Corralling the thugs (B rank mission)

Five had been rather impatient with the concept of this new mission he had been assigned. His first Mission since his release and of course he isn't supposed to seriously hurt anyone. Yet alone kill them. What good was he if he couldn't bleed someone? Still he supposed he could contain his inner malice. After all he was being observed as he had been since he stepped out of his prison cell. At least he had been left alone there. Still it might be nice to let off a little steam. He knew how to fight without seriously injuring anyone. A light bruise sure but no one seemed to mind about that. Lessons learned and taught well he liked to say. Still to avoid temptation he had left his two trench knives and his katana back home. Instead for the time being he was dressed in a leather vest with a black t-shirt under it. He had leather pads on his shoulders and hips as well as his shins. On his thighs and forearms though were black metal plates. A senbon launcher was loaded with five senbon on his right wrist while his left held a very suspicious looking umbrella. Of course it was protecting him from the rain. Ahh the sweet scent of rain. He had missed it so. It was morning in the winter so it was rather cold but he didn't mind. Not that many could see his expression. He had attached a rebreather to a white bunny mask. Like the ANBU but he was certainly not one of them.

A light mist coated the ground outside of an abandoned warehouse a couple dozen meters from where he stood. Five himself was underneath an old apple tree with the rain pattering against his umbrella. He mostly brought the thing because it was the only thing he had to keep the rain off effectively. The warehouse itself was in poor repair and rusted but the reason Five was here was who all was inside. A group of five thuggish characters. Known for throwing their weight around with the locals. His purple eyes almost seemed to match his smile behind his mask. His right hand moving to push his purple hair back out of his face. Back in the day they would have sent him in and nothing in there would have escaped alive. Now he was being assigned a partner to not only ensure the success of the mission but to keep Five himself in check. Likely the individual would have been told Five was a violent man fresh from prison and to remain alert and cautious around him. A sad thing really. Five was holding in his murderous aura as best he could. After all he wasn't supposed to kill anyone. Still he wondered just who would be coming to his aid. A white knight type perhaps? Certainly not a dealer in death like himself. That would be counter productive. Unless....perhaps the goal was simply to scare these ones into line.

Within the warehouse the previously dark western corner of the building a light flickered to life. Clearly the light from a fire. So they were waking up and attempting to warm themselves. Perhaps they wouldn't be to grouchy about their invading presence if they had their coffee first. He could of course look within and find out buuut he was more curious about what this partner of his was capable of or what he or she intended to do. Perhaps they were talkers. Oh god he hoped they were a talker. Monologues were fun and honestly not many people spoke to him in his super-max cell underneath the prison over the last several years. Five would take in a deep breath as his free hand move down to idly twitch where his knives would have been holstered. He didn't even realize he was doing it. Just nervous about meeting someone and his body wanted to reach for a blade. Still he looked so casual standing there under an umbrella if not for that white bunny mask. Standing stark against the all black outfit he was wearing. Some would just say Five was an odd man but never directly to him. Instead he focused on the next step to calm down. The sun had just risen and he was to await his partner for this particular mission. The rain lazily drizzled still and dripped off his umbrella. Patience was a virtue he would remember. After all he didn't wish to go back

Kirigakure missions had a tendency to shake up one's sleep cycle. As most of the citizens of Mizu no Kuni were either asleep or just rousing, Toshiyuki found himself making his way to this lonely semi-abandoned warehouse in Kiri's slums. Quickly he made his way to the rendezvous location he was supposed to meet his mission partner at. His bare feet landed firmly on the mud as if it were stone as his heavy, steady breaths formed clouds that trailed and faded behind him. A simple, hooded jacket was all that kept his slim torso warm, and its fur lined hood made sure that only his face would be pelted by the stinging frigid rain. As the sun rose his attention would occasionally switch from the path he was taking to the aesthetic menagerie of colors blossoming on the horizon. His thoughts would shift to his temporary partner momentarily as he lingered maybe too long on the ominous warning of "watch your back" he received from the clerk. Though seeing as how she didn't care to elaborate, it probably wasn't that big of a deal. He was probably just some weird extremist ninja like all of the non-genin tended to be.

When he saw the relatively normal looking masked shinobi waiting under the tree, he slightly altered his course slowing to a walk maybe 10 meters out and walked the rest of the way at a casual pace. Nothing about his person immediately identified any clan ties to Toshi, and he didn't immediately recognize the ninja by his posture or any other information he could gather from the shinobi's back. It was probably better that way, no weapons or obvious aggressive traits like claws would probably make the mission go that much easier. As he approached Toshi's rather large backpack would be obvious. What would be less obvious would be the fact that it was packed full of containers of nigiri, sushimi, smoked fish, and over a gallon of rice. All of the fish was local from nearby deltas and lakes, and had been meticulously put together by Toshiyuki himself. He'd always been taught that for a Ryuutei there was no greater offering than a well made meal constructed with effort and hard work.

As he made his way under the tree to who he could only assume was his partner, Toshi would lower his hood letting the few drops of rain that made it through the canopy fall onto his near-black hair. Curious brown eyes would notice, through a window, the light beginning to dance across the walls of the buildings corner. He'd redirect his attention though in an effort not to be rude. "Toshiyuki." The genin would say extending a hand out towards the masked ninja. He wasn't completely off his guard, but he did trust that he wouldn't be put on a mission like this with someone who would end him on a whim. "The mask was a nice touch." As he vocalized his regrets about maybe coming too casually, a decision that had been eating away at him since he accepted the mission, he'd wait patiently to see what the mysterious man's plan was. Though since he was used to taking the lead he'd already had a few plans in mind himself. He wouldn't have to choose which one now though, so really it was better this way.

Jutsu Used:
Body Flicker Technique -5

Five would breath in the cold air and blow out the hot air caused by his mask and rebreather blocking it from escaping and pushing it back up into his face. He would sigh idly to himself as he recalled the good old days when they sent him out to murder an entire group of insurgents. When he carried blades on his person with a will to use them. He used to play with his targets and leave a bloody mess in his wake. Such were the days when he could have enjoyed his habits to the fullest. Now though he was to set an example for the youth of this village. To raise them up to be more than he had been. To make better choices than he had. In all honesty it sounded rather boring. Still he had purpose and while limited he had freedom again. He could obtain new hobbies until they allowed him on kill missions again. Perhaps he would try his hand at information gathering. An intel officer always had value. Both to the enemy and to the nation he served. Sure he would be a target but he was hardly concerned. Still he had a job to do today even if it wasn't his preference. He had a view over the warehouse and it wasn't like they could leave without being spotted. That was the idea of this location after all. Still he partially wanted to go down there and terrorize them all the same.

Instead his attention was brought to the pittering sounds of foot steps approaching him from behind. He would turn to see a hooded young man with a large back pack and bare feet approaching him. Nothing aside from that last bit about the feet seemed remotely odd. The idea of ice cold mud between his toes made Five shudder a little. How outrageously uncomfortable that must be. Although perhaps it indicated something akin to a beast like clan ability. Maybe it was something useful like a sort of tremor sense ability. Or perhaps flames shot out of his feet propelling him at impressive speeds. Five would consider those amusing options as the boy approached. He introduced himself with an outstretched hand and even complimented the mask. Behind it Five would smile though it did reach his purple eyes. Almost daintily Five would reach out and take the outstretched hand. He wasn't likely to be impolite after all. However as soon as his cold fingers touched the young mans Toshiyuki would be able to feel it. A foul thing not like an odor but when their skin interacted one could feel how nearly deranged Five must be. It was like Toshiyuki's chakra was briefly dipped in oil. A small flood of violent aura so sickening regular folk may have vomited. Still Five would release the boys hand and it would fade away almost instantly. Instead Five would speak in a slightly muffled voice. "Once upon a time you would have known me by this mask. For now know me as Five"

Five would close the umbrella and shift it up between two branches before opening it again. Now it was held there like a canopy by those said branches. Their firm bark hardly bothered by having the handle wedged in between them with a tiny crunch. Still, Five would speak again. "We have the high ground overlooking the entire area. There is no way to exit that warehouse and evade our line of sight. We have time to coordinate. If I am to successfully aid you I need to know what you specialize in. Our aim is to negotiate but if this slides down hill....well I would rather be prepared." He smiled a little to himself. This lot wasn't a threat. Not in his mind anyway. If anything they would barely be worth recruiting in the end. Still he would settle down on the moist grass in a cross legged position slightly facing the warehouse. For being on a mission Five seemed rather relaxed. His now free right hand indicated the spot across from him within the umbrella's dome of protection from the elements. He would wait patiently to see if his partner would also sit before beginning to speak again.

"For the time being I am here as a support role. We will follow your plan and I will provide back up. That gives you the opportunity to do the talking. I assume you also have questions about me?"

Five's introduction was captivating to the young genin. Toshiyuki's eyes would dart back and forth between the two eye holes of the rabbit mask as he picked apart the statement. At a glance he didn't recognize Five's outfit really or the his name itself. He'd spent no small amount of time learning about many state actors in his developmental years, so for him to not be able to recognize a well known name meant that they were either not powerful/ significant enough to bother remembering, only recently a jonin, or their actions were looked down upon by the Ryuutei. He'd continue listening to the conversation as his focus would split and he'd also imagine himself in his mental library. The mental him would began traversing the vast depth of the library looking for the appropriately titled tome. Toshi's parallel thinking did affect his focus a little, but the impact on his social and conversational skill would be negligible. Having no idea where to look for information on Five's mask at, Toshi ended up mainly peering through each random book bit by bit. Fighting back a little smile, Toshi would ponder if the reason he hadn't received a last name from his mission partner was because he himself failed to give his own birth name.

As the rain had yet to show signs of stopping, Five's umbrella being jammed between the trees was a message received loud and clear: slow down the tempo of the conversation. Toshiyuki more than willingly would follow five's pace. "I agree. They seem easy enough to keep an eye out from here, and I doubt they would have the means to survey us from here as well. That being said I specialize mostly in my knowledge. Though I have no specific talents, I am moderately versed in the basic tai, gen, and nin taught in the Hidden Mist. That being said. I've been through some unorthodox training at the JanJanbi Akuro underground caverns. As for the basics of my plan, that is a different non-combat related ninja skill." He'd simply tap lightly on his backpack, identifying it as the crux of the plan he'd made.

"I most definitely do have a few questions. Firstly reflecting your question back at you. What kind of toolkit do you have." This question was multi-purposed. If Five was truly recognizable by his renown alone, then these certainly would give him insight on who Five really used to be. Toshi would begin to listen attentively and actively take in any details the older of the two nin happened to let slip out. Once Five finished answering the first question, Toshi would politely segway into, "Tell me, have you been an active ninja for the last few years," the Ryuutei was attempting to subtly  ascertain the ninja's rank based on the amount of leave he was allotted. "Or is there some other reason that they put you in charge of a mission this high-rank, yet simple." The quick, simple questions, Toshiyuki decided, would more easily set the tone for the two's conversation. For the most part as the two spoke Toshiyuki would be switching between making eye contact with Five and occasionally keeping an eye out over the warehouse.

Five would listen and observe quietly. His purple eyes seemed to study and assess the boy in front of him endlessly while occasionally he would glance to the side and survey the enemy encampment. He didn't want to simply overlook the enemy troop movement due to some distraction after all. How silly it would be to let some slightly versed citizens slip out from under the watchful eye of a jounin. The embarrassment would be incredible. Still he would glance to the boy as he finished listing off his talents and even patted his back pack. Purple eyes shifted to it with idle curiosity for a moment before he would smile behind his mask. This boy had an interesting flair for mystery about him. Aside from that he suited so many of Five's needs that it was almost silly. Like they had sent him a younger version of himself and said have at it. He would have chuckled if not for wishing to keep a straight face so to speak around this boy. His hand would raise up to tap on the side of his temple as if thinking before he would speak in regards to Toshiyuki's interesting inquiry. After all he wasn't sworn to secrecy over his past.

"Ahh my tools of trade? Similar to yours really. Ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu. All the tools of the average shinobi. However for this instance my Ijutsu may be my primary role here. If someone is injured I will prevent them from bleeding out. Be it you or them. As for your other inquiry, I have been imprisoned for the last decade. My tendencies were considered abhorrent they said. This is more of a test for self control for me."

For the moment he looked almost bashful. Still he would glance to the encampment once more before finally he would lift the rabbit mask and put it to the side. Once that was done he would remove the rebreather and set that next to it on the moist grass. Five, despite his harsh eyes was actually a beautiful man. His purple hair framed his sleek face. Surprisingly he was wearing a little bit of eye shadow. Along with that a blue tear was painted under his left eye and a purple heart under his right. Even his lips seemed to have a glossed shine to them. Everything about him suggested he was a perfect predator. Seemingly harmless with a disarming smile and pale moonlight skin. Beauty that seemed to invite one to feel comfortable around him. The truth was it was simply more tools of the trade. Idly Five would stroke the edges of his rabbit mask as he spoke once more. His voice like silk now that it wasn't muffled.

"I will also be able to provide some reconnaissance if you like. We won't need to move from this spot but I would appreciate it if you were to watch over me while I did. Before that though, have you ever considered a career in intelligence gathering?"

A small smile would ever so slightly curl the genin's lips upward. Namely at the implication that civilians might be able to cause him to bleed out. Almost as quickly as it was summoned Toshi dispelled it. That was pride he wasn't entitled to. Refocusing and reassessing the information that he was being given. Ijutsu, from what he knew ,was a field that required intense amounts of knowledge and also required high quality chakra control. The man before him wasn't a joke. He thought of what he must have looked like 10 years ago before his imprisonment. To still be given the responsibilities he held even though he surely got rusty in prison, Five must have been impressive. That being said Toshi wasn't too keen on the village using him as the test dummy to determine the composure of a Chunin+ that he'd never met. It frankly seemed like an unreasonable expectation, unless he was missing something. He'd be closely watching Five to see just what.

"Thank you for your support then, Five." The more novice of the two Kiri nin would bow simply, lowering his head just slightly. "I imagine that...." The genin would pause for a moment as Five revealed his face, and he avert his gaze awkwardly towards Fives chin as he'd continue talking missing, for now, the color of his eyes. "I, uh, imagine that this is something of a test for me as well. Proving myself as a valuable asset or something of the sort." He'd look down the hill to the location below as Five spoke back up if he continued.

Based off of his claim, Five implied that he was going to do some form of long range reconnaissance, to which Toshi's immediate response was an eyebrow furrow. He'd either be using some other entity as a focal point seeing through its senses, somehow projecting his own senses, or possibly using some weird clone jutsu. This was something that the young nin was incredibly eager to see. "Uh, yeah go on ahead with please. That is probably the best decision, I'll keep an eye on the situation here, but I doubt that we're in any danger here. Today's weather is really perfect." For just this brief moment the unnamed Ryuutei would dodge the question as his mind danced along how to answer it.

A small inhale would precede the following. "I was raised by ninja that valued strength over everything. Unfortunately, I likely won't ever possess the prowess to compete with other ninja on equal footing. I, um, have been thinking for some time now that missions like this one. Sorry, diplomatic missions, information gathering, and trade missions that is." He'd look away from Five and back towards the building as his left arm slowly rose to grab the back of his neck. As the warm sunlight began to peak up more, he'd continue. "These kinds of missions are probably the ones that I'm best suited to, so yeah I have and am currently considering making that the focus of my career." He'd be adding this possible Ijutsu-based sensory technique to the list of criteria he was looking for in his mental library.

Five would listen quietly for the moment. Inwardly he was gathering chakra. Truthfully it didn't take much. He had trained this clan ability since he was a young boy. Spying on those around him. Learning their secrets when they thought no one was watching. It was always entertaining how someone changed when they were sure they could get away with anything. Always to his benefit too. When the neighbor was cheating on his wife with the baby sitter, Five would get an increased allowance from him. When the school teacher did drugs in her home, he would get access to test answers. Information was power and his clan had access to such things. Walls were nothing to them. Nor did they have to endanger themselves by drawing close to the information. He had learned long ago to read lips and even now while he was rusty in it he could get a general idea. He had been a wicked child with all his neighbors under his thumb. After all no one was truly innocent. Everyone had something to hide from someone and would pay any price to keep it hidden. His own proclivities his father had endeavored greatly to hide.

Toshi spoke and Five would shift his gaze to the boy slightly. He understood being different from those around you. His own family was typically more frail and sickly so they avoided conflict. His desire to destroy rather than create had been of some contest between himself and other members of the clan. Still he had followed in one of the more reasonable directions the clan focused in. Ijutsu. They were frail so it made sense they wanted to be able to heal. This boys clan was the opposite. Strength above all else. They had their place in a ninja society no doubt. Aside from the diplomacy though he rather admired this boys interests. Infiltration and subterfuge were talents he had focused in around the same age. Still Five would smile and look to the warehouse again. "Well now I understand why they assigned you to me. I will suggest this though. When entering a den of possible hostiles it is wise to hide your face. While I do some observation I suggest you come up with something to do that for yourself. It will cause a loss of trust but my bet is this lot responds better to fear anyway"

Five would take a deep breath before closing his eyes. As he reopened them the purple eyes would slowly begin to shift in color. From a deep purple to an almost glowing red color. It was obvious now that five was a Yurei. With that bit of information it should all click for Toshiyuki. The white rabbit was a feared name ten years ago. A wraith that had a ninety percent success rate. A man you could not hide from, a monster that left blood in his wake and when he came with his red eyes for you, the end was nigh. There were stories of this white rabbit killing dozens of armed guards and leaving their slaughtered bodies in a place that his target could view from a window. Just to let the man stew in fear for the night before he died. Still Five would seem to look passed him. As if he could see through the walls of the warehouse. For five it was as if he was wandering where he wished inside. His eyes slowly shifting as he looked around.

"There are five men there. Huddled around a fire cooking what appears to be fish and rat. None of them armed nor showing any signs of village association. Ugly bastards too. I would expect more intelligence from the food they are eating."

Hiding his face was a simple taxk for the younger ninja. It often remained in his best interest to not be recognised when working with certain members of the Kiri populace. He'd reach in to the leather pouch on the back of his hip and pull out a simple mask. It wasn't of any where near the quality of the equipment, that the Yurei he was working with had on his person. It was a simple and rustic material that couldn't really serve any other purpose except hide sharp canine and a few other family traits. He'd respond to the older nin by simply slipping on the mask, as there wasn't really anything to say. He wasn't dissimilar from the ninja who he was sent to observe, and who it turn was sent to observe him. His identity would dissolve away behind the simple, black, cloth mask that reached from his nose down past his clavicle. Even still his mask too, would reveal his true nature. One who had thrown away his name, his pride, and his ego. Being a nameless shinobi was a mask he wore well, and it made him forget the name he'd thrown away.

[color:229b=sienna]'It was almost like meditation wearing the mask.'Disassociating from his actions and his perspective, and focusing solely on the results. At least that was the idea behind it. 'One day, I'd put on the mask and it wouldn't come off again. I'd forget who once was beneath it. I could never be the hiro I'd been born to be. I accepted that at that time.' a lone bolt of lightning rippling in the distance punctuated his thoughts, and the pittering of the rain provided a backdrop for them. As his surface thoughts began to wander further for now, the iteration of him mired in its search through his memories would suddenly make a connection as Five's eyes turned red. 'Of course, I am so stupid.' Though he should have recognized him so much sooner, it was understandable. He had thought Five was a code-name, a critical misunderstanding. 'This was Yurei, Five a Jonin from Kiri's esteemed Yurei clan.' His awareness would come back to the rain and mud pouring down around him now as he would watch the Yurei in action. 'He'd been locked away like he was trash, but yet somehow the Mizukage thought him fit for a mission with a Jonin. This would warrant further exploration at a later date.' Preferably once the ex-criminal was miles away, just in case.

Toshi carefully scanned the area as his mind began to busy itself. 'The power of the Yurei clan's gift,' Toshi would posit, 'Lies in its simplicity. The members of the dojutsu wielding clan,' Toshi would begin presuming as he began to internally monologue, had very strong alignments towards shadow natured chakra. The thoughts would continue as his eyes would refocus down on the building, 'Most famously this manifests as them projecting a form, their vision, into a place it doesn't exist. This implication is probably why they are also heavily associated with Genjutsu, another shadow natured technique. Though I can't remember any written documents about it, I would posit that a person with such a ridiculous imbalance would be capable, with proper skill, of creating illusions that even sensor nin would be unable to distinguish from reality.' A few words slick with ire and envy would accidentally slip from the grasp of his lips. "What an enviable K.K.G." His eyes would widen as he heard his whispered sentiment, and he would launch a quick glance towards Five to see if he'd heard. He'd quickly try to collect himself though snapping his eyes back to the building.

"They're what?!" was Toshi's initial response as the Yurei laid out his findings. He'd not quite yelled, but he did raise his voice higher than the situation warranted. It only made sense that they'd be eating first thing in the morning when they woke up. His hands would slap to his quickly reddening face, manic eyes peeking through the cracks and racing around the scenery as if they thought some magical answer was hidden in the cold muck. His body heat rapidly increasing the mildly panicking ninja would flip his backpack around to his front side, distress in his eyes, as he would reach inside and pull out context. He'd pull out one of dozens of rustic wooden boxes. He'd pull off the lid revealing dozens of thinly sliced, salted fillets from various fish lay on one half of the box. Their colors would fade seamlessly from a deep red fish, to a salmon-pink one, ending on some sort of whit meat that more closely resembled squid than fish upon scrutinous inspection. Beside of it was a large tack triangle of with a piece of dried seaweed folded around one of the edges. It was obviously homemade, and would have taken a skilled chef hours. Someone unaccustomed to cooking for a large number of people the better part of the day. Just like that Toshi's facade would burst open, and he'd be wracked with palpable indecision that hung over him like a miasma.

Five would remain quiet for a moment as he watched the poor wretched souls below. They would either attack the two shinobi coming for them and be taught a harsh lesson. It was common for fools to try the hands of the mighty. To be so self assured by their might over the weak that they didn't know to attend their attention to the strong. Even five knew to be wary of anyone of power. He had no interest in betraying the village at the moment because none of the scenarios he currently ran ended in success. No happy endings for him. Instead what awaited him was either death or worse, a return to his imprisonment. Before he allowed himself to be arrested because he didn't fully understand what that meant. Now he knew he would much rather die than return there. So he would play along. Besides he was rather starting to enjoy the company of the boy. Him pulling out his own mask was something Five only noticed once the red faded from his eyes. He would blink a couple of times before his vision returned to normal. A dangerous technique that left him vulnerable. Still he was rather pleased with the boys preparedness.

Still the comment about being envious of his power brought a tingle of pride to Five. His ego being stroked ever so slightly. He was after all considered the current strongest of his clan despite his weakened state. Most of his clan members never became shinobi due to some illness or another. They were known for having weaker bodies but he had overcome that slightly. Besides that his focus wasn't all that much towards hand to hand combat. Instead he had mastered a great deal of jutsu. Mostly shadow arts but he had talents outside of it was well. Still he would frown and narrow his eyes at the exclamation. It was foolish to raise ones volume even this far away from a target. What if they had a dog as an early alert system? His displeasure would be evident on his face but still he would sigh.They would need to move soon now. Even if they hadn't been heard this lot wouldn't eat long. If they were eating rat they would soon be desperate for a new score which meant the targets would be on the move before midday if he had to guess.

Still the boy across from him would begin digging food out of his back pack and Five would raise an eyebrow. He was familiar with bringing rations on a mission in case surveillance dragged out. However this was far more than his usual Nutrition bars. It look like food that took time to prepare and wouldn't hold long outside of a refrigerated temperature. Still it gave Five a bit of an idea. He would tilt his head as he observed the fine craft and looked to Toshiyuki before speaking calmly.

"While I don't suggest bringing a picnic on a mission, this does provide an opportunity. As this lot is consuming rodents at the moment likely they are hungry and without other means. You provided an ample amount here but we likely don't have time to eat it. Instead, open your negotiations with a gift. If the food tastes as it appears a possible hostile is likely to lower their guard or even become more likely to listen to what you have to say with a gift that suits them."

After a quick succession of blinks, Toshiyuki would quickly shake his head. Most people didn't casually eat rats, so what Five said obviously had some merit. He would try to shake off the creeping anxiety, and mostly center himself. "The foods nothing special. I just, you know, saw the mission request, and thought I'd bring my usual peace offering." He'd place the container back into his bag as he continued. "I want to hope that things will go peacefully, but my gut is telling me otherwise. I thought that doing this would help smooth things over."

People who wouldn't give in to peace, were those really the kinds of people that should be joining Kirigakure. The thought resonated in his head for a bit. Not really even on the surface level for him to realize yet, but ever so slowly it wrapped its fingers around his subconscious. The village was supposed to become a place where people could grow up living lives better than the ones their predecessors had. It was supposed to provide them with new opportunities, but was that really possible by increasing the culture's fear and hate, like the Ryuutei did.

Toshiyuki would get his breath under control, and refocus once more. "Five." He'd look over towards the purple-eyed ninja, taking in his face completely for the first time. The jonin's appearance was sculpted with a surgeon's hand. It was a truly terrifying weapon. The picturesque, surreal presence of the ninja beside of him wasn't that of an ordinary man. That much Toshi felt in his bones as the cold touch of fear gripped them. "Should we head down soon before they start patrolling, or would it be better to wait and see if we can get them in smaller groups?"

Five would watch the young man as he began to pack up his gear. Glancing back to the warehouse. They would be on the move today but not likely in the morning. They would want to catch travelers when they were most likely out on the unguarded parts of the roads. Few people traveled at night and camps would still be breaking down this early. Likely they would wait until noon. Not that Five had any intention of letting it get that far. Still without looking back at Toshiyuki he would reply about the thoughts on the peace offering. "It is a good route to go. The chances are these men are doing this out of desperation. You simply don't put filth in your mouth if you have another choice. Your food doesn't have to be special. It simply has to be better than rats. A low bar I know." He knew of that world. He had hunted in it for a long time. Never suffering it himself of course but some of his more violent targets had become so through desperate measures. Typically it was crimes of passion but more and more it was crimes of opportunity.

He was addressed by name. Odd but usually that meant someone wanted his attention. He would glance to the boy as he listened. Inexperience sounding in the thought. Still Five knew that this was a learning experience for the boy so he wouldn't scoff. Instead he would begin to put his mask back on. Signaling that he was preparing to move. "Groups like this don't separate by much. Certainly not enough to matter. Their strength lies in numbers. If we let them move away from the building the chances of a fight breaking out and effecting innocent bystanders increases every minute we pursue them. That aside they will feel more in control in a territory they feel is theirs if you intend to offer them a peaceful solution. Your food as a gift should buy you an ear. Remember you are trying to recruit them into our ranks. You will enter and speak on behalf of the village. I will remain outside on the roof as back up in case it goes south. Are you prepared?" Five would rise to his feet and unjam the umbrella before handing it to the boy. "This is a potent weapon. If you release this switch at the hilt and spin it with any force it will send senbon in every direction. If they move to attack you they will move as a group. They don't take shinobi lightly. Use this to discourage that. It will lightly wound them but it won't kill them."

Looking down to the warehouse an eager, nervous Toshiyuki would throw his over-sized backpack on again. Doing a few side lunges with his eyes closed and warming up his hip flexors, the shinobi would slowly lower himself close to the ground repeatedly taking deep breaths to center himself. Toshiyuki would stand back up with his fingers wrapped tightly around his bag's straps, and as his boiling emotions reduced to a simmer, he would slowly open his eyes nodding as Five questioned his readiness to let the ninja know that he'd still been attentive. "Thank you, but I, uh, I prefer to use my hands."

Toshiyuki would head downhill taking precautions to minimize noise and keeping an eye open for traps as he began his approach to the warehouse. He'd cautiously approach the nearest window carefully leaning to peak in. Observing the five of them and making sure he'd been unnoticed thus far. With a quick glance behind him, Toshi would take note of Five's position one last time and continue moving forward towards the main entrance. Even from here what they were eating truly didn't smell appetizing. Taking point, he'd step into the main entrance, "I come bearing peace offerings."

Five would move as silent as a mouse as he scaled his way up the side of the building. Getting a good hold on the side and hauling himself up like it was nothing. The nervous boy hadn't taken the weapon offered to him so he was more vulnerable than Five would have liked. Still Five would move low and slow across the roof to watch inside with sharp purple eyes. If the boy was successful he might not be needed. If not he was going to have to be rather harsh about the boy not taking the weapon. The parasol left up by the tree. Full of senbon. Five would remember to collect it later of course. For now he watched as Toshiyuki simply walked into the main entrance baring gifts. Not an ounce of intimidation in him. Ballsy but foolish. He looked vulnerable. Causing a deep but nearly silent growl in Five's throat. He would watch from his position quietly still. Perhaps letting this play out a little. To see what kind of interesting development this might cause for the boy. He had said he was trained to fight but most people said that. It was when action was required that you learned more about someones character.

Most of the warehouse was both dank and cold. Puddles formed on the floor here and there with make shift beds littered around the dryer spots. The men themselves were all larger in stature and dirty. Their clothes and even their faces suggested they hadn't been able to wash in some time. As did their smell. When the front door opened and a boy appeared they all turned rather surprised. An offer of gifts? Blank looks filled their faces until a particularly burly one with a beard and one eye turned from the burning barrel. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a rather cruddy looking dirty switch blade. It was slow but he did manage to spin it until it was opened correctly. He would step forward as if to try and intimidate the boy. Laughing as he did. When he spoke it was guttural and barely intelligent.

"Oy? Ye bringin me mates an I somethin pretty? A gift eh? Whats ta keep us from just guttin ye for funs and takin it anyway?"

exit thread. 7 posts

I feel guilty, but... [exiting thread] 6 posts