BURGER WARS (KURO/SHIMIKO/TSUMI [PRIVATE])

OOC:

Mission Details:

Spoiler:

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It had been a long while in the Kumo hospital for Kuro as he recovered from his rather severe, but fortunately not life threatening injuries from the tournament match with the Kiri kunoichi that he had participated in at the arena near Todoroki and Modoroki shrines. The reason for his long recuperative period was that he had received three penetrating injuries from the knife attacks made against him by the Kiri kunoichi in that tournament. However, the day had finally come for Kuro's release after finishing his physical therapy and other generic recovery protocols. After that, he had once again gotten back to his everyday life of intensive study, training, and such to keep his mind off the fact that he had caused Kumo to lose the contest and be banned from the shrines. It was on one of these days when he received a summons from the Kage's office and its mission designation division which was tasked with mission assignments.

This should be intriguing...

Kuro mused silently as he strapped his ninja gear onto his standard Kumo ninja outfit and then headed off to receive his mission. It did not take him long to find it and when he did, he went straight to the counter as he wanted to get this mission wrapped up so he could get back to his studies. However, to his surprise, when the clerk gave him the mission scroll, he noticed that it was one of the B-rank coded missions.

Why am I getting assigned a B-rank? I am only a Genin...So that means...

He broke his reverie to ask the clerk with a slight head tilt and a quizzical look on his otherwise blank face

"I presume that, given that my village rank is that of a Genin and this mission's rank is that of B-rank, that I am NOT the only one being assigned to this mission?"

Then, he fell silent to see what the clerk would say and what would happen next in this situation, hoping that he could make it out alive if not intact from this assignment for it turned out to be more of a quandary than he first anticipated upon entering the mission assignment office.

[1]

Tsumi had been informed the day before by a superior he was to report to the mission desk by eight AM the next morning. He should expect to face dangerous situations so bring any gear appropriate. The issue was that...well Tsumi didn't have any. If anything he was a one hit pony when it came to any combat. Relying entirely on his muscles. So he would shrug it off and just assume that meant dress appropriately and wear your head band. Besides he really detested killing so he had never purchased any bladed weapons. Perhaps eventually he would find someone to make him some knuckles or gauntlets or something but for now he just tried to get a good nights rest. Spending most of it dreaming about fighting and tossing and turning. When he woke up at six he would get up and shower before making himself a protein shake. Downing that as he got ready. Camo pants which were blue and white in color over black combat boots and a black tank top. His headband was tied up behind his long black horns to keep his waist length red hair out of his eyes. Looking himself over he would nod. He looked enough like a soldier now.

Still he would leave around seven and dip out over his balcony for a one story drop. Landing heavy on the alley behind his apartment. Yellow eyes looked around him a moment to see if anyone saw that landing before he would rise and nod. Feeling no one saw he wasn't light on his feet he would start his jog across the city. Seeing as he didn't live anywhere near the administration building it took him a bit but he was hardly even sweating when he got there. He looked around at all the other ninja outfits. More traditionally ninja than soldier but...well heck with it the heros in the stories always stood out anyway. Once he entered he would give his name to the receptionist and be directed to the one assigning their mission. It was someone different than his usual D and C rank mission director. So that must mean he was being assigned a real job for once. Tsumi would grin and rise to his full height towering over most others before entering the room. Red tinted skin rippling with muscles and looking every bit the fighter he was.

Of course he would come in just in time to hear a young man mention he too was a genin and this was a B rank mission. Caution in his tone and inquiring if he would be alone. Tsumi would grin to himself before placing his hands on his hips and puffing his already broad chest and shoulders out. His voice was deep but cheerful.

"No way bud! They assigned Tsumi the hero to you as well. No evil shall prevail against us this day friend! With my might we are sure to dominate the enemy and win the day."

This is so beneath me. Shimiko thought as she prepared the briefing. The mission meeting room was on the other side and as the lead for this particular B-Rank excursion she had developed the briefing for it. Why was Shimiko Chinoike helping raid a burger joint in the middle of the war to end all wars? Well, she really did like hamburgers. Not as much as some, but she did find them enjoyable. The corporation in question had produced a fairly tasty meal and its CEO's nephew's girlfriend was a Jashinist. As how many of these things start, it all came down to who you know. The CEO had a connection to one of the most feared intelligence operatives in the country and he leveraged that minor connection into a bold play against his competitors. Shimiko's involvement thus came down to a three reasons: First, she and her family were promised free meals for a lifetime and unlimited catering, Second, the CEO's nephew's girlfriend was a sister-in-faith, and finally, Shimiko could use this mission to find out if there were any genin in the country deserving of ANBU status. Irui had been a bit too...enthusiastic. The Twins weren't exactly ANBU material nor was Miyu. It appeared a decent apprentice was too much to ask for these days.

