Haigakure! Race to Konohagakure!

[Faithdreamer]

Sayuri – Ploy a Game

Legends were right – there was a nifty magic ninja power for being sneaky. Feet were good for all kinds of things but the trickiest feet of all were...

They weren’t as lucky, leaves, no footprints. She was on the edge of a forest and three steps ahead of a broken bunch. Sayuri slunk around the base of three giant trees to hop across to another part of their blended shadow.
She knew little tricks like this were supposed to confuse trackers. Shinobi knew they were meant to make someone think the tracks stopped like the person disappeared. The cleverest part of hers was how she made them face the tree before she hopped away. After she stuck her foot on the trunk to make them think she walked up instead of hopping away Sayuri made sure her new set of footprints finished off closer together. Now when the Haigakure group found these they’d think she jumped into the trees like in the Marathon.

Sayuri hopped backwards over her footprints against the tree so she could throw a special blanket on.

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Heroic Surge: Move Action
Kakuremino no Jutsu (I’m allowed to take ten on my perform check)

Note: Kakureimino no Jutsu needs a full round action to be used properly. A full round is I think six seconds. You might catch her while she’s getting the blanket ready. I’ll be hiding in plain sight as long as I’m successful. As long as I don’t move this technique gives a Hide+4 bonus.

[AlienRat]

"Well Kyoshin.. It would be rather hard for us to go in and look for Kurina-sensei without actually going inside.." She glances over toward the noise. Could be anything, or anyone making those foot steps. She glances at Kyoshin when he makes his motion. Well, since she really isn't talking to the guards this shouldn't seem to odd. She spreads her fingers in a "wait" motion to the large young man. Then points to where she heard the footfalls going and makes her way over there herself.

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Another spot/listen to see if we notice them?

[Gengy]

His grip not relaxing at all, Kyoshin nods and says, "Oh, yeah. Right. Silly me."

The big genin gives the guards a friendly smirk, which looks stupid on such a large kid as Kyoshin, and then signs his name and backs up... so that he's next to Natsumi.

[Callos_DeTerran]

Miya

When the twig broke she froze for a long second to hear if anybody was coming closer and then decided...why wait? One hand came up in front of her in the classic chakra-focusing sign and then a gust of leaves and she was gone. Not too far though, just into the edge of the woods behind some cover that bought her valuable time. Valuable time to flash through a different set of seals that had her image change in a poof of smoke.

When that had quickly faded all that was left was a brown little rabbit, wiggling it's nose as it hopped a couple of steps and darted over to a different tree. Not as intricate a deception as her companion's which might lead those pursuing them in a different direction but it would seem as if she had simply...disappeared...unless they found where she had re-appeared then she might need to move again but for now it was enough to conceal herself under any foliage she could find and still keep an eye on where she had last seen Sayuri...

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Sh-J: (1d20+10)[14]
Hen: (1d20+10)[13]

[Rejakor]

Shimura Shin

The dark-clad Genin's eyes flicker between Natsumi and Kyoshin, and then return to the gate guard. "Well, I guess i'll sign in then. If you know anyone who can help me with finding Makatsui Kurina's house, that would be greatly appreciated." Shin signs his name with a flourish, and flashes his pearly whites at the two chuunin. Turning, he walks slowly towards where Natsumi and Kyoshin have moved, taking care not to make to much sound with his steps.

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Move to the back of the group, moving silently.

Move Silently - (1d20+13)[16]

Use Sense Chakra.

Sensing for signatures in the direction Natsumi pointed. Plus, y'know, any non-visible signatures in the area, like shinobi waiting to ambush us or anything.

Wisdom - (1d20)[15] - To sense active techniques.

EDIT: Shin has a range of 35ft on sense chakra.

[ZeroNumerous]

Team Tenmai

The chuunin doesn't know anyone who would remember, as he remarks that Kurina's decision to leave for Haigakure was not very popular among the leaf-shinobi. Kyoshin and Natsumi hear the sound of footsteps inside the log and then a rush of wind and the scattering of leaves.

Natsumi finds nothing when she looks into the log, but Kyoshin notes part of the west side of the log looks kinda funny--almost as if it he could peel it like a banana.

Shin notes several chakra signatures in the area. His companions in the log show up as soft blue "ghosts" that match their normal body shapes. He also notes a third "ghost" that he doesn't recognize. Beyond that, he sees several animals with very faint chakra energies, then happens upon a bunny-shaped chakra "ghost" that is significantly larger than any other animal present.

Miya and Sayuri

You both hear--and in Miya's case, see--the approach of Natsumi and Kyoshin. The heavy genin's footsteps causes the fallen tree to crunch and crack under his weight. Natsumi, on the other hand, is accompanied by the familiar clank of metal hitting metal as her weapons bounce together.

[Gengy]

Kyoshin pulls out a carrot from his shoulder sack, and, before eating it, the tip almost seems to point directly at the tree just long enough for Natsumi to catch. Kyoshin gulps down the carrot and reaches into his sack once more for a tomato.

With one hand, he holds the tomato out threateningly.

With the other, he peels off the log piece like he has peeled away so many bananas; with practiced ease and lightning speed. The bananas never stand a chance, and neither does the fake bark.

"Come out slowly or I swear, this tomato will... um..." Kyoshin pauses, though whether it's because he can't think of anything threatening to say, or because he sees who was under the tarp, no one knows.

[Rejakor]

Shimura Shin

"Sayuri-san. Shin says, his voice slightly, coolly, surprised, surprise which swiftly turns to warmth. "You are here too! Good to see you." He gives her a beaming smile, which behind a patina of calm nervously fades away, and then turns to look, faintly puzzled at the rabbit. "Sayuri-san and... companion?" He raises his thin black eyebrows tremulously, a traditional inquiry.

[Faithdreamer]

Sayuri

The Kyusuki daughter wears a spitefully cool expression in the shadow of a hand she’s using to accentuate her face. Quick as a Shinobi she steals the gossamer blanket back through the big dopey Genin’s fingers.
“Kyo-chan,” Tonelessly poignant. If he wanted to he could follow her hand along the slowly agonizing path it took from mystifying her expression to touching him on the tip of his nose with a solitary finger. “think about it.”
Its tepid greetings for an unwanted house pest preferably gone; stale anger and glittery irritation consumes the space between them. Free as the wind she’s listening to Shin, a polite pause for half a heartbeat after his words fade away finished. It’s hard to feel like she isn’t already thinking about a zillion other things she’d rather be doing. Stirring the calm water of her brain and learning and knowing and reciting and working after new things while she talks.
“We’re supposed to keep a secret. Kuro-sama hasn’t been this way. These so-called four sharpest Genin in our village are dull like this stick.” Brushing passed Kyoshin brings her closer to Natsumi and Shin so she can crouch to pick up a long, thin broken branch. As sharp as the ends are you get the feeling her words are supposed to be a not-very-veiled insult. Sayuri starts scratching graceful curves in the mud – calligraphy she hardly bothers to look at while she scans between Shin and Natsumi.

If you tell everyone how many ninja can just leave for no good reason we won’t have a home to take anyone back to!

Her eyes linger on Shin for a second longer but her calligraphy hardly suffers for it. “Mother implies I should marry you even if I’m half as old as you are. There’s no way that would happen when you’re as drab as everyone else. You won’t be taking me home.”
Sayuri smears the message and with her next step turns to face Kyoshin with a glare. She doesn’t spare him another word and instead opts to give her apparent attention to Natsumi. “While you search inside Konohagakure with the others the Shimura child can follow me.”

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Craft (Calligraphy) - 10+11=21

[Phecto]

While everyone else is running off Shunrai decides to keep the guards occupied "So can either of you recommend any places to eat while we're here? It was a bit of a run to get here and I'm pretty sure we all want to be well fed whenever we catch up to our targets. I'm sort of determined to keep my record of not having eaten any of Kurina's cooking." She sighs and shakes her head a bit "Ever since seeing that look in Kyo's eyes after each time he's recovered from having some makes me believe there are things worse than death." She lowers her head for a moment of silence before returning her eyes to them "Oh and is there anything else we should do or know about while we're here? I mean I can't imagine anyone thinking a couple of kids like us are important enough to even take notice of or able to cause more trouble than possibly some noise but I figure we might as well be as diplomatic about this as we can be despite the fact that none of us are great in the area of social skills. Kinda sad really considering we're also hunting down people that totally outclass us to the point that we'll only find them if they come looking for us"

[Gengy]

Kyoshin puts the tomato away, saving the threat of it's arguable fruit/vegetable destruction for some other time, and watches Sayuri.

"Uh, that stick isn't all that... oh." Kyoshin blushes, embarrassed. Understanding now, he watches Sayuri with the same amazement and confusion being around her usual evokes; lots of confusion, with a little bit of amazement, mixed with a tiny trace of relief of not being her direct teammate, and an equally tiny trace of regret for having those thoughts of relief.

Kyoshin looks at Shin. "You wanna go with her? I thought Kuro-sensei was supposedly after her... but if we found her first, I guess not. Which means it's something... or someone... else that made Kuro-sensei leave the... er..."

Remembering the calligraphy on the ground, Kyoshin puts his hand to his mouth, and shuts himself up.

"Nevermind. But Natsumi-san is right. I think we need to at least check Konaha, and gather what info we can."

[ZeroNumerous]

Guards

"Of course I know where to find great places to eat at. One place I suggest is the grillhouse down the road from here. They serve some pretty good sirloin." The other chuunin just remains quiet. "The other stuff you can just ask the Police captain. Like my friend said earlier, all visiting Haigakure shinobi need to visit the captain to inform him of their arrival."

[Phecto]

"We'll have to check that out, after visiting the captain of course. I don't suppose we can get a guide there? I mean I wouldn't want us to get lost and not go through the proper procedures promptly." She smiles to him and rocks back on her heels, wondering what's taking so long.

[AlienRat]

Natsumi's fingers pry under her forehead protector to rub at her forehead. Well, they atleast found Sayuri, not part of their mission, but something. She glances over at Kyoshin. Her voice is kept low though. "He wouldn't be looking for her, he was gone before he knew." Her eyes settle on Sayuri. "Dispite your belief, Tenmai sent us here. She told us to be freindly, and cooperate. The war is over." The tall girl shrugs and nods toward the guards. "We're cooperating."

She then turns and takes a step back toward where Shunrai is, but pauses near Shin. "Your mission is your own. And she is your team, good luck." Onward she goes back to the guards.

"Sorry to leave you Shunrai-san. I thought I saw a couple mushrooms Shin might be interested in."

[Phecto]

Shunrai smiles to Natsumi "If they are the sort of mushrooms I think you might be talking about, I hope Shin keeps them to himself as much as I hope Kurina keeps her cooking to herself. This really friendly guy here has just been telling me about a good place to get some food"

[Rejakor]

Shimura Shin

Shin's eyebrows raised so high he nearly fell backward off the log he was sitting on, the self-same hiding-log that Miya and Sayuri had hidden themselves on. "Me..." His suddenly blank face, previously minding it's own business, conceals an obvious swirl of thoughts and emotions, mainly shock and confusion. Shin is still struggling to assimilate this new information kami, what?, and keep his balance on the log, as one by one both Kyoshin and Natsumi abandon him to the clutches of Sayuri and her pet rabbit. He nearly gets up and follows them, a half-hearted "Wait..." escaping his lips as walk out of hearing towards Shunrai and the konoha gate guards.

After looking around, seeing no way to exit the situation, and no means of escape, he hangs his head slightly, and turns vaguely in Sayuri's direction. "O-ahhh... It's good to see you're alright?"

[Faithdreamer]

Sayuri

Adjusting her jingasa very precisely so it seemed to float on her head Sayuri listened. So busy kneeling to set the stick down she hadn’t another thing to do. Walking away leaving tracks in the mud jingling her weapons with every step; Nakamura-san looked a bit strange to her. “You have good luck too Nakamura-san!” Sayuri didn’t smile.

