Tools for War [Reizo, WiP, Closed]

Mission:

Chapter 0: Prologue

His life being relatively uneventful these past few months, Reizo had been spending much of his time reading up on village and world history in addition to his standard Jounin responsibilities. He managed to scrape together enough money to afford rent in an apartment with 3 other Chuunin and Jounin, although the group seldom interacted. Reizo was always out at the public and secret libraries reading,  and their shifts were all at different times during the day. Today was no different. He had spent a few hours of his afternoon before his shift reading up on the Kumogakure before Mortarion had taken over. He was almost 20 now, yet Reizo realized he had no formal education. Since his early childhood he had been raised around war and weaponry and had trained to become a formidable shinobi. He had to teach himself almost everything about history, basic civilian skills, etiquette, and advanced arithmetic. Sure some of that had been briefly covered in his time at the Academy, but a lot of it was self-taught. Recently, Reizo had even become a bit more spiritual and had started to think about becoming a warrior monk. Perhaps it was because he now shouldered the huge responsibility of housing a bijuu now.

As he finished up his learning for the day, just minutes before he was expected at his shift, Reizo was approached by a courier. Over the years and many missions he had attended to, the blonde had become familiar with all of the village couriers; however, this one was dressed in foreign garb and appeared to be working for some external agency. The courier requested Reizo to step outside and outback behind the library, which he skeptically agreed to, knowing full well that he could defend himself if this person were a criminal. Fortunately, the courier was simply relaying a message from his lord's estate.

"Good evening, Reizo Shoyu.

I had asked that your Kage compile a list of formidable shinobi so that I could select one for a dangerous private mission. After reading your resume and a few others, I recognized the talent and dedication you've put into your training and have decided to hire you for this mission. Please follow Hideki- that's me- back to my estate at once. You will be compensated for any travel and duty you may miss, and rewarded handsomely should you succeed. Your Kage has already been informed. This is non-negotiable.

Signed,
Lord Yoshi Toyotomi-el-Crowley II"

Reizo vaguely recognized the name as being important; his lack of a formal education was definitely being felt. He considered the invitation for a moment, realizing that he couldn't refuse the baron's request. After a few seconds, Hideki motioned for Reizo to follow. "We'd best not keep Lord Crowley II waiting. This is an urgent mission. I'll fill in the details on the way there," Hideki would say in his well-trained and defined voice. It was clear to Reizo that Hideki, despite being around Reizo's age, was obviously in the messaging business for a while. He assumed that Hideki must be the patrician's personal messenger, and perhaps had served the family since he was a child. "Lord Crowley II is a fine man who has only the highest of expectations. The point of this contract is to settle a land dispute between him and his sister since their father passed away late last fall. As is tradition in the family, disputes are settled in a private arena between two hired warriors. Whomever's fighter is victorious wins the dispute. You'll be fighting whoever Lady Crowley puts up for the fight," Hideki explained, hurrying through crowds and weaving in and out of traffic. He was quite adept at it, leaving Reizo to apologize to every person (of which there were many) that he bumped into.

The blonde Jounin wasn't given any time to prepare for the trip, but it really didn't matter since he was geared up for guard duty anyhow. After power walking for about 5 minutes, a fancy carriage drawn by 2 horses and lead by a carriage master was awaiting the pair in front of an old military building. Hideki would open the door to the carriage revealing a boy younger than Reizo- the kid must've been no older than 12- dressed in ruffles and expensive noble clothing. The boy simply patted the black leather seat cushion next to him, and Hideki ushered Reizo into the carriage. After closing the door behind him, Hideki would take his seat up atop the carriage beside the carriage master.

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Chapter 1: A Noble Mercenary

Reizo hadn't noticed the woman in the car until the carriage had already departed. She was at least 5 years older than Reizo, and was significantly more subdued in dress than the boy. She was clad in a standard shinobi shizoku outfit, but had no ninja hood or mask. Her body was small and lithe, with well-defined muscles. Her perwinkle hair was held together by a pin and tied in a bun. On top of her outfit she donned a flak vest similar to those worn by mercenaries, and a red headband with no village etched into the metal protector. A bit confused, the Jounin searched her face for answers, but she was stoic and unresponsive. He then turned to the little boy, who had sat in silence until he noticed Reizo's puzzled stare.

"You should show more respect to your benefactor, shinobi. Did they not teach you anything other than how to fight in those Academies?" the boy quipped. The way he wielded the word shinobi made it feel like an insult; like shinobi were nothing more than tools for racketeering and profit. Reizo didn't feel that way about himself, though the more history he looked into, the more it certainly seemed to be that way. War is a racket for the wealthiest aristocrats. Benefactor...? This brat is Lord Crowley II? Reizo thought, the idea leaving a sour taste in his mouth. Still, a contract is a contract, and it was his sworn duty to the village to fulfill it. "My apologies, Lord Crowley. I'm afraid I'm a bit in the dark about the contract and my expectations," Reizo apologized, bowing his head in deference to the young noble. "I'm Lord Yoshi Toyotomi-el-Crowley II. Please don't forget the second at the end. I do not wish to be confused with the man who didn't even leave his estate to his only son. Karen, explain the family rites to him," he interrupted indignantly.

"Yes, milord. Your name is Reizo, correct? You've earned a bit of a reputation in the mercenary community for handling that Niibi almost single-handedly. We've got eyes all over the place, I wouldn't worry about it. I apologize for milord's behavior, he's just a bit tense given that it's his older sister he's dealing with. She tends to win these ordeals, isn't that right Yoshi-sama," she smiled at him in a very fake manner. He pouted in response and crossed his arms, letting his silver locks of hair droop over his sapphire eyes. "Pardon the interruption, but you don't seem like a mercenary to me. Your outfit suggests you are, but your loyalty doesn't seem like it's to money like any merc I've run into," Reizo asked, charmed by her easy-going attitude that contrasted with her rugged uniform. "Not every mercenary fights for money, although it's certainly a big part of why it's such a popular practice. I have an eternal debt I owe to the Crowley family, one greater than my life. It just so happens that my interests align more with Yoshi-sama's here than they do with Lady Isabel," Karen replied in what seemed like an honest manner. "You're only on my side because I offered you a 5% cut in the estate compared to my sister's 3.5%. Plus I really could use the help right now. I'm just so bad at beating my sister, please shinobi you need to win," the boy begged, lowering his head and folding his hands in prayer. The sudden shift in attitude caught Reizo very off guard. He was flattered.

Glancing back at Karen, Reizo noticed her eye was twitching, clearly upset over her master's exposing of her true motives for helping him. "Anyway, I recognized your name on the list Reizo, along with a few others, and decided to enlist in your assistance for this fight. Plus I had watched your fight with Komori in the gladiator's arena the other day and your decisiveness caught my eye. I could tell you threw the match, although I'm sure many of the other patrons couldn't get over the length of the fight. I have an eye for details like that. Komori was on my radar as well, but his cockiness was offputting. I was worried he'd bump heads with the young Lord. Your fight will be tomorrow just after noon. We've made accommodations for you in one of the estate's Heavenly Suites. Feel free to visit the bar or practice for your fight tomorrow and explore the wonderful estate grounds before then. We do expect you to be in tip-top shape, however, so be mindful. I think that about covers everything, right milord?" Karen explained, her voice full of charm and candor. The boy wasn't paying much attention to her and was busy studying Reizo's appearance, sizing him up. "You seem very strong, I can only hope there's enough blood flowing to your brain for you to win. My sister is very shrewd and cunning, I have no doubt that she looked deep into our family connections to find the finest warrior to fight for her. Make no mistake, she is a witch," Yoshi warned.

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Chapter 2: The Crowley Estate

The carriage came to a short stop in front of the large iron gate that enclosed the mansion of the estate. After the shinobi guards identified the junior lord, the carriage was given permission to enter.

The estate was massive. The road up to the doors of the mansion were well-paved, and a large fountain and reflective lake dominated the entry way, the path encircling it. At the door was a woman around Reizo's age whom he could immediately identify as Yoshi's sister, Lady Isabel Crowley. She was much taller than Yoshi, but still a good few inches shorter than Reizo. She wore a puffy blue bell dress with bell-bottom cuffs. Her hair extended all the way to her waist and was silver-white, echoing that of her brother's. Her emerald eyes shone brilliantly with enthusiasm and genuineness. She certainly didn't seem to be the witch Yoshi had portrayed. The group exited the carriage one by one, Hideki holding the door for all of them as they departed. First to exit was the young boy. "Welcome home little bro! Did you manage to find your warrior for tomorrow? This is so exciting, to think our family lineage will be settled tomorrow. I hope he's tough! That'd make for a great fight. Win or lose, I hope we don't let this come between us as siblings, that would break my heart," she greeted, bubbly and welcoming. She seemed to be the total opposite of the royally pampered and subdued Yoshi.

Yoshi would be flanked by Karen, leaving Reizo to be the last to step off the carriage. "Ohhh! You must be the fighter. You seem kind of young to be fighting in these, you must be very talented and promising to have been selected. Please make yourself at home! Marion will give you a quick tour of the facilities and show you to your room," she greeted him, just as friendly as she had her brother. Something in Reizo's intuition felt off, however. He couldn't quite tell if she was faking her friendliness, or if she was simply hiding something. Nevertheless, Reizo would simply bow to her in deference without giving his name and then be ushered off by their leading servant, Marion.

Marion was a tall fellow with dark skin and short cropped hair, dressed in a tuxedo with a burgundy button down shirt. He explained the locations of the pool, bar, entertainment facilities, and restrooms, before preceding to escort Reizo to his room. Reizo didn't even have a change of clothes, although they did provide him with some royal robes and fancy clothing for dinner. He found it odd that he was excluded from the dinner as he figured he would be considered an honored guest, though he found it much less stressful being able to eat anywhere on estate grounds alone and uninterrupted. The food and menu were exquisite, far exceeding anything Reizo had ever eaten before. After eating and watching the young lord practice archery from afar for a half hour, the teen decided to head to the bar figuring it was better than doing nothing. He didn't plan on drinking or even really socializing, but it would at least kill some time before he felt tired enough to sleep.

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Word Count: 2169

Chapter 3: The Inferno

The bar was extremely decadent and quiet. It was dimly lit, with soft jazz in the background attributing to the cool atmosphere. A couple of guys were playing billiards at the pool table, and a couple was talking between themselves at a small furnished circular wooden table. The chairs were fairly large, though not oversized, made of cherry wood with pearl colored silk cushions. There was a piano in the furthest corner from the entryway, and a bunch of small wooden tables along the edges away from the pool table. The main focus was of course the bar, which was situated along the nearest adjacent wall to the entrance. There, a bartender sporting a checked magenta waistcoat and a black tie with a white dress shirt was drying off some pint glasses with a dish cloth. He was pale. Extraordinarily pale. His hair was short cropped and black, and his eyes were hard black. "Might I interest you in something, sir? Perhaps a beer, a fine wine... a champagne?" He would ask as Reizo took his seat. "No thank you, I'll just take a lemon-lime fizzy pop," the Jinchuriki would reply, not wanting to test his tolerance the day before a major fight. "Yes, of course. You must be fighting tomorrow, right? This drink will be on the house." Reizo thanked the bartender for his generosity and turned to examine the quaint barroom, when suddenly a large fellow sat beside him.

The man was tall, standing at about 6'4'', and looked to weigh at least 200 lbs of muscle. He was older than Reizo, but only by about 8 or 10 years, and was dressed in the clothing of a samurai without the armor. His hair was cerulean and shoulder length, although it was tied back in a ponytail. His eyes were fierce and determined, his posture resolute and disciplined. "You're fighting tomorrow, eh? That makes two of us. I'd stay away from here until tomorrow, I want a fair fight," he would say in a grizzled voice. "Oh, we're going to be fighting? If that's the case, it should be a good one. Don't worry about it, I'm not drinking tonight. There'd be no honor in a nameless fight; the name's Reizo Shoyu, Jounin of Kumogakure," Reizo would say, extending his right hand to the samurai. "You offered your name, so I'm bound by bushido to give mine. Zangetsu. Nothing more, nothing less. That's not what I meant, though. You're young and seem honest. It would impugn on my honor as a samurai were you incapable of fighting your hardest tomorrow. Perhaps had you been less honest and straightforward, I would not give you such an opportunity to leave now to fight tomorrow," Zangetsu cryptically stated. "Here you go. Now Lord Zangetsu, play nice. It's very important that tomorrow proceed as planned for the young Lady. That's not to speak ill of your opponent, but please do take it seriously," the bartender would say, setting down Reizo's colorless fizzy pop drink. "Don't question my honor as a samurai like that ever again, Shinji. Like I Zangetsu-sama would ever give less than his full strength in combat," he proudly declared, increasing the volume of his voice so the whole bar would hear. Reizo spaced out for a moment, staring at his drink, mulling over Zangetsu's caveat. He seems quite prideful, perhaps it would be best if I didn't dishonor him before our fight. It doesn't seem like he's trying to trick me; I'll heed his advice, Reizo thought. The Jounin would stand up and tip the bartender, but not take his drink and head back to his room.

"You didn't even drink anything! Are you sure you want to leave?" the bartender called after him. Reizo had already exited the bar and was soon out of earshot. "Lord Zangetsu! The Lady will not be happy about this! How could you let such a golden opportunity to win slip right through?" the bartender, Shinji, whispered indignantly to the samurai. Zangetsu stood, and slammed his fist on the counter, splintering it and causing a few glasses to fall over and roll, shattering upon hitting the floor. With his other hand, Zangetsu would seize hold of Shinji's tie and pull his face close enough to smell the warrior's sober breath. "I told you not to dishonor me again. That fighter respected my code of honor as a stranger, and you would have me use underhanded means to win? I'll defeat him without your chicanery! You think I wouldn't defeat him alone? I'm Lord Zangetsu... THE Inferno! This name has never seen defeat in combat. Now get that poison out of my face," the fierce knight would rage, throwing the bartender backward into the wine cabinets and brushing aside the fizzy pop before storming out. The cool jazz, still in the background, was the only sense of order that could be felt amid the tension in the room. Everyone had gone quiet at the fireworks display. A few minutes later, and it would return to business as usual.

Now back in his room,  Reizo settled down and opened a sealed bottled water to refresh himself. Thinking about his opponent, he couldn't help but wonder what kind of a fighter that samurai could be. His size and dress certainly suggested he was a weapons master of some kind. Other than that, he couldn't be too sure. He did know one thing: that man would be a vicious opponent in the arena the next day. Dwelling on it a little more while in the shower, Reizo got ready for bed. It was difficult to sleep. It always was before a fight or a mission for Reizo. The anticipation always ate at him, and he always felt like he needed to let out some energy. Although it took some time, he eventually fell asleep to thoughts of the upcoming fight.

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987 + 2169 = 3156 / 10000 words

Chapter 4: Heart of Glass

Reizo awoke about 3 hours prior to his fight, the sun filter through the thin drapes. He hadn't drawn the windows closed the night before, and the sudden warmth surprised him. He slept soundly, even though it wasn't for as long as he would've liked before a fight. That always seemed to be the case, anyhow, so he had become accustomed to fighting on a little less sleep. He needed to be sharp and focused for the upcoming arena battle with Zangetsu. What an interesting man, Reizo thought, reflecting on his encounter with the samurai from the night prior. Having never met a samurai before, Reizo had imagined them to be a lot more quaint and lithe, not the towering mountain of a man that Zangetsu was. The blonde then washed his hair and put on his clothes from the day before, making sure to leave nothing behind as he exited the suite.

Once out, he quietly shut the door behind him and hurriedly walked down to the dining hall when he was stopped by a familiar voice. "Well aren't you up early? Here I was expecting to have to wake you up so you wouldn't miss your fight," Karen called from one of the couches in the main lobby area. "Oh, hi Karen-taichou. Yea, I was just going to get some food and then settle down before my fight. It's really hard to fight on an empty stomach, and really easy to get dehydrated. Um, did you maybe want to get food together?" the Jounin asked innocently, not attempting to imply any kind of relationship between them. "You should sit down and relax for a few minutes. In just a bit the young Lord Yoshi will be hosting a breakfast for all of his servants, helpers, and security. You should join us," Karen offered. Reizo gladly accepted the invitation and took a seat at an adjacent leather chair to the couch Karen was sitting on. Their setup was symmetric across a small rectangular glass table; an identical chair and couch facing its counterpart.

"Not to put any additional pressure on you, but Lord Yoshi is extremely nervous about today's outcome. You see, your opponent tomorrow is Lord Zangetsu. He was the conqueror who made this estate possible, fighting many battles alongside the young Lord and Lady's father. The fact that he has taken her side has shaken the Lord's confidence greatly. He hadn't expected their god father to be taking sides in a conflict such as this, and it's honestly taken a bit of a toll on the young Lord's mental state. Whatever he looks like he is to you is just a mask to hide the terror, anxiety, and inferiority he feels. So I ask of you, please don't lose no matter what it takes. He's too young to be going through this kind of mental crisis, and I fear for the rest of us should the Lady take power. She's truly a jealous vixen, despite what she may've looked like yesterday. I have full faith in you because I know what you've gone through and the trials you've passed. Lord Yoshi doesn't and so he's doubtful that any shinobi could rival Lord Zangetsu. But you've taken on Bijuu and have helped fell villages, so for his sake don't lose. He's still just a child," Karen rambled, surmising everything Reizo had come to suspect of the family and his opponent. Zangetsu being the children's god father was unexpected, but it didn't change matters any more. The blonde had come to complete his assigned mission and he was going to see it through.

Reizo placed his left hand on Karen's shoulder and looked her deep into her worried eyes to calm her. "I'm here representing my village and myself. I would never tarnish the reputation of either by losing today. Don't worry, it'll work out. Here's Lord Crowley II now," Reizo would respond reassuringly, standing at attention as the young silver-haired boy walked past. Karen would follow suit. "Good morning Karen, Reizo-san. We were going to let you sleep, but I guess that's just not your thing. We're about to have our last meal before the decisive fight. Please join us, Reizo-san," Yoshi would reaffirm Karen's invitation from before.

He seems so professional and innocent in this setting. Perhaps we really did just get off on the wrong foot in the carriage, Reizo thought, reflecting on their first meeting now with the background Karen had filled in. Reizo and Karen followed Yoshi and a select few body guards and servants to the dining room.

The dining hall was massive. A 5 meter long table was at its center, a white table cloth laying atop it. White ceramic plates and silver forks and knives laying on white silk napkins were present at every chair. There were about 10 seats on either side, and 1 seat at the head and 1 at the tail. There were name placards at each chair for each of the servants and workers who served directly under the young lord. Reizo took his seat at the station labelled "Guest" toward the tail of the table, but was stopped by Yoshi. "You don't need to sit back there. Alonzo, please give your seat to the man of the hour," he would tell a tall bald gotee'd man dressed in an all white suite and a pink dress shirt. Alonzo would bow to his master's wishes and take his seat at the guest seat for the breakfast. This would open up the seat directly next to Yoshi at the head of the table, sitting across from Karen.

After everyone was seated, the servants brought out all types of breakfast food which Reizo happily devoured. Bacon, sausages, and ham, individualized omelets, hash browns, even some seafood and bagels with lox were served. Little conversation was had among the servants, although Yoshi did pull Reizo aside as everyone was finishing up. "I just wanted to let you know that nobody has any expectations for this fight, if that helps ease your mind at all. We back you 100%, but if that's not enough we'll be okay somehow. Good luck, we're counting on you," Yoshi would say, before getting up and leaving. Reizo nodded, making sure to maintain eye contact to assuage the boy's fears. It did little to bolster his confidence. Everybody else would stand and follow in suit, making their way to the private arena at the center of the more than 500 hectare complex. It was quite a walk, but after 25 minutes the group arrived at the stadium.

Although it was built on private property, the arena was open to the public. Thousands of people had come by to give their best wishes to the future Lord and Lady, whose father had been a great philanthropist to the neighboring towns. Yoshi and his posse headed up to the observation deck where Lady Isabel was waiting with her group. Karen would be the only one who would escort Reizo to the gladiator's entrance. The rule was only 1 coach allowed. Zangetsu was almost certainly 50 meters away on the other side of the circular arena with his coach. The two would stand in complete silence for 10 minutes until the fight was announced.

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1220 + 3156 = 4376 / 10000 words