Jealous Wannabe's [A-rank Mission][Rookie, MsMoney]

Posts : 73

The reason for Tsuki no Kuni's status as tourist's attraction became evident upon entering the country. The group was lucky enough to arrive by ship at sundown, and even Mujina had to say the view of the setting sun casting its color over the sparkling sea was breathtaking. Taking a moment to enjoy the view from the pier where their ship had arrived, he proceeded to glance over his shoulder at Nara Shikari and Hanzoku Kirima, his two companions for the mission. He had noticed Shikari had seemed a bit too friendly to the Jinchuuriki, almost as if he was hitting on her. With Kirima's looks,Mujina could understand why Shikari was interested, but he was more than prepared to shove a foot up his ass should his affection for her cause distraction during the mission. The Enenra wouldn't recommend romance to any shinobi for the sake of avoiding attachments -there were things such as brothels in case any man needed to unload- but if the Nara had to create an emotional barrier for himself, he would have to do so in his own time.

Other than that, the trip had gone smoothly for now, and the group had gotten along pretty well. Mujina wasn't a social-minded person, but he possessed a certain kind of dry wit that allowed him to get along with most people, granted they hadn't yet met his more ruthless side. Now that they had arrived on the island of Tsuki no Kuni, their mission was about to get serious. This would be the part where teamwork really mattered, and where the group was about to find out how well they truly saw eye to eye on certain things.

The mission itself was doable, though no A-rank mission was really suitable to be labeled “easy.” A group of artists had been kidnapped by resentful people who had failed to make it in the showbizz industry themselves, and to top it off the kidnappers had likely hired missing-nin for protection. Tsuki no Kuni was a popular destination for many a rich fat cat, and as a result criminal shinobi had been attracted to the island like vultures to a carcass, hoping to strike a good deal. With their new headbands -Mujina had an Otokagure headband wrapped around his odd-colored hair with a strike through its symbol- the three Kumo-nin would have no trouble blending in. Their enemies would know they had to be on their guard, but it helped that they didn't know who they were supposed to be on their guard for.

Thus began a cat-and-mouse game on a luxurious resort.

He turned around to face the two special-jounin, clearing his throat to get their attention. ”Right, so now that we've arrived our first step should be to mingle with the crowd and gather information. For this purpose, we should play along with the local activities, which are best summed up by drinking, gambling, eating and enjoying whatever luxuries this place has to offer. As fun as this sounds, this isn't a vacation. Do make sure that by the time you've gotten some drunk rogue to spill the beans, your still sober enough to cling on to the information.” He finished. By now, Kirima and Shikari would have gotten used to how easily Mujina could slide in between the persona of a dry, sarcastic but well-spoken man and an iron-faced, no-nonsense leader. Tsuki no Kuni held many temptations, but he expected anyone worthy of the rank of Special Jounin to be able to resist them. He wasn't above filing complains and advising demotions to the Raikage should either of them prove otherwise.

”Oh.”, he continued. ”And please try to avoid making a mess. Our village has promised to pay for whatever collateral damage we cause, so fight only when you have to. “ Neither of his teammates seemed overly aggressive, so he didn't expect this to be a problem. Both of them were interesting individuals in their own right, and they both had something to prove to Mujina on this mission, though they didn't know it themselves. For Kirima, he was curious at her mastery over the Nibi and, more importantly, how professional she was. As a secret weapon for the village, it was extra important that she became a good, strict, professional shinobi who realized her duties. For Shikari, he was interested in the intelligence that he had inherited from his clan, and how well he was able to put it to good use, along with his Shadow techniques.

”Any questions?”, he asked. Despite being strict and stern, Mujina was fair enough to leave some of his strategies open to suggestion, granted they didn't clash with his beliefs and ideals.

Age : 37 Posts : 2201

Oh dear God how Kirima appreciated the solid ground underneath her feet after the dreadful trip by the wobbly and unnervingly frail-looking ship. By sheer willpower alone she managed to hold back from throwing herself down on the dirt covered road, and pressing her lips against it time and time again while blissfully acknowledging the fact that she was still alive; and not drifting to the bottom of the endless blue while tiny fishes would nibble away at her corpse.

- -

At first during the trip, she had politely smiled at her companions and answered questions as well as she could while also staying at a certain emotional distance from both of them. The Nara had been exceptionally friendly, almost to the point where Kirima would have started to wonder if he had anything foul on his mind. However during the entire trip no groping nor too much staring had occurred, and thus the traveling had been smooth and without any injuries of any sorts. She was actually beginning to get used to having such a friendly person near her, and was starting to gradually open up a little bit more while still keeping her answers short and her smiles shorter with no invitation behind either. But as they got closer to the ocean, the female had gone noticeably pale when she had first discovered -how- exactly the group was going to be traveling; as she had really been hoping to stay away from any ocean and deep kind of water in general. Of course she had forgotten that to get to an -island-, they needed a ship.

Fuck.

However, she had bit on her tongue and swallowed the fear that made her skin crawl, and the white in her eyes all too noticeable while she stared at the huge pile of wood floating at the mirror-still surface of the ocean while contemplating on her bad luck and wondering if that ship would actually get there. And then, after the white hue to her skin came the green one, and then a slight hue of purple mixed in as well. Kirima had changed colors as rapidly as a chameleon during the entire sailing, and she was literally clinging to any piece of wood with her nails as she carefully made her way around on the ship.

Was it any wonder? She, sadly, inherited certain traits of the creature that lived within her; and seeing that the Nibi was a giant -cat- would only speak for itself, and the fear/hate that possessed the redheaded human whenever she had to sail or swim.

Many of the crew aboard the ship wondered if the young female would faint and had often offered her some assistance; but as soon as Kirima noticed that someone else would see her fear and vulnerability she would gather up any courage that was dug underneath the solid wall of fear and calmly dismiss anyone that would approach her. Before she would find herself an isolate place on the ship where she could be left alone. In fact, in her fear she seemed to look at everybody with a glint of wild in her eyes; taking on the role of an angered and fierce cat almost too well, only just missing the tail and fur to puff out as she would growl.

- -

But now they were finally off the ship, and although she was still a bit unsteady on her feet; Kirima focused her attention on Mujina and what he had to say. She could not afford to have the leader of the group file complaints about her, or think of her as a coward. So she shrug off the need to go and lie down (or just vomit until there was nothing left to vomit) and plastered a very neutral expression on her face while waiting for any normal color to return to her skin. She felt as cold as ice, and her almond shaped sky blue eyes looked huge on her pale face. And yet, there was determination reflected within those eyes as well as a challenge; a challenge to anyone whom might try to take pity upon her or question her bravery.

”Right, so now that we've arrived our first step should be to mingle with the crowd and gather information. For this purpose, we should play along with the local activities, which are best summed up by drinking, gambling, eating and enjoying whatever luxuries this place has to offer. As fun as this sounds, this isn't a vacation. Do make sure that by the time you've gotten some drunk rogue to spill the beans, your still sober enough to cling on to the information.”

That sounded simple enough, and yet again she was glad that they had such a reasonable leader on this mission. She could easily pass for someone a year or two older than she was, and sneak into a bar where she could get people to spill a secret or two. And without really threatening or using violence, so long as no hand would go in unwelcome places. If there would be a mess, well then... Kirima had little to worry about paying some expenses. She'd rather hold onto her dignity than cry after a bit of money, and it was sure that she didn't care the least bit if the higher ups of the village would need to bleed a little green. They probably had plenty as it was.

The more time Kirima spent with Mujina and the more she listened to him talk, the more she started to wonder how quickly and completely he could jump from one personality to the other. It was truly a puzzle if she had even met the -real- Mujina yet, or if this was just his professional face that he was revealing.

"This sounds simple enough of a beginning." She swallowed a few times, and got her voice out a little stronger the next time she spoke. "This isn't a big place, so I figure we can find each other very easily whenever information has been acquired. But do you have any special meeting place or time in mind? Or are we supposed to go in all together as a group?" It was better to make sure that the leader was done speaking before she would take off, as she had already met too many people that disliked it when they couldn't have the last word. And besides, the female liked it best when she got every last bit of information she could get before she'd start the action.

Posts : 677

The young shinobi was as close to the water as he could be. He was usually found sitting on the ledge of the boat, holding himself to make sure he wouldn't fall in but he wouldn't mind much at all if he were to fall in. Being on the boat was bittersweet for Shikari, he rarely gets to see such vast amounts of water but he was on a boat which meant he couldn't swim in it. He wanted to be able to submerge himself into the salt water and swim as free as he could, but it was a mission and it would seem child-ish if he did so. The great sea breeze, pushing against his face felt so relaxing. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be in a state of intense relaxation and bliss. His smile would never show so much happiness again. He didn't worry about anyone or anything on his trip, even with all the hardships that the ocean could bring, and he was one to be able to tell stories about it. The sea once almost took his life but he learned from that and he actually learned to love the sea. "I wish I could go fishing." He thought as he opened his eyes then noticed they were soon to port. He was slightly disappointed but he knew that the journey back would be something to look forward too.

Once he hopped off the ledge, he paused for a second. Realizing that when his eyes were closed he was thinking about one thing, something that seemed to make him very happy. He didn't even notice and it felt so natural for him and comfortable, almost like he was used to it. With a puzzled face, he looked around the boat.

He slowly made his way off the ship and made his way to his comrades where Mujina would secure several details. It seemed more slightly dangerous but maybe we weren't supposed to think like that. To go out as individuals into a village of criminal shinobi gangs seemed sketchy but the leader spoke. Hopefully Shikari had a strong tongue to defer criminals from targeting him and instead make peace with them. His image was very important here and he felt like he was worthy enough and most of these criminals were probably early chunin. Luckily Shikari could sense charka pools and have a better judgement of strength. Kirima spoke in response to Mujina and Shikari felt like he should be apart of the group meeting. "I think we should go together as a group. Separating ourselves would weaken us as a force and also hinder our communication. It would also make us less threatening and we could possibly be targeted by a gang of multiple criminal shinobi. They are criminals who seem to not have strong morals nor boundaries." He looked at Kirima, showing that she would be more likely to be attacked than the other two males. He wasn't concerned because he knew that she would be able to handle herself, but maybe not the demon which was inside of her. He wasn't exactly how much of the demon itself she could handle before she went completely beserek. "I think we should approach a bar together yet separate into different activities where we would be able to get information from a vest amount of people while keeping an eye on each other. I wouldn't mind gambling, I am feeling lucky today." He said with a smirk.

