Kagekure-Team Kaken

[Callos_DeTerran]

The scene is one of battle. A girl is tossed away by a man wearing form-fitting dark clothes wearing an Amegakure headband with the symbol crossed out of it. She bleeds faintly on the ground but still rises up to her feet to continue the battle with hatred gleaming in her eyes. Another girl, bespectacled edged away from the obviously dangerous man but stays close to the fight as she reaches into a bag on her waist, a Kagekure headband worn properly. A great chasm marks the end of the road crossing the scene and the beginning of a sturdy bridge being rocked by winds that fray and cut at the ropes until the bridge sways unsteadily. A young man stands on the other side, wearing an Amegakure headband as well and picking up a charred bow from the ground and eying yet another Kagekure genin.

This genin was male and recognizable from one of the few 'noble' clans that Kagekure has, Mitsuhide. His hand drifts towards one of the swords belted across his waist and flicking his eyes from the struck girl over to the guy on the otherside of the bridge as well. Standing directly infront of the dark-haired man was a blue-garbed Kagekure genin with his mask pulled down and a gathering ball of chattering chakra in his out thrust hand. The three newcomers stand as if dumbfounded but what they had found, all of them but two wearing Leaf headbands. One was a muscular teen who's face, or skin for that matter, could not be seen underneath a tight suit and had a sturdy blade with him. The oldest of all of them, handsome man in a dark knee length coat covered in zippers has an eyepatch covering one of his eyes and a scar on one cheek, looking at the mess with an almost startled expression on his face. The last of the supposedly Konoha genin was a scruffy looking kid with brown hair and a great big back pack that holds all sorts of things with a katana and greatsword hooked unto it.

As the newcomers arrive the dark garbed Amegakure man twists to face them and looks over the new arrivals condescendingly until his eyes come to rest on the black coated man then widen in surprise which is returned equally.

"What the hell...?! The Amegakure nin spits, eyes narrowing at the sight. For his part the black-coated man's friendly face falls away like a mask. In it's place was a cold hard visage that was almost terrifying in the merciless violence that it promised.

"I don't know what's going on here but this seems pretty cut and dry. Chiiro, try and handle the guy across the gorge! Masaru, your with me! Keep as many alive as possible!" He barks out with a voice of authority, eyes lasered in on solely the man with the Amegakure headband who flinches underneath it.

Lets just do iniative again shall we? I left descriptions as vague as possible so you guys can do it yourselves. Have at it!

[Dark_Prophet]

"ALL RIGHT!" "Chiiro" bursts into a jog for the bridge, tossing his backpack aside onto the ground before the bridge. Ignoring the protesting rattle and some of the metal tools and wires that spill out of it, the boy continues onto the bridge.

As soon as he steps foot onto it, it wobbles and groans in protest, and its all he can do to keep running unsteadily, cursing and swearing. "Goooodddd daaaamnnn this poorly craaaafted hunk of juuuunk!" His enuncation wavers each time as he nearly falls off one side of the bridge, then the other, his arms churning wildly while the katana and greatsword clank and jangle omniously from his frenzied movements.

Halfway through the bridge, he finally loses his balance, pitching over the side, one hand lashing out and catch the edge of the bridge. "****! Stupid bridge! You better not break, damn you!" He shouts, glaring up at the bridge as he holds on with both hands for dear life.

Intiative (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1730362/) = 12
Balance check [roll0]
(OOC: New beginning! Gonna be awesome!)

[PhoeKun]

Asano Mitsuhide

"No..."

Mitsuhide's hand hovers over the lower of the two swords strapped to his belt, and grips it tightly, as if for reassurance. And then, he tenses, back locking straight, as both hands fly up to his head, clutching it tightly.

"No..."

His hands claw desperately at his head, latching onto the the kagekure headband, tearing it off and throwing it violently away. His jet-black hair falls forward onto his face, resting to either side of his eyes, which are closed tight.

"NO! Get out, GET OUT! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Still clutching his head, he stumbles backwards a few steps, thrashing his head violently.

"Stop it! Stop... Not her, not her! You can't make me! Let me kill him instead! You can't do this, I won't... let... you..."

Suddenly, he slumps forward, still standing, but barely. His right hand flies to the upper of his two swords, and draws it out eagerly. He straightens out a little as he marches deliberately towards the Amegakure nin and the bleeding girl, blade dragging in the ground behind him. Already, small wisps of black flame curl hungrily around the blade, waiting. Wanting. When he looks up again, his green eyes are dull and hollow. His voice is strained as he continues forward, clearly toward the girl and not the enemy nin.

"Motoko...dono. Please... get away... don't let me... k-kill..."

But even his warning is cut short by a slash from his all-too eager hand. The attack is wide, however, cutting a deep gash in the ground. The young swordsman heaves with exhaustion. To fight oneself... it's a battle beyond his abilities.

Initiative: [roll0]

edit: Attack and damage: Attack roll I'd really rather fail at. (1d20+8=12, 1d10+3=12) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1731490/)

[ChronicLunacy]

Ibaraki Masaru
AC: 21
HP: 40/43
Chakra: 17/20

The tall genin wearing the Konoha headband around his bicep and swathed from head to toe completely in black with a ninja vest over his torso and implacable mirrored lenses obscuring his eyes nodded curtly in response to his team leader's order. "Yes, sir." he said flatly before breaking into an incredibly fast run towards the Amegakure jounin. He moved so fast that the edges of his form seemed to blur. His face was not visible for the mask, of course, but his killing intent was something palpable. These were not simply paid or drafted soldiers doing what they were told. These were ninja and it was an entirely different ballgame. Masaru would not hesitate to disable them in any way possible, even if it meant killing. Michiko would understand.

Upon reaching his new enemy he jumped in the air, spinning several times over the heads of those gathered before the enemy jounin before lashing out with a devastating kick to Karaji's head. There was a horrible CRACK! like breaking wood as the Amegakure ninja flew backwards, his head lolling weakly on a broken neck, eyes glassy and mouth open in surprise.

Then "Karaji" turned into pieces of a broken log.

Masaru landed in a crouch, quickly bringing himself into a fighting stance to deal with the inevitable counterattack and hoping that his team leader would be at his back when it happened. He shifted sixty percent of his weight to his back foot, keeping his front foot out farther in front of him while his back fist guarded his face and the front fist paralleled his foreleg, out and hovering at about level with his belt while the shattered log clattered to the ground in front of him.

Rolls:
Init (1d20+3=15) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1731130/)
Nidan Kousoku (DC 19): 1d20+12=27 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1731137/)
3 chakra to HP (DC 10): 1d20+7=27 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1731142/)
Hirai Ashi (DC 16): 1d20+12=25 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1731257/)
Attack: 1d20+10=27 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1731268/)
Damage: 1d6+3=8 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1731269/)


Edited to include the attack on Karaji. Rolls and result done with Callos.

[Callos_DeTerran]

Mitsuhide charged the girl he called Motoko after it looked as if he argued with himself, casting out a wide cut that would have missed on it's own even without the girl wildly slapping the blade away from her.

"Mitsuhide! What's the matter with you?!" Motoko snaps, stumbling back with confusion and anger warring for supremacy in her eyes. One hand dips down, pulling out a ninja-to she had cleverly concealed and she looks concerned about using it against the gentle-hearted Mitsuhide, even as he pulls back the sword for another punishing blow. From the looks of it this time his aim would be spot on and Motoko couldn't get her own weapon up in time to parry. That's it! Comes the coo within his mind...

Chiiro's quick dash across the teneous bridge seemed...ill-fated at best as the young man on the other side finishes notching one of the arrows wrapped with exploding notes and turns it to face towards the bridge instead.

Twang.

With some surprise, he had closed his eyes to avoid seeing the arrow coming at him, Chiiro would notice that he had in fact not been hit with an arrow even after the guy had lined up the shot for so long. A lousy shot but if he detonated that arrow anytime soon then it was going to be Chiiro who was going to be in dire straits! Luckily enough the guy was reaching down for another arrow, revenge-filled eyes returning to Mitsuhide.

Masaru assumed the fighting stance as the log dropped to the ground, keeping an eye out for the man with the Amegakure headband when he abruptly came leaping out from the trees on the opposite side of the road.

"Not bad, but I've got better!" He grins madly, hands flashing through a series of handsigns before forming the last. "Raikoudan no jutsu!" He says mockingly as seven orbs of electricity form and begin to spiral madly around his body. Raising his hand up the man directs three of them to fly at the black-garbed genin though some quick thinking and a dodge to the side allows him to avoid two of them. The other slammed into his shoulder and sent him tumbling for a moment before he rolled to his feet. Kaken, who hadn't moved an inch, finally smiled grimly as he held up one hand and began to trace his index finger through the air.

"Good job getting him out of hiding Masaru, but you have twenty four seconds to lay a beating on him, then you better get away from him." He's informed in a cool clinical tone as the black-coated man traces nine symbols in a circle in front of him with ever-so-careful precision, leaving a ghostly nimbus behind that illuminates the kanji with a purple glow even in the middle of the day. Finally he places both his hands in the center of the 'circle' he drew and looks to concentrate for just a moment then chuckles. "Show'em what you got kid! I'll be there to help in just a second!"

Mitsuhide's katana fell for it's second deadly stroke...just to have the blade ripped out of his hands by a veritable wave of what looked like black sand, and with the blade's flight the voice receded to a petulant whine. The black sand coiled and surged in the air between Motoko and Mitsuhide, an iron curtain protecting the young woman though Mitsuhide can see the hurt look in her eyes from the glimpses she can catch. Then an entirely all too familiar voice is heard. "You better have a damn good reason for that noble!" Comes the enraged voice from none other then Wahe as he leans out from the tree he had been hiding behind.

[ChronicLunacy]

Ibaraki Masaru
AC: 21
HP: 32/43 (3 Stamina Damage)
Chakra: 11/20

Masaru shook out his shoulder as it spasmed painfully from Karaji's attack. He was using a raiton technique. Those remaining spheres of electricity that floated around the jounin could either fly out and try to strike him or, if Karaji chose, intercept incoming blows with shocking effect. Attacking Karaji while those spheres hovered menacingly around him would be painful, but Masaru wasn't exactly a master of combat at range. He had to close with his enemy to do any damage.

Kaken's words came to him as he racked his brain for the best way to get around Karaji's technique. He didn't know what Kaken had planned, but it was up to Masaru to delay Karaji for twenty-four seconds.

"Twenty-four seconds...I can do it." Masaru breathed out, changing his stance just slightly as he began forward into darting run towards his enemy again. He changed direction rapidly, trying to confuse Karaji a to just how and when he'd strike. He ended up skidding past the jounin in a cloud of dust, reversing his direction in a flash as he jumped and spun, sending his back shin hammering at Karaji's kidney, trying to stun him. The jounin would be sending those spheres at him in a moment anyway. If he stayed in close he'd force Karaji to expend them quickly rather than at his leisure. Maybe when they were gone Masaru could keep Karaji pressed enough that the jounin would be forced to fight him with nothing but taijutsu. Masaru connected, but he didn't get away without a jolt to his leg when one of the spheres reached out and seared into him in retaliation.


Ninjutsu Roll to Recognize "Raikoudan no Jutsu": 1d20+9=14 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1732646/)
Action Point to Ninjutsu Roll: 1d6=4 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1732651/)
Adjusted Ninjutsu Roll: 18 (DC 17)
Ninjutsu Roll to Recognize Kaken's Technique: 1d20+9=18 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1732655/) (Failed)
Ishimaru Ryu - Second Stance (DC 16, Swift Action): 1d20+12=18 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1732609/)
Taijutsu Ougi - Rendan Kidouki (DC 16, Attack Action): 1d20+12=30 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1732677/)
Melee Touch Attack: 1d20+12=29 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1732615/)
Damage: Stunned until next turn.

[PhoeKun]

Asano Mitsuhide

With the sword out of his hands, Mitsuhide's body instantly feels lighter. The sudden slack in his muscles, coupled with the sudden weight on his mind, causes him to collapse onto his knees in front of Motoko. He looks up at her through the swirling sands, tears pouring out of his eyes as he simply stares with an expression of horror and pain.

"Motoko-dono, I... help me, please. I can't control the sword! You... I... destroy it! I'm begging you..."

He slumps the rest of the way to the ground, now on hands and knees with his head lowered toward the ground, baring his neck to the girl he almost killed. He could still hear the sword's call, even if it was barely a whimper now. And, if Motoko wanted to take his head, he had no right to resist. The impulse was even stronger than the horrid voice that made him attack Motoko. He had to allow her the next action. Everything else could happen after she made her choice...

[Dark_Prophet]

The string of curses continues vehemently as the scarred genin tries to pull himself up from the side of the swaying, creaking bridge, sweat running across his body, as he watches the archer nocking the second arrow out of the corner of his eyes. "Stupid damn Amagakure. Stupid goddamn bridge. Stupid damn arms...come on, damn you!" With a grunt, he heaves himself up quickly, rolling and moving the rest of the way off the bridge, drawing the greatsword across his back just as he finishes the movement at the edge of the bridge, smiling at the archer with the nocked arrow grimly. "You still gonna fire that, friend?"

Climb roll [roll0] + Action point [roll1] = 21. Thank you Giants. You can draw while moving as long as you have a BAB over +1, right? Can change if not.

[Callos_DeTerran]

"Mitsuhide..." Motoko stares at the swordsman who had fallen to the ground, surprised and disturbed at the same time with the wall of black sand still billowing between the two of them. Finally she seems to snap out it and shakes her head. "Later! Stand up Mitsuhide! You need to live long enough to see that sword destroyed and that won't happen with you laying there on the ground!"

"Karaji!" The yell came from Kaori, holding a fistful of...whatever it was the energy coming off of it was amazing! Even as Masaru battled it out with the Amegakure ninja the Kagekure genin dashed forward, a veritable glowing missile. The man became distracted for just a moment, looking over his shoulder and that's when Masaru struck the man in his kidney...

Pop.

Another log but Karaji hadn't gone far at all, glowering at Masaru from a mere five feet away. With a sudden grunt though the jounin went rigid and looked down with a stupefied expression on his face. Kaori's glowing hand had erupted from his side, the hand sparking as if full of lightening and the jounin's eyes widened with fear, pulling himself off it desperately as he coughed up some blood. When he had dodged Masaru he had put himself right in Kaori's path and now..now he looked terrified and was slapping at his shuriken pouch.

"Damn it, damn it!" Karaji growls as he finally rips it off his belt. From behind black garbed arms grabbed Masaru and flung the genin backwards, a quick glance showing a wild-eyed Kaken holding up both of his hands.

"Masaru, get away now!" Kaken orders grimly as the symbols he had painted into the air reappeared in the center of the Amegakure's chest except for the first. Then, as Masaru watched all but the last fizzled and disappeared which began to fade as well...

"I don't have a problem with you." Orgo says sternly, not looking away from his aim as Chiiro comes dashing across the bridge to cross his arms in front of himself. Then he abruptly drops the archiac weapon to the ground and flashes his hands through a veritable blur of hand seals before pointing them at his challenger. "But if you insist upon meddling." He says simply as a wave of crippling nausea washes over Chiiro and Orgo closes his eyes...the bridge detonating in an impressive explosion, the debris falling into the chasm below where the Kagekure jounin Taka had supposedly fallen, trapping Chiiro on the same side as Orgo.

A bright light began to emanate from Karaji and his shuriken pouch, a blinding white radiance that seemed to overshadow even that of the sun. Kaken still rushed towards the jounin but Motoko glanced back with wide eyes then dove atop Mitsuhide as the sands began to coalesce around them both. "Stay down!"

The boy who had been throwing the explosive kunai takes one startled look to the scene before him before throwing himself forward to try and knock the shuriken pouch away from Karaji even as Kaori drew a kunai with a vengeful look in his eyes.

Chiiro is nasuated. Masaru is tossed back ten feet. Mitsuhide is being bodily protected by Motoko and a wall of iron sand. Karaji be glowin' and Kaken is...being Kaken.

[ChronicLunacy]

Ibaraki Masaru
AC: 21
HP: 32/43 (3 Stamina Damage)
Chakra: 11/20

Masaru was just about to press the advantage that Kaori had presented him, set to pound Karaji into the ground with a flurry of blows now that he wasn't kawarimi'ing around. Masaru had had just about enough of splintering the nearby logs.

Of course, it was at that moment that Kaken grabbed one of his arms and launched him backwards into the air. Masaru twisted his body in mid-air and flipped once, spinning so that he landed in a crouch facing the battle. Masaru had a moment's hesitation at the sight of Karaji slapping at his shuriken holster crazily while Kaken's glowing symbols appeared and disappeared.


"Masaru, get away now!"

Masaru nodded and used his incredible speed to break into a dead sprint in the opposite direction away from Karaji towards where Motoko and Mitsuhide were taking cover. He didn't slow as he approached them, but instead jumped over the pile of black, iron sand and slid into home plate behind it. He didn't know what was happening to Karaji, but with the glowing that was too painful to look at and Kaken's strange technique...Masaru was expecting some kind of explosion. He figured Kaken's orders probably would make sense in a moment or two.

Spending my turn running and ducking for cover. :smalleek: I figure Kaken wouldn't have told him to run if there wasn't a good reason.

[Dark_Prophet]

Chiro gags, still clutching the greatsword in one hand that he was readying for a swing, the other around his mouth as he struggles into close range of Ordo, trying his best not to throw up. "Rain bastard...gonna kick your ass..."

Well being nauseated is kind of sucks. Move action to, well, move up close. Had to nullify my earlier rolls due to, well, forgetting he was nauseated. :smallfrown:

[PhoeKun]

Asano Mitsuhide

His surprise that she hadn't chosen to strike a blow was palpable. But, the longer he goes without holding that abomination of a weapon, the easier it gets to think clearly. There is a battle going on... he needed to get up and take part in it.

He shakes his head and draws his sleeve across his eyes, drying the tears. Pushing off of the ground, he makes a motion to stand up, only to get bowled over again by Motoko. He tries to sit up, to cover her instead, but it's really all he can do to hope that this black sand of Wahe's is protection enough... and the irony of relying on the other genin doesn't even occur to him.

[Callos_DeTerran]

Music (http://www.imeem.com/people/vi67oZ/music/EtKWxZpV/toshiro_masuda_noble_sacrifice/)

Masaru dove behind the shifting wall of iron sand as it began to coalesce into a ragged dome around the three who were hiding behind it, crouching down low to avoid whatever it was that Kaken had warned the masked genin about. Chiiro can only watch in horror though as Orgo shifts his eyes away form the boy and picks up his bow and notched the arrow once more.

Pft!

The twang is unheard from that distance but the noise of the exploding arrow burrowing into the ground not ten-feet away from the trio was clearly audible enough for them to look over. A small flame erupts along the top most of many tags.

"****!" Wahe calls out, sweeping his hand and pushing the iron sand to provide cover from the loud blast that sounds and blows away the wall to coat Masaru, Motoko, and Mitsuhide with the iron sand before it slowly, almost desperately, tries to form a protective shield from that blistering radiance once more. It didn't make it.

BOOM!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The first explosion was relatively small, the flames only barely licking through the gaps in the gradually rebuilding black barrier, a sphere of flames that engulfed Karaji, Kaken, Enu, and Kaori in it's fiery grip but the next three explosions made the ground rumble and crack as the explosion grew bigger and colored with each seperate explosion. First a deep crimson, then mud brown, before finally the entire sphere turned a deep azure color with the last explosion. But with that last one the wall shatters, the iron catching fire as the concussive force sends the blue-burning iron 'bullets'. Masaru quick steps and rolls madly, purely on instinct to avoid the fiery barrage that peppers the ground behind the defensive wall, each 'bullet' burrowing a divet into the ground it hits.

Motoko...never moved an inch, holding unto Mitsuhide tightly and shuddering every now and then when one of those burning shards struck her in the back. Once...twice...It was hard to tell how many struck her with all of the commotion and noise going on but of one thing there was no doubt.

Not a shard struck Mitsuhide.

Motoko ensured that each and every last one of them never made it to the swordsman and as the rumbling finally seemed to cease he could feel the warmth of blood on his front and face.

---

The area where Karaji and the others had been was...simply no more. Not a single trace of a body remained in the surprisingly deep crater left behind in the after-math of the explosion. At the very bottom was...water. A large pool of water filled the bottom of the crater with a jagged stone spike protruding up from the center, the highest spire of the earthen tower ablaze with bright burning flame that didn't seem to have a source to burn from. Chiiro and Orgo can only stare in surprise at what is left, the bow dropping numbly out of his hands before he turned and began to flee, disappearing into the woods on the other side of the chasm swiftly.

Just when Chiiro and Masaru began to think their newest team leader had been completely obliterated though they would make out the noise of ground shifting and moving as a charred black arm protrudes out of the ground before straining and pulling the rest of Kaken out of the hole he had been in. Most of his black coat had been burned away to expose a hard muscled body underneath that's criss-crossed with scars, some amazingly fresh and others quite old but he gets to his feet slowly, coughing out a cloud of dust.

---

Another cough came from much closer, Motoko clutching her mouth as she rolls off of Mitsuhide unto her side, a trickle of blood dripping down her cheek. Fingers open and close spasmodically in pain as her face scrunches up with the effort of not shrieking with agony. Wahe steps out from behind the tree, looking dumb-struck at what had just happened before stumbling towards Motoko wordlessly before dropping down unto his knees beside her.

"Ichikita! Get over here right away! Motoko needs your help!" He cries out loudly, hands shaking even as his eyes raise in a death-dealing glare to Mitsuhide.

[PhoeKun]

Asano Mitsuhide

He was kneeling at her side almost before anyone could blink, fresh tears already falling softly onto her face.

"Y-you...why? That was so stupid, Motoko. After everything... after all that I've done... to do that... y-you should have let me protect you, instead..."

He gently wipes the blood away from her face, and takes her hand in his, squeezing it lightly.

"You're not going to die... you're not allowed to, you hear me? You... you have to be all right. Please..."

Mitsuhide can't sense Wahe's glare, can't tell the other boy is kneeling there, too. All that matters is Motoko, is making sure her eyes don't close. Making sure she stays breathing. Making sure she would still be able to get up, punch him in the face, and let him make up for all the horrible things he'd done. Making sure she knew... the words he couldn't say.

[ChronicLunacy]

Ibaraki Masaru

When the explosions swept the iron curtain of sand at them, Masaru juked and dodged wildly. His legs launched him into the air, spinning on his axis several times before splaying his legs for a moment, then gripping his knees and flipping several times before he landed, only to break into a set of back handsprings before finally coming to a stop in a crouch facing the source of the explosion. His chest rose and fell sharply due to the effort, and even though his emotionless mask didn't show it, he felt the shock of the sudden absence of so many combatants keenly. The field had been effectively halved by the deaths, disappearances, or retreat of so many.

Masaru shot a glance to Chiiro on the other side of the gorge, but he couldn't find Kaken anywhere. Jogging to the deep crater in the ground he only found the bizarre remnants of whatever techniques had been used to create it. The two genins, the enemy jounin, and Kaken were gone. Masaru hadn't known Kaken for very long, but the mysterious ninja had been nothing but nice to them all, if a little annoying at times. "KAKEN-SAN!!" the seldom-heard genin's voice shouted out, looking for some sign that his new team leader might still be alive. His arms dropped limply to his sides, powerless.



Just when Chiiro and Masaru began to think their newest team leader had been completely obliterated though they would make out the noise of ground shifting and moving as a charred black arm protrudes out of the ground before straining and pulling the rest of Kaken out of the hole he had been in. Most of his black coat had been burned away to expose a hard muscled body underneath that's criss-crossed with scars, some amazingly fresh and others quite old but he gets to his feet slowly, coughing out a cloud of dust.

Shocked, Masaru sprinted to where the arm had thrust forth from the ground and grasped Kaken's hand in his own. He set his feet and helped Kaken pull himself out of the ground. "Kaken-san, are you alright?" Masaru said, the surprise actually apparent in his voice as opposed to his normal, unflappable demeanor.


"Ichikita! Get over here right away! Motoko needs your help!" He cries out loudly, hands shaking even as his eyes raise in a death-dealing glare to Mitsuhide.

The frantic aftermath of the explosion was almost too much to take in. Masaru concentrated on helping Kaken, but he could see that something else had happened back where he had weathered the barrage of red-hot iron sand. It struck him suddenly that not everyone would have been able to dodge or block it as effectively as he had. They probably had injured. He just hoped there was someone in that group of mysterious ninja they'd just run across that was a medical nin. Kaken might need help as well. First, however, he had to make sure of something. "Kaken-san, is that Amegakure nin dead? What about the others?"

[Dark_Prophet]

Chiiro continues to gag, looking at the collapsed bridge to his companions, then at the path his opponent ran after, then comes to a decision. Looking apologetically across the ravine, he hobbles after Ordo, greatsword firmly clutched in a white knuckle grip, his grey eyes burning. "Gonna catch...ugh..bastard. Don't die...back soon"

(OOC: 30 movement, but still, what Chiiro would do.)

[Callos_DeTerran]

Motoko doesn't respond at first, still feeling the burning pain ripping through her body though her lips turn into a weak smile soon enough as she looks at Mitsuhide, raising her free hand in a loose fist and tapping the back of it against his cheek in a mock punch. "Your...UNGH!...the idiot...you think I'd die..." The girl pauses to take a deep pained breath and squeezes Mitsuhide's hand as Wahe gently touches upon one of the wounds, making her wince. "..die before we...sparred again?" Comes the faint voice before Motoko's eyes drift shut...

The sound of pounding feet stamped across the ground as Ichikita rushed from where she had been hiding for most of the battle, looking frantic as she skidded to a halt beside her fallen comrade and dropped to her knees besides Wahe. Soon enough she's ripping the torn cloth away from the wounds and reaching into her pack to pull out bandages, looking more then a little frantic herself. "Wahe...I-I can't fix this completely. We need to get her back to the village, now. I mean...I...I can slow the bleeding and put her at ease but she needs a real doctor and medical ninja or she's done for."

"You." Comes the dark growl, the source coming from Wahe as his teeth grind together and he ceases his unskilled efforts to glare fully at the swordsman. "Your the reason she's like this you son of a...!" The statement was never finished as the scattered iron sand coalasced around Wahe for the briefest of moments before surging forward to slam into Mitsuhide, flowing around his body before tightening it's grip painfully so.

"Stop it!"

Kaken coughs out another stale breath of ash as Masaru helps pull him out of the ground, patting the dirt off of his pants before straightening with a painful sounding popping of his joints that had him wincing.

"OH! Crud...gonna feel that in the morning." He groans before cracking his neck and turning his eyes to Masaru. "Karaji? I dunno. That kid knocked the shuriken pouch out of his hand before it exploded so he might have escaped the blast like I did. I was just worried about getting those other two out of the way." The man admits as he rights his eyepatch absently and glances around the crater that he found himself in, eyes finally coming to rest on the...bizarre scene at the very center. "...That's just weird. Hey, where's Chiiro?" He finally asks trudging up out of the hole, though he waits for Masaru to follow, and looking across the chasm to where Chiiro had once stood.
---

It was slow going chasing after Orgo, the young man seemed determined to throw off pursuit and he wasn't being riddled with crippling sickness either. But Chiiro had the slight advantage of knowing the surrounding terrain slightly better and he kept his eyes out for signs that his quarry had passed this way.

What he did know though was that Orgo was moving, and fast towards the south-east and the safety of the Land of Rain.

Dark make me...four Survival checks (DC 24). You can try twice for each. Knowledge geography or local (DC 15) gives you a +2 bonus on the Survival checks. Land-hopping will give another +3 bonus.
---

Gradually the iron sand began to loosen it's bone-crushing grip at the angry, if weak, shout until it reluctantly released Mitsuhide entirely to let him drop down the foot he had been hanging above the ground. Not that Wahe looked any more forgiving then he had before, hands tight fists and trembling white. Only the fact that Motoko was pain-stakingly pulling herself up from the ground and coughing harshly seemed to stay his hand from throttling the swordsman right then and there.

