Team Cybele: The Hare and the Snake

[Princess Tracy]

"Well next time, why don't you let me pitch in, I find this sort of thing riveting. Was that some sort of technique you used to find him or blunt force deduction?" From atop her noble steed, Amon holds on pretty well unless Houshi goes all out throwing her off. "So, what did you have in mind, Kaede? Grabbing something to eat? Training? Hiking? Researching that name - I don't know if Yousuke would be too interested in helping me out, even assuming he can read. Oh, that reminded me." She yanks out her wild card, presenting it to Kaede. "If you don't feel like teaching me some cool technique, at least put one in this thing as a favour to me, would you? So where we meeting Cybele at?"

Amon flicks her bandanna at the other jounin. "Sorry about this boy here. I think a combination of battle fatigue and soldier pills have addled his brain some. Don't worry, I'm a medic, I'll fix him up. Houshi, if you were bored you should have just asked to train with me." She produces a crude yet efficient business card with some odd directions and a chibi portrait of a happy Amon scrawled on it, with her 'qualifications' as the header. "We may not be able to teach each other much, but having someone to spot you always at least brightens up MY day of training."

Spoiler

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Houshi gained ONE (1) of Amon's business cards. Houshi now knows where to find Amon's secret hideout if he keeps the card in his possession.

[zeone3000]

Houshi gently takes Amon off his back and just sighs at her antics. He sincerely says, "Please, don't do that again. Unless you can weigh several hundred pounds, you'll never be considered strength training for me. You probably don't even weigh a hundred pounds." Yes, Houshi is mad that she isn't heavy.

He lightly bows to Keade, "Nice to meet you." With that he just heads to exit as instructed, ignoring Amon's card, I wasn't bored and I got my answer."

[ZeroNumerous]

Amon and Houshi

Kaede just sighs at their antics. "What I'm planning to do is simple: Training against genjutsu. First, we're gonna go to the Gate to meet up with your third team member. Then, we'll head down to the surface to start training."

[Princess Tracy]

"Well, sorry I like to keep a more practical figure," Amon comments. "I have a steam engine I was modifying if you'd care to help me haul it from my workshop, let's do that later. Either that or I develop a technique to increase my ability to haul things. Or use a series of counterbalances, if I can just get the right equipment..."

At teh mention of genjutsu training, Amon slows a little. "Training against genjutsu?" Amon asks, sounding fascinated but looking a little distraught. "That means, what, you're going to use genjutsu on us until we resist their effects? The only thing I have going for me is my mind, I don't like it when it's altered... but I guess I'd rather face such trials in a controlled training environment than in teh heat of battle, when the stakes are higher and my mind is already cluttered. I... uh. I can perform genjutsu kai and I grasp genjutsu theory pretty well, but my repertoire isn't as extensive as my ninjutsu. A magen, a saimin and the sleep technique.... I don't suppose I could administer the genjutsu rather than being on the receiving end of it as much if we go the route I think we will, could I?" she suggests with a nervous laugh

To say she didn't like Genjutsu was an understatement. Even without the events of today, genjutsu being used against her is always a scary thought. Still though, she was willing to suck it up and take the genjutsu like an adult if that's what it took to bolster her resistance

"Also, heads up. the giant here can't perform techniques that aren't taijutsu."

[Bad Situation]

Shrugging, Yousuke accedes to Cybele's request. "I did not make any plans today. There is little reason for to refuse." Before leaving he turns and nods at his grandfather. "I will be leaving now grandfather. And would you look at that, I have even found you a girl. Do not think that I do not love you, grandfather."

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

The three genin of Team 5 are reassembled at Soragakure's Gate, and from there they're guided ground-ward by Kaede and the maid Cybele. All three ninja are subject to a wide variety of genjutsu: From simple sleep techniques, to elaborate reconstructions of buildings in Soragakure, to something as simple as changing Kaede or Cybele's face. Several ways were discussed to defeat techniques like this: From cycling your own chakra, to having your chakra disrupted by others, to even hurting others or yourself. Unfortunately these techniques rarely worked against genjutsu originating outside the body, and Kaede's only word of advice for those is to not trust your senses. Regardless, the hours spent training give all three genin a robust resistance to genjutsu.

