Rebel [M-D]

[Lang]

Rebel
Rank: D
Minimum Participants: 1
Mission Info: Young academy student Ko has skipped class yet again and is out lallygagging around the village. As a shinobi it is your mission to find and return him to the Academy. Force is allowable if he chooses to run, however capture Ko without hurting him. Ask the villagers to discover his last known location.

---

Hunting for a single person in the entire village was not something Rael exactly planned for when getting up this morning; more than one eyebrow rose when the mission distributor handed out today's assignment. However, orders were orders, much as he was averse to the idea of essentially having to find and babysit someone practically his own age before turning them over to the Academy. The photo ID shown to him by one of the instructors depicted a red-haired youth with blue eyes, his thin face scrunched up while scowling at whoever was taking the picture at the time. To facilitate his upcoming errand, he asked the school for a record of the boy's physical examination, taking note of his height and weight. Combined with his use of 'Henge' and adjusting it per the instructor's details, Rael was able to replicate a near-perfect image of the child playing possum, down to the simple green shirt and white shorts he normally wore.

Although the instructors recommended asking the townspeople to see if they'd come across Jinmei Ko that day, Rael preferred to keep things under wraps until otherwise necessary. It wasn't the student's first time shirking his responsibilities, but the Genin didn't want to risk further dragging his reputation through the mud; a child should have some resemblance of pride and dignity, even if he didn't recognize it himself. The first stop he visited was the boy's home, squirreled away in one of Kiri's less hospitable districts. Keeping his chakra signature low and staying outside for several minutes, he detected no signs of activity other than the boy's mother as she busied herself with the mundane chores expected of a housewife. No need to upset the woman with news of her son missing school; he departed the premises before any patrolling ANBU happened to pass by and mistake him for an intruder.

Next up was the local parks, sites he knew children under a certain age were drawn to like moths to an open flame. He wasn't banking much hope on finding the boy playing here, as young Ko didn't seem quite the sort to appreciate juvenile entertainment in the forms of monkey bars, swings, and seesaws. However, an assortment of rolling hills dotted with trees next to them provided ample space for cloud watching, a hobby adopted by many lacking companions. He had zero grounds to assume that was the case, but it didn't hurt to try. As he searched what felt like every last inch of the terrain with no success, Rael was half-tempted to lie down himself for a minute of two.

Looks like I'll have to ask around in the market after all.

[Lang]

This was certainly turning out to be a productive morning; the amount of cardio he did while running around town was nearly enough to compensate for three days' workout sessions. Hitting the village's archival library on his way to the marketplace, Rael's inquiries about Jinmei Ko's whereabouts started to bear fruit when the head librarian responded positively to having seen the boy just hours ago. He hadn't stayed long, merely enough time to borrow two scrolls on basic taijutsu before leaving, saying his instructors only gave him a limited amount of time before he had to return to the Academy. Frowning at this bit of information but saying nothing to reveal his displeasure, he merely thanked the elderly gentleman and exited the building, mind plotting a course to his new destination.

Classes were still in session, and Rael was careful not to disturb any of them as he passed through the familiar hallways, paying attention not to linger next to any open doors. The sound of familiar lectures drilled into his head as he navigated his way around, recalling the faces of his teachers and former classmates as they sprang unbidden to mind. Pushing such thoughts aside, he allowed his feet to carry him to the field outside, tiny in comparison to the formal training grounds used by Genin and above. A small group of children (he ignored the fact they were his age) was currently in midst of sparring practice, and the brown-haired instructor he spoke with earlier registered surprise upon seeing him. Shaking his head and silently gesturing for the man to continue, he received an hesitant nod in response and turned back to his students, clearly wondering what the white-haired youth was up to.

Keeping the desire to spike his irate chakra down, Rael maneuvered his way across the grassy field over to the furthest wall, one of four which enclosed the small meadow that the Academy used as their training area. One foot after the other, he began walking up along the side of the stone mural with ease, climbing nearly two stories before silently dropping onto the rooftops. Moving forward with nary a sound, he waited until he was less than a foot behind his quarry before speaking.

