Ghost of a Chance[Modded Mission]

[Kagetsu Yuii]

It was dark days following the events in the Legation, but time moved forward and the need’s of Kumogakure ever growing, It would just so happen that a mission, spoken of briefly before tragedy, came to be assigned to Suika. Perhaps it was chance, perhaps even from the depths of grieving the Main branch sennin had remembered their conversation, or maybe fate had had a hand. Whatever the reasoning, she had a large task set out in front of her:

---

8763K-12
Name // Narisawa Taisuke
Age // 22
Branch // Main
Rank // Chuunin
Sub-Branch // Operative
Skill Set // Nanjirou weapons specialist
Kinjutsu // Unregistered
Date of Death // 03/06/0056
Place of Death // Midorikawa
Report // Operative’s death was reported by a local spy 8867T-98 sent to investigate after his whereabouts at 0500 after 8763K-12 failed to check in at safehouse 6-2 at 0200 after their B-rank routine mission. Body is reported by 8867T-98 as being drawn and quartered into six pieces based on circulating information. Reports successful line of sight with two: Piece 1 Head, Piece 3 leg, confirming identity. Pieces one through six were reported as hung from chains on lamp posts along Midorikawa City Port Aoi. 3567S-22 informative reports that Local authorities called at 0400 by dock workers who first made contact, but body remained in sight during civilian investigation for two hours. Body recovered Sentou Henkai 04/06/0056 and returned to Kumogakure. Headband and sword missing inventory.
Autopsy Summary // Medical branch has determined time of death to be approximately 0300. Operative died from their spine breaking as their head was pulled from its torso. Bleed from arms and legs suggests they were removed before the head. Damage to the limbs prior to death indicates the subject was tortured before death. Family requested cremation and after determining remaining organs were unsuitable for donation, hospital complied
Failed Mission // 8763K-12 Narisawa’s initial mission was to gather intel on an organized group of smugglers who were using shipments of fruit from Marsh country to smuggle destitute women into the country in exchange for indefinite contracts of indentureship. These women are considered to be illegally enslaved, and the city paid to have the smugglers stopped. 8763K-12’s last report places him at a warehouse near where he body was found, though initial teams have found no evidence of any kind. Further information may be ascertained from the original employers, as explained below.
Mission // The culprits behind the compromising death of 8763K-12 Narisawa are considered to be a priority target. As they are aware of our movements and that our village was hired to watch them, they can no longer be allowed to walk freely.

The place of 8763K-12’s death is to be investigated thoroughly for any remaining clues. Police are holding a report on the incident for your consideration and should be your groups first point of contact. The station has been given your(Suika’s) description as the pick-up. Operative 8867T-98 will meet you at the Hopping Bunny tea house at 1300 to give a full report on their findings. One of you is to order green tea with bunny mochi and ask if it is freshly made. Third contact is to be made at 1500 with secretary Chichoi Ayumi in the city mayor’s office. She will have detailed reports on those connected to the smuggling ring assumed as 8763K-12’s killers.

Following information gathering, you are tasked with finding and neutralizing those at fault. You have one week and are expected to report to the ‘Silent moon’ hotel front desk each evening for check-in. Kumogakure requests at least one culprit be left alive for questioning.

Mission leader // Suika
Team // leader had authorization to build a team of three to complete the above mission.

---

The report came with enough train tickets for four to Midorikawa that evening, arriving early morning, enough money to last them a comfortable week in the city, and a list of safe houses the could use should the need be dire. It would be up to Suika to contact her team.



[Welcome to mission modding with Yuii. I take a rather hands off approach with how I moderate missions like these, and will check each round to see what description details need to be added on to your story. Feel free to decide if you want to start your thread while travelling, in the city, or wherever you guys like. I do recommend a post-round or two deciding who will do what for the beginning of this mission. Be mindful to post your word count and total word count with each post round. If you have any questions, please contact me. First poster should be Suika this round, but otherwise, decide amongst yourselves.]

 

[Suika]

Midorikawa.

Suika fashioned herself in casual attire fit for a visit to the city. She was on duty today, but it was imperative to her mission that she blend in with the common civilian. Strapping on her shorts, waist cover, and her cut-off shirt, she checked herself out in the mirror. “I haven’t gotten used to these things yet,” she thought as she poked at her chest with a slanted expression. Sighing, she redirected her focus on her task at hand. She gathered her travel pouch and ventured to Kumogakure’s train station.

Midorikawa.

Once she arrived at the train stop, she awaited the arrival of three shinobi she had handpicked for this mission. Prior to their meeting, each ninja had received a scroll with basic mission details and clear instructions to dress themselves as a civilian. As assigned mission leader, Suika was entrusted with their train tickets, a generous stipend, and a list of safehouses to aid in their potentially week-long mission. This mission was important for the village; in honor of late Chuunin, Narisawa Taisuke, it was crucial that this assignment was executed expertly. She carried a few concerns from everyone she chose, but she trusted them. For a mission like this, trust was fundamental.

Midorikawa.

The sun began to set as evening approached; it was near time that the others would arrive. As she continued to wait, her mind wandered momentarily into a rumination of her experiences in the city. She immediately visualized a much younger version herself with a pained and bloodied expression. Although her expression was wrought by anguish, her eyes looked devoid of emotion. Beneath the tiny Suika was a deceased man over a puddle of crimson liquid. The scene was morbid, but the gypsy knew the trafficker got what he had deserved. Still, why did she feel her soul ripped from her? Suika immediately regained her sight of the present and shook her head. Today wasn’t the day she’d be distracted by memories that no longer mattered. “Focus, Suika,” she reminded herself.

It was time to board the train to Midorikawa.

As soon as Eishi, Kano, and Ocha arrived, they would trade in their tickets and climb aboard the Kumo Express. Inside, the group was designated a roomy cabin where they could introduce themselves and privately strategize their mission at hand. The kunoichi would start them off. “My name is Suika, Chuunin and leader of this assignment. I specialize in Genjutsu, stealth, and sword-combat.” As if passing a baton, she eyed the person next to her. Once introductions were set, she would then engage in more mission specific details and answer any questions they might have.

[TWC: 440 | Post 1]

[OOC: Thanks for the patience, team! Let's get this mission started with IC introductions. Also, gracias, Yuii!]

