Roses are Red and Pink

Mission Name: Patrol Duty
Mission Type: Guard
Mission Rank: C
Mission Goal: Patrol the streets of the village
Description: Whether night or day, keeping the streets well guarded and manned helps prevent crime, as well as allows quick response in case of need. Patrol the streets and make sure everything is fine.
Payment: 15,000
Requirements: At least two Genin, Chuunin+, Genin with Sensei

---

Niko was actually kitted up in her ninja gear for once, but she was still working at the forge.  Oriana was probably already here somewhere, but considering she had been working since before the crack of dawn while the cat-like woman had still been sleeping, she hadn't been able to check.  She was sloshing the molten steel around in the pot, still having a considerable amount left, and double checking her mold for Oriana's kunai that she was making for deficiencies.  A few scrapes here, another little press there with her Senbon, and it was ready for pouring again.  Slipping the brace over the pieces of wood she was using for a mold yet again, cranking it down and putting the funnel on top, she made it steady for a moment before setting it down and taking a breath.

Her skin was already with a slight glisten of sweat, but that was fine; they were slotted for a patrol before too long, so here in a minute or two, she should probably go find Oriana and make sure she was awake and had eaten the food she had set out for her.  She had been doing that a lot better lately, and it was showing; she was starting to fill out a little bit, and combined with the exercise and training they had been doing, that was turning into a strong body capable of being able to keep up with whatever came her way.  She was developing into a fine ninja, even without the social graces, but she was long since used to that.  Mako was gone on another one of his gathering trips, looking for herbs and such, so he wouldn't be back until dusk if she were to guess.  Ensuring her long, unruly red hair was out of the way, she went to grab the large tongs that would allow her to grab the molten steel.

It was just the two of them, but that suited Niko just fine.

---

Kunai Crafting: 1/3

Oriana rose early, while the sun was just peaking over the horizon. Even though Niko had given her a bed in her house, Oriana preferred to stay in her own apartment. It was an efficiency apartment, every thing in one room with the bathroom cordoned off by a pair of walls. The walls were blank and the furniture was minimal. There was a futon neatly rolled up and set against one wall, a plain wooden chest, a low coffee table made of cheap wood, and a corner that was supposed to be the kitchen. The "kitchen" was comprised of a basic sink and counter complete with an ice box for storing food. The only means of cooking was a rudimentary stove with a single burner made of a coil that heated up when it was turned on. A few milk crates were stacked against the wall adjacent to the ice box as make-shift shelves.

With her pay from her mission with Mako, the short woman had been able to acquire some rice, nori, miso, salt, pepper, and some pickled vegetables, along with a few basic cooking utensils. Oriana pulled the bowl of rice from the ice box and pulled off the cloth stretched tight over it. She scooped the sticky, slightly stale grains into her hands and formed rough onigiri, using a sheet of nori to keep it from sticking to her palms. She ate it and put away the the remaining rice before wandering into the bathroom to wash up. About five minutes later, Oriana was clean, her teeth brushed, and her hair neat. She exchanged her pajamas (a worn hoodie and shorts that hung low on her hips) for her usual outfit.

She went to the window and tugged on the laundry line to reel in her outfit, which she'd washed the night before. She folded them and stowed them in her trunk before leaving the apartment in search of Niko and Mako's home.

Oriana took the rooftops to ensure her route involved the least amount of human interaction possible. She landed on the windowsill and entered quietly, looking around. Niko had left out food again. The pink haired woman sat down to eat, eating the food quickly as she could without sacrificing chewing properly. She shoved the toast into her pocket and washed the dishes before making her way into the forge.

As usual, Niko was already hard at work. The genin dipped her head in acknowledgement. "Good morning, Niko-sama."

Niko picked up on Oriana entering the kitchen and eating as she grabbed the molten metal, the wood mold carefully sandwiched between her thighs to hold it perfectly still as she poured the molten metal slowly into the funnel. It was a bit dangerous if you didn't know what you were doing as even a drop missing would land directly on her bare skin, and would not feel good in the slightest, and it also took time. You couldn't pour it too fast or the air wouldn't be able to escape and you would have bubbles in the metal, not something that would wind up being any good for anyone.

She was still pouring as Oriana entered the forge. Even in this precarious position she turned her gaze towards the pink haired woman and smiled. "Good morning, Oriana-chan. I'm making you a kunai, but after that we have a mission. Let me finish pouring and I can tell you the details while I harden and sharpen it." Focusing again on pouring the metal, she had a weird intensity about it, and stuck her tongue out to the side of her mouth in concentration as she went. It would be the first weapon she made for the woman that Niko could recall, but a Kunai was a good all purpose weapon, and since it was made of Steel instead of Iron, it was better than anything you could buy in the market outside of another actual shop. Finally finished with the pouring, she put the molten metal back onto the fire and set the now full mold on the workbench, taking a moment to breath properly.

