On Fresh Wings... [T/T]

[try4]

In a hurried sprint, perhaps feeling very anxious to flee the land of Endless Rain, Mikutashi moved about the landscape of the viscid rainforest with minimal difficulty, his claw-gauntlet extension easily tearing through and clutching on to hanging vegetation and soggy tree bark when apt. His movements had been extremely limber as his body flickered in and out of sight within the dreary environ constantly present under the domain of this country. With an about average sense of direction, he moved westward; knowing where the capital of Yokoburi lay encouraged him to push his way out from underneath the incessantly swelling rain clouds that dominated nearly every portion of the sky above his head; lightning strikes flashed and illuminated his path in the damp forest as in total silence he moved forward.

With thoughts of finally freeing himself from Amegakure no Sato, Miku wondered what he would encounter now that he did not have to worry about the day-by-day drawl of shinobi life. He was free to do as he so pleased and the thought of returning to the Hidden Rain to collect several varying scrolls sometime later in the future rang in his head just as frequently as the electrical bolts that zipped overhead. Too content was he with traveling with his achromatic poncho thrown over his attire; still, though, being inside of Ame Kuni made him feel sick. Emotions were things that he did not display well nor did he wish to be at the mercy of them. Images of the former lady Amekage Mitsukai interrupted the crashing bass of thunder as he noticed a clearing in the skyline some five kilometers away. Surely he was headed in the right direction? Advanced as he had become while living here in the study of observing weather patterns, he had hoped that this faint, almost translucent shimmering of the sun towards the west meant that another country lay just beyond the territorial reaches of Rain's capital. His butt bag clanged lightly as star-shaped shuriken mingled with the sole kunai in its slot; he had hoped that the durability of the water poncho kept his map of Fire Country and explosive tags from getting damp and unusable once he reached the dry clearing. 

As he was able to fake out the receptionist back in the Rain Shadow's tower with his story of going to Yokoburi to aid another Rain shinobi, Mikutashi did not worry about having to outrun the masked operatives that lingered around various vantages of the village. He, at best, had about a day or two's lead on any party that would come searching for him in his absence; inside his tool bag also rested his black-clothed hitai-ate that bore both his previous affiliation to Rain and the current laceration of a horizontal scar cutting the four vertical slivers of rain in half. He would be known as a deserter among the Pluvians and their allies, yet he cared little. Wazaru did not put inside of him the seed of fear-----for he had instead planted, and witnessed his draconian philosophies sprout into Suikou who had turned into something extremely volatile. Alone, as he was accustomed to, Miku excelled exceptionally better than with another person. But as he came into a clearing that brought along with it horizontal plateaus that seemed to cut the world before him into elevating tiers, he thought of Akuryo. His only true comrade and his rival. 

The rain began to diminish to a mere patter as he stepped onto of the first flat and edged out surface of a plateau. The world before him itself was volatile, almost as much as he.

SPOILER: Click to show

SPOILER: Click to show

Move to Stone Country, please.

Direction Sense: Average 0037[+0005]=0042
Weather Sense: Advanced 0070

Nimble Moves 
Rank: "C"
Skill: Supplementary
Effect: User can move across a single obstacle with ease.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: Whenever the user moves, they move through 2 meters of difficult terrain each round as if it were normal terrain. This technique allows the user to take a 2-meter step into difficult terrain.
Limit: Must learn from Universal Miscellaneous.

[Father 'Suke]

Direction Sense Passed, Weather Sense failed

Moved to Stone but still raining torrents down upon your weary soul.

[try4]

SPOILER: Click to show

Fast Mover
Rank: "B"
Skill: Supplementary
Effect: User can move faster than normal.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: User gains a +1 extra movement. This Jutsu can stack with other movement increasement Jutsus. User may only learn this technique once.
Limit: Must learn from Universal Miscellaneous.

0000 // 0070

Despite his advancement into a new territory, it would seem that the plaguing rains from Ame-no-Kuni were not yet through with Mikutashi. The sun had broken through the masses of milky gray, yet was just as quickly consumed again by the nimbus clouds who gave way to a torrential drizzle that encouraged Miku to move much quicker through the terrain.

His first few steps were aided with chakra as instead of utilizing a full Body Flicker, Miku opted to channel his energy into the soles of his feet as he would with tree climbing. As the surge of spiritual energy rippled through his legs, he lurched toward the first high earthen wall before him. His jumping prowess was exceptional as he coolly sailed to the top of the second plateau and had not even suffered from slipping or sliding in the viscous earth. Far from weary in spite of his lengthy journey into this unknown realm, Mikutashi continually bound over large stones and raised platforms of earth to escape the low cusps of land that reminded him of Ame-no-Kuni. Perhaps it was his will that urged him forward at such an alacritous pace or even his determination to flee that dreadful Land of Rain, where memories of Mitsukai echoed in his ethos. 

As he finally made his way to the highest point of that stacked plateau-chain, Mikutashi accelerated forward with renewed vigor. His legs were churning at an exceptionally heightened rate; could this be a result of having trained for so long in the wet lands of Rain? He remembered his prior training with Noriko, the Seitetsu chunin of Ame, that helped him finish his water walk training and encouraged him to learn a new variation of the Shunshin to counter her own quick movements. He felt a bit better now, having escaped the constant patter of rain, yet still had kilometers to cover before he could truly free himself of the looming nimbus conglomerate. Silently he pushed onward, his vision almost tunnel visionesque from the speed at which he moved. His resolve was steel: unbreakable and bent on quickening himself for future endeavors. 

Every now and then as he trekked through this new and mountainous -- almost devoid of vegetation as far as he could tell -- region, Mikutashi wondered if Akuryo had allied with a Ninja nation to increase his own knowledge of jutsu. He already knew Aku was on another level already when compared to himself, yet he didn't think that his opportunistic friend wouldn't sink to joining forces with other individuals to pursue his agenda. Mikutashi moved fluidly across the occasionally rocky terrain; nimbly, he would occasionally lunge over a two-meter distance as chakra propelled him further along.

[try4]

???? // 0070

Against the soft and niveous precipitation that fell at an angle within the tundra lands of Shimo-no-Kuni, Mikutashi and Akuryo rushed forward, exhilarated to take on this latest task that Lord Wazaru had sent them on. Their assignment had been to infiltrate a castle that lay to the northwest of the country off the coast of the Sangha Bay. Each boy had been outfitted in the whitest of shozokus,  and as they moved across the landscape, they appeared as streaks of white; the snow that hit them simply melted against the cloth, which was already hot given their innate Katon-affinity. Their zeal to appease Wazaru fueled their beings with a fervor that boosted their quickness; steadily, yet at a heightened pace, they moved across the stark plains. 

Upon their approach to the grandiose castle, the duo opted to camouflage themselves by way of Shadow perception Genjutsu. A layer of shadow-skin enveloped their bodies and enabled them to move swiftly as dark silhouettes across the gray cobblestone walls of the citadel. Akuryo was the chosen leader of this excursion, so it was he who moved first; Mikutashi acted as his shadow, mimicking the perfect-timed jumps, sprints and rolls of his kin to perfection. Of the guards present and situated about the high walls of the tower, none of their eyes could keep up with the alacritous, chakra-imbued movements of the young Lair Snakes. The mission was moving along smoothly as they found a way inside of the citadel's perimeter: a gate had been left agape, and with a sharp swiftness that nearly rivaled a pushing Shunshin, they had found their way inside the inner nest.

"Remember what Wazaru-sama told us," Aku whispered, tucking himself low to a wall as Mikutashi pressed against a stone monument. Still laden with shadowy murk, they waited for a set of guards to pass by before quickly rushing them from behind. Quick and successful blows to the necks of the guards made them crumple at the adroit hands of the teenagers. Making sure to store the bodies in a covert location, Mikutashi and Akuryo then proceeded to enter into the main building that was in the center of several smaller structures. At once, despite how swiftly they had been moving and how carefully they had been approaching, an alarm blared. The shadowskin faded away once they realized that there would be no further need to mask their presence; somehow, they had been spotted. Akuryo smiled wildly as Mikutashi reached for his tantou.

"Looks like we've been spotted. Aku, take the left, I'll cover the right." A small array of guardsmen swarmed the building laced with steel armor and vicious looking weaponry. The fire in both of the boys' eyes flickered wildly as they lunged at the samurai who put their lives on the line for the reigning Daimyo—————




———Breaking free of his mind's retrograded hold, Suikou lowered his body closer to the ground. His back was nearly horizontal, safe for the oblique angle at which his neck and head coerced him to hold in order to see clearly in front of him. His arms were at his side, now; the poncho he wore flapped hurriedly upon his person within his "shinobi-style" running stance and endured the winds and rain as he gradually increased his speed.

[Beltran]

+19

[try4]

SPOILER: Click to show

SPOILER: Click to show

moving to a different training tech.

Identify Trap
Rank: "D"
Skill: Skill
Effect: A skill that allows users to identify traps that may have been placed.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: Can be learned by an Animal. Identifying traps is never a sure thing. Instead of a simple/yes no skill check, there are 4 potential outcomes: 1) successfully identify if a trap is present; 2) mistakenly identify a trap where there is none (false positive); 3 mistakenly identify that no trap is present when one exists (false negative); and 4) activate the trap. The Difficulty of finding traps is dependent on the Rank of the Raps. Look in Academia Skills thread found in the Skills and Traits Index for more information. Each time learned user gets 1 die roll to increase the skill.
Limit: ---

Novice 18
Able Learner

0000 // 0010

The extended sprint of Suikou came to an end as his stamina neared depletion. He had been exceptionally fit and accustomed to running, yet attempting to further hone his speed by decisive movements made him tire much quicker than usual. As he came to rest from running, he continued to walk the lain out path and studied the surroundings with a critical eye. 

For a moment, the clouds over his head snapped with thunder; lightning had been far too quick to catch moving, but the flickering silhouettes of the nimbus clouds in the distance made it possible for him to gauge the storm. Amegakure no Sato lay on the other side of the mountain ranges at his back and this is where his eyes' gaze would look as he furthered himself from the downpour. It would be foolish for him to return there now, given the recent occurrences involving the -kage. Mikutashi had now set his sights on the western side of the world, and he hoped to find his kin Akuryo in his venture towards the Land of Bird.

Miku shook his head free of the cluttering thoughts of his recent past and pushed onward; there had been no caravans noticeable for miles, so he assumed that he had been by himself... A thin smirk cut across his face as he noticed an old looking bush about five meters before him.

Is this some sort of trap?... he wondered, having observed the pseudo-bush for about a minute now. It was obviously fake had one taken the time to study its placement in this near desolate environ. Since he had been capable of discerning the identity of traps before, this one seemed no different than the ones of the past: randomly placed and obvious. The branches of the bush didn't even seem real, to Miku, they appeared to have been made out of a bronze metal. What really through the whole makeshift foliage off was that the "leaves" were made from a fluffy fabric; this gave the bush its uncommon look, for most other plant life in this region had either been dry or hardly bearing any heavy amount of foliage. He stood firm for a moment, and then began to complete a simple set of seals. The air around him was steady and flat, yet Miku started to inhale deeply; he had grown accustomed to stale and hot air, given his affinity for both fire and wind.

"Daitoppa!" he boomed. Forthwith, a horizontal cyclone of winds erupted from his opened mouth, out towards the bush that rested almost ten meters in front of him. The strength of this technique had been paramount against such an inadequately made construct; the Wind Style: Great Breakthrough tore the metallic branches and roots asunder as the green fluffy tarp was cast into the sky. Now it was surely evident that this had been a trap, yet he could only assume several things:

For one, the metallic base. Was this some sort of contraption that when approached, turned hostile and caused blades to spring forth from the green shrubbery? It was obvious that the leaves of the trap were used to conceal something, and he couldn't figure out what it had been. And then... it occurred to him that this trap wasn't set for a human. It was too obvious a trap to have been. It surely must have been set up, then, to capture smaller creatures like rodents. Mikutashi thought that perhaps the purpose of it was to lure timid mammals close enough for the bronze branches to either capture or kill whatever came in its proximity. Finding this now a trivial endeavor, he shrugged and pushed onward to his left. 








"Look at what he did!" came the hissing and muffled cry of someone hiding up the mountain side; "He destroyed our trap, Gensei!" the binocular-wearing teen turned red as he turned towards his elder. They must have worked hard trying to set that trap up in the wilderness. The man known as Gensei turned towards the other and said with a sigh, "Fret not, Hanbei. For him to have been able to notice it means that he is a rather skilled person... it would be best for us to watch him from afar for now." The older male got up and began to walk along the upper mountain path. "Are you going to follow me? I think that this one has some value to us... if we can catch him."

SPOILER: Click to show

Fuuton - Daitoppa (Great Breakthrough) 
Rank: "C"
Skill: NinJutsu
Effect: User hurls out a large blast of wind capable of leveling almost anything within its path.
Special: "Handseals"
Drawback: ---
Description: User performs the handseals as they take in a deep breathe. Holding it for a brief moment they quickly exert it as a large blast of air the size of the user's head, and double the length is sent out towards the opponent within the distance of twenty five meters. This technique is capable of crushing an opponent's ribs if hit directly, or capable of dislocating a shoulder if hit along the shoulder. This technique is sometimes used to break down large doors, or to smack an opponent away from the user when the user comes into a bind. Depending on the user's class level depends on the distance this technique may be used. When the user is "D" class the distance is that of twenty five meters. Each class the user is higher then that of "D" The distance increases by five meters. When the user masters the art of wind, the blast increases by doubling it size as the distance is increased by ten meters.
Limit: Must have the Wind Release, Must know Fuuton Kaze no Senbon (Needles of the Wind), Must know Kaze Ya no Jutsu (Wind Arrow Technique)

[Gohan]

+10 TP
Now at 31 SP
Looks good! No complaints

[try4]

SPOILER: Click to show

Acting
Rank: "E"
Skill: Skill
Effect: Acting enables a character to skillfully portray various roles.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: Acting is most often used as a form of entertainment, though it can also be useful in aiding a disguise or pulling a scam. A skilled actor knows how to research their role in order to provide a realistic portrayal to include mannerisms, speech patterns, dialect or jargon. The Acting skill also confers a cumulative 5% bonus (per level above Unskilled) to Disguise skill check rolls. The list below gives examples of Mastery and what the character can do.
Unskilled Give a stereotyped performance.
Novice Pretend to be a person whose background is not too dissimilar from the character’s own.
Average Play a role convincing to an audience not overly familiar with the part he’s portraying.
Advanced By observing and interacting with a member of a class or profession, he can pass himself off as said.
Expert Can independently ‘invent’ a role such as a lord, member of a cult, wealthy merchant, etc., and can dress and act the part with such skill that he can pass as that person.
Master Can successfully imitate any person well enough to fool anyone not intimately familiar with the person (barring visual familiarity).

If user has 25 or more Ranks in Acting user gains a Synergy Bonus +10 to Disguise (to act in character), Interpret/Perform Mime, Intimidate, and Sleight of Hand. Each time learned user gets 1 die roll to increase the skill.
Limit: ---

Novice 007
Able Learner

0000 // 0005

Obnoxious and eager to repay Mikutashi for the destruction of their construct, Hanbei bound over crags in moderate-sized leaps as the older Gensei followed behind at a steady and calm pace. The young and bright eyed youth slid behind a boulder and flexed his hands into seals while a smirk cut across his cheeks. "Hehe~ let's see 'im see through this...!" Immediately the child's chakra poured forth from him in a heavy manner. It was surprising to witness this endeavor had any other than his master Gensei been watching. The illusion-imbued energy of Hanbei floated across the dry plains of Stone Country towards Mikutashi. Once the aura began to disorient his composure, Miku stopped walking and began to focus.

The rogue ninja didn't waste any time trying to scan his surroundings for any threat hiding in his vicinity. He had already figured that there had at least been someone else out here in the wilderness; for who else set up the trap? Mikutashi's breathing slowed as he calmed himself. Alarm or fright hadn't sunken into his ethos, as he knew of the qualities Genjutsu possessed. As he murmured "Kai," the force that had prohibited him from walking began to diminish and Hanbei noticed this. His cheeks turned red like cherries; his anger coupled with the heat out in the wilds of Ishi Kuni did him no good against a man that had learned to contain his composure. Mikutashi had been so great at it, that it hardly seemed to be an act at this point. His proclivity both in Shimo- and Ame-no-Kuni trained him to act calm in situations that seemed out of place with his own energy. Once the illusion ceased, he forged towards his right, just outside the range of Hanbei's elementary Genjutsus.

"He has a unique chakra signature..." Gensei commented as his milky white eyes honed into the back of Mikutashi. The elder possessed eyes of the highest acuity -- they not only cut through the layers of black clothing of the traveling youth, but also under his epidermis, to expose only to trained eyes his pulsating tenketsu. "For him to have dispelled your Genjutsu must mean he has an exceptionally sharp mind. He may indeed be who we need to save the villagers in Kyogankoto.."

With a light chuckle to himself, Miku pushed onward. He continued to play ignorant of the fact that he had company following him around the highlands of Ishi no Kuni. Earlier, when he had destroyed that fake shrub, he had thought he had heard a seething voice on the wind, but assumed it belonged to a creature native to this region. Now he knew that there had been someone trailing him, yet he knew not why. His clawed hand and gauntlet-laden left arm flexed as he thought of ripping whoever it was into pieces. It had been some time since he had used his fists in a fight, but perhaps one would arise soon. The traveler kept to his path, and with an aloof air as to lead the duo of Gensei and Hanbei into believing that he was oblivious of their advances, Miku would occasionally kick a small pebble this way or that. 

He was not well trained in acting, but to appear ignorant of another person was something that he excelled at without the need of training. The feeling of a lawful aura wafted over the air towards him and he turned his nose sharply once the energy pressed at his back. 

SPOILER: Click to show

GenJutsu Kai (Dispel GenJutsu) 
Rank: "D", "C", "B", "A", "S"
Skill: Supplementary
Effect: A Jutsu that allows the user to force chakra to flow through their body (or another body) to disrupt the flow of chakra within them that is caused by GenJutsus.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: The user needs to stop the flow of chakra in their body, and then apply an even stronger power to disrupt the flow of the caster's chakra; this is called GenJutsu Kai (Dispel GenJutsu). This can also be done by an unaffected characters by applying a sudden surge of chakra into the affected person. The unaffected character must know GenJutsu Kai (Dispel GenJutsu) in order to perform it on an affected person. The affected getting out of a GenJutsu is dependent on the knowledge of the unaffected. Depending on the rank the user knows depends on the amount of extra points they gain on their Save.
"D" Rank Technique - 1 Point
"C" Rank Technique - 3 Points
"B" Rank Technique - 5 Points
"A" Rank Technique - 7 Points
"S" Rank Technique - 9 Points

Depending on the amount of points the user wishes to add into their save depends on the amount of time it takes to perform the Jutsu. If the user knows and wishes to add in 5 points to their save they must take the same amount of time as if performing a "B" Rank Chakra Jutsu.
Limit: Universal GenJutsu Technique.

Dismantle Order 
Rank: "C"
Skill: Social Trait
Effect: Must be Chaotic: Through the code of freedom the user has learned to detect those that support law with ease.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: If the user follows this code, their appreciation for unfettered social freedom allows them to locate supporters of law with supernatural ease. User can use Detect Law. This trait replaces 1 Freebies.
Limit: Must start with Character; replaces 1 Freebies.

[Gohan]

+5TP
Now at 21 SP

[try4]

SPOILER: Click to show

Alertness
Rank: "C"
Skill: Supplementary
Effect: User often notices things that others might miss.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: User gets a +10 bonus to their Observation and Sense Motive Skills. If the user has 50 or more points in one of those skills, the bonus increases to +20 for that Skill.
Limit: Must learn from Universal Miscellaneous.

0000 // 0020

Keen witted and alert to his surroundings, Mikutashi had picked up on the faint sounds of huffing on the wind. The muffled and low grunts came from Hanbei; his master, who had been decades older, continued at a eager pace, yet it was totally steady. The former on the other hand had already been worked up by the counter antics of the protagonist traveler, and so he hurriedly moved across the mountain pass with seething aggression. 

"When we catch him, I'm gonna——"

"—Hanbei! enough," commanded his teacher in a hard hiss; the man's albicant eyes saw what the dim-witted youth's couldn't: that Miku had been alerted of their presence based on several factors:

Firstly, the same traps, or several similar to the one the nukenin first encountered, where still sprawled across the region. Mikutashi possessed eyes of high acuity, and thus clearly saw through the makeshift contraptions of the stalking duo;

Secondly, as the missing Amegakure low ninja quickly snapped his neck to his left, his peripheral fell upon a bobbing bush of alizarin hair. This mop-top mess of hair belonged to none other than the child Hanbei. What alerted Miku to look in that direction was the boy's constant moaning and groaning; his maladroit movements over the many stones that dotted lower Ishi Kuni also played a part in revealing his position;

And lastly was that overbearing sense of lawfulness. Bred to embrace the chaos of the world, Mikutashi's tutelage involved being capable of sensing out those who followed the creed of righteous proclivity. This aura he felt wavering, however, did not emanate from the exact direction in which the small boy had been moving; but it was a bit further back, almost at about three meters behind the red-headed youth. His ability of Dismantling Order had been a useful one and would continue to prove to be so when traveling alone. The ex-ninja kept his cool, though, and did not turn around straight away to face against these followers. Perhaps had they been strong, they would have just jumped out at him and attacked; he assumed that they were hunters and had grown interested in his ability that destroyed one of their constructs. These people following him gave him a sudden sensation: it was the fact that he had been missing for some time now, and perhaps forces had been sent out to locate him. It mattered not, though. Suikou had hardly left any bread crumbs for the Ame patrol units to follow after, so he felt at ease once more as a slight breeze swept against his skin in the diminishing heat of Stone Country.

Night was falling; the shadows cast by the towering mountains loomed across the crackled flesh of the earth in darkening patches; animals native to this region began to make cries to the wild as the moon began to usurp the might of the sun. Feeling it optimal to travel by the moon's light, Miku pushed on. He had managed to secure a water flask in his ninja pouch and drank of the contents thereof. After a while, he would pick up on the steady susurrus of a nearby stream. Here, he would refill his canteen and follow the flowing trail. Since no fear invaded the unusually calm man's mind, he had totally forgotten about those mountain men that were following him. 




Gensei, with eyes agape and veins protruding from underneath his sagging eye sacs, stood leaning against a medium sized stone as his cane rested at his side. "We are losing light, Hanbei; and it seems that our friend has forgotten about us... his chakra isn't fluctuation erratically like it had been earlier." The elder's eyes continued to watch the moving black-clothed figure from a distance of over fifty meters. In spite of his superior eyesight, the man still was of old age. He suggested to his pupil that they find somewhere to rest for the night and then continue to pursue the man in the morning. Gensei knew the land of Stone well, so well that he in fact knew that Mikutashi was following that particular stream to the Huge Rock City. "Patience is a virtue, Hanbei: remember that," the man said to the younger before he began to fall into an easy slumber. The red-headed child nodded and with great green eyes, watched as his master fell asleep. Hanbei then smiled.



The boy knew not patience and in lieu of heeding the warnings and axioms of his master, he opted to set out to find the traveling man himself. "Heheh... now that old man Gensei's asleep, I can find this guy by myself! He must've got lucky when my genjutsu didn't work earlier," the boy silently crept away from the camp; "yeah, that's it. Lucky fucker." He covered his mouth after he cursed, having chosen to only honor the request of Gensei in ceasing to use profanity. Night embraced all now at this point; the moon hung gibbous above and offered enough light for one to travel through the dark mountain lands; small, yet luminous, celestial dots littered the sky and aided the moon in the projection of light. Mikutashi chose to remain alert now that the howling of the beasts increased in bass and proximity. 

[try4]

???? // 0020

The briskness that Hanbei moved with had been probably too much: while he had been anxious to catch up with the unknown traveler, he did not know the mountains of Ishi as well as Gensei, and so suffered from his lack of knowledge. "Monkey Flucker!" he silently spat as he controlled his will to transition a curse word into a quick euphemism. He wasn't necessarily lost, but couldn't see as well as the sage Gensei. The moon produced a white glow on the mountains, and with it, emitted a sturdy chill within the atmosphere. He shivered a bit as he stepped into a dark spot under the reign of some lofty mountain. Even though he had lived in this area, he had never been foolish enough to traverse it at night; hastiness and often impish decisions usually led to bouts of discombobulation. Hanbei went on to idiotically cause a bit of noise in the peculiarly silent night as he kicked a small rock across a meter gap. The echoes bounced off of the faces of the mountains like raindrops hitting a pond.

And it was Mikutashi who's ears had been alerted to the unnatural commotion. As soon as he had heard the clatter of rock upon rock ripple through the plateau, his hand shot to his butt bag. So they waited to try to attack me at nightfall... he mused, fingers wrapped securely around the hilt of his only kunai knife. Since he hadn't felt that positive and licit energy within his field of alignment perception, he instantly knew that it had been the child moving around in this darkness. The man's eyes leered as he turned his torso to scan behind his right, and then again to check his left. Nothing. With eyes that could have rivaled the depths of the night's sky, Miku scanned the entire area in a three-hundred and sixty degree spin; he was sure to not be too quick in his observation, and had instead chose to inspect what he could scry with a critical eye:

Directly against his back had been endless miles of earth. The shadows and darkness had been too thick for him to see through, and the outlines of only the mountains in the distance could be gauged from his location. Ame no Kuni lay back there... somewhere;

To his right had been a cluster of seemingly endless mountains, where faintly on the gentle wind, he could hear the lonely howl of a canine. Mikutashi cast his gaze skyward for a second and took in the beauty of the open sky above him. The stars had been near infinite in number as he attempted to count them out; his skill in estimating the amount of gold jingling in his pocket did him no justice here. It had been the moon which stood out the most to him, having been the greatest source of light in this dark plain. A small amount of saplings dotted the northern spaces of Ishi no Kuni, along with the skeletal remains of some deceased creature. It looked like it had been there for days now, and given the intensity of the moon's light on this region in which he faced, Suikou could see portions of the body that had been cleaned of meat and sinew;

He then turned back to face the direction in which he was headed and saw before him, faint lights in the distance. These hadn't been celestial in origin, but man-made: they were low, yet noticeable in the hanging darkness. Miku guessed there to be a town in that direction and he would find his way there soon, he just had to get rid of these nuisances lurking within the darkness;

"HOLYFUCKINGSHIT ---- AAAAHHH!!" the voice of the child rang through the expanse of dark spires and starry night. Whatever had caused him to cry out as such must have been terrifying; Mikutashi was immediately alerted to the sound of the boy and broke into a sprint towards his left, where he remembered seeing Hanbei before nightfall. Upon his approach to the youth, the nukenin saw what had caused the fear to slam into the boy: he had been surrounded by two man-sized primates; their fur appeared a dark scarlet in the light of the moon and, appearing as fire, smoke and heat were released from their bodies as they breathed. Never had he encountered such a creature.

When they seemed to be communicating with one another, their tongues moved in the like manner of flame. Mikutashi recognized this language and remembered hearing it back in Tanzaku-Gai when he went exploring in the ancient ruins there. It was Vi, the twin of another Konoha-nin that had spoken in that same tongue. So there are languages that both human and animals share...? This intrigued him, but it did not change the situation. It was against his calling to aid another in peril, but he could not resist what lay deep inside of himself. A tender memory of helping Mitsukai's cousin in Toshi Village had been enough to cause the rogue ninja to jump from his high vantage into the place where the boy staggered back away from the fire monks. The beasts' scent must have picked up on Mikutashi, for when he entered into their domain, their concentration broke away from Hanbei. He had already been intimidated into submission; now they growled at the draconian protagonist with hot fervor.

Sensing their motive, and feeling that innate energy of fire residing inside of them, Suikou could guess what they were communicating about. They moved slowly towards him, unsure of what abilities lay in a man that didn't cringe at their approach; growls transformed into quick and eruptive roaring now as claws were produced to increase the likelihood of  their intimidation. In vain, howbeit; the vagabond had honed his mind to stay clear and firm in battle situations. And once he threw his final kunai at one of them, it jumped back; the other, unabated by this advance, continued where his kin ceased. It was then clear to Mikutashi that this one had been the alpha of the group. Its counterpart would turn to face the whimpering child who had managed to scoot a ways off when Miku appeared. Now, he was shaken again. "Please, please save me!" he pleaded.

SPOILER: Click to show

Iron Will 
Rank: "C" Always 20 Training Points
Skill: Supplementary
Effect: User is more resistant to mental effects.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: User gets a +2 bonus on all Will Saves.
Limit: Must learn from Universal Miscellaneous.

Fearless 
Rank: "D"
Skill: Supplementary
Effect: User has a strong grip on their nerves and are very difficult to terrify.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: Whether it is through experience or sheer stubbornness, user shrugs off fear and continue on their way, unaffected by even the most fearsome beasts. User gain a +3 competence bonus to all saves versus Fear effects.
Limit: Must learn from Universal Miscellaneous. Must know Iron Will.

[Celaena Kamyuja]

Plus twenty Awesome RP.

[try4]

SPOILER: Click to show

Intimidate
Rank: "E"
Skill: Skill
Effect: User can change another's behavior with a successful check.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: Characters use this skill to cause others to back down in a contest of wills, to make others afraid. To Intimidate The Difficulty of this check is +10 + 5 per Target's Class Level + (5 x Impeccable Will) + Target's modifiers on Saves against Fear. User gains a +4 bonus on their Intimidate check for each size category they are larger than the target (This does not apply to Traits or Augmentations while retaining the same Size Category. Conversely, user takes a -4 penalty on their Intimidation check for every size Category that they are smaller than their target. Look in Task Skills thread found in the Skills and Traits Index for more information. If user has 25 or more Ranks in Acting user gains a Synergy Bonus +10 to Intimidate. Each time learned user gets 1 die roll to increase the skill.
Limit: ---

Unskilled 00
Able Learner

0000 // 0005

Capable of performing a decent amount of kata in ample time, Miku first drew in a deep breath and, while simultaneously meshing his chakra with the air element, proceeded to spit out an arrow comprised of visible winds. The Kaze Ya had not been intended for the fire monk that faced off against him; it instead whizzed through the air and slammed into the back of its kin, who stumbled to the side once and fell flat onto the ground. His precision with this technique had continuously increased from having it at his disposal; in the primate's chest cavity was left a gaping hole; blood had managed to splatter onto the green-eyed child's face and he shrieked. Hearing its ally in trouble, the alpha primate turned to see what had happened: terrible mistake. Immediately, Mikutashi sprang forth and with his clawed arm, cocked his fist back and twisted into a heavy punch that smashed the curious fire monk in the face. His physical strength had increased too, now that he had started training more into the style of Krav Maga; this hammerfist attack sent the orange-furred ape skidding back by at least two meters. Stunned by the speed, strength and ability of this human, it turned tail and disappeared into the darkness. Intimidation had been a tactic best used when fighting more than one opponent. 

Half-amazed and half-fearful, the child started whimpering. 

"Shut the hell up, brat." Miku warned Hanbei; he knelt down towards the younger boy's face, and placed one of his clawed phalanges underneath his chin. "Tell me where the other person you were traveling with is." But out of fear, Hanbei hesitated. Never had he been in the presence of someone with so hot a temper as this; he had witnessed the power of Mikutashi and was frightened by it more than the Fire Monks. Looking into his lime green eyes, the ex-ninja repeated his command. Through staggering words, Hanbei began to reveal the whereabouts of Gensei.

"Ge-Gensei-s-sama is..." he turned his neck and tried looking behind him, "Gensei-sama is over there!" the fright that had crept into his voice was immediately extinguished as his eyes caught the sight of the elder in the flesh, standing just a few meters above him. Hanbei smiled.

"Gensei-sama!!... uh," just as quickly as it had appeared, the smile vanished when the shadows had been cast off of his savior's face.

The elder's old and generally amiable visage turned stern and fixed. His white eyes matched the color of the moon and Miku noticed this trait; the veins, also, he took acknowledgement of and considered that the old man had been using some sort of eye technique to find his student in the darkness. It was also highly likely that he had heard the loud commotion and rushed over.

"Hanbei.. didn't I tell you to wait?!" his deep voiced boomed and it surprised Suikou to hear this voice come from a man emitting a lawful residue. The boy looked down with tears in his eyes and knew that his master had punished him just by yelling at him. He was easily intimidated by others, despite him trying to come off as a bad ass. Miku rose to his feet and placed a hand on his hip; he cocked his head and laughed. "So it was you following me, old man? What do you and your student want with me?... I could kill you both right now." The alizarin-haired boy cringed; their elder let out a heavy sigh.

SPOILER: Click to show

Kaze Ya no Jutsu (Wind Arrow Technique) 
Rank: "D"
Skill: NinJutsu
Effect: User is capable of breathing inwards and exerting outwards a large like arrow to pierce into the opponent's body.
Special: User takes in a deep breathe filling their lungs with air.
Drawback: Only one may be created at a time.
Description: The user molds chakra and breathes in. He or she then blows out and an arrow made of wind is shot from the user’s mouth. This arrow may be blocked as it is just a large consumption of wind, however it can not be deflected away. This means that the object must be large in size enough to defend from one against the wind. The size of the arrow is the size of the opponent's mouth with the length of three feet as it can travel up to the distance of twenty meters. This technique is used for short range to steer an opponent away from the user.
Limit: Must have the Wind Release

Hammerfist to the Side 
Rank: "D"
Skill: TaiJutsu
Effect: A hammerfist attack normally performed against the side of the opponent.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: Hammerfist to the side may be practiced from a fighting stance or a passive stance. Because it is often used in reaction to a surprise attack, we generally present the strike from a passive stance first. Starting Position Passive Stance. Move your left hand sideways and upward, elbow slightly bent. As your hand moves toward its target, rotate your hip and shoulder. Tuck your chin. Your rising arm should cover you as well as strike. Pivot your outside foot and step in toward your target to make sure weight is being transferred into the punch. Tips Add torque by rotating the fist: at the beginning of the punch, the back of the hand faces the target. Just before contact, rotate the meaty part of your hand out to make contact. As with all punches, you should recoil after striking. Depending on the user's class depends on the strength of the attack.
"D" Class - A normal attack that has no knockback.
"C" Class - An attack that has a knockback of 2 meters.
"B" Class - An attack that has a knockback of 4 meters.
"A" Class - An attack that has a knockback of 8 meters.
"S" Class - An attack that has a knockback of 16 meters.

[Gohan]

+5

+15 SP

[try4]

SPOILER: Click to show

Sense Motive
Rank: "E"
Skill: Skill
Effect: User is skilled at detecting falsehoods and true intentions.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: A successful check lets you avoid being bluffed (see the Acting skill). The user can also use this skill to determine when "something is up" (that is, something odd is going on) or to assess someone's trustworthiness. Sense Motive does not, however, allow a character to determine whether a given statement is a lie. In addition, a character can use this skill to make an assessment of a social situation. With a successful check (Very Difficult Difficulty), the character can get the feeling from another's behavior that something is wrong. Also, the character can get the feeling that someone is trustworthy and honorable. A Sense Motive check may be made as a reaction to another character's Acting check. Try Again: No, though user may make a Sense Motive Check for each Acting check made against the user. Look in Task Skills thread found in the Skills and Traits Index for more information. If user has 25 or more Ranks in Evidence Analysis user gains a Synergy Bonus +10 to Sense Motive. If user has 25 or more Ranks in Cultures user gains a Synergy Bonus +10 to Sense Motive when interacting with someone of said Culture. If user has 25 or more Ranks in Cultures user gains a Synergy Bonus +10 to Sense Motive when interacting with someone of said Culture. Each time learned user gets 1 die roll to increase the skill.
Limit: ---

Average 38
Able Learner

0000 // 0005

The sigh had been stifled. "Surely you cannot be as heartless as you come off; you did save this child when it wasn't your obligation." The elder spoke true words that hit Suikou in the chest. Gensei had been right, after all. The younger man's dark eyes gazed into the milky white ones of the elder; the former seemed to have caught on to what motivated the duo to stalk him out. Irked, Mikutashi reiterated his stance, this time straightening his posture and lowering his tone.

"I had asked you for what purpose do you follow me?" The black-haired Fierian native's hands slid into erect seals; the Zodiacs channeling the attributes of fire hung in the air between he and his pursuers. Gensei's sharp eyes had still been activated and from underneath bulging and veiny eyes, his mouth produced speech:

"Quell the flame that harbors inside of you, uchiwakai; I see in you a strong fire fed with the winds of nature." Then, the face of Gensei seemed to hint to a moment of eureka; "Surely, he couldn't be..." the man whispered low and to himself. Intrigued by how the man knew of his elemental natures, Mikutashi lowered his hands as the elder pondered away in thought; Hanbei had since retreated to the side of his master, yet remained in a fetal and cowering position. A smile was conceived on the wrinkled flesh of Gensei as his facial muscles flexed in accordance to a tranquil mind. Once he saw that the ex-ninja ceased his conjuration of his Ninjutsu, the old sage continued thus: "The direction in which you are headed leads to the village where we live, Kyogankoto. Many of our men have fallen prey to lusts of the body and joined forces with a desert pirate crew hailing from the dunes of Wind Country." As the words settled into the analyzing mind of Miku, he began to surmise the exact reason why he had been studied from a far.

"And you suppose that I can save this village from the scourges of these men?" He guffawed; Suikou truly had no manners in respect to his elders unless they had been Lord Wazaru himself. This matter was all but trivial to the missing ninja of Amegakure; he hadn't cared either way for the outcome that would befall their small village. "I have elsewhere to be; now, leave me to my journey." With that, he started to turn away from Gensei and Hanbei, but not before the voice of that lawful entity flooded his ear canals. "You seem uncertain of who you are, child; I can see it in your eyes that you long to know of your origins." The acute eyes of the hermit had already observed Mikutashi's every aspect for the past day and a half. There wasn't much he could hide from these white eyes of the old man, who's ability to gauge another's motive far outweighed Suikou's own. The nukenin stopped in his tracks. He smiled, not out of happiness, but frustration. How did this man come to understand so much about him from just a moment's conversation? Was he truly a hoary sage? Miku grit his teeth.

"Fine, oracle. Since you seem to understand so much about me, I will carry out this quest for you. I do not want your wealth or any prize in exchange for this service other than that of understanding... There is so much that is shrouded from me, yet just now you scryed down to the depths of my soul." There was no other way for Mikutashi to fight against it now. He had chosen to aid the elder and the village of Kyogankoto against these outside forces in exchange for knowledge. Feeling only an aura of pure and lawful energy emanating from this man, Miku had no reason to doubt his motives. Gensei seemed true in his discernment; after this encounter, the three of them followed the stream towards the Huge Rock City. 

"I will reveal to you what it is that you seek." promised the sage.

SPOILER: Click to show

exit

[Celaena Kamyuja]

5TP
Plus 10SP
45|125SP

Edit:

Apologizing here. It was a typo. 48|125SP.