Poaching Problems!

Poaching Problems Mission



“Something has to be done. We are losing too many of our animals, our livelihood.” 

 

“I hear you, but how will we tackle this?” 

 

“Have you all been losing animals too? Someone left my two pigs skinned and headless in front of my farm door, and I’m pissed!” 

 

Villagers clamored on in the market area amongst each other about their livestock. Imane had been in the area at a nearby stall looking at meat options for cooking dinner tonight when she could hear some of the unrest festering. Stopping her browsing at her current position, she’d turn to observe the nearby crowd to see a group of probably ten or twenty, with the few talking being in front of the group.  

 

“This has gone on long enough. It’s time we take this into our own hands.” One said to their group. 

 

“Yeah, and how are you going to do that? You’re no ninja. None of us are.” One replied back. 

 

The unrest was growing. Anger stirred them all into an argument over each other instead of them talking for a worthwhile resolution. Imane decided to get closer in hopes she can calm things down. “Hey, hey, everyone. What’s going on here? Is everything alright?” She asked with a wave of hands to grab all their attention. Their fury directed to her as the overall volume lowered and the sea of frustrated eyes had locked in their gazes. A villager from the back of the group nudged others out the way to come face her with two hands clasped together as if in hope. “Oh, you’re a ninja! You can help us!” They spoke. “Recently, all of us here who own animals have been getting screwed over. Someone is sneaking into our pens and slaughtering them all. It's already a problem for the wild ones but it can’t begin bleeding into ours. I plead with you, please help us.” The villager asked Imane with gleaming hope striking from the eye. The fellow people behind them slowly calmed further while the request was made. 

 

“Oh! Yes, of course I will help you. Is there anything else you can tell me about this? Start from the beginning.” She asked, and so the farmer did. Some others left believing this’ll be resolved while others wanted to hear from the young kunoichi. Looking across those left over, that familiar mistrust or discomfort was visible from some. It didn’t bother Imane anymore like it had in the beginning. Her focus was diverted to an individual coming off the side of the group and pointed at Imane in a spiteful manner. “Listen, we’ve seen how you ninja operate. All your business does is bring trouble to the town. I wouldn’t be surprised if the ones responsible are ninjas. With the Chuunin Exams around the corner, there’s plenty lot of you coming so it’s a perfect disguise for scum trying to get rich quick. How do we know you aren’t one of ‘em?” Imane was stunned by the accusation hurled at her, feeling a smidge of insult from it. Imane put a hand up, leveled with her chest, a pointed knuckle protruding over the rest of her fingers; one of her social mannerisms. She was about to begin responding when her opening mouth was cut off. 

 

Another person, a man, rose from the crowd in the kunoichi’s defense and stepped in front of the accusing woman. “Now, hold on. That is not fair.” He started, taking a dominant stance. “She just came out of her way from whatever it is that she was doing to try and help us. If that doesn’t show me someone’s honest then I don’t know what does.” he rested his case with a huff and demanded she relax. “Take yourself somewhere. Let the lass help.” 

 

The woman was clearly ticked off by this defense, pushing back. “No, that’s ridiculous. She could be here getting information for the little group she runs so she knows how to come at us the next time! I’m not having it. I refuse to buy in to her games.” 

 

“There is no game!” Imane quickly interjected. 

 

The villager man put out one ‘stop’ hand toward Imane before addressing the woman again. “You’re a damn conspiracy theorist. Nobody can ever trust a word out of you, stop trying to tear us apart. Leave!” His tone raised in anger and volume; the woman not willing to challenge such an exposing comment. Quickly, she scurried off and the man gave a relieving sigh before turning to the woman with arms to his sides. “I’m sorry about her, she’s always been a handful for us. I can explain everything for you.”  And so he began, “About a month ago, my horses were stolen and they were found to be this ragtag team of runts trying to flip them for coin. Well, their father, Kenzo, didn’t like that they were imprisoned for their crimes. He kept touting how we were getting what’s coming. Ever since, he’s been nowhere. Nobody’s seen him. Maybe you should check out his fishing shop in town. It’s a couple hundred meters that way.” He said with a hand pointing to the east. “You’ll see a massive shark as his logo, can’t miss it.” 

