[Yamamoto Shosuke]

Well, if there was one thing that Shosuke could do, it was think. He actually couldn't stop doing that, so perhaps it wasn't quite as good a thing as Uemon thought...

As far as finding somewhere to settle in was concerned, Sho deferred to his companion - Blindsense was good for a lot of things, but it wasn't great for giving him other people's perspective so what he thought was hidden could very well be obvious in a certain direction. Not to mention the fact that the helmet made any attempt at seeing damned near impossible, so he simply kept toe-to-toe with his wannin companion, allowing for him to choose their location as they neared the ridge.

The pair found themselves quickly at the grassy knoll, with Sho waiting patiently for Uemon to reveal whatever it was he had sealed within those scrolls. Thankfully, it seemed he didn't have to wait long, as Uemon unbound the seals to reveal... a frog and rabbit? These things were almost laughably lowkey, far from what he had expected from the other man. However, he could also tell that they weren't summons or anything like ninken, these seemed almost more like stuffed, taxidermized animals.

Sho knew the other shinobi was a craftsman and had always imagined that he probably made some weird stuff, considering the fact that Uemon had a rather strange, understated personality. Even so, to say that this was unexpected would be an understatement, this was probably one of the last things that he had considered.

Despite the basket on his head, Uemon could almost read the nonplussed expression on his companion's face through his aura alone.

"... I mean, if you think it's going to work." For once, Sho was without sassy comment, comeback or joke - it seemed he was genuinely bewildered enough to simply accept what the other man was saying at face-value, waiting for him to get what they were here for.

For the moment, Sho simply remained quiet, letting the other man work until he asked him direct specific questions. "It'd be weird if I couldn't work out which ones were armed if I could sense outlines, I reckon; I mean, knives and swords are just as physical as flesh and bone.

Now, if they've got some weird fucked up plasma or wind-based weapons like those lightning swords some folk have? That'd be harder, but long as they're physical I can tell pretty easily yeah."

Receiving the same information Uemon did, Sho was able to make out the information about the shifts changing in about an hour. They should have plenty of time to approach then, but they'd have to time their thing carefully.

If they waited an hour, they could capitalize on the confusion of the shift change, but if things went wrong, they would have twice as many shinobi to take care of. If they attacked now they had almost a guaranteed hour until they were interrupted in exchange for the bodies being detected.

It was a hard decision to make, but fortunately it seemed Uemon was the one who made the decision, even if it made Shosuke need to carry his own weight.

"... A distraction? I'm sorry, do you think I brought my flash tags in this get up? I'm dressed like a priest, not a..." Sho began, before pausing as an idea came to him. A small, petty smile spread across his face, although this one was far more concealed by his get-up. "Alright, give me a moment."

With an almost audible snap of chakra, Sho disappeared from the ridge, reappearing a fair distance away, far closer to the crowd. Fortunately, in the dark of the night it seemed that nobody had managed to notice him using ninja techniques, allowing him to approach on foot naturally.

---

As he approached, Uemon would be able to see him appear on the monitor. Or, at least, hear him do so, as he approached the gathered crowd. The point of the monk get up had been to avoid detection, but now it was going to be used for quite the opposite.

In fact, as Sho approached the crowd, his hands moved up to the helmet, ripping it off his head and throwing it away, revealing his face underneath. Or, more accurately, the face of a bald man, with a large evil-looking tattoo that covered his entire head in lieu of hair, resembling some insane cultist more than a subtle monk.

"REPENT, BROTHERS AND SISTERS." the voice that came out from his mouth was far from anything one would have even compared to Sho's had they not known the truth. It was dark and deep, sinister and fanatical in equal measures.

"THIS FALSE CHILD OF THE HEAVENS HAS COME TO CORRUPT AND WARP THE MINDS OF OUR COUNTRY WITH PROMISES OF MATERIAL WEALTH.

DO NOT FORSAKE OUR TRUE SAVIOUR, OUR BELOVED FIRST SON OF THE HEAVENS DEAR CHILDREN. NO, FOR WE ALREADY HAVE ALL WE NEED AND MORE! BEHOLD!"

Out of the inside of the robe, the "cultist" pulled out handfuls of ryo, tossing them into the air as members of the crowd turned to him, realizing what he was doing and beginning to fight among themselves, falling to the floor and beginning to fight over the amounts of money Sho was now offering out to them.

Within moments, what had been one or two people trying to pick up the money turned into the entire crowd fighting over the coinage, even going so far as to draw the guards over, trying to prevent fistfights from breaking out among the crowd that seemed to quickly be embracing chaos.

This was, Sho reflected, perhaps the least subtle he had ever been whilst performing subterfuge.

952 words | Muramasa Uemon

SPOILER: Click to show

B-Rank Mission: 16/20


Jutsus Used
NAME: Shunshin no Jutsu [Body Flicker Technique]
RANK: D
CHAKRA USAGE: Low
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [General]
ELEMENT: None
HANDSEALS: 1
DESCRIPTION:
By invigorating one's entire body with chakra, a shinobi can seemingly disappear and reappear in another location faster than most people can see. Often times one's movements are disguised with the use of an extra element, be it a smoke bomb, leaves, water, sand, etc. in order to hide the user's trajectory from those with skilled eyes. Though it mimics teleportation, it is important to remember this jutsu merely boosts the agility of its user. As useful as this technique is, it can only be used 4 times in a battle thread, compounding in exertion and difficulty each time. with any more usages beyond that result in muscle tears in the legs from overexertion. The hand seal for this technique must be held until the shinobi reaches their destination, making it impossible to utilize other techniques regardless of any preparation.

NAME: Henge no Jutsu [Transformation Technique]
RANK: E
CHAKRA USAGE: Very Low [Continuous]
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [General]
ELEMENT: None
HANDSEALS: 3
DESCRIPTION:
After performing the necessary hand seals, the user transforms their appearance to become that of another person, animal or even an inanimate object. This is considered one of the most advanced academy techniques, as it requires a constant emission of chakra as well as constant mental focus to maintain the transformation. Shinobi are limited to transforming into objects roughly their own size, preventing them from turning into a fly while being able to carry items far greater than their transformed state.

[Muramasa Uemon]

to claim what is hers by right

---

Though the wanderer was typically a rather serious sort, the moment he got to work his face seemed to turn even more stone-like. Unflinching, unchanging, just a dark, stern gaze as he watched the screen on Date's stomach.

Fingers moving to direct Tsuki's path. Not too fast, not too slow, as naturally as he could manage. Moving like any other rabbit would and lingering in the underbrush away from any humans. "If it doesn't work, my frog will just have to grab the entire thing in the confusion." He said, remaining on task while he listened. Hopefully it would not come to that... but it was always nice to have a contingency. "How many of them have weapons?" He asked.

Situational awareness was key in these kinds of situations. And while some of the Hoshi-nin might be visibly armed, he knew shinobi too well to discount concealed weaponry. Having an approximate number he could keep in mind would help as they both navigated this tense retrieval mission. Tsuki might be able to spot some herself... but not without getting much too close for comfort. Regardless of the doctor's answer he would proceed with his directing of the small puppet. At first Shosuke seemed to bristle at his mention of a distraction, but as expected the young man found his muse soon enough. Not as straight-to-business as Uemon would have liked, but close enough.

Until the 'priest' got into position he would stop his fingers movements so Tsuki would halt, peeling his eyes away from Date's screen to watch as Shosuke began to put things into motion. Using the Shunshin to whisk himself away before presumably setting up this ruse. The timing would be tight and any mistakes on either of their parts could very well end in blood... but the civilians present would serve as both part of the diversion and a makeshift shield.

A fact the wanderer was acutely aware of and a large part of the reason he suggested to cause a stir within the crowd itself. Despite his background and how he may have been perceived, he had no use for concepts like honor. And while he was not particularly bloodthirsty he had since come to grips with the possibility of collateral damage.

Like Mononobe Noriyaki or the gokenin he had cut down and poisoned. Unfortunate deaths... but ones that mattered little to him in the grand scheme of things. "—THERS AND SISTERS." A voice hissed to life on mic.

Uemon waited a few moments into the doctor's spiel... then flexed his fingers. "That's my cue." He thought, the small rabbit puppet bounding forward on time. From this distance he was at the bleeding edge of his puppetry's range so the creation's movements had a bit of latency. Luckily Shosuke's distraction served its purpose and he was able to watch from the screen as several of the obvious guards scrambled towards the racket. Tsuki weaved in and out of footpaths, her small size combined with the duo's tactic keeping her from sight. And not even thirty seconds after it had began she was standing before the object of their mission. "I've never seen one of these in person." A thought occurred. From the hazy picture it looked to him like little more than a smooth, awkwardly-shaped chunk of ore. "Time to grab and go." He made a 'bite' motion with his fingers and as Tsuki's incisors hit... they snapped.

