Starring:
Eremi (as Hayai), Etsu (as Tamafune), Zankuro (as Kai)
Date: November 8, 2015
Summary:
Hayai called Team Gozanze for a meeting to discuss future missions, tension rises and the meeting is quickly dismissed.
"Whispering Shadows: What awaits…"
Hokage's Lookout: ANBU Sector
Within the Hokage's Lookout was a room most overlook as they move throughout the circular halls, traverse stairs that lead to different floors and pass doors that either have identifying markers or are simply bare. Around one bend, up one staircase, through a door and down another much longer, spiraling staircase an individual would find themselves before the door leading to the ANBU briefing room.
It easily opens as no important files or information is stored within. The room itself is rather sparse with only torch light used to brighten the room as no windows adorn the walls. Within the center of the room is a rather large, circular table with a map of the Five Nations displayed on top; several markers dot the landscape. There are a few chairs, each pushed against the wall to allow more space within the middle.
Waiting in the room at the end of the table, opposite the door, waited Hayai with his ceramic, rabbit mask covering his face. Those that he had summoned know who hides behind their cover, but were someone else to enter, it may be a different matter. He hadn't been waiting long, only coming down after sending out the carrier pigeons within the same building to seek out both Tamafune and Kai. There was a chance they may not show, but if they were available and willing, Hayai wouldn't be alone long.
More work to be done…
Tamafune walked along the halls at an easy going pace until she reached the briefing room built for ANBU purposes. Upon arrival, she moved toward the map in the middle of the room and stood at the ready. "Captain," she spoke in greeting. With greetings out of the way, she went silent and awaited what information was to come.
It wasn't exactly an easy task, and yet a certain Sarutobi managed to shake his sister long enough to answer the summons. Throughout the entirety of the trip, the man dreaded the meeting. While the night on the town had aided in soothing some nerves, he knew — felt in his gut that things wouldn't quite be so easily taken care of as last time.
Kai arrived not long after Tamafune, and had to stop himself from pausing at the door to read the atmosphere in the room upon sighting the pair. He still carried a wariness about him, but stayed silent and calm, greeting both only with a brief nod to each in turn.
The first to enter was Tamafune and after a long pause followed by a hard swallow as his esophagus still burned, Hayai offered a nod. "Greetings. I imagine Kai to be only a few moments behind you." A wishful comment so as the two would not be alone for long, but one that apparently came true. "Kai." Hayai extended a hand, directing the Koi masked ANBU to the table. Once situated and it appeared the two would give glances between one another and the map itself, Hayai would start.
"There's been a lull in ANBU activity that is going to pick up. I've formed one team that consists of the both of you, while another team is going starting to form or may have done so already. Who they are and what they do only matters to me as the captain, but for now they are of no consequence to us. Our duty, that is as Team Gozanze, is to start working on the many ANBU Missions that have collected in the absence of an urgency to complete them."
Reaching into his vest, Hayai produced a scroll that once opened, he unrolled and placed over part of the map. "These are the several missions we have to accomplish, each with their own sort of theme." Finger trailing down the list of each; Assassinations, Barter, Counter-Terrorism, Espionage, Reconnaissance, Sabotage, Search and Rescue, Smuggling, Tracking, Trafficking. "I assume they're self explanatory, if not I can answer, otherwise these are what we have waiting for us and we definitely have the pick of the litter to choose from as each one is as important as the other."
Tamafune regarded Kai quietly with his entry into the room and returned her attention to the map before her and Hayai. What tension there was faded enough for it not to be a concern for now. "Which one is of interest to you?" She questioned the captain. "I will go with whatever you decide. Once you have made your choice, I will follow suit."
Even if the tension faded long ago, Kai continued to imagine it lingering in the air. He took his seat however as directed, and would go on to listen and observe quietly. His eyes however would only be on the map barely for a moment or two before going back to examine his coworkers closely. To say that Kai chose an impossible battle would be understatement, considering the fact that one of the subjects was an Aburame. Worst yet, this attentiveness costs him darely when it came to paying attention to all else.
A lengthy moment of silence would pass before Kai seems to jolt in his seat, then genuinely focus on the scroll. "Uhmm…. Sabotage, maybe? Or Smuggling, perhaps…" He clears his throat awkwardly while trying to shift into a more rigid and formal seated position. "You perhaps know us the best though Captain, so whatever you think we are prepared for at the moment…"
Hayai hummed quietly to himself as he peered through the slits in his mask between the two positioned in front of him, somewhat…disappointed in both their responses, but shakes away the feeling as he rolls up the scroll and tucks it away into his vest. "Yes, well…We are more than suited enough for any theme, the rank of each mission under their respective topic differs. I was looking more for a vested interest in one over the other, but if neither of you care anyways, then I imagine I'll just randomly pull from the lot and that shall be our next assignment." The man tapped his fingers on the table as he thought momentarily, "Sabotage it is."
"I never said I didn't care. I was indicating it was your choice as captain." Tamafune corrected. "Now that the mission has been chosen, I will follow through with it." She looked down at the map. "There are a number of places fue for sabotage. One area that comes to mind is one that isn't far from Konoha. It lies out in the Land of Lightining, about 6 kilometers beyond the border. It profits from being a rest stop for travelers headed towards Kumo and or other non-shinobi villages. Gangs from Fuuma Alley have taken an interest in this village for this reason," she described. "We have the potential to sabotage their efforts there."
Kai guiltily rubs the back of his neck, but refrained from commenting or attempting even a half-hearted crack at countering the man. Tamafune held no such complications, prompting the masked Sarutobi to subconsciously scoot just a little away from her. After a quick glance back and forth between Tamafune and Hayai, the man leaned in himself for a closer look at the mapped area. "Hmm… Think perhaps Kumo's Kamen Raida might also have their own agents in the area tho'?" He asked, curious but nervous.
"Yes, but I was sharing the choice…" Hayai stopped himself, took in a deep breath and exhaled against the mask. The pain of doing such reminding him of their actions just yesterday in the training area. "Yes, that is a possibility, but as Kai points out the KRD could also be onto it as well. Unlikely as they are more of a 'seek and destroy' group, but it is a possibility. Because of that…" Pulling that same scroll out once again, "We will file that under 'Reconnaissaince' for now, until we can get a better picture of the situation, then we can move it to 'Sabotage'."
"Understood," Tamafune replied. That was the most immediate investigation she had in mind, but with nothing else to offer, she fell silent once again. She instead focused her attention on the map, perhaps not in the mood to try and seek faces at this point. All she could do now is stand by like a pale obelisk in the room.
Kai grins behind the mask, and nods along in agreement. That grin of his, however, is fated to quickly fade. He didn't consciously understand the reason. Perhaps it was the clipped tone or lack of incentive. Whatever the reason might be, Tamafune's silence got the koi fish masked shinobi to squirming in his seat. "Perhaps the docks towards the southeast? It looks be a twofer if we play our cards right." He says, tapping at the section of the map. "Remnants of the coalition have been taking advantage of our focus elsewhere to try and rebuild."
Hayai was starting to realize that the two; Tamafune and Kai, either missed or simply ignored what he had said earlier and that might be why they are giving out ideas on what they could do, instead of actually looking at the scroll or waiting to hear what is already available for them under Sabotage. "I think you guys are missing something here. There are already missions waiting for us under the theme of 'sabotage'. They've already been 'contracted' out, so we don't have to go looking for missions to do to simply keep us busy."
Tamafune began to grow more frustrated as time went on, but she beat it all back by maintaining her composure. "I only offered a suggestion. I understand our theme is sabotage, but what I don't know is where we're going. Which mission has been contracted out already so that we may see it through?" She didn't take her eyes off the map as she was slowly beginning to fall apart. She needed something to focus on.
Kai had only just begun rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment when Tamaune spoke up again, missing the key point. Fear kept him from speaking for a time, knowing that to point things, or worst yet, ignore her words outright might result in a trip to the hospital. It is a fate Kai very much wished to avoid having to face any time soon, and yet the choice might very well be out of his hands. "… *coughs*… Uh… Uhm…" Kai trails off from there, and just sinks further into his chair. Sure, the scroll was just right there to look over, but… yeah… <.< >.>
Was…Was she just playing with him now? Outright ignoring what he was saying or simply picking and choosing what she wanted to hear just to start another confrontation…Whatever it was, it wasn't going to continue. Not today anyways. "Alright, well, I'm going to sum this up again…The missions have already been contracted. They are waiting for us to simply pick one. There are actually so many missions waiting for us, I categorized them into different themes. The theme of the mission we will be doing is sabotage. Now I will pick one of the many missions already within the theme, already contracted for us, and then we can begin." If he could, Hayai would rub at the tired eyes hidden behind his mask, but instead he just picks up the scroll and tucks it away while letting out another painful deep breath. "I don't think there's anything else we need to go over for now. I'll call you again tomorrow, we'll discuss the details of the mission and then see it out until the end." Scooting away from the table. "Dismissed."
