Event Papers, Please [Event Mission]

[Leaf Historian]

Location: Phoneix Gate

Mission Name: Papers, Please

Tschuiyama Rikku and Goto Daiji

Unit: Konoha Police Department

---

Misson Prompt as delivered to Chuunin Goto Daiji: As part of the Academy's ongoing Career Day initiative, Tschuiyama Rikku has been assigned to shadow you to give them an understanding of the field of interest they have expressed an desire in joining, your task is to guide them and make them familiar with the duties and obligations of the unit. Please take caution in doing so as ANBU units have recieved intelligence of several Hidden Frost shinobi nearby, their purpose is yet unclear but due to past history, the village would excercise caution and should you encouter any problems, remember, your duty is to the village and the student placed under your care.

---

Career Day was in full swing and everyone was off to to their respective assignment and locations. Some more eagerly than others, various senior Academy teachers escorted genin and students alike to their prospective senior shinobi who would have already read the prompt delivered to them and had been hand-delivered the file of the person to be shadowing them. The task was simple yet even on a crowded day like this, things were bound to go wrong.

The newly refurbished walls of Konohgakure no Sato stood strong after the recent attack, more shinobi stood guard manned with chakra weaponry and their vigilance while the shift waited to see just what rookie the Academy had deliverd to them some grumbling at the thought of it. This shift was being supervised by Goto Daiji, although it was no secret that some held that whether a Chuunin was really qualified for such a task.

"Lady Fifth must be losing her marbles, really, him?"

"As if that wasn't enough, now we have to babysit." Another grumbled shaking his head at the sheer fact. No one liked a new face, you didn't know their intentions, what they wree cpable of and unless that was figured out, all of them would recieve the same dismissive treatment. There were no favorites in joining one of the village's specialized units and the younger ones would do well to remember that.

Heads turned at the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs that led to the wall, a senior shinobi leading the prospective academy student or genin. "Come on then." He would snap at the kid gruffly as if the man had more important things to do than escorting these rookies when they could have found their ways themselves as he knocked politely on the wooden door to the hut that housed the guards and the supervising officer before entering.

"Daiji-san, here is the candidate that the Academy sent and one other thing, we've recieved intelligence reports of the HIdden Frost conducting activity near the village so we've been asked to keep a more vigilant eye but that'll be all." With that, the assistant gave a nod and a curt look towards the prospective candidate before slipping out.

OOC Misson Outline for Reference: The prospective candidate for this mission takes up the chance to tag along with one of Konohagakure's finest, a senior shinobi who has been assigned to gate duty for that day. The candidate is given a tour of the walls and the defenses the village has in place against threats. Trusting the potential candidate can handle the gates with the rest of the shift for a few hours or so, the senior shinobi leaves to take care of some errands. Knowing this is a day when the gate's defenses are weakened, the alarm is sounded after several shinobi from the Hidden Frost, a village with animosity to Konoha assualt the walls. Soon, the candidate finds they must stall or fend off these foreign shinobi just before the senior shinobi arrives on the scene to save them having been delayed in returning by an incident at the Hokage Tower.

 

[Gotō Daiji]

Boy was this already a day for the books.

As if gate duty by itself wasn't enough, intelligence had come in that said ninja from the Hidden Frost had been active nearby. It was too early to say whether or not they were planning something or if they harbored any ill intent but everyone would need to stay alert today to avoid anymore possible gate incidents. He had the beginnings of a what was sure to be a killer migraine. And on top of that? He was put in charge of this shift. "Great..." No doubt a test of his own capabilities. A hand came up to cover his face as he sat behind the office desk, the scroll he had been delivered opened before him. Lately it was responsibility, responsibility, responsibility. He'd barely had any time to hang out after work with his usual crowd of reprobates. For instance there were these two girls he knew near Maple Town, they had skills that would make even the most skilled kunoichi jealou- Knock, knock.

A polite rap at the door brought his head back into the game. There'd be time for fun later (with any luck...), now was time for work. The chūnin popped a few anti-inflammatory capsules into his mouth, took a swig from a canteen, and leaned back relaxedly in his chair. After a brief interval two people entered the office. Upon recognizing the younger individual a smirk would cross his face. "Yo, Rikku." he would greet his student casually, giving both of them a nonchalant wave as the senior shinobi reported in and quickly exited the office. He placed his hand back within the pocket beneath his flak jacket and took a breath, allowing for the pain relievers to kick in. His head had been killing him lately and his eyes especially. In lieu of his usual shades he had his Konoha forehead protector positioned over his right eye, limiting its sensitivity to light. Daiji did not like trips to the hospital. Especially with so much to do lately he just simply couldn't find the time. And it seemed as if today would be the same. "Ready for guard duty?" he would ask the boy, standing from his seated position. Rather casually he would turn to the other ninja in the room. "We're going up top. Stay sharp and if anything happens report in immediately, we can't have another gate fiasco on our hands." With that he would saunter out of the hut, nodding towards the door as he passed Rikku.

Guards were just about the same everywhere you went. No-nonsense, bad humored, and in general not great at parties. Quite similar to police in that respect. It was for this reason that a lot of them were unhappy with this Career Day situation. Not only was a chūnin placed here to supervise them but now there was a kid in the mix, the bulk of them no doubt considering them both a hindrance. So it was good that Daiji didn't let trivial things like this get to him. "Everyone's been on edge since the recent attacks on the gate." he would state to Rikku as the two walked outside, and stood before the entryway to the village. "So it's up to us to stand watch and more importantly; keep our heads." Staying cool in the face of danger was a necessity. Daiji had plenty of experience due to his upbringing, and after seeing how his student responded in his most recent class he had faith in him to do the same. "Ever been atop the gates before?" he would ask of the student, still smirking as his eyes drifted upwards. Walking towards the structure he would form a Hitsuji seal with his hands and funnel some chakra to the soles of his feet. Planting one foot on the gate he paused and then placed the other, now standing completely vertical as he took a few steps upwards. Daiji would wait a moment and look at Rikku. Back when he himself was a student the Gotō was incapable of performing the necessary precise chakra control for such a feat... but this new generation was something else. There were standouts, and perhaps the boy could? If Rikku wasn't able to scale walls yet the sensei would hold out his hand, and if the boy took it he would be whisked along at high speeds along the wall as they bounded all the way up and over the summit of the Phoenix Gate. (Shadow Dance)

After reaching the top he would wait for or plop the student down beside him depending on his choice. "Not bad, huh?" Allowing a moment for him to take it all in. "You can see the whole village from up here." He would say, walking towards the opposite edge overlooking the surrounding forests. His eyesight was sharp-- always had been. The others would have to be in top form as well to make sure they could handle anything that would come up. "Now we keep our eyes open for anything suspicious, any possible sign of trouble at all." He would glance over his shoulder at the boy, knowing that he would be paying close attention. "Your job today is to guard the Village Hidden in the Leaves." His half-stern sensei voice dipped for a moment as he shot him another smirk. "I'm counting on you." With that he would begin to make the rounds, handing Rikku a spare headset that was pre-tuned to the gate guards' frequency. Speaking over the line his voice would come in clear. "Alright, everyone. Word is there are ninja from the Village Hidden in Frost active in the area." Static signaled a pause in the broadcast as his gaze remained on the forests below and the foot traffic in and out. "Keep your heads on a swivel and if you even think you spot unusual activity, report in so we can investigate." A click sounded out as he ended the transmission and continued his patrol. A familiar nagging feeling had occupied his head ever since they received the report. Maybe it was just that nervousness he mentioned before due to the recent attacks but... something was bothering him. The calm before the storm maybe? One way or another they would soon find out.

[Topic Entered]
[mft]

 

[Tsuchiyama Rikku]

The grumpiness of the escort didn’t bother Rikku at all. One thing the boy had noticed working with his parents and others around them, adults seemingly liked to be mad. They liked to hold on to the thing ruining their day instead of moving on and thinking about something else. It didn’t make sense, and maybe he didn’t want to understand why that was.

Rikku marched happily towards the front gate of the village. He would be spending the day with Daiji, and after the class they recently had resulting in the absolute destruction of their classroom, Rikku was excited to see how it would go.

A dopey smile filled his face as he was delivered to the front gate. “Hello Sensei!” He greeted, speaking a bit too loud for a typical conversation. “They put with you today, Sensei! I promise I won’t destroy any office equipment this time!” Rikku gave his word as Daiji rose from the couch, though it wasn’t really necessary. The boy’s head nodded fiercely as the Chuunin questioned if he was ready for the day.