Shimiko was wearing a white blouse, black tie, black miniskirt, and combat heels. She actually had her hair done up in pigtails even though she had taken to wearing it down as of late. Shimiko had left the blouse unbuttoned even though she wore nothing underneath as was her style. It would also be a brilliant test to see if she could weed out those that were easily distracted. She shuffled through the papers and walked through the door into the adjoining meeting room where Tsumi and Kuro would be.

All ninja in the room who weren't complete dunderheads would immediately stand at attention and salute. To have the ANBU
Commander run a mission personally was a major honor and those lucky enough to work with her ought feel blessed by the Dark God himself. Shimiko put on her "drill-sergeant" face as she scanned the room for familiar faces. She saw none except one.

Him?!

Kuro Chinoike was a name that Shimiko would have long ago forgotten had it not been the fact that he had lost the Battle of the Icons against Kirigakure. Some argued that the incident was his fault. The Sage clearly did not wish for the actual combatants to fight as he had struck them down with plague. In a hastily agreed upon amendment, two genin were pitted against each other with the supposed intention that Hagoromo would decide the battle on the basis of the least skilled as this way his true will could be made manifest without accounting for the earthy skill of each nation's champion. It was basically a low-rent dog fight that Kumo had lost and although the blow to the nation's morale was not as severe had it been the Seraph of Lightning who lost, it was rather irritating that their nation be blocked off from the Shrines. Many a Jashinist revered Hagoromo as being a holy man and a precursor to the re-establishment of the Orthdoxy and as backward a beleif as it seemed, Shimiko agreed. Any man who conjured such a powerful way of killing others had to be anonited by Jashin whether he knew it or not.

Shimiko would have loved to visit his shrines but now she couldn't because of Kuro's incompetence. This realization also sparked the memory of her first meeting him back at the Chinoike Clan Wet Market. She gave him a dirty look but proceeded with the briefing.

"Alright Nin! Today's mission will be a B-Rank infiltration of a private company. Normally, we don't do this sort of thing but the stakes are low, the pay is right, and its a good chance to see which of you have the aptitude for this kind of work. We will be split up into five infiltration groups. Each of you have already been assigned partners but now you will be assigned to five divisions of our target and your job will be to find out as much as you can about the competitor's secret ingredient. The divisions will be: Security, Food Processing & Chemistry, Transportation, Advertising, and Executive Management. You'll draw lots to determine which division you'll be placed in and those of you fortunate enough to draw the Executive Management assignment will get a chance to work with yours truly"

Shimiko flashed a friendly smile.

"Trust me....you'll learn more than you deserve"

With that, the ANBU Commander set a box on a nearby table with slips of paper denoting which division they'd be assigned to. Shimiko stood back and watched as the people in the room formed a line and began to draw lots.

Tsumi was a fairly oblivious man. People directed the two of them to the briefing area and into a room full of some very professional looking shinobi. The air felt nervous though. He could almost feel the tension on everyone there. So this was another mission like the one with the blockade but that had been fairly straight forward. Beat up dudes and bring back the bad guys in cart. Direct. Straightforward. Easy. However with this one Tsumi had no idea what he was even supposed to do. He supposed they wanted him to hit things. After all he excelled at that. Give em the ol one two. He would smile to the kid he had come with being honestly oblivious to his failures as well. However had he known what the mission was before coming he may have been able to tell someone he wasn't really suited for stealth and espia...espio....he didn't really know what the word meant or how to even spell it. Summary being that Tsumi was dense. So it was a surprise that he was even here. He didn't even know about the need for potent individuals during a war. The fighting not being in town after all right?

So when everyone stood to attention when someone entered the room his bright yellow eyes would blink for a moment looking around in surprise. The tension in the room just shot up and everyone was standing at attention when some pretty lady he had never met walked in. He should know who she was but he didn't even own a radio that worked. Just one that he could still use an alarm he had fished out of a dumpster. So he would just be some guy with his hands in his pockets a few seconds longer before he caught on and did his best to salute...considerably late. His eyes would look to search for his new buddy as she began to speak. Missing the majority of the speech as he was surprised the kid had slinked out of the room and dipped. Did the two of them know each other? It didn't really matter. He caught on at the end that people were moving in an orderly fashion to draw uh...tasks from a box? Oh cool this was like the chore drawing box at his aunties house. He figured he would go last after everyone since they had paid attention.

Tsumi would finally step forward and draw the last slip from the box. Picking it up and holding it before squinting as he mouthed the words slowly while reading. Executive management? Was he gonna have to execute someone? He was looking dumbfounded at the paper before a veteran looked over his shoulder and gave him a quick but friendly shove on the shoulder. "Go report to lady Shimiko." He grunted before finding his own team. Tsumi would blink before nodding and approaching the lady everyone saluted. He would grin and show teeth with his bright eyes as he stepped forward. Handing the slip to her before speaking himself.

"Yokai Tsumi, genin reportin for duty yer uh...ladyship. I uh...I focus in close....quick combat. Close quarters combat! So uh...Who am I punching again?"

Shimiko had noticed that out of all of the shinobi standing at attention, one of them was just looking around as though he had air in his head. When he did snap to attention, it was a full beat later than everyone else. Is he mocking me? Shimiko grew incensed but she decided to suppress her anger for now. It wouldn't do to scare off some of the more promising prospects. Speaking of which, one of them exited the room or was perhaps carried out. It was that same Chinoike she had met earlier. Perhaps once he saw that she'd be running this operation he decided to make himself scarce. Wise move. Shimiko commenced with the drawing of lots and stood back while she waited for the lucky genin who would be her subordinate for the mission.

She gazed across the room making judgments about each of the ninja when one of them came up to her and introduced himself as Yokai Tsumi. He was a fit looking fellow but she recognized him as being the one who was late on the draw to saluting her. She wasn't an egomaniac about that sort of thing but saluting a superior officer, especially one as well known as she, was standard protocol. The fact that he had done it late meant he was either being maliciously disrespectful or he wasn't very observant. Neither would bode well for a career in ANBU.

Why did she agree to random drawings again?

The rest of his introduction made her blink. Is this guy for real? . "This isn't a....you know what. Nevermind." It seemed Jashin didn't want this mission to succeed. He had staffed it with half-wits. Luckily, it wasn't all that important so she decided to take a page out of Ryuko's book and just be kind, poetic, and loving. She swallowed her aggravation and responded: "Nice to meet you Tsumi Yokai, my name is Shimiko Chinoike. You won't be punching anyone today I'm afraid. This will be an infiltration mission only. I'm a close quarters specialist myself but I think every shinobi should learn a thing or two about stealth. Treat today's mission as practice for when you might have to sneak behind enemy lines. Just follow my lead and you'll be fine"

Shimiko hadn't had to do this much acting since her debut as "Shimiko-Raijin." She hoped her second subordinate would be less...dense.

Random drawings on missions were a pain, Kaede had decided when it was his turn to draw a lot. He’d stood at attention when their commander for this mission had entered the room, respectful of those who had more power than him, but really he felt like this whole thing was beneath him. He really didn’t want to be paired with some snot-nosed genin, but there wasn’t much he could do when the lord were randomly drawn. Sighing as he grabbed his own slip and read his assignment, he decided he really hated random lots.

Executive Management, huh? Well, at least he’d gotten lucky enough to draw a slot with one of the most competent people in the room. He’d much rather be doing something combat related, but this? This he could handle. Once he’d seen his assignment, the redhead made his way across the room to address his superior, the small slip of paper in his hand still. Bowing his head respectfully before speaking, the newly appointed clan leader ignored the genin to the side. He didn’t know the person, and the kid likely wasn’t going to be relevant to Kaede outside of this mission anytime soon, anyways.

“Kaede Hayami reporting for duty, my lady.” He kept his greeting short, removing his hat as he did so. “I’m no infiltration specialist, but I will do my best to carry out my duties on this mission.” Was that too much? He wasn’t exactly the brightest crayon in the box, but he knew better than to be rude to someone who held authority over him. Hopefully, she didn’t see him as rude either. He didn’t want to have to deal with feelings of animosity between members of a squad on a mission, temporary squad or not. Those kinds of missions were always the worst, and he hated having to deal with irrelevant feelings.

Tsumi would blink and frown when the leader of the mission mentioned they would not be punching anyone today. He looked confused for a moment as that was what he did. That was all he did. Well he supposed he used elbows knees and feet too. In general though it was mostly just punching. You had a problem...you balled up a fist....and ya punched it. Instead a word he wasn't able to spell was stated. Infiltration. He blinked at it as he tried to remember what it meant. He had heard the word before obviously but he never used it in a sentence before.

When she told him about the stealth aspect his yellow eyes finally lit up with understanding as he looked down at himself. He was in camo pants so he was sorta dressed the part. He had never really tried to sneak around though. Always preferring the direct confrontation. Usually it was bad people who snuck in the shadows right? Were they being bad people here stealing something? Surely the nation wouldn't do something wicked for profit. In Tsumi's mind the leadership of the nation were wise and honest people and he hoped all their actions were justified.

