[U]ltimate [P]ostal [S]hinobi [Exam/Mission]

[Kogami Ayumu]

Tomo had been all set. At first, it seemed like he had a major pain in store for him. Some judge with questionable authority had ordered him to take his Chuunin exam within a year. For most, that meant a dangerous mission or exam that would test them to see if they were worthy of the rank. Tomo was not about that life. Danger was not his middle name. If he was going to be a Chuunin, he was going to do it his way. A stroke of genius hit him when he saw that “couriers wanted” sign, and when Ayumu bought in to the suggestion Tomo knew he had it made in the shade.

As per Ayumu’s instructions, Tomo arrived at the Sennin’s office first thing in the morning the next day. Ayumu was waiting for him at his desk as usual. The door was open and waiting, the Sennin busily scanning a file in his hands with his feet up on the corner of the desk. Beside Ayumu’s feet, a brown package sat looking well sealed and pristine. There were no labels, only cardboard and carefully applied tape. Ayumu looked up from the file as Tomo entered and greeted him, dropping his feet from his desk.

The mission was explained briefly, as there wasn’t much to the detail. Tomo was to deliver the package on Ayumu’s desk to a noble in Port Cirrus named Kiritsugi Taiga. The man was involved in some local politics at the port and had some notable enemies. The package contained something that his enemies would want, and therefore couldn’t be trusted to be delivered to the port by just any courier. His solution was to send it to Kumogakure instead and then have it delivered by shinobi courier to his home.

After the brief explanation, Ayumu showed Tomo a picture of Taiga:
[spoilername="Kiritsugi Taiga"]

[/spoilername]

With his instructions given, Tomo headed off to the gates. A brief check that he was on a mission and he was allowed through and on his way. The journey to the port took a few days. As Tomo had hoped, it was actually a fairly easy and uneventful journey. On the final day of his trip, he could see the port city on the horizon. Within an hour he was nearly to the city. Could it really be so easy?

No, it couldn’t. Something happened…

--The Next Morning--

The warmth and light of the sun filtering in through half closed blinds touched Tomo’s face and slowly brought him out of a sound slumber. The soft pillow his head rested upon encouraged him to roll away from the light and drift off again, but he couldn’t help a nagging feeling that wouldn’t quite let him return to his dreams. Was there something he had to do today? Wait a minute. Uh oh.

Rising from the bed, realization set in for Tomo. He had been on a mission to deliver a package, and that package was nowhere in sight. Perhaps even more concerning, he had no idea where he was or how he came to be there. He was in a bed, in a pair of PJs- not in the same clothes he had been wearing last he remembered. To his left an IV bag hung on a stand with a line leading directly to Tomo’s arm. The room didn’t exactly look like a hospital room. The walls were painted a faded lime green and the floor was hardwood. The room contained the bed, a chest of drawers, and a dresser as well as a picture or two hanging on the wall with artwork. A single door and a single window were the only points of entry to the room.

Where was he, and why couldn’t he remember getting here?

[OoC: Welcome to your Chuunin exam / B-rank mission! I recommend you try to figure out where the heck you are! You can RP stuff happening before Tomo's blackout in his memory (such as his trip there) if you like, but what happened right before remains a mystery for now~ PM/Skype me if you have any questions.]

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Tomo entered Ayumu's office after a light five knocks to his door. Since he was just delivering a package, he figured his less flashy battle gear would be more appropriate. He was going to be traveling a long way, the less attention he got, the better. Tomo received the mission briefing, giving a nod of understanding. It was simple. Tomo liked simple. He stared at the image of his target carefully. Kiritsugi Taiga seemed like a typical man, nothing overly gaudy. The Chuunin-to-be gave another nod before taking the package. He resisted the urge to tell Ayumu to get a desk ready for him. The cocky idea reminded him too much of Tama, and he pushed the thought away.

Exiting the village gates with his papers all in order, Tomo made a stopped in at the stables. He asked to borrow a saddle with a large carrier pouch, which confused the workers as to why he didn't need a horse to go along with it. Receiving the equipment, Tomo summoned an ink horse and slung the saddle over it. Slipping the package carefully into the pouch, Tomo pulled himself onto his black steed and took off in a gallop.

The journey took awhile, unsurprisingly. Despite his use of his chakra horse, Tomo himself couldn't stay awake the entire night, nor keep the jutsu sustained for so long. He made pit stops along his way, catching some rest, but keeping his wits about him. It made facing Haruki in their game of Go far more challenging, but luckily the specter was still lacking in the strategy department. Finally Tomo could see Port Cirrus, and he urged his ink horse onward. But Tomo let his guard down...

----The Next Morning---​

Tomo's eyelids scrunched as he attempted to block out the sun beating on them. He pulled he crook of his right arm over his eyes, and groaned lightly. He mumbled sleepily to himself. "Dumb sun...how can you get through my tent?" His words floated around in his head for a moment before he shot up. "Crap!" His eyes flicked back and forth, analyzing his surroundings. He wasn't back in the village, he was still on his mission. The room looked like a regular bedroom, that is until he saw the IV stand next to him. He flinched in shock, and ripped the connection out of his arm. His eye twitched at the awkward feeling as it slid out.

