Helping the orphans! [Mission, Estilo, closed]

[Yuki-chan]

The female was looking through a check-list that her mother had written for her mission. 'Extra change of clothes, toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, hair elastics, small bottle of shampoo and contidioner, lunchbox with food, bottle with ice tea, money for food, shinobi weapon pouch and some small chocolate bars. Looks like I've packed it all' thought Yukiko as she put the small backpacker on her back.
She put on her winter jacket paired with her ice blue cap and matching gloves. It was 10th December today, which meant that the girl might had to celebrate her birthday on the last day of her mission.

'I'm turning 11 this year. And I'm a shinobi now' thought the Genin with a smile on her face as she walked towards the gate area. Her birthday wish last year had been to become a shinobi when she was 11.
That wish had been granted thanks to her mother's extra lessons with genjutsu. Not to mention the work her father had put in with her bloodlimit.

'Maybe I should wish for not getting killed or injured on a dangerous mission' thought female. Her father had told her the dangers of missions that were "B"-ranked or higher. "You can get severely injured or see things that will give you nightmare for weeks" echoed her father's voice.
Unlike most other people at her age, the brunette could tolerate the sight of blood. This was an advantage with having younger brothers.

But seeing people being slashed up or tortured was something that sent chills down her spine. Good thing that this mission was relatively safe.
'Who on earth want to attack a bunch of kids? They aren't shinobis and their parents aren't rich' thought the girl. But these kids didn't have any parents at all, which made her sad.

'Ah, there are the gates!' thought Yukiko with a small smile on her face. She positioned herself near a lamppost so her male senior could see her. A mission like this would be a bit different from the others the female had done.
Traveling was fun, but they could actually HELP someone at a mission like this. Which was a win-win situation; lots of money plus that they helped out someone.

[Estilo]

( Enter Atlas )

I strode towards the meeting place Yukiko had designated for the mission at hand, my hooded black coat flowing behind me as I continued on. The silver buttons lining my torso desperately clutching at any gleam of light it could reflect, but finding that such illumination was hardly present in the dull gray of Kumogakure's weather. The streets I crossed were fairly empty today, a weekday, and it seemed like the border of Kumogakure's neighborhoods were ghost towns- an eerie feeling that ran down my spine with a bitter cold chill. That was, until I spotted the lampost near the gate- the same that my little sister had described beforehand. And wouldn't you know it, there she was.

As I approached, I lined my greeting with a warm cheshire grin. We were apparently scheduled to take on a mission today- one that dealt with the aid and assistance of an orphanage based in Kumogakure. Probably not the most eventful of missions, but definitely something worth doing. Something I could be proud of doing, with no ounce of regret whatsoever. That, and the fact that it was my little sister's birthday today, made my day a bit brighter. Oh, and had I forgotten to get her a present? Of course not! In fact, I'd gotten her gift a week before. Throughout the months of getting to know each other, Yukiko had proven to be one of the most enlightening and talented individuals I had ever met in her age group. Though sometimes it pained me to think about it, she reminded me of my late son in many ways.

But I supposed it was that familiarity that drew me to helping her in the first place- which eventually led to devoting large pockets of my livelihood to supporting her as a big brother would his younger sibling. "Ay-oh, kiddo!" I waved, taking but a few long strides before reaching her and gently tapping her forehead as I leaned forwards, a single hand hidden behind my back. "Happy Birthday, huh?" I continued with a smile, revealing a small wrapped present with a neat blue bow. Handing it to her, hoping that she would like the Two-Way Transceiver within, I couldn't help but wonder whether she really wanted to spend her birthday on a mission or not. But hey, she was a ninja, right?

I warm-heartedly tussled the hair on the top of her head. "You didn't think I'd forget, did you? Go on. Open your present!" I beamed. "Hope ya like it." And in the back of mind, I knew this was only the first she would receive today. There was still the matter of handing her the scroll I had intended to give her for a while now, and teaching her the sealing technique to unlock and replicate it should she desire. I would stay leaned forward, waiting in anticipation for her to unwrap the present I had prepared. Knowing her enthusiasm for our profession, I imagined it would suit a present from one ninja to another quiet nicely. And while, as Raikage, I could have perhaps gone much further in the expensive department, I was the sort of person that liked to keep things humbled with those I cared about- the kiddo being a top contender.

[Estilo]

( Enter Atlas )

The mission? Well, today I was off to go help an orphanage with Yukiko, my younger sister. Finding that this particular day was free from the clutter and stress of paperwork and other such things, I was more than glad to wake up a bit early today in order to take this venture. Rain drops glistened on the stone-cobbled streets of Kumogakure, faint rays of sunlight struggling to make their presence known on the slick surfaces. The presence of the rainfall last night had, of course, left the fresh and clean fragrance of fresh water up in the air. Something I relished in and adored. But instead of standing around and sniffing at the pleasant result of last night's weather, I continued to pace towards the location of Kumogakure's gates- the lampost.

While the thought of last night's rain, and its aftermath, left a lasting and positive impression on my day today, I could not help but wonder what effect it might have had on the orphanage. Reports of building damage had been mentioned in the mission report, among other variables, and although the rain to me was a blessing, it might have been horrible for the children and staff that worked in a building that was most likely leaking from its roof. The thought of such saddening conditions only compelled me to hurry along towards my objective. As far as I knew, this would be a one-stop job. I would get there with Yukiko, repair the broken compartments of the building, help the orphans and staff alike with anything they needed, then head off.

But I wasn't sure what would happen- whether I would need to extend my political hand into the vast pool of ryo gathered within Kumogakure's vault in order to sustain and rebuild the orphanage in question. Such an action, despite moral values and traditions, would most likely be frowned upon by the council. And their whipping boy? Well, that was most often me. I did not wish to give them the satisfaction of yet another bullshit reason to try and elect me out of office- or make me look foolish in the eyes of my people. The same people who had themselves voted for me to become Raikage, nullifying the opinion of that old and bickering council.

Lost in deep thought, I failed to notice that my body had been walking on auto-pilot the entire time, and had taken me to the bridge that crossed a small stream and was only meters away from the gate area- and the series of lamposts that lined the street towards it. And there, in the distance and within eyesight, was my little sister. The kiddo. I gave a brief wave, my left hand nestled in the pocket of my flowing black coat as I advanced. Looking as bright and cheerful as always, I bent forward and tussled the top of Yukiko's head with lighthearted mood. "Morning, Snow Pea." I smiled, eyes beaming. "You ready?"

[Yuki-chan]

((OOC: You can delete the previous post if you want to. Please move this thread to Land of Lightning )

A familiar person had made its way towards the female. "Morning, Snow Pea. You ready?" asked the male with beaming eyes. "I am. Nice of the daimyo to let them borrow one of his buildings while the orphanage is being fixed after the fire" replied Yukiko with a happy smile on her face.

She went towards the gates with Atlas in her heels; he would be her guardian on this mission. "Papers please" requested the ANBU agent who stood in front of the gates. "Here you go" answered the girl as she handed him the papers he would need.
The guard returned them a little later with a nod. "Let's go senpai" replied the Genin as she went through the gate area.

Fortunately for them, the capital in Kaminari no Kuni was only two hours of tree jumping away from Kumogakure no Sato. "I hope we finish the mission before or at the 13th. I don't want to spend my entire birthday on a mission" informed the female as they started to jump from tree to tree.
Her parents had told her that she would have to spend her birthday or a holiday during a mission at some point. But to spend it on 'important' birthdays such as your 20th* birthday would be boring.

"Do you have any idea of things we should buy for the kids? I can help you if you're buying toys to the girls. Or to the boys that are on the same age as Hi-kun and Ko-kun" stated the brunette with a smile on her face.
This was actually a mission where she COULD help the young man. She was a child who was within the older range of the children's agegroup, so her opinion would matter.

Purchasing a lot of clothes would be a bit harder. Her parents had told her that they needed to buy the clothes one to two sizes larger than what the children used due to their growth. As for toys, they had to buy stuff that EVERYONE could use.
"Is that the capital?" inquired the girl as she saw a huge cluster of buildings ahead. She had never been there before, so she had to be sure.

[Estilo]

( Moved to Upper Yard )

After proceeding through the great gates of Kumogakure, little sister and I would take off into the trees beyond- a myriad of pine and gray skies. From branch to branch we'd leap, steadily making our way towards the orphanage in the capital of Kami no Shima, otherwise known as the "Upper Yard". Our mission was simple. We were to provide said establishment with sufficient supplies and repair to put them on the path of an easier and suitable life. The children there had already suffered great tragedies themselves, and they did not deserve another. My heart filled with good will, and I was glad to have Yukiko here beside me during this endeavor. I was even proud of her to risk cutting time into her birthday to carry this mission out.

Though she didn't want to, I had a feeling that if it came down to it, she would. I gave her a reassuring smile as we leaped through the leaves and past the branches. "We'll be fine." At any rate, I planned on helping her meet her deadline. And if we did not make it after all, I would most definitely try to make her birthday at the orphanage as pleasant and entertaining a child her age would want it. The present I had prepared for her, among others, were concealed on my person and ready to give out. I only needed to be present during her birthday to do so. Aside from that, I would also need to focus on buying some toys and wares for the children of the orphanage- a task little sister would mention in the form of a question. "Of course." I replied. "You can help choose out the items when we get to them, huh?"

Finally, all our leaping and sprinting would take us to the edge of the forest, in the direct path of a stone-cobbled street. It wound through the small hills and plain landscape, towards the cluster of ramshackle towers on the horizon. This was Kami no Shima, the Upper Yard. It was indeed, a spectacle to see. One that not only brought wonder to those who saw it from the outside, but thrill once said sight-seers entered the sprawling metropolis. In contrast to the comfortable peace of Kumogakure, Kami no Shima was Kumogakure's ecstatic powerhouse of business and pleasure. But that was not to say that it did not have its dark side either, and the people that lived there, the ones that could not afford good housing, often ended up in less-than-pleasant residential districts and neighborhoods- like the orphanage.

Tossing my head towards the sight in the distance, I gave Yukiko a smile. "C'mon, kiddo. You can lead the way from here. We can go straight to the orphanage from here, or stop by a store of some sort to buy the supplies we might need for the mission. All up to you." Having given her the lead from then on, I would act as a guardian and overseer. This was, of course, due to a curiosity that filled my mind. Could Yukiko truly take care of a mission of this caliber well? I had always wondered how or if she had ever fared on a mission by her own. Being my little sister, I wanted to make sure she was ready for an aspect of shinobi life she had perhaps never experienced before in full detail.

[Yuki-chan]

Both of them tree-jumped towards the capital that appeared to be named Kami no Shima. It was a name that fitted the city since there were lots of things going on there. The female could not help but to widen her eyes a little at the sight...there was so much to see there.
She felt a little overwhelmed at first, but her curiosity started to kick in a little later on. At least the older male seemed to know this place better than she did.

"C'mon, kiddo. You can lead the way from here. We can go straight to the orphanage from here, or stop by a store of some sort to buy the supplies we might need for the mission. All up to you." informed Atlas.
"I got everything I need...I was planning to buy some stuff after this mission since I don't want it to get stolen" replied Yukiko.

She had brought a little bit of money with her, but most of it had been left back home in Kumogakure no Sato. "The make-shift orphanage is located in a villa at Raijin street 15. I hope it's not too far away...I'm going to ask someone in there" muttered the girl as she saw a group of guys in suits not too far away.
She jogged over and poked one of the men in the shoulder. "Excuse me, could you please tell me where Raijin street 15 is?" asked the Genin.

"Sure, it's not too far away. Go to the cinema over there and turn left. Walk until you see the statue of Raijin*; it's not very hard to find" replied a man with orange hair. He pointed towards the cinema that was right next to an office building of some sort.
"Thank you sir" said the female and gave the man a polite bow in return. She then went over to Atlas again with a small smile on his face.

"He said that we had to walk to the cinema, turn left and keep going until we saw the statue of Raijin. It was not too hard to find" informed Yukiko as she repeated what the man had told her. She knew how Raijin looked like; finding a statue of him would be easy for her.
Both of them started walk towards the cinema with medium speed. 'I wonder where the other villa is located' thought the girl while she bit her lower lip.

Many of those kids would be in school or kindergarten, so the new orphanage could not be too far away from that. The orphanage had to be in a safe place too...a place with a lot of traffic or bad people would not be good either. Not to mention that it had to be within reach of a hospital or a doctor in case of emergency.
'Perhaps the mansion is located a bit outside Kami no Shima. That would be a great place' thought the Genin as they reached the cinema.

Raijin = Japanese god of lightning.

[Estilo]

After having retrieved directions from a passerby we had happened across, Yukiko would lead me to a cinema nearby within Kami no Shima. We were to follow a street there that would eventually- should the directions be of value- take us on the right path towards the orphanage we were meant to find. In this maze-like myriad of streets and apartment complexes, I was hard-pressed to think that this endeavor would not be as easy as it looked. Despite the fact that I had been to Kami no Shima on several different occasions, that did not mean that I knew the streets by heart- yet. But I assured myself that within the next few years, I would. This was part of my home, after all- a favorite of mine, one that I was gradually growing in love with.

Squinting my eyes as I took a deep lion's yawn, I continued to follow my little sister in stride- hands dug deep into my pockets, a clearly relaxed posture. It was still early morning, so we had the entire day to carry this mission out. I only hoped we didn't come across any potential threats to building itself- or worse. The inhabitants. Should the mansion that housed the orphans be located somewhere on the outskirts of Kami no Shima, which was becoming a more and more plausible situation, I knew that creaky floorboards and leaking pipes could very well be the least of our problems there. Aside from the occasional bandit, Kami no Shima was also home to vagabonds, homeless and addicts. Spontaneous and aggressive circumstances were common here.

We reached the cinema, and from then on, continued down to the street we were meant to tread on next. The orphanage was yet to be spotted from our vantage point, but I had a feeling it would come to our line of vision soon enough. Following the few directions we were given, I supposed we were to wing it after that. Which was, of course, fine by me. I led Yukiko down the street, temporarily taking the lead from then on, walking a few paces ahead in order to get a lay of the land. The streets, parallel and even, seemed to sway with the fumes of steam rising from the manholes and the curbs. Small groups of people walked past us, starting their daily routines, nursing hot paper cups filled with coffee. And before we knew it, we had finally reached our destination.

The mansion was three stories tall, a near-perfect example of Victorian architecture and design, but old and worn down with age. It was protected by black gates on each side, but those too faltered. Literally anyone could find an open space between the bent over and rusted gates, enough space to slink inside and breach the mansion property's perimeter. Due to such conditions, it seemed that the orphanage owner had simply left the front gate unlocked. After all, what was the point in locking it closed if there were other places unwanted visitors could enter through? I approached said gates with a smile, acknowledged the fact that they were just about twice my height. Ahead, the wooden doors to the orphanage lay, at the end of a stone-cobbled path that crossed through an untended garden. I nodded to little sister.

"Go ahead and knock on the door- I'm right behind ya."

[Yuki-chan]

'Whoa' thought the female as they arrived the large mansion. It looked like the ones that could be seen in old European paintings. The building had three floors in total, which was needed since there were 30 children that needed somewhere to live.
"Go ahead and knock on the door- I'm right behind ya." encouraged the male. "Thanks" replied Yukiko before she raised her hand.

She knocked the old-fashioned door hammer that was on the door. After a couple seconds, a female brown-eyed brunette who appeared to be in her early 30's opened the door. "Hello...we are the shinobis you hired" informed the girl with a polite voice.
"Oooh, I remember that! We requested some shinobis for the shopping and guarding mission" replied the woman.

"My name is Rieko Konishi. Thank Kami you're here...please come in" said Rieko as she let the duo inside. The entrance hall was somewhat large with a grand staircase in the middle.
"All of the children are currently at school or kindergarten. I'm sure you've heard that our last orphanage burned down for a couple weeks ago" informed the female.

The girl gave her a nod in reply as they entered the large living room. "Our new orphanage is located in the suburbs of Kami no Shima. It is about 15 minutes from here by foot, but I'm afraid I cannot escort the children myself.
I have to make sure that all of the things you pick out for the children arrives to the new orphanage since I'm the head mistress. Do you have any questions?" told the brunette.

"Uhm...we need to know how tall the children are when we buy clothes. Not to mention shoe size and what they like to play with" inquired the Genin. "Don't worry about that. We will measure the children once they come home from school and kindergarten.
They should be home in five minutes or so...we have a couple of staff members who pick them up at school" replied the woman while she looked at the duo.

"Oh, I think we need to know how much money we can spend. I don't want the daimyo to get mad at us for spending too much. Or that the kids get angry since we couldn't afford to buy enough clothes or stuff they need" chuckled the female.
"I have a check here that the daimyo gave me. Your senpai will take care of that part since you need to be 20 or older in order to collect the money in the bank" said Rieko as she handed a check over to Atlas.

