Tea Appreciation Week

Missions:

For the second day in a row Shiru found himself in the center of the village square. It was definitely busier today than yesterday! It looked like everybody in the village had all entered the square at once. What they were all doing here was a mystery. Shiru definitely couldn't blame anybody for wanting to be out and about today. The weather was absolutely perfect! Not a single cloud could be spotted in the sky and the warm sunlight bathed the entire village in its glowing warmth. A light breeze carried in fresh oxygen and prevented the temperature from getting too hot. It really was about as close to being a perfect day as anybody could ask for.

Shiru cut through the traffic with growing frustration. His left hand anxiously rustled through his fiery red hair while his brilliant ruby eyes darted across the different buildings. He was looking for a specific tea shop and was having a hard time finding it. He had been in the village for two years now but he still felt like a tourist rather than it being his home. In truth he had felt like an outcast from the minute he arrived in Hoshigakure! He had mainly spent all his time since arriving at the academy or helping out in the hospital. Crowded places usually freaked him out so he tended to avoid the city square at all costs.

Oh hey look there it is! Oh man, they are busy! No wonder they need help.

Shiru pushed his way through the crowd and into the small little tea shop. Just about every seat in the shop was full. A long line of waiting customers split the shop in two. The sound of a dozen conversations happening at once created a buzz that made it impossible for Shiru to hear himself think. He pushed past the line and walked up to the elderly couple that was working behind the counter. The pair was frantically trying to make drinks and take orders. They were clearly struggling to keep up with the high demand.

Hello! My name is Shiru. I am the one you requested to help out and aid your shop. Where would you like me to begin?

The old couple didn't even look up from their respective tasks  to acknowledge him. Instead they both yelled out in a level of perfect unison that only people who had been working together for decades could achieve.

Well dont just stand there you idiot. Get to work! Start by taking stock of all the inventory we have in the back room. We need to figure out what supplies we are going to need. Today is the start of Tea appreciation Week! You better be prepared to work your butt off!

WC: 462

Shiru made his way enthusiastically to the back room. It was a cramped little room with boxes stacked all the way to the ceiling. It was so crowded he barely had room to set things down or to turn around. He quickly got to work taking inventory of what supplies the tea shop had.  Shiru was not much of a tea drinker so he was caught off guard by how many different flavors there were. There were boxes filled with different flavors and strengths. He had assumed all tea was the same but he was dead wrong. That was definitely not the case and he felt dumb for not knowing something so basic. As a medical practitioner he really should be more informed about herbs in general. That was a lapse in his education that he would have to work extra hard to correct.

It took over an hour to write down all the ingredients and reorganize the back room. He was pleased with how much nicer everything looked and all the additional space he was able to create in the small store room.  He gathered his list and returned to the old couple. His heart dropped when he re-entered the main store. There were so many people in the small little building that he could barely stand against the wall without touching someone. The buzz from all the conversations was even louder than before and gave him an immediate headache. Now the buzz had the added bonus of being accompanied by the sound of people impatiently huffing and tapping their feet. There had to be almost twice as many people here now as when he first arrived. The line was now extending outside the shop and into the village streets. The old couple scurried back and forth trying to accommodate all the orders.

Well don't just stand there. Start boiling more water in those pots and clean some glasses. We need to get more orders out before people start leaving. Let me see that list so i can look over it real fast and figure out what we are needing. This may be our busiest year yet!

Shiru handed over the list and went straight to work. He had to work like a mad man to keep up with the demand. He found himself running back and forth between the washing station and the stoves.  No matter how fast he went he could never catch up. For every glass he washed two more were returned and added to the growing pile in the sink. As he got the feel for the shop it started to get easier. He found himself taking orders and helping to brew the tea. It was a long day but something about putting in a normal day of work felt good. Growing up in an orphanage gave him a great  level of respect for people just trying to make a day's wage. They were the real heroes in this world. He definitely wasn't cut out for this kind of life everyday but switching up from ninja duties or hospital work was a nice change of pace.

Eventually the lines started to thin and the shop slowly emptied. Shiru locked the doors and put up the closed sign when everybody was finally out. His day was not over yet though. It took another couple hours to actually close for the day. All the floors had to be swept and mopped, the tables and chairs had to be wiped down, the register had to be counted down, everything needed to be restocked, and all the dishes had to be washed.  When he was finally done with all his tasks the old lady he was working for came up to him while holding a list. She seemed completely worn out and in a rush to get out of there.

Thank you for all your help today! We would not have been able to make it through without all your help. You did a great job for your first day. Tomorrow i need you to pick up  all of the supplies on this list as soon as the stores open. We need every item there so make sure to not forget anything. Once you have all the supplies come back here and we will get back to work. Don't stall and take all morning. We need you here right away!

WC 733

Shiru woke up early the next morning feeling very rested. He was mentally exhausted from the previous day's work, so he fell right asleep as soon as he got home last night. He went to bed so early that he ended up skipping dinner entirely. His body felt like it was in the best shape it had been in ages. Having the day off ninja training yesterday really did wonders for his health. He was looking forward to having another easy day today. Work at the tea shop was busy and fast paced but compared to his daily routine it was a breeze.

Alright so first I need to get the supplies, then report in at the tea shop. I can grab breakfast while I get everything else. I really shouldn't have skipped dinner, my stomach is literally eating itself! Since i have a few minutes though i should i should upgrade my preparations.

He pulled himself upright in his bed. His eyes scanned his dingy little room. His large silver Claymore sat in the corner next to his Mantle of the Stars cloak and a couple of loose scrolls and five Senbon. He yearned for a more challenging mission where he could actually use some of this stuff. He would need to rank up and prove himself in these pointless missions first before he was trusted with more dangerous missions. He should really treat every mission with the same high level of respect and dedication.

Shiru made a couple hand seals and used basic sealing jutsu to seal his sword inside one of the basic sealing jutsu to seal his sword in one scroll and the five Senbon in a second scroll. Shiru then made a few more hand seals and his left hand started to flow with a ruby covered chakra. He reached back behind his head and touched the back of his neck. A burning sensation ran across the skin where he touched it. When he removed his hand the barrier seal had been imprinted.

His neck still burnt but he was not quite done yet. He made a few more seals and this time his right hand began to glow with the same thick ruby chakra. He touched his palms together and the same intense burning sensation spread across his palm. When he pulled his hands apart the dark river breakin seal was imprinted on his left hand. Feeling satisfied he grabbed his cloak that replicated the night sky and put it on.

I really need to get some Sealing Bands. I guess I didn't think about that when I was at the store last. Maybe after this mission i can go back to the store and buy some. I need to do a good job today so that i get paid first!

The cloak was baggy and wavy but overall fit nicely. All the extra space gave Shiru an idea for a short term solution. Shiru took a rubber band and attached the scrolls to each of his forearms inside the sleeves of the cloak.. He put the sword on his right and the senbon on the left. Feeling satisfied with his ingenuity he grabbed the list of supplies he needed and took to the streets.

Let’s see, I need sugar, milk, green, red, and ginseng leaves. I also need to grab some disposable cups, lids, and straws. That shouldn’t be too hard.

Shiru made his way down the street going from shop to shop. He accidentally bumped shoulders with a few people along the way while being distracted triple checking his list. The items themselves were easy to find. The hard part was trying to carry everything back to the tea shop. It was slow going but he eventually made it back there. His heart felt a little as he saw the place swamped and the lines extending outside of the shop again.

He forced his way into the shop and dropped off all the supplies in the storage room. When he was done organizing everything he returned to the register to check in with the old couple and see where he could help. The old shop couple were running ragged trying to keep pace with the crazy demand. When he approached they didn't even look at him and the old man proceeded to gave him his orders mid task. The old man pointed to a humongous pile of bags and boxes packed up in the corner as if that summed everything up.

It has been so busy i havent been able to get any of our morning deliveries made. We are behind and the villagers are getting made. I need you to deliver all these orders as fast as possible. We are losing money every second we waste. Please hurry and come straight back!

Shiru gulped as he looked at all the orders. There was no point in complaining though. He went straight to work on his deliveries. He flew from roof to roof to avoid the regular foot traffic. One after the other he dropped off the orders. He enjoyed watching peoples faces when he dropped down out of nowhere to hand them their order. A couple people were even nice enough to tip him for all his work.

When he got to his ast order he was feeling really good about himself. He made it through all his deliveries in record time. He quickly returned to the shop to tell the old couple and give them the good news. He forced his way into the shop again and his heart dropped when he saw a pile of similar orders stacked up in the corner. Only this pile was at least three times as big as the first pile.

Your not done yet. We still have all of these to deliver also! Get to work lad!

Shiru felt so defeated. How on earth was he supposed to keep up with this level of demand. He had heard of tea appreciation week but he never would have believed in a million years that it would ever be this popular. Frustrated, he went straight back to work. It took almost the whole day but finally he was able to get every single order delivered. Even after deliveries he once again had to clean up and prepare the shop for the next day before he was done for the day.

