The Search for the Missing Citizens [Mission|Kunashi]

[Kazu]

Search for the Missing Citizens! — C-Rank Mission
"Investigate the disappearance of some local townspeople, and bring them back safely."

"Do you think he'll show up?"

"He has to! He's a shinobi after all! He wouldn't skip out...right?"

"Oh my sweet Aiko! Please, please, be okay..."

A small crowd of people, maybe ten or twelve, were gathered around a few tables inside a shop off the beaten path. This wasn't the safest neighborhood in all of Kumogakure, but it was well known to still have families living here. A bit rundown of an area, this part of town was most known for the street brawls that would break out here after a few patrons had too much to drink at a local bar. Rumors even went around about a certain group of criminals, infamous around Kumogakure for their brutality and resourcefulness, known as the Yakuza. However, an event involving the crime gangs hadn't occurred for a long time.

As they sat there waiting for the young boy to answer their call, the small crowd gathered around to re-read the official mission statement that they'd sent out to Kunashi. It should have already made it to him by now. All they could do was wait for his arrival.

Kumogakure Mission Briefing:
Akuro Kunashi,

You have been selected to take part in a C-Rank mission to aid some local townspeople. They have reported that a couple of their daughters have gone missing these last few days, and are very concerned about their disappearance. You are to meet them at the 'Cloud Nine Goods' shop in the Susukino District. You are to dispatch immediately, and to air on the side of caution considering the location. A full mission report is expected in the coming days.

Signed by the Kumogakure Mission Department, overseen by the Raikage.

• [ooc: Let's begin the mission! Simply arrive at the shop, and we'll get started.]

 

[Akuro Kunashi]

[col]The Susukino District: a dark corner of Kumogakure lit by neon lights of businesses just trying to make it. Both the people and the streets are equally shady. I find myself walking the beaten down streets of the poorer district, avoiding eye contact as I passed. I have no problems here anymore, not like when I was younger. I glance down any dark alley, and the memories come flooding back. That was wen I first met Aiko-sama. The noble man saved me from those teenaged thugs what seems like a lifetime ago. Now I walk, the street urchins catching a glimpse of my headband and skulking back to their shadowy holes. They know better. I take a right down another alley, navigating the cityscape efficiently. It is easy to get lost in areas like this, but my past life in Raiden's Eye has served me well. That city put this one to shame. Kumogakure was like basic mathematics and Raiden's Eye was calculus. Learning my new city was cakewalk in comparison.

Trash littered the streets. The signs of neglect were quite obvious, it seemed that the city officials put more emphasis on the Seki District than here. It is a sad sight. I kick an empty sake bottle to the side of the street, watching it roll into the gutter. I look back up and see the sign in the distance. Cloud Nine Goods, a dimly lit blue neon sign hanging in the dark alley. This is the place I am to rendezvous with some clientele, though it seems they were waiting for me. A group of about a dozen begin to murmur as I approach, noticing me well before I am within speaking distance. I continue on stoically, knowing they are talking about me, wondering if I am sufficient for this mission. I am. I know it, and I will prove it to these people. My stride is confident, calm, collected. I can't let them think that I am nervous about my first mission alone, though Raiden knows I am. My eyes dart around, looking at the faces standing at the shop. I place my left wrist on the hilt of my katana and lean back nonchalantly. Time for introductions, I suppose.

"I am the shinobi Akuro Kunashi. Let's get down to business. I understand your daughters have went missing? Any and all information on the disappearances is welcomed. Don't spare the slightest detail. I want to know the last time you saw your girls, a brief description, and who they may know."

It was a bit formal and straightforward, but when it comes to business, that's how I run things. Wouldn't want to give the parents the idea that I don't care about this mission. I pull out my black book and pencil and begin jotting down notes. No use in wasting my snapshot jutsu on something as simple as this.|[/col]

 

[Kazu]

Search for the Missing Citizens! — C-Rank Mission
"Investigate the disappearance of some local townspeople, and bring them back safely."

The small crowd grew silent, hushing themselves as the young boy arrived. Inquisitive stares and apprehensive glances were what Kunashi got as a greeting. Not exactly the most welcoming. Eventually a voice spoke up; it was one of the men in the back of the group. "So you're Kunashi, eh? Ain't you a little young? You're barely older than our daughters!" Despite the raised eyebrows and weary looks, the group of people didn't quite hesitate when Kunashi tried to push forward with it all. In fact, they seemed to be a little too eager to answer questions. The women started shouting out, "Please save my Aiko, she's just a little girl!" "I remember when my darling Nanami was just a baby, if I'd known this would happen!" However, then they began to squabble amongst themselves, throwing insults and accusations, "I bet it was Nanami's no good boyfriend—he's always been up to no good!" "As if your Suzuki was such a little angel! Don't go mixing my daughter's affairs into this!" "You two don't even care about my sweet little Aiko! She can't even use any jutsu to defend herself yet!" The squabbling was only getting louder, the words of the three fighting ladies blending together to create a cacophony of confusion. They began to get more heated, almost to the point it looked like they were going to start a brawl. Suddenly, a loud banging came from the table as a fist was slammed down on the wood. A booming and hearty voice called out, "QUIET! All of you, stop this nonsense! You're not helping any, and your bickering isn't going to help anyone!" The women grew silent as they ceased their arguing, looking a little ashamed at themselves. The man who'd quelled the arguing was a large man, well built and with a thick curly black beard. His voice sounded like booming thunder. "I'm sorry about this, we're all very distraught. Our daughters went missing a few days ago, and we've been besides ourselves with grief and worry ever since."

Getting back to business, the beefy man settled back down into his seat. He rested his arms on the table as he spoke. "I'm Hayato, Nanami's father. Us families are all neighbors, just a few blocks from here. Not exactly the best neighborhood, but we manage. Around these parts are always some shady characters, but we try not to let our daughters associate with people like them. Nanami, though...she's a bit of a rebel." The man massaged the bridge of his nose, obviously uncomfortable with what he was having to say. "Lately she's been hanging around with some punk from one of the local gangs, despite my disapproval. I never did trust that little grease stain..." Looking as if he had a bad taste in his mouth, Hayato's brow had furled. He looked visibly upset just thinking about it. "Anyways, were there any other questions you had? I'm not quite sure what would be helpful or not. We don't know how they disappeared—they just didn't show up for dinner one night."

[ooc: Decide what your next course of action is. I'll be doing this in a DnD style where I present the environment to you, and you can go around exploring what you want. Ask more questions about things, try things out, and request clarification for various objects if needed. Have fun!]

 

[Akuro Kunashi]

[col]There I was, standing in front of this throng of worried parents. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of homesickness, knowing my own mother would be doing the same. I'm sure it wasn't easy leaving her son in a village all alone, training to become a shinobi at such a young age. She was probably worried sick in those beginnings. But anyway, like any sensible mother would do, the women before me tried to help as they could. However, the blame game started. I was just trying to catch all of the names, writing them down as the accusations were slung from one to the other. Aiko, Suzuki, Nanami. Unfortunately, the question I had asked were now at the back of these worried mothers' minds. I needed to handle this quickly. The ladies kept going, and I could sense the anger brewing into aggression. My left hand grasped the hilt of my katana as the right one lowered my notebook and pencil. I was getting ready to command attention, when from the back I saw a fist raise in the air.

Bang! Just like lightning, the thunder followed soon after. "QUIET!" A man in the back boomed out, ceasing all bickering. I liked this man. He understood that all of the squabbling did nothing, and that it wasn't helping me find their daughters any faster. He apologized to me, and a nodded in acknowledgement. Maybe we could actually get somewhere. I let him continue on in silence, hoping he would inspire the others to speak calmly as well. As I raised my notebook back up and grasped my pencil once more, the man said something about a local gang. My brow furrowed at this. Did the Kage not know of this? Surely they couldn't be but a bunch of thugs, something easily handled by a chuunin. I'd be sure to mention gang activity in my report after the mission, for I felt, and still feel, that it is something to be dealt with. As the man finished with what he thought was helpful, he asked if I needed any more information. All I had gotten were a couple names and a mention of a street gang-thug boyfriend. There had to be something more they could tell me.

"Yes. Hayato-san, you mentioned this boyfriend. Could you tell me which of the local gangs he is with, and where they generally are located? Also, the only names of your daughters I have gleaned from the conversations were Aiko, Nanami, and Suzuki. Are there any more missing? What do these girls look like? Anything that could help me identify them?"

I readied my pencil once more, keeping my wits about me. Surely no one would try to mess with a throng of adults and a teenaged shinobi, but as Junko-sama taught me, you can never be too careful.

Marked for Training
WC - 476​

|[/col]

 

[Kazu]

Search for the Missing Citizens! — C-Rank Mission
"Investigate the disappearance of some local townspeople, and bring them back safely."

Hayato scratched at his beard as he contemplated Kunashi's questions, trying to organize his thoughts so that he wouldn't leave any bit of information out. "There's a few gangs that poke around this area from time to time. You've got the White Lightning, who're generally a bunch of misfits just looking to kill some time. Usually harmless, but they've had some issues before with harassment. Then there's the Jade Dragons. They're a dangerous bunch, known to make a man disappear if he's not careful. Loan sharks and cheats, the lot of them. And then..." Hayato seemed a little disturbed for a moment, flinching before he could really say anything. A hush filled the room as everyone realized what he was saying. Hayato motioned for Kunashi to come a little closer. Whispering into the youth's ear, Hayato's voice was quiet and raspy. "The Brotherhood. Some say they're Yakuza, others say they're a new gang. No one really knows much about them, except they just kinda showed up one day and started taking the other two on. This neighbourhood is something of a turf war now." Looking visibly shaken, Hayato leaned back into his chair. Wiping his face, the older man looked like he was trying to pull himself together. He seemed to be having a rough time of it, too. "I don't know where you'd really find any of them, but the Scurvy Skeleton might be a good place to start. Only the lowest of the low go there." As Kunashi asked his second bout of questions, Hayato seemed relieved to be on a different subject. "Them three are the only ones. I've got some pictures here..."

The large beefy man pulled out a couple of photos from his back pocket, handing them over to the shinobi who had asked for a description of each of them. "Here's a photo of each of them. On the right there is Suzuki. She was always a little overconfident in herself, which sometimes got her into trouble. She always did have a tender heart, though. In the middle is Aiko. A bit shy, and a little naive as well. She's always been a bookworm—usually studies books about shinobi and the like, but she never was able to use chakra. And on the left is my daughter, Nanami. I never was good at figuring out what she was thinking, always so pensive and calm. Like I said, she's been getting herself involved with these gangs, despite my disapproval." The crowd was pretty quiet by now, all of them trying to listen to whatever Kunashi would say next. There was a lot of pressure on the young man to find these lost daughters.