Tomo rose from the bed, and noticed he was no longer in his clothes. A mortified expression came to his face. "Who the hell undresses an unconscious guy?!" Tomo tried to pull the robe acting as a shirt closed, but it kept slipping back open. His face flushed, Tomo continued to look around the room, specifically for the package he was previously carrying. It was nowhere to be seen. His eyes glanced to the window, and he had to fight the urge to jump out and make a break back to Kumogakure. He sighed. "I'm pretty sure I'd get flogged for not at least trying to finish the mission." He massaged his forehead with his fingertips as he attempted to drudge up memories from yesterday. "What even happened? I don't remember...Do you Haruki?" There was silence. "H...Haruki?" Tomo's brows furrowed in worry. Whatever occurred, it seemed that it had been enough to knock his ethereal companion out cold too.

With only himself to rely on, Tomo decided to do a quick search. He approached the window and looked out, seeing if any landmarks stood out to him, or if he was perhaps in the port city itself. He analyzed the pictures for but a moment, to see if the images told him anything. He rummaged through the dresser and drawers, hoping to find either his own clothes, or a clue as to who might live here and why they would own an IV stand. Finally, when there was nothing left to investigate, he made his way to the door. He closed his eyes and placed an ear to the door, listening for any conversations or movement.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Tomo shot up boltright from the bed and quickly began to grasp the situation. He was in a strange room in strange clothes. More importantly, somebody had undressed him! Unfortunately, the robe he had been given was a mite big on him and his efforts to keep the front adequately closed were futile. Had any of his numerous fangirls been in the room they would undoubtedly have passed out from their nosebleeds by now. Admirably, Tomo remained determined to try to complete his mission. The most immediate issue with that was that the package was missing, but he couldn't deal with that until he figured out where he was. Inconveniently, Tomo's internal companion had also been knocked out by whatever had gotten to Tomo and couldn't provide him with the answers he sought. As hard as he tried, Tomo himself couldn't remember a thing past first seeing the city.

Leaping to action, Tomo began to search the room thoroughly for clues. He took a look out of the window through the bars and found that he was on the first floor. Outside, a busy street bustled with activity with merchants pushing their goods and several people going about their business. None seemed to pay any mind to the Genin peering through the windows. From what Tomo could gather, he was most likely in Port Cirrus somewhere. Analyzing the pictures did him little good, revealing them to be not but art for art's sake. He then set about going through dresser drawers in hopes of finding something. To his pleasant surprise, he located his clothes! Aside from that, however, everything he found was junk that was likely to be in the drawers of somebody's home. The drawers were surprisingly barren as if the room was usually unoccupied. Nothing that could give him any clue as to who had placed him in this room.

A sound from somewhere else in the building drew Tomo's attention to the door. Hoping to perhaps hear something of value, Tomo crept to the door and quietly placed his ear to the door. Footsteps. Right outside. Without any warning, the door opened and clocked poor Tomo in the side of his head sending him stumbling backwards. "Oh! Oh my... sorry about that, son," a gruff voice with a bit of a country twang to it spoke as the door opened the rest of the way. As soon as Tomo recovered from the knock on his noggin, he looked up to see the man who had stepped into the doorway now. He was about five and a half feet tall, bent over with a slight hunch. His hair was salty gray as was his fairly thick mustache. He wore glasses and a dingy white lab coat upon the shoulder of which sat a black cat that stared at Tomo curiously. The man had a concerned look on his face as he looked at Tomo.

Dr. Hasake​

"I'm Doctor Hasake... Although, some doctor I am, giving my patient another injury..." the doctor said, stepping the rest of the way into the room. He took one glance across the room and noticed the IV had been abandoned. He also couldn't help but notice the general disarray of the room which had been searched. "Hmm.... you must be confused, I understand. This is my clinic, though I know it doesn't look like much. How are you feeling?" the doctor asked, looking Tomo over without approaching any further to give the boy some space. The black cat was less patient and leapt down from the man's shoulder to approach Tomo and get a closer look. Aside from some lingering grogginess, Tomo felt nothing out of the ordinary... aside from a lot of confusion. Perhaps this man could help give him some clarity, if Tomo trusted him at least. The man stood patiently, waiting for Tomo's answer.

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Tomo was thankful to have found his clothes, but decided to continue his investigation for the moment. It would be rather embarrassing to be in the middle of undressing when whoever owned this room came in. Thus, he arrived in time at the door to hear steps approaching. However, his reflexes had been dulled due to him only recently awakening, and he found that his head sharply met the door. He staggered back at the force, but luckily it only amounted in a moment of blurry vision. As his eyes worked to focus, he heard a voice, obviously of an older gentleman. His eyes cleared, and he found himself looking at a mustached man and a black cat.

Tomo rose slowly, keeping an eye on them both, though he felt silly being suspicious of a little kitty on an old man's shoulder. The grayed man introduced himself, and Tomo gave a small bow in response. The man's comment on Tomo's mindset was an understatement, as he felt 'confused' was far too light of a word to use. He looked back at the room, not realizing he'd been so frantic in his search. "Sorry about the mess." Returning his eyes back to the man, Tomo gave another bow. "Mochizuki Tomo, m-" The young man cut off, forgetting that he was on a mission. Listing his occupation and affiliation with his family was unnecessary. He recovered. "My thanks for taking care of me. I can only assume I must have met some accident while on my way to this city. May I ask how I got here, and what condition I arrived in?" Tomo hoped the answer to his questions would spark a memory or five.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Dr. Hakase held up a hand as Tomo apologized for the mess he had made in trying to find clues as to what had happened to him. "Oh no, no apologies necessary... I'll put it all back together later," he said before Tomo bowed and introduced himself. He stopped short of giving out his entire title. Dr. Hakase noticed it, however, and the name seemed familiar to him though he couldn't place the reason why. He kept mulling over the name as Tomo continued, guessing that some accident had befallen him. He wanted to know how he had gotten to Dr. Hakase's clinic, which was an understandable question. "Ah... man named Bikuta- he lives around here- brought you in slumped over his shoulder. Didn't wanna say much at the time and I was a bit more focused on making sure you were alive. He left real quick after helping me get you in bed here. I can give you directions to his house if you want to speak with him... which I imagine you do," Hakase explained, related everything he knew- which wasn't much- to Tomo.

"Now as for your condition. Well you were mostly fine, save for being unconscious. Your clothes were real dirty as I'm sure you'll find. No idea why," the doctor explained, giving Tomo a moment to look at his clothes. He would find that they were, as the doctor said, real dirty. Filthy, in fact, with dirt. It was much more than Tomo remembered, even considering that he had been traveling for days. "See? Now I ran some tests and found that you were drugged. Upon inspection I found a needle puncture wound on your neck. Not sure what you were mixed up in but it sounds like you're lucky you got away with just that. I'd tell you to be more careful in who you associate with, but," Hakase said, pausing briefly as his eyes stopped on Tomo's forehead protector. He knew what the symbol meant, and knew that Tomo was most likely not at the port for a pleasure cruise.

"I'll let you get dressed while I write down some directions for you. If you have any more questions, I'll be right on the other side of the door," the doctor said, turning and stepping out the door. The cat remained, staring ever curiously at Tomo, but then he meow'd and followed Hakase out just before the door was shut. Tomo was left alone to change, though he could hear the doctor rummaging in a drawer for a pencil just outside.

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Tomo bowed deeply to the man after hearing his answers. "Thank you very much sir. I would be most grateful for directions." As Dr. Hakase left the room, Tomo dressed himself with relative speed. He checked to make sure all his equipment was with him, which it was, and placed them in their appropriate pockets and pouches. Tomo instinctively rubbed his neck, swearing he could feel where the needle went in now that he knew his condition. He dusted off his clothes as best he could, but he might as well be dressed in brown than orange now. Tomo looked up at nothing. "You awake yet Haruki?" There was still silence.

The Mochizuki opened the door when he was finished. He scanned outside to see what the area looked like before approaching the doctor. Tomo said the name of the man a few times in his head. Bikuta, Bikuta, Bikuta. Once the name was committed to memory, Tomo gave the doctor another bow. "Thank you again sir. I don't have much yen on me, but if you give me an amount I owe, I can repay you when my family or I return to the port." Tomo was being sincere. It didn't matter how nice a person was, they still needed yen to eat like the rest of the world. Once their exchange was complete, Tomo would head for the address the doctor gave, keeping an eye out for his package as he did.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Outside the room, Dr. Hakase quickly jotted down the directions to Bikuta's home for Tomo. He waited until Tomo was finished changing and then looked over at him as he left the room and approached. He raised his eyebrows as Tomo bowed and vowed to repay him for his services. "Hmm, well if you insist... it seems like you've had a run of bad luck though, so I won't ask for any more than the cost of the drugs administered," Dr. Hakase said as he handed the directions over to Tomo. He wasn't in the business to make a profit, truly, although if he did nothing but charity he'd eventually no longer be able to help himself let alone his patients. Suddenly, it clicked with him where he had heard Tomo's name.

"Now I remember where I heard your name... my granddaughter is always talking about your troupe. If you really want to repay me, could I have your autograph for her? She would be thrilled I'm sure," Dr. Hakase said, seeing an opportunity to spoil his granddaughter that he couldn't pass up. If Tomo obliged he would grateful thank him, otherwise he'd say he understood. Regardless, he bid Tomo farewell. "Take care of yourself- try not to end up here again. Oh... and mind yourself with Bikuta. He's real friendly and all, don't get me wrong... I just get a weird feeling from him. Like everything's not as it seems," the doctor offered a warning, waving at Tomo before closing the door and allowing him to be on his way.

The trip to the house he was being directed to was a short one, only a couple of blocks from Dr. Hakase's clinic. The house itself looked normal, just about like the rest of them on the street if perhaps a little more worn down. It was only one story with a few windows here and there, all obscured by curtains inside, and a front and a back door. Now that he had arrived, Tomo had to decide what he was going to do next...

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Tomo's face displayed his shock at the doctor's realization. However, it morphed quickly into a smile. "I would be more than happy to." He pulled out a notebook and tore a page from it. Holding it up in his left hand, he gave the page a flick. It turned a shade of lavender and stiffened slightly. Switching it to his right, Tomo took his brush, wet it with ink, and scribbled down his signature in a rather fancy font. He blew on it for but a second, and the ink dried instantly. Tomo held the sheet out to the man. "The next time we're in the area, I'll see if I can't get a discount on a ticket or four if you like."

With the doctor's worry and warning stored away in his brain, Tomo gave a final bow of thanks before heading towards his new destination. He couldn't resist grumbling to himself as he did. "Just had to lose the package, didn't you Tomo? What's that saying? Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong? Story of my life." Tomo's mind felt a bit empty as there was no response yet from his spectral bodymate. Oohoohoohoo...what a ridiculous laugh. Tomo would never admit to Haruki, but he was actually a bit worried.

Reaching the location fairly quickly, Tomo examined the house. It wasn't anything really special, but that meant nothing. Expect the unexpected, especially when your mission involves getting randomly drugged right before succeeding. Tomo leaned against a nearby building as he weighed his options. Dr. Hakase had said that Bikuta was a generally nice, friendly man. However, it was hard for Tomo to imagine anyone treating the kind doctor poorly. Tomo, on the other hand, was an effeminate guy who was too scrawny to intimidate but too tall to be pitied. His brows furrowed. The man had purposely brought Tomo to the hospital, pro. He hadn't said a word. Con. Tomo wasn't wounded after being drugged, pro. The man didn't stick around, con. This guy was an utter mystery, a grab-bag. The Mochizuki shook his head. "I don't have time for this." He was over-thinking, a habit that, while sometimes good, was not so good when in a time-crunch. The young man had no idea what was in that package. If he didn't hurry and hopefully find it before it was opened, he may never be able to locate it again.

Taking in a breath, Tomo kicked himself off the wall. He approached the door to the house and gave five knocks. He would meet this man head-on. No sneaking, no transformations. Starting things out with dishonestly would only hurt him later if discovered. Besides, luck favors the bold...was that how it went? Tomo hoped that was correct.

[WC: 459]
[MFT]

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Tomo knocked upon the door and waited boldly for an answer. Several moments passed and then at last sound came from the other side of the door. A lock was undone, and then another, and then another, and then one final lock undone. The door creaked open about five inches and stopped short held by a chain- one last security measure. Through the crack, a man peaked out to see who was there. His features were quite harsh and masculine, his jaw square. Through the door, Tomo could see that this he was quite tall and large. Underneath his furrowed brows, he practically glared at Tomo from the dim interior of his home.

Bikuta​

"Oh..." the man said, upon seeing Tomo, "It's you." He appeared distressed upon seeing Tomo, but it sounded as though he expected him. "I know why you're here... hold on," the man said, sighing before shutting the door. The sound of the chain falling against the door was followed by the door opening up. The man stepped aside to allow Tomo to pass inside. "Hurry inside," he said, peering past Tomo and looking around outside to check for prying eyes.

Once Tomo was inside, the man quickly locked the door back up and gave a sigh as he rested his back against the door. "I'm guessin' you're here to find out what happened to you," Bikuta said, scratching the back of his head. "Look, whatever you're mixed up in, I don't want to be a part of it, okay?" he insisted, picking himself up off the door and walking past Tomo. "All I know is that yesterday I happened to see Be- er, some folks tossin' you in a hole and throwin' dirt in on you. Given the state you were in... I bet they planned for you to suffocate and stay there. Lucky you, they got out of there without making sure and I had the chance to dig you out real quick," Bikuta explained, his eyes darting here and there as he spoke. He walked over to a nearby window and held the curtain aside slightly to glance outside.

"I don't know anything else," he finally said, his back turned to Tomo. It was pretty obvious that he wasn't telling the whole truth about something. His entire demeanor had been nervous and dodgy the whole time.

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Tomo's body tensed as he saw the manly features of Bikuta appear between the crack. While Tomo was a shinobi, he still was nervous when it came to muscular individuals. All it would take is a snap of his arm or two, and Tomo would be useless in a fight. However, the man's demeanor was filled with apprehension, which Tomo took to be better than rage. He slipped into the house, as was urged of him, and placed a hand on his hip. The large man explained his side of the event to Tomo, and the Genin shuddered lightly. He'd already been through quite the ordeal with Earth during his training with Kotsuko and Junko. Now he'd almost been buried alive? Apparently the Earth was out to get him.

The Mochizuki gave Bikuta a smile and bow. "Thank you. It was overly kind of you to save me. I very much appreciate it." Tomo straightened and crossed his arms. "But my life will be forfeit if I don't complete my mission. I'm going to need to pay a visit to whoever it was that decided to bury me alive. In order to do that, I need details." Tomo gave a single nod. "I'm sure you are hesitant to supply me with such information, as you don't want it coming back to you." Tomo pointed to his headband. "But I've got a few tricks up my sleeve that will help ensure that this doesn't come back to you." Tomo already was formulating a possible plan of action. However, he was going to need a name and location to pull it off.

[WC: 270]
[MFT]

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Bikuta​

Bikuta turned back to face Tomo as the Genin smiled and bowed in thanks for the rescue. Bikuta rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, uncomfortable with the sincere display of thanks. He walked over to a chair and took a seat as Tomo explained that he needed to find out who had buried him. His head dropped for a moment as he scratched his head and then looked up in time to see Tomo point to his headband. Bikuta blinked a few times and then squinted his eyes staring at the headband. All at once, his eyes widened and he lurched back in his chair in shock. "You're a shinobi? From Kumogakure?" Bikuta asked, taken aback. In his defense, Tomo's appearance did not fit the common stereotype of the violent and deadly Kumogakure shinobi. What the common public didn't realize was that shinobi came in all different kinds of packages. Truthfully, a docile appearance was actually a great tool for a shinobi at times.

