Playing Catch up (Inv. Riyota)

[Sunaku Harupia]

Haru licked his lips, trying to gather of as much of the broth that he could. These skewers were quite good, he had to say. One could figure that maybe because of his hunger...than again, he still wasn't sure if what he felt was actually hunger or just his mind trying to rationalize his situation...but that wasn't something to think about now. Probably the Serving of Sake wasn't helping with his wandering mind. still, he was here to enjoy the new country and Tournmanet. And so far, he was doing well enough, the Sunan fighter scoring a victory against a cloud Shinobi, giving him a fair return on his betting. So he could afford to eat preaty well tonight.

He also had a slightly different goal in mind. He did spot the place before as he and the other Sunan visitors were heading to their quarters, a rather spacious Izakaya "The red rooster". Seemed like a typical establishment, a lot of people, lots of booze and food. Perfect for a place to unwind, and perfect for a place to set up a meeting. He just hoped his invitation wouldn't come o as to...random. He didn't mean to bother the young Sunan he met at the stands too long, givenTeke had caused him a bit of a ...fax pous so to say, and he seemed to be quite eager to see Azusa after her fight. He did manage to quickly slip a note into his pocket (probably not to stealthily, but he did want him to notice it), asking him to come meet at the Red Rooster whenever he had a free moment in the evening. And so Haru was waiting there, coming around ten minutes earlier, sipping on an overflowing Sake glass and munching on some chicken skewers and Edamame beans. Preaty decent snack. He just hoped he'd have a companion to eat them with. Even if for a bit, just to ask about ceartin...things that happened int he stands off the fight.

 

[Miroku Riyota]

"Intriguing..." Muttered to himself quietly as not to wake the now slumbering Azusa post-fight. "Sunaku Harupia, I swear I've heard the name before...who'd have known we'd just stumble in to one another at the arena." Slowly he stood himself up and quietly got dressed, trying to make himself a bit less scruffy than usual. Unsure of whether or not this man was very picky when it came to standards of appearance. Harupia intrigued Riyota, very few people would leave a meeting note on someone they had just met. Meaning he had some interest in Riyota's various business. Riyota on the other hand had heard his name mentioned a few times, meaning he was a man of some renown. Either a person Riyota could learn from or who would at least make a worthwhile ally.

It took him a little while to navigate his way to the restaurant since he was still very unfamiliar with the layout of Tea. He found himself reaching all sorts of dead ends, asking for directions multiple times from strangers, and at one point he'd found himself in a very suspicious massage parlour where a lot of the workers seemed to want him to remove his shirt. That took him a while to find the exit to. Those people were very insistent.

Eventually he found his destination. The smell of food hit him immediately and his appetite immediately set in. With a quick scan he found the person he recognised from the arena and made his way over to the table, seating himself opposite. He briefly looked around just in case he was about to get jumped before settling. "Got your note, not exactly subtle but I'll assume you weren't aiming for subtlety." He smirked, trying to jumpstart the conversation.

"So, I've heard your name before but I've never had the honour of meeting the man behind it. Any reason why such a prestigious figure has summoned me?" He asked, wanting to get straight into the meat of the conversation, not really in the mood for small talk.

 

[Sunaku Harupia]

Haru did not seem to mind the waiting as Riyota approached the bar, just finishing up a glass of drink by the team he was sitting next to him with a nice big sigh. He did seem to perk up a bit as the other Sand Shinobi sat down, letting out a bit of a chuckle "Well, it seemed more settle than trying to shout I want to talk with you! over the Arena crowd. Besides, I assumed you would want to catch up with Azusa-san after the fight...from what I heard you say during the fight you seem to be rather fond of her" he said, trying to reign in his curiosity...at least on this particular topic. Probably not to polite to ask about their personal life of a person you have bearly met... though it did tie to the reason he wanted to meet him.

