Who Framed Wabi Sabi?

Meanwhile, somewhere else in the distant reaches of the Land of Key's hinterlands...




A woman with medium-long, semi-dirty blonde hair with the charcoal black half bound together into a spiky bun and a pair of soft, sea-pink eyes traverses through Jamidaka, a settlement located on the outskirts of the Land of Key between two mountains. She wears typical Outlander-esque attire that certainly has her stick out like a sore thumb for the locals to know she's an unmistakably foreign character. The woman's name is Wabi Sabi, or "Sabi", as she prefers the moniker, and she's a Missing Ninja from the Land of Water.

Wabi Sabi ever so slightly smirks as she walks around town, her hands behind her head. She's quite proud to be here. "Man, this place sure is small," Wabi Sabi says to herself with an amused chuckle, "I dun' think I've e'er seen such a tiny village before in my life! It's almost as if it was built by a bunch o' kids." Wabi Sabi travels around the settlement and gazes at all of its sights. There aren't many, but she still finds them entertaining. As a rite of entry for herself, the woman then stops at what looks local tavern—The Far Away Lavender Pub—where she decides to take a seat and order something to drink.

Approaching the double doorway, she scrutinizes the exterior of the establishment. From the outside, it looks cozy, cheerful and intimate. Softwood and huge, stone beams make up most of the building's outer structure. It's tough to see through the small, stained glass windows, but the cheerful sounds from within can be felt outside. When she pushes through the doors and steps inside, she's welcomed by excitement and the smell of alcohol. The bartender's busy but still manages to welcome her with a wave.

It's as engaging inside as it is on the outside. Stone beams support the upper floor and the lanterns attached to them. The walls are full of paintings, all in a different style, but all of the surrounding area. The pub itself is packed. Groups belonging to some kind of organization, whether sport, music, or other she's not sure of, seem to be the primary clientele here. Several long tables are occupied by, what seems to be one large group of people. The other, smaller tables are also occupied by people who are playing games and, judging by their laughter, are either telling jokes or great, perhaps embarrassing, tales. Even most of the stools at the bar are occupied, though nobody seems to mind more company.

"Looks like ma kinda place." Wabi Sabi says to herself before taking a seat at the bar. She then peers around for a moment and takes note of the many patrons who are present in this tavern. "Damn. I've ne'er seen so many people in a single bar before." Wabi Sabi says to herself again with another amused laugh, "I guess it's 'cause this place is so small. It's no wonder there's so many people here." Wabi Sabi then leans forward on the bar countertop and rests her head against her hand as she waits for the bartender to approach her.

The bartender, a young woman with a fair complexion, long, braided black hair, and dark brown eyes, approaches Wabi Sabi from the other side of the counter. "Welcome to the Far Away Lavender! What can I get ya?" She asks with a friendly tone in her voice.

Wabi Sabi peers up at the bartender and smiles. "Hmm, gimme yer best thatcha got on deck," Wabi Sabi replies, "I'm feelin' adventurous t'day."

The woman looks at Sabi for a moment, almost in disbelief before her lips curl to the side. "Ya sure ya old enough to be drinkin' here, lil' lady?" She asks with an amused tone in her voice.

Wabi Sabi laughs lightly as she sits back up straight. "Oh, I'm plenty old 'nuff to be drinkin', sweetheart." She replies, "Much as I may look like one, I'm not some kinda kid."

The woman chuckles softly as she nods in agreement. "Well, alright then. If yer sure, then I'll getcha somethin' good." The woman replies with a smile before she walks away from Wabi Sabi and heads over to the other side of the bar counter to retrieve something for her. Wabi Sabi watches as the woman walks away and then leans back in her chair again as she waits for her drink to arrive. As she does this, she peers around the tavern once more, taking in its sights and sounds. It's quite an interesting place, and it makes Wabi Sabi wonder if it was built by somebody who had a passion for architecture.

