Sunshine peered through closed window shades, light snoring accompanying the myriad of birds outside. It was a peaceful morning in the village of Konoha.

Beep. Beep. Be-

A loud crash emanated from Keiji’s apartment. Sapphire eyes glared angrily at the spot the alarm clock used to occupy, now displaced due to the man’s fist. “Gotta stop doing that.” The man mumbled to himself lazily, the effects of his sudden waking from sleep still lingering. With the amount of missions he was doing, or more specifically, not doing, he couldn’t afford to break anything in his apartment. Keiji stood up, brushing a few stray strands of hair from his vision before stretching, lubricating his muscles for today’s activities. Finished, the man scratched his head and yawned as he shuffled to the restroom, emptying his bladder and cleansing yesterday’s stench off of him. As the water cascaded down his body, Keiji couldn’t help but wonder what today would entail. Massaging his scalp with scentless shampoo, he recalled his last mission – a neutralization run for fifty-three bandits outside of Konoha, in which he was accompanied by a rather annoying lad hailing from the Kimura clan. The mission went off without a hitch and they were both paid accordingly, but the whole experience with the boy left a bitter taste on Keiji’s tongue – all missions from here on out would be solo. Turning the water off and shaking the excess liquid from his body, he quickly dried himself with a towel before putting on the garments he was accustomed to – a navy collared shirt with a tie, with a black over-shirt, dark cargo pants and boots. Lighting a cigarette and enjoying its taste, he left his apartment, only to have a manila envelope thrown at him by a figure on top of a nearby rooftop. “Your mission.” The entity said before a shunshin carried him away, wind kicking up dead leaves and scattering them across the rooftop as he did so.

“What do we have here?” Keiji pondered, opening the envelope as he began walking on the village streets. ‘Takahashi Susuma – 57 years of age – known for criticisms of shinobi government. In the middle of a protest in the market district. Inconspicuous apprehension of target is required, arresting him in public will most likely ignite the riot.’ Keiji exhaled, the thick grey body of the smoke quickly dissipating. “Sounds easy.”

The man wasn’t far from market central before he could hear the disgruntled murmurs and chants of the protestors. The Uchiha scoffed, flicking his cigarette and stomping it out as he did so. Who did the villagers think protected them from enemies? The reason Konoha is so prosperous is solely due to the shinobi presence there. Without it, there wouldn’t be enough exports to viably sustain the growth or protection of Konoha. Keiji entered a shop which was effectively empty due to the large protest outside, and quickly henged into a small girl, roughly five years of age, with verdant jade eyes and tan skin, brunette hair tied into a long ponytail. This disguise would serve the mission perfectly. Heading outside, Keiji began to cry and look around frantically, breathing becoming hitched gasps. Keiji found the mark out of the corner of his eye and confusingly made his way over there. It did not take long for Susuma to make his way over to where the Keiji was and address her. “Why are you crying, lass? Where are your parents?” Keiji looked at the man, feigning uneasiness towards conversation with the man – after all, what child had never been told not to talk with strangers? The man sighed, dropping to one knee and extending a hand. “It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you. Are you lost?” Keiji laughed inwardly, his plan was working like a charm.

The disguised Uchiha nodded as he wiped a tear from his eye, sniffling as he did so. “Can you help me find kaa-san?” Keiji asked, innocent voice quivering as he did so. The man smiled, rubbing his well-groomed goatee as he did so. “Well of course I can, young lass!” the man’s porcelain teeth were a stark contrast to his tanned skin and previously stern demeanor. Keiji accepted the man’s hand as they began walking. Susuma turned his head and barked louder than the protesters around him – “Takeshi-san! You’re in charge until I return, you understand?” Keiji turned as well, examining Susuma’s second in command. Takeshi nodded curtly – a mop of red hair flowing as he rallied the protesters again. Keiji cupped his hands over his ears, simulating pain from the cacophonous outcry of the dissidents. Susuma instantly caught on and realized that this was no place for a lost, confused little girl to be. “This way.” The man said, repositioning his straw hat with his free hand as he led Keiji out of the crowd and into one of the currently abandoned shops adorning the market district. The Uchiha smirked – he loved devious shit like this far too much.

Susumu continued to lead the still-henged Keiji to the back of the store, further away from prying eyes. The hallway they were in was adorned by several large boxes, no doubt used to ship the large weapons sold at this particular establishment. Kneeling down, the aged man met Keiji’s gaze and smiled, his tan face beaming with genuine compassion. The man certainly seemed nice enough, Keiji thought; it’d be interesting to see how starkly the wanted man’s current attitude would contrast with the one he would display when Keiji unhenged and revealed his true identity. The Konoha-nin was knocked from his musings when Susumu spoke, his voice as smooth as velvet now that it was untainted by the ramblings and outcries of the protestors outside. “What does your kaa-san look like, young lass?” the man with the straw hat spoke, charisma practically perforating the air as he did so. Keiji was slightly taken aback – no wonder he had accumulated so many people had dedicated themselves to his cause; the man’s charm was unlike anything Keiji had ever experience. “Well, she’s about as tall as you, sir.” Susuma’s grimace caused Keiji to stop, the man’s previously sympathetic features transforming into something far more dreadful.

The tanned man sighed, taking off his straw hat and hanging it from a hook adorning the wall Keiji was currently leaning against. He folded his arms, muttered a curse to himself, and addressed Keiji once more: “Enough games, shinobi scum. You reek of cigarette smoke like a fucking bar.” Keiji cursed himself, his habit revealing his true self to a mere civilian. “I am by myself and out of eyesight, what do you want of me?” Keiji smirked, unhenging in a puff of smoke and promptly placing a cigarette in his mouth. “Very astute of you, Susuma-san.” Keiji light his cigarette, puffing on it several times and enjoying the sweet taste of the tobacco within. It had been far too long since he had a nice Hioko cigarette. “You know you’re a wanted man – the only reason you haven’t been arrested thus far is because you’ve surrounded yourself with those fanatics of yours. If a shinobi even set foot near that protest or tried to apprehend you, things would turn uglier than the council would like.”

The man folded his arms, obviously displeased with where the conversation was going, but resigned to his faith nonetheless. “Let us end this fickle conversation and go then, dog of Konoha.” Keiji smirked, pulling a large drag on the cigarette hanging from his mouth and exhaling this smoke through his nostrils. “I do not think that would be very beneficial to either of us, Susuma-san. I’d like to get to the root of these foolish rebellions you’re staging.” Keiji snuffed the cigarette out on his gloved palm, the thick fabric easily shielding his flesh from any harm. Susuma laughed heartily prior to responding, “You’re lack of knowledge regarding the origins and purpose of our demonstration illustrates our exact problem with the shinobi government of Konoha. You lot have far too much power and yet use little to none of it to address the concerns and grievances of the villagers, which should be any form of leadership’s first priority.”

Keiji laughed in return, failing to see the man’s logic. The Uchiha removed his sunglasses, gingerly placing them in his pocket as to not damage them. Facing the wrinkled man, he spoke. “So you believe by organizing protests that turn violent at the drop of a hat, you are going to solve this problem? You’re an idiot.” Susuma unfolded his arms, strutting towards Keiji until the two were face-to-face, the previous distance between them closed to a matter of inches. While the former towered over the latter, there was no chance that the simple civilian could intimidate the seasoned veteran. Vivid cerulean and brilliant sapphire gazes pierced one another as the old man started to speak once more. “You shinobi filth are always the same – too busy organizing new ways to bolster your strength while leaving the commonfolk to suffer. Parasites, the lot o-“

Susuma didn’t have a chance to speak as a gloved hand shot out and clutched his throat, Keiji’s strength more than enough to lift the man from the floor and pin his frame to the wall. “That’s enough, Susuma-san. You will watch your tongue or I will relieve you of it.”” Keiji said, his previously lax disposition replaced by one far more sinister and staid. “You clearly have no idea the lengths the brave shinobi of Konoha go to in order to keep its civilians from harm’s way.” The tanned man pulled at Keiji’s hand with his own, desperate to free himself from the man’s grasp. “Do you worry about the village getting raided at night? Your possessions pillaged? Your children raped? Your life taken?” Keiji leaned towards the man’s ear and spoke, his words practically laced with venom. “I am a sannin of Konoha who has seen many of my comrades die at the hands of those that would decimate everything you hold dear if they were given the chance. I will not tolerate your ignorant hatred for those that serve and die for you.”

The Uchiha threw the man to the side as if he weighed nothing, the man gasping for air hungrily and coughing, windpipe clearly damaged from the abuse. “You have two options here, Susuma-san.” Keiji clenched his fist, rage still lingering in his system. “Option one: you will return to your fanatics and reveal to them how misguided they truly are, defending the position of shinobi within the place of the governance of Konoha. After which, you will volunteer yourself to shinobi custody in order to be tried for your crimes.” Keiji paused purposefully, the relative silence emphasizing the importance and severity of what he had to say next. “Option two will be far more painful for you, and the outcome will be the same. The only difference being that I shall personally deliver the message to cease all protesting – I believe you’re already familiar with my henge no jutsu?”

Susuma coughed one last time, lungs still burning with a dull ache from the choking. “I shall never bow down to you, scu-” Keiji’s foot interrupted the man yet again, the boot connecting with solidity and sending the man reeling from the pain of a heavily broken and dislocated jaw. “I told you I would relieve of your tongue if you could not control it. How do you expect to rally all of those lunatics that dedicate themselves to your cause if you cannot speak, Susuma-san?” Keiji reached into the man’s mouth, the dislocation effectively ruining any chances of the man biting off the intruding digits. Finding his target, Keiji pulled Susuma’s tongue passed the lips, exposing it to the outside world. The sannin wound his free hand back, poised for a vicious uppercut that would surely fracture the man’s jaw even further and cause his teeth to slice through his own tongue. “Think of this as a boon, Susuma-san. Now your voice shall not taint the air any longer with your filth.” Keiji’s fist rocketed upward, halting centimeters from Susuma’s jaw upon the latter’s distorted outcry of “wait!”

Keiji grimaced at the man, removing his fingers from the outstretched tongue and allowing the old man to speak. “I agree to your terms, but I’m in no state to talk to anyone now.” Keiji rolled his eyes and quickly relocated the man’s jaw to its rightful place. “If I go to them in this state, they’ll notice something is wrong with me and things will turn violent, no doubt about it. Though I can tell you what to say in order to pacify the protest.” Keiji squinted at the man, azure orbs intensely observing his features, discerning the man was not deceiving him. The Uchiha beckoned Susuma to continue, and the latter did so without complaint. “Seek out Takeshi – you saw him before, the lad with red hair. Point out that the protest is causing the market district to become abandoned and thus that we are doing the opposite of what we set out to do – ensuring the autonomy of Konoha’s civilians.” The man groaned as he let his jaw hang – the endorphins fading from his system and no longer dulling the incredible pain accompanied by a fractured jaw. “Tell him that I plan to turn myself in as well – that I recognize that I have broken the law by interrupting the economy of Konoha and need to answer for my crimes.”

Keiji looked at the man. “Do you truly believe all that?”

Susuma glared back. “Of course not, you idiot. If I did I would not find myself in this predicament.”

The Uchiha rolled his eyes yet again, retrieving his sunglasses from his pocket and putting them on, the darkened lenses obscuring his eyes from view. “That’s a shame, Susuma. It would be wise if you would recognize how many people want Konoha to burn for our past and prosperity, and how many shinobi have died protecting it from such enemies. You’d also do well to recognize that Konoha was a village founded by shinobi and then occupied by civilians – not the other way around. The village is ours to rule by right, and if you don’t like it, you may take yourself and your petty followers and leave. Though I do warn you, those outside that wall would do far more horrendous things to you than give you a broken jaw and a bruised ego.”

Susuma bowed his head, weakness setting in from the pain and the emotional turmoil the encounter with Keiji had caused. The Konoha-nin immediately picked up on this and assisted the man in reaching a state of unconsciousness via a sharp poke to a pressure point on the neck. “Now to get this fuck out of here and back to Hokage tower.” Keiji looked around for several moments before laying his eyes on one of the many boxes adorning the hallway himself and the snoring Susuma were in. The wooden parcel was certainly large enough for Susuma – but traveling with it would be quite uncomfortable. ‘Don’t have much of a choice though. Can’t just walk out with him.’ Keiji picked up the man by the back of his shirt and placed him in the box, sliding the top on and exiting the premises with it, but not before grabbing Susuma’s straw hat from the hook it was placed on. The box was by no means airtight, meaning the man would have plenty of oxygen to enjoy during his stay at Hokage tower while Keiji wrapped up the mission. Susuma’s words would later prove true as Keiji spoke them under henge and the protest disbanded without a hitch and the protesters following ‘Susuma’s’ lead, as they had done from the beginning.

[MISSION COMPLETE]
[2645/2500]