Team Cybele: The Hare and the Snake

[zeone3000]

Houshi sighs, shooting her a disappointed look, "Like that matters right now? Besides, all women are girls that just grew up. Holding in emotions are bad for the body, mind and soul. As a kunoichi, as a shinobi, don't you strive to master these?"

He turns the other way, "Do we even know where they went or track them? Then there's a whole lot of'em... Do you think we can find anything here or were they where?

[Bad Situation]

Rolling his eyes at Houshi, Yousuke clears his throat and offers his opinion, "The mission is over. The Garou, for the time being, have removed themselves from the vicinity. I am not sure of how we should proceed from here. We cannot complete the primary objective with the Garou's disappearance and we cannot eradicate the Garou if they are not here to be eradicated. We could request aid from the Konoha team but are we willing to bring them into the fold after our disastrous attempt at foreign relations?"

[Princess Tracy]

Amon's smile seems yet more genuine at Houshi's odd reassurance, though her eyes remain misty. "You guys... don't mind if I cry?" She sniffs. "It feels like if I stop talking I might start crying again... so I'll keep talking until we decide what to do, I guess." She sighs, this time a little contented as she finally forces her voice to be a little still at least for the moment. "You guys are alright, you know. Though you seem awful fixated one me being a girl. Does that really make you that awkward?" Her attempts at sounding happy come across a bi like hysteria, but she resolves to not get herself down.

Amon strokes her chin as Houshi and Yousuke discuss their plans. "Hmm..." She pats the cat on the head to get its attention. "What do you think? Can you track them by any chance?"[/COLOR] She looks a little more concerned as she squints her brow. "How urgent do you need to get to Soragakure - will you still be her eby then if we walk? I don't know how long the summon is supposed to last - it could be an hour or it could be permanent, for all I know. Though probably JUST long enough to make it at LEAST, right?" She wasn't sure if she was expecting any sort of answer, but she tries anyway, even if she was juts talking to herself.

At Yousuke's evaluation of the other team, Amon glares into space for a moment before seeming to realise the cat and catching herself in her hate. "They still trust you - at least the hag does does. Give them your mission scroll and let them do it - they can track and they all seem really quite strong. They're more likely to succeed than we are, and they probably won't want to work with us, with how touchy they are about lying. I want to still help the old man, but they're the surest way to do it, as it stands." Plus I refuse to share a battlefield with that woman.

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

That cat just stares up at Amon. It allows itself to be petted, and does not move away or attack. Naturally it doesn't answer any of Amon's questions, and just responds with a loud and resolute: "Meow!"

[Princess Tracy]

"Heh... no more messages from Kaede then? ... he better not be dead after all this..." Amon balls up again, inviting he cat to rest in her dress-clad lap as she strokes it. "I'm pretty sure you can understand me, just a pity the reverse seems impossible."

[Princess Tracy]

"Yousuke, you still look pretty beat up form our earlier fight. Shall I heal you? You never know when an ambush is coming, after all..."

[zeone3000]

"What? I don't care about the Garou clan! I meant the guy's grand-daughter. Though, if that jounin couldn't find any clues, how are we suppose to?"

[Princess Tracy]

"Maybe she's not a very good tracker? She wouldn't need to be to find Kaede - i left a trail for her leading right to him..." Amon solemnly wonders if, without her interference, Kaede would not have been so easily found by his murderer, trying to save such thoughts for when she was away and able to cry properly. "I wanted to.... no, not investigate the red eyes. Although some part of me dearly wishes to know. And I do so hate to see someone like the old man look so sad, so I did want to find the woman... though without their team's help. we can accomplish no such thing." Amon just keeps restating what they know in the hopes the solution becomes clearer, or more definitely pursued

[zeone3000]

"Well, none of us are any better." He shrugged, "Well, we can always ask. The worst they can do at this point is say no and we go home with another failed mission."

[Princess Tracy]

Amon speaks a little quietly just to keep her mind focussed on the task at hand even a little, more of her benefit than anyone else's. "A lot of comic books have the villains getting away from the hero and swearing revenge... but in those cases the heroes could expect to handle the villain in a fair fight - they just needed the villains to get away to have a fair reason to use them again. In our case though, all the people we let slip away are exceedingly powerful and usually in cahoots. I just hope the Garou aren't tied in with Suneko and Yusa, otherwise this whole thing was a complete we've got entirely too many people at our throats to be genin - perhaps all these mortal enemies will automatically qualify us for chuunin-promotions then?" she jokes

"Then again, at least the Garou are completely unaware of us... I'm fairly certain none of them made it back alive - they would probably just assume the red eyes was the one who killed the members who don't make it back. I guess that's your specialty in stealth, Houshi- kill people before they get to report in - though I gues your blade got to taste very little blood this mission," she remarks, pointing to his sword.

...Unless one of them did make it back, in which case these woods will be swarming with them by now.

[zeone3000]

"A sword not drawn is a battle... won?" He questioned. He waved it off, "Ah, I forget how it goes. Basically, I should try the 'diplomatic' route as my shishou would say but that just hasn't been an option so far as I recall. No enemy has been able to be talked down as I remember it. Either through contractual obligations, unflinching loyalty and/or sneak attack."

[Princess Tracy]

Amon seems to realise she was speaking loud enough to be heard, looking embarrassed. "I think it's 'The best weapon is one never has to employ' - the threat of destruction being more efficient than destruction itself at brining peace. Though in this case, it's only because we never found enough people for you to sink your blade into. Although I think diplomacy has its merits even in the ninja world. What, did you not take a few classes in Seduction? I'm fairly certain that was a unisex course at the Academy. Why do you think I wear this frilly underwear otherwise - it isn't for comfort, i assure you." She teasingly smiles, hoping to see Houshi blush again at the mention of her underwear.

"Though I haven't had many takers since... this," she says somberely, indicating to her foot. It was very distinctive, after all.

[Bad Situation]

Nodding in the affirmative, Yousuke slings his cloak over his form and peers deeper into the forest, toward the direction Sanagi and her team departed from. "I am not in the best of health but unless you can heal me quickly I will be unable to catch up with the Konoha team." Frowning, he adds, "I do not know how receptive they will be to my overtures but I will certainly try my best."

[Princess Tracy]

"That's a point... I wonder how far they will be by now. They must have had some sort of mission after all, right?" Amon frowns in thought. "These woods are quite dangerous now though and we're at the only landmark around for miles, this smoking crater." Amon stands, dusting herself off a little but lowering her arms in teh shape one would cradle a baby, apparently offering the cat a ride. "Okay, look around the trail they left for a bit, but don't go too far. We'll start following if you're not back in, say, 3 minutes if there's no change, okay? if you can't find them then we have no ability to track the Garou ourselves and we'll have to make haste back to Soragakure, our usefulness here quite worn out. Just come back in one piece, okay? I got lucky saving you once today, I don't want to try my luck any more like that for a while"

[zeone3000]

Houshi sighs at Amon's obvious attempt, "I didn't go to the academy remember? You can talk but you do not listen very well."

He points at Yousuke, "See. There it is. Overtures? What kid do you know uses that word or word of that sort on a regular basis?" Harking back to his early point about Yousuke's dialect being soap opera-y.

[Princess Tracy]

"Overture is a fine word. I just don't know what it means, exactly," Amon says, nodding sagely even at her display of ignorance. "I'm almost certain you never told me you didn't go to the academy. You kind of talk in short bursts - at some point, I have to squeeze your life's story out of you - I remember longform things better anyway. No Academy, no jutsu, no ability to sneak or clear doorways...." Amon smiles a little, teasing Houshi seeming to bring her a little more to her usual state, though she couldnt' scrape that unfathomable sadness of loss from her soul no mater how much she hoped Kaede would be okay. "You're an odd sort of ninja, aren't you? I listen fine - maybe you just don't say things in a way that makes them interetsing enough to remember. Try opening with a joke or something. And sighing less."

[zeone3000]

He motions to Amon, "Further proving my point."

He shakes his head with another sigh, "No, I did. Right when I told you I can only use taijutsu and you forgot that too." He shrugs, "Better then long explosions with very little substance. I can clear doorways just fine, they can't clear me though."

He holds up a finger, "I don't believe I've ever refer to myself as a ninja. I'm a swordsmen first and foremost. It's the only thing I got." He says that last part rather nervously knowing that didn't leave him with many options and his whole situation could come crashing down if this trend of failed missions continued.

[Princess Tracy]

"Ah, but you much be a ninja; you're a ge-nin, not a ge-swordsman. Plus that's more like a slab of sharpened steel than a sword - I could make you a real sword if you want, something shiny, something that could cut through iron. Enticing at all?" Amon doesn't address her speaking patterns, seeming to dismiss Houshi as she turns her attention back to Yousuke. "Last chance to get heaved, Yousuke-kun."

[Bad Situation]

Pausing to consider his options, he stops and stands before Amon, "Then heal me. I do not like to brag but I am particularly fleet of foot. Fast enough to catch up to them if they are still in the area. Be quick about it though." If they were still on foot and he took to the trees, catching up would be a short order at any rate. And if they had decided to tree jump back to Konoha then they were most likely out of range anyway.

While he waits for Amon he frowns at Houshi, "I am using the formal speech my grandfather has imparted upon me. If you have issue with my vocabulary or how I choose to employ it, you may take your complaint to my grandfather."

[Princess Tracy]

Amon giggles at their conflict as she stands, healing Yousuke up.

Spoiler

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Expend 2 chakra (reserve), concentrate for 3 minutes (6 increments of 30 seconds) or until Yousuke is fully healed or otherwise runs off (or we are interrupted)

First increment: heal (1d4+1)[3]
2 (1d4+1)[2]
3 (1d4+1)[2]
4 (1d4+1)[2]
5 (1d4+1)[4]
6 (1d4+1)[4]

[zeone3000]

"Trial basis." Houshi furrows his brow at Amon's words, "Not a real sword huh? Would you like to experience it first hand to make absolutely sure it isn't? Because it sure fooled everything else I've cut in half! Including steel. I could snap any of Yousuke's and I doubt he could that to mine, let alone lift it."

Amon definitely hit a swore spot.

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Nothing interrupts the genin throughout the entire three minutes.

[Bad Situation]

Yousuke wraps his cloak back on and heaves a heavy breath and he leaps to the tree tops. Annoyed by their arguing, Yousuke is happy to leave them but before he sets off he says to Houshi, "Touch any of my swords, my grandfather's graduation gift in particular, and you willl find them in your heart, Houshi. Do not use me as an example for your anger again. It is unbecoming of you."

Smirking tauntingly he adds, "Have you not mastered your emotions?"

With that, Yousuke sweeps further into the forest in search of the Konoha team.

[Princess Tracy]

"Calm down, Houshi, I just meant that form my perspective as an engineer, you use your sword more like an axe with all that weight, rather than a sword." She's make a gestue of peace if she wasn't presently trying to realign Yousuke' lungs form the earlier fight. "Although don't go saying that sort of thing in front of Yousuke, he might take it as a challenge. Besides..." She winks at Houshi. "It's not the size that counts, it's how you use it." She wondered if he'd get he double entendre even a little bit. "Where'd you get that sword anyway? And don't go threatening me like you're gonna hurt me, Houshi. Crazier swordsmen than you have done more than I know you have the nerve to. It's... quite improper, even in jest. Besides, a swordsman should strive to protect them, right? His friends, that is." We're totally friends, right, Houshi? Despite our earlier ugliness - you are just a child at heart after all.

--

At Yousuke's parting shot of a taunt, Amon pats Houshi on the shoulder. "Oh, I think he got you there, just a little bit." Watching Yousuke go, she whispers, "Come back soon... At the very least, don't let Sanagi see kitty's eyes"

Spoiler

Show

Amon regularly senses chakra on the cat to confirm it's chakra levels seem stable. She'll become anxious if they start to drop at all...

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Yousuke heads off in the direction the leaf-nin had been last seen traveling in. He heads in that direction for two minutes before finally spotting a familiar one-eyed jounin and her three genin gathered around a pair of dead bodies. The first body is a young girl no older than Yousuke. She's wearing familiar fur-covered clothing, and a discarded boar mask lays nearby. The second is a young teenage boy in fur clothing, and a broken mask lays beside him. The leaf-nin seem to be talking amongst themselves, but stop once they hear something.

The quartet turn around to find the source of the noise, and look toward Yousuke's general direction. "I hope whoever is out there comes in peace." Sanagi says with a firm voice. The jounin clearly intends to be heard by whomever is approaching.

[Bad Situation]

Kneeling down on a particularly large branch, Yousuke makes his presence known by calling down to them from the treetops, "If I harbored any grudge toward your team I would have made my intentions clear long ago." Staring at the corpses of the Garou children from afar Yousuke is reminded of the purpose for his visit. "However, I do not come in peace, not for the likes of them," he says, gesturing at the masked teenagers.

Leaping down from the trees with a quiet grace he bows politely at each member of the Konoha in turn. "After discussing the matter with my team we have decided that we will not let this matter rest where we may complete it instead. We do not have much to offer but we would like to request your aid in order to complete our mission."

[zeone3000]

"Pfft, you mean what's left of them if anything."

"Of course not! I'm not a ninja! Looks like you haven't if you're threatening me!" He shouts.

"That's because you no nothing of swordsmanship. You have no idea how to properly use a sword or an axe for that matter!" He throws up his arm at the end.

"I don't call things I can drop with one swing of my sword a challenge." He sighs at Amon once again, "Really now? That one was just too easy. Also, while it wasn't to you, you were in the area and you didn't listen. It was a gift... from my shishou."

He sighs at her once again, "I cut down a group of loyal knights thinking they were the enemy. I don't even know what I'm capable of. Don't test me. I've realized after watching Yousuke get drop like a sack of potatoes, it isn't always possible."

[ZeroNumerous]

DM

Sanagi looks to the sky-nin, then nods. "Hello again Konpaku-san." Mako and Jun also greet Yousuke, and all four of them wait for the sky-nin to finish his request. Sanagi looks to her genin, then nods.

"If they wish, then they are free to assist you."

Mako crosses her arms, and frowns. "I will help if Jun and Koji wish to." Jun looks to Mako, then shakes her head. The Inuzuka girl looks to Yousuke then shrugs.

"I have no problems helping you. Koji?" The Uchiha shrugs at the mention of his name.

"I don't care. If you want to help, then sure." Jun looks back to Yousuke, nods, then jabs Mako with his elbow.

"Looks like we're helpign your boyfriend then. At least give him a chance, ya?" Mako frowns at Jun, and Sanagi looks toward the northwest.

"I'll keep looking for Daisuke. You'll be on your own, but I trust that you'll be okay." The leaf genin nod to their jounin, and move to follow Yousuke if he'll lead the way.

[Bad Situation]

With a nod and deep bow Yousuke addresses Sanagi, "I will do whatever is in my power to keep harm from falling upon your team. Though I doubt they will need it." In short order, Yousuke leads the Konoha team back to Amon and Houshi, jumping back down to the ground when they draw near, explaining, "You will want to acclimate yourself to traveling on foot. Houshi is a tad...deficient when it comes to certain skills we take for granted." When they are finally upon the make shift camp he calls out, "I'm back with the Konoha team."

[Princess Tracy]

"Shishou? Are you army trained? just wondering how you came to be trained in swordsmanship - and why you signed up for this program if you didn't want to be confused for a ninja." Amon takes his threats in her stride. Seeing him sigh and scream like this was a bit amusing - she wondered if he was being dramatic to raise he spirits. At mention of Yousuke dropping, she looks a little distraught again. "Houshi, those knights tor you to shreds with their arrows. It was kill or be killed at that point - like you said yourself, you're no good at diplomacy. As far as you need concern yourself, they were enemies to us." Suzunabu would have killed them anyway and if anyone was going to fin a peaceful solution it was probably me. So...

She stops, turning to where Yousuke left. "Oh god, i just realised. He's going to bring them HERE isn't he? Crap, they'll see or sense the cat and then it will be all over... Kitty, can you suppress your chakra? Or at least your sharingan?" Though panicked, she starts to construct a plan, and maybe more, to deal with their continued intrusions

Spoiler

Show

I have a lecture now - I'll specify my actions when i get back. Amon quickly senses chakra on the cat to see if it lowered its chakra signature or not.