[Graded]A Rare Opportunity

[Sanjuro]

It wasn't often that Hideki found himself excited to leave the comfort of the village on a mission. In fact, it was rare that Hideki thought a mission was worth anything more than a cursory glance before passing it on to someone else. Finally, however, there was a mission that drew his attention; something he could really sink his teeth into. An entire island of people that could wield chakra without any sort of formal training? It was fascinating! Add in the fact that they were reportedly spotted manipulating blood, which was thought to be a secret of the Hidden Mist, and Hideki was almost salivating at the idea of studying this new culture.

The mission parameters were simple. Find the tribe, investigate the source of their Ninjutsu abilities, and determine whether they should be integrated into the Hidden Mist or simply wiped from the face of the planet. Genocide didn't sit well with Hideki. It wasn't the mass murder, he was fine with that, but this was a previously unknown culture. Who knew what kind of secrets they held? Killing them all if they refused to bend the knee seemed like a waste to Hideki's mind. Perhaps he could lock a couple away in his personal realm of space-time, study them in depth at his leisure.

It was a thought.

For the moment, however, he had a more pressing concern. Like what in the blue blazes was taking Kuro so long to get here? His protégé still had five minutes to arrive before he would be late, but still. Hideki wanted to get a move on! It wasn't often he got to find something new.

[TyDie]

Rare was the opportunity, or rather the order, that had been given to Kuro just a few days ago. A mission alongside his mentor, Hirohito Hideki. He could only recall one other mission that he had accompanied his former master on, the two's skill sets differed drastically, and as such they didn't work together very much outside of the side jobs Kuro did for Hideki. But this mission, and it's perimeters, made for a situation that allowed their individual talents to mesh perfectly.

The goal seemed simple enough; a bunch of island natives are suddenly able to use chakra as well as the average shinobi. Not only that, they've been reported to use Chiton, a style unique to Kirigakure. It was Hideki's duty to analyze the situation and understand how they're able to do these things, then make the call of whether or not to assimilate them into Kirigakure, or annihilate them. Kuro's duty was to get him there as quietly as possible. And so, his cape billowing in the early morning breeze behind him, Kuro sauntered through the streets of Kiri towards the docks, where a ship was waiting for them.

While his pace was slow, he knew that he'd make it precisely when he was expected to be there... much to the dismay of his former master. A thought that had once terrified him, but now brought a small smirk to his lips. Once he arrived and saw his master pacing back and forth in anticipation for the mission at hand, Kuro made the first comment. "Never thought i'd see the day where you were eager to leave Kirigakure, Hideki-senpai. Then again, I also never imagined we'd ever encounter such a fascinating find, so your eagerness is absolutely warranted." If there was one thing, aside from the infamous eyebrow arch, that Kuro had inherited from Hideki, it was the man's curiosity. His desire to understand how and why a thing was happening was attributed largely to the Hirohito.

And he addressed him as Senpai, not master. Those days were in the past, but he still had a great deal of respect for the man. He was not only the one who brought forth Kuro's evolution into who he was now, but he was also an incredible teacher, and so Senpai seemed a fitting honorific. He crossed his arms, Desire fluttering behind him almost as if it had life of it's own, which wasn't too far off from the truth all things considered.

[Sanjuro]

"How nice of you to join me, my wayward ward." It had been some time since he had last seen Kuro. The boy had long since moved past the days of following Hideki around, listening to his every word, trying to prove his worth. There were times Hideki missed that, more for having someone to constantly carry his things. Alas, those days had long since passed. While Kuro would always be his, the boy was his experiment now after all, the Aisu was no longer his own personal assassin. "I go where the information takes me. You of all people should know that." He frowned at the pose the Aisu stuck, before turning and stalking along the docks towards the ship that had been assigned to their mission.

"Standard mission protocols. Link seals will be placed for constant contact along with the usual monitoring seals." He turned and arched an eyebrow towards Kuro, still moving forward, moving in and around people with flawless efficiency. His eyes flicked over the cloak strapped around Kuro's shoulders; Hideki was using his sensory skills to avoid running into people while moving but it also alerted him to the energy running through that cloak. Something to discuss later, most definitely. "Have you deigned to learn any of the sealing arts in your vaunted time away from my tutelage or shall I have to apply the seals to you myself?" In either case, the seals would be applied later; likely just before they made landfall at their destination.

The ship they were taking was small, sleek, built for speed more than anything. It was manned by a small crew, all of whom knew better than to ask questions of their shinobi patrons. It would get rather cosy between the crew and two additional passengers but if he were entirely honest he had dealt with worse conditions. He had shared a smaller boat with the psychopath Maido; ancient and powerful she may be, but centuries alone did not a healthy mind make. Anything was better in comparison to that experience.

