Here I Come! (Finding Hakumei)

[佐藤稔]

Minori could see the day had fallen quick when he reached the outside again. Flirting with the pharmacist had him running late for his boat. If the boat left he'd have a hell of a hard time making it to the Hot Springs. The chilly breezes blew soft as Minori looked into the darkening sky.

I'll have to run if I want to make it.

Minori darted through the empty streets as if he were a bullet. North-Coast Beach had been almost half the city away and he only had a half an hour to make it. Still having not eaten his first meal of the day, he knew his stomach would be dialing his head in a few minutes.

Should I have gotten the ticket for tommorrow.....? I'd have way more time. Plus, Now that I'm leaving today, I might beat Nyato tothe springs. It isn't like I'll know where to wait for him. Too late now, though. I wonder... Where will I wait for him? What am I gon'na do 'till we meet up?

Minori thought and thought about how his first days in Hi no Kuni would be. The more he thought the less he paid attention to how close he'd been getting to the north coast.

Minori finally arrived at the harbor after about twenty long minutes of non-stop sprinting. There had been a great many families there saying their farewells. He heaved his way through the crowds to the ramp and then onto the boat without looking back. He had already heard everything he wanted from the people of Umi no Kuni at his going-away party. The only thing he wanted to hear now was the sound of the horn signifying that the boat would be leaving for Hi no Kuni.

First chance, Minori made his way down the stairs to his room and ordered in. The service was quick, as they delivered his food in less than four minutes. It would be marked fifteen minutes from the time he had stepped onto the platform, when he had already eaten two whole and a half plates of duck. Minori was full and exhausted, but he, somehow, would force himself to keep up another ten minutes. By this time the boat had made it out passed the coral and was on its way from Haha Island to the land of fire. It would land at Hi no Kuni's East harbor near the Great Naruto Bridge. Minori tries his best to sleep during the ride so he can be fully replenished by the time he gets to the dock.

Moving To Hi no Kuni ||

[Tieren]

Moved to land of fire

[佐藤稔]

Nightfall had come, and Minori could see it from his room in the bottom of the ship. He stretched and yawned as he peeled himself from the sheets. Walking over to the small hexagon window he could see a distant underwater cliff. The wildlife there had been different from what he'd been used to, too. He could tell he were far from Umi no Kuni by the various colors in the fish and the lack of bubbling the water was doing below sea level. He then left out of the room and made his way to the upper floor of the ship. People were still unpacking and leaving.

I must have been woken by the settling of the ship... Move the hell outta' my way...

Walking to the stairs and off the platform was tedious. It seemed as if there were more people leaving the boat than there were on the ship and, at the same time, they were making continuous round trips to there rooms and then to the harbor. Minori was glad that he lacked lugage, only bringing his swords, a few pills, a world map and his money. He would start from scratch in this new country and make a killing, just like his parents had done after retiring from Otogakure. However, Minori couldn't see himself with kids or a family. It just wasn't his cup of tea. Finally making it to the land, he whipped out his map and submerged his peripheral. Analyzing where he'd been on the map and where he wanted to go was easy as pie. He could tell which way to go by looking at the way the sun had gone. Folding his map and placing it back in his kimono he turns his body to the north.

Now this is what the sun looks like from home when I walk to Taro Island. I need to go west.

Making a ninety degree left turn, he could see nothing but the night in an open field. He then lowered his shoulders and kneeled a bit to his front.

Minori: "Here I come!"

He yelled as he spurted off through the open field as to not care who or what heard him. He continued that way the whole night.

Here I come.....

Moving To Kawa no Kuni ||

[Kuro]

Moved.

[佐藤稔]

Permission Granted by Nagato || (#1)

Minori continued up untill he reached what seemed like tides of forestry.

Damn! I wish I would've known this was here before.

Minori looked for a way around the mountain. He was taking over by confusion. Whipping out the world map once agian, he looked for any mountain ranges. It wasn't a physical map.

Maybe these are volcanoes. That's credible. This is the Land of Fire.

He continued into the elevated forestry and finally met a road. He continued down this road to get up the first mountain. Up there it was cold and the air was thin. There would be a long river also in which stretched across the mountain. Its waters were calm and flowed down the other side of the mountain at an angle. Looking over the edge, Minori could see it eventually curving into the other mountains.

I'll have to go through anyway.... Maybe I'm near Konohagakure......

Minori was on to something.....or at least thats what he thought. Making it to the top of the mountain, he looked over the surrounding landscape.

Maybe it'd be smarter to save my energy for the large mountain in the back. Perhaps that's where Konoha is.

His thoughts and imagination devoured him.

[佐藤稔]

(#2)

Suichuu (Underwater)
Rank: D
Skill: Ninjutsu
Effect: Allows the user stay underwater for some time.

Difficulty Class

D Rank Difficulty Class - 20 minutes

C Rank Difficulty Class - 40 minutes

B Rank Difficulty Class - 80 minutes

A Rank Difficulty Class - 120 minutes

S Rank Difficulty Class - 180 minutes

Special: ----
Drawback: After returning to surface the user must rest half of the time used underwater. As example, if the user has stayed under for 20 minutes, he’ll have to rest 10 minutes before the jutsu can be used again.
Description: Simple technique used by channeling chakra to mouth, lungs, ears and eyes. With chakra moved to mouth and lungs the user gathers air from the water and is able breath underwater, chakra guided to ears protects from the aching caused by pressure, lenses of chakra protecting eyes work like swim goggles.
Limit: Anyone can learn it, the techinque doesn’t even need a scroll, smart ninjas should be able to figure out the process on their own.
[0/10]

The river's right here, if I'm gonna' save my energy........

Minori lunges onto the gentle waters with his chakra focused into his feet. He then rides the water as if it were a conveyor belt. Noticing a dip on the ride, he drops his back into the water. Now shifting his chakra from his feet to his lungs and mouth, he lay calm under the water. Almost losing control, he fights his way to the top and refocuses his chakra.

Why is this so hard....

He continued his ride underwater to the bottom area in between the first two mountains where he sees a narrow passageway.

Have I found it?

His anxiety was making him impatient.

[//Talo//]

+1

[1/10]

[佐藤稔]

(#3)

Suichuu (Underwater)
Rank: D
Skill: Ninjutsu
Effect: Allows the user stay underwater for some time.

Difficulty Class

D Rank Difficulty Class - 20 minutes

C Rank Difficulty Class - 40 minutes

B Rank Difficulty Class - 80 minutes

A Rank Difficulty Class - 120 minutes

S Rank Difficulty Class - 180 minutes

Special: ----
Drawback: After returning to surface the user must rest half of the time used underwater. As example, if the user has stayed under for 20 minutes, he’ll have to rest 10 minutes before the jutsu can be used again.
Description: Simple technique used by channeling chakra to mouth, lungs, ears and eyes. With chakra moved to mouth and lungs the user gathers air from the water and is able breath underwater, chakra guided to ears protects from the aching caused by pressure, lenses of chakra protecting eyes work like swim goggles.
Limit: Anyone can learn it, the techinque doesn’t even need a scroll, smart ninjas should be able to figure out the process on their own.
[1/10]

He lay in the chilly water and stare at the passageway as to see if anyone would be exiting anytime soon. Only after clearly seeing one person stroll either in or out of the narrow road, or something of that matter, would he ever come in contact with the thin mountain air again.

.....what's was that...

A bright yellow light flickered twice within the passageway, further around the corner and out of Minori's range of sight. Minori would have to swim a tad further than where he'd been and take his head out of the water in order to see what was going on within the passageway. Besides the fact that Minori had no idea where he was, he knew that if the village he were in search of were hidden then he'd have to keep his presence unknown.

Are they starting a fire? Is that fire?

Minori crawled along the rocky wall of the river as to allow him to see further into the narrow way. Still underwater, his chest and neck were getting tense from the air pressure in his lungs. Just then a man came to the river bank. Minori looked up over his left shoulder as he kept his back against the rocky wall. The man seemed tall. His wooden waraji were almost as big as Minori's head. The man's chin waved from side to side as he looked down the river.

Perhaps he head me or the water move......

Minori's air was cutting low. He'd been in the water for a mere eight minutes.

I'm not focusing my chakra enough.

Minori closed his eyes tight as he attempted to further find his inner self and furthermore focus his own chakra into his lungs and mouth. He allowed his chakra to occupy his chest and neck too, as to nullify his rising pains. The man turned away from the bank and stood. His bun ponytails could be seen in the lack of light. Minori saw an opening for attack. Lunging from one side of the river to the other and then using shunshin no jutsu, Minori appeared on the man's back. His left knee into its spine and his right foot on its shoulder blade with his katana blade in the left hand against its jugulars and his wakizashi cocked into the air, Minori stare at the back of the man's head. He would stay in that position for at least five minutes before noticing exactly what he had statoned himself on.

What the f**k is this!?

Its back was freckled and full of hard red and orange boils. It had piles of coarse brownish gray hair protruding from its arm pits. It was nearly nine feet tall and five feet wide at the shoulders. The back was hunched and the thighs were small in a pair of black slacks. This large being had been standing in the middle of a satin kurosode. The figure looked much like a regular person except the back was heavily hunched and the height was one of a kind.

Mountaineer: "What brings you to the mountains...?

Its voice was coarse and sinister. It sounded of a snake's hiss, some sort of strained whisper.

Minori: "..............."

Mountaineer: "Farewell then.... I assume you’re a lost traveler....

I might be in trouble if this is an adept ninja..... He evidently does a lot in these mountains. To be starting a fire in a narrow passageway and have labeled me a traveler, he displays a certain intelligence or experience.

This creature was a man. His size was abnormal. He had Minori faced with a difficult choice. Either Minori could hop off the man's back and see what he had to offer, or end his mountain knowing life and ask questions later. Minori continued to converse with the man from the man's rear. During this time Minori took notice to the man's large cleaver.

OH SHIT! IT’S ALMOST AS BIG AS ME!

Minori: "What's with the big knife? I know it's not for decoration."

The beast chuckled.

Mountaineer: "I suppose.... What do you think it's for...?"

His replies were smooth and calm as if he had no worries.

Minori: "You must really want to keep warm.. You want your fire to keep burning don't you?"

He chuckled again, this time much louder.

Was that a signal of some sort.........?

Mountaineer: "You’re interrupting.. I was cooking for my daughter. We live in these mountains with our clan."

Minori looked toward the fire. A large silhouette could be seen upon the passage walls.

Minori: "Oh really....?"

The beast swung his upper body backwards as Minori bent his left wrist in toward his waist and turned his body a full three-hundred sixty degrees clockwise. The two went flying into the river backwards as the beasts body opened from the navel and covered Minori's body as if it were a sheet. The mass drove Minori to the bottom of the river as Minori once again channeled his chakra to his lungs and mouth. This time in dire need, it would be accomplished with much more concentrated effort.

This sick bastard.

Minori swung his swords through the tough flesh of the beast several times before shredding a large enough opening for him to paddle through. The blood from the flesh and jugular wound masked the surface.

Did he just shed skin…..? I could’ve sworn I slit his throat.

Minori continued to kick his way toward the top of the bloody waters with both his swords at hand in reversed grip.

[|Ayame Unbound|]

Learned.