Description: Mistrusting the motives of the tournament's charitable but alarmingly powerful hosts, after a cursory investigation Hyo Imawano decides to test Johann's 'heightened security', and personal mettle, the old fashioned way: by abruptly bypassing it in an apparent bid to kill the shadowy figure. While solid answers are hard to wring from the enigmatic Italian, the shinobi is left with one things confirmed beyond any doubt: something wicked is afoot in one deceptively sunny city, and Johann knows far more than he's willing to say.
It has come to be that time. The inner parts of Sunshine City have been getting rather busy. From both fighters arriving as well as crowds to come and see the competition. There are a few sour elements that have come along with it, but there is nothing that can really be done there. Johann has ways of handling a few, but others he might just hope get handled or they go away on their own. Freeman is still a bit of an enigma on what he might do. Cause the proper chaos and hurt those that need to be hurt. If he starts acting against the gangs then Johann might have to give the killer another special visit.
For now he is fine just playing his part in the whole matter and being out in the public eye supporting the fighters that have come to compete. He may not hold an actual political position in Sunshine City, but it would be hard pressed to find a more important figure in the city right now. Even the mayor is starting to fall under his sway. If his place to reduce the violence in the city works then he will be in the young Italian's pocket for a good long time.
He has managed a break from all the tasks he has been dealing with finally to get himself a nice dinner in one of his favorite places. A fine seafood restaurant that has allowed a corner of the place to be roped off so the business man can enjoy his meal. It seems he is traveling with some security as well. There have been some death threats so he can never be too careful afterall. The two large men in black suits look mean enough. Even if they aren't good fighters they look intimidating enough to perhaps make people think twice.
He may not hold any particular position, no official title, no (proper) authority.. but Imawano Hyo was hard pressed to find a more prominent or powerful citizen than Johann. It was a mystery that went beyond the man, beyond the tournament. Beyond the gang violence and well past the at-a-glance simple abductions. There's a great deal of suspicious activity in Sunshine City, to say the least. To some, the gathering darkness is shut out. To others, it's on the edge of their hearing; a spectre, disturbing their dreams in the depth of night.
To very, very few, this is how the world always looks, its errors and evils laid bare, every day a moment perched headlong on the abyss, as dozens of interests wrestle hundreds of figures thousands of different ways in the attempt to bend the world to selfish, destructive ends. To the heir of the Imawano swordstyle, the President and soon-to-graduate youth of the exceptional Justice Gakuen... it's simply Friday. There's certainly no questioning the catalyzing forces in Sunshine City, however.
Sometimes, it feels that if the shinobi simply looked up, he would see the sky swirling to a point somewhere within the sprawling metropolis, consuming itself as if life were an 80's scifi movie. It's simply how strongly the currents gather here, a storm of supernatural potential, deeper than any physical ills. If anyone could see the ninja's face behind his masked, cowled features, they would see a deep frown. The bird of prey alights some distance from the dragon's seaside dinner, outside the restaurant. He's perched in the awning of the adjacent business, now closed in the growing evening, barely visible crouched with a sniper's visibility on the window giving him perspective on Johann's private corner of the establishment.
As the twilight deepens, the floodlights below and in front of Hyo will all but drown out the efforts of anyone who -does- happen to look up, but for his part, the shinobi seems inclined to stalk Johann through his meal, to his next destination. While he does carry a small assortment of gadgets that would make any spy a little jealous, his interest doesn't seem to be so much in the manipulative Italian's dinner conversation, but simply in his bearing. His demeanor. That intangible quality of the deceptively powerful man's own aura and manner.
That, or Johann's assassin shadow, who hopefully isn't here to kill him, is simply waiting for a better time. Clear of civilians entirely. Of course, more intelligence on one's enigmatic target is important to any successful interrogation... or arrangement. To that end, Hyo is nothing if not patient, nigh-motionless as he conceals his subtly armored, entirely black-clad form for as long as it may take; -someone- definitely has business with Johann, tonight.
The patience pays off. The meal does last for some time, but it seems a quiet one. Johann himself looks like a man lost in thought the entire time. Not a word seems to be spoken for those hours. Even the waiter just seems to get empty wine glass lifted his way instead of any sort of verbal response. There is that smile, though. To someone like Hyo it can almost seem incincere. As if he is forcing it despite the fact to probably over ninety percent of the population it comes off as genuine. After nearly two hours it finally seems he is ready to go and he is escorted to a limo that pulls up outside.
A vehicle like that sticks out all too easily in this town. For someone like Hyo it is child's play to keep up with it as it twists and turns through the city and leads to a large set of condos that seem to belong to the wealthy of this town. It is a far cry of the broken down apartment complexes and destroyed homes that can be found in the outer parts of Sunshine City. Security itself seems pretty tight in places. No half assed assassin would stand a chance to get in. A small band of mercs might even have trouble. For someone like Hyo there are cracks in it. Flaws that really can lead straight into study that Johann seems to retire to after a chance of clothing to something more casual.
Behind a desk he sits with a cup of coffee resting on it and a laptop that is currently turned off. He seems a bit of an old fashioned man as well. A book rests in his hands, opened up and being looked over as he looks lost in thought once more. He better hope this assassin is really just a rumor or incompetent. Right now he looks like a rather easy target to a member of the Imawano clan.
The peaceful meal isn't particularly interesting, to the shinobi. Johann's shadow is no stranger to fine cuisine or exquisite locales, and so far Sunshine City manages more to lend a queasy malaise to his gut, than inspire a soaring heart. The Italian's quiet, subtle superiority, on the other hand... that's familiar. Many would accuse Hyo of such, perhaps they would be right; to the cursed heir of the Imawano line, it reminds him of Kurow Kirishima. Perhaps Geese Howard. Confident and capable in their station through no small amount of experience and raw competence... it's how everyone unravels, eventually.
Imawano pursues Johann's limousine through the city streets from high above it, his form an indistinct blur as he launches from shadow to shadow, crossing at angles the car can't possibly match, with a vantage point of the road ahead that serves the shinobi well. When he needs to change altitudes? Why, grapnel gun, of course. It's like second nature to the ninja, honed since he could swing from an anchored line. Truth be told, he doesn't so much break into Johann's home with him there, as he does arrive just -before- the Black Dragon and his 'guards'. The staff in the building are well trained, prepared to handle a great deal of troublemakers.
Hyo makes no trouble, and his own operational support does a remarkable job of bringing down the actual intrusion grid just long enough for the ninja to slip in, and conceal the signs he ever did. The air is a touch fresher in the study, as if the window had been recently opened. Most would never notice it.
Fewer would ever notice the curtain as it drifts ever so gently back into place; they would not see the dark figure that advances smoothly, silently on Johann's position, and draws steel in a swipe that could take off his head. Were Johann not to react; and Imawano not to pull the strike. For the record, the razor's edge would indeed cease of its own accord moments before tasting flesh. Assuming Johann doesn't move, at least.
The loudest sound in the room is the tachi-kaze of the katana as it leaves its place at the shinobi's side, singing through the air with an elemental fury, the falcon's own inner spirit surging through the blade. Masterful feints are part and parcel to the Imawano-ryu approach to many arts.
It seems all too easy. To get so close and to let that blade move to where Hyo wishes. There is no one inside the room aside from the two and Johann could easily be dead before anyone managed to make it inside. Yet there is just a sense of calm about the whole situation. His gaze lifts from the pages of the book he was reading and he doesn't make much in the way of movement. If he jerked like some idiot he would just cut himself on Hyo's sword.
"Ahh, testing the security?" he asks in a bit of a nonchalant manner. His posture and just his attitude about his current situation makes it a bit obvious he is more than just some business man that is wanting to help people. There is just something about him that Hyo could probably sense that in all honesty this man probably doesn't need the security he has. It is really muted in ways. Almost as he is just one giant ball of gray. It is there and can be seen, but really figuring out just what is off about this man looks like it would be tough even when someone like Hyo that has had proper training. "By the skill I am guess you are Mr. Imawano. I was glad to hear someone of your pedigree would come here." His head tilts a bit to the side, but still no sudden movements. He seems fine on waiting for the sword to be drawn away before making any real movements.
"If you would like to have a talk I suppose I have some time now. You caught be right in my nightly read." There is that smile again even. It can even seem insulting the way he is so casual about being in such a position. If he is afraid at all the man has a good poker face and he doesn't seem to be hitting at any sort of nervousness. No twitching brow, no fidgeting with his hands. Nothing like that.
