Re: Re-Reconnecting with One's Roots

Wed Sep 01, 2021 11:09 pm

Gonk listened to the genin’s answer with suspicion, however he said nothing. When Niko asked about how Gonk detected him, Gonk decided to answer honestly.
“Well as you can see, I share many traits with sharks, and one of the abilities my unique bloodline gives me is I can detect any movement within water within a certain range via vibrations. I can also hear any sound made underwater. So that’s how I found you.”
Gonk pondered Niko’s next question longer than he had the last. In the end he decided to believe that Niko was telling the truth about wanting to pull a prank and hoped he was correctly judging Niko’s character.
“Yeah sure.” Gonk answered once he had come to his conclusion, “just nothing that would harm anyone or anything like that. Also be quick. We need to start heading towards the noble’s estate pretty soon.”
When he finished speaking Gonk walked away from Niko and over to the dock where the boat was scheduled to stop. If he was incorrect about Niko’s true intentions Gonk would have to try and track the pale genin down and dispatch of him, which was something Gonk would really prefer not to do. As Gonk watched the approaching boat, he noticed what appeared to be a small craft coming towards the island. As he narrowed his eyes and peered closer, Gonk saw that it was in fact Saya and Dana riding the puppets to the shore.
“What the hell is even happening?” Gonk wondered, unsure how the mission got so off the rails so quickly.
[WC=263]
[TWC=2705]

Thu Sep 02, 2021 6:44 pm

After seeing a fast-approaching party fly over the water Nico would sigh. Looks like his prank had been derailed. What a shame. Watching the duo arrive Nico would speak.

"Well, I assume you did not get the memo. Gonk here wanted to test our water capability... and you all failed" Nico would say overexaggerating the word failure, of course, this was untrue. But he would give a confirmation nod towards Gonk, mouthing 'go with it.

"Well, we better get on with this mission right leader? We have been delayed long enough by these two." Nico would then give a pompous scoff and chuckle slightly. Acting posh was not his strong suit but it was enjoyable. After getting confirmation from his leader, that, of course, being Gonk Niko would then walk into town more specifically the town square. There he would find himself immersed in a town-wide auction where the ruler was selling part of their valuables and inquiring that the townspeople do as well, in order to "stimulate their soaring economy further" or at least that was what the poster Nico had grabbed read. Maybe if they were lucky they could simply buy the crown if it was on sale that is.
(1842)

Thu Sep 02, 2021 9:49 pm

Freyja performed a perfect breast stroke that allowed her realisticly built body to cut through the water like a dagger. Attop the puppet Saya stood proudly, arms on her hips in a super hero pose. When she noticed the two watching them approach, she corrected her posture, standing as tall as she was able with her head held high. Now this is how you make an entrance. With the other two on his back and shoulders the coach puppet could only doggy paddle, but somehow he kept pace with the regal Pagan goddess. Puppet control is quite odd.

When they reached the beach the puppet pair simply stood up, walking towards the area where their mission leader was standing confusedly. Ai, Saya, and Dana soared up in height as the two rose from the water to their own towering sizes. Well practiced, the twins never faltered, bodies shifting to keep their center of gravity positioned to keep balance through the movement.

"Alright. So where are we headed?! And why are you both looking at us so strangely? It's not like we could swim through the water or something. Our clothes would get all wet and be ruined! These are expensive and time consuming to craft yanno." As if nothing had even happened Saya simply hopped off her puppets back. The cloak of raven feathers flittered, removing what water had clung beneath the intricate garment, but she didn't comment. It was Niko odly who broke the silence.

"I would say that we suceeded in being capable in the water. Had we been attacked both Dana and I had full ability to cast protective or offensive jutsu and Coach's doggie paddle has gotten much better in the past months! That's obviously not what this mission is about though, so let's try to stay on task hm?" Ai gave Saya a glance. Freyja gave Saya a glance. Coach held up a sign pulled from the backpack on his back that said 'confused glance'. Had she actually just told someone else to get back on task?! The suggestion was laughable coming from the queen of side tracks, so laughable that the rest of team puppet was speechless for several moments. In perfect unison freyja and Ai spoke.

"Did she just..." Two separate voices mixed in a question that hung in the air before they shook their heads. It was probably better not to read into what had just happened.

"Are we sneaking in all quiet like, or are we marching up in a show of force to convince them that they should do as we say? Cuz if it's the latter I would like to take a moment to suggest just nicely asking them to give it back. If the former i mean. Being sneaky ninja sounds like alot of fun so i'm kind of in. "

"You're already ninja, you can't use it as an adjective to describe action when it's literally your--nevermind. She does pose a good question. " It was hard for Freyja, who was in Saya's head and understood exactly what she was refferencing, to let that one go. Unfortunately they had a mission to take care of.

(TWC 3208)

Sun Sep 05, 2021 12:20 pm

Dana jumped off of Coach's back expertly, following behind her fellow Senju as she did the same. Her face was the picture of aloofness as the people on her team discussed how Dana and Saya had apparently failed a task set upon them by the team leader? Dana didn't really get what was being said but, then again, she spent most of the time with her head in the clouds. It was very possible she'd just missed Gonk setting a task, but Dana was sure everything would work out since she still had a shoulder monkey. Speaking of, Dana absentmindedly gave Momo another stroke on top of his head while Saya had a small go at Niko about staying on task.

Dana noticed Freya and Ai speak in unison with a raised eyebrow, suddenly noting that the regal woman had appeared to have gained a lot more confidence with her talking abilities. Dana recalled the first time she'd encountered Saya and her friends, Freya had been incredibly quiet and almost seemed to have difficulty speaking, but none of that apprehension was present with her speech now. Good for her, Dana thought. It was truly wonderful to see that her friends had gone through some positive off-screen character development!

The white-haired Senju shrugged at Saya's question about what their approach to the mission should be, looking towards their leader for some guidance. Dana personally wasn't a very stealthy person, but she could probably be discreet enough if it came down to it. Where Dana's skillset truly got to show itself was running in guns blazing and destroying everything. A lot of her techniques didn't really lend themselves to being used in a stealthy manner, after all.

WC: 285
TWC: 2176

Tue Sep 07, 2021 11:09 pm

Gonk raised an eyebrow upon hearing the words of Niko, though he said nothing to the contrary, and merely stood there, looking at the two girls. However, upon hearing Saya’s response, Gonk couldn’t help but break his poker face and laugh.
“Oh, she really got you there!” Gonk said with a chuckle as he lightly jostled Niko with his elbow.
Gonk listened to the Senju’s next words and pondered this for a moment.

“Well it really depends on the situation I suppose. First we should go over to the town square where the auction is being held and gather some intel. What we find out will determine our approach to stealing the crown. Yes I said stealing. Under no circumstances are we going to ask them nicely to give it back. Funnily enough this isn’t my first time stealing clan artifacts from an auction. Now follow me, and keep your eyes and ears open for any information. Also, above all, don’t let anybody find out about our intentions here.”

As Gonk said this, he realized he was wearing armor and a kirigakure headband. Not to mention the fact that he was blue. All in all pretty easy for someone to piece together that he was a kirigakure shinobi of the hoshigaki clan. The same clan whose artifact was being sold. Totally not suspicious at all. So after looking around to make sure he wasn’t being watched by any civilians, Gonk formed a single hand seal, and his signature technique was activated. Though, unfortunately this time it wasn’t being used to turn him into a mouse. Gonk’s skin lost it’s typical scale-like appearance and instead took the soft, smooth texture of normal skin. His skin also turned from it’s usual greyish blue to a more natural, fair color. His hair also became black, because while it didn’t really give anything away, it was conspicuous. Finally, his armor shifted into an outfit fitting the occasion. He now wore a navy suit over a lavender button down shirt along with dress shoes.

Satisfied that he looked fancy enough, Gonk set off towards the town square, glancing back to make sure the rest of the squad was following. Once they were there, Gonk heard the auctioneer announce to the small crowd that had already gathered that they would be starting in half an hour.
Gonk turned to his team and gave them instructions.
“Spread out and gather as much intel as you can, specifically about the crown if possible. But don’t make people suspicious. Meet back here in 10 minutes. From there we’ll decide on a course of action for stealing the crown.”

