The Nukenin graveyard. The place where enemies of Mizu no Kuni comes to die – or at least that's what the locals tell any tourist who asked about the place. The area itself is known throughout the countryside for it being responsible in given Kirigakure no Sato it's moniker, “The Bloody Mist”, a well earned title with everything considering. While the place isn't exactly scarce in the eyes of others, many don't find themselves wanting to venture into it's domain, avoiding it like a plague and only going through there when it's absolutely necessary. The reason? A combination of superstitions and facts regarding the area. Scattered amongst the bones of the fallen victims are worn and rusty weapons – forgotten relics of the past that tells stories of the horrific horrors that were commit there. The ground is constantly moisture, rather this from the mist that's constant lingering throughout the rural area or from the untold amount of bloodshed that has been soaked up by, like a sponge, by the soil throughout the years. The latter having cause the dirty to have a permanent reddish tint to it. Some of the more fanatical and insane people having spoke about seeing blood seeping through the ground as they stepped on it. While others say that the place is haunted, the ghosts of the fallen screaming in agony and crying for the unknown injustice that had been committed to them. Needless to say this is the last place where anyone would come willing.


“Out of all the places. Why in the hell did he choose this one?” Suzuki Teiji murmur to himself. His light chestnut eyes looking around the graveyard – where he stood. The place itself wasn't must a graveyard as it was a mass collection of bones and forgotten weapons. While there weren't any noticeable graveyards, there were wooden stakes sporadically throughout the area with the names of the fallen etched on them. At least it showed some signs that some people cared about those who died here.


Suzuki Teiji, a barkeeper at one of the popular bars in the seedier parts of Kirigakure no Sato. The russet colored haired male is a father of two, and the husband to a beautiful woman for almost fourteen years and counting. He made enough money to put food on the table, while having only a little to spurge on some of the finer things in life. In short the forty year old man has an average life style.


Looking at the watch on his arm and back outward towards the direction where he knew that his client would come from, Teiji tapped his foot impatiently “Where the fuck is he?” He murmur as fear started to creep within his being and his eyes darting from right to left, looking for any signs of a possible ambush. Has he been founded out? Didn't he cover up his tracks well enough? He made sure no one followed him, didn't he? “Yes, I did. There's no need to doubt my capabilities.” He thought, in an attempt to calm down growing nerves, hand fingering the butt of a hidden weapon on his person, just in case he was founded out, wouldn't do much but at least it was something.

From the longest time that he had known this individual, he were never late to any meeting. Never! If there was only one truth about the character, it's that he would always be on time for the meeting – especially when it comes to dealing with his clients. And if for some unfathomable reason the character were late, he would have sent a message to him rescheduling the meeting time. So the fact that he was –


Without even thinking Teiji pivoted on his foot, the blade in his hand glinting in the sunlight as it slashed through the mist and aimed for whoever or whatever had sneaked up on him. . .

It hit nothing but air. . .

“Is that anyway to greet a friend?” Asked an all but familiar male voice, causing the barkeeper to relax in posture and re-sheath his weapon – hiding back on his person.

“No, but we ain't exactly friends are we?” Teiji retorted, not turning around to face the individual who were now standing beside him, looking at a stake planted in the ground a front of him. There was no need for that. This way if someone would happen to come across them, they would just assume that they were there paying their respect to the dead – no matter how unlikely that might be.

“True enough.” If the man had taken offense to Teiji's comment, he didn't show it. His clothes rustle for a moment as he shifted his weight, and silence descended upon the pair.


“Still haven't found anything regarding her yet. Though my men are still looking for any solid leads.” Teiji stated having broken the silences between the pair, though not in the way he would have like. Taking a gamble, his eyes cut towards the one who he spoke to and noticed the slight sagging of his shoulders at the mention of not finding any solid leads.

“I see. . .”

“However, I do have a job for you, if you are interested?” The barkeep stated, waiting to see if he wanted to do this job before continuing.

“I'm listening.”

“A lets say an associate? Of mine is in need of someone to deliver a package for them – fairly simple really.”

“So why don't they do it themselves?”

A chuckle escaped Teiji's lips at the question. That's why he liked this guy. While he didn't have problems in doing missions. He wasn't a mindless drone who would do them without questioning why – especially deliveries such at theses. “It would be bad for business if they were seen with it on them.”

“Will I get paid?”

“Of course. Not much but what one expects for the type of missions.”

“Very well."

“Good. Good. They will be happy to hear that.” Teiji said, rubbing his hands together for warmth. . .ugh sometimes he wonder why he lived in such a wet and cold climate. “If that's all I need to be on my way. Me and my old lady have plans tonight.” A lecherous grin appeared on his face at the thoughts of such plans, before he started walking away from the man but stopped at the words of the one who he left behind.

“Happy Anniversary.”

“Thanks. . . Mamoru” Teiji said, before disappearing into the mist, leaving the now identified man to his thoughts.

“Tsk. . .so much for being discreet.” Mamoru mused to himself, his lips turning upward into a smirk , knees bending down to pick up a note dropped by Teiji and placed it into his pocket. He would read it later.

“Well that's Teiji for you.” The angelic voice of an unknown entity spoke to the man.

Mamoru couldn't help but to agree to such an assessment.

“Mamoru, can the children go out and play?” The angelic voice asked.

“Of course. .  “ He said in a whisper, exhaling deeply and relaxing his body as he felt thousands of their children beginning to emerge from his persona. At first a few came out, black dots hidden within the mist, but soon they came out in swarms. Bugs. Bugs. Many of them crawled out of his spores, taking flight and began exploring the immediate area. Though not all left their father, some stayed behind, lingering on his skin and clothing – unnoticeable to all but the sharpest of eyes – they whisper to him, telling him things.

A smile spreading across his face . . .

---

Upgrading Medical Ninjutsu(C) to Medical Ninjutsu(B) 1304/2000

Walking, pacing, running, jumping and even skipping made a light "thud" as feet met the ground beneath them for a brief moment before repeating the process of walking, pacing, running, jumping and even skipping. Marumaru Miki, a young girl whose name was something she invented herself after being called after a number for ten years, had probably never noticed that the same didn't apply to her. Her conscious mind had probably glossed over that fact dozens of times, but never long enough for it to actually stick in the young girl's head. To herself, Miki was a normal girl of fifteen years of age, with no special traits, no special ability passed on from one generation to another and a slightly above average propensity for shooting things accurately.

The green haired girl had her gun swung over her back as usual - Rock Candy liked being there - and a small grin pasted onto her young face. She was skipping through the marshes of the Hidden Mist Village, or more accurately, on the outskirts of the place. She had given up her usual domain high up in the trees, where she felt safe and well guarded. It was from there that she would usually pull the trigger on and incoming target - be it human or her idea of dinner. Right now, she travelled through the low ground, but she did so with purpose. She was on a mission - assigned from herself to herself - that needed to be done!

But alas, she needed to entertain herself while she got to where she was supposed to go and thus resorted to singing. The eerie tune and creepy lyrics were the only thing that could be heard from the young girl as she sang in an angelic voice, high pitched but lovely all the same.

"In an orphanage in a deep forest,
by a forbidden technique,
from young children's brain,
a wonder elixir of immortality can be made."

Miki decided she liked the sound of her voice, so she smiled more and began walking to its rhythm and tune. She had forgotten a while ago where she had heard it. The fact didn't interest her anymore, so it slipped from her mind just as all the things belonging to that same category did. But deep down, she knew the true story behind it and had basically decided to shun it from her conscious self for the sake of the thin thread of sanity that kept her acting like a mildly normal human being.

"The children of that orphanage
used to surrounded their teacher,
and while chanting the game song, they used to play
'Kagome Kagome.'"

The song stemmed from her past. Or actually, not hers in particular. It was a distorted version of what had happened in that facility in the Snow Country about a year or so ago. Of course, it had never been an orphanage, though it might as well have been called that. Everyone there besides the people who ran the place were either sold into it by their loving parents or picked up from the streets. None of them had anything and they all had nothing. It was the one thing they shared in common.

"Make a circle, make a circle,
around these meager brats.
Make a circle, make a circle,
so that they can't escape.
During the night, before daybreak,
slice off their heads.
Kagome, Kagome,
'Who stands behind you right now?'"

Hardly any of them survived the first few weeks and even less made it past the one year mark. So the successfully created subjects were rare and therefore guarded like a prize. Miki was one of those people held in such a high esteem. But that didn't mean anything to the researchers. She was still cut open and butchered like the rest. The evidence of that was left on her scars, covering most of her otherwise flawless skin.

Even with their limbs torn or heads crushed,
the children will not die,
but simply smile innocently."