You did great today kid. Tomorrow is the last day of this damned week. If we can get through that we can officially say we survived one more year. Come back in the morning. Try to get here a few minutes early so we can get a headstart. Tomorrow is going to be the busiest day yet so rest up!

WC 1,128

Shiru was glad that today was going to be his last day at the Tea shop. He didn't feel nearly as rested when he woke up this morning as compared to yesterday morning. The crazy amount of deliveries from the day before really took their toll on him. Luckily for him, he was like the energy bunny and was able to shake the weariness off pretty easily. Once again he garbed himself in his mantle of the stars cloak and made his way over to the shop.

As Shiru approached the shop a bad feeling knotted up in his stomach and caused him to quicken his pace. When the shop came into view a feeling of dread washed over him. The door that should be locked was swinging wide open. Stools and tables were flipped over and the place look destroyed. He looked for any sign of the old couple but couldnt see anything. He then made the seal for confrontation and reached out to sense everything around him with his chakra. He picked up two signatures from inside the store room and a third just barely within range of his skill.

Shiru ran to the storeroom and was appalled to find the two shop owners tied back to back and gagged. The old man was slumped over unconscious with blood rolling down his face.

What happened here?

Shiru asked even though all the evidence clearly pointed to a robbery. Shiru made a couple hand signs and a ruby chakra covered his hands. He placed his hand on the old man's head and sealed the wound with his Iryojutsu. Once the wound was done bleeding he began untying the couple. He did all this while the old woman hysterically went into a recounting of the events.

Oh thank god you're here Shiru. I was so scared. We opened the door this morning just like every other morning. We started setting up when we heard a frantic banging on the door. My husband opened it to see what was going on and that's when he forced his way in. We tried to fight back but we are old and he quickly overpowered us. He locked us here in the storage room and then stole everything out of the register.

You have to catch him Shiru! He took everything from us! We put all our money into being able to have enough supplies to make it through tea appreciation week. All the money we made and our life savings was in there. We will be ruined if we cant get it back! Please help! We are too old to start over again!!

The rage Shiru felt could not be described in words. What kind of scumbag would do such a thing? Listening to her plead and beg for help struck a personal chord inside him. Picking on old and defenseless people was just wrong.No matter what it took he was determined to catch this petty crook and return what he stole. He would succeed even if he had to chase him all the way across the land of Haven.

I should have been here to protect you guys! I am sorry. I will make this right. Dont you worry. Just leave everything to me!

Shiru bounded out of the tea shop towards the direction he sensed the chakra signature escaping from. The signature was already out of range so he had to close the distance and pick it up again or risk him escaping. He rushed as fast as he could and was upset with himself for not being physically faster. It only took a couple minutes before he picked up the trail again. The thief was running as fast as he could but he was just an ordinary citizen so he wasn't getting far fast. Even with Shiru’s limited physical gifts he was able to catch up pretty quickly.

Shiru first spotted him from the rooftops. The thief was garbed in a large flowing gray cloak. The cloak was hooded so Shiru couldn't make out their identity. He did notice long black hair spilling out of the hood and draping their shoulders. Shiru quickly overtook them and dropped down from the rooftop and landed about a meter in front of them. The thief stopped dead in their tracks from surprise.

That is far enough! Hand over what you stole and turn yourself in peacefully. There is no need to make things worse for yourself! Let’s do this the easy way!

Shiru began addressing the thief with the utmost amount of confidence. That was until he got first look inside the hood and noticed the thief was a woman. He struggled to keep his tone even and assertive once he got good luck at her. She was dirty, but also insanely pretty. If he had to guess she was probably in her early twenties. Shiru never was good at talking with women. It was turning out to be a real achilles heel of his. The woman looked him up and down and her eyes stopped when she noticed his Hoshi headband.

How did you know so fast? I should have had plenty of time to escape before the ninja could be informed about what had happened. Please just mind your own business. I'm not a bad person, someone important is counting on me. Please just let me go!

The woman's voice mirrored the desperation in the tea shop owner's voice. Shiru was not only curious but her pleading voice almost made him feel sorry for her. He remembered the old ladies voice and all that anger he felt earlier returned. He didn't get a chance to respond before the lady reached into her pocket and pulled out a little pellet. Shiru recognized it immediately as a smoke bomb. She threw it right at Shirus feet and a thick purple smoke enveloped him. When the smoke cleared the lady was already gone.

