A new life.

[Ii Hissori]

“I’m coming. I’m coming.” Ii Hissori grumbled towards whoever was pounding at the door. Of course, the adult was barely loud enough for whoever was at the apartment door to hear. Who is knocking on my door this early in the morning? Hissori thought to himself as he scratched his back, face still planted on the cushion that he had found himself passed on out on after a night of drinking.
What the man did not realize was that it was already nearly one o’clock in the afternoon. As the man sat up, he’d realize that in his drunken stupor, he had stripped himself naked and again spent the night on the couch. At least in Hissori’s mind he did not throw up. Scratching himself the man would yawn tiredly and rub his face before getting up and looking around the room.

Hissori had fallen asleep again on the couch of his two bedroom apartment. The living room itself was a mess as well. Bags of takeout, were pushed off in the corner of the room to be taken out to the trash. What looked like to be hundreds of books was stacked around the rooms, some seeming thrown away in annoyance others opened on the desk or coffee table. Across from the couch it seemed like there was a large comforter that the adult had placed there covered in dog hair.

Hissori’s life had become a bit redundant in his post Tsuchikage life. All Hissori did was drink, have one night stands, and read about science. Without a place to actually research, or a place to practice the man had been stuck just reading everything he could. It was a bit rough for Hissori who even since he was thirteen had spent his time working in hospitals, or serving the people in one way or another. This had led the middle age man to start to help some civilians on the side.

The cash only business had led to Hissori saving a couple of lives, but mostly dealing with rich “businessmen” needing a doctor under the radar. Hissori had carved out his little niche earning money to keep up his drinking and studying, but nothing more than that. Scratching at his behind, the strawberry blonde man sighed a bit as he heard the pounding on his door again.

“I said one minute! Unless you want me to answer the door naked!” Hissori snappeod as the nude man walked towards his bedroom. Thankfully the door remained locked as Hissori aging frame looked around his bedroom for something to put on. Dirty clothes littered the floor, but Hissori kept searching for something fresh.

Hissori was lucky that he had aged well. With no real outward scars from his twenty plus year of being in the service of Kirigakure, and Iwagakure. The only outward scar was the long and well healed incision mark down his right leg. The only other thing that Hissori had that marked his former life, were the two small paw prints on either side of his hips bones. The two light blue chakra tattoo’s shimmered slightly as he went to put on a dark purple silk robe. Heading back to the door, Hissori cracked it.

“Can I help you?” He asked in his calm tone as he offered a polite smile to whoever was behind his door.
​

 

[Michi]

Knock Knock​

The tall blonde seemed out of place rapping on the door. Pinched between her fingers she was holding onto a sheet of paper, something was written on it and when the resident answered the door she would thrust the sheet of paper in their face and ask them one question. "Do you know this man? Once they said no she did not wait for them to ask a question of their own she just turned around and walked away without saying goodbye. She had been doing this all morning, the sun was unforgiving and a part of her missed the protection being underground provided. She was more stubborn than overheated so she carried on to the next residence.

Her heels clicked against the front steps and her gloved hand tapped on the front door. There was no answer, she sighed and she knocked again. There was no answer yet again. Her ears twitched, she could hear someone's heart beating inside. Someone was home. She pounded on the door with the side of her hand loudly, the door would rattle in protest.

“I’m coming. I’m coming.”

She banged on the door once again impatiently.

“I said one minute! Unless you want me to answer the door naked!”

The stranger complained as she heard footsteps approach the door.

As soon as he cracked the door open she would thrust her hand that held a picture of the Tsuchikage into his face. She drew it herself. The resemblance was uncanny. It looked just like the former leader of Iwagakure, Ii Hissori the former lover of the demon Miroku Akkuma. Thankfully for the errant leader, his taste was not on trial. Miroku Akkuma on the other hand was. She saw him as the type of man that climbs the ranks of a community to be among the aristocracy. That he wormed his way in. That he was a threat and a menace. "Do you know this man?"

No, she did not recognize the Kage, now a drunkard who lived in an apartment that smelled like a frat house (assumed). "Rumor has it the Tsuchikage never left Wind Country." Her foot tapped the ground impatiently. Her free hand on her hip, creasing her white leather dress. She tried to not breathe in deeply as her sonar gave her the lay of the land within. No hidden Kages in there. "Pretty obvious, has a talking dog... likely an air of hubris... a big hat." Part of her assumed that Hissori was either a present romantic interest that she could use against the demon or a irked ex she could use against him. Either way she considered Hissori an asset until she dug her claws into the 'honorary' Toraono.

