Gentlemen of Fortune -- C-Rank

[Suzuki Setsu]

"Last stop! Sekai Yuki Station! Last stop! Sekai Yuki Station!" came the conductor's loud cry as the train pulled into Sekai Yuki. It truly was the last stop, any further north and one would be crossing frigid seas and having close encounters of the frozen kind.

Kazuhiko stepped out onto the platform, Mochizuki Tomo following close behind. Immediately after disembarking a man approached the pair dressed in a long black cloak and carry a small tome in his arms.

Hito Kiri​

"Nya ha! I've been waiting for you two! Finally! Now I can blo--"

"Oi! Watch what you're saying!" Kazuhiko whispered quietly clamping a hand over the man's mouth.

"Oh, Kazu-chan! You're so forward," the man responded after Kazuhiko released the clamp on his mouth, "I don't mind if it's a public pla--" A well-placed punch sent the man flying into the nearest support post. "So strong! I'm falling for you all over again!"

"This," Kazuhiko paused for a second, "person is Hito Kiri. He is your contact, and will be guiding you on the mission. Careful, he flirts with anything and anyone that meets his eye."

"But I live for love! And I love everythng, and the utmost expression of love is being able to destroy and being destroyed by or with what you love! So this is Tomocchi! What a fine specimen if I do say so myself, popular with the ladies I bet, but I always will have a special place in my heart for you, and something no woman could ever provide, this meeting must be fate," Hito said, suddenly caressing Tomo's face. "But you're here for Yocchan, right Kazu-nyan? Let's go!"

So the trio left for the Izawa Inn.

Izawa Yoko -- Retired Cloud Nin​

Once there, Kazuhiko went to knock on the door but was prevented from doing so by the door suddenly bursting open and a long-haired young woman wielding a spear burst out yelling, "Kiri!! I'll kill you, why didn't you tell me that Kazuhiko was coming, Dynamic Pierce!!" The woman's spear barely missed Hito Kiri's head, and she was about to follow up with a swift kick to the groin when Kazuhiko expertly grabbed her foot, twirled her around and caught her princess style, with the spear ending up clattering to the ground. "Kazu...hiko?" The girl stammered before blushing and yelling, "Put me down this instant! I-I don't need to be carried around, I-I can take care of myself! Pervert! Idiot! Let me go!" She squirmed out of Kazuhiko's grasp and stood taking deep breaths. Tomo would notice that she had a curious moon shaped tatoo of some sort on her forehead.

"Izawa-san, good afternoon. I hope it is not too much of a bother but I need Hito-san to be able to work today. And I am not a pervert," Kauhiko said calmly. Really, this always happened when they met. She would be lunging at him, or someone else, and Kazuhiko had to grab her and calm her down. It was just a coincidence that it always ended up being princess style.

"Did it feel good? Being held in the arms of your knight in shining armor, princess?" Kiri said with a mischevious grin. Izawa punched him as a response. Sending him flying back out the gates.

"Well, his face is very durable. That fine?"

"Ah. Yes, let me introduce you to my companion here, Mochizuki Tomo. He is accompanying me on business. Mochizuki-san, this is Izawa Yoko."

Yoko beamed brightly as she shook Tomo's hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you. I hope working with this thick-headed, insensitive, overly serious closet pervert hasn't been that boring. He hasn't done anything to you, has he?"

Kazuhiko rolled his eyes but didn't comment as he picked up the fallen spear. "Can we go inside, Izawa-san. It's cold out here and we have much to discuss. Mochizuki-san, talk to Hito-san for details, and report back here when you have finished. Here is a communicator, if you get into a pinch let me know and Izawa-san and I will help you out."

Kiri, who seemed to be completely uninjured despite the severe beating he had received from Yoko, then spoke up. "I have two leads for you to go bandit-hunting with, the first is by the docks where the bandit ships make port, and the second is in Sekai Yuki's city hall. As I was informed you need to destroy the bandits and their hidden supporter, no? Where would you like to start?"

Spoiler

For this first part just post your reactions and then decide where you want to start, then the real challenges begin. Kazuhiko and Yoko are going to be doing there own things behind the scenes, and Kazuhiko will contact you via the communiator to give you updates. What Kazuhiko will inform you of might affect some aspects of the mission. If you feel it is necessary you can call Kazuhiko for advice, and you can also ask for him to physically help once.

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Tomo hopped off the train, obediently following Kichida. The train, sadly, did not have karaoke, so Tomo had to sing acapella for the passengers. Lucky for him, his song was good enough that he wasn't kicked off the train for being a disturbance. He had given a few autographs to some ladies and one boy. All in all, the train ride wasn't too boring.

Tomo shivered slightly as the cold air reached his exposed face. He luckily wore a couple of layers of clothing, enough that the cold couldn't penetrate any part of him that was covered. As Tomo rubbed his cheeks to warm them up, he saw a black-cloaked man coming up to him and Kichida. Tomo instantly deduced that this was to be his contact. He watched the scene unfold as the cloaked man flirted with Kichida, only to be punched in the face. Note to self, don't flirt with Kichida-san. Kichida verified Tomo's suspicions, as well as stated the obvious. Hito Kiri...noted. Even if it seemed that Tomo was enjoying the interaction between the two males, he was busy taking mental notes of everything around him, the landscape, the people, even Kiri and Kichida.

