Foxes and Puppets and Missions Oh My!

Missions:

Hibiki sat in Kumogakure Fried Chicken as he waited for his fellow team mates to arrive, feasting on some delightfully unhealthy fried food with enthusiastic zeal. He had taken a  particular liking to the food after he had joined Hikari and Minami to the restaurant whilst in between a series of missions that he would rather not recall in as great a depth. He had chosen the location to meet up partly because of the delicious food that he so rarely had an excuse to treat himself to but also because he simply had no idea where the others lived in the village and had no intention of prying into their affairs. Both his team mates seemed fairly closed off from outsiders but appeared to get along very well and Hibiki reasoned there was no particular reason he should know where people lived. They knew where he was located so could always get hold of him easily enough and so that seemed sufficient to the young ninja puppeteer. There team had been assigned several missions to complete over the coming days with at least two of them requiring the skills of a puppet user and weapon specialist which is where Hibiki supposed that he and Minami fit in. Hibiki assumed it was Hikari's impressive analytical thinking skills and intelligence that made her incredibly useful in any team and this would certainly cover many bases and help solve unforeseen issues that may arise during the missions. Hibiki hoped there would not be too much lecturing and explanation from Hikari, he knew she meant well and that the more information the better but he often found he quickly became distracted or developed sudden headaches. He had learned to simply accept that she likely knew what she was saying and to trust any commands given during missions. So far this had worked out quite well and Hibiki saw no reason to try and change this.

The Genin drummed his left hand lightly on the table as he scribbled rough drawings of a chain scythe wielding puppet with a hannya mask. Ever since completing Kodama and Jorogumo he had been working on another puppet but could not decide on a name or what precise mechanisms to add. He still had a long way to go before he was capable of making puppets as complex and as old man Amaya's but he was pleased with his progress nonetheless. He finished adding a few notes and crossing out some other smaller paragraphs. With a sigh he pushed the notes to the side and considered the missions given. One involved some mysterious creatures that appeared to be capturing people using something similar to puppetry strings and skilful achievement with a human body, an A-rank technique that been taught to him by Amaya that would allow Hibiki to control another person with his chakra strings, even if the target was unwilling. Hibiki did not like the implications of the technique but understood it was required to reach the true mastery of ninja puppetry. Hibiki hoped the mission would provide some further insight that could benefit his own puppetry techniques.

The second mission involved creating a unique and effective weapon for a rather eccentric warrior to use and Hibiki assumed that he would mostly assist with obtaining materials as he doubted the warrior had an interest in a puppet weapon which would be useless without the required puppetry skills to wield it fully. Hibiki had plenty of wild ideas to run with but lacked the knowledge of weapons and the ability to wield them to identify the borderline between being strictly practical and actually useable. As much as a staff made of hardened soba might provide a handy snack or perhaps ensnare and enemy when combined with the water element, he was doubtful as to the actual use in combat. Still Hibiki hoped he could do more than carry materials and packs on the mission but only time would tell.

The final mission involved cleaning up the mess left behind by a missing-nin and dealing with a multitude of animals that had somehow been taught ninjutsu and were causing havoc in the surrounding areas outside the village. this mission seemed particularly strange and part of him hoped they wouldn't have to kill the animals that had been affected, Hibiki held an affinity with animals in general and did not consider it their fault that a crazy missing-nin had experimented on them, the fact that they were a real threat to the villagers and people of the lightning country as a whole took precedence however. Hibiki was uncertain which order his team mates would prefer to carry out the missions but that would certainly be something they could discuss once they arrived. Hibiki returned to scribbling notes and drawing sketches, lost in his work as he waited for his fellow team mates.

WC: 812  TWC: 812  Mission WC: 812/10200

Kitsune Form/Present Appearance:

A curious conundrum plagued Hikari as she prepared for the day. There was much to do and with her skillset, the mission list put in front of her proved to not be aligned with any of the skillsets she presently had. Shaking her head at that, she decided it was best to work with what was available as she knew there was going to be something worth learning presented by the combination of individuals she was going to be working with. She had been encountering Hibiki Sato more often than she initially realized was going to happen. It made sense since they graduated around the same time. The other to join up would be her half-sister Minami Ōtomo. She had reconnected with her well before meeting Hibiki properly though there was still much for the two Kitsune of Kumogakure to learn and settle on the discovery of their innate powers. To Hikari, it was clear that their physique was only slightly telling in their capacities as there was also a draw for both towards different techniques and specialties. It was clear there was some distinction between the two but that was yet to fully be understood by at least Hikari.

Settled on the decision that she was uncertain about, she threw on her robes and resigned herself to meet as is with the group at Kumogakure Fried Chicken. She wore her purple robes and her thick-rimmed glasses were pleasantly placed on the bridge of her nose as she wandered the village. There were few occasions she felt comfortable going out in her normal form since the development of her heritage reached presumably the peak of its capacity. A full spread of nine tails followed her and adjusted as she walked through the village on the way to the meeting point set out. It was clear to her that it would get attention but on that day there were some more pressing matters to be focused on as the missions before her were higher ranked than most of what she had accomplished thus far. It was only a matter of time to be able to address the issues presented by each of them. Upon arrival, the typical bell rang out that someone entered. Spotting Hibiki relatively quickly, Hikari would wave if the young genin's head turned to see her.

She went to the front counter and ordered her standard 3-piece meal, all legs with a side of Raijin Fries and extra storm sauce with her drink. Once that was served up, she grabbed it and made her way to the table that Hibiki sat at and joined him as she pulled out a small folder with the mission details pulling them out. "Hope you have been doing well Sato-san. It's been a bit since we've been on missions together. I hope your puppets have been making good progress in development." She chimed in remembering the young puppeteer had been discussing a few details here and there but specifically, she knew very little of his works and arsenal that was slowly building. It was not for lack of wanting to know but rather the situations never really came up for Hibiki to showcase them. While looking over the first mission in the debrief it was clear that this would be a great moment for Hibiki to shine with his talents.

The other two missions aligned better for Hikari and then lastly for Minami. It was a good balance of missions in Hikari's eyes though her tails showed some hesitancy with some factor that she observed from the files. Their movements were smaller and subtle and did not sway with enthusiasm or generally happiness. Her eyes behind the glasses also indicated such thoughts as her focus as she bit into the legs was on the docket before them. Her canines were more pronounced when she took bites as her eyes were looking anywhere beyond the food presented before her. Considering this was likely the first time that Hibiki saw her fully just in that form, it was going to be an interesting moment for the two to rectify once Minami arrived to complete the trio of Kumogakure no Sato Genin for the day.

WC: 700, TWC: 700 | TMWC: 1,512 / 10,600

Meanwhile, at the Ichigo Sato Institute of Medicine, somewhere inside one of the many patient rooms in the facility...

Human Form/Present Appearance:

Nearly a month has passed since the Dreamscape Sea Incident and its forebearers that brought about its domain, and Minami—presently in her Human Form to minimize startling the staff working in the establishment, although little can be said for her Herculean height—finds herself in a match-box sized room surrounded by sterile colors of white and grey, an IV drip connected to her right arm, and a heart monitor attached to her left index finger. She's dressed in a hospital gown with her hair let down. As it turns out, wounds inflicted from the Dreamscape Sea also scarily reflect those same afflictions to the Dreamer in reality. Resultantly, Minami had been in critical condition and unconscious for nearly the worst part of three weeks following her mission from the Dreamscape Sea, spending most of her stay at the Institute of Medicine. The doctors had done their best to treat her physical injuries, most of which had already healed, but the gnarly gash from prior—having both an entry and exit—that simply couldn't be healed through conventional medicine or chakra was egregiously extensive.

Minami had woken up on occasion, but only ever for a few minutes at most before falling back asleep. Her body was still exhausted and in recovery from her time in the Dreamscape Sea, not to mention all the other injuries she sustained from the various fights with her enemies. She'd been able to get some food and water in her system, though not nearly enough to sustain herself. The IV drip provided most of the nutrients she needed, along with some extra vitamins and minerals to help her body recover faster. Minami's had trouble keeping anything down since waking up; the doctors think it may be due to stress or anxiety, but they're still not sure. Since then, her condition's stabilized over time and her strength returns with each passing day, her wound now scarring well enough for her to function to engage in daily activities with minimal issue.

The young Kitsune wonders how long she'd been asleep this time around as she slowly opens her eyes and adjusts to the brightness of her room. Her vision is blurry at first, but after blinking a few times, she can see clearly again. Minami sits up slowly and looks around, noticing that there isn't anyone else in the room with her at the present moment, save for the rhythmless beeping echoing from the machine beside. She sighs softly as she leans back against the pillows behind her, closing her eyes once more as she tries to relax and gather her thoughts. She feels weak and tired, but also hungry and thirsty—all at once. It's an uncomfortable feeling, one that makes her wish she could just go back to sleep again. Minami doesn't want to move or do anything; she just wanted to lay there forever if possible.

Minami's ears perk up slightly when she hears footsteps approaching outside her room, followed by voices whispering amongst themselves. A few seconds later, someone knocks on her door before entering without waiting for a response. "Good afternoon, Ōtomo-san," the nurse says, who appears to be in his early twenties wearing scrubs with a stethoscope around his neck and carrying a clipboard under one arm. "How are you feeling today?" He asks as he walks over to the bedside table where Minami's chart is sitting and picks it up to review its contents.

"Fine, I think. Just... a little tired." Minami replies, opening her eyes once more and glancing at the nurse briefly before looking away again. The nurse nods as he jots down a few notes on his clipboard before putting it back on the table. He then turns towards Minami and smiles warmly at her, which makes her feel somewhat uncomfortable.

"That's good to hear," he says cheerfully. "I'm glad you're feeling better than before." He pauses for a moment as if considering something before continuing, "Well, I wanted to remind you about your discharge today—we've already got all your paperwork ready for you when you leave. You should be able to go home soon after signing them off." Minami blinks in surprise as she looks up at the nurse again, staring at him blankly for several seconds without saying anything. She'd completely forgotten that she was scheduled to leave today. which also excites another neuron that she's also scheduled to meet up with her mission group today—Hibiki Sato and Kobayashi Hikari—for three assignments on the same day. Although there'd naturally been protests to prioritize her health first, Minami wanted nothing more than to get out of the hospital to get things moving again. She had a lot to do, missions aside, and that included arranging to find a new, temporary residence.

