Tracking the man down wasn't hard for the veteran Shinobi and currently masked ANBU, Kaiju. He stood as a shadow among the moving people in the area of the Grand Palais so recently dubbed 'the black bazaar'. This was a place where all the worst people came to do business and those with a bad reputation attempted to hide.
Many gangs had rose during the last few years, taking root and holding fast against even the shinobi of Suna. It was a growing problem, one that needed to be rectified. But not today. In fact Kaiju was currently lining the pockets of some of those very same gang members while trying to find the leader of the rogue group who was responsible for the death of the noblewoman. He found himself standing along the edge of a building, watching passerbyers. No one would really notice what it was Saemon was noticing now; the gang who ran this street was not here at all. They had been asked to leave the vicinity to avoid being harmed in the process of collecting up the man he was after and in return they were asked to feed the man false information; where to go to be safe. And of course he'd paid them well.
The man he was looking for, he learned, was a rail thin man with a samurai style top knot and one blind eye, his right. The ANBU waited. An hour and then two passed before a man came through the area that fit the description whatsoever. He was thin as a bone, though this was not so uncommon to see in the Grand Palais, and he wore a hood but he had a patch over his right eye and there was a scar that ran over the area, peeking out from under the material in both directions. And he seemed skittish, though that too wouldn't matter as there were so many sketchers out there.
There was only one way to find out. The ANBU pushed away from the wall and moved along the edges, keeping out of view. He was also wearing a cloak, one that covered his head so his mask would not be seen. He moved behind the man, watched him take a turn down the main street and enter the abandoned store; The Dunce. This was exactly the place the man was told he could hide from the village officials. So far the gang hadn't betrayed him, which was lucky enough.
He entered after the man did, moving through the cracked wooden panels that were criss-crossed over the old broken entrance. The building smelled of mold and blood. Saemon used this place often for tasks such as these. The man was like a fly and Saemon was the spider. Yet it would not be so easy as it seemed.
The man was waiting for him when he arrived, his hood tossed back and in his hands laid a curved katana. His thin lips were curled up in a hateful grimace. He had been expecting him. "You're the one who killed my sons and brothers, weren't you? Now you think you're going to kill me too. But you're wrong."
The cloak didn't matter anymore and he let it slide from his shoulders and heap onto the rotting wood floor. The mountainous man was clad in his gear, mask firmly in place. He did not withdraw his own weapon, the one that remained sealed at his side in a scroll. Instead he said nothing, looking through the eyeholes at the soon-to-be piece-of-carrion. Saemon was not afriad. The other man did not seem fearful either, but... a single bead of sweat formed and slid down the man's left cheek. He gave himself away. And behind the mask, Saemon smiled.
The man didn't understand why he didn't attack him and just stood there. Minutes passed as they stared at one another. The thinner man fidgeted and readjusted his hand hold several times. Finally he couldn't take it anymore. "If you're going to just stand there like a statue, I will cleave off your head!"
Saemon had been waiting for him to attack, to remain unnerved and move on impulse. The man was not without skill, but he was so fearful now, it showed now in his crazed eyes and sweaty brow. He even smelled of stink and fear. He came running, clearing the room with four steps. He raised his hands up and swung down at Saemon's neck, as he'd promised. He was too slow, too weak. He didn't stand a chance against the monster of the ANBU and reached out and grabbed the man's two wrists in his own huge paw and completely stopped his attack mid strike. The man's shoulders popped from the halt and he shrieked in surprise.
He moved slowly then; deliberate and menacing. The man could not pull his hands from Saemon's grip. He could not pull away from the 265 lb man at all. He swing a kick for him and landed a hit on the outside of his calf, but Saemon was like a tree and didn't even budge. Fear bubbled up faster in the man as the ANBU reached to the man's hands with his other and wrenched the weapon from them. He turned the blade in his own hands and pressed the tip against the murder's chest. He began to weep..
He was a pitiful sight. He had no qualms though... this was more personal than the man knew. The blade pierced his skin, which made the man cry out louder and slowly, inch by inch the mighty brute slipped the blade into the man's chest cavity. No matter how much the other man cried, fought, kicked, he could do nothing and the blade continued its course. It popped through his lung then finally out the back. The man's strength left him and he coughed and gasped and cried. Saemon pulled the blade back out with a nasty slosh sound and threw it to the ground behind him. It clattered then fell still.