Frowning at all the muck sticking to her sandals she took time for a little stretching. This was pulling on the limits of her patience. By the time Sayuri was finished her arms were crossed underneath her chest and she was standing there trying to ward off the chill. A furtive glance was the only cue Kyoshin got before the spot she was in before suddenly looked empty. Ten feet away Sayuri was already gliding off into the forest sunrise around the great wall on her way to a different gate.

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Shodan Kousoku until it wears off then jogging for two minutes. I’ll gradually turn toward the forest and jog for another minute before I begin a brisk march in that same diagonal direction until I’m able to find the road. I’ll follow the forest exactly along the edge before it meets the open space where the road will be. My general direction would be Otogakure with a preference for any hot spring towns I find along the way

Interlude

Rushing through a quick series of fake hand signs before she raced into the forest gave her no time to think about the funny looks the others could give her if they were following along. She was careful not to confuse the smoke bomb she took from her pouch with something else. That would have been embarrassing. When she was immersed a little more in the forest she mixed the chemicals in the bomb and broke it open next to a copse of especially damp trees.
The smoke was getting thick enough for her to move – she arranged herself in the proper stance and took a deep breath from inside her clothes.

“Haya!” She brushed the tree with a gentleness belying her speed. There was no questioning the sizzle of searing air burning at the trees. She ‘tried to set them on fire’ twice more before she went sliding a few steps back to go through another set of hand signs.
Knowing how carefully she should count in the smoke a Sayuri thick as smoke appeared. She was into the next set of signs without stopping to look at her double mostly because she needed the charm of three Sayuri girls in one spot at the same time.

As they’d expect of a ridiculous dream like this one Sayuri sat down and tried not to cry her head off next to the trees. She was ‘thinking’. By then Sayuri was already hidden somewhere in the trees while the clone Sayuri was creeping very carefully around the bottom of the trees. She was a ‘ninja’.
Her eyes were watering so much she practically couldn’t see. And the Burning!
She tried to breathe calmly, it wasn’t exactly easy concentrating on a clone, sneaking through the trees and trying not to cough at the same time.

Seconds after the real Sayuri and the clone Sayuri were creeping and ‘creeping’ away the weeping Sayuri would turn into a log with a pile of leaves near it. As anyone following might expect from an academy student in too deep hot water.
Kunoichi-and-not-there crept through the forest as quietly as she could. When she saw the road all the mud she’d been scratching her skin for finally made sense. She chanced waiting on the idea she wouldn’t smell so strongly like smoke.

The Clone took six steps along the edge of the forest and vanished in a small cloud of dense fog.

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Sayuri is hurt with (2d4)[2] Stamina damage.
I’ve used a smoke bomb, Bunshin no Jutsu and Kawarimi no Jutsu as part of my deception. Kawarimi no Jutsu lets me make a Hide check.

(1d20+12)[32] – Hide
(1d20+12)[18] – Move Silently
I’ll also be concentrating for one full round once I’ve settled on one spot to wait so I can Suppress Chakra on myself. Then I’ll concentrate for five more to lower my Chakra signature again.

Breathing and rubbing at her eyes with one hand Sayuri willed herself to be a little less noticeable. Acting like everything depended on it might make her thoughts real. When she was absolutely certain several minutes passed, she counted to ten five hundred times before she looked around then moved again. She crept like a small animal from place to place through the edge of the forest.

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(1d20+12)[21] – Hide
(1d20+12)[19] – Move Silently
Bunshin no Jutsu
Letting go of my Chakra suppression

Later she pushed her hands together to make the seals for another Clone and sent it along the edge of the forest close to the road, tired and stumbling and walking slowly. Someone looking for her without seeing the real Sayuri yet knew exactly how she felt. It didn’t take someone like Kuro-sama to know she wouldn’t be able to keep up if the not-there-her walked any faster. If no one tried to ambush her doppelganger by the time it disappeared like the last one she’d have to search carefully before she moved on.
When she was satisfied she wouldn’t find any close by Hunter-nin looking for Uchiha-san she stood up carefully and walked along the road. She was tired of being scratched and dirtied. Praying to the heavens above a hot spring or some water would show up the Kyusuki-hime tried not to think about her dirty clothes while she thought about everything else.

[Gengy]

Kyoshin wanders over to Natsumi and Shunrai, not intentionally leaving Shin to his fate, but still doing it.

"Well, no sense in waiting. Shall we go in?" With a bob of his head to the guards, Kyoshin gets ready to follow the girls in.

(OOC: Curse you, simu-post!)

Kyoshin waves the smoke from his eyes and coughs once, then sighs. With a shrug at Shin, the large genin says, "I guess you're with us?"

Patting Shin on the shoulder, Kyoshin wander over to Natsumi and Shunrai.

"Sayuri-san is gone again. Do we go in, or go after her?" Looking at the girls' expressions, Kyoshin grins. "Right. In we go, I guess. No sense in waiting, not if Kurina-sensei's in there."

With a bob of his head to the guards, Kyoshin gets ready to follow the girls in.

[Rejakor]

Shimura Shin

Shin looked up, narrowing his eyes, cryptic words of warning to Kyoshin his only warning before Sayuri suddenly blurred and disappeared in a rush of speed. He stood up in an instant, confused thoughts rushing through his mind before crystallizing into a single action. Words from Kyoshin ripped to bits on the wind of his passage, vision closing in to a tunnel as his mouth became a single, narrow, line. "Nidan Kousoku." The Shin-shaped blur rocketed into the forest after Sayuri.

And right into a smoke bomb. Coughing, he staggers out of the smoke cloud, then, his thoughts coalesce again. Damn it. Damn it! Looking around wildly, he focusses his perceptions, looking around for any trace of Sayuri, or the enemy shinobi even now springing from ambush.

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Spot - (1d20+5)[10](15)

Activating Sense Chakra.

Sorry Faith, but we'll have to roll back the action till now. :p Feel free to post Sayuri's reaction to a Shin chasing her.

[Faithdreamer]

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Things that take place during an Interlude are implied ‘in the middle’. If you follow Sayuri assume anything underneath the second heading happens while on the road. Not immediately in other words.

[Rejakor]

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Umm, okay. So.. you just walk off? I guess Shin gets up and follows you then? Um?...

Cause he wouldn't have gotten up, activated a technique, if she just stood up and started walking off. He would have gotten up, hurried after her, and asked where she was going. I also think Kyoshin wouldn't have said that.

EDIT: Oh, okay, I see. She activates Shoudan Kousoku, and then jogs off, and later on tries to shake any pursuit with the smoke bomb. Right. Um. So... since there's no smoke bomb, Shin catches up easily with Sayuri? And she says...?

[Faithdreamer]

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Sayuri: ". . ."

[Rejakor]

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I guess I should just write a post detailing Shin's reaction to your first action, then. And we'll work from there.

[Callos_DeTerran]

Miya

It frustrated her when the one picked her out despite her disguise, frustrating but not angering and so the only action the rabbit took at the moment was to glare malevolently at the one who had done it. Not that she was going to stay there when her 'companion' suddenly took off away from these that supposedly knew her and were on good terms with them. With a poof of smoke the rabbit disappeared to reveal that surprisingly pretty kunoichi standing were once there had been just a rabbit.

Coolly looking over those who had gathered before a frosty grin came to her lips. Turning she simply began to walk down the road...no intricate deceptions or fail-safes since, after all, why would they have any interest in her? Before she got too far though looked over her shoulder to those curious others, same chilly smile on her face. A quick and subtle glance around to gauge how close Sayuri might be...if she could hear and waiting until she had passed beyond to speak.

