Pursuit [Aries]

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. Since entering Getsugakure a few hours ago, both the Inuzuka and the Noroi had been met and conversed with; only the Yamanaka remained. The few contacts the woman had here had explained that the man she sought was near the docks, preparing to leave. After all her efforts getting in to the village, she wasn't exactly pleased to find that she had to leave so soon.

Striding briskly through the crowded streets, Uriko brushed roughly past the human traffic, making sure to keep her head down and move on quickly enough that no one would notice her. There was no choice but to take this risk - if she missed her opportunity to speak to the boy it could take some time to catch up. The boats from Getsugakure were not known for happily dropping passengers off where they wanted. Where they were going, you were going. The woman pulled up short as she neared the gates. Guards were checking each and every person that passed through. What had changed in the last few hours? Were they aware of the nukenin's presence in their village? Whatever the case, if they saw underneath the kunoichi's hood, or rifled through her belongings, she'd have to fight her way out. Not that these mediocre shinobi could do much to harm her, but they could send word of her location, which often ended in ANBU, hunter-nin and specialists tracking her down.

The female nukenin's situation was made worse when her suspicions of a sensory-nin at the gate were confirmed. A woman of similar age to Uriko sat on the gate parapet, a seal held and her eyes closing for a few moments with every passer by. "Great." The woman muttered under her breath, slipping into the nearest alley and sighing in frustration. A quick nip of her thumb brought a spot of blood, which she pressed against the wall after forming a set of seals. "Kuchiyose." She whispered. A plume of smoke burst forth into the tight space, clouding all sight for a few seconds. As it cleared, mischievous laughter could be heard. Its source soon became apparent. Seven tanuki, each around a metre long (though some bigger than others), sat lazily about the area. Two were hanging from the roof edge, another few rolling about and the remainder slouching against te wall or on the floor. "Uriko-san!" One cheered. A chorus of 'Uriko' followed, but was quickly stamped out by the kunoichi. "Boys - shut up." She spoke sternly, and the brothers soon stood to attention. "I need you to use that technique. Distract the guards, take the sensor out of commission for a few moments. It's all I require." She explained, matter-of-factly. The largest of the brothers stepped up, his raucous grin twisted to a rather cruel-looking one. "Can we..." He glanced across at his brethren, who were nodding eagerly. "... hurt them?" He asked with barely contained glee. "Only a little." She replied. The tanuki shrugged, before signalling to the others to move out.

As the pack disappeared around the corner, Uriko waited patiently for her opportunity. A chorus of screams was swiftly followed by a few small thuds. The kunoichi vanished. Only the swish of her cloak gave any indication she'd been there at all. The distraction would not have worked so well in a major nation's village, such as Konohagakure, but here they had far fewer resources. One sensor nin was not enough to waylay a criminal of Uriko's standard. The woman was already out of sight of the gate. Her summons would have retreated and returned to their world by now. Paying no heed to the fate of the guards, the female nukenin sped toward the dockyard. Her target should not be too hard to uncover, given his unusual hair colour. Of course, many criminals used false visages, especially those with recognizable features. And the bingo book could be outdated, too. Uriko was playing the odds, but had to make do. As she neared the main drag leading into the docks themselves, the kunoichi slowed her pace and kept her eyes peeled on the boats. A small number of travelling folk bought passage on the trading vessels, so the task was to pick Fugaku from among them. The larger boats were far less likely, so the woman made a beeline for the fishing boats and other smaller ships. Sure enough, a flash of powder blue from beneath a hood gave away the young nukenin's location. Quick as a flash, Uriko fell in line behind him and flicked her wrist. The hidden blade flitted out and pressed firmly into the small of the boy's back. "Excuse yourself from these men, come with me." The woman whispered. Then, almost as an afterthought, "And, my apologies." She added, referring to the blade that kept him in place.

Spoiler:

Age : 36 Posts : 1004

It was early afternoon and Fu had just awaken from a light yet comfortable nap. He was exhausted due to the early morning training their soon after eating breakfast chow in which was a protein drink, a wholegrain bar, and two oranges. Though it seems small it was quite fitting for the nutrition. It seems Fu didn't seem to like much but one thing he did like was to keep up his appearance. He felt as if man or person can only perform as good as they look and he strongly believed in this. For this being anyone that didn't attract Fu's attention was less than nothing in his eyes. Yet those who did find his attention would find him to be a very interesting person indeed.

