An Interesting Operation [Shogun]

I rested in the infirmary after my defeat in the chuunin exams to Hebi Lacerta. I'd been in a lot of pain for the past few days, but today I was feeling well enough to at least get out of bed. Besides, it was boring staring at the ceiling all day, it was nice having Pik there to talk to though. It was a pain in the ass being a medic that couldn't heal himself, but I still preferred torture, so it was worth it. On my way out the door, I saw a flier for a pirate crew, so I grabbed it. How the hell would there be a pirate crew if there was nothing but air here? I shrugged and walked out and said "Alright Pik, let's go find us this pirate captain." My salamander nodded and followed me down the streets. Soon enough, I saw a big, beefy man handing out fliers with a big X-shaped scar on his face. I approached him and asked, "You the one who placed this up in the infirmary?" I was reluctant to ask, but my curiosity was getting the better of me.

I was beginning to get annoyed now. The flier clearly said for those that picked it up to just meet in the park in a few days, but this was the second person today to just waltz right up to me and ask about it. My face contorted into a twist of anger, and I turned around while pinning up a flier to see who was addressing me. "Why? Did you read the paper at all?" I asked the younger kid. He had black, short hair and appeared well-groomed, and I wondered if this would even be worth my time.

The beefy man who stood before me appeared to be angry at my asking him a question, but I really didn't care. "Of course I read it. I thought you might know about the fliers, though, since you do have a stack of them in your hands. Are you the captain of this crew?" It was more of a rhetorical question, seeing as the man had a big scar on his face and the pirate crew was called "The Scarface Pirates."

I looked at the kid in disbelief. Leave it to a shinobi to talk with this disrespect to someone older than he, and then he asked what I believed to be probably the stupidest question that I had heard since my brief and miserable stay in this gods-forsaken world. I took a flier off of the stack, and shoved it really close to the face of the boy. Then I held it up to match the giant scar to my face, then to the side of my face, repeat, repeat, repeat. I then began to speak to the kid, "I'll let you figure out that mysteriously complicated riddle of whit on your own time. You interested or not?" I asked as I raised an eyebrow and turned around to begin pinning up more fliers.

I couldn't help but laugh at the older man making a fool of himself holding the flier next to his head. It was hilarious. I then said in a smart tone, "I guess that answered my question. But yes. I'm interested. I think it would be a nice get away from this village since it's hard to leave this flying fortress." I looked down at Pik for a minute and then back at Scarface waiting an answer.

Before I continued on, something was bugging me about this kid. Something.. but I couldn't quite put my hands on it. Ah! I had it! I knew I had recognized him from somewhere. I reached over in a motion that was too fast for his genin eyes to follow, and I tore open his shirt revealing an intricate tattoo pattern that covered his entire torso. A grin went across my face as I straightened back up, unbuttoned the top part of my shirt, and showed him the same pattern on my chest. "Nothing is true," I began the motto of the Brotherhood, waiting for him to finish it.

I was a tad taken back as my shirt was ripped open. I almost felt violated. I was taken back by something he said after that. The first part of the motto? He was an assassin? "Everything is permitted." I completed his statement and looked at Pik. I motioned briefly and he scampered away to play in a mud puddle.

Good, then I didn't have to test this kid. He was an assassin, which meant he was more than capable of pirating. I took a gulp of the whiskey in my flask and put my hands back into my pockets before continuing, "You're that kid Shin was training, aye? In that case, I already know you're ready. Yeah, I'm the captain, but you're not getting anymore information unless you meet with the rest of those interested at the park like it says on the flier, savvy? You'll refer to me from now on as Captain, and I'll see you in a few days." I turned around slowly and walked away. That was my third recruit already and I hadn't even held the meeting yet. Things were looking up. "I just wish one of them can cook.." I thought to myself as I walked away.

[Exit]

I was surprised as the man accepted me as I finished the assassin motto. I guess he was one of us after all. I was about to answer him, but before I could, he turned and walked away. I sighed, then said, "Aye-Aye, Captain!" I then looked over to my salamander and said, "C'mon Pik, back to the hospital." We walked back to the infirmary where I went to sleep to wait out the rest of my wounds healing.

[Exit]
[End]