Starring:
Tosai, Daichi, Shoki (emitter)
Date: April 9, 2011
Summary:
Team Four is sworn to secrecy and told about a mission to find and recover the Daimyo's Niece, Hiroko
"Daimyo’s Missing Niece - Team 4 Assemble!"
Conference room in the Administrative buildings of Konohagakure
Team 4 has been summoned the the Hokage tower for a mission. The details of which, so far, have been non-existant. The whole thing seems rather odd. As Tosai and Daichi show up they are escorted to a room in the tower which contains a man in the Daimyo's royal guard outfit. The royal guard are reknown as the best of the best of the Lord of the Land of Fire's men. His private guard who excel at getting done what is needed to get done. The man is sitting at a table, with several empty chairs around it and a folder in front of him. As the pair are shown in he looks between the two Shinobi. "Hello." His voice has a deep gravellish nature to it.
The man stands, "Please, sit… I will need to ask some questions before we begin. I have been assured by the Hokage personally that these questions are unnecessary before we begin but… I'm afraid my orders from the Daimyo are quite clear on this matter. So if you don't mind?" The so far unnamed man gestures towards some empty chairs, apparently waiting for the pair to sit before he will do so himself.
It isn't unusual for information to be withheld from the briefing of any mission, even more so for the summoning of one. The world of ninja, even military demands a strict code of confidentiality that stretches a whole lot deeper than mere protocol, or procedure. Tosai was accustomed to the secrecy, especially during both in-mission and out of mission settings. But to have himself suddenly called during a time such as now, seemed to promote some eerie suspicion. Just the timing of it seemed weird, not because of any specific reason, but rather a hunch. The meal Tosai cooked that day, hadn't turned out right, and for even his own food, an Akimichi delicacy of Hot Pot to be of bad taste, meant something rather weird was going to be happening. Then came the summoning. It made Tosai sigh.
Alas he was now here, walking along side Daichi, and rather quite. His expression wouldn't betray his true feelings. Anyone who greeted him would see his usual cheerful smile and rosy cheeks, adorned with symbols like most of his clan. The Jounin would bow cordially to the weirdest arrival to the village as of yet, a rather bad omen indeed. What was a servant of the Daimyo doing here? Better yet, from the uniform, an Imperial? Being invited to sit, Tosai would try for one of the rather small chairs, his large size seeming to dwarf them all. He sighed as he sit, knowing full well that he would be uncomfortable, distributing his weight as to not break it. He wanted his /whole/ salary after all. "I mind… Unlike most, I am quite confident in my Kage's judgment in regards to any matter a servant of the Daimyou would care to ask. You may ask them true, but I can not guarantee an answer that might actually be fitting to whatever you may need." Tosai's tone was not meant as a harsh one, though is apparent discomfort in the small chair didn't help this situation at all.
Daichi, having been summoned to the Hokage tower, would arrive as soon as possible alongside Tosai in order to avoid receiving twice the scolding. Daichi keeps his excitement under control and would try to behave professionally to the best of his abilities, so don't expect too much of a change. Daichi inclines his head as he comes to see one of the Daimyo's royal guards. They had a reputation that even Daichi was familiar with such and he would then look to the man sitting at the table. As he looked between that man and the guards he would glance at Tosai to see how he would deal with this situation. Daichi blinks at the man as he mentions some 'unnecessary questions' which were given as orders to him by the Daimyo. Daichi would look to the empty chairs and smile as he moves to take a seat looking to Tosai as he answered the man Daichi would blink and then look back to the man "Sure I don't mind. Ask away," he says as he takes a seat smiling cheerfully.
The royal official gives something of a nod to Tosai's words, "I do understand and please believe I hold the highest respect for the shinobi of this village. However this is a very delicate matter. Ideally these questions and assurances would not be necessary but this mission requires you to be privy to information that can not be made public under any circumstances. And the questions must be asked prior to the mission being formally given, I'm afraid. So… perhaps it will be best if I just let you see the list of questions. The form I was given for each of you contains the questions and a place to sign." He explains.
