In the Frozen Lands

[Michiko Uzumaki]

I live my life in widening circles, reaching out across the world.

Even though it was late spring, snow crunched underneath Michiko’s boots. It decorated the rooftops of the tiny village she was passing through, coating everything with a thin white blanket. A strange thing: how snow could linger for so long at higher altitudes. It made little sense to her in theory, but the slopes of Mount Shumisen had made the phenomenon’s existence quite clear. It was entirely natural, too. No amount of investigation had revealed to her any measure of chakra which would go into maintaining such a wintry environment. “Incredible!” she had whispered upon the discovery, her face half-frozen.

With the full moon in the sky above and a chill in the air, it felt like winter, too. The cold had a bite about it. As she entered the tavern on the end of the street, she was more than happy to duck out of the elements. A wave of warmth flowed out into the night as she stepped into the small, wooden building. She made sure to pull the door shut securely behind her, locking the heat in once more.

Turning back around, she found more than a few strangers staring at her. Ah, that’s right… she thought. This was no tourist destination. Neither was it ‘on the way’ to anything that most people would be interested in, save for the odd pilgrim or courier. The locals here would not be used to strangers.

“Um, hello,” she awkwardly nodded at a few of the more aggressive starers.

Making her way up to the bar, she took a few seconds to look at everyone else’s meals and drinks. Her stomach growled at the sight. Glancing back up, she found an impatient bartender standing in front of her.

“And what’ll it be for you?” the bearded villager grumbled.

“Hm,” Michiko hummed. “I guess…one of those,” she gestured at a warm bowl of noodles a few patrons down, “and one of those?” She pointed the other way, indicating a steaming cup of some green-colored drink further down the bar.

Health: 340
Chakra: 18
Regen:  6

notes notes notes

by sixsmith.

[Kuromaru Kaguya]

    It was a terribly cold night for late spring, but that was the usual reality of travelling across mountains - particularly this mountain, which was said to be the tallest. Kuromaru, wearing a sleeveless dark blue overcoat with a high collar and hood drawn far over his head, walks across the hard landscape, his steps crushing the thin layer of snow further against the ground.

    The moonlight was the only light he had for quite some time, but now the dim glow of flame lit hanging lanterns could be seen not too far away. And on the wind, the smell of food. Kuromaru enters the town, and spots a hanging sign denoting the building as an inn or restaurant. Given the size, probably just a restaurant. His gait almost makes his walking look more like gliding as he slowly approaches the building.

    Kuromaru pushes the door open, the warmth of a chimney fire pressing back against the chill attempting to follow him in. Multiple pairs of eyes look up at him - and meet a cold stare back. It wasn't long before those staring eyes found themselves focused on their plates and playing cards, rather than on him. He approaches the bar, and notices a woman with vibrant red hair.

    "...An Uzumaki...?" Kuromaru wonders, whispering to himself. The Uzumaki were a powerful clan that hailed from the Land of Water, just as the Kaguya Clan does. Of course, it wasn't as if the only people with red hair in the world were the Uzumaki; though, she did have that appearance of a traveler, given the contrast between her garb and the locals. Curious, Kuromaru steps up to the bar and slips back his hood. If she was an Uzumaki, she would recognize the tattooed circles upon his brows, and the red tattoos that covered his lower eye lids. She would know a Kaguya, IF she was an Uzumaki.

    "A hot tea, and a hot rice bowl, if you please." Kuromaru says, settling into one of the stools a few seats down from Michiko.

    What would be even more fun, is if this woman was indeed an Uzumaki, and recognized him by a rather fun nickname he'd earned spilling blood across many battlefields, including battles his Clan had no interests in participating in. The Bracken Warlord was a name fairly known in the Land of Water. But if she didn't recognize, or wasn't an Uzumaki, then it was still a fun theory to test.

---

Kuromaru:
CP: 18/18
HP: 0/320
WC: 411

Items: None

Abilities: Shikotsumyaku (1/1), Bone Shield (1)

[Michiko Uzumaki]

I live my life in widening circles, reaching out across the world.

