A return to a loving embrace

Junko seemed to have something on her mind as he spoke about the Earth and the nautre that he was surrounded by and how he felt about it. Her mind seemed to have a secret to tell. This was confirmed when she would gesture for them to keep something to themselves. He would nod, knowing that he would never betray her trust and would never even dream of performing such an act. He nodded, and she removed her finger from her luscious lips.

She would explain the very thing that he thought of when he first saw both of her "sisters". Ren's eyes widened in realization as he leaned forward, "You know what I knew that was the probable cause of them looking too much like you. I have heard of people making permanent clones of themselves, but have only heard of such a thing. Have never actually seen it done before." He would look upon them both. He stood up and he would lean towards Junko, "You never have to lie to me. Your secrets are safe with me, and they always will be. But I can certainly say that I am very interested in learning such a technique, what kind of understandings do I need? I have affinity with water, does it require the ability to commune with the Earth? I may have that affinity as well, but am not sure."

His mind would race thinking about what he could do with living, breathing clones. He could return to his roots of traveling the world, even if it is through one of his clones. He wouldn't think to leave her side, but it would be nice to hear stories again. He missed that cherry blossom tree in the land of mountains, the woman that he shared a day with, Meio. He remembered the music they played together, the kiss they shared. All distant memories now, clouded and overwritten by his time with Junko.

But he couldn't lie there was parts of him that wanted to embrace the wilds again. He hadn't lived in a home for so long before. Not since his parents had been killed. Even as a child he had always roamed, never really wanting to be pinned down to any one place or to any one group of people. But all of that seemed to be changing with every passing day that he was with Junko. She seemed to have everything he ever wanted in life, and he was becoming sated with the idea of staying here, with her and their people.

He brought his mind back to the present, thinking about what Junko was saying. "I apologize, my brain wandered off there for a moment. Yes, I believe that this type of technique would be exceedingly helpful for me. To be able to be in multiple places at once would certainly aid my abilities to help you, this village, and still be able to explore like I once did. The wilds are a beautiful place and I have heard some stories and legends from the people within the village speak on their beliefs and I am in love with their stories. Parts of me wish to understand them even more and live their experiences. Something about the way they believe and the way they all gather around these legends and myths are inspiring to me."

He would walk towards the window, and he would look over to the orchard that he had planted into the area to the side of the home. "I have a feeling that I can grow my chakra's affinity to that of Earth. I believe that I would be able to master the idea of Water and Earth together, not sure if I can do anything with those elements. But I do feel as though my chakra is called to the Earth, and the water it houses." He turns towards Junko again. "Show me."

WC: 654
TWC: 2082

She was relieved he wasn’t upset with her, she didn’t like hiding things from him or really any of those around her. However, she had wanted to keep the facade that she was simply just a medical shinobi without too many tricks up her sleeves. However as she worked more with the others that now inhabited her life, she was unsure of how long she could keep up the gimmick. She didn’t want those around her to see her as a monster, even though Ren showed her kindness by not rejecting her once he learned of her capabilities she didn’t anticipate others taking it lightly.

She still couldn’t believe he didn’t shame her for having the abilities she had, she had been so afraid to show anybody for the longest time. She was relieved that he wasn’t immediately repulsed by her and her actions, though she couldn’t help but feel like his idealization of her was potentially damaging. She’d bury these thoughts for now, however, not wanting to spoil the day ahead of her.

He’d ask her to show him how she did it, and honestly, she didn’t even know where to start. She barely grasped how she was able to obtain such abilities, let alone how to teach somebody it. An idea came to mind, she’d simply show him what made her fall in love with the place to begin with. She’d look at him with a bit of excitement and smile sweetly before saying…

”I think I have the perfect idea! Why don’t you prepare yourself for an outing, wear something comfortable and not covered in blood? We’re going to go out for a walk, just the two of us, okay? Meet me in roughly an hour, and I should be ready to go too”

If he agreed she’d give him a small wave before exiting the living room. She would then make her way into the kitchen and begin preparing them a light lunch that they could take with them on their journey. She couldn’t help but feel a bit excited, they hadn’t had much time to spend just relaxing with each other. She would prepare them some simple sandwiches, a handful of different snacks, and a large bottle of moonflower wine that she had purchased earlier that day. She had hoped to gift it to Jun, but this was more important.

