Getting Lost in a Crowd

Uri · Aug 27, 2014

Hyakurai Ryuuto

Sousuke took some time to alert the others in his party that he was leaving and coming back with allies to help take back the village. Whatever ordeal they had just come from looked like a painful, both emotionally and physically, traumatic event. Ryuuto could admire Sousuke's resolve in the face of such dire straits. Being young did wonders to reinforce the steadfast nature of an already stubborn leader. They traveled swiftly, and while Sousuke had offered the use of the enormous insect for transportation, Ryuuto declined and remained astride his sandrunner. Their trip was uneventful and no storms dare slow their progress; it was unusually shady, like a cloud was always blocking out the sun and made the trip that much easier. Being able to manipulate the weather had its advantages.

They arrived at the great merchant city and had little trouble gaining access. While Sunagakure may be under siege and in a state of panic, the trade capital of Wind Country remained unfazed as the hustle and bustle of everyday business continued like normal. Ryuuto always found it funny how thousands of people could be suffering just below the feet of everyone and they would never think twice about it, even if the simple discovery of those in need would bring them solace. That was the nature of the shinobi world and many had accepted it. There were things people just didn't want to be privy to and they mentally blocked out any possibility of involvement. The Raikage couldn't blame them. The world they lived in was a cruel and vicious one at times.

Lowering his traveling hood, he ruffled his hair to release some of the trapped grains of sand and turned to look at his compatriot, "So, Mako is first on the list, yes? She is your contact, so lead the way." The former kage did not forget he had volunteered to stand in Sousuke's place for the exchange and decided to do some digging of his own. "Are there any quirks I should be aware? I've dealt with a lot of colorful characters in my time as an ANBU undercover agent and they all had little details that needed to be met or else they just went insane. I'd rather not dash any of our future hopes because I didn't pat my head and rub my stomach at the same time."

Takahashi Aki · Aug 27, 2014

Sousuke's journey through the desert was not pleasant, but it would have been far worse if there was a storm. Although he was the Steward, he was mostly a home-body and not used to such an extended stay on the surface. Certainly he was worse for wear, but in times before the Steward would have been in a far worse condition. As Ken set him down, the Steward grasped the finger of Ken as he seemed a bit wobbly. It took him a moment to gather his strength, as usually he relied upon his armour to keep him safe. Now he was merely wearing a leather-like armour, his helmet, and an integrated breather. "Thank-you for doing what you can about the weather ... " He paused for a moment as more and more strength came to him. "And thank-you Ken. You may return to your home now." The giant insect paused for a moment and indicated for him to wait a moment as he reached back and opened his wings. He took something out of his wings and brought it down.

Sousuke's eyes narrowed as when it became quite clear what Ken had. It wasn't a what. It was a who. It was Okibi in fact. The Steward and his ward exchanged glances. Tama hadn't quite given him a clean bill of health, something along the lines of 'weakened but gaining strength of a sort' was his assessment of Sousuke's situation, but the Steward was adamant about returning to Soon's. Ward and Guardian exchanged stormy looks. It was safe to say Aki was in good company being that of Tama, Number Seven, or Prime Diamund. "Yes. Fine. I'm not going to argue. You know that I know, that you know I'm not capable of listening to your impossible request of not getting hurt." The two had an exchange of sorts. About how Sousuke looked after everyone but himself, and he was very important to be kept well. Okibi taking an approach of the one, Sousuke taking the approach of the many. A moment later the two ceased their argument, which was really a mild exchange of sorts. Okibi's temper cooled down soon enough, and Sousuke's nature remained as it usually did. Cool and calm.

"I'm not making a scene. I'm really not. I'm not the one with a giant beetle and is covered head to toe in leather and metal." Okibi crossed her arms. That was that.

Sousuke turned to Ryuuto. "Do your children give you this much grief?" Okibi piped up with a 'heeeeey' and flicked him in the shoulder.

