Business as usual [Closed]

Legacy
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Business as usual [Closed]

Post by Legacy » Fri Jul 06, 2018 10:29 pm

The Konoholic. For many in the village, the Konoholic was a lot of things; a safe haven, sanctuary, a job, a headache and...other things. For Gene though, the place may as well have been a part of his history. Since the day he'd first been eligible to work he'd come down to the establishment faithfully both as a patron and as a worker learning what it was like on both sides of the field; if he were being honest, he loved being a customer a hell of a lot more than working there but he'd never admit it openly. As far as he'd been concerned there were worse places... And worse jobs.


Gene took a certain sense of satisfaction from draining down the ice cold water formerly contained in a tall clear glass over four smoking cold cubes of Ice. On a day like today where the humidity had made even the toughest of them shift in their seats the Jounin welcomed a distraction from the heat, downing glass after glass while his body thanked him. Staying cool was truly not an easy task, especially in such a crowded place. Still, he had his reasons for being there. Although many of the patrons were retired Shinobi longing to drink themselves mad well into the wee hours of the night there were many active duty ninja like himself who frequented Konoholic. Some of them seemed like viable candidates for his unit while others....well, not so much.

Just a little over a month in the past he happened across a ninja who could phase in and out of the ground. Since then quite a bit had changed but Gene still wondered if he'd run into the mysterious ninja again if he continued to frequent the place. There was nothing in particular he wanted to say to the person nor was there anything that he believed the stranger could have offered him but as a man, Gene wanted to buy the guy a drink for saving all those lives. For saving his life. Cuing over a waiter Gene filled up his glass with water for the third time and took a small sip before placing the cup gently on the wooden surface;"No break ins tonight," Gene smiled though never parted his lips. "I wonder what Masami's up to...probably sleeping at this hour." He felt the urge to sigh but didn't, instead taking another eventual sip from his glass of water.
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Toshi Kaibo
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Business as usual [Closed]

Post by Toshi Kaibo » Fri Jul 06, 2018 11:12 pm

The sound of a door opening and closing was no match for the bustling noise of the Konoholic in full swing, and the staccato of the open and shut portal to the outside dissipated quickly into the mass tables packed with happy patrons chatting away and various people/wait staff traveling from table to bar and back. The scene was quite a lot to take in. Yes, it was always this noisy and full, but it was somewhere Toshi could go to disappear for a while, and there weren't a lot of places for that. The chuunin stood over six feet tall and even without any of his gear or trademark shield he was a large figure, with broad shoulders and a muscular physique.

Gd'damn, its just about as warm in here as it is outside. Toshi realized. He plucked at the neckline of the dark green T-shirt he was wearing, pulling it in and out to waft some air down his chest as he spied an open seat right at the bar and began to head over. He was off duty, and about to beat the heat with a actually cold glass of beer. The marvels of the ninja village still amazed him sometimes, having spent most of his developmental years in a small, 'normal' town before coming to Konoha. Usually just the little things, like the quality of clothes or the way they had simple switches for lights instead of having to light a candle. But the ability to pour an ice cold beer on demand on a hot day was something he would never take for granted.

The large man finished making his way through the crowd, with a few short acknowledgements to those he passed that he recognized, but didn't know well enough to want to join at the moment, and eased himself onto the barstool, which begrudgingly held his weight. After catching the bartenders eye from halfway down the bar, he held up his pointer and mouthed "one beer", though he was pretty sure they knew enough about him to bring that anyway. He wasn't a lush by any means, usually one beer, some good conversation, and maybe join in on any arm wrestling, cards, or good natured banter, but he was in maybe 2-3 times a week when actually in the village, so he had gotten to know the staff a bit. After ordering, he swiveled to face out to the room, taking in more of the faces and activities, leaving one elbow still on the bar and leaning back against it until his order came.
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Business as usual [Closed]

Post by Legacy » Sat Jul 07, 2018 8:02 am

Even from where he sat near the far side of the establishment Gene couldn't miss the behemoth of a man awkwardly making his way through the crowd. New face, thought the silver haired Jounin almost dismissively. Taller and much bulkier than himself, the man almost looked out of place among the mass of inebriated bodies pushing and pulling each other to the sound of music; only when the man sat down at the bar did he appear to be around the same height as the others who were standing and even then, his stature had forced quite a few people to move against their will. For some reason Gene couldn't rid himself of an idea that might have lost him favor anywhere else, any other time of day. For no other reason than because he could the Jounin decided to put this power house to the test; not physically, no. But mentally.

Without so much as leaving his seat he discreetly formed a few hand seals and brought into existence another perfect replica of himself. Of course no one had paid him any mind because they'd been well into their seventh or eighth tall glass of alcohol by now and no one thought to question when the replica took on the appearance of a woman but many of the drunkards begun to notice "Her", a petite and freckled faced red head with green eyes and a sand colored sun dress, walking over to where the tall man sat. Being the calculated person that he was, Gene believed that this person may have potentially been a good fit for Anbu however - if he'd been prone to lapses of clear judgement even when off duty then that idea would begin and end here in the Konoholic.