 

“We’re the horses ever found?” Imane asked. 

 

The man sighed awfully deep with closed eyes. “No, unfortunately not.”  

 

Imane nodded and offered to shake the man's hand. He obliged her. “Thank you. I’ll look into it. I’m sure I can find out more.” With that, Imane would vanish from her spot, jumping high into the air onto some buildings nearby. She used the rooftops like a shortcut as she focused a fast trek east. Over several minutes, of running alone ceramic tile and wood roofing of Hoshi’s buildings, Imane would pass many options for stores and activity areas. “None so far with a big shark.” Imane's scan remained fruitless. A passing flower gardens in the village. Having a patch over her right eye didn’t allow a good look so a moment to pause all movement was done. It allowed her to take in the scenery with her uncovered eye to a luscious bed of reds and whites and yellows. “Ooh... I wonder if he would like this spot.” A thought ran across her mind for what seemed like forever before snapping the bubble in her head with a quick head shake. Her hands clapped against her cheeks and she released a large exhale. “Imane, the mission!” She reminded herself. Her run along the roofs continued. Hoping over one gap to reach another roof, she would spot a large blue object in a fish like shape in the distance downward when looking to the street. “Oh! There it is.” Imane quick jumped off this roof and landed down to streets below. Bystanders around seeing her drop down were in awe. “Hi!” She would say before focusing on the shape she saw. Confirmed, it was a blue shark above two large wooden doors. “Wet... Spot? The sign of this store read out. “That’s not very thought out.” She would note to herself quietly before approaching the doors.  

 

Before reaching to open it, the doors popped wide open as masked man came out with stuff in hand varying from what looks like fishing equipment and gardening tools. A female voice deeper within the unseen store would yell out is some distress. “Somebody, stop the thief!” 

 

Imane would hear the cry for help and use herself to use her left arm as a brace and use her speed to bash into the trouble maker. They’d collide together and they’d both fall to the ground. The mask would come off of him to the floor, revealing the face. This seemed to panic him as he grabbed the mask to hold it in place as he tries to run from the store.  

Imane didn’t let him get away. She lunged for his leg, grabbing hold of him at the ankle to force him to collapse to the ground flat on his face. Getting up, she toppled herself onto the man's lower back and gripped onto his wrists, twisting them to trap his arms in a crossover against his upper back. He would yell in some pain, the mask clattering back down from his face. “Hey, what do you think you’re doing?” Imane asked him loudly. The female who yelled from within the store would come out to join the detention. Imane took a nearby branch on the floor and focused her wood affinity to mold it against his wrists into a firm vine-like cuff before she flipped him onto his back. The female would gasp and recognize the thief. “Kenzo?!” 

 

Imane shot a confused expression to her then looked to the man. “You’re Kenzo? The guy who owns this place? What the hell is happening around here?” With a few huffs from the pain he had felt, his body sort of crawled over to a wall so he may prop himself against it for comfort and looked at Imane. “Yes, you caught me. I’m Kenzo.” His head hung down in shame. 

 

“Would you care to explain to me why you’re robbing your own store?” Imane would push on. “Where have you been?” She remembered before being told that he just disappeared. His head came back up to address the question at hand. “Well, you see... This is staged. Well, kind of.” Staged? As in this is all a charade? Imane couldn’t grasp the concept of wreaking havoc to your own property. She rose up to her feet and rested her arms on her hips with a sense of disbelief. “Why are you doing this then?” 

 

“Look it doesn’t even matter. Nothing will happen. The village police have ignored my findings and proposals. Nobody listens to me.” His words held strong but with a defeated tone. Imane couldn’t distinguish any malice in his words but without knowing him any, it was impossible to take that faithfully. She entertained his story with a continuous pressure in search for all the facts. “So, then tell me what it is they won’t hear.” To her words, his face held a hesitant expression. “You’d never believe me.”  

