Trespass [Gavin Kaguya]

Age : 35 Posts : 1113

Uriko was late. Or at least, she had not made the time she herself had set. The sodden and blustery weather had forced the woman to stay a further day in Konoha, on dry land. The ocean was too wild to cross, even for a shinobi as hardy as she. It was extremely fortuitous that the conditions had calmed in a mere twenty-four hours. Uriko did not like to be kept waiting, least of all when there was no one she could blame for it. As it happened, she was able to secure passage across the water the following morning. Only a few vessels dared venture from the safety of the harbour so soon after a storm, but those that did were not of a mind to care about the type of passenger. as such, the female nukenin was transported without fuss. Travelling from the shores of Konoha to the far more lush environment offered by Tsuki no Kuni, she was quite glad to see the back of the country she'd now left behind.

Her voyage was drawn-out by the captain, who didn't wish to encounter any military ships or the like. Uriko warmed to this notion rather quickly, eager to avoid such intrusions herself. When they finally moored at the smaller of the two docks just outside Getsugakure, the kunoichi fell in line with the sailors trudging one-by-one toward the village, each carrying as much cargo as they could hold. Uriko's hand brushed the hood of her cloak. She was almost about to cover her visage when she remembered that she currently wore the face of another man. Another time she might've chided herself for the lapse, but it was the first time she'd used the technique. Teething problems, of course. Her fingers fell onto the alien flesh covering her real face. It felt weak, as if loosely bound by the muscles underneath. The woman pursed her lips. Though the jutsu was due to wear out around this time, she didn't like having to hope that it held out until she reached the village. It might make matters less... secure.

As she passed the smartly-dressed officers guarding the docks, Uriko made a hasty beeline toward the nearest shade. The kunoichi took a moment to survey her environment. Behind her, the beautiful vista of the sandy shore and turquoise waters lapping gently beside it. To the right, the busy dockyard, full of industrious people with coarse hands and gruff mannerisms. To her left, the very edge of a relatively sparse forest curved around, bordered by the cream-coloured path that ran straight ahead, eventually coming to the modest gates of Getsuagkure no Sato. It was this road that Uriko needed to follow, though she didn't really like the look of it. Too open and exposed. She worried that her disguise wouldn't hold for the ten minutes she needed to reach and pass through those gates. By the feel of the flesh, the woman could tell it would be touch and go. No time to waste, then. She thought silently to herself, setting off at a brisk walking pace. Nothing more. She didn't want the attention.

Yet more luck for the determined nukenin. Not only did her disguise hold, but the guards recognized her face as a Kirigakure envoy. She passed through the gates without so much as a search, reaching the inner village just in time. As Uriko took to the shadows to pull the dissipating skin from her face, she wondered if security really was this lacksadaisical here. The only other explanation was that they had a sensory nin at the gate, who had searched her in secret but found nothing. The pile of indistinguishable mess on the cobbled floor would disappear before anyone stumbled upon it, hidden out of sight as it was. The woman brushed the last few unwanted specks from her body and stepped out into the street. Her intel had placed three different shinobi here, all criminals and therefore all targets. Having already located the Inuzuka, she had to begin anew with her search for the next nukenin. All Uriko knew at the moment was the clan, and her target was of the renowned Kaguya - though had presumably turned their back on their fellow clansmen.

While useful information had been scarce in relation to the Inuzuka girl, there were two nuggets of useful intelligence that Uriko had gleaned from her criminal contacts. She had been told that the Kaguya had only just arrived on the island and had yet to enter the village. Furthermore, that he (for it was, apparently, a man) had last been seen negotiating the wooded area just outside of Getsugakure. This was more than enough to go on. Heck, the female nukenin reasoned, she'd managed to find the girl with no such help whatsoever. Scaling the walls of the village were much easier from the inside and far less dangerous than risking the front gate without a disguise. If they were indeed using a sensory-nin, only her 'other' transformation technique would do the trick and quite frankly, she hadn't the time. The wall was quicker, easier but more exposed. The risk, the kunoichi decided, was worth it. Though her footwork left tiny chips in the pearlescent sandstone, not one person witnessed her escape and Uriko concluded that she would not have to engage the local military for now.

The forest was much more sparse than it had seemed at first glance. Only in the areas directly outside the village walls was it dense enough to call 'wooded'. The female nukenin sped straight through these areas, intent on working her way from the outside-in. If she could locate the Kaguya boy in the more open areas, it would save her the lengthy task of searching through the thicker forest. Fortunately, he had left one or two telltale signs of his passage. Uriko was no tracker, but even she had some experience of following trails. After all her years as a criminal nin, she'd learned a thing or two about locating a target. Of course, she wasn't aiming to injure or kill this one - a rare thing, if only she had the time to appreciate it. Darting through the trees and dappled sunlight, the woman became suddenly aware that the 'forest' was growing denser once more. Yet she was headed away from the village. The reason for the unusual landscape soon became apparent, as the kunoichi noticed movement in the canopy about fifty metres away. Peering through, she caught glimpses of a construct hidden within the woodland. Guards seemed to be patrolling the area, though how many she couldn't tell. And then... Uriko whirled around on the spot. Her sharp eyes flickered from left to right. A moment of silence followed. The kunoichi made a purposeful sound of scraping metal as she drew her short katana, and again when she slapped the flat of the blade lightly against a tree trunk. The motion had to be well controlled, or a patrolling guard might have heard. Fortunately, none seemed to. A padding sound indicated the arrival of whomever had alerted the kunoichi.