"What the hell are they doing over there?" Kaken asks, dumbfounded as he dusts himself off once more and begins to approach the small group of genin with Masaru in tow. He pauses though, glancing over to the sword that had been tossed away and detoured over to look down at it inquisitively. With a shrug he reaches down and grasps the hilt...

"Wahe..just stop. Mitsuhide didn't do anything wrong...he couldn't help himself...right?" Motoko's voice wavers the tiniest bit then at the end, turning to look at Mitsuhide for confirmation that it was exactly that and he hadn't intentionally gone after her.

"It doesn't matter if he could or couldn't! You told us about the damned sword of his before we got here, he never should have brought it in the first place! He's a threat and he tried to kill you! What if we had been in the village when this little mood of his came over him? Do you really think that a normal citizen could stop him if he went beserk? What about your goddamn mother?! She's been missing for how many days now? I think he killed her and is just trying to cover it up!" Wahe stands up, pointing a finger at Mitsuhide accusingly.

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

"Chiiro? He was across the chasm fighting that other Amegakure nin." Masaru snapped his masked head up to look at where he'd seen the two fighting, to find nothing. "Chiiro must have gone after him. We should follow." Masaru said as they began walking towards the commotion. He couldn't really hear what was going on, but it looked like the iron-sand user was really pissed off at one of the others while another was being treated for wounds by yet a fourth. It was then that Kaken reached down to grasp the hilt of a sword on the ground.

"That was the sword one of the other genin was using earlier...he was attacking that girl over there for a moment just as we arrived, but the last I saw she was shielding him from the blast. That's probably why the others are mad at him. Why was he attacking her?" Masaru thought aloud as he watched Kaken. He wasn't privy to the specifics of the conversation going on across the battlefield, only indistinct shouting, so he couldn't be aware to warn Kaken of just what he was picking up.

This whole situation they found themselves in was troublesome. Who were Karaji and the others? Why were Amegakure nin out this far? Masaru recognized some of the Kagekure genin from appearance, but their names escaped him. He was looking forward to getting the entire story. So, assuming Kaken continued walking, he would follow him towards the other group of angry, young ninja.

[PhoeKun]

Asano Mitsuhide

He had never been so happy to be called an idiot. It was elation, really. She was alive! And that made everything clear. All that mattered right now was making sure she stayed that way. She needs medical attention, so that means getting her back to --

"Gah!"

The cry was involuntary. It's not as though the pain really mattered, or even his life. It's just, he didn't have time to be fighting with Wahe. Not while she still needed help. And that was the only reason he struggled against the crushing iron sands... and then the loosened.

Mitsuhide nods at Motoko, reassuring her that her assumptions were correct, that he had never wanted to kill her, no matter what his traitorous body had to say about it.

"I'm so sorry Motoko... I tried to stop it. I did. That sword is evil. I tried to purify it... but I failed. Maybe I made it worse. I've been keeping it because I don't know what else to do. It's dangerous. But we can talk about this later. We're getting you to a hospital, ok? That comes first."

His voice is gentle and calm, as he turns to look at Wahe for a moment with the saddest of smiles on his face while he moves to pick up Motoko.

"As for you... thank you for stopping me."

[Dark_Prophet]

Chiiro runs into view a minute later, breathing hard but looking in much better state then before. "Sorry, I lost him! Let me just...get over there..." He trails off, then starts swearing at the edge of the ruined bridge. "God damn it! Errrgh...why did he have to do that?!? You don't see me destroying bridges like that left and right! Do you know how hard those things are to build? I should know, I've built a bunch of them for Kagekure! Stupid damn selfish Amegakure! I outta just go and start wrecking THEIR bridges, see what they think of it..."

After several seconds of ranting, he stops and seems to remember something, his eyes fixing on his clunky, oversized backpack on the other side of the bridge, quickly calling to Masaru and Kaken, waving his arms excitedly, causing his weapons to clatter and jingle. "HEY! GUYS! My backpack has rope in it! We can use that to get across, bridge or no bridge!"

[Callos_DeTerran]

"Don't you touch her murderer!" Comes the abrupt snarl as Mitsuhide went to pick up the injured Motoko, the harsh words swiftly followed by a howling blast of iron sand that only just barely missed the swordsman as Wahe interposed himself between Asano and the injured girl. "You are just as much to blame for this as that Amegakure guy! For all I know you took that sword to her on purpose and just made up this cursed sword story, and I plan on telling the entire village just that if you ever show your face there again!"

The other genin's face was red with anger, the fingers on one of his hands flexing constantly as if goading the iron sand to motion with the slightly disturbing motion. Honson paid the two boys no mind, dutifully tying off the bandage she had been un-winding and laying a hand glowing with soothing green chakra on Motoko's back. "This won't fix you Motoko, but it should dull the pain while we move you, alright? Hey...Motoko..."

Mitsuhide and Wahe both quickly look to the downed genin, eyes widening in horror before the only medic among them gave a relieved sigh and shook her head. "Don't worry, she just finally passed out. I'm amazed she lasted this long but Wahe we need to hurry." She says urgently, lifting one of Motoko's arms and slipping it over one shoulder, grunting a bit as she lifts the larger girl off the ground and turns her back in the direction of Kagekure.

"I'm deadly serious Asano...you come back to the village and I will have you thrown in prison like any other rogue ninja." Wahe promises in a deadly soft voice as he takes his team-mate's other arm and with one final hateful glance the trio begin to move as swiftly as possible back the way Mitsuhide had come from.

Kaken's hand closed around the hilt, lifting the evil katana up looking at it curiously with his one eye. For a moment a shadow seemed to cross over his face but the bare-chested man shook it off and motioned for Masaru to help Chiiro cross the chasm. It'd be better to have all of them together on one side after all before discussing what had happened here.

"Hey, this is your sword right?" The friendly call came from the eye-patched man who had arrived with the other two genin, holding the katana tightly with one hand as he approached Mitsuhide. He stopped behind the distraught genin, dusting off his pants with his one free hand. "That kid seemed pretty serious about his threat, might be wise to let him cool down for little bit before even trying to go back."

Kaken reaches up one hand to distastefully brush the dirt and pebbles out of his hair, tilting his head to one side and groaning as he did so with the katana tightly gripped in his hand. "Y'know...it's a little surprising to find a sword like this in the hands of...well someone like you. They usually end up getting their owners killed a couple weeks after first coming into their hands. Either it's weak-willed or you've been keeping it at bay for the moment. My name is Kaken." He finally offers, extending his hand to Mitsuhide.

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

The stoically silent genin by Kaken's side looked over the three Kagekure genin gathered around their downed comrade, staying for just a moment after Kaken's order to look both Mitsuhide and Wahe in the eye as if taking their measure. Then he nodded to Kaken and walked over to Chiiro's backpack, which lay near where the bridge used to span the chasm, just by the ruined stumps that used to anchor the near side of the wooden structure.

Masaru knelt down, resting on his haunches, and started rooting around in the backpack for the promised rope. There was a lot of clanging and banging as random equipment kept getting in his way, so he just started tossing things over his shoulder to make more room to search the oversized backpack. Eventually, he looped the rope over his shoulder and came up with a kunai in his other hand. He took a moment to knot the rope through the hole in the hilt end of the throwing dagger, or around the hilt if the rope was too thick, and then let out a section of the rope into his hands.

"Chiiro, incoming." Masaru warned as he began to spin the weighted end of the rope in circles. by his side. The spinning picked up speed as he swung it over his head, then caught it in his elbow and spun, looping it around himself. Then, he stepped on it as it passed and he let more out, wrapping it a couple of times around his neck as well. Finally, letting still more of it out, keeping the rope and kunai swinging, Masaru performed several flips and maneuvers back in the other direction he had the rope wrapped, culminating in the kunai rocketing off like a shot to thud into the stumps on the other side of the bridge by Chiiro, bringing the rope with it. (Look up "Chinese Rope Dart" to see what I mean.)

Masaru nodded silently at his handiwork and took the other end of the rope to the remains of the bridge on his own side and knotted it around the sturdiest pole so that Chiiro would be able to do the same on his side and shimmy his way back over.

[PhoeKun]

Asano Mitsuhide

Mitsuhide's smile, sad as it was, dies immediately at Wahe's furious accusations. The other boy was right, this was his fault. If he had been stronger, none of this would have happened. He certainly didn't deserve to be believed, or even forgiven. Not now. He had to be stronger...

He sighs and lowers his head as Wahe and Ichitaka pick up Motoko to take her to the hospital. That was the important part. That they got there, and she was all right. If that was the case, then being an outcast wouldn't be so bad. It wouldn't be forever. Just until he finds enough strength to conquer that demon sword, and purify it. Wash the blood off his hands, so that they would be worthy to touch Motoko's again. Wahe would probably take his silence as an admission of guilt, but that didn't matter. Wahe's opinion never mattered.

He turns to watch the trio go, wanting to say something but having no words. And then Kaken approaches, expounding on swords like his and surprise. Kept it at bay? Ha! He wished. The man offers his hand, and Mitsuhide is suddenly reminded of Onu, and that first night when he learned what death looked like. But this time, he reaches out to take the offered hand.

"Asa--" He catches himself. What right did he have to that name right now? The noble name Asano, one of the guardian clans of Kagekure, and holders of the sacred sword Chikakage: his birthright. An unearned glory he was always taking too much pride in. There was another name that suited him better, the name of a traitor who tried and failed to cleanse a great evil from the land.

"...Akechi Mitsuhide. Thank you for your help."

[Dark_Prophet]

(Apologies, but this (http://www.esnips.com/doc/76b704ce-97f9-40cc-8a65-2907274a206d/Yu-Yu-Hakusho-OST-1---Kuwabaras-theme) soundtrack just seems so appropriate.)

Chiiro grins, and clambers over, climbing across the bottom of the rope slowly but surely, not daring to look down as his swords clank. When he finally reaches the edge, he manages to pull himself up on, breathing a sigh of relief, and kneeling next to his backpack, regathering the scattered bits up. "Hey, thanks Masaru! For future reference, I always carry a bunch of crap in my backpack - smithing tools, kosen, trap sets - not armed, of course...rations...you get the idea. Feel free to use them if they get left behind again, or just period." He names each as he replaces it, then gathers the clunky pack on his back again, relaxing with the familiar weight. "So, what did I miss? That guy managed to lose me...is that girl ok? What're they angry about?" He remembers the situation, and peers over at the group of departing shinobi with some confusion.

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

"I don't know. I think we should ask him." came Masaru's simple reply to Chiiro's barrage of questions. He waited until his teammate had gathered the rest of his belongings into the oversized backpack and then lead the way over to where Mitsuhide and Kaken stood. He saw that the others were leaving, most likely heading back to the village to get the girl some medical attention. It didn't seem that important to him, since there were other glaringly obvious questions that no one else had put forth yet. Always the pragmatic, Masaru interrupted whatever Kaken and Mitsuhide were talking about and just put it all out there.

"You're a Kakegure nin, right?" he said, stepping in front of Mitsuhide. "Why wasn't your jounin team leader with you? Who exactly was that man and what were you doing out here?" Then, turning to regard Kaken as well, he added, "Also, is there any chance those other two genin, this boy's teammates, survived the explosion? If not, then I think we should perform a burial before we leave this place."

[PhoeKun]

Mitsuhide

Gloved hands clenched into fists at the questions, and then slowly relaxed. The young swordsman sighs, completely drained. The emerald green eyes staring back at Masaru seem to belong to someone barely alive.

"It was a hostage negotiation. The Amegakure nin wanted..."

He pauses, and walks away, returning a moment later with two glass orbs, one green and one yellow.

"These. The offer in exchange was Taka-sensei's life. However... negotiations failed."

Mitsuhide thrusts his arm angrily towards the gorge, his hand clenched in a fist. He opens his hand suddenly, mimicking the dropping of a body, to emphasize his point. His eyes lower themselves to the ground.

ooc: I don't honestly know where Enuferiu hid the orbs, but for the sake of ease and avoiding a giant plot hole, I'm going to argue that they were easily retrievable. I'll edit this post if Callos disagrees.

[Dark_Prophet]

Do you know if they're dead? They might be alive - we could go look." Chiiro adds with forced hopefulness. "I mean...we should at least try to bring her back to Kagekure if nothing else, right? ...how far down does that go, anyway...?" He finishes in a quiet, breathless voice, looking down at the chasm, his backpack bobbing and clanging slightly.

[Callos_DeTerran]

"Well Akechi it's a pleasure to meet..." The black garbed man began to say when Masaru and Chiiro approached, thinking on the question that had been posed to him and giving a bit of a clueless shrug of his shoulders. "Anythings possible, they could very well have escaped like I did but...well...I doubt it. I'd actually doubt there's anything left to bury so if you want to hold a ceremony it'd be best to just make a grave."

A chill wind blows as Mitsuhide recounts the events of the failed hostage negotiation, as if a grim reminder of what might have been lost in the darkness of the chasm below. It was only as Mitsuhide pulled out the orbs that Enu had hidden that Kaken's eyes widened and he plucked the yellow one out of the genin's hand.

"Wow...I never thought I'd actually get to see an elemental essence." He whistled, holding it up towards the sun as if the light being cast through it would reveal something before he gingerly handed it back to Mitsuhide. "This does explain the multiple explosions though, elemental essences are very unstable and prone to...well...exploding if they are damaged. You should probably put those in well padded container so the same thing doesn't happen to those...Man...this really makes what happened a bigger tragedy. You'll only ever see maybe one, two tops, elemental essence for each generation that passes."

"And as much as I may want to take those from you kid, they are yours right now. I still can't believe you have two of them myself or that bum Karaji had more, this day has been almost freakishly filled with rare stuff." Kaken sighs some, still looking at the two orbs longing before glancing down to the sword still in his grasp and clearing his throat. "Right right...Mitsuhide, this is Masaru and Chiiro. They are genins from Konoha, Masaru and Chiiro, this is Mitsuhide."

Finally Kaken sheepishly holds out the katana he had been holding towards it's owner, clearing his throat. "Here. I'm no swordsman...but if you want some help then I could give you some pointers on controlling that thing."

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

Elemental essences?

"Morino Masaru," the tall, wrapped and masked genin introduced himself with a fake surname as he didn't want to leave it up to chance whether or not Mitsuhide had heard of his clan. They were a topic of rumor and a rather well-known tragedy in Kagekure, so if he had introduced himself as Ibaraki it was all too possible the other genin would recognize him. Masaru wasn't sure why Kaken had introduced them as Konoha genin, but he was the team leader so Masaru would go along with the lie. "Pleased to meet you." he said with a small bow of acknowledgment. It was even possible that Mitsuhide had heard of the burned kid who Esanu Mibu had adopted, though it would depend on his knowledge of village rumor. That was something he had no control over.

"Could your jounin still be alive? We should at least find her body and bury them all together."

[PhoeKun]

"Akechi" Mitsuhide

Wordlessly, Mitsuhide places what he now knows to be elemental essences in a (conspicuously empty) shuriken pouch. From what he had seen, this wouldn't be enough to keep them safe, but for now, out of sight was the best he could do. He didn't want to carry them. But if he didn't, what had everyone died for?

Mitsuhide's eyes seem to flash with something akin to disgust for a brief moment when Kaken offers the katana back to him, but he takes it anyway, gingerly returning it to its sheath. He stares at the man another long moment, before suddenly bowing deeply.

"...If you could help me achieve even the slightest bit more control over it, there would not be enough words to express my thanks."

He turns to look at Masaru, returning a bow and trying to take in the measure of the enigmatic genin. He can sense a certain familiarity about Masaru, recalling a vague memory of the tragic downfall of a clan, and of a fire, but puts it out of his mind. Tragedy is a constant, producing sad fates and stories the world over. So, as the Asano buries his past for the moment and becomes Akechi, he is not about to dig into anyone else's background.

"There is a slight chance she is alive. Once before I saw Taka-sensei come back from the dead... I want to at least find her body."

He walks towards the edge of the gorge, reaching down to his belt and pulling free a black and silver metal mask he ties over the lower half of his face. He would be leaving Kagekure soon... this one obedience he would keep to, for his mother's sake.

[Dark_Prophet]

"Back from the dead, huh? All right - lets go down and look for her! Errr...how we gonna get down there?" Chiiro peers over the edge, looking sidelong at the rest of his companions then at the improvised rope bridge. "I mean, there's the rope...I can't see the bottom from here, though. I don't suppose anyone has any...tricks for that?" He rubs the back of his head, looking a bit sheepish at the admission that he lacks some of the more traditional ninjutsu arts.

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

"Get the rope. We'll try climbing." Masaru said, offering a non-ninjutsu solution to a simple problem as he joined Chiiro at the side of the chasm. "If it's not long enough to reach the bottom, when we reach the end of the rope, we'll secure it there and start down again. If you have more rope we could tie ourselves together to keep from falling. Then again, we could just look for a way down, but it might take longer."

[Dark_Prophet]

Chiiro sighs and pulls on the far end of the rope, trying to drag it loose of its firm slot, (taking 10 if necessary). After it comes loose, he starts to climb down, going slowly but carefully, as he's not climber, muttering to himself the entire time. "Can't believe no one has any ninja tricks for this...wait a minute...Kinobori no Jutsu!" He tries to anchor himself to the cliff, but fails, grasping at the rope desperately, and tries again four more times before he finally manages to secure himself, swearing and running downwards while his concentration holds, moving beyond the limited 50 ft range of the rope.

(Rolls:
Strength to get the rope free [roll0]
Climb [roll]1d20+2[roll]
Kinobori [roll1] DC 17, 1 chakra point.
Got it on Kinbori try #5 http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1755939/
OOC: And all of us forgot Kinobori? Damn!)

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

Masaru shrugged, wrapped the rope lightly around his forearm, and started down slowly and carefully. "You're just wasting chakra." he said matter-of-factly. If you could do something mundanely without too much more effort, then it was better to preserve your stamina for when you might actually need it. More importantly, it was Masaru's opinion that if you couldn't do something like climbing without special ninjutsu to help you, you had no business doing it at all. So, instead of using his own chakra to anchor himself to the wall like Chiiro had done, he just repelled down.

Climb: 1d20+3=16 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1755941/)

[PhoeKun]

"Akechi" Mitsuhide

Watching the others descend before him, Mitsuhide stares into the gorge, wondering what it is he is hoping to see. To find her body, and confirm the finality of everything, to mourn and move on? Or to find nothing at all, and be allowed to go on hoping she bested Karaji the same way she overcame the War Shogun?

He turns to look at Kaken a moment, returns his gaze to the chasm below, and shakes his head. He grabs the rope and begins lowering himself down.

Climb [roll0]

[Callos_DeTerran]

Kaken nods his head solemnly to Mitsuhide before an infectious grin broke out over his face. "Don't be so glum kid. Life is short, you have to take what joy you can when you can. Find the silver lining in every cloud, you know?" A little shake of his head followed before he glanced around thoughtfully.

"Might even be able to do something about it here actually..." The man muttered, wandering off towards the bizarre effigy the elemental essences had made as each genin drifted over towards the chasm and began to set up a rope or just plain walk down the side of the cliff. Masaru and Chiiro had descended down for a minute or so before something caught their eye that was stretched out across the chasm below the bridge and about ten feet to the right and left of it. Was that a...?

"Ahhhhh!"

The distressed yell came from Mitsuhide as his grip on the rope slipped and came loose, falling away from the rope and out into the vast seeming nothingness blow with the wind and his clothes billowing around him. Just as Masaru and Chiiro began to formulate a plan to catch the swordsman though he abruptly snagged on the very thing that had caught their eyes.

A net.

A black threaded net that had been stretched out to catch falling objects and sloped so that whoever fell on it, Mitsuhide at this point, was sent tumbling down and into a cleverly concealed opening in the chasm wall. And it did exactly what it was intended to, sending Mitsuhide rolling into the opening before he came to a stop and was able to rise and pat the dirt off. From the looks of it he had discovered just where Karaji and his team had been staying while launching the various forays into Kagekure. A small ring of stones announced an un-used fire pits and several sleeping bags were scattered around on the ground with backpacks at the foot of them..

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

Masaru looked at Chiiro, then down at the net, then back at Chiiro. He gave his teammate a shrug before bending at the knees and then simply tossing himself into the net as well, intending to ride it down after Mitsuhide. He kept his arms and legs tucked to his body and rolled down into the cave. He tucked into a ball as he landed and came up on one knee to survey his surroundings.

Packs, a fire pit, almost impossible to see from the top of the the cliff or the bridge...it had to be the camp Karaji and his team had set up here. So they'd come all this way for the elemental essences Mitsuhide was carrying? What could be so important about those things that they'd kidnap a jounin from the village and hold her ransom for them? Masaru thought about it for a few seconds, but quickly let his mind come back to the present.

"There might be traps on the packs. Be careful." he told Mitsuhide as he continued to look around. It was entirely possible that Mitsuhide's sensei had fallen and been caught in the net as well. She wasn't in the main area where the sleeping bags and packs were, so it looked like she'd either come back out and gotten away while they were fighting...or had gone further in. Masaru didn't think a team jounin would leave her pupils to die like that, so he began searching around for an opening further towards the back of the cave that led to another chamber.

Search: 1d20+2=18 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1756029/)

[Dark_Prophet]

"Why would they have dropped her over a place that would've looked like it would killed her, but didn't?" Chiiro searches around the camp carefully, checking the area for traps and any sign of recent movement - once he's done those, finally moving on to the packs themselves. He murmurs to himself as he goes. "That almost seems like they were planning this, if she didn't return after that..."

[spoiler] Search [roll0] [/spoiler

[PhoeKun]

"Akechi" Mitsuhide

It takes a moment for Mitsuhide to slow his breathing. That had been far too close... he takes a deep breath to focus himself.

This was the place Taka must have fallen to. If so, then... where was she? Either not dead, or never here in the first place. Wordlessly, he searches deeper into the cave, hoping against hope to find either a live Taka, or nothing at all.

Search: [roll0]

edit: he gets his second wish. I'm getting tired of the "Mitsuhide fails his rolls" show. Enough's enough, already. :smallsigh:

[Callos_DeTerran]

The three set of quickly to search the small cave for any sign of...well anything but there was not much to search and it was accomplished swiftly. Masaru's search for other chambers turned up fruitless, the cavern they were in was man-made but who-ever had made it hadn't seen fit to build any more into it either. Only after that did Mitsuhide and he began to, carefully, search the packs for some sort of hint as to just what had been involved in this brazen attack. Rations, bandages, kousen, some spare shuriken and kunai of Amegakure make...there was nothing really telling until the very last bag which had a black scroll sealed with a red cloud sticker on it...

Chiiro's search turned up something unusual...cleverly concealed behind one of the sleeping bags he found a section of wall that had obviously been dug out and replaced and after a moment of checking for trap notes or some other insidious trap he begins to pull the dirt back and draw the attention of the other two. It was the smell of badly burnt flesh and it was coming from the short, but long, compartment that Chiiro was exposing. As more and more became exposed Mitsuhide's eyes widened at the figure contained within.

Taka!

Wait...something wasn't right though...the woman was clearly dressed and bound as the one who had been pushed over the cliff...but it wasn't her. It took a long moment before the burnt body struck a cord but when it did it was a strong one...it was the girl he had killed! Had it been her, disguised as Taka, who had been pushed over the edge? If so then...Karaiji's only real hostage had been Sammu and Taka had been a bluff...

[Dark_Prophet]

Chiiro's face twists in revulsion and disgust, not knowing Taka from anything but a brief glimpse. "...so this is your mentor, then? Someone must have been down here, caught her and then...killed her like that. I don't see any evidence from a fall....truly disgusting, even for Amegakure ninja."

He moves away from the exposed secret compartment, glowering and scanning the area for footprints, trying to repress the returning feeling of nasuea - only this time not from anyone's genjutsu. "We should leave now to see if we can catch them before they escape...why would they do such a thing...? Have you guys found anything else?"

[PhoeKun]

"Akechi" Mitsuhide

"No. This is a decoy. He never had her after all..."

Mitsuhide punches the ground, seeing his handiwork for the first time without the sword's taint clouding his mind. Even just looking at the girl, he can almost feel the individual arrows piercing him all over again. The scene replays in his mind - pain, the desperate sword stroke, the wicked black flames that had... consumed the kunoichi. And also, the sickening splatter of her blood when he had taken her life. It had sounded almost like music when he did it... now it was difficult not to throw up.

He stands, and speaks to the room, more to himself than anyone else.

"This is somebody I killed. This is what I have become capable of..."

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

Masaru approached the body, examining it with a critical eye. His brows knitted together in confusion underneath his mask before he spoke. "This is your jounin? She seems pretty young, doesn't she?" he pondered. Then again, I've known younger. he thought, thinking about his own team leader up until not too long ago, Keimatsu. He looked about ten or twelve years old, but acted inexplicably older. Could this one be one more example of that? Still, she couldn't have been quite as good as Keimatsu...she had died after all.

Then Mitsuhide spoke up, confirming that it was not his jounin after all. She had been one of the Amegakure nin that had fallen in a previous battle. They'd disguised her body as Mitsuhide's team leader to force him to hand over the essences...Masaru had to admit it was rather crafty of them. "So where IS your team leader, Mitsuhide?" he asked.

Masaru moved to the packs that Chiiro had been examining. He shifted a few things out of the way...mostly mundane ninja equipment, but then focused on the black scroll with the red cloud design on it. It looked like it had been opened before, so he walked with it a little away from the others in the case he was about to trip something, and unraveled it to see what might be on it. What is this? he thought to himself.

EDIT: Ninja'd. Had to fix.

[PhoeKun]

"Akechi" Mitsuhide

"I don't know. She left us shortly after our return to the village following our last mission, and told us to meet her the next morning. She never showed, all we got is a note, and even that turned out to not be hers, according to Motoko-dono..."

He pauses, looking around the room at nothing in particular.

"She's been missing since. Karaji clearly never had her, but he also must have found out she was gone... who left the note? Why did she have those essences, and why entrust them to...me? I do not understand any of it, except that there is a good chance she is somewhere else, and alive. Small victories..."

[Callos_DeTerran]

With some degree of caution Masaru began to unfurl the scroll he had found and laid it out on the ground below where if some sort of trap went off, hopefully, he'd have a chance to escape it. Thankfully no such thing happened and all that was on the scroll were a scrawled note in a flowing script.

"God is disappointed with your continued failures Karaji. -G.A."

Was all that it said, even once he unrolled it completly and examined it every way he knew how to ensure there wasn't any hidden text or secret way of reading it to get a separate message. Just who was G.A. and was the Amegakure ninja really talking to Kami? There didn't seem to be any other clues in the man-made cavern and so the three quickly left and began to ascend the cliff back up towards the edge where Kaken was waiting for the three of them.

They found the shirtless man kneeling on the ground by the edge of the crater, looking down at something in his lap though his head twists about when he hears the noise of the three returning and rises to his feet. In his hand was small brown bag that had been tied off with some twine and looked to be holding something wet inside. He gives a brief wave as he walks slowly back towards them, glancing at each in turn before speaking even as he extended the bag out to Mitsuhide.

"Here. When you get the chance pour that on the sword. It'll either quiet it down for awhile or drive it into a murderous frenzy. I'm hoping it's the first. I take it you didn't find your jounin then?...Did you guys find anything?"

[Dark_Prophet]

Well...Kaken, a scroll that our enemy leader appeared to be carrying that Masaru found. You know anyone named God? I've heard the whole "God of" thing a lot, but not...just God. Right, you guys? I'm not making this up." Chiiro glances at his other two team members for verification, then continues.

"And also, a dead girl dressed like Jounin Taka. We...er, think her body was the one that got dropped, which would leave Taka alive...right guys? This is all still pretty confusing for me. Although someone would have to been left hide her body in the cave wall after it landed..." He trails off, scratching the back of his neck as if something's troubling him, eyeing both the contents of the pouch in Kaken's hand, and Mitsuhide's sword. "...who the heck are these guys, anyway? Ninja group from Amegakure, but thats all I've heard. You guys seem to know more, though - what happened leading up to here? And what the HELL is up with that sword? Can I take a look at it?"

