All In A Day's Work

Missions:

The ring of the vibrating alarm clock jostling on the nearby night stand echoed through the small apartment unit, cutting through an ocean of loose paper, textbooks, and oddly cut pieces of fabric. Initially believing it to be part of her dream, Kanako turned to her side, mumbling something or other about a poorly cut piece of fabric. After about a minute, Kanako found it odd that her brain would decide to prioritize the most agonizing sound in the world while she was supposed to be resting. Oh, no... Is this a nightmare? Several seconds featuring constant tossing and turning, alongside a healthy heap of denial, passed by. Then, as if she had just been stung by something in her sleep, she jolted upwards. Now sitting upright in her bed, she rubbed crust out of her eyes and directed her gaze over at the source of the ringing. "Late as always, aren't I?"

Rushing through her typical morning routine, she rushed out of her apartment wearing a purple skirt with a white floral pattern and orange waistband trim and an orange crop top with the same white floral pattern. To her displeasure, Kanako's first step onto the street was met with the incessant heat of the sun pressing tightly against her skin, causing sweat to quickly begin forming. "At least I put on something cool...!" With that, she darted over to the designated location for the first mission of the day -- the main road in the Yamazakura District.

As she understood it, she was expecting someone to join her on all three of the day's missions. She wondered what type of person they could be, hoping that they were someone who didn't mind sharing their lunch. A smile crept across her face as she thought about eating the lunch someone else paid for, carelessly getting lost in a new dream before being interrupted by the growling of a stomach that had had no time for breakfast this morning. "Keep it down, will ya? I didn't wear this top so everyone could hear ya better!" She put her hand over her stomach as if she was attempting to muffle it.

Rushing through the village towards her location, her eyes were drawn to and from the surrounding greenery. Her mind ever working on new designs, a stroke of inspiration planted itself firmly in her brain. The trees have such a nice green this time of year... Maybe I'll... Yeah. In just those few seconds, she had already thought up several new designs. Before long, she could make out the name of the storefront she was told to meet in front of. She kicked her sprint into high gear, running over to the location like a woman possessed before gathering her strength and taking a long jump to the front of the store, striking a pose. "Aaaaaaand safe!" She looked around, both arms in the air while the civilians around her shot annoyed glances in her direction. "Tough crowd, I guess...," she snickered through her teeth, looking up at the sky while providing what little shade she could with her hand on her forehead.

WC: 521

Kana really thought she could've said goodbye to those E rank chores but the empty wallet and lack of interesting higher rank missions told her that she'd probably be stuck doing a few more of these missions going forward. She really hoped it wouldn't continue when she started reaching higher ranks, it would be embarrassing to be a jounin and get stuck with an E rank. At least this time she would have company, although who the hell it was gonna be, she couldn't say. She hoped it was Gunshin. At least then the two could complain about how boring these missions were together. Regardless, Kana went about her morning routine, calm and orderly, eating a decent enough breakfast of eggs, hash browns and toast before putting on her usual blue dress with a purple ribbon tied around her back, simple, effective and didn't get in her way when fighting.

She really wished that the missions were better however, she had carelessly picked whatever random missions she could find and was paying the price now that she read them closer. Paper work, babysitting some brats and then throwing away perfectly good tea for some stupid tradition or whatever? It was going to be hell to go through and the weather reflected it as the sun bore down at her back as she made her way toward the meeting point, as if the day itself was confirming today was going to suck. That's when she spotted a woman running through the street, right toward where Kana was supposed to be meeting someone and she watched with a feeling of mounting dread as the girl struck a pose and declared she was "safe" to the annoyance of the other people trying to go about their day.

Kana quietly debated the pros and cons of walking past her and pretending she forgot she took on the missions for today. Alas, that probably wouldn't do her any favors with the higher ups and so with a heavy sigh, Kana walked up toward the taller and older girl, she had a full foot over Kana and was in far greater shape, probably a fighter if she had to based purely on looks. "Hi. I'm Kana. it seems like I'm going to be your partner for today." She'd introduce herself with a simple nod and a small bow, choosing to play it safe and be formal despite the woman's earlier antics. Someone had to be formal for the clients after all.

