B-Ranked Mission: ~ Bad Sushi ~

[Kobe]

Barely a voice could be hear over the ambient conversations taking place in the Dawnbringer’s Plaza. Mothers and fathers out with their families, acquaintances meeting for the first time, and even a groups of shinobi out arguing about who was more effective on their last mission. All in all this area of Kumogakure’s commerce and business district was a non-stop, never-ending, mecca of civilian activity. Anything and everything that one could want could be found within this section of Kumo. Whether it be a beautiful dress for a debutante ball, an elegant piece of home décor, a rare slice of oral delicacy, or perhaps even a well-crafted shinobi tool, this business plaza could accommodate any desire. It was for that very reason that real estate in this area demanded the highest prices. With the greatest amount of traffic small or large businesses would get the highest amount of exposure. This ultimately meant greater profits and richer owners. It therefore came to no surprise that rival owners often bickered with each other. Matters of this nature usually would fall to the civilian court system. Not exactly something the shinobi military force would have to tend to. However in this particular case Kumogakurian natives had fallen ill, and on top of that Okuza Ren has some leverage within the village.

Standing high atop the building across the street from the Green Lotus the Anbu known as Shade</COLOR><i></i> stared diligently at the daily on goings. Wearing a black Anbu robe and his signature skeleton mask over his face, the Anbu did what he did best, observe. Over the last hour as he waited for his partner, yet another Anbu whom he had never met, he took notes on things as they happened. In his hand sat his personal and private journal in which he detailed all the important happenings of his day. It was his way of ensuring that he never missed a single detail; and would help him remember specifics about people places and things later on. This little habit of his had developed over the last couple of years and thus he always kept his journal tucked tightly in his left inner breast pocket. As he watched people coming and going he recorded things of significance; who manned the tables out front, how many waiters there were, the name of each delivery company that brought foodstuffs as well as what time of the day they arrived, details that may pay dividends over the course of this mission. In his pocket sat the mission briefing, meeting location and time.

Okuza Ren stood affront his restaurant, waiting rather impatiently for the shinobi his cousin had promised. He was a middle-aged man, dressed in fine linens, with soft features. For years he ranked in the top 10 most prominent business owners within Kumo. Over the last year or so his standing had dropped a bit, however his restaurant the Green Lotus was still regarded as one of Kumogakure’s shinning examples of fine dining.

Mission #1205

Arrival Time: 10:45 Am

Place: <COLOR color="#40BF00">Green Lotus restaurant, Center of Dawnbringers Plaza.

Details: Okuza Ren, highly regarded small business owner, has reported that several patrons of his fine dining establishment the Green Lotus have fallen ill. He has yet to uncover the nature or cause of the illness though he suspects foul play. A two-member cell is being summoned to investigate the situation and rectify the problem before any more civilians suffer similar fates. You have full authority during the investigation of this matter.

Note: This mission maybe performed with or without stealth as needed. However as always your identity as a member of the Anbu should be kept hidden.

Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

-Management.

 

[Hoshiko Gin]

It was not uncommon for business rivals to use whatever tactics necessary to climb the rungs of success; but some took rivalry to a whole other level of these unnecessary tactics, sabotage. However it was, in fact, very unusual for the village’s elite to be called for such trivial matters; which could mean perhaps there was more to this then the usual competitive market styles. No, the kunoichi could only presume there was much more to this situation. A very fishy happening was afoot indeed, and the two ANBU were just the duo to put this all to rest once and for all. The Green Lotus was a noteworthy Kumogakure eatery, given exceptional markings for their sushi; the key to delicious sushi was to only use the fresh fish, and only the freshest fish were reserved for Okuza Ren's diners. Admittedly, she was none-to-pleased by this particular assignment; but the promise of sneaking a couple pieces of sushi (or so she thought), did raise the mission's worth. A mission is a mission, I guess, Thought Gin.

She was told she would be joined on this mission by an ANBU, referring to himself as Shade. In the current state of the Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai they had strayed away from the use of call signs, but for today and perhaps from this point on she would associate herself again with the name, Spectre. The woman crouched low on the rooftops round the corner from their meeting point. From experience, she found that it was best not to arrive to early, but never acceptable to show up late; as someone who appreciated and thrived under regulations and guidelines, she could relate.

Pushing off on her knees with her hands, she stood and made her way towards The Green Lotus, only to see a large, shrouded figure with a skulls mask in the distance. Behind her mask, designed with features portraying a fox, she honed her focus on the man with a quizzical stare. In his hands, was a book. Her steps slowed until she finally stood side by side with the man, who easily towered over the petite woman. She stood on her toes and made a subtle glance at what her partner was writing, but found it was simply impossible. With a gruff exhale, she lowered to her heels in defeat. Gin had grown accustomed to her former squads laid back team dynamic, and hoped the ANBU alongside her worked similarly. "Spectre reporting.." Said the kunoichi before continuing, "Sooo, what are we up against here?"

 

[Kobe]

Folding his journal and placing it within his let breast pocket he began. “Two individuals care to the patrons on the patio. They seem attentive, and well trained, so far I have yet to detect any anomalies in their behavioral patterns. Also within the last forty-five minutes four distributers have dropped off food goods. The first ‘Ishi Meat and Fish’ delivered several cases of fresh seafood along with two cases of raw meat. The second ‘Nobou Imports’ brought daily offerings of rare vegetables, sous-chef Hitaki Ganji examined the wares and selected a variety of black and white truffles, as well as other assorted vegetables. The last two vendors ‘Banto Farms’ and ‘Souji Foods’ each dropped off several boxes of wares, the inventory of which can be seen here.” Hiro then withdrew a loose sheet of notepaper from his pocker and moved it toward the other in a giving motion. He continued, “The owner Okuza Ren is impatiently anxious. Since before ten am he has been peering out the door. I fully suspect he is awaiting our arrival. He himself has not taking part in the collection of the food delivery, deferring to his front door staff or sous-chef. Instead when not seeming overly aware that we should be arriving shortly he has greeted guests with a warm smile and some cheeky story about one thing or another. None of his actions are overly telling.”</B><i></i> He spoke matter of factly but not condescending. Instead he as doing a proper job of briefing his partner with the knowledge he obtained during his observation. However only upon finishing his final sentence would his gaze shift to the Anbu beside him.

He could tell by her voice what her gender was. Spectre as she called herself was almost a full foot shorter then he. Clad with a mask of her own he wondered about what she looked like. Taking a couple of steps back, so as to be away from the edge of the building, and away from view of those on the ground level, his hand reached up towards his mask. Pulling the item away form his face would expose his true identity. With impeccable bone structure, and facial symmetry he would appear a well-groomed man. Hair short, cropped, and combed without a strand out of place. Bright yellow eyes would peer into the mask of the female before him. Before speaking his reserved demeanor shifted as he left go of a warming gently smile. <B>“Forgive me I should properly introduce myself. Koden Hiro, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” There was some semblance of education and properness in his voice and words, reflection of the years of training given to him by the Buda monks. “Did you want to remain hidden? Or continue without our masks?”

 

[Hoshiko Gin]

He is very thorough. Being that she had not been fully informed on what exactly the problem was, she could only begin to expect and piece together that something was most certainly wrong with the food at this restaurant. This troubled her particularly because, she had really weighed the options of tasting the food while she was there; what better way to try some upscale food without having to pay? Needless to say, that was no longer an option. Second to that was the fact that, Okuza Ren clearly had not lost customers and was not detouring them from eating the contaminated food. Now, that left her to conclude that they were brought in to pursue the unknown contaminant and who had introduced it. It brought to question in her mind, the restaurant staff. I wonder if he normally receives the inventory from his suppliers, and he is just anxiously awaiting our arrival? The chances that a sous-chef or general staff were the ones contaminating the food seemed highly improbable, but not out of the question. She looked out into the restaurant and noted the behavior the other ANBU had already noted. He seems charming enough... it seems unlikely that he would have angered one of his staff enough to do something as drastic as this. Still, she thought that it should be noted as a possibility. She took the sheet of paper carefully, and examined the inventory closely, nodding as he continued on with the briefing.

The woman noted now, that attention had shifted onto her and away from the job at hand; now her gaze fell upon an unmasked face. He had strikingly handsome features, with piercing hazel-gold eyes and a well-defined jawline. She had yet to pull her mask up, as she thought things unrelated to their mission. I do wonder just how thorough he really is.... Lost in those thoughts, she almost missed his name. There was a considerable difference in his demeanor as he addressed her, but he still spoke with proper rigidity. In realization that, she had yet to reveal herself to him in turn, she pulled her mask up and smiled. "Hoshiko Gin, your shadow for the day. It's nice to meet you." The masculine name was a false representation of the, unmistakably feminine features behind the mask. A light-colored bob accentuated high cheekbones and large, vibrant gray eyes. The color to her face deepened slightly in color, as she folded the sheet of paper that had been handed to her and closed the distance between them to place it in his chest pocket. "I think you've given me enough information to go off of." She smirked, and took her mask off fully; also clearing her throat before continuing. "To me, it would be best to continue without our masks. We don't want to draw to much attention to ourselves, especially when we have yet to meet Okuza Ren. I'm sure we both have some questions for him before we begin. Let's not keep him waiting any longer."

 

[Kobe]

By removing his mask and revealing his true identity Hiro was making the statement that he was willing to openly trust his current companion with what he deemed valuable information. Truth be told he had gone on plenty a mission without ever revealing his real name, rank, or appearance. However something about her made him have the desire to open himself up… Ahhh! Who was he trying to kid. The always calm and collected Anbu was anxiously waiting for his partner to reveal her face. How rare was it that he got to team up with a female, let a long a pretty one! Would this be another let down? Or… a major hottie!?

As she pulled her mask up away form her face he was able to set his eyes upon her. With a pair of ashen eyes, and golden blonde hair she was quite the looker. ‘Hoshiko Gin… Yus! Major hottie it is. Ok Hiro keep your cool here…’<i></i> As he thought to himself the attractive young women commented on the information he had given her before, moving in closer to slyly slide the folded piece of parchment he had given her back into his breast pocket. Immediately he could feel his blood boil, his temperature rise. While he was a well-trained, restrained, collected shinobi, he was nevertheless a male with needs, wants and desires. This Hoshiko Gin knew how to manipulate men he thought, and yet he didn’t care so long as her attention was on him. “Oh right-good.”</B><i></i> The words were sputtered out like a boy just entering puberty.

Shifting focus back on the mission at hand he nodded in agreement. “I suppose your right.”<i></i> His hands moved to the zipper under his chin as he began to slowly undo his Anbu garments. As the robe began to open his chiseled tan flesh became exposed to the other before him. Six, seven, eight rippling abs stared Hoshiko Gin in the face. With no shirt and tactical black pants his eyes once again sought to meet hers. “Pardon me,” a devilish grin crossed his face cheek to cheek for but a brief moment before he reached into a small pack that had hidden in his robe. From this pack he removed a long sleeved white collared shirt and threw I over his head before neatly fixing it. “Shall we then?<i></i> He would wait a few moments before carrying on.

---

Hopping off the top of the buildings rooftop he landed squarely a few feet from the Green Lotus entrance. Moving with purpose he neared Okuza Ren, who had been staring off into space likely waiting for their arrival. <B>“Good day Okuza-sama. Mosuhide Kane Kumogakure Jounin reporting…”<i></i> Before he could continue introducing himself the boisterous aristocrat chimed in. “Yea yea yea. Where do you both want to begin?”<i></i>

[MFT]

 

[Hoshiko Gin]

As a woman and kunoichi, it was not beyond her knowledge that she held some leverage over most men. Manipulation was an art every ANBU should be taught, some just happened to be better than others. It seemed the cool, collected, and refined Hiro had his weaknesses too; for he seemed even more attentive after she removed her mask. I do wonder what you expected... Thought Gin. He squeaked out a reply and it was than she knew she definitely had him. The slightest touch even.. Perhaps this mission still did have its rewards, and would be much more entertaining than expected.

Now. Back to what really matters now. Smiling in satisfaction, she placed her mask gingerly on the ground beneath her, only to gasp in disbelief. 'Oh my..' Gin straightened and looked up as color rushed back up into her face, 'Stop this. You've seen many a man like this plenty of times..' Seconds passed where she just looked on dumbly, taken aback. "Umm.. sure. Sure." She looked away quickly and turned to take a breath, while also occupying herself with stripping off the conspicuous article of clothing; her ANBU robe. It fell to reveal a pair of loose cargo style pants, resting at the hips and a tight midriff top. 'Sorry, I don't know you well enough quite yet to return the favor..' Nonchalantly, she turned casually to face the store front and shrugged, one hand placed at the hip. "If you are ready, then yes." The woman stated before playfully adding in thought, Boss man.

---

Letting herself fall in behind Hiro, they strolled on forward and came to a stop in front of Okuza Ren. Gin followed her partner's introductions, "And--" Or so she thought. In came a tart interjection from their high-maintenance aristocrat. Rude...

She kept her composure, but answered flatly. "Mitsuya Emi reporting... Eh, To begin Okuza-sama, if you would be so kind, I would like to start with a timeline of events as well as any changes you noticed up until this point. Have you taken in any new employees, new suppliers, or any new ingredients?" She scanned the many buildings that ran alongside his and added, "Also.... have any of your competitors behaved more hostile than usual? Or perhaps, especially boastful even?"

 

[Kobe]

Any other day, on any other mission, an abrupt interruption like the one Ozuka Ren had just done would have certainly garnered an equally rude and abrupt interruption right back. However on this particular mission the single thought repeating throughout Koden Hiro’s mind, was the image of sheer perfection that was Hoshiko Gin’s body after she took her Anbu robes off. Still deep in thought his mind was only broken by the angelic voice of his current partner. Snapping back into reality he agreed with her current train of thought, trying to refocus himself he waited for Ren’s answer.

“Did your superiors really not give you a briefing? Very well. No new employee’s, no new ingredients, and of course the menu changes daily but nothing vastly out of the ordinary. But little lady you hit the nail on the head with that last question. This is all the fault of Mama Ikari, that woman wants nothing more then to see my restaurant fail. The two dozens or so innocent restaurateurs who are now held up in the infirmary should turn their anger to that wench not me and my respectable place!” The owner was exasperated. His anger and contempt for the women visible across his face and in his voice. Before he could begin ranting again Hiro chimed in.

“How can you be so sure? Has this women tried to sabotage your place of business before? What sort of relationship have you had in the past?” Shaking his head vehemently Okuza Ren seemed to be geeing annoyed by the inquiry. “I just know! She has been after my restaurant for years now. This is just her plan to lower the value of my place so she can buy me out. What are you going to do about it?”

---

Mama Ikari was another well-known business owner. Her sweet demeanor and gentle appearance was often a thing of envy. Though her business tactics are sometimes called vicious, there is no record of her engaging in illegal activities. Her largest and most popular restaurant Kaged Fish was just around the corner from the Green lotus. Mama could often be found there conducting her daily business.

[MFT]

 

[Hoshiko Gin]

You are going to allow him to speak to us that way? The woman who was generally very patient, was becoming increasingly agitated with the pompous Okuza Ren. Though there was little they could do in the situation and their interactions with this enraged tyrant of a man, surely he could not expect quality service from those he expected to help and fix his problems if he acted so abrasively. I'm doing this for your poor customers and staff alike. Absolutely an unbearable man. Calling me little lady.... The only bearable thing about this mission was the man who stood beside her, and his timely response to the fuming client.

She took that moment to take one deep breath. Another bland, and unamused response from Gin followed, "Sir, I assure you, all the questions we ask are very necessary and basic protocol. Our superiors are extremely busy men and women, and they oversee many. It is much more efficient for us to receive information directly from you. Now," The woman smiled slightly, putting her annoyance to rest for a time, "I will tell you what we are gong to do. We are going to get all of this sorted out. And Mama Ikari seems like a good place to start... If you would kindly direct us to where we can find this Mama Ikari, I would be much obliged.

This all seemed way to easy though, she thought. Sure this woman had motive, and there was an obvious rift between the two shop owners. But sometimes the most obvious, were the least responsible; however Ren seemed adamant that this was their woman and was likely to throw a tantrum, should they ask any further of him. If his inclination was really correct, they would need evidence.

---

They would move onward after being directed to the place they could find this, Mama, character. Now, why did they call her Mama? That wasn't seriously her name, right? She fully expected to be presented with a very matronly and hefty old woman, and chuckled under her breath. "Have any ideas of how we should go about this? I do not think directly provoking the woman would be an option... perhaps one of us could cause a distraction out front, while the other surveys the back."</B><i></i> Looking up at him now, she grinned and playfully tapped his arm. <B>"Well, boss man, Mosu- Hiro-kun, what would you have us do?