These Missions Require Too Much WC

Trust Me, It's Art!:

Outside of the small town he arrived at, Auron had recently come across a forge of momentous proportions. It had been an unusual sighting considering its random location. But amongst the vast forest of teeming trees and the sea of shrubbery, stood tall a sturdy tower expelling plumes of smog into the atmosphere. The tower itself seemed to be made of cinderblock, painted and stained to give off a medieval vibe. Its bricks were a hybrid between navy and grey, and from its rustic appearance Auron inferred it to have withstood the test of time. The path leading up to it was cobblestone, seemingly weathered and eroded from the environments it had been exposed to. Just comparing the two was a testament to the level of preservation went into upholding and maintaining the forge, versus the path leading to it. From this observation Auron deduced that maybe they did not care for visitors, but only about the work that was to be done within it. And this was reasonable, sometimes it was best to keep the traffic to places like this at a minimum. But from its sheer size, the Yamaguchi was unaware of how that would actually work. In any case, the rest of the forge's exterior was in pristine condition as well. On both sides of the 60 meter tall tower, were buildings of half that height which expanded in the Eastern and Western directions at least 20 meters each way. They consisted of the same material that the taller building had been, yet appeared to show a tad bit more signs of degradation than the former.

Auron himself was draped in his regular attire. He wore his kimono, straw hat, face mask, and scarf. The attire did a good job at maintaining a level of notoriety, and also offering some level of protection. Below that face value of clothing though, he had an equipped flak jacket with a simple katana attached to his hip. Though his haram pants and samurai boots had been comfortable, it would be an understatement to say that they could be replaced. His entire outfit had seen hundreds of kilometers of travel, and thus had significant wear on them. Unfortunately he was not in a position to pay for new threads. It'd take him time to accumulate such a fortune, and whenever he seemed to come close to deepening his pockets he'd need to pay for lodging and food instead. It was not a fruitful cycle, and with the lack of work he found in the Land of Fire versus the Land of Earth, it was not one he could maintain either. Thus he hoped that he could get a job working at this forge. As a bukijutsu specialist, he was sure that he had a deep level of understanding for the inner workings of blacksmithing and such. Therefore he was confident that he'd be able to lend a hand; even if that meant he was nothing more than another capable body to swing a hammer and haul ore to the smelter. Though he was hopeful that even if that were the case, he'd at least be in a place where he'd have the opportunity to learn from some experienced professionals in this field. 

Thus as the smog from the furnace escape the chimney, the day time sky was blanketed with the fumes and darkened. It was amazing how this amount of pollution was able to force its hand into the environment and simultaneously not destroy the woodland surrounding it. The team within likely did a good job at mitigating the footprint of their profession in one way or another, just not as the pollution occurred. It was likely a resounding amount of clean up and preservation that was required after each shift. Still though, Auron broke his chain of thoughts and proceeded up the broken pathway towards the entrance to the forge. Its front door was massive, reaching about 5 meters in height. They were fashioned of a combination of mahogany and cherry, evident by the reddish tone that they gave off. Upon each of the doors was a large, circular ring of iron tethered to each. Assumedly, they were used for guests to signal their arrival. And so as Auron neared them, he'd grab ahold of one ring firmly with his right hand and begin to lift it. Immediately he could feel the immense weight that they had to them. And their density was confirmed as he let it go and it banged against the wooden door. The sound of the metal against the door rang across the direct vicinity of the forge, and surely echoed throughout the halls of the forge. As the metal clanged against the door, it'd bounce back once and then once more before coming to a rest, with each of the subsequent knocks halving in their intensity and sound. Within moments, the door quickly crept open and the smells of the forge had whiffed into Auron's face with an intense breeze of wind. Its scent was a combination of flames, melting metal, and sweat. As this wave hit him, he was immediately reminded of how much intensity this job would bare with it. 

On the other side of the door's threshold was a man of an intense frame. He was tall, much taller than Auron. And the muscles upon his body were chiseled and large. He wore no shirt, but the thick and long beard upon his face still blanketed half of his chest. Auron continued to quickly glance the man over, noting the veins popping out of his body and the sweat pouring from his face. Certainly, he was at least the source of the smell of sweat. The bright interior of the forge had reflected off the man's bald head, somewhat beaming into Auron's eyes. The combination of this sensory overloaded had caused the young Yamaguchi to squint and sort of lowered his head downward to shield his eyes with the brim of his hat.

