Naruto d20 (Team A)

[ChronicLunacy]

Ibaraki Masaru

When they were within range of the campfire and, apparently, the man they were supposed to meet up with, Masaru stopped and studied the layout. Skeptical and pragmatic as usual, he knew he could not just assume that this man was the one that they were there to meet. Being Masaru, he would never just come out and ask. That was more Michiko's forte. So he did the next best thing. He picked up a rock from the road that fit easily in his palm and chucked it hard at the guy's head. If he dodged it, it set off a trap on the way there, or he swatted it out of the air they'd at least know his capabilities.

Of course, the three genins could also have a lot of apologizing to do shortly...

Spoiler

Show

Wow...who thought I'd have wasted one of my few nat 20's on this freaking roll. XD At least it makes for some comedy. Heh.

Attack: 1d20+6=26
Damage: Uh...I'll leave that up to you.

[Callos_DeTerran]

Masaru's chosen projectile flew straight and true and at the very last second the man looked towards the hurtling stone. Rio and Michiko could only stare in a sort of dread fascination, like being unable to avert your eyes from a cart crash, and all three waited to see what he would do to avoid the missile.

Thwack!

With a loud smack the handsome man's head shot back from the blow until he was staring up at the night sky, lingering there for a long drawn out moment before collapsing backwards unto the ground. It was then that Rio and Michiko started gaping in horror at Masaru as his target began to roll around on the ground.

From the sounds of it he was cursing loudly and fluently in Wind, Fire, Common, and Earth. When he sat back up he was covering his right eye with one hand and gripped the sheath tanto in the other. Glaring right at where the rock had come from he yelled out, voice laced with pain.

"What the hell is the problem with you guys?! Seriously who throws a rock at a complete stranger! What kind of rude upbringing were you three exposed to?! Get over here into the light or I'm gonna throw back and it won't be a rock!"

[Bariko]

Rio stood for a moment, jaw agape as he watched the man recoil from the impact. As the cursing and yelling began, he turned towards Masaru, uncomprehending. "Wha-...Ju-... Y-...Cha-... What the hell are you doing? Who do you think we're going to meet outside the village boundaries with two tents other than the person who we were told to meet outside the village? Why would you throw a rock? I mean holy crap!"

So saying, Rio approached the campfire. "Oh, man. Um... Hi?" Rio stopped in the light, looking uncertainly at the man

[Catch]

Michiko

As the night blanketed the horizon and the day's warmth began to fade, Michiko felt a certain weariness behind her eyes, echoed throughout her body, especially in her tired feet. The day had been long and eventful, but presently, all she cared about was filling her empty stomach. Seeing the campfire in the distance was heartening, as Keimatsu had mentioned that the team would soon meet their new jounin, and Michiko was quite ready for some rest and a meal.

Approaching the crackling fire, she was cautious by instinct, though her hunger and curiosity protested any sort of hesitation. Remaining unseen, she studied the campsite for potential dangers, hoping her stomach would not growl and give her position away. By his appearance, the man by the fire was certainly a shinobi, though Michiko got the feeling that he wasn't particularly dangerous and would probably be amiable to visitors. She had taken approximately two and a half steps from her hiding place when she saw Masaru reach back and throw, and before she could react, the whistling stone clunked the male ninja in the head.

"Damn it, Masaru, I'm supposed to be the impulsive one," she grumbled under her breath.

Clearing her throat, Michiko stepped into the open, rubbing the back of her neck with a sheepish grin.

"Ah, sorry about that... My friend, see, he's an idiot and, well, he's got about as much social grace as a pile of rocks. Um, you okay? Because you're totally free to beat his face in if you want--I'm kind of curious to see what's under that mask, myself."

"Name's Michiko, and that's Rio," she said, first gesturing to her companion and then jerking a thumb at the bushes surrounding the campsite. "Tall, Dark and Awkward, he should be somewhere in there. So, uh, hi. Are you Keimatu's friend? Because that would make this a lot less uncomfortable."

[ChronicLunacy]

Ibaraki Masaru

The bushes rustled a bit as Masaru followed his comrades out into the light of the fire. His mirrored eye-lenses reflected the light of the flames, dispassionate and seemingly unapologetic until he bowed low, clasping his hands in front of him. "Forgive me." he said simply, though his tone didn't really support it. He seemed as deadpan as ever. Maybe he'd overestimated the man after all, even if apparently he was the one they were looking for. Clearly their lives were a series of such events. As he remembered it, they'd underestimated Keimatsu-sensei. "I am Ibaraki Masaru."