---

The next day the three of you perform any obligations you had set for the morning(such as watching a track meet), then assemble at Central during noon for your next mission. Cybele and Sonia are there, with the battered and scarred jounin giving your jounin a series of scrolls. Cybele remains ramrod straight throughout the exchange, and only relaxes once Sonia leaves. She waits until everyone's assembled before handing out scrolls.

"These are your mission targets. Two gangsters, Mara Soushio and Mara Kei, have set up a base for their gang in the nearby town of Yosita. Our employer has requested that the gang be convinced to leave town without any deaths, but eradicating them is preferable to the gang staying."

Each genin gets two scrolls. One contains mugshots of two people--a man and a woman--with several prominent scars, crooked noses, and the glare of long-time gang members. Both of them should be easily picked out in a crowd because of their many recognizable features. The second scroll contains the mission details, which Cybele had already summarized. It further details the numbers of the gang: Approximately thirty or so members.

"Any questions?"

[Princess Tracy]

Amon is quite studious with her training under Kaede, learning to use Genjutsu Kai as fast as she blinked. Although she rather disliked being at the receiving end of genjutsu, most of the one's Kaede threw at her were ones she was familiar with enough to know how to resist, at least better than Houshi or Yousuke in all likelihood. By the time training is done, she's quite exhausted and decides to just make her way back home, groaning from having her head messed with for so long. Kaede's last bit of advice to not trust your senses though, she feels puts her concerns right back at square one. She resolves to just collapse in her bed and sleep it off like a bad hangover, but finds the sun isn't exactly gone yet. She spends some time training in the back yard in her undergarments.

Spoiler

Show

Learn check and technique to follow OOC.

She heads out almost as soon as she wakes up, grabbing a few of her packed lunches. She hopes her mission this time is less urgent than the last and she'll be able to make the necessary adjustments before they set off but after they get the information, if need be. She arrives at Central a good ten minutes in advance and accepts her scrolls. She thinks how hard could getting rid of a couple of mobsters be? before realising they come with an entourage of 30 people. Still though, at least with that force, all the cards seemed to be on the table. "So what kind of expertise are we expecting?" she asks as she reads over the scrolls. "Any of them know ninjutsu or anything? How much travel time away is this town?"

Back in the day, these were the sorts of situations where we would screw around, testing out techniques on the ordinaries. However, I like to think I've learned better than to underestimate any situation by now. if we fight such a crowd, we will do it with strategy. OH GOD, I just realised I'm the most socially competent person here. Am i going to have to lead these negotiations?

"Oh damn, Cybele-chan, I just realised, there was a technique I was supposed to teach you yesterday!" she remarks suddenly. "It might help you with Kaede if it works the way I think it will."

[zeone3000]

Houshi nods, excepting the scrolls, "Sounds simple enough but so did the last one. Luckily and thankfully, this doesn't have any outside forces. Just us. Though, as I have learned yesterday, I don't think a bunch of adults are going to listen to kids. Now, if we go in there and show them we are quite capable of 'eradicating' them, we should be able get our point across. "

Houshi, showing that he was more then just brawn rubs the back of neck, "And I just realized that is not a question. Sorry. Though..." Finally having thought of one, he scratches the top of his head, "What's to stop them from coming back if we don't show them we mean business?"

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke pockets the scrolls and readjusts his bag to ensure the security of his equipment. When he is done he asks, "How large of an opposition will we be facing? And will there be time for training on the road?" After the stress that had resulted in their last mission it was important that he knew these particular details in advance. Contrary to his grandfather's warnings he had been experimenting with his kenjutsu in secret and an away mission would be the perfect opportunity to put the finishing touches on a technique of his own devising.

