Rewards of All Kinds [Solo]

Mission Details:

Sitting cross-legged on his bed, eyes closed, back straight, Koutaku was going through his morning meditation. Before he’d begun he’d activated the seal on his door--and the mundane lock he’d procured several years back--to make sure his door was properly secured. He’d of course activated the sound deadening field in his room, which he’d been unbelievably grateful for in the years after his cousins had become part of the family. Once it had been essentially impossible for him to sleep, but since they’d installed the fuinjutsu overlay he could totally isolate himself from the world outside his room, giving him wonderful, blissful solitude...and the silence that accompanied it. With a small smile on his lips, Koutaku let his mind slowly drift out of the trance-like state of his meditation, gradually moving towards the surface of his mind and back into the world of material concerns and things.

Heartbeat, the flowing of blood through his ears, the sensation of cloth against his skin, his hair on the nape of his neck, and the subtle movement of air through his room all returned to him bit by bit. Throughout he kept his breaths even and full, always filling and emptying his lungs entirely with each respective breath. Each muscle came into his awareness, through the firing neurons of his numerous nerves and with them the awareness of more composite parts of himself came into being. His teeth and tongue, lips, became simply his mouth. Every sinew in his back, shoulders, and abdomen became simply his torso. Each limb became its own distinct thing, and then gradually as he fully returned to himself, Koutaku opened his eyes and enjoyed the sensation of light and information pouring in.

Then he let out a tremendous yawn and realized he needed to pee. So it was that the spell was broken. Nonetheless, as he went about his business and finished his morning routines--deactivating the various precautions he’d taken so as not to be disturbed--he felt awake, aware, and wonderfully renewed and present in the moment. With a smile on his face, he descended the creaking wooden stairs of his house, enjoying even that subtle music of their well-aged--but expertly maintained--home. As he entered the hall, turning, he moved into the kitchen and found a plate of food ready for consumption. His mother knew him well. Nothing spicy, but enough to keep him going for the coming hours.

He cooked for himself sometimes--they’d made sure to teach him essential skills like that--but mostly other members of his family cooked. Not because they had to, but because they enjoyed it. He’d never entirely understood it himself, but he imagined it was much like how he enjoyed the mechanics of chakra and the beauty of taking apart a technique to see how it functioned only to build something better out of the principles that governed it. With gusto he dug into the food after saying a brief prayer to their ancestors, thanking them for the foundation they had laid so that they could prosper today. When he was finished, he took the dishes to the sink and rinsed them thoroughly before setting them aside. His aunt enjoyed the dishes, as strange as that was, so they often left them for her to do--apparently she found it meditative. Secretly, Koutaku thought that she did it so someone else had to keep an eye on her rambunctious children for a time, if only a brief one.

As if summoned by thoughts of them, Yorokobi and Akutare intercepted him as he tried to leave the kitchen. The latter of the two--who Koutaku sometimes playfully called Danchō(Ringleader) since she was always corralling her younger sibling, and getting them both into mischief--walked up to him, put her hands on her hips, and blocked his path. Behind the ten-year-old was the younger of the two, only seven years old, who mimicked his sister by putting his hands upon his hips as well.

Smiling warmly down at the two, Koutaku waited to be addressed, wondering what he’d done this time. “You, have not played with us for weeks, Koutaku,” Yorokobi said, her eyes narrowed, and her tone accusing. Knowing her as well as he did, Koutaku could tell that somewhere behind her tough, commanding facade, there was a thin thread of hurt. She was mad at him, and sad that he hadn’t been around as much of late.

Koutaku took on a grave expression slowly as she spoke, before breaking the act and ruffling her hair. “You’re right Yoko,” he said, an apologetic note in his tone. He used her favorite pet name, rather than teasing her. She batted away his hand and pouted, narrowing her eyes at him. Ever the faithful follower, Akutare piped up, his voice cutting through the silence before Koutaku could get a word in edgewise.

“You’ve been avoiding us! Running away. That’s not fair,” the boy then crossed his arms and in sync the two pouted, as if they’d planned it from the beginning. Koutaku couldn’t help but chuckle, holding up his hands in defeat. “Alright, you’re both right. It’s been too long. Tonight, I promise I’ll set aside some time and we’ll do whatever you two want to, okay?”

Both children stared him down for several long, unduly tense moments, and then Yorokobi broke out into a beautificent smile, gave her elder cousin a big hug, and then walked off. “Okay, but don’t forget, or I’ll make sure dad lets me into your room while you’re gone.”

As he followed his sister, Akutare gave Koutaku a devious smirk, and then hop-ran to catch up to his already sprinting sister. Koutaku shook his head and made a note to bribe their dad--his uncle--with something he in particular liked and didn’t get very often: Sweets.

Heading out the door, Koutaku made his way to the mission center, where he promptly picked up a mission, and then headed off. It was a rather droll affair it turned out--not that it had seemed exciting when he’d read it. He simply had to clean up the Monument to one of the previous Mizukage--in his opinion not even close to the best of the lot. Nonetheless, he took to his work diligently, opening the hidden storage area for the supplies and getting what he needed before promptly using Body Flicker, to rapidly sweep and mop up the area as well as clean the bird poop off the monument itself. After about twenty minutes of pouring water over the thing, and then drying it with a few weak wind affinity techniques, Koutaku took a step back and admired his work.

The statue was practically shining now.

Good.

Turning away, Koutaku began to make his way back to the mission center to collect his pay. However, as he turned the corner he heard a siren go off and saw several people run from a nearby street and towards him. As one passed he caught them by the shoulder and demanded to know what was going on. However, before they got a single word out, Koutaku saw the smoke and let them go.

They were clearly fetching water.

He’d act faster.

Pushing off, Koutaku erupted into a burst of movement, weaving between any civilian that got in his way, and the numerous other obstacles in his path before jumping onto a roof in a single sailing bound. Grabbing hold of the lip of the roof with a single hand as he practically glided over the precipice, Koutaku used it as a push-off point, accelerating himself as he used the Ram handseal, using Body Flicker to almost instantly close the rest of the distance in whirring blur of motion that tore the air.

Coming out of the technique a scant half block from the raging inferno that had engulfed an entire building, Koutaku took a single breath--steeling himself--and then performed a series of handseals and placed a seal on the roof below where he stood.

With that done, Koutaku once more sprang into motion, noting people already arriving with buckets of water. Some he directed, others he had set down their buckets for his own use. When he was satisfied with the quantity, Koutaku placed the Armoury seal on each bucket, and a basic fuinjutsu on the bottom, sealing the water within the fuinjutsu.

Then, without further preamble, Koutaku shot up into the air and threw several wirebound shuriken, hooking them around several buildings before using another technique to push in towards the flames and the building they’d spawned from.

Jumping off the airborne platform, Koutaku performed two more sets of handseals right before he entered the flames. He’d do his duty, but not without the proper protections.

Wind wreathed his form, and in the same instant, he activated the Seal of Protection. Together, the two techniques provided insulation from the flames just as he entered them. Stepping down on the ground, his speed significantly bolstered, Koutaku ran further into the building, relying on the Breath Seal for his air as he stopped at the precise center of the building and then held a single handseal as he focused.

Eyes closing for an instant, he accessed his energetic senses, stretching them to their limits. Swiftly he found several chakra signatures within the building, and once he had he mapped the place out mentally based on the parts of its layout that he’d seen. It took only seconds--the many years of practice with his clan had turned his mind into a well-oiled machine--and he acted in the next moment, knowing that every instant that they remained in the flames was a moment that someone could lose someone they truly cared about.

So it was that with almost reckless abandon he charged through smoke and flames, locating trapped citizens, and helping them out of the building in whichever ways were most efficient. Several times he had to gouge new openings through walls, dousing flames with water he’d summoned, before placing zip line wires to allow people to make their way to safety. Other times he had to carry children from the flames, keeping them close to his chest and within his protective aura, until he could release them into the hands of another. Eventually, though, he read no further signatures within the building and promptly set about doing damage control. With the bucket brigade firmly in place, he directed their movements to contain the fire, and then took to the rooftops with newly acquired buckets of water and used them to gradually douse the flames from above. It was perhaps one of the only times that he wished he had the water affinity. Granted, he did find some unorthodox ways to utilize wind, drawing air from rooms to deprive the flames of the oxygen they required.

