Super Important Mission Protocols!

[Nick]

River Country was pretty, with rolling forests of jungle green amongst dilapidated ruins of a long forgotten civilization whose building prowess couldn't be all that impressive considering the state that some of their houses were in, overgrown with vegetation. Northern River, where Suzuko was now, was a bit more like home, with steam rising out of stacks of workshops that worked on the airships that transported troops and goods all across the empire. These were drydocked in various bowl shaped buildings, where once they were complete, they would simply fly them out to a permanent docking station, or wherever they were being moved to.

Suzuko's class, and consequently the Laurel were docked at the coast in one such airship, where Goro would step off of the loading ramp and immediately throw a cigarette into his mouth. The captain of the Laurel had slapped more than a few lighters and cigarettes out of his hands, complaining about flammability in a closed system. It was a wonder he had any left. He took a deep drag as Suzuko walked off the ramp behind him, making a face as the scent of his smoke started to fill the air.

"Alright kiddo." He said finally, giving a moment for the nicotine to slowly pump into his blood. "It's muggy here." She replied, already drenched in sweat from the high humidity and her naturally overactive glands. "Complaining, real mature of you." He mocked her, causing her to huff and fold her arms, while a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead all the same. Briefly, he thought about Fuhen. He thought about the man often, but this was the first time he'd been to River Country since the man's death. Another handler was assigned to search for his children here, and as he looked down at young Suzuko, he wondered if he had the right child of Fuhen.

"You're meeting someone from Konoha, and someone from Suna for a cross-country team mission." He said, fishing into his vest to pull out a mission scroll, handing it over to her. "I wont be with you this time, I'm meeting the jounin escort of the one from Konoha." Another drag of the cigarette, and he started to walk away, leaving Suzuko there staring at the scroll. "I'm... on my own?" She asked, flummoxed, as he'd usually followed her around even on their days off. His only response was to hold a hand up as he continued to walk away, other hand shoved into his pocket. "Don't be a disappointment."

She stared at him walking away, then back down at the scroll, then back up at him, getting swiftly further and further away. A twang of anxiety resonated in her chest, her own chakra strings connecting to herself playing a dirge as if she was going to die soon. Certainly, she'd done things on her own before, but it was very uncommon, and she'd never been entrusted with a full mission on her own. Teammates were to be had, she supposed, but she didn't know who they were, or if they'd even be friendly! She'd only met two ninja from Suna before, and both of them were pretty rude to her at the Iron Banner festival!

Goro gave one glance over his shoulder. He made a face. He expected failure, so his comment about disappointment wasn't likely to come true. His job wasn't so much to protect her, after all. Suzuko gulped and opened the scroll. There were a few important details, something about pets going missing, suspect that some wild animal had gotten too comfortable in the growth of the city encroaching on its territory. The most important detail to start, however, was where they were to meet the one who commissioned the job, and of course, the rest of her temporary team.

---

Thus, Suzuko would find herself walking in the commerce district, looking for a jewelry shop where the shop owner's cat had apparently gone missing, and keeping her eyes out for the two ninja she was supposed to meet up with. She was sweating bullets, and not just because of the humidity.

[FluffyGinja]

It was Ibuku's first time ever outside of Fire Country, let alone Konoha, let alone the strange little route he took in the village. He had become a creature of habit due to his training and his life and it made him worry. He even asked one of the shinobi that watched over him typically to take care of his plants as he didn't want any of them to die and he gave explicit instructions on what they liked and how he treated them. Inwardly, he was flashing back to that little conversation and it was making his fingers twitch uncomfortably. His footsteps were drowned out to the heart that was beating in his chest and ears and the only thing he could hear was the Jounin speaking to him. It remained muffled but the message was clear as he had heard it several times by now. "You will be participating in a joint mission with Suna and Heart. It seems the Hokage wishes to test your drive and he is hoping that an outside perspective of the world will do good for you. This..." He fishes for a scroll and hands it to him, before wiping his brow clean of the accumulated sweat that was rolling down, "is the information you need and where you will be meeting your partners. I'll be meeting with one of the Heart samurai, a man named Goro. We trust you in this so be careful."

Those words rang through Ibuku's head and bounced around, forceful reminders of the fact that he was out of the country at this moment and then he heard those words that Sukairaa had spoken to him. 'With one of us... Everyone is your enemy'. It all stung in his mind as he was looking at the scroll now while they were still a little ways away from this part of River Country. Apparently it was about missing animals which felt almost like deja vu from what he had just gone through with Keriku and now here, but there was more to it.

While he read over the scroll a dozen times, he hadn't realized they had arrived and he felt a hand on his shoulder. His escort gave him a nod. "You'll be fine kid... Take it one step at a time." With two pats to his shoulder, he went to make his way off to go speak with Goro where they had agreed to meet and this left Ibuku to find the jewelry shop on his own. He was thankful that he stood out right now as it let people focus on that a little more as he asked them questions and would eventually find his way to this jewelery shop. He wasn't even sure who he was looking for yet but he was hoping it would be obvious.

[TyDie]

The trip to Heart Country had been mostly uneventful for the young Henrin girl, yet her mission bore incredible weight. It had been a while since the somewhat harsh falling out with Fire Country and Konoha, and while their alliance hadn't broken entirely, the stress between Wind and Fire had been rather tense as of late. Hopefully, some successful cooperative endeavors would start to mend bridges between what was once two strong allies. If Emi could show that the two villages could still work together on small scale stuff, eventually they'd have to see that they could continue to be allies in the grand scheme as well, right? Well, that was what the council hoped for at least... And that weight now sat firmly on Emi's shoulders.

And then there was Heart - Emi had heard of the unification and establishment of the new Empire, but she had no idea what to expect of it as she crossed the boarder into their lands and began witnessing incredible sights. She even saw what looked like a boat flying through the sky - Even Suna didn't have such wondrous machinery! If the newly formed Empire could come up with such amazing gadgets, surely they would have something to add to Suna's defenses if they were to become allies. That was much more of a toss up though - Emi wasn't a diplomat, she had made that clear more than once. That was her mother's shtick, she wasn't nearly as politically minded as The Sun's Radiance, but she'd proceed with the mission as planned and hopefully it would mean something in the long run towards relations with the Heart Empire.

These were the thoughts that filled the girl's head as she made her way through the somewhat busy streets of a small village within the Heart Empire, on the lookout for a particular jewelry store as detailed in her mission scroll. Prominently displayed across her forehead, the symbol of Sunagakure would clearly mark her as a shinobi - Hopefully her allies would take notice of it before any potential enemies... if there were any enemies at all that was. This was a pretty ambiguous mission all things considered, some pets gone missing and they sent three people to handle it? Seemed odd to Emi, but so be it. As she found and entered the store, she noted that there weren't too many people in the shop, but two people immediately stood out to her.

The first was a young looking woman, slightly shorter than Emi, with brown hair and goggles adorning her head from the looks of it. Emi couldn't make out much more than that, other than the fact that she had a strange looking backpack and a strange shaped mark on her upper chest... Emi made sure to get a good look at that for later, logging it away with the memory of a Henrin. The other figure was an older looking boy, about the same height as Emi, with black hair like herself. Were it not for his eyes, he almost passed for a Henrin with his features, but he seemed to be just a normal boy from first glance. Well, his eyes and the fact that he had horns sprouting out of his head... She wasn't sure what the deal was with that, she didn't know of any Konoha clans related to deer or goats, but she knew horns when she saw them. Were it not for the symbol of Konoha dangling from his neck, she might've missed him completely, but that forehead protector was all she needed to see to make her move.

"Ibuku, right?" Emi spoke up as she approached the black haired boy, speaking with calm purpose. "I believe we're meant to work together today. My name is Emi, of the Henrin family." She'd give the boy a small bow, the strange hilt at her side dangling as she moved and glinting slightly in the overhead light. "There was another meant to work with us today though, have you seen them yet?" It was clear Emi didn't recognize Suzuko, nor did she realize what that mark on her chest meant.

[Nick]

It was a little difficult not to get distracted. Not only was her empathetic chakra flaring up with the large crowds around her and their variety of emotions seeping into her every pore, but the commercial district itself was interesting as well. She'd spent time in the markets of Tea Country's capital, but there was a different air about this one. More focused on long, winding streets with stalls all perfectly lined up next to each other, whereas the markets of Xincha were more like a bazaar. Her young, inquisitive nature led her to look over every stall as she passed, mentally marking to herself some she'd like to come back and shop around later.

Suzuko didn't have quite the same political worries. The Pilot program she'd been apart of was, of course, one big political scheme, and it was something she'd been anxious about in the past, but after having visited both Konoha and Kumo on different occasions, she began to see it as... different. She'd made friends in both locations, and while doing so had discovered that the real pilot program was the friends she'd made along the way. The program was something that Grand Shogun Fuhen had set up before his death, and while it had taken a few years to get the logistics of the program going, it was really designed to introduce the youngest generation to the world, let them meet the bogeymen behind their masks, and be able to make decisions for themselves based on their experiences, rather than word of mouth from a bitter, post-war generation.

However, that didn't mean she wasn't anxious about meeting new people, which kept her just on edge enough for her ear to perk up and pick up a conversation, just barely able to make out 'Henrin family', which caused her to turn and notice immediately the headband on the first girl, and the... horns? On the second one. She stared at the horns for a moment, blinking, before stepping forward to bring herself to attention to the other two. "Good morning, did I hear correctly you said your name was... Henrin-san?" Suzuko didn't recognize the family name, but the way she introduced it as the Henrin family implied some sense of nobility, and she did her best to treat it as such. She then looked over to the boy. "Then you must be Hitoke-san."

She bowed to each in turn, more of a gentle nod of the head reserved for when one was unsure of one's own status amongst possible peers. "I am Fukazawa, Suzuko. Fuyubushi from the Heart Empire." She smiled as she raised her head back up. "It's nice to meet the both of you, I'll be working with the pair of you on this mission." She said, wiggling the scroll at her side gently, more for herself than anything. "I believe our contact with more information is around here..." Suzuko began to look past her compatriots to see that, just a couple doors down, was a sign that said "Ebisu Pawn and Jewelry", a rather gaudy looking shop with flashy signage and sparkly bits dangling from every hanging surface.

The girl blanched a little bit. A missing pet from someone like this was likely to be more of a trial in not upsetting the commissioner of the mission than it was to be a difficult mission of itself. But then again, maybe she was just being judgmental.

[FluffyGinja]

Inwardly, Ibuku was panicking a little bit. A new environment, his first mission that wasn't as simple as catching a cat, two new faces from allied countries, the constant thought that he was under threat, and the fact that he barely learned anything lately... Okay, maybe not a little bit. Maybe a lot. Outwardly, he was forcing himself to remain with a stoic face and keep a steady breathing pattern even if he wanted to just have a quick freak out. As he was reading over the scroll several more times over, like he was debating on whether he was even close to this shop, he heard a voice that addressed him directly. It would make his head turn and he paused for a second as the woman spoke to him. The eyes were the first thing that caught his attention, unlike any he had seen before and he was about to speak up when he had heard her mention that there was supposed to be another person with them today. It had caught him off guard since he hadn't even thought about it and he had peered down at the scroll once more before he was once more given a surprise voice from behind that forced him to tense up.

It would take him a moment before he asserted himself into the conversation, albeit, he wasn't nearly as formal as the other two were and far less certain in how he spoke. He did not bow very well, a few small ones to each in respect but he didn't want to jut the two horns on his head towards them. "Ah, yeah... Henrin-san and... Fukazawa-san... Right. That is what the scroll said...", he would mutter under his breath as he went to place the scroll away in a small pouch he had for it and examine them both a little more closely while remaining more silent.

Emi had the tell-tale signs of a Henrin. His foster family had been there when Kiyori first showed up into Konoha and he had gotten a look a long time ago. It was strange how long ago that was to him. He was barely five and yet he was remembering it well. That handle dangling from her hip has his attention for a moment before his eyes moved towards the other partner.

Suzuko was more normal outwardly compared to Emi. Less distinction in visible features. Items were certainly more obvious. He'd not seen many shinobi utilize a backpack or a staff, let alone have goggles of any kind. Her clothing choices were more modern than he had seen even in Konoha and her method of talking stood out from her rougher outfit choice.

All in all, he honestly felt like a commoner among royals, or at least... Like he had far less than they did and that he was going to struggle to keep up.

There were a few thoughts that ran through his head all at the same time before there was that voice that ran through his head. 'Pay attention, they are counting on you as much as them.' Even if it wasn't a chastising tone, he knew he should be better about his idle thoughts and peered past towards where Suzuko looked, taking a step to turn and starting walking there without a hint of hesitation. "I've done a missing pet before... It was a cat... Wonder what they have..." He spoke his thoughts out loud, more for his own comfort and to give that he might be able to handle this.

[TyDie]

Emi turned her attention to the brunette woman, tilting her head for a moment in confusion. However, as she introduced herself, Emi recalled the details of the scroll and found that the name she gave was correct - Fukazawa Suzuko. Her strange eyes examined the girl a bit closer now that Emi knew she was to be the shinobi duo's partner and escort through the lands of the Heart Empire. Judging solely off of appearance, she seemed rather... bland. But she could tell from the way she carried herself and the scars she could see on what exposed skin she had showing that she was no stranger to combat. If push came to shove, Emi trusted that the girl could handle a scrap.

"Nice to meet you as well, Fukazawa-san. And yes, Henrin, Emi is my name. The Henrin family are a prominent house within Sunagakure, if all goes well I'm sure the Heart Empire will see more of us in the coming years. Hopefully for friendly reasons." Emi had no desire to go to war with the newly formed Empire - If anything, Suna was in a rough spot in terms of allies and wasn't in a position to pick fights. Plus, based on the technology alone, a partnership with the Heart Empire would be most beneficial to Wind Country. She needed this mission to be successful, to crack open the door for stronger relations between Wind and Heart. She only hoped that Suzuko could help in that regard.

"Well, introductions are out of the way now, and Suzuko-san is clearly the most experienced with the area. I think it best we let her lead the way Ibuku." Emi crossed her arms and bowed her head slightly in thought as she considered her statement. After all, they were strangers in this land - Suzuko at least knew the customs of her own nation, or at least Emi would assume so. And so she would follow behind Suzuko as the brunette girl lead them towards what appeared to be a pawn shop, and a rather flashy one at that. She couldn't help but wonder though... why send two shinobi and a Fuyubushi to handle a missing pet problem? It seemed overkill to her... was there something they weren't being told?

[Nick]

As Emi suggested Suzuko lead the way several thoughts passed through her mind.

First: I've never been to River Country before.
Second: These stupid idiots assume I've been to River Country before just because it's in the empire?
Third: I can't call them stupid idiots, even though they clearly are.
Fourth: I'm in charge? Of course I am! I am mighty, powerful, and prominent, after all!

She made every effort to maintain a pleasantly neutral look on her face, but unbeknownst to her, she would immediately begin looking about ten percent more smug than when she'd introduced herself. "Ahah, of course I'd be happy to take you under my wing!" She said in that particular way that nobles do when they're about to do something that will cause someone to owe them a favor. Of course, it probably was best that she lead the way, especially in speaking to their contact, partially because the author created them, and partially because ninja still weren't exactly the most welcome sight to the little people of the empire despite the open borders fully allowing them to be there.

She took a bold and confident step forwards after nodding to her two counterparts, and walked up to Ebisu Pawn, spreading a bead curtain in her path to be immediately assaulted with an obnoxious amount of crying and a quite rude "WE ARE CLOSED!" Suzuko blinked in response, and were it any other situation she might have just turned around and left, or maybe given a stern talking to the shop owner, but she looked back over her shoulder at the two following her and internally winged before stepping further inside. "Hello? We're here because of a report about a missing pet?" She asked into the darkness, which would be immediately followed by the sounds of footsteps racing down the stairs from the upper level and a cloud of dust in their wake.

The one who must have been the owner, 'Ebisu', was an overweight woman probably in her late fourties, wearing entirely too much makeup modeled probably after some famous geisha with a pure white face, excessively red lips, and eyeliner so thick there was more liner than eye. "Finally!" She said in the haughty tone of someone who was used to getting what they wanted. "Hime has been missing for at least twelve hours!" The woman huffed, and snarled... before her face softened and her entire demeanor changed on the spot. "Okay yes my precious cat disappeared and she is very important to me, but..."

Her face twisted a bit. "I found out yesterday that lots of pets have been going missing, and one of the neighbors said their child never came home last night, either..." And as soon as the demeanor softened, it hardened once more as if by a flip of the switch. "Both are equally important! Hime is practically my child, after all! But, here." She dug into her cleavage, far too exposed by her racy kimono, and retrieved a folder, handing it to Suzuko. She stared at it for a moment, before opening it and holding it up so that the others next to/behind her could see. There were a lot of pictures of beloved family pets, one large photo of a meticulously groomed toad, approximately the size of a small dog, and a similarly large photo of a younger child.

"I had the neighborhood get these together of any that have gone missing in the last... month or so..." Her face softened once more, and she pointed one manicured hand at the oversized toad. "That's my precious Hime, and if anything happened to her, I would just die! ...I wouldn't feel good if something bad happened to that child, either."

Suzuko was looking over the photos, and gave a very weirded out face to both of her compatriots, before turning back to Ebisu. "Uhh. Yes, Ebisu-san, we'll uh, get on this right away..." She said, completely taken aback by this whole situation. The missions scroll hadn't said anything about a missing child, or even the excessive number of missing pets pictured in the folder she was handed, and she was also a little grossed out that her precious little pet was this gross looking toad. She swallowed her thoughts for a moment and nodded, regaining some of that smug confidence. "Thanks for bringing this to the attention of the Empire, you've done your neighborhood a service." She said in a way that sounded an awful lot like she was reciting from a book.

Ebisu waved her hand in a dismissive fashion. "Of coooourse, I've been elected to lead twice now for a reason!" Suzuko stared at her and blanched. She was being out-smugged by this woman who, apparently, was the local leader of the area. She thought for a moment about the implications of the whole thing, and realized, or at least hoped, that this was probably some kind of ridiculous act that she put on, and maybe everyone else realized, or hoped, this was also the case.

"Uh, yes, of course..." She said, trying to slowly edge her way out the door. "Could you uh, tell us where the child was last seen? And uh, your 'Hime' too, of course." She awkwardly added on to the end, as she started to feel her stomach crawl up into her chest as the realization of the responsibility was starting to go over the top. "My poor, precious toad always hangs out right in front of this very shop!" Ebisu exclaimed. "And the child was last seen playing about two blocks that way." She said, pointing her finger to the south, down the road a ways.

Suzuko stared and swallowed her stomach back down her throat, giving a moment in case either of her partners had any further questions, before, nodding, turning around on the heel, stepping outside, and immediately muttering under her breath. "What the fuuuuuuuuuuck..."

[FluffyGinja]

Although Ibuku was considerably quieter than the other two, he was running through a lot of thoughts in his head. His eyes didn't betray a lot of emotion to what he was thinking and his facial expression was otherwise a neutral mask, but Suzuko had this small hint that she wasn't nearly as knowledgeable as he had expected her to be at first, all thanks to that smug demeanor barely peeking through. That was a clear wrong assumption on his part and he made a mental note, likening it to technically living in Fire Country but knowing not a single thing about it. There wasn't much more chance for him to think on it though as what came next for him could only be described as a whirlwind of a woman. If he didn't know any better, he'd just about think she was out smugging Suzuko with all of what she was doing. There wasn't much in the way of Ibuku being able to or even wanting to step in to speak up, finding that the owner of Ebisu was boisterous to the point of being overwhelming to the poor Genin. However, he was able to at least retain the information being thrown at them all.

He was creating small mental notes about all of it, the pictures a welcome surprise for this moment and even more so of the variety of animals missing. Even a child. It was strange though just how much had gone missing without even a trace of anything. Ibuku furrowed his brow as he was looking back towards the entrance of the shop when she mentioned where both the toad and the child were normally. Two blocks wasn't a large distance and if he could find out more information about the other pets, he could help provide a map of sorts to what was around them. His attention was brought back to the conversation during its conclusion as he was watching just how off balance Suzuko had been put and once Suzuko had exited, he truly didn't have a question he could think of in the slightest. Whenever they reconvened outside, he gave a small shrug. "She seemed... passionate and strong-willed... Cute toad though. It looks like one of the native River Country roads, they tend to get a little bigger than most." He noted that fact as if he had read it from a book as he was looking around the town.

"I have an idea though... If we can get more information on where more of the pets disappeared and maybe, I don't know how but, a town map? We could make a clear area or even some points of interest around the town where there is more activity?" He shrugged slightly as he had been learning a little more from his trainings with the multiple senior shinobi in Konoha who had effectively taken him under their wing, treating the host with both care but also a clear desire to make Ibuku strong.

[TyDie]

Suzuko's puffed up demeanor was clearly a front, Emi wondering how much Suzuko truly knew about the locals, but the fact remained that she represented her empire and River fell within those borders. Whether she liked it or not, Suzuko was the one with the most leverage here, and Emi wasn't about to put Suna in the midst of another international kerfuffle because she let someone's toad die. And speaking of that toad, the file produced by the eccentric shop owner was quickly recorded into Emi's memories as she watched Suzuko flip through it, her mind scanning each page with practiced ease so that she could recall the details later on as needed. The missing pets and such was of concern of course, but not nearly as much as the new information of a missing [i[child[/i]. The stakes had just been raised threefold... And judging by Suzuko's nervous demeanor, she realized that too.

Ibuku, however, was noticeably stoic. Even in the face of the task at hand, and the new knowledge that a human life might hang in the balance, he seemed no worse for wear. Emi had expected herself to be the stable member of this little troup, but even she found herself nervous at the prospect of failure, knowing that a kid's life hung in the balance now. "I say screw the frog lady, we need to go to the south and investigate this missing child. Missing pets is one thing, this just got a lot more serious." Emi said as calmly as possible, trying to keep her anxieties and worries beneath the surface. "Suzuko, Ibuku did have a good idea there though... what are the chances of us getting access to a town map of some sorts? Maybe we could use it to cross reference with those who went missing, find a general area where the kidnappers might be operating from... Assuming this is all kidnappings of course."

She wasn't sure yet, but there was definitely a trend here, and it wasn't often that people just went missing out of the blue without some kind of purpose or culprit. Animals, sure. People? Not so much.

[Nick]

The young heiress stared rather blankly off into the distance, mind racing at the prospects. Whether or not the owner of the pawn shop was all she seemed to be or not, Suzuko's own emotions were running so rampant she couldn't even fully read the emotions of those going on around her. In her mind she knew that a missing child probably outscaled the level of mission that they wanted to make a joint operation between the three villages, and that she should probably head into the local school representative's office and report the findings immediately and probably pass this off to someone more than a lone Fuyubushi. That would have been the most responsible to thing to do, she thought, as she slowly turned her gaze to her two companions, their words turning from muted 'wah wahs' to actual words...

"Don't be a disappointment."

But then Goro's words rang in her ear as if he was still right in front of her. She knew he didn't exactly have the greatest level of respect for her, but he'd never outright implied she was disappointing before. He'd spent an awful lot of time training her, a lot of one on one time that other students didn't get, was he unhappy with the results she'd been displaying? It stung more than she wanted to admit, because she often said, loudly and proudly that she didn't care what Goro thought, but then again, he was as close to a father figure as she'd ever had in her short, sad life. Would 'giving up' the mission really be a disappointment, though? Was it even the right thing to do, regardless of if it was disappointing?

The wah-wahs were offering little in the way of reassurance, and Emi finally seemed to snap her out of her daze by saying Suzuko's name out loud. "Erm, a map..." She repeated, somewhat dumbly, trying to find her footing again against the onslaught of emotional thought racing through and out of her mind. "Maps in the empire are hard right now..." She said, closing her eyes, putting a hand under her chin and tilting her head. "With the rapid growth, keeping updated maps is somewhat rare, but..." She tilted her head the other way, before snapping her fingers and opening her eyes. "The Kisama usually keep good records, since they most often lead the expansion..."

She looked around, eyes immediately locking onto one of the bowl-shaped buildings nearby where the sounds of tools and metal clanging could be heard en-masse. "Just a moment, I'll see what I can do!" She said, trying to find ways to make herself useful while she could maybe think of what to do in this situation.

She didn't figure out what to do in this situation, but at the very least she would make herself useful, coming back out the front door of the building with a rather oversized hunk of brass in a square shape with, as hoped, a map etched in over top of it. It was quite the comprehensive map, though a few of the newer streets weren't added, it included a full display of the streets, abbreviated businesses registered, the sewer systems... Anything one could ask for, really. "He said we could... Keep this one..." She said, struggling to maneuver the heavy hunk of brass around, holding it in front of her for the other two to look at. Awkwardly, her arms came over the sides of the map to point at a couple of areas. First, a single building labeled "E.P.J." "This one is Ebisu Pawn..." She said, providing reference, thanks to some quick assistance from the Kisama clansman inside. Her other hand pointed at another space. "I think this is where that kid was last seen... Maybe we can ask around?"

[FluffyGinja]

Ibuku couldn't help but notice how distant that Suzuko seemed for a moment or two. There was this strange feeling that he got in the back of his mind, one that made him feel she may be just as clueless as these two but he simply pushed the thought away. Regardless of whether she was or wasn't, she was a necessary member of this group and a valuable teammate right in the moment. As she spoke, he was getting a family name he was unfamiliar with. 'The Kisama... Wonder if they are a clan... Sounds like it with the emphasis she put'. There wasn't much time for his thoughts to wander as normal though as he watched her dash off and he took a moment to look towards the Suna shinobi before simply shrugging his shoulders and crouching down to settle in to a comfortable squat and wait for her to return.

