Episode 1: 'Neophyte Night'| ANBU Apprentice Arc said:[col]Kasha would flip over to frequency 15 and place his hand upon his communication device. It was the first time since their original encounter he had attempted to use this frequency, but it was now time to begin the testing of the AiT Shiori. Roku's promotion to Sennin of the branch would have no effect on his use of the Kasha Alias as he would take on a different mask and moniker for that role, which gave him the freedom to continue to use his Kasha persona however he saw fit, but for this situation Kasha would simply play the role of an ANBU training a potential candidate for the ranks.
"Neophyte. Neophyte. Grab your mask and meet me in the Black Bazaar. Your first step in training begins now."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OOC:
|[legend="[glow=red][b][size=5]Kasha[/size][/b][/glow]"][/col]
[/legend]
Ninpocho Chronicles
Ninpocho Chronicles is a fantasy-ish setting storyline, set in an alternate universe World of Ninjas, where the Naruto and Boruto series take place. This means that none of the canon characters exists, or existed here.
Each ninja starts from the bottom and start their training as an Academy Student. From there they develop abilities akin to that of demigods as they grow in age and experience.
Along the way they gain new friends (or enemies), take on jobs and complete contracts and missions for their respective villages where their training and skill will be tested to their limits.
The sky is the limit as the blank page you see before you can be filled with countless of adventures with your character in the game.
This is Ninpocho Chronicles.
Current Ninpocho Chronicles Time:
Getting Your Hands Dirty (Req Shiori)
- Thread starter Raizo
- Start date
Shiori, or rather 'Neophyte' was known by a great many names these days: traitor and bitch being among the more recent in consideration of her actual identity as Hahaoyasuna or Mother Suna. Her name had long been celebrated as that of a deity among humanity as they had forgotten who she was or rather they never understood her actual lack of interaction was less than a gesture and more a state of being for those of her Court. But as easy as it was to forget her transgressions it was just as simple it would seem for them to forget their own. How they hunted her kind to the brink of extinction. How they were reduced to only a pair as far as she knew. She also had other names, such as 'Shihakata Rioshi,' Sousuke's newest employee and secretary. It was a role that she could easily enough fall into, she knew how the man thought although it would seem that she knew even less of his secrets. She had her reasons for getting close to a man she reviled so, and that explanation would have to wait for another day. She was also attempting to infiltrate the ANBU branch, a much more pertinent topic. The question of course was why? Why did she feel so compelled to seek out a hunter-class group and attempt to join their ranks. The answer there was simple: so she could, as she was already as Rioshi, hide in plain sight. She needed to bide her time and consume her fill many times over before she would reach her former apex in strength. Still, it did not seem that the ANBU were interested in her. Perhaps she should have waited, still raw from her death and wrapped in bandages as she rebuilt her human form she approached the Obsidian in search of an apprenticeship. The masked man she found seemed more displeased that she was there than interested in her and she felt that she was shooed from the headquarters rather than actually considered despite the statement otherwise. So it would come as a surprise to her when she was actually summoned.
"Neophyte. Neophyte. Grab your mask and meet me in the Black Bazaar. Your first step in training begins now."
'Neophyte' as it were was already asleep in her bed when the call came through. Wrapped in a tangled nest of bed-sheets, she was jarred from her sleep by the sound of 'Kaza's' voice. She groaned as she reached over to her bed stand table in her rather small studio apartment in the Black Bazaar. It was more a slum flat than an actually habitable space but she did not care because she did not consider it home or anything more than a place to rest a weary head. The walls were bare and the actual apartment less her clothes, cosmetics and bedding was absolutely sparse. Her manicured fingers knocked the headset off the flat surface and onto the floor. The receiver turned on, the rustle of a woman sleepily attempting to recover the errant device could likely be heard on the ANBU's end. She recovered the small, fragile receiver and wedged the earpiece into her ear. The lack of complete wakefulness could be heard most likely by the listener as she replied, "I can be there in fifteen minutes."
He did not state where he was, only a large sector of the village to consider but it mattered little for a woman who used her eyes as a tertiary method of identifying anyone anyways. Her sense of sound was her keenest sense by far and the ambient noises of the world boomed in her mind's eye. She yawned, the headset still on as she opened a dresser drawer and started to unravel a roll of bandages that she deftly started to wrap around her bare legs and her arms. Her torso and neck, she wore this suit of bandages like some would wear a dress. Even her face was covered with these linen bandages. Over-top, the basic mask provided for her by her mentor. She shaded her already concealed features in a hooded robe and floral scarf - why? Because magenta and a flower print were what she had and they matched the picture the writer was using.
She had left her apartment within ten minutes, basic supplies and a covered form. The only two things she felt she required for any excursion this ANBU had decided. By far she likely out-ranked in skill what the average AiT would bring to the table. That said, she was not looking to use her actual abilities - they were rather noticeable and well-known in light of her recent battles against the Kazekage and his man-bitch and if he was even half as prudent as she credited him then he would have shared her skill-set by now. So she arrived, a short time later. She was not making an attempt to actually locate him, he never shared his location but it was probable that he was someplace nearby waiting and watching for her. She would feign a visual scan of the area as she ambled down narrow allies and open spaced behind various seedy establishments. She would finally stop in the heart of the Black Bazaar and climb onto the roof where she would sit on the ledge and wait. Wait to either see her masked instructor or wait for him to find her, hands folded on her lap she kicked the air with her wrapped legs.
Episode 2: 'Night Mission'| ANBU Apprentice Arc said:[col]His new apprentice would respond and it would seem that she would make it to the location relatively quickly. That was good, not really anything to do with ANBU, but was still a nice habit. He never told her where he would actually be so he was curious as to how she would take that information, or lack thereof. Would she attempt to find him? Would she attempt to leave some sort of signal for him? Would she simply just position herself in a location that he could see? If it was the latter it would give him a bit of a groan as it meant he had to look for her. Again, nothing ANBU about it, but if this was all a test, was she starting off on the right foot?
She had chosen the latter, but luckily Kasha had a habit of stalking from the top of the highest point in his given location. His eyes would scan around looking for something, someone, to stand out. Hopefully she would go towards a rooftop as well, which it would turn out she did. That at least worked out in his favor. His form would detach from his perch and scorch across the rooftops before coming upon the roof of his new apprentice. Making little to no effort to truly conceal himself as he approached, the cloaked figure
"Seated. No attempt to find me. Interesting."
His tone would not really show any emotion and would be pretty matter of fact in nature. She could interpret the words however she saw fit.
"This night is about you. I wish to see how you work. There is a myriad of crime and destitute within this area."
He would produce a folder from his cloak and hand it to Neophyte.
"Inside is the information on an individual. I want you to find them before the sun rises, and I want you to bring them to justice. I will merely follow you and observe."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OOC: You can either make up a target and back story, we can take a person from the Bingo Book or I can make things up. This is pretty open, I just wanna see what Shiori's got! =D
|[legend="[glow=red][b][size=5]Kasha[/size][/b][/glow]"][/col]
[/legend]
She sat on the ledge of the roof, her feet dangled over the edge. A pose more akin to a visitor watching the community from afar than one seeking the other. She could hear him although her posture did not betray this knowledge. The gentle rustle of cloth and the steady beat of his heart, they pounded within her mind. Where sound could creep, so could her sight. That was her gift, the last she possessed even when the world grew so dim.
"Seated. No attempt to find me. Interesting."
He did not seem to like her. "In my experience a man such as you would only be found if you wanted to be found," she replied calmly without looking at him. "I, on the other hand, wanted to be seen." She planted her hands on either side of the ledge and wrapped her long fingers around the edge and grasped hold as she pulled her legs beneath her. Perched teetering over the edge for no more than a moment she relinquished her hold and stood upright. He summoned her, not the antithetical. "What is your mandate?"
"This night is about you. I wish to see how you work. There is a myriad of crime and destitute within this area."</B><i></i>
He explained. Something she was not particularly keen regarding but she had been doing her research these past few weeks. She could emulate almost anything man could summon of the true elements. She could sing of terrible visions and make them real in one's head. The earth and song, wind and sand unnecessary. The folder he produced had the face and the name of a man that she had not seen in some time. She recognized the face and the name but most people in Sunagakure knew of him, even if by only rumor.
[legend="[b]The Mission[/b]"][col]
Name: Aburabuta Hirotomi
Age: 25
Height: 6 foot 2 inches
Weight: 180 pounds
Hair: Long Dark Brown Hair most commonly bound at the base of his head.
Skin: Lightly tanned
Eyes: Hazel
Attire: His trademark style consists of a white suit made by one of several foreign designer he retains on commission and matching brimmed hat. He often appears to be out of place in these subterranean surroundings, surrounded by mud-dwellers and shinobi brutes. He has long dark hair that reaches his shoulder blades that he often pulls back into a low ponytail. A man of exquisite tastes he often carries finely etched canes, small baubles made of rare substances and mysterious pieces of jewelry that have an unworldly glow.
History: The only son of the Aburabuta family name, Hirotomi has carried the weight of his family's heritage since birth. His mother, a beautiful and successful actress and his father an infamous businessman said to at one point own a great portion of Wind Country. Money was his father's legacy as he and his mother never wanted for anything, his father disappeared when he was a young boy but he was not too young to have the lessons of the Aburabuta family instilled into him. He went to the finest private schools and obtained an education that commoners would only dream of. He never became a shinobi or suffered through their barbaric training regimes, the was only necessary for a commoner. He was introduced to the concept of curiosities at a young age, learning of the immense power that the "right weapon" could yield. It was from there that his quest for greater treasures initiated, through money and magic or technology as both provide similar result he could and would become a God among men.
Hirotomi presently runs a company called Aburabuta Corp., a multipurpose facility that not only researches new technology but also studies ancient relics from the past for research purposes. The great wealth produced by this successful company has also allowed the company to become a bank with its own separate currency used within the sub-society that has become Aburabuta Corp. Their present projects include Skimmers and Golem, although details of these projects have been closely guarded secrets by the higher echelon of Aburabuta Corp.
