting regrets like some venerable sod of a soldier. Okay...?"

God, the nightmares that come from having 3 people lose their lives or perhaps WORSE defending your own worthless ass... those never end. That's not something he should have to feel.

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke scowled viciously, irritated with yet another failure on his part. Every time it felt as if he was becoming stronger, reality reared its head and slammed him back down to humility. They had been 'victorious' at pushing back their opponent but they had clearly been defeated in virtually every other aspect of the mission. Not only had they been unable to contain their prisoner, they had been forced to comply to a hostage situation by the mysterious missing nin, to think nothing of the potential response from Suna. One of their number was on the verge of death and the others were currently fighting at half capacity. He was the only uninjured genin currently on the mission and possibly the only one capable of fighting at full capacity and for that reason he could not comply with Amon's request.

"I will not leave either team alone until Cybele-sensei returns. Two of our number were very nearly killed today while I was off foolishly wasting time."

Because of his foolish pride he had nearly gotten into a fight with swordsman from Suna and delayed their arrival at the scene of the fight. Were it not for him, they would have been able to offer their support at the onset of the battle, rather than help to clean up after it had been mostly decided.

Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that his presence would not have made a significant difference, but had he actually been present, could he have prevented Yukiko's savage beating? Thinking otherwise hurt too much to believe. He was yet unworthy of bearing the Konpaku name, and this failure of a mission only served to illustrate his weakness.

"I will stand guard over her, you should heal out 'allies' for now and check on any injured villagers." Yousuke sympathized with the Suna team; he knew how much it hurt to be abandoned. And how would Yukiko take the news of her sensei's betrayal?

Yousuke sits on the ground near Yukiko with his sword on his lap. They would not be claiming the girl's life while he still drew breath. He would not permit another failure this night. When they returned to Soragakure he would need to restart his training in earnest. He had been too negligent in his training and if he could be thankful for anything on this mission, it was that it had opened his eyes to the realities of his own inadequacy. The amalgamated sword style he had now was not enough anymore. They required integration into the Konpaku school, but for that he needed to convince his grandfather to kick up his training schedule.

If his grandfather would not teach him the secrets of the Konpaku style, he would have to figure them out himself.

[ZeroNumerous]

Villagers

With Houshi's help the burned out husk of the inn is quickly extinguished. Unfortunately the fire gutted much of the structure's support beams, and it remains extremely unstable. A significant amount of the upper floors collapsed onto the ground floor. Even so, the villages were able to retrieve the scattered remains of a two different people. They're burned beyond recognition, but the villagers bury them all the same. The villagers thank Houshi, and several of them offer him a warm bed for the evening.

While Houshi's talking to the villagers he notices the bald sand ninja walking away from the village. He seems to be going in the direction that Meiling and Hinami had fled in. He had made no attempt to help the villagers, and apparently didn't have the medical expertise to help Yukiko.

Yousuke

Sojuro remains at Yukiko's side the entire time. He whispers reassurances to her, strokes her head, holds her hand, and quietly curses himself at times. The boy's cold nature had been shattered by Yukiko's predicament, and each groan of pain or whimper in her dreams causes the boy to visibly worry. He doesn't speak to Yousuke, and seems to either ignore or not notice the sky-nin, unless he's spoken to. Yousuke can clearly hear the sand ninja blame himself.

"If we had run, if I had been faster, if I had been stronger, if... if..."

Amon

Amon's the first to notice Cybele returning to the village, but something seems strange about her. Her dark purple hair is still brushing her thighs, but she seems smaller overall. The jounin's long limbs seem smaller than normal, and her beautiful physique reminds Amon more of a well-trained teenager than an adult woman. As Cybele gets closer Amon is able to see that her initial assessments were right. Their jounin did seem small, but that was because she physically was smaller.

The same ninja uniform that a beautiful woman had once worn now graced the thin frame of a young teenager. The girl couldn't be any older than 16, but she wore the exact same uniform Cybele had worn during the evening. Of course, it fit her poorly, and the baggy clothing stood as a sharp contrast to how tightly it had once hugged their teacher's vivacious curves. Cybele didn't seem nearly as tired or beaten down as she had when she disappeared. The teenage jounin heads straight toward Amon as soon as she spots the genin.

"Yukiko", Cybele's sultry voice has even changed to that of a higher pitched teenager, "did she make it?"

[zeone3000]

Houshi just sighs with a smile, "Amon... You talk way too much." He chuckles lightly, "This won't stop me. I can't let it stop me or I won't be able thank Yukiko properly." He looks up to the night, "Just means we have that much more to go. Then, considering we've only taken the first few steps... It's a long road we walk. At least we aren't alone. That would suck."

Houshi thanks the villagers in kind but declines their offers. He only ask them to take care of Yukiko and themselves. He excuses himself after then chases after the bald genin, "Wait! Don't be a fool. You'll just get yourself killed."

[ZeroNumerous]

Houshi

"What do you expect me to do? They're out there, and only Sojuro or I can follow them. He's broken right now, and that leaves me. I have to know where they are, and when they move." The sand ninja looks at the ground, clinches his fists, and continues.

"If I don't, then I could never look Yukiko in the eye again."

[Princess Tracy]

"Maybe you don't talk enough, Houshi," is all Amon says in response. She strains herself reaching up to pat his shoulder before he runs after the bald one. "I'll be here if you need me, okay?"

At Yousuke's talk of watching over Yukiko, Amon hesitantly nods. "Okay, fine. Just try and have an upbeat bedside manner, okay?" Before he makes off though, she makes sure to swipe at him in turn, keeping him for a second. "It would have been impossible for you to arrive any sooner, I assure you. My lightning signalled the start of that battle, your response time could only ever have been so fast. All the craziness that ensued was my fault for not rallying your presence first." After that, she releases him. And despite my own advice, I'm still here blaming myself. "Go to where you feel needed, Konpaku-san."

Before Cybele's reappearance, Amon looks over the populace. "Is there anyone in need of a medic?" she asks simply.

Times like this I wish I had taken Forensics feat. I don't suppose you'd let me make a treat injury check to see if I detect anything about the bodies for old times sake, would you?
[roll0]

As Cybele draws closer, Amon is taken aback by the suddenness of it. "S-sensei? But no, sensei had the nggh and the aaah and the..." as she makes vague reference to her female persuasions, Amon gropes or strokes at the air somewhat inappropriately in example. For a split second it seems like she's about to CRY, tears and all as she unflatteringly wells up - ne'er shall the world see such magnificent legs and breasts again, nay! What's the point of it all when the sexiest among us lose our mojo...


At Cybele's question about Yukiko's health, Amon snaps back - brushing off the delirium that tends to come to her after a fight. When Cybele gets within ten feet, Amon steps back to maintain that distance. "Yeah, she's fine," she says, her heart beating. "Right now your appearance is clouding my thoughts - is that a conscious manipulation of my perception to throw me off, sensei?" She keeps stepping back, striking a defensive stance as she pulls her blowgun up to her lips, brandishing it at young Cybele. "Wouldn't you like to know what's in this?" she says as she points.

hint: the blowgun is totally empty. If cybele is perceptive enough, she might see or guess that; after all, Amon wouldn't keep a tube loaded with a poison injector when it spends most of the time dangling around her neck, after all. She already doesn't have the biggest chest, the last thing she needs is poison in there if she trips on a rock while walking.

"Cybele," Amon says, trying to seem intimidating - trying not to stutter, though likely forgetting to stop her knees from shaking. "How deep in are you? Or how deep in were you, rather. I have a hunch as to what their organisation is, and there isn't a thing I know about you that doesn't meet their recruitment criteria. Your personal wronging of Hinami isn't something on the books, is it? What do you know of them? Where would they go?" Her chest heaves in stress against her poncho and bandolier as she hopes Cybele doesn't just snap and kill her there for confronting her in this way. "They've run off and you're the only possible lead back I've identified, so..." she says as if trying to apologise in the eleventh hour, though hardly waivers in brandishing the empty blowgun, trying so hard to not tak her eyes from Cybele for even a second.

[zeone3000]

Houshi shakes his had, "Don't even say that to me!" He stops and exhales, releasing now is not the time for anger, "Look, I know she's your teammate but she wouldn't want you to run off to die. Are you even a tracker? Can you find several high class missing nin that don't want to be found? She wants you to live and stay together. Otherwise, what's the point of surviving?"

[ZeroNumerous]

Houshi

The sand ninja scoffs at Houshi's question. "Of course I'm a tracker. I learned it in case exactly this happens to Sojuro. And I'm a damn good one too. Those two were running too fast to cover their tracks, and I need to find them."

Cybele

The now teenage jounin seems confused for a moment, then looks down at herself. She sighs, then shakes her head and just waves the entire issue away. She further ignores Amon's threat, because both ninja know the genin could only hit Cybele if she wanted to be hit.

"If I were your enemy, I would have killed you without you ever knowing I was there. And I won't tell you where they are, but I'll explain why and who when I return."

Cybele hands Amon a small scroll. The thin tube bears the intricate web of seals from some kind of sealing technique, and the kanji for "Snake God" on the top of it. "I tracked them somewhere nearby. I'm going to go kill them. Stay here, and don't get involved. Wait for one hour, then head back to Soragakure if I don't return. Give this to Sune."

Cybele impresses the seriousness of the situation on Amon again. "One hour. No more. Bring the sand ninja if need be, but save yourselves first and foremost. Am I understood?"

[zeone3000]

Houshi sighs, sagging his shoulders, "Alright, fine. What happens when you find them then? You can't be them. None of us could." He lowers his head replaying the events that transpired moments ago. Mainly him losing his sword and Yukiko's sacrifice.

[Princess Tracy]

"Who is Sune?" Amon finally releases her blowgun, letting it swing to and fro as it dangles as she hesitantly takes the scroll from Cybele. "Very well.... but do try and make it back, okay? I don't think I need to tell you to not get in over your head. While we're exchanging packages, here." She fiddles with the brooch binding her poncho, throwing down the fabric to reveal her well-stocked bandolier of poisons hanging over her dungarees. Her upper body is pretty lithe, one may now see - that same flatness one generally sees on ballet dancers, quite possibly related to Amon's dexterity. She indicates to some of the nastier poisons. "I stole these from the hospital yesterday - they were in stock to be synthesised into antidotes. They're pretty deadly. Take your pick and show them what for."

If Cybele doesn't have an interest in any particular equipment offered, Amon produces two droughts of Hachidoku, shoving them into the now teen-Jounin's chest to force her to accept them. It ISN'T just a visual illusion... they're gone - no, focus, Amon, you're trying to seem reverent here. "Come on. If I can't be there to help you out then at least let me help you now. Try and come back alive. If you do have any information, you're worth a lot more to us alive than dead. Come to think of it, so are they, right? An organisation of powerful missing-nin with Yusa in its leadership - kind of too big a deal for us to just kill those two and call it a day, right? I'm not oblivious...Cybele-sensei." She pauses,thinking. "You got hurt back there. Are you sure you don't need me to heal you first?" She holds up the scroll she was given, securing it in her toolbelt. "Can I read this by the way? I'm curious. And if you dont' want anyone else getting involved you may want to get going before anyone else here grows a pair of eyes - a criticism I should never have to levy against anyone else." She nods once more. "I was going to head back to the village shortly enough anyway. Yoru plan sounds good enough. Do you really think it would take you a full hour to find your chance to swoop in and head back here?"

--
If Cybele makes to leave without healing or further conversation
---

Amon gives a deep breath, trying to form something sentimental; it flows quite naturally from her mouth as she starts to say it, really although it is hardly comforting: "...I trust you sensei. Even though part of me tells me I shouldn't. Please prove that part wrong."

[ZeroNumerous]

Cybele

The sky jounin shakes her head when offered poisons. Not that she didn't need them, but they'd take too long to apply and she couldn't do it on the run. Cybele doesn't make any effort to stop Amon from touching her, but she still refuses to take the poisons.

"You can try to read it, but it's coded. Only Sune would know the cipher." She ignores the questions about her health, and her plan. Whether intentionally or not is up in the air. "One hour. I can't stress that enough. If they win, then they might come here to finish the job. Don't be here if they do."

Amon needs a Will Save.

Houshi

The sand ninja grumbles at Houshi. "Y-You're right. I can't fight them. But damnit, I need to do something. I need to set up some way to get revenge. I... I can't let it go otherwise!"

[Bad Situation]

Inwardly he scoffed at Amon's forgiveness. At least she had done some good by healing the allies and alerting him to the presence of the missing nin. She had done all that she could, more than he could say for himself. However, he decided to humor her for now, "...I will keep that in mind...thank you."

Finally released by Amon, Yousuke glances at Sojuro, curious of the boy's connection to the unconscious girl. Were they siblings of a sort? Or perhaps they were in a relationship together? Either way, the genin was probably feeling even worse than he did, given that he was unable to protect his own teammate. Feeling somewhat charitable, Yousuke spoke to him in an attempt to alleviate the boy's guilt.

"If there anybody here to blame it is me; I should have been strong enough for both teams but instead I was found to be lacking."

It hurt to admit but it was sadly true. He could not hope to defeat his mother with his current level of skill. She was a trueborn Konpaku who had been training years to learn and master the family style. And he was her son, and despite his better efforts he was still leagues away from bridging their gap. With his admission said and done Yousuke returned to guarding Yukiko.

---

Shocked as he was by Cybele's sudden appearance, he found that his surprise was somewhat muted at this point. Weird happenstance seemed to be par for the course where their sensei was involved. "Give me the scroll sensei. I will transfer it to the possession of your sister without fail."

[zeone3000]

Houshi nods, "Yes, you do. We all do. We need to be stronger then we were yesterday, then today. Even right now. So, when something like this happens again, we'll be ready." He holds out his fist, "Right?"

[ZeroNumerous]

Houshi

The sand genin looks at Houshi's fist for awhile. Then he sighs, and a heavy weight drops off his shoulders. He raises his hand and fist-bumps the giant sky genin. "Alright. I'll wait for now."

Cybele

The sky-jounin had already given Amon the scroll, but addresses Yousuke anyway. "If Amon feels it necessary, then she can hand it over. So long as all of you promise not to get involved then I don't care who delivers it."

[Princess Tracy]

Amon becomes oddly intoxicated with her sensei's chakra during that one moment of contact. Even as she pockets her poisons, she hesitates to take her hand away. A dangeous aura is in her, a sense of a ledge... yet Amon is nothing if not a thrillseeker in her heart of hearts.

It's as Amon takes her hands away from her less than casual contact with her sensei's chest that she becomes aware of the feel Cybele' outer being, piercing the thin illusion with her medical knowledge as her eyes widen. A Genjutsu used in such a way, why? "Sensei... I know you're hurt. Are you really going to try and kill anyone? I'm not stupid enough to not know when you're dodging a question. You're in no state to fight, you're resigned to not coming back, and you didn't even think of a good enough lie as to why we should get going. if they were going to come kill us after they're done with you, it would be immediate - and if you plan on arriving there at the pace you say, that you wouldn't even have a quiet moment your stealth should grant you to apply my poisons, I imagine they would be back here in less than ten minutes after you left."

An hour. What happens in an hour? All manner of unflattering accusations about Cybele's allegiance some rushing back to Amon as she wishes she was a better judge of character, but she quells such thoughts for a moment. "Hold still, sensei, at least for a moment. If you even think about leaving in this state, I'll follow you, I swear it. We have a tracker ready to follow those two - i hear him over there. How good would you say my odds of surviving are if I have to follow you by the medium of those psychopaths? And further how good the odds of this scroll being delivered if it comes to that? Ill do it anyway though, because there's only two conclusions I can draw about you in this state; that you're going to get yourself killed, or that you're.... that you're not going to fight them at all."

She gives a nod. Grabbing the hemp of Cybele's clothing all of a sudden, she pulls aside her top garments, positioning her body slightly to obscure Cybele's figure from the boys as her professionalism takes over. She is a doctor, after all, a human body is nothing one can afford to be bashful about. Certainly not while on duty. "Dispel your stupid genjutsu and hold still while I evaluate you, Cybele." With a flash of chakra, she presses against her teacher's chest again to use her evaluation technique.

Amon uses 1 chakra to use Iryou Ninjutsu: Iji - Shinryou Jutsu. The Diagnosis technique. Look it up for details, but with one full round action, I should be able to detrmine all her ongoing conditions including approximate health.

"As a doctor, I must ask," Amon asks, her eyes glazed over in concentration. "Do you have any existing effects I should be aware of? Diseases, medication... bloodlines?"

[ZeroNumerous]

Cybele

Cybele doesn't resist since Amon threatened to follow her. She didn't know how good the tracker Amon claimed to have was, but she did know the trail was easy to follow. The jounin's clothing proves more resilient than Amon first thinks, and under it lies a chain mesh that obscures her young form. Yousuke notes that the body Cybele currently wears is almost exactly like that of Sune, and the two of them would be twins were it not for the fact that Cybele's clothing is much more conservative. Cybele doesn't dispel her genjutsu, but makes no attempt to resist until Amon attempts to perform her medical technique.

"No, wait!" But it's too late. Cybele's chakra connects with Amon's own, and the medical ninja can't force it back. An invisible poison floats on the connection between jounin and genin, and it fills Amon as if she were a cup held beneath a waterfall. Ice cold runs through Amon's veins as the jounin's poisonous chakra flows through her genin's form. It solidifies chakra pathways, damages veins, and causes Amon's entire body to unnaturally and painfully tense. Luckily the pain causes Amon to reflexively sever the connection between them, and she's saved from death.

Cybele sighs. "Don't act on your own like that. The only person that can heal me is Sune." The jounin pointedly ignores the question about diseases, medications, or bloodlines.

[Bad Situation]

Leaping to his feet, Yosuke planted himself between Cybele and Amon, cleanly separating the two before the situation worsened. Why was nothing ever easy when it came to Cybele? Even helping the woman resulted in some sort of pain. "That's enough of that sensei," he says roughly.

Grabbing Cybele by her shoulders, he continues, "You are a part of Team 4 now sensei. Whether you like it or not, you cannot just leave us when the team when we need you most. When I need you most."

"If you are as injured as Amon says you are then you are also in no shape to be fighting." Now realizing that his sensei was without her shirt, Yousuke sharply turns away and crosses his arms, "And for decency's sake put some clothes on..."

[Princess Tracy]

Amon collapses, gagging from the pain and surprise as she falls on her back. She lies quite motionless for a time, struggling to try and speak before giving into silence. She struggles to breathe or even draw on her medical knowledge. What the hell was that? C-calm down, breathe, breathe.... eventually she forces her respiration into a rhythm, stabilising herself, but feeling utterly defeated. There's no joy left in her to wisecrack. She stares into the night sky, her eyes drifting lazily as she hyperventilates. She convuleses violently as she suddenly coughs up far too much blood, doing her best to just take it in her stride. She knew she was at least through the worst of it.

Her gaze finds its way to her sensei and her expression freezes as her prone form meekly seems to slink away, quite freaked out by the events and on an instinctual level terrified of Cybele. She looks at her sensei with fear in her eyes she had before only allowed Meiling to see, her mouth flapping in useless apology. She reaches up, covering her eyes in shame, not wanting to be seen, clearly groveling as if about to crying; possibly the truth of the matter underneath that hand of hers. "I.... I... J-just go. Don't look..." She rolls over in time for another dose of coughing up blood, twitching due to her shot nerves as she holds back tears she doesn't fully understand. Why am I so afraid of her? She didn't do anything... I... i still need to heal her. She fumbles around for her bag and its contents digging out a first aid kit. I can do this at least... "S-sensei... you still need..." she sobs. "You still need to be healed."

