Lavander Haze

Through their combined efforts, the three Kirigakure shinobi were able to breeze through the tasks without any trouble. Sosuke wondered what Kaimera would draw as the latter had pulled out his utensil to eventually get to work creatively. In the meantime, the Hyuuga joined his fellow clan member as they tested their marksmanship. With the help of their ninja tools it was only a matter of time before they successfully hit the targets. Once that part of the missions had been completed, they could move on to the one involving stealth. Entering the store without going noticed, the warriors of the Mist were able to find out it was nothing more than a library. Finally, all that was left now would be to find clues about recent events of theft. Once the three of them solved the crime and found out who the culprit was, they delivered the mission report before calling it a day.

(Exit)

(TWC: 1500)
Claims:
- 15 stats to Speed
- 1500/1500 Sky Sword Shattering (Chakra Infusion here)
- Mission rewards (11.000 ryo, 55 AP)

Whatever were this man’s expectations, Kaimera defied them when he found his way to the scene of the crim. The redhead found the man named, Shizu, back in the scriptorium, working again, this time on an intricate golden border. Shizu did not immediately look up because it seemed his work was at a delicate stage. Rather surprisingly, Kaimera did not speak up to interrupt Shizu, but stood in silence until Kaimera set his brush down and swiveled on the stool to look at Kaimera.

Then Kaimera stalked over to the table and looked down at the page.

“Thank you for not interrupting me.” Shizu said.

Kaimera shrugged. “You do fine work.”

“Thank you.” Shizu stood.

He was very tall, very thin, with curls that seemed extraordinarily startling to one who has seen only tonsured heads for several years. The long deep blue cloak Kaimera wore was clearly of the finest wool and edged with fine red stitching. “You are not in the Purple Moon Religion,” Shizu said, surprised.

“Good Kami, no,” Kaimera said with a short laugh. “Can you imagine anything worse?”

Shizu raised a brow at him.

Looking slightly—but only slightly—abashed, Kaimera held up a conciliatory hand. “Worse for me,” Kaimera added, then truly looking at Shizu, sweeping an oceanic-blue gaze over him from head to foot and back again. “Lovely as your work is, Brother Shizu, I would be surprised if it were not a bit tedious for a man used to the excitement of the battlefield.”

“Excitement is one word for it.” Shizu replied dryly. “Have you read of my past?”

“Not at all. Only your name. But I can read your history in your posture and your eyes. The son of a minor noble who ruined the family and lost his fortune through a fondness for the gaming tables. Who then drank himself to death. As the second son, you chose the shinobi life over politics and religion. An injury ended that and brought you here.”

“You astound me,” Shizu said. “That was brilliant.”

He shrugged. “That is not the response I usually receive.”

“Oh? What do people usually say?”

“Get away from me, freak.” His words were said solemnly, but after a moment, when our eyes met, we both broke into laughter.

Kaimera noticed that Shizu clapped a hand over his mouth and looked to see that the door to the scriptorium was safely closed.

“What?” Kaimera asked. “Is laughter against the rules?”

“Not specifically. But the kind of idle chatter that leads to laughter is. Since you come from the shinobi military, this cannot be news to you, sir.”

Kaimera made an only slightly mocking bow. “Kaimera Yakedo, at your service.”

“Do you have a connection to Raiga Yakedo?”

Kaimera grimaced. “To his eternal grief. I am his youngest grandson.” Then Kaimera rubbed his hands together briskly. “But we have a murder to solve, don’t we, Brother Shizu? Shall we get on with it?”

He nodded and led the way to the door, then paused. “Outside this room, discretion is the rule.”

“I am aware. This is not my first investigation behind the walls. So no idle chatter and no laughter.” Then Kaimera grinned at him. Shizu seemed to warm up and took him to the body of Brother Toshiko. They glided silently through the chilly corridors.

Once in the anteroom, Shizu stood to one side and watched as Kaimera did his work. Shizu projected revelation to see the care Kaimera displayed. Oh, not care for the corpse, but for the search for the truth. Finished with the body of Brother Toshiko, Kaimera then examined each corner of the small windowless room and the pedestals from which the carvings had been taken. Shizu does not know what conclusions Kaimera drew, because Kaimera did not deign to share them with him. Kaimera talked, yes, but only about details of what he was seeing, without telling Shizu the significance.

