Elders of The Moon [Junko Tsukiko]

[ Vagabond's Validated Assistance ][ Required WC: 3600 ]

[ Requirement: Vagabond - Masume Aburame ( Fulfilled ) ]
[ Requirement: Medical - Masume Aburame ( Fulfilled ) ]

[ Note that bracketed or parenthesized terms and the like are not counted in Word Count. It is the same with anything written after the totaled WC ]
[ Separating this into 5 parts for ease of personal navigation ]

[ Part One : Prologue : First Step on the Path ]

    "All ashore that's going ashore!" Called the captain of the vessel that Masume had been riding on to get to the land of the Moon. His voice woke her from her nap. She scrambled to get up and exited the ship as it prepared to pull away.

Other ships were unloading what looked like fish, and other valuable and tradeable goods like beads, hard tack, flour, tea, you name it. From the looks of it, the Moon must be really far from the land of fire, as a lot of these supplies could have easily been found there or made nearby. To export them to an island commercially in such a way must mean they are far from most of these sources. Just how long had she been sleeping?

The boat pulled away whilst Masume stood, dumbfounded, on the wooden dock at the Southern Peninsula harbor. Nobody had even bothered to tell her where she was or how to get where she was going. Heck, she didn't even know if she could pronounce the name on the boat ticket, let alone the one of the village she was heading to, in her letter from the law enforcement around the land of fire.

She crouched down a moment to fix her shoe, and then started off the dock to the beach. The sand was so white here, it almost felt like a paradise in and of itself, but it was... so... hot! The sweat clung to her body, something she definitely wasn't used to, whilst her thirst was starting to take over.

Hopefully she could buy some water with ryo at the nearest settlement. This place seemed to be more like a drop-off and pick-up site for cargo rather than a settlement.

She felt out of place, staring at her note in bewilderment. Why couldn't they have just dropped her off in the city?

WC: 311

AP Usage::

Junko had been spending a large portion of her time at the docks recently, hoping to scope out more information about the growing bandit issue. She wore a simple black tube top that showed her mid-drift, and matching black Palazzo pants. Her long black hair was tied up in a high pony, and her thick black curls cascaded down her back. Her first stop was the local inn, where she’d inquire about any recent activity. Without any luck, she would exit the building.

After exiting she’d see an unfamiliar face leaving the dock, and entering the small settlement. Junko knew that it could be rough for new travelers to settle in, so she decided to approach her. She would have a friendly and welcoming demeanor as she wandered up to the woman. She’d stop roughly 10 meters in front of the woman and address her happily.

”Welcome to Moon country, my name is Junko, do you need help with anything?”

She would offer a practiced curtsy, hoping she’d take it as a sign of respect. After completing the curtsy she’d smile sweetly and attempt to look as inviting as possible.

WC:193

Masume looked up from her official document from the land of the moon, to meet the eyes of a similar looking woman to herself, but much more beautiful. Maybe if masume started wearing fashionable clothes and makeup could she compete with the other's beauty. They honestly looked as though they could be sisters. The red irised and doe-eyed woman stopped approachng at roughly a school-bus length away, remaining friendly and calm. Caught off-guard by the curtsey, Masume would place a hand over her chest and bow politely in a stiff and strict manner. She then returned to her relaxed stance, looknig into the womans eyes and trusting her not to use any dojutsu on her.

"Ah, are you with the tribe council here?" She asked genuinely confused, straightfaced, and neutral. She was trying not to look malicious as that was not her intent, however she was painfully aware of her serious features and resting bitch face. "I mean no harm," she reiterated, motioning to her with the letter in hand. "I'm just trying to find this settlement."

After allowing the woman to approach if she would like, she would continue explaining, "I caught a fugitive from here and recievd a summons to testify as to his mental health and behavior upon capture. Again, my intent is to fulfill my duties as an unafiliated ninja that resides in the land of fire." She stated bluntly, but kindly, attempting to try and make friends with the woman. Junko seemed kind enough, and it would be nice to have an ally in this strange, yet tropical land.

If the woman had approached, Masume would offer her the letter and point out the settlement name, however if she remained distant, Masume would say "Here, I'll send this over" and fold the sheet into a paper airplane and use her E-rank technique, Starting Breeze, to send the paper airplane over to Junko, using aa high angle so that it would make it the full 10 meters once the jutsu stopped pushing it at 5 meters. The airplane would move gently at a speed of one.

Regardless, after Junko had read the paper, Masume would extend her hand out, even if the woman was still 10 meters away, for a hand shake. "June-koh? It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Masume." she would say attempting a slight smile, her brown eyes focusing on her features and attempting to memorize the way she looked, should they meet in the future. "Perhaps could you point me in the right direction? If you would like to accompany me, you may do that as well, however, I can manage on my own if need be." She stated reassuringly.

