Humble Beginnings

Mission Details:

Kenshin made his way through the almost tranquil forest without any real goal in mind, his entire plan thus far was simply to traverse the world in hopes of eventually growing strong, either with the aid of others or through trail and error, whichever method would provide results the faster while ensuring he could return to his people as not only a proud warrior but one that could lead them into further glory. Yet dreaming of such lofty goals would do him little good now, he needed to focus and think of a plan, something more solid than simply walking around until something fell into his lap, he was a man of action and this lack of action was bothering him. The decision to leave his tribe was not one that he had made lightly but it was one born of necessity, he had grown stagnant under the teaching of his parents and the few peers who didn't look down at him out of his lack of real progress, it was either live forever shamed as an Unblooded or leave in hopes of finding that missing piece that was holding him back out in the wider world.

His train of thought was derailed when he noticed a strange string flying uselessly in the wind and his eyes trailed it upwards to a simple red diamond shaped kite that had been trapped by the trees, a rather strange sight considering he wasn't supposed to reach the next village until tomorrow at his current estimations and he knew for a fact that he was correct, he made it a point to memorize the map in the event it would be destroyed. Wearily, Kenshin approached the tree that held the kite, his mandibles clicking in agitation before he leapt to the branch, curiously and cautiously touching the material, it's simple fabric feeling real beneath his fingers and he watched as both his own and the diamond kite casted their shadows onto the ground below, some of which was consumed by the other shadows being cast by the trees and their leaves.

The fact that it wasn't a genjutsu left Kenshin with more questions than answers, turning to look either direction from where the kite could've came from, Kenshin spotted what he assumed to be a farmland based on the farm building and the various animals that roamed the various pens erected throughout the clearing. It seemed that the child of the family had been playing with his kite when the string had broken for one reason or another and the winds carried the detached kite further down south before Kenshin managed to stumble across it's final resting place amongst the trees, something he could've just as easily missed if he didn't notice the string floating uselessly in the path ahead of him, if he been paying less attention to his surroundings, he would've surely walked by the kite without ever knowing about it. It would be a small detour to return the kite to it's rightful owner, few minutes at most before he resumed his journey into the next village so he could find more odd jobs to perform while he tried to figure out to best improve himself as a warrior.

The path was even less traveled here, likely the owners of the farm didn't find any reason to travel down the less taken side route Kenshin had been using to travel to his new location, yet as he approached he could see the small child, a male that was probably less than 7 years old moping near the back of the house, a stool of string laid on the ground as he lamented the loss of his kite, a kite that Kenshin would be returning. His mandibles clicked in satisfaction and as a way to alert the boy to his presence, the small child looking up in surprise as he finally noticed Kenshin approaching, caught off guard by both him being a stranger suddenly arriving but undoubtedly also because of his clan's unique appearance, the mandibles and almost reptilian like ridges on his eyebrows were some of the most famous traits from his clan that he had inherited, his mother had only been born with the mandibles while his father had both the eyebrow ridges and mandibles.

"Where are your parents, little one?" Kenshin spoke calmly while making no further movements toward the child, who finally snapped out of his surprise and hurried off into the house, all the while Kenshin merely watched without any emotion, content to wait for an adult to arrive so Kenshin can return the kite and be on his way. He'd have handed the kite over to the child himself but he was certain the parents would've been uneased by Kenshin's aid, a strange man bringing their child a kite after they lost it before disappearing without a word? Even discounting his unique appearance, Kenshin knew it would leave a poor impression on the farmers. Eventually an adult would arrive, a tired looking woman in her late 30s coming out from the back door and let out a quiet gasp as she laid eyes on Kenshin, who once more simply remained impassive.

"I believe I have something that belongs to your child." Kenshin maintained his calm speech and posture, only extending his hand outwards slightly to reveal the lost diamond kite that he had stumbled across, allowing the woman to look at it in surprise. "I found it in the trees at the path just south of here." Kenshin would answer the unspoken question, the mother must've been quite surprised and shocked that a random man had recovered and brought back her child's kite without any prompting on their end. "Oh... Um... Thank you sir... Can I interest you in some refreshments as a thank you?" She seemed completely off guard, fumbling over her words as she offered whatever gratitude she could think of, something that Kenshin would've declined normally but he had been walking for most of the day at this point and a few extra minutes resting and drinking something cool and refreshing wouldn't be the worst idea right now.

