Recruiting the Black Spider - Manjushage

[LmnDrp]

Shinichi had been travelling for 2 weeks since the last time he rested in a legitimate shelter, back in Kaminari no Kuni. He had now reached Hi no Kuni, and he was nearing his target. In fact, Shinichi believed that he would arrive within the perimeters of her home quite soon. Though, he only had vague descriptions of his surroundings to go off of for directions his spatial awareness was on-par with the best and he figured there wouldn't be many other settlements around the area. He figured he could narrow it down by process of elimination, worst case scenario. After rushing through the forest for another hour or so, Shinichi caught a glimpse of the small home that he believed belonged to a quite skilled by mostly unknown nukennin. Though, he wasn't quite sher what her name was... He sat crouched in the limb of a nearby tree, disgusing his location by using Hada Kaeru on himself to blend into the bark. There he waited for any movement within the home.

[Takeo]

On this dreary Sunday morning there was nothing of interest except the gentle rainfall colliding with Mizuka’s tin roof. The onslaught of rain drops was comforting, and the rain always left Mizuka pleased as she didn’t have to water her plants outside. The woman drank her morning tea and went into the fenced in area behind her quaint home. Mizuka had been taking care of a Wisteria tree on this plot for some years now, and every morning the woman made it a goal of her’s to pick leaves off of the tree. Following this, Mizuka would head back into her little abode and began to boil the leaves in a closed pot. Attached to the metal pot was glass tubing that removed the poisonous fumes from the boiling leaves. This poison runoff was then concentrated and placed into vials for use.

[LmnDrp]

Shinichi's eye caught movement from a great distance, inside of the woman's home. About time, I was getting impatient, he thought to himself as he analyzed further. As the woman went outside and had her back turned for just a few moments, Shinichi bolted nearer to the home. The surrounding area of the home was nearly entirely clear, meaning he had to clear this distance very quickly. He did so, running at his top speeds, placing his back to the building's wall softly. His head just beneath a window, he listened intently to the woman's actions, furthermore he analyzed what he could see of the front and back yard from his position. A... wisteria? So, an assassin that creates her own poisons? Handy. He stood up and walked to the front door, knocking and then taking 2 short steps back, then waiting.

[Takeo]

Mizuka was in a small section of her home that was filled with various instruments and devices. Hisses and clanks filled the air surrounding the woman. She was incredibly focused on extracting the Wisteria concentration without losing any of it. There, she thought as she placed two vials of the poison at her station. The woman then grabbed a concoction of herbs and flowers from a large tin at her station. Mizuka began to distil the mix and let it simmer at her station for a few moments. That little village boy will give me a good amount of coin for this love potion, considered the woman as she finished up at her station. Mizuka hurried back to her cramped kitchen and immediately washed her hands. Upon finishing there were distant knocks at her door, and when Mizuka looked out the two windows at the front of her home she couldn't see anyone. Probably just someone from the nearby logging village, pondered Mizuka as she retreated to her room for a moment. Mizuka quickly retrieved a long black wig and threw it over her hair. She put on a smile and gingerly approached her door. "Now what do you need Ogai," questioned Mizuka as she opened her door to a stranger. Mizuka shifted slightly before continuing, "Oh I apologize! You don't live in that logging village nearby huh, now who might you be! Welcome to Nakamura's floral shop! Can I get you some flowers, or do you need tea leaves?" Mizuka kept her smile strong but there was worry behind her eyes. This man does not look like he's from Hi no Kuni, what would someone want with my little floral shop?

[LmnDrp]

Shinichi paused for a moment as the woman opened her front door, due to a plethora of reasons, including: I must've been too busy sneaking around to notice, this is a flower shop? Is this really the skilled nukennin I've been searching for? Who tf is Ogai? Despite his confusion, he passed off a gentle grin to the woman and stepped inside before answering her question. "Ah... yes... how about both. One can never do with too many flower, nor too much tea," he kept his smile as he closed the door behind himself. Turning back to face the assumed nukennin, he spoke again, "sorry, I have a thing about... closed doors. Shall we?" He gestured fourth as he wanted to follow her.

[Takeo]

The handsome stranger gave Mizuka a soft grin which comforted the woman slightly. It took him a moment to respond to her but when he did it wasn't all too surprising. How long do you wanna keep this up, pondered Mizuka as she turned around to enter her tiny kitchen. The lady opened a narrow cabinet that was filled with labeled tins. Mizuka grabbed one from high above and placed it down on her counter. "This is my sencha house blend. The green tea leaves have been formed into a powder allowing it to be easily mixed with either warm or cold water and if you're hearty milk too! Now just give me a moment I will get you a bouquet," lectured the woman as she left to a side part of her home. Mizuka made sure to move with haste because who ever felt comfortable with strangers snooping around their residence. Mizuka entered her narrow green house room and grabbed a bundle of red spider lilies. The florist wrapped the flowers in a white cloth and scurried back to her foyer. She placed them next to the green tea on her kitchen counter. With a stern tone Mizuka spoke up saying, "Alright that will be 4.500 ryo!" The woman's grin grew wider as she looked the stranger up and down.

[LmnDrp]

Shinichi approached the counter as he was beckoned to do so, and as the woman displayed her wares he paid close attention. Hm... she's not trying to poison me, or at least that doesn't look like any poison I'm familiar with. So, she's not onto me yet, that's lucky," As she hurried into another room, Shinichi stood perfectly still, he figured he wouldn't get enough time to gleam any useful information from snooping around and it'd only raise suspicions about him. Unfortunate... As she came back with a bouqet, Shinichi let out uncontrollable laughter at the irony. "Hahahaha! Oh, you really got me there! That is just... UNCANNY! Haha!" as the man let out this laughter he swiftly reached for a pen, bunny hopped backward, and launched the improvised weapon saying "I'm no fool, reveal yourself to me! What name do I address you by?!"

[Takeo]

The stranger began to laugh with an odd tone which made Mizuka somewhat uncomfortable. I wasn't playing any sort of game here, what's the significance of red spider lilies, wondered the florist as the man grabbed a pen and jumped backwards. Mizuka was surprised to see one of her own pens being launched at her. Oh come on now, thought the florist as she ducked beneath her kitchen counter avoiding the pen. The woman let out a shriek and responded with a shaky voice, "What do you mean? I already told-d you my name, it's Nakamura. If you want my full name it's Nakamura Rin! Please don't kill me I have a humble life out here." Before she finished speaking Mizuka formed the ram hand sign and used Kirigakure no Jutsu. This filled her home with a dense chakra enhanced mist that gave Mizuka vision on Shinichi. The florist swiftly slid over her kitchen counter and dashed towards Shinichi. Hidden within her mist Mizuka used Kirate right before jabbing at Shinichi's gut with her right hand. This caused her right hand to be sharpened like a blade.

[LmnDrp]

Shinichi sneered as the woman ducked and then shrieked, "Liar! I wasn't sure if my intel was correct--" he stammered for a moment as the woman cast a mist that filled the entirety of the room. Quickly, Shinichi prepared Yin: Fu-Tai and entered into a Muy Thai defensive stance. As the woman lunged at him, he rolled her arm past his shoulder with his right arm and caught her at her shoulder blader by flexing and contracting his left arm. He went on to reach for and try to pin her other arm with his free arm. Betting on his superior strength, especially whilst utilizing this Bushidou monk technique. If he succeded in pinning her upper body, he would try to speak to her by saying "I simply wish to speak! Killing you isn't my goal, it would be a grave waste of skills, nor would I go about it in such a sloppy way! I mean a pen?! Look; Akira, Mizuka, Rin?! We have much to discuss, as you can tell..." he would then proceed to await a response.

[Takeo]

People who work this hard to seek out Mizuka, not any of her aliases, never have good intentions. Of course she would be on the defense, but this stranger was also on the defensive. He managed to avoid Mizuka's jab; continually, he caught the florist at her shoulder. Mizuka readied her left knee and used it as a brace between her and the man. As the stranger pinned Mizuka's left arm she simultaneously managed to used Kaze no Yaiba in her left hand's pointer and middle finger. This created a blade of wind that grazed above the man's shoulder as he spoke. "It's Mizuka, just give me some space. You're moving things along much quicker than I'm used to." There was no strain in her voice and she continued with a calm tone. "I'm surprised you don't want to kill me. Because of that, I'm willing the hear you out," continued the girl as she pivoted her left knee downwards and extended her leg. Mizuka attempted to push the man off of her by using his groin as leverage with her left foot.

[LmnDrp]

He winced slightly as the wind blade made relatively small incisions on his shoulder blade, however he was relieved to be making progess without further bloodshed. In response to the young woman, Shinichi said "I wasn't quite sure how to approach confronting a master of false identities. I'm also not used to looking for an assassin in a flower shop." He sighed to himself as he continued. "Mizuka. I am Shinichi. I'm here to ask you to join me in a mutually fulfilling experience. The Red Spider Lily. My guild of like-minded nukennin that I'm forming. Join me and you only stand to flourish... To me, you are like a bud now, but this endevour will allow you to bloom"

[Takeo]

To Mizuka's surprise Shinichi did not want to kill her or extort her for information. She attempted to make more space between the two before responding. "Nice to meet you," muttered the florist with a soft smile. "Now I see why my bundle of spider lilies prompted you to be so weird. The Red Spider Lily? Sounds interesting, I've been looking for a change of scenery... Where are you all located," continued Mizuka as she strained to push Shinichi off of her completely. Mutually fulfilling he claims? What is of equal providence to my abilities? Shinichi knows little of what I posses, all he's seen is some simple suiton jutsu. Mizuka ruminated on the events to come, but this didn't prevent her from feeling excitement.

[LmnDrp]

Shinichi shuffled on his feet as the two shinobi held their conversation. "Yes, I can see from your trackrecord that you don't really enjoy sticking to one frameset for too long. Luckily enough though, I intend for all individuals in my organization to have enough personal liberties that they only preform jobs when they desire to do so, unless otherwise necessary. Thus, you could possibly even upkeep and run your shop on your down time. As for where I intend for us to be located, the answer is all over, that is I intend on having safe houses all over the continent and growing this company into a secured force in the ninja world." He thought to himself and grinned slighty at his vision finally coming into fruition. "So... If you're interested, then I'd like to hurry onto my next recruition. You're welcome to join me, or I shall otherwise contact you in the very near future beckoning you to a rendevous point."

[Takeo]

My track record, pondered the florist as she rubbed at her chin slightly. Shinichi continued to explain The Red Spider Lily and Mizuka made sure to actively listen. "This is sounding better and better as you continue. I would like to upkeep my home here due to a few obligations I have here. Other than that I am wholly willing to devote myself to jobs here and there," as Mizuka finished speaking she began rubbing her hands together. "About that recruitment, I would like to come along. It would help give me an idea of who else will be a part of us spider lilies. How far is it from here," questioned Mizuka as she shuffled around her house. Mizuka retrieved a small folded paper fan and a briefcase. Following this she walked back over to Shinichi in her kitchen. "Alright, I'm ready to head out now," announced Mizuka as she walked towards her door. The woman grabbed a long white coat from her coat rack. The florist flipped a sign in one of her windows and exited her forest home.

[LmnDrp]

Shinichi was obviously very pleased to hear that Mizuka was more than just willing to join, but seemingly excited to do so, I'm off to a good start at this point. He allowed her to finish talking, and then he continued to add in himself by answering her questions, "Well then, it sounds like it all worked itself out in a way. Also, the next recruitment is in this same land so it shouldn't take very long at all." As Mizuka continued to collect her belongings and prepare to depart, Shinichi did the same regarding his new tea and bouquet of flowers. And then the two were off.

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