Boarding the ship, Hideki motioned the captain to begin preparations to leave while he turned his attention to Kuro once more. "Your orders for the mission are relatively straight forward. Get us in, and out if necessary, without detection. Outside of that, leave things to me, understood?"

[TyDie]

Kuro merely nodded in understanding as his sensei stated his reasons for leaving the village, which even Kuro had adopted. "Indeed. I have you to thank for my interest in such things. I'm eager to get started and see this tribe for myself." He would follow behind his sensei towards the boat that would take them across the ocean. Of course, his skills in Fuuin hadn't improved in the slightest, as it wasn't an art he had any interest in, nor did it's utility provide him with any true benefit. "Fuuinjutsu holds no benefits for me, as I work alone more often than not. You'll have to apply the Link, along with any other seals you deem necessary."

It was standard, as Hideki had said. Communication was key, and the monitoring seals he could place on Kuro would also let Hideki know if he was in trouble, or worse. Not that he expected that to happen of course; Kuro's skills had evolved a great deal since he was Hideki's underling. However, he was absolutely still under Hideki, as the man was one of the most decorated bannin in the village. "You're still my superior Hideki, I sincerely doubt that will change any time in the near future. So yes, I will complete my task to the letter and leave all else to you." Admittedly it felt almost strange, treating Hideki more as an equal and less as his master that he had to wait hand and foot on. But at the same time there was a bit of liberty there, a feeling of independence and of comradery that he never expected to feel with the introverted doctor he called Sensei.

He could grow to like this feeling... He boarded the boat alongside the man and would lead the way to a private room under the deck. "This space should prove adequate for your fuuin." He stated plainly before removing his mask and shirt. This would expose his entire upper body, giving the man all the surface area he needed to apply augmenting seals.

[Sanjuro]

Hideki sighed and shook his head at Kuro's lack of regard for the sealing arts. "Even the basics are powerful tools that you shouldn't dismiss so easily. Especially someone of your skillset. High-grade explosives, time-delayed or pressure-sensitive traps, the capacity to store and retrieve any object you may require. I understand you have grown arrogant in your skills but do not discount other methods so readily." As he lectured, Hideki was retrieving his ink and brush. He had intended to apply the seals later but if Kuro was so eager as to get it done now, then so be it. The jolt of the ship had him pausing for a moment, as apparently the preparations had been completed as the ship was away.

Assured he wouldn't be jostled again as the ship began the sail the smooth waters of the river that would take them into the sea, with a deft few strokes he applied the Link seal to Kuro's ear, chakra funnelling along his fingertip, into the brush, and into ink as he went. Task complete, he kept funnelling chakra and a single thread of it seemed to float, attached to the tip of the brush, and he placed the other half of the seal on the inside of Kuro's lip. Once complete, he shut his eyes and focused the seals to the ones he had permanently tattooed to the back of his ear and inner lip, linking them together with a flare of blue chakra before they settled back into black and then faded entirely. "I wonder if there is a faster method for this… some kind of device with the seals etched into them that can be worn, perhaps?"

Shaking his head, Hideki rolled back his sleeve a little, exposing the mass of scars and the black tattoos that covered his right forearm. He flared his chakra, causing the seals to glow blue as he swapped them to an active state, before rolling his sleeve back down and repeating the process on the seal on his right palm, which he then pressed against Kuro's exposed chest. "I don't suppose there is much point in this seal, considering any damage you do suffer should be restored almost instantaneously by the kessenchu. On the off chance that you are poisoned or something pierces your heart however, I would like the chance to observe the effects it takes on your body." He paied around his hand, again the ink glowing with chakra, until he had a perfect circle made of miniature sealing signs around Kuro's chest where his heart was located below.

Fuuin complete for the moment, Hideki put his ink and brush away before stepping back and admiring his handiwork. "I think I've gotten faster at that. Hmm." The doctor stood to his full height and stretched out his hand. A swirl of chakra tore the space open and a handful of 10 senbon fell into his palm. "Some new toys you may enjoy. I know you prefer non-lethal methods on a mission like this. They are coated in a powerful paralytic, so do try not to poke yourself with them."

TechniquesShow

[Link]
C-Rank Augment Fūinjutsu
By placing a small seal behind the ear and on the inside of the lip, and then channelling chakra into them, Hideki creates an audio link between himself and any targets he personally place this seal combination on. While hearing is always active, channelling chakra into the seal allows effected targets to speak, their words being stored and transmitted to the other seals.

[Patient Monitor]
C-Rank Augment Fūinjutsu
A Fūinjutsu created by Hideki in order to monitor the health of others whilst in the field. After writing out the seal directly onto the skin of an individual, on their chest over their heart, the doctor will activate it. Physically the seal is a circle of ink with a blank space in the middle. This seal has no time limit and will last until physically removed, though it can be toggled on and off by Hideki. The blank space in the middle is filled with a number between 1 and 5, depending on when it is activated. Once activated, it will link to Hideki's parent seal which is located on his palm. The parent seal will heat up and the blank space in the centre will fill in with the number of the seal if they are triggered. It doesn't give him any information as to how injured they are or what kind of injury they have sustained, only that it is potentially life threatening and requires immediate attention.

