Curse of Kusa - Part 1 [Event]

[DJ Loki]

At the End We Find New Beginnings.

During the events of The Festival of the Hunt, a year ago, Yuri was made aware that there was something hidden beneath the old abandoned capital. No one was sure what lied underneath it but Yuri was asked to check into the area. It wasn't long before some of her ninja had discovered a secret passageway that lurked under the old capital build. The First Ninja to report on the scene explored a bit but soon found the a massive complex underneath. It was beyond expansive and would take months at least for a single team to attempt to traverse all of it. So to get things done as fast as possible, she will be sending in several teams, of 5 or more. Yuri would be coordinating the expedition, from the home base.

Yuri at the base that was set up right outside the entrance way into the secret tunnels below. She was had on her usual green dress, with her Kusakage cloak draped over it. Both of them were composed completely of Paper, from top to bottom. On her right hip she had 2 utility pouches, inside of those pouches were 3 Cluster, Scatter, Widen, Silence Smoke grenades, a re breather, and an electronic compass. On her left Hip she held two swords, her Hyoshi Blade, and Antirrhinum. In it's slumbering state only those who could see souls and their aura's would be able to see the tiny dragon spirit that hover near the blade, that was currently resting on Yuri's shoulders. She wore a golden circlet on her head that held the greater fire energy gem. She had a pair of gold earrings that held the The Cold and Electricity Greater Energy gems. Around her neck was a golden rather extravagant choker that held the Greater Acid Energy gem. And on her wrist she wore a bracelet that housed the Greater Sonic energy gem. This bundle of jewelry was fit for a Princess, valuing well over 2mil ryo in total. Her feet held the heavily stylized Focke Wolfe Air Trecks.

It would seem that the title of Princess that she was given by the village was starting to show through in a big way. Yuri sighed as she pointed over at a crates of gear over to the side of the camp and told everyone who would listen, "Once you have your group assignments go over and get anything you need from those crates. If you don't have a radio... get one that is a must, turn it to channel 5. Anything else is optional. We got a couple of cool experimental toys over there, and there's no telling what we'll find in these catacombs. Just take anything that looks interesting,and check in with Harue. Anything that you don't use will be returned once you come out. Harue, make sure to keep notes of who takes what." Yuri pointed over at Harue who should be standing behind the crates present, as the multitude of ninja came filing in. "As a side note, those Leyden Bottles, have jutsu stored within them. The labels on them will tell you what they do. Just break them over your head or something and you'll get the effects of the jutsu."

The door to the hidden paths beneath the Old capital was open, and if one was to simply look inside, they would be able to the beginning Paths inside. It looked like an endless maze of aqueducts.

_________________________________________

Items available for use: This is a total number, not what is available for everyone. Do not grab more than one of each, Except the Vivre tags, take as many as your group needs. The smoke pellets as well, but no more than what you would need to make 3 grenades.

SPOILER: Click to show

80 x Vivre Tags
27 x Baseplate Compass
45 x Wireless Radio
90 x Smoke Pellet - Cluster, Scatter, Widen, Silence
30 x Leyden Jutsu Bottles

• 10 x Healing Hands Moderate
• 5 x Cleanse Nausea
• 5 x Cleanse Spirit
• 5 x Cleanse Paralyses
• 5 x Lightning 150 seconds - It is Four Legs Technique: Lightning, +4 Enchantment Bonus to Agility

Side Note: Everyone involved in this event is part of the same exploration group. There is a moment where you may need to split up, but that decision will be up to you.

[neko bo beko]

[ enter ]

Of course, Harue was alongside Yuri through her process, and although she had been hesitant about joining the expedition, she was confident in her place beside her Kage. Though, sometimes she did feel like a secretary. When Yuri mentions her name, she simply smiles and raises a hand towards the ninja to signify that she was, indeed, Harue. It was nice to be made apart of the setup however, so she didn't complain about her position. She quite preferred it. When addressed directly, Harue nods and taps the small notepad in her possession with her pen. "Of course," the pinkette says plainly. She's already marked down what she's got.

Truthfully, she was afraid she was under prepared. She had her light shield hooked across her back, and her katana against her left hip. She'd already taken a radio from the crate, though was only now checking that it was on channel 5. From the crate she'd also taken two Virve Tags (one for her and one for her beast), 10 smoke pellets, 1 Healing Hands jutsu bottle and a Cleanse Nausea bottle. She thought of them more like elixirs and didn't want to seem greedy when taking them. Of her own person, she also had 500 senbon, 160 of which were wrapped individually with explosive tags. Stuffed at the bottom of her pack, she had her gas mask and her own compass, a bundle of silk rope, a strange green gem of moderate energy and two 'cat' potions she still didn't quite know how to use. And of course, her trusty sidekick Ōmo sat massively at her feet, waiting for the party to begin with a dozing slumber.

Looking over her short notes so far, Harue waited alongside her Kage and her beast. The gaping mouth to the catacombs stared brazenly at her and she couldn't shake a disturbed feeling off of her bones about it. This place gave her the heebie jeebies and she very much would prefer not to be apart of it, but alas, duties call. Mostly, she planned on sticking with Yuri or doing as she was told, and hoping for the best. And, for heaven's sake, she would try to stay out of trouble. For now, she only had her eyes adjusted to see in lowlight levels and to see separate planes. She was still getting used to the thing tethered to Yuri's sword, but otherwise kept her fresh red eyes moving around the area, scanning for things forever out of place. 

---

Harue's Notes

this place stinks

me - 2 virve tags, 10 smoke pellets, 1 healing hands leyden, 1 clear nausea leyden, radio (channel 5)

[An'ei Sekitan]

It was time yet again for his services, the work of the Demon Dog of Kusa never completed. Genkaku Houkou stood behind Yuri and her assistant, Harue, some distance back and watched them as they worked. During this time, he made mental note of the items he had brought with him for this mission of exploration into the depths beneath the old capital, as the world continued to fill with monsters and beasts. Dog Star rested upon his right hip, the Mask of the Demon Dog upon his left, and fifteen Kunai beneath his fur-trimmed black Shinobi jacket. A black tank top beneath, black Shinobi pants, and black boots completed the outfit. Today he was not wearing his jewelry; save for the watch that the Witch Loki had given to him.

His crimson eyes passed over Harue, a hand running through is white hair, wondering just who was going to be traveling with him in to the depths today. The heavy padding of Sekizen was next to him, announcing that they were indeed approaching, which was always a good idea. Sekizen, the enormous Worg was black as the void with piercing glacial blue eyes, eyes that watched the pink lion as it lay before Harue. Easily twice the size of the beast, the Worg began to lick his lips, clearly thinking that perhaps this would be a snack before he entered the depths. “I think not, Sekizen. Don’t.” The Huge Worg looked over and down at Houkou, “Really? It kind of looks like cotton candy though.” A stern glare from the man stopped the Worg from talking about it any longer.