The tea and noodles were just the right temperature—enough to warm her up instantly, but not so warm that she had to sit and blow on every bite like some sort of fool. A full belly and no scalded tongue: an excellent meal, all things considered!

She had made note of the entrance of another foreigner about a half hour earlier, before she had even gotten her meal. The white-haired man bore strange markings on his face, the sort of thing which only ninja ever seemed to have. He seemed to be minding his own business. Frustrating. She had questions for him, but it seemed like she would have to wait for the answers she sought. Too much eagerness in a crowded tavern tended to get people thrown out into the snow.

It was times like these where she wished that she had spent more time actually doing missions for her clan. No—that wasn’t entirely accurate. She didn’t regret her time spent on the farm or her time training and studying fuinjutsu. What she meant was this: it was times like these where she wished she had the knowledge that working as a professional kunoichi would have earned her. Stealth and combat, long days on the road: these were excellent means for acquiring new pieces of information. Her combat-focused Uzumaki cousins would certainly have known something about the stranger sitting to her right.

The night crawled on, though, and Michiko’s frustration grew. She made small talk with the bartender and answered a few questions from locals as evasively as she could, but very little seemed to be happening. Slowly, the tavern emptied out, the locals stumbling home through the snow. Eventually, it was only her and the white-haired fellow.

She took a sip of her tea—a second cup now, still warm—and set it down gently. Finally. Wheeling to face the stranger, there was a fire in her eyes as she began to fire off the questions that she had been holding back all night. “You there—those marks on your face: where did you get them? When did you get them? Oh, and, if you don’t mind me asking, what function do they serve? And also, while you're at it, are they merely decorative, or do they store some sort of technique? Are they hereditary or attained through some ritual means? Permanent or temporary?” She fished her journal out of her pack as she spoke, beginning a new line of notes.

She paused as she did so, offering an embarrassed smile. "Sorry. Introductions first, yeah?" She jabbed a thumb at herself. "I'm Michiko Uzumaki: researcher and scholar."

Health: 340
Chakra: 18
Regen:  6

Kuromaru Kaguya

by sixsmith.

[Kuromaru Kaguya]

    For a while, things ran uneventfully. Sometimes that was a nice change of pace, but Kuromaru wasn't the type to enjoy long periods of peace. His blood always simmered with the hope that someone would make the mistake of trying to bully him, or he would overhear word of potential work. One of the issues with being a freelance assassin, was that he tended to do more traveling than working.

    He doubted very much that the people of this town would be able to supply him with a way to manage his ever present blood lust. The number of people slowly begins to shrink, and Kuromaru had finished his bowl of rice, and had been nursing his tea for the last ten minutes when the red haired woman suddenly rounds on him with a flurry of questions with barely restrained excitement.

    She moved from one question to the next without stopping to breathe, it almost seemed, so he waits. Eventually, she confirmed his suspicion - she was an Uzumaki.

    "You are quite the excitable one, aren't you?" Kuromaru says, chuckling at her bright, beaming expression. "Well, one thing at a time."

    He gestures at his own face.

    "These are permanent tattoos, given to all members of my clan once we reach five years old." he explains. "They have no underlying special qualities - it is simply the cultural practice of my kin, dating back to the early descendants of my Great Ancestor."

    This is where things might get more interesting.

    "It is a pleasure to meet you, Michiko Uzumaki - you and I hail from the same lands; the Land of Water." he says, holding out a hand and putting on a smile. "My name is Kuromaru Kaguya."

---

WC: 285

[Michiko Uzumaki]

I live my life in widening circles, reaching out across the world.

“Ah, wonderful!” Michiko exclaimed, scribbling furiously. “Many cultural practices which seem to lack any utility arise from very utilitarian origins, of course. I wonder if this ancestor of yours had different reasons behind such markings…” She tapped the pen against her chin as she thought, listening to Kuromaru’s introduction.