He was certainly prepared to enter battle. Even if it were to be towards the later times of the day when his clan techniques prove to be hindered, they would most likely be inside with light which could provide for a shadow that Shikari could manipulate. However it was oddly strange how calm the shinobi was. It was one of his first more serious missions and he didn't seem nervous at all. He stood tall, the tallest and spoke strong. He was sensing everything around him to make sure they weren't in any danger. Maybe he didn't realize that there was actual danger here but then again...he has stared death in the face? Maybe it took his fear of death along with himself. Maybe he was growing up and that is what most shinobi go through, who knows? He was so new to the game and he was so young, glancing over at Kirima. He knew how she felt...but not really. She didn't have any chance to die here. She always had a guardian watching over her making her much stronger. He didn't have doubts that he was strong, but he knew there were much strong shinobi out there and hopefully he didn't encounter them at a bad time. Maybe he'll get to meet a cool shinobi or a criminal from Kumogakure. This mission seemed to have the ability to open many doors, and many traps.

Posts : 73

Mujina nodded as he took in the commentaries of both Kirima and Shikari. He had purposely left a part of their strategy, the finer details of their approach, up to debate to see how well these two could use their heads. Kirima was bright enough at least to notice the blanks he had left in their strategy. He noticed how she had to swallow to toughen up her voice. During their voyage, Mujina had learned two things about this girl. One, she hated water. Two, she was quite insecure. Mujina could imagine her to be. A great power like the Nibi also came with great responsibility. As such, there were constantly people judging her. Whether her insecurities about herself and how well she had mastered the demon inside her were justified... well.. that would be revealed to Mujina during this mission.

He placed his index finger below his chin and started moving his thumb across his goatee as he considered the strategy Shikari had come up with. He had to admit, the Nara's strategy was a good one. It was easy to screw up with these kind of missions. Sticking to close to one another could result in not enough ground being covered and the mission taking too long, as well as their facade falling apart. On the other side of the spectrum, splitting up and each tackling different area's could result in individual members being cornered and cut off from reinforcements. Each member of this team was an able fighter in his or her own right, and it was quite easy for anyone with enough skill to get cocky. But the fact was that they only had limited knowledge of their enemies' level of skill and capabilities. Shikari's strategy took both of these risks into account and managed to strike a fine balance of being able to cover ground quickly while still being able to rush to each other's help should things get ugly.

”Very good.”, Mujina said. ”I agree with Shikari-san's plan. There happens to be a rather large casino at the center of the village. Its known to attract masses of tourists all around the year.” Indeed, the Daigaki Casino was one of the centerpieces of Tsukigakure, both socially and economically. It was well known across the shinobi world for its great drinks, great gambling opportunities as well as a place where powerful shinobi enforcers kept a watchful eye on the ever drunk visitors, scaring most of them away from getting into alcohol-fueled fights. What little DID know was that was actually run by an incredibly wealthy drug lord who was cashing in billions of Ryo for whatever purpose through the casino. Whatever purpose this money would serve, Mujina hoped Kumogakure would consider looking into it soon.

It wasn't something they'd bother with during this mission, however.

”This casino seems like a logical first step.”, he announced. Shikari would be able to gamble as long as he kept his eye on his surroundings, Kirima could hang around, socialize or do whatever she usually did to get rid of the effects of being sea sick. As for Mujina himself.. after spending so much time on the sea he felt himself yearning for a stiff drink. But he had to be strict for himself! He wasn't going to drink on mission. At least, not on a mission that might require him to enter combat. If the alcohol would dull his senses even the slightest, it might very well mean the difference between life and death. Then again, not drinking anything could set him apart from the crowd. He could perhaps try to drink only minimally, enough to make the impression that he was having fun but not so much that it caused for even a slight buzz. It was something he would decide for himself once arriving at the destination. After he had gotten a good taste of the atmosphere.

”Lets head out. The chase begins now.” With that, Mujina started moving away from the pier and towards the village. Even from their current location, the trio's destination was easy to distinguish. With the sun setting at their back, twilight dropping its veil over the island, the casino with its bright lights and neon-lit name stood as a beacon of drunk splendor. It was easily twice as high as any other building on the island, and four times as broad. Mujina could already faintly hear the noise of music and laughter over the sound of crashing waves. In a way, this place was a terrible location for a mission. Being forced to witness all the pleasures this island had to offer without being able to indulge in them seemed almost cruel. He was confident that both his teammates would manage, however. As for Mujina himself... well, the day he would ever allow himself to show any weakness was the day sparrows would start flying upside down. At least, that was what he liked to think of himself, though he had not yet found any reason to doubt himself on this.

