>>5969177None of them leap out at you as potential ninja, but sometimes looks could be deceiving. Assuming they’re just normal bandits who don’t have access to chakra techniques, it seems clear to you that you could probably just wipe the floor with them. Still, if you were going through this situation with the caravan in sight there were a number of ways things could go wrong. For all you knew one or more of them might have tricks up their sleeves as well. It paid to be cautious.
Girl, Scar, and Dagger are sitting around in their camp discussing something.
Old Man, Knuckles, and Fats are standing on the bridge skipping rocks into the river.
Bow pegs you as the most dangerous. He’s actually seated in a folding chair, observing the road. His hand remains on his weapon and he seems alert, even if he’s paying too much attention to the road and not enough to the shadowy boughs of the trees you lurk in. You assume he’s probably the leader.
You share a final moment of silent eye contact with your team before quietly descending the tree you’re perched in and get to work with your water clone and the transformation jutsu. You unscrew the lid of your bottle and pour out a sizable puddle of water. You wouldn’t dare summon a clone out of the river. Eventually you have an Otomo clone crawling his way out of the mud like some kind of mud creature.
Since he shared your personality he requires no instructions, quickly forming the hand seals for the transformation jutsu. He transforms into a short but weathered looking guy with a straw hat. He could pass for some manner of farmer, but also has an angry gleam to his eye that might imply that he’s some kind of malcontent.
You transform into a naive-looking boy that might pass for such a man’s son. You’re not extremely gifted at disguising your voice, so you figure that looking like you’re related would clear up why the two of you are inevitably going to sound similar. You just hope your clone can pull off sounding a bit older.
You remove the items from your pack that might identify you as a ninja just in case you wind up being searched. You keep the art supplies and give your clone the majority of your survival gear.
Everything in order, the two of you form up on the road and begin walking towards the bridge as if you don’t expect there to be any issues.
It’s not too long before the seven of them take notice of you. Your clone turns out to be an admirable actor, missing a beat as he notices the armed people an instant before he raises an arm in front of you to shield you from the threat. For your part, choosing to be a naive-looking young boy serves you well because it allows you to openly stare around.
Anyone who was lounging around begins moving into action, regarding you with open suspicion.
The man with the bow stays seated, holding up a hand to stop you from coming too close right away.
