Traiining in a forign land

Maku had been in the leaf village for a little while now.  The days had been going through slowly, without much to distinguish one day from another.  He stood outside on the balcony of the flat he was staying at.  The rain was coming down in sheets, drenching all the surrounding structures and people who skittered on the path below.  He had been watching for several minutes as the clouds above him swirled and the wind gusted.  He hadn’t even seen Youka for a while, he had travelled out to the hospital for something or the other.  Perhaps he would go check on him soon.  They were both missing nin in Konoha after all.  Probably the most dangerous place in the whole world that they could be in.  But o well, things were going all right at the moment.  It  was about time that he did some training though, he wondered if he would get in trouble to do so, here in a different village.  He would also have to be careful not to show the limits of his abilities.  Just in case he was being watched by someone, you never knew.  This was a major villge after all, so there were always the possibilities that ANBU would be watching him closely.  He had kept his eyes open though and had yet to see anything.  Leaning against the wall, he sighed and started moving.  He had picked up a lot of information in the town however, and was learning all the while.  His latest piece of information he picked up was that in the borders, you could turn in bodies to receive cash.  Maku wasn’t a violent person growing up, but now as he got older and more experienced in the world he decided he didn’t mind so much.  It would be nice to have the extra cash on him.  Plus in a big village like this there were many notable families, worth a lot of money.  Hyuugas, Uchihas, Nara, Aburame just to name a few off the top of his head.  He was resigned that if he got a chance, he would kill one and take them for money. Though if he did do so, he would have to be careful.  He had survived death once, and might not be so lucky again if found out.  Leaping from the balcony onto the pavement below, Maku started off down the street to see what kind of trouble he could possibly get himself into. 
 
 
                Splish splash splish splash.  His feet struck the ground and water was sprayed upwards with each step.  It was a lonely walk.  Maku had always hated the rain, it always depressed him.  It was in a way ironic seeing as he came from a land of waterfalls, but he hated rain.  Then again maybe it wasn’t he wasn’t even sure.  Maku had made his way through the center of town and into the training grounds.  He knew this by the open area, it was mostly mud at this point with a few huge rocks scattered across the field.  Also the large sign that said “Training Grounds” kind of gave it away.  Walking into the middle of the field he took up a seat on the rocks.  He sat in the rain simply meditating for a long while.  His clothes sticking to his skin and hair matted to his face.  Even though he hated the rain he sat on.  Maku wasn’t even sure what he was waiting for, but it was this way often.  When he didn’t know what to do he just waited to see what would happen.  Often times he was surprised to se what life would give him, when one just waits around and see what it will throw.  Almost like if life got to boring, it liked to throw you a curve ball just to keep it interesting.  Sighing, Maku let his mind wander, and chakra flow.  He let it do its natural ebb and flow, relaxing.  Using the rain as a metronome of relaxation he almost dozed off for a second.  He no longer used an ninjutsu so there wasn’t much to even practice.  He had forgone many of his normal abilities for two powerful genjutsu techniques that worked best in a group setting.  Perhaps this was a dangerous situation, but he trusted Youka for some reason and intended to fight with him when the time came.  His only other real power was summoning his Bafukani, though it just made him stronger and faster and that had no purpose at the moment.  He wasn’t even sure what he wanted to do to train on this day.  He really needed life to throw him one of those patented curve balls to make things interesting.  Just as he began to doze off again, life did indeed provide just as he had wanted.
 
A gang of people had entered the training ground.  Maku, used his sense to feel them coming.  His abilities in this regard where still fairly underdeveloped and he just saw blobs of chakra.  The range was about 30 meters, and that was the limits.  But hopefully if he practiced some he would get it even better in time.  The men had the loud obnoxious voices, stereotypical of people who thought themselves tough, but one on one where nothing but fools.  Indeed they were the kind to only fight when there were a group on an individual not, one on one.  Maku remained stationary, praying that they would see him, though unwilling to make them come his way.  He was sure that they would see him eventually though.  It was always the case.  They were clearly looking for someone to pick on and fight.  Maybe steal his money or leave him bloody in an ally.  O gods please come this way.  Peaking out of slitted lids he saw that there were 4 individuals.  He wouldn’t even need to use his genjutsu for fighting these kinds of opponents.  It wasn’t long before he heard the inflection in their voices change.  It went from the bored obnoxious yelling of banter, to the cool talk of finding an easy target.  There foot steps could be heard heading his way.  The squelching of each boot more and more clear as time went on.  “Please Please, don’t get cold feet.  I want this I want this.”  He thought to himself in his mind.  All of a sudden the voices and steps stopped.  His senses told him that they were clearly in front of him.  4 men vs 1 ninja.  The odds were heavily in his favor, but they didn’t need to know that.  “he fool, you some kind of boy toucher or somthin.  HAHAH”  the 4 men laughed at their own jokes.  Maku still had his priest guise on.  He was still short but he had a beard and priest robes on.  He didn’t think he looked like much of shrimp in his opinion.  But o well everyone is entitled to their opinions after all.  Maku did not open his eyes however.  He was going to let them make the first move, and let them bring punishment down upon themselves.  If he was being watched by the ANBU, then he wanted it to look like he was only defending himself, not looking for a fight.
 
The men were getting angry that he was ignoring them.  Clearly it wouldn’t be long before they began physical confrontation.  After all men like them always resorted to physicality.  It was the only thing they had after all.  A sharp pain filled the right side of his head suddenly.  A rock had been thrown and hit him on the head.  Maku let his body fall back limply onto the ground, as if it had knocked him unconscious.  Listening he heard the men walking around the rock to grab him.  Moving his left hand up he made a tiger sign, and body flickered at a speed of 200 behind the men, wakizashi already drawn.  He moved in-between the men making cuts and stabs.  The four men fell quickly to him, dead and bleeding on the mud.  Moving the bodies out of sight, he made his way out of the immediate area.  He would inform any police or authority people he met on the way out, that they were there and what had happened.  No problem, they were probably member of a gang anyway.  In time they would be forgotten, and missed only by their family, if even they would miss them.  Starting his walk in the rain again. Maku considered where to go next.  This let life throw the action thing was kind of fun, though still dangerous in a village such as this.  He still needed to perform some real training however.  Not just mess with hoodlums who had gotten to big for their breaches.  Not knowing where to turn though Maku just continued to walk through the labyrinth of streets and allys.  Taking in the sights.  Perhaps this was good enough training.  While walking he focused on bringing out the potential of his chakra senses.  Sensing people and then trying to reach out farther and farther with his mind as he walked.  It was getting easier to differentiate chakra as he focused more and more on it.  Though he still was far from an expert on the matter.  In time perhaps he would have the abilities of a good sensory nin, but it really wasn’t his forte anyway.  Just another utility ability that many nin had and was almost required.  Keeping people from sneaking up on you was imperative in the ninja world after all. 
 
He had arrived in the Uchiha district before he knew it.  He took in the lay out and the distinct buildings and symbols upon them.  It almost seemed dead though as he passed.  Now there was something he would like to have, an Uchiha body.  That’d probably fetch a good price on the black market, and the sharingan might be valuable if he could have on implanted onto him.  He soon found a boxing ring with fights going on. Jumping right in he decided it might be fun.  His punches really didn’t pack that much of a wallop, but he was so much faster than everyone else, he just rabbit punched people out.  By ducking and weaving he had won 13 fights.  After that he got out and left.  It was a fun and exhilarating experience.  It reminded him of when he had joined that wrestling group back in Takigakure.  Resting his bruises, he watched some of the others fight.  It wasn’t much fun just to watch though so he quickly, took back up his walking and musing.  He had a good reason to perform this walk.  He was gaining the knowledge of the entire lay out of the village.  Exiting the Uchiha district he continued the walk.  The Hyuuga district was practically desserted.  He had heard that there were many Hyuuga in other villages now.  Funny how the families seemed to change villages as time went on.  Now it didn’t seem like any village held a family or jutsu of their own.  The world was a varied place now, and you never knew what you would find.  Getting back to the flat he had started out he stayed and rested for  a little bit.  He had decided that he could go and train with the crustaceans that he had made a pact in blood with.  He always did enjoy training there.  He would have to summon one of them and then ask permission to be summoned back once he released the summon.  There he would be free to train, not worried about being watched or having to fear, showing his abilities.  Preparing to summon, he cut his finger to produce a drop of blood.  He then summoned the Bafukani onto his head.  By talking to it telepathically, he informed him of the situation and then let the crustacean return back to its home.  Now all he had to do was wait to be summoned by the creature. 
 
After sitting for a moment he felt that familiar hook feeling behind his naval.  He felt himself jerked through space and time, and land back onto the familiar beach that made up the coastal land of the crustaceans.  It was here he had spent much time, in his early years of training.  He remembered running up and down the beach with a large crab stuck on his back in training.  As well as the first time he found the Bafukani and gained its trust.  It was a good palce.  Warm and beautiful.  He assumed it was like Shimagakure would be on the coast.  It was here he would attempt to speak to the Crab Sage and see if there was any missions that he needed done.  Maybe that’s how he could train.  Walking into a large cave he spoke with the two elders.  Apparently the crabs have two elders.  One was a creature resembling the Bafukani.  His name is Loki, the chakra infusion and genjutsu master.  The second elder was a larger crab named Sinjetsu, who was all combat and gruff.  The two made a perfect team.  One casting illusions and granting the other stat increases.  While the other was the warrior.  Truly it would be a sight to see them fight together.  Alas that was not what he was here to see today.  He was here to just get a mission and some training done.  He asked them as much “Great crab sages I have come to see if there is any missions you need completed.  Or any tasks you need done.  I am at your service.”  With that Maku bowed low to them and waited to see what their response would be.  They seemed to deliberate for a bit.  With Loki sitting on top of Sinjetsu he knew they were speaking telepathically together.  It seemed like a long time before they were willing to give him an answer.  But after awhile, they finally did respond to his inquiry.  “  There is something you could do, for us and all the land here.  We have had reports of a large creature off the ocean that has been killing our denizens.  It supposedly is that of a kraken, and lives near an island out in the ocean.  It is an island with a large mountain with numerous caves.  Please go there and dispatch this creature for us please.” 
 
Evidently there was no such rush to get the mission completed.  After all the crab people allowed him to spend the night and rest.  He slept right out on the beach under the stars.  It was a pleasant experience.  It was probably around 80 degrees out so there was no need of a blanket, and the heat had been absorbed by the sand, making it feel warm while laying on it.  After a while he drifted off, only to be awoken in the morning.  He awoke to the sound of seagulls and many crabs skittering around going about their business.  He had been charged with the death of a monster, and that was what he was going to do.  Getting his supplies together he began water walking out into the ocean and moving towards the island.  It was a tiny spec on the horizon but it was easily seen.  So since he could, he just took to walking towards it.  It was a peaceful stroll.  One would be surprised that it was going to lead one to face a monster at the end.  It didn’t even seem possible.  Maku wondered how the monster would fight, and what it would look like.  They had described it as a Kraken, so Maku assumed that it would be a large octopus type creature.  At least that was his first guess, but you never realy knew did you.  Even the crustaceans weren’t for sure what it was, since any that had seen it up close had been eaten or killed.  But o well, it was Maku’s problem now and he planned on taking care of it swiftly.  Arriving at the island he set up camp, and prepared for a fight.  The morning and evening passed with little to no interactions.  Indeed it was ominous that the island was so quit.  Something like this should be lowed with many animal calls, and fish jumping but instead it was very unusual.  Maybe the creature was something to fear.  After all if it had driven al the inhabitants away it was something after all.  Hopefully it just drove them away, maybe it at them all it was hard to say.  Sharpening his wazashi on a stone he found on the beach the waiting game continued on and on.  Once again he closed his eyes and began working on his chakra senses.  He reached out with his mind and searched for any living creature that was nearby.  Indeed there was nothing out there.  No little animals, and no big creature.  Maku looked out onto the ocean and could only assume that maybe the creature would strike at night.  Letting the sun set, he waited further and walked out onto the ocean for a bit.  Once he had taken severl steps out his chakra senses finally picked up on something.  The chakra signature itself wasn’t that big, but it was spread out over a large are, which caused him to only assume this was the kraken he had been looking for.  Just when he got nervous and was ready to attack he spied a school of fish.  SO apparently, he was wrong.  His underdeveloped chakra senses did not allow him to distinguish the many different creatures but instead he had seen it as one.  Returning to the shore, he went to sleep.  Clearly this was a waste of time, maybe the salt concentration was to high out here and that’s why it was like this.  After he had drifted asleep, a loud screech woke him up.  Snapping up he looked over to the south which is where the sound came from and saw a large reptile.  It resembled a crocodile but was probably around 10 meters long. Clearly this was the creature that had been causing such a stink to the crabs.
Maku tracked the creature all across the island until he found where it called home.  Keeping his distance he prepared for his assault on the best.  He assumed he would be fast enough to strike a killing blow before it could do much.  It seemed like a large creature that would be slow.  Perhaps one quick strike at the base of the creatures neck would kill it instantly.  He wanted to make sure that he would nail the beast hard and fast.  This wasn’t the type of creature he wanted to wrestle with, as it would surely kill him oversize.  It was 30 meters long, with rugged scales of a dark gray color.  Its teeth were elongated and stuck out of its mouth as well.  It made grunting sounds as it moved and its belly dragged on the ground making divots as it moved.   Maku had his blade out, and considered briefly using his genjutsu.  But then again he didn’t really have anything in his arsenal that would make since to use on the creature.  Instead a hard strike to the neck seemed like the best option.  Maku was all for psychological warfare, but this one seemed to call for a more primitive and physical means to the end. 
 