Shiru still had his basic sensory skill so he ever actually lost track of her. It only took a minute to catch up to her. He did not reveal himself right away and instead followed her from the shadows. He was curious to see where she was going. After about thirty minutes he followed her down an alley where she slipped into a run down house. Shiru snuck up to the window and looked inside. His heart dropped when he saw a young girl of about six bed ridden with a warm cloth on her forehead. She was sweating and very obviously sick.

Suddenly everything made sense to him. The thief was stealing to help whoever that girl was. Judging by the state of the house and the appearance of the thief, they simply didnt have the funds to properly pay for proper medical treatment. All the anger was officially gone now. His only desire was to try and help these people any way that he could. So he entered the building not even trying to be stealthy. The girl whipped around to face him with a shocked expression. She raised her hands in a stance that suggested she was prepared to fight him off.

[color=orangeRelax! We don't have to fight. I understand why you did it now. I am a medical ninja. I can help her. Return the money and turn yourself in. I will vouch for you and try to lessen your punishment. In return I will use all my skill to treat her free of charge. I have access to medication and the best resources the village can provide. Does that sound fair? It’s the best outcome you could hope for at this moment.[/color]

The woman seemed to wage a war within her head. She refused to drop her stance and they stood stuck in a staring contest. Shiru tried to radiate peace and sincerity through his ruby colored eyes. It must have worked on her because her expression softened and she dropped her defensive posture that screamed defeat.

Do you promise? She is my sister. I have to protect her no matter what. She needs me. I am all she has ever since our parents died in the line of duty! It’s just the two of us now. I tried everything to help her but without money for medicine she just keeps getting worse. I never meant to hurt anybody. Nobody was supposed to be there yet. The old man surprised me and i panicked. I never wanted anybody to get hurt.I will do whatever you ask just please do not let her die!

Shiru let a big smile rip across his face and nodded to show that he was no longer a threat. He was pleased he could solve this without resorting to violence. He took a step towards the girl in the bed but stopped waiting for unspoken approval that it was ok for him to approach. The girl was stuck in a fever dream and twitched uncontrollably every couple seconds. Shiru used the same jutsu he used on the old man to heal his wounds. He placed his hand on her forehead and let the healing energy flow. Since there was no physical wound this particular jutsu would not be very effective. He just hoped it would slow the progression long enough for him to get the meds he needed.

I promise I will save her. Let's bring her to the tea shop. We can explain what's going on to the authorities that must already be there and return the money. Once there I can have them get me the medication while I continue to tend to her there. That will be the fastest way to get her what she needs. We must hurry and go now before the sickness spreads and gets worse.

The woman nodded in agreement as Shiru picked up the little girl. He snuggled her up against his chest and the three of them made their way back to the tea shop. As Shiru suspected there were already police like figures inside going over the crime scene. When they noticed him with the sick girl a handful of them stopped what they were doing and rushed over to offer assistance.

I need the fastest person here to go get the strongest antibiotics possible from the hospital. Tell the receptionist Shiru is asking and they will help you. Every second counts or this girl could die.
A tall blonde man nodded in comprehension and vanished from the shop. Shiru looked around and saw the old couple sitting in the corner talking to the authorities. He set the girl directly on the one of the closest tables and walked over to them. The woman skittishly handed over a coin purse and kept her head down while Shiru explained what was going on.

This woman right here is the thief. She stole the money to try and save her sick sister. It was wrong of her but she was doing it out of love. She has volunteered to turn herself in and gave the money back willingly. As a favor to me I ask that she doesn't get punished too severely. Nobody was seriously hurt. She also said she would  work for free to fix any damages and help replace lost revenue.

The room stood quiet for a moment while they waited for the couple to respond. Everyone knew it would be up to them to decide if they wanted to press charges or not. After an uncomfortably long pause the silence was broken up by the guy returning with the requested medication. Shiru was shocked he already made it there and back. He wasted no time giving her the medicine. While he did so the old lady finally decided to speak.

I guess since the money was returned and nobody is seriously injured we can pretend like this didn't happen. Only because Shiru has been such a tremendous help to us this week. It's the least we could do to repay him. It's all water in the pot now. Lets just hurry up and get this place cleaned up so we can get back to business. We have customers waiting. Quit all standing around and get to work!
[Exit]
WC:2030 TWC: 4,353 MWC:4353/3,000

Claims:

Shiru Iyasu wrote:

Claims:

Approved