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As the crowd paniced and fleed Shikaree wathced from an adjacent alley to the scene...should he stay or should he run?Should he go to the mountains or help his clan head to victory?No...he must run and survive!To fight in this fight would surely mean his own death...he stared up to his cousin on a nearby rooftop..."Shisui...dont...die"Shikaree whispered barely autibley as he ran off with the herd of villagers towards the mountains of oto in the distance

Raine held tight around the sheath, his muscles hardening like rock as they went. A great weight was growing inside his gut. The small boy gazed back with his light blue eyes, the vanishing streets as they pushed forward, through with the crowd. Dash quickly taking the lead, to avoid chaos, he watching the bobbing heads filled with fright and effort as they ran. Tears bled down their cheeks as they went and their feet seemed to hold to the streets as if they never wanted to lift again. Soon enough there was only the thick, pressed dirt of the path. Leading up through to the mountains and far off in the distance lay the land of fire.

Raine let his head hang, even after 2 years of training, after becoming a genin, he still did nothing but run, he did nothing but hang on the back of a jounin who was working hard to lead a mass of people. Extra weight was all the boy felt he was.

Pi pulled his head out of the pocket, confused and disoriented with the movement, he couldn't comprehend the agony and dishonor that his friend was barring at the moment. Only that he could hear each painful breath, each stone like muscle, and through this denseness there was barely a heartbeat to be heard within the boy.

Dash broke into the trees of the outskirts of Oto, and came to the mountain path leading up to higher ground. Without the ancient passages, the village had no where to go in an emergency, and had therefore not made a plan. He stood before a mass of terror and confusion that moved and breathed as a mass of chaos as it went. Lukily there was one great quilay of humainty and that was to follow, so he lead.

(Exit to mt. Oto)

She took the flute from her lips, and replaced it in her robes.

Kuro will come.

There was no need to keep waiting.

She closed her eyes then, and felt for the largest chakra signature in the vicinity... Where was Kasuke? But she was only to be surprised when she felt not one, nor the second certainly to be accompanying - Raubhan's - there was three...four...five...no, six. A frown passed over her lips as she concentrated. Yokou-sama taught her to search for people by their chakra signatures...but without abilities like the Hyuuga, such chakra echolocation was vague, or blurry at best.

There.

...

The gates closest to the mount! What happened?

A soft 'tch!' left her lips, but she did not use the seal for the Shunshin. Speed was not a problem, firstly not for a Sennin and...Yokou-sama had definitely made certain to be exceptionally brutal during medical training (one would learn to dodge, too, had the risk been permanent damage to the chakra system and to the organs of the body as well). And...she had a duty to keep, and cannot afford to waste even the slightest bit of chakra.

...

She would arrive shortly after Kasuke, and crouched with her arm swept before in the traditional position before her breast. Yuumei noted with slight interest that she was certainly not late - but when she noticed that face, this time, she was not able to veil the surprise that flickered across her face. Memories from the past, and people, suddenly became as painfully real as the deja vu of meeting Yokou Hyuuga once again back in Iwa. Only this time...she surveyed Nakamura, the wolves, and when her eyes fell upon the Masters...

Ah.

And in that moment, everything clicked, falling in place like the pieces of a puzzle.

The tiger's icy eyes narrowed.

"Yuumei called." He said with a low growl.

But then, the great cat looked to the children, and sighed. Kuro knew very well...even if something had gone greatly wrong, his mistress will not use the fife again to cancel the summons: certainly not in front of the enemy, perhaps alerting to certain people they try to protect. And it was simply unacceptable...there was no way he could leave the children's side.

He reconsidered carefully, taking into account Rosie's words. "Perhaps it is indeed best if we do not go there...too many suspiciously strong chakras are present at the moment in the village." And then he made the offer again, once Akeru had climbed onto the tiger's huge back, and securedly wrapped his arms around Kuro's neck. "Come. The mountain pass is harsh." The tiger once again made what he wished clear: the children running side-long would only hinder quickly leaving the village.

And Kuro once more waited for Rosie to mount, before he would take the children from the village.

Kage glanced around the area for a long time. It was emptying out making a combat of this magnitude much safer but also far more disadvantages for them. With the streets crowded, the woman before them who was here on a mission of peace probably wouldn’t be so up on using massive jutsu where as Star and Rain probably wouldn’t care one way or the other.

Scanning the area even more, he noticed another force arriving before it made itself known. He glanced to the building top and knew they were outmatched. Star was a puppet master… she’d need time to get out her scroll to summon the force she needed for this kinda fight. Without setting up massive shielding jutsu, Star wouldn’t have the time, nor would she have the patience. She wasn’t here to actually fight, she was just here to cause a bit of mischief. Kage knew her well knew to know that this fight was beyond what she felt like at the moment.

