Behind the heavy mist a couple of doors hissed opened; The Jackal stood against them. “Hello there, I am here to visit this wonderful village.”  he said while nodding that head once in a sign of respect.

With suspicious eyes the guard analyzed him from head to toes. “What is your name, stranger?”  was the question which he posed.

The Jackal reached inside that white garment of his, in order to take out a small piece of paper. “Here is my ID Card. As you can see, my name is Okita Rintarō, and that good looking fellow in the picture is me.” were the words which he used to introduce himself before letting out a heartily chuckle to loosen up the rather tense atmosphere. The guard’s lips almost curled within a smile, although he preferred to hide it and remain professional. “I’ll need to register this before we can let you in, Okita.” he mumbled while reaching for a pen in order to write down the necessary information.

While the information was being written down, the ronin took a good look over his surroundings. “How can anybody be able to find such a village... the tourists are probably nonexistent here.” were the word which posed inside his mind. His green eyes scattered around his vicinity, as this was his first time around a large village of shinobi. Impressed and excited are the best words to describe his current state. After a few minutes, the guard approached him once more. “The paperwork is done. You can now enter the village, oh, and here’s your ID Card.” he said while his right hand extended towards The Jackal.

The Jackal took back his card and placed in where it belong, inside his right pocket located beneath his white robe. “Thank you.” he thanked the shinobi which was in charge of the gates before storming inside the village with excitement. “WOW!” he exclaimed while founding himself within a large intersection of roads. “This place... is humongous.” were the words which escaped between his lips; that head of his was twisting within every direction, he did not knew where to start first. The inn or the bars where the buildings in which he took most interest, although he stood there on the nearby the roads. Both of his arms were crossed, while his right leg was tapping the stones beneath his rapidly. Indecisive was the young ronin.

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405 Words

“Well... well... what place should I visit first?” was the question which he mumbled towards himself, while rubbing both of his palms against each other. The Jackal took another look at his surroundings before his eyes stopped against a lively looking building. The lights were vividly displaying from those two windows, and the noise was loud enough to catch the attention of all of those who passed by it. Even though they night has not yet bestowed upon the village, that specific building was alive and full of people. Without anymore more time wasted to thinking, The Jackal began walking towards it slowly, the noise was getting louder as the gap between time was coming to an end. As soon as the door was opened, the lovely stench of food and booze pierced The Jackal’s nose, the people inside of it were occupied with various types of activities, such as drinking, eating and gambling.

This place was like a second home for The Jackal, and as such he entered the bar without any kind of hesitation, or kindness for his wallet. Chairs were placed strategically against the bar, only a few of them were empty; however, one of them was immediately occupied by The Jackal. Drinking was not something that he would occasionally do, although eating was entirely another story. The barmen was rubbing a glass with a white piece of clothing when he asked for The Jackal’s order. The ronin ordered two bowls of hot ramen and a glass of water which caused the barman to let out a audible snort; a careless order as he did not ask for the price of a bowl. A few minutes passed and the water came around with a small stainless plate which contained two bowls of ramen and the glass of water, a pair of chopsticks and a few napkins lingered on it as well. The spicy and warm smell of ramen cause The Jackal to dig in recklessly without even carrying if it still was hot or not, as those chopsticks were immediately divided and placed to use.

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350 Words

It didn’t take long for The Jackal to defeat the two challenges that stood beneath his eyes, as in a miraculous couple of minutes, about ten in number, he managed to clear both of the bowls that were filled with ramen. The glass was of water was immediately grasped by the ronin and overthrown inside his moth, it was cool and refreshing for the spicy meal which he just ate. While he was performing these acts, those around him were looking strangely at the man, despite his appetite which surprised them there was also the fact that he was one of the few who did not drink any kind of booze. Not even a few seconds passed and the bartender turned himself against the ronin, poising the following question at him “Can I get you a drink?”.

The Jackal shook his head in denial before giving out the following words “No, I have never had a drink before, nor do I intend to start anytime soon.” on a nonchalant tone.

“What, are you serious?” the barkeeper threw another question. Those two eyes of his turning wide, just as saucers, while his two eyebrows arched all the way back.

A single nod was given by the ronin towards the barkeeper, further backing up his earlier statement. Without further ado, the barkeeper reached for a glass in which he poured a small quantity of warm sake. “Here, take this one, it’s on the house. Trust me, you’ll enjoy it.” were the words which came ringing from the barkeeper as he pushed the glass towards the ronin. The man was looking rather friendly within The Jackal’s eyes, and as such he followed up to his words and took the glass. At first, the warm liquid poured down his throat, which caused him to release a hacking cough. This would have been the second time that alcohol managed to make its way inside of the ronin, although this would be the first time that he tasted sake.

“Hahaha” the bartender laughed before adding a few more words “It’s a bit hard at first. Although, if you’ll drink a few more you’ll get used to it in no time.” on a cheerful tone.

“Well then, throw me another one!” The Jackal said while raising up his index finger. Surprisingly, a man who was against any kind of alcohol was easily convinced by a bartender; an aura of trust was resonating from this interesting and joyful man.

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418 Words

A small smirk appeared upon the bartender’s lips while he reached for the empty glass and began pouring another round of warm sake. The man had an expertise regarding alcoholic beverages, as the sake needed to be warmed up at a specific temperature in order for all of the aroma to become exquisite. Overheating it or serving it cold was something which displeased the man, as this particular filed was more than a hobby for him; that job was taken rather seriously. “Here’s another round... for?” were the words spoken by the bartender once he pushed the glass forth.

“That was rather quick, and for my name, you can call me The Jackal. That’s what my friends call me.” he said on a cheerful tone before reaching for his second glass of sake. Alcohol was known for being the building block of a large number of friendships, although it also brought enemies in unfortunate cases. “Are there any jobs here?” The Jackal inquired before placing the glass right beneath his nose.

“Jobs?” the bartender inquired before letting out a heartily chuckle. “This village has its own Shinobi, which are capable of handling themselves.  I’m not sure if there is some for an ronin, although what do I know? I’m just a simple bartender.”

“I understand, well  then I’ll look somewhere else, there has to be some work around here.” The Jackal said before drinking the whole glass of sake.  Those two prominent cheekbones alongside his ears were slightly turning red, therefore his words were getting sluggish as well, although he was rather happy regarding the person which he just met. “Now that I have told you mine, what is yours?” The Jackal inquired him while pushing his glass forward, indirectly asking for another one. As the barkeeper was pouring the liquid inside the glass, another series of words were spoken on a similar joyful tone. “My name is Toshi, and it’s a pleasure to meet you, The Jackal. Although, I hope that you have enough money to pay for all of this.” he said before those lips curled within a smile. The Jackal laughed as well, nodding a few times, insuring the man that he had enough money to cover up his bill.

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380 Words

A few more drinks followed up and The Jackal was about to reach his limit. “Weush, tahss eneugh forre me” were the incomprehensible words mumbled by the ronin while he opened up his wallet. A modest sum of ryo was left behind, more than enough to cover up the bill. Without further ado, The Jackal arose from his chair and waved a few times at the bartender before making his way out towards the door.  The man behind the counter thanked before he began counting out the money which were left behind at the bar. A squeaky sound resonated from the door once he opened it, and immediately after the sound was canceled when he closed it.

Outside the majestic presence of the moon could be seen, glimmering like a star upon the pitch-black sky. A couple of hours were spent inside the bar, although The Jackal managed to get the necessary indications in order to find a nearby inn, so they he may rest from his substantial journey.  With the night behind him, the ronin began walking upon the eerie looking road, and a slight feeling of uneasiness perturbed the young man’s spine; only a few were lingering outside at that hour. Despite it being already hard to see, due to the mist, The Jackal’s vision was also slightly blurry. Even if he knew that this village was well-guarded, the strange atmosphere around him still managed to leave a print, making him shiver inside.

Like a lost feline, The Jackal was roaming around the village, trying to spot out the key locations which the barkeeper spoke about in order to find his way towards the inn. Dark alleys and other dreadful places the ronin had to overcome in order to find that cheap inn which he was looking for; the meals and drinks already placed a significant hole inside the man’s wallet. After a couple of minutes spent wandering on the streets, walking in circles and any other kind of activities, The Jackal finally managed to find himself against the inn. The building looked rather old, although inside the rooms were rather decent, or so the barkeeper said.

The night was about to pass...

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370 Words

“Is there anything that I can help you with, mister?” was the question posed by the innkeeper once The Jackal made his presence inside the room. The ronin shook his head once before replying “Yes... I would love a room to spend the night...” with a tired tone. “Well, the only room we have available is Room 13, although there are a few problems with it, as the previous persons who rented it, threw a party within it.” the innkeeper spoke while placing the key on the counter. The Jackal paid the necessary amount of ryo in order to cover up for a night before grabbing the key and heading straight up the stairs towards his room which was located on the first floor. Even the stairs were old within this particular building, as there was a squeaky sound each time the ronin pressed his foot against them.

Once Room 13 was opened, a rather unfortunate sight laid beneath the ronin’s eyes, the room was a mess and everything was almost laying on the floor. The Jackal no longer had the enthusiasms to search for another building, and as such he decided to remain here over the night. The white garment which stood upon him was thrown against a old and rather dirty table and immediately after he threw himself within the bed. His eyes were foggy and the man was about to fall asleep within seconds, those eyelids were heavy and as such they closed like a majestic curtain. A good portion of the night was spent inside the bar, and as such the morning came rather early upon him. A morning which not only brought the sun, but also a pounding headache upon the ronin.

It was noon when The Jackal found the necessary force in order to get himself out of the bed. Without further ado, he headed towards the bathroom to partake in a peaceful shower, although that was resulted in an unfortunate event. As soon as he found himself within the bathtub, he made a rather crucial realization, one which stood beneath  his inability to take a shower; there was no water. A rather hefty disappointing breath was released after, although he did not give up. Another day, another quest for the young lad. One by one, he picked up the garment which he came in and quickly got dressed back, before heading outside the inn, in a search for something similar to a hot spring.

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412 Words

Exit Thread

Total Word Count = 2335 Words

Training Strength from E0 to E3 > 2335 - 450 = 1885 Left

Training Speed from E0 to E3 > 1885 - 450 = 1435 Left

Training Perception from E0 to E3 > 1435 - 450 = 985 Left

Training Endurance from E0 to E3 > 985 - 450 = 535 Left

Training Reaction from E0 to E3 > 535 - 450 = 85 Left

Words Left 85