House of Hsien

The House of Hsien. A respected building within the district. Yakuza owned, sure, but hardly a place that caused trouble. It was well established, well decorated. The sort that showed it had coin and allowed it to flow. The House provided simple services to the public. On the first floor, alcohol. A typical bar catering to the needs of those in need of a drink while providing a few tables where gambling games were offered. Nothing outrageous, really. Betting places for the populace. Games of dice and roulette. Few knew it provided different services in the back of the building. Services of pleasures. Services as innocent as a good massage with happy ending, eyebrow-lifting services as a good opium pipe and the typical adult services provided by the few geisha it had. Most folks of this Yakuza House were humans. Some were Yokai, serving as advisors in this slightly different district. A wise choice, as the tengu in service were quite capable of hiding their true nature while providing the necessary information to keep the House out of trouble.

Stepping inside this particular building was the daitengu. Eyes practically instantly locking with its owners. From a distance, she could see a tengu look at her boss with an 'I told you so' glance before inconspicuously slipping into the shadow of the House owner. The human, simply named Kai, stepped forward to meet the shinobi entering his establishment. He was well dressed, befitting a man of his position. His clothes covering most of his yakuza tattoos, the rolled up sleeves leaving bare just enough of them to make a point clear. A quick glance within the House revealed a few of his men tending to the current present patrons, less than a handful standing on stand-by. The tight space of the interior seemed like an advantage to Hua Li, but the amount of opponents was a different matter. If possible, she'd prefer to avoid a physical confrontation.


"It seems the Daitengu herself has come to grace my establishment with her presence. To what occasion do I owe this honour?"
"I've been told you have information about a particular person. A beggar in your protection."
"Why would I protect a beggar?", the man scoffed. "Does it look like this is a place for beggars?"
"It looks like a place for all kinds of people if they are willing to value your needs."
"You're going strong there."
"It depends the perception, I suppose. You can either deal with me as Daitengu or... I can pull a few strings and have shinobi deal with this place. I've been told the Raikage's special units are rather keen on taking out businessmen who prove to be a danger to their network. And I'm sure I don't need to teach you how the Tengu work, right?", she'd retort, throwing a brief glance at the tengu behind him. His gaze followed. He understood all too well how things worked. The tengu were a crafty lot. Most simply tending to their own business. But unlike the rest of their clan, they were involved with humans. They knew how humanity worked and were cunning enough to play its little game to their benefit. Though unmentioned, the yakuza knew that Hua Li, considering her position within the clan, and the supposed connections she mentioned - were these true? - was capable of setting up some forgery if that was all it required to blow things up. The Yakuza, though regulated crime, was still that: crime. And in a world where criminals were tackled hard by police or shinobi, the last thing they wanted were more hardships when it came to regulating their strict business policies. "So the deal is simple. You give me a name and place. And none gets to know about your involvement."
"It's not that simple. The one you're looking for is part of the Sect."
"That only makes it better for you. Imagine knowing the yakuza helped out the shinobi in keeping their network clean. They might yet look favourable on you."
"As if. If the Sect catches wind of this, I can close this business. If the shinobi know, I'll be watched 24/7."
"Is that so...? And if I told you they're already more than aware of your little dealings? This is Kumogakure. The Sect is nothing in comparison to their network."
"Then why haven't they done anything, huh?"
"Bigger fish, I presume. Or perhaps you're no threat to them as it is. I mean, why haven't I kicked you out of this district yet? Business. Because your presence earns our clan more than it costs us. The day this changes? I'll let you know."
"Fine. Assume that I give you the information. What's in it for me?"
"Other than keeping your business in the district? I don't know. Why don't you tell me?"


tbc