Getting Back to Nature [Contract Search]

[Miraku]

The lush grasslands of the lightning country were magnificent. Plains of grass as far as the eye could see, with sparse patches of small forested sections scattered around as if to add a dash of flavour to the land that straight plains wouldn't give. Winding rivers flowed through sections which only added to the atmosphere and overall appeal of a beautifully untouched segment of land where one could take in the glorious feeling of getting back to nature. The expansion of civilization had lead to the removal of many places like this, and gave way to populated cities and villages where people congregated and live peacefully together for the most part. Along with the gathering of civilization came the same such gathering of shinobi villages, where citizens were bred and trained to be protectors, assassins, warriors and anything else one would associate with such beings. Raku was one of those people, and although not born in this country, it was now his current home, and because of this he felt the need once in a while to explore. To get out from these villages full of people and shinobi alike so that he could enjoy the liveliness of the outdoors, of nature and all the animals that roamed the lands not held back by the constraints of a human life, of the rules and regulations, free to survive and thrive on their own.

It was something he had been planning for a few days, having spent a lot of time around others lately, going on missions, teaching younger shinobi and just living life within Kumogakure. This was much needed alone time for him, and not the kind of alone time one could just spend in their home by themselves. One in which he was able to go out and breathe in some truly fresh air, forage and live on his own without the help of other people, without the need for the same everyday items and foods he relied on time after time within civilization. Having set out early in the morning, he had traveled a large portion of the day away to head out to these wonderful lands in order to find a place for him to spend the day and night out here on his own.

Arriving at what seemed like a good spot to stop, the land was calm at that moment, as Raku looked around; a nice empty spot surrounded by a few large rocks in order to offer protection from the elements showed itself to his open eye as a spot to set up. The boulders would help to provide cover for the campfire that would be started later that night and area beside it where his sleeping bag would lay. The area was also perfectly placed so that it wasn't too close to the small forest nearby insomuch that he wouldn't have to worry about causing a forest fire. His eye still wandering around the area, noticing a river lay only about fifty feet away giving him quick access to clean running water which he would use for drinking. He was certain this was the spot. All that was left was to set up and gather what he needed to survive the night. All he had brought with him was a small backpack of pretty standard essential stuff such as his canteen, knives, flint and other useful survival tools which he could use to increase the ease of his time out here. It's not as if he wasn't able to scavenge and create his own tools if he needed to, but bringing things just made the process that much more quick and easy.

Placing his hands on the straps of the backpack, he pushed them away such that his arms were able slip out from them, and slowly drop the bag to the ground beside one of the large rocks surrounding his general area. Walking towards the forested area close by, Raku began looking around the forest to see if he could find any fresh prints of animal droppings that would give him a hint that he would be able to catch something edible this evening. It didn't take long before he found what appeared to be tracks that led to a hole in the ground where he assumed a bunny had made a home. Usually he didn't like killing innocent animals, but as long as it was going to be used for nourishment and he was trying to live off the ground, it was a necessary deed that he would have to go through with. He had brought a spool of wire with him, and set up a quick wire trap using the surrounding trees near the opening of the creatures den so that when it would come out, or return home if it was already out, it would go through the wire loop and catch itself, making it unable to run off so that he could come catch it and kill it later on.

While the trap was set, Raku realized it would take bit of time before the creature would be caught, as such, it was best he began searching for some sticks and twigs, as well as leaves and dry moss to use in order to start and fuel his campfire in order to utilize it for the meal he would be hopefully catching relatively soon, as well a provide heat for him into the cool night soon to be upon him. He would also need wood logs to feed the fire on top of the smaller items he meant to collect, putting him on the lookout for a dead or fallen tree to cut up himself. The sticks, twigs, moss and leaves were easy finds as they were quite common in forests, but searching for a good tree that provided him decent firewood took some extra scouring, as he preferred not to have to cut down a living tree. He had managed to find a fallen tree that wasn't too large, but large enough to provide wood for him to burn in a campfire. Realizing he'd need to come back for it with his hands and pockets full, he brought the fire starting pieces back to his campsite and came back immediately with his sword using it to cut up the fallen tree into smaller pieces of wood into quarter chunks of the log so that they could be easily transported and used to fuel the fire, keeping it alive through the night. On his way back with the last logs, he heard a sharp noise in the distance, coming from the direction he had set up the trap earlier. A loud squealing echoed through the open forest. Rushing towards it, he spotted a rabbit trapped within the wire trap he had previously set up. Raku quickly set down the logs he was carrying and headed over to the rabbit. Pulling a knife out of his belt, he grabbed the animal and quickly ended it's life, so as to not let it suffer as it would be his meal tonight.

Having brought back the rabbit and the rest of his wood, he decided it was time to set up camp properly, setting up the campfire by catching the dry moss on fire and slowly feeding it leaves and twigs to get a good flame going, then sticks until it was a good enough size that he set up a few logs above in a sort of pyramid style above the flame so they could catch on fire from the flame below them. It didn't take long before he had a proper campfire going, and decided it was good enough for him to cook over. He skinned the rabbit, and cut off all the unneeded parts before placing it on a makeshift spit; essentially a stick through the animal that he placed into the ground close enough to the fire so that it could slowly roast the meat in hopes that it would be edible around the time it would begin to get dark. All that was left was the finishing touches. Gathering a bunch of rocks to place around the campfire to contain it as the night went on, laying out a sleeping bag he brought along, and filling up his canteen with fresh water while the animal cooked over the warm fire, turning it to cook it through fully until it was done and ready to be eaten. Taking it off the flames, he cut it up and enjoyed eating what he had managed to catch and kill on his own, although not the most tasty thing, it was satisfying in a sort of primal way which warmed Raku inside as he felt much closer to nature than he had before this little trip. He would spend the next little while gazing into the flames which danced on the soft wind which managed to blow through his campsite, weaving between the rocks to circulate the fresh air and remove the stale air which was exhaled from Raku's lungs with each breathe he took. The flames mesmerizing as he watched them, the warmth from them keeping him comfortable as he sat on the softness of his sleeping bag so as to avoid the hard cold surface of the ground beneath it. It didn't take long for him to get a little sleepy with how much he had done this day, deciding it best to get some shut eye, he curled up inside the sleeping bag and nodded off to sleep, the fire still burning low throughout the night becoming embers that still kept him warm.

