Starring:
Date: May 7, 2013
Summary:
Nori is sneaking out after hours to go get rice for the Abandoned temple in Fuuma Basin. As he sneaks out, Hiei & Hiroyasu find him. During the actual rice transaction, things go bad. Hiroyasu and Nori try to come to a peaceful resolution, but in the end, Hiei kills the rice seller.
Poster's note: foul language filtered in obvious places.
"Sneaking out for Rice"
Somewhere in the forests along the border wall of Konohagakure
It is the middle of the night and all is calm…except for the squeaking of a wheel. There is a horse pulling a horse cart, and all seems to be fine except for the fact that there is no-one driving the horse. What an odd site indeed, which means that Nori must be close by right? Still, what makes this even more odd is that the horse and cart are headed toward the long, tall, wooden fence that surrounds the borders of the hidden village. As the horse comes up to the fence, suddenly the earth shifts and a slow, steady ramp is made in many earthen barrier walls so that the horse can go up and over the fence. Hmm…someone is sneaking out?
Hiroyasu grumbles, "No if we are going to utilize this formation, you need to match my speed not exceed it!" he says before turning his head "Do you hear that hiei, it sounds like a merchants cart.. but it's too late for merchants.. hiei it could be /them/" he hints with a nod of his head to the side. "We better go check it out." he says breaking their synergy training exercise and running to the sound which echoes in their vincinity.
Hiei grumbles. "It's harder for me to slow down, Hiro. But I'll try." Then he hears it too and he blinks. "You don't think…Hiro..it could be /them/?" Synergy training was one of those things they couldn't do during the daylight horse. Too many eyes and ears around. However, he nods to Hiro when he suggests checking out the noise. "Hai. Who knows, we may get credit for protecting Konoha. Wouldn't that be cool? /And/ it would look good for Kumo/Konoha relations." He changes directions along with Hiro, moving off towards the cart.
The cart is actually at the apex of the climb. It is just moving over the wall. Luckily for the horse, an earthen ramp has formed on the outside of the wall. There are no guards at this present point in the wall, which is probably why it was chosen for this particular task. Still, if someone were entering Konohagakure like this, it might be suspicious. If someone is /leaving/ though…well, why would anyone want to leave Konohagakure? That is even more strange.
As the cart clears the wall, the earthen ramp on the village side begins to receed back into the earth. If the Kumogakure shinobi are fast enough, they might just be able to make it up the receeding earth ramp before it collapses. A small amount of movement can be seen from the back of the horse cart…and for those with good night vision, it is clearly Nori checking to make sure he isn't being followed.
Hiroyasu says "Let's go, We need to be sure!" hustling as fast as his feet will carry him which is actually appreciable considering his build and demeanor, he runs up the crumbling bridge and leaps over the growing gap continuing his hustle until he is right behind the cart, that is when he catches sight of something familiar, rather someone. "Nori-san?" he asks jogging to keep up with the cart.
Hiei hangs back, letting Hiroyasu take the lead as they approach the disturbance near the gate. However, when he sees that the earth bridge is about to crumble, he turns on a little more speed, passing up Hiroyasu slightly in order to make it before it crumbles. On the other side, opposite Hiroyasu, he peeks towards the figure in the back of the wagon. "Nori-san. I've heard of people sneaking into villages. But sneaking out? What's the deal?"
Nori is about to stop the cart and give himself up for punishment for breaking curfew when he notes that Hiroyasu and Hiei are the ones who caught him. He laughs and then shhhs the Kumonin. "Quiet," he whispers. "You're going to get us caught. Come on, hop on the cart with me and keep down. Nori has a blanket over him to keep hidden…and there are plenty of earthen clay bowls inside the back of the cart (so be careful when you hop in).
Assuming they follow his directions and hop in back, he'd continue to whisper, "Well, at night we're not really allowed to leave the village, but I need to trade these bowls for rice. The rice isn't for me though…it's for my other love, being the Self-Proclaimed Lama of the Abandoned Temple in Fuuma Alley Basin."
Hiroyasu leaps, carefully into the cart using his arm to stablize his landing, lands in the cart and makes short work of hiding himself. "The whosit whatsit of where?" he whispers watching Hiei to make sure he didn't need any help.
Hiei leaps in after Hiro, trying very carefully not to break any of the bowls. He ducks down under the blanket along with him. "Never heard of it, Nori-san. Is that an official title or something? Does it have to do with your clan?"
Nori laughs, "A Lama is a spiritual leader of a temple. Fuuma Alley is a neutral territory. Fuuma itself is a stain on the environment around it. It is built up from technology, but it is ugly. The basin outside of the alley though houses a temple that has been destroyed twice since I've been around even. I am in the process of rebuilding it…as are others…but I try to have it be a hospitable place for all travelers. I can't offer much, but from time to time I pull double mission shifts in order to be able to buy rice and offer it to the travelers. I've recently been building these bowls, pots, and cups using chakra shaping and earth manipulation in order to be able to trade for more rice." He smiles. "So, I'm sneaking out for a few hours to trade everything and hopefully get back without getting caught. I thought you guys were the patrol." He sighs. "The guy I am meeting should be just up ahead…and no, it has nothing to do wtih my clan, although my clan is highly spiritual."
Hiroyasu nods his head seeming more interested the chakra part "You can form things out of earth, I am so jealous!" he teases in a whisper, it isn't that he thought the philanthropic was less important, it was just that caught his interest like a shiny item or string might entice a cat. "A noble thing, being so thoughtful" he whispers.
Hiei just comes right out and offers. "Well, then, Nori-san. We'll help you get all this to your guy so you can get rice for the temple. If need be, we'll even cover for you should the patrol catch on. I respect someone who takes it upon themselves to attempt to make the lives better for those less fortunate." He reaches out and pats him on the shoulder. "Hiro and I will help. Right, Hiro?" He looks over at Hiro and gives him a look that says 'we're helping and that's final'.
Nori nods, "I've been trying to get my earth shaping down for some time, but I've just recently managed to figure it out. To be honest, the rhythyms learned from water-walking was somewhat similar to those for chakra shaping." Oh, yeah, he sees all chakra flow as a rhythym (like music). When Hiroyasu and Hiei speak of his good deeds, he shakes his head, "It is nothing that you wouldn't do if you saw the people hurting in the area as I have. I spent a little time on some missions in the Fuuma Alley dressed as a bum. They are hurting there. Offering a safe haven for people is the least I can do. I wish I could offer more." And then they start offering help, even saying they'll cover his ass if they get caught…and he actually starts to cry a little. He bows, "Thank you very much." Yeah, he is bowing with the sheet over his head still.
Sure enough, just up ahead is a man with a torch. They are far enough away now where the light of the torch wouldn't be seen by anyone running a patrol in the village. Unfortunatley though, Nori's face goes from smiley/crying to poker face. Something is wrong.
Hiroyasu notices the change "What's wrong?" besides the absurd picture in his mind of him bowing and crying while wearing a sheet over his head. "shouldn't somebody be up there, you know looking out for things and keeping a normal appearance of a normal cart, most carts don't drive themselves.. you know maybe a disguise like an old man or foreign merchant." he says rolling his eyes in response to Hiei's volunteering them both, it was late to really back out as they were already in the cart and accomplices.
Hiei hmms and then nods to Hiro. "Good plan. I'll take care of it." He then looks at Nori's expression before peeking around the cart himself towards the guy with the lantern. "Though it may be too late for that. But I'll do it on the way back. What's wrong, Nori-san?"
Nori's got his chakra senses out, always does in times like this. Nori looks to Hiei and Hiroyasu and says, "It may be nothing…but there are more people here than normal with my contact. Just…be careful is all." When they talk about the plan of getting someone to ride up top, Nori smirks, "Yeah, that is a good idea." He chuckles lightly, though it is half-hearted now that he is worried about the meeting.
The cart comes to a stop and Nori jumps out. Luckily, Nori brought back up. The man's face is clearly illuminated in the light of the torch. "You're late…and you didn't come alone," the contact says. Nori looks between the Kumonin. "And you didn't come alone either," Nori retorts. "I need the extra hands for carrying the rice." Nori tries not to push them down a bad path. "I have lots of bowls and cups for trade, as well as ryo for the rice. Does our deal stand?" The contact grunts, "The cost just went up." Nori sighs and says one second…and heads back to Hiei and Hiroyasu. "So, what do I do now?"