 

[Ii Hissori]

Hissori wasn’t expecting a woman to be at the door. Especially one that would try to push her arm right into the crack he had created in the door. Part of the former Tsuchikage just wanted to slam the door on the extended hand. Though of course that would probably cause problems, though the scowl on his aging face showed his displeasure with being so rudely awoken and treated.

Deep green eyes would slowly focus on the poorly drawn picture of him. His hungover face didn’t seem to show much of emotion expect for the scowl on his face. Contemplating what he was do, the man would take the picture and look at it. If his cover was about to be blown wide open, he was going to have to leave soon. However, the man wondered if he could just play this off as something he did not know much about.

“It is hard to tell who this is. It looks like an infant tried to draw his favorite Super Sayian from that manga.
Hissori said bluntly as he handed the picture back. He was sure that this woman wouldn’t be able to recognize him from the picture. The hair coloring of the drawing not even close to his normally strawberry blonde coloration, plus the drawn picture made him seem much younger than he really was. When he heard that she knew who this picture was though, Hissori would close the door, unlock the dead bolt and slide himself outside of the door.

Shiori could now see the former Tsuchikage in all his robed glory. Scratching his chin, the man would listen to what she had to say. “Now that you mention it. That picture kind of looks like a medic that use to be in Kirigakure… a teen by the name by Ii Hissori. I haven’t seen anything of him though since Kirigakure froze over, I just thought he panicked and died. The guy was a real shit shinobi.” He told her in the flat tone as he rubbed his face, feeling the slightly prickliness of his facial hair that was growing back in.

“I’ll defiantly keep an eye out for you, but you know everyone up here has big hats. We got to keep the sun off us somehow.” The man joked as he looked at him leaning against the wall. “I’ll keep an eye for him. Though I’d suggest going to the group meetings of refugee Kirigakurians that happen once a month. He’d probably show up there if he is really here, and he is really from Kirigakure.” The adult said as he relaxed there watching the women.

 

[Michi]

She shook the illustration with her hand for additional effect.

“It is hard to tell who this is. It looks like an infant tried to draw his favorite Super Sayian from that manga."

"Not my fault the Tsuchikage has a dated look" Shiori complained. Messy blonde hair, check. Noodly arms, check. OK, maybe the face was off a bit and the figure she drew was naked. She probably should have covered him up a bit even if she did not go into any detail when it came to his dangly bits. The picture could be considered lewd to some of the more delicate residents, perhaps that was why she had received no leads thus far. She accepted the return of her picture. "What is a Say'ing" She queried as she pressed the picture against the frame of the door and brought an eraser to the midsection. He needed some clothes. The loss of his midsection would cost her more than half of her eraser. The fine pink eraser shavings would litter the doorstep as she attempted to give the Kage some pants. Kages should always have pants. "Is he a Say'ing?"

Come to think of it, his hair was shorter too. She would erase most of the hair as well. Maybe too much.

“Now that you mention it. That picture kind of looks like a medic that use to be in Kirigakure… a teen by the name by Ii Hissori. I haven’t seen anything of him though since Kirigakure froze over, I just thought he panicked and died. The guy was a real shit shinobi.”

Her eyes lit up. "That is who I am looking for," she replied. "But definitely not dead," she added. Her eyes would scan over the grumpy stranger. Another Kiri-person then. There were a lot of them in these parts. "I assume that you're from Kiri yourself then?" she inquired. Weird, all of these people coming from the same dead village. It was as if destruction and devastation followed them and they were all tied together somehow. "Would you happen to know a Miroku Akkuma from Kiri then?" Akkuma's history was for the most part unknown but his previous association to Kiri as well as the thus far three Kiri refugees she had encountered prior to this stranger and they all had some sort of connection.

“I’ll defiantly keep an eye out for you, but you know everyone up here has big hats. We got to keep the sun off us somehow.”

She took a step forward, her heel in the path of the door. She shook her head. That was not good enough. It was not her ultimate goal. After-all the Tsuchikage was merely a means to an ends. She wanted what he had access to and that was Akkuma. If the stranger had access to Akkuma, then Hissori was no longer a person of interest - shit shinobi or Kage or not.

“I’ll keep an eye for him. Though I’d suggest going to the group meetings of refugee Kirigakurians that happen once a month. He’d probably show up there if he is really here, and he is really from Kirigakure.”

She would attempt to push her way inside. "Thank you but that might not be necessary." She had never heard of Kiri refugee meetings. That was something that had no use or interest to her and it was something only a Kiri-person would know. "What is your name?" She asked. "And how well do you know the demon Miroku?" She would not bother looking around at his bachelor pad, the likely unhealthy amount of take-out containers and used socks would not escape her view but she would endeavor to ignore it and hope that the space did not also possess the 'bachelor scent' which is a mixture of stale booze, dust and aged remains from take-out containers left out too long.

"No need to get dressed on my account, the robe is covering everything just fine," she added as an assurance. She was not here to take away the innocence of middle aged, scruffy civilians.

 

[Ii Hissori]

“A Sayin? It’s a kid’s thing. Like a cartoon race or something. I don’t know, I found the whole thing dumb.” Hissori said as his eyes continued to watch her for any aggressive movement. She instead was seeming to try to alter the picture in some way to make the Tsuchikage more relatable. Peering over, the man would stare at the picture, again it looked nothing like him which was good for him. If this artist was looking for him, he’d never be found.

“You know, medics don’t often have the best fashion sense. We are too busy saving lives.” Hissori told Shiori as he handed back the picture to the women as he seemed to be done with this discussion. Of course right before he was to shut the door, Shiori asked about Miroku Akkuma.

“Can’t tell you the name is familiar, after all the village was pretty big before it froze over.” Hissori told the women as he offered the women a smile. “The young lad became a leader of a foreign village. I always knew there was something special about him. He was the youngest medical chief in the village history. Did research on Sharingan Implants, and the Rinnegan.” He said giving the women some rather old and worthless information. Anyone with the ability to look at past medical journals would know this about the Tsuchikage.

This last information dump seemed to give Shiori the chance to push herself into the door. Moving back from the door, the man would just mumble a rather snarky comment about letting her in. The Strawberry blonde man would let her in, a shade of embarrassment coming across his face.

“Sorry, I didn’t expect to have anyone over for a while, so it is a bit messy.” Hissori said as he pointed to the only chair that had nothing in it. The rest of the chairs were filled with bags and books. Taking a seat across from her, he kept his legs open as he just leaned back and yawned.

“The name? Nokugara Koroki, and I really don’t know a Miroku Akkuma. A did not deal with enough demons back in Kirigakure, they were laid back.” He said as he scratched at his chest. “Why are you looking for them?” The man asked.
​

 

[Michi]

“A Sayin? It’s a kid’s thing. Like a cartoon race or something. I don’t know, I found the whole thing dumb.”</B><i></i>

She gave him a perplexed expression, "a cartoon?" She had never seen a cartoon. "It is a visual representation of my desired target transcribed onto paper with rudimentary drawing instruments, there is no intelligenge involved" she explained. Was she defending herself? No, she did not realize he insulted her rather than the picture as of yet. Had he never seen a drawing before? What an odd man. The fact that she described a still cartoon would be lost to her of course. It was not that she lacked for a human childhood because she lived the life of a child even if she had a much older mind. She had just never -seen- them. It was quite ironic, her vanity that is. She was blind. 'Was' being the relative word, her sight was regained over a decade ago when she died.

She erased and drew a fresh picture depicting him, displaying her grand artistic effort thereafter but he denied her any recognition.

“You know, medics don’t often have the best fashion sense. We are too busy saving lives.”<i></i>

"Really," she laughed. He was so fucking full of shit. That is like saying that the Kazekage was too busy to have hobbies because he was too busy running a village. All he had was his hobbies -- his cooking, those damnable robots, the rumored Medic love interested that was briefly documented among whatever random interests happen to consume his life and occupy his evenings. "I will have to take your word for it," he would not know that she had been a Medic for ten years before she took an 'interest' in other branches. She folded the drawing in quarters and stuffed it into the pocket of her white leather dress.

“Can’t tell you the name is familiar, after all the village was pretty big before it froze over.”

