Fuhen had been travelling ahead of his caravan. He often sat in the first few carts, on the lookout for danger, but they were in bandit country, and so he decided to use his experience as a past bounty hunter and his sharpened senses to get ahead of any troubles, having left a few of his strong friends in charge of keeping the caravan itself safe. If he stood still, it would take about an hour for them to catch up to him, but if he ran back, it would only take a handful of seconds to rush back in the case of an emergency.
They were travelling through a wooded area, which was often prime for attacks, but the Frog was just starting to think they were safe on the home stretch. He breathed a sigh of relief far too early.
Off in the distance, four thugs armed with ramshackle weaponry and bits of metal plate strapped to themselves in a kind of armor were lying in wait, looking to ambush the first juicy target they saw, and just barely outside of the range of Fuhen's senses, for now.
On All Levels Except Physical, I Am A Hammer
*Metal banging noises intensify*
On All Levels Except Physical, I Am A Hammer
"It's so sad!" the reader said to the writer with a frown. "The character in my book just died!" The author turned to her and burst out into tears, "I know!" he said, "So did mine!"
Ninja Info CardsShow
 | Suzuko Just another girl |
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Unknown Eldritch
- Posts: 106
- Joined: Sun Nov 12, 2017 7:00 pm
On All Levels Except Physical, I Am A Hammer
'Looks like another cold day in Iron... I wish we'd get a few more warm days during the years, but I guess I'm in the wrong place for that.' Muramasa Fudo thought to himself as he made his way along the road, heading towards his forge. He had decided to pay a visit to one of the smaller mining settlements further towards the outskirts of Iron Country in order to stock up on some decent metal, having grown tired of the normal scrap metal that he had been forced to use for his creations for so long. While he has managed to forge a few decent blades, Fudo couldn't help but feel like he was reaching the limit of what he would be able to make with such subpar materials. As such, he decided to take a few days to make a trip to one of the more neutral mining settlements that did not belong to any particular family or lord, and having made some friends in the area over tha past few years, he managed to get a pretty decent price for his haul.
Of course, given his lack of resources Fudo had to deal with not only making the trip on foot, but also lugging the cart full of metal back to his home, trudging his way across the countryside as the weather slowly grew colder and colder. Still, Fudo was nothing if not determined, and even as his hands began to become damaged and his feet ached like nothing else, he did not slow down for even a moment, continuing his slow, methodic pace. Of course, not all was well as Fudo heard the sound of metal scraping against metal as somebody began to make their way out from behind some cover on the side of the road. Glancing over, Fudo quickly realized that whoever this was likely did not have his best interests at heart, as the man, with dark tan skin and greasy black hair pulled into a loose ponytail, began to approach with his weapon drawn.
A sigh escaped Fudo's lips as he quietly allowed the metal-laden cart to come to a halt, releasing his grip and placing one hand on the katana at his waist. "Heya. Don't suppose you happen to be here to help me out? Maybe give me some soup or something? It is getting a bit late, and I havent had dinner quite yet."
Of course, given his lack of resources Fudo had to deal with not only making the trip on foot, but also lugging the cart full of metal back to his home, trudging his way across the countryside as the weather slowly grew colder and colder. Still, Fudo was nothing if not determined, and even as his hands began to become damaged and his feet ached like nothing else, he did not slow down for even a moment, continuing his slow, methodic pace. Of course, not all was well as Fudo heard the sound of metal scraping against metal as somebody began to make their way out from behind some cover on the side of the road. Glancing over, Fudo quickly realized that whoever this was likely did not have his best interests at heart, as the man, with dark tan skin and greasy black hair pulled into a loose ponytail, began to approach with his weapon drawn.
A sigh escaped Fudo's lips as he quietly allowed the metal-laden cart to come to a halt, releasing his grip and placing one hand on the katana at his waist. "Heya. Don't suppose you happen to be here to help me out? Maybe give me some soup or something? It is getting a bit late, and I havent had dinner quite yet."
| Name | Color | Village | Rank | Team |
| Muramasa, Fudo | [color=#CB0000] | Iron Country | D-Rank | N/A |
| Awai, Seiza | [color=#2E2D88] | Konohagakure | Genin | ??? |
On All Levels Except Physical, I Am A Hammer
The greasy bandit laughed in a truly awful manner, a kind of guffaw that made one feel sick to the stomach. "Hahaw! Soup he says! Hear that boys?" More laughs came from trees, as the remaining bandits stepped out from behind their respective trees, each as greasy and cartoonishly villainous as the last. "Tell you what!" The first man said again as the others also readied their weapons, clearly feeling at least a little threatened by the younger man with a sword at his hip. "You give us what you got in that there cart, and we wont drink soup out of your skull!" All the men laughed once more. Except one, who whispered something in the 'leaders' ear. "You what? Well yeah, I guess the skull would make a pretty bad drinking vessel, but that's not the point!"
The laugh had alerted the Frog to the presence of others. His head turned a bit as he listened intently to the sounds, before sighing, off like a bolt of lightning into the trees. Fuhen was by no means an expert at stealth, but with levels of body control like he had, it became difficult to not at least be able to sneak up on normal riff-raff. He reached the source of the noise in a matter of seconds, sitting on a branch lazily as he looked down at the scene.
The bandits didn't seem like anything special, and the man they were assaulting had a sword on his hip. Fuhen didn't have much of a hero complex, and when it came to his people of the minor countries, he believed in letting them at least try to fight their own fight, so he settled more comfortably above the scene and watched the mugging play out. He'd step in if it got too dangerous, of course, but he had to sate his curiosity of the young man's strength.
