Boar and Crow turned down the alley following the younger boy, both grinning behind their masks as this would be an easy catch. For all his annoying energy the young grandson of the Hokage did not have the speed he thought he did.
Konohamaru was already panting as he passed a large dumpster, Boar reached to grab the boys scarf but misses as his foot got caught. Falling face first he landed in…goo. Some kind of super sticky yet watery substance.
Crow who was not watching soon joined him face first on the ground in the Goo,
"See I told you that snot ball would come in handy," a child's voice rang out…a girl child judging by the laugh.
The two ANBU twisted their necks around to see two more kids running after Konohamaru, at the sight of the 'dopy' looking Udon (who was not looking so dopy now) the two ANBU realized what they were stuck in.
With Pale faces, they fought to get free, as several Chunin and a couple Jonin climbed the walls to get around. The Jonin looked worried but the Chunin just grinned and chuckled. One person stopped and helped the two men up, as they stood they were faced but an annoyed Special Jonin.
"Please tell me you did not underestimate your prey?" Hana Inuzuka asked, as her three dogs known commonly as 'The Triplets' followed her lead.
"We simply forgot that where there is one…the other two are never far away," Boar replied.
"In other words…yes," she replied. "Come on, those Chunin are walking into a trap…as much as I wish to catch the kids…I kind of wanna see what they do first."
Boar growled, and Crow just shook his head. Hana was always the sane one…or at least that was the belief. The two men followed the woman and her dogs as they tracked the kids. Was not hard as they quickly found three Chunin and a Jonin on the ground coughing.
"What?" Crow asked.
"Hack…cough…cough hack…Pepper…bomb," the Jonin coughed out before collapsing in exhaustion.
Hana heard footsteps and out of the corner of her vision, she spotted the three kids leaving their hiding spot.
"Got you," Boar shouted and reached for the scarf that Konohamaru always wore…only this time he was wearing a different one.
"No wait," Hana shouted and reached for the ANBU.
But it was too late, Boar grabbed the scarf and pulled, at the same time the boy started to spin. The Scarf unwrapped from around the boy's neck and he took off.
"Damn," the ANBU shouted and went to drop the scarf,
"THROW IT!" Hana screamed and looked to duck.
Boar did something very stupid…he paused and looked at the scarf spotting the half dozen tags attached to it.
The bomb was mostly smoke with some flash, but it was a good sized as it blinded everyone in that part of the alley. It took a moment before it fully hit, pepper bomb was an understatement. Soon everyone was choking and having trouble breathing, true it was a little too strong for a prank and run…but it would be perfect for out in the field.
"Damn…it," Hana choked before finally passing out.
It was official, three eight-year-olds had taken down Chunin, special and full Jonin and ANBU. The Shinobi and Kunoichi would wake later with a small tag on their chests, with a single word written on it…'OUT.'
This was a new…or for those in the know, old tradition Chief started. Any prank Naruto (or anyone for that matter) played would often turn into a full-on high-speed pursuit. From that time on ALL pranks were in fact, pursuit and evasion training.
The ones trying to get away were to be tagged with a 'Captured' tag…Those chasing would be tagged as 'OUT' meaning knocked out and or killed while pursuing.
No one had yet tagged Naruto, and this was the first time anyone had a chance to capture any of his crew since Chief started the rules.
"Oh, that was embarrassing," Tora the cat spoke as he sat on the edge of a rooftop looking down at the chase. He pawed a bowl that sat beside him and quickly slipped a small minnow into his mouth.
"You're enjoying this aren't you?" Mack the Monkey asked as he also watched.
"It is fun to watch them chase something around that is not me," the cat replied with a chuckle.
"Enjoy your show," The monkey replied and turned to walk away.
"Oh, I will…I will," Tora replied as he pawed another fish from his bowl.
Konohamaru, Udon and Moegi laughed as the ran into an open space. They were still in the back alleys of the village, this was just a small courtyard that most people forgot was even there.
"Hurry we won't have much time," Moegi shouted as she charged forward towards a door.
"Game is over you brats," A Chunin shouted as he came running from behind them, Udon through a glob of goo but the Chunin quickly jumped to the wall and leaped at them. The three scattered to avoid being caught.
As the Chunin hit the ground three more joined him as they turned to continue the chase, right then the ground under the large tarp seemed to vanish and all four fell into the trap. Not even stopping to gloat the three kids headed for the exit to the old courtyard.
As they reached it to return to the alleys a Jonin jumped down to block their path,
"Nicely done, but this is where it ends," he spoke and reached for the girl.
"Got you," a new voice shouted and the Jonin's arms and legs seized up before he collapsed.
Using all strength and movement left to him, he turned as he went down to see a smaller girl with pale eyes. He had been taken down by the youngest of the Hyuga girls.
"Everything going as planned?" Hanabi asked as she looked at her friends.
"On our side at least," Konohamaru replied. "Come on we are almost out of here.
Tora had walked along the rooftops watching,
"Yes, I can not wait till they graduate…I won't have to hold back with them…" he stopped talking to himself as he watched the four head into an alley that he knew had no exit. "Why would they do that?"
Running into the dead end the three did not seem bothered by the fact is was a Dead-End, until they heard a scream. Tsubaki came out of a pile of trash to grab and detail Moegi, while Genma grabbed Udon and Raidō snagged Konohamaru. The three struggled but they were caught, Hanabi activated her eyes and got ready to attack.
"That is enough," Kyoko spoke from behind her niece and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.
Hanabi was startled, she had not seen her aunt, then she remembered and deactivated her eyes and looked over her shoulder to see he aunt's smiling face.
Each kid got the captured tag,
"Ok…very good," Genma started. "Up till you entered this dead end…that was stupid, what was your plan?"
The four refused to speak and only looked the man in the eyes.
"I think I know," Kyoko spoke as she turned and walked to a large empty box.
Quickly she grabbed it and found it to be made of cardboard, she tossed it to the side to uncover a manhole cover that was propped open.
The three other adults looked at it then at the kids, and finally at each other. Raidō nodded.
"I stand corrected, not a bad plan."
"Almost worked too," Konohamaru smiled.
"Did it?" Kyoko asked as she squatted down and knocked on the cover once.
To the kids' shock, it started to lift and to the side allowing the monkey to slip out.
"I know every inch of this village," Master Mack spoke. "all in all, I give you an 8 of 10."
"Really, they were caught," Tsubaki asked the monkey.
"They are just a decoy, none of them have the hat and no one has caught the blonde yet and they did take out several Chunin, Jonin AND ANBU. They are only eight and seven years old…8 of 10."
And that was it, no one argued with the monkey after that. Mack soon jumped back up the sides of the buildings to the rooftop where he found a smiling Tora.
"Very interesting," the cat replied.
"It was close, if I had not warned them they would not have been in a position to stop the children."
The Demon cat just nodded, then they both turned to head to the other side of the village where the sounds of violence could still be heard.
Tsume had followed her boy's scent into an alley, but she lost the trail there as the piles of garbage assaulted her nose, Kuromaru did not have any better luck.
"We could not have picked a worse place to follow him." the Dog spoke growling at the smells attacking him.
"I can not believe no one had picked up this trash," Tsume replied.
And as one they both realized,
"Up," both partners shouted as they lept.
The flash and smoke bombs went off as they did, Kiba knew he could not beat his mother in a straight contest. She just had way too much experience, but he was Shinobi and traps were fair, well almost everything was fair to a Shinobi of the Leaf.
He and Akamaru watched from their perch as his mother and her partner jumped out of the blast range…then he saw something he had not seen before. The dog was walking the wall of the building, he had not planned for this but in his defense, Kuromaru never showed this skill before.
"Burn it," Tsume shouted from the wall as she started to go through fast hand signs.
At the same time, they both launched a fire breath attack down to the alleyway floor, which burned up the explosive powder that was laced with the smoke…as well as most of the garbage and thus the overpowering smells.
Kiba smiled, he knew the large dog had the ability to use ninjutsu. Come on, he mastered the human language for Kami sake, so he figured they would burn out the first trap. And trigger the second,
"Damn it…pepper bombs," Tsume cried as the second round of bombs went off.
Again, the two sent flame attacks to clear out the smoke and smells, but this time as they returned to the ground,
"I can't smell anything," she growled.
"Nor I, this trap was designed just for us." Her partner replied.
"I have never been so proud of someone I am going to beat before this game ends." She smiled at her joke.
