Catch the Animal [Group Mission]

Name: Catch the Animal
Rank: D-Rank
Participants: Moon Village, Sun Village, Missing Ninja
Type: Group Mission
Reward: 15 EXP, 5 Ryo
Location: Within a village or its region
Details: A wild animal has been roaming around one of the local villages. Citizens have claimed that it is causing mayhem, tearing up crops and supplies, destroying store fronts, and scaring children away. You have been tasked with catching this animal and returning it to the wild. While force may not be needed, the animal is rumored to be dangerous.
Requirements: Each person must post a 400 word post


Anubis waited quietly at meeting location for the next mission he was meant to tend to. Dressed more casually than usual, he simply wore jogging pants and a t-shirt and kept his hair untied so that one could see the full length of his black hair. It stopped just short of the center of his back and it managed to cover portions of his face as strands of hair dangles infront. He leaned on wall with his arms folded as he allowed his eyes to close and take in the world around him through sound alone.

He knew his job was a simple one so as to why he would need any assistance was beyond the young shinobi. Chalking it up to a simple team building exercise, he didn't protest and accepted the task. "At least it's paying," was his only thought. He wasn't told who was coming, so there was an air of mystery about the whole thing. He only hoped no one annoying showed, least this simple mission would explode into something bigger.

WC: 175

Kannagi Irezumi didn't usually take on such small missions, given her rank and qualifications made her prime for more dangerous situations than catching a missing pet or rampant wild animals in the street. The woman had short blue hair and matching bright blue eyes, both of which stood out against her pale skin. A high neck black top without sleeves and a pair of black shorts was her typical casual and shinobi mission wear. She wore a sheer white skirt tied up by her hips in a sort of high-low fashion over the shorts and a set of comfortable and well worn traveler's sandals. The beautiful young woman assumed if she was asked to take part of such a low mission it was keep an eye out for the lower ranked male who was also given the job.

When she found the man she was looking for it surprised her that he was nearly her age, at least she guessed that he was based on his appearance. She gave him a polite half bow of her head and greeted him, "My name is Kannagi, and I am a Chuunin of this village. I don't believe we have met... but your face matches the picture in the file they showed me this morning." She waited to hear his name, hoping he would fill in that blank space and would relax her stance slightly, remembering that her language and body posturing often reminded people of mothers or schoolteachers. Few young women were as intelligent and as confident as Kannagi and plenty of people had told her 'you look great for your age' and assumed she was a decade older than she actually was based on her body language and vocabulary alone.

"So I hear there's a wild animal in the business district. A large adult ostrich if the rumors are right... though I admit the rumors could be wrong. Those who tend to linger around the taphouse aren't always valuable resources for candor's sake. Have you heard anything?" She looked around and gestured, "You can lead the way if you're ready."

He hadn't been waiting very long before the arrival of the other individual tasked with the mission. His eyes half opened at her approach as he turned his head in her direction, his arms still folded as he listened to her greeting. After her introduction, Anubis could immediately see what her purpose was here. Given her rank, this mission was beneath her and in all likelihood it was beneath him as well. She was essentially a glorified chaperone, but it mattered little. A job was a job, after all. "Anubis, a late bloomer of this village. I doubt we've met though, I don't usually forget a face. Nice to meet you all the same," he replied with nod, his gold eyes meeting hers.

Without delay, she went on to explain the details of the mission. An ostrich was on the loose or at least a large bird, and they needed to bring it in. "I don't have much info beyond what we were told, but I doubt it will be a major problem," he replied to Kannagi as he moved from leaning on the wall, "The plan I have is a simple one. We get some feed to lure it over, mix in some sleeping pills and drag the bird back into it's cage. There is a shop along the way I figured we could stop at, the owner needed some food delivered not long ago and I helped him out. I'm sure he would be willing to help us out with what we'll need." With a big yawn he began to head in the direction of the shop. He wanted the job done, now more than ever.

"Bastards actually sent me a damn chaperone for a mission this simple," he thought as he shoved his hands into his pockets. Choosing not to walk in silence he half turned to his comrade, "So, do you usually get saddled with babysitting jobs like this."

WC: 323

Kannagi inclined her head a bit with amusement on her lips. His plan was a good one and she saw no reason why she should need to follow around someone her own age for such an easy mission. That being thought, the woman was impressed at his thoughtfulness. Most shinobi she met tried to complete missions with simple force, using jutsu and complicated tactics. This one planned to just buy some feed, avoiding any possible fight or risk to either him or the large loose bird. "I've never met someone named Anubis before. A unique name, but a good one. Were you named for one of your ancestors or guardians?" Her comment was light. She would have to admit later to herself that small talk was much easier outside of situations such as these. To act as a guardian of someone her own age felt strange, even if she was significantly more powerful. Had he gotten himself in trouble? Were the higher ups keeping an eye on him because he was at risk for something?

