[center][color=moccasin][h2]Tsukiko Umene[/h2]
[@Odin][@Project][@Spanner][@Syn]
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The initial attempt at a scroll was narrowly foiled by Sakana's quick thinking. He had just the reflexes to block Tsukiko's slash in time; so close that she still cut about halfway through the cord before her blade was deflected. It was a good attempt on her part but she still followed through with her escape to the trees above, which apparently avoided a wind attack from Usagi. Before the wild woman could make her escape from the other three Sakana appeared before her upon the branch she landed on. He used a substitution to avoid Usagi's attack and intercept Tsukiko, two birds with one stone. Already it was cemented that he was clever and quick but still it surprised Tsukiko. She immediately shifted her body into a combat stance, spinning her ninjato in her hand to hold it in a reverse grip before spreading her feet further apart in a low and wide position for optimal balance. However Sakana wasn't there to attack but instead to reason.

He gave a little speech after relaxing out of his handseals, though Tsukiko remained on full alert throughout its duration. His analogies were cute but not completely accurate. She was confident that she could retrieve a scroll from another full team on her own. But it was true that it could be easier as a team effort, should things go south. When he tossed his own scroll to Tsukiko she shifted her position to bring her unarmed hand forward to catch it, finally holding her blade to her side and relaxing out of combat. While Sakana continued to explain his logic Tsukiko took a look back down to the ground, to see how Kamui and Usagi were behaving. Joining forces with Sakana would be relatively pointless if the other two were fighting but it appeared that they were only at a standoff. Tsukiko had done a good job at dismantling the team, but Sakana also did a good job at keeping it from totally falling apart.

When she looked back up to Sakana there was a suspicious glare in her eyes. [color=moccasin]"There's something about you that I can't quite put my finger on,"[/color] she finally spoke. [color=moccasin]"The way you think is dangerous. That kind of charisma only belongs to the worst of people."[/color] Despite her words she finally sheathed her ninjato, freeing up both her hands to begin tying the second scroll to her belt on the opposite hip of her original. Once making sure it was snug and secure she returned her attention back to Sakana. [color=moccasin]"I'll trust you, and this team, for now. We are allies after all, but today we are also rivals. I won't hesitate to kill allies if I have to so imagine what I'd do to rivals if I felt the need."[/color] She kept both her hands free, leaving her weapons on standby as a sign of good will. Instead she crouched again, bringing a hand up to her chin as she clearly began to think about something. Her eyes slowly drifted away from Sakana back down to Usagi and Kamui though she remained motionless otherwise.

[color=moccasin]"We have to find another team before they find us. An ambush will make quick work and give us our scrolls, then we can leave the forest and be the first team to complete. Potentially the only team to fully succeed. Although..."[/color] Now her eyes shot back up to Sakana. The suspicious glare from before was replaced by an angry fire. [color=moccasin]"Our performances will be evaluated and so far you are the only one to make any particular strides. It'd look better for the rest of us if you took a backseat role while we retrieved more scrolls. It'd be embarrassing to pass the exam but only one of us gets promoted..."[/color] She relaxed her gaze and looked down at the branch as she continued to think. [color=moccasin]"I haven't been able to pick up any other scents but our own since we got here, so we'll need Kamui to find our targets and anticipate their movements..."[/color] With that assertion she looked back down at the red-haired shinobi below. She would understand if he wasn't particularly happy to work with her now after her attempted betrayal, though she figured he would put that aside for the greater goal of promotion. Hell, he might even have understood that there was nothing personal about it and not even think about it anymore after a few minutes. Sakana was right about this team being ragtag. A mish-mash of personalities and skills. But as Tsukiko thought about it perhaps that would be an asset. Individually each of them were strong, so together they would be even stronger with coordination. [i][color=moccasin]But can we be coordinated? I wonder if anyone else will try to take the lead or if we'll let Sakana make the calls...[/color][/i]