COMPLETING "A NINJA RIDE-ALONG!"
TAGGING ALONG FOR "FIND THE GOLDEN FRUIT"
Shojin awoke in his rather poor quality bed. He'd gotten a frame for it recently, which was a huge step up from his mattress on the floor. He'd made a particularly good sword that had brought his family in enough money to live for the next month or so, and all he wanted from the profit was a bed-frame. He'd gone to a friend's house last week and saw that they had one, and for some reason, since then, he couldn't shake the desire to acquire his own.
The quality, of course, was agonizingly low. It was made of mostly dry-rotted wood that creaked in groaning pain each and every time he moved. Not just that, but the springs would squeek in a manner that could be heard all throughout the little house his family lived in. It was a poor color too, if it could be called a color. There were, at least, small scraps of white pain remaining where the degrading wood hadn't chipped off in the outer-most layer, removing the paint and wearing rather thin in some spots. He arose from the bed rather gingerly, worried that moving with too much force could break a leg.
He found himself reaching for the floor with his legs when he did so, as he was used to the ground being only a few inches lower from where his body was. Today was a big day. He was to meet with a team of some senior Genin - real ninja! - who were to take the Chuunin Exams soon and follow them about, taking notes as they worked in an attempt to learn as much as he could throughout the day. A grin stretched his mouth wide as he burst into the kitchen, where his mother was hard at work on breakfast.
She had promised to give him last night off in the smithy so as to have plenty of rest for what he was going to do today. It was a big deal to him to start networking with ninja who may soon be Chuunin, and even a Jounin who could very well be his own mentor when he graduated, or a friend of his mentor. Still, he would have to backpay the time that he missed in the shop, but that did little to bring down his mood.
Shojin scarfed down the food that his mother had put on a plate for him. He barely even had time to realize what he was eating before it was already gone. Some eggs, bacon (was it regular or turkey bacon?) and either oatmeal or grits had disappeared in the matter of twelve seconds, and two seconds later he was already out the door.
He met one of the Genin he was to be shadowing outside of the academy. Seeing only one, however, Shojin found himself asking where the others were. "It's just me today. They don't usually let us work alone, but I'm basically already guaranteed to be a Chuunin as soon as the exams come around, so they trust me more than the other Genin."
To someone who was already a Ninja, it would be obvious this just meant the village was a bit short-handed today. To Shojin, however, this was the coolest thing ever. "Wait do you mean I get to work with someone who's basically already a Chuunin?! That's awesome!" Shojin nearly leapt in excitement with what he was saying, completely oblivious to the fact that this boy, a few years older than Shojin, was just a bragg art.
Shojin followed the boy to his Jounin mentor, and after a few words of introductions and some hand shaking, the Jounin woman began breaking down what was expected of his Genin partner today. Essentially, there was some odd, expensive golden sculpture of an apple that had gone missing, and the two had to track it down. Why someone would use something expensive like gold to make an apple was beyond Shojin's comprehension, but that didn't matter. He was about to do some good old-fashioned detective work! When the Genin, who's name Shojin finally learned was Kogi, took off, Shojin was quick to follow - pleased to find he was just as fast. Of course, Shojin was faster than most kids in the academy too.
Shojin followed Kogi around for hours. They approached countless people, asking the exact same question. "Hey, have you seen this sculpture?" Just to be mostly, if not completely, ignored. His head hurt. The entire day passed, and they made no headway. Frustrated, Shojin had suggested multiple courses of action multiple times. Everything from being a bit more subtle about questioning, to at least talking to the people from whom the sculpture was stolen. Kogi, however, had declined every suggestion.
It was well into the night before Kogi finally gave up. Kogi's Jounin mentor, Kamori, had come to check on the two, wondering if they were all right. "No we're not all right! This is stupid! No one knows anything about the damned thing! I'm not just going to keep asking around when no one knows anything!" And Kogi stormed off. Just like that. Baffled, Shojin hesitated to follow, but Kamori gestured that he stay. He obeyed. She looked him up and down until Kogi was out of earshot before she spoke.
"Kogi is hot-headed, and on paper, he is a splendid ninja. He has never failed a mission. Today," Kamori produced a small golden apple with a twinkle in her eye. It was the one the two were looking for. "Today, he showed that that was entirely because of his teammates. Don't be like Kogi. He is hot headed, full of himself, and will not be getting my recommendation for the Chuunin Exams. I'd followed you two around, however, and you made a lot of valid suggestions. Great job!"
And so it would seem, in the end, Shojin had just learned mostly what not to do.
NINJA RIDE-ALONG! SUCCESS!
FIND THE GOLDEN FRUIT! FAILED!
Words: 1,008
Fri Aug 12, 2022 9:45 am by Guest
