Ace Prosecutor Morikou Asuchi: Interrogations [Private]

[Tanuki Rinko]

Tomo tightened the grey ribbon holding his braid in place. The young man was still confused how Haruki knew so many braiding styles, and yet, he didn't really want to know. The Genin wore his new blue suit that his sister had picked for him. Sonoko had always fancied western, noble fashions. He straightened the red bowtie on his neck and frowned. He wanted to wear his regular red tie, but it was nowhere to be found. He was pretty sure one of his brothers had stolen it. Making sure his bangs were properly gelled back, Tomo nodded at his reflection in the mirror before heading out.

Tomo looked through the file he'd brought, checking to make sure he had everything as he walked. He was summoned for an interview, but they had not disclosed what it would be about, so he had brought as many documents as he could find that may help him in whatever predicament he was in. It could honestly be a plethora of things. His mental breakdown at the hospital...his part in the med-nin situation at the gate...indecent exposure to a minor. Snapping the folder closed, Tomo placed a hand on his face. "Oh Raiden, I hope it's not the indecent exposure one." I would be surprised if it wasn't, Tomo-boy. "Okay, you need to just keep quiet today. I may have charges of being a psychopath, I don't need you helping to prove it." But Tomo-boy, I would be a great asset to help defend your case! "Oh really..." I'll have you know that in a past life, I used to be a large-breasted, female lawyer. "Don't you mean past, past life? And wait, you barely remember any of your original past life, how could you know about that?" It's in my sooooul Tomo-boy. Tomo rolled his eyes. "See, this is why you need to keep your thoughts to yourself."

Before he reached Torres Celeste, a small boy stopped him. Tomo recognized the child from the troupe, and approached him. "What are you doing here Kanno?" The boy smiled cheerfully before holding out a small pin. It was a gold disk with a black scale painted in the middle. "Mochi-san, this is the pin to label you as a Mochizuki Troupe member of justice! You should show it to everybody, just to see what they say." Tomo cocked an eyebrow, but took it nonetheless. "Thank you Kanno. I'll...um...just slip this into my pocket." Tomo did as he said he would, and Kanno trotted away. However, he turned to address the young man once more. "And maybe it will help you break the Genin curse!" Tomo whipped his head to face the child, but Kanno was already skipping away, giggling evilly as he left. Tomo ground his teeth, but sighed in resignation. "Is it really so bad to be a Genin at my age?" Yes. "Shut up Haruki. I wasn't asking you." Then don't ask the question, Tomo-boy. Rolling his eyes, Tomo entered the building.

He advanced to the reception desk and addressed the young woman there. "Mochizuki Tomo. I was requested?" Tomo normally would have done his usual introduction, but being in this building, where the Raikage herself worked...he didn't want to waste anyone's time with his unnecessary idol antics. The woman lifted a clipboard and scanned it. Finding his name, the lady pointed down the hall. "You are booked in conference room PW5, to your left, up the stairs, hang a right." Tomo thanked the woman and made his way to the location, questioning the odd labeling system. Once there, he scanned the room. It had two podiums facing opposite each other. Tomo chose the one on the left, since most people he knew preferred the right side of things. Putting his file down, the duel-haired man patiently waited for whomever he was to meet with.

 

[Morikou Asuchi]

Asuchi gave a rumbling groan of frustration as he glanced in the mirror once more. His hair was just not cooperating today. It was determined to maintain some sort of funky middle part, causing the locks that usually fell across his forehead to frame his face and lie on his cheekbones. Fine, whatever. Be that way.

The chuunin abruptly turned away from the mirror, grabbing his suit coat from a nearby hangar and shrugging it on. Some time had passed since Takaki Masao ruled Main with an iron brush, but strangely his dress code still seemed to be followed in most places, regardless of the fact that no one was quite certain whether it was still enforced or not. The dapper attire was even outright embraced in some divisions. Asuchi had once heard one of his colleagues say, “The suit is the modern shinobi’s shōzoku.” He didn’t mind keeping up the dress code; nothing makes you feel quite as distinguished as a well-fitting suit. And, his tailor (along with the rest of the tailors in Kumogakure) certainly enjoyed the business. The toll on his wallet briefly made him consider an off-the-rack solution, as many of his peers opted for, but that possibility was quickly thrown out. A bespoke suit always fits.