When she did, it wasn't what he expected. A map, at least to his mind, was not usually made of a massive hunk of metal and usually more made of paper... or vellum in the case of some very old pieces. He gave a nod as she pointed each thing out and he went to look around the area, using the map as a reference to understand things as best he could. He had placed his hand on the brass for a moment and he was a touch surprised, having put just a little pressure underneath as if to help hold it for a second. It was heavy, heavier than expected and she seemed to carry it without much of an issue. "You're strong..." He muttered under his breath as if the thought had appeared and escaped without him even thinking on it, going to take a few steps back as he seemed to scan the area again before nodding to them.

"I agree, asking around is the best idea. Are you... comfortable carrying that the whole time? You've got a backpack but... it doesn't look like it would fit in there."

[Nick]

Suzuko held the map up long enough for Emi to get a good visual of it with her special eyes if she so wished, not that the young heiress knew anything of that, before readjusting her grip when Ibuku made his rather frank observation. She blushed a bit, whether or not it was intended as a compliment she was embarrassed by the fact he'd said it at all. The Mizutane who had raised her were a warrior clan through and through regardless of gender, but that wasn't generally what people noticed first when they looked at a girl. "Oh, thanks...?" She responded awkwardly, wondering for a moment if this is what the kids called 'flirting', she wasn't sure someone had done that to her before.

"Oh, Fukuro-kun can handle this." She said matter-of-factly, hoisting the metal map up over her head and behind it where the sounds of someone enjoying a particularly messy meal could be heard for a few moments and the map would disappear, followed by a gentle burp. If either of them took the time to look during the scene, her backpack would appear to be actively eating the hunk of metal, its long tongue wrapped around it while its stick-like arms shoved it deeper into the bottomless gullet of the backpack. The heiress would not bother to explain this unless either of them asked.

"Uh, this way, yeah?" She asked, taking the first steps herself regardless, leading the other two towards the area she had indicated on the map, closer to the heart of the city. "Do ninja... Do missions like this often?" She asked, somewhat familiar with the answer from Aki's perspective in Kumogakure at least, but was curious to see if Konoha and Suna were at all similar. This sort of thing, beyond the weirdness of the situation, was relatively common community service, a requirement as part of schooling. "I don't suppose looking for missing children is high on the likelihood list..."

As they finally approached the destination, awkward smalltalk aside, she adjusted her shoulder straps for her backpack a bit and looked around. There were several hole-in-the wall shops not too dissimilar from Ebisu Pawn, as well as several dedicated residences, a small park across the street from the residences with a few sparse trees and swings present. "We should... Split up and ask around?" Suzuko said without confidence, before quickly following it up with a bit more of the false confidence and bravado she was trying to put forth. Fake it till you make it. "Before it gets dark! Be a lot harder to find missing pets or kids at night..." She said, immediately stepping off to go to one of the apartments, not giving specific direction to the other two.

[FluffyGinja]

Ibuku did watch what was happening behind Suzuko for a brief second, noticing that whatever that backpack was was further from normal than he had expected. However, he idly reached up and placed a few fingers across the antlers that adorned his head and inwardly laughed at himself, realizing just how strange this world was truly going to be the more he explored it. "A... few of the orphans were brought back were cause of missions... this... is my first one, actually... At least, 'real' one." There was a brief pause as he seemed to rub the back of his head. "The war... fucked this all up." He was muttering as he was going to clear his throat and look around. Even as they walked and he found himself automatically engaging in the conversation that was at hand, but more out of a forced habit as his thoughts were wandering.

This whole war had fucked it all up, had made it so much more difficult than it had to be. As he was continued to think on it, he could only go back home in his mind and see what he had been left... and he was feeling a bitterness that he couldn't even remember it all that well. Parents faces basically a blur, a home he didn't recognize, but an orphanage... and people who deserved better. There was a slight 'tsk' sound that escaped his lips as his mind refocused and took in the words that Suzuko had given to him.

With a quick nod towards Suzuko and Emi, he went to head into one of the shops that was near by and ask what questions he thought were appropriate. Things like 'We are looking into missing pets, where were they last seen, at what time, how long ago, any important information you can remember at all?'. It was one of those moments that made Ibuku realize how lacking his people skills were in the tone of his voice which often sounded more cold than he intended it. After a time, he'd make his way back to the center that they had all departed from originally and look around to see if he could spot either of his companions, going to relay what he got... which was admittedly not much more than what they already knew but maybe would help them solve this strange little puzzle.

[Nick]

"Orphans?" Suzuko asked as they approached their destination, curious as to what he meant. Several of her classmates were orphans from Grass Country, and while she didn't like to think about it, she herself was more or less an orphan even if she was 'adopted' into a noble family rather than needing to exist within the orphanages of Tea Country. As if orphans weren't a dark enough subject, he broached an even harder one that the girl understood all too well. "I often think about what life would be like if the war hadn't happened..." She said wistfully, her voice trailing off as she thought about what few memories she had of her mother whom she hadn't seen since she was about three years old.

She cleared her throat at the same time Ibuku did. Two war orphans, two paths diverged from the same point, united once more. A small world, after all.

When the trio split up, though, Suzuko pulled herself together long enough to pull the binder out, handing a couple of the photos to each of her two compatriots, leaving her with the picture of the lost child, and Ibuku with the picture of the very large toad. He was the lucky one. She asked similar questions to Ibuku, and came away with a few other pieces of information, to which she repeatedly pulled out that huge brass map and marked a few locations where people said they'd seen some of the missing pets, and most importantly, the child.

Unfortunately, on Suzuko's end there wasn't a whole lot of information, aside from learning which family the child disappeared from, but she wasn't sure she was ready to confront them yet, that sounded like an emotional minefield she wasn't ready to step into today.

She did receive some information that several of the missing pets were outdoor pets, similar to what Ebisu had described her toad as being, and frequently wandered to the park at night. Staring at the door of the parents of the missing child, she gulped and turned away, walking quickly down a flight of stairs to go check out the park instead. Anything had to be better than that.

[FluffyGinja]

Unbeknownst to Suzuko, Ibuku had wandered away from the area since he hadn't seen either of his companions return and noticed her leaving a door... although it had appeared that she hadn't done anything there as he didn't hear anything of a door. There was a pause as he watched her leaving and carefully went to move where she had just been, examining the door in question before going to wander back towards where she had walked off. There were a few thoughts in his head but he wanted to be sure that she was alright, considering she was part of this whole operation. As he was getting closer with his steps, he cleared his throat. "Fukazawa-san...?" He asked with a tilt of his head as he was moving closer towards her.

"I... didn't manage to get much. A lot of the missing pets were half-outdoors and the others can't seem to imagine how they disappeared... The only one left is the... child..." As he stated that last word, his head turned back towards the direction of the door and realized now what had been the issue, clearly needing to sound it out for himself to understand what the issue actually was. "Do you... want to do that one together?" He offered her as he went to take a few steps closer. "Its... I... have seen it... from the other side... if that makes... sense... so I can help..." As he stated that, if Suzuko were to look, she'd see him channeling chakra. It looked like a small, localized snow storm around him, quite different from most types of chakra she might have seen. He went to carefully kneel down and press a hand to the ground, letting it connect through him and a small bush sprouted up in front of him, dewberries clinging to it that appeared fairly ripe.

Deftly, he took about a dozen of the berries that came from it, going to keep them in his hand as if he were preparing to do something with them. "Food... helps people... and these berries are hard to get fresh right now, since its winter still. Hopefully it'll... help." He took one of the berries and tasted it himself, wincing a small bit at the taste since it was sweeter than expected. However, unlike what she might expect if she has seen a plant style ninjutsu user... This bush didn't seem to be decaying, at least not right away like other plant styles. Ninjutsu usually wasn't a permanent thing but there was something to this that was different.

Jutsu usedShow

Sekaijutsu • Nature's Bounty
D-Ranked Sekaijutsu
Allowing a gentle flow of the Sekaigenma's chakra to funnel into the earth at his feet, Ibuku will place his hand on the ground for a moment before causing a bush to form in front of him. This bush will then produce dozens upon dozens of ripe berries, free of disease and non-poisonous, making food in the event that none are available. The berries are also quite juicy, quenching thirst just as effectively as they sate hunger.

[Nick]

She thought she'd gotten out of the situation without issue, and so breathed a sigh of relief as she took her first half step towards the park, but her entire body shuddered as her name was called out behind her. She turned around with her heart pounding, having been taken by surprise by Ibuku appearing out of nowhere, and breathed a sigh of relief that it was one of her mission partners. "Hitoke-san." She responded, clearing her throat once more and righting herself to stand straight. "I got... A little bit of information..." She replied awkwardly.

"Do you... want to do that one together?" He'd asked, and Suzuko's brain froze. She hadn't gotten much from her empathetic chakra about the boy, and in many ways he was hard to read. From the way he spoke to the consistently fairly neutral look on his face, he felt like an opposite to Suzuko who was generally very emotive in both facets. Was he trying to actually be helpful, or was this some torture test? Several of the others she'd met from Konoha might not have been above such tactics... She wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, though, it was unfair to make such assumptions about ALL of the ninja from one place based on limited interactions.

"I uhh, I suppose that might be good... To get a second pair of eyes on the situation!" She said, once more doing her best to feign confidence for the statement. Suzuko nodded her head and crossed her arms smugly. "I'm kind of an... expert on..." The heiress started to say as Ibuku began to create... life? She was flabbergasted, sputtering a bit, and immediately stepping over to the plant to look at it from several different angles, gently poking at one of the berries. "Is this... An illusion...?" She asked, confused. She wasn't familiar with the dewberry, not having spent much time in River, but they didn't appear too dissimilar from blackberries that grew commonly elsewhere.

Gingerly, she picked the same one that she'd poked a moment ago, watching Ibuku eat one, before holding it up to the light, and doing the same. Her eyes lit up, and concerns over speaking to grief-stricken parents fled her mind for a moment as the drupelets burst in her mouth. "So sweet!" The girl said, seeming pleased by the statement, and locking eyes with her companion. "Can you show me how to do that after the mission?" Of course, she had no idea it would be an impossible ask, she was mighty and powerful after all, she could learn anything!

She would help him pick the berries, eyes still aglow with how cool this whole thing was, resisting the urge to eat more of them when they were meant for their next visit. She produced a small pot from Fukuro-kun to store them in, before lifting it up, and moving her eyes to the door at the top of the stairs once more. Her heart sunk. The berries were a lovely distraction, but at the end of the day, she still needed to go handle this.

Suddenly, she was in front of the door. She didn't remember walking up the stairs, or finally reaching out to knock on the door, but when her brain caught up with itself, her fist was already up against the door, the berries cradled in their pot under her other arm. A young woman answered the door, looking surprised to see visitors. Suzuko's mouth dried up as all the moisture started to escape her body in the form of sweat instead. She looked down, and she could see the string coming off of the woman slowly worming its way over to her, ready to link up, and she gulped down sand.

"Miss... Itosugi?" She asked nervously, her voice sandpaper rough all of a sudden, breaking like a teenage boys.

[FluffyGinja]

There was a moment of realization. Without thinking about it, he had showed off his own ability. He was thankful that she didn't seem to recognize anything about it and he was breathing an inward sigh of relief. As he saw her take some of the berries and try them for herself, he was surprised by her reaction and he had instinctually nodded in answer to her question, regretting it immediately. Should... he tell her? Not right now but... maybe later... When the time was right? Whenever that would be. He was thinking this all over in his head as she led them towards the house that she had just been at. Weirdly... he was familiar with this. At least, from the other end. Many kids, without their parents, lost and dejected. He was one of the older kids at the orphanage, sort of a bigger brother, which is why he worried about if Suzuko could do this. Which was more evident when she spoke up tot he woman who answered the door.

This woman looked like she had been crying for ages. That red marking across her eyes, her face a little swollen, her body looked tense. "Miss Itosugi, if... you have a moment... Could we talk to you? We brought these", He gestured towards the small pot that had been in Suzuko's arms this whole time and he took a moment to look towards his comrade in this moment. "We can be quick... but just... some information would be helpful. We are... here to help." His voice remained a neutral, soothing tone. Not professional but more like he was trying to calm down a small, scared animal.

As he stood there, he could feel a small tickle in the back of his head. It was for a brief moment, but he swore he could feel like... he had just gotten someone staring at him for a touch longer than he wished for. He didn't move an inch, figuring that he was a strange oddity in any case, the antlers not making things easy along with the fact that he looked different to most people in the area.

[Nick]

The young heiress looked more like a deer in the headlights than Ibuku did, which was odd considering she wasn't the one sporting a pair of antlers at all times. Even before the door had opened she'd felt the emotional string start to connect her with the woman, and once the door opened instead of a drip feed it felt like a wave overcome her. The physical signs of her body showing worry and care for her lost child was lost on Suzuko beneath the weighty wave of her actual emotions. There was so much to them, and yet beneath all of it, Suzuko felt a level of strength that only a mother could have in the face of losing her child, the kind of strength that held hope that everything might be okay in the end. It was a strength that Suzuko herself wished she could have in the face of less adversity.

The teen held the berries up to show them when Ibuku mentioned them, and the woman's face twisted a bit. Bothered by their intrusion? Happy with their offering? It was hard to tell. "Come in." She said after a long pause, stepping to the side of the door to allow the pair inside. She took the berries and set them on a counter not far from the front door, the house was nearly spotless, likely stress cleaning, but there didn't appear to be other gifts inside. Gifts of food were usually reserved for mourning, and nobody was willing to accept it was a situation of mourning just yet. "Itosugi-san." Suzuko finally said as the door was closed behind them, and they were offered cushions on the floor. "Ebisu-sama requested the help of samurai in the search and rescue of..." She almost said 'the missing pets' but stopped herself in time to make it more relevant. "Your missing child."

She was silent for a long time, but finally stood up and went to the kitchen, the sound of a kettle steaming causing her to enter into the motions one usually did when dying on the inside. "Ebisu is sweet." She said in the tone of someone that knew them as a politician, not a person. "I've looked... everywhere I can... The townsfolk have been helpful to, but..." She tilted her head back, holding tears in, willing them to not fall free from her eyes. "Oboke has been gone for almost a week."

Suzuko nodded, the woman continued to go about the habit of preparing tea, thoughtful enough to make a cup for her guests as well, setting them down on a small wooden tray. "You have my empathy." Suzuko responded, not giving that time to sink in before continuing. "But we hope to bring him back as swiftly and safely as possible. Myself and Hitoke-san here are... Expert trackers." She lied, wringing her hands together in her lap, not touching her cup of tea as a bead of sweat rolled down her face. She wasn't sure why she'd lied. Maybe it was to provide some sense of comfort? Some way to build trust? It felt like the right thing to do at the time, it probably sounded better than the truth of: "We're a couple of idiot kids who are in way over our heads."

The woman responded by bowing deeply, her hands placed on the floor and her forehead very nearly scraping it as well. "The Empire has my thanks!" She said with the kind of fervor only someone all out of options could muster. That made Suzuko feel better at least, to give her some kind of hope. "Please, please, no need for that!" She said nervously, looking to Ibuku for some kind of support. "We were just hoping you could tell us anything about him, his disappearance, where he spent time...?"

[FluffyGinja]

Ibuku wasn't the best with people, even if he had been kind moments before. There was this strange disconnect he always felt, even before he was a host of the spirit within him. He couldn't hide it to himself though, there was this slight jealous pang in his body from what he was witnessing. A parent who missed their child dearly. A home, warm and welcoming when it wasn't likely used to mourn. He had to physically bite onto his tongue to get himself back in the moment of what was happening and take a few notes of what was being said, the tone of it, and of a few of her actions. When he had sat down on the cushion, Suzuko could notice how he sat. It was more as a common person might, maybe even one not normally used to sitting on a cushion. He did fidget a few times until he got a spot that was comfortable and he did his best to match Suzuko's... ability to interact with people.

"Fukazawa-san is correct, I've been practicing tracking since I was young... I used to go after my younger brothers and sisters a lot and I... I think I have an idea... But the information you give will help make it clear." He was giving a nod, his voice always giving off an air of quietness thanks to it's particular tone. He was looking towards Suzuko for a brief moment and gave her a nod of assurance. He did have an idea, based on what he got from other people but he wasn't sure yet and the map she possessed along with the information they both get will allow them to hopefully get the right picture.

As he sat there, he reached over for the cup of tea and took a sip. There was something about the warmth combined with the atmosphere. He felt he had almost done this before. Sat in a small room, staring at the wall, unable to feel anything at all. The world drained of color... He understood her and he wished he didn't. It wasn't a kind sensation. Suzuko might noticed the grip he had on the cup tighten for a moment before it relaxed and he took another sip and breathed in a brief sigh. His mouth opened as if he wanted to speak up again but he stopped himself, having lost what he wanted to say somewhere between his thoughts and his actions.

[Nick]

Suzuko saw Ibuku's struggle, but nodded her thanks regardless, glad that he was doing what he could to help in this awfully awkward situation. She'd only met the antlered boy a couple hours ago, and so couldn't claim to understand how his mind worked, but she could feel the thread coming off of him and his emotions were an odd mixed bag. In some ways she wished he'd taken more control of the conversation so she had time to play with the thread and piece apart the strands that made it a rope, but she had to focus on the task at hand. With the short break provided by Ibuku, she was able to take a breath and maintain some of her composure.

"Oboke is a good boy..." The woman they were sat across said, looking over at a framed picture on the wall of her, her son, and presumably her husband smiling for the camera. Suzuko looked over at it as well, and some of Ibuku's jealousy seeped into her pores, and she felt the sting of her own familial situation settle on her, and that sting traveled across her body until it hit the back of her eyes, and her mouth quivered a bit, but her eyes didn't water yet. "Always so bright, learning how to do things all the time... He'd spent so much time learning how to do woodcarving like his father... He's been doing so well at the academy lately too." The heiress bit the inside of her cheek. Just a couple short years ago, this report could have been about her.

"Sorry, this probably isn't helpful..."
"Anything might matter!" Suzuko tried to reassure her, stuck between being awkward and trying not to upset her further. "Where was he when you saw him last...?"
"Of course, he... Well, he often went to the park just a few blocks down after his lessons to play with his friends before coming home... He didn't... Come home..." The woman took a deep breath before continuing. "We searched the entire park, we asked his friends, but they all said they thought he'd just gone home early that day. We searched, and searched, and waited, but nothing..."

Suzuko nodded slowly reaching into her backpack to pull out the brass map she'd been carrying around, settling it awkwardly on the table next to the teapot to avoid breaking anything. "Is this the park?" She asked, pointing at one, as stated, not too far away from their current location. The woman nodded, and gestured to a few other spots, such as the academy, and the apartments they currently resided in. "Besides visiting his friends' houses, he never really wandered anywhere else regularly... Sorry if this wasn't the most helpful..."
"No, ma'am, we have a place to start, that should be all we need. We'll let you know as soon as we know more." Suzuko replied professionally, picking the map back up and stuffing it back into her backpack, before taking a sip of her tea to be polite, before standing.

"We should get going as soon as possible, but please..." Suzuko pulled out a scrap of paper and pen, writing down a series of numbers that would be the easiest way to connect to her via the empire's radio system. "Give any messages to the local office, and they can contact me with this." She said, passing it off to the woman who accepted it graciously with both hands. "Ibuku and I will do everything in our power to bring him back safely." She bowed deeply, before leaving to walk out the door, unless Ibuku was to stop her for any reason.

Once more, Suzuko stepped through a threshold, shut the door after both of them were out, and muttered under her breath. "What the fuuuuuuuuuuck..."

[FluffyGinja]

Ibuku didn't have much more to say afterwards, more watching the conversation and taking a few quick mental notes and occasionally sipping at the provided tea, almost on an automatic function for him. 'Shes better at this than she thinks...' He was thinking to himself right up until he saw Suzuko stand up and he paused briefly, before standing up. "There is a new, small bush near the park... Right out in the open. The berries came from it... It should bloom a little more often than others and produce more. Hopefully it can be helpful in its own way." He couldn't help himself, he wanted to make sure someone knew about the new plant there. It was practically compulsion this time around and he quietly left the abode afterwards without realizing how awkward he might have sounded. As he was walking up beside Suzuko, he was taking a few steps away from the home and he took a moment to breathe in the air through his nose. "She... seems like a good mom..."

As he looked around the village they were in, he was tapping at his own leg in a slight rhythm, thinking on what exactly their lead even was now. "I... wonder if they... are all close by. There would be a lot more to go on if they had left a gate. Someone might have noticed a child at the least or even a larger pet but... it almost seems like no one has seen anything other than the lack of their missing loved ones." Ibuku was pacing back and forth in a steady pattern as he let one of his hands shake back and forth rapidly, a strange habit he had picked up as it helped him think, the rhythm and the movement forcing his thoughts to focus easier. "Could they still be in the town? An abandoned house, a... Wait... Wait wait wait, you said there were sewers here, what if... I... They might... Mmm... No no... Fuck." He was muttering a lot very quickly but he was mostly coherent as he went over to Suzuko, the first time that she heard him swear which might have made him seem a little more natural than his otherwise boring sounding voice.

"Your thoughts?" He was looking at her as if she might know more or at least be willing to bounce the idea around that he was muttering about.

[TyDie]

"We should... Split up and ask around?"

Suzuko had given the idea of covering more ground individually, and Emi nodded in response to her proposition. "Good idea. We can all meet up somewhere later, I'm sure our paths will intersect at some point if we follow different trails of bread crumbs." The girl uncrossed her arms from in front of her, letting them relax by her sides as she let out a small sigh. "I'll head this way" Emi stated simply, not waiting for the others to make their decisions as she sped off down a small alleyway. Using the map that she had memorized at a glance, Emi navigated her way through the streets of the city as if it had been her lifelong home. As she made her way through the back alleys and side streets however, she still took the time to glance around and take notice of things, making sure to take the visuals of her surroundings and apply them to the map in her mind, building a more robust idea of the town in her mind.

One of the things she took special note of as she did this was the large metal discs in the middle of the roads and streets. Manhole covers - An interesting concept considering Suna didn't have much in the way of a sewer system. Her path lead her to the park where the young boy had gone missing - While there were still kids here at play, it seemed rather sparse, and the parents were paying much closer attention to the whereabouts of their children. It always takes a tragedy to get people to be more careful... Tragic that people are always so reactive instead of being more proactive about the safety of themselves and their tribes.

She asked around a bit, learned about the mother's whereabouts, and started to put two and two together. As she made her way to the mother's location however, she found that her comrades had beat her to it, herself arriving just in time to hear Ibuku mention the sewers. "My thoughts are 'you're on to something Ibuku'." The young Henrin stated, approaching the two with her arms crossed.

"Glad to see I was right, we both found our way to the missing child's house. And my path brought me to the same conclusion that yours did Ibuku. Suzuko, mind if I see that map?" Emi would wait for the girl to produce the map, and once it was in hand, she'd take out a small piece of chalk to mark on the map real fast. First, she made a few small circles on the map in various locations "These are the rough areas where the pets, and child, were reported to have been when they went missing." Emi waited for her comrades to acknowledge what she was explaining for continuing, making small "X" marks at various points on the map. Each "X" was either close or even within the small circles she had just marked. "And these 'X'es are manhole covers that I passed by while making my way through the town. Notice that the manhole covers are either close by or within the circles that denote the areas where everyone went missing? I repeat, You're on to something Ibuku - I think there's something in the sewers."

[Nick]

Suzuko already wanted to vomit. Her mind once again flashed to wanting to give up, request backup from an adult, and never hear anything about this mission again. She was reminded of the 'missions' she'd done as the earliest rank of samurai, and they were nothing like any of this, and when she'd heard that this mission was just missing pets, she thought it would be the same kind of community service with a happy ending that nobody had to worry about. Deeper and deeper it sunk into her gut until it threatened to bounce back out like a rubberband stretched to the end of its life. She swallowed her 'what the fuck' down hard in hopes that it might melt the rubber and prevent it from snapping.

Thankfully, she didn't have to respond to Ibuku, as they were interrupted by the third member of their party returning. She was happy to voicelessly hand over the map, pulling it free from her backpack and holding it up for Emi to mark, staring at it from above hawkishly. "The other side of the park has the drainage out to the collection fields for fertilizer..." She said, adding to the conversation in her own limited way while threatening to cover her two companions in this morning's breakfast of fish and rice. The heiress continued to hold it down, though, for now.

"As much as I really don't want to investigate the sewers, I think Henrin-san is right." She said to herself as much as anyone else. Her own thoughts were starting to converge on the same point, as she reached an arm over the top of the map and traced from one "x" to the next. "The skies are clear today, we should go now. The sewer system also redirects the rainwater to prevent flooding and anything in there likely wont last that long if it rains while it's down there." A nod, also more to herself than anyone else. "It's probably best if we start from the end of the line at the collection facility... I've got a lantern in my pack, we should probably stop and pick up light for you two, as well."

She thought for a minute, before putting the map back in her pack. "On second thought, I'll get lights for you two and meet you there, you should be able to cross over right through the park." She said, confidently, smiling pleasantly, and not waiting for any objections, before suddenly running off and around the corner of the building. Once she was secure that she was far enough away from the other two, she bent over at the waist and vomited freely, a thick ichorous bile that burned as if it had been churning all day. Fukurou-kun unwound a single stick arm and reached into his mouth to hand her a kerchief, for which she thanked him and wiped her mouth.

Slowly, with tears in her eyes from the sting of the bile, she turned her gaze to the sky, wiped her eyes with her sleeve, and handed the kerchief back, before wordlessly wandering off to the closest general store where she might find lights for her two companions, before meeting them at the agreed upon location.