Shaking his head Kiba and Akamaru finally leave their perch and land in the alley short ways in front of his mother. They watched each other without speaking for what felt like hours before Kiba charged letting out a battle cry.
Tsume moved quickly into her defensive stance, but both she and Kiba were stopped as the boy tripped one of his own snare traps and was quickly hanging upside down in the middle of that alley. His mother's eyes doubled in size as she stared at her clearly annoyed son.
"Oh, son of a bi…" Kiba started before Tsume broke out laughing.
Akamaru just whimpered as he got on his belly and covered his eyes with his paws. Kuromaru just sat by the puppy and laid a paw on him trying to comfort the little white dog.
"Please," she started as she laughed. "tell me my…puppy…did…not just…get caught in his own…trap?
She started walking forward getting ready to tease him,
'Click'
Tsume walked right into another trap and soon joined her son.
Kuromaru's one eye bugged out and he joined the puppy in shame,
"Got you," Kiba smiled as he hung there putting his captured tag on his chest.
"Oh really, you think so?" She replied and then showed just how flexible she was as she bent at the waist reaching for the snared ankle.
She only stopped when she noticed the wire was, in fact, booby-trapped with a tag.
"Try to free yourself and boom, bye-bye foot," Kiba informed her.
After a quick check, she found no way to get out and just huffed as she returned to just hanging upside down.
"How do we get down?" she asked finally. Kiba just smiled and waited. "Fine."
Tsume then attached her 'OUT' tag admitting she was out of the chase.
"I knew I could not beat you straight, so I had to try and get you into a trap," Kiba spoke as he bent at the waist reached for his ankle and just ripped the tag off. "Besides…it is better to trap or snare a predator animal then try and go tooth and claw with it."
He smiled as his mother realized the tags were for show this time and copied him to free herself. They ended up landing on their feet in the alley at the same time. At first, Kiba was not sure how his mother would take defeat, but she just smiled and pulled him into a hug.
"My puppy, I'm so proud. Come let's find your sister," Tsume smiled and put an arm around his shoulders as both dogs quickly joined them.
"I wonder how everyone will take this loss to Naruto?" Kiba asked.
"He hasn't won yet, Neko is on his tail this time." Tsume replied.
Actually," Kiba replied and this time stopped to smile. "The truth is…"
Throughout the village, Shinobi stopped as they heard the scream,
"YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!"
Noone was sure what caused the Inuzuka Alpha to scream so loud...and worse only a select few actually stopped to think about it.
A Chunin was charging at Choji, the Akimichi just set his feet and thrust his arms out. He caught the older Shinobi by the underarms a good five feet away from him and lifted before placing an enlarged hand on the man's chest and slamming him hard, back first to the ground knocking him out.
Neji was taking another Chunin down with a quick leg sweep as Lee throws a front spin kick to take out a third. This had been normal, they guarded one of the two main streets that led into the area Naruto was currently in, (from the sounds one could safely guess Neko's pursuit of the blonde was rather destructive.)
Their job, keep re-enforcements from reaching the blonde and the ANBU, and so far, they have dealt with mostly Chunin and a couple Special Jonin. The three boys were very proud of themselves as none had been able to challenge them.
"My students," came a cry and all three froze. "I am proud of your teamwork and the fire you have all poured into your youth.
Slowly turning the three spotted Gai-sensei standing with a big smile on his face.
"Yes," a second voice spoke up. "I am very proud of you my son." And Chi-Chi quickly joined the Jonin as they stared down the three Genin.
Before Gai could start on another long-winded rant, he was rendered speechless as Choji charged and tackled his mother. The large boy was able to get his arms around her midsection and he lifted her off her feet. Then he just kept moving his legs and carried her into a courtyard a short ways away.
Gai actually stared at the Akimichi for longer then he should have and barely noticed the other two charging. Lee came around with a spin kick aimed at the man's head while Neji went to strike at his hip.
The Jonin ducked the first and sidestepped the second but neither boy stopped or gave him any time to counter, the boys just kept attacking high and low. Neji and Lee would switch at random times on who was high and low.
The battle was quicker than thought as Lee was able to climb onto Gai's shoulders and sat behind his head. With one leg over the man's right should and his other leg under the left. He lifted one of the man's arms and then locked his feet together.
Struggling to keep a tight grip on the Jonin's arm Lee used all the momentum he could gain and tried to lean back hoping to force his teacher and mentor to fall back.
