Broker, Friend, Lover, Killer?

[KiyomiKonoha Hokage]

"Mr. Sojourner", A Rank

"What are you.. ugh!" Came the gasping final question of a man who was being choked to death by one hand from a masked and cloaked man whom replied in a cold and uncaring manner, "Sorry.. It is merely business. Got to keep my girls taken care of after all." With the final spasm and the telltale sound of the man's neck snapping he stopped struggling and went limp as his soul departed to the afterlife. With a heave the man was slumped over the masked man's shoulder and a sigh sound came out of the one who showed no skin.

"If i'm right that will keep everybody paid up for a while.. The guy had a pretty high bounty my Lord." Came the voice of his chosen companion, Ino Yamanaka, who came up behind him writing in a little book before closing it and looking at him, "Are you alright Master? You've seemed more distant and sad lately." The masked one shook his head, "I'm fine.. I'm merely annoyed that we've been exiled from Hidden Rain.. That Daimyo is young but she's crafty.. I didn't expect her to figure us out that soon before I was ready to handle her forces. If anything.. call it being a sore loser my dear."

They started heading off to one of the hundreds of Bounty Offices scattered around the world to drop off the body as proof and collect the reward. Hopefully nothing would happen to complicate matters.. If he lost the body he'd be very irritated..

chakra;; 185

[ANGreyKiri Mizukage]

hashimoto mizuchi, a-rank rogue

Mizu no Kuni was larger than most people realized; it wasn't just the island where Kirigakure no Sato stood, it was the entire ocean... at least, it was to Him.

As he stalked his prey, his eyes narrowing on the target in front of him whom held a massive bounty of nine hundred thousand ryō, Hashimoto Mizuchi stopped in his tracks when he saw someone else approach first. The masked figure wasted no time, choking the life out of Mizuchi's target and tossing him over his shoulder as a young blond girl stepped up behind him making sure he was okay. Mizuchi listened as the masked man spoke of being exiled from Amegakure, the Daimyo making them out for who they were, before the two started off in a direction Mizuchi realized was the closest bounty office.

Making his presence known, Mizuchi stepped out from his hiding place with a deathly glare in his eyes, a massive sword equal in size to the legendary Samehada strapped to his back, both hands in his pockets as he stepped towards them.

"Have you ever had the feeling that you've met someone before, even though you know for sure that you haven't?" His eyes were locked onto the mask of the man as he stepped closer, stopping when they were just six feet apart. "My father used to say it was your soul recognizing someone who would play an important role in your life: the person who killed you, your greatest ally, the love of your life..." Smirking lightly, he narrowed his gaze on the center of the mask, making it seem like both eyes were locked with his. "I don't get that feeling from you. I guess you must not be that important."

chakra;; 000

[KiyomiKonoha Hokage]

"Mr. Sojourner", A Rank

The man sighed as the presence that was hidden, making him believe it was just another hunter, made themselves known and started to ask a question only for him to ramble on about ti himself, answering it as well. Lovely one of these types, He didn't bother speaking yet though as he merely looked at Ino who flipped through her book and shook her head, "You don't have a bounty worth my time." He turned and began walking off, still having the body on his shoulder, "If you have a problem with this mark being claimed you are more than welcome to follow and get a cut, but since I got here first you're screwed with getting what I'm willing to split with you." he said while not stopping his walk.

Ino looked at the other man for a moment but quickly caught up to her master and fell in step with him. She seemed worried, not for the safety of her Lord, but because she didn't think this man was someone to just ignore so easily. The Masked Man put his free hand on her shoulder to calm her though, feeling her emotions through the marking which binds them together. If the man was violent he'd get his fight, but if he was sensible he'd just follow to get his cut.

Thinking on it for a moment he added in one last thing, "As far as feeling connected to those whom you have never met.. I do know that feeling.. and I have turned every single moment it has happened into the greatest bonds I could ever hope for.." this made the woman at his side seem to beam happily but then she sobered up and took on her shinobi stoic face.

chakra;; 185

[ANGreyKiri Mizukage]

hashimoto mizuchi, a-rank rogue

No bounty worth his time? Well considering Kirigakure thought he was dead, that was probably a good thing. Plus he had plans in store for that village, he didn't exactly want a bounty of his own. Being offered a cut of the bounty was polite though, it showed that the masked man knew how to handle himself and knew when something was the easy way out. Mizuchi didn't need much, maybe fifty thousand would get him through the next six months before he needed to hunt again. Smirking as he kept his hands in his pocket and got closer, prepared to simply walk alongside the man, he nodded when the masked man spoke.

"Mizuchi's the name. I'll be fine with just fifty thousand for a few months. Obviously not the nine hundred thousand I was hoping for, but getting something is better than nothing. What about you though, do you get that feeling when you look at me? Maybe the mask interferes with it on my side, but since you can see my face, you get my point." Shifting the sword on his back without touching it, just by moving his shoulder around, the man nodded again. "What about a name for you two anyway, even if it's just something to call you on the trip. We've got a few hours ahead of us."

chakra;; 220

[KiyomiKonoha Hokage]

"Mr. Sojourner", A Rank

The girl is the one who chipped in at this point as the man decided to follow them non-hostilely after all meaning he wanted a cut without a fuss, made sense anything was better than nothing. A sentiment the man voiced a moment later too, "I am Ino Yamanaka and this is Mr. Sojourner, my Lord." she replied with a half bow considering they were still moving and she didn't want to stop since her lord hadn't. The way she was forced to call him was actually incredibly confusing, but it was said correctly on her part and was intended to be confusing as it didn't actually tell Mizuchi the man's name. He had asked for a paltry sum basically in exchange for avoiding a skirmish for more so she flipped through her book and nodded, "That's perfectly fine. Once the reward is claimed you will have your fifty thousand ryo without a problem."

He tried again to purposely elicit a response from Mr. Sojourner, but this time he got one, "No, but that is because for all intents and purposes you don't seem to exist. I would question that but given how difficult it is to do such a thing I feel it would ruin the point.. I am a Broker of Information after all.. telling me would be akin to signing off on whoever you intended to hide from. Though that said it is at least interesting that "even I" do not have anything on you in the books, however that is as far as I'll poke that bear."

chakra;; 185

[ANGreyKiri Mizukage]

hashimoto mizuchi, a-rank rogue

Ino was a standard name for those of the Yamanaka clan, there was nothing special about that, but Mizuchi had never heard of the Sojourner clan and so didn't know if Mister was a standard name for them as well. Deciding that it was better not to push the issue, he simply nodded and repeated Ino's gesture with the bow as they continued walking, promising him his sum of the bounty. Mister decided that this time he'd give a full response, stating that Mizuchi didn't seem to exist and, to someone who dealt with information on a daily basis, he seemed to be a little impressed by it.

"I've no qualms with telling you, someone from the Rain village, if you were to show me your real face. If you want to know who I really am, to an extent, then I'd need the same type of assurance. You understand, of course." Mizuchi did not, by any extent, expect Mister Sojourner to take him up on that offer, but he figured he'd put it on the table. He was willing to gamble his own plans and safety against the masked man's identity; the paradox of asking a masked man who he is was one Mizuchi could not resist, but he did try to hide it under an offer that may interest him. Mizuchi genuinely wasn't sure which way Mister would go on the offer. "It's up to you, Sojourner." Shrugging his shoulders lightly, Mizuchi continued walking to see what would happen next.

chakra;; 220

[KiyomiKonoha Hokage]

"Mr. Sojourner", A Rank

The man didn't seem to be "moving" to show the action was truly being done, but his voice was echo'ing laughter, "I think not." he then stopped walking all of a sudden, his mere doing so was more than enough for Ino to draw a pai of kunai and a second later she tossed one towards a tree only to toss the second even harder as to clang against the first and cause it to slice sideways behind a tree it would have otherwise passed. A cry being heard as it struck it's intended target with a man running out a second later with the kunai sticking out of his left shoulder he seemed more pissed than injured though. He performed a quick series of hand seals and spewed forth a fireball jutsu at the trio.

The Masked Man drew the sword at his waist and simply swung it in the direction of the blade, suddenly electricity sprung to life on the blade and a Lightning Bolt crashed down into the fireball causing it to prematurely explode and fizzle out into nothing, with a sigh he turned his body to face the man who looked more stunned than anything but nonetheless started weaving more handsigns, "I'll get you for what you've done to my friend's brother!" the man yelled as he breathed several smaller but faster fireballs, most likely being phoenix flower jutsu, but by this point the man's presence made his moves very clear to either of the high level Rogues standing before him.

Mr. Sojourner would just batter the fires away with his sword and nod to Ino who would perform one of the Yamanaka jutsu and cause the man to stiffen as she took control of him and made him walk towards the trio, "your friend's brother should have led a better life. Now you can join him." and put the tip of his blade against the man's chest but before he could finish the guy off several dozen shuriken came out of the tree's around them, apparently the man had brought friends.. This caused Ino and Mr. Sojourner to jump and scatter to properly avoid the attacks and Ino drew another kunai from her leg pouch as they prepped for more battle.

It seemed there were now four men and two women "surrounding" the trio in the tree's grinning and all beginning to form handsigns.

This was the kind of irritation Mr. Sojourner was trying to avoid... damn it.

chakra;; 185

[ANGreyKiri Mizukage]

hashimoto mizuchi, a-rank rogue

As the shuriken came from the tree and approached Mizuchi, he sighed lightly as the ones moving towards him suddenly stopped, being surrounded by water. Without even seeming to move, the were all scattered away as he turned to Mister Sojourner, shrugging his shoulders.

"Guess I get to have some fun after all, Sojourner. Stay where you are though, please." Suddenly surrounded by water, the trio stood in the center of the opening as the water shot out towards two of the men forming handsigns, hitting one of them hard enough to knock him temporarily unconscious and make him fall out of the tree though the other one dodged the attack. Another fireball shot towards them was met with more water, fizzling out almost instantly as it was wrapped completely and smothered, obtaining no oxygen.

"You're not planning on making me do this all alone are you? The body isn't going anywhere Sojourner." Another stream of water was fired off at one of the girls. She jumped over it, but the attack immediately redirected and came up from beneath her, hitting her in the back of the head and wrapping around her face, attempting to suffocate her. Mizuchi's hands still in his pockets, he simply sighed as he looked around, seeing who was going to be dumb enough to keep trying.

chakra;; 193

Boring Stuff:

[KiyomiKonoha Hokage]

"Mr. Sojourner", A Rank

The Masked Man shook his head and sighed, "You said to stay put and now you complain about doing work? You really should make up your mind.." he glanced over as the one that was unconcious was being tended to by their apparent medic and he shrugged, charging his sword with special chakra before turning and thrusting the hand forward, not necessarily the blade itself, releasing the stored chakra in that area and causing an explosion of Plasma to engulf the "Medic" killing him instantly and leaving him a charred mess. The other guy managed to wake up just long enough to see a Kunai Ino had tossed at his face make contact,. ending him a second later.

The original man who had probably gathered this group was shaking in fear but determined for his revenge so he pulled out the kunai in his shoulder and looked like he was about to rush forward with the remaining two men and the woman who hadn't been captured by Mizuchi's water, though she looked pained as she wanted to help the still suffocating kunoichi who struggled and trashed in vain against the water whip.

They never made it forward.

Having grown tired of the game and them having grouped up Broker merely shunshin'd to be in between them all and circle swung his blade activating yet another of his ninkenjutsu creating a thrice circular wave of plasma energy which diced the group while burning and shocking them at the same time.. He then sheathed his blade and looked to see whether or not the remaining girl was finished suffocating or if Mizuchi was going to let her go. The choice didn't matter to him he just wanted to know. Assuming all was well he sheathed his sword and rolled his right shoulder to shift the body he was still holding a bit to make it more comfortable as his movement had caused it to slide around.

chakra;; 139 | 40

[ANGreyKiri Mizukage]

hashimoto mizuchi, a-rank rogue

She was dead, since she clearly wasn't from around here. Most Kiri ninja had a way to breath in the water, even if only temporarily. Shameful that this girl didn't have that- she may have been allowed to live... maybe.

As her body hit the forest ground below, Mizuchi's eyes scanned around to make sure nothing else was going to come out of the shadows as the water was guided away from them before splashing down as the jutsu ended, Mizuchi sighing lightly as his posture lightened up, no longer stiff from focus.

"Well, that lovely situation over with, do any of these jackasses have a bounty on their heads, Yamanaka?" Gazing at the small blond woman, Mizuchi tried not to seem as creepy as it felt, asking genuinely if taking any of these guys was worth it. "I'm only looking for enough to get me through the year, I don't need much. If I can get at least fifty thousand ryō from these jackasses, then I'll leave the full bounty of that dude to you guys."

chakra;; 199

Boring Stuff:

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