Mission:

For the second time in recent memory Chigetsu would be preparing to set off and leave Kirigakure. Another mission out to the edge of the village, out in the borderlands. As the streaming water flowed down over his head it was the only think he could think about. Meeting with Mokuzai to set off wasn't for another few hours, and so Chigetsu was still taking the morning as a chance to prepare. The steaming water of his shoulder helped a bit to take his mind off, but at the same time it felt like he was simply going through the motions. Normally Chigetsu loved taking showers and baths. It was where he spent most of his free time, but right now the mission on his mind was occupying all the thought that he might have been able to spend towards enjoying himself. Even as he lathered the shampoo through his hair his attention wasn't there. His arms would move on their own, through muscle memory. He would be staring towards the wall of his shower, not truly seeing anything. He couldn't help but think back, remembering the last time he had done this. It was hard to get his mission with Fuyuko out of his head. It was a pretty memorable experience in itself, meeting somebody who had participated and done well in the Chunin Exams. She was such a kind person too, and that just made the crushing weight of what she had said to him that stronger.  

"If you're dead, what good are you to the village?" He would repeat to himself as he washed the suds out of his hair. "If you take away a tiny cornerstone of a building it probably won't collapse." The connection to a building that Fuyuko made was something he had been focusing on. If all of Kirigakure was a building, that must make its ninja the bricks of its foundation. Not all ninja are equal though. If Chigetsu was a tiny cornerstone that barely mattered, then there must also be great foundational bricks that were of vast importance to the village. Of course, this metaphor didn't work exactly since generally when building a building all the bricks were supposed to be the same size. Imagining a building with some bricks that were tiny and some that were massive was a strange thought, one that Chigetsu didn't exactly know what to make of. Functionally he was sure that he was right, and so it was probably the metaphor itself that just was flawed. The message he got from it all was clear, along with what he wanted to do going forward. Right now, he was insignificant. That much wasn't something he could deny. The only option was to grow further and become stronger. Even if he was insignificant in the grand scheme of things now, there was unlimited opportunity for growth. Even if he didn't have the natural inlaid potential, Chigetsu was determined enough to grow.



The two knobs of the shower would be turned left until they shut off, the water from the showerhead reducing until it was only a little dribble of liquid dripped down to the drain. After a moment Chigetsu would step out, snatching a towel on the way. It would be rubbed back and forth over his face for a few moments, and then wrapped around his waist. Truthfully having a towel was probably unnecessary, but Chigetsu didn't like wearing wet clothing. Just a minor towel down to make it so that he didn't soak what he was going to put on was enough. As soon as he had it around his waist, Chigetsu would immediately reach down to his counter for his toothbrush. Instead he would get a handful of his kunai, gripping its handle tightly and almost picking it up and shoving it into his mouth. He had to stop himself as soon as he noticed, staring with wide eyes towards the knife. "When did you get here?" Instantly he would pout and place it back down on the counter, reaching out instead to take his toothbrush instead. He had already put a layer of toothpaste onto it, and so it would go right into his mouth. I told you I would always be with you. Chigetsu would begin brushing, looking down to the knife as he moved his arm back and forth. "Did I put you in here and just forget, or did you grow some legs and walk in here on your own?" He would chuckle with a mouthful of his toothpaste, before leaning in to his sink and spitting.

The toothbrush would be put down after a few moments, Chigetsu using some of his own hydration to wash his mouth out. A quick swig of mouthwash was taken, swished around in his cheeks for a moment before being spit out. He would snatch up his kunai as he left the bathroom, taking it with him without a second thought. It would be rude to leave it behind while he was having a conversation, after all. After a short trip to his bedroom the kunai would be put down again, and then Chigetsu would move to putting on his outfit for the day. A new pair of boxers would be slipped into after his towel was removed, and then a fresh pair of socks. Even though his kunai spoke to him, Chigetsu didn't feel all too odd about changing in front of it. At the very least he had done so many times before, and his kunai never complained about it. Being that it was a knife it probably wouldn't be uncomfortable around human nudity, or at the very least that was how Chigetsu justified it in his head. It wasn't something he planned on asking either. Very shortly after he had slipped on his outfit for the day, a pair of simple and beaten up jeans combined with a plain black t-shirt. Overtop he would be wearing a brown jacket, and his belt would be slipped around the waist of his jeans as well. While for a good while he had taken to wearing belt pouches and keeping his equipment in there, recently Chigetsu had forgone that and directly liquified the weapons and kept them inside his body.  Everything he had would be put inside of himself for that purpose. One after another, all ten of his kunai would be shoved into his chest, and then following that his twenty senbon. Liquefying them made him a bit heavier, but nothing that was too noticeable. It made it so that everything he could possibly need would be at his fingertips. At the same time it made him more or less impossible to disarm. The backpack full of prepared equipment would be slid on afterwards, filled with rations and supplies necessary to build a tent if he needed, and two sleeping rolls. He wasn't about to be unprepared again if he needed to camp out in the middle of the night.

There was only one thing that he hadn't prepared, and that was breakfast. Getting everything ready the night before had left his wallet dangerously empty, with only a few ryo left. Really, he couldn't afford to buy himself breakfast like he normally did. That rice cooker that he had purchased in the weeks before would come in handy for this exact moment. It was simple enough, with him just needing to put in rice and water together and wait. As he went to his kitchen he would open it up and be hit by a blast of steam. A small spoon would be pushed in to shovel out enough to fill the small wooden bowl he had, and once it was filled to the top he would drizzle a little bit of soy sauce on top. The rice cooker would be closed afterwards. Afterwards he would move to his fridge, opening it one handed and pulling a single egg out. The egg would be cracked over the steaming rice and then mixed in, with the shell thrown into a bin. The egg would be mixed in as well, and Chigetsu would begin to take spoonful after spoonful of the fluffy rice mixture into his mouth as he prepared to leave. The door to his apartment would be locked behind him, and afterwards he would skip down the metal stairs to the street as he ate his breakfast.

He would set off now to meet Mokuzai and coordinate together how to take this mission by the horns. It shouldn't be all too difficult with the two of them together, both capable ninja. Really there was probably nothing to worry about, but even as he filled his stomach with rice there was something uneasy sitting in a pit within him. Without any stops Chigetsu would set off for their meeting place.  

---

[1502]

It was morning in Kirigakure No Sato and the sun was beginning to rise in the sky to start the new day, both ninja and civilians alike were waking up in their home's and littering the street with their steps as they gone about their daily business. Within the confine's of a small dark room the sound of light snoring could be heard mixed with the mumbling's of a male saying, "Where you going ladies~" This room belonged to Mokuzai Senju. Usual he would have already been up and performing his duties as a ninja but that would not be the case this morning, the night before the young Senju had been out at the strip club  partying the night away after making a request to a strange detective and friend named Di after the realization that his life could end on any given day and requesting for Di to accompany him to the club for a night of utter debauchery.

The young Senju had gotten home just hours before the sun had risen almost completely drunk and was now sleeping off the toxic fluids currently running through his system while dreaming of the night as if he had gotten alot further with one of the ladies he had the pleasure of meeting causing light drool to run down his mouth as he smiled while in the clutch's of his own dream, the sun now even higher within the sky would shed light through the majority of Kirigakure and one of the sun's rays would hit the window of Mokuzai's home in just the right angle to allow the light to slip through the crack of the blinds as the ray of light hit his left eye spot on which aggravated him causing him to roll to the left side but due to his bed not being big in size he would actually fall off the bed as his face collided with the floor waking him up from his lovely dream.

Now awake and flat on his face the young Senju let out a prolonged groan as his right hand and left hand moved slowly into push up position before he lifted his head off the ground, Mokuzai's eyes would then open before squinting as he let his sight adjust to the near complete darkness of his room. He let out another prolonged groan as he was feeling quite terrible due to the events of last night and he wondered if he was going through the effects of a hangover, Mokzuzai would  slowly look over to his clock and saw that it read nine forty five a.m and his eyes would shock open at the site of it.

Mokuzai silently cursed at himself within his own mind as he realized that he was going to be late, weeks earlier he had been assigned for a transport mission with Chigetsu that had been held off due to reasons outside their control but was now a  pressing matter. The mission was simply to take a chakra infused stone with them to the edge of Kirigakure's borders and place it on a road in which the stone would act as a safe entry path for allies of the nation but truth be told that wasn't the only reason they were undertaking this mission, Just as the young Senju had requested weeks ago of his friend they were taking advantage of the travel area of this mission to do some investigative work to subdue the bandits hiding out in Swamp Of Sorrow that Mokuzai himself had vowed to personally kill on his own sense of morals.

The time they were meeting at was one p.m meaning that he still had at least three hours which was enough time for him to take a shower, eat, prepare himself for the mission and be on his way. He quickly made his way into the bathroom and stepped into the shower before de-clothing himself as his appearance was shrouded by the shower curtain as he turned the water on, In his haste he had forgotten the water actually takes several seconds before it gets to it's proper temperature so the moment he walked in his back was assaulted with ice cold water in the form of tiny bullets  hitting his back causing him to let out a small scream before he hopped out of the shower's way and let it get hotter.

After waiting his shower water now produced a nice steam meaning that it was ready and he would step back into it's range as his back was now assaulted with wonderful bullets of heat that made his body relax as the earlier feeling of his hangover melted away along with the filth of his body that accumulated during his peaceful sleep, he would grab a bar of soap that he made with his two hands that carried the scent of a fresh pine tree before scrubbing it on to a washcloth and then proceeded to put the soap back in it's place as he begun scrubbing every square inch of his body as his mother use to tell him a phrase when he was little, "A clean Senju is a happy Senju Mokuzai~"

He quickly turned off the shower now that he felt squeaky clean in all sorts of place's and reached over his head for his towel and then wrapped it around his waist as he stepped out, he walked over to his counter and went into a cabinet with his tooth brush and toothpaste were in and quickly grabbed them as he squeezes the toothpaste out onto his toothbrush in a straight line before putting it down and running hot water on the toothbrush before popping it in his mouth and beginning to brush his teeth carefully. Mokuzai didn't want to wast time so as he brushed his teeth with hand he would use the other to comb his hair as it was a wet disheveled mess, after ten minutes of personal grooming his teeth felt clean as a whistle and his hair was back to it's good length and looks and he put back his morning tools into the cabinets before proceeding back into the main room.

He quickly went into his closet and gazed at his new clothing seeing as how his body had outgrown the old one's and held a look of adolescence in which did not fit his appearance anymore, he grabbed  a simple white shirt with a V-cut and put up his arms to roll it on before putting back on the necklace he always kept with him from his father and then proceeded to grab a long blue thin sleeved jacket with blue like lining on the edge of it's sleeves and kept on continuing as he grabbed a pair of green colored boxers and standard long chuunin black pants and now removed the towel before pulling his pants up all the way, he expertly latched on his signature dark red pocket to his left leg for kunai and finished his look by putting on a pair of simple black sandle's and tightly wrapped a blue bandanna around his head covering his shinobi head-band while keeping his hair from getting in the way of his eye's.

Mokuzai quickly begun to check his equipment for the trip and he begun to realize that compared to other shinobi his battle equipment was severely lacking as for all he had was his starter kunai and five senbon which were items received after the academy leaving the only weapons he was really proud of were his two giant shuriken he kept sealed in scrolls attached to his arms that were secured by bandage's and his trusty blade, he would take his blade in his hand and realize that for the work of a chunin it might not be efficient anymore so he decided he would go out to town and buy something to eat while purchasing a new blade to suit his needs while leaving his old katana behind.

He headed straight for the door and with a quick motion unlocked it and opened it as he turned his body around to go outside and closed it again making sure to lock it although he doubt a thief would try to rob it as he didn't have much in the way of possessions, once he was outside he took in a deep breath of air that smelled of the exotic foods being prepped in Kirigakure's markets and the sounds of erratic footsteps littering the streets filling his mind with the vigor he needed to complete his mission. First thing he needed to do was go to the convenience store on the corner and get some fast food for temporary energy and if he got hungry later he would just hunt some animals with Chigetsu and they could eat a proper meal together, with his goal in mind he jumped from the front balcony of the living quarters and was now in the air above the village as the wind pushed against his face that provided a sense of liberty like no other before gravity did it's job and brought him back down to the ground as he landed on both feet easily as if he was a cat right across from the food store and walked towards it to head inside.

