Atropa Belladonna [Free]

[Okada Kaji]

It appeared as though the Yamanaka were about more than their reputation for botany, as the clan staged a formidable defense against the plague of Black Scorpions rushing their compound. An abundance of the Yamanaka folk emerged from rapidly sliding panels; one by one they rushed outside with impeccable timing and targetted the menagerie of shinobi in black with their clan's signature technique. The assault came to a sudden halt, as quickly as it began.

"Huh, go figure" The sound of Nezumi Kozo's voice was rough, hardened, and hoarse as she posed a reaction to the sudden freeze of combat. To a shinobi of her caliber, such a tactic was a formality if anything; and with her subordinates mutually bound by the Yamanaka, she recognized the demand for a little diplomacy. As a brash type, Nezumi rarely cared to engage her targets and compared it to pointing out lobsters when buying them fresh out the tank at the market... Her three targets were standing before her in aggressive, dangerous stances, yet she observed them with hungry eyes as if they would go well in a pot of gumbo. She was crazed and free of fear despite her advantage seeming lost.

She was still hovering in place on her platform and did so casually until the smallest wretch among the Leaf shinobi dared to attempt a cheap shot while the heat of battle was culled. Megumi's puppet closed in upon Nezumi, turning several meters between them into a few mere inches before that same platform the assassin stood upon was swept from under her feet and rose to deflect the puppet's strike with expert timing. Her foes had to respect the feat. The dense steel of the shield batted the puppet back and rang out an echoing sound as if a gong were struck. Nezumi made a soft landing led by dirty toes, and a dirtier rest of her, which seemed to be as covered in rust as she was dust. There was a unique combination of undeniable charm and poor self-care that painted the portrait of the assassin, as she cared little for her appearance, but took her work quite seriously. Now she was going to lay some game on 'em.

"I ain't the type to play with my food before I eat it," she admitted, somewhat cryptically given her troops were locked in place. She then raised her hands overhead, accepting the impasse for what it was, or perhaps buying time. "Y'all know why we here—you know what you did, and don't you play dumb" Her blood-red and beady pupils shifted to Kaji as she said that, "did or what you're failing to do. My employers are very, very civil,—but you really crossed them when you started minding business that ain't yours to mind. Ya pissed them right off!"

Most particularly drawn towards Hakuren, Nezumi had the priestess in her sight, and there was a gravity between them. The scent of her field of flowers merely enticed the assassin, and she welcomed it like perfume that drowned the scent of soot and foe's blood permeating her garments. It was unclear if she was being affected by the toxins, or if her swagger and sway were simply a part of her. "Mhmm" she let out a voracious respire as she absorbed the sweet scent, and eyed her nearest opposite, the Sacred Lotus. A long, wormy tongue swept across her blackened lips, which were curved into a wicked grin. "Come here and fill me full of your old Leafie greens; naivety and morality... I'm overdue for some— just don't do anything your momma might regret. I promise ya, harm one hair on my head... and bet your ass, mommy is good as dead."​

-- Edited Nezumi's Jargon back to standard english. Sorry.
-- Nezumi is messy af.

 

[Ryu Hime]

Hakuren does a little motion with her tail to wave over a couple of young priestesses. They were no older than ten and looked completely adorable in their outfits. The two of the carried together an old rustic looking chest and they sit it before the leader. "Please accept this humble offering." they would say in unison as the open the lid to the chest. Inside wear vials of liquid, which was the agreed poison the Black Scorpion asked for.

Hakuren looks at the woman. "50 vials as ordered. Now if you do not mind. It is late. Should I see you out?" Hakuren was being far too kind to these people, but it was for the sake of the mission and she just wanted to get this god darn thing over with already. The Yamanaka clan will release the Black Scorpion members as soon as the leader orders a withdraw.

 

[Megumi Tanigawa]

While the assassin’s leader seemed unaffected by the Yamanaka’s mind transfer jutsu. Megumi figured that the victim would have to have a mind to take over in the first place. While her attempt to disable the rusted blade had failed, the rest of the clean up had hit it’s mark. However she was not expecting the assassin’s to burst into nothingness. The Assassin’s severance package left much to be desired, it planted another piece of information in the young puppeteer's mind.

Reading all three of her puppets and her jutsu to focus on the rusty maiden, if you could classify the women as one. She seemed to have a minor case of lockjaw, as she could not form words correctly. Not one for talking in the midst of battle, or allowing the enemy to kill time for her reinforcements to arrive. She managed to stop one, but would she be able to stop two more and a deadly tune.

Setting up her combo as the rustbucket was concerned and trying to act strong when she was obviously at a disadvantage. The assassin continued to release more of her blustering, however it was directed at Hakuren. Megumi was unsure, if the rusted tramp was hitting on the priests or threatening her, as her words were jumbled together like her worn out jutsu.

Ignoring the bluff from the living embodiment of tetanus. Megumi was going to act on her planned out attack when something unexpected, or something she would've never believed that the Yamanaka would do. Looking over as two younger priestesses walked out carrying a box of most likely the very same poison that Kaji came to learn about. Hearing the Yamanaka act politely to the women as if she was a cutomer, made Megumi sick to her stomach. Hakuren would seal the dea with speaking of the order and speaking as if they were on friendly terms.

Giving Hakren and her clan a look of pure disgust and hate, she looked at them as if they were the enemy and in Megumi’s mind they were, at least until she was given a reason not to see them as such. Given that the Yamanaka and the Scorpions were in league with each other, it was unlikely that they were going to sit back and let her killed or captured their customer. Looking at the downed Nara, she wondered how many of thee clans still held onto their beliefs and were actually an ally.

Taking hold of the Nara with one of her puppets, she left in a flash of smoke and genjutsu to make more than one target. Megumi only needed a small amount of time, as she was in the village and moving at top speed would place her in the middle of the village in no time. The more time she spend seeing the village and the other clans, the more hatred and distrust Megumi felt towards the village. She would question herself about the leaf that she thought she was protecting and fighting for. Perhaps it was all a lie, how could her family protect such a place? Megumi’s mind would darken as she thought about what she had done to come back to such a place, the thought of it being for nothing shook her to the very core of her being and ideals.

Putting her concerns in the back of her mind, as she had to make a report of the Yamanaka's treachery and get Yama to safety. However Megumi would have to question her decision of coming back and look into the true nature of her village, as she would not protect or stand with a rotten husk of what the leaf once stood for.

(( Leaving to make a report, unless stopped ))

 

[Okada Kaji]

The play at appeasement was an unexpected one to the band of assassins, even Nezumi, who was focusing intently on the Yamanaka’s latest maneuver. Two runts appeared on the battleground like lambs on the march to slaughter, doubling an effort to carry a large coffer crafted from iron and oak. It made a definitive thud as the duo presented it to Nezumi, dropping it to the ground. As the scampish children fled Nezumi appeared unmoved by the display, yet Hakuren’s allies were clearly up in arms by her actions.

First, Megumi fled with haste, causing a cackling laugh to fall from Nezumi as the child tried diligently to escape the many eyes who’d surely follow her into the shadows. “Ye can run but ye can’t hide, little girl” the call of Nezumi would echo in pursuit of Megumi as she simply let her vanish, regardless of her attempts at deception. Megumi would hear the unending sound of her mocking cackle until she was long gone from the White Oak District.

Witness to it all; Kaji was boiling no doubt, yet he was maintaining restraint until he understood the meaning behind their transaction. He could not pursue the children yet, not with the culprits here at his fingertips… “Damn it all” he whispered in spite of the fracture caused between the Leaf, and the sudden sheer outnumbering he’d face against if he opposed this so-called deal in being proposed. “You’ve lured us here just to witness treachery?” Kaji put in. He waited long enough to see Nezumi accept the offer; loading the coffer onto her levitating platform. The assassin leader then boarded the shield herself and was all the more content with the chain of events transpiring.

“Hakuren, you don’t make deals with the devil” Kaji chided Hakuren, which only brought more joy to the assassin’s widening wicked grin. Her teeth were stained, and her two front teeth were a bit more prominent, surely the inspiration for her namesake; the rat. “No, ye don’t” Nezumi added, if only to add salt to Kaji’s spite. “But for what it’s worth, a deal is a deal, even to a lot like us. That means we’re in business, and we like our business partners alive and breathing.”

The assassin’s leader began to levitate upwards, away from the party and all who’d dare to stop her; with a standing deal she’d have enough to call off the attack, most of it anyway. “All you've done is bought some time... but the boss will like what you gave us if it works. And if it doesn't, ya best believe we’ll be back again, and we won’t be so casual about it next time.” Nothing was more casual than Nezumi’s sudden departured, which was as unhindered as her entrance before. She then arose two fingers to her lips, delivering a short whistle. “Alright boys, we’re done here, clear out!”

“You’d better think twice” Kaji answered as he dared to challenge the collective presence of Scorpions, and the Yamanaka who were complicit with their attackers to a disgusting degree. He then raised his blade in protest, creating a swell of emeraldine chakra in the glimmering blade before unleashing it in a torrent of crescent-shaped energy aim for Nezumi. Using her distance and elevation to her advantage, Nezumi crouched low atop her shield, pressed a hand on the coffer to brace it for impact, and angled the shield to absorb the punishment delivered from the enraged hunter.

Then the squadron of assassins caught in the Yamanaka’s mental trap began to burst one by one, erupting in green acidic hazes which turned the grass they stood upon frail and brown-- all clones. “Think again, Okada Kaji” Nezumi demanded as she used the hunter’s full name, perhaps with greater implications hidden in her tone. “The deal is done with the Yamanaka, but you and me still got to settle the score... You’d better find out where your little friends have gone before my men get a hold of them. Gotta admit, I’ve never been one for hurting children, but I can’t say the same for the shadow servants.” On cue, more shinobi clad in black shrouds appeared, moving in silhouetted forms across rooftops, pass them on the trail of Kaji’s apprentice and the girl who thought it wise to flee. Nezumi even bothered pointing to the sight of her men to make sure Kaji would notice them, and she accompanied the gesture with even more sickening laughter. This was how she played the game and played to win. “Until next time, losers!”

Kaji found himself unable to press forward, hopelessly watching as Nezumi made her escape, flying towards the massive moon rising in the sky until her image disappeared in the darkness of the night. Now Kaji was left alone with the Yamanaka, who stood there defeated despite their strength in number. Their deal was done at the cost of their pride, and they were left to watch Kaji enact an emergency summoning ritual. With no time for a scroll, Kaji tore back his left sleeve, revealing a tattoo marked upon his forearm. It was a summoning seal permanently bound to his skin. He aptly performed the ritual, reopening a fresh knick on his thumb to smear blood upon the mark, and performing the three-seal combination before placing an open palm flatly onto the wet grass.

A medium-sized iguana emerged in a burst of steam created by a rift in space and time, and its long spindly tail swung wide, quickly parting the cloud to reveal the reptile in whole. Her name was Wana; a member of the Lizard tribe of the Hidden Oasis, and she was a shinobi creature with many gifts. Kaji remained knelt before Wana and beckoned her aid. “Please Wana, I need you to relay an urgent command to all of the clan within the leaf… I am tracking a human woman flying eastbound on a giant mithril shield. It has been marked with my chakra.” With a nod, Wana agreed and turn to flee just as quickly as she first emerged, skittering off into the wilderness where she might find it. With any luck, other lizards who made homes in the village might aid him in tracking the assassin.

“Lady Hakuren” Kaji quickly addressed the priestess with venom in his words, “I take it you were going to explain yourself at two-forty-five” he said, referring to the note she slyly passed him earlier. “I’m going after the kids... you better have one hell of an explanation ready when I blow this whole thing open.” Open saying his final words, Kaji rushed away in a burst of shadows, which divided his form into a black flock of sparrows which in turn dispersed into the night. With the exception of a little damage done to the premises, it seemed as if the scene were turned back to how it began, as Hakuren stood alone with much of her clan returned about their business. Tonight would mark the start of a war between the Leaf and those who opposed it, and there Hakuren stood, alone at the dividing line.

- WC: 1193
- Nezumi has Left the Topic.
- Kaji has Left the Topic Unless Stopped, in pursuit of Megumi and Yama.​

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[Ryu Hime]

Hakuren of relief for it seems the two shinobi do not notice the most damning evidence against her. When in her anger flowers begin to sprout out of the ground in full bloom. What once was a beach of gray sand was an ocean of flowers that mimics nightshade in appearance. The flowers were arranged in a specific pattern. Stand from the ground one would hardly notice the pattern, but viewed from above as Nezumi did the picture becomes clear. The field of toxic flowers took the shape of The Black-Vein Scorpions’ insignia. Shinobi looking to attract the attention of the Scorpion’s League must perform a deed worthy of their attention, and draw the symbol of the Scorpion League at the scene. Well the symbol was made and poison delivered. Though Kaji might have casted doubt, she did perform well enough to call her infiltration a success. Hopefully from the inside she could guide this organization for the betterment of Leaf. They say the road to hell is paved with good intention and Hakuren was now dancing with the devil; will she save the souls of the damned or will she burn in hellfire.
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