[TyDie]

How was it that Hideki's words still cut as deep as they always did when pointing out the flaws in Kuro's mindset? He had grown so much since he first began working under the Bannin, and still the man seemed so far above him that his lectures still tore into his skin as though it were a knife. "You're right Sensei. I should know by now that everything can prove to be advantageous if one has the intelligence to properly utilize it. My apologies." Of all of the people in Kiri who Kuro had ever met, the respect he held for this man rivaled that of the Mizukage himself. He was his own person sure, but that didn't change how he felt about Hideki other then the fact that he wasn't his lackey anymore.

The various seals were applied to Kuro's body in the usual areas, and by this point any mild discomfort he may have felt before was practically nonexistent. Between the tolerance he had built up due to the Kessenchu's presence and the multiple times he had been through this, it was as natural as breathing by this point. He raised an eyebrow as the doctor mentioned he may want to see how his body reacted to poisons with the Kessenchu present, but only because he was certain he had witnessed that interaction numerous times before. "Sensei, I believe you've tested the Kessenchu against a variety of poison inductions already. I won't discount the possibility, but I sincerely doubt that these backwater tribesman have any poisonous concoctions that even come close to rivaling your own. If the Chiton claim is true however... I have no idea how the Kessenchu will handle a foreign blood signature, especially one that's weaponized."

It was a fear, one that was perfectly normal in his mind. They survived on blood, but if that blood was destructive and it happened to make it's way into his heart... would the Queen die? If the Queen died, the entire swarm would die with her, and he would likely be next. It wasn't something he wanted to think too hard on, the best bet would be to simply not be in that predicament in the first place. He nodded in appreciation as he accepted the Senbon, placing them carefully into a side pocket of his pouch. "Indeed I do. I think it would also prove beneficial to Kiri if we could apprehend one of these tribesman for interrogation, as well as a plethora of other tests to see just how they managed to gain such a masterful understanding of chakra. Oh, you giving me those senbon reminded me that I haven't shown you the new addition to my arsenal."

He gestured to the cloak that sat eerily still behind him commanding it to wrap around his entire body. It did so entirely on it's own, appearing almost like a robe as his entire body was encompassed by it. "It is known as Desire. Not only can it be controlled by my will alone, it is reinforced by the power of my chakra to withstand attacks both physical and chakra based. As if that wasn't strong enough, it also cloaks me and muffles my movements entirely. I doubt even you could locate me via sensory, and that's not a statement against your skills by any means... The cloak is just that powerful." He could only guess that Hideki would either be fascinated, angry, or a combination of the two as Kuro explained just what Desire could do. After all, in a lot of ways, it gave Kuro an edge that even Hideki would have difficulty countering.

[Sanjuro]

"I suspect your body would heal as normal if attacked by weaponized blood. Not many, if any, could have the level of skill that Maido does so overriding the surgery would be difficult. If you were to be poisoned first however and then attacked by blood-based ninjutsu, I have no clue as to how the kessenchu would react. Hence my curiosity." The tests they had performed between the hosts of the parasitic insects had revealed much of their nature and capabilities but with the lack of proficient wielders of Chiton in the village meant that had gone largely untested; Maido couldn't provide a full swath of tests because her chakra was infused into Kuro and the Kessenchu in order to provide a stable link for the two.

To be perfectly candid, Hideki was almost hoping Kuro did get poisoned and had his life in jeopardy just for the chance to study the results. Not that he actually wanted the young man to die; that would be a lot of wasted effort on his part. The quick shift from Senpai to Sensei also filled Hideki with a certain amount of amusement that he would be loath to miss. One lecture was all it took to remind Kuro that no matter how far he managed to climb Hideki would always have something to teach him.

"The intent is to convince them to give up their secrets willingly, if there are secrets to be had, and to show them that being incorporated into Kirigakure's ranks would be the best path for them. Should they be disinclined to acquiesce to our simple request then yes, capturing one or preferably several alive would be ideal. The rest, however, will have to be eradicated. The village cannot afford to have a rogue tribe of Blood Release wielders outside of its control. Should another village discover their existence and gain access to those secrets, the results could be catastrophic." He eyed Kuro from behind his glasses. "I trust that won't be a problem." It wasn't a question.

When Kuro began to explain the strange cloak Hideki had noticed earlier, the scientist's fingers started to twitch the more his once student talked. In fact, the urge grew so great that he had a scalpel in hand from seemingly nowhere which began to rapidly spin around his fingers. His face remained blank but internally he was screaming, his mind going a million miles a minute, processing exactly what such an artefact could entail and how he could possibly replicate the process. "I see no seals on the cloth, nor do I sense any, suggesting the power comes from the fibres themselves. Chakra-enriched tools aren't uncommon but chakra-enriched thread is. Thread capable of taking the chakra of its wearer and applying that to a pre-designated set of tasks is all but unheard of. Such a thing should not be possible outside of Joruri or Tsukimogami."

The scientist began pacing around Kuro, watching the way the cloak moved on its own, and without warning drove his scalpel forward as fast and with as much force as he could muster. The capabilities described to him were beyond imagining in a simple piece of cloth and if they reacted to Kuro's will, he was curious to see if they could prevent a sudden, unexpected attack.

[TyDie]

Kuro was not as eager to learn of that potential outcome as Hideki was, mostly because it meant putting his own life on the line. He couldn't help but share his curiosity however... part of him wondered just how much he had to be injured before it was too much. How much damage would it take before even they were unable to rebuild him? He wasn't sure he wanted to find out, but the thought was fascinating. "No offense, but I hope it doesn't come to that. I'm not eager to die." The young Aisu stated as he began running checks through his equipment. He had of course already triple checked his gear, but it was party a way of organizing his thoughts and preparing his mind for the tasks ahead.

His blades shot out from his gauntlets with a loud "CHING", and he ran a finger over the blade, drawing a small drop of blood before the Kessenchu repaired the damage. "Indeed. More bodies in the army means more power for Kiri, and their secrets could serve to strengthen our own forces beyond their already impressive capabilities. But I won't delude myself into thinking that a bunch of tribesman on the outskirts of society would forsake their lifestyle and come to Kiri willingly. I am prepared for it, but I do not expect it in the slightest."

Kuro couldn't help a smirk under his mask as Hideki inspected Desire. It was in fact a fine cloak, made of a material that no one in Kiri could identify and granted a power far beyond that of any other weapon within the hidden mist village, at least any that he knew of. "I wouldn't dare underestimate your abilities Hideki-senpai, but no one else in Kiri was able to identify the source of its unique properties. They could tell that it was not spirit based, no spirit resides within the cloak, and clearly there are no seals anywhere within it's threads. It seems that it only follows my commands, as if me finding it that day bonded it to my chakra signature specifically. All anyone was able to tell me was what it did, not how it did it. I would however be very curious to see if you could succeed where all others had failed Senp-."

Kuro was cut off abruptly as his master aimed a skillful stab with his scalpel at Kuro, and before even he could react to the strike the cloak fluttered around him and enshrouded his body completely, intercepting much of the force of the stab. The scalpel still pierced the cloth of course, sliding into Kuro's skin a little over an inch, but when Hideki retracted the blade the cloak was hardly damaged. In fact, it was as if the blade had never even cut the threads, and Hideki would note just how swiftly the cloak had shifted and how much resistance he felt as the blade met cloth. "Well... that's one way to test it I suppose." By this point in Kuro's life, being stabbed by Hideki was simply a common part of his day.

[Sanjuro]

"Fascinating." Hideki felt the resistance in the cloth. It was like trying to stab through a solid layer of water. Possible but by the time he actually completed the motion he had lost so much force that it had been worthless. Well, not entirely worthless, apply a little poison to the blade and even a small nick could be lethal. That, however, was neither here nor there at the moment. He wanted this cloak. He wanted to pull it apart thread by thread and study it. The way it reacted was close to sentience but not quite; it was more an extension of Kuro. Like another limb. Kuro was aware of his attack, not enough to react in time with his physical body, and the cloak reacted accordingly. Which begged the question; would it still be so solid if Kuro was caught completely unawares?

He would have to test the theory later.

"Is it an active or a passive effect, hm? This signature suppression?" Thinking back, Hideki realized that when he was using his Mind's Eye to weave through the crowd that he hadn't noticed the young Aisu. Admittedly, he usually just blocked out his chakra signature if he could see the boy, but still. Just to make sure, he focused on his Mind's Eye, searching with his chakra for Kuro's familiar chakra signature, and found nothing. This cloak was growing curiouser and curiouser. "Passive then. Interesting. I wonder if it is possible to replicate it…"

Still…

"I am capable of a great many things, Kuro, but even I am not infallible. Nothing ever is." He held up the scalpel as if reference the fact that he had just stabbed Kuro through his special little cloak. "Never forget that. It may muffle the sound you make and the ability to detect your chakra, but I can still see you. Your movement could be detected through vibrations with the right tools or techniques. A trained hunting animal could pick up your scent. Do not get overconfident. You are an exceptionally well-trained shinobi with a number of powerful tools I, and apparently others, have granted you. Do not waste them by getting yourself killed due to stupidity."

