[IC] No Man's Peace, Episode 1: The Leaf

[Princess Tracy]

Students (genin to be)

It's the last day of the semester. It's midsummer. It's in the middle of a domesticated ninja village in an era of mass media. It was, of course, the cultural festival at Konoha Ninja Academy. You've already taken your graduation exams, those students who were of age to go out into the field if only they show their worth. Of course, for better or worse, genius finds its way into the ranks even in this era. But all the same that is not the focus of the day. At least not yet. The cultural festival at school was typically held every year since you enrolled, even when you were juniors. Mostly those students of age and a few lively volunteers (or those in detention) help set up various stalls and rooms form the academy to run various amusements, some of them approximinately tying into a theme of "culture". Whichever culture it referred to was a mystery as some ninja as swift to point out. Most of the displays are hollow fascimiles of those you would find in a regular Japanese high school for noncombatants, grasping the surface elements but not the purpose or context. Since you are of graduating age, it falls to you to find some little attraction.

Some of the more serious students don't care much for it, and wouldn't even show up if it wasn't necessary to graduate. At the end of the day, as you go to the gates to leave, the results of the exams will be posted in the forms of the names of genin who passed. Those that did, will stay to meet their Jounin, and those that failed take a walk of shame home to return next semester. A few students have reached their twenties with resits, though few indeed - most give up if they truly have no talent, and some say the village's standards are in need of tightening further. Others insist genin should not graduate until they essentially possess the skillset expected of a chuunin. But regardless, the social event that was the cultural festival could also serve as a try out for your Jounin. Those genin who believe they've passed might turn up with ceremonial displays accounting for clan tradition, or perhaps a show of technique. The jounin present have their pick of the litter after all, to argue the teams amongst themselves. Particularly it can show a bias of who you want to work with - running a maid cafe with two other students with complimentary skills will generally be taken as a sign that you want to work with them, though unless you sample those skills Jounin might think breaking your cozy social circles up is for your own good. Of course, participation is said to be compulsory, though absence carries no penalty, and those who fail to produce an idea for a stall or help out someone else must find themselves drawing ideas from the teacher's hat and made to perform all the same.

Its 8 o'clock and the school opens its gates in an hour. You're expected in by now to set up whatever display you have. How is your morning going?

Go a little freeform with it, describe a day in the life if you like. Don't worry about bastardising Japanese culture - that's kind of the point. Ninjas are untamed outsiders trying to act like regular students despite most of them growing up in a ninja village and only seeing the average world on a TV screen.

Noise

The "beautiful" Jounin finds herself greeted in the early morning by the local school teacher, the burnout Chuunin Aka (http://i1146.photobucket.com/albums/o527/geminigemini1/naruto_oc___hakai_chise___outfit_by_h_ecatomb-d5cbp0e.png). She was said to have gone the "if you can't do, teach" route, but must be decent enough at it if she was tutoring the current of-age class whose graduates you would soon be dealing with. She seemed useful enough as an informant though, feebly keeping an apparent crush on you "secret" whenever you have something to keep tabs on around Konoha's youngsters. Today it seems an uncalled for favour would be pulled up again as you meet her around the back entrance and find that none of the other Jounin have shown up yet. The cultural festival and graduation was today and it was your responsibility to pick your own team.

"Ahem, Ina-san. Glad you could make it," she says, shifting in place and twirling her hair in her fingers as if she were one of the schoolgirls she taught. The wooded courtyard at the back end of the expanded facilities seemed serene enough until a few students start congregating to set up what looks like a musical concert stage. "There aren't many Jounin available to take on a team this year anyway, so, um, I mean. How are you? No, um. Ack. Anyway, I just thought you might enjoy the cultural festival a bit before the Jounin are scheduled to show up and do their thing."


Noise: One Week Ago

The scroll disappeared in a puff of smoke, which wiffs past the old codger's face and gets a short coughing fit. Skilled and wise, but so very ancient, the Konpaku seemed to be at the end of the road on this mortal coil. If he was still able to move much at all, then he was clearly saving his strength for when it was needed. Reiji leans back once more, a his sword, the one glittering and polished thing remaining in this dusty hut, resting in his lap as it would any other warrior. "You've been a lovely bit of company... nice to see a flower blossomed up here in the mountains, you know?" he smiles to himself with a faraway gaze. You'd passed a trial by fire and mustered the spirit of a war hero that your intel indicates was Zabuza of the Blood Mist.

You'd gained the old man's favour one way or another and he nods. His voice crackles like cool autumn leaves underfoot. A beard drags to the floor that, he repeatedly informed you, he hasn't shaved since he met his wife and she informed him of her admiration for magnificent facial hair. One would hardly think this was once a powerful Konpaku warrior. "That was quite the little accident, but it seems you tamed that spirit... somewhat. My granddaughter, she... she's supposed to inherit these things you know. Our branch of the Konpaku clan, our holy duty is that of the Sage in times when our Princess cannot handle earthly duties herself. This is such a time... the Princess would normally be... ah." He trails off, seeming to sense he'd let slip a bit much, or perhaps too little. However cordial an act you put on, he still didn't care for boring his company. "You came here seeking the boy, I suppose its no secret. I'll leave him in your care. I sent him off with another of my students, one who already resides in the village hidden in the leaves. Yamanaka Mao, she, she cares for him. She didn't have as much gift with a sword, but I guess I just can't help myself lately trying to pass on my legacy - at this age you know the mortal path is ending soon, and Reiko-chan isn't too quick to come up here and see me about it. I can't go out travelling these days, must save my energy - might need it one last time before I go onto my next quest, in search of the missing Princess." And there he was, rambling all the same.

"Jin Akiyama," that's the name you eventually extract from him. That's the five tails jinchuriki that went missing around the Waterfall. He wound up in this old codger's care it seems. Yamanaka Mao though... that crazy girl who was Sasuke's genin apprentice and insists that he's really a nice girl. Was it really a coincidence that she would seek out sword mastery from this one old master who had the five tails kicking about? Perhaps Sasuke had an eye on the Akiyama kid already. There's no Jin Akiyama on the village register, but there is a Jin Yamanaka, no doubt with some made up identity papers. Already assimilated into Konoha - a good start.

[Cespenar]

Keita didn't get the dissenters' point. Sure, this whole thing might be unnecessary from a higher point of view, but so was many things in life anyway. Besides, it was easy to make up something passable. Throw in several ramshackle chairs and tables, and you got a "cafe". Have a female friend or two to build the thing together, and hey, who writes the definition of "maids" anyway?

An acute observer who was familiar with Keita, however, might recognize this half-assed attempt as Keita's version of dissent, or at least reluctance, since he was one who often put hard work on the rest of his life.

Regardless, Keita, in his tees and jeans, puts some teapots on stove and wanders around under the guise of finding more seats and tables. What he does instead is checking other people's amusements and engaging in casual conversations. It was supposed to be a time of joy after all, wasn't it?

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise naturally wakes up early, showers, dresses in her standard gear, then heads to the academy. She's wearing her void vest and negation belt to suppress her chakra--for the most part--resulting in her chakra signature looking like a weak chuunin or strong genin at best. She stops about ten minutes away from the Academy, prepares a pair of Shadow Clones(damage: [roll0]), and then gives one the mental order to transform into a cat and case the children for anyone particularly exceptional. The other she tells to scale the school roof, expecting to be ambushed by Red, in order to give her some kind of excuse to stop talking to the woman whenever a "genin" spots them together.

Then Eiko adopts her persona, feigning the vapid and air-headed reputation she's carefully cultivated through the years, then proceeds to meet with Red. When Eiko meets Red she smiles, waves, and cries out. "Red-chan! How're you!" And without warning goes up to hug the chuunin. "You look great! Listen, I found the only nail-ist-person still in Konoha who knows how to do nails right. You must go see her. She's like completely mastered nail-jutsu. See?" Eiko holds up her fingers and shows off her nails, but then looks around with the most simple smile she can muster.

"Hey, isn't that cult thing-y today? Aren't we here to stop that, or is it just you and me?"

HP: 4; ATK: +12/7(1d4+6); Grp: +18; Saves: +11/8/11; DEF: 20(21 vs melee).

Noise takes 10 on her bluff check, hitting DC 26, to pretend to be stupid.

Noise spends 4 chakra on the Shadow Clone technique for 2 clones, and 1 chakra on Transformation so Noise B can turn into a cat. Noise C will arrive at the front of school, then scale the roof and watch Noise A's back. Noise will spend another point of chakra so Noise C can transform into a generic Leaf genin.

Would Noise B need a spot check or investigation to find anyone?

[Princess Tracy]

Keita

In the morning, the young blaster finds his sensei has apparently crashed by his neck of the woods again as he finds a note under his door in her chaotic and lazy kanji. "Little bee, meet me by the creek if you graduate. If you come home earlier than I expect because you flunked the exam, I'll blow you up," followed by a scrawl that you recognise as the calligraphy signature of Imagawa Mayumi. She was probably serious about blowing you up, but you can't imagine she would use an actually lethal force - at least compared to the blow a ninja should be able to take. It was her usual modus operandi - not one for complicated martial arts she preferred to just cause mass devastation in the general direction of the target and call it a day. What did it say about your own path in life to have such a capacious woman telling you everything she knew about battle?

A couple of bored looking girls help you set up a cafe, apparently sent over by your instructor, Aka-sensei when they didn't turn in anything for the festival. They seem like flunkies so there isn't much reason for them to be excited anyway. Just a couple of cogs in the ninja-generating machine that was the school, no clan and no expectation. That's a lie though, if Keita ever bothered to ask about them even now he'd know the tall brunette is Inuzuka Naga (http://orig11.deviantart.net/f197/f/2010/082/a/d/nhp___inuzuka_tarou_by_dedmerath.jpg) of the branch family of dog tamers, and the lankier one is Megumi (http://jpgames.de/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Disorder-6-06-05-03.jpg) - an export from outside the village without much chakra but apparently a crack shot with a pistol (from her constant bragging) - something that isn't examinable in the village at this time.

They go about making smalltalk in that smoking-cigarettes-at-the-back-of-class way as they make little effort beyond being there to look over the place as Keita goes out scouting the other attractions.

Shortly on his route, a black cat crosses Keita's path as he nears the school entrance. "Oh, tut tut, bad luck," a voice intones, driftin off every other syllable like an indecisive ghost. Looking up you see an immaculately draped stall in the far corner of the entrance hall, more like a tent tahn anything else. The girl who sits there (http://e-shuushuu.net/images/2011-08-16-431545.png), all dolled up with exotic, outlandish fineries including a veil for her face, must have gotten here early to set it all up. Her eyes seem a little foggy and wide, as if you can't tell whether she's staring at you, teh cat, or the crystal ball she's touchlessly kneading in front of her. "Care you have your fortune told? I do palm readings, tarot cards, tea leaves and even peering into the old crystal ball here. Free of charge, beyond the cost of your certainty of choice in the universe~"

Keita doesn't recognise this girl from his class.

Noise

Aka blushes all the deeper, putty in your hand, or arms as it were. She actually has some musculature of a brawler to her from the feel of her, but in this position she's left herself in it would be all too simple to wring the breath from her body before she even figured out the difference between a glomp and a chokehold. Its the kind of underestimation that a kunoichi must be proud to invoke with such a flawless "bimbo" act.

"E-erm yes, it is the cultural festival today! That's why you're here, see, the, ah, the Jounin taking on Genin get to meet their students here before they pick their teams at the end of the day when I announce the test results. Though, I do have the note of who has failed and who has passed most the exams already if you wanna not waste your time with flunkies... Is there really a salon which uses ninjutsu for beauty products?" She clears her throat a little before splaying out an arm, casting it about the scenery to direct your gaze. "Everyone who thinks they've passed will be trying to grab your eye. My philosophy is that the showier ones who turn up early are the most passionate about their duties - or at least success," she explains, beaming as she reaches into her side pouch and produces a scroll, handing it to you. "A short list of people likely to pass. I don't have the results back for the last written exam, the external has to proof check their essay for me, too much workload. Though I don't know if their ability to write is that important, that's up to you..."

There's less than two dozen names here that seem to be in the running, plainly spelled out in Aka's own handwriting with a bold strike through a few names. From the swaying of her ink it seems a simple deduction for you that she was up late last night making it just for you and wracking her brain to do it. A few margin notes in pencil note specialties.

Among the highlights, you find a "Yamanaka Jin", a kenjutsu specialist. Additionally, a few stars next to geniuses include Imegawa Keita ("blaster, more chakra than me? nice boy, for that clan"). An Inuzuka's name is crossed out, but you see a Senju ("medic, healing factor?"), a Hyuuga, a Nara ("?"), and someone called Yue Suiji ("cold cocked me once by accident")

Black Cat (Noise Clone C)

There isn't much to see yet, especially on the outside of the school as few of the students have turned up yet - you really are quite early. Heading inside, you witness a kid cross paths with you then get badgered by someone pantomining as a fortune teller. From the equipment and stance of the boy, you'd say you've got some kind of blaster with sharp eyes. The girl though... seems a bit like you. Putting out all kinds of false signals, its hard to tell anything about her. Maybe its the obnoxious perfume over the whole tent that's throwing you off.

[Cespenar]

Keita looks skeptically at the note thrown under his door. Imagawa Mayumi wasn't one to exchange pleasantries or check how a "beloved" student did at an exam, under normal circumstances. So, Keita thinks in a somewhat unfitting manner of his naive veneer, she had probably something else to say/give/ask him. A secret message or quest, perhaps, now that he has graduated and joined the ranks of the Konoha ninja. Never mind, he would cross that bridge when he comes to it.

***

Crouching to pet the black cat, Keita looks around to see where the comment comes from.

"Oh, hi," he says, turning to examine the "mystic", noting how much work has gone to the details of her costume and stall.

"Bad luck? This can't be bad luck. Just look at it," he says in a matter-of-fact voice, nudging the cat's head gently in the girl's direction.

"You can read people's futures? Cool power. I hope I had that kinda skill." He walks up to the stall, touches the draperies as he closes in, and finally offers his hand, palm up.

[ZeroNumerous]

Once Red turns over the scroll and talks about the culture festival Eiko laughs about her ninjutsu comment. "Don't be silly Red-chan, they don't use ninjutsu. Nail-jutsu!" Eiko delivers her completely nonsensical statement as if it were simple fact, and then takes the scroll from Red. She reads it for a while, seeming to skim over it, but quietly wracking her brain for information on who these people were. She carries on with another vapid statement while rolling the scroll up and tucking it away--another possible piece of blackmail if things went badly between them.

"Oh Red-chan. You always know how to look out for me." Eiko leans forward to show off her shape a bit more. "Is there anyone who's really smart? It'd make teaching a lot easier if I had a friend!"

Regardless of whether Red helps her out or not, Eiko looks toward the school. "So who do we talk to if we wanna join the cult-thingy? And where's the leader guy with the kool-aid?"

Eiko will make a Lore check on all of the names. She takes 10 for a 25.

---

Meanwhile, Eiko's clone rubs up against Keita's hand when he reaches down to pet her. A soft meow, playing the role of the kitten eager for attention, escapes the small black cat. Once Keita moves toward the fortune teller the cat follows, and rubs up against the fortune teller as well. She even goes as far as batting at the girl's hands trying to get petted--or at least make skin-to-skin contact.

Neko!Noise passively senses Keita and the fortune teller if possible.

Grifting to disguise as a cat: [roll0] +16 base, +12 from the transformation technique itself.
Grifting to pretend to be a cat: [roll1]

[Cespenar]

Sensing Keita's chakra is seeing a thunderstorm at sunrise. With constant arcs of lightning snapping between, the visage is one of silver streaks upon golden clouds, but the whole scene has an attitude that somehow suggests even if the storm eventually breaks, it will be a short one, like a summer rain, instead of a long and tiring autumn torrent.

[Princess Tracy]

Keita and Cat

As the young man fumbles to pet the apparently perfectly normal cat, the clone is able to get a feel of his chakra before it affects the behaviour of a regular cat and skips off to fluff itself against a softer scratching poll in the form of the girl's leg. Just from a moment's passive observation, it's clear the lad has great reserves of chakra for a genin - Moderate on the border with a Strong signature one expects of a tough Chuunin. The signature of the fortune teller however seems Faint, like a civilians, though has an odd elemental quality to it - ashes of scorched leaves scatter the bed of the forest and give life to new plants as the rain and sun beam down - that betrays the identity of someone with a degree of chakra ability holding suppressing theirs.

"It takes diligence, and eyes that can see beyond the mortal coil's preconceptions of time," the teller says in regard to the burdens of fortune telling verses envying those with the gift. She doesn't break character but does break eye contact as the cat bats at her, smiling under her veil and pets it with as much proficiency of an existing cat owner; if Noise allows, she even picks up the cat and pulls it onto her lap, perhaps thinking it might make a good prop for her setup here. She takes Keita's hand in hers and begins tracing the lines of your palm with her index and ring finger, though one imagines it's a misdirection from whatever cold reading goes into it. "You walk among shadows, lazily guided by a light of fervor, given shape only by those that came before. A path is presented to you, the leyline says so. The righteous path, of a holy man among demons. Be warned though. When walking the path of light, death comes from behind." At her last grim words, a shiver creeps up the spine of all those present.

(Keita: make DC 13 will save or be shaken for 1 minute)

"This warm up is nice isn't it?"

Those proficient in the use of genjutsu might recognise the theatrical use of some low level Yin chakra to set the mood. However no particular phantasm has been cast, merely an emotional effect to give her words weight when she chooses.

Noise

Looking over the list you see Red's notes are pretty on-point. She highlights those who have any reputation at all nicely as your own intel of their limited reputation informs you.

Nara Omaha, you recognise her as one of the lazy geniuses after Shikamaru's nature as his niece. Apparently badly influenced by that minimal effort idealism, she's applied it to inventing a variant of the clan's signature shadow techniques which require less effort. Naturally you're fully aware of Shadow Arts themselves but haven't seen her techniques in action though they apparently use technology as a substitute for physical action.

Senju Ayameko. Genetic tests indicate a high similarity with the Hashirama cells, though no mokuton has been observed yet she possesses excellent skill as a medic including healing herself without the use of hand signs. She also has a talent for using genjutsu and apparently a sunny personality. The lineage of the Senju clan is a little muddled in their small numbers, but being a descendent of Tsunade seems likely, though god knows who the father might be.

Yamanaka Jin. You haven't heard much about him but he appears to have more talent with kenjutsu than the actual signature hiden and genjutsu styles of the Yamanaka and their precious mind transfer. Assuming the old geezer was truthful, there's the mark...

Hyuuga Saito. First member of the Hyuuga branch family not born into the cursed destiny of bearing the infamous Mark, son of Neji lacking his father's genius drive but still bearing a powerful bloodline.

Yue Sueji... No data found, though you think you associate the name with a martial artist you can't put your finger on it. If they're anything special, they're flying below the radar.

Imegawa Keita. Bearer of the strongest bloodline of his clan, and apparently a student of the infamous "Flame Avalanche" Mayumi known for her carefree use of techniques of mass destruction. Bears a similar style, though none of the casual killing intent as far as you know.

"Ah, no you see, cultural festivals... in civilian areas, they're popular with school kids, so we thought we'd do the same. Its a celebration of the culture of our school, village and country, and a lovely send off to the students. Or at least I hope so, I'm kind of the coordinator," Aka laughs nervously, trying not to ogle you as you get in her face with all of yourself. "Students do little performances or run cafes, that kind of thing. I've never been to a civilian school, but I get the basic gist of it."

"in terms of intelligence... I think a lot of them are more practical than theoretical, though Omaha-chan just doesn't apply herself to much of anything unless there's a game controller in her hands, ha. Keita-kun's pretty sharp witted in his own way though, in terms of students who are smart AND make enough of an effort to show it. Jin-kun is obtuse but sharp in that way too... Yue-chan needs to apply herself more but I think she'll clean up nicely with on the job experience."

Red moves towards the classes to show you some kids setting up shop, though looks increasingly cross as few of the students are together and working on their presentation yet.

[Cespenar]

Keita shivers despite himself. Man, she really knew her business, and that delivery was spot on. It was all just good theatrics, though, right? You couldn't really see another person's future?

Though they were living in a world where one could see into another's chakra pathways, or even squint through the guy in case of those white-eyed fellas. Huh.

"Y-yeah, you're pretty good. Though, warm up? There is more?"

Keita glances around to see if she means the crystal ball or something else.

[ZeroNumerous]

Eiko follows Red wherever she wants to go. She points out each student that isn't doing anything, or hasn't finished their assignment yet, in order to get Red focused on the students and not on Eiko herself. She gives a mental order to Student!Noise to follow them and pose as a student who isn't doing anything. Once she gets the opportunity to, Eiko points out Student!Noise, and gives Student!Noise a mental order to make a dumb face at Red and Eiko. "That one's making faces at me!" She gives Red her best pout, and puts on her best whiny voice.

"Red-chan~ Make her stop being disrespectful!" She then gives Student!Noise a mental order to run away as quick as she can. If Red gives chase then Eiko will remain where she is, and tries to use this as an opportunity to slip away and explore the school on her own.

[Princess Tracy]

Keita and the Cat

You can see the outline of her lips form a smile even behind her veil. "Well I can do more," she says, releasing your hand. "Though I meant you're my first customer of the day," she adds, petting her newly kidnapped cat, seeming none the wiser to its nature. She slaps a pack of Tarot cards down on the table from some shelf below it concealed by the tablecloth as her off hand traces the crystal ball. "Pick your poison. What do you want to know about your future? Perhaps you'd care for news more comforting than your possible demise. Worry not, trying to pick out the thread of fate is like an individual string from a rope. They all intersect, grip around and support each other, but untangling it all... no one could really possess that much clairvoyance. All one can truly be is trusting of their own judgement and accepting of the consequences."

Keita can't quite tell if this is just cold reading or not, but the theatrics seem overdone from the way she talks. Almost like she's trying to appear tackier than she actually is. Perhaps its just for show... or perhaps she really does have some insight into you. The only thing you can tell for sure is that she seems to believe every word that she's saying herself.

"Perhaps you'd like to hear whether you've passed your exam or not. What your first mission will be like. Some hints for your lovelife?" she giggles.

Noise

Once again you play Red like a fiddle, at just the first provocation of your fake student and adorable pout, she nods, stammers, and charges off in pursuit of the clone. The clone witnesses her stop chasing after a while once out of sight of Noise as she just stops around a corner and catches her breath. Apparently she handles her crushes as well as a teenager and her own lovey doveyness is taking a toll.

Noise has her run of the place now and is free to seek out the students who have already arrived. Not everyone knows what everyone's up to, but it seems the Hyuuga boy and the Nara girl are working on something in the quad, while the Senju girl got roped into being part of a maid cafe for the day. You're free to go see any of them or check around for other students not on the list, though on your way into the main building you see your cat clone sitting with a melodramatic fortune teller and Imegawa Keita getting his palm read.

I made a mistake its actually a Streetwise check to gather information, not grifting, but you get the same result anyway.

[Cespenar]

Keita gazes at the fortune teller, cocking his head the tiniest bit sideways as he tries to figure something out. Though he's still partly reeling from the earlier dramatic effect, his curious mind seems to latch onto something, particularly her last words.

"Ah, I w-wonder, is there a chance you're not a student and in fact one of the jounin teachers?" he inquires as to what was in his mind.

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise orders Student!Noise to go hide somewhere and disband, in order to ensure that Red will never catch her, as she goes around the school. Once she finds the Imegawa kid and the fortune teller, then she decides to observe him. She watches the kid carefully, obfuscating her observance in slack-jawed surprise at the fortune teller, and mentally dismisses her cat clone to go hunt down exactly what the other students in the scroll are doing. When the boy questions whether the fortune teller is a jounin teacher, then Noise wracks her mind as to where she might have seen the fortune teller before. Not that your appearance means much, since even I've been around without being seen.

Noise takes ten on her lore check. Neko!Noise jumps out of the fortune teller's lap and goes to hunt down the other potential genin.

[Princess Tracy]

Keita and Noise

"Don't be silly," says the fortune teller, starting to shuffle a deck of tarot cards between fingers decorated by press-on-nails and finely moisturised skin. "Your instructors at this school are Chuunin. If I were a Jounin that would mean I'm looking to recruit you. Being here this early would be cheating." With that said, she turns her head to see a blonde woman approach. "Hello, madame. Care to hear a fortune on your lovelife? I'm giving free samples until the festival officially begins." she asks, seeming to mistake the Jounin for a civilian who got here early. That or she did recognise Eiko for who she was and was taking a jab at her for turning up early without outing herself. Either way, Noise fails to recognise the girl for now - neither her chakra signature the cat sensed nor her appearance are familiar, though for a Jounin the former is as easy to conceal as the latter is for a Genin.

I think Rion's posting shortly so I'll make a post for neko Noise finding him in the morning.

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise fights the urge to smile when she hears the woman's comment. Of course she isn't a student. None of them would even think of hiding themselves. Hiding yourself is a skill learned on the battlefield, and these kids are as fresh as spring rains. A jounin is the most likely answer, because it fits the scenario. She's an instructor who likely set up shop to sense the newcomers--and possibly to play with them a bit--so she could pick out her team in leisure. Not any different than myself, really. When questioned Noise smiles, and adopts the persona once more.

"Oh, you're here for the cult-thingy too? Awesome! I was worried I was gonna have to risk the head-washing-craziness by myself! I'm a jounin, you know? So I have to protect the village from cults!" Eiko pumps her fist in the air as if she were some kind of hero, then giggles mindlessly and seemingly forgets about the whole monologue. Eiko makes a show of looking at her cards, crystal ball, and the whole set up the fortune teller has. Meanwhile, she pretends to ignore the fortune teller's question entirely as if it had entered one ear and simply flown out the other.

"Ah! Can you do the swirly-ghost-magic ball thing and see my future children? That would be cool! Oh, you have to scout my power level or something first, right?" Eiko sticks out her hand, offering up her palm for a palm reading and a dense smile to deflect any comments about her intellect.

Noise takes 10 on her Grifting check to pretend to be stupid. I forgot that she gets a +2 on bluff checks since Ninja Hunter functionally gives her Favored Enemy(Ninja), so her end result should be 28 rather than 26 against ninjas.

[Cespenar]

Keita considers the woman's response, and somehow believes his theory even more. But his attention is broken as the other jounin enters the scene and takes the spotlight. Though his idea of a casual stroll was disturbed, he sidles a bit away to let Noise have her palm read as well, curious about the result.

[Overlord Rion]

Yue's day was fairly lackluster, like most of her days. She spent most of it reading manga. She scratches herself and glances at the calendar, the importance of the date slowly sinking in.

"Oh crap."

That was a while ago, and now she was lounging around, trying to figure out what to help with. Most people ignored her, with the preparation with the festival. She just had to make sure that teacher wasn't around, the one that always wanted her to do stuff. Doing stuff was, like, the total opposite of what she wanted to do today. I just had to look at the calendar when I got to the good part. I should have brought the manga. I need to know if he died from the spear to the chest or not.

[Princess Tracy]

Yue

Yue arrives to find things well under way, most of the students arrived a while ago and are putting on the finishing touches of whatever they had, even the laziest among them who needed reminding after the final exam, spent at least a week putting some thought into. Only so many people can be graduating, but still you see a couple of signs for tea ceremonies, some kind of breathing exercises, you think you see a concert stage being assembled around back, even a haunted house. Who has the resources for this? Unfortunately if Yue makes a point of avoiding Aka-sensei, she won't be able to see the rota of who's needing help and will need to eyeball it herself to find something she can help with. She is free to pick a random room if she pleases but perhaps finding a friend and teaming up with them would be more surefire for saving your ass.

As she rushes into the school she finds an odd scene, with an elegant blonde woman and Keita getting their palms read by some kind of hokey fortune teller stall.

Yue, Keita and Noise

If Keita and Yue linger they see the fortune teller's eerie eyes focus on the self proclaimed Jounin. "Hm. Yes, let's see, darling. You want to know if you birth any cubs but, that's really up to you, isn't it?" she smiles as her hands trace the palm's lines in a rather showy way. "You should be looking for the cub that's already lone though. Its fangs are blunt, but when it roars, release the tail. I can't see where your path ends, almost like it stretches on forever... a ring in your palm, infinity. You must have quite the blessing of luck - a blessing, and a curse." Her eyes snap up from the ambiguous angle from your palm to clearly meeting Eiko's gaze. "Eyes in the back of one's head won't help them see what's in front of you."

She continues beaming as she releases the 'jounin's' hand, moving her off hand to casually shuffle her tarot deck. "For 1000 ryo, I'll let you keep a card as a good luck charm. The arcana of the trump that best represents you is often a boon." Suddenly as she talks of the cards like merchandise in the same mystical tone as ever she seems more like a charlatan but hardly backs down at all as she starts dealing the cards out in some sort of grid. Suddenly another student approaches, whether Yue runs past or up to the desk on her way through the entrance hall, a small gust of wind from seems to disturb a card as it's dealt and it lands facing upwards.

"... Arcana the Seventh, The Chariot," the fortune telling girl remarks, looking from the card to Yue as she reads its text as it portrays some great king riding a war machine pulled by ungodly creatures. "Represents great outward strenth and assured victory, and a call for one to focus their energies decisively... interesting."

Fortune tellers of this sort are common in the land of rain and that seems to be the culture on display.
There's an extreme chill to the air at certain words she says which seem to creep up your spine as words of true prophecy. This seems again to be an emotion-affecting genjutsu she's cast to add to her act, however the technique is more advanced than when performed on Keita, almost as if the strength of the technique varies with the power of the target. However, it doesn't compel fear apparently.

[ZeroNumerous]

Eiko's brainless smile only widens, seemingly oblivious to prophecy or its nature, and she responds with the arrogance of ignorance. "That's silly! Blunt teeth are plant-eaters, and I'm a carnivore!" She seems to ignore the rest of the statements, and unless stopped she casually looks at the woman's cards.

Regardless, Eiko has little else to say.

[Princess Tracy]

Yue

Yue gains the momentary attention of a fortune teller, but before she can linger to long on that she feels a tug at her bicep. Senju Ayameko (http://safebooru.org//images/1552/9b0786051d79e9f8a073f5a86527044be9f82129.jpg?16258 77), the peppy girl who you barely see around because of all those cram and medicine classes she takes - who has that much free time really - apprehends her as the wily lithe girl bounces on her heels. "Hey hey, um, big problem. I kind of, like... I was too busy okay, I forgot this was on today. I know for a fact you did too, we gotta work together. Damn, all I can think of is some kind of technique exhibition... okay, okay, I got it, how about you break some boards or something." The teacher's pet speaks with all the careful consideration and weighted pause of a high calibre bullet tearing through a water melon, she speaks at about five hundred miles an hour and god only knows what could have occured to leave her in the same spot as you. She was one of those types though, the type that's tried to engage you all year even as you've just tried to fly under the radar. Before you can object, she has you dragged off somewhere to continue her plans of putting something on at the last minute but at least it seems like you found a niche.

Noise

The fortune teller nods goodbye to you. "Good luck, Eiko. Give my regards to your lover."

Eiko has her run of the place and is free to do as she wills to set up for the graduation. She sees what looks like a few jounin show up, but she knows some of them to have teams already and it seems they're just sightseeing. The only one you don't clock onto as a currently on duty Jounin at first glance is Hinata Hyuuga, the Hokage's wife. (Streetwise DC 20: You know that, possibly as part of an effort to become a more active family in Konoha, Hinata is coming out of her semi retirement to raise a genin team.)

You're able to reuinite with Red and put whatever plans you have into motion once you've investigated your genin.

All

The students are free to return to and perform whatever they like for the culture festival. Ayameko settles on a demonstration of skill as a rather brass necked attempt to garner the attention of whichever jounin is potentially interested in her. In her case she whips out a dummy and performs basic medical practice upon it, essentially teaching basic first aid. All of a sudden, she takes some kind of dive, and seems to pass out, though obviously is waiting for someone to step up and use the first aid techniques she'd just shown to recussitate her. Yue can volunteer for that task, otherwise, struggling to think of a role for Yue to fill among the motley crew of ragtag losers that make up their demonstration, she doesn't give Yue any other activity to do but breaking blocks in a karate fashion.

Going by the crunch you hear, those weren't official blocks Yue breaks, but actual solid concrete that Ayameko switched in at the last second, having some insight of her strength no doubt thanks to the many exaggerated rumours of Yue beating up all the teachers.

Keita's cafe goes off without a hitch and actually draws a fair crowd as the girls working with him apparently brought their own maid outfits for some reason, drawing a great deal of attention from the impressionable youths. They don't particularly pull their weight though, just claiming their audience attraction was their main gimmick as they lazily wait a table at a time.

At the end of the day well past noon you have a chance to poke about and see everyone else's display. At the end of it all, Aka-sensei blows a whistle and puts her hands on her hips. "Good job everyone," she says, shaking a jingling cardboard box tucked under her arm which quite possibly contains headbands. "There's just one for everybody who passed exactly. So go see who's written on the gate and scoot on back over here to collect your headband if you graduated, and meet your possible Jounin," she says, pointing at the school gate from the little podium she'd set herself up with a few dozen yards from it. "Each of the headbands is attuned to your own vital statistics via engravings as part of your ninja identification, so you're Jounin will be distributing them based on their selections." A fancy way of saying the Jounin are expected to approach their pick of the genin. It isn't clear if she's bluffing about the headbands being personalised identifiers or not since that wasn't taught in class, but so too are many things and technology marches on.

[Overlord Rion]

Yue, ever the bundle of energy and charm only replies in a monotone as she gets dragged off "No. Please. Stop. Have mercy on a poor girl." Since the Senju was obviously going to be a graduate and Yue would likely never see her again. Well, maybe she'd walk in to her parent's business at some point, so maybe not never. A few moments later she's breaking wooden blocks while the Senju is doing...whatever the hell she was actually doing. Yue vaguely remembers a time when she enjoyed punching things, but it was quite a while ago. She yawns as she absentmindedly breaks another one. Almost on cue at her pretend fainting, Yue ditches the group entirely in order to grab some snacks and go check out the board. She nearly drops her snacks at seeing her result. She had been certain she failed. What kind of a BS joke is this? She ponders about it for a minute before shrugging and heading back to her group, laden with snacks. After all, if you're going to buy snacks, at least buy enough for everyone.

And now she waits, unsure how to feel about the miracle that was her passing grade. All she could hope for was that she wasn't stuck with anybody cute. Cute people were distracting.

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise goes to Red and makes her plan known under the guise of playing a prank on her soon-to-be genin. Once she's received her team's headbands, and is rejoined by Neko!Noise, the jounin goes someplace quiet to start her plan. She dismisses Neko!Noise, gaining the memory of the jounin's chakra signature, and creates another clone now that she has three new headbands. She then reinforces the clone with her own powers, then trades all of her real handbands for all of its fake ones. She then places the fake handbands in one of her pockets before retrieving her ANBU mask and cloak. Donning the pure white cloak and simple Leaf-marked and flame-patterned mask instantly transforms the jounin into a nondescript and plain ANBU of Konohagakure. She transforms into a cat, looking exactly like Neko!Noise, before going to hide behind the academy's gate--putting the gate between her and any students coming out of the academy--to ambush her clone self and her students.

Clone!Noise then heads downstairs with the real headbands. Definitely late due to her preparation, but she passes it off with a dumb smile and some pithy but ultimately idiotic phrase. Her go to excuse being: "I was still trying to find the cult-thingy."

Ultimately, she wanders around the school to collect all three of her students, starting with Keita first before getting Yue and the Senju, and introduces herself. "My name is Eiko! I'm a jounin, and like... I'll be your instructor! Or something. I'm 29 years old, unmarried, my blood type is O-, I like rock music, and..." She lists off her circumstances as if this were some sort of date, and not a meeting of soldiers.