[1,606 WC]
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[Okada Kaji]

The Call of the Wild is Upon You...
And it is Slimy.

The Slugs have chosen you!

Do you accept your fate?
Yay or Nay?​

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[Miraku]

Oh, cool! I accept!

 

[Okada Kaji]

The beauty of the wild was truly a wondrous thing. Any human seeking it out was simply heeding the natural instincts wired inside their D.N.A. of many generations. The setting of this adventure began somewhere within the vast wilderness of Lightning Country peninsula. Here in the wild, all things, living and inanimate coexist as equals within a vast tapestry known as reality. All lives end how they begin... rooted in the soil before entering a cycle of life, death, consumption, and production. The weak shall perish, and the strong survive. Civility did not exist, nor did mercy in the wild. And this rule often came into greater effect in the spring, when the country found a brief reprieve from winter’s bite, and hibernating species began to thaw and stir, seeking to fill their bellies in the season of abundance.

It was safe to presume that life behind the protective barricades of Raku’s home offered quite a contrasting reality. The canyon-like borough known as the Village Hidden in the Clouds was the height of mankind's’ accomplishments in the land; there, shinobi replaced the need for survival with prosperity and spent their lives pursuing greater endeavors, things that did not matter here in the wild.

Raku appeared to be at peace in his slumber, almost naively, as his fire’s inviting glow was a rare sight to the many creatures who called this ravine their own. The shinobi had done an impressive job arranging his camp but didn’t necessarily make him any safer. And as he slept, embracing the soil through his thinly padded bedroll, a number of prying eyes were set on him, full of curiosity. He was comparable to an animal in the zoo to a particular pair extending tentacle-like eyestalks, which slithered outwards from the creature’s body. They served as eyes and viewed Raku through light-sensitive spots which had been following the young adventurers since he arrived at this place. The body of this creature, this slug, had a vivid plum color, just dark enough to allow it to blend into the night as it perched on a branch above the slumbering Raku. It was incredibly large for a gastropod, easily confusable for a raccoon or house cat, and put a bit of pressure on the branch with its chunky flesh. There was a certain brightness to the slug’s gestures, possibly intelligence in the way it spied on Raku, full of intrigue.

The scent of Raku’s roasting rabbit carried on for miles in the noses of creatures much keener than the likes of men. He would have been incredibly lucky to go the night without an encounter of some kind. The slug watched keenly and quietly as something sinister slithered up the tall grass from the nearby stream. One of nature’s finest ambush artists, a constricting serpent of the giant variety, made a stealthy approach towards Raku’s camp. It came upon him; at first, it was drawn by the rabbit, but desperately greedy eyes shifted to a finer meal. The fact that the human was still alive meant a truly fresh meal, more nutritious than the unevenly cooked, dried out rodent Raku left untended. At first, the serpent’s advancement went unnoticed and felt as natural as the night’s breeze passing over Roku, or a ceiling fan blowing if he were back home. But then the massive snake was wrapped around his legs, and the adventurer would feel a vice grip snapping him back to reality. The serpent was attempting to impair him, and break his legs at the knees before moving up to attempt suffocation.​

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[Miraku]

In the cool night air surrounded by the warmth of his fire, it hadn't taken long for Raku to doze off and fall asleep in his campsite. He had gone out into the wilderness like this before a few times, but this was the first time doing it in Lightning Country which meant he wasn't completely prepared for the possible outcomes of him sleeping outdoors where any hungry creature could come upon his campsite. Although he wasn't really afraid of any creatures that would be out during the night because most large animals would make enough sound to wake him up from his slumber, he really wasn't a hundred percent ready for what was about to come. While he slept, and dreams began to drift through the deep recesses of his mind, he found comfort in his mind. Dreams of past memories in his home country flowed through his mind's eye as he remembered the good times he had growing up and learning to become a shinobi with his own mentors and teachers, such as he had recently became to a select few. He never really imaged himself becoming what he was today, but none of that mattered because not long into the dreams he was preordained to end up in a precarious situation; one for which he would regret not setting up a little safer than he had.

As he lay there, through the grass like a moth to a flame, slithered towards the heat from the fire and scent of the mostly picked clean carcass of the cooked rabbit which Raku had conveniently forgot to bury underground in order to hide it's scent to future predators. Although he was asleep, the serpent had apparently decided Raku was a feasible target, climbing up to his leg, positioning itself around it, as the man shifted in his sleep slightly, the serpent began it's assault. Slowly but surely wrapping tighter and tighter around his lower leg, it took a moment for Raku's mind to react. That moment was all it took for the pressure to be more than he wanted to feel, as Raku snapped awake, sitting up as quick as lightning, his eyes darting down to the feeling of pain as he noticed the large serpentine creature trying to disable him and slowly work it's way up. It appeared the snake also realized the man had awoken, trying to move upward a little faster. Realizing unsheathing his sword would take longer than he'd like, Raku quickly began focusing his chakra into his hand, as he formed his fingers into the long pointed formation of a spearhead, shooting it downward towards the serpents head which stared hungrily up at the shinobi, and all too quickly the problem was dealt with, as he used his jutsu Spear Hand in order to chop off the snake's head in one swift forward movement of his hand, severing it from the rest of it's body, as Raku winced in pain, having heard a slight crack in his leg from the tight grip he had woken up to moments ago. The body stayed constricted for a few more moments after it's death but Raku began to untwist it's body from his leg, tossing the body and head off to the side, as he sat there breathing heavily from the surprise he had just encountered.

