TRAVELING TROUPE! [M]

[Seijūrō]

SPOILER: Click to show

Name: Traveling Troupe!
Rank: C
Mission Info: A traveling circus is in need of guards as the travel across the country to spread laughter and cheer. Though based in the village, groups of performers leave weekly to do shows. They make good money, and are often targets for bandits. Protect the troupe!
Reward: 50 EXP, 1000 Ryō.
Minimum Shinobi: One - Three.
Mission Status: Interminable.

---

Kinoshita Dai Sākasu^{(The Great Kinoshita Circus)}, no doubt it was one of the biggest annual events that take place in Kirigakure no Sato. Even the mere mention of the phenomenon would get people riled up and pumped for the performance. It was a time where people from all around the Five Great Shinobi Nations would put aside their differences and come together to relax during the festive. But all of this has changed after the suspected homicide of two of the most well-known acrobats from the circus. The victims being the "Gureison no Hikō", having fell to their death after their trapeze broke during the climax of the show last year. The main suspects of the case are believed to be members of the Yakuza; however, there has never been a formal indictment. The victims' twelve-year-old son, Richādo, has since then been under the care of the ringmaster. To prevent such an incident again, the village had offered to heighten the amount of manpower to oversee the circus.

The plan worked in theory, but large groups of circus performers also went off in separate directions around Mizu no Kuni in order to perform their own shows. With a good chunk of the circus still remaining within the safe confines of the village, Genin have been assigned the task of protecting the groups from wandering bandits and other potential dangers. And that is where Fujiwara Seijūrō comes into the picture. He had been itching for a mission that required him to leave the village and his wish was granted. Sei had been quite a fan of the circus ever since he had first arrived in the village, hearing stories of the amazing performances that took place every year. The shinobi was more than ecstatic about meeting those people he had grew up watching and admiring. After packing his bags with essentials and clothing, Sei made his way to the Southern Zone where the traveling troupe would be awaiting him at the gate.

He had not received much information on how big the group was or who was in it, but he did know that he was going to be the only Genin assigned for this task. It was strange considering that similar missions would have required an additional shinobi. Then again, the village's military strength was stretched thin as it was and those at the bottom have to pick up the slack. Besides...this was an opportunity for Sei to show that he was capable of leading a team and developing leadership skills, which he had neglected during his time at the Academy. And it doesn't hurt to watch your favorite circus group perform for free under the pretense that he was there for security measures.Hopefully, the mission will move along smoothly, but knowing his luck that was never the case.

[Seijūrō]

After a few minutes of walking, the young teenager had finally arrived at his destination. The walls that encompassed the village were enormous with archers and shinobi stationed at watchtowers to alert the village of an impending attack. The gate itself has been torn down and rebuilt multiple times over the course of the years. Standing at hundred meters tall, the door was more than twenty meters thick, and required a Doton user in order to manipulate the construct to open and close.

"Sure as hell is nice to see this damn gate once in a while." No doubt, it was going to much nicer to see those gates again once he came back. The shinobi scanned the area and found a group of people standing at the base of the gate. As he walked closer to the mob, he was able to see that it was traveling troupe, recognizing the ringmaster. The man had seen the shinobi walking towards the group despite the distance and was waving at him until he closed the gap and stood face to face with the ringmaster.

"I presume you're Heirī-san, the head of the famous Kinoshita Dai Sākasu. It's a pleasure to meet you." said the Genin as the old man patted him on his shoulder and gave him a smile. Heirī had come from a long line of ringmasters, and that goes to show in his charismatic demeanor.

"That I am, lad. And you're the escort that has been assigned to protect us as we make our round this time?" Sei nodded and focused his attention toward the troupe, getting a headcount on the number of people in the group.

"So I'm going to be handling eleven people on this mission." mumbled Seijūrō before he heard Heirī speak.

"Twelve actually, Deku, come out from over there!" And with that announcement, a child appeared from the congregation. There was no doubt about it: the sole survivor of the Gureison no Hikō. The look on the kid's face was quite different from the one he wore while performing; the loss of his parents must have been a traumatizing experience for the child.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Deku." said Sei with a smile on his face as he reached out for a handshake. The young acrobat stared at the extended hand for a moment before pushing it aside and wandering back to hide within the troupe.

"Sorry about that, Deku's hasn't been the same ever since the death of his parents." said the ringmaster, apologizing for the actions of his adopted son.

"I understand, perhaps it is time for us to head out? Are there other equipments that have yet to arrive?"

"Most of the circus equipment and animals are sent out earlier to the predesignated location for the performance. I'll go through one more run-down on the crew before we head out."

"We'll begin to move out at around noon." said Sei before leaving the troupe to handle their affairs while he went off to converse with the Chūnin stationed at the gate.

[Seijūrō]

After setting out at noon, the group had managed to travel through the narrow bridge with relative ease. The first stop on the tour was Amima, which was going to take around two days to get to judging from the current speed at which the circus was going at. The first half of the trip was peaceful and relaxing, to the point where Sei had begun to question if the troupe required a guard. During that time, however, the shinobi had gotten around to talking with some of the performers. It helped past the time but when he tried to get Deku to open up to him, the child would ignore him and continued with what he was doing. Before he knew it, the sun was already setting over the horizon and the Genin made the call that a campsite should be sit up for the night.

Under the guidance of Heirī, the performers and workers were able to set up their resting location with ease. It was quite nice to sit down at a camp fire with them. The teenager had grown up admiring these performers, and here he was, able to talk and share laughs with them. After a light dinner, most of the group members had retired for the night, knowing that their march would continue tomorrow. The fire cackled as Sei remained sited on the log that he had acquired from the forest. He could footsteps approaching him, but he knew that there was nothing to fear.

"You should get some rest, Heirī-san, it's going to be awhile before we reach Amami." said the shinobi as he used a small stick to keep the fire alive.

"I could say the same to you, lad." said the old man chuckling as he took a sit next to Seijūrō.

"Part of the job." the young shinobi snickered, looking up at the stars that filled the night sky.

"I know said this before, but I apologize for Deku's behavior. He's a good kid, but ever since that incident last year..."

"I can relate." said Seijūrō with a sad look on his face. He had lost his father at an early age and he was taken from his mother and sisters. Losing one's parents is hard enough, but knowing that their murderer is still out there?

"From the look on your face, it seems you've had some bad experience in the past too."

"We must accept the cards we are dealt in life. But it is up to us to decide how we will play those cards." said the teenager, turning to face the old man who was watching the fire burn.

"In case anything happens to me, please keep the child safe."

"You make it sound like something is going to happen." said the shinobi with a questioning look in his eyes, but Heirī did not turn to face him. He could tell that the man was hiding something from him. The awkward silence between the two grew until Sei pressed him for more answers.

"What are you not telling me?" asked the Genin as he stood up, towering over the ringmaster. But before the man could respond, Sei turned around, drawing his katana and slashing an object that had propelled through the air towards him. He looked down at the floor and saw what it was: an arrow.

Ambush.

[Seijūrō]

The bandits had managed to sneak up close to the campsite. There was at least one archer with them, but there was no telling how many were there. But as long as the circus performers remained within their tents, they'll be safe from the battle that the Genin now had on his hands.

"Move!" Sei motioned for the elder to retreat back to where the rest of the troupe was while he handled the situation. As the ringmaster ran back to a safer location, the bandits rode out from the bushes with their horses. There were about five of them from the looks of it. He had been hoping for more, seeing that the archer was also on a mount. The head of the pack gave a wave and all of them charged in and surrounded Sei and the campfire. They circled around the lone shinobi, kicking dirt into the fire and smothering the light from the small area.

"Raiton: Mekurumeku!^{(Lightning Release: Blinding Flash)}" A great surge of light enveloped the area, blinding the bandits and their horses. The horses knocked their riders off before scattering in different directions. One of the bandits landed in front of Seijūrō and impaling his katana into his incapacitated foe and ending his short existence in this world. The other four had managed to get back on their feet, but it was obvious that they were still stunned from the bright light he had created.

"Sanpo Zuki.^{(3-Way Thrust)}" Placing his hand on his hilt, the shinobi dashed forward in the direction of the three bandits and unleashing his blade from his sheath. He felt the first thrust slid through one of the bandit's neck, causing blood to spray from the wound once Sei had withdrew his weapon and running it through another man's chest. The third bandit that remained in his range could make a black blur, but that was it before the Genin pushed his metal deep into the bandit with his final thrust. A pool of blood began to form under him, before the criminal dropped to the ground dead. He flicked his blade before turning his attention towards the last bandit that was still attempting to regain his vision.

He walked over to him, watching as the bandit struggled to find out what was happening. Sei grabbed the bandit by his collar before tossing him to the ground and pressing on the man's chest with his foot.

"This area isn't known for having bandits. Who sent you?"

"I can- can't tell you that-t-t-t!" the man was stuttering but Sei was correct in his suspicion that these bandits were hired. He placed the tip of his katana on the man's neck, blood still fresh dripping down upon him.

"You tell me on the count of three or I'll cut your fingers off and we'll keep doing that until you talk."

"One....Two.....Thre—!" but before the shinobi could finish his counting, the bandit broke down and confessed.

"ZUKO TONĪ! He's the one who ordered the hit on the "Gureison no Hikō" and us to deal with the circus and he's the one that pulled the strings so that only one shinobi would be assigned to protect the troupe! He's waiting for us to report back in Amami at the Bashayamamura. That's all I know!"

With a quick slash, Sei silenced the man with his blade. Unbeknownst to him, Deku was watching the whole incident, gripping his fists in anger after hearing what the bandit had told the shinobi.

[Seijūrō]

The battle had rattled the troupe's spirits the next morning, but Heirī continued to show his experience as a leader, rallying the group and proceeding on schedule. The rest of the trip was uneventful and the circus performers had arrived at the outskirts of Amami by nightfall. While the rest of the group was performing their task to set up the circus tents and equipment, Sei had sent out a hawk with a scroll detailing the events that have transpired since their departure from Kirigakure no Sato. No doubt, the village will send additional support as soon as possible upon receiving the message, but help will not arrive in time to capture Zuko Tonī.

As he watched the hawk disappear into the distance, Sei once again heard footsteps behind and turned to face the man of the hour: Heirī.

"So are you still not going to tell me what I need to know or do I have to beat some sense into you too?" asked the shinobi with a sharp tongue, indicating his displeasure with the ringmaster. The man he saw was not the same Heirī he had seen back in the village. What stood before him was a mere exhausted shell of what he was before.

"Zuko Tonī and his thugs had been hustling the circus for protection money. Then one day, he finally had enough and told me that if I didn't agree to share a portion of our earnings with him, then he'll make sure that we'll regret ever crossing him. I didn't think he would go that far. There's not a day that goes by that I don't regret my decision." the old man looked down and crumbled to his knees, ashamed that his actions had cost the lives of innocent people. People that he knew and cared for like family.

"If you still have time to regret, then stand up and make amends. You're the only one that can reach out to Deku and be there for him in his darkest hour." said Seijūrō offering his hand to the ringmaster. The old man looked up at Sei before sighing and looking away.

"I suppose you're right, kid. I'm the only thing that boy has now..." The old man grabbed a hold of the shinobi's hand and stood upright once again. The moment was, however, interrupted by one of the circus performers.

"Hey! Has anyone seen Deku around? He said he was going into town for a little while but he hasn't been back for hours."

Sei looked at Heirī and he cursed under his breath. With a quick jolt of ki, the Genin disappeared from the gathering to find the child before it was too late.

[Seijūrō]

This was his chance. Deku had left the rest of the troupe on the pretense that he was going to explore the town for a while. Zuko Tonī was going to pay for killing his parents and Deku was going to be the one to do it. As he leaped from building to building across Amami, the young acrobat could feel his adrenaline pumping through his veins, he had not been trained to fight like the shinobi but he had learned enough in his time to know how to maneuver around like a trained warrior.

The Bashayamamura was not a hard place to find, the hotel was large, bright, and extravagant unlike most of the buildings in Amami. That and it was also notorious for being controlled by the Yakuza with their leader, Zuko Tonī, living in the penthouse suite on the top floor. The front entrance was crawling with guards, making it impossible for the lone child to make it through without getting himself killed. There had to be another way, and it appeared in the form of an open window on the fifth floor of the building complex.

Cautiously scaling the walls, Deku made sure to keep a lookout for guards to avoid being spotted. He slipped through the opening in the building and proceeded to make his way to the top floor. He had never knew that he was so quick to think on his feet as he sneaked around corners and dashed past the Yakuza members patrolling the halls before they turned around to hear the source of the noise disturbance. When Deku had made it to the top floor, most of the guards had vanished, perhaps Zuko believed that there was no need for security because no one would be able to breach past all of his gang members downstairs.

The child could see the luxurious door that led to the suite and without hesitation; Deku opened the door and walked inside. He could see a figure sitting in his chair, looking out the clear windows showing a gorgeous view of the bright lights of Amami during the night. He turned around in his chair and looked at the child with a serious expression.

"Well well well, if it isn't Gureison Richādo. I am surprised to see you here. Do tell, how did you get past my security guards?"

"Shut it Tonī, I'm here to kill you and avenge my parents." said Deku before taking out a pair of Eskrima sticks and pointing them at the criminal that had killed his parents. But the man was not intimidated by his threats; instead he laughed as he got out his seat and approached the child.

"I don't know about that, brat. I've already killed two Gureison, one more won't be much of a problem." And with that, the man charged at the acrobat with his fist. The movements were fast, but Deku twisted his arms and blocked the blow before clocking his face with one of his sticks. Before Deku could move, Zuko had reached out and grabbed his shirt.

"Not bad, brat. Maybe you'll put up a fight after all." There was blood running down his nose, but he seemed unconcerned with the amount of damage he had taken. With one pivot, the Yakuza member slammed the child to the ground knocking the breath out of Deku. As he lifted his foot to stomp Deku's head, the kid rolled out of the way just in time to avoid the finisher.

"Let's make this more fun, shall we?" Zuko walked over to his katana collection on the wall and examined the weapons with glee before choosing one blade to use. Once again, the man charged at the acrobat and began to bombard him with a flurry of blows that made it difficult for the child to block with his weapons. Deku could feel his skin tear open as the blade was centimeters away from piercing his skin, but instead just skimming against it.

After his opponent had stopped the blows, Deku collapsed to the ground exhausted from the nonstop fighting. He had underestimated the Yakuza member; he had thought that his training would be enough to handle his parents' murderers. He could feel the criminal casting his shadow over Deku, preparing to end the battle with one final stroke. It was over for him.

[Seijūrō]

Before the Yakuza member could deliver the final blow, one of the guards came crashing through the door causing Zuko and Deku to turn their attention to see who had arrived. Standing at the doorway was Seijūrō with his katana drawn and drenched with blood.

"Am I late for the party?" said the shinobi with a smirk on his face, but he could tell that the gang leader was not amused at his joke.

"Who are you and where are my guards!?" yelled the Yakuza but Sei yawned before answering his question.

"I would tell you to ask your henchmen who I am, but I'm afraid I killed all of them." said the Genin with a glare sending chills down the man's spine. Taken advantage of the distraction, Deku used both of his Eskrima sticks to disarm the man, tossing the katana to some random corner of the room and unloading on him with his steel. He rained blows after blows on on Zuko until he felt a hand stop him from descending upon the man's face one again with his weapons.

"That's enough, you're going to kill him." There was a look of disbelief on Deku's face. This shinobi had just killed every single last person that was on this man's payroll and he was telling him to not kill the man who murdered his parents and ruined his life.

"WHY THE HELL NOT?! HE DESERVES IT!" Tears began to flow freely down his eyes as he tried to struggle from Sei's grip but to no avail.

"Because you're better than this. Your parents would not have wanted their son to become a murderer just like this scumbag here." Deku looked at the brutally beaten Yakuza member before looking back at Sei. He struggled and letting go of his weapon and crying in the teenager's embrace.

"You're a strong kid, Deku. Don't ever forget that."

---

After the incident at Bashayamamura, shinobi from Kirigakure no Sato arrived to assist with this mission. Over the course of the next few weeks, the troupe had traveled across the country without trouble and was deemed as a commercial success, propelling the circuses' popularity to new heights. Deku has since then become more like his old self again and dreams of revitalizing the name of the "Gureison no Hikō." Rumors has it though that he has also become the adoptive ward of a famous noble, Ein Burūsu.

---

【MISSION COMPLETE】

[KEITH]

+85!