200 km/h in the wrong lane [search]

[matsumoto-kun]

The search didn't take long. Having had a significant head start, and not having to worry about traversing the streets, despite how sparse, he would be able to locate the target location within put a few minutes. With the ruse of a fisherman, it would not be out of the ordinary to see him on the deck of one of the ships. The vast number of them making it easy to misjudge which ship had been docked where, as well. Finally, with no docking manager present, the benefits of a small town, there was no one to bother him in his attempt to board. Having once made it inside of the ship, all he would have to do was simply wait. Using the spare time to familiarize himself with the facilities, it wouldn't be long before the sound of an old woman would ring into his ears.

'Out of my way! Out of my way!'

The discourse would quickly follow with the mens voice, and the sound of the multitude of them above deck. Their weight would clack against the wooden floorboards, and the shuffling of feet would allow him to recognize the number. Quickly shifting his disguise once more, he would tuck himself beneath one of the tables beneath the deck, making himself appear as an old trunk that one of them might have found and brought aboard. As he hid, he would notice the appearance of two older women (from their legs, as that was all he could see from his position), before one of them would hurry towards the deck in a rush. What was left behind were the tall slender legs of a youthful woman, scurrying into what appeared to be one of the cabins. As the men would continue to shuffle above him, Kinomura's voice could be heard above them all. Barking orders at his mates, they would all begin to prepare for their journey.

Leaping from underneath the desk, his disguise would disperse within an instant. Rushing to the cabin that he had seen her enter, he would press his face against the door before delivering a sharp whisper.

"Sensei, It's me."

He didn't necessarily expect her to open the door, but given that the trip would likely not take more than an hour or so, the cabin seemed like the best place to keep out of sight- then again, if it wasn't her, he would be able to keep this woman below deck and impersonate her if the time came.

[daisy]

echizen cape ♥

I did not have long to wait. Moments after I had slipped into the empty cabin, Matsumoto's whisper sounded through the door, and I opened it, shutting it quickly behind his entrance. He had clearly had no problems gaining entrance - he was impressing me at every turn! The hard part, at least, was over now. We simply had to remain undetected until the boat arrived at its destination, and then leave without arousing suspicion. Then it would ideally be a simple matter of following Oshitaka and the others, who would lead us straight to Kirigakure! Still, such plans rarely followed through without a hitch.

"No problems then? How wonderful. Perhaps we shall have a chance to relax for a moment..." I slipped into a nearby chair, a simple wooden affair, but it was welcome after walking around in heels for so long. Of course, relaxing would be rather unwise when we could be discovered at any moment. It would perhaps be more prudent to scope the layout of the ship, as well as locating our target, so we could be sure of not losing him when we arrived.

"No rest for the wicked, I suppose. What do you propose for disembarking? I'd imagine capturing two of Kinomura's men, and taking on their appearances, would serve us best. Leaving as other crew members might arouse suspicion, and it gives us ample opportunity to stick close to our target," The plan may be sound, but its implementation was another thing. How to separate the men from the others, and subdue them without raising the alarm? Through a combination of camouflage and threads it could certainly be achieved, but perhaps Matsumoto would be able to provide more aid.

"A distraction may work, as long as you are not seen, while I capture two of them. Any ideas, darling?" We could not hide in here for the whole journey, it was time, once again, to get to work.

[matsumoto-kun]

The door opened hurriedly, and before he could confirm that the woman on the other side was his sensei, he was being rushed inside. Brushing past her, he turned to confirm her identity before moving to the bed opposite the door. The room was small, and had a smell that could only be assumed to be the musk of the man who resided here. While he did not sit down, having the bed at the back of his thighs gave him some sort of balance. He still hadn't gotten used to the idea of being on a boat just yet. Having had his first experience with oceanic water during their trip to this country, it was something he could safely say he was not too happy with. 

