We've got ten coffins that need filling (io)

(So Here's how it works. We're doing seven separate scenes of us gathering our sacrifices for the glory of Ame. I'll start off with a post describing our situation which will lead into a scene of us nabbing one of the guys. You finish off that scene with the first half of your post, the second half will be you setting up the next perp we're taking down. To which I shall respond, and repeat the cycle. Our Ultimate aim? Rapid Fire Character building, and relationship forming!)

CoRin was amazed and saddened at how quickly her police force had gone from the peace keepers to the Gestapo. News spread quickly of the Raikage's demand. And while no one was happy about it, no one dared rise against it. The memories of how that very man had helped destroy ame a first time were far too fresh in everyone's mind. Though the shame of performing the executions fell on Li's shoulders it ultimately fell to CoRin to decide who it was that would be sentenced to their death. A heavy burden of the bringer of Justice's shoulders. It was a task that went against her very nature. There was no justice being done today. Simply one man proving his dominance over an entire village. Li Assigned CoRin to review every file they had on everyone of their Ninja. She had to pick the most inept, incompetent, and corrupt of her comrades to send to the Ax. It was the only thing they could do to soften the blow that their village we being given.

CoRin eyed the file one last time as she and her squad stood atop a roof top across from their target's house. The bags under her eyes were tremendous. She hadn't slept in days. She didn't want to make any mistakes. Everything had to be right. Everyone chosen had to be a criminal of some sort. Otherwise. Well other wise she'd be the criminal in all of this. "Moro." She announced to her squad as they all slid their anbu masks on. She didn't because she already had the kabuki make up. "Suspected of stealing funds from the village. Chuunin, works in the mission office. Orphan, no relatives." She sighed heavily. "This is going to be the easy one, alright everyone. We're doing this for ame."

"Not Justice?" One of her team mates quipped. A man in a bird mask.

CoRin could only frown as she diapered in a plume of smoke. "Not this time."

Geez of all the days for jun to Join the shinobi forces of Ame, it had to be this day. Despite his age he supposed that he was just as susceptible to advertising as anyone else. He'd seen the ninjas as some kind of super heroes who could do no wrong. Now he saw that as always the world was filled with shades of grey, and Jun was now in charge of picking them apart. He wanted to part in these raids but he'd sworn to protect ame, and brutal as it was, that's exactly what he was doing. For the most part he sat back and watched as CoRin and her squad did their work. Jun was just assigned to watch and listen, which was fine by him. Even a weak chuunin like Moro was more than a match for Jun. At least. Jun was happy to notice Moro was living a good bit better than the average chuunin should have been. He had indeed been stealing funds from the village. Still the truth weight heavy on Jun. That truth being:

They were sentencing a man to death, for a crime that should have simply gotten him a few years in jail.

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This time it was Jun's turn to look though that set of files, he let out a sigh of relief. "I was worried it was only going to get worse after that last one." He admitted to CoRin. "But this one is going to be easy."  He turned his attention to the house they were currently casing. Their Target a Jounin by the name of Agito was holding himself in there, with his five year old daughter. He'd kidnapped the daughter from her mother hours earlier when a leak revealed that he was on CoRin's list. He'd already had plans to become a missing Ninja, and abandon the village, but now he was taking a child as a hostage. Perhaps CoRin's list truly was filled with the worst ninja that Ame had to offer.

Jun looked to CoRin her face shrouded by make up. So young, yet she'd figured it all out. Managed to turn this curse on their village into a cleansing event of some sort. He pitied such a responsibility falling on such young shoulders, but she bore it well.  Jun would have asked such a task of anyone, but out of all the ninja in the rain village he couldn't think of anyone who would have done a better job than CoRin.

"But where are you taking daddy?"

CoRin gave a big friendly smile, as she bent down and got the level with Agito's daughter. She had rain boots, on her feet, and a turtle backpack on her back. Looked like she was ready to go on an adventure. It broke CoRin's heart, but she held the smile anyway. "Your daddy is going on a very important mission for the village, so you're not going to be seeding him for a while I'm afraid. So I'm going to have to take you back to your mom alright?"

