Big Man in a Little Desk

Mission:

The giant of a man known as Duncan Crawford would be seated at a desk that felt like it had been designed for the smallest of people, yet in reality it was probably a lot closer to just a normal sized desk and chair and the immense man just was not properly sized to utilize the seating as it should have been. Taking two of the chairs and placing them beside one another, the huge man would sit carefully positioned between them, as one of these little chairs would likely buckle under the sheer weight of the man. 

Duncan would look over the test, reading each of the questions very carefully before even lifting pencil to paper. The whole thing was about what one would expect. The test seemed to be trying to get a more clear view on just who each of the applicants were, not only as shinobi but as people. Sure, the emphasis was on who you were or even aspired to be as a shinobi, but the questions cut to the root of what made a person tick... or at least they seemed to. After reading it carefully, Duncan would lift pencil to paper, the dainty writing utensil feeling clumsy in his large hand. 

The first question was a simple one, but could be taken as shallow or deeply as desired. Why did he become a shinobi? The short answer was because he was simply born as such. His clan had a great many Kumo shinobi, and every able bodied member was expected to serve in some capacity. But that was the shallow answer, and didn't carry his truth. Leaving the answer as that would have been dishonest. He became a shinobi because it was his calling, and because he was good at it. He was build bigger and stronger than most of his peers, and he was quick to learn each of the techniques presented to him. As a young man he didn't just want to become a shinobi... he wanted to become the BEST. He wanted to become the best warrior the Cloud had ever seen, and his passion and ambition regarding that matter served him very well in his early years. He would write in his answers, summarizing his thoughts and detailing that he became a shinobi because it was the only path to take.

The second question was a direct one, to which the giant scoffed. If you weren't a shinobi, what would you be? What kind of stupid question was this? His answer was what he expected each and every person to answer. This wasn't an open ended question for one to respond to. There was only one correct answer here. He would take the pencil and write in a very brief answer. "If I were not a shinobi, then I would be dead. There is no alternative path for warriors like me."

The third question was an open ended one, a question that could be answered in a great number of ways. Duncan would think for a moment on how best to articulate his answer. What were his morals and values? Much like each and every member of Kumogakure, Duncan valued strength. Those without strength left no mark on the world, and were likely to be taken advantage of by those that did have strength. This lesson was truly driven home during the reign of Mortarion, as he had much more strength than others had and wielded it as a weapon. Duncan remembers those years, and while he did not enjoy the sickening delight that Youka Tau had taken in torturing and experimenting on the citizens and shinobi of Kumo, he knew that during that time simple none were strong enough to take back power from the foreign man. Strength holds real value in this world. There was a point in his youth when he thought strength was just combat prowess and talent, but it was his former lord that helped him realize that strength comes in a variety of forms. Where his morals stood was a bit harder to answer. The knight pondered this, unsure of his answer. What was right and wrong? It was hard to answer. Killing innocent people, that was wrong. Infecting and mutating citizens just to see what would happen, that was wrong. But he had no issues with killing combatants in the name of his village, for there was nothing wrong with taking another's life in honorable combat. If a target held information that he needed, he had no issue bringing a great deal of physical pain and punishment to them in order to extract that information. Actions on behalf of the Hidden Cloud Village and bettering it as a whole were hard to see as bad or wrong, no matter how horrid they may look to outsiders. 

It was now time for question four. What are your strengths and weaknesses and how or where could you further improve? The man knew his strengths. He was powerful, capable of killing a man with a single blow. His clan name, though a bastard who didn't bear the name directly, held weight. He was excellent in hand to hand combat, and even more of a threat if geared up with his armor and mace. He was skilled at the various shinobi arts, having picked up ninjutsu rather easily to better develop the specialties and techniques of his clan. In his early career he had never failed a mission, becoming one of the most dependable shinobi of the village. He had a great many strengths. But as far as weaknesses go... Hmm. His own failings in Kumo's time of need crushed his spirit, causing him to develop a drinking problem to combat the sorrow he felt. His drinking became a pretty big problem, to the point where he didn't really take on missions anymore, or even practice his arts. He just became belligerent and violent, not ever having had to deal with the harsh circumstances of failure before. Because he assaulted some medics, he spent a great deal of time in prison. This time helped him recover from his drinking problem, and allowed him to return to focus on getting his body back into fighting shape, but he couldn't practice his arts. Due to this, another weakness of his was that he was simply rusty. He needed to brush up his skills, becoming one with the techniques once more so that they were second nature. 

The fifth question was an easy enough one. Duncan would write in that Kumo worshipped the storm gods known as Fujin and Raijin. Fujin was the God of Wind. Raijin was the God of Thunder, Lightning, and Storms. The pair protected the Land of Lightning, or so the legends had said. It is even said that the most capable warriors of the Cloud village utilized fighting styles and stances to channel the power these gods held. 

The man was now on to the sixth question, which was an easy one to answer. Survival of the fittest. Duncan eluded to this in his previous answers, but would elaborate here. Kumo values strength within their shinobi, and desires their shinobi to go out and gain that strength through any means necessary. Some even go as far as implanting the unique bloodlines of other clans within themselves in order to manifest the very techniques locked behind them. Strength got you what you desired in Kumo, to the point where it was promoted above all other things. If each Kumo shinobi aimed to be as strong as they could possibly be, the weakest link in that chain was still incredible strong.  

The seventh question offered a question surrounding a fabricated scenario. What would one do if discovered by an enemy and risked failing the mission? The question made mention of surrender or running as possible options, but again the giant would scoff. Those were written in to weed out the weak applicants. Any true Kumo shinobi knows that they bow to no enemy, no matter their might you do not bow or surrender. Running away was also laughable, the only situation he could see it as an option would be to make a tactical retreat from the front lines to the back to be patched up before then returning to the front lines. It was very likely that a Kumo shinobi would die in combat, though some find themselves able to live long enough to die of old age and peacefully in their beds after retirement. Duncan would make his stance here clear. He would stand and fight, for that was simple what he was born and bred for. He fully expected to die by the sword in a blaze of glory. 

It was now time for question eight, which Duncan would be quick to answer. The genin might have been inexperienced, but they were still expected to be Kumo shinobi. Risk was a part of the job, and if they took up the mantle of shinobi they knew the conditions of their employment. Those in positions of authority would not assign a mission to genin that they did not fully expect them to be able to complete. Because of this reality, Duncan would lead them to success during the mission. What other answer was there? Running with their tails tucked between their legs? Returning to the village and mentioning "Oh that was too dangerous." Grow a fuckin' pair! Next question.

The ninth question was an odd one. Two strangers were about to die, but only one could be saved? This wasn't a question easily answered with the limited information given. They were strangers, but were they Kumo born? Were they people he was honor sworn to protect and defend? Were they innocents, or were they being punished for their crimes? People die each and every day all around this world, and interfering could very well compromise not only Duncan but Kumo as a whole. His actions were a direct reflection of his homeland. Only a fool would interject if another ninja was punishing criminals. Only a fool would interfere if it was a foreign shinobi dealing with their own villages problems. If they were Kumo citizens, you are damned right Duncan would get involved, barring it being an authority figure of Kumo doling out the execution. Who would he save? Both. A pretend scenario on a piece of paper doesn't dictate what outcomes there are, Duncan does. If an enemy threatens those who live in Kumo, there is only one route that can be taken, eliminate the threat to your people. 

The tenth question was something that caught the man off guard. If you could choose your own destiny? Each and every Kumo shinobi gets to choose their own destiny each and every day. Each of Kumo's great warriors makes their own destiny. Hell, if they wake up one day and seek the title of Raikage, they can attempt to do so. What is holding a Kumo shinobi back? Not a thing. Duncan plans on reclaiming his title of Jounin, and once again being a trusted advisor and bodyguard to the Raikage himself. Now if your question is more along the lines of what would I do if even the impossible was within my grasp, I would return the spark of life to my young lord. Even if only for a moment, I would wish to apologize for my failures to him and beg his forgiveness. 

Finally, the fully open ended essay questions. The first was easy. Infiltration wasn't his area of expertise, so a scouting party would be sent to assess numbers. Those stealth members of the team would be assigned to this task. If they needed extra help to sneak in, a distraction could be made. The man was quite large, and very capable in combat. He could feint with a frontal assault while the recon team used stealth to sneak in during the chaos. If not being detected in any capacity was needed, then the giant man would try his hand at utilizing the transformation technique to become something more akin to a native bird, or possibly a rat. Something that could sneak by with minimal alarm raised since it would be a common sight. Collect as much intel as possible, focusing primarily on those details being requested by the orders, but a close second being any other information that would shift the tide of a conflict. 

It was now the time for the second part which was another rather strange prompt. Forcing one to cheat? Duncan would scratch his head, baffled by the question. He would lift his pencil and begin to write his answer. Why would I cheat? We are all taking the same tests, meaning that everyone else finds these questions just as impossible to answer. Any attempt to cheat from some other idiot without the answers would prove a worthless endeavor. If we are not all taking the same test, cheating would prove equally useless. I once again reiterate, my actions are not limited to some pretend scenarios that force me to pick very specific paths. I make my own destiny and my own choices. 

With the test finished, the man would set his pencil down, lift himself up and turn in the written portion. He would wonder just what it was that they would be asked to do next. 

---exit---

TWC:2232

Claims:
9 stats (to hit max stats)
26 AP (AP training after max stats)

1500/1500 wc towards Iron Wall
651 wc towards Donuts (finishing it after WC here)
81 wc towards One handed seals (bringing the total up to 634/2000 from here)

Mission complete:
1x C rank mission
4000 ryo
20 AP

Impressive, approved.