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After the Fourth Great Shinobi World War ended, the world was experiencing a time of peace. The villages for once were able to live in relative harmony with one another as they rebuilt, and for once, all seemed to be well. The kage were able to live peaceful lives and soon began retiring, passing on the baton to the next generations. That is until an unknown virus infects the northern coast. The first to fall is the once powerful Raikage, Ay. While many thought this virus was a simple mutation of what may have well been the flu, no one would ever think of the destruction it would cause. Especially when it infected a certain Uzumaki Naruto.
With his death came the malice; with the malice came the destruction; with the destruction came the shinobi' revolt; and with the revolt came the sacrifices. The Bijuu became filled with malice that they sought to destroy the world. Shinobi sought a way to fight them and once again capture each of the Bijuu. Time passed, and a plan was devised. The Jinchuuriki would be sacrificed for the greater good of the world, and with the deaths of nine individuals, an uneasy peace began.
As time continued, the villages began to truly restructure. In a peace that would last 80 years after the downfall of the Bijuu, the world would see the creation of a great many things. Technology was beginning to take root and before long the blossoms that grew from the tree of the advanced mind would bear fruit. A many great things came to be. A railroad between the vast many nations. Mechanical limbs to replace lost ones. Radios that could reach between villages. Everything seemed to be becoming less reliant on the shinobi. Only the need for them never truly vanished. As with the growth of time, also continued the growth of malice.
“Right, sorry. I thought it would be best to let you rest.” came Yuu's voice from behind her back. Looking back she thought that the boy looked both confessed as offended. He was trying to be nice to her. They might not like each other much and the how much do they trust each other was still a mystery but she'll need to be nicer to him. Well, he might have sounded bad and very unhappy a short while ago but it was all for the best.
As they were going moving the light was dying fast and the nomad girl could already smell the Ozone brought with wind that was getting stronger. Thunder was heard in the distance but it was slowly getting closer. There was no choice, they had to stop for today and take care of a shelter. Looking around she could only see trees, bushes and and some big rocks scattered around. Some of the rocks made a small wall, It would be a perfect start to an improvised shelter.
"We will stop here for the night." the girl said and then pointed at the rocks she was going to use "See the boulders over there? That is where we will have our shelter. Like this we already have one wall, we now need two more and a roof." she said taking a small stick into her hand. Coming close to the natural wall, she drew a square in the ground with the size on 2X4M. in the 4 meters side she left a single meter at the middle which was not drawn. "Entrance shall be here." she pointed at the gap while speaking. Coming closer to Yuu she thought for a bit. "I need you to bring me many branches that would be as thick as your arm, as straight as possible and about a 1.5M long. if you can't find any broken once, just chop them down." She reached into one of the pockets in her bag and took out what looked to be a modified small saw. It was curved inwards and had a ring at each end. " Put small sticks in and you'll have a saw ready to use. Don't the tree or branch all the way down, cut some of it, your weight will be enough to do the rest. I'll also need some trees of a similar thickness but that will be about 2.5M longs. From all branches and trees, chop off the small branches, I'll use them as filling to the walls." After those instructions she looked at the sky once more. It was not about 4:30 PM. the rain is most likely to reach them soon after 6 pm. It'll be dark before 7. They had to hurry.
"While you chop gather the wood, I'll go put some traps and make sure we will have fire." She spoke put her bag on her shoulder and run off with Tiarra. She has put some small and simple traps around hoping a small animal will get in it. It was simple. fast to make and easy to put. It would kill the animal in the place breaking the neck the moment they pull the bait. Some fruits Tiarra found were the bait used, the rest Lien took back to camp. On her way back she was collecting small branches and dry leaves. Coming back she has put all of it in the middle of the square she marked earlier close to the wall but did not start the fire yet. Instead she took the branches and trees Yuu brought and started building the other walls. Using a rock as a hammer, she pushed each branch and log into the ground until it was secured but, instead on putting them close to each other, Lien left a gap of about a foot between them. Smaller branches and the bushes around were used to fill in the gaps. When the walls where ready, with help from Yuu the roof was made in a similar way. Bigger, longer and stronger branches and trees used as the base, smaller used as a cover. It looked like the roof will be blown away as soon as the wind will start blowing stronger and in order to fix that Lien commanded her familiar to secure the small branches to the roof with her web. All in all, after lots of hard work, it was done. the shelter was about 1M tall but it was enough for them to sleep and not bump their head at the ceiling when sitting.
It was almost 6 pm. the very first drops of rain were already felt. Running around with the last bit of light left, Lien stated collecting leaves, as many as she could get. Both dry and fresh were brought in the shelter they made. "Yuu, please bring in more, as many as you can get. We will be using them as beds. I bet the ground beneath us will get wet even if we stay dry so it's better not to sleep on the ground. And it'll be more comfortable." Sending the boy on his way Lien started fiddling with the fire. It took her some tries but she managed to start it.
The rain started when both travelers were under their improvised roofs. The thunder made short flashes of light but was often at this point Lien decided to go look what was caught in her traps. "I'll be back shortly. Have no worries, my cape is waterproof." With those words she went out into the rain. In one of the traps she had caught a large rabbit. Not wanting to stay out in the rain more than what she had too, Lien made a hole in the ground where she threw the insides after the rabbit was cleaned. After quickly cleaning the meat and the hide she returned back. The meat would be a nice dinner. It was rare to catch a rabbit in a trap like this one but she was lucky and now had dinner to cook. The hide was soft, and the fur was in top condition. Her hunt was better than she could hope for. Right now she had no use for the hide but someone in the clan will want it, there was no doubt.
