[Jūryoku Ume]

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Ume wasn’t particularly thrilled with the assignment–to babysit a trading post buried in the northern country along the banks of the Bonchikawa. It was tedious, far from the types of things that interested her. But when she arrived, a familiar spark of interest began to flicker. Opulence had a way of catching her eye, and here it was, laid out in ostentatious splendour. [break][break]

She wasn’t surprised. She knew Taro well enough—wealthy, yes, but with the subtlety of a man who had never been told "no" in his life. The trading post had reportedly been partially functional for the past few years, but it looked more like a fountain of unchecked wealth.[break][break]

The buildings sprawled along the river’s edge, lavish decks hanging out over the water. None of them bore even a hint of practicality. If anything, they resembled vacation estates, playgrounds for the rich rather than structures meant for commerce. Ume’s lips curved ever so slightly, amusement flickering in her eyes behind the tint of her sunglasses. Taro had clearly funnelled additional government funds into this project, likely under the pretense of trade. There was something happening here, sure, but it wasn’t just trade.[break][break]

She’d bullied her way into the bookkeeper’s files with ease, despite the many protests from staff. If Taro had wanted to keep secrets, he should’ve hired thugs instead of shinobi. With a sharp eye, she combed through the ledgers, each line of expenditures and shipments protecting hidden secrets for her keen eyes to discern. Discrepancies practically leaped off the pages at her, their usefulness immediately clear.[break][break]

But Ume wasn’t the kind of woman who wasted valuable information by reporting it. No, she had no interest in ratting out the man. She could already see the many ways this information could be used—leverage, influence, quiet control over one of Nohara no Kuni’s wealthiest men. A subtle smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. Taro was foolish, yes, but in that foolishness, he’d handed her something precious.[break][break]

She inhaled the sharp air, the scent of river water mingling with the lit cigarette between her lips, and flicked the folder closed. One day, she would sit across from Taro, this little file dangling just out of his reach, watching the desperation flare in his eyes as he tried to steal back his secret. Not today, though. [break][break]

Her real mission, of course, had little to do with sifting through paperwork. She was here to protect the post while construction continued, though the whole project reeked of inefficiency. The outpost had been under construction for years, constantly harassed by paid bandits sent by Taro’s rivals. It was a small, predictable game. [break][break]

Standing at the river’s edge, she cast a glance at the sprawling buildings, looking for Futago Chichi. That woman was off doing… something. [break][break]

SPOILER: Click to show

Trading Post Trouble[break]
MISSION RANK: B[break]
NPC REQUIREMENT: Optional[break]
PARTICIPANTS: Up to 4[break]
DESCRIPTION:[break]
With the main structure secured, it's time to begin building up the actual trading facilities in Taro's latest business venture. His competitors are undeterred by their initial failure, however, and are now sending combatants with shinobi training to finish the job. Capture or kill the attackers to complete the mission.[break][break]

Must be completed: Estate Establishment

---

Futago Chichi Futago Chichi – ~~~

[attr="class","credits"]made by gimmick

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[Futago Chichi]

True leadership was always kept out of the pinkettes hands. She was hardly responsible for her own actions, but with her summons she proved a base level of team management. Sadly her motivation to make chuunin didn't actually revolve around anything productive. She was generally troublesome.

Still her promotion and more importantly her debts meant, she could and should be doing more high rank missions. Thus here she was at the northern country amid 'important' construction. Her mission was to protect the build site... or was it to assist the building? She'd discarded the mission details shortly into her travel so certainty was put the window.

Attempting to look busy she'd pretend to screen the workers. "For security reasons, I need to pat you down." She'd tell the arriving construction crew, before patting each of them down. Finding a flask on one She'd confiscate it for 'safety reason' to dump out it's content. Which would translate to her during her back on the worker then downing the whole flash before returning it.

No one else seemed to be a joyous or fun employee, but at least she'd given herself the perfect excuse to grab ass. The joys of firm human animity were appreciated by the Futago. Though the majority being business first left Chichi feeling unwelcome.

No new entries of workers would leave the woman unable to look busy. More importantly her attention span was too short, so a few minutes of standing at the constructions entrance she'd wander off.

Ume had to be somewhere, surely they needed Chichi's glorious company. Aimlessly wandering off, it'd be almost certain they spotted Chichi first. Despite her goal being to find her partner. Her attention would be lost to each shiny bit of metal or majestic dancing butterfly. Her barely dressed form surely causing the nearby crew or passerbys to look to her too. Discretion wasn't her specialty.

[Jūryoku Ume]

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It didn’t take Ume long to spot Chichi, the woman wandering aimlessly around the construction area. As useful as always, Ume grumbled to herself, irritation flickering behind her calm expression. Over time, she’d learned quite a few things about Chichi—both good and bad. And unfortunately, they were all true.[break][break]
Despite that, Chichi had her moments. Capable enough when her mind wasn’t drifting, or when she wasn’t off finding a bottle to drain. A cocktail would be nice though, Ume mused briefly, and maybe a quick cigarette. But as she approached, she shook the indulgent thought away. There’d be time for that later.[break][break]
"Thought I’d find you here," Ume said, her voice light, the gesture even lighter, as if Chichi could’ve been anywhere. Coming up beside her, Ume pulled out a box of cigarettes, slipping an unlit one between her lips before casually offering the box to her teammate. Maybe there was time for a small indulgence after all. Whether Chichi accepted or not, Ume lit her own. She held it out, offering it without a word.[break][break]
"Taro’s an embezzling rat,” Ume said, exhaling a thin stream of smoke, her tone as nonchalant as if she were commenting on the weather. "Luckily for him, I’ve got a soft spot for rats.”[break][break]
She doubted Chichi had a clue what she was talking about—and that was part of the appeal. There was something satisfying about speaking to someone who would forget the conversation in a matter of minutes. Like therapy, but without the risk of gossip. [break][break]
Ume stole a glance at Chichi, wondering—not for the first time—if the air-headedness was a facade or if the woman was truly as absent as she seemed. It didn’t really matter. Chichi had her uses, and Ume wasn’t interested in untangling whatever mess was going on in her teammate’s head.
Her gaze shifted back to the construction, the cigarette hanging loosely from her lips as she scanned the area for any sign of trouble. The bandits hadn’t made their move yet, but that didn’t mean they weren’t watching.

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Futago Chichi  – ~~~

[attr="class","credits"]made by gimmick

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