Charges: He is wanted for questioning regarding his acquisition of an artifact known as the Devil's Eye. The Devil's Eye is a forbidden artifact that is said to give the holder 'true-sight' and has been believed to have been lost to the sands of time. Aburabuta's lawyer filed an injunction this past week requesting a review of 'lore-based artifacts' stating that it is not a crime to posses something that does not truly exist. While the argument was a logical fallacy apparently either the lawyers words or an unseen bribe held sway with the judge and the previous law was revoked. The artifact is dangerous and we believe that it is not the only formerly illegal artifact that Aburabuta harbors. While we cannot condemn the businessman for his now 'legal' property, the lore of this artifact requires blood sacrifice for use. If this artifact is real, a consideration only logical by the injunction passed by our judicial system it would be logical to assume that the stories are also true.[/legend]|[legend="[b]The Artifact[/b]"]</FONTFACE>
The story of the Devil's Eye can be found in manuscripts that date back to the first men. There was a young man who came to Wind Country from a distant land, he was the first of many to step foot on these golden lands. There was a bridge that crossed over the River of Kazrath, a tumultuous roiling waters that swept underfoot. The bridge broke as this first man among the first men crossed on his horse and they both fell into the waters below. He paddled and he grasped onto the sharp rocks as he attempted to keep his head above the raging current. Eventually the waters grew tired and the waters slowed to a gentle trickle like what one would find in a creek and this first man crawled onto the mire, alive.
Death came to him, a soul never reaped but t'was his intended purse. No footprints in the wet murky soil Death asked the weary survivor how he survived and the man uttered simply 'determination of my will good specter.' Death laughed at the man, determination would not last forever. The first man's soul would be one day be his to reap but applauded the man's moxie. A prize for the man determined to live, Death offered intent on passing the time by playing a game. Yes, the first man replied as he requested safe passage over rivers for his fellow travelers. Death nodded his head and the waters dried and there was nothing left but the dry riverbed. The earth would turn to sand and the air grew arid. Now in this desert there would be no raging waters to take the lives of his fellow first men but all matter of new danger loomed in the water's absence - the lack of resource and the harsh climate only few could endure would now be their burden to bear. The first man nodded his head as Death faded away.
On the seventh day, the first man came to blows with his fellow travelers and one tried to choke the life from him. Incised over the lack of resources in these desperate times it perhaps seemed to be the only measure. He struggled with the man much larger than he, a stone from the ground cupped in his hand he bashed his aggressor's skull in. Death returned to reap this soul but looked again upon the man who has escaped Death twice and asked him again how he survived. The man stated again simply: Determination. Death laughed once more and again offered him a gift but the first man declined. He accused Death of being cruel in his boredom and in his long life. Death did not debate this, the human knew him well. So death made him an offer -- to see the threads of life for what they were finite and small. The man asked if it would tell him of his diurnal span and death replied that it had since seven days ago passed.
Be it the human heart that one of folly, he accepted Death's offer and with his eyes he could no longer see what he could once see -- the skies and the trees, the earth and the sea. All he could see was the dates and times of those who would soon pass in this valley of shadow and gloom. The first man cursed death for his cruelty once again but Death was if one thing, not a liar. He looked at himself and he say a date that had already passed.
Seven days passed once again and tragedy came. This time in the form of a fire in one of the tents, a candle knocked over and the tent was set ablaze. He could not see the flames as they licked the air but he could hear their screams and the searing heat from where he stood. His wife and children inside this first man rushed to their side but despite the heat and the smoke he failed to perish. He pulled from the flames those he loved unable to see their tears but he knew their face. Death came once again and was disappointed by the lack of bounty. There was nothing for him to reap and again Death asked how he saved these lives that were not their own. The first man replied once again - determination.
Enraged more than interested as death became a pastime with the man who could see all, death tried to back down from his offer. The man who with his determination and his eyes that could not see could deny the life its rightful end. Death offered to pass him by if he returned his eyes, the first man requested rather an exchange. Give his eyes the sight and the color Death had drained. Let him see through the veil of lies and secrecy and he would relinquish his vision of the dates. Death agreed amicably but this time Death had no intention of allowing this man to continue to deny what was rightfully his. Death gave the man the vision as promised and in Death's grace allowed the man to keep his former but also turned him to stone before shattering the remains.
Never to die. Determined to never die so but shattered into a million pieces onto the ground it was believed by some that one could see through his eye and see the truths as he saw them. His descendants would lack this first man's determination and one by one they would fate away and Death would reap his full bounty. All less the one made of stone.
While believed to be lore, the tales suggest that the eyes were recovered and that if one looked through such an eye that they would 'see' the truth. Rumors liken this to the Uchiha's Sharingan or the Hyuuga's Byakugan, some to the Rinnegan and others still to visions never before seen.
[/col][/legend]
"Inside is the information on an individual. I want you to find them before the sun rises, and I want you to bring them to justice. I will merely follow you and observe."
The mask hid her expression well as she read the report. She knew of the man yes, enough to know that it was a fools errand to apprehend him. She knew better of this artifact and how its power made her shudder, an eye that sees all. "Him?" Part of her wondered if he had looked at the dossier he handed to her. Did he really think that she would find a man of such resources here of all places. He of course knew things that she did not, of his associations being certain with the criminal underworld and his willingness to dispose of those he no longer had a use for. Criminals did not frequent the Diamond District but rather the slums where the destitute, mad and unfortunate linger.
He likely already had the answer or so she assumed, why hand her the folder of a man that even he knew not the destination of unless he sought her failure. A distinct possibility if he was unkind. Where would one find a wealthy man in such an impoverished place? Only one place came to mind. Humans were if nothing else, predictable. It was Maslow who said it best when he defined a hierarchy of needs. Physiological>Safety>Love>Esteem>Actualization. The wealthy such as he would have their basic needs covered in terms of home and hearth, of bread and drink. With guardians and lawyers at his disposal, his safety until this night also a non-concern. Which would bring them to 'Love' - something humanity erroneously confuse with lust and sex.
"Stripclubs and whorehouses?" She turned to the masked ANBU when she asked that although if he was a mere observer he might not bother to answer her question. If he failed to answer she would simply sigh, if he agreed or even had something to add she would accept his statement as fact. Who better to know of such places than a man who might also frequent them?
There would be four that she or perhaps they could identify:
None of them would actually offer up Hirotomi. Perhaps 'love' was not something that this man lacked, which unbeknownst to her was true. The man was a true narcissist and paying for 'love' would be considered reprehensible for this particular man. He was a man who coveted the finer things in life and she pulled out the papers that Kaza had given her once again. His attire was striking, not something one would normally find in the Black Bazaar.
She was a fucking idiot...
She stopped, still wearing a boa and under a henge from the last strip club they had exited. "...of course," she muttered. The Black Bazaar had so few strip clubs and whorehouses because it was not primarily a 'service district' but rather a sale district. A man who allegedly obtained a rather rare and old, only until recently illegal artifact would likely be having such a treasure appraised or he could be attempting to acquire additional baubles. She threw the boa onto the ground and released her henge which returned her to her original or 'truer' form, still bandaged covered. "A dealer..." she said out loud. This time she would have gotten it right and while she did not know the location of these dealers, if she or rather they knew then they would likely no longer be on the streets she had something that Kaza did not. A fine sense of hearing. Yes, it was cheating but the night had drawn on for long enough already.
Where would such a place be found? The basement or the backroom of an antique shop most likely. That was what she strained her ears to hear. It would be luck that it would be the second potential establishment that they passed that would house Aburabuta. She made her token attempt to peer into the first, the establishment was empty and it was obvious enough that she did not require a long show to maintain the charade. The second however was trickier and it is there that I take the story now.
Very little effort was put into the name of the establishment: Dead People's Stuff: Antiques It was a rather smallish building with a brown stony brick face and a large single pane front window in which an old rocking chair and an over-sized stuffed animal sat. The store appeared closed for the night which was true but it was not empty. She could hear distant voices from what might have been a back room. The only visible clue in this store where the lights had been turned off and the front door was locked was the warm glow of light from the far door towards the back of the store. She could hear them talking through the walls but that was a reason she did not wish to share.
"I think I saw something move," she lied as she approached the front door. Shiori, or rather Neophyte lacked the subtle charisma of a more trained ANBU. Something he perhaps should have considered before deciding to watch her hunt a potential threat. She lacked the physical strength of the reckless who monitored her and while the glass would easily give way to even her attack it would cause far too much noise. He could have twisted the knob until it broke, but this was apparently her show. So what did she do. Simple: her hands ran through a series of handseals, the last being that of the dragon and a ball of fire formed between her palms. The knob within the breadth of the flame it melted away and the door was also set afire. Without another word her hands ran through a secondary array, this summoning a globe of water that extinguished the burning door. The smoldering door swung open of its own accord just then. "Oh good, it was unlocked," she commented as she left her shoes at the door and padded her bare feet across the store's floor. She stopped at the door and pressed her ear against the the insubstantial door. She was pretending to listen to the words she could hear the whole time.
"Mister Aburabuta, we are sending another caravan to Sunagakure at the end of the week."<i></i>
"Good, make sure that they deliver a coldbox of Uchihga eyes, the last set we received was not kept cold enough and the eyes for useless for Doctor Sato."<i></i>
"Of course sir, but there is also a matter of payment. You see, since you got your Devil's Eye the gate guards have been on my ass about everything I bring in and out. You chaffed some real high-ups when you got that"
<B>"Money is a non-concern for a valid product."
"Seated. No attempt to find me. Interesting."
He did not seem to like her. "In my experience a man such as you would only be found if you wanted to be found," she replied calmly without looking at him. "I, on the other hand, wanted to be seen." She planted her hands on either side of the ledge and wrapped her long fingers around the edge and grasped hold as she pulled her legs beneath her. Perched teetering over the edge for no more than a moment she relinquished her hold and stood upright. He summoned her, not the antithetical. "What is your mandate?"
