Ryu shifted on the roof at the edge of the grand bazaar. He had spent the day traveling from the slums to the more rich sector of town. Obviously they kept plenty of distance between themselves and the filth attached to the underbelly of society. If they had hired the shinobi to put down the gangs instead of just guarding their many assets the slums may have been fixable. He wasn't a fan of the wealthy to be honest. He knew they didn't get where they were by being charitable but he also knew a great many of them had gotten there taking power from the weak to fuel their cash machines. It was easier to take from those without the power to fight back and he had no doubt some of them were profiting from the slums. Sick bastards probably ran the funeral homes and the prisons. Still he wasn't here to make them pay that toll just yet. Nor did he see how one person could with security up around them. Still his uniform helped him blend in as night began to set in. He was covered from head to foot in black (Having waited until nightfall to dress as such due to the heat) Black soft padded shoes and black pants tucked into them with a black turtle neck pulled up to his nose and black gloves. His kunai tucked up his sleeve and a flashlight hung from his belt. A flashdrive in his pocket and a bandana hiding his hair. His eye patch covered his purple eye as always while his blue eye scanned the roofs. No patrols since the last one passed a minute ago it seemed. He doubted anyone was dumb enough to actually infiltrate this sector. Not outside of himself obviously. He was just a damned fool.

However he couldn't just leave things as they were. If he was going to start taking over the slums from the bad guys he needed power. Often knowledge was power and in this case it was true. The Shinobi arts were kept in files on a disconnected server from the web in the jutsu library at the center of the bazaar. However even as he took off sprinting one roof at a time and peeking around as he did so he considered again just how much of a risk this was for him. He was an ex convict and as such he wasn't allowed to hold weapons or use jutsu. If he got caught stealing jutsu techniques while armed by breaking an entering he was going to prison for a while. That was likely going to count as his third strike and if it did he was going to rot away in that hell hole again. Damn his life sucked. Still he managed to slip along virtually unnoticed in his opinion all the way there as all the light provided was from the crescent moon and street lamps. If anything he had picked a night darker than usual to try and steal this. Still he lifted his left wrist to check his watch. The green numbers counting down to the coming sand storm. Breaking into this place was going to set off an alarm. He would only have a little bit to power up a computer and steal the files available to the shinobi only. He waited and timed it so that he would have just enough time to get in and get out right before the sand storm hit. He had goggles tucked under the neck of his shirt so he could move in it while avoiding detection. For now he moved as needed.

Calmly Ryu took up his flashlight and looked around before smacking the glass of a window near the back with it. The shattered glass seemed so loud for a stealth mission but what he didn't hear was an alarm. He only glanced around before slipping inside and down to the floor. He knew this place probably had some silent alarm going off right then. Probably a sensory jutsu alerting every shinobi for a half mile the place was being robbed. He clicked his tongue as he hit the ground and moved across the dark library to a computer. Much to his surprise it had been left on which made him grin. Quickly he would shine a flashlight on the tower to find the USB port before pushing the flashdrive into it. The light onf the flashdrive flickering to life even as his hand moved over the mouse and dragged to Raiton and Doton libraries across to the empty folder for the drive. Waiting impatiently as the files copied over. Damn he needed to get out of there. The Sand storm was only a couple minutes out and it was his cover for escaping.

808

Kenshin strolled through the night time as he walked through the nice part of Suna. The place had really started to go down over the years, but he wasn't worried with that. He wasn't like the typical ninja that wanted to rule via power. He neither wanted the responsibility nor the enemies that came with it. However, he was still a shinobi of Sunagakure, and leaving was more trouble than it was worth. For now, he would be content with sitting in the shadows and enjoying his simple life. His emerald hair looked almost black in the night time as Kenshin jumped up to a roof. He looked around before sitting down and leaning back against the edge, which had a lip on it to steady himself. He hadn't really gotten stronger lately and he wasn't on any lists for promotion, so he really didn't have anything to prove. He wanted to have a simple night, if that was possible.

As he sat there relaxing and enjoying himself, he heard a crash of glass. He looked to that direction and sighed before getting up. Someone was stealing and he really didn't want to go deal with it. However, if he just sat here and someone saw, he'd get yelled at...again. Kenshin used his bow to get up and then set off in that direction, jumping from house to house with little effort. As he approached the source, he saw a broken window on the building. Wait..wasn't that the building that held Suna's jutsu libraries? Kenshin thought for a moment before looking around to see if anyone else had heard it. Apparently not. With a sigh he jumped down and looked into the broken window to see a man on a computer. He looked to be taking some information, but what he wasn't sure of.

"You wouldn't happen to have a reason for doing this, would you?" His voice was normal and non threatening, so the man might be startled but nothing more should happen. "Not that I genuinely care, because I don't. It's just my job to stop you, not that I've been doing that job." He said looking up and thinking of all the times he has dipped out on guard duty alone. He would wait for the man's response before talking anymore. He didn't really feel like fighting, not to mention kyujutsu was much harder to use at night time. For now, he would take the relaxed approach to the situation.

Word Count: 431

Ryu watched the progress bar inch along ever so slowly as if it was teasing him and waiting for someone to intercept him. Perhaps there was a program trying to slow down the download speed. It wouldn't be surprising for there to be something designed to prevent exactly what he was doing. Even if they were common jutsu freely available to any shinobi they didn't want everyone and their sister tossing fireballs during arguments. Chaos would reign if that came about and so it was kept from the general public learning how without learning restraint. However Ryu was different. He had been an academy graduate at one point and had been in here before. Still if he got caught in here now he wouldn't be nearly as welcomed. Percent by percent it inched along downloading the files as he lowered the flashlight to look around a little to see if there was anything that might stop him from getting out. Any seals that could hold him or shadow/Sand jutsu that might automatically attack him. Finding nothing he had a moment of relief that he might actually get away with his new power. However even as he began to relax and the download hit fifty percent he turned at a noise behind him shining his flashlight on the man there.

"You wouldn't happen to have a reason for doing this, would you? Not that I genuinely care, because I don't. It's just my job to stop you, not that I've been doing that job."

Ryu could only grit his teeth and glance back over his shoulder before noting the download was only at sixty percent. He needed to stall before making his escape. It figured that a dog of the village would already be here. He held some hate in his chest still for the village and how it had ruined him. He wasn't one for taking blame really even when it was his fault for losing his temper. Still the other genin had attacked his friends and so he put them in the hospital. The village hadn't liked an eye for an eye between their soldiers and so he had been stripped of title and imprisoned for years. If he got caught here he was going back for even longer this time. Quietly he shifted his weight to his left foot so his body was blocking the monitor and crossed his arms defensively. He let his one visible eyes shift over the person to observe the bow. What was with him meeting these soldiers with bows? Was that a thing among the higher ranked individuals? Not only that it was always a bowman catching him stealing and they always wanted to question his business. The flashlight was set pointing upwards which lit the area between them decently as Ryu snorted before speaking. His tone loaded with sarcasm.

"I have my reasons, not that a government dog would understand a street thugs need to get stronger. After all what are we to the rich sector of Suna if not a bother? Iffen you think you can stop me pup, I wouldn't hold back if I was you. At best you get one shot off before I make you eat that bow. Or you get out of my way and no one bleeds. Savvy?" Ryu glared at the man with his one blue eye as his hand not holding the flashlight inched towards the kunai up his sleeve to subtly unhook it from the arm clip and ready it. In the dark he was hoping he could get away with that. Still the download was only at sixty-five percent. Damn, if he had to fight this guy he doubted it would end pretty. Even if Ryu was the asshole in this situation he still didn't like other people. Least of all entitled shinobi.

1462

Kenshin chuckled at his movements and speech. He was still young, and seemed to be mad at the world. "Believe it or not, I could care less what you do regardless if I am supposed to be angry by what you say. You are fortunate in the fact that I hope you are successful so that this place might become interesting for once." Kenshin spoke bluntly, but lazily as well, leaning against the wall. The lighting was steady as he continued. "Also, I'm not much of a fighter and I don't care that you want to fight. I'm not interested in mindless brutality." He said with a bit firmer voice. Nine times out of ten, violence doesn't help the situation. Not to mention that dodging his arrows usually ends up badly for his opponent. Regardless if he could win or not, it wasn't going to come to that.

"The real reason I asked what you were doing was simple curiousity. Why would someone need to steal jutsu that are available to all shinobi of the village? Unless you are no longer a shinobi or something? I have no plans of turning anyone in or even mentioning this outside of this moment." He looked around the ninja and then looked at his eyes. He was dressed in mostly black from the looks of it and the shadows hid the features that the flashlight did not expose. He wondered where the shinobi came from and what his story was. Curiosity got him into trouble more than it helped, but he was unable to resist an interesting story or person. "My name is Kenshin by the way. Of the Mori clan. I figured it would help to make time fly while you clearly stall."

This kid wasn't the only one who could bust chops. Mori clan members are known for sight and perception, meaning he saw details and gather clues quite quickly. He could probably tell more through looking at someone than talking to him. "Also, you might not want to go around insult people. Especially if you are caught in the act of a crime and are in need of basic jutsu knowledge. Just a tip." He said before turning and looking in the night sky for any incoming ninja. He didn't really want this to end, as he was rather enjoying their little chat.

Word Count: 400 + 431 = 831

Ryu clicked his tongue against the back of his top row of teeth loudly as he considered the others words. So he didn't care huh? Figures that the shinobi around the village in the wealthy sector had time to sit back and relax. However this one held himself oddly. As if he was a normal man in comparison to the other bowman. He recalled the other man dropping from several stories up like it was walking for him. This man seemed normal in comparison. Hell, if Ryu wasn't suspicious and hateful of the shinobi world he might not of had anything against the guy. Wanting something interesting to happen was hardly a sin against humanity. There was a time where Ryu had become complacent and bored but now every day was a war. Still saying he wasn't interested in a fight made Ryu curious. He couldn't leave yet anyway without abandoning his cause but was the man stalling for others or something? He supposed it wasn't a simple task to assume Ryu's strength. After all Ryu had dressed the part of a skilled shinobi or theif in this case. Still Ryu doubted he could handle any rank of shinobi and still get out in time without leaving a trace.

Either way the man continued to explain his reason for being there as idle curiosity. Was it possible that Ryu would be allowed to leave with copies of those files? However common they might be in the world they certainly had some value. Especially if sold to certain buyers looking to increase their power and the power of their men. Gangs would kill for the ability to use jutsu. It gave an edge over the other gangs and let them expand their territory. Of course Ryu had no intention of sharing the data he found here. If gangs got a hold of the info the slums would be burned to the ground within a week. He wasn't fool enough to allow that. However he was interested in expanding his own power. If he was going to take over the slums he needed to expand his abilities and if he showed the slums that power he would have men rally behind him and his territory would grow. Part of it was greed but it was also the fact that he was tired of the shitty gangs that tormented everyone there. If the village wasn't going to fix anything. He certainly would.

Still not only did the man point out he was obviously stalling but he called Ryu's bluff as he was in the process of stealing jutsu. Any real shinobi would have no need to do so and it had made his bluff fail. Guy wasn't an idiot. Still he introduced himself which was more polite than Ryu had expected before turning his head to look up for any incoming. Already the night was starting to dim from the sand storm rolling in but it was still a minute out. A glance at the computer showed it was at eighty five percent which made Ryu wondered if he had timed it poorly. If that sand storm hit and killed the power Ryu would only have corrupted files and he wasn't smart enough to fix that. Not to mention if he was injured leaving that would hinder his escape too. Even if the man had stated clearly he had no interest in capturing Ryu. Still Ryu speaking was a little slow and cautious with a lack of trust.

"If you aren't here to capture me I will entertain your conversation needs until the download is done. After that I am leaving before the others get here." He would seem to wait for a nod before continuing as he sat back against the desk and spoke. "I am Ryu of the Myugan clan. I have to steal this because I was dishonerably discharged some years ago. Some other genin wiped out my friends and I made them pay in blood. I need this now because the slums are being ignored and I am tired of it. I am going to tear down those who would make the innocent suffer with my own hands. As well as anyone who attempts to stop me."

2182

As Kenshin listened to the man, he believed what he said. "You are welcome to leave at any time."
The thief had an interesting past to say the least. Discharged from the military because he honored his friends memory. He could see the anger in his eyes. He spoke with conviction, like he truly believed he would accomplish all his goals. As a quality Kenshin lacked, he could admire that. He also liked the attitude, as he had patience for days. His goal in itself was noble enough and he wasn't stealing top of the line information. He was just doing what he needed to make his dream come true. He couldn't really fault him for following his ambitions. "Well, I must say you are driven, Ryu. I can't say I share that same drive, but I admire it nonetheless. Even if it doesn't mean much, you did the right thing. A man that can not stand up for fallen comrades is no man." He spoke honestly, but with that same half-awake tone.

He made another glance behind him to see the Sandstorm approaching quickly. "Tell you what, if we do happen to get some company, I can distract them while you leave. Just make me a vow. Seek me out and I will personally help you with your mission. I doubt I will find anything more interesting to do." He said shifted his wait from one side or the other. "If you wonder why I have no loyalty to this uniform I'm wearing, it's because I never wanted to live here in the first place. My dream was to be a Konoha shinobi leaving in the Leaf Village. I was forced to come here, so I have resented this place. However, if I see some of what you see in this village, I might be more inclined to care about it." He said as he looked over to see the computer was almost done with it's downloading.

A normal shinobi would have handled this situation so differently. However, Kenshin was far from normal and a normal response was near impossible for him. "By the way, I'm a Special Jounin, meaning I have much higher access than these jutsu. You could use a plug like that when you run out of material there." He noted as he thought about helping someone steal. It might be the most exciting thing he has thought about in quite some time. Despite his loner nature, having a comrade could end up showing him a whole new side of himself. He didn't count on it, but one could hope. By this time, the computer had finally gotten through with the download and it was time for Ryu to go. It was sad really, but he couldn't help it considering the circumstances. He looked out the window to keep an eye out, leaving the man to leave without being seen by Kenshin or anyone else. It really was an odd night.

Word Count: 506 + 831 = 1,337

Ryu watches with a suspicious eye as the man continued to speak even offering to let him leave whenever he wished. He certainly hadn't expected this when the man first appeared. He had suspected that any shinobi coming through that window or those doors would be after blood. Truthfully this was all a little surprising and confusing. He wasn't sure what to make of it all but it didn't matter what he thought if he was allowed to leave that place. Up until now he had considered the world his enemy and never trusted anyone but this random shinobi was understanding of his needs. His situation was one most didn't care for and refused to spend a penny fixing. Still he would be enough if he had to be. Still the man spoke again and called him driven. Ryu almost smirked but caught himself even wearing the mask. Of course he was driven. Going to war with dozens of gangs virtually by yourself was suicidal without willpower and even then improbable. The dude was suprisingly chill which was new for Ryu to experience from virtually anyone. Everyone was always so intense and yet this lazy tongued individual was fine with just sitting back and bearing witness. Not only that but Kenshin was understanding of his history and complimented it. Well shit if he wasn't about to blush from that. Still he didn't let it get to him just yet. He had a goal after all and even if Kenshin wasn't going to get in his way others might soon. Matter of time.

Still as the man looked behind him at the window so did Ryu. The light was dimming out there and so was any sounds other than a dull howl of wind. The storm was just now hitting this area. Still his eye flicked back to the man as he discussed distracting anyone who came investigating. The man gave a bit of his own story about having wanted to be a leaf nin and Ryu nodded slowly after an offer to help was extended. It was all so suprising he was kind of shocked by it. He had expected to steal a little knowledge and study it while there but it hadn't crossed his mind he might find an ally. However moving in the main village was risky for him. He was an ex convict on a watch list and the slums were the place he was expected to stay. The download dinged complete behind him before Ryu plucked the flashdrive and clicked the exit on all the open files. Powering down the monitor the man spoke one more time of helping him obtain more advanced techniques a special jounin had access to. Oh yeah had they fought Ryu would of been decimated. Not that he would admit that out loud. still he reclipped his Kunai under his sleeve and slid the drive into his pocket before pushing the goggles up. When he spoke it was filled with caution but not fear. Someone prepared for life and what it sent at him.

"The main village isn't safe for me. Come to the slums and find Jackals. It is a bar I live in. No one in the slums should be enough to challenge you. Maybe you can help me or maybe it won't interest you after all. Up to you to decide that."

Ryu turned his head at the sound of the door unlocking and shunshined out the window in a flash as the storm hit. Two men in chunnin uniforms emerged from the unlocked doors and looked around seeing only Kenshin. Their only question was what was going on that set off the sensory for a break in. Ryu was already racing through the storm at an average speed bumping into things here and there as the storm cut off his vision. It was hard moving along like that but he was managing. By the time the storm cleared he would be well on his way to the slums and there would be no trace of him to follow. He just needed to keep going. Still he was a little excited for having gotten away even after getting caught. He could feel the flash drive in his pocket and the multiple ninjutsu it held like fate. He almost fell twice on the way out of town but he managed his way as he felt overjoyed. He was going to learn to be a shinobi again. And the slums would be his. He just needed to learn these jutsu. The first thing he would do when he got home was boot up the computer in his room and open the files. He had downloaded a dozen or so D rank and C rank raiton and doton Ninjutsu. He was surprised at how little there was to be seen but the simplicity of it was a good thing.

Exit thread
3010
Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique 750/750
2260
Earth Release: Earth Flow River 750/750
1510
Lightning Release: Lightning Rod 750/750
760
Lightning Release: Wave of Inspiration 750/750

10 wc remaining.

As the sandstorm finally arrived, Kenshin could hear it howling behind him. Luckily, he was used to such things living in Sunagakure. Plus his special version of Kyujutsu made sandstorms less of a problem. He watched as the download completed, hitting one hundred percent with a high pitched ring. Ryu retrieved his flashdrive, securing it before turning back to Kenshin and speaking. He gave directions to come to the Slums of Suna. He had rarely gone down to those parts, as missions generally didn't happen in that area. No one had the money to pay for them. A place called Jackals, which was a bar that he apparently lived in. That couldn't be comfortable, could it? He also mentioned that no one should be able to give Kenshin a problem, as he was to strong. He just hoped he didn't have to prove his strength by fighting, it was such a tedious task.

Lastly, the man named Ryu told him that there he could decide whether to join the cause or not. With a nod, Kenshin agreed to be there. "See you then." Only a few moments later, a pair of Chunnin barged in, looking around for the culprit of the break in. Kenshin only chuckled in response, before finally deciding to speak. "Your too late. I'm a Special Jounin and I've already checked out the scene. Must be a false alarm or a prank by kids." He said with a shrug of his shoulders. He was being honest with Ryu, he had no real interest in turning him in or making his life any harder than it already was. In fact, he could probably smooth this over to where they would never know of the man's presence. "Well, if you are sure..." Said the one on the left. His hair a soft blonde and he carried a long sword. The other was tall, dark, and probably used jutsu equally as creepy.

"I'm sure. You are free to leave. I will make the report." He spoke with authority, making sure to assert his rank in this situation. With a nod, the two of the scurried off to go do something else useless. Is this the extent of Suna's security? If the place was ever going to change, it would have to start with the military. They were weaker than most of the other villages, and almost everyone knew it. A sigh would release from his lips, making him look around one last time before deciding it was time to leave again. He didn't really know what tomorrow held in store for him, but he knew it had to be more interesting than today. He would leap from the window onto a nearby building top. From there, he started across the village to where the residential district was. It was time for him to get some sleep, as he wasn't really going to do an incident report. The Chunnin knew better than to check him, as they would never see his arrow coming.

The sandstorm made for rough travels, but nothing he couldn't withstand. Eventually, he mad it outside of the boundaries of that storm. Once again, he could look up and see the vast amount of stars. Being in a desert meant there wasn't much rain to speak of, so clear nights were the normal. He continued on his way home, making sure he was not being followed by looking back a few times. Some people would call it paranoia, but he just called it being safe. Only a few more minutes passed before he saw his modest home. He no longer lived with his parents, seeing as he made enough money as a ninja to support himself. He opened the door to see his usual dirty house with nothing changed. If he cared just a bit more, he would clean it himself. However, because of his lazy bones, he decided on just paying someone to do the same work. He walked down the hall and into his room, throwing his equipment and most of his clothes to the floor beside his bed.

He turned back to close the front door and lock it. He then just took a few steps to get to his bed and pass out. He really was the laziest person he knew.

[Exit Thread]

Word Count 2066
Strength E -> E-1: 75/75 (1991 Words Left)
Strength E-1 -> E-2: 150/150 (1841 Words Left)
Strength E-2 -> E-3: 225/225 (1616 Words Left)
Strength E-3 -> D: 300/300 (1316 Words Left)
Endurance E -> E-1: 75/75 (1241 Words Left)
Endurance E-1 -> E-2: 150/150 (1091 Words Left)
Endurance E-2 -> E-3: 225/225 (866 Words Left)
Endurance E-3 -> D: 300/300 (566 Words Left)
Speed D -> D-1: 325/325 (241 Words Left)

Total of 241 words left.