His superior moved to her seat, allowing him the chance to consider the options that they would be facing. While they were tucked away below deck, making their way towards the village was something that he could only assume would be done behind the parade of men that were gathered and busy above them. While he had no grasp of Mizu no Kuni's geography, he could only assume that the journey would not be that long given the hastiness for the men to take off. He didn't know much about time they would have once the ship were to be docked, but at least they could plan now. He listened to Akira's assessment on the situation as best he could- the constant rocking even while still docked throwing him off. As though a cat confused as to what was going on around him, his balance was his his primary focus.

As she finished, he resigned to resting himself entirely onto the cot behind him. Turning to her, with constant glances at the door, he would give his own opinions. 

"Yes, these were things that I considered during our pursuit of them on land. However, based on their relationship, and us being unable to observe them for only a few minutes, we would be discovered almost instantly by Kinomra. I also considered eliminating Kinomura and his men entirely, only to deceive Oshitaka, but as I said before, he is no rookie.

In the scenario where all three men escort Oshitaka to Kiri, we will simply be able to follow them without hitch. However, if one or two of them decide to stay, then we can simply incapacitate them and catch up to the escort afterwards. Your idea of a distraction might also work, but would prolong the amount of time it may take for us to reach Kirigakure, as well as cause suspicion as to what the cause of the distraction may have been. Of course, you will be making the final call."

[daisy]

♥

He raised valid points. My main intent behind assuming the role of two of Kinomura's companions had been the ease with which it granted us leave of the boat. If we took on no disguises, we would have to leave the boat without being seen, or risk the alarm of both the group of men we intended to tail, and the crew themselves. But of course, maintaining the ruse as two of his henchmen was impractical. Perhaps, as we had done this entire venture, we would simply play it by ear. I laughed quietly at the thought.

At his comment on my making the final decision, I laughed still more. He was so serious about it all, and it almost sounded as if he was reluctant to leave me in charge. Oh, but perhaps he was right. Given my lack of physical strength, and the subtle nature of my combat style, I was typically amongst the best in the strategic department - but I was hardly acting the genius on this trip. Emotion had dulled my senses, the quiet desperation I felt whenever I thought of my village making it difficult to think calmly and rationally. But to him, I was simply the Jounin in charge of this operation, and a rather underwhelming one at that.

"Forgive me, darling, you must think me dreadfully blasé about this whole affair," My smile faded and I looked away from the boy,
"Truthfully, there is a lot more riding on all of this than is apparent... I suppose it is not your concern though. That is the shinobi way, after all, non? Unquestioning, unthinking tools - that's how we raise you. Such a wonderful tradition our hidden villages uphold..." I tailed off, eyes distant. It was hardly the time to preach, but when one was surrounded by examples... Still. That was why I was fighting. To change things, wasn't it? To make the lives of young shinobi like Matsumoto fuller, to broaden their horizons and their minds, rather than filling them with duty and sacrifice.

I stood up, tossing my hair as if to dismiss such thoughts.
"Let us take stock of our surroundings then. We shall simply slip free of the boat after our targets do so, and we must know when that happens," I moved over to the door, listening against it, before pushing it gently open. Motioning for the boy to follow, I slipped out into the hallway, keeping to the doorways as I moved. I could see feet passing at the top of the stairs, on deck, and waited until the sounds faded away, before heading upwards, keeping low as I peered out.

Seeing an opening, I sprinted across the shortest span of deck and hopped lightly over the side of the boat, releasing a single silk thread as I did so, which grasped the railing along the side of the boat, suspending me above the water. I swung myself towards the hull, adhering to the wooden surface with the inherent... stickiness spiders' possessed, and was now in position to observe the goings on without being seen, as long as I took care to duck below the railings.

However Matsumoto chose to position himself, once again, we watched.

SPOILER: Click to show

{jutsu}Kumo Haru (Sticking Spider) [10]
Rank: D
Range: -
Type: Supplementary
Handseals: -
Chakra Consumption: None

Taking after spiders in so many respects, the Sasanagi, with the ability to excrete their sticky substance from their pores, are capable of adhering to almost any surface, at almost any angle. As long as a portion of exposed flesh is touching the surface, a thin layer of the sticky fluid will keep them attached securely.

Note: This ability merely ensures the Sasanagi against gravity, they can still be knocked off.

[matsumoto-kun]

From his seat atop of the cot he scanned her movements, and the words that matched. She was an odd one to say the least, and despite the acute respect for her ability, he was nevertheless left... suspicious. She had always owned the odd air that surrounded her. The flamboyancy, the flowerful wording, sure, it was something that could have easily have been a character trait. It wasn't absurd for someone to have developed certain quirks such as this over the course of their lifetime- but that wasn't what planted the seed of doubt in the young man's head. The entire process of searching Mizu no Kuni for Kirigakure had been something rather unplanned. They had gathered no intel aside from being able to find a ninja who simply bore the symbol of the village. They had taken no note of how the ship would possibly know where the village lay, aside from a hunch. They had not developed a definitive plan as to how they would both arrive aboard the ship which had proved to be the method of chosen transportation, and now they had yet to decide on a plan which would allow them to escape the ship in the first place- let alone how to pursue the group once they reached the shore. She was eager, and it exuded from her. 

In the desert, there was such thing as eager. In the badlands, where he had lived for the majority of his short life, nothing survived. The constant depravation of resources loomed over the heads of the plants, beasts, and men of the dunes in which it consisted of. If the elements did not make short work of you, the animals which harvested your meat to live one more day would. If you were able to somehow overcome the beasts which filled the desert, then you would no doubt meet your end and the hands of people like him. Cold, calculating, detached. There was no time for feeling, emotion, or flamboyancy- death was certain for those who did not exhibit anything but the will to survive.

Akira was a woman with power, and while he could not deny that, he could only question how she would possibly survive for more than a few days in the desert. Aside from her lack of planning and body language, it was the monologue that she would provide that would be the straw that broke the camel's back, if it were. While he had not been a Suna ninja for more than a year at this point, he knew that they were still residents of the desert that he had called home for his entire life. The words she spoke had a clear message of sympathy. If she was in fact a ninja of Sunagakure... she certainly didn't deserve the title of Jounin. 

Ushinawa's eyes sharpened as he observed her head for the door. Despite her motioning for him to leave, he would remain stationary, the thoughts of her dispersing in only a few hundred directions. They hadn't even decided on a plan of action, let alone a rendezvous point- and while he had done it a few times during this mission alone, he was not one to act so recklessly. As he looked towards the pale green paint which covered the door to the cabin, he would begin to consider the paint which covered it. He began to wonder what color the wood beneath it truly was. 

He would have to speak with Mu-n upon his arrival back home. 

Having already made his assessment of the ship prior to everyone's arrival, he had familiarized himself with the halls in which he would utilize to exact his plan. From his position, he would be on the left side of the ship, sharing a wall with the exterior of the ship. Turning towards the respective wall, he would slowly unsheath his tanto. Delivering three quick blows, twisting the blade slightly before entering the tip into the side of the ship, he would create a delta shaped hole- the chilling air of the outdoors instantly moving into the cabin. Hardly noticeable, the fourth strike would remove the excess wood- having it fall into the ocean beneath them. With a quick sheathing of the blade, and a few handseals, another version would appear before him in a flash. Looking at each other for a moment, the clone would turn to face the open hole without a word. Despite the company, Ushinawa still couldn't help but feel as though he had been abandoned. He really was on his own.

Moving to the door, his small right hand would extend to lock the handle behind Akira. Turning his back to the door, he would place his weight against it as he slid into a crouching position. If someone were to attempt to enter, he would be able to know immediately- catching them if they decide to run, or unlock it if they attempted to open it once more. For now, they would simply have to wait. Closing his eyes, his head dropped and his hands folded into a flaccid form of the snake seal. 

48 minutes later.

"Land!!" A deck hand would shout- the sound barreling through the trianglar hole and into the ears of both the clone and the boy who had since been prepared for the arrival.

"How far are we? Is it Kirigakure?" Ushinawa asked, moving to unlock the door behind him.

"About twenty meters out. I'm not certain, but I see a village." The clone replied quickly, keeping his sight towards the peep hole.

"Do you have any visuals on Akira?" He asked, the clock of the lock revealing the open door.

"... No." The clone said with a taste of disdain. 

Within an instant he would disperse into nothingness. In his stead, Ushinawa would remove a small green canister from his satchel, and with a quick 'pull' of the top, place it onto the cot which he had once occupied. As the smoke filled the room, he would quickly reach back, placing a small black piece against his mouth, and after a few checks, would begin to breath as regularly as he had been initially. Opening the door slightly, he would ensure the lack of movement in the hallway would be clear before exiting. The smoke had reached the hallway, and given the wooden composition of the ship would begin to fill a portion of the ship to resemble the aftermath of a fire. Commotion could be heard above him, and while he was unsure of his teammate's status, he, like her, had no doubt that she would be able to handle herself well enough. Moving with haste, he would make himself towards the bathroom before making his final set of seals. Instead of him, the image of his previous disguise would appear in full form. 

As the sound of clamor could be heard above him, followed quickly by the sudden rush of men running down the steps and towards the cabin, Ushinawa would confirm their number before sneaking out of the bathroom- a wire and senbon being placed onto a board across from the bathroom door- allowing the ajar portal to trap those on the opposite side there for a short while. While it wouldn't kill them, it would leave them occupied in case they discovered the canister. Rushing towards the stairs, the sound of further steps would take hold of Ushinawa's attention. Quickly making his way behind the steps, he would see a number of men rushing down towards the room.

"Who did this!?" One would shout as they attempted to pull the needle and wire out of the way.

"We can worry about that later- there's a fire!" Another would shout. 

Making his way towards the stairs with a cautious peek, he would move towards the deck with absolute certainty. The sun was shining brightly, and the cramped cabin space left him without much to miss in terms of the sun which he was provided with daily back home. In the very short distance he could see a number of docks approaching rapidly. This was his only chance before either the docksmen or sailors caught eye of him. Making a quick dive into the waters below the ship, he would sink low beneath the surface- his breathing ever consistent with the help of the black mask covering the bottom portion of his face. Another set of handseals would give him the appearance of a rather large fish- while also giving him the assistance of being able to swim much faster. Whether or not he could find Akira after the ordeal was an afterthought. 

[daisy]

diving for pearls ♥

It had been tiring, maintaining this position. Though not a tax upon my chakra, it was scarcely comfortable pressed against the wooden hull as such, but it had offered me quite the vantage point. None looked overboard for stowaways, and in being cautious I had been able to observe Oshitaka and his 'captors', who had kept near him for the entire journey. But finally, we were drawing near. How to get off? I truly did not fancy swimming - one could never get chiffon quite right again after soaking it - but if it were my only option... Still, a rather opportune distraction presented itself. Matsumoto perhaps?

Regardless, I saw smoke spill from below deck, up the stairs that we had used. Whether a true fire had started, or it were simply a smoke grenade, it provided excellent cover. None would ignore a fire upon the ship that carried them. As I watched, I saw a man leave, heading in the opposite direction, and diving overboard. Was it the boy? It was rather early to be abandoning ship, and the timing... Still, I would find out upon land. We had worked well together thus far, and our haphazard plans had come reliably to fruition. I too ought to move. Adhering still to the surface of the ship with my feet, I performed the familiar camouflage jutsu, disappearing - mostly.

