It Stands To Reason [Requesting Passport]

[Siu]

Half glazed, irises gazed upon the towering fortification of onyx afore them; denoting the gradual departure of their youth. That spark, once perpetually present, desensitized with each passing year; Like an alcoholic requiring greater consumption to receive the same stimuli as their tolerance raised—or, even more befittingly, their owner's tobacco addiction.
Still wisping, the cigarette flicked some distance, just moments afore the woman's entrance into the administrative establishment. Hurried footsteps and impatient chatter immediately greeted; the energy of which seemed to press their burdens upon its guest, further draining her already limited reserves. The nonchalant demeanor amidst the bustle drew disapproving glares; the woman's own perplexion returning suit. Particularly, towards one passing lady carrying a ridiculous load of documents .... In no way envied.
The echo of Siu's footsteps joined in the symphony of chaos; a slight yawn escaping her lips, uncovered. It wouldn't have been farfetched to assume she'd temporarily transformed into an invisible entity, given the time it took for the spectacled receptionist to eventually depart from her paperwork and finally acknowledge the breathing entity afore her. The Chuunin seemed to take no offense in it though; as if wholly accustomed to such treatment. Eyes drifted about, further observing their surroundings and its inhabitants to pass time, as if repaying the same unacknowledgment.

"May I help you?" The voice eventually called attention to. The eyes behind those silver-frames undoubtedly maintained their expected professionalism; that trained gaze of neutrality, aimed to be unreadable as possible. Yet, slightly creased facial muscles, particularly upon the nose, revealed nuisance—the potent stench of tobacco pervading their nostrils.

"Oh," Siu instinctively responded, departing from her reverie to meet gazes; a subtle, amiable curve upon her lips—explicitly unreciprocated.

"Right, I'm ... " The woman appeared to gather her thoughts, and while but moments passed—the receptionist's brewing impatience showed.

"Passport." Eventually revealed an answer, followed by a nod; as if the speaker were affirming themselves of their own correctness. A hand could shortly after be witnessed rummaging about its owner's jacket, intentions eventually withdrawn.

"Requesting."

Name: Hikari, Siu
Branch: Main
Rank: Chuunin
Travel Purpose: Education Of The World & Growth

 

[Midori Futotta]

In the break room there was a man sinisterly eating a bowl of cereal– thinking to himself in the room he was eating in. Each chew was slow and purposeful. 'Breakfast…. A most important meal of the day.' he thought, the sound of his own voice in his head sounded soothing. 'I myself absolutely love a bowl of cereal now and again. Especially on Saturday morning where I can catch my favorite cartoon show at exactly 11 AM western time and even on the weekdays when my soap operas come on.' he would suddenly tilt his head up then swallow the cereal, each of his movements purposely seemed menacing as a smile began to spread on the man's face like a disease. "Oh? But alas, I will not have time to complete watching my shows. The breaks are 15 minutes at the most… but today! I shall steal an entire minute or an hour if I so choose!'' The man yelled, that was when the light would suddenly have turned on during his evil monologue. Some annoying person came into the break room in which the man glared at the coworker who possibly knows of his evil plan to steal a minute.

'Well, looks like there is a change of plans, I must go but soon. Soon I will steal a minute the next Saturday morning and there won't be anything anyone could do to stop me…

……

This evil man would then come out of the employees only door to see the receptionist dealing with a Siu. Had the door half open to spy on them first, his face stuck in an evil smirk as he watched them as he slowly creeped out and would then slam the door open so the receptionist would jump then look back at him. "I have returned from my well needed break." He announced as he slowly walked into the room with his boots thumping against the floor and his hands on his hips. "You're dismissed, I will see if this filthy pig is worthy of a passport." he insulted Siu while taking up the request himself getting the denial stamp and then holding over the paper as he eyed the woman with a smirk. He had to admit, the denial stamp almost felt like holding a blade to the neck of a hostage.

"So the reason you have here states you are leaving for educational purposes, oh? But you are chunin. Haven't a little chimp like you ever heard of the library." He chuckled, licking his lips as he eyed Siu's neck.

[Ooc: NPC Reo entered.]

 

[Siu]

Like a perfectly-timed cue, the Chuunin also slightly jumped in response to the newcomer's jarring arrival along with the receptionist.

".... Pig?!" the woman's brows elevated, furrowing the very same moment.

Upon first objection, Siu immediately had an idea what type of character she'd been dealing with—Another horror story among applicants who'd walked in precisely on the wrong day ... wrong time.
It could've been anyone: Miso, Taku, even Fred. But no—not today. Today, Fate clearly had a very special guest on duty, planned specifically for her arrival: The 'ten percent', she'd heard them referred to as.

As the original receptionist got up for her dismissal, Siu"s eyes trailed her with a glimmer of what appeared to convey repressed panic. Radiant with: 'Please, don't leave me!'
But, alas—the original handler eventually disappeared behind the door. And, in that same moment, Siu felt something inside of her die...

Attention turned towards the denial stamp, held with some sadistic joy incomprehensible—then towards the holder himself. She felt it, no matter how greatly her forbearance now worked overdrive to restrain it: The sporadic twitches of her eye, subconsciously readjusting to avoid revealing a full-on scowl.
As the male licked his lips, and Siu realized just where his eyes had been focused, some uncontrolled—"Nngah"—leaked out; followed by an instinctual recoil. Something about his character had successfully invaded—in a very visceral way. Undepictable through words, yet very much felt. It pervaded the very fibres, in the most disturbing manner.