Fu's early morning routine would usually start up with with a pre-warm up a six mile run followed by five-hundred six up. Soon after he was finish. Fu Would hydrate himself to get ready for the warm up so that he could get his muscles ready for the real deal. His usual warm-up would be to complete 400, 1 finger push-ups within 30 minutes followed by jump roping 3000 times without mistake. If Fu was to miscount or trip himself up in the rope he would start over and yet begin at 1. After the warm-up Fu would then begin the intense part of the day in which usually was about a 2-3 hour work out. He would begin with first his martial arts practicing his punching and kicks with small weights attached to himself making sure they stay par or that even above the level of other shinobi. He would then sprint intensely uphill for about a mile then walk another mile in addition for a cool down. Believing that the whole body is nothing without it's core Fu's main focus was the mid section in which every other day he would do variation of sit-ups 4sets of 1000 reps. He would finish this up by doing lunges with 100 pound weights on his back for 400 yards. Though this wasn't an intense workout for him you could glimpse why Fu was resting from the early morning.

Getting out of his bed for the second time that day Fu stretch as if he was reaching dearly for the sun above. Every inch of his body crackled from the bottom of his spine to the tips of his toes. He then slowly wiped the cole from his eyes and got out the bed stumbling across his own feet. Catching himself on the verge of falling Fu caught hold of a near dresser regaining his balance forcing himself to look into the mirror above it. His physical appearance still the same as usual only this time Fu saw a new deep inner anger within himself that he could only tell. His sense was with hatred for all of the shinobi world for he always felt as if other shinobi were out to capture him. For this reason Fu kept himself abandoned from others for which he didn't trust anyone but himself. For this reason Fu spent most of his time fishing out of his small yacht home.

Fu's yacht wasn't just any ordinary yacht, this home of his was full of booby traps and a security system. He knew that Kumogakure villagers were out for him as well as others seeing that his name was located in the bingo book. He had to be careful, so every evening at 5pm he would go through and check on the traps he had placed on the ship and off. Off the ship Fu had set a few cameras to watch every angle possible and searched for anyone that looked suspicious. Outside of this yacht Fu had a built a universal kunai launcher that shot 360 degrees. He didn't care to kill anyone so hitting an innocent with a kunai was like another day at the park. Once upon it's the crevices of the yacht would seep put a sticky ooze that triggered on anyone that didn't have the same chakra as Fu and it could hold the strongest of people still had they try to move with out first calming themselves. The problem with this trap is that it usually took a few minutes to activate. Inside their was a small bar in which Fu had set with alcohol all behind it which was perfect for starting a fire had Fu struck anyone of it with the lightning jutsu. At the bar was a fake person that resembled himself of every detail drinking while watching the security cameras. In reality it was a wood figure that was clothed covering most of what could be seen except a small glimpse of the power blue hair. Above this was a medium sized stone that would fall moments after someone would tamper with the imitation knocking them cold off their feet. This would also force this ship into automatic cruise control.

Not much time after the same routine everyday Fu would then leave his home and go fishing in which he had for dinner everyday. This kind of became a hobby for Fu seeing that it was the only thing he did in free time outside of working out in the mornings. As he begin to fish just before nightfall Fu began to think on his days of the past and how his life has become one big rerun and that he's becoming bored of it. With this hunch slight thoughts had come across his mind of venturing out and seeking a life of pleasure. Thinking to himself, But what could make a man like me happy? Fu's questioned himself but sought no answer in which he was satisfied. That's it!! Fu yell almost with a sense of joy. I will search this world for inner peace until I am pleased with myself. With this being imprinted in his head Fu quickly jumped up without catching any fish and headed back to his yacht to ready out for his venture.

Approaching his yacht Fu noticed something was different. Something strange enough to send a vibe cold enough though his spine that could shatter had he twisted his body too fast. His boat seemed a little different that before. for this being Fu would drop his fishing pole for he had a feeling that he was possibly going to be in a rumble of his life. Slowing getting onto his boat so that no one could hear him so he could sneak upon whomever it was following him. Fu only hoped their was no sensor for he was gonna make one move and this would be the death blow. He crept slowly not making a sound keeping his calm as usual and to his surprise their was a person standing at the bar behind the manikin imitation with a sharp object forget into it's back. Fu had gotten their just in time to hear the voice to the mysterious person. "Excuse yourself from these men, come with me." Then a slight pause. "And, my apologies." Fu was then angered but also please because he had guest in which he hadn't had in such a long time.