"Aw, crap..." Bikuta uttered, hanging his head once more and rubbing his head. It was clear that he did not realize until now that Kumogakure was involved in the situation. He was now tasked with deciding who he was more afraid of. "Look, you did not hear this from me," he prefaced, sitting back up and placing his hands on his knees. He'd made his decision. He glanced at the window nervously and then cleared his throat. "The guy you're looking for... his name is Benni," Bikuta said in a near whisper. "If you go into the entertainment district of the town... go down the street and hang a left on Vegasu Road... there's a casino called Topsu where you'll find him. He's the management, but you'll usually find him skulking around somewhere chatting up customers out on the casino floor," Bikuta explained.

Sighing, clutched his head in his hands and rubbed his temples. "I hope you're right about those tricks of yours... if this comes back to me, I'm dead," Bikuta said, leaning back in his chair to see if Tomo was satisfied with his answers. Benni and his crew were a frightening bunch, but they weren't a shinobi village. As far as Bikuta was concerned, they earned whatever Tomo was bringing their way by messing with a shinobi and not making sure he was dead.

[OoC: Sorry about the delay Tomo, as you know IRL has been busy! >_< But hey, it was cool to see you guys again. Munchkins sure was fun, right? I'll try to get my posting speed back up now that things have settled down.]

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Tomo gave a bow of gratitude. "Thank you Bikuta. You have not only aided me once, but twice. Your secret is safe with me. And please do not hesitate to call upon me if you should require it. I hope to one day return the favor." Though Tomo was not a compassionate man, he did have a sense of justice. Also, he preferred to not be indebted to another if he could help it. "Send a message to Mochizuki Tomo if you are in need of me." It was time for Tomo to leave, and he would be true to his word to keep Bikuta free of blame. "I think I'll use your back door if you don't mind." Tomo formed a hand seal and ink from his well gushed forth. It created a spinning vortex around the Genin for a brief moment before returning to its container. Now standing in the place of Tomo was a woman with long black hair tied into a ponytail. Her maroon dress was skin-tight, and split rather close to her nether region in order to show off her thighs. Her calf-high combat boots gave her a tough appearance, as did her sharp grey eyes. She gave Bikuta a smile as she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Be seeing you." Though more feminine than before, Bikuta would be able to hear the familiar sound of Tomo's voice. Though he wasn't the most skilled at Transformation jutsu, Tomo's disguise should be enough to fool the average citizen.

Tomo exited the house and made his way to the entertainment district. It wasn't all that hard, even during the daytime, and he found the place he was searching for. As he approached it, Tomo prayed that no one got a good look at his original appearance while they were burying him. Though his body was certainly that of a woman, his lack of talent in this jutsu meant he couldn't change his eyes. They were exactly the same as they were. He also couldn't make his hair anything other than black or blue. He made a mental note to train this jutsu better when he returned home...if he returned home. He would need that package delivered first.

And in order to do that, he needed to do some surveillance. He scanned the building from the front, looking for suspicious items or people to note. Without hesitation, he made his way to the door and attempted to open it. Though casinos were often open all day, it was possible that this one might not be. If he could get in, Tomo would head to the Blackjack table and exchange 2500 yen for chips to play. He preferred this game to most. It was one with calculations, something he favored over dumb luck. While he was playing, Tomo would look around a bit to get a feel for the layout of the casino. Ideally, he wished to find a possible room where Benni or his goons might stay. Hopefully it would be on the ground level for his plan to pan out.

If the casino was closed, then he would have to execute his big plan far sooner than he hoped.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Bikuta​

Bikuta sighed as Tomo thanked him and assured him that this wouldn't come back to him. He didn't care so much about having a favor owed to him, he just wanted to be sure he didn't end up the one buried next time. "Sometimes this big heart of mine just gets me in trouble," he muttered, though truthfully his helping Tomo in this case had more to do with his weariness of crossing Kumogakure. As for why he opted to dig Tomo up in the first place, perhaps it really was just good will. Bikuta nodded in agreement as Tomo suggested he would use the rear door. He was more than happy to jump on the prospect of one less opportunity to be seen with the shinobi.

As soon as the ink began swirling around Tomo, Bikuta nearly jumped out of his seat, backing up against a wall. Of course, he wasn't used to seeing Ninjutsu so he was understandably alarmed when Tomo used it. His eyes wide, Bikuta watched as Tomo's appearance was obscured briefly by the ink only to reveal somebody else entirely when the ink subsided. "Wha-" Bikuta uttered, blinking a few times and then rubbing his eyes in disbelief of what he was seeing.

"You're a chick?!" Bikuta exclaimed in shock. To be truthful, when he first dug Tomo up he wasn't entirely certain he was a guy but by now he had convinced himself of it. Now this new appearance, clearly feminine, just had him utterly confused on the matter. Bikuta simply remained against the wall as Tomo depearted, his eyes still wide and mouth slightly agape in awe. As soon as Tomo had left, he relaxed slightly, rubbing his face. "I need a drink..."

---

As Tomo approached the Topsu casino, easily identified by the bright neon sign on top of the three story building, he noticed how much it stood out from the rest of the area. It was lined from top to bottom with flashing lights that drew attention to it. By comparison, the other buildings nearby didn’t look much different than anything Tomo had seen thus far. It looked like somebody had put a decent amount of money into the appearance. Topsu casino was clearly doing just fine for itself.

Heading up the leading stairs to the entrance, Tomo found the front to be lined with glass allowing him to peer inside to the sea of lights within. Countless slot and pachinko machines lined the left side of the floor while numerous card tables for various games as well as roulette wheels filled the remaining space. Before Tomo were numerous revolving glass doors through which he could see the wonders inside. There was no question as to whether the casino was open, as patrons were already inside gambling their savings away.

Going through the revolving door, Tomo entered the casino and scanned the room for a blackjack table which he easily spotted. After exchanging some yen for chips, he began playing sitting alongside a few other patrons. Tomo began to explore the room with his eyes, careful not to draw attention to himself as he worked to blend in as just another patron. Although nothing immediately caught his eye, another sense came through for him. A laugh came from across the room. It was a bit nasally and somewhat annoying, but otherwise wouldn’t have stood out if it hadn’t been so familiar. Tomo turned to see where the laugh had come from and witnessed a man in a black tux, leaning against one of the card tables and chatting up some of the guests.

???​

The sight of this man's face triggered a memory to play in Tomo's mind.

Everything was dark, and then his eyes opened slowly to see the evening sky above him. Not just the sky, though. Two men with shovels on either side of the hole he was in. Tomo could feel dirt falling on his chest in intervals as his vision blurred slightly only to focus one last time when a third person entered his line of sight. Standing over him was a man in a black tux with black hair and yellow eyes, a smoking cigarette hanging out of his mouth. As he realized Tomo had drifted back into consciousness for a moment, he took a drag of his cigarette and then flicked it to the side.

”Sorry, kid. Looks like you took your last courier gig. From down there it must seem like you got pretty unlucky... truth is... the game was rigged from the start,” the man said. His voice sounded almost sympathetic, but Tomo couldn’t really appreciate that as more and more dirt was piling on top of him. He knew what was going on, to some extent. He wanted to pick himself up and drag himself out of that hole, but he was so tired. His head was spinning and things were getting blurry again. His eyelids felt like they were weighted. Slowly, despite his best efforts, his eyes shut and his world turned black once more.

Back in the present, Tomo found himself staring at his would be killer. The man was laughing heartily at something going on at the other table, not a care in the world evident on his face. An easy grin played across his face as the laughter settled. He just so happened to look in Tomo's direction and, catching his gaze (what he thought was a beautiful woman's gaze, mind you) he gave a wink before returning to his conversation.

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Tomo stared at the suited man, his body burning with rage. It was only thanks to his thespian training that his wrath didn't show on his face. This Benni, whether he was sympathetic or not, had planned to bury a man alive. For the first time, Tomo felt a desire for revenge against a non-relative. It was one thing to want to get his sister back for constantly removing his 5th pair of socks, but here Tomo wanted this man to understand the weight of his attempted actions. He wanted this piece of trash to comprehend the fear he would feel as the earth crushed him from above, stealing his breath with every shovel-full of dirt.

But Tomo needed to be careful. He didn't want to kill the man, nor did he want to fail this mission solely for retribution. His original plan was still his best course of action, but he needed to understand the layout of this casino better. And what better way to do that than through Benni. Returning his full attention to his table, Tomo decided to get the man's attention through a different means. Any bimbo could walk up to him and jiggle their boobs. He wanted the man to feel mentally intrigued, as well as physically. It was time for Tomo to start winning. With his focus on the game, he did what he did best, math. He began counting cards, and soon he was racking in the chips. They attempted to bring him booze, in hopes that he'd drink himself dumb. However, he politely declined. He wanted the owner to come over and see not only a pretty face, but a sharp mind. If this didn't place Tomo in a position to get Benni alone, he wasn't sure what would.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Benni​

And win Tomo did, playing the game as it was never meant to be played. After a short while, he had a cascade of chips in front of him. As winners often do, he was attracting a lot of attention. Many onlookers had come to see Tomo's winning streak, fascinated and wanting to learn his technique. Naturally he had attracted the attention of the management, as well. Up to a certain point, winners were good for business. They encouraged other patrons to play in hopes that they could do the same. But there was a point at which a winner was no longer profitable, and Tomo was reaching that point quickly. If his goal was to attract Benni's attention, he had done so for better or for worse. The man had been watching the seemingly very lucky beautiful woman for some time. At first it was just furtive glances from across the room as he talked to other patrons, but gradually the stares lasted longer. He was intrigued. At last, he approached and with great ease slid through the gathering crowd to place himself right next to Tomo, leaning on the table.

"Well, you're certainly very lucky today, aren't you? What's your secret?" he asked, staring at Tomo luridly. "The name's Benni... this is my casino," he said proudly, clearly trying to impress Tomo. He still had that easygoing grin on his face as he leaned confidently on the table, probably closer than Tomo was entirely comfortable with. Up close, Tomo could tell for sure that this was the same man from his returned memory. He appeared to be in his mid twenties and was impeccably dressed. Though his hair seemed a mess, upon closer inspection it seemed as though each lock of it was placed carefully and intentionally. His yellow eyes left you feeling unnerved if you stared for too long. He had brought Benni over, how would he proceed from there? "You seem familiar, have I seen you around here before?" he asked, carefully inspecting Tomo up and down. Fortunately, he was not trained in seeing through the shinobi's transformation jutsu.

