Breaking Some Eggs (Closed, Team Thread)

Mist curled around the everpresent trees, the haze curling around the ground lending it a darkly mysterious air. Less nimble individuals might find it difficult to move among such uncertain terrain, but ninja of Kumogakure were born and bred for just such a purpose. And while Kubi wasn’t exactly born in the Village like a lot of his fellow Jonin, he sure as fuck was raised in this country, and spent the last who the hell knows how many years living among them. Some fuckin’ mist wasn’t gonna stop him. Said mist curled around thick legs as the ninja in question strode purposefully into the training grounds of his Village. No one else was around - who would be before the sun rose? - but that suited him just fine. He had a feeling that he’d need the whole area to teach this batch of students.

After that however many odd years, he decided it was damn time to pass on some of his timeless knowledge, and evidently the Kage agreed. Why else would he agree? Though come to think of it, as he thumbed through what little information he had on them, it might be a punishment; considering the team that’s been put together, its entirely possible. Huh. See, Kubi never worked well on a team himself; mainly due to his sparkling personality. Only his dear departed wife could really handle him at his worst, and even then just barely. Let’s see what the damage is … he read them before, but if he was honest he didn’t think much about him.

Kato Tetsudashi, the only other guy on this team. By all accounts, straight-laced, hard-working, and kind, if a bit too rigid. A good student, according to his teachers, decent grades across the board. He didn’t know much about the Tetsudashi clan, never having the honor of fighting them or meeting one in person, but he did know they were supposed to be fearsome fighters, something that he hoped Kato inherited. From the test scores, this young Genin excelled in hand-to-hand fighting. A man after his own heart, Kubi smirked to himself. He had the makings of a leader, if he could loosen up a bit. The tree he was leaning on flexed under his weight as he adjusted, flicking to the next in line.

Emiko Usagi. She had … bunny-like features. Gotta wonder if that extended to other things. Quite a troublemaker, from what he heard. Nothing drastic, but lots of minor altercations with other students. Apparently, she doesn’t play well with others which, when combined with her stubborn personality and loud mouth, tended towards much trouble with her fellow teens. Still, despite all that, she was described as quite charming and capable, never failing at any tasks assigned to her. Overall, a great kunoichi with amazing potential; still, Kubi could foretell quite a few problems if she didn’t curb that tongue of hers.

And the last of his new team, Maeve Uzamaki. Now here was a bit of an enigma. By all accounts, highly intelligent, damn near a prodigy with Fuinjutsu and damn near to it with medical Ninjutsu.. Contrarily, however, she was scatter-brained and distant in class, incredibly flirtatious and unafraid to flaunt what she obviously knew to be a good body. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, she was also reported as cold and calculating, a manipulator, more than willing to seduce men for her own benefit, or for fun, like some kind of evil seductress from the fairy tales he heard as a kid. Kubi could only sigh under his breath.

Well, this was going to be an adventure and a half.

He leaned off the tree, which seemed to groan in relief to be free of his weight, and began to get things ready. After a little consideration, he decided to test things out with a bang. After all, who doesn’t like a bit of a challenge? He took a deep breath, and with a flash, performed handsigns; Rat, Tiger, Ox, Snake, Ram. Like a ripple, the area around him changed. The trees, the rocks, the man-made lake and river bissecting the square mile of training area, wavered, then disappeared, replaced with hard rock and little else. An obvious deception; what kind of place in Kumogakure was filled with nothing but rocks? But that was the point; an obvious lie, designed to test their observation skills.

Their first test. This Genjutsu would take effect as soon as they entered the arched and covered passageway to the training area, and from there … well, the training begins.

As for Kubi, well, he wasn’t rushed. He had sent a letter to each of them, telling them to meet him thirty minutes after sunrise, and the sun was barely cresting over the horizon now, sending beautiful rays of dappled light through the trees; another indicator of the Genjutsu. A Genjutsu like this renders him immobile, so it was cast with him cross-legged on the ground, one hand folded over the other and his eyes closed; obviously he was concentrating. And, he was waiting; waiting for a new life to begin, something to fill the void after everything.

Hopefully, this was enough.

OOC: Chakra used: 5/185 [180 Chakra remaining]

The past two weeks had been… interesting to say the least. Kato had slipped on an iced roof, broken a rib, and fallen several feet to the ground only to be healed by a hyper-intelligent young woman who not only identified his secret of being a Jinchuuriki, but offered to help him train with the Bijuu with the promise of being able to repair the seal if it deteriorated. She also have been the first real interaction he had with a real person since his solitude began, and while she had certainly been odd, was kind in her own way and was willing to educate him on quite a bit. It was during that time that the young man realized that his ability to interact with other people was a skill he needed to develop badly, and she even gave him some reading material to help him along. While he definitely could say he was better educated, he had the sneaking suspicion that was only so that she could tease him better with her extreme flirtatious behavior. She was extremely attractive after all… but a part of the Ice Queen’s nature reminded him of his mother in the way that they were puppeteers who made others dance to their beat. He was very curious if her prediction regarding putting her on the same team as Kato would come true.

His next significant interaction was with a young woman named Emiko during Gate Guard. A powerfully built Usagi that seemed nice enough, she was brash and fiery, a complete contrast to his own calm and collected nature that he tried to keep at all times. Despite the polar opposite personality, she was also kind in a different way, a powerful warrior who was always seeking self improvement, and helped Kato develop more social skills that he knew he was lacking. Over the course of their guard shift, she had gotten to know the woman quite well, and he also knew, thanks to that very informational book he got from Maeve, that he was very attracted to them both. That only would make things more complicated as time went on, that much he could say with utter certainty. But, that was something that was going to have to wait because today was his first meeting with a Jounin Sensei. He was excited, despite the warnings from his mother about loyalties and such. He had begun to think that her training and mentorship was only a method to control him, something that he could understand, but not appreciate.

A half an hour before the sun would rise, Kato would be walking towards the training grounds where the meetup would begin. Normally he was only 15 minutes before a scheduled time, but this was a special occasion, and he planned to do some warmup stretches and such before anything really got started. So when he looked up to see an absolutely massive man performing a technique and transforming the environment, he only assumed it was the Jounin sensei. Kato thought he was tall being six and a half feet, but he had another foot or more to him and was even more heavily built. Kato approached and said nothing about the illusion for the moment. “Good morning Sir. Kato Tetsudashi. I was told you had been briefed on my unique situation.”

Kato was in his typical garb; a grey sleeveless tank top that showed off his muscled arms, a pair of black pants and shoes, a small backpack with a few essential supplies strapped to his back, even the strapps rolled and tucked in to keep it nice and neat.

Walking down the street, Emiko donned a skin-tight black sports bra that had two gray stripes along the hem with black, figure-hugging leggings that ended halfway down her calves that had two gray stripes going down each side seam. Her head was bowed forward, Emiko replayed the night before in her mind…

She was in her nightshirt, getting comfortable to rest for the next day. However, her evening ritual was interrupted by a knock at the door followed by the door swinging open. She looked up from where she lay, expecting to see either a group of kits or maybe even a sister or two. Instead, she stumbled up and stood at alert. “El-elders, I was not expecting you tonight…” she would bow to the three Usagis standing in the doorway.
“Stand up straight, Shiroi, we have news for you,” The black-haired Usagi would bow his head to Emiko.
“Yes, it is wonderful news,” chimed in the brunette Usagi. Both of them looked at the graying Usagi between them.
Emiko stood up, her scarlet eyes met with the dulling blue of the graying Usagi. With an outstretched hand, he handed her an envelope. “This is the letter of the jounin who will be taking you under his wing,” the statement was simple and stated in a low tone, “We are moved that you were selected for a shinobi team after five short years of being here.”
Emiko bit her bottom lip and took the letter from her elder, she looked over the envelope before looking back at her elders. Her hands shaking, “Will I be with any other Usagi?”
The black-haired Usagi shook his head, “No, and I understand your temper Shiroi... however, you will be on your best behavior for this jounin and will not cause any issues for your team. We are allied with Kumogakure now and you will need to learn to get along with the other citizens.”

