A boy and his pumpkin

Missions:

Yoshi was unsure about Halloween; he wanted to enjoy the holiday as a child, but his peers were all adults. While they were off partying and drinking, he would find himself left out. He didn’t know what Halloween really was, but the older shinobi were off to celebrate. Yoshi decided he didn’t mind if he was assigned missions, so he would volunteer for mission duty while the rest of the shinobi forces fought overtime off to celebrate. This would work out for young Yoshi because he liked operating alone and was suited for solitude. How he felt on the inside matched the cold frozen village he was raised in. While Yoshi didn’t know if Hyogagakure was where he was born, all of his earliest memories were set in Hyogagakure. Yoshi would wander around the village looking at the festivities before he knew he had to start his shift. Yoshi found that all the shops were placing pumpkins outside their shops. This confused Yoshi; why were the pumpkins placed outside of the shops? What did it mean? Was everyone meant to put pumpkins outside their dwelling? It might have confused the boy as to the motivation for placing the pumpkin outside the houses; he had the idea that after his missions, he would also put a pumpkin outside the dwelling of his own home today. Yoshi would find someone to ask about the pumpkin's significance.

Yoshi would admire the snow covering the village with multicolored lights reflecting off the frozen scenery. He loved his home but couldn’t trust many of its inhabitants. Yoshi couldn’t understand why he was an outcast and was going through troubling times. He was just a child, and he scared most other children away. He could see why when he had a hard time controlling his kekki genki, but now that he had been under the tutelage of the Hyogagakure military. He thought about his goals, and he really didn’t have any. He just wanted to do his best and maybe find out who his birth parents were. In the meantime, he would focus on missions and becoming a better shinobi. He would consider swinging by the group house he once called home while he was orphaned and asking one of the ladies there. Yoshi wandered through the bustling streets once more before traveling to the mission office to see his duties for the next day.

Yoshi hated procrastinating; he didn’t like being lazy or even considered to be such a thing. He always checked out what his missions would be the night before. He made the trip to the mission office quickly and noticed how festively lit the building was. There were tombstones and giant spiders suspended on fake webbing. Yoshi thought other kids might be scared of such things, but he knew death was inevitable, and giant spiders also died. He opened the door to the mission office, and it was just as festive inside. A cauldron was in the middle with something inside, causing smoke to pour out the top. He also noticed signs saying “Beware” and bloody handprints on all the walls. Was this a favorite holiday for adults? Yoshi approached the lady from whom he usually collected his missions and got her attention. “Yoshi, reporting for duty, ma’am,” Yoshi stated firmly and respectfully. She was dressed as a witch and was in a full-blown conversation with a person dressed as an elf. When she heard him, she turned to him and smiled. “Ah, Yoshi, why aren’t you dressed up for Halloween? I see you took missions so others could celebrate. Well, your mission is to be a kid this year. We’ve paired you with a child whose parents have to work tomorrow, so you’ll be helping him get a pumpkin, so you’re allowed to wear a costume on this mission. Tomorrow is Halloween, after all.” She said, handing him his mission scroll. Yoshi would nod and accept the mission but wouldn’t dress up. He wanted to be taken seriously as a shinobi. He knew he was young, but there was a reason he was a genin and not a student.

He went home and got his stuff ready for the morning so he could complete his mission early and participate in some of the activities. He might go door to door and collect candy with some other kids, he had forgotten to visit the group home, but he figured he could figure out why pumpkins while helping the other kid pick his out. He might have felt bad for the other kid having to go out and pick pumpkins with a shinobi in the place of his parents, but at least they still had parents. Yoshi would shower and place his dirty clothes in a bin to be sent to a company that washed his clothes for him. He would have his mission clothes on one of the backs of a chair he hardly ever sat in. He lay in bed for a few minutes, thinking about the mission he would be participating in the morning. Had whoever assigned missions figured he should do this because he was a child? This line of thinking upset Yoshi; he wanted his peers and superiors to take him seriously. After calming himself down, he managed to view this as just another mission to help him be taken more seriously. There was no way he’d fail this mission; all he had to do was help a kid find a pumpkin.

