“Could this be just a tiny bit hotter!?” Mokuzai yelled while he stepped into the shower. It was pure sarcasm since he rarely has hot water to begin with. As soon as the burst of cold water came onto his body, his skin had goose bumps spanning his full figure.  Mokuzai didn’t care for the cold at all, especially in a shower where one is to relax in the heat of the water it produces. But, no this little shower made him feel like he was butt naked in a snow storm. It was one thing to just feel a tiny bit cold, but for his skin to turn a slight blue hue, that was something else. He quickly grabbed the soap from the stand beside the shower while he rubbed the bar in between a small wet rag. He had to do this quickly before his skin went numb from the effects of the cold shower. Brushing the cloth over his skin, the suds that formed were quickly erased with the power of the water that dripped down from above.  Mokuzai  was practically shaking at this point, so he had to get out there now. Quickly opening the sliding door, he stepped out and reached for a towel as soon as he could. Wrapping it around his shoulders, he tried to regain some body heat by walking into the living room and standing in front of the window so the suns’ rays could actually be useful to him for once.

Mokuzai hated the bright sun early in the mornings as well, but this time he was letting it slide since it was somewhat warming him up. Even though there was a puddle forming from his feet, he didn’t move. He couldn’t move. He wanted to only get warm and retain his pale hue. His lips returned to their soft pink color, and their texture was somewhat replenished. The same goes for his skin. The paleness that he enjoyed, that he cherished was finally coming back. “I hate mornings..” he muttered to his self while he yawned loudly. His right hand quickly shot up towards his eyes while his index finger and thumb rubbed his eyes equally. He –had- to wake up and start to move. He dried his body off from the dampness that lingered. It was one thing to be nervous, but to be scared? This wasn’t how  Mokuzai usually acted.

Later that Day:

It was starting to be early evening in the city with the sun blazing against the horizon and brushing its rays off the windows of shops and homes. It is a beautiful sight once you could get the perfect angle on the hills in the park to see the sun just lay past the mountain like they were blankets covering someone's features. The sky had a mix of orange, violet, and blue here and there. Stars were appearing briefly before the lights of the city started to turn on; that's when they started to fade slowly and surely against the reflections. "Aish.. Why do people even go out at night? It's meant for rest." A low tone shot out from an alleyway in downtown Konohagakure. Just beside the ramen shop and the department store, a flash of burning ash could be seen floating in the middle of the air; slowly fading away. A puff of smoke slowly appeared out of the air, while the ashes floating suddenly lit up slowly. Footsteps could be heard just briefly while the ash disappeared. Not even seen at the spot that random people could watch it float. A figure was at the top of the ramen shop, looking down on the street with their arms on the rails sighing again. "I enjoy fun just like everyone else, but night time just screams 'let's so do illegal things' to me." The figure shook their head slowly.

If one was to be able to see the clothing of the figure, the very first thing they would notice is the basket on his back filled with apples. The basket's top was enclosed with leather like substance that kept the apples inside the basket, but formed to the round curves of the fruit. The strap for the basket went diagonally downwards his chest and waist, making sure to keep attached and tight. Black robes covered the outfit from underneath he figure, allowing him to keep a mysterious vibe. He didn’t like to give off all his secrets all at once. It wasn’t like him. Still just because he had a body of hard work didn't mean he enjoyed it. He was the laziest idiot around for miles and he enjoyed having that title. There are times where he did need to work and he wouldn't mind following his oath and creed. Mokuzai dropped down from the top of the ramen shop slowly while his eyes looked over the area. "Hmph.. Nothin' really going on here."