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

The masked and covered genin simply nodded at Chiiro's report, echoing the other boy's thoughts for the most part. Where Mitsuhide's jounin had gone was anyone's guess. He laid the scroll, open, at Kaken's feet and bent down over it, continuing to scrutinize it as if some new information would suddenly reveal itself to his goggled eyes.

"I'd also like to know the story of that sword...though I think we should let Mitsuhide-kun keep it. That thing doesn't seem right to me." Masaru appraised the weapon, his brows knitting underneath his implacable black mask. "Instead, maybe we should figure out what we ought to do next." he concluded pragmatically. "Should we go after the survivor? Keep looking for Mitsuhide's jounin? Continue on our original mission?"

[PhoeKun]

"Akechi" Mitsuhide

With a nod and a bow, Mitsuhide takes the offered bag, regarding it as one would a package that might contain a bomb... he turns to face everyone, clutching it tightly.

"...I don't know. The one who knew the most about Karaji was Kaori-san... and now he's dead." a heavy sigh escapes his lips.

"I am sorry. But without knowing where Taka-sensei is, I cannot answer any questions. My own have yet to be answered. As for this sword, it is a demon. The terrified memories of a very skilled swordsmith who witnessed the bloody rampage of a missing nin and of Nawakefu the War Shogun forged into a blade. It... whispers of death and destruction, begs for blood. It is evil, and I do not trust it in the hands of another until I figure out how to purify it..."

[Dark_Prophet]

"Well, I'm a swordsmith who's witnessed terrors of the clan wars and his slaughtered clan. I think I should be able to handle it as a kindred spirit, at least for a brief moment, hm?"

Chiiro chuckles, extending a hand towards him Mitsuhide, although his grey eyes don't quite mirror the humor. "I just want to see the craftsmanship on it, see if I can maybe learn from it, or more about it. I'm a understudy of the greatest clan of smith-nin ever, after all - I might be able to tell you something about how to purify it or destroy it, if nothing else."

[PhoeKun]

"Akechi" Mitsuhide

"The greatest?"

Mitsuhide stares at Chiiro for a long moment. It seems at once far fetched and extremely risky to him, and yet... well, it's a difficult offer to pass up. Hesitantly, he draws the katana and holds it forward, parallel to the ground.

"Only a moment, and be careful. I still do not know whom it will choose to speak to..."

[Dark_Prophet]

Chiiro takes the sword, and then closes his eyes, his mouth twisting and his eyes rolling slightly white as he grits his teeth, struggling with it. "Errgggh...damn you...you're just a sword, a thing of beaten metal...!"

Will Save [roll0]

[Callos_DeTerran]

When Chiiro's hand closes over the sword handle at first...nothing happened. There was no sudden on-rushing of damned souls or the diabolic laughter of some oni lord. There was just the faint far off noise of...well...giggling but it came as if through a haze and it was only through sheer force of will that he managed to force his way past that to confront the source man-to-sword.

The genin's eyes rolled back up into his skull, a trickle of blood running down from his nose before his arm began to move and everything seemed to slow down as if in slow motion as he gripped it with both hands and pointed the tip towards his own belly

Chiiro!" Kaken cried out sharply as the craftsman-clan genin drove the blade into his own stomach until it came out the other side, wet with his red blood. The genin grimaced and seemed to come back to himself as a voice sounded as if out of nowhere and only Masaru seemed to not here it's roar.

A THING?!

It sounded like a woman shrieking in an unending fury, piercing eardrums and echoing as if they all stood in a great empty chamber. Without warning Chiiro stiffened...and then exploded into black flames that came rushing out of the sword blade to consume his body! Kaken quickly yanked back the hand he had been reaching out, eyes widening as he took in the sight. "Holy hell!"

Return me to him or perish fool!

[Dark_Prophet]

Chiiro growls, his entire body burning with dark fire, and grasps the hilt, pulling it out with a grunt. The edge of the end of the bloodied blade sliding out of his back, the genin wincing each inch until its finally free, blood running down his mouth and nose. He glares at the sword, holding it in front of his scarred face, yelping involuntarily as he burns. "Sneaky little -augh- bastard, aren't you? I've heard about you from somewhere...ergh. Was it one of the Mist...? No...damn it. Can't tell."

Grunting, and shaking his head, the rest of his body twitching and spasming slightly from the burning, he hands it back to Mitsuhide hilt first, his hand on the blade. "Oi...ugh...Kaken, why don't you dim its fire a little bit? Its being difficult. And...does anyone have any water? I don't think this is...auh!...normal fire."

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

"By the gods!" Masaru yelled in surprise and anger and almost made to grab the sword and pull it from his teammate's belly. He held himself back at the last instant, knowing that it would only try to consume him as well. He could shake off poison of the body or dodge a fireball spewed forth from a fire technique, but when it came to attacks of the mind, Masaru always felt himself succumb almost too easily. He'd spent so much time alone, attempting to heal and hone his scarred body that genjutsu and the like bypassed his meager defenses almost effortlessly at times. He doubted that the sword would be as forgiving as his teachers had been if he failed to resist it. "MITSUHIDE, TAKE IT BACK, NOW!!" he yelled.

Without the ability to resist the sword's mind effects, Masaru could only make ready to grab Chiiro's shoulders, heedless of the black flame that poured over him. When Mitsuhide grabbed the sword hilt, he would pull Chiiro off of the blade that held him. Now only if that medical nin hadn't run off with that girl from earlier! Much to his surprise, however, Chiiro managed to pull the sword free himself. He stood there, wreathed in that black flame, and managed to find the energy to smack-talk the sword! Masaru held back in sudden confusion. He had to admit he was impressed in a sickeningly fascinated way, but to keep holding on to that sword was useless folly. "Chiiro, damn you, drop it!"

[PhoeKun]

"Akechi" Mitsuhide

Every muscle in his body is tensed as Mitsuhide watches Chiiro hold the sword. Hearing it laughing, he has to admit he's impressed by the smith-nin's ability to resist the voice. Until he starts to bicker with it. Mitsuhide's eyes widen.

"No! Don't call it a --"

Too late. He frantically reaches out to grab the sword, pulling the blade free from Chiiro's grasp (and body), and retreating several steps backwards with it.

"What do you think you're doing!? He only wanted to look at you..."

Cleaning the blade of blood with a flick of his wrist, he hastily sheathes the weapon.

"Rest. You've caused enough trouble for one day."

He looks back up at Chiiro, the concern obvious in his eyes.

[Callos_DeTerran]

The flames down cease as the blade was pulled from Chiiro and slammed into it's scabbard, if anything they flared even darker as Masaru reached out to grab his shoulders. He didn't feel any heat coming off of Chiiro, oddly enough, merely a harsh tingle in his already burnt flesh as his hands passed through the black flames.

Mitsuhide only:
The voice of the sword is withdrawn and sullen, like a child who had dessert stripped away, and when it spoke into his thoughts it was with a soft sibilant hiss. "He is a foul-bodied cretin! I cannot believe that you would allow such a...a...monkey to foul my grip!"

Kaken's response to the question of putting it out was...less then reassuring. It was a dumb-founded look as Chiiro asked him to try and put it out. "What? Why on earth would I know how to put it out?! Try rolling on the ground or something!"

Short post because...well...it's essentially a round of combat without combat.

[Dark_Prophet]

Oh, well, since you put it that way..." Chiiro murmurs, then seems to remember the fact that he's on fire, and starts yelling and rolling on the ground, trying to put it out without affect. "Augh! Damn cheating sword! This isn't even normal fire! Normal fire I can take! Stupid piece of iron!"

[PhoeKun]

"Akechi" Mitsuhide

Turning away from the others, Mitsuhide holds the hilt of the sword gently, as though he were squeezing someone's hand reassuringly.

"Shh... if I had known it would upset you that much, I would never have let him touch you. Just calm down... it won't happen again, I promise. But let him go... without him, I'd probably be dead, and then where would you be? Forgive him just this once... please?"

[ChronicLunacy]

"Morino" Masaru

Masaru was too busy shoveling dirt onto Chiiro to try to put out the flames to more than half-notice the Gollum-esque conversation Mitsuhide was having with his demon sword, but he still made a note to destroy the thing at the earliest opportunity. He scooped large handfuls of earth from the disturbed ground around where the essences had exploded and paid no heed to the cold flame licking his gloves as he essentially tried to bury Chiiro with it.

[Callos_DeTerran]

Mitsuhide only:
The voice changes, becoming almost smug, as you implore it to stop what it was going, That's not possible. I create the flames but I do not control them, his own wickedness burns him now. It giggles into your mind, mocking Chiiro's inability to deal with the flames.

While it may have worked for other flames rolling about on the ground and having the dirt shoveled on him did nothing to put out those ghostly black flames. Instead they stubbornly clung to the genin as he rolled about, growing ever hotter as soft dirt was tossed unto his body.

Kaken's eyes watch in surprise as his charge flails about, body tense from the inability to do anything. "Masaru, roll him down into the crater! Maybe the water down there will put him out!"

I promise that once Chiiro stops trying to look like Masaru the posts will once again become more descriptive.

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

With a curse muffled into obscurity by his mask, Masaru did as Kaken suggested and shoved Chiiro down the incline into the water at the bottom of the crater. Hopefully even these strange black flames wouldn't be able to hold out against the cleansing nature of the water.

It occurred to Masaru that his usual paralyzing fear of fire hadn't affected his actions. He supposed that at his core, the scarred genin realized that these weren't real flames. What burned Chiiro was some dread, demonic magic from the sword...not fire. So Masaru had no fear of it.

[Dark_Prophet]

"Ow! I don't think this is -ugh- working! I can't see anything! Water option is sounding-AHH! Get me the **** out of here!" Chiiro's muffled commentary takes on a very panicked sound as he rolls free with Masaru's shove, sending steaming dirt everywhere, stumbling to his feet. His body and clothes still singed with the burning black fire and utter curses with every step, the genin makes it over to the crater, and then collapses forwards onto it, rolling in the water and drenching himself.

The black flames hiss as they go out, steam rising from all over his body as the smith-nin just lays there, his mouth apparently the only undamaged part of him. "Oh...****...I'm just gonna lie here for a while. I hate that sword SO much. I'm gonna break it down into raw components and build a toilet out of it. See how smartass it is then. You hear me, sword?"

[PhoeKun]

"Akechi" Mitsuhide

"...Even if that is true, you still know how to stop them. You have that power, I know you do. Tell me, please... don't allow him to die for my mistake. I'm sorry... you know h-how..." he chokes on these next words, not even really whispering them,

"How important you are to me... Please, release him. At least tell me how..."

Hearing the commotion from behind him, he turns to see that Chiiro has managed to put himself out. He watches quietly and with concern, not daring to say anything.

Diplomacy: [roll0]

Come on... just this once, give me a decent roll. Actually...

Action Point: [roll1]
Total Roll Result: 18

[Callos_DeTerran]

By the time that Mitsuhide had turned back around again Chiiro had been completely put out, just thick gray smoke rising from his body as he just soaked in the water for a little bit to let the cool wetness sooth the wrathful burns that the sword had given him. Kaken simply smiled to himself and gave Masaru a hearty pat on the back. "Good job kid."

Only then did the man look to Mitsuhide, still smiling to himself. "Give it a try Mitsuhide when you have some time alone. What's the worse that could happen?"

After that episode of turmoil the three genin and Kaken did not dawdle about the battle field, the older man leading the trio seeming eager to leave the site and get back to the journey to the Land of Fire before too much more time had passed. So with little fanfare he simply began to head back the way Masaru, Chiiro, and himself had come from on the way to the battlefield. Kaken seemed thoughtful and silent, glancing back at the three every now and then as they walked.

But they hadn't quite gotten back to the road quite yet when Kaken called a halt, eyes sharpening with a hint of battle awareness that seemed to come upon him whenever danger was afoot. Up ahead the road could be seen but the bushes just off the path leading to it were rustling with the motions of a large creature...or a person. The bare-chested scarred man quickly motioned for the three to fan out around the bushes, striding towards it a couple of paces before calling out loudly. "Alright, I know your in there! Come out where we can see your hands or I'll come over and force you out."

[Bariko]

Rio

A silent curse flashed across the mind of the young genin. As he pressed his back to a tree, he momentarily wished he'd spent a little more time on stealth. Medicine was my choice, though, he reasoned.

The thought immediately vanished as the voice was recognised. His eyes widened, and the boy nearly stepped onto the road. Pushing his feet into the ground, he forced himself to remain in the shelter afforded by the plants. Think. Think, think, think. I've been spotted. A deep slow breath escaped the lips of the young man, as he turned and peered towards the group.

As dark brown eyes peered through leaves, they landed on a stranger first, which made him stiffen, reaching for a weapon, before he glanced around and saw familiar figures. Kaken! The youth almost leapt to his feet, but, knowing the nature of illusions, he remained firmly in place. His eyes drifted to another youth... one he'd seen in chains very recently. And then his eyes landed on a black-garbed genin. It was Masaru! He'd found them!

Still fighting the urge to approach them, Rio crouched down. If he vounteered information, an illusion could make use of it. "Who are you? What do you want?" was the only response from the young man.

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

At Kaken's silent order, Masaru had immediately taken a right and attempted to disappear into the bushes and trees off to the side of the road, keeping ahead of his team leader about ten paces but hopefully hidden. He couldn't tell if someone had been able to spot him before he'd leapt off the roadway, and the brush on his side of the road was a little sparse...but he at least kept quiet, hoping Kaken could draw their attention.

Hide and Move Silently (1d20+6=8, 1d20+6=17) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1774618/) The Hide is cringe-worthy, but at least he's quiet about it!

Then a voice answered Kaken's challenge...a voice that struck Masaru as familiar, though without a face he couldn't be sure of it. It was impossible, though...weren't they continuing on? Masaru's brows knitted underneath his mask in silent confusion as he crept closer for a better look, hoping to flank whoever it was.

[PhoeKun]

"Akechi" Mitsuhide

The long, silent march affords Mitsuhide time to think. These people had seen the worst of his sword, but he hadn't been ostracized from their group. Rather disconcertingly, the jounin Kaken seemed to assume Mitsuhide was simply one of his genin. But at the moment, what else could he do? He certainly wouldn't be welcome in Kagekure, and so there was nothing to do but follow these people until he could find a chance to return.

With Kaken's order to fan out, Mitushide soundlessly takes off in the opposite direction as Masaru, very consciously gripping his lower, non-cursed sword as he waits for the scenario to play out...

[Dark_Prophet]

Chiiro tensed up, rushing to follow Kaken's order, taking point between Masaru and Mitsuhide. Partway there, he stopped still in midstep, recognizing the voice along with Masaru. His stance immediately lost its tension as he lowered his sword, grinning, waving for the others to relax as he shouted in a exuberant tone. "HEY! I know that voice, you little weasel! RIO! You've got some nerve running off like that, the day right after I met you guys! Come on out, we've got stuff to catch up on. Your girlfriend nearby, too?" He walked ahead casually, glancing around for the little medic in the brush as he resheathed the greatsword across his back.

[Callos_DeTerran]

"Rio?" Kaken said, dumbfounded, when Rio spoke up while Masaru, Mitsuhide, and Chiiro fanned out into position to surround their fellow genin. Some with less caution then the others. The eye-patched man's single eye narrowed as he advanced himself along side Chiiro towards the noise. "Wait...prove your Rio! What was the very first thing I asked you when we first met?"

The man's voice was determined, a glint in his eye even as it peered into the bushes to seemingly look straight at and into Rio. Maybe he was, it was somewhat difficult to gauge the man's mannerisms when they seemed to change at a good clip. Masaru stole silently through the foliage off to the side of the path, a quiet, but visible, shadow stalking towards it's prey that was mirrored on the opposite side by Mitsuhide who took no efforts to conceal himself from any prying eyes. The pincer was closing swiftly for Rio and ever there was the chance for him to flee it was now before it was too late and the faster genin would be able to catch him no matter how fast he ran.

[Bariko]

Rio

Rio could see Masaru moving through the bushes, as well as the unfamiliar person on the opposite side. Chiiro called out familiarly, making a passing reference to Michiko, which caused Rio to stiffen. While he was more reassured by the appearance of Masaru, as well as the voices of Chiiro and Kaken, he was too on edge to take any chances.

Panic started to seize at the edges of his mind, as he struggled with the situation, before he realised how Kaken's question could be used to his advantage... the answer wouldn't be construed as correct unless Kaken was really who he said he was.

Without hesitation, and not directing it towards purely Kaken, instead yelling it out towards all of them, he shouted, "What the hell is the problem with you guys?!" Kaken will catch it...

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

Masaru thought about the very first time they'd met Kaken. It hadn't been too long ago, but it was memorable. He'd picked up a rock and thrown it at Kaken in order to test the nin's strength and had pegged his new team leader in the eye with it. Kaken had gone down and screamed the exact question Rio had just repeated. After that Kaken had taken to wearing an eye-patch because he thought it made him look rogueish...or rakish...or something. Kaken was a strange man.

"Tch...come out, Rio." Masaru said, remaining in the trees but not moving any closer. "I promise we won't hurt you."

[Bariko]

Rio

Rio almost stepped out. Almost. While Masaru had stopped advancing and seemed like he understood, his words weren't a direct confirmation that he had recalled the words. Rio simply couldn't take that chance. It could be a ploy to get him to come out before he... well... no point in dwelling on that. Rio just gulped and waited, tense as a coiled spring, for Kaken's response.

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

"Rio, come out before I throw a rock at you, too." Masaru said flatly, but with a hint of either amusement or annoyance at Rio's expense. Impatience, however, was the main undercurrent in his words and posture as he stepped back out into the road. He was sure he wasn't the only one wondering why it was just Rio who was there and not Michiko as well. In fact, Masaru was getting...ah, worried, that was the emotion.

[Callos_DeTerran]

Kaken raised a hand as Rio spoke, silently signaling for Mitsuhide and Masaru to stop advancing as a smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. The scarred man peers closely into the bushes towards the hidden Rio, taking another step forward himself before speaking.

"Alright Rio, good call. You can come out of hiding now, it's us and then some." The man waited for the other genin to come out of the bushes before gesturing to Mitsuhide with one arm. "Akechi Mitsuhide meet Rio. Rio meet Akechi Mitsuhide." Was all that Kaken offered as an introduction before taking a longer look at the wayward genin.

"You know, after the letter you or Michiko left behind for us I would have guessed that you'd be gone longer then this. So I'm guessing either something went really wrong or you changed your mind. Where's Michiko anyway?"

[Bariko]

Rio

As Rio stood there, and was finally able to relax, he became acutely aware of his physical state. Blood stained his clothing and face, bruises and blows hampered his movement, his breathing was ragged. He was fighting to maintain consciousness, now that the adrenaline of fear had faded.

As such, he spared only a glance at the new genin, nodding briefly before looking at Kaken. "Michiko..." He'd done it again, the same thing Keimatsu had scolded him for! He'd abandoned a comrade. The shame and self loathing came rushing back. "I didn't have a choice! If I'd fought on I would've just been caught or killed or.. or... They took her! It all happened so fast, we were outnumbered, when they got her, I had to run! I couldn't fight them all on my own, I needed help! I didn't want to abandon her, but I just - I -..." Rio was rambling, not breathing enough. Finally safe, it was as if he had to get everything which had built up out at once; the torrent of emotions. Thanks to his lack of breathing and his already injured physical state, Rio paused as a small wave of dizziness overtook him, providing the others with a suitable point to step in with their own words.

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

Masaru's form stiffened as the blood in his veins froze. "Michiko?" he repeated the name of one of his only friends out loud after Rio had finished speaking. It took a moment but he seemed to jerk into motion and Masaru grabbed Rio by the shirt collar, nearly lifting him off of the ground while inadvertently keeping him from falling. "Rio, what happened to Michiko? Where is she? Who took her?"

He'd never had friends before maybe a week ago and now that something had happened to not one but both of them Masaru was as near to a panic as he had ever gotten. A million possibilities went through his mind about who could have taken Michiko, what could be happening to her. Guilt flooded his thoughts as well when he wondered why he had let them both run off without even trying to stop them. Why had he just assumed that they would be fine and they'd all meet up later? Why hadn't he done something?

Masaru let Rio down a little when he realized what he was doing to his other only friend and tried to support him rather than simply assaulting him. "Rio, tell me what happened." he said, softer this time.

[PhoeKun]

"Akechi" Mitsuhide

"..."

Mitsuhide's mouth opens and closes without any words coming out, unseen under his mask. This sort of pain is something he's used to, but not as an observer. What can he say? 'I'm sorry'? 'I know how you feel'? Absurd. And insulting...

He stands up straight, letting his hands fall to his sides, and takes a few steps back as his long black ponytail sways a little from his motions. His eyes glint sadly while he watches the apparent reunion of comrades, minus one. This much, though he could offer. He could help look. And he will, but only after these people have the chance to sort out... everything. This isn't his moment to intrude in.

[Dark_Prophet]

Chiiro sighs and shakes his head, not even waiting for poor Rio's explanation. "Well, its good to have you back, Rio, although with the banshee abducted and these two fountains of joy and expressiveness as teammates" He inclines his head to Masaru and Mitsuhide, rolling his eyes a bit with a slight smile."...to say nothing of our fearless leader...its gonna be way too quiet around here."

The stocky genin turns towards their Jounin flagrantly, pretending (poorly) to yawn somewhat casually before he continues, his jaw and neck tense. ""Oi, Kaken, I don't suppose we could go get her back from whatever she fell into this time? Its not like we've got much else to do. And I mean, we can't just let her get away with deserting and then getting abducted, can we? Set bad policy and all, you know." Despite his attempt at a detached tone, its rather obvious that he wants to go after Rio's companion rather muchly, one hand absently drifting to the greatsword on his back without realizing it.

[Bariko]

Rio

As Rio struggled to get the air he needed, he felt himself somewhat held up by Masaru as his words struck home with his friend. His mind was swirling with relief at finding the team, shame at abandoning his friend, as well as the general imbalance he's gotten from being thrashed by his previous attackers. Still, he managed to catch the question of who was responsible.

He looked up at Masaru. "They looked like... you. They were grey, and they seemed to only see from a single... lens. One was red, and the other orange. They moved so fast. There was a third, his lens was in the middle of his face and he carried a sword. I don't know who they were, only that they looked like that."

"They took her towards the capital of the Bird country..." Rio looked towards Kaken. "Who were they?" he asked, echoing the sentiments of his friend.

((OOC: I know I forgot some details about the attackers. Callos, give me a heads up and I'll edit it in.))

[Callos_DeTerran]

Kaken watched on, dumb-founded, as Masaru bodily lifts Rio up into the air and demands and explanation for what had happened to Michiko. But when the distraught genin turned his attention to Kaken, the man blinked rapidly and looked around quickly as if expecting to find someone else standing behind him.

"What? Why would I know who they were? Just as much a mystery to me as it is to you kid." Kaken says with a dumbfounded expression on his face before reaching up to cup his chin and look down thoughtfully. "This is troublesome though..I have to get you guys, Masaru and Rio, to the Land of Fire but I just can't abbandon the girl either. Hrm.."

As if jerked out of his own private little world though Kaken swiftly looks up and gives a sheepish grin. "I guess the answer is obvious though, isn't it guys? You aren't going anywhere until you try to get her back, huh?"

Just a short post so everyone can chime in about which way and any questions then comes a TRAVEL post.

[Dark_Prophet]

Chiiro grins at the Jounin, stretching. "You're catching onto me pretty fast." He reaches out to pat Rio on the shoulder, but winces as he reopens the wound in his torso. Disguising it as brushing back his unkempt hair, the genin glances back at Kaken. "So...why're we going to the Land of Fire, anyways? Is it because of those orbs?"

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

As long as Rio could stand on his own, Masaru let him go and turned to Kaken, his posture resolute despite the unemotional black mask he always wore. He balled his fist and smacked it into an open palm. "We're going to go get Michiko back." he said in a tone that brooked no argument. "Then we'll all go to the Land of Fire. ...No one can hurt my...my friends like that and get away with it!" Masaru almost growled in his deep voice. "We can wait until Rio is rested enough to travel, but we need to move fast."

Masaru had never had friends until very recently. It was only bad luck, then, that as soon as he gained one or two they would be put in jeopardy. It was like a cosmic bad joke, but one that was causing Masaru, who was normally an emotional void, to suddenly seem to light up. How he would deal with this new righteous anger, and how he would bring it to their enemies was not something to be taken lightly.

[PhoeKun]

'Akechi' Mitsuhide

"If those are your intentions, then please allow me help. For saving my life, and Motoko's as well... to say nothing of the trouble I've caused in the short time I have traveled with you, I owe you this, and much more. Nobody should have to let someone they care for die..."

Mitsuhide looks over at the others, his eyes shining sadly. He stands apart from them still, highlighting the group dynamic. With them, but still separate. He'd seen his own comrades and friends die before his eyes, had his sensei disappear from his life, very nearly lost someone precious to him, and even in saving her was forced to leave everything he'd known for he didn't know how long.

It hurt, of course. Tremendously so. But because it hurts, he knows he can't let others go through the same things if he has any power to stop it. No more pain...

[Callos_DeTerran]

The look on Kaken's face only grew more and more stormy at the burgeoning mutiny under his watch, eventually settling on glaring stonily at Rio as if placing all of the blame for this squarely on his shoulders.

"What? Course not Chiiro..we were going to the Land of Fire before we even met you under orders from your own village and the Hokage, ya know...my superior." Comes the practically acidic response to the genin's question as the man glared with his one un-covered eye, "You guys want to get me in trouble, don't you?" He accuses, stabbing a finger at each of them except for Mitsuhide before sighing.

"Alright, we'll go attempt a rescue mission, but if it's too much for us then I'm pulling the plug on it and you will accept the order to retreat, got it?" Kaken says firmly, stabbing one finger in the air at each one of them before turning back towards the road and beginning to walk off. "Oh...yeah...Rio." Kaken mutters to himself, as if he had forgotten about the injured genin and his likely trouble in walking.

Bam!

His moment came in a blur as he abruptly dashed towards Rio and struck him hard in the chest, an act that doubled Rio over and left him gaping wordlessly for air before he collapsed on unto the ground and curled up in a fetal position from pain before passing out.

Kaken for his part seemed a bit too satisfied with himself as he dusted his hands off and bent over to toss the unconscious Rio over one shoulder.

"There. Now he can rest on the way. Let's go! We spent enough time here!" He roars at them before abruptly springing up off the ground and into the treetops, he spends only a moment waiting before land-hopping back the way that Chirro, Masaru, Rio, and himself had come from before coming upon the massive battle that Mitsuhide had been embroiled in.

-------------------

By the end of that first day they had briefly stopped at the hotspring inn Kaken and his troop had stayed at the previous night for something to fill up on before heading out once more. When night fell there were signs of battle on the road and landscape, likely the spot where Rio and Michiko had encountered the Masaru-lookalikes and been captured or routed. The man didn't stop there though, resolutely guiding the three still conscious further on for another solid two hours after night had fallen and food pills were passed out once more.

The following day they encountered some traffic, merchants passing through the Land of Birds to the Land of Winds if their direction was any indication with two large wagons full of trade stuffs but proved otherwise unexciting as the road began to lead the five up into the small mountains that bordered the capital on one side. Trees grew in thicker bunches here and the roadside became a darker and vaguely sinister place once all of you returned to the roads to make safer progress. Stories of bandits, mountain ghosts, monsters, and cursed places seemed to constantly float through your minds as the sun drops lower in the sky. Unlike the previous night Kaken called a halt once the sun had gone down, helping the others to set up their tents before leaving to find 'some real food'.

'Real food' turned out to be a large mountain boar that looked as if it had never stood a chance. After it began cooking, filling the air with a mouth-watering aroma, Kaken pulled a variety of spices out of his pack to season the meat. Curry rice, stewed vegetables, Kaken seemed to have a small root cellar in his bag and the resulting meal was the best you had eaten in the past couple of days, if spicy enough to make your eye's water.