“Yuri,” Houkou began as they got in range, Sekizen dwarfing the entire party gathered at the entrance to the catacomb city, “I got you summons. Anything particularly interesting to note about this place such as creatures or traps? Anything we might be looking for in particular?” Still transitioning, but Houkou was getting more comfortable in taking up a leadership role, which would begin soon enough once he was the head of the Dragon AnBu forces. It was best to gain experience whenever he could. I wonder if perhaps I can find powerful armor down in the depths for either myself or Sekizen, should such armor exist… His eyes glanced over at the crate of goods, striding over after Yuri was finished briefing him and picking through what was within. The only things he found useful were the Vivre Tags and the Leyden Healing Hands, to which he pocketed six (6) tags to be used shortly and two (2) bottles, just in case. Additionally, he set the radio within his Mask to channel 5, having overheard that as he was coming up on the two. Once everyone arrived, he would ask them all a question.

“I need a brief overview of your specialties as a Shinobi so I know best how to place you in this team, as well as how to best utilize your abilities to the maximum effect without hindering your other teammates. If you cannot work as a team, leave. If you lie and come down with me, I will kill you and feed your carcass to my brother.” A deep booming laugh, malicious in intent escaped from Sekizen, brother of Houkou by adoption. “Death will not come to you from poor teamwork so long as I am here, unless that death comes from my hand. Don’t let your country down.”

[neko bo beko]

The sound of footsteps finally alerted Harue to the presence of a large man and an equally as large wolf-like beast, and Harue had to force herself to smile instead of wince or grimace. She loved animals, but the thing looked like it was hungry and his eyes were pointedly on Ōmo, who was finally lifting his head with hooded eyes to look over at the pair with Harue. His jaw falls open and he yawns widely, uninterested in the beast as he rests his head back on his front paws, his eyes however remaining open now. Harue was thankful he was so tame when it came to other beasts, and she was also thankful that the large man seemed to have complete control over his beast partner's appetite. Swallowing thickly, Harue hoped that would stay the same. If she'd heard the beast remark about it looking like cotton candy, she would have snickered regardless. It was something along the lines of what she'd thought when she first met the pink leo, though not quite in the same hungry tone.

Within earshot, Harue can hear the large man address Yuri informally. She tried not to eavesdrop, but the two seemed to know each other quite well. She wondered why she'd never met the guy before, then. When they were done and the man approached the crates where Harue was located closely, she produces her pad and pen and simply watches the man's hand as he picks his haul. It's a fairly small selection, but Harue jots it down quickly. Not knowing his name, she writes down a brief descriptive in place of it instead. As she's placing the utensils back in the pockets of her sweatshirt, adjusting it over her conforming black pants and scuffing boots nervously across the catacomb floors. When the man starts addressing the expedition crowd, she looks up, only startled when the laugh erupts abruptly from the giant beast beside the man apparently in charge. Harue admired his quickness to take lead, and his assurance in nobody dying by anybody or anything but him was somehow also reassuring. If not a little threatening and confusing. Considering Harue planned on sticking close to Yuri, she didn't speak up, at least not first. Instead, she looks over the crowd and waits to see who would speak up first.

---

Harue's Notes

SPOILER: Click to show

this place stinks

me - 2 virve tags, 10 smoke pellets, 1 healing hands leyden, 1 clear nausea leyden, radio (channel 5)

big scary buff guy - 6 virve tags, 2 healing hands leyden

i think that thing with the big guy wants to eat Ōmo. i suppose it certainly could..

[Inoryu]

    Inoryu unburdened himself of his main pack and reached in for a communicator of his own, equipped it, and adjusted it to channel 5. He had come with three more additional wireless radios to equip a four man team, but they were unnecessary as wireless radios were being provided by the Kage among other supplies. In addition,  his main pack held three manacles, an amanuensis engine, a glass cutter, thirty military rations, a speedy healing herb, a compass baseplate, two slots of knives, one slot of kunai, two slots of bo shuriken, one slot of hira shuriken, five surveillance spikes, a tactical transceiver, a handheld surveillance monitor, one holodisk, a disguise kit, and a rebreather. 

    His right butt pack contained one slot of darts, one slot of caltrops, five small disks, three Kunai (one attached with Exploding tag: Ice, one attached with Exploding Tag: Lightning, one attached with Exploding Tag: Radiant), one slot hira shuriken, 49 senbon,  and explosive tags (4 Fire, 5 Cold, 4 Lightning, 5 Acid, 5 Negative, 4 Radiant). His left butt pack contained a gas mask, a lockpick kit, a standard bottle filled with water, a spyglass, a flint, five holder enhancements, a single pair of manacles, five zipties, a disruptor, and four blood increasing pills. He would take from the leyden jutsu bottles; one healing hands moderate, one cleanse nausea, one cleanse spirit, one cleanse paralysis, and one four legs technique: lightning, and store them in his main pack. He would greet Harue politely and silently with a smile and wave so as to not interrupt the instructions from the Kusakage. 

    Inoryu found the exchange between Harue, Houkou and their beasts interesting to say the least. The hierarchy of the animal kingdom seemed present as the worg licked its lips with hunger directed at the smaller pink beast. Even so, Inoryu thought that the animal companions had certain attributes that could be useful in an investigative mission such as this one. An action Inoryu deemed worthy of great respect, the man appointed as the leader exerted his control over the massive beast. 

    As Houkou requested each member's strengths with a frightening, yet reassuring speech, Inoryu would approach the man with a list detailing his inventory and begin an explanation of his jutsu, "I am practiced with the Yamanaka clan jutsu. I have also practiced the figment, glamour, and phantasm perceptions. I am practiced in the art of throwing and I have also achieved the rank of "Bengonin", or "Defender" in the famous Kusagakure taijutsu style gintsuki no seiko mai," he said as he revealed the kanji tattoos for "Moon" and "Shield" on his right hand above his thumb. "In combat I try to trap the enemy with genjutsu while using taijutsu to deal damage and counter. I have some practice with the wind release, though not very much."

    Inoryu was wearing camera vision goggles to take photos or record videos of any findings in the tunnels though they were clear and inconspicuous underneath the pristine umbrite helmet he had crafted. He wore his usual grey long sleeved shirt and black pants, but as opposed to his causal clothing, his armor set was truly a sight to behold. The umbrite torso armor piece was crafted with the upmost quality, impeccable in the crafter's execution with a highly refined artistic touch that was a fierce dragon insignia winding in two loops on his chest and fluting along the borders. The umbrite armor protecting his right shoulder and right arm were of the same quality as the torso and helmet.

