We have much to discuss

“Strike you? Why would I strike you? I’m trying to protect you wouldn’t that actively go against that if I hit you.” The last question was clearly rhetorical, if he chose to answer though that was up to him.

“I agree it does look sketchy.” He would try to leave it at that, but If Shiroi continued he would add more input. “What the royalty does is up to them, especially when it is about the royalty.” By that he means if they hide the queen’s death who is he to tell them no that’s wrong. I mean its their family member not his.

“They don’t even necessarily have to step down. If they aren’t causing harm, I don’t see the need for exile and other things. Problems between ninja and people haven’t become worse, they’ve stayed the same. The difference only being it now happens behind closed doors instead of out in the open.” Kyousuke listened to Shiroi as she mentioned she had captured someone and that Aki may be compromised by mind control. “I thought that may have been the case when we returned with a ton of kumo money and the raikage allowed us to leave so easily. He had the upper hand when he used his bijuu against me.”


With Shiroi speaking as if she wanted Aki to step down regardless of there being proof or evidence of any wrong doing it started to seem as if she wasn’t a fan of the current queen. “Let me be blunter what is the outcome of Akihana stepping down that you want?”


“No, need to apologize. But I don’t get why you think there is some grand plot.” Its only funnier that she thinks I’m the mastermind, because I’m that smart. Looking to Mu-jin he would speak. “Well, I guess you don’t have to stay in the castle if you don’t want to. My apologies. Truth is though Mu-jin I could rank you up to jounin right now, but it wouldn’t mean anything. Doing missions is what makes you stronger taking the risks, succeeding, failing. The ranks are just titles if they are passed out.” He hoped the guy would understand what he meant that his hard work would have a pay out, but he had to work.


“Alright, go ahead and tell me when you are ready.” He would say writing some stuff down on a piece of paper. Basically, a non-disclosure agreement about what the test results are until further notice. He would hand the paper to Shiroi. “If you give that to the people testing the samples they should stay quiet, but if you want me to tag along I will.”


WC: 446

Upon Kyousuke's first interruption interjection, Shiroi would respond "I'm gonna keep talking, I want to not lose this train of thought, but I'll respond to your statements," and went right back to talking. She barely held onto that train of thought. It was doing wheelies. On a curve.

Anyways, after she finished, she started responding to Kyousuke's inquiries.

"I think I should tackle the mind control bit because that's possibly the most worrisome: if it's true, we're likely to have a really hard time coming in the future. If it's not, it still leaves a mystery about the boy. And why Kumo was here. But we haven't been taken over yet, which is a good sign.

"Yes, I am not questioning the choice of hiding the Queen's death by the royalty. Just reminding you that.... nevermind. We're both on the same page about that, I think. Next point...

"Them stepping down is essentially an olive branch to the people. And maybe exile is the wrong word. I think they should make a show of leaving the village, even if it is JUST a show. Though I'd personally like them not to show their faces here again for some time afterwards if they do leave. But there are, of course, methods of not showing your face while still being here. If they prove to have just done a poor job, rather than having been actively working against the nation, I would be OK with them remaining, though I'd still request they 'leave'.

"And relations have gotten worse. Minor public outbreaks is significantly better that coordinated, privately organized actions. What we have coming is the latter. Of what type they will be, I can't say. But something is coming. And it's not going to be something that can be dismissed until it fades away.

"If Akihana steps down, especially willingly, and even better of she makes a show of leaving, then we get time. I know a fair bit about who I think is the primary coordinator of the silent masses. If I'm right, and he sees a peaceful change of power, then he'll hold off. He'll wait and watch. And if people grow to like the situation, then everything will be resolved without bloodshed.

"But I must say. If I'm wrong, than a peaceful passing of power will NOT deescalate the situation. There are two individuals I could think of that could also be leading the people. In fact, they probably have their own groups even if I'm right. But if one of those two is the 'mastermind of the people', then a peaceful transfer will just make them attack all the sooner. In which case we'd want to make a show of KILLING Akihana. Again, even if it was only a show. Those men would rejoice at the death of their 'antagonist' and throw confetti instead of flaming beer.

