A Bored, Rainy Day (P, NK)

When the waitress came over and asked for the tab, Andalusa ended up paying it all- she would need to pay him back somehow, but she supposed introducing him to the blacksmith at their destination would help some? As a puppeteer, quality materials were exceptionally important- and he knew that much more than she did. Using poor materials when crafting puppets was much like charging into battle with only D and C rank jutsu, sure, it might work against weaker opponents, but stronger ones were a different beast altogether, and it could cost her her life. To her surprise, at this point, her future partner had paid double the amount- as a tip, perhaps? Out of the kindness of his heart? Though she didn't know the answer, his actions were certainly interesting. There was more to him than met the eye. Like the difficult puzzle boxes she had loved to play with as a child in Wind Country, each facet was different and more complex than the last- and opening it would likely reveal yet another puzzle. She studied him for a moment with her eyes. Yes, she'd enjoy trying to figure him out.

“Shall we be off then Lady Amaterasu?” he asked politely, offering his hand. She tilted her head, and after a brief moment's contemplation, she took it. The young noble stood up from her chair, and after she was done, let her touch linger for the briefest of milliseconds before letting go. The duo walked side by side towards the door, and when they exited to the world beyond, it was to the strange smell of dust after rain. She inhaled a bit and tilted her head. She'd never been able to smell this back in the desert- in the temperate region they were in now, however, it made sense that the climate was different. The rain had entirely stopped by this point, and she had to be careful not to misstep into puddles as she walked. After a few minutes of walking, he spoke up once more. “So what do you like doing in your spare time Lady Amaterasu?” at this question, the Akari tilted her head slightly forwards. She knew the answers she was accustomed to saying back in the court- painting, calligraphy, ikebana, playing instruments... But, to be honest, she really didn't enjoy that much except for the calligraphy. Tea ceremonies were fun as well, but she didn't really like preparing for them. Training wasn't a hobby, more of a necessity, and if she had the opportunity to avoid the life on the road, she would take it without hesitation. It was a tough, much more difficult question than she had originally anticipated. What DID she like to do? She paused for a few more moments before finally speaking up to answer the question. "Well, I quite enjoy calligraphy. I like to peruse antique weapons." she began. "Politics are also enjoyable- observing, participating, the whole field is interesting. I... Like to listen to music, but I don't like to play it." Amaterasu added. She proceeded to walk in relative silence after that, ruminating on what to say next- if she was going to say anything at all. The duo passed trees, potholes, puddles, and dampened underbrush that would likely grow mold and fungus within the next few days.

A question burned in her mind. It was a little silly, but... Maybe it would help them get to know each other? That was what Andalusa had been doing by asking her that, after all. Partners who didn't know each other were not good partners at all- and in a field as dangerous as theirs, that could result in death. She shook the grim thoughts from her mind and opened her mouth to speak. "If you had the power to do any one thing in the world, what would it be?"

WC: 645
Total WC: 4,017

Approved

It would appear she had no issues with people being polite around her, accepting a helping hand and such. This type of actions with missing ninja were rare. As most were intensely distrustful out of necessity for in their world, grabbing the hand of someone, anyone. Could mean the death of you in an instant. Of course Andalusa had no intention of harming the long haired woman. It was however a reaction he wouldn’t have expected. It was one of trust, something one did not often give to someone that was usually on the wrong side of the law in regards to things. However he wouldn’t be betraying it this day. When it came time for her to answer his question as they trekked down the puddle ridden road he would listen intently. “Politics are also enjoyable- observing, participating, the whole field is interesting. I... Like to listen to music, but I don't like to play it." She would say, as he listened and nodded. ‘Politics, eh? I suppose her noble appearance isn’t just for show after all, and listening but not playing music? Alright, that’s nothing weird or anything.’ He would think as they traveled along the road at a moderate pace, both wanting to make it to the next town relatively quickly. 

"If you had the power to do any one thing in the world, what would it be?" She would ask as they walked and he would blink in confusion for a moment at the strange question. ‘Well that’s an interesting question, what would I do?’ He would think as they moved, his eyes looking toward her as she asked the only indication that he heard her at all. He would take a few minutes to contemplate the question, trying to come up with a serious answer. As the joke one he had thought of immediately upon her asking would need to be followed up with an actual answer. Coming to one however, one moderately somber but understandable given his history, he would turn to her with a small grin. “The power to choose any one woman and make her fall in love with me of course.” He’d say with a bit of sarcasm laced into his voice. Obviously being made in jest. “But to honest with you, I’d want the power to rebuild my old home of Takigakure. To restore it to it’s previous state.” He would say, killing the joking mood rather quickly in his opinion. He hated being reminded of what happened. However he couldn’t let it affect him too much or it’d inhibit his performance as a shinobi. 

It was at this point that the only living ConDoin would note that they were coming onto the town now, the place obviously not a large city, however big enough to warrant having an inn and a blacksmith. He would make directly for the inn, intending to make sure they had a clean roof over their heads tonight. Making his way toward the large, moderately cared for building he would walk in. Whether Amaterasu was with him at this point or chose to go about her own business for a bit he would walk up to the counter. The  old man, looking to be in his early 50’s would look up at him from behind his desk, giving the teenager his attention. “Two rooms please.” The puppet user would request to which the man would shake his head. “We only have one available, though it does have two beds.” He would respond, a small shrug lifting up his shoulders as he did. Andalusa would click his teeth minor annoyance before shrugging and nodding. “Fine, how much?” He would ask before the man would smirk and respond. “50” He would say simply to which Andalusa’s eyes would narrow in annoyance. That was expensive as hell, but he’d deal, he still had the money to finish his puppet and that’s what mattered to him the most. “Fine” He would say before sliding the amount across the counter and being handed a key in return. “Enjoy your stay.” The old man would say as the brunette turned around and moved outside. Intent to find the blacksmith, it was time to order the parts he needed. “You said you know where the blacksmith was right? Mind showing me the way and introducing me?” He’d ask Amaterasu provided she was still with him. 

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“The power to choose any one woman and make her fall in love with me of course.” he answered simply. Before she could give him the side eye, not recognizing that as a joke, Andalusa spoke up once more. “But to honest with you, I’d want the power to rebuild my old home of Takigakure. To restore it to it’s previous state.” that sobered the Akari up a little- he wasn't the only one with a destroyed home village. Would he... Would he be interested in joining her to start a new village? It would be a little awkward to ask now, of course, but perhaps later when they've settled in for the night to plan. For once in her life, Amaterasu looked down at her feet. The boots she wore had been slightly frayed by all the traveling she had done in the past few months- it might be time to get new ones soon. Yes, suddenly, her boots were very interesting. They approached the town at a moderate pace so as to make there before nightfall and still relatively early in the day while they still had time to plan. Or visit the blacksmith, whatever suited their fancy. The town was in view at this point, and she wouldn't be lying if she said she quickened her pace slightly so as to arrive quicker. They passed a few more puddles and potholes along the way, and she had to be extra careful not to stumble into one of them. Once the duo had finally arrived at the smallish town, they split up. Andalusa approached the inn, while the young girl decided to stay outside, taking notes on the town's appearance, layout, and population. It was a little smaller than the previous town the two had met at. There were a few shops and taverns scattered about, though she could count each on one hand. The blacksmith was towards the other side of the town, around a five to ten minute walk from where the two had entered. She wondered how he was doing...? After she ordered her kunai and shuriken, she had left pretty quickly.

After a few minutes, Andalusa came back from the inn. Was it her imagination, or did he look a little peeved? Perhaps the inn wasn't at a good price. “You said you know where the blacksmith was right? Mind showing me the way and introducing me?” he asked. Amaterasu nodded.

"Yes, I'll show you. He's very good at his craft, but..." she trailed off. "You'll see," she added, recalling her previous encounters with him. They were certainly interesting, for lack of a better word. "His name is Kaito. I'll introduce you two. Just don't take anything he says too personally." After a seven minute walk through the town, doing whatever Andalusa wanted to do, they arrived at a forge- it was sitting next to a house, rather small in size. Both were painted obnoxious shades of red- not quite the color of Andalusa's eyes or outfit, but a little brighter. It quite frankly hurt to look at for too long. She approached the forge. There was an anvil, a sharpening wheel, a smelter, and, well, the actual forge. At the anvil, a rather cheerful young man was hammering away at a strange metal object- a lopsided knife? A horseshoe? It was hard to tell from this angle. "Kaito?" she asked, deliberately walking loudly so as not to startle him. He turned around in his seat, revealing his full appearance.

