Village forgotten in Mist[Search]

[Hituheru]

OOC: Not exactly sure on the protocol but I figured putting Search in brackets would suffice.

There was a lake before Hitu, surrounded by a fog of early morning mist, and pelted by the droplets of rain which fell from the clouds above; white cumulous, signs of a storm to come, one that had yet to erupt in fury. It would make travel difficult by mudding roads, and paths that were carved out along the various islands that made up Mizu no Kuni, the Land of Water. However, he had lived in this land with his family, before their deaths at the hand post-war Samurai. He was used to such weather, and it no longer depressed him to feel rain fall upon his exposed head.

Today was an important day. It was the start of a trek he had been planning for a while: the search for the village hidden in the mist. He had been there once when he was younger, and his parents told him that they had visited multiple times to gather supplies, and tools for weapon making. In addition to their Kage-Hebi Kekkei Genkai, his family had been part of a traveling band of Takumi, whom had since thinned out and abandoned their trades. During the war, such craftsmen were valued above most, creating special weapons for commanders and the sort, after such, the need for quality had diminished and many took up more suitable lives in a time of peace. His parents on the other hand had never renounced their trade and until their deaths had been traveling across continents to sell product and gather material to create more.

It was from this mind-set that Hitu was drawn to find the village, if only to mark it upon a map for future reference. He needed to become stronger now, able to fend for himself and eventually achieve retribution for his bloodline and for the loss of his parents. However, in order to do that information was needed, and the blank edges of his map had to be filled in to insure his success. Spreading influence forth one village at time seemed logical, if he was powerful, but he had hardly satisfied his thirst for it. Along the way, he would need to ready himself for the task, train in the arts that were passed down to him, and forge bonds with those he could trust, until such a time he no longer needed their aide. Out here, in the wild of it, he would only be a hermit; a teenage hermit living out his days in solitude. He wanted more than that.

With the lake behind him, for he had turned as his train of thought wandered on, calculating what was to come, he prepared himself for the start of it all, the start of his life really. However, he found himself unable to accurately predict what lay ahead, for he had only ever visited small enclaves and encampments, never anything lthe size of a Shinobi village. Too long had he been sheltered by his parents, and it had made him weak, and understanding of how meaningless a purposeless life is. Now it was his time reveal himself to the world. He would start out, leaving the small lake behind, and out of the corner of his eye he would see the first burst of rain, and glistening leaves hiding behind a gathering mist. By the time he reached the first dirt path, littered with trees, and mud, the rain would have become thick, and hard upon his head.

[Sayomi]

The search for Kirigakure is not a simple one, for many dangers resided upon the trail to the hidden village. An encompassing forest laid before your eyes, living almost as if it were breathing silently in harmony with the musical echoes of the life that riveted within its concaves. An obscuring mist that lingered around, crawling along the earthen floor beneath you. An ominous presence could be felt within the confines of this forest. Following the dirt path, it'd fork left an right. A simple decision often lead to a difficult situation. Which path would you walk?

[Hituheru]

The rain upon Hitu’s head was nothing compared to the mist that trailed at his feet. He could feel it slowly wrapping around him with each step, embracing him in an icy cool embrace of moisture and fog. What had once been rather easy to ignore, had become top priority as his boots sank into the rapidly forming puddles of mud. They’d rise back up with a great tug on his part, coated in a disgusting, crap-brown color and smelling of earth and grime. Rain and mist pelted the layer of brown, causing it to melt, and trail down and inside his boot. Within minutes, a layer of mud had gathered at the soles of his feet, agitating both flesh and patience.

As the path split, instinctively he chose the right fork, turning without so much as a second thought as to why he thought it better than the first. However, logic was the true motive behind his decision. For when he left the lake behind him, he had made a left out onto the road, and to make another one almost seemed like walking in a circle to him. Even if that wasn’t true, he didn’t want to take such an unnecessary risk and end up back where he started. Or worse, head into part of the forest he had yet to learn of. Even so, as he trekked onward, a feeling of uneasiness began to sweep over him, something he had not felt in a long time, not since his parents had been alive. It was the same as the day they were murdered.

There was something out there, in the forest that much he could be sure of. However, whatever it was hid in the mist, waiting for prey perhaps, or wanting to toy with its food before making a strike; either case was not very heart warming. As such, Hitu developed a habit of checking overtop of his shoulder every so often as he walked amongst the trees. Given the rain, and the dark, foreboding clouds, most would be kept from his eyes, and his normal advantage of surprise was nearly cut in half by the possibility of an ambush. Although, there was always a chance that he was simply being overly paranoid and nothing lay in wait for him. In Mizu no Kuni though, it was better to act first then to regret an inaction that could cost you your life.

[Sayomi]

You'd find the environment all the same as you turned right, however the mist seemed to thicken as if it itself were the very guide to your endeavor. Kirigakure Shinobi roamed around these parts so moving silently would prove advantageous for you, lest you wish to blindly charge into conflict. A few minutes into the path you chosen you'd come to yet another decision, for the direction you'd choose lead to a worn path, slightly obscured by the mist that clung low to the earthen floor. This was a path, but it offered no protection from the eyes of other travelers or would you keep upon the direction you were already going? The choice is yours

[Hituheru]

With the mist thickening, Hitu began to worry about being able to spot potential threats, however at the same time the weather served him to a means as well. Visibility would be cut for all whom might be out traveling today. Rain, fog and the lack of the sun, whose rays were blocked by large clouds, would make it easier to disappear into the wild in a pinch. And yet, the way the path opened up before him now, worn in by multiple sets of footprints, and treads from carts, had him restless. Although, not currently aligned with any village, he had to assume that any Shinobi would still see him as a threat, and otherwise detain or perhaps even attack him. That’s not to say he was scared, in fact he was quite sure that he could dispose of any would-be attackers, but a murder on a somewhat public road would make him a fugitive. Not only would he be unable to enter the village, but he could possibly be pursued as well.

In his current state, he couldn’t possibly deal with Hunter-Nin, or the wrath of one of the world’s powers. No, his best option was to remain hidden from all eyes, even if it meant taking a longer, more treacherous route. It was with this in mind that he deviated from his current route and headed off into the wild, where paths were scarce, but people were scarcer. From there, it would be relatively easy to remain undetected as he traveled. However, it would make reaching his goal all the more difficult. Paths were created by man after all, and they lead somewhere. In a forested area, trees all around, and wild beasts, there was no telling where he’d end up.

Yet, the alternative, any way he ran the scenario in his mind was death or incarceration. After he would kill any Shinobi that wished ill upon him, there was no guarantee that others would not come looking for their missing comrades. A pile of bodies draws a lot more intention that a weary hunter searching for food in the wilderness. At least, should anyone happen to discover the ‘detour’ he had taken, that would be his story. After all, he called this place his home, and he had survived alone before. There was no reason to draw undo attention if he could do so again.

[Sayomi]

Playing it safe yielded its own rewards as well. The path you deviated from would have lead to a small village, which was not what you sought. Navigating these foreign parts would be difficult as you passed multiple places that seemed the very same as places you had passed moments ago. The mist would thicken and a ensnaring surprise would capture you if you didn't keep your wits about you an your eyes carefully upon the earth floor. Sometimes the earth even grew hungry!

[Hituheru]

There was something odd about the mist. The way it kept thickening as he continued on, heading further out from what could be assumed as any human-built civilization. He might have considered the weather normal if it had not already became thicker once before with the rain as it cut little holes in the fog. Now however, he couldn’t help but to assume that the mist before him as he walked was produced from something unnatural, or rather someone that wanted to appear to have influence over the weather of a given area. He had to admit, it made him smile a bit at their cleverness. That is, if anyone was pulling the strings hidden by mist and trees. Although, he couldn’t linger with such admiration, now he had to watch carefully both what was in front of him and what was underneath the layer of mist.

He set up a routine as he stepped over branches, weaved past trees and other obstacles such as stones, and unseen black objects which lay beneath his sight. The routine included sweeping the area in front of his feet with his eyes and then using his peripherals to check his sides. With so many angels of potential danger it was rather hard to check everything at such a fast past. However, he calculated that an attack from below or his sides was more likely than an attack from above, or even behind him. The trees weren’t high enough for anyone to properly keep themselves entirely hidden from his wandering gaze, and his backside, though exposed, would be calculated, assumingly by whatever foe lay in wait, as a worthless target. Why? Because he would of course assume that Hitu was more worried about his backside than the front and therefore had his back guarded. The resistance, according to the foe would then be the least at the sides.

Regardless, if the environment was truly the only danger, Hitu with his constant sweeping gaze would have at least of decent bearing of what been in front of him on the path. Anything that could be a potential threat would either be avoided entirely or inspected in a way that would not present danger, but rather a curious-minded nature. The mist may be threatening to swallow him whole, and cause him to eternally wander the same paths over and over; for many pathways looked rather similar. However, ever since he had wandered off the normal, more worn path, he had been leaving a trail in his wake. It had cost him some potential weaponry, but it was better than getting lost in a place he had no knowledge of and eventually being eaten alive by the wild. Every one hundred or so meters, he’d mark a tree by carving it with a shuriken and then placing the small star above the layer of mist around him.

SPOILER: Click to show

Shuriken (Ninja Star)(x2)
Rank: D
Type: Secondary / Ranged
Special: 5 per Pack.
Description: A shuriken, like kunai, is one of the more basic weapons employed by ninja of all classes. They are sharpened, four-pronged metal stars, no more than a few inches long, and are extremely useful for throwing. Although small, they can be used to distract, or, if accurate enough, to kill. They have an open circle in the center, used for grabbing with a finger, to avoid cutting oneself, or to put thread through. The circle is also a benefit in aerodynamics, as it ensures more accurate trajectories.
Cost: 100 Ryo per Pack

I have ten so subtract whatever you think would be necessary to keep track of his current trail, at least until he gets out of the thick part of the mist.

[Sayomi]

and a ensnaring surprise would capture you if you didn't keep your wits about you an your eyes carefully upon the earth floor. Sometimes the earth even grew hungry!

As you trekked onward you'd fail to keep your mind open and think about where you were stepping. You'd find that you stepped within a bank of quick sand during your embark, the gluttonous jaws of it agape how would you free yourself from the earth prison that wished to follow you. Think fast for time was short as you'd sink. You have two posts to escape before the quicksand completely swallows you whole.

[Messatsu!]

+ 20 @ Masumi. Transferred to Hotarubi