Profession: Ninja
by layniebleargh
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An insight from a bored kunoichi's point of view.
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The season of summer is almost over. Soon, the rain would be pouring down the parched earth, finally cooling the scorching heat that has been haunting the Fire Country for nearly three months. Along with the first downpour would be the flood of new mission requests, ranging from fixing household leaks to... well, almost anything the mind could conceive. And, as part of the Hidden Leaf's work force, I would also have my round of gross and gruesome (and sometimes exciting) missions to complete till the next dry season comes. In summary, I am currently enjoying my last week of 'break' before I become busy and harassed, yet again, by my profession of a decade or so.
Being a ninja, for me, is not that bad. Really, I mean it. Sure, there are more risks in the occupation than in any other job, but risks do make things exciting. There are missions in which death seems almost inevitable, but most missions are, in actuality, not fatal. That is, if you really know what you are doing. And also, if you know when to give up.
The number of successful missions is not what counts in being a ninja. What matters is the equilibrium of staying alive, doing your job as you are expected, and being present at all times in case you are needed. You do not risk the mission for pride nor for feelings. Like all professions, emotions should be separated from tasks at hand. That does not mean, though, that you are not allowed to feel nor carry your personal opinions. Just shut up and be professional when dealing with other people, that's all. And oh, keep your tact too. A bit of manners and emotional quality won't hurt.
The down side of the job, though, is that you are hardly allowed to make your personal choices. If you want to stay alive and be useful, you have to attain the necessary skills for it. For a ninja without a bloodline limit nor any 'special' ability like me, to do so would mean countless hours of training and studying - if nothing is in-born, then the hardwork should make up for it. Rising up at the crack of dawn for light exercises, training till afternoon with brief breaks squeezed between states of subconsciousness, studying chakra workings, seals, various jutsus, traps, and tricks at night, plus doing the housework required in maintaining a hygienic, healthy environment are part of every mission-free day. It would be a lot later on, when you have garnered some really useful skills up your sleeve, could you do with a free day or two in a week. Until then, you would have to get what you could with the limited resources that you have - the small number of people around you who are willing to help, the cheap to moderately priced weapons for your arsenal, the books on sale or accessible in the public library, the barren training grounds, and the list goes on almost infinitely.
The perks, on the other hand, outweighs all the restrictions - if you have the discipline and the love for thrills. There is the right to handle just every kind of weapon imaginable and there is the access to books and scrolls that are actually very interesting to learn from, containing information I would rather keep to myself for private entertainment. Also, you may engage in some of the most dangerous experiments, eyebrow-raising interrogations, and adrenaline-rushing chases. Plus, the paycheck gets larger the more difficult and fun the mission is.
Right now, though, I am experiencing one of the downs. Missions are scarce, incidents more so, and there is no dispute among villages at the moment. Since I specialize in assassinations and mass destruction, there has been no enjoyable mission for a month. Everyday routine's getting boring without a challenging training partner for weeks - everyone's either on a family excursion, business affair, or training in recluse with some other person. This 'break' may be rejuvenating to some, but heck, if someone's going to comment again on my lack of activity, I'd rather have the flurry of missions.
It sucks, when people don't trust you with non-combat assignments - you have to rely on disturbances, weather or man-made.
"Eh? I thought there are lots of squirrels in this area, Neji-kun."
"..."
Neji resists pointing out a squirrel in the shadows of a tree, trembling between needles that seem to be too deeply embedded to the trunk than they normally could be. He better shut Lee up next time about Tenten's training, or lack thereof, if he wants both friends in for the upcoming S-class missions. Or maybe, he should not - everything would be done faster, then.