Kage moved over toward’s Star and looked her in the eye’s. She could read his expressions through that. It was a testament to her skill as a craftsman as to how well his facial structures worked. His face was the most expressive of all the puppets she’d ever made, the most lifelike so it was just absolutely hilarious that he kept it hidden almost all the time.

Star felt the twinge of more people coming closer. She cursed under her breath and glanced over to where the voice of the Kage of this village came from. She scuffed a little to herself, even spat to the ground in annoyance. She wanted a bit of fun but not with this much. It’d cause to much trouble and be so much of a hassle to get out of here successfully. She would hear the sound of metal cutting into wood as the Shuriken tossed by the woman struck home but [and forgive this auto] she wouldn’t let the fight continue on in such a manor.

With a quick tug of her hand, Rain would be yanked from the path of the dragon and pulled into Star’s arms.

“Oh baby! I was so worried about you.” Tears began to roll down the woman’s face. Crock tears but still. She stroked and petted Rain over and over again as a mother would a child.

Kage turned from the spectacle and looked to the woman that Rain had threatened. He looked her over for a bit… she looked familiar but… oh well, whatever. He bowed to her, “Her child is a bit… overzealous. We mean no ill will and will leave you in peace if you do the same with us.” He spoke true enough, he wouldn’t bother them so long as they didn’t bother him. Although… he couldn’t speak 100% sure for Star or Rain.

His eye’s glanced down to Mistress as this sham went on. Her arms were crossed in front of her, annoyed by how Rain had acted and all the hassle it had caused. Whether she had wanted to or not, if Rain had started a full on battle, Star would have dragged Mistress in as well. This, in itself wouldn’t have been to bad but their bodies simply weren’t built for full on combat. Small time stuff, sure but a full Kage battle… no chance. This made Mistress yern for her old body again. If she had it, she would show all of them just what true power was.

[And now, for the random times]

The air was pretty tense. There was a bit more going on than people truely realized. Of course, there weren't to many 'people' around to notice things now were there. However, there was plenty of silence after the demand that Nakamura had just made. Demand/threat is better said but still. There wouldn't be a sound heard for a long moment as Star sat there still stroking Rain's head. Her strokes would go slower and slower till finally they stopped.

The popping sound of her removing the shuirken filled the air. Rain's eye's would shift to look to Star's face and she would see the same kind of twisted smile that Rain often had. This cause Rain to smile as well. "Mommy is happy isn't she?"

Star looked down to Rain for a moment then closed her eyes. Letting go of Rain, Star would begin to stand and spin around to look to the woman but she wasn't allowed to. Or rather, she couldn't help but divert her attention.

"Oooo... Intense..." This would come from a person that had almost appeared right behind Nakamura and her wolfs. It was a man with a naturally darker skin tone, closer to tan but still darker yet. He wore nothing above the waist but a scarf and a set of earphones that rested on the scarf. His pants were a bit baggy and arabian in design. He leaned forward a bit and looked back and forward between everyone present and smiled a bit. "Oh..... Opps. How do you do!" he spoke...but didn't go past that. No real manors actually.

He looked up to the rooftop and saw the Kage and a few of his men of this village. He waved very care-free to the man and smiled, "Yo!"

All villagers were suppose to be in the Mountains by now but this guy was just sitting on the sidelines like it was perfectly normal. Even had the audacity to try and pet one of the wolfs mumbling something like "Ohh, pretty apparition doggy."

She couldn't help more agree with Kasuke's words. "Not to mention, that person..." Added Yuumei, her arms crossed, giving an annoyed look over in the newcomer's way.

Oh, she remembered that person all right - especially that mad "historical" play of his mere weeks ago in that Eki Ate festival. Which Akeru somehow ended up getting involved in. A sigh left her lips, and she addressed Marcus: "Good afternoon, Mr. Tsuchikage. Not that you troubled to address us a fore-notice that you will grace Oto will your presence, but, as you can see, we are unfortunately currently of no position to accept your gracious visit."

Yuumei briefly wondered if that man was of the right mind, and notice that Shif and the others were trying to escort as many civilians away from the area as quickly possible...two Go-ryu Masters in one area was never good news. She hesitated, wondering if she should give her mentor away, but decided against betraying the fact that poor Shikamori was currently desperately trying to fill in the absent roles of his Sensei and teammate in the upcoming concluding ceremonies to the Chuunin Exam, as the two in question...have certain financial troubles to answer to at home. But of course, with members of Hyuuga around, even if Yokou had aided in the crafting of those particular Kage Bunshins...something just was bound to happen.

Though, who knows? This may be to Oto's advantage, if the puppets capture Taida Marcus' attention. Particularly the feisty, rather mean one who was ranting about a kitty - and something about a boy stealing the said kitty - the Go-ryu Master of Earth whom she heard rumors of taking out half of Iwa...