The little girl pouted, and crossed her arms. "That's not fair!" She whined. "He told me he was going to take me to the land of snow and show me a snowman!" 

"I'm sorry little one. But some times dad have to do things, that their daughters don't like. I know when I was your age my dad was always traveling too. He'd always go off of business, and I'd cry every time he went on a trip." She let out a longing sigh, she actually really wondered what dad was up to. Off lawyering somewhere, where the laws meant something she hoped. "Tell you what. How would you like for you and your mom to go see the land of snow? Courtesy of the Kura clan! Then your daddy won't feel so bad about you not being able to see a snow man!"

The young girl seemed suspicious, but eager at the same time. "Do you mean it?"

"Of course! It's the least I can do, for stealing your dad like this!" She announced with a giggle. She picked up the young lady, and held her in her arms. "I'll take you back to your mom now. I'm sure she's worried sick about you. You know you can't just let people take you out of your bed like that!" She glanced over at jun. "You go ahead and take care of the next one, I'll be with you in a few." And with that she vanished out the door and into the rain.

xxx

It felt like an elephant was sitting on her chest. She could only take short, shallow, labored breaths. She had the sink flowing full blast in front of her. Even at full blast it couldn't muffle the noise of the fight that was happening in the next room. It seemed like Jun and the rest of her squad had their hands full. She couldn't pull her self out of the bath room to help though. She looked to herself in the mirror, kabuki make up and all. It'd been so long since she'd seen her face uncovered by make up. By her Just facade. Maybe it was time she washed it away. Became human again. She was only three ninja in, and already her faith in her doing the right thing was starting to fade from her entirely. She'd stolen a father from his daughter today. Sure he'd stolen her from the mother of the child, but still. Coward, Traitor, kidnapper though he may have been, he was a dad.

CoRin gripped the sink tightly. "Get it together. They broke the law, they're getting punished. It's Justice." She looked into the mirror and stared herself in the eyes. They were red, and full of tears. "You're justice."

Sheepisly Jun walked into the bathroom. He held his hand up to his throbbing jaw. One of those guys had goten a pretty good hit in on him earlier. He'd have a train a little bit harder in the future to avoid getting suckered punched like that again. He saw how heavily the night was weighing down on CoRin and frowned. "You Doing alright boss?" He ran his hand through his old grey hair and sighed. "Listen I know it's not what you want to hear, but you're doing the right thing. You're saving people's lives, in the long run at least. It's a tough Job, but you're the only one up for it." As he was speaking he moved himself over to a nearby bath tub, and sat down. He delivered his speech from the comfort of it's ledge, and when he was done he let out a grunt and rose to his feet. "Well We'll all be waiting for you, when you're ready to move on."

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Jun Dived to the ground an narrowly avoided the series of kunai that pinned themselves into the wall behind him. Okay so this guy wasn't to happy about being on the list! Dangit! Where was CoRin?

CoRin bust through the door her Realm Overlay already active and ready to kick some serious butt. She flew thew the door, slid under a series of kunai, and when the man was in range he began choking as CoRin suppressed the life out of his body. "In the game of Justice I win, you lose!" With that she delivered a karate chop to his back neck, knocking him out. She beamed as she looked at her squad who were all cowering behind cover. "I forgot who I was there for a moment! I'm Justice Incarnate! I don't believe in letting people get away with anything!" she gave a hearty laugh. She forgot that her personality was more of caricature, and a normal human! "Thanks for reminding me of my past Jun."

xxxx

A drug dealer... This was going to be a pleasure. However she owed her new found weightlessness to one person in particular. The elder known as Jun. The least she could do for him was allow him to show his abbilites to everyone. "Jun I want you to take point on this one. Your new to our village, so I want to see what an old man like you can do. Prove to me that you're worthy to take on this task, and I just might let you stick with me."

Sure the words were harsh,and so was the tone, but this was CoRin's way of saying she liked him!

Jun blanched. He was Glad CoRin was in a better mood but he had no idea the personal price he'd be paying for it. Him leading the charge? Oh boy, was it getting hot in here or was it just him. She seemed to be pushing him towards the front door of the drug den and Jun could only imagine what sort of things were in there. At least this guy was only a genin so he wasn't going to see anything too crazy... probably. Naw it was a Rain village ninja. What could possibly be up their sleeve? Oh god he was going to die. Ah man, he should just walk out. Yup just quit. Go back to the farm, finish that book. Then he looked back at CoRin. With those crazy, crazy eyes. She gave him two thumbs up and a big ol' smile, and he could only wince. There was no going back now. He took in a deep breath allowing himself several moments to prepare, then he raised his foot up, and kicked that door down. "Stop in the name of Justice!"

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Jun held an ice pack up to his eye. The swelling still hadn't gone done. Jun looked at himself, and then back at CoRin. She'd been in just as much fighting as him yet didn't have a scratch on her. Now that seemed hardly fair! She deserved to be just as beaten up as he was! Oh well he couldn't focus on that at the moment, someone was swinging a knife at him. Which he parried with the frying pan in his left hand. "CoRin 'ha!' I just wanted to 'herk!' thank you for putting so much trust in me today. 'gotcha!' I know you must not have liked the idea of having a sixty year old Genin on your squad, but you really made me feel welcomed into your village. Thank you.' With that he delivered a final blow with his frying pan to the head of one of the culprits. He liked his villians the way he liked his eggs. 

Scrambled.

"Hiiiiiii, yaaaaaaa whatcha, hooo, pow, pow-pow punch" (That's the noise a fight makes)

CoRin spun in the air doing a triple helix spin, almost looking like a graceful lady for a split second. Rrrright before she landed on her feet and fell into a squatting position. Very unlady like our girl CoRin. Very unlady like. "You belong here more anyone else. I mean you're an adult after all. This world is run by children. I think your presence will add some much needed adult hood into a world ruled by chaos and children. Besides I don't think there was any need to thank me at all. So far your skills have proved good enough to keep you alive! Mostly unhurt too. I know it's not easy keeping up with the younger crowd, you know. Being a man of advanced age and all, but you're doing an admirable job. You aren't nearly the burden that I thought you would be at first, so this whole expedition has been a very pleasant surprise after all!"

xxxxxxx

CoRin crouched over Jun, man he got suckered punched again. In her left hand was a thrashing Genin who'd stolen gear from the armory to pay for her rent. Sad story. A villain all the same! "That's going to leave a mark there old man. Good thing though. This little scamp here is the last one! Our witch hunter is over, and Ame is cleansed of the least desirable of our ninja. A Grim task indeed Jun."

She stood to her full height, and let out a sigh. Thinking thoughtfully. "I'm sorry this had to be your first mission. Good news is it's probably only going to get easier after this. She looked at the old man, her pale painted eyes meeting his own wrinkly ones. Do you think you can do it? Walk this path, alone from now on? Be the ninja they need you to be? It's not easy. I know. You can't be a Ninja, and human. I know... You're something else. A weapon, or Justice. Li likes to think you can still be the innocent boy you were before you joined, but he's the one who points the weapons now." She shrugged off the sorrow. "Think about it before you're too far gone, and you're no longer the idealistic old man you were when you joined." She let out a sharp whistle and rose to her feet. "See you tomorrow. It's going to be quite the event."

Jun grabbed ahold of the girls elbow and pulled her into a hug. "It's been a terrible night. For both of us. How about you send your troops to take care of the prisoners, and you let me take you out for a cup of coffee? I'm not sure I'm going to be able to get any sleep, with tomorrow just around the corner. Please? I think I could really use some company right now."


1046, claiming ten stats, and exiting

Corin brushed what looked like tears from her eyes. "Yeah, yeah I'm not ready for bed just yet. Sure I'll give you the "pleasure of my company for a few more minutes at least." She looped her arm through Jun's and let him lead her through the village to his coffee shack of choice. CoRin didn't much care for coffee, but after a night like this one she needed a tall class of company, that much was fore sure. 

(TWC: 1713)
+8 stats
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