[yamaguchi daichi]

I COULD EAT THE WORLD RAW

Daichi and Saeka’s time working together as Toru’s bodyguards had been brief, but it had taken all of one interaction for Daichi to develop an immense fondness for the older woman. There was something rooted there in the odd relationship he and Kyoko had with their mother, he felt certain about that, an uncomfortable echo of the stern, disciplined Yamaguchi Katsumi in the way that Saeka held herself. What was easier was how clear it was to Daichi that Saeka cared deeply for the Mizukage’s well-being, which was often enough reason in itself for Daichi’s loyalties to be won. He was excited to be going on a mission with her—guilty, to a degree, because a mission this simple should arguably be something that he could handle on his own, but he was no Kōan-kyoku Junsa and this was well outside of his jurisdiction as an alarmingly average chuunin. Deception seemed to him to be the name of the game, so he dressed in comfortable plainclothes to link up with Saeka. Everything about the way he held himself screamed shinobi, so it wasn’t that effective of a disguise, but he would be more than happy to take his superior’s guidance on his conduct. "Kaguya-sama,” he greeted cheerfully, waving to catch the woman’s attention as he approached. Hoshi followed dutifully at his heels, needing neither leash nor collar to know she needed to stay close at her side. "Thanks for doing this with me. Hopefully it’ll be quick, I don’t want to hold you up for too long.”

Kaguya Saeka -- 256

LAIKA OF THQ

SPOILER: Click to show

DRUG BUST
MISSION RANK: C
NPC REQUIREMENT: N/A
PARTICIPANTS: Unassigned
DESCRIPTION:
There has been a rumor going around the lower class residential district of a potential home grown drug dealing 'ring' slowly growing. The problem is, is no one knows where it is. Investigate, determine the exact location and eradicate the ring before it poisons the local youth more than it already has.

[Kaguya Saeka]

As the Keisatsu-chō Chōkan of the Kōan-kyoku, a drug-related investigation such as this is trivial to Saeka. Under normal circumstances, she would've had one of her Keibu-ho handle this, but there was a particular reason that the Kaguya wanted to see to this one...and it was because of the young Yamaguchi heir she had the pleasure of working alongside as Toru's bodyguard, though brief. Saeka admired Daichi's determination to protect the Mizukage as well as his dutifulness. Though she believes he's on the right path, Daichi still has much to learn in Saeka's eyes...especially with the responsibilities he has.

Right now, even as Saeka slowly approaches the boy, she's secretly observing him despite the warm and welcoming look on her face. He took a step in the right direction with the attire since operations like these require more of an undercover approach. Saeka on the other hand did not dress for the part, nor was she in her Kōan-kyoku uniform..but she had plans. Right now, she was looking more for Daichi's faults and his demeanor had caught her attention.

"Good evening, Daichi-kun." Saeka greeted, stopping as Daichi approached her. "You had no trouble finding your way here I'm sure." she added. They were just a few steps away from being properly in the Lower class district. No one really travels through this particular area, so there is no concern of others overhearing. Besides, Saeka was confident in both herself as well as Daichi to know if anyone was eavesdropping.

"I see you've taken initiative with wearing something more fitting for this operation." she said, giving him a quick look up and down, but her expression grew a little less relaxed. "However, it will mean nothing if you do not loosen up." Saeka added as she walked around Daichi, trying to make micro adjustments to how he was standing. "Less shinobi and more...delinquent." She said as she baked up a bit to get another proper look at Daichi. "They may not be ninja, but the people we will be interacting with would notice before you even speak." Saeka added. It was a little harsh, but it's the truth. People, especially ninja tend to underestimate thugs like this, and admittedly, Saeka was no different back then.

"You'll need to be in control of the situation, even when it appears as if you're not." She wanted Daichi to take more of a lead in this, wanting to monitor him.

"I take it we do not need to discuss what we are doing here?" as she asked, Saeka weaved three hand seals and then in a puff of smoke, her appearance changed to something more fitting for this, something to closely relate to what Daichi was wearing. Saeka completely changed herself however since it would be a higher chance for her to be recognized. Her demeanor had also changed drastically, taking on more of that delinquent look she was talking about, even sticking a piece of gum in her mouth to add to it. "So let's get fucking goin, aniki."

yamaguchi daichi

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Henge no Jutsu [Transformation Technique]
RANK: E
CHAKRA USAGE: Very Low [Continuous]
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [General]
ELEMENT: None
HANDSEALS: 3
DESCRIPTION:

After performing the necessary hand seals, the user transforms their appearance to become that of another person, animal or even an inanimate object. This is considered one of the most advanced academy techniques, as it requires a constant emission of chakra as well as constant mental focus to maintain the transformation. Shinobi are limited to transforming into objects roughly their own size, preventing them from turning into a fly while being able to carry items far greater than their transformed state.

