Shuu shrugged at Darui's comments. "Self-preservation is a very normal instinct, but only in the weak does it regularly surpass pride in one's strength and freedom...a fact common in both of our species. It's part of what makes the weak...well...the weak."<i></i> While she'd never had a pet per se, she'd seen those with pets before, and hadn't thought much of it before. Once she'd learned that many animals were actually quite sentient, she never really saw them any other way again, so it was natural for her to understand Darui's point.
While she generally preferred the more direct and obvious route, she knew that this go around she had to be very tactful. It would not do to walk into a business full of witnesses and just start beating the crap out of people. Stealth would be just as dicey, because it would be difficult to find information on the target most likely. Not only left option three; undercover. She looks to the Wolf and offered a charming smirk that would most likely be lost in translation, quite possibly as a grin of malice.
"Both stealth and brute force would be on advisable tactics in such a circumstance,"<i></i> she commented easily as they approached the bar, "I need to infiltrate. This might take some time, but luckily I have two things going for me today. I'm not dressed like a Shinobi today, and I'm cute." She offered one last wink which would likely also be lost in translation before heading into the bar.
The place itself was upscale if slightly rundown, as if it'd seen better days. While it was quaint and well-kept, if one looked for the details they would notice shabby wallpaper and worn-in furniture. While it was evident that the owner was from money, it was just as evident that he hadn't put a lot of work into maintaining the business...which suggested at the very least a front for illegal or questionable activity.
From the moment she entered she could feel all eyes on her. It was not an unusual circumstance, though more often than not it was due to her being a leader rather than just a pretty face. Her hips swayed as she moved to sit down at the bar perching herself on the stool primly; crossing her legs properly yet languidly at the same time, smiling mischievously.
"Barkeep, your best middle shelf sake please. Leave the saucer and the decanter."<i></i> More than one head turned with the obvious declaration that she was planning on sticking around to do some hefty drinking, a few men started to get some ideas. Men generally did. In this case it was a stupid one, but there was no way they could have known that she was more than the average barfly.
There was some kind of obvious internal power struggle that occurred that quick moment between the men, and the one who could probably be best identified as an alpha male approached. The benefit of this approach, was that the weak ones weeded themselves out. Weak ones rarely had the information that the more important ones did, unless they were exceptionally clever and planned it that way. The downside of dealing with those people as they tended to be more cautious. She wanted someone important enough to have the information she needed, but stupid and arrogant enough to run his mouth off with a little bit of liquor in him.
The man that approached had sharp cocky eyes and a large frame, common for someone high-up in such an organization. The arrogant smirk he bore as he sidled confidently against the bar right next to her told her a lot, and so she turned herself shifting her body language to open it up towards him. While the Violet Sage was a medic, she had medical knowledge encompassing far more than basic physical health. Her grasp of psychology for instance was fairly impressive. As such she understood things along the lines of open body language warm tones conversational signals and many other things that would help indicate that she was being receptive to him without being blunt and blatant about it. The psyche of the alpha male in human society was trained to look for it subconsciously. With a couple of good physical and conversational triggers aided by alcohol, she would be able to for the large part control the conversation.
They started off with the small talk; what she was doing there, the weather, and he made sure to fire off a compliment or two in her direction, as well as a few exaggerations about himself she was sure. She made sure the conversation remains fairly unobtrusive, but before too long he was starting to discuss things that were of a more personal nature and attempts to win her trust. Is ulterior motives were clear, and she was using those to their best effect. She would smile sweetly, look away at the appropriate times, bat her eyelashes, ensure that she gave the appropriate compliment here or there. While that was not her true nature, she had learned how to play coy very well when necessary.
One thing had always been true and she had learned this very early on: get a man drunk, horny--or even better both--and he would tell you pretty much everything you wanted to know. In this instance, the man that sidled up to her, one Kouaku Hajime, only took two drinks and a few flashes of thigh to start talking. He mentioned working for someone very important and very rich whose name was Yojiro Sanosuke. Those close enough to overhear looked away purposefully in the moment he said that, making it clear it was not a secret, and that Sanosuke was fairly widely feared. Shuu smiled in a sultry fashion, shaking her head slowly, choosing her words very carefully. Asking him to prove it by bringing her his signature on anything, insinuating with a hand on his leg that if he could prove he was that well connected then she might be interested in knowing him better, it only took a moment for him to choose. Hajime stumbled though a back door guarded by two beefcakes and up some stairs. Her Byakugan read the chakra signatures of those upstairs as she watched Hajime move. He entered a room with one other signature, and the room seemed to be the largest and most lavish upstairs. With a smirk, she instantly knew it was Sanosuke. The first prerequisite was cleared. Tossing back the rest of her drink--she drank frequently, so it took a good five or so depending on the day to get her even tipsy--she stood, paying, and made her way out. The instant she was out and around the corner she ascended the building to the second story, never losing sight of Sanosuke's chakra signature. She waited on the roof near a nearby open window, and when she saw Hajime leave and go down the stairs she flipped into the window silently. As she landed on the ground, stepping towards the desk where the larger balding man sat, she heard a floorboard creak under her foot.
"Shit."<i></i> Sanosuke laughed as he turned, looking at her unsurprised.
"I wondered when someone was going to come for my life next. You must be the girl Hajime-kun so dearly wished to impress. I had a feeling you were someone fishing for information."<i></i> Shuu smiled daintily, curtsying. Sanosuke stood, lighting a cigar.
"But I must warn you, assassin, mundane people are no match for me. Most shinobi would have just bust in, as chakra users would have been able to easily take my protection. But you see, I have a secret."<i></i> He grinned and stretched, removing his waistcoat. Shuu allowed this, curious to see exactly where the confident man was going with this.