Lips split a moment, but suddenly reclosed without an utter; Hesitant, as if regathering their forbearance. Performing her best to brush off the insults, for the sake of her passport approval, the Chuunin chose to address the main matter solely; hoping to get this over with as quickly as possible. Yet, the words couldn't help but escape through gritted teeth.

"A room of books .... Isn't the same as experiencing the world." Solemnly informed the single reply.

"... Though—I wouldn't expect you to know."

The final jibe resonated with a lower, noticeably darker tone—and an unmistakably sharper bite.

 

[Midori Futotta]

Reo couldn’t help but chuckle darkly at Siu’s reaction to him. The man revealed in making the ones around him feel smaller than he was, the look the poor woman gave when the other receptionist left was priceless, something that only a person of power could enjoy since she will have to kiss his boots to get what they wanted. It was even better that it was a woman too! He felt empowered at the submissive nature of the woman but she did try to push back against him with a little jab, almost trying to get just a little bit of that feeling of control back. But Reo knew he had the high ground here even as he eyed the woman. Wiggling the denial stamp from side to side to tease the woman. “Oh my, you are a feisty little pig are you. HEH-HEH” he cooed with his soothing yet deep voice, resting his hand on his cheek deciding to waste more of this lady's time for the fun of it. Keep her guessing what his intentions were before punishing or rewarding her which was a game that he loved to play with his entertainment. “As much as I would love to tame a little brat like yourself, you should humble yourself before the image of God before you… unless.. You don’t wish to leave here legally?” he sneered, looking over the request again boredly. Now Education Of The World & Growth is what it said on paper but from what little information that he got from Siu it sounded more like a fancy way of taking a vacation to some country somewhere; perhaps interrogating the woman further

"You want to experience the world, oh? And what kind of experience would that intel. Will you be going to the stone village to learn at their university?" looking at her up and down again, eyes laser focused on the lips of Siu which made Reo chuckle as he shook his head. "No, that's for joining plus you don't look like you can afford it. To me, this sounds like you want to have a vacation somewhere rather than doing something useful. Am I wrong?" smirking up at the woman, he had a feeling that this woman wasn't a sheep looking for a shepard rather she, or it rather was looking for freedom if you will. Freedom from what, he didn't know but he could only make a few speculations of what the woman was truly after.

 

[Siu]

A heave of resentment exhaled through the kunoichi's nostrils. Without a doubt, something highly unpleasant had well been on its way for delivery—That was, until her eyes reobserved the man waving about the denial stamp like her death sentence.
A violent pound suddenly echoed through the hall, causing no few disturbed heads to turn despite their rush. The scraping of fingernails was frighteningly audible against the reception desk, as the slammed palm gradually tightened into something clawlike.
.... And yet, no words, neither insulting nor flattering, actually departed. But puffed cheeks above those tightened lips, heavy breathing, and a deep, murderous scowl exposed a taste of just how much self-restraint the woman had been practicing at the moment.
An irony, was that the man hadn't been entirely wrong in his suspicions; though, obviously not entirely correct either. The Chuunin intentionally left the reasoning ambiguous. However, she obviously hadn't expected to contend with this difficult of a character today... Then again, who would have?

"How long have I served this village?!" shouted words bathed with indignation. "Even if it were a vacation—Damn sure well would deserve it!"

The piercing glare never left the male.

"Some treaty with Konoha—know nothing about 'em. Learned nothing about Sunagakure, 'sept they exist. Twenty-seven years in the dark about anything other than here and Marsh.
Academys' graduated—else to learn 'sept repeating the same routines? You think other nations haven't developed methods we could learn from to revive this dying village?"

Something resonated in those angry words; something deeper than a simple, retaliative bite in response to the male's behavior. It divulged something. And exactly what, in truth, Siu herself likely hadn't wholly perceived.

 

[Midori Futotta]

Reo found the Sui's sudden attitude towards him enjoyable. The stuff this woman was saying was truly laughable because it used the kind of knowledge that a bratty teen would have. He could give her that she was good at making herself seem important, he found it enjoyable even but was this evil man convinced by Sui's reasoning? Of course not. "Ah-hahahahaha!" Reo laughed while slowly clapping for Sui's performance. "You know– if I had a small IQ or a simp; that attitude would've probably gotten you a passport. But you see here's where your reasoning falls apart, my dear. Let's go over it again shall we." He smirked at the woman before rising from his seat so he could look down at the pathetic human toilet before him. Reo puffed his chest out, his hands resting on his hips with an air of arrogance radiating from his posture.

"Firstly, it is your job to serve Kumogakure. You are but only a measly chunin whom I know nothing about which means I don't have to care about you as a person. What? You expect me to be impressed by a bratty woman who isn't even at a decent enough rank for me to even respect. Ha!" He scoffed. "Talking treaty's and acting as a diplomat! If it was left up to me you'd be doing whatever you female ninja's do like pick flowers or whore yourself to one of the clans. Call me old fashioned but someone of your rank has no authority to be learning about treaties! I mean common who in their right mind would trust you of all people, something like you!" Reo couldn't contain it anymore he laughed sitting back down after telling the pig her place in the village.

"You are property of the village little girl, not a person or even a veteran! Just someone to use. So now that I told you your place, convince me how bad you want this passport…." Reo looked up at Sui, his hand going to the approval stamp. "Let's start with a apology. Say 'I'm sorry sir. I'm just a bratty human toilet' then all would be forgiven and you will get your passport. Show me how sorry you are, little girl." he licked his lips again and waited for his apology from the woman…..

 

[Siu]

As one would wholly expect, between the mocking laughter in response to her emotional outburst, the insults—and, most particularly, painful reminder as 'property of the village'—the Chuunin was livid.
Indignation and contributions belittled, existence dehumanized; No word performed justice in describing the swirling rage burning through her chest, adrenaline provoked towards levels only experienced in combat. For Siu, this man had officially become an enemy; No different from a foreign shinobi opposing her mission objective.
Her scowl couldn't deepen any further—the male had long achieved that through his last series of insults. But a visible flush emerged from heated adrenaline. Eyes glared with the unrestrained intention of murder. The only preventor from giving in to her instincts was a reminder she'd been in the very same building as the Raikage. Even in rage, the Chuunin was well aware of the consequences. Greater than any branch removal, demotion, or even imprisonment, was a possibility for execution.
However—there existed no world where this encounter would end well: This man had crossed the boundary for bloodshed.

“I'm no property... And no human toilet." Words rectified through gritted teeth.

"You'll get no apology from me—when you've treated me like an animal this entire time!"

At this point, it wouldn't even be about the passport anymore; But a matter of pride. As much as the woman dreaded the very real possibility of walking out with a denial stamp, submitting herself lower than a dog was even greater shame she refused to bear—whether as a shinobi or human.

Siu gave up...

"Garbage like you don't deserve living—Piece of shit calling others toilets!"

"Who are you, and who in their right mind allowed you here? Hiding behind the power of a stamp, only recognizing rank—Blind past his front nose!"

"How many you treat like this? That someone like you sits in a position of power—untrialed—is astounding. Proves this village's state! Mourn for the future generation forced to learn from trash like you."

 

[Okada Kaji]

Perhaps it was senility oncoming with all those silver hairs, but your father had come to appreciate the scent of musty tomes in his later years. There was a certain comfort to be found in most places such as record halls, printing presses, and historic libraries that Kaji Okada appreciated. The quaint bungalow was filled with books by the time you were old enough to play alone in the garden. A lot of them were lullabies and dictionaries, because he adored reading to you, and wanted to further his own abilities with the pen. Yes, he loved the scent of an inkpot, and even the sound of typewriters clacking away.

But as Kaji made his arrival into the Torre Celeste that day— one day after quite a long reprieve from making appearances— his nostrils flared at the stench. The floral aromas and essential oils of some vile creatures masking their natures mixed in the air, and he could taste it on his tongue with every breath. To his dismay, the stale air dried out his palette. He wouldn’t have been able to spit a curse if he happened across the village’s vile mistress during his visit, though he was certain she wouldn’t have the courage to make a cameo that day.

They say that time heals all wounds and entering his sagely years, Kaji found it to be mostly true but with caveats. A sword cut will leave a scar and that is your history, it’s something to take pride in. A broken bone on the other hand; without the necessary care it could leave you crippled, and that is not so easily forgiven. It was Kaji’s fortune that he came out of the last eight years happier. He had a family with beautiful progeny seeing the product of your mother’s long tenure as a splendid Sennin. The hidden cloud was at peace and industrious in a way that no one could easily undo, so of course he took pride in it all. But alas, there were some who did not experience the same results after the end of their golden era— outside of the Kagetsu family grounds, and his little house, there were ninja still seeking something missing, be that closure, or something else.

Entering the passport office, the former Grand Commander was dressed down in attire befitting any villager on their day off. His wavy salt and pepper hair was pulled back in a poor attempt at a knot. The five o’clock shadow didn’t reduce the sturdy look of his jawline as his lip curled into a sneer. Tired emeraldine eyes watched as this pompous attendant was giving another villager a hard time.
“This guy is a dick,” he thought, taking in a solid first impression. Then he went into the breast pocket of his foul-weather jacket, which was that same one in deep olive he’d been wearing since before you were born.
“Hey uh,” he called to Reo and Sio with an unassuming interruption. “The passport office sure has changed, hasn’t it?”
His worn riding boots clacked against the tiling with every step until he was at the desk, just to the right of Siu. He looked at her with a smile and gave a nod, but his attention drifted back to the clerk attending the desk.
“Hope I’m not cutting in line, just figured you two were having a bit of small talk. Mind giving me a stamp, champ?” With whimsy, he tossed his passport and it slapped onto the desk with a little spin to it. The booklet had a loose spine and opened briefly, flashing lists of names, coordinates, and other aspects of a long history of a well-traveled ninja.
Forgetting about Reo, he turned to Siu and stage whispered, “clerks are moving slowly these days, huh? Smells like shit in here… I think it’s cheap cologne.”

Name: Okada, Kaji
Branch: ANBU
Rank: Retired Captain
Travel Purpose: Expedition to survey weather phenomena in seas southeast of Lightning Country.
Render aid to freefolk in distress.
Defend the interests of the Hidden Cloud in lands abroad.

-- Greetings! Kaji Okada has entered the thread.

 

[Saitou Rei]

An unanticipated delay in her schedule, she'd been told. Rei very well understood the prodigious life of a village Kage, but given the quiet that enveloped the Torre she couldn't help but wonder what the purpose was of making an appointment, especially since she hadn't had to reschedule but was blithely instructed to "come back later", containing all the assurance of orderliness as a train car full of hog monkeys. Speaking of, as the chuunin clacked her way down the halls toward the second office she'd needed to visit that day, the quiet she'd been rather enjoying dissolved as it gave way to the hushed roar of an argument between the passport clerk and his client. It seemed scenes like this were becoming more common lately, not that Rei would know. She'd been kept within Lightning Country for so long as a condition of her citizenship that she'd never experienced the hassle of applying for an international passport. Her time and attention had been so completely given to her appointment with the Raikage that now she began to worry she wasn't as prepared for this as she should have been.

Approaching just behind an older, salt-and-pepper haired gentleman, Rei found her place behind the two in line. Finally getting a good look at the greasy, sneering man behind the counter, the Nanjirou immediately knew whose side she was on. Not that anyone was asking her to take sides, but as an applicant herself Rei's sympathy extended to the girl who'd had to endure the self-important attitude that seemed contagious among men with stamps. How he'd react to another man making the same request would be telling. Unexpectedly, a chuckle escaped her lips at the whispered insult about the man's cologne - only to suddenly stiffen and discretely attempt to check her own scent. Relief washed over her; though her attire was combat-ready, it was clean. Though she had been extra sure of it this morning when she left for her appointment, the nature of her occupation left her more or less nose blind and constantly anxious about it in situations like these.

Following her senior's lead in hopes of moving things along for everyone involved, perhaps even peer pressuring an approval for the poor woman ahead of her, Rei spoke up with a Kaibutsu Hunter-stamped request and dossier in hand. "Looks like we're all heading the same direction," she piped with a dry tone, revealing she'd snuck a peek at the nature of Kaji's request. "Extra accountability should mean, no problems, eh?" Despite her uncustomary entry to the conversation and the friendly context of the words she spoke, the unamused sheen in her grey eyes would indicate she wasn't interested in playing games or politicking over something so trivial.

Name: Nanjirou Rei
Branch: Main
Rank: Chuunin
Travel Purpose: [Primary] Establish working relationship between Kumogakure's Kaibutsu Hunter division and the Rangers of Sunagakure.
[Secondary] Survey Kaibutsu activity in the realms beyond Lightning Country borders.

Spoiler: Dossier

[Topic Entered]
[MFT]

 

[Midori Futotta]

Reo chuckled at the rage on Siu's face, thinking to himself as the woman raged when he told what her place was in the village. 'Ahhh– such a beautiful look. I am impressed that I, Reo, had single handedly tapped into the hatred of this piece of property…" he thought within his evil inner monologue. 'Now she stands before the image of evil, unable to channel that rage into action since we are both in Raikage tower! One wrong deed, she'll be in jail, executed, or simply be on the lamb if she fleed. Yeeeeeeeeesssss~ if she acted. I will single handedly have ruined the life of this human toilet.' he felt gleeful at this. The thought of being able to make the woman's life hell even if she does manage to harm Reo made him feel alive! This man felt like he was holding all the cards, with a few tricks up his sleeve to boot.

"Why my stupid, rebellious minded slave. Can't you see you are an animal. Now go on apologize for the passport because there is quite a line forming behind you." he gestured towards the people standing behind Siu while also relishing in the fact that he was wasting their time as well. The more victims the better though he was enjoying trolling Siu a little bit longer. That was when Kaji stepped up then asked if he could get a quick stamp, with a smirk he flicked his hand as if to shoo Siu away then snatched the paperwork from the retired Anbu Sennin so he could read over it. Checking for errors, no matter how small, to exploit to keep this man from leaving Kumogakure. "Interesting choice in rank here… a retired Anbu Captain sticking his nose in the business of the country folk." He rubbed his chin, getting the denial stamp.

"Oh? But if you are retired, that means you are just a mere civilian which means you have no authority to help his people. Vigilantism is a Primary offense and you wouldn't want to be tossed in the dungeon now would you?" Reo smirked at Kaji, getting up into the retired Anbu Sennin's face. "Especially with the mess you pulled at the gates that cost this village a treaty with Konoha from what I was hearing. Isn't that the reason you retired in the first place? Or how about the body of that Anbu we found at the gates? Got an idea who the killer is? Or better yet how did you recover from that embarrassment that happened in Tea?" Reo honestly just used some of the conspiracies he heard around Kumogakure about this man named Kaji. Besides this guy was mocking him in front of the servant in which he'll make sure he pays for by manipulating these people into fighting with one another.

"Perhaps we can move this along faster, let's play a little game shall we?" He offered. "I will overlook your mistake Kaji if you toss this woman out, Siu isn't obeying her God and it needs to learn her place in the world as a slave. I recommend throwing her out a window but if you want to be gentle with this frail creature I don't care about it just get this beast out of my sight please." He looked over at Rei before making a disgusted look at her before pointing at that woman too. "And take that with you too! That thing over there also disgust me by its sheer presence alone… like a skunk or rat. Get them all out or I'll have them throw you out. Make your choice, Boomer." He ordered Kaji, almost sure of himself that if the former Sennin didn't throw the girls out that he would have them throw him out but to be frank he was a little lacking in the whole getting people to do whatever he wanted department... Overconfident would be the best way to discribe it.

 

[Siu]

The woman's face eased a bit as the older male made his appearance and stage whispered. Any other time she might've giggled, even cracked a smile—it was a good quip, after all—yet, the rage in her heart had been far too prevalent for the moment. And so, her features ended up contradicting one another: Hostile facial muscles, diluted with amiable, curious eyes. It made for an awkward formula.... Hopefully, the newcomer hadn't mistaken any of that hostility as having been directed towards him.

