To catch a spy.

Mission Name: Footloose
Mission Type: Apprehension
Mission Rank: C
Mission Goal: Capture the spy
Description: A spy has been detected within our walls, find them and bring them in alive for questioning. Be warned we have no Intel on this man's capabilities, take every precaution necessary.
Payment: 15k
Requirements: C-Class

---

Masaru was busy filing his paperwork when a knock came to the door, "Enter." The man's voice echoed across the room, the door opened revealing Hansuke standing there with his usual troubled look on his face. Masaru would rub the bridge of his nose already expecting it to be something, "what is it now Hansuke. Can't it wait, I have important things to take care of." Masaru sighed, "I'm afraid not my Lord, we believe there is a spy in Iwagakure." Masaru bolted up in his seat, a fire in his eyes at the old man's words. "Where and why hasn't he been captured yet?" "One of the men saw a shadow outside the window of the barracks, but when he went to look they vanished." Masaru was already standing and headed for the door before Hansuke finished speak, "Find Chen and tell him to meet me at the Barracks immediately." Masaru stated as he left the office and headed for the barracks to Investigate this shadow sighting for himself. Masaru knew where the boy was likely to be considering the time of day it was, he would most likely be found in the hot spring after today's training session. The man had driven the boy hard over the past week since he accepted to be Masaru's pupil, and the hot spring was a good place to rest and heal the site muscles that came with training. The boy had shown progress in his training, however he had not done much aside from that. It was time the boy pulled his weight in helping deal with the various runnings of the village including the Investigation of spies within their walls.

Arriving at the barracks the first thing Masaru would do is fine the man who saw the shadow and have him show him where it was that he saw it as well as the time of day. With the new information the man would go to where the man said the shadow was and begin investigating as he waited for Chen to arrive.

Chen was to meet Masaru at the Iwagakure Military Barracks. He sighed wondering what fresh hell his Sensei had in store for him on this day. His time in Iwagakure was marked by relentless training and hard work. He had expected it to be difficult but not this difficult. He got dressed and reported to his Sensei's side wondering what was expected of him. The lad was wearing dark clothes: a black T-Shirt, black sports jacket, black cargo pants, and black boots. He'd need to stock up on military equipment at some point. Chen arrived at the barracks and asked to speak to Masaru.

Chen's arrival would been expected by the guards, when he would inquire about Masaru he would be told his Sensei can be found around the to the back of the barracks near the large tree.

By the time Chen arrived, Masaru had already collected all the information he needed. There had indeed been someone out here, that much was clear from the broken twigs. There were small notches carved into the tree, off of one of the upper branches. Masaru had checked it's vantage point, there was a clear view into one of the barracks windows. He wasn't sure what the man's unit of measurements were for the markings, but he knew that the man was counting. If the man was counting the troops in Iwa, unfortunately none of this information would lead them to the man behind it. Chen was the one person in Iwa aside from Amaya and Hansuke, however Chen was more suited for this particular job. Amaya was still young and Masaru's refusal to allow her to learn the Shinobi ways leave her with very little to offer in the line of help save for her sensory, still Masaru would not allow the young girl to be put in harm's way. Hansuke while skilled with a blade, his eyes were not as great as they use to be. Chen however provided everything he needed, fresh young eyes and a power to hold his own. If anyone could help Masaru it was the boy.

When Chen arrived Masaru would be standing by the tree looking around, as if he was simply watching and waiting. "Tell me boy, what do you see?" Masaru would ask, though he had all the information they would be able to collect from the scene he needed to see how perceptive the boy was. The question was vague, no indication of what exactly the man expected him to see. As with everything when it came to how Masaru dealt with Chen's training, it was a test to see both the boy's thought process and what he could see that Masaru couldn't.

[2]

The moment Chen arrived he was questioned. The goth blinked once and began to scan his surroundings. He was asked what he could see and he could immediately tell that the question was loaded. Masaru was testing him, always testing him. It was annoying but it was what he needed. What he had asked for. What he had craved. Suna never challenged him. They ordered him about and told him to complete missions that only served their interests and never his. If Masaru was going to order him around then at least he'd have the opportunity to learn something. The young man looked around the area and examined the tree. He missed the broken twigs but the notches had not escaped his attention.

"A tree....some notches....measurements I think. Someone was counting something" he guessed.