[TyDie]

Kuro stood still as Hideki ran his various field experiments on the cloak, checking out it's functions and testing them against his own abilities. Kuro wondered the same thing Hideki did; could the cloak be replicated? Although admittedly a jealous, possessive part of him wanted to keep it's powers for himself, he knew that the benefits that this cloak could grant Kiri if they were in the hands of multiple shinobi were vast. Finally, the realistic side of him was pretty sure that something of this power was one of a kind, and attempts at duplication would either produce lesser versions of the original or fail altogether.

But Hideki then went in to a small lecture, and as Kuro listened he felt a deep feeling in his gut... Many times the clan had wondered why Kuro was so loyal to Hideki, and it was moments like these that reminded him of the reason. Hideki, beneath his scientific mind and hardened heart, did care about Kuro in at least some small way. Even if it was just because Kuro was the culmination of his various efforts and experiments, it still proved the man was capable of showing such a feeling to someone he deemed worthy of it. Kuro had to fight his old urges, the urge to bow and refer to him as master, and thank him for showing such respect to him. He had to remind himself that he too was among the elite, though not nearly as elite as Hideki. He still had some level of self worth to maintain.

"As is always the case with you Sensei, truer words have never been spoken. I do not overestimate myself, I approach all situations with tact, efficiency and strategy. The cloak proves immeasurably useful, but I can always be seen instead of heard. Sight is one of the most relied upon senses of any human, so to think that my methods are fullproof is suicidal. Still... I will heed your warning, and I thank you for your concern." It was about the best way to put his feelings into words without coming off too... mushy. Approaching Hideki with a similar manner of speech, using realism instead of emotion, was always the best way to show the man respect.

"Truth be told, one of the greatest uses of the cloak isn't even for my benefit. It's for yours, or whoever i'm teamed with. Let's be realistic, few in the village are capable of keeping up with my stealthy methods, hence my preference to work alone. But that cloak functions for anyone wearing it, so by placing it on you, you would be rendered as silent as I normally am. It'll make getting you to the source of this recent emergence of shinobi that much easier on both of us." As he spoke of the cloak, he would command it to rise up and off of his body before moving over to Hideki. Of course, he would not place it on the man's shoulders, instead he would let it float in front of him to take as he pleased. If he did so, he would find that the heavy looking cloak was actually incredibly light, and despite it's earlier rigid structure it felt and folded just like normal cloth.

[Sanjuro]

Hideki scowled at the word concern. He wouldn't call his warning a proof of his concern about Kuro simply… logical advice that he would give any who he thought needed it. Which was almost everyone. Everyone was an idiot in comparison to his intellect and the logical answer was to listen to what he had to say and then apply his formulae to their life. Still, Kuro was one of his finer works, he would allow the boy some leniency. He had earned it, despite this recent rebellious streak. Putting those thoughts aside, he turned his attention back to the cloak in full and watched as it lifted from Kuro's shoulders of seemingly its own accord.

Touching it, he expected to feel some kind of jolt or spark of hidden power, something that would explain its seemingly miraculous abilities, but all he felt was the current of chakra that ran through it, binding it to Kuro. Now that it wasn't enshrouding him, Hideki could feel Kuro's chakra signature again. He was surprised by the amount of comfort he took in that. The scientist had become accustomed to knowing who was who around him, and while he didn't employ his Mind's Eye constantly, he did send out a pulse every now and then just to keep tabs on his surroundings. Now that he knew Kuro could completely vanish from that view, it was… unsettling. Not a fact he would openly admit to Kuro, of course, or anyone for that matter.

Taking the cloak, he threw it over his lab coat and found that it conformed to his stature almost perfectly. So, the ability to shapeshift was also included in the list of things this cloak could accomplish; he and Kuro had vastly different frames. Hideki was taller and lankier than Kuro and yet the cloak fit as perfectly as it had his student. He took a few steps forward and found that it had indeed muffled his footsteps. "Fascinating." Turning his gaze to Kuro, he arched an eyebrow. "You never mentioned exactly where you came across such an interesting relic."

[TyDie]

The way Hideki marveled at the cloak gave Kuro a small glint of pride, despite of course having nothing to do with it's conception. He had merely found the damn thing out in the wilderness, abandoned all alone in a field on some statue. Ironically, as that thought passed his head, Hideki asked about it's origins, to which Kuro promptly replied. "I was out on mission when I came across a statue to some nameless man, or if he was named his plaque had eroded long ago. and there, waving in the wind, was that cloak. At first I thought nothing of it, but it was almost like it called out to me, like it wanted me to take it. When I took it from the statue and put it on, a single name came to mind: Desire."

It was like something out of a dream honestly; the shrine sitting in the middle of that open plain, the cloak fluttering in the breeze, beckoning him towards it as if it held the mysteries of the universe. But the fact that Hideki now bore the cloak was proof enough that it was no mere dream, or at least that he had sleepwalked and gotten it or something... Unlikely, but not impossible. Just then, a knock on the door would rouse the two from their conversation. "Lunch soon, if you want any come on out in 5." The voice belonged to the first mate of the ship, a civilian beneath the contracted captain that Kiri had arranged for Hideki and Kuro's travels.

"It seems stupid of me to ask this Hideki, but this mission isn't set to be a walk in the park by any means. Tell me, do you get nervous too? Or is it just me?" Kuro had never undertaken an A rank mission before, nor had he undertaken one that held such potentially significant weight. To say that he was a little clammy was a bit of an understatement...

[Sanjuro]

Hideki turned towards the source of the footsteps he could hear approaching and simply eyed the man that stepped into their cabin, daring him to stay longer than necessary. They had left mid-morning, so for lunch to be prepared soon meant they were nearing mid-day. Their trip shouldn't take more than another couple of hours then. While he considered that he also thought about the story Kuro wove. It sounded unlikely but not completely implausible. And he didn't know Kuro to lie, at least not to him. The boy knew better.

For a relic of such power to be left unguarded in the middle of nowhere and attached to a statue suggested that someone or something had wanted it found. Wanted it to be used. Perhaps its original creator, perhaps some kind of spirit. He couldn't know anything for certain and he found that annoyed him greatly. Like any useless emotion he pushed it aside and focused instead on Kuro again as he admitted to feeling nervous about their task. Speaking of useless emotions, he regarded Kuro with some surprise. He could have sworn that he had knocked any foolishness such as nerves out of the boy years ago.

"No." It was as simple as that. Hideki didn't get nervous over such meagre things. "Missions are the lifeblood of our village, that is true, but they have very little personal meaning to me. Wasting my energy being nervous about something I have yet to witness with my own eyes is a pointless endeavour. Fear can be a useful emotion when harnessed correctly but anxiety and worry have no place in your mind." He folded his arms over his chest and looked down at Kuro, his glasses glinting and revealing cold blue eyes below. "What is there to be nervous about? That you will fail? Failure is simply a chance to learn. To grow and to understand. Nervous of the repercussions of your actions? Commit your resolve to whatever it is you do, and you will find that no repercussion is so great to be overwhelmed by any petty anxiety."

[TyDie]

... Once again, Hideki came in with a truth bomb that astounded Kuro. Okay, in reality it wasn't that big of a deal, but he couldn't believe he was letting himself get all worked up over his first A rank mission. Yes it would come with difficulty, yes the potential for failure was very much real, but all of that would pass. He was assigned this task because the village believed him capable of dealing with the risks and challenges associated with it. And at worst, failure wasn't the end of the world... It would hurt his reputation, but like all things it could be fixed.

"Once again, you are right Hideki-Senpai. Forgive my foolishness, I guess I was just a little worried about the severity of this mission. I believe it's passed now..." In truth, that feeling was still somewhere deep in his mind, but he couldn't let that overcome him. "A Ninja recognizes no limitations..." He quoted the code of conduct to himself, a means of focusing himself towards the task at hand and tuning out unnecessary emotions and thoughts. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, and when he opened them Hideki would see that they were as sharp and honed as ever. Kuro was ready.

"The trip is only a couple of hours long. We should take the opportunity to get our food while we can." Kuro would maneuver himself past Hideki and move towards the door, pausing a moment before exiting. "I could bring you something if you prefer. Simple, edible... hopefully. Who knows with these sailing crews."

[Sanjuro]

Hideki disregarded Kuro's pointless quoting of the code and waved him off when he paused at the door to their cabin. He would fetch his own meal if necessary. Once Kuro was gone, however, Hideki set about clearing a space on the cabin floor. He created a shadow clone to make sure he remained undisturbed, once everything was out of the way and he had a clear space to work with, the scientist got to work. Kneeling, Hideki took his brush and ink pot before he began to channel his chakra through the ink and started to paint. Wide sweeping arcs were followed by minutely detailed scrawled symbols, the rocking of the ship forcing his focus to be entirely on his current task.

It took the better part of twenty minutes or so but once he was complete, Hideki stood in the centre of a large sealing array that took a solid meter wide square of the cabin floor. Sitting down, flaring his coat out behind him, he closed his eyes and began to meditate. Slowly, a wave of chakra emanated out from him, causing his entire body to glow, confined by the seal. Space itself warped for a moment before it seemed to be ripped open entirely, granting Hideki access to his own personal realm in space and time. As soon as it appeared, the portal vanished, drawn into the glowing seal below. Letting out a sigh of exhaustion, Hideki stood up and took a moment to gather his wits.

Manipulating space and time was exhaustive and he found himself starved. Perhaps he would join the crew for their luncheon meal after all.

TechniquesShow

[Space-Time • Access Point]
A-Rank Augment Fūinjutsu
A sealing matrix developed by Hideki to serve as an anchoring technique for his teleportation technique, [Network]. The formation of the seal takes up a 1m2 area of space. Once the seal is drawn, Hideki will channel Jikūkan chakra into the seal. Once placed, this seal is permanent until removed. The number of these Fūinjutsu Hideki can have in place at a single time is a number equal to his (Instinct/2).

[TyDie]

"THUNK"

The boat finally made landfall after a few more hours of sailing, and the two shinobi had made all of their necessary preparations as the boat sailed along the waters. The island itself seemed to be a tropical wasteland, with large palms stretching towards the sky as if grasping for the sun itself. Of course, the sandy beach stretched out before them first, and the trees themselves sat on large jagged cliffs that overlooked the beaches. The cliffs rose a good 70 meters up, and beyond that not much could be seen aside from the large mountain looming in the distance, much further inland.

It seemed as good a place as any to check, but getting there would be the challenge. After reminding them of their instructions to sail out about a half mile and weigh anchor, the two would disembark onto the sandy beach. A few moments later, the boat shoved off the beach and sailed out to where it needed to be. "Well... here we are." Kuro stated the obvious fact before taking a few steps towards the cliffs.

Just as before, Kuro would float the cloak Desire over to Hideki. It was much better in his hands than Kuro's. "I hope the clash of style isn't a pain for you Senpai." Kuro chuckled to himself before moving the rest of the way towards the cliff. He'd then proceed to leap from rock to rock, moving his way up the face of the cliff. He could've easily used a little bit of chakra, but he was super conservative when it came to using the power. He didn't have it in excess like his sensei, and there was no telling when he might need to use an actual technique. Every bit counted.

No doubt Hideki would have gotten to the top long before him, and the two could venture deeper into the jungle.

[Sanjuro]

Stepping onto the shores of an island Hideki hadn't ever been on before, his mind was in overdrive as he began to categorically pick it apart for strategic advantages and disadvantages to their landing site. They had a certain amount of cover due to the mountain range but in return that gave any attackers the high ground should the ship come under assault. Before he had a chance to, Kuro reminded the captain to sail away from the shore and Hideki nodded his agreement of the order. They could cross the waves with chakra easily enough and if not, then the scientist could always portal them away.

"Any other obvious observations you would care to make, Kuro?" Hideki sniped at Kuro's pointless comment. Shaking his head, he stepped up alongside his student and threw the offered cloak over his shoulders. He regarded Kuro with an arched eyebrow and quickly recalled the boy had never seen Hideki's former attire in his role as one of the Head Hunters. "Function over form, my dear Kuro." With that, he followed Kuro's path was an ease that one wouldn't expect of the shut-in.

Upon reaching the top, Hideki would signal for Kuro to stand guard while he knelt down and closed his eyes, letting his chakra and senses stretch out over the path in front of them. With enough time he could get a rough direction of any chakra signatures within a few miles but hopefully he wouldn't have to wait that long to find their quarry.

TechniquesShow

[Augmented Senses]
A-Rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: [Broad Senses], Ninjutsu/Control/Instinct stats of 35
This jutsu is an even further extension of [Broad Sense]. With this jutsu, a sensor sacrifices quality for quantity. They can view to much greater distances compared to a normal sensor, but their ability to differentiate between people starts to become muddled, meaning multiple people in close proximity will appear simply as a large chakra mass, without the users being able to distinguish how many people are there. By sitting down and meditating, they are able to start to sense further and further away. For each post of meditating, they are able to see one third of a mile out, up to a max of posts equal to 1/2 their control (rounded up).

[TyDie]

Kuro could practically feel his sensei's words bite into him like a dagger... Hideki was living proof that words could be as sharp as any blade. He decided to simply stay silent as his response, moving on to the mission at hand. Hideki would proceed to initiate his plan, gathering sensory information of the area while Kuro stood attentive, waiting for anyone to come at them. He would even go as far as to activate the Hyouteki, raising his headband to reveal it and channeling enough chakra into it to shift his vision to Infrared. This would enable him to see any heat signatures, negating any sort of cover granted by brush or trees.

Hideki's senses would expand out at a rapid pace, granting him the ability to note any chakra signatures that might have been within range of them. Unfortunately for him, there were none to speak of within miles of them. Well, it was unfortunate because Hideki no doubt wanted a specimen now rather than later, not to mention the information they could pry from a live subject. However, it was fortunate, because that meant they hadn't been found yet. Whenever Hideki was done with his sensing, the two could move forward through the jungle.

Kuro would lead the way, slashing away brush with his blades to clear a path for later. Sure, someone could come along and find his path, but navigating the jungle was a hazard in and of itself. One that Kuro didn't intend to take lightly. The two shinobi had landed around 3 or 4 PM, meaning that they only had a few more hours of daylight. "I'd recommend camping inside your realm Senpai, but I know how taxing it is for me to be there. You could stay there if you wish, while I sleep in a tree or something. I'm used to it. Alternatively, we could craft a crude shelter for the two of us... It's your call."

