For a Price [Graded]

[Kao]

"She's back! Everyone, quick, make sure things are in order!"

Half a dozen young women squealed and squeaked at the announcement and quickly gathered their cards and wine to hastily put them away. Some rushed to help each other properly tie their obi and brush their hair while others swept and hastily folded their plush futon and stuffed them into nearby closets. Within a minute the room was spotless and they made their way outside into a covered walkway that connected three large buildings to a meticulously groomed courtyard. A few of the girls craned their necks over the trimmed shrubbery to get a view of the street but they were hastily ushered into the largest building, a well known tea house in the area known as Katsura.

"What took you slackers so long? Come on, come on!" The girls were led through the extravagantly decorated tea house into one of the main rooms, emptied for the return of the matron of the establishment. The girls stood in two lines of three, and when the double doors opened they immediately lowered themselves into a bow. The once buzzing room fell into complete silence as a woman made her way inside, her light footsteps stopping in front of a brunette with ruddy cheeks and a silver ornament in her hair. The girl looked up and gasped when she met the violet eyes of a beautiful woman in her thirties, her long silver hair swept into a high ponytail.

"Have they been trained?"

"Yes, Lady Setsuko, very thoroughly."

"Then why are they still here? There are guests to be taken care of and money to be made." She waved the group away and once the room was empty she sighed and cracked her neck. Travelling to Miracle Country from Tea was always a hassle, and whenever she returned it always seemed to be on a busy day. She checked herself in the mirror and readjusted her hair and kimono until she was satisfied and then made her way into the main establishment. The ochaya was bustling in the early evening, and the woman made her way through while greeting some of the patrons. Her eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly at times when she would see certain people whose mannerisms hinted that they might be shinobi.

Awai Fusae did not like shinobi in her establishment.

But being the shrewd businesswoman that she was, Fusae almost never turned these people away - not immediately, at least. They were good for information, especially those who wanted to take a trip to the back rooms for some more adult fun. Whenever she spotted a shinobi she took special care of them, and today would be no exception. She walked the room like a graceful predator, smiling pleasantly as she greeted her patrons.

[TheLacarix]

“For she’s my one, my darling one, my heard and heart are filled with fun, no other, no other match the likes of her.” Heads turned towards the voice ringing out, seeing where the soft song was coming from. A man with his hand his hands pushed deep into his pockets, wearing a dark grey poncho and straw hat tipped over his brow was walking down the wide pathway. His single hazel eye caught sight of those staring at him, pushing up the hat he offered a warm gentile smile, they smiled back before continuing with whatever menial tasks they were doing.

Yoru continued down the path, through the small town towards the Brothel or at least the intel he had gathered suggested it was a brothel. Swinging his bandaged hand from beneath his poncho, placing it against the door and pushed it open. Heading into the main room, a beautiful woman came over to him greeting him at the door, offering to take his poncho and hat.

“Thank you.” He muttered softly with gratitude, as the woman helped him off his poncho and took his straw hat, freeing his long red hair. She hung them up and lead him to a small table. He took a seat and nodded a thank you. His single hazel eye darted around the room taking it all in. He think he may have had some dud intel, it didn’t seem like a brothel. Fine the waiting staff we’re all beautiful but that wasn’t anything unique, many establishments did that to increase sales. Many a stupid men buy extra drinks, somehow believing it gives them a chance with the girls. Yoru was one of those stupid men

The girl smiled at him as he gave his order “I’d like ummm, a pot of…sencha tea please.” She smiled and started to leave; his hand gently placed on her arm before she could leave. His touch certainly wasn’t aggressive, and the girl didn’t seem to recoil, luckily. “Excuse me miss, I wondered I was meant to be meeting someone. Raye, Mogi. I wondered if he’d arrived yet?” This of course was a lie, he wasn’t meeting Raye, Mogi nor was it likely he was here. But their was rumours that he bought ‘girls’ for his estate in the Oasis Country. Perhaps she could shed some light on the situation.

