Starring:
Hitoshi, Taiki, Atsuro, Yuya, Naru
Date: June 20, 2012
Summary:
Team Leader Hitoshi and his personally selected team is off to War no Kaia to investigate a series of grave robbing which has been happening in the area. While meeting with their contact they are ambushed by rogue shinobi within the cafe turning an investigation into a protection of the client mission.
Poster's note: Profanity filtered in obvious places.
"Grave Robbing Ambush!"
Waru no Kaia
Things were already going a little badly. The weather conditions that the team had departed in were a little less than satisfactory. Nevertheless, the three-man unit from Konoha had deployed in the steadily falling rain - a bit chilled due to the chilly December weather. Waru no Kaia was a distance a way - at least two days by foot. The rain hadn't let up in a day and a half. It was simply -no good- to be travelling in this weather.
On top of that, the fourth that had been intending to join hadn't shown up when the team was supposed to depart. He was, apparently, indisposed. Overall, the first mission that Hitoshi was supposed to be supervising? Was simply off to a shaky start.
What a bold leader, his inner-self teases.
Hopping through the trees, rather than taking the beaten trail, he had wanted to cut a straight path through from the village to this smaller town…
Dressed in his Chuunin garb, with the addition of a cream-colored cloak and hood, he moves along, at a steady pace, in silence. He didn't really have much to say to Atsuro. It was by the grace of God that he probably showed up… Because it would simply be fifty times more awkward with Naru and himself alone.
Tree to tree. Branch to branch. Hitoshi moves steadily, without much cause for concern. His eyes are sharpened, his ears open.
"We shouldn't be too far now," he calls toward the other two. The first words he's probably spoken in hours…
Neither Atsuro nor Taizen are seriously bothered by rain. As scouts, they're more than used to long journeys with bad weather. As individuals, Taizen's coat is thick, warm, and waterproof, and Atsuro has the standard-issue cloak and hood, and he is wearing the pall out of it. And if he does get soaked? Well, /his/ inner self has advised him that water makes handsome guys more powerful. But he knew that consciously too, of course.
"Sure," he calls ahead to Hitoshi, just to acknowledge what he's said. Taizen barks in response as well, confirming that he's heard. Naturally, both dog and man have kept their eyes — and more importantly their noses — out for trouble. Sure, the trouble is at their destination, but you never know. Besides, they're close enough now that the unusual goings-on in the area might end up affecting them.
Naru moved swiftly and silenty through the array of forestry before her, her chakra took hold of the tree trunks making it easier to leap from one branch to the other, Naru stayed quiet, she had her own reasons for maintaining her silence. She too worn a hooded cloak to prevent much rain from crashing down upon her flesh, or at least keeping her hair for the most part dry as they moved along. Right now she was working with her natural perception, her eyes remained their soft pumpkin hue… Peering forth she notices that things had began to slow down though, and Hitoshi's voice suddenly speaking out that they were getting close.
"Alright…" Naru whispered quietly under her beath, slowly her step just a little bit and keeping her rear position behind the group, once they got a little closer she was going to look around for anything suspcious..>But for now.. SHe just wanted to get out of the rain…
It wasn't very long before Hitoshi was dropping to the ground from the treetops, landing in a crouch on the path below them. Within eyeshot, there were the gates of the village they were on their way to. They were opened. The smells of a town - food, warmth… all good things. As Hitoshi waits for the others, he looks back behind himself, waiting… and once they're with him, he begins to approach the gates, walking steadily. As the trees thin out… so does the rain. It remains overcast, of course… and cold. December rains have a habit of doing that, and all.
Lowering his hood, Hitoshi shakes his head out. He was wearing that turtleneck that comes up to his chin… typical. He really didn't like people seeing what was under it anymore.
As the group begins to approach, he bades a welcome toward one of the guards at the gate, raising his hand to wave. The guard remains impassive.
"Your business," the guard grunts.
Hitoshi tilts his head slightly. "We have come from Konohagakure to investigate the rash of grave robberies your town has experienced," he remarks lightly. The guard looks toward Hitoshi for a moment… then toward Atsuro. Then back to Hitoshi. Then to Naru.
A pang of annoyance crosses the young boy's face. Do I look that young?
Clearing his throat, Hitoshi looks toward the guard again. "May we pass?"
The guard's glance turns back toward Hitoshi… and with a bit of a snicker, he gestures them past the gates. "Go."
Hopping out of the trees after Hitoshi, Atsuro and Taizen first notice the wonderful scents. "Been a while since we've seen civilization, eh?" Atsuro asks, glancing toward Taizen, who barks something back in response. Atsuro chuckles, then faces forward and carries on after Hitoshi, remembering to lower his hood when Hitoshi does. "Good thinking," he tells him, "The guard would probably wanna get a look at us. I'm well worth seeing." Senpai gives helpful advice!
Once they actually get to the guard, he lets Hitoshi do the talking. The look the guard gives him seems to confirm this was a good idea. He seems to be stealing the kid's thunder even when he's silent. He attempts to give the guard a humble look, which comes out something like a beatific smile. Then he allows himself to smirk as the guard looks elsewhere and a rather awkward conversation ensues. Then finally they're allowed in.
A nail on the head is what Atsuro needed, the look on his face seemed like he was up to no good, whatever was going on through that mind of his. Naru on the other hand didn't mind the guard briefly looking down on them, it was something they were going to regret when the team actually managed to complete this mission, they were going to remember these young chuunin forever. "Hmph…" Naru grunted quietly to herself as they were given the go ahead to proceed, Naru decided to move along, side by side next to Hitoshi, especially after Atsuro stole some thunder… At the moment Naru's eyes flickered from its deep pumpkin hue to its deep blood scarlet, the sharingan activating and taking in the area around her, get to see if she could catch anything out of the ordinary and remember it for later…
"As long as these people remain to be very welcoming we shouldn't have any problems…Still this village seems peaceful enough… I wonder whats really going on here…"
"Hmm…"
Once past the gates and the like, the Team is able to observe the surroundings. It's quaint. It's not quite like Konoha - the streets are a little wider and the population seems a bit sparser; all in all, though? It's fitting, to know that there is a Hidden Village a couple of day's travel away. One could almost think of it as another version of Kadomai, even. As Hitoshi remains at the front of the little group, he remains conscious of the situation, watching as he passes by some of the businesses and the like.
"It's not such a bad place," he remarks idly, "and it'd probably be absolutely beautiful in the Spring or summer. The rain and the cold've made it kindof… miserable, though." A pause, and he reaches up, rubbing his nose. "Senpai, we were supposed to be meeting with the cemetery's overseer.
He's the one who contracted us, with the town's permission," he explains lightly.
A bigger looking eating establishment is coming into view as they wander. "He wanted to speak with us over dinner," he adds lightly. "A good chance for us to get out of the rain and the muck. Right?" Strangely, room and board had yet to be discussed. But, maybe that was because this would be a short mission. Here a day or two at most, and then… home?
Nothing's ever that simple…
"You'd never think there was some grave-robbing weirdo on the loose," Atsuro says mildly, "I might like to live here. If there wasn't some grave-robbing weirdo on the loose." He looks over to Taizen, "What do you think of that?" he asks. Taizen whines something in response. Atsuro chuckles and scratches him behind the ears. "I think it's a fair assessment," Atsuro tells him with a grin.
Despite these antics, he listens up as Hitoshi explains things to him. "Dunno why that was directed specifically at me," he says, "But okay. Just lead the way and we'll hear what he has to say?" He pauses. "Or… are you saying I should do the talking?" he wonders. Hitoshi /does/ seem a little self-conscious about this whole 'young and inexperienced' thing. "Dinner with a gravedigger sounds absolutely delightful in any case. Are we gonna sleep at his place too? What're the chances he'll try to kill us in our sleep?"
"I'm sure there is lodging here just in case… I'd rather not sleep in a grave diggers place… You never know what interesting things you might find lurking at night…" Naru respondd back outloud, no way was she going to be staying at a mans house in which he constantly went to put people to rest… It was just her psyche getting the best of her. She kept close, her eyes began to revert back to their normal hue… After all everything seemed to be normal, she was going to wait instead… once the actual investigation began. " I suppose lets head over there as soon as possible… I wouldn't mind making quick work of this…"
"Oh stop acting like you haven't seen worse." Yuya remarks to Atsuro with a soft smile. "Though I do hope I'll be able to get a good night's rest. Not a permanent rest mind you. It'd be nice if he refrained from making more work for himself." He pulled back the hood on the cloak he wore as the down pour let up. He'd been silent for quite some time. Naru's addition made him chuckle softly "Oh come now. Just because the man digs graves doesn't mean he's psychotic and homicidal. Though that seems to be the case quite too ofte-bah nonsense." He yawns "There's profit to be made in grave robbing. If we're lucky we're just dealing with a run of the mill weirdo and not someone with something grander in mind." he adds on moving up next to Hitoshi. "Splendid. I am hungry. To concur with the lady let's hurry and meet with this guy."
Taiki for the most part has remained silent most of this trip, preferring instead to be pretty much all business. Beyond that he has been largely introspective, but not offering much in the way of converstation, at lest until this point. "All the same to you, staying at the place of a man we're investigating gives him far too much power. There's many things he could do while we're asleep to permanently taint this investigation. I'm for meeting with the guy, of course. We should get as much out of him as we can, then find a place to stay ourselves that isn't under his control." Shinobu apparently agrees, though he only gives an "awoo" compared to his normal barks.
"The profile didn't really read like he was much of an odd guy," Hitoshi remarks candidly, pushing the establishment's door open to enter… holding it open for the rest of the team to enter behind him and lightly gesturing for the lot to come in. "So, let's just hope. And I'm pretty sure there is an inn that we can find to get into." He glances toward Naru, snickering a little bit and shaking his head. "I wouldn't worry much about havign to sleep at the guy's house." Inside, they are greeted lightly by… well, surprisingly enough, a not-so-busy cafe. It's probably not busy because of the cold weather, and the rain. There's plenty of people here, of course… as well as a cooking staff and wait-staff. And then, Hitoshi's eyes go to scanning around, looking through the patrons that're here…
"There he is."
Hitoshi gestures with his hand, waving toward the man slightly. He appears middle-aged, graying slightly… but he's dressed sharply, seemingly having a calm air about him. A pair of glasses sit at the bridge of his nose, obscuring his eyes against the glare a bit. The team's idea of a greasy-haired mortician is probably quickly flushed away… and Hitoshi seems to visibly become relieved at this.
"Senpai, if you would, take the rest of the team to the table and settle in… I—" He coughs. "I need to find a bathroom."
Carry on, Pontius. He slips off to a side corridor.
"Oh," says Atsuro, turning to face Yuya for a moment, "I wasn't saying he's a killer just because of his profession. But if the graves are being robbed, the guy who manages them is the natural suspect, hm?" He pauses. "And as for why he'd then hire us… uh, to throw people off the scent." He looks forward once more, cheerfully adding, "Makes sense to me."
It's just about this time that the man himself comes into sight. "Oh," says Atsuro, "Well, he dresses nicely. He can't be the culprit. I guess that puts us back at squa— " He pauses and looks at Hitoshi very carefully. "Where are we sleeping exactly? If it's the graveyard, I'm going to get violent." Not literally? "Yeah, sure," he tells Hitoshi as the boy heads off to the bathroom, "Enjoy yourself. I'll handle it." He gestures for the group to follow. "Senchiro-sama?" he asks politely, bowing to the man respectfully. "We're the ninja from Konoha. Our leader should be here in…" He pauses and glances over to where Hitoshi disappeared, "A few minutes. He's just taking care of some unrelated business."
Naru went along with Atsuro taking charge as well, perhaps picking up a few pointers as time went on, though this wasn't different from any normal mission she had been on, though not necessarily dealing with a grave robbers. Naru maintains her silence, arms crossed along one another as she tapped her foot soundly… The Uchiha wasn't very hungry… Not if they were going to be scavenging around looking for dead bodies… an empty stomach was going to be good enough for her. " Hmm…" Naru hummed quietly to herself, her eyes casually looking around the cafe, she kept to herself… A few things already popping into mind as of late.. Naru might have been a little delirous for this mission..
Yuya scratches his head "I pray he isn't that foolish since he's the natural suspect regardless. He just needs to be sure he has no evidence to share. Of course pulling in professionals like shinobi-" Yuya stops there to think "Is he insulting us?" he inclines his head. By then he realize that Hitoshi was about to introduce them to their client/suspect/weirdo. Yuya looks the man over a few times before shruging "He's got style." As Hitoshi departs leaving Atsuro to deal with Senchiro the young chuunin decides to remain silent letting one mouth speak for the team whilst he kept an open mind and open eyes.
Taiki looks at the man as he approaches, and bows his head in greeting. Given the man's looks and dress, Taiki re-evaluates his stance and is glad he goes with ninja kimonos for his outfits. This at least shows a little class, which Taiki extends as he extends the nod into a small bow. "Greetings," he says in a pleasant enough voice. Taiki's manner is polite as he remembers the politics lessons that were drummed into his head while he is younger. Since Atsuro is taking the lead at this point Taiki defers to his sensei though. Doubly so since he's the only genin in a group of chuunin.
Senchiro Naoto was very much what would appear to be a run of the mill businessman. Dressed sharply in a yukata of dark blues, and gray trim with an intricate little dragon pattern in it… as well as his hair caught up in a tie in the back… Well. "Good afternoon," he greets the team softly. The table had been arranged for himself, and five others… So there's room for them to sit, Which he asks for them to, gesturing gently, "please. Join me, Konoha shinobi. My name is Senchiro Naoto, and I am the custodian of the town cemetery. I oversee operations and logistics for the burial of our… dearly departed," he remarks softly, finding a correct word or two to use. "I do not, however… oversee the part where they are directly placed in the ground."
A serious look is shot toward Naru for a moment. But then, his eyes fill with a bit of laughter, and he shakes his head, laughing outright. "I'm sorry," he chuckles lightly… "But I heard you lot as you were coming in the door. I have very good hearing," he comments gently. "And… since I did hear it, I'll tell you now. There have been arrangements made for you to stay in one of our local inns. It's a comfortable place, and I and the rest of our town would definitely like for you to be rested while you conduct your investigation into our… problem."
Back to seriousness. "As I'm sure you have all been briefed, there has been a rash of grave-robbings occuring in our town. And it's not just for the valuables in the casket," he remarks.
Seeing space offered for him, Atsuro gives Taizen a 'typical' look and pats him on the head before taking a seat across from Senchiro. He sits back in the chair, folding his arms, and Taizen takes a seat on the floor beside him. He brings up a hand to hide his smile at the joke at Naru's expense, though he's a little relieved as well. "We are staying in the inn then," he says, "Well, that's probably better than the graveyard." He raises an eyebrow at that last comment. "They're taking the bodies as well?" he asks. Well, may as well get down to brass tacks. "Have there been any sightings of the culprits or other evidence?"
The serious glance at Naru was met with an equally staring gaze.. it was quite obvious that Naru wasn't very amused, though silently relieved that they were going to be sleeping at the Inn… A light sigh escapes her lips, she was hoping to hear more, catch the lead with those ears of hers and call it a night, but judging by how rooms were arranged it was quite obvious they might be here for just a few days, or at least one night, " Do you guys not have a night watch?" Naru finally asked, hopefully to get some sort of answers, Naru was skeptical about this man, it was hard to dig up bodies without making much noise…
Yuya takes the seat offered without so much as a word. He gets comfortable in his seat and listens to the custodian Naoto. The glance he shot Naru didn't go unnoticed but what he had to say was far more important. It seems, as feared, more than simple grave pillaging had been going on. Yuya would like to hear the specifics as well as all of what the custodian could tell them concerning the incidents. So after everyone had gotten their questions out of the way he speaks again. "So why don't you just tell us what you know?" he asks looking to Naoto. All the while he does wonder when it wouldn't be 'inappropriate' to order something. The man did want to talk over dinner after all.
"Excuse me for a moment," Taiki says as he pulls out a scroll from his scroll pouch. He quickly opens it up to the third seal and focuses a little chakra into it, causing another scroll and a wooden box to appear. Quickly he opens the scroll, which is blank, and allows the bottom end to fall into his lap. The box is set on top of the scroll near the bar so it opens facing Taiki. Next he opens the box and pulls out a graphite rod, and starts writing on the scroll. It's evident he's going to take notes here, in order to have some kind of record of this. One benefit of this process is that he can easily and quickly hide his embarrassment at his earlier remarks. Once everyone's question is down, he looks up expectantly and waits for an answer. He's got a couple of questions himself, but he'll wait so as to not crowd the client.
It was almost as though the man could read minds! His intuition is probably what makes him such a good businessman. "Please," he remarks gently, "do look over the menu. If there's anything you may like… Don't hesitate to order." With that, he leans against the table, letting his fingers steeple under his chin as he looks between those seated here. As Taiki does his little thing, he smiles a little.
"Talented," he comments lightly. "It seems I chose correctly by turning to the same hidden village that our Diamyo turns to," he remarks lightly. With that, though, he shifts in his seat. "What I do know." He turns his head toward Yuya for a moment, considering him. "What I do know is that there is no physical evidence -our- townspeople are able to find," he explains softly. "Tool markings that indicate that these people may very well -spend hours- digging, but otherwise, nothing. No foot prints. No fingerprints. No traces of evidence to be found. Just a pile of dirt and a ripped open casket," he explains gently. "Whomever is perpetrating this little situation? They're also skilled in stealth, because -yes,- we do have a night watch, and no one has a recollection of hearing or -seeing- anyone coming in or out of the cemetery."