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Benni's voice pulled Tomo out of his concentration as he turned to face the suited man. The Mochizuki gave his best playful smirk. "Luck? Or calculation? Either way, it got me what I wanted." He kept his eyes locked with Benni as the disguised Genin twirled a chip, leaving it up in the air whether what Tomo wanted was money, or the man leaning beside him. Benni introduced himself, and Tomo inwardly kicked himself, as he'd forgotten to come up with a good alias. So instead, he blurted the first name that came to mind. "Saeko. Charmed." Another inward kick. Though Tomo hadn't transformed into his possible future girlfriend, meaning this probably wouldn't cause trouble for the Takaki lady, it still seemed rather rude to use a possible future girlfriend's name as an alias on a possibly deadly mission.

Keeping his inward musings to himself, Tomo returned his focus to the conversation. His face couldn't hide the shock of Benni's words. Had the man really found him out? No, as long as Tomo played it right, everything would be okay...he hoped. Tomo's wide-eyed expression quickly morphed to amusement. "Do you use that line on every pretty face that comes in here?" Benni's eyes were starting to make him feel uncomfortable, with a hint of irritation, so Tomo turned to the chips piled in front of him. "So where do you think I should go next Benni? Pachinko? Slots?" Female Tomo turned to again gaze at Benni. "Poker?" He smiled. "Or maybe I should just take what I've got and find a nice, quiet place to rest?" Tomo lightly adjusted his glasses as he forced himself to hold Benni's insidious gaze.

[WC: 280]
[MFT]

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Benni​

Benni seemed more intrigued by the moment as "Saeko" revealed her name and even as she called him out on a crummy pickup line. In truth, there was something familiar that he felt looking at her, but he couldn't place it and didn't care enough to think too hard about it. He was too busy thinking about something else. Benni let out a low chuckle, shaking his head slightly. "I do like a confident woman," he said in a tone that he clearly thought was seductive. Meanwhile, Tomo was likely trying to overcome the gross skin crawling feeling the man was causing. He was hiding it admirably. His skill at putting on performances was doing him a lot of good here. As he asked his question, it seemed like it took Benni a moment to pick up on the double entendre, but once he did his face lit up. He wasn't expecting it to go so quickly and it took much constraint for him to keep his cool.

"Hmm, well... I don't normally do this," he began- a lie. "But you interest me. How'd you like to see my VIP suite upstairs?" he suggested. It wasn't difficult to imagine what was on his mind at the moment. "I've got a private mini bar, a pool table, and quite the view... how about you cash out and head up with me?" he brazenly pushed further. Was this the opportunity that Tomo was looking for?

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Tomo's stomach turned. He didn't want this. This wasn't the plan...well, the plan he originally came up with. This was taking a twist he had not anticipated, and he wasn't sure where it would end up. But if this guy's private quarters was upstairs, this would be the best option. Climbing through a window would be too obvious, and Benni was a big-wig casino owner. He probably had some high-tech security system...Tomo hated technology.

Tomo feigned contemplation, tapping his chin with a slender finger. Finally he gave a wink. "I think I like the sound of that. Looks like I'm winning all over this casino." He rose from his chair and exchanged his chips. He had won a good 50,000 yen. Was this legal? He was technically on the job...but it wasn't for pleasure...but that didn't make him feel better about it. Maybe he could ask Saeko about it on their date. Better yet, he would use it as a bribe. "Sorry Saeko. My mission took a turn and I ended up sleeping with a casino owner in order to reclaim my package. He wasn't even good-looking. Have the 50,000 yen I won before doing the nasty." Yeah...that sounded as bad as he thought it would.

Following Benni, Tomo's eyes gave the area one final scan. He caught his reflection on one of the slot machines and almost yelped. His transformation was starting to wear off. Blue streaks were visible in his ponytail, and he quickly ruffled it to hide them. This disguise wasn't going to last, especially if this was going where Tomo thought it was going... Wait...would it count as losing my virginity if I'm transformed? What if I changed back when we were........ Tomo thanked Raiden that he was behind Benni, as the secret man turned a deep shade of red. Raiden...don't let it come to that.

The two entered the private lodgings, and Tomo instantly searched around for his package. An optimist would believe it was sitting neatly atop Benni's desk. However, Tomo was quite the opposite, and his mind raced with ways and reasons that would allow him to rummage through things without raising suspicion. Nothing was coming to mind, as the thought of bedding Benni kept interrupting his thoughts. He didn't want it to come to that...couldn't let it come to that. Tomo had played the part of a woman for much of his life, but this was one area that he was clueless about even as a man. I wish Saeko was here...Saeko!

Thoughts of this fierce woman gave Tomo his courage, along with memories of his favorite manga. So Benni liked them confident, huh? Oh, Tomo would show him confident. However he needed to act fast. While Tomo still was rather feminine in his real form, he still needed the important bits. Fake boobs, don't fail me now. Tomo unzipped the top of his red dress, revealing quite the cleavage. "My, hot air really does rise, doesn't it?" He fanned himself with his newly acquired bills. Benni was a casino owner, he had to love money. Between the mullah and some sleek breasts, this had to be titillating...Tomo hoped. But before Benni could make a move, Tomo needed to make one of his own. "I hope you don't mind my forwardness, but this heat is really getting to me. Living up north does that to a woman. So let's get on with my preferences."

