Among the Forest . . . [ M ]

[Kii!]

Just outside of the gates of Konohagakure awaited an artist. On his back was a large bag, likely holding most of his supplies, and I approached him with a massive grin and a wave. He seemed happy at my arrival, waving and smiling happily back at me, too. So I subconsciously increased my pace until I was at a light jog, and when I arrived before him I stuck out my hand in greeting.

"Senzoku Kii, nice to meet you!" I said, and he grasped my hand as well, saying that his name was Jiro. With a nod, I motioned to his bag. "Want me to carry it? It seems like it's heavy," I offered, as the bag was at least half of Jiro's size. At first he refused, though I knew he didn't really want to carry it. So I simply looked at him, raising an eyebrow, and he seemed to understand my suspicion and gave in. A light chuckle escaped from me as I lifted the bag with ease. At first he seemed a bit surprised, though seemed to get used to it after a short moment.

And we were off! Our trek was truly an aimless one, simply wandering through Hi no Kuni in search of natural beauty! It excited me in many ways, as I couldn't help but admire nature. Now that I was simply escorting an artist, rather than moving at high speeds while protecting a runner, I could more easily take in the nature. As we walked and passed by even simple things, I'd "Ooh!" and "Woah!" Even to myself I seemed like a little kid in a candy store, but there was no stopping my fascination. None of it seemed right for Jiro, though.

"So what are we looking for?" I asked, a little hop in my step.

"Nothing in particular. I'll know when I see it, though," He said, continuing to look all around for whatever caught his eye.

I nodded and fell into thought. What might catch his eye? There were many wonderful things within the forests of Hi no Kuni, and I tried to think of any special places I knew. Moments passed before I had a realization.

"Oh! I know a place you might like--a waterfall, with a cave hidden beneath it!" I said, stopping and bending at my knees in excitement. I'd just been there, as it was the finish line for the race I'd recently experienced. Unfortunately, I didn't get to stay nearly as long as I'd have liked to, and this was a perfect opportunity. "Trees, rushing water, a cave . . . think about it!" I grinned and stared hopefully up at Jiro.

SPOILER: Click to show

Among the Forest
Rank: C
Life Cycle: Once per PC!
Description: A man has requested that he be escorted in his artistic endeavors. He plans to venture into Hi no Kuni, within the forest, to find beautiful spots in which to paint, where he will bring his surroundings to life on paper. Since the country can be dangerous, and wild animals may be about, he is willing to pay for the services of the shinobi.
Objectives: Stay with the artist and protect him until he is finished painting.
Rewards: 50 EXP / 1,000 Ryo

[Kii!]

For a moment, Jiro seemed to stop and think about what I'd said. Then, with a nod, he smiled and motioned for me to take the lead. With a pump of my fist, I jogged out ahead before turning around and walking backwards. Nearly stumbling over a tree root in my excitement, I laughed and took a moment to assess where in the forest we were.

"Alright, this way!" I said, making a sharp turn and making my way back toward my destination. It was midday, and although the sun was high above us, it wasn't too hot. In fact, the temperature was wonderfully moderate. The breeze struggled to intertwine itself within the trees. Absentmindedly, I brought a hand through my snow-white hair as I considered the next route to take. It didn't seem that any particular danger loomed about, which was a very good thing.

Eventually, we would arrive at our destination. The sound of rushing and falling water filled my ears, and we emerged from the trees to a majestic scene. Clear, blue water flowed from a river above, falling violently into a pool below. It splashed up, filling the nearby air with drops of water, like rain, refracting the light in rainbows and glories. The trees, as always, littered the nearby area, and perhaps it was just me, but they seemed larger here. More green, and full of life. The rocky cliff that framed the waterfall was my first destination, and I ran across the water, chakra-laden feet carrying me effortlessly across its depths. Then, I scaled the rock vertically, until I was at the very top of the waterfall. There, I stood atop the water, as well, at the center of the waterfall, and laughed, waving down at Jiro.

After a moment, I couldn't resist it anymore, and I leaped off of the waterfall and down into the water below. Like a diver, I aligned my body and pushed into the water with my hands first. The sensation was quite unlike any other, first falling from such an immense height, then crashing into the water and finding myself suspended within it.

[Kii!]

I emerged from the lake absolutely soaked. A silly grin filled my face, and I shook my head back and forth forcefully, pumping my fist in the air, spraying drops of water all around. My clothes stuck to my skin, but I didn't mind; I'd let the breeze dry me. This was a nice break from the life of a shinobi. Still, I'd remind myself that I was here on a misson, no matter how peaceful it seemed. So, too, would I need to stay out of Jiro's way. After all, I wasn't a part of his painting.

So I made my way to the same grassy hill I'd lounged on earlier in the day, and laid myself down. This way, I was out of Jiro's way, so that he could continue to paint without interruption. This little hill was clear of the trees, and allowed me to stare up at the cerulean skies above, patched in white and lined with gold.

Glancing over at Jiro's painting, I couldn't help but find myself curious as to his work. While I figured he was rather skilled, considering all the trouble he was going through, I was impressed nonetheless. It was both realistic and had its own artistic flair at the same time; although it was no where near complete, I could still see the skill employed.

Grinning, I interlocked my fingers beneath my head and relaxed against the hillside. What could go wrong? I doubted any animals would wander nearby, and unless a foreign, hostile shinobi found his way here, it was hard for me to see myself actually needing to protect Jiro. Still, Jiro was worried enough to pay for the aid of a shinobi, so I had to wonder how often he was able to take a chance like this.

[Kii!]

"You know," I said, rolling onto my side to face the artist. "You're really good at this!" I smiled wide and chuckled a bit, lightly, and Jiro just turned and smiled back. Probably, judging by how skilled he was, he'd heard those words so many times that they no longer meant much. Still, I couldn't express it any more bluntly, so I shrugged and rolled onto my back once more. Unfortunately, the sun and the breeze weren't quite as good at drying as a towel, so I was still soaked to the bone. My pants were heavy, though once I sat up and wrung them out they felt much lighter.

This place is peaceful, I thought, allowing my grayed orbs to scan all around me. Though I probably should have taken the free time to train, I couldn't help but be lulled into a restful relaxation by my surroundings. The warm zephyrs, the crashing water, the shade of the trees, the midday sun, everything! My amazement with my surroundings would soon become a thing of the past, tiny and insignificant, as I noticed a silhouette approaching from the trees opposite of our side of the lake. I sat up, staring intently at it, as I knew no person could create such a shadow. It was massive, overwhelmed the trees even, and once it fully emerged I hurried to my feet in disbelief.

It was a stag--but certainly not just any stag. It stood at at least twelve meters tall, probably more. The antlers upon its head were both frightening and magnificent at the same time, intricate and deadly designs of nature. Looking to Jiro, I noticed his surprise. However, more than that, I noticed that he hurriedly began painting the creature in. He was unafraid--or, at least, his passion for art was stronger than his fear--and I had to grin at the scene. At first, it didn't appear hostile. The lake seemed to be its main water source, which was probably why it was willing to show itself with us here. That, or it hadn't noticed us yet.

My worry was that it had been the latter, and once he did notice us, would become hostile. For now, though, I'd simply approach Jiro slowly, ready to act in case I needed to.

[Kii!]

It moved slowly, and it felt as if everything it so much as brushed against was suddenly important. As if it held a power over the world around it. Certainly, I was awestruck by the creature; even its simple movements seemed complex and amazing. Many moments passed as Jiro painted hurriedly away, I stared speechless at the creature, and the stag dipped low toe drink. To think such a massive creature could live within the forest without us having known was ridiculous, though it was obviously true, as it stood before us very alive.

Then I noticed small changes in its behavior. Its tailed wagged a bit, just as its ears perked up. With a quick, sudden movement, it turned its head to face us, and stared for a short while. It felt like much, much longer, however--suspense and anticipation filled the air in an almost visible haze. Even Jiro stopped painting in that moment, waiting to see the reaction we would receive.