Noise spends 36 chakra to create the Reinforced clone. She taps her chakra reserve for 18 points, taking 10 for a 32 on Chakra Control to do that. This leaves her at 81(20), just out of range of getting exhaustion. She'll also spend a point of chakra on Transformation to appear like Neko!Noise. She takes 10 on the Grifting check to disguise herself, getting a +12 from the transformation technique for a total of 38.

Noise disguises herself as a genderless nondescript ANBU: Taking 20 on her Grifting for 36 plus whatever bonuses and penalties she might get for using an ANBU uniform.

Clone!Noise takes 10 on Grifting(26) to pretend to be an idiot to her own students.

HP: 20; ATK: +13/8(1d4+6); Grp: +19; Saves: +11/8/11; DEF: 21(22 vs melee). Chakra Pool: 34. Duration: 360 minutes or 6 hours

[Princess Tracy]

Noise

Noise gets a quick nod from Red and is able to set her plans in motion, though she doesn't fully understand your plan if you explain it or commence your disguise in front of her. She reaches in the box ahead of time and gives you the headbands with your pick of the students, their rightful owners denoted by nametags connected but by a crude latch of velcro to the inner side. Its plainly obvious the headbands are not meant as identification, as anyone could take off or put a name on with that mechanic, instead more likely its a gimmick to make sure she counted out enough headbands for all the graduates and make them feel a bit special. "Here you go, Senju Ayameko, Imegawa Keita, and Suiji Yue... a healer, a blaster and... a brawler, I think. Keep an eye on Yue-chan. I'm glad you're giving her chance. She tries her best to not show it, but she has a lot of potential - her physical prowess might even be greater than mine. Or at least that's what part of me's been afraid of since she bumped me in the noggin that one time. She's done her best to hide it since then, I had to trick her into taking hard physical tests without her knowledge - she didn't notice when I had a friend use fuinjutsu to add weight to her gear. Her boots alone must have weighed something like 20 kilos..." She just witters on and on - barely a word said about Ayameko, the healing genius of Hashirama's blood who took 50% more class hours than needed, or Keita, the similar overachiever, both of whom possess nearly Strong chakra already, instead she just wants to talk about the dead last borderline failure who miraculously graduated thanks to her own tinkering. Perhaps she has some sort of complex about losers. Those who can't do, teach, they say.

Either way, you're able to set your plan into motion without any intervention, your clone naturally following your directions as she carries about the fake headbands and seeks out the newly minted genin who you've had plenty of opportunity to familiarise yourself with the faces, names and chakra signatures of throughout the festival. Oddly, Yue has a faint signature, like that of a civilian. If one didn't know any better, they'd think Aka was conspiring to unload a worthless student off on you, but even she wouldn't push someone that far surely.

As she waits around in her disguise outside the gate, the only people leaving at this time, as the sun starts to turn an orange golden as it sweeps the far end of Hokage mountain on the horizon approaching dusk, are the failures who didn't graduate. If she doesn't hide, most ignore her anyway. Most citizens of Konoha know better than to look twice at an ANBU.

All

"Kyaaa! I passed, woo hoo! So what if I failed taijutsu a bit, that's what medicine class is for. Why did we even have a mandatory taijutsu class, geez. But check it, woo!" Ayameko bounces on her heels as she races over to see her name on the board first before marching back victorious with the others to await her Jounin. "Hey Yue! Wait... did you pass? Oh god, that's awesome. See, Aka-sensei said you could do it if you put your mind to it, you must have studied hard. Good luck!"

The blonde jounin Ina Eiko has no problem finding and rounding up her pick of the litter as all the graduates are milling around just inside the gate. The apparent airhead appraoches with three headbands with your names on them, quite literally, jingling about against each other as Ayameko looks to Yue and Keita, greeting her team mates with a smile evn before it's officially declared. "Ah...!" The daughter of the Senju clan looks somewhat lanky and short, with little muscle mass or swiftness to her movements despite a loose fitting traditional wear draped over herself, yet on closer inspection her skin is clear and something about her just seems to radiate vitality. Her chakra signature has a solid foundation of rock from which a kernel of water will burst soon in time for the sun to give new life to her earth, but for now a tapestry of stars in a dark night hands over her world. Medicine, genjutsu and a smidge of doton that might evolve into mokuton if her generation has any luck at all.

[ZeroNumerous]

Naturally Noise doesn't change in front of Red, and maintains her vapid personality. It's unfortunate, but the teacher was ultimately just a pawn who didn't need to know the real Eiko at all. It takes everything Noise has to not roll her eyes at Red's gushing over her failed student.

Losers will always be losers. No matter how strong you get that mindset never changes. Underachieving is just a fancy way of committing suicide in the ninja world. The only way to get killed faster is to throw on a bright orange jumpsuit and shout out your name every three seconds. Seeing that she got stuck with the Senju only annoyed Noise more, but she kept it hidden underneath her empty-headed poker face.

Another wanna-be Hashirama? Ugh. She's going to try and communicate with the enemy. I should have picked the Hyuuga kid. At least that family doesn't have to be taught how little human lives are worth. Regardless, Noise's outer appearance is nothing but smiles, hugs, and vapid questions about Red's life.

Once she's free, enacted her plan, gathered up her kids, and listened to the Senju's spiel it's Clone!Noise's turn to struggle not to roll her eyes. The Senju is happy? She was selected to become a professional killer! This disgusting idiot. This isn't a field trip, there's no fun and games here, and not all of us are going to survive! If she didn't have to maintain appearances Clone!Noise would have laughed at the Senju. When she senses Yue she internally frowns. Suppressing yourself down to a civilian is pointless when you're wearing a headband. Everyone knows you're a ninja already.

Naturally, Clone!Noise's internal world does not reflect her external world. She simply smiles at the genin, and cheers alongside the Senju. "Yay! We're Team... Uh... I forgot the number they gave us! Whoo!" Naturally she makes no overtures toward giving the kids their headbands.

[Cespenar]

Keita only goes to check the board out of accord, already being 100% sure that he has passed it. Still, he acts like he is joyed anyway, asking and answering a couple of other genin and congratulating their success. When they're finally being gathered, though, his veneer is closer to his actual feelings -- these girls would be as close to friends as he'll have for some time, and a good start is always a good start.

He smiles to his fellow genin and raises a hand in greeting. "Hi, I'm Imagawa Keita," he says, a run-of-the-mill greeting but with a casual and amicable tone.

Upon encountering their instructor, Keita raises an eyebrow. He smiles at her antics, but side-glances at the other two to check their reactions. In a profession where airheads such as these are even rare amongst genin, there is no way this woman would be as shallow as she looked and still command ninja. She must have a facade, Keita thinks, though whether it is close to his real personality (like in his situation) or something significantly opposite, time would tell. Either way, she is good at it: he simply can't catch a glimpse through the act.

When she cheers, Keita pumps a fist into the air in not at all enthusiastic manner, playing along. "Maybe you could ask the other instructors?" he ventures politely.

Deduction to see through Eiko's act. [roll0]

[Princess Tracy]

All

Ayameko puts her hands on her hips and eyes up her Jounin, swaying her head from side to side, trying to gather her thoughts on the blonde's sudden appearance, reeling back some of her own boundless energy in response to the new challenger. "Um, hello. I'm Senju Ayameko. My friends call me Aya-chan," which may come as a shock to Yue and Keita who have never seen her hang out with anyone around school. Either way it seems she's introducing herself so that her sensei will do the same - and possibly, by the way she meaningfully eyes the headbands, indicate which one she's supposed to receive. All to eager to start and following the Jounin's league already. She briefly meets Keita's gaze, and nods in greeting.

[ZeroNumerous]

When Keita proposes actually finding out any information Clone!Noise simply shrugs. "It doesn't matter! We're Team Us." She drops that kind of weird tautological logic without a second thought, and carries on as if what she said somehow resolved the matter. She motions to herself, and then proceeds to launch into an animated introduction of herself (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dckwOMmtq3I).

"Hello! My name is Ina Kurico del Toro Eiko! But you, my adorable little children, may call me: The Kitten!" She plainly waits for some kind of applause, but when none appears she just continues on without fanfare. God I hate this.

"I am a powerful, beautiful, and skillful special jounin of taijutsu! I know it's not as cool as other students, but I'm really good you know!" Eiko poses at that, flexing her pudgy form and body that looks nothing like a martial arts' muscular form or well-honed body. It would require a great leap of faith to believe she was actually a jounin based on skill rather than her pretty looks. Regardless, Eiko heads to the school gate with only one statement as to her intent.

"I know it's lame, but we gotta go to the big ole monument in front of town before I can give you your headbands. It's a Team Us tradition!" Once the genin get close enough then Noise makes her move. The cat moves up to Eiko, and the jounin stops the group in order to kneel down to pet it. Noise then dismisses her transformation, turning from cat to human in a puff of smoke, and appears in front of herself and the genin as a white-cloaked flame-masked ANBU.

Eiko looks plainly confused, and she acts taken by surprise when the ANBU punches her in the throat. The jounin falls backgrounds as the white-cloaked ANBU grabs the group's headbands from her. The ANBU throws a disgusted look at the genin, then proceeds to leap away. The white-cloaked figure heads toward the Forest of Death as a way of escaping the village.

Real!Noise makes a fake punch of Clone!Noise in order to allow Clone!Noise to pass off the headbands. Grifting check to obfuscate the pass: [roll0]. Then Clone!Noise will go prone and sell the punch as disabling. Clone!Noise will use her Grifting to sell the punch: [roll1].

[Princess Tracy]

All

"Kurico del... are you a foreigner, sensei?" Ayameko questions, scratching at the side of her jaw in some confusion. The normally enthusiastic girl retreats to quiet in the face of the apparent overwhelming energy of their instructor. There doesn't need to be more than one overenthusiastic goofball in the team. She doesn't seem at all wise to the act, but neither does she seem to take her sensei lightly for it. Worst case scenario: she's too similar to the fake Eiko in her real outlook. "Well if you say so..."

Suddenly a properly uniformed and utterly anonymous ANBU ninja appears from a cat disguise and socks the new instructor to the ground before running off with the headbands. Ayameko squeals and looks around where they ran off, but ultimately wheels around to Eiko. "Um, Ina-sensei, are you okay? Here, I'm a medical ninja, let me look at it... Y-you two, wh-what do you do?" she questions Keita and Yue, having a bit of a freakout as she rocks back and forth before taking a deep breath and getting to her knees to analyse the Jounin.

Hearing Ayameko's squeal, Aka-sensei pokes her head around the corner of the school to check what was wrong. "Eiko-san?"

"Aka-sensei! Ina-san got mugged for the headbands!" Ayameko explains worriedly.

"Oh... you'd, um... you're gonna want those back," she grimaces. "You kind of need your individualised headbands to officially become ninja... I'm not allowed to commission new ones unless you retake your final year to graduate again. I'll file a report with the Hokage's office, if we're lucky maybe we can get it by the end of the day so you can actually graduate... hopefully."

"WHAT!?" Ayameko is quite distracted, but if not stopped she will rather certainly see the true state of Eiko's wound - or the lack thereof. (Deduction [roll0])


Aka-sensei says a lot but not all of it rings true. The construction of there being individualised headbands isn't something you've heard before. You're not sure what the truth is, but it seems that despite her helpful facade she's deliberately trying to freak you out.

She's a decent liar for a fellow brawler and seems to have caught onto your scheme.

[Cespenar]

Even Keita's tolerant smile transforms into a blank stare as Eiko spouts nonsense one line after another. Team Us, with the leading taijutsu expert 'the Kitten'? Keita forces himself to not roll his eyes (with increasing resistance), when all the jumble happens with the white-cloaked ANBU, their jounin apparently being sucker-punched, and Aka-sensei's sudden appearance. Though her tone suggests the plan was for the genin to panic and chase the ANBU, her inaction and nonchalance makes it obvious that this was no surprise.

Still, he had to at least congratulate Eiko's spot-on theatrics, and her presumed intentions behind the charade. He would be a poor sport to rain on everyone's parade regardless. So, with his features resolving into a determined grimace (actual concern would be harder to hold), he gestures his newfound teammates along after the ANBU.

"Come on, let's get him", he offers matter-of-factly.

If they do, after a while, he tries to form some system at the very least. That was what their instructor would want, after all, wasn't it?

"Ayameko-san, if you can hamper him with some long ranged jutsu, please try. Yue-san, try to match his speed and engage in melee if you can. I'll try to provide supporting fire."

Are they far away from the ANBU to break line of sight?

[Princess Tracy]

All

Ayameko fusses over EIko's neck wounds, biting her lip. "Huh? I dont really have anything that long range, gimme a sec... are you sure you want to do that? Ina-sensei isn't in any condition for a fight." You see the ANBU running off even now as the Senju spends precious moments looking after the apparently underwhelming 'jounin'.

Ayameko spends the first round of this chase tending to Eiko and evaluating her Exhausted condition. If you chase after the ANBU, they can put 160 foot of distance between you by running on the first round, heading straight to the forest. It will take an additional [roll0] rounds at that speed to reach the forest, until then at this course she won't break line of sight with you, allowing you to follow after freely.

Feel free to roll for initiative if you want to try and intercept before the forest. Good luck :P

[ZeroNumerous]

Clone!Noise watches the genin collect themselves rather quickly, and realizes that perhaps her ruse was too easily seen through. Or, perhaps, she simply should have kept it secret from Red. Either way, she acts to reinforce her real self's plan.

Eiko stands up, faking someone fighting off their injuries as best as she can, and moves to assist the genin. "I can still help." She fakes a rasping voice and clutches her throat as she speaks.

"The ANBU likely attacked me because a lot of... A lot of my 'friends' aren't happy I was allowed to teach." The clone quickly spins a story to make herself seem like a pariah. "I know I'm not that smart, and my body is the only thing I'm good for. But even a useless girl like me has things she wants to pass on." Such a simple tale of betrayal, mixed with just enough self-deprecation to make it believable, could cover up the inconsistencies in the scenario. Or not.

Clone!Noise will bluff the kids into believing she's injured, but valiantly struggling against her pain anyway. She'll take 10 if she can for 26, but if combat rounds have started then: [roll0].

And she'll spin a story about how she's been singled out. She'll take 10 if she can for 26, but if combat rounds have started then: [roll1].

She tries to break distance for a few seconds so she can swap the real headbands for the fake ones. She'll open up her Speed Ranks, since she's no longer restricted by wearing her Cape of Soaring Heaven, and run at 70ft base or 280ft on her first action. Then at the end of her movement she'll use Hiryuusen to move an additional 120ft, counting as invisible while she does so unless someone has High Speed Sight 7.

From there she should have about 2 rounds before the genin make an appearance, assuming they run at 40ft per round to match the 400. She'll do the swap while waiting, activate Shunpo stance, then run into the Forest of Death when the kids arrive.

[Cespenar]

If Ayameko tarries, Keita moves forward with just Yue. "Catch up, she'll be fine," he calls back to the Senju as he runs. He doesn't notice Eiko getting back up.

[Overlord Rion]

"Right, no time to waste. We gotta graduate!" With that, Yue darts off, following the ANBU.

[Princess Tracy]

Beautiful Noise

Using your high speed motion technique and some chakra you gain a significant lead and are able to make the swap of headbands unseen at the edge of the forest. Their momentum gives you quite the opening to catch them unawares. You can lure then in a little further into a clearing, confront them right there in the opening trail of the woods, or lead them on a chase further still.

Eiko, Yue and Keita

You pursue the ANBU into the forest, whose outer reaches are already marked by strong thick trees making sight more than a few dozen yards in near impossible. The creations of the First Hokage, the vast forest of death which shrouds the village, are something of a testament to the age of the village as the tress continue to grow and upturn the tiles of the village some hundred years on, nature crouching to pounce upon this pocket of civilisation. You lose sight of your mark for but a moment but are fortunate to see her again when you arrive at the forest trail, carrying the headbands still.

Ayameko arrives in 1 round if Eiko sends her ahead or goes at her regular speed, in 2 rounds if Eiko doesn't stop her using the Medical: Fatigue technique to lift her fake exhaustion, or 4 rounds if she daudles behind with her falsely crippled sensei.

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise painstakingly restrains her body while she waits for the genin. Suppressing her speed and strength always brought a feeling of malaise, but she always rationalized it away as necessary. Once the genin get close enough to see Noise adopts her Shunpo stance. She studies the genin as they approach, watching which is faster--even if only slightly--and whose body is more muscular. Combining her observations with the information gained from Red she guesses that Keita would be the most important one to eliminate, and Yue can be surprised when she can't skate by with minimum effort. Regardless, Noise does nothing to interfere with them. Brave to approach an unknown enemy without support. Brave and stupid. Let us see how much it takes to make you kids cry.

Once the genin get within sixty feet, then Noise shouts an order toward them in the most malicious voice she can muster. "That's far enough. You know you can't catch me if I keep running, so just turn around and go back. Be good little children, repeat your year in peace, and hopefully you won't get such a cursed instructor next time."

---

Meanwhile, Clone!Noise waves Ayameko off. "I'll catch up. Go make sure they don't get hurt. I should be there soon." Once Ayameko moves on, or at least gets out of sight, Clone!Noise looks to Red and throws her a thumbs up. Clone!Noise drops her Genjutsu and follows after the kids. Once she's out of sight of the school, she then summons three soldier-level War Heroes and orders them to find her real self. I'll likely want some way to scare them into action. They'll just talk at me otherwise. She then dons her own ANBU mask and uniform, and follows the kids and summons.

Noise formulates a plan with Swift Planning while the genin run up. With the -4 from Swift Planning she only gets a +10 modifier. Plan Check: [roll0]. Regardless of the result her minimum is +2 due to having a minimum 10 and getting +1 from Improved Plan.

She makes a Grifting check to fake her voice. Since the genin are Shinobi her Ninja Hunter gives her an additional +2 to bluffing them for +18+Plan total. [roll1]+Plan.

Clone!Noise proceeds to summon 3 level 3 War Hero Soldiers one after the other. This burns up 27 of her chakra and leaves her with 2. Weapons: [roll2].

Level 2 War Hero Soldier: Medium humanoid; HD 6d10+12; hp 45; Init +6; Spd 30 ft.;
Defense 15, touch 15, flat-footed 15 (+2 dex, +3 insight); BAB +6; Grap +9; Atk +10 rapier (1d6+3/18-20x2); Full Atk +10/5 rapier (1d6+3/18-20x2)
FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ battle arsenal +1, battle senses +3, evasion; AL summoner;
SV Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +4; CP 10; Rep +0; Str 16, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 12.
Skills: Balance +5, Climb +4, Listen +4, Spot +6, Swim +4, Tumble +6.
Feats: Improved Initiative.

Level 2 War Hero Soldier: Medium humanoid; HD 6d10+12; hp 45; Init +6; Spd 30 ft.;
Defense 15, touch 15, flat-footed 15 (+2 dex, +3 insight); BAB +6; Grap +9; Atk +10 melee tonfa (1d4+3/20x2); Full Atk +10/5 tonfa (1d4+3/20x2)
FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ battle arsenal +1, battle senses +3, evasion; AL summoner;
SV Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +4; CP 10; Rep +0; Str 16, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 12.
Skills: Balance +5, Climb +4, Listen +4, Spot +6, Swim +4, Tumble +6.
Feats: Improved Initiative.

Level 2 War Hero Soldier: Medium humanoid; HD 6d10+12; hp 45; Init +6; Spd 30 ft.;
Defense 15, touch 15, flat-footed 15 (+2 dex, +3 insight); BAB +6; Grap +9; Atk +10 chisa-gatana (1d6+3/19-20x2); Full Atk +10/5 chisa-gatana (1d6+3/19-20x2)
FS 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; SQ battle arsenal +1, battle senses +3, evasion; AL summoner;
SV Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +4; CP 10; Rep +0; Str 16, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 12.
Skills: Balance +5, Climb +4, Listen +4, Spot +6, Swim +4, Tumble +6.
Feats: Improved Initiative.

Once they're summoned Clone!Noise sends them toward the Forest of Death where her real self ran, and obey her real self's orders.

If either of the genin attack she acts during the surprise round due to Declaration of War. She'll use that surprise round action to reactivate her speed/strength ranks and ready an action to Shadow Dance the first kid that gets within range, but will not follow them into the air.

[Princess Tracy]

Eiko

Ayameko nods and darts off after Keita and Yue. As you give your thumbs up, Red returns with her own gesture. "Do you need anything else from me? It seems a bit dangerous if you push them about too much... but I guess they need to learn what a battle feels like sooner or later." She heads back inside with a box of headbands not yet distributed and leaves you to it. You're able to summon the war heroes without incident and they appear as masked samurai as always. For those not initiated with knowledge of their summoned form however, one could mistake their masks for some division of ANBU even without the use of disguise. With the time it takes to summon and coordinate the troops and disguise yourself, you should arrive to the 'battlefrield' perhaps 30 seconds after the genin.

Noise, Keita and Yue

"Guys, I'm coming, hang on, I'm, um, not so good at athletics stuff..." Ayameko trails behind Yue and Keita as they enter the forest. Ahead a short ways on the path, about 80 feet ahead, is the ANBU who took the headbands, and the genin arrive in time to see her theatrical announcement. From her crouch, its clear she intends to make good on some threat if you approach her, but at least she'd stopped running for now.

The ANBU has adopted the Shunpou stance and is ready to move rapidly about if the need arises, though doesn't seem in a rush to retreat.

[Cespenar]

Keita stops abruptly as their mark does, judging their distance. The ANBU's words really made no sense, but Keita wasn't one to tell so. He or she was probably in on their instructor's plan, here to test them through teamwork, combat, or some similar way; so getting mad at the ANBU was basically pointless.

So, he plays along.

"We're afraid we can't do that. We- some of us worked hard for this, not to mention that you have no right to judge Eiko-san, ethically or officially. So, kindly, the headbands please?" He holds out a hand.

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise smiles behind her mask, having foreseen the bravado of a child thinking he was being tested. The ANBU shrugs and shakes her head. "Well doesn't that just beat all. A kid who's not even a ninja is mouthing off to me about duty and ethics. And he even has the gall to think he can make demands... You almost deserve to rot under that useless idiot's teachings. Might makes right, and right now you have none. ...But I'll let you off easy."

The ANBU looks at the headbands, picks out Keita's, then reads the name off the back. "Imegawa Keita. Since you aren't a girl I'm gonna assume that's you." The ANBU raises the headband over her head, unleashes her body's restraints, and brings her natural and chakra-enhanced strength to bear on Keita's headband. If she successfully shatters it then the ANBU throws the remains toward Keita. The ANBU adopts a mocking tone as she addresses the genin.

"Congratulations. One more year with Aka-sensei for you. You should consider yourself lucky. She made me promise not to hurt her darling students. Such a loving and motherly instructor deserves a hug, doesn't she? So run along and give her one kiddo."

Noise takes 10 on her Grifting check for 28(26 vs non-shinobi) to lie to Keita about a promise to Aka. If she can't take ten: [roll0]

Noise spends a chakra to activate her Strength ranks, then takes 10 on her Break check to destroy the fake headband with Keita's name on it. She gets a 23, 10 plus 8 from Strength ranks and 5 from her Strength score.

[Cespenar]

Keita watches the ANBU go through with the gesture, grimacing as the pieces get thrown into the ground. He glances back to Yue and Ayameko (if she caught up), but then just sighs.

"Those were Leaf property. And besides, they already hold records of all these stuff.

"If your problem is with Eiko-san, by the way, wouldn't breaking her headband be a better solution anyway? Not that I believe you can.

"So, where does all this leave us? I'm confused. You want us to attack you for the rest of the headbands? We are of the same organization, and you outrank us. If you're acting unjustly, you'll be judged, but not by us. If you're not acting unjustly, we'd be at fault if we disobey."

Keita chastises himself silently for reading too deep into this, but he couldn't resist it. Even if he wanted to play along at first, he couldn't just outright attack an ANBU member for something as petty as this, even if it could easily avoid it. Ah, perhaps they were supposed to snatch it from its hands? That made more sense. Why couldn't he think it sooner? He hopes he isn't in any real trouble for the headband.

After a moment, he turns to Yue, and whispers.

"Maybe we need to steal the bands back without outright attacking? What do you think?"

[Princess Tracy]

All

Ayameko arrives in time to see the ANBU crunch the headband into a thousand pieces, gasping. "Wh-what? S-stop you can't do that! We all worked hard, and Keita's a good ninja! L-leave us alone!" she tries to talk the ANBU down, forgetting her formalities for a moment - not exactly the sterling diplomacy of her ancestor, but in this situation it seems children would be emotional.

Assuming she's also whispered to, she shuffles closer to Yue and Keita. "Do you... think we can? She just smashed one... I have some genjutsu."

[ZeroNumerous]

"Break her headband? Haha! Oh kiddo. You don't get it, do you? Now, work your little gray cells overtime to answer this question: Did that woman have a headband?" Whether Keita understands the statement or not the ANBU carries on. The ANBU simply laughs, the mirthless and sadistic laugh of a child burning ants with a magnifying glass.

"You think I'm your senpai or something? Haha! Boy you're dense! You aren't my peers. You're not even genin." The ANBU waves the two remaining headbands at Keita to punctuate her point. "These make you genin. These make you my peers. Without them you're just civilians. Go ahead and report me to whomever you'd like, it won't matter to them or me. You're weak, and no one listens when the weak complain about being kicked around by the strong." With that said the ANBU just shrugs and continues speaking.

"Where does this leave you? I don't care. My mission is to ensure the Kitten doesn't get three more students killed, and mission accomplished. Go home and quit, repeat your year, complain to my superiors: It means as much to me as what ants have for breakfast." The ANBU places a hand on her hip when the Senju speaks out and trumpets their hard work. She casually picks one of the two headbands she has left, then holds it out toward the Senju.

"Hard work? Aww. Does baby want a reward? Here little girl, I'm sorry for--" The ANBU interrupts herself when she crushes the headband she held out. She flicks the ruined mess at the Senju with casual disdain, and adopts a mocking stance. "Hard work means nothing. Genius means nothing. Neither I nor this world give a damn about your effort or skill. You had bad luck this year. Tough. Don't blame me. Blame yourself, or God."

With that done the ANBU raises the last remaining headband to her own head, then ties it around her mask. A rather precarious position. "Tell you what losers. I'm done kicking around puppies. If you want to be ninja, then just fight over it. Whoever's left will get this headband. And, you know what, I'll even be nice. I'll recommend whoever gets it for special mentoring. You'll be under one of my peers--my true peers--and learning from the best; not some vapid loser the Hokage humors because of her big breasts." The ANBU looks to the other two genin. "Of course, whoever doesn't get this one can just go hang for all I care."

The cold blank mask looks to each genin in turn. "Do you want your dream? Then fight over it."

[Princess Tracy]

All

"I'm guessing... ninja who have already graduated can get replacements..." Ayameko mutters as the ANBU mocks the idea of breaking EIko's headband, but purses her lips as she observes Eiko's lack of headband. "Was that really a mission, or just what you wanted to do? Even if... even if Eiko is talentless and coddled, why take it out on us?" She wanted to stick up for her assigned teacher perhaps, but whoever this was seemed to know her better - she really knew nothing.

As the last headband shatters, the Senju's expression finally washes away its terror and becomes more serious as she stares down the ANBU. "I don't know about you two," she whispers. "But if I was gonna fight anyone here... even though I'm not a combat type... I'd rather fight her. No matter how you look at it, she's toying with us. and I don't trust her. I can't get to her at this range though..."

Noise's backup arrives in 3 rounds.

[Cespenar]

That was dark. Kind of. What did the ANBU mean with that question anyway? A true hint, or simple obfuscation? Keita turns to Ayameko and studies her serious expression for a while. This was probably the desired effect of the ANBU's speech after all, whoever he or she might be. Nodding at her, he turns to Yue this time.

"I don't know what's the supposed lesson here, but it looks like we're wanted to fight. What do you think?"

With that, he turns to the ANBU and waits for Yue's answer from behind, while gazing at the ANBU all the time, brows furrowed slightly with evaluation.

[ZeroNumerous]

The ANBU dismisses the Senju's question with a laugh. "You don't think much, do you? I already told you why, you just have to pay attention to work it out."

When the Senju and Keita talk, and ultimately both suggest fighting the ANBU rather than one another, the masked woman just shakes her head. Her mask almost looks melancholic as she sighs audibly. "Kids these days. If you're not gonna listen to everything I say, then at least listen to this: There's no lesson to learn here!" The ANBU motions toward the forest behind her, to her self, then to the kids.

"This isn't the academy, I'm not your instructor, and I don't give a **** about you. I am magnanimously giving one of you a chance to graduate and become a real little boy or girl. The other two get nothing; no reward, no lesson, and another wasted year before they can try again. All you have to do is betray your fellow students. But... If you want to fight me and try to steal this headband: Go right ahead. But..." The ANBU lowers her voice, and speaks plainly and seriously for the next bit. "...I will not hold back. You'll just suffer and fail if you try. You might even die."

The statement's intent is plain and obvious: There was no banding together to win. Friendship and camaraderie would just be smashed apart underneath the ANBU's implacable force, and that choice would result in nothing but pain.

[Overlord Rion]

While her two companions talked, Yue thought. And thought. And eventually a spark ignited and the correct path seemed clear. "Imagawa-san, you take it. Senju-san and I will just repeat the year." Before any objections can be made, she explains herself. "It's a lot of wasted effort if we fight each other, when the obvious choice is the one with the most potential. Senju-san could use some work in Taijutsu, and I could use some work on...well, everything that isn't Taijutsu. So, go ahead and take it. If they really want to go through that much effort to keep us from getting her, then she might be amazing. Better one of us than none of us, right?" Yue shrugs once she finishes, and steps aside.

[Cespenar]

Keita watches the ANBU with growing irritation. There must be no way the Leaf would employ such a malicious individual -- all this must be a test.

Yue's selfless words bring him back from his thoughts. Truly moved, he stands wordless for a moment, looking at her and the Senju. The idea that he is likely to lose the chance of being teammates with such a kind-hearted person... Trying to find another way out of this mess, he blabbers, in whisper.

"But you passed the exam? I don't know, maybe we could... try what he said... but keep it all nonlethal and treat it like a friendly spar? Maybe that's what they want?"

[ZeroNumerous]

The ANBU laughs at Yue's selflessness. She starts with a chuckle, then it gradually rises into a harsh and direct laugh mocking such generosity. After a few seconds she relaxes, then shrugs and sighs. The ANBU speaks with casual, almost malicious, disregard for Yue's feelings. Her words are plainly directed toward herself, yet she pours her mocking vitriol down on Yue all the same.

"Doesn't that just beat all. I've seen a true blue, died in the wool, absolute loser! Wow, I never expected that. Poor kid's never going to live up to her potential with that kind of act, and certainly she won't go anywhere in this world. Perhaps the Will of Fire burnt away all of her ambition? Ah well, no matter... She's just a meat head. I hope she doesn't have to wait long for someone to snuff out that little flame."

With her mocking done the ANBU bluntly ignores any complaints about her words, and motions toward the assembled genin. "Well, if you want to follow the path of a loser you're free to do so. Run, I won't chase you. But know that this world holds few magnanimous and generous people such as myself. If you run from the wolves every day, then one day the wolves will catch you."

[Princess Tracy]

DM

Ayameko blinks as Yue forfeits her claim to the headband. "Yue-chan..." She sighs, giving a half hearted chuckle. "Don't go volunteering me to surrender too, you know... for all you know I'm competitive. But no... I've got no interested in stepping over my peers. What kind of a way to start my career would that be? This isn't the Hidden Mist."

Keita's irritation is plainly visible to the ANBU, and similarly Ayameko scowls with an anger unfitting for a young Senju medic. Or perhaps, the Will of Fire had forgotten its origins and Hashirama wasn't the peace loving fool he'd been made out to be. "You disgusting excuse for a ninja!" she yells out, stompong her foot and shifting herself as if between Yue and the ANBU to stick up for her. "You think we've got anything to prove to you? I bet you're not even a real ANBU. Getting your approval would make me hurl with disgust! If you're what a leaf ninja's supposed to be, why would ANYONE want to be one!?" Her words are emotionally charged to a T, but she took no remorse or shame in her moral fury. Somewhere behind it all was a young woman with a clear head who had rightfully been roused to anger.

"If you guys wanna trash this one, I'm in. But I don't think we're gonna get anywhere with fighting them. If we don't play by their rules they'll just break the last headband anyway, right? If you don't wanna risk it, Keita, I'll stand down and let you take the headband. I'll just come back next year when I've got Grandpa's Mokuton techniques down and kick this no-good ninja's butt if she tries this again!" Suddenly her spiteful scowl is gon and nothing but a sheer determination remains as she balls up her hands into fists. "No matter what... we won't get anywhere in this world if we let people like this push us around forever. But we're young enough to pick our battles."


Several people in masks seem to be approaching from the South, in the direction you'd come. Among them seems to be Aka-sensei. The ANBU identifies it as her backup. They are 1 round away. If battle were to commence now, the would-be Genin are effectively flanked.

Ayameko's check [roll0]
You identify the approaching mask wearers as not being Konoha ANBU, but in fact as the "War Hero" summon tribe soldiers. They lack the uniform of a ninja and instead appear in an ancient samurai garb holding various weapons.

The fortune telling girl from the start of the festival is watching from behind the roots of a nearby tree. She doesn't seem to be trying particularly hard to hide her presence as she rests her head on the back of her hand, fingers with jewellery spread out lavishly as she merely observed. Upon having your gaze rest upon her, she just smiles and makes eye contact, before getting back to watching things play out. You aren't that far from the village after all laying just at the first leg of the path into the forest - starting a fight here would have everyone in town know about it, for all you know she's an incidental witness.
She points to her forehead and winks as she shakes her head as you see her.
She says to be indicating you shouldn't worry about the headband too much, or perhaps there's some trickery involved.

[ZeroNumerous]

Ayameko's comment about the Bloody Mist only gets a faint smile from Noise underneath the mask. She closes her eyes, and she's back at that scroll signing ceremony. The old man had been surprised when she called forth a human-shaped demon instead of a war hero, and warned her away from cavorting with monsters. From the mouth of babes comes truth. I'm not any different than you, am I Zabuza? The old man couldn't understand that, but you did. That's why you came when I called. Was I just born in the wrong era, or perhaps the wrong place? Noise's voice betrays just how much those words affected her, and she lapsed into her normal tone. A quiet betrayal, barely above a whisper, spoke of herself and of her deeds.

"There are things in this world worth murdering to defend." But such words are followed by a shake of the ANBU's head, and the assumption of her role once more.

"An excuse for a ninja? What do you think ninja do? Finding lost pets? Weeding gardens? Package delivery? We're soldiers, little girl." The ANBU casts aside the Senju's argument with a wave of her arm, as if dismissing her words like they were little more than the bleating of sheep.

"Whatever reason you use to justify killing the Leaf's enemies is irrelevant, but do not pretend you are somehow noble or honorable when you have been training to become a man-slayer! You want to be a ninja? Then you must be willing to bloody your hands in defense of your village. If you can not serve, if you can not kill, then the sorry excuse for a ninja would be you, not I."

The Senju standing up for herself at least got a more genuine smile from the woman behind the mask. However, the arrival of the other cloaked figures--and the genin's teacher--draws the ANBU's attention. "Ah, my loyal minions are finally here. And Red-chan." Once the four person group finally arrives, the ANBU orders them to spread out to prevent their escape. She points them toward a series of trees, and a formation resembling a four-sided square is quickly formed.

Red-sensei speaks, or at least Clone!Noise does her best to imitate their sensei speaking, about the treatment of her students. "Thank you, ANBU-san, for not hurting them--" "Yet. I'm not hurting them, yet. But I was just about to make them fight over the last headband." Red looks at her students uneasily, but then closes her eyes and finds her resolve.