It seemed that the younger Shinobi was also somewhat curious as to why he called him here. With a chuckle he said "Prestigious...I'm glad to hear I have at least a little bit of good faith int he village...didn't manage to squander it all. Just so you know, the food here is preaty good. The skewers will be a bit cold but the meat is quite good" he said, not being sure whether the younger man would come here hungry. After that, he would take a brief breath before speaking on "But yes, I understand this must be a bit of a strange invitation. Though Id say you could get used to the attention of strangers with some reputation, hmm? The women that had you sit next to her, surrounded by guards. I will admit I don't know a lot about Tea and its people of interest but going through Town I did manage to find out she is a somewhat important part of the village. And she seemed as focused on the fight as she did on you...if not even more. I don't mean to pry too much, but what did you two talk about?" he asked, his demeanor clearly taking a more serious tone by this point.

 

[Miroku Riyota]

Riyota listened as Haru spoke and nodded when he spoke of his fondness for Azusa. "Well...that is true but my relationship with Azusa is...complicated to say the least." He explained, trying to somewhat clarify things to the other man without just blurting out his life story in a restaurant. The older Shinobi explained that the food in the establishment was decent at the very least even if it would be a bit cold by now. "That's not an issue." Riyota smiled as he picked up one of the meat skewers and focused his chakra to warm the meat back up to an acceptable level. Once this was done he began eating.

When Haru brought up the strange woman from the arena Riyota slowly set the meat skewer back down on the table. "Yeah...I'm still not entirely sure why all that happened." He responded honestly. He thought back to the arena and how the woman had held herself, how she had spoken, the way she had dressed. He could certainly agree that she was of some importance. When asked what they had discussed Riyota had to spend a few moments remembering.

"She was mainly interested in Azusa, wanted to know bits and pieces, tidbits about her. Harmless info I'm pretty sure. Maybe she would've asked more without that bu-...THAT Kunoichi startling me." He caught himself before he said something inappropriate. "Still though, there's something very off-putting about her. Why do you ask?" He turned the questioning back to Haru, wondering what his investment was.

 

[Sunaku Harupia]

Haru nodded, seeing the young man didn't want to elaborate and he didn't mean to pry. He did raise a brow as he spoke on, nodding as he saw the liquid and sauce on the meat sizzle a bit before he took a bit out of one "A useful trick indeed. Some people would have a hard time believing how a normally destructive element like fire could be used so casually by a Shinobi...than again not many people would think of sand as a deadly weapon either "He said in a joking tone as he took another sip of his drink."

He waited for him to try and recall the events of the day. Seemed somewhat harmless for sure, but it could be a trick in some way, ease him in until he is ready to speak more freely. He couldn't help but chuckle at the mention of the blonde princess...butting into the conversation. Yeah, he was not gonna say that out loud... he usually showed restraint with puns. But indeed, Teke intervention, as comedic as it was, could have come at a good time. Always some positive in a negative he supposed.

As Riyota spoke on he couldn't help but ask "By off-putting, what would you mean exactly. was it strictly superficial, her looks, the bodyguards around her, or did you feel...influenced by her. as if she was trying to do something to coax you to speak more?" before a question was turned to him. He was silent for a moment, finishing his drink, and eating one of the meat treats as he said "I've yet to speak about this... which is mainly the fault of my own. But at the risk of sounding like a paranoid old Shinobi geezer... Doesn't the whole situation seem awfully convenient to you? Tea organizing the tournament, allowing members of all the villages, and even elements outside of it enter to test their mettle in fair combat? I can't help but think of the less...charitable reasons as to why the organizers would like to do something like this...and trying to get infomration about one of the competitors from someone close to them seems as good of a place as any to start" Harupia knew this was mostly a hunch... though he wished he could have tried to bring it up with Sosuke or Kuro...than agian he still didint feel right talking to them as much as he would want, and he didint knew the Kage or other Sennin well...he felt like a fish out of water. Almost fitting for a desert dweller.

 

[Miroku Riyota]

Riyota nodded as he chewed, trying to remain involved in the conversation even while he couldn't speak. After he swallowed, he smiled slightly. "We Ninja have a habit of turning anything into deadly weapons. Take Sand, like you said. Normally just coarse, rough, irritating, gets everywhere. Give it to a well-versed Shinobi or Kunoichi, bam! Weapon of mass destruction."

He took another bite as the other Shinobi questioned him further on the whole vibe that the woman gave off, causing him to pause and think for a short while. "I don't know, I'm not great at explaining things...She was...confident, I guess? Seemed to know I was going to give her the answers she wanted before she even asked the question. Didn't get frustrated at any point, she was way too ok with talking to me than your normal rich types usually are...does that make any sense?" He asked, wondering if his mad ramblings were just going to equal a confused Haru.

He sat in silence, finishing off the kebab as Haru let spill his theory. An idea that the whole tournament was too coincidental, too perfect to just be an innocent test of strength. Riyota didn't react positively or negatively at first, merely nodding neutrally to prove he was still listening. Once the other shinobi had concluded Riyota would lay his skewer back down on his plate and pause for a brief moment.

"Not that I don't appreciate it but, why tell me all this? You didn't even know me until a few days ago. Isn't it a bit too soon to begin swapping conspiracy theories?" He asked, pausing for another moment. "Your idea isn't completely out of the realm of possibility bu-..." He would stop as his gaze met the gaze of a stranger at another table who had been listening a bit too intensely to the conversation they had been having. A stranger who looked away as soon as they knew they'd been spotted. Riyota looked around and saw a few more starers avert their gaze. "Something tells me there's some people who are also interested in your theory." He would whisper to Haru.

 

[Sunaku Harupia]

"Well, to be fair, those traits that you mentioned are some of the main reasons why it can be so effective. No matter how solid your defense maybe there will be holes in it, just large enough to be exploited. And well, the very fact that sand is a somewhat loose term, seeing how its essentially finely ground rock and soil...and if you skilled enough, a lot of harder material" he mused, enjoying this sidetrack of their conversation. Part of the reason he had such expertise with ninjutsu is his aprication for the ability to reconfigure the elements around you to meet you will. Not necessary in a destructive way, just like now...though it was a rarity.

He sat quietly as the younger shinobi explained his interaction with the women before he went on his own response than listened to the reply. He did give a slow nod with a bit of a sigh trying to say when he went quiet, but Riyota whispered before he got the chance to speak. Hmm...observers huh. He did see a few people enter in not too distant intervals from each other but sitting conspicuously far away from each other. Though he couldn't really think of a reason why he would be observed... unless they were waiting for Riyota to show up. He did leave the Arean together with him after all. As he considered that he was still looking at his companion, trying not to show an indication that he was aware of the other people. After a moment he would perk up with a big smile saying "I guess your right, it's a bit of a silly hang up. As they say back home أقترح أن نترك الآن حتى نحاول أن نفقد المتفرجين Tell me, do you indulge in some spirited drinks or do you prefer not to feel the burn down your throat?"

As random as this seemed, he wanted them to leave the place, but do not make it seem too suspicious. And if there was one thing he could be fairly certain of, is that the observers didn't know Runic Terran. Assuming his companion knew it was a bit of a stretch, but at the same time, he would at least probably know what it was. His intent was to come off like being jovial and not really understanding that they were being watched while indicating they should move. If he didn't know Runic, he would at least know he wanted to say something he didn't want other to hear...or so he hoped. While he did not have a chance to do it often lately, he was no stranger to the more subtle parts oft he Shinobi life.

Runic Terran text:

I suggest we leave now and try to lose the spectators

 

[Miroku Riyota]

Riyota tried his best to act like he wasn't suspicious of the observers and instead concentrated on the conversation. It was then that Harupia spoke in a language which Riyota didn't have the slightest clue where to begin understanding. It sounded ancient, that's all he could really derive from it. And whilst the spoken message was not understood he could tell from the older man's face that he was eager to leave the area they were being eavesdropped on in, although he was trying to be subtle. When Haru suggested drinks, Riyota nodded. "I'm not a drinker myself but I did see a place that didn't look too bad not far from here. Shall we?" He spoke at a normal volume that anyone whom was listening in would hear and would hopefully think was a natural part of their conversation.

The young shinobi would slide back his chair and stand, requesting the bill. Once it had been brought he would place down half of the amount, silently expecting Haru to show the same courtesy. Once it was paid he would make his way out of the restaurant, presumably with the other Shinobi in tow.

The hair's on the back of his neck stood on edge, he didn't know for sure but he felt like they were being followed. He took a glance over to his compatriot to see if he felt something similar. Riyota dared not turn around for fear that would let their stalkers know they knew they were being stalked. Instead he just walked, he didn't actually know of any nearby pubs he had hoped it would just be a believable enough excuse to subtly get them out of the restaurant but it seemed like the listeners wanted to hear more of their interesting conversation.

He looked to Haru again, trying to silently signal a message asking what they should do, if they should confront the followers or wait and see what happened. It was a strange situation to be in, that was for sure.

 

[Sunaku Harupia]

Hmm...seemed his companion, in fact, didn't know the Runic language...though it seemed he was keen on leaving regardless of what he said in the common tongue, so he assumed he understood what he meant. Him knowing the language would make this a bit more easy to coordinate with their onlookers quite understanding what they were talking about. Still, they did seem to agree on one thing, staying here was not going to do them any good.

Quite frankly Haru had planned to pay for the entire meal himself but he never really liked the whole ceremony of arguing about who pays for what. Maybe he would be a bit more insistent in other times but for now, he just dropped the remaining sum, with a bit of a tip for the barkeep as they both walked out of the bar.

Haru tried to keep up his cheer demeanor saying "Ahh, nothing like a bit of a pub crawl, especially in a foreign country...never know what new things you can come across hmm?" turning his head towards Riyota, while nodding his head, indicating that he indeed had the feeling they were still being tailed. While it wasn't quite obvious given the nightlife of Tea was not that quite, it wasn't hard to see the group of a man getting up and following them out of the place.

Now, this was a bit of a predicament, mostly due to a lack of information. The key point is just who was following them. Were they just some hired thug muscle that could blend into the crowd, perhaps even hired in such bar? Mercenaries? Shinobi of some description? All very interesting questions... and ones that he wouldn't mind finding answers to. Still, assuming the worst about these being Shinobi trying to engage them would probably cause a lot of commotion and collateral damage. And while trying to get one of them to interrogate could lead to interesting information, they probably should focus on losing them in the first place.

As their gazes met once again, Riyota's eyes seemingly seeking a way out he would carry on speaking in a mostly casual tone "If I can just ask, about the comment you made before about sand. I hope you didn't have too many bad experiences in the desert. Sand can be a particular element but there are quite a few neat things you can do with it. And if you well prepared it won't be hard to make sure none of it gets stuck in an irritating spot" Another seemingly random comment but his face became sternly serious as he ended the stance while glancing upwards towards slightly wider alley between two buildings...he had an idea of losing the tail they had, and he wanted to enact it and wanted to be sure Riyota would be aware.

 

[Miroku Riyota]

As the two men exited the restaurant it was painfully obvious they were still being tailed but neither of them decided to address the matter yet. Instead Haru continued to talk casually of the revelries the two were likely to engage in, Riyota nodded along. "Yep, nothing like tasting the fine...uh...alcohols of foreign lands." He said with an ever-so-slightly forced laugh. He didn't want to openly admit he wasn't a drinker quite yet, as now really wasn't the time to do so.

Riyota decided to cast his eye behind himself and for a moment was confused when he noticed the people following them were no longer following them, and for a moment dread struck. Had he been too paranoid? Had he just ruined a nice meal by being overly suspicious? Then he noticed one pair of eyes that were definitely following them and he felt slightly reassured of his assumptions. He whispered to the other shinobi "Stay on your toes, they're trying to blend in." What Haru would do with this information remained to be seen.

It was then that the other man brought up an interesting albeit random statement about the nature of Sand. "There's nothing wrong with sand itself...just, I don't know, it's a long story. I can certainly understand its usefulness." He smiled in response. Subtly checking behind them again to see if they were still being stalked.

He then noticed Haru looking towards an alleyway between two buildings and after a moment it clicked in his head over what the plan was. With a nod he would follow the other shinobi into the alley, hopefully it would be enough to let them away.

 

[Sunaku Harupia]

Haru tried his best to keep himself looking like the oblivious, slightly drunk Sunan tourist, while Riyota looked around a lot more nervously. Understandable, they were in a foreign land tailed by unknown people...at least it seemed that way given how they kept walking behind them.
Besides, they probably were aware at least one of them knew they were being tailed... Attempting to make it seem like he was oblivious could give them a bit of an advantage when push came to shove...at least so he hoped.

He noted the teen with him seemed a bit unsure talking about alcohol...nor did he drink back in the pub they were in. Perhaps not at all. Hmm...a good trait to have all things considered, especially given the situation. As he saw him whisper he skipped a beat in his step as if stumbling to lean in closer to make sure he had him correctly. So they were trying to hide... Well, two groups could play that game.

As they moved closer to the alley he would say "One thing not so grand about living in the desert, there isn't that much plant life around you. So when you go somewhere more lush with flora, sometimes you get a bit of a...u-unwanted...reach..." he would say with pauses, his face scrunching up slightly, before he would sneeze...and at the same time, a cloud of sand would suddenly erupt from under their feet, obstructing them and the entire alley they were facing. One of the useful applications of sand Jutsu.

Not wasting time he would grab Riyota by the scruff of his shirt as they moved into the alley as he said "This should give us a few seconds...which should hopefully be enough. Use combination transformation if you know how, if not just stand next to me and don't move" As soon as he stopped speaking he would stand by the wall of the alley and do the set of seals of the jutsu he mentioned. In a blink of an eye, his form shifted, To the outside viewer it would look like the alleyway was completely empty, with no one else in it. depending on the Riyotas action, he would stand next to him hiding with the jutsu, or he would hold onto him to have the judges score them both, which he figured he should be able to maintain for a while. regardless they would need to wait and see what would their fan club do after the sand some box would dissipate.

 

[Miroku Riyota]

As the cloud of sand surrounded them both Riyota felt himself tugged into the nearby alleyway. It seemed Haru had found a way to buy them some time to hide themselves from their pursuers. The teen was glad he had wound up in smart company. Though it was true his newfound acquaintance was a Jounin, a certain degree of tactics was to be expected. Harupia wasted no time explaining the rest of the plan to him and Riyota began concocting his own addition to the plan. "Do what you're going to do! I have an idea." He watched as the other Shinobi transformed, making himself practically invisible. Riyota performed handseals of his own. Thinking of the general appearance of various vagabonds that plagued the Grand Palais back in Suna. His form contorted and shifted, and in his place was an old man with greying hair and a long shaggy beard. Looking haggard and tired with tattered clothes.

He sat himself down and began to mimic the general actions of the form's inspiration trying to change his voice to match. As some of the stalkers strolled past he overheard two of them talking, asking where the pair had gone, which way and the like. With a cough to clear his throat Riyota spoke "Uggh...Uh...I k-knoooow whar tha went!" He called to them from the alleyway. Putting on the act of a homeless man in a drunken stupor. The two men shared a suspicious glance with one another but slowly strolled over to him anyway. "Where?" They asked impatiently. "C-c-c-come 'ere *hic* I-I'll whisp' it to ya!" He beckoned them over, rocking back and forth, "Don' be shy I won' hurr ya!" He grinned, many teeth missing.

"How about you just tell us before we get really impatient?" One of them threatened, raising a fist. "Am...Am...I'm jus' an ol' man...ain't gotta git violen'." He smiled again. "Jus...c'mon..." He beckoned again causing them both to roll their eyes and walk over. When they both leant in her moved close to their ears and whispered. "They came down this very alleyway." He smirked, removing the illusion. Quickly he grabbed the one to his right tightly and put a hand over his mouth to prevent him crying for help. "Sandman!" He called, urging Harupia to get the other one by using a callsign that he had just invented in that moment then. Hoping the other one would pick up on it, because if he didn't this was about to get much more complicated.

MFT

 

[Sunaku Harupia]

Perhaps the cloud of sand was not the most subtle way to cover their retreat. Then again, he was a drunk Sunan Shinobi for all anyone knew. And the setting of a big cloud of sand was the least destructive thing one could do in such a state really. It seemed to do the trick allowing them to hide in the alley, though Riyota declines his offer for cover, having a plan of his own. There wasn't much time to discuss really. And to be honest he did trust his fellow shinobi enough to let him act independently.

So he watched in hiding as the younger men's form shifted, aking to a less fortunate member of the Sand village. It seemed to work quite well, most of the people chasing them simply passing him by...but then he called out towards them. A curious choice...but it seemed two of them did take the bait, approaching the strange man raving about know what they sought it. It did get a bit hairy as one of the men threaten him...but Haru was ready to step in if anything went badly...or when Riyota made his move>

And that same soon, as he quickly immobilized one of the men. Before the other could react, he would find his feet sinking into the ground under him, and three tendrils of sand and dirt shooting up, catching his hands and mouth in their grip, as the ...Sandman emerged from the pile of trash behind him, saying "Better stay still now...wouldn't like to get sand into weird places would you?" in a matter of fact tone, focusing so the sand tendrils tightened around the target just slightly, which made him stop struggling against it.

Turning to Rioyta he would speak while making a set of handseals "Smooth takedown...though I wonder what was the next part of your plan...I wouldn't say we have much time to chat with the gentleman here" he finished as from the ground, a crystal-like orb similar to an eye formed and then hovered to the side, peeking outwards of the alley. The other stalker was nowhere to be soon right now...the question was if that would last.

 

[Miroku Riyota]

It seemed that the other man took well to his offer of a combined takedown, and had even gone the extra length of incapacitating rather than straight-up murdering the other man. "Yeah, guess it's easier if we use him huh...Alrighty." He looked down at the man he had in his grasp and placed a palm on the side of his head, with a quick controlled jolt of electricity he would cause the man to fall unconscious as the result of an intended neuron misfire.

"Ah, not to worry, I'm sure we won't be here long. After all we only need ask two questions." He stretched for a second and cracked a few of his fingers to loosen himself up. He had no true intentions of hurting their captive, but he didn't need to know that. "Ok, so...who are you? And why are you following us, and don't scream please..." He nodded towards Harupia as a signal to remove the sand around the man's mouth.

If he complied the man would gasp and look at his two captors slowly, a confused and frightened expression on his face. "Please...don't hurt me..." He pleaded to them both. "We don't have to go through the whole thing, just please answer the questions. How are we looking for time?" He asked Harupia, wishing to be informed if any of the other pursuers were doubling back. "I-I-I...I can't tell ya, I'm sorry." The man whimpered. "We were just order to grab ya and get you to stop spreading rumours about suspicious activity." He said, looking to the older Shinobi. "To be honest, we weren't expecting the kid." He looked to Riyota who looked like he was about to protest the nickname before deciding to keep silent.

"Our employer just wants to ensure everyone knows that this is a friendly time of co-operation between villages for the sake of entertainment only." The captive explained, with a line that sounded suspiciously rehearsed.

 

[Sunaku Harupia]

Hmm...a handy application of lightning Jutsu. Quite handy given their situation. This was a bit of a predicament. For all the knew the other members of the entourage might be heading back...or way past them by now. And evens till, if some more official guards came they could be accused of distributing the peace. Though no matter their actions, a situation of being tailed by several goons in the foregin country would lead to trouble whatever they decided to do. For the time being, it seemed the coast was clear, the goons moving forward and spreading out to cover ground... though the chance of one of them backtracking seemed to be there.

It seemed Riyota was willing to play the interrogator here as he stretched his muscles. Nodding back to him he had the sand retracted, letting their captive speak. He moved just slightly to look at the man. He did seem somewhat genuinely firsthand by the situation and didn't try to resist his binding much. Either a simple thug with no greater capabilities or someone trying to hide them. As the man spoke he would quickly say "Coast seems clear for now. Guess you friends were counting on you two handling this alley" He was a bit surprised to hear he was the main target. He wasn't quite open about his worries before Riyota, and the main reason he addressed him first out of everyone was the unusual interest that one lady showed towards him during the fight... though for them he seemed to be an unexpected factor. And an underestimated one at that. Ehh...he had heard that before quite a few times. Though in some way it made sense. He was a higher ranked Shinobi, so he probably had eyes trailing him all over. Than again fi his muttering to himself caught him so much hot water...