"This night is about you. I wish to see how you work. There is a myriad of crime and destitute within this area."</B><i></i>
He explained. Something she was not particularly keen regarding but she had been doing her research these past few weeks. She could emulate almost anything man could summon of the true elements. She could sing of terrible visions and make them real in one's head. The earth and song, wind and sand unnecessary. The folder he produced had the face and the name of a man that she had not seen in some time. She recognized the face and the name but most people in Sunagakure knew of him, even if by only rumor.
[legend="[b]The Mission[/b]"][col]
Name: Aburabuta Hirotomi
Age: 25
Height: 6 foot 2 inches
Weight: 180 pounds
Hair: Long Dark Brown Hair most commonly bound at the base of his head.
Skin: Lightly tanned
Eyes: Hazel
Attire: His trademark style consists of a white suit made by one of several foreign designer he retains on commission and matching brimmed hat. He often appears to be out of place in these subterranean surroundings, surrounded by mud-dwellers and shinobi brutes. He has long dark hair that reaches his shoulder blades that he often pulls back into a low ponytail. A man of exquisite tastes he often carries finely etched canes, small baubles made of rare substances and mysterious pieces of jewelry that have an unworldly glow.
History: The only son of the Aburabuta family name, Hirotomi has carried the weight of his family's heritage since birth. His mother, a beautiful and successful actress and his father an infamous businessman said to at one point own a great portion of Wind Country. Money was his father's legacy as he and his mother never wanted for anything, his father disappeared when he was a young boy but he was not too young to have the lessons of the Aburabuta family instilled into him. He went to the finest private schools and obtained an education that commoners would only dream of. He never became a shinobi or suffered through their barbaric training regimes, the was only necessary for a commoner. He was introduced to the concept of curiosities at a young age, learning of the immense power that the "right weapon" could yield. It was from there that his quest for greater treasures initiated, through money and magic or technology as both provide similar result he could and would become a God among men.
Hirotomi presently runs a company called Aburabuta Corp., a multipurpose facility that not only researches new technology but also studies ancient relics from the past for research purposes. The great wealth produced by this successful company has also allowed the company to become a bank with its own separate currency used within the sub-society that has become Aburabuta Corp. Their present projects include Skimmers and Golem, although details of these projects have been closely guarded secrets by the higher echelon of Aburabuta Corp.
- Two reports of importance have been documented regarding Hirotomi in the past few years:
- Hirotomi's lawyer claimed that Hirotomi was assaulted by an employee of one of the Soons Merchant Lords and a mission was requested for his recovery. Hirotomi apparently escaped according to his personal allegations but the lack of personal injury noted at the time of the report causes us to question his statement.
- A complaint from several students that Hirotomi took the place of their instructor and that he brought with him a curios device that resembled an infant sandworm but it was not. The sandworm was actually a machine made to resemble a sandworm and it attacked the students. While there were several injuries reported, apparently the medical records surrounding the incident were lost in a suspicious fashion. No charges were formally filed.
Charges: He is wanted for questioning regarding his acquisition of an artifact known as the Devil's Eye. The Devil's Eye is a forbidden artifact that is said to give the holder 'true-sight' and has been believed to have been lost to the sands of time. Aburabuta's lawyer filed an injunction this past week requesting a review of 'lore-based artifacts' stating that it is not a crime to posses something that does not truly exist. While the argument was a logical fallacy apparently either the lawyers words or an unseen bribe held sway with the judge and the previous law was revoked. The artifact is dangerous and we believe that it is not the only formerly illegal artifact that Aburabuta harbors. While we cannot condemn the businessman for his now 'legal' property, the lore of this artifact requires blood sacrifice for use. If this artifact is real, a consideration only logical by the injunction passed by our judicial system it would be logical to assume that the stories are also true.[/legend]|[legend="[b]The Artifact[/b]"]</FONTFACE>
The Devil's Eye
<FONTFACE fontface="monospace">The story of the Devil's Eye can be found in manuscripts that date back to the first men. There was a young man who came to Wind Country from a distant land, he was the first of many to step foot on these golden lands. There was a bridge that crossed over the River of Kazrath, a tumultuous roiling waters that swept underfoot. The bridge broke as this first man among the first men crossed on his horse and they both fell into the waters below. He paddled and he grasped onto the sharp rocks as he attempted to keep his head above the raging current. Eventually the waters grew tired and the waters slowed to a gentle trickle like what one would find in a creek and this first man crawled onto the mire, alive.
Death came to him, a soul never reaped but t'was his intended purse. No footprints in the wet murky soil Death asked the weary survivor how he survived and the man uttered simply 'determination of my will good specter.' Death laughed at the man, determination would not last forever. The first man's soul would be one day be his to reap but applauded the man's moxie. A prize for the man determined to live, Death offered intent on passing the time by playing a game. Yes, the first man replied as he requested safe passage over rivers for his fellow travelers. Death nodded his head and the waters dried and there was nothing left but the dry riverbed. The earth would turn to sand and the air grew arid. Now in this desert there would be no raging waters to take the lives of his fellow first men but all matter of new danger loomed in the water's absence - the lack of resource and the harsh climate only few could endure would now be their burden to bear. The first man nodded his head as Death faded away.
On the seventh day, the first man came to blows with his fellow travelers and one tried to choke the life from him. Incised over the lack of resources in these desperate times it perhaps seemed to be the only measure. He struggled with the man much larger than he, a stone from the ground cupped in his hand he bashed his aggressor's skull in. Death returned to reap this soul but looked again upon the man who has escaped Death twice and asked him again how he survived. The man stated again simply: Determination. Death laughed once more and again offered him a gift but the first man declined. He accused Death of being cruel in his boredom and in his long life. Death did not debate this, the human knew him well. So death made him an offer -- to see the threads of life for what they were finite and small. The man asked if it would tell him of his diurnal span and death replied that it had since seven days ago passed.
Be it the human heart that one of folly, he accepted Death's offer and with his eyes he could no longer see what he could once see -- the skies and the trees, the earth and the sea. All he could see was the dates and times of those who would soon pass in this valley of shadow and gloom. The first man cursed death for his cruelty once again but Death was if one thing, not a liar. He looked at himself and he say a date that had already passed.
Seven days passed once again and tragedy came. This time in the form of a fire in one of the tents, a candle knocked over and the tent was set ablaze. He could not see the flames as they licked the air but he could hear their screams and the searing heat from where he stood. His wife and children inside this first man rushed to their side but despite the heat and the smoke he failed to perish. He pulled from the flames those he loved unable to see their tears but he knew their face. Death came once again and was disappointed by the lack of bounty. There was nothing for him to reap and again Death asked how he saved these lives that were not their own. The first man replied once again - determination.
Enraged more than interested as death became a pastime with the man who could see all, death tried to back down from his offer. The man who with his determination and his eyes that could not see could deny the life its rightful end. Death offered to pass him by if he returned his eyes, the first man requested rather an exchange. Give his eyes the sight and the color Death had drained. Let him see through the veil of lies and secrecy and he would relinquish his vision of the dates. Death agreed amicably but this time Death had no intention of allowing this man to continue to deny what was rightfully his. Death gave the man the vision as promised and in Death's grace allowed the man to keep his former but also turned him to stone before shattering the remains.
Never to die. Determined to never die so but shattered into a million pieces onto the ground it was believed by some that one could see through his eye and see the truths as he saw them. His descendants would lack this first man's determination and one by one they would fate away and Death would reap his full bounty. All less the one made of stone.
While believed to be lore, the tales suggest that the eyes were recovered and that if one looked through such an eye that they would 'see' the truth. Rumors liken this to the Uchiha's Sharingan or the Hyuuga's Byakugan, some to the Rinnegan and others still to visions never before seen.
"Inside is the information on an individual. I want you to find them before the sun rises, and I want you to bring them to justice. I will merely follow you and observe."
The mask hid her expression well as she read the report. She knew of the man yes, enough to know that it was a fools errand to apprehend him. She knew better of this artifact and how its power made her shudder, an eye that sees all. "Him?" Part of her wondered if he had looked at the dossier he handed to her. Did he really think that she would find a man of such resources here of all places. He of course knew things that she did not, of his associations being certain with the criminal underworld and his willingness to dispose of those he no longer had a use for. Criminals did not frequent the Diamond District but rather the slums where the destitute, mad and unfortunate linger.
He likely already had the answer or so she assumed, why hand her the folder of a man that even he knew not the destination of unless he sought her failure. A distinct possibility if he was unkind. Where would one find a wealthy man in such an impoverished place? Only one place came to mind. Humans were if nothing else, predictable. It was Maslow who said it best when he defined a hierarchy of needs. Physiological>Safety>Love>Esteem>Actualization. The wealthy such as he would have their basic needs covered in terms of home and hearth, of bread and drink. With guardians and lawyers at his disposal, his safety until this night also a non-concern. Which would bring them to 'Love' - something humanity erroneously confuse with lust and sex.
"Stripclubs and whorehouses?" She turned to the masked ANBU when she asked that although if he was a mere observer he might not bother to answer her question. If he failed to answer she would simply sigh, if he agreed or even had something to add she would accept his statement as fact. Who better to know of such places than a man who might also frequent them?
There would be four that she or perhaps they could identify:
None of them would actually offer up Hirotomi. Perhaps 'love' was not something that this man lacked, which unbeknownst to her was true. The man was a true narcissist and paying for 'love' would be considered reprehensible for this particular man. He was a man who coveted the finer things in life and she pulled out the papers that Kaza had given her once again. His attire was striking, not something one would normally find in the Black Bazaar.
She was a fucking idiot...
She stopped, still wearing a boa and under a henge from the last strip club they had exited. "...of course," she muttered. The Black Bazaar had so few strip clubs and whorehouses because it was not primarily a 'service district' but rather a sale district. A man who allegedly obtained a rather rare and old, only until recently illegal artifact would likely be having such a treasure appraised or he could be attempting to acquire additional baubles. She threw the boa onto the ground and released her henge which returned her to her original or 'truer' form, still bandaged covered. "A dealer..." she said out loud. This time she would have gotten it right and while she did not know the location of these dealers, if she or rather they knew then they would likely no longer be on the streets she had something that Kaza did not. A fine sense of hearing. Yes, it was cheating but the night had drawn on for long enough already.
Where would such a place be found? The basement or the backroom of an antique shop most likely. That was what she strained her ears to hear. It would be luck that it would be the second potential establishment that they passed that would house Aburabuta. She made her token attempt to peer into the first, the establishment was empty and it was obvious enough that she did not require a long show to maintain the charade. The second however was trickier and it is there that I take the story now.
Very little effort was put into the name of the establishment: Dead People's Stuff: Antiques It was a rather smallish building with a brown stony brick face and a large single pane front window in which an old rocking chair and an over-sized stuffed animal sat. The store appeared closed for the night which was true but it was not empty. She could hear distant voices from what might have been a back room. The only visible clue in this store where the lights had been turned off and the front door was locked was the warm glow of light from the far door towards the back of the store. She could hear them talking through the walls but that was a reason she did not wish to share.
"I think I saw something move," she lied as she approached the front door. Shiori, or rather Neophyte lacked the subtle charisma of a more trained ANBU. Something he perhaps should have considered before deciding to watch her hunt a potential threat. She lacked the physical strength of the reckless who monitored her and while the glass would easily give way to even her attack it would cause far too much noise. He could have twisted the knob until it broke, but this was apparently her show. So what did she do. Simple: her hands ran through a series of handseals, the last being that of the dragon and a ball of fire formed between her palms. The knob within the breadth of the flame it melted away and the door was also set afire. Without another word her hands ran through a secondary array, this summoning a globe of water that extinguished the burning door. The smoldering door swung open of its own accord just then. "Oh good, it was unlocked," she commented as she left her shoes at the door and padded her bare feet across the store's floor. She stopped at the door and pressed her ear against the the insubstantial door. She was pretending to listen to the words she could hear the whole time.
"Mister Aburabuta, we are sending another caravan to Sunagakure at the end of the week."<i></i>
"Good, make sure that they deliver a coldbox of Uchihga eyes, the last set we received was not kept cold enough and the eyes for useless for Doctor Sato."<i></i>
"Of course sir, but there is also a matter of payment. You see, since you got your Devil's Eye the gate guards have been on my ass about everything I bring in and out. You chaffed some real high-ups when you got that"
<B>"Money is a non-concern for a valid product."
Episode 3: 'Neophyte on the Move'| ANBU Apprentice Arc said:[col]The target was someone who Roku had allowed to fall off his radar with all the recent changes and intel gathered, but Hirotomi was still ever present in his investigation. The man might not be a focal point of his hunt, but he definitely was one of the prime pieces on his board. Someone with a grudge to the merchant lords was valuable, someone who was either targeted by or targeting that group must have had some information of worth to bring about such action. The artifact was also interesting, so acquiring both would be ideal. She would pose a question at him.
"If you believe that is where we'd find him, there are several options."
Sure, it might have been a good call, but Hirotomi always struck him as more of a businessman and less of a pleasure seeker. But it was her show. He would stick to the shadows and rooftops as Neophyte proceeded to those clubs and performed her investigation. Even though it was a henge, and potentially not even close to her actual appearance, the Roku side of Kasha could not help but think;
Not a bad body, wonder how much of that is the jutsu and how much of that is the real person?
He was only human after all and the Roku side had a certain appetite that could not be quenched on vigilantism alone. It would seem that after a series of misses the AiT would come up with a new idea and lead them to a building known for selling and buy items, both legal and illegal.
Much better thought process.
Their first attempt would prove fruitless but their second stop, a rather nail-on-the-head named location, would prove to be a bit better. He would watch as the AiT seemed to be drawn to this building with much more vigor than the previous, even remarking she saw something move.
What could she see from this point? Can she see through walls?
He would watch the rather crude means of picking a lock, by virtue of burning the lock and the door. It was not a great way of going about this point, the smell of smoke alone could spook anyone inside. But he wanted her to learn from this, even with the stakes being high for him it was still just a personal venture so from an ANBU objective this was not the highest priority as Hirotomi was able to keep himself cloaked from much of the blow back, for the corps the capture of the item was higher. For Kasha, Hirotomi was a far grander project, but he would not let his personal interest ruin and interfere with this test of a new potential ally. Removing her shoes was a good little trick, while Kasha would activate his Active Camo jutsu to allow him to enter the scene with much of his presence completely silenced and removed. She would need to learn this ability in the future, if for nothing else than to keep her shoes on. His hearing was no where near close to her's, so he would wait in the silence attempting to pick up something on his own but mainly keeping his eyes on Neophyte.
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OOC: You can either make up a target and back story, we can take a person from the Bingo Book or I can make things up. This is pretty open, I just wanna see what Shiori's got! =D
|[legend="[glow=red][b][size=5]Kasha[/size][/b][/glow]"][/col]
[/legend]
It would appear that Hirotomi was in some sort of organ trade assuming that what she heard was not taken grossly out of context. Her expression would not be visible from the nondescript mask. She peeled herself away from the door as looked back at Roku/Kaza, she was seeking some sort of guidance. Was she supposed to barge in there and apprehend a man wanted only for questioning? She wondered if those stories about cloaked strangers who took the deplorable away in the dead of night was something more than a children's tale. The ANBU were notorious for keeping to themselves and most of what they did was a mystery to even her despite her uncanny sense of hearing. It was likely that Kaza would not direct her one way or another. She was frowning beneath her mask as she pondered a basic quandary: was he really interested in the man or in what she did to the man? If it was the former, her methods would be irrelevant and perhaps she would discover that those bedtime terror tales were true but if it was the later an aggressive act could land her on the wrong side of a set of bars. Being a solider or being a war criminal was delineated by a very thin grey line and it seemed to her that it would be an elementary task for her to stumble onto the wrong side.
There was risk and reward for her two choices. She risked a fight with the ANBU, one she would probably win but she could not be entirely sure if he saw her aggressive actions against Hirotomi as criminal. She did not like him but she did not want to fight him either, she was here because she wanted to learn from him. Despite his unfriendly facade, she saw him as a resource. Her second option, safer from the ANBU's ire, but not from the potential threat that was Aburabuta and his associate. Aburabuta was a businessman and not a fighter, not truly at the very least and the other man in there seemed to be part of a deal-making process and not hired muscle. Facing two likely civilian-level threats was the better of her options she quietly determined. With a deep, reluctant breath she raised a bandaged hand to the door. She paused for a moment in case her preceptor had decided to intervene but he had already faded into the shadows and she knew not where. She listened for him, for the sound of his beating heart and for the churning contents of his stomach or the numerous tick and click of his blood vessels. Noises that were so loud to her, it came like a deafening roar. But his, they were heard but not where. That was the thing about hiding, or at the very least hiding well -- everything about you is hidden. She did not care for the notion, she disliked this sense of lack of control over her situation. Something that her pride has always supported but it has become more profound when she was stripped of her liberties and autonomy not once but twice. It was something that instilled a direst trepidation in the sinews of her heart.
If Kaza interjected or gave her another directive she would unquestioningly proceed with his command, but if he did not then she would continue with her own plan. Foolish, perhaps brave to someone that failed to consider that she saw the ANBU 'proctor' as another threat; she knocked on the door with a series of firm taps that would end as abruptly as they started. She would wait patiently at the door, fully aware of what was happening on the inside due to her sense of seeing-sound. The movement of some boxes, the disgruntled grunt and muttered complaint of confusion asking nobody in particular 'how the fuck is someone in the store.' One of them as warmed with a stubby knife but the handle was being held all-wrong by a rotund middle-aged man from her assumption. He had a waddling gait, as if he had a pair of bad hips. He seemed like a rather unfit man who could barely hold his own against a group of teenage hooligans. As for the other, all she saw was an un-moving tall slender figure leaned up against a crate. His heart was steady and he seemed unconcerned about the intrusion. His confidence made her wary.
The door opened and light filled the floor.
It was obvious that she was not an ANBU with her choice of garb and the featureless mask that she donned as 'Neophyte.' She used a henge, it was easier than taking off the mask or the bandages that covered her natural form to make an image similar but not the same as the form she had taken in this life. It was familiar enough despite being rather new so it was easier to remember. By the time the door opened a tall blonde met the confused pair. She was wearing a leather jacket and a dark fitted tank over a pair of dark-wash bluejeans and a pair of heavy boots. Her long blond tresses were shorter and curled, her lips were thinner but the same pink and her nose seemed softer and less well-defined. Her eyes were much bluer than the slate grey orbs she had chosen for this life and her face was longer and her cheekbones less visible. "Hello, has anyone ever told you about our Lord and Savior Lord Jashin?" She announced with her hands folded in front of herself in a polite pose. She gave them a smile and waited for their reaction, she knew that they would know that it was bullshit but it was the first thing that came to mind.
Step One: Meet and Greet -- done.
A look of disgust came over a rather plump, red-faced man who was several inches shorter than the tall, slender man who stood next to him. His round wrinkled face scrunched up leaving only his potato-nose in its original form as he looked her over. "Scat," he ordered as he shooed at her with his hands. "Get out of here before I call the authorities for breaking and entering," he threatened as his stumpy hands continued to wave her off. He wore a rather inexpensive suit, it was made of some cotton-synthetic blend and fit him poorly. He did not wear any jewelry of any actual value, the most expensive piece he donned as a plain, thin wedding band on his ring finger that most shinobis could afford with a week wage or less. He was also a drinker and a hypertensive, two things she recognized from her medical career. The ruddy face and this misshapen schnoz coupled with the visible jugular veins on either side of his head indicating cardiac dysfunction that was rather profound.