---

Crafting Steel Kunai: 2/3

Oriana looked at her master with a light frown on her face. Her position didn't look safe, even to someone as unskilled as the pink-haired genin. Nevertheless she nodded at Niko's response and leaned against a work bench about a meter and a half away from the redhead. Despite having defined their relationship in a way that was easy to understand and predictable, Oriana still wasn't acclimated to the redhead and her overbearing nature. Allowing Niko to care for her made sense if Oriana functioned as a servant of some sort. Her usual services for such care weren't something the pink-haired woman wanted to engage in with anyone, but it was familiar enough even if it was highly uncomfortable.

Comfort wasn't something Oriana prioritized in most spheres of her life. Staying neat and clean and maintaining her personal space were the only luxuries she allowed herself.

"Where do you keep your first aid supplies?" she asked after a long pause, realizing Niko might hurt herself, allowing Oriana to be useful without resorting to sex.

[2]

Niko smirked as she asked about the medical supplies, shaking her head as she sat back up, done relaxing for the all of five seconds she had allowed herself.  Leaning back forward she began to grab the mold and checking it's heat; yep, just about right.  "Thanks, but I'm alright.  I was crafting kunai before I was ten, and its not always easy, but I'm pretty careful."  Undoing the clamp, she laid it down and popped the top of the mold, revealing the kunai, still red hot, but mostly solid now.  Grabbing her tongs, she pulled the weapon out of the mold and pulled it to where it was close enough to her face that it bathed her skin in an eerie red glow, and then satisfied with it, dunked it quickly into the ice water to make it rapidly cool and harden.

Niko herself wasn't a fan of the cold, but cold water had it's place in the forge just as much as the fire when it came to making a blade.  "We have patrol duty today... starts in about an hour.  Just walking around the village for a few hours and ensuring no one is disrupting the peace, catching pickpockets and such.  Shouldn't be too difficult, especially since we have the day shift, but it doesn't mean we can take it easy.  I'm going to let you take point and only step in if I must.  I want to see what your problem solving skills are."  Another simple test, but an important one.  Pulling the Kunai out of the cold water, she twirled the file out of a bin and twirled it in her fingers once before starting to file the edge, the weapon glinting silver.

"Means your gonna have to talk to people you don't know, and be in a position of authority over others.  Come up with a code-word so that if you get overwhelmed you can ask for help without letting them realize what you are up to."  It was a simple enough task for most people, but this was going to be a challenge for Oriana specifically.  Niko would be with her the entire time, but she wanted to see if she could develop, if only a little bit, socially. Kunai finished, she flipped it in the air, catching it by the tip, and extended the handle towards Oriana.

---

Crafting 3/3
Produced 1 C Rank Kunai (3/5 towards B rank equipment) - Given to Orianna
Production Speed increased from UA
7 lbs of steel remaining

[3]

Oriana narrowed her eyes at Niko when the redhead explained the mission. Interacting with other people was one of her least favorite activities and the jounin likely knew it. Niko at least knew that Oriana didn't really like to talk to other people outside of what was necessary. She could do it; she could also eat dirt. Both would be uncomfortable and unenjoyable. However, refusing her master would be poor repayment for access to this house and being fed and supplied with weaponry.

"Alright," the pink-haired teen agreed reluctantly. This wouldn't be all bad. She would be paid for interacting with other people, which at least made it a worthwhile discomfort. Oriana hadn't particularly enjoyed prostitution when she did it willingly, but it had kept her fed, clothed, and sometimes sheltered. This was a step up, however small.

Oriana tried to soothe herself with thoughts of what food she could buy with her pay. While her own stores of food were sparse, she hadn't been going hungry lately due to Niko's intervention. Oriana would have avoided Niko's home in order to eat less of her food if she didn't suspect that the redhead would hunt her down and force-feed her. That, and being Niko's... whatever she was meant that being around was a necessity.

[3]

Niko was watching Oriana very carefully, even activating her Sensory to do so, as she explained the mission. Oriana herself would likely be none the wiser because her eyes were focused on her task at hand, using her heigtened peripheral vision to noticed the eyes narrowing and her process all the information she had been given. Niko was able to do this so well because Mako was not really a talker either, and she had to read between the lines a lot, and that was what was enabling her to read Oriana like an open book. She really hated the idea of this mission, but she was willing to accept it.

It was time to sweeten the deal. "Don't forget about that code-word. Something you can say in conversation with just a little emphasis as my cue to step in if you get overwhelmed. If you manage to end the day without hurting anyone that doesn't deserve it, I promise a big bowl of my Potato Soup." This was a definite thing too, as Niko's potato soup was legendary. The scent alone would bring Mako out of his room almost instantaneously if he were around, and the food was breathtakingly good. She was certain, as Oriana had eaten the meal once before, this would be enough to entice her to do her best not to shatter anyone's teeth who was only giving her lip, and wait for someone who deserved to get hit before acting.

[4]

Oriana continued to look displeased with the situation even as Niko encouraged her to pick a code word.

"Senbon," the genin stated blandly.

Her expression didn't brighten at the mention of food, rather, Oriana seemed to ignore this. Internally, the shorter teen wished she could talk the redhead out of paying her with food for this mission. This was supposed to repay her growing debt to this woman, not incur more.

Frustrated, Oriana turned her attention away from Niko for the moment and left the forge without another word. Once she was away from the maddening jounin, the pink-haired ninja relaxed marginally. Being alone in any sense was comforting, even if it would be incredibly short-lived. She climbed through the kitchen window and made her way to the roof to wait for Niko to finish her work in the forge.

The cool morning air soothed her nerves a bit, ruffling her pink hair. Oriana's eyes moved skywards to examine the clouds for a while. She kept a sharp ear out for her master, but otherwise seemed somewhat relaxed. Her shoulders still hunched and her body was ready to spring into action, but it was something.

[4]

Senbon was a good word, and she nodded in acceptance to it. She did pick up on the woman's agitation though, but associated that with the type of mission she was going to have to deal with more than even the passing thought that Oriana owed her anything. She had never once, done anything, for the people on her team or anyone else that was kind expecting anything in return, so the idea that Oriana felt indebted to her was a concept that didn't even register. She watched Oriana leave for the moment, probably mentally preparing for what the day would bring, and wrapped things up in the forge, cleaning things here and there and finishing the last of the cool down process so she could roll out with a clear conscience.

She equipped all her equipment, putting her two silver Steel Senbon in her ponytail as a non-obvious weapon; it was always a treat when everyone's eyes would go to her Hip Holster and the like when thinking about armaments, but even in a 'hands raised' and 'surrender' position, Senbon in the hair was always a good choice. It could be rapidly grabbed and were easily forgotten about by most typical ninja. It also would make for a good reference for Oriana to use if she needed to utilize her safe word, so there was absolutely no downside. Stepping outside silently because she wanted to observe her student for a moment before alerting her of her presence, she spotted the pink haired ninja on the roof as per normal. Content with her observations, she let her footfalls actually make noise a bit as she walked towards the gate, the creak of the hinge something intentionally left in place.

[5]

Once she heard Niko's steps Oriana hopped down from the roof, touching down on a wall briefly and using chakra to adhere herself there before letting herself fall the rest of the way to touch down in a crouch. Straightening up, the genin moved to follow the red-haired jounin through the gates. The sun had risen and people were beginning to move about Kumo as they started their daily tasks. The increased population outdoors made Oriana tense. Her shoulders stiffening as she curled in on herself and gave passersby a wide berth to avoid any physical contact if possible.

In her hoodie, which was large on her painfully thin frame, not even the standard white, one-shoulder vest could hide how Oriana seemed to shrink away from everyone and everything. Head down, blue eyes checking everything in their periphery with nearly paranoid vigilance, Oriana was clearly ready to run or fight at a moment's notice.

As they neared the Market during their rounds, the shorter teen had the misfortune of seeing a familiar face. A tall woman with an expensive looking kimono caught sight of her and approached. Her red-painted lips stretched into a smirk as her slim hand reached down to pull Oriana's chin up to force eye contact.

Oriana seemed to relax, but not in a way that indicated comfort; it was more like an animal going limp in order to discourage attack or show surrender. Hesitantly she met the woman's dark brown gaze.

"My, you've changed," the woman said, running a thumb over Oriana's cheek.

The pink-haired teen put a hand on the woman's wrist and pushed it to free her face, moving away shortly after.

"You never used to be so shy, I wonder what happened, hmm? Has your new job taken up all your time? I miss you, you know." The woman advanced predatorily, painted lids slanting. She reached out again to put her hand on Oriana's hip and pull her close. "You were gone a long time. I worried, you know." She leaned in to murmur, "If the village doesn't pay you well, I'll always welcome you back. There's something exciting about ninja...."

Oriana looked away, but didn't respond immediately. "I'm on a mission. I'm busy, Kobayashi-sama. I'm in Niko-sama's care now."

Kobayashi pouted. "What are you doing with someone so possessive?" She glared at Niko.

The genin shifted uncomfortably. "Another time Koba-sama," she said softly, voice dull, but there was a hint of pleading in it.

"Very well. I'll be expecting you." The woman turned with a swish of her robes and left the two ninja to their mission.

Oriana tucked her arms around herself and kept walking, resuming her normal hunched and defensive posture.

[5]

Niko let Oriana lead, taking what she said seriously and allowing her to take charge of this mission while she supervised and kept an eye out for more hidden dangers as they walked into the town proper. Part of the reason that ninja patrolled the streets was more than just simply catching people who did do the wrong thing, but also because there mere presence made it to where a lot of people refrained from doing ill deeds in the first place. With so many ninja roaming the village, it was impossible to know who was on duty and who wasn’t, and the regular patrols kept a lot of people on the straight and narrow path of the law.

She noticed Oriana tense up as the population increased, she waited for the woman to make a decision that would allow her to be more comfortable, and was about to make a suggestion to help when they came across a woman who looked well off approaching Oriana and who knew her. Niko didn’t move, letting the scene play out and turning her Sensory on so that she could make sure she didn’t miss a single word that was said, even in a whisper. She had to restrain herself from moving as she reached out and touched Oriana’s chin… and the surrender that her pink haired student showed… that was all that was needed so that she could put the dots together.