Keeping his back straight and his chest out slightly, he kept an expressionless face on while he walked through the village. Scratching the side of his left cheek, he perked out his lips slightly before speaking softly; " It's always so.. Peaceful. Everything good happens out of country.." He let out a small sigh escape from his throat before he looked over the lights of the nearby shops. It was the most peaceful he has been in the village for a while and he did secretly like it. He enjoyed not being called in to take care of a mission or to go out of the country just to beat some kid’s ass because they stole a flag. Mokuzai let a small smile come about his face for this very reason. No stress has been in his life for a while now. Even though he had been taking a break to live a normal civilian life, he didn’t get judged for being an experiment. That was one of the other main reasons Mokuzai was starting to take a kind side to the village overall. He used to be only kind to certain people that treated him with the respect he wanted and he reciprocated that act. Walking through the streets was still a simple task for him. Especially during mid afternoon. No one was around to look at him, or laugh and point. They were all out doing their jobs and keeping inside mostly. This was the main reason he chose to have lunch during this time. Be solo and have a decent peaceful lunch with no distractions or loud noises. It was the paradise that he always enjoyed to have or experience. No matter how many times he did so, he never got tired of the quietness.

Leaning up against a wall, he dropped his jacket to the ground, leaving him in a sleeveless white and black patterned tight vest. Showing every definition of his toned chest; while grey patterned jeans stuck closely to the curves of his legs. He really did have a toned figure and he didn’t mind showing it off. The headband of Konoha resided at his left temple, just able his eye, keeping the hair out of his eyes. He had a mission to do, and the partner of the so called mission was yet to be here. “Tensei Riven.. interesting name for a male. Riven..Ridden..Imma call him Ridden.”His gaze looked over the docks from the area he stood in; He knew his mission and he would take it on solo if he had the chance. The only thing holding him back from doing so was a possible friendship that could come out of this.

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The message came by hawk, pecking at her window in the wee hours of the morning. She'd let the bird in only after noticing the note tied to its leg. The message it contained was short, consisting only of a name, a location and a single white feather. It was easy to guess what was expected of her; this man, this Hanzo Himura. He'd crossed someone out there, and had been marked.

How it was to be marked by the organization; gain too much power? Interfere with thier work? Refuse to cooperate with them?  And once you were marked, death could come from anywhere. A bit of poison slipped into your food, the whore in your bed. If you were lucky, death was quick and painless; you never saw it coming. It was simple as someone bumping into you out in the street, sliding a knife between your ribs before you could react and walking off. She'd hoped that tonight would be easy. It never was, but one could hope.

The morning had been spent gathering information; the basics that she needed to know to complete her assignment. There wasnt anything special about this man-- he was a drunk from what she could gather. He tended to spend his time down at the village docks, no doubt frequenting the taverns down there witha  group of friends. As for what his history was, there were rumors of Hanzo once being a pirate aboard a ship. Perhaps that was why he'd been marked? The information wasnt hard to come by; a few informants beat up here, some threats there and it was all hers.

She'd even gone so far as to check the mission board for more information. She'd been in luck; there was a wanted poster for this man. It was low enough ranking that she was able to do it, but it came with a catch. Someone else had signed up for the mission. Normally, the female prefered to accomplish a mission like this alone, but given the target, a bit of help couldnt be so bad. After making the propper arrangements with the dispatcher, the female left for home to prepare herself for the mission.

~~

Every movement was well practiced, fluid. Weapons laid out across the white cloth, each unique with thier purpose and method. As she picked and chose each weapon, violet eyes sparkled with excitement. A hip pouch filled with kunai was strapped to her her right side, alongside a slightly smaller pouch filled with metsubishi. Next came the Ōdachi, strapped to her left side. The female doubted that she would need it, but if push came to shove she hand no qualms about using it. Finally, strapped to her left wrist came the hidden blade. For this mission, she hoped this would be all she needed.

With her weapons secured, the female slipped out of her home via her bedroom window-- the benefits of being an orphaned child. She still couldnt bear to walk past thier room, even now. It hurt to see the still blood-stained carpet.

