Strength of the Soul (IO)

The air was still, tasteless and intangible in the open nothingness. It was like sitting at the bottom of the ocean without the overwhelming pressure of the heavy water and waves. The dark consumed the area where there was only peace of the self. The only thing Jun could feel was herself and her emotions. This quiet and peaceful void was her meditation state. Jun called it the Vast Space of Fuji. Vast Space was a place where she would visit her Atman: Twilight. Her Atman was a humanoid figure in a cosmic haze where Twilight defined her features through the mixture of bright light and void. Jun's mortal form faced the mystic atman sitting just feet in front of her. Her elders told her that atmans took the shape of the host's inner persona, where it was up to the host to figure out what they meant. It was like an omnipotent being taking form in a moral who knew nothing, and it was up to the ignorant to control the all-powerful. Ironic, right?

Something was troubling Jun, though. See, Atman's are the inner personas of the user, and they reflect their size on the host's soul. Her Grandfather's and her other elders' atmans were typically huge when they were seen on rare training occasions. They had so many years of training and honing themselves. Twilight was tiny compared to her other clan's atmans'. Was Jun just weak? Was her fighting spirit not strong enough? She had been training relentlessly. What was she missing? As the questions grew without any answers, Jun's Vast Space of Fuji started to waver, bringing harsh bright light and noise. Twilight shrunk further until she was nothing, and Jun got thrown out of her own space. 

Jun opened her eyes to her own room. Her face scrunched and tightened. "Damn it!" She slammed the floor as she rose to her feet. She couldn't believe that she was thrown out of her own space that SHE created in her head. The audacity of the world. It was already getting later in the morning when Jun looked at the clock. She was supposed to meet with Loghain sensei at noon for a mission. She grunted with agitation and threw on her coat and gear to meet Loghain at the gates.

The mission given to the duo was an information and tracking mission. With Loghain's natural hunting instincts and skills and Jun's sensory proficiency, they were to find a small group of bandits associated with Jaw's of Grim. They were given a low risk of high crime, hence why Jun was allowed to go, but still needed to be investigated for potential changes in activity. Jun wondered why they didn't just take them out, but she decided it wasn't worth the headache to deal with asking questions. 

Jun arrived at the gates to meet up with her sensei. Maybe he could help her with her fighting spirit? He was a good fighter, so he might know something about making a solid soul. 

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The wolf was quickly and quietly making his way to the village gates from his cabin outside of the village walls. The wolf was using this time to reflect and think about the mission that they were tasked with. It wasn't a particularly dangerous one, but it was something that needed to be done. He considered simply doing it himself, but he figured that there were lessons to be taught. Jun and Regis both could use some additional training, but unfortunately Regis was on another assignment for the village and not available for the wolf's request. 

It wasn't long before he found himself within the view of the gates and and a patiently waiting Jun. "Good afternoon, Jun. We have a very important mission ahead of us today. We need to gather intelligence on some undesirable elements on the outskirts of Haven. Call themselves the Jaws of Grime... or something along those lines." He would turn and point to the North-East, "Since this is a tracking and information gathering mission, I figured that your being here would prove useful. It will also teach you to better tap into your capabilities of detection and stealth, or else this mission will take a quick turn for the worse." This next part was the important bit, "Know that you can choose not to go on this mission, and the village will not hold it against you." His words were firm and honest, but likely confusing to his student. The mission briefing packet suggested that this mission was a fairly low threat, almost at the bottom of the danger scale. Why would such an offer to back out be given for something so simple? Did the wolf know something more? Understandably, this would be his first and final offer to back out of this intelligence gathering mission. 

Should Jun decide to refrain from taking up this task, Loghain would simply nod and accept this before turning and departing to begin the undertaking himself. The mission still needed done, one way or the other.

If Jun accepted, the wolf would nod, "Good. I hope that you have been practicing and adding to your repertoire. You are going to need it." He didn't specify why, though if asked he would certainly answer. The truth of the matter is that he regularly deals with small pockets of bandits in his spare time, but this... this was different. 

"You ready? We are going to be out of town for a few days. Make sure that you have what you need or can conjure it. If you need time, meet back here in an hour. Otherwise, lets get moving."

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Loghain appeared after Jun showed up. He recapped the mission that she already knew about, hilariously calling Jaws of Grim 'Jaws of Grime.' Jun chuckled at that. It was a strangely appropriate name for them still. It was enough to lighten Jun's mood. "Hey, if I'm gonna be a good ninja, I gotta get good at being sneaky. Becoming the shadow." She lifted her arm up to mimic hiding behind a curtain or cape. 

"Know that you can choose not to go on this mission, and the village will not hold it against you." The mood shifted when he said that. "What do you mean? I mean yeah, I don't have to do anything if I really don't want to. But this is my job. I have to get it done." It was strange that Loghain mentioned that. It filled her mind with doubt about the mission. What if something went wrong and I die? Then what? Jun shook the thought off her mind. "Yeah, I'll do the mission."

Jun showed her sensei that she was prepared for a multi-day mission with food pills, snacks, and a canister filled with water along with her normal gear. Since they were prepared, the duo would head northeast.

It was the first half-hour of their journey through the dry dusty paths when Jun would talk to Loghain. "Hey, Loghain Sensei? When you fight in a serious fight, what do you feel?" thought the question was strange, Jun knew that he would have some experience about how to have a strong soul.
 
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With the mood lightened the wolf would chuckle at her response of being the shadow. It was a shame that his follow up would shift it. Still, it was a question that needed to be asked. This mission had the potential to be quite dangerous, despite what the briefing had said. "This mission has a lot of risk factors. Not only are the Jaws our enemy, but they are organized and trained combatants. If you give them the opportunity, they will outright kill you... or worse they will torture you for information on Hoshi. Then discard you in any way they see fit, perhaps using you as bait to lay a trap to draw out others." Harrowing words to the young lady, no doubt. 

She seemed to be on board, something that the wolf was grateful for. Her acceptance of this mission gave him hope that it wouldn't take long for her to advance. There was a place for self preservation, and the wolf had no desire to endanger anyone, but danger was a part of the job. The only way to make everything better and safer for everyone was to take on these missions and rid the world of these vile heathens who held such disregard for life. These rogues held no reservations towards killing, shinobi or civilian alike. If burning the building down would eliminate a notable shinobi adversary, they would gladly torch the place and accept the deaths of any others as collateral damage and the price of war. It was despicable.

Jun made it clear she was ready for a lengthy journey, showing that she had all of the essentials. The wolf was also an adept hunter, so gathering food wouldn't be a great deal of trouble for him. Water was going to be the key factor, for the heat and sands easily overtakes those that don't stay properly hydrated. "Good, then we will set off." And with that said, they would start the journey. 

The trek was incredibly quiet, something he didn't expect considering all that he said leading up to the mission. When the silence was finally broken, Jun would ask him a rather odd question about what he feels during a serious fight. "A serious fight? I imagine that you speak of a life or death situation, and not just some training exercise, correct?" He would ask, though he figured that she meant the former. If his suspicions were correct, he would shake his head. "If I had to describe it in only two words, unbridled fury." He would glance over, measuring her reaction. "I tap into what I imagine is a very primal force." His words were calm, though it would seem as though he wasn't particularly fond of speaking on the matter. "I simply let loose and allow the beast his freedom. And in turn, it protects me from any that would seek me harm." What he didn't say, though, was he felt a whole spectrum of emotions, including fear. Every time that he tapped into that bestial rage he worried that it would be the time that he loses control once more. Great strides were taken in keeping the beast under his command, and it has been a very long time since he lost control. But that wasn't the only concern... He also feared his response to tapping into that power. The hunt was exhilarating and that in some ways made him feel as though that he truly was more monster than man. 

"Have you ever been in such a situation? One where it was life or death?" He would ask, hoping not to dwell on his own personal issues. 


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Two words. Unbridled rage. Those are the two words Loghain sensei used to describe how he feels when he goes into a life or death situation. Though his demeanor was calm and confident, Jun was taken aback. "Rage? Throughout my life of learning combat with my family, they told me to control my emotions and keep a steady motion." The differences in answers confused the beginner. 

Jun could remember one of the beginning lessons her grandfather was teaching her. They were back in their farmhouse in the country outside Hoshigakure. She was in the field with a straw dummy hooked to a pole. Jun was thrashing her fist and legs and the defenseless dummy. She had been told earlier that her grandfather would be teaching her how to fight like a Varma and she wanted to be prepared for her grandfather's lessons.
 
"Why are you punching the scarecrow, my child." Her grandfather's voice came from behind her. Jun whipped around with excitement. 

"I'm practicing training! I want to be a strong warrior." Jun returned to her punching 

He chuckled, "If you punch a person like that, you're going to end up losing any fight." Jun turned around to her grandfather with confusion. 

"But don't you fight with your fists?" He shook his head with a small grin. 

"No, my child. You fight with your spirit." He positioned himself in front of the scarecrow and aimed his palms at the scarecrow. Jun was prepared to see him blast the dummy with a strong thrust, but instead, he just started walking around it in a circular motion. He was calm and expressionless. Every movement of his had the intention from the shifting of his feet to the movement of his hips. His arms remained still as he kept circling around the dummy, keeping it in the center of his formation. "Join me," he invited Jun. 

Jun spent the rest of that day circling around a dummy with her palms raised, causing them to ache. Once they finished, Jun was frustrated. "Why did we waste that day walking around the scarecrow!" 
 
Her grandfather smiled. "You're too impatient, child. We must know how to relax our bodies for long hours and not allow our frustration to enter the battle. For once you show your weakness, you'll be conquered. 

Back to the present where Jun and Loghain had been traveling, the wolf asked her if she had been in a life or death situation. She hesitated, unsure if the truth would be underwhelming. "No, I haven't." She wasn't sure if she should be ashamed or grateful. It almost seems like a rite of passage when you're placed in a high-stakes situation as a shinobi. And yet they take extra precautions to prevent it from happening.

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Jun would understandable find only confusion in the words of her sensei. They were in direct conflict with the teachings of her clan, and such actually made a great deal of sense to him. "My situation is a bit different than normal. It is best to stay calm and focused in combat, and avoid letting rage cloud your judgement." She would no doubt give another confused look, considering that he basically just said the opposite. "My official shinobi training has been rather limited. Most of my training has been self taught, and I've learned to focus my efforts on weaponizing my bloodline to full effect." If Jun recalled their team meeting and training exercise, she would recall that Loghain explained that he had been of lycanthropic descent. "The downside is that there is a rage, bloodlust and desire to hunt deeply embedded in my very being." He would crack a slight grin, "Luckily, even though I'm more prone to risk during a real fight because of this, my body has a tendency to keep itself healthy and in fighting condition. I can survive things that would kill many." This was a true statement. His heritage granted him a certain level of natural healing that was unknown to most. "Letting out that bestial ferocity has yet to fail at keeping me alive, even when there were times I was certain that it shouldn't have."

Jun made it clear that she had not yet been in a life or death situation to which Loghain would nod. "Some would say that it is part of the job," He would pause, turning his gaze back to Jun to allow her to see his expression, "but I personally wish that nobody would ever had to face that dreadful moment. Usually in those situations it will be either you or them that walks out alive." These things probably sounded like common sense, but there was a pain behind Loghain's words, almost as if he was speaking from his own experiences. "Nothing ever really makes that go away."

Loghain would of course listen to anything that Jun would respond with and address it as best he could. He might not have had all of the formal training of other shinobi, but he was very experienced with fighting and death and could hopefully impart some of that wisdom on others. 

As night descended upon them and they continued down the trail, Loghain would signal to Jun to look, pointing at what looked like nothing more than a rocky formation down the road. The darkness blanketing the area made it hard to spot much at a distance, but the dark outline of the rock face was clear. "We are approaching a ravine. Means there is likely water nearby to restock our supply." He would sniff around, making sure that there were no surprises nearby. "We can go around it, but that will take a good while longer. Or we could go through it. What are your thoughts?"


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The fighting style of a Lycan was much different from the fighting style of the shinobi like Jun. They rely on instincts, their strength, rage, bloodlust, and their bodies' ability to tank what comes their way. It was a self-taught technique due to the nature of using their already powerful bodies'. However, it makes on the giant flaw; it's predictable. But according to Loghain sensei, it had worked for him so far, and he's already chunin. "I hope it continues to work," The young genin mumbled softly. Jun wasn't sure how she should take this information. She wanted to learn the spirit of actual fighting. Was it the complete opposite of what she had been taught? Was that why she couldn't find the fighting spirit within herself yet?

Loghain did have experience and explained that he wishes no one would have to live through it. Her sensei's point contradicted the thought she had earlier; how was it a rite of passage for shinobi to go through this process? Should shinobi's even exist in that case? "But, sensei, why would we do the things we do if it means getting in a life or death situation?" Jun's morality was in question, and she wasn't sure how to process it. 

Despite Jun's questioning, the duo was still on a mission and would arrive at their next point, a ravine. It was good timing because Jun had just run out of water from her water skin. They would need to resupply and then find a way past the ravine. Loghain left the decision up to the genin, clearly testing her abilities. Jun would think hard for a moment and recall all the things she had been taught. "Well, it's possible that the enemy could still be at the ravine where a camp can be set up. There are various ways to scramble my chakra sensory and your nose. We should remain cautious and cross the ravine stealthfully." There weren't many places near this place that had freshwater, so it was likely that they were close to the enemy's camp. Jun hopped that she remembered her training. 

They arrived at the low current ravine shortly after. Jun refilled her water-skin with the soft trickling water, still trying to remain hidden from the open. Various trees grew along the gorge that was local to the area. It provided cover and shade. The water wasn't deep, so it was possible for the two to just walk across slowly and carefully to get to the other side. However, it would leave them in a vulnerable position for quite a while as they crossed. Perhaps there could be a way to travel without provoking attention.

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TWC: 1670

Hearing her question made the wolf simply nod, understanding where she was coming from. "Unfortunately, this world we live in is rather dangerous. Life or death situations are likely to be brought to you, whether or not you seek them out. It is simply the reality of conflict in this world." He would ponder for a moment on how best to word this next part, looking off to the distance, "It is up to the individual to determine if the risk of this job is worth it. Personally, I am willing to place myself in harms way if it means protecting others from others that would seek to bring them harm." He would offer, continuing to walk at a pace that his pupil could follow easily, "This line of work isn't necessarily intended for everyone. Hell, I would have never expected to find myself in the shinobi forces when I was a youth." His words were delving more into who he was, but he figured it was important for Jun to have a much information as he could provide to make sure that she knew what this life was. "It is a hard life. Dangerous. Bloody. Many of those that we protect would gladly see our heads on spikes atop Hoshigakure's walls." Hearing these things almost made it seem like he was trying to convince her not to be a shinobi, though that was far from the truth of the matter. "But it is the responsibility of the strong to protect those that cannot protect themselves, and so here I am. How about you? What drew you to become a part of the shinobi forces?"


Once the ravine was spotted, Jun would answer the wolf's inquiry. "Where there is water, there will be life. That is a lesson that you can count on. All animals need water, and so the likelihood of an enemy camp being located at least somewhere within a close proximity of this water is likely." He would point at the rock faces, "A smart enemy would take the high ground there. Most who will travel through this area will have to pass through the ravine for lack of a way to climb it safely or lack of time to go around. Perfect place for bandits to ambush unsuspecting folk." The wolf had learned how to hunt bandits, for only a little over a year ago that was the only thing he was able to do to help protect the village. 

Jun would refill her water-skin, while Loghain would simply kneel beside the waterway and pool water in his hand before lifting it to his mouth. "It looks like there are paths that we can follow along the banks. I can shift into the form of a wolf to hide my presence, or at the very least make it far harder to realize that I am a shinobi. Are you capable of any techniques to mask yourself?" If Jun didn't have anything that directly hid her, she would have to get a bit creative with the arsenal of techniques that she did have access to. 

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Loghain sensei was wise with years, asking open questions to Jun to answer herself. It reminded her of her elders where their way of teaching was to ask questions rather than give answers. Jun wondered if life would be easier if someone just gave you all the answers- or would that just be boring? Why do you want to be a shinobi? Why do you want to fight? Loghain seemed to fight for others, easily putting his life on the line to protect the ones of the village, even if they don't return it with kindness. 

Jun remembered being excited to sign up for the academy when she moved into the village. There were always tales of powerful and brave shinobi going around, and her elders really wanted to push that idea onto her. But now she was a shinobi and having doubts, something she never calculated would happen due to her excitement. Jun began to think out loud, which was always a good way to process her thoughts. "My family really wanted me to become a shinobi to represent the clan... For a long time, I thought that's what I wanted too. Now I wonder if I just wanted to make my family proud." There was a lot to ponder from this thinking. Was she cut out to put her life at risk for another?

Back to the mission, Loghain explained that he could use his technique to disguise himself as a wolf to minimize suspicion. "I don't have exactly any technique like that." She knew that with her chakra control training, she could eventually do some amazing stealth but she was a long way from doing that for now. "Best I can do is transformation technique." Jun thought about it for a while. "I guess, if the worst happens, I can act as bait. I've always been pretty speedy and good at evasive maneuvers." She wanted to hear the leader's thoughts before she made any hasty choices. 

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TWC: 1999

Jun took well to the conversation, allowing herself to really think about why it was that she decided to follow the shinobi path. It was made clear that her decision was her own, but heavily influenced by pressure from her family. Unfortunately, the wolf had no common ground here to really understand how powerful a force such a thing could be. He was forced into this life, but not because of anyone's desire for it. He simply found himself cursed and his options were limited. Without his loyalty and obedience to the village, he likely would not see his mother ever again... or worse could befall her... "Such a decision should be your own and one that you are certain of. Something to consider. I don't seek to deter you, for I am glad to have you among the shinobi forces." 

Jun's repertoire of techniques was still limited, so the wolf would think for a moment. "Transformation could work. You could turn into something like a fish and try to swim." The wolf - despite his status as a Chuunin - hadn't gone through the normal training shinobi undertake to advance so he wasn't as familiar with the technique as he probably should be. He knew it could change your appearance, but wasn't sure if it would let her breathe through the gills in water... "Or you could take the form of a wolf and follow me. Safety in numbers, keeps us from splitting up, and two wolves travelling together isn't an uncommon occurrence so not likely to arouse suspicions. Probably the better to call to stick together." The wolf would offer a light chuckle, "You need not worry, I wouldn't use you as bait. But let us not think about failure. It would be best that we were not discovered, and so we won't be." 

Loghain would make sure he quenched his thirst before looking to Jun, "Know that once we transform verbal communication will be next to impossible." If Jun was actually a wolf, this wouldn't be the case, but just a basic transformation likely wouldn't be able to translate meaning and understanding. "Nonverbal signals will be needed to convey messages. Nods and the like. We will have to keep eyes and ears on one another."

With a nod, he would begin his transformation, hunching over as his body converts to that of a wolf with dark fur. He would then watch to make sure that Jun followed suite. Once she had shifted forms, the wolf would motion with his head the direction they would head in. Following the waterway would be the most direct path, and in this form the wolf's sense of smell and hearing were both vastly improved. Simply put, there was practically no chance of them being caught by surprise by normal bandits, and even those that had some shinobi training were unlikely to be able to hide from the wolf. 

The wolf would casually walk down the path, making certain that it was a pace at which Jun would be able to follow without strain. Them running here would likely cause more suspicion than simply walking at a casual pace. So far, no threats were detected, but Loghain would keep alert until they were out of the ravine. 

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