Chapter 10: The Plan and the Questionnaire
"Or more accurately, micro-reward missions," Dana clarified. "The reward is just enough to cover a child's meal for one day, about 200 Ryō. The mission content is simple: take an orphan out into the village for a day."
"This mission..." Dodai was starting to understand what Dana was getting at.
"In reality, it's a way for the orphans to interact with the village's shinobi, and for the shinobi to interact with the orphans. It benefits both sides," Dana explained. "For the orphans, having an adult companion and participating in the life of the village will greatly increase their sense of identity and belonging. It's also beneficial for a child's development. For the shinobi, missions often involve life and death situations, creating immense psychological pressure. An activity like this is a chance to show kindness and relieve stress. It also reassures them that if they have children of their own and happen to die in the line of duty, their children will be well cared for. Some of the children in the orphanage are the sons and daughters of fallen village shinobi. I imagine their parents' former teammates would be more than willing to be the first to accept these missions."
Dodai was no longer merely surprised; he was deeply moved. He couldn't believe such a simple, low-reward mission could have so many positive effects. To be honest, he himself was tempted. He was a busy man who, at his age, had neither a wife nor children. He had faced death on countless missions, but when he returned to the village, there was no warm harbor to ease his stress. He just threw himself into more work, creating a vicious cycle.
And there were countless shinobi just like him.
As a man who loved his village more than himself, Dodai would gladly accept such a mission during his downtime. It would be a way to relax, to keep from getting lost in the killing and cold-bloodedness of his work, while also helping to raise the next generation and strengthen their bond with the village.
And he knew he wasn't the only one who felt this way.
Being a ninja was a high-stress, dangerous profession, even in times of peace.
The plan seemed to start small, but its potential positive impact on the village was enormous.
Seeing the growing fire in Dodai's eyes, Dana quickly added, "Of course, there will be restrictions on who can accept the mission. For example, they must guarantee the child's safety and return them on time. They are not allowed to leave the village. Shinobi with poor character records are ineligible. They can only accompany children of the same gender. Other than that, the mission can be structured like any other and posted at the Mission Assignment Desk as a long-term, open assignment."
As he listened to Dana's well-reasoned and comprehensive plan, Dodai realized that the Second Young Master of the Yotsuki clan possessed a startling talent. It wasn't the talent of a warrior, but of a leader and administrator. Dana reminded him of the famously wise retainers who served the Daimyo, the ones who planned the nation's future with the same logic and foresight.
And he was seeing this in a six-year-old boy.
Even if the Second Young Master didn't have a Kekkei Genkai, even if he could never become a ninja, he would still be an invaluable asset to this village in the future, Dodai thought to himself.
"Let's start with these first two parts and see how it goes," Dana said, clapping his small hands together. "The rest can be adjusted as needed." Seeing that he had won Dodai over was a good start. His biggest obstacle was his age; he needed the support of a respected adult ninja to put any of his plans into motion.
"Let's begin with step one, Uncle Dodai. The orphanage is currently run by two male Chunin, correct?"
"That is correct, Young Master Dana."
"Then let's replace one of them. The one who stays can help with the transition. The replacement must be a woman. It will be easier for her to bond with the children, and she can better attend to the needs of the girls. Do we have any suitable candidates in the village? Her rank doesn't matter; even a Genin would be fine. Ideally, she should be married and have children of her own."
Dodai pondered for a moment. "Those conditions aren't too strict. There are a number of female shinobi in the village who would fit..."
"More than one? That's excellent. It means we can be selective."
Before the sun had even risen, Keiko Morita was up and making breakfast. Her daughter was still asleep, but she had to get the meal ready before she woke up if she wanted to be among the first at the Mission Assignment Desk.
Keiko was only twenty-five years old, a civilian-born Genin of limited talent. She had once been a happy woman, married to her childhood sweetheart. But for a ninja, life was often a story written in tragedy.
Her husband had been killed on a mission shortly after their daughter was born. Keiko had been forced to shoulder the burdens of life alone, raising her daughter while taking on missions to make ends meet.
That was why she had to be at the Mission Assignment Desk at the crack of dawn. It was her only chance of finding a mission suitable for her: D-rank or C-rank, completable in a single day, and within the village walls. She was weak, and she had a child to care for.
After waking her groggy daughter and reminding her about breakfast, Keiko hurried out the door. As she left, she saw a letter in her mailbox stamped with the Hidden Cloud emblem.
It was the type of correspondence the village used for general, non-urgent, non-confidential notices. Even so, a low-ranking ninja like Keiko rarely received them.
She opened the envelope. Inside was a test? Or a questionnaire? Keiko wasn't sure.
"Please complete the following questions today and submit them to the Mission Assignment Desk."
"Question 1: Assume that on a certain mission, you must steal a piece of vital intelligence. The location is heavily guarded, and the only opportunity is at a specific time within a sealed room. The only other person in the room is a child. What do you do?
A: Kill the child and take the intelligence.
B: Knock the child out and take the intelligence (the child will immediately raise the alarm upon waking, adding risk and difficulty to your escape).
C: Take both the child and the intelligence with you (the child may not cooperate during the escape, adding risk and difficulty).
D: Attempt to breach the location by force at another time to seize the intelligence (danger and difficulty are drastically increased)."
Keiko was completely bewildered. The questions were open-ended, with no clear right answer. It seemed she was meant to answer based on her own judgment. But it was a questionnaire from the village, so she had to answer it seriously.
Well, whatever the reason, killing a child is just too cruel... I'll choose B.
"Question 2: Assume you are a Chunin squad leader. Your squad consists of three fresh Genin who have just graduated from the Academy. During a certain mission..."
Keiko curiously flipped the paper over. On the back was only the Hidden Cloud emblem. There was no other explanation.
So what exactly is this for...?