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.
Asuka sighed as she waited at the Phoenix gates for her companions. Having said that, she wasn't worried about her students abilities. She was worried about them doing something stupid. As the sun appeared over the horizon she wondered if these would be an easy mission. She understood why Takeshi gave her the mission, she didn't understand why she would give her gennin to go with her. But orders were orders and she had faith in her students to do the right thing when it came to it.
Scratching the back of her head she re-read the letter again. Sheebus, it isn't even a combat mission but it could turn very wrong if they weren't careful. But for now, she just had to wait for her students to come. All of them. Best she could do was wait and hopefully they wouldn't come late.
[So for this mission thread this is how it works=
You can do whatever you want but your actions have consequences. Meaning it can either go good or bad depending on the situation. I'll be DM'ing and playing Asuka but most likely the success on the mission lands upon you.]
[Note= Sorry for the short post. I'm horrible at starters]
[5 day limit on posting.
UNLESS you PM me telling me you need more time.]
‘Had it all been a dream?’ Karasu was laying in bed. Her alarm won’t go off until ten more minutes. Usually she would hate to be awake before the alarm went off but today was particularly different. A smile crept on her face as she laid in bed. She was a Genin. She had the headband and everything. Her big blue eyes peered over to where the headband was hanging on the post of her four poster bed. Yep it was right there. That was no dream or imagination. It actually happened and now she will be going on a mission, though the mission really was her Genin exam so she needed to pass it or it would mean she probably head back to the academy. That is not what she wanted. She had goals and to achieve them she had to get stronger. Being a Genin is a step forward toward the goals. She turned in her bed and laid there for a moment thinking. A loud beeping sound went off and Karasu turned over on her side and reached out to press the button on the alarm. Immediately the beeping stopped and Karasu got up from her bed.
Karasu took a nice warm shower and let the water go over her head. It felt refreshing. After she cleaned up and got dressed in her purple and black shirt that had the Nakano clan symbol on it. She put on some black pants that had white stripes on the side that allowed her to stretch and maneuver pretty well in it. She put her pouches on the back of her pants and made sure all her tools were there. She combed her long white hair and put it in a ponytail with a long braid before placing the black Leaf headband around her neck like a choker. She stared into the mirror for a while to see how she looked with the headband. She smiled as the excitement in her eyes started to grow. Her father had breakfast already on the table. She didn’t see Hinata or Jirou up yet though it was really early in the morning. Her father Hiro, who always had a habit of being up this early smiled at her. “Hello Baby Girl, Are you ready for your mission? It’s a big one and it will determine if you continue on as a Genin. I have to say I am very proud of you. “ Karasu smiled as she listened to her father compliment her. She stuffed a mini rice cake in her mouth before swallowing it. “Thanks dad. I know how important it is. I believe I am ready.” He nodded toward her. “Very good, now the most important thing to remember is teamwork. Make sure you insync with your team. That is where it will be determined if you pass and fail. “ she nodded and said “Yes I learned that lesson the other day with an unexpected test.” she said with a gulp as her mind drifted back to when Asuka had a samurai come after her and other students. She was praised for her efforts but her lack of communication was what made her fail the test. She understood and she looked at her dad. “I promise to do my best. “ she grinned at him.
Karasu finished up her breakfast and grabbed her sword to place it on her back. She waved goodbye to her dad before setting off toward the Phoenix gate where she was to meet with her teammates. The sun was rising which made Karasu feel giddy. She knew she shouldn’t be acting like a little kid but she couldn’t help it. She was excited that this was a mission that will determine her fate for now. She was not gonna let her dad or mum down. She passed a few shops that were going to open up soon. She smiled and waved to the shop owners while her thoughts entertained scenarios of what the mission could be about. She never was told what the actual mission was going to detail other than it was an escort mission. It seemed simple enough but Karasu had a lot of questions still about it. She wanted to do her best and that was what she was going to do. She practically skipped all the way there and was getting close to the Phoenix gate. In the far distance she could see the entrance to the village but couldn’t make out if anyone was there waiting yet. It wouldn’t be the first time to be the first one there she thought to herself. As she got closer she saw that someone was indeed there. It looked like the Sennin Asuka which Karasu confirmed as she got even closer to the gate. She walked up to Asuka “Good morning, I hope you weren’t waiting long?” she smiled as she looked at the Sennin who had a letter in her hand. “Is that the mission letter that the Hokage gave you?” she asked with curiosity. Karasu looked around to see if Hikaru was on her way but saw no sign of her fellow Genin. She glanced back at Asuka as she shifted on the balls of her feet. Karasu looked up in the sky. There was a slight breeze but so far nothing to show that the weather would hold them up unlike her last mission which rained profusely. “I think it might be a nice day today?” she said, making small talk as she waited for Hikaru to arrive.
Hinata had woken up from his slumber, getting up as he was nervous quite abit. Soon he got ready packing light with all essentials, a light pack on his back as he heard karasu left already. Looking in his mirror, trying to psych himself up.
Looking at his eyes in the mirror, worried if he has control or not still. Soon heading out of the home, heading to the meeting place. Still quite nervouse, as he walked to the meeting place he tried to calm himself down. Soon spotting Asuka and Karasu. Staying silent as he didnt know as to what he should say. Unlike his friend he was given this as a test if he should be a genin or not, Unsure why Lord Hokage thought of it as such, Maybe due to his undecisivness he always had, around high figures like him. Sighing as he looked at karasu. The thought of his friend being there with him, made him happy and calmed him down.
He walked over to stand next to Karasu as he soon spoke up.
"I hope we do good right."
He nervously laughed as this was nerve wrecking for him as unlike other uchiha prodigies, he didnt fare well with the idea of tests, trying to calm down his nerves but reminding him it isnt just a test if he should be a genin but an actual mission.
Thinking like so calmed him down once more, Soon looking at Asuka, ready to begin as he had finaly fully calmed down. Ready for a mission.
Hikaru strode down the streets of Konoha, bound directly for the Phoenix gate with her bag slung over both shoulders, nearly full. Her headband and its accompanying thrill of purpose rested on her forehead- she could still barely believe that it was real. Wearing it felt completely natural, yet she was constantly aware of the weighted cloth against her skin. It was definitely a new experience, and even succeeded in taking her mind off the mission every few minutes. Her mind was racing- this was her first mission as a real ninja, and its outcome would decide if she got to continue her life as one… there was plenty of pressure involved. At the same time, though, she felt elated for practically the same reasons. Another mission, another chance to learn new things alongside her teacher and friends; there was no telling what kind of things they would encounter!
She hurried into view of the gate at last, spotting the group of three convened a short distance from the wall. Giving them a wave as she approached, Hikaru greeted her team, “Good morning! I hope I didn’t keep you waiting for too long,” she added, noticing that she was the last one to arrive, “...I took a little longer than usual to pack, since I wanted to make sure I was prepared. That’s mission rule number 1! Or at least one of the rules, I don’t know how many there are.” She gave the group a bright smile- she was definitely feeling the excitement now. Adjusting her bag on her back, the Genin waited, facing the mission’s captain beside Karasu and Hinata.
Asuka looked around, and waved brightly as soon as Karasu showed up. She shook her head. "Nah, I wasn't waiting that long. Hope you had a pleasant morning as well." Asuka sighed as she looked down on her hands for a moment, eyeing the letter. We will have to explain it to them, but better to wait for the others rather than doing it now. "Yeh. This is it. It has the details of our mission. Speaking of." Asuka patted Karasu on the head with a smile on her face. "Congratulations on your graduation. Welcome to the shinobi force."
Asuka looked over and smiled at Hinata giving him a pat on the head as well. Seeing how this kid reacted would be interesting. "Hopefully you do good since this will determine whether you stay in the academy or graduate." Asuka giggled "No pressure." In any case, now they had to wait for the fourth member in this mission and thankfully Asuka spotted her coming towards the gates, good sign... they were punctual. Asuka waved back and clapped her hands once everyone was ready.
'Allright ma pipsqueaks! We got a few hours of walking and I'll explain the mission on the way. To adventure!" Asuka cheered raising her hands into the air as she started walking. Waiting for them to get ready.
A few minutes after she looked back at them and started explaining. "Our mission is a C-rank which means, based on intel alone, that means our opponents, in case there's fighting, we'll mostly be skilled bandits, not other shinobi so I doubt there'll be any danger in that." Asuka sighed as she continued "Unfortunately our mission doesn't simply involve fighting which makes it more challenging." Asuka stopped and looked at them. "You are no longer kids, you are shinobi and this world is unforgiven to those that fuck up so from this point forward you follow my every order without question. Is that clear?" Asuka waited for an answer, if anyone decided to be smart and decline she would simply smack him/her. "First order of business. Karasu, Hikaru. Take off your headbands. From this point forward you are junior journalists following me, an editor, hunting for the next big story. Hinata, you're my younger brother accompanying me on this trip due to your fascination on my work." She took their age into factor and hopefully having the student stay close to her they could avoid any kind of scrutiny from being shinobi.
"For context, haven't any of you wondered why the fire country is safe for merchants? How even though our forces are hardly stationed on the outskirts yet there is little concern on safety?" Asuka scratched the back of her head. She had to explain this, otherwise there would be trouble. "After the civil war and the damiyo's execution crime went rampant across the fire country so and it became a huge problem to re-start trade." Asuka jumped a log that had fallen across the board as she continued to explain. "So a deal had to be struck. Crater city was created. For those of you who don't know Crater city is also known as City of Thieves and for good reason. The deal was simple, Crater City would be under the Hokage's rule but self regulated meaning they were under the law's of the land but self enforced which made it a haven for illegal activities. In exchange the family leaders would make sure those activities didn't leave the city and they would deal with anyone that goes out of line." She waited for a few moments for that to sink in, or for them to ask any questions since the better informed they were the better success rate they would have. "Unfortunately Shinobi aren't well liked inside the city since we can't ignore anything that goes against the law of the land. I do hope you can see where their might be problems."
Asuka sighed as she continued to walk. "Crater city is mainly controlled by two families. The Ayanami and the Kaname. Both have had big rivalry that has spanned a very long time, bad blood... but they've gotten too big and their skirmishes are starting to get out of control which means that if it keeps escalating it might start reaching outside the city's borders. Our mission is to stop that from happening and hopefully finally achieve peace between the two families." Asuka sighed as she stopped overlooking a hill, down was crater city. It seemed as if it was a very traditional city, architecture consisted of traditional japanese small buildings. There were some higher story buildings but none that served any real purpose. It watched carefully people would be able to make out people walking around normally, heck it seemed like a normal city at a glance. She turned around to her pipsqueaks. "I can not stress this enough. No matter what you see in there, do not get involved. The city's infrastructure is fragile as it is we don't need to make it worse by causing more trouble." Asuka stood straight and gave a smile. "Any questions speak up. Don't stay silent otherwise things might turn sour."
Karasu looked at Asuka as she mentioned that the letter was about the mission then she followed by congratulating her. “Thank you.” As Karasu was waiting she saw a familiar yet unexpected face arrive. She looked at Hinata and said “Oh you are coming too?“ she said with a bit of excitement in her tone. She fiddled with her Leaf headband making sure it wasn’t too tight around her neck before resuming talking to Hinata. “Yes we will do our best. “ She knew Hikaru should be coming soon and just as she thought this in her mind, here comes her fellow Genin. She waved to Hikaru “Hey there,” she smiled then nodded as Hikaru mentioned about taking her time to pack things. She knew all about that as she had her pack on her which took her a bit of time as well.
Now that all the team was assembled Karasu listened as Asuka became very serious as she explained the mission details as they started to head to their destination. Karasu listened as she explained the situation at Crater City. It was a complicated situation where they couldn’t go as themselves. She just made Genin and couldn’t show it but that was fine with her. She understood as Asuka had told her and Hikaru to not wear their shiny new headbands. She frowned but understood why. She carefully took off her headband and placed it in her backpack. She was told she and Hikaru were to portray junior journalists to Asuka’s editor role. She thought she could do that. “Ok no problem” she said as she continued to listen as they walked.
Asuka started to tell them all about how Crater City started and how it ruled. Karasu mentally took all of it down. She had a pretty good memory as she absorbed all the information like a sponge. Karasu learned that Crater City is known as The City of Thieves which was technically under Hokage's jurisdiction but the city was self governed. Crime seemed to run paid there and it was their job to not to allow it to get out. Karasu realized that would be quite tricky since shinobi are not liked there. Karasu nodded “Yes I can see how that would be a problem. We need to be discreet.” she added, then had some questions. “Now we are supposed to make sure that any crime or fighting doesn’t go outside the border of the city. How do you propose we go about that? If we are pretending to be journalists how should we approach the situation without getting involved? It seems like if we do something it can trigger consequences that we may eventually regret. Don’t worry I won’t do anything stupid. I just want to know if you have a plan in motion already or is it something we just have to wait and see when we get there.”
Karasu was always filled with questions. She was cautious but very resourceful. She always looked to the bigger picture but never forgot what was happening around her. She was a strategist and wanted to know all the facts so that if it was needed she could try and do her best to come up with something that would help her teammates and the mission. She looked toward the Sennin and her teammates as she waited for a reply. They continued heading toward Crater City. This was the farthest she had been from the village since she arrived. She wanted to do her best and show that she was worthy of the rank she had been given.
Hinata listened closely, blushing as he was patted on the head, regretting the fact he hasn't hit any growth spurt yet and stayed short. Listening as Asuka mentioned about their mission and how the world is unforgiving to those who mess up, but his attention was more on bandits, the moment that word was said he clenched his fist, and eyes were filled with rage, clearly a trigger for him. He was clearly angry but upon hearing the words of little brother, he snapped out of it and blushed.
"WAIT I WILL BE WHAT NOW!!!"
Hearing the fact he will have to play her younger brother made his face turn crimson, clearly confused and embarrassed as he knew that if he played along he would be seen as defenseless, no one would suspect him, but on the other hand, he really didn't want to be Asuka's little brother.
Clearly having trouble with this choice he spoke up. " F .... F - F _ Fine....I w .. will be y - y- your little brother"
He said clearly having trouble saying such out loud. Calming himself down as he heard of what the city would be like.
Searing it into his mind Crater City, The city of thieves he would most likely need to go there so he made sure to note that is it ruled by two families, that he shouldn't just go and cause problems.
Already planning to kill the bandits when he meets them, he knew he has to deal with such atrocities and he was fully ready to accept the fact even if someone was being beaten to death, he couldn't step in to help nor can he even glance at them, a hard task for him as he knew he had to do so. Planning to stick rather close to asuka to play of the facade of her brother. He knew he can do this.
Hikaru greeted Karasu and Hinata as she arrived, and waited for Asuka’s direction. The captain clapped her hands, and they were off, the breeze behind them as they walked along the path that led away from the Village Hidden in the Leaves. As Asuka explained, there was certainly a danger of running into combat on this mission- though their enemies weren’t likely to be much more than a few bandits, it was still valuable information to be prepared for. She had never been in a fight with opponents who wouldn’t hold back, and she spent some time thinking about that… she was hopefully prepared to kill to protect her village, but she would definitely avoid doing so unless it was absolutely necessary. She didn’t think that a group of bandits would be enough of a direct threat to the village for their team to have to use lethal force… then again, that was assuming the bandits didn’t get the better of them. Her first real mission, with real danger- no more farms or wild piglets here. Was she… was she really ready to face uncertain danger, and even death, for the sake of her village?
Asuka went on, snapping Hikaru out of it a bit. She had her teammates with her, one of whom was a Sennin. Having companions was reassuring… and, she thought, pinching herself for not thinking it first, she would absolutely be willing to put her life on the line for her village. That was her duty as a ninja- her proudly gleaming headband reminded her of that. She nodded solemnly as their captain impressed upon them the necessity of following her directions exactly. She had already placed her trust in Asuka, and she agreed to place that trust in her other teammates as well. “Yes, I understand,” she responded, as quickly as she could.
- (♫) Now playing:Sky Eventby Takuto Kitsuta, Kenichi Koyano, SIGERO and Keisuke Oku
Now for the first order of business: they… had to take their headbands off. Hikaru reached up and began to untie the dark blue cloth from her forehead with slight confusion on her face (but no hesitation- she did just say that she understood, after all) as the Sennin continued. Their roles made sense to her, and she pulled the forehead protector off with a nod. Hinata’s reaction to his job on the mission was amusing, but she had noticed a small problem, “Wait, should we disguise our headbands somehow, just so nobody can tell what they are if they take our bags or something?” She used a variant of the Combination Transformation technique as an example, shifting her headband into a blank-covered book in a cloud of white smoke. Stowing the book-band in her bag, she continued down the path with her team.
Asuka began to explain their destination: Crater City, also known as the infamous City of Thieves. Hikaru shuddered a little in spite of herself- the crime central of the entire Fire country was the site of their mission, it seemed. Though it was true that there would very likely not be any other Shinobi there, there would certainly be plenty of bandits to make up for it. On top of that, they would definitely have to hide their identities as best they could. Their mission was to make sure a feud between two powerful families was contained to the city’s borders… she agreed with Karasu with a nod of her head after the girl had finished- she very much hoped Asuka had a plan for them to go about doing this. Once the Sennin had finished, Hikaru voiced her understanding: “Right, got it. We’ll be right behind you!” She had no questions at the moment, but wondered if that would change… “When will we be able to safely ask you any questions we might have once we’re in there? I’ll use my better judgement, I promise, but I wanted to know if we had a specific way to regroup.”
Asuka listened to her first student and smiled. Takeshi was right, they were a lot smarter than they looked. Already asking the right questions and making sure they had plans over plans. "We can't." Asuka spoke answering Karasus first question "Our mission is a diplomatic one, we have to investigate the two families and hopefully bring them together to make a peace accord that will basically stabilize the region. If fighting does break out you have authorization to stop it but in no way shape or form are you to use jutsus. If your cover is blown, the ripple effect it could have would be catastrophic." Asuka sighed scratching the back of her head. "We have meetings set up with the main purpose to learn about both families, from a journalistic standpoint. Both families have to a final meeting in which we may find something to break them out of the circle of hate that they got themselves stuck into. Find what you can and hopefully plant the seeds of peace within these meetings."
"Yes, my cute little brother." Asuka giggled ruffling Hinata's hair "No complaining though."
Asuka took out a map, and spread it out. Basically it was a layout of the town which divided it into 4 sectors from left to right. She pointed to a house hugging the edge between sector 3 and 4. "That's a wonderful Idea." She smiled to Hikaru. Indeed her students were smart. "This is our safe house, here we can re-group and give each other reports on the state of the mission." Asuka smiled looking at each of them. "Karasu, you're going here." Asuka spoke, pointing to the big house in the center of Sector 2. "This is the Kaname household in which you'll be interviewing and hopefully finding out a way to have the family break peace." Asuka pointed to the big House in Sector 1. "Hikaru, Hinata. You'll be going to here, the Ayanami household. Same mission." With that she looked at each of them. "Due to their secrecy we don't have a lot of information on them so you'll have to find that on your own. I'll keep watch and deal with any troublemakers that try and get in your way." Asuka started going through her sleeve and took out 4 pieces of scroll. Upon closer inspection they would see it to be flare scrolls. "Only use this if you are in need of backup. For example, too many to take on, a Shinobi shows up, things go horribly wrong... you get the idea. This burn bright red when activated, they can go through wood but not stone so careful when and where you shoot them. We'll be meeting at the safehouse everyday at 20:00 hrs. If you don't have any questions take one of these." She spoke producing three more maps. "And move out. Good luck and come back to me alive."
