A Gig Older than the Book [P]

Shoku sighed to herself, counting up Ryo in her hand before handing it off to the man before her. A tall, potbellied man that would then give the girl two weapon pouches that she'd then strap to her thighs. The Uchiha found herself in what she could only assume was previously a small farming village of some sorts. Though from how rundown it currently was and all of its denizens were either passing through, committing or complicit with crime of some sort, it was safe to say that the local populous wasn't what it once was. 

Currently, she was buying weapons from a man who's shop was a simple tarp laid out on the side of the street. Not the most elegant of setups for sure, but he took money and had sharp objects and the like he was willing to give away in exchange. There wasn't a lot for the girl to complain about

"Try not to blow yourself up or stab your eye out kid,"  the man said, slipping the coin Shoku had passed him into a pouch at his hip. "Not that I care, but I don't wanna hear about how you did that with all of my stuff." 

"Right..." She replied, giving the man a nod before being on her way. That was probably the closest thing to hospitality she had gotten since coming here, Shoku thought. She didn't come here expecting any though. All she wanted was some supplies and a bit of food for her and Ashe so they could be on their way again. Kami, it couldn't have even been a year since the two of them first left the village, but it felt like they've been on the road forever. She wondered if she would've made it this far had she gone alone. As much as she would've preferred not to drag her best friend into her own mess, she was thankful Ashe had stuck around for as long as she had. 

The Uchiha took her Ryo pouch off of her hip again, peeking inside to see about how much she still had left. Not a whole lot, but enough to get something to eat, she thought to herself. They might have to hunt for a little while, at least until the two of them could find some way of making money. Stealing from caravans was going alright, but if they didn't find new trade routes at the very least, they'd soon find themselves face to face with some no-so-friendly guards the next time they jumped a wagon. 

Just as Shoku was about to put the pouch back on her hip, she'd find herself harshly ran into, almost pushed even, and on the ground."Oof!". That was another thing she didn't like about these kinds of places, most people were just kind of assholes that did what they wanted. They were just passing through, why should they have to care about what people who weren't going to take a step outside this rundown town thought? With a groan, the girl sat up and dusted off her legs and arms. Looking at the ground, there was immediately something amiss Just where did her money go?

Did she really just get robbed by the oldest gig in the book?! The girl looked up, seeing a hooded man trying to quickly turn a corner. She quickly brought herself to her feet and yelled towards him,"Give that back asshole!" She darted off with the intent of chasing the man through town in broad daylight, surely a spectacle for anyone who cared to watch. Why anyone would decide to steal from someone who just spent twenty minutes looking at and buying knives was beyond her. But maybe she'd get to find out whether or not she was scammed.

WC: 631
Total WC: 631

Kamiko had been walking through the streets on her way to the abandoned church she had been using as her home and sermon house since she had arrived in the 'village' of sorts when she found herself ran past by a hooded individual and then, soon afterward, a young woman who seemed to be in close pursuit and moved at such a speed that Kamiko found herself being quite impressed. Whoever that woman was, she was definitely going to win the sprinting match and it would only be a matter of time until she caught the other stranger and if she knew anything about this 'village' it was that being caught often meant getting killed.

Assessing her options, Kamiko consulted the deific resident within her mind while walking idly in the direction that the two had run: "What do you think that I should do, Zyarae?" She asked inside of her mind, tucking her hands inside of her sleeves as began to quicken her pace somewhat. "Follow them, I intend to see where this leads; Perhaps you may even be able to take advantage of such a volatile situation," Zyarae suggested, eliciting a faint nod from Kamiko who would then begin making her way with more haste toward the two individuals and hoping to catch up to them before they got too far out of her view.

She kept her hands neatly tucked into her sleeves even during this, a habit of hers that carried over from her sermons and now was a noticeable tic of hers that denoted when she was feeling calm or at the very least, in control of a situation enough that she did not feel the need to have her hands displayed and ready to cast hand-seals. Ever since she had obtained Zyarae she had felt the pinnacle of a sort of grim determination that she had never known before; she was not afraid of anything in this world except for failing Zyarae -- everything else was minor in comparison. Nothing else even truly felt that it mattered save for her explicit instructions given to her by the Being which resided inside of her mind: Gather Followers for the Spirit at all costs.

A slight frown creased her lips as she thought about what had brought her to this moment and how, in a moment of fear and paralysis, she had agreed to serve someone or something whose goals seemed straight-forward in that they wanted nothing more than to display their power to the world; yet how Zyarae intended to do so ... that was what truly kept the Priestess up at night and prevented her from feeling much of anything except for the aforementioned determination to simply continue on living in the hopes that perhaps someday, somehow, she may find herself free of this curse that she had resigned herself to.

Shaking her head, Kamiko cleared her head and focused her eyes just before coming upon what appeared to be a dead end after several alleyways worth of following the two individuals -- hopefully this meant an end to the chase, but given the fact so many Shinobi resided here; it could very well simply mean that it was about to take to the rooftops or something of the like. It all depended on how fast they reacted upon one another, she supposed, or if they even paid any mind to the wall facing them and decided instead to go around or over it.

Regardless, Kamiko would take up a waiting position on one end of the alleyway at a far enough distance that she could remain safe from any close-ranged attacks while at the same time being not too far that she could not see any of the action; after all, she had intended to see the outcome of this and if the opportunity arose itself she would interject herself into it.

[648 WC]

Shigi was just there. Sitting in an alleyway, enjoying some nice, rather salty potato chips. At the moment this was all that he could afford. He hadn't managed to get any money as of late, too many of the routes he has mugged have taken to hiring armed guards. Usually,  they were shinobi and he is lucky to get out unscathed. A small bag of chips was all he could afford as a snack before breaking into any other meals. He needed a way to start getting money again, or to find a spot where there is more animals for hunting until he can start getting more money. He is neither strong enough nor infamous enough to start getting the contracts that pay high, usually those involve an assassination of sorts but as of this moment, Shigi can barely handle a few guards who know how to use a swords, let alone any sort of jutsus. He let out a sort of sigh, disappointed at the situation he had found himself in. His mother definitely wouldn't approve. She would probably say something along the lines of, 'Just go stab someone. Take their money!' All the while hitting him for his ignorance. All that imaginary motherly advice is good, but Shigi likes to believe one of the few reasons he hasn't been robbed too much is due to an honor among thieves-like code around the area, if he starts robbing then he would be pegged as a scumbag even for this area, attracting even more attention. Thus the need to head out and find wanderers traveling to steal from. Unfortunately, it seems like there has been increased crime rates along his usual routes again - he may have to move further away to find more money.

Another thought had occurred to him, perhaps joining a band of thieves rather than just going about on his lonesome. However, usually his Father's sagely advice pops into his mind, 'Never trust anyone who's not a priest! You could die!' and thus, that is usually his last thought in the matter. Although, at the moment he could die anyways. Of starvation. A far worse death than being betrayed, in his book. Also a slower death than being betrayed, he hoped.

His thoughts were cut short when he heard the panting of a man that was running way to fast for his size. He stood up, looking out towards the end of the alley way when he saw an older man being chased by a young woman, and it wouldn't be long until a priestly lady showed up. Finally, someone he could trust the way his father advised him to. The man had walked into the dead end alley way, and as he made for the back end of it, as if that would somehow make his situation drastically better, Shigi would attempt to punch that man in the throat. "Ah!" Shigi began to shout, "You run pretty fast, compared to how heavy you look!!" He finished, continuing the shout.

[WC - 503]

Shigi would find his punch striking true as the man turned the corner, not expecting anyone to actually intervene. Before he had the chance to cough, wheeze or otherwise, the thief found himself being tackled by the girl who he had stolen from in the first place. There was a dull thud of the two hitting the ground, along with a gasp of air as the hooded man landed flat on his chest with Shoku on his back. "There's barely four hundred left in there!" She exclaimed. She literally just got done buying so much, did they think she would be loaded enough to spend so much and still be worth stealing from?!

