Cradle and Grave (P, Toshi)

The day began slowly. Dawn crept over the horizon subtly, hidden behind a thick gray sheet of clouds that seemed to block most of its light. Amaterasu tended to wake up early- every morning she awoke around six or seven o'clock. She wasn't sure what time Toshi would roll out of bed. She usually spent the first couple hours of the day reading, then moved on to training. Though well read, the young Meijin mostly kept those facts to herself. She mostly read to learn more about how other people acted and thought- something that she often had trouble understanding. The girl exhaled quietly to herself. She pulled her small body from a knotted cocoon of blankets and sheets before getting dressed for future endeavors. Her outfit was a gray tank top, black sweatpants, and a small white scarf that covered her mouth. Her hair fell down to her shoulder blades- she didn't particularly feel like brushing. After pulling on her shoes and performing some basic stretches, she left the inn and headed to the tavern. Though not necessarily a place for young children, most of the tenants knew to leave her alone. If Toshizou wasn't there to scare them off, her own competence with fire jutsu certainly did.

A few minutes later, she was sitting in a raggedy corner booth, poking at orangey eggs and yellowed rice with a fork. Her feet barely touched the ground from the bench. Although being twelve often came with its advantages in being underestimated, her own body being early in development meant that she was neither as tall or brawny as she would like. Taijutsu and weaponry were completely off the table for her until her arms and legs lost their twig like shape. She stayed silent for a few more minutes, eavesdropping on the patrons around her before a very interesting rumor came to light- apparently, a small caravan of merchants were in the area. They had recently returned from Hoshigakure no Sato and were camping nearby for a few days before heading to their next village. Although small, she knew they'd have money on them- a village as prosperous as Hidden Star was bound to give them a pretty penny or two. Thinking to herself, she made up her mind. She'd gather information today, as much as she could, before heading out and robbing the group blind towards the evening and the night. They were civilians- should they resist, they'd fall easily to her. And from what she had heard, they didn't have any ninja guards, either. Worse came to worse, she knew the surrounding terrain like the back of her hand. They were new to the area, and wouldn't know all the layout's nooks and crannies like her.

Amaterasu Meijin nodded to herself, taking in a dry mouthful of rice and eggs. As she swallowed, a few lumps remained in her throat, leaving it feeling irritable. She sighed to herself. She didn't want to come back to this damn diner for a long time. She stood up, pushing the plate away and leaving a handful of ryo on the splintery table. A deep stretch later, and her back made a resounding crack that drew eyes from other parts of the diner. When she raised her own acid yellow irises to meet theirs, they quickly turned away to go back to wherever they were doing. She furrowed her brow lightly. Hoshigakure was north west from their location, and followed a major road- so they were likely to be towards the 'richer' district of the border town. Nonetheless, her face had become infamous around the area, so she decided to wear a transformation. The instant she left the building, her hands flashed quickly through several different hand seals. A small puff of smoke later revealed a slightly taller and definitely older woman with black hair and beady eyes. She lumbered her way over to the north, careful to accentuate the weight onto her left foot, giving her the appearance of a limp. Any seasoned ninja was unlikely to fall for it, of course, but it was definitely enough to fool some untrained civilians.

With the advent of the night blooming into fruition, the crimson eyed male sat in his bed staring into the ceiling as he saw something curiously. A wisp, almost phantasmal in appearance float out of the corner of his eyes as if it wanted to be seen by him...but what was it? He tracked and trailed it for a moment until ti disappeared and then he heard it. A whisper of a voice ringing in his ear as he sat up and grabbed the basic blade as if he was going to strike until the voice tingled upon his ears," Do not be afraid." For a voice he had never heard it filled him with such...comfort that he sheathed the sword and sighed, shaking his head as he stood to put his boots on. Grabbing his trademarked jacket he threw it onto his shoulders and walked out of the room to meet up with a certain little brat. He didn't question why she needed to go out by herself to start the mission they were on instead of waiting, but he didn't question kids and their ambitions.

With that being said he sat the sword against his shoulder and walked into the cold embrace of the night to head to the tavern. Something about this place always filled Toshi with a sense of nostalgia for his home, but that feeling of belonging here....something didn't feel right about it. Eyes slowly met the male's form as ladies of the night came over to try and get into his pants, and his ryo pouch but to no avail. He didn't need the embrace of the tramps body or fruit, too dirty and no meaning. Instead he walked into the tavern to catch a glimpse of Amaterasu leaving out to complete the mission. A small sigh slipped out of his lips as he reached into a pocket and grabbed a cigarette, lighting it and walking behind the woman, at least out of view. While she needed to change her visage for this? He did not because he was not concerned with any of it. As the pair made their way to the area where the merchants would be nestling and peddling their wares among one another he broke off from the young girl to watch her work in a high stress environment.

