Third Time's The Charm (Solo D-rank Mission)

[ 1 (Critical Danger) = You've managed to find the worst danger you can on this mission. Whether it is a Boss Fight, a natural disaster, or a wacky circumstance that's thrown your whole mission off course! ]


Finally, it felt like Shouri was getting somewhere. He had to admit, the first mission he undertook wasn't so great. The second one was better even though most of his time was spent searching through various plants. At least he got to practice some Ninjutsu at the end. That is what the young hybrid boy looked for in missions. At this level he couldn't expect much more than an opportunity to learn. Little did he know, today would be just that.



When Shouri left the house he expected his day would be boring. The mission he signed up for was to clean the Hokage statues. The Great Stone Faces were a monument in Konohagakure dedicated to each of the Hokage who served the Leaf. As the name implies, each of their faces is carved masterfully into the side of a cliff near the Hokage's office. Shouri was at least a bit excited to be up close and personal with Sarada Uchiha's carving. She was a legendary Uchiha and the only Uchiha to ever become Hokage. Shouri wondered what his path held for him. Could he be the Hokage one day? Was it even something he wanted? He pondered the questions as he moved through the streets.



When he approached the Great Stone Faces Shouri felt dwarfed by the size of the cliff. His eyes widened with surprise, taking in not only the sheer size, but also the massive disrespect displayed for the whole village to see. It was no wonder this was a mission. The graffiti was more than just the usual Naruto wannabe. It was downright insulting. Each Hokage was made a target although the ones to receive the worst of it were both of Shouri's blood. The First Hokage, Hashirama Senju; and the Ninth Hokage Sarada Uchiha were the prime targets. Shouri grabbed the water bucket and mop the village had provided for the mission and approached the bottom of the statues. He wiped away the first few layers of paint near the bottom before he noticed something strange.



The Uchiha peered closer, wiping away all excess paint on a single spot to reveal markings on the stone. It looked as if someone was using climbing spikes to scale the cliff side. Shouri deduced the culprit wasn't a shinobi from this, why else would he need spikes to scale the wall. Shouri concentrated some of his chakra to the soles of his feet before heading up the cliff side. He followed the climbing spikes all the way to the top where Shouri came across an empty can of paint. The trash was left behind seemingly on accident since there wasn't much else and the job would have required much more than a single can of paint. Shouri took some time to look around using the stone heads as a vantage point but when he found nothing he decided to return to work. The perpetrator was probably long gone by now.



The view of the village was incredible. Shouri did his best not to soak it all in, but the allure of the Leaf's beauty was too strong. After allotting himself a few moments to enjoy the sight he truly returned to work. The Senju considered his options and abilities for a moment and decided on his plan. If he used a water jutsu, the amount of water and the pressure working alongside gravity would be enough to wash away the semi fresh paint. Without hesitation Shouri began weaving hand seals as he moved. He was headed toward the Hokage he could stand to see like this the least, and before he knew it he was standing atop the head of Sarada Uchiha. The chakra he summoned and molded with his hand seals was now spewing from his mouth in a focused torrent. The water was directed at the top of her forehead, gushing across the rest of her face like a waterfall and washing what was left of the paint along with it. Across the whole village it could now be seen, Sarada Uchiha was no long vandalized.



Shouri concentrated chakra into his feet once again, this time heading down from the top and spending some time protruding from the face of the legend. He defied gravity only for long enough to clean up some of the smaller spots that the water didn't reach, like under the nose or chin. He wasn't sure how long it had taken him but when he had returned to the top something wasn't quite right. He couldn't quite put his finger on it at first but soon he could hear footsteps approaching fast. Without thinking he shifted his weight and spun on his heels to face the noise. He wasn't at all surprised by what he had found. It was a tall man with an athletic build. He looked physically strong and there was a roughness to him that was unsettling. Shouri reminded himself that this was no shinobi. The young man, probably in his 20's, stopped when Shouri turned to face him. Apparently a surprise attack was initially what he was after.



"You are ruining my work! The village needs to know what fools they have been. Their very lives are run by the will of the shinobi, and they make a monument to thank them for it. Shinobi are the greatest scam the continent has ever seen. They tell us they will protect us when their very existence is what puts us in the most danger!"



Shouri was caught off guard by the man's rant. Were there really people who hated shinobi this much? Even so, this man had broken the law. The Uchiha realized that he was going to have to arrest this man for the sake of public safety.



"Enough!" Shouri began, but he was cut off by the raging man.



"The arrogance! You'll learn not to cut me off!"



All of a sudden the man was charging. Shouri immediately realized he was in danger. He was an unarmed boy facing off against a young muscular man with metal claws attached to his hands. The man was already on top of him with no time to think of a backup plan. It happened so fast but Shouri could swear he remembers the man laughing as he lashed out at him. He swung with his metal claws and Shouri stumbled back on the rocky terrain of the faces as he narrowly evaded. The man grimaced and slashed with the other hand at the face of the Uchiha. This time Shouri was more prepared, slipping his head just under the strike and attempting to counter with one of his own. It thudded against the man's rib cage with little effect and he took the opportunity to sweep the child's legs out from underneath him.



Shouri landed hard. He was quick to get back to his feet though, rolling to the side and leaping a few feet to a roll. When he came up from the roll he was facing his opponent. He learned the simple acrobatics during combat training at the academy. It worked with ruthless efficiency as the man's climbing spike was stuck in the rocks. Shouri took advantage of the moment and began backpedaling and forming seals. As if he was on autopilot he fell back on the jutsu he had used most recently.



"Wild Water Wave!" Shouri exclaimed in true shinobi fashion.



The initial jet of water just barely missed the clawed offender. He noticed the hand signs and pulled his hand out of the claw, leaving it in the rock but with enough time to evade. Again! Shouri thought. His hands went to work, this time even faster. He could feel the effects of chakra usage much stronger this time. He knew he had to finish it with this. The young shinobi focused his eyes on his target, who was rushing him in a zig zag pattern. He waited for him to cross the center line, timing him on the first two passes so the third time he lined up with Shouri he was blasted with a powerful jet of water coming from the mouth of the boy.



A scream could be heard for a moment before it was drown out with the crash of water against stone. The man slipped down the face of one of the Hokage he had desecrated. Desperately clawing for a hold he used his remaining claw to stop his fall. Defeated he hung from his claw, calling for help from the one he was just so intent to hurt. It was truly pathetic, Shouri thought.



The calls for helped acted as a beacon to nearby shinobi who had seen water gushing from the top of the Great Stone Faces. They flickered to the top of the faces with Shouri who was relieved to have the help of more experience shinobi. He could barely stand after using so much chakra but he did his best to finish up here.



"What is going on here?"



"That man is the one who vandalized the Hokage's faces, he admitted as much just before he attacked me with his claws." Shouri explained.



The Chuunin took a moment to explore the scene before taking Shouri's word as fact, but once they believed him they were grateful for the work he had done. After identifying the man they let Shouri know he was a known gang member and wanted criminal. Shouri was filled with joy. This was what being a shinobi was all about. Fatigue ached throughout his body and he took a chance, inquiring about the rest of his mission. The Chuunin informed him that since the perpetrator was caught they would force him to remove his own work. With that, Shouri was free to return home where his bed was calling him for a much needed rest.


1,623 words 

(A regular criminal was the best "Boss Fight" I could think of for a clean the Hokage faces mission, hope I used the dice correctly!)

Jutsu Used:
Water Style: Wild Water Wave (C-rank=30% With Ninjutsu Adept and D-rank stamina) x3 = 90% Used

Total Chakra Remaining: 10%