"So, I've worked out a plan to hopefully figure out who it is. I can't be sure it will work, but it's our best bet. The meetings have stopped accepting anyone that can't get a witness to attest to who they are, so I can no longer get in. They also have kept track of who the village ninja are. While it's certainly incomplete, unless they somehow got our actual rosters, you and I are almost certainly on it. So yes, it is going to be difficult, but it's the best shot we have, and I'm sorry but it depends on absolute secrecy to work. I can't tell you more.

"And no, I don't think there's some grand plot. But I prepare for the worst."

She would wait for any retorts from Kyousuke. If none came, or if they could easily fit into the time between now and her leaving, then she would thank Kyousuke, bow, grab the papers, and say some final words before leaving: "I'll be taking Mu-jin back now. I'll drop him off at my place until I'm done at the hospital. Then I'm going to go out of the village and make sure the father gets here safely, if that's OK with you. After that, there's work to be done." She would wait for Kyousuke's response before leaving. If he denied her leaving the village to check on the man, she would be annoyed, but would be willing to instead wait at the gate.

[[ OOC I'm not going to have a post leaving the village. I'm just gonna flashback that a bit, or have a medium length topic at the gates. So denying the permission works out roughly the same as allowing it. He may very well be at the gates this very instant! ]]

Well...this was rather...anti-climatic. The male stood back up (assuming that Kyou had just released his Display of power upon Shiroi entering the room) in which he would just place the staff back on his shoulder and shrug," Just because you hit someone doesn't mean you can't protect them silly. Just don't knock their head off," there was a slight chuckle from his lips before leaning against the wall again and going silent to listen. Finally Shiori had let the cat out of the bag and there was no actual need for him because things didn't get violent...well at least he still got paid to be a body so he simply nodded," See Shiori you didn't actually need me to be a dead body after all. No one got hurt...well unless you count by words but-," a slick little yawn slowly escaped his lips as he shook his head. Almost nap time wasn't it?

At this moment the conversation died down a little which means that everything smoothed over and the little test was the only thing that was needed. His eyes slowly swirled over to Kyou for just a moment before smiling," Risk and reward are better when you know something is worth it y'know. Then again i'm no stranger to either or am i to...certain other things. Also..Wait taking me back? To a bed so i can sleep or something or is there more for me to do?," his eyes quickly swiveled back to the woman before he just simply shrugged and went to the door. After all the man was being paid to do a job right?

[OOC: If we're exiting here i'll just put my claims on the next round.]

It kind of seems she wants Denkiteki and Akihana to leave no matter the outcome. Is she trying to start a riot or prevent one? It is rather unclear at the moment. What is clear is who she wants out of the picture.


“I have to ask this because you say “minor” public outbreaks.” He would say air quoting the word minor. “Were you in the village before Denkiteki and Akihana arrived? There is nothing minor about murder and torture. I see what you are saying though a sudden mob mentality is easy to wipe out, opposed to a mob with a true purpose and goal with a plan behind it.”
I really wish she would just tell me who she thinks is behind this so I can ask what they want. Obviously, if she answered he wants Den and Aki out of the village this man either did not exist and it was really her or she was telling the truth and for some reason this guy behind a rebellion trusted a ninja enough with his plans to just reveal them. Meaning she’s either a traitor or pretending to be a rebel for Hoshi. Yet again, at this point unclear.

Luckily, as she continued she cleared up what he was thinking. She had been spying on them.
“Is it me you do not trust with the plan or Mu-jin?” Kyousuke would ask after Shiroi was finished. It wouldn’t be the first time today that she thought he was involved in some grand scheme. If it was him, he’d rather her just be open about it.
\
“Secondly, if the goal is to bring these people out by making a show, why is it that you specifically wish them to be kicked out no matter the outcome?” Like we did what needs to be done let’s throw them out anyway without rhyme or reason. Thanks for your years of dedicated work in establishing and defending the village. Well, see you around. Toss. “Do you have some personal vendetta or think they did that terrible of a job?” If it was the second choice most would not share her opinion.


“Lastly, you hired this dude, so I could kill him?” There was truth in the guy’s words Shiroi did not trust him even if she said she did. Not only did she lie, but literally hired a guy to be killed in the event he was in on some conspiracy. I want whatever she’s taking.


WC: 413

[[ Fuck it. You're determined to make this timeline a piece of shit, I'll let you. ]]

"Yes, I was in the village before Denkiteki and Akihana. When I was around, there was no 'murder' or 'torture'. There was general dissent, but nothing like that. The 'murder' and 'torture' came a bit later, after the city was nearly entirely reduced to rubble. Before that, those extremes never happened, unless you're talking about extremists which are entirely irrelevant (crazies be crazy). But we agree on the final idea of the whole statement, that an organized mass willing to WAIT is more dangerous that separate groups that strike whenever."

"It's not that I do not trust either of you. Well, I trust you, Kyousuke, and I mostly trust Mu-jin, though only because of our arrangement. But the plan directly involves the heir, and it's best that as little about her gets at all public as possible. At least for the next three days. Find me after that, and I'll tell you everything."

"And Kyousuke, you have completely, totally misunderstood me. Let me break it down this way: There are three people that could be leading the majority of the underground resistance. One of those three is an amicable person. If they see the 'old guard', per say, stepping down peacefully, he'll likely try to quiet the people and watch to see what happens. If the people see them leaving, they're more likely to agree. I will state this AGAIN: They do not have to stay gone, just merely make it seem so."

"There are two other people that could be leading them as well. These two are much more... extreme. If they see a peaceful transfer, then we become 'the puppetmasters' in their eyes and they will escalate aggressions. If these two are in power, then it needs to look like power is transferred by force. They're unlikely to accept anything short of Akihana being dead. Not that we actually have to kill her. We just need to make it seem like that. And obviously, if you're dead, you can't really be in the place where you died. Does this make sense now?"

"And yes. I hired him to die. Because he can't. Supposedly."

He was just about to open the door when a few things touched his ear. Firstly had been Kyousuke asking Shiroi had she trusted the male, in which his hand slowly gripped the doorknob. Usually that meant he was asking for his own sake, but when he had asked did she trust Mo-ri his head turned just a bit which made an inaudible and mental " Well fuck here we go again" to go off in his head. The more this conversation went on the feeling of either another death on his list or perhaps being tricked into taking the true brunt of this became more and more....relevant. A small sigh of relief came from his lips as Shiroi confirmed she at least trusted him a bit which was good since they did bond in an inn room that one time.

Everything that had happened died down until Shiroi had let the kitten out of the bag...literally...His full body would surely turn to look at the female as his eyes went dots and he sighed," That was supposed to be between me and you. You know that thing where actors and other wise "Magicians" never reveal their secrets. Well you revealed mine and now...if you will STAHP. He doesn't need to know anymore about me until the time is right and if that time comes...I'm not fond of people knowing certain things about me, hence why I...Y'know what fuck it," his eyes went to Kyousuke for a moment and revealed what had been actually told by his "employer"," Yes she is right. I can't actually die, but I swear to Jashin himself that better stay in this room. I don't want people trying to play "Let's see what bizarre action we can take to kill him today" also why I told you to just hit me to show you what i can do...also why the fuck would you want to kill me. I ain't a liability...," the male simply sighed for a moment before shaking his head and closing the door.

"So let's get to the point here. I'll give you my services as a "mercenary" or whatever since you know my secret and in return i'd appreciate you keeping it between you, me and ...Shiroi. By the way i'm never telling you secrets again. You are kind of terrible at keeping them ...i might be joking by the way," his eyes returned to Kyousuke who he would be addressing more," So let's talk."

Well now I know it’s a she for sure. Kyousuke would think as Shiroi said “her”. He still wondered who it could be a female heir could take over the throne unlike a male. So, at the very least there would be some result out of this conversation besides learning of the lack of trust, even if she said he was trusted. It seemed that in three days he would be told everything if he wished to know. Once, he found out he would need to dispatch the queensguard to protect them in case the news became public and someone decided kidnapping was a good idea… Again.

Okay, so she does not want them removed merely to make it seem like so. This is becoming more clear now. She however still is not giving me names, is this part of that needs to remain a secret things? If so, why not just tell me. He already knew the answer, so he wouldn’t ask who these people were anymore. She would just use vague terms of he or she which narrowed it down to relatively half of the population on either gender.

“Makes sense.” He would say after he was asked. “What does that mean he can’t die?”
It seemed that Mu-jin had become agitated by the revealing of his secret as he glared at Shiroi before affirming with her that it was a secret and that she should stop. But he gave in and spilled his own beans afterwards. “Its safe with me.” He would say as the guy asked that it remain in the room. To answer his other question though it seemed he had the impression the kage wanted to kill him that was not the case however.

“I don’t want to kill you. Shiroi brought you in the event I was in on some plot. Had I been in on some plot I would have killed you assuming you were the heir and her idea would be confirmed. As I have not, the chances of me being in on some scheme for power have diminished, but are not erased. Sound about right Shiroi?” He would ask to the girl.


“Mercenary services, hmm…” Do I even like mercenaries? They are pretty much just missing ninja except they do village work. What happens if another village offers them more do they take their services elsewhere? “I am not a fan of mercenaries, but wanderers who are dedicated to a village those I like. If you would not like to join the village however I would not have a problem with you taking missions here.”


WC: 435

"Good to know we're on a common understanding," she said. Finally, she thought.

Shiroi coughed. How unlike her to make a slip like that. Oops. Well what's passed has passed. "I'm going to by the hospital and start the rest of the stuff. If it turns out she's not a match... I'll come and find you again, I guess, since all my plans will be in shambles. If you don't hear from me by midday tomorrow, just assume that the test was positive and I've gone ahead with it."

Shiroi would let Mu-jin and Kyousuke finish their conversation before heading out, hopefully with Mu-jin in tow.

As she was about to close the door, Shiroi would stick her head back in. "So Chan, Ceri Siors, and Tomi Udgorn. That's their names. Finally remembered them. Tomi's the one we want to be leading them. THe other two are the extremists." And then she left.

The next stop would be the hospital. After showing Mu-jin where her house was, and getting him a spare key from inside. "It's small, only one bed mat, but I'm going to be busy most nights anyways so feel free to use it."

[Exit]

Good. The staff rested on his shoulders as he crossed his arms and thought on exactly what the Kage had said and somehow smirked. At least his secret was safe here and he didn't have to do anything drastic. A wanderer...sounded like the same thing as what he suggested but whatever floated the boat of the conversation. His head nodded in affirmation for a moment before turning toward the door and Shiroi," Sounds fine with me. I'll do this whole wanderer business until i get a feel of both you..and this village. If i like the vibes then i'll join as a ninja, if not i'll stay as a wanderer. For now...you mentioned missions and what not to gain rank. Is there a promotional test or something i can do to show current skill to see where i'd match rank wise in your little home?," of course he'd listen to the males words and nod to them before getting the answer and nodded.

Whatever the case might have been he would shrug and nod his head before walking to the door and soon out," Then that will do." When the two arrived to Shiroi's home he would take a small look at it and rest the staff in his hands as he took to a corner," this is fine for me. I rarely sleep anyway," in the meantime he sat there and just waited for whatever happened next.

[Exit]

TWC: 2,260

11 Stats
361 words to finish mastery of Genjutsu Release
1000 for Hidden Mist
899 for B rank version of Crushing blow

Listening to Mo-ri Jin it seemed he had gotten a sense of what Kyousuke was saying, but had not fully grasped it. It seemed the male wished to know of a way to test his might to see where he currently stood as far as strength. “You could challenge ninja of higher rank and see how you compare. Though this would not allow you to rank up, you could see where you are as far as strength. Other than that if you accomplish a couple of missions you could be placed into the arena for a chuunin exam with other genin.”


Having answered that he would like to clarify what he had meant when speaking of wanderers. “Apologies, I should have been more clear a wanderer is a village ninja given permission to travel and do missions elsewhere. It is similar to a mercenary, but they are dedicated to a village. Either as a mercenary or a wanderer I do not mind you doing missions here. All I ask in return is that you think about joining us officially and becoming a Hoshi ninja.”



As the two turned to leave he would sit on his desk and wave. “You guys have a good day and make sure to tell me your findings whenever you are ready Shiroi.” 


WC: 217
TWC: 3789
Claiming: Momma Dough summon using 1627 WC from this thread and the 1373 from this one. Also, using max stat discount to go from 4k wc to 3k. Also, claiming Fondant Summon using 2000 wc from this thread and the 1k from this one. Finally claiming Mori-jin's chakra signature.