"What is it that you want here? You look like no smith." the man's boisterous and heavy voice boomed.

Auron redirected his attention back to the man, lifting his had until his eyes locked with the man before him. "I presume this to be a forge of great quality. I am a disciple of weaponry and would like to offer my services as a hired hand to assist you with any tasks, learn of the art, and ideally make some ryo."

The man shrugged, then tucked his iron clad hammer into the sheath on his waist cloth. He'd cross his arms and scoff somewhat, almost in disbelief. "Yeah? You're the second one today who has said the same thing. We need the help, but between the two of ya I can't pay high wages. So you'll have to accept base pay, and maybe I'll find something extra to throw too. What say ya?"

Auron though discouraged with the lower pay rate, would accept nonetheless. Some ryo was better than none after all. "Sounds good, put me to work."

The man would nod, and turn in place. He'd wave Auron to follow him inside, then closed the door behind him when he would. Once inside, Auron would visibly scan over the interior. Within this main corridor, the tallest building, he'd see numerous stations of the different arts of blacksmithing. Each one was dedicated to one of the different stages of smithing: heating, holding, hitting, and shaping. Additionally there was a dedicated corner to smelting, where ore would be melted down via the intense heat from the furnace and turned into a liquid metal. The room was equipped with a variety of tools and equipment, all of which seemed necessary to the whole process. And while the man who greeted Auron seemed to be capable and experienced, there were only five other individuals in this entire building. Four of which, Auron presumed to be normal employees and the fifth being the other newcomer to offer his services today as well. 

"You'll start over there with the other newbie, I believe his name was Gray. You two will first be responsible for heating today's selection of ore: jade. The process is simple, yet complex. Maintain the fire of the forge to be roaring hot, by feeding it coal continuously with a shovel. You'll take the raw jade ore, and shovel that into the flames and at the bottom of the furnace you'll scoop out the melted down jade and charcoal. Once that's done, dump it into the appropriate storage bins and we'll perfect it for impurities. Long story short, you both are shovel bitches. Now go over to that wall and put on one of those aprons and report to your station."

With that the man would turn and walk back to his own line of work. Auron would proceed over to the wall which was equipped with various pieces of personal protective equipment, and grab ahold of one of the aprons. It was heavy, and thermal resistant. He'd also take the liberty to slide on a pair of the heat resistant gloves that were upon the wall too. Once dressed in his new clothing, he'd walk over to the man who had already been tending to melting down the ore and grab a shovel of his own. He was pale, with contrasting long black hair. At first glance he also seemed to be a bit more capable for the job, being taller and bulkier than what Auron had been, but this did not discourage the Yamaguchi. And even though he seemed quite muscular, Auron was sure that even an hour alone of shoveling would put an intense strain on one's body. So he'd offer to rotate in and take on the bulk of the work. "Hey, the name's Auron. Want to take a break and let me take over? Or I guess we can hit it at the same time."

WC = 1652

Stat page:

Finding himself closer to the place he once used to call his hometown, Grey constantly looked around every five seconds, hoping he wouldn't run into anyone that might recognize him. Even though a lot of time had passed ever since leaving the village behind, the Hyuuga couldn't help but be on edge while being out there. "What am I even worried about, if they were truly looking for me I'm sure they would have found me by now". The last couple of years many things had happened in Konohagakure, enough to keep them busy instead of trying to bring back those who ran away to find their happiness somewhere else.

Putting those trivial thoughts aside, the young swordsman continued heading towards a new location for the day. His outfit consisted of a buttoned shirt with a white framed collar having a unique kanji engraved on the back, a shirt pocket on top of the left breast, and a white undershirt. The uniform also possessed long, saggy hakama pants strapped by a white buckled belt, a pair of gloves tucked away as well as the mask he could use as additional protection. "Can't draw too much attention". He'd carry his katana on his right hip, one hand firm around the handle should the need for him to use it arise.

Upon his arrival, Grey quickly received instructions, trading in the Kisatsutai Uniform for a more practical outfit. As he put it on, the Hyuuga immediately noticed how heavy the apron was, exchanging his gloves for a different pair which more than likely would offer him well-needed heat resistance and protecting him from any risks he'd be running while handling all various type of tools. Standing there, he would scan the area, looking around to get some sort of idea on how best to approach things, keeping in mind the information he got when entering the building.