[yamaguchi daichi]

I COULD EAT THE WORLD RAW

Less shinobi, more delinquent. For all his experience in the field, Daichi was far less accustomed to the kind of mission they were embarking on today, so Saeka’s guidance was invaluable… though he was still at a loss as to how he needed to look more delinquent. Something in his posture, for sure, but… Saeka performed a basic Henge, transforming into a teen girl who looked absolutely nothing like herself. Daichi had considered this, but he worried about his ability to maintain the technique while also keeping his sensory active and otherwise multitasking, and thought it would be more prudent to take less off his plate, though perhaps that was a sign that he needed to further hone his chakra control. Regardless, Saeka’s example gave Daichi an excellent frame of reference. He hopped in place for a couple of beats, shaking out his limbs to quite literally loosen up, and when he settled back in place it was with an uncharacteristic slouch and a dour expression. After a moment’s hesitation he got rid of his eyepatch, tucking it into a back pocket, and ran his hands through his hair until it was even more tousled than normal. "Better?” he asked, pitching his voice just a touch deeper, rolling his Rs, slurring his vowels. It felt like a horrible affectation, but the overall effect was honestly not bad—if anything, he mostly looked like a young guy trying to seem tougher than he really was, which would ultimately serve their purposes well. The unspoken implication that Daichi would be taking the lead was read and received. His estimation was that the easiest way to get into the ring would first be to try posing as someone trying to buy drugs—if, once in conversation, he could weasel himself and Saeka in as potential runners, then they’d be able to get closer to the source. Probably. He relayed as much to Saeka, laying out the bare bones of his plan in hopes of getting some indication that he was on the right track. Once they were settled and squared, Daichi would lead the way into the lower class district, keeping his eyes and his sensory peeled for any potential drug peddlers.

Kaguya Saeka -- 367

LAIKA OF THQ

[Kaguya Saeka]

Saeka stood back and watched Daichi mentally...and physically prepare himself which she found a little adorable. Once the young Yamaguchi settled into a new demeanor and expression, Saeka rose an eyebrow as she chewed on her gum, deciding not to utter a word yet. She was focused on the boy's brief hesitation and watched as he removed his eye patch. There was a hint of concern from Saeka with the potential problems that might risk, but she still believed that was the right call. The way Daichi did his hair though was a bit unnecessary...but Saeka found it amusing.

"Oh Dear, you look almost too convincing, Daichi-kun." Saeka said in jest as she placed a hand against her cheek, cocking her head to the side slightly. "I may need to double check your records once all this is settled. The last thing I want is for Toru-sama to be in the company of some hoodlum." she mused before waving her little joke off.

"Watch your chakra." Saeka added without elaborating since she was sure Daichi didn't need it. He was not only a sensor, but with that eye patch gone, even Saeka knew that the boy would run risks of depleting his chakra faster.

With that, Saeka would sink back into her character, her earlier mention of calling Daichi "Aniki" being a hint of what dynamic she wanted the two to go with. She wanted Daichi to figure out a lot of this on his own with only a little help from her. Although she wants the boy to take charge and learn, Saeka is still very much focused on this case and will see to it being done.

As they traveled into the lower class district, Saeka kept her sharp eyes peeled for anything that could be a lead, specifically drug dealers. She was also subtly making sure that Daichi was on the alert as well. Saeka sunk her hands into her coat pockets before blowing a bubble with the gum in her mouth and popping it. The woman looked around, making sure not to come off as suspicious. Even though she has been here many times, seeing the state of this district always left Saeka a little heartbroken and disappointed....especially with the crime rate. Not having walked around for long and Saeka already spotted some familiar faces here and there who have criminal records....but then her eyes settled on two individuals at a corner a little bit away from the others. One probably couldn't make out what they were saying...but it appears that a transaction of sorts had just happened between the two. After that, one of them walked away as the other individual remained there.

Although Saeka subtly took notice of this, she didn't say a word to Daichi, wanting to wait a little to see if he noticed...and what he planned to do if he did.

yamaguchi daichi

[yamaguchi daichi]

Though there was a degree to which Daichi felt vulnerable and exposed without his eyepatch—he’d been wearing it constantly since he first came to Kirigakure, after all—it didn’t feel nearly as uncomfortable as he thought it might. There was a risk inherent to an exposed jaakugan, absolutely, but most wouldn’t know what they were looking at when they saw Daichi’s red iris and blackened sclera, and he was already considering how he could play it off if he was questioned or examined too closely about it. The greater risk, he thought, was that this little stunt would somehow make its way back to the Pathfinder, and he shuddered to think of what the consequences of that might be. Saeka kept her peace after Daichi laid out his plan, which spoke volumes: she was here to supervise, not to lead. He needed to prove to her that he could handle this, that he knew what he was doing. He just wished he felt a little more like he knew what he was doing. Over the past couple of years as a chuunin, cocky arrogance had crumbled into destructive self-pity and slowly, brick by brick, built back up into genuine competence… but his confidence was still wont to falter at times, self-doubt nipping at his heels. As they traveled into the lower class district, Daichi kept his gaze unfocused and straight ahead, trying to look like someone who was intent on minding their own business and not get into any trouble. He cast a narrow net with his sensory, maintaining an awareness of the people around them without getting overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of signatures that would invite if he opened his lens any wider. He saw the transaction go down and glanced over at Saeka, trying to gauge if she had witnessed it too, but it was impossible to tell, and he had to remind himself that he needed to make his own judgements and decisions here. Once the two individuals separated, Daichi loitered on the opposite street corner; scratched behind his ear, glanced at the supposed dealer and then quickly away, trying to catch the person’s attention as awkwardly as humanly possible—selling the idea that he was just a "tough” kid, objectively new to the scene and wildly inexperienced with these kinds of transactions.

Kaguya Saeka -- 387

LAIKA OF THQ