After a few moments, he had managed to slow his breathing to a normal pace and regain his bearings. He realized he probably wouldn't have had to kill the snake, as it appeared to only be a normal constrictor type snake, which he could have taken control over and unwrapped it from himself as he was stronger than the snake, being a shinobi trained to be strong. But the snake may have just come back later on in the night, so disposing of it was probably his best option. "Sorry it had to end that way." he whispered quietly to the snake; more for himself than anything, being alone, or so he thought. He didn't really enjoy taking the life of an animal if he didn't have to, but the snake hadn't left him with much choice this night.

Raku lifted up the leg of his pants where the snake had managed to constrict him, feeling around, he could tell it was probably fractured, and possibly broken, having heard a slight crack when he was so rudely awakened. He leaned forward with his leg ahead of him, bent at the knee, trying not to move it any more than he needed to, as he once again began channeling chakra into his hands as he began to use his Skeletal Fortification in an attempt to fix up his leg enough so that he could use it properly and get it looked at further when he returned home from his adventure. He definitely needed it well enough to walk and run on a bit in order to make it back. He would have to stay awake now, at least for a little while until the pain would subside a bit, and his adrenaline would stay calm for a while.

[855 WC]
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[Okada Kaji]

The shinobi was much faster than the serpent when he awoke, and the predator was quickly reduced to prey. The constrictor’s grip had enough power to test the worth of Raku’s legs, and he felt shooting pain rush up his side as pressure placed on his right Tibia forced a widening fracture. And as Raku was siezed back into the grip of reality, the snake began snapping at him desperately, without worthwhile aim as it also struggled to keep Raku’s legs bound. Venomous fangs were bared, and the fiendish reptile lunged its lengthy body for Raku’s face, seeking to scar him permanently if he could not have him for dinner, but its spiteful attack was cut short by a timely flash of light.

The light was a blade’s edge forms entirely of chakra, created along the fingers of his open hand. The power crackled violently with stray voltage as Raku shoved it forth, into and cleanly through thick layers of scaly leather, muscle tissue, and spine. All it took was this one simple motion to sever serpent’s mind from its body. Be the time the head fell into the dirt, any resemblance of life was gone from the creature, and the predator was quieted forever by death’s grasp. Blood sprayed aimlessly from a central artery that ran free as the body quivered in its last few spasms; the last commands sent from the severed brain.

Raku would live; he'd even have a story to tell once he made it back to the village. However, the trip would be hellish for him in his battered state. He’d still writhe in pain, and it didn’t take a medic’s analysis to tell him that it was fractured, if not broken.

The long antennas of the spying slug were stretched out to their fullest as it took a greater interest in the human and its pain. It moved along the branch using rhythmic waves of muscular contractions, first across the branch, and then down the spine of the tree until Raku could hear the commotion of its slimy traveling. She froze in place like a timid admirer when the shinobi began his own first aid, attempting to do whatever he could to heal the agonizing pain. “That was close” the sound of a petite and feminine voice would enter Raku’s mind, sounding almost childish, yet worldly. More importantly, the voice sounded anxious, bordering frightful. “Your leg… We can feel your pain, wanderer. Umm…” The strange voice paused as the slug crossed over an awkward knot in the tree’s side, making slight grunts as she worked her way downward. “We have diagnosed two fractures in your tibia, and severe sprains on your p-p-peroneus longus, extensor digitoruwahh—” suddenly, the slithering mollusk lost her grip on the tree and fell. Gravity swept her away, and she rolled against the curving base of the tree before rolling uncontrollably through the grass to a slow stop. “Ouchie,” the clumsy little thing cried. The purple slug squirmed there for a moment until she could get upright, and re-extended her four tentacles to properly sense Raku. “Hello master,” said the slug oddly through her intrusive mental link.​

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[Miraku]

As the moonlight bathed his body while he sat there, Raku didn't even notice it's beauty all around him as his mind was slightly preoccupied. The sharp pain throbbing through his leg was the only thing on his mind in that moment. The silence which followed the attack was quite apparent as it seemed like the whole world had stopped the inner sound of his breathing the only thing audible to him. The brief moment of silence made it all the more obvious as the sound of something moving nearby began to echo through the air. Originating from the trees nearby, and it wasn't something Raku had really heard before. It was slimy, yet oddly paced, a dynamic movement due to traveling across the uneven surface of the tree, which was unlike anything his ears were used to hearing. It drew his focus for a moment towards the forest, eyes darting from his leg to the treeline, illuminated by the embers burning from the remnants of his campfire. It was decently far, such that Raku could only make out the shape of it traversing down the tree. Realizing it wasn't another snake or vicious predator, he began to heal his leg.

