Open Who’s for hire? Forming alliances [Req. Kiko]

[Chikamatsu Shin]

Stepping down onto the streets carrying his medicine bag, Shin left the home of a local noble after performing a standard medical check up. While normally travel medical visits were something the standard Mednin could manage, this noble had decided that only a Medical Chief could provide the services she requested. Honestly Shin though this woman may just be using her money to get the young man to visit since most of the medics were women.

Letting out a sigh he could feel the pressure on his shoulders slowly leave as his work for the week was coming to an end, all he really needed to do now was check in with the Omni Prime Medical Facility to make sure the required paperwork for the new Medical Ninja in Training applicants were filed correctly. This wasn’t a task that Shin handled directly, but since it was for his students he felt obligated to check up on it personally.

There would have been four applications, but with Sora’s sudden loss Shin found himself feeling partially lost. To think that his daughter came into his life a little over a month ago and she was already gone.

Tears began to swell up into his eyes as the thoughts of Sora filled his mind. His young and confident child, born from his own soul’s pride. She was truly something special, and in her departure he learned valuable lessons. He was close to mastering the techniques he had created, but the events which happened not only in the most recent exam, but in the classes prior to that as well, proved otherwise.

Shin would walk to a small coffee shop and ordered himself a small drink, mixed with chocolate. Standing to the side he would await for his name to be called.

MFT: 298

 

[Yong]

Stepping down onto the streets carrying her 'Medicine' bag, Kiko left the home of an unfortunate local noble after performing a standard inhumation. She placed a small, blood soaked cloth into her belt pouch, a small grin coming over her porcelain like face... Another contract complete, she had even checked for the breath of victim on a small mirror 'to make sure he is dead' as the contract had specified, though she had noted the the possibility that it had been an unnecessary action as the victims head had been several meters from his shoulders at the time...

Letting out a small sigh Kiko realised that she found herself with some a spare afternoon. With the expansion of Akkuma's army, continued espionage of the Myakashi and last but not least her own personal tokens and contracts it was rare for the Kunoichi to have a moment to herself let alone a whole afternoon... What to do?

And then she saw him, leaving a different house a few buildings away... A bright soul amongst the gloom, though his laxed shoulders and gentle tears showed that the gloom had made its way into his soul too. Like a ghost through mist the Kunoichi followed him until he came to a stop at a small coffee shop. Stepping in to line behind him she noted his order, the chocolate addition seemed to be requested with a note of sadness in his voice. Leaning forward as the man went to pay Kiko stopped him with a gesture and a soft smile.

"Let me pay, it looks like you could use a little good fortune... you look like the weight of the world has crashed down on you..."

Placing a small, strangely marked gold coin on the counter Kiko's smile turned to the coffee shop worker.

"And plain green tea for me please."

Turning back to the man Kiko ushered him to the waiting area as their drinks were made.

"If I could be so bold... I see your marks... tell me Shinobi of Suna... what brings you so far from home... and why does sadness follow you?"

All warfare is deception.

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

A forced smile would come to his face as the woman behind him offered to pay for his drink. Hesitantly retrieving his arm he would respond in kind. "Oh, why thank you."

He would step to the side with a smile on his face, though the Kunoichi before him could still easily detect the trace of sadness that rested within his eyes.

"There was a patient in this city that needed, well my particular attention and their state of health prevented the travel to the Omni Prime."

His voice grew soft and his eyes took a near thousand yard stare.

"With the boldness of this world, it should have been no surprise that it was going to happen, but I recently watched my child die before."

His gaze returned a few moments later as his drink was prepared and handed to him. His demeanor still hanging low and his energy matched.

In an instant his blue eyes shifted to red as his posture shifted and straightened up and his face turned towards Kiko. "Now if I may be so bold, why is it you smell like blood on this fine day?" Kohana's senses detected what Shin had not, and in her agitated state she was not in the mood for lies. She would take in all of Kiko, looking for a tell, looking for a reason to let off some steam.

 

[Yong]

Kiko smiled sadly as she allowed the man to speak his sorrows. His daughter had died infront of him, a brutal thing that should be forced on no parent, but war was hell. Her mind drifted to an old memory, the shocked look in her mother's eyes as her mother's head had fallen to the floor... she could feel an echo of the chakra restraints that had held her brothers and her powerless to stop the execution...

Her mind drifted back to the present, thinking of a thousand things to say and disregarding them almost as fast as nothing felt enough.

"I... I am sorry..."

The barrister got their attention as they slid the two drinks on to the counter. Kiko gave her a small smile and a quiet thankyou as she took her tea in the small 'to go' cardboard cup. Her grandfather would have been upset at the dishonor shown to such a sacred liquid but Kiko was not her grandfather... Her mind flashed back to the execution of her mother... It was good he was dead...

