Blue-Black & Grey

The morning seemed to move by slowly as Ryal allowed his head to press softly against the base of a tree. His mind was slightly dazed as he was overcome with a bit of exhaustion and fatigue, he couldn’t believe how long of a day it had been as he had been training endlessly letting each day roll to another. If anyone would have told him the current date he probably would have called them a liar since most of his training had been sluggish as of so far. Yet here he was completely wiped out and sweating relentlessly as he fought to keep his eyes open. It wasn’t often that the blue haired male placed this much effort into training, maybe it was because he gained a new human companion. If that wasn't the case then that would mean that he had a hell of a lot of pent-up anger that he'd been expending over the past weeks. A frail memory washed over his mind as he played back the time of when he had met Illya. The meeting had occurred quite some time ago yet the Shinkou's liquor downed memory was able to replay it freshly. The young psychopath of bright hair and short stature was nigh forgettable. She was a slippery little thing, between the way she contorted her body, made weapons appear, and switch personalities. Easily someone to be feared regardless if you were in good standing with the woman-child or not.

Ryal would steadily make his way over towards the bank of a pond as he allowed his arms to dip down into the water. Soothing; he then stretched with an exhale slowly escaping his lips as the water ran down his arms and he shook his hands a bit so that it would also splash his face. As usual, he had spent the majority of his time in the fresh air of the forest, a few miles away from the gambling town, Tanzaku. A soft mellow breeze would wash across his body, as Ryal would gaze into the sky above the forest and admire the beams of sunlight that broke through the canopy of the treetops and graced his face. Today the forest seemed a bit livelier than usual as the sounds of birds filled the air, bees and butterflies danced across the sea of flowers with bunnies, squirrels, and other little critters out playing. The corners of his mouth stiffly curved up ever so slightly as the warmth on his face created a false plush. His body would slowly descend to the cotton soft grass as he was finally taking a break. Of course, it was the exhaustion but maybe it was also the sudden lack of coldness that caused the flashback. Yea that had to be it since the bukijutsu training that had him on his ass was closer to ninjutsu. Ryal’s arms gently stretched out to his sides as he allowed the grass to tickle his skin. Alone in this oasis, it was as if he’d be transported to some fantasy world.

Based on what you hear about Kiri one would never imagine that a place as beautiful as this would still exist. Even if it hadn't be taken care of in some time this chunk of land it was still a cut above the rest. He even put his finger together forming the tiger seal to make sure this wasn't a trick. Calmly another breeze washed over his body as he slowly shut his eyes. The sounds of nature lulling him to sleep. After a few minutes, he allowed his body to lean forward as he rose to his feet. The golden eyed god wasn’t about to break out in song or start talking to animals or anything but whatever mystical healing powers this portion of wilderness had they’d worked. His mind was clear of all thoughts, his body felt light and refreshed, he was ready to train some more. There were no clear paths to this place so he was banking on no one knowing about this area to allow him to do so. However before he could get back to his training a loud grumble came from his stomach, when had been the last time he ate? It wouldn't take long to reach the town, where he could also get a proper bath and change of clothes.

Ryal would allow his mind to debate the various lunch items he could have as a steaming cup of tea was pour for him. In the meantime, he would silently exit which was somewhat unusual as he'd normally have to perform hand seals along with focusing his chakra to his feet. Perhaps it meant he had mastered the jutsu though the male didn't think he'd used it often enough for that to be the case. Curse of the Touched One anyone? The Shinkou was always good at everything without claiming the title of "best", he'd leave that for those that actually wanted it. Like the little teal monster he'd been thinking of not long ago, Queen of Buki is what she was after. A mountain in the distance was pleasing to look at it as he journeyed to the town, it reminded him of the Abyss he born in. To survive, I will do almost anything especially if that means taking the life of another. The thought appeared and saturated the layer most easily seen by mind reading jutsu. To any onlookers in the vicinity, the blue haired male would've looked like a zombie in those moments. When he recovered he'd be pondering what mission he would take on next, he’d obviously been out of the loop for quite some time but his skills were still attuned.

Imagining the distant lands beyond this country, how greatly or little some of them differed from it. Where illness could not be treated because there was no hospital or medicine. Where ninja weren’t used because there were no teachers. Sure there was poverty all over the world but for a few, there was never a chance for a come up. If you’re lucky the journey to a better life doesn’t kill you and you can send money home or even have your family moved. The compound he was raised in wasn't lavish yet it accommodated all of the Touched Ones, they probably had more than they needed considering a bad harvest could starve numerous families. The few people that did leave couldn’t maintain jobs elsewhere so it’s not like the clan was pampered. Finally reaching Tanzaku town Ryal found the nearest shop that wasn't filled with people recovering from hangovers and ordered that tea. He would sit, slowly sipping it, the bitterness would smoothly run down his throat, it was calming and perfect; Just enough lemon and sugar. A smile glowed in his eyes as he sat the mug down and began to read over the menu. After making a selection the male checked his reserves, he'd barely used any chakra despite the long walk.

The male ate in silence not literally keeping his head down, but he made sure not to make the slightest reaction to any conversations he overheard. As he exited the shop a carriage passed under a large oak tree, a messenger casually leaned his arm over while holding a scroll in his hand. Another man took it, and the messenger rode off, reading the contents where he stood. Good news perhaps? The man walked indoors briefly before returning to post a flyer. The information being posted was of no use to the Shinkou, at least not for now. Moving so fast he seemed to teleport the male ran back to his private forest garden to continue his training. By now anything his partner had been working on should be nearly complete though he'd give it some time before seeking him out, less the brute come to find Ryal instead.

WC: 1,320

The sun’s glaring light seemed to pierce the foliage, sending a scorching beam down to the face of Taishi and waking him from his slumber. Placing a hand between his eyes and the adversary of his rest, he would look around, blinking rapidly until they were in focus. His companions seemed to be nowhere in sight, likely off getting in some early training or such. At least they were considerate, as Taishi would find rest difficult if they decided to train in the immediate vicinity.
 
His hands would reach for the sky, standing up and stretching. His body felt stiff, and so he would limber up some, moving in a full range. Post stretch, Taishi would consider what needed done for the day. First things first, he could find some food. Training… hell anything on an empty stomach was an unpleasant time. Their stockpile of deer meat was almost gone, not able to stretch as far as the warrior would have liked. Still, it kept them fed for a few days without the need to gather much more food.
 
Taishi would pull out his knife and whetstone, dragging the blade across the stone to sharpen it and hone the edge. This would continue for several minutes until the warrior felt the blade was sufficiently sharp. Such would be needed to skin his catch, plus one never knows who lurks out in the woods, waiting for an opportunity to strike at an unsuspecting foe.
 
Taishi would begin by using his Chakra Sensory, hoping to detect any threats before they got too close for comfort. Serious threats would “ping” from afar, giving him time to keep on his toes and assess the situation. He would strike out into the woods and search for food.
 
After what felt like half of an hour, Taishi would note the sound of rustling in a nearby patch of foliage. It could be a threat, but considering he had yet to detect any chakra signatures, it was much more likely his breakfast. He would quietly approach, hoping to catch it off guard. A quick stab with his knife would down any small game he found. Circling around slowly, the target was now in sight. A delicious, plump rabbit would turn, their eyes meeting and the creature instinctively knowing what this meant. It would dart behind a tree and make a mad dash to escape. Taishi would have thrown his kunai, or some other sharp projectile, but it sought cover everywhere it went to elude the brute. He would have to run it down and find his opening.
 
After five minutes of following it, an opening presented itself. He knew that he could down the rabbit right then and there, but something stopped him. He would use this opportunity to do a bit of training. This pursuit went on for far longer than the warrior was proud to admit. Taishi’s breathing would grow heavy, his footsteps far from being what one could call stealthy, each falling to the earth beneath his feet with a heavy thumping sound as he dashed towards his prey. It would be a simple enough task to down the creature from afar, but Taishi was doing this more as a test of his own capabilities. Not bringing back food would be his punishment should he fail in his task.
 
The spry rabbit would spring through the area with a grace that Taishi simply didn’t have at the moment. It was quickly losing ground as the muscles of Taishi started to warm up to the activity. Once within proper distance, Taishi would grab the rabbit by its head, twisting it quickly until there was a pop. The now lifeless body of his breakfast would hang limp, strung across his shoulder as he made his way back to the campsite. He kept his eyes out for any other game, but he had no luck finding any more. His mad dash after the rabbit likely scared off all of the other forest critters, and now thinking back on it he felt a bit foolish for his actions. Well, hindsight is twenty-twenty, isn’t it? Luckily this rabbit was enough food for himself, and maybe one other person if they both ate sparingly. He would also gather some firewood while returning, so that he wouldn’t have to do so later.
 
Once the rabbit was properly prepared and ready to start cooking, Taishi realized that he had no fire. He knew that Shinobi were able to create flames with their chakra, though he has never been able to do so. In fact, he has never really been able to utilize anything other than Doton. It was never a problem, as he’s never really needed anything else. Still, it would be nice to be able to speed the process of making a campfire up. Gathering up some fire starting materials, Taishi would then strike a small piece of flint together with his blade, creating sparks to make embers, which will then be stoked into flames.
 
Once he got the fire roaring, he would begin to cook the rabbit, skewering it with a stick and setting it to cook above the flames.
 
Of course, while it was cooking he would practice, rapidly forming hand seals in order to simply practice the art of forming them. He was never the best at such things, but being able to rapidly form seals would be needed if he ever got into a serious battle. After finally feeling like he practiced enough of that, he would create earth dishes, setting them up at target practice as he pelted stones at them from a distance at high speeds. They would shatter upon impact with the speeding rocks, harmlessly melding back into the earth from which they had come.
 
He would need to practice learning even more techniques if he wanted to be capable enough to hold his own against shinobi that wanted to see him hang, so the grey brute would contemplate where he could go to seek out this information as he pelted stones at the targets.
 
Should Ryal be making his way back, he would see Taishi getting prepared to sit down and eat the rabbit he caught, not bothering to use any sort of utensils. He would offer some to his compatriot, not aware that he had already ate while he was out.
 
Taking a large bit out of the cooked haunch of the rabbit, Taishi would quickly swallow it down before asking, “Find any work for us?” The brute would then tear another large chunk of the meat off, chewed, and downed another bite. Taishi of course meant work in any sense of the word, legal or not. 

WC: 1115

Five minutes was enough time right? It's not like there was much they could learn without teachers, not to mention their low levels of chakra. As well as their unjust status that would cause problems should they manage to use any large-scale attacks. Regardless it'd probably take Ryal at least another five minutes to make over to where they had made camp. So if his partner hadn't finished at the same time he definitely would be by the time he saw the blue haired male. Ironically not only was Taishi done training he'd caught a meal and had it fully cooked by the time the Shinkou arrived. The scent had been wafting through the air but Ryal knew fairly well enough that wind could be deceiving. Perhaps had he not made his way into town the male could've used his hunger to better follow his nose, however unneeded as his feet knew the way.

While taking a seat next to his partner the grey-ish man offered some of the animal he'd caught, a rabbit. Ryal politely declined with a simple hand gesture, following this Taishi would dig in. After sampling the meal he'd ask the typical question of the trade, "No." Would be the initial anwser but as his partner went in for a second bite Ryal would elaborate. "Currently Konoha is hosting a joint Chuunin Exam. Aside from the Jounin Exam Suna hosted a while back I honestly can't tell you when the last multi-nation exam was held. So I figure we rain on their peace parade but not until after the exam has ended." The golden eyed god paused as he reajusted himself to get more comfortable. "There will undoubly be hurt feelings since they can't all rank up. If we attack anonmously they'll jump to conclusions about who the attackers are." Ryal shot Taishi a look after saying this to see if he was on the same page. If not he'd continue by saying, "If a fight breaks out, we'll secretly help the stronger group. Then when one has been defeated we'll pose as members of the defeated village. We won't give the other side time to explain, spew threats and retreat with the fallen ninja. Once in the clear we'll rob or kill them."

The blue haired male propped his arms behind his head and leaned back against a larger rock. It's possible this dream exaggerated their capabilities but they had made two new accomplices who were down for attacking village ninja. "Not only does waiting give us a chance to get stronger, we'd be able to gather info on the visting parties." Ryal would pause briefly to let the idea settle. "I know where we can get fake uniforms and documents." He'd eventually add hoping to boost Taishi's confidence and he'd wait to hear that male's response. Should the Meijin think it riskier than what they originally came to do Ryal would tell his partner about the easy yet low paying jobs they could take.

WC: 500

The food was about as tasty as one could expect without seasonings on hand. As he devoured the meat, Ryal would speak his thoughts on their next course of action. Upon hearing Ryal pause and sit back, Taishi would chime in, “A joint chuunin exam? So the villages are coming together, pushing aside their differences in order to plant the seeds of unity and peace… well shit. We can’t have that, now can we? Once they are no longer at each other’s throats it will only be a matter of time before a collective effort is made to hunt down us folk that don’t abide by their dumb rules.” Taishi would tear off another bite of the meat, leaving little left besides a bone. He would wipe his mouth with the back of his forearm.
 
“I like what you are thinking. Hiding in plain sight and sowing dissent and chaos could be fun, plus you are right. They will all be on edge about the whole thing, as I highly doubt they fully trust each other.” A mischievous grin would crack the hardened features of Taishi’s face. “This could be fun.”
 
It was risky, that was for sure. But fortune favors the bold, and so Taishi would give a reassuring nod. He was in, so long as it wasn't suicidal. “So, where can we get these uniforms? We are also going to have to make sure we lay low and stay off of everyone’s radar before we are ready to spring the plan into action.” He too would relax a bit, letting his stomach settle before diving in to any more training or work.
 
Taishi would look around, noting that the others haven’t gotten back from whatever it was that they were doing. They could handle themselves, but Taishi couldn’t help but have a small feeling of concern as to their whereabouts. We were in enemy territory, and the brute didn’t want any unexpected concerns to get in the way of this interesting plan of Ryal’s.
 
Taking his mind back to the matter at hand. “Getting in might not be so hard… but once we are inside then what is the plan? Konoha likely has assigned housing for the guests from the other villages, and we have to go in their claiming to be a part of one of those villages. What’s keeping the people that are actually from that village from discovering us?” Taishi would inquire. He might be willing to go along with this, but he still wanted to make sure that there was a solid plan in place. Going into such a dangerous task without any idea of what to do would surely spell doom for all involved.

WC:445

Ryal would nod to his partner's statement as the male chimed in after hearing what the blue haired male had to say. The grey-ish man would then take another and final bite of his meal before contributing more of his thoughts on Ryal's idea. Following the rest of his reaction, Ryal would too grin at his partner. Though he wasn't a kid it still felt good to once again have someone to enjoy being bad with. Now that he was on board Taishi would ask the obvious questions that were to be expected. Nodding again he'd reply by saying, "Not too far from here in the Black Market. Have you ever been there?" He'd ask though it would be assumed "yes" since it's the only safe place for missing ninja, however, neither of them were criminals so the answer could just as easily be "no". Watching Taishi look around them Ryal knew he was looking for their backup but wasn't all too concerned about them.

The four of them knew very well that the little bitch could take care of herself, as for the boy he'd likely come back for food like any stray. Regardless of the answer, Ryal would respond to the next question posed to him by his partner. "It sucks but we'll have to pay for our stay. I'm confident that even if they're all staying separate places in a village that big there's at least one hotel that isn't hosting anyone." Staring briefly at the air that would fair to show a reflection, Ryal wished his eyes had more power but that was a thought for a private time. Going back to the conversation he'd simply state, "We're shinobi." Sitting up, no longer in a relaxed position, he'd elaborate. "As it stands you're the only one who doesn't know how to body flicker but that's an easy fix. Conventionally we have other means of escape, so you disappear should a real one show up." Of course, that sounds easier said than done but ninja hide and seek hadn't been a popular game since the last time Ryal checked. Not to mention there very well could be a number of young adult genin partaking in the event. "Although if you can't get away you can just say you never saw them before coming here and were all the way in the back during the traveling." The blue haired male shrugged, he didn't see much of a reason why anyone would question them unless they transformed into people who died. Yet that would be a far stretch, for Ryal at least, being that his village was basically unknown to anyone who didn't live there. Someday they should have that talk but for now, if they did get caught it's better that they not know much about each other.

"We should head over to the market so we can work on gathering intel as soon as possible." The male would add.

WC: 492

Taishi was all too familiar with the Black Market, despite his lacking true criminal status in the shinobi lands. The black market was a safe haven of sorts for the worst criminals around, those that typically did far worse things that minor robbery. These folks were murderers and assassins, the kind of people you didn’t want to ever see in a dark alley. The black market had been where he managed to find most of the gear he had on his person, piece by piece over a lengthy time. “I know of the Black Market. If you know a guy there that can get us what we need, it will make this whole plan of yours a hell of a lot easier.”
 
Taishi would look at his money pouch, noting how light it was. Most of the money that the man managed to collect went into buying the things he needed. Well, some might say that a night drinking ones troubles away wasn’t ‘needed’ but they would be wrong, at least in the brutes mind. What point did this all have if you couldn’t kick back and enjoy it every once in a while?
 
Sitting forward, Taishi would mention his lack of funds to Ryal. “Gonna have to scrounge up some money on the way. I’m not sure how much it will cost, but I can imagine that it won’t be too hard to locate a source of quick cash on the way.” While paying for their lodging in Konoha didn’t sound like fun, it was likely the safest way to avoid immediate detection and keep suspicions down. The last thing they need is to be on the receiving end of attacks from all of the major villages, plus the amount of support such an event would have on the unifying process would be catastrophic.
 
“I can try to stay out of sight, and avoid any unpleasant meetings with those that would do us harm… but how do you do that Body Flicker thing? Rather have it in my arsenal just in case I need to make a quick escape.” He would place his hands together, forming a ram hand seal. “This is the one right? And then I just, do what? Focus chakra into my legs or something?” He figured it would be something along those lines, but he honestly wasn’t sure. Chakra and Jutsu were really odd things that, to be frank, didn’t always make a whole lot of sense to the man. Taishi hoped that Ry would be able to provide some insight, but he would try to figure it out on his own either way. Ry was smart, and if Ry thinks it was something Taishi might need he would do his best to add it to his repertoire.
 
Taishi would wait a few minutes longer before standing up, his stomach now feeling better with some food settled in it. It was almost miraculous how much a good meal could impact ones day going forwards. “Well, I don’t know how much time we have. I’ll just try to figure this shit out on the way.”

WC: 519

Ryal nodded when his partner confirmed that he was familiar with the Black Market and that getting disguises would be a good idea for their mission. Following his comment, the grey-ish male would look to his deflated money pouch, while Ryal trusted him more than the children they'd met he wasn't about to flat out offer to pay for the male's stay. Heck doing so might even accidentally offend the man and nobody has the time or energy to babysit egos. "Yea that won't be much trouble." The blue haired male responded before standing up. Running his hand through his hair, pushing his bangs back temporarily, if he were one of those guys he'd pull out a cigarette and light it. Ryal wanted to help Taishi understand in the best way possible but this was just one of those things that had no further insight from ninja magic. "It's more like your whole body gets a charge. A gush of energy that gives even the slowest of people formidable speed, but it's so powerful all you can do is run." He'd finally reply after what felt like a long time. Maybe a pair of glasses would help him better articulate? The golden eyed god would ponder on the thought as he was planning his disguise while Taishi thought about the jutsu.

Forming the tiger hand seal whilst his partner fumbled with the ram seal, the blue haired male would try to free himself of the peaceful lull placed upon him by the secret forest. Although that was exactly his typical persona it would be in the way of the dastardly act they needed to commit. Of course, like before, it didn't work but Ryal had a feeling that the next time he was put under he wouldn't even need to move to free himself, even if Yuumei didn't lend its' help. "Alright." The Shinkou would reply when the brute had stood and with that, the duo would leave.  

WC: 328 [Exit]
TWC: 2,640
Claiming: 13 stats; 1,000 words towards Chakra Infusion; Fuuinjutsu Lock/ 107 words towards D rank; Chakra Barrier; Genjutsu Release mastery; Quiet Footsteps mastery

math:

(Yes; I'm going to put 7 of the 13 stats to chakra because Chakra Barrier is A rank)

Approved.

Listening with his full attention, the brute would simply shrug. Ninja magic was hard to understand, and so he would have to just do his best to try and distribute a surge of chakra to his whole body. Of course, he didn’t have to nail it down right here and now. They would have some time on the way, too, so he would keep at it when he had a free moment.
 
He would watch Ryal forming a tiger hand seal. He would instinctively mimic it, simply because he thought it might have been a missing hand seal or such. Alas, it was not a missing seal, but one for an entirely different jutsu. Still, he was trying to flood his body with chakra and formed the tiger seal, so he managed to flood his system with chakra and utilize the Genjutsu release, though he hadn’t been entirely sure what just happened. He didn’t feel any faster. Maybe he should just stick to the ram hand seal and keep trying.
 
Taishi would follow Ry. Their destination? The black market to put this little plan into motion. He considered how he might adopt a character when going through with the plan, and would have that thought in the back of his mind as they traveled.


---Exit---

WC:214
TWC:2293

Claims:
11 stats
1543 WC towards Meijin "Disease" 3rd stone  (1960/2000)
250 wc towards Genjutsu Release (50% training discount)
500 wc towards Body Flicker (50% Training discount)

Approved.