Cloaked in Shadows

After an insufferably long wait, Haruna had finally been scheduled for her next match, taking place in a few nights. And as usual, she had set out to scope the competition, a girl who called herself "The Sandwoman". It didn't take much to dig up the real name and history of this "Chiasa Shikasaki", who actually boasted quite the resume. Known for her prodigy-level skill in martial arts, notably drunken boxing, and high intelligence, even Haruna had to admit she might be a worthy opponent. It would be obvious why someone like her would join up in the AFW, but something in the girl' history bothered Haruna. More specifically, her brief "absence" from college, and traces of an unnamed sponsor backing her. Being raised as a ninja, even as arrogant as she was, Haruna could not simply overlook such a suspicious bit of data like that. For all she knew at this point, her digging could have already triggered alarms with whatever underground organization she might be dealing with.

Of course, the quickest and easiest way to lure out any potential pursuers was to put yourself out there, and trailing Chiasa while looking for information would be killing two birds with one stone.

Setting out in a suit of shinobi gear she stole from the clan on her way out, Haruna staked out the girl's home under the cover of night. She didn't even wait long before Chiasa suddenly headed out, going off in some strange direction with no seeming reason. Slipping between the shadows of the buildings, she followed the white-haired girl down the sidewalks until she stopped and entered a darkened dead-end alleyway. Her suspicions growing deeper, Haruna carefully crept closer to the entrance of the alley, hoping to either hear or catch a glimpse of whatever the Sandwoman was up to.

Chiasa would be dressed up in a gray hooded jacket, jean pants, black sneakers, and black fingerless gloves. She looked like she was ready for a jog around the block, but she actually had a different purpose. She didn't want any leads on her, so she had to be as swift and secretive as possible. She soon went to her intended area: a darkened dead-end alleyway.

Chiasa looked left and right before flipping out her phone out of her pocket and tapping in some numbers. The phone would ring for a few seconds before the number got picked up. Chiasa's voice was pretty quiet, but if Haruna was going to get any information, she had to get close, but still remain unseen.

"Yeah, hi, it's me. Yup, it's been quite an interesting time in AFW so far. Our soldiers have already proven themselves to be valued fighters. Violator, Jewels, Masseter, and Wolfess have gotten their share of fighting and yet I have yet to fight in one. Not to worry, I got my debut match coming in a few nights. In all honesty, as much as I can express excitement for this confrontation, I also feel a little remorse. Now, don't get me wrong, boss, I need to find someone to match my superior intellect! I do enjoy my share of wins in the past, but victory lately has become so boring! I want someone who can use both the mind and the body to impress me. That alone is enough to make me happy. If this opponent doesn't do so, I'll give her a piece of my own intellect and beat it into their primitive skull!"

From what Haruna could tell, Chiasa was making a phone call to someone. But going all the way out here just to make a call? Something was definitely suspicious about it. She paused for a moment, scanning the area for anyone that might be following her. Deciding the coast was clear, she pulled her hood up over her head, concealing her colorful purple hair, and then her mask to conceal her face as well.

Slipping into the alleyway through the shadows, she knelt behind a conveniently placed crate, hoping to pick up on what Chiasa was saying or who she might be speaking to.

Haruna was doing a good job hiding while Chiasa was going about her rant. She then had to take a couple of deep breaths to recompose herself before continuing. "Anyway, I'm hoping that this girl I'm fighting doesn't disappoint. I really want to see if she's as good a tactician as I do rightfully am. And don't worry, boss, when the time comes, you'll get what you want. Thank you, boss. Goodnight."

Chiasa closed her phone, placed it in her pocket, and started to walk out of the alleyway. She wlked past th crate and gratefully didn't see Haruna. Making her way back to the house, she closed and locked the door behind her so that no one else can follow her.

While not able to make out the whole conversation, Haruna could tell it was about their scheduled fight, and this Chiasa woman was quite eagerly pandering to her "boss". Interesting, but hardly a solid lead on anything. As Chiasa turned to leave, the shinobi girl held her breath, remaining as motionless as possible until she had passed completely by.

Once she seemed in the clear, she continued to track the white-haired girl, but she only returned directly home, with not a single suspicion motion. Nor did it seem anyone was tailing Haruna either. It would seem her inquisitions had gone unnoticed, at least so far. But they had not bore much result either. Lurking about the property, she waited until the lights would go off and the occupants hopefully deep asleep.

However, as Haruna was turning to leave the premises, Chiasa's voice would then be heard in a louder volume from her own home. It seems to start from downstairs and slowly working upstairs. Chiasa stomped around the place as she would yell, "AAUGH!! And what is taking so long for the other two to arrive?! They're the strongest in our group, which OF COURSE is no surprise. After all, one of them is THE leader of our group. Why does the Boss have to be this tedious to get each of us freakin' into this league?! UGH!!"

And then, it was quiet, probably since Chiasa started to let out all the hot air and prepare to sleep. Thankfully, everyone else was still asleep or watching late night television while she was ranting. What she may not know is that she might have given Haruna some useful information.

Haruna heard Chiasa's outburst pretty clearly, smirking a bit at the childish outburst. It didn't give her much, but it made clear she had other allies already in the AFW, and even more on the way. She still had not the slightest clue on what the intentions of this group were, but no doubt they would be an obstacle on her rise to the top.

Lurking just a little while longer, Haruna eventually surmised she would find get little else right now, leaving to return to her apartment. Perhaps she would blackmail a few of her ex-clansmen into helping her out with this...

The next morning, Chiasa woke up after a full 8 hour sleep. She hardly used her alarm clock to wake her up, but it did serve as a way to determine what time it is. It was 7:30 a.m. in the morning and she knew immediately that she must begin training for her match as soon as she could. So, after at least 30 minutes of changing, having breakfast, and brushing her teeth, Chiasa would step out of the house and locked the door behind her.

She was all dressed up in black workout shorts, a gray tank top (with a black sports bra for security), her black fingerless gloves, and her white workout shoes. Looking left and right, she made sure the way was clear before beginning her jog to the gym. If Haruna was around, it was best that she needed to keep up, quietly but quickly.

Even in her arrogance, Haruna still never neglected her basic training. And killing two birds with one stone was always nice and convenient. Dressed in purple track sweats, her hair temporarily dyed black, done up in a ponytail, and sunglasses as a makeshift disguise, she jogged down the sidewalk just in time to spot Chiasa making her leave.

Keeping some distance, she trailed behind Chiasa from across the street, maintaining her guise as just a normal jogger. It seemed likely the Sandwoman was only out for training, but it didn't hurt to be thorough in her investigation.

Chiasa's jog shouldn't be very far since the gym is only a couple blocks away. Besides, it can be a good warmup for her to get her body moving before proceeding. When she stopped at a couple of traffic lights, Chiasa would take a couple sips of water as she looked around to make sure that no one's following her out of suspicion. She didn't want any of the 7's secrets to be discovered yet.

Once the walking sign turns on, she could continue on her way. After passing the second traffic light (and checking her surroundings), Chiasa would quietly enter the gym and put her stuff aside to get ready.