[Callos_DeTerran]

The man waited patiently as the three came out of the bushes, arms crossed over his chest as he glared at his 'assailants'. He didn't stop either until they had come to a stop just in front of him and they could see the black eye that was swiftly growing from the stone throw. There was no move to accept the apology that had been given to him, he just continued to glare at all three until finally that drilling stare settled in on the blond who had asked him if he was the one they were too meet.

"No, I'm not." He said darkly eyes seeming to almost flare in the ruddy campfire. An oppressive feeling settled over each of the three genin, making it hard to breath or remain standing but it wasn't hard to tell what it was either. The man's chakra was so heavy it actually seemed to be crushing the air out of them just by him being close by. When he spoke it was in a much darker tone, threatening almost. "You come upon a campfire in the middle of the wilderness and instead of just saying hello or approaching you throw rocks at an utter stranger. Without any idea who I was or what I'm capable off you arbitrarily decide to piss me off and to give me a black-eye and any proud shinobi with any degree of honor and power would not take such an insult laying down."

This was insane! His chakra was so intense that Michiko, Masaru, and Rio couldn't help the feeling of fear curling up at the base of their spines as the pressure almost seemed to demand that they cower before him.

"...Hah....I'm just pulling your legs guys. My name is Kaken, Keimatsu didn't exactly tell me much about you guys but from what little I know, and what I've seen, your the guys I've been waiting for." An easy smile replaced the grim and menacing scowl that had been on Kaken's face and he reached up to gingerly feel his swelling eye. Surprisingly that overwhelming feeling of pressure didn't let up until the dark clothed man moved back to the fire and plopped down where he had been before. "Geez...one of you really has an arm on him or her. Come on over and sit down. I want to know a little more about my new charges and a wise man once said theres no better way to know somebody then to hear their thoughts while eating. Sit, join me!....Ow..."

Wincing again he finally left his eye alone and gestured to the various empty spaces around the fire, moving his tanto and sliding it into it's horizontal holster at the small of his back. As if remembering something Kaken's expression brightened as he got up and walked into the tent he had emerged from, ruffling things about before walking back out. A black eye-patch covered his swollen eye and he grinned roguishly. "How's it look?"

[Bariko]

Rio Shrugged his shoulders and approached the man, pausing as he once again felt that... disconcerting pressure. The feeling in his spine was awful. He knew that he would be much less effective as long as it was there. Silently, he concentrated on ignoring the feeling, and waited as patiently as possible for it to dissipate.

As he sat, the dancing light of the flames played across the area, casting double shadows in some places, and none in others. Rio looked at this new man, Kaken, was it? He seemed reasonable, considering he hadn't gotten too angry for the rock throw. Still, the pressure he caused was nearly overwhelming. He seems much more powerful than we thought.

Smiling, despite the uncomfortable pressure in his spine, Rio looked at this new companion. "A wise man said that? Maybe we should listen then. Though this should work both ways, right, Kaken? What would you like to know?"

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

Masaru felt his spine bend under the pressure and he had the strange thought that he'd made the wrong choice in coming out into the firelight. When he felt the weight on his shoulders forcing his knees to bend and the buzzing in his head like an angry hornet at the mere presence of Kaken's chakra he could recognize the emotion he was feeling. It was fear. He didn't give voice to it, letting only a single grunt escape him as he struggled to remain standing. He remembered fear...he'd felt it before. This was a pale shadow of what he remembered, but it was still there enough to recognize.

When Kaken suddenly turned and went back to the fire, Masaru felt the weight suddenly lift and almost tripped over his own feet before regaining his balance. He regained his composure as quickly as ever, pausing for only a moment before following, but he didn't make himself comfortable. Instead, he studied Kaken for flaws, those mirrored lenses of his mask creepy in the way the firelight reflected from them. It seems he'd underestimated someone yet again. He had to be careful or it was going to become a habit. From now on he couldn't base anything on first impressions or it might get them all killed. They were just lucky Kaken turned out to be friendly.

[Catch]

Michiko

With the black-clad man towering over them, Michiko was more embarrassed by Masaru's abysmal social skills and complete lack of remorse than she was afraid. The boy simply had no function other than hitting things, she reasoned, and it was decidedly frustrating to have a teammate that could be easily replaced with a combat puppet or an attack dog. She sighed, preparing to offer some other form of explanation--maybe Masaru had been dropped as a child?--to hopefully mollify the man somewhat, and then she felt it.

His chakra was incredible! It seemed almost tangible, as if his reservoir could reach out and grip her insides, chilling her to the bone. She swallowed the knot in her throat and licked her lips nervously. Fighting was no option, and he'd surely catch them if they ran, and if only for a moment, Michiko feared her imminent demise. And then it was over, the man chuckling at the terror he had just caused them. The nerve of this guy! she thought, scowling as he laughed. Next time, I'll just stay in the damn bushes at let the idiot clean up his own mess.

