An Apple a Day... [Solo Mission]

Tatsuo was now a Genin, and that meant he was able to accept formal missions from the village. He expected something like guard duty, or intel gathering, something exciting! But as it turns out, his first mission was far more mundane.

"A check-up?" he said incredulously when the office messenger delivered the notice to him early that morning. "That's right. We must give you medical clearance to ensure that you're in top condition for your future missions. Your appointment is at 10 AM at the hospital, don't be late." The messenger then poofed into thin air, and Tatsuo sighed and returned to his room to get dressed.

"Why does it have to be doctors," the young boy grumbled as he trudged up the main street ten minutes later, dodging the pedestrians who had apparently decided to pack the place. He had despised checkups for as long as he could remember. There was just something about the hospital, the way it smelled of sterilizer, those latex gloves the doctors wore, the taste of tongue depressors and stabby needles and just the way he felt poked and prodded and violated...  Tatsuo shuddered and tried to take his mind off it. The quicker he got there, the quicker it would be over.

Stepping through the automatic doors of the hospital building, Tatsuo was hit with that hospital smell. Disgruntled, he walked up to the reception counter, standing on his tiptoes to see over it. There he saw a lady with bright blonde hair tied into buns busily clacking away at a computer with a pile of clipboards under her arm, her brown eyes turning to the boy when she saw his tiny nose propped on the edge of her counter. "Name?" she asked abruptly, causing Tatsuo to lower his heels back to the ground, staying slightly out of her view. "Uchiha Tatsuo," he muttered, listening as the clacking of keys resumed. "Ah, I have you down for a 10 o'clock. You can go and sit in the children's waiting area then, someone will call you shortly."

Following the woman's gesture, Tatsuo walked into the south bay. He was greeted by a room painted in colorful pastels, with plush seating and small sets of table and chairs scattered about, each with a brightly colored children's toy atop of it, most of them sitting untouched by the nervous tots clinging to their mothers. Tatsuo side-eyed some of the children, taking a seat on a large, overstuffed sofa by himself, keenly aware of how his legs dangled off the edge of it. Even with a shinobi headband, he was still just a child. Sighing, Tatsuo slumps against the arm of the chair, and waits for his name to be called.

"Uchiha Tatsuo?" he finally heard, and looked up to see a kind looking lady with pink hair, wearing a white nurse's cap. As she beckons him forward, Tatsuo gets up and follows her into the hall, where he is led to an exam room set up with a table and chair, as well as many jars and drawers full of medical equipment. First she led him onto a scale, taking note of his height and weight, clicking her pen when she was finished. "A healthy four feet two inches, forty-eight pounds even. Go ahead and undress down to your underwear, and have a seat on the table."

Blushing, Tatsuo reluctantly removes his shirt and shorts and sets them aside, hopping up onto the table and shivering slightly. The nurse smiles warmly, sitting on her stool in front of him. "I know it's a bit chilly in here, but we'll try and be quick. First, I'd like to listen to your lungs. I'm going to use my stethoscope on your chest and back, and I want you to take some deep breaths for me, okay?" Putting the stethoscope in her ears, she presses the cold metal to Tatsuo chest, and he gasps slightly at the chill, earning a sympathetic look from the nurse. He then starts to take several deep breaths, letting her listen from all angles, until she nods her head. "Very good, now your heartbeat... just relax and breathe normally." She rests the metal just above his heart then for a moment, listening intently before giving another affirming nod. "Tip top shape! Let me quickly take your blood pressure now. I'm going to put this cuff on your arm and inflate it so it gives you a good squeeze. It might be slightly uncomfortable, but it'll be over before you know it."

Slipping the cuff around Tatsuo's arm, she starts pumping it up, earning a grimace from Tatsuo while she takes the measurements. Releasing the air from the cuff, she puts it away, reaching over for a tongue depressor and returning to him with a smile. "You're doing brilliantly, Tatsuo. Next I need to have a look at your ears, eyes, nose and throat. Say 'ahhh' for me..." Tatsuo hated the tongue depressor. Sighing, he opens his mouth, letting the lady get a good look at his throat with her light. When she finally released his tongue, he made a face and pushed his tongue around his mouth, tying to get the weird wooden flavor off of it. The nurse wastes no time in finishing her examination, shining her light in Tatsuo's ears, up his nose, and carefully observing his eyes as she flashed the light across them, noting his pupil reactions. "Very good... your eyes are very responsive." Tatsuo wasn't surprised in the least by that, considering he could already activate his sharingan - but he said nothing.

Picking up a small rubber hammer, the nurse spent a moment checking the reflexes in his joints, seeming satisfied when each of his leg gives a kick and putting her instrument away, smiling at him. "Well done! You can go ahead and get dressed now. You seem to be in perfect health. Don't forget to come back every year for a check up, even if you're not sick!" Smiling politely, Tatsuo slides off the table and quickly grabs his clothes, dressing himself and checking out of the building, sighing in relief that that ordeal was over. Hopefully he wouldn't need to set foot in a hospital again for a long time.

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WC: 1,045
Mission Claims: 2,000 Ryo; 10 AP
WC Claims: +10 Stats (5 Vigor, 5 Chakra), 1000 WC toward Clan Pureblood (1150/3000)
Milestone Claims: "Novice Ninja" (1 D-Rank Jutsu Scroll)

Approved