Operation Laughing Dragon

Part 1 - Mission Description

Mission Rank: B*
Mission Type: Escort
Mission Target: Tsugumi
Mission Patron: Kaito Sasaki

Mission Brief
Kaito Sasaki, an archivist at the Grand Library has become concerned at his superior's interest in the Fukue ruins recently rediscovered in the island chain between the Land of Frost and Land of Water. Fearing local bandits, thieves, wild animals and citing his superior's 'airheadedness,' as cause enough for concern, he has offered a generous 200,000 ryo to Shimogakure for a shinobi team willing to escort and protect Tsugumi over an estimated three month research period at the site - with additional compensation for every day beyond the period.

Intelligence gathered by the Shimogakure Intelligence Division indicates that no danger of B-Class or higher is expected at the site - the current ceasefire with the Land of Lightning renders it highly unlikely that the shinobi team will encounter enemy ninja or samurai. Still, the three month period represents adequate time for the situation to change, and as such the mission has been evaluated as B-Class as a safety measure.

Unfortunately, due to current restrictions in manpower, Shimogakure is incapable of supplying a Chunin team for the three month period - it is therefore recommended that two Genin teams be sent, both for adequate day-night coverage as well as to double the presence of Jonin, who will act as the primary operatives with six Genin as assistance. Additionally, Kaito Sasaki has taken the initiative on informing the Land of Water of the research site - given the recent strong relations between the Lands of Frost and Water, it may be suitable to perform a joint operation as a sign of cooperation, with one Genin team each from Shimogakure and Kikigakure, splitting the reward evenly between villages.

Team Recommendation:
At personal request, Tsugumi wishes for the Genin Sen Yamamoto to be present at the research site - as Team Chiyoko is currently unoccupied, with the three Genin training for this year's Chunin exams, it has been deemed appropriate to facilitate her request. A following report will be made on the team and their individual profiles.

Part 2 - Team Chiyoko

Team Chiyoko is a standard Genin team consisting of three Genin - Sen Yamamoto, Aoki Yoshida, Daku Baishou - and one Jonin, Chiyoko Ao. The team was recruited by Chiyoko Ao from the Shimogakure Academy from the same class and has been together for three years, completing twenty three D-Class missions and twelve C-Class missions with only two failures - one D-Class and one C-Class. A Genin team of relatively high success rate and adequate veterancy, they have failed three consecutive Chunin exams and are expected to attempt another within five months.

Jonin Chiyoko Ao
A veteran of the war, Chiyoko Ao has been a Jonin for eighteen years, during which they have completed many B-Class and thirty two A-Class missions. An expert in taijutsu and bukijutsu, Chiyoko's performance had radically declined due to an irreversible injury to the chakra network during battle with Konohagakure's Hyūga Clan. Despite this, her performance had been deemed adequate to maintain the rank of Jonin, and she has developed a strong grasp of tactical, leadership and tutorship skills during the past three years - she has been recommended to the Shimogakure Academy, and is expected to retire once her current team graduate to Chunin.

Genin Aoki Yoshida
Aoki Yoshida is the secondary leader of Team Chiyoko - a Genin who achieved perfect grades in the academy, he is proficient in most D-Class techniques and has begun to master C-Class and B-Class ninjutsu and taijutsu, particularly of the wind and lightning natures. He also possesses considerable talent in leadership and strategy, though has been assessed as too emotional for a shinobi, showing little respect to the code and dismissing tradition in favour of personal intuition - to his credit, his performance has not yet been significantly negatively impacted by these flaws in temper, and is expected to mature during his tenure as a Chunin.

Genin Sen Yamamoto
Sen Yamamoto acts as Team Chiyoko's information operative - she possesses the Eizō-teki, a somewhat common but curiously clan-unbound kekkei genkai recorded in Shikogakure that grants a perfect memory and extreme capacity for learning. Beyond this, Sen has also shown an extremely high capacity for academics, reasoning and mental development beyond common Eizō-teki users, completing all theoretical courses in the academy four years early. Despite this, she shows only adequate skill in genjutsu, taijutsu and ninjutsu - a symptom of a weak spirit for conflict that must be corrected if she ever wishes to become a Jonin. At present, her abilities in information gathering mark her as adequate Chunin material.

Genin Daku Baishou
Daku Baishou is the low performer of the team, paired with Aoki Yoshida after a tenuous graduation in the hopes that they would develop more strongly alongside a prodigy. Daku's taijutsu and genjutsu are considered considerably sub-standard for a Genin of their veterancy, though a certain talent for elemental ninjutsu has emerged during the past three years that matches his team mates. Despite this lack of talent, Daku is considered the most level-headed and dutiful of the Genin, matching the codes of Shimogakure and adopting shinobi culture exceptionally - as such, they may be considered a viable Chunin after additional experience to cancel out their poor natural abilities. Daku has so far been responsible for two of the three Chunin exam failures experienced by the team.

Part 3 - Mission Report

Reporting Ninja: Genin Sen Yamamoto
Mission Status: Failed
Mission Casualties: 1 Jonin, 2 Genin (Shimogakure)/1 Jonin, 1 Genin (Kikigakure)

Mission Debrief
[The following is a mess of crossed-out, redacted, and re-written script in a shaky hand]

Chiyoko Ao has been killed in action - I shall be filling in this report as the team's Information Operative and only surviving member.

The initial estimation of Mission Rank B was severely miscalculated. Fourty-six days after arrival at the Fukue ruins the joint operation was assaulted by three currently unidentified shinobi estimated of Jonin level. These shinobi were believed to have originated from Komugakure by my late team leader's analysis of their strategies and equipment - whoever hired them, we have no idea. They were prepared for us and possessed direct counters to most of the abilities possessed by both Chiyoko as well as the Jonin from Kirigakure - for that reason I believe they were somehow informed of our mission and the makeup of the two teams - this was not disruption, this was assassination.

Lady Tsugumi of the Grand Library is in severe condition but has been cleared of critical status by medical-nin. Genin Daku Baishou was confirmed deceased by the medics yesterday. Jonin Chiyoko Ao and Genin Aoki Yoshida gave their lives to allow Lady Tsugumi to escape. Of the Kirigakure team, both their leading Jonin and one of the three Genin were killed during the initial assault. Sufficient reinforcements from Kirigakure have arrived to contain the situation and I believe we have evaded our pursuers.

I would like to formally request an investigation of Kaito Sasaki and any of the Sensory Team responsible for collecting information on the mission. They have, through incompetence or deception, cost us the mission and my comrades-

[A long list of crossed out, half-finished, or water-smudged sentences follow]

I don't know what to do, I'm scared. Please give me orders.