"Don't follow us to Otagakure...I doubt your going to get a very warm welcome from the natives...or us." It was a rather ominous statement to make but she paused for just a moment to look at Natsumi and give a subtle knowing wink before turning back around and following along the road she best thought that her newest companion would take figuring that she would catch up eventually...after all the girl was using up chakra like crazy and would need to stop to rest eventually. By then Miya should be able to close the distance and find out just what sort of game she was involved in because if nothing else, it was exciting.

[Rejakor]

Shimura Shin

As Sayuri starts to leave, Shin looks a bit worried and makes as if to stand up. Sayuri drifts away, as if in a dream, faster than anyone has any right to drift. "Sayuri." He calls out, and then looks anguished. "Sayuri!" Shin looks from Kyoshin and the rest to the rapidly disappearing Sayuri for a moment, and then is up and chasing after her. "Sayuri-san! Hey! Sayuri-san!" He pauses for a moment, and swears. "Kami..." His eyes narrow, slightly, and then close, focussing. Everything slows down, and Shin is moving forward, head down into wind that suddenly seems the consistency of warm butter, chakra flowing through his veins, mark burning at his wrist.

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Nidan Kousoku to try and catch up with Sayuri. Do I need to roll something, or does the better technique win? :p He's going to try and put a hand on her shoulder, kind of thing. We'll see where that goes.

[Faithdreamer]

Sayuri

It wasn’t going to work whatever he might be thinking it was hard for her to talk going this fast. Shin’s hand fell across her body for all the frostbite it got. If he’d humour the thought – he went fingers first on a cold shoulder.
“I’m not speaking to you.” She was slowing down and her tone was childish. She didn’t spare any more words when they found the road leading in the right cardinal direction. This time it was a ‘look’, familiar as a child’s crying face trying to show little emotion when the world was harsh treatment.

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Bluff – (1d20+8)[20]

[Rejakor]

Shimura Shin

"Sayuri..." Something of entreaty enters Shins faintly breathless tone, his hand still on the kunoichi's shoulder. After a few more moments to get his breath back, the black-haired genin, letting go of Sayuri's shoulder and staggering for a moment, blinks, looks around at the road and shrubbery, and turns his gaze back to Sayuri. "Where are we going?" He's a bit plaintive, at this stage.

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Sense Motive - (1d20+0)[4](4)

[AlienRat]

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ooc: Sorry for the delay, wanted to wait and see if we'd have a Shin or a ninja rabbit following us into the city. Then the weekend hit...

Natsumi nod politely to the two guards. "If you could point us to where the captain is we'll be on our way." Then provided the guards atleast point in a general direction the young womans starts walking. She keeps pace to remain near Kyoshin and Shunrai. Once away from the guards and around a corner she whispers to her two team mates just loud enough for them to hear. "Though I don't agree with Sayuri fully. Perhaps it'd be best if we do just what we have to do. Introduce ourselves to the police chief. Lets try not to volunteer any information we don't have to."

Her head turns, eyes scanning to see if they're being followed. Just feeling oddly paranoid since she's not in her own town. "If pressed we're on a mission from Tenmai. If pressed further, we're supposed to recover Kurina's cook book, Kurina may have the book, we don't know why we're getting the book. That sounds like a suitably mind numbing mission genin would get." Some days, she wishes they actually got missions like that. Oh well.

[Phecto]

Shunrai follows into the city and listens to Natsumi's suggestions. "As long as the guards at the gate don't pass on what they know that might work. Are we leaving Kuro to his team and focusing on Kurina?"

[Gengy]

"No. I don't think we should do that. If we see Kuro-sensei, we need to help him, or at least see if he's still injured. If it comes down to seeing Kuro-sensei and Kurina-sensei at the same time, however, and they split up..." Kyoshin looks down at his two teammates. His jaw becomes set as he frowns.

"...then I think... then I think we need to pursue Kurina-sensei first. If we can snap her out of whatever mood she's in, she'll help us with Kuro-sensei."

The big genin bows his head to the guards as he walks by, and then laces his fingers behind his large skull, walking in a relaxed, nonthreatening manner behind Natsumi and Shunrai. Anyone with eyes in their head, however, can tell that the overly large genin is constantly scanning the area in front of the group for anything odd.