Wash Away Thy Grief

Mission:

Not quite what he had expected, that much could be said.

Not two days ago, he had painted an entire piscatory village in blood, using as the prime material the blood of its inhabitants. He spared no one: not the elderly, unable to run, nor the suckling babes, unable to understand the violence around them as Hiro pierced through them to get to their mother’s bosom and into their hearts. Hiro had sunken into a deep berserking state, but not because of his lack of control over the natural chakra he absorbed unconsciously: rather, he had whipped himself from his rational side and dwelled on his animalistic and primordial violence. He loved and cherished every moment of it.

He had taken a bath in the ocean, allowing the salt water to cleanse his body of the blood. Ocean water does wonders for the skin, allowing for an easier healing of skin blemishes, and making the tanning process easier for those who would try and catch some color with the rays of the bright sky star. Hiro found himself enjoying a nice day on the beach, basking in the glory of the sun, buck naked as his clothing dried after being washed off blood. Life was good.

Was being the proper tense.

He had wandered around, and while people were looking into what kind of monstrosity could’ve caused such death and destruction on a piscatory village, many claiming a kraken just got off from the bottom of the ocean and tore the place down as punishment for the village’s infractions on its territories and families, Hiro found himself strapped for cash again, wanting to eat, maybe rent a room and a lady to keep him company in it for the night. The pleasures of the flesh were many, and eating and murdering were just two of those.

That had been when he came upon a nice community, made up of farmers, husbandrers, rich and poor people alike living together in the souple of a mountain, but none would hire Hiro. For some reason, he gave off a bad vibe, as if Natural Chakra swirled within him at all times, a constant reminder of the inadequacy of the lower forms of life that patrolled this planet and whose insecurities would be projected onto the beast, preventing him from being welcomed into the overall society. Either that or they were really good at picking up the bad apple vibe, because they were certainly one hundred percent on the right in avoiding Hiro like he was a plaguebearer.

However, as certain as night and day, among the good folks of the towns, there was always someone with an issue they were unable to get rid of, but able to pay those capable of solving said issues. Today’s winner was Yasutoki Ono, or perhaps the better description was today’s loser, as he was unable to solve his own issues, and now he sweat profusely through his bald cap, his greasy forehead, his furry mustache which hid the quivering lips against his best efforts to look peaceful and in control of the transaction.

(wc: 517)

He wore simple clothes, which was somewhat of a contrast to what others in his position might’ve worn; after all, business men and business owners were usually drapped rather dapperly, and boasted a rather healthy belly as one in their position might, well trimmed hair and beards, fantastic skin. Not this one. His hair was a salt and pepper scruffy mess, his hairline receding way beyond his dome and down the side of his head, where his thin face wrinkled up in worry at the sight of the behemoth, peered through with beady eyes. His posture was all wrong for a prosperous business man, which told him his business might not be flourishing, which was confusing given bathhouses were well liked among the well off, especially if they had saunas. He hunched over while sitting, his fingers laced on the knee of the leg that rested crossed over his other leg, his foot dangling lazily and pointing in his direction, which he found to be quite annoying, but said nothing. The man had offered to pay for Hiro’s meal and drink if he heard his offer, and Hiro obliged. There was nothing quite like free food and drink to appease the ravenous kraken… heh. The Kraken. A mighty nickname for the unaccountably engorged ego of the vagabond.

When the man started talking, his beady eyes would flutter to his eyepatch for a second or two before being trained once again to his left eye with every remaining ounce of discipline in the man’s body. “I run a bathhouse, as I’ve told you. I have no children or wife, but I do have a brother. He did not share my appetite for honest entrepreneurship: when our parents gave us a loan to start our lives away from the lair, I started the communal bathhouse that is now the pride of this valley community. My brother, on the other hand, kept ill company, and used this money to fund his position with certain crime lords across the country. Now, he is a crime lord himself. I can’t be too sure, but rumor has it he smuggles drugs, fences stolen goods, and even traffics humans. Deplorable, utterly deplorable! But, he has come to visit me recently. He wished me to partake with his activities, telling me how together we could grow very rich. He knows I don’t like this kind of business, so he just asked me to bring in his ‘accountant’, who would inject his dirty money into the bathhouse so he could make his ill gains into honest profits, as a way to stay under the daimyo’s radar. They’re very serious about taxation, and he wants to be able to move up in life by infiltrating governmental branches and spread his filth through the core of our nation. I told him no. I wanted no part in this business, and that if I allowed such a thing, soon my bathhouse would turn into a whorehouse, or a human trafficking center. I told him to leave before I gave him in to the authorities! But, he didn’t take it lightly. He shrugged it off, but he made a comment about how I might see things differently soon. He’s coming to kill me! Even if I leave the bathhouse to someone else, he will find a way of weaseling it out of whoever's hands I leave it to and take it to himself… and I’ll be dead! Please! I need help! I’m willing to pay you handsomely, but I need you to protect me! I don’t want to die!”

(wc: 596)
(twc: 1113)

With the last comment, the man rose his hands in prayer, begging the kraken for his assistance. Hiro himself heard the tale very dispassionately, like damn, keep your story to twenty words or less. He would’ve taken the job if he said ‘I need you to kill some people for money’. He wasn’t a picky worker. Wherever there was murder, there was Hiro. But, he couldn’t let the man see that. He looked away from the pitiful sight of Yasutoki, and into the bar itself. People came and went, some sat and ate their suppers. A few took sideway glances at the monstrosity, who seemed to have sat at a kid’s table at a wedding such was the disparity in size between himself and the world around, but he was used to those kinds of stares. Sob stories, on the other hand, made him feel patronized, almost revolted and nauseous. Just enough to bring him to the edge of his sanity and tip him over, immersed in the chakra that poured from the earth and was absorbed by his genetically superior flesh.

But alas… the man did pay for his soup and beer, and promised more. And hey, a bathhouse might do wonders for the dry mess that was his long hair. “Fine,” he started, “I’ll help you out on this one. But food and drink is still on you until this job ends, I’ll need a place to sleep, and free use of your bathhouse. To blend in with the environment, you know?” Yasutoki seemed confused with the last remark, his smooth brain trying to puzzle how such a barbaric monstrosity would blend in with the quaint slice of heaven that was his bathhouse. But he consented, and patiently awaited Hiro finishing his meal to invite him to his bathhouse.

When he invited Hiro to meet him in his bathhouse, Hiro wasn’t sure what to feel. As an ambush, a bathhouse might be a good place for the regular robbery of the regular schmuck, but a trained ninja would make easy picking of robbers. He was hoping for an interesting fight, some amphibian assault, excitement! Hiro followed the smaller man from the tavern where he had been approached, observing his posture detachedly while they walked the peaceful valley’s streets, Yasutoki greeting a few people as they went, people who held worried expressions as Hiro’s massive strides kept him in close range of the smaller man. Finally, they reached the bathhouse: a beautiful building, by all means, surrounded by a pristinely kept white outer wall, whose gates lead into a neatly kept garden, with a few ponds bereft of fish. Double doors awaited their arrival, sturdy oak with delicate and intricate carvings and a decent coat of wax which gave the door a distinct shine. They were greeted by a front desk lady who was at once delighted by the sight of Yasutoki but terrified by the sight of Hiro. He might take offense to it if it didn’t turn him on.

(wc: 502)
(twc: 1615)

As he entered, the warmth of the hot baths permeated the interior of the building, embracing Hiro delicately, as though a gentle dame with ephemeral weight and silky skin. Even the natural chakra that his body absorbed felt different. He could usually sense, in a certain way, how the natural chakra of a certain place felt. In dry land, such as a plains or a desert, it would feel rough, having a very dry nature to it, almost hurting the body wherever the chakra seeped into his flesh. Near the ocean, or a river, it would literally feel wet, with the oceanic chakra nature giving him very gentle, almost imperceptible tingles throughout his muscles, whereas a coursing river would almost give a massaging sensation to the fibers of the kraken. “Do you have hot springs?” The inquisition was blunt, but asked in a matter-of-fact manner, without any aggression to his voice. A genuine inquiry. “Yes, we have at the back open air hot springs. I actually hired ninjas for that part, they drilled the earth and rock to bring in the natural hot water that forms under the valley, it’s an invaluable resource, really. How’d you know?” Hiro clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “Just a guess.”

Hot spring water was wonderful, warm and inviting as the bosom of a caring mother, whose embrace brings about a sense of security and protection that a baby has no point of reference to doubt it will last forever. As he walked and absorbed the natural chakra the hot springs at the back offered so willingly, he could feel each strand of muscle, each tendon and each joint be warmly enveloped in the silky touch of Gaia, and the sensation was almost enough that he dipped into his berserker side just to balance out the calm it evoked in him. He snorted air deeply with his nose so as to bring himself back to a physical balance, the physical sensation on his body setting a little and allowing him to take in the lay of the house. The noise startled Yasutoki and the front desk lady though, both of whom stared at Hiro rudely for his little outburst. A necessity though. He was not used to feeling such peace, especially in Rain Country. This place was a shithole, and yet, he found himself a little slice of paradise in this godforsaken country. Goes to show that there’s always a bright side to everything, as long as you know where to look for it, just as a pig is able to find truffles in the forest. Fascinating.

Hiro quietly took in the lay of the bathhouse. Main hall, a relatively small cube with a frontdesk, and a door behind it. The cube had two lateral doors which split the building into two sides with a wall down the middle, which was not up to the ceiling except for where it met the ladder, allowing for air circulation and noise transference between the two sides of the rooms. The rooms had individual cabinets for people to put their personal belongings in, each room segregated by gender.

(wc: 524)
(twc: 2139)

Further along the line, the showers. Tile covered these rooms, keeping them warm and humid at all times, perfect to catch a lung infection if your genes were of the inferior kind, or you let your immune system ill prepared to combat the effects of constant humidity and heat to work their way on your body. Immediately he regretted not heeding the advice of the owner to relieve himself of his jacket and vest and take in a robe or towel to investigate these parts, but he was digressing: what was important was to note the flowing water in each individual washing station against the outer walls of the house, while the inside splitting wall held a larger, communal bath tub. And then, at last, thick veils held the outside winds from disturbing the peaceful inside, and he was met with the warm breaths of warm steam lazily streaming upwards from the hot spring water that formed two pools, separated by tall beams that formed a rather tall fence. It was beautiful.

“Alright, time to work.” He turned to Yasutoki, who just looked confused the whole time Hiro investigated the perimeter. “There’s a staircase behind that door, where does it lead to?” Yasutoki took a second to gather his composure before saying “It leads to my office, there’s a couple spare rooms too and the boiler room. Why?” Hiro turned quietly to face Yasutoki face to face, doing so slowly to add a bit of dramatic flare, then took a step to close the gap between the two and slowly craned his head down. “Because if I’m supposed to defend you, I need to know the perimeter.” He craned back and let the terrorized look of the owner be burned into his brain, Hiro was after all a man who enjoyed the simple pleasures of life, and the terrorized expression of the owner was far too sweet to not commit to memory. “If we’re doing this, and you’re certain you’ll be attacked, we’ll make them attack you here. Unless they hire ninja to do their bidding, they’ll find themselves at a disadvantage in this environment. And otherwise, if they know you have a hulking beast like me around, they might not approach at all. Give me a second.” He took a deep breath, and in doing so vitalized his body with the nature chakra within, and for a few moments, within one hundred meters, none would be able to hide. Whether they knew it or not, everyone had a chakra signature, no matter how stunted it was, and all throughout the valley, he could feel the flickering flame of their chakra with the art of the sages. However, he was able to ascertain that there were no presences close to the bathhouse. “Alright, probably no one saw us come in. Hopefully no one will talk either. Here’s what’s going to happen. We’re going to bunker down here for a few days. Send that lady at the front desk to get any supplies we might need. I need to take a look upstairs to see what we’re dealing with.”

(wc:518)
(twc: 2657)

Days came and days went, and nothing about bandits or a vengeful brother. Truth be told, Hiro was starting to think the man just wanted him around for eye candy. Not that he complained; he would spend most of his days either transformed as a bather, or occasionally transformed as the front desk lady, taking coin from strangers and allocating them to cabinets, as a way to filter for bandits. But nothing of the sort happened. There were just people genuinely interested in taking showers. They would order food from time to time, Hiro giving the first tastes to the front desk lady under assurance if there was a poison, his medical ninja arts would be able to help her, but he wouldn’t be able to help himself. Truth be told he wasn’t sure he knew enough to deal with poisons, but no poisons were used either. What promised to be an intriguing plot about conspiracy and murder was becoming duller by the hour. That is, until they arrived.

While transformed into the front desk lady, while the lady herself hid in the office of Yasutoki with the man, a group of thugs made their way through the front door. They were dressed rather modestly, considering their occupation, but their manners were lacking. Immediately, they demanded to see the owner, not being men for mincing their words, and when Hiro feigned being a lady in distress and recoiled from their advances, they went around and over his counter and made their way to the door, all going upstairs in an uproar of several feet trampling up the wooden steps. Hiro once again sensed the surrounding hundreds of meters, and found nobody in waiting. Time to get paid.

As he made his way upstairs, the thugs didn’t seem to mind finding his transformation twin sitting with the owner drinking tea, but they didn’t have much time to realize. By the time they figured something was wrong, the front desk lady who had weakly tried to stop them from going upstairs approached them silently, then in a poof of smoke, she grew several feet in size and several dozen pounds in body mass, now beholding them menacingly as the kraken, his tentacles of fear gripping each tiny skull in paralyzing fear. He arched his hands as if to signal the beginning of mass, bringing his flock closer for prayer. “Come, children. Let me liberate you.” A battle cry was rung out and a thug approached Hiro with blade in hand, but alas, too slow, too weak. Hiro caught the blade with his bare fist and pulled the man closer before grabbing onto his spine by the new hole in his abdomen. As the man fell limply to the floor, Hiro started making his way through the other men, until he got to what he believed to be the ringleader. “Are you Mr. Ono’s brother?” Mr. Ono himself shook his head, but the bandit followed suit. “No! NO! I’m not his brother! His brother sent me to convince Mr. Ono to sell the place! Please, don’t kill me, I’ll do anything you want!” “Good,” started Hiro. “You go and you tell Mr. Ono’s brother that Mr. Ono is under the protection of the Kraken of Rain Country… and if he tries to pull this little stunt again, there will be no place on this earth where I won’t find him and peel his skin off to wear as a new executioner’s mask for when I eventually kill him. You tell him that, ok?” The bandit parted with a pair of wet trousers, leaving behind his weapon. Hiro turned his attention to Mr. Ono. “How much did we agree on? Actually, never mind, make it more.” As he reclined himself back into a futon, while Mr. Ono looked on in horror. “I ain’t gonna stay here all day, man. Let’s GO!”

(wc: 647)
(twc: 3304)
/exit
Claiming 3500 Ryo, 7AP
Claiming 15 Chakra at Mission Rate, 3 Stamina at Regular Rate.
2500 towards Mystical Palm
36 words towards Earth Release: Moving Earth Core previously unlocked here
768 towards Great Fireball