[ WC: 453 ]
[ TWC: 764 ]

AP Usage:

Seeing the woman's friendly demeanor, Junko decided to approach her. She had been able to see people's chakra and examine some of the more intricate details hidden within it. She would take a minute while she spoke and introduced herself as Masume to peer into the red aura that surrounded the woman's body. From the glimpse she took, Junko could tell that the woman specialized in medical techniques, she was roughly the same age as Junko, and she seemed to be in good health. All good things it would seem.

She would take the paper and glance at it, even if this was an official letter Junko would have no idea. However, she acted as if she was closely examining it, not wanting to seem out of the loop to Masume. After a few moments of looking over the paper, she’d hand it back to the woman with a smile. Upon returning the paper she’d shake the woman's hand with a firm but not too firm of a grip.

”Well everything looks like it’s correct. It’s lovely to meet you Masume, I hoe the trip here wasn’t too hard on you. I could lead you to the settlement if you’d like and assist you with your goals. We’ve had quite the bandit issue, and I wouldn’t want to leave you alone in such times. I only dare to travel alone because I know the terrain well.”

If Masume agreed Junko would motion towards the closest market and mention that they should get some supplies before making the trip, she also would offer to pay for whatever provisions or items she required. After they collected some supplies or if Masume didn’t need anything, they would begin their journey to the next settlement.

As they walked Junko would direct their path, but allow Masume to lead the charge if she wished. She would attempt to have pleasant conversations and would answer any questions that she would have about the island. She’d speak of the numerous small settlements, and inform her that there weren’t any large ones anymore. Junko seemed rather optimistic when she spoke, but not too idealistic.


WC: 359
Total WC: 552

Junko  continued the conversation in a confident and competent manner. The handshake was decent as well, all marks of a good leader. Once the bandit problem was mentioned, Masume shrugged her shoulders. "I would enjoy the company, but bandits don't scare me. Are they much tougher than the ones around Konoha?" she asked casually. "They destroy my shit but don't have the balls to face me one on one; Or even five on one... not that I think i could take five, but still. They are weak and cowards. I'm sure we could take on up to 3 or 4 together. If these bandits are true ninja, though, we may be in for some trouble." Her words were thought out and precise, like her attitude.

"Yeah, we probably could use some food for the journey. I don't know how to pronounce the settlement name that I'm supposed to report to. Perhaps one of the locals could help us out; Or one of the shopkeeps." she would say thinking with her finger resting around the bottom of her chin as she thought. "Anyway if the villages are as spread out as I gather, the trek might take a few days to a week... at least thats my estimate from what I've been told, but then again, I doubt any of the people aboard that ship has actually spent any time here." She paused, refocusing her eyes onto Junko. "If you have the time to spare, I welcome you along."

Then Junko motioned to the market, where Masume would ask if they had any Military Rations, to which they would say no, confused by what she was asking for. She had explained to Junko that she had thought it would have been a compact way to carry food with them, but if they didn't have any for sale, they could get a good starting amount of food, but then scavenge between settlements. She also asked or a few bundles of the usual herbs that were popular on the mainlands.

"You see," she said when leaving the market with Junko and carrying a double flapped and separated basket, "I'm a poisoner. It's my main way to take enemies out. I have an extensive knowledge about plants and animals, especially those that I derive my poisons, toxins, and venoms from. As long as we can find plants and animals I know that I am sure aren't dangerous to eat, we should be fine." She said, feeling confident in her niche, yet not exuding arrogance. "However there may be trouble if we don't run into any." she added keeping it real.

The herbs were all in one side of her basket, including but not limited to Garlic, Bay, Basil, Parsley, Cinnamon Sticks, Honey, Lavender, cloves, ghost pipe flower, and more, as well as a couple other amenities like salt, a lemon, and a decent amount of pure distilled vodka alongside a couple glass jars with droppers in the lids. She had also reccommended to Junko that they get a water purifier to get debris out of the water, a pot to boil water to make it safe for drinking, and each of them a water skein. The other side of her basket was to house small food items gathered during their time scavenging.

Junko would have been in charge of the standard provisions for the beginning leg of their journey. Masume wasn't a picky eater... unless it was bugs. Not only was she emotionally attatched to her bugs, but she found most other bugs that werent hers, like spiders and scorpions (but not beetles or bees), disgusting and creepy.