As we were almost at the docks, I let myself fall to the water's surface, chakra coating my feet so I could avoid submerging my expensive attire. Moving over the waves, there was very little chance of being seen, as any flickers in my transparent appearance were negligible atop the constantly moving water. I made my way quickly to the docks, spray dashing across me, invisible hair streaming in the ocean winds. Quickly I leaped aboard the wooden planks, making my way behind a small shed, my jutsu still active. Now, to henge or not? Matsumoto would have a harder time finding me in a new disguise, but the men had seen the dumpy woman before.

Instead I simply stayed behind the shed, watching Oshitaka, Kinomura and his companions disembark.
"Not far now, eh?" Kinomura was saying cheerfully, while Oshitaka looked worse than he had on the boat. Still, he led them, heading from the docks out onto a rather unkempt road, which wound into the misty forest. The terrain had changed here, murkier, dimmer - all in all a good indication of our proximity to the village. Now it was simply a matter of following without being seen. But where was my companion?

I had of course begun to think on how to present myself when we finally found the place. What had stopped me from simply revealing myself to Oshitaka and demanding to be led to Kirigakure? A fear of refusal, I supposed. I had the proof necessary to confirm my identity, but whether I would be taken on face value was another matter. Still, I would deal with it when we arrived. With the men now almost out of sight, I hurried across the docks, still mostly invisible, and leaped up into the nearest tree. We could travel amongst them as we followed, making our shadowing that much easier.

[Nujabes]

"You're late," the young girl snapped at the pair. "I've been sitting here waiting for an hour."

Kinomura shrugged. "Sorry, but it wasn't our fault."

"Whatever. Let's just get this over with. I've got important things to do."

Oshitaka laughed. "A genin with important things to do?"

The young girl shook her head and turned toward a off-the-path road leading out of the port, gesturing for the pair to follow her. Besides the two massive swords strapped to her back, the stark white hair upon her hair, the Tsuchikage would notice -- if she spared bur a cursory glance -- the Hidden Mist headband fastened around her left arm.

- Enter, Exit

[daisy]

a fleeting breeze ♥

Oh, where was Matsumoto? Surely he had seen this? Yet another Kirigakure shinobi - a young girl - all but guaranteeing the location we had sought so arduously! It had been rather touch and go for some of our search, but from here it was a simple matter of following these shinobi! Well, as simple as following fellow ninja could be, but I had faith in my, and my companion's, skills.

I could not risk attempting to signal to him, particularly as I did not know what form he currently bore, and did not want to risk losing sight of our targets by taking time to search for his chakra. I had relied on his instincts thus far, he knew our objective was simply following these shinobi, he would be more than fine.

Still, our efforts had paid off. I had to be ready now for what followed. Disappointment? Success? I could only hope.

/exit

[matsumoto-kun]

Dragging himself beneath one of the many boardwalks which lined the busier port town, Ushinawa's head would flip backwards as he attempted to filter himself free of the salt water's detestable uncleanliness. His disguise having faded, he would ring himself dry in various places before attempting to make his way towards a somewhat more civilized portion of the town. Having dropped his disguise, his vision would fall upon the crew which had eventually reached their destination. The familiar faces of Kinomura and crew could be seen exiting their ship in order to meet a short white haired girl, not too far off from Matsumoto's age. The massive swords strapped to her back made her appear much more intimidating than the rest of her appearance would have conveyed. Perhaps this was how Kirigakure ninja were trained... 

Ducking behind a dock pillar to prevent himself from being caught making obvious surveillance, he would see the lot begin to depart- the image of a slight blur in his vision pursuing the group would cut behind them before leaping into a well placed tree not far from their position. He had seen something similar once before...

'So Akira found them... mission accomplished, I guess.'

Turning around he would place his back against the pillar before sliding down into a seated position. Placing his head against the pillar, he looked up at the endless white sky of the dreary nation. Now to divest into finding a path back to his homeland. 

-- exit.

[Ohta]

+93 daisy
+92 Matsumoto
+3 Nujabes