Ryuuto next went over the first part of the plan, but the man required an education. The Steward listened, and reached into his bag. It wouldn't surprise Sousuke if Tama had somehow managed to seal himself in a summoning scroll and put himself in the bag. The same stood for Hiku. The Steward peaked into his bag looking for some additional scrolls or anything. He couldn't find anything extra. He removed from his bag a pad of paper and a pen. He began jotting down what seemed to be an equation. It was an extensive one with brackets, symbols, letters. As he finished he tore it off and handed it to Ryuuto. "Mako prides herself in knowledge, so she likes riddles... take this to her. She should be able to solve it in roughly forty-seven seconds. If it takes a minute be suspicious." He warned. "The answer is two hundred, ninety-two. If she gives you the wrong answer, be even more suspicious and then proceed to leave. She'll recognize this as my sort of handywork, if she asks about me tell her ... I am recovering. Don't shake her hand, don't hug her, don't get physical in any form. Keep two meters away from her. Wear gloves. She hates it when people touch her items who are not gloved. When you enter stamp your feet to get all the sand or dirt gone." Okibi then made a remark about how Mako sounded very much like someone she knew. Sousuke shot her another stormy look. "This is just Mako alone. The other Merchant lords have their own customs. Think of entering their household like entering a new country." Sousuke paused for a moment. "Perhaps in turn we should go find your contacts. Anything I should be mindful of them? Any different sort of respects I need to pay them?"

Just as Sousuke finished a coughing fit overtook him. Usually such a fit lasted several minutes, but this one he seemed to conquer with less time. Gaining strength was a fair assessment. Gaining strength of what sort though was another matter. What exactly was going on with Sousuke's personal biology was an enigma of sorts. Okibi gripped Sousuke by the shoulder, and grew wide eyed as his recovery rate.

WC: 808 marked for training

Toraono Michino · Aug 31, 2014

A few hours was all they were able to get.

Yet despite the weight of the world crushing down on them in knowing what they had to go and do the two new parents spent every last second with Aki. For the first time in his life the scientist felt a strange completion. It was akin to the feeling he got when he finally found the solution the most major problem in a science equation only more...fulfilling. The elation that went through his body when he stroked the boy’s hair while lounging against Okibi near the mouth of the cave as they all looked out into the world beyond would be a memory that the blond would treasure until death; for never before had he known such a state of peace.

Yet as all things in the world of reality it came to an end.

It was the sound of a creature being summoned with chakra that caught the scientist’s attention and the smell of what he had to believe was Sousuke, though there was something off about it now. He didn't catch the scent of the other man whom was there but when Tama tilted his head back to look up at his lover’s face he saw the concern there. Grabbing Aki around his narrow torso the scientist lifted his adopted child up and stood to free Okibi from beneath him. A single sentence was spoken between them by the blond and it was that he would be along shortly. The Wild Child and her stark white hair nodded back to her lover and left a lingering look on the child before taking off to go with Sousuke and the stranger in their plans.

Aki seemed a little perturbed that his mother left so quickly, but the presence of Tama and his banana seemed to keep the tike under control enough. They both seemed to be lost in time as they stared out into the world beyond; the child curious of what was beyond and the adult terrified. After some time the child dozed off in Tama’s arms as he continued to gaze out with thoughts ever circling through his mind. He would have never noticed if Prime hadn't come to take Aki from Tama’s arms. He looked down at the sleeping form of his son and chuckled a little as he flicked away a bit of half-eaten banana that had gotten on him before handing the tiny wonder over to the prime ape. As she began to move back into the depths of the cavern the blond finally found his voice,
“In the craziness of my life, never once did I ever think I would have the chance to become a father, or even wanted to be one...yet in the short time I’ve known Aki I already can no longer imagine my life without him. When he wakes, tell him we’re going to get his home back for him...”

===

The preparation for the jutsu took only a few minutes but he still couldn't help but feel that thrill of trying out something new as well as the nervousness that creeped on the edges of his mind. After activating the clan seal on his chest he easily understood the ley lines of the world and how nature chakra flowed through them and with the new eye in his left socket he could now also see all forms of chakra. So the idea of traveling by using the ley lines was no longer a crazy-ass theory of his; it was now totally plausible. Yet in order to do it safely a little forethought need to be taken in order. For one if he just simply used his control over nature chakra to suck him into the ley line, which he could do, he would have no idea how close/far his destination would be nor would he be able to control the speed of which he traveled. The speed of life, he supposed, would be the norm.
On the ground before him he had laid out of a scroll and written a mix of ancient and common jutsu calligraphy all across it. In the center he had a swirling mark that was, if his theory was correct, would be able to adjust his speed of travel. The only other thing that he needed was an exit scroll that would safely mark the location of his destination. Thankfully he had prepared for this situation and left all of his scrolls on Sousuke’s giant beetle.
Tama reached up and removed the makeshift eyepatch from his left eye and pumped a large amount of chakra into it to activate the second form and grant him complete vision over all forms of chakra. For a moment he was entranced by the beauty that the world was when seen through the eyes of an Uchiha. After a few seconds the scientist broke his self-inflicted trance and formed his hands into a three part seal to focus his chakra into a certain style before pressing it against the scroll. In a flash and a cloud of dust the blond disappeared with nothing but a burning scroll to mark the spot he was in.