Tomo listened the Kiri's speech on love, being slightly confused about the inclusion of blood and fighting. When Kiri remarked on Tomo's looks and caressed his face, Tomo blushed lightly. He still wasn't accustomed to physical flirting. He could flirt with words all day long, but he still couldn't bring himself to invade another's person space. Mainly because he himself didn't like his personal space invaded. However, Kiri's touch only lasted a moment and Tomo adapted quickly. He gave the man a quick wink, wanting to keep on good terms with the one he'd need to complete his mission.

The three made their way to meet with the retired kunoichi. Tomo continued to watch his surroundings, keeping an eye out for his true purpose...bandits. However, they reached their destination soon enough, an inn simply named Izawa Inn. Naming an establishment such was always good. Simple was easy to remember, so was alliteration. The small group made their way up to a room and as Kichida was about to knock on it, the door opened, revealing a very perturbed young woman. Tomo watched as Kichida and the lady interacted with each other. It was an interesting relationship to say the least. Tomo made notes. Don't cradle the maiden, Kichida-san is a perv, Kiri doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut. Tomo almost felt bad for Kiri...almost.

Kichida introduced Tomo to the lady, who in turn was introduced as Izawa Yoko. She beamed at Tomo and shook his hand, stating her hope that Tomo hadn't been bored and that Kichida hadn't done anything to him. Tomo gave Izawa a smile. "It is a pleasure to meet you Izawa-san the Illuminating. I was able to entertain myself just fine. I was too busy having fun and Kichida-san was too busy being serious in his seat to do anything to me." Tomo gave Izawa a playful wink before letting her hand go. Kichida gave Tomo a communicator, which he immediately placed on his ear, making sure it was nice and covered under his blonde hair. Tomo was a little concerned that Kichida wouldn't be coming with, but he wasn't surprised. Kichida and Izawa probably had their own agenda, and at the very least, Tomo had Kiri. He gave Kichida a nod, doing his best to exude confidence. Tomo glanced at Kiri, hoping that the male had some kind of trick up his sleeve if a fight broke out. Without a front-line fighter like Kichida with them, facing the bandits could prove difficult, especially if it ended up being head-on.

Regardless of Tomo's worries, the mission had to go on, and Kiri told Tomo their options. Go to the docks or the city hall. If they weren't hanging out in the hallway of an inn, Tomo would have thought out loud, a habit that helped him think. However, the setting wasn't secure enough for him to talk through his ideas, so he went through the process in his head. Get rid of the bandits and the supporter. If the supporter is in the city hall, we can only assume that he's smart enough to hide his involvement well. I doubt there would be much we could find there, even if we snooped around. Bandits, on the other hand, tend to be a bit less intelligent. We might be able to find a clue to the bandits little helper if we go to them first. Bandits don't often think to dispose of evidence. Tomo knew that the docks would be more likely to lead him into a fight, but it seemed the most logical option. Tomo rubbed his stomach. "Kiri the Questionable, I'm actually feeling a bit hungry from the train ride up. Why don't we get a bite to eat at the docks? I'll even let you call it a date." Tomo gave his contact a wink, hoping Kiri would get the hint.

WC: 846

 

[Suzuki Setsu]

"Kiri the Questionable? I love it!" Kiri laughed good-naturedly as he slapped Tomo on the back. "A date on the sea, how beautifully romantic," he sighed returning the boy's wink. "To the docks we go!"

Upon arriving at the docks Tomo would be able to tell that it truly was a center of commerce, both legal and otherwise. Easily the most crowded place in the city, all sorts of shops and people could be found here.

"Tomocchi! I know this one place where the wine is simply to die for, oh but you're underaged, tch, plan A out the window," Kiri said, "Oh wait they also serve grape juice! It is simply to die for! Come, come!" with that Kiri grabbed Tomo's hand and swiftly pulled him down the street towards a rather seedy looking tavern. However, before he could actually get into the building a group of five surly men exited the building. And Kiri ran straight into them.

"Oi, maggot! Watch where you're going!" one of the men called out as he picked Kiri up by the collar and tossed him roughly aside. "Now apologize! Or we'll beat some regret into you!" The rest of the group cracked their knuckles menacingly until one of the group piped up, "Oh wait, it's only Hito-san." As quickly as the situation had tensed up it was normal again. The lead man, who had been the perpetrator of Kiri's rough treatment, picked Kiri back up and brushed him off, "Heh, sorry man, didn't recognize you there."

"Ah, this alternating cruelty and kindness, so truly touching, so buoyantly beautiful! I would give you gentlemen kisses of appreciation and eternal affection if I wasn't on a date with the lovely Tomocchi here."

The men simply laughed as they went on their way, jovially waving goodbye to the pair as the walked down the street.

"They are members the local gang, misunderstood chaps who only look to protect what's important to them," Kiri explained as the entered the tavern, "The bandit problem just has them a little on edge, but my always-loving heart and body can endure all of it! For the sake of love!" He leaned closer to Tomo to add in a whisper, "They're also die-hard members of the Yocchan Fan Club. Actually I'm a member too. Nyahaha! <3" he said quickly showing a picture of his membership card. It was simple and unrefined, but surprisingly crafty for the big burly brutes that had just left the tavern.

Spoiler

Once inside the tavern the pair would see that it was relatively crowded, but not to the point where it would be uncomfortable. A shady-looking figure whose head was covered in a thick cloth and wearing a cloak, glanced in their direction before quickly looking away when Tomo made eye contact. Others in the tavern curiously glanced in their direction, but their glances were glazed with alcohol, and merely out of curiosity. Kiri had guided Tomo about halfway to the bar when the shady figure casually stood and attempted to leave the establishment, while the figure was taking great pains to be inconspicuous, Tomo would be able to see that the figure was moving with a sense of urgency. Tomo had a choice before him, would he pursue the mysterious figure or accompany his date to the bar?

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Tomo, not prepared for the hearty slap to his back, lurched forward a little. He gave Kiri a smile, but a slight twitch formed in his eye. The slight resemblance to Tama was there, small, but there. However, they were soon off to the docks, which was just as crowded as Tomo thought it would be. He had to remind himself that he was on a mission and couldn't wonder off to promote the Mochizuki Troupe. Tomo continued to let his eyes wander, looking for any suspicious figures, though it would be near impossible to find them in this mess of people.

Kiri began to talk about wine, which Tomo involuntarily scrunched his nose at. Alcohol dulls the mind and senses, which was what Tomo needed completely intact if he wanted to complete his mission efficiently. Kiri disregarded the idea of wine quickly and mentioned instead grape juice, something Tomo was more inclined to drink. Kiri took Tomo's hand, which he didn't blush at this time, and was lead to a seedy tavern. Tomo had to compose himself so he wouldn't lecturing all of the men that thought alcohol was good for them. Tomo noticed some men exiting the tavern and also noticed that Kiri wasn't entirely paying attention. Tomo nonchalantly pulled his hand out of Kiri's grasp right as Kiri bumped into the men. The scene played out mostly how Tomo expected. The men got mad, threw Kiri, got ready for a fight, but then stopped. It seemed that Kiri was well-known and the burly men ended up apologizing to Kiri instead. Kiri, of course, seemed to shrug off the attack and mention about giving kisses to the men. Tomo couldn't help but be a little disappointed in Kiri. It was one thing to flirt with words, but offering such an intimate thing as kisses to everyone he met was something Tomo couldn't agree with. Though, Kiri had yet to do more than caress someone's face, Tomo's face to be more specific, so maybe Kiri was mostly just talk.

Kiri explained the behavior of the group they just parted with as the two entered the tavern. Tomo made his usual footnotes. Misunderstood gang, Kiri's love, Yocchan fan club...wait what? Tomo stared at the card Kiri showed him. Tomo had to hide his near disgust at the rainbow covered piece of paper. There's flashy...and then there's gaudy... Tomo wondered whether he should inform Izawa of the travesty that was her fan club's membership cards, but it wasn't his place and he simply left the situation with a smile.

As the two fully got into the tavern, Tomo gave everyone a quick glance. Most were obviously just patrons, except for one cloaked figure who instantly broke eye contact as soon as he made it. Tomo gave a small smirk. Interestingly suspicious. Tomo followed close behind Kiri, keeping a special eye on the cloaked figure. As expected, the man decided it was time to leave just as Kiri and Tomo made it to the middle of the tavern. Tomo analyzed the situation presented to him. This man was certainly suspicious, but was he a good guy or a bad guy? The only one that might know for sure would be his companion, who seemed to be oblivious to the figure, or not finding him interesting enough to pay attention to. There was only one way to figure out how important this cloaked man was, and that was to get Kiri to the man. Tomo formulated his plan and began to set it into motion.
First things first, he needed to stop the man before he left the establishment. Something a little bit of electricity could fix. Tomo made quick hand signs, keeping his hands down and close to him so that most wouldn't notice. Tomo casually tapped his heel on the ground and sent his Electroshock jutsu zipping to where the victim should end up, the entrance to the tavern. If everything went according to plan, the shock would stun the man, hopefully long enough for Tomo to finish his plan.

The next thing Tomo needed to do was get Kiri to the man, and Tomo had a devious idea to do just that. With a few more quick hand signs, Tomo created a small ink ball, big enough to see, but small enough to not be able to tell what it was. Using his wind jutsu, he had the ball circle him a few times before hovering between Tomo and the doorway. Tomo reached for the back of Kiri's cloak. Sorry Kiri, but I need to utilize all the tools at my disposal. "STUPID FLY!!!" Tomo, with a little help from his wind jutsu, lifted Kiri above him and sent the poor fellow flying towards the ink fly, and if everything went as planned, right at the cloaked figure.

WC: 808
[MFT]

 

[Suzuki Setsu]

The figure reeled as if something had smacked him or her in the face, and stood there dazed as Tomo shouted, the commotion caused the figure to slowly turn and Tomo could see the realization in the figure's face as Kiri went flying towards where the figure was standing. The bar stood silent, and the three men sitting at the bar quickly huddled together before turning and raising placards to show the other patrons. 8.5, 9, 10. All the patrons then broke out in polite applause, as if they were an audience at a golf tournament. Confused, but thankful that his plan worked, Tomo headed over to where Kiri and the mysterious figure lay in a heap and dragged them out of the tavern and towards a nearby bench.

Unceremoniously dropping Kiri on his right, Tomo sat the mystery person on his left. He noticed that the person's boots had suspiciously large platforms, making the actual person quite a bit shorter than they had first appeared. As Tomo removed the hood, silky pink hair poured out of it.

Serizawa Chie​

"Chichi? It is Chichi! It has been so long, my dear," Kiri said suddenly, moving to embrace the small girl and smother her in kisses, at which the young girl's eyes snapped open and a wonderful roundhouse kick to the face sent Kiri spiraling to the ground.

"Umm...papa shaid... Chie should...not talk...to perverts...like Kiri," the girl said quietly. Her voice was shaking as if she was scared of what she just did.

"Then, perhaps you could talk to me, ojou-chan," Tomo said suavely, "I am Mochizuki Tomo, rising idol of the Mochizuki troupe," he stood giving a quick bow and a rougish wink, "might I ask the name of a beautiful young lady such as yourself?"

