Rinko looked out at the grimy streets, a befuddled look on her face. "What the..." She lifted her hand to her head, and felt her familiar green hat instead of the headscarf she'd been forced to wear upon entering the cloister. Looking down, the burlap tunic was replaced by her favorite blouse and skirt. "But...I...how?" The last she remembered, the tanuki girl was deep undercover in the Magdalene Order, seeking out a fellow kunoichi who had gone missing. Yet here she stood in the crowded streets of the Susukino District. "Crap...the Magdalene arc must not be finished in the manga.........I'm in filler territory now." She shuddered at the realization, but quickly recovered. "Hmm...question is, will this be a whole arc of filler? Or just a few episodes..."
Rinko began walking the streets, observing her environment to get a better idea of what the day had in store for her. It seemed she'd been tossed into the shadier areas of the district, if the grubby street vendors and occasional hookers were anything to go by. Shit! I hope this isn't actually a hentai spin-off. I'm a real kid! Not some thousand-year-old loli that only looks like a thirteen-year-old. Rinko distanced herself from the sleazy individuals and instead turned her attention to the merchants. There were odd objects, ranging from black market goods to unknown doodads that some people seemed embarrassed buying.
However, as Rinko neared the end of the seedy area, a certain table caught her eye. A middle-aged man sat with three cups and a ball. The tanuki girl frowned. "Ugh. That old trick? Pops taught me that years ago." She watched as a drunken woman stumbled by and placed a bet at the table. As expected, the 'magician' placed the ball under a cup and began shifting them around. Rinko's eyes honed in, analyzing all movement on the table. She smirked as she watched the man flick the ball into the left sleeve of his kimono. The female pointed at the middle cup, and Rinko shook her head. Sucks to be her. I wonder if she'll go another round? The inebriated lady continued placing bets, guessing a cup, and stomping her foot in frustration. Eventually she waddled off, leaving the con-artist a much richer man. Rinko wondered if she could get a cut of that cash, and decided to give it a try.
First, Rinko ducked into a nearby alley. Finding a musty trash can, she hid behind it and transformed. There was no way anyone would allow a child to play, especially if they knew she was a kunoichi-in-training. She stepped out of the alleyway a much older individual, appearing at least in her twenties. She twirled a lit pipe in her hand, and despite never taking a puff, aromatic smoke billowed around her. Gone were her ears and tail, and her green hat took the shape of a leafy hairpin. Rinko approached the table and pulled her scarf down from her mouth to display a small smirk. "Might I give it a shot?" The man huffed and motioned to a spot on the table. "As long as ya got the yen, sweet-thing." She placed a bill on the table and nodded. The man began shuffling the cups around, and Rinko pulled back at her vision. Like Papa always says, the key to insight is taking in as much of the picture as possible. Her unfocused eyes caught the tilt of the cup, and she caught a glimpse of the small ball slipping into his left sleeve as expected. As the man motioned to the now unmoving cups, Rinko leaned forward and tugged at her scarf yet again. Her voice was but a whisper. "That's cute. Now how much are you going to pay me to not call you out as a cheat for slipping the ball into your left sleeve?" The man glowered at this new challenge. "Listen toots, do ya really think anyone is gonna listen or care if ya call me out? You're just some little slut who thinks she's so clever. Well the joke's on you, bitch. People are watchin' and waitin' for ya to pick a cup, and unfortunately for you, they're all empty. Now take your loss and get outta here."
Rinko straightened and looked around. The man was right, a few people had watched her make the bet and were gathering around when they saw her conversing with the con-man. She adjusted her glasses and eyed the small crowd. She returned her gaze to the man and held up three fingers. "How about we triple my bet?" The man cocked an eyebrow, but guffawed all the same. "Sure lady." He leaned his right elbow on the table and lowered his chin into his hand. "But don't come cryin' to me when ya lose all your savings." Rinko turned to the crowd and shrugged her shoulders. "My, how confident. What do all of you think? Am I Lady Luck incarnate?" As the small mob of spectators called out their answers, the transformed tanuki made eye contact with each individual in the audience. Her eyes glistened with each gaze she met. Turning back to the cups, she gave the man behind the desk a wink and pointed at the middle cup. He lifted it with a smirk, only for the cup to clatter to the ground moments later. There, on the table, was the ball. The con-artist sputtered as he stared at it and the crowd burst into a cheer. Rinko held out her hand to the man and motioned to her palm. "I believe that's triple the winnings?" The disgruntled man paid up, and Rinko slipped the money into a pocket in her sleeve.
