The proving grounds.

[Yox]

A typical evening dawned upon the Hidden Mist Village. As it's name suggested, this hidden village was constantly enshrouded in a blanket of fog. It was known for producing the greatest assassins, renown world-wide for their ability to conceal themselves within the mist and quickly dispose of any target they were assigned. Like every hidden village, the Hidden Mist also had its own ANBU squad. Tonight, a potential hopeful would attempt to prove himself to the commander.

Three hooded figures stood atop a rounded building in the village square. Their identities completely hidden beneath the masks they wore over their faces, each designed differently to reflect the wearer. The one in the middle was taller than the two that flanked him. The face of a bear was painted across his porcelain mask, revealing a possible ferocious persona of the man. This one was the ANBU Commander. He wore a cream robe to help distinguish himself.

The trio silently stood atop the rounded building. The night had plagued through the sky, covering the village below in darkness and bringing a much denser layer of mist with it. The members of the ANBU unit stood with two metal dragon lamps, pulsating an orange glow as the fire burned vibrantly within them. The commander wondered whether the hopeful would show. His organisation was filled with highest quality of assassins from the village.

There would be no way that this boy would be getting into the organisation easily. He'd be put to the test to see how he would work in various scenarios of stress, pressure and with his own life at risk. Would a new acolyte would be welcomed into the ANBU organisation, or would the Hidden Mist be one less of a Chūnin? It all came down to how he performed in the test. Nonetheless, the ANBU Commander would not be phased by either outcome. Prove yourself kid.

ANBU test event for Naitome.

[/justify]

[Naitome]

The mist gathers heavily in a single point atop the building. Behind the presumed leader in his off-color cloak like a wound in the moisture itself, a torn gout of fog bleeds into the dense black outline of my own clothing and I step into plain sight, bowing respectfully in the direction of the gathered ANBU. The leader's face, just like the faces of his comrades, lies concealed behind an ornate porcelain mask and I cannot help but think how silly we have become in preparing for death. The legend and lore of this special sect, this shadow within a shadow that serves us even as it maintains the distance necessary to control our day to day lives excites me. I feel young again.

I remember that I am not so old that such a feeling is practical, and my mind returns to the matters at hand. Today I am to be tested. Today, I will become ANBU.

Akuharu Uchiha, registration number F5NSR0-AU-1.

That is all I have been instructed to say. My head is lowered but I am alert, approximately two meters away from where they group together in the chill. The blade that marks me as one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of The Mist is secure at my left side, covered in chain connecting it to a metal loop knotted with leather and reaching up to close a barbed hook around Akurojin-no-hi at my back. I barely breathe. I am impatient and begin to take in aspects of the environment around me as if preparing to fight for my life. But I have fought forever, this feeling is natural, it is somewhere between restrained aggression and the acknowledgment that everything I know will soon change.

[Yox]

The kid had finally showed. Good, he was at least punctual. But there were many more qualities yet to be tested. "Welcome Uchiha Akuharu," the commander hissed out in a dark tone. An Uchiha boy, eh? At least he would have some advantage tonight with the gift granted to him by birthright. The Sharingan was always a useful tool, with many of his own unit possessing one or two that had been forcefully removed from previous Uchiha clan victims.

The two either side of the commander did not speak a word. The commander pressed on, however. "You will be tested with a task standard to what you would be given within the ANBU-unit: assassination. It is important to understand that we are of the highest quality of ninja the Hidden Mist has to offer. Thus, this task will not be easy. I will be throwing you into the deep end. Whether you learn to swim or die is of your own accord."

The commander giggled menacingly to himself for a moment. Surely Akuharu knew that his life would be placed in danger through his test tonight. He had to prove that he could work well with the underlining factor that he could actually be killed in action. Many people could not handle the life of the ANBU. You had to live with little remorse. Comrades fell with the new day. It was difficult to draw bonds with others simply because the next day, either of you could be dead.

You lived, breathed and died for the Mizukage. His, or her, word would be the final order you would receive. If you were sent to your death, you would embrace it for the greater good of the village. That was the will of the ANBU, and it was also the will of the Mist shinobi. In the past, many shinobi who could not handle this factor attempted to simply leave the unit and/or the village. These cowards were hunted down within an instant.

You could not hide from the ANBU, especially within the mist. The brand that was given to you upon your acceptance into the unit would remain with you forever. You would not leave the unit unless ordered to by the Mizukage. From now on you would no longer be known as Uchiha Akuharu. No, that was too dangerous. You would be given a codename. Something that represented who you really were.

"For the process of this mission, you will be given the codename Kosakana (lit. little fish) as you are merely a little fish in a sea filled with sharks. The game is simple. Kill and grow, or be killed and die. The time to pay attention is now. Here are the details of your mission, Kosakana." After finishing speaking, the commander revealed a parchment from within his robe. He passed it over to Akuharu before sliding his hands back within the cream cloak.

A private business owner known as "Jak" currently operates his organisation in a compound within the Land of Water. Recently his business has involved hijacking various produce from the other shinobi lands. He is causing tension between the Hidden Mist and the other hidden villages. Jak has ignored the Mizukage's advice to stop. Thus, it is time to act.

First you must locate the compound within these lands. It must be understood that Jak has hired many rogue shinobi from other lands to assist him in his cause. No doubt the compound will be filled with many strong individuals. Your target is Jak and whoever may get in your way. You must also make it clear that it was done by the Hidden Mist and that our authority should not be ignored.

"We will be watching you. Failure is not an option." They vanished.

[/justify]

[Naitome]

Understood.

As the words are spoken, I do not see the men move off, blending into the fog like ghosts, and I allow myself the time to marvel at such skill, if only for a second.

I have been given no information on how to locate the target's compound, but I assume that is a merely a part of the difficulty of the task. I move away from the rooftop with a quick series of steps and run along the gutta percha pipework of abandoned buildings leading further into the surrounding wilds. Though I can begin almost anywhere, I have a specific place in mind, and while I leap through mist-covered protrusions of randomized forest, a plan begins to shape itself in my mind.

It will take several hours for me to reach my destination; a late night tavern where local 'toughs' come to drink and fight callously over women or money or both. It is a place we have all been cautioned to stay away from, where the ratio of missing ninja to helpless citizen is quite large. I make simple changes to my appearance on the way; wrapping the entirety of my face in simple cloth torn from my kimono but leaving my eyes exposed, revealing the bandages and kinmitsu beneath it to fasten the excess fabric into a knotted sash. I hide the summoning seal on my left palm that connects me to Nuibari, now deep within the Mizukage's vault, and add studded marks and notches to my boots with the end of my kunai. I tie hair back into a ponytail fastened with a single exploding tag, and slowly change even my own movements and mannerisms as I move closer to the Inn; changing the way I jump, the way I walk and run, subtle changes that would make no one who saw me emerge think of Akuharu Uchiha at all.

For the final change, I wince, as I make a slash mark through the symbol of the headband secured around my neck. By the time I arrive at the tavern, I am indistinguishable from any of the other rough looking men who enter alongside me, swaggering full of danger and comfortable that they are among others of their kind.

I recall the Mizukage's own rumbling voice; the strange high-pitched tones of my final opponent in the Chuunin Exams, the thick Kumogakure accent of the assistant in the Mizu Hospital lobby. I attempt to blend them into a single noise...a single voice, and when I enter through the large old doors of The Outside Inn, nobody even looks twice in my direction.

I saunter towards the bar and ask for the strongest liquor available with a drawling accent that makes the nearby waitress chuckle, and I wink in response but soon ignore her. As I look around, I see several others with slashed headbands proudly shown, and when the curmudgeonly owner returns with a cup of thick brown liquid, I grab his wrist threateningly and speak from behind the wrap covering my face, staring him down.

Name's Kosakana Hozuki, chum, got a question for ye, see, a general inquiry o' sorts and if ya set me proper, i'll be on me way quicker than a minnow's fart.

Since I seem ta have gone ...eh, let's call it on extended leave of absence from the fog-all shit-hole i've been calling home, i'm in need o' work, savvy? A little birdy says there's someone close, someone local, might be able ta help with just such a dilemma. Someone who ain't too keen on the Mist mucking about in there end o' things. Someone who understands business.

I release his hand, to watch if his eyes travel to my slashed headband and remove a small pouch of ryo from my waist, reaching into my pack with the other arm and palming a glinting sliver of steel as I throw the pouch on the counter lazily, then jerk my thumb towards it, smirking.

That's for the drink, and an answer.

In the same motion, quicker than his fatigue ridden eyes can follow, I flash the kunai and stab its metal tip lightly into the bar, through the top of the cloth pouch.

That...is for anything else. Savvy?

I look at him with cruelty in my eyes and await a reply, only occasionally scanning the rest of the room for anyone curious or foolish enough to interrupt.

[Yox]

You were right to assume that tracking the location of the compound was to be done on your own accord. These were not average missions handed out by the Mizukage. Most of the time, ANBU missions were brief and provided with little fact. It was up to the squad member performing the task to piece the remainder of the puzzle together. You had to trust your instincts, and hope that they were not misleading. One wrong move meant termination.

Your disguise suited well for the typical type of people within the tavern. Many of them were worn out missing-ninja, attempting to catch a break by becoming mercenaries for underworld businessmen. It was the best place to start looking for answers. To the people of the bar, you just seemed to be an average person to them. It was good that you were able to blend in so well. Perhaps you were learning the way things were done quite quickly?

The barman jumped back after your hold on his wrist. Your firm grasp was something he had experienced many a time. Lots of washed up rogue ninja ended up here, in drunken states, and attempted to get answers out of the innocent barkeep. It was all standard to him, yet it seemed to frighten him every time it occurred. Nevertheless, the man was fuelled on his pure greed for gold. The rattle of coins within the pouch immediately got him talking.

"You talk funny," a female voice announced from behind. It seemed Kosakana had attracted more attention than he had intended. You see there were always eyes watching; especially in a place like this. Either side of her she was flanked by a set of goons. Attempting to stand up to her would be completely out of the equation. Yet, she was intrigued by you. Judging from the intellectual appearance of those at her side, she fancied the use of mindless thugs.



"You seem to be new here. I haven't seen you around before. I suggest you act a little less hostile toward the bartender, unless you want things to start getting a little rougher you know?" She giggled after finishing her words, moving her gloved hand to her mouth to cover her laughter. "I overheard that you were looking for work. I could use someone like you to assist me in the things I do. But first if you'd really like the job, you'll have to pass a small test."

She stood up upon a table nearby her, addressing her presence to the room. It seemed that the other guests of the tavern were clearly aware of who she was, thus not minding her sudden antic of standing on top of the table. "I'll pay anyone in this room 10,000 ryo in order to kill this man," she said menacingly in the direction of Akuharu who was still at the bar. A lone man in the corner stood up to her call, walking out of the tavern.

The goon on the left assisted the woman down from the tabletop. Elegantly moving back onto normal ground, the woman giggled into Akuharu's direction. She then proceeded to follow the lone man outside of the tavern doors, flanked by her two guards. On her back was the single letter J printed across it. No doubt it was a related symbol to the Jak Conglomerate. Was this Akuharu's chance to track the location of the compound, and gain access?

Outside of the tavern the lone man awaited for the ANBU hopeful. He stood at least 6 ft. in height and was fairly built for an adult. Roughly in his late twenties, his scarred face told stories of death and destruction. This man was not to be underestimated. Around the edge of the field, the red-headed woman stood behind the comfort of her two guards, peering through a gap in their shoulders in order to watch the battlefield. It was your move.

[/justify]

[Naitome]

Eh? Should be a laugh at least. Tch. C'mon then.

I remove the Kunai from the pouch but let the man keep the coins. The ryo within are fake anyway, pilfered from a mission to stop counterfeiters near Bakudon Gai, and I follow the man who answered the strange woman's challenge as he leaves the establishment, nodding to those who stare on in anticipation of the fight. The large stylized "J" on the back of the woman's jacket is enough to make me ignore the goons she brings with her, for now, and as we exit the building, I scratch the back of my head with the kunai in my hand, fumbling with the fastening of my ponytail and chiming out loudly.

Ready?

My eyes do not leave his form, and my mind is already analyzing my environment. Scattered in a five meter radius are old supply crates and worn stone carvings that are the Inn's outer decor, nearly the same size as I am and forming a makeshift wall of obstacles between myself and my opponent. He is only 10 meters away, large and well built, typical of a common brute...and a taijutsu user. His speed and strength will be a force to consider, and as he came to a stop, a flooding charge of chakra had already begun making its simple oscillation at my core, winding out in a simple clockwise rotation sufficient to end our little skirmish the instant it begins. I eye a particular crate about halfway between us, and consider its size and weight as a viable defensive point, but also remain aware of the woman and her thugs.

I hope she's watching intently. Provided the obstacles in his path prevent my opponent from closing the distance too soon, there will be much to watch indeed.

SPOILER: Click to show

1._______________ Prep.

[Yox]

You were right to consider that he was a force not to be reckoned with. Yet to believe that his attack style was based on purely Taijutsu, well it seemed as if you were easily misguided. It was important to not jump to conclusions based solely on the appearance of your enemy. After all, why judge a book from its cover? On the outside you were Hōzuki Kasakona, washed up rogue of the Hidden Mist. But within, you were Uchiha Akuharu, ANBU's new killing machine.

There were plenty like you out there in the world. Everyone was trying to change their lives for the better, even those who were in your current vicinity. Many had now realised the faults of their passed and painfully regretted abandoning their hidden villages. They had lost their home, their friends, and their family; the village itself. Many of them came to this area to prove their worthiness to the only people that would associate with them: rich businessmen.

The one that stood ahead of you. His name was Hakimoto. The slash on his forehead protector, wrapped firmly around his waist, represented his abandonment of the Hidden Stone Village. He too was looking for a way out. A way to somehow escape from the life that he had regrettably fallen into. If that meant he was to beat some punk across the head outside a tavern, then let it be so. The times were tough, and he would kill for a second chance.



Without further a due, he ripped off his shirt and began to chant quite loudly as an act of intimidation. "I'm gonna' tear you to shreds, boy!" His shout was echoed throughout the vicinity of the courtyard. A moment later he dashed forward from his spot and leaped into the air, sculpting his bodily figure in the form of a flying kick. With this, he immediately kicked into a crate that blocked the vision between Akuharu and himself.

"Dynamic Entry," he yelled at the top of his lungs after crashing directly through the crate. Akuharu would be able to see him in full flight now, only five metres ahead of him. The crate did not stop the momentum of the power behind this kick at all. He was coming in fast, and he was coming in with power. How would the ANBU hopeful react to this? It was best that he didn't reveal too many hidden techniques. He was supposed to be Hōzuki Kasakona after all.

SPOILER: Click to show

Dynamic • Entry (Dainamikku • Entorii)
Rank: D, D
Type: Offensive / Taijutsu
Range: 0 - 5 meters
Chakra: Low
Special: Entry extends up to 5 meter; each time retrained, the distance at which they 'enter' increases by 1 meter.
Description: After encountering a distracted opponent, the user leaps towards an opponent from their blind-spot, delivering a quick, deliberate kick to the face that is meant to catch them off guard and knock them out.
Domain: Goken.

[/justify]

[Naitome]

I tie hair back into a ponytail fastened with a single exploding tag

I scratch the back of my head with the kunai in my hand, fumbling with the fastening of my ponytail

Checkmate.

The exploding tag has been fastened to the kunai, causing my hair to fall from its former style, in the same moment that my opponent rips off his shirt and calls out in challenge to me, but as I have not dropped my hand from the back of my head, I still appear to be absentmindedly scratching an itch. As I observe him dash forward, I need only bide my time, and the instant he leaps into the air, the moment he has committed to leaving the ground to perform his flying kick thus, moved his body high enough that I can see him coming, the kunai and it's chakra laced textile have been thrown to intercept him. It is too late for him to change his momentum, and in mid-air, he cannot avoid the straight-forward trajectory of his performed kick. When he lands my hand raises to form a single seal, the crate separating us by five meters bursts into sharp fragmented wood as he attempts to move through it...and my kunai has already covered the remaining distance between us.

BOOM.

As the abysmally low amount of chakra necessary to detonate the explosive prematurely does just that, my opponent will be caught in a five meter wide explosion as I step back a few meager feet to avoid the outer edges of the blast. The torn slivers of razor sharp metal that expand out in every direction from the core of fire enveloping his entire frame are enough to kill him, but I will not leave such things to chance.

I remove Akashita from the chain at my back in an instant; there is always the possibility that he is of the Iron Hide clan, though of course, that too is not much of an obstacle. There are other crates surrounding us, though none directly between us both, and my shuffling steps will carry me to within a few meters of them by the time the smoke clears. Though he has little hope of remaining alive, barring the only Kekkai Genkai I know of impervious to both forms of damage he's just sustained, a pulse of chakra is generated to replace the last, and I am ready to end this, one way or another.

SPOILER: Click to show

1 Kunai w/Exploding Tag Used.

Fuubaku Houjin (Exploding Seal Method Formation)
Rank: C
Type: Supplementary.
Range: -
Handseals: 1.
Chakra: -
Special: This ability allows the user detonate his or her explosive notes, opposed to allowing them to be "timed" explosives. Without this technique, the user cannot automatically detonate their tags.
Description: Fuubaku Houjin is a Ninjutsu technique used by shinobi in conjunction with common explosive devices such as exploding notes. With this, the user can choose when their explosives detonate, opposed to being at the mercy of a countdown.
Domain: Universal Ninjutsu.

1._____________ [contingency]

[Yox]

The grin that slithered across his face was soon consumed by the look of horror. It seemed that he had been tricked by the boy. As soon as he crashed through the crate, he witnessed the kunai fling directly into his direction. But it was too late to move. He had already committed to the kick. His arms moved to his front as he braced himself for the incoming impact. The little bastard in front of him flicked his hand into a seal, and the kunai exploded.

A loud, deep scream could be heard from within the smoke that had arisen. As the smoke cleared, it would be revealed that Hakimoto was indeed not dead, yet. His passive bloodline limit skill had kept him alive, reducing the damage he took by 50%. This didn't mean that he had shrugged off all damage from the attack though. It still bloody hurt. He angrily growled as the smoke cleared, breathing in and out after copping the explosion front on.

Bits of his skin had torn off in the process, however it began to regenerate quite quickly. "I'm going to get you back for that one you little punk," Hakimoto aggressively spoke as he stood back up from his crouched position. Leaning his neck to the left, he stretched out various ligaments and muscles to make a clicking sound. He slowly leaned over and moved his right arm over his back. From there, his spinal cord seemingly travelled with his moving arm back to the front.

"Now you're in for it!" Hakimoto's scream was accompanied with the gasps of many onlookers. Seeing a Kaguya perform their bloodline limit techniques was one that could be seen as magnificent. He ran forward, swinging his whip in the direction of Kosakana in an attempt to snare the adolescent. The explosion previously had shaken him around a bit. It seemed as if Hakimoto had forgotten all about technique and simply focused on his rage to fuel his attacks. His swings were wide and heavy.

Of course, this meant that close combat would be quite difficult. Falling into this six metre radius around the big man would only mean you would get caught in the swing of the whip. However, many openings were created with such heavy swings. His technique had grown sloppy. Would Akuharu be able to take advantage of this? If he looked closely, he would notice that some areas on his body had not healed properly yet from the previous attack.

These would have to be the target areas to ensure maximum damage output. Even if he did have 50% damage reduction, weakened areas already were still vulnerable. If Akuharu looked closely, he would notice that his forearms had the skin peeled away from them. Also areas around his neck such as his trapezoids were open wounds as well. The longer he delayed attacks on such areas, the more likely they were to recover. What would Akuharu do?

SPOILER: Click to show

• currently walking toward Akuharu swinging spine whip.
• 50% damage reduction.

Tessenka no Ma (Dance of the Clematis)
Rank: A
Type: Supplementary.
Range: -
Handseals: No.
Chakra: High.
Special: Due to calcium deficiency fluctuations, each subjutsu of this technique can only be used once (each) per thread, plus one each time re-trained. However, after every second retraining, consumption will go up by one.
Description: The fourth of the five dance forms. This dance begins to truly display the Kaguya's horrifying skill, their bones now hardening to insane levels. With this skill, the accelerated bone density allows the Kaguya to produce extremely deadly creations of bone from their very bodies, such as their spine, in order to eviscerate their enemy.
Domain: Kaguya. Requires a-ranked Calcium Compression.

Vine (Tsuru)
Rank: A.
Type: Offensive.
Range: 6 meters.
Handseals: No.
Chakra: High to cast.
Special: The full length of the whip is roughly six meters, and is notched with jagged and sharp bone fragments (four inches long) which can lacerate and severe appendages. This technique can be retrained once to add an extra a-rank worth damage. This technique can only be used once per thread.
Description: After accelerating their bone growth, the Kaguya will proceed to pull out their own spinal column to use as a flexible chain staff, regrowing a new spine to replace the removed one. The protrusions on the vertebrae are modified to make them stronger and sharper, thus resulting in a deadly, effective whip.
Domain: Kaguya; Tessenka no Mai.

[/justify]

[Naitome]

There are other crates surrounding us, though none directly between us both, and my shuffling steps will carry me to within a few meters of them by the time the smoke clears.

The few meters distance between myself and the surrounding crates is eliminated without delay; the man begins to speak just as I dig my foot beneath the box's frame. In the moment that he stood from his crouching position, I kicked out, hard, lifting the crate from the ground aimed directly to the right [1-2 feet] of where the man's face would be once he stood to his full height. If he wished to reach behind himself, a process that seemed quite slowly performed, he would first have to deal with the roughly human size supply container now flying towards him. Of course, its angle would mean that he would not really need to block or evade its path, but as he'd shown himself to be Taijutsu Primary through the use of his Kekkei Genkai, just as I suspected, it was more likely that he'd react out of a gut reaction to the incoming threat, and probably smash the container the second it came towards him, further obscuring myself and my actions from his sight.

Of course, there had been more than one benefit of using the crate. It's size ensured that as it traveled,it would, at least partially, obscure my own quick steps behind it without even being destroyed, as I would no longer retreat from my adversary, but rush towards him, each step shortening the distance between us as he would attempt to pull his own spine from his back.

Kaguya Clan. Bone Manipulation. Aggressive, violent tendencies. Normal melee damage largely ineffective. My thought do not passionately ingest such information, rather, I process it as if reading from a textbook. It is interesting and relevant, but studied with no more excitement than I show anything else. I know little more than his people's names, and I cannot help but think of the Mizukage, who shares the heritage but is absent the Kekkei Genkai whose machinations now work to destroy me. The crate is one meter away from hitting him, and I am one meters away from that, by the time he will either dodge directly into the path of Akashita whose swinging blade is now moving to slice into his midsection from the opposite end to try and complete the movement of his attack with the crate sailing safely behind him, or not dodge, smashing through the crate, disrupting his own removal of his spine as a weapon, and opening himself up to counter attack by obscuring his own site. If he makes no movement in regards to the crate at all, I will still have effectively closed the distance between us in a manner he will not be able to easily track. I have been preparing chakra the entire time, for the next and final stage of our little dance.

SPOILER: Click to show

Shunshin. [2 meter proximity by end of post]
1._____________ [contingency]

[Yox]

He lifted his head from the withdrawal of his spinal chord to greet the flying crate head on. As the crate smacked against his head, it shook him around a bit as shards of wooden obscured his vision briefly at the area in front. From there, his anger grew, and he began to seemingly ignore the pain (of course with the assistance of his damage reduction passive skill). Growling, once again, Hakimoto let loose a fury of angry chants from his mouth.

With his eyes finally coming back into realisation, after the obscurity of the wooden crate, Hakimoto looked ahead to see where his target was now standing - right in front of him. He confusingly looked downward to see a scythe plunged within his chest, seemingly feeling no pain as the blade sat there in his gut. He glanced back up to the face of the boy, shocked that he had been killed so quickly. Falling down upon his side, the dishonoured Kaguya slowly began to die.

For the last few years of his life, the Kaguya warrior had lived in both pain and regret. Regret for the things he had done, which had forced him to become a rogue ninja, and the pain of being alone since his exclusion from the village. His friends and family were no longer able to communicate with him due to his rogue activity, sworn to follow the Mizukage in his decision of exile. "It's not worth it kid," Hakimoto whispered as his life force faded from him.

The pounding of his body as it hit the ground was accompanied by claps from the other side of the battlefield. The red-headed woman stepped in between the protection of her two goons and moved over to greet you. Of course, following quickly behind her were the two guards. As she came over to congratulate you on your accomplishments, the two thugs stripped the body of the Kaguya man from all of his goods.

The crowd casually moved back into the tavern, as if it was a normal occurrence for someone to be challenged and die outside. Whilst the crowd moved, the red-headed woman spoke. "My name is Ren. I work for a man named Jaq as the Head of Security for his organisation. I often come out here to find potential workers for the corporation. After what I saw there, you're perfect for the job!" She seemed to be quite enthusiastic over your performance.

Although it had only been a brief fight, the man you fought was simply a taste of what was to come. A washed up Kaguya Missing-Ninja was nothing compared to what the organisation held. If you were to get closer to Jaq, you would have to prepare yourself for much more. But if you were able to manipulate Ren, perhaps she could lead you into the inner circle. She moved off after her guards had completely taken anything of value off the Kaguya.

"Walk with me," she said in your direction, "and tell me a little bit about yourself. I didn't quite catch your name before." Now was your chance to address another required skill of the ANBU-unit. Persuasion and manipulation. Although not the most easy of jobs, if you became good at it you could accomplish almost anything. Should you follow, the four of you would walk along the path leading toward the compound where you were required to be.

[/justify]

[Naitome]

Caught by Akashita's blade, my opponent is dead seconds before his body collapses to the ground, and as he falls, I palm his face with my free hand and push him the rest of the way down with contempt. My face turns up in an arrogant sneer as those gathered clap appreciatively and when the red-headed woman approaches, I lick my lips and look her up and down with exaggerated sexual intensity.

Ren.....Rennnnnnn......indeed, indeed. You'll find my performance exceptional in..quite a few areas sweetheart..if you catch my drift...

The name's Kosakana Hozuki luv, and i'll walk with you anywhere you want to take me.

It is easy to convince others that one is a fool; men such as the one I now portray, lascivious conceited killers, are common enough in every part of the world that the deception is too close to truth to be uncovered. I lick my lips again, hands poised as if every second is a challenge not to grope her against her will, and laugh heartily as I add

They sure don't make em like you in Kiri...

So long as she thinks of me as preoccupied with my own lustful agenda, she will more easily ignore anything strange she might catch me do as a function of accomplishing that agenda. If I am somewhere I am not supposed to be, and she finds me, I knew you would come to me, I've been waiting for you all day. If I am listening to her speak with Jak too closely, I was making sure my girl wasn't off getting fancy with the boss man. I carry on in the same accent, it is not difficult. I slowly feel myself becoming this 'Kosakana Hozuki', and instead of feeling disgust or rage or disillusionment, I save these feelings for a time when I might need to accurately convey emotions that are attached to them.

She has asked me about myself. I feel it necessary to comply, but also, to protect against any future problems that may arise from anyone trying to have my 'identity' confirmed.

I came from the Hidden Mist, savvy? Long bit o' boring as shit that was, couldn't even rightly be a member of me own family. I'm Hozuki but I can't...liq---liquididifa---what's it...you know the bloody word, turn to water like a good little bunch of fucken freaks....

....i prefer the more...physical pleasures of having a real body...

And I flash her a grin yet again, following her to the compound. I do not need to press her for information just yet, I am here to kill a man. She will take me to him, or I will find him on my own. If I rush into questioning too soon, Ren will be put off by far more than just my seemingly voracious appetite for her. I wait. I bide my time.

They're all, already dead.

[Yox]

At first, Ren attempted to ignore his over-the-top response to winning the battle. His victory was nothing special. It was Hakimoto's time to go. If only they had met when the Kaguya ninja was in his prime. Perhaps then, the results would have been different. But, the gloating continued. She did not appreciate any of it one bit, developing an accumulation of distaste for the lad within her stomach. It was time to lay down the ground rules for the new recruit.

"First of all," she announced to him as they walked along the path, "you're going to need a reality check. You'll be referring to me as Madam R, nothing else. Secondly, you will not make any further cheesy remarks in my direction concerning my beauty. You're lucky you are some use to me. Otherwise, you would've been put to death back with your friend back there." She was alluding to the Kaguya man who had just been slain.

The road was long ahead of them. There was much walking to do, which meant a prolonged time period they needed to spend together. It was time for Kosakana to perhaps change his persona. He wasn't appealing to the woman at all. Her growing distaste for the boy would only lead to his dislocation from her inner trust circle. Perhaps when they arrived at the compound, she would even just throw him on guard duty outside the compound itself.

Her facial expression and tone in her voice clearly accentuated her inner feelings for what the boy was saying. Ren was the type of woman that provided benefits to people on her good side. If you were unlucky to fall on her bad side... then the remainder of your life would be turned into a misery. As for now though, Kosakana remained in the middle of the two sides. How he acted for the rest of the walk would determine his potential employment future.

"You're very disrespectful to your Hidden Village and your family. Though, that would probably be why you've turned into a rogue. We at the Jaq Conglomerate focus on the idea of family. The organisation is one big family with Mr. Jaq as the head. And no one dogs on the family. Remember that," she spoke whilst inspecting her surroundings. Behind her, the two guards shifted closer to shove you from her personal space.

"So tell me... Kosakana. Why are you listed as a rogue-ninja? What did you do to cause your exile from the village?" She was interested in your past. You could often judge people from their history. Akuharu better had been a quick thinker. Too much delay and she would be onto his lies in an instant. He was to choose his words very carefully, ensuring that he didn't contradict anything that he had already brought forward. Madam Ren listened intently.

[Naitome]

First of all....I was the Kage's personal guard before I went missing, savvy? In case you don't realize, he's a jinchuuriki, a bloody demon, and if he couldn't put me to death, your flunkies definitely don't have a shot. Second of all...your beauty, Ren, was merely something I chose to speak on to try and be friends, luv. No need to get snippy cause these blokes are too scared to tell you you're a catch. S'not a crime to be appreciative. Yer a strong woman, that much is crystal, don't know how you became the leader of anything if you can't handle a little admiration.

It is important to test the boundaries of her authority. As I have already planned out the destruction of her compound, I do not need to be on the inside, there will no doubt be far too many within who might compromise my position. I do not need to be watched. I do not even need to be close to this 'Jak' in order to kill him. But I do not wish to antagonize her to the point of complete non-cooperation, only to remind her that I am not easily impressed. Regardless of her response to me, all that needs to be reinstated is that I am a hardened criminal, a thug, and that there are easy ways for her to manipulate me into compliance. But the threat of being 'liked' cannot be one of those ways.

I wasn't...exiled...from my village, luv.

My voice takes on a genuine sadness, and as we walk, I stare out, into the night air, at the dark clouds gathering before us.

I..I had to leave. The people who were supposed to be my family, to be loyal to me, to care for me more than anything else...they were...ashamed of me.

'What sort of Hozuki can't even turn to water?' they said. I wasn't one of them. No matter what I did, who I protected, even when I couldn't be defeated, even when I'd fought in wars for them and protected Kirigakure, even when I nearly died preventing big funny hat's death on an away mission. Nothing I did mattered, because I wasn't...right. I wasn't Hozuki enough for my family, and I wasn't human enough for my 'friends'. You say this 'organization' is a family, that you don't dog on your family, well...my family's done enough of that to me to last a lifetime.

So that's why I left.

I finish speaking and look down at the ground, as if deep in thought, reminiscing on the memories of the 'past'. I do not look at Ren, nor care when her flunkies push me to the side to place distance between us. I walk slowly, preoccupied. If her anger at my initial statement outweighs her focus on my second statement, if she does not jump at the chance the personal information I have revealed gives her to further manipulate me, then I will know that she is incompetent. No capable crime boss would rather be mad than gain power over another, and I am too distraught as bait for her to overlook.

We will be near enough the compound that if I am forced to kill them all soon, I can simply destroy the entire building to fulfill my mission. But I must first be certain that this 'Jak' is inside.

[Yox]

She walked ahead of him with her head facing the front, seemingly uninterested in what he had to say. Though deep down, she recorded every key detail. She took it on herself to learn the key characteristics of all the employees of the organisation. This way, she was able to tell the weak from the strong; those who had potential from those who could simply be let go. It was an important skill to have as a businesswoman. Learning your employees was mandatory.

"You have quite a story," she said without any real tone in her voice. It was hard to tell her feelings on the matter from how she spoke, yet Kosakana would be able to tell that she was slowly starting to appreciate his company. Although he continued to offer her cheesy compliments on her beauty, she considered whether there would be a place for him after all in the organisation. It was all built on trust though, one could not simply waltz right in.

It was a hard life; operating within a criminal organisation. There were always people out there to get you. One could not simply lend trust out to everyone, because honour and comradery meant nothing to people out here. Only the strong survived, and the weak were left out of the history books. It made you really wonder sometimes. Was this the life they really wanted? Sure it was eventful. Sure it was exciting. But deep down, everything was fake.

Ahead of them stood the compound of the Jaq Conglomerate. It was a very shady looking building, extravagant nonetheless. The gates were tall and wide, ranging to about fifteen metres in height. The compound itself stood taller, at least as high as twenty-five metres. It was a mighty building for a mighty organisation. A large symbol was placed at the front of the main building, a single letter J within. This was the place Kosakana was looking for.

The four of them quickly entered the gates into the compound grounds. He was inside, finally. Every single move he made next would determine his fate in the success of his mission. If one thing was out of order, if he even gave himself away at any point, bad things would occur. From the looks that other workers gave him on arrival, they already disproved of him. But the looks shouldn't have really phased him. He was finally where he needed to be.

"I'm going back to my private chambers. No, that is not an invitation for you to join me. Go clean yourself up, you look like a mess. Washroom facilities are over there," she pointed to the east side of the compound. This would be Kosakana's opportunity to explore the compound on his own. Every move was crucial to ensure success. It couldn't be stressed enough the danger that was currently placed on his life. He was in an unknown world with unknown people.

"You'll be called upon later. Don't go getting yourself lost, or worse - killed. Simply follow the signs and I'll find you later. Remember, there are eyes everywhere around here. Don't try anything stupid." She was hinting to the various cameras that were in an elevated position throughout the compound. Kosakana needed to tap into another crucial aspect of the ANBU organisation. Stealth. From there, the woman and her goons left his presence.

Go on, young ANBU.

[/justify]