Farming Hands (x7,S,T)

Shan stood within the shrine. Lightning blasted every time one of his clones came and went. They still couldn’t activate their eyes without busting. Shan expected it had something to do with Chakra consumption. Still, they were able to get through with a mix of bum rushing the field, mass numbers, and learning how to predict the lightning strikes before they occurred. Like this, Shan had sent some clones back to his base of operations where they were training on the training dummy and with each other.

Back at the base of operations, multiple Shan clones were fighting. They all had their eyes closed. It was a form of training that would stress the senses. Shan had elected to train this way in order to ensure that he didn’t become overly reliant on his eyes. While they were powerful, they took a heavy toll on his chakra and his body. Some clones were using the dummy and focusing on it. Their task was to strike at the dummy with hands or jutsu without missing. It was a difficult task when one’s eyes were closed.

In the Shrine -

“Why do you always have those clones going like that? Clones aren’t useful for training.” Heto said with a grunt as she moved a stone block out of the way. She was still injured but she healed at a remarkable rate. Shan could hear her straining some more before a stone was crushed somehow.he wasn’t looking but could only assume that she had pushed something off a ledge.

“Shadow clones seem to be different. Whenever one of them...poofs.. I get the knowledge and even the muscle ache from the clones. What they learn and the muscles they work transfer to me it seems. I learned this ability through happenstance but it is really quite remarkable.”Shan said in somewhat of an internal monologue. He was still processing the ins and outs of the ability himself. Sadly, the ability he truly wished to learn has escaped his capabilities. The thunder god jutsu. Sure he knew the hand signs but it seemed to be based off some fundamental ninjutsu theory that he had no understanding of. It was incredibly frustrating - all things considered.

“Hmm. Maybe I will learn that technique someday.” Heto said as Shan heard a scraping noise. He didn’t jump when she walked next to him, though he made note of the grumpiness on her face.

Something didn’t go as she had hoped.

“What is it? You were looking for information on some creature - were you not?” Shan asked delicately. This was the first person since Scarlett that he was beginning to trust. He didn’t want to ruin it by assuming too much.

“ I was. The beast seems to have left no information behind here. Rather, the beasts master has not. Nothing here is helpful. The Rokubi… it seems I will have to look for information elsewhere.” Heto sighed as she leaned against the wall. Her body shook slightly. Perhaps she wasn’t as healed as Shan had assumed her to be.

“What’s your next course of action, then?” Shan said as he looked out over the blackened field. He wished he knew what could cause this area to be filled with lightning in such a way. It was truly a miracle, though many would call this place a disaster.

“The Chuunin Exams.” Heto said after a few minutes of silence. Her voice took on a hard quality that Shan hadn’t heard often from the girl. Though the idea she expressed surprised him even more. The chuunin exams? Did that mean she was going to go back to being a regular ninja? Give up on this plan of hers - whatever it entailed.

“So, this is it? You’re going to go crawling back to your village and try to become a chuunin? A dutiful ninja?” Shan asked, voice raising slightly as he talked. He wouldn’t let that happen. She was a missing nin like himself. She was here for him to talk to and to help him.

He didn’t want to be alone again.

“What? No. I don’t want to go to the Chuunin Exams to become a..what was it you called it? A dutiful ninja? No, I want to go because ninja from all over the world are collecting there to show off their abilities. Someone there is bound to have information on the beast I seek.” Shan smid as Heto talked. So she wasn’t going to abandon him.

Good.

“ the chuunin exams huh? You have a point that many ninja will be gathered at them. Do you know when or where they are?” Shan asked the young woman. He could stand to go to the chuunin exams as well. After-all, if ninja from all over the world was gathered then perhaps ninja from the hyuuga and uchiha clans would be present. Maybe even the Shao Hyuuga who was said to be around his own strength.

Shan had begun to craft a plan regarding the hyuuga and/ or uchiha’s eyes. He wanted one for himself. He just needed a specific item before he could do that.

