Mission name: What Lies Beneath Kirigakure
Mission rank: C-rank.
Objective: Sortie the Ranks
Location: Kirigakure no Sato
Reward: 300 Ryo +1 EP
Mission Description: Kirigakure is once again going to war! All over the Land of Water, the Hidden Village have been called to prepare for a united effort to quell the dissidents within the remnants of Sunagakure in order to promote a new peace.
Development References: What lies beneath
Mission Details: Ninja have been called to sortie and organize a plethora of tasks to ready the nation for the coming task at hand. Accumulating weapons, performing last minute checks on sailing craft and equipment, preparing supplies as well as accommodating last minute training to other ninja for the gruelling trip to the desert.

---

"Damnit, What am I doing wrong?" The boy asked himself as yet another one of his attempts to create the Dragon Lotus failed miserably, the sound of laughter came from behind him drawing his attention to his father. "What's so funny?" The boy asked a hint of anger in his tone, the laughter stopped abruptly as his father's eyes narrowed to a glare at the boy. "You best remember with who you are speaking boy," his father's words cold and spoken with an authority that said that the man would snap the boy's neck if the boy did not watch his tone with him. "I am sorry father, I just don't understand what I am doing wrong." The young boy stammered out as he cowered to his father, the man looked at his son in silence for a very long time as if he was sizing the boy up before he spoke. "Perhaps you are not ready, maybe you never will be. It's probably my fault I made the mistake of thinking you were worthy of your name."

"Matatsu. Matatsu, wake up." The voice rang in the male's ear, piercing through his dream and causing the young male to stir slightly bit still fight to stay asleep, the male was not yet ready to wake he had a late night and it was still too early he felt as if he had just closed his eyes to drift off to sleep. Normally the male would curse the name of the one who dared disturbed his slumber waking in a rage to tear their heads from their body, however this voice was different, the voice was soothing as well as kind and loving as would be expected of his mother's voice. "Matatsu, come now. Wake up!" He heard the voice ring again, though still kind in tone the voice was much louder than the first time causing the male to drowsily open one eye to look at it's source as if to ask what she wanted? The male could see the silhouette of his mother's form begin to come into focus as she moved closer to the bed, "come now it is time to go, we are here." The woman said as she slapped his cheek just hard enough to help the male wake up more before she started back towards the door, the young male blinked furiously as he tried to get his still sleepy eyes to focus. "Already?" He asked sleepily as his mother made it to the doorway of the room, "yes, Already." She said as she turned to look back at her son, "Now come on!" She stated with authority that said there would be no argument as she left the room. Though the male was pissed that she had woke him he would never stay mad at her, besides he was more excited by the fact that he was finally getting of the ship than he was upset. The male had gone days without sleep before and he would rather get to land and find a place to sleep than spend another minute in this rocking piece of crap that everyone calls a ship. Matatsu was not one for the life on a ship the male preferred the feeling of solid ground beneath his feet, the only reason he was on this damn ship was his mother. He did not question her reasoning nor had he tried to argue when she told them where it was that they were going. Since his father's death the two of them had made their long journey they never stayed in the same area very long, so as far as he was concerned this was just another stop before they moved around more that did not change the fact that he could not wait to his feet on land again.

Matatsu slowly sat up in the bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he looked around the room to find his clothes. The males eyes fell on the form of the woman still sleeping in the bed next to him, the woman had been his companion over the duration of his and his mother's journey across the sea and yet he did not even know her name. Their time together had been fun, but it was nothing special to the male just physical pleasure. He appriecated her company but it was never going to be permanent, now that he and his mother had reached their destination the male had no more use of her and that meant it was time for them to part ways. The boy did not know how the woman was able to stay asleep after his mother had come in and yelled as she had, but he figured it was a better break this way as he had things to take care of and did not need the extra drama of telling her she was not coming with him. The male found his shirt and pants on the floor next to the bed, as he stood to pull his pants on the woman began to stir causing the male to stop moving and hold his breath in hopes that she would remain sleeping. Matatsu was not a bad guy, he would just prefer to not deal with the drama that usually happened when a woman discovered that she was nothing more than a way for the male to waste some time. Once he was sure that the woman would not wake the male continued to dress, before grabbing his jacket from the chair and making his way out of the room.

