Placing an accursed marking [Roki x Baruga]

The time was somewhere around the sun’s greatest peak, 2 or 3 PM. Everything was still rather tame, nothing wild had occurred throughout the day so far besides a normal training and workout that had already been done previously in the day. There wasn’t too much sound from the hustle and bustle of a nice summer’s day coming from outside. No real goal for the day either. It was just some time to relax, take a little bit of a break. Things were going as smooth as they could be.

However, Hiroki Shimada knew that this peace and quiet wouldn’t last too long. For every hour of vacation, 2 hours of work always seemed to pop up. Much like the story of slaying a hydra, for every one head cut two would appear from where it stood. And so, the older teen had predicted that eventually at least someone would show for some kind of seal. While his notoriety within the village had reached a point to where most Kumon in would know that if they ever needed one placed, to come to his home which was on the edge of the village. A relatively decent sized one, and it would serve as a temporary place until he could go about convincing Nobo to add a Sealing Corps building. That was all in due time though, and eventually, hopefully, it would come to fruition.

Over the past few weeks, there has been a few changes within Roki’s life though. For starters, what once was black and white dyed hair that was split evenly down the middle along a vertical line was now white and red, still along the center going vertically. Along with it, his hair had grown longer, enough to where it could be seen that there was a new center part to the hairstyle, instead of it all being brushed one certain way. Not only was there this, but there was a new addition to the household; his dire wolf, Shichiro. The aptly named seventh son who was destined to be the familiar of the Shimadan was casually chilling out, sitting in a corner near the door. If anyone had approached the ajar entryway, the wolf would be the first to know.

WC: 374

The thing is, Baruga knew she didn't need this seal. Technically speaking, anyways.

In a vacuum environment, she had a solid game plan. Her clan techniques as well as her Sage Mode should be enough to supplement her entire career as a kunoichi well into old age, and she had an entire dynasty's worth of royalty to retire to, once she had her fill of the ninja lifestyle. She was set for life — had been, ever since she was a child — and there really was no need for any further contrivances.

The world was not a vacuum environment, however. And Baruga would rather not die a cold death.

The sun was high in the sky, and provided some well-appreciated warmth in the usual cold of the mountain ranges that Kumogakure was based within. Dressed comfortably, Baruga made eye contact with Shichiro the moment she saw him, her cool blue eyes easily staring down the wolf's own.

"Good afternoon."

She addressed the wolf, moving slowly until it was certain that she could approach the door without any issue. Calmly and almost serenely, Baruga knocked on the doorframe a few times, before letting herself into the house once she was allowed to — or before the entire conversation grew awkward, whichever came first.

"You look different than what I expected."

She only really ever saw him perhaps once in passing, but upon hearing about this frankly astounding and infamous opportunity, Baruga had done her homework and researched Shimada Hiroki. This included pictures. Red and white was a far cry from the black and white, but the style was similar to what she'd seen. Still, it provided a neat contrast with her own blue and black.

"Apologies for my lack of manners, I'm Baruga. I'd heard rumors of your work, Shimada-san. I'm interested."

The Cetacean Sage stood up straight as she addressed him, putting a hand on a chair. If he invited her to sit, she would it. If he didn't, then she would not.

Her current attire — a button-up shirt, well-fitting slacks, dress shoes, hoop earrings — almost screamed civilian, but a very specific type of civilian. She was here for business. And yet, there was something about it that was... professionally beautiful, in the objective sense.

---

WC: 373

A presence would be detected by the wolf as whoever it was would get within 15 meters of the Shimada Estate. The smell of the sea in particular with it’s sodium rich nature was picked up. Telepathically, Shichiro would relay this information to the man who was sitting just beyond the threshold into a different room, what was made to be a study of sorts. ”Hey, kid. Someone’s coming this way. Their chakra signature seems a tad bit stronger than yours, so keep your eyes peeled.” To which, the Seventh Sage of the Seventh Scale would rise from his seated position, and turn around while leaning up against the chair in which he was once sitting in. This was done so that way the Chunin would be able to see who was entering upon them doing so. Shichiro would also rise before they could come in, standing only a foot under the height of the woman who would eventually enter into the room.

Shortly after, a female voice could be heard calling from outside, speaking a simple greeting. Shichiro, upon making eye contact with the kunoichi, would seemingly lead her into the other room where Roki was by motioning with his little wolven head into that particular direction, before then moving several paces into that other room. And from around the corner, the lady would then most likely appear, standing there at 6 feet tall with blue locks highlighting the other raven-esque mane of hair on top of the lasses head. While the lad didn’t exactly know this person like how he knew his friends, there still was at least the prior knowledge of who they were. And also with that similar note, he’d be lying to say that she was truly like a beauty pulled from the depths of an ocean. A warm smile would be utilized to greet her upon the entrance that she made, and small chuckle would come out from Hiroki as she mentioned the physical change of his hair. ”Indeed, just as surely as time must continue to flow, I decided it was time to mix things up a bit. But, please. There’s no need to apologise.” He’d start to say to Baruga, the daughter of Lightning Countries Daimyo, and soon to be heiress-apparent.

Hiroki would also stand up straight as the finely dressed kunoichi had mentioned she was here for a business matter. Most likely a seal of some sorts, for that’s one of the things that he was particularly known for. ”My work? Well, that can easily be done. If you don’t mind following me, your highness.” The last few words which left his lips would be said with grace and a lighthearted manner to the tone. Not quite in a mocking manner, but more of a small jest for he wasn’t entirely sure if the Ryoinsatsu had expected such formalities. But regardless, learning from his lesson on addressing others with the Raikage, it was still said just to be safe.

As long as the genin would follow, the 18 year old would lead her back to a further room within the first floor of the house, through a small dining room, and beyond a locked door. Inside, there was a plethora of shelves and bookcases lined to the brim with books and scrolls of all variety; with this room in particular clearly being another room that could be used for work. Unlike the last though, from appearance alone, this room was more tailored to suit sealing work, instead of just day to day tasks. Also within this some room were two chairs, one looked more intricate than the other, taking on the looks of a chair that one would sit in while getting a tattoo. This was all positioned next to a comfortable looking, low riding table. Padded, also clearly meant to be something that someone can comfortably lie down on in case the chair didn’t suit what they were getting specifically.

Shichiro would follow into the work space after Baruga, and once she was inside, the dog would grab the handle of the door with his maw and slightly pull it shut, leaving it open only slightly open. After doing this, he’d meander on over to Hiroki’s right hand side, taking a seated position but didn’t fully lie down on all fours. With the same sided hand, Roki would reach to place it atop the black and white furred mutt’s head before posing the question to the ebony skinned beauty ”So tell me, what is the heiress of the Daimyo looking to get? I can place all manner’s of seals. If you’re still unsure of what exactly you’d like, just whatever effect you’d be looking for would do, and I’d be able to see what I can find for that.” There was a calmness and an ease to what he was saying, and how he was saying it. Each word with a soothing, well-mannered tone.

WC: 824
TWC: 1198

Baruga was surprised to hear the man wax poetic as his first words to her. Then again, she supposed that anyone touched by nature chakra was a little bit barmy — herself included. The gods and their kamuy knew that she had enough internal philosophy and incoherent thoughts to fill out her fair share of sutras. Something about nature chakra simply made one that much closer to the universe. The thought would be incomprehensible to Baruga of years past, who was too self-centered and absorbed in her own success, but the Baruga of today could understand why the man spoke that way.

"Please. If you were to call me anything, it would be Your Lordship."

After all, the daimyo was more of a lord, rather than any sort of king or queen — she could see the analogies, but the governmental system was vastly different from any of the foreign nations that favored a more centralized monarchy. She knew she was practically a shoe-in for her father, in most people's eyes.

Following the younger man through his house to presumably what would be a work office or a library, Baruga mildly noted the décor. Fitting for a scholar and a sealing master, after all — one could only imagine the amount of literature and references that they would need in order to ensure their greatest chance of success. The last room caught her eye especially, in that it was less of a scholarly area, and more of a tattoo parlor.

Well, that's what she was here for, she supposed.

Baruga took a seat in the tattoo recipient's chair, knowing damn well what that meant.

"I'll be quite frank, Shimada-san, and confess that as a result of my status and position, I can very easily sort through my father's mail. Quite innocuous, in a vacuum — after all, every child has that chore when they're five or so — except that my father learns things that the common man does not."

Taxes. State secrets. The size and value of Kumogakure's shinobi forces. Betrayals, scandals, debts. Oh, yes, Baruga was a kunoichi in service to Kumogakure, the Village Hidden in the Clouds — but she was also her father's first line of defense and information when it came to the dealings between Kumogakure and Lightning Country's own royal courts.

Slowly, seductively, Baruga crossed her legs. Her arms rested lightly on the chair so purposefully designed and placed in this room.

"When I got wind of your particular brand of enhancement seals, I was interested. Fuujin's Juinjutsu, to be precise."

Blue orbs flickered with ambition and acknowledgement.

"I'll cut to the chase. I want it. And I'm willing to talk about philosophy and rationale and justification all day, if you feel that I'm undeserving or spoiled or whatever caricature the shinobi corps paints of me. In the end, the world is dangerous, I fear for my life, I require power, and I'm willing to make sacrifices. Make of that as you will."

She folded her hands in her lap and awaited his response.