[Kao]

At the mention of a name, one Raye Mogi, a flash of discomfort momentarily marred her otherwise pleasant smile. The girl was well trained; she had memorized a long list of names that, if spoken, the person was to be reported to Fusae as quickly and subtly as possible. "I'm not sure, but I'll check for you," she replied with a smile, and as she stood she made sure to bend over more than what was probably necessary to give him an eyeful of her cleavage. The girl did her best not to alert the newcomer. After asking another girl to fetch his drink, she gracefully shuffled over to where Fusae was standing and politely flirting with a bombastic blond man who was making a show of bragging about his wealth.

Within seconds Fusae had her eyes on Yoru. She sized him up, taking note of his pale skin, the freckles scattered across his cheeks, and his tightly bandaged arm. He looked innocuous enough and was certainly a pretty man, but Fusae seldom trusted the intentions of patrons who arrived with certain names on their tongues. With a flourish of her kimono she excused herself - the girl swiftly taking up her position and beginning her own flirting with the now deflated man - and made her way over to the newcomer.

"Enjoying yourself?" Up close she could see he had one patched eye and the other was a brilliant hazel. She stared into it as she spoke. "I'm afraid your companion has not arrived, but I will take you to a private room and you can wait for him there. Come, come." She beckoned for him and kept her tone pleasant and playful. She would even reach for his arm to encourage him to stand if need be, so long as she could lead him away from the main room and into one of the establishment's many private rooms.

[TheLacarix]

The girl instantly felt uncomfortable hearing the name Raye Mogi, her discomfort was only momentarily, but it was long enough for Yoru to catch sight of it. This was perfect for Yoru, he was in the right place after all, men like Raye were vile, disgusting human beings and his reputation had obviously reached here. The girl bent over, leaning in front of Yoru offering him a vision of her breasts, his eye lingered for slightly longer than he should, he scratched the back of his head and chuckled softly to himself. This Teahouse was definitely more than a Teahouse.

A beautiful, pale woman with white hair and bright purple eyes approached him, asking if he was having a good time “We’ll I’ve only just arrived, but the establishment seems lovely.” He observed, she wrapped her arm around his and started leading him to a private room, he barely hard time to react as she he stood up from his table, not that he was exactly hesitant to be taken to be led by such an interesting woman.

She seemed to know where Raye was or at least when he was arriving, in all honesty Yoru wasn’t expecting him to come at all, though perhaps he was a regular to this establishment? She lead him into a hallway with doors along either side, muffled sounds could be heard but nothing intelligible. With her arm still around his, his own hand rested on her arm, he might as well enjoy himself while he was here.

The pair walked into one of the private rooms with cushions on the floor and a table in the middle of the room “Do you often whisk men away without introducing yourself?” Mused Yoru, his glinting hazel eye locking with the woman her “Aizawa, Yoru.” He introduced himself, using his real name. Now that his goal was on the horizon, keeping his identity a secret didn’t really matter. It dawned on him that he was losing track of why he was here, almost transfixed with the woman. He shook his head to gain back his bearings “Sorry, do you know when Raye will be arriving?”

[Kao]

When the man made his comment about her not introducing himself she responded with a giggle, coyly covering her mouth with her free hand. "Indeed, I do. It adds to the mystery and excitement, especially for new faces." Fusae went to close the door, but before doing so she reached towards the top frame, pulling down three ornaments that were hanging on the end of gold ropes. They were color coded for the workers: white meant the room's inhabitants were to be served tea and refreshments, while both blue and red meant they could not be disturbed, thought for very different reasons. She hung the white ornament on a hook outside the door and then turned back to Yoru.

"Please, sit. You're in such a hurry. We have all night." There was a small knock at the door, still open a crack, and Fusae swiftly retrieved a tray of tea, cups, and a large silk bag that clinked as she switched the ornament to blue and then shut the door. With a pleasant smile she then walked to sit next to the man. "I can tell it’s your first time here. I’d definitely remember a face as handsome as yours. Officially we specialize in tea - this is an ochaya, after all." She began to pour Yoru a drink, delicately and with an elegant precision that demonstrated she had done this for years. As she passed the tea to the man and slid closer to him she added, "But many customers - men in particular - come for our other services. For instance."

Fusae grabbed the silk bag and quickly revealed the bottle of sake inside, along with two oversized cups. She filled one and sat it next to the steaming tea cup, gesturing for him to take his pick of beverage. "Your friend Raye is one of those customers who enjoys every service we have to offer. But you may be waiting for him for some time. He isn't a very punctual man." It wasn't entirely a lie. Fusae was unsure if Raye would even arrive. Her regulars made it known ahead of time when they would visit, and while he wasn’t exactly a regular this Raye would at least follow that custom, and he hadn't visited in quite some time. But she knew his profession and the type of people he consorted with. Although Fusae had long ago abandoned Konoha and its teachings, slavery still left a sour taste in her mouth.

If Yoru kept that sort of company she wanted him out. But first she would pull any information from him that she could. If there was trouble coming to her shop she needed to know about it. Fusae pulled at the ribbon tied around her hair and released it from its ponytail. The locks cascaded down her shoulders and back. Her sweet perfume faintly wafted through the air as she tossed her hair over her shoulder and then leaned towards the one-eyed mystery man. "How do you know dear Raye? I sense a riveting story."

[TheLacarix]

This woman seemed to be a very interesting character, seeming quite focused on ‘exciting’ Yoru and making sure he was having a good time, his eye watched her movements carefully, with interest. Perhaps a tad ‘too much’ interest. Offering him a choice of drinks, he gently pushed the tea away and picked up the sake and lifting up to his mouth, the smell of the sake tickled his nose and resonated with a slight burn. Placing the cup gently against his lips, and knocked back the liquid, feeling the ‘warmth’ of the sake.

He listened to what she said and nodded when appropriate, he tried to get some hint of her personal feelings towards Raye as she discussed him but she was cool as a cucumber and offered almost nothing, it appeared as though he was just a regular customer. She suggested that he wouldn’t be here for quite some time, in all honesty he wasn’t expecting him to arrive at all, though if he did, he could kill him now rather than heading to his home in the Oasis Country. Though he suspected she was perhaps lying, if his intel was correct he never left his home and girls and slaves were brought directly to him, though intel can be wrong and he wouldn’t jump to any conclusions, least not yet.

Though his attention was brought back to her flirting, something he couldn’t quite resist after she suggested they had ‘all night’ “All night huh? I hope you’ve got more sake if were going to be here for a while.” He said with a soft chuckle as she discussed other services. Something Yoru had never done, fine he’d being with women but certainly never paid for it. Though he’d at least have a good time, seemed a shame not to while he was here. Though he was enjoying himself, he needed to try and focus on why he was here.

“How do I know Raye? The story isn’t that interesting.” He lied coolly, deciding not to spiel his story, a story of agony and torment for Yoru. He however didn’t want the woman to get the wrong picture about it “I wouldn’t say we’re friends, I guess I… worked for him, when I was a child.” This sentence alone was probably enough to understand that he was enslaved, specially if she knew of Raye’s history and his line of work “Do the girls travel with him to his home in Oasis Country? Gosh I bet that is a long journey for them! Though I guess you have other establishments like this nearer?.” He was careful not to press for too much information and put her off and try and fabricate his questions as general conversation.

[Kao]

Fusae acknowledged the man with a hum. If he had worked for that man as a child there were few possibilities what that work entailed, and she gave him a long, almost poignant look to convey that she understood the implications. She had a soft spot for former slaves, and she had employed a few over the decades since she had established the ochaya. The woman allowed him to quickly change the subject, and for the first time she would allow a deep frown to mar her features.

"My girls do not accompany him, no. Only a fool would-" she abruptly paused to collect herself, bringing the tea to her lips to block the words. "On the rare occasion he visits this city, he tends to buy girls - and boys - from nearby brothels. He has stopped here to covet what he can't have and try to strike up a bargain, but nothing more. He tends to send someone here in his stead, which is why I'm surprised he is suddenly visiting." With a knowing smile she stared into his eyes and then folded her arms across her chest.

"But is he really coming? Dropping in unannounced to meet someone here isn't how he operates at all. Has something changed?" When she spoke next, there was an edge to her voice. Fusae had survived as long as she had by maintaining control. She controlled her business, she controlled who was allowed entry and why. Everything was managed carefully and with an iron fist, and she left very little to chance. The next time the woman spoke there would be an edge to her voice, and the kind look in her eyes gave way to a steely glare. "Raye knows my conditions regarding transparency because of his line of work, but you seem unaware. So I'll ask you bluntly, Yoru. What business do you have here with him?"

[TheLacarix]

It seemed as though the mention of Raye, Mogi seemed to of struck a nerve and it was apparent to him now that she didn’t like him whatsoever. Which was good to know, hopefully she’d be more willing to give information, specially to a patron she’d rather have out of her hair. Her words suggested that she was a good person, someone who wouldn’t associate with someone like that. He was at least glad of that.

That information that he so coveted, quickly arrived divulging that he often came enquiring about girls and boys something Yoru knew all too well. The woman’s eyes stared into Yoru’s single hazel eye, locked into them he couldn’t help but be distracted by her eyes. A beautiful, pale purple. They were incredibly unique, and it was hard not to be transfixed by them.

Her now abrupt blunt tone brought him out of his fixation as she seemed to turn the questioning on to him. Even though he had being in a trance like stated he had being listening to her responses. He paused for a moment, took the cup of sake took a large gulp and finished what was left.

“It’s a shame, I was hoping we we’re going to play for a little longer. I didn’t expect you to get into it quite so quickly.” He took the bottle of sake and filled up his cup, almost to the brim and placed it against his lips “I guess our game is over before it even begins.” He took a small sip from the cup and sighed softly “I’d like to think I could trust you, your tone suggests that I can, but how can I trust a woman I don’t even know the name of?” A somewhat amused grin ran across his face, least he could keep the game going at least a tad longer.

[Kao]

She was patient as he paused to drink before answering. To her it seemed as if he were stalling, using the moment to gather his thoughts and give her what may have been a prepared answer. Fusae was surprised, however, when he began talking about trust. A tiny scoff escaped her but she masked it with a giggle. “Trust? Trust shouldn’t be so freely given. I, for one, trust very few people. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I freely handed out trust. I hesitate to trust someone associated with that man. But I’ll go out on a limb and say the two of you aren’t friends. I can’t imagine that man being friends with a former...worker. So at least there’s that.”

“I’m Setsuko. Igarashi Setsuko.” She of course used her assumed name, the one she had used for years since settling in Miracle Country. Virtually no one knew of her past life as a Konoha shinobi, and very few people knew that she wasn’t a native to the country. She had no reason to believe he would challenge her about the name. “You can trust me, if you like. But my trust is earned.”

She leaned in even closer and her gaze meandered to the man’s hair. It shined even in the dim lighting of the room and she took the liberty of twirling her finger around a long lock of his hair. “You’re off to a bad start since you told me you were waiting on Raye to arrive but I’m sure you can fix that. Now that you know my name, you can start by telling me why you’re looking for him in the first place.”

[TheLacarix]

Yoru continued to drink his sake, listening intently though he was slightly disappointed he had hoped to enjoy himself for at least a touch longer, but it seemed the woman known as Igarashi, Setsuko seemed to be bored with Yoru and it was understandable, specially if she believed he was an associate of Raye, Mogi.

Perhaps Yoru was too naïve he was used to being in a village where he felt as though he could trust everyone around him, believe his comrades and those who would help him. Now, he was in a different world entirely. He shouldn’t give his trust so easily, he’d being drinking this sake and it could of being poisoned for all he knew, specially as he was an assumed associate of Mogi.

Nothing had taken affect so far, so it was apparent the drink was safe. So he needn’t worry, but a simple slip up could of ended his life.

He’d need to be more careful from now on.

As much as his inner monologue was wracking through his brain, his body language didn’t reveal any of this, he simply smiled at the woman and continued to drink. “Well, you’re right. We can’t trust one another. But I can tell by your distain of Raye that I can at least trust you with this information.”

He knocked back the last of the sake and put the empty cup back on to the table "You needn’t worry, Raye, Mogi is not coming here. I was quite surprised when you seemed to suggest he was." a snorted gently "I’m going to various… establishments such as yours, people who may be able to get me into his estate in the Oasis country.”

Taking the bottle of sake, he poured his cup once again so full it almost overflowed “I plan to kill him.” He coldly stated.

[Kao]

The more he talked about trust, the more naive he sounded. As someone who had been subject to Raye’s cruelty - and possibly his many perversions - she figured Yoru would be more wary, more careful of strangers. But that was her own experience speaking. Fusae still wasn’t sure what to make of this one eyed man, and she listened to him continue talking in between sips of sake. Eventually she allowed his hair to fall free from around her fingers - just as he announced he intended to kill Raye.

“Hahahaha! Oh, I’m sorry.” Before she knew it, Fusae burst into laughter. A guffaw, really. There was no time to turn her head and politely suppress it as she usually would. The carefully crafted perpetually-polite facade was eroding slowly, but surely. “That’s ridiculous, and I’ll tell you why. First of all, you have no idea what you’re doing. I won’t say I saw through you right away, but it didn’t take long to figure out you were lying. That’s dangerous, to say the least, and it doesn’t bode well for your future murderous endeavors.”

She paused for a moment, locking eyes with him as she considered the situation. She couldn’t tell if he was bold or if he was simply a fool. As she mulled it over she stood up suddenly and leveled a disapproving glare down at him. “Secondly, I doubt you’ll be able to even get close to his estate. He surrounds himself with samurai and even rogue shinobi these days. I understand you don’t like this man, but this is different. You shouldn’t enter a world you know nothing about.”

[TheLacarix]

Yoru’s hazel eye fell to her fingers as it let go of his hair, a smirk formed across his face he was about to tell her not to stop, when she burst out with laughter at him. It was apparent his attempts to have a cool demeanour were soon washed away, it really wasn’t his style at all. He grimaced as she began to mock him and seemed to doubt his abilities.

His hazel eye narrowed, giving her a somewhat stern look, his nostrils flared with annoyance as she continued to talk, mocking him as though he was some kind of fool. He paused for a moment and simply let her talk, not interrupting her. Once he finished, he nodded and then continued.
“It’s a world I know all too well.” He sighed softly, as his tone turned somewhat sombre, as Yoru gently untied his haori, letting it slip down and falling to the floor as he gently unwrapped the bandage around his finger tips exposing the warped skin across his arm, compared to his soft porcelain skin his arm was mangled and raw, apparent it had being held in flames he raised his arms and slowly turned around showing the thick, deep lashes across his back even more mangled than his arm, the skin stretched and deformed. Looking over his shoulder, his hazel eye met her pale purple gaze.

“You may snort and snigger, but I will kill him. You may not know who I am, my tenure as a Bannin of Konohagakure was certainly cut short.” He turned on his heels and faced the woman known as Setsuko “Killing him isn’t what I need help with, I could rip his estate off the face of this earth and no one would ever mutter Raye, Mogi’s name again.”

His tone, turned soft almost innocent “But I do need help, I.. he has men, women and… children there and I need to make sure they get out safe I can’t just go in and tear up the place I need to be tactful. It’s why I’ve come here, to gain information to find a way in, safely and get everyone out and then and only then when I know he can’t hurt anyone else I’m going to make him suffer.”


This world of rouge shinobi and kunoichi was incredibly different to what he was used to, fine physically he was powerful but since he liberated from his enslavement he’d know nothing but the comforts of Konoha and how much of a shock it was to him when that all came crashing down, but now he was free, free from the shackles of the hypocrisy of the shinobi villages and now he was taking those steps into the real world and he hoped the woman in front of him would have some insight a way of getting him and his newly found partner Shio into the estate.

[Kao]

When his tone shifted Fusae looked at him quizzically, her brow jutting upwards as he sighed. But when he began to undress himself she held her hands up, mildly flustered, at the seemingly sudden change in atmosphere. But it was soon evident that he was not, in fact, undressing to seduce her, which made sense given the current subject. As soon as the scarred tissue was exposed Fusae found herself biting her lip, and her expression softened. A decade ago this sort of display would have been met with a more callous reaction, but both motherhood and being in charge of vulnerable girls with nowhere else to go made her a touch softer.

However, she immediately tensed when he mentioned the words bannin and Konohagakure. Her eyes widened as she quickly racked her memory for a bannin of Konoha named Yoru, but she had been away from the village for so long that there was no possible way of knowing him. Fusae recovered quickly and her expression relaxed, but she was unsure if he had noticed the change. Regardless, she would sit back down next to him and allow him to finish speaking. The woman gave a low hum as she poured herself more tea and contemplated her options.

"I normally don't get involved with other's quarrels, especially not when it involves a bannin - ah, a former bannin - of a hidden village. I have a good life here. Good money, good tea. But you're right, you do need help. But...why should I help you? What's in it for me, Lord Aizawa Yoru?"

[TheLacarix]

Yoru kept his single hazel eye on Fusae as he offered to her nothing but his vulnerability, he felt so exposed. His beautiful demeanour was a sham, in truth his body was falling to bits, his arm, his back and one side of his face covered in scars, hidden beneath well-made clothes and well-kept hair. Very few people got to see this side of Yoru, even more apparent of how desperate he truly was.

As he spoke of being a bannin, he noticed her eyes widened and her entire demeanour shift something about him being from Konoha put her on edge that was apparent. Not something he’d push, at least not for now. Though he wondered what caused such a reaction, surely, she had a variety of shinobi within in her establishments.

He didn’t know how to respond when she asked what was in it for her, he’d come to accustomed to living within a village where everyone was just willing to help one another without needing a cause. Perhaps she was right, Yoru didn’t truly know anything of this world.

Yoru simply paused for a moment looking at her, his frame gently closed in on itself, feeling exposed his shoulders curving around his chest. “I don't-“ he stopped again wracking his brain “I have money, but I don’t imagine that’s much use to you… I have myself? I could repay you with a favour, protection, a task, anything.” He wondered if that would be payment enough “There is likely women there, enslaved with no work and nowhere to go, experienced women that could work for you.” He wondered if the promise of a new work force would be enough. He hoped so.

[Kao]

Fusae paused for what seemed like days - weeks, even - before she gave her response. During the silence she considered her options. He seemed to think she was after his money, but she had plenty of that on her own. The women he mentioned concerned her, but that in itself wasn't enough to spur her into immediate action; Fusae had long ago learned she couldn't save everyone, and that the only ones truly worth the effort was herself and those closest to her. Still, if there was a chance she could help other girls like the ones in her care, perhaps it was worth it.

The thought that someone of his caliber and power would owe her a favor was enticing, and in the end she decided that was enough. With a wide smile she stated, "You're desperate enough to offer yourself? That's probably the most intriguing proposition I've heard in a while. It might be useful to have a former Konoha bannin owe me a favor. Fine, fine, I'll help you. And I suppose these hypothetical damsels in distress are even more reason to assist you. Who knows, maybe I can use his estate for new business.

"I can get into his estate. It may take a few days to get everything settled, considering he's so private, but that shouldn't be a problem for me." The kunoichi's smile slowly faded and she added, "You'll have to sneak in. He won't allow a man he doesn't know into his household, and transformation won't work. He has plenty of guards. If you're worth your salt, getting past them won't be too difficult. But I've heard there are quite a few powerful individuals in his employment. Bannin or not, you may have trouble without backup. I assume you'll have backup? Or have you been lone-wolfing it since you defected?" After a thoughtful pause she then asked, "How long has it been since you abandoned Konoha?"

[TheLacarix]

Yoru stood there in his vulnerable state, simply looking at the bright eyed woman as she seemed to be thinking of his proposition, luckily offering up himself seemed enough to peak her interest, which was understandable a powerful shinobi like himself was rare within the minor countries and he could be of great help later down the line.

He nodded in agreement as she suggested he was desperate, it was something he’d being dreaming about since he was a small boy, exacting his revenge was all he’d ever wanted, the man that had ripped his life apart and caused these unwavering scars across his body, a reminder everyday of what had happened to him.

He continued to listen to her as she spoke, once she finished, he nodded with gratitude “Thank you, Setsuko. Sneaking in won’t be too much of an issue and yes, I have someone with me I’ve made some friends I would say along the way.” He mused, as he slowly pulled his green haori back over himself, fastening it up, finally able to relax. Though he soon realised that it was likely this woman had seen her fair share of naked men, running such an establishment, even if it was just in passing, so another wouldn’t really be of any note.

He sat back down and as if in a flash his entire demeanour had changed, relaxed, calm and cool as he poured himself another drink of Sake and placed it to his lips, as she asked how long it had being since he was in Konoha “Just over two years, it’s felt longer though. Where do you call home?” he pondered with interest, though it could likely be where they were right now, but in Yoru’s experience most people within the minor countries travelled a lot. "Here, I have something for you." he flung out his wrist, shaking it free from his haori as he ran his fingers across the charms and then glancing up at the woman deciding what colour to pick, her bright purple eyes made that decision for him as he unattached the purple charm, and weaved a casual set of seals as he recreated the charm and slid it over to her across the table “If you ever need me, channel a little chakra into it and I’ll be there, in an insntant."

[Kao]

"This is my home, of course," she responded without missing a beat. She was used to men chatting her up. Usually that kind of comment led to a pickup line but with Yoru that wasn't the case. He seemed to be genuinely interested in the information he was trying to squeeze out of her, but he would find she was not one to lay her life open like a book. "Miracle Country is the only true home I've ever known, though I've visited enough places to know about shinobi and bannin." She was pleased to know that despite his apparent naiveté, the man at least had allies. Fusae knew first hand just how difficult life outside of a hidden village could be without help.

When he slid the charm across the table, the woman's brows jutted upward in a slight display of surprise. She took it and turned it between her fingers before giving Yoru a smirk and wry chuckle. "Oh? You assume a lot, Yoru. What makes you think I'm capable of using chakra? That's not a common skill. You shinobi have made sure of that." She tucked it away in her kimono and helped herself to a shot of sake, and then set her elbow upon the table with her chin resting in her palm. "Two years, huh? What could make one of the Leaf's elite leave the village? Too much pressure and not enough fun? I can't imagine what that's like."

[TheLacarix]

The woman in front of him spoke of her home, that she was originally from Miracle Country and how she’d travelled a variety of countries and learnt of the shinobi world, there seemed a hint of detest in her voice when it came to the topic of shinobi, which was understandable a variety of minor country inhabitants hated the ninja villages, as they tended to dominate the world unnecessarily. Yoru was starting to believe shinobi were causing more harm than they were fixing. She quipped when he suggested that she channel chakra into the gem and she’d be able to teleport to him.

All off her responses seemed off to Yoru, due to his training in Anbu Black Ops, he’d learnt to read people and understand what they were hiding. Nothing sat quite right, it felt to Yoru as though she was lying. However, he had nothing to go on and nor did he want to press her. His suspicions were quickly squashed as she took a drink of sake. His single hazel eye glinted and a smile spread across his face, he didn’t care if she was lying or not, he’d now get to share some sake with a beautiful woman and have some good conversation.

Pushing his hand into his haori, he pulled out a small brown leather pouch and pulled out enough ryo to pay for another bottle of sake and for the one they had already drunk “Another bottle can’t go a miss surely?” he threw the pouch back from where it came and nodded in response as she asked why he’d left the village “Fun is always more desirable, but no, lets just say the Hokage and I didn’t quite see eye to eye.” he tapped his eye patch giving her some hint of what had happened without going into too much detail and killing the mood.

usedShow

Art of Perception • Polygraph
C-Ranked Taijutsu Discipline
Prerequisite: Perception
The user has become attuned to check subtle facial features, the way they move their hands and their general mannerism, usually able to detect if someone is telling the truth of not. This however is not full proof and if someone uses specific techniques to counteract this.

[Kao]

Fusae eyed his coin purse, listening to the jingling within it. It bulged impressively, and based on that she could tell the man was far from penniless. A pleased smile spread across her lips as she snatched up the money and placed it in her breast pocket on the inside of her robes. She then slid open the door just in time to see one of her workers walking past. Without a word the woman snatched up the girl's tray that held a large sake bottle and eight shot glasses, and then she closed the door and made her way to Yoru's side once more. Now that their business arrangement was out of the way, Fusae was intent on learning as much as she could about this man before she ventured off with a stranger into a possibly dangerous situation.

The way Yoru alluded to his eye didn't escape Fusae's notice. Her brow raised with interest, and she tapped her cheek with a long, slender finger. "Ah, I see, I see. You get more interesting by the minute, Yoru. First you come to me seeking help to kill a man, and now you suggest that the Hokage of all people took your eye. Takeo, isn't it? His is a household name in some circles in Tea Country." She figured if this was true, then it certainly explained the reason Yoru went rogue. But she guessed he didn't want to discuss that topic in depth.

"So what is your idea of fun?" she asked while grabbing the sake bottle. After pouring two glasses she quickly downed one herself before continuing. "Clearly you like alcohol. But there's also girls, music, and theater in this town. Not to mention the...various jobs that would be available to someone of your caliber. There's always work for thieves and mercenaries. Although," she paused to make a point of looking him up and down, never letting her smile falter, before continuing, "even though you're dead set on killing Raye, you don't strike me as the mercenary type."

[TheLacarix]

His single hazel eye followed his bag of ryo as she pushed into into her breast pocket, his gaze lingered slightly longer than it should as the money disappeared, it was a sizeable chunk but he’d be able to make it back with a single bounty. That was one perk of being a rogue shinobi, the salary for a decent bounty was much more than that of a Shinobi, their salary was very modest even the Bannin weren’t paid well. He watched her as she moved towards the door, promptly returning with a bottle of sake. He rubbed his hands together with delight, as it was placed on the table. As she spoke, he listened intently as he poured himself and her a glass, raising it up “Cheers.” He booted out as he knocked it back in one quick gulp and pouring another glass for himself, this one he’d sip at.

His cheeks began to flush a bright red as he started to feel a little fuzzy, his entire mood was relaxed now and his lips would start to be quite loose, he nodded “Natsuki, Takeo the 17th Hokage of The Leaf, my sensei and my best friend.” He admitted glumly “Not anymore though, he’s selfish pathetic man and a fool.” He tapped his patch again, his glum disposition quickly changed as he chortled out “I got one back though.” As he lifted up his eye patch, giving her a quick glimpse of the byakugan underneath, the patch fell down almost as quickly as it came up, he wasn’t quite used to the perceptive powers and he didn’t fancy trying to deal with it while drunk, he nodded as she asked what he did for fun “Fun? Good food, good drink, beautiful women, the arts and a damn good fight.” He chuckled in response “Mercnary? No, I have a merc job coming up in Soul Country though it’s not for money.” with the deal set, the pair continued to drink for the rest of the night and enjoyed one anothers company.


Soon Yoru would get his revenge.