"Oh, right... thank you." She mumbles quietly before looking away again. The nurse nods once more before turning around and walking back towards the door.

"If there's anything else you need, just let us know. We'll see you soon." He says before exiting the room and closing the door behind him. As soon as he leaves, Minami lets out a sigh of relief as she relaxes against her pillows once more. Her eyes close as she tries to clear her mind and focus on recovering some energy before leaving. Not too long after, the same nurse returns to assist the kitsune kunoichi with getting changed into her clothes and helping her walk down the hall toward where her discharge papers are waiting for her.

Minami's still somewhat unsteady on her feet but can manage well enough with assistance from others. She signs off on her papers and thanks the staff for their care before heading out. Minami makes sure to grab her belongings from the front desk, including her weapons pouch, which had been returned to her after being confiscated during her stay at the hospital. She also receives a small bag containing some extra bandages, gauze pads, and other medicinal supplies in case she needs them, later on, should she experience "pins and needles", any itching along her abdominal region, or should the stitches in the same place begin to loosen and re-open the wound. Minami thanks them again before she leaves through the doors of the building. As soon as she steps outside, a gust of cool wind blows past her, causing her hair to fly wildly around her face. She shivers slightly as she adjusts her garments and begins walking towards the Kumogakure Fried Chicken restaurant where she's due to meet up with Hikari and Hibiki Sato for missions.

In all fairness, this will be Minami's first time visiting KFC. Oftentimes—within the bounds of what her paycheck would typically allow—she would frequent restaurant stalls and food carts instead of eating at actual restaurants. It wasn't that she disliked eating out; it was more that she didn't have enough money to afford such luxuries regularly. Even if KFC isn't considered a "luxury restaurant" for the average blue-collar worker, to someone whose predominate experience in life was—and currently still is—living in abject poverty, it may as well have been one of those Michelin star places that charge upwards of 10,000 yen per person for a single meal. That being said, Minami doesn't mind going there if it means getting to spend some quality time with her friends.

Speaking of friends, this will be the first time Minami meets Sato in person, although the name alone is enough for her to jog her memory since the Incident. It feels a little weird knowing that she's about to meet him face-to-face, but if what she's experienced in the last series of missions and hearsay is anything to go by, they should get along quite well. Hopefully, she'll be able to get a better understanding of his character once they're introduced.

Minami walks down several blocks before finally arriving at her destination: the Kumogakure Fried Chicken restaurant. She stops outside the building and glances up at its sign briefly before heading inside. As soon as she enters, a bell rings overhead announcing her arrival. The smell of fried chicken wafts through the air, making her stomach growl hungrily. Standing a meter away from the entrance and to the side, she looks at the veritable menu of options available to her, rubbing her abdomen subconsciously. Her eyes scan each item carefully as she tries to decide what she wants to eat. After several minutes of deliberation, Minami, alas, decides to against it, to her dismay as her gut may kick up a fuss from the fried nature of the food served here and that's the last thing she'll want to deal with while out on a mission. She'll settle for something less intense toward the missions' end.

Minami looks around curiously until she spots Hikari sitting with Sato at one of the tables nearby and heads towards them, sitting across from them both. "Hey guys," she greets quietly as she sits down. "Nice to see you all here. Sorry, I'm late." Minami explains with an apologetic expression on her countenance before glancing at her sister briefly and then looking away again without saying anything else.

---

WC: 1,541
TWC: 1,541/3,400
TMWC: 3,053/10,200

Hibiki’s eyes lit up and he waved to Hikari as she entered and headed over to the counter to order some food before moving to the table. His mouth was frozen slightly open as he stared at her tails and reached out a hand to tentatively bop the nearest one with the palm of his hand. It was soft and fluffy to the touch. He quickly pinched himself and winced slightly before checking again and smiling brightly with wonder. “So you do have tails! That’s so cool, I wish I had a tail bet its really easy to balance with 9 of them and I will bet you barely ever get cold at night.” He paused as she asked about his puppets and he frowned a little and scratched his head. “ A little, I have a new one called Kodama now but the next one I am working on is really tricky. I am trying to create a device that will let me store chakra allowing me to channel it through the puppet using my chakra strings so it can then use chakra nature techniques based on the elemental chakra I have stored. They are called Elemental Chakra Systems or ECS’ for short. I haven’t had much luck with it but I have been practicing by creating artificial chakra systems in smaller doll like puppets, I just need to figure out how to work it into a puppet without interfering with the other mechanisms whilst also creating a storage device that can effectively distribute the chakra. The problem at the moment is the component sizes, they need to be strong enough to hold together in battle but compact enough to leave room for the other components. If I can’t find anything suitable I’m going to have spend ages making them from scratch. It will be worth it once its complete though.” Hibiki realised he had been babbling and blushed in embarrassment.