Gai's spine bent back in a way no human spine should bend, but he stayed on his feet. And as Lee lost the momentum Gai started to power his way back to a vertical base, that is till Neji attacked and closed several points in the man's hips before doing a powerful leg sweep.
Gai's back hit the ground hard, and though Lee did hit hard as well he never released the arm. Gai was struggling as he tried to free his arm and regain his feet but lost the fight when Neji first; landed with his knees in the man's gut knocking all the air out of him, and second, he used five quick and hard jabs to the area around Gai's heart.
The Jonin gave up, though Neji did not use chakra he did know that if he had…the man would be dead now. Gai was proud, his smile was ear to ear as he pinned his 'OUT' tag to his chest. Before Neji would never work with nor acknowledge Lee, and now they worked as a perfect team to take him down.
Tora smiled and Mack nodded from their perch as they looked down at the green Jonin that had yet to stand (mainly because he couldn't yet, Neji closed several points). Then they watched the two boys run into the small square where the Akimichi had bull rushed his mother into.
The Monkey moved to follow the boys to the square.
The cat moved to the other side of the building he was perched on and started watching a battle already in progress.
TenTen had never been so glad to have met the Chief till before today, during the training camp and the team training. She realized that she had become too reliant on her long-range attack skills and would rely on Neji and Lee to keep the enemy away from her. So, her close range skilled had suffered.
She knew now that if she had not worked to improve them as she had, she would end up fighting an opponent that could counter her skills and they would wipe the floor with her.
She also thanked him for the team training sessions with Kurenai sensei, which helped her skills in Genjutsu. She would never be a mistress like Kurenai or Yakumo were, but she was a hell of a lot better at countering it than before. And those extra training days were paying off in spades now,
"Nicely done ladies," Kurenai commented as Yakumo was able to break through the Jonin's illusion while TenTen was able to throw several Senbon needles allowing her to move close and attack with her heavy mallet.
Too bad she missed on the swing when Kurenai leap to the side with gracefully. TenTen followed up the attack by throwing the mallet at the woman as she pulled sickle with chain out of her storage seal. TenTen was also blessing the DHH as it was making her battle much easier as it cut down on the time needed to draw her weapons.
Yakumo was getting tired, her endurance was not yet up to where it was needed for a long contest. She was starting to become very worried as neither girl had been able to land a solid hit on the Jonin.
Kurenai was very surprised with how well she was doing herself before she was a ranged fighter that relied mainly on her Genjutsu. Then Chief returned to the village, first was the training camp. Next came the random team training days, and then came his assistance with Yakumo.
Those three things truly showed where she lacked in both physical and spiritual strengths. And she knew that if she ever had a one on one with the Chief…he would just wipe the floor with her. Now though she was much stronger in both body and spirit.
A loud whistle rang through the air and caused the Jonin to pause and look up to the rooftops. Yakumo also paused, TenTen did not and tossed her chain hoping to snag the Jonin's legs. Kurenai just leaped away eyes still on the rooftops as a second whistle was heard.
Two Chunin' came running into the street and one looked at Kurenai as the other blocked an attack from TenTen.
"That was Anko's call wasn't it?" the first Chunin asked. When the Jonin nodded as she went through a set of signs to cancel Yakumo's attack.
"Then go, she would not call if it wasn't important." The second Chunin replied as he started to spar with TenTen. "We can handle this."
The Jonin just looked at the four before vanishing in a swirl, leaving both girls confused.
"Darn it…she got away," TenTen shouted as she went on the attack at a Chunin.
The battle switched as the two Chunin went into a standard formation…fighting Kurenai was one thing, for all her old faults she was a skilled opponent and tactician. These two were not and they underestimated the girls.
One strong Genjutsu and three accurately thrown hammers and the two were out.
"I really wanted to continue fighting Kurenai-sensei," TenTen complained as she collected her gear.
"Might…be a…good thing," Yakumo panted as she dropped to her knees. "I don't think I have much left."
TenTen looked at her partner and it was clear to her was at her limit,
"Head back to the rally point," TenTen said and just put her hand on the girl's mouth to silence her argument. "It is clear you're done for the day…you did well. Now Go, I think I hear the boys playing."
The girls listened and heard grunts and thumps.