    The umbrite deepened the shadows around the wearer making them appear more substantial, which allowed for great opportunities in stealth. His short, luxurious blonde hair was maintained very well, despite being hidden beneath the helmet. The coveted blue eyes of the Yamanaka clan behind the clear goggles. He was handsome, even more so with the pristine quality of the black armor. Though he would show little emotion through facial expression, and he appeared to look serious as he spoke.

    "Due to my armor and armor enhancements, I can be stealthy. I am also adept with sense motive, current affairs and reading lips," Inoryu said before taking a short pause, "I think that is all." His right hand rested on the hilt of his tanto that was secured to his right thigh.

[j]

Tomomi seemed to have arrived quite a bit later than everyone else. All the regular plebeian Genin scattered around, gathering the equipment they might need for the planned expedition. His judgmental stares fell upon their scurrying, disguised behind a fantastically expensive pair of sunglasses. His attire was slightly different from usual, perhaps intending to appear slightly inconspicuous and draw less attention; but obviously failing. On his top he wore an oversized blue hooded sweatshirt with the hood up. His hair cascaded beautifully from the hood on either side of his head, one side white and the other black. He wore finely tailored trousers, cut off just above the ankles; accompanied by straw sandals.

His shoulders were adorned by a blueish green feather coat of some sort. It was probably extremely fine, especially considering the coat kept fidgeting about on its own accord. Just then the coat reached its small camouflaged head upwards and squawked a terribly high pitched but not especially loud yawn. A yawn Tomo interrupted quickly by abruptly flicking the underside of the phoenix's beak.

"Shut up..."

He sternly spat at the creature, who fell back to sleeping upon its perch. Perhaps Tomomi was hungover? He otherwise seemed to be exhausted and rather bitter about the whole situation. Quietly he made his way towards the seemingly more important figures in the room. His expression lit up upon seeing a figure he'd grown fond of upon his recent return to the village. It was Harue!

"HAAAARRRUUEEE!!~"

He sang towards the group with his lanky arms and beaming smile spread wide. He passed the other three, not noticing their superior rank, or disregarding their oddities entirely. As he reached his friend his right arm fell around her shoulder. A friendly, if not barely tolerable gesture. His movements disrupted the sleeping phoenix, who decided to fly off of his shoulders to land gently on Ōmo's mane and rest there instead.

neko bo beko , DJ Loki , Inoryu , An'ei Sekitan

[neko bo beko]

Who speaks first is Inoryu, although Harue sort of anticipated that. He was a young man of incredible obediency, without trepidation or hesitation. Ask him to jump and he asks how high?, though Harue didn't quite know how good or bad that was in the end for him. When he had taken from the crate, he'd smiled and offered a politeness to Harue, which she returned. "Glad you could make it," she'd said to him, her eyes lowered to her pen and paper as she wrote down what he'd taken. After he gave the large man a mouthful, there wasn't much silence to last. Harue opened her mouth to maybe say something, perhaps about her abilities or to address Yuri, but either way the thought dies out of her memory as a shrill voice she recognizes instantly rings out in a singsong tone. While she had gone months without seeing her estranged teammate, he was popping up more and more frequently all of a sudden. Not that Harue was complaining.

Her face breaks in half, a wide smile revealing her teeth but her expression also one of nervous comfort. Her eyebrows knit together as she looks awkwardly from Yuri to the large man who'd addressed everyone and his beast, then to Ōmo who's raised his head to observe as the effeminate boy drapes an arm around Harue's shoulders. The pinkette returns the warm welcome with a flat palm at his back, between his shoulder blades. Ōmo inhales Tomomi's scent deeply and recognizes it easily, also registering his new companion's smell as well. When it lands on his mane, Ōmo's ears flicker as he tries to turn his head to see Jimmer. When he can't, he blinks a few times and sets his head back on his paws lazily to rest with the bird.

"Tomo!" She says, her voice hushed but excited. "You're... here!" She hadn't been expecting him, but she was somewhat relieved that he had arrived. At least she knew someone other than Yuri here, but she wondered if the task at hand was why he was here. "You've come to help with the expedition?" She asks, her voice still barely above a whisper to avoid too much sour attention. Her red, planar eyes dart between the shaded lenses. Her eyelids flutter when she can't see past them to the familiar pair of eyes behind them, but her smile still is sincere and whole.

---

Harue's Notes

SPOILER: Click to show

this place stinks

me - 2 virve tags, 10 smoke pellets, 1 healing hands leyden, 1 clear nausea leyden, radio (channel 5)

big scary buff guy - 6 virve tags, 2 healing hands leyden

i think that thing with the big guy wants to eat Ōmo. i suppose it certainly could..

inoryu yamanaka - 1 healing hands leyden, 1 cleanse nausea leyden, 1 cleanse spirit leyden, 1 lighting leyden

[Dr. Neuro, RN]

Letting out a big yawn, Ameya walked toward the catacombs. She knew she would arrive late and probably get a stern talking to for it, but she didn’t really mind. Worrying about what others had to say didn’t mean much to her, especially when it came to them interrupting her sleep.

She didn’t dress up for the mission one bit. It was clear that she had just woke up and headed out without a care in the world. Her eyes were sunken and half shut, a tiny bit of dry drool crusted on the corner of her mouth still. That and she was still in her pajamas. She was always wearing pajamas to everyone else’s dismay. Her feet were also bare.

Wrapped around her was a blanket made of paper, one hundred pieces of paper to be exact, being used like a cloak and shielding her from the sun. The blanket was able to store three thousand additional pieces of paper and she was highly satisfied with having that.

The only other item she carried with her was a short sword attached to her left hip. The sword was crafted beautifully, in fact it was a piece of master craftsmanship. She received the sword from her father when she was a kid and he always bragged about it being a “Masterwork” sword. Not that she cared about such things. She wasn’t even proficient with a sword. She could draw it fast and that was it.

It seemed most, of not all, participating shinobi had arrived. She noticed one rummaging through the crates and she also went over to it. There was an assortment of items that she had no clue what they were or how many she could take. But it seemed like it had been rummaged through already, so she decided she could just take whatever she wanted. She pulled out a radio and noticed it was on channel five. She didn’t even know what that meant.

There were also jars with labels on them. She picked on up, examined it, and tossed it over her head. Lightning shot toward the sky and the jutsu contained had been wasted. She stared at the ground for a moment and realized that whatever that jar was, it performed a jutsu and that was pretty cool. She pulled out another jar and read the label: Healing Hands: Moderate. She wasn’t sure what healing hands were, but she was certain they were going to be hands that would be helpful. Healing was always a good thing.

She grabbed another jar for clearing paralysis, but didn’t want to take anything else, as someone might think she was just trying to steal all of these jars. There were pellets and compasses and some type of card in there two. She knew she couldn’t carry all of that herself, so she grabbed a handful of the Vivre Cards, thinking they were there to help her paper jutsu. She ended up with six of them.