Down to the ground, her form racing through the streets of the darknened village. The world was a blur to her; flashing lights, people talking jibberish, thier words indescipherable. She was agile enough, making her way through the streets until she came upon the village docks. A few people were loitering about, not seeming to be doing much beyond taking up space and stealing oxygen... Her 'partner' had to be around here somewhere...

584/1000

It was common for Mokuzai to get bored while he waited at the docks. Heck, just waiting period would really get on his nerves. Biting his lower lip roughly, he kept his eyes on the water nearby. So calm and graceful, something that he really envied of the liquid; not having to worry about anything but getting dried up during the summer. If he could live like that, then he wouldn’t have the mindset that he had. It was hard enough to stay calm in a village of idiots. He hasn’t really met anyone that would match his attitude towards doing missions and how he thought he could easily get this one done by his self. If the Riven fellow didn’t sign up for it before he did, this thing would have been done by now. Tapping his foot heavily against the ground, he leaned up off the wall and looked around the area. “Aish.. when is he going to get here?” He thought to his self while he groaned loudly. Such a waste of time to keep waiting around like this. He was getting to the point of being angry before his gaze locked on a woman that ran past him. From what he got from glancing at her, she was prepared for a lot more than work. “No..way.” He shook his head rapidly, holding his sides while he chuckled. He couldn’t start to get his head wrapped around this. Was this woman the partner that he was waiting on?

It would make a lot of sense if she was; seeing as she was a woman and from his experience they take a little longer to get ready than his fellow males. Scrunching up his lips slightly, he placed his digits in the depths of his pockets. Walking slowly behind the woman, he smiled brightly, before quickly stepping to the left and appearing in front of her. “Riven?” He questioned her. He couldn’t help but still have a small chuckle in his voice. He did not expect a woman to be on this mission with him. Nonetheless one decked out in weapons. He had to admit, she was attractive for that.

“Mokuzai.” He calmly stated, holding out his hand and sticking out his tongue. “It’s a pleasure.” He was really starting to get a little excited seeing all the weapons that this girl carried. This caused all kinds of torture methods to run through his head for this Hanzo fellow. It would make a glorious gift to show the drunken bastard on how much Konoha appreciates him leaving. Turning around and looking over the vessel that laid over the sea; Mokuzai sighed before rubbing the back of his neck. “Well. Is this a game where we choose a boat and hope to God that he is in there so we can take him out, or do you little beaut, know where exactly his location is?” He turned his black pools to look over this womans face. It was a little more attractive than he bargained for.

Shaking his head slightly, he started down the steps of the docks. “I guess it would be easier to ask around, would it not?”

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Spoiler:

“Riven?”

An eyebrow perked in question, turning in the direction of the voice to find a male staring at her. From the headband he wore, she assumed that he was her 'partner' for this mission. Not much to look at, in her opinion. No visable weapons, at least, none that she could see. Perhaps he was a ninjutsu specialist? Just wonderful. Someone who depended on thier chakra so much. It was going to be fun when he was nearly out and she was still able to go..

“Mokuzai”

A hand was extended to her. Instinct screamed at her not to take it; a hand opened in welcome could easily become a fist closed in anger. But she didn't know this man; what was the worst that he could do to her?

He turn you into a corpse, sweetling.

He can try.

The offered hand was taken, gripped strong and shaken. "Tensei Riven." The voice was a bit melodic, but still wary. She didn't know this man from Adam, but she was willing to work with him for the mission.

You cannot trust him, you know that right?

Of course not. But there was a task at hand. It was time to stop stalling and get to it.

“Well. Is this a game where we choose a boat and hope to God that he is in there so we can take him out, or do you little beaut, know where exactly his location is? ---  I guess it would be easier to ask around, would it not?”

"Either way works for me." She was fine with him leading the way; it was less attention she had to draw to herself, thus making her job of actualling killing this man easier. Falling into step besides Mokuzai, her left hand rested on the sheath of her sword. Violet eyes looked about, attempting to take notes of the surroundings and create a mental map of the route they were taking.

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