Fourteen minutes later Mokuzai walked out with a bag with a plastic bottle filled with mango flavored green tea as well as three rice ball that smelled and looked delicious to share with Chigetsu just encase he hadn't eaten anything, now that he had his food it was now time to go to the weapons store where he had purchased his first blade from. It would take another hour before he walked out of the weapon store with a Ninjato attached to his left hip as his new weapon, with this he was fully equipped and ready and to take on his mission as he quickly consumed his two rice balls and drink his tea in quick succession to wash it down before heading towards the meeting location.

The moment his feet landed on the ground at the meeting location he would look up to see Chigetsu dressed and ready and he would wave his hand at his direction as he said, "Hey Chigetsu, sorry im late~! Ah! I also got you some food if you want it~!!"


WC:1,778

Chigetsu was ready. Every single bone in his body was primed for this moment. Everything had been holding him back was cast aside. He had steeled his mind and heart. A repeat of the last time he did this was something he would avoid at all costs. Chigetsu was physically prepared for it too. All of his weaponry was liquified and hidden inside his body. Twenty senbon and ten kunai, and it was all ready to be used at a moment's notice. With how he had trained his body using these weapons he his inside himself was easy. They could be incorporated into his attacks, or even combined together if he chose to. This was what Chigetsu spent the majority of his time training since the Chunin Exams. He was sure Mokuzai had improved since then, and to stagnate and allow him to leave Chigetsu in the dirt wasn't something he would want to allow. The thought of it made Chigetsu clench his fist tightly, staring down intently at the ground. It was a bit of a strange image, with Chigetsu standing by himself like that deep in thought. With how caught up he was in his own thoughts his self-awareness was currently lacking, likely for the best. The sun shining down over him filled him with a gentle warmth though that made him feel righteous in his actions. This was even though it was somewhat chilly outside, the entire village coated in a thick overcast fog as usual. There was nothing all too out of the ordinary with the weather, but Chigetsu was much more sensitive to the slight changes in temperature than the average person. Even what seemed like gloomy weather brought a smile to his face and warmth into his heart. Perhaps that was because he had been born in this land where there was only indirect sunlight, but a good portion of it came from his Hozuki heritage as well. It was no mistake that the Hozuki clan settled down here, in the Village Hidden in the Mist. How the village was surrounded by water was certainly an aspect, but it also very importantly lacked the extreme heat of Suna or Konoha. The subtler sunlight beside the ocean created a perfect environment for them to settle down in.

Standing in this warming sunlight had been pleasant for the first few moments that Chigetsu waited. However, his diligence to arrive early was perhaps misplaced. Five minutes waiting in the sun turned very quickly turned into ten, and then that ten to twenty. What had been a pleasant warmth at first was now a burning heat that spread throughout his body, turning his nervous jitters into raw irritation. It had been perhaps a bit naïve for Chigetsu to arrive so early in the day, before what they had agreed on, but he had done so in the precaution that he would need some time to mentally prepare himself. An hour early had been massive and excessive overkill though. It was only made worse by the fact that Mokuzai was late.

Mokuzai wasn't even that late, it was just after waiting so long due to his own foolishness Chigetsu was already irritated. As Mokuzai landed down at their meeting location Chigetsu would immediately let all that irritation loose. Chigetsu's face would twist into a scowl, glaring at the other boy as they approached. Even though he was only a few minutes late the way he came with that huge dopey smile made Chigetsu angrier for some reason. He had no good reason to be upset, but all those irrational feelings needed a release either way. He would twitch as Mokuzai began speaking.

"Hey Chigetsu, sorry I'm late~! Ah! I also got you some food if you want it~!!"  

A kunai would fly out of Chigetsu's stomach, the previously liquified weapon being launched by his internal organs. It had been aimed at Mokuzai's gut and given how Chigetsu had launched it without making any outwards movements it wasn't likely to be easy to dodge. Especially since Mokuzai's arms were occupied with some bags. Even in Chigetsu's irritation, he had enough of a mind to not attempt to injure his partner before the mission had even started though. The kunai was thrown in a way that would make it twist around in the air before it hit Mokuzai, turning around completely so the handle would instead be what would collide into his gut if he couldn't find some way out of it.

"Mokuzai! You're late!" He was inches away from entering a tirade and yelling at the other boy. The only thing that stopped that from happening was Chigetsu taking close look at him. He would be left slack-jawed, staring silently with an open mouth at the male in front of him. Since the Chunin Exams he had grown considerably, to such a massive extent that Chigetsu almost had a hard time believing it was really him. "Mokuzai...?" He would pause. "You've changed so much... What happened to you? Is this the transformation jutsu?" The Hozuki would run his hand back through his hair, brushing through the white mess on his head.

---

[887/2389]

Just as he said those words he would watch as Chi's face turned towards him twisting into a scowl as he approached him while glaring daggers with each approaching step, he figured he was mad about him being late and was about to tell hims something until without any sudden moves a kunai launched from Chigetsu's stomach aiming towards the bag with the rice ball in it. At that point Mokuzai face switched to one hundred percent serious mode as his deliciously flavored rice ball was in danger of being destroyed by his kunai, while the kunai traveled through the air the young Senju throw his rice ball bag straight up while dropping everything else as he did a mini flip backwards just enough to dodge the kunai mostly but it scrapped the bottom left side of his foot before he caught the descending bag. He would begin to blow visible steam out his nose as he raised his left free hand in visible anger,"I don't care if you try to hit me but...THE DELICIOUS RICE BALL HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT, YOU EVIL BASTARD!!!!"

The young Senju would grab the rice ball and stuffed it whole in his mouth like a chipmunk while savoring the flavor with a blissful expression in a act of safety to protect it from his partner's cruel acts while also satisfying his need to eat it for himself before Chigetsu's voice would bring him out of his self savoring,"Mokuzai! You're late!" He would try to talk before chocking and started to beat on his chest with his right hand to force the food down completely as he swallowed it then let out a deep sigh. Once his gaze refocused on his Hozuki friend he would watch as he stared at him silently with a slightly opened mouth in confusion before he spoke "Mokuzai...you've changed so much... what happened to you? Is this the transformation jutsu?" The area around them was silent as he asked him that question as it took a few seconds for him to register until Mokuzai begun to  hold his gut and start lightly chuckling before it turned into full on laughter at his friends words, "Geez Chigetsu, you sure know how to tell a joke. As for my growth i guess im just a late bloomer.. or maybe all that training finally caught up to my body?" The young Senju would scratch the back of his head as he laughed to his own answer nervously due to the fact he didn't quite know the answer to his sudden growth spurt himself.

Now that introductions were done Mokuzai would look at his friend with a face that held no emotion whatsoever as he spoke in a solemnly manner, "As you know we have a mission today where we will be traveling to the land of water's borders to place a stone that will work as a beacon to all citizens of the land for a safe travel route, although that is our mission keep in mind that today will also be used to start our official plans to gather information from any thieves or criminals we encounter  for our bandit fortress elimination in Swamp Of Sorrows." The young Senju face would break down as his eyes scrunched up and he begun to grin widely, "Other than that lets get this mission done and do the village proud, you with me?!!!"

Usually Mokuzai would be simply exhilarated by taking on a mission especially with Chigetsu however today wasn't just a mission, it was completing a set goal to fulfill a promise to a male much younger then him to keep his village safe. The usual goofy and ill-restrained Senju now became a more calmly cold-blooded ninja hell bent on completing his goal and doing whatever it took to do so, but a single thought ran through his mind as he begun to think about the man in his dreams. Was he also just doing whatever it took to complete his goals? And if so..what was the goal? Looking at Chigetsu he would begun to tell him what he believed would be their first course of action as he explained that they should travel on a less popular route to the border, he would go on to say that this offered the quickest route with the possibility of less information gathering and then explained how traveling on a popular route was beneficial in information gathering while providing a chance of higher criminal activity which they would help some poor unlikely victims with the chance to interrogate the one's they had beaten. If Chigetsu did not agree with either plan he would simply ask his friend what he believed to be their first course of action and listen to his explanation.


WC:834

Total WC:2,612

"I wasn't aiming for your riceballs!" Chigetsu would shoot back almost immediately towards Mokuzai as soon as all his shenanigans were finished. He was honestly a bit irritated the kunai had been dodged. He had even taken care to flip it backwards so it wouldn't gut Mokuzai if it did hit. That he could dodge such a sudden close-range attack at all was irritating in how impressive it was. Had Mokuzai really improved that much since they last met? That Mokuzai was suddenly apparently taller than he was made the entire situation way, way worse. Growth? Late bloomer? It made Chigetsu insecure in his own height all of the sudden, and almost instinctively he would begin to stand on his tip toes. That alone wouldn't nearly be enough to make up for the difference in height but Chigetsu was stubborn. Frustration was evident on his face, Chigetsu making no effort to hide how irked he was.

The sudden complete change in tone caught the boy off guard though. The irritation would be wiped off his face as soon as Mokuzai ripped all the emotions out of his voice, replaced with confusion on Chigetsu's end. To say he wasn't prepared for the emotional drop was an understatement, and the shock of it made it difficult for him to focus on the described mission at first. It didn't matter really if he listened or not in the first place, since he already knew the details of the mission, but it still wasn't good form to not pay attention. As the initial shock of the formality receded he snap to attention.

"As you know we have a mission today where we will be traveling to the land of water's borders to place a stone that will work as a beacon to all citizens of the land for a safe travel route, although that is our mission keep in mind that today will also be used to start our official plans to gather information from any thieves or criminals we encounter for our bandit fortress elimination in Swamp of Sorrows.

Other than that, let's get this mission done and do the village proud, you with me?!!!"

The swap back to excitement was equally strange. Unnerving at the least. Such a complete control over emotions was completely foreign to him, even if it was in something as simple as the manner in which Mokuzai spoke. The Hozuki would nod his head slowly in response to the mission statement, still watching the other male cautiously. To say it made Chigetsu look at Mokuzai in a new light would be somewhat of an understatement, although he was still trying to figure out what light it would be that he saw Mokuzai in. He would be tempted to ask how Mokuzai did what he just did but ultimately decided against it after a moment.

Chigetsu would accept Mokuzai's suggestion without much complaint. He was much more used to being led than leading, so deferring to Mokuzai's judgement felt entirely natural. Traveling the less beaten path was a good idea anyway, so Chigetsu didn't have any complaints. Any attempts to trying to convince Chigetsu further would be unnecessary. Traveling out in the open was a pain in normal situations anyway. The possibility of it compromising the mission further and getting into a fight wasn't the most appealing, even if he did sort of enjoy the idea of stabbing and 'interrogating' people. After agreeing to the first option Chigetsu would follow Mokuzai's lead, allowing the now much taller Senju to point and direct them both along the path he wanted.

---

[623/3012]

Once Mokuzai was done trying to reeve up Chigetsu's motors of excitement for the mission he would find it would have the exact opposite effect, the face the Hozuki would express would not be of that of excitement but instead of confusion and the young Senju's excitement would only be headed with a slow head nod with kind of dampened his mood a bit but not enough to show in his face, Chigetsu only simply watched him carefully as he begun to explain the course of action he believed to be correct for their specific situation but whilst he did that his friend seemed to have the look of someone who wasn't really listening but instead the one of trying to solve a puzzle mysterious to them but he payed this no mind as he continued.

Chigetsu seemed to accept Mokuzai's proposal without question, he wondered if his friend was alright due to him accepting his plan without even a hint of curiosity to his voice, if anything he seemed more confused and frustrated since he had arrived. He know that it had been awhile since they meant and he though his friend would be ecstatic to see him again like he was, Mokuzai decided he would ask him about it later but for now it was time for them to get moving towards the missions designation spot.

Just as he said Chigetsu and him would take the less crowded route in order to reach the destination the fastest,however despite Chigetsu choosing the safest option Mokuzai could not help feeling they may miss something but his assessment was right, the mission came first and foremost as it could avoid many Kirigakure's citizens from possible harm. The senju would check his gear one last time before they headed off, he counted his six senbon needles, his kunai and the new blade held tightly to his hip before checking the bandage's around his arm and re-tightening them so there would be no chance the two scrolls put in place would fall out while in movement, upon counting his personal equipment it had not really changed since he graduated the academy despite the span of almost a full year of experience under his belt, he would make a quick mental note of that and upon his return to Konohagakure he would be sure to buy more equipment to further augment his range of abilities in battle.