Shiori nodded. "Actually, the door was unlocked. You see, the doorknob got all melty when I touched it" She commented as she opened both of her hands and exposed her palms. It was a terrible problem with doorknobs sometimes, perhaps someone should contact the Takahashi manufacturer about having an insufficient and spontaneously flammable product," she complained as she threw her former cousin under the metaphorical bus. Sarcasm aside, "...oh yes, I came here for another reason and I just remembered." She added with an over-dramatized admission as she tapped herself in the head. She turned to look directly at Aburabuta. "I am supposed to bring him," she pointed at Aburabuta in the same manner most parts caution their children to never "...with me for questioning."
Step Two: Announce her Mission -- done.
Aburabuta shook his head quietly and chortled just over his breath. "I must regrettably decline," Aburabuta responded. Aburabuta was a well-dressed man but it was something he was known for. A crisp fine-linen white suit from some foreign tailor and a pair of leather shoes in the exact same shade. The cost of the suit would be more than Kaza and Shiori both made in a full year. He was not wearing a brimmed hat like the one in his picture but it was in his hand. His long dark hair was pulled back from his face and bound at the base of his head in a low tail that reached his shoulder blades. He was rather used to having fingers pointed at him, most of them out of awe and admiration or attached to the hand of his rivals. Aburabura was first and foremost a businessman but he did not allow little things like laws and 'best practice' influence his plans. "I am far too busy a man to cater to every request, if you... or some actual source of authority wants something from me, then you should contact my lawyer," he advised .
"Oh, that is sad," the blonde pouted, her lower lip jutted out. "You see, I really do not have a choice in the matter. I was told to find you before the sun rose and it is nearly dawn. I do not have time to get your lawyer and break... I mean visit some illegal trade discussion again." It was a bad luck moment, sunrise was about an hour away and that meant that the deadline was almost up. She did not spend half of her night spinning on some pole or sitting on some dirtball's lap to go home empty-handed. She also had no idea what failure to succeed meant for her in terms of her training, if she would fail as an AiT because of her 'incompetence' or if it was an arbitrary limit set by her superior to see what happens if given an impossible or at least an improbable task. Still, there was a schedule to keep, even if it was dictated by curiosity alone. "Apparently you have The Devil's Eye," she shifted as she brought a hand up to the side of her mouth and whispered rather loudly. "...and I think my boss want to break it," she crinkled her nose as she said that. She was of course referring to the ANBU who had sent her, if the assertion was true or not she said it all the same. Considering her protracted span one would have thought she would have been intimately familiar with a human artifact that wielded such power but she was not so a part of her truly wondered if it was all a lie. "I would love to say I know who my boss is but he wears these masks and seems to have a stick the size of my arm up his ass... not sure how he will feel about... what was that... Uchiha--"</B><i></i> She purposefully stopped there, they could fill in the blanks and gave them both an eerie look. She let out a sigh, <B>"I--"
"W-wait," the rotund associate announced. "I... do not want any trouble," His hands were up and he was backing away from the door. He had no desire to deal with an ANBU disgruntled or otherwise, they were never good for business. He also did not want to become more involved in whatever hole Aburabuta had dug for himself this time. Hirotomi was a rather fortunate man whose absorbent wealth had bought him more than his fair share of protections and considerations considering the hasty choices the young heir has made in his youth. The dealer, unlike the aristocrat would likely lose everything not that he had little that could be taken but that is what made it all the more important to keep it safe.
"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Errands for an ANBU?" He let out a genteel sigh. "And such a fair to middling beauty, you could have at least gotten a job as a bank teller if it was not for the sour expression you have." Yes, that was an insult but it was unlikely that the woman would catch on. Ladies were the softer-minded sex in Aburabuta's opinion. So, the blonde heard them mention the Uchiha eyes. Wonderful. She would sound like a mad-woman if she was to go around shouting that Hirotomi was in the black market trade of bloodline organs. Certainly the main house clans would be disgruntled to hear this but she lacked one very important thing: proof. "No," he seemed to conclude after a moment of contemplation. He was smiling, utterly confident in his choice. "There is no need to discuss a matter that does not exist and I have not committed any crimes. In fact, I am rather distressed by this interaction. Return when you have a warrant," he ordered and with that he closed the door or attempted to do so. The interaction was over for now and she would never lay a finger on him, not a novice like her or her supposed ANBU superiors if either of those statements were even remotely true. There would be so much bureaucratic red-tape for anyone and everyone to climb over it would be years before they could even make an official claim against him without be being labeled libel or slander.
Shiori's hand halted the door a few inches from close. "I am sorry, I am very new at this," she admitted with a smirk. "I was told to get you but not exactly how, is this where I am supposed to threaten you with violence and you respond in kind? Or you get your lawyer to scream jargon I cannot understand? You will have to excuse me for the fact that I will not be able to wait for his arrival." Shiori queried basically asking the target for direction. She let out a groan from the lack of responsiveness, "I do not have any neat toys like handcuffs. I am however looking forward to having a pair of those... and a boyfriend to use them on. I could break your hands," she shrugged her shoulders as she approached the only partially open door and pushed her way into the room. She would kick at the door with her bare heel and attempt to shut the door closed as she started to move her hands through a series of handseals. "Actually, no... that might make the boss mad. I guess that means I will have to knock you unconscious because I think breaking you is a crime. So... illusions? Those leave no bruises, cuts or scars," she verbalized her train of thought as her eyes never left Aburabuta. She hated casting genjutsu manually this was a heathen's art but she did not know if she was a known criminal to this ANBU. She assumed that she was, Sousuke seemed to have no qualms murdering her in front of what little 'family' she had left, so it was likely that he also shared a description of her with his private forces. Unlikely he shared her appearance because he was aware that she could change that wildly, but her skill-set was essentially unchanged. She could have sung a song and attempted to lull Kaza to sleep along with the these two but she thought better of it. She did not know anything about Kaza beyond a call name and the fact that she considered him exceptionally dull and serious. She had not learned all she could yet from these shinobi, humanity is if nothing else possessed incredible ingenuity and her failure to be prepared for that had already caused her great enough of losses. She was not one to repeat the same mistakes although surely she would make new ones.
Hirotomi did not seem to want to dignify the strange woman with a response. He tapped his alabaster cane on the floor thrice before he flicked his wrist and a long needle-like sword was liberated from what was actually a sheath. The blade pierced the woman's side, the sudden attack utterly unexpected and the speed greater than she would have anticipated. The blade went cleanly through her like a toothpick though a piece of cheese. Shiori stared at Hirotomi with a look of shock as she reached down towards the weapon. Was she bleeding? No, not yet. The weapon was serving as a cork. "OUCH!" She exclaimed just as door shut closed.
Hirotomi sneered. "Self-defense my dear," he reminded her. "You threatened me harm, something my dear friend here can attest to." He raised a narrow brow and nodded in the direction of his stumpy associate. "I am an excellent swordsman," he announced as a fact. In fact he was more than simply excellent, he was an expert, Hirotomi was a Nanjiro on his father's side and with more money and resource than he had any right to have access to he was able to afford to have the very best in terms of weaponry and training. There were also rumors that he was a prodigy, and perhaps soon those statements would be substantiated as well. He withdrew his weapon from her gut. Blood, or rather red earth that appeared as blood for the moment ran from her entry and exit wounds freely. Shiori planted her hand over the entry wound and her fingers developed a verdant glow that proficiently sealed the hole.
"I am not sure if I am allowed to assault you." She admitted with astonishing restraint. She did not feel threatened, not yet. She would be wrong to feel this way, but this was a learning experience. Her hands danced through a series of seals with a proficiency seen only in trained genjutsuists. Known best for her ninjutsu skill-set she felt more confident in her illusions in case there was a hidden witness to the madness. She cast tree binding on Hirotomi but the businessman's associate seemed to have at the very least a rudimentary understanding of illusions as he slapped his friend across the face and announced "snap out of it sir. It is just an illusion."
And snap out of it he did.
Hirotomi shook his head as if he was attempting to clear the cobwebs of his fogged mind. "Right," he pulled the pocket-square from his breast pocket and wiped his needle-like blade clean. "Surely you are not allowed to unless it is determined that I am guilty of some sort of crime, none that you have any proof of. Yet I would like to remind you that you have broken into a shop in the dead of night, it matters little what you heard or saw because your credibility is gone." Hirotomi looked at his handkerchief and a crease formed between his brows. "Interesting," he commented as he raised his blade a second time. "I think it would be significantly more entertaining if you came with me, 'mam." He stuffed the bloodied square into his pocket once again, ruining a perfectly good coat.
She did not answer Hirotomi verbally, rather she reached for his weapon and attempted to grab it in her bare hand. She was learning and she had learned a great deal in her time among mankind and one of the things she learned was how to break a weapon. It would not be without regrettable pain for herself as well but she did not seem to care too greatly as her fingers circled the blade and she let it cut into her. A jolt of electricity arched from her fingers as her blood ran down her hand. One of them would let go - possibly her when her fingers were lobbed off or perhaps him when the electrical current that surged through his body had sufficiently damaged his neural pathways. Eventually it was Hirotomi who relinquished his hold and with a deep cut across her hand she balled her injured hand into a fist to stave the bleeding.
"I do not have time to take you anywhere," she announced in consideration for the time so she kicked the door from behind her open. "You," she was talking to the short angry man "leave." She ordered, Hirotomi's sword still in her hand. The accomplice obliged and scurried out the door to who knows where and she let the door close naturally on its own behind her. "That means that I will have to do this here," she griped. She pressed her bloodied palm against her dark pants and waited for the bleeding to stop. She took a step onto the main floor of the door, her minor injuries obvious. "A man of your stature, assaulted by a lone woman..." she raised a henged brow at him. "I doubt you would admit to that even it it was the truth, however I am not above claiming you hurt me. The big mean businessman assaults an exotic dancer. I can see the headline now. ...I will claim it was rage over impotence of course. I was seen dancing in several clubs tonight alone, I am sure I have more than enough witnesses that can claim that is my vocation."
Roku said:Episode 4: 'AiT-rouble'| ANBU Apprentice Arc said:[col]She would once more transform, this seemed to be her thing. This time the form was that of a blonde woman.
There is my weakness.
While his apprentice fumbled forward with whatever idea she seemed to have, he would continue to remain hidden. It was a rather confusing sight; she approached the ANBU corps, his belief is that she would have had some idea how they approached a situation even if it might have been exaggerated image built on second hand knowledge. She was given a mask, which should indicate that they work in secrecy. She continued to hide her image, he assumed, so maybe she did pick up that hint. Lastly, he even placed himself into the shadows, blending into the surroundings and seemingly disappearing. All these hints should have been enough to give a person an idea how to handle this sort of thing, even without being directed. Working as an ANBU wasn't the medical field; you wear a mask, you hide in the shadows and you carry out, one would assume in secret, the assigned mission. It was a simple formula that did not need much instruction. Yet, this woman seemed to over think the situation. She melted a door handle, she henged once more even though wearing a mask and then she got into a long conversation about her intentions with her target. She did realize this was a test for her, right? Her mind was still one that Kasha was having a hard time figuring out. She acted like a Genin, fumbling through a situation like a new born, and yet her original conversation made it seem like she had been a med-nin for some time. So what was it; was she a trained individual or was she a buffoon? Was she playing this intentionally or was she just untrained to begin with? Even not having any instruction in how to be an ANBU, she should have been instructed at some point on how to be a shinobi.
Then she was stabbed, an incident that almost completely knocked Kasha out of his stealth. If it had not been her lack of a response to the situation, he would have quickly leapt into action. But she did not seem to even flinch at being stabbed, instead she was calm. While it was commendable, it was also perplexing. Just who the hell was this woman that? Finally she would play a hand that was actually a good one, she explained utilizing the current situation, the stabbing, to twist Hirotomi to be taken into custody. It was a very good plan, finally.
It was troublesome that both parties, Hirotomi and his apprentice, seemed to work under the assumption that the ANBU were police. This was incorrect. They did not need to abide by the request of contacting a lawyer, they did not need to worry about the court of public opinion, they simply needed to carry out their assigned mission. Maybe this ANBU in Training would figure this out, but it was becoming more and more clear that he would need to interject himself into this matter before it was all said and done.
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OOC:
|[legend="[glow=red][b][size=5]Kasha[/size][/b][/glow]"][/col]
[/legend]
She did not have any idea what she was doing. She was playing a game without ever reading a rulebook. She had heard rumors regarding the ANBU that painted them more as fiends than heroes and she did not know where the truth ended and the lies started. She was not bound to any form of ethic but that did not mean that those around her were also not. She was here because she did not know something, not because she already knew it all. If she understood the ANBU and all of their secrets she would never have sought them out. This was an educational endeavor. The truth be told, she had never served as an actual shinobi during her lengthy tenure, she was conscripted into the Medical Branch shortly after graduation and that was where she stayed. Having taken the Takahashi surname, there was some clout attached to the word even if her execrated cousin felt otherwise. She was also rather limited on what she could use against Aburabuta. Known for her proficiency in Sand, Wind and Sound in her last life, she dared not use these three elemental affinities in front of a witness until she knew what was released regarding her for future reference. Her actual persistence was not public knowledge, her ears could hear it all but that did not mean that he did not make an effort to relegate the truth regarding her to the shadows. Thus far Sousuke had a rather inaccurate perception of who she was although that was not astonishing since the man did not even know she was there until he decided her life was forfeit, still she could not be too careful.
"I doubt my presence in those places would go unnoticed," Hirotomi replied confidently.
That was true. "I never claimed you were in the club, just that you hurt me," she reminded him as she took another backwards step into the main floor.
"Go ahead," he challenged. "Nobody is going to believe that I have to pay for company," in fact in his mind those women should pay him. He stepped into the room and breathed in his dull, dim atmosphere, such poverty and strife. He was a narcissist by nature, but even his ego had some space to still grow. This was not the ultimate product of a man or a villain, rather the prelude to one although at this moment and at this time he was nothing more than a shady businessman with alleged blood ties to one of history's most notorious men.
"Well it will make a good story, I will be sure that someone sends you a crate of little blue pills," she prodded him attempting to get a rise. There were two things that men cherished above all others, one being the thing they love most be it health, family or wealth and the other being their virility, so closely attached to their pride and their standing it was uncanny. It was something that took her a few cycles to fully realize of course, her perception of the matter differed wildly from that of humans. She lacked the same Victorian limits and shame.
"They have excellent resale," he countered.
"Fine," she sighed. "The impotent, violent pervert will be meagerly compensated, I will make sure to cry... tell them that you tried to make me--" Hirotomi raised his hand and it came crashing down on the side of her face with a concussive force that caused her face to turn to the side. Gingerly she raised her fingers to the angle of her jaw and they appeared to rest there for a moment as she fiddled with her hair. In all actuality she was unlatching the mask. As her hand pulled away from her face the illusion that had changed her mask to appear as her face was dissolved. It would seem odd that the untrained tycoon possessed such force, but her mask was cracked at the site of impact. A canyon in the stone marked where his palm landed on her cheek. Between her index and her middle she held the damaged featureless mask. She released a burst of electrical current into the mask and allowed it to disintegrate into a cloud of crystalline dust better known as fulgurite or locally as diamond sands. "Again if you would darling. If you are going to go about this right, at least leave a mark." She craned her still henged face covered in bandages alone now to the side to give him a clean shot. "Afterall, you are a cruel and inept man." She waited for a moment anticipating another blow if he was provoked enough and she was utterly unconcerned over bringing the businessman to the point of rage. At least then she could suffer some violence onto him without hopefully reprisal from her superior.
He did not strike her a second time but he was seething, not at the threats but rather at her impudence. "What do you want?" He snarled, his angular face gloomy.
"Nothing," she replied in a tone that for some might have been infuriating. [/b]"But if we are done with our posturing, then perhaps we can engage in some civil conversation."[/b] She motioned to a pair of antique chairs, "there is nothing wrong with decorum."
"I would rather stand," Hirotomi protested, but an interesting point was made. In fact a point that the watcher might recall, 'decorum' was important and here he was in the slums making back-ally (metaphorically) trades with sleazy low class shop keeps. He could do better. He could be a better grade of villain if he gave it some proper thought.
"Well, suit yourself," she replied in her still henged form as she chose one of the two chairs and crossed her legs. "I am only supposed to ask you about The Devil's Eye," she repeated from earlier. "We both know that it does not exist, so why the injunction?" It was a simple enough of a question. She was old enough to know when something as powerful as that is a fable and a poorly written one at that. "Orb of Kirishii, Sanban, Shoki, the undying embers of Homura... granted, I would have my concerns. But Devil's Eye?" She scoffed. "That account was first written in 100 PP, long after the first of the first men reached our lands." Yes, she knew her history, she knew it because she lived it or at least most of it.
Hirotomi looked at her, baffled and amused. None of those artifacts were found, not by him at least. "Sunagakure is safe from my treachery then," he concluded. "I have none of these," he announced with confidence.
"I believe you, because the Devils' Eye does not exist. But something does," she repeated. The list went on, Akiko's Mask, Ankh of Death, Wayland's Apparatus, Heart of Lazarus... Almost all of them false, except the blood, but it was never Lazarus' heart, rather it was Orochi's and that was safe and sound in the Obsidian still. "So why repeal the law?" She finally questioned. Her mind skimmed through the list, taking from it the artifacts that she could remember.
"A collector's curiosity," he replied with a sardonic smile.
"I do not believe you," she replied. "Sit," she insisted.
"Also, it would seem that this is a question for not me but rather my lawyer," he contended as he finally took a seat. She did not know a thing, she was making wild guesses.
"But I am asking you," she protested.
"And I have no answer," he countered, the same grin on his face.
The conversation went on as such for several minutes. Neophyte was resting her tired head in her hand with her arm propped up on the armrest by this point. "Do you have any recently illegal artifacts?"
No.
"Are you about to obtain a recently illegal artifact?"
"No."
"Which one?" She asked as she brought her hand from her face. Of course he could be lying. He did not have to tell her the truth but she asked them all the same. It was not because she did not know of any other way, but rather she was watching and listening for micro-expressions and tiny changes in the businessman who had grown complacent in this conversation.
"I said no," Hirotomi repeated, emphasizing the word to the obviously tired and probably dumb woman.
"And you lied," she answered. "So, which one?"
"None."
She stood up. and sighed. "Do I need all of the information or do you need a charge on him?" Neophyte called out into the seemingly empty shop, but she knew he was still there and likely as bored out of his wits as she was. "He has something, but there was over three-hundred items on the repealed list," she revealed, demonstrating she knew more than the average person. Her work in Sousuke's office had garnered her a variety of benefits and one was seeing every slip of paper that went through his office for one reason or another. I can barely name half of them off the top of my head.
"You have no proof that I lied," Hirotomi protested.
In that he was wrong. There was something that she had learned as a Medic. "Are you familiar with the sympathetic and parasympathetic adrenergic nervous system?" She countered as she approached him and planted her hand on his chest as she climbed into his lap. "Your eyes dilate, your heart rate hastens, your gastric activity slows and your sphincters tighten. Not to mention psychosomatic reactions, ticks, averted gazes..." the aforementioned being the reason many poker players and practiced liars wore sunglasses. "Some being more intrusive to check than others," she admitted coyly. "Still, I am here for information on the recently made legal wares. What was slipped into the list of mythological artifacts?" There was of course something in the list that even she did not notice, several items which were very much real and perhaps they were a misprint to be listed but all the same they were there.
She looked around the room, where was Kaza? Day was approaching and time was over, she learned to Hirotomi's ear and whispered a single word. Sleep And that he did. She had the power of song, or more appropriately as he power has grown exponentially over the past few weeks the power of her word. She would climb off him and wait for Kaza to reveal himself. Once he emerged from the shadows she would bow, her pride not nearly that of her brothers especially when she wanted something from someone and announce, "I apologize sir, I have failed." The sun was about to rise over these false heavens in the next few minutes, she had fumbled and bumbled through the majority of the night on radial assumptions about a men she did not know. Was her success above or below average for a trainee? She had nothing to grade herself against so she would assume for now failure because what he had specifically requested of her did not transpire. The man was found and questioned but the answer was not uncovered.
OC: Not going to ANBU up without being taught! RWAR.
"I doubt my presence in those places would go unnoticed," Hirotomi replied confidently.
That was true. "I never claimed you were in the club, just that you hurt me," she reminded him as she took another backwards step into the main floor.
"Go ahead," he challenged. "Nobody is going to believe that I have to pay for company," in fact in his mind those women should pay him. He stepped into the room and breathed in his dull, dim atmosphere, such poverty and strife. He was a narcissist by nature, but even his ego had some space to still grow. This was not the ultimate product of a man or a villain, rather the prelude to one although at this moment and at this time he was nothing more than a shady businessman with alleged blood ties to one of history's most notorious men.
"Well it will make a good story, I will be sure that someone sends you a crate of little blue pills," she prodded him attempting to get a rise. There were two things that men cherished above all others, one being the thing they love most be it health, family or wealth and the other being their virility, so closely attached to their pride and their standing it was uncanny. It was something that took her a few cycles to fully realize of course, her perception of the matter differed wildly from that of humans. She lacked the same Victorian limits and shame.
"They have excellent resale," he countered.
"Fine," she sighed. "The impotent, violent pervert will be meagerly compensated, I will make sure to cry... tell them that you tried to make me--" Hirotomi raised his hand and it came crashing down on the side of her face with a concussive force that caused her face to turn to the side. Gingerly she raised her fingers to the angle of her jaw and they appeared to rest there for a moment as she fiddled with her hair. In all actuality she was unlatching the mask. As her hand pulled away from her face the illusion that had changed her mask to appear as her face was dissolved. It would seem odd that the untrained tycoon possessed such force, but her mask was cracked at the site of impact. A canyon in the stone marked where his palm landed on her cheek. Between her index and her middle she held the damaged featureless mask. She released a burst of electrical current into the mask and allowed it to disintegrate into a cloud of crystalline dust better known as fulgurite or locally as diamond sands. "Again if you would darling. If you are going to go about this right, at least leave a mark." She craned her still henged face covered in bandages alone now to the side to give him a clean shot. "Afterall, you are a cruel and inept man." She waited for a moment anticipating another blow if he was provoked enough and she was utterly unconcerned over bringing the businessman to the point of rage. At least then she could suffer some violence onto him without hopefully reprisal from her superior.
He did not strike her a second time but he was seething, not at the threats but rather at her impudence. "What do you want?" He snarled, his angular face gloomy.
"Nothing," she replied in a tone that for some might have been infuriating. [/b]"But if we are done with our posturing, then perhaps we can engage in some civil conversation."[/b] She motioned to a pair of antique chairs, "there is nothing wrong with decorum."
"I would rather stand," Hirotomi protested, but an interesting point was made. In fact a point that the watcher might recall, 'decorum' was important and here he was in the slums making back-ally (metaphorically) trades with sleazy low class shop keeps. He could do better. He could be a better grade of villain if he gave it some proper thought.
"Well, suit yourself," she replied in her still henged form as she chose one of the two chairs and crossed her legs. "I am only supposed to ask you about The Devil's Eye," she repeated from earlier. "We both know that it does not exist, so why the injunction?" It was a simple enough of a question. She was old enough to know when something as powerful as that is a fable and a poorly written one at that. "Orb of Kirishii, Sanban, Shoki, the undying embers of Homura... granted, I would have my concerns. But Devil's Eye?" She scoffed. "That account was first written in 100 PP, long after the first of the first men reached our lands." Yes, she knew her history, she knew it because she lived it or at least most of it.
Hirotomi looked at her, baffled and amused. None of those artifacts were found, not by him at least. "Sunagakure is safe from my treachery then," he concluded. "I have none of these," he announced with confidence.
"I believe you, because the Devils' Eye does not exist. But something does," she repeated. The list went on, Akiko's Mask, Ankh of Death, Wayland's Apparatus, Heart of Lazarus... Almost all of them false, except the blood, but it was never Lazarus' heart, rather it was Orochi's and that was safe and sound in the Obsidian still. "So why repeal the law?" She finally questioned. Her mind skimmed through the list, taking from it the artifacts that she could remember.
"A collector's curiosity," he replied with a sardonic smile.
"I do not believe you," she replied. "Sit," she insisted.
"Also, it would seem that this is a question for not me but rather my lawyer," he contended as he finally took a seat. She did not know a thing, she was making wild guesses.
"But I am asking you," she protested.
"And I have no answer," he countered, the same grin on his face.
The conversation went on as such for several minutes. Neophyte was resting her tired head in her hand with her arm propped up on the armrest by this point. "Do you have any recently illegal artifacts?"
No.
"Are you about to obtain a recently illegal artifact?"
"No."
"Which one?" She asked as she brought her hand from her face. Of course he could be lying. He did not have to tell her the truth but she asked them all the same. It was not because she did not know of any other way, but rather she was watching and listening for micro-expressions and tiny changes in the businessman who had grown complacent in this conversation.
"I said no," Hirotomi repeated, emphasizing the word to the obviously tired and probably dumb woman.
"And you lied," she answered. "So, which one?"
"None."
She stood up. and sighed. "Do I need all of the information or do you need a charge on him?" Neophyte called out into the seemingly empty shop, but she knew he was still there and likely as bored out of his wits as she was. "He has something, but there was over three-hundred items on the repealed list," she revealed, demonstrating she knew more than the average person. Her work in Sousuke's office had garnered her a variety of benefits and one was seeing every slip of paper that went through his office for one reason or another. I can barely name half of them off the top of my head.
"You have no proof that I lied," Hirotomi protested.
In that he was wrong. There was something that she had learned as a Medic. "Are you familiar with the sympathetic and parasympathetic adrenergic nervous system?" She countered as she approached him and planted her hand on his chest as she climbed into his lap. "Your eyes dilate, your heart rate hastens, your gastric activity slows and your sphincters tighten. Not to mention psychosomatic reactions, ticks, averted gazes..." the aforementioned being the reason many poker players and practiced liars wore sunglasses. "Some being more intrusive to check than others," she admitted coyly. "Still, I am here for information on the recently made legal wares. What was slipped into the list of mythological artifacts?" There was of course something in the list that even she did not notice, several items which were very much real and perhaps they were a misprint to be listed but all the same they were there.
She looked around the room, where was Kaza? Day was approaching and time was over, she learned to Hirotomi's ear and whispered a single word. Sleep And that he did. She had the power of song, or more appropriately as he power has grown exponentially over the past few weeks the power of her word. She would climb off him and wait for Kaza to reveal himself. Once he emerged from the shadows she would bow, her pride not nearly that of her brothers especially when she wanted something from someone and announce, "I apologize sir, I have failed." The sun was about to rise over these false heavens in the next few minutes, she had fumbled and bumbled through the majority of the night on radial assumptions about a men she did not know. Was her success above or below average for a trainee? She had nothing to grade herself against so she would assume for now failure because what he had specifically requested of her did not transpire. The man was found and questioned but the answer was not uncovered.
OC: Not going to ANBU up without being taught! RWAR.
Episode 5: 'Dragging Out'| ANBU Apprentice Arc said:[col]He would watch and listen to her questioning. He appreciated the game she attempted, to blackmail the man into coming in. She had the right idea of manipulating the situation but chose the wrong opponent. Hirotomi was someone who felt they were above reprisal, so trying to manipulation him with just words or threats would never get him to take the matter serious. She continued to question him but it seemed that there was something about the item listed in the folder that she did not believe to be true, but her questioning persisted.
Odd knowledge, why is she versed in such a trivial matter? Why did she not mention it prior?
There were a couple of reasons that both did and did not make sense in rationalizing the situation. The simple fact that she was stubborn, the kind the was looking for some guiding and nurturing hand it seemed. Unfortunately, she explained her experiences and Kasha deemed her worthy enough to do simple aspects of stealth work, which she seemed to fail miserably. She was an odd one and still seemed to have one more odd thing up her sleeve. She leaned over Hirotomi, obscuring Kasha's vision, and rose back up with a now passed out Hirotomi. It was a strange trick indeed. Kasha would release his Active Camo and return to the line of sight for his trainee.
"What did you do to him?"
Honestly, her answer didn't matter if the man was still alive.
"You've went recklessly through my request, approached your target openly and even explained who you were and why you were wanting him. Do you believe that an organization shrouded in secrecy that wears masks would handle their business in a way?"
His tone would not be disappointed or aggressive, but inquisitive.
"My next request of you is to take that man and bring him to the prison. Your goal is to keep him restrained or unconscious and to not be seen transporting him to the prison. Should anyone notice you with such a man, your existence in the ANBU corps will be discredited and you will be labeled a rogue member of the village. This is not a punishment or meant to be cruel, but this is a learning experience. The world of the ANBU is one that requires you to be ever vigilant and prepared to think on your toes. I hope you are able to accomplish your mission, I would hate to lose a trainee this soon."
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OOC:
|[legend="[glow=red][b][size=5]Kasha[/size][/b][/glow]"][/col]
[/legend]
"What did you do to him?"
A voice asked. She did not turn around, she could see him just fine as he stepped out of obscurity. "Good trick," she commented as her hands mimicked the series of seals Kaza had run through. She repeated the series twice before it was effective [Active Camo - now Mastered], she faded into thin air before Kaza's eyes and then became fully visible. She continued to repeat this process, on and off as she answered her ANBU superior. "I asked him to sleep," she admitted in a hushed tone. Words were her actual power, the only relic left of her previous authority.
"You've went recklessly through my request, approached your target openly and even explained who you were and why you were wanting him. Do you believe that an organization shrouded in secrecy that wears masks would handle their business in a way?"
She nodded in agreement. "I apologize sir," she replied humbly. There was no henge over the bandaged woman that responded. Unlike her brothers, she was willing to cowtow to someone she saw as her better in a regard for as long as they knew something that she did not. The ANBU were a branch of shinobi art she knew next to nothing about and therefore he was her superior although perhaps one day she would be amicable because she respected him. At the moment she did not, she did not have a positive opinion of any human in particular at present. "I do not know my limits or my expectations, I am concerned that an act of aggression would result in my expulsion from this educational endeavor... and I did not know that stealth was an expectation."</B><i></i> Her explanation was actually honest and she bowed her head solemnly as she admitted her incompetence. It was not a novel role for the woman to play, there was a time not long ago that she was 'human' or at least believed it was so and she fumbled through a 'normal' life a cripple. Blind until two years ago, she played the part of a fool for the better part of two decades.
"My next request of you is to take that man and bring him to the prison. Your goal is to keep him restrained or unconscious and to not be seen transporting him to the prison. Should anyone notice you with such a man, your existence in the ANBU corps will be discredited and you will be labeled a rogue member of the village. This is not a punishment or meant to be cruel, but this is a learning experience. The world of the ANBU is one that requires you to be ever vigilant and prepared to think on your toes. I hope you are able to accomplish your mission, I would hate to lose a trainee this soon."
She required clear instruction to be competent. <B>"Yes sir," she replied as she made two statements out-loud to the already unconscious Aburabuta.
"...Feel no evil" (Delayed Agony Mastered with enthralling voice and Gen Knowledge Special Action LOCK)
"...Sleep" (Temple of Nirvana Mastered with enthralling voice recast and Special Gen Knowledge Spacial Action LOCK)
In 30 seconds she would be forced to repeat the words again if her task was incomplete. She pulled out a strand of ninja wire and started to wrap Aburabuta's wrists. He would not feel anything and would not awaken, but this opportunity would be fleeting. She would do the same to his ankles, with not one but two strands of wire. She would repeat this process again on the hands and her final, fifth strand would simply wrap around his midsection and arms. Her hands would enter his pockets and she would fish for valuables and weapons. She would remove the contents: cash, a headset, a few shiny baubles she did not recognize but were likely of significant value as well as his cane that she knew sheathed a needle-like blade. One of the trinkets looked like an eyeball and had a strange squishiness that made her stomach turn when she squeezed it lightly between her fingers. She would offer these found items to Kaza wordlessly in cupped hands, he would recognize the eye as belonging to an Uchiha and that one of the baubles looked suspiciously similar to a human finger but it was made of stone. If Kaza did not accept the items, she would stuff them in her own pocket before she ripped off some of the bandages about her right arm. She stuffed a wad of cloth into Hirotomi's mouth before she tied a strand of cloth around his head and eyes in time for him to awaken.
He would awaken with a start. A series of muffled sounds could be heard from the wiggling and writhing businessman. She let out a sigh. Killing him would be easier and less work. He was now all wiggly, heavy and noisy. She looked around the shop, it was an antique shop, there was nothing but a few rugs that could be conceivably of use and there would be 'nothing suspicious' about a bouncing rug rolled up over her shoulder coupled with likely muffled cries for help. She pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers and let out an annoyed sound. She did not want to protest the ANBU's orders but she had no idea how she was supposed to transport him from point A to point B without being seen. The active camo would be disrupted by Hirotomi's distress sounds. She would have to be seen, or a transformed version of herself would have to endure the same scrutiny but it seemed in Kaza's mind that a henge is not as good as a mask.
...She would think of something.
A thought did finally hit her after a few moments as she inventoried her vast knowledge of ninjutsu in her mind. "Will this be acceptable?" She asked reluctantly she wrapped her hands around Hirotomi's throat and squeezed tightly compressing both of the victim's carotids until he was rendered unconscious. "I won't have long..." She admitted as she relinquished her grasp when Aburabuta's struggling ceased and she let a finger linger under his nares for a moment to make sure he was breathing. She heaved the suited man over her shoulder and ran her hands through a series of handseals she would not have been otherwise able to complete with a full ground man fighting his restraints balanced over her shoulder. If she was not stopped by the preceptor she would sink into the ground wordlessly. Kaza would have the opportunity to intervene verbally or physically at any point and she would cease her present action.
Topic Left? Heading to the Obsidian if not Stopped.
A voice asked. She did not turn around, she could see him just fine as he stepped out of obscurity. "Good trick," she commented as her hands mimicked the series of seals Kaza had run through. She repeated the series twice before it was effective [Active Camo - now Mastered], she faded into thin air before Kaza's eyes and then became fully visible. She continued to repeat this process, on and off as she answered her ANBU superior. "I asked him to sleep," she admitted in a hushed tone. Words were her actual power, the only relic left of her previous authority.
"You've went recklessly through my request, approached your target openly and even explained who you were and why you were wanting him. Do you believe that an organization shrouded in secrecy that wears masks would handle their business in a way?"
She nodded in agreement. "I apologize sir," she replied humbly. There was no henge over the bandaged woman that responded. Unlike her brothers, she was willing to cowtow to someone she saw as her better in a regard for as long as they knew something that she did not. The ANBU were a branch of shinobi art she knew next to nothing about and therefore he was her superior although perhaps one day she would be amicable because she respected him. At the moment she did not, she did not have a positive opinion of any human in particular at present. "I do not know my limits or my expectations, I am concerned that an act of aggression would result in my expulsion from this educational endeavor... and I did not know that stealth was an expectation."</B><i></i> Her explanation was actually honest and she bowed her head solemnly as she admitted her incompetence. It was not a novel role for the woman to play, there was a time not long ago that she was 'human' or at least believed it was so and she fumbled through a 'normal' life a cripple. Blind until two years ago, she played the part of a fool for the better part of two decades.
"My next request of you is to take that man and bring him to the prison. Your goal is to keep him restrained or unconscious and to not be seen transporting him to the prison. Should anyone notice you with such a man, your existence in the ANBU corps will be discredited and you will be labeled a rogue member of the village. This is not a punishment or meant to be cruel, but this is a learning experience. The world of the ANBU is one that requires you to be ever vigilant and prepared to think on your toes. I hope you are able to accomplish your mission, I would hate to lose a trainee this soon."
She required clear instruction to be competent. <B>"Yes sir," she replied as she made two statements out-loud to the already unconscious Aburabuta.
"...Feel no evil" (Delayed Agony Mastered with enthralling voice and Gen Knowledge Special Action LOCK)
"...Sleep" (Temple of Nirvana Mastered with enthralling voice recast and Special Gen Knowledge Spacial Action LOCK)
In 30 seconds she would be forced to repeat the words again if her task was incomplete. She pulled out a strand of ninja wire and started to wrap Aburabuta's wrists. He would not feel anything and would not awaken, but this opportunity would be fleeting. She would do the same to his ankles, with not one but two strands of wire. She would repeat this process again on the hands and her final, fifth strand would simply wrap around his midsection and arms. Her hands would enter his pockets and she would fish for valuables and weapons. She would remove the contents: cash, a headset, a few shiny baubles she did not recognize but were likely of significant value as well as his cane that she knew sheathed a needle-like blade. One of the trinkets looked like an eyeball and had a strange squishiness that made her stomach turn when she squeezed it lightly between her fingers. She would offer these found items to Kaza wordlessly in cupped hands, he would recognize the eye as belonging to an Uchiha and that one of the baubles looked suspiciously similar to a human finger but it was made of stone. If Kaza did not accept the items, she would stuff them in her own pocket before she ripped off some of the bandages about her right arm. She stuffed a wad of cloth into Hirotomi's mouth before she tied a strand of cloth around his head and eyes in time for him to awaken.
He would awaken with a start. A series of muffled sounds could be heard from the wiggling and writhing businessman. She let out a sigh. Killing him would be easier and less work. He was now all wiggly, heavy and noisy. She looked around the shop, it was an antique shop, there was nothing but a few rugs that could be conceivably of use and there would be 'nothing suspicious' about a bouncing rug rolled up over her shoulder coupled with likely muffled cries for help. She pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers and let out an annoyed sound. She did not want to protest the ANBU's orders but she had no idea how she was supposed to transport him from point A to point B without being seen. The active camo would be disrupted by Hirotomi's distress sounds. She would have to be seen, or a transformed version of herself would have to endure the same scrutiny but it seemed in Kaza's mind that a henge is not as good as a mask.
...She would think of something.
A thought did finally hit her after a few moments as she inventoried her vast knowledge of ninjutsu in her mind. "Will this be acceptable?" She asked reluctantly she wrapped her hands around Hirotomi's throat and squeezed tightly compressing both of the victim's carotids until he was rendered unconscious. "I won't have long..." She admitted as she relinquished her grasp when Aburabuta's struggling ceased and she let a finger linger under his nares for a moment to make sure he was breathing. She heaved the suited man over her shoulder and ran her hands through a series of handseals she would not have been otherwise able to complete with a full ground man fighting his restraints balanced over her shoulder. If she was not stopped by the preceptor she would sink into the ground wordlessly. Kaza would have the opportunity to intervene verbally or physically at any point and she would cease her present action.
Topic Left? Heading to the Obsidian if not Stopped.
Episode 6: 'Depart'| ANBU Apprentice Arc said:[col]He would watch her little trick in action once more, still with questions he wanted to ask about the power she was using.
"No need for apologies, I am not ostracizing you. I merely question to understand you better. You will know when you've failed or fallen short of my expectations. Until you hear otherwise, in either positive or negative fashion, assume you are being assessed. Do not waste actions or time trying to convince me, merely show me what you can do. This lesson, my path, is more of an audition than instruction. Understandably, that could be seen as an annoyance. However, you are not yet an ANBU, so before the full investment takes place I want to see where you stand. How much work is needed to complete you. Besides, I believe you are better at secrecy than you may or may not realize."
With that he would depart the scene and meet with his trainee, hopefully, back in the prison.
[Topic Left]
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OOC:
|[legend="[glow=red][b][size=5]Kasha[/size][/b][/glow]"][/col]
[/legend]
Current Ninpocho Chronicles Time: