Mud in the Wetlands [O|T]

[----]

00 of 10——

SPOILER: Click to show

Deido Hashira no Jutsu (Mud Pillar)
Rank: D
Skill: Ninjutsu
Effect: A pillar of mud fires out of a muddy area aimed from below a target. It reaches a max of 10 meters.
Special: Dog, Rat
Drawback: It needs mud in the area to be used.
Description: The user fires a burst of mud out of a muddy area. This technique is not very damaging and was designed to impair or stall a target so the user can close in on them. It can be used in tandem with the Deido Sakana no Jutsu.
Limit: Earth Release

Rain fell steadily within the wetlands of Ame-no-Kuni; the wandering non-ninja Tsugahara had become drenched wholly by the torrential downpour, yet he wasn't bothered by layers of caked clothing. He pushed further in-land as the ground began to become more and more loose and thus formed pools of mud around the forest expanse. His interests in Earth style ninjutsu is what caused him to seek a brief respite in his travels to the Hidden Rain. As he came to stand in front of a muddied region, he began to recall the names of Doton techniques that could be utilized with mud...

Tsugahara had been quite enamored by the ninja arts of the earth element, as that is the first release that he chose to learn based on several things involving a true feel for nature. He felt that the earth was strong, sturdy and reliable; he knew it could also become adamant for offenses and defenses, as well as tangible, soft and sticky in the form of mud for traps and speed hazards. It is with the latter form of earth that he currently sought to enhance because he knew it took both earth and water to create mud; and without the hydration of the former, it would be impossible to utilize Doton techniques that required him to have the release of Suiton—thus, this setting would be quite ideal for the traveling man of Ochi. With a grasp on how to mold the earth in its loose form, Tsuga began to perform the requisite seals of the technique as his focus honed in on the mud pool before him.

Instantly, the wet earth began to bubble and churn as the Ishi-no-Kuni native began to channel his chakras into the medium. The rain had been generous in its endeavors of softening the earth, as with a burst of chakra--[which resulted in Tsugahara voicing his efforts via grunts]--a cylindrical pillar began to jut forth from the earth's muddy womb. Slow and steady was his flow of chakra now that he had initiated the first steps into Deido Hashira no Jutsu: how he had managed to hold the aqueous earth in a still loose, yet solid and composed form appealed to his mind greatly. Oh how great was the power of the spirit--chakra--in it's array of usage! He smiled as the pillar began to grow in height - his chakra steadily fed the growing pillar, thus causing the mud that pooled around the structure to become a part of his new creation. When the pillar grew to a size of five meters, Tsugahara ceased his flow of chakra, which caused the towering mass to ooze back down into the pool from which it came. He made note of how the earth and water became one in the form of mud.. at the back of his mind, he would hold this tad-bit of information for when he would go on to learn the art of Suiton ninjutsu.

After a few minutes rest, Tsugahara found himself performing the seals, most noticeably those of the Dog, Rat and Snake, to again perform the Mud Pillar jutsu. A stamp of the right foot into the squishy ground sent forth his demands in the form of chakra, into the mud as a pillar shot forth from the bowels of the medium much quicker than it had the first time he performed the technique. His chakra level may have been low, but the amount of it, coupled with his zeal to learn, caused the pillar to erupt to a height much grander than that of his previous attempt. He stood amazed as he looked toward the crying heavens as the pillar soared overhead at some ten meters. It was incredible to him that he was able to accomplish feats that most common men from his village would deem to be impossible. This technique could be used for a slew of things; namely, launching things or opponents--who would be possibly startled from their accelerated ascent upward--into the sky. Had he used the technique on himself, he would be able to gain quite the height advantage in traveling expeditions. Deido Hashira no Jutsu, coupled with a pair of binoculars, he so thought, could instantly be related to being in a crow's nest aboard a water vessel when scouting or looking for a specific location. While the thought inspired him, it sullied his spirits minutely as he pushed through the wet lands. He had no binoculars and would have to seek out Amegakure-no-Sato without aid of the tactic he had just formulated. Eastward he pushed...

[~Emi~]

8/10

[----]

08 of 10——

As depressed as Tsugahara had been on his excursion through the wetlands of the Rain Country, he found pleasure in one thing that had accompanied the heavy rain and black clouds: lightning. It was the sight of it that enamored him so; he took a break in a clearing and looked towards the sky as the wanton bolts sprang to life in the sky. The following sounds of thunder sent giddy chills up his spine as he thought to dare extend his reach to the stars above. His hands began to work themselves into the requisite kata custom to Earth Style ninjutsu.

Chakra poured through his center and into his arms as he channeled the spiritual essence into the ground by slamming his hands into the forementioned medium. Mud began to spring forth towards the sky by way of Deido Hashira no Jutsu - within seconds of pumping his chakra aura into the soft ground, he had managed to create a mud pillar that extended some six meters upward. With his knowledge of tree climbing, he managed to scale its length in ample time as more erratic bolts began to riddle the sky. He stood erect atop the muddy mass as his albicant eyes absorbed every sign of illumination within the murky clouds. A smile broke out on his face as he witnessed a lightning bolt crash into the treeline several miles toward his destination. He would almost guess that somewhere over in that general area lay Amegakure-no-Sato. With how high he already was in the sky, Tsuga opted to extend his reach even further as another string of seals became manifest between his fingers.

"Earth Style: Mud Pillar," he commented in a whisper as another mass of wet earth began to spiral upwards in a cylindrical form; he would jump from his prior pillar--which resulted in its dissipation into the ground--onto the ascending one as it scaled the skies some ten meters high. On his new apex, he sat and wondered. Just how could the gods manifest something so volatile as lightning? He knew it could be channeled via chakra in the form of Raiton, but it was the natural lightning that seemed beyond erotic to him. He had heard of a Hidden Village somewhere to the north that lay in the Land of Lightning... he felt that he must venture there in his journey so he could learn to harness such a godly element. Even so, it would be some ways off from where he was - he had just learned how to manipulate the earth at his feet and it would take possibly years for him to get a true grasp on the elements concerning the atmosphere. 

With his second Mud Pillar, the man of Ochi could indeed make out the silhouette of some grand estate. That must have been the Village Hidden in the Rain! Lightning tore through the sky and thunder boomed heavily as he released his hold on the earthen element and broke off into a sprint towards the village. Had it not been for the lightning bolts' array of lights in the dreary weather, he may have been lost in the wet forests for days. Amegakure was just about a day's length away and Tsugahara was ready to mingle with the inhabitants of one of the minor no-Sato villages.

[|Ayame Unbound|]

+2

[----]

With the gates of Amegakure-no-Sato now in view, Tsugahara broke off into a sprint towards the village. As he neared the place, he slowed his gait down to a brisk walk and then even further slowed it into a leisurely stroll. He didn't want the ANBU stationed at the parameters of the gates to attack him if he seemed hostile; in any case, he raised his hands above his head, a testament to his amiable disposition. Immediately, three masked guards were upon him. He was beyond impressed by their quick movements and silent approach. They utilized the cover of thunder and lightning quite effectively in their homeland.

"What is your purpose here, traveler?" came the gruff voice from behind a mask in the likeness of a bear. He stood tall and bulky, appearing to Tsugahara to actually be the embodiment of what he masqueraded as.

"I'm here on travels," he said, smiling. "I hail from the land of Stone and have no ties to any ninja nation--I was seeking rest within your realm; perhaps you all could lend me a hand on finding my way to shelter? I've been in the wilderness for days now."

The leader who spoke to him motioned to the other two. "Watch him. Take him to the nation's capital and be quick about it. I'll call in reinforcements until you two return.." the bear-man turned back to Tsuga, "You seem friendly enough, but don't try anything stupid... they will escort you to Yokoburi, which is where you should have been headed in the first place; however, they will be sure you travel there safely."

Tsugahara simply bowed to the trio as he prepared to follow one's lead while the other held the flank. In an instant they bound off into the forest away from the Hidden Village gates; it appeared that they were to be backtracking towards the border between Rain and Stone. In the heavy rainfall, they traveled through lush canopies while the ever-occasional lightning bolt ripped through the skies. Given the rate at which the group traveled, it took them half a day's journey to reach the country's capital. Tsugahara was grateful that he hadn't run into any obstacles on his way there, but he was a bit disappointed that they hadn't stopped long enough for him to get a proper training on his techniques in. Once inside the city of Yokoburi, the ANBU Ops that escorted him there vanished as a bolt of lightning caused Tsugahara to shield his eyes. He found rest within an inn and decided to stay there until he found out an interesting tidbit of information: that there had been a festival going on within the capital. Rumor was that the Ame- and Otokages could be found at the grand festival, but no one was certain. The Stone native would seek out the latter kage in aspirations to be welcomed into their country and Hidden Village, far away from the incessant drizzle that haunted the Lands of Rain.

--exit (to Yokoburi)

[----]

00 of 30——

SPOILER: Click to show

Doton Soushi no Jutsu (Rock Creation Technique)
Rank: "D" "C" "B" "A" "S"
Skill: NinJutsu
Effect: A technique where the user takes the time to formulate, or create Rock in order to use other types of techniques for great usages.
Special: "Handseals"
Drawback: Must be learned more and more in order to be capable of performing better, and capable of producing more Rock like formations for other types of techniques. Cannot be used on Sand
Description: What occurs is that the user takes the time to push down into the ground their own chakra. As the user does this the user takes the earth like materials found within the ground which is the components of soil as they begin to formulate and harden them all around in order to create harden rock like materials. The user may slam their hands against the ground in order to use this technique or just by pushing their chakra down to the ground. A user can gain the capability of grabbing onto the very ground and molding a piece of earth into a hardened like rock. The more the user learns and the higher the Difficulty class the user becomes the more they are capable of mastering this type of technique. When first learned the user is only capable of formulating rock into the size of their hand. When the user learns the "C" Rank, version this type increases to five meters in radius. Each time learned after that, the distance increases by ten feet giving a total distance of thirty-five meters in a radius distance. For each Difficulty class the User is the larger number this distance becomes. Each Difficulty class after C The distance increases by Ten meters. This means that if a user becomes S Rank in Difficulty Class and learns the S Rank Version of this technique the user is capable of formulating Rock within a Seventy-Five meters Radius.
Limit: Needs the Earth Release

Once back out into the wilds of the Rain Country, Tsugahara found himself northbound as he headed to the Land of Grass. His desire to learn more Doton had caused him to take several stops on his venture. The first led him to a field of mud, which he sought to use as a medium for this particular technique.

He would begin the seals of a jutsu he had learned prior to his expedition into the neighboring realm of Ame from Ishi. His control of chakra had seemed to increase from learning the Mud Pillar technique and from time spent gaining a grasp on the moderate arts of Genjutsu. The Rock Creation Technique that he sought to improve came into effect as he slammed his hands into the swampy mud. Chakra poured from his fingertips into the substance as the ground slowly began to harden and further solidify from its thick composition. Tsuga pushed more of his spirit into the ground, causing the technique to stretch out to a meter in circumference. His technique had since increased from the ball that he had created in the mountains of Ishi Kuni. 

With the perpetual rain falling onto his adamant creation, Tsugahara was required by nature to supply more chakra to the ground. The constant pressure coming from the rain caused the ground to continuously become mushy, resulting in the Ochi man's labor of feeding the medium. He had began to pant as his spirit poured from him at a heftier toll than it had when first learning this technique. Removing his hand, the reigns on his reserves of chakra had been pulled back into his being. He grasped his right wrist with his left hand, examining the mud residue that squished between his fingers.