Shaking off her momentary irritation, Michiko let a out relieved chuckle, settling down next to the fire at Kaken's invitation. She was far too hungry to be more than miffed, and had no small amount of curiosity as to this man's identity. He had already demonstrated a portion of his power and he was certainly handsome, though she couldn't help but chuckle at the puffy black eye and she snorted with amusement at the eye patch he rummaged from the tent.

"You're a little too far from sea to be a pirate, sensai," she laughed. "Where'd you get that thing anyway? Did you expect to loose an eye when you packed your bag?"

[Callos_DeTerran]

The man laughed as he heard the female genin's comment shaking his head as he briefly returned to his tent to retrieve a cooking pot, water in a cantine, some strips of jerky, and some odd seasoning before taking his place by the fire and beginning to fill the pot.

"Hahahahaha! I suppose the proper answer to maintain my roguish mystique and omnipotent image would be 'A shinobi plans for everything, even errantly thrown stones', but I've never been one for putting off a lie. No, I've come to realize that a disguise kit never goes amiss and people will remember a man with an eye-patch but little else if only seen in a quick glance. Of course I've forgotten to take it off sometimes which rendered wearing it a moot point as well...Here, rip up the jerky." He laughed gleefully before explaining it's purpose and passing the jerky off to the blond. Kaken seemed content to busy himself with putting the rice unto to cook instead of simply answering Rio's question but once the dinner was all squared away he reclined back and looked to the other genin.

"You'd think they'd mention the host's duties in that little proverb but they don't, funny huh? Well...what do you do? Obviously your shinobi and I'm guessing one of you is strong from the bruise you gave me but thats about all I was told. What's going on in Kagekure? It's been awhile since I've visited. Really the list of questions I could ask is practically endless but if you want to answer them all by all means go ahead and try. You can start with 'What's the meaning of life?' and 'What happens when we die?'" Kaken grinned wolfishly as he finally answered Rio, stirring in the odd seasoning as the rice finally began to cook and adding in the ripped up jerky as well. Soon the rice had turned an angry red color but the scent coming off of it was absolutely mouth-watering.

As if remembering something the man twisted to look at Masaru and raised an eyebrow. "I hope you don't plan on being this quiet the entire time we know each other. It'll be so very dull for the both of us if I'm forced to make up my own stories for why your so quiet and to fill the void of your silence. So speak up boy, your the one who threw the stone so the least you can do is humor me. Tell me about yourself...and the reason you pegged me wouldn't go amiss either."

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

As if remembering something the man twisted to look at Masaru and raised an eyebrow. "I hope you don't plan on being this quiet the entire time we know each other. It'll be so very dull for the both of us if I'm forced to make up my own stories for why your so quiet and to fill the void of your silence. So speak up boy, your the one who threw the stone so the least you can do is humor me. Tell me about yourself...and the reason you pegged me wouldn't go amiss either."

Masaru had sat by the fire (presumably) with the others, crossing his legs underneath him in the lotus position with his chisa-gitana lengthwise across his lap. When Kaken turned his attention to the boy, asking him to talk about himself and all of that, Masaru started to look as uncomfortable as any of them had ever seen him. He had never spoken much about himself before, and for whatever reason, his posture seemed to indicate that he wanted to keep it that way. He turned himself to the side rather abruptly and started rummaging in his pack for a whetstone. "There's nothing to tell. I tossed the stone to see how good you were. I have my answers." was all he said as he unsheathed his blade and applied a solution to it before studiously running it across the stone.

Apparently, Masaru wasn't going to do a miraculous opening up to Kaken or the others any time soon. Besides, if this guy was going to help with his...medical needs he should already know.

[Bariko]

Rio had a good laugh at the eye-patch and subsequent explanation from Kaken. At least he has a good sense of humour, I suppose. As the food was being prepared, Rio was distracted from his own question as the scents wafted by. As the pressure in his back dissipated, Rio straightened, immediately feeling more at ease with this newcomer.

As Kaken finally responded to Rio's question, a grin spread across his face. He wasn't particularly surprised by the redirection of his question, but he was amused. "The meaning of life? Why the meaning of life is to live. Not to ponder over why we're here. And as for what happens when we die, well, we stop living." Rio chuckled slightly before continuing, "There's really nothing much to me, but Masaru there is the strong one, the rock thrower," he said, nodding towards his stoic companion. "And Michiko there, she took on a chuunin level ninja one-on-one, it seems. Impressed the hell out of me, I tell you."

Rio stretched is legs out, towards the fire, to help get some pleasant warmth in them. With a somewhat content sound, he continued, while looking in the flames as they danced, What's happening in Kagekure? We don't really know. We've been sent out just tonight, under rather rushed circumstances."