"So," she started talking as they walked. "These herbs i picked out will prove useful. For example, Garlic" she said pulling up a bulb and tossing it to the woman, "has a compound called 'allicin' which is antibactirial and antiviral. Good for health and immune support too." she would then offer to take the garlic back and return it. "and honey," she would say pulling out and showing Junko the jar before nestling the golden viscous liquid back into the basket, "has antioxidents, anti-inflammitory properties, and is anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal, not to mention it tastes delicious." she paused a moment digging out a small jar of dried cloves. "And these babies are cloves. Good for dental pain and also are an anti-inflamitory because of the antioxident of eugenol in them." She was worried about Junko getting bored of their conversation. "The last, and perhaps most important are these." She said holding a freshly picked ghostly white flower. The whole thing stem and all and even the bell shaped flower were white as can be with little pink fading and some black specs here and there, giving it an almost deadly appearance. And it wass deadly, but only in large amounts. The amount she had on her didnt have enough to kill a spider, let alone a full grown human. "These are called ghost pipe and are usually hard to find on the mainland." She said. "I paid for these out of my own pocket as they are a little pricey. They are non-photosynthetic, note the absence of green." she explained hoping she wasn't confusing Junko. "But they are a strong pain reliever, and are anti-bacterial and antifungal. You can make a tincture with fresh ones but that can take weeks." she added. "However I have dried ones too in my ninja pouch we can use for tea if need be."

After a moment of orgaizing her basket, she pulled out the high-proof vodka, "And the fun of it all? It starts here" she said raising the bottle before putting it back. Should Junko look shocked, she would explain, "Oh, no... I'm not an alcoholic... not yet anyway. This is for the tinctures I would like to make as we continue to look for the correct settlement. I can explain to you how to make them if you'd like, and how to distill them. That way you can have a ghost pipe one too." She would state cheerily. "I'll start them tonight if you'll allow me."

Masume's demenor had changed drastically as she rambled about the plants,enjoying herself. But when she would stop and let Junko speak a bit, her face would become neutral again and serious as she drank in the woman's words about the settlements and how there weren't many anymore.

"Did you want to go in a line through settlements, or did you want to check the largest of the small ones first?" She would ask.

Junko started to walk and talk about the island. Her face lit up joyously with potential as she spoke about it, as if this was her safe place and her home.

Eventually there was a spot for Masume to jump in again. "So, are you a native then?" she asked. "like native to the island?" she would say following the other's lead, yet walking next to her, while remaining vigilant. "You seem to know a lot about this place, and yet so little." She would say. "I don't mean that offensively." She would add looking away. "You just seem well mannered, well to do, and passionate about this place, but also it seems as if you are still learning. There's nothing wrong with that though." she would state,

"I'm sorry, I think I've put my foot in my mouth." She explained. "I tend to just say what I think rather than wondering if I should say it. I suppose it could be said that I am honest to a fault, however, that doesn't excuse my verbiage. I apologise." She would state offering a bow to the other, just in case she had offended her.

They would continue walking until the sun had set, and then they would set up camp for the night, lest they came to a settlement first.

[ WC: 1322 ]
[ TWC: 2086 ]

( You can learn Apothecary from Masume if you don't already have it.)
( Have fun with this doozy of a post ^^ )

AP Usage:

Junko would snicker slightly at the remark she made about bandits. In response, she would plainly say ” Unfortunately the ones we have are a little different from the ones on the mainland, however, my companions and I are working on the solution. Also, the last time I was attacked, 10 of them swarmed me, so if you don’t mind my company I’ll come along. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you after all”

As they walked Junko would listen intently to the womans words, though she didn’t have an interest in herbology prior, Masume seemed excited to discuss it so she would simply listen. Occasionally Junko would remark about a handful of different herbs she knew about, though most of them were used in cooking she she still had some knowledge. As she listened Junko would absorb the information, thinking it could be handy if she came across a problem that her medical jutsu couldn’t fix. Throughout the discussion, Junko would ask questions about the various herbs Masume brought up, genuinely wanting to grasp the information that was presented to her.

She found the conversation to be entertaining and continued to maintain a happy and cheerful demeanor throughout their walk. Masume would see that she often slowed down her pace slightly as they walked past beautiful seascapes and some of the more unique features of the island. She would attempt to point out any native fauna that Masume would be interested in, and tell her about the diverse ecosystem that inhabited her home.

As she pulled out the vodka Junko's face remained the same, as Masume assured her that it was drinking she’d feel a bit sad however her facial expression would remain neutral. Maybe she’d ask for a little bit before they laid down for the night for now though they continued on their journey. She’d ask if it was alright for her to watch the process once she began it, thinking it would be neat to watch the proper way to do it. Masume seemed like a rather knowledgeable individual, so Junko thought it would be good for her to maybe stick around. During this trip, Junko would attempt to get a good read on her, and decide if she would fit in well with the rest of her group.

Masume would inquire about how they should proceed through the settlements, and Junko would respond by saying ”I believe if we make our way to the next settlement we’ll be able to find the information we need. The settlement at the docks was one of the smaller ones on the island, so I’m hoping the next town over has what we’re looking for.

After Masume inquired about Junko being a native she would shake her head and sigh a bit. How she wished to be, she wanted to know everything they knew and know the stories of her new home. In response to her question Junko would respond ”No I’m not a native, unfortunately, but I’ve grown rather close to them. I’ve been living here for several months, and the community welcomed me with open arms. I had been traveling for some time, then I made my way here and immediately felt like home. As a fellow wanderer, I’m sure you can get what I mean. For now, I’m still adjusting to my surroundings, but I’m hoping soon that I’ll become someone more important than I am now. Also, I wasn’t offended in the slightest, you don’t need to be so formal with me okay? We’re friends now remember?”
A large, inviting smile plastered over her face and she’d give a reassuring nod. She wanted Masume to feel comfortable around her and didn’t feel it necessary to be addressed in such high regard. One of Junko's main goals was to ensure that everyone who entered her life, knew just how much she cherished and appreciated them.

Soon the sun would drop below the horizon, and night would fall. As they set up camp Junko would turn to Masume and say ”I’ll be right back, I’m going to get us some assistance. Please stay right here, I won’t go far... If anything happens just scream and I’ll be here”

Junko would give her a quick thumbs up before walking into a treeline and breaking line of sight from Masume. Junko would pull out her tanto, lift up her pant leg up to her thigh, and create a superficial wound on the side. She’d squeeze her thigh, causing blood to drip down her leg forming a small pool under her feet. She’d quickly perform the tiger, hare, serpent, and ram hand seals, and activate her blood clone technique. Soon an identical copy of Junko would spring into existence from the pool of blood. Junko would then pull some bandages out from her bag, and wrap the leg, she was tempted to just use a healing technique, however something within her craved the stinging pain of a fresh would. Now with her leg wrapped up, she’d pull her pant leg down ensuring that Masume couldn’t see the bandages.

Quickly Junko and her clone would make it back to the Masume, upon reaching her she would explain ”Don’t be concerned, I figured she could stay awake and watch over us as we slept. She’s a clone, so she won't need to rest when we depart in the morning.” The clone would give the woman a quick wave, then turn to her creator for instructions. Junko would ask her to collect firewood, and then with a quick bow, the clone would depart.

Junko would turn her attention back to Masume, and assist her with any final preparations. If Masume started to create the concoctions she spoke of earlier Junko would watch her closely in an attempt to memorize the process. She found herself genuinely enjoying the lesson she was receiving, and would even pull a small pad of paper and pen from a pouch connected to her pants in order to take some notes.

After they finished the lesson and completed dinner Junko would suggest they try to sleep since they would be getting up rather early. Junko would have her clone activate its ketsuryugan and maintain it throughout the night while it kept watch over them. Soon she would find herself gazing at the stars, thinking of her life and what its potential was. Quickly she’d fall asleep for the night.

WC:1093
Total WC:1645

AP Used: (25% discount from 100 Chakra)
-24 Blood Clone Jutsu (One clone)
Remaining AP after divided by herself and the clone: 988

Clone AP Used
-12 Mature Ketsuryugan
Remaining AP: 976

So Junko was a wanderer and a ninja too? It was an uncommon occurence to meet someone so kind, and yet a ninja who was also unafilliated. Yet, it made Masume feel a little more comfortable in the woman's presence.

As the pair settled down for the night, Junko wandered off into the forest, urging her to call out if there was ttrouble. Masume figured she needed to relieve herself, and began collecting large rocks  to make a small circle to contain a campfire safely. They would need it after a time. After making the campfire circle, she looked around. She could hear rustling still beyond the leaves. Nothing unusual. So she calmly took a deep breath, and upon exhale would send out 100 bugs in secret, dispersing them in the air in a radius of 10 meters from the campfire to keep watch. They wouldn't be in an obvious swarm, but rather, hanging around on the leaves, brush, rocks... just about anywhere nearby. If someone were to use chakra sensory they might notice that the bugs would have been feeding of of Masume's chakra, and therefore might have a bit of her chakra signiture within. Should something occur while she was asleep, she would get a swift bite to wake her up; she would remain unbothered by their poison, though, as she was immune, having spent extensive amounts of time breeding and being around them. She would also instruct them to remain at least 3 meters radius from Junko, to ensure she would not accidentally kill them or become poisoned accidentally.

Luckily she gave orders silently and had finished before Junko had gotten back. Junko may not like bugs, so it was best kept as a secret for now.

As she gathered nearby dry grass for the starter for the fire she was planning, Junko came back with.... with Junko. "Your clone is very polite," she would remark. "Whenever I make any, we but heads. I guess I'm just a bit too headstrong for working with another exactly like me. Been on my own a great deal of my life anyway. I find I don't need others too often, so I never really got to experience working in a team before." she added. "Hopefully this will go well, though."

The clone promptly began collecting kindling and firewood for the fire as Masume got up, stretching. She would explain to Junko that she was going to collect some water, before grabbing a larger one of her jars and finding a nearby freshwater stream to collect from. Hopeully, upon her return, the fire would be ready and started. Masume would then strain the water through cheesecloth and into the pot they had. Then, they would boil the pot in the fire.