"This all you children have?" a woman's voice shouted.
"Tell me the boys did not pick a fight with Mama CHI-CHI?" Yakumo asked concerned.
"Ok," TenTen replied and smiled. "How would you like me to lie then?"
"Sure, you want me to head back? You could use more help." The Kurama girl asked.
"Trust me, no amount of help will save us from the coming ass whooping, go head back," TenTen replied as she turned and headed for the battle in the square.
Choji was able to carry his mother into the square, but a hard slap to his back from her forced him to set her down. Chi-Chi did not miss a step and as he was bent forward still trying to hold her midsection, she bent forward and wrapped her arms around him and lifted.
Choji felt himself being flipped over to where she now sat on her shoulders facing the wall behind her. Gripping his waist tighter she pulled adding a push at the end slamming him back first to the ground.
If anyone had ever asked, Choji could now answer the question, with enough force the human body can bounce off the pavement.
Pain shot through his body as he finally landed, the air knocked from his lungs but his instincts all screamed at him to move…so he did. Not a second too soon as his mother's foot came crashing down on the pavement he had just been laying on.
The boy was on his feet and using mostly palm thrusts and kicks got into a grappling match with his mother. Not two days before during a family/clan training night he had watched Every Shinobi in his clan that was known to have Mastered their Clan Jutsu, attack his mother in an all against one contest.
She tore apart every one of them and his father made it clear to him that night. 'The only way to beat her was in a contest of strength and grappling, and the only two who have ever actually done it was Tank and Chief.'
But, Choji was going to give it his best as he fought his mother for a position looking to gain leverage. Not an easy thing when your opponent is taller, larger and overall stronger. The good news was, Choji was not stupid, he had watched both the spar with Chief and her battle with Aunt Tank.
The boy would counter anytime she was able to get a hold, like the Chief he would slap her on the side, kick her in a shin or try a headbutt. He learned that last one should be left to people like Chief, his Aunt or Naruto as he almost knocked himself out on her skull.
He was having to be faster then he had ever been before, he knew he could not keep this up much longer. Then an opening happened, a pair of strange whistles were heard, and Chi-Chi actually topped to look up at the rooftops.
Choji, not wanting to waste this shot quickly got behind her and wrapped his arms around her midsection again. Once he got a hold he lifted, for the second time that day he was able to get his mother off her feet. As soon as he was able to get her as high as possible he leaned back and let gravity pull them both back to the ground.
Chi-Chi was stunned when she felt him get behind her and grip her around the waist, proud when he was able to lift her for a second time that day. When her head and shoulders hit the ground, she was both proud yet disappointed, he did not roll or pop his hips right, so she did not hit near as hard as she could of.
She brought her feet back in a reverse summersault and rolled quickly back up and looked at her son. She noticed he was panting and out of breath, but before she could finish the match she heard two more people charging her from behind.
She turned to face them, Lee was running hard to build up speed, he leaped and went into a heavy backspin kick. But as his foot hit her chest he basically bounced off her and crashing to the ground. Neji was coming low handset, but when he went to thrust trying to block a point, he hesitated as he could not find one in her hip.
That hesitation gave her enough time to put the palm of her hand on his shoulder and shoved him away hard. Choji had regained his feet and caught Neji as he was thrown and kept him from hitting the far wall.
"I can not find any Tenketsu points," Neji spoke as the two got back to their feet and got ready to charge.
"Damn," Choji replied. "Then hit any place you can, maybe we can get her muscles to strain and charley horse. We have got to get her off her feet, that should take away about half her strength."
Neji nodded and both boys charged ducking and weaving as they tried to hit her hips and thighs looking to cause any damage they could. After four or five hits Chi-Chi grabbed Choji and just throw him as she brought a kick up and set Neji flying. She smiled and brought her foot straight back into a mule kick into Lee's stomach.
As the three boys rolled from the hits they looked and found her standing on one foot a leg straight back as she held both hands out in a perfect ballet pose showing just how good her balance was.
Hope entered the boys' minds as they saw the weighted chain wrap around the ankle that she held in the air. Chi-Chi looked and spotted TenTen as she ran fast pulling the chain around a light post that was behind the large woman. When the slack in the chain ended TenTen gave a squawk as she came to such a fast stop her feet left the ground and she almost let go of the chain.
