|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2020 2:01 am
 ใ C K R A : :x1,260 // 1,260 ใ tab ใ S T M : :x1,310 // 1,310 ใ tab ใ X P : :x2320 ใ tab ใ ไธก : :x32,300 ใ
tab ใ Wanderer ใ tab ใ A-rank ใ tab ใ Jiongu ใ tab ใ Nin / Tai ใ tab ใ Theme: Tanada ใ
I guess I really have changed, huh? Takeda thought after Kagerou's gentle (still kind of annoying) treatment of his forehead and hair. He might've felt patronized or insulted once, but he matured at least enough to know that it was just her way of doing things. It was affectionate at best, but far from patronizing at worst. Regardless, he didn't mind her touch, and having her hand make its way through his hair felt nicer than he thought it would. Getting called "Takeddy Bear" would take some getting used to, though. So long as she refrained from using that kind of nickname in front of his clients, he could live with it.
He didn't argue with her at all when she tried countering his point about being left behind, though a large part of him wanted to say something. It'd be easier for her to understand once she knew everything that happened. If there was anything he agreed with, it was that there was a better time and place to catch up.
"Yeah, that's the guy. So long as whatever you need to talk to him about doesn't get in the way of what I need to do, I'd be glad to have you along." He wouldn't pry into what it was she wanted to ask Jed, but he also wasn't going to give her free reign on his mission. He worked with others a few times since escaping his captivity and learned the hard way to keep others' ulterior motives in check when Ryo was involved. That wasn't to say that he didn't trust Kagerou. Hell, there wasn't anyone in the world he trusted more. He just needed to let her know that if knocking Jed unconscious was the only way to complete his objective, she'd need to worry about asking her own questions later.
"Also. The hand on Kagerou's back went to the top of her head to ruffle her hair. Truly a ruthless act. "Call me weird nicknames like that in front of my clients, and I'll show you no mercy. I take my work very seriously." Even if the message itself needed to get across, his tone was anything but serious. He felt that being a little playful would help the mood if she was bothered at all by his prior warning. That and the temptation to mess with her hair in some way was growing stronger with every moment that he had to look down at her. It wasn't his fault that her lack of growth in the past few years made her such a prime target. If she didn't pull back or fix it herself, he'd gently pat her hair back in place and finally break their embrace. Before parting completely, he moved his hand over to gently squeeze hers in a final show of affection. It wasn't much, but he wanted to show some form of silent appreciation for how much she cared.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2020 10:36 pm
  Did she just move back? Away from a hug? Kagerou? That Kagerou who's crazy about hugs? Well, yeah, she did. After freezing for a small moment, her hand naturally raised up to push Takeda's arm out of the way while he ruffled her hair into a thorough mess. She stepped back at the same time, so that she wasn't only separating Takeda from her head. After all, they would need to go inside at some time.
Running her hand through her hair to set it back into place, not like she had a meticulously kept style on in the first place, the young woman gave a roguish smirk in reply to Takeda's latest warning. This one about his nickname and the one before about making sure she didn't interrupt with Jed, it seemed that Takeda didn't think Kagerou took her work seriously? Well, it wasn't so bad if he had that image of her, and to an extent, especially on that first concern of her interfering, he had plenty of reasons to think that. Putting some finishing arrangements to get her hair to fall comfortably, Kagerou teased, "Fine fine, Takeddy bear. I'll let you take the lead." Her tongue stuck out in punctuation, and unlike Takeda, she wasn't so nice to give him time to reply back.
The door right behind Kagerou, seems like she'd been backing into it while brushing and talking, was opened as soon as she finished her sentence. In that moment, as she transitioned right into her next sentence, her tone changed to accomodate for her additional audience: Takeda's clients. Speaking in a calm, pleasant lilt, she made clear, "These are your clients and your mission, Takeda, so I won't interfere until you let me know it's okay." Of course, that was only so long as Takeda wasn't in any life threatening danger. "Just at least leave him in a state where I can talk to him eventually." It may have been years, a decade or half perhaps, since they last saw each other, but she was sure she didn't need to beat the dead horse that was her opinions on violence. At times, it was necessary and unavoidable, yes. Though, she would rather it not be.[22 sentences]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 8:07 am
ใ C K R A : :x2925 // 2925 ใ tab ใ S T M : :x3200 // 3200 ใ tab ใ X P : :x39430 ใ tab ใ ไธก : :x32,300 ใ
tab ใ Wanderer ใ tab ใ S+ Rank ใ tab ใ Jiongu ใ tab ใ Nin / Tai ใ tab ใ Theme: A New Case ใ
Takeda almost accusingly stared at Kagerou for a few moments after she broke off the contact between them. It was far too out-of-character (and far too rude to stop me from making Takeda a serial headpatter) for him to just ignore, but then the possible decade lost began catching up to him again. He was so caught up in the nostalgia that he forgot how much things changed. Noting it down in his mind that he shouldn't touch her that way again, he placed his hand back down and made his attempt at moving on. There, tied with a nice little bow and placed in the back of his mind forever.
He tuned back in just in time to hear her call him by that nickname again, and he responded in a deadpan manner. "Hey, you're pushing it." He would have continued "scolding" her if he didn't notice the door opening behind her. Whether intentional or not, it was an awfully smart way of avoiding his "wrath."
Kagerou gave final confirmation that she'd avoid interfering with the mission, and Takeda nodded in response. He didn't like having to draw clear lines in the sand with her because he trusted her unconditionally in the first place, but he went through a crash course in learning that things could be thrown out of proportion if something was unclear during a mission. He didn't respond to what she said after, but she should've known after their last interaction that Takeda had no intentions to hurt Jed unless the guy brought it on himself.