Audible clearly on Date's speaker. "Gods damn it." It was far too strong for iron to peirce, even with the high-carbon content that his puppets' weapons were made of. If it had been rusted at all then perhaps, but since the meteorite was too big for Tsuki to swallow... "I suppose it's time for the alternative..." Without wasting another second he had Date hop onto his shoulder, detached his chakra threads, and formed a single Tora hand seal. Using the Shunshin no Jutsu himself to quickly circle back down and around the hill, across the path, and into the forest on the other side.

Without a line of communication he had no choice but to trust the doctor's blindsense to clue him in on his movements. All he needed now was a clear line of sight. "Keep them busy, Shosuke-san." He thought as he crouched low and skulked through the brush himself. Taking great care to mind his footfalls even as he moved with urgency and also to mute Date's speaker as he approached. No sense in being sneaky if he was just going to blow his cover.

If he was spotted the ruse was up... but if he could just get a bit closer Date would be able to succeed where Tsuki failed. Now that he was nearerr, he re-deployed his threads to usher the rabbit back away and into tree cover. A frog would not be as inconspicuous as a hare... but now they had little choice in the matter. Uemon narrowed his eyes and pressed on. Relying on his own sensory capabilities to steer him clear of any straggling guards or onlookers.

---

SPOILER: Click to show

OFFENSIVE TECHNIQUES:
NAME: Kugutsu no Jutsu - [Puppet Technique]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Very Low [Continuous]
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [Puppetry]
ELEMENT: N/a
DESCRIPTION:
The fundamental and most used technique of the style, Kugutsu no Jutsu allows a puppeteer the ability to use puppets in battle. While the degree in skill determines the number of puppets that can be controlled, for starters the user can control only one. By making near invisible strings of chakra from each of their ten fingertips and attaching them to their puppets they are able to control the puppet from various distances. However there is a delay between the puppeteers orders and the puppets movements, meaning puppet movement will not be instantaneous, and the response time increases based on distance.

SUPPORTIVE TECHNIQUES:
NAME: Shunshin no Jutsu [Body Flicker Technique]
RANK: D
CHAKRA USAGE: Low
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [General]
ELEMENT: None
HANDSEALS: 1
DESCRIPTION:
By invigorating one's entire body with chakra, a shinobi can seemingly disappear and reappear in another location faster than most people can see. Often times one's movements are disguised with the use of an extra element, be it a smoke bomb, leaves, water, sand, etc. in order to hide the user's trajectory from those with skilled eyes. Though it mimics teleportation, it is important to remember this jutsu merely boosts the agility of its user. As useful as this technique is, it can only be used 4 times in a battle thread, compounding in exertion and difficulty each time. with any more usages beyond that result in muscle tears in the legs from overexertion. The hand seal for this technique must be held until the shinobi reaches their destination, making it impossible to utilize other techniques regardless of any preparation.


SPECIAL ABILITIES:

KASHIRA-WARI・首割り - ENHANCED CHAKRA CONTROL
Puppeteers must maintain expert control over their wide selection of puppets, and so too must a shinobi with their chakra. Necessary for his Puppet Ninjutsu and applicable to his other techniques, Uemon has trained extensively in order to mitigate the amount of chakra he uses with his jutsu. Compensating for his average chakra reserves this allows him to stay in the fight that much longer.

TSUKURIMONO・作り物 - INTELLIGENCE
Stage and setting can make or break a performance. A director needs vigilance and flexibility to ensure all the moving parts of a play go off without a hitch. A learned strategist with a quick mind, Uemon is always observing even in the midst of combat. This allows for him to find gaps and weaknesses in his opponent's techniques easier than some, and allows him to formulate strategies and deceptions to take advantage of these shortcomings. A knack for tactics cues him on which approach works best depending on his target.

ASHIZUKAI・足遣い - SPEED
Operating the legs of a puppet requires dexterity and agility. Much like moving one's own body. As a child in Tetsu no Kuni Uemon trained in Jujitsu and Kenjutsu, finding his aptitude for speed rather than strength. Honed after years on the road with his mentors, Uemon is surprisingly light on his feet and his hand-to-hand strikes are faster than most expect. Able to strike and weave with deft swiftness he is capable of holding his own against Taijutsu specialists of his rank and outright overwhelming those of lower ranks in terms of speed.