"And just what do you think you're doing."

[Lang]

From where he lay, belly-down and flattened against the rooftops, Jinmei Ko's unobstructed view of the entire sparring field allowed him to study everything with perfect clarity. Beads of sweat rolled down his face while the academy student stared in rapt attention at the ongoing fight between two of his classmates; specifically, one of them being his (eternal) rival. That damned Kira thought he was top dog, taking every opportunity to make those around him look bad. Ko was the most recent in a long list of those humiliated by the Hozuki scion. No doubt he'd get scolded by his teachers once he was found, but it'd be worth it once he got the bone-user's fighting style down pat. With the new skills he learned from the library scroll, no way he'd lose to the stuck up son of a b-...

"And just what do you think you're doing."

Yelping in surprise before he could help himself, or acknowledge that the other voice sounded far too young, Ko quickly rolled over onto his backside and sprung to his feet, nearly colliding into the one who'd addressed him. Instead of one of the instructors he'd been expecting, a midget with white hair was standing there, looking at him pointedly with both arms crossed over his front. In the confusion, he failed to notice the modified village plate sewn into the other boy's shirt, which should have given him some hint regarding his identity. Of course, there was only one thing he could think to do in response.

"Who the hell are you!?" he shouted, pointing the finger of authority (no, not that one) at Rael. Little did he know, the latter had spent the better half of his day hunting down the mongrel without resting, had no choice but to forgo his lunch, and was now being forced to deal with a rude presadolescent he normally would never have bothered wasting his time on. Even a patient individual like him had his limits.

Therefore, he could not in good conscience say he didn't feel some measure of vindictive pleasure as he went ahead and booted the child off the rooftops.

[Lang]

The boy's satisfying screams echoed up over the ledge for all of about a second before ending with a loud thud, prompting the Genin to lean forward and get a good look at his handiwork. Though potentially hazardous to an untrained civilian child, Jinmei was obviously made of sterner stuff, as the would-be ninja lay groaning on the grass for several seconds before haphazardly scuttling to his feet, glaring up at the Academy graduate and pointing not one, but two fingers this time. Had it not gone against his nature, Rael would have chuckled at the amusing sight.

"Hey! What gives, you assh-"

"Ahem." It was amazing how quickly the color could drain out of the boy's face, turning stark-white as a heavy palm dropped onto his shoulder and literally forced him to turn around. Knowing what he was about to see didn't make things any easier, as the red-haired boy looked up to see Tanaka-sensei grinning down at him, a murderous glint in his eyes belying the chummy expression he wore. Turning to run away as fast as his legs could carry him, Jinmei knew he was doomed as he felt himself hoisted by the scruff of his neck and dangling off the ground, spinning around by the fabric of his clothes to peer into oblivion yet again.

"I was wondering where could've gone without anyone seeing you outside; hiding here the whole time were you?" With all the inexperience of a newborn lamb walking into the lion's den, the boy's eyes automatically slid to the other white-haired youth as he casually dropped down to join them. Rael could literally read the youth's thoughts like an open book, pleading for him not to say anything contradicting what his teacher already believed. It was fairly obvious both of them knew he'd been off the Academy premises, and would be subject to even greater punishment if found out. Though he was well-tempted to clue in Tanaka on the truth, and well within his rights to do so, he'd cut the redhead some slack this time.

"At least he's back and unharmed," he snickered inwardly as the boy in mention glared at him, "let him get back to practice with the others, sensei." Giving his student a sound cuffing around the ears as he nodded in assent, the Academy instructor dismissed Rael with an earnest thanks, stating the next time any of his unruly pupils vanished, he'd ask for him again.

Shaking his head once, the snowy-haired youth disappeared out the front, happily oblivious to the sound of a boy being dragged off by the ear.

---

la fin

[KEITH]

+30

[/justify][/font]