A pause. He takes a long drink and lightly rustles his collar a little. "As you can imagine, this has caused a -great- deal of distress on families and those who intend to actually invest in future plots in the cemetery. They think it's unsafe. On top of the fact that they're committing an outrageous act, they are also ruining the natural beauty of the cemetery that we attempt to maintain in order to create a serene, care-free and quiet environment. Desecration all around," he finally grumbles, shaking his head.
"It must cease. And soon."
It's not too long into the little speech that Hitoshi quietly slips in to sit between Atsuro and Taiki, trying to not make too big of a scene. He quietly leans over to Atsuro, whispering something in his ear… Though what it is may not be audible to the others.
On the one hand, Atsuro's hungry, and a brief glance over to Taizen confirms that he is as well. On the other hand, ordering as enough to feed the both of them will probably not be appreciated. There's a moment's hesitation, then he grabs a menu, opens it up, and starts reading. He glances up for a moment to watch Taiki's trick, though he's seen him do that plenty of times by now. He looks across the table to Senchiro. "You suspect they're ninja," he deduces, "Whoever's doing it, I mean. Am I wrong?"
He shifts a little in his seat to allow Hitoshi more room, though he pauses when the boy leans over and whispers to him. He glances back at Hitoshi. "Sure," he says, nodding to him. He turns back to glance at the menu for a second, then shuts it and puts it back on the table.
Naru didn't have any comments, if anything she was ready to get the sniffers out and figure out what was going on in the area, Naru had a clue that perhaps there was shinobi involved if they were really that undetected, Naru briefly glances at the menu before pushing it off to the side… Her appetite just wasn't here today, instead she merely listened, not having any other questions especially since Atsuro had picked it up before she could say anything. Instead she let out a quiet sigh and rested her hands firmly into her lap… Curious of what was to come next…. She briefly turns her eyes to Taiki, a little curious as to what he may have be writting up…
Taiki's idea was a good one. Yuya nods approving of it before looking back to Naoto. The boy is a competent Genin. "Ah good." Yuya remarks as they're given the green light by Naoto. As the young chuunin over looks the menu he listens to Naoto informs them of what he can. Yuya is probably suspecting the same as many of the others. No ordinary group individuals could've pulled this off so efficiently. "Any patterns or is all just haphazard grave-robbing?" Yuya asked as he continued to skim over the menu. Hitoshi's return catches his attention. His gaze shifts to Hitoshi as he whispers to Atsuro then return to the menu. He figured it was something only Atsuro need be aware of at the moment. Yuya closes his menu having come to a decision and would simply wait now to put in his order.
Taiki nods and takes down the information provided. His writing is neat and linear, but done in a basic Konoha shorthand so that only the ninja can read it. As the man finishes this part he says, "Do you have hunter dogs around here, and did you try to get them to sniff the area for anything unusual?" He would not ask if the man had actually found a trail, for anyone talented enough in stealth to be able to pull of an extended dig in a monitored area without being caught wouldn't leave a trail that any ordinary dog could find, much less follow.
Almost automatically, without missing a beat, opens the menu with his free hand and quickly looks through it. With a slightly pleading glance toward Naru, he points and something and then points to himself once he has her attention. The request is clear: please order the sesame chicken for himself. Another point, and then toward Shinobu, requests that she order Mongolian beef for the dog. A quick hand held in front of his face completes the look as he smiles at her.
He absentmindedly taps on something he just wrote that would appear to an ordinary civilian to be a mess of scribbles down one side of the scroll and motions to her to look since she appeared interested in what he was writing. He even outlines it in little fans, obviously the clan symbol of an Uchiha. It is quite something to see him both write and draw so fast, but it's obvious he's had practice at it. Another smile escapes his lips as he reaches down and pets Shinobu for a moment, murmuring about ordering food to the dog even as he twirls the canine's hair for a moment. Then he straightens up and appears to listen /most/ carefully to the answers, his graphite rod poised to continue to take notes.
"I would hope that— well." Senchiro sighs, and shakes his head, continuing to look down for a moment before looking to Atsuro with a bit of a sad nod. "Either that, or very, very skilled grave-robbers. I -sincerely- hope that it's the latter. Shinobi that would come -here- for graverobbing… it seems kind of pointless! None of our community belong to Shinobi clans or the like," he explains softly.
He then looks toward Yuya, nodding. "When we began looking through our medical records on those that were deceased, yes. We put together that all of them, at some point, suffered a congenital defect of some sort," he explains gently. "Be it pulmonary, cardiac-related… something. Some kind of minor birth defect that, while a slight hinderance, they could live their natural life spans with. All were either middle-aged or elderly, between the ages of 45-60."
He pauses, then, looking to Taiki. "Unfortunately, unlike a Hidden Village such as yours, our resources aren't quite as grandiose," he explains quietly. "So, no. Unfortunately, we don't have hunter dogs." He then pauses, smiling as Hitoshi joins the group…
However, Hitoshi just gives the man a Deer in headlights look. In the meantime, he begins to regard his menu, holding it with one hand. His free hand? On the outside of the menu… hidden from the view of the kitchen. Gesturing, making handsigns.
A short translation: Someone grab host. Prepare to disperse. Get clear of structure. On signal, make eye contact for acknowledgement.
He then lowers the menu, smiling gently. He looks toward Senchiro for a moment, taking a breath… and then toward the little waitress that's skirted over to them, taking orders.
"I believe I'll have the riceballs. I'm not too hungry," he explains to her, chuckling lightly… and he reaches into his pouch, pulling out a twenty-ryo mark, and gently reaching up… -boldly,- tucking it into the woman's shirt pocket. He also leans up to whisper to her.
My, Hitoshi is quite the player for a thirteen year old! the waitress's eyes go wide, and she nods fervently… and bustles away. The few other waitresses are also bustling some, seemingly trying to hurry the other two or three customers in the diner to finish their meals, depart…
Atsuro sits back in his seat and listens to what Senchiro has to tell them. Maybe ninja, no hunting dogs, congenital defects… he glances over to Taiki. Well, his display for Naru is rather cloying, but it seems notes are being taken, so there's an opportunity to review later if something occupies his attention. Which is good, since something weird seems to be going down. He surreptitiously glances down at Hitoshi's hand signs.
Whoops, maybe he shouldn't have sat across from the client. He brings up his right hand to rub along his right eyebrow a couple of times
Atsuro sits back in his seat and listens to what Senchiro has to tell them. Maybe ninja, no hunting dogs, congenital defects… he glances over to Taiki. Well, his display for Naru is rather cloying, but it seems notes are being taken, so there's an opportunity to review later if something occupies his attention. Which is good, since something weird seems to be going down. He surreptitiously glances down at Hitoshi's hand signs.
Whoops, maybe he shouldn't have sat across from the client. He makes eye contact with Hitoshi, but brings up his right hand to rub along his right eyebrow a couple of times. Maybe he's itchy. Or maybe he's signalling back to Hitoshi that he's not in a good position for Senchiro-grabbing duty. The signal can only be used to send a simple 'cannot do' to Hitoshi, but he can also do it right in front of everyone without looking suspicious. He smirks a little despite himself when Hitoshi puts on his lady-killer act. He sits up straight and pulls his chair back from the table just a little bit.
There seemed to be many things happening at once… Hitoshi was just getting back and whispering, and did he just put a few Ryo into a womans front pocket? It upseted Naru slightly, offering him an expression of quiet disdain, instead she turned her eyes to Taiki, slightly confused at what he was talking about at first she then blinked and randomly ordered some food for both shinobu and Taiki.
" Um… Can i get an order of seasamen chicken for Ta-kun…and perhaps and order for Mongolian Beef for Shin-kun?" Naru asked, one of the waiters of course hopefully to run off and get the order, Naru's eyes then looked at the code.. "hmm?" She carefully read and and simply nodded her head. " Did you get the part about the body defects?" Naru whispers, a little loudly to Taiki as her way of playing along, for now she was just going to sit back…and just be ready for anything as suggested…
"Interesting. To say the least." Yuya remarks to Naoto as elaborates. The young chuunin began to ponder a few things to himself when he noticed Hitoshi's signals. Yuya keeps a poker face about him as he interprets Hitoshi's message. 'Must've spotted something odd.' Yuya thought to himself before making direct yet brief eye contact with Hitoshi. He then takes note of everyone's seating arrangement as he thinks who'd be the best bet to go for Naoto. Atsuro was definitely a no go. Taiki was taking notes. Which left either himself or Naru. Yuya looks to Naoto "Well I can think of a few reasons why some shinobi would want to dig up graves. Beyond making a profit I can't think of any other reason a common grave-robber would pillage in such a selective manner." Yuya adds. He sighs and looks towards the waitress as Hitoshi puts da moves on her. Yuya smirks and shakes his head "But this is all very helpful." He says to Naoto. "Oh and I'll have the cooked eel served over the bed of rice. Thank you." He hoped he'd get to enjoy his meal before the signal was given.