SHOMEI・署名 - SENSOR TYPE 
Lighting is a crucial part of any play. Identifying the actors and drawing focus to them in the dark. With much training Uemon has become a Sensor Type, able to detect and hone in on chakra signatures akin to a sixth sense of sorts. A useful tool when it comes to tracking or surveillance. As of now, he is capable of passively sensing chakra up to one hundred meters from his body, or one kilometer if actively searching. This also allows him to more efficiently utilize his puppets without needing a direct line of sight to his targets. Knowing the placement of actors on stage at all times is essential.

[Yamamoto Shosuke]

It seemed this plan was particularly designed to take care of their skills as infiltrators - Shosuke's words leapt out of his mouth as natural as if they were actually sincere, all whilst Uemon continued to work his magic with the little machine he was using.

Indeed, Sho was able to easily keep track of the actions of the little probe as he continued his proselytizing, intoning about the intrinsic nature of humanity and the innate wrongness of profiting from the sins of others. Of course, at the end of the day a falling star was just as normal as any other piece of rock, just a lump of minerals with no greater spiritual context or power, but that didn't matter. Just like with most religions, truth didn't matter as much as perception did, and that was something he could take advantage of.

"REMEMBER, OUR GREATEST WEALTH IS NOT IN MATERIAL POSSESSIONS BUT IN SPIRITUAL ENLIGHTENMENT AND INTERNAL PURITY. THIS FALSE PROPHET OF THE STARS MIGHT BE ABLE TO OFFER THE FORMER, BUT THE LATTER? NOTHING BUT DREGS, FALSE PROMISES OF CONTENTMENT."

Sho had to trust in Uemon, rely on him being able to achieve what they came for, regardless of which tool he was using. Even if one of them had failed, he was sure that Uemon could work with the other. Indeed, he continued to tell his "sermon", managing to keep the wheels spinning for as long as Uemon needed.

Finally, Sho could feel it in the ground itself, the frog was able to draw enough material from the star for the mission to be over. It was time to leave.

However, the only problem with this plan was that it required him being the center of commotion. Even blind as he was, he could feel the attention of the guards being squarely focused in his direction - Should he attempt to extricate himself carelessly now that the probe had finished its work, he was going to draw them to his position. He had to come up with a convincing reason or else...

"COME WITH ME, BROTHERS. LET US MAKE A PILGRIMGAE TO OUR TRUE SPIRITUAL HAVEN, THE LOCATION OF THE FIRST FALL. THERE WE SHALL RECEIVE THE BLESSINGS OF THE HEAVENS ONCE MORE AND REOBTAIN OUR SPIRITUAL PURITY."

Turning on his heel, Sho began to walk away from the site, keeping the guards' attention on him even as he began to leave the site. The problem was, it seemed that Sho's bullshit sermon had worked significantly too well, as a solid contingence of people were actually following him. It wasn't the entire crowd, wasn't even 10%, but he was being followed by at least five people now, all of whom seemed to be buying into the legitimacy of this religious message.

Sho didn't want to admit it, but even through the Henge he could feel himself beginning to sweat. These were just members of the public, unskilled and unprepared. If he wanted to, Sho could easily cut them down and disentangle himself. But that was just it - they were members of the public, innocent and ignorant. He could kill enemy shinobi, even just regular enemy guards should it need be, but these people didn't sign up for this.

Even so, as he continued to leave the site, his hand began to reach towards the inside of his robe, inching towards the hilt of his stolen katana. Please, Uemon, Sho thought with increasing discomfort, come up with an excuse that will stop me needing to kill these folk...

If only the other man could hear him. They really should have found some method to communicate with before putting this plan into action.

612 words | Muramasa Uemon

SPOILER: Click to show

B-Rank Mission: 18/20
Jutsus Used: See Last Post

[Muramasa Uemon]

reign over the stars

---

Creeping through the underbrush, remaining vigilant for hostile shinobi, stealing... this whole situation was nostalgic.

Only this time he was not traveling alongside a nukenin from Takigakure no Sato and evading SHUKAN in their everyday meandering. "He'd probably get a kick out of all this..." He thought as he advanced slowly but surely.

It was times like these that made him thankful for his years spent in the man's company. If not for all those lessons in spycraft well... this little charade of theirs would have ended before it even got started. Reminiscing could wait, though. The Kumo-nin was exposed liek this and so he had to move fast. "There." Uemon peeked out around a tree.

