Lady Nyoko

A thoroughly battered Reiko had packed up and departed his campsite at the break of dawn. The only remnant of his presence there was his still-smoldering campfire.

The one tool he had to ensure that he was moving in the right direction was a scuffed compass with cracked class. The sun served as his backup plan should the compass cease to function, which was liable to happen at any time given its poor condition. Every so often, he would compare his compass to the path of the sun to ensure its continued accuracy.

And after a little over seven hours of sprinting through the woods — with regular breaks — the stone wall of Tanzaku finally came into sight beyond the tree line. The whole journey was exhausting, but the silver lining was that he received a point in Agility and Vitality for all his trouble; the latter increased during his tree walking practice.

Reiko could have circled the town until he located the main road, but why would he?

Reiko came up to Tanzaku's wall and followed it upward with his eyes. It was twenty meters tall at the least — probably more. He wondered what the wall was even supposed to keep out. It certainly did no good against shinobi who could stroll over it at will, which is exactly what he planned on doing.

Reiko stuck his feet to the wall and climbed up without difficulty. Reaching the top, he gazed down at the city before his attention was quickly drawn to the massive castle in the distance.

'Woah, badass.' He would have to check it out later, but he needed to complete his mission first.

Reiko pulled out the letter from his leg pouch and read the listed address.

'I've no idea where this street is.' He would need to ask around for directions.

Reiko peered over the edge of the wall. As he was now, he could drop a dozen meters and be fine. More than that and he'd probably have to use chakra to strengthen his legs and absorb the fall. Beyond the thirty meter mark was when it became sketchy, and the risk of injury became serious. Of course, he could simply walk down the wall, but it wasn't so high up that he needed to take the coward's way out.

He lifted a foot over the edge and took a step, quickly plummeting to the ground. He focused chakra into his legs and took the brunt of the ground's force, kicking up a small amount of dust from the cobble beneath his feet. He'd landed on a thin, constricted path crammed between the wall and outer layer of buildings.

There was no one on the path, but he could hear activity from a nearby, more populated road. He followed the direction of the noise, located its source, and joined into the bustling crowd of dozens of people. A few people glanced at the headband he kept wrapped around his throat but most minded their own business. Evidently, shinobi were a relatively common sight in Tanzaku — gambling away their mission earnings, no doubt.

The larger street was similar to Konoha's in that there were people shopping their wares along its edges, but it differed in that there were banners and signs plastered along the sides of buildings advertising the city's various casinos.