'ANBU ... Captain?’

That was a position respectable even to one who'd spent most of their career confined to Main Branch. Siu hadn't even managed to reach Jounin yet, despite her many years of service, so achieving the status of Captain—in a branch with far stricter requirements—That couldn't have been an easy feat. However, his features bore clear testament to the effects of aging. But there was also a charm to it; like aged wine that improved with time.
The Chuunin considered just how much more action and bloodshed he'd witnessed in comparison. The thought, in fact, was frightening. All, and all, he still seemed like a character with a head still on his shoulders—i.e. not insane, anyways; An additional feat given his age and long service. Siu lost count of just how many insane individuals, even far younger than herself, she'd come across in this field; Grown utterly detached from reality. But, then again, one might also wonder—had they truly been attached to begin with? Maybe to an extent, all shinobi were insane.
The second individual not much could be made of, as she didn't necessarily appear to exude any striking traits; whether intentional or not. Siu could make out from the short cut and somewhat boyish demeanor the woman likely hadn’t been one unaccustomed to field assignments, in comparison to the ‘less dirty’ Academy instructing she'd found herself piled with lately; but any more outside that was difficult to get a read from. Curious eyes did catch a glance of her stamp insignia though.

’Kaibutsu Hunters.’ So, she was Main Branch too.

Her last true interaction with the division had been so, so long ago; In a difficult time when she'd been attempting to transfer into it, in fact. The division's leader had been a refugee unexpectedly befriended, providing the kunoichi with the gift to continue her career; But that was a separate story, for another time. The concerning epilogue was this man had long been unseen since, and Siu now found herself rewondering just what had happened to him.

"Be lucky to get even a friendly greeting from this trash," She'd inform the newcomers. "Head so far stuck up his ass, can't see anythin' past it."

The waving dismissal triggered her even further...

The next series of occurrences would obviously take precedence. The audacity involved in every action, insult—as infuriating as awe-inspiring. The fact this clerk had the audacity to get into the very face of an ANBU Captain? Either he'd been incredibly confident in his own capabilities, or utterly insane. The Monster Hunter received no better treatment.
In truth, Siu wasn't sure whether to consider the words against the other male insults or actual threats. Her curiosity wished she knew, but none of the mentioned instances truly rung any bells for her. Rumors about what happened at the gates couldn't help but be heard, but the kunoichi had honestly been far too distracted with her own priorities to truly be in the know of it. However... something did ring a bell—And a long shelved, loud one at that.

'Kaji...'

Why did that name sound vaguely familiar?

“Kaji ...Okada?”

The Chuunin’s eyes widened upon piecing everything together.

“Of 'The Nine' Champions?!”

 

[Okada Kaji]

At first, it might have seemed as if your father would quietly subject himself to Reo’s blathering and insults. There was merit in having patience, after all. He leaned on an elbow against the counter, pressing just enough to hear the old wood cry a squeak. Then he picked up a yellow no.2 pencil with a just-sharpened tip— unironic, given Reo didn’t seem to actually do work at his desk. As the clerk was making further comments to Siu, Kaji just watched. To him, there was much to be discovered from the subject's presence, posture, and fidgeting than the lies they’d sputter.

Once Reo turned that nasty bravado onto your father though, well, I heard that he let out a laugh to his face. It was an escaping snicker, the kind that makes your chest and shoulders pump as you try to hold it in. But as Reo’s accusations turned more serious so did Kaji’s intensity in turn. There was no intention of letting Reo’s slights against Siu go unchallenged, but now the cretin was letting his mouth write a check his ass couldn’t cash.

“You can’t be serious,” Kaji Okada said with a souring grin. “What does some pen-pushing desk jockey know about being a shinobi, let alone have the audacity to run his mouth at real ones?” Absent-mindedly, he pinched the pencil between his index and middle finger and tapped the eraser end against the counter in a fast tempo, patience waning, tension rising. “Rank might matter on a stamp but this pencil will pierce straight through your carotid artery if I push hard enough— doesn’t matter if you’re a genin or the fucking Raikage herself.”

The drumming stopped for a silent count to four. Like a flash of lightning, Kaji sprang onto Reo with murderous focus and a pencil gripped like a senbon. With his free hand, he swiped at Reo and stole a fistful of blond curls, taking a controlling grasp unless Reo wanted to end this encounter bald. As if he’d make the clerk sign the passport with his face, Kaji brought him down with a slam and held him fast. And just as he suggested, down came the pencil in a well-aimed stab into Reo’s neck! Blood sprayed onto the desk, even painting their passports with red dots. Pressing hard, Kaji held the instrument in place and climbed over Reo to keep him pressed down with an advancing chokehold. It all seemed so easy to Kaji, who hardly let out a grunt or testy breath amidst the struggle.

“Yeah I’ve had my share of trouble, been around the block, was one of the nine… I’ve served, and will be of service. "The retirement was just a gesture— real shinobi who get their hands dirty for their village are rarely so lucky to make it this far. "To see an end. "A little fuckin’... Happiness.”

“But you… “Here’s a game for you, asshole. “You’re going to stamp approvals on each of our passports or I’m going to push this pencil until it pierces your windpipe or lungs…” The sanguine mess made it hard to tell exactly where the pencil was lodged, so he had to be careful with how far he pushed the intimidation tactic. “So make a decision and pick your prize cuz we got places to go.”

Actually killing Reo would come with consequences for him and the young kunoichi in his company. However, with one of the village’s finest doctors only a few floors above, Kaji knew that Reo would survive. Violent as it was, it was truly just a game. Late to be considerate of his compatriots in waiting, Kaji looked up and tried to fake a convincing smile at Siu and Rei: he was aiming for a yearbook photo, but it was more like a driver's license. It was certainly a picturesque moment, smiling with another man’s blood sprayed across his cheek to his lapel. “See that, he’s deffo gonna break,” he said, assured. Then he pressed on the back of the pencil with his thumb, pushing just a little deeper.

He almost felt a little guilty; oh how good it was to be back.

 

[Saitou Rei]

Good Lord; what should have been the simplest of tasks had turned into quite the debacle. Rei simply stood and watched what felt like a theater production play out in front of her. The dramatics of the passport clerk left Rei with her eyebrows raised as far as they would go without receding into her hairline, speechless at the sheer absurdity of the scene. The theatrics would only grow, of course, as the one and only Okada Kaji stepped to the plate.

Now, ANBU had a reputation no matter what village you were from. Though she had never been the kind to stereotype, the events that had led to her eventual departure from Konohagakure had left an admittedly bad taste in her mouth for the branch as a whole. They were efficient, yes, and working under the pressure of the standard their branch commanded. Yet she felt they were often quicker than most to deal out death in judgment - even when the offense was something like getting sassy in the passport office.

All this however was not enough to sway her to Reo's side, even as she watched the blood spurt from his neck and onto Okada-san's face. The ten seconds she had spent in his presence affirmed that he represented the worst of humanity, and for so long her personal experience had taught her that 'the power of words' fell terribly short of the power of force when it came to changing people's behavior. Most importantly, given their location and the name of the man doing the assaulting, she was certain he wouldn't die. And so the most sympathy that could be elicited from the Chuunin was a disinterested and likely unheard call for "Medic?" with a flew glances around the office and hallways. Stepping forward to be in line with Siu, a relaxed hand on the hilt of her sword, she gave her cautious attention to Kaji.

"Sir?" She prodded to try to gauge more of the retiree's mental state.

Huh - Okada Kaji. Yeah, that was it.

[MFT; edited for typos.]

 

[Midori Futotta]

Reo smirked, successfully getting under the former Anbu Sennin's skin. Siu is a fun toy, sure, but tormenting a measly slave doesn't even compare to the bliss of kicking someone who was superior once upon a time. While one was simply to satisfy his sadistic nature, to talk down to the former sennin could be boasted about! Especially if he somehow managed to manipulate the former Sennin into doing his bidding but what he got was even better– or at least brought him some more enjoyment for the time being. Reo allowed this useless slave of a man to call him but a desk jockey before proceeding to make a threat against him. As though he would be brave enough to act on such a threat in such a secure place. "Oh, so is that a terrorist threat I'm hearing." He sighed, bellowing a deep laughter as if Kaji was simply just going to talk instead of acting. "Ah-hahahahaha! My good man, as I said before you shinobi are nothing more than sla–"

Reo would suddenly be cut off when the slave-man would then grab his hair and the evil man did put up a struggle. "HEY! GET YOUR FILTHY PAWS OFF ME! DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM! I AM RRRRREO!" He protested, however no soon after the tyrant felt a sharp pain coming from the side of his neck as he felt the pencil– pierce through the side of his neck. "GRRK" the only sound he could make was a gurgling sound as he swallowed down some of his own blood to keep from choking on it. His eyes were widened in disbelief, looking down as if to try to see where the pencil was; hands held up as if he was still surprised by the fact that he was actually being stabbed by a slave! 'HE STABBED ME! THIS LOWLIFE ACTUALLY STABBED ME WITHIN THE RAIKAGE'S BASE!' He thought to himself before his eyes would go dark as he looked at Kaji with a hateful look even if he had the upper hand in this sticky situation that the villain managed to get himself into.

So basically this little game was simple, he approves all of their passports– Reo gets to continue his evil. Reo clenched his fist, feeling that he was defeated but with Kaji's look back to the two other slaves– this evil man could tell that he still had power even in this situation. "Y-you idiot. Assaulting me, Reo in the office of the Raikage! You've signed your own arrest warrants for all of you!" He yelled in a more hoarse voice, Reo honestly would laugh but that would hurt him more even if he was amused. "Heh-heh! *Cough* Ow… F-fine slaves. I'll grant you your freedom papers. I doubt a group of savages like you all will make it pass the gates anyway without being questioned." Getting the approval stamp, he hesitantly began to stamp on these scumbag's passports one by one. While he did have the upper hand in this situation, Reo was actually a bit scared that he would actually end up dying here and he hated it. He hated that he was being bullied into giving these passports away rather than he being the bully here. Reo actually felt small in this situation and he was powerless to stop it from happening. Now here he was trying to use something against them to get that power back, but it seemed relatively meaningless if he wasn't alive to see the misery when they lock all three of these savages up and make them starve down in that dank prison.

"Here." Reo slid the passports over the table, all of them having that seal of approval. "Take it and go. Unless you want to explain this to the authorities here and now? *Cough* *cough*"

[[OOC: All three passports are approved]]

 

[Siu]

It was horrifying. Barbaric. Utterly—

'Beautiful...' Absolutely ... Beautiful. The man was a bloodstained angel of retribution. An absolute legend.
Eyes widened, mouth agasp, pupils bathed in grey resonated deep, unsuppressed awe; All the fury in her expression dissolved in an instant.
The woman's head momentarily turned towards the other kunoichi's request for a Medic. With unchanged features, like a performance from a horror act, the single finger would raise to her lips.

"Shhh," Urged the whisper, afore attention returned to the male and his picture pose. And then it'd finally sneak upon her face, lip sides curling—the smile. One deriving full pleasure from the scene afront.
A bow quickly performed.

"My gratitude can't be expressed through words, Mr. Okada." A thought considered rifling through her pockets, but Siu couldn't remember possessing much to offer but loose yen and Susukino meal vouchers. All of which, she highly doubted the veteran held much use for.

"Might I also take the moment to say," She'd continue after restraightening upright, "That spectating the Tea Tournament became one of the most influential experiences for my career. Was a little girl at the time, but many performances remain burned into memory. Most of this generation seemed to have forgotten you Legends.... It's tragic."

A hand gradually reached to retrieve the blood-spotted passport. The Chuunin studied the document. Staring at it, as if dubious whether the approval stamp had actually been authentic or some play upon her vision. To her disbelief, it was real.

"Should this pig attempt to raise any case against you, you have my full support as a defender. My name is Hikari, Siu."

As if remembering an important thought, the kunoichi suddenly detached focus, drawing back the sleeve of her suit jacket to read the slim watch underneath; Its dyed leather strap and silver case revealing it to be of no cheap class. An apologetic look returned to the Captain, the smile somewhat faded.

"Ah—unfortunately spent far more time than scheduled. Running late for classes. Not much can repay such a favor, but if you're ever needing somethin', or would enjoy somethin' nice to eat in Susukino sometime—on me—you can easily find me at the Academy."
"I wish you"—The woman glanced towards the Kaibutsu Hunter, nodding—"And you," "A pleasant day and wonderful journey. Maybe we'll bump into each other in our travels?" And with that, the woman would be off.... However, not before one final task.

Loafers tapped three steps closer towards the restrained clerk. The smile remained, yet a degree of visceral disgust returned to her glare. A single wad of spit flew from the woman's mouth, onto the bloodied clerk's face.

"Serves you right, toilet."

[Thread Exited Unless Stopped]

[Thanks For The Fun Everyone, Especially Maru ^^]

 

[Saitou Rei]

As the woman who would soon introduce herself as Hikari Siu expressed both her gratitude toward and her admiration of the retired Captain, Rei remained cautious - hand at the hilt and at the ready. That is until Reo began running his mouth even as blood ran out of the corners of it, uttering for the umpteenth time (but for the first time within Rei's earshot) the slur "slaves". Hand dropping to her side, it would remain there as she approached the desk with Siu to retrieve her stamped passport. Her calm and quiet demeanor was betrayed by the sparkle in her eyes. There was unfortunately some truth in what Reo said about the possibility of these passports being invalidated, or worse. As she returned the farewell greetings of the other Chuunin with a smile and a nod, the gears in her mind almost visibly turned.

"Unfortunate as it would be if it came to trial, you would have my support as well Okada-san -- but I don't think it needs to come to that over something so trivial. Wouldn't you agree?" Though she was addressing Kaji, her gaze was fixed on the man below her writhing in his seat. No, she didn't think of herself as a judge to determine who'd been right and who'd been wrong in this situation; she'd come to believe that human nature was far too complicated for such a black-and-white scale. In fact, by nature of the laws of their military state she suspected Reo might even have the beginnings of a convoluted case against the retired ANBU. But the Kaibutsu nature that ran through her veins demanded self-preservation; and it would have it.

As she finished speaking her hands would quickly come together in a flurry of three seals. Rat, Tiger, Dragon. Kaji would undoubtedly recognize this as the ANBU technique Mental Infiltration, but Reo would have no time to react before the Nanjirou's palm came to rest on his still-restrained forehead.

Instantly, Reo would find himself in the dark and gloomy reserves of his own demented mind. The pencil was mysteriously gone, along with the wound it had inflicted on his neck. His time to enjoy the respite from the pain would be brief, however, as somewhere in the abyss of his twisted mind came the dark laugh of another entity. Slowly, a mountain of skulls would come into view through the murky fog. There was a makeshift throne atop which a Kaibutsu sat, staring down at the mental manifestation of Reo's soul. The dark chakra nature that radiated from the human-shaped monster would send shudders down Reo's weak spine; this feeling would intensify as the genderless creature grinned and opened it's bright red eyes, and finally spoke.

"How disgusting," the Kaibutsu spat with a curled lip, his facial expression betraying the words he spoke. "We were just going to do a little time heist, let you go sleepy-bye and forget this whole thing happened. But this…" A clawed hand would gesture toward the empty expanse around him. Further inspection would show flashes of Reo's recent and distant past on display - memories of the various atrocities he'd committed in his life, all from his own perspective. One snapshot of these memories would prove him a fraud on a thousand levels. "You're a twisted little kuso, aren't you?"