Masaru would smile at Chen's response, "yes they indeed we're counting something, it appears that we have a spy within the Walls of Iwagakure. I believe they were trying to count our troops, the village is in lock down so there is no chance that the spy has gotten out of the village." Masaru would begin walking as he spoke, with the expectation of Chen following suit. "The problem we face here is all too real, we have no way of knowing who this spy is or what he or she is capable of. We cannot simply interrogate the entire village as it would look poorly upon the security of this village, your the only person I believe that I can trust to help me track this person or persons down." Masaru would look to the boy he had no doubt that he would be putting a lot of pressure on the boy, but considering the fact that Chen was his student he was at a point of authority in the village. Situations like this may arise while Masaru is not around and the man needed to know if the boy could handle it, "So where would you begin in a situation like this?"

[3]

Chen's blood ran cold when Masaru mentioned a spy. He knew this sort of thing would happen. Based on his rudimentary understanding of world history and politics, Iwagakure had been under the control of Konoha for some time. Even when it wasn't under the control of Konoha, it had a long and dark past fraught with colonialism. The nation never lacked for enemies seeking to bring it under the subordination of a Greater Power. When Chen had joined the village this possibility had stuck out in his mind. Was he tying his ship to a port that would soon be owned by another? Masaru would almost assuredly either be killed or imprisoned in such a scenario. Since he was the Tsuchikage's ward he was likely to meet a similar fate.

If he was going to survive, then he'd need to find this spy and kill him/her/they. He was in too deep. There was no backing out now.

Chen was relieved to hear that the village had been locked down. That didn't cut off all avenues of escape but it did make retreat unlikely. If the spy was still in Iwa then he could be hunted down and tortured for more information. Masaru explained the precarity of their position and Chen nodded. They coudln't cause a panic. Iwa was just getting back on its feet and going on a massive hunt for a single spy would ruin what little confidence the people had mustered in the new government. He had no problem helping his master when it came to new situations such as these but when Masaru asked him where he'd start, he realized that he would not be able to bask in the luxury of being a minion for long. Masaru was invested in Chen just as much as Chen was invested in Masaru. They'd need to rely on one another. Chen didn't expect Masaru to be a stagnant and simple teacher likewise Masaru couldn't do with a pupil that was unable to take greater responsibility for the affairs of the nation. He was inexperienced on these matters but that wouldn't be an excuse.

He'd need to get experience.

The goth scratched the back of his head and walked around the tree. He was contemplating an answer. He looked around desperately searching for clues and details. Anything that would lead him to the suspect. He didn't want Masaru to think that he was stalling and so he began to speak even as he was unsure of what he'd find. He examined the ground for footprints and finally spied the broken twigs.

"Footprints.....finger prints...anything that could establish a profile. I'd want to know if this spy had snuck in the village or if the spy lives here as a civilian and is using their day job as cover. He crouched down to examine the twigs."

Chen was a master of elemental ninjutsu and it wouldn't be difficult to devise a ninjutsu that would aide him in preserving foot prints.

"I'd want to track the footprints, analyze them via Ninjutsu if possible and then cross-reference them with any known type of shoe common for this village. If it yields something then great if not then we're dealing with a professional and not just a mediocre opportunist."

A slightly smile would form on the man's face as he listened to Chen's response of handling the situation, he was glad they were on the same page and he was happy to know that if he wasn't here Chen knew how to handle the situation. To Masaru it meant that he had made the right choice in offering Chen his mentorship, and it meant that he would be a good choice for what the man had planned for the future of this village. Though Masaru's curiosity peaked when the boy mentioned analyzing the footprint via Ninjutsu, as if was something even he didn't consider possible. Though with everything else made possible through Ninjutsu, such a feat would surely be possible.

Masaru's scan of the area didn't reveal any footprints leading to or away from the tree, just the lone prints near the twigs. Meaning it was possible he used the rooftops or even had a way of levitation, which wasn't beyond the possibility but would draw more attention which made Masaru doubt that the person would go floating around the village. Masaru contemplated his options, playing through possible scenarios in his mind. "There is only three ways they could reach the tree without looking suspicious, the first would be from the road leading to the market district. The road is highly travelled, but it wouldn't be hard to break away from the pack and hide out by the tree unnoticed. The second would be the rooftops, it runs the higher risk of being seen but still plausible if they are a professional. The third option is one that I do not wish it to be, as it would mean we have a traitor in our ranks. But the use of Hiding in Camouflage could see that they remain hidden, however only the high ranking shinobi have access to it and even then I have limited it to a select few. I would like to eliminate the first two possibilities before accusing my Subordinates, the report came in an hour ago. So it's possible that whoever we are looking for is already hiding in their home, or they could be watching us."

Masaru had been scanning the area since he arrived looking for signs of someone suspicious, though just because he hasn't seen them yet did not mean that it wasn't still a possibility. There were those that were walking the road to and from the market not far from the barracks, but Masaru had not seen anything that drew his attention or the same face twice. "What course of action do you think would..." Masaru's voice would trail off as his eyes caught sight of a man who had been walking out of the market district and looked at the tree and then turned around almost immediately and headed back towards the market. Masaru would motion for Chen to look in the man's direction before moving in the direction of the man, "it is possible our luck may have changed. If this is the man we need to be careful in his apprehension, we don't know what he is capable of and we don't want anyone to get hurt or start a panic." Masaru's voice would drop as he round the corner to see an ocean of people in the market, the man somewhere in the thick of it all.

[4]

Chen listened and learned as Masaru told him that there was likely three possibilities at play. The first was the most straight forward. It called for going through the market district and blending into the crowd. The second was via the rooftops, a bit more risky but possible if the person was quiet enough. The third possibility made Chen's blood run cold. A traitor embedded in the Iwa military. They could be a Konoha loyalist or maybe just some dumb opportunist. Whatever the case may be, an Iwa shinobi using the nation's own exclusives to spy on it would be very bad for the country's image. When Masaru mentioned that they could be being watched at this very moment the Ōtsutsuki turned his head to look around.

Suddenly, Masaru started walking. Chen hurried to keep up. They had caught a break. The Tsuchikage had seen something suspicious and now they were going to act to apprehend the individual. He wasn't sure what Masaru had seen but he decided to trust his sensei's judgment. They wouldn't need to examine the footprint if they caught the bastard then and there. As they made their way into the crowded market however Chen's optimism plummeted.

Masaru was disappointed that the man had slipped into the crowd, "Chen, young male approximately five foot eight inches dirty blonde hair black clothes. We will split up to find him, he saw me so I will continue to move through the crowd and drive him out. Get to a rooftop and keep an eye on the crowd, try to get to the other end just in case he isn't waiting but try not to make too big of a scene." Masaru would state to Chen before beginning to move through the crowd, his goal would be simple to try to drive the suspicious man out of the crowd and towards Chen so that he can be captured. The crowd would part slightly allowing Masaru to move through it, though it would still result in him bumping against individuals and trying to push his way through it. His eyes would scan the crowd as he moved through it, forcing a smiling face to the surface to avoid looking like something was bothering him despite the fact that something actually was. If they didn't catch this man it could become problematic for the village, still as the man smiled his way through the crowd he could only hope Chen would be in a position to catch the man if he made a break for it. Masaru would take his time, as if he was doing a simple wellness check on the market. Stopping briefly at stalls scanning faces and slowly making his way down the road of the market, keeping a look out for anyone looking like they were trying to hide or avoid him. He was beginning to give up hope as he drew ever closer to the end of the market, was it possible he had over looked the man or was it the man was already long gone from the market. He would look to see if he could find Chen, but he did not see him. Perhaps the boy got lucky, Masaru would think to himself as he continued to look now for both Chen and the possible spy.

[5]

Chen listened to Masaru's instructions. He was intent on following the man's orders to the letter. This was his chance to prove that he wasn't a hump. He gave a defintive nod and slipped off to the side of the market and scaled a building. He went up from the alleyway, the last thing he wanted to do was cause a panic by walking up a wall randomly. Chen went from rooftop to rooftop scanning down below for a person that fit Masaru's description. He had pressed forward leaping from rooftop to rooftop. The bird's eye view allowed him to get a decent idea of everything happening down below, however, it wasn't enough. He needed more. Chen closes his eyes and the visage of an impossibly tall abomination stretching into the sky like an aborscient nightmare came into focus.

It was time.

When he opened his eyes they were the grey dull of the Rinnegan. He was alone on the rooftops. No one was around and no one would be looking at him from height and angle. He used Chakra Visualization to increase his perceptive capacity scanning through the crowd like a biological radar. Everything came into focus and he suddenly felt like a god. The boy zipped forward moving past Masaru and totally losing sight of his sensei. He could find this spy. He knew he could. Chen finally saw someone that matched the description that Masaru gave him. He stopped in his tracks but didn't move another muscle. What was he to do now? If he attacked from above it'd cause a panic. If he told the man to halt, he'd run or disappear into the ground. If he waited for Masaru to find him or catch up then he'd lose the spy. Chen opted for a combination of tactics. He created a Shadow Clone to double back and find his sensei. The real Chen used the transformation jutsu to turn into a bird and then took to the skies. He'd follow the spy from above hoping that he wouldn't think any of a pigeon in the sky.


Learned Shadow Clone Jutsu
(Will do words stuff later)

When Masaru first saw Chen his heart sunk, thinking something had gone wrong. Coming up behind him, when he had specifically told the boy to get to the otherside. However the boy would put his mind at ease when he would explain the situation, a shadow clone was a great move on his part. Masaru was impressed by the boy's quick thinking, and would move toward where the clone said the man was. As he rounded a corner he would see the man heading towards an alley leading towards the south, masaru had no doubt the man was probably heading towards the gates in an attempt to escape. Masaru had been very meticulous when news reached him of the spy, there was no communication about it, even his orders to close the gates were done in person. Meaning the only ones that even knew the village was on lock down was Masaru, Chen, and the Gate Guards. This could work in their favor, making it easier to corner him. Yet at the same time it ran the risk of exposure to the public, Masaru didn't know where the real Chen is but he had to hope that if he saw an opening to take down the man he would be able to do so. Rounding the corner of the Alley the man had turned down Masaru would arrive just in time to see the man reach the roof of one of the buildings. A look down from the man and he would smile at Masaru before giving a little wave and taking off across the rooftop, "D'Arvit!" Masaru shouted probably louder than he should as he flung handseals together before taking off in flight out of the Alley at high speed in an attempt to catch him.

Chen could see that the man was clearly trying to escape. Everything about his actions oozed guilt. This was their man and he was going down. The man had not spotted the pigeon following him and why would he? They were the most benign and boring of birds. While the man was busy mocking the Tsuchikage, Chen was hovering over his head and planning his attack. He decided that the best way to take down this culprit was with a Chakra Receiver. Just as the spy was about to leap to another rooftop, Chen nosedived towards him. The scum turned around and just as he did, Chen poofed out of his pigeon form and tackled the man to the ground. A Chakra receiver was ejected out of Chen's chest and slammed into his spine. Another rod erupted from both of his palms and he stabbed them into the enemy's hands. The spy's chakra circulatory system went haywire and Chen could tell from the panicked look in his eyes that he was frightened.

Good....

"Don't resist. You will make it much worse for yourself if you do"

Chen continued to hold the man down. He wanted to dominate this man and he considered Mike Tyson'ing the criminal's ear but he ultimately decided against it. He shouldn't get too full of himself. He would bring the man to his Kage whole and let him decide the filth's punishment.

Launching himself into the air from the alleyway, Masaru was proud to see his student landing on the man subduing him. Obviously the boy was stronger than he looked, capable of keeping the man down without much trouble. Masaru was intrigued to know how the boy managed such a thing, but there would be time for that later. For now the spy needed to be dealt with, Masaru would approach them with a smile upon his face as he looked at Chen. "Well done my Boy, I couldn't have done it better myself." Masaru would state with a slight chuckle as he patted Chen on the shoulder to congratulate him. The smile would quickly fade from his face as he turned towards the spy, looking him dead in the eyes. "You and I are going to have some words, and I better like what you have to say." Masaru would grab the man by the scruff of his neck and pulled him in closer, "because if I don't this might be the last time you see the sun."

Masaru would looked back to Chen, "Take him to interrogation, we will finish this matter there." Now that the spy was caught, there was not as big of a worry of panic in the streets. However it would raise questions if the Kage were to be escorting a prisoner through the streets, however with Chen there would be no need to worry about questions. For all the people would know, the man could simply be a thief or some other kind of criminal that an Iwagakure Shinobi was arresting. Business would not be interrupted nor would rumors spread from seeing the Tsuchikage with them, Masaru knew full well that Chen would be able to handle getting the man to interrogation for him and so weaving a few handseals the man would activate his Hiding in Camouflage Technique. Invisible to prying eyes, Masaru would take his leave from the rooftop heading for the interrogation room next to his office. It was the only place equipped with the tools he would need for this interrogation, it wouldn't matter to Masaru if it took days or weeks. The man would talk, they always do.

{Exit}

Chen looked up to see his sensei congratulating him. The boy didn't smile or give any indication that he was pleased with Masaru's commentary. He merely nodded and allowed the Tsuchikage to have words with the spy. Curiously though, He did flinch when Masaru made physical contact with him. Chen grappled the man and placed his arm behind his back, wrenching it into an uncomfortable position. At this point the spy knew that he had been caught and that trying to break out would only mean more torture.

Chen would march the prisoner through the streets and to the interrogation room. Whatever the spy's benefactors were paying him, it wasn't enough. It simply wasn't enough.

Exit