[Sanjuro]

The fact that he had found no chakra signatures other than their own wasn't overly frustrating or annoying. The island had a finite amount of space and he had just eliminated a large portion of it. He could easily perform the feat again when they reached the border of where he had sensed out and eliminate even more of the island. Standing from his long session of meditation, he shook his head in silence and followed Kuro as the young man began carving a path through the jungle. He used the time to prepare a few senbon, leaving them to soak in vials filled with either his paralytic or his flesh-eating poisons.

One of the many side effects of being caught trekking through a dense jungle was the humidity. Kiri had to deal with it but there were ways of mitigating it, especially within the inner walls of the village. Out here though they would soon find themselves sweating heavily as the air grew thicker, harder to the breath, Kuro likely affected more so than Hideki simply due to the more physical labour he was performing.

When the subject of camping came up, Hideki frowned. Kuro had a point, dragging the man into his realm for respite would be costly. He could possibly recover the expended chakra during the next day's trek but if they ran into anything unfortunate beforehand it could be an issue. Scratching his chin, he looked around before nodding more to himself than to Kuro. "I shall prepare a few safeguards and then retire to my realm. The safeguards should allow you a full night's rest without fear of interruption though it will do little to combat the heat or the insects."

Setting to work, Hideki took the time to arrange a barrier and sealed away a large number of his standard senbon in a set of four seals in a small area that would fire at anything that approached with a chakra signature that didn't belong to Hideki or Kuro. Then he took the time to close his eyes and concentrate while holding a blank scroll. It took more effort in the short term than simply dragging Kuro into his realm would have taken but it was less for convenience and more for emergencies and admittedly something he should have done on the trip over.

"The seals will defend you against any threats within twenty meters of our current position. The scroll, which is only to be used in emergencies, serves as an Anchor to my realm. Open it and it will drag you there. It's permanent now so take care not to lose it." Hideki muttered, all the while trying to hide the fact that he had exhausted not an insignificant amount of chakra in the last several hours. "As for this last one… I'm not entirely sure if it has the capacity to cross the boundary between this realm and my own but we shall find out. Consider it an experiment." He held out his hand and a sphere of blue energy appeared within, his long, scarred fingers curling around it. Turning his hand over, it fell to the ground before it rapidly expanded, passing voer both Hideki and Kuro before continuing for several meters in every direction. "This will alert me if anything passes over the threshold of the barrier, in theory. Like I said, I have absolutely no idea if it will work whilst I am within my realm."

Finally, he shrugged Desire from his shoulders and handed it back to Kuro. "I presume you shall be wanting this back until the morning comes. The shapeshifting capabilities of it could serve to form a rudimentary shelter if you apply a little imagination." Hideki would wait a few more hours, until the sun had completely set and the pair had eaten before he retreated to the safety and comfort of his realm for a few hours of rest before morning came.

Tomorrow the fun would truly begin.

SpoilerShow

[Restricted Access]
B-Rank Storage & Force Fūinjutsu
Prerequisites: [Archive • Chakra Signature]
After having drawn out the necessary 2m2 seals around the perimeter of an area and designating a list of chakra signatures, Hideki will channel sensory chakra into the Fūinjutsu. By doing so, he will rig the Fūinjutsu to assault anyone who comes into the building without having those chakra signatures with a barrage of shuriken. Each seal can hold up to 10 shuriken, which are fired in the direction of the chakra signature with 20 Strength.

[Space-Time • The Hospital]
A-Rank Anchoring Ninjutsu
Hideki begins by channeling a monumental amount of chakra throughout his body, then he will place both hands against a solid object no smaller than a one inch in diameter and no bigger than two feet in diameter. This object is then cut off from normal time and space, functioning as a gateway for Hideki's Anchoring techniques. All Anchoring takes place inside a pocket dimension linked to this object and if it is destroyed this jutsu must be used on a new item, but it requires complete destruction of the object to count as broken. The object will teleport anyone who channels chakra through it into the pocket dimension, but Hideki can enter it at any time as long as the gateway object remains intact. The pocket dimension and all techniques related to it must have a distinct visual 'signature' when accessing or opening the dimension and the insides of the dimension must be described inside the Concentration description of Jikukan Ninjutsu.

[Boundary Detector]
C-Rank Ninjutsu
After channelling his chakra, Hideki will create a small spherical barrier in his hand before dropping it onto the ground. The second the barrier touches the ground, it will rapidly expand until it reaches its maximum size of 25 meters across the diameter. The barrier itself has a very subtle light blue glow but is intangible, with anyone being able to come or go as they please, though it can be broken if purposely struck with 10 Strength. The purpose of the barrier is to alert Hideki whenever anyone steps through the walls, the barrier being connected to his sensory ability. If Hideki were to leave the area, the barrier fades instantly, otherwise it can last for up to 10 posts and even persist through Hideki's sleep though the 'alarm' will wake him up if triggered.