Two weeks into the Leaf Country, Kiri had somehow gotten used to the forest. Not too long ago did he manage to collate a few informations about the plant and wildlife that lived there. Though it wasn’t as extensive as any book on the flora and fauna spectacles of Leaf Country, it was still enough, he thought. In fact, he took a moment to wonder if he should just switch profession and become a writer instead. A wandering adventurer writer. Sounds interesting, but when he thinks more about it, the more he felt a little turned off by the thought. Probably because of the current situation where he is lost in this new country and all the bureaucratic processes that he would not be able to pass because of he did not hold his passport.Just then, as he was seated on the patio of the small inn he was renting for the moment, he caught sight of a familiar man. Wearing pale colored clothes and a strawhat, a box backpack and a small staff, Kiri instantly recognised him to be the passing merchant he had met a few days ago in the forest. He was the one who showed Kiri the way to Crater City, after all, right after he showed the young shinobi around the forest and examine some of the plants that he was familiar with. And when their eyes locked, Kiri quickly stood up and waved.
Approaching the man, he would greet the other, “Where are you going today?” Almost as if to show how free, and probably bored, he was at the moment.
“Oh, I’m off to gather a few more plants in the forest. Though I must say, this one is a bit tricky, even deadly,” said the man as he adjusted his staff and sighed. “If only I studied hard when I was younger, I could have gone through shinobi academy with flying colors.”
“You were a shinobi fledgling?”
“Ohohoho… Nothing of any importance. I simply was able to use a bit of chakra back then. But I just couldn’t keep up. Luckily, my wit and passion for medicine got me through. And now, entrepreneurial skills are the thing.” the man answered with a chuckle before he sighed again. Then suddenly, as if it were a lightbulb moment for him, he turned to Kiri once more and said, “Wait, you’re a shinobi, right? And if you’re still here, then you must still be waiting for whoever it was you were waiting. Would you like to take on a quick task? I’m quite fair with paying.”
“I suppose I could.”
“Then, please escort me… or… uh… please be my bodyguard as I gather the plant. The deeper parts of the forest can be dangerous, you see. Far from the ordinary.”
“I see. Well, I don’ t mind.”
And just like, Kiri agreed to escort this medical merchant. He simply went and retrieved his swords, making sure he was well-armed, before he left the small town with the latter. They would enter the forest and immediately, Kiri would feel a sense of pride seeing how he was now familiar with the immediate surroundings, knowing where to go and what would be over the hedge. He looked about and caught sight of a few of the woodland critters and he smirked at the thought that one time one of the swooping birds struck him during his sleep.
In any case, he was well at ease, right until he realised that they were now going through the deeper ends. Past the dark colored trees, he would notice that the forest was denser than before, and the trees looked far older. He observed how the lichen patched trees were becoming far too nefarious to his taste, and the lingering presence of the unknown in the air. He could tell already that they had attracted quite the number of fiends.
When they reached the said area, Kiri was surprised to find strange blue flowers growing around a large rock. The merchant explained how these uncommon flowers were dried out in the sun before they were boiled. Honey would then be added before the fluid is cooled down into candies, where the end product would then be sold as cough candies. Quite the ridiculous risk for cough candies, but apparently, there was another thing it was good for, and that was chakra sickness.
Just then, something roared out loud and came crashing out from the trees. Kiri was quick to grab the man by the shoulder and push him aside. At the same time, Kiri let loose his chakra, immediately filling the entire area with a feeling of dread as the beast’s chakra would engulf him like a syphoning energy, his hair turning pale white and his eyes turning gold. He dodged the assault of this wolf-like creature but was certainly far larger than one. As it turned back and began to attack, it would break down trees and leave craters on the ground as it pounced hard. But Kiri would be unfazed.
After a few more dodges, Kiri quickly draws out his sword and parried one strike, cutting through flesh and bone as the creature crashes on the ground. But it’s roar and ferver showed that it was still far from giving up. Quite admirable, though stupid. Then again, perhaps it knew it would die anyway and so it continued to attack Kiri. However, the young shinobi would not let this fight drag, for both their sakes. As such, he would kneel on one knee and touched the ground, sending his chakra forth, and immediately, black shadowy threads would surge from the ground and pierce through the creature without mercy.
By the end of it, the creature was killed. The merchant, also became rather conscious of Kiri even when Kiri calmed down and returned to normal. It was only a natural reaction, after all, for he, too, was a beast in a sense. Thus, the merchant would finish gathering the flowers quickly and they would return to the town.
“Thank you for your help,” said the merchant.
“It’s nothing,” answered Kiri, seeing the change in the merchant’s tone.
A quick transaction and he was given the payment before the merchant left. Kiri sighed as he looked at the money before he pocketed it and went back to the inn to sleep.
WC: 1,064