Issei sat atop the ninja academy's roof, looking out over the village silently. He had opted to wear his Ninshiki robe for the first time, and it flowed beautifully with every bellowing wind. It had been hand-crafted by Issei's tailor, who he'd known for a little over a year and who seemed to have an oddly particular fondness for him. He'd had a number of robes made for other members, though he still wasn't sure just how large he expected Ninshiki to become. Regardless, that wasn't the task at hand, not then. He was on patrol duty, something that was asked of practically every shinobi of any village at random times...it was something that needed to be done to ensure the safety of the village, and as such the reward for doing so was fairly low. Still, it counted as a mission completed which would go on Issei's record, so he figured money and a good reputation didn't hurt. This was toward the southern end of the village and he'd come from his home more southwestern, so he hopped down from the building and walked toward the north side of town to circulate.

It was night time, which was new to Issei since he almost always did missions in the morning. He liked to be up early and do things as soon as he woke just so he could get them over with and have the rest of his day free to spend how he'd like. This was an exception to that rule, since the village's day patrol roster was full at the time he signed up, resigning him to walking through the quiet streets at half past 2 AM, yawning and stretching beneath the moonlight, the Kirigakure headband flashing with every lamppost and neon sign that he passed. Nothing was out of the ordinary; no where seemed to be unusually crowded; no one was up to anything suspicious. As the minutes ticked on and Issei found himself going full circle back towards the ninja academy, he was pleased with this result. Not that he would ever back down or shy away from a fight, a challenge, or any kind of problem, but the fact that he could catch a break and get paid for walking around the village for a while was a nice way to end his day. There was, of course, the bars and the nightlife, but even upon close inspection, nothing seemed amiss. Everyone was having a good time and no signs of danger presented themselves. In the more secluded, suburban areas of the village, the only things awake so late were Issei, stray cats, and the occasional insect or two. Passing the academy a second time reminded him of when he first became a Genin, a feat he hardly had to work for considering the amount of prior training he had received from both of his parents and his substantial age advantage compared to the rest of his class, which only embarrassed him for being there in the first place. Now, he understood what it all meant to him, and he grew stronger every day to show everyone just what he was capable of. The future, his vengeance, his organization, his immortality...nothing seemed too far off, really. It was a matter of time.

And not before long, it was 5 AM, and the summer sunlight was already flooding the horizon with tones of purple and blue, erasing the moon and the stars and the darkness. Issei had to make one more go-round the village to get back to the administration building, where workers were slowly but surely coming in to ensure the village was operating smoothly. He nodded to a couple in front of him, his stern brow and frosted gaze visibly concerning them until they realized that he was there to defend them, and after which they smiled awkwardly and hurried into the building. He followed, making a sharp left inside and taking the stairs up to the office to clock out of patrol and collect his payment.

[ exit thread -_- ]

gimme that D: