The Daily Carpentry (Solo, Mission)

Thu Jun 10, 2021 11:36 pm

Attempted Missions:

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The dislike that humans held for saltwater, Kikuko thought, was unfair and unwarranted.

Only so much of the water on this planet was potable, and yet that didn’t mean that the vast ocean’s bounty was useless. Far from it, in fact. From the waters one could create sea salt, and in that same place an entire separate world can be seen. Crabs scuttling along the seabed, clams peeking from their shells only to slam shut when frightened. Schools of fish swim beneath the waves, darting this way and that in their grand journey through the waters. And above it all, rocking gently on waves was her father- trawling his nets through the waters before waiting patiently, never taking his eyes far from the sea. These were some of the earlier memories of her life. Those beautiful moments between herself, her father, and the ocean. They were precious to her. They made her a part of who she was.

And so when she was summoned to the dockside of Kirigakure in search of a mission, it didn’t come as a surprise when she was assigned a deceptively simple D-ranked task. According to the missive, a local fisherman was looking for an assistant in repairing his fishing boats and materials. While usually a larger ship would be left towards the professionals- her father was good friends with a local shipwright, she remembered- such smaller repairs could be left towards somewhat less skilled laborers if done correctly.

Becoming a shipwright had been something she considered, when she was younger. And wouldn’t it have been something? Creating so many seacrafts, hammering each sheet of metal into something that would stand the might of the ocean itself. The would be all sorts of shapes and sizes, but in the end they would come from her- and in that sense, they would be a part of her. In that way, she would never be apart from the sea. She would be adrift on the waves until the very last one sinks beneath the waves, returning to the nature from which it borrowed from. It was a humbling thought, and one she mulled over every so often. Still, it felt that the world had different ideas in mind than that for her. Just for today, however, she could play at that other life.

The question being, in this case, was where her client was meant to be. Ugh, client. What an ugly word. Transaction was a part of life, but she preferred barter far more as a system of trade. It was more personal, close. Coins might be a necessary side of life, but they were cold and metallic- just like the hearts of those who prize them above all else. Look left, look right? A few dock workers move crates onto a wagon, likely heading towards the markets. A mother and her child meander towards the pier, a picnic basket in hand. An old man throws breadcrumbs to the seagulls, and their cries fill the air as they begin to fight. And leaning against a wooden pole is…

“Papa!” Kikuko cried, tackling him with force before being swept up in his arms. Hiruko Hayashi was a man built like a brick house- tall, wide, and sturdy as an ox. The sun’s rays had long since browned his skin, and his close cropped hair almost always had a scent like the ocean from his many days spent harpoon diving. He was a man who was married to two wives- the first being her mother, and the second being the ocean herself. Hugging her tightly, he let her go after a few seconds.

“Kikuko, you act like we haven’t seen each other in years. Didn’t we have breakfast together this morning?” He shakes his head, amused. “I swear, you get that energy from your great-grandfather. He was a famous climber, you know.”

“I know dad.” She takes a few steps backwards, hands folded behind her back. “That was back when he used to like in the Land of Earth, right? Way in the past.”

He nods his assent, crossing his burly arms as he faces her properly. “That’s right. He was a stonemason, and he always made it a point that he would only accept the highest quality of materials. It got him into a lot of trouble over his life, but it also had him meet the love of his life- your great grandmother.”

“Papaaa,” She complained, “You’ve told me a million times!” And yet, she didn’t hate that whatsoever. Those stories that her family told her of the past, of those who came before them, were always told with a sense of pride and accomplishment. The idea that somebody she had never met had helped to shape who she was- it was humbling, to say the least. “Anyways, I’m here on official ninja business! I’m a real Kirigakure Genin, remember?” She flicks the headband around her neck, wincing slightly as her nail makes contact with unrelenting metal. Ouch.

“Is that so? Well, it looks like we’re both doing ‘official ninja business’.” He uncrosses his arms to make air quotes, the motion looking somewhat silly for somebody his size. “I actually requested some hired help from the Mizukage. A while back some of our smaller boats got damaged after a recent spat of bad weather. It’s not good to keep testing them on the waters once you find the damage, so hopefully we’ll be getting them fixed today and back on the ocean as soon as next week.”

“Papa, I think something silly might have happened…”

======

“If I’d had known I would have had you helping me today, I would have just asked you to do it as extra chores. Would have saved me the ryo, too!” Her father teased her as they walked into one of the local drydocks. As they passed a few other fisherman waved- some towards her as well, recognizing the precocious young girl who used to accompany him to sea when she was smaller. “Anyways, today shouldn’t be that difficult of a job. Remember how I used to teach you as a kid? We’ll be doing exactly that.”

She poked her nose into the open end of the rowboat, suspended in the air by sturdy ropes. The blue and red painted vehicle likely had been in the water until recently, the grassline still fresh with sea-scum all along the boat’s underbelly. A plank had been removed, revealing the problem- an old and bent timber alongside the keel that had finally succumbed to the test of time. What’s more, it was in segments- bolted together likely through a slapdash effort to repair it years ago.
“We need to replace this piece, Papa. You want me to hold the pieces in place for you?” She already began to hike up her metaphorical sleeves, grateful for having chosen today to wear her hiking boots. She would need the extra traction, for a task like this. To her surprise, however, he moved into the position she would have taken.

“While normally I’d say yes to any old ninja, we won’t be doing that today. Go on and grab the screwdriver from my toolbox. There, by the wall.” He gestured with his left foot, to where a red painted tackle-box sat next to a wooden beam. “In the second box, there’s the tools we’ll need.”

Frowning, she retrieved the box of tools before dragging it over. Heavy didn’t do it justice- although it was less impossible to lift now than it had been as a child. That had certainly led to a few accidents in the past, as well as the mild amusement of her relatives. “Papa, I’m a ninja now.”

“And before you’re a ninja, you’re my daughter. Just because you’re on the job doesn’t mean I can’t spoil you in my own little way. And don’t you worry, you’ll get your work it. After this you and I are going to have to caulk this, after all.” Sturdy, firm, resolute. That was her father in a nutshell. A man with a large frame and a larger heart, slow to falter and quick to show generosity. It was the sort of thing that made her smile from ear to ear, glad to have been lucky enough to be born where she was. A joy for the life she had, and the day to day experiences that came as a result.

With zeal, she began to unbolt the keel timber.

======

Bristles scrape against the floor, moving sand out and towards the door. It was an unfortunate reality of those who make their life’s work upon the ocean- inevitably, signs of it will manifest in somewhat troublesome ways. Personally, she liked the grit of sand between her toes, but the mounds that built up in the shipyard required routine cleaning to ensure that there were no damages occurred due to debris or abrasion.

“As sharp as a swordfish’s bill might be, I think it’s unlikely that it was the cause of a rip that big.” She shakes her head, another sweep of her broom sending sand into the air as a light brown cloud. “Personally, I think it might just be time for that net to go. How old is it? Five, six years? If its about the materials, I’m sure that the local playgrounds could reuse it for a park installment. Mama said so.”

Scritch, scritch, scritch. The broom sends more sand in the air. In the corner her father sits with a long netting tool, staring down at a large hole with a look of disapproval. Several other holes of similar size and shape, littering the implement with imperfections. In its current state, it was little more than a temporary hold for such slippery creatures as fish.

“You might be right, Kiku. Still, buying a new one won’t be cheat. I’d prefer to save money if I could.

She pouted. “Money, money, money. That’s all you older folk talk about, you know? I bet if I shook your head, coins would rattle inside. Is your brain a piggy bank?” Really, what was with the fixation?

“I suppose it comes with age. The older you get, the more worries creep up on you in the day to day.” A long, hearty shuckle came from deep in his belly. Like the rumbling of the earth. “Well, I don’t think it would hurt too much if we went ahead and bought a new net- after all, we’re heading to the market after this. Maybe this time I’ll buy a wool one instead. Will you be helping out, or are you heading home after this?”

“I’m only done when you release me, Papa. Even if you did, I’d still help out though!”

“That’s my girl. Come on, let’s start loading these on the cart. We’ve got a lot to move before nightfall!”

======

Lift with your legs, not your back. Listen to the strain of your body- it’s telling you what is heavy, what could be dangerous if took too far. At the same time, it’s okay to push yourself if you’re certain. Working with another person is a way to keep safe in such environments. This was the true training- a training derived from real life experience, the everyday, the moments she witnessed as a child being reenacted day in and day out.

The salty smell of the ocean and the stench of fish. Sweat mingling in the air along with damp rope. Crates being loaded into a cart, and the bray of a donkey as it chuffs haughtily off to the side. To some, it was abhorrent. To her, it was familiar- almost a taste of home. She enjoyed it heartily, without restraint and without hesitation. Crouch down, grab another crate. Do you have it? Are you sure? Then lift!

Wiping the sweat from her brow, she couldn’t help but have a self satisfied smirk on her face as she reached for the next crate. Many times, Kikuko had seen the exact expression she currently wore on others. A gambler after winning his pot. A child after having gotten the toy they cried for. A housewife after having snagged a lucrative bargain. The thing about a smirk, she surmised, is that those who wore one were often those who found enjoyment in the taking of things from other people. However, she thought, a smirk ought to be worn when one is proud of oneself. Irregardless of whether a person takes or gives, they have a right to that self-achievement.

“Well if it isn’t little Kikuko, all grown up!” An older, balding man remarks, placing his crate besides hers on the cart. “It feels like I haven’t seen you in ages! Look at how you’ve grown. You’ll put your father to shame, at this rate.”