Before he could respond though another individual stepped up and introduced himself. Seemingly completely ignoring Tsumi as he did. As if Tsumi wasn't even worth addressing. He talked only to Shimiko and didn't even spare Tsumi a glance. Tsumi would bite his lip in a scowl of irritation before crossing his arms and almost pouting before he figured he would confirm he understood. Speaking up after a moment letting the hoity-toity self important guy finish. He decided already he didn't like him much. Ignoring a hero was just rude.

"Stealth and flirtation. Got it. I never really snuck up on anyone but I will try and do as you all do. And if anyone does discover us...imma punch em and no one will know. Easy enough. Shall we hop to it?"

He would uncross his arms and place his fists on his hips puffing his chest out with a heroic grin. Thinking he had said the word right instead of using another word that meant something else entirely. It would be obvious to the entire room that the most likely scenario was Tsumi causing a scene at some point. But he was willing to try. Who knew? He might be great at it.

The redhead who walked up to them seemed a bit more normal. This was good as if she had to carry both of them, she'd be a very miserable Captain indeed. The blonde sighed and nodded her head. The Tsumi guy was obviously shocked at the revelation that this would be a stealth mission but he appeared to sober up and get the gist of what they were doing, although his plan to punch someone if they got caught was a bit hamfisted to say the least.

"Stealth and flirtation. Got it. I never really snuck up on anyone but I will try and do as you all do. And if anyone does discover us...imma punch em and no one will know. Easy enough. Shall we hop to it?"
"Let's"

Shimiko Chinoike turned on her heel and walked them out of the room and down the hall. As they made their way to the Infiltration Prep Room, Shimiko would begin giving them a quick debriefing.

"We are going to pretend to be part of the Executive Management at Big Burger Corp. We obviously can't go as ourselves so this will require a bit of acting...theater if you will..." she was walking briskly as she spoke and because her back was turned to them, they couldn't tell that she was actually smiling. She liked acting quite a bit. It was one of the few hobbies she had besides killing. The Chinoike's performance as Raijin had earned her an Academy Award....by the Shimiko Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. "Infiltration can sometimes be more than sneaking around, its about blending in and acting as though you belong somewhere you most definitely do not." Shimiko quickly tossed a pair of ID cards behind her. The ID badges soared through the air. The relevant details behind each person they were impersonating wasn't something she had read or cared about. The real people behind those identities would be handled by another squad, giving them a chance to slip into the board room and find out the confidential corporate info.

One badge would be for a superior, the other for a subordinate. Whether Tsumi or Kaede would be in charge depended on how quickly one could read the tag, reach out, and grab it. It could also be determined by sheer luck. Shimiko didn't care much which was which as she'd be in charge of both of them. Shimiko stopped in front of the prep room where they'd be getting ready and she wheeled around to face them again.

"If either of you want to back out....now's the time." It was a very low stakes mission but for some reason, there were some genin that could kill with ease but had a hard time lying or deceiving. Shimiko didn't understand those kids and she hoped she had not been saddled with them. If neither of them wanted to jump ship, Shimiko would say:

"Okay read your identity names and positions aloud and commit them to memory. You don't want to mess that part up"

Kaede nearly facepalmed right then and there at Tsumi’s attempt to sound like he knew what he was doing. Stealth and flirtation, really? That was the word he went with? He could feel his eyebrow twitching already, though he didn’t have much time to dwell on it as they left down the hall to a briefing and mission prep room. He nodded along with Shimiko’s explanation, remaining respectfully quiet right up until she tossed the pair of IDs at them. Snatching one out of the air, he internally thanked whatever gods were out there upon reading the card.

He shook his head when they were asked if they wanted to back out, reading the position on the card out loud when she finished. “Chuuya Koizumi, Executive Director,” he read aloud, grateful that he was the one to get the higher ranked position. Plus, nobody had to know just how much satisfaction it brought him to be able to order around an annoying genin for the duration of this mission. Especially one that was as stupid as this one seemed to be. Tsumi would play the role of bumbling assistant well, in any case.

The only thing he really regretted was not being able to wear his nice combat outfit for this mission. Oh well, at least his everyday wear was fancy enough to fit with a rich businessman persona, even if said persona was an executive at a burger company of all companies. Not the most exciting mission he’d been on, that was for sure. Why on earth were they to infiltrate a burger company, anyways? People sure did stupid, desperate things when it came to commissioning shinobi, didn’t they? What a waste of B rank mission pay, they were spending way too much on something likely to be insignificant in the long run.