The man pushes two pieces of paper, one to each of you. The questions are numerous but seem mostly to pertain to keeping secrets from your clan or your friends and family. The concern seems to be one of confidentiality. Towards the end of the sheet there is even a note that a normal mission report may not be allowed, requiring you to report directly to the head of the Daimyo's Royal guard, rather than the Hokage. Although, and perhaps this is a mark of the faith the Daimyo places in the Hokage herself, there is a specific exemption for speaking of the mission with the Hokage directly. At the bottom of the sheet is a place to sign or place your mark.
The man gives you time to read through the sheet, as it is a bit convoluted in the language it may take a bit of time, "If you have any questions prior to signing them I am to answer them to the best of my ability without revealing the true nature of the mission until you sign. Other than that I am to do the best I can. I do hope you will be willing to agree to the terms of the mission." There is a nervous almost anxious nature about the man as he waits, obviously hoping that you will agree to the terms.
Never in Tosai's life, had he had to do so much reading. However, being a Jounin seemed to change that all, providing almost an entirely new class of forms and paperwork that was beyond the plain and simple reports of his younger days. Even the forms he submitted for having his own team were just as arduous and utterly wasteful of the trees that made the Land of Fire so well viewed and beautiful. He looked to this all, having to actually take out his reading glasses just to peer through all the legal jargon and lawyers-speak that had been riddled across page, after page (only two pages indeed) of what he saw first as fine print and blahblahblah. He could see that much of most secretive info, which included that of his family and friends, even his Hidenjutsu, and of course it made him very, very uncomfortable.
Could the government he served come back to haunt him if he chose to reveal such information? The comfort of having at least the Hokage to speak with of the mission matters gave comfort, though it was hard to say whether the same would tip the scales in this officials favor. "So in other words, both me and my team are to become agents temporarily to that of the Daimyou? And what guarantee do I have that his own wishes are united with that of my village? It is not that I am untrusting of this at all. However, this means of paperwork for a mission seems… quite indepth. It is as if there would be much that the Royal Family seeks to keep under wraps, and would do /anything/ to keep that way." Tosai would then reluctantly sign the form but only because at this point, he knew that a signature wasn't the thing he was most at risk dying from.
Looking to the paper Daichi would incline his head trying to make some sense out of it. After reading through it a few times he would realize that this seems like an extremely secretive and important mission the details of which have been kept from even the Hokage's eyes. It was odd for Daichi, he considered himself a shinobi of Konoha, which served the Land of Fire so by extension he figured that being asked to do something like this wasn't that uncommon. Still the terms of the paper did unsettle him. He could keep secrets from his friends and family without too much of a problem as often mission specifics included that much. However the term of keeping it a secret from the Hokage didn't sit too well with the genin. Daichi folds his arms and would groan slightly as he reached for a pen he would dangle the tip over the signature area "Only one question. This will not endanger my friends or Hokage in anyway, right?"
The official looking man, gives a simple shrug, "The mission was approved by the Hokage. She knows what it entails. She agreed that it was very important. The consequences of any of the information you may be given leaking out to those who might take advantage of it are really quite great. I can only tell you that once you have all signed, I can tell you a great deal more." He nods as Tosai signs the paper and takes it and puts it back into the folder then looks to Daichi to see if he will sign as well.
When Daichi pauses the man answers, "I can not promise that. It is possible some of your friends may be involved in this, without you knowing. But I can assure you the Hokage is aware of the mission and… that failure to accept and complete the mission may lead to danger for the entire village if not the entire Land of Fire and beyond. Once you sign I can tell you more."
"Well the funny thing is that I am trained to keep my mouth shut about alot of things. I figure there are going to be extreme consequence as well, but I can not simply guarantee something without knowing what I am getting into, for neither myself, or my team. That signature may in the end keep a legal and rather frustrating bind on what is probably either nescessary or frivolous, but in the Shinobi world, circumstance is everything." Tosai would then look to Daichi as he would have a rather important question of his own. Made Tosai even smile in a approval for a moment.
The answer of course made let Tosai in on something rather peculiar to hear of course. Whatever this issue was, Tosai's Team may have not been the only one enthralled in this. Tosai would then eye the man a moment before then saying, "Well, now that the legalities are out the way, perhaps you may can actually let us know the importance of things. I don't think you want to avoid them anymore yourself, Official-dono."
Daichi sighs and signs the paper after hearing a bit about the importance of this mission. He would look to Tosai "Sounds like one heck of a mission," he sits back and tossed the pen down showing his slight discontent and uneasy feelings about this assignment. Daichi looks up to the man and shrugs "Well now that all that boring stuff is over, let's get to the mission. I could use a pick-me-up," he states. Taking his arm and propping it up on the arm of the chair he would rest his head on his hand though he seems to look rather unenthusiastic Daichi was just thinking about what the world of shinobi contained in the shadows hidden from the eyes of others.
Once both parties have signed and the papers are in the folder, the man nods, "Very well, so… as you may or may not know, the Daimyo's niece is missing. Your mission, in so many words, is to find her. The information about what has been done to find her so far, ways to identify her and information you may gather along the way of your mission are the issues that required such security. The bigger issue is this, if she is not found or if she is found in the hands of a clan or worse, a foreign nation who is attempting to use her for their own gain… it could cause a war. If she is not found, and the chain of lineage is broken, with the death of the current Daimyo and his brother, who is next in line, it could result in a civil war in the Land of Fire which might spread beyond the borders as other lands seek to take advantage of the chaos."
The man pauses for a moment, "In addition, with her absence, several feudal lords have been… considering their own interests and thoughts of attempting to claim power in the future. Let me make this clear, there is an active effort to either kill or capture her by multiple sources and we do not know where she is currently or if she is in someone's hands or not. We have reason to believe she is alive, but… well, do you have any questions before I continue with the details?" He asks as he looks between Tosai and Daichi.
Listening intently, Tosai was understanding the situation quite well. No wonder they wanted to keep this secret. Anything that could happen to that girl or even to the secrets Team Four discovered, could possibly end up making the Land of Fire, particularly its Daimyou, look weak in the sight of other nations. And after a war had just ended, the success of this mission, and the discretion involved, could possibly determine whether either civil war does or does not break out in the Land of Fire, or whether or not some other country will be deprived of the edge they need to move in for conquest.
Being a Jounin, for Tosai, just got alittle more annoying.
"So… The guard finally managed to mess up big, did they? And now, ninja are needed to pretty much recover her. You sure that one Jounin and Genin could possibly do something so intricate as recover this high profile child? And you mean to tell me you have /no/ info on what or why this is going on? Or are you simply afraid to divulge things like that in a ninja village where even the walls have ears?" Yeah… /Now/ Tosai was getting annoyed. He would look to the man, waiting rather patiently for at least some assurity that this mission wasn't as risky as he thought it would be. But.. for some reason, this guy didn't seem like the type that would give it.
Daichi blinks and shakes his head slowly as he listens to the man. He had no more questions but he now saw why the Daimyo had them take certain measures prior to being briefed on this mission. Daichi would fold his arms nod understanding the situation. They just got out of a war with Kiri to erupt in a civil war now would be disastrous. Daichi rubs his head slowly "Oh man, this is…awesome," he says softly trying to hold back a grin. To think team 4 of all the teams was chosen for this mission thrilled Daichi. Finally his reputation as a semi-competent ninja would show. Daichi sits up and eagerly waits for the man to go on in the mission briefing.
The man frowns, "I am second in command to the captain of the Royal Guard. I am not just a messenger. I admit that we have not found her but I also note that we have some information. information that I am about to pass on to you, that hopefully will help you find her. I just wanted to make sure you understood the nature of the mission and the true weight of what is at stake here."
The man takes a deep breath, then continues, "If the guard had been allowed to protect the Niece, I suspect she'd still be safe, however she was transferred to a location that the Daimyo's family considered 'safe' and we were not informed as to where that location was until after she was missing. After the assassination efforts against the royal family that did succeed over 10 years ago, the Daimyo became suspicious that someone in the royal family, outside of the line of succession, might be trying to elimiate the normal family line."