WC: 415
MWC: 936

Sometimes the fates intervene and today was one of those days. Gun had come out to buy some ninja tools, but only had enough ryo to buy a single tanto. While the genin had hoped to purchase more tools and was a little saddened by her inability to afford more tools, she was still excited to get home to train with her new toy. She had no formal training with a sword yet, but she was looking forward to practicing with it nonetheless. As she exited the shop, Gun saw Kana dressed for duty and wondered what she was up to. She was about to yell out to her when she saw Kana step up to another female, then seemingly introduced herself. Gun was more curious than she should have been and decided to interrupt the meeting. She rushed down the sidewalk at a full sprint, sliding to a stop just a foot away from Kana. She was sure her action would draw some attention, but she wasn't too concerned about all that.

"Hey Kana." Gun said to the genin who had been students with Gun through the academy. They had developed quite the friendship and remained friends to this day. Gun looked to Kanako, not sure if she should introduce herself or even how to go about it. She nodded to her instead,, hoping Kana would take the lead and introduce her if that was needed.

WC: 238
Mission WC: 1174

It was only a few moments before Kanako was joined by one of her apparent partners. A girl of much smaller stature approached her, introducing herself by the name of Kana before delivering a slight bow. "Hey, we're the same rank so there's no need for all that bowin'," Kanako said through a bright smile. "Plus, our names sound similar, so let's be friends! I'm Kanako. Nice to meet'cha~!" Kanako threw up a peace sign as she introduced herself, squinting her eyes as her smile widened to cover most of her face. The better look she got of her, the more Kanako realized just how much smaller Kana was than her. She put her hand on her chin and looked towards the sky, giving off the impression that she was pondering something critical before putting her hand on her forehead and moving it back and forth over the much smaller girl. Kanako leaned over, her face now much closer to Kana's height. "Say, you're real small, huh?" It was only a matter of time before Kanako's teasing manifested itself in some way. "Bet it'd be fun to make some clothes for you. What d'ya think?"

Just a minute after her initial introductions with Kana, another new face approached her -- another much smaller girl, as fate would have it. It was immediately apparent that the two girls knew each other, seeing as how one greeted the other by name. Kanako looked over their exchange curiously, digging through her mental archives to try and remember if the mission briefing had mentioned one or two additional partners. Her thought process was promptly interrupted as the unnamed girl nodded after making eye contact with Kanako. "Ah, man. I'll stick out like a sore thumb bein' this much taller than both of you," she said while rubbing the back of her head and leaning on her backfoot with her other hand resting on her hip. "The name's Kanako, by the way." The heat was already getting to Kanako and their day had just started. She ran her hand across her forehead, wiping sweat away before shaking her hand off to the side.

Post WC: 357
Total WC: 878
Mission WC: 1,531

Kanako, huh? Memories of her old life with the old lady played through her mind as she tried to remember what she could about the old lady, mainly trying to remember if there was any other kids around, Kanako seemed like she had least had half a decade over Kana so she definitely should've seen or remembered another older kid, although she felt certain she would remember green hair like Kanako's. It was probably just a funny coincidence and nothing more, it wasn't like Kana was the only one who had the name, let alone variations of it. Plus who the fuck would name their kids something so similar anyways? Instead Kana refocused on the present, watching as Kanako seemed equally lost in thought, a bit of a surprise considering the lady's earlier antics. Maybe that was just an odd occasion, excitement for her first mission or something.

Then she gestured toward the height difference and Kana's eyes narrowed. She was already the smallest in the class, she didn't escape from the academy just to be made fun of her height by grown adults as well, it wasn't her fault that she didn't get to eat right growing up. And then the bitch had the audacity to lean down toward her and comment about the small height she had, Kana's silver eyes glanced at the lady's knees. One swift kick. That's all it would take. One swift kick and they'd see who's taller then. Although the lady's offer to make clothes did pacify Kana a bit, even if she felt certain the older lady would decide to treat Kana more as a doll and dress her up in ridiculous outfits. Regardless, more clothes wasn't exactly an option Kana could afford to turn down. "I could use some more clothes anyways...." She'd grumble as she looked away from the taller girl, choosing to spare herself from looking at Kanako's reaction.

However, that's when Gunshin of all people who appear, Kana looking over in surprise as she watched her friend run through the streets toward her and stopping before her. Was this mission supposed to be a three person job? Kana's eyes slid over toward Kanako who seemed equally confused, but it wasn't like Kana needed all of the ryo they'd be earning today, she'd split her share with Gunshin if necessary. "Gunshin! What are you doing here?" She'd happily begin to talk to her friend, content to forget about the older lady for a moment. "Are you here for the missions as well? I was just meeting my partner for today, this is Kanako!" Kana would keep speaking, unable to contain her excitement as she introduced the meek girl to Kanako, gesturing toward the older woman who was musing about height difference between herself and the two younger Genin but seemed to catch the cue to introduce herself. "Kanako, this is Gunshin. She's my friend from the academy!" She'd begin to introduce Gunshin toward the older lady as well, gently pushing her forward to formally introduce herself to Kanako.

WC: 508
TWC: 923
MWC: 2,039

"Gunshin! What are you doing here? Are you here for the missions as well? I was just meeting my partner for today, this is Kanako!"

"Ah, man. I'll stick out like a sore thumb bein' this much taller than both of you. The name's Kanako, by the way." Gun had to admit, Kanako was remarkably tall, especially compared to the 2 shorter genin. She nodded again, as if that somehow meant that Gun had received the woman's name and all was well between the two of them.

"Kanako, this is Gunshin. She's my friend from the academy!"

Gun looked back and forth as the two spoke, to each other, to themselves and to her. She wasn't even sure how to respond. She turned to Kana first, answering the question she'd originally asked "Missions?! No! I was just shopping, see I got a tanto!" Gun proceeded to pull the tanto from her hip, spinning the sheathed weapon in her hands as if showing it off to her friend. Despite the short weapon, Gun was still proud of herself for having bought it.

She then took the cue from Kana's gentle pushing as she turned toward Kanako properly. "Good day, I am Gunshin Juunan, genin of Sakuragakure no Sato." Her voice was a bit softer than just a moment ago when she'd been speaking to Kana, but it was certainly loud enough for the other genin to have heard her. Gun wasn't sure what rank Kanako was, so she was trying to be slightly more formal. She would hate to offend someone of a higher rank than herself, especially so soon in her shinobi career.

It then dawned on Gun where they were and her head cocked to the side, about 45 degrees before slowly rotating towards Kana. Her eyes narrowed, practically squinting at the girl she called a friend. "A mission..." she said, her voice trailing off as if expecting Kana to know what she was thinking. "More?" was her simple question, knowing that Kana would know what she was talking about. They'd been friends long enough and they knew each other pretty well so Gun was pretty sure Kana would know what she was talking about.

Despite the response, Gun would think for a second and then say "I have time, if you two want help?"

WC: 386
TWC: 624
MWC: 2,425

Kanako looked over at the two's brief exchange, plastering her face with a warm smile aimed at Gunshin upon their introduction at the hands of Kana. From what Kanako could gather, the two of them must be fairly close friends to so quickly jump into conversation the way they did. Naturally, the conversation quickly shifted towards their order of business for the day -- a series of missions, the first of which involved being a glorified traffic conductor. Kanako wasn't particularly looking forward to taking on any of the missions on her slate today, but she had ran her pockets dry during her last fabric buying spree. She desperately needed the money and was in no position to be taking any days off. Luckily, it would seem as if the work load was about to become significantly lighter.

"Hey, now. You sure know how to make friends quickly, Gunshin!" Kanako patted the smaller girl on her back with a hefty swing of her palm. "I'm not the type to turn down some help with busy work, after all." A smile appeared on her face once again, this time much more devilish than the last. Kanako looked left and right, taking note of the heavy traffic that was crossing the in every direction on this hot, busy morning. A deep breath, followed by an exaggerated exhale could be heard escaping from Kanako's nose. "I wonder how long we'll have to stand here before gettin' in on some action, though."

As if jinxing the entire situation, an elderly woman approached the three of them shortly following Kanako's venting. She could hardly make out the woman's request for help through her soft, frail voice. A puzzled look appeared on Kanako's face before deciding to kneel over to hear the woman repeat her inquiry. Sure am minglin' with a whole lot of half-pints today, aren't I? Kanako chuckled to herself as the thought crossed her mind.

Turns out the elderly woman needed help finding the general shinobi shop around here, muttering something about wanting to get her grandson a birthday present. After listening to her brief explanation, Kanako explained the route to the store as straightforward as she could. Thankfully, the shop wasn't too far away and the woman seemed to understand Kanako's direction, walking off with a tender smile while waving back at the three of them. Kanako waved back, her hand on her hip. "If ya' get lost you can find us right here, granny!" Kanako's shouting was unnecessarily loud, grabbing the attention of the citizens around them. She turned to the two other shinobi and gave them a thumbs up, as if to confirm her own good work. "Not bad, huh? Why don't you guys take the next one while I take a well-earned break?" Kanako's playful side was heating up as the time ticked on by, paying little mind to how her companions for the day would handle her incessant teasing.

WC: 502
Total WC: 1,380
Mission WC: 2,927

Kana watched with a soft smile on her face as she watched Gunshin show off her tanto, Kana's own tanto was left behind at her place in the barracks, she strongly doubted she would need it for any of these missions so she was content to be left without her own blade for the time being but she would totally show Gunshin hers later on and maybe try to duel her so they can both test their abilities with a sword. That same soft smile persisted as Gunshin introduced herself to the older lady, it was simple, formal and fitting for the shy girl and Kanako didn't seem to be put off by it, it was good enough for Kana to call it a win in her book.

Then the missions came to mind. Gunshin's almost accusing eyes slid toward her and while Kana might've took it as a challenge, she knew better with the usually meek girl, it was probably something out of concern or whatever silly nonsense went through her mind. Stupid girl. "Yeah, you know me.... Gotta get strong somehow." Kana would admit with a small grin on her face, trying to keep her face from flushing and stop the warmth in her chest from spreading or intensifying. Upon the offer to join the duo for their missions, Kanako beat her to the punch of accepting but Kana nodded alongside the taller girl nonetheless, excited to have Gunshin tagalong, the company would be nice even if she would have to split up her own pay with the girl. She knew Gunshin would agree to help them and frankly speaking, she would probably be the best at the next mission they had in mind, babysitting was the one mission Kana was dreading the most and she somehow doubted that Kanako would fare any better than herself.

Speaking of missions, it seemed now was the time that people would start coming along to ask questions and get directions from the trio, an old lady approaching and Kanako chose to speak to them, directing down the street and sending the small old lady off to wherever she wanted to go. And then promptly declared herself to be on break. Before Kana could even open her mouth to say anything, another person approached them and Kana offered herself as the guide for this one, listening as the teenager who was probably a year older than herself said he needed to find the intelligence building, and rambled about some random mission he had done that he thought the higher ups should know about, most of it tuned out as Kana recalled just where exactly the building was within the village.

"It's further down south, near the main admin building in the center of the village, smaller one to the right." Kana would tell the teen with a plastic smile as he stopped his rambling and begun to thank her a lot, the teen seemed oddly nervous but it wasn't really Kana's problem. Still, she wished he would just leave, another person was approaching and as much as she'd like to handle that one as well, it probably wouldn't look good if she ignored this guy or told him to fuck off, so it seemed Gunshin would have to handle that one.

WC: 549
TWC: 1,472
MWC: 3,476

Gun wasn't sure why, but the smile on Kanako's face seemed a little unnerving. She seemed nice enough, but there was definitely something more to this woman that Gun hadn't figured out yet. And when Kanako smacked her on the back while saying, "Hey, now. You sure know how to make friends quickly, Gunshin!", Gun was noticeably shaken. It wasn't that she had some sort of negative reaction to being touched, it was just that she hadn't been expecting the physical interaction from a relative stranger. Her words also seemed to be mocking, but Gun wasn't sure if she was just misreading Kanako's tone.

"I'm not the type to turn down some help with busy work, after all."

Gun smiled in response to this, knowing that these blasted E rank missions were nothing but busy work. But this time, Gun was sure she saw a devilish smile spread across Kanako's face. It was different than Kana's harsh glares which usually said 'don't fuck with me'. Kanako's smile felt like more it was saying "fucking with you is fun'. Before she had a chance to figure out the Amazon in front of her, she began assisting an older woman find her way. Gun turned to Kana, ready to start whispering and asking if she was just imagining things. Unfortunately, Kana had also started assisting someone, a boy not much older than they were. Perturbed, she turned back to Kanako just in time to see a man coming up to her. Kanako had declared herself on break, so the man had made his way to Gun. She wasn't super pleased with this, but she tried to smile at the man and listen to where he was going.

As she listened, her face was overcome with a look of worry. It had taken her that long to realize that the man would want her to answer his plea for directions, verbally. Gun didn't really like talking to strangers, acquaintances, or anyone besides Kana and her mother. She knew it was part of the mission, but she glanced at the other two genin for help, but seeing that Kana was busy and Kanako was 'breaking', Gun took a big gulp and then opened her mouth to speak. "It, uhh,..." She stumbled over her own words, trying to get them out. Finally, she realized he was just going around the corner, so she just began walking that way. With a little wave, she indicated that he should follow her. It wouldn't take long and might also force Kanako to do a little more work. Gun would walk to the corner and then she could point at the building that he needed to find. This is definitely not the type of mission I enjoy, she mused to herself as she made her way back to the other 2 genin. She wasn't sure what the next mission was, but she hoped they could move onto it soon.

WC: 490
TWC: 1114
MWC: 3966

After a few more minutes with Gun and Kana doing most of the work, a familiar voice called out "Gun! Oh, hey Kana!" Gun's mother had a fondness for the scarred genin that had befriended her only daughter: the two seemed to be good for each other and Gun had been much happier and lively ever since her and Kana had become friends. Gun's mother had been moving quickly down the street towards the trio of genin, only slowing as she got to them "I gotta go to work, even though it was supposed to be my day off!" She rushed by before stopping and turning back to them "Couple of my coworkers got sick, but the real emergency is that some academy student's fireball hit the bar and now its on fire! You girls could really help if you came with me?!"

Gun looked at Kana then back to her mom and then back at Kana "I'm gonna go. We might need a medic." Gun's eyes twinkled; she was glad to have an excuse to get out of these busywork missions. In truth, she wasn't even assigned to do these missions so it was not a big deal for her to rush off to help her mom. Kana, on the other hand, was assigned the missions and she couldn't just abandon the mission, but Gun had now given Kana a credible reason to leave Kanako on her own. The karma of the girl who didn't want to work being left alone to do all the work wasn't lost on Gun, but more importantly, keeping Sakura's citizens safe seemed much more important than helping them find their way around.

Seeing Kana's face, Gun called out "Sorry Kanako, you're on your own from here on!"

WC: 294
TWC: 1408
Mission: 4260

[Exit]