The loud conversations between attendees made it hard for Zashi to concentrate on loading his Festival Beat. He needed it to be in top condition – but luckily, causing the crowd to disperse was a group effort. Zashi was joined by two mercernaries who dealt with suspicious caravans. Apparently, they needed the projects cleared out as much as Zashi did. Though he disagreed with their reason, they supported the same end, and so he made two allies. The trio sat in a small changing room beside the stage, each preparing their weaponry.
”So...” The tallest of the three sheathed his recently sharpened scimitar. ”Michi’s supposed to be in town.”
Zashi gave the tallest a slightly interested look. ”Oh yeah. I saw a mission request earlier. Something about being her bodyguard?” He sighed wistfully, putting on his frog mask. ”What I’d do to be qualified for that...”
”What, crashing parties isn’t your scene? You’d rather be all doe-eyed around some model?” The skinniest snickered, aiming his crossbow at an imaginary target. ”Guys like me, we prefer roughing up loiterers and all that. Keeping the village clean.”
”I dunno. It always makes me feel crummy hurting people who haven’t hurt anybody else. Just don’t go overboard?”
”Zashi, we don’t gain from violence any more than you do. One shot will be enough – things should go smoothly.” Suddenly, the crowd began clapping. The two older men put on their masks, a monkey and wolf, and stood up. ”Looks like we’re on.”
A single gunshot rang through the stage. Orotsu, the prime speaker this evening, drew a dagger, only to have it disarmed by the man in the wolf mask, who appeared behind him, poised to strike. A forceful shove sent him forward, and he was met by a bullet to his left knee. He fell into the crowd, which already began thinning.
”Come on, you know the rules! Get back to the underground, this here’s under construction!” A loud “twang” could be heard as the skinniest shot his crossbow into the sky. The crowd began departing, some cursing, others silent, most screaming. Zashi was already taking care of stragglers, shooting around haphazardly into the air to intimidate them into leaving – and then, the gunfire stopped. The stage was empty, and the three men remained, asking what they would do with the unconscious guy on the floor.
The three came to the consensus that he was fine, and left, wordless. If the weapons weren’t indicators, this silent departure proved to Orotsu that, indeed, shinobi were involved. And they would return home, not questioning their hypocrisy, sleeping like infants under the ceiling of Sunagakure.
All but Arawe Zashi, who was already kept up at night. Another day, another needless amount of fear. Maybe that man was right in his protests. Maybe not. Maybe he should just get some sleep.
[Word Count: 473]
[Marked for Training]
[Topic Entered and Left]
[Equality! Mission Completed, Irony Realized, Morality Questioned]
”So...” The tallest of the three sheathed his recently sharpened scimitar. ”Michi’s supposed to be in town.”
Zashi gave the tallest a slightly interested look. ”Oh yeah. I saw a mission request earlier. Something about being her bodyguard?” He sighed wistfully, putting on his frog mask. ”What I’d do to be qualified for that...”
”What, crashing parties isn’t your scene? You’d rather be all doe-eyed around some model?” The skinniest snickered, aiming his crossbow at an imaginary target. ”Guys like me, we prefer roughing up loiterers and all that. Keeping the village clean.”
”I dunno. It always makes me feel crummy hurting people who haven’t hurt anybody else. Just don’t go overboard?”
”Zashi, we don’t gain from violence any more than you do. One shot will be enough – things should go smoothly.” Suddenly, the crowd began clapping. The two older men put on their masks, a monkey and wolf, and stood up. ”Looks like we’re on.”
A single gunshot rang through the stage. Orotsu, the prime speaker this evening, drew a dagger, only to have it disarmed by the man in the wolf mask, who appeared behind him, poised to strike. A forceful shove sent him forward, and he was met by a bullet to his left knee. He fell into the crowd, which already began thinning.
”Come on, you know the rules! Get back to the underground, this here’s under construction!” A loud “twang” could be heard as the skinniest shot his crossbow into the sky. The crowd began departing, some cursing, others silent, most screaming. Zashi was already taking care of stragglers, shooting around haphazardly into the air to intimidate them into leaving – and then, the gunfire stopped. The stage was empty, and the three men remained, asking what they would do with the unconscious guy on the floor.
The three came to the consensus that he was fine, and left, wordless. If the weapons weren’t indicators, this silent departure proved to Orotsu that, indeed, shinobi were involved. And they would return home, not questioning their hypocrisy, sleeping like infants under the ceiling of Sunagakure.
All but Arawe Zashi, who was already kept up at night. Another day, another needless amount of fear. Maybe that man was right in his protests. Maybe not. Maybe he should just get some sleep.
[Word Count: 473]
[Marked for Training]
[Topic Entered and Left]
[Equality! Mission Completed, Irony Realized, Morality Questioned]