A scroll in Sousuke’s bag didn’t even so much as give a single warning before throwing itself out and expanding before unraveling itself before the trio. Another flash and puff of dust as if he had popped out of the ground and Tama was kneeling before them. He stood up and dusted off his...chest? He held out his arms to see that he was indeed lacking of a shirt and upon further inspection he saw that the remains of the clothes he had were of extremely poor condition.
“I do hope we come across somewhere that has some clothes. I’m not very big on the idea of running around as the Hobo Avenger. Ooh! Look at that! A merchant table! Excuse me, I'm in need of style.”

Okibi · Sep 3, 2014

(OMGAWD! A POST! =o)

Okibi put a clawed hand on her hip and flicked her long hair over her shoulder as she turned away from Sousuke with a huff. Arguing with him about his safety was pointless; and people thought she was reckless. Really, where did they think she got it from? She looked around at the hustling and bustling going on around her, not sure why they were in Soon's, but figuring it was important and having something to do with the stranger that Sousuke was speaking with. They hadnt been introduced, the stranger and herself, but there was chance for very little when you were stowing away in the wings of a giant beetle.

It was the loud pop and bright flash that brought her attention back towards the males. Okibi jumped and had her arms up in defense before the light faded, but she had to blink water from her eyes after looking at the light straight on. Her shoulder's relaxed and her arms dropped when she saw Tama standing in place where the line had exploded and for a moment she didnt question how he got there; she was simply relieved he wasnt another enemy.

Then came the questions. Quirking a brow, Okibi crossed her arms and grinned at the blond. "Where'd you come from Tami?" she asked simply. It was then that she spotted the scroll under his feet and her grin widened. "Sneaky mate." Lastly, she noticed his state of dress and her other eyebrow rose to meet the first. She didnt have time to make a comment before her love went off to find himself more suitable clothing.

Sousuke chose that moment to fall into a coughing fit. Okibi was immediately concerned and clasped onto his shoulder in worry. It passed quickly though, which was surprising. "You okay?" She asked softly, though it was probably a pointless question.

Uri · Sep 5, 2014

Hyakurai Ryuuto

The Raikage nodded to the Steward, "All the time and then some. It comes with being a parent."

After that was all said and done there was a sudden disturbance as a figure exploded forth from Sousuke's bag. A jolt of electrically energy surged down his arm, but he withheld the dazzling blade as he realized it was one of Sousuke's consorts. There was a trend forming with ninja from Sunagakure not having conspicuous personalities or habits. The scene shouted 'We're ninja, look at us!' and Ryuuto internally slammed his palm against his forehead. Like he had drilled into his ANBU over two decades of service, less was more and would often save one's life down the line. If Sand's invaders had an intelligence network, it would be safe to say they'd have brokers in the largest merchant city in the country. Hopefully they were off getting coffee then.

Ryuuto accepted the paper from Sousuke and tucked it into a pocket on the inside of his coat. In the same motion, his hand came back out with a pair of dark-stained gray gloves. He slid them on and nodded in acceptance of the knowledge and proffered equation.

"She sound quite tame in comparison to some of the other eccentrics in this country. I've done dealings with a few of the merchant lords under different aliases and they all have a unique brand of crazy." A slight shift in his footing and he gaze down the packet street ways, scanning the area for any threats or oddities. Age did bring with it a certain level of experience that aided greatly in situations like this, but his gut instinct had always led him the best and in that moment he felt secure to continue on their conversation. A small gesture of his hand to get them walking, and they started a leisurely stroll like any other group of outsiders browsing goods.

"Hisoka is a simple enough person. She spends most of her time fishing, cares little for superficial items, and enjoys a cold ale when she can get it. It's not a requirement, but she always does appreciate a good Orange Rose Brew from one of the importers here in the city. Honestly, the most trouble you'll have is finding her. When she's on undersea missions, she can be difficult to track. Go to Susumu village by following the coastline south for a few hours. Stay near the docks and you'll run into her eventually. She has wild blue hair. Impossible to miss. Just mention that ol' Stormy is calling in a favor and she'll comply."