Not knowing what to do to carry the jars or the wireless radio, she figured it was as good of a time as any to bring in some assistance. She focused her chakra and started producing eggs within her body. “Come forth my children,” she said with her soft spoken tone. The eggs hatched from within her and creatures started shooting out from her body. Each creature stood on four legs and had a mouth, all of them around the size of a regular dog. When all was said in done, there were fifty of them surrounding her.

“Obey,” was the command she gave them. This meant she could order them to do multiple tasks. She gave the two jars to two of them, and then gave the wireless radio to another. “Carry these,” she ordered and of course they obeyed. She turned around to face the small group of shinobi and then her eyes instantly shot to the ground as she snuggled in tightly with her paper blanket. She knew with that display she would be the center of attention.

SPOILER: Click to show

Kami Manto (Paper Clothing)
Rank: C, B
Skill: Ninjutsu
Effect: Allows the user to create articles of clothing out of paper.
Special: Handseals
Drawback: The strength of the clothing is only as powerful as the users knowledge of Paper Strength.
Description: After the formation of handseals, the users is able to form articles of clothing that take on the appearance of textiles woven from cloth fibers. Common uses for this technique use the clothing as armor, disguise, or even as a way to transport large amounts of paper on one’s body.
C Rank- The user is capable of forming smaller articles of clothing such as gloves, hats, headbands, and shoes. These can be formed with roughly 20 pieces of paper, but can hold a maximum of 50.
B Rank- The user is now capable of creating full sized garments such as shirts, pants, cloaks, kimonos, and other robe style articles. These can be formed with around 100 pieces of paper, but can hold 1000 sheets for shirts and pants, and roughly 3000 sheets for robes or kimonos.
Limit: Paper Release. Paper manipulation A rank.

Egg Production — Learned 14 times (500 eggs a day)
Rank: D, C, B, A, S
Skill: Supplementary (Constant Effect)
Effect: Produces the now useless cell, into couplings within the womb of the user. This is how one determines what level of technique they can use.
Special: None
Drawback: None
Description: While the seal is activated, even though the bearers body is no longer able to reproduce, they are able to continue producing more and more eggs. These eggs are what are used to create the various techniques for the Naiseru seal. The higher your rank in the technique, the more one produces a day. It works like a slot system. At D rank you produce 50 eggs. At each new rank you produce 50 more. After the S rank training, you may continue training at an S rank for 50 more per training.
Limit: Must have the Naiseru seal.


Tissue Hardening
Rank: C, B, A, S
Skill: Supplementary
Effect: Hardens the cells produced with the egg production technique to allow them to withstand more powerful assaults.
Special: None
Drawback: for each rank of this subtract 1 slot from your overall egg count for each construct you produce
Description: When making creations this technique determines their durability. To calculate the amount of eggs used in this process it is (whatever the original technique cost + 1 for each extra level of durability). Without this technique all creations are able to be destroyed merely by D rank strikes. Damage however does stack. So even creations with S rank durability will feel the effects after taking the proper amount of D ranks. At C rank it takes a C rank amount of damage to destroy them, at B rank it takes a b rank amount, and so on and so forth. You choose the level of each creations durability, but all creations produced at the same time need to be uniform in regards to this technique.
Limit: Egg Production C rank


Come Forth My Children
Rank: C, B, A, S
Skill: Ninjutsu
Effect: Allows you to “birth” Creatures from your body to fight for you.
Special: Handseals
Drawback: Uses up your limited Egg slots
Description: The user uses their egg cells to birth from their being tiny leach like creatures. Each creature are very basic Picture. Each has a mouth, and four legs, and is about the size of an average “small” canine animal companion. For each rank, you are able to more efficiently produce your children. At C rank, you may produce 1 “child” for every 4 eggs you use. At B rank 1 child may be produced for every 3 eggs used, at A 1 child for every 2 eggs used, and at S it turns into a 1-1 ratio. Each creation works off of a base instinct implanted in them at conception. Whether that instinct is to kill an individual, group, or protect something of the same, it must always be a simple command. Each creation moves at a Tai specialist’s speed who is the same rank as the mother. When producing them it takes full 5 movements to use 50 eggs, and they will seem to bud from all different areas on the users body.
Limit: Egg Production and Tissue Hardening C rank

[An'ei Sekitan]

Houkou would listen to Inoryu address him with his abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Another stealth type Yamanaka, which could prove problematic if he turns out like the other did, but until then Houkou would not pass judgement. Instead he would nod at Inoryu, taking on the role of a leader, and would offer words. “Not bad. I’m looking forward to seeing what you can do.” Harue would begin to chime in and Houkou would turn to her, although no sound having come from her, he saw her movement never the less. Before she could speak however, she would be interrupted by a lanky boy who had just arrived.

Hyuuga Tomomi. According to the records, even though he appeared female, he was indeed male. Nothing was mentioned about his ability, although it was clear from his companion that he could not be a slouch, as the Phoenix was not easy to capture. In addition, he was allowed to be a ninja upon recommendation, and not through the academic means. Eyeing the interaction though, and the lack of attention paid to his surroundings, Houkou was unsure if that was a good idea or not. Still, he was not willing to judge a book by its cover just yet, ever the cautious shinobi, he would continue to watch how that interaction went and what would come of their own interactions within the ruins. Almost immediately another finally arrived, two of them officially late.

Another Hyuuga had joined, Hyuuga Ameya, and there was not much written on her either beyond the basics. Watching her interact with the world around her, it was clear to Houkou that she was indeed…an idiot. This book was absolutely fine to judge by the cover, as he watched her waste precious Kusa resources without a care in the world, yet it was unfortunate that he could not strike this girl down for it; Yuri had not ordered him to do so and she was of Kusa. Somehow. But he did see something that piqued his interest, the Naiseru Seal, something that he had only seen one other time in his life. If she had that, perhaps she was not completely worthless, but he would have to study this girl further in order to know for certain. For now, she was merely laying in the middle of the dirt making her creations hold her items. An audible sigh would escape Houkou’s lips. Time to get this started, he would pull out his pack of cigarettes, selecting one and lighting it with raw katon, then returning the pack to inside his fur trimmed jacket. One long puff and exhale, then he would begin.

“Alright. For those of you who do not know who I am, I am Genkaku Houkou, Chuunin of Kusagakure no Sato.” Crossing his arms, he would watch all those in attendance, having moved to the mouth of the ruin entrance while everyone was distracted. One Uchiha, three Hyuuga, a Yamanaka, and Harue who had no clan per say. Not a bad team if they can work together. Sekizen stood directly behind Houkou perpendicularly, his icy blue Worg eyes upon the crowd, his head next to Houkou displaying his enormous size as the Worg could easily swallow a man whole. “The Kusakage has brought us all together in order to explore these ruins and judging from the strength of this team alone, it is fair to say that this will not be an easy assignment. I will be leading this expedition down in to the depths and we will be supporting the Kusakage. I know who each of you are already, but I do not know what you are capable of, so in order for us to work together efficiently, I will need to know what you can do. Keep it brief like Inoryu has already done, that was a perfect example. Once that’s done, we should get moving, so each of you should acquire enough Vivre Tags to place on each other so that we all know the condition of our teammates should we be separated. Newcomers Ameya and Tomomi, place your radios on channel five so that we may efficiently communicate, if it is not already there. Anything to add, Kusakage?”

Houkou would turn to Yuri, taking another puff of his cigarette and exhaling, while Sekizen continued to watch the crowd of Shinobi. Once Yuri had addressed the crowd and if there were no concerns that kept them from moving, Houkou would memorize any information that these Genin and Inoryu had offered and begin the descent into the ruins.

[DJ Loki]

Yuri let the lot of them get to know each-other, as they began to file in one after the other. From the looks of things it appeared that everyone slated for this group was indeed here. She folded her arsm as she listened to Houkou address everyone that was there, and then turned to her and asked if she had anything else to add. Yuri smirked as she began to step forward. As she moved her Y'la Spirit, and the chibi form of the spirit dragon that powered her new blade floated on the side of her. Anyone with the ability to see spirits would be able to spot the tiny dragon floating around Yuri. Any Activated Byakugans could spot both Gilly, the dragon spirit, and Mr. Nette, here Y'la spirit.

She stopped in front of the group, "First things first. Congratulations Inoryu on passing the Chunin Exams. From this point forward you are a Chunin of Kusagakure. However, for this mission I want to working under Houkou. Learn everything you can from him. You'll be leading your own teams soon enough." Yuri walked over to Inoryu and patted him on his shoulder before walking back in front of the group. "We have zero information, about what is down there. Absolutely zero. So keep your eyes peeled and stay focused. You guys are not going to be the only group down there. I've already sent a group lead by Salihn, and another lead by Su. Houkou I believer you have experience with them? Regardless, the one thing that we do know is that what every is underneath us is massive in size.

Each team is responsible for exploring each of their quadrants, and making a comprehensive map, or at least discernible instructions. This may not sound like much but each of these 3 quadrants are the size of large cities. This 3rd and final team will be in charge of searching quadrant 1. It's simple... you just keep going straight once you come to a room that branches off into 3 paths. Keep in contact reporting everything that you find regardless of how small...and be safe. That is all." Yuri then turned around and made her way back over to her station. Once she was there she looked over at Harue, and then said, "You can go with them if you want, I know it can get a little boring up here. If you do stay you'll be helping me take notes on everything the three teams will be relaying."


((OOC: No posting order. Will only apply if you guys run into a fight.))

[Dr. Neuro, RN]

The large man spoke first and even said her name. She started to twiddle her fingers, nervous from all of the attention he was giving her. He requested her and the other ninja’s to tell them what they were capable of, and let another ninja speak next. She recognized that other ninja as the Kusakage. A little dragon spirit floated next to her, but Ameya didn’t pay any mind to it. Being really well versed in soulcaster techniques didn’t mean that she was interested in souls or spirits.

She tried to come up with a way to respond to the man’s question, but she didn’t really know what it had to do with the mission. Though, she wasn’t smart. So maybe her skills could be used in ways she never though possible. She raised her eyes to catch his. Not a hint of fear showed in her eyes. The man was big, and so was his “pet”, but he didn’t seem to be the type to kill for no reason. She instantly felt like he was someone who she could follow. It was just something about him.

“I can, uh, cook instant noodle cups!” she finally said. Her cheeks flushed and she dropped down into a ball. “I’m a good sleeper too. But I don’t really have any interests, so I’m not really good at anything else.”

Clearly she misunderstood what he was asking her for. She thought she answered the question perfectly. She then thought about it, and even though he didn’t ask for it, she was going to tell him what she could do combat wise. “I have Byakugan. And paper, and uh, force jutsu. I can also do a couple of things with wood. I, uh, mostly let my monsters do everything for me.” She was mumbling this while still rolled into a ball, actually starting to doze off right in front of him.

[Inoryu]

    This was turning out to be one of the most engaging days in a long time. Inoryu was seeing two other Kusa-nin one he recognized from Blood Thursday, both ninja possessing of the same peculiar, and powerful eyes as the Kusakage. From his experience with Yuri, he understood that those white eyes were capable of seeing chakra and long distances, a doujutsu that increases the potential of a sensor a hundred fold. He knew that they would be valuable, or even specialized for a mission such as this to keep us from getting lost. He saw the young ninja dressed in an oversized blue hoodie with white and black hair revealing from the sides, finely tailored trousers, and sandals. Obviously, he has a history with Harue whether he perceived it to be friendship or something else. 

    The other newcomer, another late arrival, a girl dressed in pajamas. Due to her demeanor, she appeared as though she did not even want to there, Inoryu was psuedo-dazed. "How can you be so careless?" Inoryu thought. Every minute they explored, every step further into the underground, the threat potential increased. If one factors in the possibility that S-rank missing-nin could be using this underground, he found Ameya very lackadaisical. He wanted to tell her, "If you don't want to be here, if you won't be engaged, then leave." Not only that but she wasted a leyden jutsu bottle. Inoryu was seeing the jutsu bottle in action for the first time, and he had an idea of how it would be used from her accident, but he would've rather asked about its usage. 

     Inoryu's observations transitioned to Yuri's announcement of his new title. With his position announced he wasn't sure how to follow up, rather he continued contemplating Ameya. He wasn't sure if she was adding to the units offensive/defensive measures with her jutsu or if she was wreckless with chakra spending, and he was conflicted that she would summon so many creatures when he preferred a stealthy approach for this assignment. He would let her be but if her dogs were as prone to accidents as she was, he wouldn't hesitate to issue her an order to dismiss her creatures. This would be his first mission as a Chunin, and he hoped he could be effective and surpass everyone's expectations. As Yuri instructed, he will work closely with Houkou to learn everything he could from him. 

    He reverted to his honestly, socially awkward self, not really wanting to socialize but affording common pleasantries like a smile to everyone if he were approached. He would portray himself as a friendly person until the unit was ready to embark.  Though upon observing Ameya's answer and her falling asleep, he was conflicted. "She has power, but no brains, and possible narcolepsy," he thought. He was resolved to work closely with her as well to help her through the mission. He felt it was his responsibility to optimize the unit's capabilities. Inoryu smiled sincerely at Yuri for her congratulations, "Thank you, Lord Seventh," he was transfixed on her for a short moment before turning his face away blushing.  

[j]

Harue, the one he'd singled out attentively, responded amiably as he'd hoped. She did seem rather surprised at his arrival, though. Her greeting was followed with inquiry, as to if he'd come to assist in their expedition. It took a moment to consider her question, and his unoccupied hand instinctively approached his chin in ponderment. As he prepared his response, he eased his weight off of her astonishingly sturdy shoulders. He shook his head in bewilderment and opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted just then, by the arrival of another.

