Merriment for the wicked

Mar choked for a few seconds on a piece of broccoli when the clone vanished into this air. (Yess, yesssss!) He thought to himself, ignoring his own growing need for oxygen to write down his observations. This was unlike the last time he'd been tough a jutsu, this time he felt more like he was simply sneaking a peak at a much more complex system. It was challenging, but already when he'd learned from the other Jutsu under his belt was making it easier to fill in the gaps from before. Choking, writing, listening, and learning. "Uuuph." He nodded in an uncomfortable tone to his companion as she talked about her brief history. He read between the lines where possible, but there was only so much brain power he could spare after all. If only there was an easier way... Oh right.

Looking to the page on the other side of his opened book. He dropped his pencil, holding his hands into the clone seal before with a puff of smoke his table suddenly filled with identical assistants who. Thankfully, did not have vegetables lodged in their throats. He himself handled his food issue, delicately drinking back some chowder and taking a deep breath. One to his left kept an eagle eyed gaze on her clone again in case if it pulled another useful trick for household maintenance and death battles.

One across the table from him took his book and flipped it to start filling in the rest of the notes immediately from where he'd left off. So rather quickly the original was free to converse with his newfound companion. "Hmm, it sounds like you didn't really want to... Diversify. That's a shame, I think you would have made a great doctor with those techniques. You seem extremely competent, your customer service is overqualified for the service industry. I've used the services of all sortsa back ally 'doctors' in my life." He shivers. "I've never felt half as taken care of in their company as yours."

He grinned in her direction, if she wanted to sweep him off his feet with a big tasty meal then she'd get the praise that was coming to her way. Mar felt like it'd be best for the talented girl anyways. "Hmm, medical Ninjutsu. You've got to be a pretty smart cookie Akihana. You mentioned one day my flying machines changed the world. Imagine if they let anyone study medical jutsu. Pffft... I bet if that was the case, we'd all be half immortal by now." He countered. The other clone nodding his head and turning to show him the results of his study.

"Such a miraculous technique, you know. Up here I'm at the top of my game but down here." He taps his legs together. "Well, let's just say I was the kinda kid who skipped gym class." He jokes. Taking in the information poured over the page. It almost unsettled him how perfect the clone was a mirror of himself. He actually took quite a bit longer to pour over this simpler technique just due to the fact that he usually tended to learn things as he was writing them down. "Sorry, sorry. I just don't want to vanish and reappear halfway embedded into a wall when I ever try and pull this off."

(Claiming Shadow Clone with 750 of my 2,699 words. 
Claiming +10 to Chakra with 2000 of my 2,699 words.
Claiming body flicker technique for 250 of my remaining 1,950 words.)

Approved if mid thread claims

The clone was almost done, doing a last sweep of the dining area before she retreated to the farthest comer of the room where very few customers preferred to sit. And few could blame them, it was a small dark corner, perhaps a little too close to the glass showcases displaying more of Maku's spoils of war hiding in plain site. But it was to this corner that the clone now walked, her identical golden eyes set on a ledge high up containing the only thing Akihana had brought to the establishment when she had first arrived in Fang.

The broken shard of crystal that had once been the colossal statue of the Goddess Etro remained perched on the simple wooden ledge, candles surrounding it. Someone else had eventually added candles and now the clone beheld them expertly before raising her hands once more. The Phoenix Fire jutsu was highly minimized - already being a minimalist version of the great fireball shower technique - as six tiny drops of flame flew from her jutsu to the candled surrounding the shard of crystal. From afar, it looked like tiny fireflies winking from the ledge, nothing else special about the shrine that only Akihana knew existed.

"Immortality isn't all its cracked up to be," the original continued her conversation with her patron. Sincerity rang through her words, after all, she only had to look into a mirror to affirm that believe. The smooth, porcelain, heart shaped face that looked back at her was a constant reminder that immortality was a lie.

"I..." Should she tell him she was once a healer? Would he care to know? Instead of speaking about herself however, the blonde did what felt a lot more natural, speaking of others, steering the attention away from herself. "Denkiteki is our resident doctor, I have known him for years and he is about the best there is. It has always been an honor and a privilege to work with him in any capacity."

"Well, let's just say I was the kinda kid who skipped gym class." He jokes.

The kunoichi had to smile at that, he had just reminded her far too much of someone she had been very fond of. "That's fine, please don't worry. Besides, physical prowess has never been a great indicator of jutsu proficiency as far as I know."

Mar flipped to another page and started the busy work of transcribing a jutsu alongside his clone. While the last Mar on the other end of the table continued the conversation. “I may be a logically perfect copy of a fine and dandy scientist. But I gotta say Akihana. Immortality sounds a lot sweeter to the ears of a creature who’s gunna turn into smoke and memories as soon as he stubs his toe.” “Probably sooner.” The real Mar corrected, uncharacteristically taking his mind from the book. “You know, I can’t exactly leave this place with three copies of myself to find a place to stay for the night.” He reminded himself.