In time, and with a huge effort from both the community, several other shinobi, and Koutaku himself, they managed to fully put out the flames. The building remained largely intact structurally, but it was clear that a lot of work would need to go into its renovation, enough that simply rebuilding it might be more cost-efficient. Sighing, and wiping away sweat and grime from all the smoke and ashes he’d run through, Koutaku had taken a seat across the street from the building. He’d done his part and now he needed a moment away from the action, apart from the hustle and bustle of distressed citizens and firefighters. Still, while the building was may have been a burnt-out husk of its former self, there hadn’t been any casualties. If he’d been further away, or any slower to act things might have been different.

He’d been in the right place at the right time, and for that he was grateful. As he cooled off from the hard work, some of the people--or the family and friends--of those he’d saved would approach him, offering their thanks and sometimes shaking his hand. In their eyes he saw himself as others must see him at times--a shinobi in service to the village, one who existed to protect the citizens of Kirigakure. The thought brought a warmth to his chest and a smile to his face. Rising from his seat he waded back into the crowd, not for the adulation of those who would recognize him, but to help. There was debris to move, belongings to salvage, and a building to survey.

He took to each task with gusto, occasionally accepting offerings of food or water to keep him going. Idly he realized that his mother and aunt were going to fuss over his clothes when he returned home, and those thoughts--rather than annoy him--only pushed him to help further. He’d wear the soot and ash on his clothes as a badge of honor, proof that he’d been there, done something. They’d understand.

Several more hours of work passed before Koutaku felt that he could do no more. By that time, the various civil servants were insisting that he’d done enough, that they had everything well in hand. Some seemed annoyed that he was doing their job for them, whereas others were happy to have the help, or even glad to not have to do more than was truly necessary. All sorts got into the business it seemed, that was the same as his profession he thought. Granted, becoming a shinobi was a good bit more risky in a number of ways.

Nonetheless, he eventually decided to give them what they wanted and departed. He was an absolute mess, his hair in dirty clumps, his clothes smeared all over with ash, soot, and grime. His face was dirty--practically coated in who knows what--but he felt clean and accomplished...if rather tired. Humming to himself, Koutaku made his trip to the mission center. They wouldn’t let him enter--as messy as he was--but they did come out to pay him. To his pleasure, he discovered that not only had he been compensated for the mission he’d taken, but also for the help he’d given during the emergency.

Well, that wasn’t why he’d done it, but it sure was a nice bonus! Maybe he’d have enough to get himself something nice as a reward. Moving on, Koutaku took his time getting home, completely ignoring the looks he got from strangers as he entered other areas of the city who didn’t know what he’d been doing several hours before. It was enough that he knew, and that those lives hadn’t ended today.

Eventually, after a long walk, his limbs dragging a bit by the time he arrived at the doorstep of the Iouchiryo residence--his home--Koutaku arrived at his destination. Knocking, he waited for someone to answer and he wasn’t disappointed.

Yorokobi was though, for the moment she saw him, she frowned, and then called back over her shoulder. It didn’t take more than thirty seconds for half the family to squeeze down the hall to see him. He rolled his eyes, but found he couldn’t remove the smile that was practically plastered onto his features. Eventually, after much fussing, and far too many questions, they ushered him to the backyard where he was forced to go through the process of being bathed--with all his clothes on--with just a hose. The water was cool and refreshing on his skin after the intense heat and terrible sweating of the fire and the work that had followed. He welcomed it after the initial spray from his vengeful cousin.

He could see in her eyes that she’d already forgiven him. She clearly knew that he wouldn’t be playing with them tonight, so apparently, this was her little way of getting back at him. He didn’t mind it, but played along, pretending the water was far worse than it was. After perhaps thirty minutes of this, his mother used a series of jutsu on him to remove as much water as possible, and then ordered him to go take a proper bath.

When that tone was in her voice, there was just no disobeying her. So, like a whipped dog, he did as he was told, nonetheless grinning all the way.

Later that evening, after dinner, and a scolding, Koutaku found himself back in his room. He was surprised--even with his endurance--that he’d made it all the way till the end of the day. With that thought in mind, Koutaku laid down, pulled his blankets around himself until he was properly ensconced in their warmth, and then activated the seals that locked his room and kept out unwanted light. Sighing contentedly, he relaxed and soon was asleep.

It had been a profoundly rewarding day.

Spoiler:

Approved