[url=http://ninpocho.com/viewtopic.php?p=208109#p208109 said:
Continued from: Little Ripples.
Soon's Haven was no place for a young child to be wandering alone, least of all in the middle of the night. His journey from the village to the bustling merchant city had gone relatively smoothly, merely passing an odd dune rabbit and avoiding a pack of hykals. For the first time in his memory, he was outside the walls of Sunagakure and completely out of reach of any elder Shinobi that could protect him. It was funny how the ones we would die to protect might put their very lives you sacrificed your own for in order to see you safe instead. It was much the same with the case between Makeinu and Shiori, the woman asking with her last free breath that he be taken care of and watched over. Fast forward some time later and it was he that stalked the crowds of the bustling city in search of ways to free her.
Adults so rarely chose what they said in front of children carefully, and geniuses were no exception to this unsuspecting rule of thumb. Sousuke, in his deep contemplation and flowing train of though verbalized a clue unintended for the boy's ears. It was a suggestion that more of less implied the villain known as Shouki to be related to a Daimyo of some sort. Prior to silently swaying and swerving through the crowds, listening to what he could of every loose conversation, that he came to the understanding of exactly what the Daimyo was and the role he played in Wind Country's society. All of that information hadn't been gleaned simply from the roads and pathways, but the mild investigation of various bartering establishments proved to house chatty patrons that spilled secrets they knew nothing about. One of those secrets, and the most significant of which was that the Daimyo and those of his ilk resided within another village not far called Soragakure.
Among the smaller tidbits of information he gathered were the names of the eight primary "Merchant Lords", claiming himself to be a window shopper preparing for future purchases when convenient. A downside to the fame and prestige that came with what most considered success was the incredible loss of privacy. Your name, your interests, private dealings and all were public property after a while. It wasn't hard to learn or come across the identities of the Fukui, Guchi, Moto, Maki, Oshiro, Hisamura clans. They were all exceptional in some way or another at what they did, and it set them apart from all others in their respective crafts. There hadn't been much time to learn more than general information about each and the path of industry they chose, but it was enough for him to use in gathering further information even from a distance at a later date.
Using some of the coin he'd earned from helping move the small tools around Project Rebirth, he found himself able to linger in the Oshiro establishment a bit longer than he anticipated. The numerous tomes kept him spellbound for a short time. Before it got too late, he found himself checking out books on the history of Wind Country, legends involving the One King, and just about anything else related to Sunagakure and Soragakure. He had some studying to do, and digging into the history of the Daimyos and Wind Country as a whole was going to give him a better idea on just the right angle to approach the plan brewing in his mind. He was out of his league, but that hadn't stopped him from trying to accomplish anything before, the missing tooth beneath his breathing mask was a permanent reminder of that as he accept Mikaboshi's bait only to wake to more loss and confusion later. He didn't forget any of what had happened to him, instead he would remember it and use it all as fuel. Taking his books and the information garnered from scouting about the city, he would make his way back to Sunagakure with only a few hours remaining until sunrise. Sleep wasn't something he felt required to submit to.
WC: 600+ [Over double the prerequisite for double rewards.]
[Mission Complete | Topic Left]