Errand boy [solo]

Missions:

Just like any other morning for Hayato, he awoke early. Usually, he would go out to the fields to help do his mother's work as a share cropper or report to the local blacksmith to begin his daily task, but not today. That was the past. Hayato was a shinobi now, and what did shinobi do? Only the missions of the utmost importance. He had selected a few mission from the board the day before and organized them in a proper order to accomplish his long list. His critical mission included dog walking, field tending, picking up trash, and grocery shopping. He hadn't thought that these where the task for a shinobi, but then again, he was barely a shinobi. This is what the receptionist at the mission counter suggested someone of his caliber tackle on his own, and it seemed like no one wanted to take them. Hayato simply acquiesced to her request. Everyone starts somewhere. He thought as he tied his Tanbogakure forehead protector around his waist, and headed outside with a bit of grain. The one job he would never skip was feeding the chickens. He hopped the small fence surrounding the small hutch and sprinkled a bit of the grain on the ground. After he was sure he had laid enough for each of his birds, he opened the door carefully. Slowly, a few birds came wandering out into the crisp morning air. They pecked furiously at the ground snapping up each and every grain. With that done, It was time for his first paid chore of the day.  

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The first task was simple and close to home. He walked over to a near by rice paddy owned by a kindly older farmer. Yojimbo Marata. He had knew the man for 3 years. Yojimbo was a short and squat man who was getting up there in his years. He had heard that Mr. Marata was having back trouble and it was affecting his business. Well his rice paddy that is. Mr.Marata took great pride in his field, like all farmers of Tanbo. Rice was their way of life, and farming was good honest work, but he simply wasn't able to bend down in the mud and muck and keep it well weeded in the off season. This is where Hayato came in.

Hayato knew the farming profession like the back of his hand now. He pulled up his hakama, and removed his wooden sandals. He set himself to work immediately not going to check with Mr.Marata. Hayato got down in the mud and muck. He would bury his hands deep in to the loose wet muck and pull up the cattails and other undesirable plants row by row. Hayato was meticulous, and methodical. He made sure to take great care to remove each plant by the root so they wouldn't resurface later. After about 2 hours of weeding the unkempt paddy, he removed himself from flooded plane, and overlooked his work. He was ultimately satisfied. He saw no other plants to be removed, but he thought that he could do a bit more. He went to the shed and got a bit of the stored fertilizer. Since it was the off season and planting wouldn't start for another month he though it would be a good time to help the poor old couple by preparing their paddy. I'd only take him a few more hours and the job description did say help them with what they needed. They would need to do this eventually... He justified his actions to himself and began spreading the fertilizer across the paddy. It was hard work lifting the full bag and making sure to spread it evenly, but the hardest part was yet to come.

Finally the last step in the process was called double digging. There where many methods to till a field, but this was his. He grabbed a shovel and began to dig. He would dig one hole then another right next to it. Finally he would simply fill the first hole in the second hole's dirt. It was easy to till a wet rice paddy compared to another type of field, but it was still time consuming and back breaking work. This would save Mr.Marata from asking for help again until planting season. After about 2 hours of labor Hayato had finished. He retuned the tools to the shed and knocked on the door. Mrs. Marata answered.

"Your request for aide from tanbogaukre has been answered. The paddy has been weeded and tilled." Hayato had practiced his public speaking before heading out, but it still came out a bit frigid. The old woman nodded and peaked from behind the door. At first she looked at the rice paddy and then back to Hayato. Hayato is that you? Oh you look like you've gotten taller since I last saw you! When did you join the shinobi? I thought you made a fine blacksmith you know. Isn't it dangerous being a shinobi? I hear it doesn't always pay that well, and they have to do such horrible things!! It looks well done! Thanks you son would you like to stop in for some lunch? we have some rice cakes.

Mrs.Marata was the talkative type. Not someone Hayato got along with, but he would attempt to humor her, but not to day. "Sorry Ma'am I have a few more request to get to, but give Mr. Marata my regards..." He said this quietly with a lack of confidence. He hadn't rehearsed a line for if they responded with so many questions. The old lady bowed and smiled a toothless grin handing him a rice cake before he left.

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The next task was cleaning up the posters from the latest festival. His task was to eliminate all posters of past events from the bulletin boards or any other surface they were stuck to in the residential district. He started at the bullitin board in front of the Military district. The military district was where one was most likely to  see other with the Tanbogakure headband. The Komekage had built this from the ground up a few years ago. Hayato had watched this place give rise to more and more shinobi. The pure white Okada castle was most impressive. The country felt safer ever since the shining white castle appeared and Hayato was happy to be associated with it. He walked to the board and removed the Saturnalia posters plastered all over it. He walked the streets and then it was on to the next location.

They really had gone over board with all the posters advertising the Saturnalia. "Was it really that necessary to advertise? Everyone here knows about it..." He thought it strange to advertise a yearly festival in a small place such as this, but Tanbo was always growing. New people were starting to pop up in his home. The place was blossoming into a new age, so maybe there was a renewed vigor and it was the centennial. That being said, he had pulled posters off of outhouses, street lights, post, bulletin boards, and even small animals. He was sure that he got as many as he could find. The streets where much clearer than when he started, but maybe next year they could just send out letters and only put the posters in the district centers? Well what did it matter what he thought some other poor soul would clean them up next year.

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Next he needed to go to the store and pick up a few things for an elderly man. This was a recurring job, and sometimes the receptionist herself carried it out. It would be easy if all he had to do was buy them and deliver them but the man insisted that he pick out his own items. Today's list included a new kama, some radishes, and one pound of rice.

Hayato waited on the man outside his home at the edge of town. Mr.Hidekki was a slender man. He walked with a cane and a slight hunch in his back. His body was strong from farming but he was certainly retired. His old knees could no longer stoop low enough for him to claim the bounty of the land. The man was quiet, which Hayato had no qualms with, and he walked with purpose. It seemed like this would be the easiest job of the day.

Their first stop was the black smith shop where Mr.Hidekki perused the kama hanging in the farming section. Hayatao watched over him but found his eyes drifting to blades hanging on the wall. He had sharpened many of them. He though about wielding one of these fine blades in battle especially the katana resting in the cedar wood sheath. It called to him. One day he would wiled a blade as nice as that, but today he would carry the kama that Mr.Hidekki had picked. They left the store and went to the grocery. This stop took much longer. Mr.Hidekki had to look over the radishes one by one. He was seemingly dissatisfied with any that had any blemishes and even those that look perfectly health to Hayato where rejected. The man must, be quite serious about these plants. After about a half hour of radish viewing the man had selected a few and given them to Hayato to hold. Hayato tied them to his waist and lifted one of the many bags of rice lining the shelves. Once hoisted it onto his shoulder Hayato followed the man back to his home.  

Mr.Hidekki let Hayato in and directed him to the counter where he laid out all three of the items, taking great care with the radish. The man glanced over the items then nodded to Hayato, and headed off towards them. Hayato took this as his signal to leave, and bowed to the man before stepping outside. The items weren't heavy, but he was getting tired. The jobs were starting to weight on him. Fortunately he saved the best job for last.

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There he was with three dogs walking beside him as he trotted leisurely through the town. The first dog was small, compact, and white as snow his name was Shiro. The second was large her head almost reaching his stomach. She was dark brown in color and called Maya. The last was name Jinpei, and he was a golden tanned Shiba. They were all well behaved and didn't run and drag him along . The worst they did was bark a little at passers by and with a call of their name they stopped. Hayato though any of the three would make excellent pets so he wasn't surprised to hear they had only been at the Tanbogakure shelter for a few days. Normally they would be playing inside their large pen together at this time of day but it was time for all the dogs in the shelter to get their cages cleaned thoroughly. While the operation occurred the dogs need to be occupied and that was where he came in.  

Walking the dogs all the way to the military district and back, was uneventful. They really had no problems at all. This one had felt the most relaxing and he almost felt bad when he got back and the dogs where released back into their pen. He almost though of adopting one himself, but he wouldn't have the time to train and care for it. He needed to train himself, and his mother was always in the fields and scared of many animals. It just wasn't meant to be.

The caretaker thanked him and as he turned to leave he heard a yip from Jinpei that felt almost like a thank you.

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After making the trek to the mission counter he reported on each of his mission for the day. The receptionist thanked him with a hearty smile and sent him on his way. The sun was starting to set and he wondered what his mother would have ready for dinner. His mind wandered to other thoughts as he walked. "Is this what it's like to be a shinobi?" Surely not, but this was a first step many shinobi took. Taking responsibility for the village and gaining their trust. As the day settled in for the night, he couldn't help but ponder: can such peace last?

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EXIT

[TWC:2068]
Mission WC: 2068/2000

Claiming:
+10 speed
+10 vigor
Chakra infusion (Skill) [2000/2000]
Flying swallow (Jutsu) [68/1000]
Mission rewards[+4000 ryo/20AP]

approved