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1Conflicting Interests [Seiryu, Private] Empty Conflicting Interests [Seiryu, Private] Thu May 19, 2016 9:50 am

Bokuden

Bokuden


D-rank
Five seats surround a round, wooden table in a dimly lit room. In four of the chairs sit four individuals, each with their faces shrouded in darkness, the weak shine of the small lamp at the center of the table falling short of reaching their seats.

~~~

“Why does it feel like we’ve been in this exact room, having this exact conversation before?” spoke an elderly woman as she leaned into the table, illuminating just enough of her face to reveal the wrinkles lining her skin.

“Because we have,” responded the somewhat younger man across the table whose hair was tied up in a bun before sucking in deeply the flavored smoke of a hookah pipe, filling the air with a citrus aroma as he exhaled.

“If I recall correctly Councilman, the last time we had this conversation you assured us that she would no longer be a problem,” the elderly woman continued, leaning back in her chair and fanning herself with a folding fan.

“She wasn’t.” the second man, thickly bearded and adorned with a turban, interjected, his eyes narrowing and looking towards his female colleague.

“And now she is. What happened?” The woman replied snidely, snapping her fan shut to accentuate her point.

“Everything was going as planned until that Kumo shinobi made an appearance,” the bearded man answered begrudgingly, the tension between the two weighing in the air.

“Former Kumo shinobi. He’s a deserter now. And a murderer,” the smoking man chimed in nonchalantly before blowing a single smoke ring into the air, providing a brief moment of lightheartedness before the two other members continued their verbal contest.

“And he’s been gallivanting about Sunagakure with the head of our special forces commander and a former kage. I thought we were rid of him months ago?” the shaded woman snarled from behind her fan.

“Well, he’s come back,” her adversary growled through his teeth.

“And ever since he showed up the first time, she has become more and more of a problem. That problem persisted even after he left. I’m not looking forward to a round 2,” she continued slyly, “Maybe if you took care of her the first time we wouldn’t be in this predicament.”

“And I was supposed to predict someone like him showing up out of the blue?” the man replied, his irritation clearly audible in his voice.

“Not being psychic doesn’t excuse you for being blind,” she answered with a smirk, clearly meaning to antagonize her colleague.

“Excuse me? And I suppose you would just like us to turn a blind eye to your failure at keeping this man out of our hair for good?” the man barked as he leaned forward on the table towards his adversary.

“He wouldn’t be the issue he is now if you had just done your job properly years ago!” she rebuffed, clearly flustered by the reversal of accusations onto herself.

“Well maybe if-“ he begun before being cut off by the fourth council member at the table, who had yet to make his voice heard in the exchange.

“Enough,” A commanding voice announced as its owner leaned forward into the light. “What we need now is solutions, not more of your insufferable bickering. So unless you have an answer to our problem right this moment, I’d prefer you remain silent.” The owner of the voice was a young man, at least two decades junior of any other person at the table. Despite this age difference, there was a great deal of reverence placed in his input by his three colleagues, who all fell silent upon his decree.

“It might be wise to simply eliminate both of them once and for all and get them out of our way for good,” the woman answered, opening her fan once more and fanning her face as she leaned back into her seat.

“Seconded.” The smoking man agreed.

“I agree as well.” The bearded councilman answered in conjunction, despite his obvious displeasure with agreeing with his female colleague.

“So you wish to turn the village into a battle ground and present our problem for all to see?” the young man questioned, “And how many men are you willing to throw to the slaughter to make that happen? These are not targets that we can just send anyone to deal with, let alone together.”

“So we target them separately. Quietly. Not a battle, an assassination,” the older woman insisted.

“I am disappointed in your haste to push for her assassination,” the young man announced with a visible frown, “That is a valuable asset you are so eager to throw away.”

“She’s dangerous,” the woman added, almost pleading her case, “She can’t be controlled.”

“No, I don’t believe that,” the young man said before leaning back into his chair and letting out a sigh, “She isn’t touched. I’ll handle her personally.”

“And the other?” the bearded councilman questioned as his female colleague conceded her argument.

“Unnecessary,” the young man answered casually, ”Feel free to make the call. Who do we have in mind for the job?”

“I know just the one.”



-862

Seiryū

Seiryū


D-rank
His morning started off like any other, lying in bed until it was well passed what was an appropriate time for most shinobi to get up and out of bed to begin what it was they wished to do. For Seiryū, seeing as how he had no mission lined up today and wasn’t in the particular mood to go out and train for a few hours, he chose to laze about in the comfort of his own home until his hunger truly hit him. Seiryū’s lack of desire to train today stemmed from a training session from a couple of days ago, one he wished hadn’t happened – or at least one that he wished had gone differently. IT was sufficient to say that Seiryū was perfectly fine with having next to nothing to do today and being able to move on with his usual routine the following morning. Rolling over, the left side of his face resting against the sheets of the bed and slightly peeking his right eyes open; his eye caught the light that entered through the open blinds. He should’ve closed them the previous night, but the thought simply hadn’t occurred to him as he had dropped himself on to the bed.

Knowing that he wouldn’t be getting any more rest than he already received, Seiryū lazily pushed himself up with his arm, before flipping over once more so that he was nearing the edge of his bed. Moving his lower body to plant his feet on the carpeted floor below, Seiryū used his feet and hands to get up and out of the bed, the blanket he only slightly used becoming a mess at the foot end of the bed. He went over to his dresser, the only other piece of furniture, aside from his bed, in his unfurnished room. He grabbed the first couple of articles he found, which happened to be black pants and a dark-red shirt. Lazily getting dressed, Seiryū began to make his way out of his bedroom and into the adjoining living room – kitchen combo. Breakfast… that’s what he needed, even if it was just nearing noon in another hour. He knew his own supply of food was limited and immediately went for the fridge. Not wishing to spend too much time debating his ‘breakfast,’ Seiryū reached for the bread, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and other ingredients that would be needed for his simple breakfast.

Another five minutes later, Seiryū was done with his sandwich, along with the orange juice he drank to compliment it, and had been tidying up the kitchen from the construction of the sandwich itself. Everything was normal, nothing out of the ordinary could happen in his home, for only a few people ever entered it and he hadn’t seen any of them since they were inside for one single occurrence. Yet, the moment there was a resounding knock on his door, for he knew his landlord wouldn’t be bothering him as he paid the rent and cleaned up the mess from a few weeks ago, Seiryū was curious as to who it could possibly be. Slowly making his way to the door, his eyes wide open, and only with his senbon and kunai on his person, Seiryū would take the utmost caution, even if it was unlikely that he would face an enemy inside his apartment building. Turning the doorknob gently and easing the door towards him, Seiryū was granted by the sight of a young male suna-nin, one who was proudly wearing his hitai-ate The boy looked to be in his early teenage years, thus it was likely he was a chuunin or genin.

“Imada Seiryū? I’ve been sent here to inform you that the council of Sunagakure no Sato has summoned you. They asked for your presence within an hour’s time. They said to come prepared to be deployed immediately from the village.”

Seiryū looked at the boy once more, trying to figure out why the council would need to see him of all people. It wasn't that he was going to deny the summon, but rather thinking about potentially why they would, that he hadn’t answered immediately after the boy spoke up. “I’ll be there.” Seiryū would answer shortly after, his tone calm as he still continued to wonder why. The boy nodded and took his leave, seeing as Seiryū would have to get ready, likely for some form of a mission. He couldn’t wrap his head around why they needed to summon him, if a simple dossier could supply him with such information. Unless they wanted to keep this quiet. Taking a breath and closing the door behind him, Seiryū immediately made his way towards his bedroom to get changed in to something more appropriate for combat.

He quickly undressed and redressed himself in to a dark-purple dyed leather jerkin, and wrapping his hands up with bandages. He wore dark boots as well that were mostly hidden by the loose-fitting white pants he wore. The only other thing he had was the mask that covered the lower half of his face and neck, though that was pulled down currently as he found no current need for it. It was simply to protect himself should whatever the council asked of him caused him to venture out in to the desolate sands of Kaze no Kuni. Grabbing the rest of his weapons; his bow, arrows (with a quiver), senbon and kunai, Seiryū made his way out the door to his home, not bothering to lock it up behind him.

His journey to the council’s chambers flew by as Seiryū took a relatively quick pace, even if they had given him an hour to be prepared. Better to be early rather than late. Stepping through the front door of the building that housed their meeting chamber, Seiryū was instantly greeted by a secretary. Providing her with the few details he was provided about his meeting, along with his name, she nodded and told him to hold on one second. Not even a minute passed before he was greeted by a masked man – an ANBU or something – that would lead the way to the chamber. Seiryū trailed after him and just a few short minutes later, he was greeted by the sign of two giant doors that would lead him to his destination. Outside stood two guards, one on either end of the door. The one to Seiryū’s right talked to the ANBU and after the brief conversation, the door to the right was pushed open for Seiryū to enter; one guard stepped in to announce his presence and then shortly after stepped back out to allow the archer to enter. With a lax pace, Seiryū made his way to the chamber, a darkly lit one, but with one empty chair that was likely meant for him. He would take his seat, but not before scanning the room quickly once more. He wouldn’t be fully on his seat, for his bow and quiver, along his back provided a slight obstruction, yet the discomfort wouldn’t bother him.


1203|1203 Total

Bokuden

Bokuden


D-rank