"Please, just leave. You won't graduate, but you'll live. That's more important to me than seeing you succeed." The carefully worded statement, cloaked in coddling and concern, said all it needed to: Leaving was failure.

Noise directs the three soldiers to form a square around the kids, and expressly places one of the summons in front of their audience. She tries to communicate with the formation of her troops: Don't interfere. Grifting: [roll0]

Clone!Noise tries her best to fake Red's voice: [roll1]

[Cespenar]

Keita turns to the newcomers, but ***** his head at Red due to her words coming out different than what he expected. He isn't planning on engaging to the ANBU's rhetoric about ethics yet, since he knows it would be a heated but futile conversation. How many other ninja would care enough to devise a target-selective technique which regulated the lethality of his attacks depending on the purity of his target's chakra-signatures anyway, other than Keita? No, hearing the ANBU speak, it would make as much sense to convince a cat to swear off milk.

First things first, though. Having gleaned some sort of hint from the mysterious fortune-teller girl (or at least he thinks so), he gestures calmingly towards Ayameko.

"Don't worry about the headband. Trust me."

He gazes at their instructor afterwards, judging her words. He begins to talk after some long seconds.

"Sensei, this is ridiculous. You speak as though this ANBU is above you. We are all officially graduated. There's no sense of what is going on right now."

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise mentally communicates her finding with her clone, and the clone disguised as Red rubs the back of her neck.

Clone!Noise simply shakes her head. "Graduation from the Academy doesn't mean anything. Graduates just have the potential to become a genin. If you aren't acknowledged by a jounin instructor, then you're sent back to the academy as if you'd never graduated at all. This is usually just a formality, though some instructors make tests to pass or fail their students, but... Ultimately everyone has to be acknowledged. Your teacher... She didn't follow me here."

Noise listens to herself monologue, and smiles. Then when her role is up she adopts the persona of the ANBU and simply shrugs. "Ouch. Seems like she did the right thing and abandoned you before her teachings got you killed, but still... Getting dumped on the street corner like a puppy? Cold." The ANBU points a thumb at the stolen headband wrapped around her mask. "There's still this opportunity available, if you want to be a real little boy. Take this headband and come into the shadows, and protect Konoha from her enemies. Your loser friends have abandoned the hunt, so you'd win by default."

The ANBU motions toward Red. "Or you could go back to the coddling safety of the academy with her. You'll be rewarded with a long and miserable life of toil and failure. But maybe, just maybe, you might find an instructor who's willing to take you on. But even if you do you'll just end up right back at that academy: A washed up failure slaving away to prepare the next generation of losers."

[Cespenar]

Keita, normally relaxed and collected, feels like his resolve was wearing thinner than usual upon seeing the ANBU's points backed up by Red-sensei as well. All his knowledge and senses were pointing to the absurdity of the situation, yet he could find no holes in the setup from the start to the end. Fine, he decides at last. At least they weren't stomping on each other's backs like the ANBU wanted. Whether this was a charade or not, whether there was a lesson in all this or not, at least they had responded in their own way. I'll make it up to you, guys, he thinks, and then vocalizes those thoughts as well.

"I'll make it up to you, guys. I promise," he says to Yue and Ayameko in mixed feelings. Then, he turns to the ANBU.

"Fine. I accept, whatever this is." His face doing something between a determined gaze and a scowl, he steps forward.

[Princess Tracy]

All

Ayameko watches quietly for once as Keita comes to his decision, perhaps let down by her sensei's words. Her eyes lid for a long moment as she focuses on the other new arrivals, these new ANBU. (DC 20 Lore to identify as War Heroes) She whispers to Yue. "These guys have weak, weird chakra... are they clones? Or..." Her eyes snap open again as she spins around to stare at "Red", bewilderment clear on her features before she bites her lip and bounces on her heels, fully alert. "On your guard, Keita," is all she says as she suddenly presses her back against Yue's, to cover each other's blind spots. Being surrounded there wasn't much point in initiating a fight from this position, only being attentive. With her skills at deduction, the clone knows that Ayameko has identified her by her lack of distinct chakra, naturally.

[ZeroNumerous]

Keita's answer just causes the ANBU to shrugs and shake her head. She decides to take one last heartless jab at Keita. "Wow. Just abandoning your comrades like that? And you even have the nerve to give them vague platitudes about paying them back someday? Brutal. Even your teacher wasn't that cruel kid." The ANBU crosses her arms over her chest, and gives Keita an appraising look from beneath the flame mask.

"But whatever. You want this headband? Fine. But taking it means you're going to die in battle. And when you do die, out in the middle of nowhere fighting over something you'll never see again, no one will remember your deeds, your dreams, or your hopes. All they'll have is a name, carved on a rock, and that's all that will ever remain." The ANBU waits for Keita's response, and if he's fine with an anonymous death then she shrugs, looks at the ground, shakes her head and sighs.

"Poor dumb kids. Alright boys and girls, I guess I gotta take you to your instructor. Come on you kids. The masked men can stay here." The ANBU turns around, then motions for the kids to follow. "Oh, and this is private. So anyone from the peanut gallery--like, say, any old hags masquerading as young women peeping on the beauty of youth sacrifices--should stay here." The ANBU looks over her shoulder at the woman voyeur, plainly speaking directly to her, before continuing on into the forest of death. Naturally, she sends a mental order to her clone to keep watch on the woman.

The ANBU heads into the forest fully expecting the kids to follow.

---

Once herself and the kids are out of sight, Clone!Noise simply sighs and speaks to no one in particular--though the only audience remaining are her summons and the "fortune teller". "What an annoying woman, don't you agree?"

[Cespenar]

Keita glares at the ANBU for a moment, but then just sighs. Perhaps if the "fellow" hasn't already drawn a ridiculously antagonistic figure, he might take at least some of the words seriously, but that ship had passed. Now he just wonders how much of this is act and how much of it true.

Upon Ayameko's alarm, Keita whips his body around, expecting an attack, but after a while looks questioningly at the Senju. He nevertheless extends his own chakra sense to pick up the signatures of the newcomers like she has done, and after a moment or two he settles back to a non-fighting stance again.

At the ANBU's grim prediction, Keita replies calmly. "I wouldn't be in this profession if I were afraid of death in battle." However, a voice inside him counters.

You didn't pick this profession, though. You merely went along with it.

And to that, a counter-riposte: Still wouldn't make any difference. A death is a death.

At which point, Keita stops the internal traffic and follows the ANBU with reservation. How had Eiko-san passed them and entered further into the forest anyway? And why? This was still making no sense, but the hairs on the back of his neck told Keita that they might not make it out of this with some bloodying after all, one way or another.

[Princess Tracy]

All

Ayameko blinks as she's invited along by the ANBU, but quietly complies and follows after Keita, tugging Yue's hand to bring her along. The party currently stands at the outer edges of the basic training grounds. The forest stretches on for at least a dozen kilometres in each direction, all of which is the domain of the leaf village and its aristocratic clans and feudal lord. However, within the vicinity of the outer walls of the expanded mountain pass district, their journey can only go on for 5 minutes or so in this direction before they would leave the village proper. How far the ANBu leads them is up to her discretion. There's any number of clearings and training grounds nearby that could be a good meeting point. The grave dedicated to the leaf's martyr's of war is also within comfortable walking distance naturally.

"Back there..." Ayamako whispers, getting close to Keita. "That wasn't Aka-sensei. These ANBU dudes are screwing with us. Don't let her get to you."

Fortune Teller

The instruction for interlopers to stay behind is visibly ignored yet seems obeyed anyway as the fortune teller stays in place as the others leave and the clone and summons approach her. She chortles. "I don't know what she's so concerned with. They just happened to host their drama where I was relaxing. People sitting on a bench in a public square could hardly be called eavesdroppers when fireworks detonate," she says innocently. Every time she mentions a card, she draws it from the deck casually concealed in her off-hand and holds it up without looking at it. "Chariot... Yue must reach out with confidence. Pure power awaits her only in self mastery and determination, or at the very least motive. Ayameko holds the Sun... and will be snuffed out by nightfall after a long day of bringing warmth and success. Keita is a righteous man, but could be led astray, and likely has an early grave waiting for him if he doesn't become familiar with darkness. The Fool? Ha ha... you however, are worthy of a more complex read. The Devil, the inverse World, the Empress... wait." The last three cards she deals out in front of you, balancing them on a thin jutting root of a nearby tree as easily as a flat table, but the last one is not as she called it as she sees from the corner of her eye and turns to confirm. "The inverse Death? Interesting..." She shuffles all the cards back into the deck.

"Of course, they're all just pieces of card that one interprets. By my eyes, you'll be dead by spring," she says as naturally and as confidently as one proclaiming how blue the sky was in idle conversation. "My boss is looking to hire a nnja like you... but I guess I'd better do it through official channels than through a clone. At least you can pass along the message to the original when you're done with your facade." With that she stops talking entirely and starts to walk off, knowing a clone wouldn't have the mind for all that she just said anyway. If allowed, she leaves the forest and gets out of your hair.

[Overlord Rion]

What.

Yue's mind stayed on that one thought once the ANBU told them they were going to be taken back to their teacher. Was the whole thing a trick? If so, Yue was going to be angry for about fifteen seconds before remembering she didn't actually have anything better to do in the meantime.

But still, WHAT.

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise leads the kids away from any clearings or gatherings, and certainly doesn't take them to the monument to the dead. No, she couldn't reveal herself in front of the heroes of the Leaf. Only in the dark recesses of the Forest of Death, hidden from the prying eyes of the village or the light cast by its Fire, could she show those children her true self. The ANBU, as malicious as it was, remained just a facet of the woman wearing the mask. Eiko had been herself once, or perhaps was herself in another realm, but that joyous character had no hold on the woman's heart. The no-nonsense straight-laced servant of ROOT, known to her closest comrades and to her "master", was also just a facet of a capricious soul.

Here. This will do. Noise stops near a large tree as far from the village as possible, but still out of sight of the edge of the forest. Naturally she selects the area to avoid anyone else being nearby, and once she stops she turns to face the genin.

"Now it is time to learn the truth."

She casually plucks the headband off her head, unceremoniously unwrapping it and throwing the useless thing away. She offers no explanation for her actions if the genin voice concerns, and simply continues moving without response. She reaches into a belt pouch, then fishes out Keita's headband. She throws the metal plate at the young man like a shuriken, expecting him to catch it or be hit by without caring about the outcome. The ANBU flings another headband at Yue, again with the power to harm but neither the intent nor interest to see it do so. The final headband she throws at the Senju's feet. She would not give the girl the satisfaction of being hit, and she'd have to scrabble through the dirt to find her prize.

With the headbands doled out the woman continues to move in absolute silence, and pulls off her mask. The beautiful golden haired teacher they had met before, ditzy and full of life, now glared at daggers at the students. Her features seemed harder in the darkness, like a dagger drawn and clutched tight rather than the soft whimsy shown to the light. She looks at each of the students in turn, her mouth drawn tightly into a frown, as she appraises them obviously for the first time. She waits, letting their minds run wild with whatever thoughts they may have, before she finally breaks her silence. Her voice holds neither malice nor benevolence, but some sweet mixture of adoration and disgust.

"You've refused to obey a direct order. That's bad. Such actions would get you killed in the field, or at least demoted. However, the order to kill one another would have unnecessarily damaged the Leaf village. You have my commendations on refusing. But to do so out of some misguided ideal of morality... I'm disappointed." The Leaf woman smiles, narrows her eyes, and for a moment appears as a snake appraising its next meal. Her voice casually changes to that of Red, faking their sensei's sound as best as she can.

"You did good to graduate." Her voice changes once more, adopting the ANBU's malicious intent. "But graduation means nothing." Once more her voice changes, and this time she adopts Keita's own voice. "A ninja needs to know how to look underneath the beneath, even when he's told not to." She adopts Yue, and speaks plainly. "Even if it's troublesome, always be wary of your surroundings." Finally, the woman takes on Aya's voice. "But don't blurt out what you know, or else the enemy will change their approach."

"Greetings. I am a kunoichi: A liar, a traitor, a fake, and both your best friend and worst enemy in the time to come. My name isn't important, but... The village knows me as Ina Eiko. I known in the village as The Kitten, and that's how many people will address me. It is how I wish them to know me: Stupid, blundering, useless, coddled by the Sixth and Seventh, and only good for my sex appeal." She casually removes her ANBU cloak as she addresses the students, showing off her tight and "useless" armor in the process. Then it changes, gradually shifting from useless shape-revealing armor to the green tights and vest common to Leaf ninja. Unlike most jounin she's unburdened by a headband of her own.

"But you are my students, so what you will see will be... Unique. I will leave it up to you to determine what is the truth. After all, you can only believe what you know. Now, we should introduce ourselves, should we not? Your names, your goals, what you like, that sort of thing."

Noise takes 10 on a Grifting check to fake the voices of Red, the ANBU, Keita, Yue, and Aya. She gets a 28 to do so. As she speaks she'll use her Minor Changing Seal to transform her clothes from the useless "sexy" attire to the functional Leaf ninja attire. She'll put her cape and mask back into one of her pouches.

[Cespenar]

Keita raises an arm in defense, blocking the headband as it wraps around his forearm. He slowly removes and puts it around his head, finally marking the end of his old life. Should I be sad, or happy, now?

As Eiko removes the mask and starts her grand reveal, Keita nods imperceptibly, feeling a slight bit of satisfaction despite himself. He knew it was a setup, but all of the parties turning up as Eiko's personae he did not see. Despite his relatively sharp eye, a jounin was apparently that good. Not surprising, when one thinks about it.

Eiko's comment using his own voice just serves to underline this point, but it feels strange hearing his voice mimicked so perfectly. Was a secret, second message lying behind the spoken lessons, insinuating how easy is it for a skilled ninja to impersonate another one, and thus they would be wise to never trust anyone completely?

Still, all in all, Eiko's eventual openness appeals to him, even if some of her platitudes about ethics and morality he chooses to ignore. I can learn from this woman, he thinks optimistically. Though what he would learn, he hopes he'll be able to filter.

When asked to introduce themselves, Keita goes first, speaking in a somewhat more relaxed voice than he was five minutes ago."I'm Imagawa Keita. I... don't really have many long-term goals, I'm just hoping I could ultimately do good as part of this force, despite the obviously dirty nature of the profession. Apart from that, I guess I like to relax, unwind, hang out with my friends in my off time. Maybe catch a movie, have a nap. I don't know," he shrugs in a goofy yet casual way.

"Make no mistake, though, I'll put in the work," he adds, glancing at Eiko.

[Overlord Rion]

Yue raises an eyebrow at the new developments. So...they all passed? They got to be a team, for real?

Damn. Yue chooses to take all her rage about the current situation, put it in a little box, and store the box somewhere to grab later.

I don't sound like that, she got it wrong. Yue knew the imitation was perfect, but she would never admit it. Observation of Yue would reveal that even though her arms were crossed behind her they were balled up into fists. I think I'm going to really hate this woman. Just as Keita finishes her introduction, Yue sighs before slapping a stupid smile on her face, an imitation of Eiko's kitten personality.

"All right then! Hii everybody, I'm Suiji Yue!~ I like manga, and food, and boys, and food. Oh, whoops, I said food twice! Anyway, I can't be bothered to think about long-term stuff, sorry!"

[Princess Tracy]

All

Ayameko's jaw goes slack as her eyes keep staring ahead. She'd stuck to Keita and Yue fully alert the whole way up but sure wasn't ready for that reveal, she was too ready for a more malicious surprise than their teacher being their... well, their teacher. She looks at the headband testily for a moment but doesn't pick it up before refocusing on the introduction. "Damn... its misinformed anyway, to underestimate a ninja just because she's pretty. Not that you're that pretty, I mean, you know what I mean. How effective could a dumb blonde that possibly be on experienced ninja?" she says, increasingly flustered as she waves off the conversation for a moment longer, but shuts up as Keita and Yue introduce themselves.

As Yue gives her tongue in cheek introduction, Ayameko nudges her and raises an eyebrow at the put on but just shakes her head. "Fine..." She hooks her too-toed shoes under the headband and grips it with a clumsy dexterity before kicking it up for herself to grab it without giving her new sensei the satisfaction of her getting her hands all dirty. Though she just looks like a clutz spending entirely too long trying to fiddle at it with her toes and almost not catching it on her first swipe at the air.

"Okay. I'm Seniu Ayameko. I'm a medic and... I don't like direct fighting, but the 'more important' reason is I guess I have something of a legacy to live up to. Not that I reject it, its just... anyway, I wanna help people and get along with them. I don't know if I've got what it takes to be Hokage or anything, but I want to... oh, you'll just laugh at me if I said. Its political and idealistic and doens't match up with you at all, Miss Kunoichi." She puffs her cheeks up, folds her arms and looks away but finally sighs. "I want to bring an end to the feudal system as it is now. War is perpetuated for its own sake and I think eternal conflict should be made obsolete, somehow some way. Not that I would know how to do it." Her tone wavers and its clear its not something she says out loud to often. Years prior such words might have been grounds for a loyalty investigation as rejection of the will of a feudal lord would be tantamount to betrayal, but these days such sentiments were increasingly common, especially among civilians who only see the front end of war and ninjas.

"I'm too hard a studier to have many hobbies I like to share," she adds, quickly changing gears, suddenly her energy returning as she ties her headband around her arm in a far too practiced manner. "I like to read and collect stuffed animals. I'm single, blood type AB positive - I know, ironic, right I'm so outgoing! Universal receiver. My medical sensei was pissed since it makes my blood so hard to donate, she had all kinds of ideas about transplanting Senju cells or some nonsense. I'm lying, of course, I'm O negative. Aaaand even though I'm brimming with life, I've got none of granny's superstrength. On the upswing, I'm good at genjutsu, which is way more efficient than punching people. I got stabbed once in sparring and was fine and everyone started a rumor that I was immortal, please don't stress test that, I'm not, people just don't understand what a flesh wound is."

Ayameko eventually blushes and stops talking, huffing and apparently remember that she's supposed to be mad at Eiko for tricking them. The new headbands glimmer on each of you as the sun descends ever more into the horizon, painting the forest increasingly orange.

[ZeroNumerous]

The question of her deception simply causes the jounin to smile disarmingly at the Senju, and for a moment she's the doting mother acknowledging her wayward daughter. Then the smile disappears into a glare, and she's back to herself. "Ninja are, ultimately, people. They will believe what they see, and the truth is irrelevant."

Noise just rolls her eyes at Yue's outburst, but neither says nor does anything about it. These were Yue's teammates, and it was up to her to determine what they knew of the young girl. If she chose to hide herself, then that was her decision. Noise does smile when the Senju musters the courage to backtalk the jounin. Courage like that fit the Senju, and so did her mindless morality. Yet the jounin did nothing in response once more, except to voice her agreement.

"I agree with both of those statements, but not for the reasons you think. The feudal system is too suffocating for the Leaf. One day, the Hokage will need to be independent of the Fire Daimyo. And eternal conflict will only weaken the Leaf in the long run." However, the jounin shrugs at the Senju. "But what can you do? You'll need to be as strong as Hashirama to save the Leaf from itself, and no matter how good of a healer you are your enemies will not simply defeat themselves."

With that said the jounin retrieves her cloak, shifts her clothing back to the useless "armor" she wore before, and dons the appearance of the fool she masquerades as. "We'll meet tomorrow morning to start our training. I'll send for you. You'll know it's me by our pass phrase. The question is: "How was your sleep?" You answer: "I dreamed of a safe Konoha.", and the asker will always respond: "As must we all." Remember that, because I won't repeat it. No one but one of us will know the response, so you can use this phase between yourselves freely, but never explain it to anyone other than Team 1 members."

The jounin looks at Yue. "And if there's anything wrong, like you're being threatened or manipulated, then you can answer it with "I dreamed of fire." We'll know that means danger."

Noise looks at the genin in turn. "If you understand, then you're dismissed for today. If you have any questions, then now is the time to ask them. I won't answer anything seriously unless we're alone."

[Cespenar]

Keita smirks at Yue's antics. One couldn't really fault such a reaction after a deception of that degree. Ayameko's words, in turn, partly amaze Keita as it portrays the relative freedom of the Leaf's current state. The Imagawa, being a smaller clan, operated in a more authoritative way, and even excused its continued existence as thanks to that decisiveness. This was refreshing, all in all.

On hearing Eiko's words about Ayameko needing to be as strong as Hashirama to effect change, Keita interjects. "Well, that, or she'd need more numerous supporters at her side," he says, almost as an afterthought. If Ayameko looks at her at this point, he simply smiles back in a good-natured way that in no manner implied any wile, no sir.

Memorizing the secret messages, he wrecks his head for a question to ask his instructor before they leave off. After a moment, one pops to his head.

"Who was that fortune-teller girl, really? Was she one of your clones as well, or another competing jounin?" Honestly it didn't feel like another clone, but one would never know with this sneaky woman.

After everything being said and done, he leaves to pay a visit to his clan sensei. Imagawa Mayumi wasn't someone you merely forgot or ditched, and she wouldn't call on him if not for a good reason, being the professional that she is.

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise just smiles and shrugs. "Ah, yes, allies; That certainly worked out for Hashirama, didn't it? Oh, no, he killed his best friend and left us the time bomb called the Uchiha. Reforms without strength will always leave the Leaf weaker, because you cannot make allies out of everyone."

The question about the fortune teller gets an annoyed look from Noise. "Just an annoying girl peddling garbage. She wasn't me, but don't worry about her. I wouldn't have given you such an obvious hint. You'll either fail my tests, or find your own answers; I won't coddle you."

[Princess Tracy]

All

"Hey, a ninja pacifist knows you gotta know how to pacify, that's where the genjutsu comes in." Still she's surprised when Keita bumps in with his own suggestion of team work and cooperation and all that Hashirama stuff and she gives as surprised nod, seeming undetered by Eiko's refutation. "There can be no lasting peace without justice, right?"

Senju scratches at her ear for a moment, before nodding. "Got the password, right. Um, questions... none relating to the team anyway. I... think I know where we stand. I live in the barracks and have an idea what to expect from my room mates even if you did throw me off balance. I am kind of curious about some of the recent hysteria though... is it true the new Hokage is the Nine Tailed Fox?" It seems she hasn't been closely briefed on the lore of the bijuu and jinchuriki. No doubt something which will become her responsibility if she actually DOES unlock the mokuton, Eiko can safely assume.

Everyone is free to disperse at their leisure from there as the sun is getting low in the sky now and a good night's sleep may be required with the new dawn. You're all free to do as you will until Eiko comes to fetch everyone in the morning. There's a requirement that able genin teams be deployed at least once a week, but spending the first few days training is often customary as menial labour D-class missions have become rarer compared to the youth of the seventh hokage.

]The line "There can be no peace without justice" is one from a well known new age philosophy book by "Himeko the Raven" a ninshu priestess who's been making headlines lately. In particular she's been putting in appearances at anti ninja rallies and as such her books are restricted reading within the Leaf and other ninja villages. Her public persona is a pacifist heir to a simpler time where chakra practitioners were something other than soldiers

Himeko the Raven has a pending bounty on her head on charges of disturbing the peace, and being a notable user of chakra unassociated with a ninja village, making her a rabble rousing missing nin by the standards of the village system. However she seems to abhor violence and has a large civilian following, so the countries she's moving through have an understanding not to attack her directly. In terms of her chakra abilities however she uses senjutsu, nature energy, though her specific mode of attack is rarely seen it is said she uses yin release similar to the Nara, and is studying ancient arts not limited to the mythical ninshu. Rumour has it that she can read minds or has other means of acquiring classified information.

Noise

Back at Noise's apartment she finds an uninvited guest. A white haired young gentleman in a sleeveless shirt, eyes closed and back against a wall as if he'd fallen asleep on his feet, yet no one seems to pay him a second glance in the rough part of town you call home. "Bunshin," the white flash greets, indicating himself as but a clone. "How was school? Did you pick a team? There might be a job for you, but the boss said it can wait for a couple of weeks if you've got kids to train. How understanding of him." The tone is as utterly dry as ever as the platinum blonde Yamanaka refers to his obvious superior without names for reasons that ROOT's structure make self explanatory. He cradles a scroll in his hand, presumably either also cloned and easily destroyed without a trace if the clone, or perhaps more likely bearing the cursed seal of ROOT's classified messages that would only allow it to be opened by an operative such as yourself. It all depended on whether he intended to leave it for you. "I told him I could handle it, but he insisted it be waiting for you. Maybe you have to win a sumo match with the Raikage or something equally specific to your skills." He opens one eye and scoffs.

Such elaborate conversation likely means he's using his Messenger Clones. A variant of the shadow clone, they have longer duration and range and the complexity to keep up conversation but seen to lack combat and chakra ability. You theorise but have not proven a two way tekepathic link - naturally he has not shared his hijutsu with you.

Keita and Yue

"Hey Yue-chan, congrats again by the way. On passing," Aya says as she walks with you part of the way home, going the same way toher barracks. Whether you choose to invite her any further than the first fork in the road is your decision, but she seems chatty enough and in no rush to get back to the half-military base half-student dorm that was the infamous barracks. "I'm looking forward to training together with the both of you. So what do you think of her then? Not what I was expecting but... they say you can learn a lot from new people, right?" she says optimistically.

Yue

At Yue's pad, she finds a voicemail from her parents explaining they're out of town on business but asking to call if she graduated. Either way they were thinking of rewarding you with a little vacation! Good luck fitting that into a genin's schedule. Your house is quiet as you left it. You left the TV on. The weather report lists rain all day tomorrow. The map of the region shown on screen is the civilian version which doesn't show the full topography of mountains surrounding the leaf.

You didn't leave the TV on. Someone else was in here.

Keita

Whether Keita goes to 'the creek' or not he doens't find his bloodline sensei. There's writing on Keita's door in bold black ink when he returns to his room. Or... perhaps those are burn marks. On closer inspection it seems someone's carved into the door with a blowtorch, or perhaps a katon technique. Mayumi. "You weren't at the creek, got bored. See you tomorrow then. Red said you passed. I'm running out of do-" it cuts off at the bottom of the door. Did she run out of paper and ink? Perhaps it was meant as a threat for lacking punctuality. The door and frame probably need replacing, or at least repainting now.

[ZeroNumerous]

The jounin scoffs at the Senju's words. "Pacifism and justice. Senju... you have a lot to learn."

When asks about the Hokage Noise frowns. Such a question was beyond a child like her, and even if she were to master Mokuton there would be no hope for a child such as herself to shoulder the burden of a jinchuuriki. The Senju's sensei simply shrugs, and adopts her idiotic persona and voice.

"Hokage-sama is Hokage-sama." The only honorific she'd used in this entire discussion, and it was done in the vein of an idiot answering a question with a tautology. It's no wonder the jounin was unpopular. Nonetheless, she drops the voice once more.

"Even if he were that demon fox... We obey, because his strength is the Leaf's strength. We must protect our village first, even when it means becoming bedfellows with a monster." With that said Noise doesn't answer any further questions about the Hokage. Her stance was clear: He helped the Leaf, and thus any other indiscretions can be ignored.

---

When she goes home Noise takes the scroll without responding, then flicks the clone in the forehead without holding anything back. The attack was weak, barely enough to injure even her genin, but would disperse any non-physical clones instantly. It was a simple gesture of dismissal that didn't brook counterargument. Whether the scroll disappeared or not she'd have to go visit the would-be-Danzo anyway, so she elected to skip the formalities.

If the scroll doesn't disperse then Noise uses her Illusory Doll technique, allowing the doll to overlap her body so her disappearance wasn't strange, and then heads inside her apartment. Her doll keeps walking, getting lost in the crowd before vanishing to cover her tracks. While her Doll technique is active Noise heads up to her condo, locks the door, and reads her mission brief.

[Cespenar]

"Jounin are supposed to be weird, I suppose," Keita replies to Ayameko, uncertain. "To survive that long in the harshest of professions... I don't know."

"It's partly our responsibility that how much we can learn from her, though. It's about knowing your limits... and your instructor's too." The worldly insight sounds weird, coming off from a 18-year old, but Keita doesn't seem to mind.

[Princess Tracy]

Noise

The clone gets halfway through sighing as you give it the slightest strike. It was physical but seems to willingly crack into a puff of smoke then nothingness, sensing you not in the mood for conversation and seeing no point forcing the issue as the scroll is left with you to retrieve. In response to your chakra you find it opens easily as ink seems to spring into existence where you look upon what would otherwise be blank. The standard seal of secrecy, it only responds to the gaze of those bearing a ROOT member's chakra. The boss seems courteous enough to let you reject the mission, perhaps he's considerate to your new team of youths requiring your full maternal attention.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it.

An outside force of the village infiltrated it today and came straight to headquarters to commission us behind the Hokage's back. They appear to represent a terrorist organisation of ninja and are looking for our cooperation in operations against the Mist. One month from today, any assistance I wish to send is to meet them at the Kuwabara Shrine. You are to cooperate fully as a member of ROOT, within reason, to see if there is any fruit to bear in their operations, and to spy on them and evaluate what their intentions towards the Leaf are and what they know of our operations, as well as their relative size and power of members and any threat they pose.

The meeting place should be attended at noon, while carrying a red umbrella, it is stressed that the bell of the shrine should be rung. Password sequence: "Kuwabara, kuwabara." "A useless sentiment for dragons." "The sky itself shivers."

If you accept this mission, destroy the scroll and attend the meeting place. Otherwise, return to your superior for a better suited volunteer.


All

For genin and jounin alike the night passes uneventfully unless they seek distraction, once they return to their homes. The Senju makes friendly small talk all the way, talking about the books she was reading, who was annoying her at the barracks, and walks both the genin to their doors. If uninvited, she returns to her own room with a little bow and jogging off. "Let's mix it up tomorrow!"

Eiko is free to retrieve her genin in turn in the morning. Ayameko resides in the barracks by default and the others presumably reside in their homes. While Yue has no commotion in her own house until Eiko shows up, whoever sees the landing of Keita's place first arrives to find a woman (http://orig14.deviantart.net/043f/f/2013/133/9/2/makoto_uchiha_by_rarity_princess-d654mbj.jpg) sitting outside his door. A metal-framed plastic chair that looks like its been stolen from a local grill shop props her up as she sits forward, arms folded across her lap, eyes almost entirely closed as her chest rises and falls. As the late-twenties-early-thirties woman sits she seems to be facing the door to Keita's apartment as she sleeps. Naturally, Keita recognises her as Imegawa Mayumi, his instructor within the clan who vandalised his door, though upon inspection she finds the note she carved into it is missing.

She doesn't seem to respond to the movements around her, apparently assuming she's safe inside the closed walls of the Imegawa compound.

You're free to do as you will for the first days together, though sooner or later, the Hokage building and its distribution of missions awaits a ready team.

Imegawa Mayumi, the Blast Wave. She has full mastery over techniques of mass destruction and the Reikyou bloodline. Her Jounin acceptance was stalled until recently due to her legendarily careless nature which clashes with the leaf's ethics, of destroying entire enemy bases and asking questions later. She's considered rogue within her clan and only trains its youth in the use of the bloodline for a profit, though one would have to ask a clan elder or the woman herself how she came to be on such poor standing as to not ensure her own clan's prosperity free of charge. Keita's tutor outside of class.

[Cespenar]

Getting up an hour early, Keita goes through his short pre-breakfast chakra training, noticing Mayumi but choosing not to wake her up. He then heads back in for some breakfast, finishes his own, and whips up a batch for the woman as well. When he finally wakes her up, it's with a steaming plate of eggs and buttered toast in his hand.

"Morning, sensei. Looks like you're comfy there."

[ZeroNumerous]

Pre-Meeting

Noise creates a clone to go buy the things she needs, but transforms the clone into Keita and then Yue respectively when doing so. Noise then prepares her materials, and sends out a trio of letters: One goes to the suna-nin Kazuhi about tea the next Friday. An opportunity to question him about the Mist and its movements outside of Konoha. Another letter goes to the Sixth Hokage as an opportunity to meet and chat about his retirement and Go. Naturally, this'll include a quiet covert interrogation concerning both Sasuke and the Mist's past. The final letter goes to Shikimaru, and is also about an opportunity to meet and discuss Go strategy. He'll likely spill what Konoha knows of the Mist. Naturally she has her clone deliver the letters to the local courier-nin service.

With her preparation done, she goes out herself to get four red sun umbrellas. She sticks the red umbrellas under her arm, and goes around to gather up her children. May as well see if they can be trusted.

Clone damage: [roll0]. Chakra cost: 2+2 for transformations.

Gathering the kids

Once Noise's preparations are complete the jounin goes off to find Yue first. She takes the long meandering way to Yue's home, and carefully keeps watch for anyone following her. Of course she stops randomly to look around, usually nonchalantly inspecting some thing or some person as an excuse to cover these random checks. However, once she arrives at Yue's home the jounin knocks at her door with the big dumb smile plastered on her face. "Yu-tan! It's me, your adorable and talented Sensei-sama!"

Naturally, any native speaker would understand the childish honorific attached to Yue's name, and that "Lord Teacher" made no sense. Naturally the jounin doesn't leave until Yue opens the door, and even when Yue opens the door she just "absentmindedly" knocks on Yue's head.

"Yu-tan! It's training day!"

[Overlord Rion]

Yue's reaction is surprisingly subdued to being treated like a door. "You are far from adorable. Why didn't you pick me up last? I could've finished my coffee then. Anyway, how was your sleep, sensei?"

[ZeroNumerous]

"Don't be silly Yu-tan. Of course I'm adorable." Noise just smiles brightly when Yue answers the door and talks to her, as if to underscore her statement. When Yue asks questions Noise just ignores them, and looks at Yue's home. Once Yue finishes speaking Noise gives her a disarming smile.

"Aren't you going to invite your beloved Sensei-sama inside?"

[Overlord Rion]

Yue smiles inwardly before responding "Nope." As she closes the door in her sensei's face.

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise fakes surprise and astonishment as Yue starts to close the door on her, then disappears. The jounin moves past her student, faster than most eyes can track, and appears in the young woman's living room. She waits until Yue finishes closing the door before she finally speaks up once more. She's feigning interest in looking at all of the things in Yue's living room, and speaks to Yue without looking at her. "Oh! This is a surprisingly nice place for someone like you. Do your parents work hard?"

[Overlord Rion]

Oh my god get out of my house I just want to drink my coffee in peace. "I bought it, with my own money that I worked really hard for, but please, make yourself at home, sensei." The last part of the sentence couldn't have been more dripping with more sarcasm. "Why'd you come and get me first, anyway?"

[ZeroNumerous]

The jounin simply looks around the room, seemingly appraising things, before finally showing Yue a dark smile and dropping any pretenses. "You're mine to play with, so why does the order I chose you in matter?"

"Get your stuff and come with me, we have places to be", Noise says in her own voice; or perhaps the voice she used to show the "truth", "and take this." She hands Yue one of the red umbrellas she's gathered.

"Keep it safe and keep it close. It will be important for our training session." With that said Noise waits for Yue to get her things together.

[Overlord Rion]

Yue just raises an eyebrow at the umbrella, but takes it all the same. Fortunately, Yue had nearly nothing to grab except her boots. Lead the way, sensei.

[ZeroNumerous]

When Yue looks at the umbrella Noise simply shrugs. "Don't think about it."

Noise waits for Yue to get her boots, then heads out of the apartment. She stops, allows Yue to lock up, then starts making her way to the Imegawa compound. Naturally, Noise adopts the masquerade and becomes the vapid woman once more. Every so often she stop, feigns interest in some random thing or Yue, and uses that opportunity to watch for anyone following her. During one of those random stops she asks Yue what she knew about the Imegawa and Senju.