He had heard that these merchants didn't have guards, but when he had arrived to where he wanted to be he could see a fair few men standing out of place. Almost as if they had been placed there or were guards in disguise. What the young girl would do with this would be up to her, but he would go with a rather smart approach. He would allow her to cause a distraction or even do something that would get her caught and then move in, taking any that he needed to down and grabbing his bounty. With that in mind he stood in darkness, crimson eyes piercing the veil as he smiled and thought to himself how this would go.

She passed various shops, stalls, and housing complexes, and watched with dulled interest as the quality of their make steadily climbed upwards. The closer she got to the north west road, the less alleys and slums there were. Not that she particularly cared. A few people stopped to glance at her 'limp' as she ambled past, but none seemed interested- or suspicious- enough to keep their stare for longer than a few seconds maximum. A small smile came to her lips, though it was largely unnoticeable. Eventually, however, she came to a large camp in an empty lot- several tents arranged around a stone circle that would likely be transformed into a bonfire later that night. She didn't stay too long, of course, but she walked slightly slower as she passed, overhearing their voices. Their accents were definitely foreign, leaving more evidence to her suspicions of them being the merchants she was after. A quick glance towards some horses tied up behind the small camp all but confirmed her theory. All she had to do at this point was wait for night to pass, and she'd be good to go with her operation. She ended up spending a few hours at a bookstore and an antique shop, waiting for the sun to fall. The instant it dropped below the clouded horizon, she made her move.

She crept slowly upon the caravan, evenly distributing her weight with her steps to make minimal noise. The embers of the bonfire had long since been extinguished, and the group was sleeping. All the goods, and most likely the money, were being kept with the horses and carts, so that was where she needed to go. It took around ten minutes to meander about the tents and sleeping bags to avoid waking up both the merchants and their animals, but she made her way over to the carts. She silently rifled about in their bags and satchels, finding various spices but not anything that resembled money. She moved over to the next cart, and she ended up uncovering a small metal lock up box. She moved it slightly, and heard the sound of metal on metal coins moving about inside. Hmm... If she took the box with her, it would be too conspicuous. Fortunately... She pulled a lockpick out of her pocket and went to work. It took around fifteen minutes, and the girl ended up taking half of the 2,000 ryo inside the container. It wasn't a ton, of course, but it was enough to get by for what she had planned. She pocketed it and crept back to her hotel room, silent as a mouse with the merchants none the wiser.


Total WC: 1,139
(Potential Exit)
Claiming: 1,000 ryo, 3 ap
1,000 words to http://naruto-role-play-rpg.forumotion.com/t29873-fire-release-exploding-flame-shot
139 words to http://naruto-role-play-rpg.forumotion.com/t40546-heir-of-ash#323851

Approved.

So that's how she would do it. In silence he watched as she meticulously moved through the area, carefully choosing her target and how she would do it. While he was a little more sly like a fox, she was more calculating like a wolf. With each step she took he smiled a little on the inside before slipping into the darkness of the alley and making his move. Picking up two stones he would calculate his aim before throwing each on in a position that would distract the guards and allow him to move as he pleased. As the guards reached for their pouches they would begin to take steps in each direction from the caravans they were paid to protect. At that moment he weaved two simple signs as a fail-safe before stepping into the light and making his plan initiate. The first step had always been to pinpoint those of a weaker nature, target them and then strike.

Of course with so many beautiful woman, and among them a few handsome men it would be difficult to find a proper outlet. Then again he knew who specifically Amaterasu had chosen for a target so why not woo them and then take all that was left. Slowly he made his way through the crowd, giving small smiles and compliments to persuade and slide past those that would have second thoughts about him being there, he wasn't rich but tonight would make him a little richer. After only a few more moments of walking he found his prey sitting among their friends, talking and laughing about ripping off some poor family or something about their goods not being up to snuff. The content of the conversation mattered not to him because he was aiming to steal from them, but their kind of scum was not...well needed in this world. Then again. All got their just desserts in the end so why waste them here?

Scanning the area he would begin to see where Amaterasu left the remained of their bounty, his eyes locking onto the prize and swiftly moving into position to strike. A few more steps guaranteed him a little more ryo toward the future, but then he had heard it. The footsteps of one of the guards had been coming back a little ahead of schedule and thus he slid under the carriage where the bounty had been sitting. Thinking of exactly how to get it, he watched the guards feet for a few moments before deciding when his back was turned and he moved. Grabbing the pouch he quickly turned into the other guard and smiled to his "partner" before making his rounds. With an exchange of nods, Toshi began to walk out of the area but not before hearing the distress and disapproval of the caravan owner after he found out his money had been missing. As the guard tried to scramble to find the one that had just passed him, Toshi reverted back to his true self. A small smile on his face as he headed back to the tavern.

[Exit]

TWC: 1,027

Claims: Claiming: 1,000 ryo, 3 ap
1,027 words toward Second Stage