Over the years the wanderer had found himself in many hostile circumstances alongside allies with a wide variety of personalities. He was not averse to working with those who thought differently— in fact quite the contrary.
Variance in his estimation was almost always a good thing. At the very least it allowed for different strategies that he himself might not be capable of. That being said... it was nice to have someone along who was not brash and could think for a change.
"Yeah, I think you may be right about that." Uemon said with a nod. A peaceful way in...
If it was true, being able to get close without conflict was all the better. Though putting eyes on their target and actually acquiring a sample were two very different things.
"As long as we stay out of sight while I work they shouldn't suspect a thing." He explained as they walked. Date was a bit more... unique. But he would stay back.
Tsuki on the other hand was made to blend in.
"Let's find that ridge." Eyes already scanning the environment, he made sure to stay on the lookout as they made their way. As the minutes drew on and their destination neared, both of their respective senses would begin to pick up signatures. Shosuke's no doubt before his own. In total there seemed to be twenty-two individuals gathered in close proximity to one another. Standing in not quite a circle but certainly
around something.
"Feel that?" He asked.
"That has to be place." Either that or one big camping trip.
Uemon's ryō was on the former possibility.
"Let's get off the road for now— over there." Nodding towards a grass-covered knoll in the far distance that looked to be opposite the suspected site. Convenient just like the doctor said and it would suit their purposes fine. Still stepping lightly he would slink off the dirt path, circling the long ways around through the wooded terrain just in case any sentries were on the lookout. One could never be too careful.
Approaching from the back of the hill, Uemon unzipped his jacket, revealing a holster on his hip that he wore just a bit higher than he normally did to better conceal it. Swiping two small scrolls from it he would crouch low and unfurl them, placing a finger each on two kanji that read '兎' and '蛙' respectively. With a bit of chakra two animals were summoned forth with the
Kugutsu Kuchiyose no Jutsu in puffs of smoke— a white rabbit and a rotund green frog.
The wanderer would roll the scrolls back up and return them to their holster, taking just a moment to check over the small creatures.
"These are my reconnaissance puppets." He said quietly, tapping a button on the frog's stomach as a small round screen there flickered to life. Uemon also made sure to adjust the volume to make sure it would not give away their position.
"The rabbit's the transmitter and the frog's the receiver... with these we'll be able to hear and see what's going on." Once they were activated Uemon would flex his right hand, several faint blue glows emanating from his fingertips. Thin, nigh-imperceptible threads emerged and attached themselves to Tsuki's body. With a swish of his fingers the rabbit bounded away.
"We should be just within range..."Up and over the hill, looking every bit as lifelike as the real thing.
"I'll get a visual on the star itself." He said, keeping an eye on the frog's screen to help guide Tsuki via the
Kugutsu no Jutsu. Both the camera and microphone were not especially high-fidelity but they would serve their purpose.
"You told me once that your sense can detect the outline of things, right? Can you tell how many of them are armed?" He asked the doctor, keeping his voice low as he directed the rabbit towards its destination. Through some underbrush on the opposite side of the road and having it flank the site so as not to run headlong into any sentries.
"Just a little further."On the screen he could see a small clearing come into view with multiple people moving about. Civilians, workers, and a small contingent of shinobi from what he could make out.
"There's our target." Uemon mumbled, the rabbit's eye camera moving to face an object in the center of it all. Roughly spherical, small, and guarded.
"We have at least five shinobi closely surrounding the thing." Anyone not wearing a hitai-ate was kept at a good distance by a roped-off area around the object, likely to deter any unwanted touching.
"...anything about relief?" A bit of garbled chatter came through on the frog's speaker.
"Within the hour, they said." Another voice responded.
The wanderer's eyes narrowed a bit.
"Sounds like they're about to change shifts..." If it was the case, their enemies' presence was about to double.
"They're keeping tourists well away from the star." Uemon relayed to Shosuke, turning for a moment to glance at him.
"If you can cause some sort of a distraction among the crowd I could have my puppet go in for a sample... otherwise I'm open to ideas." Confuse, misdirect, steal.
It was his initial thought, and since the doctor was a decent actor he had no doubt he could pull something like that off. But they were a team after all and any feedback would be welcome. Rushing in unprepared would be foolish but time was also short. Whatever they decided on, they would have to do it fast before this 'relief' of theirs showed up.
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: 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.
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.