The last line of their captive did seem preaty...well prepared ahead of time. With a sigh, he would say "You know a mild-mannered man in a suit telling me to calm down would be a lot more effective than a bunch of goons hounding me down. Might want to relay that back to you eomplyer...she wouldn't happen to be one of the richer ladies int he country would she?" he asked, his right eye still closed to focus on the crystal orb. Still no signs of them turning back

Mft

 

[Miroku Riyota]

"I-I-I...I really can't tell ya' I'm sorry." Their prisoner apologised for his inability to present them with any names are evidence. Riyota, for his part, seemed to be thinking hard. Pondering every aspect of their situation as he paced back and forth. Harupia would see, through his Orb a bunch of other henchmen arguing and seeming to be heading back close to their position. If Haru relayed this to Riyota, the younger Shinobi would instruct their prisoner. "We're going to let both of you go, you'll let your friends know that there was nothing in here but a dog that your friend tripped over and knocked himself out. If that's understood, get going." He ordered, nodding to Harupia to get him to release the sand bindings.

Riyota would then proceed to use his Earth Jutsu to meld himself into the wall, expecting Haru to do the same, once he was fully concealed he would wait for the alley to be clear once more.

As soon as all the thugs cleared out he would re-emerge and wait for his companion to copy, ready to explain his plan. He would turn to the older man and begin. "There's someone I need to talk to before we go ahead with any investigation, here, if that is what we want to do. I don't know if they'll have any information but it might arouse suspicion if I come with someone they haven't met." He explained.

"I reckon we split up here for now and meet back at the restaurant in three days. In that time will both see what we can dig up, cool?" He asked, seeing if the other Shinobi was on board with this plan. If all was answered in the affirmative he would nod and say his goodbyes. Checking both ways outside the alley before heading off down the street.

It seemed he had a very dangerous house call to make.

[Topic left unless stopped.]

 

[Sunaku Harupia]

Well, it seemed the guy didn't know much. Which seemed plausible. These were probably just run of the mill hired thugs. Probably just there to watch what they were talking about and maybe give them a bit of a scare if they got to upfront about their suspicions. Which made him think just how serious their situation was. This probably wouldn't be the end of things...would they end up tailed over the rest of the vent? Approached more directly by some authority? Someone trying to stab their throat in their sleep? The options were growing more gruesome and vivid in his mind... probably best not to drink and discuss your conspiracy theories he reckoned. Then again he didn't drink much.

As some of the thugs had started to make their return he gave a quick nod to Riyota while pointing to the outside of the alley. Riyota decided to go with just leaving the thugs be, using his jutsu to meld with the wall again. Haru nodded as he realised the hold on his captive, though he himself did something slightly different, sinking into the ground slowly saying "Play nice now...or else you and your friends might find yourself underground...and I might not bother pulling you out" giving a polite smile as his head fully submerged with the ground.

he could see the people above them, and the guy played nice. He did talk about a hobo knocking his friend out by surprise but otherwise didn't mention anything else. It took a while but finally, the coast was clear. Once they both re-emerged, Riyota mentioned wanting to share these thoughts with a different person, one who could grow distrustful he came with someone he didn't know. With a nod, he said "Seems only fair. Hopefully, if we act casually for the next couple of days they will feel like we rented a little bit...though we best stay on our toes in case someone more...competent might be watching our moves as well. But yeah, rendezvous in free days, hopefully with something more meaty to hang onto regarding the situation. AS they exchanged farewells and good luck he decided to wait in the alley, just to shake off any other potential tail. Something seemed to be affot...question was just how big of a thing. Always had to be something. He mused to himself as a gust of wind would blow, and with that it would look like his body dissolved itself into sand particles, being gone with the wind before anyone could react. Some people would probably be surprised seeing him use such a Genjutsu...not really knowing the true nature of his little trick.

(EXit)

Mft, WC = 455