by Guest Thu Jul 16, 2020 10:38 amThe moon village was always so different. Perhaps it was the abundance of water and farming lands but they were an eccentric bunch. The people in these lands loved lavish clothes and the very least colorful. The desert climate always preferred utility. Anything to keep them cool and away from the cruel whip of the sun. Their hospitality was always different too, some would say overbearing but that was probably due to the difference of the desert. They’d give you water to drink, wash some food if available, and a shelter over their heads. The desert people mainly kept to themselves, not of shyness but more of being busy. The moon people were much more sociable, openly talking to strangers, and finding great interest in anyone from afar.
They of course also had things in common, they were after all brothers and sisters at one stage. One of those things, albeit unfortunate, was the mysterious cult and their bloody calling card. The Burrows of the Sun Village were victims of multiple cases of missing children which now had escalated to mass murders. Shizuka’s investigation had lead to the fact the Moon Village had experienced similar problems. Once the two villages had agreed it was neither of them, information was shared. It had been a long journey for Shizuka, stopping on the way for any clues as to this cult. However, she was now in the Slums of the moon village.
The blood symbols in the moon village had long dried. There had been many more but most had been washed away. Only a few were left as they were as different types of Shinobi tried to find its culprit. There was no mistaking it was the same sinister symbol. A triangle encompassed by a circle. Made with three fingers. Shizuka measured the finger sizes revealing they were almost an exact size match as to that of the Sun. Yet she didn’t feel the joyous flick in the wrists. This circle was more rounded, the triangle evenly spaced. Whoever had done this more meticulous, finding their purpose in the devout beliefs by carefully marking down the cult symbol.
So, it wasn’t just one person. At the very least it was two of them. One a fanatic zealot and the second a pious acolyte. Shizuka’s nose flared for the first time in a long while showing a hint of what she truly felt. None of her spirits knew anything of it and it frustrated her. It was like an upside-down smiley face taunting at her own incompetence. Who were these people? They were bold enough to attack not one but two Shinobi villages. She wondered if any other militant or feudal towns were experiencing the same things?
Shizuka had shared her findings with the Moon’s own investigators but nothing was new. Seeking permission, Shizuka had delved into the records of the Moon. They had some books the sun did not have but neither entries revealed anything about a blood cult. There was a clan of blood users but that was about it. Shizuka was allowed to ask those clansmen question but they revealed nothing but promised they had nothing to do with the disgusting practices that plagued both villages.
Shizuka made perfect ink copies of the symbols with the help of her clansmen. Once they had shared information Shizuka and her team would return to the village of the Sun. With her this time a team of Moon Shinobi would also come. In hopes from both sides that a fresh set of eyes might reveal something new. Yet back within the Sun village nothing new was found. Together they had staked out the slums and burrows in hopes to catch the cultists red-handed or at the very least anyone suspicious. Yet out of fear of the cultist every family stayed indoors after dark and always moved in numbers of greater than 3 during the day.
Days and weeks would pass with not a single new case. As good as it was the team was getting nowhere with the investigation. She stared at the symbol, anger boiling inside her till she finally cracked. Shizuka punched the board detailing the investigation.
It was then a voice she had heard a few times before echoed inside her head. " Hmm, I've seen that symbol before. Someone who loved my earlier work and wanted to me join their little gang. They were called Jasmine or something? " Shizuka became angry once more. Why had he chosen only to speak out now? He would smirk, only appearing when she let anger show it's head within her.
With this newfound information, she began her research once more, looking into any organization or cult known as Jasmine. However, the only thing that kept coming up was a company of tea sellers that had gone bankrupt and resorted to criminal activities such as laundering money and drugs through their teabags. That investigation was a dead end as that company was over 50 years ago. The last person who had been involved in had died of natural causes. Their company symbol also looked nothing like the murder symbols.
Yet again their investigation came to a dead end. Defeated they reported their findings to the village council hoping their code breakers would figure something from it. The investigation team disbanded but the case would never leave Shizuka's mind. She would definitely visit this another day.
WC: 902
They of course also had things in common, they were after all brothers and sisters at one stage. One of those things, albeit unfortunate, was the mysterious cult and their bloody calling card. The Burrows of the Sun Village were victims of multiple cases of missing children which now had escalated to mass murders. Shizuka’s investigation had lead to the fact the Moon Village had experienced similar problems. Once the two villages had agreed it was neither of them, information was shared. It had been a long journey for Shizuka, stopping on the way for any clues as to this cult. However, she was now in the Slums of the moon village.
The blood symbols in the moon village had long dried. There had been many more but most had been washed away. Only a few were left as they were as different types of Shinobi tried to find its culprit. There was no mistaking it was the same sinister symbol. A triangle encompassed by a circle. Made with three fingers. Shizuka measured the finger sizes revealing they were almost an exact size match as to that of the Sun. Yet she didn’t feel the joyous flick in the wrists. This circle was more rounded, the triangle evenly spaced. Whoever had done this more meticulous, finding their purpose in the devout beliefs by carefully marking down the cult symbol.
So, it wasn’t just one person. At the very least it was two of them. One a fanatic zealot and the second a pious acolyte. Shizuka’s nose flared for the first time in a long while showing a hint of what she truly felt. None of her spirits knew anything of it and it frustrated her. It was like an upside-down smiley face taunting at her own incompetence. Who were these people? They were bold enough to attack not one but two Shinobi villages. She wondered if any other militant or feudal towns were experiencing the same things?
Shizuka had shared her findings with the Moon’s own investigators but nothing was new. Seeking permission, Shizuka had delved into the records of the Moon. They had some books the sun did not have but neither entries revealed anything about a blood cult. There was a clan of blood users but that was about it. Shizuka was allowed to ask those clansmen question but they revealed nothing but promised they had nothing to do with the disgusting practices that plagued both villages.
Shizuka made perfect ink copies of the symbols with the help of her clansmen. Once they had shared information Shizuka and her team would return to the village of the Sun. With her this time a team of Moon Shinobi would also come. In hopes from both sides that a fresh set of eyes might reveal something new. Yet back within the Sun village nothing new was found. Together they had staked out the slums and burrows in hopes to catch the cultists red-handed or at the very least anyone suspicious. Yet out of fear of the cultist every family stayed indoors after dark and always moved in numbers of greater than 3 during the day.
Days and weeks would pass with not a single new case. As good as it was the team was getting nowhere with the investigation. She stared at the symbol, anger boiling inside her till she finally cracked. Shizuka punched the board detailing the investigation.
It was then a voice she had heard a few times before echoed inside her head. " Hmm, I've seen that symbol before. Someone who loved my earlier work and wanted to me join their little gang. They were called Jasmine or something? " Shizuka became angry once more. Why had he chosen only to speak out now? He would smirk, only appearing when she let anger show it's head within her.
With this newfound information, she began her research once more, looking into any organization or cult known as Jasmine. However, the only thing that kept coming up was a company of tea sellers that had gone bankrupt and resorted to criminal activities such as laundering money and drugs through their teabags. That investigation was a dead end as that company was over 50 years ago. The last person who had been involved in had died of natural causes. Their company symbol also looked nothing like the murder symbols.
Yet again their investigation came to a dead end. Defeated they reported their findings to the village council hoping their code breakers would figure something from it. The investigation team disbanded but the case would never leave Shizuka's mind. She would definitely visit this another day.
WC: 902