Holy Helpers (E-Rank Mission)

Mission:

Finally, Kiryu thought as he placed the envelope on his desk. He hadn’t received a mission since the failure with the rogue shinobi and he had been worried that he had been blacklisted for failing his first mission. Especially since that failure had resulted in the death of another shinobi…
 
     As he opened the envelope and read through its contents, he had mixed feelings. On the one hand, a mission where he was assigned to offer supplies to one of the Star Temples in Hoshigakure was a truly holy and righteous task. He hadn’t expected to receive an aid mission like this as a shinobi, and he was quite pleased. On the other hand, however, he realized that this mission was an E-Ranked mission. While normal for a Genin’s first mission, he felt as though the low ranking mission was a comment on the failure of his first mission. He would just have to use this as an opportunity to prove that he was still a capable member of the village’s shinobi force.
 
As Kiryu made his way to the supply distribution center, he looked around at the people walking about their days throughout the village. It was a peaceful sight to see, although he knew that this peace was always a mere moment away from fear and pain. In the end, that was what this mission was trying to avoid. By providing supplies to one of the temples, it was sure to reach those who needed them most. It also allowed for the temples to maintain the goodwill of the people, people who would rather starve than beg the shinobi for assistance.
 
That brought his thoughts back to the other aspect of the mission. He wasn’t allowed to reveal that he was actually a shinobi during this mission. It did make some sense, as the temples tended to distrust the shinobi especially after the Queen stepped down and was replaced by the Hogokage. Still, perhaps that was why he had never heard of shinobi providing aid such as this.
 
Once he had signed for and taken possession of the cartload of supplies, he made his way to the temple near the northern part of the village. He would have loved to provide aid to the temple closer to his home, but they knew that he had become a shinobi which would violate the terms of the mission.
 
”Good morning,”he called out as he reached the temple. An elderly man wearing the traditional robes of the temple acknowledged him with a wave as he walked over to meet with him.
”Good morning, my son. What can I do for you today? Have you come seeking a blessing?”
 
Kiryu shook his head slightly. ”While I would never turn down a blessing, I am actually here today to serve YOU.” He patted the cart behind him, which was filled with food, clothing, and medical supplies. ”I have a delivery for the temple.”
 
The elder’s eyes widened as he appraised the supplies. ”Why, this is most generous, but I’m afraid that we did not order such a delivery, nor do we have the means to pay for it.”
 
Kiryu waved his hand. ”You misunderstand, the shipment has already been paid for.”
 
”By whom?”
 
Kiryu paused, a moment of panic setting in. He hadn’t actually come up with a story for the supplies that didn’t point back to the shinobi at its source. ”I’m not entirely sure,” he said quickly. ”It was an anonymous donation.” While not technically a lie, as he didn’t know who EXACTLY had drafted the mission or provided the supplies, it was still close enough to a lie that Kiryu felt ashamed. Still, he had accepted the mission and he couldn’t in good faith abandon it by disobeying direct instructions.
 
Thankfully, the elder seemed to accept his explanation without any further questioning. ”Well, I certainly won’t turn away supplies like this. We’ve been desperately trying to support the local area, but we’ve been having to ration out supplies very strictly lately. This influx will breathe some necessary hope into the people again.” He bowed to Kiryu. ”Thank you, my son, for bringing us hope.”
 
Kiryu responded with a bow of his own. ”It is my honor to serve the stars in whatever small ways that I can.” After passing off the cart to the elder, Kiryu said his goodbyes and made his way back home. Even though he had lied, in the end it had created a positive effect that might not have been accomplished if he had been truthful. Was that the cost of being a shinobi? Living in the darkness in order to serve the light? As he filled out his end of mission report and turned it in to the administrative center, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know the answer.

[exit]

[TWC: 805]

Claiming:
- 4 stats (+3 strength, +1 speed)
- 700 ryo (500 E-rank base, 100 for Genin bonus, 100 for stealth challenge tag)
- 1 AP
- 805 words toward Wind Release: Air Bullets (805/1000)

Approved