The name was misleading as the number of hearts here in the so-called 'heart land' was actually less than those in the city, humans were scarce and of the creatures that did reside here a large swathe of them were arthropods that didn't have hearts or non-human creatures that did have hearts but weren't exactly what one had in mind. Ripping the hearts out of fish or particularly nosey predatory mammals wasn't what he had planned for his field trip anyways so it didn't really matter but the false advertisement still stung a bit, ya know? It's the little things.
Like young budding kunoichi that he seemed to be shackled to him anytime he left the village. Before long he'd be on a personal name basis with every kunoichi in Kumogakure based solely on his excursions from beyond the walls of the mountain fortress.
Still, this was a bit different as he needed another body present for emergency situations and out here in the wilds there weren't many suitable candidates for provisions with the aforementioned lack of humans in this 'land of hearts'. Dealing with these extra-dimensional beasts came with risks and those risks meant the potential loss of life or injury in a place where he couldn't replenish his cores. So why not bring along a resource like another human? That could extend his life span for another attempt to kill whatever had killed him.
Or at least that was one theory, in reality, a shinobi of this one's caliber wouldn't sustain him for longer than a few minutes and would be a massive waste. It would be like trying to run a mountain off the energy from a weed. The primary reason for choosing to involve other parties was because he knew about his own predisposition to risk-taking behaviors when he was younger and he didn't need anyone coming home with broken bits and pieces because of their pursuits of extraplanar powers. Better to guide them on this path under his tutelage and worry about making them into the chakra equivalent of a potato chip if it came to that.
Yukiin swung wide with one arm, its talons ripping through the flying pests in his path who rapidly adjusted to their new employment of falling aside him as he took point, leaving the girl behind him to handle the task of watching behind him within his blind spot while he managed navigation. It was an important job, he'd stressed as much, but whether she'd be any good at it was another matter. The journey was one that he'd taken very slowly, this place wasn't close to home and it took a day at top speed to arrive but at her point in development she'd die straining herself to keep up. So he took it slow, refusing to carry another shinobi with functional legs on principle.
He wasn't hurting for time and observing the kunoichi over the days allowed him to take stock of her abilities to fend for himself as he made no effort to pack food or water, things he didn't need, and told her not to bother bringing them either. Three days, she could survive three days without food or water, but the intention was to see if she could forage for herself. Yukiin wouldn't have much trouble capturing and preparing prey, in fact he'd packed a preparatory sleeve of blades just for such a purpose, but that wouldn't teach her anything. She could bumble with his tools instead, ideally she wouldn't swallow anything poisonous but that was her problem.
Before departing the gates he'd been clear.
"Three days at a cautious pace, one way, taking the 'scenic' route, you will have access to my tools and books to use in any way you feel appropriate to obtain food, water, and anything else you feel you need when we break for camp each day. You will walk three paces behind me and will inform me of any threats to our safety or health. Simple, agreeable, terms and in exchange we will petition an extra planar creature and hopefully it goes smoothly enough to end in a binding contract. If that sounds good, follow."
He hadn't lied about the scenic route, these places were full of their own wild and natural beauty that was also part of what he hoped to impart to the youth - that the world beyond the gates was pretty, but that dropping your guard could turn a dream into a nightmare at the snap of a finger. Tall grasses with tufts of flowering plants were pretty but could also hide enemies, bodies of water teeming with dragonflies might be where enemy scouts lie in wait, and so on. Leaving the job of look out to her meant she had to consider these things, if she took it seriously, but he couldn't really control that part.
The icy Byakko unfurled the scroll from his pocket when they broke for camp on the third day, clicking out a claw and pricking his thumb. The camp ground glimmered softly in the low fire, something he accepted a human would need to be comfortable here even if he hated it, as the surrounding brush plants smoothly waved in the quiet winds. Neither the wind nor the flames changed the Medic's speech however as he dripped the white fluid that was his 'blood' onto the paper.
The scroll wound itself up in response like a snapping tape measure, falling into the fire to a roar of scattered ash. These scent products had improved radically over the few years he had been using them, allowing him to infuse his own chakra to increase the output and ranged coupled with ash to carry the scent further...ingenious really. The wafting flavor of the soot-stained air was formulated to capture the attention of the extraplanar beasts that were, seemingly, always shy of human contact without incentive.
"The call is out, if its answered please remember to be on your best behavior and to be prepared to protect yourself if required. There is no assurance who or what answers will be interested in pleasantries. Don't assume that my presence means you'll be safe, these are unpredictable matters."
Yukiin slid back in his fold-out chair like a retiree on his last day, clicking his teeth against his 'pocky' stick of frozen coffee as the broken piece fell down his throat, the flush of caffeine bringing him the small pleasure of its toxic influence.
"If you die its a paperwork nightmare, try not to."
Like young budding kunoichi that he seemed to be shackled to him anytime he left the village. Before long he'd be on a personal name basis with every kunoichi in Kumogakure based solely on his excursions from beyond the walls of the mountain fortress.
Still, this was a bit different as he needed another body present for emergency situations and out here in the wilds there weren't many suitable candidates for provisions with the aforementioned lack of humans in this 'land of hearts'. Dealing with these extra-dimensional beasts came with risks and those risks meant the potential loss of life or injury in a place where he couldn't replenish his cores. So why not bring along a resource like another human? That could extend his life span for another attempt to kill whatever had killed him.
Or at least that was one theory, in reality, a shinobi of this one's caliber wouldn't sustain him for longer than a few minutes and would be a massive waste. It would be like trying to run a mountain off the energy from a weed. The primary reason for choosing to involve other parties was because he knew about his own predisposition to risk-taking behaviors when he was younger and he didn't need anyone coming home with broken bits and pieces because of their pursuits of extraplanar powers. Better to guide them on this path under his tutelage and worry about making them into the chakra equivalent of a potato chip if it came to that.
Yukiin swung wide with one arm, its talons ripping through the flying pests in his path who rapidly adjusted to their new employment of falling aside him as he took point, leaving the girl behind him to handle the task of watching behind him within his blind spot while he managed navigation. It was an important job, he'd stressed as much, but whether she'd be any good at it was another matter. The journey was one that he'd taken very slowly, this place wasn't close to home and it took a day at top speed to arrive but at her point in development she'd die straining herself to keep up. So he took it slow, refusing to carry another shinobi with functional legs on principle.
He wasn't hurting for time and observing the kunoichi over the days allowed him to take stock of her abilities to fend for himself as he made no effort to pack food or water, things he didn't need, and told her not to bother bringing them either. Three days, she could survive three days without food or water, but the intention was to see if she could forage for herself. Yukiin wouldn't have much trouble capturing and preparing prey, in fact he'd packed a preparatory sleeve of blades just for such a purpose, but that wouldn't teach her anything. She could bumble with his tools instead, ideally she wouldn't swallow anything poisonous but that was her problem.
Before departing the gates he'd been clear.
"Three days at a cautious pace, one way, taking the 'scenic' route, you will have access to my tools and books to use in any way you feel appropriate to obtain food, water, and anything else you feel you need when we break for camp each day. You will walk three paces behind me and will inform me of any threats to our safety or health. Simple, agreeable, terms and in exchange we will petition an extra planar creature and hopefully it goes smoothly enough to end in a binding contract. If that sounds good, follow."
He hadn't lied about the scenic route, these places were full of their own wild and natural beauty that was also part of what he hoped to impart to the youth - that the world beyond the gates was pretty, but that dropping your guard could turn a dream into a nightmare at the snap of a finger. Tall grasses with tufts of flowering plants were pretty but could also hide enemies, bodies of water teeming with dragonflies might be where enemy scouts lie in wait, and so on. Leaving the job of look out to her meant she had to consider these things, if she took it seriously, but he couldn't really control that part.
The icy Byakko unfurled the scroll from his pocket when they broke for camp on the third day, clicking out a claw and pricking his thumb. The camp ground glimmered softly in the low fire, something he accepted a human would need to be comfortable here even if he hated it, as the surrounding brush plants smoothly waved in the quiet winds. Neither the wind nor the flames changed the Medic's speech however as he dripped the white fluid that was his 'blood' onto the paper.
The scroll wound itself up in response like a snapping tape measure, falling into the fire to a roar of scattered ash. These scent products had improved radically over the few years he had been using them, allowing him to infuse his own chakra to increase the output and ranged coupled with ash to carry the scent further...ingenious really. The wafting flavor of the soot-stained air was formulated to capture the attention of the extraplanar beasts that were, seemingly, always shy of human contact without incentive.
"The call is out, if its answered please remember to be on your best behavior and to be prepared to protect yourself if required. There is no assurance who or what answers will be interested in pleasantries. Don't assume that my presence means you'll be safe, these are unpredictable matters."
Yukiin slid back in his fold-out chair like a retiree on his last day, clicking his teeth against his 'pocky' stick of frozen coffee as the broken piece fell down his throat, the flush of caffeine bringing him the small pleasure of its toxic influence.
"If you die its a paperwork nightmare, try not to."