Crashed the Wedding

Mission specs:

Stat page:

What should have been a lovely date with his significant other quickly turned into something else, business before pleasure if you may. Akaboshi had planned quite the day, with the upcoming festival going on the Uzumaki figured it could make quite the memory for Reminisce and himself if it wasn't for the mission slip he received in the mail. Of course someone decided to ruin all the fun and have him be responsible for patrolling the village while the event was going on, lucky as always. Although he was used to being assigned tasks like these the Jounin had hoped for some time to enjoy instead of having to deal with any trouble.

However, as a shinobi of Hoshigakure the redhead was aware he should always expect to be called upon in times of need. So instead of the casual clothes he had picked out Akaboshi put on his Jounin Flak Jacket before heading out, hoping he was able to finish up quickly with some time left for his date. Leaving his house the Uzumaki reached for the pack of cigarettes in one of his side pockets before lighting one up. Taking a drag, inhaling deeply followed by blowing the smoke away the red haired shinobi made his way to the location described in the mission slip.

Arriving well ahead of time Akaboshi noticed the event had yet to begin. Some people had already found their way to the village hoping to enjoy the festival but so far nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Just like with the Chuunin Exams that took place a while ago the Uzumaki expected evertyhing to run smoothly.

(WC: 274)

The young wolf would answer his door, another message from the village with an assignment from his superiors. He would take a swig of his water as he read the task at hand he almost lost it. A festival? The wolf would nearly do a spit take upon reading these words. It was good to know that the village trusted him in such a situation, as an unexpected outburst or transformation would lead to an unspeakable amount of bloodshed. This was another step in the right direction, the village putting their trust in him once more and really showcasing just how far he had progressed since his exile. 

It would not take very long for Loghain to get dressed and ready to complete this guard duty assignment. He would find himself at the Hoshi gates, the guards giving him an odd look. Loghain knew the drill, and so he would wait until approached by whichever guard would draw that "short stick" and have to escort the young wolf through the village. Luckily this escort would not have to be long, as the mission briefing informed him that there would be a senior shinobi as his handler today. The young soldiers at the gate were not what anyone could call senior or experienced. The young soldier that ended up having to do the task instructed the wolf to move along and that he would follow behind at a comfortable distance. 

The village was bustling, various stalls and stands popping up from seemingly nowhere. There were games being played, food being cooked and civilians having a great time. The wolf would find himself at the rendezvous point where he would find himself in the presence of a friendly face. Akaboshi Uzumaki, the red headed Jounin of Hoshi. There were few, if any, that he trusted more in this village. The guard escort would make eye contact with the Jounin, nod and then leave the wolf in Akaboshi's capable hands. 

"I'm glad to see you. It feels like it has been far too long, friend." The wolf would state, a grin forming on his face. "I'm honestly a bit surprised to have been assigned a task with so many... people. Perhaps this means that the village truly suspects that I have this curse under control. Either that or this is the most despicable test I have ever seen." His final words were more for jest, not truly showcasing how he felt, as he had no reason to believe that the village would put all of these civilians in danger. "You think that there is much chance of us actually being needed here, or is it more a show of good faith?"

wc: 448

Aki looked over the mission briefing dumbfounded “A festival, basic guard work, Shinobi needed, this-this is great!” Aki bobbed up and down full of excitement and energy, This looked like a cinch, nothing overtly dangerous, good pay, and best of all if anything did come up he would have other ninja covering his back.

Aki clutched the mission scroll to his chest grinning, sure now he wasn’t on the village watch he could have actually attended one of these festivals for once, and got to have some fun. But jobs a job and someone gets to do it. After all the village needs protecting

Aki pulled on his shoes, cargo shorts, his red beach shirt, and his headband and looked at himself in the mirror. “Man I look…dumb” Harold was right, the ensemble he was wearing did look way to informal and offered no protection whatsoever, only the headband made him look like he was actually on duty, without it he would just be another festival goer. Aki frowned and twisted to get a better look, lamenting the loss of the village watch gear he handed back.
Still if the payoff for the mission was good he could get an actual uniform, or at least a set of kunai or something. All he had to do was hope that there was no one important that he could embarrass himself in front of. He was new and first impressions counted.

Stepping out the front door Aki proceeded up the crowded cobblestone streets keeping an eye out for his squad leader. The streets were filling with stalls and people were being hung across the street. “Wow, this looks awesome ” Aki whispered as he watched the villagers set up, elaborate lanterns and bunting were being carefully raised to hang gracefully over the cobblestone streets

Rounding the next corner he found the guard post, and was surprised to see that his co-workers had already arrived ahead of time, clearly shinobi were a cut above the village watch. Straightening his shirt Aki marched up to the “Aki Yamanaka, reporting in Sir” he said saluting to the red haired man in charge

Aki’s heart sank in his chest as he recognised the Jounin rank outfit, so much for not embarrassing himself in front of anyone important….why the hell was a Jounin on guard duty!?! 


WC 389

After some time of waiting a smile would appear on Akaboshi's face when the red haired Uzumaki noticed the appearance of Loghain, the young wolf he came to befriend. "Indeed it has, my friend. How have you been?". The Jounin gave a nod to the shinobi accompanying Sebastian, letting the man know he could return to his post. "One can only hope" the redhead replied to his companion's statement of finally being trusted by the higher ups. In his opinion it was about time they realized there would no longer be any reason to be afraid he'd lose control and put others in danger but on the other hand Akaboshi understood better to be safe than sorry.

Looking around the Uzumaki noticed more and more people had started showing up, a sign the festival was about to kick off and turn into a great success. "I don't think we'll be needed, it's probably to give the people a sense of safety in case something were to happen" the redhead explained his point of view. Given the peaceful state Hoshigakure was currently in the Jounin doubted anything out of the ordinary would be happening. Just when those thoughts left his mind Akaboshi noticed the arrival of a young Genin who looked like he was about to enjoy a day at the beach. 

Akaboshi waited til the boy finished his greeting before speaking up as well. "That's an interesting outfit kid. Well, considering we're at a festival it should be fine as long as we get the job done". Once the formalities were out of the way the Uzumaki decided to get a move on and have them patrol the village to make sure the event could run smoothly. Looking left and right he noticed a few couples here and there, something that changed his mood entirely. "That could have been me", with a sigh the Jounin continued patrolling the streets. "Let me know when you see something out of the ordinary". In case Loghain or Aki didn't pick up on anything strange he would simply complete making his rounds.

Assuming they were able to finish their task without any trouble Akaboshi would suggest the three of them to visit one of the many food stands to enjoy some of the local delicacies and perhaps even a drink. "What do you say boys? I think we deserved it". If they decided to agree he would lead them and order a couple of refreshments, hoping to enjoy a bit of the festival himself.

(Exit)

(TWC: 694)
Claims:
- 694 towards mastering Chakra Chains (using max stat discount)
- Mission rewards (4000 + 500 Jounin bonus ryo, 20 AP)

Approved

"That's an interesting outfit kid. Well, considering we're at a festival it should be fine as long as we get the job done"

Aki just smiled blankly back, ‘just take the complement’ Aki thought to himself, looking at the Jounin he couldn’t have been that much older than he was. One of the many virtues of being bald as people can’t place your age easily, although from what little reading Aki had done on his linage most Yamanakas were lucky enough to be gifted with full heads of blonde hair. Still at least it dried easy.

Patrol routes were quickly decided and Aki picked a good route that had plenty of good vantage points and was easily navigated by rooftop. Added bonus it also cut across the food court and Aki was hoping to get a quick bite if he could manage it. “I hope they have squid”

The afternoon rolled by as the festival proceeded apace, Aki watched from the rooftops keeping a good eye on the proceedings while also casually relaxing a little sitting down on the . His years as a village watch member had proved fruitful in sharpening his eyesight to pick out details others miss. So far over the course of his patrol he had already spotted and reported two pickpockets and also reunited a lost child with his grateful family. Aki took a bite of the squid he purchased and watched the crowd fondly, for most of his career his eyes had been purely aimed at what was going on outside the village, he had rarely had a chance to look inward and see its people and culture. Growing up on the village outskirts and having emigrated from earth country he now began to see this as somewhat of a failing. He was no longer just a village watchman doing a job he was a shinobi and a protector of the village, its way of life, and its culture. A little epiphany struck Aki that despite living here for the last 8 years he knew nothing about its culture at all.
Aki finished the squid, placing the sticks back in the box, and stood up watching over the streets, and stretched a little, he still had a few more rounds to do before the shift ended. But once that was done, he resolved that he would learn more about Hoshi and its history.

“Maybe I will go for that drink, chances are I might learn something new”
 
[Exit]
WC413
TWC 802
Claims
- Mission rewards 4100 Ryo (4000+100 genin bonus),  20 AP
+8 Chakra
 792 towards finishing Mind Body Transmission  (2500/2500)

10 words towards hiding with camo (634/1125)

Akaboshi would greet the wolf, nodding to let his escort know that things were under control. If the Jounin said that there likely would be no need for them, the words of the man would help sooth what few concerned Loghain would have regarding this mission. While he was under control of his transformation almost completely now, the adrenaline fueled haze of combat was always a... weak point in the young man's willpower and control. The wolf seemingly hungered for bloodshed and destruction, and when Loghain gave in to these monstrous desires the lines between having control and not tended to blur more than he liked. "I am very glad to hear such a thing."

In no time at all another would approach, his casual attire much more fitting for a day on the sands of a beach than active duty. Luckily his headband was enough to allow the wolf to understand, along with his very official salute to their Jounin team leader. The young wolf would nod, "Pleasure to meet you, I am Sebastian Loghain." With Akaboshi's instruction, the team would move out, beginning their patrol of the festival.

The whole thing went about as smoothly as they expected. Nothing particularly dangerous or out of the ordinary would occur, and the petty crimes that did happen were eagerly handled by this Aki Yamanaka fellow. The wolf couldn't help but notice his friends shift in demeanor when he spotted other pairs of young couples, enjoying their time together at the festival without so much as a care in the world. It must have been pleasant, to be able to experience life through such a carefree lens. As shinobi, they often didn't have the luxury of such a thing. Still, it weighed on the wolf to see his friend like this. 

Once it was all said and done, their patrol finished and another taking their place, Akaboshi would offer to sit down and enjoy a meal. "Such is always a delight. I just hope that this time spent does not take away from time you could be spending with another." Loghain would add.



---Exit---

wc: 352

twc: 800


Claims:
16 AP
- 800 towards Ironhide (towards S rank)
- Mission rewards (4000 + 100 genin bonus ryo, 20 AP)

Approved