A strange girl wrapped in a blanket strolled past the five of them as if they weren't even there. It was this occurrence that brought Tomo's insolent behavior to his attention. Although not one to care for rank or seniority, the trouble it brought couldn't be worth it in this situation. Instead, he made an odd attempt at retracting his rudeness... which was again delayed by the antics of the blanketed youth, who'd now began a racket near the provided equipment.

Again, Tomo opened his mouth to speak, and again his efforts were impeded. Another glance towards the girl revealed a horrifying image. One after another, repulsive dog baby things came out from underneath the blanket. Tomo heaved mightily, only barely managing to keep the emerging bile within his body.

"Good lord that's disgusting..."

He muttered, while looking back towards the group in horror, masked only slightly behind his sunglasses. But his attention was brought to the older man, who clearly held higher rank in the group. He introduced himself to the group briefly, and asked the same of everyone else while him and his wolf stared at them judgmentally. A somewhat refreshing voice considering what they'd just witnessed. He shivered again at the thought, but brought his attention back to listen to the kage speak. Her instructions were clear, and as soon as they finished their introductions they could begin.

Tomomi figured he should be the next to acquaint himself with the team, but once more his endeavors were hindered by the newly introduced Ameya Hyuuga. Her mere existence brought a distasteful scowl to his mug. Perhaps soon she'd remedy their relationship, but at the moment their relationship could be described as one-sided revulsion.

As she finished her awful response, Tomomi instead chose to speak without giving her a chance to fix her mistake.

"HELLO! I'm Tomomi Hyuuga. I'm kinda strong and I'm a Hyuuga, so..."

Clearly he'd missed his opportunity to apologize for his ill-mannered behavior, and in his rush to speak before another interjection occurred, he didn't think of a proper response. Although it may suffice for now, his spiel trailed off before ending quite awkwardly.

neko bo beko , DJ Loki , Inoryu , An'ei Sekitan , Dr. Neuro, RN

[neko bo beko]

It almost was as if Tomo was going to shake his head no, but Harue wouldn't be able to hear the words behind his hinged mouth because they're interrupted by a strange girl. She was... completely disheveled, and Harue felt inclined to ask her if she knew where she was when she approached the equipment that Harue stood by, Tomo still hanging on her side. She steadied his weight with the hand at his back, eyes pointedly at the girl as she starts digging through the items. "O-oh, uh-" before she can try to explain, the girl grabs a lightning leyden and utilizes it uselessly. Harue's face crinkles, her eyebrows turning up as she vocalizes a confused, prolonged syllable. When the girl continues to pick out leyden, Harue's heart hammers in her ears as she fears the girl might once again waste one. Quickly and precisely, to allow Tomo to remain comfortable beside her, Harue removes her hand from Tomo's back and slips it to her front, digging her pad and pencil from her pocket so she can quickly jot down what had been removed. By the girl's descriptor, she adds the lightning leyden just to be accurate. When the strange girl proceeds to literally shit out demon spawn from beneath her blanket, Harue's eyelids flutter. Closest to Tomomi, she can hear his disgruntled utterance and she can't help but snicker softly at it, but otherwise shakes her head lightly and tries to forget about the tiny army surrounding the strange girl.

The large man begins addressing the exploration team, accumulating all the attention present. He announces himself as Houkou, and suddenly Harue has an inkling of an idea regarding who the man is. She thinks briefly that she's seen his name in the records, and is only now able to match a face to the name. Thinking about it, she also had seen him here and there, particularly in the tower and the training grounds. Harue blinks when he asks again for statuses of the shinobi present, then allows Yuri to take the stage, Harue's red eyes following along the aura of a familiar floating baby dragon, tethered to Gilly. She also congratulates Inoryu on his title as a Chunin, and Harue's eyes dart to him disbelievingly. He made Chunin? Harue wondered if she should have gone with him to the exams when he'd asked if she would be accompanying him. If he could pass, surely she could have, too. She pushes that thought from her head, turning her regard back to Yuri.

When she's finished explaining how to go about the exploration and resumes her station, she addresses Harue. The pinkette smiles, but the commotion has already started up again before she can give a definitive response - it was better that way, she supposed. She needed a moment to think about it, anyways - she had to remember to ask Vlad or Yuri to show her how to split into two parts of her soul. She could explore and stay with Yuri if she was capable, and her heart sinks at the missed opportunity. 

Grabbing her attention away from Yuri, the strange girl is the second to introduce herself. Tomomi and she hadn't been here to hear Inoryu's greet. While the girl gives a spaced out response, Harue takes to her pad and erases Houkou's descriptor, thankful to put an actual name down. Now she had to wait for the strange girl to announce her name. Directly after the girl speaks, Tomomi booms with his own introduction. Harue looks up from her pen and paper to glance sideways at Tomomi, a crooked and almost nervous grin on her face as she slips her utensils back away. When it seems as though it's her chance to finally speak about anything, she chimes in, looking to the large man but also past him. "In general, I'm best with GenJutsu. I'm better with shadows, mostly. I prefer my shield over my blade, and recently I've been learning to control my soul." She didn't have a word for it. Though she was perplexed about whether or not she wanted to explore or do paperwork (both seemed menial and boring, if not hefty and time consuming and dangerous), she figured speaking up too was her best bet. Technically, she supposed, she was beneath these... particularly colorful characters. Instead of also introducing Ōmo, however, she scuffs her boots slightly to stand in front of him. Whether she went with the team or not, her beast was staying with Yuri. While Tomomi and Jimmerly where one thing, the others and their respective pets posed disgusting threats to her pink beast. Especially given how lazy he was, he probably wouldn't be much help.

---

Harue's Notes

SPOILER: Click to show

this place stinks

me - 2 virve tags, 10 smoke pellets, 1 healing hands leyden, 1 clear nausea leyden, radio (channel 5)

houkou - 6 virve tags, 2 healing hands leyden

i think that thing with the big guy wants to eat Ōmo. i suppose it certainly could..

inoryu yamanaka - 1 healing hands leyden, 1 cleanse nausea leyden, 1 cleanse spirit leyden, 1 lighting leyden

tired girl - 1 lightning leyden, 1 healing hands leyden, 1 cleanse paralysis, 6 virve tags

[An'ei Sekitan]

So that was the rundown, was it? Pathetic. However, hopefully I can make something out of them. I’d better have a good look at each and formulate the strategy for the exploration and any confrontation. First on the list would be the new Chuunin, Yamanaka Inoryu. Houkou would activate his Sharingan, all three tomoe blooming within his oculi, and manifesting the power of his blood. Tall, almost as light as Harue, not physically powerful, however not weak either. According to the reading of his chakra, he was weaker than Houkou by quite a bit, but much more powerful than normal ninja. As one of the Yamanaka, the boy would be more adept at Genjutsu than anything else, so he would be better suited to the back lines rather than the front.