All too soon the meal was finished and it was time to retire to the two tents, the one for Masaru and the other for..well..everyone else which was rather cramped.
---------------------------


Not even halfway through the night though and Kaken was shaking each of the genin in the crowded tent awake, covering their mouths to prevent an outcry and putting a finger to his lips. "Shh...someone is in the camp." He whispers softly.

[Valgunn]

Arashi (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=-sHhZyyYf_c&feature=related)

As the pot rattled Arashi froze the hard lithe body underneath her clothes tightening her eyes fixed on the food in front her mouth watering. Digging her sandaled feet into the ground her three quarter trousers shifting slightly as she began to move her legs, the kunai in the pouch at her waist making a small shink noise in the silence after the pot rattle. Her jacket began to tighten as she slowly twisted her head around to look to the tents praying she hadn't woken anyone, the jacket defying its purpose and showing her almost complete female curves. Her face along with the rest of her body now frozen in a soft expression of anticipation, her brilliant green eyes framed by dirty blonde bangs kept out of her face by a blue ribbon. With her jacket betraying her female curves and her harder eyes of something who knew what it was like to starve gave her a much older appearance.

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

"You could just ask for some of the food. There's plenty left over." suddenly sounded a deep voice from not five feet behind Arashi. If she whirled around she would find the tall, black form of Masaru standing with his arms held loosely at his sides. He was fully dressed in his lightly armored, full-body sleeve, sparing her a look at his horrendous appearance beneath it. He was attempting to look ready but not obviously threatening. Then again, one look at his implacable black mask might frighten anyone, especially if she was local and mistook him for one of the band that had captured Michiko.

So intent had Arashi been on the tents that she hadn't noticed Masaru slip out the back and circle around her. He'd decided upon showing himself, taking the chance that she wasn't some incredible homeless jounin and he could take her if she attacked him. He didn't let himself fall off guard, however, keeping one eye on her hands and the other at her waist to alert him of any sudden movements or attacks.

Masaru was a bit thrown by the intruder. Despite her gaunt appearance, her almost feral attitude towards the food, and the threat she presented, he couldn't help but let his eyes be drawn towards the curves underneath her jacket and the way her blonde hair framed her face. It could have been some strange Freudian impulse, remembering that his mom had had the most beautiful blonde hair, but Masaru found himself strangely attracted to the intruder. It almost affected his focus and his guard...almost. True to form and pragmatic to the last, he resolved to put it aside and attempt at dealing with it later. Still, he had never had to deal with these kinds of feelings in his sixteen years of isolation. To an outside observer, Masaru seemed almost emotionless, but that was not the case. It was really all new to him, dealing with other people, and most of the time he had no idea what the hell he was doing. Feeling the sudden pull of physical attraction brought up a whole new bag of problems for the young burn victim, especially considering the fact that she could never return that attraction based on his own appearance. So struck by these sudden emotions, Masaru nearly lost his focus, but shook his head free of the distractions once more.

Why was he even thinking about this??? Why now, at this moment when his attention was better focused on the present? Perhaps the masked and covered genin was a teenager after all.

Hide, Move Silently (1d20+6=21, 1d20+6=8) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1818359/)

[Valgunn]

Arashi

Twisting her head back round to face behind her and seeing the figure clad in black the fabric of her jacket twisted again gripping her even more before loosening. Quickly planting the hand that had been reaching for the left overs she lifted herself up and twisting in mid-air landing five feet away facing Masaru and the tents. As she did so her trousers slid down her legs enough to show a change her muscles became harder more defined and her movements began to blur as she landed. Her legs pushed against her chest with her left hand planted on the floor as she leaned forward against it, her right hand hovering over the seal hidden beneath her left hand guard. "Who the hell is this guy. He looks like Blue and Green-san." She thought as she stared at the black mask.
OOC:
Taijutsu Perform Check (1d20+7=24) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1818439/)

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

Masaru noticed the way the girl's reactions sped up, recognizing the threat immediately. He also favored the technique, and knew exactly what it could do. If she decided to come at him he would need to be as fast or faster than she in order to keep up, so he made ready to do the same should she make a move that was the slightest bit threatening. It also crossed his mind that she would try to run away, and he debated the merits of following her if she did. Either way, this confirmed that she had been trained at some point in her life as a ninja.

Masaru cocked his head to the side a bit and lifted his hands out to the side in order to show he was unarmed. It meant little as far as the damage he could do, but it was an easily recognizable signal that he had no desire to fight, even if she didn't speak the common tongue. "You look hungry. It would be stupid to run away or try to fight me, since neither would get you any food. Especially when I'm planning on letting you take it." he said in his stoic, plain way. Masaru and diplomacy didn't really go hand in hand, but he was alright with logic.

[PhoeKun]

'Akechi' Mitsuhide

In contrast to Masaru, Mitsuhide simply steps out of his tent, forgoing any pretense of stealth. It was rarely the straightforward genin's style, anyway. One hand grips a sword by its sheath, having left the other more violent one "asleep" in the tent, but for the moment he appears nonthreatening. Certainly not in the stance for battoujutsu, for those who knew to look for such things. He observes Arashi calmly.

With his lithe frame and gentle facial features, the swordsman actually appears quite feminine himself, although not nearly so much as Arashi. Particularly without his Kagekure headband (lost at the gorge) preventing his long hair from framing his face and in the low light, he most certainly looks at first glance to be kunoichi.

He observes the scene unfolding quietly and dispassionately, simply waiting to see what would happen...

[Valgunn]

Arashi

With Mitsuhide stepping out of the tent Arashi slowly began to crouch down even further at the appearance of at first glance she assumes is a swordswoman, tightening the springs. Then she slowly stood up to her unimpressive five feet three inches her right hand holding the left apparantly out of some habbit. She licked her lips as she eyed the food her stomach empty for the last few days as she moved around more than a little lost in the forest which hit her pride. She was smart and knew that if they came at her she'd lose the advantage of range so she stepped back another five feet, unzipping her jacket as she did to free her arms from the constricting item. Underneath was what appears to be a Ninja Vest of a village you can't place and cool skin tight black fabric sitting underneath that apparantly is a tucked in short sleeve shirt of some kind. "You'd really share with me? Not try and kill me or anything?" Still not having made the connection between Ninja and them given her rarther stereotypical idea of what a Ninja looks like.

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

"I usually only kill those that try to kill me first." Masaru responded simply, but widened his stance just slightly in preparation for an attack. The kunoichi looked more than a little jumpy, so she could do just about anything at this point. He glanced over at Mitsuhide, who thankfully remained still, not making any sudden movements that could spook the intruder into fight or flight. He just hoped that Chiiro and Kaken would follow the swordsman's example. "I said you could have it. Sit down and eat." Masaru said. It sounded like an order, but that was only because of the teen's lack of social graces.

[Valgunn]

Arashi

Despite what misgivings she may have about this situation for the moment her hunger took over. Diving on the leftovers and dropping the trappings of civilisation she tore into the food eating as quickly as she could worrying that they might change their minds or use this moment to attack her.

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

The black-clad genin sat down on one of the logs that they had dragged over to serve as benches by the fire and poked its embers, dropping another few pieces of wood on it as it had begun to burn low. He said nothing as the kunoichi ate, but he did watch her as she did so. Even though she had abandoned all pretense and was tearing into the leftovers with the grace and manners of your average dog, Masaru found her attractive. He wanted to convince himself he was only watching her because she was a potential threat, but he couldn't. It wouldn't stop him from putting her down if she did become a threat, but it was what it was. He didn't hold any delusions of falling in love or getting married or any of that. He didn't even know her name. Besides, who could love a face like his? He just found her pleasing and didn't quite know why. It was that simple. Even he was allowed that much, right?

[Valgunn]

Arashi

She kept a weathered eye on the armour clad figure that sat near her not quite sure what his deal was with the staring. Still under the effects of Taijutsu Body Arts Arashi was making short work of the leftovers, then turning once to the armour clad figure and then to the swordsman she released the Jutsu her muscles becoming softer and less defined. She began to slow down her eating now she had something in her stomach returning now to a more proper eating manner. "So." She stated as she swallowed a particularly spicey piece of meat with a sigh. "I guess I should introduce myself since you're so kind to let me have some of your food?" It was at this point the rarther aloof and almost mature manner began to slip as she pointed to herself with her thumb and declared, "I'm Arashi (lit. translation: Storm 嵐), I try to get people to call me Arashi of the Forest but it hasn't caught on just yet." A wide smile of the well fed threatened to remove her head as she spoke.

[PhoeKun]

'Akechi' Mitsuhide

"Arashi-san, is it? I am Akechi Mitsuhide. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

He bows politely before walking closer to the fire, tucking his sword into a sash around his waist. He doesn't sit down, instead walking to the other side of the fire and standing opposite the strange girl.

"Do you live in the forest, then?" He asks curiously.

[ChronicLunacy]

"Morino" Masaru

"I'm Morino Masaru. Why would you want people to call you that?" Masaru asked rather bluntly, still sitting quietly upon the log. He still wasn't sure what to make of this "Arashi of the Forest". It was certainly a person with a strange story that crept into ninja camps in the middle of the night to steal their food.

[Dark_Prophet]

As if on cue, a loud snore came from the tent, Chiiro apparently having fallen back asleep despite Kaken's urgent awakening a moment earlier. "Gonna make that sword...everyone'll know the name of Chiiro the Blacksmith..." you hear him mumble as he turns over, out of sight.

[Valgunn]

Arashi

Listening to the questions from Mito' and Ma'. Leaning back a little and loosening her crossed legs as she sat a bit too close to the fire she taped the lip of her mouth with the cutlery she was using. "Most of the time." She said casually answering Mitsu before plucking another piece of meat up and swallowing it whole. "That's only when I can't make enough money to stay somewhere nice." Turning her head now to Ma'. "Well trying to get Ninja work without any formal training is next to impossible. So one day I thought "Hey. What if they all thought I was some sort of spirit of the forest or something." so I started calling myself Arashi of the Forest." She smiled up as if this was the most natural thing in world as she plucked two more bits of meat and swallowed them whole. "They don't call them hidden villages for nothing I can tell you. I swear if I could only just find a damn Ninja I'd be making some progress." She was still too into eating to notice or add up the fact that these people she had just try'd to steal from and are now talking to are in fact Ninja.

[PhoeKun]

'Akechi' Mitsuhide

Arashi's comments elicit a curious glance from Mitsuhide. This curious and wild girl is rather... dramatically different from anything he's used to. Also curious, she doesn't seem to be aware she's in the presence of 'damn ninja'. Then again, his headband was gone, and he wasn't wearing his gas mask (so far away from home, his mother would be horrified...), so perhaps he simply didn't look the part. Although surely Masaru... well, no matter. He shrugs.

"And if you find ninja, what will you do then? Are you looking to insert yourself into a cell, or seek formal training? I should think both to be a bit... irregular. Although, the ninja world certainly has a lot of room for mavericks, doesn't it?"

He couldn't be sure why he was being so talkative. Perhaps it was simply nice to have a moment so far removed from the events of the recent past. Or perhaps, as his family had always said, it was never his role to be the silent type...

[Valgunn]

Arashi

Quickly chewing a pieace of meat and then looking a little dejected as the leftovers began to dwindle almost oblivious of the question Mitsu asked. "Well I've been out here training myself and really." Finally apparantly full she settled back, leaning back against her hands with her legs still crossed. "Without formal training and alliegence to a Hidden Vllage I'm not going to get far." Although dour and wistful about the subject as she looked upwards she felt a little optimistic. "So what about you two and sleepy? What're you doing in my part of the forest?"

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

"We need to find several warriors that look almost like me, only with multi-colored faceplates. Have you seen or heard about any like that?" Masaru decided to venture without revealing too much about why exactly they needed to find these warriors or anything about their captive friend. He didn't see the need to let her know that they were the "damn ninja" she'd been looking for yet, since he recognized the importance of the bargaining chip. One glance at Mitsuhide showed that the swordsman did too. He also left out any mention of Kaken. If Arashi hadn't noticed the older ninja, then all the better for now.

[Valgunn]

Arashi

Putting the rest of her weight on her hands she tumbled around to sit staring at Ma wondering what he wanted with Blue and Green. "What do you want with them? Why are you looking for them? They your friends?" Her mood had shifted a gear back towards cuation now her stomach was full her hands together preparing herself for some fast seal work if it was needed. Her legs now crossed and her head tilted upwards, her jacket slipping off slightly down her arms.

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

Reading the way her body tensed up, Masaru tried to choose his next words carefully. It seemed to him like they weren't her friends, but if they were and she knew that Masaru meant them harm she might bolt. If they were on bad terms, then she might be able to help lead the ninja to them. "They've kidnapped my friend...Michiko. She might be hurt. We're trying to find her and get her back safely." he said in measured tones. He left out the fact that if they'd hurt Michiko they were going to die painful deaths.

[Valgunn]

Arashi

"What?!" She spoke before her brain could stop her, the shock that the two that had been so nice to her and her family so long ago. Now the gears in her mind spun Blue and Green both were strong. If these people were after then they must be strong, maybe strong enough to teach her but she needed to be sure. Standing up slowly her hands dropping to her sides she spoke calmly "Green-san and Blue-san. They wear armour like yours expect one has a blue lens to one side of his mask and the other has a green to the opposite side." The distrust in her eyes were plain and a slight quiver in her voice from fear, anger, or excitement you're unsure. "If they've taken your friend let me help on my condition, and if you can't guess it. You aren't a real Ninja." The last words seemed a chalange as a half smile crept across her face at the prospect of having legitimate Ninja to be trained by and a real Hidden Village to call home, her jacket slipping off completly.

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

Masaru tried not to be surprised at Arashi's sudden outburst, but he did stand up suddenly when she did. So, she wanted to help, did she? Masaru was relieved that things were going so well, but his natural suspicion also came to the fore as it had with Chiiro and Mitsuhide. He still wasn't entirely trusting of those two, though they had grown much in that regard and he would fight with them any day. Even though Masaru found the girl pleasing, he wasn't going to let that override his reason.

"You want formal training and to join our village..." Masaru stated the obvious. He'd have to explain eventually that they weren't from Konoha, and he couldn't even make that decision in the first place. It was something they'd have to bring to the elders. It was all very complicated. Not only that, but he wasn't even sure if she would be any help in the first place. She was skilled enough to heighten her reflexes, but if that was all she could do then she couldn't be allowed to come along.

"First you have to tell us more about Green and Blue...as well as the other color-names. We were told that there were Orange and Red warriors as well. Another had a visor in the middle of his face and carried a sword." he prompted. If she really wanted to help, she would have to tell them all about these kidnappers.

[Valgunn]

Arashi

"I only know about Blue-san and Green-san. They used to come through my home to talk with my family. They even taught me some Ninja stuff. I don't know much more than that, I haven't been home in four years." While she couldn't tell he doubted her she certainly wouldn't have thought despite her confidence think they'd let her join their Hidden Village without her being good enough to kick the crap out of him. "So what now? Do I have to beat you up to get in your Hidden Village or what?" She said this is a strangely casual manner as if she asked people if she had to beat them on a aily basis (which she does except the question is normally in the form of an exploding tag).

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

"I don't think that will be necessary." Masaru said, cocking his head to the side slightly at the way she said it. She was so casual about it that it seemed like she was used to having to prove herself that way. "I don't have the authority to allow you a place in the village, but I know someone who can. I don't know how he will test you, or what the elders will say, but you'll get a shot." He slowly sat back down again now that she'd stopped looking like she was going to run away. "Please, first tell us all you know about Blue and Green. We need to know where they are as well."

[Valgunn]

Arashi

"I said I hadn't been home in four years so I have no idea where they are." She puffed herself up and looked at him critically as she said this. Looking off in an apparantly random direction she seemed to think for a moment before turning back to him, "So what about training?" She spoke as she pulled a leg up from underneath her letting herself fall to the ground with crossed legs. The removal of the jacket removed some of the sexual ambigity she had before and now even more so as she stood with a straight back looking up to Ma-kun, her attitude seeming less and less mature as the moments passed.

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

"What about 'who' they are, then? We know almost nothing about them except for what they look like. How did your family know them?" Masaru said, trying not to notice the way her bare shoulders looked without her jacket. He was really starting to feel foolish the way her looks kept distracting him. Masaru was glad then that he was wearing that mask, for the first time in a long time. It meant she couldn't see his eyes or his expression of interest and eventual embarrassment when she did notice.

Didn't he have enough problems being a human burn scar? Now he had to deal with being a teenager, too.

[Valgunn]

Arashi

"Who? I'm not sure I just called them Blue-san and Green-san. As for my family. Probably to make use of my familys medical herbs or maybe the poisons we make. I don't know I never got too interested in that sort of thing." She then fixed Masaru with a cold stare as she removed her sandels chucking them over onto her jacket. "I'm starting to think that maybe you can't even train me! Why else would you stall?" Standing up she wrigled free of her trousers to reveal her shirt was infact a black leotard of some sort with the fabric going down to her knee, then tossing the trousers over onto her jacket she began to stretch a little, each time a few mild cracks where heard from her bones due to the tension. "So are we going to train or what? Chyeh."

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

Masaru's gaze was focused on her legs so he didn't even hear her when she mentioned being able to train her. He almost didn't catch her question, but after a moment it seemed to register. He shook his head free of the cobwebs for what seemed like the fifteenth or twentieth time and then looked up at Arashi's face, his posture questioning. "Train? It's the middle of the night." he said in a "what the hell are you talking about?" kind of way.

[Valgunn]

Arashi (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=4sv0-AzfG2w&feature=related)

Looking around her and is if you the first time noticed it was night. "So it is. Ok then. Since it's midnight and you've not had all your sleep." She continued on as if she had just thought up the best thing since antibiotics, as she walked towards him untill she was right infront of him moving the ribbon that kept her hair out of her face forcing even more hair out of her face so it was the ribbon that framed her face and not her hair. "You may take the first hit! Make it a good one." With this anticlimax to a short walk and what was one of the more enthused speechs you have heard, she titled her head up to look at you smiling sweetly waiting for you to try and hit her.

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

"Why?" Masaru said, genuinely confused and a bit disappointed that the pretty girl was a total lunatic. He wondered, given his experience with Michiko and now Arashi, if all women were psychotic or if he was just unlucky. Did she want to test his strength like he had tried to do when he'd thrown a rock at Kaken? Hadn't that been generally considered the wrong way to go about things? Yet, here they were.

Girls were crazy.

[Valgunn]

Arashi

Sighing a little at the question her head drooping as she did so. Then lifting her head up across her face was a smile a demon would envy in it's unpleasent intent. Diving her hand into the pouch pocket she kept the rarther specific Kunai she had pre-attached her exploding tags to she drew it with a practiced hand, then shotting chakra through our hand and into the tag her smile widened. With a flick of her wrist she threw the Kunai along with the Tag down into the ground between them bringing her hands back up to make the seal to detonate the tag. The Exploding Tag began to burn quickly giving Arashi moments to perform Body Substitution to avoid her own exploding tag appearing a few feet from Mitsuhide. "Your turn again!"

OOC:
I think I've beaten a rock to the eye.
Free Action: Draw Kunai (drawing a Kunai to throw is a free action).
Move Action: Charge the Exploding Tag to full (4 Chakra).
Attack Action: Throw the Kunai into the ground between us (1d20+8=25 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1822384/)).
Immediate Action: Detonate the Tags (1d20+7=25 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1822386/)).
Instant Action: Use Body Substitution to avoid my explosion (1d20+12=29 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1822396/)).
Exploding Tag Damage: 22 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1822397/)

[PhoeKun]

'Akechi' Mitsuhide

Startling as Arashi draws a kunai, suddenly drawing a close to what had honestly been a rather exasperating exchange, Mitsuhide is unable to move in time to prevent the "test" from beginning. But when she appears next to him, he is quick to turn and face her, dropping into a low stance, one foot in front of the other and his hand hovering just over the hilt of his katana, the blade of which is pointed away from Arashi. His move would be an obvious one. Again, if you knew to look for such things.

"Enough of that, if you please. The issue of training is not one you can force, with or without explosions... you may be able to get what you want by helping us locate Masaru-san's comrade, but doing things this way will only end badly for all. Please reconsider."

His voice is oddly detached and calm, and at this moment, he is gladder than ever to have left "her" in his tent...

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru
AC: 22
HP: 53/53
Chakra: 20/24

It was confirmed. Women were crazy. It was just fact at this point.

When the explosion shook the ground beneath them, destroying the fire pit and tossing flaming logs into the air, Masaru was already gone. He'd moved so fast that he'd become merely a blur to the unassisted eye, disappearing out of view only to reappear a moment later crouched right in front of Arashi. He shot to his feet, apparently completely unharmed and still moving incredibly fast, and shot two fingers into the hollow of Arashi's throat. Fortunately for her, he stopped just short of actually connecting. He looked at her down the length of his arm for one long moment...then raised his hand and flicked her nose.

"Try to kill me again and I'll knock you out, tie you up, and leave you for the animals. Then you'll get no training. Understand?" the black-clad genin said evenly, his indecision gone, replaced with a deadly seriousness. No matter how attracted he was to her physically, Arashi was starting to piss Masaru off.

Reflex (Evasion, DC 15): 1d20+6=20 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1822385/)
Taking ten on Nidan Kousoku, easily beating the DC.
Attack: 1d20+9=28 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1822403/) +2 from Nidan Kousoku = 30

[Dark_Prophet]

There's the sound of a minute explosion, and a shout. "Goddammit! Who. Set. That. Off?" Chiiro's voice grows as he stomps out, bursting through the door of the tent, rolling up his sleeves, and looking around the situation with a face absolutely twisted in irritation and anger. "Who did it? I was having the best dreamm...and what the HELL?" He exclaims the last as he takes in the newcomer and his teammates in defensive positions, as he reaches for the sword on his back, which is resting beside his sleeping bag. "..are we under attack? Please tell me we are."

[Valgunn]

Arashi

Smiling despite and maybe even because of the threat of violence Arashi turns to respond to Mitsuhide and it was perhaps becuase of this that Masaru caught her off guard eliciting a yelp of surprise from her and then a yelp of mock pain after he flicks her nose. After that she thought she'd baffle him and so nuzzles his finger before bowing. "I'm very sorry if it nearly killed you. I thought you'd have been fine with such a small explosion. I only used one." She was by this point trying to justify a course of action that wasn't perhaps the best given her current situation, her bare foot rubbing into the ground as she mumbled excuses.

Then as the sleepy one came around and hoped they were under attack. "Nope! Just me." She responded with a friendly smile before turning her attention back to Masaru taking a close look at his body under the effects of Taijutsu. "Oooh. You're really fast. Would you teach me how to do that? Please!" Her please accompanied by some rarther embarassing fawning. "Come on. Please!"

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

"Uh...eh...uh...I mean...I..." Masaru stammered suddenly because of Arashi's fawning and her sudden switch from aggressive to overly friendly. He suddenly found himself uncomfortable being this close to her when he wasn't viewing her as an enemy and had to step a few feet away, heading back to his tent, where he slept alone. "In the morning." he finally answered her before disappearing behind the canvas flap. He seemed to be angry, but really he was just running away to hide by himself so he wouldn't have to deal with being off-balance and uncomfortable around the pretty girl. Inside the tent he had another layer of protection isolating him from the outside world along with the bodysuit that covered his entire body over another layer of bandages.

Girls...tch...Girls are all crazy.

[Valgunn]

Arashi

Watching the flustered Masaru leave Arashi smiled at her handy work and then with a mischievous grin she turned to the two who were still awake finally choosing Chiiro to be the object of her attention. Walking over to where the fire place was and which is now a clearing she quickly retrived her clothes in her arms. "Hey Sleepy! If you fancy trying your luck I could use a wind down before sleep. I promise not to hurt you if you play nice." Her voice was playful and inticing as she pouted a little with her clothes in her arms and all but a leotard and maybe some underwear on.

[Bariko]

PLACEHOLDER. Post is more than 50% done, and I'll get it up by tomorrow. My ride to go back to job training arrived early. Up tomorrow, guaranteed!

[Dark_Prophet]

Chiiro 38/54 hp 8/24 Chakra Defense 19 Soundtrack (http://www.imeem.com/people/FGjDen7/music/w65E3Vem/toshiko_tasaki_boss_battle/) :P

"Spar? You want to ****ing spar? Sure, lets go - I'm going to ENJOY this." Chiiro grinned savagely, still bleary eyed and rushed forwards, moving with more then human speed for his stocky figure his fist shooting forwards at her midsection. "Die!"

Shodan Kousoku [roll0] Target 15.
Unarmed Attack (Charging) [roll1] One less if Shodan Kousoku fails. Damage (if hit, all lethal) [roll2]
OOC: Angry Chiiro is ANGRY, like a bear awoken forcibly from its hibernation.

[Valgunn]

Arashi

AC: 23
HP: 27/27
Chakra: 8/18

Even as quickly as he moved Arashi dodged back out his way smiling at his increased speed. Stepping back deftly five feet thinking that she wouldn't need her increased speed for him. Once again reaching into her pouch this time for the pocket with Kunai unattached to Exploding Tags Arashi defly twirled it in her hand before quickly drawing the blade across her palm, coating it in her blood as the toxins within her mixed with Chakra. Then twisting around full body she flung the Kunai at Chiiro.

OOC:
Attack: 1d20+8=27 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1822868/) (Holy crap!)
DC16 Save.
Damage (Poison): Initial 4 Str. Secondary 2 Str, 5 Dex. (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1822876/)
Damage (Kunai): 1d4+1=5 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1822883/)

[Dark_Prophet]

Chiiro 34/54 hp 8/24 Chakra Defense 20 Soundtrack (http://www.imeem.com/people/FGjDen7/music/w65E3Vem/toshiko_tasaki_boss_battle/)

Chiiro grimaces as the kunai rams into his shoulder, falling back, but then grinning as he pulls it out as it drips blood. "Oh, you want live combat, do you? Don't make me get my sword - you won't live through the encounter if I do. I use fists, you use fists, we settle this the old way?" He lunges forwards, hands grabbing at her to try to pin her and her sneaky tricks.

Grapple to hit [roll0] Arashi gets a AoO, if she hits it cancels it.
Edit - also forgot Chiiro's 1/- DR before

[PhoeKun]

'Akechi' Mitsuhide

Slowly and almost reluctantly, Mitsuhide relaxes out of his stance, turning to watch the apparently more benign sparring between Arashi and Chiiro. It clearly wasn't friendly by any stretch, but it looked less dangerous, and if the seemingly inexhaustible Chiiro could wear out the girl... so much the better for everyone.

He lets out a sigh. Watching this makes him miss Motoko... a lot.

"I'll ask you to refrain from doing anything that would compromise our mission. Chiiro-san needs to be able to function in the morning, so kindly take that into account..."

[Valgunn]

Arashi

AC: 23
HP: 27/27
Chakra: 8/18

"Gah!" She yelped as Chiiro lunged in for a grapple composing herself she twisted her torso around to bring a jab into his gut. As he staggered back his attempt to wrestle with her thwarted, she quickly took stock while he reeled. "Fine." She taunted playfully although in Chiiros state it might come off as a little bit more aggressive. With that she againg tiwsted around full body this time her leg twisting around her bare foot dirty after walking around bare footed. The hit slamming into him she then jumped back ten feet effortlessly.

OOC:

Melee Combat really isn't her area of expertise but hopefully she can hold her own for perhaps a little while.
First Attack (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1823519/)
Damage (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1823521/)

Second Attack (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1823532/)
Damage (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1823544/)

[Dark_Prophet]

Chiiro 26/54 hp 8/24 Chakra Defense 20 (Note, I forgot Shodan Kousoku gave +1 AC too)

Chiiro reels back, then veers his head up a moment, grinning. "So, you want to finish this? I suppose we should be holding our blows so we can recover...but you probably don't want to do that, do you? Why do you want to fight, anyway?"
He moves forwards and swings at her torso again carefully, giving up on finding a hold.