 

[Eishi]

Going unnoticed inside a crowded station was about as easy a task as they came. We hadn't even really begun this whole debacle so it was doubtful we were going to run into troubles at this point and my mood was a pretty big reflection of this as I didn't even try and hide the tired scowl that dawned my face. I had a cup of coffee to go along with some street clothes I had dug up from my closet, but it was still way too early for me to wake up after having such a fun night on the town with Hon. I had decided to keep my clothes baggy and loose, the metal underneath bound up tightly so it didn't make noise every time I moved my body. I was even wearing a metal prosthetic arm just to complete the costume, so it was pretty decent even by my standards. Not going to lie though, the whole setup was uncomfortable in a lot of different ways, but the kunai next to my nuts was probably the worst offender. Wasn't even badly placed or anything, just put me on edge. I'd have to readjust the damn thing once we got to our first safe house for rest and planning. Regardless, I took out some spare gum I had in my pocket and began chewing it loudly getting into my getup and went to the meeting spot.

Suika was easy enough to spot, she was definitely becoming a babe, but my word. Her idea of what discreet meant and what I think it means are pretty different if she thought a crop top was a good choice.

"Jesus, is your plan to have our enemies look at your tits while we fight them?" I shook my head, chuckling to myself as I noticed I was the first to arrive. I offered her a stick or two of gum before getting serious as I stood next to her and chewed away loudly for a few more seconds.

"Akane will be staying up top, watching the train before trailing us by half a day once we are off. If someone catches a sniff of us before we do, well be ready," I said to her discreetly so no one else could hear, though it honestly didn't matter when the two of us were the only ones in the immediate vicinity. I just hoped the other two hurried on up. We were all to leave together and the train was beginning its final prep fairly soon. Despite that, once the others finally did show up and the lot of us were boarded and comfortable inside our arrangements, I'd do my best introducing myself, noticing that one of the members of our little pow wow, I had met before, and quite recently at that.

"Isobe, Eishi. Medical Division. I'll be playing enforcer, entry specialist, and medic, all in one, for this little family of ours for the next week," I smiled sardonically at the boy who had refused my offer of work, yet was here none the less before looking over the new lad I hadn’t ever meet before. Oh boy, this week was bound to be fun.

 

[Otani Ryuichi]

Ryuichi woke up to his annoyance with the sound of an old fashioned bell alarm clock. He had received word from Suika that he was needed for a mission....but why? He had just met her a while ago for a training session, and was requested for help on the spot soon after. Of course, using his alias 'Akaime Ocha'.

Right now he stood in the station with a grin on his face. Wearing a new outfit, and his katana sealed in a small scroll on his hip. "A whole week, huh?" He asked himself, looking around for the rest of the group. Soon seeing both Suika and a new face. Ryuichi held his hand up to his face only to flinch. He had just about summoned a mask on his face out of sheer habit. Right....right now he was a main branch Genin. A transfer from leaf in order to care for his sick father. That's who he was right now. An alias, a fake, and ANBU.

He walked forward and gave Suika a wave. "Heya Suika-san." He greeted, followed by him looking at the others "Strangers."

He would remain silent until after he had gotten aboard the kumo express, and was asked for introductions. "A pleasure to meet you Eishi-san. Suika here already knows me, but I'm Akaime Ocha. I specialize in Scorch style ninjutsu, and a fighting style that utilizes both sword play and genjutsu, albeit not to the extent of her." He says, pointing to Suika. "I've also been trained in recon, recovery, and survivalist skills to a moderate extent. If we have to hide out in the outdoors I'm your guy." He said, passing the greetings to the next in line. He could already anticipate the coming week.

He didn't feel a connection to the deceased Chuunin, however he was another ninja, and one of the white haired boy's morals was to always see through a mission that another has failed. To let their spirits carry on, he always said. That's why he had accepted this mission when word reached him.

 

[Hak]

The crowd at the train station made the situation unbearable. The young bandaged shinobi wore black leather boots, a pair of red slacks, and a white t-shirt with a black hooded sweater covering the torso. The hood covered most of Kano's head, allowing him to hide his bandages somewhat. Kano had been heavily practicing Genjutsu lately. He began to understand that one way to avoid misfortunate attention, was to alter everything around him in a subtle manner. As such, even civilians who saw his bandaged face would grow confused for a moment and resume their activities. It was as if Kano was moving and acting in a way that no one seemed to fully remember why they were looking at him or even what they were seeing.

After trading in his ticket, even the Ticketmaster grew slightly confused at the young lad who passed by him. Did he just let someone through? Alternatively, was that a distant memory? Shrugging his shoulders, the man continued with his task. Moments later, the lad made his way to his team. He took a seat silently, only recognizing Suika at first. She was the reason he had once again attained freedom from his long imprisonment. He owed her quite a bit, and he was glad to be able to begin repaying the favor. He nodded meekly in her direction, attempting a friendly grin. The grin instead turned out to be horrifying, as if he was a predator smiling at the prey he was about to devour. It was a cold and psychopathic grin, far away from the realm of friendliness. Fortunately, the young Kunoichi was familiar to his rather, unique expressions.

It took him a moment to remember the other lad, the gambler. A week with this foul-mouthed, irrationally impulsive shinobi? To this day he wondered what possessed the Academy to allow him to become one of their shinobi. He may hold skills, but his personality was something to be desired. A small sigh escaped him; he had hoped never to run into this individual again. Kano had difficulty dealing with such brainless brutes after all. His social aptitude did not reach the levels required to deal with the rude and foul Eishi's of the world. Perhaps Suika could keep him in check, and maybe his skills could make up for his personality to become an asset to the team.

There was a third unfamiliar face in the crowd. Suika must only know only men because there was plenty of testosterone on this team. He followed the rude shinobi's example and introduced himself along with a brief description of their skills. They had assigned themselves positions and tasks for this particular mission. Wasn't that the team leaders decision though? His powers seemed to differ from the two other lads. He decided against doing such an introduction. Of course, he did it to avoid looking like an idiot if he was assigned the task but unbeknownst to him; Kano seemed to come off cold, uncaring, and unfriendly which of course was not who he was at all.

Moments after Kano sat down without an introduction, a young, gorgeous blonde haired girl made her way and sat on his lap. She seemed in a foul mood; thus she decided to remain invisible to the team, except Kano and unfortunately for her, Suika herself due to her abilities. That was one of the main reasons for her foul mood, Eiko the phantom girl held absolute disdain for Suika and her ability to see her no matter what. She could, after all, avoid the impulsive moron and the seemingly unimportant fourth member, but she could not hide from the barely dressed kunoichi.