Kaito was around five foot eight, possessed black hair that he tied back in a messy ponytail, and had orange eyes. He was dressed in a blacksmith's apron, but below that, he wore a white tank top and brown pants. He also possessed leather boots with a larger heel than usual- to make himself look taller, of course. The most notable feature, however, was his headband- it was tied around his forehead, and upon it was the symbol of a leaf. A single scratch split it down the middle. The local blacksmith was a missing ninja from Konohagakure. Perhaps he had abandoned it during the invasion? Perhaps he had abandoned it earlier? Either way, it wasn't her place to know. He was the best blacksmith the young Akari had ever met, and it was an awful shame Konoha didn't see that. A few scars from multiple assassination attempts scattered his bare arms and neck, but he bore them proudly. It was as if he was daring someone to leave another mark. If she had to guess, he was around low jounin or high chuunin level- but it was just that, a guess.

"Hey, did you need- oh, hi, Amaterasu. Have you considered my offer yet?" he asked in a baritone voice, and she almost rolled her eyes as a furious blush overtook her cheeks. He hammered the piece of metal a few more times before turning back to the two, eyebrows raised.

"I have considered it, Kaito. I'm sorry, but I'll have to decline the offer to join your, ah, exclusive harem." she said. "But that's not why we've come here. My friend over there would like to build a puppet. He already has the blueprints, but would it be alright if he commissioned some parts and used the forge?" she asked. Kaito sighed.

"Damn, there goes my first member." he began. "I haven't had a puppet user here in a while, though. If you have the blueprints, it'll be pretty easy. Depending on the complexity of the parts, I could probably have most done in a matter of twelve hours or so if you want me to use fire jutsu. Don't worry, I'm pretty good at them- just ask your lady friend." Amaterasu rolled her eyes at that. "I will charge, of course, but I guess it depends on how many parts you need, what materials you intend them to be made out of, their size... And complexity. Wait, did I already mention that part...?" he scratched his head. "Yeah. What do you need?"

WC: 1,011
Total WC: 5,028

As they walked through the town Andalusa would stop at a general store to stock up on a few supplies, dried foodstuffs, sleeping bags, rope, essentials. He had enough money for it as well so he wasn’t worried about that. After that little pit stop he would begin to follow Amaterasu’s lead, toward the other end of the town where a small house with a connected forge was proudly set up on the edge of town. For all in the world to see ‘I suppose a blacksmith would need to be easily seen.’ He would think before his mind went to the warning his companion had given him when they first started toward the smithy. As they arrived she would address him by name, causing him to turn about in confusion and displaying a scratched Konohagakure headband. To which Andalusa would nearly draw a kunai over before realizing that the man was simply a shinobi who didn’t belong to a village same as him. He was simply trying to earn a living with his craft. The man would question Amaterasu about some kind of offer to which she would blush furiously, to which she would decline the offer to join his ‘exclusive harem.’ This would cause the young ConDoin’s eye to twitch. ‘Great, a pervert, oh well, can’t be picky.’ He would think before she explained the situation to which the man nodded readily, and go onto to explain t hat it would cost more depending on the complexity of the pieces. ‘Well duh..’ The brunette would think before wordlessly sliding a blueprint from his coat, and setting it on a nearby table and rolling it out. He’d reach into his pouch for a few kunai to use as paperweights, and motioned for the man known as Kaito to come over. 

