Executive Manual Labor

Mission Details:

Hestia has just recently graduated as a Genin and finished her first mission where she was paired up with a boy from the uchiha clan. Since then, they have never met. The Senju wanted to complete another mission since it has been some time since she has made any progress. The black haired girl was a type that does things at her own pace and doesn't like to be forced on anything. Unfortunately, the shinobi system in her country wasn't something to be toyed with as she would find out later. "Hestia!!! You got a mail from the mission office, come down!" her mother would yell out at the sleeping kunoichi.  The Senju woke up in shock and ran down, not really understanding what she heard. "What is it mom ?! Why are you shouting in the morning" she would reply with a yawn. "You received a mail, you sleepyhead" her mother would say while laughing and handing the envelope to the young girl.

The girl ripped the envelope's top part and retrieved the letter inside. "OMG! So many missions ?! ... AAaaahhh!" she would make noise. Hestia had to complete a series of missions in an order and there might be others that would be joining her. The first mission stated for her to be at the Kirigakure Bank at 8pm and it was 7.30pm currently. "Omg I'm gonna be late!" she would rush up to her room, shower and adorned her attire and rushed out. By the time she reached the bank, it was 7.58pm. From there, she would go into the general office and greet the officers. The bank officers told her to take a seat at the lobby as there were others that might be joining her. She took out the mission letter, "Easy! Just patrol and make sure nothing happens" as she waited for her fellow teammates.

WC: 311
TWC: 311
TMWC: 311/2500

Posted on wrong account

As the black haired girl waited a bit, a boy with messy pink hair entered the lobby and introduced himself as Kai and called her a student. Hearing this, Hestia stood up with a grin on her face, "My name is Hestia Senju, a Genin not a student" she would say seriously, while adjusting her long hair. She didn't take it to heart, but she has always been the grumpy cat type. She wanted to take charge of the missions, even though she could sense that he was way stronger than her. She had an instinct for these kinds of things. "Let's begin the patrol, we'll move along the perimeter together and make a full circle around the bank, that should suffice. Don't think anyone would dare steal anything in Kirigakure" she would say in a firm voice. If he would agree, they would begin their walk.

Once they begin walking, Hestia would ask a few questions, "You do look strong for your age, have you been training much? What do you usually train for?" she would ask, this time with a calmer voice, she was genuinely interested. She hasn't been training much and wanted to see if there was any insight he could provide, so she could use it for herself. Knowing that she came from the clan that could use the Wood element, was a big advantage for her, but she had yet to master any of them, unlike her mother who was quite good at it.

While Kai might answer the questions, she would glance over to his two different sized swords on his hips and contemplate if she wants a specialized weapon for her as well. Having a weapon that complimented her was on her mind and wanted to know more. "Nice swords!" she would laugh nervously. Hestia hasn't made any friends and wasn't around kids much of her childhood since the passing of her father, hence the weird up and down tone that she brings.

WC: 330 | TWC: 641 | TMWC: 1141/2500

[This should have been posted prior to Hestia last post. Was posted on incorrect account]

Kai wandered through the village and headed towards another mission at the bank though thankfully this time it simply involved patrolling the grounds and ensuring no one tried to break in. The idea was almost amusing to Kia that someone would be bold enough to try and he could not imagine anyone that would be foolhardy enough to tray and steal from the villages bank for money alone. He had been out training most the day and so had not received the letter instructing him of a series of impromptu missions until almost the last minute. He had carried out several of the missions himself many times whilst serving as a long standing student and so had no complaints about doing them again. What made this particular series of missions interesting was that they had paired him up with a new student whereas usually they were happy to let him work alone. Kai wondered if perhaps this was some form of test or acknowledgement of his passing the test but he could not be sure. For now he would meet with he student and do his best to assist them in their task. Now that he had finally passed the genin exam he need not view students as rivals but the feeling was still hard to shake but Kai was resolved to do his best and work well with he student to the best of his ability.

He arrived at the bank a little later than usual and strolled in without too much haste. He was known to the bank managers and nodded to them as he approached. He recognised most of them by scent and footfall but waited until he heard their voice acknowledging his presence before speaking. “Apologies for being late, I had been away and only just received my order upon returning home. I believe there should be another person working with me today is that correct? Have they arrived?” Kai already knew the answer as his passive chakra sensory picked up an unfamiliar signature waiting in the next room. “Yes she is just in the lobby, awaiting your arrival I believe.” Kai nodded his head again in thanks and headed towards the lobby and entered, approaching the student who sat waiting.

Kai’s appearance was distinctive and unmissable, with his pink messy hair as well as the matching pink haori covered in embroidered plum blossoms including the symbol of his clan over the left breast of the jacket. He looked at her with an eyeless scarred face and a wide grin on his face. On his left hip he wore two swords, one noticeably shorter than the other and on the other hip hung his Kirigakure headband though the cloth was a pink that matched his clothing and hair rather than the usual blue. “I presume you are the student who I will be assisting with on your missions this evening? My Name is Kaikoss Blossom but you can call me Kai. May I know your name?”

WC: 500  TWC: 500 TMWC: 811/2500

“Ah apologies, I must have mis read the instructions as you can see I have trouble picking up on visual cues. I will certainly remember you from now on Hestia Senju.” Kai bowed deeply towards his fellow genin, feeling genuinely bad that he had made the mistake of thinking they were  a student. “It seems everyone I meet recently is from a prestigious clan but I believe you are the first of the Senju I have met.”

Kaikoss allowed Hestia to take the lead on the patrol and followed her out. “As you wish. I agree it would be strange for someone to try and rob the bank of a hidden village but I suppose that is why they allow students and genin to carry out the patrols. If someone strong enough to sneak into the village and rob the bank did come I doubt it would be easy to stop them though we might be able to raise the alarm I suppose.” As they continued to walk the perimeter the question caught Kai off guard. “Thank you. I mostly have trained basic fitness but most of my time spent has been training my sensory abilities as well as adapting to my lack of eyesight. It has some surprising benefits. Now that I have finally graduated the academy I have been focusing on learning weaponry techniques and I think I have been making some progress. It took me song long to graduate so I am eager to make up for lost time.” Kai did not turn his head to look at the genin but could easily detect her presence and chakra with his senses. “What is your specialty may I ask? You carry a tanto but usually one specialising in weaponry would also carry something a little more robust I would think. Then again, there is no reason you could not perform many techniques with a tanto.”

Kai listened to whichever response she chose to give, his ever present smile seeming to not waver at all. “Thank you, they are nothing particularly special but certainly better than nothing, once I have learned more techniques and grown in skill I will look to expand my repertoire  of weapons and perhaps even dabble in forging them. I have always liked working with my hands, proving that I can still accomplish good works thought admittedly it takes a little while to learn such skills." Kai brushed the flowery embroidery of his haori with his fingers as he spoke. The motion seemed similar to how some might comfort themselves. “You sound tense. I hope you do not find my appearance too off putting. I understand it would be for some but you have nothing to fear from me, I tended to keep my company until recently and I worry that perhaps I have gained a reputation for being aloof, cold or perhaps simply unapproachable. I do not want people in the village to think that necessarily though it is true I do enjoy time to myself.”

As they patrolled another pair of genin approached for the next shift and Kai gave a polite bow before turning to his teammate for the night. “Which mission would you like to carry out next? I will let you take the lead but it would perhaps be best to ensure we have removed the excess sand before the village begins to awaken. The shopkeeper sin particular get very irritable if there is sand outside their doors. I am not quite sure why this surprises them considering the villages location though.” Kai shrugged and awaited Hestia’s decision. They still had plenty of night time left and the village had just begun to finally enter its sleeping period as Kai referred to it, giving way to the night time sounds and creatures that carried out their business in the dark hours.