[zeone3000]

Houshi thumbs over his shoulder, "Good, now let's head back and check on the others."

With that, Houshi arrives in time to see a whimpering Amon on the ground, "Uh oh, what did I do now?" He looks at the new girl, then at Yousuke, then back to her, "Wait a minute... Sensei? When did you get back? Way back at that and..." He does exactly what Yousuke did, "Why are you topless?"

[ZeroNumerous]

Cybele

The jounin shrinks a little, and Yousuke can see just how much smaller she is now than he. She was a full 9 centimeters shorter than her genin now, and her thin frame and small body exacerbates that difference. She just watches Amon's pain with a despondent look on her face almost as if she'd seen that exact same thing happen before. She drifts away and becomes detached almost as if she'd done this many times before. The somber look in the sky-jounin's eyes says she expects Amon to die. She simply waits through Yousuke's outburst, and watches the boy with the same detached eyes that watched Amon cough up her own blood.

"I'm not part of your team." She finally speaks when Yousuke finishes his statement. She takes a step back at the same time to put real distance between herself and her genin. "Because I'm just a danger to you. I'm a danger to anyone who looks into these eyes." Cybele just gives Yousuke a forlorn look. She reaches out to touch him, but stops part way and just lets her hand drop. She shakes her head at the persistent medical ninja, and shrugs off Amon's attempt to heal her.

She backs away again and makes no attempt to adjust her uniform. Her shoulders slump, and she speaks quietly. "Don't follow me. I'll just put you in danger. I'm better off alone." With that, she vanishes again. No smoke, no flashes of light, and no fanfare. Cybele is simply gone.

[zeone3000]

Wide eyed, scratching the back of his head and confused as ever, Houshi ask, "The hell did I just miss? I go off to convince a fellow ninja to not go off and get himself killed. Now I have the feeling sensei decided to anyway."

[Bad Situation]

The swordsman watches Cybele disappear and seethed with anger before forcing himself to a calm, and impassively stares at the assembled genin. "It seems that I have forgotten my station." Cybele was gone and Yousuke doubted his nonexistent tracking abilities would be good enough to follow her trail. Instead, he turned toward Amon with an open handed gesture. "Give me the scroll. As you say, I am likely the fastest of the genin. I will return to Soragakure and retrieve Sune-san." He knew he had promised to protect Yukiko but that promise would have to take a backseat to the issues at hand. Cybele was certainly a skilled kunoichi but a fight against both Hinami and the mysterious 'Meiling' would be sure to result in trouble.

"I will take a head start. When Yukiko awakens or when the hour is up, whichever comes first, escort their team to Soragakure. Fill in Houshi while I am away."

[Princess Tracy]

Amon heaves as she regains her composure, sitting up just in time to see Cybele... well, to not see her anymore. "NO, SENSEI! Don't, you can't! You can't blame yourself for my foolishness, I-" Amon coughs and splutters as she struggles to get her message to her before Cybele is out of earshot. "I-I'm sorry, I overreacted, I'm not that bad, see?"

She struggles to her feet, trying not to provoke her all encompassing wounds. "I just got surprised, okay? It was an accident. Please, please don't get yourself killed! Be careful! I don't...! I don't want the death of two teachers on my soul. I don't want to be that weak anymore..." She sniffs, wiping her tears as she prepares to bellow one last heartfelt plea. "You're more than a killer, you're our sensei and there's nothing more I want in the world than for you to return here alive! Senseeeei - glach!"

Once again, Amon collapses, exhausted and still quite disoriented from whatever Cybele's chakra did to her. As she lies in the grass and Yousuke asks for the scroll, her eyes seem to lose focus. She digs around her tool bag, retrieving the scroll and handing it to him, reaching out her other hand in the hopes that someone helps her to her feet. "She's right, we'd just get in her way..." she mutters. "Okay, get going if you're going," she instructs Yousuke simply, planting a delirious kiss on his cheek if he lifted her up.

[Princess Tracy]

Once on her feet, Amon staggers, her body rocking to and fro as she seeks her centre of balance; her body was used to getting a bit beaten up, but not like this. "Okay, here's what we do... if we're taking off in an hour then Yukiko will need a head start." Approaching Sojuro, she passes him a small bag of money and tries to seem authoitive even when spluttering uselessly. "Get the fastest cart you can rent and leave for Sogakure immediately. If a storm is descending, Yukiko will be further endangered."

Sitting down astride the couple to conserve her strength, she beckons Houshi to lean in so as to not strain her voice. "Cybele is going to try and kill those two. She said if she's not back within the hour, we need to leave. She gave us a scroll to deliver, which Yousuke has. She's using an illusion to make herself seem healthier than she is - she's in a bad way, beaten up and exhausted. I don't think she intends to survive, but when I tried to heal her, her chakra..." She flinches a little, just remembering the feeling being traumatic. "It feels like there's a monster inside her... my concentration lapsed and I ended up getting... 'bitten' to put it in lamen terms. I don't think I've seen anything like it." She pulls herself from a coughing fit. "How's your own wounds, did i get all of them?" she asks, feebly trying to change the subject before Houshi decided to do something stupid.

[zeone3000]

Houshi sighs, rolls his eyes and shakes his head at Amon all at once, "Would please worry about yourself for once. I can see written all over your face. I'm not gonna do anything stupid. Not right now anyway. Heck, I stopped someone from doing something like that just a second ago." He picks her up carefully in his large, muscly arms, "Now, I'm gonna make sure you don't either. We're going home and we're gonna find a way to save our sensei if it's the last thing we do as ninja."

[Princess Tracy]

Before being scooped up, Amon gets halfway through giving one last instruction - "Hey, bald one, go with Yousuke, watch his back on this critical mission. That or..."

Amon kicks a little, but feels far to weak to break free of Houshi's grasp. "H-hey, wait. C-cybele said to wait an hour. I was going to find somewhere to hide and leave a note in case she came back. Y-yousuke can retrieve backup well enough, right? We shouldn't just leave her here when we could still - blach!" she coughs up a bit more blood, more surprised than anything that she hadn't let it all up yet. "S-sorry, I think I got some on you..."

"I don't like depending on other people... I don't like being a bother..." Despite her objections, Amon leans back in Houshi's arms, perhaps ready to pass out from all that bloodloss. "I-I'll live," she says, honestly. "Grab my poncho, i was a gift from my sister, okay...?" Looking a fair bit pale, she closes her eyes, looking fairly baby-like in Houshi's grasp. "I'm just... I'm just going to rest my eyes for a bit. Rouse me if you need anything..." God, I wish i hadn't taken that soldier pill. I can't even get bed rest like this. Despite the medicine, you swear you hear her snore lightly.

[zeone3000]

Houshi yells, "Yousuke, hold on! I don't think an hour is going to help in the long run. Also, no telling if anybody else may show up. If we send the only two that in any shape to fight off, we might as well be making our death beds."

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke heaved a sigh as he moved pull the girl up from the ground. Did she not have any sense of propriety? Rolling around on the ground like some kind of disgusting animal was simply not proper conduct. "Honestly, you should not b-" stopped mid-lecture by her delirious kiss on the cheek, Yousuke recoils, letting Amon drop to the ground once more.

"Do not do that again." How shameful. Did she not realize that actions such as her own were simply not done?

He brushed himself off before responding to Houshi, "And what do you suggest? Sune is our only hope of stopping and rescuing our sensei. Does your honor not burn to have her back?"

[zeone3000]

"If anything burns to hot... honor, pride, love, hate... It threatens to consume everything. You temper the flame to forge the blade. Otherwise, when it's time to use the blade, it will be brittle and useless." While it was one big metaphor, he felt that his fellow swordsman should understand, "We need to stick together more then ever. Also, shouldn't we honor what could possibly be our sensei's last order?"

[Princess Tracy]

"Ow, stupid Yousuke, no idea how to treat a girl," Amon comments as he dropd her. "No sense of humour, either."

As Houshi tries pitching in to keep Yousuke around, Amon adds. "It would take you... 8 hours to reach Sogakure. A little less maybe. By that time, whatever is going to happen will happen and you wouldn't have been around to change anything. If you want to save Cybele, you'd better stay here - if she needs you, you'll be at hand. What if you leave and she's killed and you could have made a difference, taht's all I'll say. If she's taken prisoner, a half hour of waiting will not put any more tension on that situation, okay? We need you here. I specifically need you stand right her in front of Houshi where I can reach you - there ya go..." Criticising Yousuke seemed to have brought her focus back somewhat as she reaches from her arm-cradle to grab Yousuke, using a healing technique to patch him up. "I need my meat shield in prime condition."

Yousuke is healed for [roll0] damage

After healing Youeuke, Amon revs up the technique again, this time healing herself, closing her eyes and looking a little angelic as she focuses. After a couple of minutes as the last of her wounds close, her breathing returns to normal. "You can put me down, Houshi, I can handle myself. Though your arms are very comfortable - remind me to hitch a ride again." Once on the ground, she states "Well, taht killed 5 minutes. Anyone else need healing? Houshi, did I get all of your wounds? We could get drunk."

Total chakra spent: 4. Can I use this from my chakra reserves? I'll debate that OOC
And Amon is healed [roll1]

[Bad Situation]

He scowled at Houshi's turn of phrase, etching his features with harsh lines. "They will not be her last orders if it is within my power to stop it." With a flutter of his clothing, Yousuke sharply turned away from the group and made to return to Soragakure. "Now if you will excuse me."

And had he not stumbled on his feet he likely would have made good on that promise. This time he directed his scowl toward at the pink fleshy scar he knew was obscured under his pants. The injury was courtesy of the lucky bandit who had managed to scratch at him at the Sugomaki Caverns. The medic at the hospital had assured him that it would not hinder him in combat, but warned that any harsh or jerky movements would cause him some pain.

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

The storm clouds that had been gathering for quite some time (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13729527&postcount=107) finally make themselves known. A soft echo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPodpYu_Ruo&feature=related) of thunder announces the start of the rainfall, and it quickly picks up. The driving rain batters villagers, the burnt inn, and ninja alike as it comes cascading down. Sojuro looks toward your group, and asks a seemingly innocent question:

"We need to get Yukiko inside. What are we gonna do?"

Indeed. What do the sky genin intend to do? Their alienated jounin has vanished, one of their allies is gravely wounded, and the others are emotionally broken or suicidal. Now is the time for them to take charge, but they're floundering.

Amon

As Amon attempts to manipulate her own chakra flow she feels something extremely strange take place. A heavy foreign body rests within her chakra pathways, and its moving. When she healed Yousuke, her focus on wrestling with his chakra's conflicting nature allowed it to move in secret, but cycling her own chakra causes its movements to become clear as day. The heaviness slithers from the real parts of her hands to her forearms, and from her forearms to her elbows. Pins and needles shoot through her limbs as the foreign presence crawls its way through her chakra coils. Whatever it is the presence feels malign and dangerous, but most importantly it feels subversive. It's almost as if the presence had attempted to wriggle in between her conscious and subconscious understanding, and that it was consciously attempting to avoid detection. Luckily Amon's expert control over her own chakra allows her to detect its movements this time. She can now detect whenever it moves.

[Princess Tracy]

Amon's eyes bulge as she feels something unnatural within herself. What on earth was that? G-get it out... Is it from when I tried to heal Cybele? What did it do - is it some sort of parasite?

At Sojuro's question, she doesn't even spare a thought, looking herself over horrifyingly. "Sand-nin, get inside one of the houses and fortify the crap out of it. Wait for our signal to move out," she instructs simply, not even looking at him as she looks over her arms where she felt the presence rest.

What is this, an invasion of my chakra pathways? P-please, will I not be able to use my ninjutsu anymore. She looks on the verge of losing it all over again. Calm down, calm down. Uh, Cybele mentioned Sune was the one person that could heal her, which must mean she knows of the conditions that surround her - so if there's any way to get rid of this, I should ask her. Just stay calm, you'l be fine... assuming you don't need to use your techniques within the next few hours. The only sign Amon shows of acknowledging the rain is pitching up her poncho above her head like something between a tent and an umbrella with her swordcane. Maybe if I drained my chakra pathways... can I take that risk that it'll be made worse though? I almost certainly can't afford to wait until some combat or other high-stress situation where I'm relied upon to find out that I'm useless. I either have to write myself off entirely or find out my limits. But this thing seems to have a progression. To my head perhaps? Eithe rway, it won't be strictly recreatable, so tinkeirng with it tow may only progress whatever condition has been bestowed on me. What if I used someone else's chakra to - no, that technique might spread this condition to them.

Looking more terrified than ever but not saying why, she looks up to Houshi and Yousuke. "If either of you can sense chakra at all, I need you to touch me and tell me what you feel. I suspect Cybele may have infected me with... with something." Dare I try and heal myself of this oddest of conditions right now? What if I die? Stupid, stupid Amon, it's time you learned some god damn caution instead of prodding at things out of the ordinary. With your bare hands

[zeone3000]

Putting her down, Houshi nods, "Yeah, I'm fine now and no we won't. Not the time to be under the influence."

Houshi quirks a brow at Amon's latest question, "Did you seriously just ask me that?" He follows after the sand nin and helps them starts fortifying.

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Sojuro finds a home to use. The locals say it belongs to a traveling merchant, and that he's out of town. His daughter is living there alone, and offers to let all the ninja stay. She allows Sojuro to use her bed for Yukiko, and begins cooking dinner. The merchant's daughter can't be older than nine or ten, but acts like a fully grown adult given how she goes about the business of preparing supper for several people.

---

Shoin doesn't appear until ten minutes later, when he shows up and talks about something he found. "There's three sets of tracks leading northwest of the village, toward the Wind Country. Two humans, followed by a third human, and they were followed by yet another human. The first two sets are probably my teacher, that leaf ninja, and your teacher's clone. The last set might be your teacher's."

Amon

The ninja girls attempts to communicate are either ignored or unable to reach it. The entity within her makes no movements during her attempt, and does nothing in response to her attempt at communication.

[Princess Tracy]

"Well of course I wouldn't expect it of him. God, how do I keep forgetting. How does he LIVE without ninjutsu?" That question makes her flinch as she tries to avoid pondering that possibility applying to her. "Yousuke, I have an idea. Give me the scroll a second It said something about a snake and this thing inside me... Just lend it to me. so I can read it"

---
Assuming Yousuke hands over the scroll
---

Amon takes the scroll of Cybele, picking away at it in hopes it wasn't also somehow deadly to the touch.

Disable Device to get rid of traps(?) [roll0]

She cracks it open, skimming the thing in hopes of some meaning coming to light of her condition.

Decipher Script [roll1]

[Bad Situation]

Shrugging his shoulders, Yousuke tosses the pressure cargo to Amon and takes a spot by the door to guard Yukiko. He draws the sword to check for any battle damage. Finding none, he settles the blade on his lap to begin his vigil.

They needed to get back to Soragakure soon. The rain was sure to erase whatever tracks their quarry had left behind and every second they tarried would make it that much harder to follow behind. If Yukiko did not wake up soon they would just have to carry her back to the village and hope that the weather and travel conditions did not reopen her wounds.

"We will need to leave soon. I fear for this village's safety and our own should we delay our travel for such a time long.

[Princess Tracy]

Amon doesn't step into the house. Clutching the scroll in hand as she puzzles through it, she shakes in fury.

Oh I forgot to do this last night; rather than take 20, I spend an action point to augment my original check of 24
[roll0]
So the check still only takes a minute. That's an auto-succeed, I reckon, so I read the PM. I don't want Cybele to die, so I'm willing to get myself in trouble for bending the rules - she seems like a fun NPC.

Edit: That brings me up to a 30, which I believe would normally be a new step of success, though I'm not sure that's necessary since Amon got all the information she needs.

"I knew it, she intends to die. This essentially her will," Amon observes, grimacing. "I've wasted too much time, she may already be... Dammit, no! If she's dead... I at least want to know. You, bald one!" she orders suddenly, passing the scroll back to Yousuke. "You're leading me on that fourth person's tracks, now. I can't... I can't let her die thinking she wasn't worth anything." Amon storms off, though not before swiping at Houshi's equipment. "I'm sorry, but something has infected my chakra streams so using my techniques is risky. I'm borrowing this summoning scroll, okay?" With that, she pockets Houshi's scroll if not stopped. "You two stay here and be out of here within the hour - you really don't have time to eat dinner, I'm sure."

Would Bludra of the Village of Powder* run form a fight if it meant leaving a comrade to die - when that comrade was going to throw their life away and think she deserved it? Nay. Then why should I?

*
Main character of a ninja comic book Amon is a big fan of, by the name of NinJump

---

Amon makes her way quickly in the direction Shoin specified, dragging him by the ear most of the way if need be. She stops on the outskirts of town. "Okay, get tracking. I changed my mind - follow the third set of tracks, the clones, I have an idea. It's risky, but trust me. And keep your head down, for god's sake." hesitantly she forms hand seals, hoping such a basic technique doesn't agitate the entity too much.

Amon uses the transformation technique to take the form of Cybele when they first met, equipment and all, before following the path

1 chakra spent for a 10 minute transformation.
In case you need it, Chakra Contorl [roll1]

Sensei... I know I can't beat those two. But damn if I won't at least try to save your life if yet you draw breath - I can handle that much at least. I won't let you die out of guilt. I may not know about Nanako or whatever is in your past... but I may never know if you die now. I'll give you your voice, I'll make you unafraid to share such tales, I'll unburden you, I'll do what it takes to make sure you come out of this alive, so don't you dare die before I get there.

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke stands in muted shock but recovers and shares a glance with his fellow sky-swordsman, "We're going after her."

[zeone3000]

Houshi does stop Amon from taking his scroll, "That's even more reason why shouldn't go you crazy women!" He looks down at Yousuke, "God, you're both nuts! Never thought I would have to be the voice of reason but you are both being guided by your emotions." He sighs, rubbing the the bridge of his nose, "If this gets us killed I'm haunting both of you in the afterlife. You should give him the message though." He points to Sojuro, "You can carry Yukiko back to Soragakure right? They need to know what's happened here in the event that what happens doesn't go in our favor."

[Bad Situation]

Nodding grimly, Yousuke sheathes his sword and gathers his bag in preparation. "Crazy as they may be, we are yet bound as a team. It is our duty as a team to see them back home safely, damn the consequences." Finally ready, Yousuke stops in front of the door and looks once more to Houshi.

"If you have no further objections, I believe it is high time that we leave."

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Sojuro looks at Houshi, then nods. "We'll live. Good luck." He's still empty as he speaks, and nothing but worry and fear edges his voice. "And try not to get yourselves killed."

Amon

Sharp pin-pricks dance up Amon's elbows and into her biceps and shoulders. The wriggling squirming mass of chakra swells as Amon feels it feeding on the energy she had spent. But rather than drain her of this energy, it cycles her chakra through itself then lets that energy flow back into Amon's system--tainted, but still there. The flow of chi within her body feels slimy and oily, as if a thin sheen of motor oil had spilled into the clean lake that is her energy reserve.

Amon loses 1 chakra as per normal, but gains 1 temporary point of chakra reserve. This point is spent first if Amon attempts to tap her reserves.