"You see...I was once a shinobi of the Leaf before I left them and their stupid ideals behind. You face Yojiro Sanosuke, former Chuunin of Konohagakure. Allow me to educate you."<i></i> As he cracked his knuckles Shuu, fought hard to surpress a grin at this man's showboating, the alcohol making her a bit less careful than she normally would have been, and wanted to see where this blowhard was taking this.
"I shall now teach you the three major tenants of the shinobi. ichiban shinobi sanjutsu: taijutsu! "<i></i> The man charged at Shuu in what could really only be called slow-motion to her, but she could see why to civilians it would be oppressively fast. She allowed her reactions to come slower than usual, so it appeared she was only barely fending off his blows, a look of focus at trying not to give away her own skill level one he mistook for being pressured by his own skill level. "Hoooooh~? You have some skill I see....you must be quite the well-paid assassin. Niban shinobi sanujutsu: ninjutsu!"<i></i> His hands flickered through a series of seals which might have been considered fast by most had she not been doing the same seals for two decades.
"Fuuton: Kamaitachi!"<i></i> As the wind scythe ripped through the air, slicing the desk behind her in half, she flipped out of the way, pushing off with her hand to gain the momentum to effortlessly dodge the attack. He snorted then his hands ripped into seals again. "Sanban shinobi sanjutsu: genjutsu da!"<i></i> He darted towards her, looking her in the face with utter confidence, and cried out the name of his technique like an idiot, "Teiden!"<i></i> Shuu froze for a moment, letting a look of abject confusion cross her face. To be fair it was a legitimate confusion, but not for the reason Sanosuke thought. He stood, completely relaxing, puffing on his cigar as he eyed her arrogantly.
"I'm sorry little lady...but you never stood a chance."<i></i> Then Shuu realized what was going on. At that moment, it was Sanosuke's turn to look confused. The reason why was the woman he'd just supposedly placed under an illusion of not knowing even the most basic of tasks was actually laughing. "What's so goddamn funny?"<i></i> he snarled, and she just took a long, slow, deep breath.
"You are. I'm sorry, for a moment I was wondering why I didn't feel anything, and then I realized...I had shrugged off your illusion so instinctively that I didn't even realize you'd tried it on me."<i></i> This made Sanosuke's face grow red as pure rage filled his expression due to the pride she'd just savaged with that comment.
"You arrogant bitch! You might have some mental fortitude, but you're no match for my shinobi skills! Fuuton: Kamaitachi!"<i></i> He shouted his attack again, firing off a wind scythe at her, but this time she decided that play time was over. Charging chakra into her fist she hauled back and fired a technique through her fist; using the unarmed technique Fist of Virtue: Humility. As the wind attack broke apart effortlessly, the remaining strength of the blow carrying through to slug him in the gut. He staggered back, dropping to his knees, sucking wind. He looked up at her in horror. "Did....did you just....*cough*...did you just punch my wind technique apart?"<i></i> He pulled himself to his feet, roaring in abject fury. he was now beyond reason. Good thing the floor was soundproofed.
"DID YOU JUST FUCKING PUNCH MY BEST TECHNIQUE AWAY?! WHO THE FUCK DOES THAT!?!"<i></i> Shuu sighed. This wasn't fun anymore. Walking up to him he began throwing punches at her--dramatically lessened from his first attempt at taijutsu attacks--which she didn't even block, she just dodged them effortlessly. The more she did this the angrier he got until she gave up and let one come for her, which she grabbed with her own fist, stopping the attack cold. Color drained from his face when she did this, clearly not even struggling. She was not even breaking a sweat.
"You misunderstand. While I am an assassin, I am not a civilian one. You made a huge mistake. You tangled with the wrong pack. You feared their strength so you went after one of their children. Big goddamn mistake. I hate bullies, but what I hate even more than that are cowardly bullies. Hiding behind children because you feared the power of the adults. That is the worst kind of scum, aside from murders and rapists, but I'm pretty sure that if I looked a bit into you I'd probably be able to link you to some of those too. I just don't care enough to look at this point."<i></i> His face purpled at her comments, and it took a long moment for him to muster the strength to say anything as he swung at her with his free arm.
"You're with the mutts? How appropriate....you are a bitch afterall."<i></i> He sneered. Shuu's eyes narrowed as his haymaker closed in. With a flick of her free hand she used her self-created move, Dekopin Rocket, to put a supercharged fingerflick against his shoulder, popping it out of joint instantly. It would have flung him across the room had she not been holding his other arm. The punch relaxed, flopping against her harmlessly now that he had zero muscle control. He screamed at the pain and she leaned in, jaw clenching.
"You stupid, arrogant man. Just because you have some skill you think yourself untouchable? You're pathetic. It's time I ended your arrogance once and for all."<i></i> In one swift move she reached out her free hand and gripped his thinning hair, yanking him forward, with her other she released his fist and formed a spear hand, making the move more powerful through practice so it became a Lance Arm, plunging it through his neck and twisting her hand as it penetrated, popping his head clean off. Continuing her movements she dashed forward, kicking off the wall to fly out the window she'd entered by, narrowly missing the spray of blood that washed the whole room in red. She landed delicately outside the bar, quickly darting into the alley where she'd promised Darui she'd meet him, and tossed the head to his paws. She was not snide or arrogant nor even pleased with herself. She spoke with a simple casualness that was common in shinobi.
"Done...and without anyone else being the wiser."<i></i>
[MFT]
WC: 2391
I'm just trying to save time and unnecessarily short posts assuming my actions are successful.))