Hiroyasu pauses for a moment, this was going to be bad. Hopping out the cart, he keeps the blanket wrapping it around him in his best impression of a simple robe, it's night time right. Bringing his hands together in his patent pending trademark having prayer steeple "Greetings, can't we all find Zen in our meeting." before bowing his head using his monkish appearance to it's advantage "I can throw in some sutra charms, very powerful." then waggles his brows "even some for the ladies." pervish-monk-stereotype-disguise-jutsu go! "I will throw them in, with his fine crockery."..
Hiei steeples his hands together in the back of the wagon. "Transformation Jutsu." He whispers before coming out looking like a normal villager around his own age with a cloak around him and tattered clothing. He even walks with a limp. He looks at Nori while Hiroyasu approaches the traders. "I thought you wanted help with the rice, Master. Is there something wrong? The children will be disappointed if there is no rice." He says before looking at the trader with the most pitiful look he can muster.
Nori is joined by a pervy-sage (tm Naruto after all) and a temple servant. At least his contact knows this is all for a temple. The contact meanwhile just shakes his head and says to Hiei, "Listen, I got kids of my own. The cost of growing the rice went up for me, so the cost of buying it goes up for you." Nori nods. "Fine. I'll pay it." From the burlap sack on Nori's back, a purse of ryo is pulled and held over for the man to review. Nori states, "That, along with the sutras and the crockery should do it I think." The contact reviews the ryo, walks over to the cart with the torch, and then says to Hiroyasu, "Your sutras better be perfect or else there isn't enough here. In fact, let me hear one right now. If it isn't perfect…you're all out of luck."
Hiroyasu shakes his head "I would raise my voice till the dawn splits the heaven, but it is late and it would draw the ire of everyone near and far. But I do have some sutra charms, for protection, for luck and even virility. Not that any man should need it, but what lady doesn't appreciate it." he says placing a hand into his makeshift robe and putting a hand in one of his pouches where he keep failed or unusable seals, which despite seeming fine have instability in the chakra matrixice. "Look, see, the intricate design, the ancient tongue scribed onto each by hand of a powerful spiritalist. Do you wish a demonstration, master." he says holding the failed seals fanned out for them to view in the pale light.
Hiei remains nearby Nori. Not because he's worried about his safety, though. The Konoha nin has demonstrated that he's very good at what he does. It's because it grants him the best position to act quickly if need be. Both of his hands are underneath the cloak and he's got two kunai knives palmed in each hand. On the outside, he is still maintaining the illusion. He asides to Nori. "I know you don't like hurting people, but this guy is trying to rip you off. There isn't a lot of farming in the mountains, but I know the price of growing rice just doesn't go up."
As Hiroyasu shows the sutra charms to the man, Hiei and Nori have their little side conversation. Nori nods and whispers, "I agree. I don't like this." Perhaps it was our fearless group's unwillingness to play along with the new price, or perhaps it was the side conversation, but suddenly the contact looks to Nori and laughs, "Pan the master. I require a demonstration." Nori bows quickly, "No need to become rude. I would rather take my business elsewhere then if you are going to be rude to my servants. Being rude to my servants is being rude to me. I am sure I can find someone else who will sell me rice."
The contact lets out a deep laugh, "Yeah, and I'm sure they'd be willing to meet you in the middle of the night. I don't care who this is for, or why we have to meet like this…no one else is going to sign up for a deal like this. In fact…no one in their right mind would even be out here at this hour…no one except thieves. Are you all thieves?" Nori blinks, "Us…no?" The contact laughs, "Good, because tonight we are. Hand everything over or you're going to get hurt." The contact waves the torch in the air above his head and four other men step out of the shadows of the night. Yup, Nori was right, there were more people here than just his contact. Uh-oh.
