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Post by Akiyama Kisho on Aug 8, 2006 17:17:50 GMT -5
(*Happens several weeks before current time-line*)
After speaking to his comrade several days hence he had finally taken his advice and sent for the Naia boy, though he was only 5 years younger then Akiyama himself he still referred to him as a boy. It wasn't like he completely trusted the source of information, he trusted no one completely, but he knew that the other wanted what he did and they formed a bond through common wants and needs.
So now he sat waiting for the young man to show up. If he was late Akiyama would take it out of his hide, if he was too early he would refuse to see him. He wanted someone just a few minutes early or completely on time. This entire meeting would be a test of the others abilities. He had no intention of actually telling Naia what he wanted from him, instead he planned on making the him figure that out through subtle hints and gestures.
He was also giving him a time limit to figure it out. If he failed this test he was useless, if he passed he would be very busy and in a lot of danger. Akiyama was also contemplating the things he would do if he failed or only partially guessed, because then he would know too much.
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Post by Shizukiri Naia on Aug 8, 2006 17:37:25 GMT -5
The sensation in Naia's gut was not unlike that which might be induced by eating a live frog. He insisted to himself that there was nothing to worry about; he'd been in demand as a shinobi for some time, and the shogun probably just wanted to hire him. There was still time before he was supposed to show up, still several minutes remaining. To be early was to be rude, assertive, imposing; the rumors floating around about Akiyama among Edo's "underground" tradesmen left Naia with no desire to be early, or late, or anything except on time and useful.
He approached to within five yards of the sliding door, footsteps silent. Still, a few minutes to go, though he thought if he waited too much longer, he'd begin to sweat into his formal attire. A series of slow breaths calmed him, he shut his eyes and counted the seconds to steady his nerves. He focused on one thought, practically meditating on it, letting any anxiety slip away: if the shogun wanted him for a job, it had to be something secret, something important... something that'd pay well.
At last, as his mental countdown ended, he approached the door. "Please excuse my rudeness," he called, raising his voice just enough to be heard clearly. "This is Shizukiri Naia. I believe you sent for me."
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Post by Akiyama Kisho on Aug 8, 2006 17:59:27 GMT -5
He looked outside when he heard the voice, noticing where the sun was and smiling to himself. So far so good on the timing. Making him wait a good 3 minutes though was necessary, for what who knows but he believed it so. "You may enter, I have been expecting you."
Akiyama was standing behind his desk again, he rarely was sitting anymore it seemed. His nearly six feet of height imposing around everyone else. Dark eyes lifted and focused on the door. He wore a kimono that fit loosely over the armor he had on underneath, at his side and off to the rear a bit was his prized weapon, one he had for years and took a great deal of care for. The long thick hank of his hair was pulled partially back and tied off with a ribbon, the rest of it framing his rather young and attractive face. But his eyes showed the thinker, the strategist...one of the most dangerous men Japan had seen in a long time.
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Post by Shizukiri Naia on Aug 8, 2006 18:42:27 GMT -5
Naia looked him over as quickly as possible upon entering the room, trying to avoid looking too curious. Such an attitude would be disrespectful; while he was sure Akiyama didn't trust him, and while he had no good reason to trust the shogun in return, it wouldn't do to flaunt this fact. The man was tall, obviously powerful; the top of Naia's head came no higher than the the shogun's earlobes. He was not old by any measure, and in fact, had a rather pretty face, but the way his hair was pulled back gave him a wolfish, veteran look. His eyes were no comfort, sharp and cunning and dark in a way that seemed to drain the light out of the room.
That plus the fact that he was standing and openly armed seemed to up the ante of the whole situation.
Respectfully letting his eyes fall, Naia bowed. "What do you require of me?"
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Post by Akiyama Kisho on Aug 9, 2006 11:49:20 GMT -5
Standing in silence he surveyed the young man. From his toes to the top of his head Kisho took in ever single detail. So this was the one who could supposedly take care of what he needed? He didn't look like much but appearances could often be deceiving of that much he knew, mostly because of his own looks.
"What I require of you", his deep voice slid from him slowly, like he was testing the air, "is something that could cause you a great deal of harm, least of all death. It is something that will be incredibly dangerous and will require you to be at your best skills even in your sleep. When you can actually sleep." A few steps carried his tall lean frame to standing behind Naia and he leaned down so that his words could be for his ears only.
"If you fail me you will die on your job. If you refuse me I will see to it that you will wish you were dead." Straightening up he resumed his position of standing in front of him. "As I am sure you know there has been a bit of trouble and somewhat of an uprising with the Chinese. I do not know what they plan but I want to be prepared for it, for the betterment of Japan. I refuse to just let my country lie down and take whatever those backwater miscreants thing to give us." One hand lovingly stroked his naginata while he spoke of this.
"What I want you to do, has something to do with them."
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Post by Shizukiri Naia on Aug 9, 2006 17:47:17 GMT -5
Even without looking, Naia knew the man was looking him over like one would examine a herd of expensive beef cattle. He could almost feel the knife-like eyes on him, and he met them as calmly as he could with his own as he straightened his back.
'A great deal of harm?' Nothing new there, though let's wait and see what else this is about... 'When I can sleep?' So, this is a long-term job, somewhere hostile. With all the supposed rebel factions running around, I wonder... He willed himself not to follow his instincts and move out of the way as Akiyama walked towards him, behind him, though his eyes followed the tall man's hands and every sense was on alert for a possible attack. The threat whispered in his ear made him shiver slightly, involuntarily; he hoped it wasn't noticeable.
Naia did not relax as Akiyama returned to where he'd been standing. China, of course, the trade embargo. He wants to know what they're trying to pull. Obviously they wouldn't try and choke us to death for no reason, and what better way to prepare your enemy for a quick defeat than to starve them to their knees... and what better place to figure China's military intentions than...
Through his internal monologue, Naia smiled; a polite, small smile that showed no teeth and revealed nothing of his thoughts. If Akiyama couldn't tell how much Naia knew, he might keep talking (then again, a nagging voice piped up, he might also kill you). "A suicide mission that I have no choice but to accept? You know how to back a man into a corner." It was a statement of the obvious.
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Post by Akiyama Kisho on Aug 10, 2006 13:24:46 GMT -5
Already he liked this young man, he seemed to know just when to keep himself quiet, and the very slight shiver he had given was enough to make Akiyama feel a tiny bit at ease. Mostly because it showed fear and when you feared something you usually tried to not provoke it. He bet Naia was thinking at the moment, silence and a slight contemplating look in his eyes gave him away, so Kisho did not comment on his words again for several minutes.
"Oh, I am giving you the option to turn it down. You just may not like the alternative is all, this mission you may be going on is very important to me." He laughed then, backing him into a corner. He supposed that was exactly what he was doing to the younger man. "Ahhh, but it is up to you to figure out what to do with the things you have while in the corner."
Walking back around his desk he bent his head, hair falling forward, to examine the map that was there. This map was practically a staple of his desktop anymore. "How are your acting skills Naia? If they are sub par you will die horribly, even if they are good you may die." Dark eyes looked up and over, a curious but guarded look in his eyes. "Tell me what you think I want from you."
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Post by Shizukiri Naia on Aug 10, 2006 15:32:18 GMT -5
The man's posture changed just the slightest bit; even Naia barely noticed it. Akiyama had eased up, if minutely, but at what? His fear when the shogun had whispered in his ear? It wasn't that surprising - a man who craved power likely thrived on instilling fear.
Dealing with people, he'd found, was just like combat. For each person, just as with each combat situation, you must learn what attacks will be used and what defenses work best against them, what tricks to use and when to use them, and how to lure your opponent into giving you an opening. Whenever he interacted with someone, he assessed him in this way; it seemed he'd found one trick to use against this man's guard. Akiyama found the fear of others empowering, and a man who feels powerful can become careless.
Naia let a very faint, nervous laugh escape him when the shogun began to laugh, letting his voice carry just enough of a tremor to sound as if he was trying to hide it. His left hand trembled, plucking at a thread on his sleeve, before Akiyama turned back to his desk. The shinobi kept quiet until he was addressed with something that required an answer, smiling again in that soft, polite manner when the prompt he was waiting for came. Akiyama's mention of acting skill cinched Naia's suspicions.
"You want me to pose as a Chinese soldier," he replied with due but not excess caution. "I am to infiltrate their military and find out what they have planned for our country. I should learn their battle plans, the way their armies move, and answer the all-important question of why they want a war." The smile disappeared quickly at that last statement, but returned the next moment. "As for my acting, the most recent man I was hired to kill left this world believing I was his daughter, who had actually left on a pilgrimage and was not due to return for another month."
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Post by Akiyama Kisho on Aug 10, 2006 16:06:47 GMT -5
Akiyama was a strategical genius, and a genius on the battlefield. He knew how to read people by their tones of voice and subtle body movements. Listening to Naia speak with the subtle shift in his voice made him marginally suspicious. Where he had only made one small show of fear, here he was making more then one. Yes they were still small but Kisho noticed everything and he made a mental note of that, he did not get to where he was today by ignoring things. Healthy living through paranoia.
The look in Akiyama's eyes was suspicious and contemplating. He was still very obviously sizing Naia up. So the boy was smart, he understood exactly what he wanted, that was good. And he also knew that there was no refusing this assignment that the Shogun wanted to put him on. So what would he say to all of it then?
"You posed as a female hmm? That is amusing. But yes you guessed correctly, that is exactly what I want of you. Now...what do you want?" Because, ultimately, they all wanted something.
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Post by Shizukiri Naia on Aug 10, 2006 18:13:28 GMT -5
"I do what is necessary to complete an assignment," Naia replied a little coolly to the shogun's remark, "and I do it to the best of my ability." The beginnings of a genuine smile formed in the lines around his eyes, though his lips didn't move, when he saw he'd guessed correctly. As for what he wanted... it wasn't every day that an employer asked him that. Normally, he'd take their offer and haggle it as high as he could. Setting the price, or at least being given the illusion of such an ability, was something new.
Well... better to aim high and hope than to aim low and get cheated.
"First, I request financial protection for my family," he said after a quick moment of deliberation. "They are merchants, and a war with China will cause them a good deal of grief. Ideally, I would ask full compensation for their projected income loss due to the embargo and any conflict, but I am willing to barter."
He let that stand for the moment, waiting to see how Akiyama would react. Depending on how well it went over, he'd adjust the price he wanted for himself.
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Post by Akiyama Kisho on Aug 11, 2006 10:43:23 GMT -5
Kisho almost laughed when he saw the faint look of surprise enter into Naia's eyes at his remark, but the only hint of anything like that was a subtle up wards quirking from his lips. It wasn't often that he offered to let them set their price, it all depended on how much he wanted from them and how dangerous the assignment he was going to give them. Considering that Naia could be found out and tortured for information he wanted to make sure he would be desperately loyal.
Family hmm, Naia was going to give Akiyama information on his family. So that Kisho could use them against him if he became traitor. He was nodding his head slightly while the other one spoke.
"I understand wanting to protect your family, that is admirable of you. I can give them financial protection definitely, as for a full compensation I do not know. Since it is projected income loss that does not mean it would be accurate." he was enjoying the young mans mind and wondered how far he would try and barter this.
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Post by Shizukiri Naia on Aug 17, 2006 1:26:54 GMT -5
Naia's eyes danced across the man's face; so, Akiyama was amused, by his proposal or his reaction in general? The feeling that he was being baited intensified, but the shogun's actions did make sense. Letting Naia set the price - or at least attempt to do so - was just another way of showing how dangerous the job really would be. And damned if I haven't walked right into a trap, he mused, considering Akiyama's words. Now he knows he has leverage over me. If I'm found out and I betray him, it isn't my well-being at stake anymore...
Either way, it was time to barter. The shinobi met the shogun's eyes, gauging his reactions to the offer. "Seventy-five percent of their projected loss," he suggested, certain that would be enough to keep them quite comfortable, "paid monthly. Plus, if I am killed or otherwise prevented from returning, any reward that I would recieve will go to my family as well."
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Post by Akiyama Kisho on Aug 19, 2006 12:19:51 GMT -5
"Seventy-five percent? That is awfully steep. Do you think we just have that kind of money laying around when we have a war that is going to need to be funded?" He may actually just go through with it anyway but he wanted to see what would happen if he hedged on the amount. Every single minute with Akiyama was a test it seemed and the older man took a great deal of pleasure in all of that.
Hmm...so he wanted his money, whatever he would get, to go to his family. How touching. He himself had no more family, they had been killed on some raid about 6 years ago...it was just him. He supposed he should have children with some wench but the thought of marriage was distasteful. "Fine, if you die then whatever you would have received will go to your family. Now all I need are their names so I know who to contact a bout that part."
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Post by Shizukiri Naia on Aug 20, 2006 2:12:30 GMT -5
Damn this man... he's still testing me, and he's enjoying it. He likes to watch me under pressure. I wonder what else he's got up his sleeve. It no longer mattered, he decided, whether or not he kept a pretense of ignorance. Akiyama was too good at reading people - either that, or he just assumed everyone was out to get him, which probably wasn't an unfair assumption - and it made him rather uncomfortable.
"You intend to wage war against China no matter what?" Naia guessed, not bothering to raise an inquisitive eyebrow. He was growing less worried about angering the shogun; Akiyama probably wouldn't be surprised by anything he had to say. "But never mind that... my family's enterprise is not outrageous. They are financially stable, but middle-class nonetheless. If the government cannot pay the mere sum that I ask, we must be in dire straits, indeed.
"My father's name is Shizukiri Miro. He is the head of the family and should be contacted about such matters." Naia wasn't overly reluctant to provide such information; he suspected that Akiyama would have little trouble finding out what he wanted to know through other means if it was necessary. "They live in western Kyushu."
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Post by Akiyama Kisho on Aug 27, 2006 19:58:33 GMT -5
"What I intend with China right now is my business and mine alone. Your only concern should be with the job I am giving to you. Do not question me further...I will get terribly annoyed with you." At the pause he had smiled, and it was large and dark and promised many nasty things to come. Akiyama was a man well known, in the underground, for his wicked tastes. This man was surely going to hell. "Hmm your family shall be looked after, I was testing you more. And the state of affairs of the country is obviously not well known to you, and so it shall stay."
Picking up a quill he jotted down the name of the young mans father and a few other things on a scrap sheet of paper that happened to be sitting nearby. his brows drew together and he seemed to get annoyed but it soon passed and he smiled to Naia, no humor or warmth evident in any area of the expression. "Good, all information is noted. Are their any other questions you may have regarding your mission? I want you to leave as soon as possible. I also want weekly progress reports gotten to me in any way you can manage. I am sure creativity is not unknown to you."
((sorry bout this, hope it doesn't suck lol))
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