Post by Andy D on Feb 27, 2017 19:50:21 GMT -5
Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success - Henry Ford
Kimi Kagawa walked down the suburban neighbourhood as the time approached midnight. She wasn’t nervous but apprehensive about what was about to happen. She’d been some meetings before, but beyond some brief introductions, she never really spoke at these things. Tonight she would be front and centre and one would forgive her for being nervous. Well the rest of the members of the council wouldn’t forgive her. She wasn’t trained to be nervous.
Back in the home country there was the Boshin war. This started off because of the difference of opinion in how the increasing influence that foreigners (i.e. the west) were making in the country. This led to war. But it wasn’t just nobles and young samurai that had this difference of opinion. The Ninjas did too. During the war, several Ninja clans formed together on both sides of the war, those who were in support of the western influence and those who were against it. While the reasons are different, the clans have changed and both sides have influences all over the word, that divide between the Shinobi still exists today.
The council was originally the heads of the clans formed on one side of the Boshin war. Nowadays they’re the highest ranking members of the clans in a local area. Most of the heads of clans in the whole state would be here, one from across state lines. And all because of a report she had to give.
She made it to the pre-arranged set of houses and was on the rooftop by the pre-arranged time. She waited until the meeting started and then immediately assumed a kneeling pose. Ninja’s bow to their superiors in a very specific way and it varies depending on if you are left or right handed. Kimi was right handed, so her left knee was resting on the floor (or roof in this case) while her left hand was laid flat out in front in line with the centre of the body. Her right foot is flat on the floor which bends the knee and the right hand is laid on her thigh. This pose, while respectful to her superiors served an alternative purpose.
A ninja carries around a set of concealed weapons at all times. Katanas, Yumis. Kusarigamaa and other large weapons are useful to a ninja in a fight, but when concealed and blending into the environment, they kind of stand out. A Ninja always carries some Kunais, some Shurikens s and some small explosives (usually smoke or flashbang-esque). There are often concealed in a place where its within easy reach and is also not noticeable when going to reach one. A kunai may be able to drop from a sleeve, but hot days and short t-shirts means that’s not the best option. Some kind of pouch on the leg, mainly the thigh, is the best location for these. In today’s society there are plenty of clothing with pockets down the side of the leg, not just in the usual pocket position.
And people thought Kimi wore these things as she was a bit of a tomboy.
With various members of the council now in attendance, the meeting began. Being on top of several different rooftops of a suburban neighbourhood meant they couldn’t exactly yell, or even talk at a normal volume without being found out. Luckily Ninja’s are the masters at perceiving their surroundings, and as such they can pick up a whisper and pin drops as if they were right next to them. In order to be at the council, you have to be able to able to talk quiet enough so that only the other members of the council can hear you.
“Kagawa” a voice wafted on the wind “Report”
“I successfully placed myself back into Nigel’s life” Kimi replied, keeping her head bowed.
“Does he know who he truly is?” Another voice questioned
“I believe he does.”
“Then why does he masquerade as he does then?” The first voice came back
“If we could spot him easily, so too will the Jaaku surely will do” A new voice was more concerned
“But that’s his plan” Kimi retorted “He will stand there in the public eye and draw out our enemies, while we are waiting in the shadows like the Shinobi we are and take these Jaaku out.”
There was pure silence for a moment while the council deliberated. “I hope this plan of his works” The concerned voice spoke once more “We cannot lose him now and he may already be in danger”
A quizzical look flashed across Kimi’s face but she had no time to put her questions into words before the first voice spoke again. “Go, find the Ouroboros, he will tell you more.”
By the time Kimi had finished her nod of understanding and agreement to the plan, the rest of the council were gone. She bent her left arm slightly, lowering her centre of her body before pushing of and springing off the roof top. While respectful, the Ninja’s bow never leaves them in a position they cannot defend from and cannot move from.
Kimi travelled straight to the Ouroboros. She knew him previously as she had visited him several times before and if it wasn’t for the threat on Nigel’s life she may have been happy to wait till the next day to approach the man. On her side, there was no way he would be asleep this early into the night.
The man known as Ouroboros was around the same as Kimi and Nigel, early 20’s. He would easily be described as scrawny, with shaggy brown hair and a pair of glasses. He also had pale white skin which got more light from electronic screens than the natural sun. Still, he knew how to throw a kunai as it slammed into the wall beside Kimi’s head. She had just managed to tilt her head enough for it to avoid hitting her. To be fair, she did just enter the room without warning.
“Kagawa?” Ouroboros asked before relaxing slightly. “You couldn’t call to say you were dropping by?”
“Wanted to see what kind of porn rocks your world” Kimi nonchalantly said as she walked over, eventually leaning on a desk to the side.
“Funny” Ouroboros said, turning back to the monitor he had been looking at when Kimi snuck in. The place was laden with various computer monitors and keyboards, several desks around the room and different things on all the monitors. It was dimly lit by any other kind of light but the various monitors and other electronic “on” indicators which scattered the room. “I take it you’re here about the Jaaku?”
“Can’t a hot girl seriously not come over to a nerd’s secret bunker for anything other than some intel?” Kimi leaned in, with a slight mischievous smirk on her face.
Ouroboros finally looked away from his monitor and looked Kimi deep in the eyes. “Not when you call me nerd”
Kimi sighed defeated “Ok fine, what do you know?”
“That you’ve been asked to protect someone the council views as a VIP and one of the best known Jaaku assassins was recently spotted less than a click away.” Ouroboros liked the term click. While giving his intel assessments something of a more military sounding, he liked the double reference to his main use of computers. To him, not only was the guy less than a kilometre away, but also didn’t take more than 1 click of a webpage to find him. “Dossier’s over there”
Kimi looked to where Ouroboros indicated and found a folder she grabbed it and looked it over. “Wow, looks like a piece of work”
“And he’ll probably have some friends” Ouroboros added
“Any chance I could convince you to get out of that chair and give me a hand?” She gave the best “puppy dog” eyes she could muster. Ouroboros turned around, looked at her and sighed slightly.
“Sorry, I’m a keyboard ninja” Ouroboros explained. “This is where I do my best work”.
“You sure about that?” Kimi asked, moving her gaze to the Kunai imbedded in the wall. He followed her gaze until he saw exactly what she saw, a small strand of Kimi’s hair stuck between the knife and the wall.
“Nice shot” Kimi said, giving a small pat on the head of Ouroboros. “Now you’ll always have part of me to keep” Ouroboros groaned in both frustration and annoyance while Kimi stifled a laugh
“Get out of here, I have work to do” He said, turning back to his monitors “And so do you.”
Kimi smiled before leaving the room the same way (and at the same level of stealth) that she entered. Yes, she did have work to do. She had to make sure no harm came to Nigel. That was her was her assignment. He needed to fulfil his destiny, and no Jaaku was going to stop him from doing so. If Nigel was so willing to stand up and be centre of the attention, to attract these assassins to him, then she would be the one in the shadows, his shadow, and make sure that they never touch him.
Kimi had faith that this would work because this was Nigel’s plan. If he believed it would work, it would work. The only problem with the plan was that Nigel had no idea about it in the slightest.
Kimi Kagawa walked down the suburban neighbourhood as the time approached midnight. She wasn’t nervous but apprehensive about what was about to happen. She’d been some meetings before, but beyond some brief introductions, she never really spoke at these things. Tonight she would be front and centre and one would forgive her for being nervous. Well the rest of the members of the council wouldn’t forgive her. She wasn’t trained to be nervous.
Back in the home country there was the Boshin war. This started off because of the difference of opinion in how the increasing influence that foreigners (i.e. the west) were making in the country. This led to war. But it wasn’t just nobles and young samurai that had this difference of opinion. The Ninjas did too. During the war, several Ninja clans formed together on both sides of the war, those who were in support of the western influence and those who were against it. While the reasons are different, the clans have changed and both sides have influences all over the word, that divide between the Shinobi still exists today.
The council was originally the heads of the clans formed on one side of the Boshin war. Nowadays they’re the highest ranking members of the clans in a local area. Most of the heads of clans in the whole state would be here, one from across state lines. And all because of a report she had to give.
She made it to the pre-arranged set of houses and was on the rooftop by the pre-arranged time. She waited until the meeting started and then immediately assumed a kneeling pose. Ninja’s bow to their superiors in a very specific way and it varies depending on if you are left or right handed. Kimi was right handed, so her left knee was resting on the floor (or roof in this case) while her left hand was laid flat out in front in line with the centre of the body. Her right foot is flat on the floor which bends the knee and the right hand is laid on her thigh. This pose, while respectful to her superiors served an alternative purpose.
A ninja carries around a set of concealed weapons at all times. Katanas, Yumis. Kusarigamaa and other large weapons are useful to a ninja in a fight, but when concealed and blending into the environment, they kind of stand out. A Ninja always carries some Kunais, some Shurikens s and some small explosives (usually smoke or flashbang-esque). There are often concealed in a place where its within easy reach and is also not noticeable when going to reach one. A kunai may be able to drop from a sleeve, but hot days and short t-shirts means that’s not the best option. Some kind of pouch on the leg, mainly the thigh, is the best location for these. In today’s society there are plenty of clothing with pockets down the side of the leg, not just in the usual pocket position.
And people thought Kimi wore these things as she was a bit of a tomboy.
With various members of the council now in attendance, the meeting began. Being on top of several different rooftops of a suburban neighbourhood meant they couldn’t exactly yell, or even talk at a normal volume without being found out. Luckily Ninja’s are the masters at perceiving their surroundings, and as such they can pick up a whisper and pin drops as if they were right next to them. In order to be at the council, you have to be able to able to talk quiet enough so that only the other members of the council can hear you.
“Kagawa” a voice wafted on the wind “Report”
“I successfully placed myself back into Nigel’s life” Kimi replied, keeping her head bowed.
“Does he know who he truly is?” Another voice questioned
“I believe he does.”
“Then why does he masquerade as he does then?” The first voice came back
“If we could spot him easily, so too will the Jaaku surely will do” A new voice was more concerned
“But that’s his plan” Kimi retorted “He will stand there in the public eye and draw out our enemies, while we are waiting in the shadows like the Shinobi we are and take these Jaaku out.”
There was pure silence for a moment while the council deliberated. “I hope this plan of his works” The concerned voice spoke once more “We cannot lose him now and he may already be in danger”
A quizzical look flashed across Kimi’s face but she had no time to put her questions into words before the first voice spoke again. “Go, find the Ouroboros, he will tell you more.”
By the time Kimi had finished her nod of understanding and agreement to the plan, the rest of the council were gone. She bent her left arm slightly, lowering her centre of her body before pushing of and springing off the roof top. While respectful, the Ninja’s bow never leaves them in a position they cannot defend from and cannot move from.
Kimi travelled straight to the Ouroboros. She knew him previously as she had visited him several times before and if it wasn’t for the threat on Nigel’s life she may have been happy to wait till the next day to approach the man. On her side, there was no way he would be asleep this early into the night.
The man known as Ouroboros was around the same as Kimi and Nigel, early 20’s. He would easily be described as scrawny, with shaggy brown hair and a pair of glasses. He also had pale white skin which got more light from electronic screens than the natural sun. Still, he knew how to throw a kunai as it slammed into the wall beside Kimi’s head. She had just managed to tilt her head enough for it to avoid hitting her. To be fair, she did just enter the room without warning.
“Kagawa?” Ouroboros asked before relaxing slightly. “You couldn’t call to say you were dropping by?”
“Wanted to see what kind of porn rocks your world” Kimi nonchalantly said as she walked over, eventually leaning on a desk to the side.
“Funny” Ouroboros said, turning back to the monitor he had been looking at when Kimi snuck in. The place was laden with various computer monitors and keyboards, several desks around the room and different things on all the monitors. It was dimly lit by any other kind of light but the various monitors and other electronic “on” indicators which scattered the room. “I take it you’re here about the Jaaku?”
“Can’t a hot girl seriously not come over to a nerd’s secret bunker for anything other than some intel?” Kimi leaned in, with a slight mischievous smirk on her face.
Ouroboros finally looked away from his monitor and looked Kimi deep in the eyes. “Not when you call me nerd”
Kimi sighed defeated “Ok fine, what do you know?”
“That you’ve been asked to protect someone the council views as a VIP and one of the best known Jaaku assassins was recently spotted less than a click away.” Ouroboros liked the term click. While giving his intel assessments something of a more military sounding, he liked the double reference to his main use of computers. To him, not only was the guy less than a kilometre away, but also didn’t take more than 1 click of a webpage to find him. “Dossier’s over there”
Kimi looked to where Ouroboros indicated and found a folder she grabbed it and looked it over. “Wow, looks like a piece of work”
“And he’ll probably have some friends” Ouroboros added
“Any chance I could convince you to get out of that chair and give me a hand?” She gave the best “puppy dog” eyes she could muster. Ouroboros turned around, looked at her and sighed slightly.
“Sorry, I’m a keyboard ninja” Ouroboros explained. “This is where I do my best work”.
“You sure about that?” Kimi asked, moving her gaze to the Kunai imbedded in the wall. He followed her gaze until he saw exactly what she saw, a small strand of Kimi’s hair stuck between the knife and the wall.
“Nice shot” Kimi said, giving a small pat on the head of Ouroboros. “Now you’ll always have part of me to keep” Ouroboros groaned in both frustration and annoyance while Kimi stifled a laugh
“Get out of here, I have work to do” He said, turning back to his monitors “And so do you.”
Kimi smiled before leaving the room the same way (and at the same level of stealth) that she entered. Yes, she did have work to do. She had to make sure no harm came to Nigel. That was her was her assignment. He needed to fulfil his destiny, and no Jaaku was going to stop him from doing so. If Nigel was so willing to stand up and be centre of the attention, to attract these assassins to him, then she would be the one in the shadows, his shadow, and make sure that they never touch him.
Kimi had faith that this would work because this was Nigel’s plan. If he believed it would work, it would work. The only problem with the plan was that Nigel had no idea about it in the slightest.