The man would look over the plans, to which Amaterasu could of course look at if she wanted, although he wasn’t 100% sure she would understand what she was looking at. Kaito himself would read over the plans, muttering under his breath before Andalusa spoke. “I have most of the parts already good sir, the frame itself is entirely done. What I need are these “He would say as he pointed at a small design for what appeared to be a small chakra cannon” As well as these “He would continue to point toward a piece that would make each cannon maneuverable so as not to only work one way. “Plus the screws, nuts, and gears needed to attach them in the first place. Everything needs to be metal, hence the need for a man of your talents.” He would finish his explanation. To which the man would look over everything and respond with a number. “1000” he would say simply to which Andalusa would reply evenly “500” to which Kaito himself would snort and say “950” to which Andalusa would respond with a raised eyebrow “750” The man would shake his head again and respond “900” to which the red eyed puppeteer would respond with “800” to this, Kaito would look up for a moment and lick his lips and open his mouth slightly, as if tasting that number in comparison with the work he was going to be doing. “Deal.” The man would say to which Andalusa would pull out a pouch and set it on the table. “Half now, half after. Standard fare.” He would say to which Kaito would nod “Of course, I would expect no less.” He would say to which he would leave the pouch on the table and look more intently at the plans seemingly engrossing himself in his work. “When I said 12 hours I thought you needed all of the parts, although this puppet is a bit more complicated than most. Give me 10, and I’ll have it all ready for you.” He would say. To which Andalusa would nod his head in understanding. 

That would give him enough time to get to where his puppet was stashed and put it all together, that part alone shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours. Those hostages would be rescued in no time at all. “Shall I leave you to your work good sir?” The teenager would ask to which Kaito would simply wave them off, seemingly lost in the blueprints. Andalusa would smile softly, good, a blacksmith that was interested in what he was working on was one that would put all of their effort into the job. If this man was as good at his craft as Amaterasu said then he could expect quality work. The teenager would leave, intending to head back to the hotel to get some rest. He needed to be awake and alert when he left to get his puppet put together so he’d need a decent chunk of sleep in him. Should Amaterasu come with him he would explain to room situation. “It would appear they didn’t have more than one room available. But the one we do have has two beds, should you wish to shower I can avail myself to the town for a time.” He would say as they walked. “I intend to shower at some point myself although I don’t really care either way if you’re in the room or not when I come out. I dress inside, he would say honestly as they walked. Simply wanting the situation to not become awkward when they arrived at the room. 

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Amaterasu watched as the two bartered with detached interest. She'd never been that good at bartering- perhaps she just looked like too much of an upperclasswoman to haggle that much. After paying half, the two left back to the inn. “It would appear they didn’t have more than one room available. But the one we do have has two beds, should you wish to shower I can avail myself to the town for a time.” Andalusa began. “I intend to shower at some point myself although I don’t really care either way if you’re in the room or not when I come out. I dress inside," the boy continued. She nodded in understanding. Eventually, the two ended up arriving at the hotel room- there was only one available, but there were two beds. She stretched once she made it inside.

"Andalusa? I'm using the shower," she said, making a beeline for the bathroom. She shut the door gently behind her and clicked the lock, turning the hot water on all the way. The water that came out was more lukewarm than scalding when she put her hand under it, but perhaps it would warm up with time? She storage displaced her clothes with a simple hand seal, and used the basic provided soaps and conditioners to clean herself. As the water gushed down her back, her eyes unconsciously traveled across her body to the numerous scars which decorated her skin beneath the clothes. A few on her arms were from kunai training accidents in Suna. A pair of puncture wounds on her shoulder was born from a toxic desert snake. A particularly nasty stab mere centimeters from her heart was the result of an assassination gone wrong. If she achieved her dream, how many more scars would she endure? What would she lose? Her life? Her friends? Something else? She had already lost her home. She traced a long, winding scar on her stomach- an unfortunate encounter on the road with some criminals who hoped to make some easy money off a noble. They were all ash now- but one had snuck up behind her and tried to cut her in half with a katana. She managed to trip him last minute, and the bandit thankfully missed her vital organs.

After a total of around nine minutes, Amaterasu Akari turned off the shower and dried herself off with a scratchy, provided towel. She removed her clothes from storage displacement and put them back on. When she exited back to the hotel room, if Andalusa was there, she would nod at him and sit on the left bed in contemplation. If not, she would study some jutsu scrolls she had brought with her- specifically, Great Fire Annihilation. As of the moment, it was her strongest technique in her arsenal, but she hadn't really learned it completely enough for it to be effective in combat. The scroll was laid out on the bed closest to the window, where she had decided to sleep. It wasn't perfect, but... She yawned slightly, hoping her new partner wasn't watching. They'd decide what to do later.

WC: 520
Total WC: 5,548

As they settled into the room Andalusa himself would lay across the right bed, as the noblewoman had claimed the left, closest to the bathroom. This didn’t matter to the ConDoin in the slightest although she had never confirmed whether or not she wanted him to leave when she went in the shower. So when she informed him that she would using such and moved toward the restroom, and then locked the door behind her he simply decided to stay exactly where he was. After all, she locked the bloody door, so there shouldn’t be any reason for him to truly leave. If she had any sense at all she’d simply dress inside of the bathroom as he said he would do. So he would simply lay on the bed, resting his eyes for a time as he let the sound of the running shower and the silent ticking of the clock on the wall lull his senses. Of course he was never truly off guard. Risking such a thing when you lived on the road was tantamount to suicide after all. Within ten minutes his traveling companion and now temporary roommate would come outside of the bathroom, dressed with hair still mildly wet from the shower. Listening for any kind of exclamation about him being there of any kind after he head the door open. 

Upon hearing none he would slowly open his eyes, crimson irises taking in the room once more. The cheap, overpriced room being little more than a waystation. Although the bed linens were clean at the very least. As she settled onto the bed in contemplation he himself would stand, and move toward the restroom. “Suppose it’s my turn then neh?” He would say with a small smirk, keeping up with the small comments to diffuse any rising tension. He would enter the bathroom, the damp air and steamed window being only a couple of indications that it had been just used. Shutting the door behind him he would simply undress, tossing his clothing next to the sink, after making sure it was dry of course, before turning on the water and giving it a moment to heat up if it needed it. Taking out a toothbrush and toothpaste from his coat pocket and brushing his teeth while he gave the water any time it might need. After a couple of minutes he would get into the shower, sighing as the now steaming hot water cascaded down his back and hair as he too utilized the basic cleaning supplies provided to wash himself. 

This wouldn’t take long, but he would stay under the hot water for a time, contemplating things, as most people do. His chance encounter with Amaterasu for example, was proving fruitful thus far. Would it continue to do so? He was curious, she didn’t seem to distrust him, although assuming any trust at all would be a mistake for any shinobi not allied with a village. She could decide to kill him in his sleep, take the parts for the puppet, which to be honest were worth a good deal when made. Then run off, becoming a part Kaito’s harem if she chose. If she wasn’t already, who knows, maybe it was all an elaborate ploy to get would be suckers. The puppeteer would snicker at this thought. He knew it was far fetched and more than a little likely, not the case. However it was amusing as all get out. His mind would briefly return to his puppet as he considered the best way to go about getting things together. If Kaito really was done in merely ten hours then that would make the extra day almost not necessary. However he would probably use it regardless to get used to the puppet itself. It would be a new experience for the puppeteer, one he would desperately need to get ahold of for the sake of the hostages. 

Of course the teen wasn’t worried at all, they were just bandits. Low life thugs were wanted nothing more than to cause those around them to suffer and make a profit off of it. His anger flared at this thought. The idea of causing the suffering of those who did nothing wrong just for money, starving them, causing them pain. He himself did petty thievery yes, but he never harmed his marks. Merely took small change from them. It all added up over time, after all food was cheap if you were willing to hunt and cook your own. Bills didn’t need to be paid if one didn’t live in a singular place. Meaning every coin simply added up, it was basic math. At this point however Andalusa would realize that he had been in the shower for far too long. Going on 20 minutes now. Turning the now lukewarm water off he would dry himself off with another provided towel before dressing himself in his pants, forgoing a top and his coat, as well as his boots. After all, he was going to sleep.  He would then come out of the bathroom. if she were looking at her scroll when he came out he would simply leave her to her devices. He however, would climb into bed and allow himself to slowly drift off provided the woman didn’t say anything. The higher body temperature due to the shower allowing his body to relax easier, making a deeper sleep more likely. It wouldn’t take long for him to drift off, of course he still had enough sense to lock the nightstand where he would have placed his wallet and putting the key under his pillow, directly beneath his head. He would easily wake up should any shift happen. So would be robbers that might be around the hotel wouldn’t be able to easily get his valuables. He doubted Amaterasu would try anything though, she seemed to actually want his help, so robbing him or murdering him would be fairly counterproductive. So he would finally allow him to drift off into sleep. Of course if she interrupted him he would address anything she might ask but otherwise he would simply say “Good night” politely. 

Running through what appeared to be the afternoon sky as he dashed through the cave behind a large waterfall. Panic and fear echoing throughout his being as he dashed into the pool and swam as quickly as he could. He couldn’t have seen what he thought he saw. It had to have been an illusion, a trick of the light. He did not see smoke rising from where his village was. His home was not currently being destroyed. As he cleared the last of the cavern he could feel the heat from within the water. The intense black flames obliterating all that they could. It was true, his home was currently being destroyed by an abyss like flame. Swimming to shore, careful to avoid the flames himself he would grab a nearby bucket and gather water into it. At this point he would run to the nearest flame and throw the water onto it, only the watch helplessly as it had no affect. This fire burned far too hot for mere water to do the job of putting it out. He had no other options, no jutsu, no tools, nothing. He watched helplessly as his home village was decimated by this flame. Turning, and dashing around the outskirts of the fire he would run around the village to his home, which he would see as being engulfed in flame as well. The fire having long since spread throughout the village. 

The only possible safe haven would have been his workshop, for the fire didn’t seem to ignite below the ground. It spread, and obliterated everything above, but his workshop was hidden below the village, one had to swim to get to it. However no one knew about it. It was his most closely guarded secret. He called out, calling his mother, his father, his brother, sister. To no avail, he couldn’t find any of them. He felt himself collapse onto his knees as he witnessed his whole family, his home, his entire life burn to little more than ash before his eyes before being scattered across the wind. Hot tears caressed his cheeks as he looked on silently. Memorizing every single facet of this moment in startling detail. He would never forget what befell his home. Clenched teeth and fists gave way to a sorrowful cry of anger and anguish. His desire for nothing more than his family back too much to keep quiet. His frustration at his helplessness completely overtaking his being as he punched the ground repeatedly. His hands would become bloody with the contact of the rocks and dirt beneath him. He didn’t care, he just wanted them back, all of them. 

He would awake with a start, a cold sweat covering his forehead as sunlight streamed through the window. He has slept through the night, Kaito would certainly be finished by now. ‘Another nightmare’ he would think before mechanically sitting up and taking the key out from below his pillow, retrieving his wallet. He would dress himself without a word, not giving anything a thought as his mind filtered through his dream for the thousandth time. If Amaterasu was awake he would turn to her, giving her a small nod of his head before saying “Good morning.” He wouldn’t ask if she slept well, for he didn’t want her to ask the same. “I’m going to get my parts and immediately go complete my work. I’ll meet you at the bandits hideout tomorrow at dawn.” He would say as he gathered what of his things he needed before nodding to her. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He would say before leaving, opening the door leading into dry, sunlit streets. Yesterday’s rain seemingly out of the recollection of the world around them. He would move out, closing the door behind him before moving toward Kaito’s forge. He would make the trip in silence, his mind in contemplation over his nightmare and the mission that was to come. He wanted nothing more than to somehow find the one who had destroyed his home and kill them slowly. However he did not even know where to begin to look. 

He would be brought out of his thoughts swiftly as he arrived at the blacksmiths forge he had been to yesterday with Amaterasu to find Kaito hammering away at a sword or something. Andalusa wasn’t stupid enough to think the man didn’t know he was there. He would simply wait though as he wasn’t aware of if he could ruin the man’s work if he was distracted. After a few minutes of listening to the man hammer out the shape of the metal and finally dropping it into the water the cool it he would turn to Andalusa and nod his head in appreciation before waving him to the table. Where Andalusa would see a large bag. Upon moving to the table Kaito would open it up and allow the puppeteer to look at the parts. The crimson eyed ConDoin would look through them meticulously, seeing absolutely nothing amiss and a small excited smile would grace his features for the first time that day as he pulled out the other bag of ryo and tossed it toward the man who caught it without a word. Andalusa would put everything back in the bag, closing it afters before giving the man a nod in recognition before turning to leave. Hearing the man continue his work as he left. It was now time to do his own part in bringing his first puppet to life. 

