[Saigo Shigeo]

The details of their mission were more convoluted than the D ranks that many Genin were accustomed to. A lot of black tape, things they "weren't supposed to" or "didn't need to" know. Their priority was retrieval, but the task giver had asserted emphatically that, in the instance that it became too difficult or impossible to safely retrieve the scroll, asset denial was on the table. Something so important seemed like it deserved a grade higher than C, but Shigeo wasn't one to argue with the brass. Intelligence pointed to some kind of heist or leak within the Yamakira compound, but that sort of thing was messy and political to delve too deep, and none of the Genin were prepared for the blowback that came with asking a major Clan the hard questions.

What they did know- what it was determined crucial to the mission- was that the scroll in question had already left Takigakure. The city had been searched fairly thoroughly, and so, it was likely that the culprit had made their way to the false village- since they couldn't have gone far- and if they had, a Genin wouldn't be charged with an unsupervised foray into Basin country.

"What a hassle," Shigeo murmured as he stretched his arms out above his head. The rendezvous point was just beyond the Waterfall, outside the safety of the Shinobi village. Ninja from the Waterfall village were all well accustomed to survival and movement through the Jungle biome of the Land of Basins, at least. He reached back into his kitbag and produced the scroll that held all of the intelligence they had on. "They were bound to realize that stealing a scroll like that would put them on the village's radar."

They knew, all of them, that Taki was ferociously protective of its secrets after all. Was it really something worth stealing? Worth their life?

Shigeo stowed the information scroll a moment later and glanced up, watching patiently for his assigned teammates to appear from behind the torrent. Would they be Genin like him? Or would they be more seasoned Shinobi, trained in the hunting arts? He quietly hoped for the latter, otherwise they would all be getting a crash-course in tracking.

Oborozuki Zura Tokonatsu Kaoru

[Oborozuki Zura]

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A Little MAyhem NEver HURT ANyONE

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Zura was less than thrilled about another trek out of Takigakure. Lately, it felt like every mission was a drag, hauling him across the country for minimal excitement and even less payoff. He had better things to dream about—like the izakaya back home, with its promise of sake and easy company. He exhaled sharply, a resigned nod to the shinobi grind.[break][break]

But, maybe this gig wouldn't be a total snooze. The mission brief had hinted at a hint of intrigue—recovering a missing scroll. A dash of espionage and the possibility of a scuffle had piqued his interest, if only marginally. Still, Zura couldn't shake off the irritation of being yanked away from village comforts. Damn it, but it better fun![break][break]

Their rendezvous was set at a familiar spot just outside Takigakure's gates, a typical launch point for out-of-village assignments. There, already waiting, was a figure Zura recognized: Saigo Shigeo, freshly wrapped in his signature bandages. Their recent spar had been memorable, suggesting this mission might not be so mundane after all. However, they were still one teammate short.[break][break]

"Oi!” Zura called out, offering Shigeo a casual salute before sauntering over to the gate guards to handle the departure formalities.

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[Tokonatsu Kaoru]

Tokonatsu Kaoru

Kaoru wasn't quite sure why he had been selected to take the mission, as a primarily combat oriented shinobi something like item retrieval was not really the sort of task that he was good at. When one considered the other two Genin he was paired with, he wasn't entirely too sure that any of them were well suited to finding a lost scroll.

Geared up and ready to begin the investigation as best as he could, Kaoru headed towards the allocated meeting spot with a slight frown and little else but the knowledge that they were hunting down whoever might have taken the scroll. Not to gather the scroll themselves of course, just provide a lead for the older and more experienced shinobi of the village.

Investigative work wasn't close to being his speciality, and it could only be the village's shortage of shinobi that had put himself and his teammate on this particular case as well. He was so unimpressed with the mission that it seemed he had become the last member of this impromptu team to arrive at the rendevous point, the jingling of the bells in his hair and the clack of his sandals deliberate indications of his arrival. He could, of course, have silenced both things if he wanted to, but where would the fun in that be?

"We're not made for snooping around," he grumbled by way of greeting to the two older genin, a clearly put out expression on his face.

Word Count: 247
Mission: 3/15
Combat Information:

SPOILER: Click to show

Relevant SAs:
Strength of the Samurai
Coming from a long samurai lineage, coupled with intense physical training, Kaoru has far greater physical strength than most other people of his rank. Even amongst the Bukijutsu and Taijutsu specialists he stands amongst the top in terms of his raw physical power.

Enhanced Chakra Reserves
Kaoru's body contains a vast well of chakra, able to perform even the most chakra intensive jutsu around without having to worry about running out.

Jutsu Used: N/A

Tags: Saigo Shigeo , Oborozuki Zura

[Saigo Shigeo]

Shigeo gave a quiet, quick motion of his hand in greeting as Zura approached. Out of the two of them, it was clear that the Oborozuki boy was the more personable and talkative. That didn't mean that Shigeo was crass about it. The other Genin had done him a solid favor by training with him, which made Zura just fine in his book. Realistically, none of them seemed too happy about having to leave Takigakure for this particular mission. It was Kaoru who vocalized his disdain, though.

"Most likely, that was why this mission was chosen for us," Shigeo noted. "We need to be more well-rounded as Ninja in order to progress through the ranks, so putting challenges like this in our way seems like the logical course."

Experience, after all, was the point of missions like this. A C rank mission- more difficult than the last one, presumably by a large margin. Shigeo wasn't gifted in a lot of the ways the others were, but when it came to perspective and looking at the bigger picture, he had a plethora of experience in that. "Given that we were chosen for the mission, and the intel we have has confirmed that the asset isn't in the village itself, we have to assume that the only place we can look is in the other village. You know, because if it's not..."

[230 words]
Mission: 4/15
Oborozuki Zura Tokonatsu Kaoru

[Oborozuki Zura]

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A Little MAyhem NEver HURT ANyONE

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"Eh, it is what it is," Zura shrugged off the formality as he sauntered back from signing out. "Let's just get this show on the road." They were all here now, no sense wasting time.[break][break]

Getting this mission out of the way was high on Zura's list. Stealth missions? A terrible choice for someone who thrived in fast-paced combat, crafting a fighting style that was anything but subtle. This was shaping up to be a total drag. Zura let out a sigh.[break][break]

To be perfectly honest, Zura hadn't exactly poured over the mission details. He got the gist of it, but as for the specifics—where they were headed, what exactly they were up against—that was all a bit fuzzy. Shigeo seemed to have a tighter grip on ambition than Zura felt at the moment, so why not let him steer this ship? Anyone but Zura taking the lead sounded like a fantastic plan. [break][break]

"Alright, Shigeo," Zura said, breaking the silence. "You're up, captain!" With a playful, exaggerated salute, he was the first through the gates. His eagerness stemmed from a burning desire to get this shit over with. Between the three of them, they should be able to locate that scroll in no time.

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[Tokonatsu Kaoru]

Tokonatsu Kaoru

Shooting a sharp conspiratorial grin at Zura for his deft assigning of Shigeo as team lead on this particularly dull mission, Kaoru gestured for the older two Genin to lead the way out of Taki proper and towards the fake Taki. If his teammate had tried to throw him under the bus then he would likely have gotten quite grumpy, but in this case he was pleased to have the headache handed over to someone else. Kaoru's role in missions was primarily combat based, taking enemies head on as part of an assault unit.

Something like this absolutely did not play to his strengths.

"We're not looking for the actual thing though, ne? Just some sort of hint telling us where it went," he stated as he walked behind the other two, hands behind his head as he casually strolled along behind them, playing around with his stepping so that they could never tell when his sandals would clack against the ground. There was no pattern to his heavier than usual steps, because that would ruin his fun.

"So we should probably.... I dunno, look at who mighta taken it and then go from there? Somethin' like that anyway."

It wouldn’t take them too long to get to the fake hidden village, though Kaoru himself had no intention of actually directing them to their next stop. He had no idea what to do next.

Word Count: 234
Mission: 6/15
Combat Information:

SPOILER: Click to show

Relevant SAs:
Strength of the Samurai
Coming from a long samurai lineage, coupled with intense physical training, Kaoru has far greater physical strength than most other people of his rank. Even amongst the Bukijutsu and Taijutsu specialists he stands amongst the top in terms of his raw physical power.

Enhanced Chakra Reserves
Kaoru's body contains a vast well of chakra, able to perform even the most chakra intensive jutsu around without having to worry about running out.

Jutsu Used: N/A

Tags: Saigo Shigeo , Oborozuki Zura

[Saigo Shigeo]

And just like that, the other two had relegated him to the role of leader.

Shigeo took a deep, long breath and sighed, shoulders sagging slowly in time. There was no use in arguing about it. It was the responsibility of a Ninja to take even the unwanted jobs, especially when they had a pivotal role in the mission at hand. With that in mind, he quietly took the lead and led them along to the false village, where he finally spoke up.

