Starring:
Date: December 23, 2015
Summary:
With the reason for the thieves remaining in Sunagakure revealed, it is time for the young budding shinobi, Shinta and his accomplice Jiro to track down the ring leaders of this drug ring and see what they can do to put a stop to it!
"The Drug Operation - Part 3, The Supply Route"
Land of Wind
With the thieves having been located in the village and suspected of brewing more of the vile concoction that attacked the mind and warped the body, Shinta's focus had shifted. Rather than attacking the thieves directly, Shinta wanted to use this chance to find their supply route and follow the trail to see where it was they not only were coming from, but where it was they were going to be shipping their drugs off to now. After a few days and nights of observation, the people inside had seemed ready to move their shipment, which meant it was time for Shinta to alert Jiro so that together they could stalk the transport. Tonight they could find out not only which merchant caravans were being used to transport their drug, but also what their intentions were for this drug after it was made. Shinta might have taken this whole ninja thing a step too far though…
Dressed in a navy blue long sleeved shirt and matching pants along with a black vest, Shinta also had shifted how he wore his head wrap, changing it more to not only completely cover his pale locks, but also left broad lengths of the cloth hanging from the right side of his face so it could easily be tucked about his head and hide away all but his eyes from view.. Yes, Shinta was dressed to im—stealth. even the metal rings on his gloves had been colored a dull tone so that they were not easily noticeable while the young boy crouched on a rooftop and kept an eye on the movements of the thieves. For the past hour three or four of them had been moving large jars into crates and those crates onto a cart for transport.
Jiro was ready to do a little trailing of his own and he smiled when he neared and saw Shinta's new look. Sure it wasn't a bad idea to dress stealthily for this mission but with what he wore he'd be really out of place if anyone saw him at all. Ah well. Wasn't much to do for it. At least Gojira didn't seem to be around. He was probably off destroying Tokyo or something like he tended to do. For now Jiro was crouched next to Shinta, watching the cart being packed full of crates and waiting with Shinta to see where they might be sending all this stuff.
Once the last crate was filled and slid into place on the cart, making six crates in total, a pair of the thieves moved about to the front of the cart and began struggling. Soon enough they were moving the cart from where it had been filled and were picking up speed. That cart had to weigh at least a hundred pounds or more and the speed they were moving at was unnaturally quick. They were already turning the corner of the intersection and racing toward the entrance of the village. It was only the two thieves pulling it that seemed to be moving about which left them much unguarded but tonight's mission wasn't about attacking. Shinta raced along the roofs, his wires being used to ensure he silently and smoothly cleared the gaps between buildings along the way after those bandits. At the entrance of the village, far too late to be an innocent merchant, was a caravan of camels, covered wagons, and guards, waiting for the shipment to arrive so they could start transferring the crates into the wagons. Rather than just being placed however the crates were being placed and then covered in other supplies and tools that filled the wagons. The trader was making sure the shipment was hidden.
Jiro watched as the thieves hauled the crates to the Village gates and outside, frowning faintly at the guards. Sure, usually they don't ask to inspect things /leaving/ the village but still…he'd be talking to Itami about this later. Even /he/ knew better! Jiro easily lands atop the wall, peering down at the caravan below as he scrunched up his face in thought. "'s'gonna be harder ta hide on the roa'. Maybe we shoul' try'n sneak onta the wagon," he suggests quietly to Shinta. It's not exactly easy to stay hidden in the desert with a bunch of flat sandy land.
The guards seemed almost interested in what was going on in the wagons but the merchant seemed adamant that they not look into what the crates were. The merchant was chattering away, talking about the contents being rare grains of the ninja clans within the village, golds brought up from the depths, and the likes. The guards were in the dark on the matter and perhaps, being paid to be happy about that as well. There was little argument from them against the merchant's words either way.
Shinta would listen to Jiro's idea about getting into the carts and nod a bit. "That sounds good.. But how are we going to get onto the cart with all of the guards watching? Should we wait until they start to depart?" The younger boy asked as he looked to Jiro. While he was supposed to be leading this mission, Shinta was still just a student with little to no mission experience.. aside from that one time, at prison camp.. But that doesn't count! Maybe a good distraction of some kind would do well.
Jiro takes in the faces of the guards, knowing some of them even in his previous run ins with the 'law' of the Village. He'd make sure they got in deep poopy when he got back. But for now they had to find out where the stuff was going. Jiro chews his lip in thought as he looks around a few moments before his eyes stop on a certain poisonous lizard. "Sen' yer lizar' round ta the other side'n have 'im make some noise so we c'n sneak in," he says quietly, eyes shining brightly.
Shinta blinked at Jiro's idea but then tapped at his shirt a few times until a squirming started within the material. Soon enough that slithering squirming moved to Shinta's shoulder and peered its purple and gold head out innocently, as though trying to prove it had not just been terrorizing some small island nation. Wrapping a bit of the meat for feeding his little monster in a short portion of his wires, Shinta guided the wires down and to the side of the wagon. In a flash, Gojira was racing after the meat and of course would scale the covering of the wagon while trying to bite at the meat. It didn't take long for the lizard to get frustrated at the steadily escaping bit of meat and soon enough, along with the sound of its claws scraping at the wagon, came the sound of the foot long lizard's hissing. Shinta had to steadily guide the lizard but the move it moved and hissed, the more the guards began moving around the wagon while grasping at their spears. Luckily if the distraction did anything it served to make the thieves work more quickly in filling the wagon and were racing to depart.
Then Shinta's control wavered and his wire dropped the meat. Luckily… sort of… Gojira lunged and bit hold of the meat while falling off the wagon, and onto the head of the merchant that seemed to command the wagon. Who knew a grown man could get their voice that high? Between the hissing and screaming; the wagon's merchant flailing wildly, Shinta began descending the wall so he could take the chance.
Jiro watches as Gojira goes after the meat, the boy snickering when the lizard plops on the merchants head. After that he hops to a lower rooftop then to the ground to wait for Shinta, blue eyes scanning the area around the cart to try and make sure that all the guards were properly distracted before they made their attempt. Once Shinta gets down he says "Jus' ge' on the cart'n hide so they can'na fin' you. If somethin' 'appens I'll lead 'em off."
Shinta would climb into the cart and after looking around briefly, Shinta gave a thumbs up to Jiro. "Do not worry about me, just be sure you are not found either." Shinta would say before forming a hand seal and bursting in a small cloud of smoke. As the smoke cleared it showed that the boy had transformed to make himself appear as just another one of the crates of drugs in the cart. Shinta had already mastered enough of the basics to be allowed to graduate.. He was simply awaiting the graduation ceremony, with Jiro there as well, the boy's confidence had been allowed to swell.
Jiro watches after the little lizard for a few more moments, looking to make sure that Shinta is in place before he slips underneath the cart. Too many extra crates might attract some unwanted notice. So instead he slips into a little nitch in the underside of the wagon and uses his sash to tie around some wood to keep himself from falling off. It'll have to do! One of the benefits of being so small.
The little lizard would be quick and easily not only lunge from the merchant's head, but around the edge of the wagon. When the guards rounded the wagon they'd catch sight of the lizard racing off into the distance and miss what Jiro would have gotten to see. Rather than the lizard having raced away, Gojira had run under the wagon toward Jiro in a rush to get away while at the same time, a silvery bundle of wire had slipped from in the wagon before not only tightening and compressing into the form of the lizard, but even managed to take on the creature's form as it ran for the guards to notice.
With the wire distraction sent out, Shinta made sure he was as convincing as a crate could be and when the guards looked into the wagon, even shuffling things around with the ends of their spears, Shinta forced himself to maintain the disguise until the guards were shouted at by the merchant and their caravan began moving back the way it had come from.
As the lizard ran towards him he Jiro reached out to snag it's tail and pull it up onto his chest, letting the fake lizard distract the guards. He puts his finger to his lips to try and keep the creature quiet while he waits for them to get moving. Great, now he has to deal with the thing for the whole trip. How annoying!
With the lizard gone, the merchant was happy to get moving and indeed the caravan was starting off toward the direction of the Port City near the ocean. The trip would take the entire night and the wagon's merchant insisted they keep moving rather than coming to a stop and making camp through the night. It at least meant less time for Jiro to need to wait with the monster along the trip. When they reached the port city and the caravan came to a stop, the merchant had come to a stop in an enclosed area. Dismissing the guards, the merchant moved off into the trader's guild so he could get some assistance from key people to move the crates.
Sinta could hear the squeak of the lizard when it was caught by Jiro but none after that which made ti clear that while the lizard was just a normal wild beast, it at the very least knew when it was in danger and when it was safe. With his mind at ease, Shinta closed his eyes and concentrated throughout the trip. This of course lead to Shinta being worn out by the time they neared the guild and not long after the merchant left, there was another poof that signaled Shinta's transformation being canceled. The boy was panting slowly as he leaned against one of the crates in the caravan. Even being good with controlling chakra, the boy was at his limit after the hours of travel.
Jiro isn't exactly comfortable for the trip but he's had worse situations in life, so he just ignores the bumping and odd positioning as best as he can. Once the wagon stops and the guards disperse he slips out, retying the sash around his waist after depositing the creature on his shoulder. "Shinta, you still 'wake," he asks, peeking into the wagon.
Shinta was awake indeed, barely but enough that he could wave to Jiro and start getting to his feet. "That was a lot harder.. than the test…" Shinta mumbled as he crawled toward the edge of the wagon so he could slip from inside and stand beside Jiro. It wouldn't take long for the lizard to squirm free of Jiro's grasp and climb onto Shinta's shoulders where it seemed to enjoy being. "I don't recognize this town.. do you?"
Jiro ignores the lizard, just happy it didn't breathe ick on him. "Yea', s'lot 'arder ta hold it fer so lon'," the boy says with a grin before he looks around. "This's Toshi Shagan, i's the port fer Land of Wind," Jiro says, raising a hand to scratch his head thoughtfully. "Jus' means tha' they coul' be sendin' this stuff anywhere. We shoul' follow the merchan'." He points in the direction the man went, then glances over to Shinta. It /was/ his mission after all.
Shinta nodded his head at the information that Jiro fed to him and pressed from the wagon to start walking toward the direction that the merchant had gone in. "You are right.." It would no doubt be a while before Shinta was back anywhere near his 100% but he at least still hugged to the wall of the inclosed area as he neared the door. The boy was wise enough to listen to the door and close his eyes as he focused on the sounds beyond that wall. He'd whisper what he could hear to Jiro with a bit of a furrow of his brow. There was a tone he recognized but it was too far off to be sure of. "I can hear the merchant talking.. it got quieter just now.. I believe they closed the door to the room they are in.." Shinta informed Jiro before he'd try opening the door.. Sadly it was locked.
A locked door hmm? This was just Jiro's specialty. He could probably kick it open or move around to try and find a window but, well, he's a thief. /WAS/ a thief. He digs around in one of the pouches at his back and pulls out two small tools that seem kind of useless for normal things. "Move," he tells Shinta as he crouches in front of the keyhole and peers at it. "Ma'e sure no'un sees us." Then he sticks one tool in, followed by the second as he quickly picks the lock.
Shinta nodded and moved as Jiro demanded, watching the area closely to make sure no one was trying to creep in on them. Once the click sounded out, Shinta would turn about and peer into the doorway, and then slip past the door to creep into the hall. As they neared the room the merchant and whoever else was in the room were speaking, the voice would keep bothering Shinta and yet, be all too clear when the man began to laugh so joyously. Gojira was seconds from hissing when Shinta pinched the beast's mouth closed for a moment and shook his head. Going wild had to wait until they got the information they needed.
If Jiro were to look through the crack of the door perhaps he'd notice the man's features while Shinta didn't seem to recognize them and paid mind to the conversation. A scarred face, scruff lining his jaw, that broad grin, and where his arm used to be.. there was a ball-jointed limb that the man was using to drink his sake from energetically. "Seven crates?! WONDERFUL!" The scarred man shouted out with a laugh and a bit of a spill of his drink before he slapped his natural arm against the table and looked at the merchant that no doubt would be on the other side of the table.
"Indeed, dear customer… And the ship will arrive within six days to take it to the Land of earth."
"And you ship out in a week? Tha's grand as well. I knew you'd do right by me, Karjo and you didn't fall through!" The giant of a man laughed before draining the drink from his cup. "Now we only need ta' wait for the real fun to begin…"
Jiro peeked through the door as best as he could, listening to the ones on the other side and seeing what all he could see of the people involved. He peeked over to Shinta after a few moments and shrugged a little. It didn't seem like they were leaving anytime soon so it wasn't quite as much of a rush. He leans over to whisper in Shinta's ear. "Do we wanna stop 'em 'ere or see wha' they were plannin'?"
The two men seemed to show no signs of stopping their chatter, the man who had initially tried crushing Shinta's skull in the hospital basement seeming to be enjoying the use of his new arm that was rigged in place of the one Jiro had severed. If anything, he seemed to be even livelier with the replacement arm and alcohol in his system. Perhaps the alcohol would make the man more careless than he was the last time the three had met.
Shinta would bite at his lip as he worked to think as quickly as he could on what it was they should do in this situation.. The man in the room seemed to know a lot about what they were doing, the merchant was in on it, and the drugs were in the wagon behind them… "Interrogation… We can have the interrogation squads extract information from them when we return with them to Sunagakure…" Shinta reasoned quietly to Jiro before giving a nod of affirmation at his words. It seemed like the best way to slow down the operation and perhaps to gather information on all of this organization's plants in Suna before they did something that caused problems to the entire village. "They said six days from now however… We should return to Sunagakure and try to recruit more members incase they put up a strong resistance…" Shinta reasoned before he would start moving backward and giving Jiro a tug for the older boy to follow. They could slip out of the city while the day was still waking and avoid attention… Then they would just need to cross the desert back to the high walls of Sunagakure.. Hopefully his canteens would last..