Karasu listened as Asuka mentioned what roles they would be when entering Crater City. She glanced at Hikaru who immediately thought to disguise her headband as a blank covered book. She liked the idea and said “You know you are on to something there Hikaru.” Karasu reached for her headband and used the hand signs of the Combination Transformation to make the headband turn into a stylized pen. She grinned as it was successful. While she finished with the headband transformation she heard Hinata yell out in surprise on his role as Asuka’s little brother. She figured Hinata might be a bit wary of Asuka. She didn’t blame him. The Sennin had done some odd things against the boy. She remembered hearing how she put him under Genjutsu making him fall unconscious. She also remembered how she used a frying pan on the boy who was having issues with his sharingan. Karasu just wanted to make sure to not be in the way of Asuka’s unorthodox practices. Hopefully it will be a bandit that fills her attention on those types of moments.
There were many questions from herself and Hikaru that they asked the Sennin. Karasu listened to hear what Asuka had planned. She mentioned that their mission was a diplomatic one. They were to investigate the two families and try to bring a peace treaty with both of them that will stabilize the region. The trick was they were not allowed to use jutsu whatsoever. They can’t be caught or it will have a devastating effect on not only the mission but the whole region and most likely the Leaf Village as well. Karasu listened and took everything that was being said like a sponge. Already her mind was working on how to accomplish their tasks. Asuka added that they must learn about the families and find something that could plant the seeds of peace with them. Karasu realized that might not be an easy task but she was going to do her best no matter what. Karasu nodded as she continued to listen in.
She watched as Asuka brought out a map and spreaded it out for them all to see. Karasu could see that it was the map of Crater City that was divided into four sectors. Karasu studied the map intensely. The Sennin pointed to a house at the edge between sector three and four. Apparently that was to be their safe house. Asuka pointed her finger to the sector 2 area on the map and explained to Karasu that she was going to be sent there. Karasu nodded as Asuka told her more on her part of the mission. She was going to interview the Kaname family and find a way to bring them to a peaceful agreement with the Ayanami family. “Interview eh well that explains the cover as journalists. “ she said as her mind was swirling around with ideas on how to approach the Kanami family since there was not enough information on them. Asuka assigned Hinata and Hikaru with sector one doing the same assignment but with the Ayanami family.
Asuka pulled out four scrolls which Karasu leaned in to get a better look and saw that they were flare scrolls. She understood what they were, which was for getting help if they needed it. Asuka confirmed this and stated that the flares burn through wood and not stone. Karasu nodded understanding. She had to be careful because they can set aflame to places if not paying attention to how they are used. Asuka concluded the briefing by saying they will meet at the safehouse at 20:00 hrs everyday to brief each other on their investigations and progress.
Now that the briefing was over it appeared it was time for them to begin their mission. Karasu knew she had to go in as a journalist and she looked at her attire and it reeked of being a ninja. “There’s no way anyone would believe that I’m a journalist with these clothes, especially my sword." She did the hand signs for the Transformation on herself. Her clothes changed from her regular ninja gear to that of a young aspiring journalist looking quite professional with a blouse, nice pants along with a nice bag. Karasu changed her hair color too which before was white but now blonde. She added non prescription glasses to the mix. She now needed to change the katana into something else. She performed the Combination Transformation again turning the sword into a pendant that she hooked on her blouse. “That should do it.” she said grinning before going into the City.
Crater City looked bigger than she imagined. It was quite busy with people doing business here and there from shops while people were walking along enjoying the day. It seemed nice though she heard a few rumblings going on with some people who seem to be in disagreements even some skirmishes that were a bit unsettling. She had to remember that some of the people were bandits trying to prey on others. She couldn’t get involved, that wasn’t her mission. Karasu envisioned the map that Asuka had given them. She was lucky she had a photographic memory. She didn’t want to look like a duck out of water. ‘So Sector two should be about over there.’ she thought as she made her way into her main destination area where the Kanami family was. After walking for a while she saw where the entrance to Sector Two was in the near distance. ‘This section was much nicer than the main part of the city. The Kanami family must be really thriving with business to be in such a nice area.’
She walked on to where the Kanami complex was. There was a gate with a couple of guards. In front of the main house. She knew it wouldn’t be that easy so now it was time for her to act the part of a journalist. “Ok here i go.” she said to herself. She walked up to the gate with a notebook and pen in her hands. She smiled at the guards as she lifted her glasses to the bridge of her nose. “Greetings I am Arashi Sakura. I’m a junior journalist with an independent paper called The Crater City Times. I heard so much about the Kanami family and how their influence is on par with none here in Crater City. The people are starving to know all about the Kanami family. I would love it if I can get an interview with the head of the family.” she looked at the guards hoping her sweet act would work on them.
He soon listened to the objective of the mission, They were supposed to bring peace between two feuding families. A Diplomatic mission, which would mean to avoid combat at all cost and solve the issue without conflict afterall. His mother, before she passed had taught him to talk things out before hand. A good skill to have as he was rather good with more tradition formal speech after all.
Hearing the fact they do have authority to use any and Jutsu at the disposal if they see fit. Meaning it be a last resort. Hinata thought quite abit about this, Deciding if needed he wouldn't use such massive jutsu, but try to rely on such attacks that wouldn't cause such a massive ripple.
Upon Learning there is meetings set up, there would be a good chance that he be of use to whichever he will be sent to, Etching it into his mind that details of the mission to a great extent, having such a serious look on his face, deep in thought.
That Look didnt last very long, hearing Asuke say. "Yes, my cute little brother" His face turn bright red as he was flustered as his hair was ruffled. He tried to shake it off as he soon did but it is clear Asuka got a reaction that she enjoy from the young uchiha.
Soon he took his attention to the map asuka just took out and showed them, the layout of the town divided into four sectors from left to right. He took his time, remembering every sector with his almost perfect memory. Looking at the house hugging the walls between sector three and four. He took it in mind in which the quickest and safe route to traverse to that point, just in case.
Hearing asuka mention where he would be assigned too, Etching the words into his mind just in case.
The Ayanami household, Hearing about their secrecy was so big, the information was limited, he could be of use as he can sneak around and pretend to be a lost kid.
Hearing what Asuka would be doing, it would make sense as he saw the four piece scroll, Recognizing it as Flare Scrolls. Only to be used for bakup, having limited use and need to be aware of one's surroundings. Not having any questions for he he nodded. Lookinf at Hikaru as he begun to talk.
"Why don't you take the lead Hikaru, I will follow you and pretend I am Just along for the ride, Like your babysitting me or something, So I will have to act more like a child . . . . . . I wish I wasn't so small."
He said as he true was small for someone his age, tho he would be hitting his growth spurt rather soon, abit of a late bloomer for it anyways.
Asuka continued, and Hikaru nodded in understanding- absolutely no jutsu, to make completely sure that they weren’t discovered. That severely limited the group’s ability… although it was a diplomatic mission, so theoretically they wouldn’t need to cast any jutsu anyway. Even though she wouldn’t have wanted to normally, it still was concerning that she couldn’t use her chakra to get out of a pinch; they’d have to be careful. She appreciated that the Sennin and Karasu thought highly of her idea- hopefully she wouldn’t need any chakra to complete this mission successfully after all. Hikaru went over the location of the safe house in her mind- it was definitely smart to have one, and it answered her question from earlier. They’d still have to make sure they weren’t being watched, though, which came back to not attracting suspicion. There was certainly a lot on the line here…
Hikaru nodded again when Asuka explained their assignments, but spoke up quickly with a question: “Two of us are going to interview the Ayanami? Does that mean they’re more dangerous, or do we not know that yet?” She didn’t want to sound like she was complaining about the difficulty of their mission or being grouped with someone else, but she thought it was more important to have that information if it was available. On that note, she asked, “Also, should we all group together to help someone who uses one of the flare scrolls, or just you? If we have to use one of these, our cover is basically done for, so should we abandon the mission and help whoever used it?” It was an important dilemma- she didn’t want to abandon the mission at all, since the village and her rank were depending on it. But she still wanted to help her friends if they needed it, and hoped they would do the same for her. Hikaru accepted a flare scroll and the map, stowing them in her bag and looking at Hinata. “Alright, let’s get going. We should do transformations as well, although I don’t think we should change our appearances too much… we want to be passable for our real selves when we’re transformed, just in case we have to stop maintaining the jutsu for whatever reason.” In response, she formed a handseal and projected a pool of chakra outward from her body, shifting her appearance slightly to make herself look more passable as a junior journalist- removing small nicks and tears on her bag, brightening the colors of her clothes a little, and lightening her hair color to a medium shade of brown.
“Ok, got it,” she added, replying to Hinata. “Let’s go!” With a last look at the map, her group descended into the mouth of Crater City. The first thing Hikaru noticed was that the town was exceptionally noisy- the streets were filled with people of all kinds, some scouring lines of bargain stands and haggling with the gruff-faced shopkeepers while others prattled amongst themselves. She strode between the crowd with her destination in mind, trying to keep an ear out for information while making sure she didn’t get separated from Hinata. She had sort of feared that they would be found out and denounced as ninja scum as soon as they entered the city, but nobody gave them a second glance, surprisingly. She took a deep breath, and tried to focus on two important things that she had thought of above the pressure of their assignment. Number 1: If this mission was at the level that the Hokage believed a team of 3 young ninja and a Sennin could complete it, she doubted the general denizens of Crater City would be threatening to a reasonably-trained ninja, so she could stop worrying about that (she didn’t). Number 2: They had to get inside what was probably one of the most heavily-guarded locations in the city under the guise of being junior journalists- that meant she would need to come up with an incredibly good story. For now, her job was to brainstorm.
Unfurling the map for a moment to check where they were, Hikaru ran over her spiel one last time in her head. They stood a few meters away from the gate to the House of the Ayanami, wrought-iron in contrast to the rest of the wooden city. A young man leaned jauntily against the pillar beside the gate, leering at passersby who largely ignored him. Hikaru took another breath, shot a meaningful look at her teammate, signaled that they were moving in, and put on her most genuine fake smile. Tiptoeing up to the guard, she grinned widely and got his attention with an emphatic wave, “Hello, sir! I’m an aspiring journalist with a group of upstart reporters here in Crater City, and we’re writing a story on the prestige of the most powerful family in the city. This is my boss’s little brother- he’s an aspiring tradesman, and he wanted to tag along to learn a little more about your areas of business. Could you spare a few minutes for us to interview you? Or, I see you have an important job to do- could you bring us inside to talk with someone else?” She was absolutely nervous; she could feel her hands shaking, but she folded them behind her back and tried to look as quizzical and pleasant as she could.
The guard simply looked down upon you and smirked. It seemed as though he would've wanted to smack you aside the head but refrained from doing so. "The head of the family?" Both guards laughed as they high fived each other, it seemed as though something was funny. The one next to you turned his head and started mumbling something as the other one kept chatting. "The head of the family doesn't see us, let alone some journalist who might as well end up dead." He chuckled, his partner nodded and the guard opened the door. "Allright, you've been cleared. Walk in and don't move. Someone will come fetch up. Word of advice, don't try to be a smartass. People die for a lot less in this city." With that he closed the door behind him, leaving Karasu alone.
The entrance pointed to the front of the house were some men were training, on the right was a small but beautiful garden with an assortment of different flowers. Upon closer inspection some of them are buried in sand, others in rock. It seemed as though some of the flowers weren't from the country, let alone the area. A few moments later a pink haired girl walked out of the front door.
The girl slowly walked up to Karasu and respectfully bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance Arashi-san. My name is Kanami Madoka. First daughter of our current head of the family. I welcome you to our premises." A pleasant smile on her face as she rose. "From what I recall from you editor, you are interested in our family history. If you would care to accompany me, I'll happily explain it to you as we walk across the garden. Any particular questions you want answered?"
The guard in front snorted as the guy looked down upon the journalists and the kid. He snickered. "You want to do what?" He laughed as he slightly opened the door, screaming inside. "Sora!" He screamed with a smile on his face. You could hear fighting going inside the estate as soon as he opened the door. The man sighed. "Sora!!!" He screamed louder. The guy smiled again "You have to see this." A few moments later an identical versification of the first guard came out. Twins. "I'm busy trying to kick Shinjis ass Nagashi! What do you want?" Nagashi snickered and pointed to the two journalists. "The journalists want to come inside." Sora covered his mouth as his also started to snicker, finding the situation hilarious. Two journalist want to come into the Ayanami household. As if. "Look little lady." Sora chuckled "Your attempt is cute but plea-" Sora stopped talking as he placed his hand on his ear. Looking back towards the estate he sighed. "Allright, come inside." Before Nagashi could complain Sora pointed to the top, he sighed and simply opened the big door. Letting the way free. "Say your prayers. This place ain't as pretty as you think." He shrugged, closing the door behind the too.