About thirty or so meters from his position and even smaller than it appeared on his puppet's screen— the meteorite. A second later and his eyes had narrowed, with Tsuki nearby and Date on his shoulder... it was time.

No do-overs and no halfway attempts. "We've come this far already... we might as well take the whole thing." Two of his fingers moved, beckoning his rabbit puppet to rush over and hop on his left shoulder. Once it was secured, he shifted the threads to the frog on his right shoulder and had it promptly hop down onto the forest floor. "Go, Date."

Though he had utilized both creations before, this would only be the frog's second deployment during an actual mission. Now he just had to hope his craftsmanship held up under pressure. With a gesture of his fingers the amphibian rushed out of the underbrush, darting out of the tree line and zig-zagging towards the target. Shosuke's raving had been successful in capturing the attention of most of the people present so it met little resistance. And finally when it neared the meteorite Uemon extended then curled his right middle finger. A flick, a swish, then— 

A long prehensile tongue shot forth from the frog's mouth. "Got it." He thought as it wrapped several times over around the fallen star, its adhesive sticking to it before suddenly retracting. "What the—" A voice yelled, Uemon's eyes moving to see a lone sentry who had witnessed the event. "The meteorite! A... a frog has it!" Heads turned.

Confusion spread through the crowd including some of the civilians present, a few of the Hoshi-nin reached instinctively for their weapons, and silence ensued. Date gave a single short ribbit... then made a break for the trees.

Dashing away just as swiftly as it had approached and veering around an attempted stab from the sentry. "All of you!" A shout came as the guard turned to the crowd. "Disperse!" Chatter broke out amongst the crowd and a rising sense of panic filled the air as people began to shuffle hurriedly away. Hopefully sparing Shosuke the need to bloody his hands. "Forget the babbling monk, get that frog!" The remainder of the Hoshi-nin present turned their attention to the devolving situation but Date was already gone. "After it! It's making off with the star!"

Uemon had been steadily retreating the whole time and as soon as the meteorite was in his frog's possession he took off back the direction he and Shosuke had first approached, only this time through the forest. Kuma no Kuni's woods were not the most dense, but for someone training in stealth and a small-ish frog? They were near perfect.

For now he could only hope that Date's sudden appearance and nabbing of the rock would provide Shosuke an opportunity to retreat. And he was counting on the doctor's blindsense to keep him informed as to his own whereabouts. No hesitating, no waiting, he simply fell back as swiftly and as quietly as he could. The fingers on his right hand conducting his frog puppet after him. "I need to slow them down." He thought, reaching for a hip pouch...

...before scattering twenty makibishi behind him with his free hand and flicking his right middle finger downward. A flap on the frog's backside opened and a smoke bomb was deployed. "Damn!" One of the Hoshi-nin shouted. "Fan out! It has to be around here somewhere!" Uemon took a moment to allow Date to catch up with him, had the amphibian leap atop his head, then formed a single Tora hand seal to utilize the Shunshin no Jutsu once again.

Enhancing his already honed speed even further as he flickered away first forward, then left. To cut across the dirt path and into the forest on the opposite side. Fortunately his sensory capabilities kept him appraised of the enemy's position, so as long as he did not do anything foolish he should be able to put distance between himself and any stubborn pursuers. Of course there was still the matter of Shosuke... but all he could do for now was have faith that his ally was able to slip away in all the ensuing ruckus. So after steadying his breathing he pressed onward in silent focus.

To wards the port to rendezvous with Shosuke, secure the target properly, then finally depart. If everything went well they would be out of here without anyone suspecting them. Only a lone, odd frog as the culprit of the theft. 

---

SPOILER: Click to show

OFFENSIVE TECHNIQUES:
NAME: Kugutsu no Jutsu - [Puppet Technique]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Very Low [Continuous]
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [Puppetry]
ELEMENT: N/a
DESCRIPTION:
The fundamental and most used technique of the style, Kugutsu no Jutsu allows a puppeteer the ability to use puppets in battle. While the degree in skill determines the number of puppets that can be controlled, for starters the user can control only one. By making near invisible strings of chakra from each of their ten fingertips and attaching them to their puppets they are able to control the puppet from various distances. However there is a delay between the puppeteers orders and the puppets movements, meaning puppet movement will not be instantaneous, and the response time increases based on distance.

SUPPORTIVE TECHNIQUES:
NAME: Shunshin no Jutsu [Body Flicker Technique]
RANK: D
CHAKRA USAGE: Low
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [General]
ELEMENT: None
HANDSEALS: 1
DESCRIPTION:
By invigorating one's entire body with chakra, a shinobi can seemingly disappear and reappear in another location faster than most people can see. Often times one's movements are disguised with the use of an extra element, be it a smoke bomb, leaves, water, sand, etc. in order to hide the user's trajectory from those with skilled eyes. Though it mimics teleportation, it is important to remember this jutsu merely boosts the agility of its user. As useful as this technique is, it can only be used 4 times in a battle thread, compounding in exertion and difficulty each time. with any more usages beyond that result in muscle tears in the legs from overexertion. The hand seal for this technique must be held until the shinobi reaches their destination, making it impossible to utilize other techniques regardless of any preparation.

ITEMS USED/PREPARED:
NAME: Makibishi (x20)
CLASSIFICATION: Supplementary
DESCRIPTION:
Makibishi are small, sharp objects that are mainly used to inhibit someone from walking in a certain direction or area, since they would injure the ninja's feet if they tried to walk over them. They range from one inch to two inches tall. Alone, a single makibishi cannot do much, but when they are scattered around in an area in large numbers they can be deadly.

NAME: Smoke Bombs
CLASSIFICATION: Offensive
DESCRIPTION:
Smoke bombs create a clouds of smoke when it detonates. They may look like small spheres wrapped in paper. Smoke bombs are typically used to blind opponents and make them easier to attack. Alternatively, ninja can use smoke bombs on themselves so that opponents cannot see what they are doing. The smoke itself isn't particularly dangerous, and only induces a slight cough from those trapped in its 5 meter radius.

SPECIAL ABILITIES:

KASHIRA-WARI・首割り - ENHANCED CHAKRA CONTROL
Puppeteers must maintain expert control over their wide selection of puppets, and so too must a shinobi with their chakra. Necessary for his Puppet Ninjutsu and applicable to his other techniques, Uemon has trained extensively in order to mitigate the amount of chakra he uses with his jutsu. Compensating for his average chakra reserves this allows him to stay in the fight that much longer.

TSUKURIMONO・作り物 - INTELLIGENCE
Stage and setting can make or break a performance. A director needs vigilance and flexibility to ensure all the moving parts of a play go off without a hitch. A learned strategist with a quick mind, Uemon is always observing even in the midst of combat. This allows for him to find gaps and weaknesses in his opponent's techniques easier than some, and allows him to formulate strategies and deceptions to take advantage of these shortcomings. A knack for tactics cues him on which approach works best depending on his target.

ASHIZUKAI・足遣い - SPEED
Operating the legs of a puppet requires dexterity and agility. Much like moving one's own body. As a child in Tetsu no Kuni Uemon trained in Jujitsu and Kenjutsu, finding his aptitude for speed rather than strength. Honed after years on the road with his mentors, Uemon is surprisingly light on his feet and his hand-to-hand strikes are faster than most expect. Able to strike and weave with deft swiftness he is capable of holding his own against Taijutsu specialists of his rank and outright overwhelming those of lower ranks in terms of speed.

SHOMEI・署名 - SENSOR TYPE 
Lighting is a crucial part of any play. Identifying the actors and drawing focus to them in the dark. With much training Uemon has become a Sensor Type, able to detect and hone in on chakra signatures akin to a sixth sense of sorts. A useful tool when it comes to tracking or surveillance. As of now, he is capable of passively sensing chakra up to one hundred meters from his body, or one kilometer if actively searching. This also allows him to more efficiently utilize his puppets without needing a direct line of sight to his targets. Knowing the placement of actors on stage at all times is essential.

[Yamamoto Shosuke]

Just like that, it seemed that everything they had done had been for nothing. In a way, Shosuke was relieved - the sudden yelling from the shinobi caused the people to turn their heads, looking towards the source of the shouting and the general location of the frog. The moment that their attention pulled away from him, Shosuke took advantage of the confusion, triggering another burst of speed to allow him to slip out of their lines of sight before they were able to turn back around to see him.

By the time that anyone would realize that he was missing, they would be able to put two and two together to recognize the obvious distraction that had been the 'mad monk', but that would do them no good. Shosuke had gone some way to ensuring that nothing about him had associated him with Kumogakure, and whilst it added to the suspiciousness of the situation there was no way to know which side of the alliance system let alone which village had done this.

