[Nara Shikajin]

♛

The sea, the sun, and an innumerable amount of birds squawking about were mainstays of the port city Minato, and with a country so large there was always a steady influx of people and goods moving about the place. It was easy to find what one needed but the density also provided the necessary cover for less than legal happenings to take place as well. Stamping out all the wrong doing was a near impossible task but leaving it be was akin to pushing a snowball down a mountain: it was inevitably going to get worse and worse as time went on. In an effort to stay on top of things shinobi were dispatched to deal with credible threats once word had reached to the village and the requisite amount of people were in turn tasked to put an end to whatever plot was attempting to unfold.

Dark hues would scan the scroll that had the mission details for information on how to start their investigation. The port city was a big place after all and just randomly checking carts and crates wasn't going to get them very far. "It looks like we're supposed to meet with the port authority at one of their buildings to help sift through a shipment that had been flagged." Shikajin spoke to his mission partner. She was a bubbly, excitable woman who seemed eager to talk about any and everything which made their trek from the village to the port city a... colorful one, to say the least. All things considered it could have been much worse --there could have been more than one of her-- but the Nara wasn't one to complain about team composition so he would make due.

"A big blue and white building with a huge symbol on the front, somewhere over there." The chunin added pointing a finger to the east. Given the description it shouldn't have been too hard to see but with the amount of market stalls in every direction and the sheer amount of people lines of sight were a bit congested.

### | Hibana | notes

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[Hibana]

The Pink Blur

It was the first time Hibana had ever seen the sea, the clear crystal blue water spread out as far as she could see. Her mouth hung open in an expression of pure joy and excitement as the waves crashed against the wall she stood atop. Her hands gripped the railing as she leaned over almost dangerously before she jumped back from the frothy oceanic spray. The seagulls flying overhead diverted her attention as their calls filled the air. "OH MY GOD! This place is amazing Shika, look over here the water is so beautiful!" She moved from one section of railing to another the pure joy making it hard to stay still. She had taken to calling him by a short form of his name, it was a bad habit of her but he had not told her to stop. She turned as he described the building pointing off in a direction she felt seemed random. She took his word for it knowing he had been reading the mission details over and over since their trip had begun. She wrinkled her nose thinking for a moment before adjusting the wrap covering her right eye. "What if we get a birds eye view to find it quicker?" Before he could respond she took a quick step to the left running the the side of a nearby warehouse. As she crested the wall standing upon the roof the true scope of the place she was in took hold of her causing to catch her breath. Konoha was a village filled with life but this was something more. It looked like nothing should be able to get done with how packed the streets were. Yet there it was before her eye the slow methodical motion of a life that seemed on auto pilot. The people looked like ants, not in size but in the sheer volume and how they moved without knocking into thirty other people. "I think I see it!" She pointed in the same direction he had at a blue a white building a few streets away.

Nara Shikajin -- 347

LAIKA OF THQ

[Nara Shikajin]

♛

The man could feel a vein begin to bulge in his forehead upon hearing the latter half of his name discarded like a piece of rubbish. Hibana had been doing it the entire way to Minato and didn't seem to be on the verge of stopping anytime soon. He supposed it was better than the nickname Mukei Mukei had given him though being so close to hearing his entire name and then suddenly... nothing was a bit more disorienting. The chunin wasn't sure if taking the time to even correct her was worth it considering how enthralled the woman was with the view in front of her and his words would probably go in one ear and right out of the other.

Trudging through the sea of people to try and find their destination was going to take a bit of time but it would allow them the opportunity to get a bit more familiar with how things ran in the markets; what looked normal, what looked out of place and possibly suspicious. Warriors as they were a shinobi was also tasked with information gathering and spotting minute details which in a place with this much hustle and bustle would be necessary. Hibana, however, decided that a view from above would suit them better and before the Nara could get a word in on how it may have been better to keep a low profile he watched as she bounded up the side of a building. The eyes of a few concerned citizens watched as the blonde scaled the side of the warehouse before going about their business as Shikajin let out a small sigh. Why were they all so eager to do the first thing that popped in their head?

Thankfully her little display confirmed the direction of their destination and it was indeed due east. The Nara would only give a nod to the woman in response before beginning to make his way through the crowd as he had originally planned. One shinobi taking to the rooftops in a crowded marketplace was more than enough attention than the man wanted to draw to themselves for one day.

