Defend the Cart [Jingo and Suguru]

Mission Name: Defend the Cart
Mission Type: Guard
Mission Rank: B
Mission Goal: Protect the trader's goods.
Description: Mr. Eto has an upcoming trade shipment and he has requested Konoha protection during his travels. He's already lost several shipments to a group of bandits despite hiring help elsewhere, and he would like to avoid this happening any longer, lest he be put out of business. The bandits are small in number, but they are trained ninja, so use caution. More than one shinobi is suggested, though not required. Accompany Mr. Eto to the Land of Wind border at the edge of the Senju Forest while defending his large cart.
Payment: 25,000 Ryo
Requirements: Jounin

After leaving the village gates with Suguru in tow, Jingo made his way to where the client was waiting. When Jingo arrived at the spot, he noticed that there was a small caravan of sorts, made up of a couple of workers, three donkeys loaded with merchandise, and a regal looking gentlemen that could only be their client, Mr. Eto. His mangy looking cargo and caravan was juxtaposed against his regal demeanor and outfit, but Jingo just assumed this was to lower the chances of people wanting to rob him. The fact that there didn’t seem to be much cargo was likely deceiving, considering the efficacy of using fuuinjutsu to transport things. It was possible that there was a vast treasure trove hidden within scrolls in this caravan, but such knowledge was irrelevant to Jingo. All he needed to do was complete this mission and to make sure his genin friend didn’t get shanked to death by bandits or something.

As Jingo approached the caravan, Mr. Eto became aware of his presence and made his way over, stopping a few feet away from Jingo before saying, “Ah, you must be the jounin I hired to escort me today, Jingo Senju. This trade route has grown perilous in these trying times, so I appreciate both you and your village for still being able to dedicate the manpower to a small time merchant like me.” Mr. Eto smiled as he said this, acting quite modest despite his vast sum of wealth. The man seemed like a reasonable fellow to Jingo, so he decided to be just amicable and said, “You are too kind Mr. Eto. I assure you that I will protect you and your cargo to the best of my ability.” Jingo also smiled as he said this. It was at the moment that Mr. Eto noticed Jingo’s companion, assuming he followed closely of course. Upon seeing the boy’s dirty complexion and hastily put on attire, he grimaced, before turning away and making his way back to the caravan.

After a bit of reflection on his memories of the boring history lessons of the academy, Suguru finally remembered the odd tidbit or so.

The Senju were the clan that founded the leaf. Even stronger than the other two leaf clans, which he had no idea about except that their eyes were their kekkei genkai, their powers must be something out of this world.

God of Shinobi it is. Maybe I won’t die today. He thought to himself cheerfully.

Leaving the leaf legally turned out to be far more stressful for the young genin that it was sneaking out of a small hole in the cemetery wall. Yet, with careful mimicry of his superior, he soon felt the leaf leaden win brush against his greasy hair.

That alone lifted all the pressure he had been feeling due to having been assigned a mission which will quite likely end in him losing a limb if he was lucky. He usually wasn’t.

Suguru followed Jingo blindly, his eyes finding themselves drawn to the vast forest, his mind seemingly bent on searching for something which wasn’t there. The cold tug of his inner voice whispered in his ears, the words husked melded one into the other, whatever sense they might have possed lost into a meaningless rabble. Yet Suguru didn’t feel that ice-cold shiver that usually surged with the voice. Instead, he felt like he was wading through unseen waters, an edge of relaxation far beyond whatever sleep could give.

As he slowly waded next to Jingo, he gave a small bow to the merchant, who albeit was similarly of a higher class then Suguru, did not exude the same aura of power and respect the Jounin did. He did not care enough to notice the dirty look he was given since Suguru’s attention was manifested in other places; observing the Senju for any manifestation of his powers and the lull of the nature around him.

[4]
WC: 320
TWC: 1235

With the greetings said and done, the caravan moved out, with Jingo, and hopefully Suguru, following closely behind. Given that Jingo was aware of the very high chances of conflict involved with this mission, he kept himself wary and attentive, using his senses to the fullest of their capacity to observe his surroundings. As they were still close to the village, the chances of any bandits attacking for very low for the moment, but being extra cautious about the situation would only benefit them at this point. Jingo wasn’t really worried about his own safety or the safety of the caravan, as he was confident in his own prowess. The only thing that concerned him at the moment was that of the capabilities of his new genin friend. From what he could tell, the boy was seemingly entranced with the forest and with Jingo himself. Jingo couldn’t really figure out why this could be the case, but he assumed it had something to do with both Suguru’s nerves and with the sudden nature of this requested mission. Regardless, Jingo thought it would be important to at least alleviate the genin’s worries by having a bit of conversation with him.

“Now then Suguru, are there any skills you specialize in in particular? I’d like to know what you’re capable of in case the fighting gets serious.”

Jingo didn’t know anything about Suguru really, so having knowledge of his strengths and weaknesses would definitely come in handy when it came to knowing if he had to actively protect the boy or if he could handle himself on his own. Perhaps the question would just make the boy more nervous and scatterbrained than he already seemed, but Jingo had enough faith in the ninja training of his village, and just assumed the genin would be able to handle such thoughts without much of an issue.

The wind whispering through the spouse leaves, as if a lost voice was trying to reach his mind, filled Suguru’s ears as he found himself enthralled by the swaying of the trees. It gave him a calm he never experienced when he had been before, yet that was mostly on moonless nights, not in the prime of the day, with the sun beaming down on him.

Whatever enchanting tune the forest was singing, Master Jingo’s voice shushed it out and rang clear in the genin’s mind.

“Well Master Jingo, my skills lie solely in Ninjutsu and Taijutsu. I would not dare present myself as a master of Taijutsu, yet I do think my skills in that field outclass my peers.“ Suguru answered with uncharacteristic honesty and humbleness, as even with such a brag, it was nowhere near the normal levels of ego that Suguru showed.

That being said, it was no lie, so much so that Suguru found himself unable to learn any new Taijutsu techniques, as all the scrolls open to shinobi in his level, he had mastered long ago. It seemed he had to hone his body further before he could accomplish new feats of taijutsu.

“Unlike you, I am of no Clan. I have only the general tenants of every shinobi at my disposal.” Suguru continued, possibly overdoing it with the humble and subservient, yet the aura of the man in front of him demanded such respect, and even a boneheaded boaster like Suguru knew that he didn’t want to wrong him.

The voice in his head, albeit silent, for once agreed.

[5]
WC: 260
TWC: 1495

Jingo and Suguru continued to walk as they discussed the genin’s strengths and weaknesses, all the while following the caravan and continuing to stay alert and ready for conflict. Jingo considered the boy’s statement for a moment, taking in the information and assessing the boy’s capability. It seemed as though he was a rather average genin, skilled in the general things one might expect from a genin from Konoha. It was completely possible that the genin was lying to him about his capabilities of course, but Jingo had no way of knowing or confirming that, so he just decided to trust the information he was given and plan accordingly. He could tell the boy was trying his best to be cordial and to make a good impression, but Jingo couldn’t help but chuckle before saying, “You know, you don’t have to be so formal when speaking to me. I know I may seem posh and arrogant, but I really don’t mind people acting as they normally do. In fact I prefer to see people living out their lives how they desire, rather than trying to put up some sort of front or act.”

He would pause for a moment before continuing, “In any case, while you may be more skilled in taijutsu than your peers, please be wary of the situation. The enemies we are likely to encounter are trained shinobi, and some of them may be of a similar competency as myself. If anything, I would suggest you feel out their capabilities from a distance before engaging them in close quarters combat. Of course, remember that the main goal here is to protect the caravan, even at the cost of your own safety.”

As of right now, there were no signs of any enemy ambush, but it never hurt to make sure every member in a team knew of the proper protocol should something negative occur. Despite Suguru’s claim that he was competent at taijutsu, Jingo just wanted to make sure the genin was ready for any eventuality.

Suguru never expected for the Senju to tell him to tone down the respect.

For a moment, he found himself wordless. The genin wasn’t one to have many conversations, with the majority of them occurring with the voice in his head, and even then, having such an honest conversation with someone was something that he was pretty sure he never had.

Yet even when dropping any façade he might have put up, he found himself still wording words of respect when formulating sentences to this shinobi.

“Well, Jingo-" saying the jounin’s name felt weird as if he had shaken the branch holding a beehive. ”-If I have to be honest, it’s not about you being posh or anything. You just-”. Suguru stopped once more, trying to articulate his messy thoughts into words “-seem like the person who is worth respecting to.”

“Not only that, but your clan linage; The Senju-” Suguru once again staggered in his speech, unsure were to begin. “There is a damn park named after them. You obviously aren’t some two-bit shinobi, so couple that with a KKG that can do things normal shinobi can even dream of.” Suguru shrugged, his words failing him.

“Then look at me. No KKG, not even something utterly useless and dumb like...I don’t know…Paper release or something. I’m not really one who believes in destiny or anything, but I think it’s fair to say that I’m not going to be making chunin soon, let alone make a footnote in any history books. Your birth alone probably merited that.” It was a rather sad and longwinded monologue, yet Suguru found himself unable to lie to this man. Maybe the Senju had cast some truth jutsu on him, but at this point, it did not matter. He said what he had to say.

“Well, I do know some Katon Jutsu, yet I fear that they are more for roasting then feeling out enemy shinobi.” He let out a small chuckle, finally finding the confidence to relax a bit and make a joke. "Well, that’s the job for people like me. Get struck down first as fodder. I’m sure whatever banditry is going on, it’s only a single Senju jutsu away from being stopped.“

[6]
WC: 370
TWC: 1660

As they continued to walk, Jingo listened to the young man and his seemingly negative evaluation of himself. He didn’t know what made this kid think of himself as so much weaker than those from powerful families and clans, but he could tell that the boy had likely had negative experiences with them in the past. Perhaps he had been bullied or outclassed by those with higher statuses at some point. Regardless of such things, Jingo listened intently and while doing so thought of how he could bolster the young man’s lacking confidence. He felt as though it would be hard for him to see things from Suguru’s point of view, as he had grown up with all the training and resources required to make him into a powerful shinobi. Of course this didn’t mean that he hadn’t worked hard, but his road had been paved for him through the hard work of others. A clanless person like this had to earn everything for themselves. After Suguru had made his light hearted joke, Jingo chuckled before becoming silent for a moment, as if he was still considering what to say.

“You’re much too hard on yourself. While one’s birth may dictate their starting place in life, it does not dictate how far they travel on the path of power.” He would pause for a moment after saying this, before looking at Suguru and smiling.

“You place too much faith in the power of kekkai genkai and lineage. I’ll let you in on a little secret about the truly powerful people in this world. While I may be an illustrious member of the Senju Clan of the Leaf, there are people that could take my life in an instant, without me being able to react in the slightest.” He would pause once more as if to collect his thoughts and allow the boy to take in what he was saying, before laughing and continuing.

“In fact, many of those people came from humble backgrounds with no kekkai genkai to speak of. Our village in particular has many powerful shinobi without such lineages, and I can assure you, I would not want to fight them as I am right now.”

Jingo was glad that they were still in some of the safer parts of the Senju Forest, as he enjoyed having conversations like this with people. It allowed him to gauge and take in their views of the world and assimilate any viewpoints that he felt were beneficial. It was also very enriching to his own worldview to be able to help others find their own paths and desires to pursue. Jingo gave the boy a moment to take in what he had just said before asking with a smile,

"Would you like to know the secret trait that all powerful people possess?”

There was a disturbance in the metaphysical fabric of reality, causing this question to feel as though it would never be answered, a seemingly infinite amount of time passing between the question and a response. No time had passed of course, but right as Jingo asked the boy this question, the bandits decided to make their move. Within moments a large group of around 20 bandits had left the forest and began their assault upon the caravan. Jingo would have to hold that question for a later date as he sprang into action. Though he wasn't the fastest man around, he was still quite competent as a ninja, making the single handseal required to spawn a large forest of trees, whipping towards the interlopers as though they were giant wooden tentacles. Each of the bandits was swatted away like flies, being sent barreling towards the natural forests. In general, the bandits were disappointing and were very easily dispatched and killed, making the rest of the trip quite smooth. It seemed as though Jingo's mission partner had gone completely silent from his display of awesome power, so Jingo didn't feel it necessary to continue the conversation. After making it to the border and receiving a message of thanks from trader, Jingo patted himself on the back for a mission well done, and left to make his way back to the village. His genin friend would be fine coming back on his own. Probably.

[exit]

This question was a hard one to answer even for the most wizened of sages, let alone for the barren mind of Suguru. Not wanting to give some asinine answer to such a revered man as the Senju, which included things like “A Big Dick” or any other reference to big male anatomy; the first things that popped to the tip of his tongue, he found himself caught in thought, a rare action for the likes of him. He wanted to give a truthful answer yet he did not want to give the wrong one. The cobwebs in his conscious cleared as gears turned, his blank mind filling with a multitude of possibilities.

After a long stretch of hard thought, he finally chose his answer.

Yet alas, that answer would never be given.

Even Suguru’s unrefined senses noticed that something was wrong, and that wrong was the bandits attacking. Yet before he could even raise the alarm, the Senju had sprung in action, his hands a blur as weeds turned into stout oak, yet as flexible as a reed, slamming into the bandits and sending them flying off in the distance.

Suguru’s arms had yet to still form the first hand sign before the quiet came once again. As he looked towards the Senju, he understood that whatever quality one of such power had, Suguru’s mind could never comprehend. Whatever experiences this type of man had, Suguru had yet to taste. It transcended KKG. It transcended rank. It transcended training.

It seemed the answer to the question was in the fire that burned deeply in the Senju’s eyes.

Suguru, awestruck both by what he had just witnessed and the weight of such a statement that the Senju had made, found himself silent. He simply gave the man a nod of understanding, with a slight smile. It was both humbling and refreshing to understand. Suguru, whatever meagre power he possessed, was beneath an insect to such a man, yet he understood that the Senju did not do what he did to show off but to open the genin’s eyes. Now, he simply had to see.

The rest of the journey was silent and uneventful, yet Suguru’s mind was immersed completely in deep thought, so much so that only the jolt of the stopping card snapped him out of it. By that time, the Senju had left wordlessly.

“What a fucking badass.” Suguru said to himself, unable to contain a grin.

WC: 400
TWC: 2060

[EXIT]