 

Imane took a step back mentally and had a breather. The female from the store turned to Imane and requested he’d be released. “Can you untie him?” She asked the ninja. Imane didn’t take it in at first but thought it’d be best not to raise the trouble even more. Looking at Kenzo she knelt down in front of him. “If you promise to behave and explain your story, I’ll remove these cuffs. How’s that sound?” A short silence passed as there was no movement or words. Imane remained patient for an answer, still willing to hear his side. With a convincing wait from Imane’s end it was time for the man to decide. He matched her gaze and nodded. “Yes.” 

 

A smile formed on her face. “Good.” Imane reached into her weapon bag on her at the waist for a kunai. A reach around his body let her cut the shop owners cuffs to release the wrists. She pulled back and put the kunai into her bag. Kenzo would stand up and rub his wrists. “Ow. That was a little tight. You’ve got spunk kid.” Imane reacted with a giddy smile. It wasn’t hard to build up the small ego she had. “Have you heard about the animals?” He asked her. 

 

Imane nodded. “That’s what had led me here. The villagers said if anyone knew something about your disappearance or If there were any clues, a good start to check would be here. But I didn’t think I’d just find you.” The two laughed together at the irony. The female from the shop laughed along and seemed relieved that all was okay for her. Imane broke the humor by further inquiring, “Do you know anything about the stolen animals’ location and who’ve been killing them?” 

 

Kenzo’s face became a bit flustered as he held the back of his neck, reluctantly speaking in response. “Uh... About the stolen ones. I have those. There in a ranch not far from here. I can rally all the animals to the correct farms by sundown with my horse. I’m sorry about that. I was only trying to get the attention of someone willing to take me seriously and I’m ready to take full responsibility for my actions. But first, I can tell you about the ones being killed. I don’t have any proof but I have a huge suspicion.” Imane invested into the story now believing that he was genuine. “If you can get me to the real damage dealers, consider the responsibility paid.” She had offered. This offered Kenzo a warm reassurance and showed a further willingness to cooperate.  

 

“Okay. I know a guy called Lima. He’s in the thick of it with this dangerous group of bandits. They have no regard for anyone. Lima’s been the one talking about how his gang scored some sweet skulls and I even got to see one. I know what I saw, a pig’s skull. For me, that was sickening and I didn’t want to believe. But then he continued showing me more and more.” 

 

“Where can I find this Lima and his friends?” Imane asked. 

 

Most likely in tavern not too far from here actually. You can hook around this corner here-” He used his hand to point and maneuver as if making a pathing map with his hand. “Then go straight down until you see some clothing stores. Take another right and you’ll see some drinking stands and a tavern or two. Look for a bald guy with a red necklace.” 

 

“Thank you for that.” Imane nodded and took haste to leave while Kenzo went off to fulfill bringing all the animals back. Like before with the group of villagers, she vanished again to the roofs and followed the directions he had given her. Watching the streets below to ensure which places she was near. She saw slowing lines and sales people outside of their stores and took a right as directed. She saw a tavern there and dropped down to the streets. A soft sigh left her mouth before she walked into establishment. Some heads turn nosy to see who came in before going about their business. Imane walked through the middle of the hall between tables here and there as she scanned the room for the description she had. A couple tables away in a tucked in corner, she could see a booth with three guys in it clanging beers together and laughing. She could see one of them hairless and have the red necklace that Kenzo had described. ‘That has to be Lima.’ She thought to herself. With her eye trained on the three in the table as she approached. The halls were so loud with the audience nearby that she couldn’t address the group until she was right at their table. There was a spot open next to one of the men and Imane’s playful nature was convincing her to have some fun with this. She knew Kenzo called them dangerous, but they didn’t look like much in her eyes. She boldly sat down next to the group and slapped her hand on the table hard, a small boom of her hands on the table caught their attention. “What’s up gentlemen? Someone told me I can get in on a little job here. Whose got the details?” 