He walked in first since the door was opened for him, immediately noticing the "home-y" atmosphere. There were things cluttered around, but nothing seemed to be there without meaning. Everything had some sort of sentimental value or purpose. There were family portraits that confirmed his theory about a third child and a plethora of strange cat merchandise. The oldest child, though...there was something familiar that he couldn't place just yet. Walking in further, he made his way into the kitchen where the kids were eating at the table, and their mother was drying off her hands with a towel. She smiled in greeting, and he silently returned the gesture, wanting to bring out his journal and pen before continuing. "Thanks for waiting, Ayaka. I couldn't introduce myself at first, but I'm Takeda, and this is Kagerou. She'll be working with me for this. Now, I have some questions about this request but knowing who the leader of these guys is cut out a lot of the work, thankfully. I'll start with the most important thing first: Where is Jed holed up at?"
Ayaka was putting her towel and utensils away while he spoke, content since her motherly morning duties were complete. "I appreciate you both coming. So long as I can get these people out of our hair, I'd be happy to answer any questions. His crew has been operating out of a joint warehouse at the harbor south of town. They've been bothering anyone around that side of town too. It's just...been a mess since they forced their way in. Come with me." She let out a shaky sigh and moved from the kitchen to the living area. Sitting on the couch, she gestured for them to do the same on one of the others.
Takeda didn't waste time thinking of where to sit and just picked a random spot on one of the other couches. He was much more invested in adding what he heard to his journal. "If you don't mind me asking, what did you borrow the Ryo for in the first place? How long have you been paying it off?" He paid attention to her body language to spot anything off about her, but she easily handled the question.
"It's for my oldest daughter, Nao. She wanted to learn how to defend herself without joining Arashi's forces, so we paid for her courses at an institution meant to teach chakra control and self-defense to people who live outside of the shinobi villages. She's living there while she learns, and I don't think she knows anything about the changes that have happened here. That's for the best, though. If the ryo stops and can't pay for her next year of courses, she'll know what's going on and handle it herself. I can't risk her getting hurt; I'm sure you understand. Oh, right, we've been on the plan since moving here."
Recognition lit in Takeda's eyes when the name was mentioned, along with the teaching facility. "I see. His hand was moving on auto-pilot, scribbling away in his journal when he finally noticed it. His eyes read over it once, then twice, and then he shot his gaze up to meet Ayaka's. "Wait, you're still receiving payments while giving ryo back at the same time? Let me guess. After paying back a fair amount of what you owed, the original deal was that you'd be trusted to borrow more again. "
Ayaka nodded in response. "It wasn't a bad deal at all with the old group. They managed the payment plans in a comfortable way for everyone, and it based the time until payment on the family's income. They'd then take a few months off to collect everything and start again at the beginning of the next year. Almost everyone in town has been involved with it, but...well, things have gone off the rails ever since Jed took over. It's a lot less forgiving, and they threaten to pull all funding at times. What we get doesn't match up to what we owe like it used to, and we're sure a lot of that ryo has been lining their pockets instead."
Finishing up the entry in his journal, Takeda finally closed it with a sigh. "You must really feel like you lucked out, Jed." He muttered underneath his breath and stood up, putting the journal back in his cloak pocket. "That's all I needed to hear. I'd be glad to get rid of this problem. Is there anything you want to ask first, Kagerou?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 7:01 pm
She walked in after Takeda, complimenting his severe business style with a breezy smile, as if she hummed a light ditty though no sounds came out of her lips. She nodded, bowing a small bit, at her introduction, then relegated herself to the background. Surrounding herself with a lighthearted air that suggested important talk would have little bearing on her, the kunoichi subdued her presence in plain sight as she looked curiously about the house.
When offered, the green haired assistant too a seat on an ottoman to the side, where she could watch the whole meeting without moving her eyes. The family portrait, the mother's nervousness, Takeda's recognition, or even the mutter under his breath. None of these escaped her passive intake of the information that surrounded her, even when there was no reason to be so observant. Well, none other than getting to know her dear friend once again, relearning all of his old habits, and learning some new ones as well. He proclaimed that the world had left him behind, but she didn't see that. He had changed, and that calm she had sensed in his eyes earlier, she continued to see as he handled this discussion in a professional and neat manner. Such well organized work ethic was something Takeda always had, but somehow, its taste seems to have refined over the years. Seeing him having matured so without her knowledge, eyes lighting up with memories of some story she knew nothing about, made Kagerou both curious and happy.
She did not forget the scars she felt beneath his clothes, and just thinking about them brought worry, doubt, and a now familiar sense of failure to her mind. However, she trusted this Takeda in front of her now to tell her about that pain at the right time.
...
She had to trust him. She didn't want to risk pushing him away, making another mistake.
Only when addressed, and thus given permission, by Takeda, did Kagerou make any effort to have a presence more than "that one girl." She thought for a second, and figured out what she wanted to ask. "Where are the original lenders now? Did they work from the same warehouse Jed and his gang do now? If a client wants to go and meet Jed, would they go to the warehouse, or is there an office elsewhere?". With each question, Kagerou raised a finger to count, stopping with three fingers raised. She had no notebook like Takeda had out, but she maintained her manners, sitting primly with legs pressed together and hand not raised resting in her lap.[26 sentences]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 8:26 pm
ใ C K R A : :x2925 // 2925 ใ tab ใ S T M : :x3200 // 3200 ใ tab ใ X P : :x39430 ใ tab ใ ไธก : :x32,300 ใ
tab ใ Wanderer ใ tab ใ S+ Rank ใ tab ใ Jiongu ใ tab ใ Nin / Tai ใ tab ใ Theme: A New Case ใ
The question she asked was a good one. He noticed that it was something he'd never consider asking, but that's what always made them work well together in the first place. He initially planned on waiting outside while she asked what she needed to, but he found himself curious about Ayaka's response.