He opens up a second file, "Here you will find details about where she was sent, how you can identify her, and what details we were able to determine about those who attacked where she was sent that resulted in her no longer being there. You'll need to read over the files, and I am here to answer what questions you might have, to the best of my ability."
The files are slid to each of the people, "I was originally informed there were three on your team, I hope that the three of you will be enough to at least find some information if nothing else, to point us in the right direction. It is possible you will find nothing, we know that." He points to the files, "If the powers that be, who are looking for the Niece, know that you are on this mission, they might just follow you, so that is yet another reason for secrecy." He notes.
Mission Briefing:
The Daimyo's niece is missing. She has been missing for several years. The Daimyo has requested that the shinobi of Konohagakure attempt to find her. The following is information that may be of assistance in attempting to locate her. All the information below is highly classified. It is not to be shared with your clans or friends. Many organizations are searching for Hiroko for personal gain, including clans native to Konohagakure and the Land of Fire.
1. Hiroko is 16 years old.
2. Hiroko has a tattoo on the heel of her left foot of the family crest.
3. Hiroko had a special necklace (description included) in attached notes.
4. Hiroko was given a special key phrase (Not included) to identify herself if necessary.
Hiroko was sent to a hidden location to be raised after an assassination attempt killed the current Daimyo's two sons and the sister in law of the Daimyo. Hiroko and Hiroko's father (The Daimyo's brother) were supposed to be with the transport but Hiroko was ill and because of this both Hiroko and her father were not present at the last moment. The source of the assassination attempt has not been identified (Despite over 10 years since the deaths).
Hiroko was sent to a location along the coast of the Fire Nation. This location has been destroyed due to an attack by unknown assailants roughly 3 years ago. The incident was investigated and no survivors were found at the site, but neither was the body of Hiroko.
Since then elements of the Daimyo's personal guard have sought her but have met with no success. It was originally assumed that the family would be contacted with some sort of demand or request, but no request or demand has been forthcoming. It is currently presumed that either she is in hiding (Considered unlikely since she lacked any formal training and has not been found in the last two years) or that she has been kidnapped with the intent of forcing a marriage with some group to ensure the control over the Daimyo's family line. If she is not found it could potentially lead to a civil war in the Land of Fire as the current succession goes from the Daimyo to his brother and then to Hiroko. Technically, by tradition, it would go to whoever Hiroko was married to as historically the Daimyo has been male.
"Oii… So you are that high up. In spite of what you may think of me, it is rather comforting to know I am not talking to a screw up. But still, it is rather dumbfounding at the level of distrust involved in this whole thing, but at the same time, so much is being provided explanation. Sad, yet helpful." Tosai would chinrub, looking to the dossier on the case at hand, then looking up to the man, as he spoke of the Guards' end of the situation. It made no sense that a military as big, if not bigger than the Village Hidden in the Leaf, would not be trusted in guarding the only living heir to what has to be the /largest/ known country in the world, especially to Tosai, who felt even worst feelings of the situation as everything was unfolded.
"I hate to sound as though I am repeating you, but this definitely seemed like an inside job. You can't not admit that your guard not being wanted seemed strange. And as uninformed as you are at this entire thing, you do not seem lacking in honor, or valor at all, Taicho-dono." While the report seemed to address more figures, including the current Daimyou's brother, Hiroko's Father, who just so happened to be on the other side of this dispute. His part in this was definitely under a microscope. Tosai would then nod, closing it all, and asking, "I guess this means that we will have to investigate starting where it all presumably happened. But if years are involved within the time passed since this all happened, you guys may actually be tossing up a hope. I don't know if clues even last that long." Tosai would recline back into his chair, seeming to take this all with a bit of frustration. But there was where things went horribly wrong.
He had stopped supporting alot of his own weight, and shifted it onto the chair.
Tosai would land on his back, as the chair would collapse in on itself. His back would smash into the ground with a heavy thud scattering debris and the like into the air. Trunk like legs now stood as pikes, as he would dizzly lay on the floor awhile.