"Why bother wearing clothes? What a disgustingly slutty outfit. Surrounded yourself with all boys too. Aren't you a little Hootie?" Stated the young ghost to Suika with only Kano being able to hear. Kano gave an apologetic look over to Suika; he knew if he outed Eiko to the other two right now she would give him hell to pay.

Word Count: 674 | Post 1

 

[Suika]

Finally, her team began to trickle in one-by-one. Greeting her longtime comrade, Eishi, with a two-fingered wave from her brow, she almost choked on her hello. "Yo, Eishi," she spat out as she took a quick glance down at her chest. She typically was unaffected by the brash teen's words, but having a pair of twins was still new to her. Clearly, she needed more time to adjust to her new developed frame. Suika then casually took his offered piece of gum, plopped it in her mouth, and waited for the other two to show up. It wasn't long until she greeted the two Genin and boarded the Kumo Express.

"Time to for a quick overview."

After Suika shared a brief introduction of her role and specialty, the others mirrored the same upon her request. Eishi kept his concise and professional - awesome. The silver-haired Uchiha, Ocha, also shot forth his introductory spiel. Shifting her expectant eyes toward Kano, the boy remained mute. Instead, she was met with bitter words from the ghost girl that haunted him. The hairs on the back of the kunoichi's neck stood; Eiko was quite the irritating one. Suika was tempted to bite back at the blonde-haired ghoul, but she decided that now was the time to set the tone for this mission. She would not let the deceased prima donna impede on her focus nor the success of their objective. "Kano," the kunoichi called out as if appeared unaffected by the harsh criticism thrown at her, "please share with the team who you are and your skillset." Although calm, her tone was authoritative. She expected for the Genin to respond appropriately.

When introductions were finished, Suika would open a scroll that revealed important details about this mission. She gestured at the men in her team and encouraged them to study its contents. "Our main objective is gather information about the death of Main Branch Chuunin, Narisawa Taisuke. Further, we are also tasked in unveiling the culprits behind this heinous murder and neutralizing them. Of course, don't get too hasty," the kunoichi held out her finger, "we need at least one alive for questioning. This is a week long mission, so it is my expectation that we will work cohesively and effectively to solve this case." Once her comrades had taken a good look at the scroll, the Chuunin would form some seals that caused the ink on the paper to fade away. She would then proceed.

"Allow me to say this now, it is crucial that our identities as Kumogakure shinobi are not figured out. Espionage 101, pick your identity and live by it as if that is the true you. Our enemies are reported to be aware of a brewing investigation, so we must be extra careful and only unveil our identities when the time is right. Isn't that right, Kazu-kun?" Suika giggled, blushed, and attempted to lean her body against Ocha. Her demeanor, as sudden as a light switch, shifted into a persona that was both lighthearted and flirty. She looked like a typical teenage girl fawning over her lover. "Call me Momo~" she sang with a wink. Suddenly, Suika transitioned back to her regular attitude. It was quite freaky, really, but what would one expect from a Field Agent of Cloud village's espionage subbranch?

"We'll be grouped in to pairs, but we will stay near one another. Try not to make that obvious. Eishi, Kano, you're tasked to keep lookout and provide backup when necessary. Kazu-kun here and I will be the primary contacts, at least initially. We will debrief each day at Silent Moon hotel and strategize accordingly. And remember, keep your identities intact, avoid suspicion, keep a solid eye out, and be ready to adapt when need be. Any questions?" The Chuunin could go on with her lecture, but everything, she felt, was self-explanatory at this point. She chose this team because she knew their capabilities and the talents they offered. They were all more than capable, so she trusted they would live up to her hopes and nail their duty at hand. As they neared their destination, Suika would prompt the guys to the closet in the cabin they traveled in. Inside the space were several outfits and props to choose from for a disguise, just in case they were unsatisfied with their current one.

'Choo, choo'

The train had finally reached the city of Midorikawa. Preparing herself and attempting to affectionately lock arms with her boyfriend Kazu, Momo prepared herself to discretely meet with authorities at the designated location. "Let the mission commence."

[WC: 766 | Post 2
TWC: 1,206]

 

[Otani Ryuichi]

Ryuichi winced at the tension caused by the brash nature of Eishi, the uncaring emotionless attitude of Kano, and Suika's obvious twinge of emotion when she looked down to her own chest. Of course out of habit, Ryu got a glance of the twins that were mentioned and simply shot his head away the moment he realized what he was doing, his face blushless. To him, the human body was just a tool to utilize. Breasts could be used to infatuate idiotic or perverted enemies just as a powerful jutsu could. Same went for the male body...if there ever arose a time where he had to flash in front of someone to get a second's advantage he would.

Well....maybe not. But the way Eishi treated Suika made the white haired boy figure they must have known eachother before this mission, meaning it was at least a little less sharp of an insult. The silent boy wasn't much different in terms of obscurity, simply not answering when it was his turn to speak. However, Suika being right next to him made it easy for him to feel the jolt of tension that spurred through the tanned girl, and he tilted his head at Kano. 'Telepathy?' he thought, before listening to her shake it off to explain the mission.

It was a simple recap of what was planned for them, and Ryuichi was ready for anything. On his eyes were specially crafted contacts designed purely to hide his visual bloodline in public should he need to look out for clues, with only the most skilled individuals being able to notice the faintest darker marking underneath the gel-like eye covering. Perfect.

Ryuichi was then met with Suika leaning against him and acting like...a schoolgirl? Regardless, this got a reaction from Ryu, tensing up for a second before quickly regaining his composure, just as his training had taught him. She shifted back to her usual self that he had known from their training session not long ago, and realized this supposed 'Kazu-kun' was him...great. Sure, he was able to ignore the bodies of his fellow kunoichi. It was easy, even, considering he lived with one. It was when they got all friendly and physical that he almost lost it.

Regardless he kept his extremely pale skin from going red through sheer willpower, and nodded once Suika had finalized the current plan. "Right. Understood. Kinda sucks that I can't pick my own name, Momochi-Chan." He rolled the nickname off the tongue with ease....on the outside. Inside his head he was screaming with the might of a thousand battle ready nin. Mannerisms, deceit in action, and other espionage skills weren't exactly what he was trained for by Uri....yet.

There was also the minor issue of Ryu already using an alias name. If he wasn't careful, he could slip up and reveal his real identity, or his current fake one to the people they were looking for. He had to walk on eggshells for this, and always double check any word before they leave his mouth. With that in mind he locked arms with Suika, slicked his hair forward to make it seem even more messy and juvenile to give the appearance of him not caring for his looks. He put his round ear rings into his coat pocket as well, to avoid the glare the sun would cause when reflecting off of them, and head out of the train. He let 'Momo' guide the way, simply keeping an eye out. A crimson eye, surrounded in tomo, and hidden behind the before mentioned contacts.

 

[Eishi]

No one seemed to actually have a question, so I took that as my queue to get the ball rolling. I took my bag I had laid under my seat and cracked my neck as I began to speak.

"Come on scary boy and evil child," I motioned to Kano once he had finally introduced himself as I nodded to Suika and sniffed my nose,

"Suika didn't say it, but she means we split up here," I said before heading out to the train hallway. We'd be traveling separately from each other starting from the get-go, so we couldn't be seen all together for a while. I looked into the room right next door to Suika's and noticed it was already filled. I thought it over for a moment before looking back at Kano, assuming he followed me,

"Wait here for a moment, I got this," I said as I kicked out the teenagers already inside. They sure did put up a pitiful fight, but after the first broken bone and subsequent healing, followed by threats of repetition, they relented and left. I had to wonder if they'd complain to a staff member on one of these trains but figured between Kano and I, we probably scared them stiff. I had to chuckle at that, I almost suspected Suika's pairing was to keep us ruffians out of sight. I already looked the part of a delinquent despite my getup, and Kano made people want to crawl out of their own skin if his presence was anything like it was for others as it was for me. It's hard to disguise that part of our nature it seemed.

"Now," I said to Kano as I took the role of vice commander of this whole mission because that's just the kind of guy I was.

"We'll get off the train in a few minutes after those guys. Do you want to take to the rooftops or do trail duty?" I offered Kano as I took out a map of the town and laid it on the seat next to me. The map was marked with points of interest and some strangle points all over the place. When it came to unseen ambushes, I was pretty damn good at seeing them coming. I began to list off, one by one, the key points and route where Suika and the boy Ryu were expected to travel as I ate a handmade sandwich I had stolen off the teens. Assuming Kano chose one of the two options I'd given him, I'd likely be taking the other because I was just a nice guy like that. Once the two of us were set and the other two had made some distance from the two of us, I'd hand Kano over an earbud, it only went two ways, so it was useful for the two of us playing lookout. I was curious to see if this over preparation was going to be necessary this soon into the mission.

"Alright, let's get out there," I commented as I double checked my given name on the mission docket. Eiji Hyrule, a dumb name I thought before strolling out of the train nonchalantly.

 

[Hak]

A scolding of sorts had already taken place towards the young introverted shinobi. A little cringe appeared, hating the social aspects of being a shinobi. Teamwork was required, but Kano's unique upbringing made teamwork skills virtually nonexistent. Being singled out in such a manner was not something he enjoyed, being forgotten in the background was more along his comfort zone. Eiko the ghost, on the other hand, had a wicked smirk on her face, Suika had unintentionally put Kano in an extremely uncomfortable circumstance. She enjoyed this fact very much. He tiny little legs dangled while sitting on his lap, perhaps she misjudged the young Kunoichi. Mulling this over, she shook her head and decided that the truth be she hated the young teen after all.

"Arakaru Kano. Taijutsu specialist with a subspecialty in Genjutsu. Stealth, brute force attacks, and illusions are all I am good for." he stated rather abruptly. He wasn't technically putting himself down, more so he was blunt and honest about his specific skillset. Suika would know this far more than the two strangers before him. His demeanor also came off arrogantly and annoyed, but in reality, he was nervous and did not want another scolding. His expressions never matched his appearance after all.

Before he knew it, Kano found himself thrown into a team with most likely the most dysfunctional one out of all of them, Eishi. Was it wise to make them partner up? She seemed to be flirtatious towards the only one he hadn't met; the thought that perhaps she wanted time with him never crossed his mind. He had faith that the dysfunctional and probably ill-adviced pairing had some intellectual reasoning behind it. He made mental notes to remember the details and attempt to figure out the team leaders logic throughout the mission.

Once the mission started, Eishi decided to take the lead. The brash, arrogant, and slightly unstable element in his 'partner' caused a moment of doubt to fill Kano.

"We are doomed. Done. Destroyed. Might as well kick the bucket, drown in a puddle of liquiefied excrement."<i></i> he thought to himself halfheartedly before shaking his head. Suika chose this team. If she trusted the rattle cap enough to bring him on this mission, he would have faith in her.

The slightly inappropriate manner of how he was spoken to went unnoticed, luckily Kano was an individual used to being judged and insulted regularly. A momentary mist covered his body as he then appeared to look like a typical boy without bandages or scarring, scarily normal to be frank. As it was essential to remain unnoticed, a bandaged and scarred boy would be an alarming and easily recalled detail. It was best to look normal.

Eishi demanded that Kano stay still for a moment. Next thing he knew, Eishi had already begun acting violently towards the teenagers inside.

Suika's words: "And remember, keep your identities intact, avoid suspicion, keep a solid eye out, and be ready to adapt when need be." echoed through his mind. He and Eishi had a very different understanding of what her orders meant it seemed. Kano could only hope this didn't affect them in the long run. If there were to be a complaint or had someone seen him, there would already be suspicion towards both of them. Once again wondering if this was the best team up, he sighed softly and stayed quiet. He wasn't good with Eishi's types after all.

Being offered the trail or rooftops, he pondered the idea for the moment. Eishi was insistent on taking the lead; it was best to give him the satisfaction. However, the mission took priority. From what little experience he had, Eishi was prone to outbursts, and the train situation was already a red flag. It was best if he tried to keep Eishi from possibly running into anyone he didn't have to fight. The rooftops would be better for him in that regard.

"I can handle the trails." he stated calmly while looking at the map. The illusion he created around him made him seem very ordinary. He shouldn't draw attention to himself in this form. At least the route was very well thought out as he took mental notes of all the points of interest and other locations.

He took the earbud, placing it on his ear and nodded to Eishi that he understood the plan.

"You can call me Naru." He responded to Eishi's oddly chosen name. Though his own chosen name probably wasn't any better.

He and Eiko would then head over to the trail as he kept a respectful distance as he began keep a careful watch of his surroundings. Despite Eiko's seemingly vulgar personality, she was a master at espionage and often helped Kano out in dangerous situations such as these. After all, she could almost never be seen, and yet she still took caution of being singled out by those rare few who could see her ghostly form.

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

They boarded at Nikko station at the base of the mountains cradling the village of Kumogakure.

As Mission leader, Suika debriefed them to the situation, and let them know what her plans were. Create pairs, stay close but away from each other, don't attract attention. She even provided disguise material for her team; truly above and beyond leadership. The gods chuckled at the last part as the one-armed boy and mummified boy left their train compartment without taking the time to disguise themselves, violently removed the people next door, who turned out to be another group of shinobi on their way to a mission and settled in for themselves. The teen who had his arm broken and rehealed flipped double birds in his direction as he left (because he could) and made it clear he would be reporting them BOTH for misconduct to the higher-ups. That sandwich Eishi was eating had been thrown at his face. They were lucky. No one had heard them fighting because regular travellers would have been running for the authorities to have them arrested.

The normally twelve-hour train voyage, with two stopovers in major cities, was conveniently over in what felt like the blink of an eye.

The train entered into the sprawling coastal city Midorikawa at 11:30; a full half hour behind schedule. It hissed and squealed along tracks that cut straight through a sea of small shacks stacked in a tangled warren that housed the poorest of the city. These buildings covered every available space, even, as they could see while passing beneath a gate easily dwarfed by Kumogakure’s, leaning against city walls in several layers. The first set of walls gave way to dramatic change; Medium, well-organized homes and businesses with stone foundations and salt bleached grey walls following old, twisting roadways which sacrificed their efficiency to the irregular coastland.

As their train began a series of drop-offs, the group might take note that city seemed to be in sectioned into districts that a black-uniformed doorman announced before each screeching, bone-jarring halt before letting passengers off and on.

The buildings continued to grow as they drew closer to the shoreline, rolling forward on tracks built up over the many buildings with intricate structures, green tile roofs and stone exteriors that stood up against the soupy sea air. Finally, they would reach the city docks district; their stop ended in a small plaza surrounded by three and four-story buildings. They were still a half a mile away from the water and docks centric to their investigation, but all would know that between them and the sea was the police station, the tea shop and the hotel they had been instructed to visit.

Crews lunged forward and began dismantling the cargo carts onto waiting wagons, Passengers arriving and leaving combed past one another in a crush of bodies. No one looked twice at them, not even the one-armed boy.

Of note were a young woman and her brother selling flowers from buckets, a boy no older than ten repeatedly shouting the headlines of the local newspaper about the doomed north rebellion, and a pair of white-robed priests with golden eight-pointed stars embroidered on them handing out fliers to anyone who passed close by. Suika would recall that many of the vendors placed in areas like this worked for KSIS, though it was impossible to tell which one.

There was a big difference between looking at a map and seeing the layout of a city from the ground, as they would quickly remember. This dock town portion of Midorikawa, not unlike Kumogakure, had been build with space economy in mind. All but the main streets extending at four compass angles had been kept just wide enough for a single wagon to pass. Three and four-story stone and wooden buildings leant into in order to maximize their space. To make up for the relatively dark street ways the rooftops had become gardens, workspaces and walkways in their stead. A whole separate unmapped path system existed above, on that changed to the needs of the people living there.

Suika and Kano would find their bearings quickly, Ryuichi would feel lost but thankfully be on the arm of “Momoko-chan”, and Eishi would only need to find Kano to find his bearings; though he would need to be careful not to lose them from the maze above. There were several ways for them to get to their first rendezvous, Suika would know. They could follow the main road either south or west, then west and south or twist their way through the warren of buildings in a more direct but dangerous approach.

As they walked, Suika would have the unshakeable feeling they were being watched. It was hard to tell if that was because of her skimpy dress, the second pair of her team watching on, or something else


[Sorry for the wait, I was doing some setup. Should go faster next time ^^;

 

[Suika]

So far, so good. “Momoko” and her silver-haired champion, “Kazu”, stuck to the side of a populous path, mostly to avoid being ran over by a wagon. For a second, it appeared as if Ocha was unfamiliar with the route they were heading – it was no kidding, really. Although they were provided a map to study prior to this trek, Midorikawa was large enough that one could easily lose their sense of direction in this maze-like city. Not only that, but peddlers, clergymen, and foreigner aimed to ensnare the attention of any willing and naïve soul. Suika knew better; she used to be one of them. Whenever someone approached the duo with shady promotions and aggressive business antics, the kunoichi would just lean into her ‘boo’ as if seeking comfort. She’d smile, wave it off, and act as if she saw no one except the boy she was into. After all, Momo was the typical, smitten teenage girl.

“I wonder how Eishi and Kano are faring…” she mused every so often. She did manage to occasionally glimpse Kano in her peripherals; he appeared to know where he was going and didn’t seem to draw unwanted attention. Suika was comforted knowing his identity was successfully being kept under wraps (pun intended). She wasn’t too sure about Eishi… but as long as he wasn’t starting fights somewhere, she justified, then he’d be fine. “Let’s go this way, I heard there was a cute store not too far from her, Kazu-kun! I wanna shop~” Suika sang as she forcefully enthusiastically dragged her beau toward the southern path. Once they reached a certain point, she’d travel west. This was a main path, but most civilians and travelers stuck to these roads, anyway. The kunoichi would also sporadically stop at different shops along the way. She coo’d and squealed with sparkling eyes at any material object that appeared cute. “Kazu-kuuuuuun,” she almost whined, “I neeeeed it!”

Aside from playing her role, Suika maintained a perceptive eye and kept her senses sharpened. As they continued to stroll down their path toward their first destination, she suddenly felt like they were being watched. Was it an unnatural occurrence for a girl to be gawked at and stalked in Midorikawa? No, it wasn’t, but it never hurt to play the game a bit safer. The Chuunin followed her instincts and cued her boy-toy. “I’m getting sort of cold, Kazu-kuun,” she expressed with a light shiver. Folding her arms together, she hoped that Ocha took the hint. If he did, Suika, using her time-defying initiative, would secretly manifest a hidden ethereal item on her attire. It was a little pin on her bra strap. After rigorous training with her ethereal weapon which was reinforced by the need for sneaky tactics through KSIS, Suika grew successful in summoning her spiritual prowess in the subtlest and most detailed of ways. In this hidden form, she couldn’t use her ethereal tool as a weapon, but it provided her the ability to channel lower-leveled illusions without giving her shinobi identity away. It was mostly a safety measure and could only really fail if someone decided to rip off her bra.

