First things First [M]

[DEVIL—]

Kaede greeted the openness of the outside world with open arms and a smile from ear to ear, eyes closed. This was the first mission he'd taken up since becoming a ninja of Konohagakure, and he got to leave the village! Honestly, life in the city wasn't all that bad, but it was a lot different from the quite streets and neighborhoods of the Youza village he'd grown up in on the far southern border of Hi no Kuni. Here, sometimes things got a little hectic. But he managed pretty well, for the most part.

"So, these guys don't think ninjas have what it takes to protect them, huh?" Kaede spoke aimlessly into the cloudless sky, brushing his thumb under his nose. "Well, the Hokage definitely picked the right ninja to show 'em otherwise."

Granted, the Hokage didn't really have any say on who picked such low-ranking missions. What's more, "those guys" defined the entire non-shinobi populace of Hi no Kuni and beyond. With the thousands still recovering from the most recent great war, and all of the hidden villages still shaken to the core in the aftermath of the devastating catastrophe, it was well within the rights of the civilians of the world to begin to doubt the current, and any future, regime led by ninjas.

Kaede didn't fully understand the politics of it all, but he knew one thing was for sure: he was here to stay, and he'd prove anyone doubting him wrong to a fault.

I wonder how I'll do it, he pondered while casually strolling the dusty path that led to the small province headed to. To the casual observer, the orange-dressed ninja was probably easy pickings. However, even if he was a bit naive, he was a soldier; being outside the village meant he was constantly on his guard, no matter what the face-value said. Maybe I'll beat the snot out of the local bully or somethin'?

A sudden growl from his stomach derailed his train of thought. "Darn, I should've had Ma make me somethin' ta eat before I left."

SPOILER: Click to show

Name: Who's the boss?
Rank: D
Repeatable: Once per PC
Description: The civilians living outside of Konoha aren't convinced that their shinobi are powerful enough to recover from the drastic aftermath of the Kyuubi attack. With the Konoha forces dwindled as they are the citizens have lost faith.
Obective: Head outside of Konoha, and show the citizens living in small forts just how powerful our shinobi are.
Reward: 25 EXP and 500 Ryo

[Kagerou]

Another day, another bring morning! Today was her time to shine! Well, not exactly. Today, she is taking her first mission ever since she became a ninja. The reason why she became a Kunochi was simple. To prove her worth and dedication to the village. She had some personal reasons for becoming a shinobi. It was family related mainly. Her father was a retired Jounin who now works as a weaponsmith, while her mother is presumed dead/missing. In fact, her father is so silent about her that there wasn't a single picture of her in the house! All she know that her mother was a skilled ninja skilled in Fuuton, Hyouton, and Suiton. That part she only managed to weasel out of her father when she learned she could do Hyouton jutsu.

Anyhow, the main reason why she became a ninja was to find her mother and any close kin she had left. But to do to do that, she need to get stronger and get experience. She will be getting experience by training and doing missions. This leads to the current mission: she and someone else, who is younger then her, was to go outside and show the power of Konoha. The civilians outside of Konoha, in blunt terms, have no faith in their shinobi. Hah, people like that get on her nerves. They take everything on face value and things to be granted. Sure, they are not in peak condition, but Konohagakure survived the attack! That makes a difference.

She was currently further down the road, waiting for the partner. She packed her kunai, shuriken, and explosive notes into their respective spots. Her Katana was strapped on her waist belt . She also prepared some ham and chicken sandwiches for the mission. Currently, she was eating and chewing on one happily. Then, all a sudden, she heard a noise. Quickly, she put away her sandwich and got in a battle stance. She looked up and heard someone coming. So she reached into her holster and was prepared to throw a kunai. However, then she saw the figure, she started to relax. It was just a orange clad youth. A small smile appeared on her features when she saw the headband on his forehead. Her own headband was currently worn as a necklace around her neck. 'So..THIS must be my mission partner?' Kagerou thought to herself as she examined her the approaching figure. Eh, she could have worse. Besides, who is she to judge a person by their appearance and age?

She walked over to the orange clad shinobi and gave a cough and a small smile appeared on her features. "So, you are the mission partner I am teamed up with for this mission? The name is Kagerou. Pleased to make your acquaintance." She reached out from her pocket her and was ready to shake hands. However, a growl was heard. It was the boy's stomach. "You are hungry right? Here." With that, she handed the shinobi one of her sandwiches. A simple chicken flavor one to be exact.

WORD:: 531
NOTES:: First RP post~WOOT!

[DEVIL—]

It was surprising how quickly things could change. For instance, as the orange-clad shinobi reared the corner, comin' into the girl's view and vice versa, his carefree demeanor instantly became serious. Bright blue eyes narrowed in scrutiny, lookin' for any sign that she was a friend or foe - and by that, I mean foreign ninja or native. The answer came soon enough as his gaze rested on the leaf headband danglin' around her neck, identical to his own, which was wrapped firmly around his head just beneath a pair of ebony goggles. Once again, his very warm and cheesy smile took over his lips.

"I guess so," he agreed. Truth be told, he didn't think they'd send someone so old to assist him. She wasn't ugly or anything, but she definitely didn't look like a Genin. A Chuunin or Jounin, perhaps; but this was supposed to be a d-ranked mission! Either way, she had food, and that was all that mattered for the time being. "Thanks!"

Almost snatchin' the sandwich from her hand, Kaede nearly devoured it with two massive bites. His mouth was beyond stuffed, but he talked anyway. Mumbled was more like. "Kaede, but my Ma and Pa call me Genbu. Says I'm named after my uncle or somethin'."

The sandwich didn't last all that long against the young boy's ravenous hunger, and in a flurry of bites that followed, there were only a few crumbs left to even testify that it existed. Kaede swallowed hard, feelin' the emptiness in his gut disappearing with each chunk of chicken and bread, until all that was left to do was heartily pat the rounded stomach. Wiping away a few pieces that had clung to his cheeks and chin with the back of his hand, he was once again analyzin' his partner.

"So, are you a Chuunin or Jounin?" he inquired bluntly, starting to walk again. "Because, if not, yer kind of old to be a Genin. I mean, no offense, but I'm twelve and yer-- what, seventeen or eighteen?"

It was a ball park guess, but he did have a few features to go on. Her chest wasn't nearly as big as some of the other women in the village, and she kind of looked a bit young yet old at the same time. It was hard for him to explain, but he highly doubted she was anywhere close to his age.

[Kagerou]

She watched him eat with a semi bored look on her features. it seemed he was hungry like she guessed. Good thing she had extra sandwiches or else he might be a hindrance. Earlier, he seemed serious along with looking at her with scrutiny. That was good in a way, he didn't seem as naive as he appeared. "Your welcome. Glad you like it." Kagerou said again with a small smirk and then continue walking then suddenly came to halt at his question. That was touchy subject for her, you see. She made Gennin at fifteen at middle of the class. She entered a bit late at around eight-nine. This was due to the fact she was needed at home with her parents. Her siblings were already ninja at this time and were going on missions. So she was the one that had to help with their father's work.

"Sadly I am a Genin. My dad wanted me to help him with his work in his shop. My siblings would have helped. But they were already taking missions." Kagerou stated with a sheepish yet depressed look on her features. The spark of energy and eagerness has faded a tad bit. "Also, I entered the academy a tad later then I hoped." With that said, she gave a shrug. There were other Genin around her age. So it wasn't that odd. The only reason why she sulked was because of her siblings were always ahead of her. it was like like whatever she does, she was always chasing their shadows.

"I did use the extra time to train in medical and my Kekkei Touta though." Kagerou stated with a smirk. Oh yes, because her mother was a Yukina, she inheritated her mother's skills in Hyouton. Thanks to that, she has access to jutsu regular Hyouton users can't use. Also, eventually, her techniques will be stronger then most Hyouton users. Not to mention ,from what she read, she can do one hand seals and use less chakra for Hyouton.

"Yes. I am older. And yes, I am around that range. I am eighteen." Kagerou stated with a restrained smile. Her left eye twitched with annoyance. Does this kid have any manners?!? "However, age doesn't matter for rank or profession. I heard there are a few other 18 and up Genin in our village and the other villages." With that she she gave a cough. It was time to change the topic.

"So, do you got any ideas on what to do for this mission?" Kagerou stated in a calm voice. Her annoyance was gone and she was focused on her task. "I only have a few ideas. But I rather hear your opinion and ideas first." Yeah, Kagerou got some ideas. One is to deal with troublemakers. Two is a display of strength. That is all she got on her end however. Maybe her fellow Genin got an idea on what to do next.

WORDS:: 493
NOTES:: N/A

[DEVIL—]

Kaede shrugged. "I was just sayin'. Didn't mean to insult ya. I mean, it doesn't matter really. I'm pretty sure we'll make a fine team."

Granted, his initial intentions weren't as pure as he was leadin' on, but she didn't need to know that. He would've more than likely laughed at the other older Genin as well, were they present. Sure, they all probably had some justifiable reasons as to why they were so lowly ranked and old, but it really didn't matter. That just meant they needed to work twice as hard, maybe thrice, to get where they were supposed to be. But, there wasn't a point in pissin' off his team member; so, Kaede simply smiled.

"Well, I was thinkin' we could rough up the local bully or somethin'." Both arms tucked behind his head while he spoke, his eyes movin' from the path they traveled to the sky above. "Even if they are this close to the village, they're bound to have some troublemakers runnin' around."

Other than that, the blond haired ninja was completely out of ideas. He'd entertained the thought of maybe fixin' some of their houses or shops around the town, but this was supposed to be a demonstration of power. They weren't doubtin' the ninja's handyman abilities, after all. So, what better way of showin' off the Leaf's power than kickin' the snot out of the local troublemaker?

Either way, today promised to be interestin' to say the least.

[DEVIL—]

Kaede wasn't bothered by the girl's silence. In fact, he took her refusal to say anythin' at all as a "yes." Was it the best idea? No, but was definitely better than enterin' the town without anything to work off of. So, with his stomach full and his hopes and head high, he moved faster with an obviously joyful pace.

___

The blond haired ninja and his companion were met with looks of disgust, distrust, or indifference. Now, Kaede was no dreamer - he didn't expect them to just throw themselves at their feet and worship the ground they walked on, but he didn't expect them to hate on them so visually, either. Still, it did very little to dampen the boy's adamant resolve; he was goin' to show these people that the shinobi of the Hidden Leaf village weren't to be fucked with.

It was a small town, so it wasn't hard to find some sort've troublemaker. Actually, the trouble kind of found him. He wasn't even a full step into the town before he heard a deep, raspy voice practically scream:

"Don't move!"

Despite the seriousness in the tone, Kaede paid it no mind. Not only did he finish his step, but he took several more for good measure. "Or what?"

"You hear that boys?" The owner of the nasty voice appeared from beneath the shade of a building several meters down, revealin' himself to be your typical thug: raggedy lookin', scrawny, with a sword and tattered kimono. "This little shit wants to know what'll happen if he doesn't run his way back to Konohagakure."

As if on queue, several others actively appeared from the same building. Aside from varying haircuts and facial hair, they all pretty much looked the same: like complete and utter shit.

"But Kyuzo, he's a ninja. . . we should be careful." The feigned worry in the man's voice sparked a chorus of laughter. "He might use some of his scary jutsu on us."

"Oh nooooo," the man, Kyuzo, replied. "I guess we better run--"

"You're damn right!" Kaede barked, pointing at the ring leader. "Ya' better run, before you piss me off!"

Suddenly, the laughter died and their faces became quite serious. Still, Kaede stood strong.

"Kid," Kyuzo began while unsheathing his sword. The others did the same. "You just sign yer fuckin' death warrant."

Before he'd even finished his sentence, two of the four men accompanying him broke into a full on charge. Their swords were held firmly and adjusted for either defense or offensive, depending on what the situation called for. However, if they were expectin' Kaede to turn tail and run, there were definitely in for a surprise. Even if he was a child, his bravery was the stuff that legends were made out of; he'd been given a mission, his first mission, and he'd be damned if some thugs with rusty katanas were gonna turn him back.

Without so much as missin' a heart beat, the blond haired devil exploded forward with a pace that exceeded his opponents'. His hand sunk into the utility pouch at his back, and then snapped forward to send a pair of shuriken beaming the two thugs' way like bats out of hell. A single hand seal was formed after that, just as the boy crossed the five meter threshold.

[DEVIL—]

Despite how fast the shuriken were launched in their direction, the two wouldbe samurai were more than acquainted with such attacks. Almost expertly, they dispensed the projectiles with loud clanks! as their katana deflected them, sending both of the weapons spiraling off into the distance. Not once had their eyes left the blond haired boy chargin' them, so they were also able to see the single hand seal he'd made a second after his initial assault.

Now, Kaede didn't expect to take either of the goons out in one shot. However, it bought him time - even if just a second or two - to ensure that his jutsu wouldn't be interrupted. Whether they were or weren't familiar with the technique was irrelevant; execution was the differing factor among shinobi.

Without warning, two identical Kaede copies joined the charge, forming out of thin air. The drastic change in numbers caused all in the area to blink, and that window of opportunity was taken with ease. By the time they opened their eyes, the horizontal linear formation had changed into a triangle, leavin' their chance to hit the real Kaede as nothin' more than a guess at best.

"W-which one is the real one?" the goon on the left cried out, stopping his charge to do so.

"Does it matter?!" Kyuzo inquired, enraged at the display of cowardice. "Kill 'em all!"

An aperture had formed in to two charging samurai due to this, leavin' the man on the right to engage the trio of Kaede first. He was right to assumin' that most ninja would've let one of their "clones" take the lead, and no one could fault him for wildly swinging at the boy on the far left of the formation. Unfortunately, that just wasn't Kaede's style. The last thing he planned to do was let his clones do all the work, even if they were just smoke and mirrors.

Poof! The blond haired boy on the left erupted into a cloud of smoke, and the Kaede that led the charge, the real Kaede, make sure he wouldn't forget his mistake anytime soon. A silver streak of light lashed out from the coffin of smoke, slashing the man clean across both of his wrists. He dropped his weapon immediately, just in time to catch a full uppercut from the boy that'd sunk down low and sprung-boarded up like a rocket aimed for space.

The blow sent the man clean off his feet and crashin' into the nearby wall, knocked out cold.

Gazing like an awestruck child, the remaining man of the initial two didn't even see Kaede close the meager distance between them in the blink of an eye. However, he did feel the blade of a kunai digging into his thigh, hilt dip, and then viciously being torn out to the right. Much like his friend, he howled in pain, dropped his weapon and fell to the ground, attempting to stem the bleeding from the gaping would with the lower portion of his kimono.

Kickin' his weapon away, and them stompin' on the man's head, Kaede stood triumphantly on his makeshift pillar of victory. Brushin' a bloody thumb under his nose, leavin' a smeared trail of blood (by accident, of course), he smirked. "Don't tell me that's the best ya got."

The clone craned its neck over his shoulder, an equal devious smirk on his face. "Because we ain't even gettin' started."

[DEVIL—]

The expression on all of their faces was absolutely priceless. Kaede didn't know it then, but the two guys he'd just so effortlessly taken out were the two best guys Kyuzo had under his control. They were leagues better than he was; he simply had the voice, act, and money of a real Oyabun. And honestly, Kaede had suffered nightmares that were more frightening. Some might've just called the blond haired shinobi stupid; others might've said he was just hard headed; however, none could deny that he was a brave as he was bold.

"I don't think I stuttered," Kaede said spoke up again. "Is this tha best that ya got?!"

Kyuzo was at a loss for words, and the single step that he took in retreat was far beyond a massive blow to the moral of his remaining troops. By the same hand, it was all the confirmation Kaede's confidence needed to propel him forward in the throws of the chase once more. "If yer just gonna stand there, I'll just come to you!"

In the blink of an eye, Kaede had once again closed the distance between himself and the remaining gang of thugs. His hands, having come together before his frightening burst of speed, completed the very brief set of seals just as quickly. A very visible tunnel of air fed into his mouth as he breathed in deeply, his cheeks puffing out with the excessive oxygen he'd consumed. And then--

Swoosh!!! The explosion of wind that ripped from his lips, focused by a cupping hand, swept through the street like a tsunami. Effortlessly, the violent winds plucked the thugs from the dusty roads mid-run, sweeping them off into the horizon until not even their stench remained. Where they landed was completely random; however, dropping from such heights could only prove to be disastrous for 'em. Either way, it was of very little consequence to the young Genin.

It was until after the torrents of wind ceased to buffet against the shoddy homes and well-traveled path that the villagers exited their dens, awestruck at the display of power they'd witnessed through their windows. Such potency in such a little child? Clearly, they'd underestimated the Hidden Leaf. A grave mistake.

"That was amazing!" a kid cried while breaking from his mother's grasp to run into the street. He was followed by scores of others, all of which poured in to the streets. "You're so cool!"

"It was nothin'." Kaede could only grin, soakin' up all the glory as his partner -- wait, where was she?! Panicked, he looked about until finally restin' his gaze on her. Maybe she'd froze up? If so, that'd explain why she was really still a Genin at such an old age.

Anyways, back to baskin'! Kaede made sure to soak it up, because as he left, he returned to a life of obscurity. Not for long, though.

[ Exit ]