Without warning, it charged straight for us. Instinctively I dashed toward it, as well, making sure to block its path to Jiro. My first instinct was to deter it from its path without hurting it somehow; this was obviously a rare sight, and in general I didn't want to hurt it. Unfortunately, I didn't have many ideas for stopping a giant stag from charging without hurting it. So as I thought about it, I realized it was too late, and only spread my arms as if I could block its path. With its head lowered, it slammed its antlers into my body, and all of my breath was taken out of me. It had much more strength than I'd anticipated--my eyes went wide from the shock of the blow, and he lifted me up with immense force. Then, I found myself flying through the air uncontrollably, before slamming into the ground and rolling quite a ways. Shakily, I struggled to stand to my feet, but grinned as I realized it had indeed stopped its charge. A green glow surrounded the point of impact as I began a surge of Shousen chakra in order to heal the wound. Still, once on my feet, I stumbled forward, grimacing, but realizing that the stag still had Jiro in his sights. The artist himself was unmoving, frightened apparently, and I couldn't do anything but forcefully stop the creature.

I dashed, holding my stomach at first, then leaning forward and bearing with the pain, I charged. A pale-blue, fiery light overtook my fist, and as the stag began to charge, I arrived at its side. My fist shot forward, twisting as it landed, and unleashing a blast of chakra. The shock caused the stag's fur to ripple out before it was sent flying to the side, landing in the lake with a massive splash. Afterward, I stood, scowling and breathing heavily from the pain, my fist still outstretched.

"S-. . . sorry . . ."

[Kii!]

In the short time given to compose myself, I took a moment to straighten my posture and glance over at Jiro. He seemed more calm now, though a worried expression washed over his face. The green light hadn't faded yet from my stomach, as it took quite a bit of effort to heal myself from the powerful impact I'd suffered. Still, I didn't want him to worry about me or the animal.

"Ah; don't worry, I'll heal myself and it up right away!" I said, chuckling and scratching the back of my head. I forced myself not to stutter or grunt in pain before jerking my head to the right, over to the lake. Water splashed with a fury, not from the waterfall, but from the massive stag writhing and squirming beneath it. Without hesitation or a sense for the pain it caused me, I dashed toward the lake and jumped diving beneath the waters. Since the stag was so large, it could actually stick its head out of the lake if its pain was ceased. So I transferred my energy, stopping the healing in my stomach and allowing the green glow to overtake my hands. Then, I pressed my hands against the Stag's side, sending the healing chakra down and through its skin to reach internally. My strike was a powerful one, and I'd put almost all my strength into it--after all, I would have had to to send it rocketing off course like I did. Afraid I'd broken bones and caused internal bleeding, I put as much energy as I could into my Shousen no Jutsu.

It took quite a bit of time, and my breath, although I was able to hold it exceptionally long, was beginning to run out. The stag's writhing had come to a halt, though it didn't seem to want to move. Forced to surface for air, I took my hands from his body and emerged from the water. Using so much chakra on both his and my own wounds had drained me very much, however, so I stumbled onto shore and fell back lightly. With a deep breath, I checked to make sure the stag was breathing above water, and noticed it attempting to emerge from the watery depths of the lake. It did so successfully, and soon took off in a healthy gallop into the forest.

"Maaaann," I said with a sigh. "That was amazing!" Struggling to stand, I took a few deep breaths and grunted a bit, bearing with the pain. Again the green glow of Shousen chakra surrounded my abdomen, and soon Jiro would announce that his painting was done.

"Sorry that you got hurt for me," he said, smiling weakly.

"Don't worry! It's my job, and plus," I said, motioning to my stomach. "I healed myself all up. It was my fault I got hit, anyways." Though he didn't seem totally satisfied, he nodded, and we made our way back to Konohagakure.

[ e x i t ]

[Axcel]

+56 exp