This latest fabrication from his tailor, however, had him questioning where he was putting his money once again. The man had finally convinced Asuchi that he didn’t need another gray suit, and his admittedly weak objections (“But gray’s my favorite color!”) were quickly overridden. However, he expected to depart from gray to another relatively neutral color like navy blue. He ended up with burgundy. He didn’t exactly remember agreeing to it, but he bought the suit anyway. The color actually came off as quite exquisite, which was the only reason he even agreed to wear it. He didn’t really want to admit it, but the suit looked damn good. He was less convinced by the mess of fabric that was supposed to replace his tie. A cravat, his tailor called it. All Asuchi knew was that it was frilly and odd, but if the man who is paid to know style says he absolutely has to wear it with this suit, he would give it a shot for a day. Asuchi finished getting his outfit in order, and then grabbed his organizer and headed out for the Torre Celeste.

As luck would have it, he passed his mother on her way to the Aesculapium to start her day. She, of course, had to fuss over her baby boy for a minute before letting him be on his way, and she took special note of his outfit. “Oh, it’s good you’re wearing something for once that isn’t such a dreary shade of gray. And I love the cravat! You know your father used to wear them all the time whenever he had to dress up.” Come to think of it, dad never did actually wear a necktie, it was always some odd piece of fabric in its place. Papa Morikou’s were definitely understated though, a stark contrast to the ornate contraption currently hanging from his neck. Perhaps he’d have to swipe one or two of his dad’s extras to wear in the future.

He gratefully accepted his mother’s compliments on his outfit, before making a polite exit, claiming he was late for an important meeting. It wasn’t entirely untrue; he was running behind. He was scheduled to lead an inquiry today into the career of a Mochizuki Tomo, and why he had failed to make satisfactory progress according to the “No Shinobi Left Behind” act. Tomo was still a genin, despite being slightly older than Asuchi himself. He still didn’t understand why he was chosen to lead this case, but he wasn’t complaining. It was work within the village walls for once, and it was nice to be at home for longer than a week at a time.

Asuchi entered the Torre Celeste and smiled at the receptionist as he headed up to his assigned room. As he walked in the door, he saw Tomo for the first time, already ready and waiting at the bench on the left. He was punctual, appeared prepared and put-together, and even knew that the defendant takes the left bench. That was not the impression Asuchi expected to get from a 23 year old genin. He set his organizer down on his own bench, and began to cross the room to introduce himself, before he was interrupted by the doors slamming open. Some high ranking shinobi in Main filed into the audience, although they were mostly bureaucrats. None of them had probably been out on an actual mission in years, if ever. They were shortly followed by a bald, bearded man, wearing black robes.

Asuchi retreated the few steps to his bench just as the man took his seat at the head of the room, banging a gavel to call the room to attention.

“This committee is now in session for the inquiry of Mochizuki Tomo, and his failure to attain chuunin-hood in a timely manner.”