“Always a joy to meet someone from home,” she added in an off-handed manner, moving quickly to more important issues. “That name, though…Kaguya. Am I correct in assuming that the ancestor you were speaking of is the inspiration behind such a name? Kaguya, as in the legendary Mother of Chakra? That Kaguya, yes?”

If that was truly the case, she had stumbled into a treasure. She had not climbed half way up the world’s tallest mountain searching out secrets about the ancient goddess, but it seemed that they had perhaps found her nonetheless. And all the way from her homeland, too—it was a strange blessing. Michiko had left the Land of Water as quickly as she could, pursuing leads that her master had intended to explore in the Land of Wind. She had spent little time thinking about her homeland since then, consumed by foreign lands and concepts.

Still, something was familiar about the name Kuromaru Kaguya. It had a ring to it—a feeling that she should know who this person was. Michiko had never been good with recalling such details. Was Kuromaru one of those odd names which had been tossed around in clan meetings and missives? She narrowed her eyes. “What brings you so far from home, friend?”

Health: 340
Chakra: 18
Regen:  6

Kuromaru Kaguya

by sixsmith.

[Kuromaru Kaguya]

    Kuromaru looks at the notes Michiko was quickly scribbling, raising a brow. He smiles at her first query.

    "Yes - we are directly descended from The Lady Kaguya." Kuromaru affirms. "We are quite proud of our lineage, and so took upon ourselves Her name, so that we may always know who gave us our beginning."

    Not that he worshipped this ancestor. The Mother of Chakra was a legend from almost two thousand years ago, so it was possible that the claim of her being the beginning of Chakra in the world. But it was equally likely not; all the Kaguya knew was that their Kekkei Genkai could be traced back directly to her.

    When asked why he was so far from the Land of Water, Kuromaru smiles again and sips from his tea. His pale green eyes almost seemed to glint with the flickering lantern light.

    "I came looking for work." he tells her. It was an honest answer, all things considered. "I am something of a freelance contractor. I take working contracts anywhere I can find them, and usually work alone. I also, like you, wanted to see more of the world - to see where my skills could bring me. So far, they have brought me here."

    Kuromaru straightens his back, having grown a bit sore from stooping.

    "I don't currently have a contract, and I doubt that the people here could afford my services." he continues. He looks at Michiko, giving her an appraising once over. It wasn't the look of someone interested in her, but one from a born warrior sizing up another person. "Travelling between the nations can be harrowing. You must be quite capable, having come all this way?"

---

WC: 283

[Michiko Uzumaki]

I live my life in widening circles, reaching out across the world.

Michiko nodded along as Kuromaru explained his family’s connection to the Mother of Chakra. A tentative lineage, wrapped in mythology, but a lead nonetheless. If she ran into a wall chasing down the sages who had fought against Kaguya millennia ago, she would at least have the Kaguya clan to pursue. Families often remembered what the rest of history had long forgotten.

She glanced up, an eyebrow raised, as she heard the man’s explanation for what had brought him to the Land of Earth. Work… What an incredibly vague comment. What sort of work would be available to Kuromaru here in the Land of Earth that wasn’t available in the Land of Water? A freelance contractor who strayed so far from home was likely involved in a highly specialized field—some trade which would place a high enough demand on his services to lead him to cross borders. She opened her mouth to ask what sort of work he was engaged in but was cut off by his own line of questioning.

“Capable?” She questioned. “That’s an interesting way of phrasing things.” She drained the rest of her tea, which had settled to a lukewarm temperature. Setting it back down, she laughed. “Yes, I suppose that’s a fair evaluation. I’m not the strongest or the quickest, but I make friends easily enough and I keep myself out of any unnecessary trouble.”

The Uzumaki knew that neither of those statements was particularly true. Her ‘friends’ rarely could keep up with her enthusiasm and travelling, and her penchant for rushing headlong into dangerous situations was becoming more than a little inconvenient. Still, Kuromaru didn’t need to know that.