Three swift knocks on the door signaled to the Council member that had arranged the summon that his prospect had arrived. With the rest of the Council in recess, at his own request, the tall, bearded man would be able to put the initial steps of his plan into motion. The first step? Recruiting this young shinobi he had summoned for a special job. The man stopped just short of the door that would lead him into the meeting room in order to take a look in the small mirror mounted on the wall, in which he would ensure his turban is placed properly and pull up the single sheet of cloth that would hang down from the sides of his headdress, masking everything from his nose down. He was now ready to be seen.

“Open,” he commanded as he stood before the closed door, prompting one of the two guards that flanked the door on the outside to reach over and open a path for the Councilman. Once his path was clear the man proceeded forward with no hesitation, his long strides ending in loud thuds as his boots hit the marble floor beneath him. As he approached his seat, the guards would illuminate the room, allowing both he and his guest a full view of the Council’s summons chamber.

A lone seat in which the young man sat rested down in the center of a circular space, surrounded on all sides by ten foot walls with pillars evenly spaced apart. At the top of each of these raised pillars sat a chair, representing a Council member associated with that seat. For most who entered this room from the wrong side, that is to say, the summoned persons entrance, the experience was usually rather intimidating, but then that was the intention. Especially if an individual stood to be put on trial, the visual of being stared down upon by the Council high on their pedestals was a powerful tool to invoke fear or reverence.

That was not the purpose of today’s summon, however, as evidenced by the absence of all but one Council member. In this case, the purposeful selection of this room was both a matter of procedure and to allot a certain amount of formality to the assignment that was to be given. Serious matters called for serious behavior, after all. In that train of thought, however, the Councilman was rather displeased to see one of his shinobi seated when he entered the chamber. Formality called for all to rise as the Council entered or exited a space and ne seated when they are seated, something that had apparently this young man had missed. The Councilman said nothing as he made his way over to his seat, which he stood next to, but never sat in. He would not utter a word or make a gesture, but instead stared intently down at Seiryu, for as long as it would take for him to get the hint.



-501/1363

Seiryū

Seiryū


D-rank
Formalities were a pain as far as he was concerned. They were ingrained in his education when his father wanted to keep him around, for his was one of the more prominent clans in the village; along with one that forced ‘tradition’ down his throat. Seiryū’s upbringing and the events the followed after being abandoned by his father, let Seiryū come to the conclusion that anything ‘proper’ or following ‘tradition’ simply didn’t sit well with him, nor did it seem that ever would. What purpose was there for Seiryū to follow something that ultimately fell in line with the very same people who wanted nothing to do with him? What reason was there for him to follow tradition when survival took precedence? For Seiryū there was no room for tradition to be part of his daily life and that was what seemingly brought him to his current predicament; one where he simply wished that tradition could simply be thrown out the window and the matter at hand could simply be addressed quickly so everyone could get on with what they needed to accomplish.

The moment the lights in the room brightened up, Seiryū already knew what he was in for, for the first minute or so. Purple orbs watched the man take his place next to the seat where he would sit, yet the motion to sit never came. Seiryū knew exactly what the man wanted from him, yet there was no reason for Seiryū to make notice immediately what the man silently demanded of him. He was simply an orphaned child from the slums that really wasn’t educated in the ways of tradition that the council tended to follow. Even if most people could attribute to learning such things from the ninja academy, Seiryū hadn’t attended due to the Kōga’s traditions and his own upbringing. The only thing he went to the academy for – ever – was to take their ‘graduation’ exam to become an official shinobi of the village. Over the years Seiryū picked up more of the things the academy had taught its students, but he only cared for the practical aspects that he could actually utilize in some form or the other. Feeling the penetrating stare hadn’t had much effect, if the council wanted him punished, he doubted he’d be here in front of one single member. If they required something of him, they would still be present.

He waited a decent amount of time, no more than an additional five seconds more than was necessary before his own eyes sparked to life, a silent clue that he now became ‘aware’ of what the councilman had wanted from him. With slow ease, Seiryū would silently stand up, not uttering out a single word until he would ‘officially be spoken to’ nor would he take his seat until it was ‘demanded’ of him. Honestly, traditions were a pain as far as he was concerned, just an added layer of unnecessary actions that could easily be done without.


507|1710 Total

Bokuden

Bokuden


D-rank
That certainly took a while. The Councilman had no intention of continuing without seeing the summoned shinobi go through the proper motions, as per formal procedures that he had expected all shinobi to have basic understanding of. But as the seconds ticked by, he was growing increasingly impatient with how long it was taking the young Jounin to get the hint. For what felt like forever, though only a few seconds had passed, Seiryū finally raised himself to his feet, standing silently and appearing to await further instruction. Any longer and the Councilman would have regarded it as an act of impudence, or attribute the lack of response to slow-wittedness. Although he finally followed through with what the Councilman was expecting of him, it was rather disappointing to see how long that took – he had expected an immediate response. His initial expectation was that the young man should have been standing even before the Councilman’s entrance. Pushing his dissatisfaction aside, the Councilman took a seat. A brief nod was given to the other occupant of the room as a silent indication that he was to be seated as well.

“Imada Seiryū. I trust that you have no idea what you have been summoned for, otherwise there will be a price to pay from those sent to retrieve you.” As far as he was concerned, the message to be delivered was a summon to see the council – with no specifications as to who exactly he was seeing and what they would be addressing. The purpose being that in addition to maintaining utmost secrecy regarding the details and even the existence of the mission, it also served a purpose in adding a bit of uncertainty and apprehension to the summoned. The Council was rarely in direct contact with the shinobi of the village, and it was an opportunity to remind the outside of its existence and standing. Something that apparently was necessary, given how this young shinobi failed even the simplest of tasks – to stand before a Councilman until asked to be seated.

“You are being requested to complete a mission. As a newly promoted Jounin, we are asking that you take on an assignment that is suitable for someone of your rank.” With this, he paused, steely eyes analyzing Seiryū’s expression. His physical position, sitting far above the one he was addressing, allowed him to see every visible aspect of the other individual. “And we hope you can demonstrate that you are capable of completing this task, as we have chosen you specifically.” Despite his young age, the Jounin had an impressive track record, and had proven that he was capable of completing missions effectively and efficiently. Qualities that they needed if they were to find the deserter. His skill set, as far as the Councilman was concerned, would be enough to at least put up a good fight. Even if the solo assassination failed, it would hopefully put the former Kumo shinobi in a vulnerable state for someone else to finish the job.



-506/1869

Seiryū

Seiryū


D-rank
Chewing on the inside of his mouth, his lilac orbs trained forward on the figure ahead, Seiryū would only take his seat once the Councilman had nodded. Mentally, Seiryū was sighing. Did a nod really have to convey that message? Wouldn’t a simple “Sit,” be just as effective, if not more so? He really couldn’t understand or grasp the concept of that action alone, even if he for practical purposes knew what the man was attempting to convey to him. The distance between himself and the man was sufficient along with the difference of vantage points, so it wasn’t simply for Seiryū to get a glimpse of the man’s features or the expressions that would flit across his face during… whatever this impromptu summon had been for. He knew – or rather surmised – there would be no introductions from the Councilman’s part, though he’d certainly there be one on the Councilman’s part, a name or something or another. His own awareness only extended to things that directly affected him and the council had never been on that radar, nor did he think they’d ever appear on it. But, alas, this summon said differently – he could live without knowing who exactly the man before him was, even if a bit of research would provide him with that bit of knowledge. Stubbornness that was what it was. There was no use for him to attain knowledge that had no use for him.

Seiryū listened to what was to be said, taking in each and every word the man would relay to him. There were likely bit and pieces missing that Seiryū wouldn’t receive, but if he received the general picture, he’d be able to put the pieces together. If he could fish out that information, he would. Knowing that this summon was important and the task it held more so, Seiryū wasn’t willing to go in to a situation entirely blind.

Being tasked to go on a mission was a given, a conclusion that Seiryū had reached the moment he knew he was being summoned. It was either that or something else entirely that few had the knowledge or awareness of. Simply put, Seiryū wasn’t worried about that. His own expression remained neutral – passive – even as the Councilman noted that this assignment was suitable for his rank. “And we hope you can demonstrate that you are capable of completing this task, as we have chosen you specifically.” While it was nice and all to know that this Councilman believe in his ability to complete whatever task it was they were sending him on, the lack of details about what he would be doing was a tad bit annoying. Even knowing they would be covered soon enough, but letting them be covered over in fluff words, simply had Seiryū sitting in quiet impatience. He waited a beat, not really bothering to voice out a concern right now. Instead his expression morphed in to one that displayed his need to know more about what it was that they wanted him to do.

Even with his disregard for formalities, he wasn’t sure if the male figure wanted him to speak or not. Whether it was worth it or not – for Seiryū’s own ego – to comment, he refrained from speaking aloud right away. Should there be an ample amount of time that the Councilman had paused, only then would he speak up, otherwise Seiryū would remain silent. The question he would ask would be plain and simple, to know what it was required of him to do; afterwards he would explore the other details. “What exactly is this mission?”


616|2326 Total

Bokuden

Bokuden


D-rank
“Patience,” the older man began, scribbling a note on a sheet of paper before looking back up at Seiryu, “You would not have been summoned here had we not intended to give you an assignment. You will get the information you seek, I will get there when I’m ready.” Carefully he folded the sheet of paper, making sure to double up on the pressure applied to the creases, ensuring a perfect line, and then handed it to an attendant that quickly whisked it away without a word.

“Inuzuka Yui,” the councilman stated, “I’m sure you know who she is. Former kazekage, current director of Sungakure’s ANBU division. She has held some prestigious titles… amongst other things that have brought her notoriety to the point where anyone with even the slightest knowledge of the affairs of this village would recognize the name. But for certainty’s sake…”

The councilman paused for a moment before raising his left arm towards the door. “Enter,” he commanded, prompting the doors behind Seiryu to swing open, allowing the passage of one of the masked guards from outside. Without so much as uttering a word, the guard would extend his arms containing two manila folders, one on top filled to the brim with paperwork and one below which was practically empty. The councilman would then gesture for the summoned shinobi to open the topmost folder. Once Seiryu had taken the top folder and opened it to peruse its contents the councilman would continue. “What you have before you is Sunagakure’s file on Inuzuka Yui. Obviously we have removed information that the village deems to be sensitive information. If you pay attention to current events, very little of this should be new to you.”

The councilman would sigh as he folded his hands together in front of him and refocus his vision directly at Seiryu to establish eye contact. “Of course we within the council and all citizens of the Village Hidden in the Sand are grateful for her service both as kazekage and as a shinobi of our village. She has gone far beyond what could be expected of even the most dedicated soldier for the defense and longevity of her home and that quality is commendable. That being said… since her resignation as kazekage she has become more and more of an unknown factor. We of the council have gone to great lengths to protect her reputation by covering up the less honorable of her activities in this time under the understanding that as a former kazekage she is not simply a shinobi, but a symbol of the village. Also, up to this point, her endeavors have not presented any credible threats…”



-451|2320

Seiryū

Seiryū


D-rank
Patience… he certainly had that, though Seiryū often times found himself wanting to cut straight to the point. Given that this was a private summon and even more private given that the rest of the Council was not present, made him wonder about the nature of the mission at hand. His eyes followed the motions the Councilman was making, letting the words register in his mind while honing in on a select few details the male councilman would deliver verbally. The man had finished writing down whatever it was on a piece of paper before handing it off to the attendant who stood behind him. Seiryū had yet to notice the attendant not due to the lack of awareness, but instead because the attendant wasn’t going to give him anything of use.

The name the man had mentioned was familiar. Inuzuka Yui was a recognizable name due to the position she previously held within the village and the positions she currently occupied as well. A former Kazekage, a Sannin, and currently the director of the ANBU for Sunagakure as well were all titles Yui held at one point in time. Seiryū’s exact knowledge as to Yui’s stance as Kazekage and current affairs were currently, more or less, unknown to Seiryū as there was no need for him to seek them out now. He heard about them in passing, yet never really bothered to look in to it himself. The past was the past, and what Yui had done during her reign was during a patch in his life where the foreign affairs of the village were of non-importance to Seiryū. Seiryū knew one day he would need to learn more, considering he was… a jounin of the village, and it would eventually be expected of him to be aware of the foreign affairs of his country and how it related to others – hell, he was likely expected to know it by now, but he simply hadn’t bothered with it. Her name was definitely known to him, her actions not so much.

With the Councilman pausing to allow one of the masked guards to enter, Seiryū took a moment to juggle the idea that this mission would have something to do with Yui, to some degree at least. Yet, his mind couldn’t exactly find a solution as to what it was they wanted of him. Did they want him to assassinate her? That idea just seemed… off. If it wasn’t that, then Seiryū had little to no clue what they were going to ask of him regarding one of the former Kazekages. Knowing there was no point in questioning it and that he would be provided with his assignment soon enough, Seiryū’s eyes traveled to the guard who had two manila folders extended towards him. The size of one was the exact opposite of another; one empty and one that barely held the contents within. Seeing the Councilman motion for him to take the top one; the one with numerous contents within, he slowly reached for it, taking it out of the guard’s grasp. Slowly easing the folder open, not wanting to create an unnecessary mess of the pages within, his eyes roved over the top file, highlighting that the folder regarded information on the former Kazekage whom the Councilman had mentioned.

He flipped through the first three or so pages before essentially disregarding the folder in his hands. Seiryū’s eyes remained trained on the sheet of paper, though his attention was focused once more upon the Councilman’s words. If the Council considered her an unknown factor it was likely they wanted to remove an unknown factor, so they had their absolutes. Yet, it didn’t make much sense when paired with the notion that the Council had been ‘protecting her reputation’. Whatever it was, it was likely they needed him to make sure they didn’t need to do that unnecessary work again in the future. So, it was likely that his assignment wasn’t to target Yui, but something or someone that was causing the council distress.

“Up to this point.” Seiryū would repeat those words the Councilman had ushered. With his own purple orbs no longer on the document in his hands, but rather to the Councilman, Seiryū would slowly raise the conclusion he had been able to reach. “So, whatever this issue is… its becoming something that’s more than a pain to deal with time and time again? His eyes would look towards the empty manila folder the guard held, a brow raised in regards to the lack of contents. Seiryū would close the folder in his hands, knowing the contents within it were pointless for him to go through. There was nothing of importance regarding the task he would be given in it. Instead, he’d simply continue looking towards the empty manila folder, not grabbing it until he was ‘allowed’. “And whatever it is that’s becoming a ‘credible threat’ is something that doesn’t have much information… or just a lot that’s considered too sensitive.” There was no tact in Seiryū’s nature currently, rather wanting to get to the point. If the Councilman would be offended or not… well, that wasn’t exactly his problem. They needed him currently. Sure they could call upon someone else, but considering they asked for him specifically, he was likely their first choice in the matter.


912|3238 Total

Bokuden

Bokuden


D-rank
The councilman would sit back in silence and allow Seiryu to play detective, connecting the dots to arrive at his own, rather obvious conclusions. It was clear that the jounin was still distrusting of the councilman and the nature of his summons. It was to that end that he was making such an effort to deduce a motive and draw out answers rather than simply waiting for the assignment to be explained to him. Not exactly ideal behavior for a soldier, but the councilman had neither the time nor the patience to discipline the shinobi he had summoned to do a job. It was surely an exercise in futility, however if allowing Seiryu the opportunity to play detective would get them to the end goal of this summons with greater haste, so be it.

“Perceptive,” the old man answered with a sarcastic undertone, his eyes trained down at the paperwork on the table before him, his gaze only making his way up to meet Seiryu’s once he was good and ready, “Now, if you’re done trying to work everything out on your own, I’d like us to get down to business. Surely you aren’t interested in dancing around the matter at hand any longer. I surely am not.”

With a gesture of his left hand the councilman would give a silent command to the guard still hovering behind the shoulder of Seiryu, who would in turn hand the second manila folder to the jounin.  Inside the folder there was but a single sheet of paper, front and back, a composite of basic information about the target, Ryuzoji Bokuden, along with a few snapshots taken of him for additional visual reference. “This is the entirety of the information we currently have on our “threat” pertinent to his combat related capabilities,” the councilman continued, pulling forth a copy of the sheet for himself to run through quickly.

“Ryuzoji Bokuden, former jounin of Kumogakure. Wanted for murder and treason. Since his disappearance from Kumogakure over a year ago, we have reports of him showing up in Sunagakure on several occasions, most often seeing Inuzuka Yui. We have reason to believe that he is attempting to convince her to conspire with him. Their exact motives we have not yet determined, but it is not beyond the realm of possibility that he seeks to threaten the order of Sunagakure the same way he did his own village or worse yet, use her to lobby on his behalf to drag us into his war. We can allow neither of those scenarios. Approximately six foot 2, two hundred and ten pounds. Given the intelligence divisions of Kumogakure’s lack of enthusiasm to share specifics on his abilities, it is reasonable to assume that they place quite a high value on his abilities, enough that they do not want to risk him being brought in by another village. For this reason it is surely preferable that he be captured alive, however you will have clearance to use lethal force given the level of danger he is likely to present. From what we were able to gather from outside sources he is a user of the ration discipline, and is likely to be skilled in other elements as well. The clan he hails from, as well as the fact that he travels with a sword at his belt, means he is also likely to be quite skilled in armed combat. That clan… they are notorious for their close ranged combat abilities. It would be unwise to engage him directly in melee combat. We do not know the extent of his skill in that regard, but we can rather confidently assume it to be high and preferably avoided. All of this is detailed on the sheet in front of you, which you of course are free to take with you on this assignment. Any Questions?”





-649 | 2969-

Seiryū

Seiryū


D-rank
Successfully resisting the urge to react to the underlying feeling that he received, Seiryū kept his eyes deadlocked on the councilman who’d rather ‘get down to business’. If that was what the councilman had wanted this entire time, Seiryū contested the reaction that he would normally display in this scenario – an eyeroll. If they didn’t want to dance around the issue, like that councilman had loudly stated, what had been the point of bring about Yui’s business in-depth? The folder on the former Kazekage certainly wasn’t needed. While the issue included Yui, Seiryū could not simply believe that her folder was necessary information for an assassination type mission. This brought on the pattern of thought as to why he was being given this information, especially Yui’s as most of it was unnecessary for the task. Choosing not to comment on this conclusion that he had reached, Seiryū instead chose to listen to whatever else the councilman had to say – the man practically demanded Seiryū not say anything more. Honestly, he found it annoying that he was silently being judged for voicing his thoughts aloud when the councilman had clearly stopped speaking for Seiryū to make his own judgements. Otherwise, there wouldn’t have been a pause. There wouldn’t have been a moment for Seiryū to get his voice out if the man had simply continued on.

The longer the man spoke, the less Seiryū was actually absorbing, only picking and choosing what he deemed vital to his future task. Silently reaching for the other, emptier manila folder Seiryū opened it to find a single sheet of paper. Though it was solely a single sheet, it contained most of the essential information on his future target, Ryuzoji Bokuden. The visual reference was definitely the most helpful – couldn’t kill a target if you didn’t know who the target was. Looking through the former shinobi of Kumogakure no Sato’s details, his ears picked up the various details that the Councilman happened to mention aloud. The man was often within Suna, seen with Yui. That certainly caused Seiryū to raise an eyebrow briefly. Seiryū only briefly took note of the conclusions the Council had reached – that he was trying get Yui to scheme with him – knowing there was a reason for why they wanted him gone. Given how the councilman had reacted earlier, Seiryū figured it wouldn’t do for him to dwell on that note. It was something to keep in the back of his mind, but not a key factor in Seiryū’s ultimate responsibility. Possibilities remained as possibilities, they weren’t concretes, but it was always in one’s best interest to eliminate uncertainties.

The main thing that stood out to Seiryū was the comment of this Bokuden character being captured alive… he certainly could do that, but it wasn’t something Seiryū’s skills were suited for. Lethal force he could work with. More notable aspects that Seiryū took note of were Bokuden’s combat skill; utilizing Raiton with the possibility of other elements and the utilization of weapons. A close range specialist could easily be handled, though Seiryū was more than expecting this mission to be far more difficult than actually described. Seiryū knew that if he couldn’t pick off his target prior to engagement, his task would be infinitely more difficult. “Any questions?”

Seiryū mulled over the details in his mind, trying to figure out how he’d go about this. He would definitely need a location, or at the very least the man’s last known whereabouts and for the sake of curiosity, knowing what exactly Bokuden was doing in their village – how he was able to constantly get in and out of the village. “What exactly is his relation to Yui that would bring him to the village?” Seiryū would want an answer for that question before getting to the sole question that would be the most informational to him. After he received his answer, Seiryū would close the manila folder, looking at the councilman. “Where are his last known whereabouts?” He doubted the missing-nin from Kumo would be currently in the village, but there definitely could a chance he was.


707|3945 Total

11Conflicting Interests [Seiryu, Private] Empty Re: Conflicting Interests [Seiryu, Private] Fri Jun 17, 2016 12:30 pm

Bokuden

Bokuden


D-rank
The councilman raised an eyebrow when Seiryu asked for specifics regarding the relationship between his target and the former kazekage. It was probably reasonable to expect that the information might be pertinent to the assignment, but it was hardly the place of a soldier to presume to make inquiries into the affairs of his superiors. Under normal circumstances, the councilman would scold the shinobi for stepping out of line, but in the spirit of getting this done as quickly and quietly as possible he would be willing to disclose just a bit of information.

“Our investigations point to their relationship being intimate in nature,” the councilman said plainly, allowing nothing but objective facts to escape his lips, “Which is why you will obviously understand that this assignment needs to be done in secret. You must be familiar with the events that led to her resignation years ago. Following the death of her previous partner, Yui fell into a bout of depression, causing her to retire from her service and isolate herself from the other shinobi of the village, turning to vices rather than her duty. In the last year or so she has finally begun to return to her former self, taking an active role in village administration and defense. She may be loyal to the village, but we do not want the village to become the target of her grief. She is still a former kage. But make no mistake, Ryuzoji Bokuden is a dangerous man. He sought out and targeted Yui specifically due to her former status and circumstances and seduced her in order to sew the seeds of his malice in Sunagakure the same way he had in his own village. His callous disregard for others is monstrous.”

The councilman’s face would contort into a visible frown as he spoke of the target, seemingly highlighting his particular disdain for that man. “As for his location,” he continued, snapping his fingers to signal for the lights of the room to dim and the wall over the door behind Seiryu to slide aside to reveal a panel of screens displaying a topographical map of the Village Hidden in the Sand. “Our intel shows us that he typically retreats from his visits to Sunagakure into the barren desert to the southwest of the village, typically stopping at a trading post just a few miles from the village to stock up only supplies and rest before disappearing once more. There have been an unusually high number of sandstorms this season in that location, making tracking him past that outpost virtually impossible. Going out on a wild goose chase into those conditions is suicide. Fortunately for us, he also seems to be waiting for the storms to settle before journeying out into the desert again. There is no definite way for us to predict with certainty what the exact duration of these storms will be and another can appear just as quickly as the first calms, so time is of the utmost importance. Even our best trackers have failed to hunt him down when he gets into that desert. He disappears, like he was never there at all. If that happens we may not have another chance. That outpost is the best opportunity we might ever get to bring him down. But once again, this must be done as quietly as possible. The council does not want to see any civilian casualties by your hand. If we are forced to explain to the public what you were doing, the next opponent you may face is a rampaging former kazekage. Is your mission clear?”



-602 | 3571-

Seiryū

Seiryū


D-rank
Knowing that the nature of the Ryuzoji’s relationship with 2nd previous Kazekage was more than strictly business put a certain spin on things. The reason for the utmost secrecy – a personal summon – for this particular assignment began to make more sense. Seiryū knew little of the Inuzuka Kazekage’s relationships, past or present, and the need to know had never been there. Never had there been a reason for Seiryū to learn what the former Kazekage had done in her free-time, with whom she spent it with, and whom she had been interested in. Today his question wasn’t due to the sudden curiosity to know, but rather the implications of Yui’s relationship with this Bokuden and what it would potentially mean for the village he had been sworn to protect. If Yui happened to become depressed because of his actions, then it was a result of his actions – but Yui’s reaction would not bother him whatsoever. He was doing what was deemed as being in the best interest for Sunagakure no Sato, which meant the assassination of Ryuzoji Bokuden. If it was true that Yui would become a detriment to the village, should she catch wind of the parameters of this mission, than she wasn’t entirely fit to be in a position of power if a personal decision made her target the village in some way or another. Emotional connections Seiryū could understand to a degree, but he’d never been in a scenario, a situation, where someone who was important to him – there never had been anyone to date – would affect his decision making process. If this assassination was required for the village, it would be done.

With his first question answered, Seiryū would await the reply for his second.

Seiryū noted the male councilman’s countenance had changed when it came directly to addressing the nuke-nin from Kumogakure no Sato. With the lights in the room dimming down, Seiryū only noticed the councilman’s attention trained behind him. Turning around to see what the man was looking at, Seiryū’s lilac orbs were greeted to the site of a topographical map of the village and more. Knowing the layout of the village itself wouldn’t help if the man retreated outside of the village – he’d have to hunt down the man more than likely. Noting the fact that he needed to leave the village and head southwest wouldn’t exactly be too helpful, though knowing about the trading post would made the cardinal direction more vital. The sandstorms, while detrimental to Seiryū’s own campaign, would be far more beneficial to him compared to his enemy, at least while he retained the element of surprise. The outpost was his best, and only, opportunity of locating Ryuzoji Bokuden. The whole issue of Yui rampaging through the village made no difference to him, if she was blind enough to follow a man instead of protecting her village – she had been a Kazekage who was assigned that duty at one point.

“Yes, it is.” Seiryū would comment, though not moving out of his seat as of yet. He’d wait for the signal of being dismissed before he would leave the chambers, for he knew where he was required to go. It all depended upon if the Councilman had anything further to say, or if he’d allow Seiryū to get on with his assigned task.


573|4518

13Conflicting Interests [Seiryu, Private] Empty Re: Conflicting Interests [Seiryu, Private] Mon Sep 12, 2016 10:08 pm

Bokuden

Bokuden


D-rank
“Good,” The councilman replied bluntly, seeking to expedite the ending of this conversation, “Then you are dismissed. I would advise moving with haste, Imada, each moment wasted is a moment closer to your target slipping through our fingers once again.” With his final message conveyed, the councilman motioned for an attendant to enter and collect the documents that he had used during the briefing. By the time the attendant had reached his seat the councilman had already begun being escorted to the exit by the nearby guards, leaving the attendant to frantically pick up all of the loose, scattered papers that were left behind and scurry behind the councilman as to not fall behind.