Now that he felt properly prepared he would look towards Chigetsu and ask if he was fully prepared, if not he would simply wait and if he was a simple nod would be given before speaking, "I hope you been training Chigetsu, im eager to see how my rival has progressed while we we been apart!" With those words Mokuzai would now start running north towards the land of water borders with Chigetsu, before even reaching the border they would have to travel through the smaller village's on the main island and then proceed by boat to the second half in which they would progress through a large forest, although the path was alot safer then the populated route it was indeed a longer trip that still could possibly offer the same amount of danger but hopefully it was not likely to do so.

With his friend by his side Mokuzai swiftly ran through the land of water fearing nothing could stop them, he was moving at a smooth pace that would allow them to travel a mile every minute for three whole miles before breaking to rest for a few minutes, the senju could move a great deal faster but due to Chigetsu's earlier behavior he thought it would be best to take it slower until whatever ailed his friend cease to exist. He would fill the time of their travel with stories of Di the detective and how they went to the bar and got hammered before Mokuzai started a bar fight, Kirei the uchiha and Fuyuko the wise as he called her in which he expressed they went on a B-class mission together and took down a powerful jonin, and a few others he had went through during his time in Kirigakure, if Chigetsu had any stories of his own he would eagerly listen.

After traveling for a distance of nine miles they would reach a small village with a small ship port, this must have been new as the map Mokuzai had been using to navigate did not show that his town had a port system yet here they were, although surprised this was very good news as it meant there arrival to the border would be even faster then originally planned and he would simply turn to Chigetsu with a smile, "How lucky are we, we might be able to complete this mission and be back in our beds before the sun rises to the morning by tomorrow."


WC:833

Total WC:3,445

Watching Mokuzai begin to check his gear Chigetsu would begin doing the same. There wasn't all too much to check though. It was mostly an action prompted by Chigetsu's desire to not look incompetent, rather than something that was necessary in any way. All of his weaponry was hidden inside of him anyhow. It was so easy to store them like he did, through liquefying them and then absorbing them into himself. Since they were stored inside him he couldn't visually check them, but by shifting his insides around a bit he would be able to feel them out to check. He had twenty senbon, all sharpened and kept in a mass surrounding his liver. There were also ten kunai he kept at various places throughout his body, most of them being located in his arms. His 'special' kunai was one of these, kept in his right palm in case he might need it. The entire process of checking and counting all his internal weapons only took a few seconds and was almost completely silent and invisible. Almost invisible, as his body jiggled a little bit like gelatin as he felt out each of the weapons inside of him.  

Upon Mokuzai's questioning if he was completely prepared Chigetsu would give a silent nod. His armory was still lacking, but with every mission it would grow a little bit more. Soon he might have to worry about how he was going to carry around all the metal that he had. It wasn't any heavier than if he would be carrying it in belt pouches, but at the same time scrolls would have to be something he might have to look into. The logistics of liquefying scrolls would be frustrating as well.  

"I hope you been training Chigetsu, I'm eager to see how my rival has progressed while we've been apart!"

He would stare at Mokuzai for a moment. There wasn't an expression on his face. While he had been training, did it matter? Mokuzai had progressed to such an incredible extent between when they last met. It was clearly visible, while at the same time Chigetsu looked nearly the same. Mokuzai had served as a crutch for Chigetsu ever since they met. Now that he was entering a scary new world filled with demons and monsters, Chigetsu always had Mokuzai as a reference point to fall back onto. Beating Mokuzai gave him enough confidence to believe that he wasn't completely out of his depth. Because if Mokuzai was going through this too and Chigetsu beat him, that must mean that Chigetsu wasn't the weakest, right? Now he wasn't sure.  

"You've always been the weakest." It came from inside of him, voices and emotions that he hated. "Beating him was a fluke." From his kunai and senbon. He could feel them judging him. "Only a worthless whelp judging their strength like that." Little imaginary vibrations that led to hallucinatory bubbles that welled up inside his body until he felt like he would explode. "Swallow your pride. Admit to him how little you are." That he was beginning to now see things coming from his speaking weapons was new and uncomfortable, and likely a result of how he stored them inside of his body now, and incredibly unnerving no matter how it was sliced. Being weak was maybe something that he could accept if he still could be useful to somebody, but that looked unlikely. How could a weakling be useful?

Chigetsu nodded and smiled towards Mokuzai. It was fake. He was trying to mimic Mokuzai from earlier, suppressing his emotions. Maybe it would work. He would dash after Mokuzai, following the taller male from behind. Their journey through the Land of Water would be swift. Chigetsu couldn't help but notice Mokuzai's speed advantage, but despite that he would be able to keep up. They were both relatively speedy, all things considered. While it was true that Chigetsu was a bit slower, burdened by the cries of his weapons, it just served to emphasize the change between them. At the very least, running like this made the voices go away. He would appreciate the stories that Mokuzai told, especially about Kirei and Fuyuko. They were two names that he recognized and were fond of. To know they had shared friends was comforting, although he couldn't help but feel antsy with the mention of the B-Ranked mission and taking down a jonin. Was that something Chigetsu could have done?

Of all the stories he might have been able to tell Mokuzai there weren't any that wouldn't have been supremely embarrassing. Just in order to fill the air though Chigetsu would begin to talk about his past. Not the voices, he wouldn't dare mention that. But rather the Rōtō Arashi, the offshoot group of the Hozuk clan that he spent his early childhood with. He would tell stories about how they followed the seasonal storms that spun throughout the Land of Water as nomads, talking about some of the minor details of what it was like to live inside the storms. Luckily, they would reach the village before Chigetsu had a chance to get too far into his story. With how he was feeling in the moment there was a chance he would end up spilling embarrassing details. His first crush, the first fight he got in as a child, he couldn't help but think back to these moments as now that his childhood was on his mind.  

"It's good that we got here early, although I was prepared to set up camp if we needed to." It was a relief either way. "I don't want to be unprepared for that, if it ever does happen. Getting caught out in the wilderness without any supplies would be a pain." Chigetsu would smile back towards Mokuzai, unable to help himself now that he saw how Mokuzai was smiling. "Do you think it'll be that quick? That would be nice."

