Operation: Houseplant Retrieval

Sat Jun 19, 2021 10:29 pm

Gonk led Travin through the streets of the city, not bothering to point out any of the tourist attractions that littered the city. It seemed they had more religious statues than actual people in the village. While they walked Gonk sipped on the cold lemonade Travin had handed him when they first entered the village. He vaguely remembered where the Hogokage’s office was from when he explored the village, but he had never actually gone in it. Gonk just hoped they weren’t too late to save Kita. Though he figured Akabayashi would have told him if they were. After walking for a while, Gonk saw the building in the distance.
“That’s the administrative building,” Gonk told Travin, pointing to the structure. “I think it’s called the Unseen University or something. I don’t really remember.” Gonk led the way up to the door of the building and approached the two Hoshigakure guards.
“I’m Gonk Hoshigaki,” Gonk told them, pausing for a moment to let Travin give his name. If he seemed like he wanted to leave the talking up to Gonk, he would introduce Travin for him. “We’re Jounin from Kirigakure and we were sent here to speak to the Hogokage about two ninja you have in custody." Gonk would show them his ID card, and provided the guards opened the door for the two ninja, Gonk would lead the way into the building.
“Let’s see, which way’s the kage’s office,” Gonk muttered out loud, realizing he had no clue. After a moment of looking around, he saw a map of the building, so he walked up to the stand and examined it.
“Alright it should be this way,” Gonk told Travin, pointing in the direction the map labeled the Hogokage’s office to be. Gonk walked through the building and up to the large door, which was guarded by two more shinobi.
“Excuse me,” Gonk said, as he and Travin approached them. “We’re Jounin from Kirigakure and are here to see the Hogokage about the two genin you have in custody. Kita Hajime of Kirigakure and Fu of Konohagakure. I’m not sure if the Hogokage is expecting us or not.”
Gonk would wait for the guard's response, appearing calm on the outside, while he was incredibly nervous on the inside. This could be he and Travin’s only shot of saving their friend, they couldn’t afford to blow it.
[WC=397]

Sun Jun 20, 2021 10:34 am

Travin followed Gonk through the village sipping on his ice-cold lemonade. It made this place a lot better than it had been in his opinion anyway. He kept looking at the statues of people all over the place and the random religious stuff spread all over the village. He could tell that it was a village divided by two different peoples or at least one shared by them. He had heard of the troubles Hoshi has had with the other group of villagers in the past. Gonk then pointed out the administrative building. A tall building towards the center of the village sticking up over most other buildings. When Gonk told him he thought it was the unseen university Travin almost laughed. “It’s bigger than the other buildings around it, how do not see it,” Travin told Gonk between chuckles. “I hope it can turn invisible or something” he added making his chuckles turn into pure laughter.

Travin was able to get himself under control before getting to the Unseen University. However, thinking of the name almost made him crack once more. He also really wanted to know why it was called that. Surely it had to have some kind of power that would give it that name he thought to himself as they approached. The guards at the gate stopped the two and Gonk announced himself before Travin spoke “I’m Travin” is all he would tell them. He didn’t like letting people know what clan he was from and made it a point to keep it from getting around as much as he could. Travin would show his ID card to the guards if needed. His ID card was the same simply saying his name was Travin and that he was a jounin with the Hidden Mist Village as well as his picture.

Travin would follow Gonk in who was almost muttering to himself about where the Kage’s office was before walking over to the map. While Gonk looked at the map Travin looked around the building from where he was standing. It was a very nice building so far with people walking around doing their day-to-day, and others standing around watching the place. It was as he had expected with it being the Kage’s office and all. The most important thing he had noticed was the temperature control of the building. It was at a comfortable level and compared to outside Travin wasn’t sure if he wanted to go back out there.

Travin turned back around as Gonk said he knew the way once more. Following Gonk, Travin kept his eyes open watching everyone and everything that he could see. It was partially due to his training in reconnaissance but was also due to his curiosity about what was going on in this building, but the largest part was due to the fact he really wanted to know why it was called the Unseen University. From what he had seen so far there wasn’t even a library in the building or anything that would make it hard to see. He was starting to think that maybe it was something to do with the sun or something blocking it via light, but there was no way to know from here without asking someone, and he was not about to look like the dumb guy.

