Kirigakure Academy: Final Lesson

Ryusame sat at the front of the boat. This time he was alone with the instructor, who stood at the back and directed their passage through some means unknown to him. Where are the others? The thought had bothered him since he had arrived at the dock. Perpetually late he had assumed at first that he had gotten the time and date of the mission entirely wrong. When he instructor had appeared beside him and ordered him into the boat his nerves had prevented him from asking any questions, and so they had travelled in silence for the better part of an hour.

The rain was coming down hard, filling the bottom of the rickety wooden vessel and, although the waterproofing of his robe was holding, chilling Ryusame to the bone. In truth it didn't bother him much though. For him the rain was calming, and despite the cold it was infinitely more enjoyable than the muggy days at the peak of summer. Looking out from under his hood he stole a glance at the instructor and found him in much the same state he had been throughout their voyage, arms crossed and with a look on his face somewhere between mild distain and boredom. He stayed that way for several minutes more before finally shifting slightly and bringing the boat to a rocking stop. "We're here," he said simply, sitting down on the edge of the boat.

"No doubt you're wondering why you're out here. Generally this mission would be undertaken with the entire class, as would the following mission. The problem is, well, you." Ryusame felt a needle of panic thread through him at the comment. "Yeah." he continued on, apparently picking up on the feeling. "You've barely passed both your classes. Good ideas, both times, but your execution is severely lacking. There are those of us on the teaching staff that just don't think you're cut out to be a ninja."

Ryusame tried to marshal up the courage to say something in his defense, and after a few heartbeats of stammering incoherently managed to get something out. "Well, I mean I guess I have room to improve, but didn't I..... I mean, I did pass the classes, didn't I?"

The instructor almost seemed amused by that, and Ryusame felt a flash of hatred over the fear. "Yeah, you did. And to be clear, the Academy does see some potential in you, or else we wouldn't be having this conversation. The usual route would be to watch you carefully, measure your abilities, and kick you down to the next class if you don't measure up. But that won't work for you, will it? No, we've seen your type before. Some people, you give them a second chance like that, they'll use it. Learn from their mistakes. Improve. But you? I'd wager if we let you slip back an inch you'll never graduate. So here it is, sink or swim. If you succeed in this mission you will have proven yourself to the Academy. If not, you'll be expelled and never allowed to reapply."

Ryusame felt a little sick. For a moment he debated asking for a stay of execution, some time to train and improve, but he knew that it was no good. The Academy had spoken, and this would be his only shot. He gripped the wooden plank that he sat on, trying to center himself, and took a careful breath. "I understand Sensei. How do I begin?"

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Word Count: 585

"Very good," the instructor said with another smirk. "The first part of this mission is simple. This sandbar is home to a plethora of plants with all kinds of medicinal properties. As a Genin you may need to collect these for the higher ranking medical nin, or in rare events have to make a poultice for yourself. I will teach you which are edible, which are useful, and which are toxic, and then you will gather whatever I need. Do you understand?" Ryusame nodded and the instructor launched into his explanation.

Despite not being able to see the shore in any direction the water was only a couple feet deep where they were anchored. Normally the waters of Kirigakure were exceptionally clear, but today the rain was was making a mess of the surface. The instructor pointed back and forth, describing various species of seaweed and algae, but all Ryusame could make out where colorful whorls and rippling bands of dark green. He wanted to ask for clarification, but didn't dare. This is part of the test, he thought. I just need to focus on the colors. So far, they've all been unique. If it comes down to it I can always dunk my head under the water.

After some time he noticed that the skies were getting darker. The rain refused to let up, and the gentle breeze was sending a freezing spray up along the edges of the boat. The instructor continued his lecture on the history of an invasive sea sponge that had begun showing up in their waters a decade ago, seemingly oblivious to changes in the world around them. Ryusame had noticed that most of the lesson was seemingly valueless information. At first he thought that perhaps he would be asked to answer questions about the random, seemingly inane details, but now he thought otherwise. He told me the mission objective, and for once I actually listened. Random information retention could be good, but I'm putting my money on this being a test of my ability to stay on task.

Finally the instructor seemed to notice how late it was getting. "Well, I think that's enough for one day. You take the first watch at the front there, and wake me in four hours." He made a show of stretching, then sat down on the back edge of the boat and dropped his head.

"Wait, sensei, we're not going back?" The instructor open an eye and looked up at Ryusame.

"Oh no, we'll be out here for a while. We have quite a bit of ground to cover and I'm not too keen on having to make this trip twice every day. Now get to your watch, and make sure that you don't doze off." The instructor dropped his head again.

"But I don't have any way of telling the time, or any weapons to defend us with if there's a problem."

The instructor shrugged without looking up. "Sometimes a ninja needs to make do. This is far from the worse position you'll find yourself in."

Although the rain let up a little bit it took the darkness less than twenty minutes to envelop them. Ryusame was able to  use the rhythmic sound of the waves as a makeshift metronome, but before long he had to make notches with a fingernail in the plank beside him to keep track of the beats. Exhaustion began to creep up on him, but the cold helped keep him away. Far off the stern a dim light glowed through the fog, the lights of Kiri shining in the distance. We can't be that far off shore then, he thought. I bet he was driving us around in circles earlier.

Forty five minutes into his watch by the reckoning of the waves Ryusame heard an odd, scrapping noise behind him. It was quiet, but after sitting there so long listening to the same sounds over and over again it stood out like a foghorn. He spun, pulling at stiff and frozen muscles, and found a horror crawling over his instructor. An isopod the size of a dog had curled itself up over his shoulder, its mandibles set to the side of the teacher's throat. Rainwater sluiced off of fish belly white scales that glistened with the soft reflected glow coming through the mist. An odor of decaying fish wafted over the boat, and at that moment the thing seemed to notice him. It looked up and gave a gurgling hiss.

Ryusame yelled incoherently, spinning in his seat to face the creature and falling down into the bow in the process. The water that had been accumulating in the bottom flowed under his robe as his frozen fingers tried to jam their way through handseals. On the third try he got it, yelling "Raiton:Sparks!" A spray of blue white electric sparks flooded out of his palm, blinding him in the process and arcing wide of the creature. Despite missing the thing hissed again and leapt into the water beside the boat.

As he lay there waiting for his vision to return Ryusame felt a series of vibrations scraping through the hull. All around him he heard the hissing of isopods, and after a heartbeat felt a wiry antenna brush across his face. Screaming he punched upwards, striking into something hard, and scrambled to his feat. Uncoordinated as he was the motion sent the boat rocking wildly back and forth. As his sight came back he saw his instructor slump to one side and start spilling out of into the sea, forcing him to dive across the seat and catch him.

Awkwardly lifting himself up he looked around in a wild panic. A half dozen of the creatures were swarming over the sides with arachnid grace. Ryusame aimed a kick at the nearest one but it skittered easily aside. Desperate to get away he hoisted his instructor up onto one shoulder and jumped out of the boat, calling on his chakra to support himself on top of the waves. He ran twenty yards out, far enough to escape but still near enough to keep an eye on the boat. I don't know if I have the chakra to make it back, he thought. I'll need to recover that boat once they leave.

An instant after he stopped however he felt a needlelike prick on the back of his calf. Looking down he saw that four of the creatures were swarming up from the water, crawling up his legs and hissing angrily. Pure panic took over as he kicked and swatted at them, scattering them across the water. As he did the careful, observant part of him that always seemed to be running in the background started putting something together. They don't weight anything, and when I hit them the impact is off.... Genjutsu! Ryusame hadn't yet learned to properly dispel genjustu, but he understood the basic principle. He needed to disrupt his own chakra flow to reset it, and for some low level techniques pain was enough to do that. Trying to ignore the isopods that now seemed to be multiplying into a swarm he bit down into the meaty part of his hand as hard as he could. Blood trickled between his teeth, but after a moment the illusion broke.

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Word Count: 1,219 Words

Jutsu used:
Raiton:Sparks: 5 AP
Tree Climbing/Surface Walking: 5 AP

Remaining AP: 511/521

Ryusame had expected for the instructor's injuries to be a part of the genjutsu, but it had been several minutes since he dispelled it and the man was still unconscious. Running back over to the boat he set the teacher down and examined him in the dim glow from the village bleeding through the mist. With a start he noticed a small messy wound at the meeting of the man's neck and shoulder. A thin, clear fluid was oozing from the wound, and an ugly patch of purple discoloration was spreading out towards his arm. Ryusame leapt back into the boat and scanned the water around them. Shit, that first one wasn't part of the genjutsu. So can it use chakra? I didn't think wild beasts could do that.... No matter. Gotta help him first, then figure out the rest.

He went down to one knee, trying to make himself smaller in profile, and racked his brain. What did he say about antidotes? There was that red seaweed, and one of the sponges? Or was it a piece of the coral.... no, that doesn't make sense. Ryusame poured over everything he could remember about the lesson, and finally convinced himself of the proper trio of ingredients. Leaning a bit to one side he stared down into the water, but what little light there was bounced off the chaotic surface in random, dizzying patterns that left the sandbar beneath hopelessly obscured. Seeing no other alternative he quickly stripped off his robe, terrified that the loose fabric would drown him under the water, and hopped out of the boat.

Usually the waters of the village were pleasantly warm, but after hours of rain the shallows were numbingly cold. Just brushing it with his hand was enough to cause him to rethink his plan, attempting instead to reach down to feel around without leaving the surface, but the water was a good four feet deep and he still couldn't tell what was what. He crouched on top of the water for most of a minute, his heart pounding in his chest. I have to do this. That thing could be back and second, and there's no telling how much time the teacher has left.... He sucked a breath through his teeth and let the jutsu go, dropping him into the water.

The intention had been to drop silently beneath the waves and slowly prowl the rocks for the supplies he needed, but the cold was too much for him. Even knowing what was coming the sudden shock drove most of his breath from his lungs and sent his limbs into spasms. Saltwater burned in his eyes and the wound on his hand, and highlighted a dozen other scrapes he hadn't realized that he had acquired. Only by a great effort of will was he able to keep himself from resurfacing. After a few moments the shock lost its edge, but he could still feel the strength sapping out of his limbs. Gotta do this quick, he thought desperately.

It took three separate dives to gather everything he needed. Each time he broke the surface the cold stung him anew, but he managed to stay focused on the task at hand. Once he had gathered everything that he needed he crawled back on top of the water and trudged back to the boat. During his dives he had travelled about thirty feet from it, and a part of him wondered if he would be able to make it back at all. By the time he dropped back down onto the simple wooden plank beside the instructor he was exhausted to his core.

Ryusame mashed the ingredients together as best he could using a spare oar he found beneath his seat. The result was a slimy paste that stained everything it touched and left his skin feeling taunt wherever it touched. Grimacing he applied the salve to the open wound, hoping that he had remembered the recipe correctly as he did. I should have just taken him to the hospital, he thought. What the hell was I thinking? In an bid to give himself something else to focus on he tried to apply a little bit of the leftover paste to his hand, only to find that it burned worse than the seawater before abandoning the effort.

"Yeah, that stuff stings a bit, doesn't it?" Ryusame almost fell out of his seat again. Across from him the instructor had sat up and was wiping the medicine away from his neck. "A little heavy on the seaweed but otherwise alright. And you figured out the genjutsu quickly enough. As usual though, a little late on the timing."

His nerves were too tangled for him to make an intelligent response. "A test?" he managed to ask.

"Yes, a test. Information retention, tactics, basic ninja theory. I appreciate that you carried me out of the boat, though you ran a little too far. You never would have made it back to the village on foot."

"That thought did occur to me, sensei." Ryusame pulled his robe over to him and drew it over his soaked clothes, grateful for the meager warmth it provided. He took a moment to steel himself, determined not to shiver in front of this man. "So what comes next?"

"Next," he said, that same arrogant smirk playing across his face, "you fight."

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Word Count: 898 Words

Jutsu Used:
Tree Climbing/Surface Walking: 5 AP

Remaining AP: 506/521

The instructor sat there, elbows on his knees, his eyes on Ryusame. "Naturally if we actually fought, you'd be killed. So your mission will be to employ one of the most basic skills of a shinobi. I mean, of course, assassination. By killing in a single stroke you can take out targets that you would otherwise have no chance of facing. Most targets though will not be other ninja but rather important players in the various political theaters of the world. Here too you will need to strike a quick and decisive blow, so that you can begin your escape before any bodyguards can react. If you learn nothing else in your time as a Student of the Academy, learn this. A true ninja abhors a straight fight, and will wait to strike until they have an overwhelming advantage."

"Now, on to your target. You will be going after this man." He held up a photograph of an elderly man with a long gray beard wearing the flak jacket of a Kiri ninja. Ryusame had seen him around the Academy before, and was reasonably certain that he was another teacher. "He is currently wearing a water balloon on his back. If you manage to pop that balloon he will be considered dead. If he sees you coming you will never be able to get close enough to achieve your mission, so stealth will be critical. You have 24 hours. Dismissed."

With that Ryusame found himself flung into the sea again, although he had no idea how. Fighting back another wave of panic he crawled up on top of the waves, reflexively scanning his surroundings. Both the boat and his instructor were gone. Realizing that he needed every second of his chakra he immediately began pushing himself towards the village. At first he moved at barely more than a hobble, his cold muscles drawn into hard knots, but soon was moving with his usual steady, if slow, rhythm.

Either his instructor had been exaggerating about how difficult the journey back would be or he had been thrown much farther than he thought, because after only five minutes he was pulling himself up onto a stone dock. Everything in his body screamed for him to lay down and rest, but he fought passed the feeling. I can't remember the last time I was this tired. If I sleep now I'll burn through at least 12 hours, and I have no idea how I'm going to handle this yet. Instead he headed towards the Academy, using the cover of darkness to slip into the empty building.

Ryusame went from room to room, searching for anything that might be of help. He recognized most of the rooms and started ruling them out one by one. Each teacher was assigned to a particular room, and he knew that he had never had the teacher in question. Other rooms he was able to eliminate by rummaging through desks, searching through graded papers for the names and once even finding an itinerary with enough personal details to determine that he was in the wrong place. After two hours he had narrowed it down to three possible locations, but with the sky rapidly lightening he knew that he didn't have the time to gather any more intel. On a hunch he chose the room nearest to the headmaster's office, which assumed would be a place of honor for a venerated older teacher, and snuck up into the ceiling tiles.

Less than ten minutes after hiding he saw the first few students begin filing in through the narrow crack he left in one of the tiles. He thought he recognized a few from around the village, but most he did not. Finally he saw the old man arrive, and his heart leapt into his chest. Here it is, my one shot at this.

A murmur of quiet laughter went through the room as the teacher turned to write something on the board, revealing the bouncy blue balloon. "Nevermind the balloon class. Today we will need to make up for last week, and we haven't a moment to spare." Ryusame was about to make his move when the teacher turned back around. "Now, who remembers the jutsu we were studying?"

It was another hour before Ryusame had another chance. By then his limbs were burning and his mind was teetering on the edge of lucidity. Finally the teacher moved away from the wall, taking up a spot beside his desk. The angle was bad, and Ryusame could only just barely make out the balloon, but in that moment he did not care. All he wanted was to be finished and back in his own bed.

Making the Ram handseal he used one of his newest jutsu, the Body Flicker, rushing down to appear directly behind the teacher. He spun, swinging wildly with one arm, and swatted the water balloon with all his might. It was overkill to be sure, rupturing the balloon and soaking the desk besides them. The teacher looked over his shoulder at him, his expression betraying nothing. "I see he was wrong. There is indeed potential in you, Ryusame Namito. Now please, leave my classroom so that I may continue with my lecture."

Of, of course sensei," he stammered then exited the room with as much grace as his exhaustion would allow.

[Exit]
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Word Count: 895 Words

Jutsu Used:
Tree Climbing/Surface Walking: 5 AP
Body Flicker: 10 AP

Remaining AP: 491/521

Thread Total Word Count: 3,597 [585 + 1,219 + 898 + 895]

CLAIMS
Mission #1 Word Count: 500/500
Rewards: 1,250 Ryo, +6 AP

Mission #2 Word Count: 500/500
Rewards: 1,250 Ryo, +6 AP

Improvements:
Vigor +12: 1200/1200
Chakra +7: 700/700
Speed +7: 700/700
Strength +9: 900/900

Total Stat Cost: 3,500 Words

Jutsu & Skills:

Jutsu-Rope Escape Technique: 50/500 [450 Words Previous Earned]
Jutsu-Raiton: Jinraisen Rank D: 500/500
Jutsu- Basic Sealing Technique: 500/500
Jutsu-Storage Displacement: 500/500
Jutsu-Armory Seal: 1,000/1,000
Jutsu-Reverse Armory Seal: 1,000/1,000

Total Jutsu & Skill Cost: 3,550 Words

Ryusame Namito wrote:
[Exit]
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Word Count: 895 Words

Jutsu Used:
Tree Climbing/Surface Walking: 5 AP
Body Flicker: 10 AP

Remaining AP: 491/521

Thread Total Word Count: 3,597 [585 + 1,219 + 898 + 895]

CLAIMS
Mission #1 Word Count: 500/500
Rewards: 1,250 Ryo, +6 AP

Mission #2 Word Count: 500/500
Rewards: 1,250 Ryo, +6 AP

Improvements:
Vigor +12: 1200/1200
Chakra +7: 700/700
Speed +7: 700/700
Strength +9: 900/900

Total Stat Cost: 3,500 Words

Jutsu & Skills:

Jutsu-Rope Escape Technique: 50/500 [450 Words Previous Earned]
Jutsu-Raiton: Jinraisen Rank D: 500/500
Jutsu- Basic Sealing Technique: 500/500
Jutsu-Storage Displacement: 500/500
Jutsu-Armory Seal: 1,000/1,000
Jutsu-Reverse Armory Seal: 1,000/1,000

Total Jutsu & Skill Cost: 3,550 Words

Approved