Mission:

Genin graduation day ended just a few days ago. Mizuki had been quite happy about it, having succeeded at passing her exams. However, where she had been hoping for a few days of rest, her sensei had raised an eyebrow questionably and shared with her that typical glint in her eyes anytime she was scheming another training session. If anything, Sensei was consistent on that matter.

The training had not been more bukijutsu or ninjutsu. No, as an official genin, Sensei had decided to give her a D rank mission for a change, since the best way to improve was to put knowledge to practice. A ninja could train all day, every day of the year if they wanted and still perform horrible in combat when push came to shove. There would be none of that for Mizuki.

She had been put in a team of a small handful of genin who had graduated with her, and a jounin. Most work would have to be done by the youngsters so as to improve their abilities, but the jounin was there to keep an eye out and be sure that there was feedback for the genin to learn from.

So it was that, under the light of the moon, this small team had now set out to patrol Kumogakure. The sky had turned from bright blue to an inky darkness, and the daily bustle had settled for a serene quietude only broken by the noise of a local party, a howling dog or a late-night cat fight between two neighbouring toms. At first glance, all would seem just fine this night.

The group had met at the Battle Plateau, which had become a well-known place for the genin, especially that the combat part of their exam had taken place here. The jounin had shared their patrol route, which started at the Battle Plateau, which would then proceed to check on the Hospital, move on to the Thunder Temple and the Arbiter's Grounds, and finish with the Sky Bar and Golden Horn Casino as those were popular places, and easy targets, at night.

"Any questions before we depart?"

There was a sense of careless relaxation within the group as they shook their head one by one. Perhaps they didn't take it serious, perhaps the genin were still somewhat beaten from the past trials of the exam. Whichever it was, their team leader felt it too.

"Don't consider this a walk in the park just because I'm here. This is a ninja mission. Like every mission, it requires your best side."

A collective "Hai, senpai" was returned, and at those words people seemed to take on a more dutiful expression. The jounin nodded as a sign the patrol had started from this very moment and flickered from sight to scout ahead.

There was a moment of quietude, not dissimilar from an awkward silence. Since the Battle Plateau was deserted, devoid of all silence but that of typical nightlife, it was quite obvious there would be little to be found here. And yet, no one seemed too sure on what to do with the area.

"Let's ah... take a look around, at least. We can't have a jounin think less of us."
"Right."

With that, the few genin dispersed, each taking a direction of the Battle Plateau to be sure no stone would be left unturned. It didn't take too long before they all returned, affirming that there was, indeed, nothing to be seen.

Proud to have not left this opportunity unspoken, they moved on to the next area - the Hospital



WC: 606

Under the night sky, the large building of the hospital seemed to repose in earnest quietude - there was something eerie about having a building harbouring the sick and wounded being cloaked by the darkness of the night. A remembrance that death was not far off. Mizuki didn't really like that idea, as it reminded her of her own mother who had fallen victim to an old sickness and was now fighting to remain alive. It reminded her of her own reasons to grow stronger, to venture outside the city and somehow retrieve medicinal knowledge Kumogakure did not have. Knowledge that might prove useful to cure her mother.

Mizuki snapped out of her thoughts when a team member nudged her.

"Didn't you hear?"
"What?"
"We'll take each a direction again. Since you were dreaming, you got the roof."

That's what I get for not paying attention, I guess, Mizuki thought, as she eyed the top of the building. Without much hesitance, she ran up the building's walls and leaped on the top of the building not much longer after.

There was little to see, really. No movement, no walls. Just the square of flat stone that made the roof of the hospital, and the soft tug of a weak wind gust trying to get noticed. Behind her, from her position, she could see small dots on the floor run into different directions, then vanish behind the corner. Mizuki crossed the roof towards the other corner, keeping an eye out in the dark as good as possible, but there was nothing here either. Reaching the end, she took a look down, but nothing even remotely dangerous was to be seen. In the end, she returned to the starting point to meet up with the other two.

"There was nothing on the roof", she stated.
"Nothing on my side either."
"Nor mine. It's all quiet."
"What's next? The Thunder Temple?"

