After leaving the restaurant and picking up the necessary antidotes to use against poison, Atsuki and the team made their way to the Hokage's Palace to meet with their contact. During the walk, he spoke little to his comrades who conveniently were more content to exchange pleasantries with each other than drag him into one. There wasn't much to note; though he had been paying attention, all the scenery and the people just blended into the same mass of beige, orangeish-brown and green as they crossed the city.
Upon arrival at the palace they were wished good luck by strange men and women that were apparently connected to Mitsuhide in some way, shape, or form. Upon reflection, they were probably addressing just Mitsuhide specifically. No matter. If they needed luck to succeed, they'd basically lost. At least in spirit, which, obviously, would sour the physical victory greatly. He would know, as much as he would prefer not to. But on the bright side it meant that he knew that he needed to train even harder if he wanted to keep up with their enemies. A short time later, they were led into the room where their charge was waiting for them.
Atsuki's first impression of the man was that he was a lot less like what he'd pictured a tunnel captain to look like. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing, though; the less filthy-looking their client was, the better. The man's explanation quickly clarified the information for Atsuki; he was a business contact from the village rather than the company, so no wonder he looked like that. Similarly, their given reason was exactly as their sensei had assumed. Perhaps he'd been a bit too paranoid? 'No, healthy suspicion is a good habit,' he reminded himself. On a less important note, the man's name reminded him of the mongrel boy from the Academy. That, in turn, made him wonder how the other teams (well, the ones that didn't have Ryu at least) were doing...
At any rate, Atsuki was professionally quiet as the adults talked on about their business. Still, he couldn't help but puff up with pride as his sensei introduced them. It felt good to be appreciated once and a while, even if it was probably just showboating for the sake of reassuring the client. He took note of the fact that their sensei mentioned that it would be a bit before they left for the Land of Rivers. It probably wasn't long enough to get into a proper training session between packing, but a workaholic could hope. He made a point of remembering what was said during this part of the discussion, seeing as it was an explanation of the possible dangers. He didn't like how the man was taking them lightly, but whatever. His life, his problems. The prospect of a rogue ninja was telling, however. The lack of name either meant they were really good, or that they really small-time. Either way, a bit more exciting (and dangerous, he supposed) than simple thugs.
"What types of weapons and equipment do these bandits typically employ?" he asked.