The monster did not let the man go even after he passed out from the shock of the pain. He heaved him up and flipped him upside down then hung him from one of the metal chains that was attached to the rafters; another of Sae's leftovers from old fights in this place.
The man would wake up with his wound sealed and the lung partially healed as well, enough that he would not die from the wound for a long time if he were left there. His groggy eye looked around, not seeing anything at first, then he spotted the man. He was nearby and crouching by his head, staring at him with that mask. It was a monster.. he was a monster. He wanted to weep, but instead he tried to speak. When he did a lot of blood dribbled from his lips and his voice was rough. "I... will see them soon.." he coughed, more blood spurting out. "My children and friends. You.. I curse you. Creature.."
The ANBU tipped his masked head to the side, looking like an animal more than a human. But for the first time he would speak. The transformation was not upon him any longer and his voice was his normal, gravelly and deep tone. "I'm already a cursed man. You can do nothing to me." Then he reached up and unhooked his mask, taking it away from his face. The man looked at him, he did not recognize him and he gave a confused look. Why show his face? It meant nothing to him, he did not know him.
"When you meet Shinigami, I want you to tell him Saemon sent you there. He will laugh at you and praise me for bringing him another pitiful fool. When I die, he will greet me as a friend. You... you he will consume and eat. I relish my curse." He withdrew a small blade from his side and nicked the man's vein at the throat. It began to flow steadily. The man's face looked horrified. "You will never see your brothers and sons, they are all fodder for the great god of death. You will all just be part of his unholy shit, a heap of stinking leftovers. Your identities and souls are food, nothing more. Shinigami only welcomes the monsters like me..."'
His face darkened then. The man was growing weaker, but he could still see it. "Your companions killed that noblewoman and almost killed my woman. The difference is; I could save her from all of your brothers and sons and friends, you could only sob and hide from me. Now you shall die just like them. Goodbye, fool."
And to keep the man silenced, he wrapped a band around his mouth. He wouldn't be awake much longer and within the hour he would be bled out like a pig.
Saemon left the man, crying and choking on his own tears. No one would come to save him and the gang he'd paid would probably get the body to sell for parts. He was done with the man, Saemon slipped on his mask once more and returned to the shadows. He had finished what he started.
[solo mission]
[wc: 1549]
mft
Many gangs had rose during the last few years, taking root and holding fast against even the shinobi of Suna. It was a growing problem, one that needed to be rectified. But not today. In fact Kaiju was currently lining the pockets of some of those very same gang members while trying to find the leader of the rogue group who was responsible for the death of the noblewoman. He found himself standing along the edge of a building, watching passerbyers. No one would really notice what it was Saemon was noticing now; the gang who ran this street was not here at all. They had been asked to leave the vicinity to avoid being harmed in the process of collecting up the man he was after and in return they were asked to feed the man false information; where to go to be safe. And of course he'd paid them well.
The man he was looking for, he learned, was a rail thin man with a samurai style top knot and one blind eye, his right. The ANBU waited. An hour and then two passed before a man came through the area that fit the description whatsoever. He was thin as a bone, though this was not so uncommon to see in the Grand Palais, and he wore a hood but he had a patch over his right eye and there was a scar that ran over the area, peeking out from under the material in both directions. And he seemed skittish, though that too wouldn't matter as there were so many sketchers out there.
There was only one way to find out. The ANBU pushed away from the wall and moved along the edges, keeping out of view. He was also wearing a cloak, one that covered his head so his mask would not be seen. He moved behind the man, watched him take a turn down the main street and enter the abandoned store; The Dunce. This was exactly the place the man was told he could hide from the village officials. So far the gang hadn't betrayed him, which was lucky enough.
He entered after the man did, moving through the cracked wooden panels that were criss-crossed over the old broken entrance. The building smelled of mold and blood. Saemon used this place often for tasks such as these. The man was like a fly and Saemon was the spider. Yet it would not be so easy as it seemed.
The man was waiting for him when he arrived, his hood tossed back and in his hands laid a curved katana. His thin lips were curled up in a hateful grimace. He had been expecting him. "You're the one who killed my sons and brothers, weren't you? Now you think you're going to kill me too. But you're wrong."
The cloak didn't matter anymore and he let it slide from his shoulders and heap onto the rotting wood floor. The mountainous man was clad in his gear, mask firmly in place. He did not withdraw his own weapon, the one that remained sealed at his side in a scroll. Instead he said nothing, looking through the eyeholes at the soon-to-be piece-of-carrion. Saemon was not afriad. The other man did not seem fearful either, but... a single bead of sweat formed and slid down the man's left cheek. He gave himself away. And behind the mask, Saemon smiled.
The man didn't understand why he didn't attack him and just stood there. Minutes passed as they stared at one another. The thinner man fidgeted and readjusted his hand hold several times. Finally he couldn't take it anymore. "If you're going to just stand there like a statue, I will cleave off your head!"
Saemon had been waiting for him to attack, to remain unnerved and move on impulse. The man was not without skill, but he was so fearful now, it showed now in his crazed eyes and sweaty brow. He even smelled of stink and fear. He came running, clearing the room with four steps. He raised his hands up and swung down at Saemon's neck, as he'd promised. He was too slow, too weak. He didn't stand a chance against the monster of the ANBU and reached out and grabbed the man's two wrists in his own huge paw and completely stopped his attack mid strike. The man's shoulders popped from the halt and he shrieked in surprise.
He moved slowly then; deliberate and menacing. The man could not pull his hands from Saemon's grip. He could not pull away from the 265 lb man at all. He swing a kick for him and landed a hit on the outside of his calf, but Saemon was like a tree and didn't even budge. Fear bubbled up faster in the man as the ANBU reached to the man's hands with his other and wrenched the weapon from them. He turned the blade in his own hands and pressed the tip against the murder's chest. He began to weep..
He was a pitiful sight. He had no qualms though... this was more personal than the man knew. The blade pierced his skin, which made the man cry out louder and slowly, inch by inch the mighty brute slipped the blade into the man's chest cavity. No matter how much the other man cried, fought, kicked, he could do nothing and the blade continued its course. It popped through his lung then finally out the back. The man's strength left him and he coughed and gasped and cried. Saemon pulled the blade back out with a nasty slosh sound and threw it to the ground behind him. It clattered then fell still.
The monster did not let the man go even after he passed out from the shock of the pain. He heaved him up and flipped him upside down then hung him from one of the metal chains that was attached to the rafters; another of Sae's leftovers from old fights in this place.
The man would wake up with his wound sealed and the lung partially healed as well, enough that he would not die from the wound for a long time if he were left there. His groggy eye looked around, not seeing anything at first, then he spotted the man. He was nearby and crouching by his head, staring at him with that mask. It was a monster.. he was a monster. He wanted to weep, but instead he tried to speak. When he did a lot of blood dribbled from his lips and his voice was rough. "I... will see them soon.." he coughed, more blood spurting out. "My children and friends. You.. I curse you. Creature.."
The ANBU tipped his masked head to the side, looking like an animal more than a human. But for the first time he would speak. The transformation was not upon him any longer and his voice was his normal, gravelly and deep tone. "I'm already a cursed man. You can do nothing to me." Then he reached up and unhooked his mask, taking it away from his face. The man looked at him, he did not recognize him and he gave a confused look. Why show his face? It meant nothing to him, he did not know him.
"When you meet Shinigami, I want you to tell him Saemon sent you there. He will laugh at you and praise me for bringing him another pitiful fool. When I die, he will greet me as a friend. You... you he will consume and eat. I relish my curse." He withdrew a small blade from his side and nicked the man's vein at the throat. It began to flow steadily. The man's face looked horrified. "You will never see your brothers and sons, they are all fodder for the great god of death. You will all just be part of his unholy shit, a heap of stinking leftovers. Your identities and souls are food, nothing more. Shinigami only welcomes the monsters like me..."'
His face darkened then. The man was growing weaker, but he could still see it. "Your companions killed that noblewoman and almost killed my woman. The difference is; I could save her from all of your brothers and sons and friends, you could only sob and hide from me. Now you shall die just like them. Goodbye, fool."
And to keep the man silenced, he wrapped a band around his mouth. He wouldn't be awake much longer and within the hour he would be bled out like a pig.
Saemon left the man, crying and choking on his own tears. No one would come to save him and the gang he'd paid would probably get the body to sell for parts. He was done with the man, Saemon slipped on his mask once more and returned to the shadows. He had finished what he started.
[solo mission]
[wc: 1549]
mft