“Knock on wood, Suika,” she thought as she fought the potentially devastating visualization. The kunoichi, along with Ocha, continued toward their path. If for some reason she did notice someone shady consistently following them, she’d queue a False Surrounding through the pin on her bra strap to get them off their back. However, if it seemed safe enough, she’d opt not to use her illusions just yet. Not this early on, at least, unless they really needed it.

[WC: 602 | Post 3
TWC: 1,808]

[ACTIONS:
1. Head South then west toward destination
2. Manifest Ethereal Pin on bra strap.
3. Keep that perception and deception on high
4. Queue False Surroundings as extra safety measure/if notices they are being followed by someone shady.]

 

[Otani Ryuichi]

Ryuichi had decided to act just as smitten and madly in love as Suika did in order to avoid suspicion from those they would rather not be noticed by. He plastered on a big, goofy smile and let his cheeks stay flushed red that was almost comical when compared to his nearly inhumanly pale skin. However, he couldn't let so much focus go into a forced act. If he went too far it would both seem obvious, and distract him from the mission at hand, and considering a ninja died due to recent events this wasn't exactly the time to slack. He simply followed 'Momoko' wherever she led, usually answering to her pleas to go somewhere with an "Alright, alright Momo-Chan. We can go." or something along those lines.

He didn't exactly have enough knowledge of the other two in the group besides what they've said about themselves. Yet despite this fact, he had the upmost faith that they would get their jobs done considering that they were ninja approved by not only the village, but Suika herself for this mission. He just had to do his part. He kept an eye out for anyone suspicious, using his optical prowess to be able to scan the entire area within his vision within a fraction of a fraction of a second, at every sight that could be seen, just as the sharingan was known for. Should he see anyone suspicious, he would use his natural talent with the lightning element to cause tiny jolts of electricity into Suika's arm in the form of morse code, giving directions for where the suspicious individual currently was in order for her to find a new path.

As they stopped at shops, and booths along the way Ryuichi was quick to buy anything that was moderately cheap, yet usually answering with something like "I'm Sorry Momo-Chan, but Ikazu-san still hasn't payed me. He says the crop hasn't been selling, so I'm not getting it any time soon." With an almost dead expression on his voice signalling internal defeat, despite that all being a hoax.

Then, when she mentioned how could she was getting it was like a small signal went off in his head, as if he felt like she was trying to hide....something. 'No, Bad thoughts Ryu. Focus here.' He thought to himself, before removing his jacket to reveal a plain grey tank top underneath. "Here ya go Momo! You can have this till we get somewhere warm..." He said, not letting his own instincts dull and keeping an eye out. Yet, to help keep up the act he let one last little comment through. "Ya know it's still weird for me to use your first name....you don't mind that, right?"

Now all he had to do was continue to watch out for anyone, and let Suika know of anyone strange through electrical signals...

[Post: 3]
Actions:
1. Follow 'Momo' wherever she leads.
2. Use eyeball hax to keep a watch on the surrounding area
3. Use electrical signals to let Suika know if anyone strange is seen
4. Give Suika my jacket to hide the pin It's really cold tho

 

[Eishi]

Once Suika and Ryu were well and gone from the both of us, I was quick to leave Kano's side as I swiftly darted into a back alley and did a few jumps up the sides before finally getting up to the rooftop. I began my route over the buildings until I able to see the two others off in the distance along with Kano trying to pick up speed on the ground to make up for our late start.

"See anything bandage boy?" I asked through my headset as I tried to stay hidden and observant from the rooftops. I hadn't seen anything suspicious yet, but that didn't mean that hidden dangers weren't running about. Currently, I could see no reason for us to be targeted, we had yet to actually do anything to raise suspicion from what I could tell. I mean, I had dealt with those kids in the train, but I'd have been accosted regardless of if I had been in disguise or not and those kids had no proof even if they had bothered to complain. Beyond that, even if I did get in trouble with the locals, they can't say with any certainty that I had any affiliation to the others ever since we pulled in to the town.

Regardless I was doing my due diligence, checking in with my 'partner' and keeping an eye on all three below me. I had stolen a coffee and some breakfast from an unsuspecting vendor on my travel over. It was a good thing too, I was feeling a mid-morning craving as I scarfed it all down and I kept my eyes trained for anything of note, I'd rather not get snappy at my team because I had been hungry, after all. Beyond that, I was in the backup role, anyway. I may have had the best view of anyone on the team and all, but currently, I wasn't seeing shit. As I had said before, we were so early on into the investigation, I'd be more surprised if something did actually happen.

It was boring enough for me once I was done with my food, enough so that I started juggling a couple of kunai that I had taken out from inside one of my inner coat pocket with a single hand as I looked down on the 'couple'. It was at that moment that I had noticed quite a few eyes lingering on the sickeningly sweet duo, but nothing overly obvious from what I was able to tell. I couldn't blame the lot of them, the two of them were selling it a little too hard and getting all sorts of stares, that's for sure. I guess if their plan was to get noticed as an annoying couple, they were doing a bang up job.

As I saw the two walk down the street across and away from my location, I took my time leaping from rooftop to rooftop while keeping an eye on those below me whenever I had to make the crossover from building to building. I didn't want to be noticed as I moved about, but that was easier said than done. I believed I managed well enough as the couple and bandage boy came back into view for me as I lagged behind.

 

[Hak]

"Let's kill all of them. Start with the flat chested one. Then we can take off the other arm off the loud, obnoxious one. Perhaps we could finish off the dummy last?" The ghost thought to herself quietly. She hoped blood would spill today. Hopefully by Kano himself. He sure did hate hurting others. Taking someone's life would inevitably cause him grief, and she very much enjoyed his pain.

Meanwhile, Kano walked calmly on the road. His illusion was working beautifully. However, he was also an extremely dedicated individual. Being an outsider his entire life, he studied people often. He primarily studied those deemed ordinary and incredibly average. He hoped one day to be normal so he would often study their actions, walk, facial expressions, body language, and even their fashion sense. As such, he was unnaturally talented at playing normal and not drawing further attention to himself.

The map hardly did justice to the layout of the city. Complex and almost maze-like; if they weren't careful, they could quickly get themselves lost and separated. The buildings were large, and there were many people nearby. His eyes trailed to the 'lovers' before switching his gaze once more. It was a solid tactic Suika was performing. Public displays of affection naturally caused people to feel uncomfortable, and many would refrain from staring too long. It was for this reason his eyes didn't linger; he had to be 'natural' after all, Human. Human's didn't enjoy PDA's, as such it could give him away if he stared or watched for an abnormal amount of time.

His partner's voice suddenly appeared on the headset. Bandage boy? He should be calling him 'Naru' but he let it slide as he wasn't the confrontational type. He was slightly confused, however, unless there was something to report, it would have been better to remain quiet. He would now have to respond in order not to worry his partner.

"Ahh, such a relaxing day." he responded softly as he stretched his arms. He wasn't sure if ears were on him, best to speak plainly and in code, unless something was amiss, he thought. He was confident Eishi would catch the hint. There was no reason to accidentally let someone overhear him answering a question alone after all.

Kano was internally relieved that Eiko wasn't making a scene or doing things. She was walking normally as if people could see her, even making the actions of avoiding running into the living. She was odd, always causing mischief and problems but in situations like these helpful and brilliant. She appeared like a small child, but her corporeal form hid many decades of wandering the realm of the living.

Word Count: 448 | Post 3

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

Very relaxing.

This part of Midorikawa was of moderate wealth and the streets were filled with a variety of peoples. Apart from the medley of locals, Suika, in particular, could pick out people from different eastern coastal regions of Lightning, Bear and even far off Fire Country by their clothing and features. Most would be merchant sailors, with the men and women dressed in brightly dyed loose Hakama pants, wrapped tightly from the knee to ankle and Haori jackets over cotton Yukata that was both cool and easy to move in. Dotted amongst them were modern dark grey and silver trimmed uniformed men of the Lightning navy, the odd merchant notable for their finer clothing, and rare self-proclaimed monster hunters laden with gear. No one of note seemed to be following them, though the nagging feeling would persist.

It was no easier to tell from above, and there was no time to watch the pattern of people below for a clue, but Eishi could be certain their watcher wasn’t travelling above like he was. The warren of walkways did not always follow the main street and in an effort to keep track of his group, Eishi would find himself traversing around mazes potted gardens, lattice walls and small sheds. People didn’t seem to be taking kindly to his presence either. Once he stumbled over a young man tending over his garden space who threw a bucket of water at his face, and later a young woman in the midst of what seemed to be basic sword practice screamed “pervert!” and tried to chase him off with a few poorly placed swipes of her wooden practice blade. The girl, in particular, seemed offended by his mere presence and unless dealt with, lost or scared off would begin tailing him and yelling that she had found ‘the serial peeper’.

For Kano there would be a few people between him and the lovey pair that would begin to stand out if only because they had continued to travel the shared route from early on. A pair of male travellers who walked engrossed in conversation, a woman as round as she was tall hustling along the street, a young mother wrestling with two energetic children that she kept trying to bribe to behave, and one of the priests from the station who was walking the street handing out fliers particularly to those who looked thin or poorly dressed.

As they strolled, the pair of fake window shopping lovebirds would draw the attention expected of a half-dressed girl and boy with the colouring of a winter rabbit strolling shamelessly arm in arm. Suika wasn’t the least dressed, she would realize as they passed a wide alley lined with red patterned lanterns, but those who matched her exotic fashion sense were of a particular profession. Which was probably why the blimp of a woman, moving at an impressive pace for her size, made a wretching sound as she tried to bouldered past the loving pair then locked eyes on Suika and her Beau. Dressed from beck to ankle in a Kimono that could have dressed ten children, she was clearly unimpressed with the display in front of her. She sneered and looked ready to comment, but decided whatever had her hurrying before was too important to stop for. And so with a shrieked, “Out of my way!” she took off like a wrecking ball again, dragging a slouching, lanky young man who had been hidden behind her great girth by the wrist behind her.

Nothing more of note would take place down below, and the police station would come into view only twenty minutes after they had left the station. The building itself was plain and looked to have once been a shop like the buildings it was sandwiched between, with stairs leading up to its wide double doors and shades pulled across the double windows. It was distinguishable as a station only for its large sign and shield insignia, No doubt it had been a later inclusion to the area as the city grew and required more peacemakers. One of the doors had been left propped open

Inside, a woman, who looked like a sun-wrinkled, over-ripened tomato in her fall coloured cotton Yukata of Orange and Red Leaves, stood in front of the entry desk with her heat swollen hands resting on her hips. face Her eyes, like small onyx stones, were nearly invisible under thick layers of make-up and fake eyelashes the resembled the crawling legs of tarantulas as she blinked excessively while looking down over her beaked nose and puckered lips. The twisted black locks of her hair, pulled into a matron’s bun, pulled at the age loosened skin and bobbed as she screeched down at the poor uniformed officer sitting opposite of her.

It was the same woman who had rushed past them in the street.

"The Kanazawa girl definitely cursed me after I wouldn’t let her marry my son!” her whole body jiggled as she screamed.

A young man who was most certainly her son, as he shared the same droopy, soulless black eyes, hair and large nose, bowed his head and looked to be trying to sink into the floor itself. He couldn’t have been about eighteen, though it was hard to tell as he was every bit tall and lanky as his mother was a bulbous brute but his crouched posture spoke of a lifetime of trying to be as small as possible. Though he seemed ashamed to be dragged into his mother’s tantrum, he made no sound to defend the girl that was being defamed.

The young officer, short and muscular with light skin, and a serious feel about him looked shell-shocked and like he wanted to run away as well.

 

[Suika]

As the undercover Suika travelled across Midorikawa with Ocha in hand, she was quick to notice the regional garments each passerby fashioned. People appeared proud of their origins based off their uniforms, whether that was Lightning’s country’s eastern coast, denizens of Bear country, or even tourists from Fire. However, while she played her ditzy role, the kunoichi mentally check listed each person she encountered. She made a dutiful effort to study their body patterns and remember their faces for the sake of assurance. So far, the coast was clear. Although she did feel she was being watched earlier, that feeling soon faded as she dismissed it as either Eishi’s or Kano’s eyes on her. Suika continued to play her role, also mentally noting how naturally this all came to the silver-haired teen besides her.