As he made his way onto the deck the male got his first view of Temuri City, it was beautiful sight with the rising of the sun over the horizon casting a beautiful light over it and the many ships that filled the harbour. The air felt nice against his skin, after a quick look around Matatsu saw his mother near the catwalk to exit the ship onto the pier. "You did not tell her bye did you?" His mother asked when he had finally made it to her, "Nah, did not want to wake her." The boy replied with a shrug, "Matatsu, what would your father say?" The boy glared at his mother as an awkward silence seemed to fill the air between them before stating, "he would not say anything because he is dead." With that the boy disembarked the ship onto the pier heading for the dry land, his mother following closely behind him. Once they were on land Matatsu's mother said something about going to look for a place to stay, but the boy was not really listening nor did he care to go with her. "I'm going to take a look around I will find you later," he stated giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before beginning his walk around. The city seemed alive with activity, more than the boy had expected Shinobi bearing the mark of Kirigakure were all over the place. Most were carrying supplies, others seemed to be coordinating them, and still others seemed to be training. It was as if something big was happening, or had already happened. Whatever was going on the boy was interested in finding it out.

---

~1231

Jun stood atop the hills that overlooked Terumi, her gaze drifting from one side of the shoreline to the other. She stayed in somber silence, watching the ships that dotted the ocean, ready to set sail. From where she was, they looked harmless. There was no way to tell that they were loaded with all kinds of soldiers and weaponry. The young Kuroka wondered if they would hit land before the fighting actually started or if they would be met in the ocean. She knew little of warfare and strategy. She couldn't tell the advantages or disadvantages of the stages of battle, but meeting this fleet head on didn't seem like a smart idea. She extended her hand and closed her thumb and index fingers around the silhouette of one of the war ships.

「小さあな…玩具みたい」

"So small... it's like a toy," she muttered to herself. Unbeknownst to her, someone was listening. She jumped, startled, when her grandmother placed a hand on her shoulder.

「無害そうだな」

"They look harmless, don't they?" the older woman agreed.

Embarrassed at having been taken off guard, Jun shook off her grandmother's hand and scowled. The older woman only chuckled in response. She was used to the young girl's attitude. Jun saw her shake her head, arms placed on her hips. Yes. Much like the woman in front of her, the ships in the distance looked harmless. Even so, she knew better. She knew that hundreds had died to this woman's blade, and hundreds more to her bare hands. She wondered how many had died to each of those ships.

"Are you nervous?" the older woman asked. Her voice was sympathetic, gentle.

Hesitantly, Jun nodded. "I don't want to die," she thought. Those words would remain understood yet unspoken between the two of them.

"Good, you'd be a fool not to be nervous," she said. There was wisdom in her words. She didn't say them for her granddaughter's sake alone.

"I'm nervous but I'm-" she interrupted herself, biting her lower lip and looking down at the ground. She felt guilty for what she was thinking, for how she felt.

"You're excited," Gin supplied for her.

With more hesitation than before, Jun nodded again. She disliked that she felt that way, but couldn't help it either. She knew that people would die, that many would suffer. She knew that families would lose loved ones, that one of those affected could even be her own. And still... and still she wanted this to happen. She wanted to experience this war herself. She wanted to fight. The thought alone sent a thrill through her.

"You're a Kuroka, it's in your blood," the older woman said, as if that answered everything. Oddly, it did. It put Jun's thoughts at ease, at least for now.

"Di you feel this way, too? The first time you went to war?" Jun asked. Her voice was quiet, but curious. Hardly did she ever imagine her grandmother being anything than what she was now - a fierce swordsman, a powerful combatant.

"I did. Albeit, I had more experience than you at the time," Gin answered. To that, Jun didn't know what to say. Her lack of experience wasn't her fault. She was new to this, to training, to the ways of the shinobi. Despite how much she had wanted it, she had been kept from training the entirety of her youth. Only now was she beginning what should have started as soon as she could walk. She stayed silent.

"You should go to the docks. They'll need people like you to load cargo and reinforce the hulls," Gin instructed, changing the subject for the time being.

For once, Jun nodded. She knew that she had to do her part in the preparations. It was the only mission that felt like it made a difference at her current level. She hoped that by the time preparations were ready, she could contribute more than this. She looked at her hands, empty as they were now. Soon, she would hold her blades in battle - real battle. She wondered how much blood they would be stained with by the end. Oddly, the idea didn't bother her. She had yet to kill anyone in combat, but she had the feeling that it wouldn't bother her as much as it should.

"What'll you do?" The young Kuroka asked, finally turning to look at her older relative. The woman's gaze was fixed to the horizon, her chin proudly tilted upwards.

"Aya-chan asked me to oversee some of the refurbishing and scouting parties. I'll tend to that in a bit," the older woman answered. Of course she wouldn't do grunt work like Jun. Her experience merited more than that. Jun's response was another nod.

"When are we setting off?" She asked. None of them had been told yet. She didn't know if it was to prevent the information from leaking or if a set date wasn't agreed upon yet. Either way, Gin would know. Gin always knew.

"You'll be setting off in a couple of weeks' time," she answered. It was still vague, but it gave Jun something to work with. So she had a couple of weeks to train her ass off. She would make them count.

The fact that she hadn't included herself, though, wasn't lost on Jun. "And you?" She asked curiously. Did she have separate orders? She knew Sunagakure's landscape better than most, despite not living there in a long time. Maybe the former Kazekage would lead a secret infiltration.

"I'll be sitting this one out," She answered instead. A moment of silence lingered, covered only by the fleeting breeze that caressed the young girl's skin.

Jun's eyes widened. Her jaw went slack. Of all the answers she could have been given, this was the last one she expected. "What?!" She cried.

"You heard me, kiddo," she said. There it was, the nickname that Jun so despised. And her tone... so relaxed, so careless. How could she? How could she abandon the village that had given her so much?


"Think of all the people that'll die if you don't go!" Jun yelled. Jun's own mother could die - her aunts, uncle, everyone. And Gin would what? Sit back and watch?

"And think of all the people that will if I do," she snapped. Silence lingered in the air for a moment. Rarely did Gin ever let her carefree facade slip. "I have done enough. I have killed enough. There will always be a war to fight in, a reason to keep going. I'm old, I'm tired and I've seen enough." She spoke each word with purpose and finality.

"You're selfish," Jun spat, trembling with rage.

"I've earned the right to be," Gin answered, uninterested in discussing the matter. "Now go. You're needed somewhere else."

Jun didn't need to be told twice. She ran in no particular direction, knowing only that she was headed to the city. Her thoughts cycled through her head. What was this feeling? Betrayal? Was that what she felt? Jun wasn't sure. All she knew was that she was angry and needed to be as far away from her grandmother as she could. Her pace didn't stop. She kept going for over half an hour until she reached the outskirts of town. She didn't bother to ask where the docks were. She followed the crowds, assuming that that was where everything would be busiest and she was right. She didn't bother to report to a commanding officer either. She simply decided to grab a crate of ammunition and weaponry and begin carrying it where she was told to. Mindless work, mindless state of being.

[1325]

Matatsu watched as the Kiri shinobi's all worked, most of them was loading crates of supplies on to the ships in the harbor. His mind wandered as he stood there wondering just what is was inside the crates, his mother had told him that the Land of Water was a major export country with most of their money coming from that, but he never expected that it would be something like this. He was planning on getting some training done now that he was back on land, yet his curiosity was spiked by all of the activity that was going on around him. Matatsu approached one of the men that seemed to be an overseer of the workers, "Excuse me Sir, but what is going on?" The male asked the man, the curiosity obvious in his voice. "Piss off boy, I do not have time for idle chit chat." Came an abrupt response from the man, without so much as a glance up from his clipboard that he was checking items off, a hint of annoyance in his tone. Anger welled within the young male at the man's reaponse, Matatsu would of liked nothing more than to beat some respect into the man for his arrogance and rudeness. Matatsu, however quickly quelled the growing anger, remembering his mother's words of caution before they had ventured here to the Land of Water. This man despite his rudeness was a Shinobi of the Village Hidden within the Mist and he was but a lowly traveller, if he was even to raise a finger against this man he held no doubt in his mind that the Shinobi that surrounded them now working would of dropped what they were doing and they would end his life. The Land of Water was not a forgiving empire they would sooner kill him than take him prisoner, or at least that is the way his mother spoke of them. No it was better for him to keep his head down and not make trouble.

"I am sorry Sir I do not mean to bother you I was just wondering if perhaps I could offer my help," Matatsu said as he did his best to control his temper and not let his anger show to the man. The man however showed little interest in restraining his annoyance with Matatsu, "look if you want to help grab a crate and get to work, no one here is going to hold your hand or walk you through it. Just do it and get out of my way." The man spat with venom in his words as he pushed past Matatsu nearly knocking him to the ground as he began walking, the male felt his blood pumping fast and his vision tunneling on the man. His hands were both clenched tight into a fist and he felt the heat in his face, he had not felt anger like this since the day his father had died. Yet again he found himself wanting nothing more than to unleash this anger as he had all those years ago, however his mothers voice filled his mind once again and the male controlled himself releasing his fist and turning away from the man. As much as he hated to admit that the man was right, he knew he was even if he was an ass and so the young male grabbed a crate that was not far from where he was an headed back to the pier to find a ship on which to load it.

Matatsu had already loaded five crates onto the ship when it happened, it would have been completely avoidable had he been paying attention to what it was that he was doing but the male was lost in his own thoughts. Matatsu was helping without so much as knowing what it was he was helping with but if it earned him and his mother some money for their journey than he was not going to complain. He was walking back down the pier to land when he bumped into her knocking him back to reality, for a second Matatsu thought he had ran into an angel with beautiful white hair. When the girl turned around to face him the first thing that caught his attention was her eyes, the differences in them with one red and one blue made them stand out against her pale skin, however despite her angelic features she wore a sour look on her face as would be expected from someone who had nearly been pushed off the pier and into the water as she had. "My apologies, I was not paying attention. Are you alright?" Matatsu stated with a dumbfounded look upon his face as apologized, in his mind he was cursing himself for losing his focus and not paying attention to where it was that he was walking.

---

~817

The sounds coming from the docks were nearly deafening. The harbormaster and his underlings yelled orders in a cacophony of sound that had no beginning or end. At this point, though, Jun had learned how to tune it out. It became a calming and consistent wave of noise in the back of her mind. It numbed her thoughts and let her focus on what she was doing, simple as it was. The young girl examined the markings on another crate of cargo. The number on it red 32, signaling the pier it was supposed to go to before being loaded onto its designated ship. With minimal effort, she hoisted it onto her shoulder. Those working around her had figured out a while ago that the girl was a shinobi, based on her raw strength alone. Those who knew a little more of her world recognized the symbol etched onto the pale skin of her back, displayed proudly for all to see. It was the symbol of her clan - the Kuroka - which she had been born with as her mother and grandmother before her had. Moreover, it marked her as Gin's kin, a distinction that Jun wanted nothing to do with at the moment.

For a moment, she stopped at the edge of the harbor to admire the view before her. Up close, the ships carried with them all the gravity of war and destruction. The hulls were reinforced with iron and steel, made to crash and destroy any ships that may try to intercept them. Anchored or tied to the pier, they stretched as far as her eyes could see. Absorbed as she was in what she saw, she failed to notice the boy that was bound to crash into her. The young kunoichi stumbled, thrown off long enough that the crate balanced on her shoulder tumbled out of her grasp and spilled its contents on the ground.
A combination of kunai, shuriken and other ammunition littered the ground and shone dully under the sun's light. Their quality was obvious. They were forged from the finest steel, using the models provided by the Mizukage's own mother. These were weapons of war, forged to kill - yet another confirmation of why she was there. Fortunately, the white haired girl caught herself before she fell into the water.

She turned to face the boy, her anger now directed at a new target. She glared daggers at him, her lips forming into a wicked snarl. Jun had seen that look on people's eyes before, that look, a mixture of unashamed surprise and awe that came when they laid eyes on something or someone that they weren't expecting to be the way it was.

『天使みたい』

She looks like an angel.

Wispy hair of white silk, ivory skin unmarred and unblemished, mismatched eyes that brought color to her face - all marred by an expressions of anger and disgust. She hated the way he was looking at her. Something about it irked her deeply, but what it was, she couldn't put into words. Deep down, she knew, though. Reflected in those eyes was a lie. She was no angel, no saint, no savior. She was nothing but flawed.

It was better to show it, have the people around her find out on her terms rather than wait for them to discover it for themselves. There was no use in putting in extra effort to fulfill that expectation. Eventually, the truth came out and she would be left in ruin. Jun wouldn't have that. She guarded herself against people like this boy, pushed them away as far as she could and if that didn't work, she ran away herself.

『天使じゃない
　悪魔だ』

She's no angel. She's a demon.

The girl let out a nearly feral growl. She didn't hear his apology, but it wouldn't have made a difference at all. "What the fuck do you think you're doing, huh?!" She began. "What kind of clumsy fucker are you? What if I'd been carrying a box of explosives, huh? Would've lost an arm thanks to your careless ass," she yelled. The girl crouched down and set the open crate upright once more. She began to pack the items back where they belonged, making sure that they were all accounted for. She would look up at the boy. If he was still dumbfounded or taken aback by her words, she would speak once more. "The hell are you doing? This shit's your fault, least you could do is help fix it."

[2100]