"Right now they're staying at the inn here in town free of charge. The details are still a bit up in the air, but it looks like Jed's crew started making some indirect threats on the business weeks before he arrived. Letters, warnings, little ominous things here or there. Though nothing was said, there was a pretty strong impression when they showed up that our loaners had to either move out or risk having their business burned down. The messages sent strongly suggested arson. They concluded that letting this other group "run" things until someone could clear them out would be better than losing all the ryo and records stored there." She let out a small sigh of relief. "This town would be nosediving if their business got destroyed. Anyways, there's no separate office. To what I can tell, one side of the warehouse is for business, and the other is some living area or hangout spot for them. You'd go there for a meeting, but it's rare for anyone without a high income to actually make it through the front door. Most of the interactions are done through letters, and I was scared that he was starting to send his people to our doors when I saw your friend. No offense." She shot an apologetic smile towards Takeda.
Not particularly bothered by the comment, he waved his hand dismissively. "None taken. Thanks for the information, Ayaka. Kagerou, I'll be waiting outside." He figured Kagerou would want to follow Ayaka's question with something, so he took that opportunity to step out for a moment. Multiple things were contributing to him wanting to leave, the first being that it was strange for him to be in the home of a person who didn't particularly like him. Secondly, he'd rather go through his preparations alone. Once he was a few steps outside the door, Takeda took a deep breath and formed a hand sign. It took a moment for the chakra to build at a singular point, and he dropped the sign when he finished. With that done, he'd spend the rest of his time making sure that his pair of tonfa was ready to be dropped into his hands at a moment's notice.
I'm not surprised she hasn't asked yet, but I'm starting to wonder if she's going to at all. He thought to himself, going through a couple of full swings with the batons to ensure that the grip was normal. They were, and it was easy to go from a defensive stance with the weapon parallel with his elbows to an offensive one that had the batons extended outwards. Could be that she forgot what I said in the letter. I guess I can bring it up to her again when it's quiet, and we're alone. He tried stopping his thoughts there, but it was hard for him to deny that he wished she would be the one to ask. It was a lot easier for him if he didn't have to bring it up. However, it couldn't be ignored, so he'd have to make a move if she didn't.
Oh well. There were other important matters at hand. Flipping the tonfa back into its defensive stance, he moved them back up his forearms and clipped them in place so that they'd be "holstered" for lack of a better word.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2020 12:47 am
Though the young woman smiled lightly, the gravity of the situation on the shoulders of the mother in front of her did not escape the situation.
"Ah," Kagerou uttered, a little taken aback at Takeda's sudden leave. Though, to say she was surprised wouldn't be accurate either. She smiled, of course, blowing out a little huff as she recognized that the blunt loner parts hadn't completely disappeared. Not to say she didn't understand. Ninjas were humans steeped in secrets, after all, or at least, that's what they originally were. Takeda was just honest about it.
Well, that honesty left Kagerou without her social shield, but that was hardly something to lose a smile over. Facing the client once more, this time with a slightly calmer, more mature air to her bright self, Kagerou filled the shoes Takeda left behind and asked, "Mrs. Saitou, if you don't mind me asking a few more questions..."
In the following exchange, Kagerou confirmed that the documents would likely be in the warehouse, and more specifically, on the residential side, wherever Jed was likely staying. That, in turn, was most likely the boss's private quarters. Feigning foreign ignorance, she even asked about which inn the original lenders were staying in, making sure to clearly mention that she thought about going to meet with them. This, too, was answered honestly, and the motherly host was even kind enough to give Kagerou directions to the inn from her house. However, through it all, whether it be about the warehouse or Kagerou asking for recommendations on the best food to eat at the inn, the chipper kunoichi found that her smile simply bounced off of the grey cloud of worry that metaphorically surrounded Sayaka.
Though, with how she had described the whole incident with the lenders, Kagerou couldn't say she wasn't surprised she would be so worried. No doubt the Saitou family's funds were tight to be putting a help wanted request on the Himawari mission board.
Takeda could just leave after getting all the information, and as a shinobi, that was probably the best thing to do. He and she were doers, they got jobs done and that's how they helped the people they wanted to help. However, nonetheless, leaving the mother like this left a bad taste in Kagerou's mouth. Plus, she had to admit she had a burning curiosity about what Takeda had been doing in these last few years.
Figuring Mr. Lone-Wolf-Who-Thought-One-Letter-Was-Enough could wait a little longer, Kagerou gave her brightest smile yet and boldly asked, "Your daughter, Nao, she sounds like a bright girl. How is she doing? And if you don't mind, can I ask which institution she trains at? I've heard several sponsored or otherwise arranged by the Yamanaka have popped up around the Lightning Empire territories of Water Country as of late." Curiosity aside, she also knew, that what many a mother loved the most were her own children. She knew it painfully well.
[26 sentences]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2020 1:44 am
 ใ C K R A : :x1,260 // 1,260 ใ tab ใ S T M : :x1,310 // 1,310 ใ tab ใ X P : :x2320 ใ tab ใ ไธก : :x32,300 ใ
tab ใ Wanderer ใ tab ใ A-rank ใ tab ใ Jiongu ใ tab ใ Nin / Tai ใ tab ใ Theme: Tanada ใ
Ayaka smiled reassuringly at Kagerou, only slightly ashamed that her worries were on display to a complete stranger. "Come on, now. I kind of liked it when the boy was calling me Ayaka; it made me feel a bit younger." She joked but stopped herself when she realized that she was just about to bite her nails. Okay, maybe it wasn't the worst idea to discuss things. Her hand rested against her cheek, and she allowed herself to get pulled in by Kagerou's sweet, inviting smile. "Nao's a sweet girl, but she's always been a bit...bull-headed. So long as she's pointed towards her future, that's fine, but that girl has far too many connections in this town for her own good. She's been helping people as much as she could ever since we moved in, and the whole town felt it when she left. I noticed how dependant people were on her once she was gone, which is why I'm starting to think...well, she's taken a lot longer to respond to my last letter than she usually does, and my husband's been too busy working to check with the school. I have a bad feeling that someone's told her about what's going on here." She knew that Kagerou was smart enough to put the pieces together after that. If that girl who tackled all her problems head-on discovered that not only was someone extorting her family but the whole town she protected? It wouldn't end peacefully.