He would immediately make to leave the town, travelling swiftly to where his work was stashed safely. Moving throughout the land and after about fifteen minutes passing by the place they had eaten the day prior. He was after all not moving at the leisurely pace they had been before. It would take him a couple of hours to reach the puppet at this speed, nothing too significant, but he was excited to finish it so he would be anxious the entire way. His thoughts would drift toward his temporary partner as he traveled. He wondered if they would keep their partnership up after this mission. Hell, it was probably just her way to see if he was competent and seeing if they would work together in general. He doubted this would be the only time they would work together in the near future and he couldn’t help but wonder what that might bring. As he moved he would finally turn off the road and begin to run through the trees. He would continue like this for quite a while as his puppet was hidden well off the beaten path to lower the chances of people messing with it while he was gone. He doubted someone without some kind of shinobi training would be able to move the thing without at least a partner. Moving it for that reason would become quite the chore, more of one than was generally acceptable when it came to their world. Especially since it would take hours of traveling to even get the puppet to a place where they could sell it. Hours where they wouldn’t be able to use their hands to defend themselves. Of course this wasn’t an issue for him, as he just controlled the incomplete puppet with his threads. 

After a couple of hours of traveling he would finally reach his destination. A large shack he had found abandoned months back that he was using as a temporary workshop. He had painstakingly covered it with a net covered in branches and leaves, camouflaging it from the uncareful eye or the unlucky. Moving toward the door the puppeteer would open the door, finding it untouched and walk in to see his creation exactly where he had left it last. Standing at 6 meters tall, blue and gold in colour and on two legs stood Maebure. The tall creation would have a ventilated cockpit with a cushioned chair in it, space to eat and drink comfortably, but had absolutely no viewports. Something he himself would not need due to the power of his eyes. Which was something he had kept from others to prevent them from trying to attack him for the ocular powers they had. He finally had the final parts needed to finish his creation and so he locked the door behind him, and began to work. First was the chakra cannons that he would have to affix to the frame to allow him to speed up the puppet, attack, or even defend. He had these cannons designed to be quite multipurpose. It was truly something he was proud of designing. Even if he wasn’t talented enough in a forge to be able to create each part himself. 

Utilizing the screws, nuts, and bolts he had ordered from Kaito as well he began the process of attaching each cannon. Being particularly meticulous in his work as he did. Each part had to be perfectly attached. Each nut, screw, bolt, nail, whatever he used. Had to be flawlessly utilized to make sure that everything about the puppet was absolutely flawless to design. It was his only weapon after all, the only true thing he could utilize to separate him from life and death. A single mistake could cost him his life. Or even the lives of those he was traveling with, it was something he could not allow. So he long since learned to be absolutely precise in his measurements. Every puppeteer had to be in order to work well and create their method of battle. It wasn’t like Ninjutsu, where one could simply spam out powerful techniques to overwhelm opponents. Nor was it like Taijutsu, where one merely punched and kicked enemies into submission. He only had the strength of the materials he could procure to work with. While the human body could be strengthened to immense heights with techniques. His materials did not have the same luxury. They simply lacked the general makeup of humans. They couldn’t be augmented as powerfully. This limited what they could do while also bringing out the true beauty of their craft. Being able to create instruments of death and power while controlling and utilizing them with grace and finesse. No one would be able to doubt the skills of a good puppeteer. 

As he worked he would feel his excitement growing ever stronger. It was almost done, months of work nearly completely. He would have to calm himself down after a few minutes, stopping to drink some water and slow down his excited heart. He couldn’t afford to make mistakes, and no matter how good one was at onces craft when one got overly excited one made mistakes. Taking a few minutes to calm himself he would step up to the puppet once more and begin to work again. It would only take another hour to finish it all up, testing each individual component and utilizing them together to make sure it was ready. As soon as he finished attaching the last part, screwing it in carefully, perfectly, he would step back and admire his work. A deep appreciative sigh would escape his lips before his eyes narrowed in excitement and he utilized his threads to open the hatch on the front of the puppet. His chair becoming visible before he climbed in it and then shut it. Due to it’s height it was more than wide enough in the torse to allow him to sit comfortably without feeling claustrophobic and so it was no surprise that he felt comfortable enough to begin. Of course, the puppet was too large to simply walk out of the shack. He merely wanted to test each function, charing up the Railgun until it was just about ready to fire he would power it down, deciding that if it reached that point it would fire without issues. 

Next were the cannons, he would spend the next few minutes firing off each one at different power levels and lengths of time. Running them to make sure they could handle high speed combat if it came down to it. Once each and every one of the cannons checks out it would finally be time to test out the puppet’s enhancement functions. This would take a moment and he would activate his byakugan to see the metal plating become golden and a sheen of light encompass the blades, showing that they had a now much sharper edge to them. Now it was just the barrier that needed to be activated, the one inch defensive shield would appear around the puppet, generating off the surface to immediately protect it from harm. Noting that with all of these abilities checking out, and the cannons having been tested that all of his puppets mechanisms now checked out. Getting out of the cockpit and sealing the creation into a scroll for transport he would collect any things he may have left around and leave the shack. Closing the door behind him as he left before unsealing the puppet once more and reentering it. He would already begin moving as the cockpit closed around him, utilizing his bloodline to see where he was going with perfect clarity.  It was time to head to the mission rendezvous where he would hide in the puppet under the cover of surrounding trees and get some rest while staking out the place. 

exit
3264
8629

Claiming: 34 stats, Maebure, Generic Sealing, Storage Displacement, Ventriloquism, and Gen Release and mastery of Gen Release for no hand seals.

Approved because you bought my love

As soon as Andalusa went to use the bathroom next, the young Akari noble lay on the bed in contemplation. In the last couple of days, many things had happened- perhaps most importantly, she had found a new partner in the puppeteer that was currently locking himself in to take a shower. What else could be gained from it? Friendship? A possible teammate in rebuilding Amegakure no Sato? Something else? She didn't really know, but she figured that it would be worth keeping up with. She stretched hugely, muscles unclenching as she laid spread eagle. There were still so many things to work out and so little time- if there was anything she knew, it was that she had no choice but to progress as quickly as possible in order to keep up with the power she'd need to become leader of a group. She knew she was already pretty powerful- but could she get even stronger? Of that, she had no doubt. First, she'd need to finish Great Fire Annihilation- the jutsu was strong, but she only knew a smaller incomplete version that was largely unusable in combat scenarios. No, she needed to put the time and effort forward that would be required to learn it in its entirety. She also would need to do some things with her newly discovered lightning element- she heard the Chidori was a powerful jutsu. Perhaps she could learn that one next...? She shook her head. No, she wanted to focus on her Katon mastery first before moving on. She figured she could learn one more A-rank fire technique and she'd be pretty good in that department.

There was also her Light jutsu- at this stage, she couldn't create burning or slicing light. But perhaps she could blind? Whatever advantages she needed in combat she would have to gain as quickly as possible. Goal in mind, she made a mental list. Finish Great Fire Annihilation, learn Great Fireball Shower, maybe get Chidori, and... A light jutsu of her choosing. She scratched her head. She didn't know any light jutsu, of course, but that could always be fixed. Perhaps her father had left some behind in the pouch of scrolls he had left her? She scratched her head, sighing lightly as she did so. That stuff could always be worked out later. Right now, she needed to rest, recuperate, and square up for the mission she and Andalusa intended to finish. The hostages were still locked up, and they'd needed to be rescued as quick and efficiently as possible. But furthermore, this could potentially be a learning experience- in the sense that she would learn more about her future partner and his abilities. She yawned, and as she felt herself fading off into a deep slumber, resigned herself to yet another day of training in the morning.

WC: 473
Total WC: 6,021

Claiming: 3,021 words (minus 3k for mid thread claim) towards Great Fire Annihilation and 15 stats

(exit)

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