---

[1017/4029]

After catching up with Chi about past events the Hozuki member would begin to talk not about present events but the past, he wondered if his friend was reminiscing about his old life before becoming a shinobi but he would keep his lips sealed for now, he spoke of a minor branch of the Hozuki clan called the Roto Arashi a group that were nomads who followed the seasonal storms of the land of water and lived inside of said storms which Mokuzai only reply would be a whistle and a face of excitement.

Once they reached the village and Mokuzai expressed how easy he think the mission would be for now on Chi responded while smiling back looking cheerful for the first time since they meant for the mission, "It's good that we got here early, although I was prepared to set up camp if we needed to. I don't want to be unprepared for that, if it ever does happen. Getting caught out in the wilderness without any supplies would be a pain. Do you think it'll be that quick? That would be nice." The young Senju would have a sweat drop roll down his cheek, although he checked for weapons and armor the fact that he might have needed a sleeping bag or tent missed him completely, he though just sleeping under the sky on the ground or up a tree would suffice, for now on Mokuzai thought to himself he will make sure to prepare all equipment which included non-combat as well.

Now since they were in a port Mokuzai would walk with Chi to one of the owners of the boat and showed him a pass that allowed ninja to travel for free under the authority of the Mizukage, this would lead them to a island close to the border of the land of water, the trip by sea was pleasant as the salty taste of the ocean was carried by the breeze but suddenly Mokuzai begun thinking about his actions since he became a shinobi. At first missions were simple and easy but now as he got to the higher ranks of the shinobi world he now found himself a hardened killer when he needed to, with each passing mission he begun to question how far he had fallen since the creation of his hopeful dreams of simply just defeating his enemies and not killing them whilst protecting his teammates and village, long since those days of hopeful wishing had vanished and yet there was another thing that troubled him.

Mokuzai hair had begun to turn white like his mother's, growing up he never though his hair would change color's but yet when he last looked into the mirror he saw five white strains of hair sitting on top growing towards the left side of his face, this worried him because he once read a book that said those with the inherited genes of a parent with white hair will often grow them in times of stress, Did their sudden appearance mean Mokuzai was becoming stress? Was he forcing himself to uphold a  smile to  dissimulate his own feelings? As he sat there with a tired expression just staring out into the ocean the young Senju no longer knew exactly what he was searching for, he had left Konohagakure to find a better part of himself but on the way he lost the part of him that  could dream peacefully without the blood of his victim's drowning him in his sleep.

Three hours had passed before they reached the island closest to the border, as they docked Mokuzai studied the map and saw there was a large forest they would have to go through to reach their destination and he turned to Chi while putting away the map with a mentally drained look plastered on his face, "The way to the border is just passed this forest, follow me." With haste the young Senju moved northeast towards the forest as Chi and him jumped up into the tree's and starting traveling through the woods one leap at a time, once they were nearly eighty three meters into the forest after a long silence Mokuzai begun to speak with a sad almost disinterested tone in his voice and face, "Hey Chigetsu...after you became the shinobi have your perspective of what makes us ninja change? Have you changed? Do you still dream peacefully at night after taking on missions?"

Suddenly before Chigetsu could even get off a answer the young Senju could hear the sound of light snickering and instantly he would stop at a branch and balled his hand into fist as if telling Chigetsu to "hold it", Tuning in on the sound he found that it was now increasing as he picked up three different sounds snickering in a chorus and then the sound of breaking wind right in front of his face, with quick speed Mokuzai pulled out his ninjato and deflected the path of a upcoming kunai as it was directed towards a tree to his left side with a swing of his blade and then spoke plainly, "Get ready, we have company."

Just as he finished that sentence three figure's jumped out of the shadows of the forest each garnished with a a long jacket that covered their entire bodies with purple lining with black shinobi sandle's wearing a mask to conceal their face, despite their threatening and almost peculiar appearance Mokuzai could easily point out that their stance's were basic and if they really were ninja from a village they had just gotten out of the academy and this was there first real mission, until he had that answer he wouldn't hurt them too bad but if they happen to belonged to no village there luck would have guided them to a bad fate with battling a young Senju and Hozoki combined.

"Ill take the one in the middle and to the right, ill leave the left one to you but dont kill him." With that Mokuzai jumped up into a tree and headed for a tiny spec of light he had saw earlier that lead to a clear patch in the middle of the forest surrounded by tree's, he had complete confidence that Chigetsu could handle that likes of the ninja he left him with alone.


WC:1,088

Total WC:4,533

Seeing Mokuzai's reaction to realizing he hadn't prepared a sleeping bag had brought a smile to Chigetsu's face. If his mood had been a bit lighter he might have broken out into giggles at it. He had made the same mistake on his mission with Fuyuko. It never came down to sleeping in the woods, but he decided to make sure to prepare sleeping rolls from that point onwards. It seemed like Mokuzai just had the same moment of realization in his mind. Preparing equipment like that was important, after all! What would Mokuzai do if there was a sudden storm? Probably look incredibly silly. The issue of rations was also something that Chigetsu couldn't help but think of. Did Mokuzai have enough food to eat for the day? He hadn't seen him eat anything on the journey here, and that made Chigetsu worry slightly. He was completely willing to share if it came down to it.

The boat ride was comfortable. Very quickly his worries melted away, disappearing down into the salty mist that surrounded them. The gentle sway of the sea was always comforting, like being rocked in a mother's arms. The ocean breeze was intense, much stronger than it was even on the coast. It was as if he were being breathed on by some intense spirit from above. Being on a boat again after such a long period was almost nostalgic. It made him think back to the last boat he had been on, when stowing away in order to travel away from the Rōtō Arashi. Being able to travel to Kirigakure in that manner and begin a career as a shinobi had been such a monumental change in his life. He didn't expect this to compare at all, but it still made him wonder. It was possible. Maybe this would be another life-changing experience?

Docking and arriving, Chigetsu would be the first to get back onto land. All the reminiscing about the past made him hopeful now, in a way that swirled around and fought with his earlier unsteadiness. He would follow Mokuzai without much thought, letting him take care of the mapping. What Mokuzai sprung forth with on their journey through the trees caused Chigetsu to pause though. He faltered when he stepped down onto the next branch, almost tripping and losing his balance completely.  

"Hey Chigetsu... After you became a shinobi has your perspective of what makes us ninja changed? Have you changed? Do you still dream peacefully at night after taking on missions?"

Chigetsu was in no way prepared to answer that.  

Luck saved him. He had already halted before Mokuzai had given any orders, stopped dead by that comment. The shock was replaced by something much more familiar though. The clash of steel. The sound of enemies. It was comforting. Power surged through Chigetsu at the thought of a fight. Adrenaline. It felt good. He felt good. That Mokuzai only saw fit to leave him one to fight was somewhat annoying, but at the same time it worked to Chigetsu's benefit. Fighting two at the same time would have been frustrating. One on ones were better.

Chigetsu would hop through the trees, pouncing forward to the left in order to go after his prey. One of the liquefied kunais that he had prepared would slip into his hand, the liquid that comprised it being forced up his arm and into his palm, where it would return to metal.  

Seeming to notice that Chigetsu was targeting him specifically, the masked man on the left adopted a basic taijutsu stance. Chigetsu recognized it as something similar to what they taught in the Academy, but not exactly the same. It had more finesse to it. At the very least this man appeared to be more skilled than an academy student. Fighting in the trees in this manner would have been awkward, both to a Taijutsu user and a Bukijutsu user. The clear patch behind them offered a bit of relief in this though. Chigetsu would make a tactical withdrawal to more favorable ground. Seeming to agree with that line of thinking the masked man would follow. Only once they were both in clear ground would the fighting begin.

It wouldn't last long. The order to take him alive made Chigetsu have to be a little bit more careful with his kunai. Chigetsu couldn't just plunge it into this person's guts. It wasn't that easy. In truth he hadn't ever killed another human before, but in theory, it shouldn't have been that hard. Especially with how straightforward and direct his combatant was. The masked man would charge forward towards Chigetsu once they were on solid ground, swinging a solid right fist into Chigetsu's right shoulder. It was smart, attacking the shoulder of the arm he was holding the kunai in. Chigetsu made no attempt to dodge and simply allowed the strike to go through. The first wouldn't hit him though. Instead, it went right through, all the way. It sunk through, flesh sinking away like gelatin. A hole had been drilled through where flesh and bone were supposed to be, with the fist coming out the other side. His body had reflexively liquefied. Tightening his gelatin-esque form, Chigetsu would have the man's arm stuck. Chigetsu would be quick to seize on this advantage. Unable to pull back, the Hozuki child would slam the top of his head forward into this man's mask.  

A series of cracks would run through the mask, along with a few lines of red. Through it Chigetsu would have broken the man's nose with that headbutt. While the mask hadn't been entirely shattered, it was completely deformed with how cracked and dented it was. Seeing through the eyeholes would be difficult. In Chigetsu's left hand another kunai would be produced, forced into his palm in the same manner. While the masked man was struggling to reorient their vision the tip of the kunai was plunged directly into their free shoulder. With this the man would be released, arm ejected from Chigetsu's shoulder, and discarded onto the ground. If they tried to stand he would roughly stomp down onto them, and continue stomping until they stopped moving.

---

[1060/5089]

Chakra 185/190 | Hydration 15/15:

As Chigetsu left to deal with one of the three shinobi that crossed path with them Mokuzai was left to deal with the other two, the young Senju almost snickered at the situation as this was not the first time he pit himself against two opponents, from the time he was a genin he often used his shadow clone's in pairs to fight against him to train his rudimentary taijutsu skills  and now it was time to display the fruits of his training in actual hand-to-hand combat, although he had prepared himself for this type of situation fighting his clone's that held just as much knowledge in taijutsu as he was couldn't prepare him completely for a fight against one who specifically trains in the art of taijutsu, let alone two on top of having to hold back from just killing them outright.

Upon realizing their would be no reinforcement's coming to the young Senju's aide the two shinobi's both moved with one going to the right and the other to the left, but what surprised him more was their fluid movements as if they had nothing to fear and knew exactly what the other would do ensuring their own actions, it was highly possible that at one point these two shinobi trained together and learned each other's movements to the point that their teamwork had become so attuned that it became second nature to back each other up. While in his though process on how to approach the shinobi they had jumped to different branch's and then rocketed themselves towards him both with arms outstretched into a forward straight punch, Mokuzai who had been watching them but not mentally focused took a second to realize the attack and quickly put both his arms up in defense causing their two punch's to collide with his arms, the force of their attacks combined pushed him back a full meter but due to his strong legs he was able to maintain his balance albeit his arms felt somewhat tingly from their attack meaning that although there was two of them even combined he was still stronger.

Because the quality of his blade may surely kill them if he repeatedly attacked the young Senju reached into the red pocket protector attached to his leg and pulled out but a single kunai, even if he was out numbered he still held all the knowledge and experience he had gained since the start of his shinobi career and he would make sure to rely on those instincts to help him now. The shinobi on the right came first in a semi crunch position with his arms at chest level and his feet closer together, Mokuzai couldn't tell if he was defending or attacking so he decided to let the opponent come to him, as the shinobi stepped in he flung his left arm forward making a jab towards the young Senju's right side and to counter he did a side step, as soon as he was out of the way he would see another fist coming straight for him aimed at his chin and Mokuzai immediately flipped backwards in his need to get away before jumping six meters back.

Although he has rarely seen it other than in books he read the style of the shinobi was a taijutsu style known as boxing, if Mokuzai had not been faster the second attack may have connected. Now that he know one of the styles the only mystery that remained was what was the other shinobi's taijutsu style, more importantly where did they go as he could no longer see them around, suddenly Mokuzai noticed that his shadow on the ground was increasing out of the corner of his right eye and instinctively rolled out of the way as the other shinobi left foot came crashing down on the ground, the young Senju didn't even notice him disappearing nor hear him it made him smile as he now tested them out to realize they aren't new graduate's so he no longer had to hold back as much as he though.

Mokuzai went back into his red pocket protector and pulled out a senbon needle and then tossed it up in the air while performing the transformation technique, the senbon had a cloud surround it then disappeared to reveal a second kunai as he immediately caught it and dashed towards the boxer,as he dashed four meters he throw the kunai towards the boxers right side while he bursted forward at seven meters a second to go to their left side while pivoting around on his foot to catch the kunai and quickly stabbed into the boxers left leg before kicking the shinobi's other leg with his right, by doing this he essentially aimed for the center of their stance causing it to all tumble down once the legs gave out.

Just as he reached for the kunai to take care of the other shinobi he was suddenly hit hard enough without a guard to cause him to fly back half a meter away from his position, when he looked up he would see the other shinobi with his right leg still up and he thought "Great, a taijutsu user who focuses on his leg." The boxing shinobi used his hands to forcibly pull out the kunai before standing back on their feet with a light limp but put up their arms in defense like before, Mokuzai now knew he was dealing with a boxer and a kick specialist which were a deadly combo as they covered each other's weak points, the young Senju will have to move even faster on his feet to win.

Twenty minutes later Mokuzai was now standing above the bodies of the two shinobi with bruises all over his body, their combined attacks near the end gave him some trouble but he was able to pull through it. Now that they weer defeated it was now time for the Senju to investigate them, first he took off their masks so he could look them directly in the eye as they spoke to him and it made it easier to detect a lie if they were so bold, "What do you two know of the groups hanging out in the "Swamp Of Sorrow?" The two shinobi felt no need to answer so Mokuzai quickly put a hand on each of them where he repeatedly attacked them and squeezed down to cause pain that made them grit their teeth, his grip only increasing with each passing second as his anger and annoyance also increased simply waiting to see which one of them would give him the information he required first.


After a few more minutes the kick specialist finally gave way for information, "Stop!! Stop!!! All we know is that there was a huge bandit group out their that continuously robbed and killed citizens in the border village's but they were wiped clean off the face of the map by a stronger shinobi!" He had heard the information but the shock of it made him remain still and his skin turned into a pale white, the words that played through the young Senju's mind was "Failure" because that was exactly what he has done.  He failed to keep his promise to the boy he meant in that village just as he failed to eradicate the bandit group and instead left it to the capable hands of another shinobi while he been running around and doing what? Going on missions? Training with his friends as if there was nothing that mattered more? Although he should have felt happy that the group was gone all he felt was the depression of not keeping his promise and taking them out himself, his body felt numb and his heat felt like it was spiking as he started to sweat more as he waited for Chigetsu to appear but instead his friend would find the image of someone that looked more like a ghost then the Senju they had traveled with up until this point.

Once his partner arrive he would simply ask for them to finish the mission in a low quite tone, after it's completion Mokuzai would excuse himself without telling Chigetsu anything other then that they no longer had to fight a bandit group and that they could now both go their separate ways. If anything was clear to him at this point it would be that he had not yet gathered the strength he sought out by coming to Kirigakure, going home the way he is not a option, not yet. It would seem his stay in Kirigakure would be prolonged for just awhile longer.

-Exit Thread-

WC:1,477

Total WC:6,010


C-rank Mission completion: 1500/1500 (4,510 Words Left)


Ninjutsu: B-rank to A-rank 3000/3000 (2,510 Words Left)
(P.S: I taken 2k WC from this thread and combined 1k from another thread for the 3k needed)

25 ryo per 100 Words(500): 25 * 5 = 125 Ryo


(2000 Words Saved and 10 Words Wasted)

Chigetsu kicked the man into unconsciousness very quickly on. Once he stopped moving Chigetsu would reach to take the knife from his shoulder. Hopefully he wouldn't bleed out. Mokuzai had told Chigetsu to not kill them and take this man back alive. Chigetsu hadn't ever killed anyone before either, and the idea of doing so was... Uncomfortable in his mind. Destroying a weapon like that seemed so cruel. Not that these fools were weapons of any importance or really impressive in the slightest, but still. To just extinguish their lives when they had put up a fight seemed unnecessary. In an attempt to take care of the bleeding Chigetsu would reach down and strip the unconscious man of his shirt, tearing it up and fashioning a sort of make-shift bandage from it to tie around his shoulder. Once it was snugly fit around the wound Chigetsu would let out a sigh of relief. Hoping that it would at least prevent this person from bleeding out, Chigetsu would leave to return to Mokuzai.

He managed to catch the end of his fight against the other two thugs. Their taijutsu styles caught Chigetsu's eyes immediately, and he would watch the combat without a word. Not seeing a need to interfere to help, he would stay at the sidelines. Mokuzai had specifically wanted to take on two at the same time after all. Likely he would just get in the way if he stepped in and interfered. It was fun to watch as well. With how easily he had dispatched the first one Chigetsu doubted that Mokuzai would even really need help. That was how he justified it to himself at the very least. If Mokuzai got seriously injured by these two he would of course step in, but right now he was content doing nothing. Perhaps there was something he could learn as well. Nothing was honestly all too special about their taijutsu styles, each being basic in their own right, but how they focused specifically on their fists and legs was foreign to Chigetsu. He hadn't ever seen anything like it before.  

Their defeat by Mokuzai came swiftly. From a distance Chigetsu would continue to watch, and it seemed that Mokuzai wasn't aware of his presence. His little game where he squeezed the wounds of the two defeated men would be witnessed silently. Torture. How quickly they gave up their information was a disappointment though. Chigetsu had almost hoped it would go on longer. He was a complete novice in the art of torture, so perhaps there was something he could have learned from Mokuzai. Unfortuantely it seemed like he wouldn't have that chance today.  

"Stop!! Stop!!! All we know is that there was a huge bandit group out their that continuously robbed and killed citizens in the border village's but they were wiped clean off the face of the map by a stronger shinobi!"

The information didn't mean anything to Chigetsu. From the way that Mokuzai reacted it seemed that it meant something very important to him though. His face had turned pale. Much paler than Chigetsu had ever seen Mokuzai before. Seeing his partner react in this way provoked Chigetsu to reveal himself, walking forth and making himself clearly visible to the other boy. The request for Chigetsu to finish the mision came as a shock to him, but he would nod his head regardless. The actual mission was trivial at this point. Mokuzai's behavior concerned him somewhat, but there was nothing he could do about that. Without much more conversation Mokuzai would return home, and Chigetsu would set off in the other direction. The special pebble that had been given would be placed in the center of the pathway as a marker as had been instructed, and then Chigetsu would begin his own journey back to Kirigakure.

---

[EXIT]
[649/5738]
[Total: 5378]
-1500 Mission
-3000 Training Bukijutsu to A-Rank
-800 Extra Ryo (+200 ryo)

Extra WC discarded