SoK: Briefing at the Capital (Mission)

[Okada Kaji]

In the early morning hours, a man stood alone at the garden rooftop of the Diamond Complex. He was a gentlemanly sort donned in the traditional garb of respected men in his land. Light from the rising sun reflected off of his glasses. The heights of the Maruishi skyline set the scene beyond the edges of the roof, and the sun made itself known as a bright orange sphere arose in the distance. Stoic as usual, Benjiro huddled over a contorted bush with a pail of water in hand, and trickled down a steady stream of water, all in an effort to preoccupy him. Gardening was little more than a hobby for a man of his stature, as he came to this place when he had time to spare, and tended to the variety of vegetation meant to do little more than grow beautify at this elevation.
However, in this early hour, Benjiro hadn’t come here simply to visit the flowers as the sun arose. The morning was happening too beautifully to not enjoy the view, but this morning he came here to handle some business with a young ninja who was deemed suitable for a task he needed accomplished. Rather than awaiting Sabaku from his mundane office setting, Benjiro chose to prune a bonsai while he waited for Sabaku to finish climbing to the roof of the Diamond Complex. While most missions went through a standard process of sending ninja out to handle deeds, Benjiro was an old-fashioned man who prefered to brief his ninja personally, especially with such a high-profile client on the other end. Not even Benjiro had the pleasure of working with so-called royalty very often, unless you considered a fancy brunch to be work.

-WC289
-Topic Entered as Benjiro Matsui

 

[Kaen]

There is a first for everything it seems... For example, being hand picked for a mission. It seemed that a wealthy aristocrat that resided in the Diamond Complex and evidently seen Sabaku's record somehow or heard his name in passing and deemed him worthy of a mission. Whether this was a good or bad thing to have been chosen non randomly, time could only tell. Sabaku was already prepared for his mission before the sun rose and was nearly upon the assigned meeting area as the sun rose past the gleaming mountains that surrounded the Village of Stone.

With nobody in sight, the man would have continued pruning his bonsai. Cutting a leaf, it would slowly fall to the soil below. Just before it reached the ground, motion could be detected as Sabaku materialized on the man's balcony. Sabaku would slowly step down from the ledge and introduce himself formally to the man who would fill him in with all the details needed for the mission to follow.

Hello sir, I am Sabaku, The Guardian of Celerity... You have need of my services for a mission?

Sabaku would await a response before any further movement or speech would be made. As he waited, the sun would have now fully peaked the mountain range, shining it's brilliant warming light across the village. Not unlike Sabaku's stance on protecting and serving the village... He would one day become a ray of light to cast the darkness out and bring about an age of warmth and peace to the Village of Stone...

 

[Okada Kaji]

The sound of the young man’s voice nearly startled Benjiro, as Sabaku’s arrival went unnoticed until he verbally greeted the elder. “You must be as good as they say” Benjiro admitted with his deep, resonating voice as he backed away from the bonsai tree and turned to face the man he summoned this morning. “There’s nothing I appreciate more than ninja who know how to show up on time. This is a good start for you, son.” Leaving his hobbies behind, Benjiro was on the approach towards Sabaku, and his height created a towering presence that loomed over Sabaku with his glasses creating an ominous, glared effect that hid the human eyes behind them. “Indeed, I’m the one who sent for you, Guardian. My name is Benjiro of the Matsui family. While I doubt my name rings a bell for a man like you, I believe you may have had the experience of meeting my heir, Jomei, at some point in your service.” Customarily, Benjiro offered Sabaku a very slight bow, making sure to note the difference in their stature as he did so. “It is my pleasure to have your company, especially at such an hour…” A chilling wind swept over the roof-top setting, and forced a pause in his rhetoric. “Ha, I should apologize; I didn’t even consider the time when I sent for you, to be honest.”

He then revealed a peculiar scroll from within his uniform; one wrapped in fine materials and a gold trim; they were his orders in fine-print, and the coordinates where his next objectives would be awaiting him. “I asked around for a dependable ninja for this mission, because a lot is at stake and I need someone reliable-- who will act responsibly under pressure. Take a look at this scroll, and tell me if you are the right kind of ninja.” Benjiro’s long arm extended out to Sabaku as he lent him the scroll wrapped in gold, for him to review and decide if he had the nerve to accept the mission. “I’m not sure if you’re a religious type, but there’s this blacksmith who claims to be a fire god, or king, or something. Kagutsuchi is his name, and we’re after his scepter, which is actually a very, very, very… very powerful war hammer, capable of all matters of creation and destruction through fire. We’re talking everything from creating a war machine, to melting one down to slag. For all we know, the scepter’s only limit is whatever the wielder can imagine.”

Giving Sabaku a moment to look over the scroll’s contents for himself, Benjiro backed off and allowed some personal space, and turned his attention back to the village across the horizon. “The theft only occurred hours ago, but the hammer is such a threat to the safety of our village, that Kagutsuchi couldn’t risk informing our infrastructure, unless we want every able-bodied ninja knowing that the hammer is currently roaming the countryside, and up for grabs. Currently our thief, Nezumi Kozo is still within grasp somewhere on the countryside and I have already dispatched my son to follow the trail of Kozo before it goes cold. You’ll rendezvous with him in the field, and then, I’m counting on you to do what must be done... Reclaim the Scepter of Kagutsuchi at all costs. I’ve also been told to inform you that the compensation for undertaking this mission will be a bit more than what you’d typically receive for your duties, not that something as petty as money would be of concern with stakes like these at hand.”

WC599
MFT

May the contents of this scroll enlighten you.

 

[Kaen]

The wind picked up and sent a chill down Sabaku's back as he was handed the scroll. He would slowly open it to be sure not to ruin the delicate paper and intricate decoratives on the scroll. So the mission was to recover a weapon coveted by all? Or at least would be if this information were to be leaked... The man had chosen his ninja well. Any other might take this mission on ill faith and attempt to acquire such a weapon for them selves. Nobody without a righteous heart should possess an intrement of such caliber... Machines of mass destruction or to melt anything... or anyone to muck... How could such a thing come to even exist?

I do believe I am the kind of ninja that you seek. If this thing is as powerful as you say it is... I shudder at the thought of what devastation it could bring about...

The man continued by giving him the details of the theft. Sabaku couldnt agree more that anyone else knowing might start a panic and every other person in the country looking for it. It would be a chaotic mess that couldn't be allowed to take place. Sabaku had his orders and instruction. All that was needed was to meet up with this man's son in the field. Sabaku could only wonder as to the identity of this man's son. Matsui did sound familiar... but nothing came to mind.

Understood sir, I will rendezvous with your heir and reclaim the scepter no matter the cost. Compensation is the least of my concerns Lord Matsui... I will leave at once, unless there is anything else?

Sabaku would pause a moment before taking his leave, in case the man had any further information to share.


[OOC topic left unless stopped (to continue on with the mission)]

 

[Okada Kaji]

“Excellent, I expect nothing but positive results from you today.” Benjiro replied once Sabaku accepted the duty bestowed upon him, and readied to leave the rooftop behind. “Once you reach the checkpoint, you should find markers left behind by Jomei... following them will make quick work of catching up with him, and from there you two will hunt down Kozo.”

Confident in his selection, Benjiro gave Sabaku a quaint nod and turned away, back to his early office hours routine. Back to the small garden shears and a sack of earthy mulch. It was time for Sabaku to be on his way. Calmly, Benjiro said parting words as he let the Guardian fade into the last remnants of the twilight hour,
“The field mouse may run fast, but the owl sees at night.”


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