'Quickly Rich Casino?' Reiko wanted to laugh at the name. 'Yeah, I'm sure that's not a scam.'

~~~

Reiko walked through the neatly-carved wooden gate, past the small koi pond, and up to the traditional minka home capped with a red shingled roof.

He stepped up to the main door and softly knocked on it. After a few moments, he heard the sound of shuffling feet on the other side. It slid open, and a tall, older woman appeared in the doorway. Her face was caked in makeup, and she reeked of perfume.

'Is that tangerines?' Reiko wondered for a second before focusing on the matter at hand.

"And who might this young man be?" The lady asked in a voice that implied she was trying to sound sultry, but it was far from the case; she sounded exactly how she looked.

"I'm a shinobi from Konoha. You're Lady Nyoko, yes?"

"That's right. Did you need something from me~?" She emphasized the last word strangely.

"Um— not personally, no," Reiko said, slightly uncomfortable, "This is for you."

Reiko held out the letter to her, and it was received into her hands of needlessly long nails.

"A letter for me?" She read the name of the sender, snickered, and tucked it into her shirt.

"Then I will take my leave. Have a good day, miss." Reiko prepared to leave as soon as possible.

"What's the hurry? You must be tired after coming all the way here. Why not rest here for the night? I won't do anything weird." Her eerie smile was not reassuring.

Reiko was about to vehemently refuse the offer, but stopped when he thought of his financial situation. He was planning on resting in Tanzaku for the day, but all of the inns were ridiculously expensive, and he didn't want to sleep on a roof if he didn't need to. The city was one large tourist trap that sucked its visitors dry.

'I can't turn down free housing, even if she creeps me out.'

"That would be wonderful," Reiko said and then added after a second, "but please keep it professional."

"Of course, I'm a woman of my word." Lady Nyoko ushered him inside. "Please, come inside."

Removing his sandals and stepping into her home, Reiko was met with a wave of scented candles. They were everywhere — every corner, table, counter, and shelf was covered in them.

'Holy obsession…'

"Please, sit down over here and let me bring you some tea." She pointed Reiko to a tatami mat with a short zataku table and some thin pillows.

Reiko took a seat on a pillow and begrudgingly watched as she retreated into the kitchen. 'I don't think I want to drink whatever she prepares.'

Lady Nyoko returned a short time later with two cups of what was supposedly tea. She placed one on the table in front of Reiko and sat across from him.

"You know, I never got your name. I can't just call you Mister Shinobi, now can I?"

'That would be preferable, but…' He couldn't be rude to someone who offered him a roof. "It's Reiko."

"I think that's a fabulous name~!"

The odd inflection in the way she said that made Reiko want to facepalm. "…Thank you for the compliment."

"Well, Reiko-kun, you don't need to address me formerly now that we know each other properly."

"Nyoko-san it is then."

"Well, that's not any better… but ahh— whatever! Call me however you like," she relented, raising her cup of tea.

While Lady Nyoko was occupied with her drink, Reiko took the moment to observe the interior of her home. The wood was a smooth, red mahogany and the tatami mats were sewn out of a soft, white material he'd never felt before; it seemed expensive at the touch.

'This place must've cost a fortune.' He wondered how long it would take for him to save up enough money to buy something similar.

"Out of curiosity—" Reiko began.

Lady Nyoko put her tea down and looked intrigued.

"—are you a noble?"

Lady Nyoko stared at him unblinkingly, and then she laughed heartily. "Me? A noble? Do you really think I'm that pretty?"

She seemed like she was expecting a particular answer, and Reiko really didn't want to give in. "Um— yes, well, your clear beauty aside… I was more interested in how you acquired this house, if you don't mind my asking. Are you a merchant, perhaps?"

"Nothing of the sort." She waved her hand in front of her face. "It's rather personal, but I don't mind sharing my secrets."

Reiko said nothing and waited for her to continue with visible interest.

Lady Nyoko nimbly produced a fan from her sleeve and unfurled it stylishly. "Men! They're so enamored with my beauty that they can't help but give me money~!"

Reiko's face froze. "…Eh?"

Lady Nyoko beamed with a smile of unwavering pride. "Case in point!" She slapped down the letter from Mister Ohagi.

Reiko stared at the letter, silent and still.

"Go on, open it," she encouraged, her smile just as vibrant.

"Okay…" Reiko tore open the envelope and pulled out a pink note stamped with a wax seal in the shape of a heart. He had no interest in reading what was on it, so he handed it to Lady Nyoko. "Um— here, I think this is meant for you."

"Oh!" She accepted it and promptly tossed it over her shoulder. "Forget about that. See what else is in the envelope."

Reiko turned the envelope upside down and let what remained inside fall onto the table. He moved his gaze over the thin paper. 'A check? And it's worth…'

He brought his face closer to the table to be sure of what he was seeing.

"Fif— Fifty thousand?!" He was dumbstruck. 'What sort of lunatic would give away this much money?!'

Lady Nyoko was casually fanning herself with a smirk. "See? They're obsessed with me."

'How in the world? Did she seduce him? No way. Is it something she put in the tea?' He eyed it warily. 'No, that doesn't even make sense. Maybe she cast a genjutsu on him?'

Reiko cautiously observed Lady Nyoko, who was quietly snickering to herself.

'Am I in danger…?'

~~~

A crash startled Reiko awake.

He had been fast asleep in one of Lady Nyoko's guest rooms. Fortunately, she had kept to her word and not done anything strange during his stay at her house. In fact, she had been nothing but accommodating. He felt a little bad for viewing her in such a poor light.

"…The hell?" He mumbled groggily, crawling to his feet.

Reiko stumbled out of the bedroom and into the hallway towards the direction of the disturbance.

"Nyoko-san?" He called out, but there was no response.

After reaching the end of the hall, he caught the end of what sounded like a heated argument.

"—this slip of paper is useless, bitch! Where's our money?!" The voice was gruff and irate.

Recognizing the potential severity of the situation, Reiko dashed through the large house until he arrived in the dining room where Lady Nyoko was planted on the ground. A prominent red hand print decorated the right side of her face.

'Lefty,' Reiko noted.

The check was laying at her feet, and she was glaring at the assailant who had struck her.

"Who the hell are you?" The man was as physically imposing as his voice suggested. With scrappy brown hair and mean-looking black eyes, he towered over Reiko.

However, 'he doesn't feel strong at all.' For as intimidating as he seemed, the man did not give off the impression that he was overwhelmingly stronger. Reiko wagered that the man was an academy flame out or the equivalent.

Reiko locked in; it would be his first real fight.

The man brought back a meaty fist and hurled it forward without wasting any time. Reiko ducked the left haymaker and delivered a straight jab to the man's chest, who grunted in pain and was forced a step back.

'Shouldn't have led with the left.' Reiko glanced at the corner of his vision.

[You have completed Mission: "Love me, Lady Nyoko!" Reward: 40 XP, 2 Attribute Points.]

'Both into Strength.'

"Is that all?" The man asked with a humored grin.

"No."

Reiko pressed the man and entered his guard. He quickly tried to back away to free up space for a counter, but Reiko's fist had already landed in his stomach. The man spit out saliva and lurched over at the increased force. Not waiting for him to recover, Reiko planted an uppercut under the man's chin, sending him crashing onto his back.

Reiko felt the floor shake a little when the man's unconscious body hit the ground. He would have celebrated his victory, but he didn't feel like he did much; the man was just too slow. He estimated that the man's Agility could not have been greater than two.

"Beautifully done," Lady Nyoko said from behind Reiko.

"Who is this man?" Reiko asked, looking over the now peacefully napping intruder.

"That is Chakra Thug." Lady Nyoko walked up to Chakra Thug's body and began kicking him in the ribs. "That's for slapping me, and I hope they're broken."

"…Chakra Thug?" Reiko asked, puzzled.

"That's what his gang calls him, anyway." She had finally stopped kicking.

"And why did this 'Chakra Thug' break into your home to attack you?"

Lady Nyoko laughed nervously and looked away. "I may have… accrued some debts."

Reiko stared incredulously. "How is that even possible? You receive thousands of ryō from desperate men, and you're in debt?"

"Well, why live in Tanzaku if you aren't going to gamble a little, right?" She forced a smile.

"You're kidding."

She hung her head, but then it shot back up as she stared at him expectantly. "But you'll help me, won't you? A shinobi of the Leaf would help a citizen in need, right? If you won't, they'll kill me… They're unforgiving…"

Now that he had been roped into the situation, Reiko had little choice but to assist her.

He could let her be killed, but how would that conversation go? He could imagine it now. 'Hokage-sama, I delivered the letter to Lady Nyoko, but she was murdered immediately after… Can I still have my pay?'

Besides, he was not heartless enough to knowingly let her die. It had only been a week since he'd arrived in the world, and he had not already lost all sense of basic human decency, even if the woman had put herself in this position due to her own terrible decisions.

Reiko sighed and held his forehead. "Will Mister Ohagi's check cover the debt?"

She tilted her head in contemplation. "Maybe about a hundredth of it?"

Reiko wanted to strangle her. Just how much money had she wasted in her gambling addiction? "How did you even manage to get this far into debt?"

A fire seemed to burst out from within her. "Those bastards! They coerced me into taking their handout, once. Once! I only borrowed twenty thousand, but they've routinely increased the interest on what I owe. Now they demand I give them everything I have? Nonsense!"

'So she blew all her money on gambling, took money from a loan shark, and has been trapped in debt since.' Reiko felt that she was well and truly screwed. In her situation, he also might've desperately gambled in order to recoup enough money to pay off the exorbitantly high debt, but no one is so lucky.

"I'm no lawyer, but I'm sure they've committed at least a few arrestable offenses. Why not go to the authorities?"

"You are the authorities."

"Oh… right."

"Also, I don't have any proof, but I'm pretty sure that the few shinobi stationed here have been paid off."

Reiko felt a headache coming on. It felt like the issue was snowballing and becoming excessively complicated. "Tell me more about the gang you mentioned."

She explained, "They use a casino as a front for their organized crime — racketeering and extortion mostly. My first mistake was ever walking through those doors."

"The name of the casino?"

"Quickly Rich Casino."

"No way…"

~~~

[You have defeated "Chakra Thug." Reward: 30 XP.]

[New Mission: "Harpooning the Shark." Eliminate the loan shark Kazu, destroying his stranglehold over Tanzaku Quarters. Reward: 150 XP, Water Release Ninjutsu.]

~~~

Current Status:

>—————————————<

Name: Reiko Kaneko | Info

Level: 1 (80/100 XP) | Evaluation?

Chakra: 4 | Strength: 5

Agility: 4 | Dexterity: 4

Vitality: 4 | Perception: 2

Attribute Points: 0

Skills | Jutsu | Releases

>—————————————<

[Chakra Control: Level 2 (3/100)]

[Senju-Style Taijutsu: Level 1 (20/100)]

The other Skills and stuff haven't changed.