Tsumi would listen while everyone else seemed to be heading off to their own assignments. This seemed like a rather large operation for something as simple as stealing a recipe. Maybe these burger establishments took themselves too seriously. Personally he avoided consuming junk food on principle. Still Shimiko would explain that sometimes infiltration wasn't just about getting in undetected. The plan apparently was for them to mingle and simply walk right in. He would blink before scratching at his chin. He wasn't sure how well he would blend in with fancy folks with how he was dressed. Combat oriented naturally. He was a fighter and so he expected he was summoned to do some fighting. Still Shimiko would toss two badges over her shoulder. Kaede easily catching theirs while Tsumi on the other hand had been utterly unprepared for catching anything. He reacted too late and tried to snag the badge. Fumbling it as it dropped to the ground before he blushed and scooped it up. Kaede was already reading his aloud as they had been directed to do so. Some sort of director? Like for a play? Well Tsumi supposed no one would question him as to what that meant.

Still Tsumi would look to his own card as he tried to look it over. His lips moving as he mouthed the words slowly. "Uh....Tuko Suramaki. Security....an...analy...Analyst. Um I am not entirely sure what that means but I guess its sort of like a bodyguard? Hey Kaede! I'm your bodyguard. Neat right? Fitting too. I for sure look the part." Tsumi would grin and flex as veins appeared on his muscles and his yellow eyes would glisten. He seemed pleased with his role to play though as soon as he would finish speaking and flexing he would go back to reading the card over and over again. Mumbling the name repeatedly as he focused on memorizing it. It was honestly gonna be awkward trying to learn to respond to a different name than his own. Also it felt odd that no one on the actual board would see them for the imposters they were. Well at least if they had to fight their way out Tsumi was ready for that. Idly his free hand would shift to touch the end of one of his horns and play with it as he followed along. As if it were a nervous tick for him.

When the ID badge clattered to the ground, Shimiko looked over to see Tsumi fumbling to pick it off the ground. "Tch!" she uttered in annoyance as she turned around and faced forwards once more. The Tsumi fellow wasn't too bright or quick witted but she had hoped he was at least a good fighter. But the lack of keen reflexes was not a good sign as far as combat readiness goes. He was already quickly losing favor with her whereas Kaede's stock was rising just by virtue of not being a fool. Nevertheless, Shimiko had committed to this training exercise and that meant shepherding them both along regardless of their level of talent. It sounded like both shinobi were just as committed which was a mercy she was rather thankful for. If they wanted out and sabotaged the mission, her professional reputation would be in jeopardy.

When she turned to face Tsumi and Kaede right outside the prep room, the two read their cover names aloud as instructed. Chuuya Koizumi, Executive Director she repeated mentally. Shimiko looked him up and down and nodded. She was grateful he had gotten the superior position as lord knows how Tsumi might have misinterpreted the role or botched it while they were in the mdist of the mission. "Very good and you Tsumi?"

When Tsumi began to read his role aloud, Shimiko gave him a puzzled look. She then turned to Kaede as if to say 'Is this guy on something?' before turning back to him. He was having some trouble reading the card and Shimiko felt an inexplicable pang of pity for him. Was he borderline illiterate? She realized why she suddenly felt sorry for him, It reminded her of the Twins when she had first adopted them. They were fairly intelligent for a couple of kids that were deprived of a normal life, but it occurred to her that someone less naturally gifted, such as Kaede, might not be so lucky. She suppressed most of her annoyance but it still bled through. She put her hands on her hips and corrected him:

"Not quite. A security analyst's job is to manage and assess thre-" She stopped and realized that keeping it simple would be a necessity when conversing with Tsumi. "Your job is to find threats to the company and eliminate them so yeah you're like a bodyguard not just for the Director though for the whole company." That was the simplest way that she could put it. Shimiko produced her own tag and held it up for both of them to see.

"Chiyoko Korokiri, Chief Legal Officer" She had already memorized both of their names and hoped they'd do the same for her. " The real people behind our respective identities are being....taken care of....by another squad so we should be able to operate undercover freely. Speak as little as possible lest you reveal your ignorance. There are mission dossiers I'll give you which contain basic facts about your identity but let's minimize mistakes yeah?" Shimiko gave a friendly smile and a wink to both of them. Although her patience ran thin, she really did like acting and she could tell these two were new to this sort of shinobi work. Maybe they'd surprise each other and actually pull this off without a hitch.

Shimiko would unlock the prep room and take them inside. The area on the other side was a sterile cross between a dressing room and a laboratory. It was a basic preparatory unit for infiltration missions and to that end it included all manner of disguises some as invasive as surgery and others as simple as a wig. The Burger Team would have no use for these implements, however, as the Honey Badger had it all under control. It might be a bit unpleasant but it was all in the name of service to the client.

Shimiko snatched a scalpel off the table so fast that all they'd see is a blur. She twirled the tool in her hand and used it to point to Tsumi's horns. She decided she'd have a bit of fun at their expense before they got down to business.

"Those will have to go."