Tsk Tsk Tsk!! Fu began to laugh standing at the entrance of the door. Apology accepted. Oh, and by the way, look out above. Fu notified the mysterious lady of the trap she fell into but hoping by the time she realized and reacted the falling stone would smack her dead across the face. If this wouldn't work the ooze below should start it's seep holding her in place in which would keep her from further suspicious activity. Fu would then hold up a handsign prepared for battle in which he was hoping that he didn't have to get into. In the mist of her actions Fu would then ask her a few question.Why have you come and who sent you? Fu asked with a calming voice yet intimidating. He really didn't want a fight for he had set plans for himself to have a possible future of happiness. He just wanted an adventure but if it took a fight to get to it then so be it Fu was ready . He then waited for the reactions of the woman.

Age : 35 Posts : 1113

To give Fuguku due credit, the kunoichi hadn't expected such a welcome. Was it pride that had caused her to underestimate the boy, given his relatively meagre standing in the bingo book? Or was she simply keen to wrap up her time in Getsugakure? Not that it mattered. No sooner had the hidden blade touched the imitation nukenin than it retracted into its holder. "Tsk tsk tsk." The derisive muttering came from nearby. Uriko had already flown through a short set of seals and now waited, patient, her smile hidden by the mannekin. Her skin began to twist and extend off to the side. Obscured by the mannekin, the growth of this clone would not be so easily noticed by Fugaku - despite its unusually sickly pallour. "Apology accepted. Oh, and by the way, look out above. The voice instructed mockingly. His words revealed nothing the woman had not already taken note of. As the sizeable chunk of stone hurtled down toward her, she clenched her fist and conjured up a little chakra. Glancing up, the kunoichi lashed out with her hand and struck the rock with a resounding crack. The boulder shattered on impact, sending small but sharp projectiles flying away. The woman didn't even flinch, instead reaching out and pushing the mannekin over, so she had a clear view of the boy.

Despite her annoyance at having to swat away rocks and work just to speak to the boy, it was somewhat impressive that the boat itself had been decked out with traps. Perhaps even more impressive that the Yamanaka had his own boat. Of all the things to steal... The woman thought quietly to herself. "Bizarre." She murmured under her breath. Uriko assumed he'd stolen the vessel though, now that she thought about it, he could have the funds to buy one. On a criminal's salary however, it was unlikely. Even at the pinnacle of her renown, taking on only the most dangerous of tasks, the kunoichi still wasn't exactly rolling in money. Perhaps that was her choice though, as most of her wealth had been spent on kit, on ingredients and on buying off the right people. It was an unusual acquisition, whatever the case, but Uriko couldn't deny that it was also quite a useful one. Never having considered it herself, probably because she'd have had no idea how to control a seafaring vessel, she could see that certain irritants could be bypassed. No buying or negotiating passage to other islands, for one. Uriko made a mental note - ask the kid where he got the boat, and consider getting one. Or taking his, whichever was simplest.

Elsewhere, Uriko's clone had darted forward and appeared before Fu. Feeling much more comfortable about the situation, the female nukenin relaxed somewhat as the young man spoke. "Why have you come and who sent you?" Fugaku inquired. His tone was more complex now. Where before it had been even, almost lackadaisical, it was now carrying a little anxiety, an ounce of threat and a pinch of calm. What was going through his head, Uriko could only guess. "My name is Uriko Nagase." The kunoichi replied, her clone cocking its head and smiling just a little as it gazed at the boy. "I had come here with a proposition for you, but right now, I'm considering killing you where you stand, just for the insult." She announced, her eyes piercing and full of intent. Her clone followed suit, glaring at Fugaku. "Is this it?" She asked sharply, her irritation at having been severely underestimated abundantly clear. While Uriko could have praised the young nukenin for having the sense to automatically defend himself, she could hardly let the ignominy of it go. The tension was palpable - not in a pleasant way.

The viscous liquid coating the soles of Uriko's shoes was also getting on her nerves. Whatever the substance was, it didn't bother her in the slightest. It resembled a Suiton technique she'd fought against once, which hadn't caused any trouble then, either. Wondering whether Fu would have assumed she'd noticed by now, the kunoichi decided to keep quiet. If he truly thought her trapped and attacked her... well. She'd have the satisfaction of ending him there and then. If he backed off and gave her offer due consideration, Uriko would be glad to include him in the grand plan. After all, the boy seemed to have his wits about him. It also appeared he had no qualm in killing first and asking questions later, an attitude that would suit the group rather well. There was always the danger that an invitee might turn out to be a 'benevolent soul', who'd only left their village due to a gross misunderstanding. Uriko despised them. Betrayed by their own kin and yet they still lacked the fire to strike back? She could not think less of such people. Shaking herself from her musings, the kunoichi snapped her attention back to the situation at hand. It was Fugaku's turn.

Spoiler:

[CP Count: 146/170.]

[OOC: Apologies, this is far from my best work, quality-wise. I'm a lil' tired at the minute!

]

Age : 36 Posts : 1004

Fu watched in awe as the mystery woman began to pick, destroy, and avoid his seemingly meaningless traps. With a hurling punch upward the female smashed the falling stone like a twig under a crushing foot. The shrapnel of stone begin to fly across the room destroying everything in it's path. Holes were torn into the walls, bottles were broken, and Fu even had a chunk of hair missing from his head. Not knowing if this was done purposely or accidentally Fu didn't want to test things out. The liquid below seemed as if it didn't bother the lady as the looked as if nothing else was to be a bother for her. With that note Fu knew that she was calm meaning that the liquid below wouldn't do any harm. He was outclassed. A shinobi of this caliber was not the fight that he wanted. Fu knew that he was outclassed, with that being known Fu dropped his handsign and begin to take a defensive. He could only hope that she didn't take this as a sign of weakness.

Things stared to get more interesting and swudden thoughts had come through the mist of all the action. Fu took a slight glance at the female as she slightly tilted her head just enough to notice a scar running along side of her face. Suddenly stricken with notice the thought came into Fu's mind. I think I know of this lady. Fu thought back into to time when he searched into a bingo book for possible aquatints and foes. He needed to know twho too look out for because not only villagers would be on his tail but also hired nukenin as well. That's it. Fu had come back to his senses only to notice things were too late. Before he could even say a word a sudden dash from across the room was a clone jutsu set up by the mystery shinobi appeared before him. Forgetting his thoughts Fu had nothing to say. His only thoughts was to ask a question . "Why have you come and who sent you?" This was said with a calm yet complex tone, though his knees were stoned in fear and his mind was shackled by bracelets. Fu would then drop his handsign as the lady begin to speak.

"My name is Uriko Nagase." She said as clone stood before Fu making a mockery of him. "I had come here with a proposition for you, but right now, I'm considering killing you where you stand, just for the insult." U, U, Uriko Nagase. Fu muttered as if he had never been overcome with fear before. Fu knew of Uriko's bio in the previous bingo book in which she was listed a S-Class criminal. Uriko just so happened to be the most fear criminal in all of them lands. Where ever she walked she always left behind a trail to fear and destruction. Her power was said to be compared to a kage level in which no village has seen. Uriko Nagase huh? Fu followed his statement with a large gulp of his own saliva. Weh, well th this should be interesting. Fu stumbled carelessly over his words. How about we go for a walk? Follow me. Fu proceed to take a few step backward before finding his way off the boat. In this situation Fu knew he had to rethink his plans and hopefully avoid this shinobi. Keeping is cool and showing no sign of being a backstabber Fu would then continue his talk with Uriko.

Fu begin his walk near the breach of the docks in hopes that the lady was following. His intention were to get her out in the open in case she did make a move hopefully someone would see her and try to him avoid meeting his fate. The only problem is that the moon village were majority missing nin from various countries and most were all for themselves. If someone wasn't bothering them personally then their wasn't a problem at all. Being an S-Class criminal Fu knew that Uriko wasn't from the area considering everyone would try to killer her off for either profit or bragging rights. S-Class didn't live anywhere near the Moon Country. Fu begin to question Uriko as if he knew her his whole life.

So, you say you have a proposition eh? Tell me more about this Uriko. Then a slight pause, I am quite interested in the fact that you have come for me. What is it that makes me so special? How do I know that you're not using me to get what you want then leave me hanging dry? You've already considered killing me so just get to the point. No games just business. Fu questioned Uriko confidently as if he had no more fear for her. Deep inside he shook harder than jello in an earthquake. However Fu was good enough actor to not show this fear at all.

Age : 35 Posts : 1113

There was no confusion as to which of the pair held the upper hand. Fugaku knew this too, and watched nervously as Uriko set about dismissing his traps. By the time he spoke, the young man couldn't help but show apprehension. Not his words though, it was his body that betrayed him. The kunoichi's sharp eyes noted the fragility of his stance, his legs rooted but not particularly supportive at the moment. While a few moments ago, the boy had planned to follow up his ambush with a technique of some sort, he now carefully and clearly lowered his hands, trying to appear peaceful. Better late than never. The woman thought quietly to herself. There! A flicker, in his eyes. Uriko had grown accustomed to this look and as she gazed at the young man, assessing him, she caught the glimmer underneath a twitch of the eyelid. He recognized the woman. Fugaku stumbled on his next few words, digesting the information he'd just ascertained. Though it made little real difference to the kunoichi, she was at least glad not to have to explain or worse, prove herself to the young man. "Uriko Nagase huh?" The Yamanaka muttered on his second attempt. "We-well th-this should be interesting." He added with a hint of trepidation. "How about we go for a walk? Follow me."

It was good enough for the elder nukenin. She had, after all, come to talk and not to trade blows. Tap, tap, tap. The sound of Fugaku's footsteps echoed across the wooden deck. Behind him, thin purple lines spread across the clone's skin. Flakes of skin peeled away and floated briefly before dissipating. A moment later, the entire form followed all at once and a noxious cloud of gas burst forth. Turning swiftly on the spot, Uriko clapped her hand against Fugaku's back and pressed him onward at a much faster pace, avoiding the poisonous cloud's grasp. As the pair disembarked, the woman maintained a brisk pace, trying to put as much distance between herself and the vessel. She'd have been amazed if the dock authorities weren't already hurrying to investigate the disturbances. The boy, presumably, would keep up. Uriko pulled her cloak and hood close. Fugaku had slowly been veering away from the shipping yard, but keeping the two of them in open space. The kunoichi was unsure of his logic, but given all that the Getsugakure security had to puzzle over at the moment, didn't question it for now. As long as they were out of earshot, she could continue with her work. The Yamanaka seemed to be thinking along the same lines. "So, you say you have a proposition eh? Tell me more about this, Uriko." He inquired.

By now, the female nukenin had plenty of experience delivering her speech. The others had received the words almost verbatim and it had not yet failed to grab the imagination of any. But the boy was not finished with his own questions yet. Allowing him the floor, Uriko listened and hoped she wouldn't have to answer every little niggling doubt. "I am quite interested in the fact that you have come for me. What is it that makes me so special? How do I know that you're not using me to get what you want then leave me hanging dry? You've already considered killing me so just get to the point. No games just business." He gushed, keen to understand the woman's reasoning but also ensuring that their conversation did not deviate from its purpose. The reply was prompt. "You dishonor me, boy. I am right now showing you a little faith. Afford me the same courtesy." Uriko murmured quietly, almost as a reflex - her thoughts were elsewhere. As the awkward silence resonated, she mused quietly on Fugaku's willingness to talk. The woman's time here was limited, after all. But it was no matter. She would see to it that their encounter did not drag on. For now, she indulged his curiousity. "I extend this offer to all nukenin. I am diligent in my work and have been tracking down each individual to present this offer." She spoke evenly, her tone and words matching in their businesslike manner. "In three weeks' time, nukenin from all over the shinobi world will gather and form the beginnings of an alliance - of sorts. The great nations are looking to stabilize, but are still vulnerable. If we act now, in co-ordination with one another, we can come out on top. And we can remain there for as long as it is profitable." She continued, reeling off her well-prepared speech. "Are you interested?" The kunoichi added, stopping still and turning to face the Yamanaka.

Nodding in affirmation, the boy did not even stop to consider the proposal. True enough, there were no 'catches' or small text, but Uriko had expected a lengthier debate. Offering a half-hearted shrug, the woman began to elicit the finer details. "We will convene in Yuki no Kuni, in the western mountains. Head for the small township and pass beyond into the snowy hillocks. I will meet you and direct you from there." She explained, her confidence in this plan quite audible in her voice. "Should you meet unfamiliar nukenin en route, you should show them the following sign." The kunoichi added, holding her right hand up to shoulder height, palm facing her face, and moving it to grasp her left shoulder, as if cradling her own chest. "An identical response means that you are there for the same reason. I will teach this to the others, as well." She clarified, understanding that inviting unfamiliar nukenin together could be volatile unless immediate communication on encountering each other was possible. Fugaku remained silent throughout, listening intently and nodding where appropriate. His slightly sycophantic manner aside, the young nukenin was actually making this a quick and easy task, for which Uriko was dutifully grateful. She had half an eye on the dock authorities, who were now convening with their counterparts from the main village. Their discussion did not bode well for the two criminals who were currently, it had to be said, rather exposed. Uriko took a few steps past Fugaku, before pausing to glance over her shoulder. "I hope to see you there." She murmured, before vanishing, leaving her final words lingering on the air.

[Exit // END.]