The girl was able to regain her feet and keep a tight hold on the chain, but Chi-Chi's power was still evident as she started to pull against the chain and was about to get free when a second set of hands joined TenTen's. The bun-haired girl looked to see Yakumo standing behind her helping to keep the chain tight and the woman on one foot.
"Make it fast we can't hold her for long," the Kurama girl shouted.
That was all it took as the three boys all attacked, Choji jumped on the woman's back and climbed on her shoulders trying to get her to lose her balance as Neji and Lee both attacked her thigh.
Chi-Chi just reached and grabbed her son and threw him away before reaching and basically slapping both boys back.
Choji got up and found a cart full of large bamboo baskets full of rice. Grabbing one her was able to hurl it at his mother, who just knocked it away one-handed as she again swatted the two other boys away from her.
Choji then tossed the second basket, only for his mother to actually catch it, it had to weight 70 kilograms. Then he had to dive out of the way as she hurled it back at him. When it hit the cart both the cart and basket exploded from the force.
The Akimichi boy looked and only found one basket left, it was easily twice the size of the other two. Using all his strength he grabbed it with both hands and just chucked it with all his might.
It a quick second Chi-Chi looked over the square, both Neji and Lee were starting to get up, but she spotted the girls. The chain holding her went from her foot to the light post and turned at a 90-degree angle and was long enough all she had to do was turn her head to the left and there stood the girls fighting to keep hold.
The woman lifted both hands and as the large basket reached her she did not try to catch it but simply redirect it. She gave a hard push and set the basket right at the girls.
"TEN…" Choji shouted.
It was too late, the girls looked up as they saw the basket come flying at them. It landed just before their feet and when it burst open the force knocked both girls up into the air and back into a wall…they were out cold.
The chain loosened and just as she was about to move her leg a hard tug nearly got her to fall. Looking behind her, she spotted Lee and Neji had grabbed the chain behind her just out of reach.
This time they kept giving hard tugs making the woman hop a little. Choji had run up and grabbed his mother's wrists and would pull back hoping to catch her in the hop.
The woman just smiled and pulled her son closer to her before shoving him hard away.
(Choji was flying more today than any Akimichi has ever.)
The other two boys tried to tug again, but the large woman showed them something they had never thought of, she jumped and rolled in mid-air. She landed back on her one foot, but this time she was facing the boys with her foot held out forward.
It did not take a genius to realize what came next as both Neji and Lee's eyes grew in both size and fear. They were to close, they lost the leverage the light post had given. Chi-Chi pulled her foot back to the ground with enough force both boys were pulled from their feet and flew at the woman.
It was nothing for the woman to catch a boy with each hand, then she lifted them up by the shirt and slammed them down into the pavement. She looked at them to make sure they were out before turning to face her last opponent.
Choji was on the other side of the square, he was actually on the wall of the far building. Crouched down he went through hand signs and jumped. He started adding chakra as he started to roll at his mom.
Unlike the human meat tank, Choji did not grow in size. He kept himself small which let him rotate faster, this was the Akimichi cannonball.
Chi-Chi just set her feet, balled her fists and bent her knees a little. The speed and energy Choji was using caused a wind to whip through her hair before he reached her. She thrust her belly out a little as Choji hit her…and bounced off. Watching her son, she realized that was it, Choji was out cold before he hit the ground.
A/N ok 5500 this is why I stopped in my last chapter where I did.
R/K
1: guest 666 actually that happened before team seven got the mission chief and group did not return for a few days after plenty of time to return and get some info and still make it back to the village.
2: No this prank is not done... I did not forget about Shino and Shikamaru they get their fights in the next chapter as well as the completion of Naruto's prank, what he did to piss off the normally controlled Yugao and an outcome none saw coming.
3: I cannot remember what the canon time was in regards to canon team seven leaving the village to when they were attacked by the demon brothers...so I am making up my own timetable.
4:I know people want me to rush through and get to the poker game. two reasons I am not...
1 this story is about watching how everyone grows and prepares for the war now that chief is training again...so random tests are going to be common.
2. like Chief I am an animal that likes to play with its food.
5: I know I am a little late something came up...E.A.G.L.E.S. I am a Seahawk fan for life, good or bad season but...Eagles.
6: a meaningless point to anyone that first noticed 'it' and reviews. also, let me know how you felt about the encounters.
