Kohaku realized immediately that there was something... supernatural going on with Kakumei. His eyes widened for a moment, but then he nodded, "Yeah. I think so."<br/><br/>He turned to their newfound companions, "Would you care to join us, then?" The swordsman asked with a sharp-toothed smile. "Of course!" Damui said with a smile, "Someplace cozy, eh?" The archer looked at them expectantly, apparently somewhat uncertain as to their motives but agreeing to accompany them nontheless.<br/><br/>"All the better to get a good look at the Kages as well." Em agreed. They nodded, and the group was in fact somewhat casual making their way by rooftop back to the tower. Kohaku played the part well, not betraying any hint of the seriousness of their circumstances... Unfortunately, that casual nonchalance had cost them a few precious seconds of time. Damui stopped, squinting. He was an archer, after-all, and his eyesight was as keen as a bird of prey's. "What's that... little light?"<br/><br/>From the perch in the tower overlooking the terrace... a small cone of light emerged. Surrounding it, two hands, wrapped in bandages, appeared in mid air. Their thumbs and index fingers touched, and the shape of a man gradually extended from them, a man covered head to toe in bandages save for his pants.<br/><br/>The Raikage turned the corner on the stairwell carved into the cliff and didn't pay it much mind, but his bodyguard stood still. A flash of light caught the corner of his eye. A pillar of light began to extend from the tower, moving incredbly fast. The bodyguard immediately became consumed in a crackling aura of electricity. His reflexes, strength, and endurance had all been empowered... allowing him only a fraction of a second to react as the pillar of light began to extend towards the Raikage, "A-sama!" He shouted, diving forward and pushing the Raikage out of the beam of light... it still caught his arm, however- and completely enveloped the bodyguard, obscuring him in a bright glow.<br/><br/>It was a cylinder of light that extended all the way from the tower into the earth. When it disappeared, there was a perfect cylindrical hole several hundred feet into the ground, where only blackness remained. The bodyguard stood in the air for a moment, covered in electricity. The effect dissipated, and his entire body was blackened like oil, and his eyes were pitch black. He opened his mouth and blood poured from it. Gravity resumed, and the bodyguard fell to the ground, tumbling down the perfect tunnel.<br/><br/>The Raikage, now missing his arm that was caught in the blast, looked absolutely horrified and enraged. He got up on one knee, scowling.<br/><br/><hr/><br/>"Well..." Bakuton no Yumi said, floating high up in the clouds and out of sight, "That's the signal." (https://youtu.be/RjRtFP6idx0)<br/><br/>"You sure? Isn't it a little... early?" Onoki asked, flying beside her with Tetsura next to him. "I'm sure." Yumi maintained. Tetsura nodded to Onoki and he reached down, grabbing her by the ankle. He began to swing her around in one hand, whirling her in a circle, "Doton!" he shouted, "Chōkajūgan... no Jutsu!"<br/><br/>In the instant he let go, she flew up in the air in a short arc... and then began to plummet to the ground towards the island. The bandage-wrapped woman seemingly swam in the air, leaning to her right side in order to get the angle perfect. She was headed straight for the Raikage... when she figured her angle of approach was satisfactory, the woman threw her feet out in front of her and put her hands together. She turned to iron, her skin turning grey and metallic just moments before she landed not far from the Raikage. The earth shattered and the edge of the terrace began to crumble down. Debris rained down upon the rooftop that Kakumei, Kaede, Kohaku, and the two Kumo nin occupied.<br/><br/>The Iwa shinobi, Onoki and Yumi tried to discern either their comrade or their objective through all the dust. They had flown closer now, clearly visible by anyone looking up into the sky. All three of them were wearing a red-collared cloak, with gold fringes and four green tabard-like strips of cloth. The Raikage appeared from the dust, dashing backwards. He as now relieved of his ceremonial robes, instead dressed in a shoulder plate of samurai style, a cutting edge Kumogakure-style vest decorated in awards, and simple black clothes beneath.<br/><br/><hr/><br/>The bandaged man on the tower tilted his head and lowered his arms, somewhat disappointed that he had missed his intended target. Even so, his disciples would finish the job, as originally intended. He turned his head towards the terrace and just narrowly dodged a hurtling sphere of water that hit the tower and shattered it into hundreds of small pieces of stone. The bandaged man flew into the air, narrowing his eyes at the source of the attack...<br/><br/>The Mizukage Gengetsu stood there with his hand on his stomach and his lips pursed. He furrowed his brow in anger at the Tsuchikage attacking them here... "Tsukire." He said, "What do you know... our old friend Mū is here. This isn't the place for you... Go take them to safety, eh?"<br/><br/>The assistant instinctively looked at the mayor the daimyo, grabbing them both and pushing them to safety. Before following them any further, she turned around, "Gengetsu!"<br/><br/>"I'll be fine!" The man said with a smile and closed eyes, "Now go."<br/><br/>He crouched low and jumped away, and the Tsuchikage flew off after him. He landed on a rooftop just a few dozen feet away from Kakumei and Kaede... and then jumped again, heading towards the sea where both fleets were at anchor. In seconds he cleared the entire city and was in mid air over the ocean. He bit his thumb and put it in-between his legs. A giant clam was summoned beneath his feet, appearing in a cloud of white smoke. He turned around and used the giant creature as a launching pad to propel himself in the air towards the Tsuchikage Mū.<br/><br/>He drew his foot up and launched an axe-kick upon the bandaged man, who blocked it with both his forearms and floated down from the impact. He landed on his feet and then dashed backwards as another giant ball of water slammed into the rooftop.<br/><br/><hr/><br/>The giant clam hit the water and began to sink slowly... it opened up, bubbles rising out of the inside. Not far away, under the waves, there a young girl in a red rice hat tied around her chin and otherwise dressed in Iwagakure attire. She saw the giant clam sinking to the bottom and nodded solemnly. She took off her shirt, pulled up her fishnet undergarments to reveal a seal right upon her sternum. The girl plunged her hands into the seal, her mouth opening from the pain and letting all the air in her lungs escape...<br/><br/>Above the waves, Kirigakure ninja went to the decks of their ships, trying to discern what was happening. They began to shout orders, and many immediately set out towards the city by treading atop the waves. Likewise, the shinobi from Kumogakure began to shout and raise alarm for their beleaguered Raikage. The giant clam emerged from the sea again, underneath a great set of white horns. It was then gored into the air, spinning as it flew hundreds of yards into the distance. From the sea emerged something much larger and more fearsome- the five-tailed beast of Iwagakure.<br/><br/>It was a mix between a dolphin and a horse, pure white with a permanent grin and four horns upon its head. ...And of course, five long sweeping tails. It roared and shook its head, turning its sights upon the two armadas arrayed before it.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide</div><div class="spoiler_body">So... you have three immediate options;<br/><br/>Get in the middle of the Mizukage and Tsuchikage's duel.<br/>Get in the middle of the Raikage's duel with the Ryotenbin trio.<br/>Get in the middle of the Five-Tails' attack on the fleets.<br/><br/>But then again, you can choose to do something entirely different as well.<br/><br/>For the purposes of discussing it between yourselves and the NPCs with you, the time you spend in dialogue won't be held against you as far as 'rescuing' anyone is concerned. Everyone and everything will be at a deadlock until you make a choice. Kaede's team mates will probably join her no matter what she does, while I am undecided on Kohaku (it depends on what you say, really. :P)<br/><br/>Hopefully Kaede and Kakumei have the same idea, as that should suitably provide an opportunity to, say, 'bond under duress' :P</div></div>