“ They are in about a week in Kirigakure - the land of mist.” Heto said quietly. It was. Long trek to the land of mist and would take a day at the minimum. More if they needed to stop for supplies or to let her injured leg rest. While Heto was quiet, Shan was ecstatic. The item he needed was rumored to have been lost in Kirigakure. Where it was within the country...well, Shan would have to do more research regarding that. Still, this seemed to be too good to be true.

It must be fate.

“Then let’s go. I have some stuff to do there that could prove quite useful. Though, I don’t know if I will have time to complete my goals...either way, I feel I can go with you at least until the Chuunin Exams. I’m looking for a few ninja who may be in the exams. If so, then it will make everything better for me.” Shan said excitedly. He nearly activated his Raidengan in his excitement.

“Are you sure? It is a long way from your base and I will only slow us down.” Heto said as she looked at the ground. Shan didn’t even bother responding. He just walked back into the temple and looked around it.

It was a rather bleak and simple temple. There was stone and benches but nothing seemed to be made of any material worth selling. Perhaps this place had already been ransacked by people just like them. The worst part about that prior ransacking meant that there was no food nor was there any water. Shan had been counting on restocking his supplies at this temple - as he had been running extremely low on both.

As it was, they wouldn’t have the energy to make it to the next country. Shan hadn't mentioned the food and water shortage to Heto just yet. He was worried that she wouldn’t be able to handle the trip in a hungry and dehydrated trip and she wouldn’t react well to knowing she was slowing them down.

Shan turned back around to face the young kunoichi. There was nothing to do but tell her the truth at this point. “We are completely out of food and water. If we are to make this trip, then we need to fix that situation.”

“Fix it? Do you have a plan then? I hate to say it but I’m not going to be much help in gathering any food. I don’t exactly know what’s poisonous and what isn’t. I was counting on the temple having a supply but… I have broke some jars open and didn’t find anything.” Heto seemed dejected as she looked at the ground and shrugged her shoulders the best she could while leaning against the building.

“ I do have a plan as a matter of fact.” Shan said as he walked back to the entrance. Off in the distance there was a mountain range - which wouldn’t surprise anyone who had a knowledge of the country’s area. “ you see that mountain off in the distance? Farmers use the land at the base of it to grow food as close to the village as possible. There are often wells near the same place. We just need to go help them pick their crops and empty their well.”

“By pick their crops and empty their well...do you mean to say that we should steal our supplies?” Heto asked, a slight grin on her face.

“Of course. RELEASE!” Shan said as he poofed all the clones that were training out of existence. The memories of their trainings and scouting along the mountainside and around the temple. As far as any of his clones were aware, no ninja were patrolling the area currently. If they were to move, then now seemed to be the best time possible.

Shan and Heto began to move through the woods after narrowly escaping lightning blasts with the help of the Raidengan. Heto slowed them down but Shan creates a few clones and sent them on ahead to scout out the area. This allowed them to save time in their trip to the farms. Eventually, Shan and Heto arrived in front of seven farms and a single well.

“I would say let’s just pick enough to last us the day but we may need food to sell for money, too” Shan said as he stared at the seven different fields. He smiled as he made a few hand signs and yelled “Taijuu Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!”.

A hundred and twenty five clones appeared from thin air and began running through the fields. Shan wasn’t exactly sure where they got the baskets but the original wasn’t too concerned as he walked through serving as supervisor of the project. Before long, all 7 fields were completely harvested. It took many of his clones to carry the produce, so Shan released the unused ones in an effort to conserve as much chakra as possible.

The remaining clones had their hands full with baskets of fruits and vegetables native to this country. Sadly, they would have to be sold in the next town they reached rather than in this one. The citizens would catch on if an unknown person tried to sell such a large quantity of produce shortly after the fields were picked clean like this.

“Ready to go?”


[1,751 words. 7 missions done. Associated rewards. Rolling: 8 Awareness]

Rolling.

The member 'Null' has done the following action : Destiny

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'Exercise Dice' : 3, 2, 3, 3, 5, 6, 9, 1

[32 x 2.25 x 1.15 x 1.15 = 95 awareness]