Mud was a tricky substance to gain total control of. It was a mixture of both water and earth. While Tsugahara had learned how to use the Earth Style, he had yet trained to that of Water. It would be next in his quest for elemental energy. For now, though, the mud would work as a sort of practice for him. Quasi-aqueous earth was hard to manipulate, but again Tsugahara tried.

Doton Soushi gave erectness to the wet soil as Tsugahara placed his hands upon the ground once more. In a circle around him, at about two meters, now; the ground had solidified and left his footprints within the earth as he moved from his position. He felt that with enough of this hard earth, he could perhaps try to create a tangible form. He began to think on what exactly to craft.

[----]

?? of 30——

The thought of crafting an animal had intrigued Tsugahara to the point that he thought on actually trying to accomplish it. His journey had been a long one: days went by as he had ventured to the north; his mind worked over the small figures of mammals as he moved, wishing to put his mental to the physical. The man would stop and began seals, the image soon to become manifest by a third mode of projection -- the spirit.

Chakra flowed from Tsughara's core into his arms as he pushed his hands into the soft earth. The mud began to vibrate as from within the circumference, a solid figure began to arise, by way of control and total manipulation. Tsuga's mind had been focused on a small mammal: the ears had to be short; its tail -- in the event that it possessed one -- would be curled  in its earthly form; its hind legs much larger than those of the fore. He had focused on creating a woodland squirrel. Through will, the entity became real. It was a small statue, and did not move. With an added bit of control, the thing began to shift into a more aesthetic form. The amount of control required to perform this surprised Tsugahara much more than it had when he had crafted a bird weeks ago.

His hold on his spirit was released, causing the figure to lose form and melt back into the muddy depths. The man moved on away from underneath direct drizzle. He found abode in a large hallowed out tree near a coursing river. As he peered into the thing, he saw beavers moving about their dam; building and moving wood. How flat their tails were and how they pounded the wood into place -- Tsugahara studied these things. Even their protruding front teeth caught his gaze. How each one moved, he began to formulate the process, wondering if he could in fact cause an earthly creation to become vital and thus move. Again he would perform the Doton Soushi, thus creating a beaver of earth in the likeness of its living brother. Before he would put forth the effort for the thing to move, though, he would focus on making its tail flat and its teeth more sharp. He also had to figure out how to exactly move chakra through the medium to cause it to animate.

[----]

?? of 30——

SPOILER: Click to show

OOC// So not done lol, gotta head to work, so I'll be doing another post to finish this training.

Via spiritual effort, Tsuga had caused the small mammal to move. It was hard, manipulating the earth on this scale of motion, but nonetheless accomplished. His hands remained pushed down into the earth as his chakra pushed into the figure, thus coercing it to move its head on its neck swivel. The beaver would then slam its tail onto the ground -- both actions willed by its creator to be made possible. He thought of other types of creatures he could create and it was many. The amount of earth he had gained control over now that he was increasing his knowledge of the Rock Creation would be plentiful in supplying him with what he needed to create a small army of earthen warriors. The man moved on, now moving away from the rainy lands into more lush forests. He could see the sun through the parting clouds.

He had made it to Kusa-no-Kuni.

[----]

?? of 30——

Now within the realm of Grass, Tsugahara could utilize the solid foundations of the earth here much better than that of the muddy and loose ground of Rain Country. He would rest the black blade of his katana against a tree as he stepped out of his wet clothing. The sun had been vibrant and very warm in this region of Kusa. He smiled as he took in the rays.

With a fresh set of handseals cast, the non-ninja began to focus his chakras into the earth as he performed the Doton Soushi. His body was positioned low towards the earth, giving him the leverage he needed from his legs to pull up a large slab of the earth from its subterranean confine. The slab was easy to move by way of spirit; had it been left for the physical to maneuver, Tsuga would have surely failed. The massive piece of earth stood at least three meters high once he finally managed to stand it up erectly. 

A hand went to his chin as he slowly began to walk around the slab, wondering what he could create from so large a piece of nature. A moment of eureka happened and he performed more kata. One by one, he began to mold large boulders from the slab; he would make one smaller than the previous, thus resulting in the creation of three spherical boulders. The man then would heave the smallest on top of the middle and before that he had placed the middle one on top of the largest. He had created an earthen mudman body, yet it lacked true depth. What really mattered to Tsuga, though, was just how much earth was needed to create such a form and not the appearance of it. He would later return to making the thing much more ferocious looking when he had the time. For now, he would just begin to create more creatures in an endeavor to increase his manipulation over Earth and his control thereof. 

More seals, thus more Doton manipulation. He was at it for hours with breaks in between each creation. Spiders, birds, turtles, small weaponry. His mental visions had all become manifest within a day's time from his usage of the Rock Creation Technique. Tired, Tsugahara would later in the night find a place to rest his head. The forest in which he slept had been full of life; luckily, he had managed to create some sort of border from he and the wildlife with his earthly chakra ninjutsu.

[Nira]

Bit short, unfortunately. Training is fitting.

Uh... let's see...

First paragraph of first post is just a set up.

Other three...

Well, last post has another bit of set up at the beginning.

Hm.

+24

[----]

SPOILER: Click to show

ooc..
listened to ^this while typing. for the great work.

24 of 30——

Morning came and Tsugahara had been pressed to continue working with the earthen element. Today, Doton Soushi would become stronger, and thus his manipulation and control over a larger amount of soil. He started by performing the requisite hand seals as he began to take hold of the earth wall he had created the night prior. His hands glowed with his chakra as they pressed into the medium he sought to transform. As he curled his hands into fists, strands of earth were pulled from the wall, and snaked out into long and thin whips as he pulled his barrier within itself. His control had been increased by so daunting a challenge, thus rewarding him with what he sought. The way that his chakra coiled through the whip-rock made the substance free moving yet as hard as it was naturally. He smiled, forever impressing himself with the works of mind mixed with spirit and matter. He would then released the jutsu as the serpent whips receded back into the soil, he continued to move onward. 

Notions of what to crafted still spiraled to his mind. The ninjutsu utilized in Doton could be used for an array of weaponry and defenses; he was not ignorant of the potentials of earth, he just needed to learn how to accomplish them. The sheathed Makkura swung sharply at his back.

On his journey through the thicket, Tsugahara had come across a specie of large spider that lived within Kusa Kuni. It was with this form did he know seek to create with his Earth Style: Rock Creation Technique that seemed to strengthen at every attempt that he gave it. He knelt in front of a small mound that pushed out of the earth and performed hand seals as his chakra surged through his fingers. As he pulled the earth from in front of him, he began to craft the basic shape of a spider. He thought of using a ninjutsu that could utilize these creatures yet nothing occurred to him. Tsugahara had been doing it solely to hone his manipulation of the element, not create a weapon.

The gates of Aokusa lay open to he as he approached them. Guards simply motioned a good day to young Tsugahara as he pressed into the village. His face was well known around these parts --- he had been a Shogakusha under the The Badger, O-ishi Kuranosuke.

--exit

SPOILER: Click to show

ic..
move to kusa no kuni pls

[Draven]

Learned

Moved

[----]

Following his time within the city temple of Aokusa, Tsugahara returned to the countryland of Grass. His head lifted towards the horizon as he looked eastward; the sun had just arisen across the nestled expanse and he would head towards the lurid ball of light with Makkura swinging steadily at his side. His tool pouch had been the home to numerous weapons that he held in his possession, but hadn't a need to use.

Carefully, he made his way towards the borderlands of Kusa and Hi no Kuni, sure to be on the lookout for bandits; his gait had been slowed across the broad gap between he and his destination, as he trekked through dense regions of foliage to overcome the wilds of the Herbian jungles.