“And what about you, then? What sort of trade takes you across borders, and would you also be one of those people who is ‘capable,’ seeing as you’ve also travelled this far?”

Health: 340
Chakra: 18
Regen:  6

notes notes notes

by sixsmith.

[Kuromaru Kaguya]

    Kuromaru eats a piece of bread as Michiko speaks, and washes it down with his drink by the time she finishes and asks her question.

    "I think I would prefer to have trouble once in a while." he says conversationally. "A little trouble here and there can be a good way to keep up one's training - if they're the type."

    Kuromaru sets down his cup, and looks at Michiko. Did it matter much if she knew what he was in the Land of Earth for? She hadn't reacted to his name much, so it was entirely likely she wasn't aware. If she recognized him, she could decide to make trouble for him, or if he told her his work was quite literally killing people for money, she could likewise make a bit of trouble.

    But did that matter? He had just said that trouble was good once in a while. Well, put your money where your mouth is, or so the saying goes.

    "I am quite capable - both in navigation, and in defending myself." he says, smiling at Michiko. "I tend to buy maps whenever I cross borders, so navigation is seldom ever an issue. And when I travel, it is most often by invitation at the location where my clients live or conduct their businesses, so I don't usually run into trouble on the road."

    He chuckles.

    "There were a couple exceptions, I suppose." he continues. "I walked into a bandit ambush in the Land of Grass. It was good exercise. My first contract went well, and paid well. The second client had to change their schedule though - I encountered a particularly troublesome interference."

    Takeo Lee had certainly been problematic - it was the first time Kuromaru had met an opponent he literally couldn't land a hit against. He had been driven away by the shinobi before he could finish the contract.

    "I'm a mercenary shinobi. It's good money, after all." he says.

---

WC: 323

[Michiko Uzumaki]

I live my life in widening circles, reaching out across the world.

“Bah,” Michiko responded, sticking her tongue out as though she’d just tasted something sour. “Trouble’s trouble, plain and simple. I find it incredibly distracting, and more than a bit frustrating. There’s a lot of work I need to do—important work—and every other day it’s another boring ambush or assassination attempt. Do you know how hard it is to re-focus on my research after dealing with that nonsense? Blegh. Not for me.”


She paused for half a moment, locking eyes with Kuromaru again. “Oh, um, I guess it’s fine if you like it, though—to each their own! Just don’t drag me into any of your stuff, you know?”

The Uzumaki nodded along as she listened to Kuromaru’s response. Yes—he was a professional, alright, whatever his field was. She recognized in the man sitting at the bar with her a similar sort of intensity and focus: someone with a true passion for their work. It was refreshing to find a kindred soul, especially here of all places. Few people on this mountain seemed interested in much more than getting to the end of each day. Their lives felt stale, tedious. They had so much interesting stuff going on around them, and none of them seemed to care.

When Kuromaru revealed his profession, though, Michiko had to fight to keep from making the same sour-taste face she had made just seconds earlier. Perhaps I judged too soon… she thought, dissatisfied to find out that Kuromaru was just another boring shinobi. Taking missions for money…how original!

Still… she leaned forward, eyes narrowing as she studied Kuromaru’s face. There was something different there: something that was neither stale nor tedious. She frowned, leaning back on her barstool. “You know what? I don’t actually think money has much of anything to do with it, for you.” She paused, before quickly adding, “If I had to guess.” A friend of hers had suggested she soften some of her statements to sound less…accusatory. She didn't really know had to do that.

“Answer me this: Why are you a shinobi, Kuromaru? What makes it all worthwhile?”

Health: 340
Chakra: 18
Regen:  6

notes notes notes

by sixsmith.

[Kuromaru Kaguya]

    Kuromaru listens to the Uzumaki woman, and considers her last questions.

    "Money is a large part of the reason - otherwise, I wouldn't bother hiring out my skills." he points out, to preface the rest of what he was going to say. "Without money, how would I afford to fix my clothes when torn? I cannot create the stitchings and materials needed to remedy that - nor can I replace my foot wear, should they wear out and fall apart. Without money, I cannot eat what I like, or travel to where I wish."

    Kuromaru lifts his now empty glass.

    "I cannot make this tea. Unless I can buy it, I could not enjoy it. Money is how I am compensated for my skills, and so I consider money well worth the effort to obtain." Kuromaru takes out two coins - one from the Land of Water, and one from the Land of Earth. "Coin making is also an art form. So common, so easy to get - for some. For others, it can be so hard to get coin that they die, shriveled and starved in the streets. But every nation has its own coins, and every coin is someone's life work. Is that not worth enough to desire?"

    He pockets the coins.

    "But, no. Money is not why I do what I do. But it does help me do other things." he continues. "As for why I became a Shinobi... There is no why. I simply am. It has always been my life, and I am not displeased for it. It is, after all, what I am best suited for."

    Kuromaru holds up his left hand, palm facing the ceiling, and smiles at it. The middle of his hand splits open, though no blood spills out. Bone as white as pearls pushes through the opening, lengthening and growing thicker as it goes.

    "What makes what I do worthwhile, is that I love to do it." he says, grinning. "The blood boiling thrill of killing warriors and Shinobi... to face others of high caliber, and discovering how far I still have yet to go. I have no altruistic desires, no revenge to mete out against wrongdoers."

    Kuromaru turns his eyes to lock with Michiko's.

    "Perhaps I do not have  a goal, or a reason. Perhaps, I just like it." he looks away and the bone slowly retracts back into his hand. Once gone, he chuckles. "But even I have standards - I do not kill those who do not have a bounty on their heads. If there is no money in it, I do not raise my hands. I do not torment those I am sent after - often, they never have time to realize they've been attacked. I do not enable needless suffering, but nor will I pretend that I do so out of mercy. It is simply efficient to kill quickly."

    "And how about you?" he asks, as if things hadn't turned very grim. "Why do you study what is already dead and gone? What makes it worthwhile to you?"

---

WC:507

[Michiko Uzumaki]

I live my life in widening circles, reaching out across the world.

“Hm…” Michiko mused before falling silent for a short time. Her head tilted back a bit so that her eyes could stare at an indistinct spot on the ceiling.

After a pause, she turned her gaze back to Kuromaru and nodded. “That is a good answer, I think. Honest, and mostly well-reasoned.” She paused. “I would not do things like you do them, of course—but I suppose that’s because I am not you. Our interests lay fairly far apart.”

Though I would like to see that neat trick again, she added mentally. If only to understand it a little more. She had heard of such a kekkei genkai before, but had never had the chance to encounter it in person. It was a fascinatingly creative way to use chakra, though perhaps a bit brutish in its present-day applications.

She grinned as Kuromaru asked his question. “Why? Because the world is boring,” she answered, “except for a few glimmers of the people who made it much more exciting.”

She sighed. “I grew up on a farm, you know? And I didn’t want anything beyond that, really. And then – one day – I saw my first fuinjutsu. One of the fields had caught fire, and it had spread to the barns. This man, though…he just swept in and sealed it all away.”

A new gleam entered her eyes. “Don’t you see? Fires are supposed to burn everything down—and, and he just stopped that. Threw the whole thing into a scroll. It was beautiful. Pure art.”

“I wanted to see that again, to do that myself—so I studied. I studied every day. And every day I found something more beautiful, more intricate than the last. What we can do with chakra, with fuinjutsu it’s…it’s like an entirely different world. A whole new set of laws and customs. A strange new language where everything you think is impossible is within reach.”

“The ancients—they spoke that as their first language. They're grasp on the artistry of chakra was intuitive, masterful. They saw it and heard it in a way that no one alive today can. We’re just stumbling our way through it now. Hardly fluent. Beginners. But they left us plenty of lessons, if people just take the time to look around. We could be so much more—know so much more if we just gathered all their teachings again. That is why I’m out here.”

Health: 340
Chakra: 18
Regen:  6

notes notes notes

by sixsmith.