Making their last turn away from the pier, the salt scent of the sea was now completely replaced by the scent of night life, with all its different flavors. And so the three shinobi entered the den of neon-lights and dangerous pleasures.

OOC: I did it! I actually posted! Very Happy

Age : 37 Posts : 2201

She waited calmly, thankful for a few minutes to settle her queasiness, and looked from one male to the other as they were comparing mission plans. Kirima was a person that followed others and had no problem with it, she went with the flow; as long as the ones she was following seemed reasonable enough. And so, she turned her big eyes towards Shikari and listened silently to what he had to say. A soft breeze tousled her already messy and fiery hair a bit around, and she could taste the faint salt on her lips. The soft sounds of waves around them, made her want to flatten herself down to the ground and groan out while wishing she could just catch a ride home with a seagull; but the young female did not display her emotions on her face. Soon they would be able to walk away from the ocean and busy themselves over the mission, then she could forget for at least a while that she had to get on the ship again. It wasn't that she didn't find the ocean beautiful and mysterious, and even liked the smell of the endless blue. She could sit for hours and just look upon its beauty, especially when the sun was setting in the horizon and all the colors would mix up with the already gorgeous shades of blue in the sea.

She simply hated having to actually cross it! That feeling of having nothing beneath you but the cold and merciless arms of the sea. If she would stare hard down into its surface, she couldn't even make out the bottom but just the endless deep. The hair at the back of her neck was standing a bit out at the thoughts, and quickly she shook the images and terrifying thoughts out of her head to properly focus on what Shikari was saying, noticing that when he was finishing his sentence he looked very potently at her.

~~"They are criminals who seem to not have strong morals nor boundaries."~~

The redhead barely managed to stifle a groan of irritation, as the Nara so obviously meant that she was the weakest link because she was the female. Funny, he was still friendly even after basically telling her "yeah you have a uterus, so you will get into trouble for sure". I'm not stupid, I realize that many guys think with their crotches... but that doesn't make me a weak link. Do they even realize how easy it is to hunt out information from horny idiots who think they have the upper hand? And yet, she kept silent. The only gesture betraying her slight annoyance was a small twitch of her eyebrow, before she waited to see what more there was to be said. She had decided before this mission started that she wouldn't talk much, nor share what -she- really thought; because it was always her mouth that got her into trouble with those she worked with. She couldn't help it if she was brutally honest or had a slight tendency for cursing! But it really seemed to catch people on the bad side, and right now she did not want to lose any points.

~~”I agree with Shikari-san's plan. There happens to be a rather large casino at the center of the village. Its known to attract masses of tourists all around the year.”~~

Oh boy, look at this surprising turn of events. The males agree with each others strategies, I would have never thought of that. Her mind was just filled with sweet sarcasm, but she was far from being annoyed. Kirima was at this point simply amused, and getting a little bit curious to see how her team members would handle themselves in this mission. One thing was sure though, -she- was not going to be the one causing any chaos; or so the female tried to tell herself as she started walking behind Mujina.

Everything on this island looked so exotic, so forbidden and yet so deliciously tempting. People were laughing, drinking, eating, doing things that were definitely not meant for the eyes of children. Kirima felt like she could barely keep up with all that was happening around, her eyes fluttering from one thing to the next while she kept up with the pace of her companions. She could feel herself almost drawn to the crowds, to join in with the laughter and the fun; but that feeling didn't last for long, as she was not the most sociable person and already felt a little bit trapped within this crowded area. The young ninja could almost taste upon the air all the tension that lay underneath, and she knew that there wouldn't be much needed to make one big explosion of human emotions and violence in this place.

Instead of confusing herself any further, she kept her eyes focused on the huge building they were approaching. The casino. Already she was wondering what to do in there, if she should mingle with people already playing, hang around at the bar, or simply walk around and search for a loner to chat up. She was hoping that people in there were as drunk and seemingly carefree as out here, since that would certainly make the mission a lot easier.

The closer they got to the casino, the more she was starting to practice looking like one of the people who were obviously not searching for information. She laughed with ease with the others around as a drunken man with a stupid grin fell face first into a pile of dog shit. Her movements also seemed to have changed a bit, her walking came with more ease while she moved gracefully and in a carefree manner. Her eyes never lingered for too long on anyone, and she coyly looked down or away if a male tried to catch her eyes. Nobody came close to her, even if it seemed that many males by now wanted the attention of the woman with the fire colored hair and the sky blue eyes; because Kirima had practiced with time to make herself rather ... difficult to approach. She didn't giggle like a school girl, she didn't frown and offer there an opportunity for someone to try and tease her. Rather she had the smile of a mature woman, someone certainly older than her own meager 17 years, and her eyes had calmness and yet a silent warning reflected in them.

Those drunks who wanted to simply tease and flirt or grope a little here and there felt like it would simply be way too much of a hassle to approach her, and that made things much easier for Kirima and she could actually focus her attention on what she came here for.

Posts : 677

The drunks here were much different than the drunks back home. These drunks seem to be much more happy and cheerful, which was surprising for Shikari because he always thought that all drunk people were the same. They slowly started to walk closer to the casino after they agreed on the right course of action which will be taken for this mission. He did notice how little that Kirima spoke during the team meeting, which wasn't impressive. Lack of leadership and motivating for team building didn't seem to be her strong points but Shikari was more than certain that she had other abilities which made her more than capable. Hopefully she wasn't here solely based on the power she possessed which he still wasn't sure how in tuned she was with her bijuu. She will later be able to show case herself. Mujina also didn't say much as a leader, but at least he said something and directed the team into the right path.

As the trio made their last steps away from the salty sea, Shikari felt a little dead inside. He always hated leaving the water and as hard as he wanted to turn back to face it more than time, he knew he couldn't. It would have been harder for him to leave if he did. Maybe he was over reacting and being dramatic but it felt like much more to him than most. It was almost like seeing your child that was taken away from you and only being able to see that child once a year, maybe twice. Even so it was even harder for him because he felt teased, he didn't even get to spend quality time with the beautiful ocean. He didn't get to fish or swim or dive and play with his suiton ninjutsu. He felt like he was the mother and he could only see the child through a window, no communication, just the satisfaction to see his face until next time. He was more than certain that Kirima whose bijuu was a cat, would have wanted to get out of there as quick as possible, but he was surprised how normal she acted.

Then he looked back at Mujina to get another glimpse of who he was, he felt like he was almost cold. Something about him made it seem like he didn't care if Shikari was going to make it out alive or not, he seem war hardened. Maybe he was wrong though, he seemed like he was to serious to cry for anyone. Maybe that is what being a shinobi was, maybe it killed you on the inside before it was able to kill you from the outside.

Busting through the door of the casino, many noises could have been heard. From the people shouting with glee or the machines and just the general noise from the mass amount of people. The young genius looked back at Mujina and nodded downwards to give an acknowledging departure. First he was going to scope the area, lay a map down of where everything was. He always wanted to be prepared in every situation, it has saved his life before and he knew that the practice would stay faithful to him. Upon his wandering and mental map of the scene, he placed his eyes on a table which seemed to have enough personalities. The simple man who was trying to get big by placing all of his earnings onto the table, a women who seemed mysterious enough to know something but shady enough to be killed by. Another man who was accompanied by a much younger female parter who seemed to have most the chips and probably some sort of boss. A few more randoms that might have known something, Shikari didn't want to rule anyone out based on looks so he made sure to notice all of them.

He watched one hand go by before he took a seat, he just wanted to watch one before he placed himself in one. His first couple hands were less than workable but he was able to pick up a pattern, yet he wasn't quite sure how it worked. It must have taken several genius to devise the plan and make it no one would read it. The workers also seemed shady, they must have had a role within the system. He was able to count cards but even then, he wasn't having much luck. Meaning being that it was a good thing that he was a much more passive player who knew when to fold and not lose all of his money. He slowly noticed most people were aggressive and were the ones to walk away the quickest. Some small chit chat seemed to lighten them up but he didn't want to be to eager and scare them off. All that was needed was a little more time to figure out what was happening here. He just had a sense that something wrong was happening but he couldn't figure out what, of course playing such a mental game while trying to figure out a puzzle wasn't so easy. AND! He had to maintain a friendly conversation and appear socially available. He wondered how well Mujina and Kirima were doing, he knew that this was going to take some time but hopefully they were doing better.

Then the idea of going back to the sea, the place where he felt most like himself. A place where he was able to socialize with anyone and more than likely find information fast without causing caution to the wind. The idea seemed rough as it would go against his own plan, but that seemed like it was personally suit him more, if only he thought of it before and had a good explanation behind it.

Posts : 73

As Kirima and Shikari each went their own ways, Mujina found himself heading towards the bar. Being the only one on in this team of legal drinking age, he usually opposed underage drinking. For this mission, he was leaning towards making an exception for the sake of blending in. That being said, he wouldn't have his teammates too intoxicated to provide the maximum possible effort. Mujina knew his own limits when it came to drinking. He was dead set on keeping it at one or two drinks at most, so that his performance wasn't held back by intoxication.

Having arrived at the bar, he made eye contact with the barkeeper to get the man's attention. ”Saké please.”, he said as he handed the man a handful or ryo. Accepting the cup, he then turned his back towards the man, leaning his right elbow on the counter while casually holding the cup in his right, scanning the crowds. Minutes straight were spent just looking into the casino, analyzing the various groups of people. It was easy to notice the tense atmosphere beneath the partying, which was logical enough considering the kinds of people this island sometimes attracted. He spotted Shikari doing as he said he would've. Playing cards with several figures. One looked to be quite the rich fat cat, judging by the ladies surrounding him, and Mujina hoped Shikari would succeed in getting some relevant information out of this guy if he had any. He couldn't see where Kimira was, but as she was a special Jounin Mujina wasn't concerned. She was more than able to fend for herself. Any perverted, drunk fool who tried to get in a grope would be rewarded with a pair of crushed nuts, if not worse.

