A Friendly Face (IO)

Mission
A Bit Fishy

It was a brisk and cold morning when Junko rose out of her mattress. Clambering out of bed she began her morning routine, first starting with a hot bath, having some tea, and then finishing off by making herself breakfast. She had promised Akira and Emi that she would help an old friend of theirs with a mission that they had posted a few days prior, so feeling obligated she got dressed in her work clothes and began gathering the things she needed. Not sure what she was going to be dealing with she equipped herself with her trusty tanto, a handful of other items, and then made her way to the mission board to see if it was still there. Approaching the board she scanned for the name of the person Akira and Emi had told her about, and upon finding it she plucked the paper from the board and began reading the details of the mission.

158 WC

[Enter]

The soft footsteps were in the wake of a evil ominous aura. One that rung in the air even to those who couldn't sense chakra something was off about this man. A lone before was near the mission board this place as he immediately scanned his surroundings. He had been hungry he had taken unusual means to get here and his stomach hurt. Walking next to the woman he silently bowed his head.'She belongs to Jashin death would embrace her well'. Damn these voices and damn his curse. "Excuse me Miss." His voice was resounding yet polite. His youth evident in his face and voice despite his grim look. His eyes scanned for the quickest job he could find snagging a E rank job as he turned and slowly walked away. "Old man needs help finding his son..." He said to himself before tucking the paper away with a sigh. His rumbling stomach culled any sense of annoyance as he needed to eat. "Good day to you." Azuki promptly said to the woman as he would start heading off in the direction of the quest giver. The sooner he got done the sooner he could find cheap food. Anything to curve this unbearable pain.

WC:204

Feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand as this ominous man approached, she turned to face him. As he spoke to her she could hear his stomach quietly grumbling. To her he seemed polite enough and looked to be a fellow traveler, so she decided to introduce herself. Turning her body towards him, she bowed respectfully.

”Umm, hello! Are you new around here? I’m Junko, it’s nice to meet you. Are you hungry? I have some bread left over from my breakfast this morning, I was going to have it as a snack later but you can have it if you’d like.”

Digging around in a medium sized bag that she had slung over her shoulder, she pulled out about 1/4 of a loaf of bread that was wrapped up in a cloth and held it out to the man.

”I’m also planning on picking up that job, would you want to look together? I was asked to take a look for him by some of my neighbors.”

She smiled sweetly at the man, she knew how people could look down on people like them so she wanted to show him some kindness.

196 WC
354 WC total

Warm and cozy her chakra signature felt like. So much so his body almost acted on instinct at the sound of her voice. Well really only until the mention of food. Frozen on his morbid visage was lustful eyes as the smell of bread broke through the air. It filled his lungs and the very essence of his soul! Calm down he thought food. "If you have the means to spare then I thank you" Even the voices in his head were asking him what he is doing. Accepting food from a stranger had he suddenly accepted Jashin they mocked. Accepting the small piece of bread he humbly bowed before attempting to subtly sniff it as he turned around to eat it promptly. Listening to her other suggestion he waited until he was done huffing the food down. With a slight cough and removing of any crumbs he turned covering his mouth. "I would appreciate the company thank you."

It would have been rude otherwise to decline.For better or for worst he was indeed indebted to the young woman.  Besides Azuki could carefully gather information to verify her previous statement. Who carries around poisoned bread and claims to be well known after all. With a final swallow a wave of relief washed over his body. One such sensation even he couldn't fully hide in this moment. "Please lead the way if you will." He said bluntly before flicking off a left over crumb on his upper lift with a moment of intense focus.

WC:253  TWC: 457

Satisfied with his answer Junko began wandering towards the home of the old man who put up the mission request. She had spoken with her neighbor about the man previously and had a general idea of where the home was located. As they strolled along together Junko attempted to make small talk.

“Well I gave you my name, can I have yours? Do you plan on sticking around here? The community is rather nice, and I'd be more than happy to help you out if need be.”

She didn't know what to think of the man now walking with her, but she didn't want to judge a book by its cover. She wondered to herself about his past, where he came from, and where he planned on going. However, she decided to keep it to herself, not wanting to scare him off.

143 WC
497 WC TOTAL

"I am Azuki Shinoda. I am a simple wanderer." Azuki says keeping a relatively poise face. It wasn't as if he had angry look but serious yet calm. Every action carried purpose and intent as he moved. His melanted skin comforted by the sunlight made his eyes really stand out. For such a serious looking person his youth and baby face gave some sort of innocence to his cruel aura.

