-Two months ter-
Pov: Kenzo
"Let me understand the logistics of what you just asked, you want me to make less bounties this year... for 80% of the money you gain this year" Kakazu looks at me like I am an idiot.
"So normally alone you make 2/4 points of 'money', but together we can make 4/4 points of money in which we split equally... in the end you will be getting 2.8/4 points of money with only doing half the amount of work you normally do" I state in all seriousness.
"I understand the more money part. Its your angle that I am confused by" he grumbles.
I do gain a reward from the system... but it also helps to get a bonus reward from Kakazu as well.
"Oh, I gain something quite important- an investment. We will both have more free time to which your end of the deal is going to be spent using it, I wish to learn the underworld and money like you do, every in and out plus a few connections as well... and if you are feeling generous we can have some extra time to train ourselves for our inevitable fight against the beasts" I offer to him and he narrows his eyes onto mine.
"Why?" He asks.
"I lost everything. I desperately want a foothold in anything... and with you? Money seems to be my best bet" I nod my head to him.
"Hm, very well- for 80% of your money I will spend some time away from my bounties to enlighten you on things..." Kakazu agrees to the terms and nods his head.
...
------
Clever Kenzo.
Reward: Knowledge.
------
?
Knowledge? Yes! Perfect, just what I wanted!
Oh the questions I could ask...
'Oorochimaru weakness/soul defences'
'What is the name of the man who killed Lord fourth?'
'what is Madara Uchihas pn?'
Or... on another note I could do something smart- the orange box has some sort of 'omnipotence' that allows him to know all of this stuff... predictions of the future based on the past.
I could theoretically skip a step and ignore the questions about my goals and instead ask this using the box's hindsight-
'What skill should I be learning next?'
If I ask about the future pns I will use my skills to build around it, but I may focus on Oorochimaru when I should have focused on Madara.
So- skip that step and get the skill I need most right now.
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I would recommend the creations of poisons... but you prefer something simple and unique.
Touch.
Make it deadly.
------
?
Make my touch deadly... and something to do with poisons- not venoms, so it would be more on the side of others touching me and getting hurt?
A great skill when combined with my array of them, something easy to hide as well considering everyone knows most of my yout... allows for a lot more training potential actually.
I can also make guesses as to why I would need that skill now more than ever, am I facing someone weak to poisons? Is one of my targets easily killed by it? lets go scroll hunting and find out.
---
Pov: Ryū
*Sm!* *Crash!* *Bang!*
Three battle-sages unch at me and kick up the earth around them, I weave lightning across my body for only a moment and then catch the first ones fist.
*Swoosh!*
Before grabbing his arm and throwing him at his two slower teammates- *Sm!* they all fall in on each other and tumble onto the ground.
"What did I say? Work as a team, you have only five minutes with this power and two of you couldn't keep up with your fastest member, allowing me to easily grab him and throw him at you both" I sigh.
"That means you- yes you! Need to slow down! A team is only as valuable as its slowest member... had you attacked me simultaneously from three sides I would have been forced to dodge rather than use that time to counter" I point specifically at the fastest member.
"Ill add some more team training to their schedules- also add some taijutsu techniques that you have been introducing... can't stay too te with them... so I will shave off an hour of basics" Akemi adjusts her notes and I walk over to look at them.
They only have 2 minutes left in them... all right, lets do some power tests.
"Alright team 4 I want to see better teamwork next time, back up again and I will stay on defence- so hit as hard as you can!" I walk over to the training grounds again as every battle sage watches the three get up again.
"Expend it all- no hesitation!" I yell and they burst into bright lightning once more before jumping at me again.
Still a little off but that's fine.
*SLAM!*
One kicks me in the chest and I slide back a few feat.
*CRASH!*
The other punches me in the thigh and I buckle under the power.
*BAM!*
And the third one raises both hands before smming them down onto my chakra reinforced wrists...
Hmmm... not enough power for this team too, an opposite problem from the beginning of this training- more efficiency and less power?
"HARDER! Hard enough to break me into several shattered selves!" I yell at them and they focus back into the combat.
*ZZzzztt!*
I reinforce my body with lightning mana, I have been training my absorbtion as well so I have almost infinite energy when facing these kids as I intake the amount they waste while letting the actual power hit me.
*SLAM* *POW!* *CRASH!* *SLAM!* *WOOSH!* *BAM!* *BOOOM!*
I also have 9 points right now... nearly back up to what I had with that organ, I probably want a K-rank skill to match with that statistic however for better lesser blessing.
*Fizzle....*
"All done?" I ask as the kids slowly trip backwards and take huge breaths, the lightning boiling them with power slowly drifting away.
"Adjust the power on team 4, it has lessened like the others down a point- probably a temporary issue we will have solved by next testing's" I ask Akemi who notes it down.
"You three sit down at the edges of the arena, team 5! Team 5 you are to begin official testing!" I call out and the group begins to move.
12 battle sages only equals four teams- team 2 to 5 is the actual genin learning while team 1 is lead by Akemi and three medical ninja- who are entirely dedicated to the battles ages and ensuring they don't blow up.
That team is learning everything they can about my lightning in order to properly contain it- often referring to my seals for guidance on using 'mana' safely.
"Ready sir!" The three chant out as they bow before me.
Kanata- who has trained day and night alongside me many times in order to perfect his lightning deflection, wrapping the right spots in lightning and smacking away any attack with power... he has trained the effeciency of his lightning to the maximum allowing him to stretch out his lightning for the full five minutes now... and when he only partially covers an area of his body he can st a lot longer.
Katsuko- who has trained almost as hard as Kanata with her sword, she has increased the power the most and has even risen to my power level in the way that her bde cleanly cuts through even the most toughest of materials... she however cannot st long enough as thirty seconds of that power is her limit- unlike Kanata she does have her chakra techniques to rely on however.
Miu- who has trained alongside the other two has started training using wires, it was a delicate process but we managed to figure out a lower power level to use that didn't slice her arm apart- she is now adjusting to higher power levels in her current training.
"Lets make this quick, all of you-" I command and suddenly they all light up.
Kanata empowers his feet and starts sprinting at me with high speeds- *Boom!* but Katsuko reaches me first and sms the sheathed bde into my side.
I absorb the hit and take the blow so I can focus on Miu who leap frogs Kanata and sshes down with an empowered wire.
*SLICE!* *SLASH!*
I duck under the first ssh and dodge to the side for the next one- I kick up some dirt and blind Katsuko temporarily while Kanata rushes up and switches his coating to his arms.
*Swooosh!* *Swish!*
He jabs forward twice in quick succession and I flicker backwards twice before lighting up my own lightning once more.
*ZZZT!*
Ssh after ssh Miu keeps me away from attacking the other two and both Katsuko and Kanata keep up their offence with great precision.
Katsuko lights up her body and flicks up the dirt around her as she rages into a multitude of dangerous attacks.
*SLASH!* *BAM!* *CRASH!*
Katsuko has improved dramatically... this team has not weakened in power like the others? Maybe my theory was right, the way I learned needed possibly many lifetimes to be good at every aspect of my techniques... while these kids would be more powerful if they focused on only one thing.
If they spread themselves too thin they will ultimately lose power as the long game is far too distant for a mortal to reach.
*Catch!* *Push!*
I catch the wrist of Katsuko and sm my palm into her stomach sending her flying out of the area.
*Catch!* *Whip!*
I catch the wire and push out Miu's lightning for my own, Orange overcomes blue and I whip the wire downwards cutting off Kanata from advancing any further.
I then slide with intense speed towards the cut off Kanata and throw him at Miu.
*SLAM!* *CRASH!*
they both spiral into the ground and fizzle the lightning... team one immediately runs over to make sure they are fine.
"Aren't you meant to be testing our skills? You just overpowered us!" Kanata groans as he gets up.
"I got what I needed. Everyone stand and listen up!" I cp my hands and everyone lines up in front of me.
"There will be major changes to your training schedules- we will no longer make you train in every possible technique but rather focus on specific aspects... listen closely for your teams:
Team 2: will focus on Speed and power, using wires will be your main focus.
Team 3: will focus on learning basic forms of mid range combat, my dart technique but more accustomed to your use.
Team 4: will focus on natural lightning regeneration and efficiency, I want your team to be able of doing at least two low css missions a day or one big mission a day.
Team 5: will be the most diverse with their own specialties... in the future I hope each of you will branch off and lead the other teams as I will try my best to make you capable special Jonin in both battle sage standards and non battle sage standards"
I finish my sentence and watch as the teams nod and take in the information, team one writing this down and Akemi adjusting her notes.
---
Pov: Shuzo
"So this is the B-rank package? The A-rank one would help one with older bones much more correct?" The man beneath me asks.
We had a conversation and yes I am using my feet instead of my hands to perform this massage... I will not go beyond B-rank right now however as I don't want to lose my legs due to not training them as much.