It was at that moment that the silence blanketed he air. Cutting through it like a knife was the sound of a voice entering his head. This became apparent as there was no directional sound to the voice for Raku to pinpoint the location it had originated. Truly a unique experience for him, he was unsure how to react, only to hear the voice continue to speak to him. Looking around him to see if anyone was around, he couldn't hear or see any other person who could be doing this to him. Thoughts of possibly being under a genjutsu somehow crossed his mind, but the voice seemed to trail at points as he noticed the creature on the tree was moving more. Seemingly the only thing near him, could it have been what was talking to him? He had heard of creatures able to speak to humans involved with contract; shinobi able to summon speaking creatures to aid them in battle that they had to seek out and befriend in order to borrow their powers. Could this be one of those creatures? It continued speaking to him, words he didn't fully understand, not being a medic himself, he only really knew the basics. But suddenly the voice was cut off as the creature in his field of view appeared to fall off the tree ahead of him and tumble down to the base below into the soft grass towards him. The voice in his head confirmed his thoughts as she cried out with an 'Ouchie', proving to Raku that it was indeed the voice inside his head. Now that it was finally close enough to him, he could make out the fact that it was a slug, and a purple one at that. He had never seen one like this before.

"So it was you talking to me." he said to the slug as it moved itself around, getting back into an upright position, moving parts of it closer to Raku. "Master?" he questioned as it decided to give a hello to him now that they were finally face to face. "I'm not sure that's a fair statement since I don't properly know you yet..and this is definitely a strange situation" he continued, sitting there talking to an animal, it talking to him. It wasn't every day something like this happened to most people. The commotion had actually managed to take his mind off the pain for that slight little bit before he felt it once more, moving his leg slightly to position himself in a better position to face this new acquaintance. He immediately began putting his chakra into his hands once more beginning to heal his leg once more. "I must admit, I'm not sure exactly what you were talking about with your diagnosis, since I'm not a medic. I just know a few jutsu that help out. Though this only helps heal the bones and general functionality of what I heal, but it doesn't really help with the pain." he admitted as he winced slightly again. Although it was with his eye beneath the eye patch which only slightly hid the fact that he could obviously feel the pain emanating from his lower leg.


[739 WC]
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[Okada Kaji]

The slug’s long sensory antennas were waving about as Raku engaged her with conversation, using genuine speech in response to the slug’s telepathic communication. Their moment of introduction was surely as strange as Raku thought it to be. He struggled to comprehend her despite most of her words being delivered in common dialogue. And once Raku resumed his novice healing method, the slug resumed inching forward, curiously sensing the procedure.

“Master, please allow us to provide you with treatment,” the slug insisted. “Your methods have reduced the severity of your fractured tibia, but more precise treatment will be required in order to prevent the scar tissue your method is leaving unattended.” Her antenna were highly sensitive, with an ability to sense his healing chakra at work, binding flesh and mending bone.

The delicate slug squirmed around the serpent’s corpse, and made her way to Raku’s leg, only to slow her pace until she could sense that Raku might allow her to aid him. Her unrequitable mental link told her many things a look square in the face could not, and she could sense the confusion and apprehension in the shinobi. “You have nothing to fear, Master. We are the healer, sworn to aid all the goodly creatures that we can. That snek is beyond our help, but your leg shall be an easy fix.” She proceeded to crawl up Raku’s leg, and secreted her sticky mucus to ease her movement as she slid over his shin and knee. “Please hold still, your treatment will only take a moment,” she instructed. A presence of her chakra flourished with a verdant glow, shining like a beacon that dimmed the campfire by comparison. The sharp pain of his injury was instantly relieved as the slug’s gift of healing began to take effect.​

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[Miraku]

As he continued the healing and speaking, he tried to keep his attention to the task at hand. It seemed though that the slug wanted to help out. She seemed to be paying quite close attention to what he was doing, possibly deciding the best course of action as she began to speak to him again. Everything she told him was certainly true. His healing was only meant to reduce the general damage done, but wasn't exactly a proper repair for the damage he had sustained. Raku had planned to get it checked out when he returned home, but the slug wanted to try something itself, apparently able to properly heal him. Releasing the energy from his hands, he moved them away from the injury, watching as the mollusk crawled slowly through the grass past the lifeless corpse of the serpent he had slain moments ago. It felt to him like this creature was trust worthy. It hadn't shown any reason to hurt him, and for some reason was calling him 'Master', which still confused him.

"Alright. If you believe you can help." he responded. As he sat there, the slug crawled up to his leg, trying to make it's way onto him, the cold feeling of it's body and slime feeling quite odd on Raku's skin. "I'm still not sure why you're calling my Master since we just met." Raku said in response to her continued use of that name for him, "You can call me Raku if you'd like." he told her as he lifted up one of his hands and placed it on the back of his head, hair running through his fingers as he rubbed the base of his skull slightly trying to stay calm in a slightly awkward situation he had never experienced before. "You seem like a caring creature. I'm sorry you had to see what I did to that snake." he explained, feeling sorry for having to do what he did.

Obliging her instructions, he sat still, keeping his leg calm, trying not to move it too much even though the sticky substance coming off her body coated it while she maneuvered along it. There began a beautiful glow which began to emanate from, vivid and warm. It was hard not to stare in awe as it was demanding of attention, dwarfing the magnificence of even the fire which had been so mesmerizing earlier. It was then that the pain subsided while the healing took hold. He was amazed at how quickly it had taken hold, feeling like the relief had come even faster than most medics could preform. "Wow. You're very good." he spoke quietly now, trying not to interrupt or disturb her concentration, but he had felt the need to compliment her for the phenomenal favour she was doing for him.

Letting out a deep breathe of relief, a slight smile crept across his face as he looked down at the slug, his muscles relaxed a big more now, no longer feeling the need to clench them in order to fight the pain. "I'm not sure why you've decided to help me, or why I caught your attention, but I'm certainly thankful." he said to her softly as she sat there glowing. "But I'm certainly curious as to your reasons now." he finished, genuinely wondering if there was a reason, or if she just truly wanted to help anyone she could. It surely was the ideals of a healer to help anyone they can, but it felt like not even that long ago that Raku had had a conversation about a healers ideals with the medic Kiri from Kumo he had met outside the village. But his opinions on shinobi medics may not have applied to a creature such as this.

[630 WC]
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[Okada Kaji]

And so, a common rapport was being established between the healing slug and her human patient. The small lavender-hued creature’s moist body glistened with the light of the verdant chakra, which lessened in intensity as her treatment reached its midpoint. It seemed as if Raku’s confusion towards the unique creature and gratefulness met at a crossroad, and he attempted to better understand the intelligent slug. As he introduced himself by name and complimented the slug as an inherently caring creature, the slug’s face made the closest it could manage to flattered blushing.

“Master Raku” she began, repeating the shinobi’s name back to him, still persisting on honoring him as master despite his increasingly awkward responses to her show of undue respect. “We are mere servants to the realm, on a pilgrimage to provide healing wherever lives are in peril. You are known as a master for the sake of our humility… please understand that it is a matter of tradition.” All the meanwhile, flaring chakra continued to cement the healing process, and the humbling slug continued to admire her patient, considering how to simplify her existence to concepts familiar to such a human. “If our respect has offended you, please accept our sincerest apologies… M-Mister Raku”, the slug’s last mental message seemed more awkward and forced.

The treatment was then complete, and the slug removed herself from Raku’s leg. She settled in the grass and listened to Raku’s curiosity about her mission as he stretched his newly healed leg. It felt amazing, possibly even better than the condition he was in prior to the serpent’s squeeze. The slug sat there, waiting to reply to him, and comply with his request to further explain her doings. “We are Yori, child of clan Za,” she said, though the mental speech would hardly alleviate much confusion to her former patient.

Yori the Slug then began to make her sudden departure, hurriedly, as far as slugs went, which was not very fast. “Yori suggests that Mister Raku travels more carefully in these lands, and take better precautions when sleeping under the stars. These wilds are quick to make prey out of unprepared wanderers.” The statement seemed like a joke coming from the slug, which had no chance of fleeing any predator who might happen upon her, yet she was on her way, slowly fading into the perilous dark. Would Raku let Yori go alone?​

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[Miraku]

Raku watched as the slug continued to heal him, and explained the reason behind why she called him master, as it was their tradition and not just on a whim, such was understandable. He would never want to trample on one's tradition, so he felt kinda bad about it when she tried to apologize and call him Mister instead. She seemed to be a little flustered and awkward about the situation in general, trying to be nice to Raku even though he didn't quite understand the customs of this creature. "No please. I didn't mean it that way. It's just something I'm not used to, being called Master. If that's a tradition of yours,
it's completely understandable, and you should definitely feel free to continue use of that." He told her, as she began to finish her healing, and removed herself from ontop of his leg.

He began to move his freshly healed leg now, feeling quite good about it, "Wow. You're a really good healer." he told her, as he moved it around some more, getting used to the feeling of it, as it felt even better than it was before the injury, after years of using it as a shinobi, impact on his leg and training had worn it down slightly over the years, but now it felt like it had been replaced completely with something better. "Well, I'm definitely glad to meet you Yori." he responded, as he looked back down at her after she had introduced herself.

As he looked back to his leg, he then noticed Yori start to take a sudden leave, as she turned and started wiggling away on the grass slowly, as a slug would, giving Raku words of advice, but he wasn't sure how to take such words, as they were obviously quite ironic coming from her. "Wait, you're leaving?" He asked, as he sat up a bit, watching her slowly moving away from him towards the dark. "I think it's a little more dangerous for you out there than it is for me, isn't it?" he questioned, not sure if it was right to let her go off on her own in the middle of the night, after she had left her previous spot of safety to come help him. "I know I could definitely use a friend like you whenever I get into trouble. I'm a bit of a reckless person, and have to visit medics quite often myself." he said with a slight chuckle, as he sat up even straighter than before, readying himself to get up to his knees or feet.

As much as he didn't want to leave Yori to travel by herself and possibly get into trouble as such a small creature with such violent creatures out there, he also began to realize that having a slug companion would be quite helpful to him. As he had thought about earlier, he had heard of creatures like this who had gathering places among them and were able to create contracts with humans in order to become partners and help each other out once in a while. This idea certainly appealed to Raku, and if he could manage to keep Yori safe, and possibly find himself in such a situation, it would be all the better for someone as Reckless as himself.

[555 WC]
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[Okada Kaji]

</FONTFACE>

<FONTFACE fontface="georgia">Yori was a few feet away and sliding forth at an even pace; she moved across the land with the efficiency of an all-terrain vehicle. She was an all-terrain slug. Raku seemed a bit surprised by her urge to depart, but there was much more purpose in her visit than just the empathy she showed towards him. However, Raku was nearly in disbelief that the small slug thought herself to be safer in the dead of night. Yori was persistent and didn’t stop, but her mental messaging did not wain; “Our pilgrimage is known as the March of One Thousand Healings… a rite of passage stemming back many generations in the Za clan. Master Raku has been our nine hundred, and ninety-sixth, and we must aid four more souls before our rite is complete.”

While Yori did find Raku to be interesting enough, a slug’s journey to any place is an arduous one, and she couldn’t afford to donate much time basking in the heat of a campfire. “The rite has taken us several years to come this far— several years combing the wilderness of Kaminari no Kuni, away from the Za clan. In this time, our acid spew has had to deter many wild predators… Rest assured that we can hold our own. Hmph!”