”The prosecution is ready, Your Honor.” Asuchi declared, casting his gaze over to Tomo across from him.

~~~~~~

[MFT]

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Tomo analyzed the man who entered the room. His burgundy suit was a bit flamboyant, as was the odd ruffled cloth at his neck. Ah! A cravat! The gentleman's neck accessory. You could learn a thing or two from this fellow Tomo-boy. Tomo bit his lower lip to prevent himself from vocally conversing with Haruki. Tomo's interviewer drew near, and the Genin prepared himself to greet him. However, the doors burst open, and a gaggle of men entered. Tomo couldn't hide his perplexed expression. "What the..." Also entering was a bald man in a black robe, his busy beard showing his elderly status. "This looks like..." A trial Tomo-boy! I knew this would be concerning the indecent exposure! Nailed it. Tomo began to sweat uncontrollably as he watched the judge take his seat. The man declared the intention of the session, and Tomo staggered back. "What?!" He slapped a hand to his mouth when the judge gave him a glare.

Seriously?! THIS IS ABOUT ME BEING A GENIN?! Tomo's brows furrowed. What part of 'almost dying six years ago and spending all that time trying not to be possessed by a pervy ghost' do these people not understand?! Realizing that the prosecution and judge were waiting for a response from Tomo, the Genin began to sweat again. Damn it Haruki, I'm a manager, not a lawyer! A chuckled sounded in Tomo's head. It is my time to shine Tomo-boy! You should let me take over your body. Hell no. Just tell me what to say. Haruki sighed. Have it your way Tomo-boy. Things would go much smoother if I were in charge. Haruki! Fine fine. Start with the defense is ready, Your Honor. "The defense is ready, Your Honor." Good. Now I suggest you open your file and find anything that may help you prove your case. Tomo opened the manila folder on his podium and quickly flicked through the papers. He was not prepared for this at all, and he questioned whether he had the means to prove he was justified in being a Genin still. Finding a few things that may help, he brought them to the front of his stack. Alright, now what? Let me take over? No. Then wait for an opening statement from the prosecution. Tomo took a breath in an attempt to calm his nerves. He placed his shaking right hand on his hip and waited for the young man across from him to speak.

[WC: 411]
[MFT]

 

[Morikou Asuchi]

Asuchi kept his eyes on Tomo, scanning the other man, trying to ascertain his character. He was still deciding what exactly he thought of the genin. The case file for this inquiry gave him a wealth of information, but there was nothing like firsthand experience. A lot of a man’s character was in the way he talked, his posture, and many other unquantifiable traits that you could never put into a file and stow away in a cabinet somewhere.

Tomo seemed surprised by the purpose of their little meeting. Asuchi would normally count that as a lack of organization or attention, but the main branch was all over the place currently. Lacking a cohesive purpose and strong leadership (up until Ayumu’s recent appointment, that is), many divisions had turned to chaos. It was entirely possibly they simply didn’t tell Tomo what he would be doing today. Rather unfortunate for him, but it was what it was.

“Morikou-san, please give the committee your opening statement.”

Asuchi nodded and glanced down at his papers. He noticed Tomo flicking through his own across from him, presumably trying to construct a hasty defense. He almost felt bad, it was obvious he wasn’t prepared for today. Hopefully it wouldn't be too bad. Asuchi didn't even support this inquiry in the first place. It was obvious that Tomo had a lot on his plate and would get promoted in due time. However, he was chosen to lead this inquiry, and his duty to Kumogakure meant he would do his best. He sighed and pulled out the paper he was looking for.

”Thank you, Your Honor. Mochizuki Tomo began as a promising, if disinterested student. Quickly known for having both book smarts and common sense, it was the combat courses where he struggled. Throughout his career, he’s always had his attention divided, between his duties as a shinobi and his duties as the manager-in-training of the Mochizuki Troupe. If you see his test scores and performance reviews, from his academy days until now, they all tell the same story. He’s a talented man, held back only by his fragmented focus and possible lack of interest.” Asuchi’s eyes trailed upward from his notes back to Tomo across from him. It would be interesting to hear his response.

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Tomo listened patiently to Asuchi's statement, that is, until the end of course. Bringing his troupe into this, that was a mistake.

Even Tomo was taken aback by his outburst. Oooohoohoo! Boooold Tomo-boy. Bold indeed. Yes, it was, but the young man needed to roll with it. Tomo pulled out a sheet of paper and tapped it with the back of his hand. "According to public documents, the Mochizuki Troupe is a loyal clan to Kumogakure. By managing it, I am indeed working to better my village. Since the troupe became affiliated with Kumo, our clan has contributed a plethora of chakra-sensitive individuals who have served the Raikage with fervor. It is also important to note that the Mochizuki Troupe not only supplies their own members to the village, but also retrieves chakra-sensitive people on their travels. Therefore, my toils with the Mochizuki Troupe are nothing but beneficial."

 

[Morikou Asuchi]

Tomo had a good rebuttal. The Mochizuki Troupe was a very large net gain for the village, and someone has to lead them. But Asuchi’s job today was to argue and to find the truth, so that’s what he would do. Did Mochizuki Tomo really have a reason to still be a genin? At age 23, some standout shinobi would be celebrating their 10 year anniversary of their chuunin exam, and they might even be jounin by then. Hell, Ayumu, their new sennin, was about Tomo’s age. Asuchi himself had been a chuunin for 5 years, and he was slightly younger than the genin across from him. It would be understandable if Tomo was promoted late due to balancing what was in essence two full time jobs, but it was starting to get excessive.

Asuchi’s right palm slammed down upon the bench in front of him, more for effect than out of any sort of emotion. These things sometimes turned into a spectacle, and it did well to win the crowd. He was going up against a professional entertainer, so he’d probably lose that battle, but it did well to at least try.

”Correct, but that is not the point of contention today. We are aware of the troupe’s contributions to Kumogakure, and of course the village is thankful, but this is about your career as a shinobi. It’s entirely possible, and to some extent understandable, that your efforts with the Mochizuki Troupe are delaying your development as a shinobi, but if you wish to remove them from consideration, what would you have take their place? What alternate explanation would you have us consider?”

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Tomo staggered back at the force of Asuchi's words. The young man had a point. Tomo had hoped to bring the focus to all the good he'd done, but it looked like the man across from him had honed in on Tomo's weak rebuttal. The duel-haired man placed a finger on his chin and began to tap it. He wasn't sure where this motion had come from, but he felt a need to show he was deep in thought. Tomo-boy, you need to spotlight a different aspect. Find fault in someone or something else. The Genin was a little leery forcing blame on another, but if he didn't want this trial to go south fast, he needed to pull out all the stops.

Tomo slammed both his hands on his podium, trying to mimic Asuchi's action. He looked to the man across from him, Tomo's shoulders hunched slightly. "Perhaps instead of seeing fault in me, we need to look at something else. We should consider..." Tomo paused for dramatic effect, then sharply pointed his finger at his opponent. "Our own mission system!" Light gasps came from the room as the spectators mumbled over Tomo's words. The judge slammed his gavel to quiet the crowd. The old man's eyebrows rose as he addressed the Genin. "That is quite the claim young man. You better have some hard evidence to back it up." Tomo's eyes twitched. He knew how he was going to word his coming speech, but he wasn't confident that he truly had any proof to back it up. Here goes nothing...

"Certainly Your Honor. But first, we must look into my mission history. I have done a few simple solo D-rank missions, nothing too important. I was always able to handle them without difficulty. I even was sent on a solo C-rank mission, which I was told I passed with flying colors. Now let us observe my team missions. I was sent on a B-rank mission with two kunoichi. It was a failure. Reports state it was not my doing, but fell upon the other Genin with me, whom scared our target away with her jutsu. Another mission involved investigate a tomb with my twin. Do you know what happened?" Tomo slammed his palms to his podium again. "I almost died! It is clear to see that I am not the problem. The issue lies in those who assign the missions. They have failed to properly evaluate and use my skills, and thus I am left without the triumphant experience required to rise to a higher station."

[WC: 428]
[MFT]

 

[Morikou Asuchi]

The force with which Tomo slammed the podium startled Asuchi. Just seconds before the genin looked taken aback and unsure of a possible explanation to present, but now he seemed confident and assured. Asuchi waited as the other man made his point.

He wants to lay blame on our entire mission system? He’s flying by the seat of his pants, there’s no way he can support this argument.

As Tomo went through his mission history, something didn’t seem quite right to Asuchi. He flipped through his papers at his bench once more, looking at Tomo’s old mission records. Ah hah! There. Just as I thought. There were actually a couple failed D-ranks in Tomo’s mission history. One 'One Scarf, Two Scarf, Red Scarf, Blue Scarf' where he failed to find one of the scarves requested. Asuchi had attempted to track down additional details about this mission, but the trail ran cold. Finding scarves could be surprisingly difficult. But there was another one which he could bring up. The judge looked to Asuchi after Tomo was done, seemingly waiting for a rebuttal. Luckily, he had one. The chuunin raised his hand to the side of this head, tapping his temple with a smirk on his face.

