Mission Info:

Kokoro slid her closet door open and peaked her head inside. She removed a black hoodie on a coat hanger from inside her closet. She turned it around, inspecting it thoroughly. Kokoro tried to imagine people being intimidated or even frightened by a person wearing it. The girl winced, unconvinced. After tossing the hoodie onto her bed, she riffled through her closet for something better. Some blouses, a white dress, and a tank top. Kokoro exhaled defeatedly. Turning to the window on her left, she saw the sun descend in a pool of violet and gold in the sky. But she had no time to admire the dusk's beauty. She had slept the day way so far, and she had only an hour until her job as a bouncer began.

*****

Kokoro ended up wearing her training gear: a black hoodie and sweat pants with a purple cap holding up her lengthy hair. Shuffling down the streets of Suna hunched forward and with her hands in her pockets, she reached the estate in a matter of minutes. Kokoro gazed upward and saw a towering house, a monument to the upper class, that was adorned on all sides with floral wreathes and colorful lights. Luscious flowers in pots created a pathway to the front door. Looking down at her own attire, she sighed and headed towards the front door.

She stepped inside, and she was taken aback by the sight before her. A metal spiral staircase wound down the sides of the rounded white walls descending to the marble floors. Tables upon tables of cakes and drinks stood to the sides, and an ornate red carpet lay in the center of the room. Workers were bustling about, adding the finishing touches to the bouquets and the dinner preparations. At the other end of the room stood a woman in a wedding dress conversing with who Kokoro assumed to be the groom. Kokoro wiped her feet in the mat and sauntered toward the bride and groom.

The woman turned to see Kokoro and raised her brow after giving a cursory glance to the girl in the hoodie. Kokoro hesitantly raised her hand and said, "H-hi. I'm Kokoro. I'm your… bodyguard for the reception."

"O-oh! Oh yes!" the woman said. "I'm Emi." She pointed to her husband. "And this is Shin."

"Pleasure to meet you, Kokoro," Shin said smiling. Kokoro waved meekly.

"We'll need you to guard the entrance and make sure everyone on the list gets here." Kokoro nodded and stood up proud. I can do that. How hard can that be?

*****

Night fell, and a line formed outside the entrance to the estate. Kokoro stood in front of the entrance, holding a clipboard up to her face. The guests gathered outside often gave her the hairy eyeball, confused to see a young Genin rather than a bulky bodyguard. One by one, Kokoro checked each of the guests by name and let them pass through the door and into the array of flashing lights and nonstop bass beats behind her. As the night went on, two men in tuxes came up to Kokoro, one burly with short black hair and about as tall as Kokoro, the other short and stout with spiky brown hair. Both smiled, eager to get in.

"Hayato, please," the tall one said to Kokoro.

"And Katsuo too!" the short one interjected.

Kokoro glazed her yellow eyes down the list, murmuring to herself. "Hayato… Hayato… Hayato… Oh, there you are!" She pointed to the name on the list and continued to scan. "Huh, you don't seem to be on the list, Katsuo."

"Well uh…" Katsuo's voice was almost inaudible with the music inside blasting.

"He's with me, miss," Hayato projected over the music. "He'll be fine."

"Uh… Yeah! Emi and I go way back," shouted Katsuo. His grin with meddled with a hint of nervousness.

Kokoro looked back at the party behind her and bit her bottom lip with her razor sharp teeth. She turned to the well-dressed men again, who were waiting for her answer with bated breath. "O-okay. Go ahead in," she hesitated to say. The men smiled and bowed profusely as they entered through the doors. Kokoro sighed and continued moving the line forward.

*****

Kokoro stood alone outside, hugging her arms as the frigid nighttime breeze overwhelmed her; the narrow streets acting as a wind tunnel. Her backside felt the warmth from the party inside, and the music quieted to a slow dance. Kokoro did not try to eavesdrop, but she could hear idle conversation from behind the doorway: summaries of the day, critiques of the food, tender I-love-yous. Kokoro smiled. Then, something different caught her ear, and she furrowed her brow.

"C'mon. Jus' wun dance." Kokoro recognized Katsuo's voice.

Emi's responded, whispering, "Katsuo, please. Stop. I didn't invite you for a reason, you know."

"See, tha's the thing I loved'about you, Emi. Ya were always so hones'. An' feisteh!" Katsuo chuckled.

"Katsuo, stop!"

Kokoro rotated around and bolted through the doorway with the utmost sternness on her face. Amongst the dancing couples in the middle of the room, Katsuo, with one hand holding the neck of a bottle, was grasping Emi's arm while she struggled to get away. Kokoro with head held high gunned toward Katsuo, absentmindedly passing through the couples.

"Katsuo. You need to leave," Kokoro stated in a monotone rasp.

Katsuo swiveled his head around lazily. His eyes were droopy. "I'm jus' tryin' ta dance with my old friend. Wha's the crime in tha'?"

"You. Need. To leave," Kokoro repeated; her bestial eyes pierced him like daggers.

"Hey, I'm havin' thiz dance, and there's nuh way yer gunna stop mih." With his free hand, Katsuo poked Kokoro's chest in sloppy defiance. Kokoro smiled. That's all I need.

Kokoro yanked his hand forward, and the sudden pull made Katsuo flop forward and drop his bottle onto the carpet. The music stopped, and all eyes were on the unfolding scene. Kokoro crouched down and pulled Katuso's limp arm underneath her armpit, forcing the short man onto his knees. Confused and thrown about, Katsuo yelled and whimpered pathetically. "Relax. I haven't even done anything to you yet." With her other hand, the girl pushed Katsuo's chest and in the blink of an eye, Katsuo's back slammed onto the ground. Before he realized what happened, Kokoro maneuvered herself in a dominant position, pressing her left knee onto his chest and placing her other foot firm on the ground with a bended knee.

After Katsuo shook off the fall, he flung his arms wildly at Kokoro. "Why you…!" he shouted. His efforts, however, were in vain. Kokoro leaned to the side, bending her knee, and his blows fell short of her elbow. Those that hit were like pillows bouncing off her body.

"That's enough." Kokoro raised her hand to eye level, her palm flat and facing her face, and with a flick of her wrist, her fingers hit Katsuo right on the bridge of the nose. Katsuo yelped and held his hands up to his nose. Then suddenly, he felt something pull on his ankle. He then was swerved around. Dazed, he looked up to see Kokoro with a look of utter irateness pulling him by his leg across the carpet and toward the front door. Kokoro halted as she reached the front, spotting Hayato across the room. She pointed to the slob on the floor. "Is he with you?" Hayato shook his head violently, and Kokoro smiled. Grabbing Katsuo by the ankles, the Genin yanked the man of the ground though the doorway and sent him sailing through the air. Katsuo screamed as he began to fall into a nearby alleyway. Kokoro turned back to the party, and every guest was staring with their mouths agape, and there was silence. A few moments passed, then Kokoro raised her chest and shouted, "No more fooling around. G-got it?" She tried to channel a thuggish character, but she broke character with her nervous grin. Everyone smiled. Some started clapping, and soon the entire room erupted in applause. The Genin blushed and gave a smile back. Her eyes then met with Emi's. Kokoro then gave a thumbs up to the bride. Emi replied with a proud smile. Kokoro then turned around, returning to her post, standing tall and triumphant.

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