Rio looked at his comrades, paused and realised Masaru wouldn't respond, then looked at Michiko. "Did I miss anything?"

[Catch]

Michiko

Michiko chuckled at their new jounin's attempt at ingratiation towards Masaru, but soon busied herself in the steaming rice when it was offered to her. The black-clad genin seemed to be something of a battered lockbox, the kind that couldn't be beaten or pried open and would tightly hold its secrets--whatever they were--until the proper key was produced. Still, she wondered what he was hiding and what it would take to get it out. It was probably something far simpler than she expected.

Around mouthful of Kaken's rice dish--which was surprisingly good for camp food--Michiko answered Rio's question, swallowing so as not to be impolite by talking while eating. "The part about us being banished."

"See, Keimatsu had us rescue a couple of Academy kids who had wandered into one of the village's training grounds, and it turns out they were taken captive by a pair of girls pretending to be of the Gumoshin clan. Wrapped 'em up real nice and started suckin' their chakra, so I figure at least one might have been the real deal. Anyway, right after we got back, Ihesamo practically kicked us out the East gate with no warning at all."

Scraping the last bits of rice and sauce from her plate, Michiko frowned at it a moment, then decided it would be poor form to lick it clean, especially in their present company. Setting it aside, she crossed her legs and stretched, letting out a contented yawn.

"And as far as the meaning of life goes, I'm pretty sure it involves eating, sleeping, and not getting yourself killed," she grinned. "I've already done two of those today, so I figure I get one more and my life'll be complete, eh? And as far as dying goes, I don't plan on finding out the answer very soon."

[Callos_DeTerran]

"I wouldn't eat the rice so fast. I like all of my food spicy, even rice." The man said dryly as he passed out the angry red rice-and-jerky, chuckling as he watched Michiko begin to wolf down the meal. Kaken took his own meal in silence taking in all of the information as he ate and occasionally glancing up at the three at particular points. Such as Masaru's short answer and Rio's self-deprecation of his ability.

It was only after he had finished his plate, and showed no compunctions about licking it clean, that he set it down and wiped his mouth clean. "Gumoshin can't drain chakra. That's something else entirely and generally beyond them entirely. So do you know why you were banished or is it as grand a mystery as my darkly-clad friend over here?" His smile proved infectious as Kaken looked about the fire once more, eyes inquisitive. "Generally people are given at least a...paltry reason that has some hint of the truth to it along with the cover story which, by the way, is a nice touch. Well...we can discuss that tomorrow actually. We have a lot of ground to cover in the morning to get back into the Land of Fire."

Crossing his arms confidently over his chest the black-garbed men nodded once then just a side-long and suspicious look to the only female present. "If you plan on stealing my tent then you best drive that thought out of your head right now, I like my privacy. Besides...your kids, not like you have anything to really hide from each other...okay Masaru might...hrmm...he presents a problem actually."

Frowning the man stood and walked around the fire to peer closely at the burnt genin, rubbing his chin irritably before sighing. "Damn...it would be best if you had some privacy. Alright...Masaru gets my tent and the rest of us share the second...You do have sleeping bags...right?"

[Bariko]

As Rio finished his meal, he stretched contentedly. It was nice to get some food into him. He hadn't had a chance to eat before their unceremonious exit from Kagekure. It wasn't gourmet, but rather tasty, especially considering Rio enjoyed spicy food.

As he returned the empty dish to Kaken and stood, Rio responded to the question. "We know as much as possible. The Gumoshin girls were interrogated. At some point during the interrogation, they revealed a piece of information. We don't know what it was, but the risk of it getting into the village population is unacceptable. So, because they are unsure as to if we know this information, they threw us out just in case."

Rio turned and headed towards the tent as indicated by Kaken. "Apparently, if we can prove that we had no idea of this information, we can go back. Seems kinda self-defeating though, doesn't it? We have to find out some information, to prove we didn't have this information. The other thing we know is that the threat wasn't the 'Gumoshin', but their partners, who are supposedly in the capital. We were recommended to go do some surveillance and information gathering there to get a bargaining chip.

"So rather than deal with the problem logically, they throw us out. I swear, rules in these damn villages are rather insane. Anyways, sleep would seem to be in order." Grabbing his pack, Rio turned and headed towards the tent. Pausing for a second, he chuckled. "Yeah, we have bedrolls. Don't worry about that." So saying, Rio went into the tent and prepared to sleep.

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

The black-garbed genin took his bowl of rice and brought it with him into the tent he had been assigned without any protest at the special treatment. In fact, he didn't say anything to anyone, not even a goodnight. Soon after there was a small light lit inside, casting shadows on the wall that were visible to the others if they happened to be looking over. They could see Masaru's general outline as he took something out of his pack and used it on the bowl, like he was stirring the rice. Next, it was difficult to make out, but it seemed as if he was using a straw in the bowl to eat with. He finished quickly and left the empty bowl outside of his tent since Kaken would probably be wanting it back.

Stranger still, to anyone who was still watching his silhouette, he started to undress for bed. He painstakingly took off his outer coverings, followed by a thinner layer, then unwrapped still more bandage-like coverings from whatever he exposed. Afterwards, he took something from his hip-bag and rubbed his body with it, jerking a little in pain every now and then. Then, he proceeded to carefully wrap himself back up again. He did this piece by piece with his entire body, leaving only his outer wear off when he finally settled down for sleep. This was something he usually did every night with help from the Mibu clan medical nin. There were other things he would need Kaken's help for, but those didn't have to be done every night.

Just before he turned his light off, Masaru's upper body went into a short spasm, as if he'd just been stabbed in the side. He shook for a moment, hugging himself, but made no sound to let anyone know he was in any sort of discomfort. His shoulders heaved with heavy breath before he finally reached over and doused his light, shutting off even the small glimpse of what may lay underneath once again.

[Catch]

Michiko

Now that night had descended fully over the valley and Michiko was fed and stretched out before Kaken's crackling fire, all the day's weariness and aches that she had suppressed now resurfaced, and it became particularly difficult to remain alert while listening to the conversation. Covering her mouth--barely--Michiko let out a sizable yawn that cracked her jaw and reminded her of how tired she really was. Despite her eagerness to pick Kaken's brain with her numerous questions, the offer of a tent and a bedroll were far more tempting for the rascally genin.

When Masaru left to spend the night in Kaken's tent, Michiko refrained from making one of her usual cracks about the black-clad boy. Despite her ribbing, she knew he had led a very difficult life after the destruction of the Mibu clan. It was hard to imagine what it would be like, shrouded in armor and bandages, completely closed off from the world, but that seemed to be how Masaru lived--wrapped up and cloistered within himself. She watched his silhouette for a time as she settled down with Kaken and Rio in the other tent, curiosity tickling the back of her mind. He was far too grim, she believed, and there was much he had yet to share. With that thought, Michiko slowly drifted off to sleep, strange dreams of fire and hospitals visiting her through the night.

[Callos_DeTerran]

With all three of the genin heading off to their respective tents to sleep and rest up for the next day, Kaken stayed in the same place by the fire content to just stare into it's depths at the moment. It wasn't until much later, when Rio and Michiko were about to drift off to sleep that Kaken so much as entered the tent and took up his own spot to sleep at.

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

When morning came the man was already outside by the burnt out remains of the fire, checking the contents of his own backpack which had been in Masaru's tent. Seemingly convinced that everything was in there he rose as each of the genin came out into the bright sunlight of the morning and smiled brightly at them.

Instead of something being cooked, there was no fire, Kaken held his hand to show the three small black pills that he held in his palm. "Here, eat these. I don't have time to cook a proper meal so these will just have to do. We have a lot of ground to cover today, capital or Land of Fire, so we had best get started. Though...it would be best to have a direction before heading out. What do you lot think? Home or the capital?"

[ChronicLunacy]

Ibaraki Masaru

Masaru was already dressed and seemed to be writing something in a journal of some kind. He put it away and followed Kaken outside when he came to get his backpack. Kaken's question provoked more thought that was originally expected. Should they follow their mission to the Land of Fire and stay in the village elders' good graces? Or should they go out on their own after the cell that was supposedly operating in the capital of their own country, the Land of Birds? Masaru's immediate instinct was to go after the organization that had lead to the genins' expulsion from Kagekure, but then again he was never one to make rash decisions.

"What was our mission in the Land of Fire?" he asked simply, but it was a loaded question nonetheless. Depending on the mission's importance, Masaru just might vote to perform it instead of following the cowboy course of action.

[Callos_DeTerran]

The man shrugged as he hefted his backpack, looking unconcerned. "Beats me. Not supposed to open the correspondence until we cross the border and I'm not crossing Lady Tsunade or whoever your village leader is. All I know is we probably won't be staying there long at all, something that I picked up when I was given this assignment."

As if distracted he raised up one hand and brushed his fingernails across his black coat.

[ChronicLunacy]

Ibaraki Masaru

Masaru nodded, his implacable black mask as blank as ever. "I say we go to the capital." he said after a moment of pondering, but didn't bother to explain his choice. (Really, is that a surprise?) He'd gone over the relative merits of both in his head and had decided that as much as they'd be in trouble when they didn't go on their assigned mission, it would perhaps be a lot better in the long run if they looked into whatever had gotten them temporarily banished from their village. If only for curiosity's sake, they needed to know. If it was so dangerous that the knowledge would have caused a panic in Kagekure, then it needed to be stopped, no matter the cost. Besides, what were they being sent away for if not to do something about it? He doubted that Ihesamo-sama and the other village leaders didn't suspect that they'd try something like this if given free reign anyway. On top of that, Masaru felt that it was what Esanu-sama would do.

