Tit-for-Tat

[S-Rank] Impregnable Fortress

Ryo Reward: 10,000 Ryo
AP Reward: 50 AP
Extra: 1x Titanium

Mission WC: 7,500 WC

Preparing for a small excursion there had been a simple mission that piqued the Forgemaster’s interest. There was apparently a mission involving some rare crafting material needing of assistance in the collection of it. Being the opportunist that they are, Quinn signed up within a heartbeat upon seeing it. Disregarding that it was an S-Rank mission, the Blacksmith kept an eye out for the crew that would be departing to the borders of Sky in hope to help the excavation team to obtain some of the rare material or Titanium. There was a handful of shinobi outside of Quinn that was on the team for the day though Quinn’s one track kind did not let them pay too much attention. The concern and direction they had was to get in, do what they can to expedite the crew to return as soon as possible.

With the expedition crew captain calling off the roster to make sure everyone was there, early on the call outs would have Quinn’s name called. For the sake of not making a fuss or issues with a more than it was worth, the rather boisterous blacksmith simple replied to the call out of their name as such, “Quinn Foster. Present.” Before the rest of the roll call continued on. Once the roll call was completed, everyone with mining equipment began to pack up their gear to head out into the land. With the village defense in play it was unlikely to encounter issues but it was still something to be concerned at which point that was why the Shinobi of Otogakure were requested for such a task. Considering the ranking of the mission, it was possible to encounter difficulties within the mine, on either leg of the journey to and from the mine, or some other instance of time.

With that done, a pickaxe strapped to the hip of the Forgemaster, the expedition crew into the borders of Sky would send off. The journey itself would take some time and as such there was time to kill before the actual mining and processing of the rare material Titanium. There was much to learn in the usage of the material to Quinn and they were excited to be able to undertake such a mission for the village. The reward itself for the business owner was simply the connection that could be made to help encourage business development as perhaps Quinn could use this opportunity to expand the business into materials if the mission was overly successful. Practical as always though, their mind did not wander into the possibility further than what they were capable of so far. They had a feeling that they could manage possibly getting more out getting materials on an average day but with consideration of this being their first time doing such a task, Quinn figured it would be best to not take any extra chances. With that the traveling portion of the mission began. The sound of the village fading behind them.

WC: 500, TWC: 500 | TMWC: 500/7,500

Raikur woke up early that morning to prepare for his upcoming mission. The young Shokku was set to embark upon his first ever S Rank mission, no small feat for a Genin such as himself. He had ensured that he would do so as he had quite a personal interest in the outcome, Titanium. He had been made aware of the rare material's incredible benefits as he searched for a way to improve his own equipment, its strong properties were well known throughout the lands. If he could get himself some of it, he would be able to use it to not only strengthen his equipment, but to learn from it, perhaps opening up avenues of more bonuses in the future. He could not help but feel quite excited for his upcoming adventure to the borders of the Land of Sky.

Getting out of bed, the young Shokku wore his usual outfit: All black for that extra edginess, accompanied by thick black boots. He liked wearing that type of footwear regardless, but felt like it would be sensible for him to do so given the travel required for their upcoming mission. He had not been made aware of who else would be accompanying him and the mining team, although he would not be surprised if at least one other Shinobi would be present, especially considering the S Rank nature of the mission. Satisfied with his appearance after looking in the mirror, Raikur nodded to himself and left his cozy little home in the Shokku district, making a bee line directly to the meeting point.

Raikur made it right on time, as the crew's captain began checking names off the roster for the day. A familiar name rang out from the lips of the captain, the name of a rather unusual individual that Raikur had become acquainted with in the past, good old Quinn Foster. Hearing their response, Raikur made his way over slowly, shuffling past others from the group as their names were also called out. The young Shokku was still quite tired from a large day of training the night before, so upon spotting Quinn and making eye contact, he gave them a polite nod and was about to speak his greetings as his name was called out. "Present." He was about to attempt a greeting once more, but found himself interrupted for a second time as the captain yelled out for the crew to begin their journey, walking at the front of the group to lead the way.

As the entire group moved, Raikur moved next to Quinn and finally got the opportunity to speak to them. "Good morning Forgemaster, it has sure been a while." In truth, the Shokku had been quite busy as of late, missing the opportunity to train or interact with the other Genin in Oto. Although he often preferred being solitary in his spare time, it felt good to be around familiar faces every now and then. Even if said faces would speak pointedly and often not giving signs of any emotion. "If I recall correctly, the last time I actually saw you would have been during the Festival of Sound, although we did not get the opportunity to interact." Raikur remembered being impressed by Quinn's performances during the festival, they had clearly put a lot of effort into impressing the village and Otokage.

"I must say, they should be calling you Otokage now considering your surprisingly easy win against him in the Tournament of Power. Although I have a sneaking suspicion that Lord Otokage was probably not too interested in deleting a promising Oto Genin from the history books just yet." By now, the village was completely out of site for the group as they continued their long and arduous journey.

---

TWC: 629
TMWC: 1,129/7,500

With the pickaxe and hand and the crew moving, there was much to take in as Quinn realized they had spotted someone they were friends with they began to feel more confident and comfortable to call some of the other genin that, a friend. Hearing the familiar sound of Raikur from the roll call, Quinn smiled seeing the other genin was approaching to make conversation with the Forgemaster as their journey was a longer one to have to handle and work around until the made fall at the mines. From there they would be either assigned to help dig, help with the refinery process itself, or even just stand guard and look out for the expedition into the mountains and caves within the Land of Sky. Quinn self-selecting due to a special knack they were aware of, and knew how best to mine from their time working around such materials their whole life.

Once their trip began, Raikur was finally able to move next to Quinn to strike up a conversation, with Quinn offering a friendly wave to indicate they were open to the presence of others. "Good Morning Purple Spark." They commentated giving a nod in agreement to their follow-up statement that it had been a while. By this point in time, it would equally be likely for Raikur to tell that Quinn's breathing had deepened from even the Festival of Sound, sounding deeper in the breathes they took and the heft of how their body moved did not match the ease or grace that paralleled it. "Has been busy. Both occupied with tasks. Excellent performance! Musicians deserve the victory." Quinn stated in reference to the actual Showcase itself that others mirrored musicality with only Mubu who matched the presence of sound in the same way as Raikur. "Festivals are busy times. Many eyes. Many ears. Much work to accomplish." The Forgemaster added in as the commentary about the round that they had participated in was brought up. A slight tinge of red came across Quinn's face as a hand moved to scratch the back of their head pickaxe resting on their shoulder as they walked.

"Not my place to be. At most. Position within high echelon. Not material for Otokage," They stated their hand making a waving motion of dismissing the thought. As they were not embarrassed per se, they also felt strongly that they were not a leader innately as such other genin presented or even the multitude of masters and other shinobi who came from Sunagakure in their exodus. "Skilled for sure. Kaito likely surprised. Watching. Spectating. Very different than in front." They added in explaining the eyes they saw Kaito use before they themselves went in for the decisive blow on Kaito's neck that allowed the victory in their favor. "Likely limited his responses. Typically calls me 'Ms. Foster'." Quinn stated mirroring the formality that Kaito tends to use. "After the fight. Called me Quinn. Was surprising for sure! Not an unhappy one." They included before looking towards the group of men and a few women who were in the crew moving forward. "Your fight was quick. Not as quick. But was charged. Hanzo seems different now. After the tournament. Feel a flame burning. Not exactly the right kind." They said finding difficulties in their word choice at this moment in time.

Although not uncommon for Quinn to speak in some broken thoughts, they were almost always complete ones. A perplexed face had etched itself onto Quinn's as the blacksmith seemed confused on how best to address and relay how they have felt about Hanzo's recent affairs. Relaying to Raikur the order the other genin made alongside the latest mission they went on together, the Forgemaster was able to detail the small pieces that were Hanzo and other pieces that felt odd or off to them. Giving a light shrug to the young genin who walked beside them as an older individual Quinn closed their eyes and shook their head. "Not my place. Best not to snoop. Believe you two. Squad and rivalry. Better asked by you. Not by 'Squad Mom'. As Mubu has declared." They included making a mocking but appreciative rendition of Mubu when saying 'Squad Mom'. Giving a light chuckle at this junction of the conversation, it was time for the first rest break for the crew as their ascent into the cave system where they would be working was still a few hundred meters above them, higher in elevation to even some of the lone peaks that remain on the floating island of Otogakure.

The rest break was more to help acclimate individuals who may work in the lower altitude before making upward for the cave system. As much as most people within the region were acclimated to different elevations, simply walking in and out, or up and down in this situation, would prove to be a vital mistake for those not fully prepared so the crew took the moment to rest, eat lunch and get ready for the work ahead. The shinobi of the crew also used this to take up watches nearby to make sure no stray shinobi made their way towards the mining crew as they were in the borders, near other Lands and Countries. Quinn with Raikur beside them ended up being paired together for their watch over the crew and then over the east flank of the path they were taking up. With the mine not too far away from them, the duo was sure to appreciate the rest from walking the past few hours with more walking to come.

WC: 934, TWC: 1,434 | TMWC: 2,063/7,500

Raikur could not help but chuckle at Quinn's greeting. He was not sure if it was humour or a genuine nickname that he had received, but it clearly meant that the Blacksmith had taken not of him at the very least. The young Shokku indeed noticed that somethign was different about Quinn, although he could not put his finger on it at first. It was not the way that they held themself, or the way that they spoke. No that was just as unusual as ever, so nothing new on that front. After a short moment he realised what it was, the Blacksmith's breathing was different. Quinn had taught Raikur the art of Total Concentration Breathing, an incredibly valuable skill, but it was clear that they had recently found a way to progress even further. It was a level well beyond what the young Shokku was clearly capable of at this point, he even had a sneaking suspicion that he would not be able to reach it no matter how hard he tried.

With a tiny smile of approval, Raikur nodded at his companion with respect. "I see you have mastered the art of breathing that you have already taught me so much about. I must say, you are one impressive Shinobi, Little Smith." Raikur began to consider his own progression as of late, somewhat lost deep in thought as he realised he had not yet managed to reach the levels or goals that he had set for himself. These past few weeks had been somewhat frustrating for the young Shokku, the sensation of stagnating in his training was not a feeling that he had become accustomed to and he felt as if he could be doing more for the village as a whole. Raikur made sure to keep quiet about this topic, but his emotions were plastered all over his face.

He gave a slight smile as Quinn praised his performance in the Festival of Sound, "Thank you, I will admit that I put more effort into that performance than I expected to. I also thoroughly enjoyed your performance, your unique style is always a sight to behold." Raikur supressed a chuckle at his companion's shyness, it was not something he was used to seeing on the face of Quinn, who was one of the most reserved people he had ever met. Raikur saw this as the two of them sharing a deeper bond than he anticipated would have been possible, it was for the best though. It was not often that a Shinobi could become the best version of themself without the assistance and support from others.

Quinn's next comment was not one that surprised Raikur, they did not give him the impression of a person who had the aspiration of becoming the head of a village, more likely that of somebody who would prefer to support the village in other ways. That did not stop the young Shokku from poking some fun their way, "But Your Royal Smithness, whatever will this village accomplish without your capable wit and leadership at the helm?" He smirked slightly as he jested. Raikur nodded as Quinn explained the Otokage's change attitude towards them following the Tournament of Sound. "Hmm interesting. It appears that you have more than earned the respect of Lord Kaito with your performance, I can not say that I am surprised though. You did extremely well and he would be foolish not to acknowledge you for it."

Raikur could not help but raise an eyebrow as Quinn mentioned his own fight, followed by the apparent change in Hanzo's attitude or persona afterwards. "I suppose it may have been quick to those of you who watched from the sidelines, but the battle felt like an eternity for me. Hanzo is a difficult opponent to face for me, as the two of us share incredibly similar fighting styles. It was almost as if I was fighting myself, with spookier eyes of course. I will admit, it was a very rewarding experience and even more valuable learning curve for me." He had not actually been able to see Hanzo after their encounter, but Team Sonata would be conducting several missions together soon, so he may receive an opportunity to speak with his team mate about it during then. "I have not had the opportunity to speak with him since, I wonder if our fight had something to do with this."

Raikur was puzzled by Quinn's apparent internal conflict. It appeared as if something was deeply bothering the Blacksmith and he assumed that it had something to do with the topic of Hanzo. Raikur did not pretend to understand what was going on, he had been far removed from the other Genin of the village as of late, so he had a bit of catching up to do to understand what they were all going through."Squad rivalry huh? I guess I never really looked at it that way. I do not exactly look at my fellow Genin as rivals, although I understand that saying so makes me look arrogant. I look to our village leaders as rivals due to how much stronger they are. If I could just catch up to them, I know that I could do some good for this village. But I guess I understand what you are saying, perhaps Hanzo sees me as a rival." Raikur shrugged at the end. "As for Mubu, well I would not listen to him under any circumstances." Raikur practically spat as he spoke Mubu's name, the disdain he felt for his 'fellow' Genin becoming very apparent.

The rest was a much needed one. Raikur took some time to stretch out his sore limbs before pulling out a chicken sandwich that he had prepared for himself in the morning. He would appreciate the views around them as he ate, realising that he had not strayed this far from the village since he and his family had first entered Oto. He was suddenly hit with the curiosity of what lay beyond the lands that he called home. He wondered what it was like in the Great Nations across the sea and how they would react if the existence of Otogakure was finally discovered. He knew that Oto was an isolationist village, but he could not help feel the inevitability that they would soon be revealed to the world. He only hoped that it would not result in the destruction of his home...

"Well, it looks like break time is over Quinn. Forward to the mine." Raikur would then set forth with the rest of the group for the final stretch as the mine became visible.

---

WC: 1,111
TWC: 1,740
TMWC: 3,174

With satisfaction of their conversation complete, Quinn nodded as Raikur commented on the whistle blow indicating for the groups to reform and continue on their path upward into the mine. The remainder of the journey up to the cave entrance that was used as the entry point to the mine was uneventful. The majority of the mining group being burly men, were excited to finally get to work. With the mine being so isolated from the village, it was no wonder they requested more help and extra hands. Considering the journey itself plus the weight of the material being gathered, it was a high-risk situation for sure with concept and circumstance should something go wrong. There were more concerns from Quinn on the travel back as that was when they would have the material after the long day of work. The approach to the mine was filled with heavy thoughts for the blacksmith. As such their face waivered in their standard stoic manner. Shaking their head to move the thoughts around, Quinn trudged on with Raikur at their side.

The Forgemaster was more or less in its natural element. Earth and other malleable materials were about to be within their grasp and they would not let anyone get in their way to get this done. Upon arrival, all attending were given respirators for when they go into the mine, be it for actual help in procurement or just aiding should something go awry. Quinn with a pickaxe already grabbed knew what their job was going to be as they did not wait any longer than allowed to get into the thick of the process. Mining came to Quinn as a second nature to blacksmithing thankfully and had a massive satchel bag on their back before anyone could stop them from doing so, their one-track mind prevailing over others. Not considering whatever task Raikur would be assigned to, they continued and operated with the instructions in mind: gather titanium ore. Pickaxe in hand, the Forgemaster were expedient in their capacity to collect as much as they could. Their strength and endurance prevailed where others were failing. Eventually, in the lower depths of the mines, the satchel carried on the back of the blacksmith would begin to weigh heavily as their pick struck true again and again to the desired ore.

Rolling up their sleeves and adjusting their armband with Otogakure's symbol on it, Quinn adjusted their eyepatch as their focus went from one ore vein to the next without much effort. Eventually, when it came time for the first drop to occur, Quinn's bag ended up taking two lifts to get it assessed for the material they were looking to gather and begin the process of getting a full ingot of Titanium for the group to load up and carry back to Otogakure. With the expeditious process that Quinn was under, they anticipated with everyone's efforts rallying behind Quinn's vigor that they'd make a great time and hopefully circumvent any banditry that may have spotted and were timing their cycle to catch them on the road later once the sun fell behind the horizon. Lost in their own mind it would likely take a massive shift or change to snap them back to their surroundings as they did not talk while the other miners were chatting as they swung their tools with the guard force that was present alongside other administrative bodies that were tracking weights and yields. Continuing the pace once more it was time to unload and the working staff of the team was surprised at the sheer volume that Quinn alone brought up, amassing to allow almost a full second shipment to be available.

---

[Elsewhere in the mines, towards the top.]

"This poses a problem." The Foreman said looking at the raw materials that were being processed. "It appears that our volume has exceeded our capacity for what we anticipated finding and processing today. We'll have to have individuals who are not riding carry a small load to accommodate the extra weight." He added assessing the carts' carrying capacity alongside the bodies that were present. Logistically it would make sense for extra hands who were the accompanying bodies to help carry some of the load and best to not leave it sitting in a mine that was loosely guarded and ripe for banditry which was already a concern this far from the village. Once the numbers were crunched, the crew that was supposed to go down a third time was called off as they swapped priorities to be able to get the shipment prepared to leave and to ride with urgency to not be left carrying the extra load for too long through the wilderness of the Land of Sky.

---

[Back with Quinn/Raikur possibly]

Lower in the mines, it was time to head back up, and the volume that Quinn had mined caused a bit of structural integrity issues. Assuredly, something was bound to happen as the rumble of stone began to indicate a possible cave-in. "Move Quick! Leave tools!" The Forgemaster shouted as they spun the pickaxe in their hand channeling some of their earth chakra into the tool itself. "Shinobi help the miners!" They added firm statements as they pushed for others to move on ahead as their breathing deepened, they dashed quickly and swiftly to make their way down further to help some of the stragglers before themselves, using the pickaxe to help support the ceiling as they proceeded with it's head being pressed against the top to help others get up and out of the lower depths. Once all in Quinn's section were upward and away from the rumbling, Quinn quickly moved to get to the entrance themselves before their path would end up close off though if that was the case they did not fear that too much. That was until there happened to be a rock collapse in front of them blocking their path and shortly after some more rocks tumbled closing them off in one of the lower shafts. Blinking in the darkness, they heaved a heavy sigh.

Knowing that they were near the last checkpoint that would be cleared from the collapse, Quinn simply began to wait, slowly moving rocks that they could identify were good to toss down and ease some potential path forward. There wasn't a huge rush since the Forgemaster was able to help remove the need for a third shift which would have allowed for them to leave earlier if it wasn't for Quinn being stuck below ground. With consideration, it likely was something that Quinn should have realized sooner was going to be an issue but that one-track mind came back to haunt them in this situation. Knowing their arsenal of techniques would've been useful in the situation, Quinn felt the judgment at that moment was not to let out a flurry of motions that could trigger a worse result than already. With that in mind, however, the prospect of trying something new was a thought. Before attempting to do anything crazy to get themselves out, they listened closely to hear if anything had happened on the other side of the rubble before making any more moves.

WC: 1,191, TWC: 2,625 | TMWC: 4,365 / 7,500

As Raikur and Quinn entered the mine, he could all but feel the Forgemaster's excitement radiating off them. This would likely feel like home to them, and Raikur decided to simply leave them be to enjoy the moment. He took some time to observe his surroundings, marvelling at the internal workings and structure of the mine. He had truly never seen anything like it, but his time gawking meant he was spending less time actually working. Shaking his head quickly, Raikur found a station nearby which contained enough space for three workers, but it appeared that nobody else would be joining the young Shokku. With a small shrug, Raikur decided to speed up the process a bit. Tiger - Horse - Ram - Clone seal. With two separate puffs of smoke, Raikur's identical Shadow Clones appeared on either side of him. He could hear murmurs coming from behind him, some were disgruntled, while others were impressed. Paying them no mind, the trio of Shokku each grabbed a pickaxe and began working.

With one simple goal in mind, to collect as much titanium as possible, Raikur and his Shadow Clones worked tirelessly to continue extracting the minerals. Raikur had been blessed with plenty of endurance, which allowed him to push past his limits very often. But he knew that once he dropped the Shadow Clones he would be in for a world of hurt, or more specifically, a very worn out and sleepy Shokku. Regardless, he continued with his job, hacking and hacking and hacking until he and his clones finally depleted the vein they were in charge of. They had collected a considerable amount titanium and Raikur decided it was time to get some fresh air. Leaving his two Shadow Clones to find another vein to dig into, Raikur began pushing the cart containing all of the titanium up to the surface. Nodding or responding briefly to those he passed on the way, most of whom were shocked by the amount he had already extracted, likely not knowing that it had been the work of three people.

Along the way, Raikur noticed Quinn working incredibly hard. They appeared to have tunnel vision as they continued to hack through the veins, impressing the young Shokku with their tenacity. It was clear their endurance had increased vastly since the two of them last trained together. He decided not to disturb them and instead continued on his way to the surface. When he arrived, he pushed the cart over to the person in charge of counting the expedition's yield. She was a short woman in her late twenties and seemed more bored than anything else. "Ugh, I just wish something interesting would happen already..." Raikur raised an eyebrow at her comment, when he suddenly felt something... off. It was as if the ground below them began to shake.

Raikur's two Shadow Clones were down below by Quinn at the time that the ground shook. The two of them looked at each other and nodded and moved straight into action. They heard Quinn yell something, but their voice was hardly loud enough to understand over the increasingly violent shaking taking place in the caves. They did see Quinn moving deeper into the cave system though, which indicated they the Forgemaster was planning on rescuing any miners in that section. The two Shadow Clones split up, one running behind Quinn and the other moving in the opposite direction, collecting as many people as possible along the way and driving them all out of the mine shaft. The Shadow Clone with Quinn helped speed up the process considerably and was running along side them when he caught sight of the other Shadow Clone further up the Shaft, not far from a nearby checkpoint. Suddenly, a large rock collapsed between the two of them, cutting off any way out for the Clone, Quinn and a couple of other miners.

Not wasting any time, the other Shadow Clone quickly disappeared, transferring all of its current information to the original Raikur who was at the entrance to the mine, helping miners exit the danger zone. At that point, the shaking had stopped, it appeared that the cave in was done, at least he hoped so. Realising the situation, Raikur grabbed a nearby pickaxe and began running back down the shaft. He was surprised to note that the were no other cave ins along the way to where his Clone and Quinn were trapped. Finally reaching the spot, Raikur would call out, hoping that someone could hear him on the other side. "Since only one of my clones is gone, I'm assuming everybody on this side is alright?" As he spoke, he could feel slight tremors in in the mine once more. Shit!

There was no time to waste. "Normally we would have to be delicate with something like this, but we are running out of time! We're going to have to destroy the rock and run as fast as we can! On three, use the strongest technique you have available and aim for the centre point of the rock! We'll crush it in one combined move!" Performing the hand seals Monkey - Dragon - Rat - Bird - Ox, Raikur began counting over the sounds of a thousand birds that had now filled the mine due to his activated Chidori. "I hope you're ready Quinn! One... Two... THREE!" Raikur would dash forward and thrust his Chidori into the centre of the large rock, hoping that it would be enough to create a pathway forward.

As this happened, the Clone on the other side was preparing the miners around him. The plan was simple, once the way was clear, they would all run like hell. The Shadow Clone would run at the rear so he could ensure that everyone else was safe.

---

WC: 972
TWC: 2,712
TMWC: 5,337/7,500

Quinn with moving some rocks was quick to hear from across the collapsed pathway Raikur's voice. Listening intently Quinn could make out a few words which they repeated, "Normally delicate. Running out of time. Destroy... Run fast. Three... technique... aim...  point... the rock... Crush one... move." They murmured to themselves not letting time be lost as they began to channel chakra into their pickaxe knowing and figuring the best move here was to get a lift to help move some of the rock to combine with the technique of potential choice of Raikur. Figured the plan was to blow a hole and move quickly enough to get everyone from their said across, Quinn quickly unleashed their technique before the count, knowing traveling would take some time and that Raikur's speed, although not as fast as Quinn's on most occasions, would be sufficiently timed for the two with the situation. They would know soon enough if it would work out.

In a shifting of rocks and the ground, a strong force came from below the rocks pushing them upward, colliding more with Raikur's Chidori allowing a clean tunnel through to become available with most of the loose rubble becoming lodged into the ceiling. With a path made and more rumbles abound Quinn ushered the handful with them forward to where Raikur was. "Good work. Now move!" they stated rushing past their fellow Genin. Likely not needing to have said that as the techniques Quinn had available were not the best suited for this situation, Quinn recognized that part of the mine was likely a lost cause for the group to mine in more. It did not help that Quinn effectively removed most of what was down there, to begin with, but hopefully, the shifting of the mine itself would allow for more resources should they deem it usable in the near future after this affair.

The twists and turns of the mineshaft would allow the small group back up to the surface without much difficulty. Quinn sweating profusely from the short amount of time and heavy lifting they needed to do at that moment felt the breathing become rugged in their efforts. They had not been breathing since the cave in fully settled and now it was simply time to just focus on recovering before heading out. Some blood trickled out of their nose which they simply wiped off, smearing blood and dirt on their face though they did not mind it. "Quick thinking. Good work Raikur." They said patting the young genin on his back. "Should be proud. Helped out them all. No casualties right?" They stated that with a full headcount underway, everyone was accounted for as the mine behind them could be heard settling and aching from today's efforts. Without much further to do at the location, it was time to figure out the method of approach to get home. As simply help under the efforts of an Otogakuran mission, Quinn took the time to relax a bit with Raikur by their side awaiting to hear whatever he had to say about the whole situation that happened.

Once they had their break and hydrated with some canteens it was time to move out and head back to the village. With everyone accounted for, the math worked out that each individual walking would carry roughly 20 kilograms of material back to the village to be properly smelted and taken care of. As much as everyone could manage with the crew being their standard 20 with the extra hands from Otogakure totaling 30 individuals, it was plain that the expedition was well worth their time that day. The journey back was thankfully uneventful for their first portion. This was trekking back down the mountain to their last checkpoint and rest stop. This would be where they likely would rejoin with the main carts to be able to offload all the material gathered so they could take care of sorting through to prime the best ores gathered and begin the cleaning process. For the shinobi, this meant resting and removing the extra weight so they could perform their jobs on the way back properly. For Quinn, they focused on the task ahead which was likely to find a good use for the titanium they were going to receive as part of payment and if they wanted to bargain for more.

While hiking down, Quinn began to speak again. "Thank you." They said to start. It was simple, genuine, and without warning when they spoke up. It was not a phrase that was heard from shinobi often, let alone from someone as different as Quinn Foster, the Forgemaster of Otogakure. "Little Smith almost became... Little Squash." They said attempting to make a joke based on Raikur's commentary and teasing that he conducted earlier that day. Letting out a chuckle at that, Quinn removed their patch and used it to wipe off their face, some slight burns revealed underneath it. It was almost like freckling around the eye in the form of burns, however, making for a rather juxtaposed image to how relatively flawless the blacksmith's skin was. Stuffing the cover away in their pack, Quinn made no effort to hide the scarring that had occurred there as the group settled in for their first pitstop. With that, Quinn found a good place under a tear nearby to rest and sit down as moving for as long and as soon as they did was likely to beat sun fall and the bandits in the area.

The small makeshift camp was alive with commentary and questions for those who had encountered the cave-in. Quinn sticking to the flanks like a good shinobi on a mission avoided most of the words and commentary as their task was focused elsewhere. Though as before, they were accompanied and in pairs on their observation posts so it was likely another time for the two genin to connect further as they had gone through a rather touch-and-go situation not too long ago on such a dangerous mission away from home. Quinn seemed not much worse for wear than they were normally though there was much on the Forgemaster's mind as the material itself would prove useful for them to continue their business ventures and might even look to partner with this mission's contractor to make access to the material more plentiful for the village. There were always thoughts like this in their head focusing on the village and its growth through their business as it were. Ever mindful of the fact that Otogakure was still a newly founded village and its needs were ever-changing.

WC: 1,105, TWC: 3,730 | TMWC: 6,442/7,500

Raikur did not remember much from the ensuing chaos. His only concern was simple, run and keep everyone else alive. All he knew was that he and Quinn had collaborated into generating enough power and force to destroy the large rock that stood between them. As they ran, one of the miners with them tripped over and landed face first onto the dirt. Without waiting, Raikur's Shadow Clone grabbed him by the back of his shirt and picked him up, giving him a shove forward to keep running right before the Clone was crushed by some falling debris, ending the technique. Raikur felt it happen as his Clone's memories and experiences flooded back to him, he slowed his pace only slightly to ensure that he was running along side the slower miners. Finally, the group of them managed to make it past the destruction and out of the mine shaft, the miners who were running dropped to the floor, wheezing in pain. Thankfully, it appeared that everyone was alright.

Raikur could only nod solemnly as Quinn praised him for his work. Although the Forgemaster's words were true, Raikur could not muster up a smile as the memory of his clone being crushed by the rocks flashed through his mind. He himself had felt no pain nor had he experienced any injuries from the incident, but he could not shake the thought that it could have been him who was crushed if he had not learnt the Shadow Clone technique in the first place. It reminded him of his own mortality and that no matter how powerful he thought he was, he would always be at risk of succumbing to death, one way or another. But such was the life of a Shinobi. The young Shokku would simply give a nod to Quinn and breath a small sigh of relief when it was confirmed that they had received no casualties. He wondered what could have even caused the terrifying cave in...

With the situation finally over and the group all collectively together once more, they began their journey back home to Otogakure. Raikur walked silently and at a steady pace for a short while, although with Quinn alongside him. He was sure that he had plenty to say about everything, but could not get it out as his mind was still racing. I am still too weak... This is not good enough... He thought to himself as the journey continued. He barely noticed anything going on around him as they all took a short rest, choosing to sit in silence for the entirety of it all. Finally, he heard Quinn utter their words of thanks, something that he had no expected to hear from them. They were sincere and heartfelt, and finally resulted in Raikur giving a small smile, which expanded further after their Little Squash joke. "It was nothing to thank me for, you would have done the same in my position. Besides, it's what friends are supposed to do for one another." This time it was Raikur's turn to give Quinn a pat on the shoulder, a simple gesture acknowledged and returned.

The young Shokku did not react as Quinn removed their eye patch, he preferred not to make them feel uncomfortable or judged at the reveal, but in all honesty Raikur did not mind it either way. As he and Quinn stood in the observation post together, it was silent for a short while, before Raikur finally spoke. "I was sloppy and it could have been disastrous. If I did not have that Shadow Clone to save the miner, it would have been me instead and I likely would not have survived the encounter. I have always struggled in working with others, not because I do not like them but because I worry that I will make a mistake which could cost a life..." It was out of character for Raikur to speak so openly about his feelings like this, but he felt a level of trust with Quinn, one that he did not feel with most of his peers in the village.

He was not very talkative following this, completing his duties until it was time for them all to move on to the final stage of their journey. The walk was quiet and thankfully uneventful, the only thing they encountered was the occasional animal out in the wild, but no bandits or anything else of trouble. Raikur felt much better at this point, his mood had balanced out once more and he felt more determined than he had following the incident. He understood that he needed to grow as a Shinobi if he wanted to avoid meeting an early and untimely end, but he also knew that he had to stop being so hard on himself. He could not solve every issue in the world on his own, but he could instead focus on taking care of himself and growing as a person. Only then would he be ready to help those around him. With a smile on his face, Raikur pushed forward with Quinn and the rest of the group.

As the sight of their village finally appeared in the distance, Raikur found himself talking to the Forgemaster once more. "I was actually wondering if you could assist me with something after we get back, if you have time of course. I need assistance with augmenting a piece of material that I own, I was hoping to use some of the titanium we managed to dig up to do it. I am not too shabby when it comes to using Shinobi equipment, but when it comes to creating or enhancing it, I sadly fall quite a bit short." Raikur was very aware of Quinn's skills in the field and knew that they would be more than capable of performing the task at hand, he knew they would not fail him if they attempted it.

Regardless of Quinn's response to the request, Raikur would continue walk with them and occasionally chat when the two felt like it. He had found himself truly respecting Quinn, not only as a Shinobi but as a trusted friend. He'd had his reservations about them upon the first meeting between the two, but was glad to have been proven wrong in the end. Quinn was a good person and Raikur would have their back for as long as he possibly could. Finally, the expedition group arrived at the village gates of Oto once more, everyone looking far more ragged and worse off than they had upon leaving. There were faces of confusion and concern from those within the gates who spotted them, they must truly have looked like a group that had been attacked by bandits or worse on their travels, but most of the group had smiles on their faces. The journey had been a success, with or without the not so minor hiccups along the way.

---

WC: 1,157
TWC: 3,869
TMWC: 7,599/7,500

---

Approved

Raikur's commentary through the remainder of their journey was more melancholy to Quinn and seemed a bit on the odd side from the rather confident genin of the village. Letting it be a time for reflection for the young genin, Quinn let him stew and settle into the situation as it likely was a first for the genin to have to deal with a situation like that. For Quinn, the cave-in was a new experience but the concept of a mishap being life or death was a reasonable concept to be worried and concerned about. Giving and seeing Raikur perk up at their commentary about being a 'Little Squash'. That was when his silence really broke and began speaking, giving a good remark about their own friendship. This brought a smile to the older genin's face as they simply let their smile speak for them at that moment, especially when the pat on the shoulder was returned.

Hearing the words Raikur spoke, Quinn simply nodded and understood the sentiment. His words flowed without little redirection to the thoughts he was speaking by the Forgemaster. There was much to take in with the words about failure and mortality that Raikur presented out loud and when given thought it was reasonable. Voicing and hearing the concerns of losing a life due to failure on his part Quinn remained silent for a bit before adding their own thoughts to the mix. "Confidence and fear. Folly emotions when a task is present. Confidence is a boon. A boon that will bust when given fear. Villages do not run alone. Kaito needs advisors. We need peers. Even the strongest smith needs more than their own hand." Leaving the words they spoke to linger, Quinn didn't push any further conversation as it was apparent he needed just some time to settle from the situation in the cave. As they were not aware of the morbidity of the Shadow Clone Technique.

Once they approached the village after Raikur's mood improved, Quinn's own mind settled as their concern for the youth of the village became more apparent and present. It gave humor to the commentary made by Mubu about Quinn being 'Squad Mom' for Team Tempo. It was slowly becoming more about Quinn's concerns and worry about the other genin that urged them forward over other self-motivations. Their own interests being their business, it was different when they were lingering around the other genin. Once Raikur spoke up once more, there was a nod of approval from the Forgemaster when the request came to augment some of their equipment. With consideration of the material they recently gathered, Quinn recognized that Raikur was fully aware of the need to use the material at their earliest convenience knowing that there were some concerns and worries about the ability he had shown today. "Not an issue. Come to the Forge. Will assess costs and sort out needs." They plainly stated giving a thumbs up to their fellow genin and now customer.

Idle chatter filled their remaining time on the expedition crew as the village breached their vision once their charms allowed for a proper vision of the gates of Otogakure. Quinn's thoughts on Raikur were ever high with his concerns. Though the worries he seemed to linger on were gone with the winds as well once his mood improved, Quinn felt the boy learned something valuable today and it became clearer than before for the genin. For Quinn, today was more about solidifying their standing as a genin and an equal to the youth of the village. There were always concerns from them about their position and status within the apparent main group of shinobi. Being an outlier and starting their journey much later than the rest, it felt good to Quinn that Raikur was opening up more and becoming more comfortable around them. It was clear upon arrival that the overall group's attitude mirrored that of the duo of genin from Otogakure. There was not much more that the village could truly ask of them other than the resounding success that they had brought to the village on that day.

Once inside the village itself, Quinn veered off to head back to the forge in order to make preparations. There was much to worry about with their own gear that they decided it would likely be best to focus on getting those setup and sorted out before having to handle or worry about Raikur's request. Considering the day's affairs it would likely be a few days before Quinn saw the young genin again for the request he had mentioned before.

[Exit]

WC: 770, TWC: 4,500 | TMWC: 8,369/7,500

Mission Rewards:

WC Claims: