[center][h3][color=#626262][U][B]Genmyou[/B] – [I]The Shade of Clarity[/I][/U][/color][/h3][/center]
While he awaited the arrival of Hanawa, Manami, and the Antare, the Raikage finished the first set of seals on the Inshō-shi([sub]印象紙[/sub] [i]'Impression paper'[/i]) laid out before him. His wrists deft movements, masterful chakra control and impressive knowledge of fuinjutsu making it almost effortless. In fact, he had other matters running through his mind while he was at the task. First was the mission.

A report had come to his attention, one that would not normally be delivered to him, that detailed a score of what he'd termed [i]'serial kidnappings'[/i]. Normally such a thing would be designated to local shinobi or a single team of chuunin would be sent to take care of it, but there was more to the case than one might initially had thought. At first when he'd seen it he had almost given the document back to the shinobi who'd gathered the information. However, his adviser had bid him do at least a cursory amount of research beforehand.

So he had and what he found was something with a nature he could only call [i]sinister[/i]. The kidnappings were happening within a very specific area of the Land of Lightning. They were happening out of the general range of any Antare seal, making the villages in question impossible to reach in any decent amount of time. Furthermore, the villages were not large and they did not have many resources to call their own. They weren't even in strategically relevant positions. It meant one thing. Someone was making sure that they were out of the general reach of authorities.

It was disturbing how well thought out the whole operation had to be and more disturbing that knowledge of it had only reached him recently. In fact, it was somewhat infuriating.

However, he had set his anger aside days ago. It didn't serve any purpose, so he'd cast it away as one would rubbish. His mind turning from the issues to address several smaller points, while subconsciously rolling the report and his findings over in the back of his mind, Genmyou found his thoughts interrupted as two of the three he had sent for arrived.

Despite both addressing him, he did not respond right away, instead taking several seconds to execute two more portions of the seal he was writing. After they were done, he set the [i]pen[/i] down on the left side of the paper and looked up, first at Kosui, and then to Hanawa. However, what they would see was a robed figure looking at them through two small holes in an off-white mask, possessing only two thin slits for his eyes.

He spoke, and despite the mask obstructing his mouth, his voice was clear and crisp as if nothing was diffusing the sound, [color=#626262][b]"Thank you for your prompt arrival, Kosui, Hanawa."[/b][/color] He paused between the two names, nodding his head slightly at each of them to show his appreciation. Genmyou had a strange quality to him as despite almost no one in the village having ever seen his face he was respected, but not just that, he was [i]understood[/i] in a fashion. When he spoke it was as if one could [i]imagine[/i] exactly the expression on his face, or the emotion he meant to portray.

Perhaps it was just raw charisma sculpted with incredible skill, or perhaps it was something else. Who knew.

[color=#626262][b]"I am going to be sending the three of you on a mission,"[/b][/color] he stated mater-of-factly. [color=#626262][b]"I will have you debriefed on the finer details by the third kunoichi that is to accompany the two of you. Her name is Antare, Yuisho. Since she decided she would brief herself on the files,"[/b][/color] he said, a smile in his tone, [color=#626262][b]"...I bid her to meet you far below. She is in the more...secretive exit from Kumogakure."[/b][/color] He glanced to Hanawa, [color=#626262][b]"You know the one."[/b][/color]

His gaze shifted down to the open scroll before him again and it was silent for almost long enough for them to think he had dismissed them. Hanawa would know he had not and Manami was likely to feel too uncomfortable to leave without being verbally dismissed.

The Shade continued, breaking the silence as he did so. [color=#626262][b]"Located out of range of the Antare clan's space-time transmission seals, and at the very edge of the jurisdiction of their local shinobi outpost is a ring of villages that have been victim to a chain of serial kidnappings. So far twenty-eight people have gone missing and there could be more gone within the last two days. The two of you and Yuisho are to investigate the instance, seek out the culprits and do your utmost to apprehend at least their leaders alive. I suspect there is someone [i]very[/i] intelligent behind all this, and I suspect they are planning something. The local outpost will give you supplies and direct you to somewhere you can set up camp."[/b][/color]

The pen in his hand stopped and lifted ever so slightly from the paper as his masked visage looked up at them, [color=#626262][b]"Don't get yourselves killed. If they prove to be too difficult to capture, kill all of them and bring back a their bodies. I want to [i]see[/i] who is doing this to [i]my[/i] people, understand?"[/b][/color] The gaze of his silver eyes was intense as he stared the two down. He gave no time for reply, [color=#626262][b]"Good. Now take this before you go"[/b][/color]

He made the final mark on the scroll, stood from his chair, letting his hand briefly slip over the seal on the scroll. In the same moment he drew forth two more large pieces of paper, placed them over the one he had inscribed and then let his palm hover of them. They were perfectly aligned with one another and that was quite necessary, for what he did next was exude chakra from his palm, drawing the ink up into the other pieces of Inshō-shi before focusing them and letting them settle and dry. It all took only several seconds, but was a spectacle nonetheless.

There were few people alive who could do what he could do, and even fewer to which the public was aware. Genmyou knew of the Jikangai after all.

Having finished his work, the kage rolled each scroll up individually and handed one to Hanawa, and the other two to Manami.

[color=#626262][b]"The two scrolls marked with black ink on their edges, one for each of you, will allow you to port back to the outpost if you are in dire straits. It will only work under very specific circumstances. Ask Yuisho about it. The third scroll on the other hand is to store the bodies, or remaining biological material of the culprits should your team be unable to take them alive. Any other specifics will be handled by Yuisho. She's an Antare, I'm sure she'll be perfectly capable of briefing you two on the specifics of their use. Now go, gather your things and meet with your third teammate. Contact me at the beginning of the day, midday, and before you sleep at night. Also one of you is to report back at midnight. Who it is will depend on who is up for the watch shift at the time. That is all, consider yourselves dismissed."[/b][/color]

Genmyou remained standing, his eyes watching the two as the exited, the air about him inviting no further conversations. They knew they could contact him the Kōshin kankei if necessary.

His work on this was done for now.

He hoped it would be till they returned...and he hoped he was wrong.[hr][center][color=#9E1E1E][h3][u][b]Taraatsu, Akine[/b] - [i]The Soul Thief[/i][/u][/h3][/color][/center]
Oh it was beautiful, the Thief thought to himself as he watched from afar, as a soul was promptly released from its body. He could even see the telltale movements of the woman's lips as she spoke to the man in his dying moments. The words were harsh, he could [i]feel[/i] it in the chakra and emotions of the place.

He dropped down from the tree he'd been in for a better visual radius and walked right to the edge of the clearing, leaning against a tree. In his left hand was a blade, but the arm was largely incapacitated due to his using it to lean against the tree. In his other hand was a dagger, one of six that he carried on his person, which he was tossing into the air and catching idly. [color=#9E1E1E][b]"Oh braaavo, Ms. Kawagana, that was beautiful, I do [i]love[/i] dinner and a show after all,"[/b][/color] he said as he licked his lips.

He glanced at the other man and a chuckle that sounded much more like cackling laughter entered the air. As the laugh abruptly ended and his manic eyes gazed at them, a huge Cheshire grin spread across his gaunt features.

[color=#9E1E1E][b]"Oh and you,"[/b][/color] he began, glancing back at Arina, his eyes roving up and down and his mouth opening slightly as if to further broaden his smile, [color=#9E1E1E][b]"...you're just a fucking treat. I've not even begun the dining and I can already tell this is going to be sooo [i]fucking[/i] fun."[/b][/color] He pushed off of the tree and tossed the dagger in their general direction.

It would hit the ground two meters in front of them, way off.

He took several steps into the clearing, but stopped a few feet shy of the dagger, just gazing at them with that same dark amusement. Upon further inspection the two would likely notice darker patches of his already black garments. [i]They were blood stains...and recent ones too.[/i]

[color=#9E1E1E][b]"Oh, that reminds me, Arina..."[/b][/color] he licked his lips, a shiver going over him, his fingers twitching slightly and the muscles in his arms visibly tensing and relaxing repeatedly. He could hardly wait to [i]dig in.[/i] [color=#9E1E1E][b]"...Ryosei sends his regards."[/b][/color]

His laughter rang out through the forests as he said it.

It was not the laughter of a sane man.

It was the laughter of the Soul Thief, a man who had now plagued the shinobi world for at least 18 years.

This was the one who was hunting them and he was doing it for sport.