The Shinobi took his drink as she had done before him, his aura of sadness still hanging heavy on his soul. And then a change came over him, his posture adjusted, the almost palpable sorrow leaving the atmosphere as his shoulders broadened and his back straightened. Turning as if for the first time to Kiko, red pupils replacing the distinctly blue eyes from a moment ago. As they spoke the candor, pacing and inflection seemed to have changed as much as the man's posture had. As she spoke Kiko's smile changed, this was not the same person she had followed, no, this was something deferent, someone diferent... Kiko would have to adjust.

'Interesting.'

"I am a Kunoichi... to smell of blood is my profession. I was probably with my target as you... no... as he was with his patient... the man I inhumed will not be grieved..."

Kiko turned from the new persona, her demeanor also changing as she turned her body subtly to the right, presenting the new possible aggressor a smaller target.

"I sensed the sorrow in his soul, but you my lady... In you I sense only bitterness."

Letting out a small chuckle Kiko reached into her belt pouch, withdrawing a small metal container with pre rolled cigarettes neatly inside. Withdrawing one she subtly offered a cigarette to her new conversation partner. Wether the offer was accepted or declined Kiko would light her own cigarette and take a small draw, pausing as the smoke lingered in her lungs before slowly exhaling the quickly cooling smoke into the gentle afternoon breeze.

"I have not followed him with malicious intent, only a desire to see what fate the gods had dealt him... a conversation and a passing of time... so know this lady of rage... If you fight me now I will kill you."

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

As Kiko spoke Kohana's face twinged with some anger. She was about to do something that she hadn't done for a while... Leave Shin while he was dormant.

Stepping out of Shin's body, causing him to slip back and fall into the chair resting behind him unconscious, Kohana's Persona body would become visible to the world around them. The young woman would give Kiko a jeering grin. "Oh bitter huh? Is that so? Clearly you know me so well bitch." Kohana would chuckle and grab the offered cigarette with her ghastly hands. Placing it up as if to tell Kiko to light it for her she continued. "You can claim that there is no malicious intent, but I can see within your very soul and see the Shadow you carry." If lit she too would take a drag.

"Don't test me bitch, if we fight I would not be the one departing this world. It's hard to kill someone who is already dead." She let out a chuckle before leaning in a little bit to take a better look at Kiko's Shadow.

Eyeing her up and down Kohana would chuckle again. "I like you, you're okay."

As she said those words Shin's eyes would dart open, looking around in a brief moment to take in what was going on. "Ko-Kohana?"

"Don't worry about it, I've made a friend." She would turn around and extend a hand to help Shin come back to his feet. She would then turn and look back at Kiko. A few words could be heard telepathically as Kohana casually sent out a message. `I'll be watching you`

Shin would blush in embarrassment. "I am.. I am so sorry about that. I've been a little unstable as of late, but I suppose that is to be expected." He would pick up his coffee. "I hope she wasn't rude."

 

[Yong]

Kiko grinned wolfishly as she saw the man fall unconcious and slip comfortably into what Kiko could only assume was a strategically placed chair, even if the action had been subliminal the man nevertheless now slumped safely in the cradle beneath him.

The apparition made manifest grinned jeeringly, the bitterness dripping from her every word. Kiko's grin widened as the monster before her took the offered cigarette and placed it against her lips, leaning forward slightly to indicate to the Kunoichi that she required some assistance with a light. Lifting her pale, porcelain like hand she gently placed her fingertip against the end of the unlit cigarette. With a small transfer of energy the tip of the cigarette flared to life (Plasma Ninjutsu of some sort?), the manifestation drew the warm smoke into her lungs before she continued to speak.

Kiko gave a small chuckle at the words of the self admitted undead standing before her, though her eyes showed a distinct lack of mirth as she looked through the apparition to the still unconcious Sunan Shinobi... How easy it would be to slit his throat and put him out of his misery... If he believed in an afterlife perhaps he would see his daughter again? Perhaps an elysium with all his heart desires? Or perhaps he would be skinned eternally in the hell of upsidedown water... Beliefs were funny like that...

The undead looked past her as if to see the shadow held within, again another small chuckle, after all Kiko was a daughter of the Myakashi, a clan of necromancers and demonologists... But more than that, she was the avatar of the goddess of deep waters, the Faceless Demon... Harbinger of things to come... Kiko's shadow looked down with its eyeless gaze, the forced grin of its lipless face clicked open with an unsettling synchrony with Kiko's laugh. As the manifestation looked both her and her shadow up and down as if to assess them as a collective Kiko thought it an appropriate moment to respond, pulling the cigarette away from her lips and exhaling the smoke slowly Kiko gave another quick smile to the undead before her.

