Shimiko & Seigi's Wild Adventure Part III

Mission Name: Timeout Part III
Mission Type: Assassination
Mission Rank: B
Mission Goal: Assassinate Nazgul
Description: An adviser to the Daimyou has been saying dangerous things. He has been attempting to persuade the leader of the country to remove Nariko as Raikage and to sack the Church and its faithful. He is a threat to both Loyalist and Jashinist factions and thus must be dealt with. Kill Nazgul and his inner circle
Payment: 25,000
Requirements: Jounin+


This mission began with a heated discussion between Shimiko and Vik. Seigi wasn’t allowed in given this was a “husband and wife” type affair. The Seigi from this universe had had a good relationship with her Clan Leader and now husband Vik Chinoike. Unfortunately, the man was less than pleased to see his former Kage walking around totally NOT dead despite having been buried for more than two years. He chastized Shimiko for being so matter-of-factly about the situation. Shimiko had explained it to him, but he wasn’t buying Seigi’s story. She told him that she would be getting to the bottom of it soon but for the time being she trusted him to tell her the truth. Vik wasn’t moved and he warned that if asked by the Clan Elders he wouldn’t lie on her behalf. This turned into a shouting match about trust. Seigi would be able to hear the two going at it from behind the door. The words were muffled but the intensity and emotion behind the argument could be heard from behind the door.

Eventually, Shimiko would storm out of Vik’s office and slam the door shut behind her.

“Cmon Seigi let’s go”

Shimiko strode forward at a quick pace. Everything about her demeanor stressed that she was angry. She had gone in there to speak to Vik about Nazgul but had ended up getting into an argument about Seigi.

“That didn’t sound like it ended well.” Seigi would say, straightening up from his lean against the wall. He didn’t like being the catalyst of an argument, but things got weird when you were an interdimensional drifter, and it turns out, people don’t trust that sort of thing, especially when they wear the face of the dead. Seigi didn’t like it, but he did understand it.
“You can’t be too upset at him though.” He would add. “He’s just looking out for his clan, and his wife.”
Seigi thought momentarily of Makita, quickly dismissing the thought. He would continue to walk with Shimiko, matching her stride, which was surprisingly long and fast, as Seigi had to really stretch to keep up with her.

“I mean, I get it. I’m a stranger and I have the face of a dead kage, I wouldn’t trust me either.”

It was the price he had to pay in order to start again.

Shimiko shook her head and gave an exasperated sigh in response to Seigi’s comment. He was right. The meeting didn’t go well at all. She had gotten critical information about Nazgul from him but when he inquired as to who her mission partner was it went downhill from there. Seigi remarked that Vik was just looking out for his clan and wife. He added that he couldn’t blame Vik for not trusting him but Shimiko once more shook her head.

“It isn’t about trusting you….its about trusting me. He needs to learn to trust me. Our whole relationship is built on trust, not not...” not love. Shimiko didn’t have the heart to say the last part out loud. Her marriage was one of mutual political conveninance and not genuine affectoon. “....distrust.” she continued, opting for a sanitized version of the truth. “I told him that I believe you. My vouching for you should be all the reassurance that he needs. Until we get to the bottom of your past he will just have to take my word for it but apparently that’s too much to freaking ask for”

Shimiko walked out of the clan compound and unfolded an address given to her by Vik.

“Its whatever, it's not really your fault Seigi. It's just...people have been talking. They’ve seen you around and we’ve gotten a lot of concerned complaints. Some people think it's some kind of sick joke, others think it's a top secret government project, some think its enemy genjutsu being broadcast into the village. We haven’t given a precise answer but we have confirmed that we’re aware of the situation. Sooner or later we’ll need to give people solid answers...even if most of them will continue believing whatever conspiracies they’ve cooked up in their head”

Seigi knew that he would have to figure out a way to win over the trust of not just Vik, but the village too, if he was going to continue residing here, which seemed like an impossible feat, unless he just changed his identity entirely. He also hated that Shimiko was in the middle of it all. If it weren’t for her, the village probably would have strung him up and hung him by now. He was quiet for a moment as they walked, until eventually speaking up.

“I suppose I could just hide my face and wear a mask.” He would joke, but it wasn’t far off from a plausible answer. He wore a mask and donned the identity “Baku, The Dream Eater” For a long time. Who’s to say Baku couldn’t make an appearance here? He actually thought for a moment. “....Or I could change my face?”

Shimiko shook her head vigorously, her voluminous pigtails bouncing as she reacted.

“No! You shouldn’t have to hide your face or Jashin forbid change it. You’ve done nothing wrong so I wouldn’t ask you to do that. If you want to, that’s your decision but as far as I’m concerned you have nothing to hide. I know your intentions are good and once we finalize the details about your past, we’ll explain to the city what’s going on.”

It made Shimiko angry that he was even seriously considering that. She wasn’t mad at him but rather at the village for lacking patience and understanding. They were angry about his situation even though they knew nothing about it. The possibility that he was joking hadn’t occurred to her. Her mood was still sour after her fight with Vik.

“This is the address” she said. “Its in the nicer part of town. We have to be careful about this. If its discovered that ANBU killed a major adviser to the Daimyou it could spark a Civil War. We can’t do it ourselves, we’ll need to be far away when his ‘accident’ happens”

She’d use scare quotes around the word “accident”

Seigi didn’t even want to think about the implications it meant if it were discovered that they would be responsible for this, but he was sure that wouldn’t happen. They could come up with something clever if they put their minds to it, but Shimiko probably already had a plan.
“You know,” Seigi started, staring at the building, “I could just bring the whole building down. Make it look like a structural failure.” He would recommend, looking it over. “But if you have a better idea, I’d love to be filled in.”

To be honest, Seigi was pretty antsy to use his magnet release once more. It was strange, relearning how to control the magnetism dormant within his blood, but with awakening it, he remembered how to use it somewhat. He still needed work on his larger range techniques, but for now, he could definitely get the job done with what he had.

Shimiko looked at Seigi with a devilish grin when he said he could perform a structural collapse.

“I was going to go for making it look like he got cancer but that would take more time and it would give him more of an opportunity to poison the Daimyou’s ears. Plus if he were to get ill then the fedual lords would have greater sympathy for him which would increase the chances of him turning them against Nariko and the Church. A structural failure would work but we’d need to be very careful about how it happens. We can’t risk the possibility of a credible accusation of foul play. It needs to be iron-clad. I think the first thing we’ll need to do is recon his living quarters, then find the engineers who built it and learn its secrets...there will be an investigation and we need to be able to show that the cause of the collapse was faulty engineering.”

Shimiko punched Seigi on the shoulder.

“Your lucky Magnet is an ultra-rare bloodline around these parts”

She then led the way to Nazgul’s compound. The pair would arrive at night as was custom of reconnaissance missions. They were crouched on a ridge over-looking the sprawling multi-storied mansion. There were guest houses for the servants and even a mini-cottage for the family dog. Their positioning was similar to that of their first mission except instead of an apartment complex, they were dealing with a mansion.

“We need to get into the basement….find the support structure. He has shinobi guards so they won’t be easy to slip past. Fortunately, I can use the same jutsu that I used to turn into Raijin to give us both a disguise. The utility companies in this city tend to make visits to check people’s meters. Given that this is a military installation the usage of power is regulated closely. Use too much electricity and you get fined. Someone like Nazgul goes over the limit as much as he wants given how rich he is. We’re going to use that against him”

Shimiko seemed to be pretty onboard with his whole “collapse-the-whole-damn building” idea, commenting on how his stolen bloodline was rare. He would simply shrug, grinning as he did. The trip to Nazgul’s mansion didn’t take long, and after doing some recon on the outer perimeter, Seigi attempted to make note of all external defenses, potential escape routes, and patrol patterns.

Shimiko wanted to break into the basement first, to find the support structure of the main building. Seigi agreed with this plan, and it seemed she already had their disguises picked out for them.
“Okay, but don’t make me look TOO embarrassing, Fashion really does mean a lot to me.” Seigi could comment jokingly, but only kind of. If he looked too embarrassing, it could draw attention, but he trusted Shimiko to make the right choice.

“Hehehe, I’ll do my best but no promises” she said with a wink. Shimiko made the relevant handsigns and touched her chest. A blanket of blood enveloped her body and transfigured her shape and size into that of a tanned and middle aged maintenance worker. The disguise would complete with a set of workman’s overalls and a cap that said “Bibito” on it. Shimiko-Bibito tested out a few voices before arriving at once she liked. It sounded gravely with a hint of a northern Kaminari accent. She wiped the thick moustache and then turned around so Seigi could see her.

“How do I look?”

She said in her fake voice. Assuming he approved, she’d then do the same for him. A touch was all it took and her blood was snake across his body, molding his form in a way that the Transformation Jutsu never could. Shimiko would turn Seigi into an even older and uglier version of herself. Instead of just a thick moustache, it was a full on beard/moustache set with crumbs hidden inside. Seigi was also giving a bulging gut with stretch-marks. The prodigous pot belly was supported by two hair legs and an even harrier back. Shimiko completed the look with male pattern baldness and a half chewed off ear. He was giving the same uniform but his was noticeably dirtier and more unkept. A hat on his head read “Babito”.

When Shimiko finished she began spasming as she did her best to hold in a laugh.

“I-I,’m d-d-done *snicker*”

She said trying her best not to laugh uproariously.

Seigi was not amused.

“You know, I’ve killed people for less.” Seigi would half-joke, half-threaten. He would shake his head.
“No, see, the goal is for them to let us inside.” The middle-aged slob would explain. “This? This isn’t very inviting.” He would thrust his hands together, executing the ram sign. Transforming once more, Seigi’s form would shift of that into a woman in her younger twenties, white hair tied up in a bun, still sporting an eye patch, but a small bunny insignia would sit on it. She was fairly short, closer to 5’3, and fairly normal looking in most aspects. She would wear a white coat with a single tag “Babito” on her breast.

“This is better. Trust me. All guards are horny. Do you know how easy it is to sneak into somewhere if you just flirt a little?” Seigi would ask, before realizing that Shimiko was a woman, she yes, she probably knew exactly what he was talking about and this was not anything new to her at all. He would shut up for the moment.

himiko’s eyes bulged and watered as she tried to hold in the biggest laugh of her life. She spoke back to him in the Northern Kaminari accent.

“Okay Babito!”

More snickering would ensue. Seigi then transformed himself into a smoking hot girl with an eye-patch. It was basically a female verison of himself. Shimiko looked at him curiously and he explained his reasoning. She couldn’t argue with his logic although it wasn’t nearly as funny as what she had planned. Shimiko knew that it was easy to gain access to a restricted area as a hot girl. She knew this in theory but had rarely exercised this power. She relied on her shinobi talents to get the job done not her feminie qualities.

“I wouldn’t know” she bragged in her fake Bibito “I’m not that type of kunoichi” she gave a wink and then scratched her fake chin. “I guess you’re right though but both of us shouldn’t be super hot. That’s begging to be searched and if one of them touches me in the wrong place, I’ll have to kill them. At least if one of us is the ugly duckling they might try to behave...especially if…”

Shimiko shifted the blood transformation and packed on more muscle. She was not physically imposing buit still quite ugly and weird looking. Shimiko smiled at Seigi with crooked teeth.

“Lead the way boss!”

She was having way too much fun with this.

Working his way off the ledge, Seigi would follow the path up towards the Estate, the two greeted by a large gate and two guards keeping watch, one on either side of the massive. Adjusting her eyepatch, as they approached, Seigi would make sure “Bibito” was next to her before clearing her throat as she approached the gate. It was time for him to put on the charm and add a little bit of extra sway as Babito got closed, giggling as she adjusted her eye patch.

“Yup, this is definitely the place.” She would say, crossing her arms. “Pardon me boys, but we’re here with the Kumogakure Power Commission. We’ve been getting some really…. Odd… readings on your power bill.” She would get closer to one of the men, basically on top of him. “And between you and me, I think it’s the power company trying to overcharge you. If I can look at your generator though, I might be able to show the power company that it’s an error on their end.”

Bibito walked with a swagger typical of a Northern Kaminari workman. Shimiko had secreted a fair bit of blood into her mouth, densified it, and increased its iron content to create a chewy black substance. Dip. She chewed and sucked on the dip and occasionally spat like a redneck. He allowed Girl!Seigi to work her charm while he looked around disinterested.

The men smiled at Babito and nodded as if they understood a word of what she was saying.

“Yeah we just gotta uh, search you and uh”

“And fucking what? Manhandle my sister? If you wanna be the reason this place’s bill goes up 1,000% keep pushing yer luck”

He spat brown juice at the guard’s feet. The guard looked at Bibito and was about to respond when his partner stepped in and said.

“Look if you don’t submit to a search then I gotta call my superior and then they go-”

“Whatever. Babs let’s go. I told you this was a waste of time We try to do our man a favor cuz he is the only one fighting against these bullshit cultists and this is what we get. When he gets the bill we’ll be sure to let em know whose responsible….”

Jashin forgive me for being unable to kill these heathens. I beg your mercy for slurring your most holy and honored Church.

Shimiko-Bibito turned on a heel and began to walk away. It was a desperate gamble but she felt it was warranted given the situation. A real Norther Kaminari redneck would never consent to his sister being searched by a stranger. He’d rather go home. If they looked too eager to do their job then the guards’ suspicion would be raised. It was basic reverse psychology but hidden under an impressive layer of acting, deception, social engineering, and human intelligence extraction. It was all very ANBU.

“Dang, she’s good.” Seigi would think as Bibito blew up on them, then walked away. Seigi instantly understood what was happening.
“I-Bibito, wait!” Babito would call out, crossing her arms, looking to the guards.
“It’s okay. They can search me.” Babito would say, trying to win the guards on her side. “But if I feel one hand out of place, I’ll break it off.” She would say with a giggle, making sure everyone heard. Hopefully this would help play into Shimiko’s outburst, Seigi trying the “good cop bad cop” approach. They were taking the bait, Shimiko pulled the tension, and now Seigi could pierce their cheek.
“I think these boys know their manners, don’t you?”

Bibito stopped in his tracks. She could feel the apprehension in their body language. She could taste it. When Babito assented to their search, she could sense their relief. Seigi had wisely given them an out. A chance to save themselves. They were in their debt now as opposed to the other way around. Humans were less likely to be suspicious of those who they felt were doing them a favor that they did not have to do. Rather than trying to force their way in, they had essentially played to the guard’s biases and uncertainties. The results were predictable as any ANBU Intelligence Instructor would tell you.

Bibito turned around and spat “tobacco juice”.

“If I see a hand out of place I’ll do more than break something” he grunted. “But you’re right maybe they will behave and actually do their boss a favor by treating us with some respect”

The guard swallowed.

“Yes absolutely. Thank you for complying ma’am...and sir...uh yeah”

He was clearly nervous about the situation but he had no choice but search her and let them in. The pair were searched and not even that thoroughly. Shimiko knew what a real search was and she could tell they were holding back out of fear. Once the search was done, the two were cleared to enter the compound. Bab and Bib would then be free to walk past the checkpoint and along the entryway to the main house. A sprawling mansion lay before them with beautiful grass on each side. As the pair walked towards the mansion, they replied to each other:

“I guess your idea worked...I still think you look better with the potbelly though” she whisper-giggled.

Seigi would blow a kiss to the guards as they passed through the gates of the mansion.
“I don’t like my center of gravity feeling so low.” Seigi would say, dropping the giggly facade that got them through the gates. “But I guess this form isn’t much better..” He would say, noting his hips. Moving forward, he would begin to look around the large estate, noting how nice everything was.

“I guess the Daimyo pays pretty well. I’m in the wrong business.” He would joke, proceeding towards the mansion at a fairly normal pace. So far, everything was going easier than he expected. Usually everything that could go wrong DID go wrong, but this was going pretty smooth. THe needed to be cautious, though, they were still just in the beginning stages of this. His anxiety couldn't help but plan for all the worst-case-scenarios.

Shimiko grinned as he joked about how little they got paid compared to the Daimyou’s minions.

“Power is worth more than wealth” she surmised. He had to recognize the truth of that statement. After all, they were about to kill this man and there was nothing he could do to stop it. The disguised Shimiko rapped on the door with a big hair set of knuckles. She only had to wait a few minutes before someone answered the door. It was a short and pudgy woman wearing an apron. She carried a child in one arm and another peaked out from behind her.

“Oh yes, you must be from the power company….the cellar is right over here.”

The maid would allow them to enter and would begin showing them the way to where the basement was (and where the building’s support structure could be found) as they walked, the children followed them. Shimiko said nothing. There was unspoken reality at play here. The goal was to kill this man by toppling his home and crushing him. They could not be sure that the kids would make it out. Shimiko had no compunction about doing what needed to be done to protect her Church and Kage. She adored kids but she loved her’s more than she did his. If they needed to die then so be it. Shimiko watched Seigi out of the corner of her eye. Would he have any doubts about their mission? Would he think her cruel for not bringing up the presence of kids? She was curious as to what her psuedo-brother thought about the gravity of the situation.

The kids were a problem.

Seigi had no problem making sure their dad didn’t make it. That was just the shinobi life. But these kids deserved a chance at least, didn’t they? Seigi would make sure to keep up his facade as they continued, glancing to Shimiko only once, to make sure they were both on the same page about their existence. With but a single shake of his head, perhaps they could reavaulate how to complete this mission. He’d play along for now, but he was going over plans inside his head. Could he get them out of there? How could he do that without anyone seeing?
"No, that wouldn't work." Seigi thought to himself, pondering his options. They were slim and it wasn't looking like that was changing anytime soon.

Shimiko had no compunction about letting the kids die. When her brother gave a single shake of his head, she knew that he wasn’t on board for that. They’d need to minimize or eliminate the possibility of casualties. Now was not the time for a debate on shinobi ethics and so she opted to let the subject die as they were led down to the cellar. Bibito belched as they finally reached the bottom of the stairs. The maid gave a disgusted look and he gave an uncouth grin. They couldn’t let the severity of the situation force them to break character and so she kept on pretending to be the blue collar maintenance man that she had arrived as.

“Yeah uh, we’re gonna need some time alone down here. Tell them to not come down here under any circumstances”

The maid nodded and then made herself scarce leaving Shimiko and Seigi alone in the cellar. The area was lit was a few torches and candles. The cellar was surprisingly clean and was very spacious with large stone pillars upholding the entire structure. Casks of fine wines and liqueors were laid out in a long row. It stretched well into the darkness.

“Well, thoughts?”

They were alone now (Shimiko confirmed it with her superhuman perception) and could speak freely.

“Kids being here changes things. Not by much, but we gotta make sure they’re out when the building comes down.” Seigi would say, very blatantly. “I have enough lives on my hands already, it won’t be hard to get them to safety.” Seigi would state, looking into the darkness.With a sigh, she would take one of the bottles of the shelf, looking it over. Part of him wanted to drink half the thing right now. If there was one thing Seigi hated about warfare, it was when kids get involved.

“Apart from that, I think we should keep moving. We don’t have time to waste.” She would say quietly. He had no idea where the main support beams were or how much further they had to go before they got to it. Once they found it, however, they would need to study it as well. The plan was hinging on an unseen time frame now. They needed to act quickly.

Shimiko listened as Seigi spoke. This was the moment of truth. This wasn’t her Seigi. He didn’t know her, at least not as well as her real brother did. Yet she couldn’t help but wonder what if? If the Seigi from her world was still alive and well what would he think of what she was about to say? She knew he had done morally gray if not outright evil things to protect his country. He wasn’t just an ANBU, he was one of the most decorated ANBU in the country’s young history. He didn’t mind Shimiko following in his footsteps but she couldn’t help but think he’d be disappointed in how willing she was to sacrifice others. He had always known her as a cheerful and nice girl. Would he think of her as an evil and spiteful woman now that she had grown up to be just like him, if not worse? She wasn’t sure. But he had given her a choice and that was more than her own mother and father were willing to do. Shimiko cut in before they moved on. They needed to deal with this now. This Seigi might think her as evil but if she wanted to develop a bond with him then she’d need to be truthful about who she was.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea Seigi. I know you care about the children...belive me I have two of my own I’d die for but sometimes we must do what’s necessary. This whole plan hinges on this being an accident. If Nazgul dies but his kids are mysteriously saved from the collapse it would turn a lot of heads. People start asking questions. The Daimyou starts investigating and if it points back to ANBU, this country will plunge into Civil War. We can’t afford that. I know you probably think I’m cruel and heartless...but I’d give my life a thousand times over to keep this Land safe. What’s are a couple of kids to the future of an entire nation?”

Seigi was quiet as Shimiko spoke, going over her words in his head. For the sake of the mission, and for Kumogakure, she was right. He had been willing to do terrorist-like activities in the past, blowing up market places, even him being here in Kumogakure was hinging on their mission against Kirigakure, at least at first. Fem-Seigi would turn towards Shimiko, her arms crossed, a lone eye gazing at her.

“Let’s just get this over with then.” She would say, on board with the plan now. Seigi didn’t like it. In fact, he hated it, but they needed to do what was necessary. This was all for the greater good of things….right? At least, that’s what Seigi would tell himself. Shimiko cared about how he felt, and knew that he didn’t like this, but they would have to settle on that level for a little bit. He was grateful she took his feelings into account in the first place, something that wasn’t common in the shinobi world. He would let her take the lead. He trusted her judgetment.

He was disgusted. Shimiko could see it in his eye. He didn’t like it and he didn’t want to have any part of murdering children. Shimiko was too young to know exactly what her older brother had done as an ANBU but maybe he never went this far. Maybe both Seigi’s in both universes had a stronger moral compass than her. The thought scared her. She hope that she didn’t fracture any built-up trust between the two of them, but even if she had she had only done so because she thought it was absolutely necessary. He relented and they got a move on.

Eventually, they’d come across a massive open-spaced hall with giant support pillars reaching all the way into the ceiling.

“This is it” the disguised Shimiko would say. There was indeed a power-box in the corner but that’s not what they were here for. Bibito would immediately start analyzing the structures using her excellent perception and memory skills to note all the details of the infrastructure.

“What do you think Seigi?”

She assumed he had some expertise in demolition.

Gazing at the giant structure, Seigi began to gaze around the room, thinking of the best way to bring it down. There was a power box in the room, and Seigi had a momentary idea, before he came up with something else.

“We can’t do a structural collapse.” Seigi would whisper, before saying it again once more. “Not without it looking staged. The only way to bring it down completely is to take out the middle support beam. But if we use sand to erode it, a simple investigation will show that.” He would tell her, frustrated.
“I miss the old days of shinobi warfare, when you could just plant a headband and blame it on another village. I didn’t sign up to be a structural engineer.” He would sigh.

Shimiko laughed at his joke. In her Bibito form it came out as a lower chortle and her belly shook as she emitted the sound. He was right. The old days were easier, but they weren’t coming back any time soon. Forensics had caught up to the shinobi craft. The Daimyou was paranoid when any of his men died and he’d request a thorough investigation if anything happened. The Office of the Raikage could stall but it wasn’t something that they could count on long term. They needed ot make sure that this act of random horror could not be tracked back to them.

“Hmmm…..perhaps if we we induced some flooding, that could definitely errode the structure. It doesn’t have to be overnight by the way. We could induce flooding now, and come back in a few days and then collapse the main pillar. That way it will seem as though the unchecked flooding is responsible. I could cast Genjutsu on some of the servants to get them to make a few mistakes with the piping, that’s bound to cause a regular and severe leak…”

She wasn’t sure if that fit in well with his plan but if it did then she’d need to act.