The Honor Found in the Blade(Mission)

Posts : 542

Spoiler:

Kana was waiting in the reception area to the Mission’s Office. There had been some remodeling and instead of just letting Genin walk in and crowd the desk, there was a small area set aside with seating for more organized waiting. As you arrive, a desk clerk would take down your name and they would ask you to take a seat. They would then take a quick look at your record and then they would assign you a mission based on the experience and success of previous missions as applicable. Whoever the new Chunnin in charge of the administration, they were already improving by leaps and bounds. Perhaps because the old one had found their end at the hands of the lovely, fierce and deadly, sister of Toshiro Hinamor.
The image brought a smile to the bronzed Genin’s face at the thought of such a lovely creature just pounding the living soul out of the inept attendant. It was not fifteen minutes before his name was called. Kana stood up and walked through the double doors to the mission’s desk. It had been pushed back in the room giving it more space with its back to some full length windows that looked out into Konoha. It seemed this was done to remind the people taking the missions why they did what they did. The city sprawled before the young Genin majestically. It had seen much damage during the war but one would never guess that looking at it now. Kana took in a deep breath with pride at the sight. Every puff of smoke from chimneys warming the residents to the small figures of people starting their morning routine, it was all marvelous.

His name was called up and he approached the desk. He was given a scroll to look over and accept or decline the missions. This procedure too was new. Kana had never been given the option to decline a mission. He was extremely surprised. It had not even been a week since he and four other Genin had endured hell on a mission that should not have been delegated to juniors in such a way. This new procedure allowed you to see the mission and then self evaluate your skill to see if you felt competent to do it. Not only was the mission details plain to read but the names of the prospective partners also showing. It seemed luck was on his side as he read a much too familiar name: Masaki Saitou. The other name was new to him but he was confident that he would soon be acquainted with the new person.

As per the scroll the trio was to transport a finely made dagger to a minor lord within the fire country. The fact that it was crafted from the Hinamori, and the clan having had some problems with bandits in the past, it was necessary to ship guard even minor shipments. Kana opened the simple wooden box and inside, sitting in a blanket of soft velvet, was a dagger in deed. The young Genin was as curios as making sure he knew what was being assigned to him. The dagger was finely crafted and it was simple too not embellished with any sort of gem that would tarnish its craftsmanship. The only thing that adorned it was a small graphing in the sheath that depicted a three lotus flowers. The young Genin waited for his other two partners to be called up.

Age : 25 Posts : 1767

In the very depths of winter, numerous creatures would crawl into burrows, nests, or other warm shelters they'd created or found, falling into a deep bout of hibernation, their bodies living of the nutrients stored inside them that they'd gained from continuos eating, before the animals would awaken in early spring. To compare these animals to Saitou Masaki would leave you slightly correct. The young genin had taken to sleeping long hours in these winter months, not wanting to battle the fierce cold outside. But now that the blanket of winter was being rolled up, the sweetness of spring had begun to return, and so he could once again rise early, without the fear of a chilling temperature; despite this, he wasn't finding himself able to wake up early. That may sound like an excuse, but in truth, it was the main reason as to why Saitou was now sprinting flat out across the sprawling roof tops of Konohagakure no sato, still tying the knot on the headband secured around his wrist. He hated being late. To be unpunctual came off as unprofessional and amateur, not to mention embarrassing, and Saitou preferred not to keep others waiting. He was happy to see he was nearly half way there as he checked the watch tied on his left wrist, opposite his headband, not needing his eyes to see where he was going, or navigate his bodies way over the city.

Not ten minutes ago, Saitou's alarm clock had buzzed it's last buzz, it's poor, broken body laying on the floor, thankfully, the glass was still intact, but internally, it seemed that the clockwork was completely destroyed. It wasn't the first time this had happened. When tired, the young genin had a tendency to punch anything that made a loud noise. It just so happened that this time, it wasn't an intruder, but his alarm clock, which he'd quickly disposed of, before he realised the time and scrambled to get dressed, forever in a rush, which was unusual for him, him being someone you could consider an early bird. He'd decided that it was best to just abandon the pampering of his appearance and make sure he wasn't late. Leaping down 24 flights of stairs, he began to run, legs peddling fast, sneakers slapping the hard cobble ground over and over as his bowed head lead his charge.

Panting heavily, trying to get more breath into his overworked lungs, Saitou saw his destination, quite close now. He was only slightly late, perhaps even unnoticeably so, and this feeling of triumph made him run even faster; with one final leap, he landed on the ground with a neat roll, before standing up as if in a performance and bursting through the door. It was nearly over. Not bothering to check his watch, he took the stairs three at a time, nearly falling on his face when he arrived at the right floor. The mission office had clearly been remodelled since the purple haired genin's last visit, which was quite a while ago; there was now a small, plush reception area, all very professionalized. With a small smile, he brushed his hair out of his eyes. Standing at the desk, eyes flickering over a scroll, was a familiar face; and by the looks of things, he'd made it in time, and as he was already acquainted with his comrade, he knew that even if he had been slightly late, it wouldn't have been the end of the world. His last mission had been far from pleasant. Galling was probably the best way to describe it. But that small slice of hell was over, and although Saitou hadn't had any word from the small village he'd been in, he was confident they were improving their situation, perhaps soon to be at their normal functioning speed; talking of that mission, the purple haired genin realised he hadn't seen Keiro, another member of the team, since the first of the forty days of the mission. Hoping his pink haired comrade was fine, the genin walked forward, grinning now.

His sneakers making little sound as they made their way across the floor, Saitou rolled up the sleeves of his jacket and shirt, before, still smiling, said "Good to see you, Kana-San. Judging by your current activities, I believe that our higher-ups have once again decided we make a good team; I trust you are well?" As the young genin spoke, his indigo eyes travelled across the room, enjoying the plushness of the new decorations, taking in the plants, seats and tables arranged fashionably. Saitou's hand went to the flute tucked into his pocket, the ornate silver underneath his garment reassuring. He had one hope, and that was that this mission would be suited to people his age, and that it wouldn't be as horrific as the last one; he wasn't exactly being a wuss about the mission, but it was the scarring experience you only wanted to have to do once.

Age : 29 Posts : 341

Masamune was standing in front of the mission room since some minutes now, this was his first real mission and he was damn nervous, to nervous to enter. He only had opened the door a little bit to look inside the room.
Masamune wore his normal ninja attire, his wide cloak without sleeves, which divulged his (for a 13 year old) big muscles and the big tribal summoning tatto, this time a black one with violet kanjis writen all over it, bandages which he used as belt and of course he wore wide black pants which were stuffed into his training weights. He woke up 3 hours earlier than usual and that without his alarmclock going of. He had taken dresses on and of like a girl, posed in front of the mirror and even tried to stile his hair, which ended in him taken 5 showers.

He was forced out of his thoughts when he heard the name of his mission partner being called out loud and saw one of the sitting people standing up and walking to the counter.
The guy didn't look terrifying which was a good start, now he only had to enter and tell them he slept to lon... 'BAAM' Masamune shouted out and fell on his butt when a boy with violet hair, just like himself, made a terrible noise while running through the floors, heading straight at the mission room. The guy didn't seem to have noticed Masamune when he pulled the door open and rushed into the room.
After a few seconds Masamunes heart started beating again and he came back to reality, he realised that his eyes were teary again and dried them as soon as he noticed.
*Who the heck was that guy and why did he had to scare me like this ?* He stood up, took a deep breath and opened the door, with his eyes closed, after standing there for a few seconds he opened his eyes again, just to see the room being like before, it didn't seem like anyone even noticed him. His eyes went on searching for his mission partner and what they saw wasn't to Masamunes liking....
"WHY ARE YOU IN THE TEAM TOO?" It got silent, everyone stared at Masamune who was pointing at the guy with the violet hair, soon after that he realised that he had said his toughts out loud and his face turned bright red..... he was already about to just turn around and run, but he took all the bravery together and walked up to the two guys, after that the talking started again.

"Uhm...uh...i am sorry, i didn't mean to shout at you... i was just surprised and.. uhmm.." As fast as it came all his bravery left again, Masamune wished he had run when he still had the chance, now he was standing in front of the guy he shouted at, and he was way bigger than himself.
Uhm... my name is Masamune, nice to meet you... Masamune raised his head again and looked at the two guys..