[Princess Tracy]

Amon raises an eyebrow at Houshi's suggested way of doing things. "What, we start knocking them down? If we just make an example of them, what do you think will happen? If a gang of that size is travelling around and more of a threat to others than each other, there must be a certain sense of brotherhood between the members. At least enough for you killing one or two of them to be accepted as a challenge. There's only so many ways to deal with bandits through violence, and the greater the effectiveness of such methods the more bloodshed that results. Let's attempt a peaceful solution while we can, okay? Try find out why they're bothering that town in particular and lure them away? I don't know, we'll need to get there in person to survey the situation properly to proceed, but by the same token, it's a bit early to be jumping immediately to murder and mayhem. We're injas after all, we're supposed to be crafty. Violence may occur, but let's try and make it at least our second resort, okay?"

Amon cringes as Yousuke seems to steal her question. Had he moved on to ignoring her now? With a deep breath, she calms herself with regards to Yousuke. "Time to train, huh? Got something cool you're working on? Need any help? I've got this cool technique I was working on yesterday..."

[zeone3000]

Houshi shrugs, nonchalantly continuing at first, "Good luck with that. If they actually turn out to be more then simple bandits, you're idea might work with a well placed deception like Cybele-sensei here. Otherwise, I'm telling you, they're not going to listen to kids or anyone else for that matter. I don't think they would have called ninja if this could be solved with mere diplomacy." He holds a finger up, "Or the town is full of adults who can't solve their own problems with fancy words."

Housho realizes how mean that may have come off, "Jus... Just sayin'."

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke bristles at Amon's offer and turns away sharply and snorts as if offended by her very approach, "I will not require aid from one who disrespects swordsmanship so."

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Cybele answers questions as they come. "They're gangsters, so expect a variety of skill. The mission log does not mention any ninjas, but anything can happen in the field. The town is an hour away."

She turns to Houshi's to answer his questions next. "Nothing. Who knows what they'll do if you kill them." She distinctly does not say "we", nor does she include herself in their plans at all.

Finally she moves on to Yousuke. "You'll be facing thirty or so gangsters. Potentially more, or potentially less. And there won't be any training time to and from the mission location."

[zeone3000]

Houshi sighs, hanging his head, "Man, knew you were gonna say that. So Amon does have the right idea of finding out the whos and the whys. I just don't think it will matter in the long run but life... She's is mysterious, sometimes cruel but almost always worth living. At least, that's what my dad says."

[Princess Tracy]

Houshi realizes how mean that may have come off, "Jus... Just sayin'."

Amon seems momentarily confused by the apology in Houshi's voice. She's heard worse criticisms of herself. Perhaps Houshi is just a sensitive boy after all.

Houshi sighs, hanging his head, "Man, knew you were gonna say that. So Amon does have the right idea of finding out the whos and the whys. I just don't think it will matter in the long run but life... She's is mysterious, sometimes cruel but almost always worth living. At least, that's what my dad says."

"Your father sounds like a smart man, make sure to keep him around. Blundering in is so very rarely a good idea when we have the time. After all, it is not unheard of for more powerful ninja - missing-nin, often of genin, chuunin, or even jounin rank - to join with less powerful forces like a group of gangsters to better blend in. If we start bopping heads down there and they have some ninja in theri ranks, knowingly or unknowingly, who knows what sort of forces might come out of the woodwork. That is just one marginally likely possibility of course, but the point remains that anything can happen on the battlefield. No matter how strong you are, knowledge and luck are powerful tools that favour the bold, and who is bolder than a mob boss, or less knowledgeable than one who blunders into town and begins decapitating people who he thinks are gang members? Of course, I would expect you to show caution without my warning, but I just thought I'd help you keep it in mind."

Yousuke bristles at Amon's offer and turns away sharply and snorts as if offended by her very approach, "I will not require aid from one who disrespects swordsmanship so."

