More than just Claw Games

Mission:

Claw Country. A small country that bordered along the vast expansive desert of the land of wind. As the two ninja from the sand stepped out of the desert and into a more tree filled and slightly cooler area Daiki took in the fresh air that the trees provided before thinking about where they could proceed for the information that they sought. The first thing that reached his ears was the sound of running water... and the mission details had specified that there would be a river that the locals were in a fight over. "Ok. So our mission is to somehow convince the local farmers not to engage in a war over a river? I highly doubt the Kazekage would expect a couple of Genin to succeed in such a lofty task." He took in a deep breath, smelling the air as a hint of water reached his nose, and he looked in the direction of the source. "I think the best thing we can do is gather information. Stopping a war should be considered secondary. I'm not against trying, mind you... Just feel as though there's not much I could say or do to keep something like that from happening." He would wait for his partner to respond before he pointed in the direction of the smell he had sensed earlier.

"This way to the river I think. With luck there'll be some people not too far away from it." He would travel in the direction as he looked around and made note of the surroundings. It was a nice and serene forest type of area with multiple animals peacefully enjoying the nourishment that it provided. Daiki had always had an attraction to nature and how they could adapt and evolve to their surroundings as well as how nature itself seemed to provide everything life needed in order to live on peacefully. It was too bad things like this, war over mere farming and a river, could put a damper on such things. He had a feeling two lowly Genin were going to have the means of stopping something like a war from happening but that didn't mean he wasn't going to at least try. As he would walk along the path through the trees he would come across a large clearing with the river that he had been looking for travelling straight down the middle. The thing was so was what looked to be a large farming village.

He could see multiple people of this village working with the soft soil that contained their gardens, rice and tomatoes and potatoes and many other vegetables being enriched through their toils, as the river was supplying water for their rice as they walked along the pools in order to tend to them. "As good a place to start as any." he said with a hint of relief as he walked towards the farming village thinking through his mind what he was going to say or ask. He had within one of his pockets a picture of the second Kazekage that he intended to use in order to ask the farmers if they'd seen her pass through which had been tied to the falcon's leg that he had gotten the mission from. And so started the investigation: Daiki would ask multiple villagers for information regarding the Kazekage and any companions she may have been travelling with along with info on the conflict that the villagers were going through with the opposing Fang Country. He wouldn't get much info on the former but the latter was a treasure trove of information that he knew would come in handy in case his superiors needed to take advantage of it. He would thank all who were forthcoming with their info while trying to keep out of their way as much as possible.

It was clear that the farmers weren't wanting to go to war with the other country but due to the setup of how fishing was not an option for Claw Country to utilize they didn't feel as though they had much choice but to exert force in order to get what they needed. After all the river flowed from the direction of Fang Country as the adjoined Mountain Country was what provided the river with the water as well as the fish. Fang Country was being greedy with this advantage, being able to fish up everything from the river leaving Claw with nothing, but they were also angry over the advantage Claw had over Fang as it was in a more warmer climate allowing their farms to flourish. "It'll take a lot to get these two to get along..." he said to himself as he looked at the clear and beautiful river. "Maybe if they arranged a trading system things wouldn't be this hostile?"

WC 803

Crossing over into Claw Country was such a drastic change in scenery. The once rolling sandy dunes of the Land of Wind had shifted and turned into an ongoing stretch of intermingling trees and bumpy little foothills. Not much was known about the place, but due to previous knowledge from the family, the people here were a still bit…barbaric in nature. No, that wasn’t entirely the right term for it. Barbaric would also signify that most of them have deep seeded issues on rage, which wasn’t entirely true. It’s just their ways were still a bit tending to the old ways. There weren’t any major civilizations, and much of the towns that had been standing were still mainly consisted of a tight knit community of similarly minded tribes. The people themselves had still believed in things such as connecting with nature, being the preservers of it, etc, etc. Which not only showed in how well kept the surrounding lands were, but when one would be seen, it was clear to tell in their outfits as well. Typical garb for most of the regular shmegular people of Claw were composed of fur pelts and leather like materials.

While Kin might not have been accustomed with this perse, it’s not entirely something in which he shunned nor frowned down upon. The peace and calm given off by these vibes were quite relaxing from the typical hustle and bustle of the bigger village. Not some place where he could live, but it truly did raise the question of why exactly didn’t he get out to explore these beautiful places before? Turning to Daiki after taking in the view for a second, he’d listen while the other genin would give a pre-mission speech almost. This guy is certainly suited to be a leader, that’s for sure. That thought flew by while the words were being spoken. Casually checking his nails while doing so, the blonde braided Akiyama would wait until the other blonde had finished what they were saying, before chiming in ”Well we might not be able to. But, I do have a contact here with some sway over the civilian’s opinions so maybe she could. Besides, she might have any missing pieces of information that can be filled in, just in case we don’t manage to find out too much here, or just have more questions in general.” The nobleman would pause while scanning over the cuticles of his fingernails one final time, before then going on to add ”I’ll let you take the helm in the fishing town itself then, and I’ll let you know when we should go meet her.” And upon saying this, Kin would gesture for his fellow investigator to lead onwards.

The white robed man would follow suit in asking around questions about why exactly there was the shadow of war looming over between the two countries. Claw Country’s reasoning seemed to be partly ensnared in an age old territorial dispute that has been ongoing between them and Fang Country. Comments were made about how this fighting has been happening since most of them could remember. But they would also make the particular note that it’s just never really gotten this bad. The worst thing that’s occurred were the occasional riots that would take place along the riversides, but it wouldn’t really escalate beyond the point of minor injuries. Until recently that is. One of the people which the duo would question would mention how in one of these recent disputes, one of the citizens from the Claw side of things got pulled into the river and drowned there. Kin couldn’t help but feel sorry for not only that person, but the entirety of the fishing village for it must have been some kind of harrowing loss that things have now gone this far.

Just as the two had paused in what they were doing for a bit of a break, Kin would notice a couple that seemed to be somewhat hiding underneath a bridge that spanned to the opposite side of it. They were talking in hushed whispers, so at the distance in which both Daiki and the Akiyama heir had been standing at, their conversation couldn’t be made out. No specifics really, except for the sole fact that it would seem like they didn’t want to be seen. Almost like they were hiding away from prying eyes. Touching the Senju on the shoulder as he would mumble to himself, if it had managed to catch the participant’s attention, Kin would then point out the two to him.

WC: 762

Daiki nodded to his partner's words with a smile. "Awesome. I wish I had the insight to establish outside connections myself. That sort of future thinking might be what makes you Chuunin when we get back home." He spoke in a kind tone to the ninja as, even though these Chuunin exams had a little bit of a competitive nature to them amongst the test takers, he couldn't help but be happy at watching others achieve their goals. Whether or not he would become Chuunin once they got back he didn't actually care. All that mattered, in this moment, was doing whatever it took to get the mission done smoothly and without any casualties. He would then look back on the short journey he set out on to get here and be grateful for the experience he picked up along the way. As the two would investigate the farming/fishing village with questions they would then start investigating with their eyes. Daiki was in the midst of reading some poetry that had been etched into the wall of one of the farmer's houses before he got a tap on his shoulder from the Akiyama. He looked over to see him focusing on a point behind him as Daiki turned to see the two suspicious individuals. This actually caused him to smile.

'Ooh. This is a good chance to try out my new trick.' he thought to himself as he would take a chomp out of his thumb. "Good catch, Kin." he said as he made a few hand seals before bringing his bloody thumb into his palm. "Luckily we won't have to get close in order to hear what they're saying... She will." With a snap of his thumb against his middle finger smoke appeared within his hand just as the two whisperers had turned their attention away and in his hand lied two small slugs. He would take one and place her atop his shoulder as he whispered a command to the other and it responded by curling up into a ball. With a flick of his wrist Daiki would then roll it fast along the ground in the direction of the two men before it stopped in a tall patch of grass close enough to hear what the two were saying. He would watch the patch of grass as the slug kept still and information started coming to him from the other slug that he had on his shoulder.

