Ninpocho Chronicles

Ninpocho Chronicles is a fantasy-ish setting storyline, set in an alternate universe World of Ninjas, where the Naruto and Boruto series take place. This means that none of the canon characters exists, or existed here.

Each ninja starts from the bottom and start their training as an Academy Student. From there they develop abilities akin to that of demigods as they grow in age and experience.

Along the way they gain new friends (or enemies), take on jobs and complete contracts and missions for their respective villages where their training and skill will be tested to their limits.

The sky is the limit as the blank page you see before you can be filled with countless of adventures with your character in the game.

This is Ninpocho Chronicles.

Current Ninpocho Time:

Kaijo {Free RP}

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Classic rock thumped from the battery-powered radio on the kitchen counter, filling the condo with amazing riffs and pulse-pounding drum solo’s. The lead singer wasn’t performing alone, though; another voice joined the fray. Jo was singing the lyrics bobbing his head to the music as he scrubbed the kitchen floor on his hands and knees. He had been cleaning since sun-up, and now the last burning rays of light were beginning to dip behind the nearest building. As he finished scrubbing the last tile, he plopped the brush into the sudsy bucket water with a splash and sat down on his rump, giving his sore knees a well-deserved break. The condo had been left locked and undisturbed since he’d been cryogenically frozen, resulting in a thick layer of dust on everything and the contents of his refrigerator transforming into black sludge. The repulsive odor was impossible to remove from the appliance (and believe me, Jo tried everything!). In the end, he’d just thrown the thing out the window into the dumpster below and ordered a new one. The rest of his day had been spent dusting, vacuuming, scrubbing the mold out of the bathroom and disposing of the expired food in his pantry. The last thing on his list was the kitchen floor, and it was now lemony-fresh and squeaky-clean!

Jo took a deep breath, held it, and sighed; satisfied with a job well-done. Grunting as he stood, he carried the bucket to the bathroom and dumped the filthy water into the toilet before rinsing it in the shower and storing it and the scrub brush in the hall closet. Stretching his back with a satisfying popping sound, Jo wandered into the living room, turning off the radio en route, and plopped down on the couch. The sunlight finally faded, the twilight between late afternoon and the true darkness of night casting the room in a grey shadow. Hunger tugged at the chuunin’s belly, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten yet today; and with every edible scrap of food in his home having gone expired, he was left with little option but to order-in, or go out and get something to eat. Jo was tempted to just order in some pizza, but then he remembered that he hadn’t yet renewed his phone line since it had been shut off in his absence.

”Guess I should get dressed, then…” he grumbled as he looked down at his attire. There wasn’t a restaurant in the vicinity that would give him patronage while he was wearing black athletic shorts and a stained white tank-top. Grunting in resignation, he got up and headed into the bedroom to change. Fumbling through his drawers blindly in the dark, he grabbed out a pair of jeans, black t-shirt, and a pair of socks and returned to the living room. The electric company hadn’t reactivated his service yet, but he was able to get dressed fairly well with the little light he had left. Lacing his boots was a little tricky in the dark, but muscle-memory kicked in and he soon found himself donning his brown leather jacket and exiting the front door, locking it behind him.

The streets of the Seki District were bustling with activity. Saturday night in Kumogakure hadn’t changed a bit, and the weather had finally broken just as spring officially arrived. The night was pleasantly cool, enough so that the jacket was a good idea. The first stars dotted the sky, half of the heavenly dome a dark purple, while the western half was still grey with the light of the recently set sun. Jo silently made his way to the portion of the district that had the better restaurants. He didn’t feel like fast-food, he wanted something substantial. For that, he went to his favorite restaurant; Kaijo. The food was a blend of traditional Lightning Country fare and western dishes, and the martini’s had won several awards both in the village and throughout the rest of Lightning Country. Their symbol, an orange spiral spinning counter-clockwise, hung over the door, swinging gently in the breeze as Jo entered.

The scent of food hit him with full force as he entered, the multitude of spices and ingredients creating a pleasing aroma that wafted through the air and caused Jo’s mouth to water. A pretty blonde girl around his own age was standing at the hostess stand. Her uniform of black slacks, tennis shoes, t-shirt and apron didn’t do her body any justice, but Jo honestly wasn’t interested in anything carnal at the moment. All he wanted was a good meal and a cold drink.

“Welcome to Kaijo! Do you have a reservation?” She said, her voice obviously taking on a fake cheeriness that went along with working in food service.

”No, ma’am. Is there room at the bar?”

“There sure is! Go ahead and grab a seat, Yoko will be right with you, mmkay?”

Jo inwardly cringed as she added an upward inflection to the end of a statement, but thanked her with his own fake cheery-voice and headed over to the bar. Climbing into one of the high bar-stools, Jo took a glance around. It appeared they had done a little remodeling; the pattern on the carpet wasn’t the same as he remembered, but the walls were still had the same textured burgundy wallpaper. The shades over the lights that hung over each table were blue now, and the candleholders were small blue cups instead of green margarita glasses (Thank Raiden! The old ones were so tacky!). The four-person booths that lined the walls were still the same dark-brown pleather, and the tables were still covered in white tablecloths; but they were using black napkins now, and the silverware was a different style than he remembered.

The place was relatively busy, only a few tables remained empty, and the sound of the patrons conversations blended into a pleasant murmur with the smooth jazz that played quietly in the background through speakers embedded in the ceiling. The lights behind the bar and over the booths dimmed slightly as the hostess changed the setting to give the room a softer lighting for the evening. Out of the corner of his eye, Jo saw Yoko approaching from the liquor closet behind the bar, carrying a few replacement bottles with her.

“Hey, I’ll be right with you!” She said, setting the bottles in their respective places on the mirror-backed shelves behind the bar. Yoko was a curvaceous middle-aged woman with wavy, chestnut-brown shoulder-length brown hair and huge, amazing… blue eyes (of course!). When she turned, she finally recognized him. “Oh, shit! Jo! How’s it going? I haven’t seen you around in a while.”

”Yeah, I’ve been out of town for a while.” Jo played off his absence. The bartender (as most bartenders are), was overly chatty with her clients; so Jo built a background to protect his identity. It was actually pretty good practice, and fun to boot! As far as anyone here knew, he was a semi well-to-do businessman at a large international corporation.

“So, what can I get you? The usual? A Manhattan straight-up, right?”

”Good memory, but no. I’m trying to cut back a little on the drinking.” Truth be told, he’d stopped drinking all together. He didn’t want to give By-Tor (his Jinchuuriki) the opportunity to take over again, even though he had agreed to remain subordinate to his host. He didn’t trust that shadow-wolf any farther than he could throw him; and last time he checked, the beast was composed of some sort of ether, so he wouldn’t be able to throw him anyway. ”Could I get a ginger beer instead? Oh, and a menu? I’m freaking starving!”

“Sure thing hon’.” She procured the beverage for him. The non-alcoholic brew was served in a chilled pint glass, and was so cold it stung the back of his throat as he drank his first sip. Jo sighed in contentment as the carbonation refreshed his parched throat. The two exchanged small talk for a bit until a couple sat at the other end of the bar and drew her attention away. Jo continued sipping his non-alcoholic beverage as he glanced over the menu. After a few minutes, someone pulled out the barstool beside him…
 
A woman in a business suit, and long slender legs pulled out the chair, with a quick glance on the man sitting at the chair beside it, " I hope you wont mind? " Without giving time for him to answer she sat down as if he had accepted, she dropped what looked like a digital Calendar of the expensive kind, on top of a leather bound paper version of a the same filled with notes and post its. For a moment she looked as lost in thought.
It had busy day, Yukiko had worked as per ordered by a senior, to collect information from an uptown company, under cover of course as she was both acting a lot older than she was, blonde, and wore glasses a necessity, as her eyes had an unusual bluish glow, and the glasses was a precaution to cover the glow if needed, and this ridiculous outfit would definitely not work if she were to do anything but work in an office, High black heels, a short grey shirt, a white shirt and a grey blazer. Yukiko hated this Sexualisation, even though she was cloaked in jutsu's, she hated that it was necessary to even be considered a personal assistant for people like the CEO she had to "work for" to be able to get the information needed. The company had been suspected of funding illegal experiments in another sup company, but proof was yet to be made, and so she had to keep up appearances, Stick to her "routine" as per instructed.
She woke up from her moment of spacing. it was late and she had been in meetings together with the CEO and different boards all day, and some of the night or morning, some would say.
the bartender returned "I'll have whatever he's having" the backed the statement with a gesture towards the guy beside her (Kaijo). "you sure" the bartender answered. confused for a second Yukiko looked at what he was drinking.
ah it was for once not one drinking the Martini's served her, Phewl being underage, and not liking the taste of alcohol .. yet she was in luck tonight " oh .. well sure.. lets have that anyway". Yukiko ordered. and soon after the ginger ale stood before her and a menu was laid before her. as she was pretty much a regular and always had her dinner here. (well as long as her job required it anyways)
"So not drinking Martini?" she asked with a hint of why? in the voice

[MFT 250+]
 
”I hope you wont mind?” She said, sitting anyway. Jo gave her an appraising glance before shrugging nonchalantly.

”Not at all.” Her attire gave her the air of a business woman, a common sight here in the Seki District; and especially so here at Kaijo, as it was so close to downtown Kumo. Something about her wasn’t right, though. He couldn’t pinpoint it, but there was something about her eyes that threw him off. He swore they were emitting a blueish glow, but it could just be the way the light was bouncing off of her glasses. Either way, he approached the situation with caution, as he always did. You didn’t survive long enough to become the Hand of the Sennin by taking unnecessary risks.

She ordered what he was drinking to the obvious skepticism of the bartender. Another red flag went up. While it wasn’t completely unheard of for a pretty young woman to take interest in him, it didn’t happen often enough for him to be completely comfortable with it. He took another sip of his beverage as he half-glanced at the menu. This was just for show, as he’d already memorized its contents.

”So not drinking martini?” She inquired, the lilt in her voice and body language furthering her query to include an implied “why?”

”Nope,” he said brusquely. ”I’m giving up on alcohol. It makes a beast out of otherwise reasonable men.” A dark thought crossed Jo’s mind at that statement. He had been drunk when he let By-Tor take over, and had never forgiven himself for that mistake. ”It seems like I should be asking you the same question. Do you normally sit next to and order the same drink as a total stranger?” The question was playful on the surface, a small grin turning up the right corner of Jo’s mouth as it was uttered. He was quite curious about this mystery woman beside him, and soon decided that unraveling that mystery would be a decent challenge.
 
”Nope, I’m giving up on alcohol. It makes a beast out of otherwise reasonable men.” His tone definitely did not set up for smalltalk, well no matter, this was one of the few places where she had relative security, as it was a place she regularly visited, the company guards retracted to only sitting outside in their cars, with no direct supervision, she could relax a bit here, and not have to worry about losing her cover that badly.
”It seems like I should be asking you the same question. Do you normally sit next to and order the same drink as a total stranger?”
a small grin found its way to the corner of her mouth, only for a second before it was gone.
"well now that you mention it, it seems off right?.. if it was not for the fact that most people at this bar, orders the infamous Martini, and the fact that you're sitting just beside my regular spot."
the bar keeper nodded backing up her claim.
"I'll tell you a secret, my job is about keeping track on another guys life in all its angles,
ordering something random to your dinner seems like a small rebellious relief that not everything is scheduled down to the amount of coffee beans in the grinder right?"

She looked back at the menu card
"Now should we roll a dice to see what's for dinner too?" she said with a cheerful tone and a smile, now eyes focused on the man beside her. luckily the the purple-ish tint of her glasses negated the small blue radiance burst following her mood shift for the better.
 
”Well now that you mention it, it seems off right?... if it was not for the fact that most people at this bar, orders the infamous Martini, and the fact that you're sitting just beside my regular spot.” Yoko nodded in agreement to the mystery womans claim. ”I'll tell you a secret, my job is about keeping track on another guys life in all its angles, ordering something random to your dinner seems like a small rebellious relief that not everything is scheduled down to the amount of coffee beans in the grinder right?”

A quiet chuckle escaped from the chuunin as the woman spoke her piece against the monotony of office life. Nothing was worse than measuring out your day in how many coffee breaks you’ve had. However, something still nagged at the back of Jo’s mind that something was not right about the woman. He suspected some sort of concealment or transformation jutsu, but all he had to go off of was the fact that her eyes were still emitting that weird glow. It definitely wasn’t a trick of the lighting.

”I can appreciate that.” Or, at least, the used to be able to appreciate that. For the last few months he’d been cryogenically frozen, forcing him to spend all his time in the recesses of his own mind with a homicidal wolf-demon. At this point, something as monotonous as a day at the office sounded welcoming.

”Now should we roll a dice to see what's for dinner too?”

He shrugged, ”Sure, why not.” Picking up a toothpick from a little container on the bar, he tossed the little wooden spike onto the menu on the bar in front of him. The tip landed right next to, ”Excuse me, Yoko. I’d like to have the shrimp fettucine alfredo; and as an appetizer…” He tossed the toothpick again. ”An order of calamari, please. Oh, and whatever the lady here would like.” Turning to the woman beside him, he assumed the facial expression of one who just realized they were being rude. ”I’m sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Takashi Jo; and you are? “ He asked for her name, extending his hand for a polite handshake with a small smile. He didn’t even flinch when he gave his pseudonym. As far as anyone here knew, that was his name.

After she introduced herself (or not, you never know), Jo decided to probe the woman a little further. ”So, who do you work for, if you don’t mind me asking?” The question was innocent enough. On the outside, she looked like any other personal assistant. For all he knew, she may very well be. If nothing else, he did want to learn a little more about the mystery woman beside him; even if her intentions were completely innocent.
 
I swore I'd suck off a .357 before I consented to do another thread involving sitting down at a restaurant, but here I am at the Kaijo sipping oolong out of a demitasse with my little finger dangling in the air like in everyone's imagination of what a pederast looks like. Normally I wouldn't have chosen to go here. It was where that-man-who-shall-not-be-named would take me out on date nights every month or so while we were living together. He'd try to come off as some sort of cultured food critic and lecture me about the differences between cardamoms and charnushka, while my main interest was getting wasted on the award-winning martinis before forcing him into having sex. Actually, since he was younger than me, that kinda does make me a molester, doesn't it? Again, I wouldn't have chosen to come here of my own volition. Rather, it was the suggestion of my boss.

Contrary to popular belief, I'm not in charge of the Deathwatch of Kumogakure. I'm just the village tax assessor, and my functions fall into that division because the gate happens to be where we collect the most taxes and tariffs. It takes a lot of food, bullets, and booze to keep a shinobi village running. Rather than relying on government cheese, we have contracts and importation agreements with dozens of merchant guilds, factories, and farms across the nation, and hundreds of transactions occur at the threshold of Kumo every day. We need an entire division of bean-counters to make sure that the right prices are paid, the right bribes are given, and the right merchandise ends up in the right hands. But the true function of the division, however, has always been for one overreaching purpose: to crush young hopes and dreams.

Every year, there's a handful of academy students who are convinced that they're 1) cooler than the rest of the village, 2) the second coming of Shinbatsu, or 3) hyperactive 13-year-olds on the internet, and try to run. For that, we have shinobi who like to troll the gates and get easy kills. Hence, the Deathwatch. I didn't just steal the name from Warhammer 40K, I swear to Jesus Saito with honey on top!

Anyway, the chief of the Deathwatch is actually the Gate Captain, or GC, who oversees the whole operation and happens to be my immediate superior as well. Of note, it's a long-running joke in the Main that "GC" is the same as the medical abbreviation for "Gonorrhea and Chlamydia," so take that for what you will. We haven't had very many GC's of note; the last one who did anything of note was this guy Zaku, who died of autoerotic asphyxiation. Or at least I think that's how the story goes. In any case, the current GC is this guy Fujinami Jody, a jounin with some vague connection to one of the previous sennin of the Main. He's the one who told me to meet him at the Kaijo.
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"Saeko. Open your mouth and close your eyes, and you will get a nice surprise," he says with a smirk, snapping me out of my memory-drunken stupor.

I immediately flash an accusatory glare at him. That trick hasn't worked on me since the academy. "What are you, twelve?" I say with a frown.

Jody winks and draws my attention to what he's gripping with his chopsticks. Just a little shu-mai topped with pickled ginger is all. "Sorry, I shouldn't have phrased it like that," he chuckles. "You should still try it, though. They use grated yuzu in the batter, giving their dumplings a citrusy kick. I'm a foodie too, you know."

I sigh, and allow him to feed me. True to his words, I can taste the citron peel and it does give a refreshing overtone to the normally bland mixture of shrimp and cabbage. I'll have to file that one away for future use. It's delicious, actually. But more so, I haven't been playfully fed like this since...

"Oh, missed a spot," Jody says, and gently dabs his fingertip at a speck of sesame oil at the corner of my mouth.

He's a total cornball, but I allow him to hit on me because he's actually one of the handsomest men I've ever worked with. He comes from one of the old, wealthy clans, and has the aquiline nose, pale skin, and luxurious hair to show for it. He also dresses to the nines at all times, even when he's performing executions in the yard. As a side note, I don't think he's ever seen actual combat except for shooting tied-up kids in the head, but considering how terrible the battle-system is on this site, I don't blame him. Whenever he passes by the Tax division, all of the girls and some of the guys in the office always start sniffing the air like they're running out of oxygen, just to catch a whiff of his cologne. It's said that Jody's bedded more wives and girlfriends in this village than Nigami Eimin, and I believe the rumors because it's frighteningly easy to look at those well-defined hands of his and imagine them slipping over my breasts, gliding over my tongue, and using those nimble fingers to strum a love song on the most sensitive part of my body. Basically, Jody's a scumbag, but when you're as pretty and rich as he is, that's totally alright.

"So what did you want to discuss?" I ask him, trying to tear myself away from romance-novel-tier imaginings.

"The syndicates are trying to spread their merchandise," Jody says, reverting to business. Thank Saito, because I was starting to flush. "We've intercepted no less than three kilos of the white stuff in separate packages this month, including one that was stuffed into some poor sap's digestive tract."

"They're using mules, now?"

"Yes. Unfortunately, the man died from package rupture before we could ship him to the hospital for removal. If he hadn't been so recalcitrant with us, he might have lived."

"What does this have to do with the Tax Assessor's office?" I ask, suspicious now.

"Without concrete evidence linking the shipments to the syndicates, the only people we'll be able to bust for the trafficking are low-level distributors in Port Cirrus. They're not the ones who own the farms and fly the shipments in from Water Country. Thus, I want you to go undercover. Infiltrate their circles and gather the sort of proof that the bean-counters in Raiden's Eye really want. I expect a signed warrant of search and seizure from the Shogun Himself, on my desk, by the end of the month."

"Shouldn't that be the job of the Letifer?"

"Hah, of course not. The Letifer's an obsolete unit that should be overtaken by the ANBU."

I narrow my eyes at that statement. Jo, I mean, he-who-shall-not-be-named, was the Hand once, and would have challenged any man to a duel over those words. Jody doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about. I should... Why am I defending Jo, anyway? It's over between us, and it's not my business if some pretty scumbag shit-talks the unit. What am I, some sort of military wife?

"So, you want me to do this, alone?" I ask. "You're talking about drug kingpins, here."

Jody nods. "I'm not asking you to expose yourself to danger. I'll be with you every step of the way, anyway. Just get in, pass some letters of credit around, do some of that financial dirty-work you do so well, and that'll be all we need."

"If you say so," I sigh. Incidentally, my gaze falls over to a few tables over. Jesus Saito, I shouldn't have agreed to come here. It's Jo, goddamit. I mean, he-who-shall-not-be-named. I immediately avert my eyes and surreptitiously turn my chair so if Jo does look over, he'll only see my back. Fortunately, we all look the same from behind, so maybe he'll mistake me for someone else.

One thing disturbs me, though. There was a woman at that table. An attractive woman with sapphire eyes and the refined air of an urban sophisticate. It's not like there wasn't room in the restaurant - she could have sat anywhere else but with Jo. So what in the godrotting hell was she doing with him? Don't tell me... The thought courses through my body like a wave of fermenting bile and I have to choke back stomach acid lest I barf on the table in front of Jody and God and everyone.

"Saeko, are you alright?" Jody asks. His hand rests on mine, which is gripping the tablecloth like I'm trying to choke it to death. It feels warm, strong, and yet soft. Dammit, don't let me be tempted, not now, not like this. Not in a moment of weakness and failure. I withdraw my hand, perhaps quicker than I should have.

"I'm fine, thanks," I say, faking a smile. "Perhaps I'm a bit sensitive to yuzu peel."

Jody smiles, and warmth suffuses me. "You know, I hate always having to discuss work work work with you. We should meet again like this, less formally next time. I feel like you've got a lot of interesting perspectives that I could learn from."

"I'd be glad to," I say.

Fuck, what did I just do? Oh god oh god oh god.
 
”Sure, why not.”
The guy actually took up her joke as a real suggestion. oh well more fun, Yukiko had not had that much fun in the last few months. he picked up a toothpick and chose his dinner buy tossing it at the menu.
”Excuse me, Yoko. I’d like to have the shrimp fettucine alfredo; and as an appetizer... An order of calamari, please. Oh, and whatever the lady here would like.”
His face just then looked like he remembered something, and a bit apologetic
”I’m sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Takashi Jo; and you are? “
He extended his hand for a greeting.
"haha no problem, I'm used to not being greeted, no sweat" Yukiko said with a warm laughter and received the greeting with a practiced professional handshake,
short and measured. stereotypical for people making sure not to attract attention, not to tight not to loose, just as its supposed to be, so that people would not make a note of it.
"Hello mr. Takashi, I'm Kurono Ai" the mr. title just sneaked in there on habit, well a habit she had worked on for quite some time to be able to pull this job off, first time it seemed off after she said it. oh well nothing to do about it now.
"Now what should i have?" Yukiko did the exact same trick ending up with:
Urchin and celery vinegar for the main course, and as fate would have it, the appetizer ended up being Fried Calamari.
"Well at least now I know what ill be consuming today, and as I see it in good company for once as well" she said with a wink to Jo and a smile.
”So, who do you work for, if you don’t mind me asking?” Jo probed.
well at least this was one of those questions she could do on automation, altho it technically wasn't true, she did fill in on the rooster for the company.
"I'm a PA at Sansui Electric" it was company policy not to disclose who specific the PA's were working with, as it was confidential information they handled. it worked for her benefit as well as not.
Sansui was an up an coming big company, having branches all over The Land of Lightning, and had its head of office in Kumogakure. contrary to the name, the company actually was not only into electric solutions, but anything from freight to medical equipment, and to government contracts of different sorts. a multi purpose company of sorts.
"the 2 guys out in the black sedan out the window are from the same company. an annoyance but sadly necessary to make sure I don't do anything stupid" Yukiko dropped that knowledge only to make a read of Jo, both to see his reaction, if he was there to infiltrate like her, or just a random stranger she had taken him for. being under cover was never easy, people from all around were always out to get knowledge from high profile companies like this. hence all the trouble she had been through getting the spot.

[OOC: Takaki Saeko your post is really hard to read for me as you interchange OOC info with IC information, but I think I got the gist of it. Yukiko have not noticed you as long as your at the table (must be behind Yukiko as you are afraid of Jo noticing right?) she probably will if you do something "out of the ordinary" or approach (or Jo notices)]
 
”Haha no problem, I'm used to not being greeted, no sweat” She said with a warm chuckle. Her handshake was impeccably professional. All business and no nonsense, but friendly enough that one didn’t feel put off by it. "Hello Mr. Takashi, I'm Kurono Ai. Now, what should I have?” She mirrored his action, tossing the toothpick onto her own menu, landing on urchin and celery vinegar for the main course, and calamari for the appetizer. ”Well at least now I know what I’ll be consuming today, and as I see it in good company for once as well.” she said with a wink.

Wait, did she just hit on him? While Jo was masterful at the art of infiltration and assassination, he was completely clueless when it came to women. He still wasn’t sure how he’d managed the good fortune of having Saeko in his life. She must have seen something in him besides a wet-behind-the-ears genin back at the Shoguns Nameday Ball. As of now, he could only see himself in the light that she saw him now; a monster unworthy or incapable of love or compassion.

Thankfully, Ai answered his question about her employment, distracting him from his current blight of self-pity. "I'm a PA at Sansui Electric. The two guys out in the black sedan out the window are from the same company. An annoyance but sadly necessary to make sure I don't do anything stupid"

”Well, you must be a fairly important asset for them to take your safety so seriously…” Jo said, sipping on his ginger beer. ”That or they think you’re a spy.” He said with a playful smile. He was initially going to watch her reaction for a tell, his suspicions still not satisfied, but a flash of raven-black hair caught his eye a few tables away. Was that Saeko? It was; and she was with Fujinami Jody! What the hell was she thinking going to dinner with him? He had a reputation a mile-wide for using women and leaving them when he’d had his fill. Rage began to boil from the deepest recesses of his soul, and it wasn’t too long until another source of rage added to it.

’Sneaking a peak, are we?’ By-Tor spoke in the recesses of his mind, where only Jo could hear him. ’You know you can’t have her…’

’I know, but I don’t want her to be hurt by a bastard like him! If I can’t have her, no one can!’ A juvenile plan developed in Jo’s mind. It was simple, humiliating, and effective; By-Tor even chuckled a little at it.

’Hmm, well, as long as you don’t intend to have any sort of relation with her, then you’re not in violation of our agreement. Carry on.’ The darkness receded into the depths of his mind.

”Excuse me for a moment, would you?” Jo asked Ai apologetically. Getting up from the bar, Jo walked towards the rear of the dining area, passing Saeko’s table en route. It took an inexorable force of will to prevent himself from plowing through Jody’s face with his fist, but he pushed forward. The restrooms were near the back of the restaurant, and were separated from the main dining area by a small thicket of artificial ficus trees. Behind the cover of the screen of vividly green fake leaves was the bus-station, where the waiters and waitresses rang orders into the computer and polished silverware in their spare time. As luck would have it, a waitress had just finished inputting an order. Jo approached her and, after a few words and a sizable wad of cash exchanging hands, the waitress grabbed a tray full of drinks and headed over to Saeko’s table.

As she approached the table, the waitress stumbled over the leg of a nearby chair (on accident, of course!), sending her tray full of drinks splashing all over Fujinami Jody. The mixture of vividly colorful martini’s and scalding hot coffee staining his clothes and causing extreme discomfort in, lets just say his “lap.”

“OhmygoshI’msosorryletmehelpyouohI’msosososorry!” The waitress spluttered out, reaching into her apron for a wad of napkins and attempting to mop the mess of liquids off his face. Whatever happened next, Jo didn’t see. He was busy returning to his seat at the bar. All he knew was that the napkin he’d handed to the waitress to give to Saeko had ended up landing on her lap where Jody wouldn’t see it.

”Huh, hope he’s ok,” Jo said nonchalantly to Ai, resuming his seat. He’d been out of the view of normal eyesight, and so wasn’t too worried about Ai suspecting his involvement. ”Looks like someone’s not getting a good tip.” He chuckled. ”So, where were we? Ah, yes. You were telling me about Sansui Electric. I’m a Project Management Professional; I work for various companies and corporations managing projects they need completed on a contractual basis. I’m actually between contracts right now, but the lack in business is actually quite refreshing. I’ve needed some time off.” Jo glanced around, checking on the progress of his little scheme. As soon as he got confirmation of his message received, he could let down the invisible barrier he’d erected in his mind that was keeping By-Tor from accessing his most recent plans.

”Oh look, the calamari has arrived.” He said as Yoko placed the dishes on the bar in front of them as well as two sets of silverware.
The message on the napkin was short. A quickly scribbled Dewey Decimal number and a one-line note. They were the three most powerful words in the universe. They had been known to help build empires and topple civilizations. Jo hoped they would make it across the distance that had grown between them and touch her heart.
I love you.
 
[Lo siento, the weekends are actually my most inactive time for NC]

Jody's lips thin into a smile. He's won and I've lost. This weekend, he's going to take me out to the Kaijo again. I'll have torn the apartment apart trying to find something to wear that's elegant but modest - a last, futile defense against the inevitable - and he'll come knocking on my door impeccably attired with the skins, fur, and nails of every endangered animal species that carries the death penalty to hunt. We'll go to the restaurant where the only way I'll be able to stand the shame of it all is by downing glasses of bubbly until I can't see, can't hear, and can't think. We'll gorge on lobster etouffe ala Hayata Shin before he carries me over his shoulders back to his place and lays me down on silk sheets where dozens of other drunken women have sprawled. There, I'll put up some token resistance to his advances - mainly so I can tell myself "at least you tried" - before he hikes my dress up and just takes me while we're fully dressed.

People might ask why I'd even let myself get into that situation if I know what the future brings. Aren't I supposed to be faithful to Jo? Faithful to a man who hid his literal inner demon away from everyone else, including me, until it was too goddamned late? Until he lands his ass in permanent pound-me-in-the-ass penitentiary for life only a week before our wedding? Sometimes, when Jo and I made love, I'd see it in his eyes. That it wasn't him plowing me like a maniac while his hands tightened around my throat until I just about blacked out. I'm not stupid: I realized early on that my fiance was sharing me with some mongrel bastard inhabiting his head, but you know what? By-Tor was actually pretty amazing in bed. And now that Jo's, well, gone from my life, I'm just as lonely and horny as any other human being has a right to be. That's why I'll debase myself with Fujinami Jody. Fidelity is truly a four-letter word.

I realize how hard I've been clenching my jaw when I find it impossible to open my mouth to warn Jody that he's about to get dunked. The Kaijo waitresses are a sly bunch, but they're not shinobi. I can tell that the girl carrying a platter of sugary glowing drinks is targeting Jody as surely as a stinger missile locked onto an F-16, but I can only sit there dumbly in my chair when she delivers the payload.

"F-Fujinami-san!" I gasp as a torrent of daiquiris sloshes onto his expensive hair and expensive suit. But what's really causing Jody distress is the cappuccino that's ended up in his lap. He sits bolt-upright in a panic, knocking his chair back, and frantically bats at his crotch like he's on fire. Actually, with how hot they serve the drinks here, I wouldn't be surprised if he has a mild first-degree burn to his junk. The waitress goes into a flurry of fake apology, and tries to dab pieces of strawberry away from Jody's face.

"Hands off me!" Jody snarls. It's the first time I've seen his composure crack, actually, and what's underneath is fairly ugly. I half-worry that he's going to snap and kill the girl, and I make ready to restrain him if I have to. Fortunately, reason prevails, if just barely, and Jody simply storms out of the place in a huff (likely leaving me with the bill). I sigh, and then sigh again. What just happened was incredibly churlish, and yet effective. Basically, it reeks of Narashi Jo, and in light of this I realize that he's seen me.

Bastard. What's his problem, anyway? We're through, he and I. What does he think he is? Some sort of white knight out there to save me from the clutches of Fujinami Jodys everywhere? Idiot - I'll never get to fuck again if you're always creepily watching over my shoulder! How dare you presume to treat me like this? How dare you think you somehow own me, when you've been whoring me out to your monster all along? I angrily crumple a stray napkin that's ended up in my lap. Wait - this didn't land here by chance. With Jo, nothing's left to chance. Surreptitiously, I smooth it out and read the contents. First, I file away the catalog number in my brain, because it's obvious that he either wants to meet me in the library or has left a message for me in a book. I won't go, in any case. Fuck that noise, I'm through with his shit. Now, the handwritten part.

My eyes start to water. Bastard, bastard, bastard! I crumple the napkin again and toss it into one of the open glasses of ice water on the table. I bit the back of my hand to stifle further tears and start to leave. Yeah, I haven't paid the bill, but any manager worth his salt won't be knocking on my door in light of what happened to Jody.

Unfortunately, I have to pass Jo and his companion on the way to the door. Either that, or look really stupid and awkward navigating around the periphery of the dining room. I still have my pride. With leaden feet, I tromp toward the exit, avoiding eye contact with anyone. That is, until I get to Jo's female companion. When I reach their table, I stop. Jo doesn't even get a glance.

"From one woman to another," I say to the blue-eyed one, "don't get involved with this guy. You'll just get burned, like I was."

With that, I leave. The restaurant staff haven't yet mopped the drippings Jody left as he stormed out. The sugar's beginning to dry and is making the floor sticky. Perhaps I'll defer that date with Jody, after all, and meet with Jo instead. I'll meet him with a .40 to the gut if I have to, but I'll meet him.

[TL]
 
”Well, you must be a fairly important asset for them to take your safety so seriously…”
”That or they think you’re a spy.”

Jo said, well it hit the mark, but Yukiko, being a shinobi, did not let it show. covering it up with an answer that could just as well be the truth.
"Sure, I could be, but I'm fairly sure that they'r there to make sure I dont disappear, rather than checking for spy-ish stuff"
the last part was said with a voice of a clueless woman, practiced to perfection, she was after all a PA, one to know everything in the calender, but nothing else.
and preferably not understanding anything but that calender.
She did however notice his looks tracing something behind her, but she could not turn to see as it would reveal that she was more alert than she should be.
”Excuse me for a moment, would you?” he said, as he got up and walked to the kitchen, as he went the way where he had been looking
it now gave Yukiko an opportunity to see what Jo had been looking after. after all she was a really good reconnaissance shinobi, as she could remember if not all, then most details to almost perfection.
she quickly located the pair Jo had been eying, he went past them, and something seemed odd, but maybe she was forcing things, could just as well be nothing.
as fate would have it, the man soon became the victim of an "accident" obviously it was not, but then again, she was trained to notice stuff like that.
what was peculiar was the piece of paper that somehow left the waitress' hand and landed inconspicuously on the woman's lap.
Yukiko had no more time to wonder, as Jo returned, and she focused back on him. leaving her conscious open for whatever happened with the couple.
”Huh, hope he’s ok,” He said "ye, doesn't look that good though" Yukiko responded. whatever had happened, Yukiko did not know, but the small tissue definitely had something to do with it, maybe a lovers quarrel, but what would she know.

Looks like someone’s not getting a good tip.” He chuckled. ”So, where were we? Ah, yes. You were telling me about Sansui Electric.
I’m a Project Management Professional; I work for various companies and corporations managing projects they need completed on a contractual basis.
I’m actually between contracts right now, but the lack in business is actually quite refreshing. I've needed some time off.”

Jo told her.

"Probably not.. interesting, what does a project managment professional do then?, and are you looking for new work?" Yukiko thought to herself that she sounded just as the
'dumb blonde' she was supposed to look like. knowing just enough but far to little, more looks than brains, pleasing for the higher ups to have around, and secure enough to let handle sensitive information, without knowing what it was.

”Oh look, the calamari has arrived.” Jo stated as the dishes came in,
"well lets dig in then shall we?" Yukiko responded

While they had been conversing, the scene had evolved to the guy storming out, 'hmm the guy was called Fujinami', a name she had to check later and definitely who the lady was.
just a moment after the woman stops out, but somewhere along the way something must have mad her change her mind, as she stopped just beside Yukiko and Jo
As they were talking, Yukiko had her upper body turned towards Jo, and could therefore look the woman in the eyes when she spoke.
"From one woman to another... don't get involved with this guy. You'll just get burned, like I was."
' burned like she was? what... oh.. this was ... so the note?.. ah... '
all those thoughts fell in place within the blink of her eyes, as she looked from the woman to Jo and back at the womans back walking away...
for a moment she looked after the woman, collecting what she had just learned about Jo. before returning her gaze at him.
this time the eyes pulsed making her eyes more intense.
"What was all that about?" yukiko said with an uncanny dumfounded voice, not quite keeping up with the intensity of her eyes.
as Yukiko knew this could be a dangerous situation, well for him if he was careless to touch her while she had a charge building.
Yukiko reached into her purse, for her small flashlight looking stun gun, modified to receive its charge from her. she touched it, discharging her skin.
making it safe if he were the touchy kind when explaining difficult situations. but at the same time charging the stun gun, so as she could use it, and still keep her cover.

when discharged she left her purse on the counter, and started eating as elegant as you could with calamari.

[OOC: MFT 250+ Words]
 
Gut-wrenching agony perforated Jo’s heart as Saeko’s words cut deep into his soul. It wasn’t the harshness of the words that hurt so bad, so much as the fact that they were true. What he had done had been unforgiveable; he had given his inner demon the opportunity to take control, and all the actions that happened as a result were entirely on his conscience. Worst of all was the fact that the monsters actions had hurt the one person he loved most. For that, he would never forgive himself.

The monster within was delighted by the fact that Jo had ruined Saeko’s little date-night, though; relishing in the fact that Jo had sunk low enough to use petty tactics and subterfuge to interfere in the life of another for personal gain. That was exactly what Jo wanted the monster to believe, and, so long as the beast was busy wallowing in his own apparent triumph over his host, he’d never suspect Jo’s true intentions.

What had him more concerned at the moment was the woman in front of him. Not because Saeko’s words made the woman increasingly suspicious (that was to be expected), but the fact that the womans eyes were surely and truly glowing now in what could only be some sort of chakra based technique. Red flags immediately went off in his head when she reached into her purse. Every muscle in his body was subtly tensed for combat, and he automatically pulled up the layout of the building in his minds eye in case he either needed to run. Don’t mistake this for fear, though. Sometimes the best way to ambush someone was to feint retreat.

”What was all that about?” She said in feinted dumbfoundedness. Jo’s eyes became hard as hers glowed as his brows furrowed.

”I’ll tell you, as soon as you tell me what all of that is about.” He pointed at her eyes. He voice went from soft and friendly to hard and cool as stone in an instant. The food lay forgotten on the bar. The bartender had gone with the waitress to help clean up the mess from Jo’s little trick, giving the pair some privacy.

{OOC: Sorry for the crappy post. Will do better next time!}
 
”I’ll tell you, as soon as you tell me what all of that is about.” Jo said, being a Shinobi Yukiko could easily tell that this was balancing at high level, She could not afford loosing her cover, mainly because she did not have enough information on the CEO's to make the whole company implicit. and certainly not over something like this, completely unrelated. 'How could she had let her guard fall so easy, maybe from the different and joyful tone she had enjoyed with this person, Damn, not many options left, combat was one, two kinds at that, both would run the risk of blowing her cover, one using jutsu's and her combat training, no cover to salvage after that, the two guys outside made sure of that, as the spectacle earlier had made them focus on their job instead of the women at the outdoor areas of a bar just down the street. the other combat option was using the now charged stun gun, and feint an assault, and hope she could make it look more like luck than skill if she took him down with that. bot would leave her 'not trustworthy' anymore by the company. 'FUCK... and I was enjoying this break in the routine for once' an alternative was to play it dumb, pretending not to know what he was talking about, but looking in his eyes, this would never go well. he was to alert, and he had noticed the small glow that Yukiko no matter what she did never could get rid of, the blessing and curse of her blood.
for a few seconds, pondering her answer, she picked up another piece of food. keeping up the act. at least she could manage that much.
2 options left, she could bail, and loose everything, but depending on Jo that could be either difficult or easy, and the way he suddenly carried himself, tensed all the right places for a quick reaction, he knew more about combat than any average thug, told her that he too was more than he let out, probably a shinobi too.
last option.. tell him.. but how?.. oh well this was actually her only option, if she were to have any hope of maintaining her cover. hmm this was a situation she had never encountered before.
'aw hell'
while finishing chewing the food, she turned to her side, making sure that he could see both her arms, and confirm that she was not doing anything covertly, she made an effort to calm her emotions, and the glow in her eyes returned to its minimum, perfectly covered by the purple shade of her classes, if you were looking from the front, as Jo was not anymore.
With her current position, the guys outside could not read what she was saying, and with a subtle gesture with her left hand, signed Jo to do the same, while she picked up another bite.
"Well I'll tell ya a secret, and it has nothing to do with you, at least not to my knowledge. if it had, we would not have this kind of conversation, looking at you I figure you understand why.
I'll show you what I'm doing, but I have to reach my bag to do it, and I'll do it in a manner not able to be a threat."
her voice changing from the mature woman to her true barely teenage voice.
she took the bite she had picked up to cover if anyone inside the bar could have been listening or watching from a corner to read her lips.

[unless stopped by Jo doing any hostile action or telling her not to]
at the same time she reached to the bag. covering with the same hand, from outside view, she used her magnetic powers, to slightly pull the headband seal of a Komugakure shinobi out from a mirage on the bag so that he could just see it, and with the same force covering the seal again, to look like a pendent on the bag without the markings and changing colour back the polished gold

[OOC: not much to go with so mainly internal, sorry.. did tho leave a bit to work with for next time.. ;) - MFT 250+]
 
Jo grinned as Yukiko revealed her Kumo headband momentarily before concealing it as a pendant on her purse. He relaxed in his chair, his previous preparations for combat slackened as he counted himself among a fellow Cloud Shinobi.

”Well, you showed me yours; it wouldn’t be very gentlemanly not to reciprocate.” With that, Jo turned up the lapel of his jacket and revealed a pin. It was a small thing about half an inch in diameter; an onyx stone cut into the shape of a hand embossed in the center of a gold ring. It was the unique symbol of his position as the Hand of the Sennin of the Main Branch, and head of the Merces Letifer. His Kumo headband was tucked into an interior pocket of his jacket, but he didn’t bother pulling it out. The pin would be proof enough of his identity.

”So, you’re on assignment then? Gathering intel on the company you “work” for?” He made air-quotes with his fingers on the word “work.” The bartender was away from the bar and helping the waitress clean up the mess from Saeko’s table still, and their conversation wouldn’t be overheard through the din of the other diners. ”No need to say anything more, I understand the need for discretion. That’s the main focus of my division. If I could make one suggestion? While your concealment jutsus are impressive, you should consider more mundane ways to disguise yourself. For example, I know you can get contacts that will conceal your eyes better and write them off as a business expense at the end of the mission. Concealment jutsus are all fine and dandy, but over time they can drain your chakra reserves and lower your combat readiness. Besides, if you spend your time concentrating on maintaining a concealment jutsu, you’re not able to concentrate as fully as you’d like on the mission at hand.”

Jo munched on some of his calamari as he waited for Yukiko to respond. He wanted to see how she accepted his advice, and also find out more about how she operated in her field. Shinobi were constantly learning new things from each other and training. Jo’s personal philosophy was: “A day where you learn nothing is a day wasted.”

”Speaking of your eyes… what causes them to glow like that? Is it a bloodline ability, or something else?”
 
Jo grinned.. 'phew' Yukiko thought, as Jo looked to relax a bit.
”Well, you showed me yours; it wouldn't be very gentlemanly not to reciprocate." He said
While showing a familiar symbol, not because she had much experience with a hand of the Main branch Senin.. or the Merces Letifer, but because running around in her cousins house, being educated in the life of her kind and how to behave in the higher levels of society, she had learned about stuff like that from looking on papers not intended for her eyes, and conversations overheard while she was in the other rooms..
having a photographic memory did help in some cases, others not so much. but this time it did.. she was still not among the higher ranks in the intelligence division of the main branch to actually know such stuff. but passing speech and random notes did leave a lot of blanks filled in.

”So, you’re on assignment then? Gathering intel on the company you “work” for?”
”No need to say anything more, I understand the need for discretion. That’s the main focus of my division. If I could make one suggestion? While your concealment jutsus are impressive, you should consider more mundane ways to disguise yourself. For example, I know you can get contacts that will conceal your eyes better and write them off as a business expense at the end of the mission. Concealment jutsus are all fine and dandy, but over time they can drain your chakra reserves and lower your combat readiness. Besides, if you spend your time concentrating on maintaining a concealment jutsu, you’re not able to concentrate as fully as you’d like on the mission at hand.”

”Speaking of your eyes… what causes them to glow like that? Is it a bloodline ability, or something else?”


"Ah so your the one.. " Yukiko thought out loud relaxing herself altho still keeping the guise, enjoying her meal and a friendly conversation.
"Sure I could do that.. altho that would hamper my vision quite a bit, and I would never fit into this job if I were not maintaining a jutsu. I've not been in the Division of intelligence for that long.. I just have a talent of noticing what others overlook. few non shinobi organisations would Hire a 10 year old for something like this.. " she said and gave him what looked like a flirting wink - all in character of course...

"and speaking of the eyes, it is.. well tis actually a side effect of my ancestry. found that out 2 years ago when I i started electrocuting people at random. I'm a Santaru, not by name but by blood, and not a weak one at that... apparently.
So my eyes glow, and most contact lenses would be fried within a few hours and I would fuck up my vision at the same time, It is handy though, darkness is never fully dark, and my stungun is always charged"
she said with a smile.

[OOC: sorry fot he wait - writing my bachelor degree at the moment and my company is extremely busy at the same time - MFT: 250+ words
Edit : as cellphones are not present in this universe i altered it to something that would make sense.]
 
”Interesting…” Jo said, noting the (extremely) young lady’s ancestral connection. Santaru’s were notorious for their amazing ability to control the weather, and had been key in the founding of the village and the nation. Jo reached into his pocket and removed a small brass pocket watch; depressing the button on top of the winding shaft and revealing the face of the watch. The time, measured and marked in alchemical symbols rather than numbers, was far later than Jo expected it to be.

Pocketing the small gizmo, Jo released a discontented sigh. ”I hate to leave on such short notice, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep.” Reaching into his pocket and drawing out a worn, black leather wallet, Jo withdrew a handful of bills and placed them on the bar. It was more than enough to cover both of their tabs and leave a generous tip. ”It’s been a pleasure speaking with you. I wish you well on your current and future endeavors.”

Without further ado, Jo stood and left. Advancing the wellbeing of his soldiers and getting his life back on track was at the forefront of his mind, the portion By-Tor could see. At the back of his mind, shrouded from the demon within, Jo contemplated his options. He only had one chance to make things right, one chance to hopefully fix that which he had broken. If it didn’t work, then he would have to neutralize the threat within. There was only one way that would be possible, and Jo ‘s mood darkened as he tucked away that final solution so deep in his mind that By-Tor would never find it.

{TLUS}
 
”It’s been a pleasure speaking with you. I wish you well on your current and future endeavors."
Jo said as he stood to go.
"the pleasure it all mine" Yukiko answered "Maybe we'll meet again?" Yukiko let that last remark hang as Jo left, eyes unfocused. she finished up her meal pondering, what to do next.. Luckily her cover was not blown, and she had learned a serious lesson, she had let her guard down, and luckily for her it had not turned ugly, he had been an ally, but next time she might not be so lucky, she definitely needed a way to conceal this glow, either by discharge or by something able to handle the continuous charging, even in the eyes.
As she finished up and reached for her purse to pay the bill she noticed the small stack left by Jo, Yukiko had been far to occupied to notice the money beforehand.
"So Chivalry is not dead yet" she said to herself. thanking the waiter that came to collect the bill, and walked out.
The two bodyguards followed her at a respectful distance, just far enough not to be obvious but just close enough for her not get annoyed having them around all the time.
at least this charade would soon be over, and she would be done with one of her first major missions in the intelligence division of Main branch.
Yukiko wondered to her self.. it is the weirdest places that you meet experience and knowledge, and those places far to often contained risks.
maybe that was what she should do..
making up her mind, she decided to head to the office instead of her temporary "home", time to wrap up this thing.

[MFT 250+ words - tread left unless stopped]
 

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