Preparing his blade, he made a tiger hand sign and body flicked directly onto the creature at a speed of 200.  He was there before the beast ever had a chance to react.  He sunk the blade up to the hilt into the spine of the creature.  It shuddered and died almost instantly.  It had ended up being an easier mission than he ever could of imagined.  Apparently the crabs had been afraid of nothing.  This monster had prayed on the weak, and the fear had made the rest of them scared.  But it was over now.  Collecting some teeth from the creature, Maku returned back to the crab sages and bestowed upon them the trophy of his kill.  They seemed pleased, and praised his hard work.  Maku had had the respect of the crabs for a long time, and today he only improved that relationship.  He waited until morning.  That was when the Bafukani was set to send him back to Konoha. 
 
In a poof, Maku found himself back in the flat in Konoha.  The rain had stopped and it was a sunny day out.  It would have been an ideal day for training back here in the village.  Perhaps he would take another jog around the village.  While he was running, he once again took in all the sights of the village.  He wanted to ensure if he ever had to return he would know his way around.  He also wanted to be able to report to Saiga should he be allowed to return to the village, and was of course welcomed back.  He knew that it was a long shot but it was still worth it.  If he had detailed information, then at least that was some kind of information to make a trade with.  Maku even decided to swing by the training grounds.  There he made use of the various equipment to do some strength training.  Including monkey bars, and various weights that were left for the nin of the village to use.  They had very nice facilities here.  Sure there was these things in Takigakure, but it was overall better maintained here.  But He supposed that’s what more money would get you, better equipment and better maintenance.  After he was done training, Maku decided it was time to find Youka.  He saw a cloud of smoke somewhere off in the distance.  It was hard to tell though seeing as it was at night now.  All the same he heard a loud crash, and he figured he might as well head to the mayhem.  If it was Youka, he needed to keep him out of trouble.  If it wasn’t then well maybe he could do something to garner the respect of the ninja of the Leaf so he would have a refuge for later on.  This last thought was a long shot though.  The Leaf did not seem very friendly to Missing nin no matter what their disposition. 
 
                Jogging as he ran towards the sound he was preparing himself for the worst.  He didn’t want to get into any fights especially after meeting those two people at the front gate, who he now had come to discover must have been Navi the fifth hokage and Viper Uchiha one of the most powerful nin in history.   Slowing his jog he took a seat on the bench and once again worked on training his chakra sensing abilities.  He reached out and could tell there were indeed two individuals locked in combat within 50 meters.  He could also distinguish that there were both fairly powerful.  Maku decided that his best option was to hang back, and wait.  He would stay within a close distance that he could either intervene or he could get away quickly.  He wanted to make sure he could get away and not be mistaken to have been involved in the fight.  Stretching out on the bench Maku kept his senses sharp and in tuned with the fight a block or two away.  It is here that he would relax and let the two men wear each other out.  Maybe he could swoop in a steal a kill if it came down to it, the rewords could be useful to him.  Or maybe he wouldn’t get to do anything.  This was another classic example of how just waiting and see what life would throw at him was a valuable this to do.  Yawning, Maku could feel his chakra sense being stronger from the practice of the last couple attempts of using it.
 
Word count = 4006, 20 stat points and 40 jp.  1000/1000 of chakra senses level 1

Approved.