"If it would be no trouble." Kenshin would decide to settle on a more polite answer, he doubted the woman would go back on her offer that quickly but as long as he reminded her that she did indeed have that option could go well to comfort the woman, who did look to be thinking about it for a second. "Not at all, but can I ask you to go see my husband? He has been working in the barn trying to repair a hole in the roof for hours already, he could use the break and some cool drinks as well." The request she had made was simply yet slightly surprising to Kenshin, he hadn't even noticed the hole in the barn until she had pointed it out, yet Kenshin felt it could be forgiven since the hole was facing toward the house and as such he'd only truly notice if he had turned around to look at the barn from this angle.

WC: 1,190

"Very well. I shall inform him." Kenshin would agree without really thinking about it, it would barely take a few seconds, maybe a few minutes if the husband chose to talk to him and try to probe for his intentions but he doubted the man would be paranoid enough to do so, his wife and child would've been at least a bit more untrusting of Kenshin when he had first arrived if that was the case. Making his way to the barn, Kenshin looked around the farmland, watching as the animals ate food and wandered their pens, the only real note worthy thing to him was the amount cows that had taken an interest to him, following after him lazily and staring at him. "Sir. I found your child's lost kite and your wife is making refreshments as a thank you. She'd like you to take a break and join us." Kenshin spoke plainly and simply as he told the man what had happened, the man turning toward Kenshin with a startled cry, having been too caught up in his efforts to repair the roof to have even noticed Kenshin entering the barn. "Damn, scared the hell of me... You said Hikari is making some drinks as a thanks to you?" The man muttered the first part to himself, before speaking more loudly to address Kenshin, who only nodded his confirmation.

"Well, if you're in a helpful mood, I could use some help with this roof. I'd even pay you for it and helping my kid out." His offer was a surprise but perhaps he should've seen coming, the man was struggling to get the hole in the roof patched up for quite some time, probably since morning if he had to guess so it would make sense to ask the much more physically capable man for aid. Not to say the husband was weak by any means, but Kenshin had nearly 7 inches over him and while the husband had some muscle, Kenshin was practically nothing but muscle. "If I may, I'd like to stay here in the barn if possible. There's a storm coming tonight and traveling through the stormy night can be quite unpleasant." The counter offer with met with some surprise, the man muttering to himself about his lack of knowledge about the oncoming storm, although considering he must've spent most of his morning trying to repair the barn, Kenshin figured the man wouldn't be too fussed about it. "Just for the night?" The man would probe, a bit weary and rightly so, it would be foolish to house a stranger who happened to stumble across them and provide unexpected aid, thus the reason Kenshin had decided to barter for shelter within the barn instead of the house.

Seeing Kenshin's nod, the man thought about it for a second before finally speaking up again. "I'll talk to Hikari. I'm sure you understand why we're not too trusting of you stranger." A reasonable request and reasoning for his hesitance, Kenshin once more merely nodded and followed along the husband, the two making their trip back to the house in silence and being welcomed by the Hikari who seemed to be finishing up on squeezing fresh lemonade for the two males to drink. "Thank you dear." The husband planted a kiss against the wife's cheek as he grabbed his glass and took a seat at the table, Kenshin doing the same on the opposite end as the wife seated herself besides her husband, a smaller glass of lemonade in hand.

"So, what even is your name anyways? I'm Ren Satori and this is my wife Hikari." The man introduced himself as Ren while properly introducing his wife, Hikari merely nodding her head toward him as Kenshin sipped on his own lemonade, savoring the refreshing taste. "I am Kenshin Yautja. A wandering shinobi." He spoke calmly as he identified himself to the couple, the husband looking surprised at the revelation while the wife looked interested. "Is that so? What brings you down this way?" She'd ask, curiosity burning in her eyes and Kenshin let his own closed as he considered what to tell them, they wouldn't understand the customs of his clan, the strive to become the perfect warrior for his people so that he may lead them.

"I am seeking knowledge and wisdom about the world around me so that I may improve as a shinobi." Kenshin would eventually settle on, the answer a bit vague but getting the core idea across to the couple, the wife nodding, seemingly pleased with the answer. "And you believe it can be found here? There are no hidden villages that we heard of that exist in this area. I'm afraid you'll be wasting your time." The husband however wasn't so pleased with the answer, pointing out the lack of any shinobi villages within the area, a point Kenshin had made sure of beforehand, if he were to get into a battle against an actual trained shinobi, he would be killed before his journey even began and while some may leave him be, others may not and it would be stupid to risk his life like that for no reason.

"That is true, however the villages may not be willing to teach me their secrets without expecting something in return, payment or my loyalty are likely." Kenshin explained calmly, his facial expression remaining stoic and telling them nothing about the far more juicier rewards one may claim from him, the knowledge of whatever Hiden jutsu he has on him. He couldn't say with certainty how much knowledge outsiders had on his people's jutsu and equipment, mistakes happen and other tribes had joined with the villages but he wasn't willing to contribute to weakening his people's strength by sharing what he knows with those deemed unworthy of such rewards just yet. The trio would fall into some silence, merely sipping on their drinks with neither of the couple knowing what to say while Kenshin felt no need to speak until he finally finished the rest of his lemonade.

"I thank you for your refreshments. If you will excuse me, I shall get to work on repairing that hole now." Kenshin gave a small nod of gratitude toward Hikari as he spoke before excusing himself from the table, as he left toward the barn, he could hear the couple beginning to talk, likely about rather or not he'd be granted access to the barn for the night, it wasn't something he desperately needed but he did mean it when he said traversing the night in a storm would be unpleasant, he would avoid it if he could but it would hardly be the end of him if he was made to do so. The materials used to repair the hole were simple wooden planks, they wouldn't work the most effectively but it was likely the best they could manage right now so Kenshin set to work on patching the hole bit by bit, nailing the planks in and following what the husband had started, he had nearly covered a quarter of the hole in his time working, but Kenshin imagined most of the time was spent gathering what materials he could and getting them up to the roof.

He worked for nearly a hour, feeling as the air grew more humid and the clouds that were once a white gray and spacious slowly be consumed by the darker mass of clouds coming in with the wind, which only picked up as the time past. The process had turned out more tedious rather than physically demanding, but Kenshin had always focused on his strength and speed compared to others, even regular shinobi would be hard pressed to surpass him in some cases and that gap would only widen as Kenshin improved himself. "Hey! Kenshin!" A voice would call from below, stopping the Yautja in the middle of hammering the next plank down, the hole had already been covered with only a few planks left to fully cover it.

Jumping from the roof and landing in front of the man of the household, he hadn't meant to startle him but jumping down was far faster than climbing down or yelling at each other from the roof. "Is there something you need Ren?" He spoke simply and calmly, making no further movements as he waited patiently for the man to recover from the small scare he had given him, the man silently cursing to himself. "Right, uh... Hikari and I agreed that you can stay for the night in the barn. We'll provided some blankets but we'd like to ask one more favor for you. You're traveling to the nearby village, right?" The knowledge that Kenshin had a place to sleep away from the rain was comforting but his interest was more focused on the favor the couple would be asking him, he was curious what they could possibly want from him and what his current intention of travel had to do with it, but he decided to simply nod and confirm to the man.

"Good. We're willing to take you to the village, I need to get some proper stuff to fix the hole later but... Hikari would like you to take her to get some shoes. Special shoes, apparently there's a weapons shop in the village that has some weird selection of weapons as shoes and as the closest thing to a real shinobi she had met so far, she'd like your thoughts on what would work for her." Ren explained the request, which was a surprise to say the least, the wife had hardly struck Kenshin as the warrior type, let alone one that would decide on such a strange weapon choice but simply helping her pick out the proper shoes for whatever fighting style she knew wouldn't be too hard for a free ride toward the village tomorrow. "Very well, I shall accompany her for the day tomorrow. The roof is nearly repaired for the time being as well." The decision to accept was easily made, the ride to the village would be faster and more comfortable compared to walking and it also gave him the opportunity to inquire with the owner of the shop about how he gets his weapons and if possible, how likely it would be if the man could teach him how to forge his own weapons.

"Alright, I'll bring in your blankets and stuff and leave them somewhere in the barn for you. Let us know if you need anything." Ren's offer was kind but unneeded, Kenshin had his own supplies to keep warm and comfortable during the night, alongside food and water, it was entirely possible that he would simply decide to set up his tent inside the corner if the barn if possible and sleep inside that. Still, he wouldn't refuse extra blankets to make himself warm and toasty inside his shelter, so he allowed Ren to go retrieve the blankets as he jumped back onto the roof and resumed working, eager to finish the job before the storm arrives and leaves him soaked. He may have enjoyed the rain but being caught in the rain for too long would leave him uncomfortable and likely to catch an illness, something he'd prefer to avoid if at all possible.

Within the span of another hour, Kenshin had not only finished repairing the hole left behind in the barn but managed to return all the materials back to their respective places and the storm that had been silently brewing was threatening to begin, the distant roar of thunder could be heard and he thought he could feel the first rain drop striking his cheek. It wouldn't matter, Kenshin had a shelter and he fixed it in time, Ren had proved true to his word and on a barrel was his blankets for the night alongside a small lantern, the blankets were old and scratchy, they would be uncomfortable to use but they'd make for a fine padding for his bed roll, while the lantern seemed to be an oil lantern that seemed full still so he wouldn't need to worry about his light source dying too soon. Finding a small corner within the barn to set up his tent was easy, the area having not seen much use recently from what he could tell, although the reasons why were beyond him nor did he particularly care to find out why that was, he had a place to sleep and a ride to the village tomorrow, that would be enough.

With his tent set up alongside his padding and bed roll, Kenshin allowed some time to pass with some light training, physically and with his chakra, allowing his mind to mold and shape chakra to flex his control and improve upon it while he worked up a small sweat doing basic push ups, jumping jacks and other exercises that required no weights before finally settling in for a small salad for dinner, the ingredients fresh and still good to be consumed even if it wasn't the most filling but it was all he could afford for the time being, he'd likely buy himself some new supplies while inside the village with Ren and Hikari, before asking the owner about the possibility of learning how to be a blacksmith. It would save on his costs of repairing his clan's gear if he could do it himself, especially since the materials and methods of creation were often too complex for any regular blacksmith to repair. By the time Kenshin had finished his meal, night had arrived and satisfied with his hard work, he allowed himself to retreat to his tent and turn off the lantern before drifting off to sleep quickly, the day had been filled with walking for most of the day before working the rest and rounded off with a few exercises, enough to leave him both satisfied and tired enough that his body accepted the idea of rest easily and Kenshin drifted to sleep to the peaceful sound of the small storm outside.

WC: 2,355
TWC: 3,545

The crowing of a rooster had signified the dawn of a new day and Kenshin woke peacefully with a small yawn before sitting upright in his bedroll and stretching a bit as he did, the sunlight he can barely see peeking through the cracks of his repaired hole had shown it would be a sunny morning if nothing else, last night's thunderstorm having come and gone while he slept. Getting out of his tent, he'd begin the process of putting it all back into his bag, placing the Satori family's blankets back onto the barrel as he worked, by the time he had finished and took his blankets back to the house, Ren would meet him half way. "Good morning Kenshin. Hikari is just cooking everyone breakfast before we head out. Would you like to join us?" Another nice offer, one that Kenshin decided to take him up on as he nodded toward the man and the duo made their way back into the house, Ren taking the blankets from him and encouraging him to go get breakfast. "Good morning Kenshin, I trust you slept well?" Hikari greeted him cheerfully, either warming up to him or just pleased that he had agreed to accompany her to select a pair of strange combat shoes that would work best for her. "I did. And how did your family rest Hikari?" He listened with half a ear as she explained what the family had done while Kenshin had worked, Ren having fixed Haru, the couple's son, kite that Kenshin had returned before they went on to have a peaceful night relaxing together with a board game before heading off to bed.

"We'll be leaving shortly after breakfast, Haru will be going with his father to help gather the stuff to really fix that hole on the roof, once we get my shoes, I'll go find them and you can go on your way. But if you need a place to stay, don't be afraid to reach out to us again, you've been a great help to our family Kenshin." Hikari continued to talk, shifting the subject to the plans for the day as Haru ate quietly besides Kenshin who also remained silent as he ate, the boy subtly trying to sneak glances at Kenshin's strange appearance and he pretended to not notice, the kid was curious and it wasn't too uncommon for even adults to feel curious about his appearance. The Satori family seemed like good people, if he had planned to stay in this area he likely would've accepted that offer some time or perhaps even see if he can find work with them but alas his path would diverge from this peaceful little family "We also have a cart to haul everything, so don't worry about us." Ren would add as he reentered the kitchen, taking a seat besides Hikari and joining the family for breakfast, Kenshin only listening with half a ear as the family talked amongst themselves for the rest of the plans for the day, mainly shopping and visiting some family in the village it sounded like.

When breakfast wrapped up and the family set about preparing for the trip, Kenshin decided to wait outside to do some light exercise to warm himself up for the day, he didn't expect any combat, he'd be deeply worried if there was combat in a village or while traveling with the Satori family but it didn't hurt to keep himself prepared and ready for battle. Haru sat and watched, neither of the two saying anything for a while as Kenshin performed his workout routine until finally the boy spoke up. "Is it true you're a shinobi?" His voice was quiet but awed, clearly excited at the prospect of meeting a shinobi and he didn't blame them, even his tribe had looked up to shinobi as worthy warriors, there was an air of intrigue and power found in a shinobi even if his particular tribe wouldn't count as a the traditional village shinobi the child was likely thinking of. "In a manner of speaking. I don't work with any hidden village however." Kenshin explained it vaguely and simply enough for the child to understand, he didn't want to share too much details with the family about his clan, it was still a small sore spot the the Yautja to have entered his self imposed exile and not like they'd fully understand what he was talking about anyways.

"That's cool.... Mom almost was a shinobi. I want to try and become one too and she's been helping me." The information was a surprise to him, he did think it was odd that Hikari wanted something that would be complicated to use as a weapon, but he didn't think it was going to be something she would use for herself, he had believed she would gift it to someone who could make use of it or at the very least have something as a funny item to show to others. "Is that so? Perhaps you should join me then. A shinobi must keep good care of both his body and mind." Kenshin offered, deciding it wouldn't hurt to impart some of what little he learnt onto the child to give him a better chance at succeeding where his mother had failed, Haru only thinking for a few moments before trying his best to mimic Kenshin's posture and performing a pushup, but it was clear he didn't quite know how to nor did he have the proper strength to do a push up just yet.

So he spent the rest of his time training, teaching and instructing Haru how to perform exercises properly and in manners that would work best for him, from wall push up and pull ups to simple jumping jacks, it was simple but would teach him proper form and allow him to progress naturally when Kenshin left. Their little training session was cut short when Ren called for Haru and Hikari approached him instead. "Thank you for helping Haru. He wants to be a shinobi you know." Hikari spoke with a soft smile, pleased with what she had seen while Kenshin only gave her a simple nod. "So he said. You tried to become a shinobi too?" He'd question, curious what had stopped the woman from achieving her dreams of following through and rather or not she'd be capable of helping Haru reach his dreams, the question causing the woman's soft smile to take on a more bitter edge to it. "I did. It was years ago, I couldn't perform the jutsu properly for my genin exam and after two years of trying and failing, my parents just took me out of the academy. I can do the jutsu now and become a genin if I wanted now but I already have a family and a comfortable life here." Hikari didn't seem too torn up about her failure and instead she did truly seem content to live a simple quiet life with her husband and child, something that Kenshin could understand, some parents had slowed down or even outright retired from performing hunts in the clan when a child entered the picture, his father had been the one who slowed down his hunts to take care of him growing up.

"We'll be ready to leave soon, Ren just needed Haru's help in preparing the cart and then we'll be off to the village." Traveling by cart wouldn't take too long, probably less than a hour if he had to guess and that would give him plenty of time to find another odd job and plan further on what he should be doing, the goal of becoming strong was too simple and vague, nor would he find any luck just traversing the world alone for too long, criminals and overly eager to kill village shinobi may decide he would be a threat. "Very well. Let's go." The time to prepare the cart would only be done faster if Kenshin aided, so he allowed Hikari to guide him toward the two males of the house as they moved some empty crates onto the cart, Ren only giving a thanks before the two worked in silence to load up everything they needed.

"Well, that's about it. We're ready to go if you are." Ren declared as he placed the final crate onto the cart, a good portion of the once empty cart filled with crates yet leaving plenty of room for the materials Ren would be using to fully repair the roof and for the time being, more than enough room for Kenshin to sit in the back as the Satori family rode on the seats in the front. Kenshin merely nodded as he climbed into the back, Hikari helping Haru up as Ren took his place on the opposite side and with a small movement of the reigns, the four of them set out on the trip to the village, Kenshin allowing his eyes to close as he sat in the back to perform some chakra exercises, allowing himself to disconnect from everything and focus on his spiritual energy.

"...shin we're here." He had barely managed to hear the trail end of a sentence from Hikari, the tap on his shoulder proving more effective to snapping him out of meditative state than her attempt to talk to him, Kenshin opened his eyes and looked around the small village, modest but flourishing so far, it seemed like he could probably find some work here. "Alright, you two be safe now. Hikari, we'll be down at the markets. Kenshin, it was a pleasure meeting you and I wish you safe travels. Feel free to drop by any time." Ren called out to the two as they got out of the cart, Haru waving his goodbyes to the two of them that Hikari returned with a nod. "I thank you for the generosity and kindness you have shown me, I shall take you up on your offer if I'm ever in the area again." Kenshin returned his own farewell to the two male members of the Satori family, watching as the cart begun to move further down the main path for just a moment before turning his attention to Hikari.

"We'll just pick up my shoes really quick, don't worry. Then I'll be out of your hair." Hikari reassured him as she guided him toward the weapon shop, few people stopping to look at him with mild interest, likely those who hadn't really seen shinobi before as his clan may have had an unique appearance, they were hardly the only ones to look different from others. "You are no hassle, I need to speak with a blacksmith anyways and the weapon shop owner should know any local blacksmiths, if any, that reside here." Kenshin waved off her attempt to reassure her, it was a two birds one stone situation anyways and he'd likely investigate the shop for his own replacement weapons, his clan's weapons were obviously the ones he'd like to use the most but using something as simple as a Tanto in the meanwhile might be a worth while investment.

The duo arrived at the weapon shop shortly after, Hikari hurriedly showing him toward the wide selection of strange weapon shoes, an item that seemed more a novelty rather than an actual weapon but Hikari was quite determined to claim one for herself so the two merely looked over them for a rough idea what would work best before actually trying them on and seeing how effective they could be. "How about this one?" Hikari was the first to speak up, picking out what appeared to be a simple shoe before pressing something on the back of it near the heel to trigger a blade to shoot out through a small slit in the front. "Too telegraphed to activate and maintaining the weapon will prove too much of a hassle." He was quick to shoot that idea down, Hikari would have to somehow press the back of her heel against something, and even if it was the ground, it would still be strange motion for anyone to do naturally so any mildly decent bandit or what have you would see something was about to happen and either attack first before she could kick him or would avoid the follow up kick.

"This one could work." Kenshin suggested as he picked up a reinforced platform shoe, it's added height filled with added weight, which would alert the enemy that it would hurt to have it step on their feet, but it wouldn't give away just how effective a stomp would be on the enemies' feet, assuming Hikari doesn't use the added weight to perform effective kicks against the enemy. "No, they'd end up hurting my feet and might get stuck in the mud around the farm." Hikari declined with a small shake of her head, Kenshin silently cursing himself as he forgotten she would mostly be in an outdoor environment and while she may have trained as a shinobi years ago, it was clear she was long since past keeping up her strength and would struggle to use the extra weight.

"This one has promise." She spoke as she looked over a small clog that had large wooden spikes on the bottom, not enough to puncture normally but if applied with enough force, it could leave a nasty mark if not a puncture wound and Kenshin allowed his mandibles to click in curiosity as he examined the footwear. "Oh. I didn't think those things could do that..." Hikari had been off guard and Kenshin realized he hadn't allowed his mandibles to click since meeting Haru, it wasn't a conscious effort on his part, he just hadn't had any reason to expression himself. "It's a clan thing." Kenshin answered in explanation for the strange behavior of his mandibles, he didn't fully understand why the clan had developed the clicking to express themselves or what purpose they even served in the first place but he had learnt to live with the fact.

"These could work. Try them on, get a feel for the movement." Kenshin decided that the clogs could likely work as they were, there was enough spikes evenly spaced out that it wouldn't just stab herself into the ground no more than a regular clog would, Hikari merely nodding and setting off to try her new choice of weapon and giving Kenshin some time alone to check the rest of the weapon shop.

WC:2,427
TWC: 5,972

Kenshin wandered the weapon shop with a careful eye, noting the quality of the weapon and the prices being charged while also keeping in mind his own funds, which weren't that much even factoring his payment from the Satori family, it was possible that he wouldn't really be afraid to any weapons right now and instead would have to rely on more odd jobs to make up for his lack of funds at the time being. Didn't mean that he couldn't look around to determine what he might be aiming for before he leaves the village, he doubted he could learn how to repair his clan's gear before he left the village after all, so he looked over the blades on display, testing some of the weapons in hand and how they felt, some had an off balance and others seemed poorly made which wasn't quite ideal to the Yautja but it wasn't like this village was selling weapons very often, most of these were probably meant for display or were made cheaply to ensure they'd make a profit from the weapon.

"Excuse me. Where do you get your weapons from?" Kenshin would speak out loud to the shop keep, the older man looking up from the paper he was reading and looking up at Kenshin, his eyes briefly looking at Kenshin's mandibles and eyebrow ridges for only a second before meeting Kenshin's orange eyes. " A guy down the road is a blacksmith, you can put in a custom request for him if you want some real shinobi quality stuff." The man explained, unashamed at the fact his weapon shop wasn't quite ideal for shinobi yet Kenshin could hardly blame the man, those shoes were likely one of the more popular items based on the many variations they had on display and they were a gimmick weapon rather than actual weapon. "I think I shall seek him out. My acquaintance will be purchasing those shoes however." Kenshin would inform the man, pointing toward Hikari who had been approaching with the clogs in hand, seemingly pleased with the shoes and the older man put down the new paper as he worked the register, scanning the clogs for a total of 2,000 ryo, a bit of a surprise to Kenshin but it was a fairly unique design if nothing else.

"Thank you for picking Gato's Armory, will that be all?" The older man said as he took the ryo from Hikari, the duo both shaking their head as they exited the weapon's shop, Hikari's new weapon in a simple box for the time being and a wide smile on her face. "Thank you so much Kenshin, Ren and I discussed it and we decided to give some extra ryo for all you've done for us. I hope to see you again some day." Hikari spoke with the same smile as she offered a fair amount of ryo, probably even more than she had paid for her weapon and for a second he had thought about refusing the offer due to how much it was but Hikari only shoved the ryo into his hand. "You earned it Kenshin, don't worry about us." As if reading his mind, she reassured him about taking the ryo before stepping back with a more sad smile. "Thank you. You are too kind, I wish you and your family well Hikari." Kenshin pocketed the ryo even if he wasn't too comfortable taking so much from them, they had been nothing but fair and kind to him thus far and he was sure he'd remember them, even if he may never see them again. Not because he didn't like the Satori family, far from it, it was just that his journey was far too different, they were simple farmers living a peaceful life while his was always to be a warrior, chasing the thrill of the hunt and bringing honour to his tribe. There would be no peaceful living until Kenshin was but an old man in his final years in the ideal scenario, the far more likely scenario would be a forced retirement from a battle.

He watched as Hikari finally turned away from him, the woman making her way through the village and leaving Kenshin alone, a feeling he had grown used to for months but he hadn't quite met people as kind as the Satori family before, most strangers had shown gratitude and paid him for his aid but none had welcomed him into their home life even temporarily as they had. It was only when he had lost sight of Hikari that Kenshin would finally turn away from her and begin to making his way toward the blacksmith's location. He needed to learn how to work a forge so he may repair his clan's equipment and resume his work on becoming the warrior that his own family would be proud of.

WC: 816
TWC: 6,788

What Kenshin hadn't accounted on was a lone puppy running up and biting at his pants leg, the Yautja looking down at the small white ball of fur that was doing it's best to maul his clothing, tugging and growling at it and Kenshin's mandibles clicked in interest as he reached down and grabbed the pup by the scruff of it's neck, lifting it up to look at it's face. The puppy only kept growling and trying to bite at him, and Kenshin tilted his head to examine the puppy, noting that it was a male and while he couldn't tell it's breed, it seemed to not like him for one reason or another and only him as he let his eyes glance around at the few people passing by and paying him no special attention, some of the people were even closer to the pup and should've been more likely to attack them before him.

At least until he realized that the puppy must've not liked his more alien appearance compared to the others, maybe deeming him a threat and should be driven away from the humans like some sort of boogey man. At least that was his working theory. "I'm so sorry about that sir, there's been a small hole in our fence at the pet adoption center and this little guy must've wormed his way out. I'll take him off your hands." A woman quickly approached him with some worry in her face and tone as she took the puppy back from Kenshin, the Yautja allowing it without any resistance, he was hardly going to take offense over a small puppy attacking him. Yet as he watched a small child pass by, he couldn't help but wonder what would've happened if that wasn't a puppy and instead an adult of a smaller breed?

"You said there's a hole? Shouldn't that be fixed quickly?" Kenshin would prod the overworked worker, who only gave a small sigh as she held the small white puppy in hand, the small creature still growling at Kenshin. "Yeah, it should but the owners can barely afford to pay me and I'm not exactly the most handy person." She admitted with a sheepish and weak laugh, something that could prove dangerous for children and he did need any kind of ryo right now, even if it wasn't a lot. "I'll fix it. Doesn't matter how much they can pay me." Kenshin decided, the woman looking almost shocked at his words as she stopped stroking the puppy's white fur in an attempt to calm it down. "Really? Just like that?" She asked with surprise, as if she didn't quite believe what she had just heard and he didn't blame her, he normally wouldn't accept the job but he was in a generous mood thanks to his encounter with the Satori family.

"Just like that. Lead the way." Kenshin reassured her and the girl only thought about it for a second before nodding and leading them toward a run downed building that had seen better days, likely only barely being able to afford to operate if not taking a loss in terms of profits in a slow but steady rate. He could hear some dogs barking and growling as he entered, likely not trusting the stranger coming into their home but neither he nor the worker pay them any mind, the woman only leading him toward the back to where some of the dogs were currently running around in a small contained fenced area. A fence that consisted of old and worn down planks of wood that seemed just about ready to snap if applied enough force in a certain area, likely where the hole was if he had to guess. "I assume that's the section of fence that needs to be repaired?" Kenshin asked as he pointed toward the area, the doors all gathering up near the door, excited that the worker was back and even the puppy seemed eager to reunite with the other dogs. "Yep. I'll let the dogs in and you can get to work there, I left the planks right besides it and the tools the owners gave me is on my desk in the front." The girl answered, gesturing back toward the lobby area they had passed and Kenshin only nodded, content to let her wrestle the dogs back to their pens or where ever they reside.

He didn't know much about regular dogs, he had only even seen the clan's Predator Hounds and while they were similar to dogs in a way, they were more wolf like than anything and acted quite differently, he was sure if it was predator hound pup that had attacked him, the bone intrusions would've torn up his clothing at the very least. He arrived at the front desk and quickly noted the small tool box beneath the desk, likely not even being opened since the owners handed it over, the worker barely looked like she could control the dogs he doubted she would be able to get the repairs done in a timely fashion before something had happened. Bringing the tool box back, he was surprised to see that she had been successful in leading the dogs out of the backyard, Kenshin only setting to work in tearing down and replacing the weakened section of fence, installing a new set of boards in place and reinforcing some of the weaker sections with some newer planks, trying to make best use of the limited wooden planks they had provided her with, it was nowhere near enough to replace even half of the fencing, let alone the entire area but he targeted where it was most apparent it would break soon.

He worked peacefully without interruption for nearly 2 hours just tearing down the old wooden planks before hammering in new ones and cutting some of them to reinforce the weaker ones and preventing them from breaking so easily. It was far more than what a regular repairs man would've done for a whole lot cheaper but Kenshin didn't care, he would just consider some of the payment from the Satori family as payment on behalf of the owner of this pet adoption center. Once he had finished, he entered the building once more, tool box in hand and found the worker talking to an old man and woman. "Oh, there he is right now. Did you finish yet? These are the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Daichi." The worker would ask before introducing him to the old couple, both of them turning their attention to him and Mrs. Daichi seemed the most shocked to see him, letting out a quiet gasp. "Yes, I have finished. I repaired the hole and reinforced the sections of fence that were about to break as best I could." Kenshin answered with a small nod toward the worker, paying no mind to the old couple who were too caught off guard by his appearance.

"Ah, well thank you young man... I'm sorry we can't pay you a lot for your kind act, but seeing someone as young as you willing to help struggling people warms my heart." Mr. Daichi found his voice first, thanking him as he handed over the ryo, a small amount but it wasn't like he was going to be complaining about it any time soon. "It was no problem sir, it was a pleasure doing business with you." Mrs. Daichi didn't look like she would be saying anything, so he moved on with conversation while accepting the ryo and pocketing with the rest of his ryo he had earned for today, his pockets feel a lot heavier than it had in a long time and that felt reassuring. Finding that kite in the trees was quite the stroke of luck it would seem, it had lead him here.

WC: 1,312
TWC: 8,100

Claiming:

Mission Rewards: 5,000 ryo and 25 AP
8,100 TWC from thread

Used 2,000/2,000 to learn slotted skill; Chakra Sensory [V7]
Used 2,000/2,000 to learn slotted skill; Chakra Infusion [v7.2]
Used 2,000/2,000 to learn slotless skill; Clanless Pureblood
Used 2,000/2,000 to learn slotless skill; Apex Predator; Berserker Branch
Using 100/250 to learning E Rank Genjutsu Genjutsu Release

Also claiming the 81 stat points and spending them

Stat Changes:

Kenshin Yautja wrote:Claiming:

Mission Rewards: 5,000 ryo and 25 AP
8,100 TWC from thread

Used 2,000/2,000 to learn slotted skill; Chakra Sensory [V7]
Used 2,000/2,000 to learn slotted skill; Chakra Infusion [v7.2]
Used 2,000/2,000 to learn slotless skill; Clanless Pureblood
Used 2,000/2,000 to learn slotless skill; Apex Predator; Berserker Branch
Using 100/250 to learning E Rank Genjutsu Genjutsu Release

Also claiming the 81 stat points and spending them

Stat Changes:

Approved

[Exit]

Kenshin Yautja wrote:[Exit]

Approved exit