Can't Get Any Rust [Solo, NK]

He kept a single finger on his chin while walking forward, admiring the sights Takigakure had to offer him. There was the large tree that loomed overhead and the plethora of greenery. It was highly different than Yukigakure, so different that he was surprised they even bordered each other. No one can describe the feeling he got upon spotting such a...green village. Yes, that was the best word he could use to describe the place. The water here was actually unfrozen, and there were actual plants that littered the ground, such as grass. He hadn't really gotten the chance to see much plants in his life, for he was isolated in that house with- The boy had a small shudder flow through his frame. He shouldn't allow such thoughts to invade his mind. As he walked, Mugen eyed the rather small amount of people he happened to pass by. He wondered why there were so little people...in such a beautiful place. Yes, he called it beautiful. No, he did not consider this village better than his own in any way, shape, or form. Nothing could compare with Yukigakure. Though, this was a very close second. He breathed in the clean and refreshing air before releasing it in a single smooth, and slow breath. There wasn't much for the youth to do, after all, he didn't expect to be coming here. Being ordered to travel out of the blue didn't exactly sit well with him. However, orders were orders, and he was forced to carry out those orders.

Sadly, he didn't know what else he was required to do after arriving in Takigakure. Hopefully, Kiru-sensei or someone else he knew would call him. That would definitely be an improvement from wandering around, doing absolutely nothing. Mugen abruptly stopped walking and eyed the large building that now stood before him. It was the village library. The youth scrunched his nose, repeatedly tapping his foot on the ground. He contemplated on entering, but was forced to consider the handicaps he had. First, he wasn't exactly allowed into the village, it was just that the person who confronted him took too long to respond. So, he took that as permission to enter. Then there was him being from a completely different village, one in a different country. The tapping grew faster with each passing second, until it suddenly...stopped. Mugen scratched the back of his head before shrugging. He might as well try, no one knows what could exactly happen. After steeling himself for a handful of seconds, the young male took several steps forward, eventually stopping in front of the large, brown doors. He brought his hand to the handle and turned it, pushing the door forward, consequently heading into the library.

He released his hold on the doorknob and walked forward, admiring the amount of books that were laid out before him. After taking a certain amount of steps forward, the door shut behind him, which forced the youth the jump in slight shock. After noting he had nothing to worry about, he continued his trek to what he assumed was the ninjutsu section. They didn't seem to label that particular part of the building "ninjutsu" for no reason. That would be completely redundant and troll-like. Very, very troll-like, which suddenly reminded Mugen of his close friend, Lazuru. He could never forget the moment both of them went into a sing-along, all because he couldn't find out his friend's identity. Though, Lazuru had completely changed his hair color, eye color, and normal attire. He had a reason to find guessing the male's identity difficult. Suddenly, he was knocked out of thoughts, for he almost came in contact with one of the shelves located in front of him. The boy squinted his sapphire orbs at the shelf, finding two books that caught his interest. One was called "Shunshin", otherwise known as Body Flicker, and the other was named "Hiraishin", or Lightning Rod. It definitely caught his attention, but he believed he already had one of those jutsu with him. Or, perhaps, it contained a different yet similar technique...Oh well, the more the merrier.

Mugen took both books into his hands and observed the area for the closest seat. Luckily, he managed to find one, and it was by a small table as well. That made everything oh so much better, he didn't have to use his lap to set these books onto. With a soft smile plastered onto his features, the young male walked towards the first chair he saw, which he lazily plopped into before dropping the two books onto the table. He was happy it, surprisingly, didn't create much noise. If they did he would be in some deep shit with the other people here. Completely disregarding his slightly unpleasant thoughts, he opened up the first book he picked up, which was the one on "Shunshin." He skimmed down the pages before him and even moved onto the next one every few seconds. He absorbed the information in a manner similar to a sponge, and it would stay in that brain of his until he said so. In mere minutes he succeeded in finishing the small book, now enlightened on how to perform a new technique. Though, he would actually need to train and get it down. And that would require him to completely exit the library, but he needed to finish reading the second book he picked up. A small sigh managed to escape his lips once he had the second book in his clutches. Sometimes, only sometimes, he wished he had someone to show him a few things. Such as jutsu, so he didn't have to do stuff like this.

Reading didn't exactly entertain him anyways. But, what had to be done had to be done, no "buts" or "ifs", sadly. Mugen scratched the back of his head as he skimmed through the book, only picking up information he deemed most important. Surprisingly, he finished it quicker than he did with the first book. Maybe it was because he didn't acknowledge every last detail. Not to mention there weren't much hand seals required for either technique. In fact, the "Shunshin" only had one hand seal, and "Hiraishin" didn't even have one. All you needed to do was lift your arm into the air to initiate the jutsu. The boy quickly closed the book, now piling one onto the other and carrying them to the shelf he took them from. Once he placed them in their correct positions, Mugen twirled on his heels and rushed towards the exit, eager to try out the two new jutsu he managed to learn. In mere seconds he was outdoors once more, inhaling the sweet air that happened to grace Takigakure. Sadly, he couldn't do his "training" in the middle of the village, meaning he had to find a secluded area. Or at least someplace that didn't contain a large amount of people. He tapped his chin, an action he's been doing a lot lately, and wondered just where he could do his "training."

Almost as if a light bulb went off in his head, the youth snapped his fingers and allowed a smirk to show on his face. Perhaps...yes, he could very much do that...but, he didn't know if they would get furious with him...no, they couldn't, it was for training after all. That was a highly valid reason to head out to one of the waterfalls. Yet another sigh escaped his frame while he ran a single hand through his hair. It was soft at the touch, and he very much wanted to keep the limb there. It was his hand anyway, no one could tell him to remove it. The boy could feel his feet moving him forward and into the streets of Takigakure. He passed by various buildings, people, even animals that were, of course, pets of the people be passed. He eventually reached an opening, one that went deeper into the trees next to seemingly wooden houses. Mugen looked to the side, to the other side, and behind him before shrugging. He made his way into the opening, spotting what seemed to be a trail in between two large trees. It certainly peaked his interest, for he wasted no time in following the rather narrow trail. He could see the large amounts of plants that surrounded him, and heard what reminded him of running water. He couldn't have possibly...stumbled upon a waterfall hidden away from the villagers. That would be ludicrous...

...Is what he would like to think. Once he reached the end of the trail, Mugen couldn't help but allow his jaw to go slack. There was a waterfall in front of him, even though its size paled in comparison to the others he saw. However, that didn't mean it wouldn't work. He pushed away the two branches that happened to block his view, and walked to the edge of the pond the tiny waterfall flowed into. He observed how far away he was from the waterfall, noting that it was a mere 10 meters away. That wasn't too big of a distance...in fact, it was the perfect distance. The youth allowed himself a small shrug before moving to take off his shirt. Though, he first looked to his right, to his left, behind him, and in the trees. Of course, no one would want creepers looking at them while taking off their clothes. However, he guessed he would get the feeling he was being watched, meaning that checking was unnecessary. Mugen sighed in exasperation at his antics and merely continued to strip down to his boxers. The boy tossed his clothes to the side, in a spot farthest from the pond, yet not too far away from him. Yes, that was confusing, but he could be a very confusing person. After transferring chakra to the soles of his feet, he proceeded to step onto the cool water of the pond. At first, he shivered, but quickly got used to the temperature. He then lifted his other foot and placed it onto the water, taking a deep breathe and shutting his eyes.

Mugen brought his hands together and allowed his thoughts to drift away to something more important. For example: just where around the waterfall he wanted to stop after using this "Shunshin" technique. Perhaps going in front of the downpour of water would be best. Yes, that way he could recognize if he did it correctly, because the sound would mark his location. But...the same could be said if he appeared beside the waterfall. No! Being in front of the waterfall also meant he would feel the water spraying onto his frame. Yes, he would be stopping once he reached in front of the waterfall. The young male took in a deep breath, releasing it slowly and calmly. His fingers formed the Ram hand seal while he focused on channeling his chakra throughout his body. He was at this for a few minutes, probably around three or four, maybe five, but that didn't matter too much. Once he felt satisfied, he immediately opened his eyes, soon utilizing the "Shunshin" technique to move forward. He abruptly stopped directly in front of the waterfall, feeling the water shoot into his face and dampening his hair. He stood still for a few seconds, letting his brain register what he just did. Eventually, a faint grin found its way to his lips. He didn't expect using the technique to be so easy...now to see if he could do it again, but quicker.

His fingers managed to form the Ram seal once more, but this time it didn't take three or four, maybe five minutes. No, this took at least two, or maybe one minute, or maybe thirty seconds. However, that obviously didn't matter too much. What did matter was when the youth managed to use "Shunshin" and appear in the middle of the rather small pond. Wow, this was great. He used the technique twice and didn't feel winded in the slightest. Though, there was no time to celebrate, he had to focus on practicing the second technique. Mugen clenched his left hand soon bringing up into the air. If he remembered correctly, all he needed to do was channel his lightning chakra throughout his body. Perhaps he was supposed to do it in a manner similar to "Shunshin." Though, rather than use it to enhance his abilities, he was to use for defense. He was meant to generate a bolt of electricity through his own body and into that of his opponent. It sounded simple enough, maybe not so simple, but it very well could be. Mugen initiated the technique, focusing on making his lightning chakra flow through his body, almost like a river, before willing it to take form. More time had passed by, but this time he didn't bother to remember just how much time, wow the author of this post is saying time a bit too much. He'll stop doing that. This time for sure. Wait...fack.

