Watching you (Open)

The pouring rains were still something the hybrid was trying to get used too. Not so much cold as it was just wet. All the time. But with the rains food was abundant and hunting came with clean and quick strikes. He was careless of the outside world and the petty wars and strife of those that had cast him out. No one cared enough about a spider away. Recluse waited till the rains took a pause before stepping out of his makeshift home. A thick nest of silk had been spun into the trees. Like a hut made of white. The webbing kept the rain from falling on his head but not from flooding. And he hated mud. It was so much dirtier then, well, dirt. Poking his head out, shaking the beads of water from his equally white and silky hair. He'd move on soon enough.

There was a village nearby. One that was loaded with unsuspecting people with livestock that was always ready for the taking. And often times villagers passed through these woods to seek the usual wild growing fruits and herbs. Or they came to gather water from the stream that curved around the bend. And so far the towns people had yet to grow weary when one or two people had suddenly just vanished. For now. Recluse had learned it was best to keep a low profile to avoid rising suspicion and getting chased away before he had his fill. And he always had to be careful not to draw too much attention and have the people call upon a shinobi to chase him out. Not that he ever had problems with them anyway.

Raku walked through the rainforest which ceased the rain for the moment, heading towards Amegakure on his usual business. He had a mark which needed to be taken care, direct orders from the Mizukage. As he was walking he began to see threads of silk strewn about here and there. Spiders... He looked at the trees and the bushes as he walked and noticed a part of the path that seemed like a struggle had taken place.
He knelt down and put his hand to the unsettled mud and looked at the surrounding area. Seems like an abduction... Two people.

One had to be weary of such webbings that hung from the branches and sprung from the brush. The slightest touch was like ringing the dinner bell. Recluse had connections to each strand and knew when someone was heading down his path. But he felt no worry, most people passed him without even knowing he was there. Spiders just had a knack for keeping out of sight afterall. He was no different.

He was at the river near the spot where the hired shinobi examined the site of struggle. It was where Recluse had snatched up one of his victims three days ago. Dipping his fingers into the water, washing his hands before he invited his next guest to dinner. And of course dressed in his long silk robes and white hair fallen around his dark mocha face he would seem more like a fair maiden admiring the waters flow to whoever happened upon him.

He followed the tracks in the mud, through bushes and down a path clearly beaten down. He walked out of the brush looking at the river. He looked at the river up and down as his eye was caught by a white object, which under closer inspection was a person kneeling down at the river.
This really isn't any of my concern.. He walked towards the suspected woman and stopped about 3 yards from her. "Excuse me.. You haven't noticed any.. People coming through this path have you? Anybody at all?" He asked as he kept his eyes on her, his hand dangling at his waist.

Recluse kept his cool, looking out the corner of his eye. Panic swept through him but collected himself quickly. He couldn't give himself away. A master of hiding his feelings. Brushing his hair back, looking up as innocently as could be. And sad to say his voice was just as feminine as the rest of his vintage. Soft spoken and quiet over the sound of running water. "No, I haven't seen anyone else but myself here." Trying to hide his want to smile. "Is there something I can help you with?"

HE nodded slowly. "I see.. Guess not after all.." He said as he walked to the edge of the river and washed his face, all the while watching the young boy, guessing by his feminine voice. "You didn't notice anything strange about the path? Like how there are snapped twigs on the ground, and the mud is unusually unsettled? Doesn't look like rain did that.." He said as he took a deep breath in. His gaze was set to the water below the boys face.

A predator knew a predator well. Recluse could tell that this new face was studying him, trying to pry something from him he wouldn't willingly give up. It was becoming a game of sorts. Again trying so hard not to crack a wide smile and bare the fangs that would give him away as being something more then just human. If his eyes and features didn't already. "I have learned to keep to myself. A trait that has kept me out of harms way this long." Perhaps something you too should consider... Knowing when avoiding trouble meant being able to stay around his food source. Ugh hired help was always so bothersome. If this guy kept pushing he wasn't sure if he could handle it.

Raku laughed in his head. So you do know something after all huh...? I'll play along, for now anyways "I can see how that would help in most matters. If I had information that could get me... Oh I don't know.. Hunted down for something, I'd try desperately to hide it." He said with a clueless kind of tone. He took a small sip of the water. The water tasted different. Not like usual river water. Hints of iron, potassium and calcium. Substances often found in remains of human blood. Raku spit the water out cooly, playing it off as washing his mouth out. "I hate having a dirty mouth. Don't you?"

This was starting to grow one sided. The spider knew if he didn't do something to get this guy off his back soon he was going to get caught. Despite formidable capabilities a spider was still rather frail when caught off its guard. Noticing the subtle change in the shinobi's face and body language. The sudden change in subject was another giveaway. "No not really... if I didn't know any better I'd think all this small talk... was simply a means of flirting with me~" Hoping to weird him out at least with that comment. Removing his hand from the water and pressing his still wet fingers to his lips. There must have still been blood on his hands, he could taste that metallic aftertaste.

"Perhaps you would have better luck asking those in the village for answers?"

He smirked at the boy's comment and half considered going along with it. "Well.. No offense but you do have quite a feminine figure, and voice. Easily mistaken for a woman.." He laughed a little. "I already tried, they seemed too frightened to talk about it for some reason. Most of them were unaware of anything.." He winked at the boy, to Raku it was a joke. Raku knew he was close to something. The boy kept avoiding topics and switching them.

"U-ugh.." His brow twitched with Raku's comment. Now he was stepping on his toes and purposefully poking at a delicate nerve. Recluse hated being thought of as a woman but what he hated even more was having someone actually say it! His face darkened with a blush. Getting to his feet and turning his back to the shinobi. "I have nothing more to say to you. Displaying such indignant attitude toward someone you have just met! Terrible first impression." Replaying that wink in his head, the blush deepening. He couldn't handle conversation much less any sort of teasing.

"Perhaps you should ask them again! This conversation is over." Throwing his hair back, heading down one of the paths that would lead away from his silky, spidery den.

Raku smiled wide, the boy obviously not being able to see since he was walking away from him. "Alright! Good talking to you!" Finally... Some real progress... He activated his stealth bloodlimit and turned invisible. Raku, being from the mist, was an expert at tracking and assassinating. He followed Recluse silently, not making the slightest noise. Where are you going...?

An innate sixth sense kept the spider from really relaxing as he left the rivers edge and moved deeper into the woods. He knew something was amiss. The fellow had stopped following him, or rather didn't bother to follow him at all. He wouldn't fall for that trick. Of course someone was there, watching him, waiting for the hybrid to slip up. Didn't the silly human realize it was nearly impossible to sneak up on an arachnid? They did all the sneaking!

He walked faster, trying to both not look so suspicious and at the same time not trip over his garments. Darn him and his love of soft and lengthy clothing! The further he traveled the more the trees and plants around them began to be covered in the thick and white spider silk. Feeling more relaxed as he neared one of his secondary hideways that included a secret underground passage used for emergencies.

Raku noticed the change in pace from the boy, and the white silk. Silk...? He thought back to the spot where the trouble scene had taken place. Maybe he has a curse mark... Raku took extra precaution in following his mark. He watched for any traps laid out, he wouldn't get the drop on him, not if Raku could help it.

The land was a trap. Every bit of this part of the woods was just a massive flytrap. Black and sometimes colorful dots sat in the webbing silent and unmoving. At one point Recluse stopped and turned toward a low branch. Reaching his hand out one of those black dots crawled toward his hand. A massive spider unraveled itself. A hairy beast, all eight legs crawling toward him. About the size of his palm if not bigger. He'd let it walk into his hand before bringing it close to his face.

"Tell your brothers and sisters of the intruder."

He let the insect go and watched it scurry off quick. Looking over his shoulder, eyes a sharp violet and daring. He was giving his pursuer the chance to back off before this got out of hand.

Raku studied the interaction between the spider and the boy. He smirked as the rain began pouring down again. Hard. This would really throw him off now. Raku moved around silently. He was moving back the way he came, keeping his eyes on the boy. First run in is for information He was now out of the silky part of the forest and back to the river, still in his bloodlimit.

Alaric sighed, the rain pouring and soaking his clothing and chilling him to the bone. Hating this weather so much! It was unbearable really but the meals came so much easier. But now that he had a hired gun after him this was proving to be troublesome and perhaps not worth the trouble. Seeking to find shelter from the rain within a hollowed out tree along with several of the other spiders in the area. It was hard but he had managed to befriend the insects, in return for their info and intel he shared with them his meals. Thus why some of the spiders were much bigger then normal.

Raku wouldn't get away so easily. Now that they were warned the spiders spread the message and were on the look out for him. Wherever he went and whatever he did they would be on him.

The day was beginning to grow darker as the day carried on. It was already past midday and with the storm clouds overhead it looked like night was coming soon. And night was when spiders were most active.

Raku waited until nightfall to move from the river bank. He walked to the edge of the now silky forest and used his bloodlimit once more and used his hidden mist jutsu for extra cover. He waited till the mist was thick and moved into the forest again towards the spot where he spied on recluse. Raku was at his best in the night, he could see perfectly. He watched for the colorful and black spots on the ground and surrounding area, making sure not to alert them.

Fast to act, Recluse had set up a game for his little stalkery friend. The spider was used to curiosity but this was starting to annoy him. His natural patiences was wearing thinner then his tightly woven silk. In the same spot where Raku first left off there was a clearing just a few feet ahead. In that clearing six trees stood encased with more vibrant colored webbing. On each one was a human shaped cocoon. And hidden amongst the shadows and webbing and other spiders sat the hybrid. Blending in perfectly and never moving but always watching. Maybe it would have been smarter for him to have run but there wasn't much fun in that. Plus he felt he had a good enough back up he could use to escape if he had to.

Raku walked through the clearing under the cover of night and his bloodlimit, he activated his shadowsight jutsu which allowed him to see in the dark, perfect as day. He looked around and stared at the 6 cocoons. He took out a kunai and threw it at one of the cocoons, splitting it open and pouring out it's content.

When the first cocoon was cut into the contents that spilled from it was just water. The other five beginning to writhe with the sudden attention. Recluse looked up from his hiding spot. Curious as to how this was going to play out. What Raku didn't know was one of the captives was within the one cocoon while the other four were filled with traps. If he picked wrong it would be trouble. His creepy laughter echoing.

"Pick right, time is running out~"

He smirked at the voice in the forest and concentrated on each cocoon separately. He sensed the faint chakra in the cocoon to the far right and sliced it open with a kunai. The cocoon opened up and a villager slid out of it unconscious and barely breathing. Raku didn't rush towards the villager, in fear of running into a trap.

Recluse waited and watched that Raku's reaction would be. Surprised he'd found the body before unleashing all the other traps he had waiting. Guessing this was going to end badly he might as well play it out until he was caught. In that moment of hesitation the spider dropped down from his hiding spot. His laughter chilling as his eyes glowed in the darkness. Landing beside the unconscious body of the female young male villager he quickly draped him over his shoulder and made a break for it.

Moving deceptively fast when he wanted too. Moving between the trees with ease and dodging branches. "Krilllrlrlkekeke, you've missed out on your chance and now he's mine~" His tone mocking, a chilling shadow that moved through the night.

Raku could easily track Recluse, he wasn't as agile as he thought he was. Raku was used to chasing down his prey. Raku waited until recluse changed his path and shadowstepped in front of him and pulled an underhand punch aimed for his gut to knock the wind out of Recluse. If it connected, Raku's strength plus Recluse's momentum would result in a very heavy blow to his stomach.




ame: Shadow Step
Rank: C-B
(up to 100 yards is C rank and from 100 to 200 yards is B rank)
The user concentrates some chakra into his feet and appears within his desired location within 200 yards
Limit: Must be in the Yamato Clan, Must be able to see your target

He should have figured this was going to happen. One moment he was ahead of his pursuer then the next he was facing him down with a heavy blow to his stomach. He couldn't avoid it but he wasn't out of tricks. Going still, if not slightly limp, beneath the layers of his clothing the extra set of limbs had made a grab for the arm before it landed. It still hurt but didn't put Recluse out. Tilting his head up the hybrid spat in the shinobi's face. The stuff was sticky, white and the moment it was attempted to be rubbed off it would only spread.

Webbing. Tons of the stuff spewing from his mouth while the supposed captive the spider was holding onto erupted into a condensed pile of moving, hairy spider bodies. The illusion was broken but that meant they had free range to attack Raku in the process.