Travin would stop behind Gonk when they arrived at the door. There were two guards standing one on either side of the big double door. Travin watched the two for any signs of danger as Gonk talked and explained why they were there. Travin also had a bright idea while listening to Gonk and waiting on the guards to answer. He would be able to ask Kita why this building was called the Unseen University. He was sure that it would have bothered him as well and had probably asked since he was already arrested it would hurt his looks in the village.

(WC-658)

Fri Jul 16, 2021 4:33 am

The Hogokage’s office in the Unseen University was not as big as the private audience chamber of the Royal court. Still, it had Iwagakure rugs on its oaken floor, elaborate wall hangings, and golden-tinted windows that gave it a sense of intimacy. Or so Shina believed.

Her sapphire blue eyes watched as guards urged two figures into the room. “Spirits of the air send us back fine Kirigakure shinobi in our walls,” Shina said and placed a smooth, lotioned hand in front of her face, feigning surprise.

There was a frantic game of broken telephone from the moment that duo walked past the great bronze gates of Hoshigakure, let in by Akabayashi. Watchmen whispered to another, friend to a friend, children to their parents, and soon the news fell upon Hoshigakure like summer rain.

Shina knew who everyone in Hoshi was, not personally, but she preferred it that way. Of course, some were superstitious and claimed she used dark sorcery what they ate for breakfast a year ago. That was absurd. Shina could only go as far as a week back; it did not matter from then on. Besides, there was no such thing as a poison mixed in someone’s breakfast that would take more than that to show its effects.

“Relax, kids, I’m not going to report you. Besides, it would appear that our Kages have become penpals," Shina smirked and offered the duo empty seats. "The pen is indeed mightier than the sword to have brought you back so soon, Gonk Hoshigaki,”

WC:254

Wed Jul 21, 2021 12:12 am

Soon after he arrived Gonk was ushered into the Hogokage’s office, and was met by a woman with sapphire blue eyes. The room was large, with ornate rugs decorating the floor and beautiful tapestries covering the walls. There were also several large windows that overlooked the village. The woman seemed to be surprised by their arrival, but Gonk wasn’t sure if that was true, as he assumed the Hogokage would have been alerted as soon as they entered the village. The woman’s next words served to both further Gonk’s suspicions and to confuse him. The fact that the two kages were communicating indicated that the Mizukage would have warned the Hogokage of the incoming mist shinobi. However, what Gonk didn’t understand was the first part of the woman’s phrase.
“Why would we be purported?” Gonk wondered, befuddled. “DId we do something wrong, or is she making a joke?”
Either way Gonk didn]t understand so he kept quiet about those words. While Gonk was no philosopher he did understand the expression used by the woman, not that he necessarily agreed with it.
“Perhaps it is,” Gonk said/ “In this particular scenario the pen may have been more effective than the sword, but that's not always the case.”
When he finished speaking Gonk sat down in the seat offered to him by Shina. He thanked her then glanced over to Travin to check what he was doing. Now that they were in the office, there wasn’t really much to do except wait for the Hogokage to arrive and hope that he would take the money for Kita and Fu.
[WC=268]
[TWC=665]

Wed Jul 21, 2021 8:46 pm

Travin walked into the room following gonk and sipping from his water bottle. He was so happy that this place had air conditioning. If he had to through a meeting without it here it was possible that he would explode into a puddle before they got to leave. Once they both were in Travin looked around the room noting everything including the women sitting down she was a little strange, to say the least, and Travin could feel that she was no pushover. If he had to place her he would assume that she was the second in command Shina. While he had never met her and from what Kiri knew most people didn’t meet her, and they didn’t have a lot of information on her either outside of her existence and being held in high regard in Hoshi. However, Travin knew that if she had been around since Den and Aki ruled over Hoshi and still standing strong she would have to be very powerful. A small part of him wanted to see just how powerful, as that information would be valuable for his village, but at last, he was here on a diplomatic mission and not an intelligence-gathering mission. Perhaps another time he would get to see just how good she really was for now he would continue to play his part of the easy-going fool. A part he normally didn’t like to play, but with the heat and sand that somehow managed to find its way into everything on him, it was not as hard as normal to play.

“Relax kids” Travin heard turning to look directly at the women. From his experience, that’s normally what is said before a trap is triggered putting Travin on guard for a few seconds as she continued. “Our Kage’s have become pen pals” she would add placing Travin back on ease once more. “Good for him. I’ve been telling him he needed to make friends” Travin told Shina with a smirk as he walked over to the offered seat and sit down next Gonk.

Once gonk replayed to her acknowledging his return to the village. “So when can we expect the Hogokage to show up, or are we to deal with you. If we’re waiting it’s common courtesy to supply refreshments, and maybe explain how to keep the sand out of everything” Travin would tell Shina in a way that was less question and more statement. While still remaining respectful somehow. It was a fine line that he had learned how to walk growing up in a merchant’s house.

(WC-429 TWC-1087)

Fri Jul 23, 2021 5:37 pm

They both stood so stiffly that it looked as though had put a Rasengan up their asses. So the acting Kage told them to relax, and teased that she wouldn’t report them for doing so. Part of Shina flirted with the idea of leaving them both standing for the rest of the meeting; even The Grimma Hunter was not that cruel of a woman.

“Tell me about it, boy. I’ve heard you had a huge sword.” Shina winked amusingly. “You felt the need to pull it out for all the world to see the first you passed our gates, as I recall.” Perhaps the fish boy would receive that as mockery. If he said anything to it, the fuinjutsu expert would only shrug. We all need to be mocked from time to time, lest we start to take ourselves too seriously.

The 30-year-old brunette giggled like a girl at the second Kirigakure’s representative comment for the lack of his Kage’s friends. Perhaps this Aloide Terumi and Ayato shared more in common than either one of them realized. “Refreshments are on their way. The Hogokage is not, as he is in a meeting with his master of the archives. These two get drunk in words the same way we might do with wine. So I’ll be here in his stead."

She called the name of a young acolyte outside who brought them three glass cups of wine sweetened with fruits.

“Don’t you two ever tell anyone in Hoshi that I offered drinks while on duty,” Shina warned, sounding worried. “Else Lord Seventh might find out, and I will be the one that will need to be ransomed instead of your friend.” The nineteen-year-old Hoshi hero had scant love for alcohol and even less for those who had fun while on duty.

Shina sucked in air through those perfect white teeth of hers as the aftertaste of the wine burned her throat. “This is Florent wine, Haven’s finest, savor it too much, however, and you end up bedridden for a week. Speaking from experience," She placed her half-empty cup on the desk, and her blue eyes searched theirs.

"I've been let to believe that your Kage gave you something for us."

WC: 357

Sat Jul 24, 2021 11:26 am

Travin nodded in understanding he knew how hard it was to get in the same room as one of the kage’s. He would not hold it against Ayato, as he knew all too well just how busy his own kage was. That was the reason Gonk and himself were there in his stead. When Shina called for one of the servants Travin assumed anyways. There was fine wine brought into the room and placed on a table in front of both Gonk and himself, and one placed next to Shina. She took a sip before telling them that it was one of Hoshi’s finest. Travin wanted to take a sip and see just how good it was, but his father had always told him that you never mixed alcohol and business. You often ended up on the short end of the stick that way. It was advice that he had followed so far and had no intentions of stopping. Travin would sit his water bottle down next to the glass “I will taste this once our business is done, but I am looking forward to it” he would tell Shina with a half-grin.

“We have been giving permission to negotiate on his behalf for the release of Kita, as well as attempt to get Fu off your hands as well.” Travin would tell Shina who would be able to tell by the tone of his voice that he was here mostly for Kita and could really care less about Fu. “It is a great shame for my country that Kita was caught breaking one of your laws, as I’m sure lord Mizukage has already explained in his letters with lord Hogokage we had no intentions of breaking any laws. We also will make sure that in the future our genin is better taught the laws of any village that they enter.” Travin would add before taking another sip of his water. “In exchange, for Kita, we have been authorized funds of 60k as payment for the release of Kita. whatever is left we can use it to help Fu.”