The laugh had alerted the Frog to the presence of others. His head turned a bit as he listened intently to the sounds, before sighing, off like a bolt of lightning into the trees. Fuhen was by no means an expert at stealth, but with levels of body control like he had, it became difficult to not at least be able to sneak up on normal riff-raff. He reached the source of the noise in a matter of seconds, sitting on a branch lazily as he looked down at the scene.
The bandits didn't seem like anything special, and the man they were assaulting had a sword on his hip. Fuhen didn't have much of a hero complex, and when it came to his people of the minor countries, he believed in letting them at least try to fight their own fight, so he settled more comfortably above the scene and watched the mugging play out. He'd step in if it got too dangerous, of course, but he had to sate his curiosity of the young man's strength.
"It's so sad!" the reader said to the writer with a frown. "The character in my book just died!" The author turned to her and burst out into tears, "I know!" he said, "So did mine!"
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| Suzuko Just another girl |
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Unknown Eldritch
- Posts: 106
- Joined: Sun Nov 12, 2017 7:00 pm
On All Levels Except Physical, I Am A Hammer
"Really? Are you really sure you want to do this?" Fudo tightened his grip on his sword as he spoke, slowly falling into a stance as he gripped his scabbard with his free hand. His eyes flickered from one bandit to the next, taking in their ramshackle armor and shoddy weapons. Fudo's mouth twisted into a grimace at the poor display of craftsmanship, and even worse display at weapon maintenance before him. 'The leader seems to be pretty confident wielding that sword of his, if I assume that the smith who crafted the blade wasn't one of any particular skill... Yep, looks like some pretty prominent fault points I could target. Might as well try to neutralize them with a strong show of skill, I should stay confident so that they don't realize how little combat experience I have. Looks like the one in the back has a sword as well, same targets to break the blade if I need to, but hopefully I can scare them off. The one by the leader's left has a spear, not as certain about the faults on them but... That should serve as a good target. The last one is wielding a hammer though, and I have no clue about that weapon... Oh well, i'll figure something out.'
As Fudo gripped his sword, he tensed briefly before shooting forward, pushing his body to the limit as he swiftly drew his blade, making a swift attack targetting the leader and delivering a harsh strike against his weapon's foible. While Fudo would have targeted the wielder of the weapon in a normal situation, at the moment he was outnumbered and preferred to make a show of force to try to drive them off, or at the very least make them hesitate. Thankfully, using a combination of his fledgling skill in Iaido and his knowledge and experience as a smith, he should be able to make an adequate display.
As Fudo gripped his sword, he tensed briefly before shooting forward, pushing his body to the limit as he swiftly drew his blade, making a swift attack targetting the leader and delivering a harsh strike against his weapon's foible. While Fudo would have targeted the wielder of the weapon in a normal situation, at the moment he was outnumbered and preferred to make a show of force to try to drive them off, or at the very least make them hesitate. Thankfully, using a combination of his fledgling skill in Iaido and his knowledge and experience as a smith, he should be able to make an adequate display.
Techniques UsedShow
*[Iaido • Ancestral Focus]
D-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
The hallmark of Iaido is its practitioners abilities to launch an attack even when their swords are sheathed. This Discipline represents the practitioner's capacity to consistently execute a sword draw and slash all in one movement by gripping the edge of the scabbard and pulling the scabbard slightly forward before drawing the sword. This Discipline enables the practitioner to immediately draw their sword and attack at the start of combat.
[Weapons Crafting • Refined Faults]
C-rank Weapon Crafting Discipline
Perfectly crafted weapons are rare, few and far between. A highly skilled smith is able to recognize and strike effectively against the weak points in other weapons during armed conflict. At this level, striking against these weak points reduces the structural integrity of the equipment in question by -6, requiring less strength to break or destroy them.
D-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
The hallmark of Iaido is its practitioners abilities to launch an attack even when their swords are sheathed. This Discipline represents the practitioner's capacity to consistently execute a sword draw and slash all in one movement by gripping the edge of the scabbard and pulling the scabbard slightly forward before drawing the sword. This Discipline enables the practitioner to immediately draw their sword and attack at the start of combat.
[Weapons Crafting • Refined Faults]
C-rank Weapon Crafting Discipline
Perfectly crafted weapons are rare, few and far between. A highly skilled smith is able to recognize and strike effectively against the weak points in other weapons during armed conflict. At this level, striking against these weak points reduces the structural integrity of the equipment in question by -6, requiring less strength to break or destroy them.
| Name | Color | Village | Rank | Team |
| Muramasa, Fudo | [color=#CB0000] | Iron Country | D-Rank | N/A |
| Awai, Seiza | [color=#2E2D88] | Konohagakure | Genin | ??? |
On All Levels Except Physical, I Am A Hammer
As Fudo readied his strike, Fuhen's brow raised, and he leaned forward a bit. He wasn't a practitioner of Iaido himself, but it was perhaps one of the most common sword styles there was the world over, not to mention one of the most common in Tea country where he'd spent quite a lot of time in his youth. It was recognizable, which meant that the young redheaded boy at least had some basic training, and was willing to try defending himself.
Fudo was definitely slow by the Shogun's standards, but he was quick for a civilian, impressively so. When his strike came out, Fuhen made an audible "Ooh..." as he realized he was striking the weapon, rather than its wielder. The strike came moments later, the 'shing' of metal sheering metal unmistakable as the lead bandit's poorly made sword was sliced in twain. "Wha-?" The bandit managed to get out as the second part of his sword spun off into the snow.
There was silence for a few moments, as the leader brought his broken sword up to his face, inspecting it. "You bastard! Now I've gotta take your sword, to replace mine! Get 'em, boys!" More silence. "Eh? I said, get 'em!" He repeated. "Oh, right, us." The one with a spear said. Then, the other three let out threatening war cries as they carefully advanced, weapons poised at the ready. Given his reach, the one with the spear was the first one to strike out, making an experimental jab, giving the other two an opportunity to get in close enough to use their weapons.