Aside from the middle corridor going to the main house, to the left there was your traditional fountain with fish, turtles and some other variety of wildlife. But the interesting part was to the right, there were dozens of men wrestling each other in what could be described as a glorified fight club. No coordination, no training, just a fight. That being said, a man walked out from the house and started making his way forward.
The man had a big smile on his face and gave a bright wave towards the journalists. "Welcome to the Ayanami household!" He declared, spreading his arms. "My name is Ayanami Aiko. I do apologize for my comrades behavior at the gate but we do not know what has gotten into my fathers head. Journalists. Whatever. In any case, there's the fighting pit. There's the main house, don't go to the second floor... or any other floor for that matter. Dad doesn't like that, you'll die. And we got a big garden on the back." He grabbed both of them by the shoulder and smiled "Knock yourselfs out." With that he walked towards the pit, taking off his shirt as he started to wrestle with the rest.
Karasu waited to see if she would be allowed into the complex. The guards seemed to be not believing her cover. She remained calm hoping that wasn’t the case. The guards broke out laughing at her. Karasu stood there expressionless and not allowing their moment of amusement to extract any odd movement or anything that would break her character. She simply pushed her glasses up to the bridge of her nose. One of the guards replied "The head of the family doesn't see us, let alone some journalist who might as well end up dead." Karasu looked at the guard “Oh I understand but I do have an appointment.” she insisted. Just then the guard opened the door. "Allright, you've been cleared. Walk in and don't move. Someone will come fetch up. Word of advice, don't try to be a smartass. People die for a lot less in this city." Karasu nodded and walked toward the door. “Thank you very much.” she said politely
Now that she was inside she wanted to take a look around without looking suspicious. She started walking toward the large house. She saw some men who were training. She watched them for a short time before moving on toward the right where there was a beautiful garden with many different flowers. She walked closer to the garden “Oh these are pretty.” she said then noticed that some were buried in sand and others were buried in rock. She also realized that some of the flowers were not common in this country. ‘They obviously imported some of these flowers.’ she thought in her mind. She did wonder why bury some flowers in sand and even rock. She was no florist but it just seemed a bit odd to her. The soil looked a bit soft as well. She heard a creaking of a door and Karasu looked up to see a pink haired girl walking out.
Karasu stood up and started to walk toward the girl to meet her half way. Karasu saw the girl bow and she did the same. The pink haired girl introduced herself as Kanami Madoka. The first daughter of the current head of family. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Madoka-san. “ Karasu smiled back at the girl. Madoka mentioned that her editor, also known as Asuka incognito but of course Madoka didn’t know that, said that she was interested in the Kanami family history. Karasu nodded “Oh yes indeed I would love to know more about the family. “ she said as Madoka motioned for Karasu to walk with her across the garden. “By the way you have a beautiful garden.” she said smiling. Karasu lifted her glasses to the bridge of her nose before asking her questions. “Yes well my first question I want to ask is where is the Kanami family originally from and what brought them here to Crater City?” Karasu was careful with her questioning, not trying to blow her cover. “Also what is the specialty of the family business and how did that begin?” Karasu had her notebook out and a pen to write with as she looked at all the various flowers of the garden. Karasu mentally noted everything she saw in an inconspicuous way as she walked with Madoka.
Just before they left he undid his hair, letting his long hair hang, reaching his lower back as he did a combination of handsigns as he used the combination transformation technique. His hair turning a silverish color, His eyes a deep crimson as his clothed changed to a nicier styles, wearing a new kimono meant for everyday wear, Nicer geta sandles on as he soon looked like a younger Asuka yet somehow more girly. He had only changed his hair, eyes and clothes letting his natural Androgynously face work for it.
Soon they were on their way. Upon arrival of their location, Hinata looked up at the guard, maintaining a rather formal way of standing, His back upright and hands folded infront of him, Looking up at the guard.
Waiting, not saying a word as soon they were let in, having Hikaru do all the talking instead.
Upon seeing the SIlver haired red eye idividual, introducing himself as Ayami Aiko. He listened to all he spoke.
"Welcome to the Ayanami household!" He declared, spreading his arms. "My name is Ayanami Aiko. I do apologize for my comrades behavior at the gate but we do not know what has gotten into my fathers head. Journalists. Whatever. In any case, there's the fighting pit. There's the main house, don't go to the second floor... or any other floor for that matter. Dad doesn't like that, you'll die. And we got a big garden on the back."
He softly gave a polite smile a bow, showing how traditional he is. Different then most kids who wouldn't know tradition apart from something they seen familites do.
"My name is Fujioka Izayoi, it is a pleasure to meet your aquianternce"
He said with just nice manners as he soon saw him walk off. Upon doing so once they were at the door to where the head was, He said with a soft tone
"Excuse me Head of the Ayanami Household, We are the reporters that were given permission to enter."
Upon being given permission, He would lead Hikaru to the center of the room, hands folded before him and bowed softly as he introduced them.
"This Is Houounozukl Akane, She is an aspiring journalist, I am her bosses little brother, Fujioka Izayoi, My sister thought it would be fitting for me to come alone to learn from the experience, also I was taught formal traditional customs and thought I could be of some use here"
He said with the greatest respect looking at their boss as he made sure they stood some feet away, as to not show any offense as such a great man would probably not allow just anyone to approach him so casually.
Hikaru gave a slight shudder as she set foot inside the gates of the household, taking the scene in as quickly as she could. She tried to piece together whether or not an actual student journalist, like the one she was pretending to be, would be nervous or uneasy upon entering a clan’s compound like this (the fight was certainly disconcerting. So many people…) The way the twin guards had admitted them was… strange, to say the least. They had laughed at the pair of them at first, and she had been ready to turn back and think of a new plan almost immediately. But they had let them in after all, seemingly on cue from someone. She had bowed respectfully and thanked them as sweetly as she could through the thick sounds of fighting coming from within.
- (♫) Now playing:Black Powder by (K)NoW_NAME
The place was very finely decorated, exuding an aura of power and influence that seemed to be in-line with what they knew about the clan so far. The words of the first guard- Nagashi, he was called- stuck with her, though. ‘This place isn’t as pretty as you think’... obviously it was directed towards the impressionable journalists he thought they were and not a pair of reasonably-informed ninja who already had some idea of the darker side of this Ayanami house. She briefly congratulated herself as she thought so; they hadn’t been discovered, and they were inside the house, fully disguised. But now wasn’t the time for that! The situation was still very much a tense one, and she had to split her concentration between appearing outwardly journalist-like and picking up as many details about the clan as she could.
