Team Cybele: The Hare and the Snake

[Princess Tracy]

Amon looks over her shoulder to see the girl die, her facade of apathy cracking for a moment, her eyes widening at the sudden death, but she says nothing, just starts walking, not waiting for her team mates. Couldn't do anything but kill. She died smiling. She died smiling. Smiling... She keeps quiet for quite some time, her face blank unless spoken to. If she's left for an hour without being spoken to, she speaks up suddenly, her voice cracking. "D-death comes so easy, d-doesn't it?" she asks Kaede. "I remembered something that... she said to me. When I lost my fingers, sh-she said I was like her, I enjoyed fighting, the death, the rush, the feeling of being alive... She was..." She falls silent again, removing her bandanna to let her fringe fall in place, covering her eyes as she continues walking.

Even now, I can't do anything for him, not even inherit his will. he wouldn't stand there while...

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Kaede doesn't say anything in response to Amon. He acknowledges that she's spoken, and looks at her when she speaks, but doesn't say anything. At least, he doesn't for a solid minute. When he does decide to express himself he turns to Amon and speaks calmly. "Enjoying a good fight is all well and good, but one should never become accustomed to killing. We couldn't have taken her with us. If we did, then she'd betray us at the first chance she had gotten. We couldn't have let her go, because then she'd go right back to torturing those villagers. She had to die. Both for our safety and theirs."

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke wordlessly nods and easily accepts Kaede's analysis. The girl was a risk to the team alive, nothing more could really be said about that. It was rather unfortunate that they had crossed paths but meeting your death at the hands of another ninja was just an occupational hazard. "Then it is in our best interests to make use of the information she died to give us." No one ever said being a ninja was easy; death was always looming over your shoulder no matter how good you got at it. Youki liked to impart life lessons when he had the chance, short anecdotes and quips about the shinobi lifestyle, and like most of the old man's lessons it had paid off in spades. He had the emotional maturity and mindset to deal with the tougher aspects of shinobi life, something he knew his civilian teammates likely had more trouble grasping.

Sometimes he got the feeling that Youki was attempting to atone for the mistakes he had made rearing his daughter. It was a sad thought that he liked to avoid.

[Princess Tracy]

Amon keeps silent for a while longer, clutching her headband, seeming to hold it away from herself, her unseen eyes to the ground and lips pursed. "The Red Eyes..." she comments suddenly, cutting herself off from saying any more, instead just clutching what remained of her left hand, trying to just be thankful but feeling nothing but shame. She has no intention of speaking for the rest of the trip, though wishes there was something to break her from her thoughts

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Kaede continues walking. He had said his piece on the girl's death, and his direct involvement in her demise weighed on his mind just as much as the information she revealed. Unless someone else speaks to him directly then Kaede remains quiet on the journey over.

---

The quartet continue on toward the north, and after an hour they find a huge group of tracks going down the same path as they are. The many sets of footprints--some with shoes, some without, many with drops of blood in them--are heading straight north as if they were being marched to Sonada. It seems Misa's information had been accurate concerning the lives of the villagers. About an hour into following those tracks the team come across a series of bodies. The corpses--three women and four small children--lay discarded on the side of the road. All seven corpses seem to be extremely badly cut up. Amon and Yousuke both recognize the injuries as being part of a wind technique of some sort.

Kaede looks further north, and points out another two bodies. As the group travels further and further north they find more and more bodies in series of twos and threes. These corpses lack the brutality of the first set, and all of them seem to have had their throats slit. Kaede remarks on this as the group follows their enemy's tracks. "It looks like whoever kidnapped them is forcing them to march until they pass out, and then kills them while they're unconscious. The first seven we found were likely use as an example."

---

Eventually, after two more hours of walking, the tracks break off into the wilderness. The path continues onward to Sonada, but the tracks head toward the mountains in the distance. Kaede calls a stop to the group. "Well, they've finally broken from the road. If we follow the road, then we'll make it to Sonada and can find out more about our mission. If we follow the tracks, then we'll be going in completely blind. So, what'll it be? Do we follow the captives and potentially stumble into the entire Garou camp, or do we head to Sonada and potentially waste hours of our time?"

