onourDAILYGRIND.[M]

[| J.im Kelly |]

This far from the village would hold no true dangers to the caravan. No warband or thieves would dare touch the shipment, especially since it held nothing but a daily chip delivery. What would a bunch of bandits want with chips? They'd have a better chance raiding the factory, and that probably wouldn't go over too well with the village. Oh boy, the influence Kumogakure had on it's surrounding land was astonishing. Gin usually kept to himself during this one, walking along with the man heading the shipment while Satsui took the lead, as his deamenor boasted a negative impact on those with negative thoughts. It was fortunate to have such a large, intimidating brother.

It would have been bad if they would have to resort to Gin using Genjutsu on the villages. No doubt he would've been in some sort of trouble.

As the caravan progress into the road that lead to Kumogakure's gates, Gin gave a hand signal, beckoning for Kyobona who was safely hiding in the bush awaiting ambush. The main trouble would start then at that point when they would have to force the civilians to couperate with them. Of course, the caravan shipment itself had several "guards" who would be assisting in holding everyone back. That is, if it got to that point at all. The villagers of Kumogakure were never really seen to act out roughly, and so Gin had his doubts. But from the recent war and the information given about the mission indicating that may get somewhat aggressive, he couldn't be too sure.

As they passed into the gates, one of the guards who had witnessed the shipment before gave Gin a sort of look. The look that said "Good luck, you're going to need it." He turned, pondering on it for a moment.

"Alright. Be prepared, the civilians may get rough. But don't kill them. Intimidation is the first route, and then if you HAVE to, push them back. Force definitely wont be tolerated. So don't go swinging elbows. You're a ninja, they're just villagers. Remember that."

Oh, the true challenge was on.

[Kyōbōna Shintarou]

He followed behind, and to the right of the caravan, and his brothers. This being his first mission he wasn't so much jumpy, as alert. He shifted from tree to tree, landing every so often to sprint across an open section of ground, the probability of him being seen still little to none as he moved. Hopping off the ground he'd resume his tree hopping keeping an eye upon the caravan so he didn't somehow stray from the path his brothers had chosen to take with it. He remained silent, thoughts upon nothing but the mission. A cool breeze brushed across the ground as he saw his brother give the signal. Hopping from the tree he seemed to vanish, before he appeared to the side of Gin, his kunai falling into it's normal location of rest.

Listening to the instructions given he nodded, eyes glancing across all present for a moment before he fell into step behind his siblings once more. Alert, and still rather active, energy pumping through his system through the adrenal gland as for a brief moment he felt his heart beat within his skull, the steady Ba-bump, Ba-bump, Ba-bump. Taking a deep breath he calmed himself, allowing himself to once again fall into the mentality required to complete the mission at hand. Walking through the town their hadn't been much trouble near the entrance to Kumogakure. Once or twice one of the caravan guards seemed to get jumpy and moved around the Caravan to place himself between himself and the villagers. The guy bothered Kyo', he couldn't quite put his finger on why. The guy was rather jumpy for being a caravan guard. Turning his attention from it, he continued to walk behind Gin, hands at his side rather then the normal place behind his head. Ready, waiting, just in case.

[Dagron Hoshigake]

When villagers gathered to stare Satsui rolled his shoulders and growled, blue eyes flickering from side to side. If they made it through this mission without fault, they'd likely never get to do it again. Frightened villagers would appeal to the mission compound for less fierce ninja. But their money didn't decide who got the job and who didn't. The decisions were left up to a higher power who judged by competence and not simply personality alone. It took a strong, firm will to stay the hand of the public, the kind that they were made into for this very mission. An extension of the Raikage to protect the people from themselves and those who would slight them.

It felt like hours before the caravan would meet its destination. All the tension in the air made it impossible to relax though they knew it was only villagers. So why all the hostility? They were just fools begging for scraps when they already had their meals.

[| J.im Kelly |]

It may have been that there were three of them there, or that Satsui was just one bad looking cat. His brother was known for being able to instil fear into those who stepped up to challenge him simply by giving them a look. This was a feat not easily pulled off, as you had to be destined and blessed with a set few physical attributes that allowed you to do so. Gin watched from in the middle of the caravan, observing all sides. His brothers would do well to make sure no one got close, while the rest of the caravan guards were making awkward rotations around the shipment. Something had been funny about them, but by the end of his the journey he could mark them off as simply being pansies.