"It's a technicality, but Kaoru isn't wrong. Our job as written is to figure out where the scroll got to, not necessarily to apprehend the thief. We should probably try to use discretion when asking around, and keep a low profile. That means try not to be overly assertive or aggressive if you have to confront anyone, and under no circumstances should you pursue anyone alone. Rendezvous and reassess the situation as needed if that happens."

He pointed one way. "Zura, you're good at operation from a distance, so you should take the perimeter and scout along the waterway portions of the market. If you happen to see anything, you can send up some of your colored haze as a signal."

He turned to Kaoru. "You're quicker on your feet, so you should cover the main portion of the market. Despite it being the busy part of the day, you shouldn't have much interference going from shop to shop."

Shigeo folded his arms. "That leaves me. I'll check the alleyways and residential district, just in case the thief has gone into hiding or has tried to deal with an independent buyer. If neither of you finds anything, rendezvous in one hour at the village entrance and we can share our findings and decide our next move."

[298 words]
Training: 7/15
Oborozuki Zura Tokonatsu Kaoru

[Oborozuki Zura]

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A Little MAyhem NEver HURT ANyONE

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Zura's agreement to the plan was as enthusiastic as a shrug in a thunderstorm. He was all for letting someone else call the shots, content to play his part without the headache of leadership. "Aight, I'll be off then," he said, his farewell as laid-back as his approach, heading off to wherever they pointed him with a casual wave. [break][break]

Truth be told, Zura was winging it. What was he supposed to be on the lookout for? Some shady character with a scroll under their arm, acting all sneaky? Logic dictated they'd be holed up somewhere, unless they weren't playing it smart—which, in Zura's experience, was always a possibility. [break][break]

His patrol took him along the waterways of the remarkably well-crafted fake village. He had to admit, the place had a certain... vibe. Less about the greenery—which Bonchi no Kuni had in spades—and more about the quaint, almost picturesque charm of the setup. The real village, with its majestic Great Tree, was breathtaking, sure, but it also had a kind of intensity that the fake village lacked.[break][break]

Zura strolled along the waterway of the elaborate fake village. In ways, he preferred the fake village. It had a lush charm to it that Zura appreciated. Everywhere in Bonchi no Kuni was covered in greenery, but the fake village seemed almost quaint despite its size. The true village had the wonderful spectacle of the Great Tree, but was as oppressive as it was beautiful.[break][break]

So, Zura did his due diligence, kind of. He half-watched the goings-on around him, figuring the others would stumble upon the culprit with or without him. Why waste the energy now? Every so often, he'd size up the villagers, looking for that scroll-thief aura. But really, the most suspicious characters he came across were a couple of shifty-looking old ladies, hardly the mastermind he was supposed to find.[break][break]

Asking after the thief would likely let the guy in on the plan and set him fleeing. Or it was the perfect plan. Maybe causing a bit of commotion would smoke the thief out, and force them into a clumsy dash for freedom. The more he thought about it, the more appealing it became. Zura wondered if maybe, just maybe, taking the reins on this mission might not be such a bad idea after all.

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[Tokonatsu Kaoru]

Tokonatsu Kaoru

Kaoru frowned at Shigeo's instructions, 'discretion' and 'low profile' sounded like synonyms for 'boring' in his mind. Honestly, he couldn't help but wonder if the person who assigned them this mission was incompetent or just sadistic, as it was not a mission that was well suited to himself or to Zura. Actually, considering what he knew of his new teammate, it was very possible that this was the result of a grudge... damn it all.

Heading into the marketplace as directed, Kaoru quickly became disenchanted with the whole situation. It would be odd for someone to be talking about a scroll they'd stolen in the village market after all, even if it was just the fake version of the village. Instead the redhead began examining the various stalls with an absent minded curiousity, maybe there was something Touwa would like here, at least then this whole thing wouldn't have been a complete waste of his time.

Still, he kept an ear out for anything that might hint at where this scroll had gone, and who had taken it. Just in case the person they were looking for was honestly dumb enough to try and sell the scroll here in the fake Takigakure. He would also listen in for anyone who might be looking to get out of the village quickly, in case it might be their feeling culprit.

He did wish he could just have been sent on some sort of combat mission, but the shortage of higher ranked shinobi was preventing Genin from heading out and about right now. How irritating.

Word Count: 262
Mission: 9/15
Combat Information:

SPOILER: Click to show

Relevant SAs:
Strength of the Samurai
Coming from a long samurai lineage, coupled with intense physical training, Kaoru has far greater physical strength than most other people of his rank. Even amongst the Bukijutsu and Taijutsu specialists he stands amongst the top in terms of his raw physical power.

Enhanced Chakra Reserves
Kaoru's body contains a vast well of chakra, able to perform even the most chakra intensive jutsu around without having to worry about running out.

Jutsu Used: N/A

Tags: Saigo Shigeo , Oborozuki Zura

[Saigo Shigeo]

It felt less than cohesive when they split up, but the directions that Shigeo gave were the best ideas that he could come up with on the short notice they had. With all of that ground to cover, playing to their individual strengths seemed like the most effectual decision. For Shigeo, who lacked many of the tools that the others had, his father's background as a merchant afforded him knowledge of how deals generally went down. The shady ones in particular were frequent in Takigakure and the false village, because the secrecy of leadership and the strictness of how business was conducted made it necessary for the non-Ninja classes to improvise. And they had to get very good at it, since watchdogs were always sniffing around.

He skimmed the alleyways adjacent to the main market, his eyes watching carefully for any sign of dubious business. There were a lot of cats, dogs rummaging through garbage, the occasional rat- but he didn't see many signs that a backroom deal was going on. Shigeo bit his lip, wondering if this was really the best approach, or if he was just not cut out for making leader type decisions.

With a deep breath, he steeled himself. There was no time for giving up now. He had to continue, since the others had hurried to follow his instructions. They were counting on him to follow through.

He was on the cusp of the residential district when he saw a rather well dressed man talking to someone who appeared to be a businessman, who'd stepped away from his stall. That was highly irregular at this time of day, when market traffic was nearing its highest point. He looked at both men, studying their faces, and noted the meeting point where they'd had their conversation, then he headed for the rendezvous.

Doubtless Zura and Kaoru would get there first.

Words: 313
Mission: 10/15
Oborozuki Zura Tokonatsu Kaoru

[Oborozuki Zura]

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A Little MAyhem NEver HURT ANyONE

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Casually drifting along the waterway, Zura continued to entertain the notion of setting a trap for their elusive villain with a grand reveal of discovery. Yet, as the allure of adventure battled the pull of laziness, laziness won. "Too much effort," he decided mumbling to himself. Instead, he returned to his laid-back surveillance—or, at least, his version of it. [break][break]

As the hour allotted for their investigation dissipated like mist over the water, Zura meandered back to their meeting point, a part of him itching to share the grand strategy he'd toyed with but ultimately abandoned. After all, the mission's goal was identification, not a dramatic chase with the culprit's ultimate escape. Mulling over the what-ifs and the could've-beens eventually gave way to a serene acceptance. Why bother, he mused, finding solace in the simplicity of not having concocted any elaborate plans.[break][break]
"Hey, hey!" he greeted Shigeo with a casual wave upon reaching their rendezvous, noting Shigeo's punctual arrival with a mix of amusement and mock disdain. "Always on the dot, aren't ya?" he thought, a smirk on his lips.[break][break]

Come to think of it, the scroll’s contents were completely unknown to the genin team. It could have been some old lady’s family recipe for all they knew. Whatever plans or secrets the scroll held, Zura figured Shigeo would have the next steps figured out.[break][break]


Approaching his teammate, Zura delivered his findings—or lack thereof—with a shrug. "I found nada," he announced.

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[Tokonatsu Kaoru]

Tokonatsu Kaoru

Grabbing a neat little necklace as he wandered, and a pot of the makeup he knew Touwa used that was cheaper here than in the true village, Kaoru wasn't going to let the lack of any obvious issues stop him from using his time effectively. It was around the time that he was grabbing sticks of Takoyaki from a street vendor that anything of particular note caught his attention.

A suspiciously well dressed man wandering down the street with the sort of disdainful look that said he was absolutely not here for sight seeing, his movements tense enough to be suspicious beyond just the expression. His attire was also all sorts of wrong, sticking out like a particularly sore thumb, poorly suited to Bonchi no Kuni and just the wrong styles to be a 'local' merchant.

Shoving some takoyaki in his mouth, he wandered after the man for a bit, casually browsing to see where he was going, but broke off after it seemed he was heading towards Shigeo's area, the readhead picking up some more takoyaki and cans of soda on his way to the rendezvous point. 

Reaching the spot last, he lobbed one of the cans at Zura's head, expecting his teammate to catch it... and if he didn't, well, it'd be even funnier.

"There was some rich lookin' foreign guy in the market, he didn't buy anything and seemed to be in a hurry to go somewhere. I lost track of him as he entered the residential area," he said through a mouthful of Takoyaki, offering another can of drink to Shigeo along with a stick or two of the fried food. 

Word Count: 275
Mission: 12/15
Combat Information:

SPOILER: Click to show

Relevant SAs:
Strength of the Samurai
Coming from a long samurai lineage, coupled with intense physical training, Kaoru has far greater physical strength than most other people of his rank. Even amongst the Bukijutsu and Taijutsu specialists he stands amongst the top in terms of his raw physical power.

Enhanced Chakra Reserves
Kaoru's body contains a vast well of chakra, able to perform even the most chakra intensive jutsu around without having to worry about running out.

Jutsu Used: N/A

Tags: Saigo Shigeo , Oborozuki Zura

[Saigo Shigeo]

"Yeah, my luck was about the same," he said as they met back up and started discussing how to move forward. "Which is pretty odd, all things considered. Meechants doing shady things ain't all that interesting, but when you have more than one in more than one place getting shady at the same time, its hard to write it off as coincidence."

He crossed his arms and furrowed his brow. With what he knew about business and the way that the wealthy elite handled themselves, something was definitely amiss; but for him to go out on a limb and guess at what it was? That was a different story entirely.

He reached up to stroke at his chin thoughtfully. "One of them in the residental area, the other in the market district proper..." he glanced toward Kaoru and asked, "he didn't buy anything, but he was definitely in a hurry... so he was probably either heading for a handoff, or going to pick up his next shipment."

Shigeo closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'm not sure if it was the same guy I saw, or somehow related, but I definitely know the face and stall of a merchant who spoke with someone that fits the description of the rich guys both of us saw."

The next part? Kaoru might like the next part. "So. You wanna go shake him down?"

Words: 234
Mission: 13/15
Tags: Tokonatsu Kaoru

[Tokonatsu Kaoru]

Tokonatsu Kaoru

Listening to what Shigeo said, Kaoru considered the situation. Perhaps the man he had seen was the same one that the other genin had, perhaps they were different but related to one another in some way through shared business. Either way, they were the best clues they had since it was clear that Zura had no luck finding anything out at all. 

Frustration had built up in Kaoru over the course of this mission, so the suggestion to go shake down someone for info had him grinning toothily, "good cop, bad cop? Or just go in for a solid scare?" he asked, considering the options available to them. Shigeo would probably have to play 'bad cop' though, because he looked far more intimidating than Kaoru himself, at least normally.

And Kaoru didn't want to draw steel on someone that didn't necessarily deserve it. That was a good way to get suspended from duty.

Either way, he was about ready for some sort of action, because so far this mission had been particularly dull for the poor young redhead, he craved action and he had been village bound too long. Perhaps he could pull off the crazed shinobi look and still get to be bad cop? Something to consider, even if he was going to defer to Shigeo in the end. After all, they'd forced the older genin to take the lead, so the least they could do was actually follow said lead the whole way through.

Word Count: 246
Mission: 14/15
Combat Information:

SPOILER: Click to show

Relevant SAs:
Strength of the Samurai
Coming from a long samurai lineage, coupled with intense physical training, Kaoru has far greater physical strength than most other people of his rank. Even amongst the Bukijutsu and Taijutsu specialists he stands amongst the top in terms of his raw physical power.

Enhanced Chakra Reserves
Kaoru's body contains a vast well of chakra, able to perform even the most chakra intensive jutsu around without having to worry about running out.

Jutsu Used: N/A

Tags: Saigo Shigeo

[Saigo Shigeo]

They had not been told or necessarily authorized to apprehend anyone, but with regard to learning where the scroll had gone, Shigeo felt confident that a small show of force- non-lethal, obviously- was not off the table. At Kaoru's suggestion of good cop/bad cop, Shigeo gave a slight nod. That was a solid idea.

"Our approach is likely to cause shock and discomfort regardless, if he was up to something he shouldn't have been," Shigeo rationalized. "but he's a merchant. He'll be pretty good at bluffing a straight face and no-selling us on reaction. The variable pressure approach is probably optimal. You want good cop, or bad?"

It was never good to assume that he was the only one who could be bad cop because of his looks, and Kaoru definitely had that dog in him. He wanted to give the other Genin the opportunity to have a little fun, since he had been obviously dissatisfied with the mission up to this point. Zura, on the other hand, had reported in and then mentioned something about having to take a leak, then afterward going to scout the area again for more leads. Shigeo couldn't complain about the enthusiasm, at least.

"We know what the guy looks like, so he should be pretty easy to find," Shigeo told Kaoru.

Words: 219
Mission: 15/15
Tokonatsu Kaoru