Mission:

Sunadokei had been up bright and early, eager to receive her next assignment. A hearty breakfast with her family set the tone for the day, or so she thought. The trip from the Akimichi clan's estates to the Administration Building had been dull and uneventful, and Sunadokei moved with a spring to her step. She made her way to the Mission Assignment Desk, hoping she wouldn't end up saddled with some boring grunt work or menial labor. Sunadokei yearned for a real mission, something with adventure and danger. Something to get the blood flowing and the adrenaline pumping.

Her wishes were not granted, as she read through her mission scroll, eyes looking questioningly and her brow furrowed in a slight scowl. "I don't understand." She said simply, still confused by her supposed assignment. "My mission is to see a therapist... for an evaluation?" She was slightly hurt by the notion, as if her mental faculties were in question. It was a mild blow to her confidence and struck her right in her pride.

"That is correct." The mission proctor stated simply, taking a puff from his pipe and going about his stack of paperwork. "It is that time of the year, all shinobi operating with the village are expected to go through routine psychological evaluation. The mind is the greatest weapon a shinobi could possess, and it must be kept sharp and honed as any blade. Now please miss Akimichi, I am a busy man. You will be paid as any other D-Rank mission, and the evaluation comes at no personal expense. If that is all, please see to the evaluation office on the third floor of the building." Barely skipping a beat the proctor called for the next person in large, and a burly Chūnin pressed his way past Sunadokei.

"Well... alright then." Sunadokei said, sounding slightly defeated. There was no sense tucking her mission scroll away in her usual storage place. Instead she just clenched it in hand, and made her way out of the Mission Assignment Office. Letting out a low sigh, Sunadokei slowly made her way several floors down, onto the level of the building that housed the private medical facilities for shinobi. Not a full staff hospital, it focused more on grievous, often chakra based injuries and long term physical therapy for injured shinobi.

Sunadokei made her way to the psychological wing, awkwardly shuffling her way up to the office desk where an older shinobi tended to his task. "Hello." Sunadokei said softly, unraveling her scroll for the man at the desk to see. "I'm here for routine evaluation, I was instructed to come down here." She felt awkward about this, it was so far gone from the usual but she couldn't exactly ignore a mandatory mission. Paid leave or not, Sunadokei would rather be doing anything else.

The man at the desk looked up, smiling softly. "Ah yes, miss... Akimichi was it? Yes, I have you booked right here for today. I believe Dr. Haruno is free to see you. First door on the left." The man said, pointing down the hall with his ink brush before returning to his work. "Do try not to be nervous dear, every shinobi goes through this. It comes with the territory."

Sunadokei just nodded along, "Alright. Thank you." She said softly, rolling up her scroll and making her way down the all to Dr. Haruno's office. She knocked on the door, thinking for a moment what to say. "Sunadokei Akimichi, reporting in for my psychological evaluation." There came a brief pause, before the woman on the other side told her to come in. Sunadokei entered the room, still feeling mostly unsure of herself.

"Please, Sunadokei was it, do have a seat." Dr. Haruno said, gesturing to a seat besides her desk. Sunadokei obliged, sorely wishing she had a snack to eat. "Let me just find your records quickly." The psychologist said, rifling through a filing cabinet until she retrieved a manila envelope with the Akimichi seal on it. She opened it, thumbing through its contents as she mused to herself. "Well, it says here that your last evaluation was during your last semester at the Academy, the preliminary evaluation to make sure you were mentally qualified to be a Genin. Is that correct?"

"Yes Ma'am." Sunadokei replied swiftly, she had little else to add.

"Well, I suppose I'll need to cover more than just the screening questions then. Let's begin at square one miss Akimichi. You are obviously a shinobi, why did you chose to become one in the first place?"

Sunadokei rubbed at her head. "Because my father wanted me to, both my parents in fact, and my grandparents. I'm an Akimichi, twenty third generation, and eldest daughter of the clan head no less. I guess it's just expected of me, I never really had the option to say no."

The psychologist jotted down some notes in the file, nodding along in agreement. "Alright, so you felt it was expected of you. That's expected for a lot of shinobi in your position. Children of proud ninja clans are always expected to carry on their ancestor's legacy. Sunadokei, do you feel if given the choice you'd have chosen not to?"

Sunadokei paused for a moment, thinking. "No, Dr. Haruno. No I don't. I'm proud that my ancestor were shinobi, I wanted to join them. I wanted to fight besides my father and uncles and brothers and stand proud among my clan someday. I always dreamed of being a ninja, I grew up on the stories, same as every kid I suppose. Of the Hokages of the past and the great deeds they did. Of the Shinobi World Wars and every other legend and story. I guess I wanted to be a part of it, in my own small way."

More note jotting, and more questioning followed. "So you felt a sense of duty, to live up to the expectations of your clan, to fight side by side with them in battle. And you heard tales of past shinobi's heroism and valor, and wished to emulate this. Is that correct?" Sunadokei nodded yes, and the woman jotted more notes. "Now, you are clearly dedicated to the Akimichi clan. What are your thoughts on the village? Of the Hokage and those you swear to serve under?"