[Princess Tracy]

Having the gruesome detail of corpse analysis, Amon determines they were killed recently. When asked, Amon pushes her fringe back, at last retying her bandanna. Having gone a while without seeing any corpses, she at least seemed a little better, but was still blank, still trying to remain calm at the cost of everything ele. It seemed to work for Alice after all, right? "They're in a rush and not expecting ninja (or expecting poor ones who would either fail to follow them or fall prey to an incredibly feeble ambush) otherwise they would not move so quickly with so many people at once, leaving such obvious tracks. They may have a finite duration for their operations - a ritual's requisite perhaps, thought that much is conjecture. Those corpses were fresh though - if we hurry, we might be able to save the rest and make some good come of this day. I am curious to know why were hired under the false pretences of 'rescuing a traitor' but we can bother our employer after we can at least break even with the death toll."

Whatever the group decides on, after they start walking, Amon forms a little blue chakra scalpel, watching her own basic medical technique forlornly as she addresses Kaede. "Do you know medical jutsu, Kaede?" she asks as an awkward introduction

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Kaede just watches Amon go about her business casually. When she talks about her assessment, Kaede offers his own insight. "You're forgetting certain things. For example, if they needed these people then why send only two ninja to apprehend them?"

Kaede points to the condition of the bodies as well. "Further the bodies are scattered around. Pretty easy trail to follow. Sure, it could be them rushing. Or it could be intentional bait for this "red eye" to follow. It seems like whoever we're following is killing them for no real reason. After all, there's no reason to stop and murder the ones who've passed out if you're in a hurry, right?"

When asked about medical techniques then Kaede just nods. "The basics. Enough to take care of injuries, poison, diseases, etc. I had to take care of a little girl after all."

[zeone3000]

The air was thick with regret and sadness, "If you don't let it you, you'll rot from the inside out. That's what shishou always said." If it was aim at Kaeda or Amon was hard to tell.

---

Seeing the dead bodies and the resulting explanation left a bitter taste in Houshi's mouth, "These bastards are crazy! What posses one to do such things just to gain power?" He sighs, "We have to come back after this is over." He knew was time was of the essence, it always was with these missions.

---

Houshi points towards, "I don't care if it is a trap! We need to rescue the villagers! It seems pretty obvious there's no peaceful resolution to this if they're sacrificing them." He takes quick breath, "Or we split up..." He sighs, knowing full well how reckless he was being, "Aarrgh, damn it! I know we shouldn't go in blind but the innocent shouldn't die for their selfish and vile goals. I know we don't even know what the objective looks like but if we save them all, we can sort it out later."

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

At the mention of splitting up Kaede shakes his head. "No, it's too risky to split up. I can't cover both groups, so if the second group gets ambushed then both of them might die."

[zeone3000]

Houshi crosses his arms over his chest, "I know. I know. Anyway, my vote stands."

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke nods at both both reports before speaking up, "I do not believe they were in any sort of rush. Outside of an intimidation factor they had little reason to expend the chakra required for the wind jutsu they used to lacerate the corpses we saw earlier. A procedure such as that would only serve to waste both time and chakra. I need not to mention the pointlessness of intimidating civilian prisoners in the first place. If it was intended to be a message I can only think that the intended recipient was this 'red eyes' who we can presume to have some sort of shinobi training." A wasteful expenditure of chakra was easily remedied if a base of operations was nearby or if allies were around to cover for the deficiency. These ninjas clearly had a plan and in all likelihood, a place they were capable of fortifying against attack. His judgement however, was not entirely sound, given his lack of experience. Turning the situation back to his teammates he addresses his own assessments and personal concerns.

"However, if the wounds inflicted on these corpses are indeed fresh, the Garou clan may not be ready to repel us as they begin to prepare for 'red eyes'. I am of course, wary of entering their encampment with no plan of attack. We already have reason to believe that this 'Tsume' may not have been kidnapped as was advertised. That answers lying in the village could be beneficial if they are, in fact, there to begin with."

He says this all with unflinching professionalism, with a practiced monotone that occasionally peaks with emotion that has yet to be trained out of his expression.

[Princess Tracy]

"We can't save them all. We can only break even. Forget 'goals'. People wander this earth causing naught but blind destruction. Struggling is our only salvation, so let us struggle, Houshi." She looks out in the direction of the supposed base, all the while scarily even in voice. Kaede's criticism highlighted just how much of a block she was having, but there seemed little she could do. She'd already suggested the possibility of a trap, but it not being for them... she wanted to try and ignore this 'red eye' as best she could. "They're expectng the red eye, not us. An ambush is made on certain assumptions. If we can estimate their base from here, let us take the long way around their trails to avoid such traps. Perhaps we'll avoid their entire struggle and swoop in without incident; indeed, if their attention is dedicated to ambushing this man, we might turn that attention against them."

At Yousuke's suggestion of the town, she leers down at it. "TWe have not the time to sift through what lies are in that town, and we cannot 'rescue' some turncoat, so our mission is defunct. We may still rescue innocents; that is our only purpose here as I see it now. We can investigate the less important matter of this farce of a mission later, when the immediate situation is remedied. You said it yourself, 'use the information she died to give us' - the information that showed us this farce and this new need for our presence"

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Kaede looks to Houshi, Amon, Yousuke, then back again. "You're going after them then? Well, who am I to stop you. Just be on the look out for traps." Kaede follows the group quietly, but remains on the watch for traps and events that might abuse the group.

---

The trip deeper into the forest isn't an easy one. There's a footpath that winds between trees, but Kaede warns off using it. Any path would naturally be trapped in order to prevent the enemy from getting in that way, so it was safer to trek through the forest directly. Kaede suggests using the trees, but rescinds that when reminded that Houshi cannot use tree climbing. That forces the group to trek through on the forest floor, and that means dealing with thick undergrowth, pitfalls, and other natural dangers which slows the genin's advance. They find a few scattered corpses, all either women or children, and they're in the same conditions as the ones from before.

Eventually the quartet arrive at the edge of a small clearing, and discover a pile of three dead women with no easy to follow trail leading away from them. Up until this point all the dead women had children--likely their own--matched with their bodies. But these three were clearly old enough to have children, and had wedding bands, but their corpses are all alone.

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke's eyes pass over their would-be ambushers and mentally catalogs their choice in weaponry before whispering to the group, "They are in the trees. I would imagine they know that we are coming." Yousuke's arms remain neutral and at his sides the entire time, knowing full well that he could draw his sword faster than the others could react. Otherwise, he makes no overt movements that would suggest his acknowledgement of their presence.

"They're all children..." he realizes. Was the Garou clan really so shorthanded that their number was almost exclusively children? He could not say much, given his age, but somehow he had expected at least a few older ninja mixed in their rank. "Only time will tell I suppose."

[zeone3000]

Houshi nods at Yousuke's statement, whispering back, "Yep, I see them."

The fact that they were children was a bit unsettling but they were too. Though, the question became why? Once again, the mission was becoming more then met the eye.

Still in a hush tone, "Do we take the initiate or wait until they attack? Because they will."

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

The children attack almost as if Houshi had seen the future. The two bow-wielding boys fire two arrows--one at Amon and another at Kaede--that miss terribly. The first buries itself in the ground at Amon's feet, and the second buries itself in the tree at Kaede's side. The spear users step into plain view, and await further movements. The ninjutsu users attempt to remain hidden, and prepare to do something.

The group can see that all four boys are wearing something similar to Misa. Fur-lined jackets, boots, gloves, and masks. The spear-wielding boys are wearing masks resembling monkeys, the bow wielding bows are wearing masks resembling hawks, and the girls are wearing the same boar masks as Misa had.

"I was hoping we could talk to them, but..." He looks at the arrow in the tree, then back to the genin. "Suppose they're not interested in tea then. It'd be a shame to kill them, but they are ninjas." He blinks, and his pale green eyes go red as his Sharingan comes into existence.

Spoiler

Show

Legend:
Dark Blue - Amon
Dark Red - Houshi
Light Blue - Kaede
Dark Gray - Yousuke
Yellow - Corpses. They count as difficult terrain if you attempt to move through them.
"N" Pink - Ninjutsu users. 110ft above ground.
"S" Pink - Spear users. On the ground.
"B" Pink - Bow users. 110ft above ground.

Initiative - (1d20+3)[5]

Bow 1 attacks Amon with Bow Art: Aimed Shot. She needs a DC 12 Spot check or she's flat-footed vs this attack.
Spot Roll: 18+10=28
Attack Roll: (1d20+11)[13] vs AC of 17(15 if Amon fails above Spot check)
Damage Roll: (1d10+3)[11] + (3d6)[5]

Bow 2 attacks Kaede with Bow Art: Aimed Shot. Kaede takes 10 on spot/listen, beating their hide/MS checks.
Spot Roll: 19+10=29
Attack Roll: (1d20+11)[16] vs AC of 27.
Damage Roll: (1d10+3)[8] + (3d6)[11]

The spear users make no movements.

The ninjutsu users ready an action to do something.

Kaede, Yousuke, and Houshi can act in the surprise round. Like all surprise rounds you only get 1 standard action to use.

Kaede spends his action activating his Sharingan.

[Bad Situation]

The second the ninjas make their presence known to them, Yousuke bursts into action. Quickly assessing the situation, Yousuke sprints toward and then up the trees containing the two kunoichi. "I should leave the spearmen to Houshi..."

Spoiler

Show

Hit Points: 34/34
Chakra Pool: 17/26
Chakra Reserve: 12/12
Armour Class: 26
Ongoing Effects: Tiger Grasps Sword Stance, Spd Rank 2 (2/5)

Surprise Round
Free Action~!
Unleash Speed Rank 2

Move Action~!
Move 45' to end in (7,8)

Initiative Round
Move Action~!
Move 20t forward to (7,4) and begin Kinobori to climb 25' up the tree.

Move Action~~
Move an additional 45' up the tree to end the turn 70' up the tree.

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Yousuke's dash brings him within range of the girl's ninjutsu, and they react immediately. The first girl takes a deep breath, then breathes out a dragon of blueish smoke. The snake-like dragon darts toward Yousuke, curls around his body, then forces itself into his nose and mouth. The dragon nestles within his lungs for a moment, then its claws and teeth rip at Yousuke's innards.

Immediately after the dragon flies out the second girl finishes her hand-signs, takes a deep breath, then spits a large ball of fire at Yousuke.

Spoiler

Show

Entering within 50ft triggers N2's readied action. She uses a wind technique(DC 20 Ninjutsu check to identify it as Soaring Dragon).

Yousuke needs a Fortitude Save against DC 20. On success: He takes (3d6)[16] Wind damage. On failure: He takes (1d3)[2] Constitution damage.

Getting within 40ft triggers N1's readied action. She uses a fire technique(DC 17 Ninjutsu check to identify it as Elemental Beatdown: Rank 3). Yousuke needs a DC 19 Reflex Save. On a failure: He'll take (6d6)[20] fire damage.

[Princess Tracy]

"Yousuke, stop, don't engage them, we're outside of their maximum-!" Amon tries to warn before Yousuke hurtles out of earshot, only to be immediately flung to the ground from the tree for his idiotic gambit. Amon's eyes widen. "Y-you..." Everything flows through her, every thought of failure, but she does her best to pay it no heed, to TRY SOMETHING. Not again, no.... Her face still blank, it becomes streaked with tears as she makes to run to Yousuke's side...

Spoiler

Show

HAVE to leave house now, will specify movement and action in 2 hours when I get a computer

[Princess Tracy]

"Yousuke," Amon repeats blankly as she sprints across the clearing, her voice eerie, her mind blank; all was the pounding of her heart, the silence of death. Let him be alive, her only thought, echoed through her mind. She knew the techniques - if maybe she could just... She felt every step she tookher every breath, time seeming to dilate as she hurtled to the unconscious boy's side. "Yousuke. Please." Paying no heed to her aggressors, hoping only they not attack Yousuke again, even at the cost of her own body, she tries her best to heal him

Spoiler

Show

Amon delays until just after Yousuke's turn

Full round action
Run to nearest adjacent space to Yousuke

Use Heroic Surge for additional attack action as a quickened action

Quickened Action
Use 5 chakra to perform Medical Technique: Treatment - Fatigue on Yousuke, curing him of (1d4)[4] con damage

[zeone3000]

Houshi was just a few steps behind Yousuke, "Got your back!" As he ascends the tree, he assaults the spear user with his blade, "You asked for this!"

Spoiler

Show

Hit Points: 38/38
Chakra Pool: 30/30
Chakra Reserve: 8/8
Armour Class: 18
Ongoing Effects:

Surprise Round
Move 35' to 7,9 (right behind Yousuke)

Normal Round
Move 15' to 6,6
Attack S1

Attack Roll: (1d20+9)[26]
Damage: (3d8+12)[23]

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Houshi's blow severely injures the spear-wielder, but he's still up and at him. Amon's able to heal Yousuke's injuries without interrupting.

But the three genin have grouped up almost perfectly to get a humongous fireball hurled down onto their heads. And when the enemy starts to maneuver the genin... explode into smoke. They puff and vanish like any old clone, and Kaede's left standing on his own. "Don't move", the jounin shouts, "or no one will ever find your bodies." The jounin had just finished the hand seals on his own technique, and to the enemy the genin had been clone diversions. "You're trapped in my genjutsu now, and this fight was over after you got caught. I can do anything I want to you."

The masked ninja all look at one another, then back to Kaede. Both of the bow-wielding boys draw and notch arrows, then fire at him. Sure enough, both arrows phase right through Kaede's chest as if he weren't there. "See? But hold on before you try running away. I don't want to kill you. Just take me to your leader, and I'll try to resolve this with words."

Kaede's Secret Message

Spoiler

Show

He takes 10 on a Bluff check to transmit it, getting a total of 31.

"Don't move or they'll find you. After my genjutsu ends you can do anything you need to. Hold on, and I'll try to kill their leader."

The enemy yell at one another in Lightning dialect for awhile.

Lightning Speakers

Spoiler

Show

"The Princess wants a red eye. He has red eyes."

"Don't be stupid Shirou. His red eyes aren't the same. The Princess needs pure red eyes, with nothing inside it."

"Still, we're in this genjutsu right? How do we know he'll let us go?"

"What choice do we have?"

"I bet there isn't a genjutsu. I bet it's all a bluff."

"You saw Mina. Daichi couldn't hit him with an arrow and he didn't try to dodge. He's not real. This is clearly a genjutsu."

Finally, one of the bow-wielding boys responds in standard Japanese. "Alright. Come with us." The enemy leap down and casually walk right past all three genin. Kaede deactivates his Sharingan, then waits for them to approach. When they're close enough, one of the spear-using boys jabs the pointed end of his weapon toward Kaede. "Hands up. We'll only take you there if we can tie you up first." Kaede frowns, and almost opens his mouth to refuse, but quickly relents after remembering why he was going through with this.

The children tie his hands together with Kousen, then escort Kaede off to the north-west.

Spoiler

Show

You get 153 XP for surviving the encounter.

It takes 3 rounds before they leave, so Yousuke needs 3 stabilization checks.

[Princess Tracy]

Amon tries to hold her breath when ordered to be still, tensing, hoping to remain ignored. As teh seconds tick away, she's forced to watch Yousuke bleed out, unable to help him, unable to do anything for fear of endangering him again. Even when the two who did that to him walk by, she is lef with no recourse, even when they bind Kaede and drag him off. Don't... don't bleed anymore. Stop. STOP! As soon as they are out of earshot, not even making sure it's the case, she takes a deep breath, tending to his mouths, applying enough first aid to at least get him stable. Still panting, she finds herself crying as she produces some smelling salts from her kit, waking the impulsive Yousuke up. "Wake up. Now. Wake up." her voice is flat yet somehow desperate, needing to see he was alright, whatever her medical knowledge told her

Spoiler

Show

Yousuke is now stable and awake

[Princess Tracy]

At the slightest flickering of his eyes, Amon wipes her tears a bit. Come on... You better pull through. I tried my hardest there... She clears her throat. "My, Yousu-chan's hair sure is girly." The life seemed to have returned to her voice, but she was still quite shaky. Why do I want him to talk so bad? It would be better to let him rest, right? I don't know, I guess he.... I want to know, somehow, to feel he's alove, despite everything... Who'd have thought I'd get so emotional over this brat? She forces a laugh, obviously pained as she tussles Yousuke's hair, then becoming quite annoyed at his insolence - remembering his impulsiveness, and pinches his scalp a little painfully.

If Yousuke opens his eyes, he finds Amon staring back at him, his body propped up against and sitting at the tree from which he fell; Amon's smile is a glad, relieved one, her eyes seeming to have let go of something. "Kaoru, Omki, I did it..." she muters to herself. "Well, maybe not, but he pulled through at least, Sensei..." Her smile fades, but her relieved tone does not. "Don't do that again, Konpaku."

[Bad Situation]

In short ragged breaths, Yousuke stares blankly into the sky. After composing himself he looks back at Amon and pants out, "What are you still doing here then? Go after Kaede."

[zeone3000]

Houshi sighs at Yousuke with a stern head shaking, "Because the jounin can't handle himself... All your opinions are invalidated until you can walk." He scoops Yousuke up and looks over to Amon, "Tail Kaeda because we both know I can't, leave me a trail or something and I'll catch up. Either that or I'mma bustin' some head when I get there."

[Princess Tracy]

"Yousuke..." Amon mutters at his order, sniffing as her eyes dry a little, still bloodshot. She stands, looking to where Kaede had run off. She takes a tentative step forward, then stops, only continuing at all as Houshi seems to agree. "I don't know... they wiped us out and I'm not as good at stealth as Yousuke, but... I guess there's nothing else for it, huh?" She tries her best to force a smile, but her knees are weak, already having considered all the horrible ways she could fail and die. "Okay, how best to approach this thing... 6 of them, each about our level of strength..." she goes on for some time, but spares Yousuke the adversity of having to listen to her prattling by quietin to a whisper at some point.