Yuu stopped to look up at the darkening sky when the girl finally decided to stop, wing blowing his hair around his face. A storm was indeed rolling in, the air had that staticy, hot feeling to it, as if the entire area was encased in a glass jar.
"We will stop here for the night."
“Okay,” Yuu said, gaze following along to where she pointed.
"See the boulders over there? That is where we will have our shelter. Like this we already have one wall, we now need two more and a roof."
Yuu blinked, ah, if only he had brought his tent... He watched Lien draw in the dirt with a stick, one wary eye on the sky above.
"Entrance shall be here."
The Kamizuru nodded, looking at her floorplans. If he knew how to build walls with earth, that would make the whole ordeal of shelter easier. The space was a rather decent size, actually, but how did she plan on—
"I need you to bring me many branches that would be as thick as your arm, as straight as possible and about a 1.5M long. if you can't find any broken ones, just chop them down."
Oh. Nothing like gruntwork to get the blood flowing.
“Right.”
Yuu accepted the odd saw he was provided with.
" Put small sticks in and you'll have a saw ready to use. Don't the tree or branch all the way down, cut some of it, your weight will be enough to do the rest. I'll also need some trees of a similar thickness but that will be about 2.5M long. From all branches and trees, chop off the small branches, I'll use them as filling to the walls."
He examined the saw. The holes were a good enough size that he could stick his blue-fletched arrows into the holes. He was confident in the sturdiness of his weapons, however chopping down trees for a simple overnight shelter seemed a bit overkill. The Land of Earth provided many caverns, it merely required finding them. With the way the river ran off cliffs here, there would no doubt be one nearby. Probably.
"While you chop gather the wood, I'll go put some traps and make sure we will have fire."
“Got it.”
Glancing around at the forest, Yuu turned, setting off and leaving the cloaked girl to her own devices. He ran his fingertips along the teeth of the saw, satisfied with the jagged sharpness. It should cut relatively easy. Coming acros a small grove of thin trees, Yuu dropped his bag on the ground (he was unwilling to leave any belongings behind with the stranger) and pulled the recurve over his head, leaning it against a larger tree. Next came the quiver full of arrows, and he selected two straight-shaft arrows before setting the leather quiver alongside the bow, fitting the shafts into the holes of the saw. The arrows were a bit too long for the job, but they sufficed, and the medic moved towards the thin trees, wrapping his fingers around some of the trunks to decide what ones to cut.
There weren't any broken branches that fit Lien's description, and Yuu found himself spending a lot of time sawing the trees, a job he hadn't needed to do since he was a genin helping repair the fence of a farmer whose cattle got loose. It was an amusing memory; Yuu recalled nearly breaking his arm falling out of a rather tall tree trying to gather those branches, as the trees in that area were too large to fell for only that much wood.
The rumbling grew steadily louder as Yuu worked, the air growing stiller. There was always an eerie peace before a storm, and Yuu rather liked it, however there was a time and place for everthing, and this was the wrong time and place to be enjoying that sensation. Having abandoned his hat and sweatshirt a good while back, the chuunin wiped the sweat from his forehead, getting the branches off yet another log, tossing it onto the pile.
Yuu leaned against a thicker tree, calculating the weight of the pile. A few more logs perhaps, and then the bundle would be too heavy and cumbersome to carry back to camp. The girl hadn't given him a number, so he'd rather have too many than not enough. Cutting through the base of another small tree, Yuu leaned against it, cracking the remaining bit of hold it had and sending it crashing to the ground. With the length of the saw he measured the length needed and sawed through, snapping the two halves when it got thin enough. With this one there should be enough.
Pulling a canteen from his bag on the ground, Yuu took a long draught from the container before capping it, crouching to put it back in the bag. Pivoting on his heels, the medic took the saw again and starting cutting and snapping the pliable branches until all were removed, tossing it on the pile with the rest. It would do for now. Removing the arrows from the holes, Yuu put them back in the quiver (after using the saw to scrape the wax off the shaft, the seals had been destroyed so it was better not to grab them on accident for a skill) and pulled it onto his back, stuffing the rolled saw, sweatshirt, and hat into the bag before slinging that on his shoulder as well, bow following after. Then he turned, looking at the pile of logs he'd have to carry back. Hmm...
With a bit of difficulty, Yuu balanced logs on his knee, stacking them against his left arm until he got them all, lifting the heavy stack. He'd carried heaver objects and people, but that didn't make it any less awkward to carry while weaving in between the trees to return to the camp. Lien had returned by the time the medic got back, piling up branches and leaves and sticks. Should have said something; he left a whole pile of those back in the woods. As she took the branches he brought her, Yuu had a pretty good idea that Lien was well-versed in what she was doing, and didn't question her.
Lien was an efficient worker, and with her instructions, they got the shelter build up relatively quickly. It looked sturdier than some of the shelters he and his team had used before to spend nights. Even the spider helped, and Yuu put his hand on the shelter while she laid leaves inside, shaking it a little. It was quite sturdy.
"Yuu, please bring in more, as many as you can get. We will be using them as beds. I bet the ground beneath us will get wet even if we stay dry so it's better not to sleep on the ground. And it'll be more comfortable."
“Sure,” Yuu said, returning to the woods where he'd cut the trees to begin with, gathering armfuls of the small branches he'd taken off the main logs, covered in leaves. As he walked back, Yuu stripped leaves from bushes, taking care to pay attention to whether or not they were irritants or not. Putting ivy in the bed would be a horrible affair. He'd done it before on a team outing when they were young genin. All of them, including sensei, were mad at him for the rest of the itchy week.
The rain droplets started clinging to Yuu's frameless lenses by the time he got back, and he pulled the sweatshirt from his bag, temperature breaking once the rain finally started to fall. It didn't take long to strip the branches of their leaves and lay them down underneath the shelter. The remaining branches were piled together, and lit into a small fire just inside the makeshift hut.
"I'll be back shortly. Have no worries, my cape is waterproof."
Not that he was especially worried to begin with.
“Hurry back.”
The flashes of lightning in the sky reflected off the archers glasses as his client disappeared into the thickening storm, and he prodded the fire to babysit it and ensure the splash of rain and wind wouldn't put it out. It wasn't until around twenty minutes later that the girl returned to the shelter, skinned meat in tow. Rabbit, perhaps.
Even drenched in water, Lien did not remove her cloak under the shelter, something Yuu noted. He couldn't think of anyone who would be comfortable like that, but to each their own. Perhaps her body was horribly disfigured and she was embarrassed to let anyone see. Yuu could identify with that, if anything. It was a matter of wearing the right clothes, though, and not covering up your entire body. The smell of the rabbit cooking began to fill the shelter, and Yuu was secretly ecstatic Lien didn't expect him to cook on top of the other things they needed to do. Didn't need to die from tularemia.
“How did you learn to be so good at building shelters?” Yuu asked once presented with his share of the meat. Even as heavy as the storm was getting, the hut did not leak.
WORD COUNT | 1537 TAGS | Kumoro Lien ADDL. NOTES | Yuu's face as she tells him what to do: ಥ_ಥ
“How did you learn to be so good at building shelters?” Yuu asked after taking his dinner. The question surprised her and she looked up at him. This shelter wasn't even close to her best skills yet, it could be impressing for others to see. It was storming outside but here they are, sitting under an improvised roof of sticks, leaves and spider web, yet not a single drop of water comes in. Unless it's from the opening used as an entrance of course... Taking her time to think of an answer.
"I spent all of my life living out of the wild. If I want to have a roof for the night, I build one. I have learned to make them so they'll stay for a long time in case I'll need them again." Lien took a short pause and looked up and the ceiling "I couldn't spend as much time as i wished on this one since we both overslept but if next years you'll want to come here for herbs again, I'll still be here. unless it's hit by a bear of a thunder strike... Otherwise it'll stay, even if some fixing will be needed as the leaves we used will be gone..." taking the last bites she moved to her knees and turned to one of the piles for with the leaves. After she arranged it into the shape she wanted she took a blanket out of her bag and hang it at the entrance, then using her rope, tied it into place. It was done and the wind did not get in the small hut anymore. Satisfied with her work she moved to her pile of leaves. As she lye down, she started moving in her place in a way similar to how small animals would move in order to adjust the place they use as bed to their comfort. She yawned covering her mouth with her palm. The day surly got to her but she did not fall asleep just yet. Instead, she was looking at Yuu, staring even. Not at Yuu as a person, but at the Iwa headband on his neck. Her eyes having the same look of wonder that a small child has when looking at a street performer and trying to figure out how does he do his tricks.
"Yuu, may i ask you a few questions?" the girl asked. moving her gaze from the metal reflecting the fire to the boys eyes.
~~~~ if he allows her to ask: "How is it? To live in a village? To be a shinobi? I have seen you're from the Kamizuru clan by the mark on your jacket, does your clan still hate the Aburame from Konohakure?" The girl blasted her question one after the other to the point she ran out of air and started coughing right after. When she got her breathing back together she looked at the Iwa ninja again, a small childish smile on her lips, still not covered after the meal. With her eyes sparkling, a smile on her face and an excited expression willed with curiosity, she seemed nothing like the heartless woman she has been all day long, she seemed almost like an average teenage girl. Almost, that is, she still had her hood on and an insanely huge spider on her chest after all.
"I spent all of my life living out of the wild,” she said, and Yuu tilted his head. "If I want to have a roof for the night, I build one. I have learned to make them so they'll stay for a long time in case I'll need them again."
Poor girl never had a place to call home? How sad.
"I couldn't spend as much time as i wished on this one since we both overslept but if next years you'll want to come here for herbs again, I'll still be here. unless it's hit by a bear of a thunder strike... Otherwise it'll stay, even if some fixing will be needed as the leaves we used will be gone..."
“Wow.” he commented, looking out the entrance at the rain pouring. An odd sound to his left caused him to look over at the girl, who was rolling about in the leaves like a cat in heat. The sight was amusing and brought a half-smile to his lips. That is, until she started staring. And not like a too-long glance, but at least thirty seconds went by with Lien staring at him. Feeling a little color creep into his face Yuu looked into the fire. Stupid girls and their staring and their big eyes and—
"Yuu, may I ask you a few questions?"
“Uh, sure?”
"How is it? To live in a village? To be a shinobi? I have seen you're from the Kamizuru clan by the mark on your jacket, does your clan still hate the Aburame from Konohakure?"
Her questions were rapidfire and breathless, and she ended up coughing.
“Whoa, whoa, slow down, slow down. One at a time. Um...” Yuu started quite eloquently, leaning back against the boulder wall on the leaves. “I've lived in a village my entire life, and I've been a shinobi for most of it. I can't really say what it's like compared to a civilian or a traveler like you. I guess it's nice, having lots of people to be around, friends and family and people to talk to. Working as a shinobi is exciting and I get to do fun things, but there's plenty of times where I've had to do not-so-fun things. We do everything from repair work, to crowd control, to escorts, to search-and-destroy battles.”
Yuu hummed, thinking on her second question.
“I can't speak for everyone in my clan, but I, personally, have no love for those of Konohagakure's Aburame.”
"Why do you still hate the Aburame?"
“I heard stories from my elders, who in turn heard stories from theirs. How in that war the Kamizuru were provoked into fighting by the Aburame, only to retailiate with everything they had and become demolished. Our records still hold information of that time, and our clan was nearly all but wiped out. How can I like them?”