Posts : 542

As always, the young Genin was reviewing the contents of the scroll. From the description, there was nothing horrible or life altering that could be gathered. He hoped it was indeed nothing like their last mission. Only the hearts of those who had gone could tell the effects it had on the heart’s masters. He was still reading when from his right he heard a much familiar voice. A small grin appeared in the bronzed Genin’s face as he turned to see a well known face. The purple haired boy known as Masaki Saitou came strolling up with a big grin on his face. Kana was thankful that the horrors of their last mission had not made the signature visage of Saitou disappear. Kana bowed respectfully to his partner. “Saitou-san, it is an honor to once again be placed with you. I believe the mission’s office is beginning to get better at assigning missions to capable people. I am indeed well thanks for asking. I hope that you are doing just as well Saitou-san. “The medic handed his partner the scroll he was currently reading. “I believe you might want to take a look at that. It is fortunate that we do not have to be the front line of defense for some dramatic mission. I am sure however, that few missions will be as demanding as our last.”The medic took another breath to explain what he thought this mission was all about when he, indeed the whole room, heard a loud question.

"WHY ARE YOU IN THE TEAM TOO?"

In a controlled, and very appalled, motion, Kana would turn to see the newcomer. What he saw somewhat explained the sudden outburst. Standing before the whole room, which now cast their questioning eyes in his direction, was a small boy. The most striking feature was the purple hair that resembled that of Saitou’s. the medic wondered if that was kin of his and made it a point to ask. Yet the young man before them was somewhat small and child like. Indeed, Kana would wager that the other was probably not very long out of the Academy. Indeed, the young man almost seemed to be about to burst into tears for no apparent reason. They boys eyes were no were near as big as Kana’s but it still held that innocent look. It was sad that soon that look would be taken away.

The bronzed medic was still in a state of confusion when he noticed that the young man started to walk their way. He gave Saitou a sideways gaze to see the reaction of the other. Perhaps, this might even be his younger brother. In any case, the other introduced, or tried to introduce, himself. The sound produced was more of one who is about to face a deadly enemy, than one who is opening a conversation. With Kana being a Medic, he did not want the poor boy to pass out as the indications suggested so instead he decided to help the other boy out.

“Masamune-san, I am Kinoshi, Kana. And this is Masaki Saitou. I do not recall seeing your name in the mission’s scroll but such mistakes have been done in the past. Are you to be our partner as well?” he tried to sound friendly but the most he could muster was sounding respectful and professional. He knew many people saw that as a barrier but others, such as Saitou, had never mentioned it. It was the least to say that the moment was award for the trio as the room now stared at all three.

Age : 25 Posts : 1767

Upon his arrival, Saitou found himself ready for action after his fast paced run, but of course, he would have to leave the adrenalin for later, as appearing overconfident or overexcited was not only annoying but usually gave off the wrong impression. He would never match Kana-San's professionalism, but nobody could blame him for trying. After all, the youth was finding himself becoming more confident, and with that confidence came ambition, and so he felt that he had to strive to better himself, even though his goals were still slightly vague and nondescript. However, he was much more awake after running across the village, which was an advantage. He hated appearing lazy, but it was a slightly accurate way to describe him; sometimes he overslept, sometimes he didn't, but the fact was, he was in the mission building now, with his comrade and friend by his side. The other boy returned his informal greeting with the normal bow. Saitou had come to expect nothing left of Kana-San; impeccable manners and genuine kindness meant the other boy was forever polite, but rarely had the purple haired genin seen him acting informally, as, from what he knew about the other, it really wasn't in his character.

The youth accepted the mission scroll from the other, smirking slightly to distract any onlookers from the fact his hands were trembling slightly. Unfurling the scroll and reading it, he smiled genuinely. It seemed that he wouldn't be placing his life on the line so much this time. He didn't recognise the name at the bottom, although he was sure he'd meet whoever his new comrade would be; Saitou was hoping for somebody with a big frame that might impose fear in any bandits or rouges that attempted to steal anything. Despite the fact he was tall, there was a lack of muscles in his body. Kana-San was a few inches smaller than the purple haired youth and had an athletic build. The two of them might give off an air of power and skill to people younger than them, but any ruffian would most likely not be intimidated by them, and so their appearance alone would not prove a deterrent of battle. Of course, Saitou wouldn't mind if they were to attacked; after the forty days of hell he'd witnessed, the idea of a battle wasn't daunting. It seemed like something slightly more suited to someone his age, and it was a skill that Shinobi such as himself, who weren't medical specialists or the like, would need.

"WHY ARE YOU IN THE TEAM TOO?"

The sudden yelling within the enclosed space of the room echoed off the marble walls, startling Saitou. He didn't jump, as such reactions had been hammered out of him; instead, his left hand went straight to his shuriken pouch and he pivoted wildly, swinging to a stop when he'd completed his 180 degree turn. His knees bent and back lowered, he was grinning already. Normally, he would've found such a situation awkward, but he was all ready for a fight, the remainders of his adrenaline still pumping in his veins; and then he noticed who had shouted. A shinobi. That much was evident, as few other people would be in the mission room if they were so young, and, judging by his size, this guy was fresh meat. But what struck Saitou most was not his small size. The kid was at least over a foot smaller than him, but it wasn't the body of the boy, but the hair which stood atop it; a shocking vibrance of purple, just like the his. Slowly rising from his crouched position, it was all the youth could do to not break into laughter at his comrades attempt to be friendly; Saitou had seen a small buzz of purple on his way in, but he hadn't taken any notice, and it seemed that he may have knocked the kid over on his rampant rush inside, something that he could assume from the evidence that was dried tears. Instantly, he felt guilty. No wonder the kid was shouting. He harboured slight annoyance about the genin's obnoxious behaviour, but he pushed it aside as he tried to be nice without overly patronising.

"Hey there, Masamune-San, nice to meet you. I'm afraid I don't recognise you, would you happen to be newly graduated? I have the feeling I may have... Bumped into you in the corridor? If I did, then I'm truly sorry, I was hoping to not be too late, usually, I'm not this reckless; although I sure as hell am clumsy,"

The last line may have seemed like a kind joke, but in all honesty, it was very true. Too many times had Saitou had embarrassing experiences that happened due to his own clumsiness; dropping things was something he was born to do, and he'd learnt that it was best to just look like he'd meant to do so. Trying not to stare at Masamune's hair was a difficult feat. In all his life, the only people the youth had known to have purple hair was him and his father; the boy didn't really posses many other similar traits, but something made him wonder if they were extremely distantly related. It was a stupid thought, but not impossible. After all, his parents had never told him anything about his family beyond themselves, so it was probable that he had other relations.

Age : 29 Posts : 341

Masamune hadn't realised it up till now, becouse he was to nervous and focused on other things, but did that purple haired guy just tried to kill him with a kunai? Being unable to move while thinking those toughts Masamune just freezed...
*Oh my god, what are these guys... they totally freak me out, what a person is that guy to just pull out a kunai...* Masamune started to sweat, this really was to much for him, starting his first mission like that and having to work with those guys who were obvious older than him.
"Uhm.... well.... nice to meet you.... uhm....jeah i just became a Genin, in fact this will be my first mission, please take care of me..." Masamune bowed, while doing so he watched out to not get into the reach of that kunai wielding guy whose name seemed to be Masaki. Masamune looked up, into the faces of both guys, Masaki didn't look bad, but Masamune still was afraid of him and the other guy seemed.... scary, too.
*WHY ARE THESE GUYS SO MUCH BIGGER THAN ME ?!* Masamune felt really small and insignificant. Just what was his purpose during this mission ? He was small, weak and just finished the academy, he would just be dead weight.

Masamune seemed to grew even smaller as he was standing in front of the guys, he didn't knew what to say anymore, what was going to happen now? He looked at the scroll which was handed around the two boys.
"Uhm..... may i ask what this whole mission is all about?.... i don't know if i can be of any help, but i'll do my best.... i think.... i mean I WILL DO MY BEST" He tried to look resolute, but in fact he looked pretty dumb, standing there with almost teary eyes, totally overreacting and with absolutely no confidence.
*ARW... COMON i can do this... i really can, these boys are just Genins like me, it can't be that they are much stronger than me.... we probably are even around the same age, they just happened to grow fast.... JUPP thats what it has to be like...*
Masamune shaked his head and was looking a bit more confident now, at least he didn't tried to hide himself behind his own shadow anymore.
"Well, i am 13 years old and i am able to use Fuuin- and Kenjutsus... i hope we will make a great team..." Somehow he felt dumb, introducing himself all this time while those guys didn't do anything else than telling him their names, but he thought it was necessary to tell them what his strong points were.
"Who is the teamleader if i may ask ?"