”Perhaps you are forgetting, Mochizuki-san, of one or two of your missions? Allow me to remind you. You were once tasked with transporting a maneki neko made by one of our village’s finest craftsmen to the izakaya down by the village gates. I am not privy to the finer details of the mission, but suffice to say this poor maneki neko did not arrive unharmed. You say your skills have not been properly evaluated and put to use, but any shinobi should possess the skills to carry a package from one place to another within the village walls! If you cannot be responsible for a ceramic figure, how can you possibly hope to accomplish actual ninja assignments?”

Damaged maneki neko added to the court record.

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Tomo began to sweat as Asuchi swooped in to disprove the Genin's latest justification of his rank. This guy was good. Real good. Tomo rubbed the back of his head as the embarrassing evidence of his failed delivery was presented to the court. Honestly, with all that Tomo had gone through to transport the darn thing, they should have been glad that it was only in two pieces. The dual-haired man looked over at the figure Asuchi presented, a crack was spread near the base of the figure, and its tail had been broken off. Tomo cleared his throat to explain the situation.

"Between academy student ninja pirates, a crazy cat-lady thief, and six canines thinking the figure was a real cat, I managed to protect it from them all...until handing the figure to the recipient who didn't have a good enough grip and dropped it. However, it was demanded I take the blame to protect the person of a higher position than I. So I became the scapegoat, all to allow another to save face." A decent response Tomo-boy, but you can't just make up an excuse. Without proof, you have no case. Tomo grunted lightly. Haruki was right, and Tomo had no idea how to verify his side. He scanned the crowd, trying to look like he was pausing for effect instead of racking his brain for an idea. But then he saw it, or rather, saw him. The man, the man who had dropped the figurine, his body slightly sunk down in the chair in an attempt to go unnoticed. Tomo pointed a finger to the man, his eyes sharp.

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"Defense calls Reiga Shirotora to the stand!"​

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The man flinched at the sudden announcement, but recovered quickly. He held a straight face as he descended from the crowd to sit beside the judge. A man around his mid-thirties, Shirotora brushed his white hair away from his face. <B>"I was there, yes, but I remember the event playing out rather differently." Tomo closed his eyes, recalling as best he could the events of that day. <COLOR color="#FF4000">"Reiga-san, please tell the court your recollection of that day." The man gave Tomo a livid look, but did as he was asked.

Shirotora's Testimony​

Shirotora waved his right hand back and forth. "I was at the gates as a representative to receive the majestic maneki neko from whomever was to deliver it."

The man smiled, flicking another stray strand of hair from his cheek. "I was looking rather dashing in the midday sun as I stood on the wooden floor inside the gate booth."

Reiga tilted his head to his left shoulder, and lifted the appendage. "When I saw Tomo-kun dash to the gate, holding the figure by its base with it facing towards me."

The white-haired man tapped the silver accessory on his forehead. "The Genin proceeded to trip and fall face first into the paved road. The lovely neko flew out of the boy's hands and also face-planted onto the ground."

Shirotora smirked at Tomo. "But please Tomo-kun. Tell them what you claim happened. Whatever you say would simply be you trying to save your skin I'm sure."

 

[Morikou Asuchi]

Tomo sure had quite the story for this mission. It was supposed to be a simple matter, but it appeared he was accosted multiple times trying to accomplish his goal. Of course, he would have to present some sort of proof that corroborated his recollection. Asuchi didn't believe any sort of physical evidence of these events existed, which meant that his story, even if truthful, would ultimately be thrown out. But suddenly, Tomo's voice echoed throughout the room, calling one of the crowd to the stand.

Asuchi recoiled in surprise as the very man who was supposed to accept the delivery happened to be in the conference room. At first it seemed like this would be a boost for Tomo's argument, but it seemed that the witness remembered the events of that day differently. As the white-haired man gave his account of the scene, certain sections didn’t quite make sense to Asuchi. It was technically the defense’s job to disprove this man’s testimony, but it was his job to determine the truth of the entire investigation, so he decided to question a few things.

”Reiga-san, you will either need to expand or revise your testimony as there are a few things that don’t quite add up. The maneki neko was to be delivered to the izakaya nearby, so why were you waiting inside the gate booth and not at the izakaya? And second of all, you say the maneki neko landed face first onto the ground. Are you positive about this?”