She then looked at Tomo with surprise, and saw the hood in his hand, and then quickly felt around her head. Before turning red and responding, "Sherishawa...Chie." She then asked quietly, "May Chie...pwease have that? Chie needs...to aww-ways," she stumbled over the word, "wear it. Or bad things...happen to Chie." Chie pointed at the hood in Tomo's hand.

"There she is, get her!" Came a cry from down the street, "Boss says we'll get two months of pay if we capture her alive, but we can kill the others if the get in our way!" Three men, clearly lacking the grace and charity of the earlier bunch that Tomo had met, were racing towards the group, weapons drawn. Chie whimpered fearfully and hid behind Tomo.

"Bad things! Bad things!"

With Kiri down for the count, and a scared little girl at his back, what would Tomo do in the face of this immediate danger?

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Tomo looked the little girl over. She seemed quite young, and her speech was anything but fluid. However, this could have either been from her young age, or her odd form of lisp. Regardless, she was Tomo's only lead right now, or at least his responsibility since he had knocked her out. She stated her name, her family name being hard for her to pronounce. Chie it is. She claimed that she needed the hood or something bad would happen. As Tomo was about to give it to her, three men began to barrel towards them, keen on capturing Chie. The girl hid behind Tomo, calling the men 'bad things'. Tomo gave a small snort while a smirk came to his lips. "They may be bad things, but they're about to meet something worse." He gave the girl a reassuring smile. "Just you watch Chie the Cheerful, I'll have these guys tied up in no time."

With that, Tomo pulled the ink from his side pouch, along with his brush. He dipped the brush in the ink and drew three lines on the ground, each one pointing towards a man. He gave the lines one tap each and they seemed to writhe on the ground before rising into tendrils. He rose from the ground and made a motion with his hand, causing the tendrils to shoot out towards the men. If successful, all the men would be nicely bound by his ink, giving Tomo a chance to wake Kiri and question the men.

WC: 253

 

[Suzuki Setsu]

The bandits were slightly perplexed at their situation. One minute they had been running recklessly towards a small, pink-haired girl, an unconscious man, and a blonde, fedora-clad boy. It should have been easy, they capture the girl, kill the others, and a reward would be waiting for them.

But upon reaching the group, the bandits had found themselves imprisoned, in what looked like a drawing. "I have to say this is the most beautiful prison I've ever been held in, our jailer has a great sense of aesthetics," one bandit said ignorantly before being clobbered by his mates. "Baka! This is one o' them shinobby traps!" the leader of the three responded. He seemed to be more intelligent than his lackeys, in the way that a three-year-old child is more intelligent than a rock. "Do yer worst shinobby! We won't tell you nuttin'!" "Yeah! Like we won't tell you that our base is actually on a boat!" "Shut yer yap! Or I'll shut it meself!"

Mochizuki Tomo​

Sighing, Tomo flicked his brush, and the leader found himself, bound and gagged with ink bindings. "Now, it's alright. I'm not interested in what you have to say, so if you need to remind yourself of anything you don't want to tell me, go ahead. I'm not listening."

"Such a nice jailer, ain't he?" "Yeah, a real gentleman, and an artiste too," the two bandits said to themselves. "Lessee, our base is on a boat, there's a well-dressed fella that comes and talks wiv' the Cap'n every month or so." "Oh yeah, isn't he coming tonight?" "Yeah, he is! We shouldn't say anything about that."

Tomo could literally feel his brain turning to mush hearing the stupidity in the two bandits' voices, but he needed to speed things along, "Don't forget about the location of your ship, that's important, you really should remember not to tell me that too."

"Oh yeah! Thanks." "Yeah, it's definitely not the one with the upside-down triangles on the flag, that's definitely not it." The bandit group leader made some noises and proceeded to bang his head against the ink bars of the cage. This only really succeeded in leaving splotches of ink all over his face.

Kichida Kazuhiko​

Izawa Yoko​

After he finished speaking with the bandits, Tomo's communicator crackled to life, "Mochizuki-san, this is Kichida. We've discovered that a noble within the city has been making secret visits to the bandit leader every month. Their meeting is tonight. Izawa and I are going to tail him to the meeting, in the meantime you need to get there before him and find any evidence that shows he is working for the bandits. Do you have the location of the bandit's base of operations yet?" Tomo could hear Yoko's voice in the background, "No, I am not wearing this! Kazuhiko you pervert! It's too tight! It doesn't fit!" "I'm sorry, you don't have combat gear, so you'll have to make do with my spare." "No!" "Stop throwing things at me, ow! You're not helping! Mochizuki-san, we will be in touch later. Kichida out."

Now Tomo was free to wake Kiri. He also noticed the look of pure admiration Chie had been giving him since he had created the cage. Afterwards, the group headed towards the ship.

The boat itself had guards stationed at the gangplank, but few any where else on the deck, and there were several other bandits constantly loading barrels and crates onto the ship. How would Tomo board undetected?

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Tomo stared at the bandits while he listened to Kichida speak, thinking on the side what to do with the big lugs. When Kichida was done, Tomo began to circle the ink cage, unsure how to deal with the situation. Just letting them go would be a horrible idea. They would either try again to get Chie or report back to their ship. Killing them is a little too vicious for my taste. If I leave them in the cage, I'll get too far out and my chakra will no longer reach. Not to mention it would draw unwanted attention should any of their pals walk by...I guess I only have one choice. Tomo got behind the group and gave a small sigh. "Sorry about this guys, but you understand that I can't have you reporting back. This hurts me more than it hurts you." Tomo released the cage, but not the bindings of the smarter of the three men. Tomo figured he'd be merciful to the ones that gave him all his information and not make either of them watch what he was about to do. After some quick hand signs, Tomo placed a hand on the back of the two men, sending large volts of electricity coursing through their bodies. Not enough to kill them, but enough to keep them out of the picture for the rest of the day. The men fell to the ground, completely unconscious, and Tomo couldn't help but taunt the third guy. Tomo gave the man a smirk and reached his hand out slowly, electricity visibly sparking from Tomo's palm. The man squirmed in his bindings, but to no avail. Tomo gave the man a wink before sending electricity shooting through the lug. Tomo released his bind on the man and watched as he fell to the ground with his companions.

Tomo picked the men up one by one and chucked them into a nearby bush. Hopefully people passing by would think the men drank too much and had passed out in the park. With that problem out of the way, Tomo made his way to Kiri. He knelt down beside the man and looked him over. Kiri wasn't harmed at all, which came as no surprise to Tomo. He had to admit, Kiri was pretty cute when he was asleep. Unconsciously, Tomo put his hand to Kiri's face and wondered why the man acted the way he did. Upon realizing what he was doing, Tomo quickly began to slap the man awake as a cover. Eventually Kiri would awaken and Tomo would quickly move to Chie's side. "Well little lady, I think it's about time we paid those bandits a visit." He gave her a wink, put her hood back on her head, and began to head towards the docks, knowing that his two unlikely companions would follow.

When the three made it to the ship, Tomo took note of his surroundings. Guards on plank, some loading barrels, not many on deck. Tomo closed his eyes to focus. Head-on would be bad. My goal is to get evidence, and there is no guarantee that the other bandits are as big of dolts as the others I met. The place where my evidence lies has to be in the captain's cabin and I want to believe that the man or woman in charge has at least some brains. I could transform into a bandit and bring a barrel on board as well, but that could be problematic if any of the men decided to talk to me. I could try the sexy lady approach...but that could raise more issues. Not to mention I'm on a time limit here. There seems to be only one option... Tomo turned towards Kiri. "Kiri, I want you to stay here and keep Chie safe. I'm going to sneak aboard. Keep hidden. If I need you, I'll send an ink bird to get you." Tomo took out his ink and a scroll. He rolled through it to find a little ink girl plastered on the page. He tapped her, and out popped Chibi Tama. Tomo pulled at her with his brush, adding ink as he did, and soon made her the size of a small child. He placed his hand on her head, partly as a way to apologize for the long absence, and partly to make sure she paid attention to him. "Alright Chibi Tama, I need you to distract those bandits over there. Keep them away from Kiri and Chie. You can try and take one or two of them out, but if it looks like they are too much, just try to draw them away from the ship. Please stay away from the sea, water will wash you away." Tomo lifted his hand from the ink girl's head and gave a salute to Chibi Tama.

With that part of the plan in motion, Tomo made sure his ink was closed tight, adding a little pocket of air in the bottle for extra protection. Tomo took his fedora off and placed it on Chie's head. "Keep that safe for me, I expect it back in the condition I left it in." He gave her a smile and gave Kiri a nod. With that, Tomo turned towards the water and dove in. He wasn't the best swimmer, but Tomo would be able to get to the ship without too much hassle. He shivered as the near freezing water surrounded his entire body, dreaming of a nice hot bath waiting for him at home. Tomo would have used his chakra on his feet to run on the water, but it would have left him wide open, and if even one bandit saw him, his plan would fall apart. He swam beneath the water until he reached the bottom of the boat. He came up on the other side, hidden from anyone on land. Tomo charged his hands with chakra and began to scale the side of the boat.

Tomo shivered yet again as the cold air blended with his dripping clothes and hair. He exhaled, a warm wind blowing around him. The wind wasn't strong, but it was enough to dry the droplets that threatened to cascading off Tomo's body. When he had recovered a little from the shock, Tomo searched the side of the ship and found ballista holes, just what he wanted. He peeked in, only to see five bandits lumbering around. Tomo was lucky enough that they didn't seem to notice him, and he slowly lowered the wooden flap. Better just to make a break for it on deck. Tomo climbed the rest of the way up the side of the boat and peeked over the edge. Whatever she was doing, Chibi Tama had successfully gotten the attention of the bandits. Tomo thanked her in his head before making a break for the captain's cabin. Tomo normally would have listened to hear if anyone was there, but he didn't have the time to. There was no way around it, he needed in the room and would have to face anyone in there head-on, or face failing his mission.

Tomo checked the knob. Locked...dang. Tomo's mind raced as he tried to think of a way in. Tomo took out his ink and popped the top. Thank goodness...still dry...well...dry in gooey ink standards... Tomo poured the ink into the lock, guiding it slightly with his chakra. When it seemed enough, he hardened it and turned it. He heard a light click noise. It was now or never. He needed in now and he needed in fast. Tomo readied Astrosigil, his faithful bow, and notched an arrow. He took a deep breath before swinging the door open, aiming at anyone who may be in the room, if there was anyone.

WC: 1,301
[MFT]

 

[Suzuki Setsu]

Chibi-Tama​

"Chibi-Tama is new and improved and ready to serve, Nii-tan!" the ink girl saluted smartly, "Nii-tan's depending on me, I won't let you down. Prepare for one awesome show!"

Tomo then issued his orders to Kiri and Chie.

Hito Kiri​

"OH! Order me more, Tomocchi! Commands from you are as sweet as honey! Although," here he leaned in close to Tomo's ear and whispered, "I'd much rather be by your side. But since I'm not here's something for good luck," he finished and lightly placed his lips on Tomo's cheek.