"Does the smell of blood make more sense now bitter ghost? I know what I am and have found my golconda... But you... Maybe I do know you better than you know yourself? Though tell me if you would be so kind... Were you brought back against your will? Or maybe you failed to move on at all? We both know unfinished business is the real 'Bitch' here don't we."

Kiko hid her grin with the cheap paper cup as she took another small sip of the quickly cooling liquid. Mirth returned to her eyes now as she continued to speak.

"Perhaps a reassessment and a new threat is in order... There are worse things than death..."

The apparition would chuckle again as she eyed Kiko and her shadow up and down once more before seeming to come to some sort of conclusion. Kiko could feel some of the animosity that was previously there now absent as the undead spoke with a smile.

"I like you, your okay!"

Kiko could see Shin stirring bake to wakefulness, his confused eyes looking at the pair and gave kiko the apparition's name, Kohanna... As the telepathic words came unbidden into her head Kiko would give Kohanna a cheeky wink. Shin apologised for the strange interruption, stating his hope that Kohanna had not been rude to her.

"No need to apologise my friend, Kohanna was a picture of politeness..."

Kiko took a sip of her drink whilst her eyes and grin lingering on him for a moment longer before looking back at Kohanna.

"Though you didn't get a chance to answer my question... What are you?"

Spoiler: Kiko's Shadow

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

Shin would raise an eyebrow as he rubbed his temples still recovering from that that hostile take over.

"What am I? I assume you're referring to my relationship with my sister? I am known as a Grandeur Phantom, I suppose. But I prefer to simply be identified as my duties to the Land of Wind. I am a Mednin first and foremost."

He would try and remember what was discussed between Kiko and Kohana, but nothing was coming to him. All he knew was the shadow that stood behind this woman was not that of a civilian, but that of a Shinobi, or at least someone chakra sensitive and skilled in Ninjutsu. The twisted vile form that stood before him would suggest that she had taken many lives before.

Shin's eyes would wander quickly to take in details and the general aura of Kiko, there were no clear indications one way or another that was glaring to him, so he would begin to suspect that she was unaffiliated with a Hidden Village, at least not with Suna as he did not have medical records for her.

"May I ask, what bring you out here?"

He would gesture to go on a walk with her, to move out of ear shot of the various civilians in the cafe.

((OoC: Short post is short, but I didn't wanna lose this))

 

[Yong]

Kiko gave a smile, a nod and a conspiratorial wink as they moved away from the beverage shop, Kiko's monstrous shadow moving in perfect unisen behind her. Shin's was a partial explanation of what this undead truly was, and sure saying it was simply the forbidden path of the Grandure Phantom would normally be enough to satisfy 'someone's' curiosity as a valid explanation, perhaps he himself was ignorant that something more was at play? Kiko was Myakashi however and to gain a Myakashi's curiosity was both endless and dangerous... Her 'shadow' turned its head slightly at an odd angle, the first movement not in sync with Kiko's own. It's eyeless stare focused on the now conscious Shin, it's mouth opened and closed unsettlingly in syncronisity still with Kiko's own speech, though it's head would turn to face Shin wherever he walked whilst Kiko's own remained forward, taking note of the direction they were traveling, taking them away from Sora's more densely populated district and further into the 'shipping' and 'stock' districts.

"May I ask, what brings you out here?"

Shin's simple question inadvertently told Kiko so much... For instance, they did not share colective memory...

Pausing their progress for a moment with a hand gesture Kiko gave the man a smile and a nod, as if a decision had been made with no verbal discussion. With a small exertion of chakra a sealing seal on the palm of her hand flared to life for a moment, a pale expressionless ANBU mask forming as if from the air in her hand. If Shin was paying attention, he would also notice that Kiko's 'shadow' had now completed disappeared at the exact moment the mask had been summoned, the significance hopefully not lost on the 'Grandure Phantom'.

"When I was a child I dreamed of being like you, Medical Ninja of Suna... But fate had a different path in mind..."

Reaching her hand out, the ANBU mask lightly held in her hand she nodded slowly as if to indicate for the man to take the mask from her. If he took the mask a flash of foreign memory would flood his senses as the 'ANBU Snapshots' contained within would automatically 'download' into Shin's memory. Death after death, face after face, it was a catalogue of nightmares. Two in particular would stand out in vividness more than the others, the first the memory of the Sennin of Konoha's warm blood running down her cold arm and the second the strange sensation of total anihalation as she had explosively 'escaped' her 'interrogation' in Cloud.

Taking the mask back off of Shin with assumilgy no resistance Kiko would give him her usual smile, though her eyes now slightly squinted in a sign of mirth.

