He of the People

Mission:

Civil Unrest

Tenshi was in the process of returning home after a previous mission, he had just assisted the emergency department by saving citizens from a burning building. The mission had been extremely exhausting, however, the smile on his face was positively glowing. They had saved everyone in the building, and although the people had lost their home, they were alive and well. This is what truly mattered. Tenshi was confident that the village would assist them financially with relocating to new homes. There was a bigger concern for the young Uchiha though…

Three other fires had raged at the same time as the one he had responded to. His fire was on the Eastern outskirts of the village, whereas the other three had taken place in the North, South and West. They were far too conveniently placed for this to have been a coincidence. More, the fire brigade Captain who had worked with Tenshi, also believed this was suspicious, Tenshi had decided to keep an eye out for any further complications. He received many odd looks as he entered the Uchiha District. It was the early hours of the morning, and he was covered in soot and ash, his bright silver hair with dashes of black and grey through it now. It looked as if he had returned from war.

Those who had been awake long enough to hear the news of what had happened seemed to understand. They would would smile and pat Tenshi on the shoulder or back as he passed them. They thanked him for his service and some would even offer him food or sweets. Although he felt awkward doing so, Uchiha people were extremely pushy, so by the time he had returned home, Tenshi’s hands were full of platters and bowls. He could no complain, living alone in an apartment as a Shinobi did not afford him much time to cook for himself. It was always convenient to have someone else cook for him, as rare as it was.

Entering the apartment, Tenshi quickly made sure to refrigerate all of the food he was given, even freezing several of them for later in the week. There was enough to last him many meals, he would not be going hungry any time soon. Next he promptly made his way to the bathroom, where he would strip and hope straight into the shower. He stunk like ash and smoke, plus he was extremely dirty from the prior mission. Taking no less than 20 minutes, and probably crippling himself financially through the water bill, Tenshi was finally satisfied that he was clean enough.

As he exited the bathroom and began to happily make his way to bed, ready for a very well earned nap, Tenshi saw a horrifying sight at his window. A Shinobi eagle was waiting outside, pecking at the glass to grab his attention. Again? He had just completed a mission given to him in the morning, what could be so urgent that he was needed once more? Perhaps it was a letter congratulating him on his performance? Unlikely, the Hokage was not even in the village at the moment, and the other elders were not the type to heap praise onto a mere Genin…

Sighing, Tenshi bypassed his bed and made his way directly to the window, grabbing some bird treats along the way. He was annoyed, but it was not the bird’s fault for this intrusion of his private time, the least he could do was feed it for its efforts. Upon opening the window, the bird stuck on of its little legs out toward him, indicating that it wanted Tenshi to remove the rolled up note attached to it. Chuckling, Tenshi realised it was the exact same bird from earlier this morning. It was probably a fan of his now, considering he had already fed it once. This was proven true after the Uchiha removed the note, the bird turned to look at him, tilting its head sideways expectingly. With a grin, Tenshi gave it some food before it turned and left, flapping its wings effortlessly as it disappeared into the distance.

Tenshi sighed and and sat on his bed, his damp, and now very clean, hair bouncing on his shoulders as he dropped down. Taking a deep breath, the Genin unravelled the note, reading its contents. His eyes widened as took in what the note was saying. Not only was he expected to save a burning building full of people earlier this morning, but now he had to prevent a civil conflict within the village? Apparently there was a battle near the centre of the village this morning, taking place at the same time that the fires had raged on. He knew it, the fires were coordinated by someone. The note contained no information regarding this, however, it did contain some very damning news…

A young man had been killed in the conflict. Not a Shinobi, nor one of the criminals, but a young worker who just happened to fall in the crossfire. What was worse, the young man fell at the hand of a Shinobi, who had misjudged the trajectory of one of his kunai. The death had not been a quick one, the kunai had allegedly gone into the man’s throat, resulting in him bleeding out as the battle raged on. It appeared that the man’s mother, a well respected motivational speaker named Kentara Amicci, was now at the centre of a potential uprising. The villagers were furious, and blamed the Shinobi for the incident, labelling the Genin in question as a murderer.

It appeared that it was up to Tenshi to deal with this. There were several Shinobi involved in the battle that took place, but it was rightfully assumed that none of them should be placed anywhere near the forming mob. Tenshi noticed an important detail, there could be no more civilian casualties. He understood this, any more villagers dying meant that there would be a full scale riot, and with so little Shinobi in the village at the moment, this would have terrifying results.

Tenshi was taken aback by the responsibility he had been given here. This was to be his third B Rank mission ever, and the weight on his shoulders were heavy. The security of the entire village was in jeopardy this time. There was a lot riding on his success in this mission. He looked longingly at the fridge with all of his new food in it, looked like would have to wait today…

Tenshi decided to dress in subtle civilian clothing for this mission today. If he was identified as a Shinobi, he would be swarmed instantly, placing his own life in danger unnecessarily. He donned an all black outfit, with fitted black pants and a thin button up shirt, to make up for the fact that the weather was sweltering today. Many of the protestors would likely be attempting to hide their faces, to avoid any further repercussions should they fail in their endeavour, whatever that may be. In response to this, Tenshi grabbed a spare face mask, it was all black and covered his mouth and nose. He would use this to infiltrate their ranks and complete his mission. Finally, Tenshi tied up his hair into a neat bun, with two senbon in place to hold it up, the senbon was also there to ensure that he had ample protection in the case of unforeseen conflict. He prayed that he would not need to use them.
Infiltrating the villagers
When he was ready, Tenshi set out. The weather was heating up, many Uchiha were already out for their morning activities, most with fans or umbrellas to spare them from the elements. It did not surprise Tenshi to note that his clan mates were not involved with the villager uprising happening in the centre of the village. The Uchiha were a proud clan of Shinobi, warriors who had fought, bled and died for their family. Unless the victim had been one of their own, the clan would never associate with such an event. This brought a smile to Tenshi’s face. One of the reasons he was so proud of the his role as a Shinobi was due to this. He was immediately treated with more respect the moment he passed his Genin exam. It was what fuelled his desire to become the next Hokage, to represent his people and their love for the village.

Tenshi moved at a reasonable pace to the site of the mob, ensuring not to move too swiftly to avoid suspicion. He felt no need to wear his face mask just yet, he did not want to look like he was up to something while within the walls of the Uchiha District. As he began to approach the village centre, Tenshi noticed that Ichiraku Ramen was coming up on his right. There were three villagers with masks standing out the front. At first he thought that they were waiting in line for their orders, but as he approached, he noticed a venomous tone in their voices. “I’m telling you old man, give us the Ryo or we burn this relic of a shop down to the ground. You wouldn’t want that precious girly of yours in the back to get hurt now would you?”

Tenshi’s eyes narrowed in anger. These were not simple villagers. They were criminals using the uproar as a cover to further their own selfish desires. Not only this, but they had the nerve to target Ichiraku. Tenshi still got free meals here ever since he last assisted Ramen Man with a mission only a couple of weeks ago. He was about to approach the group when he realised that he could not blow his cover as a Shinobi just yet. He had a better idea… Quickly turning around and running behind the corner, Tenshi performed his hand seals.


The mighty Rellgar are appeared before him in a large puff of smoke. His red scales shining in the sunlight. The large dragon stared down at Tenshi in confusion, with a tinge of frustration. “What is this about Tensh? You already summoned me once today, why have you done it again?” Tenshi was apologetic in his response, Rellgar had already assisted him in evacuating the survivors earlier. “I am sorry Rell, this is urgent though. I am undercover at the moment and there are some troublemakers trying to rob a friend. I need them dealt with, but I cannot show my face.” The dragon sighed and nodded, Tenshi did not know that dragons COULD sigh, you learn something new everyday…

Tenshi watched behind a corner as Rellgar took off and flew directly at the criminals, catching them by surprise and grabbing them in a fly by. He snatched two of them in one claw, and the third in the other, before flying directly over a tree and dropping them into it from ten meters above. Tenshi winced slightly as he heard the crunching sounds of both branches and bones. I guess that will teach them before bothering any more villagers… Rellgar did not bother returning to Tenshi before the Uchiha released his summon. The dragon disappeared in another puff of smoke. Now calmly walking past Ichiraku, Tenshi gave a smile and nod to Ramen Guy, who replicated the motion, a knowing look upon his face. I think I just earned myself some more free ramen later…

Pushing forward, Tenshi approached the centre of the village, passing a beautiful garden along the way, it contained a variety of vibrant flowers that caught his eye. He knew he was getting closer due to the noise that was amplifying as he approached. He had never heard it before, but he knew that this was the sound made by an angry mob. Turning the corner, he spotted the large crowd, Tenshi was shocked to see how many people there were. There weren’t just dozens, but hundreds of angry villagers. They were standing outside the Konoha Shinobi headquarters, fists in the air screaming at the building and those inside it.

There was no chanting or organisation at all, they were just out in force and they were out for blood. The only things he could make out from the noise were “Justice for Kroy!” and “Eye for an eye!” from those screaming. It appeared that this Kentara Amicci was more loved and respected than Tenshi originally thought. Her son was dead and half the village was in uproar. Speaking of Kentara, Tenshi began to scan the area, putting on his face mask as he did so. There were actually many tents pitched in the area, it was a large clearing with plenty of space. One of these tents was larger than the rest, it almost appeared as a mini headquarters in itself.

After watching for several minutes, Tenshi noted that people would often walk in with gifts or offerings, and leave without them. He deduced that people were walking in to offer their condolences to Kentara, before leaving to join the protests. Well then, that is my way in, time for a little chat with Mother Amicci. Before walking to the crowd, Tenshi turned around and returned to the garden he had seen earlier. He grabbed a large handful of red roses and pink tulips, ripping off a black strip from his shirt and wrapping the flowers in it. He took a moment to fix and appreciate his work of floristry, at least he had a back up job if being a Shinobi did not work out. Turning back to the protest, Tenshi made his way back to the mob, walking directly towards the largest tent.

As he approached the edge of the mob, a loud commotion came from his right, mere meters away from the entrance to the Shinobi headquarters. It appeared that a Genin had returned from a mission and stupidly tried entering through the front door. Tenshi witnessed as a large group of angry villagers began to chase the Genin, throwing rocks and other utensils at her as she ran for her life. He was glad to see that she did not fight back, the last thing they needed was a casualty right now… The distraction had actually worked to his benefit, the crowd in front of him had thinned a little bit and Tenshi used that moment to push through.

Tenshi was halted at the entrance to the tent by two large and armed men. They each held a two handed blade, although from their stances they were clearly not trained warriors. Most likely the mob had decided that the biggest people would do a good enough job of scaring away anyone thinking of attacking Kentara. “What are you here for, boy?” One asked Tenshi. Putting on a befuddled look, he showed the flowers and responded in a deliberately frustrated voice. “I am here to honour my deceased friend and offer my condolences to his mother. Now I would kindly ask you to get out of my way so I can do as much.” The guard was about to fire up until his accomplice stopped him. “Easy now, I’m sure the boy is even more upset than we are, he lost a friend after all. Go on lad, take your time in there.”

With a nod, Tenshi passed through, shocked that his little plan actually worked. He entered the large tent, his eyes taking a moment to adjust to the darker tones inside. Once they adjusted, Tenshi looked around. The interior of the tent was a simple black and grey colour scheme. There were several lanterns around the sides, dimly lighting up the room. At the back end was a shrine, with a picture frame of a young man’s face on top of it. That must have been Kroy, kneeling in front of it was an old woman, she looked to be in her late 50s. She was on her knees, praying silently at the shrine.

There was another large man between Tenshi and Kentara, his arms crossed and eyes narrowing at the sight of their new guest. “State your name and business in here, boy.” His tone was harsh, but not cruel. The man stood at least 6’4” and had muscles piling onto each other. However, Tenshi could tell that this was all there truly was to him. With a sigh, the Uchiha simply walked up to the larger man, whoever tensed up and prepared to swing at him in self defence. Before he could, however, Tenshi’s eyes activated and he cast his Sharingan Genjutsu on the brute. The man froze in place with his mouth wide open, before quickly falling to his knees and dropping toward the ground. Tenshi quickly grabbed the man by his collar before he landed, breaking his fall and avoiding alerting the guards outside.

Slowly setting the large man down, Tenshi continued walking forward, until he stopped behind Kentara. “Have you come to kill me as your brethren killed my son, Shinobi?” Her voice was cold, icy even, and there was venom behind her words. She spoke with a hatred that he felt in his very soul. This woman had lost her world to a Shinobi, so they all must feel her wrath. Before he spoke, Tenshi placed the flowers onto the shrine, next to portrait of Kroy. “No, I am not here for any reason other than to resolve this. My role is to protect this village and all those within it, even if they currently hate me as a Shinobi.” His words must have surprised Kentara, who raised her head, stood up and turned around to face him.

“Sorry if I look a little sceptical, but I find your words hard to believe. The way of the Shinobi is a violent one, you are all the same. Your accomplices picked a fight with some villagers and my boy tried to stop them from harming each other, and what did he get for it hmm? A kunai through the damned throat. For what? FOR WHAT? He wanted to help STOP the fighting. Yet he died. Died because your Shinobi friends could not help themselves by attacking defenceless people of this village. You said your role is to protect us, what were they doing then?”

This is starting to make sense now… A light bulb blinked in Tenshi’s mind, this had been a set up from the beginning. “Kentara, you said that your son was trying to stop a battle between Shinobi and defenceless villagers? It appears that you have been deceived. Not about your son no, I have no doubt in my mind that he was truly attempting to stop the fighting. But those people that battled my fellow Shinobi were not mere villagers. Those were in fact the criminals responsible for the fires caused this morning.”

Kentara gasped at his words, it seemed as if there were thousands of thoughts flying through her mind at once, so he went on. “What happened to your son was a tragedy and I am truly sorry for your loss. They say that no mother should outlive her children, but the truth is that nobody should have to feel the pain of loss. But you have and that will never truly be erased for you. I cannot ask you to simply forgive the Shinobi who struck your boy down, but what I will ask of you is to call the villagers off this witch hunt. And instead help me get to the bottom of this issue. Help me find the person who orchestrated the attack that led to your son’s needless death.” Tenshi took off his face mask and stuck out his hand, his face firm but eyes remained soft, the Sharingan had been deactivated.

After what felt like an eternity, Kentara sighed and finally grasped Tenshi’s hand. Her grip was firm, but not violent and the strong look on her face was replaced with a tired one. She had suffered enough and she knew this. “Very well, I accept. I will call them off and instead refocus on the issue at hand. We will find the perpetrators and bring down a mighty vengeance upon them. For the sake of my boy… Please come out with me, I want you to hear what I have to say.” Nodding Tenshi followed the lady out, stopping along the way to put a hand on the guard he had dropped, casting Genjutsu Release on him to wake him up, before continuing.

When the two of them finally exited the tent, the guards at either side straightened up at the sight of Kentara. Silence quickly spread through the area as people noticed she was in their presence. Looking around for a moment, Kentara finally spoke, her voice strong and booming to all within earshot. “My friends, my family. Please listen to what I have to say. This entire time we have been misled… My son was indeed slain at the hand of a Shinobi of the Leaf, HOWEVER, his death was orchestrated by another. He may not have been the specific target, but my boy was taken from me due to the actions of CRIMINALS. These are the same people who deliberately set fire to several buildings around the village. They used these flames as a distraction to spread the village’s resources and Shinobi thin.”

The entire crowd was dead silent, taking in every word she spoke, “I was wrong to set you against them, when the true enemy has been under our very noses this whole time. I ask that you no longer seek to harm the Shinobi of Konoha, instead, help me and my young friend here in a more important task!” Kentara motioned to Tenshi, who stood forward as she continued to speak. “This is Tenshi Uchiha, a Konoha Shinobi who infiltrated the tent behind me. At any moment, he could have struck me down and put an end to this conflict. But instead, he showed me his true colours, opting to work together and give me the truth about my son’s death. Tenshi is a TRUE Shinobi, a Shinobi OF THE PEOPLE! Help me, and help him. Help us get to the bottom of this by finding the real criminals who burnt our village, and killed my son!”

The crowd erupted in cheers and screams. Tenshi was taken aback when a very specific chant began to form in front of him. “HE OF THE PEOPLE! HE OF THE PEOPLE!” He did not know what to say, but he felt Kentara place her hand upon his shoulder. “They see you now for who you truly are. A true warrior of Konoha. You have their respect, as you have my own. I know you will get to the bottom of this. I put my faith in you Tenshi, as I’m sure that Kroy has.” The crowd continued to chant for Tenshi as he exited the area, he could not hide the grin that was smeared across his face. He had succeeded, and it felt damn good to be recognised…

Mission Accomplished

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WC: 3,868

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Claiming 6,000 Ryo
Claiming 30 AP

Using 1,714 WC to claim Time Dilation at A Rank from this post (161/1,875 -> 1,875/1,875) (2,154 WC left)
Using 1,313 WC to claim Singularity at max stats (841 WC left)
Using 841 WC towards Chrono Augment at max stats (841/1,875)

Approved