"Then how about Kusagakure? With this logic, decades will pass, people will forget all that had ever happened in that war and the only thing that will be remembered is that the Kamizuru almost massacred the members of the village. The only thing that will remain is a deep hatred. You will pass away, your grandsons will pass away, and so will their grandsons as well, only stories will remain. And I shall tell you one thing - stories are always told for a single point of view it never tells all the truth, if any at all. I would like you to think about it some day." There was a short pause. "The key to peace is not liking each other, it's learning to forgive, accept, and move on."
Yuu remained silent, looking at her steady gaze. Taking in her words, she wasn't wrong. But it was hard to change a set way of thinking that you'd grown up with. Yuu had never personally met an Aburame, and even after her words, he doubted he'd be too friendly if he did. Some prejudices run blood-deep. But Yuu was a fair individual, he felt. If that person, an Aburame, gave him no reason to feel that hate he'd been conditioned to feel... well... Yuu didn't really know the answer to that.
“I...well...”
The medic truly didn't know how to respond to her. Thankfully, he didn't seem to need to, for the girl rolled away from him, settling in to sleep. Yuu pulled off his jacket to use as a pillow, digging the blanket roll from his bag, then watched the girl for a long time, waiting for her breathing to slow, indicating she had fallen asleep. This traveler was one of the stranger ones he'd met. Still, that wasn't the reason he stayed awake. Yuu never slept around strange parties until they themselves were asleep first. Unclasping the tight flak he wore, Yuu pulled it off, laying down on the bed of leaves. Sleeping with the tight undervest was always uncomfortable, but it couldn't be helped. Considering Lien had woken him with a stick before, she didn't seem to want to touch him. With that comfort in mind, Yuu reached underneath the black tank he wore, loosening the ties and rolling over to sleep.
WORD COUNT | 862 TAGS | Kumoro Lien ADDL. NOTES | Aa
Lien woke up before the break of dawn. Going to sleep early and sleeping through a storm made her refreshed and ready to go. Carefully untying her blanket from entrance she looked at Yuu. The boy was sound asleep. With a smile, she covered her face with her scarf and went out into the forest. After letting her eyes adjust for a few minutes, as inside the fire didn't die completely thanks to Tiarra adding small branches through out the night. Lien went to look for the traps she set the day before. Most of them where empty, the girl took them apart and put in her bag. Two other had squirrels in them. The animals were skinned, cleaned and the fur was taken along just like the rabbit's one earlier. The animals will be used for lunch later but cooked in the morning to make sure they don't go bad. On the back to the hut Lien found some fruits, berries, a few herbs that has no use as a medicine but if boiled make a tasty drink. She remembered Yuu had honey with him and it can be an even better addition to the drink, it'll make it sweeter. Other than the fruits and herbs, Lien found some nests and took a few eggs with her. Breakfast will be great.
Returning to the camp shortly after sunrise, Lien pound her companion already awake. She greeted him and asked about his sleep while sitting by what was left of the fire, reigniting it and starting to prepare their food.
The rustling of his companion leaving the shelter was enough to pull Yuu from his sleep. The Kamizuru stared blankly into the darkness of the wooden wall, a soft orange glow casting the hard, dark shape of his body's shadow across it. A long deep sigh. Right, Yuu remembered where he was now. The rain from the night before had stopped, to Yuu's relief. Water itself didn't especially bother him, but the thunder and lightning did. During the chuunin exams, Yuu had watched a shinobi get ripped to shreds by a particularly intense lightning jutsu the medic didn't know the name to. As beautiful as the natural phenomena was, it always made him think of that shinobi who'd used that power to kill.
Now, Yuu was more or less used to such things. Working as a medic often meant piecing back together those who got destroyed to bring something home to the loved ones. But seeing someone die for the very first time in front of his eyes had left an impact on Yuu that he was unable to forget any time he saw lightning.
Absolutely sure the female was out of range, Yuu sat up, fingers combing through the messy lilac hair. Looking from the glowing fire to the entrance that was pitch black, Yuu estimated it was before six. Another day of gruntwork, he imagined. It wasn't exactly unpleasant, though. Camping was kind of fun in its own right. Exhaling, Yuu tightened the leather straps on the undervest, grabbing the flak and his shoes to head out into the darkness as well. This time the medic left his other belongings, he wouldn't be gone long and he knew he'd return before she did.
Yuu was ready to start the day by the time the cloaked girl returned with what appeared to be squirrels, water bottles in his bag refilled with fresh water he'd extracted from the ground. There had been enough rain that he hadn't needed to go to the river. Upon closer inspection Yuu realized she had a lot of goodies with her, not just squirrel meat. It brought a small grin to his face. It was nice to have someone who knew what she was doing with food. Yuu knew what plants were edible and what weren't, but he didn't always know where to find them, and he always overcooked whatever meat he'd get.
“Good morning,” Yuu said, returning her greetings.
A wonderful smell filled the shelter once more when she began cooking, and he divvied up the findings while she prepared the meat and eggs, setting them on large, clean leaves as plates. Sitting crosslegged, he waited.
“Think you can show me how to make traps like those some time? It would be a useful skill. I can hunt with my bow but rabbits and squirrels are fast and small targets; trapping would be more efficient.”
WORD COUNT | 481 TAGS | Kumoro Lien ADDL. NOTES | Aa
“Think you can show me how to make traps like those some time? It would be a useful skill. I can hunt with my bow but rabbits and squirrels are fast and small targets; trapping would be more efficient.” came the question from the medic nin. Lien had no problem teaching him, it was a small, simple and useful trap that works only on small animals. It took no time to make.