Sunadokei's face brightened, this was more her question. "I love the village, I know that sounds stupid, and obvious, but I do. Konohagakure is my home, it always will be. I couldn't think of anywhere else I'd want to be. I love doing my part for the well being of the village, even if as a Genin it's mostly small stuff. My father says the village is like an ant colony, or a bee hive. We're all workers in the hive, and every task great or small has its purpose. It's up to us to see they are all carried out. Oh yeah, Um... the Hokage. Well, I've never met Lord Kimura personally, only at a distance. My first mission was under Hokage Rippa, not that I knew him much better either. But, I trust the Hokage's leadership. They are supposed to be the best and brightest flame among us. A first among their peers, who's light guides us to a new era. I hope when the day comes I can serve the Hokage, and the administration as a whole in a better capacity than a lowly Genin. Does that answer the question?"

"Yes." The doctor stated frankly, hurriedly writing notes in her dossier. "You show clear signs of patriotism, and are clearly very dedicated to both your clan and the village. Now tell me, what would you do if one opposed the other? What would you do if the Akimichi were declared an enemy of the nation, or if your clan decided they no longer wished to serve under the Hokage."

Sunadokei stood up from her seat, visibly angered. "What kind of question is that!?" She growled.

"An important one, now please take your seat Miss Akimichi. Part of my job is asking the hard questions, now please answer them." The doctor said, visibly annoyed.

Sunadokei seated herself again, crossing her legs and folding her arms crossed beneath her massive bust. "Fine. But I can't be blamed for answering truthfully. If the Akimichi were declared enemy of the nation, it would depend on the context. What did we do, what crime were we accused of, what wrong was committed? I would try to defend my clan's reputation, call for fair trial and investigation. If the village drew first blood though... I don't know." Sunadokei let out a long sigh. "I think... I think I would side with my clan. Blood is thicker than water. The village is my home, but I could never go against my family. As for if my clan didn't wish to serve the Hokage. That would take... something grievous. My father Makaro is a good man. He is very wise, he has a strong moral compass, he strives for peace but he remains prepared for war. If father truly believed the Hokage was not worth serving, so too would others. Nara and Yamahama would surely follow us, that alone would be enough to give the other Noble Clans pause to consider their stance. It's unthinkable, it would be civil war."

"Thank you for answering truthfully." The doctor said, writing more deliberately this time. "It is difficult to consider the scenarios, and plan for the unthinkable. Your answer is not out of line for your clan. We keep tabs on what clans are likely to remain unified at any costs... and as per the norm the Akimichi seem rock solid. Now, next question. How do you feel about your latest few missions. Did they stress you out at all? Did you feel weak, inferior, anything negative? How did you deal with these negative emotions?"

Sunadokei rubbed at her chin for a moment, musing on her answer. "My last few missions. Hmm... Mostly they've been ho-hum affairs. Boring routine work, patrols, D-Rank Missions, just busywork. They aren't stressful, more annoying. Sometimes I'd rather stay home in bed, but I think about how I can't abandon a mission once I've taken it. I would let down my village and my clan. I remind myself even boring missions have their place, and someday it'll all just be another notch on my list of accolades. The only time I truly fear inferior is about my rank. By all means I should be a Chūnin by now, but I'm not. I remind myself all I need to do is apply myself. And someday, I want to be something more. I want to be Sannin, and I intend to do it. Usually when I'm stressed, I eat. A lot. Feeling full helps calm my nerves, but I also usually get motivated. I remind myself how far I've already come and how far I plan to go."

The doctor nodded along in agreement. "Well said miss Sunadokei. You seem driven, you see the world for the greater picture, and you put goals out there for yourself to achieve. I hope you never stop pursuing them. As for the stress eating, normally I'd advise against that. But... given your clan, I suppose I'm not the expert on that one. Now, final question. What do you plan to do when the day comes, and it will come, that you see comrades die? That your allies fall around you on the battlefield and your mission is in jeopardy?"

Sunadokei furrowed her brow. "I think about that question a lot. Every veteran shinobi has stories. The mission that went wrong, the one their friends died, the one they couldn't complete. I... I don't think I can give you an honest answer. What I hope I do, is remember the Shinobi Rules. I hope I can put my emotions aside, and put the mission ahead of my own feelings. I hope I can find the strength to push forward when those around me fall, to do what will need to be done. And if I don't, I hope I can find a way to live with myself. To redeem myself, and atone for my failures. That is all Doctor Haruno."

The doctor remained silent for a long while. "That was very well said Sunadokei. It's good that you have given this thought before. I also appreciate your use of the word hope, rather than will. As much as we try, we are not perfect. We all have emotions, though the Shinobi Rules call on us to bury them. All we can ask of you, and all we can hope to do is what needs to be done when the time comes." The woman scribbled more notes, closing the dossier and retrieving another form to fill out. Once finished she stamped it with her seal and handed it over to Sunadokei.

"Miss Akmichi I am proud to declare you in a fit state of mental health. You display levels of compassion, patriotism, and a general mindset well within acceptable perimeters. You have my blessings to remain on active duty as a shinobi, and my best wishes for your future endeavors. Now, take this form with you and hand it in with your mission scroll, it will cover the details."

Sunadokei smiled warmly, taking the scroll and bowing her head. "Thank you Doctor Haruno. It means a lot to me." The Akimichi woman hurriedly made her way out the door, her cheerful optimism returned. Eager to be done with this mission and have the rest of her day off to herself, Sunadokei hurriedly made her way back to the Mission Assignment Desk. This time with a clean bill of mental health and a clearer conscious.

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(Thread Exit)
Word Count: 2655
D-Rank Mission: 750/750
Doubled Ryo: 600/600
Specialization Training:
Ninjutsu from B Rank to A Rank: 325/3,000+1,305=1,630/3000
Remaining Word Count: 2,655-750-600-1,305=0