And after Raku questioned Yori’s survivability, his ingenuity surfaced and he considered how he might benefit from being accompanied by a miracle-working savior such as Yori. However, Yori was wise to the ways of humans and followed the teachings of her father closely. Within the realms of nature, mankind was known universally as conquerors and takers— Yori did not need that kind of companionship to serve the goodly beings of the wild. “Now that our rite is nearly complete, it is time for us to gather once more, which could take weeks… as you can see, mobility is not our forte. S-so, we must go… Farewell, and take care, Mister Raku.” After the somewhat friendly good, sounds of Yori attempting to make her exit continued as a rustling in the tall grass. She was leaving, just not very fast.​

​

 

[Miraku]

Consider Raku impressed, as he listened to her tale of the rite of passage she had taken upon herself, already so close to finished what seemed like such a long task for someone that moved at that pace in such a wild lands. Nine hundred ninety six people heals? That would take a normal medic years of their life, and that's with people seeking their help and coming to him. This one had traveled on it's own through these lands at the pace of a slug, and they were able to heal that many people? Truly an amazing feat. Of course, it had taken her several years, but that was to be expected with the movement she was able to make. Listening further as she continued to explain how she was able to survive on her own, seemingly quite proud of herself, and not wanting anyone to think she was weak. Raku understood these feelings, and realized that he had been thinking about this in the wrong way. He didn't need to tout himself as if he were better than her; no, they both had their strengths and weaknesses. He was definitely grateful to her, but she seemed determined to leave and continue her journey, determined to prove herself. But everyone could use kindness once in a while, like she had shown to him. Maybe her determination was rubbing off on him, or maybe that's just who he was.

As the fire continued to wind down, and Yori continued to move away from him, Raku didn't want to give up. As much as he wanted her companionship to possibly help him out in the future, he wanted to pay her back for her help as well. Standing up, he shoved his things into his bag, picked it up and walked over to her as she had managed to gain some distance over the time she had taken to explain her situation to him. "I understand. You're obviously very capable since you've made it this far. I sincerely apologize for insinuating you may have needed my help." he started, walking up behind her to catch up. "But since you helped me out, I would like to help you out in return." he offered to her, as he stood near her, looking down at her while she moved, kneeling down to get closer to her once more, trying to stay respectful. "As you've said, mobility isn't your forte, and I would gladly help you out with that. By fixing my leg, you're essentially given me extra time that I would have spent limping around. So let me use that time to help you travel." he offered, wanting Yori to see this as a gesture of good will between them.

Raku was determined to help Yori. He felt a little bad about pressing the issue, but he didn't want to give up on helping her yet. This may be the only time he would ever see her; it was certainly the first time he had ever met a creature like her, the chances of it were certainly slim. So the chances of him meeting her again to repay the favour were even less likely; this was his best opportunity. "You certainly don't need my help, but that doesn't mean you can't take it." He finished, as he crouched down beside, her backpack over one shoulder, he waited, hoping she would accept his offer. Raku usually wasn't so persistent, but he had been helped by this slug, and then had seemingly insulted her pride by insinuating she needed his help, he wanted to make it right now.


[603 WC]
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[Okada Kaji]

Yori thought it wiser to not tangle a human into her quest, but the teachings of her clan’s elders were difficult to stick to when the shinobi offered his help. The lavender slug was stopped in her slithery tracks once Raku knelt by her side; she was practically marveled by how easily and quickly he caught up to her. Her journey might have still taken several tendays, but with Raku’s help, it might have only taken a few more hours. Yori pointed her face upwards— tentacles reaching so that she could see him clearly in the low-light. “Well… alright, Mister Raku,” she was excited, but feigned aggravation. “We can try this on a trial basis, but any funny stuff and the deal is off. Our path is a pe-pe-perilous, and we would never forgive ourselves if you wind up harmed beyond our ability to help you.”

The single orifice on her face curved into a smile, and she said “Alright, now that things are settled… your arm please.” Once Raku offered his hand, Yori would help herself to climb up to his shoulder. She absolutely hated the idea of being handled by humans like some house pet and began an expedited crawl at an even pace. “If we set off now, the journey to our closest patient should not be far for you on those feet…” she then let out a gurgling sigh, wishing she had legs. “Our destination is near a farmland not far from here; a well, where much of the community obtains their drinking water. Perhaps you know what we’re looking for… maybe?”​

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[Miraku]

Raku knelt there beside Yori as she appeared to think about it for a moment before accepting his offer. Nodding in agreement with her words, he was certain he could accomplish such tasks without getting into trouble; or so he believed. "Shouldn't be too much of an issue now that I'm awake." he joked with her, insinuating the only reason he had been hurt in the first place was being attacked in his sleep. Raku thought himself quite strong, so he wasn't too worried about running into something that could do too much harm to him, though it was always possible with the crazy creatures that existed out there. He was pretty confident though, so he didn't let such things worry him, putting them to the back of his mind, sure if something like that came up he would think on his feet and figure out a way to survive.

One wouldn't normally say a slug could look cute, but there was something so innocent about Yori's appearance as she seemed to smile looking up at him that it could be considered cute to some. As she asked, he lowered his arm out in front of her, letting her crawl up on her own to his shoulder, perched there. He waited for her to get into position and as comfortable as she could be on the shoulder of a human being. Yori began speaking again once in position, telling him of where she needed to head to next. Raku had done plenty of traveling through this land on missions for the past few years, so he was decently familiar with the land. There weren't too many villages out this far. "Hmm..a well. I think I know the place you're talking about." he said, thinking a moment, then turning towards the general direction he remembered. "Pretty sure it's this way, but if you know directions, please feel free to tell me where to go as we're on the move."

