A Lesson [P. Chikara][Mission]

The Innocent Malice

Mission:

Haruna walked down the long stretch of road at a pace that can only be described as slow, clearly in no rush to get to her destination. Why would she be? It wasn’t like her target would be leaving the small town a couple miles North of Kirigakure, especially when he thought he was safe. And even if he had been paranoid, the chances of him expecting his executioners to be children who haven’t even entered their teens was rather low. So she did not hurry nor did she worry, ensured by her employer that her target was indeed within the village and that he wouldn’t be moving to the next town anytime soon. And if he did, well she would continue with the mission, though she and her associate would require more money for the trouble.

One would expect receiving missions from the underworld would be difficult for anyone, especially children who hadn’t yet entered their teenage years. It was one of the few annoying things about her job, being looked down upon due to her age, but a couple well placed words here and that changes. Though talk is cheap, and so she backs up her words by her actions, which has always proven to get the job done. And with every complete job, her reputation within the underworld grew and she ensured herself some loyal customers.

She sighed deeply, eyes flickering over to the individual who would be accompanying her during this particular assignment. How the individual performed would determine rather or not Haruna took her on anymore, but she was confident that the child would exceed her expectations. The girl may be younger than her by two or three years, but that didn’t matter much within this world. Age was merely a number, the skill and experience of the individual mattered the most that was something her late mother had taught her. A faint smile crossed her lips, and she chuckled softly as her eyes turned back to the road ahead.

With buildings coming into her field of vision, she knew that the town was close, and that soon enough the assignment would be complete. Yet, with that in mind, she stopped, shifting her weight onto her right side as she looked at her companion. A cruel smile graced her pale face and her gaze shifted to the left. “We are almost there,” Haruna said, her smile remaining plastered onto her face as she continued, “and I know you may be having second thoughts about this whole thing. But…”

Haruna trialed off, eyes landing back upon her companion. “If conducting this assignment is going to be a problem, you should turn back now so that my time isn’t wasted,” she concluded, words that only flowed for her lips once her companion had stopped. “So, Chikara, are you ready to dive into the underworld once again?”

Word Count: 480/700

The Crimson Princess

“I know! Why don’t I teach you how to kill with little to no remorse, on top of providing information bout the underworld? I know that you have killed before, I did some digging around since last we met.” Haruna said, those blue eyes staring into Chikara’s red eyes. She fidgeted under the older girl’s stare, not quite sure how she should feel about the individual knowing a piece of information she had thought destroyed and forgotten. She also didn’t know how she felt about the girl’s offer to teach her to kill without feeling guilty afterwards. How the conversation had turned from simply asking Haruna how the underworld worked to killing, it escaped her. But she now wished she hadn’t brought it up to her blonde friend.

It was now rather uncomfortable; the look that Haruna gave her as she awaited an answer didn’t help much either. But she knew that if she were to make it out there without the protection of a village, she needed to get use to feeling uncomfortable as well as get rid of the feeling. She swallowed, clearing her throat as she looked Haruna over. From the words that spilled from the blonde’s mouth, Chikara would be getting the most out of the deal, but that didn’t mean much to her. Especially since Haruna had failed to state what she wanted in return for the information and her time. Yet, instead of asking the child what she wanted, Chikara decided that she would make an offer.

She relaxed in her chair, the feeling of discomfort leaving her body as she stared at Haruna. “That sounds nice enough, but you don’t seem to be getting anything out of this,” Chikara calmly said, something that didn’t come naturally to her, but it would in due time. “So, how about this. You teach me about the underworld so that I don’t run around like a chicken with my head cut off. And you join the group as our sensor. You will be quite essential.”

Haruna stared intently at Chikara, the younger of the two awaiting the answer from the older female. Yet with how long it was taking her to answer, she was beginning to think the blonde would decline her offer. Despite being worried, she forced herself to maintain a calm exterior.

“Who else is apart of this group?” Haruna would finally say, words that made Chikara quite happy.

“I shall tell you when the right time comes,” Chikara would say with a grin.

