Catcher in the Rice

Posts : 1187

It was bright and beautiful day in the Ta no Kuni. The sun was just over midway on its journey through the sky, birds were chirping and the wind rustled the rice in the fields gently. But it was not all sunshine, lollipops and rainbows. missing ninja in particular, and his name was Akira Tenshi. A B rank Ex Kumogakure shinobi. He was not particularly notorious due to the fact that he had been keeping a low profile for the past few years. But soon that would all change. He had taken a few jobs here and there around Kusa and one in Konoha. However he had big plans for the coming days. Which would hopefully be put into action and would ot just turn out to be a hoax. After all it was his motivation to become the one of the most dangerous and famous shinobi of all time. Although this was just a side affect of his condition, having almost unachievable and unrealistic goals. The condition in question was Psychopathy. Tenshi did not really give a damn about this, as a nineteen year old who had gone slightly off the rails it meant that his life was worth living. It added an element of danger and fun to his otherwise boring life. That was why he had left his home village of Kumogakure. It was no fun being a regular shinobi, there were too many rules and regulations that one had to follow.

His job was simple, to kill a group of rich business men as far as he could tell. It would be his first taste of blood in a long time. His body yearned for the thrill of the kill. It was his plan to cut them all down with his swords and let their blood seep into the dirt. Each person would suffer their fate with a different weapon. But he probably would not have time, having been informed that there would be no fellow shinobi to take care of. Only body guards would be guarding them which would be a shame, no challenge. Still it would mean that he could get it done quickly and with out too much mess. Then he had been promised that he could take all the money on their person and for good measure he might as well see what he could find. As the fields were miles away from any where else he was safe to walk about in the open without being caught. He had been told that the people would be turning up on the day after this. What would be useful was if he could find some of them as they were going along the main road. That way he could take the pressure off himself tomorrow.

Tenshi was still yet to make contact with his ‘employer’. So hopefully it had not already been taken by another person. To be on the safe side he might as well go down and check tonight. So it was decided that he would creep down there in the dead of night and converse with the workers. If the job had already been taken the person who had done it would pay with their life. He did not choose this as his way of life, but if he wanted to survive he would have to be feared. Maybe he could even kill his employer and take all the money. No he must remember to stay on top of all that and not go too crazy. It would be important to keep friends. After all, you never know when you might need them. Then again there was the old saying. ‘Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer’. What nonsense, in his eyes this made no sense. Why would one need to keep your enemies close, to keep an eye on them maybe. But what if you were unable to do so. He was an enemy of many of the major countries. Tenshi did not have the time nor the recourses to keep an eye on them, so why should he. Since arriving in the Ta no Kuni the missing nin had been forced to camp out. After all it was not like this would be the last time either. The Ta no Kuni was considerably larger than his current home country. One of the largest of the minor nations in fact. From what he had seen, he had to admit it was quite beautiful. Still it could not compare with the land of Grass.

From looking at numerous scrolls of this country he estimated that he could get to his destination by dusk. Still it would most likely be easiest to keep a low profile until then. So he would try and camp out near it this evening. Yet he still had some way to go, his pace had dropped to a slow walk. He still felt relaxed from his time in the Rice Field Country. But he had to snap out of it, surely the sight of blood would wake him up. It had been so long he had forgotten its smell, its taste. As his heavy foot steps pressed through the fields. He had started to use the demon blade as a machete to get through the shoulder height stalks. Annoyingly these were what stood before him and his targets. It was slowing him down, but he should still be able to get there at his estimated time. The day had been a long one, having woken up at seven he had been walking since then. Judging from the sun he estimated that it was around three. Which meant he still had a good few hours left.

It was five by the time he reached the safety and shade of the trees. According to the map the fields in question should be just at the end of these trees. A dirt road ran just to the east of where he currently was. The faint sound of horse hooves could be heard in this direction. Tenshi was dressed in his normal shinobi attire. But with this sudden show of civilisation he hooked The Doctor onto his face. This way he could make it out of a sticky situation with his identity intact. It was not so much that he needed to be keep himself hidden, but more it was good practice for when he did. He had to train himself to keep himself scarce. Until extremely recently he had not even needed to consider this, as he was rarely seen outside of his ‘lair’.

For the next hour he continued until his destination was visible. At least he presumed that this was it. A few acres of rolling rice fields. A large complex of wooden buildings was laid out closest to him. This was most likely where he had to go in order to accept the mission. It was probably considered to be rather foolish, leaving it so late in order to confirm the taking up of the job. Well he was almost there anyway, all he had to do now was wait for the morning. Tenshi shrugged off his cloak, unhooked his mask and took off his shirt and sandals. After stripping off his socks the young man wiggled his toes. He had to get fire wood for food, he would need his energy for tomorrow. Fortunately there were many scattered, small twigs as well as some vines for use as kindling. Using Ace to get it going he took out a can of beans from his pack. Placing them by the fire he lay down and patiently waited for them to heat up.

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In the time it took for his food to heat up the Nukenin had taken out his white katana and bow. The quiver of arrows had been rolled up in a bundle at the bottom of his bag, to his delight they remained unscathed. It would be good to get prepared for the ever approaching event. It was unlikely that he would end up using his favourite weapon Ten no Hoshi as it would be too large for secrecy, instead he would have to settle with purity, no doubt his bow would be used as well. Using his dagger to make a circle Tenshi carved a target into a near by tree. The Nukenins accuracy was not the best in the world so he would have to practice for tomorrow. Placing an arrow on the bow string and drawing it back to the tip of his mouth he let loose. It struck the tree with a satisfying thud. He fired again and again until the target was amass with arrows. After pulling them all out from the wood he went for a second go. It would be vital to get enough practice as possible for the coming hours. Once three more rounds had been done he finally considered this to be enough. It was now time to focus on something more physical.

Akira Tenshi had never been one for training, it still astounded him that he was trying this hard in preparation. But deep down he knew that tomorrow would be one of the most important days of his life. If something went wrong it could be one of his last ever hired missions. It could be a matter of life or death if he did not make it out of there in time. Still he was sure that he would, there would be no shinobi to get in his way, only body guards. Worst case scenario would be that they were could at hand to had combat. One may have a sword but even then they would be no match for his skills. After twenty five press ups and fifty sit ups he went to a sturdy looking branch. Grasping it by the thickest section - so that it did not break - he hoisted himself up so that his chin was over the branch. Doing this a further nine times the man finally dropped. It was impressive that the branch had not collapsed. Although he was particularly large he was a fully grown man that weighed more than one might guess. Maybe he should bulk up, steal some muscle growth powder, but that would require effort and that would be a drag. Any way he had heard that it took a lot for any of that stuff to actually work.

His beans hard started to bubble by this point. Fishing around in his bag he drew out an old wooden spoon, it was somewhat warped. Being one of the only pieces of cutlery he had used since going rogue. Most people would have thrown it away by now, but it held some sort of sentimental value to himself. Having been bought in Kumo it was a little piece of home. Although most people would think that it was a weird thing to remind oneself of their birth place. Most would have a people would have a teddy bear or a article of clothing. All he had were his weapons and a spoon. If anything he did not want to be reminded of his home country. There was a reason why he had left, it was horrible and he hated everyone there. It would have been pointless to stay there was not much else that he would have been able to learn. Killing, stealing and causing hell was the way a proper shinobi should live. Ninja should not live by a code of honour, they were assassins. Puppets to their Kage and Daimyo. But not him and not others like Maquerade. Fishing out the last few beans he chomped on them until it was empty and till he wanted more. It was time to break open one of the precious beers he had got from the land of Hot Springs. There would be a chance to replenish his supplies in a village somewhere in this land.

Taking off his cloak and string it over a tree he clipped the doctor back on and headed off down the hill. If he got there and he had to turn back then this whole trip would have been for nothing. But then again without it he would not have met the fellow Tenei Nukenin. He had decided not to show his face to his ‘employers’ as it would probably be safest. That way they would be unable to trace the crime back to him incase. Do not touch anything apart from the money that they give you was a deal that he had made with himself. There were three weapons that the shinobi had decided to use. His dagger, katana and bow, three weapons that could be used in silence. Piercing flesh and spilling blood, there was no way that he could fail. Each one of those people would die quickly, apart from the leader. He sounded like a nasty piece of work, he would suffer for his crimes. For the first time his killings would be in the name of justice. It was good to think of it like that, if anything this would be for the greater good. It was not like he was doing anything wrong, in the long term more people would benefit. Sliding the katana into its scabbard he set off.

It took him a further five minutes of walking down hill to the bottom. During this time he had stumbled blindly down the undergrowth. Not so much was it that the night was already too dark to see in, it was just that the densely covered slopes came up to way above his head. His sword thumping into his backside as he ran. Once he had reached the bottom it would only take him around seven or so minutes to walk. Judging by the distance that he had seen whilst up on the hill. Sprinting half the way there he slowed down as soon as he was a minute away. He wanted to seem professional and a somewhat out of breath. It was all about the first impressions, people would not want to hire a buffoon that walked in off the street. He was sure that the image of a tall dark stranger with a mask and bright white katana would help them make up their minds.

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A window lay open, perfect. Akira Tenshi was just outside of the place where he was going to confirm his first job outside of Kusa. There was butterflies in his stomach and his head spun. Even though he would be the most powerful person in the room he still felt some one scare. No, he must not feel scared, fear was for the weak. Peering through the crack in the window he saw that no one was there. Still it was not the room of the workers. Jogging around the outside of the building he eventually came to a room where people were residing in. But he was unsure whether it was them or not. He had to be careful, if he went into any random person’s room and started talking about assassinations there was a chance that it would be his target. After a few seconds he realised what would set the working men apart from the rich man, clothes. These men were wearing tattered old brown rags, poor. Tenshi knocked on the window and waited for it to be opened.

It took two more knocks for someone to finally realise where it was coming from. Once it was open a grubby yet kindly man stood before him. ”Can I help you?” The man asked.
”Why yes, I heard that you might have a job for me?”
”Oh. You are here about that, please come in.”
Tenshi hopped through the window and stood up straight. He looked around him and noticed the thread bare beds with straw mattresses. In order to save money there was no electric light, it was all lit by candle or oil lamp. Checking that his mask was on properly he waited for someone to start talking, to tell him more about his contract. Everything inside the room was made out of wood. A place that could burn down easily perhaps? Tenshi smiled maliciously to himself. Lucking they could not see this as his face was obscured by The Doctor. It truly was a beautiful mask, perfect for things like this.

”We are so glad that you came, we did not expect anyone would turn up by now.” Good so no one had taken it yet.”I trust you know what you plan on doing by now and what this is all about. We thank you for agreeing to do this little idea of ours, we are in your debt.” Tenshi had not really been listening throughout any of that but it seemed nice enough. It had been amazing luck that he had been the first person to get to this. He was almost sure that it would have been taken. Nodding slowly to the man who seemed to be in charge he sighed. Hopefully it would not drag on into more than one day. He would have to be sure not to fail, exterminating each and every one of them with extreme prejudice. After asking about his pay the workers confirmed what he had guessed. They would be unable to pay him directly, however he could take whatever the rich men had on their persons. Hopefully this would end up coming to quite a lot. Then again, gaining notoriety and fueling his blood lust were enough pay by themselves.

After he got a more detailed explanation of what he needed to do the Tenei set off, back up the hill. He had decided to get there early the following morning. That way he would be able o take out the earliest arriver, as long as this was not the person who owned the fields. He had been shown a picture of the man back at the bunk house. Also he had been told that this man was most likely to be the heavily guarded. But he had been assured that there would be four guards maximum. All the rest would only have on or two, if that. Tenshi could not decide whether he wanted guards or not. If there were lots of guards it would be more fun, but if there were none it would be easier and less time consuming. He made it up to the top of the hill in three minutes. Since he was going to have to wake up early the following morning he had decided to sleep as soon as possible. Once he had gotten out Hummingbird he leant his head against a tree and fell fast asleep.

Posts : 1187

It was five o’clock in the morning when Akira Tenshi came back to the real world, away from his slumber. It had not been a long lived one. The fact that he had been forced to wake up early would make him angry and even more unpredictable. Which to be fir would actually be quite useful for the day. It would be important to be fully awake this morning, it was a shame that there was no water near. Digging around in his bag he pulled out a bottle of orange juice. Then a rubbery waffle that was in a weird packet. It was not very nice, but it was sugary and packed with calories. Hopefully it would give him sufficient energy for the coming hours. As soon as it was over he would go and purchase some nicer foods. He would need it for where he was going next. The journey would be a long one so he would need as much energy as possible, not to mention alcohol.

Having decided that he would go down at six he had plenty of time. Wearing only trousers the wind felt cool against his torso. Collapsing down into fifty press ups and one hundred sit ups. He had to get his blood pumping. It was annoying but he knew that this would be important. Once he had finished stretching he did fifty laps of the small space he was in. All together it was a not particularly challenging work out, still it was a good start. Upon finishing he put on his shinobi attire then clicked on his mask and slid Purity in its scabbard. He could not stop himself from shaking with excitement. There was no doubt that nothing would go wrong, he had to keep thinking positive thoughts. Putting on his quiver and slinging his long bow over his shoulders he crouched low. After he had practiced the correct position Tenshi stood up straight again. Finally he felt like he was ready. It had taken a considerably shorter time than he had previously thought, so he might as well get there quickly. He would have to be able to leave quickly for the nearest village once this was done. So he packed up all of his stuff and left the bag and large scroll propped up against a tree. Then it was finally time to leave, blood was going to be spilt.

There was no need to be overly stealthy at the current time. As there was barely anyone around he was able to walk around normally. But as soon as someone came he would dive in the nearest spot. Upon reaching the edge of the hill he started to jog down it. Running in a zig zag motion helped as it meant that you did not build up too much speed at one time. Once he reached the bottom Tenshi vaulted over a high fence by using a chakra in his feet to jump higher. Landing softly he looked around, to his left was a small shabby building and to his left and front were a massive expanse of field. He would attempt to find the main entrance which would probably be where they came to first. From there he would follow them, sticking to the safety of the rice plants. Then he would pull them in one by one, ending their worthless lives. It would be important to finish the boss last. Also if he did it abruptly there would be suspicions. If the first one that turned up was not the boss then he would kill him and get one of them out of the way. This way they would assume that he had forgotten or was running late.

It took him twenty minutes to find the man entrance. He did this by hugging the fence, stepping back into the rice as soon as he heard a noise. When he got there no one was to be seen. Having been told that they were meant to arrive for eight or nine, he had had rested a lot on the idea that they might get here early. It was now just coming up to seven and the first carriage had just pulled up outside. There was no one else to be seen so he crept out of the long rice. Hiding behind a stack of wooden crates with rice in them. A large man got off the driving seat and opened the door. A smaller man, but no less fat stepped out of the side. This was it, his first kill. Taking off his bow and stringing it with the first arrow. He would have to pick the right moment for this. If he fired too early then another would escape so he would have to wait. The best thing to do would kill them both with one arrow. But that would be hard and he was rapidly running out of time as he did not know when the others would get here. It would be best to get it out of the way so he pulled back the string, took a deep breath and fired. A metal tip pierced the small fat mans suit. A look of shock was painted on his face. Looking down at the arrow he fell forwards onto the floor. Falling with such force caused the arrow to push through him even deeper. One down one to go. Leaping into action Tenshi came out from cover and hurled a kunai at the guard. It missed, striking the body of the carriage harmlessly. Using his increased speed he ran at the man. Ryu Ejji in hand, jumping high into the air he landed with two feet on the mans chest. With such a look of confusion on his face the Nukenin could not help but feel a little bit sorry for him.

Plunging the knife in the side of the mans neck he pulled it out and repeated the motion. After the second stab he stopped moving and went limp. Tenshi was impressed that he had survived that long. Now he was faced with a major problem, he could not get rid of the carriage. But he had to try. After looting the bodies to find some money he dragged them both into the inside compartment. Then he stepped up to the head of the carriage. There were two major flaws to this plan, one he could not drive a horse and cart and two he might meet some of the other people on the way here. Still there was an hour until they were meant to be here. Then again these people had arrived early so why should other not. He would have to make it quick. Driving the carriage to the back of the building, n the road coming the opposite way to the others.

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Driving the cart had been considerably easier than he had previously expected. All one had to do was pull on the reigns and guide the horses. When he found a suitable spot he pulled over and got off his post. He did not have the heart to kill the two horses, they had been useful to him. So he simply let them go, be free in the rice country. Ushering them away from the plantation he was going to be working at. Before he could make sure that they had gone he opened the door to the carriage. Stripping its occupants of watches,, necklaces and rings. Anything that could be sold on for profit was taken. Then it was time to go back to the fields. He checked one of the watches, five minutes to eight. If he ran he could make it. By this time the workers would probably be out on the fields. Hopefully he would be able to meet up with the men he met the previous night. That way he could confirm that it was being done. Them again they would not have a boss for much longer so he doubted that they would mind. Everyone there would find out sooner or later.