Her ears fell flat against her head as she shook the memory from her mind. The shaking sensation felt weird when her ears stood tall as they should, so she would always flatten them beforehand. Her time was ticking, the sun peeked over the horizon and she needed to be at the training grounds a good thirty minutes after the sun had risen according to the letter the elders handed her last night. Her hands curled up into fists and she pressed her sharp nails into her palm. She wasn’t sure how long the elders knew of this, but she did know they sprung it up on her last minute for a reason. She would have resisted. So far she has only met one person who hadn’t outright commented on her ears and tail - and it was a breath of fresh air compared to those who stared or blatantly announced she had large ears and a fluffy tail.

She wouldn’t let her mind dawdle on the thought of him, considering she was fairly certain she wouldn’t see him again. Considering the size of the village and how sheltered he was.

Emiko let her thoughts wander to her sensei and teammates. She knew her sensei was named Kubi Tsuru due to the signature at the bottom of the letter. However, she never heard of the man. The letter didn’t offer up much information on her teammates either. So she would just have to wait and find out. Finally coming upon the training grounds, Emiko would look around curiously, her ears turning like radars. She could have sworn that this training area looked different any other time she would come and train, her ears even picking up on the sound of rushing water.

Emiko kept her mouth shut, for now, considering there were two figures off in the distance they were awfully still. She would play with the thought of them also being a part of the illusion. Getting closer, her jaw would drop. ”No way…” she’d groan slightly. Emiko took off into a sprint to finish closing the distance between her and the two silhouettes. She saw one was standing, and very familiar-looking, while the other was sitting and not ringing any bells.

Emiko slowed to a stop, her red eyes focusing on the familiar face. ”I guess I’m stuck with you... ” She’d groan, then snicker slightly before her focus would drift to the shinobi sitting on the ground. She’d remember her manners and bow down to him, ”Emiko Usagi, or Shiroi Usagi, ready to train.” She would stand straight back up. This man was evidently large, even when sitting. She studied his facial features and wrinkled her nose.

Today would be an interesting day. Or at least it had the potential to be interesting at any rate and the blue haired girl moved through the area toward the designated training grounds, humming softly to herself without a care in the world as she did. Maeve wore a simple white blouse with a sky blue skirt. Her underwear was black and normal enough, she wasn't expecting any fun, just interesting things. Her blue hair was as usual down to her ankles, almost framing her form in a cocoon like shape and her sharp blue eyes took in everything around her. The trees, the mist, the river not far that her ears picked up as well. She was just a tad bit early to their meeting. As she was told to be there half an hour after dawn and that hadn't quite come by yet. Idly she skipped a bit, her humming not stopping as she moved through the trees toward the meeting location.

It was strange, in the distance the training ground, and three people in it, looked completely normal, well at least it looked like everything else. Yet when she stepped closer, skipping happily, the entire scene changed to be a simple rocky landscape. Tilting her head to the side she would raise one hand idly, forming the half ram seal before using the genjutsu kai technique to shatter the delicately laid chakra in the air like fine porcelain. The image would be gone all of a sudden and the scene would return to normal before she skipped up to the rest of the group. She would note Kato, suppressing a smirk effortlessly. Of course she had been right, and that fact would resonate with him. If she continued it, which wouldn't be hard, he would begin to trust her judgement and words. Turning toward the tallest man there, she would peer at him, blinking idly. The name on the letter had been male so this must have been their sensei.

She wondered if he'd be strong as she had stated to Kato. Time would tell. One thing was certain, she had been correct about their third teammate already. She was different, as she had explained. That meant she was either ostracized from the village for that difference, tested, or was simply a worthless kunoichi who was expendable. Maeve herself was here to help control the seal on Kato if necessary as she was the only one in the village that could. Smiling dreamily at the man who was their sensei she would give a small curtsy "Good morning Kubi-Sensei." She would say before turning to her teammates and giving each of them the same curtsy in greeting. "Kato-San, Rabbit-San." She would say, instantly giving the bunny eared woman a nickname. It might be construed as offensive, which was exactly why she'd chosen it. As she wanted to gauge the woman's reaction to it to see which buttons on her personality did what.