"And what makes you so sure I haven't simply come to kill you?" A voice of silken death inquires from behind black mask. Johann is smooth, the young champion of Justice readily gives the Italian warrior that much. All but unfazed from the abundant threat of death and dismemberment upon the shinobi's intricately glimmering steel. Even in the study's diffused light, the metal sparkles. Johann can see himself in it, with the right angle; he could see his interloper's narrowed brown eyes. "Awfully confident in your wellbeing for a man in need of so much security." The dissonance sparks hostility in Hyo. The lies that so many swallow up, delievered so flawlessly, inspire little more than the desire to mark the Black Dragon with his sword, after all.
Guiding katana to saya with a smoothly oiled glide, instead, the weapon clicks into place with a sharp, precise and intuitive motion... for all the comfort, or safety that is liable to provide. Those dark eyes are still narrow, and seeking eye contact if Johann meets his gaze. There's something otherworldly about the ninja's forceful, seeking will - the Imawano, one of the last of the true, ancient masters of ninjutsu.. their mastery lies in the mind. It's a truth that Hyo knows intimately, and an artform he's mastered.
He seeks no mastery, here, the moment simply a flare of will, his intent stare like that of a hunting raptor. If Johann seeks - somewhat less than sincerely - to cut to the core of the situation, it behooves the scion of Justice to reciprocate, albeit more directly indeed. "Your power and your actions are incongruous. Why are /others/ fighting to liberate your city?"
It's not the question Hyo came here to find an answer to; but it is /a/ question. An important one, some would say. The black-clad figure never actually confirms his identity, not now. He remains in the shadows, within reach of Johann still. If anyone is at risk in this city, it does not seem to Imawano to be this man.
He doesn't give a name and in the end he really doesn't need to. Johann has enough information on those that have come to his city. He would be a fool to not get as much as he can. Obviously Hyo is pretty much blank, but there is only one other practitioner of ninjitsu in town and he doesn't even use a sword. He turns about in his seat and he leans back some. His gaze meets the cold one that is focused on him. "In my line of work I always must remain at my most confident. If I am nervous it just makes those around me the same. You should know this. I am not military, but this town sees me as their general. If I show that I am unafraid of the gangs then those will feel their own spirits lifted."
It is a good answer even if probably as cookie cutter as one can get. An answer that might not be enough for Hyo, but for the usual rabble that he deals with it is more than fine to use. He lets out a soft laugh too as he mulls things over some. "Yes, I guess it does seem silly, but you have seen the outer parts of this town. You have seen how thin the police are stretched." he explains and he pushes back his chair finally enough to give him room to stand up and now crowd the ninja. He keeps his movements calm and casual. Enough to make sure he won't cause that blade to suddenly come unsheathed again. "They do not allow me to fight. I am too important. I trained in this city even! Ryu Zui Ken is an old technique and it has allowed me to become the man I am today."
It is common knowledge that the dojo still exists, but it has had its problems. Run now by a young woman and a student of the old master that was murdered. They manage to get enough to keep the place open, but not at all how it was before Lee Song was murdered. "It is troublesome. This security. They worry for me because if I am gone who will be here to help? We appreciate what the fighters that came here have come to do. I will do what it takes for that to happen."
"Of course." Imawano manages to sound convinced, after a fashion. At the least, he matches his host's politeness. "Don't allow?" Hyo echoes the Italian's words, "And who dictates to someone so important.." and so deceptively powerful, "Particularly when it regards a crusade you feel so.. powerfully about, yourself." The words are somewhat dry in the black-clad swordsman's mouth, but they're spoken smoothly, coldly, and evenly still. The scion of Justice speaks with too much experience, a veteran far beyond his years.
The blademaster absorbs carefully what Johann says. Ryu Zui Ken. Allowed him to become what he is today. Imawano definitely will have to remember that, because he's already accepted that any truth he finds in this chessmaster will be designed to mislead. "One that so plainly requires a general." It's not clear if he's mocking Johann, or flattering him; or something in between. Even without the dramatic and stealthy attire, Imawano Hyo is notoriously difficult to read, something like the coinflip opposite Johann's manipulative, politically aware nature; and thus, it's nigh impossible to say for certain.
