Maikumaru say in his cave, on his matress, doing sit ups. He had been doing this for a few hours, and enjoyed the feeling of his abs burning. But it wasn’t long that after this point that even for him the pain was starting to become unbearable. After attempting one final sit up, he gave out, and fell to the floor. He rubbed his bell and rolled off the matt and onto the ground. He opened his cooler. There was bottles of water, all buried under cubes of ice. He picked one up, and placed it on his belly, to soothe his fiery abdomen. He had been working on physical exercise for quite a while. It was time for him to start working on Jutsu in his Jutsu pit. He opened the bottle of cold water and swigged it all down, tossing it to the side. He looked outside of his cave top his mountain. Dusk was starting to settle in. The sky was orange and swirled with beautiful colors. He took a moment to just process the picture perfect scenery. Maikumaru jumped out of his cave, and started to dive down into the ground. He reached into his back, and pulled two Kunai from his pouch. He maneuvered himself in the air to face the side of the mountain, and slam his blades into the rock, slowing his acceleration to the ground, coming to a halt into the valley.

When he came to the ground, he found something. Someone. A man limping by. He stopped at the site of Maikumaru, who tilted his head to the side. The man had lacerations and punctures throughout his entire body, his clothes filled with blood. It was obvious that some of that blood wasn't his own. They weren't in any area that there were any punctures. He wore tattoos on his arms that said that he was a member of a local gang, The Crooked Blades. Maikumaru would have utterly destroyed him. But he was rather intrigued by the man’s condition. “You there. What happened to you.” He leaned against a large boulder that was beside him. Looking up from where Maikumaru came from and then looked back.

“I was attacked...by someone. She was so fast, we thought it would be an easy Rob. We didn't know she was a Shinobi, and we all paid for it. I'm the only one who got away with his life.”

“Interesting. Judging by the damage they dealt to you I could learn their ways.”

The Bandit then grimaced and then fell to his knees. His injuries had been too severe. Maikumaru was interested in the idea of someone who shared his passion in antagonizing the criminals. Their ability in Raiton sounds like it was pretty high. Maikumaru’s mouth watered at the idea of learning some new Raiton Abilities. He started to walk as the man, in his heavy breaths, looked up at Maikumaru. “Wait! Aren’t you gonna help me?! Y-you can’t just leave me here! I’ll die.”

The large Shinobi put his finger on his chin. “I suppose you are right.” He took out shuriken and threw it at his throat. He gagged for a few seconds, but Maikumaru had already began to walk away. Maikumaru began to venture through the mountains. It wasn't long before he came upon a group of downed and deceased bodies. Blood was everywhere on the ground, covering the stones. Maikumaru nealt down, to see just how fresh the blood was. Still very wet. He stood up and wiped the blood from his fingers. He looked behind him. He sensed a presence. A shuriken came his way. He leaned his head back and led it fall through. He touched his cheek to realize that he wasn’t exactly quick enough as a coat of blood dripped from the wound. She was a member of the gang as well con”You did this, didn’t you!?”

“No. I didn’t. But I sure wish i could have been the one who did. SHe took out more shurikens. She looked down at hem. “Magnet Release! Flying Star Barrage!” SHe threw them in front of her But instead of hitting the ground, he changes direction completely and comes directly of swoftly went for Maik. He wasn’t as quick against these as he was with the last ones. He started to gain many cuts throughout his body. She reached behind her and revealed three swords. Two of them began to float in the air, twirling her, while she had began to point her sword at Maikumaru, before rushing in at him, with blinding speed.

784

~. :: A moment before :: .~

The mountain hermit was walking down the road. A straw hat protected her face against the sun, long black hair put up and hidden under the hat itself. Her eyes would watch the road as she moved forward, avoiding eye contact as she kept to herself. A couple of freshly caught rabbits bungled on a string she carried over her shoulder, food to be prepared this evening, rationed for a nearby future. A couple of blood marks stained the brown kimono with golden trim, remainders of the bunnies having bled out. The hermit had all intention of returning home after this successful hunt when a group of bandits were walking in the opposite direction. Towards her.