“You saw me here two weeks ago, Mr. Temujin. You know that.” Still, she couldn’t help but chuckle. The man had a vivacity to him that betrayed his age. Or was it that it defied his age? A mirthful and young soul, despite ones body- a state of being that stood strong against the passage of time and remembered the kindness in life despite its hardships. Briefly, memories flashed through her mind. A plate of sushi shared at the dockside. Helping to sort fish for the market- and then leaping backwards in surprised when one jumped up to whack her clean across the face. He had hair back then, she realized. Ten long years ago. How long had they been for him?

“Ah, but so much can happen in two weeks. Why, I’ve actually caught not one, not two, but five sharks! I swear, this storm wall must be affecting the local population. He ‘tsks’, but its clear his heart isn’t in it. “It scares away some species, but that just makes them worth even more once we get it to market. Who knows, maybe you’ll be eating shark fin soup tonight!”

“I’d much rather pet a shark than eat it.” She remarks in turn. “Although that’s a bit hard with how rough their skin is. I scraped myself once on a catch.”

“Aye, I remember. Your mother was beside herself until we bandaged you up. You’re a tough cookie though, I’ll give you that much. Hop up on the cart and I’ll get old Bessie here moving to market. You’ll be meeting up with your pa there, right?”

“Yes, actually.” She nodded her head in the affirmative, ponytail bouncing behind her as she did. “Although, I would hoping I could ask a small favor?”

Temujin’s eyes widened slightly, and began to crinkle. “Ah, there’s the Kikuko I know.”

======

A village market is like a heart. Its many winding passageways are like arteries letting blood in and out, supplying the body with vital nutrients and oxygen. The everyday haggling and purchases here aren’t simply something to be looked over, but something that supported the livelihood of every single person within the village. If such a place was to vanish, not even the Kage himself would be able to survive unscathed. Much like the body, the village was a living being- and without one of its vital organs, would be unable to function.

Still, that didn’t stop the noise from getting to her at times. The laughs of children as they run by, playing tag in the streets as they cross up passerby. Stall owners go through the usual routine of haggling prices with their customers, neither side letting up nor holding grudges for long as they dance about the routines which supply their way of life. The creaking of wooden wheels upon a cobblestone pathway is constant- their cart now unburdened of fish and moving far faster than before. In its place, however, was a collection of curious barrels. They smelled of blood, rawness, meat- topped off with salt for preservative measures. It was a curious arrangement, but far be it from her to be the one to complain about packing methods. If anything, she found it to be rather interesting.

“Feeding the Mizukage’s dogs, eh?” The old man chuckled to himself, Kikuko now sitting with him in the front of the cart. People passed by, and slowly the market began to melt away into more residential streets. The Mizukage building would arrive sooner than one might think- but for now, these quiet streets would be their scenery. “I thought they didn’t have any pets.”

“I actually don’t know if they do.” She shakes her head, disappointment on her face. “It was just a side request I was given as well. Do you think I’d be able to pet them, if there’s any? What color do you think they are? I always wanted a brown dog. The fluffy, tiny kind.”

Temujin laughed a loud, cackling sound- the sort one makes in old age, when the voice box has been changed by age and time. Almost whistling in its pitch. “Is that so? It’s a shame your father didn’t get one on his visits outside the village, then. I’m sure you’d have been a great pet owner. Perhaps you still can be, if you do well with this...ninja business.”

Silence Reigns. Birds chirp in the distance. The rustle of leaves. Clouds float over the horizon.

“...Now, Kikuko. Let this old man give you some advice.” Temujin sighed. “The road you’re walking down is a tough one. A dangerous one, at that. I can’t imagine the worries that go through your mother and father’s heads at night, but they certainly can’t be small. You’re a kind, loving soul in a world where those traits are sent to die.”

She opened her mouth. Closed her mouth. No sounds came out. The gentle whisper of the wind.

“And that’s why you have to promise yourself. Promise yourself that you won’t forget these simple days. Don’t forget the love that you feel for this world, and don’t forget that there are people out there who care for you so deeply that it hurts. This old man has seen much and more, but I’ll tell you this much. You’re on the beginning of a grand journey, Kikuko. Don’t lose sight of home, and you will surely find your way.”

‘I won’t,’ she thought. ‘I won’t.’

======

(exit)

3045 words

Claiming:

+30 Stats, to be distributed as follows:

+10 Vigor
+10 Chakra
+10 Speed
+ 30 AP [10+10+5+5]

+6400 ryo [2000+2000+1000+1000+100*4 (Genin pay)]

Jutsu Learned:
Summoning: Rashomon (A-Rank) [2500/2500]
Drip [500/500]
+45 words towards Telepathy Seal (now [288/2500])

Fri Jun 11, 2021 12:23 am

Approved

The Daily Carpentry (Solo, Mission)

The Daily Carpentry (Solo, Mission)

Re: The Daily Carpentry (Solo, Mission)