Serizawa Chie​

Chie had been working on putting the hood back on, after she had finished she caught the tail end of Kiri's actions. "Oi! What the heck are you doing to him!?" Another swift kick had Kiri rolling on the ground again. "That's embarrassing! You don't do those kinds of things in public, baka-Kiri!" Although if someone looked closely, they would be able to see a tiny trickle of blood dripping from her nose.

That was when Tomo handed the hat over, placing it on her head. This effectively shut her up, and if the hood hadn't been covering her face, one would be able to see that her face was completely red. "G-Guess it can't be helped, I suppose I'll take care of it for you. B-but it's not like I'm doing it cuz I want to, it'd just be a shame for such a g-good looking hat to get ruined."

Tomo's plan worked perfectly. As he swam around the boat he could hear the commotion Chibi-Tama was causing on deck. This allwoed him to quietly scale the side of the boat and enter through one of the many arbalest holes. The only difficulty he had was the locked door, but that was quickly circumvented through the clever use of his ink jutsu. The lock clicked and the door swung open to reveal a pale, purple haired man standing with his back to the doorway.

Captain of the Bandits​

"Oya? Is zat disturbance on ze deck take care of? I have a meeting soon and do not wish to be disturbed by samurai men, or ninja men for zat matter."

The man was slowly turning to face the doorway, so Tomo had to take care of the situation quickly, lest he lose his advantage.

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Tomo was taken aback by the figure before him. Having dealt with burly bandit men all day, it was a shock to see such a scrawny man in charge, and that accent was silly to say the least. This astonishment only lasted a moment though, and Tomo began to run through his options. Not enough time for ink. Only option is to shoot him, but where? Head? No, I don't want to kill him. Arm? No, too small of a target and wouldn't stop the guy from attacking. Torso it is. Tomo pulled his arrow back and began to charge it with electricity. He counted in his head, waiting to release his arrow so the man would finish turning and take an electric arrow to the stomach, avoiding any internal organs of course. If successful, Tomo would close the door and begin to rummage through the man's things, questioning him as Tomo did. If not successful, then Tomo would probably be in for a fight.

 

[Suzuki Setsu]

Captain of the Bandits​

Tomo's timed shot, reached its target. "Oya!?" the man said as the shaft pierced his abdomen, effectively pinning him against the wall of the cabin. "It zeems I have an unexpected guest," the man managed to cough out. His voice was glib, but Tomo could tell that he was in a lot of pain, and wouldn't be able to interefere with any actions he took from this point on. Still, it was surprising for one so scrawny-looking to have enough willpower to stay conscious and cognizant with an arrow through his middle. Tomo heard some more crashing and noises of destruction from above deck, "I take zat zis means I have no aid for ze moment," the captain sighed.

Tomo began to rummage through the man's desk, methodically opening drawers and riflng through them. In the first, he found a surprisingly large amount of wrapped hard candy. "Ah feel free to eat zome if you like, they're quite good," came the remark from the captain.

"Thank you but I must decline," Tomo said, adding a quick bow of apology before returning the search without missing a beat, "I never dine and dash."

In the second drawer was a small photo album. In the third, a lockbox with a rather complicated locking mechanism. And in the fourth and final drawer, the captain's log. "By the way, I don't zuppose you're the man I am meeting now, yes? Zis would be a poor way to start negotiations, but I zuppose that matters little considering the position you have put me in, both then and now." The man was still surprising calm about this whole ordeal. And Tama would notice that the captain looked a little sad.

Tomo cold feel his chakra draining from sustaining Chibi-Tama's life-size form for so long, he would have time to only look at one item from the desk or question the captain before he would be at his limits chakra-wise, Chibi-Tama was just as energetic as the real one after all.

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Tomo quickly weighed his options. Time was short, so looking through these things would have to wait. In the drawer with the photo album was a camera, and Tomo got an idea. He took it and placed it in his pocket, making sure the inside was dry first. He also took out the photo album and captain's log, holding them up for the captain to see. "Sorry, but I've been asked to find evidence and there isn't enough time to look through these at the moment. I'll return them after this is all over." Tomo placed them under his arm and leaned against the desk, facing his victim. "And I'll answer your questions if you answer mine. No, I'm not the one you were meant to negotiate with. I was sent to investigate your operation and find evidence on your supporter. From the sounds of it, I might be able to help you. Are you being forced to do this? Help me out and I'll do what I can to help you out, maybe starting with patching you up?" Tomo's tone was stern, but sincere. He was banking on the hint that the captain wasn't actually the one in charge and that this man was simply a victim caught in the middle of the law and a scummy politician. If he could get the captain to talk, things would go smoother. If not, he still had his back-up plan. Time was ticking and Tomo hoped the captain would be quick to respond, or at least pardon Tomo should Chibi Tama disappear and a gaggle of bandits decide to storm the captain's cabin.

WC: 272

 

[Suzuki Setsu]

Captain of the Bandits​

"Zat is an interesting question, ninja-boy. Coastal raiding is not my style. My men and I much prefer ze open sea, meddling ninja-men, samurai men, and policemen don't have the resources to puruse us on the open sea. Still, I chose to do zis. Invade zis town. And I do not regret it at all. Could you pass me a candy? Being pinned to the wall sure works up ze appetite."

A few seconds passed as Tomo passed the man a candy from the drawer, "But still that doesn't answer the real question, why are you doing this?"

"Something was stolen from me a long time ago, and zis is where it was taken. I came to take it back. It is very important that I find it."

Tomo cocked his eyebrow, "What was stolen?" This information could potentially be useful, and Tomo could use it in a variety of ways. He was also slightly curious, just what could this man value so much that he would risk his livelihood to take it back.

"My daughter. She was taken from me five years ago, ze man who did zis offered to return her to me, in exchange for being his private pirates. We would attack ze settlements on ze coast, he would complain to ze governement for self-defense money, which he pocketed. Only making minor improvements to the defenses of ze settlements each time." The captain remained silent for a while after this, during which Tomo could hear that there was no commotion on the deck. Chibi-Tama has dissapated. He was out of time.

"Oi, you lot, take me to your captain, this instant! I want to know what the meaning of this is!" The voice was angry and panicked, and after it had spoken footsteps could be heard heading towards the captain's cabin.

"Your mission is to take out ze bandits and their supporter, yes?" the captain asked conspiratorially. When Tomo nodded, the captain broke the arrow shaft off where it was embedded in the wood behind him. Removing the shaft from his stomach, he watched as it crumbled into ink powder, "Simply fascinating," turning his attention back to the Kumo-nin, "Hide in my wardrobe, and observe. Zat's all I ask." Tomo quickly and quietly took his position in the wardrobe, while the captain wrapped his wound with one of his other shirts.

???​

"Oi!" the door burst open, "What is the meaning of this? I have a pair of shinobi in my office, examining every speck of dust in there! When I asked why it was because, 'Someone had sent in a request for an embezzlement investigation.'" The man placed his hands on the desk before lowering his voice dangerously, "The only person being investigated is me, what did you do?"

"Moi? I did nothing. I only just survived a shinobi attack myself, someone with a mission to 'destroy ze bandits attacking Zekai Yuki,' I wonder who could have sent zem, hmm?" the captain retorted calmly.

The other man's face flushed, "If you want to see your daughter alive, Captain Serizawa, I suggest you ship out and help me escape. If not, I cannot guarantee her safety."

"But ze word on ze street suggests that my cute and resourceful daughter is no longer in your custody, in fact zree of my men say zey saw her in ze company of a razzer flamboyant young man and his dashing companion, a man who left zem alive and relatively unharmed when zey tried to take her back," the captain stood as the man's face went pale, pulling a cutlass from under his desk, Tomo had never realized it was there. "Since you no longer have ze ability to order me around, I zink we should try something else. How about we start with me paying you back, with interest of course, for separating me and my daughter for half a decade!" The captain leaped over the desk at the man, who only barely managed to parry the blow with a small dagger. On any other day this battle would have ended with the captain's victory, but he was injured by Tomo's arrow. And that injury was taking it's toll, as the fight dragged on the captain was being pushed back slowly but steadily. The other man, noticing this began to attack more confidently and aggressively. What would Tomo do?

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Tomo did as he was told and crept into the wardrobe, leaving a little gap in the doors so he could not only hear the conversation, but see it as well. He listened to their conversation, kicking himself mentally when he realized who he had shot...he'd need to make it up to Chie somehow. Soon, the conversation ended and the captain jumped at the man. The wound Tomo had given the captain was slowing him down a bit, enough to give the blonde-haired man the edge he needed. It was time for Tomo to enter the fight.

Tomo kicked the wardrobe doors open and put the camera to his face. "Say cheese." The blonde man turned with surprise as the camera clicked. Stunned by the bright flash, the man instinctively put his free hand to his eyes. Taking this opportunity, Tomo made quick hand signs and his hand began to spark. He lunged at the blonde man and Tomo's fist connected with his victim's stomach. The man crumpled to the ground, slightly convulsing from the electricity flowing through him. Tomo glared down at the man. He had added a bit more juice to his punch than usual, and he wasn't sympathetic in the least. He could understand what happened to Chie. Though it had been more consensual than the captain's situation, Tomo still felt like he had been taken away from his family by Kumogakure. This situation, though much more severe, hit home for Tomo, and he wanted the man to suffer for the crime he had committed.

Tomo refrained from giving the man a kick and instead turned his attention to Captain Serizawa. "Sorry about the misunderstanding. Normally I'm not a 'shoot first ask questions later' kind of guy, but I was running short on time." Tomo took the photo from the camera and placed it on the desk. He then took a picture of the man on the ground, still obviously hurting from Tomo's punch. He took the new photo and gave it to the captain. "Here, I think you might like to keep a picture of this scumbag suffering." Tomo returned the camera to the desk, as well as the photo album and captain's log. "My mission was to look into the bandits terrorizing Sekai Yuki and deal with the situation in the most efficient way possible. I assume with Chie back in your custody, you'll be leaving this port, yes? If so, then my mission will be considered a success. As a bonus, I'll let you decide what becomes of this man here. To be honest, he probably has connections, meaning a prison wouldn't be able to hold him for long, so I'll leave it to you to pass proper judgment on him, whatever that entails." Tomo gave the captain a bow, adding a flourish to it. "Until we meet again Captain." With that, Tomo walked out of the cabin.

Tomo got to the plank and surveyed the damage Chibi Tama had wrought. There were some bandits that looked wet, probably kicked into the ocean. Others had a black eye or two, or a bandage on some part of their body. Tomo walked down the plank, bowing and apologizing to the men as he did. He found a giant ink spot on the ground and placed his hand on it. Using his chakra, Tomo pulled the ink from the ground and placed it in his ink well. He made a mental note to redraw Chibi Tama and thank her for all her help. Tomo noticed Chie and Kiri walking up to him, and he couldn't help but feel a bit sheepish, one, because of the kiss Kiri had given him, and two, for having shot Chie's father. However, Tomo quickly recovered and gave struck a pose. "Well, all's well that ends well. The bad guy is caught and all the good guys are alive. I think that's a mission success if I've ever experienced one...which I have of course." Tomo gave Chie a wink. "And hey! My hat looks in top shape. In fact, why don't you keep it? I've got replacements at home, and it goes well with your cloak." Tomo gave Chie a smile, deciding against telling her what he had done to her father. He had seen what she could do, and he didn't want to get a bruise after all his hard work to keep himself looking generally pristine.