There might be some minor consternation, but Hoshi was in a precarious enough position that they couldn't risk their economy or political situation being upturned without direct proof of a village's direct interference.

Disappearing into the underbrush for a few moments, running in the other direction from where they were chasing the frog, Sho stopped after confirming that nobody was following and took the opportunity to change clothes, stripping from his robes to something far more normal - a simple black t-shirt, a hooded coat and a pair of black trousers. Nothing about his appearance was suspicious, but it should stop anyone from being able to get a direct look at his face.

---

About ten minutes after their extraction from the site in question, Sho would show up in the forest around Uemon, wearing his new duds. The katana that he had stolen from the bandit in the port village now stood proudly on his back, looking every part the wannin like Uemon himself. Grinning with a look of genuine amusement across his face, Sho turned brought his hand up to Uemon, waving at his companion.

"Well, I think its fair to say that that went about as well as we could have hoped for. Seems like we've managed to make a clean break, but they'll definitely have their hunting dogs out for a while. Good thing "mechanical frogs" don't have much of a smell, huh?"

Turning to fall into lockstep with the other Shinobi, he headed towards the nearest village. They would be able to charter a cart towards the village where their ship was waiting without much issue, they just had to cross the distance between here and there.

"Seriously though... why on earth were you carrying those things? What other situation would they be useful in?"

471 words | Muramasa Uemon

SPOILER: Click to show

B-Rank EXP: 20/20

Jutsus Used
NAME: Shunshin no Jutsu [Body Flicker Technique]
RANK: D
CHAKRA USAGE: Low
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [General]
ELEMENT: None
HANDSEALS: 1
DESCRIPTION:
By invigorating one's entire body with chakra, a shinobi can seemingly disappear and reappear in another location faster than most people can see. Often times one's movements are disguised with the use of an extra element, be it a smoke bomb, leaves, water, sand, etc. in order to hide the user's trajectory from those with skilled eyes. Though it mimics teleportation, it is important to remember this jutsu merely boosts the agility of its user. As useful as this technique is, it can only be used 4 times in a battle thread, compounding in exertion and difficulty each time. with any more usages beyond that result in muscle tears in the legs from overexertion. The hand seal for this technique must be held until the shinobi reaches their destination, making it impossible to utilize other techniques regardless of any preparation.

[Muramasa Uemon]

to the Lightning Lands...

---

Rustling of the underbrush, light, staggered breathing, the feeling of droplets of sweat on his brow...

Being back in the field again felt good. The wanderer had never been a thrill-chaser so any feeling of exhilaration came purely from the fact that he had been able to test his skills once more. Improvement, tempering, sharpening.

To him, such opportunities were more valuable than almost anything else. "We're almost home free." He thought as his legs continued to carry him away from the scene of the caper. Hoshi-nin should not and were not to be underestimated... but neither were he or Shosuke. The doctor had played his part perfectly. A rather successful heist all things considered. "Just a little further." Uemon continued to keep track of the signatures behind him as he ran...

...and before long they all faded one-by-one. He was no fool, so he made sure to keep moving even after the fac. To put enough distance between himself and the site so as not to be quickly gained upon should they find tracks. But it seemed his constant training in stealth had paid off and eventually after some time of no sign of pursuit, he slowed up. Just enough so that his companion would have an easier time tracking him down. Fortunately the doctor's blindsense had double the range of his own sensory capabilities, and before long the two of them were reunited.

Uemon having crouched down behind a tree to re-seal Tsuki into her scroll using the Hikin Fūinjutsu, he glanced up at the approaching Shosuke to spot the med-nin in new clothes and grinning. "You said it." He replied with a small nod, the rotund frog on atop his head still clutching the meteorite in its prehensile tongue. Uemon flicked his finger, and the rock was released into his waiting hand. Unfurling Date's scroll and then a separate blank scroll, he made use of the Hikin Fūinjutsu two more times. Returning the frog to its home first and then securing the meteorite for safekeeping complete with the kanji '岩' appearing on the parchment's surface. After rerolling all three he replaced his puppets' scrolls back into his waist holster underneath his jacket and stood to hand Shosuke the meteorite's. "Good job back there, Shosuke-san." Normally he was not the type to heap praise on others, but the doctor had acted professionally and with a degree of finesse that he found... admirable. "Let's get out of here."

As the two of them made tracks, the wanderer remained mostly quiet as per usual. Though one corner of his mouth did twitch just slightly at the young man's words. Not quite a smile, but closer than anything Shosuke had seen so far. "You'd be surprised." He replied softly. "Eavesdropping, surveillance, larceny..." Plenty of people needed spying on and stealing from in the Shinobi World, including more than a few in Tetsu no Kuni...

Though that was a tale for a different time. Fortunately, the remainder of the duo's journey went off rather uneventfully. Just to be certain however, he did perform a quick Henge no Jutsu to take the form of a traveler with brown hair, paler skin, and a weatherbeaten kasa atop his head before the port came into view.  With his 'priest' gone, he would seem a pretty pitiful bodyguard if he returned alongside someone else. Thankfully he had little trouble blending in and before long they had rendezvoused with the ship's captain, boarded, and set sail once more.

Back to Kaminari no Kuni and out of hostile waters, their prize in tow and neither of them wounded or seriously compromised. A success... and one that allowed him the chance to solidify his skills in subterfuge. All of this skulking about and experience maneuvering around enemy forces was priceless to him. "Soon..." The word echoed in his head as he took his seat atop a crate on the ship's deck and removed his journal. Another day, another entry.

---

SPOILER: Click to show

SUPPORTIVE TECHNIQUES:
NAME: Hikin Fuinjutsu - [Generic Sealing Technique]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Very Low
CLASSIFICATION: Fūinjutsu
ELEMENT: N/a
DESCRIPTION:
The most basic of sealing techniques, in which the user creates a simple seal upon a medium (such as a scroll) for which a multitude of objects can be stored. The sheer number and scale of items that can be sealed depends on the size of the seal itself, as basic shuriken and kunai can be placed within small scrolls, but giant shuriken or massive swords require thick torso-sized scrolls. This technique is what one requires if they wish to tap into such basic seals, though there are always other ways to unseal objects.

NAME: Henge no Jutsu [Transformation Technique]
RANK: E
CHAKRA USAGE: Very Low [Continuous]
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [General]
ELEMENT: None
HANDSEALS: 3
DESCRIPTION:
After performing the necessary hand seals, the user transforms their appearance to become that of another person, animal or even an inanimate object. This is considered one of the most advanced academy techniques, as it requires a constant emission of chakra as well as constant mental focus to maintain the transformation. Shinobi are limited to transforming into objects roughly their own size, preventing them from turning into a fly while being able to carry items far greater than their transformed state.


SPECIAL ABILITIES:

KASHIRA-WARI・首割り - ENHANCED CHAKRA CONTROL
Puppeteers must maintain expert control over their wide selection of puppets, and so too must a shinobi with their chakra. Necessary for his Puppet Ninjutsu and applicable to his other techniques, Uemon has trained extensively in order to mitigate the amount of chakra he uses with his jutsu. Compensating for his average chakra reserves this allows him to stay in the fight that much longer.

TSUKURIMONO・作り物 - INTELLIGENCE
Stage and setting can make or break a performance. A director needs vigilance and flexibility to ensure all the moving parts of a play go off without a hitch. A learned strategist with a quick mind, Uemon is always observing even in the midst of combat. This allows for him to find gaps and weaknesses in his opponent's techniques easier than some, and allows him to formulate strategies and deceptions to take advantage of these shortcomings. A knack for tactics cues him on which approach works best depending on his target.

ASHIZUKAI・足遣い - SPEED
Operating the legs of a puppet requires dexterity and agility. Much like moving one's own body. As a child in Tetsu no Kuni Uemon trained in Jujitsu and Kenjutsu, finding his aptitude for speed rather than strength. Honed after years on the road with his mentors, Uemon is surprisingly light on his feet and his hand-to-hand strikes are faster than most expect. Able to strike and weave with deft swiftness he is capable of holding his own against Taijutsu specialists of his rank and outright overwhelming those of lower ranks in terms of speed.

SHOMEI・署名 - SENSOR TYPE 
Lighting is a crucial part of any play. Identifying the actors and drawing focus to them in the dark. With much training Uemon has become a Sensor Type, able to detect and hone in on chakra signatures akin to a sixth sense of sorts. A useful tool when it comes to tracking or surveillance. As of now, he is capable of passively sensing chakra up to one hundred meters from his body, or one kilometer if actively searching. This also allows him to more efficiently utilize his puppets without needing a direct line of sight to his targets. Knowing the placement of actors on stage at all times is essential.