“Fine. I shall do the same for you. I won’t give you any information about the underworld… until we go on a mission, where I can assess rather or not you’ll be a waste of time,” Haruna countered, albeit Chikara wasn’t all too concerned. It showed, she maintaining her smile as she continued to stare at Haruna. A smile graced the face of Haruna as the two continued to look at each other, finally the two would utter, “deal.”

---

Chikara snapped herself out of her reveries upon hearing the voice of Haruna. She halted her steps and shifted her body to look at the older female. Not a word was uttered, but a nod of her head would be enough to let Haruna know that she wasn’t turning back. She would learn of the underworld, she would learn how to kill without hesitation, guilt, or going berserk. And she would learn how to kill without being fueled by her anger. There was more that Haruna would teach her, but she had to pass the girl’s test first. Yet, she wasn’t the only person with something to lose, Haruna was also proving herself worthy of the group. No matter what, Chikara would be prepared for the time she joined Amatsu as a missing shinobi.

[Kurisu has been brought into the topic.]

Word Count: 632/700

The Innocent Malice

It wasn’t everyday that one asked to know about the underworld, unless they wanted information, nor was it everyday that person was intent with joining said underworld. So, when Chikara had come to her, Haruna had been surprised, for she hadn’t expected the desire of the smiling child to be something she wouldn’t expect from somebody of her upbringing. Albeit, with a quick digging of her mind, she did remember that the Shurajo was actually raised to be a shoulder, and though she had lived in the darkness like herself, she didn’t know anything of it. So the surprised had left, and the two began to banter, attempting to make a deal that both could agree on. And when they had finally reached a verdict on that faithful day, the stones were set in place.

She had an array of things she wished to teach Chikara, but she had to mold the child first. So, Haruna had set up a series of missions for the two to do, getting the experiment use to the things she would have to do once she joined the underworld. Some reflected the mission they were doing at the moment, whilst others had no killing involved at all, but she wouldn’t introduce the girl to thievery just yet. Not until she killed without hesitation and guilt, as well until she guarantee herself a spot in this group.

A nod from Chikara was enough to answer her inquiry, though she had no doubt that she would turn back now. There was a reason the girl was doing this, and Haruna may not know the reason, but she knew it would be quite the driving force for the girl. Sure, she may face some moral dilemmas, but by time she was done with the girl, the Shurajo would be throwing morals to the wind. With these thoughts in mind, she resumed the short trek to the village where the target resided, silence set between the duo once again.

Upon their arrival in the town, Haruna would immediately set out to find the inn her target would be within. She knew he wouldn’t be in there now, her contact having told her his routine, but she did like chilling out in people’s homes, temporary or permanent didn’t matter to her. So, the two girls would find themselves in one of the few rooms provided by the inn, having made sure they entered undetected. This entire operation was to remain hush hush. Haruna made herself comfortable on the bed, awaiting for the target to arrive so that Chikara could end his miserable existence.

Word Count: 903/700

The Crimson Princess

She hadn’t expected for Haruna to break into the target’s temporary residence, nor had she expected for the older female to relax within the abode of another. She had assumed that the two would track down the target before killing him, it never once crossing her mind that it would require less energy and effort upon their part to simply wait where he must retire eventually. So, as she made herself comfortable within the room, sitting herself at the lone chair and table located on the opposite side of the bed. She removed Kurisu from her jacket, placing the pup onto her lap as she stroke his fur gently. She had decided to take the older pup on her first criminal mission, but had promised Arisu that she would take her next time.

She would love to bring both pups along, but with Arisu being the sort of pup she had to keep an eye on, she went against her desire. Beside, this could be a personal time the pups shared with their caretaker. Kurisu definitely wouldn’t be complaining, enjoying any time he had with Chikara and away from the presence of his sister. She would continue to stroke Kurisu’s fur as she awaited for the target to show up, and the waiting game took forever. The two had arrived within the two in the afternoon, but the target hadn’t returned to his room until nightfall, albeit Haruna had taken the time to run her through the plan whilst they patiently waited.

The sound of approaching footsteps had Kurisu waking up from his nap, and the sound of the key being placed into the doorknob had him upright on Chikara’s lap. She gave her pup a pat on the head, quietly hushing him as she placed him upon the floor. As for Haruna, well she had taken the liberty of sitting up on the bed, though Chikara felt that the blonde haired child wasn’t totally invested in this at all. She had probably done this a hundred times, and thus it had become a bore. Such a thought only confirmed when she hadn’t expressed surprised when the target crossed the threshold and stumbled into the room.

As she had been told, Chikara didn’t allow for the target to get a bearing on his surroundings or notice the presence of three entities that shouldn’t be in his room. Using that strength afforded to her by the training her body had undergone, and that speed that came along with it, she quickly closed the gap between herself and the target before planting her fist in his stomach. She swiftly took several steps back, allowing the man to crumble to the ground as he gripped his stomach in pain.

Kurisu, being the quiet little thing he was, trotted over to the figure, giving a quite smell before retreating behind Chikara’s leg. She gave the pup a smile before turning her attention upon Haruna, waiting for further instructions. Such instructions would pertain to how she should kill the target effectively and without leaving any evidence. And she knew bashing in his skull wasn’t the answer.

Word Count: 1153/700

The Innocent Malice

Haruna had fallen asleep upon the fairly comfortable bed, for she had become quite bored whilst waiting for the target to show up. The schedule was off, but she expected something like this to happen, it would be hard getting the target to gulp down a cocktail of drugs. Of course, she hadn’t been the one to plant it in his drink; her employer was, though they had been reluctant at first. Until, she explained that she didn’t exert unnecessary energy, and preferred to drug her victims so that they didn’t have a fighting chance. She hadn’t told them that the drugs also helped her deal with bigger targets, but that was information only she needed to know.

So, when the sound of heavy footsteps coming closer to the room reached her ears, followed by the fumbling of keys and the twisting of the doorknob, Haruna knew why the target came stumbling into the room as if he were intoxicated. No longer lying down upon the bed, sitting upright, her eyes shifted over to Chikara. She had given the child instructions earlier about how to best deal with the target, but she hadn’t quite told her the proper way to kill the target without leaving evidence. At least, evidence that could tie the murder to her client; she wasn’t quite worried about evidence coming back to her. People don’t want to believe that children are capable of murder, and on top of that, she is basically a ghost.

“You are the medic, Chikara-chan, what do you think is the most effective way of killing him,” Haruna said, breaking the silence as well as continuing the lesson. She would have leaned back, but she wasn’t seated on a bed, not a chair, and so she decided against it. Instead, she pushed herself off the bed, not sparing a single glance to the man clutching his stomach. There was about thirty seconds left before the man would regain his composure, albeit he still wouldn’t prove much of a problem in his drugged state. So, she continued to speak to Chikara. “The client wants this done silently and cleanly, so bashing in his skull is out of the question since it would leave a gruesome scene. You have no access to a knife, albeit you wouldn’t be able to use one since it would leave a bloody mess. So now you are stuck with one of two options.”

Haruna smiled, as she waited to see what option Chikara shall take. She personally would strangle the man to death, but that was because she liked to watch as the life slowly seeped from her victim’s body. But there were the occasions she snapped the necks of her victim instead, albeit she only did that when she had limited time. Those were the two options that would have been available to Haruna, but there was a third for Chikara. And rather or not the child would notice was to be seen. Either way, the victim shall be dead, and Haruna would have somebody to teach the ins and outs of the underworld to.

Word Count: 1421/700

The Crimson Princess

 
 
 

Word Count: 1719/700

The Innocent Malice

“I agree.” Haruna said, eyes drifting from Chikara to the now deceased man on the floor. Oh what a sad way to go, but she wouldn’t be shedding any tears for the man and she doubt her companion would either. To be frank, it seemed that the Shurajo had totally forgotten that she just killed a man, her attention now on the pup known simply as Kurisu. With little desire to stay within the room any longer, Haruna led the way out of the hotel room, making their way back to their employers residence. As they walked the dark road, the Oshiro had only one thought, and that was how deadly Chikara could be with the proper guidance, something she would receive from her. But she knew a much better person to help the Shurajo, a person that had been affiliated with her mother before her untimely demise, but she would have to wait to introduce the red haired child to her very distant blood relative.

Word Count: 1587/700