WC:641 TWC: 1,141 TMWC: 1,782/2500

The Senju felt bad when Kai apologized, but she didn't want to make a scene out of it. She felt at ease with him, since he appeared to be very down to earth and sincere. As they walked along their patrol Kai exposed his issue with his eyesight, when she thought it was just a scar. She was in shock that he couldn't see, but behaved like a normal person with eyesight, the Senju was super impressed. "Wow, that is surprising news, especially since you have been behaving like you could see everything perfectly all along. It must have been a tough experience. But then, the scar looks good on you, giving you the bad boy vibe, I like it" she would reply with a giggle. Then the boy asked the specialty of Hestia, "I specialize in Ninjutsu. I carry the tanto just for a show or if I need it, nothing special. Since I come from the Senju clan, I have a massive pressure from my mother to master the wood element techniques, which I have yet to do so" she would reply in a soft manner.

As the boy brushed his flowery embroidery, she was curious about its origin. "I've never heard of the Blossom clan before. I assume the clan specializes in weaponry as well ? Also don't worry, I kinda like you, also its not like I have a lot of friends anyway. When you are stronger, you should get the nickname Scarface, would suit that bad boy look of yours!" she would say laughing and pinching his cheeks. This was the first time she had made a friend or that is what she would think. Even though they both were Genins, she felt safe with him.

"Yeah sure, let's go ahead with removing the sand. I've always heard complaints from the shopkeepers whenever I walk past them, they always talk so loudly, it's annoying" Hestia would say with a grumpy face. Once they reached their destination, they would begin sweeping the floors with the brooms laid outside the shop. "This isn't a mission for a ninja at all" she would say with a frown on her face. While sweeping, she would purposely sweep the sand towards the side of Kai, just to annoy him while laughing. That moment she realized, she was actually having fun with someone, unlike her childhood, that was just boring. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I am acting like a child here" she would say, correcting her attitude. "Do I like him or what the hell, I've never behaved like this before" she would think to herself, nearly breaking the broom by holding it so tightly.

WC: 445 | TWC: 1018 | TMWC: 2227/2500

Kai was not quite certain how to respond to Hestia’s compliment, and so chose to simply not draw attention to it directly and instead respond to her first comment. “It took a long time and a lot of practice but my other senses adapted to pick up the slack. Theres a lot that most people do not realise they can sense, a number of scents and sounds that get filtered out too easily. I just learned to focus on everything I could perceive and build an image in my head. Training my sensory abilities only made me better at it as well. In some ways I probably hear and feel what’s around me more acutely than most regular people do. Proof perhaps that there is some balance in the world.” Kai had decided to not comment on the compliment but his mind kept coming back to that point and niggled at him like a pinprick on his thoughts.

“I can’t say I have heard anyone refer to my scars in that way before but thank you.” Kai shrugged when she mentioned her difficulty with mastering the wood release.  “I doubt it is easy for many people to learn such a mythical and complex element such as wood. I am sure it is a beautiful thing however, the ability to create life wherever you go. I cannot understand the pressures you are placed under but I know about patience and perseverance. You might be surprised what results you can find if you try and learn something for yourself and not just because you are expected to do so.”

Kai was assaulted by a serious of questions and comments and he pieced each one together, preparing his mental responses and choosing his words carefully. His smile remained and he touched the clan symbol on the left breast of his haori lightly. “Truthfully, I do not know much about my clan at all. I know the symbol and I remember the smell of plum blossom but not much else really. I believe we are what is considered a scattered clan and I have never met any other members. I do not know precisely what my clan specialised in but I believe I am close to grasping the fundamentals to our hidden techniques. All I know for certain is that there is a kind of energy within me, separate to chakra somehow but I have not yet learned to master it. For some reason I think it may be connected to the smell of plum blossoms but I am not certain why. It could simply be a trick of my memories. I hope to find out in time if I ever meet another of my clan.”

Kai suffered a little whiplash again as he processed the compliment which was immediately contrasted with the fact that Hestia’s said she had few friends and Kai was uncertain if it meant that he was also an outcast and that was why she liked him or if the two points were not entirely related. “Thank you, I should introduce you to my… friend Jiraijin. He is from the Hozuki clan and speaks his mind frequently and without restraint. Personally I prefer bluntness, pity is an ugly emotion, and none worse than self pity, it drags you down and lets you make excuses rather than taking the steps necessary to improve the situation as best you can. Talking to you, Jiraijin and my other friend Ichikai is … I suppose refreshing is the best word to describe it. You should meet Ichikai as well she is an Uchiha so I am sure she can understand the responsibility that comes with being born into a clan with such a grand history.”

Kai chuckled despite himself and sighed. “I am not certain epithets work like that, I believe they are usually given but I cannot deny that the nickname would be accurate and would be easy to remember if they saw me.” It took a strong force of will to not forcefully break the contact when she touched his cheeks and his ever present smiled dropped as he gritted his teeth, unable to hide a small flinch. He raised his hands and moved hers from his face gently. “Sorry, I am not accustomed to being touched by others, especially not on my face.” Kai reflected just had been several years since anyone had really touched his face, not since Hana passed at the very least. It was a strange feeling and the scent of her hands lingered for a short while even after they had been removed.

Kai joined Hestia in sweeping the sand though his usual method would seemingly fall to the side as he followed Hestia’s lead. He noticed that she had been brushing sand across onto his path but did not comment on it and simply swept it away as she commented on her less than enthusiastic enjoyment of the mission. “Perhaps that is the purpose of this mission, to teach patience and to give a sense of duty to the village. The life of a ninja is not always dangerous missions I understand but even a small thing like sweeping sand helps to further improve the village. At least that’s what I think. I often find it a relaxing task, especially at night.” Whilst Hestia considered his words he quickly brushed a small pile of sand back onto her side. It was nice to spend time with people who seemed to genuinely enjoy and embrace life. He felt a slight warmth creep over him but kept it under control. It would not do well to lose himself too much but there was nothing wrong with enjoying himself in controlled ways. “There is no need to apologise for enjoying yourself or having fun, better than be sullen and cut yourself off from your emotions.” Kai felt no small amount of annoyance at himself for saying something so hypocritical but then his path to success did not to be everyone’s and was certainly not the only way to achieve a goal. He would rather the people he liked enjoy themselves and live in the moment. They were all still young after all.

Kai worked diligently as he cleared up the remaining sand and began scooping it into sacks as Hestia’s continued brushing the sand into piles. “Looks like that’s another job done. What did you want to do next? I believe we still have a few missions to complete and the we still have some time before the sun will begin to rise I would say.” As he spoke, he sniffed the air and cocked his head a little like a dog listening intently.

WC:1116  TWC: 2,257 TMWC: 3343/2500

Kai had a way of talking, he assured Hestia regarding his comment on her wood release mastery. He was a kind soul, even without sight, he could see the Senju's pressure on her. She was also intrigued by the other kind of energy within him, "That must be cool having an inner energy" she replied. He then begins speaking about his friends Jiraijin and Ichikai whom she hasn't met. "So far I only made one friend, Rudra, he's also an Uchiha but didn't meet him after a mission. Hopefully we all can meet together somehow" she laughed.

The boy had a stern voice when conveying the message of duty of the village. She really liked the way he was, the way he would be shy around him. Once they completed clearing the sands, he would speak regarding their next mission. She took out the mission sheet from her pocket and read it, "Looks like we gotta do some food delivery for the hounds that were kept by the First Mizukage" she would say unenthusiastically. They would begin their walk to the docks, waiting on the arrival of shipment. Once the ship docked, they would check the meat boxes and then each of them would carry a huge box that contained the meat. From there, in the night, they would keep walking towards the Kirigakure's Maximum Penitentiary and Intelligence Agency, where they would be stopped by the guards and only allowed entry after showing their credentials. "This place has a strong sense of security, feels like we are being watched, do you feel the same?" she would ask, since he had the sensory specialty.

