Michael
As far as Hibiki understood, the halls' concession store had become a new hotspot for the unsavoury. The mass of civilians flooding in between shows had once made the perfect cover for them to slip in and out, stopping only to remind the owners to avoid any 'accidents'. With the village's shinobi handling other priorities, they'd grown more brazen, strolling in while the sun was still high to collect their payments.

'_Surely they couldn't have thought that would work forever,_' Hibiki thought. And yet, without the threat of the military stopping them, it seemed that little would deter the crooks. And so it fell to her, a green genin, and her as-yet-unseen companion, to remind the men what they were risking.

In other words, maintaining order and peace. Right up the little lady's alley.

To her, arriving early was arriving on time. If her partner didn't feel the same, then Kazuko would arrive to see Hibiki already offering quiet, comforting words to the store clerk. Dressed in a kimono that mostly matched her hair, the girl wouldn't be out of place amongst the village's more affluent theatre-goers. Only her headband, tied around her kimono's sleeve, marked her as one of Noragakure's enforcers.

"Give us a day, and the problem will be solved. These are desperate and depraved people, taking advantage of a trying time. The next time they come here, they will understand that doing so is... Ill-advised." What the girl lacked in intimidating features, she made up for in a regal presence, barely befitting of her age – but perhaps befitting of her clan.
Nola
*At this point, this was just the case of 'yet another mission' for Kazuko. Almost. Unlike the last times where it was her and her partner who had to hunt down the targets, today they would finally come to them. It made it so much more fun to the girl, seeing their reactions. Two Shinobi suddenly standing at their beloved money-making-machine, ready to beat the ever living shit out of them. Or at least Kazuko was ready to do so. Not so sure about her partner, since this time, as a change, it was someone entirely different. Not her usual partner who she knew and liked. A stranger...

Because of this thought, the Kaguya did not seem as happy. When was she ever? Her stomping could be heard from afar, her angry stare at the path she was going being like a beam of death, ready to fry and kill anyone who dares passing it. Unlike her partner, Kazuko thought that being on time meant being on time. Not arriving too early, no. She did indeed prefer people who were not lacking the sense of arriving on time.

Sooner or later, being actually not too late, she arrived, noticing her partner already standing there and talking to someone. Maybe it was inaudible for Hibiki, but Kazuko really was mumbling some things. Some... Not so nice things, to say the least. Bam! She rammed the other end of her naginata on the ground, standing right behind her partner, maybe being even a bit too close to her.* "You're my partner for this mission?" *That voice, it just sounded like trouble already: Angry, grumpy, loud. It was not direct hostility towards the Senju. Despite hating strangers, Kazuko knew that this was her mission partner and that they had to get along - more or less. What Hibiki lacked in intimidation, this Kaguya was able to make up for it. She typical zigzag on her head gave away which clan she was from right off the bat, and she just stared right into the other's eyes if she was to turn around. No blinking, no moving. Just staring. If eyes could kill like that, then...*
Michael
It was hard not to hear the girl approach. Hell, Hibiki assumed she was one of their targets, until she glanced the Kaguya's trademark on her head. Talk about embodying family stereotypes. Then again, Hibiki wasn't one to talk.

Right. Family. They had a hurdle to overcome, right off the bat. The little lady turned to face her comrade. If she felt concern or fear, she didn't let it show; rather, she greeted Kazuko with a small smile.

"That would be me, yes. My name is Hibiki, of the Senju clan. I hope that we can look past any complications in our family, for the sake of protecting our village." Hands on display. Eye contact maintained. Words spoken without hesitation, with a welcoming edge. They were all cues she had learned in years past, in hopes of defusing a tense meeting before it caused more problems.

All the while, her mind was at work, thinking of the best way to handle both her partner and their adversaries. If the tip was correct, they had minutes until they arrived. 'Would have had more, if she'd turned up on time, but no matter.'

The pregnant pause gave the girl a chance to respond, and Hibiki a chance to draft her plan. "In any case, I'm glad that you've arrived. I think, given your introduction, that you would have a strong role to play with these fiends."

"I believe some books call it the 'friend and foe' routine. One of us attempts to kill the crime with kindness. I believe I can handle that. The other shows more willingness to resort to harsh tactics, and is much more aggressive, without being outright violent." Her eyes flicked to the spear. Hibiki could only hope it was an intimidation tool, and nothing more.

"I think that she would easily present as a threat, yes?" She turned to find the clerk, only to find that he was gone. The sound of a back door closing confirmed what she had missed; from the moment the Kaguya arrived, he'd taken large, slow steps away from her and her weapon.

The Senju stared at the door, blinked twice, and- "Well, I think that answers that." She returned her gaze to her fellow shinobi, small smile unwavering.
Nola
*It was really common for this Kaguya to be constantly in this mood. It was actually a fascinating thing for some people: How can a human being be so angry without a particular reason? For a long time as well, showing no real kindness to anyone except friends. Her partner? Well, it was hard to say which one she would be, until she had introduced herself.*

"A Senju?" *Kazuko dragged that name out a bit longer, squinting her eyes a bit as she leaned in closer to Hibiki. They were already standing not a meter from each other apart, but with her leaning in, it probably got uncomfortably close now. The eyes? They never left the other's, staring right into her soul, one might say. Suddenly, almost like an animal, the girl growled, showing no real sign of and friendliness there.* "Of all Genin, they partnered me up with you..." *That voice really was holding some hatred to it, but it usually always was the case with her. In Kazuko's, and probably almost all Kaguya's eyes, the Senju were the ones who ruined her clan's reputation, making her life worse than it should have been. People immediately took their distance, only ever seeing the trademark on her head. That was it.* "I should kill you." *Were these just her thoughts spoken out loud, or was it a real threat..? Judging by the way she leaned back again, snorting and dismissing these words, it was not that real. Almost.* "Kazuko."

*Now, despite the tension between the two, Kazuko remained surprisingly calm and silent as she listened to what the other Genin had to say. A plan, an interesting one at that too. It was hard for her to follow though, given that these were just petty thieves and she just wanted to see blood and broken bones rather than... Doing whatever Hibiki was suggesting. The grip around her weapon tightened as the other one gave it a glance. The vanishing clerk went unnoticed, seeing him as someone not as important, even though it was his shop they were going to defend today.*

"I'll break their necks the moment they arrive." *Uhm... Well, that might be not too good of an idea. She knew that, but she still wanted to hurt them badly.* "I have some Genjutsu. Should deal with them as well if 'your method' doesn't work, or whatever you're planning." *Seems like Kazuko was playing along! Despite, she still could bonk the thieves, right?*
Michael
For what it was worth, Kazuko didn't seem any more agitated after learning Hibiki's heritage than before. She chose to take that as a good sign, until the death threat came. Her smile twitched, caught off-guard by such a brazen statement. She'd thought that Noragakure's clans raised their children to show respect, or at least common sense.

A slow exhale said what her words wouldn't. She could adjust. She could be better, even if her 'partner' refused to be.

"We live in a closed environment. Small as our clans may be, the chances are high that we'll have to work together at some point. Learn to _get along_." Her expression didn't change, but a stern tone introduced itself, just for a few words. "Shinobi can manage that much."

And yet, she went on, bearing that same aggression towards men that weren't even there. Criminals, yes, but citizens nonetheless. If she was going to act like an animal, then Hibiki would serve as her leash.

"I'm sure I don't need to remind you that these are civilians, Kazuko. As shameful as their crimes are, attacking them seems excessive. We are trained in many skills, and where possible I would like to stick to words." Something told her that wouldn't convince such a bloodthirsty girl, and so she went on. "If we resolved small crimes with beatings and illusions they barely understood, we would not be much better than the people we are here to stop. Besides, it would be terrible for our reputation as young shinobi, and that of the shinobi patrol-"

The front door swung open, cutting her off. In walked a pair of men in formal attire. On the day of a show, they'd fit right in with the crowd, but since there was nothing playing, and nobody else in the store...

Hibiki had no doubt as to who they were.

The taller of the two opened his mouth to speak, but the sight of the Kaguya gave him pause. His companion wiped the smirk off his face before taking charge. "Don't suppose either of you've seen the owner lately? We've gotta few urgent purchases to make."
Nola
*Noragakure's clans were one thing. Though when the Senju wrote that letter about killing off the Kaguya, and with the letter being made public, people had a worse view on her clan than before. The rumors of them being bloodthirsty and brutal were true in this example's case, but making the whole village distrust the whole clan like that? It'd be only fair to be angry at the very least, right? Kazuko thought so, and this Senju was already giving her a speech. Something she was not appreciating.

Despite all this, she listened. Quietly, not breaking the eye contact they had the least. Getting along... Pff, she never did with anyone during her academy times. Why should she now? She managed to finally make two friends, which were more than enough in her eyes. What truly made it for her though was the fact that Hibiki was basically defending these criminals. To the point of making her expression change. Something even angrier, maybe even surprised. Eyes a bit wider, teeth grinding... It was almost as if a bomb was going to explode.* "What the fuck do you mean?! Stealing from people and using the war to make things worse can be excused, you say? They're 'just civilians'?!" *Kazuko was shouting at this point, and would go on, maybe even start a physical fight, but they were cut off. Just in time, or else it would have been... Awkward, to say the least.

Her eyes wandered towards the two men, looking at them with the very same eyes. When he paused upon seeing her, the Kaguya's lips twitched, showing a very quick smile. But not the good sort of smile. Nooo, she was boiling right now, hardly keeping her anger inside. But: Silence. No words, no movement. She let the Senju talk, since it seemed like she really loved to give long speeches like that about moral and what not. She surely can handle these two idiots.*