Koboyashi. It was someone that Niko knew of… and while she wasn’t known to the woman, she was certainly about to be. She let the conversation play out, waiting for the signal of the code-word, but Oriana held it together, not moving until the rich woman turned to leave; she would find Niko standing right next to her as Oriana moved off, closer than she should have been, and with pure bloodlust rolling off her in waves, enough to make the woman freeze in her tracks as a very real fear washed onto her face.

A Jounin with the intent to kill, focused solely onto a single person was enough to make most ninja stop in their tracks. This woman didn’t stand a chance. Niko’s voice was colder than anything Oriana would have ever heard before. “Touch my student again, or even speak to someone who is under my care, and you won’t live long enough to regret it.” The threat was extremely real, and while Oriana might not be able to feel what Niko was projecting at the moment, the reaction from the bitch she was towering over was clear enough indication, sweating bullets and trembling as Niko left her there, paralyzed, and moved to Oriana quickly.

She didn’t brook an argument this time, but wrapped a hand around the pink haired ninja’s waist and launched them upwards, landing on a nearby roof. Quickly letting her go and stepping back to give Oriana her space, she locked those emerald green eyes onto her with a strength that she had never previously shown. “If she, or anyone, from your past life approach you, you are to tell me their names and conduct immediately. Understood?” It was clear from her tone that this wasn’t her normal ‘request’, but an absolute and irrefutable order. Once she got confirmation, Niko relaxed.

“Lets stick to the rooftops; we can still see what is going on in the streets and continue our patrol, but less people to deal with directly.” Her normal soft tone returned as she took a breath and finished soothing her own nerves; it was clear that she would protect Oriana with her life if she had to. She partly wondered if that woman had wet herself; she hoped so... because she would wind up just another dead, lifeless corpse if she touched Oriana again, and to think of that threat as less than real was not a great idea.

[6]

Oriana hadn't been expecting Niko to approach Kobayashi. The mixture of confusion and fear paralyzed the genin. Was Niko furious because Oriana was being so flippant about the redhead's claim on her? Was something else angering her?

Then, before the pink-haired teen could blink, Niko's arm was around her waist, pinning her to the taller woman's side as the jounin whisked her to the rooftop. She flinched as Niko moved away and backed away to increase the distance between them. The stern tone in Niko's voice was novel, but strangely less unsettling than the woman's normal attitude.

This was one of the first times her master had given her clear instructions. Was she disgusted by Oriana's other profession? Or was it Niko feeling territorial? The short ninja didn't know which possibility she preferred. She nodded at the tall woman's instructions, hoping that Niko would calm down.

It seemed to work. Briefly, Oriana pondered asking for an explanation of what she had done wrong. Such questions would be informative if Niko answered honestly, but they could also provoke more anger.

Then, she bowed. "I apologize, Niko-sama. I did not mean to treat your claim on me so flippantly." Oriana waited, wondering if Niko would feel the need to exact physical punishment. Going belly up chaffed, but it was much better than worsening her overall standing. The pink-haired teen had learned this bitter lesson the hard way.

[6]

The nod was all she needed. The young woman understood and would carry out the order without a second thought, and part of that was a side-effect of her being the woman's 'master'. To some, this was a good thing; it was rare to get soldiers to be blindly obedient, but Niko knew that the reaching effects of that nature was going to have some bad consequences down the line if she wasn't careful. But she needed Oriana to grow a lot more and develop into someone capable of thinking independently before she started trying to seperate her from the 'Master' and 'Slave' mentality that had been beaten into her.

Niko turned at the bow, and listened. "You are my student. Anyone else who tries to take you from me better be prepared to kill me first." Her tone then softened as did her physical stance. "That said, it is not you I am angry with, Oriana. I don't care what happened in the past, because we are looking towards the future, plain and simple. If you ever need or want anything, I'll help you get it. You don't have to deal with people like that anymore. That said, let's continue the mission." This was still a bit more edgy than her normal soft demeanor when they weren't working; she was obviously still riled up, already thinking about reporting the individual for child abuse and other crimes to the village ANBU to have them handle it later.

Oriana looked a bit confused at Niko's declaration, but didn't ask any questions. She doubted Kobayashi would have physically harmed her, then again the redhead might consider Oriana's discomfort some kind of harm as well. The pink-haired teen left it at that; she didn't need to know why Niko wanted this for her, only that it was her master's intention. Not even this thought settled the uneasy feeling in her stomach. Oriana pulled the toast from earlier in the morning out of her pocket and nibbled at it as she walked along the rooftops, observing people below.

The food seemed to relax the short teen a bit, her shoulders relaxing a bit compared to before. However, another issue arose when Oriana was about to finish off her snack. Stuffing the corner of slightly stale toast back into the pocket of her hoodie beneath her vest, the pink-haired genin hopped down from her vantage point to trip a scrappy kid who had stolen some food. When the thief made contact with her outstretched leg, Oriana used a pulse of chakra to paralyze the boy so he couldn't escape.

Crouching in front of the boy, Oriana watched him sputter angrily for a bit. "Why are you stealing food?"