She’d pile all of the goodies, along with a soft blanket into a rather large picnic basket. With her preparations complete she’d sit back down on the couch and continue reading her Icha Icha romance novel until Ren was ready to leave. She’d place the book back on her coffee table and leave the home with him.

As they walked Junko would struggle to carry the basket due to its weight, but she attempted to hide it from Ren. If he allowed her, she would wrap her right arm around his left and walk closely beside him. She would lead him down a path that seemingly hadn’t been traversed enough as the main roads. Junko wanted to show him everything that made her fall in love with their home, and she was determined to do so, knowing his love for travel and exploration she decided that there was no better place for him to learn than surrounded by nature.

Soon they would be walking off of the path, crossing streams, and navigating an area Junko had been through yet. She wasn’t sure where they would end up, but she wanted to find the perfect place. If he inquired about the destination, she would simply ask him to just trust her and that she wanted it to be a surprise. Soon they would come upon a large field of moonflowers, and she knew this was the spot. It looked so pristine, untouched by humanity, and the perfect place to begin his training. She’d squeeze his arm gently before letting it go and turning her body towards him.

”Thank you for indulging me. What do you think of starting here? I figured we could have some lunch, and then I could talk you through some meditations that I used to connect with the earth”

WC:703
Total WC:2775

She had a thought for them both to go for a walk, which sounded lovely to him. Not only would he be given the chance to have a time out in nature, but he would get the chance to go out into nature with the woman of his dreams. He couldn't think of a single thing better than that. He would nod excitedly to her idea to get dressed and meet him in an hour. "I don't think I'll need that much time!" He would say as he ran over to his room to get dressed.

With fervor, he would begin to throw different robes around to choose the right one, wanting to make sure he looked absolutely stunning for their time out together. He couldn't stop his mind from wandering, "Do you think this is a date?" He would think to himself. He wasn't sure just to what extent his thoughts were accurate. "No, no, no. This is only a walk. We have done it before. It doesn't mean anything special. Just breathe." He would continue, trying not to hype himself up too much. After a couple of breathing exercises, he began to bring himself back down to the planet, and he was ready to leave his room and meet up with the most beautiful woman on the island.

When he left the room, she was sitting on the couch reading a romance novel, something he thought was adorable. "Darling I am ready! Are you?" He would watch as she would go to grab the picnic basket, to which he would interrupt her arm with his own. He would grab the basket and offer his own arm out to her to hold as they walked, which she would accept, causing his heart to race.

Together they began to walk through nature, seeing all kinds of things that brought Ren back to his days of travel. The rivers, the grasslands, the different things that he had sought after and held in such high regard, it had been so long since he had actually stopped and enjoyed the nature that surrounded him. They arrived at a place that could only be described as perfect, especially due to the fact of who he was there with.

She would turn and offer that they would first eat lunch together, and then after they had completed that, they would begin meditations that she had done to commune with the Earth. Something that he was far too ready for. "I would gladly accept the opportunity to eat lunch with you, and I would also love to meditate with you. It would be my undying pleasure to be able to do both on the same day."

He would say before helping her by laying out the picnic, arranging the food and even preparing her food for her before handing it to her. "Thank you for spending some time with me today. Every moment I get to be with you is truly a blessing so I cannot thank you enough."

He knew that he truly meant it, and he was hoping that Junko was starting to finally understand just the depths of love that he had for her, there was nothing that she could do to push him away. He was completely in love with her, and it was just something that he could not seem to calm down. His love was raging within his chest, and nothing had seemed to find its way to quell that flame as of yet.

His mind would drift off the the other women in his life, the other flames that he may have had, but all of them were negligible when it came to the way he felt about Junko, and he was prepared to do whatever it took to finally make her see the way he felt about her was true, and never going to change.

WC: 647

Junko would assist him in setting up their picnic, ensuring to place the blanket in an area that wouldn’t disturb the flowers too much. As Ren prepared their food, Junko would produce 2 wine glasses and pour both of them a bit of the moonflower wine. She’d keep up pleasant conversation, inquiring about how his art, music, and the various hobbies he seemed to have. She was genuinely interested in the things he loved, she wanted to know more about him and the important things in his life. Obviously, there was much more to him than his unwavering devotion to her and her cause.

As they completed their breakfast Junko would begin cleaning up whatever debris they had left over and packing it away into the basket. With everything cleaned up and put away properly it was now time for her to begin to attempt to teach him the foundations of the technique. First, she would instruct him to peel off whatever outer layer of clothing he had on, and she would do the same leaving herself with just a tube top and the loosely fitting pants she had on prior. She’d also ask that he remove his shoes, and she would as well.

Junko would stand in front of him, her feet shoulder length apart and flat on the ground, and her arms would dangle in a relaxed position at her sides. In a calm, relaxed voice Junko would begin to lead him in some grounding exercises.

”Alrighty Ren, close your eyes. I want you to breathe in deeply through your nose, and exhale through your mouth. Let all the worries that burden you melt away, allow your body to fully relax and release any tension you’re feeling”

Junko would lead by example and follow her own prompts. She honestly had been neglecting herself of this, she often found in times of stress, it was best to let her mind slip away for a few moments. They would breathe deeply for a few moments, and Junko would wait until Ren was ready to move on.

”Next I’d like you to imagine roots growing from the bottom of your feet like you’re a large tree. Then envision the chakra from the earth traveling up those roots and into your body. If you’re doing it correctly, your feet should tingle slightly. Let the earth's chakra envelop your body, feel it in every fiber of your being.”

Following her prompt once again Junko connected to the ground below her feet, she had been doing this for so long, even before she had access to the element so it was pretty easy for her to accomplish. Junko would peek open her eye and activate her ketsuryugan, attempting to see the flow of chakra in his body. She couldn’t help but admire him as rays of light bounced off his sun-kissed skin.

She’d quickly dismiss her dojutsu and close her eyes once more, not wanting to break her concentration. Junko would then proceed to lead him through a variety of yoga poses, and stretches, attempting to relax slightly. As they stopped Junko would wipe the sweat from her forehead and lay down on the blanket they had put out for the picnic. She’d breathe heavily for a moment before while she gazed up at the sky.

Patting the spot beside her, she motioned for him to join her before saying ”Come sit, take a breather for a few minutes. I wanted to check in before we get to the meditation part. How are you feeling?”

She’d sit up on her elbows and smile at him as she watched him closely. She was attempting to look at his chakra and notice any changes in its appearance.

WC:630
Total WC: 3405

The two finished their meal with little talking, both of them were focused on the challenges that were going to be coming towards them, but he was sure that the two of them would be able to navigate together. He followed the instructions of his beloved Junko and removed his robe, revealing his tattooed body and bronzed ksin to the quiet sanctuary that she had brought them to.

As he stood above the Earth, he bathed in the warm glow of the island sun, he felt gratitude towards Junko, being willing to work with Ren for such a goal as to obtain a technique that she had special to her. He was lucky to have her in his life. The intricate patterns of his tattoos seemed to come alive in the flickering light, each line and curve evidence of his journey and experiences that he had obtained to this point.

As Ren prepared to meditate, he took a moment to center himself, his mind focused on the task ahead. With a deep breath, he closed his eyes and allowed his awareness to expand, reaching out to connect with the energy of the earth beneath him. With each inhale, Ren drew in the ambient chakra that surrounded him, feeling its flow and rhythm as it pulsed through his body. He allowed himself to become attuned to the subtle vibrations of the earth, sensing its presence and power beneath his feet.

As he knelt down on the ground, Ren's movements were deliberate and purposeful, his body sinking into a comfortable position as he prepared to commune with the earth. With his palms resting gently on his knees, he closed his eyes and began to visualize his chakra mixing with the element of earth. Ren imagined the chakra within him taking on the qualities of the earth itself—solid, stable, and grounded. He visualized the energy flowing down through his body, sinking into the ground like roots extending deep into the earth, anchoring him in place and connecting him to its vast reservoir of power.

With each breath, Ren allowed his chakra to mingle with the earth's energy, feeling a sense of oneness and harmony with the natural world around him. He embraced the stillness and serenity of the moment, allowing himself to become fully present in the here and now.As he continued to meditate, Ren felt a deep sense of peace wash over him, a profound connection to the earth and all living things. In that moment, he understood that he was part of something greater than himself—a vast and interconnected web of energy that bound all living beings together in a tapestry of life.

And as he surrendered himself to the flow of chakra and the rhythm of the earth, Ren knew that he was exactly where he was meant to be, in perfect harmony with the world around him. He would follow Junko's instruction and envisioned his chakra travling through the roots of the ground below, and he felt a connection between him and the Earth.

"I think it's working," he began. "I can feel my chakra melding with the Earth. I really think there is something there!" He would speak excitedly. They would begin going through a few yoga poses, and he would follow her instruction, staring at her the entire time that they would be together. He couldn't help but to be enamored with her, in every way. When they were done, she would pat the spot beside her. He would come and sit down next to her.

She asked how he was feeling, and he would exhale deeply. "I am feeling great, Junko. I'm in a beautiful place, with an even more beautiful woman. Truly life couldn't be better. I think I am ready to take the next step and learn the requirements for this technique, I just feel ready." He would smile and lean on her softly.

WC: 652
TWC: 3381

Junko would allow them to rest for a few moments as she gazed up at the clouds. This was true peace felt like, she was unburdened by the stress of her day-to-day and could breathe easy out here with Ren. She wished that they had met sooner, before she had come to moon, before she held duties and responsibilities. She wanted nothing more than to spend eternity in this field with him but knew it couldn’t be so. After sighing a bit she’d sit up and position herself directly in front of him. She’d hold out her hands for him to take when he was ready for the next step.

As they sat across from each other, their hands interlocked and their intentions set, Junko would begin to describe the process of how she created her clones. ”In this scenario, I found it helped me to think of my heart as a seed. I looked deep within myself and petitioned the chakra that flowed through my body to aid me in creating a new life.”

Junko would place his hands over his heart so he could feel its rhythm. Now a few inches away from him, she’d smile sweetly and say ”I don’t think of Jun and Kiko as myself, the three of us are vastly different though we share the same face. As I sculpted them from my very essence I felt as if I could change them as I pleased. At that moment, however, I knew I wanted to have them share my face, so those who interacted with them would be able to recognize them as my family.”

Junko released him and let out a sigh, she knew their time together here was coming to an end. She needed to return home soon to begin her preparations for the busy day she had ahead of her tomorrow. She’d look at him, a bit exhausted, and say ”I believe in you Ren, I can be there if you wish or you can make them on your own time. I’d give it a day or so before attempting it, it’s a lot for a body to handle and I wouldn’t want you to overwork yourself. Why don’t we head back home and lay on the couch for a little while, does that work for you?’

If he agreed Junko would stand, then hold her hand out to help him up. The two would pack up the blanket, put their outer layers back on, slip on their shoes then begin the long trek back home. Like before she would attempt to wrap her arm around his, and walk at a casual pace. As usual, Junko would attempt to keep the conversation going, asking how he believed she did, and offering more advice if he inquired. While on the way back Junko would thank him for being so patient with her, and tell him that he was the first person she ever taught anything to.

Soon they would arrive back at their home and Junko would rush upstairs to get changed, telling Ren she’d be right back if he wanted to still spend some time together. While upstairs she’d changed into a tight but stretchy simple black dress that hugged her body snuggly. As she was heading out of her bedroom she happened to look over at her dresser which had all her jewelry placed on top of it in an ornate-looking box. She would open it, pluck one of her favorite rings from inside and a long silver chain. She’d thread the chain through the ring and redo the clasp so it was secured around the chain. The ring itself was a gold ornate band, with a dark red garnet embedded on to it. It wasn’t the fanciest ring she had, but it was one of her favorites.

After walking downstairs and finding Ren, she’d sheepishly ask him to close his eyes and hold out his hands. If he did as requested she’d place the chain with the ring on it into his palms, and tell him to open his eyes once again.

As he opened his eyes she’d explain ”I figured I’d give you a gift to congratulate you on your first big steps towards making a clone. If I had time I would have gotten you something more fitting, but this is what I can do on this short notice. I hope it’s alright dear.”