Close to the forge, the swordsman who temporarily turned into a blacksmith, began to maintain the forge, carefully sustaining its fire by consistently adding coal. Putting down the shovel he used to melt down the jade Grey made sure to wipe away the drops of sweat running down his face every couple of seconds. By then another individual had shown up, suggesting to take turns shoveling while the other catches his breath. "I'd appreciate it, this heat is excruciating". The Hyuuga made way for Auron, the name given to him at the start of their conversation, creating enough space for the man to work as comfortably as possible.

As a couple of minutes had passed and the heat wasn't bothering him as much, the young swordsman slowly engaged in some small talk. "The name's Grey, I'm used to manual labor but this is quite something else if you ask me. How did you end up applying for this job?". The obvious reason would obviously be money, as it was the same reason as to why Grey found himself melting down some oar, but perhaps there was more to the story than one expected.

(WC: 508)

Upon Auron breaking the silence, Grey would turn around and briefly acknowledge him. He'd admit that he'd appreciate the help as the heat from the flames of the forge had been nothing short of intense. Resultantly, Auron would bear his shovel in hand and approach Grey a bit further. Briefly he'd look at the man and offer him a nod of reassurance. "Sounds like a plan. Take a load off." 

Auron would then shift his posture to be positioned in between the forge and the storage bins. Behind him, and on the other side of Grey, were piles of the raw jade ore. Auron would swing his shovel backwards and pierce the pile, anchor his weight down, and with a swift motion he'd lift a small pile of jade onto his shovel. Following this, he'd swing his torso back around and navigate the scooped jade towards the entrance to the forge. As the shovel approached it, its blade and tip were slowly introduced to the flame. They grew hot, as well as the shovel. Luckily the heat resistant gloves prevented Auron from feeling the intensity of its burn. And so once the shovel was deep enough, he'd rotate his grip on it and cause the raw jade ore directly onto the flames. With the shovel now empty, one pass of this cycle was completed. Therefore he'd continue onto the next. After several iterations of this process, Auron wondered if overloading the fire would potentially smother the flames. However the flames were so intense that they were quite efficient in melting the jade. Additionally the man realized that this intense labor forced him to move at a slower rate than he normally did. With those two facts in mind, he quickly dispelled the idea for that potential outcome to happen. Therefore he just kept working. 

In the meantime it seemed as if Grey was coming to, having cooled down and caught his breath. Formally he'd introduce himself and state that he hadn't been a stranger to physical work. Auron deduced this previously just by the man's build. And it was something that he was as well, perhaps not to the same degree. Momentarily he questioned whether the two men shared similar backgrounds. They both seemed to undertake a strenuous job, presumably both needing money. And both men visibly had blades equipped to them. The two would have commonality in the art of the sword. So when Grey proceeded to ask Auron why he applied for this job in particular, Auron let out a sigh mixed with physical strain from the task and mental strain from his past. "Well," he began as he dumped the load of jade into the fire before retrieving his shovel from the fire and propping its blade against the ground momentarily. "I'm a disciple of bukijutsu. And I have been hoping to learn a bit about smith work, so I can potentially make my own weapons and learn how to further reinforce them. And when you live a life like I do, you need weapons and money. So I was hoping a...paid internship like this could get two birds stoned at once...or kill two birds with one stone. Whatever the saying is. What about you?"

Auron's joke would be casually thrown in there, hopefully Grey would catch it. Whether he laughed or not would be a different story. But choosing not to digress too much, Auron would grab ahold of his shovel with both hands and squat downward. The shovel was positioned parallelly with the ground, and now that his head was eye level with the fire he'd focus his attention on the blend of melted jade and charcoal at the bottom of the forge. It seemed to be molten, given off a blackened appearance with a deep green luster emitting from it. Recognizing that there had been a sufficient amount of jade melted down, he'd angle his shovel so that it was aimed to pierce the pile of liquid jade and then he'd drive it in. Smoothly it'd pierce the sludge, and with some effort he'd drive it further in. Once he did this, he'd swiftly retract the shovel and carefully swing the shovel over to the track mounted storage bins. They were likely track mounted because once full, it'd require the strength of one hundred average men to move. With the shovel directly over top of the bin, he'd rotate it and slowly the magma-fied jade would ooze off the shovel and plop into the bin. The blade itself would come out clean, and so the process would pick back up. Auron would conduct several more cycles of this motion while Grey answered his question. Auron would listen attentively, as the only other thing he had been doing was shovel ore into the fire, and shovel stuff out of the fire. It was like clockwork. And although it was taxing to his body, evident by the trickles of sweat that dripped from his face, the extent of it was hidden by Auron's face mask and long hair which draped over his forehead. Thus he could push himself, while somewhat shielding how exhausted he appeared to be. Nonetheless it was easy to listen to Grey discuss his intentions. The man was well spoken and talked at a reasonable volume. He seemed confident and capable, like someone who Auron would follow. Though it was hard to judge whether or not he should follow him from just a single interaction.