"Sure, it's a simple one but is only useful once or twice as they aren't durable." she spoke "When we get back to the river I'll show you." the girl added right after. Looking at he boy, she could tell that his sleep wasn't too great, maybe differently from her, thunder wasn't a lullaby to him. Some people, like her little sister, simply couldn't sleep through it.
When they have finished their food, she took a piece of bamboo she had from earlier (when they were fishing. and cut it in half. Cleaning it carefully and hen pouring water inside. She put the bamboos into the fire and when the water started steaming but did not yet boil she put in the herbs she collected in the morning. Pleasant smell started spreading in the small hut as the plants were slowly cooking in the hot water.
"I saw you have honey with you, can i have some to add to the drinks? it'll make it tastier." She spoke to Yuu.
~~~~~ If he agrees, she only adds 1/4 a spoon into each bamboo and thanks him. ~~~~~
Soon the drink was ready. Removing it from the heat, she gave one of the two bamboo 'cups' to Yuu and took the other for herself. The drink was having a bitter-sweet taste (with a honey after taste if added). It was a pleasant refreshing mix. finishing her drink, she put the 'cup' in her bag.
"Shall we go now?" she asked the boy.
When coming back to the river, Lien used her tanto to cut down a medium sized bamboo. "The traps I use work best with bamboo just like that one. It's already hard enough to make an instant kill so that the animal won't suffer, makes a loud sound when it works so you know something took the bait and is still soft and bendy enough to be easy to work with." She explained. Sitting down she cut the plant into a few more bits, about two-three feet long for each. she took one to herself and gave the rest to Yuu. Returning the tanto back to it's place on her arm, she took her knife out of her bag. Placing the log the cut one side so it has two sharp ends. "You make it so it'll be easier to get it into the ground." She said and then turned the 'to be trap' 180* around so that the sharp points are pointing to the ground. Rapidly tapping it with the wide side of the knife she got it buried in the earth. "Now, you need to split this side," she started explaining pointing at the top of the bamboo, "in half but only half the way down. using a small stick can sometimes help. putting the sharp edge on the bamboo and picking a small thin branch from the ground she started cutting into the plant, tapping the knife with the branch instead of pushing it with her hands. When she got to the Middle she stooped and took the knife out. She broke a piece of it that is about 10 CM long and put it away. She then took a thread out of her bag and wrapped it around the stick. "You tie the bait here so it will hang of the thread." she tied no bait to it as she wasn't going to use the trap but only teach the boy how to make it. Returning her attention back to the bamboo she carefully pulled the cut parts apart making sure not to break them. she then put the small stick between the side and it held in place.
"With this, and a bait, the trap is complete. when an animal grabs the bait and pulls it, the branch holding it will snap and the bamboo will kill the animal." With those words she pulled on the treat, making sure her hand was outside of the trap so she won't break any fingers the branch snapped and the trap 'closed' with a loud 'bang' sound.
"Now try it fort yourself." she commanded. He has to make some of those until he learns. The hardest part was to cut the bamboo well, and then to make sure the thread will not be to short or too long.
~~~~~~ Look for my DA, i'll make a "how to make a trap by Lien" drawing. Later will add it here.
"Sure, it's a simple one but is only useful once or twice as they aren't durable. When we get back to the river I'll show you."
A little bit of excitement bubbled in Yuu's chest. He liked learning how to do new things. It was like adding a new skill to his inventory and there was always that little proud feeling when that skill is used successfully at a later date. Charred squirrel probably wouldn't be the best flavor, but it was better than no squirrel, and Yuu rarely took jobs alone so just about anyone traveling with him was the better cook. This visit to Suna had been the rare exception; Yuu had been the literal only one with the balls to cross the border to the Hidden Sand Village.
That made the breakfast taste that much sweeter, and the medic tried not to inhale the food. Eating faster would prove no point if his companion was still eating, and rushing others usually proved to induce negative effects. Licking the taste of squirrel from his fingers (a rather strange yet tasty meat), Yuu watched as she cut bamboo—where had she gotten that again?—and filled it with water, putting it into the fire. He paid more attention to the things the girl did than he did yesterday, growing increasingly aware since their conversation the evening before that she really knew how to survive in the wild.
"I saw you have honey with you, can I have some to add to the drinks? It'll make it tastier."
“Ah, yes! Sure!”
Yuu pulled his bag around, digging for the jar of honey he carried and presented it to her. He watched her take it, unscrewing the lid and pouring a tiny amount into each of the bamboo halves, which he now identified as cups. Shame he probably wouldn't meet Lien again after this job; she would be the perfect Traveler's Pocket Guidebook. Taking the jar from her when she finished, Yuu put it back into the bag, expectantly waiting to see what the drinks tasted like. Taking the warm cup from her, Yuu found it tasted a bit like a bitter tea. The honey helped, but tea wasn't Yuu's favorite drink. Still, it gave somewhat of an energetic boost, and he finished the cup, mirroring the traveler and placing it inside his bag after shaking the loose liquid from it.
"Shall we go now?"
“Ready when you are.”
Stepping outside of the shelter to stretch his legs, the Kamizuru retrieved his belongings, one by one pulling the over his head. The one problem with being an archer was his weapons went on his back, preventing him from wearing a proper backpack when traveling. There were special quivers that went along the hip, but they either didn't carry enough arrows to his tastes or got in the way while running, depending on the type. Though, he could get one custom-made... that would be useful... After a moment Yuu realized the girl was going on without him and he trotted after, a second glance back to the shelter. Would that thing really hold up for a few years?
Yuu could hear the river long before he could see it. It was going faster from the amount of rain they'd had the night before. The bamboo thickets were steadily growing larger and thicker as well, and once they started getting as thick as his forearm, Lien stopped to saw one down with her shortsword. Yuu needed to pay more attention; he didn't realize she even had that weapon. Perhaps he was just tired from that taxing trip in the desert; the medic usually wasn't this inattentive. Usually. Reaching closer to the river, the girl stopped.
"The traps I use work best with bamboo just like that one. It's already hard enough to make an instant kill so that the animal won't suffer, makes a loud sound when it works so you know something took the bait and is still soft and bendy enough to be easy to work with."
“Oh, I see.”
Kneeling down beside the hooded girl, Yuu watched as she cut the bamboo stick up, taking the pieces she handed to him. He then watched her carefully as she dovetailed one end of the bamboo. He personally thought a bevel would drive into the ground easier, but perhaps having two sides would make it more stable than a bevel would? She was the trapper, not he, so Yuu was inclined to believe her way was better.
"You make it so it'll be easier to get it into the ground."
“Mhmm.”
"Now, you need to split this side," she said after tapping it into the ground, pointing to the top, "in half but only half the way down. Using a small stick can sometimes help.
Yuu continued to watch attentively. Bamboo cut rather easily, didn't it? Yuu always thought bamboo was harder than that. Then she broke a three or four inch piece of the stick off. Probably to prop it open; Yuu was starting to get a gist of how this trap was going to work by the time she tied the thread to the small stick.
"You tie the bait here so it will hang of the thread."
“Makes sense.”
"With this, and a bait, the trap is complete. when an animal grabs the bait and pulls it, the branch holding it will snap and the bamboo will kill the animal."
Yuu watched the demonstration with interest. Simple, yet effective with an alert to boot. What could go wrong?
"Now try it for yourself."
Yuu sat properly on the ground, crossing his legs and examining his stick of bamboo. The only knife Yuu carried was a kunai, but kunai were sharp and it should work just as well. Looking at her trap then back to his bamboo, Yuu pulled a kunai out of his holster and started carve the large dovetail notch into one end. It was more crude than the clean one she cut with her tanto, but it still did the trick. Setting the dual-pointed end onto the earth, Yuu tapped it with his hand and pushed it into the ground. Next came slicing it the way she did. Yuu frowned; the kunai was tapered, not flat, so he needed to do the two sides separately. He made a mental note to start carrying a flat dagger with him.
Carefully, Yuu cut the two sides desperately, stubbornly not asking her to borrow her tanto, and lined them up evenly by eye. Pulling the two sides apart, he was satisfied when the bits that didn't get completely cut through split. Letting go, it made the same satisfying snap that Lien's trap did. So far, so good. Next came the stick... Selecting one, he broke a piece off roughly the same length and held the two halves apart, carefully placing the stick in. Yuu didn't bother tying the thread on; he knew how to tie string to a stick. It was everything else that was the hard part. Just as he was happy with how the stick fit, Yuu let go... only for the stick to break, the bamboo snapping closed on the tips of his first three fingers of his right hand.
“Ow! Damn!” he yelped, withdrawing his hand and fingers reflexively going to his mouth. Shaking his fingers, Yuu stared at the bamboo and the broken stick, trying to figure what he did wrong. Perhaps placed the stick too low? Gingerly trying again, Yuu got a new stick, pulling the bamboo halves apart once more and placing the stick carefully. Making absolutely sure the stick was where he wanted it to be, Yuu withdrew his hands like the trap suddenly caught fire, but it thankfully held firm.
“Yes! I got it! Is that all I need to do?”
WORD COUNT | 1310 TAGS | Kumoro Lien ADDL. NOTES | Sorry for taking so long dear. Our posts always have literally a ton of interactions to do in them and I get lazy. xD It's not your fault at all so don't begin to think it is. I like that you give the little option to refuse, too.
“Ow! Damn!” the bot called as the stick he placed into the trap snapped and the bamboo closed on his fingers. He was lucky he didn't slice the wood enough, otherwise his fingers would have now been broken. The second time he tried he placed it correctly and the trap held in place. “Yes! I got it! Is that all I need to do?” looking from the trap to the boy, Lien noted in her mind that she would not need to teach him for long, he was doing well. the trap was perfect, for a first trap obviously. If he would have tried catching something with it, it's useless, and not due to the lack of bait. The wood simply wasn't cut deep enough, he stopped early, which saved his bones.
"First of all, you did two common mistakes here. The first is that you didn't split the wood enough so the trap won't kill your dinner and you'll remain hungry or will go chasing the poor injured thing. It's also the reason your fingers didn't beak when the two parts closed of them. Your second mistake was that you put the first stick diagonally and it snapped. What you need now is practice. Use all the bamboo parts i gave you and make traps. The best ones you'll take with and I'll later show you how to choose a place to put them." the girl explained and pointed at the small bamboo pile besides Yuu.
~~~~~~ note: Sorry for taking so long and making a post that doesn't worth much ;-; note 2: Lien was using her tanto to cut the big bamboo into parts, in order to make the trap from the smaller piece she was using her knife. note 3: i'm working of a drawing of lien being all happy and swirling around at a field of flowers wearing a dress
"First of all, you did two common mistakes here.” Yep there it was. "The first is that you didn't split the wood enough so the trap won't kill your dinner and you'll remain hungry or will go chasing the poor injured thing. It's also the reason your fingers didn't beak when the two parts closed of them. Your second mistake was that you put the first stick diagonally and it snapped. What you need now is practice. Use all the bamboo parts i gave you and make traps. The best ones you'll take with and I'll later show you how to choose a place to put them."
“Got it.”
Yuu looked from his first trap attempt to the half-dozen stack of bamboo beside him, fingers still throbbing from being caught in the trap. Well, now he knew what he did wrong, so it shouldn't be so bad. Pulling Lien's trap from the ground, Yuu inspected it more thoroughly, placing it down and laying a new bamboo piece next to it Taking his kunai, he gouged marks to show where the cuts should be, then lifted the new piece to carve off the things that needed done, placing it next to her trap again. It was almost identical this time.
Grabbing a stick, Yuu cut it off again, a bit longer than the last one, then set it down to pound his trap into the ground. Satisfied with how it was, the Kamizuru then worked on getting the stick in, withdrawing his hands quickly once it was in place. This time, it held. Picking up the kunai again, he tapped the middle of the stick and tripped the trap, the bamboo making the same deep hollow sound that his companion's had. Shifting to turn, he did the same to the next one, slowly repeating each process until he'd formed a half circle of bamboo around himself. The last three traps he hadn't even referenced Lien's original for.
[/li][li]x6 Red-Fletched Broadhead Arrows[/li][/ul] Personal (Carried Loose on Body) {Always}
x1 Mahogany and Ivory Recurve Bow, 5'4” long when relaxed.
x1 Water Canteen {Usually}
Flak Jacket (Pockets/Pouches) {Always}
x2 Soldier Pills
¼ lb. Malleable Beeswax
x1 Wallet
Bag (Side Messenger Style) {Usually}
x2 Water Bottles
x1 Pocket-Sized Field Notebook
x1 Ballpoint Ink Pen
x1 Jar of Raw Honey, 10oz.
x1 Mortar and Pestle
x12 Small Blank Paper Slips
x3 Small Storage Scrolls
x3 Small Empty Jars, 8oz.
x1 Jar of Watercress Poultice
[/ul] Basic First Aid Kid (Carried in Side Bag) {Always}
x26 Band-Aids, various sizes.
x1 Bottle of Aspirin
x1 Topical Bacitracin
x8 Alcohol Wipes
x5 Gauze Pads
x1 Roll of Wrapping Gauze, 23ft.
x1 Roll Medical Tape
Travel Bag (Larger Side Bag) {When Traveling}
Contents of Side Bag
Thermal Blanket
Spare Clothes, Enough for Estimated Time Traveling
x1 Coil of Rope, 100ft.
Sanitary Pads, x3 Per Expected Day, Plus Two Extra Day's Worth
[/font][/div][/div][/spoiler]
[/div][/div]
WORD COUNT | 328 TAGS | Kumoro Lien ADDL. NOTES | I modified my template. After this Yuu will begin carrying a knife. As Yuu was returning from Sunagakure his inventory will be depleted from normal, which I did when putting it up.
Note: I am mobile to this will be a mess! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lien was carefully looking at the way Yuu was working. Doing markinhs on the wood was a good idea. One by one he made the traps and put them in half a circle in front of him. He was a fast learner and improved fast. The moment the boy was done with all of them, the Kumoro knew they have 'disarm' them safely. Tjey also needed to see if they work as well as they look, in theory.
Taking a stick, she hit the 'traping trigger' with a fast but light blow. Lien never had much strength but she was very fast and had good stamina. The traps closed obe after the other and the girl was listning to the snapping sound they made. She was satisfied with the first trap he used her own as a refrence and with the last two. She took them out of the ground together with the one she made herself and gave them to Yuu.
"those three you made a good. You learn fast. Keep them with you and I will give you the second lesson at the afternoon." she told him and got up cleaning dirt from her clothes. "Lets go, the sun is already high in the sky."
Yuu accepted the approved traps he was given, placing them inside of his bag.
"Those three you made are good. You learn fast. Keep them with you and I will give you the second lesson at the afternoon. ”
“Thank you.”
"Let's go, the sun is already high in the sky. ”
“Good idea.”
Looking around to ensure he had all of his belongings, Yuu stood, sparing a glance at the rejected bamboo traps. He'd learned an interesting new skill. Standing, he brushed the dirt from his clothes and continued to follow the girl once more. It would be several hours until their next stop.
When starting to head on in the direction she wanted Lien felt good. She loved teaching others new things and would usually teach the small children at the camp as well as play with them. it was the first time she was teaching someone who is around her age.
The sky was clear and it was warm, the weather totally different than the one during the night and the young Kumoro was grateful. After some time of walking her boots didn't stick to the ground any more, the mud dried and it made Lien's mood even better. Walking became much easier. As the two people were going on their way in the forest they collected some more herbs of different types.
By the time it was almost noon they have reached a high waterfall, the one that Lien mentioned the day before. It was about 10 meters high with a big deep pool under it. Looking at the cliff it came from Lien could see the plant she wanted to get from here. She could also see many other plants and herbs that are much harder to find at the bottom and the pool was full with fish in any different colors. It was a very pretty location and the view was incredible from the place they were standing.
"Lets get down, get as many herbs as e want and stay here for lunch. This spot is very rich so it will save us time looking for plants we need. At least half of them grow here!" she spoke up sounding more excited than she had intended to. She then went to a large tree growing right over the cliff and tied her rope around it. Passing it behind her back and wrapping it on her left arm she pulled hard having all her weight pull the rope and the tree. It didn't move and inch. The tree would do well and the rope was long enough for her to ever run from side to side on the wall if she wanted to reach one herb or another. Perfect. "I'll see you down!" she called to her companion and took a step off the cliff while facing the wall, Tiarra was following her close behind keeping an eye, or eight of them, on the ground to inform her master when she reaches. When Lien is done, Tiara was to go back up and untie the rope (or just cut it).
Mud. Yuu wanted to say he hated mud, but that wasn't necessarily true; Yuu hated mud that he himself did not make. It was a nuisance when you couldn't walk right over it like solid ground, and he hopped around the muddier patches, trying to avoid sinking in. Mud in your toes was never comfortable. But, as the day wore on, the bright sun dried up the worst of it, making it easier to walk along the path that the traveler was taking.
Yuu was relieved when they reached the waterfall. It wasn't that he didn't like traveling, Yuu just didn't like spending so long out in the wilds with a complete stranger. A girl at that. But those feelings were fleeting as the glare of the water reflected off his lenses. This place was beautiful. But so very far down. The pool below was a rich, deep blue, nearly black where the waterfall fell. The colorful fish were easy to see. Crouching, Yuu put his fingers in the running water. Cold, but certainly not bitterly so. Had he been alone, the medic would have liked to take a swim here. Diving off the top into the pool below would be fun.
"Lets get down, get as many herbs as we want and stay here for lunch. This spot is very rich so it will save us time looking for plants we need. At least half of them grow here!"
“Right!”
That would cut down a few days' worth of travel, Yuu reckoned, if the majority of their plants were found here. They were on day two of this adventure, and the note said 5-7 days. Did that mean there and back, or was that a one-way estimation? Two weeks alone with this girl and Yuu might actually get to see what she looks like.
Yuu watched Lien take her rope and scale down the cliff, peeking over the edge to see her. There were lots of plants, indeed, and he looked around, looking for another anchor. Wall-walking would be an easier option, but Yuu didn't want his arrows dropping from his quiver (really, he needed to invest in a new one. Eventually.).
"I'll see you down!"
“Alright.”
Shifting his grip on his side-bag, Yuu gauged the width of the river. A bit wide, but with a running start, he should be able to clear it. Normally he'd walk across, but the water was churning heavily so close to the falls. One misstep and he could be sent flying over the waterfall. Retreating back several paces, Yuu took a running dash at the river, kicking off at the bank. The medic cleared the river okay, but the weight of his body impacting the ground upon landing revealed that not all the mud was dry, and he slid. Luckily he caught himself with his hands before falling completely. Well, that's fun.
Pulling the coil of rope from his bag, Yuu tapped on an angular boulder, tying the rope around it and pulling with all the natural force he could muster. That thing wasn't going anywhere. Taking a peek down, Yuu recalled the pictures in the journal he'd seen the day before, and measued by eye the distance down to them. Pulling on the length of rope to about where he figured would be down far enough, the Kamizuru wrapped the rope around his arms a few times and took an excited leap off the side of the cliff. A little adrenaline was always nice, and this was a sort of game he and Kyo liked to play when they weren't actively trying to kill eachother.
When the rope was taut, Yuu twisted so that he'd land against the rock face with his feet, legs absorbing the brunt of the impact. After a moment, he clicked his tongue. Too low. With ease, the Iwa shinobi scaled several feet higher, resting his elbows on the ledge to support his weight while carefully uprooting as many of the herbs he could reach, moving downward slowly and filling his pockets with the plants. Climbing up and down was the easy part, it was gathering things while doing so that became difficult.
By the time he reached the ground, Lien was nearly down too, both travelers laden down with plants. Setting his down in a pile, Yuu looked up to the rope tied to the rock above, then to Lien's rope. The large arachnid was up on her way to cut the rope down it seemed, and Yuu frowned. If only bees were that versatile. It didn't matter really. Stepping backwards several paces, Yuu removed his bow, feeling along his arrows until he landed on a red-fletched one, drawing it. The broadhead arrows didn't have seals on them; they didn't need any. The head of the red arrows were steel and bladed with several sharp edges; if a broadhead arrow hit you, it went through you, tearing whatever it touches to shreds. Conveniently, this also included rope, and Yuu extended his arm, nocking and pulling the arrow back, taking aim just beside the knot
When Yuu released the string, the arrow hit true to its mark, slicing through the tail end of the rope and embedding into the rock. The rope fell, pinned in place by the arrow. It only took a simple tug afterward to tear the rope loose from the projectile, catching it as it fell. Yuu untied the knot, only having lost about 12 inches of the rope, and coiled it, stuffing both pieces into his bag. Crouching to retrieve all of the herbs he'd gathered, Yuu walked down the pool some more, crossing the water where it was still to meet his companion.
"Yes, it's plenty enough of this one for both of us." the hooded female answered the question directed at her. After putting the rope in her bag she took out her notebook and a pencil. Opening the page with the plant on it she has put a V Mark at the top left corner of it markin this one as complete. Looking through the pages a bit more she noded. "We can find most of it around here. After this, if we have enough, all yhat will be left are the crimson daisies and the silver lilies." she spoke again as if to herself.
Giving the notebook to Yuu she started looking around. "I remember every single plant in it, take it with you for now. I want to look for any edible vegtables around here. The hunting will be for dinner as we still have meet. Also, please colect any herbs you find on the way. I'll see you here in an hour at most." with those words, she waved and went deeper into thr woods.
Lien didn't find too many herbs she wanted. What she did find was food. Lots of food. Wild carots, tatar, basil, peppers... Some mint leaves and even a very old lemon tree. Not something she was thinking she'll find in the woods. As the tree looked very old, a couple handreds years old, the ginger asummed that at the time people would use the area for travling someone dropped a seed here and it grew. Ahe took some fruits with her. The water in thus part if the river was 'living' meaning no.need to boil it before drinking. Lemonade will be a nice drink to have.
As she was about to turn back, Tiarra noticed simething. A small patch of pumpkins. Chooching a medium sized one, Lien went back. The pumpkin didn't look as it was good as food but carving into it meant they will havr a pot and she could make a stew from att the things she had.