Hiroyasu waves his head "Come now, A Demonstration is the least I can do." he sets the duds on the front of the cart while Hiei and nori argue over something. "Behold the power of the righteous soul, with nothing more than a suita charm of paper" be steps back from the ground reaching a hand into his seal pouch pulling out a full barrier, the most flashy of the flashy. He holds the paper in his prayer steepled hands between his fingers. "Be HOLD!" he says before starting to chant utter non-sense which sounds close enough "Mooog….whuii..ahh..nooo..hee..eyye" the seal begins to burn in the blue flames of chakra before he says "Sutra Charm of Protection!" and the seals bursts forth in a swirl of blue hardened chakra in the shape of a dome completely encased the would be monk, before he throws the seal to the side as it combusts into ash and embers. "Behold the power of a righteous soul!" maybe he can do side job as a a charlatan.
Hiei glances over at Nori when the guy pretty much says give us all your stuff or we're gonna kill you. For the moment, he doesn't drop his disguise. He's going to let Nori handle this one, though he is in a position where he can watch both Nori and Hiroyasu, and he still has those kunai knives palmed in his hand. He leans over towards Nori. "See?" He wasn't going to say 'I told you so' because it was so…obvious.
The one man that walked out of the shadows and is closest to the blue chakra hardened dome taps at it with a staff. "I'll be darned. It actually is a protective barrier sutra. Are these kids shinobi?" he asks back to the contact.
Nori takes that opportunity to answer for the contact "Indeed we are actually…and all Chuunin. We're quite the team." Nor then looks back to Hiei, "That servant there is quick and will kill one of you by throwing a kunai and bouncing it off that protective dome. He'll kill another one of you by punching you in the jugular. Then I'll simply take over the other two of your bodies and have you succumb to my bald headed friend. I'm a Yamanaka by the way. What will my bald-headed monk friend do to you, you ask? Well, he'll simply burp and belch and rub his bald head against you both. You'll be so ashamed that you'll kill yourselves for us. Finally, my friend…the contact…will run away screaming like a little girl. So, what do you all say?" Nori looks between Hiei and Hiroyasu with a grin.
Hiroyasu seems overtly offended by poor caricature of his disguise. "Or I could just blow the back of their heads out causing acute loss of feeling, spiritual being and a seriously negative Zen." He says making 3 extremely quick hand seals, the earth groans under his feet, rock and earth cry upward the hollow tears resting on his fingers ready to launch. "I thought our offer was decent, don't you?" pointing his lethal hands at the nearest target.
There is an audible *poof* sound as Hiei drops his disguise. Now the weapon clad Yotsuki makes hand seals of his own and brings his hands together. Small bolts of lightning circle around his body. He smirks faintly. "Or instead of rice, we could barbecue you instead." He allows the lightning to crackle around his body as an intimidation tactic. They needed to know that attacking was not in their best interest.
Nori sweatdrops as Hiroyasu brings up the hollow earth bullets, "Oh come on. You so know you'd go and start rubbing your head against them. It's your /thing/. You're the bald guy that rubs his head on people." Yes, Nori is being a silly kid right now. Still, there is something to be said for mixing outright deadly force with zanniness…it sort of makes that deadly force look even more scary.
The contact waves his torch around a bit and looks to the others. They might be thieves, but was it really worth testing these kids (who are obviously shinobi, what with the moving earth and crackling lightning) to see if they could best them, all for the price of a few bags of rice (less than that really even since the price went up and the kids don't have the ryo)? To the one that was tapping on the seal barrier, he hits it again with his staff and then mehs loudly as he disolves into the shadows.
The thing about hired help is, once one starts to retreat, so to do the rest. The other three remaining men shrug and disappear, leaving only Nori's contact behind. He is steaming mad and about ready to throw a hissy fit. Nori on the other hand is still belittling Hiroyasu in a playfuly manner by trying to try to slip through the seal barrier from underground. He's assuming it doesn't seal up the whole thing? Either way, he'd pop up from the earth and say, "Here, I'll show you what I mean by rubbing your head on people. Let me show you how it's done."
Nori sends out a mental message to Hiei, <Deal with the contact however you deem appropriate.>
Hiroyasu watches as nori pops out the ground, "What did satomi-sempai call that.. underground fish poo?" he says trying to hold his chakra focus without laughing from the absurdity. "I suppose we could arrest him for banditry. Or summarily execute him.. Or he could think of the error in his decision and prepares come to a reasonable deal?" trying to stay serious for once.
Hiei states. "There will be no arrests." The lightning bolts that he has swirling around his body fly out towards their intended target, the contact. He had heard Nori's order in his head and he was going to carry it out. "No witnesses. That way Konoha never needs to know that Nori-san left the village."
A friggin lightning bolt? A LIGHTNING BOLT? How am I supposed to NOT kill the guy. Well, it looks like Nori has taken the hat-trick with the Kumogakure shinobi. How is he ever going to explain this to anyone? Good news, he isn't. Keeping secrets is fun.
So, the contact's body is stung by the lightning bolts, his blood boils, the fluid inside his eyes bursts, and his skin begins smuldering and burning. It is a very ugly death in fact, and quite disgusting smelling. Nori is too busy laughing at the underground fish poo comment, and correcting him, "Underground Fish Projection," when the smell hits him. "Erk." Well, in a sense, I guess Nori ordered that extermination. He sighs, "I guess it couldn't be helped. What were we going to do, trot him in and explain how we all snuck out after hours illegally only to capture him? They'd beat us all." Nori sighs, "We need to completely burn the body, bury the bones, and take the rice back then."
Hiroyasu watches as hiei /murders/ a villager, at least when hiro did it was in self-defense and accidental, "HIEI, YOU IDOIT OF A YOTSUKI!" He storms over to the body, placing a hand at the throat no pulse and the flesh just crisps off on his fingers and he non-chalantly rubs it on his blanket robe. "Cause of death: Price Shock" he says before pointing his bloody finger at hiei "Moron, Idiot, Is the only muscle you can work right is your brain?! You chide misaki about being a monster who kills in cold blood" he looks at nori "sorry about that mission too" before points at the charred body "Did he look like he was a threat, better plant a knife on him. Hiei felt threatened, he had a knife" he growls raging about "The guy wasn't even from Konoha.. he was out here doing a shady trade, you think he's going to tell on nori and incriminate himself you stupid twit!. This is why we can't go on missions, this is why sensei can't trust us to do anything more than pick up trash, you think he doesn't hear about these?!" he stomps about red in the face, his entire face bald head and all.
Hiei stares at the dead body, until Hiroyasu gets in his face. "He was making profit off people that had nothing. He was trash, scum, lower than low. If you could, I would make you revive him just so I could kill him again." While Hiro goes on a rampage, Hiei turns his back to him and walks away to get the bags of rice so he could load up the cart. "What are you going to do about it, Hiro? Tell Sensei? He won't care. I'm not the only person who uses lightning here, it's highly unlikely that I'll be even looked at. Especially with…other..more important things going on right now."
Nori creates a hole in the earth and basically dumps the body. Seeing as they are out in the middle of the woods/nowhere, and that the hole is fairly deep…no one should be able to find the body. He is doing this so as to NOT get in the middle of Hiro and Hiei. It is sort of like when two lovers fight, the rest of their company sort of grow quiet and do something else.
Yes…lovers.
As Hiei goes and starts grabbing thre rice, Nori goes and helps him silently.
Hiroyasu takes a deep breath and calms himself "He was probably poor hiei, you wouldn't understand having a need like that. And when some people are poor they turn to doing things which seem wrong. Nori here is no different, he violates curfew, to help people. But if you want to a judge of law, he's breaking it.. better execute him now.. Cause people who don't respect the rules are going to break them repeatedly.. You just committed murder, of an innocent feel like dispensing justice on yourself?" rages quietly, that doesn't stop him from helping "Is there any chance we could send the payment to his village some other way? What if his children starve because daddy never sold the rice at a fair price and then never came home?" he says putting a bag in the back of the cart. "It's not a game Hiei, As Shinobi our village and land give us the power to effect people's lives for better or for the worse.Did you check the body first, the dead don't really care about their belongings and it might have provided vauable information if he had it" noticing only too late that nori had disposed of the corpse. "Let's hope no inuzuka come this way" he huffs.