As the men began to warm up to each other, a stick thin figured man would weasel his way over towards the forge. Bearing a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other. He'd watch as Auron and Grey spoke to each other, while simultaneously working. Though he was infuriated that Grey was taking a break. This man had always been a stickler for enforcing rules, yet hated when they were forced onto him. And truthfully he was far too weak to work the forge, thus he never had to worry about work or rules being forced on him. And that must have been why the head blacksmith had been short on hands to help...and why he employed this man as a micromanager, assistant, and pest. "Hey, what do you think you're doing slacker? Less talky, more shovely!" The man had most likely been referring to Auron, as he had begun to move slower while feeling the effects of the work.

Auron, hearing the words of the annoying man, would pause from shoveling to look over his shoulder. His eyes narrowed, clearly indicating that he was frustrated by this...rat. But he refrained from speaking. He looked at Grey, sighed...then softly chuckled in disbelief as he turned his focus back towards the fire. To be called a slacker was irritating, as he was clearly drenched in sweat and Grey had just been fatigued. The forge was really only large enough for a single man to work it, and so this assistant's comment was nothing more than ignorant. In any case, Auron continued to work in silence as the assistant hovered near their station. He'd get closer, and stand about a meter in front of Grey. He'd lean into the man a little bit, seeming to trust him more than he trusted the "newer" Auron.

"If this guy is giving you any problems, say the word and I'll tell the boss." The assistant was sure to say this in a hushed tone, so that only Grey could hear him. More specifically so that Auron could not. 

WC = 1258. TWC = 2910

Mid Thread Claim (2910 WC)

2910/100 = 29 Stat Points, can only use 21 more so 810 WC remaining from Stat Allocation
Old Stats = 229/250
Vigor = 50
Chakra = 75 (+25 from BL)
Speed = 79
Strength = 25

New Stats = 250/250
Vigor = 50
Chakra = 75 (+25 from BL)
Speed = 100
Strength = 25

Using 25% Max Stat Discount for the below:

- 500 WC towards Negative Energy Release (1500/1500); 1000 WC trained here
- Discussed in staff help desk that my mis-claim of lion hawk could be refunded and exchanged (because I don't have wind release). So exchanging Lion Hawk for Gluttony (both A rank Infusions)
- 1500 WC towards Negative Energy Proficiency (1500/1500)
- 910 WC towards Sensory Specialty (910/1500)

Auron Yamaguchi wrote:Mid Thread Claim (2910 WC)

2910/100 = 29 Stat Points, can only use 21 more so 810 WC remaining from Stat Allocation
Old Stats = 229/250
Vigor = 50
Chakra = 75 (+25 from BL)
Speed = 79
Strength = 25

New Stats = 250/250
Vigor = 50
Chakra = 75 (+25 from BL)
Speed = 100
Strength = 25

Using 25% Max Stat Discount for the below:

- 500 WC towards Negative Energy Release (1500/1500); 1000 WC trained here
- Discussed in staff help desk that my mis-claim of lion hawk could be refunded and exchanged (because I don't have wind release). So exchanging Lion Hawk for Gluttony (both A rank Infusions)
- 1500 WC towards Negative Energy Proficiency (1500/1500)
- 910 WC towards Sensory Specialty (910/1500)

Mid thread claims approved

Auron would simply get back to work. To him it seemed as if this assistant didn't care for him too much, having focused his scrutiny towards the Yamaguchi. It was frustrating but what could he do? In actuality Auron was only here to make money and learn of the art. And so far all he had done was slaved over a fire. But perhaps the misfortune of Auron would be coming to an end. As he continued to shovel the jade into the embers of the furnace, the blacksmith who had originally greeted Auron would make his way over to the trio of men. He'd see his assistant standing close to Grey, and heckling the hard working Auron. Resultantly he'd fold his arms across his chest and call out to his assistant. 

