Chapter Four: Our First Mission!
"Team Sukejuro, congratulations on passing your final test." said Shibuki who is sitting at a long table along with a few Jounin. "I assure you that was your last test and you are in-fact full Genin now. You are now ready to receive missions." All three students looked very excited to receive their first mission. "Mission assigning is done by a panel like you see now. There are typically four ranks of missions; The A rank missions, which are reserved for Jounin, the B rank missions, which are reserved for Chuunin, the C rank missions, which are reserved for low level Chuunin and high level Genin, and lastly there are D rank missions, which are reserved for new Genin. These ranks are set up to determine how much a client must pay for our village's services as well as giving a guideline of how dangerous a mission is. In most C rank missions, and almost all D rank missions, there will be little combat. For higher level missions, the A and B rank, you are guaranteed to find combat and almost guaranteed to fight enemy Shinobi. The panel and I have decided to give you a D rank mission because you have not done any missions before."
Takamori tried getting a few words out about how they have already defeated an enemy shinobi and how the team deserved a higher ranked mission but Sukejuro stopped him. "We will gladly accept any mission you give us." Sukejuro humbly replied.
"Your first mission is to pull the weeds out at Lady Shimani's home. After your mission is done you may come back for pay and reassignment." one of the Jounin said on the panel.
"Thank you. Team Sukejuro, move out!" the team walked out the door with low spirits.
"Didn't you tell him about how we defeated that enemy ninja, Sukejuro Sensei?" asked Akinari.
"I told him, in-fact I asked that you be immediately placed on a rank C mission. The panel must have disagreed. I wonder why..."
Back in Shibuki's office the day before, "Sir, with all due respect, my team is ready for a rank C mission. With my help they might be able to pull off a rank B mission, why are you so insistent on giving them rank D missions?" asked Sukejuro with a very frustrated voice.
"It's not up to me Sukejuro, you know that. It's the panels decision, not mine. My hands are tied here." he replied.
"Isn't there anything you can do? You're the leader of our village, that has to give you some sort of leverage." pondered Sukejuro.
"I'll try Sukejuro, that's all I can promise." Sukejuro looked at Shibuki and bowed, then he disappeared.
The door to Shibuki's office opened and a few Jounin entered the room. "We will not allow you to send Team Sukejuro on a mission greater than rank D." the Jounin all seemed to all agree. "The two boys are too unpredictable. We know nothing of Akinari's past, he could easily be a spy for another country, or Orichimaru. There is also the concern of Takamori and his Ryuuchogan. He is unstable and unpredictable, who knows what he will do under pressure. We're sorry but that is our decision, tomorrow at mission assigning they will receive a rank D mission." The Jounin all left his office and Shibuki sat at his desk with a disappointed look on his face.
"I tried my best team. Let's do our best on the mission that is assigned to us and maybe next time they will give us a better mission." said Sukejuro to his team. "I have to go look into something team, do you mind doing this one without me?" asked Sukejuro. The entire team looked at him and nodded. Sukejuro then vanished in a puff of smoke.
The team headed over to Lady Shimani's house and knocked on the door. "Team Sukejuro is here to to help you with your weed problem." said Akinari with a fake smile on. Lady Shimani invited the team in and showed them to the back yard where they began work.
Shibuki is sitting at his desk looking over a bunch of paperwork and signing some forms as Sukejuro comes in through the door. "Using the door for once Sukejuro. It's not like you."
"And not listening to one of your oldest friends isn't like you Shibuki. Why is my team pulling weeds right now?" asked Sukejuro with an angry tone to his voice.
"Like I said earlier Sukejuro, it's not up to me, it's up to the panel and they decided on a rank D mission. Look Sukejuro, It's out of my hands." replied Shibuki as he got up from his chair and walked over to Sukejuro.
"Why Shibuki, why?" he asked again.
Shibuki laid his hands on Sukejuro's shoulders and began explaining, "Sukejuro... since we're old pals... I'll throw you a bone. The panel feels that your team is too unpredictable. They think with Akinari's questionable past and Takamori's mysterious bloodline that it would be risky to send your team into the battle field." Sukejuro forcefully shrugged Shibuki's hands off of him.
"Wheres the noble ninja I once knew? The one who believed in changing this village for the better. The man who followed in his father's honorable foot steps. Where is the friend I came back after ten years for?" Sukejuro vanished again, leaving Shibuki in his office alone.
"Looks like were all done here ma'am." said Rissa.
"Ohh, thank you so very much children. Now go run along and I will send my pay to the Ninja Academy immediately." Lady Shimani said in response.
The three headed back into the main center of the village. "What did she call us?!? Did she call us children?!?" Takamori screamed at the top of his lungs. 'And I thought I was the one mad about getting a rank D mission.' Akinari thought to himself. Takamori seemed to cool down as soon as he saw Chika walking down the street. "Hey Chika!" he screamed as his team joined up with her.
"Hey Takamori. How goes ninja life, assuming you passed your 'final' test." she giggled.
"Of course we passed. So I take it your team passed as well?" Takamori replied.
"Team Endoh has me, the famous Danjuro Ayabito, of course we passed. Seeing that you passed the final test must have been easier for your team." replied Danjuro who came walking out from a barbecue restaurant with Ayano.
"Heh, the famous Danjuro Ayabito, what are you famous for? Being the worse ninja?" Takamori snickered as Danjuro tried throwing a punch or two but Akinari and Chika held him back. "So what are you three doing here?"
"We are here to celebrate our actual graduation." replied Ayano. Ayano was one of the ninja who was assigned to the Endoh Team after graduation. He is about the same height as Akinari, although he is a little taller and has orange hair which is cut short but rugged, which goes well with his bright colored eyes. He wears a long robe that is a couple sizes too big for him, so it flaps open on the top a lot. It's navy blue with a thick red trim on it, which matches his red cloth around his ninja forehead protector. He is also wearing matching baggy pants with his equipment bag on the back of a red sash holding his robe to his waist. Ayano also has red bandages tied up his arms as well as red bandages tied up his pant legs to just below his knees which hold his baggy pants tight. Ayano has a very serious personality and barely ever jokes around.
"Ya, we all came out to celebrate that and our first mission being completed." added Chika, the only girl on the Endoh Team. Chika wears almost the same thing as Rissa, but looks completely different. Chika is the same height as Rissa and Akinari but she has long orange hair that drops to her lower back when not being held up, although it usually is. She has blue eyes and is a very skinny body type but not sickly looking. She wears a similar hakama and short set as Rissa, however hers is orange with a thick white trim, and she has a white sash that keeps her waist tight. Takamori has an obvious crush on Chika and she was the most popular girl in the academy before they graduated. She is very aware of her beauty and popularity and is very snotty about it.
"You guys have been on a mission too?!?" inquired Takamori. "What rank mission was it?"
"Rank C, all the best teams get rank C missions." Danjuro replied. Danjuro is a long time rival of Takamori and almost everyone knows it. The two compete at everything possible and their friendship is complicated. Danjuro is just an inch or two shorter then Takamori, who doesn't let him forget. Danjuro has short blond hair that is spiked in the front and has blue eyes. He wears black shorts and and an extremely dark purple vest with a high collar and short sleeves. His ninja tool bag is on his waist near the back of him. He is somewhat rude and a jerk but has a good heart.
"You got a rank C!" screamed Akinari. "Thats not fair..." Akinari looked real sad.
"Umm.. hey.. you guys want to join us for some barbecue?" Chika asked in a desperate attempt to cheer Akinari up.
"We would love to, but we're on our way to the Ninja Academy to get a new mission, we just finished our first mission as well." replied Takamori.
"I have an idea, to save some time why don't we all go to the Ninja Academy? The Endoh Team still hasn't passed our mission in either." stated Ayano. "Then we can all come back for some barbecue together." Everyone agreed with Ayano that it would be smarter to go to the Ninja Academy first before eating barbecue.
The two teams entered the academy together and went into the mission room where the panel of Jounin and Shibuki were sitting. "Team Sukejuro and Team Endoh, what is your report?" asked of the Jounin on the panel. Both teams reported that their missions were complete but they can't find either of their sensei's.
"Your Sensei's are on separate missions at the moment, so you will have to start your next missions by yourself and they can join you when they're done." stated another Jounin on the panel. "We will give Team Endoh another C rank mission and for Team Sukejuro another D rank." Takamori and Akinari both looked fairly angry about that decision, while Danjuro just grinned widely.
"Recall that previous order, teams. It is highly unlikely for a team to go on a rank C mission without their Squad Leader." Shibuki said as Takamori laughed silently because Danjuro was about to get a rank D mission. "I will assign both teams to the rank C missions together, that way you don't need a Jounin's assistance." Everyone in the room, including the panel of Jounins, all looked shocked. "Ayano will be assigned temporary team leader until your Sensei meet up with you. Your mission is to escort one of the chairman of the Manto Organization back to his headquarters in a nearby city. Some thugs attacked him on his way back and we brought him to our village until he was well enough to leave. There shouldn't be any complications on this mission, and I expect it to be completed well from you two teams. You can meet the man at the village outpost, you are dismissed."
"Does this mean we don't get barbecue?" asked Takamori.
Message from the Author:
Any Comments/Feedback/Suggestions are greatly appreciated. The next chapter is going to be a good one, with a lot of new techniques and a lot of fighting but no-one is leaving any feedback or comments so I'm getting pretty discouraged about continuing. See what happens next in Chapter Five: Fight The Enemy, Not One Another!