"Ok." he whispered over to Kin as the slug kept relaying to him information. "They're watching us and relaying information on what we're doing to someone. They're not doing a very good job being sneaky about it though." He would think for a bit before looking around towards an alley nearby that was dark and out of sight. "So here's the plan: Obviously this is highly suspicious of someone possibly wanting to start something but then again they might just be security for this village checking up on us to see if we're trouble. I think it'd be best if we lose them in this alley and then follow them to see if they'll report back to their superior directly. We'll then know if they're the good guys or bad guys." With that he would casually walk into the alley, expecting to be followed by his partner and the two sus dudes, as he would then form a few hand seals before positioning himself next to the wall, right by a dumpster, and crouching down. In a puff of smoke he would transform into a trash can that looked pretty beat up and dirty as he waited to see what happened. He would expect Kin to do something similar to hide if he went along with the plan.

On cue the two would come into the alley looking around as they would walk through the alley and look around once more unable to find who they were looking for. They wouldn't notice that the slug that had been thrown closely to them would be sticking to one of their cloaks as it detached from the cloak. "Dammit... Boss won't be happy about dis." They spoke in a loud tone as it was clear their anger was getting in the way of their logical thinking to keep their volume down. "What are ninja doing in the village anyway? They're gonna get in the way." The other one would shush his partner. "Shut up, moron. Anyone could be listening to us..." The other growled. "We should get the poisoning over with while we have the chance. The client was very particular about the time limit if you remember." This set off red flags for Daiki. 'Poisoning?' he thought quietly to himself. "Not yet, stupid. If those two are still around once the river starts turning it'll make us look very suspicious. Suspicion makes people targets." Now this was the biggest red flag. 'They're going to poison the river. We have to act fast!'

By this time the slug that had detached from the two would go to Kin, whether he was disguised or not, and would relay Daiki's thoughts verbally in a whisper. "Daiki would like you to move on his mark in five seconds. He will be going for the one on the right." It wouldn't be long for the five seconds to pass. The two goons were still whispering amongst themselves as Daiki would poof out of his transformation and charge forth, grabbing the bigger of the two, as he would grab his leg and pull causing the goon to fall down face first hard to the ground. He would then get on top of him and hold him down, his strength more than enough to hold him, as he dug his hand into his pockets searching for a vial or something that would be a perfect container for poison. He found it eventually as he pulled out several pretty big bottles of bubbly purple liquid as it wasn't exactly clear to him if this was poison or merely a drink of some sort. Either way he wasn't going to take any chances with it as he stashed the bottles into his pockets to take with him back to the village to analyze later. He knocked out the guy before getting up and nodding to Kin who should've taken down the other guy by now.

"I think this passes enough for stopping a war. If they succeeded in poisoning the river no doubt that would've sparked something really bad. We have these bottles to take back with us as evidence. As far as these two go..." He would look at the two unconscious thugs before looking back at Kin. "What do you think we should do with them? Take them with us for lock up or leave them for Claw Country to take care of? We're technically intruding upon the land as well and the Country might not like us taking prisoners that committed crimes on their soil. They'll probably want to deliver their own justice." He would wait for an answer from Kin and react accordingly to whatever he chose by either picking up the goon ready to transport back to the village or informing the locals about the two. Either way their mission could be considered done and it was time to go back to the village.

WC 1,230; TWC 2,033

{Exit}

Claiming: mission rewards, Yin Injury Dismantling, and 40 AP

With both arms crossed neatly, folded beneath one another and being tightly tucked away underneath the sleeves of the starch white kimono, Kin would smirk as the Senju complimented him on taking notice of the two “love birds”. He’d casually watch and wait as the partner would proceed to inform the ombre haired dude about how they didn’t need to close the distance on the other two, and that one of the slugs which had just been summoned would at least do that work for them. ”Perfect. I’m much more suited for ranged anyways.” Kin would add with a hushed whisper, and it was during this time that the one slug was rolled across the crust of the earth and into a small patch of tallish grass and general shrubbery.

What would be said next, wasn’t necessarily the most interesting of information which was relayed. But there was massive potential for it to turn there. Seeing as the master behind this plan was the summoner and not the puppeteer, the noble would politely oblige to the blonde’s request to follow him into an alleyway. This was important sheerly on the basis that obviously whatever those two civilians were up to, it was most likely no good. So why would they go about sharing their plans while they’d know someone would be near? If it actually wasn’t for the first part about hearing how the duo had been made, then Kin most likely wouldn’t have left the area; specifically to add a bit of drama to things. There was just too much riding on the success of this mission for them to potentially screw it up and have theoretical culprits be running away, and thankfully, the alley in which both Daiki and Kin would eventually arrive at was only but a miniscule walk away from the bridge.

Once there in the alleyway, all they would have to do was wait as the one slug would still be telling them what was currently being said. Something though that made Kin put on a bit of a weird face, was what had followed after the two had already entered the place that would serve as the spot where they would lie low. Turning over to the other mission taker, he’d see as the younger guy would go through some other handseals, and then poof…they were…a trash can? ”Really? You could’ve chosen a better thing to transform into, because I refuse to turn into something that…dirty…” There was a hint of disgust to the voice, which paired with the shocked look on his face quite nicely to further elaborate that there was absolutely nothing which could be done to convince him to transform into quite literally, trash. There were more than enough suitable options after all. I can’t believe I’m doing this… With another whisper, Kin would go on to say ”Trash boy, you better be clean.” And his hands would flicker through a series of hand seals before he would then transform into a small doll, which would be propped up against the side of Daiki the Garbage Bin.

It was only a matter of mere seconds before the probable criminals would also then turn the corner, their faces covered in a panicked expression as they would quickly dart into that same alleyway then. Clearly, they hadn’t taken a liking to the fact that they were caught trying to do whatever they were going to do. Both of them would then seemingly get into a bit of a lover’s quarrel, bickering back and forth to one another about mino- oh…they wanted to poison the river...well that’s not your average picnic in the park. More like, they were now acting like trolls under a bridge, there only goal to bring about even more turbulence for Claw Country. Since this same turbulence has then been slowly starting to trickle into Suna, and also not to mention this river flowed into part of the water supply for Wind Country, this couldn’t be able to stand.

Like a bullet from a gun, Daiki would take off first, tackling one of the two that were looking to hatch their nefarious little scheme. The slug which was with Daiki had instead moved over to the Akiyama lad, now being posed as a doll. Hearing what she would have to say, Kin would then count out those five seconds in his head, while the other one was still left so shellshocked, that they were just standing there witnessing as the Senju of Suna was going through the other one’s pockets. Three…four…five… And their time…was up. Swiftly coming out from his own transformation technique, the puppet user would stand at the other end of the alley to block any escape attempt. The Turtle of War would be promptly brought out while all this movement was happening, and positioned right in front of the man with chakra threads now extending forth from 4 of his finger tips. Both mechanisms of the construct had opened up, and instinctually, like someone who’s done this a million times before spoke up with his head peering over the newly formed blockade of the ‘turtle shell’, saying ”Oi, you there.” There was a clicking noise, as the six barreled turret started to rev up a bit and spin in a counter clockwise rotation. The lovebug who hadn’t been on the ground would turn around upon hearing this, and taking it all in would let out a big gasp. ”It’s time for you to say hello, to my little friend.” Then 6 bullets made from rock would shoot out in quick succession, all making their mark on the poisoner left standing, and none would stray away from it's intended target. This would then be enough to knock them out cold, but not enough to do them in entirely.

With both of the thugs now successfully knocked out and laying on the ground in front of them, Kin would put his puppet away and his eyes would make their way towards the medical specialist, and he’d carefully listen to what the comrade would have to say about the whole thing. ”While that may be true, something tells me that they weren’t working alone. People normally don’t just go about poisoning an entire river system on a whim, nor do they do it on their own.” Words would come to a halt for a second, the only thing covering the air was the slight sound of breathing from all four currently there. ”Them? Well, we can just take these two here to my family’s informant, see what she has to say about this whole situation. Speaking of which, we should probably get going to go to the location to meet her.”

And with this being said, the elegantly dressed shinobi would grab one of the two miscreants, gesture for Garbo-man to follow him, and be on his way to the nearby bakery in the fishing village.

[Thread Exit]

WC: 1156
TWC: 1920

Claims:

Mission-
9000 Ryo (x2 for Beloved Presence)
160 AP (x2 for Beloved Presence)
Thread Exit

Skills/Techs-
1142 words to Puppetry Amplifier, was previously 358/1000 from here, now completing it for B Rank
778 words to Space Time Art: Mass Pull, 778/1000

Misc-
38 bonus AP from max stats (completed from here, stat page still needs to be updated to reflect max stats)

Approved