Golden gaze went skyward; it was a pleasantly warm day with blue skies and not a single cloud to be seen. Sometimes he just made things beautiful without tending to.

"I'll keep the weather calm while you're out. Lets meet back at Buroku's Pub, near the fishing district in six hours. If something goes wrong, don't come back to Soon's, go back to Deadline immediately." Ryuuto kept up his relaxed, rhythmic walk and kept his tone completely level and cool, "And for the love of Raiden, try not to broadcast you're shinobi. You're not in the village anymore and obvious markers are red flags for a lot of people to report in on. The less they know, the better off we are. Best of luck, chaps. See you in the evening."

As if he was part of the foot traffic, he just sidled down another street and broke off from the group, hands in his pockets. Occasionally, he would stop to look at something that lie on a table, and when the next person crossed him, he would have vanished completely into the crowd of people. There was no ninja-magic being used, just good old fashioned covert training and a sense of people flow. Someone trained to be an invisible assassin didn't do it and survive to nearly be sixty without being one of the best.

While he had never directly dealt with Mako, he had always been aware of her. Part of living away from a connected shinobi village like Kumogakure, was that he had to establish his own network to gather intelligence. All the surrounding countries he had worked in over the last several decades had brought with it people willing to feed him back tidbits of interesting news stories and lucrative information; either for payment of protection. A stop off in the restroom in one of many restaurants in the merchant district and some subtle metallic manipulation and he altered his outfit to be that of another dust-covered, Wind Country trader. Polarity was a wonderful ability to have, and when clothes could be made to have several sides tucked away inside, changing one's appearance in a split second was easy.

A little more time and he arrived at the storefront business where Mako's facilities were housed. Flexing his fingers inside his gloves, he carefully opened the door, sent a pulse of electricity to disturb any dust or dirt still clinging to his form off of it, and entered into the establishment. There were trinkets and books lining the walls. While dirt seemed like an impossibility to keep out, the store was spotless and the services without blemish. At the counter all the way in the back was a woman, waiting, watching as the stranger entered into her building. Not missing a beat, he approached, keeping his back straight and his hands in plain sight and dropped the card onto the table, taking a few steps back to accommodate for the two meter distance. Military doctrine had some similarities, so this wasn't unusually for Ryuuto in the least bit.

"I was wondering if you had a certain something I was looking for." He said, eyes gesturing to the equation before her.

---

There was one importer in all of Soon's that carried Orange Rose Ale, but there was nothing unusual about the vendor or the alcohol. It was a simple errand if Sousuke and co. decided to pursue it.

Susumu was due south of Soon's and could be reached by boat or via road with ease. It was small and didn't exactly bring in a ton of fish, not enough for anyone to think twice about the tiny assemblage of salty sailors and career fishermen long retired to sun-streaked days and drunken nights. There was however, rumor of a diver there who was capable of finding any exotic sealife other had trouble in locating. Sandstone composed many of the buildings there and it was large enough that a person with a good-enough throwing arm could get a rock from one side of the village to the other. A tavern was the centermost point and where many people were regulars. Surrounding it were smaller, single room homes that the resident resided in. On the coastline, dug into the sandy beaches were small caves carved into the dunes and their entrances covered with palm fronds and reeds; it created a small living room-sized space that many would spend their day in while fishing, drinking, and enjoying the sunshine.

Where oh where could Hisoka be?

Takahashi Aki · Sep 5, 2014

Sousuke sighed as Tama made a scene. His eyes shifted over to Ryuuto who didn't react or show any form discontentedness. "Tama likes to make an entry. Stealth isn't his strong suit, but I'm certainly going to make sure he gets it, and very soon at that." Like Ryuuto, Sousuke too had mentally face palmed as Tama took the most ... unceremonious way of catching up. Tama was being lazy. Sloth did not do people favours. "Tama. Do not acquire clothing through criminal means. If you so much as do so I'm going to make things very difficult for your next published thesis." Sousuke warned. The Steward being a valued member of the scientific community had some perks. Certaininly when it came specifically to ... sometimes being pulled in to sit on the community board for the assessment of published thesis.

Ryuuto quickly pocketed the note. "Insanity isn't the problem, it's the type of insanity. Those of the criminally insane deposition, who I have dealt with on several occasion mind you, cause the most problem." The former Raikage spoke of his companion Hisoka. The Steward merely absorbed the information and made several mental notes. It seemed that the really the concept of waiting, patience in particular, was going to come into effect. The Steward shot Okibi a glance, knowing too well that she was not a patient individual. Surely Tama could help her pass the time in a manner that was not going to deeply disturb Sousuke. "Understood." He would say after the final word of keeping a low profile. Sousuke's eyes narrowed at Tama. "Silent as the grave will find a particular meaning in Tama's large cranium."

***

The Steward very much like Ryuuto proceeded to blend into the crowd. He made a few purchases. Two bag of sour peach candy for Okibi. A shirt for Tama. Eventually they made it to the ale merchant. The Steward made another purchase. He purchased half a dozen bottles of the ale and added them to his bag. The Steward wondered why this particular brand. It was not overly expensive. It had no critical acclaim to its taste. A mystery. Perhaps the drink had a critical claim in another land? Perhaps it was well known in Lightning Country? It was just a Hisoka's favourite. Maybe she just liked the simple ordinary things.

The Steward eyed his bag and sealed it shut. He eyed both Okibi and Tama. He then turned to the merchant. "A bag of ice too would be nice. To keep the good stuff cold." Sousuke paid for the ice and placed it in his bag. "Save some of the sour peaches won't you?" He spoke to Okibi. She did like her peaches, but did she like them enough to share? One would hope so.

***

The journey to Susumu was pleasant. Refreshing even. The Steward from time to time would look skyward. He was thankful for the storm control that the Raikage provided. From time to time they would stop for a break. During these moments Sousuke would fill Tama and Okibi in on who their ally was, and that he was his father's trusted ally. The Steward spoke of their mission, to meet with a particular friend of Ryuuto. "No Tama. I don't want you making a show at Susumu. I want you very much to kick it down a notch. Five in fact." He placed a special emphasis on the number five as Tama was a man of numbers.

Susumu was a new experience for the Steward. It was most unlike Soon's. Very small it was. He had read of these little places, but had not experienced them before. There was a lively bustle of life. Sousuke quickly took note that the center of this little village was a tavern. This must have been ... a prime example of the drinking culture at work. Loud noises came out of the tavern. "Tama have a look at the docks. Okibi go have a seat and do some people watching outside of the tavern. I'm going to go into the tavern. See what kind of stories I'll hear. I'll be in the tavern for exactly for no more than fifty minutes. Should you see me at the docks, now that I am done my business there."

Simple orders. Should any of them run into trouble, they weren't too far away from each other to call for help. Not that Sousuke suspected there to be much trouble. He handled criminals. What worse could a few drunks be?

The Steward would make his entrance as he pushed forward he saloon doors. As he made his entrance way in he clicked his boots together causing a slight variation to occur, being that spur would appear on the back of his boots. Small changes could go a long way. "Mighty fine day. Howdy y'all. Can I get a shot of Red Ash Sake?" why did Cowboys speak like this? It was murder to the common tongue.

(Marked for training, 833 words)

Toraono Michino · Sep 7, 2014

Just as soon as the blonde hair man reached up to peel off the cloth that hid his sharingan did the ol’ master behind him speak of his ill-tolerance towards trickery to gain his clothing. Tama froze up in mid step, sighed, and took his hand down as his took on the look of his clothing yet another time. He was shoeless, his pants were frayed, and only trace amount of cloth was left on him from the mission before the discovery of their own home being taken over by what he could only assume were local forces.
Instructions were given and the trio parted ways from the old Raikage. A new shirt was, thankfully, bought with hard earned coin and the scientist donned it without so much as giving it a look. When he did look down at the front he had almost wished he hadn't for the shirt bore the image of a cockney man in metal fighting with a dragon and winning; he wondered if Sousuke had done this on purpose for a moment.
As if Sousuke also had a mind wave meter for the fellow scientist’s brain he then began to tell the blonde off on his normal style of procedure was going to have to be taken down a good couple of numerical notches.

Which really sucked cuz Tama was always at Eleven.

The frustration and moodiness of being told off by a superior showed clearly on his face but for the sake of his pride as a...scientist? He sure as hell wasn't a shinobi; did he keep his cool and proceeded to take on a very ‘stranger in a strange land’ look to his face as if he was a tourist who had just come off the boats via a good smuggling and was excited by the new surroundings. Hopefully if anyone was watching it would be the local guard and not anything the Cabal had in hand.

After about a good minute’s travel did they reach their destination and already Tama was bored out of his skull. He wasn't much of one for subversion and sneaking about, even if the enemy completely called for it. He had always been spoiled by the sheer amount of power that he, before the mission, had ready at hand. In all honesty had the Cabal tried to pull this shit back when the trio was still in the village they would have no doubt failed in their onslaught. Between Sousuke’s incredible mind, Tama’s connection with the Ancient race, (never minding the Ancient that actually bloody lived there), and Okibi’s nose combined with the rest of the forces of Suna...well he highly doubted the Cabal would have stood a chance.
Actually now that the brain picked at the thought he had wondered what they did to contain Mikaboshi. As evil a creature as the Ancient was he doubted that the shade would simply lay back and let the home of his master be torn down before him without action. It was something that was going to bug him until they return with the end step of this grand master plan.
As instructed Tama stuck a hand in his pocket and turned towards the dock but not before sneaking out the spare to stroke a finger across Okibi’s wrist and flash a confident smile but worried eyes. As if to say “please don’t kill them”. He had heard stories of how bad sailors got around women after being away from them for a time and then given liquor instead of a whore to squash down that pent up-ness. The blonde already knew the first man to lay even a single wrong finger on the vixen would immediately be missing said hand digit. Then there was the absolute terror of what could happen if his mate got into the alcohol herself. The hand moved away from her and into a pocket like the first and he turned his head towards the docks as he calmly went stepping down the stairs to the piers, a grin from the good memories of the dance the two lovers had shared when last she got into the alcohol...ahh what good times.

His mis-colored eyes regained a certain focus and he set himself up next to a large stack of crates that were being piled higher before reaching behind him. Making sure no one was looking he exerted the softest amount of chakra to manipulate the wood of the pier to warp itself up into a small fishing stick that he snapped off and moved around to his front. Tearing off a bit of his frayed pants and attaching it to the end he pretended to fish while listening to the local sailors as the unpacked the cargo of the ship for his information.

[MFT]

Okibi · Sep 11, 2014

Sousuke's purchases had more than pleased Okibi, or at least, the one meant for her did. When offered the bags of peach flavored candy, she accepted them with a happy little growl and dug in with vigor. The sour punch to her tongue was very unlike the sweet fruit that she loved, but it wasnt bad. After about ten pieces of the candy, Okibi found her tongue going a bit numb. Still, she continued popping them in. Save of it? Now why would Sousuke ask her to do that when he got them for her? She gave him a lifted eyebrow look and shrugged. "Maybe."

Onward they went to Susumu village, apparently to find someone by the name of Hisoka. When they made it there, Okibi had already nearly polished off the whole first bag of the candy, and the fat feeling of her tongue made it hard to laugh at the chastising Sousuke gave to Tama. She gave her mate a pat on the arm, as the look on his face made it quite clear he wasnt happy with being scolded. "Welcome to my world.' She wanted to tell him, but she kept the comment to herself. They entered the small village and made for the center of it, which happened to be what looked like a tavern. The ripe smell of alcohol that wafted from it made her nose curl with distaste. Why people willingly drank stuff like that, she had no idea (and didnt even realize that she had drank more than her fair share at her birthday party a few months back).

Once given her order, Okibi nodded and watched for a moment as Sousuke walked off to enter the tavern. The feel of a finger on her wrist had her turning her pink eyed attention to her mate, glancing down at said finger then back up at him. He smiled at her, but the look in his eyes told her he was worried about something. She rose an eyebrow at him, wondering about the look. Was he worried someone in this podunk town was going to get the jump on her? Okibi scoffed inwardly; as if! Tilting her head sideways, she gave Tama a confident grin of her own, a silent reassurance that she would be fine. She then turned away as he did the same and made to go find a place to sit. She wouldnt know that Tama's worry had been not for her safety, but that of any drunken fisherman or sailor who thought it'd be a good idea to pick on her. He was probably right to worry; if any of them tried to so much as touch her in the wrong way they were likely to come away with at least a gouge or two.

Okibi palmed her remaining bag of candy as she looked for somewhere to sit outside the tavern. The place was so small, there wasnt even so much as a railing outside of it for her to perch on. Shrugging, Okibi lowered herself to a seat on the ground, leaning back against the wall of the bar as she ripped open the second bag of peach candies. She dug in as she sat, keeping her eyes and ears open.

Uri · Sep 16, 2014

Hyakurai Ryuuto

Ryuuto counted the passing seconds in his head. The silence in the pristine store was almost eerie and if he hadn't left diguised clones around the area to act as scouts, he'd be concerned about getting trapped.

Forty-five...
....Forty-six
Forty-seven...

The time clicked over in his mental count and he held breath, worried. A half-second later --a time that felt like an eternity-- she spoke.

"How is the young king of Sunagakure these days?"</COLOR>

A series of clicks and clanks sounded and Ryuuto knew he had been locked into the room. It wasn't so much to keep him in, but to keep others from interrupting. The appraising gaze rested onto the plainly dressed Raikage and an intense, golden stare was returned in kind. Powerful people did not intimidate Ryuuto, and those rich in both the monetary and intelligence sense were the most dangerous.

"He is well, recovering." Ryuuto replied using the rehearsed line, and he smiled and looked hard into Mako's eyes. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Mako-san. I am Hyakurai Ryuuto."

A soft nod was her response, "Yes, the crusading former Raikage is a hard one to miss. How is the family?"

Pleasantries were sometimes a hassle, and in politics they were pretty much always a precursor to a much more vicious ordeal. Even if blood was never drawn, a battle of words usually meant death for one party involved. This was not the case. This was a meeting of mutual respect for one another. Ryuuto knew of Mako and Mako knew of Ryuuto. People in the information business often knew about one another to some degree because they were competing for the same knowledge at times.

"Well. Yuki is handling family errands in Kumogakure and the children are off exploring the world. Wild spirits those two." There was a shift in his tone and it was clear that time for business was now. "By now I'm sure you know Sunagakure hasn't allowed any merchants in for a few days. They're been taken over by a radicalist group and have taken the village hostage. What do you know?"

In most cases information was exchanged for something of equal value. Money, other information, valuable items, but in rare instances favor would be called in and it was all or nothing. This was one of those times. Sunagakure was under a significant threat and it had appeared from out of no-where. Which meant that they had been established for a long time and remained under everyone's radar for a considerable amount of time. Precision like that isn't formed overnight and instead takes a lot of fine-tuning. It scared Ryuuto for the sole fact that it reminded him of how he used to operate when he commanded Cloud's ANBU Corps.

Casually, Mako reached beneath the counter and retrieved a moderately-thick file. She had expected this meeting at some point. Flipping it open, she laid it out on the flat surface of the counter and browsed through it with a practiced hand.

"They call themselves 'The Cabal'. I have only come across them a few times, and the most concerning part is that it is through another rival intelligence network." She paused for a moment, and looked up to match Ryuuto's look once more. "I managed to have a source trace it back to something that points to the Daimyo."

A chill shot up Ryuuto's spine. That wasn't good. "How good is the information?"

"The source is dead and so is anyone who he made contact with in the days prior to his acquisition. Fortunately, I am not a slob and I covered my tracks. I would say it is good. Over the years many signs have pointed towards the Daimyo creating agencies for the sole purpose of controlling the growing shinobi growth, in case it got out of hand. I suspect this Cabal cell is one of those. In fact, they first stirred my interests when a group was digging up old relics and chasing spirit animals. These Cabal have spent some time tracking and removing powerful creatures from the darkest corners of Wind Country."

Ryuuto audibly sighed. "What is with Daimyo's and their anti-shinobi projects? It feels like an over-done drama, right?"

...

~||~

Sousuke's entrance was not missed, in fact the whole of the tavern went quiet for a moment and then returned to the normal bustle and buzz of business. Strangers were easy to spot in Susumu, it was like a stranger trying to walk into a family reunion. The bartender dropped a glass on the counter top and poured the fiery liquid for Sousuke and slid it down to where the pseudo-cowboy stood waiting.

"What brings you here, stranger? Come for the fishin'?" Someone at the bar next to Sousuke asked, not afraid to engage in a little conversation.

Upon a quick scan of the room, Hisoka wasn't present. No blue hair to be seen. There wasn't a person under the age of forty there in fact.

~||~

Many people moved in and out of the tavern. Those leaving smelt of booze and salted nuts. Those going in reeked of the sea and dead fish. Neither would be pleasant for the wild child patiently waiting outside. While she sat there, many of those coming and going took notice of her. It was like a pedestrian stopping to observe a homeless person, deciding it was better to not bother, and then walking on. Someone had set down a few coins for her and gave a polite smile. Susumu was closer to a retirement home than it was a rowdy fishing port. The old salties only wanted to deal in their trade, drink lots of cheap alcohol, and ride the sparkling blue waves of the never-ending ocean.

Although she was mostly ignored, a pair of sailor leaving the tavern had been speaking on a subject of interest.

Did you hear they recalled all the ships for the next day?

What, really? Something in the water?

Yeah, it devoured Gorgeous Angler, Taka's ship.

-That- big? Did they send girlie after it?

You bet. She's the one who saved ol' Taka's neck. He would be fishbait without Hisoka right now.

~||~

Small fishing villages didn't have much in the ways of ninja. There would be the occasional one who would decide to live their life out in solace or travel in port from time-to-time, but numerous they were not. The docks were surprisingly busy for it being such a small port. Dozens of ships were anchored in, cluttering the waters and putting boats edge to edge. Something had brought a lot of sailors in. Muscled men worked to straighten inventory and haul crates about. Many were exchanges between ships, this being a meeting point for a lot of smaller businesses and a handful of people who needed discreet dealings.

However, it wouldn't take Tama much to notice that a few longdocks down, whole twenty-by-twenty crates were walking around by themselves, unassisted by ropes or any sort of machinery. If he would work closer to where the odd phenomenon was occurring, he would see a splash of vivid blue hair. The individual hefted the crates like they were a sack of grain, only lightly grunting when carrying an impossible amount. The fact he didn't wear a shirt instantly dismissed the possibility that it was Hisoka, but perhaps this person could be of use as well.

Kano

<COLOR color="DarkTurquoise">"Captain, where do you want this one?"

"Just set it down over there, Kano. Glad to have you around. With us grounded for a bit, I didn't think we'd get a chance to lighten our load."

Takahashi Aki · Sep 16, 2014

Upon lack of response, the Steward learned he had erred. It seemed that the company before him carried a very different sort of attitude. Still though. He could work with the error and turn it into something else entirely. Sousuke reached up to remove parts of his breather. Several minor clicks and the bottom half of his mouth was revealed. He reached for the sake and sipped it. "My old pa told me to drop by for the fishin'. Always told me that the smaller places are worth vistin'." He paused for a moment. He surveyed his surroundings. No Hisoka present. Perhaps finding the other contact of Ryuuto could be possible. Who knows, maybe he would run into one of the troublesome children of Ryuu-- wait a moment. Theoretically his children should be in the same age grouping as Sousuke.

Time to continue with the small talk. It was an art. One that Sousuke had not entirely mastered. "Whar in tarnation is the traffic like these days? Back n forth. Back n forth. Something set things off lately?" He inquired as there was alot of incoming traffic. The Steward sipped his sake, and placed his hands into his pockets. Sure his metal affinity was challenged at the moment as he couldn't fashion his armour, but still he had some tricks to play. He asserted some strength and fashioned himself a quick fishing lure of sorts. Fashioning it in the shape of a sword fish. The laughter was able to drown out the sound as he fashioned his lure . After a while he placed it on the table. A small master piece with quality design to it, granted he made it within a few moments. "Ol Lucky Lu belonged to my pa. You think she'll gonna help me out today with tha fishin'? Maybe I'll catch meself one of them fish ladies, pa calls em meremaids. Or is there something else to catch out there? Somethin Ol Lucky Lu never has seen? Something a bit more of a challenge, somethin that requires some ... tact n cunnin?" The Steward sipped his drink again as he looked about the present crowd. There was Olgav's brother. There was a possibility that he made a detour and ended up here. In the case of Olgav he was searching for a meatier type of man, large in nature and most likely muscle bound to a degree given the description that the man could bend steel pipes in two without a sweat. Sousuke himself had some level of strength, but it wasn't that impressive. Heavy lifting he could do, but it usually looked awkward considering his small frame.

MFT 433

Getting Lost in a Crowd

Uri

Member

Takahashi Aki

Well-Known Member

Toraono Michino

Mayor of Flavortown

Okibi

Member

Uri

Member

Takahashi Aki

Well-Known Member

Toraono Michino

Mayor of Flavortown

Okibi

Member

Uri

Member

Takahashi Aki

Well-Known Member