[SP: MutliFloors] Arc 1: Story 4: The Art of Hensōjutsu [Complete]

[Opal 0]

Arc 1:
Story 4: The Art of Hensōjutsu

"Now Opal-san, begins some harder training. I have taught you the basics of Hensōjutsu, what are those basics?"

"Hensōjutsu is the act of impersonation and disguise mostly used for missions that need a more hands on approach in the field. I haven't actually done much training under this form of Ninjutsu."

"Hai, hai. But today you will. I have had a tailor fashion you a Geisha dress, your mission today is to go to Urbus, there is a few shady places that I have marked on the map. They are more or less...Gentlemen's clubs that have some more sophisticated tests mainly in the japanese culture. You remember when I told you to respect your body? This is vital importance in the mission. While you are there to 'entertain the males' you are also to be weary of yourself and not fall pray to these charming men. You are after all on a mission. Once you have gained access to the establishment, you will need to seek out a man named Ryotsu. He is a gambler, and is quite bold towards women. Opal-san, this mission is quite dangerous. It is dangerous because the place you will be going to is well known for allowing converted PKers, or those who have undergone the quest to change back their cursor to green. You will be surrounded by these people...But you are to gain as much information as you can on him."

"And you expect a novice like to me to be able to do this?"

"Hai! I don't expect you to just do it, I expect you to live it. This will be the first real test of Hensōjutsu. Once you have finished dressing up as Geisha, please allow me to take a moment to look at you."

Opal nodded and went to her bedroom to change into her uniform? It was a beautiful silk dress with white and red accents. She had never done Geisha make up before, but she was happy to know that her menu had the option for the alchemist to do such a thing, though a performer could probably have done it with much less clicking. Once she had finished her makeup and putting on the Geisha clothing, the woman stepped out of her bedroom and back to the main living quarters where Master Myoga nodded his head for approval.  

 

 

Edited September 23, 2015 by Opal

[Opal 0]

Opal was glad that Master Myoga approved of her Geisha outfit and makeup. She felt like one already, but she didn’t study much on the culture as she should have. Mastery Myoga gave her a thick journal of written items that was added to her character notes in her menu on different techniques and skills outside of combat that should be learned. She had yet to read the entire Geisha entry he had written but she understood the basics.

As she was given the go ahead to leave. She was teleported to floor seven’s teleporter and there she would need to head to floor two and go to Nightengale. Luckily she was in disguise and no one knew it was Opal by the way she dressed. She walked with fluid movement, making small and fancy steps as she observed some women that were dressed as Geisha as well, they all seemed to be heading towards The Nightengale, a japanese gentlemen's house that was heavily associated with PKers who had taken the Green Quest.   

[Opal 0]

AT the door she looked around her, the other ladies were waiting for some reason and they were all speaking in a dialect she could only think to be japanese. She wasn't fluent with the language, perhaps a word or phrase besides the ninjetsu techniques...but that was really it. The door slowly cracked open and a massive beast of a man, about the size of the Crimson Blades Guild Master, stepped outside and looked the women up and down with a keen eye. He smiled and nodded his head, "Ladies, ladies...please enter. You will receive payment at the end of the night...Come in, come in..." 

They walked into the establishment but Opal was stopped at the entrance, "I was told there'd only be five of ya. Why now, six?" 

"Oh? I was asked by my Mistress to personally take of Ryotsu for the evening. You have the five ladies to tend to your other quests as stated in the contract and myself to him. Will that be a problem?" she asked, slipping a hand over the large frame of his body.

"Err, no...I s'pose not. Come on in then..."  

[Opal 0]

As Opal stepped inside, she immediately felt the effects of a strange aroma in the air. It made her feel warm and fuzzy. She stepped lightly looking for the one she was to accompany tonight. She couldn't spot him out of the crowd of people who sat and drank their lives away. The other Geisha moved fluidly around the room helping their customers to whatever they needed. Opal took a deep breath in and walked with confidence in her step. She moved with the grace of a swan over looking the others and then taking a seat to a man who seemed to be drinking alone his cup had been dry. 

"Allow me to help you with that," her delicate hands reached out for the bottle of sake and poured it gently and patiently into his cup. The man looked at her with little interest and nodded his head in appreciation and drank the contents.

"Why are you alone this evening, Mister Ryotsu?" 

The man was japanese and when she said Mister he looked at her for a moment longer, "You are not japanese Geisha. Some floozy from America I am guessing?" 

[Opal 0]

"Floozy? You have a keen eye, I am American. But I am no less a woman than the others..." Opal said rotating her shoulder slightly allowing her kimono to drop down slightly revealing the ample bosom before raising an eyebrow at him and shouldering the shirt once more. The man laughed and slapped his knee, "No less a woman...Hahahaha...pour me another drink, American Geisha." 

The woman smiled with her ruby red lips, her soft delicate hands applied to the drink in a slow manner as graceful as the ones she had observed, "You may call me Botan..." she said as she lifted the bottle of sake and placed it back down, "I hear you are a betting man...Mister Ryotsu..." she said leaning over at him.

"Hai, I gamble too much...sometimes I win, sometimes I lose. That's gambling. You have something to bet on Botan?" he asked in a tone. 

The woman smiled, "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. These women...they are nothing compared to what I can do...I hear Nightengale Geisha's exhibit a dance at the end of every night to their customers and the best dancer is usually given a handsome reward. I don't need the reward, but if you place a bet on me...I'll win you all the Col you get tonight." 

The man laughed tipping back his drink and gesturing for another, "An American Geisha? Hahaha...They never say a gamble is not worth it's risks. But I I can go the distance tonight." he stood up and announced a message that was spoken in Japanese, Opal didn't understand what he was saying but whatever it was...there was a sudden change in the atmosphere. 

[Opal 0]

The other Geisha looked in Opal's direction and there was a loud applause by the other males and they started to toss bundles of col bags into the middle of the room. Opal looked at Ryotsu and smiled, "I told them you were the most exceptional Geisha here and that you would be the best dancer at the end of the night. As you can see, the men are betting on the other Geisha they had taken interest to. You better not let me down, Botan." the man laughed with a cheeky tone. Opal didn't say another word but instead poured him another drink and stimulated more conversation.

"In the meantime, why don't you tell me more about yourself Master~. What sort of profession do you have in SAO?"

"Huh? Oh...I run a blacksmith on floor seven, I specialize in dagger and katana making. But I don't see many users with that weapon. Mostly Samurai wannabes. Pfft...damn nuisances these young kids running around with these swords thinking they are Samurai..." 

"What makes them different then?" 

"Video games, fiction, anime...Whatever it is the young kids are into. They see a orange haired warrior with a black katana and call him a hero. There is no honor in cartoons, The samurai who used the katana lived and died by the sword, it was Bushido. Honor in death. Shame in defeat. These ideals no longer apply to the stupid nature of these children." 

"Bold words, Master. Would I assume you are Samurai?" 

[Opal 0]

The man scoffed at throwing back his sake, the warm liquid crashing around his mouth and dribbled over the side of his mouth. He wiped his lips with the back of his sleeve and gestured for another drink, "Not in real life. I'm a factory worker and nothing more. Here, I use the katana as well, but lately...there seems to be less and less honor among these men. They are all murderers...in fact some coming from prestige and upper class guilds. They know nothing of a true Samurai...I don't bother with it anymore."

"I hear most of the men here are PKers who have taken the Green Quest, were you not a PKer as well Master?"

"If I said yes, would it scare you?" he asked leaning towards her, his hand on the hilt of his blade.

"No...I have met a PKer or two in my day, but they didn't seem like killers." 

The man scoffed again downing his drink and almost tipping over as he laughed, "There are not just murderers here. Thieves, pick pockets, rogues...bah! Everyone here has stained their hands in blood at one point or another. Some do it for the thrill, others do it just because it gets them off at night...Speaking of...let me see your goods again...muwahaha..." 

The man pressed his hands to her chest, her face flushed if it not were for the Geisha makeup covering her face. In this scenario she wasn't sure what she was supposed to do, to allow him to touch her or to pull away, "Hahaha! Master Ryotsu...you sly devil~. Let me pour you another drink and I promise when I dance tonight, you'll get your fair share of seeing and believing in my skills~" she cooed in his ear as she leaned forward on him and removing his hands gently from her bosom. 

