The echo of the busy midday gates filled the Dragon Tooth Pass with the sounds of everyday life, merchants and shinobi both passing through the gates with practiced ease. The guard checkpoints may have seemed to have a little more manpower than usual to the observant traveler however as vigilant ANBU guards now seeming to be posted strategically through the busy pass, their hawk like focus poorly concealed behind the traditional masks they wore as they observed each and every person moving through and around the checkpoint.
They had good reason to be on high alert for it had only been days since the midnight attack at the gates that had taken so many of their ranks to an undeserved and violent end…
The killer watched them back, a vacant smile on her conventionally pretty face as she moved slowly forward as those in front of her in the queue were processed one by one through the guarded checkpoint. Step by step, moment by moment the assassin moved closer to the checkpoint and the inevitability of the shinobi in front of her. She had felt the watchful gaze of the ANBU pass over her more than once but so far her disguise and her passive demeanour had kept her beneath anything more than a lingering glance.
This was by design for today the faceless demon played the roll of the lamb rather than the lion. Her slender yet attractive figure had been literally crafted for its subliminal effect on those of the male persuasion. A slightly worn civilian passport was being held lightly by delicate hands in front of her chest as if it was some form of comfort to the slight woman amongst the crowd of busy and impatient merchants.
A warm yet shy smile greeted the gate guard as she found herself at the front of the line. He returned the smile, a slight blush coming to his cheeks as his full attention now lay on the strangely dressed young woman standing in front of him for reasons other than security... He quickly regained some composure however as his older fellow guard gave him a gentle nudge with his elbow that reminded him he still had a job to do.
“Passport please.”
His words had an inflection far more polite than she had head the guard only moments before use with the traveler that had passed through in front of her. She had him, now she just needed to play her game.
“Oh of course, please… take it…”
The girl lowered her eyes with a subtle bow as she offered the passport with both hands, the booklet looked large in her small delicate fingers as she passed the worn passport to the guard. His unarmored hand, much larger than hers, took the offered passport. As his bare skin touched the toxin laced cover he felt his head lighten for a moment before a flood of endorphins would rush the unsuspecting guards circulatory system, the subtle poison not a large enough dose to harm the recipient, just enough to make them more pliable and compliant.
The guard lifted the open passport to compare the picture in its pages with the woman standing in front of him, her hands clasped together at her waist and a gentle smile on her blemish-less face. His gaze would linger on the woman longer than required to make the comparison, the passport slowly lowering to the bench in front of him as he reached without looking for the heavy stamp beside it. His blindly guided hand though, rather than finding the sturdy handle as expected instead knocked the stamp over causing a loud and sudden clack on the hard tabletop.
The sound caused the slight woman to flinch visibly with a small gasp, it also caused the guard to snap back to the task at hand. He quickly recovered the stamp with muttered apologies, rapidly turning the pages of her passport until a free page was found and slammed the heavy stamp down with unnecessary force, causing another bang, another flinch and another hasty apology.
The guard began to blush more, his eyes slightly downcast as he handed the young woman her passport back along with another apology. She took the passport with both of her hands whilst giving the still blushing guard a smile, her cheeks also blushing slightly as her body leant forward towards him another small bow.
“Thank you Shinobi-Sama… you are very handsome!”
As the words left the young woman’s lips a flash of shock seemed to come over her pretty face, her hands dropping the passport and both quickly moved to simultaneously cover her agape mouth as if she were as shocked by her own words as much as the likewise open mouthed guard standing dumbly in front of her. With exaggerated, though not supernatural haste the woman quickly bent down and retrieved her dropped passport, she paused for a moment as if she intended to speak more but thought better of it, instead giving a deep bow and turning her blushing face towards the equally red and equally shocked guard before turning on her heel and making her hasty retreat out of the gates and into the wilds of the world once more.
“You can close your mouth now.”
The older guard still standing beside the smitten younger man gave him a playful punch in the shoulder along with his gentle jibe, the words said with a smile on his weathered face.
“Did you at least get her name from her passport before you goofed it all up boy?”
The younger guard looked at his older companion with a cheeky grin. His thoughts becoming clearer as the fast passing toxin began to filter through his liver, rapidly losing potency.
“Yeah… Myakashi Kiko… my future wife!”
A comical audible gurgle come from the younger man’s stomach just as he had made his declaration of intent to marry. The older guard chuckled as he shook his head slowly.
“I doubt that very much… you alright kid?”
The older shinobi now took note of the guards slightly flushed complexion.
“Yeah, just need to take a shit!”
“Charming…”
Force Exit!
Half time card in inventory.
Run time = 30 minutes!
The poison used on the guard = Make-Believe
Half time card in inventory.
Run time = 30 minutes!
The poison used on the guard = Make-Believe