"Right, and the school. It actually started as an institution dedicated to training those who lost their homes or families after the great flood that happened quite a few years ago. It was started maybe a year or two after that by a former medic of Kirigakure. Matsuki-san is her name. Matsuki Emiko's institution of self-defense is also named Shifting Tide by the community. It also used to be exactly where you said, but a few months ago they relocated near the border, which is why Nao has to live out there. I'm...actually a bit surprised that you didn't know all of that, given who your partner is." She paused, thinking it over once more. Those definitely weren't entry-level, and that model wasn't provided to graduates either.
"Maybe I'm wrong, but he was using relatively slim metal tonfa, right? That weapon type is what's largely taught over at Shifting Tides, and you need a pretty good understanding of it if you want to graduate. They start novices off with heavy, almost unwieldy ones and then give them better models as they improve. Even our Nao's is probably twice the size of the one your partner was using. It might be just a coincidence, but it's rare to see anyone else use them out here. Sorry if I jumped to conclusions."
It may have also been a coincidence that Takeda wouldn't be standing outside anymore once Kagerou eventually made her way out.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2020 4:00 pm
"Then perhaps Ayaka-chan?~" Kagerou teased, head tilting lift and right in time with the playful lilt in her voice. It was but a joke, however, as she made clear with her next line, "I can see why you're worried for your daughter, Ayaka... I have heard of the Shifting Tide institution in passing. Though, I admit I didn't know Takeda had gone there. We've only just reunited after a long time apart, you see." She spoke frankly, forcing herself to relax so that she didn't start over-analyzing and over-reading all of this new information regarding Takeda. It was enough already when her mind started speeding through with the knowledge that Takeda had been in Water Country long enough to advance through an institution. She had been so certain with her guess that he had been avoiding the country altogether, but at the same time, if the master of the institution had been that doctor, then it made sense.
Well, at least she could be rest assured that this institution Takeda had spent time at wasn't what had brought him to the lowest. Even better that it was Dr. Matsuki. Even Kagerou had to concede to her when it came to expertise in internal medicine.
Since Takeda had started talking to her, did that mean she also had permission to start looking into this herself? Hm... Knowing Takeda, probably not. He would want her to ask him first, so then she would ask him first and then talk to him about that red stamped mission.
"Please, don't feel sorry," Kagerou kept on replying to the pink-haired mother fluidly, without any pause to indicate her thoughts, "In fact, I'm flattered that it looks like we're so close. I don't think Takeda would mind me letting you know this, so I'll say this. Earlier, it looked he had recognized her daughter, and if I know Takeda, he definitely won't let her get hurt if he happens across her during this mission. I'll also keep an eye out for her." Her head nodded once, reassuringly, to hopefully ease some of the worry that mother had for her daughter.
All that came after was a few more short exchanges, some pleasantries, and the usual winding down to an end between two individuals who were comfortable chatting, a housewife and, though unmarried, a kunoichi who was well accustomed to gathering information from housewives.
It took a while, admittedly. After all, niceties took time, but Kagerou figured Takeda would wait. He wasn't one to just ditch and leave, even if they weren't officially working on this mission together, she figured that they had at least agreed to go through it together.
But no. He wasn't there. Though, he did leave a note. Hearing the flutter of paper as she passed through the door, Kagerou caught the white sheet of a lined notebook page from midair with little more than a glance. Though, in case Jed had gotten smarter and had set people to watch around town, she masked the sharpness of her motions by holding the paper where she caught it and staring at it with a hint of confusion in her smile, almost as if she had only accidentally noticed it and caught it in time.
"He knew Nao from before... Did he also think the same thing?" Kagerou wondered as she brought the note to herself, "He might have been worried for her. Anything could have happened in the time I took to talk." She blinked down one side of the hallway, then down the other. Walking forwards, into the street, she looked straight ahead and then straight up, leaning and swiveling to look up to the roof of this two story residential building. "Could he have seen something from here?". Her head swiveled back down, and with utterly relaxed casualness, the kunoichi's scarlet gaze skimmed across her surroundings, searching far more keenly than what her tilted shoulders, jutting hip, and hands held loosely behind her back posture gave away. "Nothing more than this note that says he's going to scout the warehouse. Nice of him to guess I was interested in talking to the original loaners."
Red eyes did not shift when they saw a familiar purple shade flash briefly through her peripheral vision. However, she did start to move once she saw, neatly folding and pocketing the note as she started walking to the warehouses. Arms stretched up as she gave one big yawn while walking, closing an eye that remained close even after the yawn finished. With the bells that rang as she stretched and the eye that closed when she yawned, Kagerou activated Kagura Mind's Eye and swiftly maneuvered her ghost of an eye into position. First, hovering over the spot she was just at, then going through a quick circle around her to flush out any interesting parties, and lastly at the warehouse, which was not only the place Takeda promised to be but also where Nao would most likely beeline to if she happened to know.
[46 sentences]____Infinite Perception โ Your specialty is more in sensory than in sealing or summoning. You are able to discover things such as demon chakra, or the type of technique that is about to be active (Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, etc.), even specifics such as Bloodline type and rank from any active sensory technique. This discipline allows the user to be able to sense their enemyโs ninjutsu attacks and their composition, which grants a -2 rank reduction to dodging with the dodge mechanic X-ranked skill so long as it was used within the range of the userโs sensory abilities. You can release yourself from genjutsu at one rank lower in kai chakra release but with no benefit in pain release. In addition, the user's sensory abilities are extended fifty feet per rank of the technique. As a master tracker, you can advance in the ninja hunter and special ops careers for half as many Oinin Butai and ANBU missions completed. Upon reaching Initiate in Oinin Butai, you gain the Eagle Eye perk innately so you can choose one other Oinin perk as well. When you use a sensory technique with jamming you can double the jamming effect, this ability applies to one technique per three posts.
โฐ Kagura Mind's Eye [ Kagura Shingan ] | Rank X [ Learned as B ]
User covers one eye. For each rank, the user can examine an additional thread. This reveals anything a naked human eye could witness, but with the benefit of being able to move into aerial positions and through building restrictions. If the user has doujutsu, they are able to perceive through their doujutsu's special abilities passively if they have any. At S+ rank, this can be used to view an entire subforum.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2020 11:14 pm
ใ C K R A : :x2925 // 2925 ใ tab ใ S T M : :x3200 // 3200 ใ tab ใ X P : :x39430 ใ tab ใ ไธก : :x32,300 ใ
tab ใ Wanderer ใ tab ใ S+ Rank ใ tab ใ Jiongu ใ tab ใ Nin / Tai ใ tab ใ Theme: A New Case ใ
"So, you're going to make me ask. How long have you been staking the place out, Nao?" There was a path overlooking the warehouses with a gate blocking sight between the two. Well, that was normally the case, but Takeda noticed a breach in the gate. It wasn't too long after that he found the pinkette nearby.
The girl was noticeably shorter than him, maybe 5'2", with two pink tonfa batons crossed in a holster on the small of her back. Her green eyes were defiant, and her body language was stand-offish. "Couple of days now. Not that it should mean anything to you. What are you doing so deep in water country anyways, sensei? I thought you hated this place." Her frown broke into an uncontrollable grin when she finally focused on the top of his head. "And what's going on here, huh? Why didn't you look so presentable back at Shifting? You here on a date or something?" It wasn't uncommon for her to try and go off-topic in exactly the way she was doing. She got Takeda with it the first couple times she used it on him, but he wasn't anyone's fool. She reached up and tried to mess with his hair only to find her arm caught like it was nothing.
"I'm actually getting paid for the work I'm doing now. I have to care about how my clients see me." He defended himself plainly, even if he didn't really need to. "A couple of days...you're trying to learn their sleep patterns. See when you can sneak in and grab what you can." He dropped her arm and frowned at her, crossing his own arms over his chest. "Look, Jed isn't stupid. I'm sure he's just waiting to put his foot down on this town, so don't think he won't make an example out of you." His eyes scanned her side and saw the end of one of her batons sticking out from near her hip. She noticed where his gaze was turning and tried to slink away a bit, holding her hands behind her back to cover what she could. "You haven't even finished your third course of Omoi Shinso. What are you trying to prove, Saitou?"
His words stung her. He knew that. Even if the concern in his eyes betrayed the scolding tone he took with her, she wouldn't be able to ignore it simply because it was coming from him. I should've waited with Kagerou. She might be able to understand her better because I never have."
"No no no no. You held me back at the academy, you won't do it here too. This is MY home, and just because you didn't believe in me back then doesn't mean that I can't believe in myself now. This place may not be much to someone who grew up in Kiri, but I can't sit back and watch it suffer." She wasn't quite seething, but he could tell that there was desperation in what she was saying. It could've been that she really felt helpless about everything but couldn't ask for help because of pride. Or maybe he did create a complex in her after he gave her a failing score.
He didn't respond to her comments about where he grew up. That would just lead to him getting into his past, and he didn't need the pity of his students. He did, however, reach into his cloak pocket to pull out his journal. Breaking eye contact with her, he found the page containing the information regarding her mother's request and the notes he took. Holding it out for her to see, he finally responded. "I don't plan on sitting back and watching it suffer either. I have my own reasons for kicking Jed out of there, but this became more personal once I sat down and spoke to your family. I...look, do you remember why I held you back?" He took a page out of her book in changing the subject, and thankfully she went along with it.
"Because...because I refused to work with others. All the other instructors gave me fair scores, but you failed me because I did everything on my own. I've really reflected on that, but..." He interrupted her before she could start tapping into that rebellious nature of hers again.
"Instead of fighting me every step of the way, try proving me wrong."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2020 10:09 pm
The head of pink, though not someone Kagerou had never seen in person before, was instantly recognized based on circumstance alone. She had expected as much. After all, this is the way so many stories went. "He's found her," she relayed aloud as she swiveled and maneuvered her astral eye into a position where she could spy on the two, read their lips.
"Isn't that an invasion of privacy?" a voice like liquid mercury slid from Kagerou's side. Evidently, the dark-haired speaker had been the individual who Kagerou had been relaying to.
The one scarlet eye that yet worked for the younger kunoichi's body swiveled, much like the disembodied eye had earlier, to match the other speaker's purple eyes. She teased, "How did you know?". Her question didn't seek an answer, however, and there wasn't even a smidgen of surprise in it.
And since the question did not require an answer, of course Kagerou's companion did not give an answer.
The two women falling into silence once more, Kagerou returned to reading the lips of the two.
"You here on a date or something?"
"Pffffft."
"Compose yourself... and have some dignity."
"I can't help it, Mura-san-ki. I like the kid. She's got spunk~"
"Mura-san-ki," or Murasaki as she would much rather be called, helplessly let out a breath of air. Her eyes never left observing Kagerou for long.
Kagerou could feel the gaze, similar to her own, and she continued to enjoy peeking in on Takeda's and Nao's privacy, avoiding the gaze of her cousin. It was rude, as Murasaki had pointed out earlier, but it was doing wonders for keeping the conversation on her side right where she wanted it. That being said, she was still seriously absorbing what information she could glean from reading the lips of the two. She couldn't understand everything said between the two, but she understood enough. Besides, words were only one form of communication. There was body language, too, and seeing the body language between the two softened Kagerou's laughing grin into a content happiness.
"Kagerou."
There was a disagreement, clearly, something all too much like the older shinobi telling their junior that it was too dangerous.The younger didn't agree at first, but she was being persuaded, and the older was getting through how much he understood. Even seeing how Nao's words stung Takeda made Kagerou smile. She was glad, really glad, that Takeda had found someone to care about and for, and despite what that awkward look of his said about his confidence in speaking to this ball of energy, Kagerou thought he was doing fantastically.
"Kagerou"
Takeda was having a touching moment in front of the warehouse. She could sweep in an assist him, as his expression seemed to be wishing, or she could leave him alone with the sweet moment and work off-screen to aid and ease the infiltration process. In that case, should she go to the inn? If she only knew of a way to tip Jed and his crew off to the original lenders are receiving outside aid, she could draw some of his forces away from the warehouse.
"Aka."
Finally, that got Kagerou's attention. or rather, she couldn't pretend she couldn't hear that nickname. The green haired kunoichi stopped trying to avoid eye contact and moved her one normally functioning red eye to the side, meeting with the other's calm purple orbs.
The slight shift in Kagerou's smile did not escape Murasaki's notice. However, she mentioned it not, and mentioned only what was needed, "If you're afraid of losing him, find some way of stopping him."
The crimson eye closed with a smile, "That's easier said than done, you know?".
"I don't care about him," shaking her head, Murasaki clarified, "I don't want you distracted." It was her way of saying that she didn't need to hear Kagerou's excuses or answers. "It's become clear what she wants."
"No," the reply came immediately, an instant answer that had to be quickly adjusted into something that would give the impression of an unbiased answer, "matter how clear the answer might be now, it can always be changed. It's a good thing, in a way. We just need to look at the silver lining. She has a reason for doing this, and it's not malicious, so if we can jus-"
"Aka-" As Kagerou began rambling, she was cut off, "-gerou. We can't buy much more time." Certain that her companion understood, the purple eyed kunoichi did not stop after Kagerou suddenly halted, and before long, she was lost in the crowd.
Kagerou stood her ground, and in the end, she squinted up into the bright blue expanse above. A layer of friendly clouds floated across, giving substance to the azure void. Tonight, the forecast called for a clear, cloudless night and a near full moon. In short, to any shinobi worth their salt, it would be as bright as day.
That was tonight, but for once, it wasn't a future Kagerou could simply push off until later. Nonetheless, she smiled. Murasaki was right, she should try to get Takeda off of this mission. At the same time, she needed to prepare on the very likely chance Takeda refused. Reattune herself to working together with him.
"The warehouse, then," Kagerou decided, "and without a moment to spare." With a flick of her hand, she tossed her hair back over her shoulder as she took the turn that will take her to the warehouse. Despite all that thinking, though, she simply walked at a casual and comfortable pace to her destination.
[65 sentences]____Infinite Perception โ Your specialty is more in sensory than in sealing or summoning. You are able to discover things such as demon chakra, or the type of technique that is about to be active (Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, etc.), even specifics such as Bloodline type and rank from any active sensory technique. This discipline allows the user to be able to sense their enemyโs ninjutsu attacks and their composition, which grants a -2 rank reduction to dodging with the dodge mechanic X-ranked skill so long as it was used within the range of the userโs sensory abilities. You can release yourself from genjutsu at one rank lower in kai chakra release but with no benefit in pain release. In addition, the user's sensory abilities are extended fifty feet per rank of the technique. As a master tracker, you can advance in the ninja hunter and special ops careers for half as many Oinin Butai and ANBU missions completed. Upon reaching Initiate in Oinin Butai, you gain the Eagle Eye perk innately so you can choose one other Oinin perk as well. When you use a sensory technique with jamming you can double the jamming effect, this ability applies to one technique per three posts.
โฐ Kagura Mind's Eye [ Kagura Shingan ] | Rank X [ Learned as B ]
User covers one eye. For each rank, the user can examine an additional thread. This reveals anything a naked human eye could witness, but with the benefit of being able to move into aerial positions and through building restrictions. If the user has doujutsu, they are able to perceive through their doujutsu's special abilities passively if they have any. At S+ rank, this can be used to view an entire subforum.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2020 3:34 pm
ใ C K R A : :x2915 // 3275 ใ tab ใ S T M : :x3550 // 3550 ใ tab ใ X P : :x39430 ใ tab ใ ไธก : :x62,300 ใ
tab ใ Wanderer ใ tab ใ S+ Rank ใ tab ใ Jiongu ใ tab ใ Nin / Tai ใ tab ใ Theme: A New Case ใ
"Thank you for understanding. Now, there are a couple of things I want you to know before we move forward with this." Takeda started, seeing Nao straighten up and pay attention. It wasn't long since he quit teaching, but his career change made the sight nostalgic. The pinkette just barely acquiesced to his involvement, so he knew that telling her to leave everything to him wasn't going to fly. No, he had to accept that she'd be tagging along regardless of his efforts. She was only starting as an intermediate fighter the last time he saw her, so he couldn't risk her getting into a direct fight with Jed at all. As far as he was concerned, his best bet was to let her cover one of his weaknesses.
"First, I'm going to handle this without fighting if possible. I know this guy, and he gave me a pass a long time ago because of our history. I don't think I'll get that same chance twice, but I can stop him from immediately throwing his friends at us. That tiny opening is our only hope for diplomacy." He told her, his expression showing that he wasn't going to tolerate being interrupted or ignored. He was sure she knew that one wrong step would take her off of his group regardless of what kind of fit she'd throw. "I have a friend here in town with me who'll be tagging along. She's the best I know when it comes to Iryojutsu, and we have a history when it comes to working together. Her name is Kagerou, and if combat is the only option, I want you to defend her. If it turns into a worst-case scenario and I have to take on an entire warehouse, I can't protect her while being on the attack, and she'll probably be too busy supporting me to defend herself. We haven't come up with a concrete plan or anything yet, but that's the role I want you to fill if the plan we do come up with fails. Understood?" He knew it'd be best to cover those bases before anything else. If anything happened and she tried to fight alongside him, he knew she would end up falling behind. He could take on many semi-trained thugs without tapping into that, but it was more difficult if he had to worry about two other people.
~~~~~~
The conversation ended up going his way in the end, somehow. He supposed there was some value in what Emiko said once about how his students respected him more than they let on. The problem came from his age. He wasn't too much older than them, so taking his judgments in stride was difficult.
Finding Kagerou, thankfully, was also easy for him. She ended up taking a path not too far from his own instead of going to the inn, and the bells did the rest of the work. "Hey, Kagerou." He called out, hoping to get her attention. Assuming he did, he'd gesture towards the pinkette accompanying him. "Sorry for running off. Once I heard what Aiko said, I knew I'd catch this one snooping around somewhere." An elbow made its way for his side, but he sidestepped out of the way before it could connect, his demeanor unphased. "She was one of my students from an academy on the border. She'll be tagging along, so...please accommodate her." He looked away, a twinge of embarrassment on his features. Or was it shame? He'd gotten suckered into the whole arrangement, from teaching in the first place to allowing Nao to tag along. I'm too soft now.
Nao huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "If anything, I'm allowing you to let me tag along. I could just walk into that warehouse right now." It was more of a jab at her sensei than an actual threat. She knew full well that she'd have no chance on her own, but it was interesting to watch him try not to scowl at her in front of their new company. "Anyways, I'm Saitou Nao. Sensei's told me good things about you, Kagerou-san."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2020 7:16 pm
Long hair waving in the light breeze, Kagerou wandered through the dull warehouse streets looking for Takeda, but also at the same time, wondering if Jed and his crew would find her instead. With her bells out and ringing, it was painfully apparent that she was putting no effort into stealth.
In the end, her choice to forego hiding worked out the way she had hoped. The young woman was found by her friend as she was looking down the other end of the intersection. Alerted to his presence by his voice, the green haired kunoichi turned her head sharply and gave a friendly wave as she approached with long, quick strides.
She took the initiative to observe as Takeda and Nao said their pieces. A small smirk came through her smile as Takeda turned away embarrassed. Her eyes looked over Nao with keen interest as the young girl began talking and not just at Nao, but she also paid attention to the weapons that both of the tonfa users had.
"No, it's okay," Kagerou assured Takeda when it came her turn to speak, waving a hand in front of her face, "I found the note, and had my own ways of confirming it." She turned to Nao, "Besides, don't look so embarrassed~ If I had such a cute, valiant student, I don't know if I'd be able to say 'no,' myself~". Her voice lilted and curved playfully, but the giggle she gave at the end seemed to punctuate a return to a more normal tone. "It's nice to meet you, Nao. I'd be humble, but I know Takeda not to be the one to give empty praise, so whatever he said of me, I'd trust," the red-eyed woman admitted with the ease of telling truth, extending her hand with the greeting in offer of a handshake, "By the way, I have a question, Nao. I know you've been away at the institution for a while, but it sounds like the original lending business has been around for a while and you did come back knowing what was happening, so I thought you might know best how to answer this. This town is pretty much desperate to get rid of Jed, huh? Not just because he's a ruffian, but also because a lot of the loan customers probably won't be able to hold up financially for much longer without the original loan agreement? Is that why you're in such a rush? Because you don't want to see any of the people you love and care for having to shut down their ways of life?". Lackadaisical as her afternoon walk through town to get here had been, as usuual, the medic hadn't just been slacking off. Empty restaurants that should have been receiving their first wave of lunch customers, inflated prices of goods in order to keep up with the rise of cost of operations due to Jed's extreme collecting, and most telling, the whispered murmurs of a couple conversations she had caught snippets of while walking. Her earlier gut instinct of the desperation behind posting a bill on the Himawari mission board was proved correct.
However, getting rid of Jed would only get rid of the problem. From what Kagerou understood, a solution was still needed. Well, perhaps it wasn't that desperate, as the solution was still in town. Specifically, in the local inn and the warehouse right in front of them. All they had to do was make sure both remained safe while extricating Jed.
[27 sentences]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2020 3:51 am
ใ C K R A : :x2875 // 3275 ใ tab ใ S T M : :x3550 // 3550 ใ tab ใ X P : :x39430 ใ tab ใ ไธก : :x62,300 ใ
tab ใ Wanderer ใ tab ใ S+ Rank ใ tab ใ Jiongu ใ tab ใ Nin / Tai ใ tab ใ Theme: A New Case ใ
Takeda listened to Kagerou, then waited for Nao's response. He'd come to the same conclusion she did, but he had no intention of bringing it up. For him, the job ended when his task was completed. He wouldn't complain if he did some good along the way, but it wasn't his prerogative. His partner, however, was definitely the type to see things all the way through. If it were anyone else and if his student's family weren't involved, he would have already been dragging unconscious bodies out of the warehouse without caring for what else happened.
"Yeah. I've been watching them for a few days, so I know that they're aware of how wrong all of this is, but they don't intend to stop or leave. It seems like they had another base farther out, but it was too dangerous for them to stay there or something. Not only do they feel safe here, but they're also filling their pockets. It's a good deal for them, and they don't seem to care too much about what happens to the town in the end. I really don't know too much about how finances and the exchange of ryo works in this town if I'm honest, but I can clearly see that it's hurting every person that lives here. Even though I want to go into that warehouse and pummel everyone there, I know I can't handle all of this alone. I know that it's not the best answer, too." She stated boldly, showing a courageous side to her that Takeda was familiar with. He witnessed her get bullied for it quite a bit when he first started teaching, but her charisma ended up winning over a loyal group of friends.
"Can't run it alone? I never thought I'd hear that from you. Guess you really are growing." He teased in his own way, though he definitely did mean well. He was proud to know that she wasn't the same girl he had to give a failing score. "Although, I'm surprised that you're the only one here. If you told any of them about this, I'm sure they would have tagged along without a second thought. Let me guess. You don't want to make your problems their problems too." He paused a moment to gauge her expression, noting the way her smile quivered. It was small, but it was simple for a teacher to deduce their student's honesty regardless of whether words were said. "It'll hurt them more if they find out about this. I'm not going to scold or lecture you. Just take some time to think about how you'd feel if they left you out of something this important." He felt a bit bad about cutting into Kagerou's conversation, but he wasn't going to pass on an opportunity to guide one of his own.
Nao was obviously going through her own internal dispute, but rather than taking a positive effect as Takeda wanted, her smile widened into something more devious than he was comfortable with. "Kagerou...Kagerou-san, now that I'm thinking about it, I think I've heard from sensei about you even before today. Yeah, I think in some of his lectures, he'd bring up how..." Her mouth was open, but no words were coming out after that. She blinked a couple of times, then tried again. Once more, she only emitted silence from her lips. It took her just another moment before her eyes glared daggers towards Takeda, suddenly recalling one of his 'teaching methods.' That glare was just met with a polite, dismissive wave, and her eyes caught the blue chakra dissipating on his hand before it went away completely.
"Anyways... He started, turning his gaze back to his scarlet-eyed partner. He hoped that she wouldn't have another whole host of questions about their little exchange, otherwise he'd never introduce her to his other students. Except for one, he treated them all like rowdy children. "What was it you were wanting to say next, Kagerou?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2020 10:27 pm
For a moment, just a small moment, Kagerou felt almost attacked with what Takeda had to say to Nao. Then two things happened. First, she obviously knew that there was no way he would know enough to be trying to slide a hidden message to her. Second, that wasn't his way of doing things. Third, that suddenly devious smile meant something. Something Nao knew but Takeda didn't to want to make Kagerou's problem.
That Takeda stopped her through some mysterious force was almost as telling as that smile.
Kagerou grinned--possibly smirked--at the teacher-mode Takeda, perhaps a little disappointed to see nothing but a normal expression as he waved off Nao with a hand that still had the vestiges of chakra.
A host of questions, she certainly had, but she's had a whole library of them since meeting Takeda. A few more to the stack was something she could bear with, especially now, after she'd gotten used to controlling herself. She merely closed her eyes and nodded, still smiling. "Don't worry, I'll barrage you with my questions when the time is more appropriate," she assured. It was at once a (playful) threat and a promise that she wouldn't try to sneak information out of Nao or through any other means. Well, so long as Takeda didn't disappear on her again. "Anyways, I was thinking Nao and I should secure the documents while you're handling your mission," Kagerou answered, "You'll make the perfect distraction for us to sneak in, and while I doubt it will be needed, it'll put us in a good spot to split the enemy's forces on your signal. But..."
In the short pause that lingered, the red eyes that had been turned up to the blue sky above darted down and scrutinized the young man to her side from head to toe and then back up. "Though it would be too dangerous to expect Nao to infiltrate alone, that also means you'll be fighting without a medic." While she gave a refreshing smile, concern was equally apparent in Kagerou's eyes. Takeda would be able to handle his own in a fight, with or without a medic. This, she knew, but knowing would never stop from caring. [21 sentences]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2020 11:22 pm
ใ C K R A : :x2875 // 3275 ใ tab ใ S T M : :x3550 // 3550 ใ tab ใ X P : :x39430 ใ tab ใ ไธก : :x62,300 ใ
tab ใ Wanderer ใ tab ใ S+ Rank ใ tab ใ Jiongu ใ tab ใ Nin / Tai ใ tab ใ Theme: A New Case ใ
"Right. About that." Takeda started, shifting his gaze over from Kagerou's red eyes to the pink hair of his student. Nao knew what he was going to say before it even left his lips, something he appreciated. The girl was sitting down at a bench just a couple of meters away from them, her own gaze focused on the end of her tonfa stick. She was cleaning the metallic barrel at the end with a soft white cloth, presumably lost in her own little world.
"I didn't want to bring it up if I could help it because it has a lot to do with the talk we need to have later. Skating around the truth doesn't feel right, though. I'm medically trained, with a good grasp on the techniques associated with that. The president of the institute I taught at, Emiko, trained me in exchange for a few favors." He continued with a deadpan stare towards the green-haired medic, but she likely had more than enough experience to know that it wasn't hostile in the slightest. "Assuming I'd be in any real danger from some glorified bandits, though...you really haven't changed much." It was just a small attempt at deflection. He wasn't comfortable with hanging on the topic of his medical training just yet, or even Emiko. The best time to discuss those things would come later, after all the business with Jed and when they were alone.
He made a brief gesture towards Nao in order to counter the jutsu he sealed her speech with, though she continued in silence regardless. She was an impulsive girl but she had good intuition. Her gut must have told her to stay out of the conversation for a moment and he was grateful for that. Almost everyone in the facility knew that Emiko was training Takeda privately, but exactly what he was learning was never disclosed. If he was keeping his medical training a secret there was likely a reason why.
"Anyways, Jed is going to want a fight, but I'll try to avoid that outcome for as long as possible. I got one over on him the last time we met so he's bound to have a chip on his shoulder. I'll lead him on for as long as I can so you two can do your job, and if things get violent I'll be sure to give you both a signal."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