Leaving the gambling station behind, Rinko smirked behind her scarf. Who needs sleight of hand when you can just force people's minds to see what you want? The tanuki stopped at a wall and leaned against it. As she pulled out her new earnings, she couldn't shake the fear that another shinobi had seen her abuse of power and would call her out on it at any moment. "Pfft. How unlikely is that? What is this, a filler episode? ........Shit."
Rinko began walking the streets, observing her environment to get a better idea of what the day had in store for her. It seemed she'd been tossed into the shadier areas of the district, if the grubby street vendors and occasional hookers were anything to go by. Shit! I hope this isn't actually a hentai spin-off. I'm a real kid! Not some thousand-year-old loli that only looks like a thirteen-year-old. Rinko distanced herself from the sleazy individuals and instead turned her attention to the merchants. There were odd objects, ranging from black market goods to unknown doodads that some people seemed embarrassed buying.
However, as Rinko neared the end of the seedy area, a certain table caught her eye. A middle-aged man sat with three cups and a ball. The tanuki girl frowned. "Ugh. That old trick? Pops taught me that years ago." She watched as a drunken woman stumbled by and placed a bet at the table. As expected, the 'magician' placed the ball under a cup and began shifting them around. Rinko's eyes honed in, analyzing all movement on the table. She smirked as she watched the man flick the ball into the left sleeve of his kimono. The female pointed at the middle cup, and Rinko shook her head. Sucks to be her. I wonder if she'll go another round? The inebriated lady continued placing bets, guessing a cup, and stomping her foot in frustration. Eventually she waddled off, leaving the con-artist a much richer man. Rinko wondered if she could get a cut of that cash, and decided to give it a try.
First, Rinko ducked into a nearby alley. Finding a musty trash can, she hid behind it and transformed. There was no way anyone would allow a child to play, especially if they knew she was a kunoichi-in-training. She stepped out of the alleyway a much older individual, appearing at least in her twenties. She twirled a lit pipe in her hand, and despite never taking a puff, aromatic smoke billowed around her. Gone were her ears and tail, and her green hat took the shape of a leafy hairpin. Rinko approached the table and pulled her scarf down from her mouth to display a small smirk. "Might I give it a shot?" The man huffed and motioned to a spot on the table. "As long as ya got the yen, sweet-thing." She placed a bill on the table and nodded. The man began shuffling the cups around, and Rinko pulled back at her vision. Like Papa always says, the key to insight is taking in as much of the picture as possible. Her unfocused eyes caught the tilt of the cup, and she caught a glimpse of the small ball slipping into his left sleeve as expected. As the man motioned to the now unmoving cups, Rinko leaned forward and tugged at her scarf yet again. Her voice was but a whisper. "That's cute. Now how much are you going to pay me to not call you out as a cheat for slipping the ball into your left sleeve?" The man glowered at this new challenge. "Listen toots, do ya really think anyone is gonna listen or care if ya call me out? You're just some little slut who thinks she's so clever. Well the joke's on you, bitch. People are watchin' and waitin' for ya to pick a cup, and unfortunately for you, they're all empty. Now take your loss and get outta here."Rinko straightened and looked around. The man was right, a few people had watched her make the bet and were gathering around when they saw her conversing with the con-man. She adjusted her glasses and eyed the small crowd. She returned her gaze to the man and held up three fingers. "How about we triple my bet?" The man cocked an eyebrow, but guffawed all the same. "Sure lady." He leaned his right elbow on the table and lowered his chin into his hand. "But don't come cryin' to me when ya lose all your savings." Rinko turned to the crowd and shrugged her shoulders. "My, how confident. What do all of you think? Am I Lady Luck incarnate?" As the small mob of spectators called out their answers, the transformed tanuki made eye contact with each individual in the audience. Her eyes glistened with each gaze she met. Turning back to the cups, she gave the man behind the desk a wink and pointed at the middle cup. He lifted it with a smirk, only for the cup to clatter to the ground moments later. There, on the table, was the ball. The con-artist sputtered as he stared at it and the crowd burst into a cheer. Rinko held out her hand to the man and motioned to her palm. "I believe that's triple the winnings?" The disgruntled man paid up, and Rinko slipped the money into a pocket in her sleeve.
Leaving the gambling station behind, Rinko smirked behind her scarf. Who needs sleight of hand when you can just force people's minds to see what you want? The tanuki stopped at a wall and leaned against it. As she pulled out her new earnings, she couldn't shake the fear that another shinobi had seen her abuse of power and would call her out on it at any moment. "Pfft. How unlikely is that? What is this, a filler episode? ........Shit."
Rinko's womanly figure burst into a cloud of smoke. When it cleared, a tiny raccoon girl remained. As she recovered from her sneeze, the gambling man pointed at her and shouted. 
As the two in the back moved to the main area, an old man in a straw hat opened the entrance hall door. 