A team member nodded.
"Exactly."

The genin group departed to the Thunder Temple.

Chakra Use:

Chakra: 145/150
WC: 337
+ previous: 606
= 943

The large outcropping of the rocks that made the Thunder Temple came slowly into view as the patrol group came closer. The heavily electrified air felt as if the whole area could blow up at a moment's whim, as an unseen pressure disoriented the senses and gave the impression of a paradoxical weightless feeling, combined with a heavy oppression meant to ground even the sturdiest flyers. It was an odd sensation to experience. The Kumo ninja were familiar with it, and to Mizuki it felt strangely comforting despite that it always raised the hairs on her arms, but most outsiders weren't inclined to visit the Thunder Temple's elegance despite its simplicity.

As the patrolling group wanted to move out, the jounin flickered in front of them.

"I don't need to tell you of the dangers here.", he stated. "So I suggest you wait here for me while I go take a quick look."
"We can handle ourselves", one of the genin retorted, stepping forward. "We're real ninja now."
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
"So I may assume you can handle a lightning strike, which have been known to kill most men in less than a second, and send careless genin into hospital without so much a word?"

There was a glint of doubt in the genin's eyes, and Mizuki stepped in.

"It would not harm to wait here and observe a jounin handle this area. He is part of the patrol team, and we might pick up a thing or two from watching."
"Hrm, yeah... yeah, you're right."

The jounin nodded, barely a glint of amusement noticeable in his eyes, and vanished from sight again. Mizuki wondered if the Temple grounds were really that dangerous for genin, but she couldn't deny the idea of being struck down was discomforting.

"So... we'll just stand here do nothing?"
"Looks like it. Where would you like to go anyway?"
"Nowhere? I don't know. Whatever, let's have a little spar! You promised a fight before the exam, remember?"
"I did... just not sure we should do that now."
"Psh. Spoil sport."

Guys, Mizuki thought, rolling her eyes mentally. She had to admit that there was, indeed, little to be seen here on the outskirts of the Temple grounds. I guess all they could do was wait for the jounin's return. A boring foresight, to be honest.


Chakra: 145/150
WC: 403
+ 337
+ 606
= 1346

Time crept slowly further as the genin awaited the jounin's return. With no spar going on, the deep but barely hearable humming of the laden air, occasionally broken by the crackling sound of thunder and lightning was about the only sound to listen to here.

Mizuki found the droning sound distracting, as if it subtly tried to lure her into a weakened awareness. Shifting her gaze from the horizon onto her team mates, she wondered if they were suffering the same distraction, but she hesitated to ask. A ninja should show no weakness, nor reveal any. She forced herself to concentrate, narrowing her eyes as she shifted her gaze onto the horizon again, hoping to catch a glimpse of movement in the dark.

... So slow. Why was waiting such a tedious thing?

"You seriously don't wish to spar?"
"Man... I'm still recovering from the bruises I got."
"Oh, boo."

Silence returned. Or rather, the humming returned. And then the thunder and lightning followed.

"What's taking him so long?"
"I don't know. Haven't you seen the distance to the temple?"
"But he's a jounin!"
"He still has only two legs!"

Silence returned once more. There was an odd cadence, thinking about it. Much like the ebb and flow of water. With the occasional chaotic streak of lightning, then. Perhaps that's what made Mizuki feel so comfortable here. The quiet harmony of two unspoken elements all too familiar to her clan.

"Yo.", the jounin greeted.
"Did you have tea with the priests?", the impatient genin muttered.
"Huh?"
"Never mind. Shall we move on? This place is hella boring."
"All's fine at the Temple, we can move to the next area, indeed. I'll meet you genin at the Arbiter's"

And gone he was again, flickered away as fast as he arrived. Mizuki couldn't help but flash a feint smile, bemused for some unknown reasons as the team moved to a new location.


Chakra: 145/150
WC: 324
+ 403
+ 337
+ 606
= 1670

Following the jounin in his wake, the genin team made their way to the Arbiter's Ground, a testament to the greatest warriors of Kumogakure... and those trying to follow in their wake. But now, at night, when all was quiet as it was now, it almost felt as if the area was a completely different world. Unlike the Temple, this area lacked the thunderous energies, giving way to an almost transcendent harmony between the historical dead and the living future of the warriors usually competing here. And as the stars twinkled in the distance and the moon's light shone down softly, Mizuki felt connected to the Heavens just for that one lingering second.

As shadows moved in the corner of her eyes, her dreaming mind snapped back to reality. Those weren't the shadows of her team. Tensing slightly, Mizuki moved her hands to rest on her katana, realising it wasn't at her hip when she expected to feel the hilt brush her hands. Did she really forget her katana at home? Now? She swore silently to herself and crouched instead, ready to mold chakra at a moment's notice.

"Can you identify them?"
"I think they're fighting each other."

Mizuki narrowed her eyes, straining them as much as possible. With just the light of the moon illuminating the area, it was rather hard to see what they were doing but the idea of them fighting each other seemed... plausible.

The genin team crawled closer, weapons and jutsu ready to apprehend whoever it was. No one was supposed to be here at this hour, but the idea of spies became less likely the better the thuds of unarmed combat were heard.

Caught up in the combat, the perpetrators paid the approaching genin little attention, giving them the ideal opportunity to surround them. However, barely set into position, the shadows stopped fighting. Tension rose in the air as soft mumbling was heard.

It was clear. The benefit of surprise was ruined, and the three genin decided to attack, eager to prove themselves to do a good job. With the sound of wind, genin and shadows clashed, and a few seconds later the three genin ended ingloriously on the floor.

"If you aim to beat us, at least put some effort into it.", one of the shadows scoffed. "Can't you see we're having a friendly spar here?"
"My apologies. They are my genin.", the familiar voice of the team's jounin replied. "We're doing a patrol mission. At this hour, though, we wouldn't have expected Kumo ninja doing some nightly training."
"It's true we didn't warn anyone. But, no harm done. We were done anyway, so we'll be on our way. Good night."

The shadows were gone before the genins' eyes had adapted to the situation.

"Let that be a lesson, genin. You're on patrol. At your rank, you shouldn't try to capture unknown ninja.", the jounin grinned at the embarrassed genin. "You'll develop your senses in time."

A collective "Hai, Senpai" acknowledged the lesson, albeit lacking in motivation.

"It looks like the area's clear here. So let's move to the last spot of the route. If all's well, we should have a drink for a first successful mission."

At those words, morale rose and the embarrassment of a few moments ago was forgotten as they urged towards the Golden Horn Casino and Sky Bar.


Chakra: 145/150
WC: 580
+ 324
+ 403
+ 337
+ 606
= 1994

At last, the quietude of the night had made room for the chaotic festivities of late-night parties, the rambunctious bawling of drunkards and the romantic outings of young couples. The closer the patrol group came to the Casino, the better the people were dressed. Impressive kimonos and yukatas, well-dressed men, sparkling jewellery as rings and hairpins... It was clear that the Golden Horn Casino's style and tastes were not for everyone.

As the golden shine of the Casino came into sight and the fountain showed off its golden light for all to see, disapproving frowns and curious glances didn't hide the fact the ninja team stood out. After all, they weren't exactly dressed for the occasion, but the incessant babbling of the male genin didn't exactly help to keep them out of sight. Not that they could be blamed... the district here was breath-taking, to say the least.

As the two boys went on and on, Mizuki decided she'd slip into the shadows and keep an eye out on them from a distance while she did her part of the mission. It went without saying that the jounin had, of course, vanished already. Mizuki decided to follow his example, after having reminded the guys to keep a good eye out. Leaving the duo, she slowed her pace until she was far enough behind, and vanished from sight as well.

With that done, Mizuki took her time to assess the building and think about a plan. Assuming the jounin would take the hardest part - the inside of the building - considering his age and skill, she could hop onto the building again. With the two guys having their eyes glued on every bit of sparkling beauty out there - that is, both the building and the women - they'd probably realise rather later than sooner that they were out on a patrol despite her warning.

That being said, Mizuki searched for a less crowded corner and ran up the walls of the building, which, considering the difference with the previous building, was more strenuous than she had expected - her muscles, still sore from the genin exam, felt rather unpleasant.

Arriving at the top, Mizuki scouted the roof and, as expected, found nothing. Looking down to locate the rest of the group, her eyes sparkled with amusement when she saw the two guys looking around with a hint of confusion, only to run off hurriedly in different directions as they suddenly realised their reason for being here.

A few minutes later, the group gathered at the fountain.

"Mizuki-chan! Y-you left us?!"
"Oh?"
"Yeah, everyone was gone suddenly. Even you."
"Actually, I reminded you about our duty before I left, but I guess I should have spoken louder. My apologies."
"Well... that's okay. Don't get too flustered. It's not like we were in danger."
"I'm glad you were safe. Did you two notice anything?"

The boys shook their head, looking more relaxed now that they were back again. But it took another fifteen minutes before the jounin returned with a casual 'Yo'.

"You took your time. Is the building that big inside?"
"It is."
"I'm sorry. We should have helped", Mizuki said.
"Oh, that's okay. I know my way in and out, you know. I went to scout ahead on the bar, and just came back to here your part of the report."
"You already scouted the bar?", one of the genin gaped. "Woah."
"I'm a Kumo jounin, lad. I run fast. That said, if all's fine here, you should move to the bar."
"All's well. We'll see you later."

Chakra Used:

Chakra: 140/150
WC: 615
+ 580
+ 324
+ 403
+ 337
+ 606
= 2609

The jounin was fast, indeed. It took quite some time for the genin to reach the top of the Sky Bar. Not quite recovered, all three of them were panting from exhaustion, but especially Mizuki seemed to suffer most. Her body was on its limits, barely holding up after the long run to the Bar and the climb of the stairs. The signs were quite visible as her breathing was ragged and sharp eyes could see her body tremble of exhaustion.

This early exhaustion was typical to her. She had been born ill and the aftermath of that had never truly left her life. It was one of the reasons why she was quite old for a genin, despite making up her weaker endurance for more strategy, diversity and insight. Strategy, however, wasn't quite the thing needed just yet at genin level, considering they were guided by a jounin most of the time.

Nonetheless, here, in the darkness of the dance floor, rhythmically broken by the flickering of the lights flashing in line with the music, few people would notice Mizuki's struggle with herself. Perhaps, if she was lucky, the other genin wouldn't pay attention either, caught in the noise of late-night dancers, but the jounin of their team certainly noticed.

"Don't force yourself, Mizuki-chan. You're of no use if you drop dead here."

Mizuki withheld herself from giving a pained sigh as she realised he only wanted to lighten the mood, but to be fair, she could do without such remarks at this moment.

"Thank you for your concerns, but don't fret. You won't get rid of me this fast."
"As it should be", he grinned. "We have yet to report our patrol. And then come back."

She nodded weakly. The foresight of having to do this trek two times more wasn't something she was looking forward to. And yet, it's how it would be, even if she'd have to drag herself up. Somehow.

As strength slowly returned, Mizuki mingled with the people, making use of the flashing lights to take a good luck at the people she passed by. While she could find no trace of infiltrators or transformation techniques, the idea of dancing along to divert the intentions of her crowd-shuffling was quite tempting. It had been a while since she had danced. In fact, the last time she had danced was with her training sword at the dojo when she thought no one was looking. Beet red her face had coloured when her sensei applauded her personal performance. She had never tried it again.

"Mizuki-chan! Dance with me?", one of the genin interrupted her thoughts as he flailed his arms in a mock dance. She couldn't help but giggle softly.
"Baka. Don't you have better things to do than to act a fool?", she jokingly reprimanded him.
"Aw, you're such a bore.", he said with a pout. "But ah, nothing to be seen. Shall we head back to the entrance?"

Arriving at the entrance, the others showed up to report full safety as well. With the last area of their patrol done, the team could chalk up another good deed. A good deed not left unpaid.


[Exit]
Chakra: 140/150

Training:

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Extra Training: