The Ones Hidden in the Shadows

[Lavi]

((OOC thread is found here))


In a dark room, illuminated by candles, nine stood. Nine of them were standing rigid along the sides of the halls, elevated by platforms, and slightly hidden thanks to passageways behind them. Only two stood on the floor of the dimly lit hall. They were both sitting on mats, although spaced far apart. The one sitting at the far end of the hall spoke. His features were hidden by both clothing and shadows.

"You are dismissed."

The guest stood up, and walked away, towards the massive, heavy doors on the opposing side of the hall. They opened upon his approach, and closed quietly behind the man. The shinobi's eyes did not sting as he stepped into the mid-day's sun: they were covered by a blinder, pale in color. No one waited to escort him. There was no need to: he is one of what the common folk call the 136. A hunter-shinobi. His name is Kohaku.

The hunter set off, away from the ancient halls of the Shinobi Lord. Another objective was already given to him. To the north, in the Land of the Tundras. Towards there, he set off. He is dressed like a peasant, to facilitate simple travel, along with warding away questioning samurai. The shadows made by a simple rice hat hides his face as he travels.

He set off from the Land of the Forests, which borders Hinata's Desert. A mountain range divides the two. To the north, is the Land of Open Plains and, beyond that, the Land of the Tundras. Off the coast of the narrow continent, to the west, is the Land of Oceans. That country is an island-city, prosperous from trade from all the other nations. But nothing else matters, except arriving in the Land of the Tundras.

 

[Максим]

The sun was shining, through the cracks between the leaves, casting shadows around the area with spots of light randomly placed upon the forest floor. Laying upon the floor was a boy. Young in age and quite short in stature, the sunlight gleaming off his white hair. His name was Ranmaru, a Genin in the Shinobi.

The gentle sound of water, from the nearby stream, trickled in his ear, softly telling him to wake up. He sat up, the sun shining bright his eyes temporarily blinding him for a few seconds. While yawning, he stretched his arms and stood up, grabbing his nearby Katana and making his way back to his village. It was bustling with people, merchants and others randomly conversing with each other, about random things. Bumping into a man(Lavi) accidentally he noticed there was something different about him, he wasn't like other peasants but he could not quite recognize him.

 

[Lavi]

Kohaku felt the brush of metal against his arm, and stopped. The universal law stated that only samurai were permitted to openly possess katana. The rule is only punishable on the pain of death - judging from the angle that he was touched, this person is not very old. "Careful," he said, walking past.

The kid's surely going to get himself in trouble if that piece of metal that he felt was part of a katana. The hunter disappeared into the crowd, only reappearing to enter a less-populated route. He turned a corner, and vanished.

 

[Максим]

Turning around to see no one was there. He stopped in his tracks. "I could have sworn someone said careful." Upon saying this a jutte wielding Police officer had spotted him. "Stop!" the officer cried, making his way through the crowd. The boy had no time to fight the police and began running through the alleyways of the town weaving between the trash and other items in the way.

On the end of the alleyway he was running two, an officer had appeared and began making his way down to him. Stopping to turn around, only noticing that he was cornered between another police officer, he ran up the nearby wall onto the roof tops and began making his way to his village, hoping not to run into anymore police on the way.

 

[Ru the Boatswain]

Ruukil Ukachasi a jounin if there ever was one. Behind a statue he waited fro his next target. A young man by the name of Gori had been murdering innocents. It was now time to kill him. Goli stood four feet from him. He had no idea there was a senbon in his neck- wait now he does. He removed the senbon and left a very small but noticable splinter in his targets neck."Thats why we dont kill people Goli-boy." He patted Goli's cheek mockingly and walked away. The body was soon found but it didn't matter.

In the street he walked with a rice hat covering his face. Someties the crowd was the best hiding place...

 

[Will]

Inyuka Ozeaki sat in a Ramen bar. He looked out at the world with his left eye, the red iris scanning the crowd. A Nukkenin was here-an exiled ninja from the land of oceans Ozeaki had been charged with 'removing'...

 

[Lavi]

Kohaku felt a tingle below his feet. He immediately slapped a hand to the ground, kneeling down to place an ear over his hand. A message. He has moved to sea, due south. Reinforcements are being scrambled.

The hunter rose, but not before sending a coded signature to confirm receiving the ground-based transmission. There is a particular meeting place on the coast that shinobi are told about only in emergencies. It stands beneath the Great Horizon Bridge - the bridge that connects the Land of Oceans to the mainland.

((Reinforcements include all shinobi. Ranmaru, try attaching yourself to one of the jounin as a student so that it wouldn't be awkward for a genin to come along))

 

[Will]

Ozeaki detected the transmission, and stood. He used his body flicker to move even faster than the eye could see. This message took priority over his current mission. It could even be his target.

 

[Максим]

Finally escaping the police, Ran stood on a rooftop waiting to spot any fellow ninja. Deep in the heart of the crowd he spotted one(Ruukil). Attaching a note to his kunai, with the message We got a mission, perhaps I can tag along with you, he tossed the kunai towards him. Hoping that he would catch it and agree.

 

[Ru the Boatswain]

Ruukil raised his arm as to stretch and the kunai fell lightly into his jackett. He read the note and made a waving sign to tell the ninja to come over to him. He did not break stride as the people in the street flowed around him like a river. Damn westerners, it must be beacause of them again.

 

[Will]

Ozeaki found himself first at the meeting zone. He kept his mask as a whole, with only the one eyehole for his regular eye to stare out of. His cloak whispered in the breeze, his black hair being pulled in a myriad of directions, invisible fingers plucking at it.

 

[Максим]

He looked down off the edge of the roof. To spot a cloak conveniently hanging on a drying line. Ran decided he would temporarily "borrow" the cloak. Just long enough to complete the mission. He leaped off the roof, and grabbed the cloak, gently wrapping it around himself and made sure that no ends of his sword were poking out he made his way towards the other Shinobi. Upon reaching him he smiled, and scratched his head.

"Konnichiwa, Ruukil-San." he said, walking casually beside him.

 

[Lavi]

((Heheheh... Shinobi never meet in the open ^_^

Redirecting you the proper way, Mrun. Refer to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Ships for the answer to the question.))

Or so it seemed that Ozeaki approached the meeting zone. The zone is actually built into the side of the bridge, with a door that seemed to be a control room. "Who broke the halcyon slumber?" a voice said behind the door.

The answer comes from a poem exclusively used by shinobi. Being rarely used, very few outsiders can recall this poem by memory.

 

[Will]

Ozeaki leant close to the door. ''The steam-powered ships.'' The door swung inward, and Ozeaki stepped inside, regarding the metting place with his one eye.

 

[Lavi]

The said place is composed of stone, with wooden furniture inside. Simple furniture - a table, chairs, and a desk to the side. The desk had some ink trays and brushes stashed in its cubbies. The small room is illuminated with candles. Sitting in one of the chairs, is Kohaku.

He remained without expression, not looking towards the incomer, as he cannot see anyways. "Kohaku of the Land of Forests," he introduced himself.

((Introductions among shinobi are in the format I described - name then location of representation.))

 

[Will]

Ozeaki greeted the Shinobi, another of the 136. ''Inyuka Ozeaki of the Land of Oceans'' He replied, not removing the half of his mask, his voice emotionless.

 

[Ru the Boatswain]

He looked down off the edge of the roof. To spot a cloak conveniently hanging on a drying line. Ran decided he would temporarily "borrow" the cloak. Just long enough to complete the mission. He leaped off the roof, and grabbed the cloak, gently wrapping it around himself and made sure that no ends of his sword were poking out he made his way towards the other Shinobi. Upon reaching him he smiled, and scratched his head.

"Konnichiwa, Ruukil-San." he said, walking casually beside him.

"Kochira koso,{ young one, You have recieved the message."} Theyw ere nearing the edge of the town and the crowd had begun to thin. {"The samurai should never see your weapon. I have noted sight of it thrice now and I dissapprove. You must try harder to hide it. The westerners must not be allowed to best you in any way. You will not allow them the satisaction of finding a ninja"} The crowd was near gone now and he knew they were near the meeting place.

((((OOC:when speaking jap just use {speaking } instead of real jap.))))

 

[Максим]

Ran sighed and looked up towards Ruukil.{"I am sorry, there is no excuse for the lack I had in hiding my weapon.} The area was completely vacant as the reached the bridge. {"I guess we are here now. Now we just have to find the entrance."}

 

[Ru the Boatswain]

He walked to the other side of the bridge and slid down to the controll room door.
{"Who broke the halcyon slumber? The steam-powered ships... And those damn westerners."}He added his own line to it. He was well known for that line, as well as his hatred for westerners. He'd had to answer the question and ask it many a time. The door opened and he slid in. Holding a senbon up in his sleeve in case this was a trap he said,{"What happened?"}

 

[Максим]

Following Ruukil closely behind, just to avoid the problem of answering the question. He slipped into the door after him. Even with the candle light the room was somewhat dark. He looked around to find a seat nearest to the door, in case conflict broke out.