"I didn't disrespect the fine art of swordsmanship. I wouldn't carry a sword if I thought little of them. I just disrespected you. And..." Amon kneels, throwing down her cane as she bows her head like a servant. Her usual, happy-go-lucky tone is supplanted by a more submissive and demure on, one she has more practice with than her teammates may guess. "I give my deepest apologies. I knew not how deep my insults would run and spoke impulsively. I shall be sure to relegate my insults, if any, to less sensitive topics than your prowess in the future." She doesn't ask him to forgive her directly, seeing that as counter-productive. "I do not wish to have hard feelings between team members, between those on whom I depend and who depend on me, and who I am obligated to know. So know that I bear you no ill intent from this point onwards. And I would say you're one of the best genin swordsman I've met, probably the best outright, and you're what, 2, 3 years younger than me? You'll go far form here, I'm sure."

Cybele answers questions as they come. "They're gangsters, so expect a variety of skill. The mission log does not mention any ninjas, but anything can happen in the field. The town is an hour away."

"I am ready to leave when you are, Cybele-chan." As Amon stands from her bow, she gets a lttle to close to Yousuke and stops, giving a confused look as she proceeds tosniff around, her nose pointed at Yousuke for a second as her dog-like display draws to a close. "Why does Yousuke smell like girl-sweat? It's an improvement," she adds with a whisper.

[Princess Tracy]

"Cybele-chan, it is my intention that you not be made to do all teh work for us from now on. Remain in the back ranks, as it were, in case we need your assistance due to getting in over our head, but we shall endeavour to complete this mission without your assistance. It is the only way we can move forward in the world. By the way, are you versed in some basic first aid? I know medical jutsu are out of the question, but patching us up may do the trick in most cases, you know?" She thinks for a moment, eyeing her 'patient'. "You were suffering from chakra exhaustion, which can take up to 4 days to recover from from my experience. Are you quite alright? Like I said, hopefully it won't matter if we are successful, but I especially wouldn't want to impede my favourite patient's recovery by forcing her into action."

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Cybele looks a bit confused at Amon. "I have no intention of helping you, unless something extremely unlikely happens. This mission shouldn't be any threat to your group at all, and should not require my interference." Cybele answers the young girl's questions, even if Amon's comments came out of left-field with no lead up. "I am fine. I recover extremely quickly, and Sune is an accomplished medic. I would worry more about myself in your situation."

[Princess Tracy]

Amon nods adamantly. "I know, Cybele, that's what I mean. We'll handle this fine, I'm sure." She holds up her missing fingers, as always like a badge of honour. "Girls like us, we learn caution the hard way is all. On one hand I want to prove we can handle this ourselves, but on the other hand I know that sometimes things just go wrong. Forced-amputation-levels of wrong. So I guess as a compromise between those two thoughts, I'll think of you as our beautiful guardian angel who will descend from the heavens to save us in the nick of time if we need it. Though, I don't expect you to wade among us mortals before such desperation, and I won't rely on your vigilance, so don't fret." Lowering her hand, she looks deep into Cybele's eyes. "You seem a little... odd today. Are you okay? You're not already bored of us are you?"

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Cybele reflexively closes her eyes when Amon attempts to look into them. Even with the glasses suppressing Cybele's innately hostile chakra she acts as if to protect the genin from her glare. Her words are to the point and quite terse. "I'm fine. As I said: Worry about yourself."

