'Profiling the Uchiha' and 'Analysis on the Sarutobi and Inuzuka' are the ones which stand out to you, the former recalling the most interaction you've had with unallied ninja and the latter recalling a very interesting encounter. They're also both about some major players in Konoha, you know the Uchiha run the police department and the Hokage himself is a Sarutobi. The Inuzuka… play with dogs, and… Well, the Inuzuka was just kind of there and you happened to take her prisoner. Either way, the information will be of interest to you.
"Ara? Oh, interesting, interesting." Tobiko comments when you point out the folders, shuffling the others under the table, where they seemingly disappear. "You've got a real interest in Konoha, huh? What's that about?"
"Hmm," you think for a moment, just what is it with you and Konoha? Maybe it's just having more interactions with them. "I spent a little bit of time with the Uchiha in Sora-ku," you admit, "that's how I got all the intel on them." You pull the 'Sarutobi and Inuzuka' folder closer to you and lightly tap it, "As for these two," you shrug, "the information just seems more relevant honestly. The weird Kumo bunker one sounds kind of like grasping at straws, Suna and their weapons have never really been able to hold my interest-"
"Heh," Tobiko chuckles at that, barely restraining jabbing you with an elbow. "I can agree with you there, Puppets are sooo boooring," the Subterfuge jounin (who, you have to remind yourself, is like, 20 years older than you despite how she acts), draws out. "But I'm surprised you don't care more about the poisons of Suna, they're really the leader in that department."
You shrug again, "I have learned a lot about poison from Youme-sensei, and I find them useful, but the production side of things is a little much."
"Totally, totally," Tobiko nods her head a few times, "experimenting with new techniques and jutsu is a lot more fun, right?"
Your response is accompanied by a half shake of your head, "Well, yeah. But also no. New taijutsu-" you leave your kekkei genkai out of it, "are always nice to experiment with." After saying that, you quickly move back onto the previous topic, "It would be nice to look into the Jinchuuriki, but Konoha's the more relevant threat."
"It is," the older jounin confirms, "you wouldn't think so considering all of their fronts, but if anyone would benefit from stretching their front lines into Storms it would be Konoha. Iwa, somehow, has their fingers in more pies. Anyway," she cheerily moves on, "enough with the boring politics, we can talk that while we're on duty."
~~~~~~~~~~
After combing through the dossiers with Tobiko for most of the rest of the day, you leave Subterfuge accompanied by the elder jounin.
"Well, Tsubaki! It's always a pleasure, do stop by more often," Tobiko cheerily salutes as you reach the street on the other side of the fence which separates Subterfuge from the rest of Amegakure. At first glance, it's just a chain link fence on top of a short wall, but having been on the other side, you know that there's a complex array of seals reinforcing the seemingly-shoddy defenses.
"Thanks for that information," you respond, "it wasn't unpleasant. But maybe not so deep in your department next time?"
"Heh, sure sure," Tobiko concedes to you, "we can make a day of it or some-such. Anyway, don't be a stranger, and if anything happens with those two, be sure to tell me."
Before you have the chance to question her on what that means, the youthful jounin disappears in the cloud of raindrops, returning to the headquarters behind you.
With that on your mind, you remember that you're going back to Medical tomorrow.
Wait…
~~~~~~~~~~
It's a particularly dreary day when you arrive in Medical. It hasn't been too long since the last time you were here, but something feels more off. Not that Medical was ever a place you really liked or felt comfortable in, but there's something even stranger about it now.
"Such a shame you couldn't come here earlier," Retsuko Nizuuru says as you arrive in some kind of cloistered laboratory. "Then again if Lord Honda had caught wind of you being in here during an appointment of his, well…" The blonde jounin shrugs, braid bouncing, "let's just say it may be better you were indisposed."
"I don't see how he would know," you respond, glancing around at the unfamiliar medical and scientific equipment around the lab.
Retsuko gently closes the door behind you with her foot, and adopts a more hushed tone. "Not all of my peers agree with my-" she rolls her hand slowly, as if searching for the word, "-sentiments regarding Lord Honda." She then moves closer to the table in the center of the room, while still talking. "Not that my showing you around would be suspicious, but you never know what people will say."
"Right," you nod, not really caring about the subject since it isn't really relevant.
The older jounin finally arrives at the table, putting one hand on the center of the sheet covering it. There's something large and lumpy under the sheet, with a number of tubes and wires sticking out from it, leading to strange devices on the other side of the table.
"Before you see this, I just want to thank you," Retsuko says with an incline of her head before removing the sheet.
With the covering removed, you can see that it's…
Okay, you can't say what it is. Oh no! You know that blob!
"Is that the thing I brought back from the Land of Rice Paddies?" You ask, surprised that you're even seeing it again. You resist the urge to wrinkle your nose and say that it ruined an entire outfit. Well, you do wrinkle your nose, the blob has a really strong smell now that it's been opened up. But you hold your tongue.
"It is!" Retsuko seems excited by this and moves in to show you the innards of the pile of undifferentiated off-white flesh. "Tell me Tsubaki," she beckons you to come closer, and you do, leaning in to get a better look. "What do you see inside of it?"
At first glance, it just looks like a mushy pile of what looks like fat, with some connective tissues connecting it all up. But on a closer look, you see reddish tubes intertwined with stringy, white-blue structures.
"Is that-" you have to get in close to see the little nodes dotting the stringy structures "-is that a chakra network?"
The Medical jounin's voice has as much excitement in it as her eyes do, "Yes, Tsubaki, it is. Do you understand how significant it is? The subject is very difficult to keep alive, but-"
"Subject? Alive? Is this…" you trail off, not sure if you want to say 'a person' or something else like that. It doesn't particularly bother you that you brought something like this to Ame even if it was a person, but the implications if it is are something you do not want to think about.
"No," Retsuko preempts your half-asked question. "We still aren't quite sure how it was made, but the fact that it has chakra isn't what's interesting about it, practically all living things have chakra. Tsubaki, you're able to use Wind Style, correct?"
You nod, "It's my affinity."
"Put your hands on the center of the mass and channel Wind into it," the elder jounin instructs.
You cock your eyebrow at that, but do it anyway.
"Now, I'll place my hand over yours, and channel Earth," after forming a hand seal, she does so, and you can feel the chakras intermingling.
After a few moments, one of the machines monitoring the blob begins to light up and ding, while the metal bracelet on Retsuko's wrist rattles as one of the bangles dances erratically. Though you're not much of a sensor, even you can tell that this is anything but normal.
"What is this?" A mite hesitant to ask.
"This is a kekkei genkai," Retsuko's eyes meet yours, and you can see the fire behind them. "Whoever created this has managed to create the conditions necessary for a chakra system to channel two natures simultaneously, as well as to mix them together. It shouldn't be possible without well, it being innate to a person-" she pauses for a moment, as if unsure to add on "-or granted by a Tailed Beast." She then stops channeling her chakra into it, and you do the same. "Unfortunately, all we've managed to get out of it is Magnet Style, and possibly Scorch, though we're unsure about that."
You didn't know about Scorch Style, you still don't know what it is, but it's interesting to hear about another elemental kekkei genkai.
"Still, this is a monumental discovery, the Medical Department owes you a real debt. No matter what some members might say." Okay, Retsuko definitely left that part in just to bait you but…
"What some members might say?" You have to ask. It's not like drama is your thing, but if it involves you, why not ask?
"Well, those same peers who completely buy into Lord Hanzo's infallibility are pretty insular," Retsuko covers the blob back up with the sheet, and moves away from the table. "They like to keep to themselves, only share what's necessary with everyone else, and only when they're told to. It's almost like they don't trust the other ninja of Amegakure to use their innovations correctly. Research is pretty much the same way. It's all a shame really."
"Yeah, yeah it is," it's a realization you're not happy with at all. In fact, quite the opposite. But it also makes you want to get out of Medical even faster.
~~~~~~~~~~
Late the next afternoon, you're in the lecture hall attached to the building Youme-sensei's lab is in, with four other ninja (who actually attended her lecture). The small group is gathered around the large desk at the center of the room.
Three of the ninja are other jounin you've seen before in passing, or talked to once at the Missions Office. A taller, purple-haired woman with pale eyes in a boiler suit; a short, fat man with a black hair in a flak jacket over a hooded boiler suit; and a lanky, pale man with stringy pale brown hair in a standard Ame uniform sans boiler suit.
The fourth ninja staying after the lecture is one you know. Know is a bit of a strong word, actually, but you've been on a mission with him before. It's Pale Boy- er, Mikkanjirou? Yeah, that's right. Maybe the older lanky guy is a member of his Clan, they do look similar.
Walking up to the group, you quickly exchange pleasantries before slotting yourself in next to the only chunin.
"Jounin Tsubaki," he greets with an incline of his head, "you look well."
"And you," he looks just about the same, same bags under his eyes and complexion, but you still say it anyway. "How have you been since the mission?"
"I've been out since," the older chunin responds with a light sigh, "though I haven't left Storms again. I'll be honest, the end of that mission was a bit of a shock. I think I should thank you for it though, your leadership really helped us through it."
"I do try," you say, a bit surprised at the thanks. "It's not easy for most people, the first couple of times."
"Most people," the chunin catches on, "but not you."
You shrug, "It was… natural, I suppose."
"Ah, Jounin Tsubaki, before Youme-sensei returns, let me introduce you to my older brother, Myutarou," he indicates the similar-looking jounin.
"Jounin Tsubaki," the other Useiken inclines his head, greeting you more properly. "I've seen you in the Missions Office before, and your name has come up in the jounin circles from time to time."
"It's good to finally be acquainted," you return.
Youme-sensei chooses to make her reappearance in the hall shortly after, extending a greeting to the five chosen to attend the after-lecture seminar. "Welcome, it's good to see that you all stayed as I told you to. And we have a guest as well, lovely." She pulls on a pair of gloves as she comes over to the table, setting up for the lesson. "Then, shall we begin?"
Pick two new poison ninja arts to learn, you can choose to apply one of these at the start of combat:
[] Ninja Art: Blood Loosening
A poison which makes it impossible for blood to clot after it gets into the bloodstream. Only a small amount is needed to take effect.
[] Ninja Art: Blood Stopping
A poison which concentrates platelets around where it's applied, creating a clot which can be dangerous, especially in a combat scenario.
[] Ninja Art: Internal Constriction
A poison which causes the walls of blood vessels to expand, constricting blood flow to or from the affected area. Takes a relatively large amount to take effect, but can be used multiple times.
[] Ninja Art: Dancing Pins
A poison which rapidly fires the pain receptors in a large area around where the wound is afflicted. Though it will wear off over time, there is no known antidote short of cutting out the affected area.
~~~~~~~~~~
After Youme-sensei's lesson on poisons, it turns out you have one more day before your next mission. Besides missions, it's been a while since you really spent any time with one of your friends your age.
Pick One:
[] Satou has proposed a day out that isn't just training. Rather you'll get to see some of the less public towers inside of Ame. Not the restricted ones, just the privately-owned or operated her family has some hand in.
[] Juura's offer to teach his genin is still open. Just one day with them won't let you teach all that much, but it'll be a good foundation to build off of. Also teaching them with him just sounds fun.
[] Iori is leading his first mission the day after tomorrow, and wants to meet up to get some pointers. And maybe probably definitely have a friendly spar.
A/N: Kind of had to find a place to stop here, an organic one seemed even further out. The first new style mission selection will be in the next update. The chosen dossiers will be coming soontm in an informational threadmark.
A/N2: Things should be more regular from here on out, again I'm super sorry for the wait, but it's been a hectic few months and shaking the rust off was a bit of a trial.
Voting closes at 8:00pm on Wednesday, February 16th!
