Flexible like the Willow, Strong like the Oak

"Always be ready. That is the basic belief of when you are on patrol. Don't slack off. Don't get distracted. One slip up, and it means lives are on your head." 

The guard tried to drill these words into Dracoso, but he was already focusing on their surroundings. A pair of guards had been sent to train Dracoso on how to handle a patrol. So far, it had been very uneventful. He had accepted the mission the same night he came back from the adoption center. What he hadn't expected was for the pair to show up at the crack of dawn and be ready to drag him out to his patrol. He had just barely finished breakfast when they were leading him out. He quickly said goodbye to his mother and father, and their three new 'boar-made-children' his mother kept saying. It almost seemed like a little squad of their own as his mother directed the boars as they helped to organize the house.

Dracoso stifled a yawn as they led him down towards the gate at the front of the village. The details of the mission describing handling the protection of the village by patrolling the walls and gate. It discussed the small possibility of an attack or an intruder, but stated that this was more of a training for diligence and keen senses. Dracoso felt this would be a good place to start getting a bit of training on how to pay attention to details and stay focused on his task. 

The biggest distraction so far were the two guards who were leading him around.

"I can respect you being a ninja and all, but that doesn't mean you are going to get it easy on this patrol!" The short guard said. He had introduced himself as Pert, short for Pertalio. He seemed to treat everything seriously, as if dropping his guard would immediately be the end of him. Dracoso had never had an uncle before, but he thought it might be something like this. If his uncle was preparing for him to go to war tomorrow.

The taller guard leaned over and whispered to Dracoso, "just make sure to keep an eye and an ear out for anything that is out of the ordinary. We have been doing this for years now and the most important thing we have learned is to have a good reminder of what you are protecting." Dracoso gave a nod to Chap. His real name was Kalen, but from a story they told Dracoso, his commanding officer at the time had always referred to him with, "That's a good Chap!" Ever since then, the name had stuck and everyone called him Chap.

The two made an odd, yet effective pair. Pert was outspoken and always wanted to jump into debates, if not fights. Chap was more relaxed and knew how to react to sudden changes in conversation. They seemed to disagree on many things, but they each had a natural way of covering for other. 

As they had reached the gate and headed up the stairs Chap had begun to describe to Dracoso the route they would be taking. "This is just a basic walk around the perimeter and then a quick stroll through the woods. Because of how large the village is, it will take some time, and we aren't the only ones doing it. So, make sure to double check if you see someone in case-" Without breaking eye contact, Chap threw a hand up ahead of him and caught Pert as he was half off a step ahead of them. Pert had begun to slip and his back landed square on the palm of Chaps hand. "-you just see another patrol."

Pert lifted himself off Chap's hand and dusted himself off, saying under his breath, "they always wax these steps and never seem to realize just how dangerous they get." He grumbled to himself softly on his way up. Chap chuckled and leaned down, pressing on the step in question and, with a loud squeak, it seemed to bend slightly towards them. "He always forgets this step is loose. The first time it happened, I didn't catch him in time and we had to replace half a dozen steps below it." Dracoso had just nodded and followed them up onto the wall.

Being on patrol wasn't too exciting, but it gave Dracoso a chance to practice being disciplined. He had trouble at first calming his mind from the constant thoughts that flooded through it. It was like trying to wrestle a solid tornado. It come forward full strength and try to pull his attention, only to suddenly twist another direction. He struggled, keeping his eyes on the lands and waters near the walls as they walked, but he kept letting other thoughts flood his mind.

Which of his jutsu would be best to deal with a sudden attacker? Should he simply activate his third eye jutsu and try to keep track of everything? Maybe having more clones would help him seem like a harder target to take on. Every time his mind would feel satiated with an answer, another question or situation would pop up and start the cycle over.

A pat on his shoulder broke his chain of thought. He looked over to see Chap watching him carefully. "Quite a bit on your mind I see. Everything ok?" He asked. Dracoso gave a small shrug before saying, "I guess I haven't really gotten into a fight before. I mean, not with a person...," the image of Fuku facing him with her kunai drawn came to the forefront of his mind. "At least, not one that truly meant me harm." 

Chap nodded and gave a small, thoughtful smile. "Imagining all the things that might go wrong? Maybe even thinking about how you might defeat your foes and drive them back?" He asked softly. Dracoso held up his hands, weighing them back and forth and said, "sort of? It's more like I want to imagine all the things I could do and what the best choice might be to deal with my problems."

The tall man scratched at his chin with a finger as he responded, "Best? Well, to me, I don't think there really is a best answer for any situation. There are plenty of good choices, and bad ones. Besides, there are hundreds of ways a situation could go. Sometimes it comes down to experience. Other times, it's just luck." 

"Sometimes, it's just dumb luck," Pert growled over his shoulder back at them. Dracoso had almost forgotten about the other guard in all his thoughts and discussion with Chap. The man was walking firmly along the wall a few feet ahead of them. He kept glancing from one side to the next, as if ready for an attack. "It doesn't always matter if you get the first strike in combat. That just gives you one advantage. It depends on how you use it. A weak first strike could mean your life. Some bide their time and attack when at their strongest. Others go with numbers and try to surround their foe. Me, I like to make sure I know where my line is drawn and I defend it."

Dracoso looked from Pert back to Chap and the tall guard followed up softly, "Pert used to be a lot more relaxed. He was a bit like you, trying to think of answers ahead of time. He liked to throw his ideas at others and make them see his way, whether through argument or a fist. One day, he tried to prove one of his ideas by taking on a bear. He got off a good hit to start, but the bear pelted him through the air with a swing. Lucky for him he was wearing armor that day. Luckier still that the tree he collided with broke through and fell directly on top of the bear. It was gone by the time he came to."

Dracoso gave a shocked glance at Pert's back before Chap continued, "after that, Pert was firm, but he never really seemed to pick fights. Always talking about defense and strategy and 'knowing when to pick your moment.' Some say the bear knocked out his nerve. I say it helped to temper him into a better guard."

If a bear ever came his way, Dracoso wasn't sure if he could survive a swing from one. He thought of several ways he might react, but most of them ended with him either killing the bear or running. He mentioned this to Chap and the guard just nodded with the words, "sometimes, we don't get to choose how the fight ends. Better to survive by running than to die by foolishness." 

A lot of the guards words felt a bit like quotes and figured they might be things guards just said to one another when they were between duties. Either way, the words did settle his nerves a bit as they continued on their patrol. As they walked, Pert would point out things to keep an eye for. Whether the trees moving was due to the wind or an animal resting in its branches. They pointed out the main pathways individuals took, but shared how each gap between two trees could also be an entrance. Their perspectives let Dracoso's mind expand outwards and to begin to see how ninjas may move from one place to another on approach.

As they came down off the wall, Chap took the lead. They walked out in front of the wall, moving along a simple path that wove over a few small rivers and between trees. The guards pointed out markings which animals may leave behind and which kinds of grounds left more or less footprints. They avoided sodden ground and kept to the dry and firmly packed dirt. They pointed out the shape of the shadows and how they shifted with the clouds over the moonlight. They gave him tips on securely fastening his armor and gear so that it made as little noise as possible.

He took as many mental notes as he could, finding his mind thoroughly engaged as they walked. Dracoso kept his eyes on each opening, finding lines drawn in his mind along each possible route of travel. He imagined a grid, seeing areas of weakness and secure pathways which would allow for the greatest cover to remain hidden. He wondered if this was how the more experienced ninja planned out their attacks. Reading about applied tactics and actually observing the area they occur in became a wider divide in his mind the longer they talked. 

Dracoso bumped into Chap suddenly and looked up to see both guards standing very still. They were staring out into the woods nearby with a hand hovering over the hilt of their weapons. He looked in the same direction and didn't see anything. As he reached up and pressed his fingers over his eyes, letting the jutsu take hold, his eyes pierced through the darkness. A four-legged figure stood crouched only a hundred meters away. Dracoso peered at the being and realized that he was staring directly at a wolf.

The air was tense as it held their attention. Both sides staring the other down from where they were. The seconds felt like minutes as they passed. Neither guard seemed to move, but they remained at attention for any sudden motion. Dracoso's breathing sounded loud in his ears, as if both guards could hear him. He began to take slow, shallow breaths to make them as soft as possible.

The wolf moved slowly, standing up into sight, before turning and taking off. A moment later, two figures followed it out into the darkness. Dracoso hadn't even seen the other two wolves and realized that if he had been on his own, it wouldn't have ended well. The two guards let their hands hang back at their sides. Their demeanor seemed to change back as it had been. When Dracoso looked to the guards now, he realized that they were not completely relaxed. A slight tension in their back and neck as they walked. As he thought back on their conversation, he recognized that even when they were talking, the guards seemed to be taking in their surroundings. 

Dracoso began to copy their motions and their gazes around, trying to follow their example. As the guards realized what he was doing, they made eye contact before chuckling. The two guards directed him on how to carry himself. Pert commented on how he always seemed to slouch and walk as if he was carrying a horse on his back. Chap showed him how to spot key points in his sight to make sure he has attention on the biggest areas of threat.

"We were taught how to divide our attention so that we could have the most time possible to respond. That's how Pert and I noticed those four wolves before they got too close," Chap explained. "Four wolves? But I only saw three running away," Dracoso responded. Pert shook his head as he said, "one of them was hiding in the shadow of the large one in the middle. We were outnumbered kid. Wolves don't show up around here too often. When they do, staring them down and showing them that you aren't afraid makes them hesitate. If it was just the two of us though, I don't know if they would have cared on account of their numbers." 

For the rest of the walk, it was silent. Dracoso tried to practice all the advice they had given and felt like he had gotten the hang of it. He knew it would take more than a night of practice, but he was thankful for any help he could get. The guards walked with him back to the gate as the morning sun was moving up the sky. They patted him on the shoulder and told him that he had done some good work and that he might make a good guard. With a couple more years training of course. He smiled and shook his head, thanking them for all the information and the time they spent together.

They gave him a wave before heading back towards the wall to continue their patrol. Dracoso looked to the wall itself and saw many more guards already going about their duties. He had always imagined that they were just a normal part of the village. Their job, just a part of the background that kept peace in the village. Having walked in their shoes made him see them in a new light. He knew he would need to put himself in danger on missions at the higher ranks, but these guards were almost always here keeping an eye out for danger. 

From all he had experienced, his mind was far more at peace. In the few hours that the patrol had taken, Dracoso had been able to focus his mind and begun to construct a layout of his environment. He felt more like he was building his steps, rather than simply grasping at the air for ideas. Even with the list of jutsu he was building, he knew that he would need to start stepping into situations where he could gain experience. More experience than just imagined battles and animals biting at his hands and feet. 

He also thought on Pert's last comments about numbers. The clones did help to provide additional hands, but they wouldn't be really effective again a pack of wolves. Maybe he should look into finding something a bit stronger to call forth.

With that thought in mind, Dracoso headed back to the mission center. He wanted to take on an easier mission and possibly ask the thoughts of a few individuals. He wondered what kinds of summons may exist to explore.
{Exit}

E-Rank Mission: Patrol Training

Reward: 1000 Ryo + 5 AP

WC Total - 2653
Stats Claimed - 26 (2 Chakra, 12 vigor, 12 speed)

Skill learned:
Pharmaceutical Entrepreneur - 2000 

Jutsu Learned:
Rank D - Scent Masking - 500
Rank C - Summoning Technique - 650/1000 (adding 150 to the previous 500/1000 from the post Family or Familiarity)

approved. In the future link other threads with previous approvals so the approver can find it easily. it was easy this time but could be difficult for the approver in the future. Additionally link the mission or copy the text so the approver doesn't have to find it (I usually copy the text and put it into a spoiler tab).

Can do. I think all my quick edits removed the mission link. I can edit those in just a moment.