Daichi looks at the files and goes over the information about Horiko. As Tosai and the man speak Daichi would just go over the files again and again so that he could understand and memorize all the information stored within the files. Daichi blinks as he comes across the special key phrase "Key phrase?" he repeats a bit confused. He inclines his head "Three years? Sheesh that's a long time, you'd think whoever kidnapped her would've done something with her by now," he says without thinking. He looks to Tosai "Kay would be really helpful, I hope we can get him involved,"
The man nods, "You can call me Yamata, and it is the opinion of the royal guard that the Daimyo was influenced to place Hiroko in a 'safe' location to ensure that she would be vulnerable to attack. However, the location she was sent to turns out to have been a temple that pre-dated the Land of Fire. I think those who encouraged the Daimyo to send her some place secret were not expecting that. However… I doubt you will find much at the actual site because from what we can tell there was a rather large explosion during the attack. But yes, I do believe that the assassinations of 10 years ago were an inside job and I believe that the efforts to put Hiroko in harm's way were an inside job. But that said, there are many who will attempt to take advantage of this danger for their own good." He points out.
Yamata glances to Daichi, "Yes, it is a long time, but if the effort was to have her marry, she only turned 16 recently. In addition they may be trying to ensure an heir through Hiroko to cement their claims…" He trails off to let that sink in. "Any clan or even foreign land might try to… ensure this kind of succession. They might have her secreted away." He notes, "The key phrase is only known to the Daimyo and his brother, that is Hiroko's father, to ensure no one attempts to fake her identity." He explains.
He looks back to Tosai, "Investigating the site might be complicated, there has been a lot of recent disasters in that area, including a tsunami, invasion and the like. Further there was a partial volcanic eruption either during or shortly after the attack on the monastery." He explains, "We were able to identify some of the bodies as a group of mercenary shinobi, exiles, wanderers, that kind of thing, but from what we can tell, this was the group's last mission, they either were all killed or were hidden away after this. No sign of them since."
During all this talking, a hand would fly up to the table and smack down on it pretty hard, before a wincing Tosai would then come to a stand, slowly, and rather red in the face. Embarrassed much. Quite certainly. He'd play it off well however. "Well, I think it may actually be proper to seek out clues elsewhere just to widen out the effort. Frankly, trying to think of a situation at the moment, especially since we aren't out in the field, makes no sense. But still… my previous hunch yet stands. We need to figure out what /exactly/ happened when the woman was kidnapped. If I may be allowed, I would like to at least take a peak at what had been found during the previous investigations first hand. I am sure that this paper isn't all there is. I suppose that means heading back with you to the Land of Fire's capital, eh, Yamata-dono?"
Tosai would come to a full stand, looking to the chair behind him with mild disgust as he would then sigh and respond to Daichi. "Yep… Kaydin is going to need to be around for this. His eyes will definitely be handy. I can't think of what else he would be able to see that wouldn't give us some clues. We still gotta come up with a backup plan for this just in case he gets assigned to something else." Tosai would then look to Yamata and say, "I think it would be good to adjourn until we meet again, Yamata-taicho. I have a feeling that I will be seeing you again for further details, but for now, we have gone well passed the necessary."
Yamata nods, "It is as you say, but please refrain from discussing the details with this Kaydin until he has signed the proper paper. I have a copy here, but once he signs it and understands the gravity of the situation you are authorized to inform him of what you see fit. I will make a request to have the documentation from the original investigation sent here. Copies anyway. No need to go to the capital, I will have them sent express." He notes.
Yamata stands, "If you need me, prior to the papers arriving, I am staying at the inn down the street from the ninja academy. I will request authorization to give you the exact location of the monastery as well. Once Kaydin has signed the paper please bring it to me, as well. I ask that you try to keep me up to date on your actions regarding this mission. As you know, this is a matter of utmost importance and security. If you need additional resources or anything special that the royal guard might be able to provide, within reason, please let me know. We can't ransack the royal treasury, but this is a very important matter and the Daimyo has a very personal interest in your success. In fact it would be a success if you found someone who had her who wanted something as trivial as a ransom." He gathers his papers, including the signed papers, "I will try to expedite the information from the origional investigation getting here, but if you think of anything else please let me know." And with that, unless more is said, the meeting is over.