Tomo then turned to Kiri. "Thank you for your help. I...hope we meet again sometime." Tomo's mind flashed back to the kiss, and his face flushed lightly. That had been his first kiss from a male, and it certainly hadn't been bad by any means. Tomo was curious about Kiri, and felt that the young man had something hidden away. What that thing was, Tomo couldn't even begin to guess, and chances were, Tomo would never find out. Regardless, Tomo gave Kiri a sincere smile, and began to chat with him and Chie until Kichida showed up.

WC: 834
[MFT]

 

[Suzuki Setsu]

The man violently convulsed as he stared at the blonde boy who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, then he collapsed to the ground still twitching from the shock that Tomo had given him. Tomo shook his fist, some residual sparks flying from his hand and breathed a sigh of relief.

Captain Serizawa​

"Oya, I am happy you chose not to hit me with zat," the captain, now revealed to be Captain Serizawa, and Chie's father, panted as he leaned on his cutlass. "Zank you for your timely intervention, ninja-boy. And zank you for keeping my daughter safe."

Hearing Tomo's apologies concerning his wound Captain Serizawa chuckled, "Do not concern yourself with me, I was fully prepared to die zere. I have been since I intercepted his missive to Kumogakure," the captain glanced contemptuously at the twitching man on the floor of the cabin, "Of course he would have noticed if nobody ever came, so I simply edited his request and sent it on its way. I was willing to play ze part of henchman if it meant zat my daughter would have been free."

Then Tomo handed him the picture, and he laughed, "Ah yes, I suppose I can show him ze true hospitality of ze open seas. Until then, ninja-boy."

------------------------------------------​

Serizawa Chie​

Outside of the ship Chie rushed across the plank, her hood flying off halfway and leaving Kiri to catch it and follow. The fedora though, was tightly held in her hands. "Chie was.....worried. Chie......kept it......safe," she said before hugging Tomo tightly. Kiri arrived and plopped the hood back onto her head, prompting Chie to suddenly release Tomo saying, "Hmph, I-I wasn't that worried, I mean after all, you were able to beat me, so there was no way you could lose. But you can't lose to anyone else now, just wait, I'll get stronger and then I'll be able to--," Kiri interrupted her before she could finish

Hito Kiri​

"Hai hai Chichi, now it's my turn!" Kiri said jovially, picking the small girl up and setting her down on the opposite side of him, so that he was between her and Tomo. And for good measure he removed her hood again, just so he wouldn't get roundhouse kicked from behind. "You're unfair, Tomocchi only giving Chichi a present. After all we've been through together! But it's okay, I forgive you, Tomocchi. After all, I'll just take my present!" He leaned in close and quickly nibbled Tomo's earlobe, ducking away before he could react. "Tastes like Tomocchi!" he said, feigning embarrassment.

Izawa Yoko -- Retired Cloud Nin​

It was at this point both Kazuhiko and Yoko arrived on the scene. "Really, Kazuhiko. We didn't even have to fight anything, so I am beginning to suspect your motives for making me wear this." Yoko was dressed in identical combat gear to Kazuhiko's, except that it was a little tighter on her in certain places than Kazuhiko.

Kichida Kazuhiko​

"As I said earlier, we didn't know what we would be going into, and we need to be prepared. And besides, I didn't want to see you get hurt," Kazuhiko said this with complete sincerity and caused Yoko to blush.

"Hmph, w-well like I w-would let myself get hurt so easily. Really, you fuss over me too much." Tomo thought that she looked surprisingly happy despite her words, but declined to comment. He didn't want to be on the receiving end of any of Yoko's attacks.

"Good work, Mochizuki-san. You handled yourself well in this mission," Kazuhiko said to the young genin, "Izawa-san you are expected to return as well, though I'll put in a word for you so you can sort out your family issues first. Take your time."

"Thanks, Kazuhiko."

With that Kazuhiko headed towards the train station and back towards the train station and Kumogakure, with Tomo in tow.

{Mission Success! Post your exit and return to Kumo!}

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Tomo was surprised by Chie's hug, but he didn't push her away. She seemed to toughen up a bit when her hood was placed back on her head...a curious transformation. However, Tomo couldn't ponder too long before Kiri was before him. Tomo didn't want to explain why he was giving Chie his hat, but Kiri had already forgiven Tomo, taking a nibble from his ear. Tomo's face seemed to glow red as his mind turned over the event that had just taken place. Tomo was about to yell at Kiri for invading his personal space when he heard Izawa speak. Tomo was surprised by the interactions between the two, confused as to Izawa's sudden change in attitude. However, this question was soon forgotten as Kichida congratulated Tomo on a successful mission. Tomo wondered why Kichida didn't ask about the man they had been trailing, but came to the conclusion that Kichida already knew what happened and accepted Tomo's judgment. With that, Tomo began to follow Kichida. He passed and turned to see Chie and Kiri waving fervently. Tomo gave them a smile and lightly waved back. He swore he saw Kiri blow a kiss to him, and Tomo merely shook his head before turning back around, to head for home.

WC: 210
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