Raku stood up, and faced the direction he was looking at a moment ago. Bending at the knees, he stretched them slightly to release the tension of kneeling down. And so, Raku began moving forward, starting at a brisk jog and working his way up to running speed so that Yori could become accustomed to the movement speed, the air flowing against them as they moved at quick speeds. "This should definitely speed up your process." he said in a joking manner once more to her, as they set off towards her next good deed through the fields in the dark of night to either find the road or end up at the village if Raku's sense of direction was better than he thought it was.


[454 WC]
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[Okada Kaji]

Legend has it that the real story began at that moment when the human extended his aide to the noble slug with a healing gift; together they would do great things across the land of Kaminari no Kuni, in a tireless spree under the starry sky. As the muscle of their operation, Raku was utilized for his mobility as a proper steed during Yori’s journey.

Their camaraderie was mostly symbiotic, as Raku took on a light jog which felt more like a wind sprint. Yori was holding on for dear life but still managed to share some of her vitality, which extended Raku’s stamina. He was already a human specimen in peak condition given his status as a veteran shinobi, but Yori was further impressed by his orienteering prowess. He informed her that he may have known the way, which was more than satisfactory for Yori, who could sense their destination with a beacon-like pinpoint accuracy. “Our vital readings show that you are performing at maximum efficiency, Mister Raku... in fact, you might run a bit faster before pushing your heart rate to an unsustainable pace.” Yori was using her powerful collection of abilities to pour chakra into Roku, regulating his flow of oxygen, breaking down and converting the development of fatigue toxins in his muscle mass, and empowering the shinobi down to a cellular level. Essentially, he would not become fatigued again until the slug did.

“Left on this trail” Yori ordered Raku, and would have made him juke hard that way if she had physical controls of the Human mount. Her excitement was building as she felt the connection to her closest patient strengthening with every dashing step. Soon enough, the deep blue shades of the night gave way to the first signs of civilizations, as orange dots of street lamps began to glow in the distance. “We’re so close… this is amazing!” Signals of Yori’s excitement would have poured into Raku’s mind then, empathically transmitting the high of adrenaline coursing through her from the run, which was comparable to skiing downhill at The Spine of the World for the small creature.

“It’s over there,” she said once they arrived at the site of the well. The Forested path came to an end, leading to a trimmed meadow on the border of a silent farming community. There were a few homes within view, mostly single-storey and quaint. Long wooden fences served as barriers to keep a few cows and sheep in their pens, and the scent of shit and grazing hay was rampant in the air. I mean, it was a farm, so that was to be expected. Out there at the borders of the farmland lay the watering well Yori was searching for. “There it is Mister Raku” Yori announced, sensing the well dead ahead.

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• For your next post, please roll a 1d20 on Discord and Tag

• @O-Kaji with the results.
  This will serve as your awareness check for the following round.
  You may attempt to use any jutsu or passive features to improve your score.
  
  [*]<I>As Always, feel free to Contact me via PM/DM with any questions.

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[Miraku]

The run felt good. It was always fun to move at a quick pace, feeling the air against your face as you slip through it at high speeds, moving rapidly towards your destination. It appeared that Yori was able to understand perfectly how his body worked, and his own limitations better than him using her sensory abilities while, possibly through connection to him which may have strengthened such abilities further than would be otherwise. There was also a great feeling coursing through his body as she began pouring chakra into him to sustain him further, making it even easier for him to run move quickly, feeling like it was so natural in this moment, without the need to focus slightly on his breathing, and not feeling any fatigue from keeping such a pace. Yori would then tell him that he could possibly run even faster at the moment than he currently was, which made Raku curious. This made him want to try going faster, as he would push himself just a little further to try and move more efficiently than he was, letting Yori feel how it felt to really move.

Continuing to listened to her directions, they made their way closer and closer to the village with each passing moment, feeling the adrenaline from Yori entering his senses, apparently enjoying the ride as a stark contrast to her usual movement. The little slug perched on his shoulder made Raku smirk as he realized how much fun she was having with this. The wind whipping past them as his orange hair flowed back, arms flying back behind him as she sat closely on his shoulder, leaning forward at an angle so that the forward momentum against the air kept her from falling off.

It didn't take too much longer for them to finally arrive at the village. The smell hit him immediately. The smell of farmland wasn't completely new to him, but he had lived in populated areas for so long, that the smell always got him when he first got to places like this. "Hopefully my nose adjusts quickly this time." he commented, as he slowed down entering the border of the village area, swatting in front of his face to signify he was talking about the smell of feces in the air. Looking around, the lights around lit up the area slightly with a few homes around. Looking around he noticed the well Yori spoke of after announcing she had spotted it. He still wasn't sure what they were doing here, figuring it had something to do with healing, but why was the well important? "Alright. We'll head over there I guess. Just let me know what's up if anything comes up." he suggested, not sure if there was someone over there in need, or maybe she needed to fix the well somehow? He wasn't aware of the full extent of Yori's abilities of what kind of tasks they needed to complete for their rite of passage, but he was sure he would find out soon enough, as he began to walk towards the well at a decent walking pace, trying to move calmly, hoping not to arouse any suspicion if anyone were to spot him out here late at night.

[Roll: 15 ; I don't have any jutsu or abilities/passives to help with 'Awareness' stat]
[543 WC]
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[Okada Kaji]

Awareness Check Results
As Raku and Yori traversed the tall weeds on the path to the well, there wasn’t much calling for their immediate attention, as far as the eyes could see. A lone steer could be seen standing squarely under the moonlight about forty yards away; its fuzzy coat was the color of bright iron rust, and one of its ears wiggled as it munched on a mouthful of grass. He wasn’t bothering anyone, and certainly wasn’t looking for any trouble either. Aside from the steer, it seemed as if the Cloud Shinobi and his slug ally were on their own in the wilderness, with no patient to be found. But then there was a flicker of lamplight— multiple lights coming from along the horizon, closer to the village. Consider it common knowledge that small villages like this one often had guards, small militias who organized patrols in the fields at night. They were protecting the village’s livelihood during efforts meant to keep their livestock safe from predators or would-be thieves.

“We are down in the well, Mister Raku,” Yori explained with a grimness in her telepathy. Upon closer observation, Raku would notice a large well, roughly fifteen feet in diameter, most-likely hand dug or created with some kind of earth-nature jutsu. The hole was lined with tightly packed brick in a zigzagging pattern, all slightly misaligned by time and unpredictable nature. The rim of the well was tall enough to be considered safe by human standards. It was innovative to the point of using a hand-cranked pulley system to rotate dozens of square buckets into the water and back to the top.

“A human child has fallen in, and we are with him. His heartbeat is faint and we are preserving him, but we lack the strength to... provide rescue.” Yori spoke with that same grimness but maintained her same clinical precision as she explained the scenario. Why would she withhold such a situation from Raku? “The fall was too disheartening for us to discern the distance at first, but now that we are so close, we understand that the water’s surface is roughly a sixty-foot drop. The patient’s vitals are steady, but he is quite weak and malnourished. Could you please provide assistance, Mister Raku? Our kind is sufficient in the healing arts, but the faults of the humans require a human's touch to make them right again.”

 

[Miraku]

As the two of them drew closer to the well, Raku noticed the animal standing nearby, but everything else seemed calm at the moment. Approaching the well, Raku took another look around one last time and noticed some light approaching in the distance. Realizing that it was probably a group of guards watching over the village through the night to keep out the majority of weaker bandits and animals that would attempt to hurt the village in any way. In that moment, Raku thought nothing of them, as he could easily explain his situation to them if they managed to come over towards him.

His attention was brought back to the situation at hand as Yori's voice echoed in his mind once more, letting him know that the task was down inside the well. It was quite a large well, and quite deep, too dark for him to see all the way down. Not too concerned with the well itself, he began to think as his companion began to tell him further details. At first, the thought of going to get some help from the guards in the distanced crossed his mind, but he began to think even further about the situations. If a boy had fallen down the well, he would have been screaming for help or something long ago, so why hadn't anyone come to help him? Maybe he had fallen are was unconscious and hadn't been able to call for help. But how long had he been down there? Apparently according to Yori he was malnourished, so did that mean he had been down there for a long period of time. It was the villages main source of water, so they would use this well quite often, so it worried Raku that there was someone stuck down there for a long enough period of time and no one had found him in anyway. "I don't know if you can hear my thoughts or not, but if this child has been down here for a while, I'm a little worried about why no one else has found them or tried to help him when he's in a spot that the villagers would check all the time." he whispered to her, trying not to draw any attention from the guards in the distance.

"I think I'll head down there quietly and bring him up so you can do your thing easier, and hopefully avoid anyone else until we can find out from the child why he was down there." He continued to speak quietly to Yori, as he began to concentrate, pushing his chakra down into his feet more than usual, getting ready to go down into the well. He wasn't so much worried about dealing with the guards if it came to it, since they obviously weren't as strong as a jounin level shinobi, but they could become a nuisance if he had his hands full with the child once he came up. Raku took a step over the edge of the well, and began to slowly walk and slide down the side of the well, staying attached to it via his chakra as he made his way down to the boy to try and get him out of here. When he would reach the bottom, he would look around to make sure everything was alright down there before he could attempt to pick up the child to take them out of the well.

[576 WC]
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[Okada Kaji]

It appeared as though Raku was a man of action, as he chose the most direct path towards saving the child in need. The villagers on patrol were still quite a ways off, and the walls of the well were mostly dry to the touch, and ease for Raku to cling to with the shinobi art of tree climbing. He proved to be a true veteran, confident in his ability to mold chakra. There was a number of methods he could have attempted when scaling down the wall. Sixty-feet was quite a distance though, so far that one misstep could have meant a terrifying plummet into darkness. But this shinobi was a bold adventurer, and he faced the challenge with the just the kind of bravery it called for.

“B-b-be careful, Mister Raku” Yori warned him via their telepathic link. She elected to slide off of Raku during his descent and took up looking out for trouble. After all, Yori was also awaiting him at the bottom of the well in her second body. It was a process known as Slug Great Division; a genetic ability of the Zo clan slugs stemming back her ancient father, which started them all. The slug sensed Raku clearly through her waving tentacles from above and below as Raku traversed the darkness.

As Raku traveled deeper, he’d begin to feel the pressures of the underground closing in upon him, and the presence of moonlight fade until nothing but a blue dot was visible overhead. The sense of hearing took precedence in this pitch blackness, and Raku could hear very faint thrashing in the water below. But a mere sixty feet would seem much farther down with his sight impaired. The old bricks of the hand-dug well began to challenge his adhesive steps, occasionally lodging loose from attraction to his feet. Surely on accident, he caused an old brick to break free and crash down into the water with a great splash. There was a terrified wincing sound coming from below; though it was faint, the narrow chamber created an echo effect that reached Raku. It was the child, seemingly stirred into consciousness. “Please be more careful, that could have hit the patient!” Yori berated Raku with her mental message, fearful for the safety of the child.

• Visibility at the bottom of the well is Pitch Black.
• Raku may attempt to devise and execute a plan to find and rescue the child.

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