Travin would wait and see what Shina said. He was putting his cards on the table, as he was never one for haggling like his father.

(WC-375 TWC-1462)

Sun Jul 25, 2021 6:02 pm

It seemed that the fish boy had no witty comeback for Shina’s comment. Too bad she supposed, with a little more teasing, the Kiri participant of the Chuunin exams would learn to be more humorous on his feet. The vanguard in the negotiations was Travin, who, despite being overly eager to taste the drink a moment ago, decided to put business before the pleasure of alcohol.

“Thank you Travin, appreciate that. Your Kage indeed expressed the same feeling to Ayato. And in turn, the Hogokage understands that it would be unfair to judge the entirety of Kiri by the unfortunate actions of one of their members. We can consider this as a bad parenthesis in an otherwise fruitful shinobi understanding.”

Within the first five minutes, Kita Hajime came to Hoshi and broke the law to receive a performance enhancement to cheat his way in the Chuunin Exams. Then when summoned to answer for his crime, he proceeded to insult the Kage.

And even then, the options did not change. To forgo the transplant or complete a task, fight alongside Ayato and Akabayashi against a Hoshi insurrectionist. Even though he initially expressed interest in such a joined operation, he pulled out at the last minute. He received a punishment that would remind him to respect the laws of a different culture.

Shina did hold any animosity towards the kid. She had been doing this job for many years and had seen what this pursuit of power did. The story of the shinobi did a lot of good when he first started and realized that if you moved this a centimeter away, you could get a case to stick. Then you move a meter, and then a mile, and before you know it, you are on the other side, dwelled too far in the abyss.

“Sixty thousand is a fair price. It would help to appease the geezers in the Red Council. These people make the Royalty that ruled this country once look good. Which is a hard thing to do.”

Leaning back on the Kage’s chair, she stretched her arms, revealing burn marks across the length of the right forearm. “As for Fu, don't worry. She will be joining our Kage on the missing hunt in exchange for her freedom. She might be a girl of humble origins, but she is as fearless as they come. “

Once Shina received the ransom, she would dip her quill into thick blank ink before she started scribbling into a piece of parchment. When it was complete, she placed the quill down.

“The warrant for Kita’s release has been signed. The boy will get back home safe. You can go and join him in the Book Bodies and Beyond. From there, Akabayashi Terumi will escort you to the gates.”

WC: 466
TWC: 1077

[EXIT]

Claims: Accepting the ransom of 60k ryo offered for Kita by Travin and putting it in the vault.
1077/1500 to Diamond Release for Ayato with 25% discount

Sun Jul 25, 2021 7:21 pm

Travin agreed with Shina on her points and nodded after finding out that he and the mizukage were on the same page with this whole ordeal. “Trust me he will not be getting off easy. Kita will be paying the village back this money whether that is through coin or blood.” Travin tone would tell Shina that he meant every word. He had every intention to make sure that Kita took the hardest mission and made this money back for the village. Even if he had to go with him, after all, it would be good strength-building for him.

After handing over the money Travin would take the release papers and get up. Grabbing the glass and taking a small sip before downing the entire glass. “That was rather tasty I may send some of my people back here to get a few crates of that’s” he would add before turning to walk out the door.

Once outside Gonk and Travin would follow their guide to Kita. Travin would keep everything business while within the lands of Hoshi but once they got back to Kiri it was time for Kita to go to work. He had been missing work for far too long.

WC-203 TWC-1665

Exit Claiming with 25% discount
1665 WC to Total Concentration Breathing

Sun Jul 25, 2021 7:24 pm

Exit Claims approved up to this point!

Operation: Houseplant Retrieval

Operation: Houseplant Retrieval

Re: Operation: Houseplant Retrieval

Re: Operation: Houseplant Retrieval

Re: Operation: Houseplant Retrieval

Re: Operation: Houseplant Retrieval

Re: Operation: Houseplant Retrieval

Re: Operation: Houseplant Retrieval

Re: Operation: Houseplant Retrieval

Re: Operation: Houseplant Retrieval

Re: Operation: Houseplant Retrieval