Another attack, this time doing subdual [roll0] Damage if hits [roll1]

[Valgunn]

Arashi

Dodging out of the way Arashi quickly used the momentum of her dodge to bring an elbow to his side. "I need to wind down." This time however she pulled her punch.

OOC:
First Attack (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1823630/)
Damage (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1823633/)

[Dark_Prophet]

Chiiro 22/54 hp 8/24 Chakra Defense 20 (Last round of Shodan Kousoku)
The genin stumbles back, clutching his stomach, then grins, returning her blow full force towards her head. "That all you got? Giving up anytime soon? I'm stronger then the swords I make." The female ninja(?) was good, but he wasn't going to let some sneaky little girl defeat him, the great and stubborn Chiiro.
Whee, attack![roll0] damage [roll1]

[Valgunn]

Arashi
AC: 23
HP: 27/27
Chakra: 7/18

In a puff of smoke and a crack of wood Chiiro managed to crack a log that has a face drawn on with it's tongue out. Then without warning he feels a crack of flesh against the back of his skull. This was compounded more so by a rendition of "Anything you can do (I can do better)".

OOC:

Ninjutsu (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1823639/) Natural 20. I had to do something special.
Attack (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1823642/)
Damage (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1823643/)

[Dark_Prophet]

Chiiro 26(16 sub)/54 hp 8/24 Chakra Defense 19
He huffs and reels back. "Ok, not bad, but you're just wasting your chakra. I can wait for you to run out...while I can tap my own reserves!" He focuses, some of his stamina seeming to drain further as his movements speed up again, then slows down almost immediately after, his punch missing the mark by a great deal. His face reddens, but not from any of the wounds. "God dammit..."
Stamina Converted Shodan Kousoku up to Move action 1-1 Chakra Control DC 12 [roll0] Taijutsu DC 15 [roll1]
Attack! [roll2] Damage! [roll3]

[PhoeKun]

'Akechi' Mitsuhide

Suppressing a yawn and folding his arms over his chest, Mitsuhide watches the... well, it's not exactly a fight at this point. In some respects, Arashi looks to be rather skilled, but in others she is clearly fighting beyond her normal level. And for that matter, undisciplined. For someone who is 'winding down', she certainly spends a lot of chakra...

At this point, it's all he can do to hope Chiiro's actually enough to wear her out, so she doesn't insist on fighting him, too... at the moment, it didn't look good. Apparently, Chiiro is a blacksmith first and foremost.

[Valgunn]

Arashi
AC: 24
HP: 27/27
Subdual HP: 24/27
Chakra: 7/18

"Brilliant. Maybe I should show you how it's done?" Taunting him as she then drew upon her own reserves of stamina while not as great as his she used with far more finesse. With her half-naked body now harder and more defined as her movements sped up to the speeds he had attempted to reach. "That's the way I like it." She said moments before her leg impacted him.

OOC:

Chakra Control (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1823655/)
Taijutsu (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1823657/)
Attack (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1823658/)
Damage (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1823661/)

[Dark_Prophet]

Chiiro 26(10 sub)/54 hp 8/24 Chakra Defense 19
The stoutly built boy is knocked sprawling by the kick, then scrambles up defiantly. "All right, just you wait, I'm going show you this time!" He focuses again, tapping on his reserves of power and gritting his teeth, determined to show the showoff kunouichi up. As he opens his eyes, he surges forwards, attempting to match her own speeds...

...and then slows down again. "GOD DAMN IT SON OF A BITCH!" He curses, and then swings blindly around in his anger, landing a solid blow against the speeding, laughing girl, knocking her back. He blinks, then assumes a triumphant position, laughing uneasily. "Errrr....ha! All part of my master plan, hahaha!"
Stamina Converted Shodan Kousoku up to Move action 1-1 Chakra Control DC 12 [roll0] Taijutsu DC 15 [roll1]
Attack! [roll2] Damage! [roll3] Unconfirmed (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1823666/) :(

[Valgunn]

Arashi
AC: 24
HP: 27/27
Subdual HP: 12/27
Chakra: 7/18

In the moments after the punch landed Arashi was silent then all at once as she flipped herself upright an evil smile played across her face. For Mitsuhide who had seen this face before perhaps this was an indication to perhaps jump for cover or maybe intervene, but for Chiiro it just seemed like any other deranged smile. Moving back ten feet she quickly began making hand seals, as she did so an unnatural wind began to twist around her lifting three Kunai from her pouch twisting them up to face Chiiro. She drew upon her stamina again as she completed the technique with the final seal. The Kunai flying at Chiiro jabbing in him.

OOC:

Chakra Control (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1823672/)
Ninjutsu (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1823673/)
Attack (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1823674/)
Damage (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1823679/)

[Dark_Prophet]

Chiiro 16(0 sub)/54 hp 8/24 Chakra Defense 19
Chiiro grunts, and sags as the kunai stick out of him. "Fighting dirty...huh?" He grunts, struggling to stay standing, not even bothering to take out the kunai in his chest. He reaches over to his pouch, flicking out the first kunai she threw at him, and then grins savagely, tossing it back her way. "Here, I think this was yours." The genin grins, then falls over backwards, unconscious, not even seeing it fly past her.
First thrown kunai - spending a action point Roll (mistyped giants) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1823682/) Damage [roll0] DC 16 save, heh heh.

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

For his part, Masaru had finished changing his bandages and had settled down to sleep. He kept his bodysuit on as the night was already a little too active for his tastes and if another surprise happened to come along he didn't want to have to put on his clothes first. He gave himself a shot in the stomach with a small needle from his belt pouch and rolled the bodysuit back up over his arms and shoulders, making sure it was tight and he could move completely. Then, ignoring the annoying noise outside, he settled down on his bedroll and laid down on his back with his hands behind his head.

[PhoeKun]

'Akechi' Mitsuhide

Well... it was over. That much could be said. Mitsuhide lifts one of his hands up and holds it to his temple, as if pained. He looks from the unconscious body of Chiiro to the grinning Arashi.

"...Are you quite finished, then?"

[Valgunn]

Arashi

"Not quite." She said panting a little as she walked over to the unconscious body of Chiiro. As she looked over him she reached down and carefully pulled her kunai out whiping them off on the grass. "Well unless you want to try your luck I'm going to grab my bag and go to sleep." She says offhand as she walks off out of the campsite to fetch her bag that she had stashed a little way away from the camp before trying to sneak in.

[PhoeKun]

'Akechi' Mitsuhide

"Unnecessary fighting should be avoided." he says flatly.

"You certainly have potential, but you're in over your head already. Rest, and try not to do anything more to hinder our mission. If you want training, then understand it happens when convenient for the trainer, not the trainee. Good night."

With that, he untucks the sword from his sash and makes for his tent.

[Bariko]

Rio

After Kaken had woken them, Rio had snapped his eyes open and laid still, listening. It seemed to be a girl, just... dropping in. Kaken certainly didn't seem to concerned with things, and Chiiro had fallen back asleep. It was so.. casual... Michiko! He thought it even as he knew the voice wasn't hers. He knew it wasn't really going to be her anyways... Still, whoever this girl was, she seemed to be nonthreatening. Still... The sting of failing a comrade still racing through him, Rio stayed awake, ready to help his friend if the girl decided to do more than just talk and eat.

Then she mentioned knowing of the attackers from the day before.

Suddenly Rio was completely alert, and nearly darted from the ten in something akin to fury when he finally paid more attention to the conversation. She knew others, not his attackers, and she had no idea where to find them or who they were. She seemed to want.. training? Mitsuhide had already left the tent, and there was no sounds of combat so far, just a strange girl talking. Something about turns...

And then an explosion. Chiiro raced from the tent while Rio stood in the entrance, out of sight of the girl. In another odd twist, she challnged Chiiro to combat, as a "wind down", while wearing...apparently very little. As the fighting began, Rio remained where he was, slightly in shadow, watching closely. What is with this girl? And all at once, Chiiro was down and unconscious. Rio stiffened, fearing the worst, but it became evident from Chiiro's breathing and the girl's overly casual demeanor that he was merely unconscious, though wounded. Mitsuhide looked annoyed, but just turned and approached the tent. Rio said nothing, but tossed him a look which seemed to ask Why are you leaving an injured, unconscious teammate on the ground?.

Rio stepped from the tent, approaching the unconscious boy. Kneeling down, he laid a hand across the boy's wound and started the flow of chakra into him. After a moment, feeling the genin wake up, Rio tried to put on his trademark grin. "Should be alright. Get some sleep, though."

Turning, he looked at the girl as she went to retrieve her bag. Her overly casual demeanor and flirtatious nature might have offset him as it had Masaru, if it had been only a few days prior. As it was, Rio just waited until she noticed him. Deadpan, no humour involved, he asked, "Did these...Blue or Green ever mention a Red, or Orange? Or how about one very similar to them weilding a sword?" As the night surrounded them, Rio just stood, unmoving, waiting for an answer with his eyes locked on this girl. She has to know something!


((OOC- Work computer doesn't exactly have the Nd20 files, so I'm not sure about the use of the medical tech. Callos, I'll take care of it when I can and edit it in.))

[Valgunn]

Arashi

She noticed Rio as she returned carrying a very large and quite full backpack, her trousers once again on with her jacket flung over the top of the bag she was carrying by one stap and her sandels were nowhere in sight. "Not that I remember. I was young at the time and far more interested in getting them to teach me." She said looking at the tents and thinking perhaps Masarus tent would be safer and apparantly less crowded. Making a strange noise with her mouth she looked back to Rio, who she had noticed healing Chiiro. "A medical Ninja? My mother always wanted me to be a healer." She then turned and headed for Masarus tent as if the sentence explained itself. Inside the tent Masaru was sleeping soundly and so she thought that perhaps she should just try and settle down and ge to sleep as quickly as she could, skipping her nightly routine in favour of sleep.

[Bariko]

Rio

Rio twitched. She had dismissed him, with a wave of her arrogant, violent hand. As if that wasn't enough, she then made the utter presumption to go into the tent of a sleeping comrade, after she had been inviting violence earlier.

Some part of his brain managed to convey to Rio that he wasn't thinking straight. The girl was obviously oblivious to the importance of the questions he'd asked, and was unaware of the reason for Masaru's solitary tent. Forcing a deep breath, Rio maintained a calm manner, and caught the girl before she bedded down for the night. As the pale light flickered across his face, the bruises and wounds from his encounter with "Red" and "Orange" were now more visible, and he was a tad selfconscious about it.

"Get out. Now." The words were cold, and unfriendly, sounding alien even to his ears. Shaking his head again, Rio tried to soften his tone. "I'm sorry, that came out wrong. Masaru has a tent to himself for a very specific reason, and that's why we keep the cramped quarters. So, if you wouldn't mind..." he gestured back out of the tent.

"Also, it's a bit too convenient that we meet you tonight, and you just happen to know about the people who beat the hell out of me and took my friend yesterday."

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

Masaru was awake, but he made no sign of it. Off to the side of the tent could be seen a collection of bloody bandages and a bowl of water, neatly tucked in beside his backpack from when he had been changing them before. He didn't want any company, and he was thankful to Rio for understanding, but there was still that teenage boy in him that wanted the pretty girl to sleep next to him. As a result he chose just to stay quiet and war with his own thoughts while listening to their conversation.

[Valgunn]

Arashi

Interupted halfway to sleep Arashi was not pleased but felt the need for compliance anyway even if it was just to not make a mess of him inside Masarus tent. She had taken offense to the order and not much better to the vauge explanation. "Unless you can summon up a powerful reason I'm going to choose to ignore you untill Masaru asks me too." She had turned her back to him after he finished so the initial expression of anger on her face was hidden from him. It took a moment or two to calm herself down realising that this kid has had a unpleasent time recently and perhaps pummeling him wasn't a good idea. She turned around with a weary resignation to her voice and worry playing across her face. "Listen close. Go to sleep and if in the morning you still feel the need to rattle my cage." She turned around looking into the tent trying to think of what to do next. "If you still feel that need. Feel free to express it." With that she sauntered into Masarus tent pulling a blanket from her backpack she snuggled up using her backpack as a pillow.


Edit: Bar Bariko posting I edited my post.

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

I had to go and ask Valgunn exactly what she meant by "snuggled" and we decided that this was the funniest possible route.

Masaru continued to feign sleep when Arashi returned to his tent, but began to feel increasingly uncomfortable when she set down her things next to him and then began snuggling up to his back for warmth. Every muscle in the genin's body seemed to clench as he all but panicked, caught between pretending to sleep and wanting to get away. Arashi seemed to nod off almost immediately and the problem was further compounded as Masaru didn't want to wake her and have to deal with her either. He was covered, so it wasn't much of an issue having her sleep there, but to have her so close to him... Masaru suddenly felt like he was suffocating in his mask.

Still...he couldn't deny the part of him that wasn't freaking out was enjoying the closeness. True, she didn't know what he looked like underneath all the wrappings and the bodysuit, but no one else had ever deigned to remain that close to him voluntarily since he was a small boy. He still didn't know exactly what to do with himself but for a moment he elected to stay where he was and just feel the small movements of the girl's body as she slept and dreamed.

It didn't last forever, though, for after awhile Masaru couldn't help but move to the other side of the tent to put as much distance between them as possible. He sat there trying to calm his panic, trying to put back all the barriers he had against other people again and cocoon himself against the strange, attractive girl who had invaded his personal space. Eventually he was able to sleep, but only after wrapping himself tightly in his blanket and watching her suspiciously until he was sure she would remain where she was until morning.

[Callos_DeTerran]

Mitsuhide, Chiiro, and Rio return to the tent only to discover that Kaken seemed to have not only heeded his own warning but had taken the chance when the three had left to sprawl out across whatever room had been made when the three had vacated the tent. Either he trusted those in his care completely with handling Arashi or it had just been a clever plan to snare himself some more sleeping room.

One uncomfortable night later and those same three would find themselves alone in the tent when morning came, Kaken have awoken some time ago and gone out in front of tents and stretching with a new coat on though it wasn't quite the same as his last one. With a yawn he greets each person as they come out of the tents, passing out a food pill to each of the genin but putting the bottle back away before it could reach Arashi, who had woken up first.

Curious eyes watched the female food snatcher but he didn't offer any words until everyone else had swallowed down the pills and set about packing up their equipment and whatnot.

"So your the one who was snatching food last night. You made it damn hard to sleep with that explosion." He says crossly, straightening languidly but not having the irate expression that his tone would otherwise suggest. "I also heard that you wanted training in ninjutsu and whatnot"

For a moment he falls silent, observing this upstart girl before giving a little shrug of his shoulders. "But I can't be liable for allowing an unschooled girl to follow us around who can't even defend herself. An explosive tag? Throwing shuriken? These do not speak well of your ability and frankly I'd think you'd flee at the first sign of trouble. Unless you can prove to me, here and now, some worth in you traveling with us the best you are getting is a pat on the head before we leave you alone to play ninja in the woods."

Finally he smiles, a sarcastic and vaguely dark thing as he pulls his sheathed tanto from his belt and gave it a toss up into the air and catching it by the pommel. He walks calmly across the distance between him and the girl and his smile turns cold. As suddenly as his cheerfulness seemed to disappear Arashi and those other's close by would be able to feel the air grow heavy and suffocating. For Masaru and Rio it'd be a familiar feeling, that of this man's chakra seeming to try and crush the air with it's sheer presence and inspiring a niggling of fear at the base of their spines. But for the others this was a new and likely terrifying feeling indeed. "So how about it kid? Are you brave enough or should you run back home now?"

[Valgunn]

Arashi

As Kaken talked Arashi understandably was growing angry a growl issuing forth from her mouth, her hands apparantly forming a crossed and desfenstive position. When the wave of Chakra hit her it felt like the air itself was trying to crush her and squeeze her insides outside, but by luck, by force, and by strength she stared him down without bolting. "Try and make me old man." She spoke her fingers tapping the seal on her wrist and then pulled a Kodachi from apparant midair infront of her wrist where the seal is located.

[Callos_DeTerran]

The man's expression didn't change, flipping the tanto through the air once more before whipping it out to smash against the kodachi, knocking it out of position for a moment.

"It's simple then. If you want to travel with us and learn some odd tricks here and there..." Bringing his own short sheathed blade back up and holding it by the grip, Kaken rolls his shoulders one more time. "...then hit me."

That did seem rather simple at that as he takes a short five steps back and reaches up to pat his chest. "C'mon then. If you can so much as hit me then I'll admit you have some talent and deserve to get some training. If not...well...we'll just see then, won't we? You can even use whatever techniques you want because really..it's not like it'll do much against me." He taunts openly, motioning for Chiiro, Mitsuhide, Masaru, and Rio to take a couple steps back away from the two. "Hell, you can even ask one of those four to help you if you want. You'll need every chance you can get."

[Valgunn]

Arashi
AC: 24
HP: 27/27
Subdual HP: 27/27
Chakra: 17/18

"I wont need help to beat on you!" With that she slipped her weapon into her offhand as her main hand swooped down into her pouch flipping a kunai out and throwing it at Kaken.

OOC:
Attack (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1827709/)

[Callos_DeTerran]

The kunai throw was an impressive one, able to peg many a target...which was probably why it was so disconcerting when the man spun around the sheathed tanto to bat the sharp blade out of the air, giving another theatrical yawn.

"A kunai? I told you that child's play like that wouldn't work." He says, sounding disappointed when he abruptly stepped forward and rapped the tanto across the back of Arashi's kunai hand for a stinging blow (1 non-lethal) that otherwise proved harmless. "I mean really. You are up against a ninja in charge of a squad of other genin, and that's what you chose as an opening move? Take this as seriously as real combat Arashi of the Forest! With that same blow I could have broken your hand or aimed to have crushed your windpipe!"

[Valgunn]

Arashi
AC: 24
HP: 27/27
Subdual HP: 26/27
Chakra: 17/18

Arashi jumped back five feet obviously annoyed as she sheathed the Kodachi back again before moving back another thirty five feet not once turning her back to him. "Then teach me how to kick your ass or are you so pathetic you get off on hitting me!" She knew that Body Substitution wouldn't work on him so distance would have to do. Then with another twist and flick another Kunai was flung in his direction.

OOC:
Attack (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1827757/)

[Callos_DeTerran]

Music (http://www.imeem.com/people/nRlWPk/music/SC9Sh4G6/naruto_need_to_be_strong/)

"Again?" Kaken drawls, swiping at Arashi with the tanto, the breeze from the missed hit gusting across the back of her head as she once more got her distance on him. And just as she turned around to face him, Kaken blurred and disappeared, the only hint of his presence being a sudden ominous feeling of dread that something was lurking behind the girl. On pure instinct she ducks down and rolls forward, barely even seeing the motion as he draws the tanto and whips it through the air where her neck had been in a wide sweeping slash.

It was a wicked looking blade, more of a wavy-shaped kris then a tanto and both sides of the blade looked as if it had been meticulously shaped into a saw's edge. The very tip of the blade was stained red, either on purpose or from over-use and seeing the miss Kaken's lazy smile vanished to leave only cold ruthlessness, the same look all the others but Mitsuhide and Arashi had seen when he had murdered one of the samurai.

"If you aren't going to take this seriously then I will Arashi." He murmurs, one eye locking unto your own. "Are you kidding? What is the purpose of a test if you are given the answer? Think girl! A simple direct attack isn't working, obviously you need to try a different approach. I don't know what you've been taught but heres a good first lesson for you."

Pausing Kaken reached up to tap the index finger of his free hand against his temple. "It isn't jutsu, weapons, or training that make a shinobi a deadly weapon. It's their mind. If the mind's weak then it doesn't matter how strong the body is because it will always do the wrong thing at the wrong moment. They know this but apparently someone skipped over that lesson with you."

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

Masaru had jumped back five or ten feet when the fight started in order to give the combatants more room. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked his usual part of the emotionless, black statue, but having seen both Kaken and Arashi fight he was more than a little concerned about the outcome of the match. Arashi had beaten Chiiro almost laughably easily, but Chiiro had been almost dead tired from that day's events so it hadn't truly been a fair fight. Kaken, however, was another matter entirely. The man was a mystery, acting the buffoon most of the time, but Masaru had seen him get serious...Arashi was in trouble. The genin was surprised at how much that worried him.

For now, Masaru just watched, letting Kaken continue his "lesson", sparing a glance at Rio, Chiiro, and Mitsuhide for their reactions to the whole situation.

[Valgunn]

Arashi

Twisting five feet to her right she deftly moved herself around to conceal her actions as she pulled and stabbed one of the Kunai she had pre-attached into the ground chargin it to the brim with Chakra. If this worked she could shut this old fool up about her intelligence.

OOC:
Sleight of Hand (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1827801/)

[Bariko]

Rio

Who the hell does she think she is? raged a confused 14 year old mind.

As Rio stood, impassive, the fight continued in front of him. The arrogant, prideful girl was obviously being "tested", but Rio couldn't figure out why. She'd done nothing to deserve to join the team. Wandering into a ninja camp at night and starting a fight would normally get someone killed. Why was everyone letting her do this? Mitsuhide was somewhat understandable, and even Chiiro to an extent. But Masaru? Masaru?

Kaken was no better. The girl wasn't trustworthy, and had walked in demanding training. He should have laughed at her and sent her home-at best. But no, he was giving her a chance to join the team; to replace Michiko. She'd been taken less than 24 hours ago and everyone was moving on!

I hope Kaken kicks her ass, he thought, even knowing this girl hadn't really done anything to deserve his animosity. Rio wrestled to insert some logic into his mind as he stared blankly at the combat. I just have to keep calm... This is just panic.

[PhoeKun]

'Akechi' Mitsuhide

A few drops of sweat mar the fair skin of Mitsuhide's face, and he swallows hard trying to cope with Kaken's oppressive chakra. He takes a deep breath, and pulls both of his black leather gloves tighter on his hands.

Whether or not Arashi is capable of landing a blow, or indeed if she is the kind of person who would take Kaken up on his offer to let her ask for help, are things he is interested to know. Kaken, he was learning more about by the second. The only description that will stick? Not like Okabashi Taka. Where she was tight and precise, he was wild and difficult to predict. And where she took all effort to hide her capabilities, this man seemed more than willing to flaunt his power. Not that the jounin isn't clearly holding back, it's just... he clearly wants everyone to know who's in command of the situation. Only, he doesn't posses Taka's eyes, or her aura. So he uses that horrifying chakra, and not her cold stares and body language. The result was the same - respect. And dread. Which seems to be the one constant among all high-class ninja, is the feelings of terror they inspire.

And Arashi, flinging kunai all over the place trying to hit one of those jounin, wanting to be a ninja in official standing... does she understand what it is she's reaching towards? For that matter, does he?

[Callos_DeTerran]

New Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ6uSDPULa4&feature=PlayList&p=A338F40CC4D8ACE0&index=52)

"You've stopped talking girl, have you realized the stakes in this then?" Kaken says softly as his grip tightens about the kris's leather-bound hilt and he advances towards Arashi with that un-nerving calm that he was demonstrating. It was deceptively slow, enough so that it would likely catch his prey by surprise when his hand would slip over one shoulder to lay one saw-edged side of the kris on her shoulder only to rip it painfully away from her body in a bloody but thankfully shallow cut.

"Maybe you just don't take me seriously." Was the last thing he said, spinning his blade about in his hand before that oppressive feeling of chakra returned but it was far different from last time. Before it had merely been oppressive, making it feel difficult to breath and giving a little tickle of fear about being around such a powerful foe, but this time...

This time it wasn't just the weight of the man's chakra but as if he had unveiled a monstrous murderous intent to take the lives of those around him. No..not just to kill but to maim, disfigure, and just plain hurt every living thing that was foolish enough to remain so close to the scarred man. Where before it had simply been instinct to feel a kernel of fear this time it was more then that. Instinctual didn't cover the terror that this feeling brought welling up to the surface, that all consuming panic to flee and hide if they didn't manage to work past that most basic of survival instincts and primal fear. It got the adrenaline pumping, trigging fight or flee in the most vile way, but thankfully those far enough away like Mitsuhide didn't have to deal with that reason-crushing terror in the same way that those who were too close had to like Rio, Chiiro, and Arashi.

A dangerous look was in his eyes, promising all that this malevolent aura hinted at as he waited patiently for the girl to make her move, whatever it'd be. As if not a hint of fear was in him for what his 'opponent' might possibly try to do. Maybe he really wasn't.

[Bariko]

Rio

As Rio stood there, wrestling with his inner thoughts, a sudden feeling came over him. It was similar at first to the oppressive fear from Kaken's chakra, but this.. this was more. It was terror, sheer unadulterated terror. His eyes widened, and his breath came ragged. I have to get out of here!

With a steadying breath, Rio forced himself to remain where he was, and resume his impassive expression. He quashed the utter fear into him, realising it had to be a sort of technique from Kaken. Still, it was all he could do to not run, rooting himself in place. The terror was all-permeating, and it took huge effort to maintain normal functions. He did not envy the girl who was Kaken's opponent...

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

The masked genin stayed silent as stone as he watched the encounter. He felt the weight of Kaken's chakra on his shoulders and almost recoiled in disgust as he felt the sudden turn of it to something that promised so much evil. It was so much that he couldn't help but take a few steps forward, feeling a sudden protective urge, some need to keep whatever that vile feeling and intent was from hurting another living being. He clenched his fists and forced himself steady, however, knowing that it was not his fight and hoping that the Kaken he knew was simply testing the poor girl. Unless she asked for help he could do nothing but watch...but he wanted to intervene. She seemed so hopelessly outmatched.

[Valgunn]

Arashi
AC: 24
HP: 27/27
Subdual HP: 26/27
Chakra: 13/18
The quick but steady beat of Arashis heart suddenly sped up, the thunder of her heat beating faster then it ever had before ringing in her ears and paining her chest. The shallow cut on her shoulder now barely registering as it bled her toxin life. In this moment of terror not only her heart seemed to move faster, the world around her seemed to stall. Am I ready to die for this? The thought moved across her mind as her body twisted in apparant slow motion as she noticed Masaru. Do I even deserve this? Another thought as her legs tensed pushing her to run from this unsurmountable Murderous Intent, not the words but the face of Rio flashing before her so angry at her. The tension in her legs finally snapped and she began to run from Kaken, moving as fast as her legs could take her.

[Dark_Prophet]

Chiiro, grinned at the confrontation, wounded and bandaged as he was - he was going to enjoy watching that arrogant girl put in her place by the merciless Kaken. His smile widened as she refused to back down, mostly enjoyment of her predicament, and some small respect for her guts.

Then Kaken fell into that stance, that attitude, and suddenly the genin felt his recent wounds, his heart pounding inside his chest. He struggled, but there was no competition - crazy generals, crazy swords, crazy female ninja were all dangerous and tricky. Chiiro had since long learned to deal with the pain and wounds they brought, because he had been accidentally cutting himself on the swords he made his entire life. He wasn't really afraid of them, because nothing had managed to kill him yet. So what was a little fear, something immaterial without even form?

"...god damn it!" The genin screamed as his body surged into overdrive, turning and pounding away at top speed from the clearing, not far behind Arashi as he hurtled through the brush. "This is all your fault! And you're not even wounded!"

Fear itself, especially Kaken's, was something very different from anything like crazy people, or the swords they used and that used them. It wasn't crazy at all - it was coldly practical and efficient. It was really all the girl's fault, though. "You better keep running, because I'm gonna beat the crap out of you this time when I catch you!" He shouted at her, trying to free himself from his fear with his anger, but only succeeding in mixing the two.

[PhoeKun]

'Akechi' Mitsuhide

When Kaken's chakra shifts, and fills with murderous intent, Mitsuhide's immediate reaction is to almost throw up. It's just as well he doesn't, as the hand that flies up instinctively to cover his mouth finds its progress blockes by the gas mask that covers his nose and mouth.

But after the initial moment of shock, he seems to calm down, the tingle in his spine and hairs on the back of his neck notwithstanding. As he takes a deep, calming breath, he sees Arashi bolt in terror... with Chiiro close behind her. That murderous aura must be something altogether unreal when directed at you, or perhaps even if you got too close to it. It's really no wonder she ran. Still, running probably meant the end of her dream...