Who was he referring to -- Akkuma or Hissori? She had asked him what he knew about the 'demon Akkuma' and he went on about a Medic and leader. Didn't he just call Hissori a medic when they talked about fashion choices? Were they the same person? No, that was impossible. Akkuma was at the battle at the same time as Hissori. Their lives were certainly entwined in some way. She did not know the details of their relationship but she remembered what Akkuma said to her about Hissori despite reports that Akkuma was captured for a failed assassination attempt against the Tsuchikage. She raised an arched brow, "confused?" She knew he was or at the very least flustered. He did not have a reason for either unless he knew enough to mix up what littler (or much) he knew.

“The young lad became a leader of a foreign village. I always knew there was something special about him. He was the youngest medical chief in the village history. Did research on Sharingan Implants, and the Rinnegan.”

She took a step forward, further into his 'bachelor pad.' The piles of neglected takeout irrelevant. "A fan?" Defended his fashion or lack thereof and regaled her of his lifetime victories. It was something she could read in the paper. It was something he could of read in the paper. She did not know that she was talking to her target, not yet. She merely had an indication that he knew something more. What she could gain was likely little but there were few Kiri shinobi in Wind Country, most chose more temperate climates. "Interesting," she took another step forward potentially causing the prodigal Tsuchikage to step back. "I read that too, as well as his amorous relationship with his dog," she added a bit of the propaganda she had recently overheard. She was only barely literate, an unfortunate product of spending her academic years blind.

“Sorry, I didn’t expect to have anyone over for a while, so it is a bit messy.”

She did not care. She would Windex her outfit when she finished with him.

“The name? Nokugara Koroki, and I really don’t know a Miroku Akkuma. A did not deal with enough demons back in Kirigakure, they were laid back.”<i></i>

Name did not ring any bells but it should not for her, it was a false name that might have meaning but it was just as likely it did not. He claimed that 'demons' were laid back, a befuddling concept. What little she knew of him prior to their meeting in the Obsidian. <B>"He did not seem laid back to me," she shook her head.

“Why are you looking for them?”

A simple question with a convoluted answer. "We have unfinished business," she claimed. That was the truth, there was one consistency in this somewhat fickle woman -- she could hold a grudge like no other. "He tried to kill the Tsuchikage but was defeated so his assassination attempt ended in failure. His political connections have ensured his early release, however he committed a transgression that can have international ramifications if he is left unaccounted for." That was a line of bullshit, but that was the official answer. It was well practiced and the words would come off as such, clean without hesitation or thought. "Then I will make sure he suffers a consequence..." She shrugged, "for his crimes." The tone insinuated that something terrible was going to befall the demon sage, she had no reason or intention of hiding it. Thankfully this was something that this man, a stranger, would not care about.

"So, you don't know him?" She believed he did but she was not going to be able to pull it from him by asking and she knew it. She was not sure if he was a friend, a foe or a fan of Akkuma or simply Hissori but it did not matter because he was the first that did not first reference the one thing every Sunan knows about. The first thing that they reference was the fact that he married the Border Sennin's sister, not his tenure in some foreign land. in fact most Sunans had no idea or did not care enough. She cared.

 

[Ii Hissori]

Would just offer a slow confused blink as Shiori seemed to describe what a cartoon was. Something was really off with this woman. Maybe she was a bit slow, or like was a prison somewhere when they didn’t have cartoons? Still, a person needed to at least know what they were at some point, they were on almost every street corner! Either way, Hissori could tell that Shiori lived a sheltered life to this day. The laugh again though made Hissori just recline very slowly.

Maybe Hissori was stretching the fact that medics did not care about what they looked like. Even when Hissori was out and about in Iwagakure, the man tried to look his best. Now, the strawberry blonde had fallen so far over the two years of living in this village. Adjusting himself on the couch the man would just shake his head.

“No, I am pretty sure I am not confused. Are you? I do not know a Miroku Akkuma. Like I was saying Kirigakure was pretty big, and when the village froze we all fled across the world.” The man said explaining what he had meant by he may not have known this demon from Kirigakure. Offering a genuine smile though the man would just shrug.

“I guess you can say, I am a fan. I was in the medical branch when he was rising up the ranks.” Hissori said as he blinked a bit. What did amorous mean? Was it something bad, or was it something trying to talk up the former Tsuchikage.