Kannagi let him walk in silence as long as he desired, leading the way to the shop where he had gotten help before. Birds mostly ate plants but a bird so large might be intrigued by large insects or small lizards in its natural habitat. She would observe what he purchased to see just how clever he was. "Often enough that when I saw you, I knew what my role was to be. I have no plans to interfere unless you need it. Perhaps you can view me as something other than a chaperone for that reason." The blue haired woman inhaled, taking in the warm day and returning to quiet. She wanted to talk to him more, curious about him, but he didn't seem interested in the same. Kannagi respected the privacy of others and kept her nosy thoughts from intruding upon her lips. She crossed her arms lightly over her chest, as if to remind herself to do nothing on this mission and to be non-presumptive about the male over all. As an authority figure, in terms of rank at least, she could ask him anything and he was likely to reply, especially if he thought she was on some secret mission for the bosses of the shinobi village. Kannagi didn't want to do anything to abuse her power in that way even if she was interested in Anubis and why he would be given this mission in the first place.

An array of shops, vendors and a small tea-house littered the side of the path into the business district and Kannagi would wait for him to approach the one where he had made his connection.

"You could say that," Anubis replied to the inquiry of the origin of his name, "My parents mind are a mystery to me though. They decided on a lot of things that made no sense to, including selling me and my baby brother off to feed a habit." He paused for a moment, letting the sounds of their footsteps linger quietly in the air. He could feel himself growing more annoyed at the thought and would rather not let slip his emotions in regards to the parents he hated. After all, it was their decision that eventually got him here; anger was pointless now, he'd save that for when it would really matter. "Raionhato is actually a name my brother and I adopted ourselves, in a sense you could say we're the first of our name." He fell silent only when he noticed the place he had been looking for was slowly coming into view. "We're here," he would say as he wasted little time and entered.

The shop was relatively empty aside from a few employees and patrons. Upon entering, a greeting would ring out from across the room, "I don't recall asking for ninja, boy," the gruff tone boomed over the low murmur of the shop. "I needed a favor, old man, I figured you owed me one," Anubis replied flatly. "I believe your services were paid for from jump, that makes us square," the owner replied nearing closer to avoid the rest of the room hearing more of the conversation.

"What do ya want." "I'm sure you heard about the bird problem in the area. Being that you serve fresh game here, I figured you had a means to capture the bird. I need to catch it and bring it in," Anubis said, his golden eyes remaining fixed on the old man. "Got help, I see. Must be some bird," the owner replied before turning away, motioning for the two to follow. "Something like that," the young shinobi answered with a half glance at Kannagi. "Well, I think I got something that can help, but it ain't coming cheap. Actually I got another job that needs handling and I just sent in a request for help." "So much for not requesting a ninja," Anubis thought as the man contradicted himself, " And that is," Anubis spoke. "An outpost is being made and they need food and supplies, I got the job of getting that to them. If I help you with this bird issue, you help me. And as I said, I already put in a request so your timing gives you a leg up."

Anubis turned to Kannagi before offering further dialogue, "Well, you game to add another stop to this little mission of ours. Getting this bird should be simple enough and we are getting first dibs on it. Should be something a bit more worth your time too," Anubis asked.

If yes we jump straight into this mission after the first one:

Kannagi's face became solemn as he described his parents very openly to her. They sold off Anubis and his brother. Who raised them then? Were they kept as slaves? The man had begun to get quiet and she ran a stray hand through her hair thoughtfully. "I cannot imagine that was without challenge for you and your brother. I appreciate you allowing me the knowledge despite its clearly sensitive nature. May I ask you another question, I don't want to pry too much, but is he also a shinobi?" Kannagi wondered if maybe she had met his brother or seen him around. The blue eyed woman would want to keep an extra eye out just for the sake of being sure the guy's little brother was also safe. It is what someone in her community would do, looking out for others.

Kannagi let him reply or not and then followed Anubis into the shop. As the owner and Anubis spoke to each other, Kannagi began to tense slightly. The owner didn't seem very friendly or helpful and she didn't want to see the genin fail such an easy mission because of a rude lout. Still, the genin had a way with words and people, a sort of street sense that Kannagi never had been able to get a hold of herself. He managed a simple deal for the owner's help and she smiled placidly at the pair before her. "I am free to assist you further, Anubis. And I would be pleased to do so." She waved a hand towards the owner and then the door. "Give us what we need to capture the bird and the supplies so we will not need to make two trips, please," She said civilly to the owner, "Then we should be off." If everything went as planned and desired, she would continue to let Anubis lead their way through the mission and into the next job after.

Anubis gave a half smile before turning back to the owner, "Well what do you say, old man." The owner nodded and motioned for the duo to wait as he went to the rear of the store. Not more than a minute later he reappeared from the back with a little bag. "This is some stuff I use when I'm hunting deer. Strong enough to put an adult deer out for several hours, should be more than enough to put down a large bird. Get the bird to eat it and it should drop quickly. Now in regards to my request, I got the packs already prepped. Each bag has about several weeks worth of supplies, which covers the month if they ration it properly. Just get the stuff there before nightfall and bring me back a signature from the outpost's captain. Simple enough." Anubis nodded while taking the small bag, "Fair enough, where are these packs," he asked while taking a look at the contents of the bag. It was definitely dead insects, but it had a very strong odor coming from it. His nose wrinkling at the scent, he assumed maybe the smell was more endearing to birds. "The bags are prepped around back. I can't have you two walking through my kitchen in the back so you will need to go to the rear of the building itself. Everything you need is already there, see you both when you get back," the owner answered before being called by one of his employees for assistance.

"Well, we have what we came for," Anubis said turning to his partner, "Let's wrap this up quickly. I'd hate to keep you tied up all day." With that he exited the shop and looked around to the rear of the shop. There near the rear door was a two large bookbags, to which he immediately grabbed one. He then looked towards the direction of where the ostrich was spotted. Before taking off he half turned toward Kannagi, his mind on the last question she asked before entering the shop. He had, at first, ignored it as he didn't like going to much into detail on his brother. However he did invite the question by making a mention of him, "My brother doesn't reside within the village anymore. Our paths took us different directions, but last I heard from him he was traveling the land. The idea of being resigned to one place didn't really sit well with him after we escaped our past life," he spoke plainly, "Don't pity us, though. We all have to play the cards we were dealt, and we both have made the best of a shitty deal." He made sure to keep any irritation in his tone, he honestly wasn't. However, Anubis wanted to ensure he garnered no sympathy due to his past. It was what it was. Without offering a chance for Kannagi to reply, he rushed off easily scaling the nearby building by simply running up the walls and made his way towards his goal.

He arrived with little effort to the location, area that was mostly cleared of people due to the Animal; only a select few choosing to continue on with their day as normal. Almost immediately, Anubis spotted the bird pecking at the ground in search of worms or smaller insects. "Good, it's hungry," he thought as he pulled the bag of insects from his waist and pulled out a handful. He then jumped from the rooftops and landed in the open, giving a little whistle to catch the birds attention. The ostrich jerked it's head up and looked to be ready to run when Anubis held up the fistful of insects for the bird to see. It squawked a few times before slowly approaching, Anubis offering words of encouragement in a welcoming tone. Once it was close enough, though still a little hesitant, the bird began to eat the insects from Anubis' hand. "There you go, you filthy shit," he said sweetly to keep the bird relaxed, slowly caressing it's head. Within only half a minute of finishing the feed, the ostrich slowly settled down and played on the ground and soon after was in a deep sleep.

"Well, that was simple enough," he said as he hoisted up the heavy bird, the weight plus the weight of the pack having an immediate impact on his ability to move. Luckily, with them taking on another mission that would lead them out the village it would be simple releasing the bird into the wild. "We aren't far from the front gates, I figure we I can carry this big fucker out of the village." He paused only a moment before beginning the trek out the village, "I'm actually curious about something, if you would humor me. You've heard pieces of my story, what about your own. From the outside looking in, you appear to have a good energy about you. I'm curious if your own background reflects equally on your character." He didn't cease in his trek towards the village exit, assuming Kannagi was following.

WC: 853

Before they left the shop, Kannagi caught the sight of another shinobi off duty, a genin she had crossed a couple of times. She pulled out a handful of ryo and directed him to bring the shop's supplies to the gate, in order to make the trip easier for both Anubis and herself. The young woman she addressed seemed afraid to argue or contradict her even though Kannagi didn't do or say anything threatening. With a nod the young genin had taken the ryo and left Kannagi to continue on with Anubis.

At first, the blue haired chuunin nodded along as he confided information about his brother. She was sorry to hear that they had separated, hoping that a deeper internal rift was not the cause. Kannagi had powerful feelings and opinions about family and community both, but she was exiled from her's. It was a path that the woman had chosen for herself but that didn't make it any less painful to her. Kannagi wouldn't continue to broach the subject with Anubis; picking off someone else's scabs only made them irritable, distrusting, and earned the subject a solid slap to say the least. He climbed buildings and made his way towards the business district, where the large avian was last seen. Kannagi wasn't about to climb up the buildings with him and stayed upon the ground, her feet finding the sure footing comfortable, taking his strange distancing to be a tacit request for brief solitude and space. She trailed lightly behind him as they located the bird. Kannagi watched as he fed the bird the insects and curled her nose slightly at the smell. She didn't want to make a scene of it, but they really did reek something terrible. She tapped her fingers on her crossed arms, giving her something else to concentrate on apart from the smell. Sure enough, the giant bird fell asleep, harmless and without harm. She really respected someone who didn't simply go for the kill, especially with animals that were so defenseless against shinobi techniques.