While Hyo's emotions may be subtle, if they exist at all, his own urgency and focus are entirely different entities. It practically radiates from the Justice raptor, and he makes no attempt to hide that core of icy, perfectly disciplined ability and idealistic zeal. Once again, Imawano's own honesty is freely, if measuredly given. "Let me assure you of one thing." The shinobi offers intently, with softspoken power, "Nothing about this seems silly to me."
Flattery or mocking. Either way Johann doesn't seem to really show any sort of real reaction to that part of the response. It is something that does sound a bit fishy. At the same time do the people in this town really know the actual power that Johann has? Just how much does he mask it when around other invidividuals? "Politics. It is always politics. It is the one thing I rather detest. I am not even a man with an office or real title and I still have to play those games." he lets out a bit of a light sigh and he shrugs helplessly.
He closes the book he had been reading after slipping a bookmark into it and he slides it over to the cover of his desk. He has been disturbed from his sitting so it will be hard to get back into his reading mood. Even so he is allowed to have himself a conversation with the rather interesting ninja. Perhaps one of the fighters he is more intent to watch perform this upcoming tournament just to see what will happen.
"Oh I agree. This seems more than just gang violence. I fear something darker, but what? I almost hope it is something that gets flushed from this town." he gives a small grimace at that. "Then again that means it may go elsewhere which is not my intent." He hmms and he reaches up to lightly stroke his goatee in thought for a few moments. "I don't know what will happen. I hope things turn out for the better. If you find anything important please at least contact the police, Mr. Imawano."
In truth, Imawano Hyo doesn't appear to be a man who bothers with flattery. Or with mocking derision. Then again, that could be another facet to the observation the ancient-beyond-his-years shinobi makes next, "Men who claim to detest politics..." The Ninja steps away from Johann's chair, turning his back to the Dragon for the first time that evening. "Often gain their disdain from familiarity. It's quite easy to become mired in and burdened by a corrupt and misappropriated system." Just, passing observation. Philosophical food for thought. One certainly has to give Hyo one thing: the childlike warlord has no fear. No hesitation.
The expert ninja's actual strength is a subtle thing, difficult to feel, difficult to grasp; the circling falcon shrouded and misty, like the shadowy Black Dragon hiding behind Johann's eyes. One thing, however, is clear in the bird of prey's aura, in his stature, in his very way of speaking and being: The blademaster remains uncompromising... and incorruptible. An interesting element to introduce into his would-be city, indeed, for Johann.
There is no other conversation offered in response to the Italian gentleman's continued, hated politicking. No murmur, no grunt, no sound of furniture being cleaved asunder by absurdly sharp blade. No, the shinobi's business here is done; for now. Much of it unconcluded or inconclusive, he nonetheless has new leads, and further uncertainties about their illustrious host.
Hyo speaks not on what he has gleaned, or what vexes him still; the raptor departs on wings that carried him here, vanishes as if spectral from the moment of the conversation's inception.
He is a smart one. Very talented as well. Such a dangerous combination. Deep in his mind the Italian is debating on if this man could pose any real problem to what are his actual plans or if the gangs are too strong even for a man as strong as Hyo. Against large odds he has a feeling even the ninja would have some trouble at times. "Hmm, interesting way to put it. Quite the wise one for being so young." he says and he gives that smile once more.
It also seems to be the end of their exchange as the ninja must have gotten what he wanted. Soon he has left the room and Johann is left thinking to himself. "Ahh, thank you for the conversation." he casually says despite the ninja no longer being around. He contemplates things as he wanders over to make sure his windows are closed then be pulls the blinds. Now is the time to truely be careful and just watch his actions. He isn't sure if Hyo will be tracking him still and he has very few loyal to him that might be able in turn to observe. None worth risking because he has a feeling if Hyo caught them they would not be returning to Johann's side again.
"It will all work out." he finally says to himself and just gives something of a devious grin. He hits the intercom at his desk and leans in to whisper something about security detail before the lights go off. It seems for the now the dragon sleeps and will contemplate more on things tomorrow.
Log created on 20:50:12 06/08/2012 by Hyo, and last modified on 09:17:49 06/11/2012.