Kaede’s eyebrow twitched, irritation bubbling below the surface of his relatively calm mask. Not only did Tsumi drop his own ID card, he couldn’t even read it aloud without fumbling. He caught Shimiko’s look with a grimace of his own, watching her explain Tsumi’s role to him. The incompetence of the younger was utterly astounding, to the point where Kaede almost missed Shimiko’s next words. He took note of her fake identity, nodding along with her advice to speak as little as possible. Kaede could work with that. He was no actor, so speaking little wouldn’t be an entirely horrible thing whilst undercover.

The prep room they walked into after her explanation was simple and sterile, nothing particularly grand or large. A quick glance around revealed it was well stocked, however, with all manner of disguises and even some medical equipment. He couldn’t name most of the medical implements he saw, but it was obvious that everything here was well maintained for the use of missions. They’d have no trouble getting ready in here, at any rate.

His observations were brought to a halt by a blur of movement from Shimiko, her speed startling enough that if Kaede weren’t a swift user he’d probably be shaking in his boots. As it was, all he did was sigh as he saw the scalpel in her hand. She wasn’t serious about the horns, was she? It may not be him the scalpel was pointed at but a sympathetic wince crossed his features for a split second at the thought. Surely not, removing a part of one’s own body just to ensure an infiltration mission were to succeed was a bit much, wasn’t it? It wasn’t like this was an S ranked mission, after all.

Tsumi would feel his head spin a little as he thought about the identity. A bodyguard for the whole company? How could one guy guard so many people? Maybe he did it in shifts? Or maybe he was like a campus security guy....yeah. Respond to threats as they popped up. Like a hero on patrol. Oh yeah. It was all coming together now. So he was just the guy that responded to threats to the company as whole. So if that was his job....he would do it to the best of his abilities...Kaede was a director? That made him some sort of manager or another he guessed. While Shimiko was...a lawyer. Well he could work with that he guessed. He didn't know anything about law but he wouldn't need to it seemed. His job was mostly to stay quiet as much as possible which was fine for him. Still the changing room was well stocked and he may even be able to find something in his size. His eyes scanned along and totally missed when Shimiko moved until she addressed him once more. Pointing at his horns a moment as she mentioned something having to go. His eyes would blink as he looked to her scalpel and then up to his horns a moment before it seemed to click.

His hand would reach out and grip one of the clothing racks as it tightened. The metal would groan as it curved in around his fingers and he lifted the entire rack full of clothes with one hand as if he intended to use it as a weapon. An impressive feat of strength if not for the fact that Shimiko could probably do the same with less effort. However that wasn't the most interesting thing. His eyes would shimmer as a multitude of bright colors would fill his irises. His clans dojutsu had instinctively activated with his anger. around him little balls of light would form and float around as the space between the spirit realm and the physical realm would narrow briefly. As if the spirits were heading him sensing danger and wished to help. Yet it was incomplete. All they could do was float around him. However Tsumi was a dunce and didn't realize Shimiko could kill him then and there and likely no one would stop her or do more than give her a slap on the wrist. His words poured out as he endangered his own life.

"If you try to take off my horns....Imma see just how far this clothing rack can shove up your ass."

When Tsumi grabbed the metal clothing rack to use as a weapon, Shimiko laughed. He threatened to sodomize her with it should she attempt to take his horns. Normally that kind of talk would be grounds for her giving up his soul as offerance and devotion to Jahsin, but in the twilight of her career Shimiko had mellowed out. She didn't take his words personally and instead took them at face value. He was awfully defensive about his horns and they apparently had some personal and martial significance to him. He was calling upon a foreign power at this very moment and Shimiko guessed that the growths were constructs that helped him channel his power. The genin's protectiveness over his horns was adorable and she found his display of aggression rather cute, especially considering how it would have been child's play to tear apart his defense. Shimiko smiled the same way an MMA fighter facing a child with a stick might.

"I was only joking" she said with a cheerful smile. "I'm not going to cut out your horns....but we will need to disguise them and I have a technique that's meant to do just that. Both of you please hold out your hands."

Assuming they complied with her direction, Shimiko would knick her own finger with the scalpel and tap each of their hands. Her blood would meld with their skin and slowly creep along their hand and their arm.

"Just relax and be still. I'm using a particularly strong transformation jutsu to make you look like your identities. Its only temporary so need to worry" Shimiko kept her explanation straight and to the point. Tsumi would get lost if she gave a more technical breakdown so she kept it strictly at a surface level. If they cooperated and the jutsu was performed as planned, then she'd use it on herself as well. The three of them would now look just like the individuals they'd be impersonating. Their voices would require some play-acting but she trusted them to do their best and/or stay mum whenever possible. With the disguises out of the way, Shimiko would lead them out of the "dressing" room and to their mission destination.



The crew had gotten into the company headquarters without too much trouble. At this juncture, all they needed to do was play their respective roles long enough for one of them to successfully steal the formula. Shimiko had tasked Kaede with the responsibility of slipping into the corporation's "data room." The data room was a glorified library where all the trade secrets and confidential information was kept. Because Kaede had a disguise on, it shouldn't have been too difficult for him to slip inside and grab what was needed. Shimiko wanted to go with him to give him pointers but she and Tsumi were pulled into a meeting that they couldn't get out of without arousing suspicion. The redhead would be on his own for this part.

Shimiko ushered Tsumi into the large conference table and made sure that he sat next to her. While everyone was busy finding their seat and/or flirting with secretaries, Shimiko passed Tsumi a note in neat but large lettering:

DO NOT TALK. LET ME DO THE SPEAKING.

Shimiko didn't trust Tsumi to carry the deception and although this was supposed to be a gauge of his fitness for ANBU Black Ops, she already was confident that she would not be extending an invitation to the demon. He was a good hearted fellow though so if he did a bang-up job on this mission (or at least didn't screw it up) she'd write him a letter of recommendation for another division. This was all contingent on him doing as he was told however. No sooner had the note been passed, did one of the C-Suite Executives clear his throat and call the meeting to order:

"I have it on good authority that some arsehole is calling in favors with the village's intelligence community. Someone wants our secret formula and they'll have to crawl up my narrow Kaminari arse to get it!!" one of the obnoxious corporate bros bellowed. The table was slapped, rowdy hollers were exclaimed, and a Chinoike rolled her eyes. Even as a fake Chief Legal Officer she knew that these clowns were way in over their heads. A bunch of nepotistic douchebags that happened to be squirted from the right birth canal at the right time. In a show of master-class acting, she joined in on the fun and even gave a whistle as the CEO got on the table and began hip-thrusting in the direction of the rival company's building. It was an animalistic show of domination mean to simulate his "prowess" in the burger world. The C-suite executive then suddenly pointed to Tsumi and said:

"My main man Tuko! How's counter-intel going? Have we implemented the new Badge ID scan system yet?"

Shimiko didn't miss a beat as she turned to him as though he weren't a ninja on a secret spy mission. The ANBU's face was neutral but her eyes said: Oh god! Say something but not something stupid!

Tsumi would keep a straight face as he walked. Keeping Shimiko company. Though he didn't see her joke as funny as she did. The clothing rack had probably been a poor choice in weapons anyway but Tsumi was a firm believer in using equalizers. He had no idea how much stronger than him Shimiko was. Sure she was famous and stupid strong but he didn't really know how strong. Sure he had no chance but still he wasn't about to whimper and bow out. Still they left shortly after. The other guy split off from them shortly after arriving but Shimiko and him were pulled into a meeting. The disguise technique that Shimiko had provided after the prank was holding up well. He was impressed and considered just how one managed to keep this kind of thing up. Still he would follow her and keep his eyes on the prize. He was tagging along essentially for this mission. But why? What purpose was there for...right it was an eval...Evalua....A test. Yes it was a test to see if he was a competent ninja...or something. He had totally forgotten the purpose behind this but he knew it was a test at least.

Still they would find their seats quickly but these guys were...obnoxious. He found just by the way they were making their secretaries uncomfortable and no one was putting a stop to it made him mad. But....well it was difficult to know what to do. He wanted to beat them up and tell the girls they were safe now but...there weren't any laws being broken and....would that help them at all? What if he got them fired and.... a note was passed to him and he would mouth out the words as he read it. It took him about ten seconds just to fully read the note and another couple of seconds for him to shove it in his pocket and sit back. The main speaker began and Tsumi could already tell he didn't like the guy. He was a horrible kind of person and likely up to some bad things for profit. He could easily be a nemesis. A man of wealth and low morals for the young hero to fight through his minions and stop his evil plan. But that was just a ....wait they were screwing this guy. That was the whole point of the mission. They were heroes! (Sorta)

However a question would be directed at him which he hadn't expected. Now he was in a dilemma. First of all he wasn't certain what to say. If he were to speak could he say anything off handed to satisfy them? But the note in his pocket...he recalled it. He remembered he wasn't supposed to speak. Those were his orders right? So he had to figure out a gesture to satisfy them without speaking. He could feel the collar of his suit feeling tight around his neck like a noose. Sweat forming on his brow from the dilemma. But he would try anyway. So he would scoff while tapping his name badge. Before lifting his hand and flipping off the building the man had been talking about aggressively before. Not one word but a gesture to join the guys display. He wasn't sure if it would work out but he had managed to follow instructions from Shimiko and still reply. Sort of. Right?

Shimiko watched as a cold sweat began to run down her forehead. Tsumi didn't respond to executive, at least, not with words. He pointed to the ID badge and then formed a middle finger which was directed at the company's competition. He had taken her words to heart and not spoken a single word. Shimiko was worried that his suspiciously silent response and inability to provide further detail would expose them. Fortunately, that was not the case.