~~~

Location: Trading Post due Southwest of Sunagakure
Time: Later

Bokuden scanned the room carefully before taking his seat at the furthest end of the bar opposite to the entrance. The hardwood countertop of the bar extended some 30 feet across, dominating virtually the entire wall of the room, a steady curve shaping the bar all throughout. As he sat atop the wooden barstool, waiting for the bartender to make his way over, the Ryuzoji let out an amused huff at how he went about choosing his seat. Out of direct line of sight of doors and windows, positioned to avoid giving his back to any who approach, a large portion of his body concealed behind the bar counter; all habits that he picked up back when he was still a shinobi. Even after renouncing his identity as a shinobi and spending over a year in exile desperately trying to sever ties with his previous life, he still found himself unconsciously falling back into old routines. “Old habits die hard, I guess,” Bokuden muttered to himself with a sigh.

The bartender would eventually make his way over to Bokuden’s location, standing opposite of him across the countertop. “What are you having?” he spoke in a listless, disinterested tone. Apparently this place was not service-oriented, not that it mattered to the Ryuzoji who had long since passed the point of caring enough to allow something so insignificant as lazy and rude service rattle him. Upon taking a second look at the man behind the bar and the other patrons of the establishment, the white haired traveler would gain a new appreciation for just how unwelcoming this place truly was. A hole in the wall bar in the very back of a virtually abandoned trading post that sits a ways off of the main travelling roads. No one asked questions and no one cared. An ideal situation for those unsavory members of society that needed anonymity and to stay out of the public eye, a group that Bokuden had found himself in ever since he left Kumogakure what seemed like a lifetime ago. The location was perfect.

The apparently impatient bartender was not amused by the delay in his mysterious customer’s response. “Hey!” the man behind the bar exclaimed with more than a tinge of annoyance, “You ordering or not?”

“Ah, my apologies,” Bokuden replied, displaying his palms and showing a friendly smile to come off as unthreatening, “I’ll have a glass of water, please.”

The bartender looked back at Bokuden in disbelief, pausing there as if he were waiting for the customer to tell him that the order was just a joke, but no correction came. The man waited just a moment longer, all the while giving Bokuden the side eye before reaching for a glass from behind the counter to complete the order. There were, of course, chilled bottles of water in the cooler beneath the counter, but the bartender, not thoroughly annoyed by Bokuden decided that room temperature tap water was more than good enough for him. Once the glass was about three quarters filled the bartender aggressively slid it down the counter towards Bokuden who caught the glass just as it began to slide off of the surface.

Still showing no signs of being perturbed in the slightest, Bokuden took a large gulp from the glass and tipped the glass in the direction of the bartender as if to acknowledge a job well done. The bartender, only further annoyed by the fact that his overt attempts at intimidation or forcing a reaction fell flat, merely turned his back on the Ryuzoji, determined to ignore his needs for the duration of the man’s time at the bar; exactly what the man preferred. Now all he had to do was wait.




749 | 4320

Seiryū

Seiryū


D-rank
“Good, then you are dismissed. I would advise moving with haste, Imada, each moment wasted is a moment closer to your target slipping through our fingers once again.” Seiryū knew what needed to be accomplished, for the entire purpose of his summon to the Council’s chambers had been for the sole purpose of eliminating a nuisance that the council deemed was reaching the point of becoming a major threat to the welfare of the village. Knowing full well that a missing-nin from the village of Kumogakure no Sato found residence in the land occupied by the village and was able to infiltrate the village to plot with Inuzuka Yui. Whatever came of it, should anything be a result of this Bokuden character’s influence, wouldn’t be anything of benefit to Sunagakure no Sato from Seiryū had heard thus far. As such, once the councilman had officially dismissed Seiryū, he only waited a beat before making his quick exit of the building. He had an outpost to travel to and a man to assassinate; it wouldn’t take too long if everything went according to plan.

------------

Woosh.

A light breeze caught the two tail ends of the scarf he wore, the bright cloth material catching in the wind and blowing to Seiryū’s right as his eyes continued to remain focused on one spot. Having grown used to having experienced sand in varying conditions, the flying grains of sand had little to no effect in impairing Seiryū’s vision, his right forearm currently shielding his eyes as it rested on his forehead, slightly tilted forward. The lower half of his face was hidden away, masked by the scarf he had tied around the back of his head to add a form of anonymity, though primarily worn to avoid swallowing grains of sand should the wind pick up and become more wild than its current state – forceful, yet not stifling. This was a normal instance compared to the array of weather that Seiryū had faced in the past – the weather of Kaze no Kuni could go from one drastic end to another; from stifling heat to raging winds. The weather, however, would be ignored mostly for the task Seiryū had at hand, though he would certainly need to take the wind in to account should he take his attempt from the outside.

From what he knew, his target was currently in the building just beyond him; currently he stood out of the line of sight from within the building. Seiryū would not be entering the building, at least not yet. First, he would need to confirm that his target, Ryuzoji Bokuden, was currently in the building. Weighing the pros and cons, Seiryū knew that his best bet would be take his target out from afar, such that he wouldn’t be seen walking in to the bar, killing the man, and then leaving; even if the mission was issued to him by the council. Thus it was far more beneficial for Seiryū to find a spot where he could get an angle on his target and then take him out before the man even became aware of Seiryū’s presence.


531|5049 Total

Bokuden

Bokuden


D-rank
“Can someone tell me why we’re riding horses to this place and being forced to lug around equipment on our backs in the middle of a freakin’ desert?” One man jawed, one hand holding the reigns of the horse he rode while the other desperately tried to create some separation between his skin and the cloth underneath his armored chest piece, hoping some air circulation would cool him down.

“The machines don’t do well in the sand,” another armored man on horseback beside him replied, “The stuff gunks up all of the gears and inner workings. Unless you’d prefer to get stranded out here in this insufferable place, I suggest you keep quiet and keep your eyes peeled for our destination. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to stay out here any longer than I have to. It’s bad enough that we’ve been dispatched all of this way to chase after some shinobi fugitive.”

“Where are we headed anyway?” a third man on horseback continued, shielding his eyes from the sun as he attempted to scan the area, seeing only a single road and sand dunes as far as the eye could see, “We’ve been travelling on this road for hours and we have yet to run into this guy.”

The cry of a falcon pierced through the air, bringing the exchange between the men to an abrupt halt and causing the entire caravan to stop in its tracks. For a moment there was silence, followed by another screech as a figure in the sky flew over a hill on the horizon, rapidly approaching the caravan. The bird soared over the horsemen in the front, descending in altitude as it approached the rear, perching atop the outstretched arm of a hooded man, face completely obscured by the shadow of the cloth.

The man gently stroked the falcon and listened intently as it screeched once more, unaffected by the ear-splitting cry despite every other man in the unit wincing or moving to cover his ears. “We’ve arrived,” he hooded man announced to the some 20 men in his caravan, “Just over those hills. Continue to follow the road. Check your armaments. I want this done cleanly.”

The armored men let out a victorious roar and spurred their mounts, propelling themselves forward, up the hill less than 200 yards ahead. The hooded man’s horse would gallop to the front, easily overtaking the steeds of his men and being the first to crest the hill. Upon reaching the top of the hill he stopped, taking a moment to survey they. Not far out from the foot of the hill sat the seedy looking trading post, prompting the man to reach into his robes and pull out a collapsed telescope.

Within moments the team of horses all crested the hill behind the hooded man, with a seemingly older man pulling up to his side. “I read the briefing on our target, sir,” he said curiously, “How can we be sure he’s in a dump like this?”

The hooded man smirked as he peered through the telescope. One eye closed as he took in the visual stimulus. The lens of the telescope seemed to tint everything viewed through it into a deep navy, with only scattered, blue lights illuminating his view. The man counted 14 blue beacons below, most of which flittered weakly like a dying candle. A single beacon, however, dwarfed all others in comparison, burning as fiercely as wildfire. “It’s him,” the hooded man affirmed, projecting his voice for all in the caravan to hear, “Surround the building.”




611 | 4933

Seiryū

Seiryū


D-rank
Stepping forward with the sole intent on walking the perimeter of the building and trying to get a glimpse inside, Seiryū began taking the first steps forward, easily stepping out of the corner he found himself in. With light steps and a semi-leisurely pace, Seiryū glanced out of the corner of his eye, looking inside the window to find the male that would soon find himself dead. If the man was smart, which was a possibility, he would have placed himself in a position where Seiryū would not be able to get a clean view or shot of him from outside of the building – that was something that came naturally to most shinobi who knew how to survive. While Seiryū knew what his task was, if the worst case scenario meant having to head inside the building, then he would do so, but not right away. He had no desire of walking in and opening fire, but instead find one particular moment where he would be able to blend in with the atmosphere of the bar produced. It wasn’t unordinary for travelers, adventurers, or shinobi to stop by the post for a short while before continuing on – and that was what Seiryū intended to do in that worst possible scenario. The best one happened to be taking his shot from the outside, killing the man, and then getting on with the rest of his day.

Passing by the first three windows, Seiryū had yet to get a glimpse of the man he was charged with taking down. His mind quickly filtered through his available options; wait outside the building for the man to exit or go inside and eliminate the man there or once he left. Either way, he first needed to fully confirm the male’s position in the building, thus Seiryū had no other choice but to enter the building. Passing by the door and looking through the remaining windows would be too suspicious, especially if he would back track and make his way inside. With his options drastically limited, Seiryū decided that entering the building and going straight to the bar would be more than sufficient for the time being; he would figure out the exact moment he could eliminate the Bokuden character once he got himself settled inside.

Thus leaving his hands by his side, his bow equipped to his back, Seiryū began to easily make his way to the entrance of the building, an expression of ease overtaking his previously observant outlook. Pushing the door slightly open, Seiryū paused for just a moment, glancing at all the occupants that were within his line of sight before making his way towards the bar. Each individual within that building had occupied his vision for no more than a second and a half a piece before moving on to the next one; his sight had finally settled upon the bartender whom would be the only one here Seiryū wished to converse with for even a moment. At the far end of the bar Seiryū found his target, but the man would have sanctuary here for the next five or so minutes, so that Seiryū’s presence could easily blend in with the entirety of the building. He would only strike when the actual moment had brought itself forward.

Taking a seat a bit away from the door, Seiryū’s seat would be one that was empty on either end, five stools stood to his right while more were on his left placing a greater distance between himself and the other white-haired male. Within a minute the barkeeper had made his way over to Seiryū’s position, likely to ask for his order. “What’d you like to have?” Purple orbs looked up to meet the bartender, holding a silent moment for the span of a second before Seiryū would issue out his order. He wasn’t here to drink, nor to consume any alcohol, but he would order an alcoholic beverage nonetheless. “I’ll just have Namazake for now.” The reply would be issued out at a decibel slightly lower than Seiryū’s normal tone. Once the bartender left, Seiryū’s eyes would remain trained forward, rotating his right shoulder back once to stop it from becoming a minor annoyance of pain.


724|5773 Total

Bokuden

Bokuden


D-rank
The horsemen of the caravan would descend from the hilltop, making a direct route for the shaded stable-area just off to the side of the trading post. As they dismounted and tied up their horses in the shade, snickering could be heard amongst the armored men about how backwards the people of this region were to still be relying on these animals for basic transportation. Antiquated and uncivilized seemed to be the pervading opinion these foreigners had of the people of this region, not unlike their opinions of shinobi as a whole. The chatter would be short lived, however, as the three seemingly senior men of the group began barking orders before long.

Without a moment’s hesitation the men would fall into rank and file, fanning out around the building as instructed by their commanders. The hooded man who had been barking orders previously, however, was curiously silent during the whole ordeal. He lagged behind the rest of the men, his horse marching slowly down the hill, allowing him to oversee all that was going on beneath him. His pace was slow enough that he had not arrived to meet his men until they had already taken their positions surrounding the building. He did not yell or command, nor did he secure his steed to the shaded area. Instead, he rode directly to where the commanders stood, only dismounting once he had reached their location in front of the entrance to the building. Without a word he held the reigns outward before one of the men beside him. Knowing what was expected, even without a verbal command, the man took hold of the reigns, accepting responsibility for the hooded man’s steed.

“Come,” the hooded man spoke aloud, focused on the entrance in front of him and stepping forward, prompting the two other commanding officers to rush to his sides. While the hooded man in the center of the formation walked gracefully, the two men at his side stomped their feet with each stride as if marching into battle, immediately grabbing the attention of anyone they passed by one they entered the building. Following the signs they would locate the bar in the back. It took only a moment for the hooded man to identify Ryuzoji Bokuden off in the corner, but he would not approach him just yet. Instead, he would approach the bar, sitting two seats beside a second white-haired male, with the two other men claiming the empty seats on either side of him.

With his right hand Bokuden, hidden from view behind the countertop, grasped the center of his staff, eyeing the group of men who had entered the bar in his peripheral vision. A heavy feeling of tension would fill the air, as even those completely uninvolved in the conflict would subconsciously feel the presence of the men at odds with each other, causing even the idle chit-chat of bar patrons to dwindle to little more than a quiet murmur. And yet nothing was said on either side. There was no exchange, not even of a glance. Silence fell over the room.

“I know you didn’t come all the way out here, just to watch me sit at a bar,” Bokuden finally said in a calm speaking voice, “If you’re going to make your move, you should do it now. I doubt I’ll be feeling generous enough to give you another chance.”





574 | 5507

Seiryū

Seiryū


D-rank
Wordlessly, a minute after Seiryū had placed his order of a drink, it appeared before him. The shinobi of Sunagakure no Sato made no immediate move to bring the glass up to his lips and take even the slightest of sips. No, he instead let the glass rest upon the wooden surface it was placed upon, rotating it lightly with the fingers of his right hand, excluding his little finger. Whatever came of this, his face would easily be associated with this assassination, for Seiryū had lowered his scarf before he had entered the building, his face bare for the occupants of the room to absorb, recognize, and report should it come to that. Seiryū had no qualms about committing to his mission, he had no qualms about killing the man who was a threat to the village, nor was he worried about the people tracing this back to him, as it was a mission sanctioned to him by the village’s council, whether official or not. Instead, his only with all this was the fact that it was in a very much public place.

As the seconds ticked by, each second letting him know that he needed to act before it was too late, the door to the building opened once more. Seiryū didn’t turn to look back at the door, instead letting his gaze travel from his glass, to the bartender, and the slowly flicker at the distant wall before he noticed heard footsteps nearing him. There had been multiple footsteps that padded across the hard flooring, Seiryū’s ears having picked up three different sets of steps. First thing he noted was one of the men who just entered the building had taken a seat two seats away from him, definitely not odd at all, but the next actions taken had put him slightly on edge. For the other two individuals who seemingly accompanied the unknown male, or at least entered with him, sat on either side of him. They were here for something that much was certain. One glance was all it took to put Seiryū on edge, for it didn’t take a genius to assume the building was surrounded. The atmosphere of the bar had taken a turn for the worst, and Seiryū’s position was the worst one imaginable for carrying out his task.

Whatever they were here for was a hindrance to Seiryū’s mission – in all likelihood one could consider it a failure as of the current moment and circumstances. No matter how he looked at it, the jounin knew he wouldn’t be able to make it out alive if all these men were aligned with Bokuden, but logically there was no connection Seiryū could draw between them and Bokuden. He hadn’t had the opportunity to give off a signal asking for aid, nor was there any reason for him to anticipate an assassination. Thus, it was more than likely these men here were also after Bokuden, for what reason, Seiryū had no idea. So there was no other option left for Seiryū except to wait. Waiting, however, he did not know when or if the opportunity would arise, but this was something he needed to do in order to carry out the task successfully.

Right hand grabbing the bottom of his glass, remaining soundless, Seiryū halted his progression of lifting the glass to his lips as a voice echoed out in the quiet building. His eyes slowly took in the figure who spoke, Ryuzoji Bokuden. The voice was calm, however Seiryū was more than well equipped to know that this Bokuden character was more than ready for whatever it was to come. “I know you didn’t come all the way out here, just to watch me sit at a bar. If you’re going to make your move, you should do it now. I doubt I’ll be feeling generous enough to give you another chance.” The words certainly could have applied to Seiryū given his predicament, but the male had no clue that he was here for the very sole purpose of assassinating him. Those words must have been meant for the individuals who flanked him, that was the most likely scenario. Seiryū’s assignment was airtight… unless this was some sort of setup arranged by the council. That couldn’t be likely… it shouldn’t be. Regardless, if the worst case scenario was that all these men were his enemies, then Seiryū wouldn’t go down without a fight. Though there was no reason for him to aggress, not until one of them had taken an action against him. Then, and only then, would he attempt to make a bloody mess of this scenario that should’ve been a simple arrow to the throat. Without waiting for more voices, should they speak up, Seiryū lifted the glass up to his lips and drank a decent amount of the contents within.


826|6599

19Conflicting Interests [Seiryu, Private] Empty Re: Conflicting Interests [Seiryu, Private] Tue Sep 20, 2016 11:51 pm

Bokuden

Bokuden


D-rank
“You should be more careful about sending out open invitations for all to hear, you know. We’re not the only ones pursuing you.” The masked man shot back with a whimsical tone, a grin peeking out from beneath the shade of his hood, “Sunagakure should be sending someone out this way soon. For all we know they might already be here, listening to our conversation right now, waiting for the chance to make their move.”

“Their move?” Bokuden replied curiously, raising his right eyebrow in expression.

“To kill you,” the man answered, the grin subsiding slightly, but still displaying a touch of amusement in the idea, “That is how that group handles things, isn’t it? Mindless violence, cowardly striking from the shadows… such dishonorable behavior is befitting of you people.”

“I’m not of the Sand.” The Ryuzoji continued bluntly, now slightly curious about the man’s intentions.

The hooded man’s grin would warp into a disapproving frown, unsatisfied with Bokuden’s insistence on being dense. “I was referring to shinobi as a whole. You are Ryuzoji Bokuden of the Village Hidden in the Clouds, are you not?”

“Not anymore.” Bokuden said coldly.

“I see.” The hooded man replied, emotion draining from his voice as he grew tired of his target’s obstinance, “Well, not that it matters. Whoever you are now, we’d like you to come with us.”

“Twentyfour,” Bokuden said abruptly.

“Pardon me?”  the hooded man inquired.

“Twentyfour men between the two that you brought in with you and those that have surrounded the building,” the Ryuzoji stated, closing his eyes as he focused on sensing the presence of those around him, having already taken note of the men awaiting just beyond these walls, “Do you usually bring an entire platoon for the purpose of bringing back one man peacefully And here I thought you wanted to take me alive. If you wanted me dead, why not just leave me for the Sand since you’re so sure they’re coming.”

“Correction, he wants you alive. As far as I’m concerned every day where there is one less shinobi walking this earth is a good day,” the hooded man replied, the tone in his voice mocking the idea that he held any level of concern for his target’s well-being, “As for Sunagakure, if we actually thought they could do the job, we would have never tipped them off in the first place. Consider it an insurance policy if you decide to be difficult.”

“Making sure that I had nowhere to go,” Bokuden answered, pondering the situation he found himself in, “If I injured some Sunagakure shinobi in the ensuing confrontation it would escalate my level of immediate threat and priority within the village, undoing a year of laying low in an instant. Not a bad idea.”

“I’ll take the compliment, but I’d rather have your cooperation,” the hooded man said as he finally raised himself from his seat, prompting the two other men to also rise on each of his flanks.

Bokuden did not so much as budge when the men rose from their chairs. Instead he smirked and directed his gaze to the fair haired man who had entered just prior to the other three, still seated at the bar as well, “Why the rush? Don’t you want to wait for the Suna boy to speak up? He’s travelled a long way out here to go back without so much as an explanation.”




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Editor's Note: Corrected typo "thread > threat"



Last edited by Bokuden on Mon Sep 26, 2016 10:06 am; edited 1 time in total

Seiryū

Seiryū


D-rank
Every single word that was spoken from the moment the three men entered the building was absorbed by Seiryū, having a major feeling that this information would prove vital. Not now, but perhaps in the future these details would aid him, or his village, one way or another. Either way, Seiryū knew his current odds of successfully completing the mission and the chances of completion were near impossible at the moment. Seiryū wasn’t an idiot to know that if he attempted something at this current moment, not only would he have to face Bokuden himself, but as well as the three individuals stationed inside the building who seemed to want to take Bokuden alive, but also the twenty some-odd figures who surrounded the building. He knew even an attempt would result in failure, especially with three figures who would easily stop him essentially surrounding him, while Seiryū’s target sat patiently on the opposing end. There was no way he knew the extent of all their capabilities, and Seiryū’s skillset was not meant to handle multiple opponents at once, especially when he couldn’t gauge their skillset at a glance. To attempt something was basically going to add a target on his head, or death. While he knew death was inevitable in his choice of career and his ultimate fate, there was no point in ending his life while Seiryū still had to make up for so much and that wouldn’t be achieved by failing his last task.

Thus, the moment Seiryū was directly addressed by Bokuden, he didn’t immediately turn his direction towards the man. His sole purpose here was to add another face to the mental list he accumulated over the years. Seiryū found no point in entertaining the former words the male said, instead Seiryū turned his attention away from the Bokuden character and turned his attention to the hooded figure. He already knew who Bokuden was, what kind of threat he possessed, but the hooded man and his… band remained the unknowns in the picture. There was a realm of endless questions that Seiryū wished to know, but ultimately it came down to one singular question; after all, the Councilman would want an answer as to why this task had resulted in failure. “Who are you?” His eyes would remain on the hooded figure emotionless and inquisitive, remaining aware of his surroundings but ultimately keeping his focus on the sole unknown factor at play here – the two goons and Bokuden could easily be ignored for now. Besides, if they were to attack, Seiryū’s chances of escaping had already been sealed.


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21Conflicting Interests [Seiryu, Private] Empty Re: Conflicting Interests [Seiryu, Private] Mon Sep 26, 2016 10:54 am

Bokuden

Bokuden


D-rank
“So they were already here when we arrived… I’m impressed. Even with the head start we gave them with the information regarding your whereabouts I was sure they would be too busy twiddling their thumbs to deal with you as they had been for the past year. I wonder what other tricks we can teach them. But I still need an answer.”

The hooded man’s attention remained squarely on Bokuden as he spoke, hearing the question posed to him by Seiryu, but choosing to ignore it until he was good and ready.

“I wouldn’t have allowed you to find me if I wasn’t going to accept the invitation. I’m not going back with you though. I have some unfinished business to attend to. I will depart in one week’s time.”

Bokuden’s words were straight and to the point, leaving little to no room for interpretation or discussion. The hooded man did not appreciate this.

“That isn’t an option. You’re coming back now of your own volition or by force.”

The hooded man’s words were terse and aggressive, signaling a growing impatience with the antics of his target. Under normal circumstances he would never feel compelled to give a target this much leeway in the situation, but his orders left him little recourse.

“It’s the only option. Either you can accept it and return home a success or you can make things difficult and fail. It is in both of our best interests for a deal to be struck. I have as little desire for this to escalate into a full-blown engagement as your master does.”

As he finished speaking, Bokuden would raise the recently refilled glass of water in his possession to his lips, taking a short sip, going so far as to close his eyes while doing so. In that moment the hooded man saw a moment of vulnerability, an opportunity to strike his target down, punishing him for being so careless as to lower his guard in front of his enemy. In an instant he had gripped the hilt of the highly ornate sword hidden beneath his robes, unsheathing it halfway before halting his attack. The words of his master echoed in his mind, cautioning him against hastily making the assessment that his target was vulnerable, warning him of the unique set of skills that he was likely to possess.

In what one might consider an act of submission, the hooded man slammed his blade back into its sheath without saying so much as a word. Only then would he tilt his head forward, looking down at the Sunagakure shinobi, although his eyes were still largely shrouded in shadows.

“Who am I? Hmph, the nerve of you shinobi. You are hereby relieved of your assignment. I will provide you the documentation your councilmen need as confirmation. This is not an appropriate setting to have that conversation; too many ears listening. Follow me outside if you want answers.”

The hooded man immediately turned his back to the shinobi, or more appropriately perhaps, his front to the exit doorway. The two men beside him immediately responded by flanking him once again as the trio marched without another word. Around the bar, the atmosphere had completely changed, every patron’s behavior distinctly different than before, on edge regarding the events that had just unfolded before their eyes. All patrons, that is, except for Bokuden, who still sat still, sipping the clear liquid in his glass as serenely as he had before the confrontation began.




595 | 6689

Seiryū

Seiryū


D-rank
Finishing off the remaining contents in his glass, Seiryū’s eyes continued to keep an eye on the unknown figure, still trying to wrap his mind around this puzzle that seemed to present itself on its own accord. Not only had the council lacked to inform him, or they simply weren’t aware, of the potential presence of an outside force that would bring numbers with them to this particular location. From what the Jounin had gathered thus far, not only was the Council’s information supplied to them from an outside source, but that source had deliberately given them that information knowing that they would ultimately fail. The only reason Seiryū saw that this mission was a failure was because of the very reason the Council had initially received that information. Whoever this man was expected that Bokuden would be going with him alive, and there was little Seiryū could currently do to change those circumstances. As such, he chose to ignore the task that would be a failure and instead focus on the reason why nothing would be going as Seiryū had mentally mapped out.

The condescending tone taken on by the hooded figure was entirely ignored, Seiryū could care little for what the man thought or thought he could potentially do. Regardless of being ignored, Seiryū kept his eyes focused on his new objective, showing no physical signs of being put off by the blatant dismissal of his question. From the corner of his eye, Seiryū watched the only other figure of significance for a brief moment, only to notice the hooded man have grabbed the hilt of his weapon. Seiryū sat in his seat, still inquisitively watching the two men, though the closer one of the two had the majority of Seiryū’s attention. He didn’t need to worry about Bokuden, at least not in the current moment. The weapon was shortly thereafter reseathed and finally the man turned his attention over to Seiryū.

“Who am I? Hmph, the nerve of you shinobi. You are hereby relieved of your assignment. I will provide you the documentation your councilmen need as confirmation. This is not an appropriate setting to have that conversation; too many ears listening. Follow me outside if you want answers.”

Finally having received some form of an answer, though not one that gave away what Seiryū needed right away. His ultimate answer, the one Seiryū sought out, would only be received if he chose to follow the man outside. There was nothing left for Seiryū to accomplish in the building for now, at least not for the time being. With his assigned mission being put on halt, watching the man begin walking away to exit the building, Seiryū swivelled in his seat to face the bar counter once more. For a second he paused there, only to reach in to his pocket to withdraw some ryo to pay for the drink he had ordered minutes before the hooded man entered the building. With more than enough to cover Seiryū’s own order, he easily stood up and began to make his way out of the building after the three had exited the bar, not making much of a sound.

Stepping outside the building, Seiryū would once more be greeted by the scenery provided by Kaze no Kuni, but his attention was not focused upon the environment. Instead he took in the vast amounts of individuals lingering around the exterior of the building he had been in moments before. The number stated earlier by his target had been correct when referencing how many people surrounded the building. Whether Seiryū needed to be worried about them or not did not matter anymore, for he sought out the only figure that seemed to matter in the entire picture of the mission Seiryū had been assigned – the hooded man. When Seiryū would see the man, he would begin to slowly and easily begin making his way in the general direction of the man.


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23Conflicting Interests [Seiryu, Private] Empty Re: Conflicting Interests [Seiryu, Private] Wed Sep 28, 2016 11:34 pm

Bokuden

Bokuden


D-rank
Immediately upon exiting the establishment, the hooded man signaled for his horse to be brought to him, sending a handful of men scurrying off to the stables in response. The man turned his head to the right in order to look over his shoulder for the Sunagakure shinobi he had instructed to follow him, remaining still until Seiryu walked out from the building. Once he had confirmed that his instructions had been followed he continued at a steady pace, meeting the men with his horse halfway and immediately began rummaging through the rucksack dangling from the steed’s left side.

From the depths of the sack he retrieved a sheet of paper, an envelope, and a black fountain pen. Seemingly ignoring Seiryu as he approached, the man once again set himself in motion, this time back towards the side of the building where an old table sat idle, seemingly discarded due to a damaged leg. Without much care as to placement, the hooded man set the materials down onto the table in front of him, freeing up his hands in order to pull down the hood and reveal his face. One look at the man would reveal shoulder length black hair tied in a ponytail, a few stray locks framing the rather serious looking face of a man who appeared no older than mid to late twenties. His dark brown eyes, while unremarkable in color, were a drawing point on his face due to a long scar coming down from the center of his brow across his right eye. He had received that cut from a duel with another samurai whose cut was fortunately shallow enough to miss his actual eye, only leaving a scar with no permanently damaging consequences.

He would then lean forward, resting his elbows onto the table as he gripped the pen and angled the sheet of paper to begin writing. The table wobbled beneath him a bit due to the damaged leg, proving to be nothing more than a slight annoyance and taking him moment to shift down the table towards the side with the both legs structurally sound. With his balance now restored, he would begin furiously scribbling words onto the paper, producing surprisingly elegant penmanship despite the apparent hurry. The message he was transcribing was rather long, taking him several moments to compose the main body of the letter. Abruptly he would turn his head over his shoulder once more, ceasing his writing in order to locate the Sunagakure shinobi once more.

“Name?”




420 | 7109

Seiryū

Seiryū


D-rank
Exit the building hosting the tense atmosphere, only to be placed in a scenario which Seiryū would not have anticipated when he walked in to the building initially. No longer was the place as desolate as it had been before, for now it was littered with men that followed the sole hooded figure who put a halt to Seiryū’s mission. The male Seiryū would follow had waited silently for him, though upon taking notice of him, the man would begin walking towards a horse only to begin searching through a sack for something. Seiryū’s eyes would travel away from the man, though still keeping him within sight, and begin to take in the rest of the man’s entourage. Whatever it was they needed with Bokuden, they obviously wanted the man to go with them in haste – elsewise there was no reason to bring about this many men for a single individual. It was still a situation that intrigued Seiryū, but not one that he deemed that was worth the effort of pursuing. Not now, at least. If this removed Bokuden from Kaze no Kuni for a prolonged period of time, the council would be minimally satisfied – most likely – though never truly pleased until the man was entirely out of the picture.

Regardless of the politics being played at hand, Seiryū was mainly concerned with his current role in it all; the failure of his mission. Whoever this man was had access to the Council of Sunagakure no Sato, for he had been the one leaking the information about Bokuden to them; for what reason, Seiryū could only assume from the wildest scenarios. If they did want Bokuden alive, it was better to take precautions and just contain the information instead of leaking it to a village whose Council wanted him dead. Either way, Seiryū found the decision to give the village information counter-intuitive to whatever purpose this particular man was aiming for.

When the unnamed male had retrieved a piece of paper, a pen and an envelope, he began moving once again. Seiryū wordlessly began following after the man, seeing as how he’d likely be the only one that would provide Seiryū with whatever it was he needed for the council. As Seiryū would approach the table, the hooded man was no longer hooded, for he had pulled it down and was scribbling on the sheet of paper he had pulled out earlier. Seiryū only took in his appearance briefly, making note to remember it should an occasion arise in the future where he would run in to this man again; though it was unlikely it would occur as far as he could tell.

Silently waiting, Seiryū would simply watch the man write upon the paper while still keeping a mental tab on the individuals who surrounded the area. Outwardly, however, Seiryū expression would be nothing more than mere indifference. The only time Seiryū would do anything different was the moment the stranger had asked for his name with a single word.

“Imada Seiryū.” A simple reply for a simple question.


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25Conflicting Interests [Seiryu, Private] Empty Re: Conflicting Interests [Seiryu, Private] Sat Oct 01, 2016 11:30 pm

Bokuden

Bokuden


D-rank
The man said nothing upon receiving the answer to his question, simply returning to his furious scribbling with the recently obtained information that seemed to be particularly pertinent to the contents of his note. After completing his final pen stroke, the man carefully tucked the fountain pen into his belt, carefully pointing the tip away from the cloth of his robe to avoid a stain. He would outstretch his left hand, once again causing subordinate men in his employ to scurry to his bidding. One such man would approach, placing in his superior officer’s hand an unmarked crimson medallion, not make of metal but something softer and more matte in appearance.

The commanding officer would place the medallion on the wobbly table beside the letter and envelop, freeing his hands to be used for the sealing of the letter. As if he had done it thousands of times before, the man swiftly creased the letter into a perfect tri-fold, each face virtually identical in length and width leaving no uneven overlapping as he closed it. The paper slid perfectly into the envelop, unsurprising given how exact his folds had shown to be previously, and he placed the envelop open-side up back down on the table before reaching for the mysterious red medallion.

The man then closed the letter, placing the medallion directly in the center of the envelope’s lip, holding it firmly in place with his right index finger. He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before a golden light shone from beneath his fingertip, expelling intense heat onto the red coin, revealing it to be composed of wax. It would only last a moment, but the result would be a perfect facsimile of the Chrysanthemum Seal, the symbol of the Imperial throne. The man picked up the letter and raised it up to chin level, blowing gently onto the wax, causing it to cool and harden in an instant, extending the envelop towards Seiryu immediately after.

“Deliver this letter to your superiors. It includes the official Imperial commendation for the vital role you played in assisting the shogunate in the capture of Bokuden Ryuzoji. I’m sure that the order they would have given you was to kill him, but I cannot allow that, as much as I’d like to. He will answer for his actions before the shogun himself. This message says as much, but there will not be more information given than that. The fate of that man is for the shogun to decide. He is now property of the Empire. Take this, deliver the message, accept your reward, and forget about all of today’s events.”




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