MISSION FINISHED!

name; chip delivery
rank; c
description; A famous chip factory in Kaminari no Kuni has had trouble delivering their daily shipments into Kumogakure no Sato. These chips are quite famous amongst our Kumogakure no Sato inhabitants. Clearly because they’re lacking their famous chips they aren’t exactly at the humblest of times. So Kumogakure no Sato has decided to have the shinobi help with the daily chip deliveries so our village will never run out of these famous chips. Just be cautious about returning home with a large amount of those chips. The Kumogakure villagers might get rough.
reward; 40 experience, 500 ryo
minimum shinobi; one
mission status; interminable

As the wagons rolled behind the shop that sold them to drop off, the brothers departed after the head thanked them for making sure none of the villagers got rowdy. They weren't going to supervise them unloading or heading back to the factory, that wasn't their mission. It was told to them that they were to bring the chips here, and that's all they would be doing. As they stepped in front of the shop they huddled in the middle of the street. Gin's head came backward, and his eyes took to the sky. The sun was on the path of setting, but not quite sending it's bloodshot rays across the horizon. Not yet, at least.

"Good. That means we've made good time. Time for the mountain..."

Gin turned to look up at Mt. Gekitsuu, which was easily seen from their position. It was the tallest mountain in the entire village, and they would be ending their series of missions by scaling it. His fingers interlocked in front of him, and he pushed his palms outward, ushering a series of pops and cracks. He looked to his brothers and turned around, making his way toward the mountain without any further word. They all knew what was about to go down, a true test of observation and strength.

MISSION START!

name; climbing mountain gekitsuu
rank; c
description; A while ago during Kumogakure birthing stages a man once made a bet with a Jounin. The man bet the Jounin that the shinobi’s current students couldn’t climb Mountain Gekitsuu. Mountain Gekitsuu is the highest mountain within’ Kumogakure no Sato and is rumored to be the started point for the famous Kumogakure no Sato village. Anyway, the Jounin accepted the mans bet because the shinobi had insurmountable faith in his Genin. Long story short the Genin climbed the mountain and returned. The Jounin won the bet and all was well. Now it’s your turn to climb Mountain Gekitsuu, and prove to Kumogakure that you aren’t just some shinobi. You’re a Kumogakure no Sato shinobi.
reward; 40 experience, 500 ryo
minimum shinobi; one
mission status; interminable

"This should be interesting..."

[Kyōbōna Shintarou]

The mission for the caravan went easily, no problems, no riots, only panicky guards who still annoyed Kyo' Weakness, they all displayed it. Aside from grumbling, he shook his head. And continued on his way with his brothers. His shoulders rolled, the muscles coming undone in a soft symphony of cracking, tendons and cartilage snapping and rubbing together. Sighing he wondered what was next. Wait, he remembered something, Mountain? He hadn't climbed a mountain before, tch' it couldn't be that hard. It was just a massive pile of earth right? Wrong. Continuing he glanced at the mountain. Following the path with his brothers he hummed once more, the same song he remembered some woman singing to him when he was little, then his humming stopped when they 'reached' the mountain.

He actually felt a shard of ice dig into his being, and shatter. Gazing up at the mountain from the base it was insanity, this thing was huge. Not just some outcropping of earth that had managed to be pushed upwards. No, this thing was a testament to a god. He fidgeted, his fingers opening and closing as he began to hop from one foot to the other. He allowed the cold of the initial shock to wear off as his muscles flexed from head to toe. " Nothing but training." He reminded himself as he grinned, this mountain was going down. That easy, he'd managed to survive up to this point today, he wasn't going to lose to a pile of earth, be it a testament to a god, or just a pile of Terra. He'd conquer it, just as his brothers would. And that would be that. Gazing at his brothers he waited to hear 'HOW' to climb this monstrosity. If there were not 'specific' rules, then he had an idea to make this a little easier. 'Til then he gazed down at his hands, fingers trembling. He wasn't sure if it was excitement, or fear. But either way, he'd survive. Such was his goal. To survive, and become the strongest. Or one of: His fists clenched as he grinned, eyes falling into a dark luster once more.

[Dagron Hoshigake]

Two kunai sped past the ears of his brothers that resonated a steely tone when they bit deep into the stone wall of the mountain. Should length apart, the blades had been thrown with enough force to leave two inches of steel buried into solid stone. How Satsui had planned to climb the archaic structure was evident by the way they were positioned and the height from when they hung. Satsui himself shot by moments after in a full run before he jumped and grabbed the handles of the blades, feet scraping against the stone to find notches in it's otherwise flawless surface. It was assured to get jagged and steeper the higher they climbed. THis method was the only one Satsui felt confident in using until about mid-way, then he would have to choose another way of scaling the rock walls. For Kyobona who seemed awed by the sheer size of the mountain and daunted by inconclusive methods to reaching the peak, this gave example and explanation hands on.

Led hand by hand Satsui unsheathed and reburied the Kunai a foot above the other, his feet finding footholds as he began reaching upward. The climb would strat quick and easy but would slow down as their muscles gave in to fatigue. It had been a long day but this one mission was the "easiest" in that Satsui had something to say. Something to voice. Something that had been nagging ta him since the early morning. It was on top fo this mountain he would find solace from the darkness of his heart and shed light and stability on the anomalies that formed within.

Powerful muscles rippled and forced pebbles off the mountain side as the sharp steel bit into the face, sometimes carving downward before the blades stopped cutting through the stone. Despite that forceful approach, he climbed ever higher while occasionally using his superior strength to simply jump up and catch several more feet in his favor. It spent energy but not enough to waver his adamant spirit. " .. It all begins here." He muttered to himself past the heavy breathing and the winds that whistled the higher he climbed. His brothers would find methods of their own or use this one. Only Gin worried him, however strong the brother way.

[| J.im Kelly |]

It would seem both of his brother's wouldn't have an issue with tackling such an obstacle. While the two began their ascension, Gin was left on ground level observing the mountain. That was his job, he was the more intelligent of the group, and as such, he didn't rely on brute strength as they did. He could have climbed it just as easily as they did with a longer time span, but his aim was to find the quickest route to the top of the mountain. Judging from it's size,t he hike would take well over a day, which would mean they would be sending all of these missions into the compound either the next day or two days from them. It all depended on how long it took them to get back down as well.

But their mission was to conquer the mountain, such thoughts would be tackled later. After a quick analyzation of the mountain and the surrounding area, he realized that there were several buildings around them, close enough to the mountain that he could jump to it. By utilizing the technique his brother was, he'd retrieve two kunai and place them within his palms tightly. His feet elevated, and he left the ground, directing his flight toward the building nearest to the mountain. His chakra control was refined, but not extremely amazing, and thus his wall running took him halfway up the large tower of the builder that lead to it's top floor, and with a twist his final step pushed him the opposite direction.

He flew toward the mountain. In mid air, he shifted his weight forward by throwing his arms outward and ducking some, shoving both of his kunai into the mountainside, about twenty feet above ground level. His feet swung forward as his body moved toward the rock formation. With his chakra, he focused it on his feet, using it to stick himself to the mountain. As his feet caught it, he gained leverage, allowing him to grip his kunai a bit better. From there, he took a crab formation, crawling up the mountain sideways with his back in an arch, and his knees facing either side of him. From side to side his body rocked and moved upward. It was easier this way for him, being he didn't have to exhaust as much energy pulling his entire body up.

The first ledge could be seen about a hundred feet from the ground, so that's where he would stop and wait for the other two.

[Kyōbōna Shintarou]

Kyo' scoffed at his brothers, both of them showing off. He watched them climb and grinned. He had enough reserve energy even after the day to catch up easy, he'd be with them shortly for now he reached into his pack, two kunai coming out in both hands. He'd pick them up on the way back down. Throwing one pair of kunai about twenty feet off the ground he watched them in-bed into the face of the mountain. Nodding he took his run at a tree, his frame hopping upwards branch to branch, hands gripping certain ones, kunai secure in his grasp as he used momentum to swing himself upwards to the next branch and continued the spiral up the tree. As he reached the limb he was aiming for he jumped off the tree, his body soaring through the air.

His body twisted through the air as he aimed his jump, body tucking under him as he came forward, his legs slammed into the kunai, as he struck them they slid down a bit, but the land was all he needed. Pushing upwards once more he slammed both his hands against the face of the mountain, kunai gripping into the stone sliding down just a bit as his foot caught a foothold. Sighing he chuckled, he looked around him as he allowed fingertips to adjust just a bit, gripping the kunai tightly he started his ascent, one hand going over the other as he continued to dig into the very structure of the mountain, his feet finding a foot-hold every-time. Luck, this far.

The kunai stabbed into the structure, slid, and repeated. He never fell very far, and always managed to make up for the problem. After a good distance from the ground he understood the trick, instead of pushing them straight into the mountain he started jabbing them into the rock at an angle, that stopped the sliding issue. Nodding he continued the ascent, before long he was caught up too, and surpassing his brothers. He wasn't using all that much energy, but regardless he could feel the effects it'd have upon him as he climbed it like a spider monkey. Often his body swinging to the left or the right to push off a rock which would throw off his trajectory. Simple reset, he was back on his way.

[Dagron Hoshigake]

The further they climbed the steeper the mountain would become. The method used would become irrelevant when that became obvious. The rock would become too jagged to scale with Kunai and too treacherous for jumping up the wall. Even were they to utilize chakra, it would only exhaust them to get any higher than it would if they worked with caution. Satsui knew this. He knew because he had been pre-planning this mission since they started the first mission. Dwelling within himsef gave him insight on how to tackle their problem, thoug they'd meet it individually in a way that complimented their own unique styles of climbing.

For Satsui, rest was a thing for the weak when you could keep pushing your body forward. Whether his muscles ached or burned, he set a steady pace upward with no definite stop. The determination was stemmed from his need to escape the restrictions of the village and speak freely to his brothers. One kunai above the other. It was repetitive and drove him upward, followed by the seldom made leap up the stone wall to heighten his ascent. Where his brothers may have passed him, he would eventually gain way and move further.

Keep going. His mind urged him. His spirit pushed. Through the night if we must.

[| J.im Kelly |]

Gin's repetitive strokes became slower and slower. Not that he was becoming tired, that was definitely not the case. He had worked an entire day crushing stones with a mining tool and still managed to walk home fine. He simply decided to pace himself as he was getting higher and higher. Up ahead he could see the ledge of a small area that extended outward from the base of the mountainside. A cliff, somewhere he could catch his breath a moment before beginning again, but of course, after that point he would be unable to utilize his kunai. There his physical strength and willpower alone would be the only things driving him onward.

As he reached the ledge, he dug his kunai deep into the edge, and used his leverage to swing his body upward along the wall to lift him and toss him over. He landed in a slight roll. He caught his breath while on his back, letting himself regain some of his stamina and his strength as he put the kunai back into their pouch. They were somewhat useless now in terms of combat, they'd have to be sharpened. He got up and dusted himself off, looking over the edge to ground level and at his brothers who were working their way up to him. Both were very close at this point, and when they reached him, he would lend them a hand so they could reach the cliff a bit more gracefully than he did.

"Blah. This is shit. No more kunai hoisting after this point."

He looked up at the sun, and the skies around it. His teeth gritted somewhat at the thought of climbing a mountain in the dark, they would have to take a break until the morning soon if they wanted to play it safe. The clouds were rolling in once more, and that would mean the moon would be absent. On a mountain without the light as guidance would mean certain death if they continued their ascension recklessly. Gin knew this for sure, and hoped they both noticed as well.

"Well, enough of this. Let's get up as high as we can and find another ledge for the night. Or a cave, or something."

And there he began once more, this time, pulling himself up on the rocks that stuck out a little bit more than usual. This action was slow and careful, making sure they weren't loose before he hoisted himself to the next rock.

[Kyōbōna Shintarou]

He continued his ascent, muscles twitching, by this point a chilly wind had begun to blow across the mountain, the air was going to get thicker, and much harder to breath. Shaking his head he continued, slow and steady from his former speed of spider monkey. He hadn't exerted himself, but he was beginning to feel the strain of the day. 'Just need to stop.. for a minute..'He thought to himself. His eyes closed as something sparked across his mind, and he began moving again, a new fervor pulsing his veins. He didn't understand why, but a memory came back of him getting kicked to the floor for stopping. He refused to be weak, he refused to give in to exhaustion, or sore muscles. He'd deal with the problems later. Growling his impact with the Kunai became much more violent, the rock face cracking somewhat with each stab of the Kunai. Dark eyes glowed as he saw Gin reach a ledge.

His body moved upon it's own accord as if somehow this was second nature, pushing off with his right foot off a rock he pushed himself to that side, feet slipping on a rock before he caught his balance, his left kunai was thrown into his bag as he sighed. Gazing to his right one more he saw a rock a bit further up, that one wouldn't work. but a cropping to the left would, he jumped to the left, and latched with his hand, almost slipping before his foot found purchase. Pulling himself up he jumped to the left, threw his kunai into the wall above the formation, and jumped once more. "GIN!" His voice was barely able to be heard over the wind, but thankfully his brother heard him. He grabbed his brothers hand as it came over the ledge, his kunai came out of the wall, and punctured the surface of the mountain once more as he found a rock with his left foot. And pushed upwards, the rock giving and rolling down the mountain side. Pulling himself up with his brothers help he pulled the kunai out and face planted the floor.

Breathing slowly for a minute he sighed, allowing the sound of his own heart to leave his ears, Ba-bump, Ba-bump, Ba-bump. he laughed nervously as he got up, noticed Satsui here as well, and began his climb once more, other kunai sliding into his pack as he began to place his feet in odd jagged formations of rock, used his hands, and began to climb upwards once more.

[Dagron Hoshigake]

The wintry chill of the upper atmopshere kissed the mountain side bitterly. It caressed the jagged edges which perhaps it had nurtured the creation of since the mountain first stood. A colossal sentinel, ancient in it's own right, having stood watch over the ninja world since perhaps the beginning. It was the tallest of its kind and probably the oldest. With it all the harshness nature had to offer. It wasn't always steep, endlessly rocky portions. At certain parts of the mountain there was thick vegetation and trees that hung over cliff sides and sometimes, over flat ground. Though the higher it got the less trees there were to be seen and only birds braved the sky.

The cold didn't bother Satsui like it might have Gin or Kyobona. He was on a mission. His mind, body, and spirit were focused on the peak of the mountain. Whether they weathered the mountain at night or not was on them. He would meet them when they reached it, even if Gin was ahead, he would stop to rest and fall behind. Kyobona was younger and sprightly, but not as seasoned as Satsui. He would probably stick with Gin through the night. The mountain wouldn't give him room for more mistakes.

Satsui placed his kunai back in his pack and started climbing tediously up. Gripping protuding rocks and sometimes even viny roots that grew out of the wall from shrubs and brush that grew in various places across the rock face. Even when the sun settled beyond the horizon and a sliver of the moon blessed the dark world with pale light, he worked his way up.

[| J.im Kelly |]

The time it took for the trio to reach the second ledge was less than the time it took to reach the first, but still time consuming nonetheless. By then, it had been nightfall, and the chilly atmosphere that harassed the mountainside was materializing. The higher they went, the colder it got. Satsui seemed to be unaffected by this sudden chill, in fact, he was the most cool about the situation. No pun intended. Gin on the other hand, had a thick few layers of clothing on, and so the only things suffering the harshness of the weather was his hands. In fact, even his head, that was without his kasa that was now held by a string around his neck, wasn't bothered at all. If anything, he felt that it was perfect weather. It beat sweating, doing work all day.

There were several points in his elevation that he almost slipped and fell to his death, but his focus was absolute, and kept him from making too major of a mistake. The mountainside was dark, and it was hard to tell which rocks were sticking out more than the others. In fact, it was almost impossible to tell. Without the moons partial illumination, Gin would have surely been lost on his way or made an accident so severe he wouldn't have recovered. Ever.

At the next ledge, Gin would take his nightly break, despite whatever his brother's did. He didn't have the physical strength to carry on a mission like this. Even if he had to scale the mountain by himself, he would do it for the sake of pride. But this night would not be that night. The cliff side he reached was expansive and gave a lot of room, fortunately. Sprawling out on the uncomfortably cold stone, he threw his pack underneath his head and gazed up at the night sky. His eyelids slowly descended, covering his pupils and throwing him into a chaotic world of illusions.

...

[Kyōbōna Shintarou]

Kyo' continued his ascent behind his siblings, eyes glowing as he began to ponder. If this outcropping was the testament to a god, what then, did it make those who scaled it? He also let his mind drift to how many people failed their attempt at this mountain, or worse, died upon it. How much blood stained the roots of this beastly creation of catastrophic proportions. Pushing such thoughts aside he slipped, his right leg slipping as a outcropping of rock tore up his leg by the tip of the rock, eliciting a sharp hiss of pain.

He twitched, the pain causing his heart to race, his head to pound, and he felt sweet crimson dripping down his leg, gritting his teeth he ignored the pain, and continued the climb. This mountain would not best him, he refused to give in, he had something to prove to himself, to his brothers, to those who had failed before him. Gripping another jagged rock he ripped the tip off, and had to grab it again. Meeting the Ledge Gin was on, he inspected his leg with what light was residing around them, it wasn't that bad. It had only torn the skin in a couple places, and it would be fine. He'd survive. He could lay down, his muscles ached, his eyes closed. And it happened again.

His body twitched as he fell backwards on his ass, the feeling, and image of a boot meeting his chest once more spreading across his body, and mind. Shaking his head he stood up, looked at Gin, saw that his older brother was asleep. And looked up, Somewhere, up there, was Satsui, climbing with something akin to a legends desire, But something about it. Kyo' knew it had something to do with helping himself, and perhaps it would help. Starring at his hands he made two fists, the gloves gripping the flesh tightly as he threw himself at the face of the mountain, and began upwards once more. After his older brother, He wanted to be there when he found what he was looking for, or close behind him. Smiling, his ascent continued. This time, a goal pushing him forward.

[Dagron Hoshigake]

Who are you to question the will of the shinobi world? Who are you to question the morals and justice of an absolute power in this era of chaos? You do not have what it takes to change yourself or this world. Rocks shuddered and clattered below leaving Satsui hanging by a hand in the darkness where the moon refused to shine. His curses were mental and directed at the negative part of himself. Father had a dream and it became my own. And with it my own ideal world I want to live in. I have the power to do this just as I will conqueror this mountain. Even legends will kneel before me in defeat if that's what it takes to prove my worth and strength. The shinobi world will crumbe just as it's just starting to rebuild.

His fallen hand rose again to search the rock wall for another rock or foothold. He tugged himself up with the pace of a drunkard and about the grace of one. Fumbling around on the side of a steep mountain with no light was harzardous. It would mean certain death for anyone who didn't express extreme caution no matter how confident the rock climber they were. The only thing that would have made the journey worse would be protruding shelves of stone where the underbellies hung over head way over the mountain side. Without proper equipment it would have been the end.

What will you tell them, Boy? That this world is unfit with the powers that divide it? He climbed higher until he stumbled upon a platform large enough to support perhaps four people. It gave him time to catch his breath and rub his aching muscles that screamed murder at him. Sweat beeded down his body despite the cool breezes and the thin air made it harder to catch up. It threatened to smote him out into a world of figments and surreality.

He tore away his hood, literally, ripping it from the suit and tossed it into the wind which swept it into unknown lands. His sleeves came next and follow the same source, exposing large muscles still pumped from the workout of climbing. The sweat chilled his body as the air met it and he sighed with release. How long had it been since he allowed the world to see this much? The air rustled his crimson hair to and fro while he peered out over the world where the moon shined radiantly. Despite having been devastated it was already flourishing with greens and in some places, villages not unlike his own.

His blue eyes lanced skyward up the face of the challenging mountain. While fatigue began to catch him, it wasn't enough to deter him from going higher. These small rock plateforms were a godsend for what little they provided. The cold had invigorated him and with that renewed power, pushed him to continue climbing. The peak wasn't that much higher. No. Only time and his body made it seem further away than he was. It would still be an hour before he could claim he conquered Gekitsuu in a day and night.