Catching Takodachis [Mission / Mikoto]

Mission Name: Octopodes are a Man's best friend
Mission Type: Chore
Mission Rank: D
Mission Goal: Help out Takashi by gathering some Octopodes for his store
Description: Takashi is the owner of a small Takoyaki stall in the streets of Konoha. Lately, his business has spiked and he is running low on fresh Octopus. Takashi is unable to leave the stall and his daughter who usually helps just started school. The store owner is in need of some assistance, please head down to the Hozuki Fisheries and bring back as many Octopodes as you can. The ones Takashi is after can be found lurking close to the shore in rock pools, bring back at least 15. You may need some help so bring some friends.
Payment: 10,000 Ryo
Requirements: Genin+

---

It was a nippy morning at the coast of Kirigakure, although such a thing was quite normal given the sea breeze. Yumi was used to it, more or less. She had spent many days training around the shoreline, running laps and practicing her movements in the ocean so it was a bit more nostalgic to be in this area than troublesome. She couldn't say the same for the Uzumaki, as the Kaguya had dragged her teammate along for this mission rather abruptly. One thing lead to another. She had gone to the market to purchase some fish, the stall owner pleaded with her to gather octopuses for him, and being unable to turn him away Yumi accepted. Before she left he mentioned to her she should bring along her friends, so friends she brought! Or, well, uh, friend. She only had one so there really wasn't much choice. She did bribe the red haired girl with a hot meal afterwards though as an apology and a split pay so it's not like she was doing this for nothing.

Yumi jabbed her sword into the wet sand and brushed her white locks backwards, using a band to tie it up into a long ponytail. After doing so she leaned forward to gaze upon the waters of the rockpool, tilting her head in curiosity as her reflection looked back at her.
"I remember hearing the plural for octopus is octopi, but then there's also octopuses and octopods..." Yumi hummed in thought to herself.

"I just call them delicious myself, unless they are cooked poorly, then they are known as regret." Mikoto casually stated as she walked up to Yumi, overhearing the other girls whispered musings. "In any event, doesn't matter what they are called, only that we catch the little guys. What was your plan of attack? Jump in? Throw a net?" Mikoto leered her gaze towards the sword, "Stab them?" the questions were superfluous, the method didn't matter to Mikoto, only the action and reward. She'd be receiving, food, money, and none of the credit for this out-of-the-blue operation, which were all fine rewards in her mind. Frankly, if it hadn't been for Yumi Mikoto would have spent most of the day relaxing rather than training or making money, but what was one day off out of an entire month, what was work overload? Not Mikoto's problem that's for sure.

"We could always have a competition to see who can catch the most? We needed fifteen, right? That means we can't tie since it's an odd number. What do you say?" Mikoto stated with a sly grin upon her lips as she began to change out of her more standard attire and ready herself for what she believed would be an inevitable dip into the cold water before her.

A smile formed on Yumi's lips at Mikoto's delectably sensitive tastes "well i guess i know what i'm making for you then. I can't promise it'll suit your want but it should at least be eatable." Octopus wasn't something she had cooked too much of before, you had to have a pretty good knowledge of which parts were the best and honestly they had too many limbs to really be sure. But the Kaguya was confident enough in her cooking skill for it to be at least an average meal.

Yumi stood up straight and pulled out a small container to show Mikoto. It was small and colored orange with a little crustacean symbol. "I was planning to coat myself in crab oil and pretend to be a crab to draw their attention, and then strike when they attempt to bite onto me. Octopi like crustacean meat." It was kind of strange, how serious she sounded when you could vividly imagine this grown woman floating in the ocean pretending to snip at the air with her human claw-hands. But no. She was pretty serious, given the blank expression on her face. "If you want you can have some too, that way it evens the odds more so. Besides the practice i did earlier this morning... But your red hair makes you look even more so like a crab, so i'd call that even" she offered the crab oil to Mikoto with a outward geasture.