“I wouldn’t know much about that Miss, that dog was everywhere in the hospital though. It got fur EVERYWHERE. I am surprised the administrators allowed it. Plus it was always drooling and slobbering.” The basically naked middle age man said with an indifference shrug. Hissori had been angry at the dog from the night before so talking bad about his companion was easy enough.

The man posing as Koroki just nodded as he let Shiori talk, the demon they were talking about was anything but laid back, but in Kirigakure everything was relaxed. Maybe that was something that Shiori didn’t realize. Either way, at least Hissori got the information he wanted when Shiori explained why she was after the former ANBU Trainee.

“Sounds like the guy should die. However, what does Ii Hissori have to deal with this demon? Is the demon still after him? Is he after all Kirigurians? Are we all at risk?” The man asked as he continued to pry for more information as the wool was firmly over Shiori’s eyes still. With a low sigh, Ii Hissiro rubbed his stubtly chin.

“I cannot say I do not know anything of this Miroku Akkuma.” He told Shiori. With a slight awkward sitting bow. “Sorry for wasting your time.”​

 

[Michi]

OC: Yes, I am a monster. A combo of writer's block and long work shifts. Sorry. T_T

IC:

What was he laughing at? Pictograms were a very human thing. Human written language was based off of pictograms that had less detail than hers.

“No, I am pretty sure I am not confused. Are you? I do not know a Miroku Akkuma. Like I was saying Kirigakure was pretty big, and when the village froze we all fled across the world.

She was disappointed. She expected to get something out of this. That he would know something or have a link to either, but per his assertion he had access and information pertaining to neither.

“I guess you can say, I am a fan. I was in the medical branch when he was rising up the ranks.”

Yet he was a 'fan' of someone he had completely lost track of despite being able to easily who they were years earlier.

“I wouldn’t know much about that Miss, that dog was everywhere in the hospital though. It got fur EVERYWHERE. I am surprised the administrators allowed it. Plus it was always drooling and slobbering.”

Indeed, he had a dog. She remembered that, it was one of the unique identifiers she had listed for the errant Tsuchikage. Her eyes scanned the room and rested on the comforter covered in dog hair. "Speaking of dogs, where is yours?"

Hissori had fallen asleep again on the couch of his two bedroom apartment. The living room itself was a mess as well. Bags of takeout, were pushed off in the corner of the room to be taken out to the trash. What looked like to be hundreds of books was stacked around the rooms, some seeming thrown away in annoyance others opened on the desk or coffee table. Across from the couch it seemed like there was a large comforter that the adult had placed there covered in dog hair.

She was letting it go, for now.

“Sounds like the guy should die. However, what does Ii Hissori have to deal with this demon? Is the demon still after him? Is he after all Kirigurians? Are we all at risk?”[/

"Considering the fact that the Tsuchikage was his target, I would assume that this demon will eventually find Ii Hissori. At this rate faster than me," she admitted. "He has enough money and enough clout that the average person would look the other way. He also has enough money and enough clout that someone far enough in the gutter might even give Miroku a hand." She could say that every Kiri-nin was at risk, in her opinion they were but she could be accused of being overly dramatic. "Not sure about the rest of you... I am unsure of what danger he might represent beyond being a deviant. I have no idea why he targeted the Tsuchikage." She shook her head, this much was true. She was aware that they had some sort of relationship, she felt that it was indeed possible that Akkuma was a murderer but it was equally possible that he was some sort of violent deviant that equated assault with love or passion or that he was being framed although the last one she found the least likely among them. She let out a sigh, she felt that this stranger might be holding something back but he was not particularly interested in talking and she was taking time away from his probable daytime drinking hours.

“I cannot say I do not know anything of this Miroku Akkuma.”

That is unfortunate. She eyed the fur-sullied comforter again.

“Sorry for wasting your time.”

"It is fine," she lied. It was what humans said, 'fine' even if it was not. It was a senseless word that had lost its power a long time ago. She pulled something from the limited confined of her dress, she stored it in her cleavage. It was a small earbud transmitter. She depressed a small button, the frequency was already pre-set. She reached for the door behind her and turned the knob, she was going to leave for now.

[Attempting to Leave Building]

[Headset Call Placed to Akkuma]​

 

[Ii Hissori]

Was a bit surprised that Shiori had picked up on some creature being in the house beside him. Luckily Buru wasn’t hiding in the back somewhere, and instead thrown out of the apartment. Looking down at the pillow the man offered a deep chuckle and looked at her with a wide smile.

“Oh, that is not for a dog.” Hissori told Shiori with a grin, trying to sell for the fact that he did not own a dog. “You see on my travels from Kirigakure to here, gained the copayment of a friendly feline. The cat though is to big to sit on the couches so he sits there.” He told him pointing to the large dog bed. “His name is Kinji. He should be around here somewhere.” He said hoping this spirit animal would show up to bail him out of the sticky situation that he was getting in. Luckily for the Kami contract holder behind the woman would begin to materialize.

A large golden lion silently formed behind the lady from a spirit plain. The feline towered above the sitting person, with a large well-groomed golden-brown mane. His long strong body just seemed to stand there waiting to be noticed by Shiori. Shiori would as Kinji finished coming into reality feel the hot breath of the lion on her back.

“I was called for?” Kinji asked as Shiori would notice his present. While this may have disturbed Shiori, Hissori would sit like nothing wrong was going on as he continued to just try to shake off the hangover he had.

“I understand the pressure of finding this Tuschikage, I’d assume it would defiantly be a scandal if a former ruler died in another village or worse.” Hissori said as he leaned back and offered a bit of a smile. “I can assure you, I am not threat, I am just trying to live out the rest of my life in peace.” The man said as he looked at her starting to leave. Getting up, Hissori would head towards the door.

“I guess have a good day.” Hissori told her the robed man opening the door, as Kinji just watched the lady leave. Meanwhile, as she walked out Hissori tried to listen in on whatever conversation she was having via the headset.​

Spoiler

Allowing Shiori to leave, and ending the topic after her reply.
MTF 390

 

[Michi]

“Oh, that is not for a dog.”

He claimed.

“You see on my travels from Kirigakure to here, gained the copayment of a friendly feline. The cat though is to big to sit on the couches so he sits there.”

He pointed at the fur-covered bedding.

“His name is Kinji. He should be around here somewhere.”

It really did not matter which direction she looked because her eyes were more for show than anything, after all she was not human. Her skill could be most likened to that of the Hashigaki. She could see without looking so she could see the creature as it started to take shape behind her. It was a skill she rarely shared, mostly because it would give her away. She had never known of another who shared her peculiar skillset and furthermore she was a wanted err... woman. Yes, 'woman' was the closest term she could consider. Her plan was simple enough, Akkuma was well known and how to contact him was as easy as looking at a grimy bathroom wall she would assume. Not that she went to any of those places, she would get crabs from the toilet seat and herpes from the glasses. She wondered if she could get human ailments. She had seen them on humans enough times to consider them concerning. The come to the conclusion that she did not want them at all.

“I was called for?”

The massive feline announced. That was indeed startling, the trans-dimensional beast could also speak common. She fought to keep a straight face despite the chill that can down her back in response to its warm breath. She knew better than to show distress, concern or fear to strangers. He did explain away the fur, however but he only gave her more questions. Questions she was thankfully not here to answer. Questions such as -- why does he have a transdimensional cat in his house. She was familiar with the existence of creatures that lived in the veil between this world and another, creatures that were willing to forge a pact with mortal and immortal men. She had such a contract herself, forged with dark and forbidden beasts. Part of her wondered if that is what this was. If so, who or what was he? Those creatures respected power, or at least the one she knew did, above all else. He was not a shinobi. She would have known if he was from her time in Sousuke's office as she was certainly not idle there. Yet she did not know him. She did not know of him either. Perhaps that was for the best.

“I understand the pressure of finding this Tuschikage, I’d assume it would defiantly be a scandal if a former ruler died in another village or worse.”

"Or worse indeed," she agreed but she had a different meaning of course. She smiled sweetly as she thumbed the headset.

“I can assure you, I am not threat, I am just trying to live out the rest of my life in peace.”

He added. So he was a threat. Good to know. Shame was was not here for the sake of the village or the Tsuchikage, she was far too self-involved and selfish for either. If she was indeed concerned for the community she would have probed deeper but she was not interested in some vagabond that was likely a wanted man in a country that no longer existed. Hell, she did not care if he was wanted by this country. He had done nothing to her or to what she considered to be hers. Ironically neither did Akkuma but he was a demon and that was offensive in and of itself. His very existence revolted her. She could simply seek him out and cause him harm but she was getting pragmatic as her powers slowly returned. She had already died thrice this past decade and at this rate she would never ascend unless she took more care in such 'personal' matters. She was going to make Akkuma come to her, the Tsuchikage was bait. She did not care if she had him, only if Akkuma thought she had him. She did not care if Hissori was Akkuma's lover or target, only that the charade would change in accordance.