Only part of that was true. The children did learn to smile innocently despite their circumstances and most of them began to forget what pain felt like after the first few years. But they died just like any other person. The tune filled the young girl's ears as she arrived to her final destination. She clapped her hands excitedly - another action that made no sound - and beamed widely as she jumped up and down in celebration. The mist covered the land, making it nearly impossible to see even a few feet beyond what was in front of her. But fortunately, the reddish ground was filled with what she was looking for: scattered bones and bodies in different states of decomposition. The latter were harder to find, seeing as most lay beneath the ground.

Miki had never understood why people were buried. Did it serve any purpose? She didn't see how, but she found it curious. She would have  to dig some of those up later. Why? Well, because Miki was a medic, of course. She had found out from overhearing a conversation in the village that this place was riddled with human remains and simply couldn't resist the opportunity to study the human anatomy. She leaned down on the ground and picked up the skull that was by her feet.

It was a nice specimen, almost complete save for the large hole near where the temporal lobe would be. It was clearly cut, meaning that it was likely the cause of death. She would need the whole body to actually determine that, but she didn't need to rush. Her stomach was full, so she didn't need to worry about anything. She spent almost an hour examining different bones and body parts - though she had yet to excavate any of them, since she was still figuring out how to do that without a shovel. Absorbed in her own task, she had even completely ignored the conversation that had just happened a mere ten feet away from her.

Aaaand then there were the bugs. They were swarming the place, scattered beyond the mist. She looked at them curiously, cocking her head to the side in wonder. Was this someone's doing or were they acting that way naturally? Or maybe.... Maybe it was her that they were attracted to! Maybe this was her secret ability! Maybe she was a bug magnet or something! Truth be told, she found little use for it but it sounded awesome all the same. Miki beamed widely, momentarily letting go of the nearly complete ribcage she found lying around. The young girl began running around in circles, just to see what the bugs would do. She was laughing eerily. It echoed into the mist, almost as if she were a specter, dancing among the red marshes. Until she ran face first into someone's back in the most ungraceful way.

---

Completed Medical Ninjutsu(C) to Medical Ninjutsu(B) 2000/2000

Upgrading Medical Ninjutsu(B) to Medical Ninjutsu(A) 189/3000

There was no denying that Miki was rather... Special, for lack of a better word - though a mixture between mildly deranged and naïve would also fit her description quite nicely. She had practically raised herself to fit into a society that she barely knew in under a year. In fact, it was a miracle that she could interact with people at all without devising a plan on how to kill them quickly and without being noticed. The way the scientists influenced her growth and development and shaped her mind set was very black and white, with rarely anything in between. The only thought that should pass through her head according to their doctrine was simple: should she kill the person in front of her or not? She was a trained killer, a heartless assassin that cared for nothing more than her own survival and making sure that the targets she was given were properly disposed of. And the psychopaths in that facility would have had their way, had Miki's memories not been mostly erased due to the trauma and the sudden freedom thrust upon her. Of course... Well, of course she reverted back to that stare if she came across certain triggers.

But in the misty graveyard, dancing among the insects that were flying around her, she was nothing more than a little girl - skinny and frail looking child that appeared to be five years younger than she really was. She smiled widely as she chased the bugs around, laughing and enjoying herself. But now... Now she was in front of someone who seemed to be almost twice her age in terms of appearance. Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second. She was scared for a moment, not knowing who he was or what his intentions were. She was on the ground now, sitting in front of him. She crawled back a few feet and would have likely scurried off if she hadn't seen the Aburame's ability in play.

The insects were slowly returning to the man's body, where they spent most of their time outside of battle. But alas, little Miki had no idea what Aburame were and thus didn't know that that was completely normal.
In her eyes, his skin was eating the bugs. He was eating her new friends!   She looked around frantically, to the bugs that were left outside, still hovering or heading towards the man's body. "Run away little ones! Fly away! He'll eat you!" she yelled as she bounced all over the place and waved her arms, as if she were trying to communicate with the insects which - if they were sentient - would be very much confused. "H-he's like a piranha plant or something!" Of course, she meant a carnivorous plant, but she didn't know the proper name for it. "I can distract them while you guys leave!" with a stern hand, she drew a kunai. Her lips were pursed and shaky, trying to hide the small girl's fear. But she had to buy the little guys time, even if it meant facing the man that, if course, looked much older, taller and stronger than she had ever been.

[Exit]

[Perception from E to D-1: 1075/1075]
[Endurance from E to E-3: 625/450]