Canceled

[Takahashi]

Mission Approval[/url]"]Mission Name: 3 Course Meal
Mission Type: Self Modded Team
Mission Rank: D-Rank
Mission Moderator: Myself/Denrei
Participants: Kuroba Ken [E-Rank] - Student | Takahashi Jin'ichi [B-Rank] - Genin | Jigoku-Mure Denrei - [A-Rank] - Jounin - Mission Leader
Objective: At Denrei's abandoned monastery in the Grand Palais, Jin'ichi and Ken will meet with the veteran for their first lessons. Considering the elite training that Denrei himself went through even before Ken's age, the master Shinobi has already resigned to be as hard on the child as he will be upon the young man. As the last known clansman of the Jigoku-Mure, Denrei will bring their ancient traditions into the modern world through his pupils. The first session will be a three part ordeal. The three sections will consist of the "Esotericism of Chakra", a sparring session to warm up, and end with a rigorous combat exercise. While more or less basic fundamentals, the philosophy and methods utilized by the Jounin are lost arts. This presents a particularly unorthodox learning experience for the pair of Shinobi hopefuls. If they aren't careful they could end up scarred, crippled, or worse...
Rewards: D Rank: 4,500 Yen (Mission leader gets +1,000)
Notes: I'm not sure whether or not I'll be paid the leader bonus. This is because IC Denrei is the acting instructor and overall coordinator. I'm not rejecting payment, but if this removes the leader bonus then I'll accept that penalty. (Taking the 5,000 instead.)
I'm also unsure what the procedure is for bringing lower ranking individuals along on higher missions. There were some examples here but they get less specific the higher up you go. I figure it should be alright for a Jounin to go over detailed information and fundamentals, as well as top it off with some combat exercises. He'd surely be competent of keeping the child safe. Denrei is also an already approved Academy Sensei.

Continued from this topic.

The Verge"
The Martianz​

It hadn't been particularly difficult to find the monastery. There weren't many such places within the Grand Palais, and yet it remained mostly secluded and ignored by the general populace. It was indeed somewhere in the furthest reaches of the district, deep within the bowels of the village. It was a mysterious place, and thought to have been found there when the village went underground some thirty-plus years ago. It had been mostly carved out of the very caverns themselves, with few bricks of stone cut and laid in cohesive form. It wouldn't have been foolish to ponder whether or not the structure had been around for a millennium if not more. Buddhist-like carvings of people, kami, and yōkai gave the place a feeling of being watched over by something... Something beyond the comprehension skills of even the most elite scholars of the world. The intangible was forever a mystery to those who refused to discern it with their own intangible traits...

Standing there, at least a good twenty feet or so away from the entrance, Jin'ichi stared with dull eyes at the scene. Unlike most other days, he wasn't as heavily clothed as people had become used to seeing. Instead, he wore a simplistic t-shirt the color of pale earth and long black shorts that stopped beneath his knees. For some reason or another, he had chosen not to wear any shoes. This was evident as his pale bare feet seemed speckled with dirt, and laced with grayish blue veins. Those same veins had once been visible on his face and arms, but as his genetic condition began to settle into itself only his legs exhibited the ailment. What could be seen of his exposed arms were laden with old scars of all sorts, from slashes to scrapes. He had healed, but without the help of medical shinobi as many of the injuries occurred long before ever becoming a shinobi himself.

His black hair had no shine to it, and appeared messy as though he'd simply gotten out of bed and walked through the district. The volatile condition of his left eye remained hidden beneath a white patch, one that both the future instructor and Kuroba Ken would remember from their meeting. The arms that hung limply at his sides showed no strength in them whatsoever, and something about his overall appearance seemed broken. Instead of approaching any further, he would lazily reach into his pocket and pull out another cigarette, placing it between his lips as he crouched down. With his elbows resting atop his knees, he'd light up, and continue to watch the almost mythical edifice as though expecting something to happen. The scent of menthol and tobacco mingles with the stench of alcohol that was heavy on his breath, a long night of drinking by himself was no doubt to blame. Who was to say he didn't have a few more shots on his way out the door? Anyone would wonder what the Hell was wrong with him... Surely, he couldn't ever be a shinobi of worth on any day or in any circumstance. If his shirt and shorts weren't so clean, one would simply mistake him for a vagrant homeless man of some sort...

Nothing changed on the building's outside, except for the growing cloud of smoke surrounding Jin'ichi... Certainly this couldn't be how Ken nor the mysterious elder would have expected to see the Takahashi clansman, was it?

Miscellaneous::
- I'm so sorry for the long wait.
- Denrei's here, but Jin'ichi is apparently having doubts.
- Marked for Training.
- Word Count: 0,574

 

[Kuroba Ken]

Re: 3 Course Meal | S.M.T. Mission

Ken found himself once again wandering through the busy streets of the Grand Palais. Today was the day he would start his training with Jin'ichi and his mysterious new sensei. The boy's mind was abuzz with excitement. His sensei had a powerful aura that suggested a wealth of competence and experience. Ken couldn't wait to tap into that and perhaps unlock whatever potential he had hidden away. The young academy student hurriedly rushed passed pedestrians, khaki-colored cargo shorts swishing as he walked. He wasn't late by any means, he'd given himself plenty of time to get to his destination. He was just too antsy to meander slowly. No one would find Ken's rushed actions strange; Everyone in the Grand Palais was moving with a purpose. In fact, Ken had to be careful not to smash into oncoming civilians as he walked. As Ken walked, his mind drifted back to his sensei. He still didn't know the man's history, or even his name. He'd tried to get some information from his grandfather on the subject, but unfortunately Ken's description did not ring any bells with the old man. It was too bad. Ken was almost sure his grandpa would have been able to help him. Both the men were ancient, and both had been shinobis. Ken supposed his description probably wasn't good enough.

Ken tuned into his surroundings as he approached the designated area. Time seemed to slow, the hustle and bustle that permeated the Grand Palais dying down the closer Ken came to the monastery. Unlike the lively, artificial atmosphere ken was used to in this area of the village, the immediate vicinity of the monastery seemed ancient and quiet. At least as quiet as a place could be in the Grand Palais, anyways. The temple itself was a sleeping giant. Having been built from pre-existing caverns it looked as if it grew naturally from the earth. The ominous figures carved into the stone kept solemn vigil over the monastery, and Ken wondered what those cold eyes had seen over the years. Slowing his hurried pace, the boy allowed himself to appreciate the dark beauty of the structure. He sighed and soaked in the ambiance. The moment passed, and Ken continued toward the temple's entrance. A few yards away he spotted a hunched figure crouching barefoot on the dirty ground. He smelled the familiar scent of cigarette smoke, as well as the not-so-familiar smell of booze. The man had been hitting the bottle quite hard recently. Ken approached the figure, confirming his fear that it was indeed Jin'ichi. The man looked a mess. His hair was as messy as Ken's, and his single unpatched eye was bloodshot. The way he carried himself seemed almost defeated, and Ken wondered if he was ok.

Ken resolved to lighten Jin'ichi's spirits and hopefully assuage some doubts. He gave his partner a playful punch on the shoulder. "Hey Jin. Rough night?" The boy asked with a wink. "You'd better not be getting cold feet." He added jokingly. Hopefully he could snap Jin'ichi out of whatever funk he was in. The man hadn't exactly been gung-ho about the training from the beginning, but it would be weird if Ken had to go forward without him.

 

[Takahashi]

Re: 3 Course Meal | S.M.T. Mission

The silence mere moments before Ken's arrival was deafening, accompanied by an indiscernible pressure that pressed against the brain from all angles. His gaze grew more serious with each passing moment, and his limb right hand clenched slowly into a tight fist. A small pebble rolled from the top of the monastery, hitting the dirt at the same second as the child approached Jin'ichi from behind. The pressure he felt inside his skull was suddenly alleviated, and a soft exhale signaled relief. Looking over his shoulder as the child approached, he barely moved in response to the playful punch. Dull looking eyes appeared in need of sleep, but otherwise fine. "If my feet were cold, I'd have kept my shoes on. Don't ya think?" He responded, as quick-witted as ever.

Standing up slowly, his body appeared to sway as if the earth beneath him was in constant motion. It wasn't long before he stabilized himself and rapped the top of Ken's head once quickly with the back of his knuckles, it was a harmless but attention-grabbing gesture for sure. His knuckles were tough, as if he'd been punching concrete for a good portion of his childhood or something. "Don't worry about me, you're the one with a grandfather that'll be worried when you show up with bruises after this."</COLOR><i></i> Deflecting from his own personal issues as usual, but with an arguably good reason. "Better start comin' up with excuses now." He teased, and started walking towards the monastery. It appeared the bulk of the melancholy that weighed upon his shoulders had either fallen off or been hidden in Ken's presence. By the time he was a mere five feet away from the entrance, Jin'ichi would stop and look from left to right and then back over his shoulder at the boy again. "I wonder if he showed up..." He indicated with a small shrug, but suddenly the sound of flapping wings echoing through the caverns were everywhere.

Jigoku-Mure, Denrei​

It happened just like it did in the shopping districts... That singular yet spectacular blue eye pierced the shadows of the empty doorway, a place that seemed as if it lead to oblivion. Maybe it was luck, or a sixth sense, but he managed to catch the eye for a brief moment. Spilling forth from the blackness was a full blown murder of crows, cawing obnoxiously, with their feathers raining down everywhere in dreamy spirals. The rush of wind caused by the avian swarms expulsion saw Jin'ichi step back a few paces, shielding his face barely but not once looking away. The crystals powered by electric energy within no less than thirty feet away from the establishment dimmed heavily, until they flickered. What could be seen of the flock of scavengers and their feathers melted into amorphous shapes, pooling together and ascending into the air in order to form the wizened warrior of old.

The traditional Shinobi garbs were unmistakable, as was the weight of spiritual pressure from the veteran's mere presence. With features shrouded mostly in the shadows and sparse amounts of waning light, only his singular eye remained vibrant and sharp. The light cast from the electric iris was enough to highlight the visages of both Ken and Jin'ichi with relative ease. Having yet to light the cigarette that was between his lips, it was clear the young Takahashi thought better of it now as he slipped it away in his pocket casually. It was clear from the stench alone that he'd smoked no less than three on the way over. A fourth could surely wait until after the lessons, right? The elder stepped forward, and Jin'ichi seemed at ease before giving a mild salute. "I was wonderin-" He started, but fell silent as he caught wind of the serious tone and posture. This obviously wasn't going to be loose environments Jin'ichi found himself more familiar with.

"Pain's Theme"
Killing Spree​

"First, you did good putting away that trash. Kill yourself on your own time, not mine. You come here to learn, not relax and smoke your life away." Without pulling any punches, the elder's powerful voice sent vibrations through the air and into the cores of both young men. "Second, as this is your first day under my tutelage, I'll lay down some ground rules. Nowadays Shinobi only have a few requirements, to be strong and to get the job done are chief among them. That will not be the way I teach. Is that clear?"<i></i> As the elder spoke, he moved carefully... Taking slow steps as he walked a circle once round the two would-be pupils. "Yes, sir." Was the response Jin'ichi gave, nodding with a clearly serious expression on his own face as well now. <COLOR color="#0000CC">"When we meet each other, we will bow in order to show both honor and respect to one another. The basics of this I'm sure you both know, but it's a practice I will not forgo in my domain. This isn't about the maintenance of tradition, but preservation of practices that still have meaning in the present."

By the time the old man reached where he initially stood once more, he would take a seat upon the stone steps. Between himself and the two men, a this wisp of bluish flame manifested as if on its own and writhed through the air in loops like a sentient campfire. "Sit." The command was simple and short. Jin'ichi would nod and acknowledge by sitting cross legged on the same spot where he stop. Resting his elbows upon his knees and looking towards the elder, he seemed less focused on Ken's reaction than the information he'd be given from the mysterious relic of a man. "We're going to make this simple and start with the basics, tell me, what is Chakra?" Basic question, one that even a student born and raised in a Shinobi village should be able to answer. Notes on what Chakra was and the way it was used were scattered all about, and surely Ken had been to a couple of classes and learned a thing or two on the topic. What made this man's teaching on the subject any different? Only time would tell.

Miscellaneous::
- Alright, so I got banned immediately after starting this topic... I'll try my best to keep out of trouble from now, I want to see where these stories and plots go.
- I've been dying to get back to this topic.
- Marked for Training.
- Word Count: 1,028

 

[Takahashi]

[Canceled]