SPOILER: Click to show

-- move to hi no kuni, please.

(random events are allowed to come with this travel, if the mover is inclined to do so)

[Nira]

Can't roll anything. Mobile device.

Moved.

[----]

00 of 10——

SPOILER: Click to show

Doton - Shinjuu Zanshu no Jutsu (Double Suicide Decapitation Technique)
Rank: "D" Rank
Skill: NinJutsu / TaiJutsu
Effect: A technique where the user hides within the ground for a brief moment to surprise attack the opponent from under ground.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: The user takes the time to push into the ground by using their Earth Release. The user pushes into the ground quickly so that to be used against the opponent later on. The user at this point cannot necessarily move within the ground at this moment, but the user does know by feel of when an opponent is right above. When an opponent is right under the user reaches up to take the opponent and drag them back down to the ground in one fell swoop without movement or notice. The opponent is unable to move for one post and the user is capable of slamming out of the ground with one movement.
Limit: Needs the Earth Release

The man of Ochi found himself in the virid grasslands of Fire Country after several days travel to the east. This had been the first time he had ventured to this region of the massive continent of the Shinobi World, and the summertime sight of vivid plants amazed him. For whatever reason, Tsugahara had opted to take a respite from his travels and ended up somewhere near the town of Tanzaku-Gai; he had seen the signs leading to the village and was on its outskirts near a small stream that coursed to the left of the place. He would rest here, taking in the beauty of his environment as he smiled to himself. As he looked out on to the face of the river, he had remembered his journey to unlocking the basic elementals of chakra. Suiton had been next on his list, but first he had to continue to condition his prowess in Doton. 

With a few handseals separating him from his advancement, Tsuga summoned chakra from his epicenter as he closed his eyes, drawing upon the inner flame within him to conjure up the required amount of manipulation to feed his proficiency in the Earth release. The area about the river, near its banks, had been extremely muddy - this would aid Tsugahara in his initial attempts at sliding underneath the surface of the ground in training the Shinjuu Zanshu. At first, he felt that he had been slowly sinking into the terrain, as one would with quick sand, yet he knew that spiritual efficiency had been at play in this manipulation of the adamant element. His clothing had been severely muddy yet it did not stop this man from attaining his goal. After some time, he had been fully submerged underneath the ground as he could now hear the rushing course of water more loudly than before.

Upon his return to the surface, Tsugahara's beauty had succumbed to grime, mud and sod. His once albicant and pure hair had turned brownish and unclean due to his usage of Doton, but he knew that working with Mother Earth had had its drawbacks; luckily, it also held its many benefits. Judging by the way that he moved underground, Tsugahara guessed that this would be an ideal technique to use to avoid physical damage from a swinging sword or a projectile flying towards him. Further, he understood that it would offer him a chance to escape the sight of an enemy and allow him a chance to surprise attack them. He frowned soon, though, after realizing the potential damage that could happen to him had his opponent chosen to use their own Doton technique to render his disappearance below surface as his own burial. Not one wishing to dwell gloomily, he moved onward towards the town.

Tsugahara was not a timid soul as he had been when he was younger. But the prospect of being ambushed still made any sane man precarious.  When he had heard a mix of voices walking in the forestland, he would perform seals. They had been talking about a dig site somewhere north of Tanzaku-Gai and about a Chakra Empire that once lay at the heart of it. Before they would get a chance to see the gorgeous grimy Tsuga, he fell backwards and quickly, via fluid manipulation, fell beneath the hardy surfaces of soil into the depths underneath with the Double Suicide Technique. Before he had done so, though, he could have sworn to have seen a man with hair as white as his own heading the group of persons toward whatever dig site that lay to the north of the village.

[Solus]

+10

[----]

After a while, Tsugahara returned to the surface of the earth, pulling himself out of the brown depths of the ground in a fashion similar to a zombie. The dirty man of Ochi quickly moved to the east, not finding rest as he attempted to escape what horrors he had thought had been after him. He had become plagued with thoughts of the past in his flight to some unknown place; anxiety soon taking hold of the usually peaceful man's ethos as he had failed to meditate for several days. Fighting his way through dark thickets, Tsugahara had been fortunate to run into a small village that lay near Otafuku-Gai, where he was welcomed with open arms to rest from his travels. 

During his stay in this unknown village, he had the opportunity to cross swords with several of the men there. They had liked that the man of Ochi was a swordsman, as he was able to help them condition themselves much better than anyone else who had came before him. Along the way out of this small village, a boy--Mifune--had chosen to travel with him. Mifune spoke of traveling to a sea island to meet with a friend and asked if Tsugahara would accompany him. Of course, he had accepted. Perhaps along the way he would pick up more elemental techniques of chakra or some unique fighting style found only on that floating island. The two departed in about two weeks time from the village outside of the Homely Woman Town, setting their marks on Nami no Kuni.

[----]

00 of 05——

SPOILER: Click to show

Direction Sense
Rank: "E"
Skill: Skill
Effect: There are people who always seem to know where they're going as if they had an inner compass.
Special:
Drawback: ---
Description: Can be learned by an Animal. There are people who always seem to know where they're going as if they had an inner compass. The character with this skill is just such a person. They have an innate sense about which direction is north, south, east, west, etc. They need no compass. They also can read the stats and use them to navigate by, although they know nothing about navigating on the seas. They can read signs as well, using such information as the direction a river flows or which side a tree moss is growing on, in order to get a sense of where they are. Look in Task Skills thread found in the Skills and Traits Index for more information. Each time learned user gets 2 die roll to increase the skill.
Limit: ---

** No Able Learner; skill is currently untrained

Through the wilds of Hi, Mifune lead the expedition towards the coastal region. Having been a native of the country, he had went as far as to show Tsugahara some sights, as well as point out some general plants and animals that one could not find in other parts of the world. Tsuga was a quick learner and enjoyed the company that Mifune had brought him. Of course, throughout this journey, Tsugahara began to get a general feel for his surroundings and a sense of direction.

"We are traveling east beyond the reaches of the Port City to the banks of the Capaeus Sea. That is where we will look for a water vessel to ferry us to Nami Kuni." Mifune explained, pointing towards the east where the sun began to rise over the treeline. Tsugahara had already known of the general cardinal directions, but the way certain plants grew tucked behind trees or the way the sunlight shone through the foliage aided him even further in his understanding. With Makkura steadily cutting through hanging vines, Tsugahara noticed that the further away from the inland they moved, the overall setting of Hi no Kuni changed.  

Low swamp lands had brought along with them the sight of many amphibious creatures, as well as large insects; as they moved out of this area, one could smell the salt from the sea on the wafting zephyrs. 

".. I can hear the waves crashing," Tsugahara mentioned to his comrade, just as they passed through a low land region of grass. Anxious to make it to the coast, they both took off in a sprint towards the beach. Across the horizon they could see the not-too-far-off island of Nami no Kuni. 

"There it is.. the Land of Waves." Their venture through the lush expanses of Hi no Kuni headed to the east had been rewarded with the sight of the close bunch of floating islands that made up Wave Country. After walking along the coast to the south, they came to meet a ferryman who was more than happy to carry them to the islands. Mifune told the man how they wished to venture to Uneri, the capital of the island chain which lay on the tip of Himinglaeva. Tsugahara would pay the man 400 ryo for his efforts, despite not being asked to pay a fare. 

SPOILER: Click to show

-- minus 400ryo

-- requesting to be allowed to move to Nami no Kuni [[Himinglæva]] (although this thread can remain in Fire Country for later purposes)

[KoKoKo]

Moved

+5

+12 sp

- 400 ryo