She watched as he carried both the bird and the bag and shook her head at him, prying the bag from his grip and not giving him much choice in the matter as his arms were still full of the weight of the ostrich. "I'm not useless, I can carry this back." Then the blue haired woman pushed the bag to her shoulder, steadying it with her hand and walked without change in her elegant posture towards the village gates. Kannagi gestured with her chin towards the upcoming gates and the genin from before and said, "I'll put the bugs down and grab the supplies here." And so she did; the bag of bugs was placed upon the ground and the young woman earned herself an awkward pat on the head from the kunoichi. Kannagi grabbed up the two large packs wondering how the little genin had managed to carry the items at all. Her answer was given quickly to her as she noticed a wood backed carrying tool, like a large sturdy basket with sturdy leather straps. Kannagi handed off a couple more ryo and put the stalwart tool upon her back. She loaded it up with the two packs and took a huge breath, almost heaving with the effort for a moment.

"As soon as you drop that bird off, you're taking one of these yourself, Anubis," Kannagi said with a terse smile as a bead of sweat appeared on her brow. When they made their way away from the gates and onto the already too-warm road, the outpost was hopefully not too far. Kannagi walked at a normal pace, the packs slowing her to what she thought was an embarrassing stride. When Anubis dared ask about her own history, she was silent for a long time. She could tell him the truth about her family, where she had come from, since he had been so honest with her. She could tell him about the last four years in Nikkousato. She could make something up altogether, but she wouldn't return honesty with lies to the male by her side. Kannagi's blue eyes glanced over at him and his heavy bird and noted that he was waiting for her answer with patience. With a little sigh, her shoulders fell an inch or too as she conceded to the young man.

"The truth is not short nor simple. I haven't shared the details with anyone in the last four years. But I will tell you I am not a native of Nikkousato and I, too, have had an unusual road to becoming a shinobi. I no longer have any family in technical terms, but I would share your request to not bestow upon me your sympathy or platitudes." Her eyes became distant upon the long horizon and the kunoichi adjusted the heavy pack on her back. The edge of the wilderness peeked out beside them, as good a place as any to release that ostrich. Her gaze moved around the land and she saw no nearby predators either, good news for the bird. She paused to let Anubis take the hint and set the animal off. She waited also to see if he would take one of the huge bags from her. "I apologize, it isn't as much as you have shared with me. The best I can relay at this time: I used to be one of the Irezumi, but I didn't fit into the roles I was born into. I chose to leave, I chose my own exile." Her eyes got a bit cloudy and she shut them tightly, hiding the emotion within them until she cleared them out with a singular and deep breath. The Irezumi were a well known group of nomads and merchants, travelers who kept to themselves like a single family spread out over the entirety of the plains and desert. Once they were ready, she would keep on until they got to the outpost, staying beside Anubis. "Do you have any other inquiries?"

WC: 1012

Anubis allowed Kannagi to alleviate the bag from his person, not being the sort to grouse over such things. He listened to the kunoichi give her story, though he could catch a hint hesitation in her response. "It would seem the past is usually a sensitive subject for most," he thought as she finished speaking. He took note of the individual she had paid to basically have the rest of the packs waiting for them by the time they reached the main gates. The woman obviously possessed some pull or the allure of money really could persuade anyone to do menial tasks. In either case, they arrived at a decent location to set the bird free. Anubis set down his burden and waited a bit for the bird to begin to stir; after all leaving a sleeping animal in the open seemed like ringing a dinner bell to predators. While waiting he took his share of the load from Kannagi and finally replied to her question, "I don't have much in way of questions. Although I think I have heard of your family name before, though little else beyond that. I suppose we all have our family issues, what's important is that we haven't let that mold is. We are who we choose to be," he replied as he watched the bird stagger to it's feet.

With a shocked reaction the ostrich squawked and dashed off in the wild, to which Anubis smirk, "Safe travels," he said quietly as he watched the bird vanish into the distance. "Well, let's wrap this up," he finally said to his comrade. He adjusted the strap of his load and trekked on in the direction of the outpost. The trip itself wasn't a long one and Anubis didn't say much for the majority of the trip, only when it was in view did he speak up again. "Finally here," he started while wiping away the sweat from his forehead. It was only then did his closed third eye become revealed, appearing at first to be more skin to a cut on his forehead. Having lived with it for so long, sometimes he would forget it was there until he touched it. The eye itself didn't open wide, but only just slightly before closing again. "The trip wasn't as bad as I thought it would, all things considered. You have my thanks," he said with a crooked smirk as they neared the outpost entrance.


WC: 409