Once they were at the location of the hounds, both of them would begin throwing the meat gently towards the hungry hounds. The hounds look big and ferocious, but in a tamed manner. "I've always wanted a pet as well. Having a companion alongside you would be great for travels and also as a chat buddy. Do you have one?" she would ask curiously. Once they completed feeding the hounds, they would leave the Maximum Penitentiary. "We have two more missions to complete. Let's start by helping the chemist first, then we can call it a day with cleaning the monument, that way we can see the sunrise at a tall and clear view" she would say, smiling gently towards him. “What do you say Kai? Shall we see the sunrise together?” she would giggle.

WC: 408 | TWC: 1426 | TMWC: 4769/2500

Kai shrugged at the comment. “It is definitely interesting, once I have learned to use it I can tell you how useful it actual is but I am sure it must have a purpose and puzzling it out will be an interesting experience. I don’t think I have had the pleasure of meeting Rudra, I am sure that everyone will meet up at some point. From what I understand many missions require mixing and matching of various shinobi. I am sure we will end up meeting most the ninja in the village eventually.”

Hi smile wavered slightly at the mention of the hounds before returning again. “Ah yes, the first Mizukage’s hounds. We best be careful not to fall in then, I imagine they miss the particular tastes they were raised on.” Kai didn’t say anything but feeding the hounds was one of his least favourite tasks to complete in the mission. They assaulted his senses with loud barks, strong scents and the sound of them tearing at the flesh made it difficult to disassociate Kai’s knowledge of how they were trained and what they were used for from the sounds he heard. With only mental imagery to rely on it made for an unpleasant experience, especially since the only image of bodies he could conjure were those of his parents and with that image always came the masked figure. Hestia also did not seem overjoyed by the mission so Kai felt it best not to add to the feeling of unease and pushed down his discomfort to reach a state of calm indifference. “Well lets go feed some honoured dogs then.”

The smell of the raw meat was difficult to ignore as Kai carried the box and he did his best not to let it show. Hestia’s comment actually made him laugh out loud in a single gasped guffaw. “Sorry, yes be are without doubt being watched and not just by the guards.” Kai formed the seal of confrontation after shifting the box in his arms a little and sensed several more chakra signatures pop up around the pair of them that he was unable to see using his passive senses. “I count at least seven more guards that appear to be suppressing their chakra and trying to hide their signatures. I imagine there are more that can even fool my chakra sensory as well. I am not exactly a master of the sensory techniques but they tend to be the best at hiding as well. Not too unsurprising though considering the calibre of criminals that are kept here. You would be surprised how many ‘civilians’ in the village are masking their chakra signatures in order to blend in. I was quite surprised when I discovered it myself and I make a habit of wandering around actively sensing chakra now just to try and figure out if anyone I know is secretly a ninja or at least if they were.”

They threw the meat into the pit and Kai’s nose wrinkled at the smell and the sound of tearing flesh. He took smooth shallow breaths to dispel the mental images forming in his mind. It took him a few seconds to register what he had been asked by Hestia. “I had a pet rat once, found it when it was young, left in the rain and lost in the mist. I took it home and cared for it. Hana was not impressed at first but she liked him as well. He was a good pet and my first friend if you didn’t count Hana but that was very different. His name was Mr Whiskers and he had a good run all things considered. I was pretty sad after he passed and didn’t really want another pet after that. I don’t like the idea of something having to rely on me to eat, be happy or to live. I do not believe I could devote the time required and so its better I simply do not have a pet.” The sound of gnashing jaws rang out in his ears again once he stopped talking and so Kai decided to try and make light of the situation. “You could always ask if the guards are open to the first Mizukage hounds is available to adopt? I am sure they are well trained and it would certainly garner respect from the villagers. Or fear perhaps. I know I would be nervous around someone they followed.”