"Now that's what I'm talking bout!" he said before turning his attention to another member of the board.

The executive took Tuko's gestures to mean that the system was in place and that their enemies would not be getting the secret recipe anytime soon. Shimiko laughed internally at how his simplistic response was just what the situation called for. The meeting progressed on as usual and luckily no one asked "Tuko" another question. Shimiko had been asked a question or two as Chiyoko but fortunately she was knowledgeable enough about the company to give convincing non-answers. The meeting ran for quite a while and Shimiko was beginning to wonder what had become of Kaede. She didn't have to worry much longer as soon someone burst in the room and starting babbling about how Chuuya was missing and they found an unconscious impersonator wearing his name tag. The meeting was thrown into chaos and at that point, the ANBU Captain had had enough. She stood up and cancelled her transformation. When everyone saw who she was, they started freaking out. Shimiko responded by jumping on the table and commanding the room's attention.

"Everyone shut up! This has been a drill by ANBU Black Ops to test your company's security. You failed. But then again, so did we. I wish there was a lesson that could be learned from today....but as with many things in our respective professions...sometimes the only lesson was that we shouldn't have gotten out of bed today. Thank you all for your time"

The mission was a bust. They had been made and while Shimiko could go in and take the recipe herself, she was hardly in the mood to cause a major incident over it. She played the whole mission off as a test (which of course it was). The person who had called in the favor was shit out of luck it seemed. The blonde jumped off the desk and said:

"Tsumi. Let's go. You...managed to stay conscious and not screw up as bad as Kaede so I won't mark this on your record as a mission failure but I'd think twice before applying to Kumo ANBU anytime soon" she scoffed and marched out of the room and made her way for the exit.

Seid is gonna have his work cut out for him with this generation...

[Exit]

Tsumi had been surprised it had worked. He hadn't said a word like she said and he was doing it. He was being useful as part of a team. He was finally doing something right in front of someone who mattered. He felt a sense of a weight lifting off his shoulders. Like he had trained all the way up to this point for a reason. Like all those hours upon hours of running and training his taijutsu meant something. He had pushed himself for so long so that someone would really care. If he had to grow up alone with no family he would show people he had been worth keeping. That he had been worth being someones son. All those hours convincing himself and holding back the tears he stopped crying as a child. Pushing himself despite being so alone. Now the village would see him in a new light if they just made it through this meeting. Not only had he succeeded in convincing the guy he hadn't said a word. He followed instructions and was so clever. There was such a warm light in his heart as he saw only a bright future ahead of him now. Of love and life in abundance.

Tsumi would perk up with concern on his face as someone burst into the room. He had missed what happened in the meeting after praising himself inwardly since nothing was directed at him. However the new arrival made Tsumis eyes widen in surprise. He would stare as horror slowly filled his eyes as the other one with them had been caught. No...this couldn't be happening. He was so close. So close to mattering. So close to being someone to somebody. Anybody. Things couldn't always go wrong for him. Wait. There was still hope. Shimiko was one of the strongest. She was head of the ANBU or something right? This very mission was beneath her. She could salvage this in her sleep. He might not be smart enough to fix this but she could. His eyes would turn to her with hope in them once more. Only for his pupils to shrink as he stared in horror. She had dropped the transformation. She stood there with all his hope burning with every word. She had ended the mission right there. Every last hope seemed to break in that moment. All that elation was just...gone.

In its place rose a pit. He had felt something he had dreamed of for one brief moment as he let his guard down. He had saw a future that meant he mattered. All this talk of being a Hero and no one even knew his name. Not outside of some family but even they had there separate lives. She would call him by name to leave and he took a sharp intake of breath. His hand reaching up to touch his horn as he shuddered. She had revealed him and they knew. Everyone there knew of his failure. They all knew he wasn't cut out for ANBU and shouldn't be a shinobi. She stung him with her words and the embarrassment burned in his cheeks. He would lower his head as red hair spilled around his face. He would follow her out of the building in silence with eyes to the ground. As she left he stood outside as the ever present clouds above cracked with thunder. He felt this sense of wanting to give up. He couldn't feel how it mattered anymore as the rain began to pour. Soaking into him and his hair as he stood alone in the square in the rain. He had thought he had hope to actually cling to. But he was just an idiot. He felt the tears pool up and he couldn't hold them back any longer. He felt so alone. He threw his head back as hot tears mixed with the rain streaming down his face and he screamed out all his anguish and pain...all he could until it was all gone. His head fell back again and in silence and rain he walked home. Alone to his apartment again.....as always.

exit thread
7 posts x 15 = 105