Most would assume that the line Yumi stated was a joke, satire, comedy but Mikoto knew it was not. For all her brains and ethics, Yumi's ideas often drifted towards the ecentric. "Oh yeah, that's a well thought through and great plan, I'm going to have to pass, my family has a skin allergy to crab oil, I can consume it just fine, but gets on my skin and well, I'll turn all red and it won't be pretty." if there was one thing Mikoto was thankful for in her smug and dry sense of humor is that she learned how to flatly tell a lie and possessed a good poker face. It wasn't her proudest moment when she lied, but at least she could use her power to keep people from having hurt feelings.

"Don't worry, this isn't that serious of competition, I just thought it would spice up this more mundane task. Besides, you calling me a crab out of the blue like that pisses me off. Oh well if I win I can rub it in her face, if I lose I can play it off as if I didn't care." Mikoto both stated and thought as she finished resting her clothing safely by the shore, and stood on the rocks. "We go on the count of three... three." Mikoto gave a wink and took a leap into the cool waters slightly below, all the while determination and a hint of spite on her mind.

To be completely honest while the allergen seemed inconvenient in most other cases Mikoto's skin turning red might actually have straight up won her the competition, at least in Yumi's eyes. She already had the red hair, if she had red skin too along with the crab scent she would undoubtfully catch every octopus in these waters with minimum effort. It was a shame that she wasn't willing to suffer through the irritation and near death to show these results. Yumi would have liked to see it, even if it resulted in her loss. But oh well. "Suit yourself" Yumi retracted her offer with a hint of disappointment.

Removing a majority of her own clothes Yumi began to douse herself in the crab oil, mostly rubbing it onto her exposed areas which would be her arms, legs, and stomach. The more surface she could cover the better.
Standing next to Mikoto, now all oiled up, Yumi prepared for the countdown... One which began and ended with the same number. Did the Uzumaki not know her simple math? It was a possibility. Yumi was the one who had to tutor her through the academy to make sure she didn't fail the academic side. She made a mental note to test her later and teach her how to count properly. Yumi slipped into the cold waters slightly after Mikoto and got to work.

...

Ten minutes later a soaked Yumi emerged from the ocean with her bounty. Octopi of multiple colors wriggled in her arms and few even sticking to her legs and head, attempting to eat her only to no avail. There was about eight in total, including the ones who were stuck to her. A pretty good haul if you asked her. Once upon the shore she stood back and watched the waves roll in, awaiting her teammate's return. Assuming they would be done no matter what the outcome might be Yumi would be prepared to leave after gathering her stuff to head back to the shops.

[exit]

Mikoto felt her eyes betray her as the water shifted calmly around her. While the seafood was plentiful in this region, Mikoto had never anticipated what happened next. Yumi's plan was working. Mikoto felt both spite and relief, spite at Yumi's idea for helping her, and relief that Mikoto didn't participate in it. If she had put that oil on herself and had so many of the critters crawling around her she'd have wanted to lock herself away in her room for at least a month before she'd dare to brave the public eye again. Thankfully, Mikoto was able to at least keep up with Yumi's schemes, but it was only after Mikoto had caught seven of the things and surfaced for the last time that she realized... she should have just borrowed one of the nets the fishermen kept around. Egg on her face she supposed, and oil on Yumi's, she guessed they were both idiots in their own way, and she supposed that is why they were friends. She also hoped that Yumi would take a shower before she did anything in the kitchen.

...

"And there you have it, fifteen of them just like you asked.", the restaurant owner smiled as he took a large cage of octopus and moved them off to the side, "Thank you so much, some of the fishermen have increased their prices making it harder to come by as much supply. I'll let the village know that you two did such a good jo--" Mikoto grabbed him by the shirt and glared into his eyes, not in anger but firm resolution, "She did it, not me, got it? I don't need people thinking I'm special for doing a normal job." He shook his head but merely looked confused as she backed away and motioned for Yumi for the two of them to head out. As Mikoto wandered off, the man would still look on for a while, confused, yet he snapped out of it and went to set the haul into the tanks, and prepared for a new wave of customers coming in for dinner.

[exit]