Rikku followed like a little duckling as Daiji exited the building and let him outside to the wall stemming from the Phoenix Gate. The boy listened carefully to the comments about the recent attack on the front gate. He didn’t know any specifics considering, who would fill in an academy student on something like that, but he knew it was serious. Serious enough that one of his classmates had lost their parents during the assault, and his own were sent on a mission immediately after. They hadn’t returned yet, and he wasn’t sure how much longer they would be away. It must’ve been very important.

Rikku shook his head side to side, he’d never even thought of walking along the top of the wall the surrounds and protects their village. Kid-like wonder fell over his face, mouth slightly agape as Daiji began walking up the wall like he wasn’t defying gravity at all. It wasn’t a foreign concept to Rikku, he had seen his parents do it plenty of times and had practiced with them. He was just a little wobbly is all. Rikku looked up at Daiji for a moment befall his lips formed into a prideful smirk. He turned away from wall, taking a few steps before turning back around to get a running start. Rikku set himself and booked it towards the wall to generate the momentum he needed to scale the wall.

Chakra concentrated into the soles of his feet, wavering but present. The first two steps didn’t require the chakra at all, but from them on it carried him up the wall one stride at a time. As he neared the top, his smile only grew wider and wider. Damn, he was better than he thought. Or maybe he wasn’t. Just before reaching the top, his overconfidence slipped, his foot completely sliding off of the wall. In a panic he threw his hand out, truly lucky he had already reached the top, fingers grasping the very edge. With legs dangling, Rikku looked down at Daiji as he calmly walked his way up.

After a moment, Rikku hoisted himself up and over the edge, letting out a deep breath of relief. Their day hadn’t even started yet, so maybe it wasn’t the best idea to have tried to show off so early.

The view from the top was astounding. Rikku could even spot his apartment from here, and the restaurant he liked to go to the first night his parents went out on missions. While he listened to Daiji explaining the situation at hand, Rikku hadn’t fully comprehended it and the threat it posed. In his mind, it was the equivalent of telling a bully to cut it out and go home, to stop messing with other people. “This isn’t one of your tricks again, is it?” Rikku asked, just to make sure. The whole ordeal at the academy had felt real, until it wasn’t. The boy didn’t want to make the same mistakes he had back then, or make poor assumptions that could cost others.

[MFT - 690/7000]

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

MODERATION POST
​

Vengence truly was a wonderful thing. Konohgakure No Sato stood proud,a hallmark of legacy and nurture and that was the number one shinobi hub of the Land of Fire. Depending on who you asked, it was also a hallmark of oppression and dark deeds although they chose to sweep those things under the rug under the false assumption nothing would ever come of it. Oh, how wrong they were indeed for Shimogakure never forget, it established a purpose and little could sway it from it's path of revenge,a powerful emotion if drawn correctly.

They had infliced wounds on Konoha before, reminded them of the present threat still lingering but it appeared in recent times, the village had grown lax in their remebrance of a threat that was considered long gone and so, it fell on the foreign nation to remnid their more economically benefical neighbors that not everything could go right all the time, amusing given the fact the HIdden Frost had recieved word of the attack on the tyrant villages gates, a just and honorable misson by a most respectable ninja by their standards.

---

As the two Konoha-nin took in the gates that they were tasked with preventing bloodlust and destruction from entering, a few eyes would pick up the the form of a rickety old wagon approaching drawn by two horses, a sheet thrown over the wagon to conceal it's content and the man urging the horse on had a straw hat concealing his face looking down as he drew on and it wasn't long before the steady clop-clop of the horse hoove's could be heard as it drew closer.

"We've got company, sir!"

Usually, such a call-out wouldn't be needed given that everyone's attention had now swung onto the supposedly innocent-looking cart drawing closer and closer to the gates and theg uards stood at the foot of the wall, two shinobi armed with chakra spears crossing their weapons to bar access, quite an aggressive response to one man and his wagon but after what the majority of these shinobi had seen done to their comrades, they were not about to take any chances.

None of it seemed to affect the man at all who uttered a command to stop in a foreign tonue and the wagon drew to a halt right in front of the shuttered gates and aside from thati, silence filled the air between both sides, one consisting of an armada of guards all keen on seeing this mystery man although in more peaceful times, it would not have attracted as much attention as it did now.

These recent, stringnent, measures had defintely kept them on their feet although it was clear on some faces, they felt differently about stopping what they thought was an innocent merchant with his cargo presumable. The man said nothing as one of the guards stepped forward to throw the cover back and reveal various jugs and containers full of rich drink and wine and perhaps even some fresh fruits and meats. "Whoever this guy is, don't reckon he's nothing to worry about, commander or he would have just fed us all to death a while back."

The guard said cheerfully which in response, a guffaw of laughter rang out.

Under the straw hat, the man's lips curled into a smirk as his hand brushed over where his headband was concealed. So confident, they were yet blissfully unaware that a wolf can come in many disguises, all he had to was play his part perfectly and soon, Konohgakure would be welcoming death and bloodshed with open arms as they inspected his cargo not aware of what else this man might be capable of other than being a successful farmer.

A farmer, indeed. A herder of chaos and destruction.

"What's your name, buddy?"

He was being addressed directly for the first time and he did response, his voice raspy as he did so which caused a few quizzcal looks but nonetheless, his comments were fairly simple. "Nothing but a mere merchant, my fine man. I have brought these fine drink and food at the request of our town's headman who heard of the recent events here and wish to offer our support to the village in their time of need, please accept it as a reward for your efforts."

His grip tightened on the reins as he said this. Soon ,they would all be choking and swallowing on the posion, these laughing knuckleheads would not even able to discern what was reality, all it would take was a few sips and everything would be a repeat of what had happened a couple years ago as his eyes flicked to the two figures on top of the wall, their vantage oint givng them a good view of what was happening.

One was merely a child and the other? Well, he saw how the others deferred to him, an leader of sorts, it would do to remove him from the equation first.

"Tell me, guardsman. I am tasked with delivering these to the Hokage's quarters yet I can not but admit never having gone that way. That spry fellow up there seems like he is capable of such a feat, do you think he would be up for the task of showing a farmer the way in this bountiful village of yours?"

"Hey, Daiji! The guy wants you to be an glorified tour guide!"

More laughter.

Yes, laugh all you want, it would be the last joyful moments they experience for quite a while.

 

[Gotō Daiji]

Instinct.

Something that at the best of times could keep a shinobi alive in a dire situation. In the worst it could cause one to act irrationally and do something that might jeopardize their or their comrades lives. The Gotō clan were known for the harsh training regimens they imposed on their members. From the time they could walk they were instructed and drilled heavily in taijutsu, ninjutsu, bukijutsu, and stealth. Lesser known however was the fact that they were a clan who operated freely in some of the darkest sectors of the shinobi world. They made their living on blood money. Because of this each and every clan member was also taught the art of assassination and tested heavily in this practice until they proved themselves. Daiji first killed at a young age, even younger than most ninja. And it was due to this fact and this training that his instincts were finely honed to a razor's edge. He knew which impulses to obey and which to ignore. Keenly aware of the brain's capacity to play tricks on you if you let it, he was constantly observing. Watching. Always on guard despite his outward lackadaisical demeanor. It wasn't impossible but it was extremely hard to catch him unawares. And for this very reason his already inherent sense of alertness spiked when word of a traveler reaching the gates got back to him (Insight). His one visible eye would narrow on the situation unfolding below, his sharp eyesight taking in everything that happened.

"...stay topside, Rikku. Eyes open."​

Without another word he would back away from the gate's edge, making sure he was well out of eyesight to those below. Biting his thumb just hard enough to draw blood he would run through several hand seals in quick succession I → Inu → Tori → Saru → Hitsuji before crouching down and pressing his palm to the gate beneath him. Fūinjutsu formulae spread out from the area he touched and soon after a poof of smoke erupted, leaving two wolfdog pups in its place as it dissipated (Contract Summoning). One with shaggy coarse black fur who looked like he was just back from a hunt from his disheveled appearance and the other with a pristine white coat freshly brushed and washed. The chūnin leaned forward and whispered something to the two pups. The darker canine didn't even acknowledge him and just ran further along the side of the Phoneix Gate, far enough so that he would be well out of anyone's sightline before he started his descent. The clean pup nodded respectfully towards Daiji and did the same though in the opposite direction. The idea being that both of them would flank outwards well out of view, descend the gate using chakra to adhere to the surface, and approach the cart from behind on opposite sides. Both of their sharp senses of smell would come in handy if anything fishy was going on. And they were two of the best scouts he knew. With that the older shinobi would rise back to his feet and once again approach the edge, overlooking the farmer and his cart. He listened to the radio chatter before clicking a button on his headset and responding. "Focus up. We won't worry about him once he's been vetted— thoroughly. All visitors get the same treatment today farmer or no." Static signaled a break in the transmission. His visible eye darted back and forth, searching for any sign of activity. Nothing yet. After a slight delay he clicked the receiver once more. "Watch your surroundings, the treeline especially." one more click and the message was done. Now there was only one thing to do. Go down and see for himself.

Before he made his way down he turned to Rikku and responded. "No tricks this time, could be the real deal." he began, his gaze shifting below once more. He beckoned to one of the guards stationed up top and gestured to her to stick close by Rikku while he was gone. "Think of your training and no heroics like back in class." he continued, a hint of smirk appearing as he approached the edge. With one more hand seal some more dust kicked up around his feet as he funneled chakra to his soles. Placing one foot on the gate's side and peering over he would look over his shoulder to the boy once more and offer a parting word of advice. "Remember... a ninja must always see through deception." With that he was off, briskly maneuvering down the side of the entryway and onto the ground below. Once he was back on flat ground the chūnin would saunter over to the gate and held up cart, quickly re-assuming his usual nonchalance. There was more than one wolf in sheep's clothing on the prowl today. The pain behind his eyes had intensified with his alertness. No doubt at this point that it was another migraine in the making. He did his best to ignore it as he approached. "Come on, you two. Don't scare the poor man." his tone sounded just as casual as ever as he motioned to the guards to lower their spears. But his eye was watching. Looking over the man and his goods in close proximity. He certainly looked the part... but that wasn't good enough for this shift supervisor. Not even close.

"Our Hokage loves her tea, only the best stuff really." Moving around to inspect the cargo he noticed several jugs of drink. He quite enjoyed sake himself oh boy did he happen to be thirsty. Reaching into the cart he would grab hold of one of the jugs. As he talked he made his way back around to the driver. "I'll get chewed out if I don't make sure it's up to her high standards." Uncorking the container he would swish the liquid around a bit, aerating the contents. Seemed like wine. Did it smell like wine? He would soon find out from opening it. But just as it looked like he was about to lift the jug to his lips and take a drink he paused... and offered it to the farmer instead. "Almost forgot my manners. Here, you first." His expression seemed relaxed but his gaze was fixated on the farmer. By this time his pups should have been in position unless they were hampered in some way, approaching the cart from behind. If there was any scent to be picked up on, any sort of trickery their sharp noses would find it. At least he hoped so anyway. His eyes would watch the man's hand especially. A farmer's hands would be calloused from years of tilling fields. Any tell, any tick, anything that would clue Daiji into something being off he was on the lookout for as he stood and waited for the man to accept. All the while readying a quick getaway via log substitution just in case things went sideways. (Body Switch)

Maybe he was being paranoid. His instincts leading him astray. But well... in his experience? You could never be too safe. Not in this line of work anyway.

[mft]

 

[Tsuchiyama Rikku]

Rikku watched carefully as the cart approached the gate, observing the way their watchmen interacted with the merchant. The boy didn't have any sort of communication link, and was missing most of the fine details. The cautious inspection of the wagon's contents told Rikku enough to know that this man was not one of their own or a familiar trader. He nodded to Daiji's instructions, walking to the edge of the wall before taking a knee. Daiji summoned two pups that skittered down either side of the wall before disappearing along their way. His sensei was really taking this seriously, and that put a shroud of doubt and anxiety over the boy.

Finding his way through this ninja world was proving more difficult than he had anticipated. Being taught that to become a good person you have to show honesty and respect to those around you, yet this line of worked was centered around deceit and tricks. It was all very confusing for a young child to navigate mostly by himself. His inexperienced self would want to trust everyone and hope they share the same ideals as himself, but that was wishful thinking.

Daiji descended down the wall to speak with the questionable merchant and Rikku could only guess from afar what was going on. His sensei's mannerisms seemed to change as he poked and prodded for underlying intentions. The jugs came into view, Daiji popping one open to taste, but instead offer to the traveler. Did he think it was tampered with? Where were these supposed to go? At this point, wondering the specifics would neglect to prove fruitful. Rikku instead diverted his attention towards the tree line. If ill intentions were here, the man undoubtedly would have brought company further out. If infiltration is unsuccessful, prepare to fight, right? The sequence of events made sense to him at least.

[MFT - 312][Words 1002/7000]

 

[Moyamaru]

He wasn't the type to follow a gut instinct normally, but something had been pulling him towards the village gates on this day. It wasn't his usual trip as the gates were never and had never been such an interesting place to him afterall the village was within, not outside. It was the afforded protection of the wall itself that only mattered to him which also meant he didn't really have any motivations to become a member of the guardsmen. The village from what he knew rarely was under attack outside of the few annuals in history an outlook that made shinobi who guarded the gates less important in general to Moyamaru. Although he respected them as shinobi it was just he didn't see the need for such a role during these times. Yet, here he found himself up along the defensive wall overlooking forest for as far as the eye could see. Though understandably he wasn't alone....

"Don't tell me the gates have become so worthless that even kids can serve as guardsman here....what a time of peace we must live in dont you think."

He'd walked without notice or care of what the kid might have been doing, right up to Rikku. Moyamaru's palms finding themselves stuffed within his orange jumpsuit while tilting his head ever so slightly though his eyes were obviously looking the kid up and down. He was sizing the boy up before snapping his fingertips together suddenly, to which Rikku might of swore he saw a spark or flame produced for that split second. He had an idea, maybe this boy was one of those prodigies that made the social buzz every so often. Afterall it would explain why the kid was here alone though now that he thought about it....

"Matter of fact what was you so interested in anyways over here"

Moyamaru didn't wait for the boy to fully respond before ushering himself closer to get a look over the wall's edge at where he'd seen the boy so focused. What he saw caused his face to change slightly, an unusual interest forming in his eyes. What was this, he wondered as his gaze locked onto the wagon exchange below and the leaf shinobi interacting with what looked to be the driver of a trade wagon. Seemed routine enough at first glance....

"Must be an inuzuku member with the dogs....would make sense after all I guess. Still, why am I even interested in being here right now. This is nothing but routine boredom, I could at least be starting a fire somewhere...but since im here might as well watch"

It was all routine, the same in and out that the gates went through for days, weeks and months without any conflict. Least that was his one sided assumption of the role as it was not like he actually had seen what guards go through in reality.

[MFT - 479]
[Words 481 / 7000]

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

MODERATION POST
​

The supposed farmsman seemed not bothered in the slightest as the hounds sniffed around his cart seemingly teeming with products of all kinds. The seniormost of the shinobi helped himself to the drink the man was offering and his lip began to curl in dissappointment. If it would be as easy to dispose of this capable ninja than certainly, it seemed it would not be worth the effort.

He needed a challenge.

Those expectations were met shortly as the man offered the drink to him and the farmer met his gaze steadily before breaking out into a grin. "This one, I like. What's your name, lad?"

It did not matter, another one of Konohagakure's supporting pillars that would crumble at the roots and come crashing down as he graciously accepeted the drink but smiled ruefully shaking his head, his mind thinking quickly as he responded. "Tempting as it is, I need to have a clear head today, my friend. Can't rake a few coins in with liquor wafting in through my system."

A friendly rejection but a denial nevertheless.

Upon observation, several things would come to light for the Konoha shinobi. The horses as often used by those who tended to the land were well-muscled and bore the signs of outside labor, this one seemed more elegant and groomed, almost pampered in a sense. The farmer's hands bore the fruits of labor but yet, they were more remniscent of someone who had seen battle.

A scar here, a bruise there yet there was the apparent lack of weapons or so they thought. The hounds could pick up distrusful scents but he highly doubted even their noses would be keen enough to detect the steel of the blades that would soon run red with Konoha blood.

"Oh, yes, jogged my memory but a few of the farm hands should be coming in later on with a rather nasty herd of cattle. They've been hard at work sweating it out to get the livestock here for the market so try to be a bit understanding, will you?"

The plan was set, the puzzle pieces were in motion and now, to get the perceptive one away from the others so that devestation could truly start to commence as the horse tossed it's head restlessly clearly impatient at standing in one place for so long as the man leaned forward to pat it on the mane speaking to it calmly..

"At ease, Shinjo, not too long now."

He looked back at Daiji, a sort of apolgetic expression on his face. "My good man, I do not mean to intrude on your hospitality but if we are done here, I would like to be on the way to Lady Hokage's quarters, I do not think my beast will hold out for too much longer. We have come quite a long way if I'm being honest."

Just a little push, that was all he needed. He had his faith in his comrades but it was essential he was inside before they got here. An strike from the front and rear, the village would be crushed in a pincer movement.

 

[Gotō Daiji]

"Interesting." the shift supervisor spoke.

That was one word for it anyway. "Daiji." he curtly responded as the man asked his name. "Of the Gotō Clan." Even civilians might have possibly heard about his once notorious family. At one point in time they might as well have been Fire Country's bogeymen. Maybe that would cue this farmer into who he was dealing with. Both Asha and Iccha had been unable to detect anything too out of the ordinary even with their keen noses. And he was almost certain he was onto something too... maybe he was just being paranoid after all? That was his initial thought at least until the chūnin managed to pick up on several things. First the denial of drink. Something that normally wouldn't worry him too much as it was a reasonable excuse. That alone wasn't enough to lead him to any solid deduction. But second was the farmer's horse. Not one of those lean, sinewy beasts of burden that were so often seen on farms in Hi no Kuni but instead a proud well cared for creature. "Nice steed you have here." he said, reaching out to pat the animal's neck. It was almost like one a commander might ride into battle. Like a war horse. Finally there was the man's hands bearing the wear and tear of someone who used them for work... but no work a farmer might be accustomed to. No this man's skin carried the signs of conflict. And while it was certainly not unheard of for warriors or even some shinobi to retire and take to more simple lifestyles, all of these things in conjunction all but confirmed that nagging suspicion Daiji held in his own shrewd mind. Something was up.

And whatever it was it most certainly couldn't be good.

He set the open jug of wine down next to the man and took a step back. "'Understanding'." he parroted the man's own word back to him after his explanation that he could not drink and must be on his way. His eyes drifted upwards to the top of the gate where Rikku was stationed and it seemed as if he had been joined by another young Leaf ninja. Good. He had a bad feeling and usually where those were concerned the more bodies around the better. In his experience anyway. "You may have heard that the Hidden Leaf was recently attacked at this very gate. Twice." he shifted his gaze to the sky. It was light out but it wasn't that long ago he stood at this very spot. Contemplating the fallen. shinobi that littered the immediate area. A sharp pain shot through his head. His eyes were hurting again. "The enemy massacred twenty-four Konoha shinobi." he spoke, his tone losing it's normal relaxed tone and instead becoming eerily even. "My comrades." The attacks on the gates were something that would continue to occupy a large portion of his head space. Another incident that did not add up to him at all. Too many oddities. Too obvious. If the Main Branch Sennin had been slain then maybe he would have bought that it was just a simple assassination attempt... yet she survived. At the mercy of this ruthless killer nonetheless. "It won't happen again." Deception, misdirection, confusion— all tools of a shinobi. Ones that he knew all too well.

The farmer continued to assert that he must be going. "You won't set foot in this village without being personally searched." was the chūnin's response. Some of the other guards may have even turned to object but if they did they would find on the Gotō's face a severe stare. Not angry. Not manic. Calm... a deathly calm. "And... I insist you drink." A glance towards Asha was all it took and the white-furred pup nodded before focusing on the farmer, utilizing her knack for the more subtle ninken arts and attempting to feel out the man's chakra signature (Chakra Sense). Surely a mere farmer would have a weak, faint one. If anything was amiss the pup would be sure to growl and alert him, that Daiji was sure of. A hand would raise up to adjust his forehead protector as his one visible eye locked onto the farmer. His expression was unmoving. His eye unblinking. If he was wrong about this situation he'd happily take the earful that would come from either Soku or Asuka about his harassment of a poor old man. If he was right? Well... he didn't want to be. "Try to be a bit understanding will you." he echoed the man's words with that same menacing calm, his gaze staying fixated on him. He made sure to still have that Body Replacement Technique primed and ready, just in case. Assuming his suspicions were correct this had now become a waiting game. One of life or death.

Whoever blinked first... would lose.

[mft]

 

[Moyamaru]

Things below were moving along pretty slowly from what he could tell from his position upon the wall, things having gone slightly silent between the he and Rikku. For a moment he wondered if he'd struck a nerve with the boy, his eyebrow raising as he looked towards him for a split moment, exhaling a tired sigh before slapping the back of Rikku. "Well, we can't very well just keep here can we...doesn't look like much is going on so we might as well drop in right...", now with them being close to the edge, Moyamaru didn't know if his slap to Rikku's back was enough force to push the boy over, but neither did he stick around to see as in seemingly all one motion he had found himself lunging over the wall into a freefall. The distance from the top of the wall to the ground level wasn't to great to give a trained shinobi the jump scares, his body adjusting itself in it's fall with a simple tuck and flip, bringing his feet to connect against the vertical wall face. All it took then was the simple molding of chakra to link his body to the wall, stopping his descent as Moyamaru skidded to a halt somewhere halfway down the wall's surface. He'd take a squat there, positioning himself to better hear the dialogue between the parties of the merchant farmer and Goto.

His curious nature had been peeked as there was something about all this that made the hairs on the back of his neck slightly fringe. Maybe his thoughts were getting the best of him in the situation. But if it was one thing he knew and he knew it quite well, was the longer they exchanged words the more things were likely to be stalled out. This was because usually the process of entering was quite cut and paste, but this was against the normal else things would have been settled quite quickly and both parties would be on the way. Then too he acknowledged that mentally he could simply be jumping the gun, a thought process that was pushed out of his mind quickly as the notion of rather being safe than sorry overrode any inclinations he might of had. Squatting slightly, Moyamaru began to deepen his breathing, taking in much more oxygen as his chest swelled slightly but nothing to exaggerated before placing his fingertips into the tiger seal followed by bird then ox. He'd exhale, his breath superheated as the core temperature of his body began to rise and his chakra leaked out into the air. "Ignition Technique....Gradual Burn" [Heat Wave],

The air around his body was the first to warm up naturally though this rising of heat would eventually reach Goto and the farmer below, if anything it would cause one to feel discomfort as time went on, the heat rising as if the day had simply become that much hotter beneath the sun. Though it is also noted that by now he wasn't exactly hiding himself as if anyone would of glanced upwards, they'd of seen him sticking out like a sore thumb against the wall wearing his usual orange suit. This though was his environment, as he thrived in heat but could the same be said for the farmer he wondered. After all, people seemed to really lose their cool when faced with the elements going against what they usually find suitable.

[MFT - 576]
[1057 / 7000]

 

[Tsuchiyama Rikku]

Daiji and the stranger went back and forth a few times as they inspected one another. It honestly reminded him of when dogs meet and can't stop sniffing each others butts, but of course, far more sophisticated than that. Rikku had squatted down at the edge of the wall, peering down at them as a new face approached. His body tensed just slightly at Moyamaru's fairly rude comment about the guardsman.

"I- uh, no. No, I'm just here shadowing for the day." He responded sheepishly. "Daiji is talking to someone trying to gain access through the gate. I don't know what's up though." He tried to explain, scratching the side of his forehead with one of his fingers. Before he finished Moyamaru was already conducting his own little investigation of the interaction below them.

Hands hung loosely over Rikku's knees, patiently waiting for any sort of motion from Daiji. Moyamau's hands clapping against his back completely caught him off guard, arms flailing for balance as he was nearly pushed off the edge of the wall. It had been a pain just to make it up the wall, catching himself going down is not something he wanted to discover if he was capable of or not. Contrary to his efforts to maintain his balance, Rikku saw Moyamaru give in to gravity and allow himself to fall. The older boy caught himself and decided to have his own fun messing with their sensei and their unknown guest.

"He-hey. They're doing someth-." Rikku cut himself off. He could already tell that this character did not care one bit.

[MFT - 264] [1266/7000]