Masume kicked back for a little bit, laying out a cloth from her backpack and assorting the herbs out on them with the glass jars as well. "Man, it's been a while since I've made things for benefit rather than harm," she stated blankly looking at the ingredients with a sparkle in her eyes. "You have to be much more careful when you make beneficial concoctions because it is so easy to accidently harm oneself, versus accidentally cure a foe." she mentioned.

The water had been at a hard boil for a little over three minutes before Masume removed the pot from the fre to cool. She would then reach in her pack and bring out two of her set of four hand-made little clay teacups. she would also take out a kunai and cut a couple little squares of unused cheesecloth to make teabags. Then, Masume would add dried ghost pipe to the teabags with lavender and tea leaves. Setting a teabag in each cup and storing the other two in her ninja-tool wristbands, she would pour a little bit of the hot water in each cup.

"There's many benifits to this tea," she would mention. "Can help with anxiety, infection, focusing, but also, its a very potent painkiller. Too much of the ghost pipe herb can kill a person, which is why I didnt use a lot of it in the blend." she would state as it seeped, before passing Junko the honey if she wanted a little. She would leave the dinner cooking to Junko, however. Then, she would eat the meal, delighted. Food always tastes better when you dont have to cook it.

Then as the tea and the water continued cooling, Masume would start the tincture process for the ghost pipe, pulling out a lidded mortar and pestle. The petsle was hidden in the bowl which had a lid over the top of it. The lid had several cuts in it. The entire thing was made of stone.

Masume took another little snip bit of the unused cheesecloth to pour a tiny bit of the high-proof vodka onto. She would then scrub the top of the lid just to be sure. Then she would pull a kunai and chop the fresh ghost pipe up and split it between two dark-glass vials with dropper lids. Each one could hold 75 ml (approx 2.5 oz) of liquid.

After cutting the ghost pipe, Masume would set aside the kunai and pull the other two small cups out from her bag and add the 160 proof, or eighty percent, vodka into the cups. She wouldn't offer one to Junko just yet, as she wanted to finish filling the vials and replacing the lids. "The process I used here is called maceration. It is essentially puting just enough high proof alcohol in it to cover the plant matter and submerge it to draw out the medicinal properties."

She handed one of the vials to Junko, explaining to store in a cool, dark place for six weeks, and then to strain the mixture through cheesecloth afterwards. She would then seal away her tincture into her wristbands as well.

"I think that should be all we do for tonight" Masume mentioned, returning the herbs to the basket. "It's getting late" she would state, wiping the lid of her mortar and pestle off again and her kunai before returning them to their places. "However, we should have a toast" She would state. This is where she would pass Junko the other cup. "Just be careful, it's VERY strong" she would caution. "It's not meant to be consumed this way, but eh, you only live once."

She offered Junko the option to declare her side of the toast.

Afterwards, Masume would gesture to Junko with her little cup, "Here's to new beginnings, a new land, and new friends under the new moon" before tapping the cup on the ground and downing the drink without a change in her expression, though she wanted to retch a little and her nose burned rom the triple shot's worth of alcohol she had just downed. She had a decent poker face when it came to drinking, as thats one of the few ways vagabonds earned their recognition. Junko's cup had the same amount in it too.

Immediately afterwards, Masume poured the now cooled water into the water skeins, wiped / poured out the remainder of Junkos and Masume's cups once they were finished and then washed out all four of the empty cups with the remainder of the water, leaving it sit in the pot near the fire for the clone to use should she need to put out the fire in case of an emergency.

After packing up most of the things she didn't intentionally leave out, Masume would settle in, admiring how brightly the stars shone that night due to the darkness induced by the absence of light in the face of the new moon, and fall asleep shortly after.

[ Part Two : The Aftermath of Man-Bear's Escape ]

Masume was up as soon as the sun had made its presence known, though the sky was still fairly dark, moving silently to make breakfast from their beginning rations, hoping the smell of the food would be enough to wake Junko. If not, Masume would ask the clone to wake her up. While the two ate, Masume made jars of honey garlic using maceration as well, but instead of submerging the garlic cloves she was peeling in alcohol, she was covering them in honey. These jars were 500 milliliters in capacity and were filled to the brim, each. She would offer one to Junko.

"Not only does this mixture aid in digestion, it also helps heal illness, has cognitive benefits, and can be used topically for skin infections, burns and scrapes... essentially very minor injuries." she would say. "It is also really tasty in sauces. This one lasts about a year."

Eventually Masume would pack up the remainder of their things and start down the path again, eventually leading to a small settlement, only something was very, VERY wrong. People were frantic, and there seemed to be a couple of stronger men guarding the enterance to the village.

Upon further inspection, she noticed that there were a lot of wounded people, some of them lying on the ground, and... those marks on the buildings... That definitely was caused by the Man-Bear.

The men at the gate were discheveled looking at the very least, looking around worriedly in a hypervigilant manner, as screams errupted throughout the village. They explained that a prisoner went feral and attacked everyone in sight. They were worried, unsure of where he was, but that he hadn't been sighted in at least fifteen minutes.

Masume's switch flipped and now she was in serious-mode. Or, more-so serious-mode. "Villagers first, I think." She would state, "Then we can track his ass down"

[ WC: 1615 ]
[ TWC: 3701 ]

( I'm gonna leave it to you to describe how the settlement is laid out.  Perhaps you might be able to discover that there was poison used. Perhaps describe what is going on up until hearing that the village elders or leaders or councilpeople are very badly wounded, and I can pick up from there, if that is okay? )

AP Usage:

Before settling down for the night Junko would watch as Masume intricately crafted a curious concoction. She’d soak in all the information and listen intently while she spoke, thankfully Masume was seemingly a great teacher. She was able to break things down for Junko to understand, which she appreciated. Upon completion Masume would hand her a vial, and Junko, as instructed would tuck it away in a pouch she wore around her waist.

Soon the two of them would cheer, and then Junko would slug the drink down. Similarly to Masume she looked unflinching, she had spent many nights while she was wandering drinking away her woes so this was rather easy for her to stomach. Junko would thank her for the liquor and would soon get to sleep.

The next morning they would awaken rather early, thankfully Junko was used to rising before the sun so this was no issue for her. If she got up before Masume, she’d allow her to sleep until she naturally woke up. Junko would watch as she quickly put together breakfast, while still coming to consciousness she would simply say “Good morning” to her. She’d watch as Masume prepared two jars filled with garlic and honey, attempting to pay attention though her mind was still trying to wake up.

After thanking her, Junko would take the jar that was offered to her, and place it amongst her belongings. She wasn’t expecting to learn much on this trip, but to her surprise she found herself fascinated by Masume's teaching. Junko would have her clone assist them in cleaning up the camp afterward, and soon they would make their way to the settlement.

As they approached, Junko could smell blood in the air and her heart began pumping. Her cheery and happy demeanor now changed into a more concerned and serious look. Soon they came upon a rather small settlement, it was surrounded by make-shift wooden walls. Inside there were a handful of homes, a large government-looking building, and a few others that she couldn’t quite discern the nature of.

As they approached the settlement Junko noticed the beaten guards and immediately began attempting to assist them. Junko would introduce herself, and explain why the two of them had come here. The guards would seem to be relieved as she stated her intention and would explain the situation. Apparently, the man they had held prisoner was able to easily escape and went on a rampage. Junko would command her clone to begin assisting the villagers and tend to their wounds. The guard would let her and Masume into the settlement so they could better assess the situation and decide what to do moving forward.

As they began moving, she would overhear a conversation between another guard and a young woman. The woman would be begging the man to come help one of the village elders who had been caught up in the attack. Junko would inject herself into the conversation, requesting that the woman lead her and Masume to the injured elder. She knew how important the elders in each settlement were, and wanted to assist in whatever way possible. Recently she had been practicing more medical techniques, and wanted to show off her capabilities to the natives.

The young woman would agree and hastily lead Junko and Masume to a moderate-looking home. Upon entering, Junko would be immediately hit with the smell of blood. The sweet odor was nearly intoxicating to her senses, but she didn’t allow herself to be distracted by it. They would enter into what looked to be a living room, and on the couch, there was a rather old-looking man with a deep gash in his side. Junko would take the lead, and immediately begin assessing the situation. She could tell the man was in pain, so to ease his suffering she’d whistle the hare, ox, and monkey hand seals. Upon completion, she would activate her [url=https://www.narutoroleplaygame.com/t50051-chakra-anesthesia-v7-2[chakra anesthesia[/url] and press her lightly glowing right hand on the man's head.

Now knowing he was no longer suffering, Junko would whistle the snake, ox, tiger, ram, and rat hand seals, and then her palms would glow a light blue color. With her mystical palm technique activated, she would place her hands over the large slash that seemingly ripped through the man's stomach. While focusing on the healing she wouldn’t exchange many words and would allow Masume to question the man if she wished.

WC:755
Total WC: 2400

AP Used: (25% discount from 100 Chakra)
-8 Chakra Anesthesia
-38 Mystical Palm
Remaining AP: 942

Clone AP Used
Remaining AP: 976

Masume would follow Junko as they ran through the village, leaving the minorly injured people to Junko's clone. Eventually they would happen across a poorly woman begging a nearby guard to help, that some elders had been injured badly. Like a hawk, Junko swooped in, tkaing over the situation and handling it with great care.

As the pair continued to one of the nicer-looking homes, Junko went in to help treat the older gentleman residing at the residence, while Masume quickly examined the outside of the home, seeing plants updrawn from the soil, the door practically destroyed, glass shattered, and a trail of blood leading inside as well as a gooey and clear, medicinal smelling substance, oozing from the broken objects.