 

Lima looked up and down at her. “I don’t know about any job. You best get out of here; this isn’t a place for little girls.” His voice was assertive and had a bit of gruff under his brevity. The two men beside him obnoxiously laughed at her introduction as if mocking Imane. Her eyes rolled knowing she wasn’t being taken seriously. “Alright, so I just need to find out about the animals on my own, huh?” She blatantly said with a quick jab and elbow bash against the head of the man next to her. She struck fast enough that him being off guard was enough to knock him out. Lima and the other man got serious, Lima standing up at his table. “You think you can come in here and mess with me? Really? What have you got to be accusing me of?” 

 

Imane stuck to her cards. “We all know it was you. You shouldn’t have been so careless with animal skulls.” 

 

Lima grit his teeth in frustration as propped his body upon against and over the table as if lunging at her. He wasn’t any trained combatant. She saw his slow movements as clear as day and dodged her head to the right, letting her body fall into the booth seats. The second guy put his two fists together to hammer down against her in her limited position. People in the tavern took notice of the commotion and didn’t appreciate having their peace disturbed. Suddenly, a nearby table of people would get up to stop the henchman from striking Imane by grabbing his arms and restraining him back, shoving him into a wall. Imane quickly rose and onto the table. One swift kick to Lima’s head knocked him off the table. He caught himself with some stumble and a shake of the head to show the daze he’d receive. He would unsheathe a large knife from the side of his leg before his arms came up in guard of his upper body. He lunged with the knife in hand aimed to her legs. Imane leapt off the table to get behind him, her back to him. She would kick back to toss him into the booth where the table of it would jam into his waist, forcing the knife to unequip and fall against the seats. He fell over in pain. “Ahh damnit. Okay, okay, enough. It was me! I make a living of-” 

 

Imane cut him off. “You’re a damn poacher!” Just then, the group restraining the second couldn’t hold him any longer. He broke free and came after Imane with full force to clobber her head. Imane was otherwise unaware until she would get whopped in the back of the head a hammer like strike of the henchman’s fists. Imane knocked over to the floor and into the booth where she’d bash against the seat’s wooden construction. This had her gripping her head in pain from the sheer force of the attack. She groaned in pain as her recovery to get up was about to be met with another attack of the same kind. Imane ducked closer into the table and the strike stopped at just that. Under the cover, Imane would get out from under the table and booth to now hit two all-out punches into the side of his ribs before jumping into him to knee him in the same spot for a three-part combo. He ate that combo as he now turned to Imane, cocking back a shoulder for strike straight down at her torso. This, she can handle. Her quick reaction speed allowed her to quickly grab her katana at the hip and unsheathed it to meet his hand against the side of the blade and putting her weight into it to absorb the impact. The man had no real speed so he to a moment to retract his fist, giving Imane all the room necessary. One more leap up to him, she would jam her knee square into his neck just before the mouth. The blow would throw him back and onto Lima. Both were completely knocked out cold from the crushing impact; Lima at the weight of the henchman and the henchman at the attack on his windpipe. Imane landed on both her feet in grace before feeling her head with her offhand, a strong throbbing sensation powering a headache. A soft groan in pain was expressed as she rubbed her head gently. “Ah man, you pack a punch big guy.” She would comment to the unconscious combatant. The group that stood to help her would finish their part and round up all the of the bad guys together and secured them for the authorities. By the time the fighting had ended and all else was calm, the village police will have shown. They took statements and took the two into custody. Lima would be sent straight to prison while his accomplice is sent to the hospital under watch. Imane had seen her good dead done. “Oh man... I think I’m going to go home. I’ve had enough for one day. I’ll force my little brother to cook today.” 

[EXIT]
WC: 3450
Claim 18 stats (Maxed out) +16 chakra +2 speed
Claim 30AP + 6000Ryo per Mission Rules
Spend 445 finish Wood Dragon A-Rank. Previous claim here

WC Remaining: 3005
Claim Wood Human Technique for 2500 WC
Spend remaining 505WC toward Earth Style Wall Rank C

Approved