Fuhen's curiosity was mostly sated. Taking on multiple opponents was his specialty, and not usually the specialty of a dueling style like Iaido. A small burst of his flowery pink chakra and his oversized Tokoshi sheath appeared next to him, alongside the dark katana blades of Ichor, and the starling blue of Succubus, floating in the air next to him, poised to strike. He wasn't going to interrupt yet, though. His show had only just started to hit the climax.
Fudo was definitely slow by the Shogun's standards, but he was quick for a civilian, impressively so. When his strike came out, Fuhen made an audible "Ooh..." as he realized he was striking the weapon, rather than its wielder. The strike came moments later, the 'shing' of metal sheering metal unmistakable as the lead bandit's poorly made sword was sliced in twain. "Wha-?" The bandit managed to get out as the second part of his sword spun off into the snow.
There was silence for a few moments, as the leader brought his broken sword up to his face, inspecting it. "You bastard! Now I've gotta take your sword, to replace mine! Get 'em, boys!" More silence. "Eh? I said, get 'em!" He repeated. "Oh, right, us." The one with a spear said. Then, the other three let out threatening war cries as they carefully advanced, weapons poised at the ready. Given his reach, the one with the spear was the first one to strike out, making an experimental jab, giving the other two an opportunity to get in close enough to use their weapons.
Fuhen's curiosity was mostly sated. Taking on multiple opponents was his specialty, and not usually the specialty of a dueling style like Iaido. A small burst of his flowery pink chakra and his oversized Tokoshi sheath appeared next to him, alongside the dark katana blades of Ichor, and the starling blue of Succubus, floating in the air next to him, poised to strike. He wasn't going to interrupt yet, though. His show had only just started to hit the climax.
"It's so sad!" the reader said to the writer with a frown. "The character in my book just died!" The author turned to her and burst out into tears, "I know!" he said, "So did mine!"
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| Suzuko Just another girl |
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Unknown Eldritch
- Posts: 106
- Joined: Sun Nov 12, 2017 7:00 pm
On All Levels Except Physical, I Am A Hammer
Mentally grimacing at the reaction that the bandits had to his action, he settled himself into a stance, preparing to fight. Given their numbers, the best things that Fudo could do to try to survive would be to either seperate them and take them on one at a time, or to get close enough that their numbers would only get in the way, prompting them to risk attacking each other. The problem with the first idea was that Fudo did not have any particularly powerful or flashy techniques to use to seperate them, so he would be relying solely on outmaneuvering the bandits. While he was fairly fast and had enough stamina to do it for a while, it would be far more tiring for him than it would be for the bandits themselves, making it much more likely that he would make a mistake that would lead to him being injured or worse.
On the other hand, getting into close quarters would be more likely to work, but it would be far more risky. Fudo would need to place himself close enough that there would need to be a risk of the bandits getting in each other's way, and while he likes to think that he isn't the worst at keeping his senses open, he is still a smith at heart, and it would be more likely that he would be hit from an attack from behind, especially given his lack of training in evasive maneuvering. However, this tactic would also show a measure of confidence in his own skills, and if Fudo managed to take out one or two of the bandits, it may be enough to drive the others away, though expecting self-preservation from a group of bandits who chose to rob a person with a sword in Iron Country of all places, may be expecting too much.
Taking a brief moment to run over his options, Fudo came to a decision, rushing forward to get close. With his sword already drawn he would have to stick to the basics instead of utilizing Iaido, but that should be more than enough. Getting close, Fudo used the scabbard in his off-hand to knock the spear coming his way off-course, moving along the length of the spear to place himself out of danger of its tip while closing in on the wielder. Figuring that the spear-wielder's reaction would likely be to still try to use the spear despite the disadvantageous positioning, Fudo instead decided to direct his immediate attention towards the hammer-wielder, making sure to still keep the spear-wielder in his vision even as his turned his attention to lash out with a slash aimed at the hammer-wielder's legs.
On the other hand, getting into close quarters would be more likely to work, but it would be far more risky. Fudo would need to place himself close enough that there would need to be a risk of the bandits getting in each other's way, and while he likes to think that he isn't the worst at keeping his senses open, he is still a smith at heart, and it would be more likely that he would be hit from an attack from behind, especially given his lack of training in evasive maneuvering. However, this tactic would also show a measure of confidence in his own skills, and if Fudo managed to take out one or two of the bandits, it may be enough to drive the others away, though expecting self-preservation from a group of bandits who chose to rob a person with a sword in Iron Country of all places, may be expecting too much.
Taking a brief moment to run over his options, Fudo came to a decision, rushing forward to get close. With his sword already drawn he would have to stick to the basics instead of utilizing Iaido, but that should be more than enough. Getting close, Fudo used the scabbard in his off-hand to knock the spear coming his way off-course, moving along the length of the spear to place himself out of danger of its tip while closing in on the wielder. Figuring that the spear-wielder's reaction would likely be to still try to use the spear despite the disadvantageous positioning, Fudo instead decided to direct his immediate attention towards the hammer-wielder, making sure to still keep the spear-wielder in his vision even as his turned his attention to lash out with a slash aimed at the hammer-wielder's legs.
| Name | Color | Village | Rank | Team |
| Muramasa, Fudo | [color=#CB0000] | Iron Country | D-Rank | N/A |
| Awai, Seiza | [color=#2E2D88] | Konohagakure | Genin | ??? |
On All Levels Except Physical, I Am A Hammer
Fuhen raised his fists up, silently cheering for the younger boy. "Tha's right, get 'em!" He really wished he had a friend with him to place bets on who would win. The spear bandit, obviously untrained in proper usage of the spear, attempted to strongarm Fudo's deflection, though his strength was not on par, resulting in him maybe able to move Fudo around a bit, but not overtake him. He had remembered to take into account the hammer wielder as well, aiming for a debilitating blow, rather than a killing one. Masterful in its own right!