"Randle! Leave my interns alone."

"But boss I-"

"Get back to the stock room. We need inventory done!"

With the hasty retreat of his barking superior, Randle would scurry off towards the backroom where he'd carry out the wishes of the blacksmith. In the meantime, the blacksmith would walk over to Auron and pat his hand upon the Yamaguchi's shoulder. He'd immediately feel the sweat of the hardworking ninja, and remove his hand and wipe it upon his shirt.

"Working hard, huh? Here both of you come with me. I'll show you how to do the finishing touches."

Auron would nod to the man and set his shovel down adjacent to the furnace. He'd follow the man over a couple meters towards an anvil, which had a few sets of hammers and bloom tongs. "Alright, grab that pair of tongs and use them to grasp a bit of the slag from that bin. The slag is called bloom, and we need to beat the hell out of it with a hammer to drive out the slag and purify the iron. Do it right and you each can take some with you, get your payment and leave."

Auron followed the instructions to a tee, first grabbing the tongs and grasping a sample of slag. He'd bring it over to the anvil, and the blacksmith would take the tongs from him. He'd hold it in place firmly upon the anvil, and Auron would grab ahold of one of the hammers. Following this, the Yamaguchi would raise the hammer and slam it against the slag. He'd continue this process of beating the slag until its form changed and its purity was optimal. "Alright stop....good job. Here take your payment, and grab a sample of refined ore on your way out. You did good."

"Thank you, I'll take my leave now. See ya around, Grey."

With that, Auron would collect his payment and sample of refined jade and be out. He'd return towards the village, and enter the inn. After a long and strenuous day, all he wanted to do was bathe and sleep.

- Exit -

WC = 482. TWC = 3392 (2910 Already Spent)
Claimed Mission Rewards: 8,000 Ryo / 40 AP / 1x Refined Jade
C Rank MN Bonus: 2,000 Ryo
482 WC Towards Way of the Wicked (901/1500); Rest trained here

Auron Yamaguchi wrote:- Exit -

WC = 482. TWC = 3392 (2910 Already Spent)
Claimed Mission Rewards: 8,000 Ryo / 40 AP / 1x Refined Jade
C Rank MN Bonus: 2,000 Ryo
482 WC Towards Way of the Wicked (901/1500); Rest trained here

 
Partial Approval

Approved: Thread Exit and WC claims

Not Approved: Mission Rewards and Bonus Commission
- Mission Rewards and Commission are being withheld pending completion of mission WC requirements.

He had been walking through the land of fire for some time with a scroll in his hand, a cloak on his body and eyes searching for a job location. He had based himself in the Land of Fire for some time now since he had lost contact with his original group, worried but concerned about their whereabouts he would push through the forested area with a smile on his face. He had never been to the land of fire and he wondered how their pleasures were. Its men. Its women and everything in between. Even the food, maybe he would stop by Konoha to see about that Ichiraku Ramen the world always talked about. None the less he would continue moving, opening up the scroll for a moment he would look at the map once more and scratch his head," It seems I am heading the right way but i don't see any facility or even people...oh wait," a sudden moment of clarity filled his brain as he activated the Byakugan in his left eye and scanned the area. Why didn't he do this sooner was unknown to him, but no time like the present. Smiling he would head in the direction of where there were a few chakra signatures. In the distance he could see the village of Konoha as well, the massive amount of chakra signautres noted that, so after this he would go and partake in their heavenly delights after this mission. He was the last to show up to the meeting spot, as he could see two others there presumably waiting or already undergoing the task. He'd arrive just after they had finished talking but no sooner than them leaving to get the actual task done. Taking in a deep breath he would look over who he assumed was the requester and smiled," Sorry i'm late. I am the last person that undertook your help request. Hoori at your service...Hope I am not too late to bang out some ore?," the man was not pleased with the joke but at least Hoori was pleased with it. Turning on away from the Hyuga he would instruct him to go join the others in shoveling and never to make such a disgustingly bad joke again.

A small sigh escaped his lips as he shrugged and walked over to where Grey and Auron were originally as they were shoveling. Looking around he would grab a spare shovel and begin to shovel some of the raw materials into the forge fire. While his Byakugan had been deactivated, in his other eye the bloodline granted to him by the Pendragons would activate to peer into the true nature of the ore and he smiled a bit. So this eye was useful for a many great things and he was...intrigued at the purity that this ore had the potential of becoming. Through the draconian eye that sat within his skull he could only imagine the endless possibilities that he could use it for. He would continue to shovel the ore into the furnace adding a rhythm to it as he did it. While the other two had been talking, Hoori stayed to himself pretty much shoveling one at a time until he had seen the blacksmith come over to the other two, and motion over to Hoori to come on over. Sticking the shovel into the ore he would deactivate his Dracosight and walk over, smiling to the blacksmith with a few beads of sweat on his brow," You really have some diamonds in the rough here when it comes to your ore," the blacksmith would be visibly confused on how he would be able to take a look at a rock and see that, but he didn't ask and Hoori wouldn't speak on it. Walking with them over to the area where they would finish the process. Showing them how to grab the slag and beat it until it had been pure, Hoori had a question for the master smith," I'm no expert in blacksmithing, but aren't there different techniques to beat out the impurities? From my time traveling to the land of fire i had the opportunity to pick up some things from a rather generous smith and he stated that were different types of hammering techniques. Two that he had mention were the parallel technique and Half-face techniques. I'm assuming we are using the most basic of hammering techniques since the jade needs to be in an optimal state?," the blacksmith would look at him for a moment. At first it was an odd look then it turned to a look of approval.

As he was assisting Auron, he would answer Hoori's question without an attitude which was a first for their interaction," At first I thought you were stupid but I guess I was wrong. Yes there are many hammering styles but the one we are going to use will be the basic strike. The ones you described are more for making weapons and manipulating metals. With this we are only needing to beat out any impurities as well. As this lad is doing just fine. After him and his friend here step up and then we will see if you can put your knowledge to use." Hoori would fall silent and watch as Auron bang onto the bloom creating a beautiful process as he did it. With the process finished, he would watch as Auron received his refined Jade and now it was the other males turn. Motioning to him, he would usher Grey on and watch to see how he would do it. With any luck he would watch as the male began to create a work of art similar to Auron and then it would finally be his own turn to use the hammer for once. Time to put the actual knowledge to practical use. Crossing his arms he would watch silently unless Grey had said anything to him, watching each stroke and slam of the hammer as sparks flew to create a masterpiece.

1017/2000

As he allowed himself to take a break, standing slightly to the side, Grey could feel drops of sweat running down his face. The heat they had to work in was hard to handle, the excruciating temperature making for extreme working conditions. The environment they found themselves in would be enough to cause many a man and woman to faint. All the more reason the swordsman gained a newfound respect for those having to deal with these kind of situations almost every single day, even if they could sometimes appear as rather blunt, to put it nicely. However, if he were to be in their place his mood wouldn't improve either. 

Catching his breath, Grey would watch as Auron took a turn handling the intense warmth coming from the forge. The fellow miner, at least for one day, shifted his posture and positioned himself. Close to the storage bins and on the other side of the Hyuuga, were piles of the raw jade ore. He continued to observe, noting how shovels were swung and pierced the pile, lifting it onto the tools and bringing it towards the entrance of the forge. The first cycle would be completed, the jade coming into contact with the extremely hot flames which in turn melted the ore.

Once he felt comfortable enough to handle the heat, Grey would come and stand closer to Auron, further engaging in a little bit of small talk in order to kill some time. It would turn out to be a long day, all the more reason to try and make it pass faster by making conversation inbetween the work and shoveling. His temporary colleague responded to the question he got asked earlier, explaining to be a practitioner of Bukijutsu, a field Grey was all too familiar with as well. Hoping to one day create and augment his own weapons, the toned swordsman decided to learn more about blacksmithing, potentially aiding him in said endeavor.

Having answered the question and sharing his story, Auron would ask about Grey's deal in return. "Probably a bit similar to yours" he started off, explaining he too was living a life that required him to need both money and equipment. For now he would leave out any information about his past, not mentioning anything about Konohagakure and how he escaped the village for various reasons. "It used to be just me and my mom, so as the man of the house I had to make sure we were able to get around each month". He explained and talked about all the little jobs he did, collecting as much ryo as possible to allow themselves to live comfortably.

The second part and major reason as to why he threw himself at work every chance he got, could be found in the people around him. "Besides my mother I have a couple of other people I consider family" Grey would refer to Aihara and Cid. The small child that was taken in by him after losing her parents and the red haired pirate he befriended after ending up at the Port Town in Fire Country. "You could say we have a dream, and for that we need money". The three of them had never made it a secret they wanted to buy a ship one day, traveling around the world.

