Mission: Helping The Academy

Mission Name:Helping the academy.
Rank:D-Rank
Type: Help
Character Requirements:N/A
Mission Location:Kumogakure, Ninja academy.
Word Count Requirements:400
Repeatable?Yes.
NPC?N/A
Reward:450.

Task: 
The teachers at the academy are looking for some small assistance. Your job is to simply show a group of three academy students the basics of being your rank.

"Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school." - Albert Einstein

It was like being on another planet, though Azuma had only been here  short time ago. It had been in December that he'd graduated from this fine Academy into his genin status, but in shuck a short time, Azuma had felt himself change. Not much else had changed at the Academy, aside from the students who filled the seats. It was a new crop of ninja hopefuls, all watching him eagerly, sizing the glazed-white eyed, pointy-eared boy up. 

Azuma felt like he was a zoo exhibit. 

He was silently grateful that Sensei Makoto was still teaching the class. At least he knew one person. Then again, Sensei Makoto had been the one to throw him under the bus and volunteer for this particular mission. A "D" rank trying to foster young minds. At least it wasn't saving drunks from a twenty-story drop. Thankfully, that story had yet to make the full rounds.

"So please," Sensei Makoto concluded, gesturing warmly to Azuma, "feel free to ask our resident expert any questions you like! Who would like to start?"

Resident expert? Was Sensei Makoto out of her mind? Azuma knew full well she had only skipped the recent jounin exams for the benefit of teaching these young students. The rumor mill said she was more than dangerous than most jounin now in the field, but she had too much of a soft spot for kids to ever truly take advantage of that. Azuma silently viewed that as a waste, but at least she was happy.

For what felt like hours, the students just stared at Azuma, Sensie Makoto, and each other, waiting for someone to step up and speak. Finally, one girl in the back row raised her hand. "How come you couldn't get someone cooler?"

Ouch. Azuma's smile fell into a mirthless grin, pale eyes focusing on the offending speaker. The girl couldn't be any more than twelve, dark skinned with a shock of bright violet hair. Everything about her said she was the troublemaker of the class, as she scowled fearlessly at the genin. To her credit, Azuma might've done the same thing.

Sensei Makoto scowled. "Izumi!"

"It's fine," Azuma said slowly, and all eyes turned to him. He was thankful she'd spoken up. The awkwardness in his gait was gone. Azuma thrived off of being challenged and putting the offender into the ground. Although, this time, he wouldn't have to throw a single punch. "Izumi, right?"

The girl nodded. "Chao Izumi. And I bet you're not even that tough, elf."

Elf? She was that bothered by his ears? "Really?"

Izumi smirked. "Yeah! I know your face. You only left here in, what, December? It's only been a few months since you left, and you think you can teach us more than Makoto Sensei?" So she thought he was trying to step in and take the spotlight? Interesting.

Azuma cast a look to Sensei Makoto, who was watching him carefully. She knew all about Azuma's temper (being a firsthand witness for the troublesome years of his attendance at the Academy had probably left her with a few memories that she was flashing back to), but Azuma had learned a little more control over his anger, especially when it came to kids. 

"If you're so tough," Izumi said, pushing herself out of her chair, shouting now from the top of the stadium seating, "then show us your most powerful jutsu! C'mon, elf, impress us!"

The students slowly looked between the two. Sparks were probably flying in their eyes as the two stared each other down. For Azuma, this was no contest. "No."

'No' was clearly not a word Izumi had expected in response. "What??"

"No, I won't," Azuma said, crossing his arms, a smile still on his face, "not because I don't know any powerful jutsu," which he didn't, and he wasn't going to tell this impudent Izumi that, "but because that's not what being a ninja is about. Do you really think it's about learning all the jutsu you can? Being the most powerful piece on the field?"

Izumi's emerald eyes narrowed cautiously. "Couldn't hurt."

"Probably not," Azuma continued, still unwavering before her small glare, "but that's not the point of signing up for this job. Let me guess," He said, looking to Izumi fully, "you want to win every fight, right? Be some big, valiant hero and save the day? That's what being a ninja is to you?" Until last night, it had been the same thing to Azuma. "Anyone have a different reason for being a ninja?"

The classroom grew as silent as the grave. Students looked to each other with trepidation and nervousness, seeing who would dare raise their hand. Then, one boy did. In the second row, a fair-skinned boy raised his hand, watery blue eyes on his desk. "Me."

"And you are?"

The boy looked up. "Kotetsu Yamato."

"Alright, Yamato," Azuma said, looking to the boy, noticing Izumi paying very close attention to the other student, "what's your reason?"

Yamato grew quiet, wringing his fingers. "I don't like bullies," he finally said, looking up at Azuma, still nervously fiddling with his digits, "I want to keep people safe."

Azuma smiled warmly, nodding to Yamato. "That's as good a reason as any."

Izumi's hand shot up. "Excuse me, elf, but what's the point of this?" She snapped, looking back at Azuma now, "What's this got to do with being a genin?"

"It has everything to do with being a genin," Azuma said, crossing his arms over his chest, "It also has everything to do with being a chunin and a jounin, and being a ninja entirely. Why you do this is as important as how." Azuma took up a piece of chalk, pressing it to the board as he began to write. "In my house, there's a quote carved into the wood over the main gateway. It's something every Ryoushi born in Kumogakure takes to heart, completely. I want to share it with you."

He tapped the chalk on the board, reading aloud what he'd wrote. "You must be the change you want to see in the world," he quoted, before turning back to the class, placing the chalk aside. "You can learn every jutsu in the world, save every person you can, but what will matter is the difference you make, the legacy you leave behind. If you want to make the world a better place, you're off to a good start. If you want to do this for fun, or if you think this will be easy, or if your think it's about power and glory and wealth, then there's the door. Don't let it hit you on the way out, because you don't get what it means to be a ninja."

No one moved. The students seemed in awe once more, staring at him with wide eyes. Even Izumi seemed a little impressed. Pride swelled in Azuma's chest. "Being a genin is getting started on this," He concluded, tapping the quote with the tip of his finger, "I've got a long way to go before I'm really changing the world, but if I can leave it knowing I made it a better place than when I arrived, I'll be happy." Azuma grinned to the students, pale eyes sweeping along them. "Any more questions?"

Every single hand shot into the air, and Azuma felt his heart soar.

If only he'd known what he knew now, back in those Academy days. 

[WC: 1262]

Approved