Mission: Here Comes The Bride [Part II] | [Private]

Age : 31 Posts : 1836

• Here Comes The Bride •
[Part II]

• Continued From •
Here Comes The Bride [Part I]

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“Oh yes, and I should mention: the reward will be double the amount I have just paid you.”

Only a few seconds would pass after this declaration was made, before Masquerade would voice his acceptance of the task. The swiftness of his reply certainly seemed to surprise the others occupants of the room, but none of them commented on it. Following a few seconds of eyeing Masquerade with a raised eyebrow, Misami agreed to take on the mission as well. The result had satisfied the robust clan leader, who had clapped his hands together happily prior to ordering Kiritsugu to inform the Kurosawa head that the Nukenin would need accommodations. With a curt nod of his head, the bespectacled man had exited the room, pulling the two shinobi out with him.

Thus, their follow-up mission had begun. As had been the case during the last mission, Kiritsugu informed Masquerade and Misami of all the details they needed to know for the task; in other words, he told them that the wedding was to take place two days later, and they had to basically accompany the bride wherever she went until the event’s end. The concluding addendum to the briefing was a subtle warning of what would happen should they fail. Obviously, neither Nukenin was too keen about incurring their employer’s wrath, even if he was not a shinobi. Fueled by the same determination as was present during his previous assignment, Masquerade resolved himself to acting as the bride’s “shadow”, as did his partner. He was confident that this would be an easier assignment than the one prior, seeing as they were in a much safer environment. While safety could usually lead to tediousness, Masquerade had something else to bore him rather than an uneventful assignment. Since as Mikuru was about to be married, she was spending her the remaining days preparing for her wedding ceremony. For the next few days, Masquerade and Misami would follow the pink-haired woman around the Kurosawa complex, watching as a plethora of maids and servants went around assisting her in - whatever the hell she was doing. Truth be told, Masquerade had no idea what exactly Mikuru’s preparations were. She would usually go about her business in one room or the other, so the uninterested male would wait outside the room, with the excuse that he would “keep an eye out”. Misami opted to remain inside the room with Mikuru and the army of servants. Either because she was more duty-oriented, or else she actually took interest in whatever tedious preparations the bride was making. So, the days leading up to the wedding more or less went drearily and dully.

Fortunately, there was one occurrence that piqued the boy’s interest. These were the interactions between the Heiwajima and the Kurosawa. The attitudes each clan held for the other were “difficult” to read. Masquerade was not sure whether it was his imagination or not, but he sensed that both clan members were not as amiable and generous to each other mentally as much as they were physically. Though he had no proof to support this belief (not even a momentary glare from one clan member at the opposing one’s back), he nevertheless felt as such. Of course, Masquerade did not pry into whether or not his suspicions were accurate - he did not even dwell on the matter all that much. No, there was only one Heiwajima-Kurosawa pair’s interaction that amused. Not the one between the clan leaders (though that was quite interesting to watch). No, it was between Heiwajima Mikuru and her fiancé, Kurosawa Katsuo. The groom was a lime-green-haired, soft-spoken man with a humble expression and an empathetic smile that alluded at a benevolent nature. However, the word that Masquerade felt to best describe Katsuo was “unassuming”. The man simply did not have a strong presence, brought about by his quiet demeanor. Katsuo lacked the aura of a man of his status, that is, the heir of a powerful clan. In fact, Katsuo appeared more demure than his own fiancée. Whenever the groom and bride were spending time together (with the duo of Nukenin hovering awkwardly in the background), it usually consisted of long pauses and short conversations. It was a laughable sight for Masquerade, who would be doing everything in his power to conceal the amused smirk on his face. Finding humor in the couple’s awkwardness may make him a jerk, but he had to find a way to make the situation more bearable. What better way than laughing at other people’s embarrassment?

Other than reveling in the soon-to-be-weds’ discomfort, Masquerade had very little to do. He did not interact with Mikuru or Katsuo, merely remaining silent or replying with brief sentences. His partner, on the other hand, seemed more open to discussion, though admittedly she also refrained from idle talk. That being said, Masquerade assumed she conversed plenty with Mikuru when they would be in Mikuru’s room, and thus out of the male’s sight; or even when all three were together. Masquerade did not care or pay attention to what either would be saying at those points: he was not here to socialize. His employer had not told him to interact with his charge, so he would not bother to. Besides, Masquerade was sure that Hokomaru would prefer that the Nukenin not get too close to his daughter. Such overprotective behavior seemed characteristic of the clan head. After all, how else would you describe a man who would pay such a large sum of money just to ensure his daughter’s safety, when she was not in that much danger to begin with? Then again, the clan leader’s paranoia seemed to have been well-founded, seeing as how Mikuru had indeed been abducted on her way here.

On the topic of Mikuru’s abduction: Masquerade had questioned Kiritsugu a few times as to why someone would attempt to kidnap Mikuru on her way to the Kurosawa’s complex. Or rather, he had tried to: the aloof aid merely gave vague and meaningless answers to Masquerade’s queries. Regardless, Kiritsugu’s reluctance to enlighten Masquerade did not stop the boy from pondering over the matter during his free time. He mostly reflected on the events that had transpired during the previous mission, trying to find the reason as to why Hokomaru ended up extending the two Nukenin’s employment. As always, the blonde came up with numerous possibilities during his contemplation, both logical and ludicrous, but he was not certain of any. Despite his desire to learn the reason behind everything that had happened thus far, Masquerade still kept his focus on the task at hand. He would have plenty of time to mull over all this once the mission was over. Hell, he might even request that he have some of his pay deducted in exchange for satisfactory answers to his queries.

Nope. Definitely not that last part, the blonde mused mentally, lifting his smirking face up to gaze at the night sky. At the moment, he was seated on one of the Kurosawa complex’s buildings; more specifically, the building where the servants’ sleeping quarters were located. This very same building was where Masquerade and Misami had been assigned their own separate quarters, each of which was - interestingly enough - smaller than any other bedroom in the entire complex. That more or less conveyed, in Masquerade’s eyes, the kind of hospitality offered by the Kurosawa to “freeloading outsiders”. Still, at least the rooms were good enough to be inhabitable. Not to mention, the Kurosawa had had the decency to offer separate rooms for each Nukenin, the contrary of which had been the case back at the Heiwajima residence. With all that being said, one might wonder why Masquerade was currently seated on the roof, above the window of his allotted room, at such a late hour. The time at present was close to two o’clock in the night, meaning the majority of the compound’s inhabitants (save the guards with night shifts) were sound asleep. Even Misami had retired to her quarters, as had the two Nukenin’s charge. Rather than turn in for the night like the rest of the household, Masquerade was instead wide-awake, gazing up at the star-strewn sky and the crescent-shaped moon (or trying to, seeing as how it was exceptionally cloudy tonight). The simple reason as to why the Nukenin was not sleeping was because his mind was too busy thinking to permit slumber. The aforementioned queries in his mind were keeping him awake presently, despite his earlier resolution that he would worry about them after the mission was over. Since it had been obvious that sleep would not be coming, the youth had decided to go outside to think.

A glassy-eyed gaze was lowered from the overcast sky and down to the garden opposite the Nukenin. The boy observed the assortment of flowers and trees ahead of him without full attentiveness, too lost in his thoughts to notice something so normal. However, his inattentiveness did not mean he would miss something odd in his line of sight - and he certainly did spot something odd. Masquerade had casually glanced to his right for a moment, before looking away. A second later, however, he had blinked and returned his attention to that side. The darkness present on this overcast night made it difficult to discern anything clearly in the shadows - unless one knew what they were looking for. What Masquerade saw was something that he only took a second to recognize, having been in its presence for a significant amount of time now. The boy’s eyes narrowed as he leaned forward on the tiled roof, squinting through the darkness to make sure he was indeed seeing what he believed he was. Certainty was upon him a moment later. Yes, that was definitely a pink spot moving across the shadowy stretch of grass. Masquerade had no trouble recognizing the pink spot to be the hair of a certain clan heiress.

Heiwajima Mikuru… What is she doing out at this hour? The boy’s confusion was brought about by the course she was taking. He could not see the woman clearly, save only for her hair, but he could tell that she was heading in the direction of the boundary wall of the Kurosawa complex. Rather strange for her to be headed in that direction. Then again, maybe her being out was not that strange, given how Masquerade was also awake right now. She could merely be taking a late-night stroll or something; nothing suspicious at all. The Nukenin was just coming to this understanding, and hence was about to turn his gaze away from Mikuru to leave her to her business, when he witnessed something that caused his body to freeze. The moon momentarily peaked out from behind the clouds in the sky, bathing the area in its silvery radiance, before vanishing behind the clouds once again. Darkness had then returned, but by then Masquerade had seen all he needed to. In those few moments where visibility had improved, the blonde had noticed that Mikuru was not alone. Someone was walking in front of her with a hand clasped around her wrist, pulling her forward with a quickened pace. This figure, covered (conveniently) in a hooded cloak, was undoubtedly leading the woman towards the boundary wall.

Damn it! Masquerade cursed in his mind, comprehension reaching him. The Nukenin jumped to his feet, but before he could act any further, the pink spot rose into the air and vanished over the boundary wall. Whoever that figure had been, it had just taken the Heiwajima heiress over that wall. It had just abducted her. Masquerade clenched his teeth angrily, preparing to give chase. However, he paused after just one step to glance down at the building he was standing on. Whoever this abductor was, he or she must certainly be ninja to have been able to rapidly scale a wall that was over five meters tall; not to mention, being able to kidnap Mikuru without sounding any alarm. Even if Masquerade was pressed for time, it would be foolish to just rush in without the necessary precautions. Making up his mind, Masquerade formed a series of handseals, murmuring at their completion: “Bunshin no Jutsu.” A translucent doppelganger materialized beside the Nukenin. As the clone and the original met each other’s gaze, the latter nodded his head meaningfully and stated, “I’ll leave it to you.” The Bunshin nodded in reply, and together the two Masquerades leaped off the roof of the building. However, the routes they followed afterwards differed: the Bunshin slipped into Masquerade’s room through the window below, whereas the original landed softly on the ground and dashed off in the direction the captor and captive had gone. The original Masquerade was to give chase to Mikuru, whilst the Bunshin’s task was to inform Misami of the latest developments. The male Nukenin was certain that the kunoichi would be able to track him easily, seeing as how she had managed to do so when Mikuru had first been kidnapped.

Reaching the tall wall in a matter of moments, the male did not stop as he vaulted over the structure. Masquerade landed on the other side of the stone wall with a grunt, before rising to his feet and glancing around earnestly. A grimace shaped itself onto his mouth as he noticed how much poorer visibility was outside the complex. The addition of trees forming a canopy of leaves overhead resulted in even less light reaching the ground from the sky. The Kurosawa residence was right in the middle of a forest, after all. Annoyed at how there were so many forests in this country, Masquerade swiftly executed another jutsu. In a matter of moments, he was seeing the world in terms of heat energy. His vision now sent his brain images detailing the heat signatures of everything in his surroundings. Chakra-enhanced optics scanned the environment earnestly, until they locked onto a satisfactory sight. It was not that easy to see, but the Nukenin could make out two heat signatures some distance to his left. Grateful that this night was a moderately cool one, the boy dashed off in the direction of the heat signatures, which he prayed belonged to the people he sought. For the next few minutes, he ran through the woods determinately, obscured eyes constantly alert and focused on the distant silhouettes of heat energy. Much to his annoyance, he could not run as fast as he could, owning to the fact that distinguishing obstacles was much harder with this jutsu active. He had to tread carefully lest he trip on an unevenness on the ground, or hit a tree. Fortunately for him, his prey did not seem to be moving all that quickly, thus allowing him to keep them in his enhanced sights. That being said, the figures were still going fast enough to ensure that the gap between the two parties did not lessen. Nonetheless, so long as Masquerade did not run into any complications, he was confident he would be able to continue following the two, if not catch up to them. Personally, he would prefer to continue trailing the captor and captive until reinforcements (namely, Misami) arrived to lend a hand. He would rather she handled the fighting - should there be any; and when there were shinobi involved, there was always fighting.

Sometime later, Masquerade noticed the duo ahead slowing down, enough to allow him to catch up considerably. He eventually realized that they had come to a stop. The boy slowed down once he was close enough, deactivating his jutsu and peering ahead. Through a gap in the trees, he spotted a cave entrance at the base of a miniature mountain; it was here that the pink hair was disappearing into. The Nukenin stood his ground for a moment, wondering what he should do next. Masquerade hazarded a guess that this was the kidnapper’s base of operations. Now that he had come this far, should he continue on into the cave alone? Or should he wait for Misami to catch up? The blonde had to admit, he was not too keen at going into that cave by himself. He might very well find himself facing a trap or a similarly unexpected surprise. A more prudent course of action would be to wait for his more combat-oriented partner’s arrival. On the other hand, he was not even sure if Misami would be coming, or if she would even find his location. Not to mention, he had no idea how much time it would take for her to get here. Who knew how long the kidnapper would remain in the cave? There might even be a back exit that he or she could be headed for right now. If that was true, then the boy had no time to waste waiting or thinking; he had to act quickly, before his pursuit’s objective slipped away. There was really only one thing to do, and that was to go on ahead. Sighing, Masquerade set his sights on the cave’s entrance, and began to march towards it determinately.

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Age : 31 Posts : 1836

Of all the things to happen on the eve of Heiwajima Mikuru’s wedding day, it had to be this, Masquerade grumbled mentally as he stepped over the stone ground underfoot. He was currently in a seemingly endless tunnel, one that had been snaking its way deeper and deeper into the heart of this mountain. It had only been a few minutes since he had entered the cave and, unsurprisingly, discovered that he had lost sight of his quarry. However, seeing as there was no way but forward, Masquerade had continued on into the dark cave, resolved to the idea that he would eventually run into the kidnapper. Of course, things hardly went smoothly, and this time was no different. Not far down the tunnel, Masquerade had found himself facing a fork in his path. One branch led to a gradually-ascending path, whilst the other remained at ground-level. A disgruntled Masquerade had had no idea which path his quarry could have taken, so he had decided to do the first action that came to his mind. He had created a Doro Bunshin of himself, and directed the doppelganger down the ground-level path; the original, in the meantime, headed up the rising tunnel. As stated before, it was beyond the Nukenin’s knowledge as to which tunnel Mikuru had been taken into. Therefore, he had had to resort to searching for Mikuru with nothing but luck on his side.

Honestly, I’m surprised I failed to predict this happening, the boy continued in his mind from his earlier train of thought. Why else would Heiwajima Hokomaru ask me and Kakeru Misami to stay if he had not foreseen something like this occurring? There’s more to this whole situation than meets the eye… Yet again, Mikuru had been kidnapped before her wedding day, and her father seemed to have suspected that it would happen. The same had been the case when Mikuru was being brought to the Kurosawa complex. Masquerade had already noted how edgy Hokomaru had seemed at the mention of a shinobi being sent to capture his daughter; the fact that he had only decided to continue the two Nukenin’s employment after learning that had also not escaped Masquerade’s notice. Whatever was going on with the Heiwajima, it was clear that someone was making quite the effort to prevent the Heiwajima bride from getting married. For one thing, the hidden party had hired a Village Ninja to kidnap the bride; they had also provided said ninja with a platoon of skilled subordinates. Usually, one did not find the “honorable” Village Ninja working in tandem with (for lack of a better word) “bandits” of those sorts. Not to mention that, after the first failed attempt, this party had now clearly sent in another squad to complete the job. Hokomaru had surely been aware of the possibility of another kidnapping attempt, which was obviously why he had asked Masquerade and Misami to continue guarding Mikuru. If he knew an event such as this would occur, then it begged the simple question: why not warn the bodyguards that there was a very good chance that their charge might be abducted again? That would certainly have been the sensible thing to do. Yet, no such actions had been taken, not even by the meticulous Kiritsugu. The whole situation puzzled Masquerade. If he had not thought that the Heiwajima were strange when he had first met them, then he certainly did now.

Booted feet gradually slowed their pace as their owner’s attention was diverted from his thoughts and to a gap in the further ahead in rock wall to his right. There was certainly a light source behind that gap, judging by the manner in which the shadows there were flickering. A triumphant smirk etched itself onto his mouth; he was convinced that the light source was the handiwork of the people he sought. Stepping closer to the gap in the rocks, Masquerade peered through it at the area beyond. The opening led out to a small rock outcropping, which overlooked a large cavern of stone. The Nukenin glanced down in the direction from where the light was originating, and he did indeed spot a lantern placed on the cavern floor. The glow of the flame housed within the object was illuminating the pink-haired woman who stood beside it. Well, at least Mikuru was still alive. Masquerade then took glanced over at the other person in her company, who he presumed to be her kidnapper. Surprise overtook Masquerade as he laid eyes on the male standing beside her, before he quickly stepped back from the edge and back into the darkness of the tunnel. Out of sight of the two below, Masquerade scratched the back of his head with a gloved hand in wonder. There was no doubt about it. That person with Mikuru right now, her kidnapper, was Senshin Rikimaru.

“He survived?” Masquerade whispered to himself, so quietly that he may as well have been mouthing the words rather than speaking them. Really, he had been quite sure that Rikimaru had met his end in that forest… Although, now that he thought about it, he had not even bothered to confirm the kill. Therefore, it should be no surprise that Masquerade was unaware of the Genin’s survival. That being said, the Nukenin was amazed to learn that the Genin had survived both the explosion from that tag he had attached to Rikimaru’s leg, and the long drop that had come afterwards when the he had been knocked off the cliff. The Kirigakure ninja was clearly more durable than Masquerade had assumed. Further musings were put to a halt as Masquerade’s focus was then redirected to the opening next to him. His ears perked as he listened to the captor and captive begin speaking to each other. His brow furrowed as he heard the tones that both voices held. Neither seemed hostile or aggressive; there was not even a hint of fear or anxiety in Mikuru’s, or an authoritative air in Rikimaru’s. The conversation did not sound like one between a captor and his captive; as a matter of fact, it sounded more like…

Oh my God… If possible, Masquerade’s eyes widened even further. Without realizing it, everything was suddenly making sense to the boy. Every question he’d been puzzling over until now, he finally had an answer for. He understood everything now. He knew what was going on, what this whole situation was about, and why it had happened. As he came to this epiphany, Masquerade took a step out from his hiding spot to peer down at the two figures below him, though he made sure to maintain a position that would keep out of their sight. His disbelievingly visage was abruptly pulled away from Rikimaru and Mikuru by a unexpected burst of laughter. Not from him, or from Mikuru or Rikimaru, but from the figure stepping into the cavern from an opening in the surrounding walls. This figure was Masquerade’s Bunshin, who was chuckling whole-heartedly as he approached Rikimaru and Mikuru, his gloved hands clapping together. An air of amusement was emanating from the Bunshin as it stopped about four meters in front of the male and female at his level. The original Masquerade, who was watching the whole scene unfold from his hidden perch, realized that his Bunshin had also been eavesdropping on the duo in the cavern, and had decided to make his presence known in a loud and brash manner. Hilariously enough, the Bunshin’s actions were the same ones that the original would have performed in a few seconds, had the former not beaten the latter to it. As such, Masquerade was able to grin with the same amusement as his Bunshin, knowing full-well what was about to come.

The Bunshin’s laughter ceased as it eyed the stunned pair in front of it with interest. An opposite expression had formed on Rikimaru’s face as he stared at Masquerade, unaware that what he was glaring at was a doppelganger, and not the original. “You again…,” the Genin growled, hands clenching tightly into trembling fists. “You just won’t give up, will you?” Both Masquerades examined the Kirigakure ninja, noticing the slight differences in his demeanor. Whereas Rikimaru had been confident and smug during his initial encounter with Masquerade, now he looked ready to murder the Nukenin. Indeed, the crimson eyes were ablaze with an immense hatred as they glowered at the Bunshin. Aside from behavioral variations, there were also a few physical changes in Rikimaru’s appearance. Numerous rips and scorch marks could be seen on his clothes, and his left sleeve and left pant leg were half-torn. The glove he wore on his left hand was no longer present, instead replaced by fresh bandages, which clearly served a medical purpose rather than an aesthetic one. The teal-haired ninja was no longer wearing any bandages on his face, which revealed the fresh burn mark covering the lower left side of his face. In short, the entire left half of the male’s body appeared to be much weaker and limper than his right side, given the slightly slumped manner in which that side was held. Furthermore, the Genin did not look as able-bodied as Masquerade remembered. He had a feeling it had to do with the explosive tag he had planted on the Kirigakure shinobi’s leg during their last tussle. Certainly, the explosion ought to have injured Rikimaru significantly, seeing as he had been as close as possible to the tag when it had detonated.

The Genin’s remark resulted in Masquerade’s smirk widening even further. “The same could be said of you, Senshin Rikimaru,” he remarked airily. Grinning mischievously, the Nukenin gestured at the pink-haired heiress standing beside the taller teal-haired one. The woman in question was completely free of any restraints, and was standing at Rikimaru’s side speechlessly. “You do know she’s engaged, don’t you? I’m curious to know how the Kurosawa would react if they found out that the Heiwajima heiress is cheating on her fiancé…”

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Age : 31 Posts : 1836

“Why don’t you humor me for a bit? How about I tell you my theory on this entire situation, and then you tell me just how accurate it is?” The blonde’s words were thick with mockery, as was evident by the upward curl of his mouth. Rikimaru merely glared at silently at the Nukenin, his crimson eyes alight with fury and venom. The sight of the Kirigakure ninja’s rage actually amused the Nukenin: the Genin looked like he was going to implode at any moment. Mikuru, on the other hand, was expressing emotions opposite to the swordsman’s. At the moment, her forehead was wrinkled with anxiety and worry as she glanced from one shinobi to the other, seemingly unsure as to what she should do in this situation. If Masquerade was honest, this was probably the most expressive he had seen the heiress ever be. In the three days he’d spent in her company, she had been composed and aloof, yet not in an indifferent or cold way; it was more like she had not wanted to get close to anyone around her. She had been the same with Kurosawa Katsuo as well, strangely enough. The only time she had actually smiled or shown any expression other than indifference was when she was in her father’s presence. Whether the emotions on her face during those instances were sincere or false, Masquerade had not idea; he was, however, more inclined to think that they were the former.

“Now then.” A thin index finger was raised and pointed at the Kirigakure Genin. “You, Senshin Rikimaru, have romantic feelings for this woman here -.” Masquerade shifted his extended finger from Rikimaru to Mikuru. “- and I would hazard a guess that she feels the same way about you. Unfortunately, her father does not like ninja, which obviously means he would not approve of his beloved, cherished daughter falling in love with a shinobi; especially when he has already offered his daughter’s hand in marriage to a rivaling family’s son. Thus, awkwardness ensues when he finds out that his daughter has done just that; as a result, he forbids Heiwajima Mikuru from interacting with this ninja. But you could not stand that, could you, Senshin Rikimaru? You refused to let your beloved be married off to someone she clearly did not love. So, in a show of boldness, you staged a plot to “kidnap” Heiwajima Mikuru and run off with her‘. But somehow, Heiwajima Hokomaru learnt of your plot, which is why he hired two ninja to guard his daughter - to guard her from you in particular.” The golden-haired youth finished speaking, arms spread wide and mouth curled upwards in a Cheshire-cat grin. As if the shape of his mouth had not been enough to convey the deriding quality of his speech, the emphasis he had put on specific words had certainly implied as such. “So, how did I do?”

