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Time struck 0759 hours and he got into the lowest stance he could manage stretching out his arms and legs just one more time before the clock started. He had one hundred and fifty minutes to get this thing done. five... four… three… two… one… Instead of him saying go the start of the race was marked with the sound of his feet thundering down on the paved road. One hundred and fifty minutes until it was time to start his next mission. Being too slow would throw a monkey wrench into all of that. He wouldn’t let anything get in the way of completing this mission on time. Anything that did was going to get knocked on its ass.

His watch struck 0800 hours and he got into high gear. Nothing but his fastest more forced speed would do. Aside from being a good reference point for his speed for future attempts of this mission, his would attempt would serve to show him how fast he could get around the village in a war time emergency situation. He moved faster than the flames of his strongest Katon jutsu, or so he made himself believe. In reality he had no Katon Jutsu just yet. He had Youton which was more powerful but not extraordinarily faster. He flew by pedestrians, ninja and civilian alike. The civilians all reacted the same for the most part. None of them heard or saw him coming but would jump back once they were aware of his presence the funny part was that their reactions were all so that by the time they had begun to react he was already past them. The other ninja mostly didn’t react at all. Most of the ones he saw were off duty and trying to enjoy that “Me time”. Half of them had probably already done the mission at some point before and didn’t care enough to monitor someone else’s results.

He couldn’t blame them recent memory called to mind images of other genin running back and forth to opposite ends of Iwagakure. He just sort of assumed they were off handling urgent none mission related business. He kept his arms moving, cutting through the wind as he ran, he hadn’t quite gained the sense of balance that would allow him to simply run forward and let his arms dangle at his sides, or rather be pushed to his sides horizontally while he ran. It made him feel awkward to run without doing anything with his hands.

After his stretches Sen scooped the bags up once more, three over his back by their straps and one in each by their handles. He wasn’t sweating as much as he had been before, the slightly breeze felt good against his bare skin. It was a minor relief against all the other feelings clashing in him. His muscles were sore, the bags where chaffing his skin, he was dead dog tired from his first mission, he was hungry and he was he had a bit of a headache. All of that it wasn’t even noon. He was getting used to doing multiple missions a day but he still needed to eat which was something he seemed to keep forgetting.

The Ryo from all his missions were stacking up and he would be sure to treat himself to a big meal once he finished this mission up. There was that greedy taskmaster in his head demanding he finish the day with one more mission after lunch and a possible nap. He would have been well within his rights to kick that taskmaster in the balls and rest up for a big mission to Sunagakure but the facts were facts; he needed Ryo and to keep working to build his Chakra reserves and each mission big or small, low or high ranked did those two things. The pride he would feel saying he did three missions in one day also added to the likelihood that he would go back to the Tsuchikge’s office and get yet another mission ticket. But he would play it by ear, see how this mission ended. It was too soon to make any promises though, even half-assed ones to himself.

With a deep breath he rotated his wrists and shoulders for only a moment, the bags shuffling along with the motion. With the old man’s shop only a five minute sprint away he took off with the rising sun beating against his back. His body seemed heavier and he was sure it wasn’t because of the five hundred scrolls he was carrying. If he did take one more mission this evening it would have to be one that wasn’t very physically demanding.

----Deliver the Blank Scrolls

Client's Name: Shodaime Tsuchikage Kaguya Kira
Client's Occupation: Shinobi
Mission Rank: D
Payment for completion: 500 Ryo + 25 EXP
Mission Subject: A batch of blank scrolls has arrived by shipment to the outer edge of Iwagakure, just outside the gates. The shop owner is sick and cannot receive the shipment, therefore, you must go and pick it up for them and bring it to the shop.
Special Requests: This is to be done solo, there is no need for teams for this mission, just to bring back a bunch of scrolls. If you decide to take even one of the scrolls, you will be declared a criminal and tried as such. I cannot tolerate stealing in my village.
Notes: None

His back hurt. His feet hurt. His legs hurt. The mission to dash through the village from one end to another had been successful and he’d finished within his time limit. Two hours, twenty minutes and fifty-six seconds. He went through some proper stretches and movements to keep his muscles from locking up later and made his way back towards the gate. A slightly larger order of blank scrolls was waiting for him. He hoisted them all up like before, three on his back and one in each hand, jogging briskly back to the scroll shop, giving his muscles a proper warm down. He wasn’t sure if the old owner was still sick, but he didn’t much care either. That wasn’t to say he didn’t care about the old man’s health it was only to say he would deliver the scrolls regardless of the man’s condition. It was his mission to get them there, so he would in fact get them there.

Every time his feet hit the ground one of his muscles would begin to ache the stress from the heavy bags was making them stretch and in their raw state it was slowly becoming more and more painful. The worst possible thing to happen to him tomorrow would be to roll of out bed with every muscle in his body refusing to work without giving him unbearable pain. That’s what happened you forced yourself too far past your limits. Work too hard to tell your body to outgrow its limitations and it would lock up on you and tell you that you weren’t a god and growth had to be obtained gradually. There was a slight chance he would be okay. He wasn’t at all out of shape and his body was nothing was nothing if not resilient. To occupy his mind he reflected on his upcoming mission to Suna which would be by far the most important thing he’d ever done in his life.

The Hidden Village of the Wind Country most likely wouldn’t have any useful fire or earth jutsu so compared to Konoha that was a loss for him. But what they did have was that rumored smithy in that rumored oasis in that real and hard to navigate massive desert. For a young wannabe craftsman like himself, that was sure as hell better than nothing. The Tsuchikage wanted him gone and back as fast he could muster. Of course that meant that the Suna alliance mission took priority one but he needed to prepare thoroughly before leaving the village and making a trip straight for the home of hundreds of foreign shinobi.

Scanning the area using his tracker he caught the familiar face of the genin he’d run into the night before, his partner new partner. It was best to mentally note the key features now in case he had to for some reason quickly discern him from a group later. Blondish hair, a few inches shorter than himself and probably twenty or so pounds lighter, blue eyes, headband around the neck. If he had to guess from taking in the other genin’s physical appearance he would guess Genjutsu specialist or Suiton specialist it seemed ignorant to disregard his possible skills in Taijutsu based on the way he looked but it couldn’t be helped it was simply more believable to see this man in the light of crafty Genjutsu practitioner rather than someone who won fights with his fists. As for the Suiton thing, water just seemed as if it would “fit” him than the other releases. He hoped for Genjutsu though it meant they would have less in common in the way of individual tactics but as a unit it would make them more efficient to have a Getjutsu user and Ninjutsu user rather than just being two of a kind.

As his distance between them closed and he came to recognize Sen the tracker was put away. He rubbed casually at the scar on his right cheek. He always felt awkward with introductions and didn’t much care for small talk. It was important that they had to chance to feel one another out especially if it was a first non-solo assignment for the both of them. It could be the start of something long term and prosperous if their fields of disincline and personalities matched up well. He was willing to give anyone a chance and this guy didn’t fit the normal physical profile of any of the personality types he found to be obnoxious and unbearable, but he would have to actually take the time to know this individual, as he’d been wrong before.

Finally there, face to face he offered his hand which Sen took, shaking with no apprehension or false emotions. He was solemn, as he was always solemn around the unfamiliar. It didn’t mean he was upset or something was wrong. It was just his way and the fastest means for the other genin to get to know him was by skipping on facades and pleasantries and being his authentic self for better or worse. Yo, I’m Sen. Looking forward to making it back here with you and our contractor in one piece. Jurei. He didn’t give a family name, or perhaps Jurei was the family name. Either way it was a name he’d never heard before which was a good thing. You could only meet so many people with the named “Jin” or “Kyo” or anything with “suke” attached to it, before it started to get old.

I’ve already done an equipment check on my things you can do the same if you haven’t already. There’s plenty of time. I didn’t get a chance to read the mission ticket in detail last night. I know all particulars are pertinent so if there's anything you need to share with me go right ahead, I won't hesitate to do the same. As it stands though I’m not really as concerned with the who so much as the where.

The border patrol was finished. Sen had to make a mad dash to the Tsuchikage's office to collect pay and get approval for his next mission. Not to mention a shower and some ZZZ's

[ENTER VILLAGE]

----Morning-----

By now the tower guards had memorized his face with all his coming and going but it was likely he wouldn't be back until much later today. It was a day of more firsts. His rank B-ranked Mission, and his first partner. If things kept going the way they had been Iwa might have a Airontoku's chance in hell of returning to it's former strength. But for now, it still only had a snowball's chance.

[EXIT VILLAGE]

The afternoon sun began its fall into eventual darkness. The orange-ing sky looked down upon him as he held the concept close in mind. With every mission he took his power was growing. After only three missions he felt as though his Chakra reserves were nearly doubled. He hadn’t come across anyone since Otega last week that demanded the use of his best jutsu let alone demonstrating the need for him to learn any new ones. It was a risking thing to do but he was holding off on improving any skills or learning any new ones. This seemed like as good of a time as any to figure out which direction he wanted to extend his skills in. His Youton could use some polishing and expansion but in the rare event that the one he was standing against wasn’t weak against Youton or they were better than him in it, he stood a higher chance of victory by adding some new moves to his repertoire. He would most definitely be making a trip to the Earth Country shop to check out their jutsu stock.