The first clarification was born partly of curiosity, partly of misdirection. Its true purpose was to draw attention away from the second clarification, which Asuchi felt might contain they key to Tomo’s defense. He didn’t want the witness to realize what he was saying and suddently “remember differently.” They needed the actual facts here, even if it meant Tomo winning this particular battle.

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Shirotora grumbled as Asuchi brought up the inconsistencies in the testimony. "Well excuse me for not clearly remembering the exact details of my location almost a decade ago. But I digress, yes yes, let me reword it for you." He repeated himself, only changed that he was in fact in the izakaya instead of the gate booth. Tomo gave Asuchi a gracious smile as Shirotora finished.

Tomo pointed sharply at the white-haired man, giving a triumphant grin. "Reiga-san, you claim that I dropped the maneki neko on the street, face first, but that is quite obviously a lie!" The audience murmured at this development. The judge pounded his gavel. "Please Mochizuki, you must show proof of this accusation, or I will have to punish you." Tomo gulped, but gave a nod. "Gladly. Observe the damaged maneki neko. The tail is broken, and the base is cracked. However, if what Reiga-san said was true, the figure would have surely shattered, or at least cracked on the statue's stomach and face."

Shirotora flicked the silver headpiece on his forehead, his eyebrows twitching. Giving a stern glance to Asuchi, the elder man spoke. "You're the prosecutor, it's your job to find him guilty. Well? Find him guilty! I'm not the one on trial here." Tomo's mouth flinched, as he could not refute Shirotora's claim. The dual-haired man had created quite the distraction, but it didn't change that Tomo was geezer Genin.

 

[Morikou Asuchi]

Asuchi caught Tomo’s grateful grin, and returned with a half-smile and a shrug. He wasn’t really in the business of helping his opponents, but there was a process that had to be followed. If the evidence was in defense’s favor, sometimes all you can do is let them win. Besides, he was a ninja, not a prosecutor, he would do this however he wanted!

Tomo launched into an objection, leading the judge right where Asuchi was hinting at just before. The witness took exception to this, launching some stern words at Asuchi. The man’s small smile disappeared, and he slammed his hand down on the bench.

”It is NOT my job to find him guilty. It is my job to find truth, no matter how painful it may be. Do you know something, Reiga-san? The guilty will always lie, to avoid being found out. I think you broke the maneki neko, and pinned the blame on a poor hapless genin. I want to prove it but that would derail this entire process, and as a courtesy to Mochizuki-san and everyone here, I won’t hold them up just to confirm your guilt. You may step away from the witness stand.”

“Isn’t that usually my line..?” the judge wondered quietly to himself.

Asuchi ruffled through his papers once more, flipping quickly through Tomo’s mission history. There really wasn’t that much here. The recent failures were slightly worrisome, but perhaps Tomo was correct earlier. It was entirely possible that it was just a string of bad luck; missions cannot always be successful. He could loop back around to the Troupe, but he didn’t want to go down that road. The Troupe was very beneficial to Kumogakure, and Tomo, despite his rank, was a talented shinobi with potential. If at all possible, the village should try to keep both of them, and not make him choose between being the manager and being a shinobi. With those avenues of exploration exhausted, what did he have left?

”Your honor, I’ve looked over the case files. Tomo recent missions have been less-than-ideal, but there hasn’t been an excessive amount of failures. It’s entirely possible that he’s just run into a string of bad luck. His file shows him to be a competent shinobi, with glimpses of promise. The only thing unusual about the file is that it says “genin” at the top instead of “chuunin”. In fact, that’s why we are all here today. It’s expected that Tomo would be a chuunin, and yet he is not. And you know what? I honestly have no explanation for it. Actually… it’s not listed in my notes anywhere. Has he even been in an exam?” Asuchi looked across toward Tomo when he asked his question. The statement had been directed at the judge, but the question would be easiest to answer for the genin himself.

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Shirotora flinched at the force of Asuchi's action, as did Tomo. There was a great strength in his words, and the man at the stand actually shrunk down in response. Without delay, the man rushed off the stand and back into his seat, not even waiting to see if the judge gave his consent. Tomo stared at Asuchi, trying to see where this was going. The distraction was only temporary, and things were getting back on track. However, the Genin still didn't quite understand what was going to happen should he be found guilty. Can I even be considered guilty of being a Genin? What sort of punishment would even fit that 'crime'?

Asuchi spoke again, explaining his own confusion as to what to make of this case. He directed a question to Tomo, and the young man blinked. "Oh, well, um..." Tomo wasn't sure what to say. The answer was definitely no, but what would admitting that do exactly? He fumbled to think of what do say, when his hand reached into his pocket. His eyes widened as he pulled out the badge his troupe member had given him. Would this work? Could this be the magical evidence that would solve his problem? Tomo held out the small pin. "This evidence clearly reveals the contradiction in that statement, Your Honor!" The judge cocked an eye brow before speaking. "I see no relation, Mochizuki-san. Please tell me what the connection is." Tomo rubbed the back of his head. "Uh...I was kind of hoping you'd find it..." The judge closed his eyes. "Mochizuki-san, do you know how much it hurts to get hit on the head by my gavel?" Tomo began to sweat. "Huh?" The judge continued. "The next time you make an unsubstantiated claim like that, you will find out. Objection overruled."

Tomo hung his head. He had to resign that he had nothing left. "No, no I never took the exam. I was...incapacitated...before I was given one." Chances were, Tomo would have been tested when he returned from the mission with his sister. However, he had not arrival back at the village until six years later. Therefore, taking an exam wasn't on the top of his list of priorities. In all honesty, he didn't even want to take the exam. Becoming a Chuunin meant going on more dangerous missions. Considering he almost didn't make it back from a Genin grade mission, he wasn't too keen on ranking up.

The judge closed his eyes in contemplation for a moment before finally addressing the court. "Well it seems all too clear what the answer to this is. Mochizuki Tomo, you are hereby ordered to take your Chuunin exam within the year. Failure to do so will result in a fine and 100 hours of community service. That is all." The bald man slammed his gavel and rose from his chair. Those in the stands also rose, and they began to file out. Tomo could hear the judge grumble under his breath. "Well THAT was pointless."

Soon everyone was out of the room aside from Tomo and Asuchi. The Mochizuki collected his file and approached Asuchi. "That was...eventful. Despite how things ended, thanks. It was nice to hear someone believe me on that neko mission." Tomo gave a small smile and held out his hand to shake Asuchi's.

Though this thread may end, Tomo and Asuchi's bond will be eternal. One day, they will meet again. But as friends, or rivals, only time will tell.

[WC: 583]
[MFT]

 

[Morikou Asuchi]

Tomo admitted that he never took an exam. That would explain why Asuchi had no records of one. The judge seemed to consider this statement briefly, before projecting his voice for the whole court to hear. The genin would be ordered to take his Chuunin exam within the year. Even the penalty for failure wasn’t that harsh, so he could conceivably put it off even longer should he wish. Asuchi got the feeling that Tomo wasn’t too keen on advancing through the ranks.

The rest of the room quickly left, leaving the two men across from one another, both still at their respective benches. Asuchi wanted to say something to his opponent before he left, but he was having trouble putting his thoughts into words. Luckily, the other man approached him first. Asuchi shook Tomo’s offered hand and matched the genin’s smile with one of his own. The neko mission made sense, and Tomo seemed surprisingly skilled for someone who didn’t seem all too interested in the shinobi life. Certainly skilled enough to avoid dropping a statue.

As their handshake ended, Asuchi finally found he words he wanted. He knew what he needed to say. It wasn’t a parting pleasantry, as he originally intended, but rather a strange request, and he didn’t quite know how the other man would react to it. Regardless, it came from somewhere deep within him, and Asuchi knew he had to act on it. He raised his eyes up to meet Tomo’s one more time, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. ”Tomo, grab my cravat!”

Hopefully he would comply and the two could fly away using the power of rainbow... friendship... cravat?

[Topic Left Unless Stopped]

[OoC: Not gonna lie, this took so long because I was putting off photoshopping that, and it only took like 5 minutes.]

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

The two shook hands, and Tomo took that to be the end of that. He was about to turn and leave when he noticed the odd grin from Asuchi. Said grin was followed by an even odder request. Tomo cocked an eyebrow, not even attempting to hide the utter confusion on his face. However, this man had been nothing but genuine since their meeting, and surely nothing bad would come of it. With a straight face, Tomo placed his left hand on Asuchi's cravat. All amount of mysticism and foreboding that the narrator attempted in the previous post was overpowered by the utter friendship of these to shinobi. They floated off into the sunset (because they couldn't fly...that would be breaking the rules), and some say that they had a...rainbow connection.

[Blasted off Again with Asuchi]