In the light of the mid-morning sun, a hawk stands perched on a ledge atop the Kazekage tower and overlooks the desert village below. It puffs its chest out and ruffles its feathers before preening them clean, taking great care to not disturb the rolled up scroll bound to one of its legs. For many generations, the hawk has become many things to a village. They have become companions to their caretakers, sentries of their village, and most importantly our messengers. They have been trusted to carry out correspondence across countries through harsh terrains like ever-rolling sand dunes, towering mountains, freezing rain and snow, and wind that could knock a mighty man down if they are careless. This hawk had to make its journey today, and with a brief rest to prepare for its journey ahead concluded, it fans out its impressive wingspan and dives off of the tower. The wind catches under its feathers and a heavy updraft is enough to lift and carry the hawk across the sky in a steady glide that helps conserve its energy.
From the ground below, an academy instructor named Taheiji looks up in time to watch the small speck above that is the hawk cut through some of the clouds lazily drifting across the sky. Some things there was no point wasting the village hawks' time on, and that was usually more local deliveries. Typically it was left to hardworking villagers to get the mail out, but this was a more private matter and the client was rich enough to afford the added fees that came with reaching out to shinobi. The listing bored the more experienced shinobi, so if it were not for the academy looking into the menial tasks, it might have been left to gather dust no matter how much they paid. It was a good way to integrate the children into getting used to the bureaucratic procedure behind missions and get them experienced with working with a large range of clients. Whether they be kind and grateful for the assistance, angry and indignant, or simply arrogant and entitled these were all people that the shinobi would have to protect and treat with respect; even in small amounts. "Are we almost there?" Kou asks up to Taheiji as she walks beside of him. Normally after getting briefed on the paperwork, the children were left alone to see to the task, but this instructor worried about the impoverished blind child finding the Diamond District.
It might have been skirting the edge of the rules, but in his mind, he felt like he was giving her a fair chance. "Almost." He tells her calmly, "Now once we are by the yard, I can no longer lead you. You will be on your own in finding out where to deliver your client's letter. Ask as many questions as you need to to get your job done properly, is that understood?" Kou nods her head firmly and tells him, "Hai, it's understood. I will not let the village down." An exaggeration of important to most, perhaps, but Kou was still brimming with excitement at the thought of her first village. Whether or not she would even be able to graduate was a question that had been debated for some time during her time in the academy. Now, she felt like she was catching her second wind and making great strides in her training. The pair walked together in silence after that, the instructor satisfied that Kou would take this mission seriously, and passed the massive green manicured lawns that stretched before the lofty estates. Soon they reach the address that matched what was recorded for the mission. "Here we are. Walk down the walkway and knock on the door, then await further instruction. I will be returning to the academy. You should be able to find your way back."
Taheiji calmly turns around with his hands behind his back and leaves the child on her own. He wasn't going to hand everything to her on a silver platter, or hold her hand and babysit her, but he had done his part in making sure she could learn her way around without sacrificing efficiency with the mission. Kou gathers a deep breath to build her courage and strides down the tiled path leading up to the building. The sounds drifting through on the air were different here. It had less to bounce off of than the packed in village streets, so it was a bit harder to make out what was in the distance around her, and she could hear blades of grass rustling to the sound of the gentle breeze that sometimes offered some relief from the heat. It felt isolated and wasn't as peaceful as what she was used to, but she could see why many of the clans and wealthy citizens would pay as much as they do for a plot of land here. When Kou climbs up onto the doorstep, she reaches out her hand to feel the surface of the door. It was enough to find that the knocker stretched just out of her reach, so she simply knocked on the door with a firm tap of her knuckles.
"Excuse me? Kishimoto Ienobu? I'm here to deliver the letter." She calls out and behind it, she can hear the echoed sounds of someone fumbling and running to the door. It opens and a young disheveled man with dark hair and eyes peeks through the crack in it to see who was there. He looks down and sees the student, a faint frown forming on his features. Part of him had been expecting that they'd pawn off this important task to one of the shinobi in training, but he was hoping that they would at least send him a fully functional one! "At least you will not be able to sneak a peek at the letter.." He absently thought out loud, much to his embarrassment when he notices Kou's confused expression. "Never you mind about that." He assures, forcing out an awkward laugh just before he pats the young girl atop her head. "Thank you for helping me. Today, I am trusting my life in your hands miss...miss..." He trails off awkwardly and rolls his wrist in a motion to encourage Kou to introduce herself. She bows respectfully and offers to him, "Onishi Kou, at your service." He laughs once more, the sound much more genuine at the girl's respectful and almost subservient demeanor, "Miss Kou. So I trust that you will do well. Wait here."
He turns back and disappears behind the door, creating the sounds of more clutter being rooted for before he returns with a rolled scroll. It has been bound in its center with a lustrous blue silk ribbon and a wax seal with an ornate clan crest of an elegant horse reared back proudly. "Now, this is to go over to the estate three doors down from here on the path you came, and if the woman asks who sent it just tell her that it's all in the letter. Okay?" He reaches out and tries to clasp the young girl's hands to physically place the scroll within them. Kou's brow dips in minor annoyance but she nods her head resolutely. "I understand. I will deliver this post-haste." With one last bow offered to the client, Kou turns and hops down the steps to leave down the pathway at a run, hoping to deliver this letter as quickly as possible. It did not take long after turning back onto the sidewalk and running alongside of the lawn to realize just how far 'three doors down' really was here. Gradually she slowed her pace to a jog to make sure she wouldn't tire herself out and controls her breathing. She wouldn't be able to hear anything around her at all if she was panting and wheezing in exhaustion. Kou shifts her course just enough so that one foot would constantly be running in the grass while the other stayed on the walkway that connected the buildings.
She might be risking getting chastised for stepping on the precious greens, but it was one of the only ways she'd know for sure when she was passing a home. The soft carpet of vegetation would give way to a short square tile before returning to the grass, the mark of another walkway passed. She hums a faint, jostled melody to herself as she jogs to pass the time, but tries to stay alert to her surroundings. Nearly fifteen minutes had passed by the time she reached the tiles that would lead to the address of the woman courted, and Kou has to skid to a halt to keep herself from passing it. The girl breathes an inner sigh of relief and hurries down the path to the front steps. It would be at least another fifteen minutes going the other direction, maybe sooner if she pushed herself and ran the entire way, but the sooner she could return the better received she'd probably be. Climbing the step, Kou is about to knock on the front door when a low, wary growl resounds from a few feet to her right. It makes her freeze up in the movement and turn to better listen to what was near.
A tawny brown dog climbs to its feet from where it had been laying to take a nap in the sunlight and crouches down low with its coat flared up in a defensive posture. Kou's heart sank nervously, she didn't want to have to hurt an animal and she didn't want to be its new chew toy either. She had to think of something and think of it fast. She didn't pack any food with her since Kou didn't expect to be out too long, so distracting it that way was unfortunately not an option. "Easy...who's a good boy? Girl?" She tries to gently sooth the creature, moving slowly to get closer to the door, "I'm not going to hurt you. Just here to deliver something..." A renewed snarl comes from the slavering creatures mouth and it starts to paw closer to Kou. That's her cue to rapidly knock on the door and turn to bolt the opposite direction of the dog. She normally didn't 'knock and ditch' but she couldn't exactly stand there and wait on the woman. The dog bolts to try to catch up with the girl, but she's already tucked the roll under her arm and started to carefully maneuver through the hand-seals she learned from her classes.
She had a handful of tricks that she could try to keep from hurting the creature, so she turns on her toes to spin around and face the dog. Concentrating on it, Kou holds steadfast even as the dog refuses to stop running towards her. That run becomes a trot, and that trot, slows to a careful padding and the dog comes to a stop to fight a slow lazy yawn. The sun was shining just right on the porch and it didn't have a long enough nap, so with the coaxing from Kou's Genjutsu, it warily eyes the girl and lays back down. A snore rumbles in its chest and it's out like a light. Kou starts to relax, still shaking from the fear in the moment, but she can hear the sound of the door opening nearby. "Hello?" A young woman asks, stepping out from behind the door to look around for the source of the knocking. Kou tries to run back over towards her and bows deeply in apology, still panting from her racing heart. "H-hello! Onishi Kou, student of Sunagakure's Academy. I am here to deliver a letter to you ma'am." She holds out the scroll and prays in her mind that her quick retreat did not smudge or damage it in any way. The ribbon might not be as pristine as it once was, but it was still in one piece at least.
"Oh? A letter?" The olive-skinned woman asks as she reaches down to take it from Kou to inspect it. The young woman looked about the man's age but was much more well-groomed and stood in a fine green kimono that accentuated her figure, with auburn hair that rolled down her shoulders in fluid waves. She unfurls the scroll and her amber eyes drift across the words written on it in silence, leaving Kou to patiently wait on her to finish. Her tanned cheeks glow with the warmth of her blush, but she clears her throat to keep her composure and stately manner upheld in front of the child. "Thank you, Kou. Please wait here a moment. I wish to deliver my response." Kou nods and lets the woman step back into her house and return with an oddly plain scrap of parchment. "I hope that the dog did not give you too much trouble. He does not like newcomers." Kou might be able to think of a sarcastic remark or two, but keeps them to herself. "Oh not at all. Once we got to know each other, everything was just fine." Kou can hear the lazy grumble of a growl, a sign that the Genjutsu was most likely wearing off. She had a hard time maintaining it while speaking to the woman before her.
"I-I'll get this to him right away ma'am! Thank you very much for your time." The blind child manages one final bow before darting off of the steps and back down the walkway. She did not stop running the entire way out of fear that it might just allow the dog to catch up with her and get its revenge. At least she ended up arriving at Ienobu's home sooner than she did before, even if she was about to collapse in exhaustion. With a weak hand she tries to tap it on the door, getting knocked backwards after it swings open immediately. Ienobu, waiting anxiously behind the door for Kou's return, looks around to find the child only to find her dazed on the ground. "Oh! Kou, are you alright?!" He asks, hurrying over to her side. "And more importantly, did she send anything back with you?" One could not fault the young man for having his priorities. Kou weakly holds up the parchment and gets it snatched out of her hand. His eyes dart as he reads it rapidly, but his expression saddens considerably.
"It pains me to inform you..." He mutters and reads off the letter, "That a dowry has been paid to my father already. Unless you can exceed it, I am to be betrothed to another. I understand if that is too much to ask, and hope that you too can understand my reasons. As the eldest daughter of the family, I must uphold my duty." His eyes start to water at first, but something catches his eyes, "However one of my sisters might be interested in meeting a poet as refined and sophisticated as you have proven to be." Frozen, the man brightens with a newfound eagerness and enthusiasm which radiates off of the smile he shines down Kou's way. "It might not have been what I was hoping for, but there is still hope! Thank you, Kou. The offices should have your payment for the delivery. I must get ready to visit and meet some lovely desert blossoms. Farewell!"
He strides back inside and slams the door shut behind him, and Kou gathers herself back up. She dusts her clothes off and looks around, looking confused about what had just happened. Still, the job was done and Kou did not fail in it, so she turned around to set off back to the village proper to report the success! This minor mission had a few more perils than she had anticipated, but it would only be the beginning and hopefully it would show the village and academy that she was not to be underestimated.
From the ground below, an academy instructor named Taheiji looks up in time to watch the small speck above that is the hawk cut through some of the clouds lazily drifting across the sky. Some things there was no point wasting the village hawks' time on, and that was usually more local deliveries. Typically it was left to hardworking villagers to get the mail out, but this was a more private matter and the client was rich enough to afford the added fees that came with reaching out to shinobi. The listing bored the more experienced shinobi, so if it were not for the academy looking into the menial tasks, it might have been left to gather dust no matter how much they paid. It was a good way to integrate the children into getting used to the bureaucratic procedure behind missions and get them experienced with working with a large range of clients. Whether they be kind and grateful for the assistance, angry and indignant, or simply arrogant and entitled these were all people that the shinobi would have to protect and treat with respect; even in small amounts. "Are we almost there?" Kou asks up to Taheiji as she walks beside of him. Normally after getting briefed on the paperwork, the children were left alone to see to the task, but this instructor worried about the impoverished blind child finding the Diamond District.
It might have been skirting the edge of the rules, but in his mind, he felt like he was giving her a fair chance. "Almost." He tells her calmly, "Now once we are by the yard, I can no longer lead you. You will be on your own in finding out where to deliver your client's letter. Ask as many questions as you need to to get your job done properly, is that understood?" Kou nods her head firmly and tells him, "Hai, it's understood. I will not let the village down." An exaggeration of important to most, perhaps, but Kou was still brimming with excitement at the thought of her first village. Whether or not she would even be able to graduate was a question that had been debated for some time during her time in the academy. Now, she felt like she was catching her second wind and making great strides in her training. The pair walked together in silence after that, the instructor satisfied that Kou would take this mission seriously, and passed the massive green manicured lawns that stretched before the lofty estates. Soon they reach the address that matched what was recorded for the mission. "Here we are. Walk down the walkway and knock on the door, then await further instruction. I will be returning to the academy. You should be able to find your way back."
Taheiji calmly turns around with his hands behind his back and leaves the child on her own. He wasn't going to hand everything to her on a silver platter, or hold her hand and babysit her, but he had done his part in making sure she could learn her way around without sacrificing efficiency with the mission. Kou gathers a deep breath to build her courage and strides down the tiled path leading up to the building. The sounds drifting through on the air were different here. It had less to bounce off of than the packed in village streets, so it was a bit harder to make out what was in the distance around her, and she could hear blades of grass rustling to the sound of the gentle breeze that sometimes offered some relief from the heat. It felt isolated and wasn't as peaceful as what she was used to, but she could see why many of the clans and wealthy citizens would pay as much as they do for a plot of land here. When Kou climbs up onto the doorstep, she reaches out her hand to feel the surface of the door. It was enough to find that the knocker stretched just out of her reach, so she simply knocked on the door with a firm tap of her knuckles.
"Excuse me? Kishimoto Ienobu? I'm here to deliver the letter." She calls out and behind it, she can hear the echoed sounds of someone fumbling and running to the door. It opens and a young disheveled man with dark hair and eyes peeks through the crack in it to see who was there. He looks down and sees the student, a faint frown forming on his features. Part of him had been expecting that they'd pawn off this important task to one of the shinobi in training, but he was hoping that they would at least send him a fully functional one! "At least you will not be able to sneak a peek at the letter.." He absently thought out loud, much to his embarrassment when he notices Kou's confused expression. "Never you mind about that." He assures, forcing out an awkward laugh just before he pats the young girl atop her head. "Thank you for helping me. Today, I am trusting my life in your hands miss...miss..." He trails off awkwardly and rolls his wrist in a motion to encourage Kou to introduce herself. She bows respectfully and offers to him, "Onishi Kou, at your service." He laughs once more, the sound much more genuine at the girl's respectful and almost subservient demeanor, "Miss Kou. So I trust that you will do well. Wait here."
He turns back and disappears behind the door, creating the sounds of more clutter being rooted for before he returns with a rolled scroll. It has been bound in its center with a lustrous blue silk ribbon and a wax seal with an ornate clan crest of an elegant horse reared back proudly. "Now, this is to go over to the estate three doors down from here on the path you came, and if the woman asks who sent it just tell her that it's all in the letter. Okay?" He reaches out and tries to clasp the young girl's hands to physically place the scroll within them. Kou's brow dips in minor annoyance but she nods her head resolutely. "I understand. I will deliver this post-haste." With one last bow offered to the client, Kou turns and hops down the steps to leave down the pathway at a run, hoping to deliver this letter as quickly as possible. It did not take long after turning back onto the sidewalk and running alongside of the lawn to realize just how far 'three doors down' really was here. Gradually she slowed her pace to a jog to make sure she wouldn't tire herself out and controls her breathing. She wouldn't be able to hear anything around her at all if she was panting and wheezing in exhaustion. Kou shifts her course just enough so that one foot would constantly be running in the grass while the other stayed on the walkway that connected the buildings.
She might be risking getting chastised for stepping on the precious greens, but it was one of the only ways she'd know for sure when she was passing a home. The soft carpet of vegetation would give way to a short square tile before returning to the grass, the mark of another walkway passed. She hums a faint, jostled melody to herself as she jogs to pass the time, but tries to stay alert to her surroundings. Nearly fifteen minutes had passed by the time she reached the tiles that would lead to the address of the woman courted, and Kou has to skid to a halt to keep herself from passing it. The girl breathes an inner sigh of relief and hurries down the path to the front steps. It would be at least another fifteen minutes going the other direction, maybe sooner if she pushed herself and ran the entire way, but the sooner she could return the better received she'd probably be. Climbing the step, Kou is about to knock on the front door when a low, wary growl resounds from a few feet to her right. It makes her freeze up in the movement and turn to better listen to what was near.
A tawny brown dog climbs to its feet from where it had been laying to take a nap in the sunlight and crouches down low with its coat flared up in a defensive posture. Kou's heart sank nervously, she didn't want to have to hurt an animal and she didn't want to be its new chew toy either. She had to think of something and think of it fast. She didn't pack any food with her since Kou didn't expect to be out too long, so distracting it that way was unfortunately not an option. "Easy...who's a good boy? Girl?" She tries to gently sooth the creature, moving slowly to get closer to the door, "I'm not going to hurt you. Just here to deliver something..." A renewed snarl comes from the slavering creatures mouth and it starts to paw closer to Kou. That's her cue to rapidly knock on the door and turn to bolt the opposite direction of the dog. She normally didn't 'knock and ditch' but she couldn't exactly stand there and wait on the woman. The dog bolts to try to catch up with the girl, but she's already tucked the roll under her arm and started to carefully maneuver through the hand-seals she learned from her classes.
She had a handful of tricks that she could try to keep from hurting the creature, so she turns on her toes to spin around and face the dog. Concentrating on it, Kou holds steadfast even as the dog refuses to stop running towards her. That run becomes a trot, and that trot, slows to a careful padding and the dog comes to a stop to fight a slow lazy yawn. The sun was shining just right on the porch and it didn't have a long enough nap, so with the coaxing from Kou's Genjutsu, it warily eyes the girl and lays back down. A snore rumbles in its chest and it's out like a light. Kou starts to relax, still shaking from the fear in the moment, but she can hear the sound of the door opening nearby. "Hello?" A young woman asks, stepping out from behind the door to look around for the source of the knocking. Kou tries to run back over towards her and bows deeply in apology, still panting from her racing heart. "H-hello! Onishi Kou, student of Sunagakure's Academy. I am here to deliver a letter to you ma'am." She holds out the scroll and prays in her mind that her quick retreat did not smudge or damage it in any way. The ribbon might not be as pristine as it once was, but it was still in one piece at least.
"Oh? A letter?" The olive-skinned woman asks as she reaches down to take it from Kou to inspect it. The young woman looked about the man's age but was much more well-groomed and stood in a fine green kimono that accentuated her figure, with auburn hair that rolled down her shoulders in fluid waves. She unfurls the scroll and her amber eyes drift across the words written on it in silence, leaving Kou to patiently wait on her to finish. Her tanned cheeks glow with the warmth of her blush, but she clears her throat to keep her composure and stately manner upheld in front of the child. "Thank you, Kou. Please wait here a moment. I wish to deliver my response." Kou nods and lets the woman step back into her house and return with an oddly plain scrap of parchment. "I hope that the dog did not give you too much trouble. He does not like newcomers." Kou might be able to think of a sarcastic remark or two, but keeps them to herself. "Oh not at all. Once we got to know each other, everything was just fine." Kou can hear the lazy grumble of a growl, a sign that the Genjutsu was most likely wearing off. She had a hard time maintaining it while speaking to the woman before her.
"I-I'll get this to him right away ma'am! Thank you very much for your time." The blind child manages one final bow before darting off of the steps and back down the walkway. She did not stop running the entire way out of fear that it might just allow the dog to catch up with her and get its revenge. At least she ended up arriving at Ienobu's home sooner than she did before, even if she was about to collapse in exhaustion. With a weak hand she tries to tap it on the door, getting knocked backwards after it swings open immediately. Ienobu, waiting anxiously behind the door for Kou's return, looks around to find the child only to find her dazed on the ground. "Oh! Kou, are you alright?!" He asks, hurrying over to her side. "And more importantly, did she send anything back with you?" One could not fault the young man for having his priorities. Kou weakly holds up the parchment and gets it snatched out of her hand. His eyes dart as he reads it rapidly, but his expression saddens considerably.
"It pains me to inform you..." He mutters and reads off the letter, "That a dowry has been paid to my father already. Unless you can exceed it, I am to be betrothed to another. I understand if that is too much to ask, and hope that you too can understand my reasons. As the eldest daughter of the family, I must uphold my duty." His eyes start to water at first, but something catches his eyes, "However one of my sisters might be interested in meeting a poet as refined and sophisticated as you have proven to be." Frozen, the man brightens with a newfound eagerness and enthusiasm which radiates off of the smile he shines down Kou's way. "It might not have been what I was hoping for, but there is still hope! Thank you, Kou. The offices should have your payment for the delivery. I must get ready to visit and meet some lovely desert blossoms. Farewell!"
He strides back inside and slams the door shut behind him, and Kou gathers herself back up. She dusts her clothes off and looks around, looking confused about what had just happened. Still, the job was done and Kou did not fail in it, so she turned around to set off back to the village proper to report the success! This minor mission had a few more perils than she had anticipated, but it would only be the beginning and hopefully it would show the village and academy that she was not to be underestimated.