Spoiler:

Jerrick had requested another mission. His next mission was a simple delivery mission to the hospital. As he spent time in the village, he started to get attached. Though there wasn’t much visually to look out, there were plenty of things to do. The people here had a certain feel about them. He couldn’t exactly put his finger on it, but it was the way they worked and handled themselves that mostly stood out. Iwa was definitely a place where you could kick your shoes and relax. Even though his time here had been short, he enjoyed his stay. His first mission almost killed him, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle or so he thought. The mission wouldn’t have been as bad if he prepared. It was no one’s fault, but his own that he almost died trapped in a collapsed tunnel.

He had been sent to a market vendor to go pick up a box of food. The market was quite vibrant. There had been plenty of stuff for sale and a lot things that held his interest. One vendor in particular had something that caught his eye. It was a leather breastplate that resembled the armor style of his clan. The armor was lightweight and had fur for warmth on the inside. The mission he had was just to deliver the box, but there wasn’t anything that said he couldn’t stop and talk along the way. Jerrick approached a woman about ten years younger than him while looking at the breastplate.

“Hey sir, can I help you?”

“I would like to ask you about your...about the breastplate. The design is very similar to that of my clan.”

“Your clan were sailors?”

“Something like that, yes. We are merchants and traders. That are primarily in the east. Clan Shinkai.”

“Clan Shinkai?! My father was a member of the Mizu no Kuni branch.”

Jerrick looked at her with a bit of shock. Though, what caught his attention had been that she said “was”. He wondered what could have made him an exile or did he leave on his own. He didn’t want to pry too much, but if he did have fellow clansmen in Iwa, he would like to know why. Many of his clansmen had went to distant lands to find riches and or glory, but he had never met one that had ventured out.

“Your father. Was he exiled?”

“No, he actually left on his own. Though, I bet he wouldn’t mind talking to a fellow clansmen.”

“Ah, I see. Tell your father that the Suzerain elect, Jerrick Shinkai, will visit him soon.

“I’ll let him know.”

Jerrick then left the vendor and started to move on to start his mission. He made his way to a booth that had fresh food and grains. The smell of the fresh food was invigorating. He figured that the cold climate was able to keep the food cool and fresh. There was a short older gentlemen that greeted him at the booth. The man seemed to have seen many long years and had plenty of stories to tell. Though, he didn’t want to delay the mission anymore than he already had. He nodded toward the man before he said anything.

“Sir, I’m here on behalf of the village to deliver food to the hospital.”

“Ah yes, right this way. I wouldn’t have expected someone of your stature to be doing these kind of events. What are you? You seem to be upper class?”

“Yes, I’m a member of Clan Shinkai we started trying to branch out our operations to Iwa.”

“I see, well good luck in your endeavors.”

“Aye, you as well.”

Jerrick picked up a sizable box that had already been sealed. It had a little weight to it, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. He started walking toward the hospital with his head held high. The scent of fresh food permeated from the box. It started to make him want to go out and search for food himself. Keeping up his frame was important to him and he needed to eat regularly. He definitely would go on a training session later to pass the time. Jerrick didn’t want to lose his body mass due to not working out.

He started to think on the things he should do as he walked to the hospital. There had been a long list of things he had on his to do list. One of the main ones had been heading to the capital. Though, he figured that he could easily fill out paperwork in Iwa and send it off. Hopefully, he would here some word back. If he could establish building a compound in the far north, he would be set to send a letter to his father’s transports to begin moving immediately. Meeting another Shinkai would definitely make things easier for him. Maybe the old man would be willing to help out. Jerrick was also a bit conflicted about joining a shinobi village. He wanted to join a village, but his loyalty to his clan may also be affected.

Jerrick continued to march forward with the box until he arrived at the hospital. He talked to the attendant at the front desk and she sent him up to the third floor. Different families sat around in the lobby as Jerrick placed the food on a coffee table. He drew a kunai and cut the box open. A few people looked shocked. Jerrick started to walk away, but turned around slightly to face the families.

“This food is donated from Iwagakure. Enjoy yourselves.”

He walked away as he made his way back down the stairs. Jerrick felt pretty good about helping the families. Though, he wished that he could do more for them. It wasn’t his place to change the way Iwa handled their business. Just giving families some food wasn’t enough. He wondered if just giving them food would make citizens feel comforted. Shaking his head he exited the hospital to give turn in his mission. Jerrick figured that it was probably time to find temporary housing. He had been staying at a hotel, but the place was getting a bit too pricey for his taste. Jerrick didn’t need the rich kid amenities. He was more than comfortable living in a tent on the battlefield.

1079/750

300/300 [+75 ryo for additional word count]

29 words unused