A Scientific Leap [C Rank, Zraix]

Mission Details:

A fog hung over Monsoon's mind as he linked up with Zraix Hoshimura. The dreams of some days ago still clung to his thoughts, dragging reminders of the gaps in his memory. As he came to look upon the finely robed ronin, he shook himself from his internal musings. He'd raise a hand to his head while belting a, "Yo!" in greetings. However, his friend would see through his display, as Monsoon's pale expression and hollow eyes could not hide the strange turmoil of his mind. Despite this, Monsoon would brief his comrade.

"This shouldn't be too difficult. We're assisting a University scientist in some of his work. Animal experiments and the like. I almost groaned when you told me we were going on this, but I'm glad we're dealing with an adult whose a part of a monitored system, not a crack-pot kid or the mad scientists we've seen before. He's in the biology building, if we make haste it shouldn't take long."

If Zraix would agree, Monsoon would walk with him, to the University of Hoshigakure. Passing the hospital and great library, they made their way to the central campus. During this time, no students were there, so the walk across the quad was unhindered and without obstacles.  At times, a map was consulted, as the buildings were all of similar look and size. Finding the stairs that led down to the lab, both shinobi would make their way.

As Monsoon opened the door, the reeking scent of animal filled the air. Differing sounds of fauna croaked and bayed, welcoming the shinobi to a particularly large room. Hunched over a desk littered with papers and calculations, a regal, white haired scientist stood in the far corner of the room. Hearing the commotion from their experiments, they turned to welcome their new assistants. With a wizened smile and piercing eyes, the scientist walked down the aisles of counters covered with caged fauna, opening their arms in greetings.

"Ah perfect," they said with a tenor timber, "You are both Hoshimura and Uchiha, yes??"

Stunned, Monsoon would blink in response. Before Zraix would hope to respond, the scientist continued, "Well? Show me your Doujutsu!"

A question brow rose over Monsoon's eye, the lack of decorum from the scientist was almost reprehensible. Seeing this thought, the scientist snapped.

"Well! I need to make sure you two are not just some weapon clad brutes off the street!! I specifically requested an Uchiha or Hoshimura, if you are neither than excuse yourself and leave!" Their intelligent articulation and air of authority struck Monsoon.

How boorish...

Monsoon stare into the scientist's piercing eyes, his pupil would swirl into the glowing red coals of his three tomoe sharingan. No doubt, Zain would activate his kenseigan, as it seemed to be required for this mission. At the look of both shinobi's doujutsu, the scientist's demeanor would soften.

"Ah wonderful! I'll assume you've been briefed as well! So, please, with your wonderous eyes, look at this here."

The scientist would produce a finger sized crystal, holding it between her index and thumb. Monsoon could see a tremendous amount of chakra radiating from this crystal, as if it were billowing with smoke that traveled a fair distance away from the source, like dry ice. Yet, unlike the ice, the mass of the crystal was not reduced: as if it was a self sustaining source of chakra.

Monsoon would describe his observations to the scientist.

"Like smoke you say? Strange, that isnt exactly what we had in mind. But, I'm pleased with your observation. Hoshimura, what do your eyes see?

After given Zraix's observation, the scientist, who seemed more please with his description than Monsoon's, gave her next instructions.

"Wonderful! So, your task is to feed the specimens you see here the crystals I give you and observe the effects. Be very careful not to give the one's I assign to you, Hoshimura, to the animals assigned to the Uchiha's crystal. I don't believe I need to say that the same applies to you, Uchiha? Good. Take these word pads. Don't worry, you don't need to write your observations, just check the boxes as you see. And, please mark the boxes for the correct specimens you're observing, though similar in nature, the questions are tailored to each small animal you see here. If you need me, I'll be working at my desk!"

[732 WC]

A smile came to the Hoshimura's face upon seeing his trusted comrade Monsoon approach so that they might begin their mission- the two had been completing missions left and right and their teamwork had really come a long way. It was time for them to bring a close to this long stream of missions and following this, meet up with the Kage of Hoshigakure to discuss their progress. Monsoon would speak stating that he was happy for the slight change in the purpose of their mission and he could not have been more correct- the two had been dealing with different situations from mission to mission but one factor remained the same and that was the individuals they were exposed to were all a bit strange. He would interject shortly after the Burly Uchiha finished his first statement, "No kidding.. honestly im just happy that were not heading to some sort of bandit encampment.. Ive had about all I can of slaying bandits just for them to rise up again under the leadership of another fool. This seemed like a mission that we might be able to learn something from.."

After this statement he would agree to the proposal to get started with the mission and take off towards the university so that they might greet the scientist they were going to be assisting. The two would enter a room with a smell so foul of animals that even someone with the weakest sense of smell wouldnt be able to shake it. The two shinobi were met by a man that was clearly the scientist and had been awaiting their arrival for some time apparently- after only meeting with them for a moment the man demanded that they show him their visual prowess and called them by their family names. "The arrogance of this man.. he's lucky we have no choice but to cooperate with him.." He thought to himself as he looked to Monsoon and nodded softly before closing his eyes and directing his profile back to the scientist- his eyes slowly opening and revealing the lotus shaped irises of the Kenseigan. The Scientist seemed elated to have confirmed the identity of the two shinobi and directed their attention immediately over to small crystals that they held in their hand.

The scientist would ask them what their vision allowed them to see from the crystal and in part Zraix did see what Monsoon had seen but he also saw the crystals reverberating back and forth almost as though they were trying to pull two wholes of themselves together- as if they were struggling with the very boundaries of space to become stable. The reverberations were a cloudy pink/red in nature and this tipped the Hoshimuras off that the crystals had a space time power in nature. Zraix kept his explanation simple for no other reason than having a gut feeling that he needed to- it became very apparent that this scientist had no idea the true power that these crystals held and that was why they wanted to experiment on the animals. The problem with this, is that these crystals would kill any of these animals if they ingested even half of one.. but did the scientist know that and hoped that the two shinobi would catch this mistake or were they entirely ignorant to this fact. Either way Zraix would smile at the scientist before speaking, "If we have any questions we'll be sure to ask you but for your own safety I would recommend that you leave this lab. From what my eyes can see the crystals themselves are a bit unstable and we wouldnt be able to guarantee your safety in testing them. Maybe head to another study in the university and we can come and grab you when were done, okay?" He said as he reached his right hand out to take the crystal from the scientist and walked forward, putting his left hand behind his back and making a pseudo confrontation seal as a signal to Monsoon.

Upon seeing the signal for the pseudo confrontation seal Zraix would hope that his partner would recognize it immediately and move to ready his sharingan. Much to what Zraix expected, the scientist would protest stating that they needed to be present incase of a discovery and to over see the lab. "Right I completely understand that. But my partner Monsoon can attest to the fact that your safety is as much of our concern as helping you take strides in your developments" He would slightly angle his profile to Monsoon who was standing a meter behind him and this body motion would naturally draw the scientist to look towards Monsoon as well as he was now given the floor. If everything went as planned, Monsoon would have interpreted Zraix's signal as their code to put the scientist under subtle genjutsu with his sharingan, which would then ease her into leaving, keeping anyone else out and not coming back until told to by them.

Once the scientist left the lab, escorted out by Monsoon, Zraix would take a close look at the crystal he held in his hand- the chakra that bloomed from it was of an S-rank power as far as intensity went and it was so powerful that wisps of it would trickle into the surrounding air. "Thanks for that Monsoon. I hate having to ask you to do that to people but we have to take advantage when we can. Ive been taking a good look at these crystals and I think we hit the jackpot. These are used to augment a shinobi's abilities right? Well even though their still in the testing phase I believe they could be the key to us ascending to new heights." He would say as he looked over at Monsoon while he slowly close the distance between them to a couple feet. He would look down at the crystal that the Uchiha held and to his surprise it was quite different from his own.. the crystal that he held didnt reverberate like his own crystal, in fact it was completely still, motionless in fact- but it was surrounded by fire chakra of an S-rank intensity. "Ill go first.. we have a lot to lose if this goes the wrong way but we need to advance and we need to find Scala. I dont see another way. Honing our skills to a level where we can get there could take decades and that if it even truly exists.." He said to Monsoon before taking in a deep breath in and out and swallowing the crystal whole.

Dropping down on one knee as sweat began to fall from his face profusely, the Hoshimura would develop rapid breathing and his heart rate would follow suit- his eyes rapidly changing colors between the five chakra natures before stopping at a tri-split color of yellow, red and blue. Unable to speak due to the strain on his body, he could not communicate the feelings of absolute invigoration that surged through him, it was unreal as though he was experiencing the miracle of gaining sentience. The entire room had become blurred and red which was the same phenomenon that occurred whenever he was witnessing someone utilizing space time to phase or relocate themself- he was unsure whether or not he had been transported or if his eyes were malfunctioning as they tried to acclimate to the outrageous power the crystal required for subjugation. As he focused his vision he would be able to make out two silhouettes in the back of the room. One stood with his arms folded and a large fan on his back, his body surrounded by dark shrouded energy and the other was a man seemed to have two heads and the chakra that surrounded him looked almost like ethereal sparks of bluish and white energy. The two figure would disappear from his vision as they turned away, their presence menacing and the intense effects of the crystal subsiding with their departure.

Zraix, his Kenseigan no deactivated looked down at his hands before getting off of his knee hardly able to believe what had just happened. "My god... Monsoon." He said looking over at his partner unsure if he had even taken his crystal.

If Monsoon had taken the crystal, he would have gone through a similar situation and the two would depart after brining the scientist back to the lab. Their discoveries a secret.

WC= 1,415

[Mission END Will Make claims later]

The scientist had no way to defend against the slight use of genjutsu sharingan. With it, Monsoon placed a film around their perception, an illusion in where they believed the situation would go as planned, that the samples would be consumed but the findings inconclusive. With this, Monsoon led them to the door and out of the lab, to rest under a tree to think upon their own ambitions: as Zraix directed.

The Uchiha returned to the Hoshimura, gesturing,

"I'm glad to be rid of them, their manners were wanting."

Monsoon stared at the crystal the Zraix gave him. With his sharingan, Monsoon shuddered at its make and composition. A finely dense substance with a murky interior, radiating waves of fire chakra. Yes, though in fact Monsoon felt no heat, he could tell it was indeed firechakra, of a dark, brackish hue that radiates past his forearm. He looked to Zraix, who decided to take his first, lest their be any catastrophic consequences. After Zraix swallowed his crystal and Monsoon saw no immediate disturbance to the ronin's chakra, the Uchiha swallowed the tasteless crystal.

Joy surged up Monsoon's spine and ensconced the neurons of his mind: closing his eyes. The feeling clamped on each individual node and rushed toward his musculature, soothing the fibers and relaxing their tension. This weakness brought the Uchiha to the ground, to sit and rest along the bottom of a nearby counter. To cope with the overwhelming sensation, he splated his body out, to help relax and breath. His breath, like a bellows, stokes his chakra, his body heats up and he begins to perspire. He opens his eyes, having grown accustomed to some of these senses, to see Zraix catching himself on the ground, in an ordeal not dissimilar to his own. His vision turns a shade of red as a warm, thick liquid oozes down his cheeks, a disturbance in the space around the two shinobi shudders with a flicker of iridescent chakra, as if activated through some far off, strange methods. A rift carves itself in the corners of the room between Monsoon and Zraix, with two figures seeming to step into the space, yet also to seem very far off. One, surrounded by a shroud of darkness and another with two heads. Though silhouettes, twitches of muscle betrayed some speech from the two headed figure, with each head speaking simultaneously and after one another.

...do it...

Just as they came, the figures disappeared, as did the effects of the crystals. Zraix, stunned, would exclaim and turn to Monsoon. Blood ran down the Uchiha's eyes as a unique sharingan stared back at the Hoshimura.

After gathering themselves and restoring the scientist, the two shinobi would leave to discuss their....revelations.

[EXIT]


[457 WC/1189 WC]

---

CLAIMS
Spending 1100 WC to Reallocate Stats

Vigor: 86 (25+11 + 50 from Uchiha Genetics and Pureblood)
Chakra: 89 (100-11)
Str: 100
Spd: 25

Utilizing Max stat discount for claims

Spending total WC on , Hoshimura Requip: Armament Of Kokuto [1,415/3,750] WC