--

After a good bit of walking --or jumping from rooftop to rooftop if Hibana chose-- the pair would arrive at the large warehouse of the port authority. A large anchor-like symbol adorned the front of the building and that was about it in terms of fancy stuff as the interior was nearly wall to wall in all manner of boxes, crates, bags, you name it. Dozens of port authority staff were checking the incoming wares thoroughly as could be to ensure that nothing illegal or harmful was crossing into the Fire Country border and it was easy to see how with so much volume something could slip through the cracks. A man would notice the duo lingering at the entrance and begin to make his way over. He was middle aged with a greying beard that reached well past his neck and looked as if he had spent many, many years working on the ocean in some capacity. "I'm 'summing you lot are from the village? Name is Watea and I'm one of the leads for the port authority. Reason we called ya' down here is because of a funky looking shipment that came in the other day. The sailors who brought it in looked bout as trustworthy as an octopus in a barrel full of crabs, and what they were haulin'... well, you'll see." He'd motion the two to follow him into the warehouse and would lead them to a roped off area where a slew of boxes stacked high would be guarded by a couple men.

Opening one of the boxes the man would pull out a multi-colored stuffed animal that initially looked like any other children's plaything. "We get all manner of toys an' silly stuff. Usually not a problem and that's what the smugglers bank on, but one of em ripped during transit and sitting in the box was this." He'd hold out a bag of some kind of brown powder. "Not sure if it's spice, poison, or a drug but we found we figure every single toy in here is stuffed with em. Bad enough if it gets in the wrong hands, but if a parent buys it for their kid no tellin how bad that could get. We haven't been able to get much info outta the sailors so that's why we called you guys in, see if you can get 'em to talk and figure out who the ringleader of this operation is so we can shut 'em down. The boxes are yours to look through to try and dig up any more info an' when you're ready to talk to the guys just let me know."

With that Watea would offer a nod before moving on to help with another issue though he wouldn't be too far away should the duo need him. Shikajin would glance between Hibana and the boxes of contraband, there was definitely a problem here and it was worse than some counterfeit clothing or fake jewelry, it was drugs. "First step is to look through a few of these boxes, see if there's anything that can lead us to a name or destination. I'd like to save interrogation as a last option if possible." If Hibana had any questions or thoughts on the matter Shikajin would give her a few moments to express them before breaking off to begin searching through a crate of shipment.

### | Hibana | notes

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[Hibana]

The Pink Blur

Hibana lept from roof top to roof top stopping on each to wait for Shikajin to catch up as he mad his way through the crowded streets. However she really took her time to look out upon the coastal port, the busy streets, the birds and endless water on the horizon. It was a breathtaking view from some vantage points but still beautiful at others. As the approached the port authority building she dropped down to the street level keeping pace with her partner. She had already mentally decided that Shikajin would take any lead role here. She was afraid her manic demeanor would come off as unprofessional. As they entered they were approached by a man named Watea claiming to be one of the leads there. She listened quietly her foot tapping the floor as an outlet of energy. He told them of the shipment brought in by what she could assume by his analogy were an untrustworthy lot. Children's toys filled with some sort of brown powder an unknown substance at the moment. She nodded in agreement when he brought up the issue of a kid getting one someone knowing it would be a huge problem. Giving a slight bow as he walked away she turned to Shikajin as he suggested taking a look at the rest of the shipment. "Sounds like a good idea to me we can split up taking half each. If someone finds something meet back here?" She had already begun to uncover her right eye wanting to see any small detail and possible infusion of chakra in this powder. "Shika what do you think this is?" She picked up the stuffed bear Watea had set down looking over the brown substance.

Nara Shikajin --

LAIKA OF THQ

[Nara Shikajin]

♛

Instructions given and the two were off to work shuffling through the innocent looking toys that held deadly secrets within them. At first glance it was difficult to tell just what the substance was but it wasn't naturally occurring that was for sure. Shikajin had come across many a medicine both natural and synthesized during his time as a medic but had not seen anything like what was sitting in these plastic bags. Without proper equipment deducing the ingredients and their effects on the body would be a tough task not that the latter truly mattered in this case considering the fact that it was being smuggled into the country.

"Hard to tell without the proper tools to figure out the ingredients, but it's clear that it need not get into the hands of our citizens." Shikajin replied while scouring through another box of the stuffed animals. On the foot of one bear in particular was a symbol resembling the visage of a large toothed demon. It wasn't something the man had seen before but at once things got both better and worse. They now had a lead as to what group was smuggling the contraband into the country but that also meant that there was enough organization to begin branding. "I found something." The Nara spoke up as he brought the bear over to a central table for Hibana to see. "Have you ever seen this symbol before?" He'd ask. Perhaps they would get lucky but signs were starting to point to the fact that they'd end up needing to talk to the apprehended men at some point.

Shikajin had never really been a great interrogator so to speak. His impassive demeanor usually garnered results from patients when they realized beating around the bush wouldn't work with him causing them to become more free with details, but in a situation like this he was still new to the concept.

### | Hibana | notes

ulla

[Hibana]

The Pink Blur

Hibana worked her way to a few of the crates further off to the right. She knelt down surveying the area before lifting the eye cover the rest of the way. She looked over the crates finding no hint of any chakra signatures. Honestly she was not sure what she expected. Either this was some sort of drug or poison, why would it have a chakra signature. She recovered her eye as to not waste chakra before standing back up. Nothing stood out to her and she did not want to start breaking boxes inside the warehouse. Her head perked up when Shikajin said he had found something. She hurried over to him pressing against his back looking over his shoulder. "What did you find Shika-san?" Her voice was teasing and playful like a sister to her brother. He turned over the bear showing her the symbol asking if she had seen anything like this before. She stood there still pressed against his back wondering out loud with a few "Hmms" and "Uhhs". "You know I think I have now that I'm looking at it." She reached around him grabbing the bear before stepping back a few paces. "As a Gate Guard I get to look over most of the shipments we receive while I'm on duty. I think I've seen this on a shipment of wooden statues. It was on the base underneath..." She stopped talking for a moment before laughing out loud. "However I don't know what it means, I wasn't in the room when they discussed it." She felt bad for not being able to help more but gave him all the information she had to give. She gave the bear back wondering what the next step would be. "Shika do you think we should go talk to the guy they got locked up?"

Nara Shikajin --

LAIKA OF THQ

[Nara Shikajin]

♛

Hibana's experience as a gate guard provided some insight to the strange symbol they had found on the stuffed animals, but what exactly it meant was a mystery to the girl. "Not a problem, you've given us plenty to work with. We now know whoever this symbol belongs to has at the very least attempted to smuggle their wares into the village, so I doubt this is a small time operation. Chances are whatever substance is in these bags is either another shipment or a new venture for them, so it's even more paramount that we figure out where they are operating out of and put a stop to it." The man replied. If the mystery group was truly organized enough to get their wares into a hidden village then it was a good guess that they had some kind of processing operation in Hi no Kuni, and while shutting that down may not have put them out of commission for good it would be a step in the right direction.

The woman would then ask if speaking to one of the crew the port authority had held for questioning was an option, and it was looking very much like it. With a couple clues but no way to connect the dots it would be up to the duo to get information however they could. "Seems like that's our only option if we want to find these guys." Shikajin replied turning towards Watea and signaling them over. "Well what do we have here?" He asked taking note of the foreign symbol on the underside of the stuffed bear. "Can't say I've ever seen it before but I'm sure the guy in the back knows somethin'. Guessin' yall are wanting to take a crack at him?" The man asked prompting a nod from the Nara.

Watea would gesture for the two to follow him through a corridor that led to the back of the large building, far enough that most sound would not reach the bustling streets outside. Stopping at a door flanked by two guards Watea would turn to look at the pair of Konoha shinobi. "He's a stubborn one, too loyal for his own good. Do whatever ya need just try not to kill him, eh? Way too much paperwork." With that the man would leave Shikajin and Hibana to their own devices. Opening the door, a stocky, weaselly looking man was tied to a steel chair. Various fresh bruises and a bit of blood trickling from his mouth signaled that this was not his first go round with interrogation. Noticing Shikajin's flak jacket a bloodied grin would cross the man's features. "Oh? I see they brought in the cavalry, and not to shabby lookin' either." He'd say giving a wink towards the blonde.

"Who does this symbol belong to and where is your base of operation?" Shikajin would interject. He had wondered during their travels why a member of the interrogation unit hadn't been assigned to this mission but at this stage there was little use second guessing the decisions of those above him. "Well I'll give ya credit, you asked nicer than the other guys but I ain't tellin." The man replied prompting the Nara to glance over towards Hibana to see if she wanted to take a crack at it before he was forced to move onto more... definitive methods.

### | Hibana | notes

ulla

[Hibana]

The Pink Blur

Hibana frowned as Shikajin pondered this being a larger operation. She thought back to seeing the symbol in Konoha and kicked herself for not being able to do anything then. With how long it had been since then she could only wonder at the size and growth that may have occurred in that time. She stepped back as Watea rejoined them offering his two cents on the matter. It looked like they had no other choice but to go and interrogate the prisoner themselves. The young kunoichi turned her head looking to the door in the back of the warehouse. She followed close behind Shikajin as they made their way down the hall leading to their quarry. She wondered what who waited behind the closed door at the far end and what condition they may be in. The two guards outside gave her a once over as she saw one grin to himself. She knew she was attractive and hoped to use this fact on the waiting person behind the door. As they stepped in she did a once over on the heavy set man strapped to the chair. His snide remark about her looks only furthered her idea to use her looks as bait. "I appreciate the compliment however it looks like you have seen better days." Knowing Shikajin was a Nara and perfectly capable of using shadows to their advantage Hibana held up a hand motioning for her partner to wait. The young woman paced behind the man before placing her hands on his shoulders. "I just want to ask a few questions, you don't have to answer them but i'd love it if you did. My name is Hibana, Namikaze Hibana, I just want to know what you are smuggling in the stuffed animals." The fat man laughed but said nothing keeping his word on staying silent. Hibana smiled, she did not expect it to be easy. She let go of his shoulders moving to his side crouching down to his eye level. "Listen I can only hold my partner and my frustrations back for so long." With a snap of her leg she kicked out breaking the front two legs of the chair. The weight of the man brought him forward his chest hitting the table in front of him. "I'm sorry you just looked to comfortable like that."

Nara Shikajin --

LAIKA OF THQ

[Nara Shikajin]

♛

Shikajin hadn't given a ton of thought to just how this was going to go in terms of Hibana's skillset which was part of the reason why he wanted to let her have a shot at getting information from the man instead of going straight in with his own techniques. He was still trying to decide on whether to use shadows or medical jutsu to get the desired results but as he watched the blonde kick two of the chair legs out and send the man chest first into the desk causing him to grunt in very obvious discomfort, yet he still remained uncooperative. "Think this is the first time I've been roughed up? Gonna need to be more creative than busting up a chair. And you'd better hurry, your 'partner' looks like he could fall asleep any second now." The man chuckled.

Dark hues would not falter as the Nara took those words as confirmation, no, a challenge. He'd perform two seals as the shadow beneath him squirmed to life before ten thin tendrils covered in a green hue rose from the black pool and shot through the man at various points. They wouldn't break skin nor leave any kind of bruising but the screams that soon came from the man were enough indication that he was hurting and badly. "Nothing vital has been hit, but I have cut muscle, tendons, joints and I'm very close to some veins and arteries. I am a healer, but that requires your cooperation." Shikajin would give the man a couple of moments to contemplate his options, mostly to let some of the pain subside so he could think a bit more clearly and hopefully envision what the future held if he continued to be uncooperative.

"O-Ok, j-just make it stop. The symbol is from the Anito Syndicate, we smuggle all sorts of stuff through the country. Villages, towns, doesn't matter. We have multiple bases throughout Fire Country but anything that comes through the port we bring to a building on the north side of the city. The front is a regular general goods store but there's an underground section where we determine what gets sent where, that's where our our people will be. Now please, I-I feel like I'm dying!"

The Nara gave a glance to Hibana as if to ask if she believed what the man had said, and also to give her the opportunity to ask any more questions. People had varying degrees of pain tolerance and while the pain from bruises and cuts faded over time internal injuries were a lot more problematic, like an itch that couldn't be scratched.

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Kage Mesu [Shadow Scalpel]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: High
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [Medical]
REQUIREMENT: Nara Hijutsu, Medical SA, Chakra Control SA
ELEMENT: N/A
HANDSEALS: 2
DESCRIPTION:
A veritable combination of the Chakra Scalpel and Kage Nui techniques, this jutsu allows the user to extend shadow tendrils in an effort to strike opponents dealing internal damage. The tendrils are coated in a fine medical chakra similar to the scalpel that are capable of rupturing veins, arteries, muscle, and organs. Because of the precise chakra control needed to perform such a technique only ten (10) tendrils can be made at a time, though their ability to be controlled independently makes keeping track of all of them difficult. These shadows do no restrict movement.

### | Hibana | notes

ulla

[Hibana]

The Pink Blur

Hibana had not wanted to break any bones but it was still disappointing her intimidation failed. She stepped back as Shikajin preformed his seals. The shadowy tendrils pierced the man in multiple spots making Hibana shiver. She was no stranger to the Nara's shadow techniques having seen them a few times in person. Still the idea of using shadows to strangle, bind and pierce your opponent was kinda nightmarish to the young woman. Shikajin's threat of internal injuries did not escape her as she wondered what he would do if he stayed quiet. It did not take long for the fat man to start spilling the information he did have however. As he finished speaking Shika glanced in her direction, the look on his face wondering if she believed him. "Well Shika if he IS lying we can always come back. If we do promise i'll get another crack before you turn him into a pincushion?" The pain and fear on the mans face made her believe he was telling the truth. He seemed like a man who valued life in a jail cell over a grave. She walked out the door returning with one of the stuffed animals tossing it in the mans lap. "What is this? A drug, poison answer now before I have my partner pierce a place that you'll feel forever." She knelt down looking the man in the eyes a scowl etched across her face. They had been shipping this stuff in stuffed animals. Who knows what could have happened if a child had found one. She stopped thinking of the horrible possibility.

Nara Shikajin -- 268

LAIKA OF THQ

[Nara Shikajin]

♛

Shikajin couldn't say he was enjoying the interrogation and turning someone into a pin cushion went against almost everything he swore an oath to being a medic, but he was also a shinobi which brought with it toeing a fine line between pledging to heal and doing what was necessary to get the job done. Hibana believed the man to be telling the truth though had already decided what she would do to him if his intel turned out to be false, which, given the slight she had taken was justified. The shadowy tendrils would remain in place as the blonde stepped out of the room only to return with one of the stuffed animals. She'd ask what the mystery substance was in an effort to gauge just how severe a problem they were dealing with.

"I don't know specifically, just some new drug that's supposed to be more addictive than anything else in the world, it'd hook people strong and keep 'em coming back for years. Easy money. B-But that's all they told me. Now please, get these things outta me!" The man spoke between labored breaths. Vital spots or not multiple puncture wounds still hurt. A lot. "How many people man the warehouse in the city?" The Nara asked plainly ignoring the captive's request.

"Mostly down-n-out civilians who process the stuff, but a bunch of guards to make sure no one steals, 20-30 maybe. The bosses will be in a big room in the back. Now please..." Pain was beginning to take the man's focus and it'd be tough to get any more information out of him without receiving treatment first, but Shikajin felt they had enough to work on for their next steps. "Inform Watea-san of what we've learned and that we'll be taking the lead on shutting down the operation. I'll meet you outside in a bit after I finish up here." The chunin spoke as he turned his attention to Hibana for a few moments. Once the woman exited the room Shikajin would retract the shadow tendrils before another seal would see a mass of shadow extend to the man as the green hue of healing chakra washed over him. The puncture wounds would begin to close up as would some, not all, of the internal injuries; there had to be some punishment doled out for his crimes. All of this the man would do in silence as he went over mental scenarios of how best to tackle their next assignment.

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Kage I-Gikou [Shadow Healing Technique]
RANK: B
CHAKRA USAGE: Medium
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [Medical]
REQUIREMENT: Nara Hijutsu, Medical SA, Chakra Control SA
ELEMENT: N/A
HANDSEALS: --
DESCRIPTION:
A variation of the lesser healing technique, this jutsu allows one to send the healing chakra associated with medical ninjutsu through their shadow to speed up the regeneration of wounds and heal their targets. Given the rudimentary technique that this is based on, this jutsu can only heal small wounds akin to deep cuts and small muscle tears, and the shadow is limited to one person. These shadows do not restrict movement.

### | Hibana | notes

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