Starring:
Date: February 9, 2014
Summary:
Matsumoto Hachiro of the Matsumoto group came to seize the home that stood on his land from Fukui Hideki, a longtime resident of the area along with his passed wife. The man wouldn't budge and took the nephew, Shouta, as hostage. Energies were exhausted between the two parties and they had reached a standstill with no progress. Mushi along with Isra came to handle the situation. By law, the landowner had his rights, but against the law stood the tenant hoping to keep what was left of the wishes of his wife.
"Lawful Seizure and Unlawful Wishes"
Coastal Road - Land of Water
The job was simple. Go to the area and raze the house. That was the easy part. The hard part was trying to convince the homeowner out
of the home and with the hostage still intact. Negotiations were difficult business and there was a great amount of respect that went to those
that were able to handle that sort of thing. Isra wasn't exactly sure she could, but she was going to try. This needed to be done with as little
casualties as possible. As of now, she isn't aware of the full details with the exception that the landowner's nephew is the one being held
hostage. They've been at this for a few hours now and their attempts have been a failure. Both sides are losing patience making everything much
more delicate. Along for the ride is Mushi who had been asked to help out with this situation. Perhaps a healer's touch would be able to do
something about this.
Mushi was currenly operating in Kirigakure, and she had been approached on this mission. In negotiations, maybe the presence of a—
literally—neutral party might help the growing tension. In fact, Mushi's only gear includes the symbol of Takigakure tied around her arm.
Besides that, she has no equipment, either as a shinobi or a medic. Maybe she doesn't expect that her physical prowess is needed, or maybe she
doesn't feel she needs to rely on much gear. She says to Isra, "Your Kage chose well. In terms of negotiations, your rank gives you enough
authority to set the terms without consulting the Mizukage every minute. It will show the man that we're taking his time seriously and
thoughtfully." She leaves the rest unsaid—that if it comes to a fight, who is more formidable than one of the Seven?
"Thanks. I do and will take this seriously. Loss of life shouldn't be present in something like this," Isra remarks. "Thoughtfully is
all the Uzumaki are about. Decisions take time coming to us, but when they do, they're often for the best and in the right direction. That's
what I want to do for this. Of course, I'm at some conflict because my wishes may not be what is needed for every mission. So, I have to
reevaluate sometimes," she shrugs. "Let's just hope that what happens here won't have need for too much reevaluation."
They both approach the home that's situated in the forest. It looks to be a stable home, a simple two room place along with a large tea
room that's the main focus of the place. It's quaint and understandable why the tenant would want to keep this place. Set atop the cliff walls,
it has a beautiful view of the Land of Water and ocean. "This is a nice place…" She sighed. "It's going to be tough…"
As the two of them arrive, the workers point out the two shinobi and the landowner looked back and went over to them shouting, "Oy!" He
was an older man, somewhat top heavy, but otherwise he appeared to be healthy. "You must be here to help us out here," his voice was solid and
authoritative. "We can't get this guy out of here. He has my nephew held hostage and all we've tried to do has been unsuccessful. We've even
threatened action against him, but he hasn't budged. Now we need you all to take him out so we can get him out. He can't keep this place, he's
past due for five months and needs to find someplace else to go."
Mushi looks at Isra gaugingly as they near their destination. Most of the Uzumaki are located in Konoha, she is the first Mushi saw
affiliated with Kirigakure. But there are probably more. And she seems astronomically more even tempered than many of the Seven Swordsman she
had met in the past. That has to make her smirk; she supposes if she's to work with one of the Seven, she could do much worse than this one. She
turns back to the destination at hand. "It is lovely," she says. "It's too bad that it has come to this."
After that, she watches things unfold. For the most part, she listens and doesn't speak while the landowner approaches them and tells of
his grievances. She looks towards the house. This could be better—they'd called them in at a late stage, when both sides didn't seem to want to
budge. But she does give her opinion. "At this point, he may refuse even generous terms if they were to come through you. We're both skilled
negotiators, and I'm sure we can reason with him. Of course, our first priority will be to get your nephew out safely." Her tone is even,
slightly friendly, but knowledgeable.
"I'm Matsumoto Hachiro, these are my men here of the Matsumoto Group. My nephew's name is Shouta and the one holding him hostage is
Fukui Hideki. Kind of ironic, though. His name and what happened to him don't even match. His business fell through, tough luck, though. He had
decided to start a logging business around here which would've been prime if the Koumorite clan didn't disagree. They consider the wooded area
their home and didn't want anything touched. He tried anyway and they ended up ruining him," he shrugged.
"Right. Well…we'll have to do what we can," Isra states with a smile. "Just let us handle this and we'll see what we can work out."
She approached the home saying, "Shouta? Can you hear me?" He could, thankfully, but he was afraid to answer. Hideki answered for him. "He's
here and he's still fine! Who are you?" He shouted from within the house. "I'm Uzumaki Isra of Kirigakure. I am here with a friend," she looked
back to Mushi if she would like to state her name. "We're here to help out." Hideki went silent for a few moments before he questioned, "Help
who?" Isra replied, "To help you."
Before they approach too close Mushi says quietly to Isra, "Keep in mind I can heal just about anything you do. But I've never put
decapitation to the test." There's a note of wryness in her voice—is that a joke? She straightens up as they approach the hostage situation.
Despite the fact that they can't see one another, Mushi smooths the front of her shirt. And as she's introduced as a friend, Mushi would call
out, "I'm Nikumari Mushi, of Takigakure, and I'm also here to help you out." Her tone carries a hint of warmth and understanding. And she'd
continue, "We'd like to hear from you what it is you want."
"Perfect. I don't want it to come down to that, but just in case…" Isra chuckled. "Decapitation?" That just came out of nowhere, but
she shook her head and smiled. "If you don't mind," she started. "Could you perform a vital search to be sure that everything is fine?" She
wondered. "I can't tell what condition the captive is in from here," she states. "All I want is this home. It's all I have left. My business is
gone, my wife has passed and this is the only thing I have to remember her by! I just want them to leave me alone and me and this home in peace!
That's my only request!" Isra hummed. "How much does he owe on this place. Five months, I understand, but how much does five months cover?" She
questioned. Hachiro replied, "Too much for him," he snickered to himself. "But, he owes about five thousand ryo." She rubbed her chin. "Is there
a way that it can be paid off?" The man shook his head. "Nope. The property isn't his anymore. He should've been out of it a while ago and the
other guy should've been moved in by now. He's frustrated that he can't get this place because this guy is holding up his move." She nodded.
Mushi smirks. Vital Search Technique. It's one of the most basic in the book, but she never bothered to learn it. Why use that when her
Self Diagnostic Jutsu would do just as well…except in these hostage type situations? She supposes it'll be worth learning in the future. For
now, she closes her eyes and concentrates not on people's diagnostic readings ut the vibrations in the air. And from it she'd pick up a
picture—of everyone who was moving even slightly in the area, which includes breathing. She would say in a whisper to Isra, "There are just the
two of them in the house, no one else. Neither are hurt. But the hostage is afraid. And…the man isn't too calm either." She listens to Isra
and the property owner discussing whether payment is possible. This is getting nowhere fast. So she'd take the initiative and call out, "Sir, is
it okay if we talk about this face to face? We'd like you to come out—or we'd like to come in and speak with you, either way."
Hideki considered the option. He was tense and knowing that they were both shinobi, he didn't want them to come in and hurt him. "How
do I know you won't hurt me?" He inquired of them both. "I want all weapons discarded! All of them," he states. "Whatever it is that you shinobi
use!" Isra rubbed her neck. Of course. "Alright, I'll discard my weapons and everything I use," she called and proceeded to take off her flak
jacket and belt where she kept the rest of her tools, tossing them to the ground beside her. She was all bare now. "All of what I use is
removed. Do I have permission to proceed?" Hideki finally shows his face and peers out a window to his house where he observes Mushi and Isra
carefully. He looks at the both of them and says, "You can come in, I'll unlock the door." With all that said, he moved toward the door and
began to dismantle the basic trap he set up. It may not have been effective against shinobi, but it would have been an issue for the workers
outside. The door is opened and Isra and Mushi are allowed inside.
He quickly rushes away with his hostage in hand, knife held up to his neck saying, "Don't do anything or I'll cut him!"
Mushi walks into the room, and takes the situation in. She doesn't panic however when the man holds the knife to his hostage's throat.
She says calmly and firmly, "If you stab an artery in his neck he'll bleed to death in seconds. Lower that knife a little." She looks him
straight in the eye. "Before we speak further, I'd like to put our offer on the table too. If at any time you'd like to take it, it is open to
you. This is a good situation. You haven't harmed anyone. You haven't damaged the property. Just…walk out with the two of us. We have the
authority of Kirigakure. We want to help you make the best of this situation. And your best chance to recover from this and lead a good life is
coming out of this room with the two of us." She pauses. "If your wife was here, what would she want? To have this house, at the cost of you
harming someone? Or to see you happy, no matter what?"
Hideki doesn't appear to want to listen much and Shouta isn't trying to struggle to make any movements that would harm him. Lowering
the knife doesn't appear to be an option. "I can't…just walk out. It's too difficult. This is my home and my wife's home. It's the home she's
wanted all along," Hideki explains with some bitterness, but mostly sorrow. "I didn't want to give it up. I loved her too much for it. I had a
business that could have supported me and was in talks with the Koumorite clan to utilize some trees in the area. I was close to striking up a
deal with them, but my wife passed before it could happen. I was…so distressed," he choked up and shook his head. "I was so distressed. This
was to be our livelihood. I couldn't bear that I lost her…and I began to neglect my business. Before long, it all collapsed," he tried to keep
himself from choking up further and sucked it up.
"This place isn't worth as much as Hachiro said. He knew my wife was ill and he raised the price of the land, making it harder for me
to afford. I had it all under control, I had it!" He shouted in anger. "And he used her illness against me! When he came and tried to seize my
property, I took his nephew when I had the chance. He should know what it's like…" He held the knife closer to Shouta's neck, pressing it
firmly into his skin, but not enough to strike blood. "He should know what it's like to lose a piece of yourself!"
Isra began to move about the house and look around. It didn't take long for her to find a picture of him and his wife. "I suppose you
should know he told us a different story. He said that the Koumorite ruined you. That the clan didn't want you here and considered this place
home. He blamed the clan for you being ruined—That's not what happened at all!" Hideki shouted in rage. "I've known this clan for a very long
time! He only wanted me out of this place because he wanted to get more out of it!" She rubbed her neck and took the picture off the shelf.
"…Please, don't be angry… I didn't want to make you upset, I just…thought you should know what he said…" She sighed. "But I agree with
my friend here. I don't believe your wife would want this. From the way you sound, it seems she's supported you and your endeavours and I don't
believe she'd love you any less due to your business failing. Your words tell us enough about her that she would want to see you happy. She was
confident in you, wasn't she?"
Hideki was breathing heavily as he tried to calm down. "Y…yes. She was. She knew we would make it… She believed so strongly in me,
I didn't want to fail her…I didn't," his eyes watered. "I didn't want to hurt anyone. I just wanted her to know that the least I did was keep
this house and I couldn't even do that. I feel I've failed her…" He cried. His grip loosened on Shouta and it was enough for him to break
away, but he took advantage of the moment to snatch away the knife and attack Hideki.
Isra, though she was unarmed, wasn't unable to act. She rose up a barrier to protect Hideki and the knife would strike against the
barrier, ineffective.
Mushi looks relieved when Hideki begins to lower the knife, until his former hostage tries to stab him. She winces as Isra raises a
protective barrier in time. That would've been a nasty wound to try and heal. Mushi flickers from view only to appear beside the two, plucking
the dagger from his grasp deftly and pocketing it. "I think we've had enough knives," she says quietly. "The official report will read that
Hideki was standing down voluntarily. Sit over there Shouta-san." To Hideki she says, "You never failed her. Your wife's love doesn't grow or
shrink depending on your success. She didn't believe in a business or a house, she believed in you. I think she'd want your happiness, which
can't be found here any longer. Which is why you need to be seen walking out calmly with us, not resisting. It will go much better for you."
She's speaking from the heart. Maybe Mushi was stretching it a bit when she said she was a professional negotiator. Since now she's reaching out
to pat his back, before escorting him out.
Shouta didn't expect to be stopped so quickly, but when he was, he wasn't certain of what to do. He froze as if thinking about what he
should do. The knife was gone and Hideki was protected. He gritted his teeth and stood down before taking a seat. "You deserve to lose this
house," he muttered to himself. Isra lashed his face with her hand no sooner than he finished the statement. "Taking a seat also includes not
speaking. You've already crossed the line once. Do you want to incur our wrath?" She questioned and looked Shouta dead in the eye. "I don't
think you do. Be silent," she spoke sharply at him.
"Take this picture with you. Keep it with you and one other thing of importance to you in remembrance of your wife," Isra remarks.
Hideki felt his heart sink at leaving, but he knew it was necessary. "One more thing?" He thought and looked to Mushi before stepping away from
her momentarily to go and retrieve something. He came back out with their wedding garments and an outfit she adored along with the tabi and
sandals she used to wear. "I…I couldn't just take one more thing, I'm sorry. I thought these were the most important…" He remarks and steps
to Mushi to be escorted out. Isra then grabs Shouta and steps out with him as well.
"Ah, you got him out, I can't believe it," Hachiro chuckles. "Now that he's out of there, I can take this place and get it together."
Once Shouta is escorted out, Isra turns back and collects the things she left outside. From a scroll, she summoned Shibuki and gathered up other
explosive tags, beginning to string them around the home. "Wait, what is she doing?" Hachiro asks, but it doesn't take long before he catches
wind of what was going on. "Hey, wait!" He shouts and the other men moved in to try and stop her, but she set off the explosive tags and
utilized her blade to fling out a ream and bind them in it. "This blade is no ordinary sword. If you take a step closer, Hachiro I will cause
this ream to explode!" The man stood still as he didn't want to be responsible for blowing up his own men.
The house took a chain of explosions as different pieces began to blow away until it eventually collapsed under its uneven weight.
Hideki didn't even know what to think about what just happened and he had a mixture of emotions. Even though he left the house, he didn't think
it was going to be destroyed. "…Why?" is all he asked.
"Have you lost your mind?!" Hachiro bellowed. "You destroyed the house! Someone was going to move into it and now what will I explain
to them when I tell them you blew it up?!" Isra relieved the bind and withdrew the ream back to her blade. "I can tell them that you were
endangering them and that they'd surely lost their lives here in this house," she starts.
"Not only were your actions criminal in raising the price without reason, but this land is unstable. There's nothing prime about it.
This house is settled on an overhang that's been subject to weathering by the waves. It's been whittled away at and could collapse at any point.
You would have been moving someone into a home that they'd have died in for negligence of this fact," she pointed out. "Destroying it was the
better option so no one would be fooled into your trap. I'm certain you knew this as the land owner, didn't you?" She questioned. Hachiro didn't
have much to say. Anyone in their right mind would have seen that as a dignified land owner.
It all feels wrong. In truth, even though it was Hideki who was the criminal it didn't feel that way. There's no happiness in the
success of this mission. But as they step out, Mushi tenses when she sees Isra arming herself. What is going on? However, her suspicion turns to
horror and then to barely suppressed mirth as she sees what she's doing. Isra is doing this as a professional on a ranked mission. But at her
side, Mushi is taking a very unprofessional amount of glee in the whole situation. Her green eyes are gleaming as she stands back and watches
the whole thing unfold. When Isra says that it was unsafe due to the overhang, Mushi nods and says, "She's right. The structural unsoundness is
obvious." Actually, to the medic, it really isn't. But she's enjoying the fireworks enough to vouch for Isra's actions. And take a curious look
at that blade. She smiles to Hideki and says, "Maybe your wife is here with us. Making sure no family in the future will be endangered in that
house. Protecting you." As they leave she has to give a wide grin to Isra, and say, "You're quite a shinobi," in the warm voice of a friend.
The house was left in ruins and all of it would be removed by Hachira and his workers. The land was still rightfully his since he owned
it, but he would be called under review for this. She made sure to take down information about him, his workers and the group they worked for
including various branch locations and the main office. She wanted to know as much as she could so there wouldn't be any chance of escape from
their actions. She did have to take Hideki in as well as Shouta as both performed actions that were threatening to one another. Hideki found it
hard to swallow, but maybe Mushi was right. Maybe his wife was here trying to protect him and others. He found some peace in that thought and
kept it close as he looked over her clothes.
"Thank you…I spent a while thinking about what I needed to do and admittedly, the thought of destroying the home with them both in it
did cross my mind, but I had to explore the other options available and then work towards one that I felt would work the best," she states. "I
appreciate your help. I don't think I'd have gotten as far without your assistance here. Additionally, I'll probably need someone to vouch if I
ever get called in for the review."
Mushi has to wince a little at the thought of blowing the house with both the hostage and kidnapper in it. The thought hadn't crossed
her mind. This is why she doesn't like being affiliated with shinobi missions. She doubts either of the two would be able to survive the
destruction that sword could deal out. She'd almost begun to forget this was one of the Seven. Still, she has to chuckle a little at the
outcome. "You did choose the best outcome," she says, "if the look on Hachiro's face is any indication. As for vouching for you—I'll say quite
honestly what you did, which is well within the mission guidelines and good protocol. For now, I need to go attend to a few things. This was
a…fruitful mission." And she goes off still smirking.