[Estilo]

Standing idly nearby, I took a gander at the dead garden covering the mansion's front property as younger sister took a knock at the old wooden doors. Had I not known of this orphanage through the mission report, I would figured that this establishment had been abandoned. Visual appearance on the outside pointed to that scenario. Though I knew that such was not the case, I was still slightly surprised to find that someone had actually answered the door- a young woman, at that. The owner of the orphanage. Reiko Konishi was not the kind of person I expected to find running this place, I had to admit. But it was far better to see a lively and bright woman such as herself at the helm of this endeavor for these parentless children- rather than a tired old woman.

As she invited us inside, I would give a polite and gracious nod, trailing behind Yukiko. The interior was as I had expected- the typical grand staircase, intricately decorated drapes and carpets, aptly placed wooden furniture and chandeliers hanging from the ceiling above. All of it, of course, with a tinge of age and dust. But at the very least, nothing- at first sight, that is- appeared to be a dangerous hazard or health risk. A nice touch-up wouldn't hurt, however. Right when I began to contemplate the eerie silence of the establishment- and why I wasn't hearing the typical chatter and laughter one would assume to hear at an orphanage or school- Reiko explained their whereabouts.

I listened as my younger companion quite effectively held an informative conversation with Reiko, the head mistress of the orphanage. There were facts that I had already discovered from the mission report alone, a few tid bits of information I had yet to absorb. But all in all, I knew the jist of what had happened before, what we were here to do, and what tasks we would have to carry out. It was clear to me, now all I had in mind was carrying out what stirred in my thoughts. It was funny, the concern over the cost of the repairs and everything else we would need. Funny that I had been thinking about such a thing before. But as Raikage, at the very least, I would make sure everything the orphanage needed and had was adequate and well.

Reiko, surely, did not know of my title- and why would she? The citizens in Kami no Shima tended to keep their minds on other things, things that did not concern Kumogakuran politics. They were their own city, one that supported itself and all of its unique people. When the mistress handed me the check signed over by the daimyo, I gently took it from her grasp and folded it in two. "Much obliged." I replied with a smile, placing the check away within one of my front coat pockets. "I'll make sure every cent goes to the well-being of the children and your establishment. Just as soon as Yukiko here is ready to leave." I turned to my younger companion with an expectant gleam in my eye, paired beside that customary, cheerful simper. "All set, kiddo?"

[Yuki-chan]

"Much obliged. I'll make sure every cent goes to the well-being of the children and your establishment. Just as soon as Yukiko here is ready to leave." informed the male as he looked at her with his usual smile.
"All set, kiddo?" inquired Atlas with an excited gleam in his eyes. "Yes, I'm ready to-".

"WE'RE HOOOME!" exclaimed a couple of girlish voices from the entrance. "Looks like the children are home...just give me a moment so I can get them in here" said the female.
She exited the living room and told the children that they had to come inside the living room. One minute later, twenty children from six to ten years old entered the living room. All of them were wearing school uniforms as well as backpackers on their backs.

"Who are those two Rieko?" asked a blond boy who appeared to be about eight years old. "These two are shinobis from Kumogakure no Sato who will escort you to the new orphanage later today. They are also going to buy new clothes, shoes and toys for you" informed Rieko.
"HUUURRAAAAY!" yelled all the children before they surrounded the two shinobis. "I want a Carbie doll with a purple dress" said the girl closest to the older female.

"Calm down now kids! I want all of you to write the five toys you want the most on a piece of paper and write your name at the top. Afterwards, we have to measure how tall you are so we can get the right clothing size" yelled the young woman.
The kids calmed down eventually before they started to write down the toys they wanted the most on a piece of paper. "Hand the paper to Yukiko-san once you're done...she's sitting next to the young man" informed the brunette.

"Will you still buy that doll for me?" asked the tiny brunette who handed in her wishing list to Yukiko. "I'll see what I can do...what's your name again?" asked the girl as she raised her eyebrow. "My name is Eiko Higashimori" replied Eiko before she gave her a polite bow.
"I'll try to find that doll for you Eiko-san" said the Genin with a smile on her face. Having two younger brothers, she knew it was important that each child had something that was theirs.

But there was one thing that made the female curious; why did Eiko have a surname when she didn't have parents? She went over to the older female and poked her shoulder.
"I know this might be rude asking...but why did Eiko-san presented herself with a surname" inquired the brunette. "Most of Eiko-chans family is still alive, so we knows what her family name is. But most of her family members lives in Kuma no Kuni and she has all her friends here" replied Rieko.

"I know what you mean; I moved from Yukigakure to Kumogakure when I was four years old" informed the girl. She felt someone poke her shoulder and turned around to see who it was. Four boys close to her age hold their wishing list towards her with a hopeful smile at their faces.
"Thank you" replied Yukiko with a smile as the kids handed her their wishing lists. "OK kids, it's time to measure your height!" announced the young woman when all of the children had handed in their list.

[Estilo]

As the children began to enter the ramshackle establishment, making their presence known and introducing themselves to my little sister, I would notice a shadowy figure out of the corner of my eye. The figure of a thin and lanky child- a boy. Round and taped-together glasses rested on the child's small button nose, a face no older than seven framed under a head of short, wild brown hair. Despite the clear age difference, he reminded me of a librarian I knew back in Kumogakure. Blue eyes peered at me from behind the dirty glasses, observing me as the boy stood idly behind the doorway leading to the next room.

"Hi there, little guy." I said with a warm smile, all while the other children wrote down their toys of choice, prepared to hand over the slips to Yukiko. While she was preoccupied with this part of the mission, I would subtly make my way towards the kid peering at us from the doorway.He seemed shy, reclusive, a loner from the group. I felt it was only right to invite him in personally and encourage him to put in his desired present. Dropping down to one knee, only but a meter away from the kid, I continued. "Everyone else is writing down the toy that they want- don't you wanna pitch in, too?" When the boy remained silent, simply staring with a quiver of his lip, I slightly frowned. How strange. Maybe he'd gone through something horrible?

I looked over my shoulder- saw Yukiko discussing with another child, taking their requests and doing so with a smile. She was a natural at this, no doubt about it. And my qualms about her ability to carry out this mission on her own grit were slowly diminishing. Turning back to the child I was knelt in front of, however, I- and then it struck me. The kid I had seen wasn't there anymore. Disappeared, when I had turned to see what Yukiko was up to. Struck with quiet surprise, I quickly glanced around the large living room. When that gained no visual result, I advanced into the doorway and the room beyond.

The fact that this room was adorned with old trophies, a variety of paintings and virtually untouched furniture ser it apart from all the others I had seen so far. A series of tall and fenced windows lined the northern wall, flooding the room's red carpet with light in rigid blank squares. The trophies glistened at times, as I walked through the abandoned room. Set up on cabinets and stands nailed to the walls, they seemed to commemorate the hunting prowess of the previous owner. There- on a desk, the picture of a man dressed in flowing green robes, holding up an archer's bow and a dead jackalope by its hind legs. Then suddenly, I took notice of the child I had seen before, standing across from me in the room, beside a closed wooden door. "You left something behind?" I asked, as friendly as before. "If you need help, I can provide it. That's what I'm here for, kiddo."

Sure that Yukiko would be fine on her own for a bit, I set my sights on helping this otherwise outcasted orphan out before leaving.

[Yuki-chan]

"We'll measure your height in the main bathroom kids. Follow me please Yukiko-san" informed the young woman as she looked at her. "Sure-hey! Where is senpai!?" exclaimed the female as she noticed that the male was gone.
"We can do it without him; it will just take longer time" replied Rieko as they went up the large staircase.

Everyone followed the two as they entered a somewhat large bathroom. 'Whoa. This is nearly as large as the swimming hall locker room back in Kumogakure!' thought Yukiko as she looked inside the room. There were three sinks, four doors marked with toilet (two for each gender) plus two rooms that contained two large Japanese bathtubs.
In the end of a room was an old-fashioned measurement instrument that the girl had seen at her doctor's office once.

"I want everyone to line up according to their age please; that will make it more efficient" said the older female. All of the children were then split into five different groups. Most of them had four or five members in it. "Hold on a second...where is Takeo?" inquired the brunette as she stopped at the line with seven year olds. "He said he was hungry when we went home from school" said a boy in the line.

"Fair enough. Do you know how to use an instrument like this Yukiko-san?" asked the young woman. "No" replied the girl as she looked at the instrument in front of her.
"You just have to push this down gently until it stops at the top of the person who's getting measured. Write down the name, age plus the height in this table" said

Rieko before she handed her a piece of paper with tables on it.
The tables were marked with 'name', 'age' and 'height'. "Everyone who is six to seven years old can line up over at Yukiko-san while the rest comes over here" announced the female.
Person number one to be measured was a six year old boy with short, blue hair. He positioned himself under the measurement instrument while the Genin tried to adjust the height.

It stopped right above his head and the female was going to check his height. "117 centimeters...what is your name?" inquired the brunette as she picked up a pencil. "Haruo Shimizu" replied Haruo as he stepped away. 'I hope senpai is good at shopping since this will take some time' thought Yukiko as she scribbled up the measurements.

[Estilo]

A response. Finally. For a moment there, I thought the kid was a mute- but as it turned out, he had just been far too shy to speak. Now that I offered my help, it appeared he was more open to explaining his problem. "I-I... dropped my ball. It rolled down the basement, into a big stupid hole." He whimpered, seemingly on the verge of tears. Why this ball was so important to him, I had no idea. But it wasn't something I could just ignore. I supposed kids had a way of making mundane items and playthings their own. Recalling memories of my son, I knew how often that played in the lives of children. "Can you get it for me.... pleeeease, mister? I don't wanna leave it behind."

Simply, I nodded. "Of course, buddy. I'll hop down and fetch it for you. Just point me in the direction of the basement, okay?" Promptly, the child would push up the round glasses that were constantly, gradually sliding down the bridge of his nose. Then, he would open the old oak door behind me, and gesture me to follow in his footsteps as we both proceeded down a long and poorly decorated hallway. There were several doors on each side, every one of them cracked and weary with age. At the end of the hall, a cabinet. A vase decorated with jade and gold. Once we reached the end of the hallway, the passage took a sharp left. A set of stairs that led downwards. The hole the kid was speaking of must had been in one of the adjacent rooms we had just passed.

"It's down there." The boy said, pointing down the stairs to the double doors locked below. "But it's dark down there, and there're weird noises- so be careful, mister!" Noticing that the door's were locked, I saw that as my only real obstacle. The darkness and the "noises" posed little threat to me now, although the boy seemed to be pretty enthralled by it. But again, what else was I to expect from a child his age?

"Don't worry," I assured him, patting his petite shoulder before advancing down the stairs. "Go back to the head mistress, I should have your ball back up in no time." Waving him off, and making sure he did go back, I moved on to those double locked doors. The orphans were moving out, so there was no point in keeping it locked down anymore, right? Or at least, no reason to keep them locked, which would otherwise prove to be harmful to the children in question.

The door. Thank the heavens that it wasn't padlocked. With no other viable option in mind, I prepared my shoulder and crashed into those doors, tackling away. The entirety of my brute strength went into the effort of breaking the lock. Then, finally, they gave in. The doors flew open, a wave of light flooding only a small portion of the large and wide basement below. The rest covered in darkness. The gleam of petite yellow eyes made themselves known in the distance beyond. Then they moved. Rats. And in the corner, a dim orange glow- what I assumed was a furnace of some sort. And the ball the kid had mentioned? Nowhere in visible sight. But the hole in which it had fallen was smack above the middle of the basement floor, the weak light from the room above shining down on dust, rubble and abandoned toys of a past era.

[Yuki-chan]

'Looks like everyone in the six-year old group has been measured' thought the female as she looked down at the list in her hand. The tallest had been Haruo at 117 cm while the shortest was 113 cm tall Hiroki. All of the seven year olds were up next when a boy entered the room.
"Good to see you Takeo-kun. Line up there so we can measure your height" informed the older woman as she pointed at the small line.

Yukiko studied Takeo; he reminded her of a character she had seen in a movie. He was rather thin with wild brown hair at the top of his head. The boy had blue eyes hidden behind a pair of glasses that appeared to be broken.
"Next please" announced the girl as she prepared her pencil. A girl with black hair in a ponytail stepped under the measurement instrument.

"118 cm tall. Name please" requested the Genin as she wrote the height down in the column. "My name is Chiyo Fujiwara" replied Chiyo as she stepped aside. "Thank you...next please!" announced the female after she had written down the height in her book.
Takeo was the next one; he appeared to be a bit taller than the girl. 'He is 123 cm tall' thought the brunette as she scribbled it down.

"What's your surname?" asked Yukiko as she looked up at the boy. He muttered something that she did not hear. "Can you say it a little louder Takeo-san?" inquired the female as she looked at him.
"My su-surname is Ogawa" informed the boy with a low voice. "Thank you" replied the Genin with a polite smile; he appeared to be a shy guy.

All of the seven year olds had been measured ten minutes later. Chiyo was the shortest in the group while a boy named Jiro was the tallest. But according to the kids in the group, the latter would become eight years old in just a couple months.
"I would like everyone to step onto this so we can measure your feet. The kindergarten kids are coming home soon" informed Rieko.

"Can you please go and find your senpai Yukiko-san? We need his help this time since the smaller kids might be more of a handful" said the young woman as she looked at the girl. "Sure...but I have no clue where to start" replied the brunette as she bit her lip.
"He's in the basement" muttered Takeo as he passed her. "Thanks Takeo-san" replied the female as she left the room.

'Where on earth is the basement!? I better start at the ground floor' thought Yukiko as she ran down the stairs. 'That door is open' thought the girl as she saw an open door in the end of the hallway.
She opened up the door and saw a rather large office with various trophies. A large oak door at the end of the room was slightly open as well...maybe it was a secret door.

'Maybe he is there' thought the Genin as she pushed the heavy door up a little bit. Another hallway revealed itself, but this one was in a worse condition than the rest of the building. "SENPAI!? ARE YOU HERE!? WE NEED YOUR HELP TO MEASURE THE KINDERGARTEN CHILDREN!!!" yelled the female as she stood in the doorway.

[Estilo]

I advanced into the darkness of the basement, determined to find the boy's ball despite the abundance of rats and eerie playthings down here. So I issued a single hand seal, and into existence came a small electric creature, flapping its shockingly little blue wings as it chirped and flew around. A Lightning Sparrow, one I would use to scout the wide basement in front of me, providing electric illumination as I searched for the ball with my eyes. Standing in place, I'd mentally urge the sparrow to go, flying at a low altitude- as to almost touch the ground- while it maneuvered past junk and scanned the basement floor with blue light. Toys and shattered tea cups- but no sign of the ball yet.

As it was starting to reach the end of the basement, I started to worry. If this didn't turn out anything, then I would most likely have to go in there and search for it myself, digging up junk and running the risk of making contact with one of those furry little pests I'd seen. But as that little sparrow of mine continued to 'scan', I'd finally made a breakthrough. The ball was at the far end of the basement, just a few paces shy of the furnace, up against the wall. My sparrow rejoiced by fluttering around said ball excitedly, chirping away, expecting me to run over and pick it up as soon as possible. And I did.

But then, just as suddenly. the biggest, ugliest, red-eyed rat you would have ever seen leaped into the blue light my sparrow was emanating- protective over the plaything, aggressively trying to fight my sparrow off. It was like watching a pink-tailed King-Kong trying to knock down a fighter plane. I knew I wouldn't have much time before it reached my sparrow either. So I rushed it- keeping my eye on the ball, a single hand outstretched. Just when I swiped the toy away, the rat preoccupied with the creature I had created from electricity, the blue light my sparrow had been glowing with abruptly switched off. It had been caught by the rat, shocking the furry and abnormally large pest immediately, but casting me in complete darkness. I ran for the door then, the rat surely at my heels, squeaking away with pain and anger, buckteeth raised.

With the ball in hand, I ran to the light coming in from the door. It was then that I heard Yukiko, calling me from the hallway- it seemed. Hastily, I ran up the stairs. The rat was at my heels, I knew it! It just wanted to take a chomp out of me; and I had no desire to even touch the nasty thing. Finally leaping into the hallway, I turned the corner and headed for the next room- where I saw Yukiko at the doorway. "Go, go, go, go!" I said, not very loudly, but with clear concern in my voice. In a moment, she would see what I was running from, and that would surely give her reason to back away as I rushed through the doorway and shut the door behind me. I locked it quickly, resting my back against its surface then, and slumping down to take a seat as the rat tried to claw its way under. The blue ball- with a single yellow star- was still in my possession. And although the experience had been a bit eventful, I couldn't help but bark out a nervous laugh. "I hate rats."