Aiding the Hospital: Outbreak(mission)(closed)

Age : 25 Posts : 1767

OOC: So, when will the discussed/proposed time skip take place? I can't currently find a muse, however I will be posting tomorrow, hopefully. If Kana wants to go now, then thats fine with me.

Age : 36 Posts : 340

Keiro continued to make concoction after concoction. Some of his primary mixture had not worked on certain individuals and he had to make adjustments. He would occasionally lay out his poisons for the rats around the the village as he made his herbal deliveries. During one of these deliveries, Kana stopped him.

“Thank you immensely for your help Keiro-san. I am sure that your potion will bring much aid to these people. When you are finished with the administration of it, it is your choice if you want to patrol and make sure no body leaves the area or aid Toshiro-san with the eradication of the rats. Please feel free to ask anything or if you have a better plan please let the team know.” Was what Kana said.

His only response was simple, fierce, and quick. "I will save every single one of these people if I can. I will not leave unless everyone is cured, and we have minimum casualties. I would prefer none, but we may have arrived a little too late for that." He began collection more of his same herbs, and even happened to find others that were also known for their restorative and disease fighting nature and qualities. He would make these into more concentrated batches, causing a five person per batch, instead of the previous ten. However, with it being more concentrated, it was stronger, and thus more apt to cure the disease. He continued his work, constantly going over measurements for poisons and potions alike, and different qualities of herbs. He may have had medical training, but he was only good at working with what could be in front of him. Herbs, a Mortar, and a Pestle.

Posts : 542

(OOC: Time warp to after the Quarantine)

The water felt cool on his neck and face. The small diamond speckles falling down and disturbing the mirror image of a bronzed face. The face was lined with worry and strain. Weeks had passed and it was hard to say how many nights the reddish eyes had closed to find the refuge of sleep. The sun was beginning to rise over the horizon making the shadows rush away at its coming. Few would know that this was a symbolical representation of actual events. For forty days, a group of Genin from the great village of Konoha had staked their lives and reputation in aiding a farming village of the Land of Fire. Fewer still would ever know that they had defended the entire country if not the world, from a dangerous epidemic that was ravaging this small community. The casualties of war had been kept to only 70 people and had been fought by a force of only four. Kinoshi, Kana had dealt with the infirm and dying. His was the duty of putting all his skill and knowledge to the test and beyond. He had first hand experience in a matter few would every see except in war. His dreams would forever be hunted by the wails and groans of those he could not save and the tears of those left behind to mourn.

The cool droplets of water fell into the still pool of the shrine’s fountain. The water came from a natural spring which had served to quench the feverish thirst of the sick and now quenched the emotions that had started to swell in the heart and mind of the young Medic.
A few tears escaped his eyes but they were masked by the accompanying water. He took a deep breath to steady himself as he felt a strong hand being placed in his back. “You fought the battle bravely son. In life, you must accept your losses and be glad for your gains.” Kana turned to see the gentle face of the elder head monk. He had been an invaluable ally on this shadow war against the plague. He bowed respectfully and deeply holding it for as long as he could, the older man would shoo away his formalities. “Oh come now, you have been with me long enough to know that such things are left for ceremonies and the eyes of strangers. We have shared what few in this world will ever share. I have seen you pour your soul into the people you tend. I know that Konoha is fortunate to have such a medic in their midst. Do not let what you saw here sour your life, let it be a reminder of how precious and fragile it is.” He saw Kana look around at the few people still running a fever but thanks to the help of Karaito, Keiro, their chances of survival had increased exponentially. “We will handle the clean up my son, go and rest. A dead medic is no good to anybody.”

Kana bowed deeply once more to his friend and headed towards the house of the village elder. The man had offered his house as a place of rest and command post for the young Genin. He had come to see them as saviors and had pledge all and any help from the villagers and himself. Hinamori, Toshiro and Masaki, Saitou had the task of cleaning up the disease carrying rats and patrolling to keep any person from leaving or entering. He had seen very little of them as they all had a mission to do. He walked up the stone paths that lead through the well manicured lawn to the porch of the house. An attendant opened the door and welcomed the young medic in. After a bath to clean both body and soul, Kana headed to bed.

His dreams were a mixture of recollections of the events that had happened during the last forty days and nightmares in which he was helpless to aid the people that depended on him. He saw not only the villagers but his team mates and friends succumb from the plague. Their bodies riddled with lumps and fever. He even saw his grandfather fall victim to the unseen killer. He was suddenly in the village covered in twilight. He ran through the empty streets trying to find anybody to help or who would help him. His heart rate accelerated and he woke up with a start. The poor house maid had come in to check on him and was surprised at his sudden outburst. Kana brushed back his naturally unruly salt and pepper hair. “I apologize lady. May I ask what time is it?” He said in polite voice as way of apology to the young woman. She smiled knowingly and replied in her soft voice “It is four in the after noon.” Her reply caused him to look at the waning sunlight. He hand meant to sleep only a few hours but had slept for nearly ten. He had asked the village elder to have his partners meet him at three in the main study of the house for a debrief and he was already an hour late. He rushed down the steps and opened the doors to the study hurriedly hoping to find his companions forgiveness for his tardiness.

Age : 49 Posts : 1036

Forty days. Forty days of short sleep, near-constant vigilance, and having to become a heartless demon to save the faceless many at the price of the suffering of the few whose faces were engraved in his mind so well he couldn‘t forget no matter how much he wanted to. After that it wasn’t surprising that Toshiro was exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally. Even after his and Saito’s first sweep through there had been occasional cases where someone new would show signs of the plague and one or both of the genin would have to remove the person to the shrine that had been turned into an infirmary. At times the removal hadn’t gone cleanly either as the bandages that wrapped the white haired genins left shoulder and arm could attest to; more than once a grief-maddened relation to the sick had tried to send them packing with a knife. And those had been the easier situations. No the worst were the ones where children, parents, or the spouse of the victim had practically begged the genin to not take their family from them. Those were the ones that made Toshiro wish he had never taken this mission or that he could make exceptions. Now he truly understood why some of the older members of the clan never talked about what they did even among themselves and were inordinately fond of drinking until they passed out. It wasn’t the killing that hurt, or seeing friends die - it was seeing the pain in the eyes of others when you had to do things that would hurt them far more than a kunai in the heart would. If getting drunk until you couldn’t think about what you had done, couldn’t remember the faces and voices pleading made it possible to sleep without the nightmares, well he would never begrudge someone a drink again.

For Toshiro the only time he had been able to forget was when he had been hunting down the rodents who carried the plague. At first he had been relatively professional about the whole business, taking them out with a little collateral damage and as humanely as possible. After a while though he had become simply vicious as the rats became the only outlet he had for the pent-up frustration and rage he felt. The result was that he started taking greater risks and worrying less about collateral damage as he employed more destructive techniques to dispatch growing numbers of rodents. The results still marked places of the town where (thankfully empty) buildings borne the marks where water-based techniques had taken out the rats plus part of the structure behind them.

Yet now it was done. For some reason Toshiro didn’t know and wouldn’t care about there hadn’t been any more cases of new victims for several days. And now Kana had requested the entire team meet in this room for some reason. Frankly Toshiro didn’t care what reason - the chance to sit, to not think or move, was just too good. Indeed it had been so good that once he let the tension he had been working under go Toshiro hadn’t had the energy to even sit down - he had literally collapsed half onto a mat and been asleep before his body hit the floor. He hadn’t noticed that it was well passed the time Kana had set with the medic-nin still haven’t shown up, nor even the maid taking the time to roll him onto his back, put a cushion under his head, and use a wet cloth to get some of the grime from his face and hands. He was tired beyond caring if someone had come up and yelled their intent to assassinate him.

Age : 25 Posts : 1767

OOC: Sorry guys, my motivation took a shot to the face.

They say Noah sailed the seas under the constant barrage of heavy rain for forty days and forty nights, and somehow fed all the animals during that time without eating any of them; and they say forty winks is just enough sleep for one during the night. Well, Saitou Masaki had been working forty days with terrible nights haunted by his cold actions and screams of those he could do nothing to help, instead, he just watched them cry, and he didn't feel biblical, nor well rested. The worst bit? He was making their pain worse by separating them from their loved ones. Of course, it was all to help the great population; the greater good, as they called it. The greater good may sound like a good cause, but to achieve it, there was always blood and tears, always the pain of the innocent; if you were asked what you would do whilst you were sitting at home, most people would give the answer that was for the greater good. But when you are truly making the greater good come, you sometimes waver in strength. The amount of times Saitou wondered if he was doing the right thing, the amount of times he'd wanted to do something to help somebody but been powerless to, it made him wonder wether or not his morales and ideals were correct. There was so much the young man had to learn about being a Shinobi, and none of it seemed pleasant.

Saitou had resisted the urge to go against his duty, to forsake others lives so he could make one life better. Some naïve part of him wanted to believe that the villagers would understand that he was just doing his job, that it was all for the good of the country, but of course, they didn't; quite the opposite, in fact. The Genin's body wasn't just mentally and physically tired, but badly bruised by vicious and distraught people. His worst bruise was from when he'd taken a farmers daughter off on a stretcher, about to load her on the cart, when the farmer swung a large club at him, brandishing the bludgeon with obvious anger; it was only because Saitou had seen enough furious loved ones he was able to anticipate the attack and raise his arms to defend his face, however his elbow throbbed immensely. The attack was just one of many, and he could hardly blame his assailants. However, as his hellish time here went on, he wondered how much more he could take, and he noticed that he cared less about being battered, and moved much less to avoid any blows thrown by the villagers. The physical pain was nothing now, the emotional pain he felt because of the way he was going about his job so coldly and near inhumanely was so great it was all he could think about it. As he performed on his duty, no smile was present. He felt like the happiness and life had been drained out of him.

In all truthfulness, the young man hadn't expected the mission to go on so long, but the plague was truly serious, so the length was as you'd expect from such a disease; his thoughts drifted toward his friends and family back home whenever he had time to think, which was one the few occasions he had spare time, in which he was meant to be sleeping. He missed Konohagakure. Of course, he would ride out this mission until the end, wether it was his end by angry villager or painful disease, of the missions end. Most of the time during the quarantine Saitou was set to the mindless task of patrolling the area, telling people who seemed completely uninfected that they couldn't leave for fear of endangering the general populace. Other times, he got to hunt out the rodents that had brought this disease on their backs; Toshiro sometimes went slightly overboard with his extermination techniques, but who could blame him? The precision of killing a rat with a kunai was boring and frustrating; using Suiton to Nuke a building was so much easier, and Saitou nearly did it more than once. He found himself using his remanding sweets and cheese to make traps that would send Senbon downward into the rats head with a simple contraption of a plank, some wire and elastic, all of which he found from abandoned and closed shops around the desolate village. However, when he wasn't doing this, he was using a small array of jutsu to cut the vermin in half. Of course, everyone has their weak moments. When faced with entering a small farmers hut on the outskirts of the village which he found was infested with hundreds of rats, hordes of the rodents, scaring the boy to the point Saitou couldn't enter; and then he heard it. A blood curling moan. A girl's moan. Looking upward, he nearly screamed. There, looking out the window, a twenty year old women, boils and warts covering her face, tears running down her face as rats swarmed around her; and it was then that Saitou began to scream. He turned an ran, and he couldn't forget the incident whenever he tried to sleep. Upon returning to the house the next day, he saw no sign of the girl, just vermin. He had to do it. Chucking in an explosive pouch, he didn't wait for the explosion, instead he ran, knowing the house would collapse, and hopefully, all the horrible rodent's that had brought this death in their direction would die.

Saitou arrived to find Toshiro-San sleeping peacefully on a pillow, and he had the urge to join him in the slumbering world of sleep, however, he noticed that Kana-Kun was absent. A part of him began to panic, for he had seen little of his friend and comrade, and considering the seriousness of the mission, there was a chance one of them could've been careless and caught the disease; however, remembering the other's professionalism and proficiency, the purple haired genin told himself that he would be fine. Saitou decided it was best for him to be awake upon the other members of his team, and so collapsed into an armchair. Of course, being who he was, he couldn't resist; in seconds, he fell into a long needed sleep, and thankfully, he was too tired to have any more nightmares.

Posts : 542

The doors to the study swung open effortlessly. Kana step through waiting to find his partners unhappy from exhaustion, stress and waiting. Instead, the medic was surprised to see two of his partners, the white haired Hinamori and the purple haired Genin known as Saitou. The more shade and shadows member of the party, the deadly shinobi known as Kiero was not there, probably still patrolling the outskirts of the village and was not found by the messenger that was sent out to retrieve him. Kana was sure that he could brief him personally. In reality it was the medic who needed to be brief more than his partners as he had been all but locked up in the shrine for the whole forty days. Standing there looking at the sleeping bodies of his fellow Genin Kana could not help but feel proud and sad at the same time. His group had performed as well as any Chunnin or perhaps better. It was sad that they would have to endure the scars most would not suffer until they were a senior Chunin or from war. The bronzed youth hoped that they would build on that and not let it drag them down.

Seeing his slumbering partners made Kana reluctant to wake them from their much needed and much deserved sleep. Instead, he did the only small amount of kindness he could think of. Performing the now familiar hand seals, he channeled his chakra to his hands. The greenish tint of the Mystical Hand Technique soon glistened in the calloused hands of the Genin. He walked over to Toshiro with all the stalking skill he could muster as to not wake him and receive a kunai as payment. He placed his hands softly on the boy’s shoulders and infused the weak body with new cells that would aid with any aches and soreness that was sure to inhabit the body of the white haired Hinamori. The other reason for doing this was to combat any disease cells that might have been present and kill them before they had a chance to take root. After a minute or two, he moved over to Saitou and did the same thing. Hopefully the two would now find themselves better rested and their immune systems having a boost. If his theory was correct, the two would wake up very hungry after the new cells did their jobs which consumed energy. Walking over to the kitchen Kana put in a request for a small meal to be prepared for his team mates.

He returned just in time to see the two starting to stir awake. He let them get their bearings and stretch some blood back into their aching muscles. Kana bowed to the two respectfully, a feeling he felt strongly for his entire team in the way they had performed. Neither Konoha nor this village could have asked for better help. After a few seconds of holding the pose, the medic would address his teammates in the same tone that the pair should already be accustomed to. “Toshiro and Saitou I apologize for asking you here without allowing you time to rest. Upon the conclusion of this debrief I order you, as the medical advisor, to bed rest for a period of no less than twelve hours. A meal is being prepared and should arrive shortly. Keiro is not here yet but when he arrives we shall catch him up. I mean to hear the reports you may have so that I can deliver them to the village elder. Our mission was to identify and contain the infection. The village will continue to monitor the situation and upon our return to Konoha I shall deliver my report and the hospital will send more people and supplies to comb the surrounding villages in case we missed something. The disease has been contained. Those afflicted only have lingering traces of fever and healing sores. It has been about a week since the last outbreak and since the two of you have been eradicating the rodents that have infected the people and the villagers have also hunted down the solitary ones that might have taken residence in homes, I have made the call to lift the quarantine. At noon tomorrow we shall be heading back to Konoha and delivering our reports. I just wanted to take this time to consolidate them and address any questions and suggestions that might come up.”

He had finished speaking when the doors opened and two maids walked in with the fish. As per Kana’s request, the cook had prepared some grilled fish and fresh vegetables. He did not want any sort of stew or meat that might resemble a rat and in that way not draw from the vivid scarring images the pair probably wore. The fish smelled delicious, a true testament to the cook’s skill, something Kana would have to commend. He motioned for the maids to place the plates in front of the two Genin and nodded that they should eat some. A small jar of water was placed in between the two with clay cups to drink. A third maid brought one plate for Kana even though he had not requested it. She smiled to the Genin’s un voiced question. “Even Medics need to eat” Kana bowed thankfully and turning to his companions he would say “Please enjoy” and proceeded to dig in.

Age : 25 Posts : 1767

In a hazy fog of blackness, screams and cries could be heard, resonating with a grief striking pang of guilt, a twinge of shame; in his dreams, Saitou could see little, but he didn't need his mind to conjure images, for he knew the sounds all too well. The sound of someone crying for their loved one. The screams from those alone and dying. A faint voice in his head whispered words of torment, mocking him, telling him that his haunted terror would never leave him; even in the depths of sleep, he was not safe from his memory, from his imagination. Saitou, however, never once murmured, letting himself suffer in silence, never once twisted or turned, his body cold with sweat, rigid with fear and downtrodden from exhaustion; the noises were recurring, playing themselves over and over again, and sometimes, a wail might pierce his clouded mind, not a real one, but one nearly loud enough for him to jerk awake. Unheard to his occupied ears, the door glided open, giving admittance to one of the unaccounted for Shinobi. The light footsteps of the bronzed genin known as Kana were not enough to wake Saitou, but something told him of a coming presence, of course, he dismissed it for yet another dream state conjuration; the barrier of reality and his mind were slowly entwining.

If conscious thought had been present in the purple haired genin's mind, then he would have been begging for himself to wake; but as he slept and the medic healed him, he felt the mist of his mind begin to clear. His exhaustion was being quenched. The fear inside him was being quelled by the peace that had arrived. Although his dreams weren't so vivid and haunting from them, he could still hear the voices of his head that he couldn't forget; but in his physical body, the boy smiled. Perhaps for the first time in a while. He didn't know if anyone could see it, but it was slight, a smile of relief. But not a happy smile, for he knew more challenges would arise. The brief respite of sleep, however, was good enough for now, and the emotional or mental damage caused to Saitou would easily be remedied by a return to the world he hadn't been to in 40 days; he wanted to see the familiar faces, faces that expressed expressions that weren't of a deep hatred or loathing, but of happiness, friendship and understanding. That world seemed fake to him now, and he doubted he would ever be able to forget the mission. It was in fact only the third endeavour he'd been assigned as a Shinobi of Konohagakure, and it didn't seem like one that would occur so only in one's career; but it had happened, and he would just have to make an attempt to leave it behind.

Slowly, the icy coldness of fear left Saitou, as his mind became his once again and he rose from the land of the haunted, awaking and coming back to reality, something he was more than happy to do. The joints of his body creaked as his gluey eyes struggled to open. Light flooded into his eyes, a huge contrast to the darkness of the world he'd recently inhabited, like water breaking through a dam; he tried to raise his hands to cover his eyes, but found his arms sitting in place, refusing to move, so he simply twisted his stiff neck to the side and closed the lids of his shining indigo pupils. The first thing he saw was Kana-San. He was bowed deeply in a respectful notion, impeccable manners as always, something that Saitou had noticed on their first encounter. The purple haired genin was always embarrassed by the amazing etiquette, mostly due to the fact it was not the manner he was usually treated in, and seemed very genuinely respectful; but he wasn't embarrassed by it at that particular moment in time, because a small part of him felt like he'd earned it. Heck, they all had. Even in his half asleep state, he felt a swelling pride. The four had conducted themselves perfectly, and with outstanding results. They had contained a plague. They had saved, potentially, thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of lives, and at such an age; but also at such a cost, and Saitou wondered how the others had fared. Were they as scarred and distraught as he?

With methodical planning, the genin slowly manoeuvred himself into a standing position from the comforts of his chair, back aching. Kana lifted himself from his lowered position, before speaking with the tone that Saitou had begun to affiliate with the other; his tired mind found it hard to comprehend the speech, but he got the gist of it, and, rubbing his eyes, he finally tried to lift the corners of his mouth into a smirk. The result, however, was little more than a grimace. He felt as though he had aged forty years, not forty days. His skin felt wrinkled, his bones weary and weak, his hair like straw and his smell had become passively repulsive; he needed to wash, and get some food down his throat. Saitou was surprised that Keiro had not arrived; he was initially worried that something might have happened to the pink haired Shinobi, but the worry was overcome by the reminder of his skill at stealth and his medical abilities. If he was late, he was late; but he would come, the purple haired boy was certain of it. When Kana had finished, the genin did something he rarely did. He bowed.

"Thank you, Kana-San; I believe you, Keiro-Kun and Toshiro-San deserve not just my thanks, but the gratitude of huge numbers of the citizens of this country. As a team of young genin, we've done incredibly well, much better than those of our age and rank would be expected to do; although I can't say I enjoyed any second of this mission, I'm certainly glad we got it done, and I'm even more glad that you three were my comrades. With the quarantine to be lifted, it would seem we can return home after we finish up. I'll give you my report, of course, but first, I hope you don't mind if I treat myself to a meal. I haven't eaten anything warm in over a month; I'm sure that returning to Konohagakure no Sato will feel like another world,"

As if responding to this, two maids emerged from a doorway, trays clutched in their hands, steaming food letting of a wafting scent that Saitou immediately recognised. Fish. A clever choice of food, he noted; nothing that might have even the slightest resemblance to any rodent or vermin, and the meal was clearly cooked by someone of a great expertise. That could be told simply from the smell. Wafting warmth cooked simply yet elegantly, meat filled with protein that was much needed by the exhausted, weary and worn Shinobi. Happily accepting a clay mug, a grin appeared on his face, for the first time since he'd arrived in the small village; but before he dug into his meal, he tore himself away from the fish and stood once more, committing himself to yet another action he rarely performed. His sleeve was rolled up to his elbow, and his elbow now pointed outward, holding an outstretched hand that was meant to be shook by Kana-San. The grin was once again gone, replaced by a fiery determination and a set jaw.

(OOC: With Nuclear and Tennuyan currently inactive, should we just round this up now? We're already long overdue, although the limit may be abolished (we can hope TEEHEE

)

Posts : 542

Kana was promptly putting his spoon into the stew which smelled heavenly. The vegetables in it were tender but not breaking apart, cooked to perfection. The fish was almost literally falling off the bones and it seemed that the soup was made of various spices which filled the air with aromatic scents. Poor Toshiro has all but drained of energy and he merely nodded in his way. The white haired Genin had been somewhat under the weather when this whole ordeal had started and not it seemed he would complete the circle in just as much the same way. Kana was glad that the Hinamori was strong enough to eat, he knew the other would rather die of starvation than be spoon fed. He was about to put a spoonful in his mouth when Saitou almost made him spill it all over him.

The bronzed Genin was used to being respectful; it was in his nature to. He knew people found him antiquated and weird but he did not care. He did not know from which parent he had inherited this trait but even with his memory loss he guessed that genetics go far beyond what active memory can tell. He was not however, used to others showing him respect. At least, as far past a hello and thank you. The purple haired Genin was going way beyond that and Kana was glad he had not taken that bite or he would have choked. Emotion swelled up in his throat and almost constricted him. He swallowed it down with quite a bit of effort but he steadied himself and got to his feet.

To be recognized by another is the greatest feeling that Kana could ever imagine. Not because he wanted to be important or invaluable, but because it meant that other people recognized his worth. They wanted him as an ally and as companion. This was his dream to be able to serve and his life mean more than just time. Saitou would never know how much the simple gesture meant to the young Genin but perhaps his shake would. Kana’s own hand would envelop that of Saitou in a strong, not aggressive, clasp. It was meant to communicate that Kana felt the same way about his partner. There was no body else he would have rather undertaken this mission with than the other young man.

Indeed, their very meeting had been something strange and uncommon. It seemed that destiny had plans for the two of them and their continual involvement with each other was almost inevitable. That arrangement was fine for Kana. True shinobi and true companions were hard to find in this world or war and strife. All four of them could attest to the cruelty of life and also to the beauty of it. They had seen many deaths and would likely see many more. He hoped that he would not have to see that of friends but death was no respecter of persons.

The bronzed youth held the clasp for about five to ten seconds and his big doe eyes would hold more meaning that words could say. He would tighten his jaw and give Saitou a sharp nod as thanks before releasing the other. He did not know what else to say, and even if he did his throat was not cooperating anyways so he figured the less awkward thing to do was to keep on eating. He motioned for Saitou to do the same and noticed poor Toshiro back asleep after his meal. He turned to one of the maids and asked them please see the other poor Genin to a room. Rest was indeed something they all needed. Once he felt his voice would not crack he turned to Saitou. He would hear the report or anything else his partner had to say.

After their meal was done and all the professional things out of the way, he would turn to Saitou. “Saitou-san, please make sure you rest. I will have the maids wake you about an hour before we depart. We should be leaving at sunrise to give us a good head way back to the village. I know you three would perhaps be ready to see family and friends again and they would like to see you. I will gather your reports and deliver them to the Mission’s office and hospital so that you may go directly home.” He started to rise and as an after thought he added. “I am sure that your parents would be proud of you”.

As he walked away, he was not sure why he had said that. He remembered that Saitou lived alone, or so he had told him that day while walking in the wild. Whatever the reason the words were spoken and as Saitou had said, they all had things to be proud of. The scars would heal and their pains would go away. The lives of those they had saved would be their reward. For what reward is bigger and better than life. Kana went to his own room and laid down. He was not sure if he would sleep but it seemed his body knew better than he. Before he knew it he was in dream land and though he relieved some horrific scenes from the past forty days, there were also oasis of light.

(OOC: If Nuclear and Tennuyan come back they can post their exit. Winged please go ahead and post your exit

Age : 25 Posts : 1767

Saitou nearly withdrew his outstretched hand; he felt slightly embarrassed at the motion he'd completed, but he knew it would be even more embarrassing if he took it back, perhaps even irritating to Kana-San. The other had always expressed such manners and perfect etiquette, so much so that he could rival the politeness of an experienced butler, or royalty. The purple haired genin simply thought it best to return the notion. A handshake was something he didn't recall ever offering to anyone he'd ever considered as a friend nor comrade, it just wasn't in his nature; not that he wasn't a 'polite' person, but he was usually quite informal, even with those he'd only recently met. Saitou's smirk made sure no-one misinterpreted his casualness for hostility or rudeness. The young man preferred to convey any emotion via his facial expression, using his eyes and mouth perfectly, mostly due to practice; although, only those close to him were able to discern the true meaning of some facial expressions. He nearly always mustered a smile, even if the situation wasn't one to be happy about.

The strength in Kana-San's grasp was unexpected, but the firmness of the grip seemed friendly, and Saitou returned the same pressure. It was said that sometimes two people could speak to each other simply through the contact of their hands in such a simple shake; the genin had always regarded it as nonsense, but now, for perhaps the first time, he realised the truth in the saying. Although Kana didn't speak, his eyes communicated everything. The clasped hands that shook each other spoke louder than words, clearer too. From just that moment, Saitou could tell exactly what the other was thinking, and he could feel the pride in the grasp, as well as the joy that emanated from the other genin's fingers. Kana-San seemed slightly choked, and at first, the purple haired genin worried he might have done something wrong. Then he realised that it was just... Gratitude, gratitude for acknowledging the other's skill, and perhaps glee at the fact that someone had returned the unnecessary and frankly, rare, politeness.

Smirk still on his face, indigo eyes sparkling, he withdrew his hand, plunging it once again into the depths of his pocket. Human emotion seemed so hard to explain through words; from just a handshake, he'd understood the pride, and with the understanding of the pride, Saitou felt a wave of happiness from what the group of four, young genin had managed to accomplish. They weren't just teammates. They were fellow Shinobi; comrades, friends. And that bond was one that seemed unbreakable, even though it was a bond between some with perhaps little in common; maybe that was made it so strong, the fact that normally these people may not be so close, but by the order of their superiors, or by the decision of fate, they had become comrades, and nothing could change that.

After the odd exchange, Kana-San went back to his meal, clearly trying to avoid an awkward situation, and Saitou followed his lead. The meal that had been prepared seemed much tastier than it normally would have; perhaps because of the fact that the young genin hadn't eaten a hot meal for too long, and he wolfed it down, his hunger fuelled by something other than deprivation, something unknown to him. Of course, he tried not to seem too barbaric. He used his knife and fork 'correctly'. He didn't get any food on himself. Doing such actions may seem very basic, but to someone as hungry as Saitou was then, it is indeed a difficult task, to restrain oneself at such a high level. When the meal was finished, he was extremely thankful to the maids and chef who had prepared it for him. Hell, he needed it. A lot.

Toshiro seemed oddly under the weather, and this worried Saitou much more than it normally would; however, when the mission had began, the white haired genin had seemed in a bad state, perhaps the forty days of quarantine and enforcing the rules on everyone had taken it's toll more on him than the rest. They could hope he was fine. Besides, if something was wrong, Kana-san would most likely notice and do something. The fact he hadn't mentioned meant it couldn't be much more than exhaustion and perhaps a cold. However, there was still the matter of Kerio-kun. He still hadn't arrived at the meeting place, which was also a cause for concern; but Saitou decided that the best thing he could do was not worry, for the pink haired genin was nothing if not skilled. Perhaps he had just made his way home already, without the others; going on what he knew of Keiro, he wouldn't put it past him, as he seemed to have very little sense of teamwork and camaraderie.

At Kana-Sans suggestion, he quickly bid his good night to the other, letting a maid lead him to a decently sized room in which he could rest; if he waited, there was a chance that Keiro might appear as well, which would calm Saitou's worrying mind. However, he found himself fearing sleep. The dreams might come back. The hellish nightmare, the screams and cries that he knew so well from his stupid memory that would forget what he wanted to remember and remember the things he tried so hard to forget. But the feat wasn't enough to deter him. Falling more than getting into the plush mattress of the bed, he fell asleep instantly, hair covering his face.

Normally, he would describe his sleeping position as uncomfortable, but the fact was, sleep was sleep. And thankfully, he was left alone. No more screams. No haunting cries or vivid memories; the food, and whatever medical treatment Kana-san had applied, was definitely doing it's job. Saitou was lost to the depths of sleep when he was awakened not by the delicate hand of one of the maids, but by something else, something he didn't know the source of, but he didn't wonder much on what. Slowly rising into a standing position, he noticed his sandals and socks had been removed. Thankfully, it had been understood that he might not see someone taking off all his clothes in the same friendly manner it would have been intended in. His socks had been washed, and a new shirt had been lain out by the foot of the bed, alongside some trousers, a jacket and underwear, all the apparel similar to the ones he'd been wearing recently, although not exactly the same. As he threw on the garments, thankful to whoever had given them to him, he noticed something else. A small drawstring bag, filled with cheese, bread, a small amount of ryo, and to Saitou's pleasant surprise, some sweets. A label had been attached, it which the words 'For the road' were written.

The young genin realised he had woke long before he'd been expected to; it was still long before the light of the sun had spilled over the land, however, he felt a restless urge to return home. He wanted to wait, but he couldn't bring himself to. Grabbing a small scroll and a pen from the desk opposite his bed, he quickly scribbled a small note for his comrades.

Kana-San, Toshiro-Kun and perhaps Keiro-Kun.

I'm sorry for leaving so early, but I have a large, overwhelming need to return to Konohagakure no Sato as soon as possible, and due to my restlessness, I'm going to hit the road. Please do not see this as an unfriendly notion. I have some basic supplies for the days travel, so I should be home a bit before you; I can't say this mission has been a pleasure, as it was probably the most hellish forty days of my life, but I can say I'm glad that you were my squad mates during it. There is a large chance we shall see each other again, I believe, and even if not by order of our superiors, then by our own free will. Below, you will find my report attached. Fair well, may the road be kind.

Saitou

Underneath the short note, the genin quickly signed his name, before writing out, briskly, his version of his events, and his exact position within the mission, before rolling the note up, tip toeing his way down the stairs and, with the help of some blue-tac, stuck the paper to the door of the building. He inhaled, before smiling slightly, shouldering his bag of possessions and opening the door. It swung open easily, without a sound. Greeted by an early morning darkness, he walked out into the street. The crisp air all around him, his feet quiet against the cobbles of the path, the sun yet to rise, Saitou Masaki whistled a small flutists tune to himself as he made his jolly way back to the great village of Konohagakure no Sato.

Topic Exit

Age : 49 Posts : 1036

Toshiro had been silent through the entire meal as the simple act of eating and listening had taxed his energy far more than he wanted to admit. He might have been a bit concerned at the pink-haired Keiro's not showing up but he simply was too tired to concern himself with something probably would end up being a relatively minor reason such as a well-deserved extra six hours of sleep.

When the other two left, Toshiro had simply gone back to a comfy-looking mat and resumed collecting some long over-due sleep. Something that he was just starting to get when an insistent and non-rhythmic tapping made the white-haired genin open his eyes and glance out the smallest of the windows in the room. At the window was rather normal-looking pheasant, if one considered pheasants that wore brown flak jackets and neck bands with the clan and Konoha crests etched into them normal, that met Toshiro's glance with an insistent glare that seemed to say "about time idiot" before it shook a leg at the genin. A leg bearing a message-scroll container strapped to it. At that Toshiro's expression went from annoyed to resigned - there was no doubt in his mind that one of the clans messenger summons would only be here if it was an urgent manner involving him personally. With that he slowly got back onto his feet and shuffled the remaining distance to the window before opening it. No sooner had it been open more than a few inches before the summons stalked into the room and stuck it's leg with the message tube out while maintaining it's glare. Something that even though his attention was on getting the message out of the tube and reading it (after breaking the simple code it was written in) irritated the already irritable genin until he verbally snapped at it. "Stow it feather-head. Let's see how well you function after forty days of hell." That said Toshiro returned to reading the message before giving a sight suited to a martyr and finding a pencil on a nearby table scribbling a hasty response on the message before rolling it back up and cramming it rather messily into the tube. "Sigh. Never a break. You know the drill bird-brain now get before I give serious thought to having the locals invite you as dinner." That said Toshiro hurriedly found a piece of paper in one of the waste baskets that would be suitable for a quick note to his temporary teammates.

"Kana, Keiro, (and Saitou if you come back for some reason)

A messenger bird came by while you were gone Apparently there is a matter involving some of my clans associates a few towns over that the clan head wants me to examine personally and now. I guess the old saying no rest for the wicked is true. If you're reading this then I must not have bumped into you while I was leaving. I'll send my report to the Hokage by clan channels so don't be concerned about that. Next time we meet remind me to choke the life out of the idiot that thought this was a C-ranked mission suitable for four genin with no way to communicate with Konoha. I'm going to need the stress relief when I get back.

Best wishes

Toshiro

PS:
Kana: Rangiku said she would be waiting for you at the gate - something about taking matters into her own hands. No I have no clue if it is to beat you to within an inch of your life or drag you off to meet your future in-laws, or both. I suggest you make your last will & testament in either case.
Saitou: If anyone sends you a bill regarding our "acquisitions" send it my grandfather. The least he can do for yanking me into another mission after this one is to cover mission-related expenses.

If either of you see the old goat I call a grandfather and clan head tell him not to sleep too soundly. I still have a bottle of that permanent bright pink dye stashed away."

That done, the snowy-haired genin headed. First he would have to collect what supplies he had, then make it to the nearest town where he could restock on travel supplies. From there it would be several days hard and lonely traveling before he would get try to settle a dispute involving trade, an arranged marriage or three, and promises made by merchants while drunk. Such was the downside to being highly placed in a large clan of shinobi. As soon as one became an "adult" by putting on the villages forehead protector you became a fair target in the never-ending game of clan leaders & elders passing around the miserable duties until they found someone who couldn't say no in time.

Exit post

OOC: All I can say is sorry. My ambition and posting time took a full broadside and it was only though massive damage control that I've managed to limp back to port.

Posts : 542

Kana stretched as he finally awoke, the sun’s rays had still not broken over the horizon. The sky was filled with a sort of lingering peace after a long dark night. Twilight provided a sort of eerie light for those foolish enough to be awake. Indeed, the young Genin was a fool. He thought that he would be the firs to awake, giving his partners a few more hours of sleep before they had to head back to the Leaf. Unknown to him, was that he was perhaps the only one of the group, Keiro still not having showed up, that was still in the village. He awoke refreshed, the sleep and dinner having worked wonders for him. He walked down the stairs quietly still not wanting to wake anybody up. A few maids and the cook were already up, starting their morning routine.

The bronzed Genin greeted the staff warmly with a slight smile on his face. The rotund cook and the lovely maid both returned his greeting in turn. He was offered a small meal before his departure and he figured he might as well get some breakfast. As he was enjoying the humble, yet nursing, meal, the young maid gave Kana two letters. A smile would appear in his face as he soon found out, he had overstayed his welcome. Two of his partners, the Hinamori and Masaki, had already left before the sun rose. The third, Keiro, had still not checked in. He would have to inquire of the village elder about this. To his knowledge, there had been no incidents with his partners and he had also not seen them come sick to the shrine which had served as the infirmary. He hoped the pink haired Genin was in good health but he trusted the other’s skill.

After finishing his breakfast, the bronzed Genin would go and debrief the village elder. There had been more casualties than either of them could care for but still the majority of the village had been left unscathed. The medic would leave instructions on how deal with any cases that might arise. After his report the Leaf would probably send out a more stable group of medics. This whole situation should have never been left up to Genin but it had been an emergency and the squad had done marvelous. Kana thanked the elder for all his help but in turn got thanks for all of his.

Seeing as his partners had already hit the road way before him, Kana decided to go and make sure the shrine and the monks were doing fine. He walked in and was greeted warmly by the friends he had made, especially the head monk. Kana bowed to the man showing him the respect one owes a holy man and an elder. The other’s smile would do away with such formalities. He gave Kana a tour of the shrine and showed the Genin that there was nothing else he needed to take care of. He ordered the other to go home and know that he had saved many.

His booted feet crunched the dirt as he crossed the lonely bridge back onto the Rioyaru road. The sun was at his back and the warmth it provided was encouraging. Life would go on, and those alive would remember this day. A small group of Genin had done more than any of their contemporaries would do in their lives. A bond had been formed that neither distance nor death would change. It did not matter when their names would be put in the memorial stone; their bond would be just as though as stone. He would indeed see them again because fate had intertwined the four young men and smelted them into one, as shinobi of the Leaf.

He took his first step; a day and night later would find him sight of the village gates to Konoha. He would give the mission’s office and the hospital his report. They would congratulate him, but he would deny any big part in it. He would pass all honors to his team mates and offer his report of their deeds as proof. A new milestone had been reached by the four ways before those of any of their age. They had matured in both profession and personally. They could never go back to being boys as now they had experienced the world as only men can. They were and would forever be Shinobi.

[topic end]

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