Mission: Punch Drunk Love

[Tomoko Aburame]

Combat wasn't something that Tomoko was the best at exactly, nor was she some master of genjutsu just yet. Instead she was simply, well, Tomoko. A simple girl who wished only to help.
When she was given a mission that could end in conflict let alone to scare off a man she was understandably a little hesitant. What could she do if he DID get violent? Ask him nicely not to kill her?

Well, it was an option but overall Tomoko was the sort of girl to try and find a none-lethal approach to any situation she was given, especially those of her own blood of Yukigakure. Being a nationalist at heart Tomoko was dedicated to ensuring the survival of those she deemed her kinsmen, those who held the spirit of Yukigakure in their heart and carried that icey heart with pride. This she deemed more important than all else, a sense of duty to country meant that when approaching this man it would surely mean that she had found a countryman who had become broken thanks to booze. Whatever ailed him was what Tomoko aimed to fix, whilst the mission was to merely scare him she wasn't ready for that.

 No, She refused. She would help her countryman not by scaring him off but instead by helping him by any means possible. The recon she had received that he would appear at the bar, drunk around 10pm and thus she waited out on a roof top as ninjas seemed to do, prone and laying as she watched the street. Her objective here was to stop him entering the bar, sure, but she had an idea on how to do such a thing without having to scare a man for life or ruin his life. She simply wished to help her countryman become the best man he could be and thus she waited.

As the hours past finally a man came walking down the ally, not comedically swinging his arms or stumbling or slurring like a pirate as those who have not encountered drunks assume they act, but instead a simple man walking confidently with little inhibition present or notice of those around him. That would be the target and she would only get one shot at this. Leaping down the building she made her way outside of the Bar and stood infront of the doors as he attempted to enter.

"P-Please wait..." she muttered as she looked up to him holding a palm to tell him to stop "Before you go in, I need to ask you something" she questioned as the man looked to her "Ah, I need a drink youngling, nothing more, let me in so I might fill my stomach with that fine poison" he grunted looking to Tomoko with care, as one would for a young girl but Tomoko shook her head causing him confusion "I'm a Genin...b-but, I've been told to scare you off from this place." she said as the man grew mad "A shinobi!? Trying to take me out eh!?" he growled but was soon cut off "That's why I-I'm talking to you, I don't want to do this. S-Somebody was bothered so much they wanted to pay money to s-stop you. That's extreme...instead, Instead of me hurting. I-I was thinking maybe I could just talk to you. I-If that's okay." she stammered as the man looked in confusion

"So you're not going to assassinate me?"
"N-No."
"You want to talk...about what!? You don't even know me!"
"I-I know you have a heart for not just pushing me away...a-and I know you have problems because you're drinking on a monday."
"Everybody has problems..."
"My nindo is to help all that can't help themself...s-so..."
"What is it? Spit it out!"
"I want to help you. What is going on that you need to drink so much?"

The man fell silent.

[1/3]

[Tomoko Aburame]

As the man looked down at the homeless looking girl he scratched his chin looking skyward for a moment "Can't bother a kid with grown up issues." he said calmly as he looked at the night sky illuminated by those magnificent clear stars. Tomoko felt a surge of courage, if she didn't help the man he would have to be taken out and she could not do that to a man in need "At 8 years old I enrolled in an academy to kill other people." she stated calmly, trying to bolster some courage in the truth she spoke. Breathing deeply she attempted to still her then raging heartbeat. "I am not a child..." she said, somewhat solemnly as she looked down at her shoes "...I am a tool." she confessed to the man who instantly looked down to her with widened eyes. She suddenly realised what she had done and began to laugh nervously and hide behind a false smile "O-Of course that's not a bad thing! I...I really love my country...It's just how life is!" she stated as the man began to cock his head to the side with a smirk.

"Well, Better a tool in use than a rusted weapon like me." he stated in a half-jesting manner. His grizzled gorilla like face illuminated by the torches around the bar's walls. His rotund and yet muscular body now standing somewhat proudly, prouder than it was before causing his waist jacket to extend outward. "I...failed at being a tool for Yukigakure." he stated as he rested a hand on Tomoko's shoulder as his eyes began to well up, Tomoko so too looking back and feeling the warmth of his mitt like hands echoing the warmth of his heart. "C-Can you tell me...?" she muttered as the man gave a quick nod that was more of an impulse than a thought out response "I can, it's whether or not I should." he disuaded the girl once more causing Tomoko to frown as she placed her hand on his "Think of it like a lesson for me...y-you know, so I don't do it too." she muttered causing the gorilla like man to close his eyes and release a lengthy sigh.

"Sure..." he said, his eyes glazing over as if he was no longer there, those dark black pupils enlarging "It was the Chuunin exams...back in the day. We were given an option." he said holding his head in his hands "I'd been a genin so long..." he drifted off but soon got back on track "...The final test..we were put in a forest...and there was an offer. If we killed our team members...we could progress instantly to the rank of Chuunin" he stated "I'd...known them for years and...Sarina...We were....I mean she trusted me...." he was obviously drunk, spilling it out as he began to weep, the liquor and the emotions getting the best to him "When I finished them off...They-They said that it was a trick...I was the only one to turn against his team...I'm not even a shinobi any longer...I...No...No I should go inside...I need my poison" he demanded trying to rush past Tomoko causing the young girl to find a welling fire within her "Stop!" she called out with her fist clenched "Y-you think forgetting them and becoming a loser is going to bring them back...or honour them!? Huh!?" she said as she rose her fist punching him to the stomach doing no damage as she was quite literally 1/8th his size "When you kill...When someone dies! You live for that person! You continue where they left off to honour them...not get drunk and feel sorry for yourself!" she yelled at the large gorilla man who suddenly froze.

He looked down to the little girl. It was here Tomoko figured she was doomed, she had engaged the target and yet, she hadn't thought it all the way through. Surely this would be it. Surely this would be the end of Tomoko.

[Tomoko Aburame]

As she shook in her boots she looked up to the hulking man who looked down to her with a glassy state. Waiting to be crushed she gulped, swallowing hard as she attempted to figure out what to do next. A Genjutsu? No. Her bugs could help maybe. She couldn't make up her mind but she had to think quickly and that's when it happened. The man's hand rose above the small girl as if ready to crush her but instead found it's place lightly on the top of her head as the large man began to sob abundantly "Y-You're right...damn it you're right...Rina...Ragnar, they may not have mortal bodies but I should honor them." he stated as Tomoko looked up to him with a stern but affirming look "but...how?" he asked as he brought his head into his hands slowly sliding them down his face causing his face to stretch before sliding them within his pockets "W-What did they want to do?" she asked timidly looking up to the man.

The gorilla man began to ponder, rubbing his chin as he closed his eyes, thinking back "Ragnar always did talk about opening a restraunt...He said it'd be the first place that used ninjutsu to make it's recipes..." he admitted "and Rina just wanted to become someone of value..." he stated. Tomoko gave a cheap nod "C-Can you cook?" she asked but the man shook his head "No, unfortunately not...I've only really been good at accumilating wealth, nothing more." he said to which Tomoko clasped her hands "Hoy! Idea!" she called out bouncing from foot to foot "Wh-Why not just manage it?" she stated with a smile "Pay others to cook! OH! LIKE A BEAR!" she called out as the man looked at her puzzled "I've never met a bear who could cook..." he said with confusion to which Tomoko lit up "There is a land filled with Bears who do all sorts of things!" she cheered with a fire in her eyes "It is my goal to go there...and see the bear ninjas and bear cooks and the bear mayor..." she stated causing the man to chuckle "Hmm...Well Tomoko, you've given me a lot to think about...I'll head home. Your mission is complete." he stated causing her to shake her head "No! The mission said to send you away, that mission is, but my mission is to help you! So this week we're starting your Bear Cafe and I'll be watching every single day!" she stated with a ferocity.

The man laughed once more "So...the Bear Cafe, huh? Very well. Very well. Thank you but you don't need to watch over me." he laughed causing Tomoko to shake her head "I don't care, I'm going to do it anyway. We're friends now Jumbo." she stated as the man laughed "My name is Heindrit-" "Jumbo and I am Tomoko." she stated extending a hand out to the man "And we are friends at the Bear Cafe."

[3/3]