Few people actually knew where Gene could be found at home despite a record being kept of his residence. He didn't welcomed random drop-by visits or things of that nature but there were some in his immediate circle of associates who did and did so without questioning what exactly that meant. So the goal of this "Freckled faced beaut" was very simple, Get the man to disclose his name, rank, specialties and place of living. If he could manage all of these things on the first encounter then Gene would know that the man could not be trusted to hold such secrets as valuable as what the ANBU did close to his heart. Watching from the darkness of the dimly lit room the Jounin counted down until the transformed clone had been close enough to talk to the man. "3...2...1"


"Drinking alone?" The woman asked curiously, taking a seat next to Toshi.
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Business as usual [Closed]

Post by Toshi Kaibo » Sat Jul 07, 2018 6:26 pm

Facing out toward the rest of the room, the large man saw the petite girl when she approached closly, and was about to nod a hello when she spoke first. Her thin frame slid effortlessly on the seat, facing the bar as she addressed him, not bothered by the slightly extra room Toshi took up. He wasn't familiar with her, but then again, one would be hard pressed to know all the people that passed through the establishment on a regular basis, so that wasn't unusual.

He merely turned his head, keeping his facing, and shot her a smirk. "Hardly, on neither count. Impossible 'ta be alone in here." He nodded a chin to the busy room. "And no drinks arrived yet" Toshi shifted his eyes to the empty bar surface he sat against just in time to find a frothy cold mug of beer being set on a napkin. "uhhh.... well okay.... I guess one for two then." He admittedly sheepishly while turning to face the bar, digging the ryo out of his pocket to pay for the drink. He handed it over as he took his first sip, and involuntary "ahh" escaping his lips.

"Yerself? Ya aint looking for the seat for someone, are ya? Sorry, but I just took root myself." He said matter of fact. It wasn't a defensive statement or an accusation, merely a matter of fact - a Toshi in rest tends to stay in rest until acted on by an outside force, and for a tired and hot Toshi after a hard day with a cold beer in front of him, that added up to a heck of a force.
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Business as usual [Closed]

Post by Legacy » Sun Jul 08, 2018 10:21 am

A feigned smile here, gesture there. By now Gene had employed this tactic of misdirection and interrogation so many times that the irony of probing a comrade had been lost on him. Sure these methods were probably frowned upon in some moral view point but the ANBU didn't protect the village by entertaining a weak heart; "Not at all," the woman responded in an even tone just barely above the noise. For no other reason than because it served a purpose, Gene's transformed Shadow clone directed attention toward the stranger's headband. "So you're a ninja? I haven't seen many folk wear their headbands as a belt. You must be a Jounin," and now to wait for the man to verify. In one way or another they always did. It was just a matter of knowing what to look and listen for and when.

Clearly, the petite woman that the stranger mistook for just a passerby had been interested in the man's ninja career and considering the place and time of day there would have been nothing outwardly suspicious about it. After all, a civilian would always be inquisitive when it came to the lives of soldiers. Instead of Alcohol, the woman ordered a glass of water but made sure that the contents could not be observed from the outside (the cup wasn't transparent but brown in color). This occurred in the moment where the stranger's eyes had left the woman briefly and while "she" would not attempt to hide the glass itself - the contents inside would remain a mystery.

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Post by Toshi Kaibo » Sun Jul 08, 2018 2:46 pm

There could be worse things than attention from a pretty lady in these circumstances. Toshi took another swig from his mug as the inquisitive woman spoke in soft tones. At her question, he glanced down at his belt and Leaf Insignia.

"Hmmm? Seems 'ta me its more all the genin these days thinking up hip places to wear it, but thats more age than rank. I just wear it on my belt cuz it fits better. They only make one size, and it'd look a bit small up here." He looked up and made a exaggeratedly small circle with his thumb and forefinger and put it against his large forehead, where the protector might go. He noticed that in the time he looked down, she had a drink of her own. Figures, ladies do always get served fast. Has 'ta be the first rule of bartending, he reckoned.

He scanned her quickly but didn't see a headband. "I wouldn't place any money on judging a ninja's rank by their appearance. After all, we are" He took the the hand that had recently been on his forehand and waved it in front of his face, fingers splayed, in a magician-like gesture, and sported a huge grin as if sharing an inside joke. "Masters of disguise. Why, for all you know, I'm the Kage come here in-cog-nito to investigate the goings-on of the village." He gave a wink and turned to take another drink from his glass.

"What about yourself? You've got me at the disadvantage now, knowing all about what I do and me knowing nunna your business." He inquired, looking over at the freckled face again.
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Business as usual [Closed]

Post by Legacy » Sun Jul 08, 2018 3:02 pm

The woman nodded and was silent for a moment as if pondering over something important. Toshi's quip about being the Hokage however, snapped her right out of the daze. Apparently, the man didn't know about how public Takeo, the Hokage of the village, was in his dealings concerning the land. Only those who lived under a rock would have mistaken the lad for the head honcho and even then, Gene knew the man personally. Your pitch needs a hell of a lot more work buddy. Ironically enough, Gene had also at one point impersonated the Hokage for...reasons. It was tough not chuckling at the situation at hand but well disciplined and intent driven, the Specialist held face.

"You do have a point. You also never answered the question either," no harm could come of letting him know that she hadn't been thrown off by the sentiment. Taking a long, slow sip of the contents in "her" glass before setting it down the woman indulged further. I work at the Flower shop in the Rukon district but outside of that there's nothing really to tell. My life isn't as wrapped in conspiracy as a ninjas," she smiled now. Intentionally gauging the man's facial cues and body language; if for any reason at all, Gene felt that the person might have started to catch on then he would switch gears and try another approach. Granted..the goal here was relatively simple one needn't ever been too prideful or intent driven to cut their losses.

"My name's Fay, what's yours?" the transformed Shadow clone lied effortlessly. Able to mask any tails that may have presented themselves early on due to knowing what to look for and when. It was all just a part of the game.
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Post by Toshi Kaibo » Tue Jul 10, 2018 5:37 pm

"The names Toshi, and yes, I am a Ninja, Fay the flower girl." He quickly wiped his right hand on his tan shorts, then held it out for a handshake. "Pleased 'ta meetcha." If she shook the hand she'd experience a firm, quick shake, if she ignored it he'd shrug and go back to putting both hands on his drink.

"And I think perhaps ya've heard one too many stories. Half the time we're chasing down a wild animal thats been bothering som folk, walking some higher up through the forest safely, or helpiong some farmer/builder who needs an extra hand, for some reson. Ain't all cloaks and daggers and knives like people like to make it out to be, not by a long shot. Thems just the stories people like to repeat and speculate 'bout." He looked up for a moment, remembering his most recent mission with the two genin, the effort they had put in, the lives saved by the sheer work put it instead of all their fancy combat training. And, as he looked down into the amber liquid filling about half the mug at this point, he recalled the few they weren't in time to save. He mentally shook it off. Nows not the time nor place. "No m'am, most of the time its just a straight honest days work." He said sincerely. He perked up a little, added with a slight hint of a smile "Probably much like you and your flowers."

"You got yourself any good co-workers or apprentices at your shop there?" His low baritone voice asked. "Can't say I know the place, but you said 'the' shop in Rukon, so its gotta be a big'un. Thats the best part, no matter what job ya do. Even the boring days are mem'rable with the right people."
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Business as usual [Closed]

Post by Legacy » Wed Jul 11, 2018 11:35 pm

Toshi. Mentally, Gene added a check to one of the many objectives on his list and another to the man's rank shortly after. Through the response given and a bit of reading between the lines, Gene formed an educated guess that seemed grounded in some basis on fact; Jounin were often sent on assignments too secretive or outright violent to talk about whereas the man openly disclosed how menial tasks seemed well...routine. Save for Taiga who had almost convinced Gene that he'd be a Genin for the rest of his life the man appeared much too old to be a mere Genin and from the stories he'd heard thus far he'd been able to reason that the man likely worked in groups rather than alone as many Jounin often do. Now came the deductive reasoning; the man appeared stocky and with his admitting to heavy lifting/manual labor, Gene surmised that his specialty was most likely anything that required muscle.

Which left only one mystery left unsolved, the man's place of residence. Sure, Gene could have abused his power as an ANBU operative ― an ANBU Buntaicho to be specific, and made up some dummy reason to access otherwise classified documents (the locations of Shinobi within the village wouldn't be public knowledge for obvious reasons) but he'd sensed that there was someone in his division that had already taken to such tactics which resulted in an Earful from Yuuma, Aoi on more than one occasion. Not that the man was ever able to prove that there'd been any signs of tampering despite his efforts but he was no fool and seemed capable of being able to sniff out insubordination to varying degrees that Gene rather not test.

There was a saying among those of the underground organization in regards to the man; he had a demon hounds nose for trouble. "You mean you've never heard of Agari boutiques? Mister you must live under a rock!" The woman teased, "It's a family owned establishment run by my Grandfather. He talks of passing the business down to me but my sister Mei seems better suited." Now it appeared that the woman was ready to open up to Toshi, taking another short sip of her drink feigning dizziness. "Oh my...they really know how to make a drink at this place." Fay did indeed take Toshi's hand but only extending the tips of her fingers rather than the entire hand. The gesture more formal than the transformed Shadow clone cared for. "Yes but some times it can be frustrating. There are all sorts of people here in the village and not all of them are as welcoming as you, mister." The original Gene, sitting far off on the other side of the establishment choked a laugh that looked almost natural due to the environment; because of his ability to focus on specific sounds and noises, he'd heard the horse shit coming out of his clones mouth and couldn't help himself. At times he'd always wondered what things his clones would say in his absence instead of having to wait for the experience to come later on after the Clone's life span had come to an end.
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