Gurgling, strained attempts at taking breaths, life fading from the eyes... it was done.
Another dead at his hands, the man's windpipe crushed outright via his Jujitsu stranglehold. Once such a thing might have given him pause... but no longer. The unfortunate shinobi had gotten in the way, so this was his end.
It would be the same for any others, too. By the time he hid the man's body and stealthily repositioned himself, he was able to see and hear the next events unfold. Kazama had been compromised, the ninja who found her launched several fireballs her way, and the samurai was on alert. Aside from that a nagging feeling in his head called to him...
...
there were more shinobi. Of course it was impossible to say for a certainty, but the strength of their chakra was rather telling.
"Likely blending in with the people near the caravan..." He thought, narrowing his eyes as he watched the woman's approach. Uemon always liked to stick to a plan if possible, but he knew from experience that things rarely played out that way. There were too many variables here, too many moving parts... so he would need to adapt. It did not take long for him to retrieve yet another small scroll and summon forth a small, white rabbit from a kanji that read '兎' with the
Kugutsu Kuchiyose no Jutsu.
"Just in case." It was a weak puppet, but its hidden tools could prove useful.
Later though, as with a swish of his fingers he re-attached the threads on his free hand back to In— so that both of his wolfdog puppets were in his control.
"Horses hate wolves." The only thought as he commanded them both forth, choosing to let Kazama deal with the remaining scout. Instead, both In and Yō would dart out of the forest, meeting the samurai's horse-mounted charge head-on. Snarling and baring their fangs, looking every bit as lifelike as actual canines. Both dogs dashed towards the horse, small compartments opening on their hindlegs as they ran. Uemon curled his fingers as he conducted them, commanding them to unspool lengths of wire as they ran fast circles around the horse. Attempting to wrap both the horse and samurai up in Ninja Wire and yank them tight enough to cut flesh with his
Sōtsuisei: Kōten.
"Let's hope this works." He thought, then turned to look over his shoulder.
Dark eyes shifting to the fallen shinobi, then to Kazama as she appeared nearby.
"I'll be fine— but there are five more chakra-users near the caravan." He said, with his dogs keeping their wire reels taut he was free to detach his threads for the moment. Instantly he weaved a series of seals—
Inu → I → Hitsuji and a puff of smoke enveloped him, taking on the appearance of the Ishigakure shinobi with the
Henge no Jutsu. Only with the addition of a 'bleeding' wound on his side.
"We're outnumbered, don't go running off alone if you don't have to." He said, nodding towards the bridge.
"Let's deal with them first... I can try to draw them to us, then we can ambush them all." Uemon pointed to the white rabbit nearby.
"Just stay away from any of these you see." Splitting up was
not a good idea right now. If she had run off, she would have charged straight into a five-on-one. Better to misdirect and use traps to their advantage... which is exactly what he intended. The transformed Uemon stood up and ran, scattering all of his
thirty Makibishi behind him on the forest floor as he had his rabbit Tsuki hide in some nearby bushes.
"Contact!" He shouted as he eventually appeared on the edge of the treeline, clutching at his side and putting on his best pained expression.
"I'm hit... they're in the trees, here!" Uemon leaned against a tree and motioned to the caravan, hoping the reinforcements would come crawling into his trap. It was a bit of a gambit but they had to stay close to one another. Anything else was a death wish. With the bait set, he would turn.
Charging back into the forest in an attempt to lead them into his caltrops and near the waiting Tsuki. The next step would only require two hand seals, and even if he only managed to take a few of them out with his ploy it would be worth it. For now all they could do was wait and prepare themselves... he only hoped that Kazama was ready for it.
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.
NAME: Sōtsuisei: Kōten [Duality: Revolution]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Medium
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [Puppetry]
ELEMENT: ---
REQUIREMENT: In, Yō
DESCRIPTION:
Both of Uemon's wolfdog puppets deploy ninja wire from their hind legs, circling their target in opposite directions with incredible speed in an attempt to bind them. Once successfully captured all it takes is a simple flick of the finger from their puppeteer to cause the wire mechanisms to pull taut and begin reeling in. Within seconds this can slice deeply into the victim and ultimately cut clean through them if not escaped from in time. On the other hand this does leave the dogs anchored to the target and can place them in a less than ideal situation if the intended victim is able to either not be cut or muscle them around via the wires.
SUPPORTIVE TECHNIQUES:
NAME: Kugutsu Kuchiyose no Jutsu - [Puppet Summoning Technique ]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Low
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [Puppetry]
ELEMENT: N/a
DESCRIPTION:
A useful technique for puppeteers, it allows one to seal a puppet within a scroll and summon it at will on the battlefield. Depending on the scroll they seal it in, they can seal a number of puppets away at a time.
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.
ITEMS USED/PREPARED:
NAME: Makibishi (x30)
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
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.