[Bariko]

A sharp curse was heard as a closed-eyed Rio stumbled out of the tent, his foot catching on the bottom of the door. As he tripped, his foot lashed out behind him, nearly catching Michiko with a solid thump, but missing barely. Turning his head behind him to see if his companion was okay, Rio emitted a huge yawn. "Sorry, sorry. I'm not exactly a morning person."

Approaching the fire, Rio rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. The bright morning would go unappreciated by him for another few minutes at least. As his brain began to function again, Rio took a food pill from Kaken while making a mental note that now he owed one to him.

He listened closely as Masaru and Kaken spoke briefly, only glancing towards the jounin's hand when he rubbed his jacket. After they finished speaking, Rio nodded himself. "If we think of things logically, going to the capital makes more sense. Keimatsu suggested it, and we're closer to the capital than to Ko. And from what you say, Kaken, there is every possibility that once we go to Konoha, we won't be able to get back to the capital. But, we have to note that we were told to gather information, and specifically to not engage the targets in the capital. I think a quick intelligence gathering mission before heading to Konoha would be a relatively sound decision, don't you?"

Rio reached down and turned on his music, so he could hear it, but he didn't put his headphones on his ears, leaving them around his neck. He had to make sure he heard what everyone said, and of course, wasn't going to be rude. He waited patiently for Michiko's turn and what Kaken thought of their reasoning, stifling another yawn.

[Catch]

Michiko

"Who said the intelligence mission will be quick?"

A groggy Michiko at last appeared from the tent, scrubbing at her eyes with a fist and looking far less than her usual chipper self. The night's dreams were fitful and she hadn't slept particularly well--or enough, so when dawn broke over the horizon, the blonde genin was not eager to great the morning sun. Hearing voices outside, she had arisen from her sleeping bag slowly, wishing she was back in a real bed, then grumpily as Rio almost kicked her in the head, finally joining her two teammates and their jounin, only slightly irritated that they had started discussing the mission without her.

Taking one of the food pills from Kaken, she swallowed it with a gulp, then stood idly scratching her ear while pondering their next course of action.

"While I'm all for going our own way and figuring this out for ourselves, I think Keimatsu paired us up with Kaken for good reason. We've essentially been banished and we've got no place to call home right now, so I'm not real keen on charging off into a situation that might not bode well for us, especially since we don't know the first thing about what's going on. Heading to Konoha might be better idea, as Kaken knows the territory, and we can establish ourselves there before infiltrating the cell that's hiding out in the capital."

She shrugged, smoothing out the wrinkles in her jacket and settled it back into place on her shoulders.

"If we do head to there first, though, we might be able to use what knowledge we gain back in Konoha, especially with all the contacts we'll be able to use. I suppose it depends on what's quicker. Did Tsunade give you a deadline for this mission, Kaken-sensai?"

[Bariko]

Rio

Rio nodded slightly as Michiko spoke. Scratching his face, he squinted as a shaft of sunlight flicked across his eyes. "You know, you make some good points. We really don't have a base of operations here. If we were to go to Konoha, we could get established and then gather our information when it's an easier task.

"I can't say I like it, but I think it might be a sounder plan. I was a bit off in my logic, I suppose, only going by proximity. We don't know how long or short the spying would be, and we've got nowhere to base from. I think Michiko has stumbled on a good plan, we should get to Konoha and get set up before trying to gather information in such an unknown situation. Plus Konoha will be a place where we can get supplies and get some training done." Rio nodded again, humming softly along to the music. He was in a new position here, and honestly didn't relish making a decision with such little information, but they had to do something.

[Callos_DeTerran]

"Who said anything about Konoha?" Kaken's slightly distracted voice pierced through the various contemplations about which direction to pick and the ensuing silence made him look up from his coat to the genin.

"No really...who did? I don't remember saying we'd be going to Konoha. All I said was Land of Fire, I don't think we'll get a chance to stop in Konoha and thats a shame. There's some real history there I think you'd guys enjoy. Wasn't given a dead-line, just told to take as long as it takes to finish the mission. Basically my own discretion but it's nice to know that you guys at least have a general consensus about where we travel. To the Land of Fire!" Kaken said grandly, gesturing out across the land in the direction that they would need to travel in. The way ahead was easy to find...anybody with a sense of north and a map would have been able to find the roads that lead to the Land of Fire and luckily the man proved to have both. He traveled up and down among the three as they walked, asking questions about what life was like back in Kagekure, their families, and other personal information (Don't need to go into specific detail, just give the general information) even going so far as to talk, seemingly, endlessly to Marasu until he got something out of him.