Even in a place like this, where just about everyone had a secret to tell, something like a popular group of artists disappearing was something big. The real challenge was to try to be subtle in their approach. Just asking around in the open would result in their enemies getting the drop on them. The ideal situation would be for some kind of scapegoat to lure the culprits out of hiding while the team prepared to strike.

Suddenly, he noticed something. A voice was raised ever so slightly above the din. Had Mujina been on a different location within the casino, it would've merged with the sound of the crowd. But due to Mujina being relatively close, he noticed the voice of the volume was greater than that of most others.

”The fuck is this bullshit?!”, a voice spiced with intoxication yelled. It came from a tall, muscular man with orange hair, blue eyes and an overall air of only limited intelligence. He did look pretty strong, with his broad arms being as thick as small trees. With that in mind, the only reason the pudgy, middle-aged barkeeper didn't look intimidated was due to the enforcers he could call upon any minute.

”For five years I've been comin' here! Is this how you reward loyal customers, you fat prick? I told you I'd pay you back later! Now pour me another one!”

Admirably not batting an eyelid, the pudgy man replied ”Sorry, Kosaku-san, but you already owe this place too much. Step down, or I'll have to call the bouncers!” The enforcers in question already had their eyes on the man. Mujina could see them. From the balcony of a higher floor two masked shinobi, one with a massive sword on his back, the other with a puppet floating next to him, were watching the situation. All they needed was a single sign from the barkeeper. Mujina's eyes went from the duo back to the drunk named Kosaku. He had gone silent at the threat, but his rage-filled face showed that he was actually considering not stepping down. This was further evidenced by his right hand reaching towards his pocket, from which the hilt of a kunai protruded.

This was the moment where Mujina realized how stupid and drunk Kosaku was. Exactly the kind of drunk stupidity the Enenra was looking for.

”Just give the man his drink.”, Mujina spoke up. ”We don't want to ruin the atmosphere. Here you go.”, he said as he handed the barkeep another handful of ryo. The barkeep gave Mujina a somewhat surprised look, then gave the already wasted Kosaku a concerned one, imagining what would happen if even more alcohol was poured into that booze dumpster. But in the end he nodded, accepted the coin and gave Kosaku another drink.

”He's your responsibility, then!”, he said to Mujina before going back to his duties.

”Thanks there, buddy!”, Kosaku said, jovially giving Mujina a way to hard pat on the shoulder. The stank of alcohol was enough to make the Kumo-nin feel ill. Masking his irritation beneath a smile, he nodded and replied ”Don't mention it, man. Wouldn't want to get those poor enforcers into a fight they can't handle.”

”Yeeeaaaahehehe...”, he said, grinning stupidly at the compliment. In truth, Mujina estimated him to be around Chuunin-level. While he probably did possess some skill, as well as a great amount of raw power judging from his physique, he didn't seem to possess the mental capacity to become a truly deadly shinobi. ”The barkeep's a fucking asshole. Like I can help it that I got no money!”

”Yeah, I get what you mean.”, Mujina replied, nodding to everything Kosaku said like the yes-man he currently wanted to come over as. ”Exactly the reason why I left that little shitstain of a village, Otogakure. Impossible to get any decent mission. All the big ones go to the major villages. So I figured I'd be better off on my own.”, he said. Hoping to steer the conversation towards the subject of jobs as a hired thug, he hoped to learn from Kosaku who the most frequent and richest employers in the village were. Since there were only so many people who could afford multiple missing-nin by themselves, one of them had to be connected to the kidnappers.

”Tell me 'bout it.”, Kosaku said. ”I came here from Kirigakure, together with a buddy of mine. We escaped together, but when we got here, he went off by himself. He's a pretty strong guy, so he manages to get all the decent jobs while I have to settle for the second-rate work.”

Mujina took a sip of saké as Kosaku talked. He felt the beverage burn in his throat and settle in his stomach, giving it a warm feeling. At the same time, he let what Kosaku just said sink in. There was indeed a possibility, if even a small one, that this “buddy” of his was one of the nukenin hired by the kidnappers. ”What kind of “decent” jobs does he get?”, he asked.

”The kind of jobs only fat cats and head honcho's give.” He then took a moment to look around, before speaking again. He brought his face closer to Mujina as he started speaking in a more hushed voice. ”He's working on a really big job right now. Like, seriously big-time.”

People didn't expect someone as cold as Mujina to feel anything during missions. But at moments like these, the thrill of a potential discovery managed to get his adrenaline running. ”Tell me more.”

Age : 37 Posts : 2201

Kirima looked calmly around her, but even as she seemed chilled and collected on the outside; she felt like she was stuck in a jar that was being filled slowly to the brim with sand. With so many people crowding around it always made it a little difficult to keep her composure, but thanks to her training and previous missions it would be very difficult to sense anything but her calmness. Absentmindedly she noted that Mujina had went straight to the bar, obviously because he would be the only one that had the age for it. She and Shikari would now have to skim the area and either chat somebody into buying them a drink (although she was unsure if the team leader would frown upon underage drinking) or find another way of bonding with the many strangers whom were in the bar at this moment.

So what exactly was she looking for? So far, nobody looked extraordinary suspicious or like they held a great deal of information. She could either try to find somebody that looked like their head was filled with rocks, or she could try to sneak about and see if someone a tad bit more intelligent was around. Slowly, without showing any sign of interest in anyone, she made her way through the crowded and noisy room. Suddenly, just as she carefully stepped over a pile of clothes that looked like a human being on the floor (upon further investigation that pile was snoring, so she did not worry that somebody had gotten killed), an arm was thrust out in her way. The Kumogakure ninja stopped and looked at the arm which was now leaning casually against one of the wooden pillars that held the roof up. Her gaze traveled up the arm, noting that it was fairly clean and also had lean but firm muscles; until her eyes stopped at the face of the person whom thought he had the authority or power to harass her in any way.

Strong jawline, tousled blonde hair, a straight nose, sensual mouth with slightly full lips and yet not so that they would look feminine, dark blue eyes with a hint of humor, admiration and arrogance in them; all in all, she had been trapped by a 'pretty guy'. And oh dear God how she hated those types. One dark red eyebrow was raised on her forehead while she looked at him without a comment and without changing her expression. Perhaps he was used to females swooning over him all the time, because for a moment there was a hint of surprise she could read over his face. But the playboy was quick to recover, and perhaps he would take this like she would be a fun one to 'chase around'. A little game was about to be set.

"Hello there pretty little thing. I haven't seen you around before, and it absolutely breaks my heart to know your radiating presence has been unnoticed for so long."

By sheer willpower she managed to control her gag reflex.

"Well I guess I've been lucky up until now then."

A huge smile lit up his overly handsome face, and at that moment Kirima knew she was playing the right cards. He was a guy that liked the chasing around, it had probably become too boring for him to only have to look at females and their clothes would simply fall off.

"Don't say that my dove!" In a playful and dramatic way, he held his hand against his chest as if his heart ached. (And man did she hope it literally hurt so bad he'd die out of a heart attack any moment now). "You wound me with your prickly words, little fiery lady. Please, what can I do to make you not detest my presence? How can I possibly make your beautiful face light up in a smile directed at me, or hear sweet words flow from that tempting mouth?"

Is he fucking kidding me? Does this actually work on anyone? It was obvious that he was halfway joking (that 'halfway' part making her complexion green from disgust), because his eyes shimmered with laughter but he also did not hide how he was drinking her up with his bold gaze. It made a small shiver run down her spine, and she had to really -really- calm herself down before that pretty boy wouldn't even be recognized by his own mother.

"Tell you what, buy me a drink and we'll see how many points you earn from that."

"At once! Just stay here!"

Yeah you have no idea how tempting it is for me to disappear forever right now. Sighing softly, she ran her hand through her fiery hair before promptly cracking her neck to both sides to release some tension. It seems I have him interested, now it just all depends on how I can keep playing this game. He doesn't look stupid, even if everything he says makes me wanna puke a bit. His disgustingly sweet words could just be a test for her, she couldn't know for sure. A few minutes passed where she stood there with arms crossed, and her shoulder leaning against the wooden pillar. At some point she wondered if the guy had actually just left, and that made her look a bit around. Perhaps she would have to find another target after all.

"Looking for me?"

Kirima jumped about a foot in the air as the warm breath caressed her neck while the words were whispered into her ear. The small hairs on the nape of her neck stood up like the fur of a cat would, and she had endless shivers run down her back. MOTHERFUCKINGSHIT. She spun around with murder in her gaze, making the blonde playboy laugh and back a bit away to make sure he wouldn't get his beautiful face damaged in any way. Right at this moment, she had already thought up about 100 different ways just to break his nose.

"Such temper! You become more wonderful with each passing second!" In his hands he held two mugs with what smelled like beer, and his face had painted on it the biggest and most smug grin ever. Damn it. He had seen her look around the place, and probably now thought he was making a good impression... his ego really could not do with any more boosting as it was. With a small scowl, one that made him smile even more, she grabbed one of the mugs and had to hold herself back so she wouldn't stick her tongue out at the prick. A careful inspection of the beer made her pretty sure it hadn't been drugged in any way, and so she took a gulp of it while staring the guy down over the edge of her mug. He only kept giving her that... very intense gaze that made her almost drown on her beer.

"So what's your name, pretty one?"

"What's yours?" She did not hesitate one second to shoot back at him the same question he had imposed upon her. She was going to make it understood that he was not getting anywhere in her good graces, even if that made him even want more. The more he wants, the more my chances of information. If this pretty boy even has any. Besides, she had to quickly think up a fake name for herself and at the moment he had asked, her mind had become blank of any ideas.

"Sousuke, at your service." He did not hesitate at all either, almost as if he had been expecting her to do what she did. And that made her really want to kick him in the shin.

"Haruka."

"Well, lovely Haruka. Would you care to sit down with me and my mates? I promise we are all gentlemen."

Yeah I bet. But she took her time in answering, making it seem like she was really thinking it over and dragging on what she would say. "I don't know about that. Perhaps I might get going."

"Oh don't say that, please! Come on, just for a few minutes. I must show my friends what a beautiful butterfly I have managed to capture!"

She groaned and rolled her eyes while he did his best to give her a puppy dog expression. I guess I can say yes now. If I had said yes right away, it would have been too easy for him and perhaps a little suspicious. Shrugging, she made it clear that he had won for now; and boy did he literally jump in the air and let out a whoop of joy before grabbing her hand and dragging her behind him towards where his friends were seated.

Posts : 677

The moving items did not stop in any way, everything kept moving on while the boy sat still for only a few moments trying to figure out every person in the entire casino. Apparently he wasn't so lucky as he first thought since he wasn't able to land any useful cards and he wasn't going to try to bluff. He knew that the chances of bluffing wasn't going to work unless he was willing to bet high and he wasn't. How much trouble he would be if he gambled all of his personal ryo and even his village ryo on a bluff. He also didn't have half as much experience as the big dogs that sat across him. He decided that one more hand wouldn't hurt since he didn't have to pay blind this turn. He received his cards and took a glance at them. His physical body remained the same but his inner self was jumping for joy. He could hardly expect what cards he got. As the inner side of him jumped with a sudden jolt of excitement, it quickly vanished as he noticed that from several angles he was being sensed.

There appeared to be sensor ninja from a higher inside balcony. There seemed to be many as they tuned into Shikari. He knew there was something odd but he couldn't tell and as quickly as he noticed that he was being sensed, they stopped. They knew that he knew. That might make him a target. Then he seemed to notice that the big dogs folded on the other side. He figured it out, and he knew there was someone or something that wasn't allowing him to sense them. He could only sense them when they made contact with him, then he seemed to notice several people walk and circle him. Yet the young genius couldn't sense them, he could only see them with his high perception. Shikari kept clam and played his hand. Slowly betting up throughout all five cards and eventually managed to put all of his ryo into the pot. There were two other people that made it to the end Shikari could sense how conflicted they were. They had already put so much money into the pot and they didn't want to leave without anything, but unfortunately they were going to have to. One folded but the more stubborn one bet all of his ryo but still had some left over since he had more than Shikari to begin with.

Flipping the cards over the man was more confident than he has ever been, at least from what the Nara could see. Then his face seemed to turn white and he nearly fainted, feeling woozy, he had to hold himself up using the table. How could he have lost? He had pocket aces! Yet Shikari had something better, a pair of kings. Counting cards he knew that another king was going to show up in the community cards and there were to many players to be able to get a hand better than three of a kind. Shikari seemed to know what he was doing but he did have to play a fairly high risk in order to nearly triple his money. Now where is that money to go? That will be an answer for another time, since he decided that it was his time to leave.

Thanking the table, he took his earnings and slowly walked away to cash in. While on his way he could notice the people closing in and watching him, yet he kept going. He cashed in and stuffed his high bills into his wallet within his flak jacket. He walked and sensed where his two partners were but he couldn't really see how well they were doing. A hand was placed on his shoulder, one that he couldn't sense. Yet he played it off like he could but which would confuse the person because he knew he couldn't yet maybe he could?

"We want you." The voice said in a low slow tone. Shikari slowly turned to face him and it was one of the men that was following him. He had a black leather suit on with a black headband on, he seemed like he was security but to him it also looked like he could pass for interrogation. There were simply in the middle of the slots alley where it was to loud, they needed to go somewhere more private. The man started to walk towards the door, Shikari followed but while following he thought of his teammates. He knew that they couldn't sense him so if he was getting into trouble, he was on his own. Yet he was close enough to sense them but not close enough to help them in a moments notice. He knew he was going to have to leave, these people might have information on his mission or something else that could prove useful. He knew he didn't do anything wrong, he only noticed them after they noticed him.

Walking through the front doors, the man pulled out a cigarette and lit it, he offered one to Shikari who simply shook his head. "We know you are a sensor and we are interested in sensors. I noticed you are a rouge shinobi and we have started a new business. I know what drives you rogue shinobi and that is money and we have plenty of it thanks to the casino and our human trafficking. Right know we don't have many shinobi but some simple men who can wield weaponry or trade knuckles. We also don't have access to many contract holders so right now they simply attack who they want. " He then sucked into his square and released the smoke through his nostrils.

Shikari smiled but not because the money but because he was getting close to ending this mission. Then he turned his head, "If you have any more friends who need jobs, get them now. I won't be here for long." Without a word, Shikari quickly ran back into the casino.

Noticing that Mujina was further than his other partner, he started to walk towards her. He didn't want to ruin anything she had going so he kept distance and tried to get into eye view. Once in her view, he would try to sign her over to him so they can speak in private. Shikari had no idea what Mujina was doing, he was most likely getting drunk or something.