A Mother's Worries

Abigail had spent the past day and a half speeding across the village, searching every square inch of the new and improved Dipugakure for something precious. Not just precious to her, but to the Jiko and most likely to the entire ASN, her eldest son Ka. Not even two days after Ka had returned from the chunin exams he had decided to run away, what was that kid's problem anyways? She herself had just returned from a mission when she had discovered he was gone, what a way to greet the clan head after being away. So after many hours of searching, only to find nothing she had decided to officially report her child as M.I.A. So she would make her way to the mission center on the main island of Dipu in mere seconds, nearly blowing the doors off their frame as she appeared in the lobby of the mission center. "My son....... Ka Jiko is missing, and has been for the past day and a half. I have spent the time searching high and low in the village, and I fear he may have left the ASN.

The girl at the counter would drop her hand into a jar of lollies, shoving a few in her mouth as the panicked woman spoke her problems to her. Chewing loudly with very little remorse. What is this...some kind of shrink office? Geez. After a few extra seconds of eating through the silence, she'd finally speak up. "Unauthorised leave of village...Ima just take a bit of a guess and say like, your son is below the rank of like, jonin? Meaning you are dobbing him in for a crime. I guess we need to do something..." Hmm. She'd begin to flick through a few papers, trying to find the instructions for courses of action to take during a possible defect. After another solid minute, she'd find what was needed. "Mmk...It says here that we need to...alert...village...security...Wait this might be pretty serious." For the first time in her career, she'd lifted up from her seat, charging into the backroom to send out multiple messenger birds to various individuals who'll rally up a perimeter search and tracking team. Before long she'd return. "Miss, i'm going to need a statement from you."

Abigail was extremely close to scrambling this woman's mind with her telepathy when she first started to speak, she acted like she was only there to collect a pay cheque while eating her candy. Now Abby might be intelligent and well put together kind of gal, but when shown disrespect like that she was most likely to go on a war path with whoever the offender was. However now was not the time to let her own anger towards the receptionist, she had to keep herself calm and collected as the slacker would rush into the back room once she discovered how serious of a matter this was. The receptionist would return with a serious look on her face, like her job was on the line if she were to fuck this up. "His name is Ka Jiko, curre....... Former heir to the Jiko Clan, Fourteen years of age, current rank is genin and currently being the bearer of the Primal Plague of Hakagakure. Missing for approximately thirty-six hours, last seen by my husband before he was called off on a Hunting mission. I was only informed by my clan guards of this when I return a few hours after he disappeared. He is about five foot two, I'm guessing around one hundred and fifteen pound. Long shoulder length red hair, green eyes, Usually wearing a red cloak and blue jeans." The words flowing out of her mouth without a seconds hesitation, she was concerned for her son and wanted him back home. Sure he would be a criminal and would lose any right to the head of the clan, but at least he would be safe. "I don't want him harmed in any way.... Please, I just want my son back"

"I'm afraid his safety is out of my duristiction. If he has defected, they will do everything possible to make a safe recovery before taking any form of violence. This is a very delicate matter Mrs Jiko, so I will need to ask you a few more questions if that's okay?" Tch. As she spoke she was reading through his file, frankly it was a little annoying. Typical clan head, can't even pass the chunnin exams, but during wartime he was one of the exceptions for the very few spots in the Hakagakure plague bearers...so much for being the most elite in their village. "Firstly, the photo we have appears to be slightly outdated, do you have any more recent ones we could possibly copy? Also you mentioned his father was on a hunting trip, could you please advise us on the whereabouts of the Jiko head, so we can send a runner his way for immediate questioning. Furthermore, is there anything else you could tell us about his behaviour, maybe he was acting strangely over the past few days? Distancing himself? Anything out of the ordinary?" Ugh, these things were so annoying. It brough back memories of the last defect, quite a few years ago now. Luckily since its just a genin, the only people who'd be getting sent out are standards and not elites such as herse...Uh. I mean what?

It was a normal day she had just returned to Dipugakure for another mission, fucking escort missions she hated them but they paid pretty good and Xel was Xel. She had just finished eating a snack and was making her way to to the mission office. She was dressed in full Kohaigakure garb a wide brim hat which concealed her eyes with her forehead protector on said hat, her flak jacket with the long sleeves which under normal circumstances would cover her hands but they had been folded back so her wrists were uncovered. Both of her Rikigaku tamers were hanging from loops in her belt and she had left the tan flak jacket open so she could enjoy the island weather. On her back was the Kohaigakure signature weapon, why they had decided on oversized shuriken she would never know but she liked it, even though she personally didn't care for throwing weapons.

Her hands were in their usual place on her neck as she strolled in initially with a bored expression though upon seeing Ka's mother her facial expression would change a bit as she knew from Jazz's reports that the woman had a thing about giving her hugs. Hugs were...uncomfortable Styx's mother always crushed her ribs when she had hugged her, so she associated hugs with pain even though she eventually grew up and understood that they were a display of affection but some scars didn't go away. She would look from Ka's mother to the receptionist who was actually serious for once, and immediately knew something was up something which was only confirmed when she heard his mother speak up and give information on him. "Pardon my intrusion but what is...going on. Is this about Ka?"

There she goes again, making assumptions about Abigail and her clan, any more sass out of this girl and she would be on her person shit list for the foreseeable future. "You're speaking to the Head of the Jiko Clan, my husband James is a respected Hunter-nin within this village while I myself am one of the Sanin of this village. So please, don't address me as Mrs. ever again. As to his picture, that was the last photo taken of him before he went off to participate in the Chunin exams, and his behaivior from what I have gathered from my guards was that he was distant, and angry She would say before noticing a figure out of the corner of her eye, which caused her to spin around. Maybe it was her husband returning from his mission, or perhaps Ka who may have just gone on a deep sea training? However her heart sank when she saw Jazz Kukinorite standing there asking what was going on, which made Abby muster all of her energy to stop herself from dropping to her knees sobbing over the loss of her son. "Ka..... He's gone missing"

"Look I apologize for not knowing the gender of your clan head, but I'm just doing my job. As a sannin, you should know the process already, as well as the dangers it poses not just for the persuers, but also the defecting individual, your concerns earlier about bringing harm to your son cause me to make assumptions, yes. I didn't think a sannin would knowing make such unreasonable requests. So I am sorry. Thankyou for the photo, I'll have copies sent to those in the search team immediately. I'll return in just a moment." Geez, It's not mrs, huh? Well considering even the kage was fine with being called sir, you'd think she'd get off her fucking high horse. Also, how the hell was she suppose to know the Jiko head was a woman, there are heaps of major clans in the village and hundreds more minors...the vast majority, if not all except this one...male heads. Not saying she supports the inequality, but its still a safe assumption. Before long, she would return. "Okay. Now I'll still need the location of your husband if you know it. Our investigative shinobi would also like a list of these guards, as well as anyone else who may have had contact with your son so they may follow up on the possible leads. They may also require access to your clan compound as well as your sons room." The receptionist knew she was probably too busy to listen since Jazz had just wandered in, but dropped out a piece of paper and a pen on the desk anyway, hoping she'd give the information as soon as possible. In the meantime, she was flicking through a few other papers.

Jazz's eyes would widen as Ka's mother explained the situation causing her to think quickly if Ka had shown any sign of wanting to leave. She knew he was disappointed from the exams and sure he had been pretty mean to her but she figured it was just Ka, their relationship not only according to the reports left by Jazz but her own current personal experience had never been that great. Still they were rivals at the very least, initially she had pegged him for a frenemy type of rival going through a rough patch but to defect from the village it left a sour taste in her mouth. Now she would have to keep up appearances, at least be somewhat concerned, well not that was a lie she was concerned it bothered her that he would just leave. She hadn't pegged him for the type but maybe it was due to her not assimilating correctly would she have noticed it prior to the brain charger operation, it wouldn't be the first time something had been left out of the official report. She also felt a stirring of something she didn't know how to describe the emotion it was like she was upset but didn't understand why she was upset she didn't personally care about him beyond him being her squad member but then why did it bother her so much. "What.. no way Ka? Missing, he wouldn't just defect sure he's a jerk but, no. Excuse me, miss. If possible I would like to join the tracking team, Jazz D. Kukinorite Probationary Jonin. I'm familiar with his chakra signature enough to discern it from others, please let me be on the retrieval team, I'll bring him back even if I have to break both of his legs and drag him back flailing and screaming." Jazz said rushing over to Abigal and holding out a hand as if she wanted to comfort her but feeling awkward about it and then facing the receptionist to offer herself.

"Unfortunatly my husband did not relay to me his whereabouts due to mission sensitivity, however i'm sure you could refer to the Hunter Captain for that information. As to your request onto the Jiko compound, I am more then happy to allow that. However his room is barren now, so I doubt you'll find much there" Abigail would say to the receptionist just after embracing Jazz just after would volunteer herself for the tracking team, what a nice girl, just what was it about this girl that irritated her son so badly she will never understand. "Thank you Jazz, you have always been good with Ka. I'm just as troubled as you are about this, and I would be grateful to you and whoever joins you in bringing him back"

"Don't hurt him."
"I'll break his legs to bring him back"
"Oh thank you so much you good little girl."
Mrs. Jiko is a little emotional I guess. Anyway, its been a good 3 hours since she had first arrived at the office, and the receptionist had finally appeared from the backroom with news. "It would appear as though there was a ship sinking near Port Otonashi. It is believed that it may be tied to your son. There was also an eyewitness from one of our intelligence shinobi's in the area that a boy matching Ka Jiko's description was seen in a small town near the port. A nearby scout is following the trail as we speak and a hunting party is being assembled, they will be moving out within the half hour. Priority beast back travel to make up for lost time. They have been asked to avoid fatal combat where possible, however are authorized to kill should the need arise. Abigal Jiko. As you have a direct family relation to the individual in question, you are not permitted to join the pursuing team. Jazz Kukinorite, as Ka Jiko's former teammate, you have strategic advantage and will be on the primary retrieval squad. You need to prepare to move out immediately." The receptionist would hand over the mission details before returning to the backroom. For the most part, she was just reading straight off the letter she was sent, though it was all practically common sense anyway.

Jazz would stiffen when she was embraced, it was reflexive a tightening of the muscles to protect her vital spots and to prevent from being crushed, but she would relax shortly after when she realized she wasn't in danger. Letting out a breathe of relief when the receptionist came back, in actuality it was being let go, hug just weren't her thing but she had to maintain a facade it wouldn't be proper to express her discomfort in hug while the woman was frantic at the loss of her son. "Understood, I'm ready to mobilize right now. Lady Jiko, if you have anything of Ka's like an article of clothing or something with his scent it would be really appreciated. I'll be at the gate." Jazz said taking the scroll reading through it quickly and closing it after she memorized the mission details. She would then turn before speed walking out of the room, what the receptionist hadn't bothered to read was that if she was able to assemble a hunting party before one could be assembled then they would be allowed to hunt Ka down, but reinforcements additional reinforcements will be send after not only to cover more ground but also if they take too long.

She already had an idea of who she wanted to be on the hunting team, sure she hadn't gone to the academy but she knew that there was a tracking team, furthermore she knew Team 10 was skilled as well, all of them being Chunin she could trust them in combat as she had fought them personally. She would clench her hands into fists, out of aggravation as she skipped across rooftops to the messenger birds and the listing for mailing teams. Fortunately Team 6-10 seemed to all be based in Dipugakure, and thus she would send out a mailing to the entire Team 10, whereas one to Calesto Kurogane knowing that a Kurogane tracker would be the best she could get. Once they were sent she would thank to courier-nin and head to the gates.

Sent Message:

(Jazz Exits)