Shikamaru
I knew this was a mission. I knew she had to infiltrate them. I knew. Yet I couldn't shake the feeling of jealousy and the insatiable urge for her to be with me and flirt with me. I was being selfish and aware of it, therefore I wasn't going to do or say anything about that but nevertheless, I felt that feeling inside me, bubbling annoyingly.
I tried to focus. I recognized the other two of the group we were targeting. It seemed they have been coming from different regions of their country and not all of them knew each other. Temari left with those two that were with her at the bar and some other girls were there. Those looked quite blank, compared to Temari with all her curves and bulging beautiful breasts. I watched from the distance how they all chatted carelessly. They didn't seem to be abundantly sinister or didn't even remind me of the usual types of rogue ninjas I have met. This time it looked like we have a bunch of formidable enemies, that might be not only strong, but smarter than usual. They were supposed to use coded language, so that was a good hint too.
Temari wore a mini microphone on her. I did not know where it was, but I hoped she hid it well. I needed to stay close to her to keep a good connection and as we tested it before, it works even through the walls, so it should be quite safe. I had a remote control in my pocket and a micro device in my ear, transmitting sounds from Temari's microphone. I decided now was the good time to turn it on and pushed a button, and some static buzzed in my ear. The first thing I heard was her laughter. I smiled at my glass upon hearing that sound, then I started listening closely to the conversation. It was nothing suspicious about it yet, except now I counted 8 men and 4 women from the voices I heard. I glanced through the mirror and noticed a new guy standing there. He was very tall and big and definitely looked menacing. He might even be the head of all this.
For the next few hours I changed my seat from the bar to the dining table and the bar again. All the time my eyes were fixed on Temari. Despite how she claimed she will be fine and nothing is going to happen to her, I felt a little nervous of what 8 men could actually do, if they found out she's wired. However I knew very well she was no fool and more than capable of defending herself. She had her fan sealed in the scroll in her red handbag, but it was not her I was mistrusting, it was them I found dangerous. She, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying their company very much. Most of the time she was chatting with that guy in a grey suit, that was clearly trying to seduce her. She went along with the game and flirted and after a while I saw the two dancing.
I know this is a mission, I know. But my blood did not know and it boiled at the sight of his hands on her waist and bare back. They danced elegantly and gracefully, and it confirmed my suspicion about these men not being regular bandits after all.
"How is it to live in your country after the war?" – I heard Temari ask her companion. The sound was cracking, but enough for me to understand. "Why do you ask?" "Oh I'm just curious. My daddy told me the Sound lost many of its ninjas" "Many, yes… but not all…" There was something lingering in that sentence as Temari acted surprised after hearing that. "Oh? Could it be… Are you a ninja?" "Well…" "No way!" She sounded very worked up about this. This was her idea and plan of how to lure information, and she definitely was better at it than I would have been. "Don't tell my friends I told you… But we are all ninjas." "Wow… that is soo cool… um… how many people have you killed?" Typical ninja-fandom question. I rolled my eyes in exasperation. All of us have heard it too many times before. "Oh Katsumi, please let's not talk about things like that. I think we all should enjoy this evening as much as we can and have some fun. Let's not think about deaths and so on…" "Sorry for being so nosy… I'm just a curious type." He laughed. "I gathered as much".
The music changed and the two stopped talking and did some more dancing, to my dismay. She really enjoyed the company of that bastard, I could see how her eyes shone when he swung her around. His hands were tightly held on her body and she didn't push him away. A part of her strategy perhaps. And it seemed to be working. The poor guy was very into her. Yet I couldn't stop staring in exasperation.
After a while they came back to the group of people and they decided to take the party elsewhere. They found some more girls and all of them headed across the hall towards a corridor that led into what I presumed was some VIP area. I quickly scanned that side of the building and followed them, sneaking my way into the storeroom that had a common wall with that room and a bathroom, to my dismay. I will be hearing things I'd rather not, but there was no choice. I sat down on top of some bucket and started listening closely, hoping Temari will pick up who should she be talking to and what she would ask if it come to that.
It was difficult to say what they have been doing but by many sounds I heard, there was some drinking, some dancing and someone making out in the distance. Temari was now speaking to someone else, playing all flirty and seductive. Then suddenly I heard three taps on the microphone that indicated I should begin listening very closely. Apparently, Temari was standing quite close to all of the men, as I could hear their conversation perfectly, while she herself was silently chatting with one of the girls. What I heard sounded as simple as it could be – a plan of bunch of friends on how to make a surprise birthday for their mutual friend. 4 weeks from today, 5 of them will be coming directly to his house for a surprise and take him out to the bar called "The Sun", where the other three would wait with a gift. One of the guys asked where the bar is and another explained the directions. After getting the guy drunk as he should be on his birthday, two of the group, the brothers, were to make sure he will make his way home with the gift, because those two live nearest the house of their friend, while others will spend a night at a hotel. One of the girls who was listening to their plan asked what the gift was, and they answered that it will be a biggest bottle of sake one has ever seen, as a birthday-boy once made a bet with Saito (the big guy) that he could drink a bottle all by himself. So Saito was expecting he would be invited to watch such an attraction. They continued creating the plan and soon enough I picked up what was what. The friend was a leader of the Frost Village; the gift – his daughter. After 4 weeks 5 of them were going to the village of the Frost to lure the leader out of the village after his daughter, who will be kidnapped by then. The other three would wait in the forest east of the confluence of two little rivers just before the entrance to the village, keeping a girl hostage. Then I missed something. I wasn't sure what it was exactly, but I could feel it was not a simple plan of assassination. The way they talked about the gift, I could tell the girl will be probably wed to one of the 8. Unfortunately, their conversation was over and I lost a chance to find out some more.
Our mission was almost over – to find out who they were, how they looked, what were they planning and when they will execute the plan. The next day we would be travelling to the village of Frost to inform the leader of everything we have learned as the information was too dangerous and important to risk sending a bird.
However, there was one thing left for today – getting Temari out of their claws safe and sound before someone tries to make a move on her. From the sound of it, she didn't feel any threat and was dancing again with a certain someone that was whispering nasty stuff in her ear about what he would like to do to her. I guessed alcohol dulled his intelligent ways of courting, but she didn't really seem to care. Ironically, my mind went numb and I just sat there all angry, without a thought how to lure her out safely. If she even wanted to be out, that is. It didn't really sound that way.