Ayumu continued to scan the rooftops to ensure that she was escaping that way, and meanwhile listened to the conversations occurring on the ground below him. He had called in ANBU reinforcements, and fortunately there was a team nearby who was able to gather together and head this way quickly. They would arrive momentarily. Nearby, apparently one of the pursuers had accidentally attacked another mistaking her for the one she was chasing.
'You don't know who you're looking for so you just jump on the first person you see? Brilliant,' he thought, shaking his head. Regardless, the misunderstanding seemed cleared up so he felt no need to intervene. The more interest information came from Asuchi, the man Ayumu was most familiar with. Apparently he knew the woman's name, or rather her number. Apparently an ANBU had messed up the attempts at getting further information from her. The only ANBU who had been to Leaf recently was Kosei, the trainee. He recalled when Kosei was telling him about the mission that he had said the team was hired by an organization named Titan. Ayumu wondered if that was somehow involved here.
Hoshikata suggested that the group split up to look for her, volunteering the Deathwatch captain to be with him. He was apparently expecting the rest of the village to stab him in the back.
'Really? Somehow I think it's more likely you're waiting for the opportunity to do the stabbing here,' Ayumu thought, rolling his eyes. He leapt to the sand cloud, Zaku aiding him from falling off. Oddly, Zaku appeared to suffer somewhat from the contact. Not trusting Hoshikata any further than he could throw him, Ayumu instantly focused on the two of them, wondering if Hoshikata had done something. Strangely, despite looking at his wrist with some odd interest, Zaku appeared to be fine. He agreed with Hoshikata's plan and the two of them sped off on the cloud.
'Well... that was odd,' Ayumu thought.
He had little time to think about it before a younger girl, one whom had been chasing the woman as well, pointed out that she had seen the Blue Menace go into a window of a building. More specifically she had been dragged.
'An ally?' Ayumu pondered. It seemed likely. Regardless, he was impressed that the girl had managed to spot the woman's escape when the rest of them had not. The flying one chimed in to inform them that this was a puppet shop, and naturally these were no ordinary puppets. Nothing was ever ordinary in a shinobi village. The girl then proceeded to snottily talk down to the apparent student for her tone. Ayumu sighed at this. Fortunately, Asuchi was there to provide some instruction. It was about this time that the ANBU team arrived.
Your friendly neighborhood ANBU squad!
Shuusei Touma (Captain) || Tenkawa Kyoshiro - Sasaki Yu - Higurashi Ichijo (ANBU)
The group landed almost simultaneously beside Ayumu as he dropped from the rooftop to the ground beside Asuchi, Anii, and Shashu. They were a uniform looking bunch, all wearing black clothing contrasted only by their trademark ANBU masks. Three of them stood side by side while two of them stood face to face, or mask to mask as it were.
"Howdy!" the tallest of the ANBU said to the group immediately.
We're here to help, sir, another said, speaking to Ayumu.
"Did it have to be so late...?" the third of the group said quietly, not seemingly meaning to ask anybody that in particular.
"Quiet," Touma, the captain of the team said authoritatively. The three immediately went silent as told, looking to their captain and the Sennin for orders.
"Set up a barrier. Tri-flame formation," Ayumu said to the three, who nodded and simultaneously went through a set of identical handseals. As they all completed the last seal, a surprisingly large barrier would encompass the entire group as well as the building. Though it was slightly tinted, the light of the moon still shined through. Nothing else would be able to pass, however. This was the group version of the ANBU jutsu Black Blockade.
"That should help with cutting off her escape," Ayumu said, looking up briefly at the barrier overhead. She could escape the building, yes, but could she escape the barrier? That would be a feat.
"Now, while the safest course of action would be to wait here, that may not be an option we have the luxury of. Shinobi are resourceful. We can't give her time to be resourceful, especially if this... 'Hebi' is cooperating with her. I see no reason to alter the plan of having people stationed outside for if she tries to flee the building, but I'm going to send a team inside in hopes of flushing her out. Noki, Yama, Taho: You're going in. Be careful, apparently this house belongs to a puppet maker, and puppet users just love traps. Keep an eye out for boobytraps," he said, more or less keeping with Asuchi's plan of having people stationed outside with just a slight wrinkle.
"Yessir," the trio of ANBU spoke in unison, turning and heading to the front door.
"Kira-taichou, I want you to go around back with the girl," he said, referring to Anii whom he gestured toward. She was a Genin, but she was still young and Ayumu wasn't leaving her alone. Even if she was a prodigy who was strong for her rank and age, leaving a side to one person alone was risky, especially considering that if they saw that one side had fewer guards they were more likely to try to exit via that route.
"Yessir," Touma said, going towards the back of the building, presumably with Anii if she was going to follow along with the plan. Even if she refused, he'd go around back. It needed to be covered one way or another, and Ayumu trusted him to cover the side alone.
"I will be taking the roof. If she does attempt to flee, I can quickly move to assist whichever side needs it... of course she won't be going far with that barrier regardless. Anyway, prepare yourselves," he said to Asuchi and Shashu before quickly dashing up the side of the building with chakra-aided feet. At the top of the building, he spoke into his mic to the squad at the door.
"Go," he said as soon as everyone was in position. The trio would try the door. If it was locked, they would force it open. Of course, they were aware of the possibility that it was rigged, but they were prepared just in case. As soon as they got in, they would seek the stairs.
[MFT]