He hit the edge of his patrol area, the ronin in charge of the next section of the patrol was just turning around, about to make his return sweep and then report to the final rendezvous point. He greeted Sen with an relaxed gesture and went back to business. The genin only returned the gesture and spun to do his return sweep. Between the wolf and the body it was shaping up to be an odd but so far, secure mission. With this one coming to a close he had to wonder what mission he was going to pick up next, there was zero chance anyone else would be touching them before he got back anyway. Was it time for the Konoha mission? He couldn’t say he was confident with his skills to make it there and back in one piece but he couldn’t hold off on it forever. The Village needed allies and from a personal standpoint Konoha was a better fit than Kiri. Iwagakure’s primary Kekkei Genkai users, the Airontoku Clan were masters of Youton ; Fire and Earth. Iwa was the Earth and Konoha was the fire. He’d bet his life that they had some particularly useful Katon jutsu exclusive to only their village just as Iwa did. The union of the two would be beneficial to Iwagakure’s primary clan, not to mention himself, a lesser user of the Kekkei Touta.

The positioning of the sun told him his shift was almost over, the time he’d taken with that body had thrown off his timing. He didn’t have time to patrol the area as slowly as he had the first time. There was too much space to clear so he did the only logical thing he could do, and burst into full sprint clearing every large obstruction he could along the way. Rocks, boulders, huts, this far out from Iwagakure there even a few trees. The Shunshin jutsu would have made this a breeze and he would have liked to have been able to obtain it, but there were more pressing things he had to acquire first. His shield of hard manga was a heaven send and it worked charms against everyday objects but it was less useful against more or less any ninja jutsu. The craggy and angry route back to the rendezvous point seemed different now that he was speeding through it. He jumped from rock to rock in a narrow pathway climbing upwards, he would need the altitude to launch himself into the distance. There was less than one hour for him to report back with his tracker in hand he would do what he could to clear the area without losing too much time.

With his location recorded and his current area showing only signs of ‘all clear’ he could press on, his body back on ‘auto-pilot’ and his mind back to reflecting on his humble start in Ninjutsu.

In the weeks that followed his Chakra Paper Test Sen didn’t practice any Doton jutsu he instead learned and performed handseals of various Katon jutsu while flexing what little chakra muscle he had. All too many nights he would grow upset and enraged to tears over the curse of being a Doton user in the bully of a Village Hidden in Stone that he had already grown to hate in childhood. If he couldn’t change where he was from he would least be able to maintain his individuality as a user of something other than Earth style ninjutsu, but it seemed to be hopeless. He mercilessly tried to make himself into a Katon user and overwrite or at least overpower the Doton Chakra he possessed. One day after a few Katon handseals he began to let his chakra flare and a peculiar thing happened, he felt a rumbling underneath his feet. Fearing it to be a Doton reaction of some sort he speed through more handseals of fire forcing out all the chakra he had and then a small bit of lawa spewed from the crack in the earth grazing his right temple and cheek, leaving a scar in its wake.

Unbeknownst to Sen he had used successfully unlocked and used Fushokuzai for the first time. This made him not a Doton, but a Youton user, a shinobi who could will both Earth and Fire to create something new. Initially Doton was all he could use because like most shinobi possessing a Kekkei Touta one affinity always manifested first and as a Stone-nin surrounded by stone and rock there was nothing that could stop the Doton from awakening first. His botched attempts to control Katon instead of Doton jarred the latent ability out of him. Though, he eventually came to learn it would have manifested on its own at a later time if he’d been more patient. The pain and scarring of the incident became his badges of pride. He found new resolve in learning he was a Shinobi who could use three styles which caused him to embrace Doton as well as Katon as both of them were part of his beloved Youton.

Looking back on the whole thing it was a fitting beginning for story as a ninja. He pushed too far and got burned but the payout was worth the pain. As he cleared a section of his patrol he couldn’t help but smile at the memory. His ‘auto-pilot’ was interrupted when he heard scuttling behind the nearby the sprawl of boulders surrounded by only slightly shorter grass. Picking up a small pebble he pitched it against the left side of the boulders and speeded around to flank the right side, coming face to face with a large wolf. It growled at him vicious and snarling and rushed without hesitation breaking it’s own muzzle on the business end of his Youton no Tate.

SPOILER: Click to show

Youton no Tate (Shield of Hard Magma)
Rank: (D), C, B, A, S
Type: Offensive / Kekkei Touto
Range: See special!
Special: Size of lava shield depends on the user’s level of 'Fushokuzai'. Blocks attacks of equal rank learned in a 360 degree radius. Shield is always active as long as enough lava is present to be used, and does not require handseals. Judge will determine whether fast enough attacks bypass the shield each time it’s used.
Description: Although appearing to be one of the most basic lava jutsu, Youton no Tate is a technique that soon evolves into the user’s most sacred defensive countermeasure. Always active, the shield that protects the user is formed from a large molten rock presence, and does so under its own will. When needed, the user can also use their own chakra to control the lava so that it can act as a barrier. Because the protection is reliant upon how quickly the user’s lava can respond, it is possible a fast enough ninja can bypass the molten and strike the user.
Domain: Youton. Must know 'Fushokuzai'

Reeling in pain and knowing it wouldn’t win the fight that was about to break out the wolf took off from where it came and Sen moved to get back to work. That is until he came across what it was that brought the wolf to the boulders in the first place. A dead body and an open scroll.