Well, Kubi was a bit … underwhelmed by their arrival. No dramatic entrances, no overconfident speeches, or shouts to the heavens to be the very best! No infighting, no bitching and moaning- some light ribbing each other, and it seemed like they knew each other before this, but overall nothing exciting. He had to admit, it was more than a little disappointing. All this time, he was led to believe that all the Genin are these overdramatic assholes lacking the intelligence or common sense to reason their way out of a wet paper bag. And yet here he was, with a bunch of smart, polite, interesting, and very attractive people. Hell, the curvy one - Maeve, if memory served - even casually dispelled his Genjutsu.

Well, that was test one fuckin’ aced.

With all the grace of a falling bear, Kubi fell to the ground from the tree branch he had fallen from, his meditating self just another part of the illusion. His massive, booted feet sent a veritable explosion of dirt into the air, mixing with the mist and wind to create a collage of differing colors that only served to add to the chaos of the scene. His calloused fingers swiped through the air and, in a display of strength, swiped away the dirt and mist with a single stroke of his arm. The area settled, leaving only the grinning sight of their new sensei and a small hole in the ground where he had fallen. For his part, he looked none the worse for wear.

”Well, ain’t we a fuckin’ buncha assholes?”

Despite his grinning and sardonic words, he liked what he saw. A nice, rounded group, if what little information he’s gleaned could be believed.

For a moment, his eyes lingered on the shorter figure of Maeve; there was the glow of intelligence and cunning and mischievous in those eyes. They reminded him of a fox; sweet and beautiful, until you needed something from them. He’d have to watch her. For what he could tell, she was ridiculously intelligent and knew it, unafraid to use said smarts to manipulate and devour those who don’t quite meet her on her level. Or she did it for fun. Kubi couldn’t tell if she was a black widow or just a femme fatale; either way, he’d have to keep his eyes out. And Kato’s, come to think of it; nothing destroys a teams dynamics like one person devouring them, entendre intended.

Next, his eyes flicked to their resident bunny rabbit. God damn. Was everyone in this fuckin’ Village thick as porridge? Emiko was taller, and darker skinned - a skin tone matching his own, actually - but she had curves that blocked out the sun. Even Kubi had trouble keeping his eyes to himself. Thankfully, she had other things to distract him from what could only be described as a couple of Mount Myoboku’s that her shirt was barely capable of keeping concealed; namely, her large bunny ears and tails. Kubi had heard the rumors jumping across the Village of course, but had never seen one of them in real life. He really wanted to touch her ears, twitching every this way and that at various noises, but that could wait until another day.

And finally, Kato, their early riser. For a young man, he was tall, and pretty damn buff. If the reports were to be believed, and there was no reason it wouldn’t be, this was their resident Bijuu. The One-Tailed Shukaku, if he recalled correctly. Someone to watch for sure, but he wasn’t gonna be paranoid about it. Kato was professional and kind, though someone like him should still be watched. If that thing ever got it, Kubi might not be enough to seal it again. But, that would be a whiles away; last he heard, no giant raccoon attacked the village anytime soon. That would be kinda hard to miss.

”So, ya’ll passed my little test. Good. That’s real fuckin’ good.”

His dress was casual; certainly nothing like what comes to mind when one thinks of a ninja. Blue jeans, matched with brown combat boots, were the bottom half of his outfit, and on top he wore a tight shirt, cut at the sleeves, that squeezed his prodigious muscles in a way to showcase each one. Shaggy hair framed an attractive face, with plush lips curved into a sarcastic grin. Slung over one shoulder were two bags; one was of Village make, stitched with several pockets brimming with ninja tools. The other was barely more than a knotted blanket, but in it was a picnic basket. As the breeze changed, a gorgeous scent - of pie, and meat, and baked vegetables - wafted over the entire area. Casually, he let both of these fall to the ground.