Next his eyes would roam over to Harue, the assistant to the Kage, scribe keeper and the only clanless member in this party. Of her own admission, she is more adept with Genjutsu as well, only a step below Inoryu according to her chakra reading. But while Inoryu was versed in the mental, Harue claimed to be more versed in the metaphysical, expressly the Genjutsu type Shadow. While she was not necessarily small for a woman, she weighed almost the same as Inoryu, and seemed to be a little stockier than him; though they were probably closer to the same strength physically. She would also be more useful in the rear of the party rather than the front, where she would be more protected from physical harm, and be protected from harm to cast her Genjutsu. More shield than sword, perhaps a left or right flank vanguard would be the best position for her.

After his examination of her, the next female would be Hyuuga Ameya, the sleeping mother of monsters. Of course, she was Hyuuga, but what else was she other than a small sleeping twig? First, she was on power comparable to his own, in terms of chakra strength, yet that was not all. That Seal was a very powerful ritual, as it allowed one to create those monsters, as many as you pleased if you had the chakra for it, and those constructs would stay active until destroyed or dismissed. Judging from her creations, she was not a very physical, and judging from the woman herself, she was not very bright. That could leave only a knack for Ninjutsu, as you did not have to be intelligent to make focus points with your hands and aim. Another vanguard, but not a front line fighter either. This was starting to get more and more tedious, as in an actual fight, if their position was compromised, it would be up to him to do all the close quarters fighting.

Finally there was Hyuuga Tomomi, the yin yang Hyuuga, who was a little…assertive and not very well spoken under pressure, if that outburst could be a judge. He was more on par with Inoryu in terms of chakra power, but how was his actually prowess? Judging from his body physique, he was a Taijutsu fighter even though he was tall and definitely underfed, which was fortunate, because Houkou did not want to do all of the heavy lifting. As for what else the boy could do, Houkou was not privy to that knowledge, but typically Hyuuga were adept at Genjutsu simply due to their understanding of it; with a few exception of course. Hopefully he would know what else the boy could do sooner rather than later, because it might save their lives in there.

“Take this, put a decent amount of chakra into it, tear it, then hand me the other half.” Houkou would step forward, handing each of them one of his Vivre Cards. Stopping by the Equipment Bin again, he would pull out an equal amount (4) and place his own chakra into them, ripping them in half and handing each of them one half. Once they had completed, or failed in Ameya’s case, the task he had given, Houkou would step back to the entrance and face them. “Inoryu, you’re in the rear. Harue and Ameya, you are both on the vanguard point, that is one of you on the left and one on the right. Doesn’t matter which side, but Ameya, you pick first. Tomomi and I will be taking point. This is the Fallen Star formation and best for a party like ours. Ameya, your…creations…will be the scouting party and markers for our turns. Try not to mess it up. Let’s go.”

Turning away from the party, he would begin to head down, Sekizen not following, opting to stay up top instead of getting in Houkou’s way. Giving the Worg two pats on his enormous head and a stern look, Houkou would head into the depths, assuming everyone would follow, but not willing to wait if they did not.

[Inoryu]

     The Yamanaka noticed that Houkou's eyes have changed into a peculiar form and observed every party member, Inoryu afforded a friendly smile at the large assassin as his red eyes beamed at him. He remembered running into him at the Kusakage's Keep, carrying the top half torso of his target to confirm his mission success with Vlad six months ago. Inoryu was stunned to see the severed in half corpse hung by the hair of Houkou's grip. While Houkou and Vlad nonchalantly deliberated about the corpse being confirmation, the smell had stifled him to near sickness. “Yamanaka Inoryu, correct?” Houkou asked, although he already knew the answer was yes, but allowed the boy to answer first before continuing. “Noticed you have your mouth and nose covered, but are watching me rather intently. I don’t blame you. Odd scene. However, you’re going to need a stronger gut if you’re going to be a ninja for Kusa.”

    Inoryu received his designated vivre tag, imbued it with his chakra, tore it in half and traded that half for the half vivre tag imbued with Houkou's chakra. Inoryu thought to himself, "Thanks to Houkou, I am acquainted with human death and the gore that comes with it. I have more to learn from him though. Especially now that Lord Seventh has decreed that for me. This will be my first opportunity to see the brawny ninja in action."  He would wait patiently for Tomomi, Ameya, Harue and their many companions to follow Houkou, and Inoryu would follow five meters after the vanguard. As they would begin their expedition, he would casually weave the hand seals of a glamour jutsu aptly named 'Selective Invisibility'. This technique allowed him to become fully invisible through the use of glamour chakra, while allowing a designated few to see through the genjutsu. Yuri, Houkou, Tomomi, Ameya, Harue, Sekizen, Omo, Tomomi's phoenix, and Ayame's dogs would see through the glamour, but if any had eyes to see they would see that a genjutsu was indeed active on his person. He had no qualms about using a jutsu such as this in this formation, in fact he felt quite the opposite. If an enemy approached from the rear and couldn't see through the glamour, he would be giving himself and his unit an advantage. 

SPOILER: Click to show

Selective Invisibility (Will Save = 28)
Rank: "C"
Skill: GenJutsu
Effect: As Invisibility, except the user may allow certain creatures to see them. These creatures must be chosen at the time of performing.
Special: "Handseals"
Drawback: ---
Description: Affects anyone who sees the target. The user is able to perform this technique on the target they touch. The duration of this technique lasts for 5 minutes per class level. This technique may be negated. As Invisibility, except the user may allow certain creatures to see them. These creatures must be chosen at the time of performing.
Limit: Must know the Glamour Perception. Must know Invisibility.

Observation - 164
Stealth (glamour; 25 minutes) - 495

[Dr. Neuro, RN]

Ameya just stared at the ground as everyone did exactly what she thought they would do and watch her. Then the big ninja with the big creature started staring at everyone with his weird eyes. When he looked at Ameya, she looked up at him right back. She wasn’t challenging him, but he seemed to be the leader and a dominate one at that. She wanted him to know that she didn’t fear him one bit. He then turned to someone else and she stood up, stretching out her back and letting out a yawn that she had been suppressing. The big man, Houkou as he called himself, now started barking orders.

He was ripping up the same papers that Ameya had grabbed a handful of and started handing it out. Even without her Byakugan she could tell that his chakra was in that piece of paper. His chakra was just that strong. So she ripped the piece that he gave her after supplying her own chakra. He was sure to be shocked that she actually did what he wanted her to do. Not that she knew what he thought of her. What they all thought of her. And it wasn’t like she didn’t expect people to feel that way anyway. Being lazy and sleepy and unintelligent had its downfalls.

Next came the positions. Ameya was told to either chose the left or the right side of the formation. And Houkou told her to chose her position specifically. She raised her hands and looked at them, raising her left, then raising her right. She got confused for a moment and couldn’t tell which was which. “I’ll take the left side,” she said confidently moving to Houkou’s right. Then he started talking about shooting stars or something like that. “So are we going to make a wish on the shooting stars?” she asked.

Finally he mentioned her babies. They were going to be scouts and markers. This was even more confusing to her. She knew what scouting was, but this man couldn’t have been too smart. You can’t write with them, they are living creatures! She did as instructed though. “Go ahead of us and make sure nothing dangerous is up ahead,” she said to them. With that, all orders had been followed. All that was left to do was activate a couple of jutsu.

SPOILER: Click to show

Soul Guard — +5 damage reduction (25 hours)
Soul Regard ― Immune fear and intimidate (25 hours)
Clear Thoughts — Immune to enchantment, charm, and compulsion (25 hours)

[j]

Harue introduced her abilities next, but it wasn't as if he hadn't seen them before. He listened simply for the sake of not ignoring his close friend. This however did not distract him from Houkou, who began to examine them rather thoroughly, with what was definitely the legendary Sharingan. His eyes fell from person to person, and then finally his eyes landed upon the young Tomomi. His face scrunched up slightly as he felt himself being scrutinized. But the man moved on quickly. He described exactly what they'd be doing, and exactly how he planned to do it, at least for now.

Tomo ignored the others, receiving a vivre card from Houkou, with which he compliantly returned after charging with his chakra. Afterwards he stepped over to the stash, where he gathered a few items for himself. He grabbed one of the healing bottles, two cleanse spirit bottles, a compass, a radio, and a vivre card.

"Harue."

He said, considerably more composed this time. He made sure to show her all the things he took, before placing them in his pockets carefully. The vivre card that he took, he filled with chakra, and gave to Harue. The only other dependable teammate already had a vivre card from him, so this was good enough.

With that, he whistled gently, a call that brought his phoenix Jimmerly back to his shoulders. He turned to move with the group, as the leader directed. His eyes focused carefully into the space, steeling himself, even though he didn't particularly expect to see anything. They hadn't entered just yet.

SPOILER: Click to show

Byakugan x6 [10 meters]
solid regard - immune to fear.

neko bo beko , DJ Loki , Inoryu , An'ei Sekitan , Dr. Neuro, RN

[Inoryu]

    Since Inoryu still had the time, he would return to the crate and pick out six more vivre tags in case they separated from Houkou and Inoryu needed to take command. It would be wise if he had extra vivre tags to work with so he would be able to locate everyone on the unit. He would say, "I've gotten six more vivre tags Harue-san, just in case," loud enough for her and consequently, everyone to hear. He would hold on to them for now to not confuse everybody with more vivre tags, so he placed them in the right pocket of his pants. He would then say to her, "If there is anything I can assist you with, please don't hesitate to ask," and he would nod at the party that had already begun to move. 

[neko bo beko]

Once Houkou had heard each of their pieces, he took on a pair of red eyes and scanned each of them efficiently but briefly. If he had shared his readings with the group, Harue would have been appalled by his accuracy. He approaches each of them with the vivre tags he'd taken from the available equipment and Harue's foremost thought is that she'll have to rewrite her list of supplies to keep it as neat and precise as possible. For now she smiles politely at Houkou as he makes it to her. She takes the tag and quickly infuses it with a sufficient amount of her chakra, but not enough to make a noticeable dent in what was available to her. She tears it swiftly and hands one end to Houkou, then pockets the other. When he moves on, she does the same for the two tags she'd taken earlier, then takes out her pad and pen and turns the page, flipping the previous page back over her knuckles momentarily in intervals in order to copy the list correctly. She looks up when Tomomi says her name, revealing to her what he'd taken and to hand her a piece of another vivre tag. Smiling, she trades one of her full ones for his then resumes her list. While she scribbles down the new list quickly, she tunes into what Houkou says. She perks up slightly when he says her name, telling her the position to take - he tells Ameya, her name apparently was, to choose her side first. Harue hopes she's spelled her name right.

When they're ready to go, Harue looks to her pink beast thoughtfully. She could either take him alongside the strange army of baby beast spawn, or leave him with the worg. Scrunching up her nose, she worries about being so far away from him, but she supposed there were already enough beasts going down into the catacombs. When a sharp whistle brings Jimmer from Ōmo's mane, the pink lion lifts his head in tandem with the bird. Harue kneels by him and pets his large head. "You stay with Yuri, alright?" He grunts at her, but otherwise doesn't protest. Inoryu startles her with his loud voice, but the pinkette stands up and smiles to him. "Thank you, Inoryu-san," the pinkette says sincerely, writing down that last info before moving with Inoryu towards the group as she pockets her pad and pen. She stops momentarily beside Yuri, handing her the last vivre tag she'd filled. "Here," she says, above a whisper. "In case I need you. Or Ōmo." The sudden urge to kiss Yuri's cheek swells in Harue's chest, but instead she smiles as enthusiastically as she can and heads into the abyss.

When she catches up, she heads towards the right because she'd heard Ameya claim the left. Apparently, however, it was the opposite. Frowning with confusion, Harue moves to the left and keeps her eyes peeled for anything out of place. She tries not to roll her eyes when Ameya asks about stars, though she didn't understand the lingo either. She looks briefly over her shoulder to see the goose of the formation, Inoryu holding up the end, then to the far front where Ameya's strange babies are. The urge to make small talk is great, if not simply to alleviate some anxiety about the situation, but the fear of sounding as foolish as Ameya was greater. Instead she moves quietly and carefully, preparing herself for anything that might be unpleasant or harmful. If the catacombs were particularly dark, Harue might fade in and out of view depending on how the shadows were laid across her.

---

SPOILER: Click to show

active -
eyes of the planes
soul guard
solid regard
shadow walker: hide in plain sight

skills -
observation 81
investigation 100

Harue's Notes

SPOILER: Click to show

harue - 10 smoke pellets, 1 healing hands leyden, 1 clear nausea leyden, radio (channel 5) 4 vivre tags (half) (1 to houkou, 1 to yuri, 1 to and from tomomi)

houkou - 2 healing hands leyden, 6 vivre tags (4 half) (1 from harue, 1 from tomo, 1 from inoryu, 1 from ameya)

tomomi - 1 healing hands leyden, 2 cleanse spirit leydens, compass, radio, 3 vivre card (half) (1 to houkou, 1 to harue, 1 from harue)

inoryu - 1 healing hands leyden, 1 cleanse nausea leyden, 1 cleanse spirit leyden, 1 lightning leyden, 1 vivre tag (to houkou)

ameya - 1 lightning leyden, 1 healing hands leyden, 1 cleanse paralysis leyden, 7 vivre tags(?) (1 to houkou)