[Princess Tracy]

Amon pouts, annoyed at her evasion. Back to square one in the communication department, are we? Fine, time to whip out my old gambit. No Kaede here to distract her, I'm going for it. When Cybele looks at Amon again, she's greeted by, in front of Amon's face, a grey-pink tattered bunny plush, smiling innocently despite its dangling eye and various stitches across its body of varying skill to fix it up for the clear years of use. Its scent and chakra impression are that of Amon and... someone else. Aiko. Amon puts on that same silly voice as she manipulated the rabbits limps perfectly with a single hand. "Don't worry, Cybele-chan, for I, Usagi the Brave, have no eyes to see your dojutsu, only your smile." Amon refused to see Usagi ignored a third time. They were still making preparations, not in that much of a rush just yet, she figured she'd try and raise Cybele's spirits one way or another. The other way wouldn't be appropriate in front of the boys - some secrets are more private than a mere fascination with cute things. "On all my fuzzy honour, I vow to make my master happy, so smile, Cybele-chan, smile lest I make better what makes you frown." Ah, the valiant rabbit knight. She'd done this routine with her little sister so many times - perhaps it wouldn't work on a girl of Cybele's age or experience, but it was all that came naturally to her.

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Cybele sniffs at the rabbit. Her flat gaze reflects her utter indifference to the (re)appearance of Amon's beloved childhood toy. Cybele cuts off Amon's plushy crusade before it can truly begin. "Is that intended to have some kind of affect on me?" If Amon continues on with her attmept at being cute she only finds soul-crushing apathy within Cybele. The rabbit only serves to ostracize the genin from her teacher even further. Cybele looks at Amon with narrowed and almost hostile eyes. "If you're done with your comedy routine, then we can continue."

[Princess Tracy]

Amon kind of veers out as Cybele glares at her, pressing on a little more meekly as she eventually lowers the rabbit, staring at the ground. As Cybele sniffs, Amon ponders if the rabbit smells or not. She'd washe dit a dozen times - if there was any smell left, it was permanently engraved in it, and too familiar for her to detect it. "God dammit, that stupid Kaede lied to me," Amon says as she drops the rabbit, and falls into a sitting position facing away from Cybele. She sighs. She clearly wasn't afraid of Cybele, no matter how much she postured as being deadly or how much Amon knew she was. "He said you like things like this, but I guess he just wanted to make me look like a fool in front of you. It certainly seemed to work. Perhaps me matching wits with him inspired him to get the last shot in against my confidence. Now Cybele-chan hates me." He did say she liked cute things, right? Maybe i DID have a stroke.

Amon sits like that, facing away from Cybele, Usagi behind her on the ground, until they leave or someone says something nice to her.

[zeone3000]

"Whoa, I never said anything about decapitation. I meant..." He sighs in frustration, "Ah, never mind, you'll see when we get there."

Houshi watches Amon's comedy routine, as Cybele put it, with bewilderment, "..." He turns to Yousuke, "What just happened?"

[Princess Tracy]

Amon mutters as she overhears Houshi. "Usagi the Brave is the immortal knight of bravery and raised spirits... no young maiden should be able to resist Usagi's cuteness... Are you sure you didn't get your actual age mixed up, Cybele?" She doesn't seem to be the least bit embarrassed to be elaborating on her childhood fixations - well, not the fixations in and of themselves. Just Cybele's rejection of them.

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Cybele just scoffs. "Don't get me involved. It's not my ugly patchwork monstrosity on display."

[Princess Tracy]

Ugly.... At that last line, Amon just plants her face into the earth, her thick skin finally pierced. "B-but... but all the stitches are under the fur... well, most of them... U-usagi is 7 years old and I wasn't so good at fixing things back then so... j-just because something is damaged doesn't mean it's u-ugly..." Her fake fingers seem to twitch as if in pain at that last statement. "U-u-usagi isn't ugly, she's j-just u-unique..." she says, which sounds like a regularly repeated truism.

She shuffles to veer around, outstretching a hand to grab Usagi before she embarrasses herself further, but feeling the heartless gaze of Cybele, she freezes. Turning away from the doll in disgust, Amon finally stands, turns to Cybele with her eyes almost-closed in frustration and gathers up the scrolls. "C-cybele, you're such a jerk!" With that she runs off, making for the destination town whether the others follow or not, hoping to at least not have to look at Cybele. Usagi the Brave is left in the middle of the street, it's little, untouched mouth still beaming brightly up at the world, innocent of whatever humiliation was just inflicted by Cybele's careless words.

If the rabbit is investigated...

Spoiler

Show

There is a piece of supposedly nonsense text written on a tag in blue ink, wrapped around its still bushy tail. If someone knows the cipher to the scroll Cybele gave them on their first mission, 'Nanako', then the text reads as...

"To Cybele. May Usagi the Brave watch your back when I can't. Don't worry, she's my number one confidante. Uchiha said you liked cute things, and this is the cutest thing I owned. No matter how much I try, I can't seem to fix it's eye or foot without replacing them entirely, but I'm not that callous. I hope you don't mind - I'll make you a new plushie as well if it's fragile state is too much responsibility for you.
-Your no.1 fan"

Folowed by a doodle of a thumbs-up pointing Amon.

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Cybele ignores the rabbit. If Amon wanted it, then she wouldn't have abandoned it where it lay. The stone-hearted jounin follows Amon slowly. Not because she took Amon's feelings into account or anything, but she simply didn't want to get too far from Houshi and Yousuke. The jounin stalks forward whether Yousuke or Houshi follow her or not. She'd warned the entire group that she wasn't their friend or ally, and the venomous bite she'd just delivered to Amon proved her words beyond reasonable doubt. If Yousuke or Houshi take too long, then she stops and turns around.

"Come on. We need to go."

[Bad Situation]

"Do not patronize me Yamana-san. I have already had enough of your condescension to last a lifetime and your apology now means little to me. And whether you did not mean to insult me so matters not. The time for apologies is past and I will pay no heed to any attempts to win my approval." Frowning, Yousuke adds, "If you are worried about team cohesion, pay it no mind. I at least, am willing to put aside my intolerance of you for the sake of the mission. If you truly wish to put it behind us, speak of it no longer."

---

Yousuke looks impassively at the fallen doll and shrugs his shoulders, not particularly interested in dealing with any of Amon's antics, and follows after Cybele silently. It was clear to him that their 'sensei' had little interest in teaching them or even being near them, but this he did not particularly mind. Given her apprehension and apathy toward her own students, Yousuke could honestly say he had little interest in learning anything from the cold and unnerving woman.

[zeone3000]

Houshi follows the others but does stop at Amon's back for a moment. He kneels down, reaching for Usagi, "You didn't do anything wrong except care. You're just a little battle scarred. It's not you're fault your different. Everyone is born to different circumstances. You need to find that common ground and stop trying to wedge your way in like a crowbar." It was hard to tell who he was talking to honestly, "Come on, this battle may have been a lost but the war isn't over." He picks Usagi and puts it on Amon's shoulder. He does best he can of imitating Amon's earlier voice, "Neh Amon-Chan?" He smiles wide and closed eyed at his own antics.

[Princess Tracy]

Amon stops in her tracks as Houshi performs his kind gesture. He was wiser than he'd given him credit for. She's a bit too distraught to process some of it, but the last flair of handing her Usagi and doing an impression earns him a slight smile, her her still drooping a little as she takes Usagi and packs her away. Wiping away the hint of tears, she suddenly wraps her arms around Houshi in a hug. "Thanks, Houshi. You're a pretty cool guy, you know that?" She walks a little closer to Houshi from that point on. She blows a raspberry at Cybele. "Usagi says she doesn't want a to play with someone who's a meanie face like Cybele, so Cybele-chan doesn't get to have fluffy relief until she starts showing some manners."

She decides to not let Cybele's exaggerated insults get to her from now on. Houshi's words gave her enough confidence to view Cybele's actions as childish, so she decides to respond in turn - after all, Cybele's younger than her, she can't be letting her judge of things sway her so much. "I'll try more subtle tact in the future then," she tells Houshi. "And you make a good Usagi-chan, I think."