"Because I'm hungry, you bitch!" the boy snapped, wriggling under the pressure of invisible bonds.

"Then buy your food. Don't steal. If you don't have money, work."

"You ninja think it's so easy, but you don't know how life is for civilians! We don't get coddled like you--mmf!" The stolen rice ball cut off the child's tirade.

Oriana stood and walked away, leaving him there. She gave the shop owner some ryo to pay for the stolen food. It was some of her last money, but this mission would probably replace it. She handed over a little extra for two additional rice balls. One went into her pocket, the other was for the boy.

When the boy forced himself free from the Temporary Paralysis Technique, Oriana gave an approving nod. "Stop stealing and go to the Academy. Then you can be 'coddled'."

The boy opened his mouth to protest, but Oriana shoved the remaining rice ball right between his teeth.

"Now you're not hungry. Stop stealing."

Red faced, the boy left, snatching the rice ball out of his mouth as he went. Oriana watched him pocket the food before returning to the rooftops to keep patrolling. She glanced around to make sure no more problems would arise before finishing off her toast.

[7]

The little bit of confusion that Oriana displayed was something that she had expected, but considering that she seemed to accept it all the same, that was fine for the moment. Working on those issues all at once was a good way to put the poor girl into shock or worse. She recognized the toast she was munching on as the food she had made earlier and made a mental note to make food that would be easily transportable next time, something that would last and still taste good compared to toast.

She watched the scene unfold from her position on the roof, not seeing a need to be too close by as the girl had the situation well in hand. The boy posed no threat… perhaps that was why she was able to be close to him without a problem? She would have to do some training to make Oriana stronger and see if that helped alleviate the tension she had around other people. But that would come with time and effort, for now, they were still in the evaluation phase.

The red haired Jounin was impressed with the way Oriana handled the situation, and would be sure to slip a few extra Ryo to compensate her for her efforts in helping the boy. Hopefully she would accept it, or perhaps Niko would just slip it into her jacket when she wasn’t watching… she didn’t know if she would try to look the gift horse in the mouth or not. There was also the route of just demanding she take it as compensation, but she didn’t like the way that sounded in her mind.

As Oriana rejoined her, she gave her a nod. “Excellent way to handle the situation. I’ll compensate you the Ryo you spent to handle it as a Mission Expense.” It wasn’t quite a demand, but it was more firm than a request, a nice middle ground and something that was meant to be factual, more run of the mill during missions. I mean, it only made sense; Niko made a lot more per month than Oriana did, and as her teacher, an act of kindness and a lesson taught to the boy deserved at least this much. Still, she knew better than to shower her with praise either, so for now it would be simple and concise.

Walking behind her and reaching out with her Sensory, she kept a vigil on the surrounding areas and anything that might need their direct attention.

[8]

The shorter woman looked up from her snack at Niko's praise and promise of reimbursement. She frowned a bit, certain that this wasn't protocol. Still, Oriana wasn't willing to challenge the tall jounin on anything so soon after indirectly causing her ire. Even if Niko didn't blame her, she should have known better than to let someone other than her master show claim over her. This made the issue of her other customers more problematic. When she had been in her own except for Mako's occasional company, this would have been an issue of whether she wanted to pick up her first profession again. Now, she had to reject all the people who had taken care of her before her kidnapping. Even though Oriana didn't really want to have sex with old customers, cutting them out of her life felt... odd.

Oriana scanned the crowds from above, watching for signs of trouble. The next half hour passed in blissful uneventfulness. The short teen even found that she felt sort of numbed to the throngs of people below. Having the vantage point and being ignored by the crowds helped sooth her nerves.

Deciding that all was well, Oriana pulled the onigiri from her pocket and began to munch it. As soon as she began to enjoy the rice ball, trouble stirred.

With a soft, exasperated sigh, Oriana stashed her treat and descended on a group of preteens bullying children who appeared no more than ten years old.

She grabbed the first of the three preteen boys and used him to smack the other two away from the children. Then, she tossed the first boy after them.

"Don't bully smaller people. Go before I turn you in."

The bullies scrambled to get away from her before she decided to take further action against them. Watching them flee gave Oriana a strange feeling; she was... pleased. Making people like that turn and run in fear felt good.

Then, remembering the smaller children, she looked at them.

"Are you injured?"

The two younger boys shook their heads "no".  

"Do you have parents or guardians?"

Another negative answer. Oriana resisted the urge to shuffle her feet nervously. "Orphanage?"

The answer was yes.

"Follow me," she commanded them, turning and walking away. The two young boys trailed after Oriana, sticking close to their savior until they made their way to the administration building. Once inside, she took them to the chunin managing the front desk.

"Where can these two sign up to join the Academy?"

"I'll take it from here."

Oriana nodded once. She looked at the children. "Be more careful." Then, with a short bow towards the on duty chunin, she left the building and made her way back to the rooftops.

Looking around once more, Oriana pulled out the rice ball and made short work of it, eating it in three bites.