He shakes his head, slowly. Jounin are monsters. The power that he needs to return to Kagekure, to claim his birthright, and even to be worthy of her admiration - must he become a monster, too?

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

Mitsuhide would that Masaru had disappeared as well, stepping back past the two remaining genin and slipping into the trees. His black mask didn't show terror, but the way he seemed to be clenching his entire body as he staggered back made it pretty apparent. He didn't go very far, but about a hundred feet into the forest Masaru slammed his back against a tree and tried in vain to control his breathing.

Just then it wasn't Kaken who he'd seen standing there. It had been the man that had murdered his family and destroyed his life, the monster Saito Gunma, ready to throw him in the fire again. Masaru didn't expect to react like that. He thought that he'd schooled himself to feel only anger at that man's appearance, but it had all been in vain. He felt like a child again, cowering in his house while his family screamed and died outside.

In the back of his mind, Masaru knew that Kaken had used some kind of genjutsu and he'd been too close and caught the edge of it. Nonetheless he hadn't been prepared for the effect. Normally he pushed the memories of that night deep down within himself where he couldn't find it, but Kaken's technique had brought it screaming back to the surface. Masaru could only slide to the ground and wrap his arms around his knees, waiting for the pain and fear to become rage once again.

[Callos_DeTerran]

No response showed on the man's face as first Arashi, but then Chiiro and Masaru turn and fled from the aura of sheer malevolence that he had presented to them. That changed as Arashi went out of hearing range and the man groaned softly and held his head in his hands.

"Kami curse it, I should have warned those two not to get so close. Mitsuhide, try to find Masaru and bring him back. Rio, your own Chiiro since he should be easier to find." He says with a sigh, looking much more like the 'buffoon' as Masaru had thought then the murderous monster that had just been presented. With nary a flourish or fanfare he sheathes the kris back in it's holster and sits down on the ground with his eyes fixated on the fleeing Arashi as if waiting for the moment when she would either have to turn and face him once more or continue to flee back into the deep woods and the mountains out of fear for all that she had seen.

Basically a filler post to pass along the duration of the fear effect. Much better quality post shall arrive once new posts are made.

[PhoeKun]

'Akechi' Mitsuhide

"Yes, sir."

Mitsuhide bows slightly before turning and quickly vanishing into the trees he had seen Masaru retreat to. It's easier, it seems, to just treat Kaken as a client. With at least an appropriate relationship established, it would be easier to deal with the man's...eccentricities, as well as give him a place within this group for however long he would need to travel with them, making everything feel just a little more normal.

But right now, he doesn't really have time to think about that. For even the stoic Masaru to have been spooked, it must have truly been a force of terror just being a few feet closer to that aura. Still, the black garbed genin did not seem like one who would go very far, so Mitsuhide simply runs from tree to tree, gliding along the ground as he searches, occasionally tossing out a "Masaru-san?" in the hopes of calling his companion out of hiding.

Search: [roll0]

This roll is likely to accomplish nothing, solely because I'm the one making it. I find myself seriously considering switching back to Invisible Castle... >.>

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

Hide: 1d20+6=21 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1833203/)

Masaru listened to Mitsuhide trying to find him, searching around seemingly everywhere but where he actually was. The boy passed by barely five feet from where Masaru sat without seeing him. It was only when Masaru stood up and tapped the other genin on the shoulder that Mitsuhide saw where he'd been hiding. "Forgive me, I lost control of myself for a moment." he said simply, showing only some of how shaken he had been. It was still there, especially since Masaru's hands were still clenched tightly into fists and he didn't even seem to notice it, but he'd managed to push past it enough to function. "Should we look for the others?" he asked, looking almost warily back towards the camp, not wanting to return just yet.

[Valgunn]

Arashi

The horrid pounding of her heart slowed as she stopped, thoughts and images passing before her eyes. The sight of her uncle wasting away as the toxins inside him rebelled, her mother at the bedside all her medical strength worthless to save her brother. I don't have a choice. The reason she left home was to learn and become strong so she could grow old, maybe not the most noble goal and maybe not even the most viable but it was hers. If she had to become something so monstrous like Kaken, then that was her price she would have to pay.

As she stared out into the forest she could feel the fear loosen its grip on her, the haze of almost complete panic draining but still present in her mind as a reminder of her animal instincts and of her humanity that ignores it. Turning around in such a human way she stared through the forest at Kaken as she then ran back through the forest towards him, leaping over the treeline and landing with a light thunk her legs pressed against her body and her hand settling on the flap of her pouch. A fraction of a second passed as the flap to her pouch was lifted and a kunai was drawn the attached tag fluttering. The kunai hand tightly in her hands she twisted around to gain speed intending for this not to hit but to pen Kaken inside the twin explosions. The release came and the kunai flew to the opposite side of Kaken the seal for detonation made just as it flew past. The explosion was twice as powerful as the one that had come last night scorching everything around where Kaken stood with an impressive force.

OOC:
Chakra Control (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1833204/)
Hidden Exploding Tag Damage (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1833284/)
Midair Exploding Tag Damage (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1833287/)
Took two rounds to do this since Callos said it would be ok.

[PhoeKun]

'Akechi' Mitsuhide

Inwardly, Mitsuhide admonishes himself for not making a more thorough search, but turns around calmly to face Masaru.

"The other boy... Rio-san, yes? Kaken-sama assigned him to chasing down the others. Do you think he will need help?"

He takes a few slow steps back towards the camp, not really rushing his return, and allowing Masaru to finish calming at his own pace. And then, explosions.

"...Or it could be that they've already returned." he conjectures with something akin to a sigh, not exactly thrilled to hear a return to the use of explosive tags. He quickens his pace nonetheless.

[Dark_Prophet]

Chiiro grunts in surprise as he surges past Arashi, as she turns around. "What the...? NO FAIR!" He tries to turn around, but the primal fear inside him forces him to keep running as the genin has to focus ahead to avoid the trees and shrubs, cursing as he succeeds only partially. "AAAAAUUUUUGH! DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT!" He shouts in frustration, envisioning the female ninja in front of him and swinging at the air trying to release his built up fear and anger with no success.

Several seconds later, he hears the signature marks of exploding tags behind him, and freezes midstep, before hurtling on, every part of him wanting to turn back and throttle that little witch. "...oh you have got to be KIDDING me! More exploding tags?!"

[Bariko]

Rio

At Kaken's word, Rio took off without so much as a word. His throat was still dry from the fear, his muscles sore from tension. As he chased after Chiiro, pounding through the brush, he clenched his jaw tightly, blinking dust and seeds out of his eyes.

Rio licked his lips to call out Chiiro's name, but the words caught in his throat as he saw the girl, Arashi, stop and turn back. As the sunlight flickered through the trees and across his eyes, he realised how he'd acted to her, out of fear, panic and mistrust. A twinge of guilt flashed through him before he continued pounding after Chiiro. I should talk to her sometime...

The moment she was in his sight passed, and he continued on after Chiiro. Taking a deep breath, he bellowed "Chiiro! Stop running! Come on!" Rio put on a burst of speed and reached out to grab the shoulder of his running...friend? Rio barely knew Chiiro, but even so he treated the newcomer much better than he'd treated Arashi. I will rectify this...

"Chiiro, come on. Let's go back." Suddenly, the sound of exploding tags pierced the air. A staple of hers, I guess?

"Now."

[Callos_DeTerran]

Music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjWmQMu1WLE&feature=PlayList&p=A338F40CC4D8ACE0&index=53)

As Arashi ran back towards Kaken, she caught a flicker as his eyes darted up towards her own before she spun and threw that last explosive kunai to him in between the other two. The resulting explosion was enough to scatter some of the leaves off of nearby trees and give them a slightly balding appearance even as the wannabe-genin waited anxiously to see the results of her work. Finally the smoke began to clear until she could see the oddly formed triangle of craters...


...And nothing else.

Just before she could begin to wonder if Kaken had seen through her ploy or had been utterly annihilated by the blast a hand gripped the back of her head, tightly enough to cause her some pain, before a familiar voice sounds from behind her.

"Congratulations, you finally began to take this seriously enough to approach this like I was your enemy," Kaken's voice says from behind before the saw-edged blade of the kris presses lightly against the front of her throat, the saw-teeth pressing against her windpipe with every breath, "You attempted to lull me into a false sense of security, lured me to a battlefield prepared as well as you could given the time constraints, and utilized the terror you felt to heighten the advantage of your combat style. However...you'd still die if all I did was yank my blade to the side."

His voice still promised that terrifying oath of death to those who stood against him, something that seemed remarkably relevant to Arashi at the moment as the kris pressed tighter. "Why you want to be a shinobi?" he whispers to her, holding her skull tightly with one hand and the steel blade against her throat with the other. The grip was loose enough that Arashi would be able to twist her head and take a look at her 'opponent', and there was the very real realization that she only could because he let her, and notice that not a single burn mark or injury marred his body. Just dirt that had somehow managed to cling to him when he had avoided the blasts. "Because do you know what I think? I think you are nothing but a girl who is scared of death and all it holds. Did you have to watch mommy or daddy die? Maybe it was thieves or a disagreement turned sour but I can tell by the look in your eyes that you've seen a loved one in the spasms of death, and it haunts every dark corner of your fears and dreams that you'll become just like them."

---

Masaru & Mitsuhide

The dark woods that Masaru had fled to remained quiet and still around the two in the aftermath of the exploding tags, the two conversing quietly about returning to the source of the explosion. It was something imperceptible though that made the quiet seem more ominous, like something crouched in the shadows with a malevolent intent. An edgy feeling that a predator might feel when another of it's kind lurked nearby or something more dangerous then itself by just a little.

Masaru Only:
It took a moment, and even then you only just caught the barest of glimpses at the dark fleeting shape as it stole stealthily through the underbrush. For a brief moment there was a feeling of deja vu, seeing somebody or something that looked so similar to you that it took a couple moments to notice the differences. For one the person you were looking at was dressed in a light steel gray that blended rather well with the surroundings considering there wasn't a green ninja vest to offset the uniform color. A shuriken holster is belted around one leg and this gray-colored person kept low to the ground and seemed content to just silently observe Mitsuhide and you, keeping a healthy distance away to give plenty of time to flee if something required it.

---

Chiiro and Rio

Even from the distance the two of them had put between the source of the resounding explosion and themselves, it was still possible for the two genin to see the smoke raising up from where Arashi's trap had detonated. The sheer terror gripping Chiiro hasn't abated yet but without the source following after him it didn't seem quite as pressing as it had been before. Just as the two glanced at each other though something caught Chiiro's eye.

Chiiro
Just off the side of the road where the ground meets the edge of a steep hill, you can spot the edges of a well-concealed camoflauge blanket with an ill-defined form hidden underneath of it.

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru
AC: 20
HP: 53/53
Chakra: 23/24

True to form, Masaru remained impassive despite what he had seen hiding in the forest. He turned his back just slightly, angling himself away from anyone who happened to be watching except for Mitsuhide, and formed several quick seals in front of his chest. "Be ready. Kawarimi no Jutsu," he whispered just loud enough for Mitsuhide to hear, then dropped his arms to his sides. There was no discernible difference in Masaru after that, but Mitsuhide was privy to the information that the black-clad genin that stood in front of him was merely a good likeness. The real Masaru had slipped past him, using his double, Mitsuhide, and the trees and bushes to cover himself as he hid.

Masaru moved nearly straight in on his target, angling his approach enough that he was not directly in front of him but still minimizing the length of time it would take to close the distance. He stayed as low as he could without dropping to his knees, using his hands to support himself at some points, while watching his target for any flicker of movement.

Hiding and Moving Silently 30 feet towards target.

Hide: 1d20+6+1d6=19 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1847213/) (Action Point)
Move Silently: 1d20+6=24 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1847221/)
Listen: 1d20=3 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1847222/)
Spot: 1d20=2 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1847223/)

[Valgunn]

Arashi

For a moment she thought perhaps she had gone too far but she quickly chnaged her mind as her head was yanked back and the cool metal was felt at her throat. As he spoke her breathing was heavy as she forced her neck out to meet the blade in defiance. As he continued with his talk she was unnaturally silent. Afterward she slowly turned her head around a little to look out to a naked tree. "What's the plan?" She spoke calmly her voice not wavering an inch. "You want to know why!?" She half shouted her voice begining to wavering. "I'm cursed to die in agony by middle age, along with my entire family. I want to grow old and die, and this is my best chance to tame the toxins inside me."

[Dark_Prophet]

Chiiro shakes himself free of the other genin's grasp, shaking his head at Bariko. "Still too afraid of that man...hey, whats that?" He points to a camouflage blanket in the corner of his vision, one hand going to the greatsword at his back in caution, gesturing for Bariko to maintain silence as he hurries over to it, still at a somewhat accelerated, but surprisingly quiet pace from the vestiges of panic in him. He scans the area carefully, looking for anything of interest, alive, or out of place.

Being as quiet as possible and checking the place over for anything suspicious or alive. Move Silently [roll0] Hide 17 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1848082/) Spot [roll1]

[Callos_DeTerran]

Kaken & Arashi

"You could have done that in other ways, studying medicine and herbs, rather then risking your life on shinobi missions. Your means seem to conflict with your 'goals' quite a bit." Kaken replies, his caustic tone dripping with sarcasm as the kris presses tighter against Arashi's throat until it draws a line of crimson. Just when it seemed he'd truly slit her throat the man pulls the blade away and gives Arashi a little shove forward, the girl catching her balance and spinning about to face him with her eyes full of emotion.

"You have two choices now Arashi. You can either give up, run home to your family and forfeit this dream of yours. Or! You can tell me what you learned from all of this and come with me. Course you could keep trying to put so much as a scratch on me but I think we both kow you don't have what it takes to do that."

----------------------

Chiiro & Rio

Chiiro spies no movement underneath of the camoflauge blanket as he steals towards it stealthily, not daring to look away from it and possibly miss an enemy springing from hiding or something of the sort. It'd be bad form to get hurt so soon after fleeing for his life, he'd probably never hear the end of it. Finally he stood in front of the camoflauge blanket, debating about what to do now that he was there.

----------------------

Masaru & Mitsuhide

With a nod Mitsuhide continued to act as if conversing and talking with the double as the actual black-garbed genin stole through the trees and bushes towards where he had seen the figure laid out flat on the ground. As he approached him (Or was it a her? It was hard to tell) from the side, just past where a person's natural eyesight stopped, he kept careful eyes on them to make sure they didn't make any hostile motions.

As he crept forward still, now easily within fifteen feet of the prone figure he did notice something peculiar but it wasn't handsigns or the flash of a hand reaching for a weapon. It was nothing at all. No twitches, tics, or even the slow rise and fall of someone's breath.

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

Masaru froze when he noticed something odd about the figure lying flat against the forest floor. It wasn't anything he could pin down, but something didn't seem right. There was a flatness to the figure on the ground that made it seem less...real than it should be. He quickly drew a shuriken from his pouch and flicked it at the figure, expecting it to burst into a cloud of smoke and leave a log where it had been. As he did so, his location and what he was doing would most likely become apparent to Mitsuhide and give him some warning that something was awry if he wasn't already aware. Masaru tensed a bit, expecting an attack any second.

Spot and Listen rolls are predictably bad. 1d20=7, 1d20=3 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1855466/) Search is...meh...we'll see if I even need to roll it. 1d20+2=15 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1855468/)

[Bariko]

Rio

As Chiiro snuck over to the camoflauge and...whatever it was that was inside it, Rio turned. As much as he felt he should head back to the camp, to Kaken and the girl, he could not-would not-leave a comrade in an uncertain situation. Still fairly paranoid, Rio approached the area, staying a slight distance away. Close combat wasn't his specialty, after all, and he wanted to be ready in case things went wrong.

The blanket itself worked fairly well, blending in almost seamlessly with the brush and shadows. It was thanks to Chiiro's luck or eyesight, possibly both, that they were able to spot it at all. The mottled greens and blacks almost seemed still as Chiiro got close. From where he was, Rio prepared mentally for the possibility of an attack. Attempting to catch Chiiro's eye, Rio made a motion of removing the blanket, and gestured that Chiiro should back away immediately afterward. They didn't know what was under there, after all. A momentary thought passed regarding Kaken and the girl, but it was obvious he could handle her.

He hoped he could handle whatever was under that camoflauge.

[PhoeKun]

'Akechi' Mitsuhide

At first, he had been intent on returning to check on the renewed battle, equal parts concerned and exasperated by the explosions. But in the eerie stillness of the forest, something seemed... off.

And it seemed to feel off to Masaru, too, as he watches the masked genin shift into the shadows to stalk their stalker. Mitsuhide carries on as though he hasn't noticed anything, standing next to the Kawarimi clone casually while trying to keep one eye out for, well, something. He pulls his non-cursed katana out of his sash, sheath and all, and appears to start inspecting it, as though he thought something was odd with it.

The reality of it is that he can feel a battle coming. The technique he had feverishly been trying to master for weeks now - it seems this is the time when he will find out if he is ready for it.

[Dark_Prophet]

"You got it!" Chiiro did just that, yanking the tarp open with still shaking hands, then stumbling back, a shaky grin on his face as he looked at the contents beside Rio, still breathing hard from the effect of Kaken's technique.

[Valgunn]

Arashi

Arashi tore away as she was given the oppertunity. She twirled around to face Kaken like a wild dog her eyes angry and independent but sedated. "Learnt?" She muttered underneath her breath. Thinking about it the first responce was to shout that he was a sick freak but even as angry as she was she knew that was wrong. "That for now. Most of everything is more skilled than me." She finally spat in her anger the words stinging her mouth as she said them. She leaned back in a more human, a more civil way as she continued staring at him adding with sincerity "Kaken-sensei."

[Callos_DeTerran]

Arashi

Kaken stands silently, head tilting to the side as he observed the emotionally distraught but respectful girl who had decided to enter the world of shinobi. "At least you possess mental faculties, but that's only about half of what I meant for you to take from this. Think harder Arashi."

The coldness had as abruptly fell away from his face as it had arrived, replaced by the boisterous facade, or was the coldness the facade, that she had first meet this morning. Without much flash or fanfare he sheaths the blade back in the sleek black lacquer holder and tucks it back into the back of his belt.

---

Chiiro and Rio

The two of them crept up silently on the camouflage blanket, giving one another a glance before Chiiro reached downed and yanked the blanket off, tossing it to the side to reveal...

A squat log that had a petulant face drawn on it with marker so it looked as if the log was mocking the two of them. Once more the two glanced at each other, as if surprise of what they had found, but a look at the camouflage blanket gave an explanation for why this had happened.

It was transparent on the side the log had been hiding on, which meant that whoever had been in there had been watching them the entire time as they had approached the hiding spot. Both of them give a quick look about the area but the only sign they see that could have been from another person was a broken set of twigs on the far side of the tree from where Chiiro and Rio had first approached this spot from.

---

Masaru & Mitsuhide

The silence sits heavily on the two swordsman, every stirr of the wind through dry leaves and chitter of woodland life slowly becoming active once more seemed as loud as the exploding tags that Arashi is so fond of. Despite the unease of the situation the copy-cat watcher, if he was still around, didn't seem too excited about starting a battle with the two.

Of sign where he had gone, there was a few scuffs in the dirt, leading back further into the woods, a none too clear trail but at least obvious in the direction that it lead.

[Valgunn]

Arashi

Looking up at the man she had found respect for Arashi perhaps knew the answer to the question. She turned from him feeling now the strain she had put her body under. She felt the ache throughout of body making her aware of her entirety. A shudder ran through her body as she felt the ache pass from thought and mind. She knew the lesson he wanted her to learn but right now she couldn’t learn it, she refused to learn it. Retreat from this life was never an option. Retreat from her goals is never an option “I don’t think so. That isn’t a choice for me.” She then turned around to face him a brave smile dashed across her face “So what are we waiting for? I thought you have somebody you need to be rescued.”

[Dark_Prophet]

Chiiro sighs and shakes his head, his fear and tension having loosened their grip on him. "Well, we'll have to let the others know we had a watcher...come on, lets head back." He nods to Rio, then starts to walk back to the others, keeping his hand on the katana at his belt, taking several breaths to clear the rest of the tension from his system.

The genin keeps a wary eye on his surroundings to avoid any ambushes and further watchers, shaking his head and grumbling to his companion all the way. "Crazy girl...making Kaken do that ****. Crazy Kaken, for doing all that ****. Mitsuhide with his crazy sword. Masaru with his...I'm not even sure, at least he's smiling now. But they're all crazy, except for you and me, Rio. We gotta keep em under control." He puffs out his chest, finishing just in sight of the clearing, and walks in carefully, assessing the situation and glaring at Arashi, and then Kaken.

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

The tall, dark and silent teenager returned to his nearly equally stoic companion after not too long. He didn't bother to disguise his approach much, but when compared to Chiiro's blustering about he was as silent as a shadow. He didn't deem it necessary to explain that he had found nothing, as that much was pretty obvious. He only shook his head tersely in the negative and began walking back towards their camp. If he was going to give a report, he'd prefer to only have to give it once.

Upon reaching the tents in the small clearing, cratered and blown about as it was by all of the explosive tags, Masaru came to a stop in front of Kaken and Arashi and rested on his haunches, bidding them to do the same. "We were being observed. A figure who could have been my twin except garbed in steel gray." he explained as he drew a crude map of their campsite with a gloved finger in the displaced dirt. He marked where he and Mitsuhide had been standing, then where the copy-cat had been, as well as the direction he'd apparently fled by the marks he'd left. "I think it's safe to say this was one of the shinobi we've heard so much about. Should we go after them?"

[PhoeKun]

'Akechi' Mitsuhide

There wasn't, and isn't, much for Mitsuhide to say. When it became clear combat wasn't happening, he sighed and tucked his sword back in his sash, and from there followed Masaru back to the others, and stood behind him as he drew his map and explained everything.

It looks like the distractions are over, and soon they would be heading out. But, heading out where? There didn't seem to be a lot of information, and the nature of the opponent was... well, he didn't really know. Like Masaru, but very much not. Nothing to like, surely. He folds his arms over his chest, and waits for Kaken's comments.

[Bariko]

Rio

As they made their way back to the main camp area, the light flicking between the trees, Rio actually let out a tiny chuckle at Chiiro's comments. Catching himself by surprise, a wave of guilt flashed over him, I shouldn't be happy with my friend missing...

As he got back to the camp, Rio took mild note of the various craters, but was completely unsurprised to see Kaken grinning, and unharmed. As he rejoined the group, he paused momentarily next to the new girl, as if trying to say something... Then Masaru and the other newcomer returned, and Rio's attention was directed elsewhere.

Masaru explained what had happened as he drew out a crude map, and Rio focused closely, particularly at the description of the other as a "grey Masaru". Sounds similar... As Masaru finished, Rio marked the map himself, "We saw someone here," he said as he pointed out the spot, "who escaped in this direction."

His mind was flaring again, guilt and self-loathing coming back as he remembered running. If these people knew anything, he had to learn it. "Kaken, please," were the only words he uttered, though internally, he was determined to pursue them if Kaken agreed or not.

[Callos_DeTerran]

The man sighs as Arashi answers, shaking his head as if disappointed but gives a shrug. "Then you don't understand, but you are very close so I'll let it pass. Go get your..."

Kaken's reason for pausing became clear as first Chiiro and Rio, then Masaru and Mitsuhide, returned to where the camp had been set up for the night and related their news about being watched by gray 'Masaru' and the other. He listens thoughtfully to what they relate about these watchers and what direction they fled in and gives another shake of his head at the seeming playful attitude of the unknown one at the discovery of being spied upon.

"Heh. Who would have thought we'd merit watching, eh? I guess it speaks well of your decision to go to the capital in any case. I doubt anyone would be keeping tabs on us otherwise." He muses aloud as he drifts back towards the campsite itself and motioned for the genin and Arashi to begin breaking it down. "C'mon. We move out now before they decide to come back with more. Move!"

There was a pause then as Rio uttered those pleading words, not looking back at the genin before shaking his head. "No...I'm not going off on a goose chase into the woods on the off chance we are able to catch those two. We proceed to the capitol and try to find Michiko. I'm already going to be in enough trouble for detouring from the mission, I'm not going to make it worse by making the trip longer. Now get your stuff together."

He said no more words after that, merely gathering his belongings and waiting silently for the others to do the same before taking the lead on the road through the heavily forested hills leading towards the capital.

----------------------------------------------------------

Luckily enough for the weary teenagers the trip didn't last much longer and all too soon the trees began to give way to bright sunshine and an amazing overview of the sprawling capital of the Land of Birds. Unlike many, more modern, cities the capital had a far more traditional layout and aesthetic to it that gives off the impression of a city frozen in time even from the distance that the genin looked at it from. Vibrant gardens dot the cityscape with immense flocks of birds gathered around those scenic locations. Unlike Kagekure the capital looked largely untouched by the recent conflict in the area and life seemed to have returned to normal in the area.

After pausing for a moment to take in the view, Kaken stepped forward once more down the dirt road towards a low white wall that barely topped out at ten feet high at the highest with a barred wooden gate blocking entry into the city. Two guards in simple breastplates with wooden spears stand around the portal, looking obviously bored with their duty with a clipboard tossed unto the ground beside the man on the right hand side and their weapons leaning up against the walls. Before the six come into full view of the twin guards Kaken brings the five teenagers to a pause and turns about to give them a trademark grin.

"Alright, you guys head on into the city and start looking for leads. I have some business to attend to first but I'll join up with you all later. Cya!" With a short wave the dark-haired wearing an eye-patch gave a wave of his hand before disappearing in a plume of black smoke that dissipated to leave nothing in it's place but Kaken's pack and the startled oaths of the two guards who had noticed the disturbance.

"Who's there?! Step out where we can see you!"

[Valgunn]

Arashi

A wide and impish smile curled on Arashi's face as she silently slinked behind Chiiro. Then in a burst of movement she shoved him forward and out onto the road.

[Dark_Prophet]

Chiiro

"Ahhhhhhh!" Chiiro catches himself as he falls flat, glaring back at the bush, putting a hand on his sword. "GOD DAMMIT ARASHI I'M GONNA KILL YOU THIS TIME, YOU LITTLE ****!" He glances back at the guards, shrugging, then runs back into the bushes with his greatsword drawn, but held flat.

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

"Put the sword away." Masaru said, catching Chiiro's shoulder but not making any effort to hold him there. His tone, however, seemed to brook no argument. They'd already been seen, so running about with swords drawn was about the worst idea Masaru could think of at the moment. It seemed Chiiro had a talent for choosing the worst possible course of action in any given situation. "Let's go, and if you have a Kagekure forehead protector keep it out of sight."

Masaru walked out into the open with his hands held open at his sides, showing he had no weapons. He didn't need a weapon, but the guards didn't know that. If he was given no further instructions he continued to walk right up to conversational distance and stopped. His body language seemed completely at ease, even if his face was obscured behind that implacable black mask. He tried to seem as nonthreatening as possible.

"We have business in the city. Please, let us pass." he nodded respectfully at each guard. His forehead protector, in this case tied around one of his biceps, would mark him as a ninja from Konoha, as would Rio's. The others they would assume to be more ninja or possibly even servants, judging by the size of Chiiro's backpack.

[Bariko]

Rio

Rio was glad for his friend taking charge of the situation. He walked with Masaru towards the guards, gesturing for the other two to come along. He put on as friendly a face as he could. "Ah, sorry for the disturbance. We've just got a bit of business to attend to."

[Callos_DeTerran]

When Chiiro was uncerimoniously pushed out into view, promptly pulling his greatsword and rushing back towards Arashi, the guards swear once more with startled expressions on their faces before lowering those wooden spears and backing up until their backs were against the wall behind them. They look nervously at each other as Rio, Masaru, and Mitsuhide come out with sheated weapons and ask for entry before the right-hand one speaks up.

"E-eh?! You want to enter the city carrying that many weapons? You have to be crazy!" he stammers while the one on the left seems to take a harder look at the three of you. "B-but if you want to come in, you'll have to tell us the nature of your business and tie peace-knots around your weapons. Those are the rules!"

