Thoughts of the Past and Thoughts of the Future

His teacher had spoken with him about the care and caution it takes to look after those around you. Dracoso had wanted to apply his skills to protect and look after those in his care. He had learned a tough lesson with the children he had been teaching. One of them could have been maimed if he hadn't had the right medical jutsu to handle it. His teacher had mentioned a specific mission that might give him some context. When his mentor had left on his mission, the last person to attempt to help them had died during his attempt. They had been ambushed just at the border and he had been defeated by an unknown group. Whether toxins or specific jutsu had been used, they were unsure. 

Dracoso had asked why this would help him learn more about caring for others. His teacher had looked him solemnly in the eyes and simply said, "See those who are left behind. Communicate to them so you can handle your mission and understand the weight that it carries. This won't be an easy mission, and I don't mean that it will require strength. At least, not the normal kind of strength." He refused to say more and Dracoso headed off to meet up with the person who provided the mission. 

The head of the guard was at the front gate as Dracoso jogged up. A transport wagon had drawn up with the back cloaked in a tarp. The head gestured to Dracoso to join him as he walked towards the back of the wagon. He spoke softly to Dracoso, "the body here is already in pretty bad shape. It looks like multiple shinobi got at him before he even hit the ground." He raised the tarp, and both got a glimpse of what looked like a human that was slightly swollen and with multiple cuts and rashes. Dracoso shivered at the thought of just what could have been done to the body, but he was broken out of his thoughts by the head clearing his throat.

"We will need some time to examine the body and determine exactly what was used on him. We have identified the family and we have yet to tell them what has happened. That is where you come in. The first thing we need is for you to talk with the family and let them know that their son has passed on, but that they can't see the body until the burial ceremony." The head outlined.

Dracoso looked at him a bit wide-eyed, "I'm the one delivering the news? Shouldn't someone a bit closer to the family, or to deceased deliver the news?" he asked a bit shocked. The head nodded softly, "I wish we could. Sadly, this man did not have many close friends and the family is rather disconnected. Many of the close friends that he did have are either off handling another mission or will not be in any state to deliver the news once they hear it themselves." Dracoso looked at him for more, but the head simply looked back at him. After a moment, Dracoso spoke, "so what do I tell them? Their son is deceased, and I am not going to let them see him until moments before we bury him?"

The head looked back at the body, pulling the tarp back down before rubbing the back of his neck with a thick hand. "I asked that teacher of yours to send you here for this mission. My son was in that class of yours and he saw that lightning stunt that other kid pulled. I am glad you were there to set a good example, but you still seem to have a few rough edges when it comes to serious situations. I see a good bit of promise in you, but only if you can get your head out of your books and realize that you need to prepare for anything." 

Dracoso was shocked by each sentence. He nodded softly, his head downcast as the head continued, "it's never easy to deliver news like this. We need to be willing to look someone in the eye and tell them the worst. It should never feel easy to do, but it sure as hell doesn't need to kill us when we do it." The head patted his shoulder and gave him a small smirk before finishing with, "just think about the toughest time you have gone through and think what you wish someone else would have done to help you through it."

Dracoso nodded as the wagon pulled away to the head's directions. He received a slip of paper with the directions to the address and some follow up information on where he was to report to after he returned. He felt the weight of each step as he ran scenario after scenario through his head. The family walking up to the door to receive him. A mother answering the door before breaking down in tears. A father opening the door only to lose his strength and fall to his knees. Children asking why it happened.

His feet carried him and before he knew it, he could see the house in the distance. He took a deep breath in and braced himself, stepping forward towards the home. A pit was building in his stomach that seemed to pull him further and further into it the closer he was. His vision felt like it was narrowing as his anxiety seemed to spike. He could feel himself softly shaking as he approached.

"Woah, woah boy. Breathe." 

He heard the voice softly before he felt himself being patted on the back softly. He turned to find the older gentlemen who he had scared when he was retrieving water for his sand mission. "You look like someone stuffed a katana down your throat. What happened?" he asked with concern. Dracoso felt almost like crying, but pulled in the emotions and said softly, "how do you tell someone that their closest family member has died?" 

The man looked at him for a moment. Clarity in his eyes as if imagining something from his past. He spoke softly in return, just above a whisper, "I would want that person to assure me that they had been doing what gave them purpose. That they had lived well and would be remembered. That my efforts hadn't been in vain in raising or caring for them. I would want them to stand before me and show me that in their confidence, I could know that they had lived, and died, well."

Dracoso felt himself start to rally. Still a bit shaky, he felt himself crumble slightly as he asked, "what if they start to cry or refuse to accept it?" The man gave him a firm look for a moment before speaking, "It isn't your job to decide how they act. If a family loses a child, they will suffer and cope how they see fit. Your job is to deliver the message and support them in their time of need." Dracoso nodded, feeling like things made a bit more sense. He had put so much weight on himself, only to realize that his job was just to play his role.

He stood straight and breathed out slowly. Feeling his composure reassured, he thanked the old man and walked forward to the home. As he approached, he saw a woman working out front handling a small garden. A small dog was running around nearby playing with a little girl in the sun. Dracoso walked up to what could have been a perfectly ordinary home any other day. As he stepped into the yard, the woman turned and stood up before walking over to meet him.

"Ah, hello there. I don't think we have met?" She asked Dracoso. "What business do you have here?" Dracoso looked to her, tightening his gut softly before looking to her, "would this happen to be the home of Kolen P**?" The woman nodded, "Yes, that is my husband. Why do you ask?" Dracoso heard the girl and the dog nearby still playing and decided it might be better for the mother to deliver the news herself to the child at a later time. He gestured towards the house and said, "Would it be alright if we stepped inside?" The woman crossed her arms, "I wouldn't feel too comfortable with that without you telling me what this is all about."

Dracoso softened his voice and said at a quieter pitch, "your husband's recent mission didn't go exactly as planned. I am here to relay information on it." His wife's eyes widen only for a moment. If Dracoso hadn't been looking straight at her, he could have easily missed it. She silently nodded and led him into their home with a quick word to her daughter to not go too far from the yard. She guided him to a sitting room that appeared to be used for meals before Dracoso took his seat. She stepped out, only to return a few moments later with an old man. The man stared at Dracoso with a mix of seriousness and curiosity. Once they were seated, Dracoso began.

"I am not going to downplay or lessen what has happened, as that would only dishonor his efforts. Your husband, and son-" he said as he referred to each, "has died on his most recent mission to the border."

They both seemed to be frozen in time for a moment. The two facing Dracoso seemed to be processing the information and had lost the ability to speak. The wife was the first to speak, "How... how did it happen?" Dracoso felt his hand shake softly and gripped it at his side in a fist. "From what I aware of, they were ambushed. He put up a fight, but they had outnumbered him." The old man seemed to shake softly and as Dracoso looked, he realized the man was crying. "W-was... Was his mission... a success?" was all he asked. 

Dracoso wasn't sure what to say. He hadn't found out what the outcome of the mission was and wanted to reassure them that he had done well. The words of the head and the old man outside echoed in his mind as he steeled himself. "I am not sure. From the sounds of it, he was the only casualty. Odds are, the people he was defending got away safely." The man looked at him for a moment, trying to read his eyes, before nodding firmly. 

As he had conversed with the old man, the wife had stood up and went into the back of the home. She returned with a picture of her husband and held it up to Dracoso. "This... this is my husband. Is this the man you saw?!" she asked, a touch of desperation in her voice. Dracoso was taken aback by how firmly she presented it. He felt like trying to comfort her, but knew that it wasn't his place right now. He simply looked her in the eyes and gave her a solemn nod. 

She seemed to crumple in on herself as she fell to her knees. She looked down at the ground, the picture hanging from her limp arm. Tears ran down her face as she shook with silent sobs. A few moments later, the father wrapped his arms around her and was holding her tightly. She was buried in his arms and was moaning loudly as if in deep pain. Dracoso sat, looking down respectfully, but refusing to ignore or be unaware of the pain they were feeling. 

After what felt like hours, the wife was sobbing softly, resting against the father. All the strength seemed to have left her body. The old man looked to Dracoso, a somewhat hollowed look in his eye as he asked, "So what happens now?" The wife gave a soft shake and a weak nod before asking, "Yes, can we see him?" Dracoso looked at the drained and weakened couple. The urge to reassure them came up time and time again, but he kept following the guidance or the two who had gotten him this far. "You cannot at this time. They are... tending to the body and treating him so that he will be in his best shape for when he is buried," he responded.

The wife seemed to gain a bit of strength, anger flashing in her eyes. The man seemed to sense it and placed an arm protectively around her shoulders before saying, "That is fine. I am sure your medical ninjas know what is best for this." Dracoso nodded to him as the man continued, "Thank you for coming to tell us this. I know it is not easy, but we will do what we need to accept this loss. For now, I ask that you leave so we may grieve."

Dracoso nodded and stood silently. With a respectful bow to them, he turned and left. As he walked out through the yard, he saw the girl and the dog still playing. Two different worlds existed on the opposite sides of the door he just walked out of. He knew it was necessary, but he felt sorrow for when that girl would have to cross the threshold.

The old man was waiting for him down the street. He gave Dracoso a pat on the back just as he felt his legs begin to lose strength. He bent over, feeling a wave of exhaustion hit him from all the emotions and intensity he had endured. He let himself settle before standing again. He thanked the man profusely for his advice and the man simply thanked him in return for being willing to deliver such heavy news. 

Following the directions he was given, Dracoso made his way to the area for the entombment. As he arrived, he noticed the head directing guards to set up a respectful perimeter around an open casket. in the casket, a much restored and at peace Kolen laid. A shinobi Dracoso didn't recognize stepped forward and introduced himself as Kujin. Kujin let Dracoso know that the body had gone through several attacks and techniques simultaneously, so the inspection was extensive. Due to this, the body was mostly taken apart and put back together. Dracoso coughed softly, slightly sickened at the thought of this being done to someone. 

Kujin continued softly, "because of this, the body has already been placed down in the mausoleum. What you see there-" he gestured to the open casket "-is a clone which I have created to give closure to the family." Dracoso took this in, nodding as he could only imagine how much harder it would be on the family if they saw what he had of Kolen. He looked to Kujin and asked, "so then what are we to do? Should we just watch quietly?" 

Kujin clicked his tongue, seemingly irritated. "I wish. Making a clone of that detail requires a lot of chakra and focus. Sadly, it is just that. A clone. If someone touches it or disrupts it, it could break. We need to make sure no one gets close to it before we lower it down where it, along with the actual body of Kolen, will expire." Dracoso looked over the circle of guards, feeling his tension lower a bit. Kujin followed his line of sight and shook his head, "they aren't going to be there during the entombment. They will be standing off to the sides to allow full view of the event." 

Dracoso looked back at Kujin a bit worried. "Well, if the guards aren't supposed to be close to the casket, why will we be allowed?" he asked. Kujin gave a chuckle and pointed a thumb at his chest, "why else do you think I am dressed this way?" Dracoso looked over him and realized that he was wearing a full medical ninja outfit. Not only was it extremely visible, it had 'Medical Ninja' written across the back. Kujin reached under his outfit and pulled out a second matching outfit that he held out to Dracoso. "Better change quickly, we are starting soon," he said with a smirk.

Dracoso slipped off to a private spot and changed quickly into the outfit. He liked how it felt to wear. He had always wanted to be a medical ninja. He just wanted to do it more on the front lines, rather than just at home. As he shrugged on the white cloak, he stepped back out into the sun. He walked with a feeling of confidence in him, as if he was more in his role than ever before. That confidence lasted up until he saw the family standing towards the front of the crowd that was gathering.

A ninja that presented himself as Kolen's senior and sensei stepped up and presented the eulogy in memory of Kolen. The crowd was a mix of shinobi and civilians who all came to show respect to a fallen ninja. Many did not know him personally but had heard of his determination. Even his teacher came to attend. Some stepped forward, friends who had not known of his passing until minutes ago, who spoke passionately of his character. Many broke down in tears as the event proceeded. As it was winding down, the wife and the father made eye contact and the father nodded. The wife stepped forward and turned to the crowd.

"My husband was not always the best man for a job. He knew how to handle himself and his family and he knew when best when to deal with a problem." Her voice began to waver as she shook where she stood, "He was someone who I was connected to in heart, body, and mind. His laughter still echoes through my mind whenever I think of his face. He was the one man who could make me feel safe when my fear of the dark terrified me. I... I feel like every second since he has passed has been more silent than the last." She seemed to pause in her words, almost struggling to go on. "I just... wish I could have... one more minute..." Dracoso saw Kujin tense up beside him and he could see his teacher and the head start to move forward as if in slow motion. 

The wife, with tears in her eyes, turned in a stress induced state and jerked herself towards Kolen in the casket, moving as if driven by her despair. Dracoso saw this and all his thoughts of assurance and severity, care and decisiveness, rushed to the surface. His hands were moving before he even let his thoughts stop him.

The wife made it halfway to the casket before her steps slowed. Her eyes glazed over slightly as her step became more lingered. Her gaze seemed to lift from the casket up towards the air around her. She was still crying, but the grimace of pain she had been showing was turning slowly into a dazed smile. The Kujin glanced over at Dracoso as he held the tiger handseal almost as if it was life or death. The woman had gone from living in a world of loss and pain into one of butterflies, if only for the moment. The head and the father helped walk her back towards the crowd. The father glanced back over to Dracoso and gave a silent thank you. 

As she returned to the crowd, Dracoso dropped the jutsu and hunched forward slightly. He felt more tired than he had in a while. Kujin patted him on the back and said softly, "good job there. I really thought we might have had to tackle her there." Dracoso looked up at him and shook his head before saying, "seriously? Don't you have anything else you could do other than physical confrontation?" Kujin flicked his earlobe absentmindedly as he looked out into the crowd. "I mean, I could have sprayed her with water, but I don't think that would have ended any better than tackling her."

Dracoso just sighed in exasperation and stood back up. The wife was crying, but the father was holding onto her tightly now, letting her get out all that she could. The casket was slowly lifted by the guards and led into the mausoleum where it was placed to rest. As the doors closed, a very silent poof of smoke was heard only by those standing right nearby the doorway. Dracoso looked on at the building for a time. He wondered just how many people would show up if he were to pass on. Would his family receive the same message that he had delivered today? His thoughts ran slowly from one point to the next. Feeling the weight keep his mind from bouncing. As he sifted through his feelings, his teacher approached.

The stood as the night slowly took over and turned the world to darkness. The light from lanterns and torches nearby bathed them softly with shadows. "You did a good job here," his teacher said softly. "I heard from the head that the family felt you showed a good bit of respect to them and that you didn't try to soften it." Dracoso just nodded as they stood in the dark. "I wanted to give you the chance to understand what is at stake when we go out on these missions. From what it seems, you learned more from it than I expected." Another nod was all Dracoso gave.

The teacher looked from the building to Dracoso, taking him in. "What do you feel you have learned from this mission?" he asked Dracoso. 

Dracoso thought for a moment before turning his gaze to the sky above. "Even when we are gone, people will suffer our loss. That just because we want to make things ok, they won't always be. That sometimes we need to accept when something can't be changed and to respect that we can't make that choice for others." 

His teacher nodded and they stood in silence for a few minutes. As the cold began to seep in, his teacher asked softly, "knowing this, what will you do next?"

Dracoso gave a soft chuckle that slowly built. He let it flood him as he coughed softly and let out a big sigh at the end. "Look beyond myself. Someone told me to get more training before I tried to take on something beyond myself. I think I am ready now." he said as he looked back to his teacher. His mentor only nodded with a soft smile and patted his shoulder before wrapping an arm around Dracoso's shoulders. They walked back through town in silence, taking in the night and all the noises that it brings.

{Exit}

D-Rank: Untimely Demise

Reward: 2,000 Ryo + 10 AP

WC Total: 3804 (3800 rounded)
Stats Maxed: WC to AP = +76 AP

Rank A - Water Beast - 2750
Rank B - Bloodletting Technique - 1500 (adding the final 625 WC to the 975/1500 from the last post: Memories Hurt)
Rank C > B - Water Clone - 425/500

Approved