Taiki shudders at the thought of Shinobi coming here for grave robbing, but continues to take notes. When the lack of hunting dogs is revealed, he looks at Shinobu and says, "Well, we know what one of the first things we're going to do is, right boy?" He absently scratches his nose and smirks, showing an incisor as he looks meaningfully right at Hitoshi. It would appear that he has Shinobu ready for action at a moment's notice. Still he continues to write his notes, taking a spare moment to write something that flowery gibberish which he shows to Naru.
Taiki then reaches down to adjust the scroll in his lap as he rolls the top up a bit, taking care not to smudge the ink as he does. "Hai Na-chan, I got it," he whispers a little bit loudly as he appears to drop the scroll. Shinobu, ever the helpful and smart ninken that he is, crouches down under the table after a couple of motions with Taiki's foot. This, accidentally, puts Shinobu in optimal position to snag Sochiro, without looking like he's being positioned.
Eye contact is made with the entire team. Ah, good. Everyone's in on the game. And Taiki's even taking up the initiative… and he smirks a little bit, nodding.
"Senchiro-sama," Hitoshi begins gently, tilting his head slightly and looking to the man with that odd Deer in Headlights look, eyes wide, body somewhat slack in his chair…
The older man stares back at the young shinobi, smiling. "You must be calling the shots. Very good," he whispers softly. He had caught what Hitoshi was doing. Obviously, he wasn't -aware- of exactly what was going on… otherwise, he probably wouldn't be smiling.
"Your life's in danger," Hitoshi states, point-blank, still smiling pleasantly. That pretty much destroys that pleasant smile on Naoto's face… "And you are about to be evacuated."
The rest of the patrons - and the waitstaff - are gone. The girl did twenty ryo worth of work, all right. Hitoshi calmly reaches into his pocket again, taking a small pill out of it, and popping into his mouth… chewing it, he swallows. Mmmh, bitter. But worth a try…
— the intuitive shinobi may also notice that sounds from the kitchen? They've -not- been going since they were seated and comfortable. There was no one cooking. They were too busy… rigging.
It's at this point, Hitoshi nods. And that's the signal. He pushes back from the table, one hand going to his kunai holster, and the other going to his toolpouch. Kunai out, shuriken out… and in a single twist, the kunai is cast in a very specific direction, in the -corner- nearby… where it can be heard impacting… not wood. A person.
Someone hidden! Someone that had camoflauged themselves… though, as the ninjutsu dissipates, it's obvious: the man is a shinobi. But no headband! Renegades… The man is allowed to fall dead with the kunai embedded firmly below his neck, at the apex of his collarbone…
"GO!"
The shuriken are also cast out, near the doors, making sure the field was clear for the group to make their break. They impact the wall… no one there, right now.
Aaaaand it's time to get moving. Atsuro gets up from his seat, the speed and force of his movements such that the chair falls over behind him. Taizen gets up just as quickly, but since he has no chair nothing that interesting happens. Hitoshi's snapshot does not escape their notice, and it's quite impressive, but Atsuro and Taizen have sensed more enemies in disguise.
There's a second's pause as Atsuro focuses some chakra and changes appearance to a somewhat more bestial form, then the two of them, in near-perfect unison, leap up to the rafters in a blur. There are a couple of cries from up above, then they come back down again, both of them landing on all fours on top of two men with some rather nasty gashes on their upper bodies. Combined with the fall, it's a good bet that they're dead.
That done, there's only one thing left for the Inuzuka duo to do: trust the others on the team to do whatever needs to be done and get out of there. They charge for the front doors and throw them open, making way for the next people to charge through, then continue out into the village.
While the others were heading towards the exit, There was one shinobi Naru had picked up, moving deeper into the cafe towards the Kitchen, not only that but he seemed to be running after something..A tag of a sort? Naru's reaction was quick, quickly subuduing her opponent with a quit burst of chakra and using her own genjutsu to promptly suffocate the man as he inched toward the tag, he would find his knees quickly cripple him into the floor, and a continous array of chakra closing along his lungs undoubtly to suffocate him into a coma… Naru on the other hand motioned for that explosive tag, hopefully not ignited yet she plucked it from the wall and ripped it in two, effectively disabling the attack… Soon after she moved along, attempting to follow the others out of th cafe and into opeen ground…
The absence of many things prompted Yuya to keep a keen eye peeled although he'd been doing so ever since arrival. Yuya focused a bit more ever since Hitoshi had relayed that message and it looks like the effort wasn't or naught. "Pfft I don't even know why I bothered to order anything" Yuya remarks as the signal is given. Hitoshi had successfully neutralized one hostile and it seems Naoto was in the care of Taiki's partner. He'd forgotten how handy Inuzuka hounds can be. This allowed Yuya more freedom to defend Naoto, and he'd soon have to. Over the counter another hostile made his way acrobatically towards Naoto. Yuya moved to intercept him certain that he wasn't the only one but also confident in his teammate's ability. His cloak was still worn and under it his target wouldn't be able to see the lethal strike coming at him. As the man came to an upright position in his cartwheel Yuya was there and had thrust his arm out delivering a lethal blow with his hidden blade. The blade slipped between the ribs and pierced the heart, death would be instant. Retracting his blade and withdrawing his arm back underneath his cloak Yuya turns and escapes with the rest of the team.
Neither Taiki nor Shinobu wastes time. Taiki goes down on all fours, but in a different stance than Atsuro's. His looks more like there's more weight on the back than the front, his body arched like it could pounce at any second. And pounce he does. One chakram is slung out toward… nothing from beyond the table toward the far wall. The chakram seems to miss something until a "clang" is heard. The chakram is parried, but that was perhaps the goal as Taiki calls out, "Kaminarino Tsume!" The smell of ozone fills the air as Taiki launches himself toward where the chakram bounced off, landing with both front "claws" raking down something. Blood squirts in the air even as Taiki lands and pivots. Another kick with both feet show that Taiki's hands and feet are now sporting blue-white claws of lightning. The kick lands, finishing the job of shredding the ninja's chest and breaking bones before propelling Taiki forward. He uses those same claws to provide traction as he bounds after his ninken and out of the building, catching the bouncing chakram even as he leaps out the door..
At the same time all of this was happening, Shinobu was doing something different. He pounced from under the table, leaping out to grab the arm of Shochiro in his mouth. Using just enough pressure to ensure the man followed without breaking skin, he pulls the man up and heads for the door. His instructions were clear, protect the client by getting him out of here. He does this in the most direct and fastest way possible, but does not let go of the arm which forces the man to duck down to avoid any wayward flying projectiles. With Yuya's assistance, Sochiro is cleared out of the building quickly.
There is always -one- Big Bad that escapes notice. Probably because he's not directly nearby. Even if the team hadn't killed them, the worst possible thing would've happened anyway. Maybe it's not so bad, since they did get those that were setting the extra explosive tags… because what happens is absolutely, beautifully…
Explosive.
Pre-set tags in the ceiling rafters, the kitchen, and dining area are remotely triggered by someone within the area. Are they near the building? Are they still inside? Sensing this would be impossible due to the overwhelming explosive power unleashed - harsh enough to create a shockwave behind the Shinobi Team and their saved client on the way out. Even though they are likely able to get a distance away - the heat and PUNCH are still enough to make them stagger a little.
Which is exactly what Hitoshi does… and feeling that heat against the back of his neck, he looks over his shoulder.
The diner is completely in flames. Engulfed. And the fire is spreading steadily. The bucket brigade is quickly forming, the local townsfolk scrambling to save businesses and the like. All the while… Senchiro Naoto is currently too busy panting, faint, after being dragged -by a dog- to safety. He's down for the count right now, and pretty much useless for questioning. Hitoshi's worry-lines in his forehead visibly deepen, and he shakes his head a little.
"So much for this being a cakewalk," he mumbles to himself, pushing his palm against his forehead slightly, riding his forehead protector up a bit.
"It's -pretty- obvious we're not just dealing with thugs. Those guys knew what they were doing, and they were more than ready to try and kill us. I'll need to contact the village for instructions immediately… the situation's changed." He pauses, looking back to the rest of the team.
"Excellent work, guys. Even though… well, there's a fire, we still kept the civilian loss of life to a bare minimum," he remarks, "and saved our client. Good first day in Waru no Kaia!" He smirks a little, thumbing up. He then looks to Naoto… and nudges him a bit with his foot. "He's obviously not going to be safe alone, either," he notes. "So we'll be keeping him with us."
He looks toward Atsuro. "Guess who -he- is sleeping with?" That's right, Pontius.
"We'll split up otherwise for sleeping arrangements at the Inn. Buddy up." Despite the fact that he and the rest of his team just pulled off a harrowing escape and there is a burning building not two hundred feet behind them… Hitoshi's demeanor is rather cool.
Maybe that's what is going to make him a good leader. He's able to go with the flow and adapt. That, and he's left it open for someone to claim him as a room buddy. Except Atsuro. That's right, Pontius. You get to sleep with the corpse-guy.