Posts : 542

Kana had somehow missed Saitou’s reaction to the shouting, being taken by surprise himself. It is said that a shinobi is to be ready at all times for anything. Truth be told, this is not entirely the case. If this was completely true, there would never be any casualties in the field of battle and an ambush would not be a known word in the vocabulary of a ninja. It was because of this that after his introduction and as the other boy, Masamune, that Kana noticed the drawn blade now in his purple friend’s hand. Kana placed a soft hand on the shoulders of the Masaki, and signaled with his eyes towards his kunai. The room was already starting to murmur about the whole scene and Kana was not one to give others things to talk about. Kana let the other finished his introduction and raise up from his bow before he stared to move.

“I shall explain the details of the mission in a more….secluded atmosphere.” The medic motioned the two purple haired boys to follow him. As they walked, he could feel the stares and hear the murmurings follow the trio like nagging gnats. It was not that Kana cared what others thought but he was not one to give way to rumors and here say. He opened to door to the hallway for the other two and followed behind them. Once they were on their way out the door of the Administration building is when he started to speak. “I apologize for my silence. I did not wish to add to the already formulating dialogues that were no doubt being born in there.”

He continued to lead them towards the location where they were to pick up the box containing the shipment. His path would lead them down the streets towards the merchant quarter; after all, they were to deliver a finely crafted blade. “To answer your first question, we are to escort a shipment to a local lord. There seems to be no belief that we will be attacked by bandits or the like so that is why they chose us, Genin, to deliver the item. If all goes as planned, we will be no more than delivery boys. I do indeed believe that you will be quite helpful, Masamune-san, your skills have been valued as such by our higher ups by allowing you to wear that forehead protector.” He pointed towards the symbol of a shinobi which the young boy now wore on his head. “It is up to you how you choose to show those people who trusted you with it that they did not make the wrong choice. I am 16 years of age and I have chosen the path of a Medic. I am also trained in Ninjutsu. I indeed think we will make a good team.” He bowed slightly to the young Genin. “I shall let Saitou-san speak for himself, but unless I am mistaken, there really is no team leader. As we are all Genin, it is understood that we shall work as a team and depending on the situation; the most capable person will take the lead. I will not presume this to be true, but such information was not dictated in the mission scroll so I that is my interpretation.”

Their walking had led them to the store front of a Hinamori shop. Just like anything that dealt with that clan, it was arranged and built to the most efficient manner. The smell of smoke and steel could be gathered from even out here and the heat that escaped the shop attested to the roar of the fire in the furnace. “Well, here we are. Shall we go in and retrieve our item so that we can start our mission?” He addressed the two equally, just because Masamune was a newly ordained Genin, there was no reason to treat him as a newby.

Age : 25 Posts : 1767

Saitou instantly regretted his automatic reaction to place a hand around a weapon; his half drawn weapons had clearly just scared the smaller genin even more, and the other purple haired boy stood motionless, beads of sweat descending. A hand found it's roost on his shoulder, and he knew what it was communicating. With a fluid motion, the older boy returned his weapon to it's holster. Kana-San most likely knew that his friends reaction was not one of hostility but a reflex drilled into him from hours of training, but the medic was probably attempting to out the others in the room at rest, to signal that Saitou wouldn't be making any rash moves, and if he did, his comrade would restrain him. With practiced ease, the weapon slid into place by it's brothers. The room had it's share of onlookers who were beginning to murmur, and, quite clearly, the accidental friction between the two purple haired boys was noticeable. Of course, the Masaki was a firm believer that things could be forgotten. His camaraderie with Masamune may not have started well, but that didn't mean it couldn't go well; for now, Saitou's best move was to appear friendly and try to make the smaller youth feel more comfortable in his presence.

Thankfully, Masamune-San wasn't overly daunted. He stuttered slightly as he answered the question that had been directed toward him, bowing politely but keeping a slight distance from Saitou, a clever move, if the genin had been an opponent; the answer he gave confirmed what the taller boy had thought. It was indeed his first mission. Of course, that didn't mean he was completely unskilled. Some might even view being chosen to perform a mission with a brand new genin an honor, for it could be perceived that those assigned to the mission alongside a rookie were deemed role models. However, in rank, Saitou was on the same footing as Masamune. He doubted the other would be as weak as his size suggested. In the world of shinobi, great physical strength wasn't necessary at all. For all he knew, the other genin could have skills that matched his own, and if he were to underestimate the others strength, then that would be a great mistake; for all he knew, the whole 'little wimp' could just be a façade designed to make himself seem weaker than he really was. But the only way to know such things was to see Masamune-San in action. And with the mission they had lined up, such a scenario could take place.

Kana-San, polite and efficient as always, managed to reply to the youngest genin's question whilst combining his answer with something that excused them from the room, allowing the trio to leave, followed by the whispers of the onlooking people in the room. Saitou was slightly embarrassed at his reaction, but was glad at his friends quick response. Leaving now was most likely the best option. The medic was always good at handling himself professionally, it was something that the youth liked about him; he always composed himself well, he was always ready to do what was required. Of course, he did have a few robotic traits. But if you put those aside, Kana-San was a lifesaver. He knew what to do, when and how to do it, and he was greatly efficient; a true comrade and one that Saitou was happy to complete missions and other such tasks with. Following the other outside of the room and out of the administration building, the genin smiled; he had high hopes for today.

As they arrived at their destination after passing through streets filled with crowds of eager shoppers, the three shinobi arrived at their destination and Kana-San, with the usual brisk efficient air, began to explain the mission, and also share information about his abilities. The questions were answered, but Saitou knew he was expected to give a small amount of info about his own skills to the others, and he did so. "Kana-San is correct for the most part, we do not have an established team leader, but from what I know of him from previous experiences, he is slightly more the seasoned shinobi. I myself am also trained in the art of Ninjutsu, although I have proficiency in Genjutsu, some of which are sound based. If I shout to cover your ears, for your own sake, I recommend you do so," Truth be told, Saitou had yet to try out any of the sound based Genjutsu he talked of, but he was itching to do so, and this was a good situation to test his skills; he wouldn't have to make eye contact to affect his opponents, nor would he have to see them, and he could attack numerous opponents at once.

As they walked into the smoking forge, Saitou felt himself smirking slightly. His heart was beating rapidly in anticipation, something he found he felt before most of his missions; he was not overly confident, but he had little doubts in the three genin team, in fact, he was quite sure that they could ward off any bandits. It wouldn't be a particularly difficult task. As long as they stayed aware, they should be fine. Masamune-San may have been a newly graduated genin, but if he was a genin, he was deemed skilled enough to partake in such missions. And if their superiors had said so, then he would be. Experience was something that could only be gained from performing such tasks, and although the mission might be considered risky for a first mission, the youth was in good hands. At Kana-San's question, Saitou merely nodded, a small smirk on his face.

Age : 29 Posts : 341

Masamune slightly blushed when the guys were telling him he might be of help, since he was a genin and all. Well at least this made his confidence rise a little bit, which wasn't a bad start for now. *What could the mission be about..... hmmm.......* suddenly Kinoshi started to move and Masamune tried to follow him, way to fast, so that his feet somehow got in the way of each other #BANG#
"Ouch..ouch...ouch....." Masamune was lying on the ground, lucky for him that his face absorbed most of the impact. He slowly stood up, rubbing his face, this whole scene was more than embarrassing, really really embarrassing, he was lucky they just left the mission room, otherwise he would be the laughing stock of Konoha. When he noticed the two senior genins staring at him his face turned red again and he couldn't directly look them into the eyes. "Uhhmmm..... sorry i wasn't carefully.....*ARRRGGHHH SO EMBARRASSING I WANT TO DIE*" He stood up and kept walking as if nothing happened, the other boys started walking again,too. They had reached the staircase by now, but somehow the mood had changed, Kinoshi and Saitou didn't speak a word and the silence was nerve wracking. *I have to say something.... just.... something without looking like a idiot...* "Uhmmm.... it's pretty hot this entire month right? Every time I'm training I am drenched in sweet, it's really tiring to shower every morning, and even when i train all night long it's no difference, sometimes it's even hotter when it's night, at least it feels that way... right?"

They finally stepped through the exit of the big unfamiliar building, the sun still shined brightly, it was just spring but it had to be around 25°C, this summer would be hell on earth. Masamune followed the boys quiet, the whole atmosphere was pretty quiet, even after his attempt to somehow break the silence. Masamune wasn't familiar with the area they were trespassing, there were many craft mans and blacksmiths around here.
*Oh.....i bet we have to deliver something, that explains why i am in this mission, too.*
"AHAHAHA.... and here i was afraid i actually had to fight with someone" Some people starred at the small group of boys when Masamune started to randomly laugh, but he was just happy, a big boulder dropped from his heart, he was really afraid that they had to fight during the mission. Of course he was a good fighter, he knew that, but he hated pain and fighting always coursed pain, there was nothing really NOTHING Masamune hated more then pain, he even liked insects more.
They passed a constructive site, there were big men with to big muscles and a lot of steel, sometimes Masamune whished he was like those guys, just doing your work without having to worry about getting a arm cut off. "UUWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAHHH #CRASH# " The shout was from a man who worked at the constructive site, all Masamune could see, was the man lying on his back with a steel girder lying on him, the man looked in pain. *Oh shit, he must have fallen while carrying that thing. Is no one going to help him?* Masamune looked around, no one seemed to have witnessed the accident and both of his team members were still moving. "Kana-san, Saitou-san excuse me for a second." He shouted, then he turned around and jumped over the fence. "Hello sir, I'll help you, sorry" Masamune didn't know why he said sorry, but he took place besides the man and took a deep breath. "Stop it boy, ...you will just hurt yours...OUCH.... get someone, quick, please."
Masamune looked the man in the eyes "Sorry but i think i will be enough for something like this." He placed his feet on the ground, holding a firm posture, then he grabbed the girder and heaved it up, at least he tried, but the thing wouldn't move *damn, my muscles still aren't loose yet...* "HHAAARRWWWGG" While shouting his arms got brighter, they grew to about the doubled size than before and his muscles were clearly visible. The girder slowly rose from his position, then with one big swing, Masamune made the girder drop to the other direction, where it clashed to the ground with a loud #BANG#. Now more workers were coming, too, a doctor was with them. "I have to go now, sorry, please get well soon" The man lying wanted to say something, but Masamune already jumped over the fence again, rushing after his comrades.

"Sorry...." That was all, when he reached both of his teammates he didn't knew what else to say, they had been waiting for him. He looked up, they stood in front of a big iron door "Uhmmmm.... so.... this is were we were heading to?" Steam came out from countless pipes and stuff which Masamune couldn't understand, it smelled like.... heat.... and steel which was even hotter.

Posts : 542

Kana led the two other Genin inside the shop. Masamune was truly a perplexing young man. It seemed that accidents all but plummeted towards him like meteors on a collision course where neither could escape. The medic decided not to point out the young one’s unusual behavior but he hoped the other did not make it a habit of running off on his own during the mission. The unit needed to be cohesive and well managed at all times if the mission was to be successful. He was glad that Saitou was his other partner, other wise; Kana would have to be quite harsh to get things done. Regardless, the fact that the young ma had been trusted to the two of them made Kana look to Masamune as partner which the two of them had to foster and help gain experience. With the lack of Jounin and Chunin, most having been lost in the war, it was up to senior Genin to become the leaders. It was sure a daunting task but sooner or later that mantel would fall on the senior teens.

The inside of the shop was quite humble, despite being sponsored by the noble Hinamori clan. Kana had only seen a glimpse of the wealth and power the clan possessed and knew that the blade they were to transport would be skillfully and wonderfully made. Something that only added to the chances of somebody valuing it enough to kill for. The inside was hardly furnished aside from a small front counter and a few chairs for waiting customers. This no doubt was probably the place one place or picked up an order. The room was not meant to sit or tend to customers. The walls were covered in a minuscule layer of sooth. The place was not dirty; it was just a place where work was being performed. Being inside, Kana could feel the heat from the ever raging fire located at the back corner of the shop. The walls were lined with shelves were the finished products awaited being picked covered in delicate with cloths. A small water basin was positioned against the anvil which occupied the whole middle of the shop. A muscular man was sweating and pounding the steel in to submission through will and might. No doubt a masterpiece in the making.

Kana would walk forward and call out just after the mighty hammer hit the red hot metal. “Excuse us; we are looking for Master Smith, Akauro Sajai.” The muscular man looked up from his work and the three Genin would gaze upon the work of years and heated forge. The man had graying hair tied up into a pony tail which was drenched with sweat and grew pas his shoulders. The skin was tanned like Kana’s but weathered and leathery. The muscles that gave the hammer strength were toned and firm. The man seemed to be in his forties but would no doubt be more than a match for any of the three. His eyes held wisdom and courage and Kana could not help bow to the man. A gruff dry voice spoke from behind chapped and cracked lips. “I am Akauro Sajai, who is it that seeks me?” Kana would keep his bow and respond in a very respectful and humble voice. “I am Kinoshi, Kana Genin of Konoha. My partners are Masaki Saitou, and Masamune…also Genin of Konoha. We have come to transport the blade which was commissioned to you by Lord Hirotano, Yamase.” A few seconds passed and Kana remained with his head low.

A few shuffling noises could be heard, and the medic would raise his head in time to see the Master Smith place a box wrapped in glossy silk on the counter and begin to unwrapped it. A finely made maple box shone with a gleam and it simple design still demanded recognition. The older man opened the box and inside, a beautifully crafter Tanto waited.

Spoiler:

Kana was not an expert in weapons, that was Toshiro’s expertise, but even the medic could see the beauty in the aesthetic complexity of the craftsman ship. The elder Gentleman placed the blade back in its sheath and addressed the Genin. “This has been one of my most prized works. Please take care of it. Sign here to show you have taken custody of it.” The bronzed Genin proceeded to put pen to paper. With that done, the elder man rolled up his scroll and returned to his work as if the Genin were nothing more than a passing thought. Kana turned to his companions and asked simply. “How do you suggest we transport this?” The box was not very big, just enough to cushion the Tanto about three inches on each side but it would prove tying after a while.

Age : 25 Posts : 1767

Masamune-San was clearly nervous, something you could tell from his body language and the way he was constantly apologising; however, it seemed that pointing such a thing out, or indicating that the others had acknowledged his clumsy actions would most likely just make the genin even more embarrassed. Saitou decided the best thing to do was pretend he didn't notice. He simply gazed into the distance for most of the journey, saying little. After all, in the first five seconds of meeting his new comrade, he'd brought him close to tears and 'threatened' him with a kunai, and if anyone could make the genin more comfortable, it most likely wasn't the purple haired youth. If he simply refrained from making any comments, Masamune might calm down slightly. And so that was what he did. As they walked onward, Saitou looked into the sky, only occasionally returning his indigo eyes to the floor so he could navigate his way through the streets; he barely noticed the other purple haired boy run off, and deciding not to say anything, he continued walking. He hoped the other genin didn't make a habit of disappearing. If he was going to continuously run off, then things would become troublesome. Saitou didn't look to see what was happening, but he heard what sounded like a large grunt of physical extortion, and he could only hope Masamune had run off on his own little escapade for a reason worth his time.

The youngest team member returned with an apology, standing beside the two slightly older shinobi in front of a large iron door. Kana-san led the group inside. The other side of the walls revealed a humble forge. Few furnishings could be found inside, but it seemed as if this had been done on purpose; the lack of furnishings, the smell of smoke and the gritty walls and floor all seemed to suggest that this was not a place for customers, but a place of work and production. Saitou felt slightly out of place here. Working at the forge was a muscular, weathered man, sweat dripping down a wrinkled forehead and matting plaster like long strands of hair to his face, despite the ponytail he had, that was probably an attempt to keep his hair out of his eyes. If you compared the genin's frame to his, you'd notice a huge contrast. The blacksmith was well built, wrinkled, sweaty, thick and tanned, most of which were traits that signified hard labor. Saitou, on the other hand, was a wiry frame with smooth skin and casual, fashionable clothes. Kana-San, professional and straight to the point as always, engaged in conversation with the man as he brought the hammer he wielded down into the blade he was crafting, and, with the medic bowing, the toned man answered. With short introductions, the salt and pepper haired boy announced the trio's intentions.

With that, the blacksmith, apparently called Akauro Sajai, dug out a box. He placed it delicately on the counter, lovingly, even, and, as he begun to unwrap the silk covering, Saitou felt an odd anticipation; a curios, investigative part of him wanted to see something that was so small, yet was valuable enough for bandits to risk their lives for. Slowly opening the maple box, the tanto was revealed. The youth was no expert in weapons of any kind, but even he could tell the blade was something special. If someone of Akauro's age was called a master smith, whatever he titled as his most prized work was definitely something incredible; the blade looked both practical and ceremonial, it's beauty obvious even to those with no knowledge of weaponry. Kana-San signed the offered paper, before turning on his companions. The question in his mind was probably quite high up in the whole teams thoughts.

"Well, we've yet to decide who'll carry the box, which I guess should be the foremost question in our mind. I'll opt out on this one; I'm a middle to long range fighter, if anyone gets close to me to try and take the box, I'm hardly in a good place. Kana-San, as a medical Shinobi, I'd suggest a support role. Which leaves you, Masamune-San. You said you're a Kenjutsu specialist, perhaps you'd like to take the box? Just a suggestion, of course, if you don't feel like you're up to it, that's fine; have either of you two got any suggestions? If you do, I'm sure they might be better than mine,"

[OOC: Sorry for the short post]

Age : 29 Posts : 341

The door opened and they stepped in, it was kinda dark inside, dark and hot, Masamune didn't liked the atmospere inside, and there was a strange man working and when suddenly a mans sounded from behind his back Masamune screamed out. When he opened his eyes again he stood behind Saitou and was clinging to him as well. His face got bright red "Uhm.... I am sorry i was caught unprepared...." This was obviously a bad lie which was easily to tell, but noone said something, probably becouse of pitty, Masamune seemed to shrink again.

The man which had arrived out of sudden started to talk with Kana and gave him something.
"Hey Saitou~san... who is that man? Is he Important?" Masamune waited for a answer but before Saitou could open his mouth Kana came back. “How do you suggest we transport this?” He showed them a box, it wasn't very big but something precious had to be inside. Saitou opened the box, inside was a........ knife or something. Masamune breathed out, he had expected something more vulnerable "Are we going to transport a knife? That's it? ~Phew, and here i thought our mission was some super ridicolous task.... but well if it is just this then i bet we will make it..... eventually." Masamune had tried to sound confident but he failed poorly. Now Saitous words reached his ear and Saitou said something about Masamune carrying the box.
"Well if it is just carrying a box i am sure i can do that much.... even through I don't see the connection between boxes and sword fighting."

Masamunes hands vanished inside his coat and reappeared with a piece of paper in his hand, he took out a pen and started to draw something. "Just let me..... finish this quickly........................................FINISHED" A big kanji was written on the paper, it said "seal" and looked plain, now Masamunes performed a handseal and touched the box. The box vanished, while making a strange #PLOP# noise.

"Don't panic! I just sealed the box inside this paper card, so we won't have any unnecessary trouble carrying that thin." Masamune looked into the face of the two guys, they didn't seem to panic.....
"Uhm.... so.... should we go now?"

_______________________________________

Spoiler:

Posts : 542

The young Kenjutus user, Masamune, was a peculiar character. The bronzed Genin had thought a lot of the reactions and mentality amusing to a certain extent. However, the Medic was growing more worried that the newly assigned Genin would find that life out in the field was much more different that the books in the Academy had made it out to be. Saitou and Kana could attest to the horrors and dangers out there. The young medic made it a point to evaluate and keep on eye on the young man and if necessary slap some sense into the boy. He did not mean to be harsh but he would rather have the kid hate him than have him dead.

Kana heard Saitou’s explanation and reasonable answer to his question. Both were logical and appropriate. The medic himself was about to suggest that the young Masamune be the one to carry the box due to the fact that should a fight break out, it would be easier to guard the inexperienced shinobi than having to worry about both him and the box. The problem was solved by the young Ken user who despite a slight remark, readily agreed to carry the box. It was convenient that the mission’s office had designated a Fuinjutsu user to be in this current mission, another testament that the faults of the past were being fixed in an efficient manner.

It was the first time the bronzed Genin had the pleasure of watching a Fuinjutsu technique being performed. There was little in the world that Kana did not find interesting and worthy of study. His doe eyes stayed affixed to the place where the box had been and were now a small cloud of smoke dissipated. He turned his attention to the young Masamune. “If you had any questions as to your role in this team, I believe you answered your own question Masamune-san. The skills you have just demonstrated will not only diminish the likelihood of being ambushed in the road, but should we still have to fight, we do not have to worry about the box falling into enemy hands because they will never know it has been sealed away. Your value for this mission continues to rise exponentially. Let us head out as you suggested.” He stepped outside.

The village that they were to visit was not of great distance it would perhaps take them about two days to reach. “Seeing that the Village of Kainta is only a couple of day’s journey, we will travel while the sun is up. There is no need to exert ourselves and no reason to travel at night unless we really need to. If you all are ready to depart lets go.” Kana would wait for them to get any necessary last minute things if they needed or if not he would head out at a reasonable run. He had been training his body much more and as a result his pace would land in the seven minute a mile pace. He could go at this pace for about 10 miles before starting to slow. He was no taijustu user so he was not as fit but he was not looking to cover the 200 miles of travel in a single go. It was only about 10 in the morning so the trio still had about 8 or 9 hours before the sun started to set. Kana would take the lead but he would talk to the pair of purple haired Genin if either addressed him.

Age : 25 Posts : 1767

Thankfully, it seemed that Masamune was seemingly becoming less and less uncomfortable, and at Saitou's suggestion, he began to draw a large kanji, leaving the genin slightly confused as to what he was doing. Of course, all was explained. The younger, smaller genin had said he used seals, and it seemed that such an ability was in fact quite useful for such a situation. As the box holding the valuable tanto was sealed away, Saitou realised that such a jutsu would be quite effective; the package was no longer in plain view, which meant that bandits and thugs attempting to steal the blade would have some difficulties. Masamune would do fine. Hopefully. If the worst came to the worst and they were assaulted, both he and Kana-San would be able to retaliate. The youngest genin had proved he had some knowledge, but he looked and acted slightly wimpish, although Saitou decided there was more to him; despite this, the other purple haired boy had only recently graduated from the academy. If the teachers had deemed him strong enough to be called a genin, then he would be so. But experience was something that improved a Shinobi a large amount; without it, a ninja could never achieve much power.

With both Kana-San and Masamune indicating that they wanted to get a move on, Saitou followed them outside. The medic, who had taken a role of authority that suited him, explained their travel plans; the youth quickly checked he had all his equipment, something that had become a habit. Satisfied that he was prepared, he looked skyward, before returning his gaze to the road ahead of them. The pace set by Kana-San wasn't particularly rapid, but it was a decent speed that, if kept up consistently, would get them to their destination reasonably quickly, perhaps two days. Thankfully, there was no rush, so they afford to take breaks when needed. With apparent interest in his surroundings, Saitou matched his comrade's pace, looking at the landscape around them. If they were to be attacked, then it would probably happen as they drew near the village they were delivering the blade to; which meant that the trio wouldn't have to weary of attacks for the beginning of their journey. The thought put the genin at ease slightly. His feet fell at a similar pattern to Kana's, like a marching rhythm. The anxiety that Saitou had felt on his first few missions was now gone completely; he had enough experience to believe he could handle himself, and he was with able companions. Fortunately, his mind no longer flickered to worst case scenarios, instead, it planned out how he could be best prepared.

By noon, Saitou found himself neither hungry nor even slightly tired, but that could just be an illusion cast by determination. However, he wanted to make sure that everything was in place and all their battle plans were ready, in case they were indeed assaulted; a quick stop for some food and a talk over their tactics could do no harm. After all, they weren't in any kind of rush. Deciding that they should plan ahead, the youth edged closer to Kana. As the medic was, in Saitou's mind, senior to him, it was best to suggest, not order. Keeping level with the salt-and-pepper haired boy, he spoke. "Kana-San, if my judging is correct, it's about noon. I think it's best that before we get any nearer to the village, we plan a few tactics and retaliations, just in case. If we're not in a rush, we should take our time to prepare ourselves for whatever we may face," As he said this, a small spot came into view; a clearing dotted with evergreen trees near a creek, a good place for temporary camping. It was ideal for a small break. However, before moving toward it, Saitou waited for Kana-San's reply.

Age : 29 Posts : 341

Masamune ran besides the boys, listening to their discussion, when Seitou started talking about rest, masamune started to take interest in their confersation. He opened his mouth to tell his thoughts. "Ahh.. i thiiiii~" [WUSH] It started, Masamunes clumsy moment. Just when he oppened his mouth, the only stone on the whole road got into a conflict with his foot. His foot crashed hard into the rock, which was about 5 cm big. Masamune started to spin and fall to the right, slowly he started to twist while still spinning to the right side.

Now his foot loosed grip from the ground , the ground was above and the sky was below and the next thing Masamune could remember where he was. His head hurt, he had drifted about 10m away from the path into the roadside, his mouth consisted a rather annoying amount of dirt, and he imagined something with many legs crawled around his face.
"Ahhh..." he moaned on the ground, his butt was raised while his body lyed flat on the ground. "It hurts.... damn..." he slowly started to stand up while he spit out quite some dirt, a worm was happy to be happy about seeing the sky for the first time in his life. "Bruaaahh... disgusting " Masamune shaked his body to get rid of the insects which seemed to be happy on his back.

He finally got up just to see that the boys looked at him, not in a happy way. He jumped up and landed besides Saitou "I'm sorry guys, that was emberarrising... uh.... sorry" he had a bright red face raised to the ground, now he only wished to keep running again.

(srry for the strange post i was stoned while writing)

Posts : 542

The journey had been light for the three bounding young Gennin from the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Their precious cargo was safe from thieving hands and harsh elements. Not that the current weather was anything to fear, the sun shone bright and warm and the breezes cooled the young Medic as he maintained a pace easy to match by both his partners. Saitou had taken a position to his right and had silently joined the bronzed young man as if the trio was doing nothing more than having a nice walk through the woods. Though, as Kana remembered, his last walk in nature with Saitou had lead to some extensive damage to both the Gennin and the forest. A small smirk appeared on the face of Kana as he remembered his purple haired friend. A sidelong glance alerted him of the other drawing nearer to talk and so Kana slowed his pace just a bit. Saitou recommended a lunch break to talk about tactics and such and the young Medic saw no reason to deny his request.

The small clearing was indeed a good place to stop. Ideally they would have kept to the woods and in the shadows but doing so would perhaps draw more attention that if the tree did indeed seem to be nothing more travelling. Of course, bandits and ruffians still could plague them but the young Medic did not fear such an encounter this close to Konoha. He changed directions slightly to head towards the bright sunlit clearing. Kana was about to address Saitou when the accident prone Masamune experienced yet another altercation. The young Medic started to wonder if the Mission’s Office had assigned him to this group knowing that Kana would heal the many wounds the other was sure to inflict on himself. Kana offered the other a hand up. “You really should be more aware of your surroundings Masamune-san. After all, it would not do to have you tripping some sort of tripwire which could greatly diminish our chances of surprise.” He meant this to be a kind advice but he meant it whole heartedly. He was responsible for the group’s health and it would not do to cause injury because of recklessness or clumsiness.

He turned to Saitou and addressed the order of business. “I am glad you mentioned stopping, the day was so nice and the going easy that I would just have run until I started to feel the taxing of my muscles. There is no rush and we should rest enough to keep our energy up and ready for any sort of attack that may come. As we have already discovered, I would have to be the support/long distance fighter. That being the case, I suggest a flying V. Masamune-san can be the forward tip and both of us in either side. That way we can blast the enemy on two fronts before the arrow tip comes into play in the shape of Masamunes Kenjutsu. “

As he said this, He would release his small satchel that he had recently acquired and which held some candied walnuts. He opened the zippered top and offered some to Saitou and Masamune in turn. “If you have some sorts of lunch I suggest you partake of it now. We will rest here about an hour or two if that is ok with you and then move on.” The medic would sit on the grassy ground cross legged. Though he feared no attack, his back was leaned against a tree just in case and he had a good view of the area 180 degrees in front of him.

Age : 25 Posts : 1767

[OOC: Sorry for the wait. I don't think the post was worth it TEEHEE

]

Kana seemed to be about to reply to Saitou's suggestion, but before he could do so, it seemed Masamune-san experienced yet another minor accident, something that the youth had come to expect from him. Somehow, the other purple haired boy had managed to trip on a stone, and ended up face in the dirt. The genin attempted to hide the small smirk that spread across his face as his comrade spit out dirt. Saitou was about to go and offer a hand up, but before he could do so, the younger boy jumped up, landing beside him, his face bright red with embarrassment; once more, the Masaki decided it was best to pretend such things hadn't occurred, and so only slowed slightly to let the other keep up, before returning to the normal pace. Kana-San gave Masamune a well meant lecture on being more aware. It wasn't particularly harshly worded, but Saitou feared the words of warning may be interpreted differently to the way they'd been intended. Going on that basis, the genin kept an eye on the other's reaction. Once the medic was done with his words of wisdom, he turned to the older of the purple haired boys, addressing him about his suggestion. It seemed that Kana-San did indeed agree with Saitou's suggestion, and with that, the trio of Shinobi walked toward the clearing.

The location seemed to be a good one for a short rest, which was exactly what the group were using it for. They hadn't travelled too far, and still had a way to go, and thus they were not tired, but they were in no rush and thus it would be logical to take their time and make sure they were prepared for what they may face later on in the day, or perhaps tomorrow. Saitou sat, looking upward into the sky before considering eating something. Kana-san, professional as always, went straight to the chase, voicing what he thought the formation of the trio should be like based on what he knew of their skills. As the medic spoke, the purple haired genin nodded slowly. He saw the logic behind his comrade's plan, but he had something that he wanted to add himself, and so when the other finished, he spoke up. Bringing out a kunai, Saitou began to mark the ground in order to illustrate what he was saying. "Formation-wise, I completely agree with you, Kana-San; a V shape would fit our skills and preferred ranges perfectly. However, if any thugs or bandits were to attack us, we can properly expect an ambush, or a surround attack. An arrow-head seems like a good plan, but we should be wary of attacks from all sides, especially behind. That's why I propose that we each take a triangular 120 degree portion each, as there's three of us. If Masamune-san takes the front 120, me and Kana-san can take the two side 120s, that would mean we have the whole 360 degree space around us covered, making us not susceptible from any angle," As Saitou said this, he etched out his thoughts into the grass covered floor. The diagram was a simple one. A small V, with three circular points marking the three genin, and three lines, each showing the angles that they would be in charge of. His proposed plan now illustrated, the genin looked up to see his comrade's reactions.

As Saitou finished, he became aware of a small hunger, and at Kana-San's offered walnut, the genin found himself unable to refuse. It seemed to have been candied, and a sweet tooth was something the youth possessed. With a small smile, the purple haired nodded his thanks, before placing his kunai back in it's proper place and retrieving a small drawstring bag he'd kept in a pouch. Upon the bag being unravelled, a few round candies, some once warm bread and a small amount of cheese. It was a small amount of provisions that he usually carried with him in case he found himself in need of eating anything, and he had a few more bags in satchels and pouches. Saitou then placed the bag in the center, incase anyone else found themselves wanting any thing to eat. With that, the genin placed his arms behind his back with a yawn.

Age : 29 Posts : 341

“You really should be more aware of your surroundings Masamune-san. After all, it would not do to have you tripping some sort of tripwire which could greatly diminish our chances of surprise.”

The words hit Masamune sharp, a shiver went down his spine. "I am sorry...... i .... uhh.... will do better....now." From the corner of his eyes Masamune captured a look at Saito who was silently looking at him.
The group started to run again, the following path was covered in silence.
After they came to a good spot, which was not a good spot at all in Masamunes opinion, they stopped. Saitou and the other guy, Masamune had forgoten his name already, started to talk about tactics. Was there a chance they could e attacked during this mission? Would he probably get hurt or even die during the mission. Masamune started to sweet, he started to shake and cold shivers went down his spine.
"Uhm...... what did you guys say? Tactics? Are we in danger?" is voice became louder during speaking. At once he ecame aware of his surrounding, almost automatic his chakra flow increased and he looked at every possible route they could be attacked from. "Uhh.... i'm so going to regret this...."

Masamune was staring at the kunai in Saitous hand, the boys were still talked about tactics, Masamune hadn't listened to them at all, he had just noticed they talked when Saitou had pulled out the Kunai, but when he heard +MASAMUNE AT THE FRONT+ he got cautious.
"WAIT guys... what was that with me on the front ? AHHH..... sorry...... but.. am i not going to e very likely attacked first in that case?" His eyes widened, but at least Saitou had put the Kunai away... and was now eating.
"how can you eat now." Masamunes voice sounded a bit shaky...

Posts : 542

While it was true that the spot Kana and Saitou had chose was much too vulnerable for attack, it was still a good spot. In the world of the shinobi, shadows meant cover and trees meant hiding places. In an open clearing such as the one the trio was now standing in, an assailant had to either launch projectiles or get close. Either could be easily defended against. Unlike future combat where one might have to face off against a hail of small powder driven explosives, here in this world, at this time, confrontations usually involved a more personal feel to it. Also, they were close to tree cover should they need it.