[ Part Three : The Antidote ]

Masume would pick up a piece of glass careful not to cut herself, walking inside and seeing the aftermath of a struggle, as if the man had dragged himself across the floor and to a couch. Junko switched swiftly from Chakra Anethesia to a different Medical technique unknown to Masume.

Masume would clear off a table quickly, pulling out a roll of cloth to spread on the table as well as several medical tools, whilst announcing to Junko. "He's been poisoned. Even with Medical techniques, wee don't have a lot of time," . She would first extract the poison from the glass, identifying it easily, as it was an easy poison to make, but harder one to cure. "This seems to be nightshade poisoning, from berries. Atropa belladonna. Shouldn't be too potent, as the root is the most poisonous part of the plant." She mused, "But something is off. I think theres another herb in this," She would state smelling the glass. It smelled sickly sweet from the nightshade berries, but something sweeter-still lingered beyond it.

Masume shook her head. She would have one shot at this so she had to narrow down the options. "Sir?" She would ask setting the glass in a tiny boiler to boil off the poison, adding a tiny amount of water to it.

Masume would scrub her hands at the sink before entering the living room, "Sir, I have very important questions for you." She would ask worriedly, pulling out a small notepad and scribbling down some words: Symptoms. Effects," and "Vitals"

Masume would work alongside junko on the sides, shifting around her to try to not disturb her. She would take the pulse of the man while asking important questions that he didnt seem to know the answers to. In fact, talking to him was difficult as he had started seeing and talking to angels and demons. He was likely delirious from the nightshade.

Masume looked in his eyes, first, noticing the dialation, and the lack of saliva around his mouth as he called for someone. The person he called for "Kumazou" never came to his calls. His skin was sweaty, and his heartrate was extremely low and switching between that and high. The poisons were working fast, though the nightshade portion of it was much less severe. He was clutching his chest and having trouble breathing, yet felt extremely warm to the touch. His heart rapidly switched from beating too fast to too slow. He passed out shortly ater, still breathing, but not doing very well.

From what she gathered he was attacked shortly before they arrived. Eye Dialation, Dry Mouth, Sweatiness, Elevated Temperature, Delusions, Hallucinations, were all symptoms of Nightshade, that she knew for certain. So she crossed them out, knowing fully well that she could identify the scent of the berries from a mile away, so to speak.

What was left was chest pain, irregular heart beat, trouble breathing. So many poisons could cause that.

"I wont know for sure unless..." She started. "Unless I taste it."  Masume looked into Junko's eyes knowing the man didn't have much time left. "Your clone wont get here in time" She would say. weighing the options carefully and running to the table in the other room to begin the antidote synthesis, adding the correct herbs for the nightshade portion. "I suspect it might be wolfsbane on top of it all, as the main culprit, but I can't be certain without knowing if there was tingling and numbness in the facial extremities, mouth, and hands and feet." she would state, getting louder the further from Junko she would get.

She would search the door area for more poison, and found some on a rock nearby the slashed the destroyed the door. "The only option i can see, as your hands are busy, and I can't make corporeal clones, is to poison myself and use the information I gather to make the antidote." Should junko try to argue, Masume would reassure her, walking back into the room with the rock, "I am confident I can do this, and I don't see another way. If you take your hands off him, he will more than likely die. I just need you to keep him stable." She would state.

"I live to serve and protect. It is my duty, and If I lose my life this way, so be it. At least I will have died at the hands of my strongest ally" she would say referring  to poison being her ally. Not even her bugs would have been able to help her determine what it was. She licked the rock, and the horrid part about it is that it didnt taste bad. It was sweet and herbal, like an herbal cough drop.

"If something should happen to me, all I ask is that I am buried, not cremated, in the land of fire at the location marked on my map." The marked location on her map was the site of her old camp, the one she waited at for her parents. That way, if they came by it looking for her, they would know her fate.

Immediately, Masume was met with abdominal pain, and cramping. That checked out with both Belladona and Aconite poisonings, so she still wasn't sure. Then she stumbled backwards nearly losing her balance from the abdominal pain and dizziness. She made her way out into the kitchen, looking over her notepads and feeling like her heart was beating out of her chest, and weighing her symptoms agains the different poisonous plants she had encountered. As she shakily poured liquids from the pot to the beaker, she started another synthesization... a second antidote for herself.

Then, a soft tap on her shoulder,

"Mom?" she said softly upon turning to see her kind-eyed mother standing in the room before her. Her eyes watered as she turned away, knowing it was a hallucination. "No." she said to herself. "No you can't be here."

Then her mouth began to dry and tingle. "It's Aconite poisoning! Wolfsbane!" she would yell to Junko, adding ingredients rapidly to the beakers, continuing the antidotes. Sweat was dripping from her forehead and she was feeling faint. Yet her determination kept her standing as the first antidote was finished.

Masume's balance was severly compromised by now, easily shown by how she was stumbling back into the living room, beaker in hand. She would spend a good second lining up the concoction with the man's mouth and getting him to swallow it. She wiped sweat off her forehead. "Should be..." she started pausing to gather her thoughts, "Two minutes, before... before improvement" She would state struggling to get back up, but succeeding and making it back to her chemistry station. She finished her form of the antidote, drinking it before collapsing to the floor. She was still awake, seeing her parents hovering over her, calling her to stay with them. her body shivered from the freeze of the fever that had started. She knew given that she was still awake that she would make it... or maybe that was a delusion of hers. "I'm... okay!" she would call to Junko, "I'm good... just... need time!" she would call weakly. "Just... need time."

[ Part Four : Healing the Injured ]

She laid in the same spot if she hadn't been moved, staring at the crumpled texture of the ceiling, her breathing returning to normal and pain subsiding. She felt weak but she sat herself up, perhaps too quickly, feeling a rush of coolness as the blood circulated and her head get dizzy as she sat up. "So it worked," She would state. "I knew it would, but I have to admit... I was really scared it was too late for him."

She would brush off any concerns about herself, stating she would talk about it later. "It was a risky move" she would also say, "I didn't see another option that would work in time"

"Our work isn't done yet," She would say, slowly standing up, "There's still many injured out there, and we don't know if they have been poisoned or not. I didn't see signs of poison on the way here, only at this house, but I'd like to be sure before we move on and figure out what the hell is going on."

Masume would synthesize a large batch of ten doses of the Antidote and then clean up her supplies in a flash, utilizing Junkos help, should it be offered to her. Hopefully it would be enough.


[ WC: 1543 ]
[ TWC: 5246 ]

AP Usage:

Junko tended to the man patiently as she watched Masume examine him and attempt to assess him. However, they had gotten there seemingly too late as he began speaking nonsense and his mind began to slip. She watched as Masume struggled to decide on which path to take, and Junko realized she had no possible way of removing poison from his body. She cursed herself silently, how could she have overlooked that?

Quickly Masume decided that she would poison herself on purpose to understand the symptoms, then attempt to make an antidote based on the effects she felt. Junko was a bit apprehensive about the idea but seemingly was unable to talk Masume out of it. The woman was dedicated to the cause, and Junko respected her for it. She would maintain contact with the man as Masume ingested the poison, not wanting to let him slip away. Her anxiety would rise as she heard Masume struggling to breathe, and succumbing to the effects of the poison.

Though Junko wasn’t religious, she had heard that the natives believed that the moon was some sort of deity. Mentally she’d reach out to the spirit, hoping it’d hear her call for aid. In her head she’d speak ”Please don't let her die, please please don’t let this be the biggest mistake she’s ever made.”

Masume would call out to her, informing Junko that she had come up with a solution. As the poison coursed through her body Masume would bring the antidote to the man, then quickly take one herself. At this point Junko was still a bit weary, she hoped that they had been able to administer a treatment before any major damage had been done to the poor man's brain. She’d hear a loud thunk as Masume’s body hit the floor which quickly made her release the man and rush over to her side. Though not the strongest shinobi, Junko was able to pick up Masume's limp body and transfer it to a nearby reclining chair. Thankfully she remained conscious until the antidote kicked him, and was able to recover slowly.

During this time Junko would rummage through the man's home, finding a few blankets that she would then use to throw over Mausme and the older man. Soon her clone would come into the home, and upon Junko’s command, would begin cleaning up the blood that trailed throughout the home. While waiting for them to recover, she would make her way into the kitchen hoping to find something she could make to assist them. As she rummaged through the refrigerator and cupboards, Junko was able to find all the ingredients she’d need to make some basic ramen.

As she heard Maume begin to stir, she would exit the kitchen with a bowl of the soup in her hands and then promptly hand it to her with a smile before saying ”Masume please eat this, it always makes me feel better when I’m sick so I hope it helps you. Thank you for risking your life to save him, he would have passed if it wasn’t for your selfless act. However, I ask that you refrain from such things in the future, it was a rather reckless decision that could have cost you your life darling.”

Junko sounded less like a friend at this moment and more like a concerned parent. There was no anger or malice in her voice as she slightly chastised Masume for potentially throwing her life away, there was only a sense of deep concern. She’d wait patiently for Masume to finish eating then would assist her in synthesizing a large batch of the antidote. Junko would ask if Masume would be willing to make her a handful too, just in case they ran into this issue again. Whatever Masume asked of her, Junko would immediately provide.

Soon the batch was completed, and the two of them would leave the man's home after ensuring that he would be alright. They then searched for any other remaining victims that may need assistance.

WC:680
Total WC:3080