Raikage tower.

[Titan of Stone]

"I woke up in Grass and the person who found me said I was at the foot of a mountain covered in blood. That's where my life started." She explains softly slowly looking up at her. Her past had been something she avoided intentionally preferring to live the life she had come to know rather than trying to fit back into whatever role place she had before.

[Christoff]

Haru gulped nervously as Sebastian cut him off, "Stop" The Genin's face paled even further, but his stammering ceased and Sebastian was able to continue. As Sebastian explained the mission color began to return to Haru's face. The boy stood up straighter a look of determination on his face. He took a moment during the instructions to size up his teammates looking them up and down, his eyes lingering a little longer on Yis as he remarked on the Haru's status as a medical shinobi.

Haru's mouth opened as if he was going to speak but Kimi spoke first, "Not from me at least. As always I stand ready to defend the village from any threats outside or in. Those criminals will find themselves back in prison or in the ground. Either way, they won't harm the village." Haru's mouth closed and he said nothing as he followed Kimi and Yis out of the tower.

On the way out the door Yis asked, "Any idea where we can find this Daisuke guy? I don’t like the idea of waiting for him to show up in the evening. Every hour that passes, will make finding the targets exponentially harder.”

Haru's answer came free of the panic and nervousness of his speech in the tower, instead it was calm and even, "Daisuke Hyuuga is our Jounin Commander." His eyes flicked up; looking with a tinge of suspicion at Yis and then to Kimi, "We may be able to find him with the garrison at the gates. I saw him there before you snatched me." Haru paused and looked at them both, "It's worth a shot. If he's not there he could be anywhere in the village."

(Exit with the team)

OOC: I will put up a post in the Gate thread for you to respond to.

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

Yis, Haru and Kimimaru:

The male looked at the trio as they talked together. "Not from me at least. As always I stand ready to defend the village from any threats outside or in. Those criminals will find themselves back in prison or in the ground. Either way, they won't harm the village." stated the younger guy.

"Any idea where we can find this Daisuke guy? I don't like the idea of waiting for him to show up in the evening. Every hour that passes, will make finding the targets exponentially harder." told the older male. The newcomer looked up. He seemed to know the answer.

"Daisuke Hyuuga is our Jounin commander. We may be able to find him with the garrison at the gates. I saw him there before you snatched me. It's worth a shot. If he's not there, he could be anywhere in the village" told Haru.

The trio left a few moments later. 'This is going to be interesting. At least the team is well-balanced with strong shinobis' observed Sebastian. He stamped the mission for acceptance. He smiled as he laid the slip in the shelf.

[Mission accepted! Have fun]


Krystal:

"I woke up in Grass, and the person who found me said I was at the foot of a mountain covered in blood. That's where my life started" informed the woman. The female kept a watchful eye on her. 'She does not seem to be lying. The explanation seems reasonable. Same goes for her emotions' observed Marii.

"I have an idea. Why don't we make an 'X-mark signature*'? All you need to do is to make a cross at the signature line. It was very common back in the days. I can't blame you for not knowing kanji...they're quite hard" told the young woman.

SPOILER: Click to show

* = More information about X-mark signature: Here.


Jutsus used:


Ear of royalty.
Rank: “C” Rank.
Skill: Supplementary
Effect: User is a natural negotiator.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: User gains a + 10 bonus to all acting and sense motive checks. If the user has 50 or more points in one of these skills, the bonus increases to + 20 for that skill.
Limit: Must learn from universal miscellaneous.


Appraise suspect.
Rank: “C” Rank.
Skill: Supplementary.
Effect: User sizes up a target before interacting with them.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: Prior to any interaction, a user can evaluate the subject to work out the best way to behave with this person. They do this by looking at the following:

• How smart is this person? Smart people give different behavioral signs that one can pick up on.

• How emotionally stable is this person? Unstable, emotional people base decisions much more on emotions rather than logic and will respond accordingly.

• How mature are they? Do they understand right from wrong?

• Are there any cultural differences that are going to affect this conversation or could explain unorthodox views or behavior?

• Finally, does this person have a medical condition or are they on drugs? If they were drunk, for instance, they may be more talkative, with less fear of the consequences.

User gains a + 10 bonus to their relevant sense motive and acting skills.
Limit: Must learn from universal miscellaneous. Must know acting (50 Points). Must know sense motive (75 Points).



Skills in use:


Influence [125/125].

Perception [125/125].

Society, current affairs [125/125].

[Titan of Stone]

Krystal blinked a bit remembering the symbol usually in a big red form before nodding and picking up the pen and slowly making an 'x' however something about it made her hand shift creating a 'chi' not that she knew what it was or that it even was any different, just a coincidence as she handed back the pen and hugging her hat again. "Thank you for being understanding, I try not to bring it up."

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

Krystal:

The other kage signed the contract with an 'X'. "Thank you for being understanding. I try not to bring it up." informed the woman. The female nodded in sympathy as she took a sip of her tea. Being an illiterate kage was not something to be proud of.

"I won't tell anyone Krystal-san. Most people would be very ashamed to be in your position. Which is very understandable" promised Marii. Her sincere voice enforced this message. She put away the contract into a binder behind her.

The young woman turned back towards her guest. "How long are you going to stay in Kumogakure Krystal-san? I can arrange someone to guide you around. If not, I would recommend you to visit Enrai. Kumogakure has an embassy there" informed the Raikage.

SPOILER: Click to show

Jutsus used:


Ear of royalty.
Rank: “C” Rank.
Skill: Supplementary
Effect: User is a natural negotiator.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: User gains a + 10 bonus to all acting and sense motive checks. If the user has 50 or more points in one of these skills, the bonus increases to + 20 for that skill.
Limit: Must learn from universal miscellaneous.


Appraise suspect.
Rank: “C” Rank.
Skill: Supplementary.
Effect: User sizes up a target before interacting with them.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: Prior to any interaction, a user can evaluate the subject to work out the best way to behave with this person. They do this by looking at the following:

• How smart is this person? Smart people give different behavioral signs that one can pick up on.

• How emotionally stable is this person? Unstable, emotional people base decisions much more on emotions rather than logic and will respond accordingly.

• How mature are they? Do they understand right from wrong?

• Are there any cultural differences that are going to affect this conversation or could explain unorthodox views or behavior?

• Finally, does this person have a medical condition or are they on drugs? If they were drunk, for instance, they may be more talkative, with less fear of the consequences.

User gains a + 10 bonus to their relevant sense motive and acting skills.
Limit: Must learn from universal miscellaneous. Must know acting (50 Points). Must know sense motive (75 Points).



Skills in use:


Influence [125/125].

Perception [125/125].

Society, current affairs [125/125].

[Titan of Stone]

"Well, I kinda just ended up in my position, it wasn't a goal or anything." she smiled giggling soft trying to give everything a lighter air. Although as she turned to adress her again she tilted her head, she hadn't thought about sticking around since she didnt know anyone around.

"Hm... I dont think I am? Unless you wanna spend time together I'll probably be off hehe" While the comment no doubt sounded like flirting from the amazon, Marii's ability to read her would no doubt show it was an innocent sincere comment from the neko. With that she would drift up from the seat and hold her hand out to shake the Raikage's hand. "Thank you again, for everything~"

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

Krystal:

"Well, I kinda just ended up in my position. It wasn't a goal or anything." replied Krystal. "I see. I hope you use your position well Krystal-san. There are many shinobis who wants to become kage" told the female.

"Hm... I dont think I am? Unless you wanna spend time together, I'll probably be off hehe" giggled the woman. "I am afraid I have to decline. Duty calls. I'll send an ANBU to escort you to the gates" informed Marii.

The Tsuchikage stood up and held out her hand. The young woman shook it. She prayed that the taller female would not crush her bony hand. "Thank you again, for everything" said Krystal. The Raikage grinned at her.

"Thank you for becoming our ally. We'll do our very best to fulfill our part of the deal" promised the female. She would follow the statuesque woman down to the ground floor afterwards. There were not many people there at the moment. A bear ANBU agent came towards them a few moments later.

"Please follow the Tsuchikage back to the gates" told the brunette. He looked up at her. The man was 6'4", but even he felt small next to her. "Yes my lady" replied the masked agent. "Have a safe trip Krystal-san" told the young woman with a smile.


[Iwagakure has become allies with Kumogakure]

SPOILER: Click to show

Jutsus used:


Ear of royalty.
Rank: “C” Rank.
Skill: Supplementary
Effect: User is a natural negotiator.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: User gains a + 10 bonus to all acting and sense motive checks. If the user has 50 or more points in one of these skills, the bonus increases to + 20 for that skill.
Limit: Must learn from universal miscellaneous.


Appraise suspect.
Rank: “C” Rank.
Skill: Supplementary.
Effect: User sizes up a target before interacting with them.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: Prior to any interaction, a user can evaluate the subject to work out the best way to behave with this person. They do this by looking at the following:

• How smart is this person? Smart people give different behavioral signs that one can pick up on.

• How emotionally stable is this person? Unstable, emotional people base decisions much more on emotions rather than logic and will respond accordingly.

• How mature are they? Do they understand right from wrong?

• Are there any cultural differences that are going to affect this conversation or could explain unorthodox views or behavior?

• Finally, does this person have a medical condition or are they on drugs? If they were drunk, for instance, they may be more talkative, with less fear of the consequences.

User gains a + 10 bonus to their relevant sense motive and acting skills.
Limit: Must learn from universal miscellaneous. Must know acting (50 Points). Must know sense motive (75 Points).



Skills in use:


Influence [125/125].

Perception [125/125].

Society, current affairs [125/125].

[Titan of Stone]

Krystal could do nothing but smile as their interaction came to an end and so would bow her head as Marii lead her back out to an AnBu. "Heh alright, I'll see you next time~ I'm glad we got to meet"

The neko shifted her hat on her head a bit with a grin before heading out with the anbu following along as she made her way towards the gates flying at a casual pace so she wouldnt inconvenience her guard, or babysitter depending on how he saw the interaction with the neko.

/exit <3

[Koto]

{Enter}

[/quote][/div][/font][/ul]

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

Kotoe:

The female blinked when she saw the girl in a white dress. She checked her files straight away. 'That's what I suspected. A fresh Genin' concluded Lucy. She smiled when the teenager approached the counter.

"The mission looks fine with me. I'll give you a permission slip that will let you leave Kumogakure for two days. You might have to search the shop in Enrai or other cities in Kaminari. Give me a moment please. I need to find out which book we need" replied the woman.

She checked the list of the books they needed. "Here we go. What I want you to do is to buy this book. When you come back, we will give you the money back. Do you have any questions?" inquired the clerk.

Book you need to find:

Encyclopedia of Creature Lore [Special region].
Rank: "B"
Type: Main, Book, Textbook
Effect: A set of textbooks dedicated to the identification and cultivation process of all animal life.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: Page count 400 Pages: There is 1 Book per Region: A Large Leather-bound book with "B.I.N.G.O. Productions" written on it. No Authors are listed within the book. There are a total of 16 Volumes. Each Volume discusses the identification and cultivation processes of each creature within the region. Each Volume gives a bonus to the Region it is dedicated to. This bonus is a +5 circumstance bonus to Creature Lore and Cultivation for Creatures, and gives a +1 Circumstance bonus per Mastery Die when learning Creature Lore and Cultivation.
Limit: These items may be bought inside any Book Shop. 25% chance finding.
Cost: 15,200 Ryo

[Koto]

[/font] Kotoe listened to Lucy carefully, nodding her head. She knew that any shinobi needed permission to leave the village gates, even if it wasn't leaving the country itself. Enrai...she had heard of the capital city but had never been. It was a good chance for her to get to know the other parts of the country as well.

The girl waited for the clerk to come back with the mission details. "Here we go. What I want you to do is to buy this book. When you come back, we will give you the money back. Do you have any questions?" the clerk said to her. Kotoe noticed that it wasn't going to be an easy find. That was fine, she thought. She did have one question though. "I don't have much money on me..." It wasn't really a question, more like a cry of help when she saw the book price. What should she do??[/font][/div][/ul]

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

"I don't have much money on me..." admitted the girl. "Oh, you don't? Give me a moment please" told the female. She disappeared beneath the desk for a moment. Her blonde head popped up a few moments later.

"Here's the money for the book. Please come back here with the book and mission slip when your mission is done. I will approve your mission and give you the reward" informed the clerk. She would give Kotoe a small bag. It contained just enough money for the book.

"Please return to the gates if you need more than two days to find the book. Do you need a map or anything to get to the capital"? inquired the young woman. If the girl was set, she was free to leave the tower.

[15,200 ryo for book purchase transferred to Kotoe. Mission accepted!]

[Skulking Shinzu]

[Enter]

Transformed into his ‘default form’ that was used whenever in Cloud, Yis casually walked into the tower with the striking appearance of a flayed man with only a few patches of skin along the upper half of his face to hide exposed red flesh. “Greetings Lucy. Greetings newcomer.” In stark contrast to the woman’s white dress, Yis wore black, the most notable piece of attire being a knee-length trench coat. Rudely peeking at the permission slip with crimson eyes, Yis gathered that the young Genin was after a book.

“Hmm.” Yis mumbled in thought while tapping his exposed chin with fingers that were still covered in pale skin. “Enrai is definitely a good place to start.” He said knowingly before turning his attention towards Lucy. “I forgot that the village needed books. If I can cash them in for mission credit, then I have several that I can donate to the Knowledge Centre.” Yis fished a plain scroll out from his pocket and bit into his index finger to draw blood. Granted a rudimentary pen, he began noting down all the books in his collection with red ‘ink’ before presenting the list to Lucy.

SPOILER: Click to show

Skill Books

Encyclopedia of Plant Lore [Every Region]
Book: Textbook: Volume IX: Craftworks: Metals
Book: Textbook: Volume XI: Gymnastics

Grimoire

Grimoire Illusionatus
Grimoire Repartus

Ritual Books

Feign Death (Deception Ritual)
False Portal (Deception Ritual)
Deceptive Teleport (Travel Ritual)

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

Yis:


A familiar guy approached the counter. "Greetings Lucy. Greetings newcomer." told Yis. He spoke with the girl as the female sorted out some paperwork. Next, the male turned his attention to her.

"I forgot that the village needed books. If I can cash them in for mission credit, then I have several that I can donate to the Knowledge Centre" informed the Chuunin. He laid a plain scroll on the counter before he bit into his index finger. The male started writing the list of books on the scroll.

Lucy felt her eyes widen when she read the list. "This is INCREDIBLE! Should be enough to open up the library at the knowledge center. I assume this is a summoning scroll. If you can summon the books, I will write up the credits" told the young woman.

[Books accepted]

[Skulking Shinzu]

“Summoning scroll… That would have made more sense, wouldn’t it?” Yis scratched the back of his head apologetically. “Sadly, I came here ill prepared, so no fancy tricks today. Give me a few minutes.” Yis exited the tower, before breaking out into a series of running jumps to reach his dojo in the far end of the city. Grabbing all he could find, he hastily bundled the books up, before making his way back to the tower to hand the books over to Lucy. Despite the hasty pace, Yis displayed no signs of sweat or exhaustion.

[Non-duplicate books handed over]

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

Yis:


"Summoning scroll...That would have made more sense, wouldn't it? Sadly, I came here ill prepared, so no fancy tricks today. Give me a few minutes." told the male. The female nodded in reply. She checked the list of books while Yis leaped back home.

She raised her eyebrows when he returned. "Thank you so much Yis-san. I'm sure our boss will appreciate this. I just need to check the books to make sure they're in good condition" informed Lucy. She checked each book closely with the list next to her.

'I can tell the books are not brand new. They are in superb condition however. I think they're good to go' decided the young woman. Her eyes looked at the younger man. There was a sincere smile at her face.

"All the books are good to go. I will add the mission credits to your roster. Your books are going straight to the knowledge center library. They are definitely going to help the students and the staff" informed the clerk. She pressed a button beneath the counter.

A trio of ANBU's appeared a minute later. "Please take these books to the knowledge center. Make sure you don't drop them. The knowledge inside them is worth more than ryo after all" told the female. The two bear agents laid the books in a carrier before leaving the tower.

The blonde turned towards the cat agent. "I nearly forgot. The Raikage has asked for a refurbishing of the library. The cost will be deducted from the treasury" informed the woman. The ANBU nodded before leaving the tower.


[Books accepted. Add mission credits to your roster accordingly]

[Skulking Shinzu]

Yis’ expression displayed a slight yet visible smile at the sight of Lucy accepting the books. Respecting the fact that books tended to be a treasure trove of knowledge, and by extension, a key to greater power, he had taken great care in preserving the condition of each and every book. “Eighteen credits, perfect. One step closer to the requirements.” Yis muttered vaguely about something before bowing to dismiss himself. What he needed now was more experience in hunting-related missions.

[Exit, +18 C-Rank Missions]

[Skulking Shinzu]

[Enter]

Yis entered through the familiar set of doors leading into the Raikage tower with a nagging doubt in his mind. As per usual, he gave a casual wave with his flayed hand to any passersby. However, feeling more exposed than usual, he couldn’t help but keep to himself and beeline straight towards the reception desk to avoid physical contact with anyone else. Even upon approaching, Yis maintained silence and simply waved as a greeting while taking a moment or two to adjust his vocal cords to the young and calm tone of ‘Yis’. “Greetings.” He said, while keeping a notable step’s worth of distance from the desk. “I have urgent business to discuss with the Lady Raikage.”

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

Two hours earlier:

Both masked men looked at the petite female. "How many did we lose?" asked Marii. "One...or maybe two. The other shinobi got wounded, but he got back in time. Thank Kami-sama there was a frog junior at the backup team" told the bear agent.

"Thank Kami-sama indeed. Wait a second. Why did you say "maybe two"? Was there a casualty?" inquired the young woman. The duo looked at each other.

"An unexpected one. A sharp-shinned hawk attacked the murderer. We believe it was an animal companion since it was registered. We asked the vet service to check the ring. Furthermore, the dead shinobi is being identified as we speak" replied the ANBU.

"I see. Thank you for telling me. Sebastian-san will pay you for the mission when you leave. I will give you three days off to recover" informed the Raikage. "Thank you my lady" told the man before he left with his colleague.




Yis:


A familiar guy entered the tower. The man glanced up from his paperwork. "Greetings. I have urgent business to discuss with the Lady Raikage" told Yis. This made Sebastian raise his eyebrows.

'Maybe this is related to the dead animal. I mean, he does have that dog of his. I doubt it's the dead shinobi since he's from Mo' recalled the male. "Off course. Give me a few moments please" told the clerk.

An female owl ANBU agent with purple hair approached the flayed male moments later. "Please leave your weapons here. I will follow you up to the office afterwards" told the woman. She gestured towards a plastic box that stood on the counter. Afterwards, the kuinochi would lead the Chuunin to the higher floor.

The secretary appeared a bit anxious. A pair of bear agents returned from a mission earlier today. One of their shinobis had died while another was in hospital. She blinked when the male appeared. The woman gave him a nod before she picked up the phone.

"Yis-kun is here to see you. It's urgent" told the kuinochi. "Send him in please" replied her boss. Her voice sounded slightly tired. It was not odd considering the situation.

She looked at the guy. "Please be careful. Our Raikage is more stressed than usual. I won't try to do any joking or antics" warned the female. The owl agent nodded before she opened the door.

The petite brunette sad behind the counter. She wore a charcoal shirt, black slacks plus black high heels. Her lips were slightly pursed. Marii took a deep breath while closing her eyes. Her nerves were a bit highly strung.

Her eyes glanced up at Yis. "Hello Yis-kun. What are your urgent issue? Or issues?" inquired Marii in a polite voice. It had been a while since she had seen him.

[Skulking Shinzu]

Yis paused as he took in the atmosphere around Sebastian. Something seemed slightly off. As if there was a subtle heaviness in the air [Observation: 290]. “Of course.” He replied to Sebastian’s request of requiring a few moments, only for an ANBU to appear in record time shortly after. “That was… Fast.” He thought to himself, while nodding. Having grown used to Kumo’s customs, Yis already knew to not even bother approaching the tower with any weapons on his person. However, as a sign of common courtesy, he left behind a pouch which contained a assortment of gems, herbs, and potions.

“What in Niflheim…” The tension didn’t seem to dissipate even as Yis reached the floor that housed the Raikage’s office. If anything, it’s emanation only seemed to grow thicker and more notable. “…Of course.” He replied once again to the secretary’s concerns, with a tinge of hesitation in his tone. The warning seemed to force Yis to grow stiffer. Was this the best time to reveal what had happened to him? Sighing mentally, he firmed his resolve while taking a deep breath in. The life of a Chunin came with various responsibilities. One of which, was ensuring that the Lady Raikage was kept aware of all situations. This new secret of his was not one he could hide from the village, even if this wasn’t the best time for sharing.

Allowing himself one final exhale before another sharp inhale, Yis straightened his posture before entering the Raikage’s office, while ensuring that the ANBU agent had closed the door behind him, whether or not she had also decided to enter the room. “Just the one issue.” He said, while scratching the back of his head. “This is actually a shadow clone of mine. My true body is still in the Land of Myth investigating the rumours the village caught of cultists and those mysterious Bijuu beings.” Still awkwardly stiff, Yis bolstered his resolve once more before continuing.

“I believe I am long overdue an update. The mission is still progressing slowly. The giant tree of light that has appeared in the Land of Myth appears to be a connecting portal to all other realms. Several Shinobi abandoned the journey to it, including Kimi. I believe he should have safely returned to the village by now. Only a handful including myself reached the tree and used its powers to cross into the realm housing the cultists…” Yis paused ominously. “Of course, there was a… hiccup along the way. Please do not be startled.” Raising his flayed hand, Yis firmly snapped his fingers undo his Transformation Jutsu in a gentle puff of smoke to reveal a tall slender figure with silvery white hair and perfect pale skin. “My Kedoin body was destroyed during the journey. Mercifully, I managed to repair the damage with some external help... Though I am now permanently stuck like this... Is this going to require updated paperwork?” He said half-jokingly in a deeper and more elegant tone than usual, despite the secretary's earlier warning.