But B-rank? I can manage that and grant a small discount.
"Yes... but that is off sale for another few months I am afraid" I chuckle.
"Really? May I ask why?" He asks me.
"I'm lending my arms for a bit and I need them for any bigger tasks" I reply.
"Lending? You seem fine to me" He sighs out as I dig my foot into one of his muscles.
"Oh, physically for sure- its my soul that's the problem, if I see you when I get them back I will give you discount" I smile warmly.
"Hm? Soul...? I see" He nods his head in understanding and I slow down my massage.
"You... aren't some random farmer are you?" I ask.
"No, and you are not some random masseuse" He replies as if nothing is wrong.
A ninja? What is a ninja doing in this town and looking for me? I know a nickname has been going around but it cant be official investigation worthy.
"No... I am a pretty good masseuse" I state.
"Good, I have a client looking for the 'Magical Masseuse' who can make the old feel young again- just had to make sure" He ughs dryly and I look around the room in concern.
Four Iwa ninja step from the shadows and smirk as they are revealed by the dim lighting.
"Uhhh... is this a kidnapping?" I ask them.
"Technically- if you agree to come with us it won't be" They state.
...
*Flicker!*
I leap off the man and run for the Windows- jumping out of them I nd in the street and- *Woosh!*
Feel my legs freeze in... stone?
I turn around and see a ninja performing a unique jutsu, breathing out some quickly hardening material.
I can't reinforce my poke without chakra!
"You won't escape the quick lime so easy, just stop resisting would ya?" The young dy sighs as she stops breathing out the quick lime and pulls out some rope.
"The Tsuchikage won't bite I swear" She smirks and I frown.
What lies will I have to conjure to get out of this one? I wonder to myself as multiple ninja leave the building I was in and two of them pick me up as I am bound by rope.
Terrible luck- lets hope I at least get a scroll out of this... I am itching to expand my meditations.
"Tsuchikage? I am almost certain massages have nothing to do with his level of power..." I ask as they carry me away.
...
"Hello? I am kind of new to this area as the nd of fire is where I sat and stewed around for a bit... if I broke any local ws it was an honest mistake and we don't need to bother a kage with it, I am happy to pay any price or sentence that fits my crime" I tell them as they ignore me.
...
This isn't working, best thing I can do is remain silent and not say anything else- I don't want to tell them something about myself they have not learned yet.
I suppose to pass the time most efficiently I shall meditate- focus on myself.
Rex ones own mind and calm ones own body.
Feel your spirit calm down and recall all that ails you...
... only to let the pain wash away.
...
...
Breathe in- and out.
...
...
I open my eyes as soon as I feel my body dropped onto the floor, looking around I see fine hall made of stone with excellent wooden furniture, beautifully made decorations and one singur old man standing in front of me with an arched back.
"Awake? Good timing brat" He scoffs.
I am untied and I slowly rise to my knees as to sit more proper.
"Lord Tsuchikage may I ask why you have... summoned me?" I politely ask him.
No doubt about it, that's the face of the Tsuchikage that I read about in Konoha's library all those years ago.
"You have been investigated, rumours spread about your wonderous massages and my ninja can confirm your sightings with the new Hokage a few months back... are you a spy? Or a free agent not tied to any one vilge?" The Tsuchikage asks me and I take a deep breath to maintain my composure.
"I am a free agent, Lady Tsunade had asked for a massage and I was unfortunately dragged into some of her affairs" I tell him with utmost sincerity.
"Hm? Is that so?" He raises his brow with suspicion.
He needs proof? How do I get proof that can convince him when I was taken by surprise? No preparation at all...
"As you can see my arms are not working as they should... a spy would not run into enemy territory without the use of his chakra and continue to use his given name..." I tell him.
"Oh? And why are you in the nd of stone?" He asks me.
"The snake- Oorochimaru, I was forced to give him my hands... but I will have them back soon enough, I made a deal with the other two sannin and I have some other favours I am calling in to get my arms back- after that is done I am roaming around the world and rexing... I have never been to the nd of stone so I am rexing here while I wait." I offer my story and smile as warmly as I can.
...
Haaa, it is what it is, if I die this day I think I am fine with it- sorry Kenzo but I just don't have that same drive you do... I dropped it somewhere after choosing to forget about my life in Konoha.
"Very well. I will monitor you some more- if you prove to be correct... I have a job for you, if you do not..." He chuckles to himself and I internally sigh.
What job could the Tsuchikage have for me?
Thanks for reading! :)