---

WC: 510
TWC: 883

A little head scratch was given to the fully grown dire wolf as the Daimyo’s daughter would proceed to speak on what exactly brought her here to see the fuinjutsu specialist. His eyes would lock onto the kunoichi’s, before turning to face the dog as she gave the specifications of wanting a juinjutsu, more specifically, the one in which Hiroki had made himself. Shichiro would also look up to Roki, while his thoughts wouldn’t be heard by the Ryoinsatsu, he heard the familiar say ”That’s a rough one. You really think she could handle the Curse Mark? It’s dangerous stuff kid.”

The Chunin would then turn around as she was giving the reasons as to why she had wanted to obtain one, and this was the reason why that it was decided Baruga would be getting one. Quite frankly, the Shimadan prankster had a soft spot for people like her. Just wanting to find their true purpose and meaning to life; he couldn’t help but see a tiny bit of himself when he was younger inside her soul as well. The same spark of passion and drive to become the greatest that one could achieve for themselves. ”There’s no need to fret…” He’d start by saying, both hands being placed upon the counter he was leaning against previously, before motioning with one of them ”Shichiro, grab me the scroll, you know where it is.” And upon saying that, the wolf would visibly roll it’s eyes at the remark, indicating that it understood speech and possessed a high level of intellect. But, they’d still proceed to walk towards one of the shelves in the corner. Standing upon it’s two hind legs, the beast would reach up to one of the top cubby areas, snatching a rolled up, very aged piece of parchment, before carrying it back to where Roki is and placing it upon the counter.

All the while, Hiroki had moved to one of the cabinets while explaining the very basics of this. ”I will place the Curse Mark upon you. But you should know a few things first. The most important is, unfortunately the seal is a bit volatile in it’s placement, and isn’t always a guaranteed success. Luckily though, I’ve managed to override the usual clause for most other juinjutsu if a failure were to occur. Instead of death, you’d simply have a bit less energy than you would now, and no amount of training would be enough to fully get all of it back.” In this instance was when Shichiro would be seen putting the scroll down, and would go back into a seated position. ”On a success though, you’ll be granted a numerous amount of things because of the seal. First, it’s effects are quite nice, lot’s of battlefield control capabilities lie within it. You’ll also be able to eventually gain a transformation which ties in with Raijin and Fuijin, as well as the enhancement benefits, but you already knew that part at least.”

Hiroki would then open the cabinet that he was standing in front of, producing a glass cup from within and resting it atop the counter, as well as a bone which he’d hand over to the dire wolf. Turning back around, the voice of the man would continue onward, his blue eyes locking onto, and almost getting lost in, the ocean that was Baruga’s own two eyes. ”On either a success or a fail, you’ll feel extremely fatigued afterwards, so feel free to pick your liquid courage if needed, and lastly, I just need to know where you’d like it placed. It can be done on either the shoulder blade, neck, or chest, your Lordship.” The first part of the commentary was also given a visual gesture which pointed to the open cabinet, showing several bottles of different kinds of alcohol.

WC: 639
TWC: 1837

Well, there were worse prices for power. She'd heard of puppeteers who'd lopped their arms off for self-enhancements, and gouging one's eyes out for the spare Sharingan or Byakugan wasn't entirely unheard of, these days. Some people even used others' bodies for their techniques, if the rumors were true. And not to mention the other horrors that have been archived from decades past...

Well. A loss of stamina wouldn't be the worst thing, and in the worst case scenario, she could possibly try to make up for that weakness in different ways. One didn't need to last long on a battlefield, they simply needed to be more efficient.

Baruga's eyes wandered, watching the scroll, then Hiroki's hands. He had... nice hands. Was that a strange statement to make? Probably.

"Yes, I've already determined that the risks outweigh the benefits. Its interactions with Water Release techniques by itself makes it a lucrative prospect for my skillset... Not to mention the other known effects."

A sore truth existed currently — Baruga could only use Cetacean Sage Mode for a limited amount of time during a fight. Generally, it should be enough, but if her time ran out, then she would be trying to sustain a battlefield presence that was weaker than when she started.

If she could use this Fuinjutsu, then she could last for an incredible amount of time during a fight, all without missing a beat. A perfectly sustainable burst of power which would outlast any singular blitz from a potential enemy...

That, by itself, was every long-range specialist's wet dream. No, any ninjutsu specialist's wet dream, especially those who knew the potency of close-range specialists.

Baruga met Hiroki's blue eyes with her own, and she felt a certain respect for him that hadn't really arisen before. No questions? Simply allowing her access to one of his more dangerous augmentations?

There were times where she despised shinobi and their barbaric ways, and she was one of the more vocal critics of the village's pseudo-anarchist traditions. But gods, she loved Kumogakure when it worked in her favor. Power for the sake of having power, without question, without even an alibi... Baruga barked out a laugh, holding her knuckles to her lips. Long live the Village Hidden in the Clouds, indeed!