DM

The dual-wielding ninja looks at Houshi with a smile. "Whatever happens we'll be ready, huh? Well, we need to hurry. The rain will destroy their tracks otherwise." Shoin willingly goes along with the plan. He happily points out the series of tracks, and leads the team without question or reservation. He certainly doesn't go back if told to. The four of you dash through the underbrush aiming to follow the degrading tracks as quickly as possible. After ten minutes of travel you arrive at the end of Cybele's clone tracks.

Her tracks stop in front of a small cave. A light burns inside, and you hear no sounds. But the smell of blood is thick on the air, despite the scent of the rain doing its best to overpower it. A dark shape is slumped beside the cave entrance, and a gleaming blade of steel juts out of its back. If you get closer, then you note that the body is a male wearing some poorly made metal armor. He seems to be a bandit, or at least he isn't a village ninja, and he is quite dead. An empty scabbard at his side tells the tale of being killed with his own weapon.

If you investigate the inside of the cave you discover it devoid of inhabitants capable of fighting. Nine bodies are scattered about: Six dead men wearing the same kind of crappy armor as the fellow outside, plus two living but unconscious women dressed in the ripped remains of peasant's clothing. The men seem to have all been killed by their own blades, but the women are thankfully merely unconscious. They don't seem to be hurt too badly, but both of them had been knocked on the head lately. The final occupant, near the back of the cave, is a familiar-dressed sand ninja. A large silvery-white spike juts out of her stomach, but she's alive and conscious. Barely.

Hinami's breath comes in deep, ragged gasps. The spike seems driven completely through her abdomen, but someone had healed the outside of her wound. The chain attached to the silvery spike has been coiled around her throat, then attacked to another silvery spike stabbed into the wall above. If Hinami attempted to run, then she'd have to rip open her stomach to do so. And afterward she might not have the physical strength to get away.

A bloody trail leads away from Hinami and toward a second exit deeper into the cave. It's almost as if someone had left in a hurry while dragging something covered in blood behind them. Hinami weakly grasps the bloody spike with her hands, pulls on it, but lets it go after emitted a pained groan. She just looks at your group.

"A-are you... a-are you hear to--" She's cut off by a deep guttural growl of pain. The sand ninja grips her wound, and practically screams in pain. "...Damnit. Wh...whatever." Her voice comes out in pained moans, and she leans back as if to accept whatever you intended to do to her.

[Bad Situation]

The swordsman resisted the urge to turn away from the group, forcing his eyes at the sight of the battered and bloody enemy ninja. Whoever had done this was good. Better than a team of four genin at any rate.

Had Cybele done this to them? She admitted that her specialty lay in silent killing, but was she even capable of this level of carnage? Could they really attribute the scene before them to her aforementioned assassination skill? If so, where was she now? Did the bloody trail belong to Cybele? Had she given chase to the Leaf missinig-nin or was that trail of blood her own? There was something going on and if they did not figure it out soon, they would be walking right into it.

"Amon, can you tell if this is an illusion? If what we're seeing here really happened we need to question them."

[Princess Tracy]

Amon twitches, utterly creeped out by the transformation of her chakra. It's leaching off it... and regurgitating it? It's essentially respirating; and it perpetuates, clearly alive in some regard - does it reproduce? Is that what it is, some being that has taken residence in Cybele and has... laid its eggs in me? It must be aiming for my chakra production sites then, and if it reaches them it... oh god, I don't want to think about it. Okay, try to avoid any techniques until I get this thing the hell out of me. Just remain calm, you'll pull through. No more attempting jutsu just to see what happens, that's for sure.

As the others draw up and she finishes her transformation technique, she decides to lift everyone's spirits a little before they set off. They see before them clearly Cybele as she was this morning, though with a palpable offness, particularly as she smiles and speaks. "Come on, gang. Let's go save, sensei." She can't resist a quick flair, if only to take her mind off the curse, as she smirks and puts out her hips. "How does Cybele-sensei sneak with these things stapled to her chest?"

---

As they enter the cave, a quick assessment of the situation leaves Amon feeling rather grim. At least it seemed to be the enemies who were defeated. Seemed to be. Finding her deception useless, she dispels her technique, returning to her usual appearance of the poncho-clad techie. Pulling out her blade, she cautiously approaches Hinami, making a note to check the bodies afterwards, but for now Hinami was far too high on her list of priorities. Was the thing impaling her a part of the cave - perhaps a launching trap of some kind?

Search for traps [roll0]

Amon approaches Hinami slowly, cautiously, a single shuriken in her off-hand ready to finish the deed if she struggles at all. "Careful, this may be some sort of trick," she obviously informs the others. If nothing stops her or no irregularity is found, Amon goes right up to Hinami once she thinks it is safe, holding her blade far enough that she reckoned the sand-nin wouldn't be able to cut herself on it (judging by her strung-up degree of possible motion) if she wanted to take the easy way out, yet still close enough that Amon would be able to end her life if she suspected something was up. "Where is Cybele and your companion? Further along in the cave? What happened here? I may be inclined to take you prisoner - or end your suffering, if you cooperate."

Hang about while I finish my tea and look up the exact class of hostage Amon just made of hostage she just made Hinami, but my money's on dead to rights.

[Princess Tracy]

Hang on, retcon on account of Yousuke's post showing up before I finished mine.

---
before proceeding far into the cave
---

At the suggestion of checking for illusions, Amon fidgets uncomfortably. Finally, she nods. "I'll need a criteria of illusion to dispel though. And if we're all seeing the same thing... I have the technique on standby if you figure out what part might be an illusion, but I think I've had my chakra vessels badly poisoned"

[zeone3000]

Houshi shudder at the carnage but knows at the bottom of his being, that they deserved it. Still, this doesn't stop him from checking on the two innocent.

While investigating the victims, he speaks up, "No, we aren't here to finish you off. Sensei must have thought that was too good for you." He motions to her stomach, "Obviously. So, just answer the questions."

[ZeroNumerous]

Hinami (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MtLepdruTo)

The sand-nin smiles. Her white teeth glow red as they're stained by her own blood. She makes no move to resist Amon, nor does she try to get away. "Heh. Kids. Like it's your first massacre. This is what happens when the weak try to oppose the extraordinary. She killed them. All of them. And she did it loudly too, so that they could all watch their friends die."

Hinami groans as another bolt of pain shoots through her. "Then she staked me like this, "healed" me, and left. So do it. Kill me. I'd rather die from blood loss than that bitch's poison."

[Princess Tracy]

Amon tries to dispel illusions before they proceed into the cave, but a sudden squirm of the entity throws her off entirely and teh technique is wasted. She looks ready to throw up as she simply progresses into the cave. "...I don't think the technique is worth attempting," she tell Yousuke to justify her decision as she approaches Hinami.

---
Present
---

Poison? Healing? Did she...? Oh god, did she have it too? She expects to die, does that mean I too will... Amon's stance quakes. "I've seen a share of death before, and of corpses - I'm a doctor, after all. Which brings me to this thought; something happened to me when I tried healing Cybele and..." Amon stops shaking herself from her desperation as she realises she's entirely tipping her hand to the enemy. What the hell is wrong with me, I thought I'd calmed down! God, she has leverage now, even like this, are you really so desperate!? She makes a note to turn that around, to make it seem like she said to say it.

"I think I'd prefer to drag you back to the village in chains and further poisoned to the point of uselessness. That way they might lean a little easier on Cybele if we're able to interrogate you for Yusa's location, but that will have to come later. Now tell us; where is your partner, where is Cybele? Are they still alive?" She tries to seem calm, despite the sickening entity. "Your partner seemed pretty protective of you, didn't she? So why didn't she try and get you down - has she been defeated too?"

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke draws closer to the bleeding missing nin but keeps his sword drawn for good measure. He approaches Hinami warily and asks, "If you are so eager to die, tell me this: Who or what is Euryale Cybele and what business does she have with you and your organization."

[Princess Tracy]

Amon budges a little at Yousuke's question. I had been hoping to ask Cybele that herself. I imagine Hinami-bitch's answer will be far less favourable for any of us. Although this is hardly the time for loyalty. "I second that question. As an aside, as a medic I know a lot of ways to hurt someone without killing them. You know, food for thought"

[ZeroNumerous]

Amon

The creature crawls closer to Amon's chest. It oozes from her shoulders into her body cavity, just beneath her right lung. Ice runs along its path, and the sky-nin's fingers tingle as it spills into her body. It consumes the chakra Amon has expended, and more of the filthy energy pours into the young girl's reserve.

After Amon spends her 2 chakra for Genjutsu Kai she gains 2 temporary reserve.

Hinami

The teenager just grins at Amon. She recognized what the sky-nin said, and likely realized that Cybele's poison had spread into her. Her bloody teeth show through a thin smirk as Hinami realizes that Amon will join her soon enough. She speaks through weak gasps and harsh breaths. "Alright little one, since you're going to join me crossing the Sanzu, I'll tell you. Meiling left. She'd been recalled by her mistress." Hinami looks toward the trail of blood leading away from her.

"That's the way she went, but don't expect to find her." Hinami's eyes drift to Yousuke when the boy speaks, and she gives him a soft smile. "I'll tell you, but you have to promise me something first. Tell that little girl, what was her name..." For a moment Hinami stares through Yousuke, and the jounin's eyes gloss over as she drifts between worlds. Then a sharp pain shoots through her stomach, she groans in pain, and refocuses. "...tell her I'm sorry, but I won't be able to keep my promise."

She swallows her own blood and answers Yousuke's question either way. She does her best to control her breath, but something weighs her lungs down. "She's... a living curse, really. In... In Iwagakure, she was the private assassin of... of the Tsuchikage. Her blood... her fluids... even her chakra, they're like a poison. Her skill at silent killing was the only ninja skill she needed. Any target he wanted to die, she could accomplish it. Whether with her body.. a kiss.. being healed.. or using her own two hands..."

"As for what she is to me... An enemy. A mortal enemy. One that... I betrayed my village and kage to kill. Heh. Useless." Hinami wretches as her blood drains down her throat and into her lungs. The coughing bursts one of the blood vessels in her eye, and she looks at Yousuke with a mix of blue and red. "Leave her. She's just a danger to you." Hinami either ignores, or doesn't care about, Amon's threat. After all, she'd be dead soon in her own words.

[Bad Situation]

Shaken as he is by he gravity of Hinami's words Yousuke sets his features into hardened frown and nods, closing his eyes. "Close your eyes Hisakawa-san. This lowly dog of a swordsman is plainly unworthy of gazing into the eyes of a ninja, into the eyes of a woman, such as yourself."

This was almost too much for him to take. He was supposed to be angry. Indignant even, that she had betrayed both her village and team. But instead, all he felt was guilt. Nobody deserved to die like this, not in such an unsightly manner. He could do nothing to ease her pain but he could respect her dying wishes.

"Rest assured. I will see to it that Tsumaki-san understands the...urgency of your situation."

When Hinami is finally put to rest, Yousuke turns to Amon. "If she speaks the truth, I fear the immediacy of the situation has increased two-fold. We must rid your body of that toxin and if we cannot return to Soragakure in time for Sune-san to heal you then we must find Cybele-sensei."

[ZeroNumerous]

Hinami

A thin trail of her blood seeps out between her lips, and the jounin's chest falls for the final time. She's finally passed on.

[Princess Tracy]

Amon looks to the exit the blood leads up to. She gulps, knowing she won't like whatever lies beyomnd. Dare she simply shout out and hope what lay beyond, if it was still there, was friendly? An idea occurs. This filthy chakra is leaking into me. What were to happen if I were to expend it?

"All things considered, Hinami here seems like she'll make it - if one cares to pull her off the spike, give her imediate medical attention and absolve her of her 'poison'. Before I let you pass out, what antidote might exist for her poison?" she demands, grilling Hinami "I intend to get at least one of you as a prisoner, and you don't want to die by Cybele's poison, so perhaps we can help each other out here. What say you?"

Amon leans closer to Yousuke, whispering so Hinami can't hear. "It doesn't... feel like a poison though. More like it's alive... like a parasite. It's... slithering through me. It doesn't hurt, I don't think... more like it pushes and violates my chakra stream. It's really, really gross, but only seems to move when I use my chakra for... well, anything." She points to her lower chest with a shaky finger. "When i tried using Genjutsu Kai, it ended up around here. I don't know what it will do if it reaches my vital organs... But I agree, of course. I don't have a deathwish."

She turns her attention back on Hinami, pointing along the trail of blood to the exit. "What should I expect beyond there." It's at that moment of turning her attention on the woman that Amon realises she isn't breathing any longer. She grits her teeth. "Oh no, no no you don't. Don't DARE. I just... you didn't seem that bad that..." She herself struggles to avoid hyperventilating. "N-no, how am I supposed to find the cure to...?" NO NO NO! YOU FAILURE OF A MEDIC! Calm yourself, Amon! You'll get through this. You promised Korra you'd come back - that you'd be okay, that you'd be a big, cool ninja she could look up to.. You are NOT allowed to die in a place and way like this!

However she rallies herself though, she can't help it as the scream escapes her mouth. "CYBELE!"

Pacing to and fro for a second, shakiing her head, she leans in closer to Hinami, planting her sword in the ground as she checks her over again. "You bitch, if you're feigning death at a time like this, I'll...!" She looks her over as intently as she can.

Treat Injury check to determine if she is truly dead or not.
Result (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=13760936#post13760936)

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Hinami's body seems to have no external injuries other than the giant spike rammed into the space where her liver should be. Amon can make a reasonable guess, based on the blood coming from her head, that something caused the blood vessels and nerves in her brain to burst. Whether that's Cybele's poison or some kind of suicide technique isn't known just yet.

The shout causes birds in the trees to flutter away, but draws out no responses otherwise.

[Princess Tracy]

She's actually dead... "CYBELE! I don't care what sins you committed or how bad you think you are! If you can hear me, if you can come, just do me the courtesy! Please! I'm... I'm so scared. Please... Will I even hold out to return to Sogakure?"

Amon's gaze once again drifts to follow the trail. She stops herself at the last second from following it full-pelt. She goes to one of the battered woman, seeking to revive her in case she witnessed anything important.

Treat Injury [roll0]

"You'll forgive my lack of manners," she proclaims as she tries to bring the woman around enough to speak "Time is of the essence. What happened here?"

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

The women don't rouse. They seem to have been knocked unconscious by a sharp knock on the noggin, and won't wake up from some half-hearted attempt.

[Princess Tracy]

Amon growls, as if it's the women's fault for being so badly beaten up that she can't get them awake fast enough. Setting them both down, she gets to her feet, deciding there's nothing else for it as she follows the trail of blood. She activates her sense chakra ability, showing some at least fundamental sense of protocol even through her stress as she follows the trail quickly. I might not have long enough left to live to waste time being cautious. Please, Cybele, be around here. The uncertainty is killing me - I feel like it would be BETTER if you just told me for sure I was going to die... I don't want to die... It's the only landmark she has, after all. Of course, in her delirious state, she doesn't even ask the advice of the tracker, who she would otherwise ask to lead her back down the path for a bit to confirm all the paths ended her. But on a subconsicous level, she wrote such things off as taking too long.

[zeone3000]

If Hinami didn't close her eyes, Houshi slides her lids down, "I'm not gonna leave her like this." He proceeds to try and pull the spikes free with his superior strength, "She was not a mercenary dog like them. Maybe she didn't deserve better but she doesn't deserve to rot away here. Though, a any type of burial is going to have to wait unfortunately. Let alone a proper one."

[ZeroNumerous]

Houshi

Removing the stake is easy for the strong and uninjured genin. Hinami's body slumps over without the stakes and chains holding her up.

[zeone3000]

Houshi puts her in a dignified position of rest before going to join Amon.

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke nods at Houshi's work and leaves to join Amon. "We should hurry. Amon, don't strain yourself anymore, just focus on conserving your energy until we can find Cybele-sensei."

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

The four of you follow the trail of blood. Shoin seems a bit distressed at the possibility of facing your jounin, but follows anyway. He'd gone this far, and to go back now would be doing you all a grave disservice. The second cave exit leads through a deep trail of upturned dirt that eventually turns into a trail of mud. The mud's normally brown color has been corrupted into a thick dark red from whatever is being dragged through. Eventually the trail leads the group to a rain-flooded culvert beneath one of the main roads through the area. A bloody and muddy leg pokes out from underneath the rocky overhang, and a small stream of blood-stained water flows out from within the culvert.

If you investigate the leg, then you discover that it's attached to a very young woman who could be Sune's twin sister. Her vest is in tatters, and she doesn't seem to have adjusted it at all since Amon got hurt. She's clearly been dragging herself through the mud, and had reverted to crawling at some point in the journey. Her hands are a bloody mess, her left leg has a serious wound, and there are several bruises and lacerations across her poorly covered upper body. She's quite unconscious, and isn't roused by the genin's approach.

Shoin points off to the northeast, along the road toward the Fire Country and away from Soragakure.

"It looks like she was going this way, and decided to sleep in the culvert. That other ninja might have went that way. Should we pursue?"

[Princess Tracy]

Amon slows to a stop, gathering her breath as Yousuke advises her to conserve her strength. "i might drop dead at any moment for all I know, staying calm is a bit of a luxury I don't have, you know!" she squeals. Panting more from stress than anything else, she looks around, finding Cybele, or what she assumes to be Cybele. With a drawn out deep breath, she regains focus. "Okay, okay... you're right. Give me a boost up, would you?"

Amon stands above the prone form of Cybele, being a little cautious as she crouches down. Hinami mentioned any contact could provoke her poison. Rememering to be cautious, Amon pulls on her gloves, wishing she's worn a long-sleeved top as she tucks her poncho into the gloves for extra coverage, ever wary of direct touch. Especially with all that blood, after all. As an extra precaution with improvised equipment, she pulls on her gas mask, figuring it couldn't hurt.

Treat Injury to assess Cybele's condition [roll0]
treat Injury to apply first air [roll1], heal [roll2]

"Come on Cybele, I'm not having you die on me too. If you feel that bad, at least give me a hint..." She looks down to Shoin and the tracks. "How far away, fast traveling, healthy, and numberous do you think the enemy is?" Being this close to Cybele, she came to wonder if she was really able to help. She'd had an idea bounding around for a while now of how to cure herself of this affliction if it came to that, but she would definitely be disabled from being any further use if she went through with it, and she'd need to go back to at least the last town to get supplies if she wanted to drain her chakra.

[ZeroNumerous]

Shoin

The genin follows the tracks for a bit, then doubles back to explain. "One. They're dragging their feet, bleeding, and stumbled a bit down that way. My guess: They're pretty hurt. Can't have gotten much further ahead."

Amon

The medical ninja overlooks Cybele's prone form, and can make an educated guess on her overall health.

With the +1 from first aid she's at -3 and stable.

[Princess Tracy]

"Right... Cybele is stable enough for now." Amon considers moving her, thinking better of doing it herself. "She'll small enough to be carried like this quickly enough, and safely too." She tucks Cybele's leg away from plain sight, just in case. "Hard to believe she did all this in such a state... If we're going after the last ninja, we'll grab Cybele on the way back. We might actually be able to defeat this one - it'll be our only chance to do so. After my first big defeat, I studied a couple of moves specifically tailor made to defeat even vastly superior opponents, but if I'm like this I'll need your help to set them up; by my reckoning, it will only be safe to use a single move. Let's talk strategy."

Plan check [roll0] for the four genin against Meiling
Plan is done off screen like all dramatically tense plans are - Amon will say if things went according to plan if not.