The young medic enjoyed his candied treat as he listened to Saitou’s addition to the plans of defense. As it had been come to be expected, Masamune threw what appeared to be a nervous rant. Kana swallowed the savory snack and turned to the youngest and most inexperienced team member. “Masamune-san, please forgive me for sounding lecturing but I am quite certain that they may have covered this in the Academy. The life of a Shinobi is rife with danger and one must always expect an attack, even in your own village. Any place where a shadow resides is where danger may lurk. You at the front do not mean you will be attacked first. By keeping this position and by resting here, we are actually projecting to those that might know about the mission that we are merely a patrol force. Unless you do something to attract attention to yourself, which I must say you have quite a knack for, the assailants have a third of a chance of guessing you are the target. Now, as Saitou suggested, our angles of surveillance help the over all arrangement. In the event we do get attacked. We are to form a perimeter with our backs against each other. Only under extreme duress are we to break our formation and under no circumstances is any one to give chase to the enemy. We are not here to clear the forest merely to traverse it. “

Fearing that he had been much too harsh to the first timer, Kana smiled to the young man. “Do not worry Masamune-san; you are our companion and fellow Leaf ninja. I have sworn to protect you with my life. I have every confidence in Saitou-san and I assure you that we will not abandon you.” With that he offered a candied walnut to Masamune to sweeten the deal. The sun was at high noon now but the cool breeze that still moved between the trees was nice and cool. “We will rest about an hour and then we can head out and camp again at dusk.” Though the fears of the youngest member of the team had been a bit irrational, Kana remembered his own speech and wondered if maybe there had been a leak or information. The trio would have to definitely take into consideration the fact that any attacker might feel emboldened to attack a trio of mere Gennin. Kana had half a smile on his face, let the poor fools try.

Age : 25 Posts : 1767

Kana-San proceeded once again to lecture Masamune, something that in all honesty had to be done in order to control the fears being awoken in the young genin. It was clear how he felt about being told he'd be stationed at the front of the groups movement, but thankfully the medic was on the ball and had understood the plan Saitou had drawn up, so he didn't have to explain it. If they went ahead with the plan they'd devised, there would be little chance of a successful ambush. Of course, they may find themselves up against a large group of bandits and thoroughly outnumbered. Normally, the youth would consider also conversing about a counter to such a situation, but with the smallest member of the team quite obviously on edge, it was probably best not to mention anything that might disturb him further. If the worst did truly come to the worst, Saitou knew that he and Kana could probably defend the group effectively. The youth was yet to see Masamune-san in combat, but hopefully he wouldn't be too much of a liability. As long as he stayed out of danger's train-wreck path, the young genin would be fine. Hopefully. Maybe Kana-San had been assigned to this mission purely because their superiors were aware that the youngest of the group was heavily accident prone. After all, in case of any major damage, the salt and pepper haired youth was probably very high up the list of people that Saitou would want present, considering his medical abilities. If all went well, then those abilities would not be needed. That was something the youth could only hope for.

The trio waited for nigh on another hour before departing once again; the purple haired youth kept himself busy by checking his pack continuously, as well as silently thinking of anything else that needed to be prepared. He was confident that everything had been thought through, but he was still wary in case he'd missed something. With a yawn, he stood, stretching the muscles in his body that had slowly died. They had a good part of half a day left in which to travel to their destination. Thankfully, the group weren't in a rush, so any stops required could be taken. Saitou scanned the camp once more, making sure nothing had been left behind. Satisfied that everything was in its proper place, he quickly chucked a few leaves over and marks made in the ground; it might be an unnecessary precaution, but it was one that was worth taking in case any thugs had decided to follow them. They're cargo, however, was sealed away, which meant that any predators would have a hard time attacking the right shinobi and securing the package. Yawning once more, the youth called to his comrades. They'd rested for around an hour now, and there was little else they could do to prepare. Although the group wasn't in a rush, they didn't have to laze around too much. It was best to just get the mission over and done with for now.

Throughout the journey, Saitou became aware of a bout of tiredness, not from a physical strain but simply from his lack of sleep. However, he chose to ignore it completely, not wanting to appear that the small distance had taken any large toll from him. Digging into his pockets, he found a small pouch of water, which he drank on the go in order to keep him going. He wasn't particularly agile, fast or durable past what was expected of the average shinobi, but the travelling would be fine for him, and so he went on without complaint, a small smirk on his face as he realised that it was starting to get late. They'd completed a good portion of the journey, not far off halfway. In fact, with a decent pace, there was no reason why they shouldn't make it to the village by early evening tomorrow; however, this though reminded Saitou that the influence of Konoha was far away from them now, and they were at a much larger risk of being attacked for what they carried. From here on out, the trio would have to be much more alert, and Masamune could do well to be quieter.

Age : 29 Posts : 341

After Kanas lecture Masamune went silent for a second, he looked at the walnut which was offered to him, shaked his head to make clear he wasn't hungry and then took some distance fro the group. He sat down on the ground, ten meters were etween himself and the other Genins, visible was only his back.
He didn't liked those guys, Kana behaved like a old man, lecturing people all the time and speaking way to formal and Saitou just.... he just didn't liked those guys.
He started to humm a slow melody, he remembered his mum singing this song when he still was a baby, somehow the song helped him to calm down.
A pyramid formation, how stupid, that was like one of the most basic formations there was, and there was no need to hurry like this. In his opinion the group should have just taken of their forehead protection and walked on the road like any other traveler, too, acting different than that would just make people suspicios of them, so what if the journey would be two or three days longer? At least it would be safer.

Saito and Kana got up again, it seemed like break time was over. Masamune slowly got on his feet again, too. He wasn't smiling like before, his face didn't show any kind of emotion and the air surrounding him had changed, too.
Masamune looked calmer and maybe.... even a little bit scary, his hair covered his eyes and his arms seemed like they would burst any minute.
The group started to run again, Masamune at the front.
He still had the seal card hidden inside his cloak and it made him very uncomfortable knowing that this was the target of any bandit who wanted to get into their way.
Slowly Masamune turned back to his old selfe, the sudden surprise andd the the fear of a possible attack had caught him pretty bad before, but now he got angry at himself.
*I am such a freaking whimp...if i am not ready to fight... why did i become a Ninja in the first place.* At once a picture of Masamunes mother appeared in his mind, his mood went from bad to worse, why did he had to think about that..... witch now?
"Hey guys.... why did you wanted to become Ninjas?"

Posts : 542

To tell the truth, Kana was getting tired of having to lecture the poor Masamune. He was in no way doing it out of a sense of pure self worth or even as a way to elevate himself over the young man. He knew how deadly the job of a shinobi could be and he did not want to add the name of the Kenjutsu user to the memorial stone. The young Medic retrieved his hand as the youngest of the trio declined the small token of apology that Kana was offering. He knew that this learning experience was much too fast to be assimilated by the new Gennin in such a short amount of time and so Kana made it a point to only comment on the other’s understandable concerns only if they were in real danger. He was being much too patronizing and the other needed to learn on his own. Only should the other face certain death would Kana butt in so to speak.

His mind shifted to understanding why the Missions Office had allowed such a green recruit to venture beyond the walls of the Leaf. It was true that the ranks of the shinobi were still being slowly filled by the graduates from the Academy and that the leadership perhaps needed everybody to carry their own weight and more. While Kana and Saitou had already been in different missions, the young Medic did not know if they could be truly considered senior. Then again, perhaps it was yet another hidden way for the leadership to prepare the two more experienced Gennin on becoming Chunnin one day. Unknown to Kana, Saitou was also thinking along the lines of trust the Missions Office placed on their skills and past history in completing which missions and how well.

Kana noticed the change in the poor Masamune and was saddened. He wanted more than anything to go to the slouching young man and place a hand on his shoulder. He was his companion and his fellow ninja. The young Gennin had sworn to give his life for any person of the village and Masamune certainly fit that criteria. However, the young Medic also knew that there has to be some sort of disillusionment at some time with the glory filled stories that they all hear at the Academy. The bronzed teen cursed his lack of tact or social interaction but knew that the young team member needed some time. The hour passed faster than expected and soon Saitou motioned for the team to keep moving. With a nod, Kana put away his snack and taking a bit of water from a second water skin he checked his gear and sprung behind his purple haired friend.

The young Masamune still with his emotional wall up led and from the back there was little difference between him and Saitou. Though the pair had shared some personal history, Kana did not really know much of what had made the other such a dependable and able shinobi. As if on cue, the smallest of the trio returned from his mental absence and asked a very common yet surprising question at the moment. While keeping the planned distance, there was no need not to answer the other purple haired boy. So Kana readily answered.

]“As you know, I am a medic. I told you earlier that the life of a shinobi is rife with danger and that the loss of life is an acceptable and expected circumstance of our work. However, the medical corps was created to increase the life expectancy of nin on missions. I can truly tell you however, that those of the brotherhood see each and every one of you not as assets that must be protected in order to keep the ranks of the village strong, but as faces and names and friends.” Wit this he would nod at Saitou. “I know that we will loose many of those we call teammates but the reason I became a ninja was to make that number as low and far between as my mediocre skills can manage. In short Masamune-san, my reason fro becoming a Leaf Shinobi is to give my life for you.”

Age : 25 Posts : 1767

Saitou was slightly taken aback by the pitched question. It wasn't something he'd been expecting to be asked of him at all, but he realised there was nothing wrong with talking as they made their journey; it might be a nice way to pass the time, perhaps get to know each other better. Of course, he was already familiar with Kana-san. The two had met quite a while ago by either fate or chance, depending on how you wanted to see it; they'd stumbled across each other in the forests outside of Konohagakure. Since then, the purple haired youth had spent time both on duty and off with the other. Their encounters included a meal in a restaurant to a mission that took over a month to complete. His comrade's answer was similar to one Saitou had heard before when he himself had asked a question along the same lines, but it still managed to stun the genin at the other's dedication, sense of duty and selflessness. Those were all qualities highly sought after in a medical ninja, and it seemed Kana had all of them. However, the purple haired boy was slightly interested in Masamune's decision to become a shinobi. He did not doubt the other was of an acceptable calibre, after all, the Ninja Academy had deemed him adept enough to be called a fully fledged shinobi, albeit a junior one. What Saitou was really mystified about was what would drive someone like the other purple haired boy to take on such a duty; he might've been physically able, but committing oneself to such an occupation was a momentous task. The youngest of the trio seemed to be, if anything, fearful of the task they'd been set. His outburst when the formation had been decided all but confirmed this. A certain mentality was required for a job that truly risked one's life. Not an entire mindset, simply a reason or drive; and if you were so fearful of even minor potential dangers, it'd have to be a very strong drive.

As his salt-and-pepper haired comrade finished, Saitou chuckled slightly, before giving his own answer. "Masamune, don't take Kana-San's word for all of that. He's far too modest and greatly underestimates his own skill; from my own experience, I can tell you he's not one to take lightly if you ever come across him as an opponent. As for my personal reasons to train myself as a Shinobi... well, my father was a hunter, and I think I'm right in saying he wished for me to follow in his footsteps. Unfortunately, my stealth is that of an elephant, so it didn't really work out. He was a man who forever preached honour, so training in the ninja academy seemed to coincide with what I was grown up around and my own personal skills. Like I said, I learnt a lot from him about honour. At the time, I didn't really understand all of it, but now, it's started to become clearer; although some of it just sounds like the ramblings of an old man. However, I'm more interested in what drove you to become a Shinobi, Masamune-San. I'm not doubting your skills at all, it simply perplexes me as to what reason made you wish to pursue such a career?" Saitou realised his words sounded much harsher than he'd intended for them to, but hoped the younger genin wouldn't pick up on this. He grinned clumsily to reassure the other that he wasn't intending to offend nor jest. As he spoke of his father, he felt his gust twist slightly. He remembered the last time he'd talked to Kana of his parents, and could recall quite clearly saying 'My dad is a hunter'. Of course, no longer could the youth say that, as he had no idea of his father's whereabouts, or even if he was still alive. The fact was, he wouldn't of lasted long in the condition he was in. Saitou had long forsaken any already bereft hopes that his father might still be alive.

As the youth spoke, he looked slightly upward. Time was passing quickly, it seemed. The consistent pace of the group meant that their destination was drawing ever closer, and soon they'd be relieved of their package and back to a safe journey home, without the fear of being attacked. Such a thought reminded Saitou that night wouldn't be far off, and they were no longer within the safe influence of their home village. For now, it would be best if they didn't become so wound into their conversations that they didn't see any oncoming dangers. Nor should they speak too loudly, for fear of attracting unwanted attention, instead they would have to hold their formation and keep an eye out, just in case they found themselves coming into contact with other 'travellers'.

Age : 29 Posts : 341

Both of those guys were impressive, at least those were Masamunes thoughts. He never had any ambition to do anything, he was always pushed onto the road he had to walk, there was no chance for him to decide anything in his life. And then there were those two guys, Kana, who would gladly sacrifice his life with the goal to save others, Saitou, even through his father was a hunter he didn't forced Saitou to become a ninja, instead the boy just wanted to step into his fathers footsteps and make him proud. A single tear flew down Masamunes cheek and he just hoped the guys behind him wouldn't see, he rubbed over his cheek, trying to not look suspicious.
"Both of you are great you know? Its' such a nice thing to... have dreams and stuff...."

Now Saitou asked him for his reason, why he became a Ninja and Masamune didn't know if he should tell the truth, it was a very... personal matter..
"Uhm.... well.... you know.... it's difficult, i don't think you guys would like to hear it." With that much said he raised the tempo, he just wanted to deliver the package now and get home, this whole situation was just... uncomfortable and he didn't felt so good anymore.
"How far do we still have to run" He said and turned around, he completely forgot about the possibility of a attack...

Posts : 542

Kana’s feet came in contact with thick strong branch of one of the ancient trees. His muscles would cushion the impact as the knees bend slightly and his leg muscles redirected the motion forwards with the aid of his calf muscles. The result as a springing motion that sent him about vaulting forward about ten feet. This sort of action came as second nature to a shinobi and the pair of purple haired youth at his side would no doubt find this easy to match. The running/hopping was a welcome distraction to the suddenly awkward talk that had arisen from a simple question posted by Masamune. The young Medic had never felt that his own reasons for aspiring to be a ninja were honorable or even enviable but the youngest of the trio seemed to think so. Even more awkward was the fact that the question posed by Saitou back had left the air feeling sticky and uncomfortable. Kana had not t thought of asking that question of the young Ken user but would have liked to hear the answer just the same. After all, in battle, remembering what one is fighting for is essential to survival.

The bronzed skinned Gennin had enjoyed and listened intensely at the Masaki’s answer. He had met the purple haired youth in much the same situation as they were now, walking through the forest. However, to his knowledge the other had not really expanded on the whole of his background. Indeed, there would have been no reason to as neither had known each other long. However, after spending many an occasion together and shared in each other’s suffering, it seemed that Saitou was ready to open up. The story told was one that fitted Saitou, a person Kana had always seen as honorable. A slight smile appeared on the corners of the medic’s mouth as he silently agreed that the life of a shinobi had fitted his purple haired friend well.

Masamune, it seemed, was not as ready to divulge personal information to the group. Kana could understand this. Many people felt that their innermost secrets were something to be guarded. They held something of a value that only a few could ever know. Thanks to his amnesia, Kana had little he felt needed to be kept a secret and as Saitou could attest, he would gladly tell you anything you needed to know. The medic was as transparent as a spider’s web.

The trio had been travelling for a short time after their break and the last thing that Kana wanted was for the group to retreat into their minds at the uncomfortable situation. Alertness and perception were the first casualties in a situation like this. Combing trough his mind for the right thing to say or do, it seemed the young medic would get a needed distraction, even if it was an unwelcomed one. He turned slightly to his right to find something that would distract him when a wiz through the air and a sharp pain on his cheek announced the arrival of unwelcomed guests.

Kana raised his voice as his right hand went behind his back and into his pouch, seeking a feisty kunai. “Heads up!” He would land on the next branch with his back to the center of the triangle the three had been forming. Hopefully the other two purple haired Gennin remembered procedure and did the same. From the shadows whence the weapon, now identified as a senbon which stuck in a tree not far from Kana, a rowdy looking man appeared. Two more of the man’s henchmen appeared. The trio grinned diabolically at the young group of Gennin. The one who had attacked Kana was lean and carried two fuma shuriken and a belt filled with throwing knives and a pouch that no doubt contained many senbon. The one directly in front of Saitou was a young woman with a lovely face but an evil looking spear. Lastly, Masamune seemed to have drawn the short end of the straw and a mountain of a man, about six or seven feet with muscles that bulged and covered in scars blocked the young Gennin’s path. The man who had wounded Kana spoke up. “You there, I think you have something that interests us. Hand it over.” Their day had just gone from awkward to dangerous.

(Lean man=long weapon user, spec ability=marksman ship.

Woman=middle ranged weapon user, spec ability=enhanced speed.

Strong man= taijutus user. Spec ability=enhanced strength. You may NPC them at will just keep it real.)