Tea Leaf Trustee

Mission Catalogue:

Meanwhile, a little ways away at The Water Gardens of Hoshigakure-no-Sato toward…

Over at the Ryoinsatsu family estate where her mother, Ryoinsatsu Chihiro, resides in the kitchen, that's adorned in traditional Japanese decorum. Chihiro is preparing to make some lunch for herself and Jurei, the clamors of pots and pans, the sizzling oil, the chopping of vegetables, and the boiling water all filling the air. Chihiro glances over at her daughter as she works. Jurei is sitting at a small table in front of a large window overlooking the garden with a book in front of her. She's reading it intently while occasionally taking sips from a cup of tea. Her raccoon dog, Ninjiro, loafs beside her on the couch where he rests his head atop her lap.

"Lady Ryoinsatsu," She hears a gruff voice call to her. The platinum-blonde ears perk up, lowering the book in her hand and seeing one of her butlers dressed in a black suit and tailcoat. "A letter for you." He says, holding out an envelope to her.

She takes it from him. "Thank you, Toru." She says, looking at it curiously. She turns it over, seeing it was addressed to her from the village administration. The envelope, sealed with a wax stamp bearing an intricate crest she didn't recognize, felt heavy with importance. She carefully broke the seal and unfolded the elegant parchment within.

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She reads over the letter several times to make sure she understood it correctly before looking up at Toru again. "Toru-san, What time is it right now?"

Flicking his wrist as his jacket and shirt sleeve slides down his arm, revealing a wrist watch. "It is presently... fifteen minutes to seven o'clock, My Lady."

The blonde sighs. "Could you please tell my mother and father I will not be able to join her for dinner today? I must leave immediately." She says, getting up from her seat and petting Ninjiro's head as she sets her book down.

"Of course, Lady Ryoinsatsu." He nods, bowing respectfully before leaving the room.

Jurei changes into her uniform, dressed from head to shoulders—save for the gold earrings—a black, long sleeve, high-collared, qipao-styled blouse plastered with graphics of golden lily flowers and equally vibrant gold sashes that wrap over and under her right shoulder and another across from her right shoulder to left waist, and accompanied with a silk, yellow long skirt secured with a brown belt—which she loathes for the length to be needlessly long—and black-buckled platform shoes. Her forehead protector, as always, secures itself around her hips facing forward and Honor's Student Pin fastens itself below the diagonal sash of her dress.

She leaves through the front gate of the estate and makes her way toward the western district of The Water Gardens where many nobles reside. She arrives at the daimyō's mansion just before 7:30 PM. The sun is still out but beginning to set, casting long shadows across the ground as it descends behind the mountains surrounding Hoshigakure. The moon hangs high in the sky above, illuminating the village landscape with a pale white light. Jurei walks up to the main entrance of the mansion, where she's greeted by one of the unoccupied bouncers at the estate.

The Bouncer eyes up the gold-eyed and addresses her with a bob of his head. "Good evening, Miss.... do you have a reservation with us today?" And from his peripheral, although unbeknownst to him—Ninjiro scurries along the village streets before his tail gradually swings like a rotor before lifting himself off the ground toward the top of the daimyō's estate. Jurei informed the familiar to take a higher position to, at most, 15 meters above ground to relay any information she can work on should anything peculiar arise.

Jurei nods, pulling out the invitation from her pocket and handing it to him. "I am Ryoinsatsu Jurei, I was invited here for tonight's event by the Lord of this estate." She explains, performing the hand seals of Rat → Dog with her left hand, as the envelope blinks into existence outward from her right sleeve, flicks her wrist to reveal the parchment, flips it over, and hands the item toward the bouncer with the wax seal showing.

The bouncer takes the invitation, flipping and looking it over briefly before nodding again. "Ah, yes... I see. Please go right in." He says, stepping aside so she could enter. "Your partner should be arriving shortly. Enjoy your night."

Jurei bows politely before entering the building. She follows a small crowd of people into the main hall where the tea ceremony will be held, taking in all of the sights around her as she does. The room is large and open with high ceilings and arched windows lining one wall that look out onto a beautiful garden filled with flowers and trees that are illuminated by moonlight shining down through the glass panes above them. There are tables set up around the perimeter of the room where guests can sit and enjoy refreshments while watching others participate in the event itself.

She also notices there's quite a few bouncers stationed throughout the room—some standing near entrances or exits while others wander around checking on things—and they're all dressed similarly to how Jurei is dressed herself: black suits with matching ties and white shirts underneath their jackets that have golden buttons sewn into them. She takes note of this, thinking that it may be important later on during her assignment.

The ceremony starts a half hour later and during that time, Jurei and Ninjiro have been able to relay to one another information. The latter being able to deduce possible vantage points, including exits and entries, while Jurei, well-versed in the realm politics, could scout out VIPs and who they often surround themselves with, any who appear to linger too long in one spot for longer than what would be considered normal behavior for someone attending an event such as this one, and pick up the subtleties in the language used among aristocrats to infer their true meanings.

Minutes before the ceremony begins, Jurei was able to narrow down her list of suspects to three persons. If Joro is present during this time, she will innocuously strike up a conversation with him to inform of her "targets of interest" to distract while she arranges to inform the bodyguards of whom to keep an eye one of the to intervene on her behalf, if she finds herself preoccupied. If not, she will inform the same bodyguards of her third suspect and be on her way to busy herself with her first.

Thankfully, the tea ceremony proceeds without further incident, as third suspect appeared to be a normal civilian who was simply nervous attending their first major event. The first suspect, a middle-aged woman with brown hair tied into a bun, realizing her window of opportunity closing and the deliberate movements and attempts at conversation by Jurei gave them cause for concern that someone was onto her. In an attempt to retreat, the bodyguards prior accost them for questioning and is sidelined.

When all is said and done, Jurei reconvenes with Joro at the estate entrance and bids him good night before retiring to her household for the night.

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“Related Stats”:

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WC: 1,347
TWC: 1,347/1,000
TMWC: 1,347/2,000

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Requesting approval for the following claim(s):

Claiming the following *mission reward(s):

► Total Ryo Earned: +12,000 Ryo (storing in "Ryoinsatsu Bank" via Cha-Ching! Bloodline Limit)
► Total AP Earned: +60 AP
► Current Total Bonus AP: +952
► New Total Bonus AP: +1,000

*Mission Rewards doubled via Beloved Presence

Investing 1,347 TWC into the following **Jutsu:

► Training Gold Release: Crippling Debt @ B-Rank [88/1,125] → (1,125/1,125) [310 TWC Left] [Prog' Here]
► Improving Ninja Art: Capital Expenditure from A-Rank → S-Rank [Clanned Slotless] (310/1,875) [0 TWC Left]

**Applied "25% Discount" via max stats

Joro woke up to the gentle rays of the morning sun streaming through his bedroom window. Stretching and yawning, he made his way to the kitchen to brew a fresh kettle of tea. With a steaming mug in hand, he headed to the patio, taking a deep breath of the crisp morning air. Settling into his favorite chair, he opened this morning's paper to check out the latest house listings. As he sipped his tea, he flipped through the various options, envisioning himself and Stout in each space. The peaceful ambiance of the morning and the excitement of finding a new home filled him with hope and anticipation for the days ahead.

After spending some time looking at house listings, Joro set the paper aside and began his morning routine. He took a refreshing shower, letting the warm water wash away any remnants of sleepiness. Dressed in a comfortable yet stylish outfit, he carefully selected from his wardrobe. Joro made his way to the kitchen to prepare a nutritious breakfast. The aroma of freshly brewed tea filled the air, complementing the scent of sizzling eggs. With a satisfying breakfast in front of him, he took a moment to enjoy the quiet morning and plan his day. He received a letter this morning detailing he had a mission with Jurei, again. "Interesting," he thought to himself as he took note of the recent missions he had been on with her. It seemed they were tasked with being security for the daimyo of Hoshigakure. He was to be at the party at 7:30 on the dot. He had to make sure he was dressed up, and not sticking out much. The goal of the mission it seemed was to add more security while not seeming like the lord had hired extra muscle.

Joro spent the next hour cleaning his apartment, making sure everything was tidy and in its place. He put on some upbeat music to keep him motivated as he went about dusting, sweeping, and organizing. Once the apartment was sparkling clean, he decided to make a quick lunch before heading out for a walk through Hoshi with Stout.

He whipped up a simple yet delicious sandwich and packed some fresh fruits and a bottle of water for the walk. With lunch ready to go, he walked with Stout and set off on their stroll through the bustling streets of Hoshi. The sights and sounds of the city energized him as he took in the vibrant atmosphere, enjoying the mix of traditional architecture and modern buildings.

As they walked, Joro couldn't help but notice the friendly greetings of neighbors and the lively conversations of passersby. The warm sun and gentle breeze added to the pleasant experience, creating a sense of contentment within him. Stout trotted alongside him, tail wagging, as they explored different corners of the neighborhood.

After a leisurely walk, Joro and Stout returned home around 6, feeling refreshed and ready for the evening ahead. Joro quickly freshened up, ensuring he looked sharp and presentable for the party. He selected a stylish yet understated outfit, wanting to blend in seamlessly while maintaining a sense of sophistication.

With a bit of time to spare before the party, Joro took a moment to relax and gather his thoughts. He reviewed the details of the mission in his mind, going over the expectations and potential scenarios he might encounter. As the clock approached 7:30, he bid farewell to Stout, who would be staying behind and set out for the daimyo's party, ready to fulfill his role in the important mission. As he walked out of his apartment building, Joro took note of the weather and quickly channeled his chakra to teleport near the house he was requested to appear at tonight. As he walked up to the house he noticed that Jurei had already gotten in without much trouble. He walked up to the bouncer and had a quick conversation with him stating his name and flashing his shinobi ID. And he was in.

The room was large and open with high ceilings and arched windows lining one wall that looked out onto a beautiful garden filled with flowers and trees that were illuminated by moonlight. There are tables set up around the perimeter of the room. Joro noticed Jurei was making her way through the crowd, and also noticed a few bouncers in the area outside of the one they bumped into at the front door.

The ceremony took place a half hour later into the party. Joro had been scouring the party for possible threats among the flock of people present and had also come to three suspects. Jurei struck up the conversation between them, and they discussed quietly the few suspects from the party.

The party moved through the night and it seemed all was well. Joro and Jurei did their jobs well and moved from check to check. Making sure everyone was having a good time and was safe.

As the party ended, Joro reconvened with Jurei and they both said their good nights and respect for a well-done mission. Joro strode down the street a few paces and again channeled his wonderful ability to teleport himself around the village. He felt the flow of his body and all its particles flowing through his chakra transporting him right into his home.

"Stout! I'm home!" he called out, sadly though Stout was already fast asleep. So Joro decided not to bother him. Joro settled into bed, feeling the pleasant yet tiring exhaustion from the day's adventures. The soft embrace of the sheets provided a comforting warmth, lulling Joro into a state of tranquility. Outside, the gentle pitter-patter of rain added a soothing rhythm to the night. As Joro closed their eyes, the events of the day replayed in his mind. Waking up and seeing if he could find a new house, cleaning, lunch, going on a long walk, and finally the mission at hand. With a deep breath, Joro welcomed sleep, looking forward to whatever tomorrow might bring.

WC:1008
MTWC: Exceeded
Claims to be made.

Claims:
6,000 Ryo
30 AP for a new Total Bonus AP of 799.
WC:1008
625 to Shokku Royal Cowl S-Rank 1125/1125 Rest of Progress fromHere.
383 to One Handed Seals 1214/1500

Joro Shokku wrote:Claims:
6,000 Ryo
30 AP for a new Total Bonus AP of 799.
WC:1008
625 to Shokku Royal Cowl S-Rank 1125/1125 Rest of Progress fromHere.
383 to One Handed Seals 1214/1500

Approved

Jurei Ryoinsatsu wrote:Requesting approval for the following claim(s):

Claiming the following *mission reward(s):

► Total Ryo Earned: +12,000 Ryo (storing in "Ryoinsatsu Bank" via Cha-Ching! Bloodline Limit)
► Total AP Earned: +60 AP
► Current Total Bonus AP: +952
► New Total Bonus AP: +1,000

*Mission Rewards doubled via Beloved Presence

Investing 1,347 TWC into the following **Jutsu:

► Training Gold Release: Crippling Debt @ B-Rank [88/1,125] → (1,125/1,125) [310 TWC Left] [Prog' Here]
► Improving Ninja Art: Capital Expenditure from A-Rank → S-Rank [Clanned Slotless] (310/1,875) [0 TWC Left]

**Applied "25% Discount" via max stats

Approved