A white-haired man descended from the house’s interior, approaching them with a wide smile to match the one she had worn for the guards. He seemed a good deal more open to the idea of having journalists in the compound than the twins had been, although he too unnerved Hikaru. He revealed himself, offhandedly, as the son of the clan’s head- his instructions were equal parts casual and foreboding, and gave her the distinct impression that he had dealt with visitors like this before. She definitely didn’t need another reminder of the dangers of this mission… she also deduced that being told that going to a certain floor of the house meant certain death would indeed be enough to scare a junior journalist. She smiled and gave a small nod as he finished his introduction, fixing her eyes firmly on the house in front of them as he went off to join the brawl. She hadn’t spoken since they had been let in- this was a situation that demanded some thought go into one’s words before they were said aloud.
Suddenly, they were at the door to the complex’s interior, and Hinata was entering, with her following right behind him. She mirrored his bow, taking the moment she was down to flit her eyes across the room’s floor for anything of note. Bloodstains, for example. She suppressed another shudder, rising again and smiling as inoffensively as she pictured an intimidated journalist would. She gave another nod as he introduced her with the fabricated name- it was a good name, she’d have to remember it well. ‘Houounozuki Akane’ would definitely try her best to still make an impression despite her growing apprehension of this place: “Pleased to meet you, sir! I hope you don’t mind if we take a few short minutes to ask you some questions about clan life…”
Madoka found it a bit interesting that Arashi immediately moved into a first name basis considering their un-familiarity, that kind of talk was rarely seen in these parts of the country, especially when her family was involved but this particular journalist came from outside the village so she decided to let it slide. "Thank you Arashi-san. Me and my mother have taken great strides to make it presentable when guests come over." She said with a bright smile.
She listened to his questions and cleared her throat as she began to speak. "The Kanami name originated a long time ago in moon country. Based upon the beauty of the moon. About 100 years ago my ancestors moved across the sea to fire country, settling with the first citizens of crater city." With much care she moved towards the plants in the garden and gently arranged them so they looked the best way possible, she continued. "About 40-50 years ago we found great opportunities in the import/export industry. Acting as the middle men for merchants trying to find a way into the country which, as is evident, was the right choice. We also have a few establishments here and in Leaf raging from restaurants to gift shops, from bath houses to apartment complexes. In reality don't have one specialty but rather are versed in the different arts." She smilled towards Arashi and continued. "If you don't mind me asking, what interested you in crater city? It isn't common to see outsiders interested in this part of the country."
In simple room there was a couple of people sitting around the floor, all shoeless, all facing one throne. In the throne stood a girl, at normal height but with her face full of expression.
Hey eyes had a fire within them that spoke volumes. Volumes of her years as the head of the family. Next to her stood one gigantic sword, heck... by the size it couldn't have been anything but a sharp chunk of steel. Someone of her size shouldn't be able to move something like that around? Or could she?
She listened to both the journalists speak and smiled as she started to laugh. The people around her laughing along side her. It seemed as though they found something about the kids in front of them funny. A few moments of laughter passed before everything stopped and the Head placed her hand on her cheek, being more comfortable.
"We haven't even traded words and lies have already flown across the room." She yawned, stretching her arms. "First lie, you weren't given permission to enter. I gave permission for you to enter the grounds for an interview, not come waltzing in the main house while I'm in the middle of a meeting." She tilted her head and as she continued. "Second lie, I highly doubt you're an aspiring journalist, Fujioka-san, since you came over here with little regard of personal space. The girl behind you sounds more professional and shouldn't you be following her example if you are "gaining experience"? Please." She raised her hand with three fingers pointed to the sky. "Third lie. You call yourself "traditional" yet you failed to remove your footwear before entering the household. Spare me your excuses, it's one of the things that are taught to us as children."
The girl grabbed the handle of her sword and with and stood up. "Fourth lie, "journalists". We all know who you are, and what you came to do. Only reason you were let in is so you can't get out." The rest of the circle stood up, all turning towards them. "So now I place your lives on your hands. Why are you really here? Remember, I only have five fingers." She chuckled
NOTE= Allright. Gonna say this since from the responses it seems there's some misconceptions (and I forgot the counter). The counter is basically the way you can numerically see how close you are to getting found out, it's based on all your performances. Secondly, remember these are rich, highly trained criminal masterminds that have somehow remained in the shadows for the longest time. Actions speak louder than words so careful.
As always, any questions/concerns/comments, please don't hesitate to hit me up.
Karasu walked along the garden with Madoka listening as she told her that her mother and herself made great strides to make the garden presentable when guests come over. “Well I must say you both did a fabulous job. It looks like you have some plants that are from various places. “ she said smiling as she was admiring them. After sprouting into some questions she waited for Madoka to answer them. Karasu wrote down everything that the young lady had said. “Moon Country all the way to the Fire Country is fascinating.” she said as she jotted it down in her notes. Karasu was really amazed. She loved hearing stories about how people’s ancestors arrived from one place to another. It was all about learning culture and though Karasu was playing a role of a junior journalist she was not acting in her reaction to listening to the early beginnings of the Kanami family. She was not here to judge the family only to find a way to have them make peace with the Ayanami family. She did need to have Madoki trust her which would be a challenge in itself much less get them to make a peace accord.
Karasu watched as Madoka stopped and cared for some plants arranging them in a more neat fashion. She started in on how the Kanami family found great opportunities around forty and fifty years ago in imported and exported goods. Karasu was scribbling away trying to keep everything in her notes in order and trying to keep up as Madoka continued to speak. She said they act as the middle man for merchants who want to sell their items in the Fire Country. From restaurants to gift shops, even bath houses and apartment complexes. Karasu again was amazed at how expansive their business was. “Wow now I understand how your family has such great influence here. Sounds like you are doing great things. I am really impressed and can see how important the family is for not only Crater City but the Fire Country and even the world as well." She told Madoka “I guess understanding what people want and need really has its benefits. I wish I had your family's talent.” she said honestly.
Karasu wasn’t sure if she was a good liar or not so instead of lying she was taking an honest approach, which should show in her mannerisms. She knew she had to be cool, calm and collected in the situation. She really did admire how they were versed in many different arts. She wanted to take that approach herself but more as a Shinobi. When Madoka asked her a question Karasu looked at knowing that some type of question like this would have come up. She was right. Karasu thought it was a simple question but a test as well. Her strategic mind was spinning like a hamster on a wheel in its cage. One of the earliest things she learned after the devastating event when her mother died, was that she and her father had to go from village to village putting on a mask to hide who they were. Not the physical mask but the mask of being someone they were not. It had always worked well but that was with villagers. This is with a highly skilled family that has unknown abilities.
Karasu smiled and nodded toward Madoka then answered the questions. “I have been traveling alone since my parents passed away. I really didn’t know what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go. I met someone who worked as a journalist and they were nice enough to help me get a job as one too. The Editor decided to go to Crater City because we knew it was bustling with opportunities and we thought we could expand in our stories. We heard a lot of people say that the Kanami family helped them get their business going which is why my editor contacted your family to learn more about you. I am still learning and not originally from here. I am just a junior journalist so please forgive any informalities. This is my shot to do something that would make my parents proud of me. So I wanna do it justice and give it my all. I really like the idea of your family being so versatile. It’s what I want to strive to be as a Journalist. I want to learn to be able to have a positive effect on people around me.“ she looked at Madoka with a sincere grin on her face. “I just met you and already you had an influence over me. Enough to inspire me to be the best that I can be and challenge myself on my endeavors. Thank you for giving me this opportunity not just for myself but for all the people you affected through your amazing family business. No wonder I heard so many good things about your family. It really is true.”
The situation was immediately horrifying. Every hair on Hikaru’s body stood on end as she looked up into the girl’s face- the girl that she had unmistakably just called ‘sir’. All her misconceptions and fears about the mission came racing back, and all she could think in that moment was that she’d probably remember this years from now and cringe. That was… if she even made it out of this alive… there was always that to consider. She began to panic. Her eyes trailed the enormous sword beside the Ayanami Head as she began to speak, and each time she pointed out an inconsistency in their story she kicked herself mentally. She was right- they had overstepped their boundaries from the beginning, even (or especially) as supposed journalists. Hinata had been the one to lead them into the room inopportunely, but she had read enough fiction to know that blaming your allies was not an option in a life-or-death scenario. The boy beside her was her teammate, and if they wanted to live they were going to have to work as a team- she couldn't even use him as a scapegoat if she tried.
She was out of ideas, though. All she could think of were things they could have done better, things she should have thought of earlier. The fact that the girl bordered on complimenting Hikaru’s professionalism did not help- it was another hole in their story, and they were still in a bad spot, very indisputably. Their third lie sent ice down her spine. The Head had immediately figured out that they weren’t from Crater City, at the very least, and there was no room for any cheap excuses with a sword that big in the same room.
"Fourth lie, "journalists". We all know who you are, and what you came to do. Only reason you were let in is so you can't get out."
Hikaru stopped breathing. This was the end, this was it. They had been caught without learning a single thing. Her fingers and lips were numb. They had failed the mission. They were dead. Everything had gone wrong, and she felt like collapsing… what could they possibly do in a situation like this…?
- (♫) Now playing:We Shall Go Together by James Roach and Toby Fox
She closed her eyes, and in that moment she sat on the balcony of her house with her mother. The woman looked off into the clouds, pondering something unknowable to a four-year-old Hikaru. The breeze twirled her hair past her headband; she brushed it aside, ruffling her daughter’s as she did so. Golden light shone from the horizon. It cast the aging memory in bright color, almost as real as it was over a decade ago. The girl looked up at her mother, watching how the glow struck the plate on her forehead. She wasn’t allowed to give up; she knew that. This was what she had worked towards for so long… after her mother died, her father was so lost. It had just been the two of them, sharing her dream of becoming a ninja… and now, here she was, cornered on her first mission. If she wasn’t allowed to give up, what was there left to do? Nothing but cry, and let your tears blow away…
She didn’t want to leave the memory, it was the only safe place she could go in that moment. Her mother stood in front of her now, the horizon behind her tinting her body a shade of light blue… she spoke, and Hikaru listened. It was a language that only she could understand, but somehow, that didn’t bother her, standing on the very verge of failure and death. The spirit said softly, “Why do you continue? You knew the consequences well, yet you chose this path despite them. What is it that carries you forward?” She didn’t know the answer. She had wanted to protect the village from the beginning, but she couldn’t remember why… maybe it had been her mother’s dream that had been passed on to her. Maybe it had been the joy of discovering her talents, or the companionship of her friends.
“There’s nowhere else to go from here… I can’t find a way out. I don’t know how we can possibly salvage this, and I don’t want to die…” "I also don’t want you to die, and neither do your teammates. And, despite what you think, this woman might not prefer to end your life either. Not everyone chooses to kill, Miyazaki Hikaru. You are certainly not among those people… which is why I’ve chosen to help you now.”
“Wh-what?” Hikaru looked up at the form of her mother, which was growing closer and brighter. She recognized it… but couldn’t place its name. The golden light faded just as it had come, and everything went dark. She took a deep breath. Suddenly, her eyes flew open, and she saw the room clearly again.
- (♫) Now playing:HYPNOTIK by Ken Arai
She saw the girl standing before Hinata and herself, sword in hand and still holding the threat over their heads. Hikaru recalled that she had not specifically revealed their identities- she had just said that she ‘knew who they were’, likely to force a panicked confession from one of them. It was intimidation, an essential tool to maintaining a hierarchy revolving around crime as she knew the Ayanami did. If she hadn’t seen through it before, there was no guarantee that her teammate would, so it was imperative that she act before he could speak. Revealing the true nature of their mission was not an option, especially considering the probable frequency that powerful families such as these were treated to the company of spies. They had experience, and the two Genin did not. But the ninja did have information on their side, and it was enough of an advantage that they still had a chance to complete the mission successfully. Her goal was to divert suspicion and gather as much intel as she could.
Hikaru spoke, her voice emerging with more weight than she had ever heard herself use. “We are servants of an underground trade circle operating in the Tea Country, sent to deliver a proposition to the head of the Ayanami clan. Our patron has requested that their identity remain safeguarded until we may confirm your organization’s willingness to participate- as such, please pardon our methods of entry.” She raised an eyebrow. “Unless you would prefer to kill a pair of messengers, in which case you will certainly feel the consequences of our employer. Few like to be kept waiting in our circle, as I’m sure you’ve been made aware.” She closed her mouth, pinpointing the location of a kunai and her emergency flare in her bag. Hikaru was expanding their second story as quickly as she could- as her mind raced, she swept a cool gaze around the room, pausing on each face. She recalled that Aiko had mentioned his father, implying that he possessed some power within the household… she would have to keep an eye out.
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