With those final words, Gonk turned and started weaving his way through the crowd, making his way towards the podium and the auctioneer. As he did so he kept his eyes peeled for any security. Once there, Gonk peered up at the podium and took note of what was up there. Along with the auctioneer and mic, there was a covered table, presumably where the artifacts were being kept. Two security guards stood watch over the artifacts, one on either side of the table.Taking note of this, Gonk walked away and slowly made his way around the perimeter, often stopping or taking small detours to avoid suspicion. He counted a total of 4 guards around the perimeter. Not too bad, but kind of surprising for an outdoor public event. As he walked Gonk also listened in on the conversations around him and made small talk with some of the villagers. He didn’t learn much from this, though he did confirm that the crown was indeed to be sold today.

When the 10 minutes were almost up, Gonk wove his way back through the crowd to where he started, and waited for the rest of his team to arrive. Once all of them were there, he would ask them, “what intel have you gathered?”
[WC=653]
[TWC=3358]

Thu Sep 09, 2021 9:57 pm

Choosing to completely ignore the deflection of his jab by the Senju duo Nico would instead turn his attention to their jounin leader. Listening to his plan Niko would almost immediately nod his head in affirmation and head into town away from his team. In his mind, he already had a plan which was quite simple in and of itself. Convince the feudal lord that he was a prospective buyer, view the crown, and simply turn invisible and dart off with it. Simple as it may sound there was one major problem Niko for one had to locate the lord, though upon seeing the massive mansion a good 25 meters off. Nico was sure that issue was solved and two was to make himself appear as a man of status.

Niko would do so, by putting his sack down and changing his clothes in the nearest rest area. Switching from his ninja garbs to a tuxedo with his more fancy attire. Though the look was not one Nico preferred it would do well for this scenario. Making his way to the mansion he would find a bunch of mean-looking samurai turning to one he would switch from his usual polite and courteous voice to a pompous and posh English voice and would begin to speak to the man.

"Hello, I was wondering if you could introduce me to the lord of this fine village I wish to speak with him, as a representative of Nise Village." Nico would ask the presumed guard. Throwing his voice without moving his lips he would fake murmurs from citizens. Speaking of the made-up village that he had 'represented'. Upon hearing his words and the affirmative 'murmurs' from the crowd he would lead Niko to the feudal lord.

There they would have an in-depth conversation regarding the crown and how his village wished to acquire the legendary artifact. Niko threw numbers as high as a million ryo for the artifact. Drawing the lord's attention he was able to set a meeting for later in the night to discuss further. Upon hearing this Niko would give his regards before departing back to the meeting location to tell the others of his findings.
(2209)

Sun Sep 12, 2021 1:37 pm

my dear listeners, This is where things get a bit.... funky. Gonk gave the order for the team to split up and gather as much information as possible, but im afraid that in order to use this specific plot device I cannot actually give information about what Saya chose to spend her time doing. The scene fades out here, with our dear heroine bee lining towards a large mansion in the center of the village. Through the blackened screen we can hear a bit of convorsation, followed by the snapping of wood and the muffled sounds of a struggle. With the ten minute period up, The team rejoined. While she'd followed Niko to the destination, our scene would have faded out as they parted, with Niko heading towards the front gates as team puppet went around the back.

"Well. I didn't learn a whole lot BUT I have a feeling there is an open pathway in or out of the building to use as needed!" Each of her puppets stood directly behind the small senju girl. All of the puppets except for the coach puppet. He stood about fifteen meters back. His body shifted left and right every few minutes like something was trying to move inside his chest. There was a muffled sound of struggle from between the wooden slats, followed by what could only be fireworks going off, and then there was silence again.

(TWC 3444)

Mon Sep 13, 2021 6:25 pm

Dana nodded in affirmation at the Jounin leader's words and stood still for a couple of seconds whilst she waited for the rest of the team to make their decisions on where to go. Dana didn't want to retread the footsteps of her teammates, after all. Such a thing would truly be preposterous, speaking of... The white-haired girl looked towards the monkey on her shoulder and the pirate hat on her head. "Sorry little guy, I have to be inconspicuous fer now. I'll be back soon, though!" She smiled radiantly and would crouch down so that the Momo could get down easier. If he did so, she would then take the hat off her head and put it on his with the same encouraging smile.

If all went according to plan - Dana having left Momo on the docks where he hopefully wouldn't be spotted - and entered the town proper. Thankfully, Dana had already elected to dress in business casual today so she didn't have any need to dress herself up as the others had. She did run her hands through her long hair a couple of times to hopefully straighten out all the knots that had formed from a combination of sleeping and wearing a pirate hat. As a very short girl with long white hair, Dana drew her fair share of odd glances despite her efforts to the contrary. Nothing that would jeopardize the mission though. Hopefully.

For the sake of brevity, we'll say Dana wandered around for 10-minutes and accomplished absolutely nothing of value. In fact, she didn't gather any information whatsoever. Unfortunately, as established many threads ago, Dana didn't have the greatest of attention spans and she very quickly forgot what she was supposed to be doing. What she did instead was get enamored by a small antique store. She ended up buying a small candlestick that she promptly stored in her Storage Dimension when no one was looking.

She returned back to the established meeting point after 10-minutes to relay her lack of findings, not guilty for slacking off in the slighest. "I found nothing!" She said, seemingly almost proud of the fact.

WC: 359
TWC: 2535

Mid-thread claims:
40 AP
2000 words for Clan Pureblood (+25 Vigor)
Will use the rest of words in Exit

Mon Sep 13, 2021 9:24 pm

Approved, after which you still have 35 words to use.

Thu Sep 16, 2021 12:00 am

So it would seem that Niko had spoken with the owner of the crown, Saya had potentially done some questionable things, and Dana had done absolutely nothing. Two out of three wasn’t terrible, he supposed. After taking a moment to consider the options, Gonk gave his instructions to the group.
“Alright, so while Niko is meeting with the lord as they scheduled, the rest of us will sneak in around back, either slipping past or subduing any guards we pass. We’ll make our way into the room with Niko and the lord, where the crown will presumably be as well. Once we’re there we’ll take out the guards and the lord, then we’ll grab the crown and we’ll all leave through the back entrance and get away from the area before anybody notices. Needless to say this all needs to be done silently, so we don’t set off the alarm. Everybody got it?”

Assuming that there were no issues with the plan, Gonk would wait for Niko to enter the building once more, then follow Saya to the open back entrance. Once they were there, Gonk undid his transformation so he was wearing his usual armor, then he silently pushed open the door, glancing around to make sure there was nobody nearby, before slipping in through the door.
“I’ll take the lead,” Gonk whispered to the two senju girls. “You two follow me and watch our backs. We don’t want anyone sneaking up on us.”
After finishing his message, Gonk continued onwards through the halls, his feet making no noise against the floor. After they had walked for around a minute, Gonk saw a guard standing at a corner ahead, his back facing the group of trespassers. Gonk gave a hand signal for his two teammates to stay back, then he silently crept up behind the guard and suddenly shot a crushing blow against his head. It didn’t kill him but there was a high chance the guard would be waking up with a concussion.

Gonk encountered two more guards as they traveled towards the room Niko was meeting with the lord. Gonk could only hope that his teammates were doing an adequate job of guarding their rear.
When they reached the room, Gonk cracked open the door ajar and peered through the crack, counting four individuals in the room. Niko, the lord, and two guards. Gonk held up the number two before pointing at Saya, then pointing to the right. He then did the same thing to Dana, but he instead pointed to the left, indicating that Dana was to get the guard on the left side of the room. Gonk would be going for the lord and the crown, which sat on the table between Niko and the aforementioned lord. Luckily the lord was sitting with his back to the door, so by the time they were noticed, it would hopefully be too late.
After glancing back at his team to make sure they were ready, Gonk counted down from 3 on his fingers, then pushed open the door while boosting his speed and strength with the total concentration breathing method. Gonk charged straight at the lord, his fist cracking into his head before he even had the chance to cry for help. Gonk then grabbed the crown off the table, and after a few quick hand seals, the crown was stored in Gonk’s own pocket dimension. He had to say, the storage displacement technique really came in handy during times like these.

If the other two had taken care of their guards Gonk would lead the way out of the huge house, and back outside. Once they were there, Gonk transformed back into his formal attire from earlier and began briskly walking towards the docks, where Momo had gotten them tickets for a boat back to Kirigakure.
“Here’s everyone’s tickets,” Momo, who was still wearing Dana’s pirate hat, said while holding out four slips of paper. Gonk took one and let the rest of his squad each take one as well. If Dana offered, Momo would cimb back onto her shoulder, if not, he would climb onto Gonk’s instead.
From there Gonk led the group onto their boat, and after a few minutes, they were off, leaving the island behind, the mission successful so far. Now all they had to do was survive the boat ride home and they could officially log the mission as completed.
[WC=739]
[TWC=4097]