Mischief Fragment - Wishcraft: ties - the red house on the hill [Episode 254401]

by Kestral

Ninja poker was played in one of two ways, usually agreed upon by all members in a set of secret signals at the beginning of every hand. Usually, the entire game was played relatively straight - with everyone using their various ninja skills to spot and dissuade cheating. If someone started cheating and didn't stop when caught, things tended to get into a rapid flurry of escalating violence. The other way that ninja poker was played was the opposite. The signal was given, and then everyone started cheating. The player cheated, their dog cheated, there were genjutsu cast, substitutions performed, cards marked in ways both subtle and not so subtle, distractions prepared, ninjutsu of more subtle varieties unleashed, and special bloodlines put to use. The major stipulations with the second method of playing poker was that it had to be subtle and no lasting damages (or death or dismemberment) was to be resulting.

Anko saw the signal from the Hokage indicating the next hand was to utilize the second set of rules, and grinned as she prepared to clean out the other players in a single hand!

Kurenai watched, curious, ready to back her friend up if anything happened.

What happened next was a textbook example of the cheating variety of ninja poker. The misdirections, sleight-of-hand, and other machinations were going full speed when Anko Mitarashi made a mistake. She was immune or resistant to a number of poisons, and believed that the sneeze into a dusty hankerchief had been obvious and not directed at her. When she took a drink from what she'd thought was a safe bottle, she found out otherwise.

Anko had a sudden feeling of doom, a gurgle from her stomach area, and broke out in a cold sweat. "Berightbackbye!"

"What?" asked Kurenai.

"Oh, she stepped away from the table," noted Ibiki. "Well, I suppose that means she lost this hand if she doesn't get back."

Kurenai glared at everyone as she took Anko's place. "I'm just doing this until she gets back. Got it?"


"AGHhH!" yelled Anko as she found the bathroom had an "Out of Order" sign on it. "Bathroom! Bathroom! Need a freakin' toilet now!"

"I think there's one next door," said a cleaning woman.

"AGHHHHHH!" yelled Anko as she ran in that direction.

"Or is that one out too?" said the cleaning woman.


"Where IS she?" asked Kurenai, wondering if perhaps, just perhaps, Anko had left her with the bill. Again.

"Two pair."
"Full house."
"I also have two pair."
"Three of a kind."
"Uno!"
WHACK!
"I mean, two of a kind!"

Kurenai Yuhi froze. Waitaminute. What happened to... "Kai!"

The various ninja waited patiently as Kurenai Yuhi tried to dispel the genjutsu on her cards. Which wasn't going to help because the genjutsu had been very subtle and had been dispelled already.

"Congratulations."
"Congratulations."
"Congratulations."
"Congratulations."
"Very good, Kurenai. It is to be hoped you teach your new houseguest well and keep him out of trouble."
"Don't expect miracles from her."

Kurenai closed her eyes, considered this, and vowed revenge. She wasn't sure if she was going to do something horrible to Anko for getting her into this game or the various participants for pulling this on her. Someone was going to pay.

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(Posted Sun, 22 Apr 2012 18:01)


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