Double J's!

Missions:

Joro slowly opened his eyes, feeling the warmth of the sun on his face. He yawned from a late-night watch he had, had, stretching out his arms, feeling the tension in his muscles release. He sat up on the bed and took a deep breath, feeling the fresh air fill his lungs. Joro smiled, knowing that it was going to be a good day. He had a few missions to do and it was with Jurei. They had met some time ago, she was a rather tall woman, a little older than Joro. Joro remembered her bright gold hair, which he always thought was quite beautiful.

He got out of bed and made his way to the kitchen, feeling the soft carpet under his feet. He filled the kettle with water and placed it on the stove, waiting for it to boil. While waiting, he decided to do some light stretches to wake up his body on the balcony of his apartment.

Once the kettle started whistling, Joro made his way back into the kitchen to make some tea. He took a sip and savored the warmth of the drink. He felt ready to face the day. He took his tea and headed to the bathroom, where he started his morning routine.

Joro turned on the shower and let the warm water run down his body. He grabbed his soap and lathered himself, feeling the bubbles tickle his skin. After a few minutes, he rinsed himself off and turned off the water. He stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel, drying himself off.

Joro looked at himself in the mirror, knowing he was a day behind shaving, he always tried to stay on top of it, he preferred a shaven face, to facial hair. He grabbed his razor and shaving cream and started to shave his face. He took his time, making sure to get every hair. Once he was done, he rinsed his face with cold water, feeling the refreshing sensation.

He then brushed his teeth, feeling the minty flavor of the toothpaste. He made sure to wake up Stout as he made his way around brushing his teeth. It seemed the Stoat was already up and ready to go. The stoat swirled around in a few circles, looking excited to get going for the day. If Joro remembered correctly, Jurei had a familiar too. Some kind of raccoon or a dog, Joro couldn't remember it had been some time since he saw her last. Joro took a deep breath and smiled again looking down at the Stout, feeling ready to start his day.

Joro finished his morning routine and decided to do some teleporting around the village to stretch his skills with the new jutsu. He made his way to the balcony, where Stout was waiting for him. Joro weaved a few hand seals and then touched his forehead, teleporting himself and Stout to the marketplace.

Joro looked around, seeing the hustle and bustle of the marketplace. People were buying and selling goods, and the smell of fresh produce filled the air. Stout sniffed around, curious about the new smells.

"You want to get something buddy? I think there are some good fruit vendors I know this way."

Joro stretched his arms and legs, feeling the rush from the teleportation. It always felt good to stretch after a teleportation. He walked around the marketplace, greeting some of the locals he knew. He grabbed a bag of assorted fruit paid the man he knew as Tim, and went on his way.

After a few minutes, Joro weaved another set of hand seals and teleported to the outskirts of the village. He and Stout looked around, taking in the beautiful scenery. They could see the wonderful view of the outskirts of the village and the greenery that surrounded the village. He hoped and believed one day he would become a strong enough shinobi to travel outside of the village borders. So he could meet all of the people in the world.

Joro took a deep breath, feeling the fresh air fill his lungs. He stretched his arms and legs again, feeling the tension release from his muscles. Stout swirled around, enjoying the new surroundings. Joro felt invigorated and ready to start his missions for the day. He weaved another set of hand seals and teleported with Stout to a park table he frequented. He sat down at one of the nearby tables eating a peach, and lowering the bag so Stout could pick out what he liked.  Joro finished his peach and decided to teleport back home to grab his katanas. He weaved another set of hand seals and touched his forehead, teleporting himself and Stout back to his apartment.

Once he arrived, Joro quickly grabbed his katanas and strapped them to his back. He also grabbed a few ninja tools, just in case he needed them for his missions. Feeling prepared, Joro weaved another set of hand seals and teleported himself and Stout back to his meeting spot with Jurei. He sat down at the table, feeling ready to tackle whatever missions they had for the day. He would eagerly wait for Jurei to arrive so they could get start on their missions. He sat down eating an apple this time, and letting Stout try one of the peaches.

WC:892
MTWC: 892/4000

In the heart of the Hidden Stars Village's commercial district among the elegant rooftops and winding cobblestone paths, stands the renowned Ryōin Investments. A recently established company that acts as an investment bank for shinobi and non-shinobi alike, consisting of two floors: the first floor of the establishment dedicated to providing financial advice and the second floor constructed as a place for investors to meet with company representatives, and on occasions, for meetings and other private matters. The building itself built upon a large plot of land with a spacious courtyard in front of the building. It is surrounded by tall brick walls with only one entrance, which is guarded by two guards stationed outside.

The interior of the building is furnished with fine wooden furniture and decorated with paintings depicting various scenes of nature and landscapes from across the world. In addition, there are several potted plants placed throughout the building giving off a pleasant scent. In one of the few rooms available on the second floor, with its door slightly ajar, a particular platinum-blondie and big-bellied racoon dog can be seen conversing with what could otherwise be employees at the company. Although discussed in hushed tones, one can still make out bits and pieces of their conversation.

"So you're telling me that we've been losing money?" The platinum blonde asks, leaning forward in her seat as she rests her chin on top of clasped hands. She stares down at the man sitting across from her with narrowed eyes as if trying to discern whether or not he's lying. The young man visibly gulps under her gaze but maintains eye contact nonetheless.

"Y-Yes, Ryoinsatsu-buchou... We've been losing money due to our investments not paying off as we had hoped." He replies nervously, his voice wavering slightly. He fiddles with his hands as he speaks and avoids looking directly at the blonde woman in front of him.

"Hmm..." Jurei hums thoughtfully before letting out a sigh and leaning back in her chair. "I see. Well, that's certainly unfortunate. But I suppose that's a natural consequence of being a start-up investment bank. We'll just have to find other ways to make up for our losses, then." She says with a shrug, seemingly unfazed by this revelation. "In any case, we'll discuss the topic in-depth later. For now, let's move on to more important matters... How are we doing with recruitment, Tsubobayashi-san?"

"W-Well, we've managed to attract a few promising candidates from various backgrounds and skill levels. However, we still need more shinobi to join our ranks if we want to expand our clientele." The woman replies hesitantly, glancing up at the platinum blonde woman every now and then as she speaks.

The platinum blonde woman nods in understanding before asking, "What about non-shinobi recruits? How many have signed up so far?"

"We've received quite a few applications from non-shinobi as well. Most of them seem to be interested in joining because of our generous benefits and compensation packages." She replies with a smile, seemingly relieved that she doesn't have to discuss their financial situation anymore.

"Excellent! That's what I like to hear." Jurei says with a grin, clapping her hands together in satisfaction. She then turns to the clock on the wall in her office before re-affixing her gaze to both her employees as she stands up. "Well, that about covers everything for this week's meeting. Higaki-san," The man bows his head before rising up. "I look forward to seeing your report next week for how we'll diversify our clientele pool. Tsubobayashi-san, please make sure to keep me updated on any new recruits that join our company." Higaki and Tsubobayashi nod their heads in understanding before bowing respectfully to Jurei and leaving the room.

Once they're gone, Jurei lets out another sigh as she sits back down at her desk. She runs a hand through her hair while staring down at the paperwork scattered across its surface. She picks up one of the documents and reads it over carefully while a familiar looking raccoon dog loafs across from her on the desk.

'Careful that you don't give yourself gray hairs,' The tanuki telepathically communicates to the swarthy kunoichi. 'You've been working nonstop for two whole weeks now.'

"I know, but I can't afford to slack off now when we've just started our company." Jurei replies aloud with a tired smile as she sets the document aside and reaches out to pet him. He closes his eyes and leans into her touch, enjoying the feeling of her hand stroking his fur.

'Well, I think you deserve a break after all your hard work.' The tanuki pings as he opens one eye to look at her.

"Yeah," Jurei slowly raises, raising her arms above her head. "With even more work. I have to meet up with Joro in 10 minutes for two missions later today." She then lets loose an exaggerated groan of release as the knots in her muscles unfurl. She gestures with one of her arms for the tanuki to climb onto. "One for bandits, the other a cook-off between two rival restaurants."

'Ah, a rather action-packed schedule you have today. Add some grease onto those bones.' The raccoon dog telepathically communicates as he climbs up onto her shoulder and settles in. 'Speaking of, you've been gettin' awfully chummy with that boy lately.' He pings with a sly grin.

"Oh? And what's that supposed to mean?" Jurei asks as she begins walking towards the door of her office.

'Nothing, nothing... It's just that I've noticed how often you two seem to be spending time together recently.' The raccoon dog replies nonchalantly while staring straight ahead.

Jurei raises an eyebrow at this but decides not to comment further as she exits the room and out of the building.




Jurei appears before a modest-looking park filled with lush trees, colorful flowers, and various other plants. She takes a moment to admire the scenery before continuing onward toward her destination: A small bench situated near the center of the area. As she approaches, she spots a familiar figure sitting there waiting for her.

"Hey Joro, Stout," Jurei calls out as she waves at the young man sitting on the same bench. "Sorry if I'm late, I recently wrapped a meeting not too long ago. I hope the day's been treating you far better than it has for me. I've been up to my neck in paperwork since I started my business." She chaffs. Performing the following hand seals with one hand: Ram → Dog, a missive scroll warps outward into existence and into her palm before she unrolls it. "Hmm... these are a bit special, huh. How about we tackle the two restaurants first before we do the next? We could benefit from a bit of lower visibility to make our job a little easier. Ninjiro's pretty good at that kind of stuff, aren't ya buddy?" She says as she pats the tanuki on the head.

'Heh, I'm more than happy to help.' The raccoon dog telepathically relays as he snickers while rubbing his head against her hand.

She turns to face Joro. "Thoughts, concerns? None, then? Great," She stands up and gestures for Joro to follow. "Hope you have a little more room if you haven't had breakfast already, I hear the restaurants we're attending are really popular here in Hoshi."

The two restaurants in question Jurei's referring to are located near the City Square's center, Sakura Bistro, a cafe-style restaurant that serves traditional Japanese cuisine, and Matsu Sushi Bar, a sushi bar with a variety of different types of sushi available. Both establishments are exceptionally busy for what's to come, but not too crowded for Jurei and Joro to commence their operation without being bothered by other patrons. Past the busy-bodies, there's an large, open encirclement with two, parallel groups stationed in what appears to be mobile kitchens with various ingredients laid out before them.

The first group consists of three men: one young man with short brown hair and blue eyes wearing a black suit and tie, another man with long blonde hair tied back into a ponytail, green eyes, and a beard wearing a chef outfit, and finally a man with short red hair, brown eyes, and glasses wearing a white shirt underneath his chef uniform. Above their kitchen is a sign that reads, "SAKURA BISTRO." The second group consists of two women: one woman with shoulder-length black hair, brown eyes, and rosy cheeks wearing a pink sweater over her uniform; and another woman with long black hair tied into twin braids, brown eyes, and freckles wearing her chef uniform. Above their kitchen is a sign that reads, "MATSU SUSHI." The two teams glare daggers at each other as they prepare their ingredients for the competition.

Between them is a sliver of open space, where a man stands at the epicenter and greets the duo, introducing himself as the referee of this event, Katsura Hideo. He explains that this competition will be held in three stages: appetizers, main course, and desserts. The winner of each round will be determined by popular vote amongst the audience present here today. He then goes on to explain that each team will have 30 minutes to prepare their dish before presenting it to the judges who will determine whether or not they passed or failed.




Afterward, the pair—or rather, the quadruplet—are introduced to both teams, Katsura guides the four to a table before centering himself in the encirclement and wasting no time commencing the first of the three stages: appetizers.

The two teams quickly get to work preparing their dishes, each one trying to outdo the other by adding extra flair and flavor into their cooking. Jurei watches with amusement as the two chefs compete against each other, occasionally glancing at Joro for his reaction to the events unfolding. As the timer ticks down, Jurei can't help but notice that neither side seems to be slowing down despite being so close together. The two teams continue working tirelessly until finally, the buzzer rings indicating that time is up for round one.

Katsura calls for a brief intermission before announcing that the judges will now begin tasting both dishes. He then goes on to explain how each team has prepared two different appetizers: Sakura Bistro with their signature dish of Tuna Sashimi with Wasabi Mayonnaise and Matsu Sushi Bar with their own version of Spicy Salmon Roe Hand Rolls. Both dishes are served on small plates decorated with flowers painted onto them.

The judges take turns sampling both dishes, commenting on how delicious they are and praising the chefs for their creativity. After finishing their tasting, Katsura announces that the judges have decided that Matsu Sushi Bar wins round one! The audience roars in applause as the two teams move on to the next round: the main course.

The two teams quickly get back into action, working hard to prepare their main dishes. The two teams continue working tirelessly until finally... the buzzer sounds indicating the time is up for round two! Katsura calls for a brief intermission before announcing that the judges will now begin tasting both dishes again... except this time it's Sakura Bistro who wins round two! The audience once again roars in applause at this unexpected result as Katsura announces that there will be a short break before moving onto desserts.

As Jurei and Joro sit patiently waiting for desserts, the swarthy kunoichi turns to face her fellow shinobi and speaks. "So how do you think things are going so far?... That so? For me, I've had my fair share of dining at all sorts of restaurants, but it's a surprise I've never heard of either of these two before, given their popularity. I'm almost ashamed, the food they make as actually quite good! I might even try to replicate one of their recipes while I'm at it." She giggles, turning to face her bake-tanuki, who bobs his head from side to side as if to indicate the quality of the food is "so-so", although, Jurei's aware his tastes are a byproduct of being spoiled by her pedigree. "I'm excited to see what they'll make for desserts."

After the short break, Katsura returns to announce that desserts are now underway and that both teams have prepared three different dishes each. He then explains that Sakura Bistro has prepared a sapid dish of Anmitsu with Warabi Mochi and Matsu Sushi Bar has prepared a sweet dish of Sweet Potato Mochi Cake with Matcha Ice Cream. Both dishes are served on small plates  as the judges take turns sampling both dishes once more, commenting on how delicious they are and praising the chefs for their creativity yet again. After finishing their tasting, Katsura announces that the judges have decided that Sakura Bistro wins round three! The audience is in uproar and applause as Jurei claps along with them.

Katsura then goes on to explain that both teams have done an excellent job today and thanks them for their hard work before announcing that he will now present the winner of this competition: Sakura Bistro! Jurei half-expected for there to be an unruly dispute between the two teams but, to her surprise, they're quite cordial towards each other as they accept the win. Whether this was to keep up appearances, however, is anyone's guess. She takes note of this as she stands up from her seat alongside Joro, making their way to congratulate the victors. "Congratulations! You guys really put up a great fight against each other!"

"Thank you," The man who introduced himself as the head chef of Sakura Bistro says as he shakes hands with Jurei and Joro. "I'm glad we were able to put on such a show for everyone." He then turns toward Matsu Sushi Bar and extends his hand out towards them. "And thank you as well, you guys were amazing too! I hope we can have another competition like this sometime soon."

"Of course, anytime!" The head chef of Matsu Sushi Bar replies as she shakes hands with him.

With the ceremony's closing, the the crowd around them quickly disperses, giving them mission retinue a moment of reprieve before commencing to the final task. Looking to Joro, Jurei comments. "That felt more like a cooking show than a competition, don't you think?"

---

“Related Stats”:

---

WC: 2,403
TWC: 2,403/2,000
TMWC: 3,295/4,000

While Joro was waiting on the bench eating his apple he soon saw Jruei approaching with Ninjiro.

"Hey Jurei, Ninjro," waving back at the young lady and her familiar. As they both sat on the bench Jruei apologized for being late, which she wasn't thankfully. It seemed Youta was always making a point to be slightly late for everything. But it was probably just his personality.

"You're totally fine. I wasn't waiting too long at all. Only a few minutes. I honestly thought I was running late. Ah, I see. Paperwork is no fun. I have been recently working out the finances for my new home. Finally, becoming a homeowner. But man is it complicated," he said, a tad unsure if it was relatable but they pushed on with their conversation.

Laughing at her latest remark to her tanuki, "That sounds good to me, we'll start with the restaurants then and then head over to the villages and help them out."

"Nope, all good. Let's do this," he said, popping up and having Stout jump to his shoulders.

"Hmm, good to know. I honestly haven't been out and about as much as I should. Missions and gate guard duty have kept me busy these last few weeks. But I'm excited to try the food out."

As they headed over Jurei went over the two restaurants that they would be judging for the cook-off. There was "Sakura Bistro", which she described as a cafe-style restaurant that usually served traditional cuisine. The other "Matsu Sushi", was a sushi bar which of course sold a wide variety of sushi.

The two groups were separated and were quickly preparing the food as they both seemed to be quite busy. But not busy enough that Joro and Jurei couldn't make their way through the crowd. Between the two groups, was a sliver of open space, and the man/referee, Katsura Hideo, would be the one making sure all three rounds were done in 30 minutes and there wouldn't be any funny business.

Joro would watch on as the respective restaurants hurried along. Doing their best to prepare the food to be judged by the pair. As the final buzzer rang for the first round, there was a brief intermission and then the judges tasted the food.

First, the Matsu Sushi Bar won in round one. Then, Sakura Bistro won in round two. The series was tied at one apiece and looked to be close going into the final round.

As Jurei began to speak and turn towards Joro he also replied in kind, giving his viewpoints on the judging and the two restaurants. "Things are going well this is some of the best food I may have ever had. Interesting, that does sound nice, I honestly haven't been out to eat too much. Usually, I do my own cooking at home. Although I do go to a few select tea shops around the village. Other than that, I don't go out to eat much. I agree though, it is quite good. If you do, I would gladly taste-test it for you."

Finally, with the third round underway and the desserts being finished up in the end. It was a close one but Sakura Bistro ended up on top by winning the final round of the tournament. Jurei and Joro clapped along with the crowd's uproar at their decision.

"Our pleasure. It was a lot of fun, and the food was wonderful. I'll be sure to stop by your restaurant for a proper feast."

After the ceremony had finished they had both said their farewells to the chefs and referee. Jurei brought up the fact that it seemed more like a cooking show than a competition.

"Indeed it did, which honestly was refreshing. I was glad there was no random rivalry between the two restaurants. Just good ole cooking and eating."

As they headed out of the City square Joro asked Jurei if he could just teleport them to the city borders. Then they could head to the village without having to deal with the hustle and bustle of the village. If she allowed then he would happily teleport the four of them to the edge of the village and to its gates.

As they made their way to the village, Joro had a question pressing on his mind in regards to Jurei's new business she had opened. "So, I heard you opened your own business. First I wanted to say congratulations! That's pretty awesome! Sadly, though I don't know exactly what all is entailed in your business? If you would enlighten me, it would be very appreciated," he would wait to see if she could enlighten him on her business dealings and maybe even see if the business would be helpful to Joro at all.

As they finally made their way to the village to snuff out the kidnappers/bandits that had been troubling this area. They first headed to speak to the village council to see if they had any information regarding the bandits they were trying to catch. As they headed over to the village council chambers Joro asked Jurei, "So, what are you thinking? I think the two of us can take care of them pretty easily. But do you think we would need a backup for detaining them or just kill on sight? I'm thinking kill on sight considering the treason they have already caused our people, especially with the recent kidnappings. I hate to see a poor kid mutilated in that way by some random bandit. Nevertheless, I will defer to you as my elder," he would say with conviction, yet would drop if Jurei felt differently.

The village elders told Jurei and Joro exactly where the bandits were. What luck! He thought to himself. The village elders said, "The bandits are a few kilometers north, holding down a long abandoned village. It is fairly defensible, but I think Shinobi of your prowess should be able to handle them."

Looking over to Jurei in a more questioning but confident look, "Sounds good, but I'll go off you. I think we got it. But it's best to be safe than sorry." If Jurei gave a nod, or some form of positive acknowledgment they would thank the elders and leave the village electing to head north towards the bandit settlement.

As they came up to the settlement, they settled behind the tree cover. Making sure not to be seen by the bandits that lay lurking within the town.

Turning to Jurei, "Okay, so I like the idea of keeping this fight a more ranged assault. I'm going to use my Wood Human technique alongside my Wood Dragons. Having the Wood Human as a basis of my attack and defense, with the Wood Dragons carrying out most of the attack. I know you are also a Ninjutsu user with your family's gold release. Which I find very fascinating, to be honest. But for now, I think we should keep it a more ranged assault."

"If you have any objections, I'm all ears," he said, with a smile but also a serious look in his eyes. As they were about to kill these bandits in cold blood.

As they approached the camp Joro decided to use Tobirama's Fury for this battle. He didn't feel the need to use Sage Mode in this predicament. With that activated, he weaved the Snake Hand seal with both his right and left hands. As the Wood Human rose below his feet and the two Wood Dragons manifested from it he would begin his assault. Using the Wood Dragons to rip through their defenses and guards. Destroying everything in their path, all while Joro watched. Sad for the loss of life, but relieved that the villages of the Land of Stars would be safer.

With the battle over and hopefully both of them uninjured and heading home. The village seemed safe for now. The village took the bodies and planned to move forward in their existence. As they were going to start their way back, Joro offered to teleport them back home and drop Jurei and Ninjiro off at their house as he had walked through the area before. If she would allow him, he would stick out his arm for her to hold onto and then with no hesitation, he would warp them through space and time. Shifting their very cells from one point of the earth to another. Popping them right out on Jurei's street. As they walked Joro looked over to her wondering what her thoughts were like after the full day they had, had.

"So, I guess I'll see you later then," standing at the bottom of the steps leading to her house. "We should do some more missions together, I know we have done a lot, but we work well together you know?"

He would respond in kind to whatever she said next, positive or negative. With that, he would head home, Stout on his shoulder. As he walked a few paces he would then use his ability to teleport again. Finally heading home after a long day. It felt good to be heading home, especially with his new closure on his new home coming soon. The nostalgia of the current place hit hard for Joro as he had been in it since his parents had died when he was 12. It had been a roof over his head and made sure he could sleep well even with the thunder banging through the air and windows. As he settled into bed making sure to take a few deep breaths. Excited for his journey tomorrow.
[Exit]
WC:1608
TWC:2500/2000
MTWC: Exceeded
Claims:
+8,000 Ryo
+40 AP
4 of the AP will go to Bonus AP which will now be maxed out at 1,000. Upon learning the skill in this threat the next 16 will go to Strength of a Hundred which would start it at 36/600.
+2089 to  Strength of a Hundred 3750/3750 Rest of progress from Here.
+411 to Creation Rebirth: Strength of One Hundred [v7.2] 411/3750

Joro wrote:Claims:
+8,000 Ryo
+40 AP
4 of the AP will go to Bonus AP which will now be maxed out at 1,000. Upon learning the skill in this threat the next 16 will go to Strength of a Hundred which would start it at 36/600.
+2089 to  Strength of a Hundred 3750/3750 Rest of progress from Here.
+411 to Creation Rebirth: Strength of One Hundred [v7.2] 411/3750

Approved