| And Other Such Expletives. [Closed to Raidou and Kaito] | [Sep. 16th, 2008|09:03 pm] |
"--so once you've rescued him, you're required to get him settled down in his own room. Uh..." the Intel woman paused and shuffled a few notes, "number three-nineteen. And then--"
Raidou held up a hand. "Just back up a second. How old is this kid?"
The woman blinked. "Eighteen."
"And how much back up did he have?"
More notes were shuffled; this time it seemed more like a nervous gesture. "The mission was only a B-rank--"
"How much back up?"
"None."
Raidou pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just so I'm understanding this completely. You sent an eighteen-year-old chuunin with an untested--what did you call it?"
"Genjutsu mutation of cross-genetic origin."
"Thank you. A kid with an untested genjutsu mutation of cross-genetic origin out alone on a blackmail mission that probably should've required the attention of ANBU-level agents?"
The Intel woman mumbled something that might have been 'trial by fire' followed by 'upper-level orders'.
Raidou pinched his nose harder and reigned in his temper. "Tell me about the target."
"Ganzai Taka. A businessman from the Yokohama district, he's suspected to be involved in extortion, prostitution, weapons dealing..."
The list went on. Raidou mentally filed Taka under 'bad people' and paid more attention to the man's known security detail. It involved suspected shinobi, which explained why the kid had gotten caught...
A chuunin.
Raidou wished they'd stop letting chuunin into ANBU; the poor bastards just got chewed up and spat out.
He thumbed his brief, spreading out the notes, and caught the word 'seduction' written in bold kanji. He paused, horrible suspicion rising, and re-read the paragraph. The words 'emotional influence' and 'blackmail possibilities' added a neat little rejoinder to his developing bad mood.
"This genjutsu mutation," he said slowly, flicking out the kid's photo to memorize it, "what exactly is it capable of?"
The Intel woman shifted through her notes, grey eyes narrowing in thought. "Honestly, we don't know," she said. "It doesn't seem to create illusions, but the boy's reluctant to submit to tests."
I'll bet, thought Raidou sourly.
"We do know that he seems to promote good feeling around him. A certain amount of influence on general emotions. His briefer noted the rising urge to hug him when she assigned his mission..."
Raidou's eyebrows climbed to his hairline. "You're saying he's like--catnip for people?"
The woman blinked again, then snorted. "Crudely put, but yes."
Raidou resisted the urge to thump his forehead on the cheap, formica-topped table. Instead he said, slowly and carefully: "And you sent him out on a seduction mission?"
"Yes."
"From which he didn't come back."
"Yes."
Raidou sighed and looked at the picture again. Brown hair, wide blue eyes, and a face that was definitely too young. "If I find him collared to a wall, you people will have a lot to answer for."
The woman's thin-lipped smile was very dry. "Just try not to hug him. He probably won't appreciate it." |
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