Using the same technique as earlier Tenshi got over the fence. Now there were substantially more people out than earlier. Sprinting flat out he got to the gate he got there in a minute. By now there was a few business men. Between them there was four men and seven guards. There was still an hour for people to get here. It would probably be best to bump them off as they went off. Say, if one went to the toilet kill him there. If it was a guard his ward would then come looking for him and vice versa. Apparently there was going to be a lunch break, this would be the best opportunity he would get. If it were up to him this would be finished by then but that was unlikely. He could go in there all guns blazing but if he did this he would run the risk of letting one escape. If he did that then they might get help. Then again even the best fighter can get stabbed in the back if he is against many foes. He needed to assess what kind of weapons the guards were carrying. None of them seemed to have any large bladed weapons. But he was certain that each of them would have something small like a dagger or knuckle duster.

Making his was into the rice the shinobi made sure none of the workers could see him. They might accidentally give away his position. It was now a case of waiting, hopefully not too long. As soon as one left to go off somewhere he would stalk and kill them. It took forty minutes before the last man arrived. Still by this time no one had left, it was getting boring. As the last one stepped out of the cart and everyone went over to greet him they still seemed to be waiting for one more. Of course this last one would not come. Tenshi looked at his unsuspecting victims. Altogether there was six business men and twelve guards. This was going to be hard, whenever he could he would try and kill two birds with one stone. It was a shame that he was not in possession of two daggers. Then it hit him, he was. Reaching into his pouch he brought out two kunai. Gripping one in each hand he got ready. These two small knives would draw blood on this day.

Five minutes in to the tour a man had already disappeared. He ha been sent to look on the horses, he did not return. Tenshi had slipped back and slit his throat, leaving him in a pile of manure. One down nineteen to go. He would get his chance to kill the majority of them in the lunch break. Until that time he would try and get them down slowly. There was a chance that the owner would eat in a separate place. That way he would be able to kill them all and when he turned up kill him as well. Another major problem would be that he had to kill his guards at the same time as he killed him. Otherwise it may give something away. He stayed as close as possible in order to be able to hear what they were saying. After a further twenty minutes the man whose guard was sent to tend the horses needed the toilet. ‘Wow that’s lucky.’ Tenshi thought to himself. His last guard was to go with him. [i]‘Two birds, one stone’ Following them to a horrible, dirty bathroom he slipped in when they had both already in. The master was whistling while on the toilet, the guard admiring his appearance. He had a straight shot, hurling one of the kunai into the mans temple. He fell with a heavy crash. ”Is that you Ichi? Hello” The man called. He opened the door to stick his head out but Tenshi was ready for him. Jamming the blade of a kunai between his eyes. Blood sprayed out onto his chest. It was not a pretty sight. Two more, fifteen.

It took him two minutes to catch up with the group. By this time you could tell that they thought something was up. It was not normal for people to take that long in the bathroom. He had to end their suspicions. Tenshi settled on a new strategy. As soon as there was only nine left he would move in and purify them. By that time he was sure that he would be confident enough to take them out. By the time someone was about to go out and look for the other three it had been decided that they had gotten lost and there was no point in returning for them. So the party went onwards. The Nukenin felt like this was getting boring now. Why did he have to wait until lunch time? Why not spice it up a bit? As soon as one fell behind you kill them. This would require him to use his bow. So he took it from his shoulder and strung an arrow. Pulled it back and let it go. It struck the leg of one of the business men. His time of hiding in the shadows was over. it was time to show his true colours. He would let the land be fertilised with every one of them with their worthless blood.

Jumping out from cover he brandished his weapon. Tenshi would not give them time to react. After three major strides he reached the back group. Two business men, four guards. They did not know what hit them. Each one of their lifeless bodies hit the floor before the rest had time to warn them. Sticking his sword through the back of the investor in the next row. His guard then turned to the black haired Nukenin, brandishing a large knife. Not fast enough, the same fate befell him as had his master. By this time Tenshi had started to tire. All of this had happened too quickly and his body was having a hard time keeping up, despite his speed. Now there were seven. A perfect number, one business man and the leader, five guards. Pulling out a shuriken from its holster he threw it at a guards neck. It struck, he crumpled. It kept getting easier and easier. Then two men came for him, leaving the other two with the men. He could not let the leader get away. That way he would fail the mission. Feinting running right he swiftly changed direction and ran around the. Both of the important men turned to run. Gnashing his jaws and flaring his eyes Tenshi stuck Ryu Ejji into the leg of the man trying to get into his way.

He had to rely everything on his speed now. With three men much larger than himself chasing him now he could not get caught. That would mean that he would let the leader get away. Sprinting flat out he started to summon chakra into his blade. Releasing his most powerful weaponry jutsu, Laser Slash. The bolt hit the more important of the fleeing men. He was knocked forward and started whimpering in pain. Swine like this did not deserve and honorable death. Plunging his sword deep in the mans heart. It was not hard, he put up no resistance. Then it was on to the next. He had not even looked back to check on his friend, scum. Once he was next to him he plunged his sword into his side. He could be left there to die, he needed to focus on the more problematic danger. The three guards, at least these people would put up a fight. Having stopped moving his body suddenly felt like a weight. All adrenaline had left him, he did not want to continue. But the three guards seemed ready. Before he had time to catch his breath they were on him. The biggest’s fist slammed into the side of his face. The Doctor absorbed much of the blow but he was sent flying backwards. Before he had time to get up they were above him, kicking his chest and head with all their might. This was not giving him an opening. He could feel blood dripping from his nose. It only made him more and more angry, he snapped. Lashing out with every limb possible. The guards had to step back, his chance. Picking up Purity he stuck one then slashed at the next one’s neck. He was left, choking on his own blood. Looking at him mercilessly the Nukenin sheathed his weapon, straightened his mask and dusted his shoulders.

80 - 13 =67 Cp

SC used -

Spoiler:

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Tenshi felt like he was about to pass out, he needed energy. He would have to be quick making it to a village, or his pack. Hopefully there would be an energy drink or two somewhere around the bottom. But now it was a question of getting his ‘pay’. Looking around at the chaos he had created the Tenei Nukenin suddenly though about the power that he held in his hand. It both frightened him and excited him. He was able to take out a large number of untrained people. The next step was trying to kill a shinobi. That would be a completely different kettle of fish. Especially one of his rank or higher. After scavenging each of the fallen bodies he came away with a large sum of cash and items that could be sold for more. It was a worthy haul for such a fun mission. Just as he was collecting up the last of the items people came running over, he did not have the energy to flee.

He was impressed that they had taken so long getting over there. But none the less here they came. Once they were all there they stood around wide eyed and open mouthed. ”The contract you set me is done. Now if you will be so kind as to move, I wish to leave this place and probably never return. You people take care now.” As he was leaving one man tried to grasp his arm but he waved him away. He had decided against telling them about the bodies in the bathroom. It would be funny if one of them had a heart attack. It had been a successful mission but now all he wanted to do was sleep. So that was what he would do, then on to a village. Leaving through the front gates this time he made his way up the hill.

On his way up the Nukenin had to pull himself to the top. After having such a large adrenaline rush the chemical had all but left his blood stream. No doubt he would be used to it sooner or later. Still it was a large shock to his body at the moment. All his energy had almost left him completely. It was not easy keeping up that high speed for such a long time, Tenshi was proud of himself. Now all he had to do was sleep, replenish his supplies and be happy in the knowledge that he had completed his first big mission. By the time that he reached where he had been staying he was in an even worse state. However by this time the end was in sight. Resting his head agains his pack and drawing the cloak over himself he closed his eyes.

The Tenei still could not get over what he had done over the past few hours. Killing something really was as fun as he had remembered. All he wanted to do now was re-live the whole experience. But now it was over, he would have to go somewhere else and complete a similar task. As soon as he had slept and got supplies he would set off in an attempt to find a new adventure. Hopefully it would be as fun as today. He felt like he would never have an experience that would quite match this. At least, not at his current rank. By the time he was S and destroying entire villages he was sure he would have relived something like this. It was always different, your first ever serious mission. Especially if that mission involved murder.