A "Capture" That Is A Lesson

She sat among the tree tops, watching the forest below. The woman had chosen to remain within the Land of Fire's borders, despite having moved considerably west of her former target after her research had been completed. Even now, she marveled at the connection between herself and the surrounding forest. Never had the young woman been so in tune with her surroundings, the heartbeat of the landscape keeping time with her own. It was truly an enlightening feeling, one that confirmed her decision to leave Kumo was in fact a good one. Despite having a loving family there, she had never felt completely comfortable with the place that she had called home for almost all of her life. I should add poet to the list of skills that I have accumulated, Kurumi pondered thoughtfully, a pleasant smile warming her face. It was clear she felt at ease, that is until the quiet was broken by the slightest of disturbances on the forest below. There, she saw a man picking his way carefully, scanning the landscape for something in particular. The young woman was about to ask him what he sought until she noted a particular band marking him as one of their own. "When will they realize I never plan on returning home?" Kurumi whispered softly, a small wind disguising her voice as it ruffled through the leaves.

At that point, she carefully weighed her options; the young woman knew he would most likely be a powerful opponent, yet she wanted to test her newfound abilities against him. With a couple of handseals, a decoy emerged from tree she was leaning against. Once that was completed, Kurumi sank in the tree's embrace, completely disappearing from sight. She would decide later whether or not it was time to escape from this group that continued to persist on her return. Once she was effectively concealed, the clone continued to watch the man, before nimbly reaching a lower branch. "To what do I owe this audience?" the young woman asked, staring at the man below with something reminiscent of cool disinterest. Perhaps she would persuade him to leave her alone, not that he would notice the difference even if he succeeded in his objective.