"So," The woman says as she returns to Wabi Sabi with her drink in hand, "What brings ya to Jamidaka?" She asks with an inquisitive tone as she places the drink down on the countertop in front of Wabi Sabi and leans forward, resting her hands along the countertop.

Wabi Sabi gazes at the drink that's been placed in front of her. "Oh, I'm just travellin' 'round." She replies as she picks up the glass and takes a sip of it, "I've been doin' so fer awhile now. Gets borin' lookin' at bushes 'n' trees, everywhere. A change o' scenery with some folks is always nice."

The woman smiles and nods in agreement. "Well, yer certainly right 'bout that!" She says with an amused tone in her voice, "This place sure is full o' people! It's almost like a small city here!"

Wabi Sabi chuckles softly and nods in agreement as well. "Yeah, it sure is." Wabi Sabi replies with a smile before taking another sip of her drink. The two then fall silent for a moment as they both peer around the tavern, watching all of the other patrons who are present within the establishment.

"So, where ya from?" The woman asks as she turns her attention back to Wabi Sabi, "Ya don't look like yer from 'round here." She says with a curious tone in her voice.

Wabi Sabi looks back over to the woman and smiles. "Oh? Ya can tell that just by lookin' at me?" She asks with an amused tone in her own. "I'm from the Land of Water, actually." Wabi Sabi replies before taking another sip of her drink. The woman perks up slightly upon hearing this.

The woman's eyes widen a bit and she leans forward more. "Really? Ya don't say!" She exclaims with a surprised tone in her voice, "What's it like o'er there? I've always wanted to go, but I've ne'er been able to leave Jamidaka." She says with a disappointed tone in her voice as she leans back again.

"It's pretty nice." Sabi lies, "It's a lot bigger than this place, that's fer sure. It's got lotsa people 'n' lotsa places to see." Wabi Sabi then takes another sip of her drink before continuing, "But, it can get kinda boring sometimes. That's why I've been travellin' so much lately." The woman nods in understanding as she listens.

Wabi Sabi then looks at the woman curiously. "So, what about ya?" She asks, "What's yer story?"

The woman smiles and shrugs lightly. "I dunno," She replies, "I've always been 'ere. I've ne'er left Jamidaka before." The woman says with an amused tone in her voice and a playful smile on her lips. "Ain't much to tell further from that, I'd bore ya te tears if I told ya ma story." The woman says with a laugh.

Wabi Sabi chuckles and shakes her head. "Nah, yer fine." She replies with a smile before taking another sip of her drink, finishing off the glass. Wabi Sabi then peers down at the empty glass in front of her and sighs softly. "Well, that was pretty good." She comments as she places the glass back down on the countertop.

"So, what's yer name, stranger?" The woman asks, "I dunno if ya told me or not."

Before Sabi could indulge her curiosity further, there's a booming THUNK, as the double doors into the pub swing open and crash against the walls behind them. The commotion of life in the entire tavern comes to a halt as every head pivots toward the source of the unpleasant entry. Standing at the doorway are four men, clad in formal attire, likely native to the settlement, equipped from head to toe from what Sabi can only deduce are likely the official authorities. They're all armed to the teeth and appear to be quite tense as they come through.

The barkeeper pales slightly upon seeing them. "Oh no..." She mutters under her breath before turning around and walking off to the other side of the counter. Sabi watches as she does this and then turns her attention back to the men who have just entered the establishment with casual indifference and takes another swig.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen," One of the men says as he steps forward into the center of the tavern. "We apologize for interrupting your daily routine, but we have a few questions that we need answered." The man then looks over toward Sabi and directly at her. "Starting with you, ma'am." He says as he points to her.

Sabi raises an eyebrow in confusion. "Lil' ole me?" She asks, pointing to herself.

The man nods his head. "Yes, you," He replies, "We've had reports of someone matching your description committing a crime in this settlement."

Sabi's eyes widen slightly upon hearing this and she lets out a nervous chuckle. "Oh? What kinda crime did I supposedly commit?" She asks with an amused tone in her voice before taking another sip of her drink. "I only just got here not too long ago, last I recall."

"That may be so, but you're, nevertheless, accused of trying to kill the mayor of this settlement." The man says as he steps forward toward Sabi. "And you're also accused of stealing some valuable artifacts from the mayor's house." The man continues as he stops in front of Sabi, a meter of space divides them.

Sabi peers up at the man curiously and feigns shock. "What? That's crazy! I would ne'er do somethin' like that! What proof do you have to show for it?" She exclaims with an incredulous tone in her voice.

The barkeeper then returns to Sabi's side with a worried expression on her face. "Please, sir," She says to the man, "I'm sure there's been some sort o' misunderstandin'. This woman's been here fer awhile now 'n' she didn't do anythin' like what yer accusin' 'er o'." The barkeeper pleads with the man, hoping to get him to reconsider his actions.

The man shakes his head. "No, we're certain of what we've heard," He replies, "We can't let someone who's committed such a crime go free." The man says as he turns back toward Sabi. "Now, come along quietly and we won't have to resort to violence." The man continues as he holds out his hand for Sabi to take.

Sabi peers at the man's hand for a moment and then looks back up at him. "I'm afraid I can't do that," She replies, "I ain't done anything wrong, so there's no way I'm gonna go with ya."

"You leave me no choice, then." The man says before he lunges to accost her. Sabi quickly dodges out of the way of his attack and kicks the stool she was sitting on into his path, causing him to stumble forward. Sabi then gets up from her seat and runs over toward the double doors. As she does this, the other men who are present in the tavern begin to move as well.

"Stop her!" One of them shouts as Sabi makes it to the door. Sabi peers over her shoulder and sees that the men are all running after her. She then turns back around and pushes through the double doors.

Sabi exits the tavern and finds herself in the middle of town once again and veers around a corner behind one of many buildings. She looks around for a moment before taking off down one of the streets to hide behind another. The men then follow suit, chasing after her.

"Stop right there!" One of them shouts as they chase after Sabi, "There's nowhere for you to run!"

"Odd, isn't it? The hunter becomes the hunted," She mutters to herself before she performs the Ram hand seal. A puff of off-white smoke envelops her as four identical copies of Sabi appear in a semi-circle before her. "Ya know the drill," She starts, her hands akimbo. "Get 'em off me and I'll bugger off somewhere else. Deal?" The clones nod their heads in unison before they all take off in separate directions. One of the four men stops in his tracks and looks around frantically as he tries to decide which one to follow. He then turns toward one of the clones and begins chasing after it. As he does this, Sabi peeks out from behind the building she's hiding behind and watches as the man chases after the clone. She then quickly ducks back behind the building as another man runs past her and continues chasing after the clone that was being chased by the first man.

The original Sabi then performs the Dog hand seal and another puff of off-white smoke envelopes her form and transforms into an entirely different person: a young woman with long, black hair that reaches down past her waist and dark brown eyes and wears a light pink kimono that covers her entire body. She peers around the corner for a moment before stepping out from behind the building. She then walks over to the other side of the street past where another one of the clones is hiding.

The men stop in their tracks upon seeing this and look around in confusion. "What the hell?" One of them exclaims, "Where'd she go?!"

"She can't have gone far!" Another one shouts as he runs over to where Sabi was standing just moments ago. He looks around for a moment before he notices something out of the corner of his eye. "Over there!" He shouts as he points toward another one of the clones who is hiding behind another building on the other side of the street. The man then takes off running after the clone, who frantically eludes them.

Meanwhile, Sabi watches from her hiding spot as the men chase after the clones as she approaches one of the settlement gates leading out of town. While it would be the most straightforward approach to escape while she can, it would also be a dead giveaway for them to know who she really is. Plus, there's a lack of human traffic coming and going, so she'll have to play the part of a local. Finding a stone bench nearby, she makes herself comfortable, observing with passing glances from those passing by to acclimate herself to their customs and mannerisms.

As Sabi waits patiently for her opportunity to leave, she notices that the men who are chasing after her clones are becoming more and more frustrated with each passing minute. She then peers over at one of the clones who has managed to evade the men for quite some time now and is currently hiding behind one of the many buildings in the settlement. The clone peers out from around the corner every once in a while to see if the men are still chasing after her before ducking back behind the building.

"We know you're here somewhere!" One of them shouts as he stops running after the clone he was chasing and looks around frantically. "Come out now before we find you!" The man continues as he begins searching around for the clone again.

The clone then peeks out from behind the building again and sees that the man isn't looking in her direction, so she quickly darts out from her hiding spot and runs over to another building nearby where another one of Sabi's clones is hiding. The clone then ducks behind the building just as the man turns around and notices that she has run off again.

This game of cat-and-mouse goes on long enough that when rush hour kicks in, Sabi seizes the opportunity and blends in with the crowd of people who are coming into town. She manages to make it to the gate undetected and exits through it without being noticed. Once outside, she performs a Ram hand seal and all four copies of herself vanish in a puff of smoke.

Sabi then proceeds to head down the road leading away from Jamidaka and begins walking toward the next settlement. As she does this, she thinks about what just happened and how it was such a close call for her to escape unscathed. Thrilling to be sure, one she may provoke the next time boredom strikes her. Alas, whether or not the authorities ever caught the true culprit behind the supposed murder of Jamidaka's mayor, is anyone's guess.

---

WC: 2,855
TMWC: Complete/1,000

Requesting approval for the following claims:

Claiming the following mission *reward(s):

► Total Ryo Earned: +2,000 Ryo
► Total AP Earned: +10 AP
► Other Rewards Earned: x1 Missing-Nin Headband (Struckthrough), Rank Up Promotion from E → D-Power

*Mission reward(s) doubled via Beloved Presence Skill

Investing 2,855 TWC into the following Specialty(ies):

► Training Puppetry as a Primary Specialty (Free @ D-Power Rank Up) [2,855 TWC Left]
► Training Genjutsu as a Secondary Specialty (2,000/2,000) [855 TWC Left]

Investing the remaining 855 TWC into the following Skill(s):

► Training Puppeteer (Free + Slotless via Puppetry as Primary Spec) [855 TWC Left]
► Training Chakra Suppression [1,149/2,000] → (2,000/2,000) [4 TWC Left] [Prog' here]
► Training Whistle Trigger (4/2,000) [0 TWC Left]

Investing 2,855 TWC into the following Stat Points:

► Training +28 Speed (-2,800 WC) [55 TWC Left]

→Expunging the remaining 55 TWC Left.

Wabi Sabi wrote:Requesting approval for the following claims:

Claiming the following mission *reward(s):

► Total Ryo Earned: +2,000 Ryo
► Total AP Earned: +10 AP
► Other Rewards Earned: x1 Missing-Nin Headband (Struckthrough), Rank Up Promotion from E → D-Power

*Mission reward(s) doubled via Beloved Presence Skill

Investing 2,855 TWC into the following Specialty(ies):

► Training Puppetry as a Primary Specialty (Free @ D-Power Rank Up) [2,855 TWC Left]
► Training Genjutsu as a Secondary Specialty (2,000/2,000) [855 TWC Left]

Investing the remaining 855 TWC into the following Skill(s):

► Training Puppeteer (Free + Slotless via Puppetry as Primary Spec) [855 TWC Left]
► Training Chakra Suppression [1,149/2,000] → (2,000/2,000) [4 TWC Left] [Prog' here]
► Training Whistle Trigger (4/2,000) [0 TWC Left]

Investing 2,855 TWC into the following Stat Points:

► Training +28 Speed (-2,800 WC) [55 TWC Left]

→Expunging the remaining 55 TWC Left.

Approved!

Note: It wasn't Roger Rabbit.