Mission Info:

Kokoro eagerly bolted out of the front entrance of the Administration Building. Her long black hair flowing behind her like a banner, and the sand beneath her feet kicked up minuscule brown tufts. She panted and thrusted her arms back and forth rigorously, despite her heavy strides taking her only so far. Her hand tightly gripped a sheet of paper, her first mission, to be precise. Excited for her first assignment, she ran through the streets of Suna towards the Kazekage's Tower with a gleeful smile on her face. She never had the chance to truly help her community until now, and she wanted to get there as quick as her feet could carry her.

As she turned a corner, Kokoro saw the Kazekage's building towering in all its magnificence and two figures whose details were indistinguishable near the base of it. She sprinted towards the two mystery people, breathing heavily. With each hurried step, Kokoro could see one figure was shorter than the other with long brown hair and a little white dress and black shoes.  The little girl from the mission report who had lost her cat. Her sleeve covered obscured her eyes as she cried, though Kokoro could not hear her over the constant bustle of the village. The other figure appeared to be a tall with short, gelled-back brown hair clad in a business suit with a green tie: the girl's father, no doubt. When she was close enough, Kokoro twisted her feet perpendicular to her body, skidding across the thin layer of sand on the stone streets. As her momentum suddenly decreased, her body leaned forward involuntarily, pushing her off balance. Without thinking. she put her left foot in front of her right. Her eyes widened, and her legs wobbled uncontrollably. She tripped a little but regained her balance as she came to a halt. She panted, and the warm, prickling sensation of embarrassment from her incoordination ran through her body. After brushing the dust and sand from her blouse and black pants, she raised her hand timidly, and said, "Here."

The man cleared his throat. "I assume you are the Genin sent to help us?" the man asked as he fixed his tie. Kokoro nodded. The man raised his brow, taken aback by Kokoro's vibrant yet bestial eyes and pale skin. "Well, thank you for offering to help. Our cat is atop the Kazekage's Tower, and he refuses to come down," he said pointing upwards. "The sooner you get her down, the better." The man cleared his throat again. Kokoro, who was staring up toward the peak of the tower, nodded once more. Kokoro heard the sobbing of the girl next to her, so she knelt down on one knee and gave a toothless smile to the girl. The girl hugged her father's leg and covered her eyes, frightened by Kokoro's bestial yellow eyes. "It's okay," Kokoro whispered. "What's your name?"

"Hitomi," the girl sniffled.

"Hitomi. That's a very pretty name." Hitomi smiled from behind her father's pant leg. "And what's your kitty's name?"

"Yuki."

"Another pretty name. Well, don't worry. I'll get Yuki back in no time." Hitomi wiped her nose and smiled ever wider. Kokoro rose to her feet and darted the Kazekage's Tower.

- - - - -

Getting to the top was easy, albeit time-consuming. Being clumsy on her feet as is, she did not feel comfortable using the Supernatural Walking Practice on a vertical surface quite yet. Instead, she pretended the tower was another tree for her to climb. A very, very large tree. Windowsills and stray bricks became footholds for Kokoro as she scaled the height of the tower. Hitomi and her father watched with anticipation, expecting the worst and ready to look away should something happen. Up, up, up Kokoro climbed at a steady space an cautious pace. Focusing Chakra on her hands and feet, she scaled the side of the round tower until she reached the railing at the top in about half an hour.

Sitting on the other side of the rooftop liking her paw was a small white cat, no doubt Yuki. Kokoro crept towards the cat, putting on heel in front of the other. Her yellow eyes were fixated on the cat. As she reached halfway across the roof, Yuki perked up, alerted to the Genin's presence. She hunched her back in fear. "It's okay, girl. I'm here to save you." Kokoro stepped closer, and Yuki hissed. "Please. Calm down, Yuki. I want to help." Kokoro was only a few feet away from Yuki when the cat dashed to the left, following the length of the railing. "Come on. Please stop." She ran after the cat, but Kokoro's speed was far too slow, and when she got close enough, the cat dodged to the side. Kokoro gritted her teeth. "I said stop! I'm trying to help!" Kokoro created a hand sign, unleashing a sudden flow of Chakra throughout her body. "Hidden Mist Technique!" A burst of blue vapor exploded from her mouth, and a thick mist enveloped the entire roof.

Yuki bolted her eyes in every direction, unable to see where the Genin was. She meowed nervously and backed up slowly. Then from the depths of the mist, a hand with black nails extended towards her. "Gotcha!" Kokoro yelled triumphantly. Yuki leaped back and yelped, finding her self slipping off through the railing and sliding down the side of the tower. Kokoro gasped. "Oh no! Hold on, Yuki!" Kokoro leapt over the iron railing and slide headfirst down the slope of the tower. Yuki was falling fast. As she zoomed closer, Kokoro extended her hand to Yuki. The curve of the tower become more and more steep. Kokoro stretched as far as she could; her fingertip brushed the edge of her fur. With a swing of her arm, Kokoro scooped up Yuki. Kokoro shifted her body weight so that her front faced the tower and held Yuki to her chest. Her heart raced, and her mind went wild. "Hold on!" Yuki dug her claws into Kokoro's shoulder, and Kokoro grimaced. The Genin concentrated a massive amount of Chakra on her feet and remaining hand and pressed them all onto the surface of the tower, digging her nails onto the sloping surface of the Kazekage's Tower as Yuki did to her shoulder. Kokoro clenched her teeth at the feeling of the stone pulling at her nails. Long trails like lacerations appeared on the tower where Kokoro dug her claw-like nails. Kokoro held Yuki tight as they descended. Kokoro closed her eyes and hoped for the best. The sinking sensation in her gut lessened more and more. The Genin opened her eyes to see that the technique was working. Their descent became slower and slower as they reached the ground below. Kokoro pressed harder against the surface, digging deeper, and they eventually came to a complete halt a few feet from the ground. Kokoro gave a heavy sigh, and her whole body relaxed with the exhale.

- - - - -

The last image Hitomi and her father saw of Kokoro was her being enveloped in mist and disappearing. They waited with bated breath, staring at the rooftop for minutes on end. Hitomi was on the brink of tears again. Then she heard distant footsteps. Hitomi turned to her right to see Kokoro ambling towards them with Yuki cradled in her arms. Hitomi's eyes became bright with joy. "Yuki!" she shouted as she ran towards the Genin. As Hitomi halted in front of her, Kokoro leaned on one knee and held her shaking arms out. Hitomi held hers out, and the Genin gently slid Yuki out of her grasp and into the girl's. Hitomi held the cat to her cheek, and the cat meowed contently.

"Make sure she's safe," Kokoro panted. "Okay?" Yuki nodded.

"Thank you so much, Miss Genin," she said then skipped towards her father. Kokoro got onto her feet and smiled proudly as a warm feeling ran through her body. Despite how much of an ordeal it was, she still accomplished her first mission, and she made someone in Suna happy.

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