"Yu-tan~ How are you getting along with your friends? Certainly you know a lot about them, and share all kinds of secrets, right Yu-tan~?"

[Overlord Rion]

Oh my god she is so annoying please stop talking. "Nope, those kind of overachievers don't associate with people like me, sensei. And please stop calling me Yu-tan."

[Princess Tracy]

Keita

"Gimme the amulet you stupid excuse for a genin... why do you... I can't even..." Mayumi mutters in her sleep as you disturb her with your activity, her eyes batting open for a moment before flcikering back into dreamland when you first open your door. She sniffs at the air when you bring food though, opening one eye first, then snapping to attention in her chair as you address her. "Oh, you. So did you pass or what? Don't keep me in suspense here. Old man Imegawa's saying it'll be my fault if you flunked." She doesn't sound as concerned as her words would suggest, as she yawns. "You know what's boring? Being a demolitions expert when there's no war on. I've got nothing better to do than sit here and wait for you to entertain me." She stands up and drags the chair towards your door, letting it scrape with a noisy creak against the floorboards as she apparently intends to keep the weird stolen deck chair.

Noise

While her mission is one obviously intended for a ROOT operative and not for her hapless genin to tag along, there's nothing stopping Noise from whatever she's planning as she finds a set of perfectly acceptable umbrellas in the market. Her letters are likewise easily received and delivered about town by the courier services and she's able to find Yue's place without incident.

Katsumi

There's talk among the elders. Your ninjutsu lessons have been suspended lately in favour of lessons in etiquette and dress, as a "matchmaking" expert who seems more like a fashionista with her play on dress by the name of Kiyoku Hoko (http://www.renders-graphics.com/image/upload/normal/YuyamaKakunojoufull441602_Bakumatsu_Kikansetsu_Iro ha.png) has been getting most of your attention lately. At the behest of the clan elders she's been teaching you calligraphy, dress, makeup. All things more suited to a trophy wife than a great ninja of the Fujiwara.

It's in the middle of the night, while you should be slumbering after a day of not accomplishing a lot and getting even less answers that you feel something brush against your foot. One of the maid-bodyguards of the clan is there, a girl(?) you just know as Naoto-kun (http://safebooru.org//images/867/30fd3cbb08d22c06784274bc686a18710a41d25d.jpg?87244 7). "There's a meeting in the middle of the compound at half past midnight. They'll be discussing you. Would you like help sneaking over to eavesdrop or would you rather I record what is decided?" She seems to be taking the initiative to conspire for your sake. "My masters are suggesting an alliance to the Leaf among other things but some seem to have designs for you from what I gleamed from the elder's chatter. No one thinks twice about a maid," she adds with a smile. All the servants had received basic training in counter ninja skills, enough to find an intruder and raise the alarm or use a firearm in defence, but still they were near invisible to their masters as a background beast of burden, was her claim.

By your clock it is 12:10, you have 20 minutes to take action or else be at the mercy of morning to tell you your fate.

[ZeroNumerous]

"Aww. Poor Yu-tan~ You need to be more friendly! Your friends are how you win battles after all! That's my ninja way!" The disgusting rhetoric of the Will of Fire falls out of her mouth without even a second thought, and Noise continues onward.

"We'll need to hug it out, and make you guys friendly, right Yu-tan~?" Noise looks for a used bookstore while walking, and if she finds one then she points it out to Yue.

"I need to get a gift for a friend, so come look with me!"

[Cespenar]

"Of course I passed," he replies, without pride but rather as if telling from which side would the sun come up. "They assigned me to Ina Eiko, the 'Kitten', apparently. Have you heard of her?" When she talks about her boredom, he clicks his tongue. "You're exaggerating sensei, you can always find something to do. After all, there's always war somewhere in the world."

"So anyway, why are you really here, sensei?" He ignores the scraping of his floorboards. He could take care of stuff after she's gone.

[Princess Tracy]

Noise, Yue

Being a lifelong resident of the Leaf, the Jounin is able to find all manner of bookshops for whatever machinations she has in mind.

You've been on a mission with her before, raiding a facility of waterfall ninja. Your act seemed quite effective around her and your other team mates by all accounts. You allowed yourself to be seemingly captured early on only to snap the enemy blasting and barrier specialists' neck once behind enemy lines. They were defenceless when Mayumi simply unleashed her destructive power on the facility after your 'rescue', and she happily claimed the credit for saving the day after you essentially fixed the match. You were also able to palm the scroll with the information your team required before the demolition, passing it off nonchalantly.

Ultimately Mayumi's jutsus' potency is drawn from the vastness of her mind and mental balance, which one could mistake her for lacking behind a veil of swift thinking cockiness and impatience, but there is some truth to it in that her greatest failing is her own ego. As well as being some sort of glory hound she's just personally keen to claim any victory, and letting her take credit was all that was required to weave her into your tapestry of deceit

Keita

"Ran into Ichiro on the road by the way. I think the rockstar stuff is going to his head." Mayumi shrugs her shoulders. "Good, good. If you'd failed, they would have used you as leverage to lower my fees. Wait, the Kitten?" She wheels around, letting the chair clatter and lose balance for a moment before ultimately slamming into your floor with a soft plastic thud of the backboard's curve on the floorboards. She looks vaguely disgusted. "Are you serious? Big Tits McGee is gonna teach you how to be a ninja? God. I would do it myself, but I'm sure they'd say it's a conflict of interest. She's really fake, I can't read her at all, or if I can read her I don't wanna believe it, but she's just... dead weight. She got captured. By GENIN. In like the first two minutes of this one mission, which we then had to spend all our time rescuing her before we could actually do our jobs."

She holds back a full rant with a breath and kicks the door closed as she locates your table, expecting to be served the offered breakfast. "Whatever. Anyone else interesting about? Did she pick a bunch of hot boys? Or hot people in general, I don't know what her preference is."

[Cespenar]

At the mention of Ichiro, Keita raises a hopeful eyebrow. "Oh, how is he? Haven't heard from him for a while." Despite their contrasting personalities, Keita often looked up to his senpai back in the clan compound when they were younger.

Mayumi's rundown on Eiko triggers a smirk on Keita's face, but he doesn't rush to correct her sensei's wrong impressions. Eiko is his real sensei now, after all, and Keita feels like owing no special allegiance to the Imagawa, even though the clan often tried to ingrain in his (and all the other children's) mind that he should.

"Just two girls. A taijutsu expert, I think, and a Senju medic. They look like good people." Keita shrugs in a non-committal way.

[Princess Tracy]

Keita

"Senju? Ha. That girl, right? You know what the bosses around here will demand now, don't ya, go use your position to woo her and marry her into the clan. Don't be doing that, even if you were interested. Business and pleasure should be seperate, and ninja business and clan business should be kept doubly far," she advises flippantly as she scoffs down some food. "Ichiro dyed his hair and hired an annoying manager. He's using chakra for pyrotechnics, the ruddy civilians all seemed rather impressed. Seems like a waste of time to me, but if all he wants is fame it is a more direct route than putting your nose to the grind like a real ninja. There's no statute of secrecy keeping your accomplishments from the public when the most important thing you do with your time is hold 'totally rad' concerts."

Yue

If you follow your sensei's instructions, you find several copies of the book she indicates, the "unofficial Icha Icha conclusion" are being sold in the seedy aisle, conspicuously far from copies of the seventh Hokage's state-approved biography.

[Cespenar]

"Sensei," Keita replies pleasantly to the Senju suggestion, cocking his head, "You speak like you don't know me. Do I look like such a person?"

When told about Ichiro's news however, he looks skeptic. "Last I heard he was helping commoners, living on the road. Anyway, he's giving out punk rock concerts now?" How has he jumped from concerts to punk rock, it's quite inexplicable.

[Overlord Rion]

Yue's reaction is more bored than anything else. "Yeah, sure, whatever. When are we gonna grab the other two?" Whatever book she gets Yue to buy is going to be met with another bored look. Chances were pretty good Yue had already read it.

[Princess Tracy]

Keita

Mayumi shrugs. "You don't keep up the civilian news, do you? Our Ichiro's getting himself some fame now. Not punk though. More hippie, he's not changed that much, ha ha. His concerts seem more an excuse for disaffected youth to be rebellious little vagrants, kind of like Ichiro himself really. Speaking of civilian stuff..." She reaches into a concealed pocket of her overcoat and produces a surprisingly pink matte block of plastic, from which dangles by a string a selection of tiny 'kawaii' ornaments. "It's a civilian cell phone. A real one! Not the imitation ones you get in ninja villages that are really just sophisticated radios that they think are somehow less prone to information leaks. If you do a good job, maybe I'll let you borrow it. It's got apps and everything," she says as she fiddles with the many clunky buttons. There doesn't seem much point in her detour other than to show off whatever she'd collected on the road since last she'd met up. If Keita comments on the extreme girliness of it, she coughs and remarks something about having stolen it from a brat.

"Anyway... the Kitten. If she's taking over training you from now on, I'll have to check her out. I assume you're meeting her soon, and I'm sure you'll invite me along," she says, presuming herself into whatever training Ina-sensei had planned.

Yue

The shopkeep gives Yue a raised eyebrow as the middle aged man just shakes his head. "Miss, you're not really the target demographic for that kind of pulp..." he explains in a voice like a hacking cough. Still he doesn't turn down Yue's money.

Yue is able to acquire a copy of Love Love Conclusion, the blurb on the back said it was written by the apprentice of the original late author from his notes out of respect for his work... though the description goes on to describe the seedy, low-rent nature of the perversions within that only old men or the impressionable apprentices of same would be particularly impressed by.

[ZeroNumerous]

Once Yue's purchased the novel Noise heads out of the store. Outside she gives Yue some money to cover the cost of the book, then pats her on the head like a dog. "Thank you Yu-tan! Now, we've got to go pick up the others!"

With that said, she heads to Keita's place.

[Cespenar]

Keita drinks up Ichiro's news from Mayumi, but doesn't press on when the woman changes subjects. He examines the cell phone with partial interest, but nevertheless comments after he's finished. "That's pretty cute, sensei, you've been keeping up with the technology."

"Yeah, I'm meeting her. In fact, she's probably on her way right now," he says, checking his watch. When asked to invite her along, Keita shrugs. "You're too caring, sensei," he says.

[Princess Tracy]

All Eiko, Yue and Keita

"Yes, my overprotective nature will surely be the death of me, but what can I say, gotta check out your "new" sensei and be responsible like." After some gabbing and breakfast, there is a knock at the door as Yue and Eiko-sensei arrive at Keita's place. Mayumi just nods and expects Keita to go answer, but glides behind as he does so, waiting in plain sight a few paces back as Keita opens the door and Team One, sans Ayameko, meet up on Keita's doorstep.

[Cespenar]

Keita rolls his eyes and smiles, then goes ahead and opens the door, if Eiko knocks like it is expected.

"Good morning, sensei. And here's... my 'old' sensei, if you pardon the word, Imagawa Mayumi. She insisted to meet you."

He side steps smoothly to give the both women a better look at each other.

[Princess Tracy]

Eiko, Yue, Keita

Mayumi huffs. "You still have use of me, you know Keita. You haven't learned the next step in your bloodline's style, with that quickness in tossing me to the side maybe I won't waste my time walking you through it." Her words are pretty lightly said as she eyes up Eiko, not making much of an effort to approach. "Hey, Kitten. Aaand what's your deal now then? Didn't know you'd made Jounin, suddenly earning that rank seems like a much less unique day for me."

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise knocks on the door, and when Keita and his sensei answer she waves and smiles. "Good morning Kei-tan!" She absentmindedly gives Keita a childish nickname, and when he introduces his old teacher Noise smiles at her as well. "Hello old sensei! I'm Keita's new teacher!" A little bit of emphasis, just enough to press on Mayumi's pride, snuck into Noise's voice. Noise motions to Yue behind her. "And this is Yu-tan! She's also my student."

When Mayumi reveals she remembers Noise, and talks to her about the past, the jounin deftly deflects the question with a series of "accidental" insults. She unexpectedly hugs Keita, essentially marking him as hers in order to reinforce her subtle insults. "I was recognized for my skill! That's why they let me take over teaching Kei-tan. Hokage-sama wanted to give him a smart and skilled teacher, so I was picked for his actual training."

She smiles, and giggles, and pokes Keita throughout her words. And carefully, gradually, tightens her grip around the young genin. She obscures the careful grip with her hug, shifting her weight to hang off Keita and using that opportunity to make it obvious to the young man that he's in danger of some sort. This is a good opportunity to embarrass that kid. "Kei-tan, don't you have an important question to ask me? You sent me a message about it, after all, so I'm quite concerned about what was on your mind!"

Noise'll take 1 on her intentional insult about Mayumi's age if she can, getting a 19 on her Grifting check. Noise then takes 10 on her Grifting check for rest of her insults, getting a 28. If she can't take 10...
#1: [roll0]
#2: [roll1]
#3: [roll2]
#4: [roll3]
#5: [roll4]

Naturally she'll try to obscure her squeezing of Keita so only he realizes he's going to be strangled. She'll take 10 on her Grifting check to do so if she can. If not: [roll5] Of course she's squeezing him because he forgot to use their code phrase.

[Cespenar]

The childish nickname slides off Keita easily: he had acted as older brother to many of the Imagawa children back in the compound, and he had literally heard worse, regarding nicknames. He sighs wordlessly when both Mayumi and Eiko harp on the word 'old', even though he mentioned he simply meant it as a contrast. Eh. Even when you grow up, apparently, you still remain children in some aspects.

The hug initially startles Keita only partially as he was expecting all kinds of goofiness from the Kitten persona, but as it tightens more and more, Keita's face takes on an expression that is a mixture of pain and puzzlement. He isn't among the more physical genin at any rate, so it wouldn't take far for the hug to eventually start to move some joints around. Fortunately, her hints click quickly, and he realizes it's the code phrases she had made up the day ago.

"Ah, questi-argh? Ohh. Yeah. Uhm, how- erk- how was your sleep, sensei?"

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise chides Keita internally for needing to be prompted to ask, but only responds in her persona.

"Kei-tan!" She says in surprise. "That's inappropriate between a student and a teacher~ I suppose you are a boy after all! Surrounded by three pretty girls all day must be tiresome~"

Normally she would have ignored the question and tried to test Keita further, but Mayumi's presence required an appropriate response. "But if you must know, I dreamed of the attractive young cashier at the shop down--Oh, I mean..." Noise feigns embarrassment as she covers up her real response in an "obviously" fake dream. "I dreamed of Konoha, you know? All safe and happy and completely innocent!"

Of course, the hug relaxes, though the jounin remains touching Keita as yet another subtle snub to Mayumi's pride.

Noise takes 10 to hide her response in a fake story, and also takes 10 for the fake story itself, getting 28 each time. If she needs rolls: [roll0] ; [roll1]

[Cespenar]

Keita, again in a fortuitous manner, feels threatened enough to not get embarrassed by the blonde bombshell's tight hug or her innuendo, but collects himself once Eiko gives the correct response and things feel like getting back to track.

"As must we all," he replies, more smoothly this time, while he side-glances Mayumi. He wasn't sure how much of these shenanigans she was interpreting correctly or even noticing, but Eiko didn't look like she's going to stop easily.

[Princess Tracy]

Keita, Yue and Eiko

Mayumi maintains composure even in the face of Eiko's jabs though her eyes sharpen as she starts to wonder how "accidentally" she's bringing up such topics to make digs here and there. "Uh huuuuh. Real training, skilled. Okay," she says shortly, seeming to take a mental note to retaliate. She seems content to let the antics unfold however as Keita finds himself in a strangulating embrace that seems to fly under Mayumi's radar. Her jaw does slack a little as the Imagawa Jounin gawks at the bizarre dialogue playing out before her that could be mistaken for the most bizarre flirting, making a gagging sound under her breath. Keita's last intonation of the passcode draws her attention to be focused on him. "You seem... uncomfortable there, Keita. Perhaps you should tell your young and virile sensei to let go of you," she advises, shaking her head. "Do try and resist her. No matter how dolled up she is, it's horribly inappropriate." She looks away for a moment and raises a long sleeve to her mouth as if choking back bile.

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise smiles at Mayumi. "Mayu-tan! That's so mean. I was just giving Kei-tan a reward for thinking of me!"

Eiko rubs her cheek against Keita's. "It's adorable and lovable and I just want to eat him up!"

[Cespenar]

Keita shakes his head weakly at Mayumi.

"No, no, it's okay. She's just... being herself," he mumbles, aware of the imminent "Irony of the Year" award. He still tries to maneuver his cheek around to minimize the rubbing time, while not being seen too disruptive.

At the "eat him up" comment, though, he decides that this is nevertheless a good time to think about a plan B. He tries to get into eye contact with Yue, gesturing with pleading eyes that she make up something to save him.

[Princess Tracy]

Mayumi's nausea at the display of "affection" visibly deepens almost as much as her disappointment. It only takes a few moments for her to decide on some course of action, any really, to break this up and move on. "That's enough. Eiko." She purses her lips impatiently and raises her hand in a fist pointed towards the Jounin, apparently expecting a response in kind. If Mayumi releases her hold on the young genin to fist bump Mayumi, the two Jounin get a feel of the other's chakra, as per the invitation popularised in the Cloud and Leaf's alliance.

If she's allowed to feel at Eiko's chakra, her lips spread into a thin, wide smile. "Are you training hard, Eiko-chan? Eating right? Remember, no matter how important your figure is to your career, the production of chakra consumes more calories than any diet which would deprive you of the energy for your duties. You seem much the same as last time."

Either way, she clears her throat and shrugs. "So, what now? I've a vested interest in this kid. I already spent the clan elder's down payment to train Keita-kun until the end of the year, so they'll probably complain if I don't at least make sure you're doing a good job." She manages to be strict yet simple as her words drag out, like an officious teacher talking to a child - not unlike how she talked to Keita for the longest time before slightly warming up. "Just do what my Jounin did, bring the kids out on some C or B class mission in the first week, today even if there's one available. Something they can cut their teeth on. I know Konoha isn't into 'culling the weak' but it's best to test their nerve now with something a little controlled, show them what they'll be in for. Plus these days these kids don't graduate until they're basically almost Chuunin in technique already. It's experience they need, that's what seperates them."

Another shrug of the shoulders that relaxes her top's neckline a bit much, perhaps in some contest of assets with the blonde as she folds her arms. "But then, I am just the 'old' sensei, right?"
You've felt it before. Open skies and clear, soft ground, yet it feels like an oven. A sun dangles in the sky a short ways above your head and beats down on you with immeasurable heat energy, as howling winds blow about the scorching dunes at your feet into a tempest of a sandstorm. She is that sun, her chakra itself beyond strength, and in attrition nothing would survive that seemingly endless desert as she blasted you, scorched you, and left your flesh turned to ash by nightfall. The sand might easily be cooked to the most intricate and beautiful glass, but her destruction lacks that sort of focus.

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise looks at the Cloud greeting with disdain, but within a heartbeat she's back to her shallow gaze. She lets go of Keita and reaches out toward Mayumi. Rather than fist-bump her the "stupid" jounin moves to shake Mayumi's fist as if it were her hand. Of course, any onlooker would just see an idiot misunderstanding the body ques of her contemporary, but those who knew the "real" Noise would see it for what it was: Snubbing this nonsensical ideal of companionship between ninja. Yet, to even those who knew the "real" Noise, there was yet another layer to this approach. By letting the ROOT ninja close her hand around her target's fist, Mayumi had shoved her fist into a viper's nest.

Without warning Noise pulls Mayumi into a tight embrace, hugging the other jounin as if they were childhood friends rather than rivals. Of course, for the genin behind Noise the act was far more obvious: Mayumi had went from a peaceful exchange into the jaws of the snake. With casual application of the kunoichi's persona she had disarmed Mayumi before the fight even began.

Of course, no such fight takes place, unless Mayumi attempts to escape in which case Noise happily demonstrates that her hugs are inescapable. Noise's equipment keeps her feeling as weak as a genin, and in fact her ranking would put her on equal footing with Keita. The battle vest hidden under her clothing suppressed her energy down to that of your average child for precisely this reason. Noise rubs her cheek against Mayumi's cheek as she goes through the exchange. And this is why you don't appear as a civilian. Even the most wary of ninja forget themselves when faced with children.

When Mayumi makes her suggestion Noise fights the urge to roll her eyes at the girl. What kind of doting mother do you take me for? I was already planning to throw them into the deep end and see how well they swim. But Noise only hugs Mayumi tighter and says nothing.

"Thank you Mayu-tan! I was lost on what to do, but now I've got a good idea from you! You're my savior Mayu-tan!" Noise begins appealing to Mayumi's pride, but holds her hug all the same. "I know Kei-tan is very special, and I'll do my best to ensure he learns the proper ninja way! I won't go easy on him at all, and I'll only hug him a little bit for rewards!" The subtext was obvious, but remained unsaid. Noise, and Noise alone, was his teacher.

Noise continues faking stupidity and airheadedness, taking 10 for a 28: If she needs a roll [roll0].

She'll pull Mayumi into a grapple disguised as a hug. Grifting to hide it as a hug [roll1], and Grapple [roll2]. Naturally she does no damage with her grapple, and simply elects to hug Mayumi as tight as she can without harming her.

[Princess Tracy]

Quite without realising it, the Imagawa throws herself into the jaws of a snake to save Keita from the same fate. Mayumi seems ready to scoff as Eiko 'stupidly' grabs her hand, seeming to fail to recognise a fairly common gesture among ninja, but is caught quite off guard when dragged into a hug. She turns a shade somewhere between green and red in disgust and embarrassment as Eiko starts smothering her body and face. Being held, or touched unexpectedly was not something Mayumi enjoyed as Keita would know if he'd ever so much as patted her on the back - but that's hardly a bad instinct for a ninja. Either way she bites her lip, a vein on her head throbbing as she struggles for a long moment, surprised by the strength of the Kitten's grip, before in a moment of desperation holding her breath and diving down, her face sliding off of far too much of Eiko's figure to be considered proper as she ducks and steps away. Making such a show of resisting the hug only makes her seem desperate and straggled, and Eiko knows if she had been more serious in her grip all the wriggling in the world wouldn't have helped her.

She hurriedly dusts herself off and takes a moment to regain her composure before speaking again. "Also... its exceedingly rude to grab people without permission even if it is for 'hugs'," she decrees, her voice trembling somewhat and cheeks still red, but all the same she doesn't waiver. "Hmph. I have some relatives to disturb around the compound. Tell me where you'll be training and perhaps I'll drop by later if I'm not too inadequate for you. I'm curious about your third genin. ... I don't even want to know what the umbrellas are for." With that comment, she wanders off, in the direction that Keita recognises as the one leading to the showers.

With that the Jounin is left with two of her genin, and the third only a few minutes away. Ayameko is easy enough to find in her room, according to the register at the front of the barracks, she shares with three other girls.

Imagawa Mayumi - weaknesses, add: has phobia of grappling, hugging, human contact, and/or germs. Despite her ego, will lose face even in front of her subordinates just to take the most direct route to avoid such things. Possible sexual repression.

Previous notes: Reikyou bloodline allows for ridiculous chakra supply, do not engage in battle of attrition. Katon elementalist, with fuuton and doton for support, deliberately uses techniques to cause effects such as tornados and earthquakes to reinforce a reputation as a walking natural disaster. Familiar with genjutsu but only uses it to retreat. Believes strongly in deterrence. Intelligent, but the chink in her armour is her pride. A mercenary personality, may become a threat to the village if she becomes alienated by wishy washy diplomacy.

[ZeroNumerous]

"Mayu-tan..." Noise feigns her best hurt look when Mayumi escapes from her, but quickly bounces back when she announces she's going to leave. "Goodbye Mayu-tan! I'll hug you as tight as I can next time to make up for not hugging you good enough this time!" Noise naturally leaves out where they're training, and moves to hug Mayumi again if she lingers trying to find out where they're going. Once Mayumi is gone, and the trio are left alone in the young man's room, the "truth" comes out.

"Shinobi are still human. They believe what they see." She says nothing else except when she hands Keita one of her red umbrellas. "Hold this. Keep it safe, it's for training later."

With that said Noise heads out of the Imagawa compound and toward the barracks. She heads to Aya's room as soon as possible, smiling and waving and being jovial once more toward all of the genin she sees. Even giving out hugs at impromptu moments. Of course, anyone who closely observed Noise noticed every hug ended with her looking around the room with her eyes. Even here, in the barracks full of Leaf-nin, she searched the halls for shadows trailing them.

Once Aya's room is found Noise motions for Keita to knock, and calls out to the occupations inside. "Aya-tan! It's Sensei-sama here to collect you!"

[Cespenar]

Keita watches the antics between the two experienced ninja with trepidation, unsure how much of the conflict will spill out and onto him. In principle he understands Noise's mentality, she was supposed to be their sole instructor now, and thus it was natural for her to insist on the lines drawn by both of their stature. Then again, many genin had secondary mentor figures and instructors, and for someone to take such a small and benign transgression this seriously said something about their character. Then again, Keita often tried not to judge people too quickly, so he decides to shelf the issue and give Noise the benefit of the doubt for now.

When handed the lesson and the umbrella, Keita nods but turns the thing upside down, checking it. If he finds nothing out of the ordinary, he sticks it into his belt like a training sword, and knocks on Aya's door as Noise gestured.

[Princess Tracy]

Keita finds the umbrella to be perfectly ordinary and red in colour, fresh off the shelf with no apparent tampering from his sensei beyond carrying it around. At the threat of another hug which she feels rather unconvinced of her ability to escape, Mayumi quietly gags and retreats without pressing for information, glaring as she retreats. Keita knew with her attitude she'd probably take that humiliation out on someone shortly - likely him. As they walk away from the Imagawa compound, a slight tremor like an earthquake can be felt in the ground, but it passes by with only a faint clatter.

The barracks are a crowded place home to many ninja and just as many smells. Many of them genin and even chuunin without the wage or clan support to be spending on personal real estate, the village-provided housing at the barracks seem to work well enough for the growing number of young people without the privilege of well tended bloodlines. Of course, what a Senju would be doing among the rabble is anyone's guess. There's a fair amount of chaos even this early in the halls as people scramble about trying to see friends and catch meals before they head out to their missions, giving plenty for Eiko to keep her eyes on, but she doesn't notice any particular attention beyond what she was used to when flaunting what she's got.

As Keita knocks on the door, there's a loud groan then silence for a moment. After a moment it unlocks and opens, revealing a dark haired girl, whatever shine was normally in her hair hidden by copious frizzy bedhead, still wearing her bathrobe over bunny-print pajamas. She shuffles lazily in her slippers as she wipes sleep from her eye, making a sniff which veers into a snort, as some comprehension occurs to her blinking eyes. Her face is still smeared with makeup she failed to remove the night before. "Dude, what? You're not Hyuuga-sensei... everyone's so noisy this morning." Keita and Yue recognise the girl, if from her droning intonation if nothing else, as Nara Omaha.

"Oma-chan, who is it?" you hear Ayameko's voice over the sound of running water and its quite obvious she's taking a shower. "I'll be out in a minute! Buy some time!"

"Oh... Aya graduated too. That's cool. You're her sensei? Never seen you before. Hi, Yue. I'm gonna miss sitting at the back of the class with you." She seems to ignore Aya's instruction as she's either run out of conversation to share or simply doens't care to as she spends a long moment in complete silence as her eyes lilt closed. At thelast second they snap back open. "I'm making coffee. You want coffee? Sensei said to get up early so I took off my earmuffs to hear the alarm, but she isn't even here yet."

[Cespenar]

Keita, again, sidesteps smoothly so that the Senju's "roommate" correctly addresses Noise as the instructor, and not himself. At the mention of coffee, though, he bends from the waist enough to get into visibility again, and calls back. "I'll get one, thanks."

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise smiles at the Nara when she opens the door, and the kunoichi casually steps into the role of Nara's mother. Kids like her would expect that. Noise kneels down, and pats the Nara on the head. "Are you looking for Hinata-senpai? I saw her in the lobby earlier." Noise licks a thumb and scrubs Nara's face as best she can. "Hinata-senpai will want to talk to you, so let me clean you up then you can run along to find her okay?"

Once she's scrubbed Nara's face Noise escorts her out of the small apartment like a mother hen, bothering her about her ninja things and telling her to be good to the other kids.

Noise will take 10 on her grifting for 28 to lie about seeing Hinata. Then takes 10 to pretend to be motherly for 28. If she needs rolls: [roll0]; [roll1]

[Princess Tracy]

"Sure, come in, I guess," Omaha invites in the same droning voice. The room is rather spartan, though with some more commodities than other single room apartments in the barracks. A pair of bunkbeds (only one with the bedding made up) suitable for housing 4 people, an en suite bathroom form which you still hear the shower running, and a small kitchen area, at least big enough for Omaha to bring out a pot of coffee. Omaha's the only one present and not in the shower. She stares at it as it slowly starts dripping water through the filter and groans, reaching for the electric kettle and can of instant coffee instead. Adding a quick satchel of sugar and powered milk into the cups with a stir of boiling water, she hands one to Keita and anyone else that wants some before sipping herself. "How goes it Imagawa?" She waits a second for Keita to answer before saying how it goes for her whether asked or not. "The Hokage's wife picked me for her team. Can you believe this? I'm gonna have a spotlight on me from the start." [Keita adds 1x Barracks Discount Coffee in a Mug to his inventory.]

Making coffee was perhaps the fastest she'd moved that morning, enough so that if one were to intercept her they'd have to physically throw her out of the apartment. Nara sips her coffee as Noise barges her way in, eyes widening as you tell her you say Hyuuga-sensei. "Um... I'm not exactly looking for her. If she wants me she can come get me." That said she seems to believe you and shifts about somewhat nervously. She doesn't blush as much as one might suspect she would at a stranger babying her. "Fiiiine, I'm awake I guess." She puts down the mug, not even bothering to pour it out into the sink, and reaches for her satchel off the rack. She peaks inside, though can't look thoroughly as Eiko rudely hurries her out of her own home. "I'll change after I see her I guess, not like I have any privacy here anyway," she says, side-eyeing Keita since he's the only boy present. She forms a hand seal for the Transformation technique and in a puff of smoke suddenly looks (https://40.media.tumblr.com/1a25359cbd7310e97b1ebab6135b0eea/tumblr_inline_o2a669quk81ssw2i4_1280.png)like she usually does in class, her hair brushed and stylish, her clothes and makeup on point. "You're on your own, Aya!" she says, pacing off. "What!?"

If undisturbed, after [roll0] minutes, Ayameko finishes showering, dries off and quickly changes into her clothes in the shower before exiting out to greet you all. "H-hey. Normally I'm up way earlier than this, there was just some drama with my room mates."

[ZeroNumerous]

Once Noise forces the girl out she creates a shadow clone, and orders the clone to hold the door. Noise doesn't lock it, since she didn't actually want the Nara to be locked out. The blond-haired jounin pinches the bridge of her nose in obvious frustration. She's plainly annoyed at how much effort she had to go through to get the Nara to move. "I even hate your family, Shikamaru."

"Keita. Yue. Time to start the first step of today's training. A ninja must be willing to do whatever is necessary in order to complete their mission, and today we'll talk about one of the hurdles to mission completion." Noise heads to the bathroom, and is plainly not intending to give Aya the time she needed to finish showering. "Yue, turn off the coffee machine."

Noise opens up the bathroom door, casually violating Aya's privacy, and heads inside. She closes the door behind her, positions herself between the shower and Aya's clothing, then casually open the shower curtain while Aya's still inside. "Senju! Good morning. Congratulations: You were killed in your shower! Now come on, we have training to do!"

[Shimmer]

Katsumi lay still, making it a point to keep her breathing steady so as to not give away the fact she was awake in case her visitor was an attacker. Peering through the snowy white of her lashes though she spotted Naoto-kun, her maid and playmate when she had been much younger. Sitting up into a crouch she listened to their assessment, her face an emotionless mask. She knew this was coming. Her elder male cousins had already received the Doukagan and while she was her father's heir she was female and still without the trademark hypnotic swirl of her bloodline. No amount of genius or skill in ninjutsu or other ninja arts could outweigh her clan elders greed for power. They favored the Uchiha too much in that aspect in her mind.

Reaching out with gentle fingers she grasped her childhood friends hands within her own giving them a soft and thankful squeeze that conferred more gratitude in a single touch then she knew she could risk in words. "If my life is to be decided for me then I wish to hear my sentence with my own ears." Katsumi murmured, the usually exuberant heiress's voice a low whisper in the night, but her blue eyes burned bright with rebellious fire. In this she was no different then Naoto-kun, their stations may be separate, but their freedoms just as limited.

Getting up from her bed Katsumi was quick to move to her closest, shifting aside a small panel to pull out a small makeup kit and thing of temporary hair dye.

"Do you think you can 'borrow' a maid's uniform for me Naoto-kun? I fear to use a henge would be tantamount to suicide when you come from a bloodline that can see and see through chakra." Katsumi asked working to apply her disguise by dying her hair a dark black and moving to lightly tan her fair skin and change her features. Not so much as to look silly or out of place, but enough to look utterly non-interesting and like so many other maids within the compound.


Taking 10 on Grifting +6 for a 16 to Disguise

[Princess Tracy]

Katsumi

A smile and grip of your fingers. There wasn't much need for words, it seemed to be felt. Naotu-kun nods and turns their back as their lady goes about changing and readying herself. "Very well, Katsumi-hime. I'll be with you until the end. I've already prepared a uniform in your size," they explain, laying down the clothes on your bed as they continue watching the door. [roll0] minutes later, your new appearance is ready, with some work from Naoto a less observant person might just mistake you for one of the many nondescript members of staff. Still, steering clear of close family might be advised - hiding in the corner of one's eye in plain sight as one below their contempt is one thing, but appearing in front of one's parents makeup or not would be hard to fool.

"Good. Here." Naoto produces a spare revolver and hands it to you. The maid outfit comes with a holster for small arms which fits the gun snugly. "Clip it on. Only maids with bodyguard duty would be allowed within hearing range of the meeting. Maids move in pairs for such duty, but any other maid form your family branch would recognise you're not one of us immediately. Stick with me and we'll circle around."

Naoto takes a breath before opening the door to your bedroom and heading out, poking her head around to make sure the coat was clear. "Okay... just follow my lead."

Make a stealth check to avoid being seen by the maids in your home. Gain a +2 aid another bonus from Naoto's lead. You can make a Perception check to detect and help avoid maids as they come to gain an additional bonus [roll1] bonus for distance.

If you're able to escape your estate undetected, Naoto leads you out of the backdoor leading into the courtyard, as much a garden as anything else. Cobblestone is overtaken by rosebushes and grand marble fountains are scattered around in the fashion of aristrocrats from far off lands. Four stone benches rest at each cardinal direction around the centre cornerstone with the clan insignia engraved in gold. Some maids shuffle around here too, in this closed off place that connects via the back yards of each of the buildings of the staff and branch families. The clan representatives have yet to start arriving yet, giving you some time (35-[roll0] minutes) to get in position.

Yue, Keita, Eiko

"Hey, hands off the merchandise," Omaha says irritably as Noise not so subtly manhandles her out of her own apartment. She barely has time to set down her mug and completely blanks on grabbing her bag of supplies before being tossed out into the hallway in her PJs. Before trying to force her way back in, the last thing you see of her before the door closes is her using the transformation technique to assume her 'dolled up and ready for the day' form. You hear her grown as she tries to door and find that Noise is holding it shut, or as far as she knows, that it locked behind her, but she doesn't bother asking to be let back in before simply wandering off as you hear her slippers-turned-heels clacking off down the hallway.

If Yue and Keita stay put, they won't be able to see the shower from here, at the very least they don't accidentally intrude on anyone's privacy.

Eiko

The bathroom is naturally locked, but if Noise is so inclined she would have no difficulty at all simply pushing the flimsy lock apart from this side of the door. There's a squeal as the Jounin breaks the young girl's bathroom door to invade the her privacy privacy. "What the ****, get out, I'm naked!" As Noise reaches for the shower curtain, she sees in a brief moment Ayameko forging hand signs for the Hypnotism: Mind Blank Technique, which is easily identified as her body starts to fade from your perception. Whether it was her panic or your simply superior will however, you see the trick easy enough, and keep your eyes fixed on her as she seems to fade, seeing where she is standing and piecing her together once more as she would scatter - the illusion utterly shatters before it even begins, failing to enrapture you as you're now left face to face with a rather upset looking nude teenager. She seems to freeze in shock for a moment before putting her side to you and covering herself with her hands. "God... fine, get out Eiko, I'm serious, I'll be out in a second." She tries to bite her lip to keep from running her mouth but can't seem to help it in the end, "Also even if you were an enemy ninja I'd be fine!"

[ZeroNumerous]

Naturally Noise just gets through the door no problem. When she comes in, and Aya is freaking out, Noise just laughs. Noise watches the genin fumble around, then just smiles at her. "Even if you had succeeded: I'd have just taken your clothes anyway. Speaking of which..."

Noise grabs Aya's clothes from wherever Aya stored them, then hurls them out of the bathroom like shurikens. "Training starts right now! So come on dead girl. Get a towel and follow me. Oh, and hold onto this." Noise leaves an umbrella on the bathroom counter, then gives Aya the opportunity to wrap herself in a towel before heading into the dorm room proper.

"Come on girly. Shinobi cannot allow something as simple as nudity to stop them."

[Shimmer]

"Thank you." Katsumi replied a small smile breaking her emotionless facade as she worked quickly to get dressed. Taking the fun they offer she puts it in the holster, the weight feeling odd against her skin, but she shifts to mimic her childhood friends stance so as to not stand out.

Once ready she steps up beside her friend and practically beams at them. "Just like old times aye Naoto-kun? Ah well, once more into the breach." She teases, before schooling her face into a much more demure and downcast expression expected of a maid as the two attempt to make their escape.

Should they succeed in slipping out of her estate and into the meeting area without getting caught Katsumi and Naoto-kun will take up position in one of the farther corners where they will be further out of sight and out of mind lest one of her relatives get too close and spot them.

Stealth
[roll0]
Perception
[roll1]

[Overlord Rion]

Yue stays fairly stoic throughout most of the affair until Noise just decides to barge in on Aya in the bathroom. Yue is surprised enough at the intrusion that she forgets to turn off the coffee machine. Maybe I can teach Senju-san a thing or two about punching things as a reaction. If Aya steps out in just a town Yue will do her best to shift her eyes away so as to preserve at least a little of her dignity.

Of course, she knew she was going to fail. But at least she tried.

[Cespenar]

He smiles at Omaha in return. "Fine, what about you? Oh, cool, good for you. Who else is in your team?"

Keita listens to the "cheerful banter" with a grimace, which deepens even further when Aya's clothes fly off from the bathroom. Surely there were no need for this much intrusion of one's decency?

Nevertheless, Keita hones his butler skills, revolving around the soles of his feet to not be gawking at the Senju in case she gets forced out of the bathroom naked.

[Princess Tracy]

Katsumi

Katsumi is able to expertly swerve and stick to the shadows with minimal help from Naoto as the two of them make their way into the courtyard without interference from the other maids. She has her run of the place for now. She's able to get closer to the branch families' buildings where her face is less known, and from there get a good vantage point as after a while clan representatives start to leave their buildings and gather into the courtyard, sitting down on the four cold stone benches. Before they gather too heavily, Naoto instructs you on the Fujiwara maid guard formation. "One has their eyes away, one has their eyes toward the meeting. We stand back to back. You should stand facing away so your face will not be seen. I will face the meeting. Glance, but do not stare, and keep your hand resting on your gun handle. Like this, see." Sure enough when the maids gather they similarly form a circle at the same distance as Naoto indicates and stand around, back to back. "It's either that or we try and hide, but that might rouse suspicion if we're seen and leaving the meeting without being seen will be troublesome." Regardless of your tactics, the meeting proceeds unless you low your cover.

The atmosphere is quiet and there is little in the way of murmuring until your grandfather arrives, Fujiwara Genryu (http://www.therobotsvoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/CaptainYamamotoGenryu-usai02.jpg), an old man with flowing hair everywhere but the top of his head. All eyes rest on him. "The Ishimaru have made their decision." Everyone looks across from themselves to see the others' reaction, then back to him. "The Fujiwara's relation to the extinct Uchiha make them an asset to Konoha. The Mibu clan sees that as acceptable wax in which to seal their deal with that village. If the Ishimaru are going ahead, we should too."

"Old man, are you serious? Assimilating into another ninja clan? I can't believe it's gotten this far. We're just going to abandon the compound and become lapdog of some weaker but bigger group?" Katsumi's cousin Shinichi (http://img1.ak.crunchyroll.com/i/spire1/5220dc3a2deaf4b22216e8eecc2f37b11289533111_full.jp g) objects, standing to his feet.

"Hold your tongue, whelp. Your lineage is all too promising yet you would complain!" says someone else, one of your aunts on the far side of the gathering, Fujiwara Taya (http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x438/HazeMoon/21430wall_zps277daf3b.jpg).

"Yes, and what scorched and salted I should be thankful to inherit!" Shinichi continues, gesturing to the sky. "The subordinate to another clan, itself subordinate to a village, itself subordinate to a feudal lord! My position in the clan should hardly matter when the clan itself is at the bottom of the order of ninja."

"You'll be lucky to inherit anything, you ungrateful little..."

Old man Genryu raises his hand. "I have seen an era of feudalism play out and know better than any of you where this clan and its destiny lays. The consolidiation of villages brings stability and peace. I cannot carry this clan on my back much longer when I am destined to dust, and to stand against ninja villages we shall only one day become a target for them. A threat to be eliminated. Our numbers dwindle while our rivals' swell. There is no more need to drag out conflict on grandstanding. We will not be subsumed by the Mibu, but compose them. By that clan's nature only their main branch cares for blood purity. With us and the Ishimaru, the Mibu will be the pinnacle of Konoha's strength. We'll leverage for control of the clan and eventually the village. Is that 'scorched earth' suitable for you?"

Everyone is quiet as Shinichi takes his seat again. Though this is a meeting it seems everyone goes with Genryu's flow. "It won't come to you on a silver platter, but perhaps you'll be Hokage one day if you have some patience and power of your own." With that, the old man clears his throat with a rather genuine sounding cough as he walks around the benches, his peers parting the seas to allow him a comfortably wide seat.

There is a long silence. "So we're really doing this?" someone finally asks. It's your mother's voice in the dark. "And... to forge this new clan, we must sacrifice...?"

"Katsumi, obviously. She'll be wed to the Mibu heir along with a girl from the Ishimaru. And possibly another girl, I've been told..." Though he trails off, Genryu's words are firm.

"A bride... one of many?" your mother asks.

"...A bloodline bride." Another silence. A knowing silence. Katsumi would be nothing more than a political tool by propogating the bloodline that had skipped her onto her offspring with the Mibu. A knowing silence almost like its awaiting an objection, yet there is only an uncomfortable shuffling and murmuring in the crowd... You feel Naoto's hand grip your own from behind, voice a whisper as you can practically see the firmness of their serious, business-as-usual expression.

You recognize the voice of Shinichi's father, Kaz. "Well it is to be expected. Without the Doukagan herself, this is the most she can do for us. She ought to be proud to aid her clan even in her... frailty." The tension seems to lift, his words about ready to let everyone just move on with the meeting rather than lingering on the heiress' fate.

[Princess Tracy]

Yue, Keita, Eiko

"WHAT. The. HELL." For a second her finger's straighten and chakra visibly shimmers around as she forms a chakra scalpel when you throw out her clothes. She grinds her teeth and ultimately relents, knowing that all she could accomplish was getting herself worse punishment. She bashes the tap with her shoulder and storms out of the shower, still in the blind spot of the bathroom so Yue and keita can't see as she reaches for her towel. Moderately drying herself out of spite, she wraps the towel around herself. She stares at the umbrella for a long moment before scooping it up and exiting out.

Wearing a towel like a dress as she walks in view of Yue and Keita, she grimaces. Her team mates were both here too, and saying nothing. "Did she do this to you too?" she questions. Suddenly she points the umbrella in the group's general direction and unfolds it to give herself some cover, crouching down behind the great circle of red fabric as she quickly gets dressed with it as a makeshift screen, in hopes of at leats not nude before her sensei inflicts further horrors. Dressed, she drops the towel and stands, folding the umbrella again as she holds it. "Fine. Now what?" she questions through gritted teeth as she glares at Eiko, perhaps imagining herself in a position where she can stand up to or better yet pay you back as one suspects anyone with self respect would after the Jounin's most recent stunt.

Despite just coming out of the shower, Ayameko already looks dry in the brief moments after she turns off the water stream, before she even reaches the towel, almost like she'd absorbed the water through he skin or perhaps that it was never there at all. Despite this she doesn't seem to think twice before rapidly patting herself off, not noticing she wasn't wet at all.

[Cespenar]

Keita almost turns back upon hearing Ayameko's protest, but stops himself and answers her instead.

"No, she's doing this to us now instead, I'm guessing," Keita says, side-glancing Eiko but without much vitriol or contempt in his voice.

Only when Ayameko declares that she's done that Keita turns to face the girl.

[ZeroNumerous]

When Aya reacts as if to threaten her, Noise simply smiles, opens her arms wide, and makes herself obvious as a target. "Be my guest."

Noise walks right beside Aya as she gets out. "Not bad Senju. You could do better, but you're not slacking in taking care of yourself. Remember: A kunoichi's body is her fortress, so treat it well and it will keep you safe."

However, when Aya moves to get dressed Noise interjects. Physically. The jounin casually kicks Aya's scattered clothes further away, and then snatches the abandoned umbrella away from Aya to completely expose her. "Oh, no, no, no. This is training, and I didn't say you could get dressed yet Senju. Though I will be gracious and allow you the towel."

With that said Noise points to the floor in front of her, and issues a simple but effective command. "Stand here." If Aya refuses, or tries to get dressed, then Noise makes her point physically instead and drags the Senju in front of her with only her towel for modesty. She then looks to Keita and Yue, and addresses all three of the genin. "Keita, Yue, turn around."

If the genin refuse, then Noise repeats the command. If it's refused twice, then she threatens to strip Aya and send her out without anything to wear. Regardless, once obeyed Noise begins her lesson. "This is the first exercise we'll be doing together as a team. As you can see, Aya-chan is in quite the predicament. Why is she having problems? Because she's nearly nude? Because she's being abused by a superior officer? No."

Noise points to Aya's face. "Because she's embarrassed. A shinobi cannot feel shame. It is beneath us, and only impedes our motions and missions. We must rise above shame and embarrassment, and be willing to do whatever is necessary to succeed in our mission. So, Aya-chan will be the first of you to go through this training to destroy your shame."

"Aya-chan, would you like to get dressed?" If Aya responds in the affirmative, then Noise points to Keita. "Keita-kun, be a dear and find little Aya-chan something to wear. She'll tell you where all her clothes are, but she cannot retrieve them herself." Noise places a hand on Aya's shoulder, as if that would explain why she couldn't retrieve her clothing. Noise looks at Aya and smiles devilishly. "So Aya-chan. Where would this strapping young man find you some clean clothing?"

[Shimmer]

Katsumi did as Naoto-kun advised, mimicking their posture as she put her back to theirs. She didn't need to glance at the meeting to know who was speaking, she knew the voices of her clan-members all too well. Yet as her world fell apart it was Naoto-kun's steely spine against her own, their fingers lightly gripping hers in reassurance that kept Katsumi from shattering in shock and betrayal.

Perhaps the worst blow of all however, was how her Father, Fujiwara Makoto (http://rs1140.pbsrc.com/albums/n572/Texasmomo/ExaltedRPpic.jpg~c200) remained uncharacteristically quiet throughout the entire exchange. The two of them remained like that for the rest of the meeting, Katsumi watching in the distance for possible attackers, and Naoto-kun watching the meeting. She would play her part, play it all the way till the end of the meeting and until the two of them could slip away back to her room.

Yet as Katsumi stood there listening to the inane banter of her family, lost in her own thoughts, something beautiful and strange began to bloom from the ashes of her soul. It was not fury like she had expected, fury was a hot and quick emotion like a flashfire. No this was molten and powerful, like forged steel in a fire. It was a feeling that made her straighten her spine and lift her chin when she entered her rooms, refusing to keep her blue eyes, the surest sign of her 'frailty,' downcast as she stood in silence staring up at the stars that hung outside her window.

"Naoto-kun I have no doubt in the morning that they will send a maid to inform me of the clans decision and to take my measurements for my Bridal Kimono and Uchikake. This maid must not be you as it will cast undo suspicion upon us both if we are seen too often in each others company. However, the maid sent to dress me for my departure...and to help me hide my equipment must be you Naoto-kun." Katsumi spoke, her voice soft as she slowly turned away from the window to begin undoing her disguise that Naoto-kun might return the uniform without getting into trouble.

"I cannot count upon my Doukagan manifesting any longer. The Mibu clan are expecting to receive a pampered bloodline bride, not a trained kunoichi. They will underestimate me and I can use that to my advantage. Upon entering the compound they will no doubt check me for weapons. However, during the carriage ride I will be away from prying eyes under the guise of 'preserving' my chastity. I will use this time to hide my weapons among the carriage for retrieval later. Even if that fails they still cannot rid me of my most potent weapon, my Ninjutsu, so long as they know not of it." Katsumi explained carefully folding the uniform and setting it aside along with the gun and holster for Naoto-kun before turning and stepping into the bathroom to rinse off her disguise. She did however, leave the bathroom door cracked so they could continue their conversation.

"I will inquire in the morning on what is known about my husband to be. I cannot allow my clan to go the way of the Uchiha and if I must do so as a Mibu instead of a Fujiwara then that is what I must do. If I cannot guide my clan as clan head, then I can guide the Mibu and through the Mibu them through the ears of my eventual husband. My cousins forget that such is the strength of women. I have no doubt that unlike the other members of my family I will not be receiving a clan artifact as my marriage gift to eventually pass on to my own children. Seeing as they view doing so as only putting it in the hands of the Mibu clan and I am not worth such a risk. So I can expect to be going into this utterly alone. I doubt they will even allow me my choice of maids to accompany me or else I would request you stay with me Naoto-kun." Katsumi explained her voice barely carrying over the sound of the water. When she once more stepped out of the bathroom she was dressed in a light sleeping kimono and her hair was once more a snowy white and her skin pale.

"I...I know it's a dangerous plan and that this is a lot to ask of you Naoto-kun, but I have one more request." She spoke and for the first time her voice sounded a touch unsure, the steel that had been in it before fading slightly as a bright red blush burned across her pale cheeks.

"Can you smuggle me a stash of contraceptive pills? I...I know what happens to bloodline brides and I'd rather not end up with child until...well until I am ready and I have no way of knowing if my husband to be will respect that." Katsumi adds softly as she lowers her eyes her face practically the same shade as a tomato at the thought. She was a kunoichi and she knew what she must do, but she was also a sheltered and very pretty and well-developed woman and she wasn't so naive as to not know what would happen to her away from the protection of her clan.


[roll0]
[roll1]

[Cespenar]

Since Aya had at least the decency of a towel, Keita doesn't resist Eiko's order too much, and instead reforms his expression into a perfectly butler-like seriousness. At least that would give the poor Senju the tiniest bit of a breathing room, hopefully.

Eiko's reasoning feels like making some sort of sense, but he can't help argue against it, at least in his head. With so many other negative feelings that could affect your performance, why focus on embarrassment anyway?

Regardless, Keita glances at Eiko for a brief second before he finally turns to Aya and nods, his gesture of readiness.

[Princess Tracy]

Eiko, Yue, Keita

"Oh, I take care of myself, thanks, though I imagine it'll be a lot harder to do from now on since I don't know when I'll ever feel safe being naked again. Honestly, is this some kind of sex thing for you, because honestly you can do better than little old -" as Eiko kicks away her clothes, the Senju falls quiet again, gritting her teeth as the terms of the game are spelled out for her. Ayameko's arms are pinned to her side in frustration. "So you're aware you're abusing me then? Is there a safeword for this or are you one of those 'hard doms'?" she says, in a classic act of wit to the policy of 'we laugh or we weep'. "Is this **** you had to do as a genin? What the hell kind of Jounin did you have?" She goes quiet when Eiko's hand rests on her shoulder imposingly though.

Aya takes a breath, no joy left as she makes eye contact with Keita. "... Under my bed. The one on the left of the window. The trunk underneath, nearest the foot of the bed is mine. The... combination is 0101. Just get one of the jumpsuits, the kind I wear to track, those will do." Sure enough if Keita enters the combination on the four tumbling locks, it pops open and he's able to pull out and open a rather intricate and large trunk packed with well-folded clothes and other miscellaneous things. You're able to find a few jumpsuits like she says, one a little worn and blue coloured that a keen eye would judge is her favourite. Of course she doesn't specify any underwear. If Eiko 'reminds' her, she closes her eyes tight. "There's... a sports bra and bloomers in the left compartment." Pulling back a flap in one of the smaller sections of the trunk, sure enough you find white silk undies.

"Can we wrap this up, I've got some medicine to take," Ayameko requests impatiently, her eyes shutting tighter as she seems ready to just ignore what was happening until it was over.

You evaluate that if there's a genjutsu at play, it can't be one the Senju is capable of using unless she's completely undersold her talents as you don't detect signs of trickery. The water simply vanished from her body

0101, as in January 1st, is Aya's birthday, as you recall from her personnel file. A terrible combination on anything actually valuable.
Ayameko's lying, she's in perfect health and has no urgent need of medicine, she's just trying to buy herself an out.

(OOC: she would normally roll Negotiate, but PCs are immune to such things lol)

[Cespenar]

Keita follows the intricate directions Ayameko gives him as normally as possible, throwing the jumpsuit over his extended elbow, and if it goes there, the underwear over the jumpsuit. At the end, he wordlessly hands them over to Ayameko without much eye contact -- mainly for her sake.

The torrent of comebacks coming from her is understandable, of course, even though it feels awkward with just her speaking.

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise simply responds to Aya's questions as if they were real rather than rhetorical. "No, it's not a sex thing. It's just honest advice from one kunoichi to another. Besides: I'm not into women. Yes, I recognize it's abuse and it hurts. But this world is not going to coddle you, so I won't either. At least you won't be surprised if you're ever captured. Yes, I've had the same thing happen to me."

Naturally she doesn't speak of her instructor or what happened, and simply leaves the past where the past belongs. Whether she avoids speaking of it because of the pain, or simply because it isn't important, remains to be seen. Naturally Noise neglects to point out that Aya forgot underwear, and lets the young girl chafe and suffer for trying to preserve her modesty. When Keita does as instructed, then Noise pats him on the head for being a good boy before sending him away.

"Yue, Keita. You may face the wall." Regardless of whether they face the wall or not Noise does open the Senju's umbrella to give her the privacy to get dressed, and once the Senju does so Noise pats her on the head as well. She leans in to whisper something to the young girl.

"Always remember this lesson, Aya-chan. You've already been debased, so what will a little more embarrassment matter? At least I didn't make you kill your boyfriend." With her whispering done Noise closes the umbrella, hands it to the Senju, then addresses the other students.

"Come along then. We've got a shrine to get to, and then a mission to collect. We'll do teamwork building exercises on the trip there and back. Keep your umbrellas close and visible." She then leads them wherever they can get a mission at, and becomes the ditzy moron she plays in public once more.

[Princess Tracy]

Katsumi

The meeting trails off from there, discussing miscellaneous details of who gets what. As suspected, Shinichi is geared up as the new clan heir for now, and still your father says nothing, while your mother seems to have given up after hearing you described as a bloodline bride. In keeping your cool, you're able to quietly wait out the meeting until people start to disband, before swerving back around to the house in a show of knowledgeable stealth to avoid your relatives and maids. You narrowly avoid Shinichi himself who you see storming in your general direction with his hands in his pockets, and are able to return to your den with some guidance from Naoto.

Naoto waits quietly as you explain your train of thought, between looking at you and watching the door. Utterly stoic and silent for the longest time, when you ask them to prepare your equipment they simply nod. "Yes, I'll... prepare and stow that I can. But miss, are you sure you can trust me to? If the weapons are discovered, they'll assume betrayal, and going aloing with them willingly will mean nothing. I..." Naoto bites their lip and retrieves their stoic mask. "I'll take responsibility anyway. I ojnly hope they would allow me to go with you...as a bodyguard if nothing else."

They quietly nod with the rest of your plan, but at the moment your confidence breaks and you ask for contraceptives, their eyes go wide as if some reality of the situation had just struck them. Naoto gets unprofessionally close and takes your hand, their eyes looking into yours as she takes your hand. "Yes... yes of course, my lady. Anything for you... oh god, you don't deserve this. You don't deserve any of this, Katsumi. Don't deserve some boorish man who collects woman, you deserve to be left alone or with someone who cares for you like... like..." Their lip quivers and hands tighten around yours and it seems like so much more is ready to spill out but they hold it back with the tears. Naoto would do anything for you, and it would still be the least of what Naoto wished they could do.

Naoto doesn't expect their feelings returned, and after a moment if such is the case they release your hands and straighten their sash, bowing as they avoid your gaze. "I will... tend to your wishes, mistress," she'll say before moving to leave.

Keita, Yue, Eiko

"If you're not into women, you sure do a good job leading on Aka-sensei. She keeps talking about you. Maybe I should tell her how you're some two faced super genius with no interest in her." Aya doesn't allow herself to be one-upped by you addressing her questions, though does get reluctant about pressing on when you mention having a similar experience, some sympathy turning to pity in her eyes.

She doesn't ask for her underwear without prompting from Eiko, so Keita is not forced to rummage around a girl's unmentionables. She silently gets changed when allowed, not wanting to push her luck in case this drags out. She balks as Eiko mentions the murder of a boyfriend - that was so specific. "What?"

You all stand in Aya's room as she's now clothed in her tracksuit, each with a red umbrella for whatever unknown reason. Aya goes wherever Eiko leads. If Eiko goes to retrieve a mission she'll find an escort job, Rank C, is listed at the depository in the Kage building, though typically one is briefed by the Hokage or a representative, such as Shikamaru, before accepting a mission scroll. The shrine could well be scouted out today, but there's no reason to believe the contact would be there as her own mission scroll said to come in one month. Today was the 2nd of July, so the 1st of August is the time of the proposed meeting, and in any case bringing rookie genin along for ROOT business would be incredibly dangerous.

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise simply shrugs at Aya's threat. "Feel free. You'll only break a girl's heart. I play with her because it makes her happy. If you want to take that away, then that is your right." Noise makes not attempt to dissuade Aya, and allows her to do as she pleases. She plainly ignores Aya, and simply moves on.

Noise takes the genin to the shrine first, and says it's to pray. She'll make a show of praying, wishing for their success, and ultimately donates a little bit of coinage to the shrine before leaving. She then escorts the genin to the central building where the Kage resides. She heads to wherever they go to get a mission, and takes the escort mission.

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

Eiko is able to lead the group on foot to a shrine marked Kuwabara on the trail. It's a dusty old place, a little stone walkway up a little hill to a platform with a basic worn down shrine and a small hut. Hardly an impressive place and just a half hour walk from the gates of Konoha, its curious to have a civilian shrine so close to a village but it seemed to be a small place for travellers to pass by. The bricks at the edge of the stone platform break away and sink into loamy in uneven ways as if they once connected to some larger fixture, but with the pillars of wood that were the great ancient-looking trees of the fire country, such a structure would be impossibly old. Leaving a donation gets a greeting and wave from the shrine maiden (http://www.zerochan.net/1082427) from her hut.

On the walk there and back, Ayameko makes a show of twirling her umbrella and doesn't speak much unless spoken to. She stops her shivering once out among the trees though, apparently soothed by a nature walk, and doesn't even bother to ask what the point of all this was.

You notice a figure following you through the forest on the way back, however if not confronted it seems absent by the time you arrive back in Konoha.

Returning to the village and the Hokage offices, you're able to find the panel distributing missions and briefings. The Hokage's presence isn't always guaranteed, but traditional in the weeks following a graduating class to give more face time to the village's leader with the youth. However, when Noise comes in with her earmark for the escort job, she just finds a more familiar face to greet her team. As the four of you file in, you see not the Seventh, but Lord Sixth Hokage (http://img.memecdn.com/hokage-kakashi-hatake_o_2413785.jpg) sitting behind a desk cluttered with mission scrolls. "Mmm.... hm?" He looks up slowly from scrawling notes, and while his face is concealed by an ever present mask, some crease under his eye seems to imply a smile. "Ah, Eiko-chan. You wanted to meet for tea, didn't you? I may be preoccupied for a while. Lord Seventh has had some business come up. Not that I mind helping out with this, kind of relaxing. Those are some cute kids you've chosen. Team One, right?" The lanky middle aged man had a great deal of charm to him for a ragged and scarred up, masked ninja. "Imagawa-san, Senju-san, and... um..." He tilts his head at Yue. "Hello, young lady, I don't think we've been introduced. You must really have something to you." Of course the former Hokage would recognise two members of Konoha's clans and not some rando who keeps their head down like Yue.

D-class and most C-class missions were often posted around in the spaces outside the briefing rooms for Jounin to take up without needing approval, but for whatever reason the mission Noise had her eye on apparently needed some context to be collected from the Hokage's desk. "C-rank 4376... ah, here we go." Kakashi bats away a couple of scrolls to get to his target, giving it a cursory glance over before rolling it back up again. "Right... this team's not been out before has it? Well... I'm sure if Eiko-chan is handling it, there should be no trouble. This isn't a matter of stakes. We don't expect any resistance that a genin can't handle, but there are... diplomatic concerns. Most of the specifics are in the scroll, but you are to go to the Fujiwara and Ishimaru compounds and pick up the girls waiting there. In absence of further instructions, escort them to the Mibu compound. This mission is scheduled to last a few days, so make sure you bring your hiking gear just in case - bringing a compass and some rations is just good planning if you're heading out of the village. You're escorting civilians here, so no land hopping, and you're going beyond Fire Country borders so bring a map. There should be a carriage waiting for you at the Fujiwara compound - heavens know why not a car, but I guess we all have to be traditional like that." He chuckles at that, resealing the scroll and putting it out for Eiko to take. His tone is somewhat babying, no doubt to accomodate the team's first mission, and perhaps to make things simple for Eiko. "The Mibu are in talks to join Konoha. They've hired us to oversee this, we're doing it for free as a token of goodwill - not to say that you won't get your wages, don't worry."

Lord Sixth takes a long sigh and closes his one visible eye. "Just get the girls to the Mibu compound safe in one piece." There's something disapproving of the whole matter in his voice at that moment, but its gone soon enough after he shakes his head. "Is that all clear? You're expected to meet them at dusk, feel free to show up sooner."

Properly formatted mission scroll to follow.

Roll Lore for whatever you like

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise waves at the shrine maiden, then when she escorts the kids away from the shrine she casually asks them. "So, Kei-tan! Why did we go to a shrine again?" She gives Keita a dumbfounded look as she asks her question, as if she herself did not know. It's obvious that she's questioning what he thinks about the entire trip, but does says nothing even if he responds. Perhaps sometime when the "truth" could be revealed she'd explain. Regardless, Noise leaves the shrine in the past with one final comment. "We should keep these umbrellas! They're useful."

---

Noise watches the person watching them, and casually remarks to the genin. "Boy, on a busy street like this it's hard to see who's following and who isn't huh? Why, there could be anyone following us and we would never know! That's scaaaary~"

---

When Team One meets with the Sixth Noise doesn't look directly at him. She looks off to the side, and fills her head with perverted thoughts. Naturally her body reacts with a blush, and for observers it appears that she's infatuated with the Sixth. Of course, in the cold darkness of Noise's rationality she's simply pulling off yet another con. Even with someone who knew her nature, even when she had little to gain by doing so, Noise needed to betray their faith. She naturally feigns the same affection teenagers did. "H-Hokage-sama! I, uh, I didn't know you would be here. I-I expected the Leaf's #1 Idiot."

Of course, when Kakashi takes note of Yue--and implies some connection to Noise's choices--the jounin gets oddly defensive. "O-Of course not! I couldn't just pick three geniuses. I-It'd be suspicious! Besides, I can train anyone. S-she's just some random loser, but I promise I'll make her into something greater. She will be my Idiot."

---

At the end of the meeting with the Sixth Noise pipes up once more. "H-Hokage-sama! P-Permission to.. Permission to approach, sir." If granted permission, then she walks up to the Hokage's desk, produces the Make Out Make Out Conclusion copy she has, and hands it over as a gift. She leans in closely and whispers to the Hokage. Once she leans away, Noise stutters out something.

"The roots hide knives from the mist; the Kuwabara Shrine in 30 paces."

Noise takes 10 on a Grifting check to pass a secret message to the Hokage: ROOT operatives moving to help the Mist's rebels. They are meeting at the Kuwabara Shrine in 30 days.

"N-Not that I want you there, or anything! I-It's just my b-birt--Whatever!"

Noise takes 10 for 25 Perception.

[Cespenar]

Keita bows respectfully at the shrine maiden, and when Noise asks him about the place, he scratches his nonexistent stubble thoughtfully.

"Given how I could only catch a glimpse of whoever that's been following us in the relative calm and quiet of the shrine, I guess... for that reason? Could that be the fortune teller from back then or am I reaching too far, sensei?"

---

Keita salutes Kakashi when greeted, but looks skeptical when they are given the briefing for the mission. It seems a tad higher than your average C-rank job, but he keeps his mouth shut for the moment being.

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

Ayameko raises an eyebrow at Eiko's banter but doesn't comment, not in the mood for further discussion with her. By the time the group is on anything approaching a busy street, whoever was tailing them is long gone, though Keita commenting on it raises her attention. "Following us? Who's following us?" You don't notice any more unseen stalkers as you arrive at the Hokage offices, save for a vague feeling of being watched as you enter the mission distributuon office, which Eiko recognises as the Hokage Guard Squad's wary eyes.

Kakashi chuckles a little at Eiko's change in attitude. "Don't worry, Eiko-chan, I'm sure I'll win the 'number one idiot of Konoha' prize sooner or later, you can just deal with a runner up in the meantime." He chuckles as Yue faces the brunt of Eiko's scorn. "Scary, scary. Hang in there... Yue-chan," he says, eyeing a register of the new genin in the absence of Yue introducing herself. "Your sensei might be rough around the edges, but she just wants what's best for the village and her students. She'll warm up to you."

Sensing some trepidation from Keita, he seems to smile again. "Imagawa-san, do you have questions? Don't worry. Some Jounin believe in a trial by fire, but its nothing one of our genin can't handle. Team number One, right?" he says encouragingly. However, his expression sinks back to some seriousness again. "It's a bit complicated and time consuming, but ninja missions are only ranked by their threat level. D-rank missions rarely face any kind of threat at all. This might well have been a D-rank if it weren't for the political implications, but honestly don't think about those. They're... not things you should worry about as much as just getting ahead and looking after your OWN allies for now. Just do your best. I don't expect any trouble, your presence there is just ceremonious."

The Hokage nods at Noise's request to approach. "Hoh? Ah, I'm a lucky guy, Eiko-chan," he says giddily as she leans in with a deliberately perverted gift which he readily palms it, the blush on his face making him seem like much more of an old geezer than before. He lets her whisper, his one eye blinking as he doesn't give any overt affirmation that he understands her message. "Ah, thank you, that's why. I might just sneak off soon and read this. Are you sure you don't want company?" Once again he seems to be smiling under that mask. It seems you've all been dismissed without a word and at this point your sensei is just exchanging pleasantries with the village head like a high school crush.

Secret message: Kakashi understands Eiko's intentions. If she needs to discuss details he can meet in secret later, but for now he's offering backup.

[ZeroNumerous]

Keita's response gets a smile from Noise. "Kei-tan! Did you get a little more handsome~? Maybe, maybe~ Kei-tan gets 1 point for being a lovey-dovey boy!" The undercurrent of her words are obvious: Keita's in her good graces for paying attention, and the others missed something.

Ayameko's question of being followed gets the same response as always from Noise. The impenetrable idiot persona provides her a good cover. "Huh~? I was just posing a hyperthreadical! You know, a thing that isn't real but maybe could have been~"

---

When Kakashi prompts the kids to ask their questions Noise nods. "This is an opportunity to learn from Hokage-sama directly. Do not squander this opportunity."

---

With their secret messages passed Noise looks off to the side, fidgets, and does her best to avoid looking at Kakashi directly. She seems to be getting a little carried away in the fun of playing the tsundere. "I-I wouldn't--Y-you--T-There's no--Do whatever you want! I-it's... It's only a birthday, idiot."

Noise takes 10 on Grifting(28) to pass the secret message: "You can act on your own discretion. It's only a mission to me."

[Cespenar]

When the Sixth apparently reads what was on his mind, Keita clears his throat and feels the need to elaborate.

"I'm sure the mission has been ranked appropriately, sir. It's just that... the Mibu possess some strong bloodlines. If I were an enemy of the Leaf, I'd definitely try to prevent the Mibu from joining them. I mean us. And the best opportunity would be an out-of-country journey like this, made on a slow vehicle.

"Maybe I'm overthinking it, Hokage-sama. I'm sorry."

He glances at Eiko to gauge her thoughts on the matter.

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

"Well, I'll gladly join you whenever invited. I'll tell you when I'm free for tea, Eiko-chan and we'll hash it out when there isn't an audience to get you nervous about your cute blushing face," the Hokage says, beaming.

Kakashi nods to Keita. "Good thought. It's a matter of information warfare, really. The client indicates to us that the arrangements for a bride were made just last night between clan heads, so a leak to make you a target is unlikely so long as you move quickly. Additionally, the failure of this mission might cast a negative light on our relationship with the Mibu, but it isn't the deciding factor in them jounin the leaf. They've been in talks with us for some time now, if you must know." He hums in thought to himself, removing the head dress of the Hokage and setting it down. "If the stakes of the mission are raised into B-class or beyond, you are free to abandon the mission from ill will. This mission is a freebie to the Mibu, but I cannot contract young genin to throw away their lives. You could always reject the mission right now and let another group handle it."

The Hokage chuckles. "Of course, Eiko-chan might take that as an insult to her judgement in picking the mission. Any number of things can happen out there, but sooner or later you need to face them, and as a beautiful and loyal ninja of the leaf, I have faith in her to decide when to engage and when to retreat."

Ayameko's being uncharacteristically quiet the whole time, standing behind Yue. Perhaps she's just being reverent of the Kage. She vaguely blushed when addressed as Senju-san, and nodded, but that's about all. Perhaps Eiko's humiliated her too much to communicate with an idol of the village.

"I'll keep an eye out. Let's meet and discuss further." Pretty straightforward

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

At 30 miles approximately to the Fujiwara compound, an average ninja's land hopping speed could reach there from the village in under 4 hours. Kakashi exchanges pleasantries with whoever cares to share them but sooner or later, it's time for the group to head out. It's 10 in the morning and the sun should set around 8pm, so you have 10 hours to get over there at whatever pace you care for. Ayameko asks to be excused to grab some additional supplies for a longer mission, promising to meet up again in a half hour, a promise she keeps if Eiko allows the group's medic to do her job. Though she also turns up with a change of clothes in that case.

As you set out into the forests around Konoha things are as peaceful as you recall, provided you have half the sense to keep to the safe paths through the canopy. Anywhere within the Fire Country's borders, in the first 15 or so miles of the journey, might be an ideal place for Eiko to do whatever sort of test she cares for.

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise allows Aya to leave, but sends Yue with her to keep her safe. When the team finally leaves Konoha Noise drops her persona to become someone else: The quiet observant ANBU she often masqueraded as. Naturally Noise dons her flame-patterned mask, and remains on the look out for any attackers.

After a couple of hours of movement Noise suddenly stops, directs the genin to do the same, and then finds a nearby clearing. Once there the jounin separates herself from the kids by walking forward. "Well, it's time to begin our first step of training." The beautiful jounin reaches into one of her belt pouches, and digs around in it for a short time. She retrieves a book covered in black-and-orange tiger stripes. It looks like a child's diary, and even has a pen attached to it. Small stickers have been attached across its front and back, and it's plainly a child's toy of some sort. Noise flips it open, retrieves the attached pen, and starts writing down inside it.

"Suiji Yue... Missing-in-Action. Lured in by an enemy kunoichi when she did not respond to a misunderstanding of the pass phrase. Imagawa Keita. Deceased. Killed by enemy kunoichi in his own home during physical contact. Senju Ayameko. Deceased. Killed by enemy ninja while in her bathroom." Naturally Noise does not write what she says, but rather begins by writing their names, height, weight, and other specifics in her bingo book.

"Congratulations kids. You all died when the enemy masqueraded as me, and proceeded to kill you one at a time. This is why the passphrase exists. Good job on remembering it, Yue-chan. Keita, Senju, I'm disappointed in you. Always be ready for the enemy to appear, and always be wary of everyone. Even your homes are not safe." Noise begins doodling in her book, trying to draw her students as best as she can.

"Now, we'll begin your combat training. Your goal is to force me to use my hands to defend myself. If I complete my writing in this book before you can interrupt me, then you all have failed and none of you will be allowed a lunch or dinner today. If you can steal this book, then I'll personally instruct whoever can keep it for one minute. Good luck." Noise both sets up a teamwork exercise, and the opportunity to shine individually within it. Naturally, the jounin continues writing in her book while she speaks and makes no allowance for the genin to prepare themselves.

"You may begin whenever you're ready."

Noise takes 10 on a Deduction check, getting a 27(10 + 15 +2 vs Shinobi) to determine the genin's styles and failings during battle.

Noise uses her free readied action to use the Doujutsu Mirage of Cherry Blossoms on whoever moves first. She'll turn everyone into an illusion of that person, and then remove that person's ability to understand everyone else's words.

Initiative if necessary: [roll0].

[Cespenar]

Keita crosses his arms as he listens to how the group are all dead, rebuttals all lined up on the tip of his tongue, but he swallows them. It wouldn't do to shake his instructor's authority any more than he had to, and he doesn't feel like the arguments would do any good at the end.

Listening Noise's instructions to the end, Keita finally speaks up.

"What happens if we damage or destroy the book?" His tone suggests that this is not a cocky threat, but a legitimate concern stemming from his abilities.

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise just shakes her head. "Don't worry about it. I'll keep this book safe."

[Overlord Rion]

"I'm not sure if MIA is any better than being confirmed dead. So what I'm hearing is I need to just punch people who don't answer properly? I can totally do that." Yue smiles and shakes her head.

[roll0]

I'll put up a separate post for my actual combat action so it makes sense to look at.

[Cespenar]

Keita nods. "Okay, got it."

He addresses his team members as he prepares some sort of strategy on his mind. "We don't know her abilities, but she knows ours, so don't go all in, girls, okay? Senju, genjutsu and counter-genjutsu. Yue, point, go."

While Keita himself goes through some hand seals, braces against the imminent loss of life energy, and performs the technique. With several simultaneous pops, four more Keitas appear around him, ready to battle.

Kage Bunshin for 4 clones, 8 chakra. Also unsuppress Speed rank 2.
Damage to self: [roll0]

HP: 31/43
AC: 26
Chakra: 34/44
Reserve: 39/39

[Princess Tracy]

Yue

"You seem quieter than usual since you graduated Yue-chan. You never seemed that enthusiastic to become a ninja, yet you still ended up here... might as well try your best, right?" Aya says, trying to start up conversation after Eiko dismisses you to go with her to gather supplies. She buys a few things from the market before swinging around to her own apartment, and once contented, she meets up with Eiko and Keita again, a full bag of medical supplies and whatnot in hand.

Team One

When Aya returns she's sneakily grabbed a change of clothes to get out of her no-underwear tracksuit Eiko conned her into, but in fairness to her the bag she has slung over her shoulder looks like it has an extra change of clothes in addition to her supplies - probably more prepared for a trip than the other genin at least. Putting on the mask gets a raised eyebrow from her. "If someone sees us with you, won't they know you're our sensei? I thought you didn't wanna blow your cover as a bimbo?" She doesn't berate much and just seems curious, and readily begins landhopping with the rest of her team shortly once you pass by the great gates of Konoha once more.

The forest rolls past you as you go by the tree tops, vast oak branches supporting you in the traditional style the genin have been instructed in to navigate the grain of the forest. The chakra required is minimal and you're about halfway there when Noise seems to find an acceptable clearing, about a hundred feet in diameter with only a few roots for terrain. As Keita's shadow clones pop into existence, Aya's nod turns into a gasp of surprise. "Whoa! Where did you learn that?!" She shakes off her impression though, and refocuses herself as she sticks in the back - genjutsu and medical support had no business being in the front line, but on the other hand, she seems rather twitchy. "Right, I've had enough of her badmouthing us... Yue, go be our bait! Let's nail her."

Everyone pays 2 chakra to land hop for two hours.

Noise starts 30 feet away. She's concentrating on writing her report, and provokes attack of opportunity.

I'll leave it up to Zero whether using clones provokes his readied action to go off on Keita or now.

[Overlord Rion]

"I feel like I'm going to regret this, but you miss all the shots you don't take." Yue halfway gets into a runner's stance before charging straight at their teacher.



Welp, Yue is going to unsuppress Speed/Strength Rank 3 and charge Noise. I'm going to PA for 6 and try to Kage Buyou Noise, though with my luck I suspect that nothing will happen.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Fort Save is DC 18.

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

Forming a hand seal for his technique, Keita is drawn into Eiko's gaze as cheery blossoms swirl around to accompany his clone's appearance from nothingness. If he fails to resist the genjutsu, he finds he seems to summon more clones than intended and they've taken the place of his allies, and the words of those around him become incomprehensible even by lip reading. At the very least however his clones remain unaffected and able to act.

Aya doesn't notice the initial genjutsu and seems to step up to focus on offence. She forms a hand seal and begins crafting a jutsu of her own to attack as natural ropes sprout from the ground to grab at her, green vines spurting up and lashing at the jounin and seeming to ignore Yue.

Aya casts Illusionory Vines on Eiko, save DC 18, thinking she'll have a harder time writing her journal if entangled.

[ZeroNumerous]

Yue's attack just gets an almost casual dismissal from Noise, as if the jounin were responding to the flailing of a child rather than a ninja. Noise watches Keita and Aya use their techniques with casual disregard. A kid with shadow clones would just use them poorly, and genjutsu from idiots was pretty easy to work around. Though the attempt to bind her does get some small praise. "Good idea, Senju. Genjutsu to immobilize a target is invaluable. It would have made Yue-chan's attack actually dangerous. Of course, you'll need to work hard to be useful to your teammates."

Noise continues to blatantly ignore Yue, and writes in her book. Unless Yue elects to attack her, in which case Noise demonstrates the difference between them. "Power is meaningless without the focus to direct it. I'm not even burning chakra and you're wasting my time. At this rate you'll always be a loser unfit to even scrape my boots."

Noise readies an action to use Kage Buyou on Yue if she's attacked. Noise will then continue writing, eliciting an AoO from Yue.

Noise chooses Yue as the target of her Unbalance Opponent feat to remove Yue's strength modifier from her attack bonus. End result should leave Noise only hittable on a natural 20 from Yue.

If Yue takes the AoO or attacks her, Noise takes a -1 penalty to increase her AC by 1, bringing her up to an even AC 30(29 vs ranged attacks) via Combat Expertise: [roll0]. If her attack hits Yue needs a DC 19 Fort Save(10+Rank 3+Strength 6) or be sent flying [roll1]*3 feet.

Noise will use her move action to follow Yue into the air if she fails the save, and during the trip she'll Heroic Surge to grapple Yue with her legs--taking whatever penalties she should in order to "hold" the genin down--so that Yue lands face-first with Noise standing on top of her.

[Overlord Rion]

Her heart wasn't in the punch, Yue knew it, and it was obvious Noise knew it too, so there wasn't much point in keeping her opinion on the matter to herself. "This is stupid. We're wasting time, and wasting chakra when we have stuff we should be doing. We know, and you know, that we can't beat you even if we worked together perfectly, so what's the point?"

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise smiles at Yue's words, and shakes her head in order to demonstrate her displeasure through her mask. She fakes a surprised lilt to her voice. "Eh? Does Yue-chan not want her smart teacher helping her out?" With that said Noise shrugs. "You can't win a straight fight, but this isn't a straight fight Yue-chan. You have a mission: Stop me from finishing my report. You even have a secondary mission of stealing my report. The point of this exercise is twofold: One, to show you that missions must be accomplished even against impossible odds. And two, demonstrating one simple truth."

This time Noise does stop writing, and looks at Yue directly. "You aren't adults yet. You're children on an outing with mommy: Me. So I need to show that, in a battle against people like me, you'll need to do your best to accomplish your mission. Don't attack the enemy, because they will destroy you. Instead, just accomplish your goal." Noise goes back to writing in her book.

"Unless you'd rather forfeit, but then I'd have to punish you."

[Cespenar]

Keita becomes momentarily startled as he sees everyone turning into clones of himself, and to top all that he can't understand anything anyone is saying. Fortunately he quickly infers he's in a genjutsu, and commands his clones to dispel.

When the dispel is successful, the rest of the clones charge her instructor who just powerbombed Yue to the ground. Damn, that's gotta hurt, Keita thinks, not sure of how much more punishment the girl could take. And this was Eiko pulling her punches, or rather kicks.

Swift action to draw 5(6) chakra. DC 15. [roll0]
Clones use Genjutsu Kai on Keita one by one until one of them succeeds. Dispel DC is 22, I think. 2 chakra per attempt.
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]

When Keita is freed, he then moves diagonally to flank Noise and tries a Sunder attempt on the notebook with his Chakra Blast, powered to 3 chakra. That's resolved not with opposed attack rolls, but against AC, I think. A carried object's AC is 10 + object's size modifier + holder's Dex mod. But Noise is also in a grapple and normally loses his dex bonus to AC against anyone she's not grappling at the moment. So you resolve what happens, I don't know.

Also to note is the Chakra Blast not only deals force damage, but also moves the target 5 feet for each die of damage. Something else to think about if it somehow connects with the notebook.

[roll6]
[roll7]

Also, the rest of the clones take a kunai, charge and melee-sunder the notebook. They don't provoke AoOs because grappling makes you lose your threatened squares. Again, carried object AC, bla bla. Let's put three rolls in there for the best case.

[roll8]
[roll9]

[roll10]
[roll11]

[roll12]
[roll13]

HP: 31/43
AC: 26
Chakra: 34/44
Reserve: 39/39

[Overlord Rion]

Can't finish the report if the book isn't in her hands, right? Instead of trying to attack Noise dead on, Yue decides to ignore the obvious opening Noise was giving my writing and instead go after the book itself.




Don't know whether it counts as a disarm attempt or the special grabbing an object, since it specifies worn object, but either way Noise also gets an AoO on Yue. I only mention the object thing because of that +4 bonus that goes either way depending on whether the object counts as well secured or not.

Book Grab: [roll0]

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

Keita is able to clear his genjutsu with some luck and assistance from his clones, but his attack goes wide as he unleashes a blast of chakra aimed for the book. "WHOA CHILL," Ayameko comments, her mouth running as the beam nearly brazes her as she steps closer to get in range for her next technique. As she does so, Yue reaches out to grab the book and Eiko blasts toward Ayameko with Shundou as she avoids, bringing the fight to her. Aya forms a hand seal and seems to reel back, filling her lungs before slamming a foot and swinging her torso forward in an exagerated movement to open her mouth wide. It's not clear if such a demonstration is necessary, though Keita and Yue hear nothing, while Eiko's ears are filled with a piercing howl that would easily overwhelm the senses... of a genin, at least.
Noise needs a DC 19 (level 6, +3 charisma) Will save against Hypnotism Technique: Otherworldy Scream or be Stunned and take -20 to sound based perception checks for [roll0] rounds.

[ZeroNumerous]

Yue's disarm attempt gets a smile from Noise, and she nods her head to display her approval. "Good, you're learning. Try again a bit harder next time." Naturally Noise does nothing in response to Yue's openings, and simply leaps toward the Senju.

Noise watches the theatrics of Aya's technique with plain disinterest. She casually marks down the technique in her book, but waits for Aya to finish before making any remarks. When the genjutsu attacks her ears Noise simply rolls her eyes. She waits for Aya to finish huffing and puffing before placing a hand on her hip and looking rather annoyed. "Done yet? It's too obvious. You need a sound amplifier." Noise taps her forearm where the sound-nin usually wear their amplifiers. "It adds to the illusion, makes it more believable."

Then Keita tries to get cute with the rules. His energy blast zips past Noise's notebook, and the jounin looks at him with disdain. She then raises a finger, as if to casually pause Aya's theatrics like they weren't a powerful technique but rather the inanity of a child. "One second, I have to punish a clever boy."

Noise addresses Keita. "I suppose, technically, that wasn't against the rules. But I did say I would protect this book." Noise zips over to the genin, crossing the distance in less than a heartbeat faster than the kid's eyes can follow. She appears behind him, and casually remarks to the young man.

"It would be best if you grit your teeth. Young children should take their punishment honestly." She raises her leg in a beautiful arc with the picture perfect form of a Karate axe kick. In a flash her body has been charged with lightning, and the golden energy crackles and leaps into the shape of a giant axe. "Oh, and try not to die from this."

Noise performs her axe kick, aiming for Keita's side as she tries to not kill him. Maim him, perhaps, but not lethally. Once the deed is done Noise retrieves her adorable tiger-print glasses and looks at Keita. "Not dead yet, I hope? It'd be a wasted lesson if you died."

Noise uses Hiryuusen to reach Keita invisibly. She'll then use Thunder Strike Axe on Keita. It does not require hand-signs, so it doesn't break the rules she established for herself. Keita takes [roll0] electricity damage with a DC 24 ref save for half. He'll also need a DC 24 Fort Save or be paralyzed if he takes damage.

She'll then move action retrieve and equip her adorable physician's glasses.

[Cespenar]

Keita frantically checks his flanks when Noise disappears, but only thinks about his back when she actually speaks from there. The warning gives him a fraction of a second to raise an arm in defense as to not end up as a cripple. Even though the brunt of the attack slides off of him, the electrical currents shock and convulse his body, and he crumples to the ground, faintly smoking and smelling of burnt fabric.

Some brief seconds pass, and the reply finally comes from one of the clones: "Nah... still... alive."

Then, as if receiving a silent order, the clones start to take a wedge formation around Yue, and after a nod to her, charge with her to Eiko. Instead of striking, however, the four clones try to get around the jounin, flank her, and snatch the notebook from her hands.

Keita is paralyzed for 2 rounds. I don't know if Charge works with Aid Another, but the four clones try to charge and aid Yue's attack. Trying to hit AC 10.

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]

HP: 19/43
AC: 26 Paralyzed
Chakra: 35/44
Reserve: 34/39

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

There's a moment where Aya has a dreadful and very externally visible moment of clarity looking at Eiko, though probably only the Jounin herself sees it in the moment when they make eye contact. Her enthusiasm drains with the blood in her face and in that sheepish white her eyes go wide as saucers. On some instinctual level, for some reason just before she strikes Keita, she seems to realise what Eiko really is. Either from sympathy or terror in the next instance when she attacks Keita, she screams and rushes over as the Imagawa's body is too damaged to continue.

"H-hey stop, what kind of attack was THAT?" She skids to a halt by Keita's side and quickly checks his pulse, it seems that whisper wasn't bluffing, he wouldn't die, but still she doesn't take it in good graces and abandons her post of genjutsu support - which hardly seemed effective anyway, to treat his wounds.

A warm glow washes over Keita for a long moment. "R-relax, your nerves will recover shortly... I think." She spares a look up at Eiko before refocusing herself on her medical technique. That part felt familiar from the academy at least, but less familiar is direct physical contact with his wound in which more warmth spills forth. Eiko's perspective allows her to see the Senju's flesh seeming to flow over the wound, like from one river to another, the great rapids of one filling the other with new vitality and depth.

Ayameko discharges Healing - Rank One and uses a swift action to Lay On Hands with her Mokujin bloodline. Keita is healed [roll0] plus [roll1] damage.

Since Keita's effectively helpless and Aya is freaked out, she interposes herself between Eiko and Keita by squatting over his body (sharing a space). Feel free to make an attack of opportunity to disrupt her healing technique!

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise naturally can't stop the girl from being johnny-on-the-spot with her healing, but once the genin has finished Noise does nudge the Senju slightly with her foot. "That's enough. You have a mission to accomplish, and martyring yourself on the hill of your teammates' corpses will only make that mission harder for Yue-chan to complete. Keita-kun isn't dead, so keep your eyes on the mission. Breaking down to heal him during a real fight would just get both of you killed."

If that doesn't convince the Senju to move, then Noise makes her statement more direct. "I will Thunder Strike you both if you don't get at least six meters away from him." As if to punctuate that statement the jounin raises her right leg slightly, as if preparing the same axe kick from before.

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

Aya glares up at Noise. "If that had hit him square on... you're using lethal force, what's wrong with you!?" Still there isn't much arguing with Noise, especially when she looks over the Jounin's shoulder and sees an oncoming torrent of Keita clones. Aya lifts her hand as the glow of mystic healing palms vanish and you see her flesh part from Keita. His clothes remain singed but his skin and muscle seem good as new, though a charge keeps shocking his nerves for the time being.

Aya's turn is over, she'll likely move out of melee and be useless elsewhere next, just waiting on Yue's action now.

With the clone's aid another and providing flanking Yue has +10 to her next attack.

The paralysis should wear off at the end of Keita's next turn then.

[Cespenar]

As Aya crouches down to heal him, Keita weakly mumbles from the ground.

"Don't... risk it... she may... strike you... too."

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise just shrugs at Aya's accusations. "Do you expect your enemies to hold back because you're children?"

When Keita volunteers to martyr himself Noise just chuckles. "Good boy. Listen to him, he gets it."

[Overlord Rion]

Yue manages to catch on to what the clones were doing, running on instinct at this point, she surges forward with the clones and makes one more grab at Noise's book.



Attack Roll for the book assuming Yue is still under the effect of Unbalance Opponent, if not, add another 5: [roll0]

And just to try and cinch it, I'll spend an action point too: [roll1]

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

Yue and the clones bare down on the Jounin but their overwhelming advantage seems fumbled as Yue fails to exert her grip on the book before Eiko jerks it out of reach. Aya takes advantage of the distraction and kicks at the ground, rolling away, biting her lip as she leaves Keita's side for a moment. Keita himself slowly had feeling and movement return to him but far too slowly to help directly.

Keita's still paralysed until the end of this round. His clones are fine. Aya takes a move action, her attack action depends on whatever Eiko does.

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise looks at the assorted kids surrounding her. "Good job. I can barely move, and you've got the numbers advantage. Unfortunately, enemies like me would most likely just attack you all now that you're grouped up. I, on the other hand, will simply leave."

She vanishes from their sight, and then reappears on the other end of the clearing away from the kids. She quietly continues to write in her book, but says nothing to the kids in order to force them to look around.

Noise uses Hiryuusen to get as far as possible without breaking LoS. She then'll continue writing in her book and ready and action to kick whoever is within reach that attacks her or her book.

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

Noise is able to quickly step over to an area of heavy twisting roots at the edge of the clearing.

Aya nods as she looks around for their sensei. "Okay... I'm kind of bust when it comes to offensive ninjutsu, but she's just shrugging off my genjtsu and this is the only thing in my range, so... blasting time!" She runs at Eiko until she's just within range of her own ninjutsu and forms a hand seal. The ground seems to soften then imprint downwards, moulded by chakra, andfinally blasts up in a fairly wide radius, threatening Noise and cracking the roots and bark around as stone and mud pelt the area.

Aya uses Mud Blast/Elemental Beatdown Rank 3 - Earth, empowered to 5 chakra. Noise takes [roll0] earth damage, DC 15 reflex save for half (or more likely 0 damage if she thought to learn a technique for dodging area of effect techniques).

[Cespenar]

Keita calls out from the ground.

"Aya... don't!"

[Overlord Rion]

Whether the clones try and keep up with her or not, regardless of Aya's attack and Keita's warning, Yue was determined to grab that damned book.



As far as I can tell you can still charge and attempt to disarm, so I'll do that. The attack roll again assumes Unbalance Opponent is still a thing, otherwise, tack on +5 to the total. Let's see how low this roll can go!

Snatching Roll: [roll0]

[Cespenar]

The clones do indeed keep up with Yue, and even overtake her. A small distance from the jounin, though, two of the clones stop with their hands prepared for something, while another one crouches before them like a stepping stone. The fourth one gestures Yue forward and as if wanting her to mimic him, he steps on one clone, jumps, lands on the hands of the other two, who throw him even further into the air. Provided Yue follows suit, the airborne clone gives her a final burst of speed by grabbing her by the arm and slingshot-ing her at Noise.

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise avoids Yue and the clone's crazy attack. She does applaud the kid's ingenuity though, at least until Aya throws mud all over her and her outfit. Noise simply sighs. "When will you learn?"

The jounin takes a moment to think about how to punish Aya, and raises a finger to pause the fight for Yue. She's plainly telling Yue that she's busy right now. After a few moments Noise nods. "Sorry Yue-chan. I have to punish an annoying girl."

Noise vanishes once more, but this time she appears behind Aya. "I can't hurt you directly", she says to draw the genin's attention. Unfortunately for poor Aya, looking at Noise catches the youngster in her genjutsu. "So I'll just punish your friends for your foolishness."

Noise will Hiryuusen into melee with Aya, then use Evil Eye on her, forcing the genin to make a DC 23 Will Save. If Aya fails then Noise elects to show her a genjutsu of the area and genjutsu-created variations of Keita, Noise, and Yue. Genjutsu!Noise uses some unknown paralyzing genjutsu to prevent Aya from defending her friends, then heads over to Genjutsu!Keita and starts breaking his limbs. Naturally Genjutsu!Keita screams at the pain, begs for Aya to help him, and when Genjutsu!Yue interferes Genjutsu!Noise does the same thing to her.

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

Aya quivers back in fear at Noise's attention suddenly focussing on her, babbling out "You said the challenge was to make you defend yourself with your hands! I thought you would use your ha-" Her eyelids fall and she stands still, rather quiet for once as she's easily caught in the genjutsu, Noise's skill easily exceeding her own. Sweat runs down her face as she twitches, stuck and scared as she stared into space.

Feeling and movement returns to Keita as he's finally able to scoop himself off of the forest floor.

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

With Ayameko under genjutsu it seems there's a lapse in the battle even as Keita is able to get to his feet. If no one tries to attack Noise again, she is able to finish writing her accounts of the group in peace by the time the duration of Evil Eye runs out.

In this case after a minute passes, Aya falls to her knees in a cold sweat, her eyes spinning in her head fromthe horrific phantasms Noise inflicted her with, and is quiet for a long while as she pants and regains her surroundings. "Guys..."

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise finishes her personal writing, then closes the book and pockets it. "Good try. If you're trying to complete a dangerous mission against dangerous enemies, then either focus on your mission or retreat. Don't attack them unless your mission is to attack them. But you won't have that kind of mission for awhile. You are still children after all."

The jounin looks at the kids and waits. "I hope you've figured out something about one another from this exercise as well. After all, now you know Keita-chan is a bit foolish, Yue-chan's thick head is only useful for breaking bricks, and Aya-chan will martyr herself to save you. Important information to have about your teammates, isn't it?"

Unless the genin have more comments then Noise continues the march to their mission.

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

"Against you... at your speed, retreating wouldn't do any good though..." Aya says as she slowly catches her breath and shakily gets to her feet. "If you really came at us and we ran as fast as we could... Even if we split up, it would take luck for even a single one of us to make it." She seems fixated on the idea of being threatened by Noise specifically, but all the same scoops herself up and avoids eye contact as she gets ready to travel once more.

The afternoon starts to set in, though Aya remains quiet in the next hour of travel and doesn't bring up the prospect of stopping for lunch if no one else does.

Forests pass into hills, as canopies part and mountains rest in the distance. A valley opens up whose slope sweeps you away down crags and once more into the woods, though the trees now lack the magnificence of Konoha's defences as the sun beats down upon you high in the sky. There's a good 28, 29 miles behind you by now, and following the map and instructions of the mission scroll - which seems almost condescendingly well detailed for the ease of the genin undertaking the task, you're able to find a road near a babbling brook of flesh water and carp, said to take you to the meeting place. Your envoy with the Fujiwara is upstream from here.

Aya grinds to a halt as you start to approach the trees and turns to Noise, her eyes looking between her sensei and the valley slopes they'd just descended. "... Hey sensei... do you...?" She bites her lip, trying to pick her words carefully. She suddenly leans in to the ANBU closer than she dared get before, to whisper. "Since you're still masked... We're not supposed to meet anyone yet, right?" she asks nervously, her meaning obvious to Noise.

Everyone gains 500 XP from sparring. Yes, even Noise, as she's familiarised herself with her genin.

Everyone besides Noise make two Perception checks, one for each remaining hour of travel.

Aya's checks [roll0] [roll1] Edit: What do you know, she rolls well.

As you pass into the valley, without the greenery around on the rocky hillside, your senses catch onto something. There's a crack and pitter patter of feet on the rocks, as you detect the falling of not 8, but 10 feet as it seems another is here, a fifth person descending with the group. You look around and see a shadow of movement apparently retreat to cover out of the corner of your eye. You can't get a good look at where or who they are, but you are not alone. Going to the meeting place with a shadow tailing you might be irresponsible, but with your genin worn down from sparring earlier and the threat uncertain, outright confrontation could be challenging.

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise makes no comment in response to Aya's complaints, allowing the other genin an opportunity to think for themselves. In the meantime she mentally counts up the number of explosive tags she has, and plots the best ambush for them.

Swift Plan: [roll0] + AP [roll1]. EDIT: That's in the 25 or higher range, so it'll be a +4 including Improved Plans.

[Cespenar]

Keita stops, panting slightly as he watches Noise finally pocket her notebook. He swings his arms and stretches for a second or two, and surprisingly finds no lingering injury from the lightning kick he had received. If he comes into eye contact with Ayameko in that period, he mouths a gracious "Thank you." Though he was no battlefield veteran, Senju's healing was better than expected, no doubt utilizing some abilities of those famous genes.

He silently listens to his instructor's "sage advice", mentally excising the needless insults from the actually usable tips, and tries his best to hold no bias against the jounin's ever-so-lovable character. He doesn't put out any questions, not in the meantime.

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

Aya falls silent as she's ignored, but at least nods as she notes her sensei's apparent attention. Keita's able to detect a presence as well but has as much trouble as his sensei pinpointing where it's coming from passively. Ahead of you is a forest on whose boundary you stand. Behind you is craggy higher ground and a dozen nearby rocks large enough to hide behind - the direction the sound came from. Aya eyes Keita nervously, still tired from the fight.

Everyone gains a +4 plan bonus from Noise then.

Oh and its been another 2 hours travel so everyone pay 2 chakra for landhopping. However you can take your Short Rest for the day to recover a bit of chakra.

[Cespenar]

Keita nods at Aya imperceptibly to let her know he has sensed it as well, and then eyes Noise to try to figure out when she's going to do her thing.

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise moves her right hand in front of her body, using her body to block the sight of whoever is following them, and goes through a rapid flurry of universal sign language. Naturally she didn't expect the kids to get it, but it would be nice if someone did. Her signs explain her plan as clearly as possible through gestures: "Going to disappear for a bit. Just keep walking. Don't worry. Mommy won't let you die."

When that inevitably fails, Noise simply rolls her eyes behind her mask and makes the sign for Tiger. The sign was the most common fire sign, so it should make sense as a way to communicate aggression. Then she makes the sign of the Rat, a cowardly animal to signify sneakiness. She then points to herself, and makes the Seal of Confrontation, an obvious warning to get ready to fight.

Bluff to communicate her plan? Trying to not get too high, so she'll roll: [roll0]+2 vs Ninja.

Noise then forms a genjutsu, then casually continues leaping. Of course, the Noise that was leaping forward with the kids was a genjutsu, while the real Noise remained behind and on the look out for any approaching enemies.

Noise uses Illusory Doll, and has the fake!Noise continue on with the path. Real!Noise remains where she used the Doll technique then turns and looks for their pursuers.

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

Aya nods and walks with "Noise" as she proceeds forward, expecting Yue and Keita to do the same.

The real Noise doesn't see any more activity until after the genin proceed into the trees with her illusory double. When they're close to turning a corner and out of sight, closely observing the nearby rocks from the comfort of being utterly invisible, she sees a shadow move out from behind a nearby boulder. Long nails reach out from under a mud-coloured cloak as a figure crawls on its belly along the ground, trying to blend in with the stony floor as their nails rake through dirt, like a tiger stalking its prey but without the cover of foliage. Whoever or whatever it is only has upwards of their writs visible as they go a well trained pace as they crawl after the group, apparently oblivious to the invisible woman as they make to crawl within inches of you without altering course. Such tactics would keep them quiet and camouflaged well if they weren't being so directly observed by someone they were unaware of, but as it is, whoever they are is at Noise's mercy.

By Noise's analysis, if she doesn't stop them, they'll likely stand up when they reach the trees as the increased cover would allow them to move faster with less risk.

Aya takes 10 on Grifting. Noise's was a simple message, so its only a DC 10 grifting check to recognise, assuming everyone else does the same you're able to catch onto Noise's plan and move along. The range limit of the technique is 70 feet for Noise, and the figure appears when the group has moved [roll0]+20 feet away, and has cover.

The figure is prone and crawling and does not move to attack the invisible, real Noise when close, going straight after the genin and illusion. You have at the very least a surprise round. You're currently adjacent to them. Being invisible and not moving is like a +40 to Stealth so I won't even have you roll that unless you decide to move and attack them as soon as they're out of cover, and even then it's eh.

[Cespenar]

Keita looks blankly at the first batch of signs his instructor makes, not having a clue. Mentally taking a note about learning sign language, he nevertheless gets the second series, which tells him pretty much what he has expected already. He faintly sighs -- he wasn't near his limit yet, but still, it would be inopportune to have a fight this early into the mission.

With that, he steels himself for the eventual throwdown and tries to just move forward inconspicuously.

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise shifts her outfit to the appearance of a Leaf jounin rather than her silly outfit, then crawls into the dirt beside the person tracking them. Noise watches the genin and her fake self while invisible, and follows along with the ninja tracking her genin. She allows her illusion to eventually fade, and by proxy her real self to eventually be revealed crawling along with her "companion". The jounin acts as if she belonged there, and watches the genin with their pursuer quietly for a time. After a few seconds the jounin looks at the other person crawling in the dirt with her, her flame-patterned mask hiding her face from the target's view, and whispers a strange question to them. "What're we looking for?"

Noise will move down with the ninja she finds, and follows along with them. Should they attempt to escape she'll use her Declaration of War and the Cat Pounce effect of Tiger Grasp Style to activate Tiger Grasp Style and grapple them in the surprise round before Initiative is rolled.

[Princess Tracy]

Noise

The fingers freeze where they are, near the edge of the clearing as Noise announcing herself. There's a scratching noise as the figure seems to quiver and their nails scratch at the pebbles and dirt at their tip. Slowly the arms retract until only the hands are visible under the cloak. There's a pause. "Beautiful Noise." The voice is stilted, flat and somewhat breathless. There's a shifting at the back end of the cloak as if they're considering standing up.

You recognise the voice from a masked goon back at ROOT, though see they don't seem to be wearing the uniform gloves.
There's some more familiar quality to it however, even that voice is a put on of someone you know outside of ROOT.

Yue, Keita

Noise walks by the genin's side quietly along with Aya, though her pace slows at a certain distance from the clearing, ever so slightly. "So, um... Keita, how are you feeling?" Aya asks, trying to make small talk and act oblivious to whatever Noise was planning.

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise simply shifts her head to the side, adopting a questioning pose. "Sounds useless. What is it?" Without further ado Noise stands up, then motions for their stalker to do the same. She casually motions for the kids to come over. Naturally she doesn't say anything until the kids arrive, and then casually introduces the kids to the weirdo and vice versa.

"Creepy-chan, these are my kids. Kids, this is a creepy ninja. So, kids, do you have any questions for Creepy-chan before I break all of his limbs?"

Noise takes 10 on Deduction for 25, 27 vs Ninja.

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

The duplicate that moved with the genin vanishes, leaving Aya quite perplexed as 'Noise' discorporates to nothing, before shortly after you hear your sensei calling you back into the clearing you just left. There you see a cloaked figure laying on its belly beside Noise. 'Creepy-chan' takes a moment of deliberation before shuffling about under the cloak, getting up on their knees as they're still crouching, apparently prioritising being concealed over following Eiko's order to stand. "I was just observing... Eiko." they say, again deliberately and stilted, until the last word, when their voice cracks onto a slightly higher and more earnest pitch.

Ayameko eyes the figure, looking between them and Noise. "Um... okay. Who is this - er, are you?"

The figure remains crouching and quiet, as if trying to decide something. "... I don't mean you any harm."

"That's um... not an answer..." Aya says nervously, almost feeling sorry for whoever it was, knowing how brutal Noise could be.

There's a nudging under the cloak as the long fingernail thrusts towards Noise, as if deflecting the question to her. "Anonymity is important..." they say, a scant few moments after uttering Noise's real name.

There's nothing pre-planned about their responses. You can practically hear their teeth chattering as they know they're out of their depth and unsure what to do, but still desperately don't want to be revealed.

[Cespenar]

Keita turns to Ayameko, finding feigning comfort easier than it is for the Senju, probably because the conversation was already initiated.

"I'm pretty good actually," he says, rubbing where his injury should have been. "That was some clean healing, not to mention so fast. Thanks."

When Noise calls them to the creepy-nin's side, Keita gives the fellow a once-over before answering her.

"Where do you know her from?" Keita asks matter-of-factly, taking Noise's words seriously, apparently.

[ZeroNumerous]

When Creepy-chan fails to answer Aya's question properly, Noise interjects. "Tsk-tsk Creepy-chan. You have to give honest answers. You don't want to pass into the next life with regrets and unanswered questions, do you? Well, I guess one little lie is okay. And I'll even be gracious."

Noise takes off her mask, showing the ninja her face in order to impress upon him just how thoroughly sealed his fate is. Her emerald eyes are as mirthful as a doting grandmother, and she wears a grin that would put a child with candy to shame. "I'll give you two more questions before I start taking fingers for wrong answers~"

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

Before being called over, Aya blushes as her healing skills are complimented. "Oh, er, thanks. That was some kind of record on my part too, I think. Sorry about your clothes, maybe I could patch it up for a suturing kit next time we stop. What about you, Yu- oh geez, where did sensei go."

Soon enough you're gathered around Noise's freshly nabbed prisoner as they continue shirking away from revealing anything about themselves. "... I'm a leaf-nin. Noise was my senpai," they answer Keita. A pause then they lift their head at Keita, face hidden by the shadow of the cloak still. "It looks like she hit you pretty hard Imagawa-san. And didn't even heal it herself... There was signs of a fight about 10 miles back on your trail. I was following behind discreetly in case something happened." Some confidence seems to return to 'creepy' as they explain themselves, a wave of their long-nailed fingers waving as if to cast away suspicion. "I'm Tora, I'm a junior with the ANBU black ops," they identify themselves once Noise starts berating them for not answering Aya's question before.

When Noise removes her mask however, they turn stiff and quiet again, not turning to face the Jounin but seeing that the mask has indeed been removed. "... You're crueller than I remember."

Tora turning to you gives you a vantage not available to the others as you see at the very least they are not wearing the mask of an ANBU under the cloak, but instead have a pair of green-painted lips for all the world to see. She bites her lip, raising her head a little more so you can see her eyes, as she nervously pleads with you using nothing but her expression. When Noise removes her mask however, she bows her head forward, hiding her reaction, though you see a flash of gritted teeth.

[Cespenar]

Keita doesn't comment on the mention of the blow he has taken, but he does gaze at Noise when the "leaf-nin" tells how she was her senpai. Whether or not the jounin elucidates the point or shoots her down, Keita follows up with another question.

"If you're really that, tell us why an ANBU would be assigned (secretly at that) to a mission fit for genin?"

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

"...Scouting. I was on my patrol of the northern woods and saw tracks, was just following behind for a routine check until I found your battle site and decided to cautiously follow behind," Tora says, claiming he was innocent to your identities and mission and merely dutifully concerned.

A lie. Tora's been following you before that.

They do seem to not know your mission, otherwise they would have made a more convincing lie than that and insisted on being backup. As far as they know you're on some typical mission.

[Cespenar]

Keita silently palms his face, genuinely uncomfortable.

"Come on, you know she wasn't kidding about breaking your bones. Why are you lying still?"

Take 10 for 20 on Deduction.

[ZeroNumerous]

The jounin remains blank-faced when Keita 'asks' about the girl and Noise being comrades. However, when she catches the girl in a lie, and Keita speaks up about it, Noise pats Keita on the head. "Good boy, Keita-kun. One more wrong answer~"

Naturally she makes no effort to help with the interrogation, and simply watches Tora.

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

"... Perhaps she would. Are you really Ina Eiko, though?" Tora asks, still not looking at Eiko's face or revealing their own. "I mean... really?" A hint of feminine desperation seeps into her voice.

Aya bits her lip, as uncomfortable as Keita. "Come on, sensei... if they're a leaf ANBU, it's okay for them to be a bit sneaky, it's what they do. We're all on the same side. If he can't talk about something, it's probably for some classified reason that it's his job to not disclose. You're some kind of ANBU too, you know how it is." She looks from Eiko to Tora, clasping her hands in front of her as if praying. "... Please. I don't know what kind of person you think Ina-sensei is, but she really would break a few limbs at least just for you not going along with her. If you can, you should just be honest, or else she..."

Tora sighs at Aya's pleading, seeming resigned in some way regarding honesty. "Senju-san..."
Ayameko's going to attempt the forbidden art: Negotiation.

Negotiate to pleasantly request Noise not kill anyone [roll0] but the DC of this is effectively infinite as, being a PC, she can't really be compelled to do stuff.

Negotiate with Tora to pleasantly request she be honest in exchange for her safety. Of course, since Aya can't actually guarantee this to her... [roll1]

Edit: Oh wow, I think she actually made that.

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise does react to the Senju's comments. "We're not on the same side. She doesn't share the same dreams as us." Noise references their pass phrase, and then echoes the sentiment she shared when she told the kids the phrase. "The enemy could be anyone, and they can be everyone. Trust no one, believe nothing, and decide the truth for yourselves."

With Tora clearly having problems, Noise does help the girl out a bit. Likely because she honestly professes being a Leaf-nin. "I am who I am. I will hold no secret from these children, so feel free to speak in front of them as if you were speaking to me alone."

[Overlord Rion]

"You know what, answer, don't answer. I couldn't care less. But if you make this drag on long enough I'm to knock you unconscious and hang you from a tree, so you might as well spill the beans. You got your job and we got ours, but I don't appreciate being followed by someone from my own country." Yue's inflection doesn't change from a bored-sounding tone. In fact, she wasn't so much as looking at Tora, instead looking at a rock formation she found more interesting.

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

"... I can't place this one," Tora comments honestly, her head twitching towards Yue as she makes her threat to beat up and possibly kill her, depending on the meaning of her words. "Quite violent for a greenhorn. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume its posturing." There's a sigh and Tora's hands reach to the outline of his knees as they finally push up from the ground to stand up.

"Hm... as if I were alone with you... fine. I sense in your voice... for whatever reason, you really intend to kill me, and I'm not fighting you over some stupid misunderstanding. I'm not here for business, but personal reasons," Tora says, her tone finally the least bit regular sounding, as Eiko recognises the voice immediately. Standing at her full height, she turns to eye up Eiko at last. "It's good you're still dyeing your hair. I'd hate to mistake you for oneesan."

The cloak is removed in one smooth motion to reveal a tall and slim young woman with the trappings of a model rather than a ninja, her hair in two layers of colour and stylings, in braided dumpling knots, while her clothes expose skin in odd places almost begging to be stabbed in the vitals. The green of her lipstick matches her eyes as she looks at Eiko like trying to stare into her very soul, unblinking. She looked a little different from last time, but there was no mistaking family, and indeed the genin can see something of a similarity around the eyes of the two women. "Eiko." There's a readiness about her, as if expecting a fight, though her tone is far calmer than a moment ago. "I like your genin. You should treat them better," Fumi (http://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=1561698)berates, folding her arms. She grips her own bicep hard. "Didn't you have a mission to attend?"

[Cespenar]

Keita doesn't respond to the head patting, but he does start at the obvious similarity between the two ninja when the revelation is made. He looks at the pair for a moment, shifting his gaze from one to the other, and then lets it stay on Noise expectantly.

[ZeroNumerous]

"I am not a pacifist, so that's enough to tell us apart. The hair dye is for my own sake. I look better like this." Noise is blunt and efficient in her dialogue, and stares at her younger sister with the brutal appraisal of a drill sergeant. Her voice has hardened into steel, and to the kids it becomes obvious that she's speaking differently.

"You still need to wear clothes. Someone's going to think you're a streetwalker dressed like that." She ignores Keita's stare, and dismisses her sister's comments with a casual wave of her hand.

"Stealing the identity of an ANBU member is a capital punishment crime. I needed to make sure you knew just what you were getting yourself into." When Fumi tries to redirect the conversation toward her genin, then Eiko simply shakes her head. "They're soft idiots. At best they're meatshields for later, and at worst they're just actively detrimental to me."

Unlike Fumi, Eiko is relaxed and standing in a loose casual stance with her arms crossed under her chest. Her body language says it's simply a conversation, though she is a bit defensive, but her voice betrays the steel in her spine and her relationship with her sister. "You came for a reason, so we may as well deal with that now."

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

"Perhaps you should introduce me." The young woman nods in Keita's direction, noting his and Aya's quiet confusion. She raises an eyebrow but hardly seems shaken as she's berated, "I'm being slagged off as a streetwalker by the Bimbo Kitten of Konoha, of all people?"

Fumi makes an eerily similar wave of the hand to Eiko to dismiss the charges against herself, though wrinkles her mouth as she notices the similarity herself. "Well you'll be pleased to know I've not stolen anyone's identity. I mean, unless you needed an excuse to kill a family member." The accusation in her voice practically drips to the floor.

She purses her lips eyeing the Jounin as she demands the reason for her presence. "I was curious about your Genin. And maybe I missed you. It's been a couple of months now since you moved out of the compound. You and oneesan have been avoiding each other since that time, it's quite sad." Though her face is steeled, her voice falters a little as even she isn't sure what she's being sarcastic about. "Taking care of it now..." Her muscles tense as Noise senses violent intent from the woman, but her eyes to your genin and the intent fades. "I'll spare these kids the drama." She takes a deep breath, inhaling by the mouth for entirely too long in a way obviously instructed as part of some exercise in calmness she hasn't yet mastered, and with great effort, raises a foot and shuffles back a single step from Noise. "I'll go back to the village now. Unless you'd prefer I stick around. I'm off the clock, after all..." Her smarter instincts tell her to leave, yet she's compelled to stay, and doesn't take her eyes off of Noise, constantly studying her, as she reminds you that she has all the time in the world, almost begging Noise to invite or force her to stay. There's a force in the air that tickles the nose like sweat, mud and opportunity, or perhaps disaster.

[Cespenar]

When a while passes and no one is in a hurry to introduce anyone, Keita nods to the young woman in greeting.

"Imagawa Keita, glad to meet you... though I guess you already knew my name."

"So, you're her younger sister?" he asks after some seconds, polite if a bit needless.

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

Aya nods at introductions, introducing herself even more awkwardly than Keita. "I'm Senju Ayameko but you seem to already know that, yeah..."

Fumi turns her head to Keita and some of her tension seems to lower as she nods, first to Aya, then focussing on Keita. "Good deduction. You look a lot like Mayumi-chan around the eyes but your voice isn't so sarcastic. The name's Ina Fumi. Sorry I already rad your profiles. Just a regular old genin of Konoha, like you. If you ask me I'd be a chuunin by now if I hadn't taken a leave of absence when I became Eiko-chan's youngest surviving relative. Has she said anything about that to you, I wonder?" Of course there were no circumstances by which she would receive such a promotion as the chuunin exams were not for another few months so she only brings it up to awkwardly segue, it seems. Like Noise, she doesn't seem to wear her headband in plain sight.

Talking it out seems to give her some courage to explain herself further at Eiko rather than completely stilting her conversation. "You've been avoiding me, and oneesan. I had to track down what you were up to by researching your genin first. You're more distant than ever. Why don't you come home for a bit after this? Oneesan acts like she doens't want to see you, but... why would that be true?" she asks with faux-innocence, once again trying to stir at any guilty conscience Noise may have. "It's sweet that you're taking on genin now. I hope you make a nice little found family out of them." Ayameko viscerally gags at the thought of Noise as a mother figure, though Fumi raises an eyebrow at the apparent overreaction to her borderline sarcasm.

Just as Fumi seems emboldened to poke the beehive more, there's a quake upon the earth on which you stand as your eyes are drawn in the direction of the forest as it feels like a blast of heat comes from that direction. Just as soon as it appeared though, you feel it gone as simply an old man stands there, wearing a coat over traditional dress as he leans forward, apparently putting all his weight on a crudely crafted club of a walking stick. Bald or perhaps obsessively shaved, but with plenty of hair on his eyebrows and a flowing beard, his eyes are barely open but he seems to examine each of you. He looks to be in the twilight years of his life, but seems composed as she walks forward, the spiral mark of the Fujiwara from the mission scroll's seal apparent on his overcoat. "Our seals on the forest detected you entering then leaving the boundaries and high chakra activity, almost like an ambush," the geezer explains. As he says 'our' two out of breath figures run out from behind him, catching up apparently. Two more white haired people though the hardly seem to ancient, a young boy (http://img1.ak.crunchyroll.com/i/spire1/5220dc3a2deaf4b22216e8eecc2f37b11289533111_full.jp g) with spiky hair and accessorised goggles, and an older woman (http://s1181.photobucket.com/user/HazeMoon/media/21430wall_zps277daf3b.jpg.html) in a nature-inappropriate dress bearing great resemblance to one other. "Are things quite alright? Are you the leaf ninja we were waiting for?" he continues before the others can introduce himself. "Ashes to ashes. I am Fujiwara Genryu."

The boy doubles over to support himself with his hands on his knees, before Genryu sideglances him and he clears his throat, brushing it off. "Wait, doesn't Konoha use 3-man cells with a Jounin commander? I count five." Genryu ignores him however, and just looks at Team One plus their hanger-on expectantly

Fumi gulps and looks to Eiko, recognising the old man's name, as it occurs to her she's gotten herself into something much bigger than she was expecting. "How... honoured to see you in the flesh so soon in my career, sir," she says, bowing slightly at the waist, though again Genryu takes it for granted and ignores her gesture.

ANBU offer a special program for accelerated training of genin who become cadets in their rank, which allows for wartime chuunin promotion even when in times of peace. She might not be totally lying about an association with ANBU, however an ANBU cadet doesn't have any particular authority to call themselves and act like a real ANBU within the village until actually promoted, as it's just a special training program in the specialised wetworks of ANBU such as body disposal. Even if that's true, she's acting without a mandate and could well face punishment for claiming to be a real ANBU.

Genryu is evoking a codeword from the mission scroll. The correct response if you feel safe is "dust to dust" to which he should respond "Even the Fire Dragon rots."

Fujiwara Genryu is the strongest or at least most renowned of his clan. In fact many know his name without knowing he belongs to it, though his generation has passed by he's still in local legends around the continent as a powerful and perhaps wreckless mercenary and master swordsman able to summon flames with a single swing of his sword, though he hardly seems armed with such a thing currently. If this were 20 years ago, he would be perhaps the biggest asset Konoha stands to gain from this merging of the three clans into its ranks, though even if he has much power at all remaining the word is that his son has long since replaced him as clan head.

He's one of the five Sword Saints of the Lesser Countries, similarly to Okasawa Misako, who maintain the order of the lesser countries and collective "No Man's Land" not under the control of major feudal lords. His rank is not an ordered or allied one, simply a designator of those who bear one of the Five Mystic Swords of Fading and use it to attack with the elemental style of the Sword Saints. It is said, however, that there is a loose agreement that in the event feudal lords should try to expand their borders or conquer villages, the Sword Saints are expected to ally to keep them in line.

It is said the Five Mystic Swords of Fading are useless scrap without the calling command of their trained master. Similar to how Noise knows of Okasawa's sword seeming to cause rain when drawn, perhaps that rain is a prerequisite for its use, and similarly it is possible Genryu's sword is sealed away and concealed on his person, possibly as his walking stick as the proportions are right.

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise blatantly ignores Fumi, and admonishes the children for talking to strangers. "Don't talk to idiots kids."

When Genryu shows up Noise smiles. "You're just in time", the jounin says adopting her insanity once more. "This woman followed us and wanted to attack us! Could you be so kind as to defend me?"

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

The spiky haired boy eyes up Noise, turning his nose up at her like a real brat when she requests they attack Fumi. "Is that a joke? I thought the Mibu hired you as bodyguards for Katsumi, if you can't even defend yourselves on the way over what good are you?"

The woman just chuckles, in one smooth motion swiping a strand of hair from her face and some subtle sweat from her brow as she unfolds her arms and starts forming a hand seal. "We should secure our meeting place though, and I could use a workout~" her voice sweet yet dangerous, like the taste of blood in the mouth.

"H-hey now, quite joking, sis..." Fumi pleads, somehow finding a way to turn even paler as she takes a step back. "Y-yeah, it's just a joke, this scout's just here to back us up, right Ina-sensei?" Aya says, trying to back up Fumi.

Old man Genryu just lifts an outstretched hand in the air and the woman stops her technique, tutting disappointedly. "Ashes to ashes," he repeats, dragging out the syllables as if addressing children.

"D-dust to dust!" Fumi says tentatively.

Genryu opens one eye a little more only to exaggerate as he squints at Fumi, annoyed. "Hm. You brought a codebreaker, and a nervous one at that, suspicious," he says, sighing, not even bothering to give the last part of the password. "Present your mission scroll at least and I'll show you to the package. It's best to get this over, even if you lot are terribly suspicious, or worse, not taking your mission seriously. Three genin and two streetwalkers without their headbands."

[ZeroNumerous]

When the boy admonishes the group Noise just smiles. "Children should be seen, not heard. Especially when they're spoiled rotten."

"We didn't bring anyone with us. She followed us of her own accord. I have no idea why she's here, and she was sneaking around as she followed us." Noise continues to tell the absolute truth, leaving out nothing but key history that is ultimately irrelevant to the situation at hand. "If she knows the passcodes then you've got a lot of problems~"

When the old man calls her a streetwalker however, Noise just smiles. "If I remember correctly the Mibu only hired three young ninja as honor guards. Their jounin doesn't come with the costs, unless you're saying this is an S-Rank mission and they intentionally undersold the Leaf village. I'm sure Hokage-sama would be quite upset that such a worthless clan put his beautiful youthful children in danger~"

Furthermore, when the old man asks for the mission scroll Noise simply looks at the genin. Her eyes are blank and mirthless, yet smiling as she tries to convey a warning to the children. Do not follow the orders of your lessers.

Noise uses her Grifting checks to insult the old man and the child, taking 10 for 27(25 vs non-shinobi).

She'll also use Grifting to pass on her message to the kids: Don't let the old man boss you around. You're leaf-nin, not his clansmen. Same 27.

[Overlord Rion]

Yue closes her eyes and tries not to clench her fists in frustration. Of course, she fails at this. Whether the sting from her past failure at grabbing a simple book from Noise, or whether now having the Fujiwara Genryu in front of her, but something snapped, and suddenly Yue didn't feel like being in the background anymore. In fact, this Yue was a lot more forceful than anyone in the academy had ever seen, and in fact following Noise's orders without actually understanding the message. "Sensei, stay out of this, we've got it handled, you look like you've got your own issues to handle." She looks from Noise to the other three. "As for you, Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Easy to remember codephrase for us lowly genin. I feel like you might be forgetting something, besides a little respect for people who came all the way out here on a goodwill mission."

[ZeroNumerous]

Noise inwardly smiles as Yue finally stands up for herself. It only took the better part of two days for her to do so, and once it came out Noise couldn't savor the opportunity or even pat her on the head for being a good dog. However, when Yue oversteps her bounds and tells Noise not to defend herself from accusations, the Jounin simply shakes her head. "Yue-chan. You can't allow clients to insult the village, and insulting the skills of its ninja is insulting the village. After all, these people are allowed to live in their little hovels by the graciousness of the Leaf, and it is only our village's magnanimous nature that we haven't been tasked with wiping them out."

Naturally the jounin casually removes her cloak, and drops the 70 kilo weight onto the ground. "But, I suppose if the Fujiwara clan are incapable of defending their territory from intruders--especially ones who follow guests without their consent--then I will simply have to do the work they're unable to do~"

The jounin equips her brass knuckles, and for a moment actually looks like a leaf-nin: The uniform, the serious look on her face, and the weaponry all marking her as an actual ninja. She maneuvers to place herself between Fumi and the Fujiwara, but faces Fumi not the three clans men. "Any last words, interloper?" To everyone present it seems she's quite prepared to fight the interloper, and certainly wasn't plotting to murder an old man.

Noise makes her plan, equips her gear, drops her limiters, then assumes her Tiger Grasp Style. She'll Grifting to make it appear as if she's going to face off against Fumi: Taking 10 for 27(25 vs non-ninja) or [roll0](-2 vs non-ninja) if she can't take 10.

[Cespenar]

Keita blinks, not quite grasped how the conversation has devolved to this much of a mess. Failure to communicate, probably, on both sides. Though even in this confusion, Keita can't help but agree with Yue's stance. He takes place behind her like a poor excuse of a bodyguard, and waits for the old man to complete the pass phrase.

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

As Keita moves to hide behind Yue, Aya steps over to hide an extra layer behind Keita. "This is getting crazy and we've not even arrived at the first compound yet..."

There's a rumbling in Genryu's throat as he focuses his gaze on Yue and Eiko, his nostrils flaring as he inhales. The white haired woman and boy suddenly take a step back, not wanting to get in his way, though the woman at least rallies her words. "I-if you want these ones scrubbed out, just say so, pap. They aren't worth a hand seal from you."

"Brat? I'm the clan heir, harlot of the Leaf," the boy retorts, annoyed. "Or I will be once you've finished this job anyway, so I guess I'll thank you for that ahea-" before he can finish, Genryu shifts his head and looks back at the boy and he falls deathly silent as he's reminded of his place.

Fumi stares at Eiko for a long moment as she makes to threaten her, looking back in the direction she came from as if to scamper off, but suddenly puts her eyes forward and takes a stance. Standing up to a Jounin, whether because she stood a chance or didn't think Eiko would really hurt her, she stands firm, eyes focussed as she reaches for her own brass knuckles. "Aren't we on the same side, sis?" she asks innocently.

"Even the fire dragon rots," Genryu suddenly intones, breathing out slowly in a way as some rage-controlling exercise. He looks to Yue, seeming to concede to her. "If the Mibu only sent for genin, then I suppose we'll just act responsibly."

The woman looks endlessly annoyed at that. "What? Come on, not even a stern warning for their talking back? You'd beat me for less back in the day."

Genryu shakes his head. "I am the one who directed our clan to seek allegiance to the Mibu and, so too, to the Leaf. So I am responsible for creating mutual respect with our these ninja, for they will become and effectively are our comrades. That's enough infighting between all of us. Settle whatever it is you two have, then you're welcome to join the genin. Shinichi. Lead them to Katsumi."

The boy looks at Fumi's belt, seeming to eye the cell phone and opens his mouth to speak, seeming to make the same observation as Keita and similarly chooses not to voice it, groaning instead. He responds to 'Shinichi' and scoffs, but ultimately bows after rolling his eyes. "Right, you three genin. Come with me. Unless you'd rather stick around for some silly fight." He turns his back without a second thought and starts walking into the woods without waiting for anyone.

[Cespenar]

Keita wholesale ignores the aggressive remarks of the boy and the girl, but focuses on the old man. Belligerent youngsters were a trademark of the line of work, but the old man was apparently above that. Keita sidesteps Yue to become visible, and then bows -- not too deep but with respect.

"You speak with wisdom, Fujiwara-san. By the way, we haven't fully introduced ourselves if I recall correctly. I am Imagawa Keita."

After both sides introduce themselves, Keita pulls his team to the side and addresses Fumi, lowering his voice.

"Ina-san, I hope I'm not being rude, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave unless you dispose of that cellphone." If Noise glances at him, he turns to her to explain. "It's fully functional, with long range emitter and all. The ones that the village explicitly forbids."

"This mission looks like it's going to be messy enough as it is."

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

Genryu nods towards Keita, already haven given his name and already leaning hard enough on his stave to be called bowing. Aya gives her name and similarly bows.

"Hmph. Fujiwara Taya. The brat is Fujiwara Shinichi," the woman says without bowing, Shinichi pausing a few paces into the forest at his name, tapping his foot and waiting for the genin to come. "If you two are going to fight, make it an interesting fight at least so my eyes can gather your techniques," she giggles with sardonic mischief as a spiral pattern appears in her eyes, her pupils and turning into a white whirl, as she manifests the Doukagan.

Fumi doesn't look at Keita as he makes his request of her, still posing herself in a defensive stance, readying some counterattack in case Eiko really went through on her threats. "Not the best time... these things are forbidden? I can't get rid of it though, sorry. I've got a contact who only calls me through it. I guess I'll just need to leave then..." Despite her words, she doesn't move yet in case she give Noise an opening.

[Princess Tracy]

Team One (Genin: Yue and Keita)

Shinichi hurries you along away from whatever drama was playing out between the Ina sisters that the other two Fujiwara stick around to watch. Aya hesitates a moment but decides it's improper to interfere and she wouldn't know what she would do anyway, and ultimately hurries along. If the genin follow, he strolls along Northward, with his hands in his pockets, stomping about with poor posture and sour expression, and as few words as possible - save for casual insults. "You spooked Katsumi's guards when your teacher's jutsu set off the alarm seals, so they took her back to the compound. Old man says to take you to Katsumi, so I guess that's where we're going. Doesn't seem proper, but whatever. When your weirdo jounins take care of stuff they'll catch up, so at least I don't have to rush." The forest trees roll on by as he navigates around dark openings. "Hey wait, you're an Imagawa. When did you guys get mixed up with Konoha? I guess the old man's got a point. Even if we hate each other, joining up with different clans is just the way of the future."

[Cespenar]

Keita nods at Shinichi's explanations, and shrugs when asked about the Imagawa.

"Oh, a couple years ago, I guess. Our elders considered the options, and decided this was the strategic route to take. And hate is such a strong word anyway. It's just politics up there where it matters."

Jaded words coming from a seemingly positive young man. Still, he glances at the clan heir for a moment before he continues.

"Do you actually feel hate against your clan's enemies?"

[Princess Tracy]

Team One (Genin)

Keita asking if he really hates other clans gets an incredulous look from Shinichi and seems to drag a rant out of him - with how it drags on one suspects he's wanted someone to talk to about it for a while now. "You're brought up your whole life to defend what's your's and trust nobody, learning all manner of killing and counter espionage techniques. Then one day the old guard, same people that told you how a moment's trust of an outside ninja could destroy your whole clan, they turn around and say it's time for us to make friends. Suddenly we're supposed to forget our trained mindset, our daily lives of paranoia, even our experience on the battlefield, and say it's time for us to drop our guard, open our borders, even move in together with clans we've mutually drawn blood from in combat. It might be the right thing to do - if old man Genryu can overcome his rage issues to concede that I guess we all can - but it's a big ask to expect us to all suddenly be cool with it. Of course I hate the other clans - every ninja outside of my compound has been as good as an enemy my entire life. But we're just gonna have to... get over that, huh?"

He tuts and shrugs his shoulders, pacing on. "Can you really love your family and your own life if you're not prepared to defend it, even kill for it? And how can you be ready to kill if you wouldn't hate those who would take what you love from you? You leaf ninja are pretty peace loving, but even you should get that."

Aya opens her mouth to say something but again thinks better of it. It's been a pretty wild few minutes and it doesn't seem like she's secured her mental footing yet.

Shinichi knocks on the bark of a seemingly random tree and suddenly a thicket to your side clears, some genjutsu-like effect lifting to reveal another path. "I should probably have blindfolded you guys, buuut. Hey I guess showing you our backs is a matter of trust, right? Having you guys tour around to our compounds to collect the bloodline brides is some kinda ceremony. So how strong are you guys? You look kind of beat up, did that barely dressed girl really start **** with you? Not that it's any of my business but... Katsumi's still family." He marches on. "If you wanted to stab me in the back, now's a good time. The compound's just a few more minutes in this direction."

"Bloodline brides". A practice of an era forgotten in Konoha. Ninja clans sell women baring the blood of powerful ninja, particularly possessing Advanced Bloodlines, but who are specifically not trained in the use of chakra, techniques, or any method to defend themselves. Worse still than other political marriages, a bloodline bride is born and raised for the purposes of allowing her breeding in another clan to be a direct source of power; unable to use her latent powers herself, they instead pass onto the next generation to make that clan stronger. As the decision on whether or not to train a kunoichi must come early, they are an arranged marriage even before the suitor is chosen, a political tool for a weaker clan to negotiate giving its power to a stronger one without being annihilated, or for two stronger clans to gain kinship through mutual exchange, with few thoughts spared for the poor girl given up as sacrifice herself.

[Cespenar]

Keita raises an eyebrow against the boy's rant, but listens silently to the end. When he opens his mouth, even if he's systemically arguing against his every point, he does so in a casual pace, his tone and gestures relaxed, amiable.

"One doesn't necessarily kill to defend. Just as one doesn't necessarily hate in order to kill," Keita replies calmly, refusing to concede the point that Shinichi apparently saw as "obvious". He does check his back to see if Noise is listening, though.

"About your, or rather perhaps the majority of us ninja's upbringing, you are of course mostly correct. You have summarized the old status-quo and the recent diplomatic attempts quite well. Even so, having ourselves diagnosed, aren't our mission, if not as a ninja, then as a person, to rise above it?"

He changes his tone a bit, to a more nihilistic note. "And if you would only like to look at it pragmatically, well, as I said, hate is not really an efficient tool in our job as well. It clouds judgement and muddles the brain."

When the boy passes on to his more chaotic and meaningless remarks, Keita lightens up and chuckles.

"I don't know. Everyone seems strong to their own eyes, I guess. Thanks for your trust, though. We reciprocate by resisting the urge to stab you in the back as you said," he counters the boy's sarcasm, chuckling again.

[Princess Tracy]

Katsumi (I'm pretty sure I scared Shimmer off, but may as well try)

Whether Katsumi responds to Naoto's feelings or not, they eventually calm and curtsy before moving to leave. "I hope I'll see you again, mistress..."
If not stopped, that's all that is said. It would be improper for Naoto to make you waver from your plan, after all.

The day after

Your sensei in all things feminine, formal and proper, Kiyoku Hoku (http://www.renders-graphiques.fr/galerie/Animes-et-Manga-4/Yuyama-Kakunojou-Bak-115398.htm) fusses over you plenty from the moment you wake up, coming in with a brigade of maids who each either promptly starts looking around for your possessions to pack away, or help Hoku in her agenda of fixing your makeup. "Hey there, Katsumi-chaaaan~ It's, like, totally the day. I'm not supposed to tell you this, but you're getting married! Isn't that fab? You gotta act surprised when they tell you at breakfast today or else I'll be in trouble, m'kay?" She acts vapid, but beneath it all, she is a ninja. For every scrap of advice given to you on how to add frills to a dress, it's always tempered with the function of 'this distracts from any hidden blades in your sleeve' or at the very least 'once this gets you into his bed, you can bend his ear all he likes'. A kunoichi of fewer means than those of great clans and fantastic bloodlines, just as farmers made weapons of trowels, so to does she make a weapon of her appearance and encourage you to do the same. But as you go now in peace, that seems for naught.

As she rushes about you, she snaps her fingers and has a maid produce a specially made, pure white kimono in your size. "This Kimono of Suppressing will eat away at your excess chakra and allow you to appear as an untrained civilian. I know what you're thinking, 'but Kiyoku-sensei, how will that help me if I'm naked or having to wear something else'. Don't worry, I'm quite the master of sewing~ You see, it's all in the sash. The seal in the sash combined with the silk the garment is made of actually eats and stores your chakra. The longer you wear it, the more your energy will be sapped until you really are as depleted as a civilian. However, in a pinch, you can draw out chakra from the sash. I used this very same garment once, you should be thankful I could get it configured to your size." She rambles on, quite ignoring whatever turmoil you present. "Put it on now so you can be good and cleansed of all that pesky chakra by the time your escort comes." She talks very on your level, as if you'd already been filled in on the details of becoming a bloodline bride, as she doesn't even explain why you would NEED to pass as a civilian unless you think to answer her. "Now why don't you go get a good full breakfast and a good full look at your clan before your carriage ride out?"

Gain Kimono Sash of Sealing. Greater Sealed Item, Belt slot. Reduce chakra signature to Faint when worn. Every minute worn, make a DC 15 Fortitude save or lose 1d6 chakra, until your chakra pool is 10 or less. The sash can contain up to 50 chakra. Any extracted chakra is stored in the item itself. The user can extract their own chakra which has been sealed in the Sash while they are in contact with it, as if drawing from their chakra reserves, making the same check DC, and depleting an equivalent amount from the Sash. After 8 hours of not being worn the sash loses chakra at a rate of 5 chakra per hour.

Team One (Genin)

"Well, aren't you philosophical?" Shinichi brushes off Keita, apparently not interested in debating the current state of affairs. "I'd say it's a leader's place to rise above it, and I didn't ask to be some leader. Until we decided to make Katsumi the Bloodline Bride, she would have inherited..." He clears his throat, seeming to think better of speaking freely.

Aya tugs Yue's sleeve, looking expectantly, "Hey, what's a bloodline bride?" she asks innocently, and rather quietly.

"Anyway, guys like Genryu do a good job rising above anger and seeing the end result rather than the really annoying transition to get there. He hates outsider ninja way more than I do and for better reasons than any of us, but he still made my uncle set all this up. I think being in charge is about knowing when to swallow some of the pride that made you want to be a leader in the first place." He brushes even his own words off by yawning. "If nothing gets screwed up in your mission, we'll be comrades of the leaf, so that'll be something."

Eventually you come to a thicket of trees which gives way to a downhill slope, leading onto high walls. As you walk close however you see the slop actually points upwards - some flicker of the light confuses you as you look down but find yourself bending your knees to walk uphill towards the walls. Aya gags like the disorientation will make her throw up, but Shinichi's eyes just change colour and shape, gaining a white spiral in place of his pupils, and seems to see just fine. "These are some trippy genjutsus protecting this place..." "Yeah, they're specifically attuned to the Doukagan. An outsider army assaulting these walls wouldn't even be able to draw a beat with their artillery since they can't tell what angle to aim at, but any awakened Fujiwara can come and go through this forest as they please." He escorts you around the perimeter until you happen upon an opening in the form of a cast-iron gate, already opened by raising it via winch.

As he leads you in, you are greeted by maids who bow at Shinichi's presence but eye each of you suspiciously. You notice a modern firearm at each of their hips as it seems they're all bodyguards either disguised as maids, or pulling double duty. "Welcome to the Fujiwara compound," he comments as he leads you through the gatehouse into the compound proper. There's a small collection of ornate high class buildings evoking a bygone era, and wherever you go, a small gaggle of armed maids stalk you, no doubt protecting Shinichi. "I like your uniforms," Aya compliments one of them, only to be promptly ignored.

Make a DC 20 will save or be sickened for as long as you're at the perimeter, plus [roll0] minutes, during which you take a -4 penalty to attack and defence with ranged attacks, and perception against opponents with at least 10 feet of high ground advantage.

Team One (Noise)

Taya folds her arms. "Hurry up and kill each other already, I'm getting bored. Shinichi's probably already arrived by now," she says, her eyes still active as she examines the Ina sisters. "Your chakra looks weak for a Jounin... way too weak. Suppressing it that much is just too obvious, ha ha."

Fumi ignores the bloodlusting woman's comments though, save for flinching at the suggestion to kill each other. She takes one more calming breath and loosens out of her battle stance, instead switching to one bustling with speed. "Since the genin have got here safely and I'm not invited any further... I guess this is where I leave you. Don't do anything stupid. Oh, and I've got some questions for you when you get back. I'd prefer to ask you over tea than have to go over your head." With that Fumi spins around and kicks the ground hard, leaping forward up the hill and behind rocks, disappearing from sight a fair while away.

"Aww. Are you really just gonna let her diss you and run away like that?"

"Enough. Either pursue her if she's a threat, or let us continue. Do you have a name, leaf-jounin?" Genryu requests, forcing some more respect into his voice.

Fumi uses Shunpou and hustles away at max speed, disappearing onto a rock cluster about 200 feet away.

[Cespenar]

Keita blinks rapidly upon encountering the genjutsu, and tries to suppress the nausea he feels beginning to develop. Seeing Aya, he tries to steady her up even though he's no better at all; and he refrains from responding to Shinichi as if keeping a stoic manner, where he's only doing so out of stopping a possible gag reflex. Of course, the Fujiwara would easily see him through, probably having encountered this kind of reaction a lot. He glances at Yue to see how she's doing.

When they finally clear the genjutsu and enter the compound proper, he finds the courage to reply back without throwing up.

"Thank you for having us." He eyes the firearms on the maid's belts. "You have embraced the new ways more quickly than most, it seems like," he adds conversationally.

[Princess Tracy]

Yue, Keita

Aya does her best to perk up as you approach a little village behind the walls, from which you see a carriage is waiting, horse drawn with the veil pulled to hide whoever's riding in it. "Is that the package... hey, should I try and break this bloody genjutsu or are we cool with riding it out?" Aya offers the group.

Shinichi gives a clap of his hands as Aya and Keita wince trying to support each others weight from the nauseating geometry of this place. "Here we are anyway. So, what's the plan? It's you guys' mission to transport my cousin, but I heard you're picking up an Ishimaru too. If you're already in the compound you might as well rest up and take it on tomorrow since the wedding's not for a week." He leans against a wall and the maids tailing you just stop and stare. "Anyone want drinks?"