Unfortunately, the fourth bandit, a second sword wielder, had gone forgotten. Fighting so many opponents at once wasn't an easy task, and even the most seasoned veterans tended to tunnel vision once adrenaline got ahold of them. He was hidden behind the man with the spear, and didn't really become fully visible until the spearman finally retracted his weapon, getting ready to aim for another stab, while the swordsman went in for a mighty overhead slice. Just as Fudo's katana would sweep contact with the hammerman's legs, effectively disabling him, the swordsman's sword was mere inches away from his skull...
Fuhen snapped his fingers, disappointed. He had bet on the losing horse! As blood began to roll down the hammer wielders legs and he fell to the ground, howling in pain, the long Katana succubus shot out, still in its scabbard, flying as if of its own accord, smacking the swordsman in the head. There was no follow through, only the sudden contact, and the katana was left floating in the air. Had it kept going, the speed and strength it moved at likely would have left a hole in his skull. Likewise, The massive Tokoshi sheath and the dual hilts of Ichor picked their targets, smacking the weaponless leader in the stomach hard enough to knock him back and out, and hitting the spearman in the throat, all blunt, less-than-lethal blows.
The frog stepped down from the branches, landing in the snow with a soft thud, and casually walking over to the scene. As he did, the rope wrapped tightly around Tokoshi began to unravel, one of the katana inside of it freeing itself to cut off segments, rapidly tying up all the bandits, including the bleeding hammer wielder. He didn't want to kill them, but he couldn't let them just sit in the snow until they woke up, either, or else they'd give others trouble down the road. They'd be turned into a bounty office at earliest convenience.
"Good try, young'un!" The frog finally said, his loud voice bouncing about. "Not an easy fight, that!" His smile beamed, like a proud older brother. "Bad piece o' country to be travelin' about in by yerself though, t'be sure."
Unfortunately, the fourth bandit, a second sword wielder, had gone forgotten. Fighting so many opponents at once wasn't an easy task, and even the most seasoned veterans tended to tunnel vision once adrenaline got ahold of them. He was hidden behind the man with the spear, and didn't really become fully visible until the spearman finally retracted his weapon, getting ready to aim for another stab, while the swordsman went in for a mighty overhead slice. Just as Fudo's katana would sweep contact with the hammerman's legs, effectively disabling him, the swordsman's sword was mere inches away from his skull...
Fuhen snapped his fingers, disappointed. He had bet on the losing horse! As blood began to roll down the hammer wielders legs and he fell to the ground, howling in pain, the long Katana succubus shot out, still in its scabbard, flying as if of its own accord, smacking the swordsman in the head. There was no follow through, only the sudden contact, and the katana was left floating in the air. Had it kept going, the speed and strength it moved at likely would have left a hole in his skull. Likewise, The massive Tokoshi sheath and the dual hilts of Ichor picked their targets, smacking the weaponless leader in the stomach hard enough to knock him back and out, and hitting the spearman in the throat, all blunt, less-than-lethal blows.
The frog stepped down from the branches, landing in the snow with a soft thud, and casually walking over to the scene. As he did, the rope wrapped tightly around Tokoshi began to unravel, one of the katana inside of it freeing itself to cut off segments, rapidly tying up all the bandits, including the bleeding hammer wielder. He didn't want to kill them, but he couldn't let them just sit in the snow until they woke up, either, or else they'd give others trouble down the road. They'd be turned into a bounty office at earliest convenience.
"Good try, young'un!" The frog finally said, his loud voice bouncing about. "Not an easy fight, that!" His smile beamed, like a proud older brother. "Bad piece o' country to be travelin' about in by yerself though, t'be sure."
"It's so sad!" the reader said to the writer with a frown. "The character in my book just died!" The author turned to her and burst out into tears, "I know!" he said, "So did mine!"
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| Suzuko Just another girl |
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Unknown Eldritch
- Posts: 106
- Joined: Sun Nov 12, 2017 7:00 pm
On All Levels Except Physical, I Am A Hammer
Fudo jolted in place, hearing the heavy sound of an impact from behind him. Taking his attention off of the hammer-wielding bandit for a moment, Fudo spun around to see the second sword-wielder crumbling to the ground, a sword seemingly floating in the air in his place. Then, in a rapid sequence of events that Fudo could barely keep track of he watched as one by one, each of the bandits was disabled. Fudo looked around in confusion, trying to put together what had just happened, only to see a very tall man with black hair hop down from the branches of a nearby tree, walking in his direction. Fudo stared blankly, trying to process the rapid series of events that had occurred, only to see a rope wrapped around the man seeming to unravel itself, moving in the direction of the bandits and tying them up.
As the man spoke, Fudo shook his head, finally managing to steady himself enough to actually understand that the man before him helped, and was now speaking to him. A relaxed smile crawled across Fudo's features as the loud man's voice echoed through the area. "Ah, thanks for the assist, I probably wouldn't have been able to handle that on my own. Not particularly skilled in combat yet you see." Fudo glanced back at his cart with a sigh. "Yeah, I know that it's not all that safe to be travelling on your own out here, but I didn't really have much of an option. Not enough money to pay for it to be delivered, and definitely not enough money to get someone to escort me. Really though, I appreciate the help. The name's Fudo, pleasure to meet you." Fudo held out his hand for a shake as he smiled at the man before him.
As the man spoke, Fudo shook his head, finally managing to steady himself enough to actually understand that the man before him helped, and was now speaking to him. A relaxed smile crawled across Fudo's features as the loud man's voice echoed through the area. "Ah, thanks for the assist, I probably wouldn't have been able to handle that on my own. Not particularly skilled in combat yet you see." Fudo glanced back at his cart with a sigh. "Yeah, I know that it's not all that safe to be travelling on your own out here, but I didn't really have much of an option. Not enough money to pay for it to be delivered, and definitely not enough money to get someone to escort me. Really though, I appreciate the help. The name's Fudo, pleasure to meet you." Fudo held out his hand for a shake as he smiled at the man before him.
| Name | Color | Village | Rank | Team |
| Muramasa, Fudo | [color=#CB0000] | Iron Country | D-Rank | N/A |
| Awai, Seiza | [color=#2E2D88] | Konohagakure | Genin | ??? |
On All Levels Except Physical, I Am A Hammer
Fuhen let out a gentle chuckle, the young man seemed to be all business, and something about that tickled him. "If'n ye can't afford t'protect yerself, methinks ye can't afford to do business! What are ye, some sorta... iron merchant?" He said, peeking over the young man to look at his cart, before pulling his gaze back down to look the young man in the eye. "Fuhen!" He replied, taking his hand, forgoing all the titles that had been put on him. The frog was somewhat famous to minor country folks, but news only travelled so far, it was unlikely the young iron country man knew of him, unless international news was something he paid attention to.
His grip was gentle, though if Fudo knew how to read a body, it would become clear this was by choice. He shook the mans hand up and down a couple of times, happy to have someone doing the less formal to him these days. As the shake broke, he casually moved his hand, palm out to his Tokoshi sheath. "I'm not sure where yer headed pal, but my group is coming along this way, if you'd like, you can travel with us until ye get closer to wherever yer headed." With a flashy display of flower petals, the bundle of swords disappeared back into his soul, the special blades still remaining floating in the air.
His grip was gentle, though if Fudo knew how to read a body, it would become clear this was by choice. He shook the mans hand up and down a couple of times, happy to have someone doing the less formal to him these days. As the shake broke, he casually moved his hand, palm out to his Tokoshi sheath. "I'm not sure where yer headed pal, but my group is coming along this way, if you'd like, you can travel with us until ye get closer to wherever yer headed." With a flashy display of flower petals, the bundle of swords disappeared back into his soul, the special blades still remaining floating in the air.
"It's so sad!" the reader said to the writer with a frown. "The character in my book just died!" The author turned to her and burst out into tears, "I know!" he said, "So did mine!"
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| Suzuko Just another girl |
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Unknown Eldritch
- Posts: 106
- Joined: Sun Nov 12, 2017 7:00 pm
On All Levels Except Physical, I Am A Hammer
Fudo chuckled, shaking hands with the man, Fuhen. "Nah, I'm a blacksmith. Nobody was willing to take a chance to take me as an apprentice when I was looking to learn, so I decided to teach myself. Unfortunately, that comes with a couple downsides, including not having the financial support that most smiths have. It took me years to save up enough money for even a cheap workshop, now most of my funds that don't go towards the essentials go towards buying materials. It's... a long story, to be honest." Fudo found himself a bit surprised by how gentle the man's grip was considering the combat prowess that he saw, but shrugged it off without a second thought, all words leaving his mind as his eyes locked onto the masterwork weapons that he saw floating in the air by Fuhen.
Fudo stared blankly for several long seconds, eyes wide as he struggled to find the words to say. "Are... are those your blades? They... they're incredible. Easily the most well-made weapons I've seen... well, ever." Fudo's eyes traced over the trio of weapons, his gaze following the serration of the twin blades before flickering over to the katana, the ornate sheathe catching his eye as he imagined how the blade looked underneath. His hand twitched slightly as he barely managed to restrain his urge to grab one of them to study it. "Who forged them? What are the names of the blades? What kind of materials were used? They seem far more... potent than other weapons, do they have any unique abilities? How long did they take to forge? How long have you had them?" Fudo's mind raced with thoughts, barely even aware that he was speaking as his eyes greedily drank in the sight of the beautiful weapons.
Fudo stared blankly for several long seconds, eyes wide as he struggled to find the words to say. "Are... are those your blades? They... they're incredible. Easily the most well-made weapons I've seen... well, ever." Fudo's eyes traced over the trio of weapons, his gaze following the serration of the twin blades before flickering over to the katana, the ornate sheathe catching his eye as he imagined how the blade looked underneath. His hand twitched slightly as he barely managed to restrain his urge to grab one of them to study it. "Who forged them? What are the names of the blades? What kind of materials were used? They seem far more... potent than other weapons, do they have any unique abilities? How long did they take to forge? How long have you had them?" Fudo's mind raced with thoughts, barely even aware that he was speaking as his eyes greedily drank in the sight of the beautiful weapons.
| Name | Color | Village | Rank | Team |
| Muramasa, Fudo | [color=#CB0000] | Iron Country | D-Rank | N/A |
| Awai, Seiza | [color=#2E2D88] | Konohagakure | Genin | ??? |
On All Levels Except Physical, I Am A Hammer
The frog listened to the man's story and in many ways, felt a connection to him. While blacksmithing had never been his passion, he had a very similar experience when it came to being a samurai. It didn't help that River was not known for its samurai by any stretch, and didn't have its own recognizable sword style that would inspire people to open their own dojos. Nobody was there to take him as their vassal, except perhaps down in the capital, but the idea of vassalizing himself to the bastards that supported the corrupt daimyo made him sick to his stomach.
He was busy doing a lot of internal reminiscing when Fudo started fanboying. He shook himself out of his thoughts, and tried to answer the boys questions, but they flowed out so fast, there seemed to be no stopping him! He held up his hands placatingly, trying to get him to slow down, and as he finally asked the last of his questions, he finally let out a deep belly laugh.
"Ahaha! The epitome o' a blacksmith, aren't you?" He said, wiping a tear from his eye as both Succubus and the twin blades of Ichor floated over next to him. He grabbed Succubus out of the air, holding it in both palms, and very ceremoniously handing it to the boy to let him inspect it. "Careful, she's 'eavier than she looks, and you'll never find a blade sharper..." The look of wonder in the boy's eyes warmed something inside Fuhen he hadn't felt in awhile.
"This is Succubus, the shinobi killer." He said simply. "All o' my weapons, exceptin' the bundle of Katana I put away are... Well, they're not traditionally made, sorry to disappoint." He gave a smile as the boy investigated the blade. "I forged it, I suppose. It took over twenty years as it was toiled inside my heart. Succubus is made of many things. Love, jealousy, but I'm not sure it could be considered steel." He laughed a bit more. "Tell you what, if I'm ever stupid enough to break it, I'll let you see if you can reforge a piece of my soul."
He was busy doing a lot of internal reminiscing when Fudo started fanboying. He shook himself out of his thoughts, and tried to answer the boys questions, but they flowed out so fast, there seemed to be no stopping him! He held up his hands placatingly, trying to get him to slow down, and as he finally asked the last of his questions, he finally let out a deep belly laugh.
"Ahaha! The epitome o' a blacksmith, aren't you?" He said, wiping a tear from his eye as both Succubus and the twin blades of Ichor floated over next to him. He grabbed Succubus out of the air, holding it in both palms, and very ceremoniously handing it to the boy to let him inspect it. "Careful, she's 'eavier than she looks, and you'll never find a blade sharper..." The look of wonder in the boy's eyes warmed something inside Fuhen he hadn't felt in awhile.
"This is Succubus, the shinobi killer." He said simply. "All o' my weapons, exceptin' the bundle of Katana I put away are... Well, they're not traditionally made, sorry to disappoint." He gave a smile as the boy investigated the blade. "I forged it, I suppose. It took over twenty years as it was toiled inside my heart. Succubus is made of many things. Love, jealousy, but I'm not sure it could be considered steel." He laughed a bit more. "Tell you what, if I'm ever stupid enough to break it, I'll let you see if you can reforge a piece of my soul."
"It's so sad!" the reader said to the writer with a frown. "The character in my book just died!" The author turned to her and burst out into tears, "I know!" he said, "So did mine!"
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| Suzuko Just another girl |
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Unknown Eldritch
- Posts: 106
- Joined: Sun Nov 12, 2017 7:00 pm
On All Levels Except Physical, I Am A Hammer
Fudo's eyes were wide with fascination as Fuhen handed Succubus to him, taking it gently into both hands. Thanks to Fuhen's warning, Fudo managed to brace himself so that he was prepared for the weight, and as he held it in his hands, Fudo quietly analyzed the still-sheathed weapon, measurements, observations, and ideas racing through his mind at an incredible rate. As his eyes traced over the sheathe, he slowly grapsed the handle, unsheathing it slightly to get a look at the blade. As he did so, Fudo's mind bloomed with ideas, taking in Fuhen's words as he stared at the exposed blade with a borderline religious fervor, amber eyes burning with ambition.
"This... this blade is incredible. You say it's made of love and jealousy, does that mean you manifested it from immaterial concepts?" As Fuhen mentioned Fudo having the opportunity to try reforging it if it ever broke, his amber eyes shot up to meet Fuhen's. "A piece of your soul? So you seperated a piece of you very being and manifested it into the physical world as a weapon... This... This gives me so many ideas. Thank you for the offer, I would be honored to have the chance to reforge it should it break. I might not be at that level yet... but I will be. Eventually." Fudo spent a few seconds longer gazing at the exposed blade, before slowly sheathing it once more, offering it back to Fuhen.
"Heh, I'm worried that if I look at it for too much longer I won't be able to stop. Thank you for the opportunity to inspect it, it's a truly inspiring piece of work and the fact that it is a part of your soul says a lot about who you are as a person." Fudo's intensely focused expression softened a bit into a warm smile.
"This... this blade is incredible. You say it's made of love and jealousy, does that mean you manifested it from immaterial concepts?" As Fuhen mentioned Fudo having the opportunity to try reforging it if it ever broke, his amber eyes shot up to meet Fuhen's. "A piece of your soul? So you seperated a piece of you very being and manifested it into the physical world as a weapon... This... This gives me so many ideas. Thank you for the offer, I would be honored to have the chance to reforge it should it break. I might not be at that level yet... but I will be. Eventually." Fudo spent a few seconds longer gazing at the exposed blade, before slowly sheathing it once more, offering it back to Fuhen.
"Heh, I'm worried that if I look at it for too much longer I won't be able to stop. Thank you for the opportunity to inspect it, it's a truly inspiring piece of work and the fact that it is a part of your soul says a lot about who you are as a person." Fudo's intensely focused expression softened a bit into a warm smile.
| Name | Color | Village | Rank | Team |
| Muramasa, Fudo | [color=#CB0000] | Iron Country | D-Rank | N/A |
| Awai, Seiza | [color=#2E2D88] | Konohagakure | Genin | ??? |
On All Levels Except Physical, I Am A Hammer
The Shogun's eyes watched Fudo's bodily movements with great interest, the same way one would appraise an Olympic athlete. He didn't know all of the specifics, but there was a certain 'feel' you got from a fighter, and it wasn't some magical effect, but rather the way they carried themselves, the way their eyes moved, and the way their muscles tensed in reaction to certain stimuli. He was memorizing the 'feel' he was getting from this young bladesmith, it was one he intended to look for again when he needed a proper smith for his forces.
"Tha's right, Fudo." He confirmed. "I'm not like you, it's not a skillful thing..." He looked almost sad as he said that. He couldn't control when the weapons came, in fact just the opposite, they seemed to come free from his soul when he lost control and his emotions got the best of him. "A priest friend o' mine once said that my warrior spirit is too powerful to be contained within my body, and so it makes these to exert its will even further." He said it very dramatically, his hand trailing the skyline like he was showing some big picture...
Then his smile returned, and he let out a much more joyful laugh. "I'm nae sure about all that, but when they write songs about me, it sounds cool!" Another raucous laugh filled the treeline. As the blade was offered back to him, he accepted it back with the same amount of ceremony as he offered it with, bowing his head before it disappeared in another burst of flower petals. He looked over at Ichor, then at Fudo, and shook his head. "Bes' not to touch these ones, they're... From a much darker place. Ichor, slayer o' man..." And gave a few moments to let Fudo look at them from a slight distance, before likewise they disappeared in a burst of his pink chakra.
He put a hand on the shorter man's head, ruffling his hair. "We all start somewhere, boyo." He pulled his hand back, giving him a thumbs up, which looked quite dorky. "Never lose that spark, and you'll be forging blades for kings in no time!" Fuhen snapped his fingers, and one of his sixty katana contained with his Tokoshi burst free from his soul. Unlike his special weapons, these were forged by a master craftsman, unique only in their quality, though nowhere near the impossible quality of Succubus and Ichor. He held it by the back of the blade, much more casually holding it out to the boy. "Hold onto this, will ya? Just replace it with something better the next time we meet, eh?"
"Tha's right, Fudo." He confirmed. "I'm not like you, it's not a skillful thing..." He looked almost sad as he said that. He couldn't control when the weapons came, in fact just the opposite, they seemed to come free from his soul when he lost control and his emotions got the best of him. "A priest friend o' mine once said that my warrior spirit is too powerful to be contained within my body, and so it makes these to exert its will even further." He said it very dramatically, his hand trailing the skyline like he was showing some big picture...
Then his smile returned, and he let out a much more joyful laugh. "I'm nae sure about all that, but when they write songs about me, it sounds cool!" Another raucous laugh filled the treeline. As the blade was offered back to him, he accepted it back with the same amount of ceremony as he offered it with, bowing his head before it disappeared in another burst of flower petals. He looked over at Ichor, then at Fudo, and shook his head. "Bes' not to touch these ones, they're... From a much darker place. Ichor, slayer o' man..." And gave a few moments to let Fudo look at them from a slight distance, before likewise they disappeared in a burst of his pink chakra.
He put a hand on the shorter man's head, ruffling his hair. "We all start somewhere, boyo." He pulled his hand back, giving him a thumbs up, which looked quite dorky. "Never lose that spark, and you'll be forging blades for kings in no time!" Fuhen snapped his fingers, and one of his sixty katana contained with his Tokoshi burst free from his soul. Unlike his special weapons, these were forged by a master craftsman, unique only in their quality, though nowhere near the impossible quality of Succubus and Ichor. He held it by the back of the blade, much more casually holding it out to the boy. "Hold onto this, will ya? Just replace it with something better the next time we meet, eh?"
"It's so sad!" the reader said to the writer with a frown. "The character in my book just died!" The author turned to her and burst out into tears, "I know!" he said, "So did mine!"
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| Suzuko Just another girl |
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Unknown Eldritch
- Posts: 106
- Joined: Sun Nov 12, 2017 7:00 pm
On All Levels Except Physical, I Am A Hammer
When it comes to reading facial expressions and body language, Fudo would be the first to admit that he is pretty bad at it, but when Fuhen was talking about how his weapons didn't come from skill, he couldn't keep the small frown from finding its way onto his face. For somebody whose soul took the form of these beautiful weapons, regardless of how they came about, to talk about his supposed 'lack of skill' in that manner... His brow furrowed thoughtfully, taking in the man's words and parsing them over in his mind. When Fuhen offered one of his blades to him, Fudo could tell that as well-made as it was, it didn't hold a candle to the blades that he now knew were pieces of the man's soul, which only solidified his resolve. Accepting the proffered blade, he nodded thankfully.
"Thank you, I will make sure that I forge a blade to surpass this one, and it will be yours. But Fuhen?" Fudo paused briefly, locking eyes with Fuhen with a steely glint in his eyes. "All smiths forge their blades differently. Even if two smiths use the exact same method to create identical swords, there will always be at least a slight difference between them. That applies on a broader scale as well, some smiths use methods to forge that are unorthodox, but that doesn't make their work any less valid. No matter how they came about, these weapons were crafted from your very soul, so don't assume that my basic-level smithing is even the slightest bit better than how your weapons came about, your way of forging them was just more unorthodox than most methods. That doesn't make the weapons themselves any less incredible." Normally, Fudo would not be quite so... blunt with his words, but the act that Fuhen didn't seem to grasp this concept and seemed to look poorly on the way his blades were created offended Fudo's pride as a smith.
"Got it?"
"Thank you, I will make sure that I forge a blade to surpass this one, and it will be yours. But Fuhen?" Fudo paused briefly, locking eyes with Fuhen with a steely glint in his eyes. "All smiths forge their blades differently. Even if two smiths use the exact same method to create identical swords, there will always be at least a slight difference between them. That applies on a broader scale as well, some smiths use methods to forge that are unorthodox, but that doesn't make their work any less valid. No matter how they came about, these weapons were crafted from your very soul, so don't assume that my basic-level smithing is even the slightest bit better than how your weapons came about, your way of forging them was just more unorthodox than most methods. That doesn't make the weapons themselves any less incredible." Normally, Fudo would not be quite so... blunt with his words, but the act that Fuhen didn't seem to grasp this concept and seemed to look poorly on the way his blades were created offended Fudo's pride as a smith.
"Got it?"
| Name | Color | Village | Rank | Team |
| Muramasa, Fudo | [color=#CB0000] | Iron Country | D-Rank | N/A |
| Awai, Seiza | [color=#2E2D88] | Konohagakure | Genin | ??? |
On All Levels Except Physical, I Am A Hammer
Fuhen quirked a brow as he listened to the young man lecture him like a wise old sage. Gradually, his smile widened more and more, until he burst out into further laughter. He laughed long and hard, and with the amount of time that had passed with their conversation and the small confrontation, the sound of wagon wheels could be heard from the road behind them, the Shogun's caravan finally catching up with them. A man and a woman ran forwards from the lead caravan, the woman was dressed in full samurai battle regalia, while the man was quite sickly looking, dressed in a heavy black cloak.
The frogman finished his laughter, wiping another tear from his eye. Catching his breath, he turned to face the two that ran up, smiling warmly at them. "Would y'mind throwin' these four in the locked wagon? The kid's with me. Thank ya!" It was a casual request, and yet the two of them bowed silently and carried it out as if it was divine direction. "Yer an interestin' one, Fudo!" He said, returning his attention back to his younger friend. "I'm lookin' fer great tings from ye!"
He turned his back and struck a dramatic pose, like one might see in traditional theater. "The sound of hammerblows ring through the mountains as we find the visage of an elder smith, working on his greatest craft..." His voice had deepened, strong river country accent all but disappeared, and his pose changed dramatically. "His own soul hardened in the forge of his fires, and yet, what great works will he unleash upon the world?" The pose slowly dropped... And he turned back to the young smith with a huge grin on his face.
"Aye! You'll be big, I can see it now! I've got a couple promises to fulfill, otherwise we could sit and chat all day. Another time! If'n ye'd like a break..." He pointed to the heavily armored samurai woman. "Ask Shimi there to load your goods up on one of the wagons for a bit. Yer welcome to ride with us until our paths diverge, Fudo!" He gave the young boy a mock salute with two fingers, walking backwards, before taking off at a leisurely jog towards the middle of the train of wagons, several children poking their heads out the side of the wagon, clearly excited to see the older man.
The frogman finished his laughter, wiping another tear from his eye. Catching his breath, he turned to face the two that ran up, smiling warmly at them. "Would y'mind throwin' these four in the locked wagon? The kid's with me. Thank ya!" It was a casual request, and yet the two of them bowed silently and carried it out as if it was divine direction. "Yer an interestin' one, Fudo!" He said, returning his attention back to his younger friend. "I'm lookin' fer great tings from ye!"
He turned his back and struck a dramatic pose, like one might see in traditional theater. "The sound of hammerblows ring through the mountains as we find the visage of an elder smith, working on his greatest craft..." His voice had deepened, strong river country accent all but disappeared, and his pose changed dramatically. "His own soul hardened in the forge of his fires, and yet, what great works will he unleash upon the world?" The pose slowly dropped... And he turned back to the young smith with a huge grin on his face.
"Aye! You'll be big, I can see it now! I've got a couple promises to fulfill, otherwise we could sit and chat all day. Another time! If'n ye'd like a break..." He pointed to the heavily armored samurai woman. "Ask Shimi there to load your goods up on one of the wagons for a bit. Yer welcome to ride with us until our paths diverge, Fudo!" He gave the young boy a mock salute with two fingers, walking backwards, before taking off at a leisurely jog towards the middle of the train of wagons, several children poking their heads out the side of the wagon, clearly excited to see the older man.
"It's so sad!" the reader said to the writer with a frown. "The character in my book just died!" The author turned to her and burst out into tears, "I know!" he said, "So did mine!"
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| Suzuko Just another girl |
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Unknown Eldritch
- Posts: 106
- Joined: Sun Nov 12, 2017 7:00 pm
On All Levels Except Physical, I Am A Hammer
As Fuhen began to laugh, Fudo couldn't help but blink in confusion, uncertain about what was so funny. As the laughter continued for several long minutes, he couldn't stop the slight tinge of red that began to spread across his face. He didn't mean to sound like he knew better than the man before him, but thinking back on his words it certainly could be interpreted that way. Thankfully, Fuhen did not seem to be the type of person to take his words as an insult, but Fudo couldn't help but to be a bit embarrassed by the laughter that erupted. His attention was momentarily diverted from Fuhen as he caught sight of a caravan approaching from the distance, and considering Fuhen's words, it was pretty likely that the caravan belonged to him and his group that he mentioned earlier.
However, as he listened to Fuhen's words and watched his exaggerated, theatric movements, he couldn't help the grin that came over his face. "Heh, I appreciate the faith. I'll do my best to make sure to live up to your expectations." As he watched the older man head off to the rest of the caravan, observing how he interacted with those travelling with him, Fudo once more began to drag the cart full of metal along towards the caravan. And as he walked, Fudo couldn't help but to think...
'I'd like to see him again.'
However, as he listened to Fuhen's words and watched his exaggerated, theatric movements, he couldn't help the grin that came over his face. "Heh, I appreciate the faith. I'll do my best to make sure to live up to your expectations." As he watched the older man head off to the rest of the caravan, observing how he interacted with those travelling with him, Fudo once more began to drag the cart full of metal along towards the caravan. And as he walked, Fudo couldn't help but to think...
'I'd like to see him again.'
| Name | Color | Village | Rank | Team |
| Muramasa, Fudo | [color=#CB0000] | Iron Country | D-Rank | N/A |
| Awai, Seiza | [color=#2E2D88] | Konohagakure | Genin | ??? |