Time to- facking hell.
Onto a more serious topic...Mugen could tell, he was doing the technique correctly so far. With a small grunt, he finished his preparation for the technique, and actually commenced it. A powerful bolt of electricity ran throughout his frame and...shocked him so bad that once it was done shocking him smoke was coming from his hair, even though it wasn't on fire. Yes, that was how much it shocked him. Though, he had no idea just how he managed to electrify himself like that. The youth groaned and scratched the back of his head. He didn't understand just what he did wrong, he was positive that he was doing it right. He immediately tapped his chin in thought. There had to be something incorrect in his procedure. Transfer lightning chakra throughout ones body, check. Afterwards, have it take form and electrify your opponent. That's all there was to it...but, that didn't explain just why he was shocked after finishing the technique. Mugen mulled over his problem a bit longer, considering everything he should and should not have done. Then, that's when it finally came to him. He was supposed to transfer his chakra throughout his body, yes, and allow it to take form, another yes, but...

You weren't supposed to keep the lightning on your body. You were supposed to transfer the lightning into your enemies body. That's what he was doing incorrectly. Though, he couldn't help but wonder why he didn't get that quicker. Perhaps he was allowing himself to gain rust, with the small amount of time he'd been in Takigakure. However, if one were to consider it, that was a ridiculous idea. No one could have their skills get rusty in such little time. No way was that possible. All it meant was that he needed to improve himself, break past his boundaries. And that's exactly what he's been trying to do for how long. Maybe as long as he arrived at the library, read up on those jutsu, and decided to train here. But, all that aside, he had to try that jutsu just one more time. Mugen lifted up his right hand this time, even though either one would have worked with him. He slowly allowed his eyes to close, now intent on getting the "Hiraishin" correct. First, he transferred his lightning chakra through his body once more, done. Second, he allowed that chakra to take form in electricity around him, done. Now, to finally do the big finish, the part he had been missing this entire time. Hopefully, he wouldn't get shocked again. If he did...well, he wouldn't be happy. Nope, he wouldn't be happy in the slightest and would stay that way for a while, or until he tried again.

With determination fueling him, the boy immediately initiated the technique, allowing the electricity to flow through him and into whatever had physical contact with his body. That "whatever" being the water he was standing on. Lightning traveled from his frame and into the pond he was on top of, forcing the electricity to travel to it's edges and shock everything, but him. Hallelujah, praise the shinobi god, the damned technique actually worked instead of backfiring on him. This deserved a small moment of gloating. Don't worry, it will be a very brief, very fast, very satisfying gloating session. Well, satisfying for Mugen at least. He proceeded to do a small victory dance that he made up since four seconds ago. Yes, not five, but four. Oh, how amazing he was, yet how atrocious his dance moves were. He would definitely need to take some dancing lessons after this. Unfortunately, Mugen somehow, no one knows how, managed to slip on water and abruptly land into the pond. Ignore what was said about him being amazing, that status was revoked about two seconds ago, maybe one second ago. He ended up being stuck at least two feet under the water, but was luckily able to take in a gulp of air before hitting the blue liquid. The boy's cheeks were puffed out in a manner similar to a puffer fish, which allowed for a rather comical moment. Though, he quickly swam upwards and let his head hit the surface, a large splash being created after doing so.

Mugen's eyebrows were furrowed and sapphire orbs seemed unnaturally hard. He was not happy with his little slip up, not happy at all. He didn't even understand how that happened, but blamed it all on the author of this solo topic, who says he is completely innocent. Yeah, don't trust that guy as far as you could throw him. Back on topic, the boy sent his chakra to his hands, which he used to propel himself above and water before sending chakra to his feet as well. And he then used his feet to stand on top of the water and move in the direction land was located. Sweet, precious land, oh how he missed you so. Once his toes reached the common plant that was known grass, he immediately made his way to where his clothes were located. Without letting another second pass by, he slid them back onto his small frame and slipped his feet into his sneakers. The youth wasted no time in taking a small jog back to the narrow trail, where he pushed the branches out of his way and jogged back to the village. He didn't think about stopping until he reached the same spot where he noticed the library. Mugen sighed and plopped himself down onto the last step, but, that's when he was too late to realize something.

He could've just used the freaking body flicker to get here. Why the hell did he bother jogging? Oh, right, for this solo to get a bigger word count. Well, there was no use in moping about what happened, it wasn't like he could turn back time and change everything. Mugen ran a single hand through his hair and looked up the sky. Apparently, he was too busy with training to notice two things. Actually, three things. One, he should've dried off before putting on his clothes, because they were damp and that made him uncomfortable. Second, it turned into night and the stars were evident in the now dark sky. The moon helped illuminate his face and give him a soft glow as he stared up at the bright stars. Oh, and third. He had absolutely nothing to do anymore.
[Exit.]

WC: 3277
Gains:
+ Learned Body Flicker
+ Learned Hiraishin
+ 277/4000 for Water Element
+ 16 stats

Approved of Appropriate Rewards