She just wanted a few words from his mouth to transmit so she hoped he would answer. The true give-away would be his voice. Akkuma would know it - lover or target.

“I guess have a good day.”

She would raise a hand and wave her farewell. She did not want Akkuma to hear her voice. She did not want Akkuma to know it was her. This would of course not be the first voice that she called him with nor would it be the last. What she wanted was his reaction. Did he call out a name? Did he have anything to say?

She would obviously click the end call button after several seconds. If Akkuma picked up or not. If Akkuma replied or not. She would simply wait a few seconds and end the transmission. Once the transmission ended she would simply say, "good day."

OC:

Attempting to Leave Topic unless Hissori changed his mind and stops her.
Messaging Akkuma. If he wants to participate, great. If not, that is fine as well.

What is Shiori doing? Setting Akkuma up. If she knows that Hissori is Hissori she would attempt to kidnap him (uhh... you might like it). Depending on how Akkuma responds would determine what Shiori does to Hissori or attempts to. If Akkuma indicates that they are friends or lovers, she is going to try to injure Hissori so that Akkuma comes to his rescue. If Akkuma indicates that he hates/is targeting Akkuma she is going to make Hissori appear to be a viable target (he is bait) so that Akkuma can come to her. Either way the end game is to hurt Akkuma. As usual, not looking to murder anyone, just attempting to give a neat story. If anyone is uncomfortable with any of this, then I will have my character have a spontaneous change of heart because I am only looking for a good story and a good time.

 

[Miroku Akkuma]

The Sage was busy at work tending to his research studies when his headset buzzed to life. A faint metallic clang could barely be heard over the screams of his patient. With an annoyed sigh he raised his finger up to his headset device answering the call, hopefully it was not another one of those dastardly prank calls. He didn't know who it was or why they were calling him. But they had interrupted his work multiple times now, often times there was just silence. Sometimes the voices of people he was unfamiliar with as if someone had unintentionally contacted him. Unfortunately this was not the case little did he know the Anbu he'd scorned had been busy trying to track down his old comrade.

"Hel...give me one moment..." he would say with a tone of annoyance over screams that threatened to drown out his voice. Before a solid thud noise could be heard, like the sound of something metallic connecting with flesh.. One could only assume that whoever had been screaming was no longer able to do so. "..Hello?..Hello?...listen I don't know who you are but I wil.." he stopped mid sentence when the connection disconnected. How annoying this was getting to be it seemed that someone had taken it upon themselves to constantly harass his personal com line. For now he put his worries to the back of his mind & returned to his work on the patient. Humming away as the unconscious victim lay before him. After making the last of his incisions to the subject he would turn to his apprentice saying "You can finish up here...I have to go check something." with those words he'd set down his tools & wash himself. Changing into fresh blood free apparel as he exited the lab an unshakable sense of foreboding hanging over the Dark Sage.

Perhaps if the connection had been maintained for longer the indifferent Sage would have noticed the familiarity of the voice that he heard. Instead he found himself walking down the alley running through the various background noises he'd heard from past calls. It was odd he couldn't work out what the purpose of the calls were. This feeling of foreboding was unsettling & not a sensation the half-demon was used too.

[Call Answered & Topic Left Unless Called Back]
[OOC: Call answered from Akkuma's headset via his Lab]

 

[Ii Hissori]

Hissori would watch the women leave, keeping a friendly smile on the face of the adult as he looked at her leaving. When she left though, the man would just sigh and rub his temples. Quietness would fill the apartment as Hissori began to realize that his quiet retirement life was going to take a rather rough and an abrupt turn.

Closing his eyes a bit, the man rubbed his prickly face. This was going to get messy, the fromer Tsuchikage could already tell. All he had left to do was deal with it. Leaning over his table, the man grabbed an empty glass, and then uncorked a battle of ember liquor pouring it in, the man would take a deep swig before just leaning back and groaning lowly.​

Spoiler

Ooc: Topic left/Ended I guess. I am letting everyone leave.