Lifting its chin from its hand, the Kaibutsu flicked their pointer and middle fingers to send Reo's celestial body flying, pinning him to an invisible wall that sent spikes through his torso. Of course, this wasn't really his body - he wouldn't die, but the pain would certainly feel real. A brief pause as the monster scratched its chin. "No, I suppose you're not worth the hassle. Still…" Licking its lips, the kaibutsu gave a final swipe of its fingers to tear a hole in the office clerk's neck where the pencil had been. "Don't worry pig. You won't remember a thing when you wake up." Conveniently, the Kaibutsu had neglected to mention the unexplained night terrors that would likely follow him for months. It would consist of burning red eyes, Reo staring up at them while he gurgled on his own blood.

A disgusted look crossed Rei's face as Reo's body slumped against her palm. Ever since the kaibutsu attack on the gates, she'd had little control over what happened within the realm created by this jutsu. Nevertheless, it would yield the results she desired - upon waking in a few minutes, Reo would have no memory of the incident with her, Siu and Kaji. Her intention had been to pull him back to the beginning of his shift, but who could tell where that Kaibutsu would send him. Pulling her hand back, the clerk's unconscious body lurched forward and his face met the desk with a thick thud. "He'll be up soon. May I?" This time, she would look at Kaji, gesturing to the pencil. Assuming he removed the shiv, she would perform the seals for an entry level medical jutsu that would stop the bleeding and more or less heal the wound.

"Shouldn't be a problem for you now… probably." Whether Kaji cared or not was left to be seen; he had pulled a pencil on a clerk in the Torre Celeste, after all. Rei wondered if the retiree cared about much of anything at this point. Still, the name was one she had promised herself long ago she would learn more about given the opportunity; time to take hold of it. "I see we're both heading south." Tucking her passport and dossier into a pouch in her cloak, she continued, "I don't know about you, but I could use a drink before heading out. Care to join me?"

Whether Kaji took her up on the offer or not, Rei's business here was concluded for the time being and she'd make her way out of the Torre and toward the Susukino. She'd have to return this afternoon to go through some more red tape and acquire a few more stamps, but she doubted any of them would be as eventful as this had been. Not that Reo would remember any of the pleasure he'd taken in it.

---

*Mental Infiltration used on Reo with Maru's permission. This should at least remove his memory of the events of this thread, but exactly how far back this sets his consciousness is up to Maru.
*Coagulation used on Reo's neck, if Kaji permits.

Many thanks to Maru and Siu for allowing us to crash their party; I had a blast!

[Topic Left]

 

[Okada Kaji]

This is a world shaped by a knife’s edge; where power speaks in volumes best measured by how a force can push the fulcrum of society’s balance. Back at the peak of his youthful prime, Kaji Okada was a firm believer that shinobi were tools and saw himself as the blade— a grimly sharp edge ready to slay the foes set against him. As he grew in wisdom he came to understand that shinobi, like all people, are their own instruments made to serve a purpose of their own design. It is not the hidden village that decides how you push that fulcrum, nor any benefactor pulling strings. So, to hear the cretinous Reo bastardize the notion of a shinobi’s purpose— daring to call them slaves— activated a violent and yet core aspect of Kaji.

It should have been more of a relief to Kaji when Sui and Rei reacted rather amicably to his assault on Reo, even impressed. And yet he expected it— why? True shinobi recognize the purpose, process, and artform in well-executed bloodshed. Witnessing the minimalist attack on Reo by a former master of the Ansatsu Butai was like listening to a concerto by Antonio Vivaldi, father of the baroque violin. Anyone who saw it as mere barbarism did not understand what it meant to live by the sword.

“Oh, leaving so fast?” Kaji said in reply to Miss Hikari as he pushed away from their common enemy. Reo’s bleating became an afterthought to Kaji once three thuds of the approval stamp had registered. For all the raucous he caused, Kaji probably could have given Reo a firm backhand to the cheek and stamped the passports himself, but this was about much more than due process. He revealed an off-white handkerchief and began blotting the blood off of his own cheek and lapel. Attentive to his present company not including Reo, Kaji was pleased to receive promises of support in the event the Cloud brass got wind of the incident that transpired. He dared to form a conceited smile, aware that many shinobi had been killed for less and their perpetrators went unpunished. Perhaps Kaji wanted to see Reo crawl his way to the Raikage’s chamber door, only to discover that she had gone away from her console: picture a keyboard collecting dust. It would have been cruel but a fitting end for Reo to expire left to stiffen like headless vermin brought home by a roaming house cat.

But alas, there was indeed still good in the world, or perhaps pragmatism. While Siu seemed pleased to leave Reo as-is, even spitting on him for good measure, Rei commenced a methodical clean-up. Not a bald white man with an earring and a tight-fitting t-shirt kind of clean, but an ansatsu butai kind… Now it was Kaji’s turn to be impressed as she employed a technique rarely seen outside of the masked flock.
“Neat trick you got there,” he said, just as easily referring to her choice to reveal an ANBU secret or her resourcefulness in having it at the ready. As Rei went to suture the wound with a healing technique Kaji felt obligated to help; after all, it was a mess he started. He pulled out the makeshift senbon and “lost” it through a cracked window. Then he applied some pressure to the wound, aiding the prevention of blood loss while Rei completed a technique that would expedite his healing. While locked in positions to heal their favored foe, Rei suggested a more casual climate to continue their friendly introduction, or so Kaji understood it as much. “A drink sounds nice, sure” he answered with an accompanying nod. In all his years, he always knew that meeting up for drinks came right before a riotous good time. “And maybe we can catch up to our other new friend before she’s gotten too far ahead of us. As they say, the more the merrier.”

-- Topic Left, To Be Continued.