”Right. Introductions.” He rolled his shoulders, the joints audibly popping as he stretched out the sore muscles. He really shouldn’t have stayed up last night. ”Some o’ ya’ll seem t’ know each other, but ya’ll don’ know me. I’ll be yer sensei fer the forseeable future. If ya don’ like it, tough. Names Kubi Tsuru. I don’ care what y’ call me, but tradition dictates sensei.” He paused here, his burning brown eyes flicking to each of them, like a wolf evaluating his next meal.

”I only got one rule; you try your fuckin’ hardest. I don’ give two fuckin’ shits about attitude or what yer fuckin’ skills are. Ya try yer hardest in whatever tasks I tell ya t’ do, we’ll get along just fine. Get it? Good.” His tone brooked no argument, nor did him bouncing immediately to the next subject with a clap of his hands. ”Now, some o’ ya’ll know each other, but I still wan’ ya t’ introduce y’selves. Pretend like y’ never met.”

Kato waited patiently after greeting the instructor, knowing that his teammates were likely going to be following along more closely to the time that they were expected instead of early like himself. Since he was waiting, however, he pulled a puzzle-box out of his backpack and began to work it over with twists and turns, attempting to make all the six sides be universal in color. It was a good mental exercise and served as a bit of training on his part when he had spare time. He always mixed it up when he finished, even though he had yet to completely finish it; the objective wasn’t completion, although that would certainly be nice, instead, it was to keep his mind sharp. He had managed to get a single side when he noted someone approaching in his peripheral vision and blinked in surprise as he recognized her even at a distance.

Emiko Usagi.

This was the woman that he had been on Gate Guard with less than a week ago, and the vast majority of it had been a blur in his memory. He had been trying to study many things at the time and do his job properly, but the whirlwind that was Emiko had definitely left a lasting impression on him. Her comment would provoke a nod from the tall Genin, as well as a “so it would appear. Good Morning, Ma’am.” He did make a note of ‘Shiroi’ being an alternate name, although she certainly seemed to prefer Emiko from what he could recall. She seemed respectful to their Sensei though, so that much was nice… he wondered how long it would take before that spitfire personality came back to the surface. She had even defended him against his mother, which was odd, to say the least, that it hadn’t come back to bite him.

Maeve Uzumaki.

Following closely behind her was another voluptuous woman, the only other person who made his emotions not be something he completely understood. Both of them made him feel weird, but now wasn’t the time or place to address it, especially now that he understood what it meant. Thanks to Maeve, he now fully understood, logically anyway, what attraction, sex, and everything else were because of a book she had tasked him with reading which made the ‘bet’ she had won even more impactful. Speaking of which, he addressed her as she approached, noting that she casually dispelled the Genjutsu around them. “Good morning, Ma’am,” he would say towards Maeve who came to a stop and introduced herself. Collectively they turned their attention to their Sensei.

Who apparently was not the most professional of individuals. Kato said nothing, not reacting in the slightest. The fact that they had passed his first test, likely being the Genjutsu, meant that he was not someone who was completely devoid of a mission mindset… which was a relief. Getting a teacher who was too laxidazical would have been a royal pain in the ass. He noted the ninja tools in one bag, and he barely caught the smell of food on the breeze. The massive man wanted them to start with introductions now that they were all present after laying down his ‘golden rule’ and introducing himself as Kubi Tsuru. He had known that from the letter, but that was hardly the point.

Kato went first, naturally. “Kato Tetsudashi, 18, Genin. I am the Jinchuuriki for the One-Tailed Bijuu, Shukaku, but I must express that it is top secret information that must not be shared amongst anyone outside this group.” His steel-blue eyes flashed to Emiko for only a moment. The Sensei had been briefed, and Maeve had figured it out, but Emiko had been kept in the dark until just now, and the only reason he was bringing it up was that it was important for his teammates to understand who they were working with and the importance of not letting Kato be captured by an enemy. His mother had authorized that much, and now that he thought about it, the fact that Emiko was on their team might have been her doing; she had seemed oddly impressed that the Usagi had stood up to her when they had been on Gate Guard… perhaps she had orchestrated this with that in mind, deciding that she could be trusted.