From her rambling, it was clear she is trying her best and was back at full capacity. "Houshi, um, let's see, what do we know of this red eyes bearer... riches, honour, innocents...? Hm. Well, we know this." Forming the handseals, Amon uses the transformation technique, to take the form of her 'discharged' former team mate. A boy, with shaggy yet well kept black hair, a grey, long silk jacket, a silk belt holding an ornate sword (even in the fight with the Ronin, she'd never seen him draw it, so one suspects it's just a handle and sheath or he simply didn't know how to use it), and baggy red trousers ticked into his boots. Of course, all one really notices are the featureless, red eyes, seeming to glow, that Amon now sports in this form. "Now listen," she says, indicating towards her eyes. "This is what the Red Eyes look like. At least in my experience. I wish I could say an enemy of an enemy is my friend, but I can't afford to be naive in such a state. He'll likely view all ninja in this woods as a potential enemy or even attack us on sight."

Amon clutches the bag holding Shanghai close as she makes to tail them, maintaining her disguise as she goes. "Houshi, it may be wise to get off this trail, get Yousuke somewhere safe like that nearby town. I can take care of myself when I need to, but if you must keep an eye on me then... remain her for 10 minutes. If I do not return in that time... then I suggest you leave with Yousuke, given how defenceless he is, otherwise I would recommend following my trail. Perhaps you ought to give Taro a call - with all the **** he's kicked up with my help, I'm overdue for him 'scratching my back' to the ends of which backup would qualify, but I digress. Hopefully I'll be back soon. Follow the ink."

Amon cautiously sticks to the trees as she follows them, waiting to see if Kaede or circumstane would give her an opportunity. A minute passing would be as good a time as any to deem the waters as tested before trying something more risky, or indeed getting into a rut.

Spoiler

Show

Henge (1 chakra - 10 minutes). Disguise check to appear as Kaoru/generic red eyes user. Take 10 on the disguise check for 17

Amon tails them, remaining 90 feet away at all times; for the first minute, she moves at their pace, observing them, and Kaede for any change of circumstance or some hint.

Hide (1d20+8)[24]
Move Silently: Take 10 for 12 - spent an action point, bringing result to 14

She has a wet calligraphy brush and a high pressure smoke bomb in hand.
Every 100 feet, she leaves a little black dot on the ground of the enemy's trail

[ZeroNumerous]

Amon

Amon can just barely make out the crowd she's following from ninety feet away. Her extremely poor eye-sight only lets her see three of them at any given time, and they seem to be staying close to Kaede. She doesn't see either of the bow-wielding boys, nor does she see one of the girls. Even so, the girl and the two spear-users stay close to Kaede. Even if he could get his hands free any attempt to make a technique would likely get him stabbed very quickly. Unless Amon attacks or attempts to draw their attention then they walk toward their camp quickly and quietly.

When Amon makes her move, whatever it is, Kaede just raises his hands and speaks--loudly. "Are you sure this is the fastest way? If you guys stay here and watch me, then your clan might be in trouble." One of the spear-wielding boys just whacks Kaede with the shaft of his spear, and the jounin shrugs it off. "Alright. Just trying to help."

Kaede's Secret Message

Spoiler

Show

He again takes 10 to get a 31 bluff.

"Are you sure? You stay here. There might be trouble."

[Princess Tracy]

After a minute or two, Amon begins to perform clone technique, having concocted a plan at last to break their stances as she draws a little closer, only to be interrupted by Kaede's sudden message. It was almost enough to break her resolve outright. Still though, she couldn't face Cybele if something happened to her would-be lover. Stepping a little closer to get a better view of events, she continues her stalking a while longer. After 10 minutes pass, her transformation will end and she'll consider heading back; she just wants to make sure nothing bad happens to Kaede; he wasn't totally helpless, she was sure, but still.

Spoiler

Show

Reuse rolls

Now hovering within 80 feet (as opposed to 90

Continue on for another 7 minutes into this routine (2 minutes duration left).

[ZeroNumerous]

Amon

After seven minutes pass the group of ninja are still traveling. Amon can still only see the three ninjas around Kaede. Nothing happens on the trip, and the whole thing passes uneventfully.