Welcome to Gaia! ::

The Jungle village is hidden within a massive jungle. Many insects, creatures, and a humid heat all stand to kill all that enter. The Jungle village itself is a little smaller than Gaioh and has been remaining neutral in all the other villages conflict but it gives the Swamp village support in secret.

"If I create a low pressure build-up above your mist I can ground it for a time and use the cooler air below it to create different attacks. Alternatively, I can draw in moist air caused by the jungle's humidity and you can multiply the mist capabilities." Kei responded to Westly's last comment, he was more of a warrior and less a diplomat so he would let Soul and Westly do the talking while he acted as over watch. "I would advise you to still thy tongue here Westly, the people of the Jungle have some diplomatic relations with the Swamp and friendly ones at that. A silver tongue you may have but it does you no good if it is removed." Kei warned his companion, it may be construed that while not a diplomat, Kei was remarkably well informed and while not one to boast of such things or anything for the matter, the Jounin possessed a rather extended spy network.

The lushness around the Gaioh-nin seemed to be restless. Leaves were constantly rustling as the wind swept breathe through the jungle. It was as if the surrounding area itself was alive. Everyone knew the jungle itself wasn't alive...but that didn't mean that there wasn't life in there...

((No... Ghost is handling this one for me. ^_^

He is doing the Great Chaos-Kami's bidding!))

Kei looked up sharply as the wildlife around them picked up in intensity, the creatures had been used to their presence and had been relatively quiet. A sudden increase in activity like this indicated that something had stirred them up. In a jungle, it was usually indicative of an approaching predator but such creatures tended to shy away from humans especially when a group of people were gathered together, the scent could keep such animals away. The final and most probable of the possibilities was an approaching human or humans.

"Get ready, someone or someones are coming and while it is important to appear nonthreatening, if they have hostile intent be ready to defend yourselves." Kei muttered as he twirled his hand through the air above them, in response the branches above the party began to sway as wind began to move through the boughs overhead. Taking a lounging stance to appear outwardly unguarded, Kei was ready to drop a massive attack at a moment's notice.

Westly rolled his eyes at Soul. "Ah, well, more diplomacy for me, then." He leaned against a tree casually. The entire point of this exercise was to be seen. Bunch of elite ninjas showing up at the gates of a foreign village during wartime. You either announced yourselves or risked getting flagged as an enemy combatant. Actually, just to be on the safe side... Westly displaced himself, popping out of his own image. He was about five feet away from where he appeared to be standing. Five feet up, actually, perched on the tree against which he was leaning. Soggy ground like this was problematic for stealth, but you can't leave footprints on a tree. Especially if you took the time to clean the mud off your boots with a touch of Water Chakra.

Actually, that was what really made Soul's attempt at concealment amusing. Westly had learned most of the flaws in Blood of the Assassin: Ketushai from his rivalry with Harou. Namely, it didn't conceal secondary effects of the Assassin's passage, like disturbed branches or footprints. They were in the jungle. They were surrounded by thick undergrowth, and the ground was muddy and wet. There was probably a trail of footprints and snapped ferns leading right to where Soul was standing.

Westly slid down a few feet, under the net. His image didn't move, still leaning against the tree casually as the net passed over him harmlessly. "I grew up in a place like this, albeit colder, and my sensei used many traps, albeit more skillfully."

He smiled, inwardly wondering how and why the hell they'd put a net trap five feet off the ground on the side of a tree trunk, as well as how he'd failed to notice it. Some bizarre Wood Jutsu, perhaps? "But let's not point fingers about who's foolish and who's not. As you've noted, we're shinobi of the Village Hidden in the Clouds," he said, using Gaioh's older, more formal title. "We are to understand that you're having difficulties related to some old enemies of ours?"