Masquerade did not need the ability to read minds to know what Rikimaru was thinking. He could tell easily enough that the Kirigakure ninja wanted to punch the smug grin off the Nukenin’s face (who could blame him?). In fact, Rikimaru actually took a step forward with furious growl, preparing to assault to Masquerade. He was stopped mid-way by Mikuru, who placed a calming hand on his shoulder, shaking her head at him when he met her worried gaze. The subsequent relaxing of the Genin’s body (albeit by a miniscule amount) caused the Nukenin to tilt his head thoughtfully at the pair. Mikuru then directed her attention to the shorter male and addressed him in steady voice. “Everything you said is true. I do feel that way about Rikimaru-kun, and I know he feels the same way about me. As for Father, well… He only suspected that Rikimaru-kun would try to do something. Well, actually, it was Kiritsugu-san who warned Father of that.”

The pink-haired woman’s expression softened, as did her tone. Masquerade’s smirk had vanished now, replaced by a blank expression that characteristically appeared when he was thinking. Honestly, this was probably the longest amount of time that Mikuru had spent so far taking to him directly. Usually, she tended to not even pay attention to his presence; the same was the case with Misami, but she at least often spoke to the kunoichi. Before this, Masquerade had not said a single word to Mikuru since reaching the Kurosawa complex; the inverse was true as well. Now that he thought about it, Masquerade felt he had a good idea as to why she had not been speaking to him. Whether it was true or not, of that he was not certain yet.

“Masquerade-san, please: I don’t want to go back to my father and the Kurosawa,” Mikuru pleaded, looking at the pensive Nukenin hopefully. “Please understand. It’s not that I hate my father or anything. I care for him very much, and I respect his wishes. I would do anything to make him happy; but this is one thing I can’t do. I can’t marry someone I don’t love, even if it’s for the benefit of my entire family. So, please, I’m begging you not to -.”

“Save your breath, Mikuru,” Rikimaru cut in, his voice laden with loathing as he glared at Masquerade. “This asshole’s only doing all this for the money. He doesn’t give a rat’s ass about you, or your wishes. It’s only about the money for him.”

Mikuru seemed horrified by Rikimaru’s words, and was about to protest when she was once again cut off. “Actually, your boyfriend is absolutely right,” Masquerade interrupted, his voice as calm and relaxed as if he was making a remark about the weather. He spread his arms apart and shrugged casually. “I was hired by your father to protect you from harm until your wedding day, and if I’m not mistaken, your being kidnapped right now equates to harm. Therefore, it’s in my job description to rescue you from this obsessed, infatuated, and lecherous ninja who’s trying to steal you away from your fiancé.” The Nukenin’s arms dropped to his sides, and he shrugged once more in a “what can you do” gesture. Rikimaru snorted in disgust at the blonde, looking pointedly at the speechless Mikuru.

“Told ya. He’s an asshole.” Red eyes returned to glare daggers at the masked Nukenin. Rikimaru raised the katana in his right and shifted into a battle position. “You got lucky last time, Nukenin. This time, though, I’m gonna make sure you don’t take Mikuru away. Plus, I didn’t appreciate the little trick you pulled with that explosive tag. I’ll make sure to repay you for that as well… by cutting you into bite-sized bits for the crows to feast on.”

The right-side of Masquerade’s mouth curled upwards at the threat. “My, aren’t we charming? I did not imagine you to be attracted to such sadism, Heiwajima Mikuru.” Masquerade slipped a hand into his ninja pouch, wrapping his fingers around the hilt of a kunai. In front of him, Rikimaru tensed for the upcoming fight. The ferocity of his gaze indicated at the eagerness he held for the approaching battle. Masquerade, on the other, was not feeling all that excited. He had not enjoyed fighting with someone of Rikimaru’s skills the last two times, and he was certainly not looking forward to it this time. Close-range combat was not his forte, given how he lacked the necessary skills for it. The last two times, luck had been on his side, but he could not count on luck every time. However, although the Bunshin did not know it, he would not have to face Rikimaru alone: the real Masquerade was also preparing to join the approaching battle. The Masquerade facing Rikimaru smirked mentally, the hand inside his ninja pouch tightening his hold on the kunai. Even if the Bunshin did not know that his double was right above him, he was still planning on fighting his opponent, as much as he would prefer the contrary.

The Bunshin was preparing to draw out his kunai and toss it at Rikimaru, when he felt something press against his back - something with a pointed edge. Startled, Masquerade glanced over his shoulder to behold the tip of a curved katana pointing at his spine. The blonde then noticed who was holding the weapon, and a look of bewilderment enveloped his masked face. Standing behind him was none other than Kakeru Misami, and she was coolly pressing her katana threateningly against Masquerade’s vulnerable back. “Take your hand out of that pouch,” she commanded stoically, “and don’t make any funny moves.”

Age : 31 Posts : 1836

Slowly, with a narrowing of his eyes substituting their expansion of surprise, Masquerade slid his hand out of his ninja pouch as Misami had requested. “What do you think you’re doing?” the boy demanded, his voice impassive, yet noticeably astounded. He was, needless to say, quite flabbergasted by this unexpected occurrence. He had been anticipating - or more correctly, hoping for - Misami’s arrival, but her current actions had certainly not been a part of his expectations. The fact that the male Nukenin could not read the inexpressive visage of the kunoichi pointing her blade at him made the situation all the more puzzling, and frustrating.

Misami did not reply to Masquerade’s query, instead looking over his shoulder in the direction of Rikimaru and Mikuru. “Mikuru-sama, please go on ahead and make your escape. I’ll make sure my partner here doesn’t give chase.” For a moment, an affectionate expression seemed to flicker on her face before the impassiveness returned. Masquerade almost gave a “what?” of disbelief as he heard Misami’s words, but managed to keep his mouth shut (the fact that the blade was suddenly applying more pressured to his back helped him maintain his silence). That being said, the blonde male’s body had gone completely stiff at the statement, his lips having parted slightly in disbelief. His mind was currently trying to process what he had just heard, and why it could have been said, but his shock was making it quite a difficult task. As a plethora of speculations flew through his mind, the masked shinobi shot a glance at the two lovers in front of him to see their reactions (as well as whether or not they were heeding the black-haired girl’s request). He was not the only who was dumbfounded by Misami’s declaration. Rikimaru’s eyebrows had risen so high that they had disappeared under his bangs, while his jaw had dropped open. Mikuru, too, stared at Misami speechlessly, although her stupefied expression only lasted for a few seconds. In fact, not long after hearing the kunoichi’s statement, the confusion on the pink-haired girl’s face cleared up. Her mouth slid into a gentle smile as she nodded at Misami.

“Thank you, Misami-san,” she said gratefully. The heiress gently took Rikimaru’s hand in her own, pulling his attention to her from Misami. Mikuru jerked her head behind them, indicating that the two of them should get going. Rikimaru blinked at her, and his gaze shifted back to the female Nukenin to fix a red-eyed stare on the ninja. The confounded look had vanished from his face, and a somber one now occupied its space. The Kirigakure Genin was scrutinizing Misami’s face carefully, as if he was trying to read her mind. Masquerade directed his focus to the silent kunoichi too, wondering what was going on behind the figurative “mask” she wore.

“You’re the one who beat Yusuke and his men, aren’t you?” Rikimaru inquired slowly, drawing the Jinchuuriki’s attention back to him, as well as leaving him in a further state of misunderstanding. To his continued surprise, Masquerade heard Misami reply in the positive behind him. One second later, however, the masked Nukenin understood that Rikimaru was referring to those lackeys of his from earlier - the ones that had been working with the Kirigakure Genin when the he had first attempted to abduct Mikuru on her way to the Kurosawa residence. Pointless discoveries aside, Masquerade had other things to focus on, such as Rikimaru’s current actions. The Kirigakure ninja was now looking towards the shorter female beside him, his face thoughtful. After a couple of seconds of silence, the teal-haired Genin glanced at Misami out of the corner of a ruby-red eye, before softly muttering a word of thanks at her. With that, the Genin gripped Mikuru’s hand more firmly and spun around on his heels, making a dash in the direction opposite of the Nukenin. It was only a matter of seconds before he and Mikuru had vanished into a tunnel on the other side of the stone cavern.

Masquerade watched them go with a tilt of his head, his expression as composed as that of the kunoichi standing behind him. Misami had not lowered her katana or spoken as the two elopers disappeared from sight. No explanations came Masquerade’s way; not even a threat or a warning. Not a single word. No doubt the icy kunoichi did not see the need to do any of that. Unfortunately for her, Masquerade was not simply going to let this slide by without saying anything - as late as it may be for him to speak up. He spared a glance over his shoulder at his “partner”, watching her through his peripherals, and remarked in a casual tone, “You surprise me, Kakeru Misami. Have you forgotten the task assigned to us by Heiwajima Hokomaru?”

Much to Masquerade’s honest surprise, Misami graced him with a verbal response. Admittedly, he had been expecting a hostile snubbing. “I haven’t forgotten. Heiwajima-sama told us to protect his daughter from harm. Do you think that boy will bring any harm to her? Because I don’t.”

So that’s how she’s going to play it, huh? the boy growled mentally. Out loud, he snapped viciously as he pointed in the direction Rikimaru and Mikuru had just gone, “You know perfectly well that Heiwajima Hokomaru wanted us to keep his daughter away from that boy. If you haven’t noticed that yet, then I question your intelligence. An amoeba would have come to this conclusion by now.”

“I know that’s what Hokomaru-sama wanted us to do. I figured that out when I heard your little monologue to Mikuru-sama,” the kunoichi retorted, though in a much calmer tone. “However, even if he had given us those orders directly, after hearing the story I just did, my actions would remain the same.” Her expression stiffened as she looked at Masquerde, as did her grip on her katana’s hilt. “I won’t take Mikuru-sama back to somewhere she doesn’t want to be, when she can be with someone she loves.”

The statement earned a surprised look from Masquerade, one that was mostly obscured by his mask. “Well, I am astounded. I never would have figured you to be so… sentimental.” The sneering quality in Masquerade’s speech was extremely evident, particularly in the way he delivered that last word. The grimace on his face further added to the disparaging opinion he had for Misami’s actions. Usually, he would shrug off such acts of “immaturity” (as he called them) with a smirk or a laugh. At the moment, this was not one of those situations. It was bad enough that he had just been thrust into a ridiculous love story, but the discovery that his partner had pretty much betrayed him made it all the more infuriating. A point to consider: it was not Misami’s betrayal that he had found unexpected, but rather the reason behind it. As Masquerade had just stated, he would not have pegged someone with Misami’s mindset to have shown sympathy to someone in a “tragic” love story. He had formed the impression that she was more goal-directed, and more focused on completing her mission than her client’s needs. Though, he had only known the kunoichi for about three days. That was hardly enough time to decipher anything about a person’s personality; anything deeper than their outer persona, he should say. Whatever type of person Misami might be, Masquerade had managed to learn of one important trait: despite her cold exterior, Misami clearly had a soft spot for romance.

Ridiculous.

“So long as we’re human, we’ll all be sentimental,” the white-clad swordswoman replied stiffly. “Now, hold your hands out.” The sharp blade tip was pressed harder into its victim’s back in a threatening gesture. Masquerade frowned in annoyance, holding his hands forward as ordered. He could try to make a move to counterattack or escape, but he was not certain whether he would be able to do anything before that katana was plunged into his body. He only had a vague idea about Misami’s combat prowess, but he knew enough to understand that he would be easily outmatched in a close-range fight. Blasted close-range combatants and their advantages over him…

A few seconds later, Masquerade could be found seated cross-legged on the stone floor, his hands resting on his laps. A tight wrapping of ninja wire was currently binding his hands together - Misami’s handiwork, obviously. The kunoichi in question was presently standing attentively in front of Masquerade, her katana no longer pointing at the male. Even so, the diligence with which she watched him indicated that the weapon would come in for an attack should it be necessary. Masquerade, who had remained silent as Misami had tied his hands together and then ordered him to sit (which he had proceeded to do without visible protest), glanced down at his bound hands and gave a small laugh. “Well, you’re certainly very cautious, aren’t you? You made sure to keep my hands at the front rather than behind my back, to ensure that you could keep them in your sights at all times. Not to mention, you tied my hands back-to-back to leave me incapable of performing handseals…” Before raising his gaze up to meet with Misami’s, the Jinchuuriki flexed his fingers as he spoke, as if to prove the truth in his words; indeed, with the wire tied around his wrists in such a fashion that the back of his hands were touching each other and his palms were facing outwards, Masquerade would be hard pressed to execute any handseal in this state. The impressed quality of his voice did not hold any mocking or deprecating tone in it. Misami, however, was not flattered or interested in Masquerade’s praise. She merely continued to eye the Nukenin sternly in silence. The right side of Masquerade’s mouth curled upwards slightly. “So… Is this the part where you kill me, to ensure I don’t give chase to Heiwajima Mikuru?”

Despite the light-hearted manner in which the query was delivered, it was nonetheless a serious one. Misami shook her head in response at Masquerade. “As long as Mikuru-sama can get far away to make tracking her impossible, then I don’t have to bother taking your life. Besides, I don’t kill unnecessarily. That being said…” She pointed the katana in her hand threateningly at the male Nukenin’s vulnerable neck. “If you try to make things difficult, I won’t hesitate to “cripple” you a little.” Even if she had stated all of this in a matter-of-fact tone, there was no missing the smug glint in her eye. To say that Masquerade did not expect the girl to have such a conniving side would be erroneous: she had, after all, just betrayed him and all. Such craftiness should not really be that unexpected. Still, it was a little surprising to hear someone claim to not kill unnecessarily, yet be willing to maim.

In spite of the katana placed dangerously near his throat, Masquerade still managed to allow a seemingly conceited smirk to spread across his features. “Duly noted, Kakeru Misami. I suppose the sensible thing to do would be to behave myself and not complicate matters any further. But instead...” Without warning, Masquerade jerked his head forward, and the blade sliced into his face. Misami only had moment to stare at Masquerade in shock, before he literally exploded. However, it was not an explosion of fire and heat that Misami just witnessed: it was an explosion of mud. The sticky, thick mass of brown had flown everywhere the moment “Masquerade” had finished speaking, covering the surrounding area and a good portion of Misami’s front in it. The black-haired kunoichi wiped the mud off of her face, before staring at the spot where Masquerade - or rather, his Bunshin - had been seated. All that remained there was a puddle of sludgy mud, and the wire that had been wrapped around the male’s wrists. The bewildered kunoichi only needed a second to figure out what had just happened. With a furious curse, she glanced over her shoulder, in the direction Mikuru and Rikimaru had run off. She swore once more as she dashed off in that direction, her expression set in anger.

Age : 31 Posts : 1836

Lucky. That’s all he’d been so far. Lucky. Several developments had caught him off-guard during this entire bodyguard mission, and success had seemed unlikely in most of those situations. However, it seemed luck was on his side. Nothing else could be said after witnessing the latest occurnece: the fact that his Bunshin had been the one to end up running into Mikuru and Rikimaru, and then later be held at bay by Misami, while he, the original, had managed to covertly continue his pursuit of the two elopers without his treacherous partner’s noticing. Good fortune had also been with him when he had battled Rikimaru atop that cliff (though fortune did seem to have favored the Kirigakure ninja as well, considering how he had managed to survive the fall). Yes, Masquerade had definitely been lucky so far. At least, that’s what he believed to be the reason behind his recent successes; he did not attribute his own skill to be the cause of it.

Presently, the original Masquerade was flitting through the shadowed tree branches, once more making use of his Sarmurbijon technique to tail Mikuru and Rikimaru. Fortunately, the task was not so difficult this time, for he was able to keep up with the two much more easily now. It helped that he had departed from the cave not a few seconds after them. There was also the fact that the duo did not seem to be moving as quickly as one might expect from someone in the middle of an escape. Seeing as the heat signature leading the pair was easily identifiable as Rikimaru’s, Masquerade was able to come up with a solution to this without much thought. Rikimaru had after all been within close proximity to an explosive tag when it had detonated - as close as one could physically get, probably. Even if he had survived the experience, he had no doubt been severely crippled by the explosion and subsequent fall, which was most likely why he was leading the escape so slowly. Whatever the case, the point was that Masquerade was perhaps a few meters behind the pair, their forms blocked to the naked eye by darkness and clusters of trees. His thermal vision, however, was not hindered by such things.

The result was that, only a couple of minutes after leaving the cave, Masquerade had already caught up to his quarry. The boy deactivated his vision-enhancing jutsu and surveyed the hurrying forms of Mikuru and Rikimaru from his higher position in the tree branches. The masked Nukenin did not cease his movement, instead slowing his pace enough so as to not overtake them, but still keep up with them. Fortunately, neither Mikuru nor Rikimaru noticed Masquerade’s presence a few meters behind and above them. Unsurprisingly, the Nukenin planned to take advantage of their ignorance. Even as he leaped from one branch to another, Masquerade executed a quick sequence of handseals, and immediately a crackling sphere of Raiton chakra materialized in front of his chest. The foot-wide ball of electricity was instantly launched from the branch Masquerade stood upon, and down to its target. The sphere flew at a rapid pace, at an angle that would cause it to strike the rear of the fleeing party. Masquerade watched attentively as the ball shot towards an unsuspecting Mikuru. Before the sphere could connect with her, however, her associate had jumped in front of her and took the brunt of the attack in her stead. Masquerade was not dissatisfied by this; in fact, he had been hoping for it. It was better if his actual opponent was struck by the attack rather than the objective.

Rikimaru had suffered for this unarguably heroic act, for the sphere ought to have left him with a painful burn on the spot where it had struck (in this case, right in the center of his chest), as well as a state of mild paralysis. Rikimaru growled audibly in pain before shooting a murderous glare up at Masquerade. The masked blonde stared back at him with an unfazed visage. Without any exchange of words, both ninja made their moves. Rikimaru rushed towards the base of the tree upon which Masquerade was stationed. Prior to that, Masquerade had pulled out a trio of shuriken from his ninja pouch, gripping each in the gaps between his fingers. Rikimaru had just begun his charge at Masquerade when the blonde had tossed the star-shaped projectiles at the swordsman. The Kirigakure shinobi did not stop in his charge, nor did he attempt to dodge the shuriken; instead, he brought the katana in his right hand up and deflected each of them with his weapon’s blade. He managed to parry the first two without incident; however, the third shuriken held a surprise in the small hole at its center. As Rikimaru’s katana connected with the third shuriken, the smoke pellet wedged into its center cracked open. A cloud of white, opaque smoke engulfed Rikimaru, hopefully obscure his vision - something that Masquerade was hoping for. Indeed, the blonde youth had already executed his next move before the pellet had broken. He had dropped down from the tree branch that he was perched on, and as he fell to the ground, he had formed the necessary handseals for the Dochuu Senkou jutsu. The result was that Masquerade did not land on the ground, but sank through it instead. The Nukenin had managed to time the entire process accurately enough, so that he was performing the handseals and vanishing beneath the ground after the Rikimaru’s vision was obscured. Thus, his opponent should not know where Masquerade had vanished to.

Now underground, Masquerade began swiftly head in the direction where he knew Mikuru would be standing. In a matter of seconds, he had deemed himself to be far enough. The masked ninja rose out of the earth silently from behind Mikuru, who was too busy watching the cloud of smoke ahead of her in worry to notice Masquerade’s presence. She would notice when Masquerade wrapped an arm around her throat and held her tightly, his other hand clamping over her mouth to muffle any sounds she may make, which she did. The pink-haired heiress tried to break free of the Nukenin’s hold, but her strength proved to be less than the shinobi’s. Masquerade was just considering knocking her out before dragging her away, when he heard the sound of approaching footsteps on the soil. He had just enough time to release Mikuru and leap back as his opponent’s attack landed where he had stood moments earlier.

Masquerade flipped backwards and landed roughly five meters away from his adversary and quarry. The Nukenin surveyed the Village Ninja before him, mouth curled downwards in a frown. Rikimaru himself was glowering at Masquerade, his right hand clenched tightly around the hilt of his sword. Behind him, Mikuru was watching them both with a frightened and helpless expression. None of the three said a word though, simply watching those in their line of sight with extreme caution. Annoyed that his initial plan had failed, Masquerade grabbed a kunai from his kit and readied himself for another round, his brain attempting to formulate a plan where he could seize the heiress without any further delays. Had Rikimaru not been so quick in figuring out Masquerade’s earlier plan (the Kirigakure ninja had to be given credit for being so sharp), Masquerade could have been making his way out of here right now. True, having to escape while holding Mikuru would have made things quite difficult (especially if Rikimaru decided to give chase, and managed to catch up with him), but the Nukenin was certain he would have been able to outrun the Village Ninja. But there was no use mulling over a failed plan. Masquerade had to get to that woman and get out of here quickly, before the situation became even more difficult. Tightening his hold on the kunai he held, Masquerade tensed for combat; opposite him, Rikimaru did the same, his blood-red eye narrowing in determination.

“Mikuru-sama!” a familiar voice shouted from behind Rikimaru and Mikuru, drawing their gaze as well as Masquerade’s. The Jinchuuriki cursed mentally at the sight of Misami, more annoyed than surprised by her appearance. It was no shock that Misami had been able to catch up to them so quickly. As stated earlier, Rikimaru and Mikuru had not been going at the fastest of paces, and it had not been long since the duo’s departure that Masquerade had cancelled his Doro Bunshin. This is what he had been hoping to avoid: Misami’s arrival. It was bad enough that he had to deal with one opponent who specialized in a range of combat he lacked skill in, but two? Yes, Rikimaru was injured and thus not as fit as he had been when Masquerade had first encountered him, but he was still not one to be underestimated. Add someone who was as highly adept at battle as Misami clearly was, and the situation looked quite grim for Masquerade. The boy did not let any of his aggravation show, though, other than a faint tightening of his fist around the handle of his kunai.

Misami calmly walked past Mikuru and stood beside Rikimaru, her brown eyes fixed angrily on the blonde Nukenin standing a few meters away. She did not pay any attention to the expressions on Rikimaru and Mikuru’s faces, both of whom were not as successful as Masquerade in hiding their thoughts. The pink-haired Heiwajima was looking at Misami curiously, her brow furrowed as if she was pondering something. Despite that, she was clearly relieved to see the kunoichi. The teal-haired male, on the other hand, was giving Misami a look that was both suspicious and confused. Masquerade had an inkling that the suspicion was because Rikimaru had believed that Misami had betrayed him by letting Masquerade purse them. The dark-skinned youth had probably accepted that Misami had been deceiving them, but the fact that she was here right now seemed to prove otherwise. Plus, the glare she was throwing Masquerade could not be anything but sincere. That would more or less explain the confusion the Genin was feeling.

Misami shifted her focus from Masquerade and towards the male and female beside her. “Mikuru-sama, I’m sorry for letting him catch up to you. He tricked me with a Bunshin earlier, and managed to slip away. However, despite my lapse of diligence, I am still on your side,” she assured, returning her gaze to the silent Masquerade. “I’ll keep him occupied, Mikuru-sama, Rikimaru-san. Please continue on ahead.” As the black-haired girl spoke these words, she unsheathed her own sword, holding the katana in her right hand while the scabbard remained in her left. Masquerade did not verbally or physically react to Misami’s words and actions. Now that he thought about, it might be better for him if he only had to fight Misami. On the other hand, letting Rikimaru and Mikuru leave would mean that he would risk the possibility that might actually succeed in their escape. The Nukenin was certainly not going to let that happen - he had been through much crap already to simply allow them to escape.

While Masquerade was busy weighing the pros and cons of having to just fight Misami, Rikimaru abruptly held his arm out in front of Misami, blocking her path. Three pairs of perplexed eyes fixed onto Rikimaru. The red-eyed ninja himself had his sights locked firmly on Masquerade. “No, I’ll handle him,” Rikimaru declared resolutely. “I’ve got a bone to pick with this bastard. As for you, Misami: I want you to take Mikuru, and run. I’ll catch up with you guys once I kick this masked freak’s ass.” A simple glance at Misami showed that she seemed reluctant to leave Masquerade to Rikimaru; she was looking hesitantly from Rikimaru and to Mikuru, as if seeking an answer. The Heiwajima heiress also looked upon the Kirigakure male uncertainly. Neither girl had a chance to speak their minds, though, for Rikimaru looked at Misami pointedly as he said in a sober tone: “I’m trusting you with Mikuru’s safety. Just like she trusts you. So don’t disappoint me, okay?”

Having delivered these solemn words, Rikimaru advanced closer to Masquerade, stopping once he had lessened the gap to exactly three meters. Behind him, Misami nodded silently and took Mikuru’s hand, leading her away from the two male ninja. Masquerade watched them disappear into the darkness to his left, but did not pursue them or make any effort to stop them. Instead, he directed his attention back to the obstacle that would keep him from performing either of those actions.

The situation just became more difficult, Masquerade thought darkly in his mind.

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Age : 31 Posts : 1836

“You’re trusting her? Bit premature for that, don’t you think? What makes you think she isn’t attempting to deceive you? She could have been lying before when she said I escaped by tricking her. Who’s to say she isn’t doing the same right now? This could merely be an attempt by us to separate you from Heiwajima Mikuru.”

Masquerade titled his head to the side as he spoke these words, his attention apparently focused on Rikimaru. Only by reading the Nukenin’s mind would someone realize that he did not really care for conversing at the moment. He had no interest in what Rikimaru might have to say in response to his comment. Delving into Masquerade’s mind would reveal that the youth was actually trying to buy himself some time. It would be advantageous if he could keep Rikimaru from attacking for a little while; Masquerade wished to formulate some sort of plan for dealing with this confounded swordsman. Therefore, he did not pay much attention to Rikimaru’s reply, seeing as his mind was focused on other things.

“If Mikuru trusts her, then that’s good enough for me,” the Kirigakure Genin was saying coolly. “Besides, I can tell that she was being honest - she really does want to help us. Not to mention, if you two were really working together to separate me from Mikuru, you’d hardly be telling me that, would you?” A faint grin of cockiness slipped itself onto the teal-haired male’s face. “Unless you’re too stupid to realize that you shouldn’t blab your plan to the enemy?”

Rikimaru seemed ready to say more, but he was interrupted by Masquerade abruptly flicking the kunai in his hand at the former. The Kirigakure shinobi, caught unawares, jerked his head out of the way of the approaching projectile. The evasion was not completely successful, for the metal knife grazed the edge of the boy’s right cheek as he dodged; a thin cut opened on his cheek, allowing a small trail of blood to drip down his cheek. In response to this attack, Rikimaru growled and snapped his eyes in Masquerade’s direction as he charged at the Nukenin, weapon brandished and ready for attack. Masquerade, however, was already acting: immediately after throwing his kunai, he had brought his hands together and joined his fingers in a sequence of handseals. In the few precious seconds that Masquerade had before Rikimaru was upon him, the blonde had created a spear-like object of Raiton chakra. Gloved hands clamped onto either end of the spear and brought it up to meet the overhead strike aimed at his head. The lance of Raiton chakra and the steel blade of the katana rattled as they locked together. The next moment, Masquerade clenched his teeth in visible aggravation. The taller Village shinobi was taking advantage of his frame and superior skill with a weapon to overpower the Nukenin. With his katana pressed perpendicularly against Masquerade’s lance, Rikimaru began to slowly push the latter’s weapon back with his own. Slowly, the crackling spear of electricity edged closer to Masquerade’s neck. The intent behind this action was clear enough.

Masquerade’s hold on his weapon tightened as he searched his mind for a solution. Even if Rikimaru’s injuries made him weaker, his physical prowess was still greater than the mediocre strength that Masquerade possessed. As had been the case the last time Masquerade had clashed with Rikimaru, strength was not going to help him achieve victory. No, Masquerade had to rely on other methods to survive this frustratingly difficult circumstance; methods that weren’t exactly “fair”. Resolve set, Masquerade did the first action that came to his mind: he swung one of his legs forward with all his might at the unaware Rikimaru. The Nukenin’s foot collided with the Genin’s left shin, and the effect was instantaneous. Rikimaru howled in pain and lifted his sword off of Masquerade’s lance, dropping to his knees with a grunting of pain. Said pain was not due to Masquerade’s kick having such great force within it, but was instead due to Rikimaru’s left limbs being much weaker and sensitive than his right ones; courtesy of the harsh burns that no doubt covered them. Anyone would have noticed by now that the Kirigakure Genin’s left arm and leg were more or less useless now. He was barely even using his left hand to fight, with the limb hanging almost limply at his side. Even his step had a noticeable hobble to it, which resulted in a reduction of mobility. Indeed, the fact that Rikimaru was much slower now was one of the prime reasons why Masquerade preferred to face him rather than Misami - better to fight a cripple than a completely healthy opponent.

As his adversary had dropped to his knees, Masquerade had brought his left hand down to wrap it around the same end of the lance that his right one was on. Simultaneously, he swung the lance down, aiming at the head of his downed opponent. However, Rikimaru was able to react quickly enough, despite the obvious pain he was in. The Genin had swung his katana up to block Masquerade’s attack. The Nukenin clenched his teeth resolutely as he tried to push the katana closer to its owner’s body, seeking the same result that his opponent had been a few seconds prior. Predictably, Masquerade’s strength did not allow him to succeed as much as Rikimaru had. The Genin in question was holding his katana firmly in one hand, his facial features screwed up from the pain he still felt in his leg, but he still managed to hold back Masquerade with his superior strength. This stalemate would not last long, for with a cry of rage, the Kirigakure Genin thrust his sword forward with all his might, knocking the lance out of Masquerade’s hand and sending it flying away. The Nukenin cursed mentally as his eyes momentarily followed the path of the discarded lance, but a moment later his attention snapped back to Rikimaru. Just in time too, for Masquerade was able to catch sight of the blade that was swinging towards his legs. Reflexively, the masked youth pushed off the ground and leaped over the crouched Rikimaru, avoiding the attack in the nick of time.

Masquerade somersaulted through the air as he sailed over Rikimaru, landing on his hands before flipping himself upright via a handspring. The boy landed on his feet, spinning around to face the opponent that was crouched less than ten paces away. Rikimaru snarled viciously at Masquerade, leaping to his feet (a tad bit awkwardly, due to his injuries) and rushing towards the Nukenin once again. Masquerade formed a series of quick, simple handseals, and sank into the ground - just as Rikimaru’s weapon swung across the spot where the boy’s chest had been a moment ago. The Kirigakure Genin glanced down at the ground where Masquerade had vanished, his red eyes wide in rage. With an animalistic roar, he began to hack his katana over the spot where the Nukenin had been standing moments earlier, his eyes glinting madly. Once he was done beating the dirt with his katana, the enraged Genin glanced around furiously at his surroundings, searching for a sign of Masquerade. He even decided to start bellowing irately at the surrounding darkness, shouting profanity after profanity at the unseen Masquerade.

“I’m going to fucking kill you, you coward! Stop hiding and get out here!”

Several meters behind the raging Genin, Masquerade was emerging soundlessly from the earth. Once he was out, the boy frowned down at the tear on the front of his coat, the place where Rikimaru’s katana had managed to come in contact with just before Masquerade slipped underground. Fortunately, the weapon had only managed to cut his coat and nothing underneath, so he was uninjured. Hopefully, he would have a few seconds to breath. At the moment, he was hidden from his opponent’s view by a large boulder behind him, as well as the multitude of bushes and vegetation surrounding it. He was not far enough that he could not hear Rikimaru cursing at him, and the Nukenin glanced over his shoulder in the direction where his opponent was; a bewildered expression was adorning his features as he listened to Rikimaru’s bellows. Wacko, Masquerade thought to himself, once again wondering how someone of Rikimaru’s temperament could have attracted someone as level-headed as Mikuru.

Strange relationships aside, though, the Jinchuuriki had more pressing matters to focus on. Masquerade brought his gaze to the ground in front of him, his forehead crinkled in thought. Even if Rikimaru was crippled due to his injuries, he was still a difficult opponent for Masquerade to handle - so long as he kept trying to get in close, that is. That annoying katana of his was making the situation difficult for Masquerade; if he could just remove that from the equation, he might stand a better chance at achieving victory. Not that Masquerade believed he would lose if the katana remained in Rikimaru’s possession. As had been stated plenty of times already, the Kirigakure Genin was not at his prime, but Masquerade was. Furthermore, being a Jinchuuriki meant that Masquerade had greater stamina than his adversary. Really, prolonging the battle would only ensure Masquerade’s victory even more. However, the Nukenin could not fall back on that strategy; the longer he spent fighting Rikimaru, the further away Mikuru and Misami got. If he wished to catch up with those two anytime soon, then he had to take down Rikimaru as quickly as possible.

Having gone through this train of thought, the boy executed a series of handseals and whispered to himself, “San Bunshin no Jutsu.” A clone of Santon chakra materialized to Masquerade’s left, crouched down on one knee like the original. the executor of the jutsu turned to his doppelganger. “Wait for the opportune moment, and then strike,” he ordered in a hushed tone. The Bunshin nodded and stealthily slipped into the surrounding vegetation. The original Masquerade watched his copy disappear into the thick shrubbery nearby, before glancing behind him. His brow furrowed as he noticed that Rikimaru had stopped ranting; that couldn’t be good. Turning his head back to the ground in front of him, he rose to his feet and readied himself for a possible surprise attack.

The next moment, the Nukenin blinked abruptly, looking around perplexedly at his surroundings; or more specifically, at his rapidly-vanishing surroundings. A chilly, white mist was slowly building up in the air, thickening swiftly to obscure the Nukenin’s vision. Masquerade looked around in bewilderment, unable to comprehend what was happening, before understanding came to him. Mist, huh? Emerald green eyes snapped back to look in the direction the Kirigakure shinobi was supposed to be. Was this perhaps Rikimaru’s doing? Masquerade did not know for certain whether it was, but he was convinced that the Genin was most likely making a move now. Masquerade grimaced and began to move forward at a quick pace. Like hell he was going to just stay put and wait for Rikimaru to sneak up on him.

Unfortunately for Masquerade, he had barely taken a few paces forward when he heard a voice shout out from above: “Ninpou • Kiri Suramu!” Without turning around, the Nukenin dived forward and rolled out of the way of the attack. Masquerade tumbled over the ground once, before jumping to his feet and glancing around. Teeth clenched tightly as he noted how he could barely see anything now due to the mist’s thickness. He could only see a few feet ahead now, and everything beyond was just mist and dark, indiscernible shadows. Masquerade grinded his teeth against each other as his insectile eyes frantically scanned his surroundings. With visibility this poor, there was little chance of Masquerade spotting Rikimaru until he was right on top of the former.

So infuriating.

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Masquerade:

Jutsu Used:

Special Characteristics Used:

Items Used:

Chakra Remaining:

Senshin Rikimaru:

Age : 31 Posts : 1836

The boy balled his gloved hands into fists, ready for action, when he was blind-sided by a sudden kick to the side of his head. The boot-to-the-face held a significant amount of force in it, enough to send the startled Nukenin flying back several feet. As the Jinchuuriki landed face-first on the ground, his grimace intensified as he pushed himself to his knees, glaring around at the thick mist in search of his attacker. There was no doubt about it; the Kirigakure shinobi was just toying with Masquerade now. He could easily land a fatal blow through this mist without Masquerade noticing. Instead, Rikimaru appeared to be in the mood of taunting the Nukenin. No doubt this sadistic desire was born out of a desire to humiliate and torture Masquerade as much as was possible before finishing him. Rikimaru already seemed to loathe the Nukenin to extreme levels. This was what Masquerade got for being so derisive in front of the boy.