A small house came into view as the two continued down their path. As this Junko character was taking the lead he assumed this outlier house had to be the place. The whole time during their walk Azuki was focused on getting the general layout of the land. Although he should respond to her for now she was kind enough to feed him. "I don't stay in any place too long. Just enough to get work done and be on my way." He finished saying with a bit of a softer tone. As cautious as he was not everyone was a enemy. Him of all people should know this for the times he's thrown himself in to unknown danger. Yet ever so distrusting. A small glare forced his face to scrunch for a second with a calm breath following suit. Now was the time for work these thoughts could be sorted later.


WC:222 TWC: 679

Junko attempted to continue making small talk with the man as they approached a relatively small but cozy-looking home. She had come here a few times to deliver a package from Emi to the fisherman's wife so she was somewhat familiar with the clients. The wife often spoke of her troubled son who continuously indulged in drinking heavily and returning home in the dead of night. Junko stopped speaking when they approached their front door, and she gave a light knock.

Opening up the door was a rugged-looking older man wearing simple attire with a tired look on his face. Junko then began explaining that she and Azuki were here to find his son for him and his wife. The man then began slinging insults and curses about his son. As Junko thought, the man also believed that his son was off somewhere either drinking or passed out from drinking. Turning to Azuki she said in a calm voice

"I believe here's a handful of places he could be, only a few places around here sell alcohol. The inn, bar, and general store are what come to mind. What do you think?"

192WC
689 WC TOTAL

Azuki, with his keen eye for detail, had already embarked on his investigation while Junko was engaged with the elderly man. The first thing that caught his attention was a series of footprints etched into the dirt around the house. The soil was still wet, forming a trail that beckoned him to follow. His experience as a wanderer and mercenary had honed his senses, making him particularly adept at tracking and observation.Moving with a quiet deliberation, he followed the trail, his eyes sharply scanning the environment for any additional clues. The trail led him around to the back of the house where he noticed a window left slightly ajar. It was an unusual detail, one that didn't escape his notice.

Reaching down, Azuki found a note tucked beneath the window, partially covered in dirt. He carefully shook off the dirt to reveal the message written on it. The note was addressed to the old man's son, mentioning a routine meet-up at the bar. The mention of 'per usual' suggested this was a regular occurrence, potentially a habitual gathering that could hold significance to their mission.Azuki took a moment to process the information. The note was a small but potentially crucial piece of the puzzle, offering a lead that could direct their next course of action. With the note in hand, he made his way back around to the front of the house, where Junko was still conversing with the old man.

He approached discreetly, not wanting to interrupt their conversation abruptly. Azuki knew the value of subtlety and timing, skills he had cultivated through his many travels and varied experiences. When she had turned to ask him his opinions he simply handed her the note. "He's probably passed out at the bar. Better to make haste. "

WC:296 TWC: 975

Noticing the man walking off to look for more information, she tried to keep the old man's attention so Azuki could focus on his task. Taking the note from him after he approached, she opened it up and gave it a read before slipping it into the pocket of her dress. Looking back to the old man she told him that they had found a lead to where his son may be and that she and Azuki needed to leave before the trail ran cold. After exchanging formalities and goodbyes with the old man the two of them began heading to the local bar. Before reaching the bar Junko smiled warmly at Azuki and said

"That was rather impressive Azuki, if I went missing you could probably find me in no time!"

She chuckled slightly at the thought but was genuine in her complement. Normally on missions she simply talks to those involved and tries to complete the task based on that alone, she wasn't much of an investigator. Continuing their walk, Junko couldn't help but think that the two of them would probably make a decent team. The world was hard enough as it is, but it could be slightly improved with some friends. She longed for other ninjas to train and work with, so she saw this as a chance to make a new ally.

Finally making it to the bar, they came upon a slowly withering 2 story building. When it was first built it must have been gorgeous, but the years hadn't been kind to it. Bad patch jobs could be seen on the roof, and the wooded walls seemed to be slowly rotting away. Opening the front door, she could feel corroded wood remnants on her hand. She quickly scanned the room, looking for the old man's son.

303 WC
TOTAL WC 992

"Always survey the area." He said in response to her as they made it to the bar. Following in behind her he immediately scanned around the surrounding area. Suddenly his head dropped and his eyes closed as he started sensing chakra signatures. He could feel up to 10m and sensed a single presence out back of the bar well multiple signatures and they were all still. "He's in the back." Promptly Azuki walks outside of the bar before speed walking to the back of the bar seeing three passed out drunks in a not so savory situation. His brow furled and his face scrunched. "Wake up," He promptly said  kicking all three of them awake.

"Who is the son of the old couple on the outskirts of town." A sternness in his voice to get this day over with. Plus the smell was disgusting he preferred corpses over this. One of the men raised his hand as Azuki snatched his collar and started dragging him in one hand before heading back to the front of the bar. "Junko I found him come verify please" He dropped him back on the ground without a moments hesitation before meticulously dusting his hands off. "Fucking disgusting...." He muttered under his breath.


WC: 208 TWC: 1,183