They headed towards the chemist and Kai responded to Hestia’s query after considering it, again she reminded him strongly of his first interactions with Jiraijin at the academy and was uncertain if it was a jest or she had forgotten he was blind. The latter seemed unlikely and so he took it as what he hoped was a good natured joke. Kai responded with an equally light and airy tone. “I am afraid that won’t be possible and I will not be watching the sunrise with you.” He paused before continuing for dramatic effect. “I would be happy to join you as you watch it rise though. the mist does feel a little thinner so I will likely feel the warmth of the sun at dawn today and that is a pleasant feeling. I do like to listen to village awaken as well.”

Kai headed to the chemist and greeted him in a familiar tone. “I am back to assist with the sea salt measuring and packing again, or more accurately I am here to assist my friend Hestia.” Kai gestured to Hestia his hand pointing directly at her so there was no ambiguity. Kai knew the chemist was aware of his particularly impressive senses. “I will go test the weights to get my bearings. Same as usual?” The chemist responded offhandedly , clearly busy with other tasks and preparations for the day ahead. “Sure, you know where I keep the stuff, just filter out any foreign substances like usual and ask you friend to check the colour is fine.” Kai nodded and headed into the backroom where the bags of salt and a set of scales and weights rested nearby bottles and parcels. Kai lifted each weight in his hand running his fingers over the number imprinted on each one before nodding and beginning to weight the salt in his hands before moving and sorting them into parcels and packages of equal weight.

“You ever done this job before? If not just make sure you use the scales carefully.” Kai leaned in closer to whisper incredibly quietly. “He checks the weight of every parcel so make sure you weigh the bottles as well when you do it. He will like that and a chemist is a good friend to have.” Kai continued about his work, willing to answer any questions or queries that Hestia had about the job. Whilst he worked he never looked down at what he was doing or moved his head much at all really.

WC: 1162 TWC: 3419  TMWC: 4913/2500

Hestia was impressed by Kai on identifying multiple chakra signatures that were around them. She was only able to feel being noticed, but Kai was able to pinpoint the number of shinobis around them and his vigilant hobby of actively sensing chakra. The Senju felt that she was lacking as a kunoichi, just like her mother had told her, but didn't comprehend the situation until she met him.

The boy explained that he once owned a pet rat called Mr Whiskers that passed away. "Who is Hana? I don't think I have heard about her" she would say with her tilted head. After his response, "The hounds of the Mizukage aren't my cup of tea, I'm more of a rabbit or dove kind of girl" she would laugh. During the feeding, Hestia could see that the boy was uncomfortable as the noise of the hounds eating looked like it was disturbing his senses. Seeing that, she would take the meat from his box and feed them herself and ask him to move aside to rest. It's not like she was doing this out of pity, she genuinely felt like he was her friend, and as a friend it was her duty to take care of him.

While leaving the Kirigakure's Maximum Penitentiary and Intelligence Agency, he would reply that he won't see the sunrise, which she understood from his tone. "You will see it! While we stand on top of the monument, I'll explain how it looks to you, and make you stand in a position where the morning rays of the sun shine upon you" she would say with a smile. When they reached the chemist's store, it looked like Kai had already done this mission before, as the chemist and him were talking like they already knew each other. When Kai pointed towards Hestia, "Yup that's me. Looks like I'll be doing the bottling and packing of salt containers" she replied while holding a bottle nearby, looking at it intently.

"This is my first time, I'll do what I can do" she would lean towards Kai and whisper back with a laugh. Hestia began bottling the containers with salt and making sure the parcels contain the right amount of weight as told by the chemist. While they were both busy with their respective tasks, she would turn to check on him. She could see that he was doing his work without much movement of his head, not facing down at all. As time was running out, she didn't want to miss the sunrise. She would begin doing the packing as fast as possible.

Eventually, she will complete it as the clock strikes at 4am. "I'm done here, are you done as well ? If you are, we can move to our last mission and see the sunrise, if we start walking now, we can reach the monument, clean the area and sit down to feel the warmth!" she would say nervously, as she didn't want to miss it. If he were to have finished as well, she would grab one of his hands and rush out of the chemist saying, "We are done, see ya!!". Once they were out of the store, she would let go of his hand and walk towards the monument.