“Call me what you want, babe,” the pretend Momo flirtatiously winked, “and thanks for the jacket! I feel so warm now!”</B><i></i> The girl truly felt cozy in Ocha’s jacket; the material felt soft to her skin and provided much more practical covering than her chosen attire, or lack thereof. As the pair turned toward another paved road, Suika almost winced as she saw flashes of red in a nearby alleyway. These soft, yet provocatively themed lights were emitted by paper lanterns that instantly reminded the kunoichi of her past. Suika was initially disturbed for a second, but her emotional spectrum transitioned more into an unsettled anger. She shook a little, but she played this off by cuddling into her boo-thang. Now was not the time to ruminate over past tragedies nor the conditions those girls faced; that was another matter for another time.

“Carrying on,” she mentally reminded herself. Taisuke’s killer needed to be brought to justice, and she’d make sure that she and her team would succeed in doing just that.

The couple were then faced by a big, nasty-looking woman who expressed a type of foul displeasure at their presence. More specifically, she had her dark, beady eyes fixated on Suika. This didn’t bother the girl one bit as she was used to far worse attitudes back when she performed in the gypsy troupe; however, Momo would clearly be uncomfortable by the lady’s sneer, so Suika expressed just that. Leaning into Kazu with a perturbed reaction, the girl squeaked as the stranger bulldozed right past them. “Hey!” she squeaked as she scrunched her reddened face. Turning toward the boy in the tank, she vocalized her clear irritation. <B>“Some people have such nerve, Kazu-kun! What a bulldog, am I right?”<i></i> As the lady stormed off, the kunoichi took notice of the lanky boy dragged behind her. Poor kid.

Eventually, the pair reached the police station. Stretching out her arms and then immediately falling back into a couple’s pose with Ocha, she entered and prepared herself to accomplish the first part of their assignment. Upon entering, her eyes immediately fell half-lidded as they were reunited with the rude lady from before. She went on about some girl trying to allegedly hex her after she denied her his son’s arm. It didn’t take Suika’s otherworldly knowledge to assume that her story was most likely stretched in many directions. Typically, the girl had all the patience in the world, but not today. First, she’d wait it out. If the beak-nosed bellyacher kept on hooting while her son continued to cower in her presence, the Chuunin would take subtle action.

Channeling the ethereal pin on her bra, the girl would attempt to cast a non-damaging form of the genjutsu Amnesia [Mastered]. Suika’s goal was clear: she wanted the woman to forget why she even came to this station to complain about in the first place. Hopefully, that would clear her and her son out, unless Ocha had a better plan. Once and if she did, Suika would commence with their assignment by identifying herself with the authorities and acquiring that report.

[WC: 652 | Post 4
TWC: 2,460]

 

[Otani Ryuichi]

While he never spotted anyone out of the ordinary, aside from the whale-woman and her poor defenseless child that had decided to run through, Ryu kept himself alert and on focus with his lovestruck, and blushing exterior hiding several calculations and possibilities underneath. Every person was a suspect, or deemed not a threat; from the random women in provocative clothing to other passerby individuals who found their appearance strange, no one was exempt from Ryuichi's barely hidden crimson gaze. His 'romantic partner' in hand was his second concern, generally checking them with visual contact to both ensure they don't see something wrong, and to keep up the appearance of a nervous lover-boy trying to steal glances at his 'beloved'

Regardless, the two of them eventually had their destination in sight when a large behemoth of a woman ran past. With a hiss, and a small scowl, Ryu deactivated his Sharingan in order to keep his chakra in check. However, he kept an eye on the woman for a good few moments before she left, wondering if she happened to be an Akimichi...probably not. However, he met Suika with locked arms once more, and answered her with a nod. "Yeah, good thing you aren't that....harsh...Momo-chan." He said with a chuckle knowing fully well that Suika most likely could be that demanding with their presence.

It didn't exactly help once they arrived at the station to see the very same woman causing a scene. With another small scowl of disapproval, he looked at Suika then back at the lady. Ryuichi wasn't exactly sure about how to deal with something so....publicly. However, he held one hand out towards suika once he felt the slight ting of chakra forming in her bra, while avoiding the act of looking at the source, obviously, and started by activating his Snapshot Jutsu before stepping up. He had a feeling this talk of curses wasn't exactly baseless...though, there were very possibly a numerous amount of reasons she was this upset, all most likely unrelated to their case.

"Uhm....Ma'am, could you explain what happened? I think we're in a similar situation, and want a certain girl taken care of. My boss's crops have been decaying recently, and he believes someone cursed them." He said calmly as he lied so seamlessly. Then, depending on the answer given he would allow Suika to do as they pleased. And if that doesn't work, then Ryuichi/Ocha/Kazu may not have a way around this, considering his methods for getting answers, or controlling the masses was a little more torture-y than he'd like to admit.

 

[Eishi]

I dipped, dived, ducked, and dodged my way through the apartment buildings and rooftop placements as I could. It seemed the city was a lot more ghetto then I had presumed if these many people were all just hanging on out up here on a workday. Whatever, I wouldn't judge, but I would give the guy who tried to throw water on me the stink eye as I thought it over once or twice to hurt him real bad for trying. I thought better of it after a moment's pause the howling creature calling out to my presence on her dwelling drew me from my thoughts. It only took me a moment to figure out what had got her knickers in a twist as I wince at the internal image of her in her underwear.

A serial peeper? really now. She thinks she's all that, I guess. I didn't even hesitate as I dropped some scrap metal from my pockets and let it fly out of my hands as it sped across the way and clasped around the woman's left arm. I just sneered at her as she struggled in vain to try and pry her now shackled arm from the wall behind her. I knew it would lose the magnetic pulse the further on I went, but the momentary gloating was all the time it took for her to begin to widdle away at the bindings. It seemed better now than never to get out. I was quick to jump to the next buildings top as I tried to keep pace with the distraction those two were putting on down below. I was a good distance away, on the far side of our fake couple as I saw some kind of dispute with an ox, no wait...

It seems the two were being accosted by a hippopotamus. I didn't know what to think of the woman as other than that, and I wasn't going to try as I kept an eye back out for the running crowd. I waited for an update from our fourth, but who knew what he was seeing down on the ground. If I had to guess, though, it was probably nothing because this chick was massive. Regardless, once the two had cleared the 'wall' ahead of them, I was quick to follow them further on to their destination towards the civil police station. Hopefully, without much more interruptions from the tops above.

TWC: 2027 4/10 POST