Kato was finished, waiting for the others to go.

Heat teased at her cheeks when Kato greeted her morning, and instead of responding, she just turned slightly away from him. There was no reason for her to have that particular reaction, or perhaps it was because of what happened between his mother and her. Emiko’s ears that were on a near-constant swivel, hearing a new person approach, turned before she would even direct her attention. The near obvious Genjutsu dispelled, including the illusion of Kubi-sensei sitting on the ground. Emiko’s cheeks burned and her ears flattened against her head in embarrassment. She had an inkling there was some sort of Genjutsu going on, however, she still fell for it by interacting with a part of it.

The tall, darker-skinned woman turned on the ball of her foot to face the much shorter lighter-skinned woman who approached. Great… Emiko’s lip curled back in a slight sneer. She’d watch the last member of the team greet everyone with a curtsy. The slits in her eyes narrowed into thin lines when she was called ‘Rabbit-san’. Honestly, it wasn’t inaccurate, but it did annoy her. Emiko hadn’t picked up on any malice just yet but felt an air of challenge when her red eyes met the blue eyes of her teammate.

Emiko’s head whipped from staring at Maeve to the crashing of their sensei from his true position. She waved her hand in front of her face to prevent a coughing fit from the dust-filled air but didn’t need to do so as Kubi-sensei cleared the dirt he kicked up out of the air. “Now, I ain’t no asshole. I'm a bitch.” Emiko hissed back at their sensei - her ears flatten to the sides before she shut her mouth from saying any more at the current moment. The threats of her elders playing in the back of her mind. When Kubi announced they all passed the little test, she would steal a glance at Maeve and sneer again.

She would force herself to bring her focus back to Kubi, who seemingly had opted for a non-traditional outfit. Actually, she glanced back at Maeve and Kato - the only one who seemed to stick to traditional wear had to have been Kato. Then again, she only had met him one other time and he wore an eerily similar outfit, if not the same. “I wouldn’t have worn a skirt to what is supposed to have been training.” Emiko muttered under her breath, redirecting her attention back to fully on Kubi. Her ears return to rotating and scanning for any additional audience before settling on each member of the team with their introductions. Kubi was definitely not who she was expecting as a sensei, however, what he expected from them was something she envisioned a sensei wanting. Someone who doesn’t give a damn what you’re good at - but someone who wants to push your abilities further.

“Mmm, correction. I know him.” Emiko pointed at Kato, “We were previously assigned a mission together.” Her tone was a bit snippy as she interjected before Kubi-sensei told them to give their introductions. A secondary introduction was a waste of breath - considering she had a feeling she would never be called by her name. Except maybe by Kato, she was fairly certain he wouldn’t give her a nickname. She waited, not so patiently through Kato’s introduction. Almost everything about it she had already known, minus the fact he had Shukaku sealed within him. Her red eyes just kind of stared into his steel-blue orbs. For some reason her chest had hurt, she wasn’t quite sure. It wasn’t like she had considered him a friend, why would he disclose such secretive and sensitive information to her beforehand. Emiko glanced at Kubi, who at this point didn’t seem surprised, figures. He was the team leader, of course, he would know. She took a glance at Maeve, who also didn’t look surprised or taken back by the news. So either she knew - or just wasn’t listening, however, something was off about the blue-haired member of their team.

Emiko was already instructed that she would have to be a team player - and had to watch her mouth. So she kept her mouth shut - she’ll address him later on how she felt if she still cared later. Which, she was fairly certain she’d get over it… however, this new information brought a new light to the interaction she had with Kato’s mother. The Usagi wondered if his mother thought she already knew and if that is why she was assigned to this team. Kato mentioned his mother had a lot of sway in the Village prior to the interaction they had with one another. She turned away from Kato’s gaze and glanced at Meave and Kubi-sensei.

“Emiko Usagi, the Shiroi Usagi of Kumogakure. Genin at 18. Sensory is my specialty, and I’m fairly decent at Lightning-release. Nothing gets in my way to finish a mission.” She gave a fairly longer introduction than her first. She glanced from Kubi-sensei back to Maeve. Her ears fell flat to the side, as she stepped up to the shorter woman. She brought her fist back and punched Maeve in her face. However, instead of the typical reaction one would expect from someone who was just punched in the face - the short, curvy woman vanished in a puff of smoke. Emiko would smirk confidently, “And Ms. Shortstacks isn’t really here,” she said, relaxing her muscles before she fell back into line.

Moving through the area at a sedate pace, the blue/white haired man whistled calmly as the day went on. A kunai sat within his hands, and he twisted it within his fingers idly for a few moments. A wrapping of paper was set up upon the hilt and with a touch of his hand upon it and an effort of chakra a seal design would inscribe itself upon the paper. With that finished he would settle the blade within his equipment pouch and then begin to do so with his four other knives. One after another they knives would have the seal tags applied to the hilts and before long he would have the last of them settled firmly into his pouch. All the while he continued his whistling, a casual tune, that spoke of mild boredom. He was due to meet his teammate and sensei this morning and he was on his way to do so at that very moment. A yawn escaped his lips as he considered what his teammate might be like and that brought the man back to when he was assigned to them.

It was apparently last second as the third member of their team decided to leave and go off or something. He did not know why, or care. However he had been warned that she would probably send a shadow clone in to rile up some of her teammates just for fun and he sighed at that thought. If he ended up arriving to an annoyed team and they proceeded to take it out on him then he was going to be fairly annoyed and fairly quickly. Of course such things could not be discovered until they occurred and so he walked toward the team meeting, fashionably late and not caring one little bit about it. He had just received his orders this morning and he had barely had time to get breakfast and a shower before coming. If anyone tried to hold that against him then they could go kick rocks for all he cared.

Valen was a tall man, standing at 6'8 and he had wiry muscle that showed that he was not weak by any means. However his true talent lay within his mind and ninjutsu capability. That would probably come to be seen soon enough in todays training and he wondered idly if he would end up showing off his most special of techniques. He wanted to keep it a secret if he could, to pull it out when no one would expect it. However he would not be surprised if he would not be able to keep it a secret from a Jounin for long. They were supposed to be elite shinobi after all, and masters of observation. With that said the tall man would arrive before long into a clearing with a group of people. Two men, making him the third, and a woman with...were those bunny ears? That was kinda cool.

Looking from person to person, seeing each of them in turn and giving them a chance to see him he would raise his hand, flat and vertical to where it was right next to his head in what was arguably one of the laziest waves one could do before speaking. "Yo." He would say simply, his sleepy expression still not quite leaving his features. It was entirely possible he had beaten the message hawk that would inform Kubi of the transfer here and if so it would be right about that time that a small scroll would fall from the sky toward their sensei's head. If he did not notice it and catch it, he would get a small bonk on the head. Nothing serious of course. Once opened the scroll would succinctly explain the transfer and that Valen himself was his third teammate. "I'm Valen, nice to meetcha and all." He would say before pointing at their sensei. Given that he was more or less standing on his own, not by himself but clearly not 'with' anyone Valen felt he had accurately guessed the man as their sensei. His finger was of course pointing at Kubi. Basic body language would preclude everyone standing together, at an initial meeting it was generally very much 'sensei' and 'team' until everyone was comfortable with each other so picking out the man who was their leader would be obvious. Also, the fact that the scroll would have been falling for him would have been what some might call 'a clue'.

With his finger pointing at the man he would speak a simple word before moving on. "Kubi-Sensei." Then he would point their teammate with a peter cottontail fixation before speaking "Emiko-San." Finally he would point at the last man on the team. "Kato-San." then he would put his hand point, having shown that they need not go through introductions again if they had already. Given the fact that he was coming late he had at least been given everyone's names so he was not arriving like a complete twit.

-25 Chakra for placing 5 FTG seals on 5 kunai.
160 remaining.