He knew it wasn't the most interesting story out there, so he could understand if Auron decided not to pay too much attention to anything Grey was saying. In the meantime the Hyuuga noticed how his companion grabbed hold of his shovel and focused his attention on the blend of melted jade and charcoal at the bottom of the forge. As the two of them started to feel more comfortable around each other, engaging in small talk, the pale swordsman could see someone approach both men. An individual resembling nothing more than a twig would weasel his way over towards the forge, carrying a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other. 

The thin man watched as Auron and Grey spoke to each other while simultaneously working. From the looks of it he appeared rather annoyed with the fact that the Hyuuga was in the middle of taking a break, making sure rules were being followed the only thing he would care about. With a physique like his it made sense they didn't allow him anywhere near the forge, his scrawny body looking as if it could break any second now. From the corner of his eye Grey stared at the frustrated individual, thinking to himself how someone like him ever ended up at the outskirts walking around with nothing but a clipboard.

As a trained individual himself, and knowing Auron was as well due to practicing the art of bukijutsu, Grey couldn't help but feel superior to the twig, even if that man was supposed to be his superior. The little pest, there was no better way to describe the poor excuse of a human being, would suddenly speak up, his voice as ridiculous as his appearance. He made a comment about Auron slacking while in truth he simply started to feel the effects of all the hard work he'd done so far. To the Hyuuga that remark was all the more proof that the rat had no idea how it felt having to work in a heat as excruciating as the one they were in. 

Despite hearing the words of the annoying man, Auron would pause from shoveling to look over his shoulder. It was clear that he was frustrated by the comments but he refrained from speaking and turned his focus back towards the fire. It was obvious that the three of them lived in different worlds, Grey and his companion used to manual labor, knowing what it meant to get their hands dirty. Whereas the little twig only spent his time walking around with a clipboard in hand, enforcing rules while others were actually putting in all the work.

Trying his best to ignore the remarks, holding back any anger he had in his body because he didn't want to mess things up for Auron and himself, Grey would nod sarcastically but without showing how he truly felt. "I'll keep that in mind" the Hyuuga responded, wearing a fake smile on his face. If it wasn't for the fact that he needed the money and that he didn't want to be responsible for his fellow blacksmith to lose out on any of the rewards, the swordsman would have already dealt with the scrawny individual who appeared to be trying his utmost best to be a pain in the ass.

And then, almost as if they were being saved by the gods, the owner of the blacksmithy interfered with the situation and made sure Randle, which apparently was the rat's name, left the interns alone. "Thank you sir, it was hard dealing with him". In the meantime a third individual showed up, announcing himself as the last part who'd be helping out with the mining mission. Making his introduction as Hoori, the young man joined Auron and Grey as the boss of the place invited the three of them to show them the ropes of blacksmithing. Giving a friendly nod at the newcomer, the Hyuuga then followed behind.

The first one to give it a shot would be Auron, following the boss' advice on how to handle the ore. As Grey watched closely, making sure not to miss any steps, the newcomer known as Hoori would speak up and inquire about a couple of things regarding the process. His questions were answered before it was finally the swordsman's turn to give it a try. He would take place behind the anvil and grab the tools available to him. Before he would start, the young male repeated the information mentally, playing off the images inside his head.

Just how Auron did, Grey followed the instructions the best he could. He grabbed the tongs and grasped a small amount of slag before bringing it over to the anvil, the blacksmith taking over the tongs from him. With the man's assistance he then used one of the hammers and slammed it against the slag. Grey would repeat and continue the same process over and over, beating the slag until its form changed and it purified brilliantly. Wiping away the sweat the young Hyuuga was pleased with the result, and so was the boss. "Thank you". With a slight bow Grey expressed his gratitude for learning a valuable lesson upon being handed the mission reward as well as a piece of refined jade.

He then stayed behind for a little longer to watch Hoori handle the ore, Auron already having taken his leave by then. Assuming the third member of the party was successful in his endeavor as well, Grey would thank him for his help before heading out so he could return to Aihara and Cid who were probably wondering where he was. 

(Exit)

(TWC: 2008)
Claims:
- 2000/2000 Pureblood
- 40 AP
- Mission rewards (8.000 ryo, 40 AP, 1x Refined Jade)

Hoori continued to watch as the process shifted from Auron to Grey, his eyes focusing the process Grey was about to perform. Much like Auron he did the same steps with the assistance of the blacksmith. This was interesting because he could have sworn he could see a weapon swinging arm each time he swung the hammer to strike the jade. How curious indeed. He didn't ask much about the male as he walked up just so he could concentrate on his task at hand, creating the perfect jade. Each whack and banging of the hammer caused a symphony within the head of Hoori, almost synonymous with the soft sound the bow makes when he pulls the bowstring back and releases it. Such a sound he honestly missed in the thrill of battle as he released arrow after arrow at his unsuspecting foes. He had almost lost himself in the sauce as Grey had finished his attempt. Stepping up to the plate he would turn to Grey before he had left just to speak," I know we don't know one another but if you're still within the area lets hang out. Don't meet many people this area and its in poor taste to drink alone. I'm told I am quite the drinking partner so anytime you want to enjoy a drink on someone come find me. I won't be hard to find," he'd give the male a thumbs up before waiting for a response and once he did he would step up to the anvil and look to the blacksmith. There was an exchange of looks before the smith handed the hammer to the Hyuga and spoke," Go ahead. Let's see if you can put that knowledge to use. At first i thought you an idiot that didn't know any better. Still do. Prove me wrong boy," the words were both encouraging and intimidating as he rolled his shoulders and took off the cloak that had been making him sweat quite profusely.

Removing the cloak his actual appearance of Hoori could be seen. The white hair glistened with sweat and the most notable and odd in a sense feature of his would be those long pointed ears. Taking the hammer into his hand he would begin to swing at the bloom as sparks began to fly, each stroke of his moving in a way that would both flatten and purify the jade in the process. Using a combination of a basic hammer technique and the parallel technique, he would create a unique shape out of the jade as a test of his knowledge. The blacksmith had been quite surprised to see someone who didn't seem as if they had wielded a sword in their life to do this good. The others were probably better practitioners of the blade, but Hoori had been a master of the bow. While he worked, the black smith would inquire about how it was he knew how to strike and where despite not seeming like he was good with a weapon," Well to answer your question its kind of simple. I don't use swords or any kind of bladed weaponry, however I have been using a bow all of my life. You could say its one of the reasons i was kicked out of my family and my home. I didn't stick to the norms and found myself tilting to something else...something better. With using a bow you have to have an acute eye. The ability to see details both minor and major. And above all. The ability to perceive those things in between the lines as well. I guess you could say," as he continued to bang the hammer he would stop for a moment and wipe his brow," using the bow gave me an alternative outlook, but one similar to using a blade i guess?," and with that he would continue in his process of refining the jade.

The blacksmith was honestly impressed with the knowledge the male had. Hoori definitely wasn't the brains like Shin had been. That man had knowledge that still surpassed that of Hoori, but he was by no means stupid. His intelligence was often hidden due to the fact that having too many geniuses in one pool would cause issues, and that was not needed. Instead he stuck to his guns and stayed as the eyes to see what Shin might not. Its because he focused on those individual strengths it made him able to see things people would miss, with or without his Byakugan. A couple of strokes would go by as Hoori focused intently, but not too much to where he would mess up and have to start again. Three strikes, six strikes and after the ninth he would stop and look at the jade from a far and then up close as the blacksmith did the same. Both looked to each other and then the jade before the blacksmith laughed and patted Hoori on the back," Good job lad. You three really know how to do smith. You might be greenhorns, but you have the stuff of legends. Keep it up and you might even put someone like me out of business," whether he was serious or not Hoori would not question, but he would take the compliment nonetheless. He'd let the jade sit on the anvil for a moment slowly judging when it would be able to be picked up by the Hyuga. After a few moments he would take the jade into his hands and smile in reverence of a job well done. Sliding the jade into his pockets, he would be stopped by the smith who would also hand him a bag of Ryo," Good job. Here's your payment as well. Stop by anytime you want to do some work around here...i could use some competent hands around here," he looked in the direction of Randal...randolf...whatever his name was. Chuckling he would nod and pocket the money before walking off and heading toward Tanzaku Town for a night of drinking and debauchery.
WC: 1010
TWC: 2027
20 stats
25 tickets
81 words toward Deadeye completing it
1946 words toward Sharpshooter's Touch
Claimed Mission Rewards: 8,000 Ryo / 40 AP / 1x Refined Jade