Tomo placed the yen in a pouch with both hands. With them out of view of Benni, Tomo uncapped the ink well hidden within. With quick hand seals, keeping his arms as still as possible, he formed the ink into black handcuffs. Tomo pushed his upper arms against his breasts, hoping to distract Benni with his boobs so the man wouldn't notice the odd appearance of the bindings. "I can't deny...I'm a bit of a sadist. It's something I picked up from my mother really." Tomo pulled out the cuffs and twirled them on his finger to further hide their oddity from the casino owner. "But we aren't here to talk about my parental issues. So why don't you let me slap these bad boys on you, and we can get this party started?" Tomo gave a devilish grin, praying that Benni would take the bait.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Benni​

Benni grinned as Tomo winked and agreed to join him in his suite. "I'll wait by the stairs for you. Don't keep me waiting too long," he said, walking over to a door and where a guard was keeping watch while Tomo went to cash in his chips. At least he was getting a moment's reprieve from the creep. 50,000 yen was also nice, but was it truly worth it? With the cash in hand, Tomo returned to Benni who had been talking with the guard and sharing a laugh over something. "Ah, there you are! Shall we head up?" he said, reaching over and pressing a button next to the door. The door slid open and revealed itself to be an elevator- Benni's private elevator no less. It wasn't the fastest elevator, so unfortunately there was the awkward silence that always accompanied an elevator rise, but soon they had reached the top floor. As a matter of fact, the elevator led directly to Benni's suite.

The suite lit up as soon as the doors of the elevator opened. He had truly spared no expense in overindulging in decadence. The place was ridiculously expensive looking. Hell, there was a chandelier hanging over them as they stepped out of the elevator. From the size of the suite, it appeared to constitute the entirety of the top floor. Wasting no time, Tomo made some adjustments to his wardrobe in an attempt to distract Benni even further. After staring unabashedly for a few moments, Benni nodded slowly, taking off his jacket and hanging it on a coat hanger. "It does," he said, loosening his tie and unbuttoning the top button of his shirt. "Maybe you'd like a drink, to cool off?" he offered, but before he could head over to the full size bar, Tomo was making his moves. Benni cocked an eyebrow at the forwardness of the woman, not used to such confidence. "Heh, or not..." he whispered.

"Preferences, you say? Do tell," he said curiously as Tomo secretly created a set of handcuffs out of ink. Of course, to Benni it looked as though she had just so happened to have a pair of handcuffs in a pouch, which was a statement in itself. By the time Tomo looked back at Benni after creating the cuffs, the man had already discarded his tie and unbuttoned his shirt. "Sorry- the heat, you know?" he made as an excuse. Tomo needed to act quickly or things were going to spiral out of control. Fortunately, he had a plan. For a moment, the strange texture of the handcuffs caught Benni's eyes, but Tomo quickly rectified that by appealing to the man's baser instincts and directing his attention elsewhere. He was almost in disbelief at how easily it had come to this point. He usually had struck out long before this point. That probably played a role in how eager he was to agree.

"Well, you're certainly a dame that knows what she wants," he said, chuckling and holding out his wrists for the cuffs- behind or in front, he wasn't going to argue. He allowed the cuffs to be placed willingly, never knowing he was the one who was truly making it way too easy. "So, how does the game precede from here?" he asked excitedly, unaware that he had just made himself an easy prisoner if that was what Tomo was going for.

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Tomo smirked. Thank you Naoru to Kana. With a speed that was faster than the average bear, but not too quick to seem inhuman, as the Mochizuki's agility was sub-par, he grabbed the chair at the desk. He placed it in front of him, turned Benni, and shoved the man into the chairm cuffing the man's hands behind the back of the chair. "This will be far more enjoyable if you sit." Tomo moved to Benni's discarded tie and wrapped it around the bound man's eyes. "We'll be doing some sense-play. I take away your senses in order to heighten the remaining. Your eyes, ears, and nose will have to go. But that will make taste and touch all the more sweeter." With Benni's eyesight now hindered, Tomo was freely able to craft his ink without worry. He created a nose plug to pinch the man's nose together, and earplugs to go in the man's ears. Before shoving them in, Tomo spoke. "The safety word is blellow. But believe me, you won't want this to stop." Tomo shoved the earplugs in.

With all but Benni's mouth non-functional, Tomo released his transformation. He'd need to conserve his energy in case this didn't work. However, the fear was in the back of his mind that he wouldn't be able to transform exactly the same. But Tomo had no time for worry. He created an ink clone and pointed towards the bar. It gave a nod as Tomo began searching for the package, being sure to avoid anything that looked like an alarm for the time-being. While Tomo searched, the clone took its place before Benni with a cup of ice cubes. Taking one, it began to trace the man's bare chest, making sure to read Benni's signs of when it was getting too much. At one point, the clone was about to lick some of the melted liquid off of the man's chest, and Tomo snapped his fingers at the clone and wagged a finger. I'm not getting overly kinky unless I have to. If the package wasn't easily accessible, Tomo would look to more unique places. If a drawer needed a key he would search Benni's jacket and pants pockets to find it. If that was fruitless, then Tomo would have to change things up a bit.