Mission name: Devil You Don't.
Mission rank: C (Criminal)
Objective: Basic Assault.
Location: Any area in a Hidden Village (not wilderness).
Reward: 450 Ryo.
Mission description: A particularly vengeful person posted a light hit ad for someone in the black market. Execute the order and report back with proof it was you.
Mission details: The hit varies on the case; sometimes it's a civilian and you can beat the shit out of them without any snags. Other times, it might be a snotty Genin or Academy student that got too full of himself. Either way, screams of pain usually aren't ignored most anywhere, as many villages have good patrol schedules. Whether some ninja who just wanted to help or the official authorities, two D-rank ninja will come running to the scene of the crime. Alternatively, a Player Character ninja may intervene in this thread and serve as the adversary. You are not required to do anything but beat up the mark, so feel free to attempt to escape the tailing of whoever's following you as best as you can.

1875 wc

Konoha. The origins of her mistress. The target of the Black Heart. A warm land rife with light and life. An excellent country to feed Yomi's growing grasp as the souls of the civilians would be torn from their bodies and exiled to the Otherworld for the wraiths and lost ones to feast upon. Or whatever they did in the realm of the dead with those too weak to fend for themselves. With Lamya gone, there was little that kept Lais in the world of the living. Even less reasons to care for them either. Just another push towards the battle-hungry madness of the Jugo's blood and the morbid goals the occultist kept hidden within her mind.

Only a fool would rush in blindly to slay all they saw, however. Once, she had been able to do so with little risk of repercussion considering the Ryujin had their own territory. Now, the hopes of rebuilding a realm in the image of the Serpent were crushed and gone with her life. Only her soul remained. In the custody of her apprentice, unfortunately trapped within a spear until the young woman could find a means to restore the soul to something glorious. Something fitting of Lamya. A mission of which she had not the slightest of ideas of how to begin or how it would end. All she knew was that as long as Lais lived there was a possibility to succeed as the girl only grew stronger in the forbidden arts of necromancy with every passing week.

But to succeed she'd have to know more about her mistress. Delve into a past and unearth secrets better left forgotten. The idea to do so came from the headband she wore today - a Konoha headband strapped around her upper arm. The mask that hid her identity was that of an ANBU, her voice distorted by the magnificence of its technology. The rest hidden under her black cloak. By any and all accounts, she profiled as a Konoha ANBU known as 'Valkyr', if a name was already requested to begin with. Those doubting her skill in stealth would find her vastly superior to most, the Crow Sage not easily detected by those without the proper means to notice nature chakra. Yet even then, Lais mostly made sure not to be discovered as she travelled through the Land of Fire, through Konohagakure. All in search for, and in solemn devotion to, the secrets of the Snake Sage of legends.

The first question was straight-forward. What was Lamya's relation to Konoha? Holding on to a memento such as the headband and the ANBU mask had to mean something. Lais knew about Lamya's personalised ANBU armour, another set she ended up holding in her possession, but outfits meant little without their meaning. The more advance attire had proven unresponsive to her spirit's touch, the craft's ability to hide the truth superior to her occult prowess. Secrets for later.

Her attention would be grabbed by an ad in the black market with a request to beat up someone. She'd snatch the request off the wall, read its contents and tuck it away into one of her pockets. Turning around to leave, several men were anxiously watching her, the ANBU out of place in an illegal area such as this. Disregarding them, she instantly vanished from sight and moved away from the black market to go find the civilian in question.

---

582

Maiming a genin. A dull intervention if she had ever been given one but one Valkyr picked up for the pay and the change of scenery. She wanted to know how far her ANBU masquerade could get her as she believed infiltration of Konoha's administrative buildings might be the next logical step in her plan if she wanted to know to how much information, or the lack thereof, was to be found. Spotting the target in question, she'd land right before him. Her sudden presence would make the genin jump up in surprise, the kid starting to shout at her about what an idiot he was and !!!

"You done yelling?", the distorted voice spoke from behind the mask.
"A-ANBU?"
"You messed up big, kid.", Valkyr showed him the ad with his face on it. "If this is your idea of being a shinobi, better you quit right now."
"I-it was just a joke! He had it coming anyway!"

Einherjar would bore into his shoulder without a word, the screams of the enraged souls of the Fallen living inside the spear resounding as shrill whispers in the wind. A quiet disappointment their opponent was a mere kid rather than a reputable warrior, yet not missing the occasion to have their ethereal claws tear through its life force. Lais would pull the spear back out, leaving him to grab the open wound with his hand. The expression of terror on his face unlocking a smile behind the mask.

"Was this sufficient a joke for you...?", a pause, her words sinking in. "I hope I won't find any of this sort of ads again in the future."

He'd nod as he understood what Valkyr had meant, and as two of his friends arrived to come to his rescue the ANBU pointed at the wound.

"Get him to the infirmary and take this ad with you. They'll understand."

And at those words Lais vanished from sight, disappearing from reality as if she had never existed in the first place. Satisfied with the results of her disguise and her approach, she'd tail the three genin to the hospital. Not that she cared about their health or the fact they could end up scolded for having a mark on their head, but even a genin knew their way better in Konoha than she did at this point, so even they could provide her with information worth the trouble.

And a hospital was always an interesting find for scientists in search of immortality.

---

424
Total: 1006

The hospital was surprisingly lax in its security. Laïs had expected people to easily step in and out of the building, the reception being open to all, but the whole building was basically empty with the exception of doctors and patients. Granted, some of these doctors wore the Konoha headband but that said little since they were focused on treating the wounded rather than maintaining an inkling of surveillance for infiltrators. Lais would move through the hallways like a ghost. Unseen, unheard. Stepping into several file rooms to dig through information. She was mostly searching for an old dossier about Lamya but picking up on the medical knowledge Konoha had in reserve was not a bad addition to her search. All information she could gather could eventually be sold or used against them. The more she knew, the stronger she'd be armed. Just like the Snake Sage had once taught her.

But the search was a slow process and her chakra not limitless. After going through several files and computers, Lais was forced to take a break. Moving into a room that betrayed its lack of use, she'd slip into the chamber and find herself a comfortable spot to meditate. The benefit of being a Jugo, or a Sage for that matter, was the ease with which chakra could be replenished. More than once she had heard the envy of the Snake about her origin and nature. And perhaps now that the Snake was gone, she cherished that envy even if she still had no idea what exactly made her lineage superior in senjutsu compared to those in need of training the use of such chakra.

As she remained motionless, hidden in the shadows of a forgotten room, her mind would linger on the information she had gathered up till now. Healing processes, chakra use, afflictions encountered in the area, names of iryo-nin and their rank. Too much to remember everything, of course, but a minor problem easily solved as the storage room had sufficient blank journals and pens to steal from. They'd be short on two now but that was hardly her problem. One journal contained the names of the iryo-nin and their respective shinobi rank, along with the afflictions, the other remained empty as she had yet to find the desired information on Orochi "Lamya" Risu. Likewise, she had yet to dig into the dusty archives. The area where she'd most likely find more about former members than today's active updated folders.

Time would fly fast as the occultist meditated. Fully refreshed and restored, she'd rise to her feet again, cloak her presence and continue her search. Even as the sun sunk behind the horizon and night was about to fall, she wouldn't stop. The archives were a good place to hide during the night, few bothering with a dusty place like that when energy was preferably spend resting during night and graveyard shifts.

Finding the archives just a little before nightfall, amethyst eyes would glide over the vast amount of knowledge stored away. Information easily forgotten. Information not cared for any longer. At long last, Lais found the dossier with Orochi Risu's name on it. She'd smile in victory, opening the dossier.

Empty.

Only the dossier. A cover to divert suspicion. But no information. All traces about who she was, what she had done, gone. Lais sighed. Should she have suspected anything different, knowing the high quality ANBU outfit left in her care? Even now when the Lamya was no longer around to oppose her prying, this puzzle would not be an easy one to crack.

---

611
Total: 1617

The Jugo closed the box. Left the empty information for what it was. For the next one trying to find information, only to stumble upon emptiness.

"Even now you oppose the world, mistress."

The first try to find something ended in a bust but she would not walk away empty handed. She had plenty of names of Konoha-nin posing as medical assistants. Names, faces, ranks. It lacked the information Exam proctors had but it was a good start. There were other buildings yet to be visited which would provide more information. Small bits everywhere that, when combined, would provide a bigger picture of what Konoha meant in terms of power. Lais knew Yosei had plans with Konohagakure and Kirigakure but the details still eluded her. Infiltration? Destruction? Rivalry? She had been left in the dark. Not part of the plans. So while he was out playing his game, she would be out to play hers. Gather information, gain strength. Then see who would buy it up and abuse it. Change the world and keep the occupied as she continued her own plans. With the Snake gone, there was no one to hold her back from inverting the cycle of life and death. Death in life, life in death. Yomi and the world would end up being one.

Leaving the archives in the middle of the night, her presence would not be noticed in the quieted halls. Most people slept by now, those on duty preferring a quick nap above noisy chatter. The graces of the night. Lais would find herself an empty room, open the window and jump out. As the cold air of the night greeted her, the black bird hidden under her skin revealed itself and stretched its wings. Flying through the night, she made her way to the small room she had rented for the time being. A save harbour which would seen be exchanged for a new one as she had no intention of staying too long in the same place. A wandering ghost, an ANBU in disguise, nothing good could ever come from staying in a single spot at the centre of Konoha. She needed a hidden lair of her own. A quiet place where she could work in peace. Like the one she had in Sunagakure, under the watchful gaze of the eight-headed glass serpent.

Unfortunately, such peaceful times no longer existed for Lais.

---

[EXIT]

402
Total: 2019

-1000 C Rank - Yin-Spectrum Coagulation:
-1000 C Rank - Chakra Enhanced Strength: