[Aika]

TIME: 7:45PM

(If you guys split up for whatever reason I will write to separate paragraphs.)

Yumi: 

Yumi would take off first, out the door with her puppet and a call that the noise could have been Mako in trouble. Out the door and into the woods, being careful not to trip over or make too much noise. There'd be a minute or so's head start between Rin and Raimaa and Yumi. But it was enough that she'd realise how alone and just how quiet the forest had grown. Bolting through the woods the girl would push through bracken and earth to reach a clearing. There was smoke in the area, someone had used a smoke bomb, but there was no other noise. 

A quick and quiet hand would grab Yumi's mouth from behind. The girl could react but it would happen and she would be turned so quickly she'd see Mako pulling her behind a thick tree trunk and forcing her to crouch down. The girl would put her finger to her lips: shh! But why was she being quiet? And then the branches on the tree opposite the clearing would snap and if Yumi followed Mako's point she'd be treated to the sight of a man, at least, almost a man: humanoid in shape, but not quite all human, fingers would be elongated, face dirty, hair over grown and unkempt. They were stood in the treetop looking and it had been by Mako's hands that Yumi hadn't ran straight under them. 

They would hear Rin and Raimaa running not far behind and the man's head would turn towards the noise. Until another, louder clicking, would be heard on the opposite end of the clearing. Something else was coming. Mako would crouch to look, eyes widening slightly, before glancing back at Yumi. The young girl would have time to grab Rin and Raimaa if she wanted to, whatever was going on, perhaps it would be good to watch rather than run in inexperienced arms waving.


Rin & Raimaa:

He'd run off afterwards, not so far behind that he couldn't see Yumi running into the bracken, but further enough away that eventually the woods would get too thick again and he'd lose sight of the girl behind ancient trees and moss. They'd have to jump over bracken and old roots jutting into the air like spikes. Running through the woods was loud, however, and it would garner the momentary attention of something ahead. 

Until a louder snapping and a larger clicking noise, throaty, would sound from the clearing just ahead of them. If Yumi didn't catch Rin and Raimaa, they would run straight into the clearing and into the maw of danger. The sight greeted would be one for Rin's notebook, most definitely. If Yumi did catch Raimaa and Rin then they'd have a chance to watch and to learn. The tree trunk would be in the way for now, Mako's choice of hiding place had hidden them in fern and bracken. Smoke was clearing. Soon they'd see not just the man in the tree but the clicking noise of whatever was ahead of them.

Depending whether they wanted to tackle this spooky new problem head on with fang and blade, or if they wanted to watch and learn, they'd have one hell of a revelation on their hands. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

SPOILER: Click to show

TEAMMATES

Genin 1:  


NAME: Fujiyaku Raimaa
Village: Kumogakure no Sato
Personality: First impressions: Shy and unassuming. Raimaa brings thought to the team but otherwise fails to inspire leadership. You have yet to work out fully her entire personality.
Specs: Genjutsu Sole?
Pointers: Upon searching the house, Raimaa has revealed she has an intelligent streak and is capable of thinking outside the box.

Genin 2: 

NAME: Girata Mako
Village: Kirigakure no Sato
Personality: First impressions: A little defensive. Mako isn't entirely forthcoming with information about herself. She just wants to get out of the forest as quick as possible. You have yet to work out fully her entire personality. 
Specs: Ninjutsu Primary | Taijutsu Secondary
Pointers: Mako is good at being quiet when the need suits her, stealth seems to be one of her fortes...


ENEMIES

None at this time.


CLUES FOUND

The man at the gate told you to find your first clue north-west of the starting point.
The team have come across an old, abandoned house.
Yumie found an old journal.
The journal indicates two paths to take: the bridge over the river to the mine, or the path through the woods to the lake. 
Mako is missing. There was a loud bang.
The team have discovered a shape in the forest that went in the direction of the bang.

Information will change in the spoiler in some rounds, so pay attention to the spoiler box on each post in case it changes.

POSTING ROUND 9

Posting time limit: 48 hours

[Yumi Yuie]

Stopping her stealthy approach at a newly revealed clearing, Yumi squinted her eyes as she tried to see through the remnants of smoke on the ground. Judging from the details on the ground, Mako had been here, as she had previously suspected. Now she just needed to find her missing teammate. Before she could make any other movements however, a cold hand pressed up against her face. As the puppeteer prepared to retaliate, she was quickly turned around and pulled towards Mako. Yumi watched silently as she was pulled into a crouch and motioned to keep quiet. Nodding her head in confirmation, the young ninja turned her head towards where Mako was pointing. And what met her eyes was something interesting indeed.

The source of the nearby sound was a humanoid shape that could only be considered loosely a man. The proportions of the creature were all wrong, hinting at the idea that the mysterious creature wasn’t completely human. It was a good thing Mako had stopped her before she ran into the clearing or she would have been in for a hard time. As the two girls examined the shuffling creature, the noise of her other two teammates soon reached their ears. And judging from the turn of the man’s head, it seemed that they weren’t the only ones who had heard their approach. Not only that, a loud clicking began to occur on the other side of the clearing, signaling that the mysterious man wasn’t alone. Yumi would need to be careful with what she was about to do if she wanted to get away stealthily. She would have to be very careful indeed.

Moving closer to Mako and crouching even lower, Yumi sent out her puppet quietly towards her other two teammates. Closing her eyes, Yumi began to look through her puppet’s eyes and search for her other two teammates. If Ms. Bubbles found them in time, she would approach the oncoming group quietly and make shushing motions towards her wayward teammates before motioning them to hide in a nearby bush. Since Yumi and Mako were crouched and huddled together, the odds of them being found were pretty slim. She could confidently say that it definitely wasn’t the same for her other teammates. Hopefully they would listen to her warning, but who knew? She would need to be prepared for anything.

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Papettobijon [Puppet Vision]
RANK: D
CHAKRA USAGE: Very Low
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu (Puppetry)
ELEMENT: None
DESCRIPTION:
By closing their eyes and concentrating on their chakra strings, a puppeteer is able to look through the eyes of one of their puppets, assuming their puppet has eyes. This effect lasts as long as the puppeteer's strings are connected to their puppet and they have their eyes closed. This technique allows the puppeteer to scout around by using their puppets and to also help them see if they are hidden inside their puppet. The vision from the puppet is relatively the same as normal vision but with slightly reduced color.

Words. 394 Tags. Notes.

Template by Kuroya of THQ & GS.

[Sato Rin]

There was a lot of haphazard running in the darkness and pursuing. Rin could barely see, but he was desperately following the sounds of movement to the best of his ability. Until the movement stopped, and he was forced to pursue based on instinct and his vague directional abilities as a low-class shinobi. They were going East. That was all he could muster. Him and Raimaa went on until the puppet showed up in his line of sight waving moderately for them to stop. The puppet was a sign that Yumi was close, but its odd gestures alone were enough to get Rin to stop running swiftly and put an arm out for Raimaa to stop too.

That was when he heard the noises, he wasn't sure what kind of noises but he took this as a chance to swiftly crouch and dip into the trees. Coverage was necessary, and he knew well enough that if the puppet was around then Yumi was okay. Whether Mako was or not was to be seen for Rin but they were done running and chasing for now. Now they needed to figure out what to do next... Which based on those sounds he was pretty sure on what he wanted to do. Which was move around the clearing and head on straight, continue towards the bridge that they had learned about.

There was no winning in tackling an enemy of unknown powers in a challenge where one was supposed to reach the finish line before sunrise. Fighting would only waste time...

His breathing would slow now as they crouched in the bush and bracken and he would watch the clearing his body remaining unnervingly immobile and he as silent as he could manage with even his breathing slowed down. Something had heard them coming, an odd looking humanoid... thing. But that was not what was making the noise.

Watch and learn, but Rin didn't want to dally either, so he would assess just long enough before coming up with the next action plan... Once they knew what was out there, he would pull out his notebook and write a note on some paper to Yumi to stick upon her puppet so that she could retrieve it quickly. Notes were useful and silent. No speaking required.

SPOILER: Click to show

Note to follow once whatever is out there is revealed. If this is too preemptive I can remove the last few lines from the post

[Aika]

TIME: 7:45PM

(If you guys split up for whatever reason I will write to separate paragraphs.)

Clearing View:

But the clicking and the clacking did not emerge from the shadows cast by the rising moon. No matter what the Genin did to lean and search the bracken and trees were much too heavy to see the originator of the sounds. But it would be obvious to all in the room that the thing in the trees did see the noise maker. 

The creature in the trees, an angle they could all see, would hunch forwards on the branch, arms dangling over its strangled looking torso. There was a grunt from the creature low in its throat that permeated through the clearing, it was irritated by the noise. The thing would jump down from the tree branch with a heavy thud, landing in the water of the clearing with a sploosh. It didn't seem too bothered about keeping quiet as lumbering long legs kicked up the water, dangling arms slashing at the floor.

The clicking would continue the entire time the creature in the trees showed off its display of dominance. The creature from the trees leaned further forward and screeched with such intensity that it would have all of the Genin holding their ears. It would be deafeningly loud, loud enough for them to have to grit their teeth at the noise. 

And then. 

Silence. 

If they paid the most attention the clicking would have stopped too. 

The creature from the trees lumbered forwards, a low animalistic echoing thrown out to the heavier shrubbery where the clicking had originated from. The creature from the trees was vexed. Where did the clicking go? 

If the group were paying attention they'd notice it wasn't in the same place, but where? If they were lucky they would be sitting still, not moving. Rin would find Raimaa making the tiniest of noises from her throat, for now, this was outsounded by the creature from the trees. Mako would be squinting into the dark looking for where the clicking had gone too. 

But it would all happen so quickly, out of sight and with such a ferocity it would be something so unlike anything the Genin had ever faced: like the sound of two animals fighting to the death, guttural screeching, heavy gnashing and smashing of teeth. The fighting would be closest to Rin and Raimaa's tree.

And then... silence. 

Except for the sound of a heavy thud. Something had fallen to the floor. But it was best they did not move just yet. Raimaa would lean to look, but would Rin stop her? If he didn't the girl would lean around the tree trunk, crawling out to get a better look. Rin would not have the time to send his note to Yumi - if the girl was lucky she'd have hidden her puppet well out of reach.

Mako would turn to look at Yumi with panicked orbs, mouthing silently: where did it go?!

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

SPOILER: Click to show

TEAMMATES

Genin 1:  


NAME: Fujiyaku Raimaa
Village: Kumogakure no Sato
Personality: First impressions: Shy and unassuming. Raimaa brings thought to the team but otherwise fails to inspire leadership. You have yet to work out fully her entire personality.
Specs: Genjutsu Sole?
Pointers: Upon searching the house, Raimaa has revealed she has an intelligent streak and is capable of thinking outside the box.

Genin 2: 

NAME: Girata Mako
Village: Kirigakure no Sato
Personality: First impressions: A little defensive. Mako isn't entirely forthcoming with information about herself. She just wants to get out of the forest as quick as possible. You have yet to work out fully her entire personality. 
Specs: Ninjutsu Primary | Taijutsu Secondary
Pointers: Mako is good at being quiet when the need suits her, stealth seems to be one of her fortes...


ENEMIES


NAME: Creature from the Trees
STATUS: UNKNOWN
ABILITIES:

NAME:
STATUS: UNKNOWN
ABILITIES: From what the team have heard, the unknown assailant clicks. Whether this is an ability or not remains to be seen.


CLUES FOUND

The man at the gate told you to find your first clue north-west of the starting point.
The team have come across an old, abandoned house.
Yumie found an old journal.
The journal indicates two paths to take: the bridge over the river to the mine, or the path through the woods to the lake. 
Mako is missing. There was a loud bang.
The team have discovered a shape in the forest that went in the direction of the bang.

Information will change in the spoiler in some rounds, so pay attention to the spoiler box on each post in case it changes.

POSTING ROUND 9

Posting time limit: 48 hours

[Yumi Yuie]

Thankfully Raimaa and Rin decided to listen to her message and hide nearby. Grabbing the note Rin handed her and looking at it, Ms. Bubbles gave him a nod before climbing the tree above him. But before she could head back, the situation in the clearing began to drastically change. The two strange creatures quickly vanished from her sight and began fighting ferociously in the dark. The screeching only lasted for a few moments before an eerie silence began to fill the forest. A thud nearby signaled that one of the creatures had won. But as to where it was now was a mystery that needed to be solved. Such a dangerous creature lurking nearby would be good for no one here. They needed to do something quickly.

Glancing towards a faraway tree to the west, Ms. Bubbles silently folded her arm down and shot a heavy dart towards it. Hopefully when the dart landed, the sound would distract the creature and it would run in the opposite direction of the group of genins. If the monster proceeded to fall for the trap, Ms. Bubbles would then lead Rin and Raimaa towards Yumi’s location silently. Once the group were all together, they could then proceed eastwards once more.

Words. 208 Tags. Notes.

Template by Kuroya of THQ & GS.

[Sato Rin]

The sound that emitted had Rin shutting his ears immediately, squinting as he tried to continue to see what was going on. He couldn't tell what was going on, but the second the sound stopped he was no longer holding onto his ears... Fighting. Now there was fighting. His stomach tightened in fear, it was not sounds he had ever heard before. This was genuinely terrifying. But they couldn't be caught doing nothing. Not in this situation. They had to get out and get to the bridge, off to the east. They were on their way to the east when all of this had occurred so they were set up okay....

Rin grabbed Raimaa before she could so much as move, and his finger was placed over his lips momentarily to tell her to stop making noises with her throat. It was dead silent after the fight, and she couldn't do that. Plus, she had to stay hidden with him. If she was in danger, HE was in danger....

Then he heard the thud, his gaze darted around. If whatever danger there was - the creature or both - followed the sound of the weapon hitting the tree trunk. Rin would get a visual on the enemy. Silently he would pull out his injection sniper shot, stick a single sleeping agent suspended in liquid into it and would shoot it - silently - at the creature. If the creature was even remotely human then it would go to sleep. If it was not then hopefully the medic powered sleeping agent would make it drowsy and slow enough that even if it tried to chase the group of genin in the near future it wouldn't be able to keep up properly.

For now though, this was all hypothetical and if all went as described then Rin with Raimaa would silently join the other two. Rin making a head motion that they should go.

Eastward towards the bridge they would go, engaging their shinobi instincts and moving as silently as humanely possible. No sound, no attention just hopefully a very quiet and smooth transition to the next stage of the area.

SPOILER: Click to show

SA used:
Precision Boy
Due to his extensive medical training over many months of grueling and hard study he knows how to be very precise in his movements in all situations. His muscles twitch precisely in battle, and his weapon throws are genuinely more impressive especially more so than anyone of his level. Precision is also handy in medical ninjutsu, as his precision gives him a steady hand when needing to extract something or simply be more careful in a situation when it comes to the human body.

Items:
01 | Injection Shot Sniper
1/5 Injection Shot
1/5 Sleeping Agent

[Yoshiko]

TIME: 7:47PM

(If you guys split up for whatever reason I will write two separate paragraphs.)

Clearing View:

A plan of sorts was concocted by the Amegakure shinobi, as she'd attempt to send a heavy dart out into the visible distance. A tree more specifically would clunk with the weapons successful hit. However there'd be more than just the sound of the clunk, as it'd of followed the sound of the mechanism releasing it. This puppet wasn't far from Rin and Raimaa and thus nearby the last thudding sound heard.

A poor choice perhaps for positioning, as well as maybe not the right time to attack. As on the opposite side of the tree from the pair and puppet a creaking sound could be heard. As though would was being slowly wavered with weight or grip, it was above the duo, but opposite side of the tree to them. It could of been the tree or a tree over, it was hard to pinpoint the sound, as it'd be brief and followed by the sudden thud of the puppeteers weapon.

A sound which might of drawn the creatures attention, but could of drawn anythings attention. An actual being however wouldn't manifest to the weapons location. Instead another sound more distant, as though branches shaking could be heard near the weapons destination. Had the creature gone around and move to a new tree nearby the weapon's landing point? It'd be hard to believe something moved so quickly with so little sound.

Raimaa stopped would look on at Rin, as he'd silence her and she'd nod nervously. Once again twiddling her hair with fear and anticipation. It'd seem Rin was preparing some sort of attack, but likely to his dismay no target presented itself. Her glances getting more swift, as tension grew quickly.

Mako attempting to steel herself, as she'd place a hand firmly on her swords hilt. If they couldn't avoid the creature, then they'd have to fight it. However the look on her face made it clear she wanted nothing more than to not have to test her metal against whatever made those noises.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

SPOILER: Click to show

TEAMMATES

Genin 1:  


NAME: Fujiyaku Raimaa
Village: Kumogakure no Sato
Personality: First impressions: Shy and unassuming. Raimaa brings thought to the team but otherwise fails to inspire leadership. You have yet to work out fully her entire personality.
Specs: Genjutsu Sole?
Pointers: Upon searching the house, Raimaa has revealed she has an intelligent streak and is capable of thinking outside the box.

Genin 2: 

NAME: Girata Mako
Village: Kirigakure no Sato
Personality: First impressions: A little defensive. Mako isn't entirely forthcoming with information about herself. She just wants to get out of the forest as quick as possible. You have yet to work out fully her entire personality. 
Specs: Ninjutsu Primary | Taijutsu Secondary
Pointers: Mako is good at being quiet when the need suits her, stealth seems to be one of her fortes...


ENEMIES


NAME: Creature from the Trees
STATUS: UNKNOWN
ABILITIES:

NAME:
STATUS: UNKNOWN
ABILITIES: From what the team have heard, the unknown assailant clicks. Whether this is an ability or not remains to be seen.


CLUES FOUND

The man at the gate told you to find your first clue north-west of the starting point.
The team have come across an old, abandoned house.
Yumie found an old journal.
The journal indicates two paths to take: the bridge over the river to the mine, or the path through the woods to the lake. 
Mako is missing. There was a loud bang.
The team have discovered a shape in the forest that went in the direction of the bang.
Something or Something(s) lurk in the trees

Information will change in the spoiler in some rounds, so pay attention to the spoiler box on each post in case it changes.

POSTING ROUND 9

Posting time limit: 48 hours

[Yumi Yuie]

It seemed the trap that Yumi had set for the monster had failed, or so it seemed. Something had moved to where Ms. Bubble’s dart had landed, but unfortunately there were probably more than two monsters in this forest. The question was had the monster nearby moved to her dart, or had something else? Thanks to the darkness and lack of visibility, there was no way for the group to figure out the correct answer. They would have to guess and hope they made the correct decision. If they didn’t, well they would have to face the consequences. And from the looks of things, that was something they wouldn't have fun doing.

Moving her hand slightly, Yumi had Ms. Bubbles silently scale a nearby tree between her and Rin. Examining her surroundings carefully, Ms. Bubbles kept a watch for any sudden appearance a monster might make. The reason she chose to have her puppet climb the tree was to see if it was safe to move yet. If Ms. Bubbles managed to climb the tree without incident, then the group could move on. If not, then her puppet would be exposed and they would probably have to fight. Still, it was better Ms. Bubbles than Yumi. The puppeteer wasn’t as sturdy as the puppet after all.

Words. 216 Tags. Notes.

Template by Kuroya of THQ & GS.

[Sato Rin]

Rin flinched a little bit at the thunk, that was followed by nothing. Mostly creaking wood nearby, and then more sound coming from the direction of where the weapon had hit. Slowly Rin would dismantle what he had hoped would be a target he could hit. Save the weapon for later. He didn't know if anyone was doing literally anything, but in this instance he didn't have a puppet to explore the sounds instead he quietly wondered what he could do. His gaze darting around in a soft panic, they needed to figure out a solution and very quickly. There was something they could do... Perhaps Raimaa could, but it was very obvious that she was too scared to function. Which was fine.... But not exactly ideal.

He let out a small exhale as if trying to steel himself, prepare himself for what might come. The next thing he did was reach into his holster quietly and pull out two objects. A kunai, and a rather odd one.. A spoon. He rubbed the round end of the spoon against his jacket and then used it as a reflective piece to see if he could get a peak of anything behind them around the tree and even used it to look upwards. If he could spot movement, or a figure he could make a good next move or at least try to stay out of its sight so that he and Raimaa could rejoin the rest of the team.

The kunai? Well the kunai was for protection in case something spotted him moving even a little bit, at least he would have a weapon to make an immediate move with. They had to keep moving, and stalling here was far from what he wanted to do and he had a feeling that everyone else agreed. They just needed to move on. Past the clearing and to the bridge.

Come on, come on... Something had to show itself, right?

[Yoshiko]

TIME: 7:49PM

(If you guys split up for whatever reason I will write two separate paragraphs.)

Clearing View:

It'd be a mixture of luck and skill that'd cause the next few moment to pass uninterrupted. As the puppet scaling the tree would thankfully be light enough with it's puppeteers lift and the tree strong enough no notable noises were made. Instead it'd get to it's higher up position to just barely see a distant figure, somewhat near the darts landing to be leaving.

Rin similarly presenting no noises as he'd attempt to use a spoon to spot around the tree. There'd be a body on the ground lifeless in place, as well as glancing upward a movement to fast to follow. Further investigation would seem to provide no other information, as the spoon wasn't the best mirror in these dark brush covered woods. It'd potentially leave them all with a sense of security, as after all they'd heard soon there'd be resounding silence once again.

The almost stagnant stream where the creature charged the other earlier now was almost heard, as everyone would take a moment of complete silence. A body presumably dead laid behind Rin and Raimaa's cover, it'd not be on the way to meet up with Mako and Yumi, but could be a clue. Granted from the spoons view it was hard to distinguish the body, as well as to be certain it was in fact dead or alive. A similar creature to the one in the tree's or a different one.

There'd be the stream nearby, but it certainly wasn't any river to which a bridge was necessary. However it'd certainly hook back up to the main source of water if followed. Alternatively it was a path with it's own set of risks, as the moist rock bed created a slippery footing and the water would surely splash if stepped into. Walked on could be a waste of chakra they might need, but could be the appropriate course of action too.

Alternatively they could attempt to go back and redirect from the house or go past the stream and head through the thick of tree's. Granted cutting through the thick brush might not be an amazing idea with what they'd recently just witnessed. It'd seem though going down the stream back the way they came could bring them to a more clear patch of forest. Still heavily wooded, but appearing more easily traversed. Though it'd be taking steps back and potentially increasing the length they'd have to travel in order to make their next points of interest. Safer? Maybe, but risking taking too long.

A lot of choices to which after Raimaa's last was interrupted she'd watch patiently at Rin waiting for direction. Mako however once things seemed or were more or less verified cleared would move away from Yumi. Proceeding with the direction she'd been heading before the break out of battle. Glancing back, then up and then forward. Attempting to cover all bases and potentially considering another dip from the group. Granted she was more worried now than before, as she couldn't get the sound of the creature out of her head.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

SPOILER: Click to show

TEAMMATES

Genin 1:  


NAME: Fujiyaku Raimaa
Village: Kumogakure no Sato
Personality: First impressions: Shy and unassuming. Raimaa brings thought to the team but otherwise fails to inspire leadership. You have yet to work out fully her entire personality.
Specs: Genjutsu Sole?
Pointers: Upon searching the house, Raimaa has revealed she has an intelligent streak and is capable of thinking outside the box.

Genin 2: 

NAME: Girata Mako
Village: Kirigakure no Sato
Personality: First impressions: A little defensive. Mako isn't entirely forthcoming with information about herself. She just wants to get out of the forest as quick as possible. You have yet to work out fully her entire personality. 
Specs: Ninjutsu Primary | Taijutsu Secondary
Pointers: Mako is good at being quiet when the need suits her, stealth seems to be one of her fortes...


ENEMIES


NAME: Creature from the Trees
STATUS: UNKNOWN
ABILITIES:

NAME:
STATUS: UNKNOWN
ABILITIES: From what the team have heard, the unknown assailant clicks. Whether this is an ability or not remains to be seen.


CLUES FOUND

The man at the gate told you to find your first clue north-west of the starting point.
The team have come across an old, abandoned house.
Yumie found an old journal.
The journal indicates two paths to take: the bridge over the river to the mine, or the path through the woods to the lake. 
Mako is missing. There was a loud bang.
The team have discovered a shape in the forest that went in the direction of the bang.
Something or Something(s) lurk in the trees

Information will change in the spoiler in some rounds, so pay attention to the spoiler box on each post in case it changes.

POSTING ROUND 9

Posting time limit: 48 hours

[Yumi Yuie]

Yumi let out a small sigh of relief as Ms. Bubbles was able to scale her tree peacefully. As she neared the top, she was able to catch a glimpse of a distant figure leaving. Maybe her distraction had worked, maybe it hadn’t. All the genin knew was that the lurking monster was now gone and the group could move on. Letting Ms. Bubbles walk on the nearby branches, Yumi glanced at the body below her through her puppet’s eyes. Was it truly dead? Aiming Ms. Bubble’s arm at the head of the creature, Yumi launched a heavy dart towards its head. Soon it would be quite clear what state the creature was actually in. If it was feigning death, it wouldn’t be faking it for too much longer. Not if her projectile had anything to say about it.

Once the deed was done, Yumi would cancel her puppet vision technique and take a step into the clearing. Now that the other monster was gone, now was an opportune time to investigate the freshly made corpse. She didn’t know if the body would have any clues, but knowing what they were dealing with would be a big help to the group. Yumi would have Ms. Bubbles poke and prod the corpse and once it seemed safe, she would investigate it for any clues such as what it actually was and if anything was hidden on it. Once her examination as done, then she could decide where to head next.

Words. 249 Tags. Notes.

Template by Kuroya of THQ & GS.

[Sato Rin]

Rin could tell out the figure laying there and took note. It wasn't exactly the most distinct figure but it was enough for him to distinguish that it had been for the fight - especially since the sounds of it had been so close to him and Raimaa. Furthermore, there was movement up above, but it was fast. Enough that Rin could not figure out what it was. But there was movement and then, nothing. Nothing but silently wavering trees.

Slowly he would put away his spoon, but kept his kunai out just in case. There was a slight thud behind them then as if a weapon hit the ground. He couldn't tell what it was, but if there was any kind of immediate repercussions for the thud he would not single the duo to move. Instead he would wait a while longer.

However if nothing happened, Rin would carefully move through the brush motioning for Raimaa to quietly follow. He would make a small perimeter around the dead body, not wanting to get near it to rejoin where Yumi and Mako were.

Mako already seemed to be moving out and into the wilderness. He couldn't tell if it was a good idea or not. She seemed entirely too cocky for her own good. Either way, thicker treeline or not he didn't think their wasting time and trekking back was a good idea. Instead he looked at Yumi and motioned with his hands towards the water, and then attempted to mime that the river potentially connected. They didn't have to walk on the water, just near it so as to not make any splash noises to attract attention. There would no doubt be slippery points, but it would be much safer for them to be near water, as if any creatures tried to attack them in that time they could use the water was refuge and Rin could electrocute them...

So, hopefully they would make their way down to the river without making any crazy treks back. There were risks involved with all of this, but their goal was to arrive on time, or as quickly as possible. Which meant Rin's mind was ultimately on the goal to the point that he barely considered any options that were not quicker.

[Yoshiko]

TIME: 8:45PM

(If you guys split up for whatever reason I will write two separate paragraphs.)

Clearing View:

Upon moving around the branch to see what laid on the other side of Rin and Raimaa's cover, Yumi's discovery might be surprising enough for her to not act as planned. On the ground wasn't something indescribable, but instead it'd appear to be a person. They were dressed in rather normal attire for the weather, but suited up with extra padding as though prepared for a fight. A helmet on their head and a strange looking broken spear in hand. The way their body laid made it quite clear they'd not be getting up of their own accord. One or both legs were broken and similarly went for their arms.

Yumi could fire off her puppets dart still for safety, but the mechanism makes a sound and so does the weapon reaching it's destination. The creature seemed to have left, but this was information gathered by the puppet for the wrong position and not quite conveyed by Rin. Exploring the corpse wouldn't provide much information for the puppeteer, it'd be a mangled person and what was on their person wasn't much. A knife and the broken spear, which had a mechanism built on it to make noise. Likely the strange clicking heard earlier.

Rin and Raimaa moving around the scene and not through it wouldn't likely get a good visual on the dead body. Meeting back up with Mako and Yumi would almost trigger the brash girl to take this as the sign to leave. She didn't want to be there any longer and crossing the stream would stick near the thick of the tree's when moving. Raimaa as usual would stick to Rin further, as she'd keep watch on and for the backs of the group. Moving in attempt to not slip or disturb nature, it'd be a good hour up stream before they hit the wide river.

It'd open them up once again to a choice, east or west? Which way would the group head now. They could try simply crossing the river too, but it'd put them completely out in the open. As well as leave them walking across a surface with potentially an extra plain of attack. As the night made it impossible to see movement under the murky water, it could be as or more dangerous than the woods.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

SPOILER: Click to show

TEAMMATES

Genin 1:  


NAME: Fujiyaku Raimaa
Village: Kumogakure no Sato
Personality: First impressions: Shy and unassuming. Raimaa brings thought to the team but otherwise fails to inspire leadership. You have yet to work out fully her entire personality.
Specs: Genjutsu Sole?
Pointers: Upon searching the house, Raimaa has revealed she has an intelligent streak and is capable of thinking outside the box.

Genin 2: 

NAME: Girata Mako
Village: Kirigakure no Sato
Personality: First impressions: A little defensive. Mako isn't entirely forthcoming with information about herself. She just wants to get out of the forest as quick as possible. You have yet to work out fully her entire personality. 
Specs: Ninjutsu Primary | Taijutsu Secondary
Pointers: Mako is good at being quiet when the need suits her, stealth seems to be one of her fortes...


ENEMIES


NAME: Creature from the Trees
STATUS: UNKNOWN
ABILITIES:

NAME:
STATUS: UNKNOWN
ABILITIES: From what the team have heard, the unknown assailant clicks. Whether this is an ability or not remains to be seen.


CLUES FOUND

The man at the gate told you to find your first clue north-west of the starting point.
The team have come across an old, abandoned house.
Yumie found an old journal.
The journal indicates two paths to take: the bridge over the river to the mine, or the path through the woods to the lake. 
Mako is missing. There was a loud bang.
The team have discovered a shape in the forest that went in the direction of the bang.
Something or Something(s) lurk in the trees

Information will change in the spoiler in some rounds, so pay attention to the spoiler box on each post in case it changes.

POSTING ROUND 10

Posting time limit: 48 hours

[Yumi Yuie]

Before Ms. Bubbles could fire, Yumi quickly stopped it once she laid eyes upon the mysterious creature that had been lurking in the clearing. The beaten creature was surprisingly human and dressed in normal clothes. Nothing like she had been expecting. Sure there were bits and pieces of armor added on, but it was still clothing she wouldn’t blink twice at seeing. The rest of the creature’s ensemble was a helmet and a broken spear that probably ended up in that condition after the fight that happened a few moments earlier. And based on the position of the limbs of the body, the corpse wouldn’t ever be moving again.

Sadly it seemed the corpse had no clues besides its mangled body. What she did find however was the source of the clicking noise she had heard earlier. The sound seemed to come from a mechanism that was attached to the spear. Pocketing the knife and having Ms. Bubbles hold the spear, the puppet duo headed back towards their group. These two items might come in handy in the future, only time would tell.

Once the group was together, Rin motioned his hand towards the water. It seemed he wanted to follow the river to their next destination. Unable to think of a better idea, Yumi silently nodded her head. Maybe the group could actually figure out how to stick together this time. But seeing as how Mako decided to forge ahead on her own again, Yumi highly doubted it. Still the brash girl was still in eyesight, so that had to count towards something. Right?

After walking silently for a while, the group soon ran into a wide river. They were given three choices, although the third wasn’t really much of an option. East, west, or just walk straight through. Yumi didn’t want to do the last option since it was too dangerous, so east or west it was. Seeing as how she didn’t feel strongly either way, she turned her attention to Rin. Having Ms. Bubbles point out both directions and then shrug, the young genin waited for a response. The answer she received would dictate where the group was headed next.

Words. 363 Tags. Notes.

Template by Kuroya of THQ & GS.

[Sato Rin]

Up the stream they want and without much incident, surprisingly enough. Rin had kept his hand upon his kunai the whole time just in case a surprise attack made it necessary to be used. But, no such thing happened and despite being quite alert the rest of the walk was almost relaxing. But as they moved up the stream, one could hear running water that didn't belong to the mostly non moving water of the stream. That was when they came across the river.

Rin stopped there, thinking back he had to consider all of their options. East, west, across... The water seemed quite treacherous here though, and with how murky and unsettled it was... He wasn't sure he wanted to try his luck crossing and frankly he had a feeling that no one here other than perhaps Mako might attempt something so hasty. So, left or right. Up or down the river, essentially.

Rin didn't have some exceptional directional abilities, but he could arbitrarily map this out in his head. They had been moving east from the house. They had come upon the stream and had moved up it, although it was not perfectly eastward. In fact it had a little bit of a curve to it, and with no bridge in sight he realized that they must still be too far west to have not come across or seen the bridge at this point.

So out of some really average mapping skills he decided to point east in response to both Yumi and her puppet Ms. Bubbles.

Still didn't make a sound though, out of fear that it would attract monsters from either the forest or the water - who knew what was down there, anyway?

He started to move into the direction he had pointed, east. Hopefully they would be able to get to the bridge very soon and once that was done and over with they'd be able to find the exit to this place because it was giving him the creeps and the only thing that was keeping him from having a bit of a freak out was the thought of some shrimp shumai back home...

Although he had to admit that even that was not helping much as he was having to highly focus on the task at hand, each step had to be silent and his eyes wide as the darkness was rather dense making his pupils dilate as he continued to try and see the world around them.