[8]

Niko continued to silently watch over Oriana's progress, noticing that it seemed heading to the rooftops had been the right choice; she could see her slowly relax. Perhaps a position of authority was good as well. Learning about Oriana and her quirks would make her better able to shape her training to suit her individual needs, and overall make her more effective. It was only natural, as Murphy's Law would have it, the moment she pulled out a snack was the moment someone wanted to stir up some trouble.

Watching the next scenario unfold, she had to admit, it wasn't just the fact that she didn't cause injury, but that she set the tone immedietely, using one boy as leverage to batter the other two away from the kids who were vulnerable. Using one kid to fend off two more was an overwhelming display of strength, amking it damn near impossible for them to want to challenge her directly. This avoided further unneeded conflict and minimized damage on all fronts. She was a little concerned about the slight look of glee in her eyes as she watched them flee in terror, but that could be tempered over time.

Another thing she noticed was that 'become a ninja' seemed to be a default response to solve most problems. Granted, she wasn't exactly wrong, but damn if she wasn't doing a fine job of recruitment for the village. Not all of them would make it, but it wasn't like that was a bad thing; they had services built in to help washouts find work, so it was a win no matter which way you sliced it. Simply getting through the academy was enough to ensure that they had a decent shot at a better future.

Standing next to Oriana, but outside her one meter range, as she scarfed down her food, a curious look in her eyes. "I would love to trade food sometime... see how your food tastes..." she said idly, not hungry at all, but more curious as the flavor.

[9]

Oriana glanced at Niko, cheeks still puffy from stuffing the rice ball into her mouth before any more problems could arise. She blinked and continued to chew while she thought of how to respond.

"Okay," the genin agreed, unsure of what else to say.

To escape further conversation, Oriana continued to lead the patrol. For the most part, civilians went about their own affairs and didn't cause many situations requiring intervention. A few heated arguments broke out below, over pricing of merchandise or petty interpersonal drama, but Oriana felt no need to get involved in those. Soon, boredom began to chip away at and dull her usual tension and hypervigileance. Only the occasional passing ninja paid her any mind and even that was only long enough not to trip over the pink-haired genin.

Oriana paused on another rooftop to survey the people below. So far, things were still delightfully dull.

"Help! Help!" A frantic voice disrupted the peace and put Oriana back on alert.

A woman was moving through the crowd, shouting. Other civilians if ignored her or gave her dirty looks as they moved around her. When someone stopped to help, he looked towards the rooftops and pointed. Damn. That was probably her cue.

The genin hopped down from the roof and approached the pair.

"Excuse me," she a bit stiffly said to get their attention.

The man, middle aged and bespectacled, looked at her and recognition crossed his face when he spotted the ninja headband hanging around her neck. The woman was becoming more and more hysterical, making Oriana want to inch away. Instead she tensed, but stayed in place.

"Oh, good. You're here. This woman's son has gone missing." The man explained gesturing to the tearful woman.

Oriana looked up at her, face blank and nodded slowly once to show she understood. "What does your child look like?" The genin asked, though her stuff posture showed that the teen would rather not be there.

The civilians seemed to mistake her discomfort for worry about the child.

"Thank goodness you're here," the woman said stepping forward, reaching towards the young ninja.

Oriana stepped back quickly. "Ma'am, the question."

"Oh, right." The woman looked a bit out out by the lack of reassurance, but answered the question anyway, "Nezumi-chan is about three years old, not quite a meter tall, and has curly brown hair. Her eyes are dark grey...."

Oriana waited a moment before prompting, "What was Nezumi wearing?"

"A red T-shirt and dark purple shorts. It was a horrible color combination, but Nezu-chan insisted. I had her, but then her hand slipped out of mine and then she was gone!" Nezumi's mother wailed.

The emotional display of the woman was making Oriana highly uncomfortable. She was not used to dealing with such things. When her clients were upset, they only had one type of comfort in mind.

"Okay, Ma'am. What is your name?"

"Himamura Suzume," the woman told her between tears.

"Okay, Himamura-san...." Oriana paused, unsure of how to proceed. Should she leave the woman here or designate a meeting place? Where should she look for this child? How would she track her in the first place.

"One moment please." Oriana took several steps away from the man and the woman to turn towards the rooftops and look for Niko. Once she caught the redhead's eye, she mouthed the code word.

[9]

Niko was fine with the agreement followed by a quiet little while.  When on patrol, no news was usually good news, and things were pretty peaceful until she heard the calls for help from someone down below, and they both turned to face the request for aid.  It was odd that some people were giving her dirty looks, but Niko noticed that one good bystandar was willing to stop and point them out.  Considering the panic in her tone, Niko didn't wait on the rooftop for this one.  It might be a little more complicated, so she was near Oriana as she made her approach, giving her some space but otherwise letting the pink haired ninja do her best.

Niko listened to everything unfold, taking in each detail.  Considering that she was ready to run at a moment's notice, she was standing firm and doing well, even with the step back she took.  Niko quickly activated her Sensory as the description fell into place, searching for that description.  A child that age and description shouldn't be hard to find; either distracted by something shiny or perhaps sitting on the ground crying.  The two escalated options were either the child had been kidnapped, or this was all an elaborate distraction to keep their attention here, which meant they were being underestimated.  As Oriana mouthed the code-word to her, she stepped forward, but also out of reach of the woman.

"Do not worry, Himamura-san.  We will find your daughter.  Stay here."  She looked to Oriana and gestured for the rooftops, giving her a silent command to look from up there for someone matching the description.  Niko herself would crouch, placing her hand on the ground and closing her eyes, focusing her Sensory through the earth to search for the child.  It didn't take long until she found him, crying at a stall holding the hand of the stall owner.  From what she could tell, the owner was waving an arm flagging down Oriana, who was more visible at the moment, so as there was no real danger, she would let her take point on the operation again.

Now it was just a matter of Oriana noticing, retrieving the child and bringing her back to her mother, which she could handle and would be good for her.  This wasn't something that could be handled by saying 'become a ninja' so she was curious how Oriana would handle it.

[10]

Oriana took to the rooftops once more, relieved to be away from the frantic woman. The attempted grab had nearly triggered the genin's more violent reflexes. From her vantage point, the pink-haired teen scanned the crowds for the girl's distinctive clothing. After a few minutes, a flash of motion caught her attention. Oriana descended once more to investigate the man waving her down.

He ran a dumpling stand, judging by the kanji decorating the front of the awning.

"Ninja-san, I found a lost child. Can you help me find her mother?"

Oriana nodded mutely. She could hear a bit of whimpering that sounded like a child in Nezumi's age range. "How old is she?"

"Three years old. She has brown hair and a brightly colored outfit. That's how I noticed her outside my shop."

"Thank you oji-san. May I see the child? I am searching for a small child called Nezumi."

The stall owner lead Oriana inside, lifting the flaps so the genin could cross the threshold.

Sure enough, seated on a stool with her jelly sandal clad feet dangling, was a child matching Nezumi's description.

"Nezumi?"

The toddler looked up at the sound of her name.

"That's her," the teen told the man. To the child, she said, "Your Okaa-san is looking for you. She's very worried. I'll take you to her."

The child looked up at Oriana fearfully.

This gave the teen pause. Seeing this expression on the face of a person who was barely past infancy did not feel good. Nevertheless, Oriana approached and lifted the child into her arms.

"Thank you, oji-san," she told the stall owner before walking out.

Holding a crying, clingy, small human was unpleasant. Oriana supported the child's weight with ease, holding Nezumi to her torso. The toddler's arms wrapped around her neck and a slimy feeling made Oriana suspect that the kid had a snotty nose as well. Her face turned a sickly, pale color with a hint of green at the sensation. She picked up her pace, easily navigating the crowd and making her way back to where Niko waited with the girl's mother.

Once they arrived, Oriana immediately passed the girl off to Niko to be looked over, holding the child out and away from her body, hands under Nezumi's armpits, until the jounin took the girl from her.

She turned to the helpful bystander and Suzume.

"I found Nezumi inside a dumpling stand. She appeared unhurt. Excuse me."

Oriana turned and leapt to the roof to make her escape. She needed to wash off now.

[10]

Niko, from her position, could sense Oriana, and when she was able to detect that she was moving in the right direction, landing in front of the man with the child, she ceased her channeling of her Sensory through the ground and instead focused on the woman, giving her a smile.  “We found her.  Wait here.”  She then started moving through the crowd a bit, walking towards where Oriana was carrying the child.  As she suspected, this was not something that she enjoyed, and was ready to give the child away at the first available opportunity.  Pulling a cloth out of a pocket on her sash, she took her quickly.

“Take a moment and stop by the house if you need to clean up.  There is a fresh set of clothes and you can rinse of quickly there.”  They weren’t far from it, still being in the market, and she could hold down the fort for a couple of minutes.  It was going to take that long to return the child properly anyway, who almost immediately calmed in Niko’s arms, her natural maternal aura soothing her.  She quickly wiped away the tears and snot and brought her to the girl’s mother, gently handing her over.

“Try not to wander off from Mom anymore, OK?” she implored the child with a gentle smile.  Once all the thank you’s and such were done and over with, she gave them a nod and moved back to the rooftops, picking a particularly tall building where she could watch over more at the same time and wait for Oriana to return.

Standing in the breeze, Niko would be pretty hard to miss, considering her long red sash and red hair drifted lazily through the air currents making her seem much like a flag, a nigh impossible indication of her location.  Her eyes rested easily towards her home, assuming that Oriana would have taken her advice, but the rest of her senses were on alert as she waited for her pupil to return.  Granted, it wasn’t all that great that she had handed off the child like a ill-mannered cat that she was deathly allergic to, but she had handled it the best she could.

She was thankful that the pink haired ninja hadn’t lashed out when the woman went to grab her, but the population at large was aware at just how on guard some Ninja were against deceit and threats, so it would likely be brushed off.  Moving onwards to the next sector was on the agenda, but she would wait for Oriana to return.  She had shown her the route they would be taking, and was certain she would remember.

[11]

Oriana all but snatched the cloth before running off with surprising speed. Once out of sight she paused to wipe the mucous from the side of her neck before returning to her own apartment. It was closer to the Market than Niko's house and she felt more comfortable there. A two minute cold shower and a change of clothes later and the pink-haired teen felt a little better. She had scrubbed herself almost raw in the places where the child had managed to make contact with her skin. Even so, Oriana still wondered if she was truly clean. There was no time to waste on that however, this entire trip had been a luxury that she probably shouldn't have taken.

The short ninja left her apartment and headed back towards Niko with chakra enhanced speed. She felt a bit tired by the time she got back to where they were supposed to be patrolling, but it wasn't anything she couldn't shake off. Her master wasn't hard to spot in the crowd due to her bright red hair and tall stature. Oriana approached her and gave a short bow.

"Niko-sama," she greeted the jounin in her usual stiff tone. Her hair was still a bit damp and her skin was read from vigorous scrubbing, but she otherwise looked as if nothing had changed. Even her outfit was the same. Oriana only owned four or five sets of the same outfit with a few white, one-shoulder vests typical to Kumo to wear over them.

Food and rent had been greater priorities than clothing. As long as her wardrobe could be kept clean and looking reasonably presentable, Oriana Saw no need to buy more.

"Keep going?"

[11]

Niko watched the woman carefully, pressing her her Sensory to track her to a small apartment building, where she stopped watching her pupil. She didn't need to pry too much, but she knew that apartment building was quaint and simple, not that she minded that at all, but it would be useful if she needed to come get Oriana during a situation to know where she lived. She might need to pay her a house visit at some point, just to make sure she was taking care of herself; she was still very thin. Everything seemed quiet for the moment, and Niko herself was starting to get hungry too... but what to eat? Looking at the shops, she smirked and flickered down in front of one shop in particular and made a purchase before moving back to the rooftop where she would wait for her student.

She looked towards Oriana as she made her approach, noting that there was fold-lines in what looked like the same exact uniform; was she simply reusing several copies of the same uniform? Interesting. Perhaps she could sow up some new clothes for her to wear, at least casually, so she could seperate work from the time to relax; that was important after all or you might accidentally trick your brain into thinking you were working all the time. Not that Niko could really say much in that regard, she was a bit of a workaholic herself between cooking, cleaning, missions, forging, teaching, tutoring and everything else she made time for through the day, but at least she would switch her clothes into tricking herself to think that she was able to relax properly.

As Oriana approached she asked if they should keep going, and Niko tossed something into the air for the pink haired ninja to catch, pulling her own Red Bean Bun out of the small paper bag. "We have a few hours left of our shift, so yes. Let's continue our route. Give that a try... they are good." The redhead then took a big bite of her own, giving Oriana the bag just in case she wanted to use it to save her own Red Bean Bun for later.

[12]

Oriana reached out to catch the bun Niko tossed her way, examining it with curiosity. When her master told her to try it, she did so without complaint.

"Mm!" The pink-haired teen blinked, surprised at the flavor of the bean paste in the middle. She shoved the rest of it into her mouth before Niko could question whether she liked the food or not. Her cheeks puffed out to accommodate the food jammed into her mouth. Oriana's face flushed, but she accepted the paper bag from the jounin handed her nonetheless.

After a few moments to chew and swallow the bun, Oriana asked, "Should I dispose of this now?"

The genin licked at the bits of red bean paste from her molars to get more of that semisweet flavor. Once the bag was dealt with, the short teen returned to leading their patrol. Time passed a bit slowly for her liking, but the lack of need for her intervention was nice. Perhaps the rest of their mission would be quiet.

Unfortunately for her, an argument between a stall owner and a man with expensive robes began to escalate.

Oriana looked to Niko with a raised brow to question whether she should intervene or give them more time to work it out.

[12]

Niko raised an eyebrow as the genin tried the treat, and then subsequently woofed it down like it was the best thing she had ever eaten. A gentle smile creeped onto her face though as she asked if she should throw away the bag, and Niko nodded, wanting to chuckle at the display of genuinely enjoying something she had been given without any of the normal 'if I have to' demeanor. She would have to do some digging into other sweat things and find out if that red bean bun could be reproduced or improved... she could even use it as a means of having Oriana stay around the house more often.

But those thoughts would have to wait as an argument spouted off with a couple of people and Oriana questioned if they should intervene. Emerald eyes watched them carefully with both vision and Sensory to ensure nothing would happen they couldn't jump in and fix in a heartbeat, but for now, it was just a simple dispute. Considering that she was a crafter herself, she felt for the shopkeeper, but this wasn't a part of their mission, and thus, not something to jump headlong into. "Keep a close eye on them, but no. We keep the peace and uphold the law. So long as it remains a simple argument it isn't our mission." She did, however, make note of the person giving the shopkeeper a hard time and listened in on the conversation.

It would be particularly important, after all, if she ran into a similar problem once she got her own shop up and running, to know who a possible troublemaker might be. As the sole businessowner and without needing outside sources, she could refuse service to anyone she damn well pleased, to include the Kage while inside her shop. And that was how she liked it.

[13]