Tofuufufu

Etsuko took care to pace herself during the run to the mission location and to be ready for anything when she arrived. While she may not be out of breath, her stomach twisted once again with anxiety. The sun was just beginning to set when she jumped into the clearing. The first thing she noticed was several shinobi standing throughout the clearing. They were not currently fighting and did not appear to be in distress, which was always a good thing on an unknown mission. Her eyes scanned across the gathered shinobi to see if there were any familiar faces. Yuki. Etsuko was not able to stop her mouth from twisting down in displeasure when she noticed the Kitsune patriarch standing off to the side. A storm of emotions raged within her and the paper hidden throughout her clothes rustled as her chakra reacted to her emotions. Not good. Calm down! She ordered herself as she took a long, deep breath in through her nose and let it out through her mouth. It would not do to show her

Something was not right. The courtyard in front of the Akarikage’s castle showed signs of a recent fight, but they had not received news of a foreign attack. Surely they would have been informed if such an event had occurred as soon as they returned to the village? So what on earth happened while they were away? Etsuko’s stomach twisted uncomfortably as she stood before Mugon and reported their findings. So it was a legit mission and not a trap. While that was a relief, something about it still caused Etsuko to tense with worry. And then there was the fact that part of Mugon’s coat was singed. Could it possibly be related to whatever happened in the courtyard? Mugon referred to it as an “unexpected disturbance”, but what kind of “disturbance” could singe the clothing of the second strongest shinobi in the village? Something evidently happened here, and she was not being told what. And that made Etsuko angry. Then there was the fact that she was being chewed out for

Etsuko’s mind was running at full capacity as she thought over the revelations of today’s jounin council meeting. So many horrible and suspicious events all so close to each other was…alarming, to say the least. Surely they could not all be coincidences. The chance of that would have to be astronomically low. Was someone pulling the strings in the shadows? Multiple someones? Truly a horrifying thought. Her thoughts about the matter were cut short when she saw an envelope in her mailbox. Such shoddy workmanship, whoever folded this should be ashamed of themselves. Etsuko thought as she was unable to repress a disgusted curl of her upper lip. Her less than kind thoughts about the folding of the letter was cut short, however, when she was the seal on the back. No way. She unfolded the letter, but her confusion only grew. It had none of the required paperwork of a mission, which would ordinarily invalidate it, but there was the seal, clear as day. It was a bad sign that their Akarikage