Running Amuck (P)

Seiichi was sitting on the edge of a mountain top. In the distance was the mystic forest, it lied outside the village hidden among dreams, his old home. Normally people would feel nostalgic, he did a little, but most of his thoughts were plagued by his childhood innocent. Killing a young man. Being kicked out. Seiichi spat. Those people don't want him, they don't care about the truth. He proudly wore his Yumegakure headband, the three "Z" had a long streak going through them.

It was time to keep moving. He picked up his tattered bag and through it over his shoulder. Following the road in whichever direction felt right. He had heard there was a city nearby. It would be a great place to make contacts and start his new life. Finding a job or some labor there shouldn't be that difficult either, with so many people, there was bound to be something he could help with. But till them, he thought he should use his spare moments training.

What to practice? He thought to himself. His bag hung on his back, holding it with his right hand. His black robes hung bellow his knees. His sandals added an inch to his height and crunched the rocky path bellow his feet. On his right a river flowed in the direction he was walking. But what can I learn? He thought, the only thing that came to mind was the little paper technique they did in the academy. He pulled a peace of it out of his pocket, put it in between his fingers and sent chakra to it. The paper became damp and then shriveled up. According to memory, he had lightning and water element affinities. Though, he didn't know much jutsu in either.

The first step of course was to remember which he had. Now he can learn and practice them. He started by focusing the chakra into his hands, lightning into one, water into the other. It didn't go very well. It seemed like chakra just poured into his hands, there was no difference in them, just normal old chakra. He tried again, his hands started to glow again. And again, the chakra seemed no different.

Frustrating, if these things were inside him why couldn't he simply use them at will. What is with the needed practice and control? Everything take time to learn he thought. Gaining muscle, learning a new language, gaining chakra and using it, it all took time. So, he continued to practice.

Letting his chakra flow into one hand and then the other. It was like a pendulum, his chakra moving from one side of his body to the next. It was easy enough to do as he walked down the road. Moving his power from one side of his body to the next, pouring it into his arms, letting it moved once he had opened the flood gates of energy.

Soon, the sun was setting and the road was still long. He was surprised the next town wasn't as close as he had thought. He would have to make due with his surroundings. The woods were thick aground him, the ground didn't slope into a ditch before the woods started, it just flowed right into the deep forested area. Seiichi stepped into them and headed a few hundred yards off the road, on the side of the mountain he found a cave. Not sure if it was safe he climbed into a tree and watched the area for a bit.

The smell of the forests was thick, the pine trees, the oak, the scent of the near by running water. That combined with the setting sun in the distance, even through the trees it was still nice to watch. Once it was all the way down and no animals showed up at the cave he decided to move in.

It was dark outside now, even darker inside the hole in the earth. The only thing that shown was the makeshift torch he held in his right hand. It sent scattered shadows down the walls, the path was twisty, and it wasn't very long. Only a few hundred meters deep. He moved in all the way to the end, making sure there was nothing inside. There were bones here and there, of other animals, none of them were human. Thats good to know he thought as he continued his search.  

There wasn't anything else there. Animals were scarce, he brought in wood and made some tinder. Creating a fire was simple, rub two sticks together, created friction, created heat, and soon the fire came fourth. The smoke bellowed out, staying close to the entrance so the smoke wouldn't cause any issues for him. He continued to try his luck at the chakra that night.

Pushing his energy around in his body, but all he could feel was the lightning. Water was intermittent and difficult to control. His hand got slippery once, like he stuck it into the river, but that was only once. The other times it was normal chakra, lightning essence. His hand sent forth a glow that was almost nothing next to the fire he had created.

He pulled out a peace of dried meat from his pack and munched down. It was only a morsel, but it would hold him off till he got into town the next day. Hopefully, they have a nice restaurant there. It would be nice to eat a full meal, it had been about a week since he ate fresh food. Living off of dried meats and fruits just wasn't his style.

WC: 941

The forest brought him thick dreams of hate and misery. It was his close proximity to the mystic forest, it always seemed to cause him problems ever sense he was kicked out of the village, almost like a sign he didn't belong there. Don't worry. he thought, I'll be gone in the morning Seiichi thought. He turned over and tried to get back to sleep.