"You know what I am... as Haunted as you... Medical Ninja of Sunagakure... What you should ask yourself now though is firstly, what are you going to do now? And secondly why does it still feel like I'm here to help?"

[Ooc: snapshot links - https://ninpocho.com/threads/all-warefare-is-deception-4-a-konoha-adventure.65618/post-363512 and https://ninpocho.com/threads/interrogation-at-the-lowest-levels.66073/post-366447

All the other 'snapshots' would just be random NPC's or something, I trust in your
imagination ]

 

[Chikamatsu Shin]

A myriad of imagery went through Shin's mind. The Medical Chief's jaw clinched tightly as the now shadowless woman spoke to him about their relationship and how it would appear she was still there to help.

"Perhaps that may be so, but it seems I may have something you may also desire."

He let out a sigh, trying to calm his tension, though he remained ready for an attack.

"I see you are talented in your line of work, and with feats like those and the words you choose to speak, I also assume you may not be affiliated with Sunagakure anymore."

He would hand the mask back to Kiko as the memories of Soku nearly bleeding out filled his mind.

"You aren't the first rogue I have met within the Land of Wind, and I am willing to give you some credentials to help keep some of the authorities off of your trail, after all, the Hokage's Advisor is live and well within the borders of Sunagakure as we speak."

Shin would stop speaking as he continued to walk down the path casually.

"What if I were to hire you? Would you be interested in forming a paid beneficial alliance so that you can have a documented connection to the Medical Chief of Sunagakure to allow you to travel more freely in the Land of Wind and the areas near Sunagakure no Sato, and in exchange, if I find your useful talents needed I could simply give you a call?"

Shin chuckled slightly.

"I suppose I am asking to put you on retainer for your specialties."

[MFT:258]

 

[Yong]

Good...

'A retainer... Yes... A paper trail... No... At least not for now...'

Kiko placed mask gently over her face, her hand stopping a few inches from her skin and the mask moving as if on its own the final distance until it rested perfectly in place (Gravity Nin mastered). Once the mask was in place the strange pair would notice that the woman's monstrous 'persona' had returned to its rightful place, it's eyeless stare still focused on Shin. Reaching into her belt pouch the Kunoichi retrieving what looked to be an old discount coupon, printed on dog-eared cheap card with a perforation down the middle with the intention of 'easy tearing', though none of the holes were quite punched through enough to suit their purpose.

'This is my token.'

Reaching her pale hand out once more Kiko offered the Sunan medic the old coupon, though letting go once her hand was outstretched and letting the un-torn coupon gently float in the air in front of the Sunan's chest, if he cared to read it he would notice that it was not only old but indeed it had expired some years ago, a simple coupon that read ‘small dog walking service, fourth dog free!’

All warfare is deception...

"The Gods call me to Fire... If you have need of me before my return to Wind then tear this token, it will take it's cost and I will come for you... But know I do not give my tokens lightly, if another is to use the token... They will be added to you tally...

As for the cost retainer? I require you to think of me Shin... And you Kohana... All of you..."

Kiko would move slightly away as she spoke, her eyes now looking in the veigue direction of Fire Country and her back to Shin and the undead Kohana.

"A war has been started that will shake this age Shin... I am old... I am tired..."

The statement would trail off, though it would feel as if there was more to the sentence unsaid. The words would seem almost ironic if Shin considered the young, healthy Kunoichi before him, a quick analysis of his medical anatomy knowledge would place Kiko at no more than twenty three or twenty four. Shin had also seen her shadow though so he probably already knew better than to believe appearances, after all they were known for being deceiving.

"I was made a weapon but those who created me are lost to the wind and those they hunted have been forgotten long ago... I became the faceless demon and was lost for a spell. But now I have showed you my face my mind thinks clearly, as the gods again fill me with purpose. I wish to wear a Sunan headband and find purpose in your village... The desert is already home... Sunagakure is the deserts heart... I see wisdom in this...

Before you tear the token, know that this will be your cost. But also know that yours will be the last Token of the Faceless Demon, at the completion of your request I will put up this mask... With no deception I will become Kiko Myakashi, Kunoichi of Suna... This is my price..."

Taking a few more steps away from Shin, Kiko shadow would suddenly turn its head sharply towards Fire Country as it's eyeless gaze finally relinquished focus on Shin. Kiko turned back to the strange pair, lifting her now quite cold drink in a sort of salute as she spoke on.

"Until then though, I have some murders in Fire that need attending to... It was lovely to meet you Shin, and you Kohana... I look forward to seeing you both again."

And with her final words and a flicker of speed the Masked Kunoichi would be gone. Off to Fire Country for them murders and whatnot...

[Ooc: topic left, thankyou for the RP Shin ]