"Hah! Cheers, then."

With that, she got up, took the glass, and found a case of some very strong whiskey. She recognized the brand — it had a very telltale black-and-white design. Baruga knocked the cap off with a flick of her middle finger and took a long, three-second gulp of the whiskey straight from the bottle. She threw her head back, her neck visibly flexing as she chugged, before grunting as she felt the bitter taste burn down her throat.

Then, and only then, did she actually pour herself a glass of the stuff, this time to take with her. Setting the whiskey on the cabinet, Baruga took the glass with her as she approached the chair, swaying her hips, nursing her cup between her manicured fingers.

"I do have to at least attempt to look professional at times, so I'll have it on my shoulder blades. It should be a fun story to tell, at the very least. I assume this folds?"

Readjusting the chair so that she'd be able to press her chest against it, Baruga nonchalantly started unbuttoning her shirt, top to bottom, before puffing out her chest and sliding her shirt off of her body. She threw the piece of clothing to the corner of the room.

An intricate white bra hung on her frame, highlighting a perfect swimmer's body and a figure that could get her on whatever magazine she wanted. Taking another swig of her drink, Baruga took a seat on the tattoo chair, setting the cup down for easy access.

Then she unclipped the back of her bra, and combed her hair so that it fell off her left shoulder. Her bare back was completely visible.

"Right, I'm ready. It's my first tattoo, so don't balls it up, mate."

---

WC: 674
TWC: 1557

Ah, good.

The words echoing from the cetacean sage’s direction merely reflected upon the previously mentioned phrase; she did indeed do her research. Her prior knowledge of some of the other benefits to this curse mark were extremely helpful in the sense where Hiroki wouldn’t have had to ramble on about the other ones which he didn’t mention in the briefing comments. Turning his back to her once more, the lass would be able to hear a chuckle after her first response, his voice quickly retorting ”That it would be. Can never go wrong with a bit of paralysis, and this is speaking from experience in two life or death combat instances.” For that saying was entirely based upon the whole truth; in both of the missions where he was tasked with taking a threat down, paralysis and stunning them had played a vital part in actually landing the killing blow. It was something from his particular skillset that he wished to pass down to others knowing it’s immediate power on the battlefield.

After hearing the next comment made, with the immediate, faint shuffling of feet across the tiled floor, Hiroki would smile while now unfurling the parchment and laying it flat before him. Making sure to give it a thorough glancing to make sure he could fully remember each and every aspect which went into actually forming the seal. Clink clank the cup and bottle that Baruga had opened would go, the glass knocking against the wooden cabinet tops, as each and every portion of the formulae began to reengrave itself into the thoughtful mind of the Seal Specialist. Once this was memorized, and while she continued on talking about where she would like the mark placed, a flick of his left hand was made; palm stretched out facing upwards. Another glass, and that same bottle of whatever alcohol would be pulled from the shelf and somehow pour itself on it’s own. Once halfway full, the bottle would be capped, and the glass would float towards the outstretched hand. Each tendon and muscle of it, down to the very fibers of the flanges would be seen delicately wrapping itself around the cup. Tilting his head slightly to the side, unknowingly catching a glimpse of the bra being thrown into the corner and smirking because of it, Hiroki would take a sip from it. Letting the alcohol linger across the taste buds, the burning sensation quickly passing over enough to take a gulp and down the rest of it.

”Right. For modesty’s sake, let’s get to work then.”

Roki would now move to position himself where he was standing behind ebony skinned enchantress’s left shoulder blade. Leaning down a tad, he’d whisper to her with a caring tone, the young lad would proceed to inform her ”First I will activate Sage Mode to ensure the Curse Mark will be able to have more power within it. Then I will go about placing the juinjutsu.” With that being said, the Seventh Sage would cycle through a numerous amount of seals, first, as he said, entering Sage Mode, to enhance the natural vigor in which he possessed. Then even more would be made, followed by his right hand reaching out to where it was only an inch above the surface of her lordship’s left shoulder; all of his chakra being concentrated into this extended hand.

Hopefully, this placement wouldn’t cause too much pain for Baruga, but regardless, the mark of Fuijin wouldn’t appear until a few moments after, so he couldn’t speak about whether it was successful or not quite yet.

WC: 599
TWC: 2436

Techs Used:

Pure Sage Mode- 50 AP, +90 to Vigor & Chakra
Vigor: 215
Chakra: 170
Fuijin’s Juinjutsu- 65 AP, Power: 215, Speed: 215

Will be needing d100 roll for placement, odds of failure: 1-20, odds of success: 21-100

The member 'Kosuke Sashihara' has done the following action : Roll Dice/Flip Coin

---

'100 sided dice' : 65