Tracking Down a Thief (P. Akaboshi)

The Uzumaki would take both Genin's thoughts into consideration before figuring out a game plan. The boy going by the name of Aeron didn't seem to have much to add besides the fact that he was raring to go, the youth's enthusiasm if you may. Whether or not such thing was a good quality to have would most likely play itself out later on. But in the boy's defense, better to be confident than hesitant. Akaboshi then picked up on what Sebastian mentioned about the powder. "Yes, I already sent a sample for analysis before I headed to our current location. Hopefully they'll be able to tell us some more". If not, it would just mean their mission was certain to take a little longer than hoped for. 

Akaboshi then followed along the young wolf's brainstorming as they took another look at the map. "Hm, yes. Even though we can't rule out any possibilities, same could be said about the other way around. At some point we'll need to decide which option we go with". The Jounin reached for something in one of his side pockets to help them settle on their next course of action. "Heads for that shrine, tails means the other" he smiled before flipping the coin. He wasn't a gambling man in the slightest but sometimes you had to let fate determine your actions. "That one it is" the redhead voiced after the side of the coin revealed itself to be tails.

The Jounin made note of Sebastian's concern regarding whether or not splitting up would be their best choice of action. "Considering your condition and the inexperience of our young Genin it would be a risk to leave you two alone". He didn't mean anything disrespectful by it, the Uzumaki simply stated as commanding and highest ranked officer it would be irresponsible of him if he decided to let either the wolf or Aeron run free. "And after all, sometimes I have to show off once in a while" Akaboshi smiled as he prepared to part and set out to one of the shrines.

(WC: 349, TWC: 1112)

Aeron somehow didn't respond to his peers as he would exit the field immediately, backing away from the gents and moving on.

Loghain would give a light chuckle and grin at Akaboshi stating that sometimes he needed to show off. The wolf knew firsthand that the Jounin was a capable individual and having him as his handler for this mission greatly increased their chances of success. “Hopefully you won’t have to show off too much.”
 
The trio would make their way to the shrine, shadows flickering as the flames in the lamp posts dance with the slightest breeze. It was distracting, the thoughts of their target on the mind of the wolf. This momentary distraction was all it took for the wolf to lose track of someone. It would seem as though Aeron would disengage from the team at some point, though he wasn’t sure exactly when. It was strange, but perhaps something whisked him away in an instant. The thought of this thief being a trained shinobi once again crept into the thoughts.
 
Finally at the shrine, the wolf would scan the area for signs of others. The priests of the shrine were holed away in their living spaces, only a single of the faithful sitting in front of the shrine. Incents could be seen burning, giving off a pleasant aroma that filled the area. Of course the wolf’s keen nose had probably made it seem more prominent than it might be for his red haired companion. “I can’t detect any others in the immediate area, though they not be close. Do you see anything amiss? Any trace of the thief?” It was far harder to track people in the village than it was to do so in the wilderness. The signs were likely there, but he hadn’t practiced picking up on them in this setting.
 
The wolf would of course keep alert, knowing that their target could come out at any moment to swindle the shrine out of a priceless artifact.

Now that the Hoshigakure shinobi had arrived there were a couple things Akaboshi took note of. One: a single priest sitting in front of the shrine, which could imply the thief or thieves hadn't striked there yet. Two: night had not fallen yet, meaning the culprits were still waiting for the right time to make their move. And three: Aeron disappeared. "I already expected the boy not being fully prepared for something like this". The red haired Uzumaki was almost certain their mission was a bit out of the younger shinobi's league, hence why he decided to return to the village. "Worry not, the direction he took tells me he most likely simply returned back home. However, I'll still have to mention this in my report later". For now the Jounin decided to focus on the task ahead, which was figuring out what they were dealing with.

Taking a deep breath while looking around, Akaboshi started to feel like they could be in luck. "You are right. Currently we're the only ones close enough to the shrine, not counting the priest sitting over there". The redhead signaled Loghain to wait while he himself would try and get as much information as possible out of the faithful individual sitting not that far from their current location. A couple of minutes had passed when the Jounin returned and joined Loghain. "Alright, anything you noticed that's worth mentioning?" If nothing changed from the moment they arrived, the Uzumaki would begin to explain and share the information the priest gave him earlier. "From what I was told their artefact is still in place, but with everything that happened at other shrines they are indeed aware of thieves running around, which is why the priest is guarding the place. Unfortunately I fear that the old man won't exactly give them a scare, if you know what I mean". Unless the Church suddenly started raising soldiers, the priest would hardly be able to hold them off, let alone beat them.

If what Akaboshi thought would be happening, the Jounin decided it was time to come up with some sort of plan in order to deal with the situation. "Alright, if what my gut is telling me is right it won't be that long before the culprits will show themselves" the Uzumaki referred to the night that slowly started to fall. "I borrowed one of the priest's cloak, here's what we'll do". Akaboshi explained his plan to Loghain, telling the young wolf to dress up and act as one of the faithful, joining the priest in front of the shrine. Not only would they set up a trap, that way they also made sure nothing would happen to the man. "In the meanwhile I'll conceal myself in one of the bushes nearby to cut off their escape if they try to get away. Ready?" Assuming Loghain agreed, the redhead prepared himself to set their plan in motion. Now the only thing left for them was to wait.

(WC: 500, TWC: 1612)

The words of the Jounin put his mind at ease. It was far more likely that he headed back to the village than that he had been taken by force without either of the others noticing an attack. An enemy of the level of skill that would require was far beyond the scope of this mission for sure. Akaboshi was going to have to report this event, but hopefully it wouldn’t reflect too poorly on the young shinobi’s career. It was very easy to find yourself in over your head, especially in the life of a shinobi soldier. “Understood,” was all that the wolf would say regarding this.
 
“Nothing to report.” Loghain would answer, keeping track of his surroundings as best he could. Luck was on their side it would seem, as there were no threats in the immediate area and Akaboshi would return with good news. They were not too late, and the artifact rested peacefully at the shrine. All it would take is them waiting and hoping that they were at the correct shrine. The red headed commander would lay out a plan, one that Loghain saw no issue with. It would allow him to keep the elderly priest safe from the thief, which was honestly more important than keeping the artifact safe. The artifact could be found and returned, but one the life left this man there would be no coming back for him. The wolf would nod and don the outfit with haste. It was roomie enough to fit over his clothing without issue, which was honestly a bit impressive. The size of this priest these clothes belonged to had to be something out of the ordinary… or Loghain was abnormally small for the world he live in. But that couldn’t be it. Nope, the priest was clearly a giant.
 
Following the plan, the young wolf would sit beside the priest and offer a prayer to his God.  “A pious shinobi?” the old man would mutter under his breath. The priest gave an odd look before shifting his gaze to not reveal their deceit. If the thief was made aware of Loghain it would cause quite an issue for them all.
 
Night settled in, masking the village with darkness and shadows. The lit candles at the shrine shed enough light to illuminate their immediate surroundings while keeping the bushes where Akaboshi resided cloaked in the nights embrace. A surprising amount of time had passed before another soul found its way towards the shrine, almost to the point of it being too quiet. A short cloaked figure -male by the look of how they carried themselves- made his way to the shrine, head bowed low as to pray with his hands clasped together and held close to the chin and mouth. The wolf couldn’t be certain, but something was telling him that this was their thief.
 
The incoming cloaked figure was within a meter of the shrine, and Loghain was on high alert. His instincts screamed at him that this was it and to take the target down, yet he refrained from doing so. This person hadn’t yet committed any crime or proved themselves to be the thief. The figure would kneel at the shrine, still posed as if in prayer. This hesitation and doubt of the wolf’s gut feeling cost him. The cloaked man would raise his hands to his mouth and blow, a cloud of white powder blanketing the area and blinding the priest and wolf. He tried to locate by scent, but the powder had some sort of agent in it that caused the wolf to cough, gag and tear up.

Hopefully Akaboshi would intervene to help stop the assailant.

WC: 616
TWC: 2223

And so his watch began. Once Loghain agreed to his plan, Akaboshi hurried over to the bushes where he would cloak himself in preparation for the night. The redhead had to admit, it wouldn't surprise him if their act was mistaken for a comedy sketch but as long as it got the job done there was hardly any reason to complain. His eyes scanned their surroundings, looking for whatever movement that wasn't coming from the three of them. So far the young wolf played his part and role well, dressing up was probably not what the man expected when being assigned to this mission. 

Time passed and night fell, the Uzumaki wasn't sure how long it had been but he was certain at least a couple of hours were spent being hidden away, waiting for a possible culprit to show himself. A yawn almost escaped his mouth if it wasn't for the fact he was alerted by the sudden arrival of an unknown individual. From what Akaboshi could make out of it, the figure showed up completely cloaked, as one could expect given the scenery. Considering the time and how late it was the Jounin couldn't help but feel suspicious. Of course it wasn't that out of the ordinary some people showed up in the evening to pay their respects and visit the shrine, but with the recent events in mind the red haired shinobi knew he had to keep up his guard.

The first couple of minutes the strange individual would seemingly commence a prayer, behaving like he was genuinely there only to pray. But just as Akaboshi expected, things quickly took a different turn. The Uzumaki witnessed the man's actions, a cloud of white powder blanketing the area and blinding the priest and wolf, the sign for the Jounin to jump out of the bushes and intervene. Noticing he had the advantage, coming from the back and out of the thief's sight, Akaboshi quickly formed a couple of hand seals before the chains his clan was so famous for appeared and were launched at the culprit. Before the figure could act one of the chains had already wrapped itself around his left arm while another bound both of his legs, causing the individual to drop to the ground face first.

Not giving his target any time to escape the red haired shinobi quickly placed his knees on the man's back, preventing an escape. "Loghain, priest, are you alright?" Akaboshi would check on the condition of the two men who aided in apprehending the culprit before addressing the young wolf once he no longer suffered from the effects of the powder. "Will you do the honors" he smiled at Loghain, implying he could unmask the thief figuratively. It was time the Hoshigakure shinobi got some answers and perhaps closer to solving the case.

(WC: 474, TWC: 2086)

The choking and blinding powder filled the area in an instant, making apprehending the thief difficult to say the least. Luckily Akaboshi was on top of things, his position not compromised in the slightest. A quick motion to the action weaving a few seals would allow him to use his chains to apprehend the target quickly and without bloodshed. Once the stinging left his throat and eyes Loghain would nod, “I’ve suffered worse.” He would inhale heavily from his nose, clear his throat and spit, hoping to help clear the snot brought on by the powder.
 
The priest was shaken up, but he would also nod silently that he was alright. Slowly stepped back, keeping out of the way of the shinobi doing their jobs. With the Jounin pinning down the thief, he would ask the wolf to determine just who was behind these heinous actions. The aggravated wolf would kneel down, his knee resting on the ground beside the face of the cloaked man. With a swift motion he would rip off the hood and mask, revealing a young man who couldn’t be more than in his early teens. His fright at the situation suggested that he was no hardened soldier. “Why would you do this?” Loghain would ask, hoping for an honest answer from a dishonest man. He could understand stealing to eat or survive, but these artifacts couldn’t hold value to the hungry. It would be very unlikely that anyone would buy such a thing.
 
“What are you going to do to me?” The young man would ask, his voice cracking as panic overtook him. “You’re not going to kill me, right? I… I can help you!” The wolf would glance up at the Jounin giving a look that suggested that this was almost too simple. “I am not gonna kill you. If you can tell us where the other stolen artifacts are you’ll face a less severe sentence,” The voice of the wolf was rough, his displeasure with this man tainting his speech. Still, his words rang true. Theft was a crime but nothing to kill someone over.
 
“There is a warehouse not far from here, two blocks east. That’s where he has us-” The young man would stop speaking, his eyes wide and mouth agape. A bloody cry of pain and violent shaking of the body would be all they would get before the body started steaming and then burst into flames.
 
Meanwhile, watching from atop a nearby building the base of which was twenty meters away a dark figure watches quietly, shaking his head at the failure of this young man. With a few weaved seals the figure would vanish in an instant, this loose end tied up.
 
The priest would look on, horrified at what he just witnessed. “What have you shinobi done?”

Loghain just looked at Akaboshi, horrified himself. Were they just... framed?


WC:470
TWC: 2693

To everyone's surprise it was revealed that a young boy would be hidden behind the mask, the youth barely even made it to puberty. The child cowered in fear upon being caught, a person resembling a werewolf sitting closest to him only adding to the already frightened state the boy was in. "This doesn't make any sense" the Uzumaki voiced, what would a kid have to gain from stealing artifacts, let alone know what they were. If anything, the Jounin believed there were missing something and unfortunately Akaboshi turned out to be right. Before they could interrogate the boy further his body suddenly caught fire, bursting into flames. "What a horrible ending". Meanwhile the real culprit made sure to tie up all loose ends before disappearing like a thief in the night.

Akaboshi then became infuriated upon hearing the priest's comment. "Not another word from you, so help me God. A child just died and that's all you can think about?". Technically their mission was complete, only to leave a bad taste in his mouth. The Uzumaki turned towards Loghain, knowing there was no use in staying there any longer. "Let's head back, my friend. This child deserves a proper burial and I'll need to write a report on tonight's event". Assuming the young wolf agreed Akaboshi would start to head home, leaving the priest behind. 

(Exit)

(TWC: 2312)
Claims:
- 1125/1125 Shiori (25% discount)
- 1125/1125 Yoru (25% discount)
- Mission rewards (3000 + 500 Jounin bonus ryo, 7 AP)

Approved

Loghain would watch in horror as the youth burned up into a lifeless heap. Death wasn't something that he never figured he would ever truly get used to. "Horrible indeed..." Loghain would speak, his voice almost a low whisper but loud enough for the trained Jounin to hear. The wolf knew that this young man wasn't the mastermind behind all of this. He couldn't be, and this execution by fire only cemented the young wolfs thoughts on this matter. 

When the priest spoke up, Loghain would simply glare at the man and shake his head. He couldn't really blame the priests suspicions. To the untrained eye, the shinobi got involved and suddenly their target was burned to a crisp with some sort of magic power, the same exact kind that shinobi use every day. Hell, the wolf himself wasn't sure exactly what happened or what caused this.  Loghain didn't have words, nothing to say to defend themselves nor weigh in on the situation. He was simply speechless. Luckly, Akaboshi would speak up on behalf of both of them, telling the priest the error in his words. The Jounin was right. That child just died...

The wolf would nod, "Indeed. A proper burial is in order. He deserves that much at least." And with that said, he would follow his friend back, leaving the priest to his misguided suspicions. 

---Exit---

wc: 228
TWC: 2921

Claims:
- Mission rewards (3000 + 100 Genin bonus ryo, 7 AP)
200 wc towards Mystical Palm (completing this from here)
300 wc towards Nature Chakra Proficiency (completing this from here)
750 wc towards Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique (25% max stat discount)
750 wc towards Armory Seal (25% max stat discount)
750 wc towards Summoning Technique (25% max stat discount)