War of the Tiger and Dragon

Roku from his hiding spot heard the roar and sighed, "So she's brought the back up.....this will be interesting...but luckily...getting here first bass allowed me to runn about.....meaning he won't be able to track me right away with my scent all around." he said to himself with a grin.

He let the remaining shadows go for as he closed the scroll and got into higher ground in the tree tops.

With Nemo and Natsuki working together, they made quick work of the shadow clones. Once they were done, she looked around again seeing if she could spot Roku. 'Nemo, do you have his scent?'

'His scent is all over. I can't pinpoint his location.' Nemo looked around as well growling softly.

"Damn! Fighting off the shadow clones gave him just enough time to hide even better." She was starting to get a bit annoyed. She wanted to face him head on, not play this game of hide and seek.

'Calm your mind child, if you let him get to you it will distract you from victory. Just be patient and lure him out. He can't hide forever.' Natsuki nods and knows that Nemo is right. She needs to stay focused.

"Here Nemo. Use this to get a better lock on his scent." She took a headband out of her pouch and held it in front of Nemo's face. Natsuki snagged the headband from his disguise before she left the room. She thought something with his scent on it might come in handy.

Nemo sniffed it and got tracking him. In the mean time, Natsuki needed to come up with a plan to get him out of the shadows. "I know you are close..." She said looking around with her keen eyes listening to the signs of the forest.

Roku was now right above Natsuki, watching her and seeing what her tiger would go and do. He saw her pull out his hachimaki headband and smirked, 'Clever girl.' he knew the tiger would be on his tail soon, but would have to follow the scent everywhere first.

He saw Nemo run off and once he was gone and out of sight, he got positioned right about Natsuki and pulled out his own daito dagger, waiting for her to come into position.

Natsuki let Nemo go off and follow the scent wherever it led him. She would be ok on her own. With her knife at the ready she slowly walked under the tree where Roku was watching her.

He then dropped down on top of her and pinned her down, covering her mouth, "Boo." he said in her ear, chuckling.

"I see you've noticed I've prepared ahead of time, incase you brought Your friend along." he said, taking her knife out of her reach and threw it into a tree trunk.

"AHHMAMMAHM!!" She screamed into his hand and struggled against him. He was quite good at hiding she gave him that much. She continued to struggle a little against him trying to break free. Not long after, her form disappeared with a pop in a cloud of smoke and all that was left was a log.

Soon after, Nemo came charging with her riding on his back. Nemo leaped toward him to pin him down with both his front paws on either of his arms knocking his weapon from his hand.

"Gotcha, Roku." She looked down at him from behind Nemo who looked at him fiercely but not with the intent to kill. Natsuki chuckled.

"A TRICK!" he panicked a little but was then pinned by Nemo...Again.

He looked over his shoulder, "Make...sure he doesn't kill me...this is fun and games." he grunted trying to sit up, but Nemo was heavily.

"Don't worry, he won't hurt you unless I tell him. Stand down, boy." Nemo backed off and freed his arms.

"So I guess that means I win." She said as she hopped off Nemo's back.

He stood, And brushed his clothes off, "You held your own well....but I would have preferred if your friend wasn't involved." he said.

"He's not just my friend. He is my accomplice in battle and my guardian. My clan is well known for training big cats after all." She said as she rubbed Nemo's back which made him relax.

"But next time, I will be sure to leave him behind and you and I can fight one on one." She said.

"I understand, totally....but will be times you may not have him close enough to back you up....all shinobi should be ready, backed up or not." he said.

"I understand." She took out a small supplement from her pouch and gave it to Nemo. "Go on home before everyone wakes up." He took the supplement and hurried off before Roku saw him transform.

"That was a great fight. Your abilities are very impressive." She said. Her clothes were a bit torn at tattered from the fight and being swarmed by the shadows.

"So are yours." he smiled, "But may I?" he held his hand out, "My hachimaki?" meaning his headband. "I WONDERED where it went."

"Thank you. We should do this again some time. I will leave Nemo behind this time." She took the headband out of her pocket and gave it back to him.

"Sorry I took it without asking, but its kinda part of the job." She said.

"If I didn't know better, I think you just wanted to see me again." he teased her a little, putting the headband back into his shirt.

"Wh-what?!" Her face began to get really red. "N-No I didn't! I mean it was nice to see you again...I mean...ugh..." She sighed and pouted at his teasing. "It's rude to tease a lady." She said crossing her arms.

He chuckled, "Sorry. I am only jesting. But please visit the Tavern anytime you wish for a meal or beverage. As long as we don't need cross blades, we won't need to fight." he said.

She looked at him and smiled her face still a bit red, "I'll let it slide this time and I will take you up on that offer. That meal you made last night was delicious." She looked and saw the position of the sun changing.

"We better get back now the sun is starting to rise fully now." She got her kunai from out of the tree and tucked it away in her pouch.

He got his weapons back too, "I'll head back first then. I'll see you about." he got his face cover on and rushed away.

"Ok...see you later." She watched him leave in the blink of an eye. A small wind blew by as he rushed off blowing Natsuki's hair behind her. Her heart was still pounding from Roku's teasing. She really was happy to see him again, more so than she realized. Being able to spar with him and be so close to him made her heart pound even more.

"What is wrong with me?!" She said with a confused sigh.

More rain came again that evening, but a few more customers this evening, which Roku was fine with but found himself thinking about a certain kunoichi.

'Why am I thinking about her now?' he sighed a little as he was making some more red bean sesame mochi. 'I need to get into infiltrating the castle.' he took a deep breath and got back to work, taking the order out to the customer.

Natsuki had to close the cart up early due to the rain. She ran into the inn near the entrance to the tavern soaking wet. Kitty Nemo ran past her feet and upstairs to her room before the supplement wore off. She shook her and wrung the water out of her ponytail.

'Ugh, this weather is bad for business and it also interfering with my mission...' She thought to herself. She needed to get on it. Even though she had plenty of time, it was slipping by fast. She stood at the entrance shivering a bit trying to wring the water from her clothes before she went upstairs.

Roku noticed through the window slats, Natsuki was sheltering under the tavern overhang. He came out as she was about to go up he and a cloth for her, "Hey, you should be careful...you don't want to get sick."

Natsuki took her hair down and turned around when she heard Roku's voice. Her face and hair were still soaking wet. Her wet hair clung to her face and body.

"Oh, Roku...thanks." She took the cloth and put it over her head. "If I get sick, then that will make the mission all the easier for you." She joked and used the towel to dry her hair.

"Well I can't risk going out in this weather, plus the rooftops will be too slippery........plus there are the unknown dangers...." he said.