"Wait a sec Goshi, take a better look at these folks. They got ninja headbands but only the two of'em. Ya think their bodyguards or the kid with two swords just isn't wearin' his?" The one on the left says observantly, holding his spear with one hand as he nodded his head and held his chin, "And Konoha seems have lotsa business here lately...you...four? Is that other guy with you? Are you four with the other four who came here?"

[Valgunn]

Arashi

"You couldn't hit the flat side of a wall Chiiro!" Arashi chimed in as she walked out looking like some strange combination of trader and tree. Her heavy backpack weighing her down obviously but still leaving her able of a quick pace. "So Matsuo o' leader of ours, are we?"

[Dark_Prophet]

(Sorry again about delays, hate school. Well, love it, and hate it. And yeah, Masaru was able to stop him.)

Chiro struggles a bit against Masaru's grip, but relaxes in his hold until he calms down and lets him go, whispering out of range of the guards. "You're right. And yeah, I don't usually advertise. What's wrong with Kagekure, though?"

"Peacebond my sword? Are you kidding?" He holds up the greatsword, and then takes the blade and extends it over hilt first to the first guard with a smile on his face. "You sure you have anything that'll fit around that? And yeah, that was our jounin...we..." He tenses as Arashi throws another jab at him, but sensing Masarau's readiness to grab him again, bites his lip and glares at her, finishing his hanging sentence a couple seconds later. "...uh, have business with them. Yeah, business."

[PhoeKun]

'Akechi' Mitsuhide

With a cold stare of disdain of the type a noble might show a servant, Mitsuhide reaches for one of the swords at his side, and offers it towards the guards in its sheath.

"You may peacetie this if you so desire. The other I must insist you do not. Do understand that it is not my desire to make your duties, but also that the business within your walls is vitally important, and quite time sensitive. Please believe me when I say your speedy cooperation will be mutually beneficial to all parties involved, yourselves included."

He dips his head in the smallest of bows, glancing back up to gauge their reaction. If they believed he was not a ninja, so much the better right now.

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

With the others taking over most of the talking, Masaru lapsed into the silence he preferred. He didn't even bother correcting Arashi's butchering of his name. If the guards had a false name for him, so much the better. He simply showed them his palms to demonstrate that he had no swords on his person to peace tie. (Not that it would stop him from killing anyone should he be so inclined.)

[Callos_DeTerran]

"You know I think he's right, I don't think we have enough for that greatsword of his."

"Quiet, we do and he'll have to peace-bound it just like the others."

The conversation was quickly passed between the two guards before the one on the left approached Chiiro with a big ball of strong twine used for just such things like this and cut off a healthy amount to secure the greatsword. While he did that, the one on the right swiftly tied the peace-knot around Mitsuhide's katana and held out another piece of twine for the swordsman.

"Here. If it's us or you, someone has to tie off the other sword as well. Do you know how to tie a peace knot?" The right guard asks respectfully, showing Mitsuhide how to bind the other sword as well though Mitsuhide had to do it at least twice before it was tied securely enough for the guard's comfort. By that time the left guard had finished with Chiiro's weapon though the knot was far less...elegant then the one the right had made. It looked more like the greatsword had been forcibly tied into it's sheath instead of just connected to it and the guard who had tied it looked more then a little sheepish about it.

"Alright, where's this other guy you mentioned? You called him a jounin?" They asked, and it was with some surprise that Chiiro discovered they had meant him when Arashi had pushed him out of the bushes and not Kaken. In any case the guards quickly took down the five's names (fake or not) and gave the signal for the wooden gate to be opened up from the inside. With a loud creaking noise the ten foot high gate swung open and the five got their first look at their country's capitol city.

For the genin from Kagekure, it seemed as if they had stepped into some sort of dreamworld. It wasn't anything like the village or the small villages they might have visited during missions, it was so much more expansive and...vibrant. In Kagekure the older villagers walked around with a heavy weight on their shoulders from the memories of the attacks on the village, heightened by the oppressive gloom of the Great Tree above, while the younger people and children saw their parents attitudes and usually mimicked them. They had heard stories about how outsiders had view the village as claustrophobic or even depressive at times but it had never made sense to them. Here there were bright colors at almost every turn from street signs to colorfully dressed people going about their day to day lives as if it was the most important task in all the world. The people seemed alive and well, no bad memories haunting them or constant shadow weighing down their spirits, and it spread to those around them for a pulsing tempo of life that seemed so alien when compared to Kagekure.

For Arashi it was almost completely different, a big city at last with dozens upon dozens of people living together in the sprawling buildings. More people then she had seen at her parent's place her entire life bustled about the streets in front of her.

"Oh, hey! If you are looking for those other Konoha ninja, they said they were staying at Natsume Springs. You shouldn't have any trouble finding it!" The left guard calls from behind them as the gate swings shut to close them in the capital city.

[Valgunn]

Arashi

Finding Chiiro's sudden silence interesting Arashi took a moment to explain his actions as she passed the guards. "You really shouldn't judge the poor man. He is sort'f nice in a retarded puppy kind'f way. He makes up for his smaller male parts with the sword, he puts as much time practicing with it as he does the sword, for all the good it does." She chuckled to herself as she played the part of the aggrieved lady in Chiiro's life. She doubted she had much time before Chiiro retaliated. Before she noticed Chiiro swinging toward her however she saw for the first time a city, she had heard about people lived in such close quarters but she never thought that so many people could fit in somewhere so small.

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

Interposing himself between Arashi and Chiiro in order to preempt the violence that was no doubt about to occur, Masaru grabbed them both by their respective shoulders and steered them into the city. The guards had been kind enough to let them pass without too much scrutiny, even considering the fuss the two children were making, and he didn't want to give them more cause to detain the group. "Come on, we've got a job to do. Remember that we're here to find Michiko or those who took her...and when we find them we're going to make them sorry that they ever laid eyes on her." Masaru said, deadly serious. Michiko had been one of his first two friends. Rio and he wouldn't fail her.

"We should split up into two teams, ask around about these ninja that took her. Rio, take Chiiro." Masaru advised, splitting up the two troublemakers for all their sakes. Even if they didn't hear about anything, it might become known to Blue and Green that someone was looking for them. If they were lucky, maybe Blue and Green would seek them out.

[Dark_Prophet]

Chiiro tries to move around Masaru and avoid his grip this time, snarling as he swings at her. "You're one to talk, you flat-chested bitch! You mean to tell me ALL those kunai you favor throwing at once aren't compensating for something too, huh? Even those dumbass logs you leave behind have better proportions then you!" After the outburst in Masaru's grip, he relents, rolling his eyes at the determined ninja. "I don't care where we are and what we're doing, if she says that again, I'm not gonna hold back on her. Luckily for her my sword's peacebonded, but once we get out of here....C'mon Rio, lets go to these Natsume Springs or whatever." He grabs the quiet ninja and starts to walk off, half expecting Arashi to charge after him.

[Valgunn]

Arashi

Arashi just stared at him for a moment watching as Chiiro prepared for whatever she was going to do to him. "F-fine!" She finally sputtered. She wasn't happy about being called flat-chested and planned to get him back but in a rare moment of clarity how much more fun it would be to turn things around on him. Turn the tables and make him seem like a jackass. "Bastard." She sobbed as she turned a little brining her sleeve up to rub her eyes as she shed a few tears acting as she was holding them back. "That was mean." She paced over to Matsuo kicking some dirt up as she went.

[PhoeKun]

'Akechi' Mitsuhide

His first sight of a real city is breathtaking. Mitsuhide stares in amazement, trying hard not to look like a gawking country boy, to conduct himself with the modicum of dignity he knows someone like himself should have. Even cast aside and hiding from the world, he's still nobility, damn it!

Things get much easier when Arashi and Chiiro's squabbling bring him back down to earth. He shuts his eyes for a moment and takes a deep breath. When he opens them again, they seem coldly detached. He turns and looks at Masaru.

"And how shall you use me?"

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

Masaru looked back at Mitsuhide. He'd only been trying to separate the two troublemakers, but to his surprise he'd come off sounding like some sort of leader. He was left with figuring out some way to "use" the young noble. He looked from Mitsuhide to Rio for a moment, as if at a loss, before he'd gathered himself again. "Just choose a group, or go by yourself. You... might be able to get into the higher echelons of society easier than any of us can, and you may be able to get the others in with you as bodyguards. Either way, all groups should keep in contact through radio channel 5, scrambler C." Masaru rattled off the first thing that came to mind. "Agreed?"

[PhoeKun]

'Akechi' Mitsuhide

Mitsuhide glances back and forth between the two groups for a moment, then nods.

"Very well then. I will make it a three-way split, then, to cover the most ground. Besides, it might be beneficial to have someone without ties to shinobi asking around. I will keep in touch..."

He takes a few steps down the street, intending to ask around town about recent happenings, but stops for a moment before he gets very far. He turns his head and looks at Masaru and Arashi over his shoulder.

"...You two enjoy your date."

And with that, he is gone.

[Bariko]

Rio

Rio barely paid attention to... whatever this was. They had finally arrived at the capital, and he was closer than ever to finding his friend. Masaru was talking, something about splitting up. That wasn't very important at the moment. Rio thought to himself while things were said around him. Snapping out of his introspection he looked at the rest. "Do what you want. I'm heading for Natsume Springs."

As he started walking, he called back "The other Konoha ninja are there, and Kaken is a Konoha ninja. Odds are that's where he is, and I'm not going to run into those guys in a disadvantageous situation again. I'm going to get as many people as possible together, and slaughter them."

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

"We'll ask around in the poor section of town. Radio in if you find anything." Masaru said, watching Mitsuhide's retreating back with his arms crossed over his chest. You couldn't see his face, but by his stiff(er) posture and closed off body language you could tell he wasn't comfortable with what the young noble had said in parting. "Come on, let's go." he growled in Arashi's direction with a little more venom than he meant to. Then he started off towards the ghetto without looking back to see if she followed him.

[Dark_Prophet]

Chiiro

Chiiro watches the events unfold around him after his reaction, a expression of surprise on his face as he starts to walk off with Bariko. He stops, glancing at Arashi, and says something that sounds suspiciously like a apology. After hearing Mitsuhide's response to Masaru's position, though, he has to grin, and walks off with a bit more stride in his step into the city, glancing back at his quiet companion. "All right - so, Rio, you ever been to a hot spring before...?"

[Callos_DeTerran]

With a solid plan to discover information in the capital the five of you split up into your respective groups and begin to set off into the hustle and bustle of the capital in search of information about your quarry. As each 'team' began to disappear into the crowd a queer feeling of regret stabs at each of them as they are swallowed up by the slow moving crowds that travel about on far less threatening tasks then what the shinobi faced...

------

Chiiro & Rio

With the disappearance of the others an odd silence falls between the two, Rio's steadfast determination on his goal offering a rather large barrier to casual conversation as the two ask about the location of the Natsume Hotspring and the Konoha nin who are reputed to reside within. For the better part of an hour the two get conflicting directions and locations but finally it seems that they had arrived at the right place.

The Natsume Hotspring building was a wide two-story building that had a certain layered look to it, like the old pagodas that had fallen out of use in recent times with the end of the Shinobi Wars. Red tiles covered the roof of the second and first floor's roofs with the walls white-washed to an almost sterile color. A high wooden wall, easily ten feet, surrounded the building and the hot springs in the back to provide a measure of privacy to the residents that they otherwise would have been without. Several wooden tables were arrayed outside for people to eat on with the nice weather but for the most part they seem un-occupied by the guests. The sole exception was an older looking woman with fang-like facial markings below her eyes with wild looking dark brown hair that bordered on black. A steaming bowl of miso soup sits in front of her, with another between the pays of the massive one-eyed wolf that lays obediently at her feet much like a dog would. A Konoha hiate is wrapped about her upper left arm and has only a forest green ninja vest atop the standard navy sleeve-less top below and pouches set about her waist.

As the two enter she eyes them with savage looking eyes but otherwise pays them no mind as she fishes a piece of fish from her soup to gulp down. There's no other sign of ninja outside though and the thoroughly unfriendly look in the woman's eyes seems to dissuade Chiiro and Rio from approaching her. Faced with such a hostile attitude the two elect to head inside first to see if they can find anyone else before having to deal with the unfriendly Konoha shinobi outside.

Inside the warm decor continues though the both of you can't help but get the feeling the building isn't quite as sturdy as it looks. A friendly looking young man greets the two at the door in a robin blue uniform and a 'I'm paid the absolute minimum to stand here and greet people' smile on his face.

"Welcome to the Natsume Hotspring sirs! Will you be staying the night and will you need one room or two?" He asks politely.

------------

Mitsuhide

It is hard to distinguish between the various districts of the city, there was no real aesthetic difference between them and most people who weren't travelers seemed to dress well enough in public that it became hard to tell. More importantly few people seemed inclined to talk with him, maybe feeling superior above the young noble since the over-whelming feeling of an actual city showed on his face. Finally though he seemed to have gotten some luck.

The man kept to the shadows and off of the main street, eyes twinkling in the little light that struck him as he gestures for the inquiring Mitsuhide to come over towards where he had secluded himself away.

"You seek the broad hats young master, yes?" Comes the man's wheedling tone, greasy black hair pulled back into a greasy topknot with a rough brown cotton tunic telling of the fact he was likely a servant in some household or worse. "If you do then you must have pretty gold, yes?"

------------------

Arashi & Masaru

The last parting comment from Mitsuhide seemed to do wonders for making the silence between Arashi and Masaru awkward and a little uncomfortable, but it's hard to tell with the usually stoic Masaru. Much like Mitsuhide there is some trouble in determining if any part of town is particularly 'poor' but it doesn't take them too long to find the place. Once they arrive there is, once more, a bewildering array of people to talk to and interrogate but where to begin!

Again, need gather information checks from Masaru and Arashi. Untrained if you have too.

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

OOC: Sorry for the delay in posting here, guys. I've been having so many problems with this damn site I can hardly even get to my subscriptions page sometimes. I usually only get thread updates from what I can read in my email notifications. :smallfurious:

Oh, and I can't give you that Gather Info roll because MW is down for upgrades, taking my character sheets with it. I remember giving you one already through AIM, though. Next time you're on we'll look in the logs for it okay?

Masaru led the way through the crowd, attempting to find the nearest seedy sake bar. He found that people tended to be more loose-lipped once they'd had a bottle of sake or two. He'd never been allowed to drink it when he was a kid, and alcohol wasn't exactly good for him now, but he knew the effects. Blurred vision, decreased motor functions, impaired judgement, vomiting...It made him wonder why anyone would subject themselves to it. He'd shoot for the more thuggish types, those that might have found employment with rogue ninja as lackeys or cheap labor. If they could drop a mention of the multi-hued, armored characters someone might latch onto the subject and tell them more. If they shut up at the first mention of them, that too was a sign. They could then use more...coercive means to get the information they needed.

[Bariko]

Rio

As the pair of them made their way to the hotspring, Rio reflected that he should be more talkative and trying to keep things interesting, but he was too focused. When they finally arrived, Rio took notice of the somewhat intimidating ninja with her wolf, making note of the fact that she was undoubtedly from Konoha. Well, at least we're in the right place.

Electing to peer inside, Rio was hardly surprised to be met by an attendant. Realising that it would look suspicious if they went searching, he forced a smile at the young man. "Uh, no, sorry. We're here looking for a friend. We were told he'd be here, so we can just wait outside for him," he said, not really caring if his voice carried to the woman. Indeed, Rio seemed eerily calm, considering his frayed mental state of the past few days. The truth was that he was completely focused. Now that they'd arrived at their destination, he would get answers as to who they were, and what happened to Michiko. He had to atone for running away. One way or another, the mental anguish he'd been carrying around was coming to an end.

He headed to a table, motioning for Chiiro to sit. "Keep an eye out for Kaken, okay?" he asked, looking at the woman to see if the name garnered any sort of reaction.

[Valgunn]

Fukuda Arashi

The silence to Arashi was not as uncomfortable as Mitsuhide might have intended. Leaning against Masaru in an overly friendly manner as they moved, she kept a fairly passive attitude as she moved along. Her head bobbed to some unheard beat as she walked.

[Dark_Prophet]

Chiiro

Upon Rio's suggestion, Chiiro grumbles and sits down. "Yeah, yeah, I'll keep a eye out for him. Who the hell does he think he is, anyway? For a jounin, he's almost as irresponsible as that sneaky, manipulative flat-chested wildcat. Crying like that...god. I swear, when we get out of this city..." He moves to check the sword at his side, feeling the peacebond on it, grumbling. He glances up at the medical nin. "So, uh...you know why anyone would have any reason to go after Michiko? I mean, she wasn't a noble or anything, right? Just a random kidnapping?"

(Sorry about the huge delay. Still here and kicking! Real life is real life, finally got around to posting here! Who's up?)

[PhoeKun]

'Akechi' Mitsuhide

Mitsuhide's eyes narrow as he listens to the greasy man, immediately distrustful but also not sure if he should pass up a potential lead so quickly. There was, after all, someone's life at stake. He takes a deep breath, closes his eyes for a second, and against his instincts continues the conversation.

"...Get to the point. What do you have, and what do you want?"

[Callos_DeTerran]

Arashi & Masaru

Arashi and the grimly, as always, silent Masaru stick relatively close to one another as they began to drop mention of the multi-hued warriors, looking for signs of recognition from the inebriated occupants of the sake bar. For the most part the two teenagers are ignored, some casting a confused eye on them but not too unusual considering they were the only ones of their age group in the place. Every now and then one of the patrons would egg one or the other on, pretending to know something before letting out a drunken guffaw and turning their attention back to their warmed sake.

It was deceptively easy to miss the sight of one of the servers glancing at the bartender with a worried expression as she moves away from the duo, but Arashi's sharp eyes caught sight of the motion. Maybe they were asking the wrong people about Rio's attackers.

---

Mitsuhide

"Oh no no young master, my mother didn't raise me to be a fool. Show me money first and then I'll tell you what I know." The simpering sycophant seems confident in his bargaining position, a greedy smile on his face as he waits. Just the flash of money is enough to convince him and once Mitsuhide proves he isn't poor he hurriedly speaks up.

"You do very well for yourself, eh? Well you'll had to have if you want to find the broad hats. Many people won't talk to you about them I wager, they don't cause any trouble about the city and donate money to poorhouses." He blabbers, wetting his lips as he stares at the money. "Always around and about they. Yellow-sama is always hanging about the dojos, just watching them practice and offering tips to students when they come out but Purple-sama prefers a different part of town. Favors the poor over the rich and intelligent like yourself young master. I don't know why but Purple-sama always has people crowding about him when he goes out. Must be free with his money, eh?"

Of course then there was the expectant pause. "Are you as free for your helpful servant?"

---

Chiiro & Rio

"Of course sir, just let me know if you need anything and I'll get right on it." The youth promises, though some vague ninja-sense tells the two that he'd be less then swift about doing anything for them. But with them proving that they likely weren't to be paying customers they were dismissed from thought and mind as they went back outside to the tables.

Their return had the shaggy canine's head rising up, a rumbling growl echoing from it's throat before it laid it's head back down on it's paws. The wolf's owner, for her part, keeps her eyes trained on them with the passive alertness of a trained shinobi as she noisily slurps down the rest of her soup. "Hey kid," comes the call as the white bowl is raised in the air, a call for more as the shinobi leans back, "You hurt or somethin? Kuromaru smells blood on the both of you."

[Bariko]

Rio

Rio looked around the general area, keeping an eye out for Kaken, a team member, or any of those... coloured ninja. "No," he replied to Chiiro, "I have no idea why anyone would want to grab her. But, our entire purpose here is to find out." As he stretched, silently cursing the fact that Kaken was nowhere to be found, apparently the woman who'd looked them over had something to say. She obviously wasn't genuinely concerned about their well-being.

Flashing a smile back, he toyed with the end of his sleeve. "Ah, no! Thanks, to both of you," nodding at Kuromaru, "but we're fine," was all he said, volunteering no more information.

[Valgunn]

Arashi

Arashi didn't really care about whoever her friends had supposedly taken, she had joined up and was helping in return for training. Perturbed as she was she was surprised at how little people knew. They were great, weren't they? Shaking her head she managed to notice the worried look on the face of the server.

Smiling a little with an incisor poking out of the right of her mouth she jabbed Masaru in the ribs with two fingers. "Don't you know anything? Always talk to the barman." She just smiled a self-confident smile whatever his response, happy to take credit for the flash of insight that luck was rightly due'd.

[Dark_Prophet]

Chiiro

"Well, hell, I can do that. Why didn't you say so earlier?" Chiiro glanced at the woman with the fang markings and her wolf, and can't help but grin at them, tapping his peacebonded greatsword. "We've been, uh, keeping pretty busy lately. From the looks of it, you and your dog've seen your fair share of that, too." He yawns, then looks back at them curiously, hand still on his peacebonded greatsword from habit. "We're searching for a friend. How about you, are you two enjoying a well deserved break, or here on business?"

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

Masaru looked suspiciously at the bartender, though with his mask on there was really no way for anyone else to tell. Trying to keep tabs on all of the bar staff and the nearest or most threatening patrons, Masaru approached him directly. "I want any information you have on the ninja with the different colored face plates." he said simply, standing with his arms held loosely at his sides on the other side of the bar, watching the man's hands and waist for any telltale signs he might run or try to pull a weapon. Masaru was never really one for social subtlety, so he didn't try to sugarcoat what he needed. He knew that the bartender had overheard him or Arashi at least once anyway. Telling him what they wanted was barely a formality. All that remained was whether the man knew anything, and if he knew would he tell them?

[Valgunn]

Arashi

Leaning against Masaru as he talked she rolled her eyes before speaking herself. "Would it kill you to..." She just sighed as she justified it as 'his way' in her mind. "Never mind, we're looking for two friends of mine, Blue-san and Green-san." She said more cheerfully as she used Masaru as a substitute for a wall as she pressed against his side.

"I'm Arashi and this is Masaru." To any great knower of the human creature Arashi was as easy to read as a book. She said no lie and did honestly just want to find two friends, mostly to show that they weren't involved in whatever it was they had said they were.

[PhoeKun]

'Akechi' Mitsuhide

Reaching for a few coins, Mitsuhide makes a motion to toss them at the greasy man, but stops and seems to think better of it. He moves closer, and places them in the man's hand, instead. All of it, the money and courtesy both, were more than he deserved. But it felt like his civility and nobility were slipping every day. If it kept up, could he look himself in the mirror when he finally returned home? Would Motoko look him in the eye? The extra effort would be worth it...

"And can you tell me where I can find an appropriate dojo?"

[Callos_DeTerran]

Masaru & Arashi

When Masaru first confronts the bartender, several porters near the back of the common room look like they were drunk and indignant enough to pick a fight over it, polishing off their drinks and glowering darkly amongst themselves as they prepared to stand up and teach this stranger a lesson. For his part, the tender held his ground and met the lenses of Masaru's mask without so much as flinching a muscle.

Arashi's sudden interference did wonders to diffuse the situation, the bartender's shoulders sagging as if relief as the drunken men groaned and settled in for the long haul as they ordered another round of drinks. Briefly wetting his lips, the man's watery blue eyes flicker from one to the other before finally giving his answer.

"Sorry, ain't seen any Blue-san or Green-san in these parts. And not sure I would tell you if I did, you lot look like trouble."
---
Mitsuhide

The greasy man beams widely as Mitsuhide lays the money in his hands, though freezes up when the young noble lays his own hand atop it. Shrewd eyes narrow as they peer at the hand's owner before speaking once more. "Try the dojo in Sayo square. That is where I've seen him the most often." But then the manservant was pulling away, melting back into the shadows as quickly as his bare feet could take him and clutching the money to his chest. Within a couple of moments the little rat had gone, likely to gamble the money away...

Take 1 off your Wealth Phoe.
---
Rio & Chiiro

'Kuromaru' almost seems to return the nod to Rio, a surprisingly solemn gesture before settling his great head back down unto his paws. The woman's fierce gaze remain centered on the two as the greeter comes back out, his expression soured some, to refill the white bowl for the imperious looking jounin.

"'Course it's business. I wouldn't be out here without my son if it was a vacation." She growls before savagely setting upon the miso once more, eyes never leaving the two as consumes almost half the bowl before setting it down. "I think you two are ninjas though, where are you from?"

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

Masaru listened to the man's answer carefully, then slowly turned his head to bring the drunken patrons into view, his mask's lenses flashing dangerously. He twisted his neck just a little more and his neck cracked audibly, a staccato popping noise that could be heard clear across the room. Then, just as slowly returning his reflective glare to the bartender, Masaru took a step forward and rested his arms on the bar. "Your eyes do you justice." was all he said as he continued to stare at the man.

He'd done it before. All it usually took was his quiet glare, continuous and unblinking, to unsettle a man enough that he eventually cracked under it. The subtle flexing of his shoulder muscles and the way his hands balled slowly into fists, then relaxed like a big cat clawing at the bartop was enough of a subtle threat to add to the attempt at intimidation without being overt enough to start a brawl. He had no need for violence...yet. He just needed to make sure the man was telling them the truth. Seeing as he couldn't really read people all that well, he'd just have to scare the truth out of him.

Intimidate - Action Point (1d20+3, 1d6=[20, 3], [1]) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2050003/) = 24

[Bariko]

Rio

Rio's eyes widened immediately. The headband! With any luck, she hadn't noticed it, after all, he was sitting on an angle to her. If she'd caught any glimpse of the fact that is was a Konoha headband, odds are that she would've called him on it immediately. Rio brought up his hand to scratch his head and "accidentally" nudged the symbol out of her view.

Smiling, albeit nervous underneath, Rio caught her eye, "Well, you can think what you like of us. But, with all due respect, we're not going to divulge where we are from."

[Valgunn]

Arashi

"You're not very smart. If we look like trouble, you should tell us more. Otherwise, who knows what we might do?" Arashi smiled as she spoke so much of the intimidation factor was lost if that had ever been the point. With Arashi it was just as likely she was just correcting him.

"I'm not any trouble, which means I'd have a hard time stopping him. From causing trouble that is. I'm not sure how quickly I could draw his attention away." Arashi lifted her hands onto the counter and spoke in a very pragmatic way. "You might lose an arm or a leg for all I know, I'd prefer not to have you arm or leg weighing on my moral framework. So how's about you tell 'im what he wants to know." Again due to her friendly smile much of the intimidation that might have occurred was lost. Later she would likely defend herself by saying she was just being friendly.

OOC:
Intimidate!
Aid Action: [roll0]

[PhoeKun]

'Akechi' Mitsuhide

After a moment of silence, Mitsuhide turns and walks away from the area, shaking his head slightly. He'd gotten a lead, so in that sense it was worth it, but... associating with people like that again is something he feels the need to avoid.

As he walks, Mitsuhide tries to recall if he's seen a "Sayo square" anywhere since he's started poking around the city. From the name, it sounded like it would be a central location, but in this crazy and confusing city, who knows what to expect? In the worst case scenario, he'd have to ask a townsperson. Now that he had an address and not what sounded like a head hunting mission, it wouldn't be anywhere near as hard to get a straight answer out of a normal person...

[Callos_DeTerran]

Mitsuhide

Sayo square proved easy enough to find as the heir back-tracked his steps through the capitol city. The square had the air of a place that was trying too hard to be grand or historic but fell short of the mark. A plain wooden pagoda squats dead center of the sixty foot wide square, dulled red tiles haphazardly cast upon the roof top, to offer some small amount of shade to people who wished to rest their weary feet for a brief time. Under foot the stone street had long since begun to be reclaimed by the earth below, a fine layer of dirt over-top the cobble stones that allowed for clouds of dust to stir up when an errant cart would pass through.