Katsumi

Later that day

Within a few hours you run through the whole charade. Your father doesn't come to breakfast, instead old man Genryu presents himself as a silent backup to your mother who puts on her best stony face possible and explains the fate you already know of to you, to be a bloodline bride. You don't see Naoto that morning, as she makes herself quite scarce, but once you come to sit in the back seat of the carriage after breakfast, you see she was true to her word as digging about the cushions you find the seam to a hidden compartment in which you peek your ninja gear... and plenty of contraceptives. You're eventually brought out via ornate horse-drawn carriage to a meeting spot and wait for a couple of hours, looked over by a small honur guard of powerful relatives (and Shinichi) but all of a sudden there's a high pitched ringing indicate someone's attacking past the barrier jutsu of the compound's forest, and you're hurried back to the compound. You now find yourself sitting in the middle of the compound, still alone in the carriage, awaityijg further instruction.

[Overlord Rion]

Aya's question about bloodline brides catches Yue off guard for a moment, but fortunately Yue knows the answer to this question. She leans in so as to not be heard. "A bloodline bride is somebody who doesn't manifest the bloodline, but still carries it, so they marry them off into strong clans in the hopes of strengthening future generations. I read a few stories about them, and most of them were depressing." She shrugs off any follow-up questions Aya might have, and instead tries to deal with the genjutsu at the gate. She fails miserably, of course, genjutsu being her biggest weakness. "Just ride it out, we won't be dealing with it long." At the offer of drinks, Yue just names off drinks until she reaches one the compound has.

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

After arriving safe and sound at the Fujiwara compound, Genryu puts on a most hospitable front and shows you to your rooms, preferring you all be in peak condition for transporting his granddaughter in the morning. Keita is able to get his burned clothes repaired by some of the gun-toting maids. In the morning, all the preparations are set and Team One heads out on a caravan. They're afforded a horse drawn carriage of their own to ride in front of the more exquisite white-painted carriage transporting the bloodline bride. Ayameko rides in the cabin of that carriage to keep an eye on her, while Keita is certainly not allowed a look past the veil at a girl on her way to marriage. Even if it was a completely fake political and eugenicist marriage. Aya spent the whole night grumbling about it, but clammed up whenever Noise was there, now visibly flinching at her presence and apparently worried she would be ridiculed for such notions as supporting "true love" or "the freedom of a young woman not to be put into reproductive slavery". You're afforded two maids, one of whom wears frills like the others yet somehow seems genderless in your eyes, and each of them drives the carriages by masterfully guiding the horses.

As you trundle along eventually you receive radio communication deferring your orders regarding the Ishimaru. "The Ishimaru are renegotiating the terms of... marriage," says a man's voice after you exchange the proper pass phrases. "Report with the Fujiwara bride directly to the Mibu compound. We'll recommission the transport of the Ishimaru at a later date. That is all," he says before crackling away into nothing.

By mid-afternoon you arrive at the opulant, palace-like abode of the Mibu. They don't make the effort to hide like the Fujiwara, instead displaying themselves proudly for all those across the countryside to see. Before you get in the gate however, your carriages are received by the Mibu's ninja; they tell you to return to Konoha for your payment and respectfully bow before escorting the Fujiwara brides' carriage inside without you.

The trip to the Mibu compound and then back to Konoha passes without incident.

By sundown, you are back in Konoha once more and it seems time to disband and retire for the night.

Episode 1: End

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

After returning from their first mission, Yue and Keita don't hear from Noise again for a week and seem to be left to their own devices to train or take care of whatever responsibility they care to. After a week though, they receive a letter from messenger-nin, telling them to meet at a bar in a shady part of town.

After trouble finding a Jounin to officiate her graduation into the field, Kanzeon receives a letter telling her of a meetup place for her new instructor and team. The "Worm's Bite" bar. IN all your time in Konoha, you don't think you've ever seen such a dimly busy drinking establishment before noon.

The three genin arrive outside the bar at around the same time, in the middle of the day no less. Kotoba is free to make her entrance however she likes.

[ZeroNumerous]

The message Kotoba left for Yue and Keita read fairly simply: "Come to the Worm's Bite at lunch. It's about your instructor. Ask for straight whiskey from the bartender. Loudly." She didn't leave an address or anything, and fully expected the kids to find their own way to the bar. Of course, she chose the seediest dive she knew in order to meet the genin. She picked a place that was dark inside at high noon, with a front door stained by dried blood and vomit, and a bouncer with knuckles so swollen it was like he was wearing brass knuckles of bone underneath his skin. Kotoba picked a place that breathed in alcoholics and exhaled them onto the street, and several were always laying on the curb in pools of their own vomit no matter what time of day it was. The inside of which had more smoke than oxygen, and smelled of fire and blood.

Naturally the jounin arrived an hour early, and picked out a place on a grimy barstool near the center of the building. She sat with her back to the door and windows, completely exposed and looking utterly out of place. She sat between two men in pressed suits, both looking immaculate and clean despite the bar in front of them stained with who knows what. On her left sat a man in a black suit. Rugged skin, worn by weather and sun, graced his square head. A variety of cuts and scars mark his face, but the most prominent is an obviously fresh slash marring the whole left side of his head. It snaked down from his eyebrow to his chin, curling to avoid his eye and temple, but not deep enough to rip through his cheek. Someone marked him intentionally, but did so without maiming or slaying him. To her right sat a man in a white suit, a much younger counterpart to his old and scarred compatriot. His face bore a youthful glow that was more inexperience and passion than rationality, yet he bore a mirrored wound matching his fellow man: The same deliberate marking rather like a man whittling his memories into wood.

The woman sat between the two men, making sure she sat where they couldn't bleed on her. She wore a belt of jingling golden rings linked together by golden hearts, a jacket the color of burnished bronze with cuff links of golden spades, a red plaid tie marked by golden clip of four diamonds arranged in a larger diamond pattern. Her skirt, the same color as her jacket, was patterned with golden clubs. She seemed to be going for a card motif, but it just made her stick out more in the shady dive. Of course, the most damning evidence is the familiar Leaf ninja vest she wore over her whole ensemble. A katana, held in a hard sheath of polished ivory, hangs loosely off her belt.

Kotoba waits patiently for her kids to show up, having cowed the two yakuza who had come earlier to bother the poor old man who owned the place. She liked the place, despite the variety of problems coming from the mob that protected it. Of course, when she noticed the yakuza trying to rough up a man at least three times their age she couldn't stand by. She was very careful to carve their place in the world into their flesh, and now was sitting them down to think about what they had done.

[Ionbound]

Kanzeon spends a good half-hour before the established time re-reading the message she'd been sent, checking with her peers, and otherwise generally disbelieving that her new Jounin-sensei wants to meet in a bar. However, after being assured that no, there wasn't a mistake, and yes, you do have to go to the bar to meet your new sensei, Kanzeon shows up to the bar in her green jumpsuit, looking rather resigned and disappointed, even moreso as she sees the other two Genin, now confirmed that she's where she's meant to be.

Kanzeon sighs and fiddles with her glasses as she looks up at the bar and says, "I suppose I'm your new team-mate, then...Is this really where our Jounin wants to meet us? It seems...Rather unprofessional."

[Cespenar]

Keita arrives at the place with really not much surprise, still believing to have Noise as their instructor and the owner of this latest message. With his sandy blond hair combed (or at least tamed), he sports a well-treated battle vest upon rather comfortable-looking shirt and jeans. He greets the newcomer with a smile, though he does raise an eyebrow.

"Hey there. You're our new team-mate? Cool. I'm Imagawa Keita. I wonder what happened to Aya-kun?

"Well, Eiko-sensei has rather harsh training methods, so I'm not surprised, really. Don't get disappointed though, she's efficient... I guess."

***

If after some point they do go in, Keita takes in the place slowly, examining his surroundings but making sure to not glare so much as to draw any needless antagonism. After several seconds, he goes over to the bar and says with a loud voice, "Sir! Three straight whiskeys!"

Anyway, I can retcon stuff if we do know Kotoba took Noise's place.

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

The drunks outside the bar pay little heed to the ninja - being blackout drunk enough to get chucked out by this point in the day left little for a discerning eye. Once they head in however, the crowd seems to part seas around them to allow them a path to the bar. When Keita orders his drinks, there's a quiet lull in the conversation of the bar before the chatter returns once more. The barkeep turns to Keita, raising an eyebrow at the kid before looking a little closer and seeing your headband and giving a slight nod. He reaches for three shot glasses and starts pouring out one each for Kanzeon, Keita and Yue.

"Hey no, dude! You can't, you just can't, c'mon." There's a ruckus kicked up at the back as you see someone else with a headband, a man with spiky black hair, some off duty genin or chuunin with the rosy cheeks of a drunk. "Purple hair man, purple eyes, I can see it from back here. Bad news, man, bad news, don't, don't let her drink, throw tat glass away." The crowd parts, allowing you a better look of the man swung far too back in his chair. It seems as rough as this bar was they don't get in the way of ninja. One presumes from the way one wall at the back has been reduced to charcoal that the more sober men here learned the hard way not to start a brawl with a shinobi in the place. "Nobody kiss her, snake girl, we'll all diiiiiiieeeee," he slurs as he almost falls out of its chair when he lets it rock forward, planting himself on the ground.

The barkeep shakes his head. "Go home Shin, your wife's waiting since last night."

"No way, man, she's a, you know, the thing!" Shin puts his hand in front of his mouth and imitates the jaw of a predator snapping shut.

[Cespenar]

Keita doesn't touch the liquor, but leaves the barkeep to move over to the drunk shinobi and offer him a hand.

"Come on, he says you're wife is waiting. She must be worrying hard about you. Where is your home?"

Unless the man resists heavily, Keita slowly helps the man out of the bar. If he comes into eye contact with Kanzeon, he grimaces with understanding and winks once, very briefly.

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

Shin doesn't resist as you usher him away at first but then grips Keita's hand and stares right into his eyes trying as hard as he can to stop his vision from blurring and drifting off. "Listen man, you don't, don't understand, your girlfriend's like a succubus or something. You'll die, man, you'll... god damn die. I saw these purple chicks out in sound country man, saw things before the grass village was all HUNKY doreeeey. They can't just switch it off, I don't... don't think so..." All the same once you get him near the door, Shin pushes off. "Yeah, you're right man, I'm outta here, you're on, on your own. I'm going home to my wife, stay safe. Leaf Village REPRESENT." He almost knocks himself over pounding his chest in pride before striding out the door and scampering off into the glow of noon-light beyond, leaving the bar to awkwardly stare or steal glances at Keita's party, particularly Kanzeon.

[ZeroNumerous]

Kotoba listens patiently, and when Keita shouts out his order she raises her head. Her eyes are closed, and a tea cup is half-raised to her mouth. She moves to say something, but then that old drunken idiot jumps in. She could imagine his face: Blood red and bloated with drink, glazed eyes and the distinctive slackness of muscle that drunks often had. She'd never had cause to force him to quiet down before. Interestingly, he verbally attacks their would-be teammate. The blind woman simply smiles, takes a sip from her cup, and listens carefully. Would the kids stand up for their comrades, or just let themselves be run over? She does motion for the bartender to come over, then points to her glass. She hopes to keep him busy long enough to not intervene, and to see where this goes.

[Ionbound]

As Shin takes Keita's hand, Kanzeon takes the opportunity and spits on the man, saying, "There. If I was poison, do you think you would still be standing right now? Shouldn't you be groveling in pain as my venom eats through your skin? Get lost. Loser."

[Cespenar]

Keita mumbles a few things to Shin in response to his blathering as he brings him out.

"Yeah, yeah, they have chakra blockers and stuff now, don't worry."

With the man gone, Keita turns to the Euryale.

"Wow. Do people treat you like that everywhere else? Hmph, I'll file a complaint about that when I'll get a chance. I'd understand regular folk, but a shinobi has to be better than this."

If a 19 in Lore doesn't let Keita know that the Euryale use chakra blockers, then ignore that part.

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

"UuuwaaAAAARGH!" Shin's relative happy drunken stupor is broken up by a squeal of pain and fear as the Euryale's spit sticks to his skin. He flails about, slapping away Keita's hand. "She'll kill us all, don't touch me, aaaaargh!"

He reaches to his belt and whips out a kunai holding it high in the air, as everyone in the bar jumps back at the sight of a crazed, armed ninja. "Gotta drain it!" he says, about ready to carve off the poison. Of course, if he were to actually stab himself in the arm, he would then be making fluid contact with her spit via the open wound. He hesitates for a moment, wobbling. "Oh god, I'm getting dizzy already, I can't even feel the pain..." he says, hysterically misattributing the dizziness of drunkenness and the general lack of pain to the effects of some poison.

"God damn it Shin, calm down, she's just a girl with dyed hair!" the barkeep says, his attention suddenly having to break from Kotoba.

"You don't know man! You don't *burp* even know!"

Shin initiative, including penalty for drunkenness [roll0]. if someone doesn't grab him, disarm him or talk him down, he'll accidentally poison himself with a drunken and misinformed attempt at first aid.

[ZeroNumerous]

Kotoba looks a bit surprised and confused when the sudden shouting started, but her confusion clears up instantly the moment she hears the sound of a metal weapon being fumbled for. She briefly considers intervening, but then decides against it. Perhaps the kids will intervene in an interesting way, so she waits. Naturally she remains prepared for the moment where Shin does something stupid, but otherwise waits and watches.

If Shin does attempt to cut himself, then Kotoba speaks up and places a hand on her sword. "Go to the hospital if you're worried, or if you refuse... Well, I can cut off your weapon hand and force you to go."

Kotoba prepares herself to nonlethally disarm Shin with her iaijutsu.

Initiative: [roll0]

Kotoba uses her Sleepwalking technique to get a direct sight on him so she doesn't cut him by accident, then readies an action to disarm Shin with her katana. It triggers an AoO from Shin, but he's drunk and stupid so Kotoba doesn't care.

Disarm Opposed Attack Roll: [roll1]

Attack roll breakdown: +22 naturally, no Strength ranks +12 from size differences between Katana and a Kunai(Tiny vs Large).

Chakra cost: 6.

[Ionbound]

Kanzeon nods, seemingly unworried by the armed ninja, and starts, "Not as much here. It's worse in Kusagaku-" Then, the man draws a kunai and starts talking about draining poison and she says, not actually wanting the man to hurt himself "Oh no...You idiot! The poison only works when it gets into your system! If you start to cut yourself, it's going to actually poison you!"

She moves without another thought, making a knife-hand strike to the man's wrist in an attempt to disarm him and get the kunai away from the wound, hoping that she's not too late to keep the man from seriously harming himself.

Initiative: [roll0]

Disarm check (unarmed): [roll1]

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

"Kyaaaaa - bwuh?" Kanzeon's strike sends the kunai flying out of his hand straight into the ceiling above, the blade sticking it into the wood. He gulps, putting his hand up in surrender. "What? I'll... poison myself? But you said... what the hell, man..." he says, blinking slowly, seeming to calm down somewhat as he looks at the spit harmlessly gathered on his skin.

The barkeep sighs and hands him a murky handtowel. "Clean yourself up and go home, Shin," he instructs. Shin hesitates, not taking his eye off of Kanzeon, but nods, wipes himself up and backs up to the front door. "K-keep an eye out..." he says as the front door closes behind him and the scene dies down, leaving the genin to their own devices.

[Ionbound]

Kanzeon sighs and shakes her head, then turns back to Keita, rather nonchalantly, and says, "Anyways, as I was saying, it's worse in Kusagakure. Here, people just give you weird looks if they know what you are. There, well...There's not a lot of happy history between my clan and the people of the Land of Grass. It's kind of amusing to me how much easier it is for people to forgive a war than for those that rebelled to leave their former rulers in peace."

[Cespenar]

Keita watches the disarming and sighs after it's finally over, then his expression turns into a smirk upon seeing the Euryale's nonchalance.

"Hah, nice move. So, you're a martial artist as well? You'll get along well with Yue," he says, nodding at the recently silent girl next to them.

Upon the girl's remarks about their clan's treatment, he shrugs. "It's war... and people," he just says, not wanting to bore the new girl with a lengthy rant.

[ZeroNumerous]

When Kanzeon interferes, successfully at that, Kotoba smiles to herself. She looks at the barkeep and finally speaks. "I think those kids wanted something to drink, old man." She addresses the next bit to the kids themselves. "Come on, sit down."

The jounin jabs the two yakuza with her elbows. "Get out of here. And tell your boss this place is off limits. Next time I find you in here I'll take a limb instead of a bit of skin."

Once the thugs are gone, then Kotoba motions for the kids to sit beside her. Kotoba keeps her eyes closed, and sips her tea quietly. She seems to fully expect the kids to do as they're told. "Good job getting rid of that drunk without hurting him. It's a brave kid who stands up to bullies, and braver still when they don't harm idiots."

[Ionbound]

Kanzeon shrugs as she sits down next to Kotoba and says, "It was nothing. Stupid is as stupid does, and I'm used to stupid. I'm just glad he didn't accidentally hurt himself. He wouldn't have died, but it still would have been bad." She glaces at the whiskey, then shakes her head and asks, "I assume you're my new Jounin-sensei?"

[ZeroNumerous]

"Haha, perhaps so. Though stupid people have a habit of finding followings." When Kotoba hears the word "sensei" she smirks. "Ah? I suppose that's a way to look at it. It'd be more accurate to say that I'm your babysitter."

Kotoba nods at her own comment. "I can't really teach things for martial artists, but I do have to keep you alive and safe."

[Overlord Rion]

Yue was appreciative of the downtime, she needed a few days to train and clear her head a little. Noise's training had thrown her for a loop, and she couldn't let that happen again. So when she received the message to meet in a bar, she just kind of accepted it and didn't think too much more about it until she got there. She takes stock of their new teammate, and hopes she's better in a fight than Aya was. Oh well, at least she was free of Noise's apparent dislike for her. Yue simply nods as an introduction and says nothing. At the events at the bar, she tenses, but it's quickly resolved and she relaxes again.

She is, however, thrown by Noise no longer being her sensei. "Well, this is different."

[Ionbound]

Kanzeon shrugs and says, "That just means I can keep learning Taijutsu under Rock Lee-sensei, right? Or would you have a problem with that?"

[ZeroNumerous]

Kanzeon's question just gets a shrug. "I don't care. After all, I can't really teach you much. But you shouldn't rely on someone else's power. Some day, you'll have to stand on your own."

Yue's statement gets a question from the samurai. "What do you mean?"

[Overlord Rion]

Yue just shrugs in response at the question. "I could have sworn Imegawa-san and I had a different teacher. What, she get called off?"

[ZeroNumerous]

The samurai pauses at Yue's statement, and takes some time to answer.

"Haha! Bold. But I didn't say I was your babysitter; Just hers." Kotoba lets that stew for a moment, maybe letting the smarter kids figure out what she meant, before actually explaining.

"You see, I called you two here to talk about your instructor. You likely don't know, being kids and all, but she left the village. Joined up with some kind of anti-village outfit trying to do something or the other about the system. I didn't pay attention, so you'll have to talk to that weird old man about it later." She pauses there to take a sip from her tea, and a sigh escapes the samurai's lips. While she did enjoy the atmosphere of a dangerous place like the Worm's Bite, the drinks were ultimately what draw her in, though it might surprise someone to find out she's not drinking alcohol in a bar. Kotoba continues onward.

"Someone thinks your instructor will try to contact you, or perhaps you know more than you think you do. Or maybe they think you're in league with her, frankly I don't care for the subterfuge and would prefer we be upfront about one another. So you two were given to me. The other girl was partitioned elsewhere. Your teacher took a special liking to her I'm told." Kotoba takes a drink from her cup, then shrugs and shakes her head as if to dispel the bad air left behind in her suggestions of the village's distrust.

"So that's the long and short of it. If I see your teacher around, then I'll kill her. I won't say I'm your new instructor, but... We're stuck with one another for the time. So lets be friends, alright kiddo?" Kotoba switches her cup to her left hand, and raises it as if in toast. But she only raises it in the vague direction of Yue's voice rather than directly toward the girl, and doesn't turn to face her as she does so.

[Princess Tracy]

Team One

The yakuza men shift uncomfortably, but wordlessly clamber off of their seats. They maintain a stiff upper lip and aura of authority as they stride out of the place, until suddenly the quaking from their powerful strides loosen the kunai lodged in the metal beam above. It spirals from from the ceiling and nicks the shoulder of one of the brutes, who drops all pretense, squeals and runs away as he suspects Kotoba's about to go for a finishing blow. All eyes rest on the genin and their new instructor but as they start talking ninja business everyone gradually makes a deliberate show of not taking an interest in what was said

[Ionbound]

Kanzeon chuckles as the kunai nicks the man, then nods to Kobota and says, "Fair enough." She looks a little guilty as she says, "Um...Sorry about your friend. I...Ah...Well, anyways. I hope to be a worthy replacement and that she hasn't gone rogue."

[Cespenar]

Keita takes in all the news as solemnly as he can manage, and shakes his head up and down slowly, as if in understanding or acceptance.

"If we're all for eschewing subterfuge, let me be frank as well. We're hearing about the anti-village thing the first time from you. And we wouldn't be much interested about her suggestions, should she make one to us discreetly. As for Ayameko Senju, she was the one who suffered the most in Eiko-se- I mean, her care, so it's good that she's partitioned elsewhere. She needs the break.

"And... if you truly would kill her if you see her, be careful. Not that I'd be hundred percent cheering for your killing blow, not yet, but I don't think you'd be running into a fair fight, nor even a balanced one. She is a meticulous planner, and has an incredibly pragmatic mindset, as far as I could glimpse. She is especially adept at disguises."

With that, he takes the whiskey glass from before and responds to Kotoba's toast with his own. This was a good excuse to try the drink in any case. He takes a large sip.

Ugh. How do people drink this thing?!

[ZeroNumerous]

Kotoba simply shrugs. "Were it up to me, then I'd assign you to a real teacher. I believe you, but that's not my call. Some people just can't trust others anymore."

When Keita explains what he knows Kotoba just raises her glass at him as well."Cheers, kiddo. Thanks for the heads up. You're alright by me." She finally gets around to introducing herself, but still doesn't look at the kids.

"Name's Kotoba. Just that. I'm a samurai. Long story. What're you kids about?" That seems to serve for an introduction by the jounin.

[Ionbound]

Kanzeon nods to Kobota when the jounin asks for introductions, and replies, "I am Eurayle Kanzeon. As our friend Shin was so kind to point out, the Eurayle clan has some special abilities. We are cursed, fully and truly. While this comes with some advantages, the drawback is far and away not worth the cost. We possess the power of the Medusa Eye, an inborn Doujutsu like the Uchiha's Sharingan. Our eyes release chakra blasts that turn our unfortunate victims to stone. The reason why I wear these glasses is that they are Doujutsu inhibitors. My eyes are so powerful, and I am so weak, that I don't have control over these blasts. If I were to take these off, or if they were to otherwise stop covering my eyes, everyone that I can see would be turned to stone. Full stop." As she talks about her lack of control, a hint of self-hatred enters her voice, but vanishes as she continues, "The other ability we have is that, in a few that the curse of our blood is strongest in, our bodily fluids are toxic. They're a chakra poison, reflecting our curse in others, but they only work internally. In a wound, yes, in someone's food, yes, but even on skin contact, no dice."

She sighs, then shakes her head as she continues, looking a little frustrated as she says, "The downside to all this, the meat of the curse is...I'm dying. Our chakra is so poisonous that...It breaks down our bodies. Already, I'm the physical equivalent of a middle-aged woman. My father died when I was 12, of old age. He was 33. My dream, ultimately, is to defeat the curse, and let my clan live real lives. Nothing is a price to great to pay for that freedom."

[ZeroNumerous]

Kotoba listens to the Euryale's tale, and at the end she only has one thing to say. "Whoa. Heavy." That kind of irreverent response leads into the jounin looking thoughtfully at her cup. She seems to consider saying something else, and after only a few moments of thought she speaks her mind.

"What're you gonna do if you can't lift the curse?" Once the Euryale answers Kotoba's question she moves on to the other kids.

"And what are you two about?"

[Cespenar]

Keita listens to Kanzeon's tale with grave attention, and is saved by Kotoba's irreverent remark while being at a loss about what to say himself. Instead, he just keeps his silence.

When asked about themselves, Keita shrugs, trying to keep it as brief as possible.

"I'm Imagawa Keita. Though our clan is still technically neutral, they recently decided to begin sending their youth to Konoha to train as genin, to mutual benefit. We have the Reikyou bloodline as you probably know, which takes shape in a golden aura and an increased capacity and density of chakra. You must have heard of Imagawa Mayumi, the infamous "Second Sun". That's the best example of our bloodline ability."

[ZeroNumerous]

"Nope. No idea what that bloodline is." When Keita explains himself Kotoba just shakes her head and responds in the negative. It seems she was not nearly as up on other ninja clans as one would expect. It made sense, given that she described herself as a samurai rather than a shinobi. When Keita brings forth his mentor as someone Kotoba should know, the samurai simply shrugs.

"No idea who that is." Either way, Kotoba gives Yue an opportunity to explain herself, and then finishes her cup of tea off.

---

"Well, now that introductions are out of the way: Let's get out of here." Kotoba inclines her head toward the bartender. "If you have any more trouble from thugs, then tell me. If they show up again you might need a new mop."

The samurai pushes her cup away, places her hand on the bar, and rotates her barstool around. Her left arm goes out in front of her, as if brushing away anyone who might be there, and gives the kids a good look at their babysitter's face. Her eyes are closed, her face surprisingly serene, and she's not looking where she's walking at all. The samurai hops off the barstool, reaches her left arm into her belt pouch, whips out a small extending cane, then starts to slowly walk toward the exit. She taps her cane against the ground lightly as she walks, and after jabbing a few patrons and tables it quickly becomes obvious that she's not faking her blindness.

"Come on. We gotta go to that big building in the middle and talk about your situation." She leads the genin outside and toward the Hokage's Office if the genin don't stop her.

[Overlord Rion]

"I'm Suiji Yue. I don't have a bloodline, I don't come from some big-name clan. I decided I wanted to be a shinobi, so I took the courses. People say I'm really good at Taijutsu, but that's debatable." She shrugs to punctuate how little she really cared about what people thought of her. She will follow Kotoba to the Hokage's office with no fuss.

[Princess Tracy]

Team Two and Three

Today was the day. Graduation was a week ago and everyone who hadn't been specially scouted early now would be assigned a Jounin now as a matter of course. No matter how it went down by the end of today you'd be a full fledged genin. For those of you who hadn't already some experience in the field anyway. You're told to meet in a rather familiar place, the old academy where many of you have been trained for some time, for one last time.

A couple of chuunin assisting in the proceedings usher you into a training hall where you're greeted by the sight of two of Konoha's most prestigious ninja; Captain Nara Shikamaru (https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/01/40/b9/0140b9ff433264ca50ed15e7576f68e7.jpg) and Special Jounin Rock Lee (http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/naruto/images/1/1e/Rock_lee_movie.png/revision/latest?cb=20160115132134), the latter of whom is doing jumping jacks to pass the time while the former sits at a fold up table, his head resting on his elbows. "Nara-san, the youthful Shinobi are arriving!" Rock says, voice echoing as he knocks Shikamaru out of his cat nap. "Yeah, I know," the still sluggish old captain says, rubbing his eyes and true to his reputation. he fiddles with an earring before sighing and nodding. "Sorry, everyone. Take this as a testament to how important to getting a good night's sleep this is. Though maybe this old building's just bringing back memories. There's nowhere I've felt more comfortable sleeping in my life than these classes, but you guys don't have that luxury anymore. Gotta get out there and face reality. Just hold on while we wait for late arrivals. Even if you failed to get picked today, we'll raffle you off to a Jounin and have more than 3 kids in a squad if need be," he explains, just casually assuming you all know the context of today's proceedings.

"Once you have a team of Jounin and at least 3 genin, you'll get your first mission scroll and go spend some time bonding!" Lee adds. "Congratulations, all of you, on becoming Genin, I hope dearly all of you fulfil your potential in this your springtime of youth!"

Two girls are already present. One girl (http://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=1561698) with an extravagent hairpiece and seeming proud to display her midriff, though on closer look her slim physique underlies a tone of powerful muscle. She seems a little older, perhaps an upperclassman in need of a new team. Another is a thoroughly blue girl, though only in colour and not in attitude. Even when not smiling the petite yet virbant thing seems to beam in all directions like she radiates life force - Ayameko Senju (http://safebooru.org//images/1552/9b0786051d79e9f8a073f5a86527044be9f82129.jpg?16258 77), one of your fellow graduates.

[Swordslinger]

Rikako had arrived on time and unlike her embarrassing dad she was wide awake and filled to the brim with energy. She listened in while remaining quiet, trying to maintain a stoic, all calm and collected look. On the inside however she was bouncing up and down in excitement. Finally she would be off the school bench and out in the the real world. She couldn't wait to learn who she would be on a team with. She imagined the adventures they would be having and a smile spread out across her face.

[manwithaplan]

Nayoko bounced into the room with a hand on her hip and a grin on her cheeky face, ready for the day.

"Yes! When are we getting started?!"

Her body was devoid of Nature Energy for the moment; she was in a peaceful enough state to keep herself contained, but she was constantly aware of the energy in her surroundings and prepared to draw it in at any moment.

[Shimmer]

The Hatake clan, though tiny, was known to produce the finest shinobi Konohagakure had ever seen. First had been the White Fang of Konoha who’s deadly kenjutsu, speed, and signature wolf summons left the enemies of the Village Hidden in the Leaves with nightmares at the mere mention of a possible encounter. His infamy though was only outdone by his own son, Hatake Kakashi of the Sharigan, the Copy Ninja, Man of a Thousand jutsu, and the Sixth Hokage of Konohagakure. Would be gods, swordsmen, and shinobi alike had fallen before him like wheat before a scythe and even in semi-retirement the fear of him and his techniques loomed large and threatening in the forefront of the mind of any whom wished to do the village harm. Such villains shook in their boots at the very thought of him.

Though Inada couldn’t help, but wonder what her father’s enemies would think if they could see him now.

“Do you have your shuriken?” Kakashi asked from where he was futzing around in the kitchen in a pair of blue kunai pattern pajama pants, his dog slippers, and that garish babydoll pink apron with the big white heart in the center Inada had gotten him for Father’s day when she was five. Back then she’d overheard her Dad saying how pink was his favorite color not realizing at the time he’d only been saying such to placate a less then agreeable Sakura. Thus when Fathers day had neared she’d pestered the older woman to take her out shopping and discovered it thinking it to be the best present in the world. She hadn’t quite realized back then why Sakura was coughing so much, hint she was trying to cover up the laughter, but despite the misunderstanding her Dad had worn the apron with pride.

“Yes Dad I packed all my shuriken.” Inada replied dutifully from where she sat at the kitchen table eyeing the dangerously sizzling frying pan and the slightly smoking toaster.

“Err are you sure you don’t want any help making breakfast?” She offered watching as Kakashi flipped what she thought was maybe eggs, but looked more like charcoil over in the pan.

“I got it. It’s not everyday my little girl makes genin and get’s assigned to her team. Have a little confidence in your old man’s cooking skills.” Kakashi urged giving his daughter a happy eye crease from over his shoulder and waving the spatula at her good naturedly.

“Ok Dad.” Inada sighed, but her mask shifted slightly with her smile as she got up to pour herself a cup of tea. At least that was one thing her Father hadn’t managed to burn.

“Got your battlewire, heavy vest, field pack, sash, and goggles?” Kakashi asked peppering his daughter with questions to ensure she was prepared. Having been a jounin instructor himself he knew far to well how maniacal they could be.

“Yes sir, yep, on my belt, yes, and you know I almost never take them off.” Inada replied slipping her mask off quick as a wink to sip her tea before jerking it back up. True it was just her and her Father, but it was good practice.

“What about your headband?” He asked as Inada nodded and rapped her fingers on the metal headband tied to her upper left arm.

“Check.” She quipped.

“Wistbands?” He asked.

“Already on.” Inada replied.

“Smoke bombs?” Kakashi questioned as Inada grinned.

“In my pouch.” Inada countered.

“Mask?” He asked as Inada shot him an incredulous look even as Kakashi forked the burnt lumps of what might have been breakfast onto their plates.

“Really Dad?” Inada asked with an arched brow which Kakashi matched with one of his own and a straight face.

“Mask?” He inquired yet again and smiled as his daughter sighed.

“I’ve got my mask Dad. I’m wearing it.” She grumbled as both glanced down to eye their…food? With Inada poking it experimentally with her fork before jerking back.

“Dad I think it hissed at me.” Inada murmured edging her chair back slightly as her Father did his best to not look as though he was contemplating doing exactly the same.

“Ah…perhaps it would be best if you got something on the way? You wouldn’t want to get lost on the road of life and be late meeting your new teammates and jounin sensei now would you!” Kakashi spoke, hastily covering for both of their waning courages in the face of their breakfast turned sentient **** as he ushered her towards the door.

“Good idea Dad! Sides we still have leftovers from last night. Be a shame to let them go to waste.” Inada quipped as Kakashi chuckled and pressed a clothed kiss to her forehead.

“That’s my girl!” He murmured as Inada pulled a mock face of disgust.

“Dad I’m sixteen!” She griped, but there was no real force behind it besides good natured teasing.

“Never too old.” Her Father quipped with a flick of his wrist as if to shoo such silly sentiments away as he watched Inada slip on her sandals and jog out the door.

“Have a good day Pup! Oh and pick me up that new Icha Icha volume while you’re out if you pass by the bookstore!” He called after her as Inada waved over her shoulder at him to show she’d heard leaving her Father to stand there leaning against the front door frame watching her go until she was out of sight.

“Oye Kakashi. You sure are getting to be a big softy.” Pakkun piped up from his feet, the summon announcing his appearance with a small puff of smoke.

“Yo, like you’re any better. You spoil yours rotten.” Kakashi teased as he finally ambled back inside with a sigh. His baby was growing up.

Meanwhile Inada had grabbed a hasty breakfast on the road along with four pre-made bento’s she’d tied to her belt for lunch. She doubted her jounin instructor would be weird enough to attempt to copy her own Father, but a healthy dose of paranoia was always a good idea. Ambling through the market place she stopped outside a rather worn down bookstore to poke her head in.

“Yo! Hazaki-Ojiisan did you pull that order for my Dad?” She asked mimicking her Father’s lazy wave as the elderly man behind the counter perked up with a grin.

“Sure did Inada-chan. Already charged it to your families account. Anything in particular you’re looking for today?” Hazaki-san asked with an warm smile that made the wrinkles around his eyes stand out in happiness as he passed her the sealed orange book wrapped in brown paper. Tucking said book into her pouch Inada gave the store a cursory scan.

“Got anymore Shinobi Encyclopedias or new scrolls in?” Inada asked glancing up at the clock to note she’d be cutting it rather close today.

“Not today sadly, but we did get a new shipment of sci-fi and fantasy novels you might enjoy. Here, sink your teeth into this one.” He spoke passing her a little blue book. Reading the synopsis on the inside jacket she nodded digging into her pocket to pass him the appropriate cash for it.

“Thanks Ojiisan. I’d better get moving. Don’t want to get too lost on the road of life today.” She called out heading for the door.

“Playing up the mini-Kakashi card today huh?” Hazaki-san called out with a laugh as Inada chuckled along with the tinkle of the welcome bells.

“Gotta keep em on their toes!” Inada quipped before putting some actual speed into reaching the Acadamy. However, once she turned the corner she slowed to a walk, pulling her new book out to read as she ambled into sight half way through the Nara-san’s speech.

Coming up shoulder to shoulder with Nayoko Inada couldn’t help, but wince not only at the other girl’s exuberance, but at the fact the green spandex had multiplied. Lifting her book a little higher to cover the rest of her face Inada resolved to become invisible.