Masquerade’s anxious scanning of the misty backdrop was put to a halt as his hand came into contact with something cold and wet. Blinking, the kneeling boy looked behind him to see that he was crouched at the bank of a body of water. The heavy layer of mist made it difficult to tell for certain, but it was most likely a pond or something. Pond… Water… Almost instantly, the Nukenin’s eyes widened as he realized why this discovery was such a bad one. As if his mind had been read, the boy heard Rikimaru’s voice sound out through the thick layer of mist: “Ninpou • Mizu no Musubime!” Masquerade’s eyes snapped in the direction the voice came from, and without pausing to think, the boy leaped to his feet and made to get away from the body of water, but he was ultimately not fast enough.

A whip of water shot out of the pond’s surface and bound itself around the Nukenin’s legs. Masquerade dropped to the ground as his legs were yanked back by the whip. Matters were made worse when the tentacle-like extension lifted the bound Jinchuuriki several feet into the air, and proceeded to toss him through the air away from the body of water. As if it was the theme of his life, Masquerade sailed through the air yet again and landed hard on the ground, his face smashing into the rough soil. Grunting, his body aching from the force of the impact, Masquerade pushed himself to his feet, stumbling slightly as he rose. The boy had just straightened to his full height when he spun around, senses snapping back to attention as he kept his eyes open for Rikimaru’s next attack.

Indeed, the moment he turned around, he did spot Rikimaru, but he also felt the cold blade of a katana passing through his stomach. A gasp of pain issued from Masquerade’s mouth as the blade plunged into his gut. Body frozen in surprise, his shocked visage looked down at the weapon embedded in his abdomen, and then rose up to meet the steady face of Rikimaru. The teal-haired male wordlessly pulled the sword out of the blonde’s gut, and took a step back as the latter dropped to his knees, clutching at his stomach. A panting Masquerade stared down speechlessly at the wound on his stomach. Blood was seeping into his clothes from the wound, and an immense pain was being transmitted to his mind. His mind swam from the intensity of the pain, and he gave low hiss due to the feeling. In all honesty, Masquerade was not so much of a weakling that he could not handle pain, but being impaled in the gut was not something that he could simply shrug off. It hurt, and there was no denying that.

Looking up from his blood-soaked hands and clothes, Masquerade glared up at Rikimaru through the visors of his mask. The shinobi in question was looming over the downed one, his crimson eyes wide in bloodlust. The boys were close enough now that poor visibility was no longer a problem. Neither ninja spoke a word as they continued to glower at each other. The hate in Rikimaru’s eyes was greater, though; almost maniacal, in fact. “Finally shut you up, Nukenin,” Rikimaru barked viciously at the panting Masquerade. The latter did not reply, being in too much pain to talk. Right now, Rikimaru had the advantage, and it was clear enough that he was going to make good use of it. Despite the intense pain occupying his attention, Masquerade nonetheless tensed in preparation to dodge the attack, though he had his doubts whether it would be completely successful. Best case scenario: he would only lose a limb.

The swordsman raised his weapon high into the air above his head, preparing to bring it swinging down on Masquerade’s head. “Rot in hell, Nukenin,” he hissed venomously. At that moment, Masquerade caught sight of something behind Rikimaru. A familiar silhouette could be spotted over the Genin’s shoulder: Masquerade’s Bunshin. The clone had come up behind Rikimaru silently and leaped into the air, a kunai in its hand as it sprung at the Genin’s unguarded back. The Bunshin was only two feet away from Rikimaru when the swordsman spun around and sliced his weapon horizontally through the air; the airborne Bunshin was struck by the katana, disappearing immediately. The surprise came the moment the clone was hit: a spray of purple acid erupted from the clone’s body, dousing Rikimaru before he could react.

The teal-haired ninja howled in pain as the acid burnt into his skin, taking a step back and dropping his weapon as he clutched his face. More misfortune was coming his way as the original Masquerade seized the opportunity. Handseals were formed before Masquerade lunged forward and firmly clamped a hand on each of Rikimaru’s legs, grabbing onto his thighs. The moment Masquerade channeled his chakra into the Genin’s thigh muscles, the latter’s knees bent abruptly. The sudden action unbalanced the boy, causing him to teeter and crash chest-first onto the ground. A startled Rikimaru pulled his face out of the dirt and glanced back at his legs, the lower half of which were bent as far back as his muscles would allow. Masquerade had just forced the boy’s thigh muscles to tense and bend his knees, thus locking his opponent in this awkward position. Rikimaru and Masquerade’s eyes met for a millisecond, until the former snapped his head in the direction of the katana lying just a foot away; Masquerade’s eyes snapped to it as well. As one, both shinobi made their moves. Rikimaru made a grab for his katana, his fingers curling around the weapon’s handle as he awkwardly pulled himself closer to it. Masquerade, meanwhile, pulled a kunai from his pouch and leaped onto his adversary’s back, before wedging the knife into the base of Rikimaru’s neck.

Like a puppet that had had its strings cut, Rikimaru’s entire body went limp, his arms falling to the ground and his muscles slackening. The only motion was the faint twitching of his arms, indicating that he was attempting to move them, but failing. With his limbs now unresponsive, Rikimaru looked over his shoulder at Masquerade, who was still crouched on his back in a frog-like stance with his hand firmly gripping the weapon he held. Exhaling deeply, Masquerade got off Rikimaru’s back and sat down on the ground. The kunai slipped from his grip as he then placed both hands on his wounded abdomen. The pain was still prominent, and it had taken a great deal of concentration on Masquerade’s part to ignore the sensation long enough to execute the maneuver he just done. Now, the pain returned with a vengeance, but he still had no time to focus on his injuries. Bug-like eyes looked over at the unmoving and silent Rikimaru. Masquerade had just severed the segment of Rikimaru’s spinal cord that connected his brain to his motor functions; right now, the boy would have not be able to move his legs or his lower torso at all, and while he may retain some motor controls in his upper body and arms, they would be very weak. Luck was once more on his side: despite the difficulty in landing such a precise attack, Masquerade had succeeded. It helped that he was an Iryou Ninja, and thus knew where to strike to achieve such results. Right now, the Kirigakure Genin was more-or-less paralyzed, and with that, Masquerade’s victory was pretty much secure. Just to make sure, though…

Releasing his hold on his wounded abdomen, Masquerade picked up the blood-stained kunai lying at his feet. Grunting in pain as he rose to his feet, the blonde then stepped closer to Rikimaru, looking down at him with a blank face. The Nukenin glanced momentarily at the katana still clasped in the Genin’s limp hand, and with a frown, he kicked it out of the swordsman hand. Another kick ensured that the weapon was pushed well out of its owner’s reach. Masquerade then turned his attention back to Rikimaru. Grabbing the defeated male by the back of his kosode’s collar, Masquerade flipped Rikimaru over so that he was now lying on his back. The Nukenin then crouched down beside him, eyeing his opponent coldly as his hold on the kunai’s handle tightened. Flipping the weapon to hold it in a back-handed manner, Masquerade moved the hand with the metal knife forward until the weapon’s tip was hovering above Rikimaru’s forehead; right above and between his eyes. The Kirigakure shinobi, who was performing no action other than panting heavily in exhaustion, shifted his red eyes from the kunai to Masquerade’s face. With a deadpan expression, he hissed to the Nukenin, “She’d better not die.”

Masquerade gave no response, other than to plunge the kunai into Rikimaru’s forehead.

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Masquerade:

Senshin Rikimaru:

Age : 31 Posts : 1836

The Nukenin trudged through the gloomy forest, his hands balled into fists and his face locked in a look of infuriated resolve. His gait was swift and purposeful as he marched onwards, insect-like eyes swooping over the surroundings thoroughly. He had left his opponent’s body right where he had slain him - or rather, what was left of it. After stabbing the kunai into Rikimaru’s head, Masquerade had then bathed the corpse in a shower of highly-corrosive acid - just to make sure his opponent stayed dead. As if he was going to make the same mistake he had made back at the cliff, when he had decided that Rikimaru had died without actually searching for a corpse. Now, the Kirigakure Genin had been dissolved out of existence, leaving no trace of his body. It was a cruel, harsh thing to do to a corpse; immoral, even. Yet, Masquerade felt far less guilt at what he had done than he ought to have; not because he was used to mutilating a dead body (assuming that “mutilating” was even the correct term for his inhumane actions), but because his mind was too focused on the mission at hand to cry over such a horrid act. Perhaps later, when all this was over, the guilt would assault his conscience. For the moment, the Jinchuuriki was able to push aside any regrets he had, and keep his mind only on his objective.

Sure, he had beaten Rikimaru (through sheer luck, in his opinion), but he still had to find and secure Heiwajima Mikuru. That would mean a confrontation with his ex-partner-in-crime, and Masquerade was not looking forward to that encounter. Yes, he had only used a relatively small amount of his abnormally large chakra reserve, but just because he still had chakra did not mean he was at his prime. His spiritual strength may barely have been depleted, but his physical strength was a different. The latter case was not because the boy was unfit and became tired easily; rather, it was because of his injuries. He had just been stabbed in the stomach a several minutes ago, and though he had already used his Iryou Ninjutsu to heal his wound and applied first aid, he was still not at one-hundred percent. Add to this the fact that he had already lost more blood than he would have liked to, and it was hardly a surprise that the boy was feeling all that energetic. The fact that he was pressed for time was the reason why he had not paused to heal his wound completely. An injury as deep as the one Rikimaru had given him would take quite some time to heal for someone of Masquerade’s caliber - time that he did not have. The longer he waited, the harder it would be to find Mikuru. With this nagging thought in mind, the Nukenin had healed his wound enough that the bleeding had lessened, and he was able to move around without experiencing severe pain. A little first aid was also performed, with strips from the hemline of his coat acting as bandages for his wound. With his emergency medical care completed, the blonde had then set off in the direction Mikuru and Misami had run off.

For the past few minutes, the blonde had been doing nothing but walking in silence. Predictably, it was no easy feat trying to track someone in the darkness of night; especially when one lacked any true skills in tracking. Normally, Masquerade would have fallen back on his Ninjutsu to help him find his quarry - even if it would make the task no less difficult. However, he did not have to resort to his jutsu for this task: as the boy had thought numerous times this night, fortune seemed to be in his favor. Finding the girls’ trail had not been as hard as Masquerade had expected; in fact, he had been able to spot a clue that indicated their trajectory in less than a minute of searching. Wherever Misami and Mikuru were headed, they were making no attempt to “cover their tracks”. It had been noticeably easy to spot that someone had cut their way through the dense vegetation in the forest. The broken branches and bushes indicated that someone had passed through them, with a sharp blade clearing his or her path. It was this trail of trimming that Masquerade was currently following, his eyes constantly surveying the plants for signs of what he knew to be the handiwork of Misami’s katana.

Piecing together the reason behind this failure on the girls’ part to cover their tracks had not been hard. Clearly, the perfidious kunoichi had left this trail so that it could lead someone to them - that someone being Rikimaru. Considering how neither Misami nor Rikimaru had discussed where they would rendezvous (the Kirigakure ninja had merely said that he would “catch up to them”, after all), it made sense that Misami would leave behind a trail of metaphorical breadcrumbs for him to follow. Sadly, Rikimaru could not follow these crumbs since he was suffering from a bad case of death, but they were working out splendidly for Masquerade. As he walked, the masked ninja noted how the only way the deceased Genin could have gone after the girl would be if he had beaten Masquerade. Seeing as how the kunoichi had the performed the risky action of clearing marking out the direction she had gone, it pretty much showed that she had believed that Rikimaru would end up beating Masquerade, and emerge as the victor. Masquerade did not know whether to be offended by the underestimation, or be amused by the irony. He supposed he could feel both; that is, if he was not currently in a state of poorly-suppressed anger.

Soon enough, the boy’s march brought him within hearing range of a pair of conversing voices. He was still too far away to hear their speakers’ words, or to see them, but he knew from the quality of the voices that they belonged to the girls he sought. His pace quickening, the Nukenin began to near the source of the sounds, and soon enough, he was there. With his footsteps heralding his arrival, the Jinchuuriki emerged from the gloom of the trees and into the small clearing where the two females waited. The canopy of leaves and branches overhead meant the single male and two females were still standing in the shadows, but each could see the others clearly enough. As such, when a silent Masquerade appeared in front of the girls, they immediately noticed his presence, and directed their attention to him. Misami and Mikuru both stared wide-eyed at the blonde Nukenin, who remained silent as they stared at him. Clearly, they had not been expecting his presence; again, there was the underestimation of his abilities. Misami, who stood in front of Mikuru, narrowed her eyes at Masquerade and glared at him, apparently realizing what his presence here meant. Behind the black-haired kunoichi, Mikuru slowly rose from the rock she had been sitting on, her eyes filled with fear and worry as she looked at Masquerade, who was busy glaring back at Misami from behind his mask. “Ri-Rikimaru-kun… What happened to Rikimaru-kun?” the Heiwajima heiress asked fearfully, her voice shaking just like her body. She took a step forward, so that she stood one pace behind Misami’s left.

Slowly, Masquerade shifted his gaze from the kunoichi to the heiress. Opening his mouth, his voice as emotionless as the face hidden behind his mask, he answered, “Dead.”

The monosyllabic answer had an immediate effect. Upon hearing the word, a horrorstruck expression overtook Mikuru’s face, her hands covering her mouth as she dropped to her knees; tears immediately began streaming down her cheeks as she sobbed silently, her entire body trembling. The girl’s jade green eyes were wide and glassy, looking as if her brain had literally stopped functioning. Masquerade looked down at the distraught girl with a neutral expression, his mind and heart completely calm as he watched her cry. His fellow Nukenin was not so callous, bending down beside the silently-weeping and shocked girl to place a comforting hand on her back. The kunoichi looked at the horrified heiress with a sympathetic expression, but shot Masquerade a look of pure loathing a few seconds later. Brown eyes alight with a fiery hatred akin to the one that Rikimaru had sported earlier, Misami rose to her feet and took a few steps forwards, closing the five meter gap between the two Nukenin by a handful of paces. Unsheathing her katana, Misami aimed the edge at Masquerade and adopted a battle stance.

“You bastard… I’ll make you regret what you’ve done to Mikuru-sama.”

Aside from the low, hiss-like quality of the kunoichi’s tone, one might have assumed the words to be those of a level-headed person. However, Masquerade was certain that the girl in front of him was not as composed as she usually was. She was pissed off at Masquerade - there was no denying that. The feeling was mutual, fortunately. Masquerade was also livid at the female Nukenin, her actions having enraged him just as much his had probably enraged her. However, the difference was that Misami was willing to jump straight into a fight, whereas Masquerade wished to avoid anymore fighting. Sighing, he held a hand out at Misami, palm-up, in a gesture that indicated that he was attempting to reason with her. “I’m in no mood to fight you, Kakeru Misami. All I want is Heiwajima Mikuru. Simply hand her over to me, and we can avoid any unnecessary fighting.”

The intensity of Misami’s glare increased at the Nukenin’s words. “If you want Mikuru-sama, you’ll have to fight me for her,” she retorted, voice filled with fury. “I won’t let you take Mikuru-sama back to the Kurosawa - I won’t let you take her back to a place she doesn’t want to be, or to someone she doesn’t want to be with.”

A visible twitch of Masquerade’s fingers alluded to the irritation he felt because of this ~~recurring~~ response. As usual, Misami was going to make things difficult for him. He most likely would have to fight the female Nukenin if he wanted to take Mikuru back to her father and the Kurosawa. Realizing this, Masquerade threw his arms into the air in exasperation and turned his head away to frown down at the ground. “You know what? I don’t care anymore; I won’t take her back to the Kurosawa,” the Nukenin announced exasperatedly, spreading his arms apart like he had given up on reasoning with the kunoichi. A second later, a sigh escaped from the boy’s lips as he lowered his arms and drew out a kunai. The boy calmly looked down at the weapon in his hand, and then up at the battle-ready Misami, tilting his head to one side. “No, I’m not going to take her back…” His eyes widened in maniacal rage behind his visors, and he jabbed a finger in Mikuru’s direction. “I’m going to kill her instead. As far as I’m concerned, she’s the reason all of these annoyances has been happening.” The boy lowered his arm and shifted into a battle stance of his own, holding the kunai back-handed and horizontally in front of his face. To the glowering kunoichi before him, he hissed in a voice as acidic as the element he could use, “If she wants to be with her beloved so much, then I’ll happily send her to the afterlife for that reunion!”

The declaration elicited a snarl from Misami at the Jinchuuriki, an act that was mirrored exactly by the latter. This was the limit of the kunoichi’s patience: with a hiss of anger, she kicked off from the ground and charged at Masquerade, murderous intent emanating from every inch of her body. Masquerade’s reaction was to tense and prepare for an evasion, but he otherwise maintained his position. However, the black-haired Nukenin had barely taken three strides before a Mikuru’s voice shouted at both of them to stop. The unexpected cry had the desired effect, causing Misami to slide to a halt and glance back at the heiress. Even Masquerade froze, eyes locked onto the speaker in puzzlement. The pink-haired girl was slowly rising to her feet now. Her face was stained with dried tears, and her eyes were red from crying. However, when she stood up, her posture was erect and her body was completely steady; she was carrying herself confidently now, and while her face still held a look of sorrow, a trace of detectable resolution was also there. A deep breath was taken by the Heiwajima, and she then looked over at Masquerade intently. “I’ll go back with you. I’ll return to the Kurosawa, but you both have to stop fighting.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, neither Nukenin responded to Mikuru’s proclamation at first. They did, however, stare at her silently in stupefaction. Masquerade was the first to snap back to his senses, his enlarged eyes shrinking back down to their regular size as he straightened up from his battle stance. He continued to eye the pink-haired girl suspiciously, though, not fully convinced by her words. A few moments later, Misami also seemed to return to her senses, although her face still sported the same bewildered expression. The kunoichi’s lips parted as she opened her mouth to protest to Mikuru, but the addressed Heiwajima forestalled her by taking a step forward and grasping the other girl’s hand in hers. Kind eyes of a green color looked into the kunoichi’s face. “Misami-san, I’m grateful for all you’ve done to help, but I have to go back now. I hope you don’t think of me as a coward for doing this, but it’s the only option I have. I don’t want anyone else to get hurt because of me.” A single tear slid down Mikuru’s tear as she continued to speak. “So many people have already died because of me. First Yusuke-san and his men, and now Rikimaru-kun… I don’t want any more blood to be shed because of my selfishness.”

A downcast expression had befallen the speaker’s face, one so intense that it left little doubt as to the emotional trauma she was experiencing. Seeing the heiress’ expression, Misami’s own softened greatly. She nodded silently at the distraught Mikuru, accepting the latter’s decision. The girls exchanged a weak smile with each other, while the male nearby stood watching them impatiently with a tilt of his head. He wondered how much more of this sickening empathy he could endure before… oh wait, they were done.

Mikuru had at last begun to walk in his direction. The heiress stepped past Masquerade with just a brief glance in his direction, her expression neutral as she looked at him. Guessing that the cold shoulder was most likely due anger, Masquerade turned his attention away from the girl beside him, and to the one standing opposite him. Misami had yet to move from her spot, and she was looking at Masquerade with her characteristically cold face. She was no doubt displeased that things were working out in the male’s favor. Masquerade returned her acerbic gaze with one of his own, his face still set in a look of loathing. “I’ll be sure to inform our employer of your betrayal,” he remarked venomously, grimacing at the girl as if her very presence sickened him; the look was mirrored by Misami.

Masquerade was about to turn away from the kunoichi, when Mikuru’s voice suddenly drew his attention. “No, “ she interrupted, looking at the male Nukenin authoritatively. “As far as my father will know, both of you worked together to bring me back to him. You both did the job he hired you to do. That’s what he is to know, understand?” Masquerade, who had been watching the girl over his shoulder as she spoke, frowned even more fiercely at her words. What made the demand even more annoying was the fact that Mikuru had said it with so much confidence, as if she knew that Masquerade would submit to her command without complaint; and she was completely right. He knew that if he did not agree to Mikuru’s terms, than there was a good chance she might “sic” Misami on him, and this wonderfully fortunate turn of events would all go to waste.

With this in mind, the male Nukenin had shifted his virulent gaze from Mikuru to the composed Misami, before grimacing and pocketing his kunai. Turning around, the Nukenin silently clamped a gloved hand on Mikuru’s shoulder and pushed her forward to indicate that she start moving. The push was not forceful, yet at the same time was not gentle. Mikuru did not protest at the action, instead adopting a calm pace as she began walking. Masquerade fell into step behind the heiress, staying only two paces behind her; a meter behind him, Misami was following suit as well, her dark brown eyes drilling holes into the back of Masquerade’s head.

The group marched through the dark forest in silence, with Mikuru leading the way (and Masquerade muttering directions to her when needed). None of the three spoke to each other, no doubt buried in their own thoughts. Masquerade did not know or care what the two girls were thinking (most likely they were mentally cursing him to the depths of hell), but he was busying contemplating the heiress’ recent actions. The analytic male had to admit that he was quite impressed by the girl’s demeanor. When she had heard that her lover had been killed, she had fallen victim to a minor mental breakdown, which was hardly a surprise. However, she had recovered from it unexpectedly quickly. Furthermore, despite still being in great emotional pain, she had been able to come to the most sensible and logical decision that could be made in that situation (in Masquerade’s eyes, at least). The fact that she had managed to compose herself so quickly, and rationalize her thoughts so efficiently in spite of the trauma she was experiencing, was very laudable in Masquerade’s opinion. Rather satisfying, to know that the successor of such an influential clan had such praiseworthy traits.

That still did not make him think better of her.

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Jutsu Used:

Chakra Remaining:

Age : 31 Posts : 1836

Well, looks like our absence was noticed, Masquerade observed as he beheld the sight ahead. He, Mikuru, and Misami had just reached the gates of the Kurosawa complex, and they could now see the large group of men standing outside the iron constructs. These men were standing at attention as they listened attentively to the towering man standing in front. This man, who was easily recognized as Heiwajima Hokomaru, was shouting what sounded like orders to the line of men facing him. The snippets that reached Masquerade’s ears informed him that the men were part of a search party, one that was preparing to set out in search of Mikuru. That was what Masquerade figured at first glance, judging by the slightly frantic and energetic body language that Hokomaru was exhibiting. As the Nukenin and their charge came into view of the gates and the search party, a portion of the line of men spotted them and drew everyone’s attention to the former group. Hokomaru, who had had his back turned to the Nukenin, turned around and spotted their approach as well. The clan leader looked visibly relieved at the sight of them - or more specifically, at the sight of his daughter, safe and unharmed. Indeed, he took a few powerful strides forward and embraced his offspring in a tight embrace, one which the female returned as well. The search party, which Masquerade surmised to consist mainly of members of the Heiwajima clan, gave cries of delight as well, rushing forward as well. The two Nukenin stayed back, watching the scene silently with impassive faces. While this would normally be a touching sight even for Masquerade (slightly, at least), at the moment he was too irate to be moved by this “happy” reunion. He could not even bring it in himself to note how strange it looked to see the brutish-looking Hokomaru appearing so emotional.

“Impeccable timing, you two. We were just about to send out a team to look for you.” Masquerade and Misami turned their heads as one at the sound of the approaching Kiritsugu. The raven-haired man pushed his glasses further up his nose with his middle finger, a seemingly unnecessary action, as the spectacles slid back to the original position instantly. It was like déjà vu, seeing as how this man had been the one to meet them when the Nukenin had completed their previous mission. The feeling of familiarity was increased as Kiritsugu gestured to the Kurosawa complex’s entrance. “If you would follow me, I’d like to talk you in private.” The man gave a meaningfully nod of his head towards the pair of Nukenin, and without waiting for an answer from them, began to make his way into the Kurosawa residence. Masquerade and Misami followed him wordlessly, focusing only on the back of the man ahead, and not each other’s presence. The Heiwajima crowding outside the complex paid no mind to the three as they passed them, and neither did the Kurosawa who were just exiting through the gates to join the cluster of Heiwajima. As Masquerade passed through the gates, he spotted Katsuo hurrying out with his fellow clansmen to join the Heiwajima. He seemed just as relieved to see Mikuru as her father.

The next minute and a half passed by in silence as Kiritsugu led the shinobi to what Masquerade recalled to be the room that had been designated as Hokomaru’s “office” (for lack of a better word) at this compound. Once Masquerade and Misami were inside the room and Kiritsugu had closed the door behind them, the bespectacled man would walk over to the desk where Hokomaru would normally sit, and pulling out a small notebook from a drawer, begin flipping through it calmly. As he did so, he remarked casually to the Nukenin, “I suppose credit should be given where credit is due. You both did well to bring Mikuru-dono back here.” Stopping at a certain page, the Heiwajima in the maroon robe held the book in one hand whilst picking up a pen from the desk with the other. The writing utensil began to dance across the page the man had opened to, while the writer looked up from the book at the Nukenin. A faint grin stretched onto his lips as he continued the impressive feat of writing without actually looking at what he was writing. “Now then, about that Kirigakure Genin you encountered… What’s become of him?”

The knowing look in the man’s eye showed that he was fully-aware of the whole situation; there was little doubt that he knew that Rikimaru had been the one to kidnap Mikuru. Hardly a shock to Masquerade, given he had already learnt that his employers were knowledgeable of Mikuru and Rikimaru’s relationship. Indeed, Masquerade did not even seem fazed or disconcerted by Kiritsugu’s query; the deadpanned, single-word answer he gave Kiritsugu was the same one he had given Mikuru earlier. Unlike Mikuru, Kiritsugu did not respond with a mental breakdown, but with an acknowledging nod of his head. The man flipped a page on his book without looking down and continued his writing.

“I see. Well, gentleman and lady, I’ll congratulate you once again on a job well-done. However, I hope I don’t have to remind you that your mission is not over yet. You will continue watching over Mikuru-dono until her wedding concludes tomorrow; after that, you will receive your pay, and you may leave.” An imaginary smile slipped onto his impassive face as he snapped the book shut and nodded pointedly at Masquerade and Misami. “Now then, I’m sure you two must be eager to get some rest. You may return to your quarters and rest until you are called for again. We will have guards watching over Mikuru-dono for the night, so you can relax for the night.”

With that, the man turned around to indicate the Nukenin’s dismissal. However, as the ninja were about to leave, Kiritsugu looked over his shoulder and informed them, “Oh yes, and one more thing: I’m sure you realize that you must not breathe a word about “that” issue to anyone. I’ll leave it your minds to imagine the consequences of such actions.” In spite of the casual tone in which the words were delivered, the threat was clear enough. Though, there had really been no need to make that threat in the first place. As Kiritsugu had correctly stated, both Nukenin had the sense to understand that they should keep the fact that Mikuru was attempting to elope on the eve of her wedding a secret. Masquerade did not what reason Misami might have for holding her tongue, but he would remain silent so as to avoid any further troublesome issues; he had had enough of those already for one day.

Now outside Hokomaru’s office, the Nukenin were only in each other’s company. Needless to say, the atmosphere was a little tense as both glared at each other fiercely. Masquerade visibly frowned at the kunoichi, before turning on his heels and marching away in the opposite direction from her - away from the wing where his quarters were. Tired as he may be, Masquerade would rather sleep on a roof than in a room next to Misami’s. Unsurprisingly, and much to the Jinchuuriki’s pleasure, Misami did not say anything to the male as he strolled away. She merely headed off in the direction of her bedroom.

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Masquerade had never been to a wedding before. Being a criminal made it unlikely to be added to a guest list, after all. Rather fortunate in his eyes: he was not one to participate in such events, anyway. He did not feel as if he was missing anything special, which was why he would not even bother attending if he was invited. As such, while Kurosawa Katsuo and Heiwajima Mikuru’s wedding ceremony was underway, Masquerade was not hovering over the bride’s shoulder from a safe distance, or even watching silently from the background. Instead, he was lounging in an orchid tree, his arms folded behind his head like a pillow while he gazed up through the leaves at the clear, blue sky. The area where the ceremony was taking place, a large extravagant garden at the back of the Kurosawa compound, was just around a corner to the boy’s right. From his current position, he could not see anything that was happening at the ceremony, and though he could hear everything perfectly, he was not paying much attention to the sounds of enjoyment and excitement. Despite his lax attitude in guarding the (now-married) heiress, Masquerade was positive that, should something unexpected happen at the ceremony that would require his presence, then he would be aware of it quick enough. The people there were sure to start screaming, or at the very least cease their rowdy celebrations. Whatever the case, Masquerade would know when something was wrong, and he would be able to get there quickly enough. Besides, it was not like Mikuru was completely unprotected. Dozens of Heiwajima and Kurosawa guards were stationed around the garden’s perimeter; Misami was also there to keep watch on Mikuru, though Masquerade was not relying on her to do anything useful.

The day passed by slowly and tediously, but was fortunately uneventful. In just a few hours, the matrimonial event had concluded; nothing had happened at all, which was not that much of a surprise to Masquerade. The only person who could have crashed the party was dead, and the blonde highly doubted that anyone else would be stupid enough to trespass on the grounds of such a powerful family. So, with the clan successors now married and the two rival clans now officially linked together, Masquerade’s mission had at last come to a close. He could finally earn his pay for his efforts, and leave. Therefore, the Nukenin could presently be found in Hokomaru’s office once again, in the company of Kiritsugu and Misami. Hokomaru was not present, for he was in a meeting with the Kurosawa head, leaving the comparatively less important task of paying the Nukenin to Kiritsugu. Said Heiwajima was currently handing each shinobi a bulging bag of coins, his face neutral as he congratulated them on completing their objective. “The Heiwajima appreciate your hard work, Kakeru Misami, Masquerade. Should we ever require the aid of shinobi in the future, we will be sure to take you into consideration again.”

Sincerity could easily be detected in the man’s voice as he nodded at them in thanks. His green eyes watched the two Nukenin, who were both examining the bags they held with differing expressions. The male examined it coolly prior to slipping it into his pouch. Misami, on the other hand, was glaring angrily at the bag, yet at the same time looked slightly downcast. After a few seconds, she turned on her heel and marched out of the room without a word or a glance at either of the males. Kiritsugu watched her go with faintly raised eyebrows. Masquerade, who had briefly glanced in the girl’s direction with a hardened expression, looked Kiritsugu directly in the eye and muttered seriously to him, “If you do ever hire me again, I’d like to know the full details of the mission next time.” With those curt words, he departed from the room with the same brusqueness as the kunoichi before him. Kiritsugu watched Masquerade leave with an unmoving expression, before shrugging uncaringly and turning away.

Outside, Masquerade found Misami standing further down the hallway, in the direction that would lead to the compound’s exit. The kunoichi was still eyeing the pouch of money in her gloved hand, her face holding only an expression of sadness on it. Masquerade’s eyes narrowed behind his visors in distaste, his mouth setting into a firm line as he began to walk towards the girl. She did not look up as he approached her, and he did not stop as he came nearer. However, he did speak as he came nearer, though his gaze was locked directly ahead of him and not at the girl he was about to pass. “You don’t deserve that reward,” Masquerade hissed as he walked past the girl, his face devoid of emotion as he spoke. He did not have to say that; there was no logical reason for him to say that. However, the boy could not stop himself from venting his frustration at this, which was why he had said those words to the kunoichi. It enraged him how, even after playing a part in aiding Mikuru in her elopement, the kunoichi was still getting paid. She had not done what Hokomaru had asked them to do; she had done the exact opposite, whilst Masquerade had done as he had been ordered. Yet, they had both been paid, as if they had both had a hand in Mikuru’s rescue. It enraged him so much.

Masquerade had already walked past Misami, and was five paces away from her, when she looked up at him and answered back, “You’re right; I don’t deserve this reward.” The girl’s voice was not regretful, but hard and venomous. Masquerade came to a stop as she spoke, but did not turn to face her. She continued softly, her eyes narrowed in distaste at Masquerade’s back, “I wouldn’t want to be rewarded for ruining someone’s happiness.”

Slowly, the male Nukenin turned around to face the female. “Ruining someone’s happiness?” he repeated incredulously, legitimate surprise present on what little of his face was visible. The next second, it was replaced by a deadpan look as his voice dropped to low hiss. “We’re Nukenin - criminals. That’s exactly what we do. We bring misfortune to others, so that we can survive. That is how our kind lives. I don’t what kind of impression you have of the world, but it’s not one where Nukenin refrain from ruining someone’s happiness.” Masquerade gave a snort of disdain as he turned his back to the girl, shaking his head. “I’m surprised someone as foolish as you is even a Nukenin. I’ll bet you’ve never even killed anyone before…”

“Of course I’ve killed before,” the girl snapped viciously. “But I only kill when I have no other choice, or when someone deserves to die.” Masquerade did not look back at the girl, only blinking slightly as he considered her words. Certainly not a statement he would have expected from someone of this girl’s composure. He would have bet that the hardened exterior of the kunoichi’s personality was due to a hardening of her heart from excessive killing; however, it seemed that she was nothing more than your typically soft-hearted ninja. Masquerade’s thoughts were put on hold as he heard Misami resume her speech, her voice filled with a cool rage that told Masquerade that she was probably looking murderously at him. “And I’m having a hard time convincing myself that you don’t deserve to die.”

The malicious statement did not elicit an immediate reaction from Masquerade. The boy remained still for a second, before sighing and turning around to face the girl. Surprisingly, there was no rage or disgust on his face; instead, he wore a gentle smile as he stepped closer to the kunoichi, his hands raised to chest-level and the tips of his splayed fingers touching each other. In a serene, relaxed voice, Masquerade remarked, “You know, I usually make it a point to respect the opposite gender; to treat them as if they were above me. It’s one of the most important lessons I was taught, in my opinion…” The male Nukenin paused at this point both in speech and stride, coming to a halt in front of Misami. Bending down slightly to bring his head on the same level as the girl’s and only a foot away, he tilted his head to the side. When he next spoke, the smile on his face transformed into a snarl, and his voice turned sharp and cold. “But in all my life, I have never met a woman who infuriates me as much as you do...”

Having said his part, Masquerade straightened up to his full height, his glare matching the one on the kunoichi’s face. Without saying another word, Masquerade turned around swiftly and marched down the hallway. He did not look back at the kunoichi as he exited the building, and he did not slow his pace as he began to trudge over the cobblestone path towards the front of the complex. As he walked, the boy’s eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed, his hands briefly sliding to the pouch where his money bag was stashed. Ruining someone’s happiness, huh? he repeated pensively in his mind, stopping in his tracks and closing his eyes behind his mask. He was willing to admit it: he did - maybe just a little - feel regretful for what he had done to Heiwajima Mikuru and Senshin Rikimaru. He was not sadistic, and neither was he cold-hearted. To say that he reveled at the thought of having caused pain to others just because of his greed for money would be completely inaccurate. He did feel remorse; he was a human being, after all. That being said, though… Masquerade opened his eyes in resolution, and continued his walk.

I’m a Nukenin; that’s exactly what we do.

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~ Mission Complete ~