“Sorry, it's probably all quite boring to you, I’m no good at all the book stuff, I just learn better with my hands I guess. Never been much good with big words, they just seem to fall out of my brain.” Hibiki had been about to ask further questions when the bell rang once more and Minami strode in and joined them at the table. “Hey Minami, have you already eaten? I can order some extra if you like, its pretty good. And you aren’t late so don’t worry about apologies. Did you know that Hikari has a bunch of tails? They are pretty cool right?” Hibiki paused to let the shocking revelation of Hikari having tails sink in before continuing. “We haven’t started any real planning yet, better to think on a full stomach. I haven’t seen you around much after the nightmare incursions a little while back, have you been doing okay? Everything is still pretty hazy for me after we entered that weird dream world.” After they had caught up on the pleasantries and discussed Hikari’s tails which Hibiki was sure to come as a great shock to Minami as it was to him) he slid over Hikari’s mission prep notes and had a quick scan of the mission he had been selected to lead. “This one seems odd, never heard of any creatures that can use puppets let alone that kind of technique, it took me ages to… well I uh mean I haven’t really heard of chakra strings being used to control people, sounds pretty scary I guess.” Hibiki was not a good liar in general and it would be clear that he had almost said something and clumsily tried to cover it up with a  lie as most 12 years olds might but without the finesse and skill of an accomplished liar.

“It certainly sounds like they use some kind of chakra threads though I have never heard of any animals that would be able to manipulate the strings so effectively as to manipulate objects and people. If the reports are true then they must be able to even suppress their chakra strings to make them invisible.” Hibiki placed his hands on the table and pressed each finger and thumb top together before spreading his arms wider and producing 10 softly glowing chakra thread running between both hands. “Usually chakra threads look like this, they can be tricky to see at the best of times but there is also a way to suppress them further making the go invisible to the naked eye.” As he spoke the threads faded from few though any sensory technique that allowed the user to sense chakra would still detect their presence without much difficulty. “Its what makes puppet users so effective and helps sow confusion. Also if these creatures are intelligent enough to learn that trick then they might also be able to manipulate the threads like this.” Hibiki made the hand seals of Tiger > Boar > Ox and allowed the threads to become visible again as he manipulated them into covering his hand and forearm before rotating and accelerating them until they span and formed a drill like blade that covered his hand and extended a little further out and rotated rapidly. He looked around and gently touched the chakra the drills tip onto the table to the table just enough to make a small scratch as the small chunk was blown to dust in the wood before he released the technique.

“Hopefully they haven’t advanced quite that far but you should both be prepared and at least know a little of what the chakra threads can do. I wouldn’t want either of you getting hurt because you were unprepared or uncertain what to look for. It would be good if we can communicate with the creatures somehow and get them to see reason. If they are intelligent enough to use chakra threads then maybe we could learn a lot from each other and work together instead of just trying to kill each other.” Hibiki wracked his brain for any other information that might be vitally important to his team but other than teaching them the puppetry speciality themselves she was unsure what he could teach that might help them further and that wasn’t in the mission details already.

WC: 1037 TWC: 1849 TMWC: 4090/10200

Once she sat down and Hibiki's attention turned to her tails she froze slightly at the approach of the hand towards the tail. She closed her eyes and huffed a moment thinking to herself, 'He's just a kid. He doesn't know.' She then released her breath before speaking up. "My tails are representative of my clan's heritage. They aren't always a gift." She said a bit firmer than her usual reprimands or stern remarks. Moving beyond that Hikari listened intently to what Hibiki was saying about his chakra strings. It was an interesting concept, one she would be excited to see developed. She put a finger to her chin, her ears fluttering from the conversations around them from other patrons. A lot of eyes and mouths were focused on the young Kitsune but she dismissed the muttering to focus on Hibiki's idea. "I think it is a wonderful idea considering the concept of elemental advantages. I would argue you probably would need to utilize your chakra threads as a vehicle to store and charge the ECS or effectively use it as a route for your chakra to reach that far to be utilized." She commented openly on his idea before giving a small handwave to his comment.

"Learning is never boring to me Sato-san. I'm sure if you dedicated some time to the subject matter you are interested in, you could probably become more acquainted with the studious of yourself." It was then that her ears twitched at the bells as the footfalls of her sister caught her attention. She saw her in her human form and it was some time since their last visit as she had been out of commission for a bit. She sighed with a forlorn look towards her sister knowing the woes that likely plagued her. She knew there was another conversation she wanted to have with her but it would need to be in the safety of just themselves. Hearing Hibiki's commentary, Hikari gave a light giggle at the preteen's remark. It was then that he pressed for some curious questions from Minami about her recent health. Hikari would take a sip of her drink curious of the answer as well. Beyond that was the debrief of the missions fully now the trio was fully present for the missions that were selected.

Hibiki being more oriented towards the puppetry techniques in his arsenal gave a demonstration and a lesson all of his own accord in regard to chakra threads and puppetry. This confirmed quite a bit of Hikari's remark that if Hibiki focused on the subject material that he was invested in, he could probably find avenues to expand his knowledge base. The concern of invisible threads and other neat tricks involving them was an interesting prospect. "As much as a full demonstration would be helpful, we should aim to remedy this quickly to allow time to take care of the other missions on the list." Hikari would sip, looking between the others present.

WC: 500, TWC: 1,200 | TMWC: 4,590 / 10200

Hibiki listened to Hikari’s words, as usual she cut to the heart of the matter and Hibiki shrugged in response. “Best thing to do is just cut the strings, chakra strings are pretty weak really when being used to control puppets so should be quite easy to cut, especially for a weapon user like Minami.” Hibiki shrugged. “If their abilities do function the same as puppetry then they will likely be able to reconnect the strings so remember that. I think the best thing to do is cut the strings before they attach to you. From the reports they do not really affected wooden things so I will take the lead with my puppets whilst you two support me. If they are smart enough then maybe they will see me as a kindred spirit of sorts but I don’t want to rely on that too strongly. The difficult part will be spotting the strings themselves if they are able to hide them, plus the report says that metal items got damaged and wooden ones didn’t. I am not sure why that is I am afraid, must be more to do with the creatures anatomy or abilities than the chakra strings themselves.”

Hibiki paused to hear if any further questions were going to be asked before finishing off his meal during the pause. “So plan is try to negotiate with them and failing that wound them and follow them back to their base? Once there we can see what’s happened to the disappearing people and maybe come up with another plan or at least be able to report numbers and the location to the proper authorities.” Hibiki blushed slightly as he realised he had perhaps sounded like he had been giving orders and felt embarrassed considering the age difference. The fact that Hikari tended to be the natural leader also made him a little uncomfortable giving her orders. “I mean, does that sound okay to you guys? I don’t mean to try and take lead of the team from you Hikari but it makes sense that I go ahead considering my knowledge of puppetry, right?”

Hibiki looked to Hikari for acceptance and approval, uncertain how to respond if she was unwilling to let him take the lead. Hibiki did not believe it was likely and thought that his argument was logical enough for the vastly more intelligent genin. Hikari seemed more likely to listen to cold logic and reason than outbursts of emotion to Hibiki and he waited for her response whilst also looking over to Minami to see how she would react.
Having seen the interaction between the two Hibiki wondered if they were friends outside of being ninja’s and sensed some kind of familiar bond between them, there seemed to be less awkwardness and a more casual tone between the kunoichi. Hibiki wondered if they had known each other long or if they had perhaps just simply spent more time together. Hibiki realised he did not know much about Minami at all really other than her speciality with weapons. He pondered it was entirely possible that she too walled herself up in a fortress of books and spent hours reading. By choice. The thought sent a shiver down Hibiki’s spine. He had to read in order to learn the skills he required but could not imagine choosing to do it or even really enjoying it!

WC: 568 TWC: 2,417 TMWC: 5,158 / 10,200

Minami fidgets in her seat while she attempts to make herself comfortable from the brief nips of pain in her abdomen. Her lips curl into a wee smile, the jubilant nature of her newest colleague helping to take her mind off of her immediate thoughts. "Thank you. And I'd already eaten on my way here, but I appreciate the gesture." Minami lies, gesturing with her hand, dismissively, from left to right, to and fro. "But maybe another time, outside of work, maybe? I'm not much for eating out, but company helps make it worthwhile. I'm Ōtomo Minami, by the way. Don't think I had a chance to formally introduce myself to you, but I hope we get along together well." She carefully leans forward a little in his direction before she sits upright. She notes his boyish features and scruffy appearance, he still looks quite cute for his age in an endearing way, which makes her feel quite comfortable around him already.

When Hibiki mentions Hikari's tails, her human ears move almost instinctively. "Hika-chan's tails?" She peers over to her sister and thoroughly examines her new and altered state of being. Inari-sama must've blessed her quite handsomely if she'd developed this many tails in such a short time. "That's... pretty cool, actually. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't impressed." That is all she can manage to remark. Ever since the nightmare incursions and unbeknownst to Hibiki, Minami's growth only saw her having five tails and nothing more during her time in intensive care. She feels somewhat envious and inadequate by comparison, but higher beings tend to have a way of thinking and operating differently than their mortal counterparts, or in Inari's case, soul-spawns. Perhaps Minami's time to shine may yet come to pass and she might have to overcome a few hurdles to achieve her goal of becoming stronger.

Nevertheless, her gaze switches and fixates on Hibiki when he inquires about her present well-being since the Nightmare Incidents. She fidgets in her seat a little, purses her lips slightly, and fights the reflexive urge to rest her hand on her abdomen's scar. "Yeah, about that. I'm fine for the most part, at least, well enough to move freely as long as I don't do anything extreme. As for what transpired. How do I start... Well, turns out that wounds and the like received during our time in the Dreamscape Sea can easily translate into reality. My memory of the events is still somewhat hazy, but I recall one of the nurses mentioning similar events happening to only two other shinobi, too. Although the fact of how that could be accomplished, they don't know, but in my case at least, I had too much chakra rapidly congealing into my gut, and then it just suddenly ruptured.

"I didn't know what was going on until after I woke up way later, then. The next thing I knew, I was at the Institute of Medicine and was in intensive care for three weeks. They said it was touch and go for a while there, but I pulled through. They also said that if I'd been any weaker than I am now, I might not have made it. Ultimately, I'm fine now, though. As long as I don't do anything too strenuous." She sighs softly and shakes her head. "I'm sorry for being such a burden to you, two. I'm sure that you were worried sick about me." She bows her head in apology to both of them.

A subconscious frown emerges on her countenance as she bows her head in apology to both of them. She feels guilty for having put them through such an ordeal and wishes there was some way she could make it up to them, though she's not certain what she could do to accomplish that. The best she can do is provide what aid she can in these coming assignments. Moreover, she'll have to also contend with the eventuality of the circumstances becoming a conversation point with Hikari, who no less witnessed the unadulterated display in all its unapologetic nakedness; Minami knows that Hikari saw everything and is aware that the topic will eventually come up between them at some point.

She takes a moment to catch a breather and readjust her thoughts to listen to Hibiki's spiel on the rundown for one of the listed missions. In an otherwise unusual and unprecedented case, thereafter, he demonstrates the capabilities of chakra threads and their lethality when in the hands of an experienced user. It's nothing like Minami's ever seen before and one she's certainly ill-equipped to encounter head-on if the strings themselves can hide from the naked eye. At best, she'll have to stick to hit-and-run and asymmetrical tactics to compensate for her weakened state and limited repertoire of talents.

She listens carefully to the dialogue Hikari and Hibiki share and the clear display of their familiarity with strategic combat. It's comforting, to say the least, knowing that she'll be in good hands. Especially when considering she tends to take a more practical than theoretical approach to combat and take things as they go. Although she's no slouch when it comes to strategy, she always posits that 'knowing is only half the battle in a fight' and putting any good plan into action, and making adjustments along the way, is far more her speed.

Thereafter Hibiki's explanation and suggestions, Minami bobs her head with a smile, not minding his flustered behavior from an otherwise articulate plan of action. "It seems sound to me, I have no complaints. Although, I can't exactly see the threads with any skills that could otherwise help me detect them—not to mention my... well... 'size'—so it'd make sense if you took the lead for that. I'm light on my feet, so I'll give whatever creature we face a run for its money...

"As for the smithy's request here, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least familiar with the concepts and practicalities. Smithing's like an art form in its own right. It takes time and dedication to get things just right, but when you do, it can be rewarding. If anything, I think it'd be a good, first-hand experience for me. I plan on learning it eventually, anyway, a girl's gotta keep her gear in tip-top shape when inconvenience strikes her." She smiles warmly as she folds her arms across her chest and leans back in her seat, to which she immediately winces from a knowing pain before readjusting her posture. "I don't mind taking point on that one, either. But, I'll definitely need a little help moving the heavier materials around, though."

---

WC: 1,100
TWC: 2,641/3,400
TMWC: 6,258/10,200

Listening intently to what Hibiki was describing for puppetry's chakra strings, Hikari looked over the folder in front of her more as Minami had a proper introduction as the trio had worked together on quite a few occasions now but were busy and rushed. When the attention came back to Hikari and her tails she could feel not only her teammates' eyes upon her. She tensed up a bit at the words she could hear from other booths but her attention was focused on the conversation at hand alongside Minami's discussion of her time in the hospital. What she said rang true as Hikari tried to visit but was ushered away due to the intensive care that was needed. She was saddened to hear the extent of issues that she encountered alone. Being alone was a rough thing to worry about as Hikari's ears folded and lowered at the recounting of where Minami had been. The truth was apparent at least from the young kitsune's body language, she was glad that her sister was doing better but was still concerned and worried about her health.

When the topic of conversation came down to who would take the lead, Hibiki was already processing and looking toward the resolution of the affairs. Her ears began to perk up with the realignment to the subject matter of their meeting which was the missions. She gave a nod in agreement after Minami commented on Hibiki's expertise being invaluable here before proceeding forward with another request of theirs. The docket of missions suited a well-rounded approach and with material experts between the three of them to accommodate two out of three, it made sense to allow each of them to shine. "I have no issues with allowing others to take the charge and lead. As much as from a studious standpoint that I have a wide breadth of information, I am no expert in either of the fields brought up so far. Conceptual understanding, I definitely have a piece of basic background information but nothing worth application in the field concerning the presenting tasks." She began to expand upon it before looking at the third mission in more detail.

"With what has been discussed so far, it would make the most reasonable sense that the person with the knowledge base associated with what skills are being needed to take a more direct lead of us for the day. The third mission is more of a 'generic' request. It is more wrangling than expertise being needed. It might be best for me to take a backseat wholistically speaking today." She said shying away a bit from the spotlight that she had garnered from the two. She had stepped up quite a bit already as a leader with the recent affairs of the Dreamscape Sea, however, there was still a lot for her to learn. The knowledge base of what was going to be required of them looked towards the near future would require support and guidance and giving both Hibiki and Minami a chance to step up was more than okay for the young kitsune. "I think my base of information will be pivotable through your two expertise. The last mission will likely be a group effort more than a focused individual and then perhaps depending on how masterful these animals are one of us will take charge in the moment. I think it would be arguably silly to be shifting a leadership role when I think all of us will be healthi-" She began to say before freezing midsentence.

Hikari dared not to look towards Minami at the mention of health but tried to regain her composure quickly so as not to linger heavily on the thought and idea. She knew the conversation with her sister was inevitable but in the middle of Kumogakure no Sato's signature restaurant of Kumogakure Fried Chicken was no place for such a discussion. "I would make the argument that beyond the scope of specialized expertise, we would be capable of handling animals with minor ninjutsu techniques abilities without needing one of us to lead." She clarified before slowly giving a smile towards Minami. It was tender and soft and she wanted to convey her emotions better to her sister but at that moment it was not the time to do so. There was a lot to talk about right now the village of Kumogakure no Sato had a few assignments to take care of and with leads being considered, it was time for the trio to proceed unless there was something else that needed to be discussed. Hikari aptly finished her fried chicken and refilled her drink before the group made their way to their first location to handle the assortment of tasks presented to the trio of genin.

WC: 800, TWC: 2,000 | TMWC: 7,058 / 10,200

Hibiki had spotted the warm looks between the two and wondered if they were perhaps much closer than he had originally thought. He considered their other interaction he had seen and cam to the conclusion that they were clearly very close friends or perhaps something more than friends but it seemed very rude to Hibiki’s mind to ask so for once he kept his mouth firmly closed and did not ask the questions he wanted to. The genin frowned when Minami mentioned her wounds and he frowned. “I didn’t realise you were hurt so badly, if I had known I could have come and visited you, I have been training my medical specialty at the hospital for a couple of months now. If you are worried about any appointments or anything I would be happy to come along with you and help out. My skills are not very good yet but I can do some light healing if you need it whilst on the missions?”

Hibiki began running through a series of procedures  in his head, skimming through quickly and thinking about the stitching he had practised on corpses. He was confident that he could provide some treatment if required but it would only be temporary and they would need to get Minami back to the village as soon as possible for real treatment. He made amental note to keep a better eye on Minami as they progressed on their missions together, especially on signs of profuse sweating or delirium that could be the result of lingering infection. “Don’t worry Minami Hikari and me will take care of you!”

He addressed both of his team mates in regards to his mission. “Well hopefully the threads wont be invisible if they are in fact using threads, it takes effort to make them unseen. I suppose we have discussed the missions. If we proceed with the odd puppet user like abilities mission first, seeing as people may still be alive I believe time is of the essence.” Hibiki turned to Minami. “Are you sure you don’t want to grab anything to eat? Its  along day a head of us and I definitely hate being hungry on missions.” Hibiki paused to await her response and was more than willing to pay if money was the problem. “Well I guess we should head out then, I am just going to order some food for later.” Hibiki headed over to the counter and requested some extra food which he collected then formed the seals of Rat -> Dog before the overlarge amount of food dissolved into purple motes of light that fizzled away as the food the placed within his storage displacement technique. “Well that should keep it nice and safe. I don’t think we have to travel too far from the village but we best head off.”

Hibiki adjusted his headband and checked his equipment before taking a deep breath and pointed in the direction they were heading and calling out in a louder required but excited voice. “Team puppet, fox and sword! Lets go!” Having triumphantly declared a questionable team name that to Hibiki sounded incredibly amazing he began moving at a good pace towards the location of their first mission involving the disappearance of the villagers and strange occurrence of ninja and hunters fighting each other. Hibiki let the group into the surrounding mountains and remaining at the front of the group and holding the seal of confrontation as they approached the location the disturbances were occurring, actively using chakra sensory in case these creatures had indeed been able to hide or mask their chakra. When they arrived it was at a small wooded section of a valley not too far from the village. The trees were hardy coniferous, and they stretched surprisingly high due to the relative shelter provided but the mountains cliffs on three sides of the small cirque type valley that could be easily overlooked when travelling along the main routes.

Hibiki stopped at the top of the valley looking down at the small yet densely packed woodland area below. There was a distinct lack of sound from the valley outside of the soft whistle of the wind and the ever present rumbling of thunder from the villages defences that reached just passed the hidden valley. Hibiki would expect to see some hawks or animal life in the lush valley but could spot no movement beneath other than the gently sway of tree branches. He pondered on what the best next steps would be and considered asking Hikari what they should do before shaking his head. This was his mission to lead and he could not rely on others forever, even if he would rather someone else made the decision. This is what being a ninja is about Hibiki. Tough choices and seeing through your decisions. With soft steadying breath he nodded to himself and spoke quietly to Hikari and Minami. “This is where the hunter that escaped said his group was attacked, just inside the treeline so keep an eye out. I think we should head down and try to draw them out, I will take the lead and use one of my puppets as bait. Defend yourself if you are attacked, but remember we are trying to see if we can communicate with the creatures first if possible.”

Hibiki made the seals for Rat -> Dog and his puppet Kaiden Series: Kodama formed next to him from purple motes. As it appeared Hibiki connected strings from his thumb, index and middle fingers which he deftly moved with rapid yet smooth motions, allowing it to stand and move its limbs, ensuring all the joints moved smoothly, as it gave a few test swings of its bladed arms and legs with a soft whistling as they cut through the air. Hibiki formed the Dog seal and a cloud of white smoke surrounded the puppet momentarily before being replaced with a figure that looked like one of ninja that worked the desk at the mission office. It appeared to be identical to the transformation technique though the three strings were still visible and clicking sound of the puppets joints could still be heard as it moved. The strings faded from view, seeming to disappear as he had demonstrated earlier in the day. “Well lets see if they take the bait, follow me down.”

The human looking puppet seemed to jump over the edge quickly followed by Hibiki as the pair ran down the cliff side towards the edge of the treeline. If either of his team mates looked closely they would see that the puppet did not appear to be actually making contact with the cliff side yet its feet and movement made its feet stop a few centimetres above the actual surface. As they travelled down the cliff the puppet slowly increased in speed and approached the forest 40 meters ahead of Hibiki before slowing and ‘walking confidently forward. As the puppet approached the tree line dozens of thin strings shot out from the trees, streaking towards Kodama. Hibiki allowed the strings to become visible as he dropped the transformation and his fingers began darting rapidly into shapes and symbols of as the puppets moved its arms to cut several strings before deliberately allowing some to wrap around the arms. With a  another series of movements Kodama crouched and shifted as mechanisms clicked into place and the puppet began to spin rapidly like a bladed spinning top.

The stings wrapped around the puppet pulled taught as it spun and the trees rustled as a large spider the size of a cow was pulled from tree and slammed into the ground, it 8 legs wriggling in the air as it pulled itself upright. The spider was large and hairy with a  strange deep blue colouration broken up by white jagged patterns on the body and legs. As it righted itself it crouched low, watching the group and glancing between them and the puppet with intelligent red eyes. A series of clicks issued from its mouth but Hibiki could not understand what it was trying to say. The spider moved with almost nervous energy and its legs shook a little as the rain struck it causing it to scoot back beneath the branches of the nearest tree. Hibiki looked to his team mates and shrugged. “Watch my back, if it does attack and overwhelms me then head back to the village and report what you see. At the very least they will know what to look for.”

Hibiki stepped forward towards the giant spider and twitched his fingers making Kodama leap back to rejoin Hibiki. Hibiki strode forwards towards the spider speaking clearly and slowly patting his own chest. “My name is Hibiki. Do you understand what I am saying?” In response the spider responded with an excited flurry of clicks and hisses before raising one of the front pedipalps it gestured to itself and making more clicking noises. Hibiki briefly turned to the rest of the team “I think it understands us! I just don’t understand it is saying.” The spider stamped two of its legs as though frustrated before clicking quickly and extending a single thread of web. The thread was strange in that it moves slowly and Hibiki could sense the chakra inside, moving it like a puppet string could be commanded, flexible and controlled.

“I am going to try something, if it gets control of me or attacks cut my strings.” Hibiki sent a single string out to meet the rope like thread and made contact. He felt a strange popping sensation and accompanied by a tired voice in his head as well as flashes of memories and maybe thoughts. Hibiki saw the same spider in a strange mountain range with thousands of spiked summits and a giant fortress or structure made of webs thicker than any rope Hibiki had ever seen in a tight lattice structure that refracted the light and appeared prismatic. Next he saw the spider making movements with its legs before she, for Hibiki now realised from the memories the spider was female, felt a large rush of chakra and the world shift around her before she awoke in the valley they were standing in. The spider had spent days seeking her home but the ever present rain seemed to sap her strength and forced her to take refuge under the trees.

More memories flashed though his head and he remained stock still and frozen in place as he filtered through them before snapping back to himself and realising the threads were no longer connected. The spider collapsed on the ground, seemingly exhausted at the effort. Hibiki turned to his team. “That was weird, I think it shared its memories and thoughts with me and I think the villagers are still alive. It looks like she only ate the people that attacked her. I think she took people to try and ask for help, she doesn’t belong here and I saw a giant webbed structure with thousands of even bigger spiders on it. It didn’t look anything like these mountains. I think she accidently summoned herself here and Raijin’s rolling thunder has been sapping her strength.”

Hibiki paused again, deciding what to do next before making his decision. “We should confirm the villagers are okay, I don’t think she meant to hurt anyone, she just wants to go home. Lets locate the villagers and collect any remains. Then we can ask if they can figure out where she is from and send her back. Must be scary waking up somewhere else and not being able to communicate. She probably understands what we are saying.”

Hibiki moved closer to the spider though remaining cautious and Kodama was at his side, no more than  2 meters away. “Take us to the villagers you took. Once we get them back we can find someone to send you home if you promise not to attack anyone else. We can also bring you some food as well. Do you accept?”

The spider nodded her head and began to rise slowly, leading the way through the tress to a large spherical web in the centre of the trees, she entered and shortly returned with several terrified villagers. Hibiki checked them over but over than a few bruises and hungry bellies they seemed unharmed physically. He was not qualified to advise on their mental state however. “Follow us and we will take you back to the village, you are okay now.”

Hibiki said farewell to the valley and quickly returned with the villagers, taking them straight to the hospital and advising of the deal he had made with the spider. His team still had over missions to accomplish first but he promised he would return once those matters had been dealt with. The report took a while to provide and he would need to write up something much more official when he got home. For now the matter seemed to have been settled though he was still intrigued by the strange spider and where it had come from, or how it had shared its thoughts and memories as well. He made a mental note to ask someone about it in more detail when he had the time.

WC: 2,217 TWC: 4634 TMWC: 9275/ 10200