Yoshi awoke before his alarm went off. He usually did these days. He was suffering from nightmares. When he woke up, he couldn’t remember them, but he knew he had them because when he woke up, he was suffering from cold sweats and anxiety. He quickly got ready, and he didn’t have any food in the fridge, so he headed to the group home for breakfast. While there, he could ask one of the ladies who worked there if they knew why pumpkins were put outside the doors of houses. He left his home and headed to the group house. When he arrived, breakfast was just being served. “Good morning, Yoshi. Are you here for breakfast?” The lady Yoshi, who was known as Rinki, asked him. Yoshi just nodded but then requested. “Rinki, do you know why people leave pumpkins outside for Halloween?” Rinki stopped and thought momentarily, “Hmm, I never thought of why; it's just fun. You carve it, make cool designs, and put a candle in to illuminate it. I don’t think there’s a reason behind it.” She would say as she led him into the dining room, where several other children were already seated. They all wished Yoshi a Happy Halloween and wondered what kind of missions he was doing. Yoshi would remind them that he didn’t like talking about missions with them ate his food, and headed out to start his mission.

Yoshi approached the house he had been told to visit to meet the kid he’d be taking to the pumpkin patch. As he approached, he saw a kid the same age as himself throwing shuriken at a tree. The tree had bark missing and deep gouges from what looked to Yoshi to be months of practice. “Mind if I give it a try?” Yoshi would ask the boy, breathing heavily. “Sure, kid, knock yourself out.” The boy would tell Yoshi as he approached. Yoshi would grab three shurikens and throw them at the tree. All three of them hit their mark and stuck in the tree. The boy practicing looked amused. “Wow, you got some talent.” He said as he walked up and pulled the shuriken out of the tree. “Is there a reason you’re here, or were you just passing by and wanted to show off?” The kid would ask Yoshi inquisitively. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m waiting for a shinobi to arrive so we can go hunt for pumpkins. I’m going to keep practicing until he gets here.” The kid would say, moving into where Yoshi had stood when he threw the shurikens. “Well, I’m here.” Yoshi would tell the boy, “I’m Yoshi, genin of the Hyogagakure military. I’m here to take you to the pumpkin patch.” Yoshi finished as the boy’s jaw dropped. “Wait, you’re a shinobi? No wonder you were so good with shuriken. I’m ready to go and just need to grab a coat.” The boy would say, running into his house to retrieve his coat. He would return moments later, “My name is Minato.” The boy would tell Yoshi. Yoshi had heard of a story involving a Minato from a long time ago, maybe this kid was named after him, but Yoshi wouldn’t overthink it. Yoshi would notice the boy seemed like he was a year older than himself. Yoshi was forced to grow up, while this kid had the luxury of having parents who wanted to keep him safe from the world. This made Yoshi quite jealous, but he knew he had much more independence than kids like this. Yoshi hadn’t earned much respect in the Hyogagakure military yet, but he knew he would take it once he could prove himself. After these thoughts, he would collect himself, and he had a mission to carry out. Minato and Yoshi would start their travel to the pumpkin patch, where Yoshi would ask those who grew pumpkins why they placed them outside their dwellings. Minato was interested in Yoshi’s story. How had he become a shinobi at such a young age? Yoshi didn’t know Minato very well, so he refused to answer questions. “Look, Minato, we’re just off to get pumpkins, don’t worry about me, okay?” Yoshi would shut the conversation down. He wasn’t in the mood to play twenty questions with someone he was doing a mission for. He understood he was interesting to this kid because he could relate to him, but the age was about all they had in common.

Yoshi had grown up fast for any kid his age. He had parents who loved him, but as soon as they found out he was a monster, they abandoned him. This kid, Minato, wasn’t a monster, and his parents were still dotting over him. For this, Minato was lucky, and that’s where the differences started. Yoshi was skilled, and Minato was just a beginner. Yoshi would be nice to this kid; his parents were too busy to hang out this year, but at least he would come home to his parents. The pair arrived at the pumpkin patch, which brought them joy. Yoshi was excited to pick out his own pumpkin. Minato was excited. He wanted the biggest pumpkin they could find, which made Yoshi laugh. He didn’t care about size. He just wanted one he could cut open and carve out. He didn’t know what he wanted to do with his pumpkin yet, but he was juggling ideas in his head. He thought of carving a snowflake, or his Kaguya clan symbol. He had seen a few kids in town had carved their family crest into their pumpkins, and Yoshi thought that would be nifty.

When the pair arrived at the pumpkin patch Minato was excited. “I come here every year and they always have the best pumpkins!” He would explain to Yoshi, “They have a cool cart that’s pulled by horses that take you to the different patches. We’ll have to visit at least three patches to find just the right pumpkin, I swear.” Minato looked around to find the information booth. “Yoshi, we have to buy tickets to the carriage ride over here. The next carriage leaves in about a half an hour.” Minato told Yoshi as he handed his money to the ticket master. Yoshi looked around looking at all the people milling around the farm. He saw the kids with their parents and felt bad for Minato. Yoshi was used to not having parents at this point in his life, but seeing Minato downtrodden made Yoshi want to cheer him up. “How big is the biggest pumpkin?” Yoshi asked Minato as he purchased his tickets. “Is it as big as a building?” Minato laughed at Yoshi as he answered, “No, well, maybe, but we can’t carry a pumpkin the size of a house.” Yoshi laughed at the idea of a pumpkin the size of a house and hopped on the wagon that would take them to the patch.

When they arrived at the first patch, Minato found his pumpkin; it was about a third of his size and perfectly round. Yoshi, on the other hand, was more hesitant. He couldn’t find the right shape. Yoshi wasn’t worried about the size as much as the shape, and he didn’t want to see any bumps. Yoshi also didn’t understand the significance of the pumpkin, so he found someone who was working the pumpkin patch and asked her what the pumpkins meant. “Oh, deary, the pumpkins come from an old folktale about ol’ pumpkin Jack. He made a deal with an oni, and when he couldn’t uphold his end, he put a pumpkin on his head to hide from the evil spirits,” She would gaze over the patch she was working in, “So we put pumpkins outside our houses to protect us from evil for the rest of the year. If you’re looking for the perfect pumpkin, just find one the size you could fit your head in.” She would say, smiling at the boy. After hearing her story, Yoshi was invigorated to find his perfect pumpkin. He would look for a pumpkin a little bigger than his head. It took Yoshi a few more minutes, but he could find his pumpkin. He would show Minato his much smaller pumpkin, and both boys would laugh. When Yoshi was on missions, he was usually in a squad with adults, doing tasks for adults. It was nice for him to finally get to do a mission with another child where he felt he didn’t have to prove himself. On the carriage ride back to the farm's entrance, Yoshi was in good spirits, as was Minato; the boys were laughing and telling jokes and stories of how they wanted to carve their pumpkins.

On their walk back to Minato’s house, a boy a few years older approached the pair, and Minato seized up in recognition. “What’s the problem, Minato?” Yoshi would ask the boy who was trying to hide behind him. “That’s Dan; he took my pumpkin and smashed it last Halloween after my parents went inside. He told me if I told on him, he’d hurt me. Now he just picks on me whenever he sees me without my parents around.” Hearing this made Yoshi mad; the time it took for them just to find the perfect pumpkin, let alone the process of carving it, meant Minato had spent the better part of a day working on it. “Don’t worry, I’ll get him to leave you alone,” Yoshi said as Dan approached them, noticing Minato. “Minato, you just get your pumpkin? You should just let me smash it now, so you don’t waste all your time carving something I’m just going to smash after you go out for candy.” The boy said as he reached out his arm to grab Minato. His arm was quickly interrupted by a much smaller hand. “If you lay a finger on him,” Yoshi said as a bone from his finger slightly protruded from his finger with a sharp needlepoint and began to dig into Dan’s caught arm. “I’ll implant a couple of my bones into you. Would you like to reconsider how tonight and the rest of your childhood go right here?” Yoshi asked, digging his sharp finger bone into Dan’s arm as he drew a small amount of blood. “Wait, you’re friends with Minato? Why, he’s a loser?” Dan asked as he attempted to wretch his arm back to safety. “My mission is to make sure this guy,” Yoshi said, releasing the arm of the bully and pointing to Minato. “Is to ensure this is the best Halloween of this guy’s life. If you mess with him while he’s under my supervision, I will hurt you.” Yoshi said in a classic Kaguya fashion with a wide smile spreading across his lips. “Yeah, whatever, I have plans tonight anyway. See you later, Minato.” Dan said as he ran away, nursing the arm Yoshi had lightly stabbed.

“Uh, thank you, Yoshi,” Minato said through tears, “I don’t know what I did to Dan, but he’s always bullying me,” Yoshi remembered his time at the academy when a boy had tried to bully him. The pain of the hit didn’t hurt as much as the confusion as to what he had done to deserve the wrath of another person. Yoshi had a few speculations as to why the kid attacked him; maybe it was that he was threatened by the child Kaguya, or maybe his family had been hurt by someone in his clan. Yoshi would never know, the two were separated, and Yoshi was placed on an accelerated course because of his prowess and natural talent. This kid had to be Minato’s neighbor so that he would get no such reprieve. Yoshi felt bad for him, “Hey if that kid gives you any more trouble, let me know. He’ll need more than a pumpkin to protect him from me.” Yoshi and Minato headed back inside to carve their pumpkins.

Halfway into carving pumpkins, a messenger came by the house with a scroll for Yoshi. Minato’s parents had extended his mission to costume picking. This baffled Yoshi; he had never worn a costume and wasn’t in the know to help pick out an outfit. This also saddened Yoshi because this meant Minato’s parents wouldn’t be spending time with their son. He would spin this mission and try to make it seem like Minato would be helping him out. “Hey, Minato, I’ve never worn a costume before. Do you want to help me pick out an outfit for tonight? I’ll have my first carved pumpkin and my first costume if you help me.” Alas, Yoshi’s attempt to hide the fact that Minato’s parents extended his mission was a failure. Minato saw right through the poor attempt to cover up the fact that his parents wouldn’t be there. “Aww, they extended your mission?” Minato asked, pouting. “Yeah, but I’m not lying. I’ve never worn a costume. Can you help me pick one out while you choose your own?” Yoshi begged dramatically. Seeing Yoshi beg seemed to cheer the boy up. “I am actually a great costume picker; I’ll have you looking extra spooky.” The boy said, choking back his tears. “Once we finish our pumpkins, we should go to the market.”

The boys finished carving their pumpkins a few hours later. They were both hungry, so they had some instant ramen. After their quick lunch, the boys walked to the market to find their costumes. When they got to the market, a massive crowd was trying to do the same thing as the two. The children looked at the cool costumes while the adults shopped for alcohol and candy. Minato found the stall that housed the costumes he wanted. Yoshi followed him in and wandered around the shop, looking at the isles and isles of costumes. There were costumes for girls and boys. While Minato was busy searching for the perfect costumes, another messenger found Yoshi. “You have more orders.” The messenger told Yoshi as he handed him yet another scroll. After the messenger left, Yoshi located Minato. Minato found the perfect costumes for both of them, and they went back to Minato’s house to put them on and get ready for their night collecting candy.

When the boys returned to the house with their costumes draped over their shoulders, Yoshi informed Minato that they would hang out and collect candy together. Minato seemed slightly upset at the news, but realizing it would be Yoshi’s first real night of Halloween, the boy felt better that a shinobi would be escorting him around the village that night. When they returned to the house, they put their pumpkins outside, and each got dressed. They'd have to wait only a few more hours until they could get candy. Minato dressed up as a pirate, and Yoshi dressed as a vampire. The boys waited a few hours and then left the house. They traveled around the village banging on doors, filling their buckets with candy, and having an absolute blast. Dan walked up and tried to steal Minato's candy on their way back to the house to drop off their plunder so Yoshi could finish his mission. This set Yoshi off, he grabbed Dan by the same arm and drove him into the ground. “I told you to leave Minato alone; now give him back his candy and say you’re sorry!” Yoshi yelled at the kid. Dan did just that and ran away. The two made it home and then separated ways. Yoshi felt satisfied with a job well done.

Claims:
TWC: 3516
8,500 Ryo
42 AP
35 Fall Fest Tickets and 1 Festival Poster
35 stats
35 to spd

1082 to Dance of the Orchid Mail 1082 from Here
2434 left
Unity Seal 2434/2500