The scent of chaos was being carried by the air. A certain tension. Change. Strife. As if Sunagakure had not suffered enough. The people were still rebuilding. Getting used to their new life. The slums were in disarray, torn into small districts as small gangs rose up to the occasion. Some criminal, some benevolent, but far from being united. A similar fate happened in the ruins of the former Village, the only difference being that the Ryujin lead by the S rank missing-nin Orochi Risu held a strong influence there. Under her guidance people were rebuilding the place according to her schemes and schematics. A large amount of people had gathered under her banner, out of faith or believe mattered not.
Though mostly by herself, Laïs had tried to make herself useful to improve upon the Ryujin's influene. As the apprentice of the Snake Sage, she already had the duty of growing stronger and working on a better control over her chakra. Her Jugo blood made her a natural, yes, but a natural at maddened rage rather than cool calculations and reserved moves. She needed less total destruction and more refined ruination. She was late to learn this, being twenty-one, and that made it harder in comparison to the shinobi that had been trained since childhood. But she was determined to learn.
As such, the solitary Crow Sage had mostly been keeping track of the ins and outs in the vicinity. A watcher, always taking the highest ground so she could cover as much ground with her eyes as possible. People had been on the move lately. Subtle movements. A civilian dropping a scroll here, a guard picking it up, a kid 'finding' it and running to his father. Something was going on, and the word in the streets was such that small groups of refugees and survivors were looking for messengers. Laïs was curious about their content. The fact that groups gathered wasn't something she worried about too much, knowing that any opposition would be dealt with by the Ryujin, but having potentially crucial information being passed along under their noses was not something she'd accept. Making contact was needed.
Following the trail of gossips and pointing fingers, Laïs would eventually meet up with a baker. At first, he seemed worried about her affiliation with the Ryujin. Even if consistency was being brought, the Ryujin had dark ways and means of getting things done. Assuring him she was not here to inflict any harm, she genuinely revealed her interest in the situation. She wanted in on the intel and in return she would help pass on the messages under the guise of shinobi stealth at night. It would improve their communication and the Ryujin's awareness. A benefit for both. Seeing little harm yet reluctantly, he had agreed and handed over a single scroll for her to deliver.
Laïs left the building with a bread as if she was just a civilian passing by. The rest of the day she would continue her own studies, extracting the information from the scroll and maintain her medical practice at the ever growing main quarters of the Ryujin where her mistress resided. Waiting for the night to fall. Chances were slim she'd be able to sleep decently, like had often been the case lately. Warmth, nightmares and occult visions. All of these disturbed a comfortable night's rest. Not surprisingly, this night would not be any different. Waking the middle of the night at a little past midnight, Laïs rose from her bed to refresh herself before she would leave to deliver the message.
Using the night as her mantle, Laïs moved through the streets in her black bird form, a barely distinguishable shadow gliding through the air towards her destination. It was quite a ways away, a small street tucked away in a maze of little streets. The ruins there had been rebuild for a large part, the people guided by the examples of a solid man with thick eyebrows. Rokko. The man had been satisfied delegating tasks and playing a pivotal role in the morale of the survivors, leaving patrols and enforcing of rules to the Ryujin. There was an understanding, even if their visions of the future and approach hardly aligned.
Arriving at the designated point, Laïs landed quietly and reverted to her normal form to knock on the door. It creaked open, cautious eyes watching the barely visible shadow in the night.
"What?"
"Newspaper delivery. We like to be early"
She'd shove the scroll through the tiny opening that had formed between the door and the wall. The man behind the door would yank the scroll out of her hands, slam the door shut and leave her by herself. So much for a thank you, the crow sage thought and left to return home.
[EXIT]
820