"Now give it back so I can just eat tonight!". The Uchiha wouldn't get much of a reply out of her thief, only getting to see him desperately reach forward on the ground, towards a familiar looking, drawstring pouch. In response, she'd quickly reach into one of her new thigh pouches and take from it a kunai, which she'd press against the man's neck. He'd freeze as his breath grew erratic, feeling the sharp edge press against him, the only thing keeping it from his bare flesh being the cloth of his hood, and Shoku's restraint. Slowly the girl reached forward, taking the bag that was mear inches out of the man's grasp. Once it was in her grasp, she'd put the pouch back on her hip, draw the kunai back and get up off of the thief. 

"Now get out of here, I don't wanna see you any more than I have to," The girl said, the man looking up at her for a moment, perhaps out of confusion for why he wasn't being stabbed. It didn't seem as though he cared enough to figure that out, or just learned to never look a gift horse in the mouth, as he quickly brought himself to his feet and dashed away. Afterward, Shoku let out a sigh of relief and put her knife back into the thigh-pouch she took it from. At least she didn't have to have a back-alley knife fight just so she could eat tonight. Though, she was trailing behind him close enough to see the red-haired man, yelling at the top of his lungs and decking the hooded man right in the throat. She never thought there'd be a person in a place like this that wanted to help people. Though maybe that wasn't exactly his intention, maybe he was just pissed and the thief just turned down the wrong alley. Whatever the case was, he helped her.

"Thanks for the assist back there," She'd say, turning to speak towards the red-haired man. "Don't know why you did it, but you helped me, and I appreciate it." No one did anything for anyone in places like this without expecting something in return though, she learned that pretty quick. It was a pretty understandable way of doing things, one that she even came to try and adopt. "I don't have any money to spare really, but if there's anything else I can do for you, don't be afraid to ask." She said, tucking her hands into the pockets of her jacket as she spoke.

WC: 540
Total WC: 1171

Kamiko observed the entirety of the commotion with a thoughtful expression, taking in the sight in silence as she felt Zyarae do the same from within the space of her mind. It was certainly a show and the arrival of the man young man to assist the woman that had, apparently, been the victim of an attempted robbery by the hooded individual -- well, it was something she could not help but find endearing in a somewhat naïve sort of way.

Approaching the two, Kamiko kept her hands tucked away within the long sleeves of her religious vestments. She was not hiding any weapons beneath these sleeves, nor was she attempting to appear as if she were doing so, she merely bowed to them and gave a warm greeting as if their encounter had been the most ordinary thing in the world:

"I hope that I am not intruding, I could not help but see what just happened and I wished to ensure that the two of you were unharmed -- I may not be much of a Medical Specialist but I have a prayer or two that could do the trick." Kamiko would say as she turned her attention first onto the young woman who had been the victim of this rather poorly thought out attempt at a robbery. "It is a pleasure to meet you, if I may say so, my name is Kamiko -- Though my flock sometimes refer to me as 'Kami-sama'." She would say, before then adding softly in a question. "And who may you be?" She would ask, and if the woman would indeed give her name then Kamiko would give her a bow and turn her attention secondly toward the young man. "And what may your name be?" she would ask with a curious expression, awaiting his answer in turn if the woman beforehand had answered the original question.

After asking the names of the two, she would then go about speaking a bit further to them: "If the two of you would like a warm meal, I can provide the two of you with some modest offerings at my Church -- It may not be the finest, but it most certainly is better than starving on the streets, am I correct?" She would say with a smile toward the two individuals, hoping that they would be willing to come with her -- though if not, she would optimistically remain in the hopes that further conversation could still lead to a building of trust between them and, as a result, creating possible Followers to add to her flock.