The day seemed to pass all too quickly and Kaken merely passed out another ration pill at lunch-time instead of stopping, merely saying they still had some distance to travel. Luckily it proved to be very uneventful until the sun began to set.

It was Rio who spotted them, a column of men coming towards them on the road, a large white banner being sported by one of the five men on horseback. Men armed with spears followed along behind these apparent samurai, three men wide and ten ranks deep, and they all wore light armor that was common for riders or infantry.

When they say the four shinobi approaching it became obviously quickly, the horsemen kicking their mounts into a faster step while the column of infantry halted in their steps.

"Huh."

Spoiler

Show

You have one round until they reach you. No weapons are drawn and they aren't going faster then a brisk jog for the horses.

[ChronicLunacy]

Masaru

The masked genin had fielded Kaken's annoying interrogations with one or two word answers at best and silence at worst. He didn't seem to be the type that was going to just open up through pestering, but it was probably just fun for Kaken to try. Masaru, on the other hand, was getting more and more irritated at the special attention he was being paid. He almost welcomed it when the cohort of soldiers appeared on the road in front of them.

There was little reason for the group of ninja to simply be attacked. They'd receive a demand for identification first. It didn't look too much like an ambush either. So, Masaru simply stepped to the side of the road as the horsemen mustered their mounts into a trot and came towards them, acting nonchalant.

[Bariko]

Rio

As they walked, Rio was wrestling with his own thoughts. As much as he prided himself on his mental acuity, his maturity level, if you will, he was still fourteen years old. As he tried to relish the knowledge that he was on a new mission, to a new land, he knew it was all a coincidence. He was just a member of the team who got thrown out. He wasn't selected for any abilities or tendencies. Hell, he couldn't even take care of himself at his current level. He hadn't even been present during the battle with the Gumoshin, and yet here he was thrown out as if he was tainted by association. He couldn't remember his real family, and now he was torn away from the closest thing he had to one, all because of circumstances. It struck Rio as hilariously ironic that he was absent for the battle with the fateful kunoichi, entirely because he couldn't take care of himself.

It wasn't fair! He was smart, very much so, although he never tried to upstage anyone. So why couldn't he have the ability to fend for himself? If only he'd had more time, time to learn more techniques, more abilities, he could have been more useful. Maybe Keimatsu would have paid him more attention, been less dismissive of his concerns to lead his charge to safety. Maybe he could've killed that damn spider. Maybe, just maybe, he could've gotten the treatment Michiko or Masaru did. Sure, he wasn't a close combat type like his burned comrade, or even as combat ready as Michiko, but Rio knew that brains often outweighed brawn in a battle.

Sakada had begun teaching him the basics of medical techniques when he was still in her care, and he had an aptitude for it, so he knew if he had time he could care for his comrades, and he did care for them without a doubt, but being a bandage isn't power. "Physician, heal thyself", wasn't that the phrase? No, he had to learn more techniques, to gain more power, so he wasn't the anchor on his team. He did not want to feel like that again. Of course, the mission, team and his friends came first. He bore no animosity towards them for his shortcomings - it was his fault he was weak, and he would correct it himself. He even made a mental note to help Masaru learn Shunshin no jutsu when they got the time. Michiko too, if she wanted it.

As he walked, Rio reached into a pouch he had, and pulled out a small whistle, seemingly made of tin, or possibly copper. He played a few notes softly as he walked, listening to a specific song as he did so, singing quietly, so the others couldn't hear him unless they were trying very hard to.

"It couldn't even wait till morning,
Not even one last night at home.
We never got fair warning,
They just wanted to be rid of us all along.

And it's true I must be goin', no idea where I'll be
But the what effect was had by one such as me?
I've been banished, so I've gotta walk away,
All the same, maybe I'll be back some day.

And if you let us come back later
Will you know me at the door?
And if we don't come back at all,
Will you remember me anymore?

Well it's true I must be goin', no idea where I'll be.
But I can guarantee someday you will respect me.
I've been banished, so I've gotta walk away,
I'll see you when I come back some day.

If power's what I need, then power's what I'll seek.
And when I come back, you won't even recognise me.

And then you'll feel bad for that morning,
Not even one last night at home.
We never got fair warning,
They just wanted to be rid of us all along.

So it's true I must be goin', no idea where I'll be.
But this sure isn't the last that you have seen of me.
I've been banished, so I've gotta walk away,
But I'll show you, when I come back there some day.

As he finished the song, Rio replaced his instrument, and the smile came back to his face. He began tossing jokes with Michiko as the sunlight began to peak overhead, and they got their second ration pill. He even ribbed Masaru slightly, chucking in a friendly manner at his comrade's closed-mouth approach. As Kaken peppered him with questions, Rio volunteered the relevant information, mostly that he had no memory of his real family, and only knew he was an orphan from Sakada's openness about it. Still nagging in his mind was his ineptitude in combat, and his resulting lack of confidence, so if the topics ever approached combat, he quickly deflected it to something else, or talked up Masaru and Michiko as they are the more effective ones.

As the sun began to set, and Michiko made a typically snarky remark, Rio paused and looked ahead for a moment. Um, Kaken? There's a fairly large group heading our way. A few horses, mostly infantry. White banner, any ideas?" As the riders advanced towards them at an increasing pace, Rio followed Masaru in stepping aside for the riders as they approached. "Any ideas, Kaken?" he repeated.

[Catch]

Michiko

Walking down the dusty trail that would take the genin towards the Land of Fire, Michiko unconsciously kept a small amount of distance between herself and the other two, her wayward thoughts drawing her aside almost physically. She had been rather taken aback at her team's turnaround acceptance of what she had offered as a passing thought, and Kaken's willingness to take her suggestion as a group decision only reinforced her unease. More and more, Michiko felt that she had become the de facto leader of this squad, and the title, however imagined, did not feel right on her shoulders. Her opinions were worth no more than her teammates', she thought, and at fourteen, leading a squad was far more terrifying than prestigious in her mind.

Kicking a pebble with a sigh, Michiko forced her gaze up from the dirt path to the blue sky above, and she let out a slow, calming breath, letting her anxious thoughts depart with it. There would be plenty of time for distress soon, especially with a new mission at hand, and she was not particularly eager to get her share of worrying done all at once. Kaken's peppering of questions kept her mind occupied, and she was glad to share her past exploits in the academy and the goings-on of her various acquaintances around Kagegakure, but she made little mention of her life before coming to reside within the village. There was not much she knew herself and for the moment, she made no mention of her father--or his heirloom. Hers, now, but that was another line of questions she had tied off for the time being, and she was content to chatter amicably without bringing up any of her latent worries.

Of course, there were brand new concerns to leap into her lap. The advancing ranks of samurai stretched Michiko's mind to taughtness; much like a bowstring, tension provided her with potential, and being outnumbed ten to one was plenty of impetus to think quickly. Lead, she thought. As best you can.

"We're travelers headed to Konoha," she said softly to her companions, setting their story straight. "Be respectful too; Samurai value honor, so let them think they're in control. And if that doesn't work, run, I guess."

[Callos_DeTerran]

All five of the samurai kicked their horse's flanks, urging them closer to you and Masaru steps off of the path and out of his way. Kaken...took the exact opposite approach and stood right in the middle of the path, hands on his waist as he muttered under his breath, too low for the approaching men to hear.

"These are no samurai. These are honorless vultures who don't fly under a flag anymore since their leader was taken down. You guys know whats been going on in the Land of Birds right? All the political upheaval? Well I'm betting this lot was too late to join the action, its the only way they haven't been imprisoned yet." The man stopped then, single eye narrowed when the men on horseback stop half-way between you and the advancing column, forty five feet between them and Kaken with another forty five behind to the first row of soldiers who had stopped and were talking amongst themselves.

All of the samurai were dressed in the heavy, uncomfortable, but traditional armor that samurai wear but none of them bore any distinguishing marks except for the middle of their line. A single golden antler swept out from the right side of his kabuto and his hands rested on the hilt of a large katana with the natural ease of a trained fighter. Aside from him the other horses were also black, his was white. To his right, the samurai nudged his horse forward and removed the demonic looking mask that his his face. Ignoring Kaken, aside from glancing at his tanto, he turned towards you three and took in the obvious weapons you carry and the greaves and bracer set that Michiko wore.

"General Tachibana Tadafusa greets you warriors. Would you three be shinobi by chance? Of the Hidden Shadow or from elsewhere?" He asks politley, managing to hide the disdain in his voice quite nicely, even though he had messed up the name of the shinobi village.

[ChronicLunacy]

Ibaraki Masaru

Masaru crossed his arms over his chest and tossed his head to the side, appearing almost completely disinterested in the men on horseback. He seemed to be almost bored except for the almost undetectable tension in his spine that only those who had traveled with him before might recognize. He obviously wasn't in the mood to speak up, as per his usual. With Kaken's description of the warriors fresh in his mind, Masaru wanted nothing to do with them at all. With his upbringing in the Mibu household, he was taught not to consort with those without honor for it also stained his own. Rio or Michiko would no doubt be better with the diplomacy than he was, so of course he held his tongue and waited for one of them to speak up.