Several buildings had their fronts open up to the square, one of which definitely seemed to be the dojo that the genin had been guided towards. A low-slung white-washed wall hedges in a rock garden and the pathway leading up to building itself. As he draws closer he can hear a familiar noise that brings up a bought of homesickness, and that was the practiced noises that fighters made as they practiced and trained with one another. It wasn't the same as the Hiten school in Kagekure, it was far from it, but it was just close enough. The tall paper doors had been left open to allow a stiff breeze in and refresh the students, and it also provided Mitsuhide with an un-obstructed view inside of the main hall.

Three rows of five students face towards the front of the hall, where a tall but otherwise plain instructor watched over their forms, flowing through a series of forms that were...well basic. If Mitsuhide's guess was right, none in there could have matched him combat except for possibly the teacher.

"Third row, third in. You throw yourself off balance when you strike. Shift your right foot back a half-inch." The flat-toned voice came from what could only be 'Yellow', sitting rigidly in the lotus position close to the front of the hall, a spot usually reserved for honored guests of a dojo. Rio's description of them as 'looking like Masaru' was uncannily accurate as Yellow truly did look like a taller grey version of the quiet Masaru except for some minor details. A wide-brimmed and perfectly round hat was perched carefully on the top of his (or was it her?) head and cast a shadow over the bright glowing yellow eye that was set above where a person's right eye would be. An ankle length cloak was draped over Yellow's somewhat lanky frame, allowing for Yellow's gloved and covered arms to cross in front of his chest. On both sides Yellow was flanked by the figure that Masaru had spied in the woods during Kaken's impromptu 'test' of Arashi, muscled and faceless men who had the same demeanor that a respectful servant had of their master...or a bodyguard trying to look un-robust. They lacked the hat and cloak that 'Yellow' wore, seeming to prefer light ninja vests, but the most curious thing was the lack of even the colored lens that the person behind Yellow's mask was likely looking through.

Chiiro & Rio

Chiiro's mouth shuts when Rio speaks up, the words taken right out of his mouth to leave the brash youth nodding in concert with his compatriot in front of the Konoha woman's scrutiny. For her part, the woman's eyes briefly filled with mirth at the reply she got as she leans back on her bench.

"You could have saved yourself from trouble by just saying 'not Konohagakure'. Guess you wouldn't have sounded as cool though. Why hide your headband is the question on my mind though. Are you ashamed of your village?" Comes the pointed question as the woman rises up from her spot and begins to cross the distance between Rio and her, with Kuromaru electing to stay behind and give a very toothy yawn. A couple more steps though and she'd be able to see his headband, even in the position he had twisted it too.

Arashi & Masaru

The silent test of wills between Masaru and the bartender continued for several quiet minutes as the background noise of the tavern dropped away for the two of them. Waitresses seemed more then happy to make their customers wait for whatever they had wanted, if only to avoid the two, while the actual patrons took no serious heed of the conflict. Arashi's words seem to break the conflict, the bartender's eyes flickering over towards her before a soft breath escapes from him.

"I said I don't know any Blue-san or Green-san. And, for that matter, I don't want you two sticking around for long either. You can't drink, you don't get my time. Now get lost!"

[Bariko]

Rio

Rio tensed, with all of the involuntary reactions which accompany it. His eyes and nostrils widened slightly, his muscles tensed and coiled, his jaw clenched. This was not good. He was out of gambles. They almost certainly would be annihilated if it came to combat, so showing her the headband was out of the question. Running would probably provoke pursuit, and combat. The only plausible solution was some form of the truth. Here goes... was the prevailing thought as Rio removed the headband from his head, keeping it hidden.

Rio looked up, meeting the gaze of this Konoha native. Please, please, please let there be a big distraction. Please. Or Kaken even! "It's not that we're ashamed of our village," he forced a smile, "but we're actually under orders to not tell where we're from." He chuckled genuinely before adding, "Not Konohagakure."

[Valgunn]

Arashi

Arashi is not a person to be told anything. She never went to bed when she was told, never brushed her teeth when she was told, and certainly never left when she was told, and these times were when she was being ordered by her own parents. The barman really had no chance. She flicked a hand up into the air dismissively. "I'll be back in two or three minutes, I need to use the toilet." She said to Masaru. She never was one to take the advice of others and bar any physical attempts to stop her she slips into the female restroom.

Arashi had made a choice and while it wasn't one any of the other losers she'd met would like it was logical to her. Kaken had no intention to teach her anything, he wasn't even willing to use the little time they had to teach his other students. By the time three minutes had passed Arashi was clothed in her 'adult' form and the clothes she kept for it, and was now long gone by way of a window. At least now I know the name of a village that is missing some members. She thoughts. Should be easy enough to allow me to replace them.

[PhoeKun]

'Akechi' Mitsuhide

He'd never seen anything quite like this, and the site makes Mitsuhide stop and stare for a long moment. He'd always thought that the martial arts thrived outside of the hidden villages... was this what was meant by that? He shakes his head. This was something to ponder for another time. He sighs quietly, the experience still enough to make him wish he could return home, and walks quietly into the threshold of the dojo, his expression hardening into a mask of artificial blankness as he gets closer.

He turns his head and stares at the person who can only be "Yellow" for a moment as he stands just inside the room with his arms folded across his chest. He didn't really want to make any overt moves to start, although truth be told he is curious if the students of this school can handle a distraction.

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

Masaru didn't move for a moment, tempted to turn this into a brawl in case he wasn't attracting enough attention, but then decided against it. He turned his head first, sweeping his mirrored glare over the assembled patrons and then headed out the door once the rest of his body had followed the swivel. He then started walking toward the next closest bar, intending to repeat his questioning of bartenders and patrons until the word was spread far and wide on who he was looking for. Masaru wanted them to wonder who he was and why he was being so bold in his search for them. He wanted them to become concerned, or at least curious about him, and seek him out.

OOC: Obviously, we don't have to roleplay Masaru visiting different bars all day long. At this point we can rendezvous with the others or anything you want, Callos. I can make intimidate or gather information rolls for the different bars?
EDIT: Well, apparently Arashi is gone. That's upsetting. So, edited.

[Callos_DeTerran]

Masaru

Information proved scarce, when he found it at all, about these mysterious colored nin. Most people simply didn't know them, which made sense in such a big city with as many people in it, but others just proved unwilling to spill what they knew. Some cracked under the pressure when Masaru glowered at them, but the kernels of knowledge they had didn't fit into a bigger picture either.

There was only one who seemed to travel in the poor districts, a tall fellow everyone called Purple-sama. He was cordial and polite but visited a lot of bars where he paid for the drinks of others but didn't partake himself. A few people had gotten rough with him but he hadn't retaliated. And he sometimes had a companion with him. There were the standard variations on those same facts, but in the end they all boiled down to those same facts. As he went from bar to bar though, the feeling of being watched began to steadily nag at the back of his neck. It was the same primal sense that prey got whenever predators where around but if anything, Masaru knew he was not helpless.

---

Mitsuhide

The students did not seem truly disciplined in the way that those with their hearts truly set on strength would be. They talked to each other while their sensei lead them through footwork and basic technique, the constant corrections by Yellow were simple things that should have been practiced out of them. In short, they were more like rich noblemen who wanted a hobby or saw the arts martial as a way to prestige and health, not a way of life.

Even as he stood there to silently observe he could watch as they became nervous and their movements even more clumsy. They kept looking over, including the teacher, and whispering to each other instead of keeping their focus. Soon even the teacher seemed to realize the futility of trying to keep their focus and rose his hand in a signal for a break. The muscled man padded across the tatami mats towards the swordsman, crossing his arms over his chest before speaking in a deep tone of voice. "Can I ask why you are disturbing my class?"

At the other side of the room, Yellow rose to his/her feet with the two gray-colored ninja rising as well, and began to head for the exit as well and sparing nary a glance at Mitsuhide.

[PhoeKun]

'Akechi' Mitsuhide

"I came here to see Yellow-san. What we have to discuss could decide whether a person lives or dies. As undisciplined as your 'students' are, do not tell me this is not more important."

Mitsuhide spoke the words slightly louder than he normally would have. For one thing, he was agitated seeing something that was such an important part of him mocked, intentionally or not. For another thing, he wanted to make sure this "Yellow" could hear him. He wasn't about to fail while he was so close. He glances over at the retreating forms of the 3 masked nin, to make sure they do not get too far away.

"I will be frank. I took care to be as unobtrusive as I could, and still your class was stopped. If my walking in the door is all it takes to distract them, you should have them think very seriously about quitting."

Without waiting for any sort of response, he turns and moves quickly to intercept Yellow.

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

Masaru gave no outward sign that he suspected he was being watched. It was expected, after all. Throw someone's name around enough and it was bound to get back to them or someone who knew them and they just might come to see who had been asking. Masaru couldn't be sure it was those he sought, of course, so he simply let them follow until such time as they wanted to show themselves. If they wanted to spark a confrontation, they were welcome to do so, but Masaru had a strength of will that could only be set by the desire to save a close friend. In other words, bring it on.

In the meantime, Masaru set upon his way to the poorest part of town, hoping to find this Purple-sama. There seemed to be many more colors operating here than they had originally thought. Purple-sama didn't seem like an evil man if he just randomly paid for other people at bars while having the discipline to refrain himself. Someone so cordial, polite, and nonviolent didn't seem to fit the characterization of Green and Blue as menacing kidnappers. Masaru allowed himself to think of new avenues he had not yet considered. Primarily, he wondered if all of these chromatic shinobi were part of the same organization or if some had split from the more respectable ones such as Purple-sama. He'd find out soon enough. Assuming he could find the Violet Master today.

[Callos_DeTerran]

Masaru

The further that Masaru headed into the poorer districts, the fewer and fewer people that were on the streets. Maybe news of his questions preceded him or maybe it was the hint of menace on the air that triggered the survival instincts of the peasants who lived nearby until they fled to the apparent safety of their homes. It would come as no surprise then when Masaru would notice that the streets had completely emptied except for one hastily closed shutter, and a dry wind kicks up a small twister of dust on the street.

He had to give them credit, it was difficult to notice that they were there at first. Obviously they had some skill at hiding, these gray copies of himself. Two were on each side of the street in a shaky square formation, himself in the very middle of it and laid out flat across the roof-tops that they had selected as hiding spots. But one had obviously chosen not to do that. Taller then Masaru, the saggat pulled low over the figures face could not hide the gleam of the bright violet eye set on the right side of his/her face. What could only be Purple stands silently in the middle of the street, gloved hands left loose at his/her sides before a scratchy voice comes from the lean figure.

"Y-y-you sought-t-t me out?"

Mitsuhide

"Hey! Just who do you think you are pretty boy?! We've been getting master instruction from Akoma-sempai and Yellow-san!" One of the students from the first row declares hotly, stepping away from the others to stride angrily across the tatami mats until he stood in front of the genin with arms crossed over his chest. At first it looked as if the teacher, Akoma, was going to intervene but then just gives a despondent sight and allowed the conflict between his student and this stranger.

"Tomi, cease. He holds stronger power then yourself." The deep bass voice comes out so suddenly that a few of the students glance around in surprise at Yellow who had stopped at a sliding paper door that lead out of the training hall and unto the dojo's grounds. Both of the gray masked ninja beside Yellow pause as well, standing at ramrod stiff attention as if expecting an order at any moment.

"Asano Mitsuhide, would you like to discuss your problem over some tea?" The dull monotone sounded harmless enough, but the cloaked figure's imposing height and physique was more then enough to dissuade most people of that notion. "We should allow the students to return to their training regime. The slightest delay can impede their development."

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

The genin stopped where he was, only turning his head a fraction so as to catch sight of the gray copies of himself perching on the rooftops to his right and left. He was outnumbered and flanked, but he had brought himself into this situation after all. They either were not very good at hiding themselves or they had wanted to be seen. Purple, on the other hand, didn't even pretend. That was a good sign, all things considered.

He let his hands spread out to his sides slightly to show that he had no weapons concealed in them. "Good afternoon, Purple-sama. My name is Masaru. I am looking for a girl; Michiko. She was taken by a Green and a Blue ninja. I want her back unharmed. I believe you know where I may find them and her." he said in his mostly monotone way, polite and bland.

Readying an action to use Kawarimi no Jutsu should the gray ninja decide to jump him.

[PhoeKun]

...Asano Mitsuhide

As the student known as Tomi advanced on him, Mitsuhide was more than prepared to make an example out of him. This would be a good lesson for the students of this dojo - fighting is not a game. Before he had even entered a battle stance, though, Yellow speaks up and dissolved the situation. Whoever he or she was, they were difficult to figure out.

And then, he hears it. His breath catches in his throat and his eyes widen in shock. Asano!? No. No way.

"That name... how did you...?"

He stops himself, and takes a very deep breath.

"...You are right. Please lead the way, Yellow-san."

[Callos_DeTerran]

Masaru

"Your conditions are i-i-impossible. Several have already become forfeit." Purple drones out indifferently, as powerfully muscled arms cross in front of her/his chest. Rather abruptly, the cloaked figure turned and began to stride down the street away from Masaru before pausing sixty feet away from him.

"D-d-destroy him. The master has n-n-no need for this one. Bring the body once you are done."

On cue, each of the four grays pull a single kunai from the pouch on their hips and lob them towards the black clad genin. Only at the last minute did the explosive tags wrapped around the handles become visible, but by then the fiery explosion would already be well on it's way to it's conclusion. The fiery inferno would sweep the entire area around Masaru with scalding flames that could char a person to the bone, unless he managed to get away from the consecutive blasts.

I kinda need the perform checks and whatnot Chronic...

Mitsuhide

"My file on you is scarce when compared to others, but it does include a name and picture Asano-san." Yellow replies turning to sweep out one arm to point towards the grounds and the wide patio that ran along the outside of the dojo. Without waiting for a reply, the saggat and cloak clad figure strided out the paper door he/she had been escaping towards and the noise of Yellow's heavy foot steps could be heard for a couple seconds more before they stopped. When, if, Mitsuhide followed he would find the figure kneeling down much like he/she had in the dojo at the corner of the building and facing towards him.

The gray-clad ninja were slower to follow, though the reason was obvious as one carries a low slung mahogany table while the other carries a pretty tea set on a wooden slab. Once the first had set down the table, the other laid the wooden panel out untop of it and poured two glasses of steaming hot tea.

"I believe this tea was meant for the students, as a reward for hard work. But I do not believe the sensei will mind if I use it myself. Please, drink." Yellow says politely, gesturing towards the first cup and picking up his/her own.

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru
AC: 20
HP: 53/53
Chakra: 22/24

"I see. I must warn you that if she has come to any harm, I will kill all those responsible. I understand now that this includes yourself, Purple-san." Masaru said, dropping the more respectful honorific in favor of a more neutral one. He didn't raise his voice, but his tone became decidedly more dangerous than it had been a moment ago, when he had entertained notions of leaving some of the chromatic ninjas alive.

When the kunai flying their fluttering banners all landed at his feet, Masaru had only the time to look down before they exploded, charring him to a cinder where he stood. All that was left of him was a smoking crater a moment later. It was only when the smoke cleared that the remains of a nearby sign advertising two for one specials from a local ramen shop were found where a charred body should have been.

The real Masaru had slipped away in the confusion and disappeared behind the nearest building, hiding himself around a corner for the moment as he took stock of the battlefield and decided if it was to his liking or if he should retreat and find the others for a more effective counterattack.


Kawarimi Perform Check(DC12): [roll0]
Hide: [roll1]
Action Point to Hide: [roll2]

[PhoeKun]

Asano Mitsuhide

The shock of having his name thrust back on him was still very strong, and it kept Mitsuhide quiet as he followed Yellow back, bowed politely, and took a position kneeling opposite the masked nin.

He raises the cup to his lips slowly, and closes his eyes for a moment as he takes a slow sip. Setting the cup back down, he opens his eyes and looks at Yellow.

"If it is an issue, I will reimburse them for the tea."

He hesitates a moment, not really sure how to gauge the situation. In the end, though, he doesn't really have a choice but to push.

"...I apologize for my rudeness, but I have been lead to believe time may be a factor. You may already know what I am going to ask, but there is a girl... I believe her name is Michiko. If you know anything about her, would you please tell it to me?"

[The Unborne]

Kazunoko Niiro

“What's with you Kage-nins and always making a ruckus?”

A baritone voice travels throughout the open street coming from no apparent source. The hiss of a kunai replaces all sounds as it flies through the air and stabs into the hard gravel between two of the gray-clad ninjas. After the impact, a short flame sizzles around the hilt of the weapon revealing that it was an exploding kunai. A loud rupture of flame and pressure explodes from the tiny nin-weapon; however, the source of the attack remains unknown.

During the explosion a soft crackle of electricity appears in front of one of the other grays. The electricity grows steadily and forms the outline of a body; the body itself is low to the earth with one hand supporting the body in a tripod formation while the other is outstretched and pointing towards the last ninja of the quartet. More of the white-blue chakra jumps around the outstretched hand and condenses into a glowing ball of electrical energy.

The outline erupts and sends bolts of electricity screaming through the air, lashing out against the closest gray-clad nin. Simultaneously, the orb of white-blue chakra bursts from its source heading for the last ninja unaffected from everything else. The hand that shot the ninjutsu was tightly bound by medical wrappings with obsidian bracers placed over them, attached to the hand was an entire body armored by nin-gear over bandaged areas of past injuries. Intelligent, emerald green eyes shown from underneath copper-colored hair that crowned the Leaf-nin's head.

Once the explosions and shockwaves settle, the ninja sighs and prepares for the inevitable return fire from his enemies. “Before you hurt yourselves, I suggest you all surrender and live for another day. You won't be getting any stronger from challenging me.” The voice belonged to the one before, but seemed somehow deeper and showed signs of years of aging even though it came from the mouth of a teen not too much younger than Masaru.

OOC:
Hit points: 42/42
Chakra pool: 21/30
Armour class: 20
Ongoing effects: Speed Rank 2 (0/5)

Free
Nidan Kousoku

Move Action
Raidou no Jutsu
Perform (DC18): [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Ref Save: 20

Attack Action
Exploding Kunai
Attack mid-point of the two farthest grays: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]
Ref Save: 18

Heroic Surge Action
Raikousen no Jutsu
Perform (DC15): [roll4]
Ranged Touch Attack: [roll5]
Damage: [roll6]
Fort Save against being stunned 1 round: 17

[Callos_DeTerran]

Mitsuhide

"What do you want with the girl? Would you try to save her?" Comes the equally blunt answer, Yellow replacing the tea cup on the tray in the face of such a bold pursuit of the truth. Both of the gray clad ninja bow to Yellow before stepping off of the wrap-around patio and kneeling on the ground six feet away, heads lowered respectfully as if that would somehow prevent them from hearing the confrontation.

"I must advise you that such a course of action is foolhardy. Perhaps even suicidal for you at your level." The masked and cloaked shinobi continued un-abated with his/her analysis as the hot tea began to cool between the two of them. The noise of training resumed in the dojo as the students finally returned to their practice, but the majority of Mitsuhide's attention was likely focused on the one across from him. "I can safely relate that she is in no true danger, but I doubt that such information will dissuade you from your course.".

And just like that the mood subtly shifted, the grey ninja stiffened in their kneeling posture and Yellow leaned forward over the table towards Mitsuhide. "And I cannot allow you in good conscience to throw your life away, for all life is sacred. So where does that leave us Asano-san?"

---

Masaru & Niiro

The first quartet of explosions stirred up a small cloud of dust, but it disappeared quickly to show the lack of anything within the small crater the grey ninja had formed. Not even the charred remains of a body.

"F-f-fan out. Do not let him escape." Purple says, in that same mono-tone as he/she sweeps an arm out to dismiss the gathered grey-clad shinobi to find the hiding Masaru. That was all interrupted with the sudden, and flashy, arrival of Leaf-nin with the obsidan bracers who had appeared in a flash of electricity that sent the grey it had happened in front of back-flipping away from with surprising grace.

The two across the street, barely reached by the exploding tag, proved equally quick to try and escape the blast radius though the one on the left proved to be too slow and escaped with tendrils of dark smoke raising from his frame. Niiro's attack on the last one proved too quick to dodge, sending a web of lightening crackling across the prone body though it didn't bring him down.

"N-n-no witnesses. Kill b-b-both." Purple states as calmly as if discussing the weather. In response, the two across the street leap down from their roof-tops and reach into their shuriken pouches once more, launching one sharp-tipped blade each as their kin on the last remaining corner of the collapsing square did so as well. More then enough time for Niiro to duck and dodge out of the way of them, but when the one behind him leaped back there wasn't quite enough. One steel shuriken buries itself into his shoulder while the other flies wide, though there was bigger trouble at the moment.

The grey who had started on the same side as the one Niiro had appeared on, leaped across the roof-tops to stop fifteen feet away from the Leaf-nin while the two on the ground dart into the openings on the side to cut off escape for Niiro...but rushing blindly towards Masaru.

[PhoeKun]

Asano Mitsuhide

"I do not know her. But someone who does, and cares about her very much recently helped to save my life, as well as the life of someone... precious to me. For his sake, I would see them reunited."

Mitsuhide sighs deeply. He takes another sip of tea, largely by reflex, and sets the cup back down.

"I do hold any delusions about my own invincibility. On the contrary, I am all-too aware of my weakness in comparison to the world. Nevertheless, I cannot simply walk away. If you and your companions will not return her to where she belongs, then I regret to say that leaves us to battle."

With these words, Mitsuhide dips his head slightly in a bow, and moves to stand up. He doesn't waste any time, readying his original katana in its saya at his side, and almost perfectly rising directly into a battoujutsu stance. He doesn't even wait for the response he knows is coming, lashing out with the blade immediately. His foot follows through onto the table, and he twists his hips further to bring a second swing - this one with the saya - to bear on Yellow. The attack leaves his back twisted to his enemy... he overswung. He would be open.

HP: 31/31
Chakra: 14/22
Defense: 20
Ongoing effects: Speed Rank 2 (0/5)

Taijutsu - Hiten Mitsurugi: Sou Ryu Sen (DC 21) 1d20+15=21 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2088520/)

Attack 1 (Sword): 1d20+12=27 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2088524/)

Damage 1 (Sword): 1d10+6=11 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2088525/)

Attack 2 (Sheathe): 1d20+6=7 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2088527/)

Damage 2 (Sheathe): No damage.

[Dark_Prophet]

Chiiro

Chiiro puts a hand on Rio's shoulder, using him as momentum to stand up to his full not-so-large stature, giving the grizzled woman an irritated look. "That's none of your business, all right? You know how cutthroat all the Villages are, killing and raiding each other. Maybe we're from one of the less fortunate ones, eh? Not that Konoha'd know anything about that, well off as it is."

He mutters angrily, glaring at the woman in what is clear resentment. "So unless you know anything about our friend, mind your own. Its been a long damn week for our team, and a longer one for our village."

(Sorry about the long delay, jetlag took me way longer then I thought it would. Still alive and kicking though. Intimdate, I think? Unless that'd fall more under diplomacy, which I somehow doubt :P)

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru
AC: 22
HP: 53/53 (2 stamina damage)
Chakra: 22/24

As the gray ninja ran by where he had hidden himself, Masaru exploded into view. He was moving so fast that he almost seemed to just appear behind the gray-suited wannabe, his legs tucked up underneath him in mid-jump. He didn't say anything, using the element of surprise to introduce his foot to the side of the ninja's head as he spun around, hoping to send him sprawling into the nearest wall and use the time to similarly surprise the next enemy.

Chakra Control 2 chakra to 2 damage (DC10): [roll0]
Nidan Kousoku Activated

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

Can't add more rolls via edit. Here's the rest of them.
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Callos_DeTerran]

Music (http://www.imeem.com/lilfilipina/music/d8fwjyuZ/biero-defensive-stance/)

Mitsuhide

Mitsuhide's explosive burst into action certainly seemed to catch Yellow and his/her attendants by surprise, the gray ninja jerking their heads up as if someone had yanked them up when Mitsuhide stepped unto the table and brought his plain katana across in a swift cut that creased across the front of Yellow's cloak and cut into the dark gray jumpsuit below.

"You are skilled, as to be expected Asano-san, as my information has lead me to believe. I should have seen a strike of that speed coming." Yellow says slowly, briefly raising a hand to touch the front of the slash mark before signaling the attendants to stand down with a quick flick of the fingers. Unsurprisingly, Yellow did not back away while Mitsuhide presented such an opening, planting one foot on the table as well, but did not strike at the obvious opening.

No, he/she instead brought their knee up into Mitsuhide's ribs in a resounding blow. After striking the genin, Yellow fell back five feet from Mitsuhide and brought his/her right hand up in a position that was startling reminiscent of a crane's head while the other was pulled back to his/her waist with the hand open and palm pointed towards Mitsuhide. While the fingers on Yellow's right hand where straight, good for a knife thrust, the fingers on Yellow's left were curled back so that a blow with that hand would allow contact with his/her full palm.

---

Chiiro & Rio

Chiiro's and Rio's words did little to stop this imposing woman as she finally craned her neck around to get a good look at the concealed headbands. If anything, they seemed to draw her ire when she looked at the Konohagakure headband that Rio wore and glanced over at Chiiro.

"So you aren't from Konohagakure but your wearing the headband for it? Something tells me that you are impersonating Konoha-nin, so don't take a tone like your a big shot kiddo." The woman drawls lazily, retreating back to her table once her curiosity had been sated though hooded eyes remained on the shady Rio and angry Chiiro. "You can't be...what? Thirteen years old? Fifteen, max? I bet you are only genin. If you are even shinobi and not just trying to look like one. Scram runts. You stick around and Kuromaru will teach you not to impersonate the Leaf village instead of just being reported."

The threat came out so idle, but there was the un-mistakable air of menace around them all now as the Konoha kunochi glared at them. Soon the stare down was broken when she leaned down to whisper something to the big animal at her feet before rising and strolling into the hotspring without another word.

Masaru & Niiro

Battle Map: The gray ninjas and Purple are their own colors. (Dary gray and purple) Black is Masaru and bright green is Niiro. The red are roof-tops, dark green is beaten down ground, but not the road.

http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/9662/streetbattle.png

[Dark_Prophet]

Chiiro

Chiiro grasps the peacebound greatsword set onto his back, undo the clasps that tie the sheath to the back, and starts to bring it around, still sheathed. "You should be careful who you take that tone with, you pushy bitch. Our jounin's from Konoha, and he told us to wear these, so he obviously knows what he's doing. Maybe that makes us Konoha-nin by extension, I don't know. But unless you want to see what we're made of firsthand, I think you should take what you said back - I don't need my sword unbound to set the record straight! I can beat you straight with it like this" He hefts it for emphasis, then glances at Rio in surprise as the normally quiet Jounin moves into action beside him. "Huh...?"

[Bariko]

Rio

Rio sat in his place, making no effort to move. As he saw the Konoha jounin head towards the entrance, he tossed his headband on the table, hearing Chiiro's rant. Frantically, he gestured for the more impulsive youth to calm down, before taking a deep breath.

"Hey!" he called out, acting far less afraid than he was. "Fine. We're not from Konoha, but we are travelling with a Konoha jounin, perhaps you know him. We wear these headbands under orders. I've tried to tell you as much truth as I could!" sounding every bit the child trying to appeal to a disappointed adult for just a moment.

[PhoeKun]

Asano Mitsuhide

Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu... battoujutsu. Sou Ryu Sen.

He announced the name of his previous attack as calmly as if he were still seated and drinking tea, completely unwilling to show any signs that he was injured or over-matched.

He raises his sword, tightening the muscles in his body and wrapping the arm still wielding the saya behind his back. He looks about ready to pounce forward for another double-strike.

"Hiten Mitsurgi Ryu..."

The sword drops quickly, dragging across the wooden floor as he unexpectedly takes a step back. His other arm springs forward, bringing the saya crashing onto the floor and fracturing it, sending the pieces flying into Yellow.

"Do Ryu Sen."

HP: 20/31
Chakra: 11/22
Defense: 22
Ongoing Effects: Speed Rank 2 (1/5)

Taijutsu - Hiten Mitsurugi Do Ryu Sen - DC 14. Minroll 16 - auto success

Damage: 2d4=4 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2090308/) DC 16 Reflex for half.