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Such thinking the chūnin found to be flawed. Ones family, the village, the things they dedicate themselves to are always important. But they’re not everything, just connected. Norifumi sighed, and after a short while entered the forestry. It didn’t take long for him to pick up their trail, though it was considerable more difficult now that they were aware of him. Where their tracks took a left, in the direction of the village, his took a right.

There was something he wanted to see. The town of Koichi’s family was a short ways from the village, and well within his time constraints. It was two years since the unfortunate event but if there were any signs of foul play, he trusted himself to find a piece.

Someone was following him. The presence was familiar but not linked to anyone he knew personally. Outside of the forestry, the mountains were significantly easier for a person to be tracked. He thought of setting an ambush, but that became unnecessary as the person’s presence became known. They were getting sloppy or perhaps, emotional? As his destination became clearer, he could feel a murderous intent. Was his pursuer a chūnin from Izumi’s cell?

No.

Norifumi stood over a cliff overlooking the remains of the town. There was nothing there but stone and rock with a few clearings serving as graves. A misty gray lightly covered the town, like dust, and closer inspection showed remains of burned incense. Behind him!

“Satō, Ayame. I believe you’re here to pay your respects?”

She doesn’t say a word and approaches quietly. The murderous intent he feels in her movements, but he’s at ease -- she isn’t here to kill him. By his side now, Norifumi gives her a quick once over. Her hands are clutching a ward of incense as if they were kunai. The thought of ramming them into his remaining eye is probably running through her head right now. After a moment she lets out a sigh. “Leave. This is no place for you.” “I’ve got a lighter, and extra fluid. Let me help.”

“You’re lucky Sensei Gōtō let you live.” Following her words she leaps down and Norifumi follows, an unpleasant expression graces his face briefly. There’s no particular order, they stay at the bottom and go down lighting incense, a moment of silent and some words. The experience isn’t unusual or new to him, but Ayame’s acted as if this was his first time.

As the day progressed well noon, Norifumi found himself shadowing ANBU. This particular task was exhilarating and while the hairs on his body stood on end, his breathing remained minute. His presence had been up until a point unnoticed. The Shinobi he shadowing were a cell of four, three chūnin and jōnin. Currently trekking through

The sun was rising high into the sky as the day carried on. Well past noon but still not midday, Norifumi found himself shadowing ANBU. Currently trekking through the mountain forestry of Kaminari no Kuni, the task was exhilarating. His hairs stood on end, his breathing minute, though his presence was expertly masked and he remained undetected, he suspected not everything was as it seemed. The shinobi he was shadowing was a cell of four, three chūnin and one jōnin. Each one a veteran whose experience numbered his by at least a decade.

Their shadows shifted suddenly, a sharp right turn! After a pause, he promptly mirrored the movements. They’d enter a thicket, the only source of lighting was fading coming from his back. He pursued nonetheless, as his sight became less and less reliable he turned to his other senses. Hearing. The thicker the forest went, the quiet it got and while a ninja could try nothing could mute the sounds of their feet shifting from branch to branch.

Smell. The fragrance of the forest was everywhere, but as he followed behind them (unknowingly realizing the steady closing gap) he could both feel and smell the forest anew as if a breeze had just passed. It got to the point where the thicket of trees had grown so dense that pushing through was a challenge. At least it would have been if not for a path that though new, still offered strong resistance.

And once he pushed through this thicket he was momentarily blinded by the sun’s light and falling! The back of his collar was grabbed by a strong hand, allowing him enough time to regain his footing. “I can see the name Phantom speaks not just of your appearance. But should there not be a good reason to why you’re following us, you will die here.”

Adjusting to the light, he saw the fate that had awaited him had he not been grabbed. The thicket followed the mountain’s precipice leading to a straight drop into jagged rocks welcoming an impaling doom. That would have been his face, and a gentle nudge reminded him, it still was. The voice that spoke was gruff and though he did not recognize it, he could only assume it belonged to the jōnin.

“I’m here to make an inquiry about Hondo, Koichi.”

After reading through the documents provided to him, Norifumi concluded on three strong suspects and an additional five. Out of the eight, two were jōnin, four chūnin and two genin. While he could rule out the genin on a basis of skill and lack of experience necessary to pull off a heist, it was better safe than sorry. Better to start from the bottom and work your way out. Luckily for him, the genin lived within close distance of each other, but that only increased the danger of seeking them out.

They lived on the outskirts of the shinobi district that is to say, they lived in a subsidized housing complex in the poorer section of the village. Genin, Nishi, Haruki was first on the list, he lived in 3H of the apartment and as would be Norifumi’s luck, the genin was free today. Given the nature of his visit, he chose to be a bit more polite and mark his entrance through the door. After three knocks and a momentary pause the door opened.

He was an older shinobi, much older than Norifumi, and at once they were both aware of this fact. “Can I help you?” Haruki asked after a moment not hiding his discomfort. “Coffee, would be great if you have. A small cup, what I have to ask won’t take long.” It was a long moment before Haruki accepted the fact and allowed him inside. “Got nothing to offer you, unfortunately.” A clear lie, but given the state of the apartment receiving a drink would have been the real insult.

“Nishi, Haruki. Yamoto, Issei, and Satō, Ayame are apart of Team 12 lead by Hondo, Koichi. Five years under Sensei Koichi, and in the past two years your entries of the chūnin exams have been unsuccessful.” His eyes wandered, examining the apartment in detail, only to antagonize Haruki who replied with a fierce glare, “And.” “Have you noticed an--” “IF THIS IS ABOUT THAT, YOU CAN JUST LEAVE NOW.” “After such lost,” Norifumi continued in a gentle tone, meeting the man’s burning gaze.

“It is understandable to take time off. But I am not here for that, rather to express. If the trauma is too much to recover from, and you find yourself no longer capable of moving forward. A fresh start is often advised and encouraged, but I think it's important to carry that weight as you travel. And you will one day come to a place where dropping that weight will bring good to you, and those around you. For your time, thank you.”

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler=selling for a total of 30,000 ryo}Satchel
Rank: C
Type: Universal Accessory / Extension / Self
Special: Allows the storage of 5 extra Packs. Available to all ranks, including Non-Ninja. Each satchel takes up one (1) accessory slot. Can only begin with one when creating character!
Description: The Satchel is a simple holding device which can store extra secondary weapons should the user need to call on them quickly in battle. Appearing like a regular carrying, it is hung on one's side or worn at the hip for easy access.
Cost: 30,000 Ryo 15,000 ryo

Breath Mask
Rank: D, C, B, A, S
Type: Universal Accessory / Self
Special: Rank of mask determines the amount of time a user can spend underwater before needing to resurface and recharge the device. It takes a whole turn/post of being outside of the water in order for the apparatus to recharge. Additionally, mask is designed to keep out aerial objects that may harm the user, such as generic poisons and micro-fragments, equal to one rank lower than the rank of the mask. Each mask takes up one (1) accessory slot.
D: 2 turns of underwater breathing
C: 4 turns
B: 6 turns
A: 8 turns
S: 10 turns
Description: With this accessory, the ninja is able to breath underwear for short periods of time. The apparatus appears to be a very small mask, and covers only the nose and mouth of the user. Although, it is quite hard and sturdy, and usually comes in a deep black color.
Cost: 11,000 / 15,000 / 20,000 / 30,000 / 50,000 Ryo 7,500 ryo

Katana
Rank: C
Type: Primary / Sword / Melee
Description: Commonly refereed to as a 'Samurai sword', the katana is characterized by its distinctive appearance: a curved, slender, single edged blade up to three feet in length, circular or squared guard, and long grip to accommodate two hands. As such, it has become renowned for its sharpness and cutting ability.
Cost: 5,000 Ryo 2,500 ryo

Ninjato
Rank: C
Type: Primary / Sword / Melee
Description: Short and straight, this blade takes a similar form of a katana, but without the curvature in the blade. With the blade measuring no more than three feet, and a square guard on top, this weapon has been popularized by many ninja, hence the name.
Cost: 5,000 Ryo 2,500 ryo

Giant Shuriken x2
Rank: C
Type: Secondary / Ranged
Special: 1 per Pack.
Description: Although there is nothing special about these enlarged creation, they are nonetheless deadly. These large shuriken are hurled by the user at an opponent, as their large size increases the damage they inflict on the target as they fly through the air and gain momentum.
Cost: 1000 Ryo per Pack 500 ryo

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler=buying for a total of, uhhh 35,400 ryo}World Recorder
Rank: A
Type: Universal Accessory / Self
Special: Allows the player to record unique locations, such as hidden villages, gates, special event areas, etc. with the use of their chakra. Locations are remembered until they are somehow changed (like hidden village gates, for example). Each recorder takes up one (1) accessory slot.
Description: Given the extreme topographical changes suffered by the world as a result of the Great War, things are no longer as they used to be. However, with the World Recorded equipped, the shinobi will never have to be worried about getting lost again!
Cost: 30,000 Ryo

Karaku (Chaff Grenade)
Rank: B
Type: Tool / Area of Effect
Special: 1 per pack
Description: This specialized grenade is not intended to incur physical harm, but instead aims to disrupt enemy communication across radio waves in a small area. Packed with special metallic components laced in unique chakra, this canister upon impact releases the shards everywhere, resulting in a shower of disruptive frequencies that lasts up to 3 posts. The range is 0 to 30 meters.
Cost: 5,000 per Pack

Kunai (Throwing Knife)
Rank: D
Type: Secondary / Melee + Ranged
Special: 2 per Pack.
Description: This throwing knife is one of the common weapons of a ninja. It is often kept in a holster on the leg in a pouch attached to the belt. What makes it so versatile and universal is the fact the Kunai can be used in conjunction with explosive tags and other weapons to form deadly combos out of simple, easily accessible items.
Cost: 100 Ryo per Pack

Shuriken (Ninja Star)x2
Rank: D
Type: Secondary / Ranged
Special: 5 per Pack.
Description: A shuriken, like kunai, is one of the more basic weapons employed by ninja of all classes. They are sharpened, four-pronged metal stars, no more than a few inches long, and are extremely useful for throwing. Although small, they can be used to distract, or, if accurate enough, to kill. They have an open circle in the center, used for grabbing with a finger, to avoid cutting oneself, or to put thread through. The circle is also a benefit in aerodynamics, as it ensures more accurate trajectories.
Cost: 100 Ryo per Pack

Ninja Wire Strings
Rank: D
Type: Secondary / Ranged
Special: 20 ft. of wire per pack.
Description: Wire Strings can be used for rappelling, manipulating weapons, or to tie down and restrict the movement of an opponent, sometimes even being able to slice through items when generating enough force to do so. They are a useful tool for a shinobi.
Cost: 100 Ryo per pack