This was a unique opportunity after all, it was not often that one came across others in this veritable world of thieves and the like that were willing to talk to one another -- and if they were willing to do so over such a simple interaction, then Kamiko felt as if she would be more than capable of converting them to her cause after a short period of building trust if they were willing to give her the chance to do so in the first place. It would all depend, she supposed, upon just how willing the two were to entertain the words of what was likely someone of rather low regard to the two of them.

[1,201 Total WC]

As the girl would get her money back, Shigi would pick up his bag of chips that, miraculously hadn't fallen out of the bag and onto the ground. Unexpectedly, the girl had let the thief walk away alive, which was surprising around here. Usually if your unskilled enough to be caught, it meant death, from what Shigi has seen around the area anyways. After she had gotten her money, she thanked Shigi, and said that she had no idea why he had done it. Neither did Shigi, he hadn't known why he had done it specifically, especially with there being no cash money reward, but he still thinks that he could somewhat benefit from the situation. And perhaps, so too could the other two who seem capable enough. "Well, I have been looking for some additional help when it comes to taking on contracts and the such. If you would be fine with that." He requested, though even he hasn't completed one. Prior to today he had just stuck to robbing people passing by and hoping they hadn't noticed.

About after the question the polite third one approached. She had offered a prayer due to inability to use Medical Ninjutsu if either had been injured, to which Shigi shook his head. It was actually a quick ordeal for him, though he wasn't sure about the other one here. All Shigi had done was come out and punch a man in the throat while he was looking at his pursuers, he had next to no involvement or knowledge to what actually had transpired, or even what the situation really was. For all he knew, the girl had been chasing him for some reason.

It was not long after the prayer offer that she would introduce herself as Kamiko, and ask for the girls name. If Kamiko were to ask, he would give the name "Shigi Uzumaki" and offer a friendly smile. She would then offer them a visit to the Church of hers, which didn't surprise Shigi too much, she did appear to dress as if she were a Priest.

[854]

"I would be honored, and may I say; it is a pleasure to meet the both of you." Kamiko would say with a slight smile upon her lips as she gave a bow toward the two new individuals she had met: Shigi Uzumaki and Shoku Uchiha. They were certainly interesting and had the potential to be promising Followers in the making, however, that was dependent upon how receptive the two were to her words and her plans for the future. 


Not skipping a beat, Kamiko would begin to lead the two away from the scene of the scuffle and down several smaller paths within the Marketplace until they would come across a simple yet well maintained Church that sat hidden among the many other buildings that dotted the area, giving it the air of sanctuary among the cluttered and often violent streets where Missing Ninja typically flocked. This Church had served as Kamiko's home since shortly after she had arrived in the Black Market and had also become the place from which she would deliver Sermon after Sermon to the few attendees that she typically had, usually enticing them with charity such as a warm meal and a place to stay if only for a short while as the Sermon was ongoing. 


As she entered the Church, Kamiko would beckon for both Shigi and Shoku to follow her inside as she made her way down the small center aisle and motioned for them to seat themselves upon the pews while Kamiko herself would go into the backside of the Church in order to fetch a pot of porridge she had been preparing since that morning.

Upon returning with the warm pot, she would set up both the pot as well as a few bowls upon a small table at the end of the aisle near where she had instructed the two to sit; preparing two separate bowls and offering them to the two with a smile:

"Here you are, I know it may not be the most sophisticated of meals -- but it serves the purpose of filling your stomach and it is easy enough for someone such as myself to make without too much difficulty." Kamiko would say toward them with a smile on her lips, the good-natured admittance of her own incompetence at cooking intended as a way to lighten the mood for the two more than anything as she would then stand across from the two at the pulpit while continuing to speak. "The two of you are also always welcome to visit my humble Church for a service if it so pleases you." She would say, pausing for a moment before adding. "Though, having visitors never hurts either." 

After the two had finished their meals if they had accepted them in the first place, Kamiko would offer them fresh glasses of water to help wash the porridge down before once more speaking:

"Of course, if there is any other way that I can be of assistance to the two of you, I would be more than willing to hear you out."


[1,715 Total WC]