All conversation ceased when Kaimera asked Shizu to take him on a tour of the entire priory. By this time, everyone had been told what had happened and they were in the chapel praying and singing. Kaimera wondered if it was shameful that Shizu was most content to be ‘investigating’ with Yakedo rather than in prayer with his brothers? However, it seemed that this was the most content that Shizu had been in a very long time.

As they stood alone in the kitchen, Kaimera spoke again. “Shizu, you do realize, don’t you, that this must have been done by someone on the inside?”

“Is it not possible that someone came in from the outside?” Shizu did not believe that, but felt an obligation to try and defend the men with whom Shizu lived.

Kaimera sighed. “I am going outside to walk the perimeter. Just to be certain.”

“Shall I accompany you?” 

Kaimera shook his head. “You will be more useful to me if you join the others in the chapel. Be my eyes there. See if everything is as it should be.”

It seemed that Shizu was foolishly disappointed, but he nodded. “As you wish.”

Suddenly, Kaimera smiled at him again. “Not as I wish, Shizu. As the investigation demands.” His musical voice lowered. “I would wish for your company.

Kaimera could feel Shizu’s face redden by just looking at it, like he almost resented his fate.

After a long moment, we parted with what seemed equal reluctance and Shizu went to the chapel while Kaimera headed for the door.

Prior Michael was delivering prayers as Shizu slipped into the last pew. All seemed quite normal as Shizu surveyed the room. Being Kaimera’ eyes.

All the monks were in their usual places. Shizu counted to be sure.

Behind them, the novices were lined up, all seven of them.

And finally, just four rows ahead of me, the three laymen—no, in fact, there were only two of the manual laborers in place. The largest, a rather surly man who tended the horses owned by the priory, was missing. Isamu was his name, Shizu suddenly remembered. Soundlessly, Shizu slid forward and whispered to Damon, “Where is Isamu?”

All Shizu got in response was a shrug.

Immediately, Shizu realized that Kaimera was outside on his own and that perhaps a murderer was out there as well. Trying without much luck to be silent, Shizu hurried out of the chapel, grabbing a cloak from its hook before going out into the December night. Luckily, there was a bright moon above and Shizu sent a silent thanks to heaven, although no doubt his heavenly Father was not best pleased with this wayward sheep.

He had almost reached the herb garden, desolate at this time of the year, when Shizu saw Kaimera just a few steps in front of himself and the sight made him sigh in relief. Then something (perhaps God was not so angry with him after all) made him look upwards. A figure stood at the edge of the roof, holding something large in his hand.

He recognised that it was one of the stone turtle doves and immediately Kaimera saw what was going to happen. With a useless shout, Kaimera threw himself at Shizu, knocking him to the ground and landing heavily on top of him. At that same moment, the stone turtledove crashed into the spot where Shizu had just been standing.

There was a moment of silence as profound as any Kaimera had ever experienced in the chapel as they stared into one another’s eyes. “Your God moves in mysterious ways,” Kaimera finally said.

Kaimera rolled off of him and stood, offering a hand up.

“Come, Shizu,” Kaimera said, “we have a killer to apprehend.”

But before they could take a step, there was a shout and something else came flying from the roof, landing on the frozen ground with a horrific sound. Isamu had brought a rough justice to himself as they stared at the broken body of the man, lying amid the pieces of the shattered stone turtledove. “Well, that is extremely unsatisfying,” Kaimera murmured. “Now we shall never know why.” Belatedly again, Kaimera crossed himself; he is really not a very good servant of the gods. With that, he left to join up with his comrades and turn in the completed mission assignments.

EXIT
WC: 1,380
TWC: 3,955

Claiming:
+11,000 Ryo
+55 AP
449 to 301/750 Certain-Kill Ice Spears (Previous WC Learned Here)(25% off due to max stat)
1875/1875 to Organic Particle Destruction (25% off due to max stat)
1500/1500 to Chakra Sensory (25% off due to max stat)
118 to 1007/1125 Whirlwind Thrust (Previous WC Learned Here)(25% off due to max stat)
3,955 - 3,942 = 13 WC Left Over to Be Thrown Into the Void