Junko would gaze lovingly into his eyes as he admired the gift, she was unsure if he’d like it or not but attempted to gauge his reaction. After the conversation ended Junko would mention that she was rather tired and wished to lay down if he wanted to join her. If he agreed, she’d motion for him to follow her to the living room and the two of them would lay together on the couch, with her nearly on top of him. If he denied her request she would accept his wishes and would go lay down on the couch by herself. Regardless as she lay there she quickly was over come by exhaustion, and would soon fall asleep.

(EXIT)

WC: 868
Total WC:4273

WC Claims:
using Strenght of a Hundred Skill to convert 4273 WC to 168 AP

The two of them would sit there and gaze at the clouds above them. He would breathe easy, knowing that he could with this woman, Junko. He had wished he had met her sooner, not for any other reason than to where he could have spent even more of his life with her. He liked who he was when he was with her, she made him want to be better, she made him feel something that he had never truly felt before. The moment was cut short with Junko turning and positioning herself directly in front of Ren. He would look lovingly into her eyes as she sat, then offered her hands out to him.

He would accept them in a split second, not needing to think about it. She would then explain how she went about the process of creating her living clones, he listened intently when she brought up the mentalization that she had used during this process, and he began to think about the very same process. He envisioned his heart being a seed, he dug deeper into his heart, deeper into his chakra so he could try to petition his own chakra to aid him in the creation process. He did think of how interesting the world would be with clones of himself, ones that lived and breathed and were permanent. He wasn't sure how the world would be after that.

She would explain to him that she had the ability to craft them into whatever form that she wanted, and he thought about that for a moment. He was uncertain of how he wanted them to look. thought about it for a while, and ended up deciding that only one would share his likeness, the other would look totally different. He wanted to use them in different scenarios where sharing his likeness would be good, but in others where it would benefit him to not share his likeness.

She would release his hands, and suddenly his train of thought came to a crashing halt. He opened his eyes and he saw that she did look very tired, likely from teaching such a high level technique. He would nod towards her, still lovingly gazing into her eyes. "I completely understand, my love. You have worked hard today and I want you to rest as well. Come on, I'll carry all of the things."

The two would then begin walking back through the wilderness and find themselves back into familiar territory. He thought the entire time about their time together, and how much fun that was. He wanted to do that again, "Junko, if you would have me. I would love to go back there again with you. I feel that that place will have a strong place in my heart and I want nothing more than to spend more time with you there." He would hold her hand if she would have him.

She would explain that he was the first person that she had ever taught something to, something that he felt extremely lucky to be. "Well I must say you were a marvelous teacher, I would love to learn more from you one day. I do thank you, for I feel that these lessons are going to be something that I can use to benefit not only me or you, but this village that we want to build. I want to dedicate one of my clones to the village, to ensure that he only leaves when it is absolutely required of him. But he will be dedicated to it. That way even if I have to leave, you'll always have a piece of me still there with you, ya know?" He would squeeze her hand tightly at the thought of the village they were going to build.

When the arrived back at her home, Junko would rush upstairs, but still wanted to spend more time with him. "I'm sold." He would laugh as he replied, as if she needed to say anything to get him to want to be with her. She would return with a piece of jewelry in her hand, a beautiful ring along a small chain, large enough for him to wear around his neck. She would ask him to close his eyes, which he would. She would then place the piece of jewlery in his hands, and tell him to open.

When he opened, his eyes would widen with joy. "Oh I love it, darling! It's beautiful! Thank you!" He would then wrap his arms around her, pick her up and twirl with her in his arms. He would set her down and kiss her on the cheek. She would mention that she was tired, so the two of them would lie on the couch together. This time instead of carrying her up to her bed, he would let her sleep on the couch, and he would curl his arms around her body, holding her tight in an embrace as they both fell asleep.

WC: 834
TWC: 4215

Claims:
+1000 for Earth element (being taught)
+1000 for Regrowth element (being taught)
+2000 for SEEDS (being taught)
84 AP through Strength of 100 skill
+215 towards Chakra Insight (215/2000)

EXIT

Current bonus AP from skill = 288

Junko Tsukiko wrote:
(EXIT)

WC: 868
Total WC:4273

WC Claims:
using Strenght of a Hundred Skill to convert 4273 WC to 168 AP

Approved!

Note: New Total Bonus AP for Strength of a Hundred is 168/600.