“If I ate a price of key lime pie would it burnish you?” His study partner inquired with a raised eyebrow. “I don’t think so, according to the jutsu theory of shadow clones. If you were say, poisoned and reduced to dust. I’d be fine. Not sure if you’d see say, a lump of pie hit the floor.” They mused somewhat darkly to one another. The one not doing any bookworm looking back to Aki. “Don’t feel bad for me, the real deals liable to kick it in a year in some aerial screw related accident.” He commented in snide fashion. Before going on.

“I’m, or we, or the real me- Whatever. Are excited to meet folks like Doctor Denkiteki. And yeah, brawn helps day to day. Up here is what helps everyone tomorrow.” He tapped his noggin an stoke a carrot from the occupied original model. Holding a finger over his lips. “This is a safe town isn't it? What am I saying, it’s probably better off than any and all communities around these parts with the amount of security they keep in good company. I’d hate for my first visit to the good doctor being anything morbid.

The original admired the work of the finished pair of jutsu. This one had been more tough. To complete the more advanced version he had to wrap his head completely around it’s minor counterpart. This was the most interesting concept yet. (With firepower like this I could start to dream of my own jutsu. For controlled, long term propulsion. Chakra is a beutiful beast, no. The most untapped scientific resource in the world. This is the first step. I’ll be done before I know it.)

Mar had gotten treated to the best meal he'd had in learnedly a year and in an altogether brief time formed a strong rapport towards the kind Akihana. A friend was a precious thing to a man like himself. Not unlike a tool that if properly maintained could be there when you need it. His mind was feeling the strain of collecting so much knowledge at once. Running through it again and again like there would be a test so he'd know the details inside and out without any need for paper.

"Oh? By all means." He replied, eyes boggling slightly as he got a handle on his own internal temperature like never before. All the cold winter nights spent huddled by a dieing fire. That time he'd nearly had to cut his own toes off after his socks got whet. To think, it would have been this easy to remedy all this time. The boy laughed as a small but lingering pain was taken off his shoulders. "This is truly a kind technique." He remarked in particular.

As they were leaving he was actually quite surprised at their simple security measure. It was the first time he'd seen genjutsu, and for all of the documentation and lore he'd read on it. There was defiantly a feeling he was not used to when breaking it. He was breaking the hold someone else had taken on his chakra after all. It was not unlike someone had been pinching his spirit to pull the whool over his eyes. "Thanks, might just save my life down the line." He acknowledged, glad that what he had found to be a proterbing influence was gone for now.

When it was time to part ways Mar's shadow clones walked around a corner. Shrugged to one another, and ended their existence with a smokey chest bump. Mar scratched his ear at the enlightening prospect of gaining knowledge so empathetically. "Yeah I'll make good friends with Mister Birch. It'll take a while, but here in a couple months I think I could start building a house around here if everything goes well. Something practical, maby a workshop. Call it Genin Gears." He smirked. Then, feeling like any more words of gratitude might melt his hostess into a puddle. Spread his arms to offer a hug instead. Offering in the sense that she'd receive the gesture of affection unless she moved away with ninja like speed. "Keep it up! There's no one else like you." He remarked, and with a toothy smile he was gone like a breeze in the wind.

( Total Wordcount 3527.
Final jutsu claimed, Fire Release: Great Fireball Shower (1250 words). Fire Release: Great Fireball (500 words) Phoenix Fire (500 words) Inner Flame (125 words) Genjutsu Release (125 Words)  Storage Displacment (125 words)
+7 Stamina)

"That sounds like a good plan," the Akari encouraged. A workshop would be very helpful in the area, and it would fit right in with the theme what with the restaurant being called after a shinobi rank and the travel agency right beside it advertising Genjutsu vacations called Genin Travel Agency. If Maku took a liking to this young man, he might even be willing to fund such an endevour.

"And if you need more food, please come down to the restaurant anytime. Ask straight for Akihana and Sarah will notify me." The kunoichi after all worked more from the apartment upstairs than the kitchen downstairs, today simply being a coincident that she had had to play server and ran into the engineer.

In response to her offer, the inventor moved forth and gave her a hug, an action that left her too stunned at first to respond. It was such an honest and earnest gesture, the act almost made the blonde believe that the world hadn't changed all that much. After all, not so long ago a little boy and a not so little boy used to run up to her with their arms wide open, expecting warmth and love and companionship. the gesture reminded her painfully of Arata and Arashi as she patted his back, returning the gesture.

She watched him leave, her golden eyes tracing his outline until he had safely turned into Mr. Birch's street. No doubt he could look after himself but making sure was now her job. Once she was certain he had arrived safely to the guest house, she too took the stairwell lading up to the apartment. Denkiteki was probably asleep but tomorrow at breakfast, she would tell the good doctor all about their new acquaintance.

And of course, Maku to would be made aware of the man. Someone who generated such a buzz in he village hardly escaped the trickster's notice.

(Exit Akihana)


Total Words: 3615

Claiming 18 stats (3 to Chakra, 15 to speed)
Claiming: http://naruto-role-play-rpg.forumotion.com/t41450-transfusion-deprivation (2950/2950 words)
Claiming: http://naruto-role-play-rpg.forumotion.com/t38486-butterfly-effect (650/1000)
Claiming: 15 words to Charity

Approved @both