At first, the group acted as simple civilians but the trained eyes of the hermit could see some had hidden weapons. Perhaps in self-defence, perhaps meant for other purpose. A mere perceptive conclusion that left little reason for her to worry. Only, those thoughts changed when one of the group subtly slipped his hand into his pocket and flashed out a dagger with a grin. Pointing it a short distance before her face, the others moved to grasp her arms. Suspecting that a wandering woman would pose little problem. All they wanted was what little value they assumed her to have. All they'd get was a beating they would not soon forget.

As the first reached for her arm, her hand would find his hand and twist it into a hold. Suddenly finding his body turned around, the hold forced him into a most uncomfortable stance, pain shooting through his senses as pressure points were found and used. The man with the knife jumped back, surprised, looking in confusion as what exactly was happening. No one could suffer this sort of pain by a mere hand, right? But where the one with the knife was caught in confusion, the second one didn't hesitate to strike out to her other side. Suzume let go off the rope on her shoulder, her left hand moving to parry the bandit's slow strikes before she'd push him away two meters. The rabbits fell to the ground.

"I hold little patience for brigands. What do you want?", she'd ask as the man held in her right hand's hold moaned in persisting pain.
"Let him go!"

Her eyes would gauge the man's intent and willpower, then release her hold on the brigand. He stumbled back to his group, rubbing his hand painfully. Looking at it like she had torn it apart only to find no marks of assault. The wonders of pressure point techniques, painful without leaving traces. These bandits posed no threat to her. Releasing them was the application of a most basic strategy - to lull the opponent into a false sense of safety.

"Your gold. Anything of value. The rabbits too..."
"I hold none of what you seek but the rabbits will serve to feed a kid."
"Yeah well, too bad for him.", he'd tap one of his followers on the chest and pointed at the rabbits to take them. Carefully, a girl moved closer, picking up the rabbits. Watching the eyes of the hermit follow her in quiet confidence. Those blue-green eyes. She'd pick up the rabbit and run back, having turned more pallid by the experience.

"That... She's the akuma."
"The what now?"
"The akuma!"
"It seems my reputation precedes me. Are you of the Infinity Gang?"
"N-no! I swear, I'm no longer with them!"
"Yet you continue a similar lifestyle."
"Infinity Gang? Oh, shut up. We're the Crooked Blades, better, stronger, meaner. Boys, let's take this joke down."

At those words all but the former Infinity Gang member would charge the hermit. Teach her a lesson, steal whatever she had or didn't have. A fine lesson to be left behind for whoever came after her. Infinity Gang. Civilians. Heroes. What they the local bandits didn't seem to understand was that the 'akuma', the mountain hermit, had not remained this long in the Valley without good reason. The whole skirmish would seem to pass in slow motion before Suzume's eyes, the bandits barely reaching the ranks of a trained genin.

Seemingly out of thin air the hermit's katana would appear at her side. Seiun, the Immortal Sword, unsheathed well before the first man had reached her. With a strike of her pommel, his sword arm would go numb and the dagger would fall out of his hand as his face grimaced in brief pain. Then, it would cut his neck open. As he tumbled down, Suzume would flip her blade from a back-hand hold into a straight hold and slash the second bandit across the chest, tearing through clothes and what little makeshift armour he had. The third one would be too far out of her melee reach yet for her to follow up her assault swiftly. Instead, violent raiton chakra would strike him down and fry him to death. All that was left was the girl, a former Infinity Gang member. With a swift shake the blood would be wiped of Seiun and the blade would be sheathed before it disappeared in a puff of smoke. Three men fell dead before her eyes before they had the chance to strike. Once again, she was left alive to witness the hermit's swift judgement.

"Your cowardice saved your life today. If next we meet in similar situations, know that I will not be as forgiving."

The hermit picked up her rabbits and left the girl to her own fate.

~. :: Now :: .~

The road back home was still a distance away. The straw hat she wore protected her against the sun and hid most of her identity as she kept her eyes locked upon the road, avoiding contact with possible passing civilians. The string of rabbits thrown over her shoulder, no trace of them ever having hit the ground. Just the hermit following the road, like nothing happened.

---

1014

After investigating the perimeter, Maikumaru looked around. He heard a group approaching. Lo and behold, it was a bother group of bandits. Maikumaru had began to become even more disgusted with them. Roaches. Absolute roaches in the mountains. Maikumaru made a note that he would have to purge the mountains of this infestation. “So. You did this to our gang?”

“You know, that accusation has been thrown around. I didn't do this to your gang. However I have to applaud whoever did. They are good at cleaning out the criminal filth such as yourselves.” The three of them drew their large clubs, and were very visibly angry. Maikumaru took out his Smackeroos. His prized gauntlets, and equipped them to his hands. He wiggled his fingers around and flicked his wrists. There were only three of them, and there weren’t any bandits in the mountains that were very strong. It seems that ever since Tsuyo, under the name of Akira, had ran them out the village they had retreated to the mountains. Though, their fangs seemed to have been dulled, or the actual big game had either been killed or imprisoned.

Luckily for Maikumaru, they all seem orientated on close quarters combat. The both all rushed Maikumaru quickly. But he was ready for them, as he parried the hits with his gauntlets. They came from either side, but he was able to catch both weapons from dealing any damage. However, there was another fighter who had came from the front. He raised his Tetsubo, preparing for it to to be brought down on Maikumaru’s skull. Instead, Maikumaru, having the other two clubs in his hands, using his immense strength he brought them together to parry the large club’s attack. He pushed them away from him, gaining some space to catch his bearings. He curled his fingers to ball into a fist. He raised it high into the air, and smacked it into the ground, causing a large shockwave of energy though the ground, causing a mini earthquake. The jutsu would hinder their speed, as well as cause them damage to their legs. While the stumbled about, Maikumaru would move into action. He charged up the chakra in his fist, and launched himself forward at one of the Bandits, driving his fist deep into his skull, throwing him back a good distance. Looking at the other two, he raced forward, holding out his hands as they were getting up. He grabbed them both by their necks and lifted them up, slamming them both down to the ground. He kept his hands wrapped around their necks, waiting for the life to leave them. As they both stopped struggling Maikumaru let their dead bodies go.

Until he saw someone else approach.

It was female and she didn’t look like any of the bandits bandits that he had originally encountered. He crossed his arms and shook his head. “Oh don’t tell me...you were with these bandits and you think I did this, and you want to kill me. That seems to what’s going on. It's been what’s going on.” He started to second guess his assumptions when he looked at her. “Wait a second...you’re the one who did this.”


546/1330

Moving forward as she minded her own business, one feet placed before the other, mind wandering in simple meditation , Suzume's eyes were fixated on the road before her. The road back home was still a healthy walk ahead, the hunted rabbits dangling on the cord rested over her shoulders. The hermit bore no weapons, no tell-tale signs she was a chakra user. In fact, pretty much everything about her would have made her out to be a simple wanderer, perhaps a hunter of sorts considering her step was light yet determined. The cloak draped over her tattered brown kimono with golden trim was as simple as they came - a sleeved cotton cloak with varying shades of white, grey and light brown.

Great was the woman's surprise when someone else than her was beating up a couple of bandits in the distance. By the speed of his movement and the use of his techniques, he was a budding special jounin. A fair assumption of her to believe he was an Iwa-nin like the others she had met in the course of months, the Land of Earth remarkably devoid of ronin or shinobi of other Villages. Even then, the hermit had no business with Iwagakure's troops and was of a mind to simply continue her trek when he decided otherwise. At first, he mumbled something to himself. A strange sort of conclusion that made it seem as if Suzume was about to accuse him of something whereas she had no intention at all to even halt - shinobi business was not the sort of business a mountain hermit cared for. Then, as he focused upon her, he changed his mind and talked to her. She was the one 'who did this'.

"I'm Suzume, a mountain hermit. I"m not quite aware what exactly you are talking about though. What exactly would I have done?"

The shinobi would be replied to with an expression of confusion upon her face. Considering the hermit came from a different direction and arrived at a later time on the 'crime scene', the shinobi's derived conclusions held little sense. Even then, it was hard for a bystander to understand what the shinobi was mumbling about while he played the pronoun game and didn't clarify exactly what his concern was - disregarding the fact shinobi business was of no concern to wanderers. Quietly, serene despite the confusion, Suzume halted to hear his answer.

---

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