Mission To Find ENTITY

[Prince Leo]

An important mission to find the hide out of the group called ENTITY was the only reason Leo was traveling from the safe hidden village to the capital city. His mission was clear, to find the hideout and report back. The simple task for a kid’s first mission required a bit of stealth and effort devoted to finding the hideout of ENTITY. The name of the organization sounded interesting to Leo; though any idea of what the name implied pointed him to thinking it was a religious group. He still had to enter the city, greet the guards and ask about ENTITY, then track down any information. A novice mission like his didn’t imply danger but to Leo, the rank meant there was always that chance he’d need to keep his guard up and complete the task while thinking about his surroundings. That machine wasn’t very clear when it said capital city; there is a risk that the ENTITY organization is trouble for those that find it. I’m sure that if this organization was clear about its intention I would be asked to look for its HQ. Oh here’s the gate.

“Hey, do you know where I might find a religious district in the capital city?” Leo asked timidly.

“What, a religious district? Head that way kid, go three buildings east, you should be near a temple.” The Samurai guard spoke clearly and confidently but Leo had no idea where “that way” was; the guard pointed into the city but a vague general point was not as helpful.

“Thank you.” Leo said as he walked into the city. Ok so as long as I go east, three or four buildings down there should be a temple. I would be able to see tall structures wouldn’t I but I only see trees popping up in the direction that he said. Well, east is a general direction maybe he mean blocks instead of buildings. I can’t see that far but a thorough scan of the area might be a better idea. Leo turned for east into a wide ally way and noticed another street separated from him by exactly three buildings. If he said east and three buildings away there should be a temple on that road. I still don’t see any spires but there’s some branches above the… the. He could catch a glimpse of the sky because a taller man walked in front of him. Leo moved around him but then Leo noticed there were a larger number of tall people than short people moving on the street going the opposite direction the genin wanted to go.

There needs to be a jutsu that allows me to grow taller. I don’t suppose transformation jutsu works if I want to remain covert. The amount of taller people is staggering; maybe they are all using transformation jutsu to see over buildings. I won’t waste my time looking over buildings with jutsu and chakra. The guard said temple, but I’m looking for a hide out. Of course it would be hidden. Unless the organization is a bit more public than I’m aware of. Then I could ask just about anyone around here about the organization ENTITY. Leo tried to keep dodging people as he moved forward but there were just too many people around. He wound up walking into another person and falling to the ground.

“Sorry, uh are you alright?” Leo asked the stranger.

“I’m Fine. You’re lucky I’m late I’d rip you a new tube to your lungs, kid If I didn’t have to go.” The stranger showed a blade in his hand but moved around Leo to keep going. Leo didn’t know what to say but he remembered the knife clearly. There was a scribble on it but it wasn’t legible.

Wow, that guy is rude! I should watch where I’m going next time; I don’t want to meet anyone who’s early if all these people are ready to cut me open if I bump into them. Wait, what did that scribble say? I thought I saw an E. I might have but if that small blade of his says ENTITY than I don’t even want to know what’s going on in that organization. It could be full of dangerous people. Leo turned around to watch the armed stranger. This journey is for a mission though, I can’t leave. I better follow that guy. The genin could still see the tall stranger going down the road. Leo changed destination and went with the crowd. A much easier choice to go with the flow of tall people allowed Leo to move faster with much more ease of accessing the space in front of him. The stranger turned a corner into a well hidden ally way between two closely built walls. Leo didn’t follow into the ally but he made sure to stand against the wall and listen. Ok I hear a door, voices, and foot steps. This is a hide out that a fully dressed samurai couldn’t attempt to get to. It’s a well hidden place that’s out of site from entering the west side and the taller people going west make the ally harder to see during a rush hour. Now I just need to peek around the corner and check for a guard standing outside the door. I’ll listen for more voices and deep breathing, but the people are pretty loud. Wow this really is a great spot for a hide out.

The genin couldn’t hear anything clearly; much of what he did hear was coming from people walking on the road. Nothing, I guess that makes it safe to take a small peek. Leo turned around and looked around the corner. His double check of the ally wasn’t needed after all; the thin area was clear, though it was a rather long stretch of distance between the street and the door. For Leo to hear any voices, shutting doors or foot steps when he first listened meant there was an echo in the ally. Leo would have to stay exceptionally quiet when walking down the ally. When he moved around the corner the people on the street sounded much more different; their voices and foot steps sounded random while every small sound in the ally was stretched and channeled. Leo crept forward, keeping his feet low and ready to step on solid ground instead of noisy stone. Then out of no where a bird swooped down from the air. Leo flinched drastically and his elbow hit the wall with a thud. The resonating noise of his skin and wood would be enough to alert anyone inside the ally way. Ok I hate birds now, all of them.

[Prince Leo]

The young genin kept still and motionless like a stone statue. His breathing was fast and his heart beat was pulsing but slowly he calmed his body and mind down. He listened for the sounds of the people inside the building. Brick and wood separated Leo from the prey he stalked. If he moved the prey would be gone and any evidence of ENTITY would quickly disappear. If he was discovered spying there would be consequences for his failure and possibly a risk for his life. Ok, there isn’t any running that I can hear or loud voices. Maybe I should find a way to the roof and look for an entrance vent or I could find a window. Leo spotted no window in the ally and the roof was two stories up. The genin would have to climb up the walls by putting his hands and feet against them then moving up. He’d done something similar in his childhood on the door frame, but that was a long time ago. He needed a better way to get up.

This hideout has numerous factors allowing it to remain hidden, but if ever discovered would the people inside have back up plan to get them out? Leo knew the door was an obvious way in but a secret exit would be the better way for any member of a secret organization to get away from law enforcement. With no windows or other entrances that leaves an underground tunnel or roof entrance. It’s more likely that I would get in through the roof than through an underground path. Both entrances would be guarded well. Maybe I should wait for this meeting to end instead of watching it. I can find out who I should be watching for and check for blades with ENITITY written on them. That would allow me to point out the hideout as well as giving faces to report on.[/i] Leo knew his next move and now had to find the right place to watch from. The busy street is a good place to stand. I can listen for them and check when they get out. The genin quietly went back to the street. Knowing that his intuition might be wrong he though about things that would go wrong.

If they got out late or never came out, than I’ll be waiting here for a long time. If I’m being watched than I’m already in danger and probably about to be killed. Wait this makes for a perfect ambush! Leo looked around but there was no one watching him from the ally way or busy street. He tried to hide his surprised look but his hasty attempt to check for people watching him actually made someone on another part of the street watch him. Hey who’s that guy and why is he looking at me? That man could cause a number of problems for me now. He isn’t moving, just starring. I suppose I’m starring to… Leo looked away but he still felt the intense gaze of the stranger. Creepy, I’m being watched but I don’t think that guy knows anything. Maybe I can ask him about the people who go through this ally. Leo wasn’t good with interrogations but he wasn’t exactly able to bribe for answers.

I hope this dude isn’t dangerous.

[Prince Leo]

Approaching the man on the corner, Leo had the profound sense that something or someone was behind him. He turned around, letting his train of thought take another direction. Only the alleyway was there. He turned back around but the man he was about to approach was gone. Where’d that guy go? I was just about to ask him… what was I going to ask him? Leo felt lost, like he’d forgotten something important. He ran over his mission goal. He needed to find ENTITY’s hideout. He didn’t find it yet but he as about to ask someone where it was or if they knew anything about it. And where’d that guy go? Leo snapped out of his confused thinking when he realized that he was about to ask that disappearing dude where ENTITY was. Woah, wait did I just forget what I was going to ask him and forget I was going to ask someone about ENTITY? How is that even possible?

With a thorough amount of thought Leo decided it would be better to forget about the incident until he returned to report back on the hideout. Leo also figured that he’d keep looking; genjutsu that separated thoughts to keep someone from being approached wasn’t the same as a death kill. It just meant that the guy Leo approached didn’t want to be asked anything. The genin started for the shrine the guard spoke of earlier. If anything he’d just investigate that and try to find out what religion might spark an organization called ENTITY.

The opposing stream of people pushed Leo back one step for every three he took. It was an endeavor to get through but Leo finally managed to break the crowd’s flow. Now where is it? Looking around Leo didn’t know where on the street the temple or shine would be. Pressure built up under his eyes and he felt as though he was about to sneeze. Quickly putting his elbow to his mouth and nose, he let out a small sneeze. Ok I know I don’t have allergies but I don’t have a cold either. Maybe it’s just a high pollen count and dust. Leo noticed two flower shops and a rather hasty man smoking a cigarette as fast as he could. The wind blew from the castle ruins to the gate of the city. I called it. Now, to get through this wall of scents and ash flying through the air, I bet people can’t stand walking this street because of the flower shops and their heavily scented plants. Who could stand that after so long? Maybe the employees get sick of it too.

Leo walked behind people to try blocking the heavily scented air as he moved along the road. Son enough he wound up between the two flower shops and realized they weren’t flower shops at al, but rather two heavily decorated shrines. People placed flowers on them. Leo recognized a few inscriptions. These are memorials for the recently lost and offerings for a safe journey through the after life. Well I know about the castle ruins and the destruction. Perhaps there were more good people lost than fully realized. I don’t really know if it is all for the castle ruins but there sure are many flowers around. Nothing points to religion except the afterlife, which means… this organization has something to do with the dead. That is still has no proof but maybe I can spot someone putting flowers down.

And there came an elder in neutral colors, with a red flower and incents. She placed her flower offering upon a circular alter that sat beneath an arch with many hanging flowers on top. Then she moved to the next alter and placed her incents down beside some flowers. People around her with offerings placed down flowers first then incents down in that order now matter which way they came from. Most of the people that came looked older and most were old enough to have grown children.

Only young adults killed. Does that mean there was a war or battle recently in which most of the participants died? Perhaps they were samurai on a mission that escorted something and then defeated by thieves. Powerful thieves to defeat samurai in a large enough number to spark shrine for the death of this many samurai. Or a small amount of important samurai to many, enough for shrines. That means there is a powerful group going around stealing from samurai. ENTITY isn’t a religious group at all; they are all thieves who steal from samurai. Wait that first guy I bumped into, that wasn’t an ordinary blade with an inscription he had! It was the blade of an important public figure he stole it from! That place in the alley must be the location of ENTITY where they plot their schemes for stealing. That’s one hell of an accusation to make, especially for a genin. I suppose reporting in on my theory is much less useful that actually witnessing the meeting. I need to get into that meeting or track the members like I originally planned.[/i] Leo turned around and walked back to the alley corner. People skilled enough to take down important samurai figures are surly powerful enough to exterminate genin. Espionage is way, way more important than I thought.

A door opened in the alley way, loud enough for Leo to hear it around the corner. Hushed voices and several foot steps made their way through the alley. Leo crouched further away from the alley so that he wouldn’t be in the way of anyone that wanted to turn the corner and walk against the crowd.

“Fast meeting. I didn’t realize we’d gotten word out so fast.” One man said.

“It seems that shinobi from the hidden village have started catching onto the organization’s targets. I wouldn’t be surprised if they started an investigation.” Another man said.

“That wouldn’t be good for them though, they’d alert us with their presence. Shinobi in a samurai village, everyone would be able to spot them.” The first man said as he walked around the corner, not even glancing at Leo.

“Knowing that we take down armored samurai they’d need to send in adults, probably chuunin or jounin. Like we discussed any suspicious activity in the population gets reported in then we move our HQ.”

“Yeah I know. But what I really want to know is how in the world our name got out.” The first man laughed. So far only those two and Leo paid any attention to the conversation.

Lucky for the genin, he’d accomplished his mission and discovered the intent of ENTITY. The name didn’t make any sense for an organization took out samurai, but that task wasn’t Leo’s. Once the genin knew that it was time to leave the alley corner, he kept an eye out for suspicious people. Well I know my way out of the city. I should report back immediately. It was really genius of the village to send a young kid to track a bunch of thugs when the thugs expected a jounin. Well maybe I am being looked for; I am wearing my forehead protector and that one dude bumped into me. I need a change in appearance. Leo took off his forehead protector and placed it inside his satchel. His hair was stuck in place but he wouldn’t be easily recognized by face. Second of his change in appearance, Leo would use the transformation jutsu in the shadows. He’d take on the appearance of the next person his size.

Well once I’m far enough from the village I’ll revert back. Wait there aren’t any kids around this city at all! I’ll just need to look like that elder over there. I’m sure people pass by her without noticing much. The genin stood behind a wall and use the jutsu. A puff of smoke formed around him for a moment, but no one noticed. He took on the appearance of the elder across the street. Leo didn’t have to worry about people watching him now. All they saw was an old lady going toward the village gate in the opposite direction that she was actually heading. I wonder if my grandmother looks like this, if she’s even alive. Well if she was anything like this, I’d have to carry her everywhere; she walks so slowly I can’t even get out of the village before sundown.

Though moving slowly for the walk, Leo went through the gate without much trouble. Beyond the eyes of the samurai guards, he stepped into the shadows again and changed back. The rest of the journey home was spent wording out the report of this mission. ENTITY was an organization found in the thin alley way west of the two memorial shrines, close to the village entrance. The organization was run by thieves who took from samurai by killing and looting from them. They already know they’re being tracked and were looking for chuunin and jounin of the leaf.

My nerves are shot and I don’t think I’ll even let my guard down when or If I come back here.

[end]