The ground quaked under his feet. Seiichi was standing in the middle of his old home in the village. The walls and windows shook, the pictures on the wall fell, the books fell off the shelves, the other children in the orphanage ran about as the workers tried to calm them. It didn't seem to help. They started to gather everyone outside as the quake ended.

Everyone looked at Seiichi. Their gaze was bearing down on him, digging into his head, like he caused the quake, like it was all his fault. They all mocked him and started to call him names, "half man!" it echoed through the environment. Seiichi turned and put his hands on his head, squeezing his face in horror, in anger, he wanted to kill them. He turned away from them. When he looked back the kids were dead. Their bodies littered the ground. The orphanage workers pushed him, ridiculed him. He one screamed...

Seiichi woke. His body was covered in sweat. This is the second night he had that dream. The third night he had a nightmare. It had to be this place, nothing usually bothered him, not his past, not anything. Why has he been dreaming about these things? Seiichi cleaned his face off and threw another log on the fire. It was early morning now at least. He got up and pulled his robes tight. He was glad to be protected from the morning due and the cold wind. Sweating like he had been, it might caused him to get sick if he was exposed to the elements.

Chowing down on his dried foods he ate something and got up. Taking a cloth in his hand was about to wipe his body down, getting the sweat off and cleaning himself. Though, he took it in hand and poured his chakra into it. He tried to get it wet, using his water chakra but it didn't seem to work, the cloth just shriveled in his hands. He made a whipping action to straiten it and walked outside. Touching the rocks of the cave with it he got the cloth wet and cleaned his face, then the rest of his body.

After packing up camp, putting out the fire, sweeping the logs out of the cave, and drinking some water Seiichi moved out. He got back to the road and began to walk again. There were no signs of wild animals in the area or people for that mater. It surprised him a little. There was no foot steps in the road, even with the damp morning due. Seiichi shrugged it off.

Moving the chakra in his body from one side to the other, left to right. He could start to feel the difference in water and lightning, though it was only by a little. His hand was starting to get wet more often or it would tingle. He continued to swing it in his body, going from one side to the other. Water chakra was elusive it seemed, though, lightning was easy for him to conjure up. The river rushed in the way he was heading. He watched as it broke upon the rocks and continued. It would wash over them for years, wearing them down, eventually grinding them into peaces.

It was a powerful thing he was trying to get a hold of. Not something easy to acquire. Why was it so elusive though, it was a power that was hiding inside of him, he just had to awaken it. The power was deep, but he will get it eventually. At least his mind was at work. His rage was something that had been locked up for a bit, the pendulum swinging kept it busy.

WC: 691
TWC: 1632

In the distance was a town. As he got closer a sign presented its name, "Imiki". Hm.. He thought, These people always brought bamboo into the village, they seemed nice enough. He recalled. Seiichi was didn't remember if any of the people in town had any ill will against him so he kept walking. It was a small place, five houses lined the one street that passed through it. Behind them were patches of bamboo trees, the towns major export. From what Seiichi could remember it is what they traded the most with the village hidden among dreams.

The streets only had a few people walking about, stacking large amounts of bamboo and other goods on carts or tending to the children that were at play. It seemed like a decent enough place to stop and get something to eat, maybe even stay a night or two in the town. There was no reason not to linger here, he was in no hurry. Maybe he could even find work.

First things were first. He was hungry and needed to get some real food into his belly. For a moment he wondered if the type of food he ate had any effect on the elements he used, if they made it more difficult or easier to wield. He decided on a plate full of fruit if he could find it. Maybe that would make it easier to control his water chakra, fruits were mostly water after all.

He turned and entered the first restaurant he could see. It was a small shack on the edge of town as he was entering. The menu was full of fruits and vegetables, there was some meats, like goat and lamb. It sounded so good, he was surprised he could control himself and ordered the fruit plate. This better work. he thought. He set a few ryo on the table and waited for the meal to arrive. He sat the tattered bag next to his chair.

People looked at him with interest. Who was he, why was he here, I hope he buys something. He imagined them thinking. Being so far from the village hidden among dreams he couldn't imagine they had many visitors other than the ones that set up the contracts for exports.

WC: 383
TWC: 2015

Seiichi sat and ate his food. It was delicious, all of it grown either in the town or down the way. At least that is what was advertised. The people behind the bar made sure he was aware. When he got his food he took it to the table and started to eat. He noticed the people around him were looking at him. He was used to it by now and tried not to pay too much attention. Usually people glanced at him and looked away, the man across the room continued to stare. Seiichi looked back at the man, eating his food, looking back out the window, peering around, then back at the guy. He was still looking.

It didn't take long for the man to come over. He was older, his hair was gray, his stature was thick and muscular, but being in his late eighties he didn't look very active. He used a walking stick to move around and took a seat across from Seiichi.

"Hello." He said in a ruff older voice.
Seiichi took another bite and waved.
"You look like a tough young fellow. With a scar like that you've probably gotten into your fair share of trouble huh?" The guy said.

Seiichi thought it was quite presumptuous of the man to say such a thing off the bat. But, he wanted to see what this was going.

"Maybe." He Seiichi said swallowing his food.
"I am looking for someone of questionable deeds. I need some help." The man said.
"I am listing." He continued to eat.
"You see, I run a small place here. It used to be really busy, but with these large companies coming in and taking all of my costumers... I was wondering if you could help me out."
"What are you askin?" Seiichi said.
"That you take out the crops down the road. That should slow the company down."
"Ok."
"Well, if your interested, let me know. I will be around here." The old man finished and got up. Walking away he disappeared in to the back of the restaurant.

It was easy enough to work. Maybe he would take care of it tomorrow, for now he wanted to eat and head back to the cave he stayed at last night. Because he found work he decided to stick around for a few days. He ate and took a quick walk around town. The people seemed friendly enough. Sure he got looks, but that was to be expected.

On his walk he continued to practice his chakra control. Moving his energy back and forth in his body he could start to tell the difference in the chakra, it wasn't like before, he could actually feel the water the lightning. It was interesting, tonight he would meditate a little try to gather enough chakra to practice a water technique, it'll take some time to gather it all, but he was confidant it would work.

The ground crunched under his feet as he walked out of town. He could see the crops around him, the company that was moving in on the small business had a lot of new crops in the area, at least he assumed that it was from the company. The details were still lost to him so he didn't worry so much about it. He knew that the old man would let him know what was up later.

Walking back to the cave was easy. He could remember the area pretty well from the morning. The ground was still undisturbed other than his footsteps. He did notice a few other animal tracks, they were made by something heavy, a large creature. Whatever it was it had claws and had a lot of weight to it. Maybe a bear. They were large creatures that stayed near the village hidden among dreams. It was odd that it would wonder this way, maybe I should be careful going into the cave He thought.

When he got back to the cave he took his time searching it. Going from open area to open area. It wasn't that large, and he didn't see any footsteps near the camp but that didn't necessarily mean anything. A creature could have gotten in a different way. Everything seemed empty though.

WC: 715
TWC: 2730

Meditation is what he needed. The anger in his body caused ripples in the calm. Simple things tended to make him more upset and they should really. The calm was something he had to cultivate. The more calm he is now the more he would be later. He could feel the chakra inside him building. It felt good. Smooth almost. Powerful. The water element was one of the most plentiful and powerful things on the planet. Not to mention most, if not everything, was made out of it. It was truly his next level.

The energy poured through his body. He felt like a catalyst for the rushing water next to him. The river was moving more fiercely now. There must have been a storm to the north, the stones beneath the water couldn't even be seen. The rushing water gave the waves a cap of white.

Seiichi was sitting at the edge of the river. With his eyes closed he could hear the water move. Could feel the chakra along it moving. He could feel it pulsing through him. Was he ready? No not yet. He needed to stay here for another few minutes before he attempted anything. He didn't wanna hurt himself. He wondered if it would cause him pain, it was still a part of him after all. It was like a large pine tree, it just needed to be struck open to let the tasty stuff flow.

It felt like his body was glowing with chakra as he stood up. He wasn't actually. He was going to try and learn one of the most basic of water techniques. Preforming hand seals he attempted to make it rain. Sending chakra into the sky and all around him. It pushing and pushed. The air around him became static, and with a burst of light, pain seared through his body. He attempted a water jutsu using lightning chakra. The pain was exquisite, it showed him that he just wasn't ready for it. it was a beautiful thing learning ones weaknesses.

He needed to try something else. Maybe if he did something physical, build chakra that way, swimming might increase his water chakra. He jumped into the rushing water after taking all of his clothes off and folding them next to the river. He could feel the cool water rushing over his body. He swam fast and against the current. It was only a minute and he was tired, he continued to push and push. Lifting his arms over the water and pushed through the water. It went through his fingers with ease, he tiredly gripped at it.

When he had enough he stood there. The water only made it to his stomach. He attempted to meditate there again. His energy building up, it was all water chakra, his hands were slippery. His naked body was cold against the wind. He moved his hands back and forth with the water. It was a type of meditative movement that they taught him in the orphanage. It was supposed to calm his nerves, build chakra, and if you were very skilled, you could use it in combat. Some called the technique Tai Chi.

The energy within him grew. He could feel the momentum of the water feeding into his body. It was an interesting feeling like he was a dog being fed. The energy was intense he attempted it again. A different technique. He preformed handsigns and tried to push his chakra into the water. It was water chakra and formed tentacles that streamed from him. He tried to raise them from the water but as soon as they broke surface the water burst like a bubble.

There wasn't pain this time. Maybe that was a good sign. He tried again. Pushing his chakra into the water. The shapes formed and created tentacles that stretched from him again. The water grouped into thick cylindrical forms and went about ten feet up stream. He could feel the life inside the river. It was almost like it was part of him. The life in the stream, the animals that drank from it, the plants that it fed.

Seiichi could feel his body become stronger. The water seeped into his body and gave him strength. It was like nothing he'd felt before. Usually with lightning chakra it was a little more direct. He could move it and create it at will, it could give him speed as he augmented it to his nervous system, but other than this he hadn't ever felt this powerful. Water was far more abundant than lightning maybe that is where he got this strength.

He walked out of the water and put his clothes back on. Drying off with a quick shake, using his clothes, and time. The cave was warm that night. He had gathered more wood than normal and figured it would be needed for the remainder of the week. He used the rest of the day to create a heat shield for the entrance. When the fire was started the heat would beam off the shield and go back into the cavern. It was technique most learned in survival classes for the winter. It worked well for concealment in the summer time. If it proved too warm he could always use less wood.

WC: 886
TWC: 3616

Seiichi watched the fire as it flickered. He wondered why fate had chose water instead of fire. Though, fire was just as elusive in nature as lightning. Though even fire needs things like oxygen, fuel, and heat to be created. It was kind of complex compared to water. But water was in most, if not all living things. Water was by far one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful element. Though, all have their weaknesses. Fire, if hot enough, could boil off water. But, if enough water fought fire, there was no more fire.

The combination of elements made things interesting. One could combine water and lightning and create the storm element, if they have the affinity for it. How would know? Seiichi would attempt that next. A storm was symbolic of himself. Uncontrollable, unsteady, unpredictable, there was almost nothing else like it, nothing as close to himself. Water was the step that he had achieved, now to master his elements. Soon he will be unstoppable.

His goal was to eventually go back to the village hidden among dreams and rule it. The people once pushed him out, but he will be back, he will push those who taunted and threatened him. He will rule the place with an iron fist. .. If only he could get better at public speaking. His shy demeanor will have to dissipate as he gets stronger. There would be no reason to be shy then.

He began to do pushups and sit-ups before he went to sleep. He needed to get stronger, not to mention it gave him peace of mind. The calm washed over him like a steady wave. He wasn't angry really, but it was similar to meditation for him. Working his muscles and lungs like he was, he tried to build chakra during the workout. He could feel his body glowing. He tied to push lighting chakra and water chakra to different sides of his body. Learning to control just a little more.

As he stood up he forced the water chakra to the surface of his body. It was all slick. If someone tried to punch him he could imagine their attack sliding off. Blades may be able to slice through it though. He though about creating a technique that would protect him against that.

WC: 387
TWC: 4003

[Claiming 20 Stats = +10 Speed / +5 health / +5 Chakra // Water Element]

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