Remedial Ninjas assemble

[Yamanaka Tsuruko]

"I know its 'normal' and whatever, but like, i dunno, its always just felt like training children to kill and act as soldiers to defend a nation without giving them a choice in the matter was kinda off ya know? Something about it just doesn't sit right with me. And then we encounter other kids with just as little choice... Eeehh..."

 

[Hishimoto Chiaso]

"I mean...You could just resign and just work at that flower shop or something. You at least got something you're okay at outside of this, I'm only mildly good at being a ninja."

Chiaso rolled his eyes. He's heard her say that like ten times by now. Not like he wanted to go around killing people, but that wasn't every mission...Especially not at genin.

 

[Yamanaka Tsuruko]

"I mean, that's what i did, but like. That hasn't gone well ether so, like, whatever" She waves off the thought, not wanting to dwell on it any longer. It seems she'd rather adopt a devil may care attitude to life or something. She wanders another few paces before changing the subject. "Do you really not get them hounding you to join stuff? When did you last check your mail?"

 

[Hishimoto Chiaso]

"I told you earlier. They keep sending me missions. I'm still working as a genin, so..."

Chiaso shrugs.

"They're going to keep giving me crappy jobs until they arbitrarily say I'm good enough. I know I usually don't care about this stuff, but the jobs they have me doing are nearly always physical labor or the crap no one else wants to do. I'm aiming to get chuunin so I can do less work. You know, main branch stuff like standing at the gate checking visitors. That's easy, basically a desk job.."

 

[Yamanaka Tsuruko]

"Yeah? You didn't suddenly find that some rival clan sent ninja's that are way more experienced to... I don't know. Salt the earth or something? Steal seeds? Leading to a some ridiculous battle to the death over farming supplies?"

She'd say, as if speaking form some measure of experience, or perhaps just retelling some rumor.

"I thought that kind of thing was basically how stuff usually goes"

 

[Hishimoto Chiaso]

"Maybe what some genin tell academy students to make the crappy jobs we get sound cooler....But I have a feeling that they most send this stuff my way. Total bull..."

Chiaso says, hands going to his pockets as they continued on through the streets, the genin looking up at the sky.

"Basically just glorified civil servants until you get somewhere.."

 

[Yamanaka Tsuruko]

"Maybe you've just been lucky. That doesn't sound so bad to me... Are you seriously disappointed that no one was trying to kill you?"

She'd laugh dryly, then sigh and begin to mumble under her breath as she wanders down the street, taking a brief glance behind her.

"I swear, everyone here is insane but me..."

 

[Hishimoto Chiaso]

"What? No, you don't get it... It's about balancing the whole thing. Do I want to go around killing people, or capturing people for whatever the higher ups need? Not especially. Do I want to spend about ten to twelve hours farming? HELL no. The upside of getting out of genin is that I may get easier work that's more mentally taxing than physically taxing. You get it?"

 

[Yamanaka Tsuruko]

"I swear, those kinds of things happen all the time, even for Genin. Its practically a meat grinder out there. I heard someone lost an arm the other day!"

She exclaims with complete earnestness, turning toward him and gesturing with her hands.

"I think it got reattached somehow, but still."

 

[Hishimoto Chiaso]

"Yeah, trust me. It's not that exciting. I think you're just scaring yourself to make it look worse than it is. Don't get me wrong, the work is awful...But yeah. Not really going around getting into fights constantly unless it specifically wants us to do that, Tsu."

He'd give a slight sigh.

 

[Yamanaka Tsuruko]

"I'm serious! My brother had two kills by the time he was Eight!... You've actually been really lucky if you haven't seen anything like that... Of course, hes a psycho so, its something hes really proud of... I ran when it happened in my first mission, i mean, what was i gonna do? Kill another kid just 'cus he happened to be born somewhere else?"

 

[Hishimoto Chiaso]

He'd shake his head.

"It's not like I haven't seen stuff like that...But it's hardly what happens every day. If a mission usually is general work and not really a mission that you'd expect a shinobi to do, it's pretty uneventful, boring, and hurts my back for the rest of the week..."

 

[Hoshirei]

Hoshirei had been in her office since very early in the morning and was currently nursing her fourth cup of coffee while going through the files of the shinobi under her purview. She had come across a couple who she noted could use a bit of a mentor, another who needed a rather stern talking to, and one who was well on his way to becoming a civilian if he didn't shape up soon. She could hardly believe how much of a mess some of her shinobi were but understood that you always had all sorts. She was used to that with the clan after all.

Finally finished with the last file, she gathered them all, stood up, and replaced them in their secure storage. She then walked to her window in time to see a pair of shinobi walking and talking together past the building. She recognized their faces from the files she had just finished going through. It might be interesting to have a discussion with them. She turned back to her desk and quickly wrote a message summoning them both to the Main Branch Sennin's office post haste and sent it off with a little summoned red fox who would reverse summon itself after delivering the message to Chisao and Tsuruko. Now, she just had to wait for them to come.

 

[Yamanaka Tsuruko]

As they closed in on Hoshirei's building, Tsuruko suddenly would suddenly freeze as the fox comes out to meet them. Concerned, she looks up to the windows for a moment before kneeling back down to receive the message. She opens it, reads it, and hands it to Chisao with a consistent frown. Something about this felt quite unsettling. "You know, i didn't send a letter or anything asking if we could come... Isn't this like, kinda creepy? I dunno."

 

[Hishimoto Chiaso]

He'd glance to the fox, then to the letter as Chiaso was handed it. He'd give it a look ove,r before shrugging. "I'm not surprised. The higher ups got eyes and ears everywhere. Plus our records aren't exactly spotless...We've probably been on their shit list for a whole." Chiaso sighs, glancing to Tsu.

 

[Yamanaka Tsuruko]

"Almost don't want to go in now" She'd say as she starts wandering again, continuing on into the building to attend this 'planned meeting'. She glances back toward Chisao to make sure he was coming a long, then continues inside if he was, a little concerned now that she was here.

 

[Hishimoto Chiaso]

Chiaso followed along, huffing as even Tsu suddenly seemed unsure of herself. Oh well, what's the worst that could happen? Chiaso needed to talk to the main branch sennin at some point anyways, as that was the branch he was planning on joining. The other two he really didn't want to join...

 

[Hoshirei]

Hoshirei stood at the window in her office looking out while waiting for the two young shinobi to join her. It would not take them long to enter the building and make their way to her door. Before either of them could knock, Hoshirei opened the door and smiled softly at Chisao and Tsuruko. The woman before them stood tall in her heeled sandals. She had her long hair pulled back in a French braid that trailed over her left shoulder and down to her waist. The sennin was in her usual red and black garb consisting of a pair of red leggings and a black tank top. If they looked behind her, Chisao and Tsuruko would see her flak jacket hanging on the back of Hoshirei's office chair. To the right of the desk was a medium-sized dog bed with the most peculiar-looking fox they had probably ever seen. She was silvery blue, had eyes so blue they seemed to glow, and black horns upon her head. Kayo lifted her head from her forepaws when Hoshirei opened the door and inspected the two before her summoner before relaxing once more.

"Welcome, Tsukuro and Chisao. Come in and have a seat," she said and waived them in. Once they entered she would close the door and make her way back to her chair. "I wanted to talk to you both today to see how best the main branch can support you in your growth as a shinobi. If you would like a mentor or to take classes, they are available to you, but I would like to hear from you first the answer to this question: why did you become a shinobi and why do you continue in the profession?"

 

[Yamanaka Tsuruko]

Once stepping inside the office, Tsuruko takes a moment to admire the fox. "Yeah, ah, hi we were just on our way here actually you know..." She takes a seat as suggested, crossing one leg over the other and resting her hands in her lap. Hoshirei's question left her a little confused, wondering if she was meant to play along in some word game before she shakes the idea out of her head, deciding to take the risk of speaking earnestly.

"Well, you could say that i'm only choosing to now. Most don't exactly get a choice right? Get trained from an early age... And i guess i haven't been continuing the profession right... I like, did actually try to quit but, now I want to take it more seriously. As for why..." She looks away, frowning, a little uncomfortable as she has to think. "Well, it turns out civilian life hasn't been the best time either. And it's probably better i get sent into a dangerous situation than a kid, right?" She huffs, looking off to the fox again, sure that her answer wasn't what anyone wanted to hear.

 

[Hishimoto Chiaso]

Chiaso made his way in with Tsu, his eyes going to the weird...Dog? Fox? Thing? Whatever it was, he's pretty sure they're not supposed to have horns. Oh well. Turning his attention back to the sennin, Chiaso wore his usual tired and dull voice. He'd watch Tsu as she answered first, not too intent on being the first one to reply to what the sennin had opened up with. This question was going to be a hard one. Why was he still a ninja? He made a whole deal about it earlier to Tsu, but saying that in front of the main branch sennin was a sure way to get himself removed.

Well, there was always lying. Chiaso was pretty good at that, usually through feigning interest in being somewhere or giving someone an empty complement that had no base in reality. Once Tsu wrapped up and the attention turned to Chiaso, he'd give a sigh. "I'm a shinobi because my parents wanted me to be one, everyone in the village is required to at least take basic training, and I'm continuing to do this profession because my other options are lack luster at best. Which is saying a lot because I'm not the best ninja." Chiaos says, leaning back in his seat. While his records showed he certainly lacked drive, he had a surprising amount of ability and skill when it came to genjutsu. To the extent that one teach from the academy underlined the fact you need to press Chiaso to get any results, but that it certainly was possible.