[Doing a mission from here:
https://shinobiworldwar.rpg-board.net/t149-missions-for-any-village]It was snowing in Kumo. Kozai knew that much from his dark room by peeking lazily through the blinds at the bright outdoors. Huh... so, it was colder. Kozai was sitting on his bed, too scared to go outside. There were people out there... so many of them. In truth, there were only maybe twenty or so in the street outside his apartment building, but those stares... the looks... they frightened him. It was probably because at that moment, Kozai was still suffering from the afteraffects of addiction, combined with his history of abuse, but he didn't know that. He was just a scared boy.
At that moment, a bird flew by his window, making a sudden shadow. He drew in a sharp breath as he flinched a little in surprised, but soon realized that this was no normal bird. It had dropped off something for him. For a few seconds (that seemed like hours), he sat there, staring at it. Then, inch by inch, he began to move, unfolding himself like some giant origami creation being unmade. Fear is the enemy, his old therapist had told him. If you're afraid of everything, we can't get anywhere focus. Focus on what you want to achieve.
I... I wanted to die, thought Kozai, but now... now what purpose had he in life? He was bound to Kumo, just as he had been bound in that chamber at the mercy of his abductor. He clenched his eyes, his head bursting with pain. Don't... don't think about it. He fell off the bed, and crept forward, like a pathetic worm towards the package that lay before him.
...
The village had suddenly deemed that he was worthy to take on a mission? But....
Dammit!
This wasn't the kind of thing he could just decline just like that. He carefully pried open the package, expecting to see despair within. But, no, it was just an animal control assignment.
So, this was the village's way of trying to ease him back in. Kozai was thankful that this mission didn't have people in it, but he resented the village's concern. Damn Kumo... he'd handle this himself. He.... he didn't want anyone to help him. It was the pity in their eyes.
"Oh, that poor boy..."
"I wish I could do more for him..."
He was tired of being a burden on people... why couldn't the leave him alone? He clutched at his stuffed teddy bear.
"You're my only friend."
A while later, he found himself barefoot in the snow. Kozai had pretty high pain tolerance, so the discomfort of the light snow on the ground was of no concern to him. Snow was beautiful... one of the things he had missed out on while he had been locked away for all those years. In essence, he was just standing there appreciating the beauty when he heard howl closeby. He leaned against a tree and peeked around it. There they were... the wolves. They had been causing such trouble...
Kozai grimaced and send chains from his back into the ground.
There were six wolves, and only one of him. But, even with his weak skill, one was enough. He squeezed his eyes shut. These aren't people, you can deal with them, he said, over and over and over again to himself like a mantra. And just like that, his chains began to shift and move. The ground under each wolf shifted, and the chains that had burrowed there sprouted out and wrapped around them, crushing and choking them to death. At the sight of what he had done, Kozai stared... then ran home.
[WC 605, mission complete]