[Closed Mission] You're on Loan

[Willoria]

Fukusha Reina went over the scroll in silence, it was definitely something of importance and right up her alley but she was missing a key bit of information. She needed bait. Going over the scroll again she wrinkled up her nose in frustration as she tried to think of just how to do things right. And so an idea came to her. Tucking the mission scroll away Reina took off at a run, out of her clan compound and further into the village proper to find who she needed. She raced across rooftops and couldn't help a wicked grin as she saw him coming out of a restaurant.

As little as she knew about him, she could tell with a glance he'd be stronger than her, but she needed to both get his attention and get him off guard in an instant, and one move always did that for any man.

She skidded off the roof's edge and landed right in front of him, wasting no time as her hand slipped into the hem of his pants. Her other hand gripped the front of his shirt as she shoved him into the wall, knowing the grip of her other hand would convince him to go with her. "I'm borrowing you." she said under her breath as she turned with him quickly and pulled him into the alley and out of sight.

[Izanagi]

Day after day passed. Before he knew it, there had been 2 weeks of freedom. And yet his anxiety had never been worse. Every hour, every interaction he felt like others might see through him, that he might be punished and returned to the cave where Kotaru had kept him for months. But he was learning, diligently studying the ways of Iwagakure, the types of things he should know as a Chunin of the village. Yozei had always been gifted, but now renewed under the identity of Haziwara Youji, he wasn’t sure what his place would be. He had to hide his talents in order to blend in, and yet he was expected to advance and live up to his potential. That was what Kotaru had pushed him so hard to accomplish. It was the only purpose he had left, to earn Kotaru’s praise.

Still thin with a dark sunken gaze, the 25-year-old Chunin seemed more a traumatized veteran than any kind of powerful fighter. He avoided eye contact with others and his fingers twitched idly from time to time, and each time he turned a corner he glanced over his shoulder to see if he was being followed. Over the years his use of Skitter step had taken a toll and with so much new sensory stimulation he often found himself feeling overwhelmed. Even simple tasks like being awarded the luxury of going out to dinner felt like a trial. He had to remind himself of the confidence he once had, there would be times where he would need it in service of Iwagakure.

It was as he was reflecting on his day and his interactions while exiting a restaurant, that suddenly he caught a flicker of motion in the corner of his eye. His instinct urged him to react at his full speed, his fist flickered, a blur as he leveled it to strike out. His head dipped and tilted, looking to the direction of the approaching figure. An Iwagakure shinobi, he perceived in a fraction of a second. His body tensed and froze and then he forced himself to move slowly, 10 speed as he began to pivot, only to be completely and genuinely stunned by the woman’s next actions.

Her hand grasped somewhere entirely unexpected, and the man froze, now involuntarily as he found his fate in her hands. The strange woman forced him back into an ally, slamming him against a wall. Youji’s heart raced as he attempted to understand what was going on and for the life of him he couldn’t rationalize anything that made any semblance of sense. “What the…” he gasped dumbly, his eyes naturally avoiding hers, and instead noticing her dark hair and the patterns etched in ink creeping up the nape of her neck and so too along the plunge of her collarbone. The man felt a blush rise to his face as he realized how stunning the woman was, even her scent smelled heavenly. But it had been half a year or more since he had even kissed a woman let alone more.

A thought crossed his mind. An impossible thought, summoned from the deepest depths of his heart. He was reminded at once of the last dark-haired, tattooed woman to touch him in such a way. “Su..zume?” he uttered in disbelief. And at once he gained the courage to look the woman in the eyes, praying he would see those beautiful yellow eyes one more time. His heart sank when they fell upon dark Iwagakure brown. ‘Right. She’s dead’ he reminded himself. She had to be. Or worse, she lived but had truly forgone him from her life. He still wore her bracelet, a simple trinket he had bought her once years ago. His own he had cast aside for it no longer belonged to him, Natsuki Yozei too was dead. But Suzume’s memory was one not so easily forgotten or cast aside. Averting his gaze once more the man stared blankly ahead. He was uncomfortable certainly, still flustered but also detached from the scenario. His body was responding but his mind was far away.

[Willoria]

Even the overly-serious Reina couldn't help a smirk at his reaction of shock. It was expected, but also amusing. Though her head tilted slightly and her smirk faltered at the name stammered from his lips. She didn't know it, but it wasn't hard to see the name was spoken in some form of memory. When his pale blue eyes met her gaze she searched the gaze and quickly dropped both of her grips on the man, one hand patting him on the chest gently. It was a touch of apology, and almost pity. "Easy." she told him quietly. "Sorry for being so personal so quickly... I needed your attention... and you seem perfect to help me with something..." she added quickly.

Her smirk quickly returned though the mirth didn't reach her eyes this time as she drew the scroll back out of a pocket and offered it to him to read.

The scrolls markings made it clear it was a mission scroll, low in rank technically. "You're Youji." she stated his name as if it were fact. "I've heard a couple rumors, and honestly I don't care what's true and what isn't... I need you to play the bait for me for this guy." She chewed on her lip for a moment and looked over Youji from head to foot as she finally got a good look at him.

"I'm Fukusha Reina by the way." she said, finally introducing herself, her gaze shifting to something a bit more wary, wondering if he would be as suspicious of her name as she had seen others be of the Fukusha Clan since their arrival to the village.

[Izanagi]

The man deflated suddenly, his fight or flight response diminishing as he was released. If she wanted to harm him she would have done so already. So whatever she wanted, all he had to do was listen to find out. His brow twitched as she explained she needed his help. He recalled other scenarios where women had ambushed him, seeking to gain his favor. “I’m not looking for that kind of…” he started, raising his hands defensively, palms open. If she wanted to rob him or get a easy payday for special services he wasn’t interested.

But then as she reached for a mission scroll he realized he had been mistaken and promptly stopped himself from saying anything more. His focus began to return. It was his duty to serve Iwagakure. Youji lowered his hands to his sides, standing at attention. “Sorry, I didn’t realize…” he began, shaking his head to clear his mind of any other thoughts. Inhaling sharply his pale eyes shone with conviction and strength. His body tensed further at the mention of rumors. He hadn’t expected anyone to know of him already. Kotaru was a private man who kept Youji as a special interest, kept under close supervision. The official story should anyone ask was that Youji was a talented apprentice Kotaru had come across, born in a tribe outside the village. He had been quietly promoted to Chunin after a period of training. But there were few who were worthy of giving such a cover story to. Surely, that meant this woman was at least a Jounin and had a knack for gaining intel.

The former Prince read through the mundane scroll. Simple and to the point. “Alright. I’m listening” he stated simply. He didn’t mind being the bait. Even if he was captured, nobody could compare to what Kotaru had done to him. Still, he would rather burn enemies of Iwagakure than give them even a moment of satisfaction. His head tilted slightly as the woman introduced herself and for a second time reminded him of someone he once knew. This memory was not nearly so poignant, and in fact, it brought a sense of rejection. His memories of his time ruling as a Prince of Fire country were tainted, bringing feelings of regret and shame. He had been so naïve then, thought himself so benevolent righteous. It made him sick. Gritting his teeth the man nodded curtly. The other name, Fuskusha, meant little to him. He thought he had heard it before, knew they were somewhat important in Iwagakure but couldn’t recall exactly why. “A pleasure” he said tersely. “Should we get off the streets?” he suggested, glancing toward the various shadows that danced along the alleyway. He didn’t like being out here when there was a mission to prepare for. There were more detailed plans to discuss, best reserved for behind closed doors.

[Willoria]

In truth there wasn't much actual meat to the rumors that Reina had heard about Youji. They were all over the place, but someone appearing from seemingly nowhere, getting practically adopted by a well known Bannin with a demeanor like Kotaru's, well that was bound to happen. She had no idea what was truth and what was fantasy, and she quite assumed most of it was fantasy. But for what she had in mind, that was exactly what she needed. She made note of every reaction in the man, in his body language and his facial features both. The information was filed away in her mind to be deciphered at a later date and as he suggested moving further into the alley the woman nodded and quickly led the way.

Once they were further into the alley and away from prying eyes and ears, she plopped onto a waiting crate and sat down. She pulled one leg up on the crate with her, foot flat on the top and arm draped over her knee. "So I don't much care about rumors really, until they became useful." she admitted to him quickly. "To put it simply, you're a mystery, an enigma that came out of nowhere... and I need to draw out a possible spy and traitor." she explained, looking at Youji for a moment.

A smirk started to play at her lips again as she stared at him from within her hood. "I think if I put you in the right place... he just might be dumb enough to approach. Do you think you can bait him into saying something stupid?"

[Izanagi]

Youji cautiously followed the strange woman further into the alleyway. It wasn't exactly what he had in mind but he supposed it seemed secluded enough. Still, he found himself frequently glancing over his shoulders, on high alert toward even the slightest sounds or shift in light.

He listened to the woman's words without ever looking directly at her. Reina's explanation was vague and did little to ease the man's mind or prepare him for what to expect. But he supposed that might be how it went in Iwagakure. He was only a Chunin after all, whatever information he was given was likely going to be restricted to only the role he was meant to play. "I assume you out-rank me then. Jounin?" He confirmed, glancing in her direction to verify her statement. He could often tell when someone was lying simply by their body language and microexpressions.

But he felt certain this was a genuine mission, the scroll was authentic from what he could tell. Therefore it was his duty to comply. "I will do my part. But I need to know more about the suspect if I'm going to be able to coerce him into saying something incriminating" he considered. "If we cant get him to slip up when his guard is down then what is the play? Capture and interrogate or follow him and see if he leads us to others?" Youji considered. Typically it was best to go undercover for long periods of time and infiltrate spy rings to the highest level possible. It seemed risky to potentially tip this man off by probing for information too brazenly.

[Willoria]

Reina sat fairly still once on the crate, her head didn't move to keep an eye on the alley around them. In fact her gaze seemed fixed forward though she was watching around them out of the corners of her eyes, her gaze almost fixed on the wall across from her. As Youji asked her about her rank her gaze shifted slightly to him and she gave a curt nod before returning her eyes to the wall. "The target is a very simple young man." she began her explanation with almost a shrug though her gaze still didn't move.

However her head tilted slightly as she thought about how to explain things. "He works at a popular restaurant many shinobi visit, a perfectly place to simply listen in to random conversations and gain intel. The place has a bar too, perfect for gathering even more information late at night from loose, drunken lips. He's a liability." she sighed heavily and paused as her eyes narrowed slightly. Someone had paused at the end of the alley and she fell silent for a second, but as the person moved on innocently, so too did she continue speaking.

"Whatever he already knows cannot be passed on. And we have to assume he will hold under standard interrogation methods, this is a simple mission. Confirm he's spying, maybe coax him into comfort enough to confirm who he is spying for, and then end him." She finally turned her head to look at Youji. "I just want you to see if you can loosen his lips, I'll keep an ear out, and I'll take his life when appropriate... are you up for it?"

[Izanagi]

Youji listened intently as he was given more information about their target. He sighed in relief, this seemed like it might be easier than he anticipated. If it was only a civilian bartender then the threat would be minimal. He had learned that in Iwagakure even civilians had to graduate the academy and served as Genin for a time. So he almost certainly would have some minimal training at the least, but such a low level of experience and skill was nothing to a man of Youji’s talent. He nodded at the explanation, it made perfect sense and now the plan was coming together. Have a few drinks, make himself seem like he had some secrets and get the man to slip up. Reina had done well. There were few people with more military secrets than Youji, but his mostly pertained to Konoha, not Iwa. It would be a delicate balance to not accidentally reveal his true identity. One way or another this informant would need to be dealt with. Killing him would be easy but learning who he was informing for would be the tricky part. He wasn’t quite sure he could get such a monumental confession without torture, but he would make his best effort. “Got it. I’ll do what I can” he affirmed.

Taking a deep breath, the man focused on relaxing himself. He would have to play his part and he would need to rely on the confidence and charisma of his previous life. It was a gamble, but he realized that the best way to draw positive attention to himself was to act more like his old self. Looking the woman in the eyes finally, the man forced himself to smile. “Alright then, lead the way” he said in a much more lively tone, gesturing back toward the streets. “This will be my first mission in a while” he mused, attempting to brush up on his conversational skills by getting a dialogue going. “I’m fortunate I have someone capable watching my back” he smirked, but the playfulness never reached his eyes. He still felt hollow, a shell of himself but he was actively trying to remember how to talk to people beyond begging for food and decency.

[Willoria]

Reina nodded as Youji suggested she lead the way, though she snorted a laugh as he tried to start a conversation with her. Though not one of her strong suits, she could at least recognize the attempt. "One of the reasons I need your help is that social skills are not... my strong suit." she remarked, shrugging idly. "I grabbed you off the street because I know there are a lot of questions about you roaming the rumor mill, makes you a curiosity this man might not be able to resist... good to know it sounds like you might be social too."

Her voice, though it had a light enough air to it for inflection, the more she spoke made it clear it was almost monotone. There was just enough inflection most was simply describe it as 'almost dead' instead. As if any subject simply didn't matter enough to her. "I brought you into this so I'll keep you safe, it's part of my job in this mission." she added. "You do your part, and I'll do mine... I do not tolerate failure however." she added.

[Izanagi]

The gaunt looking man huffed in amusement, “I can see that” he smirked and a flicker of light returned to his pale blue eyes. “Not exactly a proper way to introduce yourself” he teased. He recalled now that he had a bodyguard before whose name was Reina who had insisted on breaking down his formal demeanor in favor of crudeness. There was a moment of nostalgia as he remembered his former life as a Prince. How times had changed. “I’m not as social as I used to be, but I think I can remember how it all goes” he said, exhaling slowly as he considered his lessons as a child. It was simply a matter of projecting confidence and wearing a shell of politeness, hiding one’s true feelings and motivations. Simple enough really. It might even be a welcome distraction to be someone else again.

In contrast to Reina’s monotone voice, Youji’s expressions and tone gradually became lighter and more relaxed the longer they spoke. “I appreciate your consideration” he said with a smile. “I’ll keep you safe too. We are a team after all. At least for this mission” in this he sounded genuine. Truthfully it felt good to get back in the field and have someone to watch his back again He had missed the comradery of the hidden leaf village and was eager to replace it with new allies in Iwagakure. Even if Kotaru told him to rely only on his own strength, he couldn’t help but yearn for allies he could trust. “Let’s not fail then. But first, I think I’ll need a change of clothes” he considered. Currently he was wearing only a brown cloak and an equally drab tunic and pants. If he were to feel more outgoing and confident again he would have to clean up a little and look the part. He hadn’t even shaved in the last few days and certainly didn’t look like the kind of person a stranger would find trustworthy. More likely he seemed like someone who might shake one down for their wallet and valuables.

[Willoria]

In a rare show, Reina's eyes sparkled briefly as the man teased her for the way she introduced herself and she smirked back at him. Given the darkness of her eyes it was almost like a shimmer of stars across the void for a brief moment in time before the emotion fled away once more and her gaze was directed forward again. She simply nodded as he spoke of remembering how to be social and tried not to grimace. 'You better, this depends upon it...' She kept the thought to herself however.

Though as he spoke of keeping her safe as well, a look of confusion crossed her face briefly, and just as quickly it was gone. A thought quickly stuffed away to be processed later. There was a mission at hand, errant thoughts would have to be dealt with at a safer time, not allowed to distract from the task at hand. And focusing on the task at hand was a strong suit of Reina's. It wouldn't be hard to turn her thoughts forward as Youji mentioned needing a change and she turned her eyes on him again, looking him over before nodding in agreement. "Lead the way then." she told him simply, assuming he had something in mind, or at the least, a suggestion.

[Izanagi]

With few words exchanged Youji lead the way to Kotaru’s estate. The Akari’s home was quite lavish and beautiful, and it received few visitors. Certainly, Youji had never invited anyone back before, and he felt a sense of trepidation wondering if he might incite his master’s temper. Fortunately, he knew that the Bannin would be away for the day, but word tended to get back to him eventually and the handful of staff that was ever stationed would surely report the visit. “Just, uh. Try not to touch anything. Kotaru can be rather particular” he warned as they entered the premises, receiving some wary looks from some of the gardeners and the man stationed at the gates.

Truthfully, even the lavish estate felt rather cozy compared to the palaces Youji had lived in. But here he was little better than a prisoner, an honoured guest by name but under constant supervision. “I won’t be long” he stated as he led the woman into the guest room. One of the kitchen staff would bring in some tea and light refreshments. Youji thanked the server, dipping his head before departing the room. Soon after the sounds of a shower against a stone floor could be heard. As promised, he wouldn’t be more than about 20, perhaps 30 minutes. When he did emerge, the man was clean-shaved and adorned in a pristine, fitted tunic, black with gold trim and matching pants. His medium-length hair had been combed out, the ruddy hue betraying hints of lighter tones concealed beneath. Holding a hand over his head he controlled a plume of flames, drying his hair and ruffling it into a messier state with his free hand. “That’s a little better” he assessed, catching a glimpse of his reflection in the window. His figure was lean, eyes pale blue and flickering with only a hint of liveliness. But he was beginning to recognize himself again. He wasn’t sure if Kotaru would like that, but he had encouraged him to meet a woman and get out of his shell. Perhaps a mission wasn’t exactly what the Bannin had intended, but then again it was possible this was all his idea. “So, where are we off to” the handsome young man asked as he reached for a strawberry-filled Daifuku. As he took a bite he was flooded by a sudden memory, one of his Harukatsu cousins had been particularly fond of such a treat. The strawberries procured in Iwa were far from the quality of those of Fire country, but still it was a pleasant surprise.