Knowing time is of the essence, if the majority of the group and Yousuke, respectively, consent, she performs the following actions (2nd action contingent on the 1st being accomplished)

1. set out immediately along the trail, knowing time is of the essence
2. take the scroll she gave Yousuke and leave it on Cybele's body as a sort of unspoken message - 'we were here, and we're not letting you act on your deathwish'

Also she'll apply poison to everyone's weapons en route, just as soon as I work out the particulars of how long poisons remain active and such. Do Taijutsu techniques require concentration if struck halfway through performing? I'll look a little harder for both these inquiries I guess.

[Bad Situation]

Upon sighting Cybele, Yousuke immediately rushes to her side but backs off a ways when Amon begins her treatment. He had no experience treating injuries like this and didn't want to get in her way. It was good that Cybele was safe but they still had a job to do. Their sensei had gone after the dangerous jonin on her own but as her team they would finish the job she stared.

"Don't push yourself. We don't know how far that poison has traveled and I don't want to take any chances right now," he warned. The four of them were finally back together, their number was not going to fall to three if he could help it.

"So what's the plan?" he asked, throwing his coat over Cybele's prone form.

[Princess Tracy]

Amon nods at Yousuke's insistence as she removes her gas mask. "Don't worry. I don't intend to die. I have a family that I made a promise to that I would be okay, and a sister I promised mentor. I'm not going forward with any plan that involves any of us dying. I think I may know how to quell the 'poison', though again I reiterate that it doesn't FEEL like poison so much as some sort of parasite or symbiote, but if I go through with it, I will be disabled and useless; this is the only opportunity we may have to actually capture this woman and fulfil sensei's goal."

"Okay, here's the plan as I see it; like I said, I have a technique or two that I learned specifically to deal with superior opponents. One of them is Jukusui no Jutsu; if I touch the opponent, they will gradually lose their senses, losing consciousness. The only way to assert their willpower to maintain consciousness beyond the 20 seconds the technique normally takes to manifest is to feel the pain that comes with taking a rather hefty sum of physical damage, physical damage our opponent could not afford to inflict on herself in her current state. If we can get the drop on her and do everything in or power to lower her defences, I'll take the most opportune moment to swoop in and slap her with the technique; then we all back off, wait for her to lose consciousness, then tie her up, maybe apply some poison for good measure, and drag her back to the village. All i need is a good strategy to get into that position. What can techniques you 3 do? I have another technique called Rousuru Onpa no Jutsu that can almost unerringly throw off her concentration if she attempts any sort of technique, though as you said, it is best I conserve myself, lest the effects of this 'poison' worsen. So all I can really do is use my sleep technique. Ooh, and apply poison to all your weapons if you want." Amon flashes her bandolier of bubbling, deadly poisons. "Should screw up even her. I didn't get all that many combat-focussed poisons, but a few of these in anyone's bloodstream should do the trick. So what do you guys do?"

[Princess Tracy]

Amon looks contemplative for a moment. "Yousuke, do me a favour and leave the scroll Cybele gave us on her body. It shall be a symbol of our promise to fulfil our duty; to strike down our enemy and all go home together alive. It reads as her last will and testament after all, something I intend to invalidate. You honourable types like symbols, right?"

[zeone3000]

He lets the other two rush to Cybele while he looks around cautiously. After Amon stabilizes her, he moves in, listening to the plan. His min was focusing on taking down the enemy, though he did breath a sigh of relief at their sensei being alive.

Once asked about his skills, he flatly states, "I hit things, hard. Really hard at that. Seriously, without nin or genjutsu, I'm only good for melee confrontation."

[Princess Tracy]

"Well, is there a precise way you can hit things to impede them? You can at least do Taijutsu, which I know none of. I figure... okay, Yousuke, you're pretty well coordinated I think, so you throw a poisoned shuriken from the shadows, I'll apply some heavy dose stuff to Houshi's blade, Houshi charges and Shoin, what have you got? Either way, we should be able to apply enough poison to made her almost useless in the fight, and I'm sure Houshi or... well, any of you Taijutsu types have a way to knock the breath right out of her. That's when I'll spring out and use the Sleep Technique; if I connect, we'll all pull back, running outside her reach so she won't be a threat as she drops unconscious, then we head back to her, bind her, maybe lacerate her key arm joints a little so she can't move properly enough to escape, and drag her back. Simple enough, right? The key here is I would like this," she holds up the Ghost Chains poison, "to hit true. It'll reduce her agility and her ability to use chakra to augment it, making her easier to hit with my technique and less capable of running away. if anyone has a better plan than 'poison, surprise, stun and sleep technique', I'd love to hear it - that isn't even a boast or a mock, I'm feeling kind of too panicked to draft this like I usually would, so any suggestions are welcome, but we have to head out within, probably, the next minute if not sooner."

"Oh and don't touch Cybele; she's covered in blood, whcih i believe to be poisonous to foreign bodies including ourselves. I'll clean her off so we can transport her on our way out." I told Sojuro to get going before the hour was up. If he's smart, he'll already have left town with Yukiko, so the only ones in danger now are us four. And Cybele. I wonder if we can afford to have someone stay and guard her? I'd do it, but... I can barely defend myself in this state.

[zeone3000]

Houshi nods, "I have couple in fact. Rendan Kidouki and the first strike of Sangeki Hissatsu Waza. The later depends on her fortitude. I also have a couple that could potentially knock her prone but I don't think they'll be of any use."

[Princess Tracy]

"You'd be surprised; lying on your back is a severe tactical disadvantage for just about anyone. Though a simple swing to put her off balance and aid me would suffice; it all comes down to this once strike, as I've said, unless someone thinks of something better" Amon comments. "Anything else before we head out?"

"Yousuke, you seem the stealthiest, why don't you tell us how bets to get the drop on her? Shoin, if you can track I'll assume some basic knowledge of how to use features of the land to our advantage. Advise away." If there's nothing, Amon tells Shoin to lead the way. She'll apply her poisons to everyone's weapons on the way.

I'll describe what poisons are applied to what in a later post, possibly OOC. let's focus on dex damage - which thankfully my poisons are quite good for. There'll be time in the journey to assume further strategy talk.

Before leaving, she comments, "I wonder if you should use that summoning scroll, Houshi. You could have a turtle carry Cybele or at least protect her. It could lean over her and use its shell to ward off attackers if need be. What do you think?" That or I could guide it back to the village to treat Cybele... but can i really afford to leave these bozos alone? No way in hell. This is a four-person job, if you ask me. She'll hold until we get back... I hope. With an awkward twinge she remembers the sudden death of Hinami, hoping events don't repeat themselves.

[Princess Tracy]

"Before I forget, Yousuke, Houshi..." Amon produces a small capsule of poison, offering it to them. "This affliction progresses every time I expend chakra. i was hoping o self-administer this in a more controlled environment, but in case something goes wrong, I need you to shove this down my throat immediately; it's nonlethal, Fireseed Spice - it drains once's store of chakra. I've theorised it might at least halt the entity. It will leave me dry of the chakra I'll need to progress, but it may be the only way to save my life since the entity is leeching off my chakra somehow. Just... shove this down my throat if I'm incapacitated, by my condition or otherwise, okay? And try not to get too hurt, since I'mnot sure if I can heal you without spreading the affliction."

Amon gives one of her two Fireseed Spice capsules to whoever takes it first.

[Bad Situation]

"There is not much to stealth that you likely do not already know from the Academy. Even battle weary, she will be a very dangerous opponent. We must strike at her with all that we have and more. When she is within sight I will engage her while you, Houshi and Shoin circle around to cut off her retreat. I do not know how long I will be able to hold her attention for so you must be quick about your plan."

If Houshi could knock the woman on her back there job would be that much easier. But they would need to plan around the woman's speed and natural resistance. "I will require a poison capable of dulling her speed or a poison designed to attack her fortitude."

[Princess Tracy]

"Alright, cowboy, you're on. You get the best dose of poison I've got. Ghostly Chains - my only dose of the thing. The only thing i have that could damage her fortitude would be Hachidoku, but you'd have to wait a minute and hope she doesn't tough out her initial reslieicne to the poison as it progressed. Although it is the best poison i have for causing raw damahe, if you're prefer. Ghostly Chains will stop her using her speed. Like, at all. if you think you can handle this awesome responsibility..." Amon cranks open the Ghostly Chains (or Hachidoku or indeed anything else if Yousuke stated his interest lay with another poison), applying it to Yousuke's sword. "Make it count."

"If we're lucky, we may be able to drain her agilty to the point of paralysis. If we're really lucky, we may be able to do so in one blow." She holds up a sample of Ocean Breeze. "Does anyone know how to use a blowgun?"

Can anyone make unarmed strikes with parts of the body other than their hands or would they be willing to use one hand for a turn or two? I was going to add Ocean's Breeze to a glove and have someone slap Meiling with it. Contact poison.

So far I'm thinking Nightlily paste on Shoin and Houshi's weapons.

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

The trio of sky-nin plus their sand-nin companion follow Meiling's tracks. Shoin complains of the difficulty in the rain, but as luck would have it she isn't trying to mask her passage. The quartet finally find their victim after a minute of following.

About thirty feet ahead the four of you spot a leaf-ninja with a tattered and ripped qipao wandering toward the Fire Country. Her right arm and left leg are made of stone, and she clutches at her chest with her good hand. Blood, possibly her own but also possibly another's, drips from her stone limbs. It seems like after they had been turned to stone she simply used them as clubs or bludgeons in battle. Free flowing red hair dances on the breeze behind her, and she bears blade injuries across her flesh-and-blood limbs. When you get within sight range of her she takes notice of someone's presence. The ninja doesn't seem to have spotted the group yet, but definitely knows someone or something is around. She stops and looks around. She's become visibly wary but without a direction to focus that wariness in.

"Whoever's out there... Make yourself known. I'm not interested in fighting random bandits or animals."

[zeone3000]

Houshi whispers, as quietly as he can to his team, "Now?"

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

The rain manages to obscure the leaf-nin's visibility just enough that you're able to remain hidden despite extremely poor attempts to do so. However, she looks quite wary and definitely hasn't been surprised. She simply waits for the enemy to make themselves known.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c26/ZeroNumerous/MeilingBattle.png

Color Key
Green- Grass
Dark Green- Trees, approx. 120ft. Provide cover vs ranged attackers on the other side of them.
Dark Gray- Yousuke
Dark Blue- Amon
Light Blue- Shoin
Dark Red- Houshi
Light Red- Meiling

Initiative: [roll0].

Initiative Order: Amon - 20
Meiling - 11
Houshi - 10
Yousuke - 8

Meiling delays until end of the initiative order.

[Princess Tracy]

Before Fight

---

Amon applies her poisons to everyone's weapons and her own ammunition.
list of poisons here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=13777064#post13777064)
Amon wraps sunburst tag around a kunia-like shuriken, applies Nightlily Poison, careful to keep the components sheltered by her poncho as they move.

---
Present
---

Amon stops breathing as the heat of the moment nearly overpowers her; for all her planning, for a split second it is all for not; the horrifying conditions of her opponent invoke a pity and surprise that almost entirely throws her off. Nevertheless, her plans have yet to change all that drastically; hit her with poison and everything we have until she falls down.

With a spin, Amon tosses the special shuriken herself, hoping against hope that it lands true. I can decide this fight in one hit, she thinks, hoping to end this prematurely, before anyone else get's hurt.

Move Action
Charge sunburst tag, DC 15 chakra control
[roll0]

There, I redeem myself through the sacred art of 'giving up a clear success to roll where the GM can see it'

[Princess Tracy]

Sensing the sunburst tag charged and hoping the curse isn't provoked by her use of chakra control, Amon breathes deep, hopong for the best of her deadly combination; her opponent is severely weakened, the wind is in their favour. It's almost too easy, even. This was teh one chance to catch her unawares. Don't let the pressure get to you...

Amon tosses the sunburst tag-poison-shuriken combination.

Standard Action
Throw Shuriken. 30 feet away, 10 foot range increment so... -4 to attack. Combined with Plan and dex bonus...
Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

If it hits, she takes a -4 to save against the sunburst tag, and is subjet to Nightlily Poison
Nightlily: DC 18 fortitude save or [roll2] Dex damage (initial)

As the combination nears it's target, Amon focuses, triggering the sunburst tag as it looks like it hits its target, hoping it conneted. She shields her eyes as she shouts "Last chance to surrender before you end up like your partner!"

Swift Action
Trigger Sunburst tag. Within 15 feet, so just her on my initiative, must make a successful DC 15 fortitude save (-4 to the save if the shuriken hit) or be dazed for [roll3] rounds

Maybe we can actually beat her before this curse get's any worse...

[ZeroNumerous]

Meiling

The sunburst kunai lands nearby, but Meiling quickly shields her eyes with her useful arm. Her flesh-and-blood limb lowers and she looks toward where the kunai had originated from. Meiling's eyes light up with recognition as she spots Amon.

"Are you here for revenge? I don't want to kill you. Please leave before my hand is forced."

Meiling delays until everyone else moves.

[zeone3000]

Houshi shrugged, Answers that. He took a deep breath, releasing his full strength and speed, then commenced the operation.

He burst forward, coming to Meiling's side in a few long strides, drawing his blade in a wide, falling arc, "Hokujutsu..." He comes to a sliding stop, pivots on his foot and swings for the cheap seats in amazing display of strength, skill and excellent planning, "DAIBUTSU!"

Moves 40' North, auto passes check and uses HJ: Daibutsu.

Hit Points: 29/29
Chakra Pool: 13/23
Chakra Reserve: 8/8
Armour Class: 13
Ongoing Effects: Str Rank 1 (1/5), Spd Rank 1 (1/5)

Hokujutsu: Daibutsu
Attack: [roll0]
Damage Roll: [roll1] [roll2]
Chakra Cost: 4

If it hits, DC 23 Fort Save or she's knocked prone.

[Bad Situation]

"Revenge would not be so sweet."

Yousuke breaks past Amon in a flash of speed and pivots at an angle to redirect his approach at Meiling, aiming to pinch the kunoichi in a position between himself and Houshi. He dashes with his sword drawn, converging on the target with a low, upward aimed strike.

The technique was easily one of his most most simple techniques, but if the plan involved inflicting a poison he would swallow his pride.

Hit Points: 30/30
Chakra Pool: 16/22
Chakra Reserve: 10/10
Armour Class: 24
Ongoing Effects: Str Rank 1 (1/5), Spd Rank 2 (1/5)

Move to 12,7 to flank with Houshi.
(Diagonal movement to 13,12) 20ft
(Forward to 13,8) 20 ft
(Diagonal to 12,7) 5 ft

Sword Art: Upward Cut
Attack: 1d20+17)
Damage Roll: [roll0]
Chakra Cost: 1

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Houshi's and Yousuke's pincer attack captures the missing-nin between their blades. Houshi's giant cleaver separates bone and flesh like butter, and Yousuke's blade cuts clean through until it meets Houshi's. Both ninja are splashed by Meiling's blood as it sprays outward from the orgy of violence between the three of them. The leaf-nin is certainly dead.

But then her body explodes into a puff of smoke, and her blood vanishes into the air.

Amon/Houshi/Yousuke get 225 XP for defeating Meiling's Kage Bunshin.

[Princess Tracy]

(free action to talk)

"Revenge for what? Freeing your boss? Beating up Yukiko? The girl lives and you were following a sense of duty, I see no reason to bear a grudge. And it is OUR duty to beat you up and either kill you or drag you back to the village. Your partner is dead, I 'treated' her myself, and you seem to know when to call it quits, so just give up before you lose another limb." As the blows strike true and the clone dissipates, Amon swears under her breath. In truth she knew this would happen but had hoped it wouldn't. A beefed up clone technique. Should we run? I had accounted for this at least a little in my plans, though now things will slip out of control quickly. Do we run?

"If my hunch is right, you should be no better for wear than your clone appeared to be. But then, how were you able to perform hand seals with an arm like that? Come on, surrender now and as a limited time offer, i won't harvest your blood on the way back to sogakure."

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Amon's taunts get no response. Not even the casual sounds of crickets or small game come from the forest's darkness.

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke's eyes dart toward the northwest and tightens his grip on the katana. "Surrender or die in obscurity!"

"My ears have alerted me to your presence, you may cease with your deception."

If the ninja had been able to create a bunshin, she was still capable of fighting. Their surprise attack had failed and they were now in the open, with some of their resources wasted on a shadow clone.

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Yousuke's shouts get as much of a response as Amon's. Meiling makes no appearance, and neither do the crickets or animals normal to this area of the woods.

[Princess Tracy]

"Yousuke, there's too many trees around here. Could you do something about that?"

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke looks at Amon as if she were crazy. "And what, pray tell, do you expect me to do about them? I am a swordsman, not a feller of trees."

[Princess Tracy]

Amon shrugs. "I have few techniques of mass destruction I could safely use with this affliction, so it falls to you to attempt something - or Shoin, I suppose. Whatever you do, do it fast before she swoops down on us or slip away. Otherwise, we had best withdraw while we can."

[Princess Tracy]

"How far away did you hear the noise?" Amon asks Yousuke.

Move Action
Moves 30 feet north

"Caution, this is a focus-less physical clone technique. Her clones may be weaker than the real deal, but producing a large number may not task much of her. I theorise the ability may be physically taxing in some way, but we cannot make any assumptions." Amon focuses, hoping to catch the woman. If she was that powerful, perhaps she left some sort of trail or at least her flashy techniques would require her to drop her wards against detection. She hardly seems like that subtle of a woman

Attack Action
Activate Sense Chakra and concentrae on the area Yousuke heard teh sound from in particular.

"Take a smoke bomb out of my bag if you don't have one. Prepare to throw it at the ground as hard as you can if we're attacked; we;ll draw more use from it than she will, trust me - I paid attention to your abilities."

A horrifying thought occurs. We're not that far from Cybele. Did she go back to finish her off while we were distracted by her clone? "If we can't find her within 10 seconds, this fight will do more turn against us; we will have to cut our losses and run back the way we came, is this understood?" Nah, impossible - why would we pose such a threat to her that us drawing within eyesight would prevent her from simply finishing her off with a single hit? Still though, it doesn't change our immense disadvantage - my strategy of withdrawal still stands.

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Amon detects a trail of energy leading north-by-northwest. Wind and heat mix together to create a rainbow trail leading back to the Fire Country. The energy signature left in the wake of the originator's departure seems to be of very little strength, and if not for its colorful nature it'd be nearly impossible to pick out from the background.

Amon detects a Faint chakra signature leading away from the group.

[Princess Tracy]

Amon points North-Northwest as soon as the presence becomes apparent to her. "There's a trail of faint chakra going that way. I imagine it is our quarry. Gentlemen, your move?"

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke sheathes his sword in response to Amon's question and stares at her impassively. "She was clearly expecting us, as evidenced by the shadow clone. We have forced her retreat and our teacher yet lives. I have no desire to lead the team into a trap lest our 'quarry' become our bait."

Turning to leave the clearing, he adds, "Yusa is slain, the mission is compromised, and our jonin sensei is lying in a pool of her own blood. I would rather return to the village with my team intact, over some fleeting glory of having chased after a missing nin." There was no honor in death, least of all when there were other lives on the line. The further they followed the leaf nin into the woods, the further they would be distancing themselves from Cybele.

[zeone3000]

Houshi sheathes his blade in kind, "I agree. We've done what we could. Time to go home." He followed behind Yousuke with uneasy feeling. He had that deep feeling in his gut that it was far from over.