Fish Herding ~ [Mission] Closed

Age : 49 Posts : 1036

Quote :: Mission Title: Infestation Removal
Mission Type: Generic
Mission Location: Fire Country
Shinobi Requirement: Genin+
Mission Rank: D
Mission Objective: Due to a recent accident on the part of local fishermen, a species of fish that is not native to the area has been released in the village's waterways. This needs to be addressed as the fish is known to devour the native species which are vital to the village as a source of food. A crate of these fish were released, they need to be tracked down and removed, preferably alive.
Mission Time Limit: 2 weeks
Min Post Count: 2

Sitting outside one of clans storehouses, Toshiro was for once not enjoying the warmth of the mid-morning sun - instead sitting tailor-fashion among a number of objects while glaring at several pieces of paper in his hands from which he would occasionally look up, then scribbled something before glaring back at the papers. "Nets, check. Rope, check. Stakes, check. Spare cloths, check. Two extra reels of wire, check. Camping supplies for a full day, check. Local map, check." Sighing for the umptenth time, Toshiro rolled up the mission scroll along with his list of equipment and a map of the area where the fish had escaped before stuffing them into his pouch with his left hand and reaching behind him for a squat and round shape sitting on an empty packing case. 'Ugh. All this because someone couldn't keep a bunch of fish from getting dumped into a river. Why did I take this mission again? Oh right. Mom is on the war path since dad had to be out of town for a mission during their anniversary and Rangiku and Asusha are having that time of the month. '

Closing his eyes Toshiro brought his arm back from it's search with his prize - an extra-large mug of hot coco with extra whipped cream and sprinkles from one of his favorite shops - letting the delightful smell disperse some of the stress of spending the previous day tiptoeing around his mother and sisters with the sort of caution used by a mouse crossing a room full of black cats during a moonless night. He loved them dearly but there were times it was best to treat the women in his life in the same manner one would a room that was trapped with explosive tags - have someone else set them off first. This was most definitely one of those times; with luck by the time he got back from this fish-hunt his father would be back and either defuse the situation or become the punching bag. While Toshiro would be happiest with the first one if it came to the second - well his father once said that when it came to a truly furious female self-preservation took precedence over family ties, especially if the female was family. With that he raised the mug and drained off a third of it's blessed contents in one long drink, letting every thought go as he concentrated on the soothing warmth and sweet taste.

'Ah! The best part of a long day in the making.' Eyes closed, Toshiro leaned back against the case and enjoyed the sounds of daily life in Konohagakure while sipping his drink to - right up until a loud "Kiyah!" and the sound of splintering wood made him reflexily sit up and look over the case. Something he wish he hadn't done when he located the source of the noise - Rangiku in the clans taijutsu train area standing in front of one of the heavy-duty training dummies made of four inch thick boards that had been completely shattered glaring at the post as if daring it to get back up. Face white as a ghost, Torshiro slipped back behind the case so that nothing poked up to betray his position and nervously gulped down the rest of his coco - he knew that look! The last time he had seen it had been when he had run out after hearing a scream of female rage to find several clansmen and two ANBU struggling to hold Rangiku who had been in the process of completely pulverizing what later turned out to be a genin who had been trying to peep on his sister on a dare. It was the look that said someone had done something embarrassing to his sister, who had been unable to reduce the source of her ire into a bloody smear and was thus "venting" and it was only a matter of time before she went looking for a sparring partner to work out her stress on after she ran out of dummies. 'Eh...I think this is a very good time to pack up all this up and head out. Quicker I get out the less chance of ending up a punching bag.'

Waiting until the resumption of something hitting wood indicated his temperamental sister was back to obliterating dummies, Toshiro set the mug back on the case then rose with the fluid movement that came from years of practice with blades - instinctively picking up the harness holding his ninjato and tanto and donning it before giving one last glare at the accumulated pile of supplies. The normal stuff like spare clothes (as Toshiro expected to get soaked) and camping supplies would not be a problem after packing after multiple C-ranks, but carrying the supplies for his fish traps was going to be... how do the Nara say... troublesome. Unfortunately without it catching the fish by himself would be a much longer job so simply leaving it wasn't an option, and since his understanding of fuuinjutsu was very basic (ie. enough to know to leave it to the experts) simply putting it all into a storage scroll wasn't an option. He would just have to wrap as much into bundles as he could and carry the rest. With any luck another genin or maybe even two would also have gotten assigned this mission and be waiting at the gate.

Posts : 542

For the first time in his life, that he remembered, the young stranger, formerly know as Ken, was late. What added to his irritation was that the situation was not his fault. He had arrived to the administration building an hour before dawn. He waited and waited until the mission’s compound opened.

The sluggish Chunnin would sift through papers and look up at Ken every now and then with glazed eyes. Ken being respectful waited patiently to be acknowledged. Finally after a whole hour of waiting, Ken respectfully asked why he had been summoned. The Chunnin had nonchalantly told him that he had a mission with a Genin by the name of Hinamori Toshiro. When Ken asked when they were to meet, the Chunnin looked up and told him the time had already been past by a few hours. Trying to contain his anger at the ineptness of the Chunnin Ken asked were the other Genin could be found.

Remembering his manners he asked to be excused and bolted out the door. And so, Ken ran as fast as his feet would take him. Scaling to the roofs when necessary to avoid bumping into somebody, he traversed the village. He headed for the village housing area hoping that his partner had not departed yet and thought him an irresponsible person. Finally the housing area came into view and miraculously so did Hinamori Toshiro. Ken skidded to a stop a few feet from the other Genin so as to not startle or bump into his partner. Quickly catching his breath and stabilizing his breathing, Ken bowed his head and uttered slowly.

“Hinamori Toshiro? I am Ken. I apologize but at the moment I do not have a family name. I rushed over as soon as I could. The office did not inform me of our meeting until just recently. I do apologize for that. I will be your partner in this mission. The office informed me that you had all the specifics. Please feel free to instruct me in what needs to be done.” Ken bowed once more and a waited the reply from his partner.

The young stranger was wearing little more than a patched khaki t-shirt and matching pants that bloused at the shins. The skin that showed was bronzed, hinting of a desert heritage. The unruly, shoulder length hair, was salt and pepper colored. If anything, the most notable characteristic was the big doe eyes in the center of his face. They made him seem almost innocent and always alert. Ken was of athletic built but in no way muscular. All in all, none would guess him to be a shinobi other than the tale tell forehead protector wrapped around his left arm.

Noticing the bundles the other carried haphazardly Ken extend out his hands and respectfully offered. “Please, let me help you with that.” He saw how prepared the other teen was and hoped that his own tardiness was not taken into account as lack of planning and managing skills.

Age : 49 Posts : 1036

Having noted the tell-tales (vistors pointing, surprised squawks, etc) of a shinobi heading in his direction, Toshiro had only one thought - 'please let it be a partner - this stuff is heavier than I expected.'. When the older teen, who had a good three hands of height on Toshiro, stopped several feet in front of him then introduced himself, Toshiro's entire being radiated his relief. 'Thank you Kami, thank you!' "Just Toshiro works Ken-san and no need to apologize - it has happened to me a few times too. I'll rig these extra rolls of net into a pack while we go over what we know." With that Toshiro dropped two of bundles to free a hand that rummaged briefly through a pouch before finding the rolled-up mission scroll, map, and equipment list that he tossed to Ken before dropping the last bundle and using a rope to start turning them into a less-cumbersome arrangment that could be worn like a backpack like he had the other three rolls of supplies.

"The mission is a D-rank outside the village. Someone screwed up and there are now forty-eight large fish in the river that we have to catch, alive if at all possible, before they eat the local fish. The person who requested the mission, a Master Mori Oda, will met us at the docks marked at the village marked on the map. I'm hoping he can give us some more detailed information about the fish - all I learned when I accepted the mission was they were large and how many there were. Nothing about where they could be found during the day, if they were going to be spawning soon, or even what they look like." Having finished the rope-work that turned the individual rolls of net and rope into a crude backpack, Toshiro gestured for Ken to turn around so the pack could be put on right before continuing. "Given that... lack of information, I really don't have a plan beyond using these nets and some suiton jutsu to create extra-large fish traps and hope for the best. I didn't even know if I was the only genin assigned to the mission or not until you came up. Of course if you have a better idea to feel free say so - this is the first time I've had to find the proverbial needle in a haystack."

Posts : 542

Ken bowed his head at the other’s introduction, though the honorific title after his own sounded strange to the young Genin’s ears. Never had Ken though of himself as superior or even better skilled. However, he did notice why the other would address him as such. Ken was slightly taller and judging from the young features in his partner’s face, Toshiro did appear to be younger than the bronzed teen. “It is a pleasure to meet you Toshiro-san. I do hope to be of service in this mission.” His tone was polite. His hand reached for the mission scroll that his partner handed him and promptly began reading. He too had gotten little information from the mission’s office and he needed any little bit for this mission to be a success.

As he read, Toshiro basically paraphrased what the mission scroll already stated. Ken both heard and read the information making sure to note the quantity and the name of the point of contact they were to meet. Seeing Toshiro motion for him to turn so that the make shift backpack with supplies could be attached to him, Ken did as was asked while addressing the issue at hand. “Toshiro-san, I do hope that Master Oda does indeed have more information to deliver. Yet, I fear that may not be the case. I would infer that if such information was available, Master Oda would already have disclosed it instead of risking shame for lack of knowledge. My guess is that given the fact he sought help from shinobi, he must be really short handed. Perhaps that is how the crate was dumped into the river in the first place.”

Ken felt Toshiro working to strap the make shift back pack on him. He was glad that his partner was so skilled and so prepared. It should make the mission that much easier to complete and successful. Ken wondered if, because of the age difference, would Toshiro assume Ken to be the more experienced and learderish of the pair. The young Genin really hoped this was not the case but in his experience it was better safe than sorry.

“Toshiro-san, I feel that I should tell you that I have just recently become a Genin. I have a few missions under my belt yet, I would not presume to know anything. If the way I speak would lead you to believe otherwise, please do not fault me. I merely aim to be of much use as possible.” The young stranger waited for the either a response or for the other Genin to finish strapping him so that the mission could be underway. If this morning was any sort of indication, the lazy Chunnin had probably sat on this mission. It may even be worse than either Genin could predict. The fish might have even multiplied already. As waited silently, Ken ran through many scenarios and solutions in his mind trying to dig up every bit of information his mind could possibly had that would help the pair succeed.

Age : 49 Posts : 1036

Busy securing the loops of rope and crafting the knot that would allow them to fall off with a single pull if needed, Toshiro's attention was only partially on his teammates assessment of the situation. Despite that he couldn't help but sigh as Ken's assessment paralleled his own when he first got the mission. What should have been a simple job was shaping up to be yet another FUBAR (Fouled Up Beyond All Recognition) situation due to a lack of information and communication - the banes of Toshiro's shinobi career. "Well if the client can't provide any more information than we will just have to improvise. The mission only said "preferably alive" - not must be alive - so casualties are acceptable in this case. As for experience, well then we're both in the same kettle. I'm only a year out of the academy myself."

Giving the now-secured pack a solid thump with his hand to make sure it would stay on during the trip to the fishing village, Toshiro turned to making sure he hadn't set anything down when he froze as a shiver went up his spine. His head jerking up, his eyes swept the crowd for what had sent that chill of foreboding up his back until he spotted a familiar strawberry blonde head striding towards him that made his eyes go wide with fear & panic. 'Is that... red alert!' Yep, Toshiro's big sister Rangiku had apparently gone shopping when she couldn't find a sparring partner and through sheer bad luck managed to stumble into her little brother while on the way back home. Making matters worse, at least from Toshiro's perspective, was that she had obviously seen her little brother and was heading right at him with a glint in her blue-gray that sent his I-am-going-to-die sense screaming - the look said she knew he didn't dare say no to whatever she was going to request. Fighting down the surge of panic as the harbringer of much pain and humiliation came closer, Toshiro went through all the options available to him settled on the staple of ninja combat - strike first and run like hell. Forcing an obviously-false cheery expression onto his face, Toshiro waved at his sister. "Ah hi Rang-chan. Just going over some last minute details for an urgent mission, hush hush all that, got to RUN!!!" The last part coming out much louder than normal and an obvious hint that his teammate should do the same, the white-haired genin pivoted on his heel, grabbed at his teammates arm, and took off in the direction of the gates with a desperation-induced speed that would have given casual observes the impression he was using the shushin. All the while silently praying to whatever powers above that Rangiku would be too burdened by the booty from her shopping to catch up. He just hoped Ken had either taken his example to heart and was following him or had followed out of instinct when Toshiro had grabbed his arm and yanked him - otherwise the poor guy was going to risk ending up being a packmule slash sparring post by the time his sister got through with him. Dang her and her femine wiles! 'Please let him be behind me!'

Posts : 542

Ken was about to agree with Toshiro about having to improvise should their contact be unable to produce any further information that would aid them. Ken had not meant that they take the easy way and exterminate the fish. After all, that would mean a loss for somebody. He merely wondered what would be the optimal approach to the situation. Hopefully the fish were still alien to their new habitat and should stick out like a sore thumb. An idea came into Ken’s mind about something he had read in a book once. It might prove more nuisance than it was worth but it might help also. He was about to turn, feeling the pack tighten around his waist and arms, and tell Toshiro what he thought when all of the sudden he was running.

The bronzed Genin had no idea why they were running. He had felt the arm of his partner pinch his and pull him with strength that could not have been mistaken for anything else other than desperation. The question fell hard on his mind, what could make a sensible Genin like Toshiro was be so unraveled? He chanced a look back only to catch a glimpse of a female figure. Ken was no expert on the female form, but to his eyes the woman was appealing to the eyes. Her fiery red hair produced an aura of strong will and stronger prowess. The lady held a small resemblance to his partner but he could not dwell much on the matter as his momentum made it physically impossible to keep on staring.

His feet carried him as fast as he could but his speed was no match to that of his partner’s. The amount of questions rose in Ken’s mind but most if not all, would never see the light of day. Ken kept running behind his partner. When Toshiro planned to stop was yet another mystery to Ken. The frantic run had already taken them past shopping strip and they were now passing the city gates. Though Ken had trained himself physically, even the most resilient shinobi would collapse should this break neck speed be maintained.

Since there was little to do but run, Ken sought the information stored somewhere in his mind that would aid them in accomplishing their mission. He tried to dig up every bit of it so that his guess would be educated and backed up by facts that he could present to Toshiro. So many variables were unaccounted for, yet Ken aimed to make a core argument around which he may build or enhance. The only sound that came from the pensive ninja was a steady, even breathing that would send the needed oxygen to the hard working muscles as both he and his partner, left whatever threat the female might have posed and got nearer to their mission location. The wind played with Ken’s salt and pepper hair and caressed his skin. His eyes held the shape of his partner in the distance, about 10m ahead of him. Content, Ken ran.

Age : 49 Posts : 1036

Feeling the burn in his legs and chest that said he had pushed things again, Toshiro slowed his pace from running as if the hounds of hell were after him to a more normal pace for shinobi on the move once he saw that his sister wasn't on his tail, his partner was following him, and they were out of sight of Konoha's walls. That had been too close a call, especially when Toshiro and his partner were already running behind schedule - having to stop at the hospital due to bones broken while being used as substitute training dummies and the crippling stomach ache from his sisters apology would not have helped the situation. Although now he was saddled with a new problem; how to explain why he had taken off like a scared rabbit without a detectable threat. After several minutes of discarding ideas ranging from ignoring the situation to coming with some bald-faced lie, Toshiro settled for the most direct option: the truth and hope his partner was smart enough to realize that bringing up the situation again would not be appreciated. His course of action set, Toshiro slowed his pace more until Ken was close enough to hear without shouting before providing his explanation.

"That was my sister and she would have found a way to rope both of us into sparring with her - mission or not. Right now that is a bad idea. She is angry at someone, is currently going through what is known as that time of the month, and obviously broke all the supposedly indestructible training dummies again. It would take is one tiny thing to remind her of whoever she is upset at, and if that should happen when she was attacking one of us would be in the hospital for multiple fractures. Plus while she would be very sorry, her apologies typically include something she cooked. Rangiku's cooking has been fed to captives as a form of torture. Now if we keep up this pace we should reach the fishing village within an hour." With that Toshiro extended his pace back to the normal one for shinobi and began making a mental list of what information he was going to have to pry out of the client before trying to actually catch the invading fish.

Posts : 542

Ken was pulled from his thinking by the voice of his partner. Since he was not very good at a social interaction, the bronzed Genin could not tell if he detected anger, shame or merely apology in the tone of Toshiro. The mysteries were beginning to be solved one after another. It seemed the pretty girl was his partner’s sister. The reason for the sudden fleeing was a history of what appeared to be intense training or even fighting in their family. How true the account of injuries and danger Ken was could only believe his partner. He did not felt inclined to ask and was thankful that Toshiro had deemed it acceptable to say as much as he had. Especially with the reference to the woman menstruation, Ken had read enough to know what sort of hormones and consequences such act of nature put on a female. Enough to know not to keep on with the current conversation.

“In truth, no explanation was required Toshiro-san. We were already running late and regardless of the reason, we would have had to hurry eventually. I do hope that our lateness has not already left a sour impression on our retainer. After all, he already has had a letdown with the crate being dumped in the river. If I may, I would let you know a few of my thoughts on the current situation.” Ken kept pace with Toshiro, more so that he would not have to shout as he spoke than because he did not want to be bested. Such thoughts did not dwell in the young Genin’s mind.

“Based on the current information that I have from you and about you, I would do well to assume that you packed some sort of trap or nets that would aid us in catching the loose fish. However, with what little information was provided, we are not able to know the size and the strength of the fish. However, in a book that I read, it mentions that predator fish are bound to be bigger and have some sort of camouflage pattern or some sort of bait that would attract prey. However, that would aid us in this case as the fish is not native, anything out of place will make it stick out. Also, we could place nets down river big enough openings to allow native fish to pass but not the other. In order to keep us from wasting time trying to catch and sorting, I can use a Raiton Jutsu. Low voltages are said to induce as sort of stasis but not kill. According to what I have read of course. I have not actually attempted it in real life. Seeing that you also agree that the mission said “preferably” and not “must” a few casualties are to be expected. I value your opinion and would very much like to hear any sort of plan you have come up with.”

Ken waited for the reply from his partner. He wondered what kind of person Toshiro was. He seemed to be quite a versatile and complex shinobi. On the one hand, he was well prepared and sensible. On the other, he seemed to harbor mixed emotions about his family. He wondered what sort of mental picture Toshiro had started forming about him. It was not that Ken worried about popularity, but he hope that the other Genin would hold nothing against him. Such emotions might prove a hindrance if they were to become future partners in other missions.

Age : 49 Posts : 1036

Focused mostly on traveling at speed through the woods while avoiding various hazards ranging from gopher holes to running head-first into a tree or an ambush by bandits or a missing-nin feeling exceptionally old, Toshiro didn't even try to suppress the humph of summarized how much concern he gave to the clients worries about their lateness. Having to deal with all the social and political pitfalls that came with the Hinamori clans status as nobility and his own position as a potential heir had dulled Toshiro's ability to be intimidated by others. Especially when the worst an irate head of a fishing village could do paled in comparison to having to avoid ending up in an arranged marriage or in the middle of a catfight between several fan girls. "I doubt the client even knows if his mission was accepted or not yet. Paper-pushers probably sat on that form too. If by some twisted chance he was told to expect us earlier, we have plenty of cover - the mission scroll has the date but not the time."

It was then that a near-random thought popped into Toshiro's mind, bringing with a downright nasty smirk that probably sent chills up the spine of the various paper-pushers back at the administration building. "Hmm, if he is angry maybe we should inform Mister Mori that should he wish to file a complaint he will have to go to Konoha and fill out a number of forms that will likely cost him a full day of fishing." At that point Toshiro turned his head to look at his partner and the grin on his face could be described as comically conspiratorial and full of completely faked innocence. "The Hokage could hardly blame a pair of genin if before that happened they mentioned to said client that certain people had sat on the mission and neglected to mention key pieces of information about it. Especially if such information would redirect the anger of the client onto certain, shall we say, unmotivated chuunin?" Between his words and expressions Toshiro's intent was obvious; if the client was upset about the delay the two genin could simply point out that the mission had been issued late to redirect the clients anger to the people at the missions office. Combined with the requirements for the client to file a formal complaint, the two genin could deliver a little reprisal-proof revenge on the lazy staff at the missions desk whose sloppiness had created the potential mess the two genin were in.

It was only after several minutes that Toshiro's mind, caught in a pleasant daydream of the people who had made this mess getting punished by the Hokage for incompetence, caught a particular detail his partner had mentioned about himself. ’Did he say he knew some raiton jutsu? This might have just gotten a lot easier than I had planned.’ “Ken-san, that works perfectly with what I had planned. You’re correct that these bundles are nets, ropes, and wires to make fish traps with. I had planned to build an underwater version of a net trap and use a Suiton jutsu to suck groups of fish into it. I think your suggestion would work much better though since we won't have to constantly be shifting the nets. Give me a few minutes to see what I can think up."

With that Toshiro began to alter what he had planned as he knew exactly what and how much of it was split between the various bundles on the backs of the two genin. Of course he wasn't aware that he was talking out loud as he worked out what he considered the best option given the resourced available to the two genin. "Hmmm mizu bushin to herd the fish and help with the nets and a fuka no uma to do the hauling if the fishermen can't spare a skiff. Figure four clones and one construct at the minimum - be tight but I should have enough chakra. We have enough netting to rig several layers nets across the narrower and shallower parts of the river. No a single large net in the deeper parts would be easier to move and if the current is stronger in the center can use that to suck the stunned ones into the net. Hmm how deep is the river though - make it a vertical U instead of a horizontal and that won't matter. Just leaves finding the fish. Hmmph never one of those white-eyed snobs around when they would actually be useful."

With a rough plan formed, Toshiro checked the position of the sun to get a rough estimate of the time and estimated the two genin would reach the fishing village around noon before again catching his partners attention. So far the other genin had shown a sharp mind and the ability to keep his head in situations prone to making others less-rational. Both characteristics that Toshiro valued in those he worked with. "Ken-san, see if you find any serious flaws in this idea. Make a two large nets that can reach top to the bottom of the river that when anchored will form a U-shape with the open part facing upstream. Have four water clones who will work the river banks to herd the fish into the center where you can shock them and let the current carry the stunned and dead fish into the net. Close it up and haul the whole mess to the shore for the fishermen to sort and they can keep any extra as a good will gesture. Repeat with the second net as we move downstream and rest as needed assuming we can put the required fish someplace quickly enough to not be waiting for an empty net."

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Ken smiled at the insinuation of Toshiro. It was not because he was contemplating sweet ironical revenge as the irate fisherman cursed the ear of the sloth Chunnin at the Mission’s Office; it was more because he could see the actual scene being played out in his own head. Offering his own solution to the lack of work ethic of their superior shinobi, Ken returned to Toshiro. “Perhaps it would be wise to point your sister in his direction. A jolt from sudden death might reanimate his outlook on life.

Ken listened intently even as his partner spoke to himself. Judging from the rambling, the ideas were fast and complex inside the other Genin’s mind. Ken was right to assume that his partner was not only well versed in the jutsu he was mentioning but quite capable of performing them beautifully. It seemed that after a time shorter than normal thinkers would take to evaluate and formulate a plan, Toshiro was finished and informed Ken of it.

The bronzed Genin listened intently to the plan, drawing in his mind a visual of how the things would work. He had never seen a water clone before but in his mind he assumed it would look just like a regular clone. Once the visual was complete Ken looked over the whole construct as a third person would a model. He had no idea how deep or wide the river was but he assumed all this would be taken into consideration once at the scene. Having finished the evaluation, Ken offered his view.

“Toshiro-san, in truth, I see no apparent flaw in your plan. I am sure that any factor that greatly affects it such as geographical or even the amount of fish actually transiting the river will be taken into account once there. I have never seen a water clone but should the technique prove much too taxing we can always resort to regular clones. I do not believe the fish would be able to distinguish between the real man and the apparition. I do hope the xenon fish are not the jumping kind otherwise we might have to take that into consideration. All in all, I shall follow your lead and I do believe this mission will be quite a success.”

The young Genin finished talking just as the village came into view. It was around noon and Ken knew that there would be little time, if any, to rest before they set out on their mission. The faster they got to their task the faster they would finish a mission that, if Toshiro was correct, had already dragged on too long. From his vantage point, Ken could not make out the river so his mind could not make quick calculation and offer Toshiro advice. He was not worried however; he knew his partner would tackle the issue as he had already. So Ken just motioned with his towards an elder gentleman sitting at what appeared to be the entrance to the humble village. “Perhaps that is our customer Toshiro-san. Let us see what we can learn from him.” Even though he had pointed it out, Ken would let Toshiro do the talking as he was the leader by assumption having been the first to initiate the mission and Ken fully trusted his decisions. Their pace brought them ever closer to the village and their mission.

Age : 49 Posts : 1036

When Ken had suggested sicing Rangiku on the chuunin who had caused the delay in their mission, Toshiro had gone pale - images of what exactly his sister could and would do to the chuunin making him flinch. 'Kami, and I thought I could be cruel'. "I don't think I could do that to my worst enemy." Shuddering at the thought of sicing an angry Rangiku on any one, especially after she had broken nearly half the bones belong to a genin who had snuck onto the compounds grounds to peep on her before ANBU and other clans members had stopped her, Toshiro turned his attention to the figure sitting on a crate by the entrance to the fishing village before raising his voice enough to be heard without having to shout. He just hoped the villagers would be as agreeable to taking suggestions from the short genin as his partner had been to saddle him with the command role.

"Master Mori Oda?" When the elderly man lifted his head and looked at Toshiro then Ken before standing with the aid of a cane and addressing the two genin. "I am Mori Oda, the headman of this village. May I ask what business two shinobi of Konohagakure have with me?" While the tone was not overly hostile, the words put Toshiro instantly on his guard - they were the words of someone who was expecting bad news, not someone expecting help. "We are the team sent from Konoha per your request for assistance in catching the escaped fish. I am Hinamori Toshiro and my partner here is Ken." Once the old man face and posture had relaxed when he had explained why the two genin had come, Toshiro let his own wariness drop and pressed on with the matter of their mission. "We have an idea of how to go about catching the escaped fish but if you can provide us some more accurate information we can complete the mission faster." Digging a much-abused stub of a pencil out of his back pouch along with the map, Toshiro handed both items to Ken. "Ken take the map and see if you can find out where the fish we're after have been seen recently and what the depth of the water is from the other fisherman. I want to know exactly how big of an area we need to search and where it would be best to set up the traps." With that Toshiro returned to questioning the head of the fishing village to gain the details that had been left out of the mission scroll while trusting his partner to collect the other information. Especially since Toshiro also understood that time was the biggest single factor - they had at most seven hours of good daylight left before. Eventually the white-haired genin learned that the fish they would be catching were a type of carp that grew to monstrous portions that was being transported to a breeding pen in an isolated lake when the wood and net crate that was had been lowered into the water had struck a rock and broken open, releasing the four dozen full-grown fish into the river. The fish themselves were easily the largest in the river, would be active as long they could find prey, and preferred to hunt in the shallower parts of the river. He also learned about when the carp were due to spawn (at least several months in the future) and that they not only ate other fish but small rodents (and potentially fingers and toes) as well and that their whiskers were actually barbs that would leave a nasty wound if they penetrated flesh. After a good thirty minutes of back-and-forth discussion between Toshiro and the client, the Konoha genin had all the information he thought would be needed to still complete the mission (and then some) even if it would be a narrow thing before politely taking his leave to track down his partner and to keep from blowing up in front of the client when the headman explained that most of this information had been in the original mission request. Hopefully his partner had as much luck as Toshiro had.

"Ken, about not sicing my sister on that chuunin? I take it back - I am going to unleash all four of them on that damnable building. Mori-san had put nearly all the information I asked about into his request before it was sent to Konoha. Some idiot whose only qualification for being a ninja was being the illegitimate child of a council member and whatever back-alley slut who failed to strangle them when he or she was born apparently did not consider it worth adding that information to the mission scroll however." Having gotten just how furious he was at the ineptness of their theoretical superiors off his chest, Toshiro took a few deep breaths and counted backwards from 25 to reign in his temper before continuing. "For once we had a stroke of luck though. The fish we're after are easily the biggest things in this river and they prefer the shallows so that is where we can set the nets for the best chances. Plus the fish are several weeks past their breeding season and the next won't happen for months so we don't have to worry about finding the eggs. The village is also going to lend us the aid of several skiffs plus some of their people to handle them along with setting up, moving, and emptying the nets - we only have to worry about finding the fish and getting them into the trap. The only downside is that the fish are a type of carp - if we aren't careful they could bite a finger off and we have to avoid their whiskers as they can cause a painful wound that gets infected easily." Then Toshiro motioned his partner closer and dropped his voice down to the level used by shinobi verbally relaying sensitive information in a crowded bar while seeming study the map he had handed his partner. "The client let slip that a number of the fishermen have been laid up from injuries caused by the carp before help was called and it is seriously hurting the amount of fish they can catch, especially since this is the peak time for catching one of their staples. I know it's not part of the mission but if your Raiton jutsu just happens to catch a good number of the regular fish too I would be in your debt. I can't abide the thought of just completing the mission and ignoring the chance to undo some of the damage when the people here are victims of bad luck." With that Toshiro moved back and pulled the end of rope that untied his "pack" of bundles before striding to the river and running through the hand seals to create the water clones that were one of his contribution to the mission. It would tax his chakra more than intended but he planned to add two extra clones, bringing the number to six instead of the intended four - hopefully the extra would increase the amount of extra fish that could be herded. Once the clones had formed, Toshiro then waved over a growing crowd of those villagers who were too young or old to actively join in the fishing before starting in on the explanation of what he needed them to do with the nets, ropes, and wires - assigning the elderly to rig the nets, the very young to fetching and carrying the supplies, and those who were hale but unable to join in the regular fishing boats to helping set up the first series of nets once Ken had indicated where to do so. "Ken! I'm going to start herding those fish down the river. When I've got enough I'll send them your way - just give me a second or so warning before you shock them so I can get off the water." With, Toshiro and his clones took off opposite the direction of the flow. From here on he would be trusting his partner to handle the locals while he focused on controlling the watery copies of himself who would be wrangling something fishy.

Spoiler:

Posts : 542

Ken smirked a little at the horrid reaction from his partner at his suggestion of unleashing Toshiro’s honorable sister unto the lazy Chunnin. Though it may cost him a limb or two, he wanted to see this amazing prowess that no doubt had traumatized his partner. It was hard to believe that such a good looking female could inspire such fear. Ken did not mark of his partners dread as over reacting, from what he had seen so far, Toshiro was an even headed and educated person that dealt more with fact than perspective. The bronzed Genin was sure that some awful situation had happened to make his partner fear his sister. She proved the saying right, ‘never judge a book by its cover’.

The young stranger did not have much time to ponder this situation, before long they stood in front of Master Oda and both Genin introduced themselves. Ken bowed respectfully as one does to an elder and a person of authority. After the brief honorifics, Toshiro handed Ken a pencil and the map along with instructions. Ken nodded his understanding to his partner about what his missions was. Taking the utensils offered to him by Toshiro, Ken made his way to the docks. In a village this size, they were not hard to find. The bronzed Genin followed his nose and ears to where the smelliest place and most curse words could be found. There, among hanging nets and fish guts, he inquired of many fishermen. Their lithe but strong bodies, tanned by the sun and weather, and experienced eyes easy to distinguish from the other villagers.

Ken was finishing up with his latest witness when Toshiro found him. There was no surprise at his partner’s change of mind about letting his sister unleash pain and wrath upon the mission’s office. As he had questioned the fishermen, Ken himself was appalled at the lack of concern for the people’s well being. It was true that the shinobi force in Konoha had dwindled but that should not be a reason why the matter should not have been given a higher priority. Ken heard his partner’s report and delivered his own.

“Toshiro-san, it seems karma has allowed us to have double the luck. From what the last fisherman told me, about two miles south of here, the villagers have made a sort of breeding pond so that river will always be stocked. The area is a sort of habitat untouched by farming or housing so that the fish can grow in peace. Only adult fish can leave it as they alone have the power to push trough the vine fence that the villagers build to enclose it under water in order to assure only the strong leave the protection of the pond increasing the survivability rate. It is my guess that the carp will head there not only because it is an easy place to find food but a very shallow and comfortable habitat that is more secure to the than the entire river.”

“About the Raiton jutsu, there is actually a place the fishermen tend no to go because it is a length of white water rapids, before landing into a natural pool. From what I hear, that would be a good place to ‘finish our search’ and bring in a good catch that could hold them over until the ecosystem goes back to normal after the extraction of the foreign fish.”

After his report, Toshiro and Ken met up with the locals that would help and those that were there merely for the show. His partner left Ken in charge of crow and fish control. He patrolled the banks of the river, Toshiro having chosen the shallowest and narrowest point in it to place his net, and waited for his partner’s signal.

In the mean time he tried to keep the people back and away from their nets despite the curiosity. Some even claimed their plan would not work. Fishing was their profession, what could two shinobi know that they did not or what could they do that they could not? Ken answered their question silently; he noticed the skiffs in the distance and knew his partner was close with the fish. He walked to the edge of the water and then deliberately taking his time to concentrate the chakra required to walk on the surface of the water he did a forwards summersault. His landing was not what the villager’s expected. Few had ever left the village and fewer still had seen a shinobi in action. When his landing was not only soft, but dry, Ken smirked at the number of gasps that the crowd let out. However, he was not done yet. Taking his time to do the hand signs once more, he charged his body with both his own and the ambient static electricity. He felt the small hairs on the back of his neck begin to rise and he was sure that the fish would not be the only ones socked at his jutsu. With the fish close enough, Ken shouted to his partner, “Stand Clear!!” Counting to ten, Ken finished his hand signs and calling up the charged up chakra he released a controlled surge of live electricity in to the water and he touched his hand to it calling out, “Electro-Magnetic Murder!” The fish would be shocked but not killed as was the plan he and Toshiro had come up with to wrangle some fish.

Spoiler:

(-8 cp)

Age : 49 Posts : 1036

Taking in the last rays of the setting sun turning the sky and water into fire, Toshiro grinned as he brought his mug up for a long drink to celebrate the team having beaten the odds and completed their mission even in the face of inept paper-pushers. With the information Ken had gleaned from the fisherman about the carps likely locations, especially the breeding pond, Toshiro had been able to drive nearly half of the carp into the range of his partners first jutsu to literally be shocked silly and after that the fast-moving current had done the job of sending their targets into the nets. That had been something to see, especially the faces of the villagers when Ken had sent that surge of electricity into the water and it had literally boiled in places. Of course Toshiro had not been able to resist a little flourish of his own, so when he had reached the breeding pond and noted another group of carp trying to break through the vine fence, he had given his best Diabolical Villain Smile before running through a string of hand seals and yelling "Great Exploding Current!" in a suitably evil-sounding voice - sucking the carp into the resulting vortex then tossing a kunai rigged with a low-powered explosive tag into the vortex and detonating it. After the resulting geyser of water had cleared the dazed and concussed carp had been easily gathered up by several of his water clones and dropped into one of the skiffs, Toshiro trying his hardest to not laugh the fishermen whose jaws had been making a valiant effort to fraternize with their knees. After those displays of just how shinobi went fishing the villagers had worked at a break-neck pace to empty the nets & skiffs and get the carp into a transport crate, no doubt stung by just how easily the two shinobi had caught more fish than most of them could catch in a full day. That speed had worked in the favor of the two Konoha ninja, allowing them to repeat the process to catch the rest of the carp and still have time to raid the area of rapids and the pool behind it for a large catch of regular fish with only some chakra, a few kunai, and some more of Toshiro's explosive notes being the price. With the extra catch the two shinobi had brought in, the village not only had replaced it's losses to the carp but a considerable amount of extra as well. Part of that extra was in fact residing in Toshiro's belly as the villagers had turned their delayed supper into a celebration with himself and Ken as the guests of honor. Of course they had to remain in attendance as Toshiro had quietly explained to his partner that refusing to join the celebration would have been snubbing the locals. Plus the lack of daylight would just complicate the trip back to Konoha and with Toshiro having a minor case of chakra exhaustion it would be past midnight anyway by the time they got back anyway so they might as well enjoy some well-earned downtime and leave in the morning with plenty of sunlight and being well-rested.

Beyond those practical concerns, Toshiro had a few other reasons for the delay that he hadn't shared; including giving his father more time to defuse the situation of his own making and hoping that his two sisters would be back to normal. Plus the chance to make certain individuals sweat a bit wondering why the two genin hadn't returned or sent some sort of mission report back. Of course, if those individuals knew exactly what was contained in the mission report that had just been finished they would be praying for a much longer delay; the white-haired genin had spared none in detailing all the bureaucratic mistakes that had stalked the missions steps. From a failure to provide a proper briefing, to not conveying information that the client had provided, to not informing half of the team until it was almost too late - it had seemed like at every turn where paper was involved someone had screwed up and left the genin to salvage the situation. While he doubted anyone would be jailed or demoted over the situation, Toshiro expected that someone might end up reassigned to the least-desirable jobs such as cleaning and patrolling the sewers for a while and others would be suffering from severely bruised egos for a long time. Draining off the rest of his coco, Toshiro spared just enough time to fold the report and use some wax from a candle to seal it before putting the document back into his pack. His last responsibility as a Konoha shinobi done, Torshiro put his mug back no top of his camping gear before performing a bone-popping stretch to work the kinks out from an hour of good food and sitting in one spot doing paperwork. Now it was time to have some fun and relax - maybe he could ask that cute brunette who had refilled his plate several times to dance. Contrary to the opinion of his male classmates, Toshiro most definitely had noticed girls (with four sisters who were constantly involved in some sort of relationship not doing so would be impossible); he had simply learned that showing any sort of reaction around his "fan club" at the Academy resulted in being caught in the middle of a massive catfight and either serious pain or having to avoid his parents attention for a week when yet another request for an arranged marriage came.

With another stretch to work out the kinks from his legs and back 'Honestly - how do people sit at desks all day and not end up cripples?', Toshiro looked over the celebration that was still in full swing. One thing that was universal to fisher-folk was that they knew how to celebrate a windfall, and were not shy about sharing that enjoyment with others. Especially when he caught sight of several local girls moving in on his partner from the sides and rear while he was eating. 'I would envy him but having been in that situation I don't. Hope you have a lot of endurance Ken - you're going to need it.' With that thought and a knowing smirk at his partners (mis)fortune to come, Toshiro circulated more until he found the person of his interest currently standing at the edge of the square watching the other villagers dancing. Catching her attention with a polite cough and extended hand, the pair was soon in the square joining the other villagers in the local dances. For tonight, Toshiro would let the disinterested and controlled front of a clan heir fall away and be himself without fear of repercussions. Tomorrow would be soon enough to have to put up the front again.

10/ 50 CP

Spoiler:

OCC: Exiting/ finishing post.

Posts : 542

Thanks to their previously conceived plan, the whole procedure had gone off without a hitch. This was important due to the fact that the slightest miscalculation would have put the mission and those villagers aiding in it in harms way. Feeling this pressure actually helped Ken regulate the amount of electricity leaving his body and being delivered into the water. The direct current flowed easily and efficiently and in a matter of seconds, the smaller fish, then the desired carp would start to float to the top. Once enough of them had been brought to the surface, Toshiro had a few minutes to round them up before their nervous system got a jump start and they scurried away. Ken had never been the showman and he assumed his partner was neither, but the spectacle that those gathered at the banks of the river witness would no doubt be the talk for some time to come.

The bronzed Genin now sat enjoying the feast that the villagers had been as kind as to give them. After having had a talk with his partner about social responsibilities as the ambassador to Konoha and other factors that prevented their immediate return, Ken accepted the arguments and secretly thanked his partner for being so adamant to staying. It was a little known secret that Ken enjoyed food. He usually ate necessary and nutritious food regardless of taste because he had to and at times was all he could afford, yet when the opportunity presented itself for him to enjoy some tasty dish, he was all for it. Though he did not ate ravenously, his plate was empty more times than not, an elder had already scolded a cute girl that had been all too eager to refill his plate, accusing her of not doing her job. Ken had felt obliged to step in and wondered why the young girl blushed at his ‘heroic save’.

Ken was in no way familiar with the social dance known as courting. He had bowed his head as a few of the ladies had looked and stared at his direction batting their lovely eyes. The young Genin had merely thought that they, as many others, had wondered of his lineage. His bronze skin and salt-pepper hair, was not the norm on this parts. It could have also been his humble clothes that attracted attention as it seemed that many of the villagers were dressed in their party’s best. Regardless, Ken had chosen to nod politely in the various girls’ direction, a motion that had brought many a giggle to his confusion. It was not until the pretties, and boldest, of the group prowled over and asked to dance, that Ken caught on. Of course he could not refuse, being a guest, but he knew that he was in danger. Something in his mind screamed so and a peripheral look at his partner’s knowing stare confirmed his suspicions. They had come here as two Konoha shinobi to wrangle up some fish, yet at the end of the night it seemed they would be the prime catch.

[Exit/end of topic]