[Opal 0]

The Japanese Samurai laughed as he took in his drink and nodded his head sitting back down on his mat, "You've been pouring me drink after drink, how about you play me a little chinese guitar..." Opal bit her lower lip, she didn't know how to play, "I am sorry, Master...but I do not know how to play the chinese guitar. My skills are a bit more...direct and erotic..." she said trying to steer away from that musical requirements of a Geisha. 

The other women looked at her and giggled, thinking she was just some washed up nobody that just got lucky to become a Geisha. Opal turned her head and back to her companion, "How about a massage...you seem a little tense...?" Opal moved to the man's back, her fingers slowly moved the fabric of his shirt down past his elbows and slowly started to dig her nails and fingers into the man's neck and back. He moaned lightly from her touch and started to wobble back and forth.

"Oooh, you were so tense. So many knots...So you said many of these men are from prestige guilds, are they PK associated guilds or something else?"

"Hrm...well that man down at the end on the left table...his name is Hiei the Demon. He is another Katana user as well, he has come here claiming he has killed many people, in the number of twenty. He hasn't been imprisoned yet because no one has actually seen him kill anyone and his cursor has been green for as long as I have seen him. He belongs to a green guild though, but he could just be a wolf in sheep's clothing. The other man at the opposite end is a martial arts grandmaster, Yusuke. Now I know I have seen him a few times with an orange cursor...he is a trouble maker by far...Ouch!" 

"Oh...sorry, Master. Must have hit a tender spot..."

"Hai, hai..." 

 

[Opal 0]

"Yusuke...And what about the pretty one in the middle there. He seems to be drinking alone...Does he not care for the company of women?" Opal asked, continuing to ease the tension in the man's neck and shoulders.

"Ahh, yeah. That's Kurama. I have seen him here a few times but there aren't many stories to tell about him. Another GrandMaster martial artist. He might be a pretty boy, but I heard he is extremely intelligent and just as cut throat as the others here. Why...are you so interested in these other men? What's your game Botan?"

The woman stopped and turned to pour the man another drink, "I was just curious that is all. Maybe if I were told to accompany these men, I could cater more to their services knowing more about them." she said with a pleasant tone.

The man nodded, it made sense...but after his seventh? Eighth cup of warm sake, he seemed to be a little tipsy and was giving information out left and right. Opal bit her lip and remembered the name that was said to her by Hirru, perhaps someone hear might know the name "Forbidden Blood...." the man tensed up again and looked at her wildly, his eyes wide as he placed a hand over her mouth.

"Are you stupid? Don't say that name out loud! Pour me another drink..." Apparently something was going on here and it made the man very nervous. That was important information right there. Opal relaxed her hands gracefully poured the man another drink, "Yeah, get shitfaced you little puke..."  

[Opal 0]

There was a loud clap in the middle of the room as the lights were dimmed down. A soft flutter of red and white lights filtered the area along with a sharp clapping of hands. Opal didn't know what was going on, but perhaps this was the start of the performance that was bet on earlier in the evening. Opal had to get ready for her part as well as each woman would show their display of beauty and grace in a dramatic fashion. 

"Excuse me, Master. But if I am to win your Col, I shall have to freshen up." she bowed her head to the man, her fragrance leaving behind as she stood up. The man she accompanied nodded to her and watched her leave his sight. She walked to the back of the parlor with the other Geisha. She fixed her make up and was handed a piece of paper with japanese lettering on it. 

"Your performance..." one said in a strong japanese accent. Opal furrowed her brows, of course it would be in Japanese. Anything to get a one up on her from the others. She sneered lightly and tossed the paper aside. She would show them...

[Opal 0]

One after another the other women performed a spectacular and edgy dramatic dance. Then they introduced Opal who was to perform the Snow Dance, perhaps the most difficult of dances. Opal sighed, she didn't know what the Snow Dance was...but she would be assisted by the game mechanics as there were specific functions used but it required precise movement from the origin. As the lights turned low, she walked with a parasol in her hand and gracefully moved towards the stage as fake snow rain from the ceiling giving the scene a dramatic touch. 

Her feet swayed one in front of another, then she would peer back her hand jutting out from behind her palm facing outwards and her parasol pushed forward. With quick and fluid motion, her cape like material flung off as the tossed aside the parasol. Her body swayed in the falling snow and moved far back and then far to the front. Her arms flailed about wildly with vivid dramatization. Her body fell forward and then scooped up the fake snow tossing iy up into the air. Her right leg pushed forward and turned her body in the process. She got up and whipped her body around, allowing her long raven hair to unfurl from the bun. Like dark tendrils of hair they flowed around her body as she moved once more ending with a fall that as graceful on her knees and then slowly fell backwards as the white snowed turned red and engulfed her presence. 

[Opal 0]

As she layed there for a moment the room was quiet and erupted with a sea of clapping from all over. When the lights turned on she noticed that Ryotsu was collecting a large collection of money from the others while those he pointed out had left the establishment. She cursed under her breath and shot out of the door quickly, she looked to the left and to the right but she didn't see anyone. Something was wrong, very wrong here and she needed to find out what was going on. Apparently during her performance Kurama, Hiei and Yusuke had all left and she needed to keep a close eye on those three especially after making Ryotsu nervous when she spoke about the Forbidden Blood. She wasted no more time and bolted for the left side of the alley. She was quickly going through her inventory and equipped something a bit less of a drag. Her Treasure Seeker's Costume unfurled over her body in a bright light as she jumped up to the rooftops and caught someone running quickly across the street. 

[Opal 0]

Her feet pound against the rooftops of as she jumped down to street level chasing after the shorter man. That was Hiei, The Demon. She snarled as she caught up to him, the man pulled away turning around and revealed his katana and shot forth with great speed hitting her with the butt of his blade. She doubled over and skid to a stop as he slid on his face and smiled. His dark spiky hair moved in the wind. 

"Fool...who do you think you are chasing after me?" 

"Why were you running? Got something to hide, Hiei?" 

"Oh? So you know my name. Well, we can't let that slide now can we? I can't very well kill you in a safe zone. But I can make you regret ever looking for me." He pushed off his feet, it looked like he was sliding on ice as he traveled to her. His dark eyes preyed on her and she was struck with his katana multiple times. She wasn't taking any damage, but she was thrown off her feet and several feet behind her into a wall. She coughed and fell to her knees, feeling the cold steel on her neck. 

[Opal 0]

"Not really a Geisha are you?" Hiei spoke with a sadistic tone.

"Not really a PKer...are you?" she snapped back looking up with a smile.

The short man's expression was unchanged, but she felt a sudden change in his presence when pointed that tid bit out. He continued to keep his blade on her neck until she rose back up to her feet, "You can't hurt me, you can't break me...But I know a secret when I see one. And you are holding back on purpose...Why is that Hiei?" she asked, her dark lips curving into a smile.

The man made a horizontal slash, but Opal was fast enough to kick the blade away before it made any impact on her throat. The slid back from one another and charged, her Izunami materialized in her hand and the sound of clashing metal was heard. The dueled off in the middle of an alleyway where Hiei finally got the upper hand and landed a kick to her gut and thrusting his katana into her, or several inches from her.

"Not bad...but if you plan on taking me alive, you will have to get better at your swordsmanship skills first. I'll see you around!" 

"Hey wait!" she yelled back, but it was impossible at this point. The town guard yelled and a signal was heard. She cursed under her breath and quickly went back to her inventory and equipped her Kimono. When the guards reached her, she put on a frantic face and fell to her knees in a mock cry. 

[Opal 0]

"Miss? Are you ok?!" the town guardian had asked in a quick voice.

Opal bawled and screamed telling the guard about a group of men attacking her as she was making her way back to the teleporter, "Hurry! They went that way!" she pointed in the opposite direction of where Hiei had headed, she wouldn't allow them to catch him. He was her game after all. When the guard left her, she got up as if nothing had happened and made her way back to the teleporter. Sighing to herself, she had a lot of explaining to do to Master Myoga, over all her night was pretty...enjoyable? She sighed and looked to the gate and she was whisked away in the light. When she returned to the Temple, she sat down in the dining area and began her report.

[Opal 0]

"You broke the cardinal rule of Hensōjutsu...Opal-san."

Before the woman was even able to give her report the old man had made such a statement. Her jaw dropped from her mouth and he smiled and shook his head, "You left your disguise and pursued someone you should not have. Your job was to gather intelligence, not to fight." he said lifting his tea cup and sipping.

Her mouth curved into a frown, "How the hell do you do that? Do you have some kind of crystal ball or something?" 

"Crystal ball..." he said sitting down the tea cup and stroking the long strands of his fu manchu stache with his hand, "I have ears and eyes everywhere Opal-san. This is another art of Shinobi. Having allies to keep tabs on those who you need to follow behaving as eyes and ears for you so the group is not identified. Begin your report." he said placing his hands down in his lap and looking at the woman.

She sighed and shrugged her shoulder, "Well...it all started like this..."

[Opal 0]

Master Myoga nodded his head at her as she told him the story of what happened that evening. He took great interest in this 'Fobidden Blood' and would look upon it more carefully when he could. Alas, "You did good today, Opal-san. But you must take heed when facing your enemies as to not reveal who you are. The three you have told me about might already know who you are and especially this Hiei. I might have run into him a few times on my journeys around the upper floors, he is not to be taken lightly. As for Kurama and Yusuke, I shall see if I can find any more information on them. As it is late now, you and I shall need to go to bed. Goodnight, Opal-san. Get some rest. We start early again tomorrow."

Opal stretched her limbs as the Master left the room after she had bid him a goodnight. She leaned back on her pillow in the dining room and just relaxed a few minutes. She was still in her kimono and had all that make up on her face. A long hot bath would do her some good and a good night's sleep. 

[Opal 0]

Her body sank into the warm waters as she smoothed her body of the soapy suds as they stuck to her legs. After a long night out in the town, she was exhausted to say in the least. She brought her leg up once more and smoothed it out over the water. She sank her body further into the tub and relaxed until her eyes started to flutter snapping her attention. She climbed out of the bathtub and drained the water as she placed on her Pjs and back tracked to her bedroom. She sat down for a moment and went through her messages, apparently there was a party tomorrow night and she was invited by LAwfer to go as his date. She smiled, of course this would happen...just as her training was getting serious she would have a distraction like this. Perhaps she could pull on Master Myoga's heartstrings and get permission to leave for the night. She sighed and flicked out of her menu, her hips swaying back and forth and she moved outside to smoke. 

[Opal 0]

She leaned against the pillar and her body slid downwards against it as she sat on the seat, she took a long drag of her lavender stick and exhaled a mighty fine plume of the lilac smoke into the air. She sighed contently with that and leaned back further on the steps and looked up into the stars. It was another cloudless night and the beauty of those stars were twinkling like magnificent diamonds. As she leaned back, she heard another door open. Was it Master Myoga? She looked over from the shadows where he usually appeared but there was nothing there. Her dark eyebrows pinched together and she thought she saw a shadow to her left. She snapped her head to look, her long raven hair flowing behind her just as she caught a tall figure with long hair fleeing from the rooftops. She cursed as she tried to catch up, sprinting and then vaulting onto the rooftops as she watched as the assailant got away.  

"[censored]!" she cursed to herself unable to see in the darkness of the intruder or whoever it was. She would have to bring this to Master Myoga's attention later on. Whoever it was, they were swift on their feet. Opal jumped back down towards her room and shifted a weight on her right foot and expelled one final plume of smoke from her lips before she went back inside. 

[Opal 0]

Smelling of lavender, the female rolled around in her bedding trying to get comfortable. The woman felt restless as there were too many thoughts being conjured in her mind. Thought of tonight, thought of those people...As she fought with Hiei, she knew him to be a good swordfighter, but there was no intent to kill in his actions. She knew that training unless he was disguising his purpose very well. That could have been a possibility. She huddled underneath her blankets and turned on her belly sprawling her feet out as she closed her eyes. She would just have to let it go for now and hope Master Myoga's contacts would give him more information in due time. Resting her hands underneath the pillow, her eyes fluttered once more blinking away the darkness around her and finding sleep. She exhaled and soon found sleep. The day next was going to be interesting for the trainee Shinobi, that was for certain. 

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Summary: +1 SP, + 400 Col