One With the Sea [Contract Search]

[Hirateuchi]

Hira found himself once again at the water's edge, staring off into the endless abyss of the sea. The sun gleamed down reflecting of the surface of the expanse, covering the port with a beautiful golden glow as the cool morning breeze started to shift in direction. The sounds of the dockworkers remained relatively quiet and unnoticed as Hira lost himself in a trance. Ever since he had started working on fueling his newly discovered affinity for water, the boy had felt drawn to it, almost as if it were calling to him; almost as if he himself were meant to become the liquid life itself. Today was no exception to this ever-growing hobby of his, though he had found himself wandering off quite further than usual. It had been some time since he and his father traveled together to the outer reaches of the village, back when he was younger and his father healthier. With no classes to focus on that day and no chores to be done at home, he had the whole day to relax, and took it upon himself to do so in a slightly different way.

Hira was seated at the edge of one of the docks long wooden platforms, where ships typically arrived with supplies, and work for those with a fondness towards the sea; however, this early of a morning hour, where the glossy sun merely peeked over the edge of the horizon, almost never saw much attention. It was a time to rest, but for Hira, it was a time to come to terms with who he was, and who he was becoming. His legs waving back and forth in a subtle mixture of anticipation and restlessness, the boys violet eyes peered down, staring into the cavernous blue world, whose many still hidden mysteries served as only further bait to tempt eager and impressionable minds. Ripples from small boats off on different ends of the port traveled towards the point where Hira was sitting, nearly disappearing before reaching its destination, but leaving enough of a distortion to create a mesmerizing movement. Where the ripples on either side met, the collision formed a small shutter and splash of but a few drops, though it was enough to bring Hira back to his senses. I wonder if the ocean ever feels lonely.

It was an odd thought, with mixed feelings fueling it. With all the strange things alive in this world, with how connected he felt to the substance, was it not fair to believe the sea could in fact be alive? That it would have emotions akin to his own? Then again, the sea had schools of fish, both big and small, kind and dangerous, to keep it company. Large ships carried shinobi, travelling merchants, emissaries and more across the vast tides. How could one be lonely with so many people and animals around? How indeed. I guess it could be the same way I am... Hira thought to himself, steadily molding a solemn frown from his once content expression. But why? I have friends at the academy, I have some really cool mentors. Is it my parents feeling of isolation that I'm empathizing with? Do I even belong here?

He looked once more up towards where a small fishing boat was arriving just over the shadow of the slowly rising sun. I wonder if anybody would notice if one day I just decided to join the ocean. Doesn't seem like a bad life. He thought back to his first lesson with Kaji-sensei. He remembered how his mentor taught him to make a sphere of water between his palms by focusing his chakra, but what he remembered even more was showing Kaji what happened when he put his hand up to the water. It couldn't be mere coincidence that it reacted so strongly. Nowhere had he read any books, heard any stories, or seen any evidence that anybody only starting to discover there powers could have that strong of a reaction. Was it impossible? Of course not, but he wanted to test just how strong this affinity he had was. Raising both hands just as with his other techniques, Hira focused chakra into his palms, beginning to create a sphere of water. The transition in size went smoothly from the size of a speck of dust until it was nearly bursting it fit so snugly between his spread hands. Looking at his ball, he sighed, realizing he thought about it too much, easing up on his chakra output and letting it drip until it was a size perfectly between the two extremes. Well, never gonna know if I don't give it a try. Instead of focusing his chakra in one point, Hira started to draw a line with it, connecting the sphere to his palms, his fingers, and all throughout his arms. With a face resembling that of frustration or worse, constipation, he grunted as he attempted to bring the lines together, making one solid connection to the sphere.

As he began to lose hope, Hira felt a numbness in his fingertips, followed by the feeling of the wind cooling his skin as though he had just gotten out of a bath. As he opened his eyes, with a startled yell quickly forming into panic, he noticed the tips of his fingers had disappeared, and where they once were lay only small blobs of water, connected by a thin strand to the sphere in his hand. It was as if his hands were beginning to become water themselves, like they were reacting to his feelings towards the ocean. While the concept was of a curious nature, and he wanted to explore it further, it was all he could to not to burst into tears at the moment. Even if he just been dreaming about it, seeing his flesh melt into water right before him was a terrifying sight indeed.

His eyes grew wide and face shocked as he yelled loud enough for the whole dock to hear, drawing a few concerned glances, but to his surprise, when he stopped focusing his chakra, his fingers returned to their normal state, water hardening and swirling until it changed to a fleshy hue and elongated to fit their original shape. Upon further inspection, they seemed unchanged from before the event, as if it had never occurred in the first place. What was.... I must still be dreaming. Hira pinched the ends of each digit in turn, as though wanting to prove what he witnessed wasn't real, but to no avail. He darted his gaze between his hands and the sea, not quite sure what to make of what had happened. With a sigh, he turned to all the close-by workers who had stopped to see what had happened and apologized for causing a scene, explaining that he had simply had a strange dream. They shrugged and continued on to their posts as if nothing had happened. Hira's frown slowly curved up, until his face set back into a pleased expression Maybe it is possible...

[Topic Started, WC 1178]

 

[Okada Kaji]

The Call of the Wild is Upon You...
And it goes ribbit.

The Toads have chosen you!

Do you accept your fate?
Yay or Nay?​

<i></i>

 

[Hirateuchi]

The offer sounds.... ribbiting. I accept!

 

[Okada Kaji]

The Port Cirrus docks were a busy place indeed— so busy with citizens going about their own lives that it was easy to overlook the strange things that happened there behind the scenes. There was always another ferry or barge passing across the horizon, or sailors offloading cargo from one of the many merchant vessels. But on the little dock lane where Hirateuchi spent his moment reflecting, there weren’t any busy ship crews at work, just the boy and an old fisherman who was blending right in with the background. Nothing to see there— no, nothing at all, and that was how the surly fisherman liked it.

While Hirateuchi was practicing with his water sphere, the elder fisherman resembled your everyday codger at first glance: a large straw kama with frayed edges hid his head and face well, and a bright yellow raincoat mystified his physique aside from a terrible hump in his back. His hands were rubbery and green, easily mistakable for rubber gloves from afar, and held onto a fishing pole with a casted line. The fisherman had likely come here often as he had a steel pail filled with various fish, and he had the nerve to sit on the dock’s edge with his legs hanging off the edge, cut off from view. He was the type to mind his own business as long as you kept to yours. On occasion, the estranged fisherman would look around to make sure no one was watching, and snagged a fly from the air with his tongue, quick as a lightning bolt.

The old fisherman thought he saw a shadow in the water the moment Hirateuchi began breaking a boundary with his water affinity practice. But when the boy yelp aloud, there was a sudden strong tug on the line. The fisherman cared little about the boy’s exclamation at first, but when he pulled his line in and found nothing but an empty hook, he swiveled his yellow, toady eyes towards the boy with his temper flaring. “Hey, why don’t you keep it down tadpole? ‘You’re scarin’ the fish away! Ribbit!” His chin and cheeks bulged for the first of many times today as he expressed his discontent. While his disguise as a human was well made, the Toad Fisherman didn’t seem shy or consider himself out of place in the slightest. He engaged Hirateuchi with a frown arced on his wide lips, and his free hand clenched into a fist. Everything about him said it ain’t easy being green. “What the heck are you even doing out here without a rod and some bait, tadpole?”

 

[Hirateuchi]

Hearing a voice from behind him startled Hira more than he already was. Did someone try sneaking up on him or was he really that lost in thought that he couldn't tell others were around him. Regardless, he needed to face this problem head on. Spinning with a false sense of confidence, he stood up with urgency, ready to face whomever had surprised him, but as he began seeing what it was that spoke out, he quickly began losing all sense of bravado. "A.. A.. Are you.... a frog!? He shouted out in both disbelief and curiosity.

Did it really just speak? But that's impossible... right? Looking the creature up and down Hira's brow furrowed as his eyes squinted more and more, as if hoping to gleam some information on his new company by simply staring at it with piercing eyes. "Was that you who just talked to me?" Hira finally asked, with a defeated and quizzical look on his face.

 

[Okada Kaji]

“ArE yOU a FroG” squeaked the mocking Toad Fisherman as he set his fishing rod aside, and hopped to his webbed feet. The plump little amphibian stood about a head shorter than the boy and stepped a few paces towards him to look at him straightly. “You're lookin’ at a bonified toad— the real deal, not some country bumpkin frog… a toad… and of course, I can talk.” The stubby toad explained as he pinched the front of his open raincoat with both hands. His neck continued bulging up and down as he modeled his style, twisting left, and right, and running his fingers along the brim of his hat. He was a flashy gentleman, that much was obvious. “Gamatobei at your service,” he said, stealing that bravado lost by the baffled human boy.

And Gamatobei was a curious sort who inspected the lad, taking note of his apparel and the equipment on him: useful things, he knew and much finer than the bright yellow rubber coat he wore. Gamatobei looked about, noticing that the lad had come alone, or so it seemed. “And who might YOU be? A shinobi, or not quite?” Gamatobei addressed the boy with guesswork for the most part, but he knew enough shinobi to recognize one. There was a presence of chakra about him, resonating from the boy after his efforts to further his manifestation of the water affinity. “And what were ya doin’ there?” He paused to chortle a strange laugh, “ya ain’t fishing, ya tryin’ to become one?”

 

[Hirateuchi]

"Not quite a shinobi, huh?" Hira looked up, in part embarrassed to admit the truth to the toad's words, but in tandem taking the gesture as a challenge. Looking back down at the toad he couldn't help be think back to his mentor Kaji. At one point in the pair's training, Kaji had introduced Hira to an intelligent lizard that could also talk, and that one seemed to be interested in Hira's show of power. Maybe he could get to know this toad in a similar fashion. Well, it couldn't hurt to give it a try. What else was he supposed to make of the situation?

"Yeah, maybe I can be more of a fish than a shinobi sometimes." Hira laughed as he put his hands together focusing his chakra. He wasn't too certain what he had planned would work, but with any luck, and a sprinkle of optimism, it could at least put on a good show. "The thing with fish though, is they are slippery, and that tends to be a valuable skill for a shinobi." Hira snapped his fingers into the positions of the hand signs he was working on preceding this strange event, and focused his chakra into his hands with a slight grin though a nervous face. A subtle breath escaped Hira's mouth before his hands began liquefying, skin tone and texture slowly disappearing as the familiar sight of water took their place, seemingly suspended in air. While the sight was still unnerving, Hira was much more comfortable with the foreign feeling this time around. "Maybe I'm not a shinobi yet but I'd like to see another tadpole doing this! You'll remember the name Hira when I get stronger."

 

[Okada Kaji]

Gamatobei was wide-eyed, staring incredulously as the human boy began transforming before his very eyes, starting at the hands and moving inward into a viscous form. From his lower perspective, he could see Hirateuchi’s face clearly through the hands, and was marveled by the sight. Full of curiosity, he first wondered what would happen if he threw the watery child into the bay; would he dissolve into nothing, or become a giant, empowered by the sea? The inquisitive Toad Fisherman rubbed his fingers along his chin for a moment, and his froggy face formed an inspired smile. As far as he knew, Gamatobei had come along a gold mine in so many ways by meeting this boy.

“So, ya said ya ain’t no Shinobi huh?” This was something to be considered for the toad, who wasn’t nearly as bright as he was ambitious. While he knew of shinobi from his past, he had no idea how their society worked. To Gamatobei, humans were shinobi, or they were not… He also knew that there were seedy recruiters who would pay a fine price for children with special abilities. The Hidden Cloud was the nearest shinobi village, as Gamatobei understood. The recruiters would surely pay him a heaping satchel of gold coins if the Toad brought them such a talented child. Not seeing an emblem of The Hidden Cloud on the boy’s person, it indicated that poor Hirateuchi was perfect for the taking. “That’s an interesting ability tadpole; I bet I’d be able to catch a lot of fish if I had an ability like yours. Best I can do with water is drink it. Ha ha ha…” Gamatobei’s laughter rolled on as he slipped a small gourd from off of his belt, which was a thin red rope around his waist with a few other pouches and sacks attacked. He took a swig of the liquid as if were water, but in fact, it was a special concoction of his own design which he often used in the process of slipping in and out of human-inhabited areas such as Port Cirrus. It took his quite some time to develop an immunity, but Gamatobei was an expert with this: suddenly he unleashed a flurry of toxic bubbles filled with a potent sleeping potion.

Hirateuchi would be overcome by bubbles in the direct sneak attack, and as they popped, he was gassed with the substance, which would quickly leave him nauseous and weak. The deceitful Toad couldn’t help but make a ribbiting laugh as the boy would turn woozy. Methodically, the Toad took a position to guard Hirateuchi until he faded into the blackness of slumber, making sure he didn’t try to jump off the pier in a desperate act to escape— he wouldn’t let his prized catch get away. Once the boy was on the deck and blacked out, Gamatobei went to his bucket of cold trout and dumped them over the boy to sell the scent he’d need Hirateuchi to have. He then molded webbed hand seals, and placed his hands on the boy, turning him into one very large trout. "Now this is what I call catch of the day” he said aloud, so sure that he’d come up a rich toad once he took Hirateuchi to the local trafficker.

So sure of himself, he kicked his emptied bucket over the edge of the pier, took his fishing pole in one hand, and slug Hira over his other shoulder. It was off to the trafficker they’d go!

 

[Hirateuchi]

Hira looked up at the sky, rubbing his eyes as he yawned an egregious yawn that came out as a cat's purr. The sky still shone a bright lavender and floated above gently with wispy yakisoba and lily pads. Looking to his side, Hira asked, "Hey, Mr. Gatatuba?" He looked to the plump man by his side whose face was always covered by a large oni mask, the stripes of color twisting and contorting to give tell to his emotions. As he looked back at the boy, the colors formed a large golden smile with closed eyes. "I had the weirdest dream that I was sitting near the water and became a fish," Hira continued.

With a shrug and a laugh that both bubbled and echoed through the forest of mushrooms the group was currently traveling through. the hefty individual spoke up. "Why my good boy, dribble, and drought, it means we should go eat a trout, no doubt, no doubt!" His rhyme echoed through the air, his joyous laugh and bounce in his step causing his stomach to jiggle violently, as though it could fly off at any moment. Just as he spoke those words, a brightly colored trout with a telling reddish-pink line along its side hopped out of a nearby mushroom, flexing it's oversized biceps and quads as all trouts do. With a firm glance at Mr. Gatatuba, the trout bleated out like a goat before flames began to spew from its mouth. As fast as a slug equipped with a high power chakra accelerator, the strange plump man put his hands together in a single hand seal, screaming out another rhyme. "Why my stout trout, you should hit the road, or meet all my toads." With that, the sky turned an eerie dark purple as sparks of water flew through the sky, with toads beginning to rain from the sky shortly after.

The trout looked up with a frown and as it began to get pelted. While the plump man with the mask jumped in revel, Hira stared in awe, quickly turning to fear as he realized the toads were raining down on him as well. "Mr. Gatatuba... you're hitting me too!" He tried and tried to convince the man to stop his Jutsu, but it was too late. He was beginning to grow an ever-worsening headache, made even more frustrating by the fact that the toads were now sticking to his head, tongues stuck out in a vulgar fashion. Slowly Hira fell to the floor, unable to stand against the onslaught of toads, almost as if they were trying to carry him to a whole new world. Soon enough, Hira's vision went black...

---

Rustling, Hira woke up from one of the oddest dreams he had ever experienced. He thought as though he could feel sweat running down his brow, but something felt extraordinarily off about his situation. As he attempted to open his eyes, nothing appeared; his vision remained an empty void. Where am I? Why can't I see anything? Hira grew increasingly worried as the situation became less and less clear to him.

 

[Okada Kaji]

The boy would awaken within the darkness of a confined space, a bit dazed at first as he felt the relief of an escape from his drug-induced fantasy. His world was still spinning, but he’d snap back to reality fast enough once he came to realize he was stuck laying on his side in a fetal position. Any searches provided rough wood surfaces with every touch. He could try to budge but space was too tight to permit anything more than the fiddling of fingers, and some nervous fidgeting. The prison wouldn’t budge no matter how Hira squirmed, indicating that he was locked within. He was in a crate or large chest. To make matters worse, the boy was still reeking of the ocean, and a bit slimy from Gamatobei’s effort to mask his appearance as a giant fish. His only silver-lining in this situation was a sliver of light beaming in from a spot where time got the best of him, however, it was low to the ground and provided him nothing but a view of more crates— he must have been in a storage place.

There was a faint sound of talking coming from outside his container; one voice was faintly recognizable— the deceitful Gamatobei, while the other was a bit more humanoid and unknown. Their words couldn’t be understood from wherever they stood, but the sounds were drawing closer as Hira regained consciousness. The murmuring was increasing in volume and clarity until they were practically on top of the boy and totally hearable. “And you won’t regret it, Gamatobei tells no lies,” said the Toad Fisherman, most-likely with a straight, but froggy face. “The boy is special; he can turn into water! ‘Hope you’re ready to turn over some nice coin for ‘em.” But the toad was merely mocked with a bellowing laugh by his company. The second voice was masculine and gruff as if he smoked a pack a day for a score or more. “Look at you, ambitious little guy— what does a frog want with some nice coin? Like anyone would do business with the likes of you.” The stranger then made a blowing sound, and the scent of strong tobacco filled the air, loud enough that Gamatobei began a coughing fit. “You’re lucky I might give you some coin at all… let’s see this catch of the day of yours first.”

Suddenly, the sound of mechanisms around Hirateuchi snapped and clicked, and light flooded his miniature chamber, revealing the traitorous toad on his same fisherman’s apparel, and a surly stranger who stood about twice Gamatobei’s height. The man was square-jawed with a five o'clock shadow, a bulging nose, black lips, and sleepless eyes that stared down at Hira, evaluating him like mere cargo. There was a fat stogie hanging from his mouth which burned bright red and wobbled when he spoke his usual cutting words. “The brat don’t look special to me— I’ll give you half your asking price, Frogger.” Hirateuchi might have found the courage to attempt to fight here, but before he could spring up, the lid of the container would slam back down. And then a few familiar clicks would seal his fate within.

“Half?!” Gamatobei was pissed, but this only earned another laugh from Hirateuchi’s new captor. And then the stranger added that “The boy’s too small... best I’ll get is half a haul. Considering how far we’re going, I’ll waste most of the reward just trying to deliver him. In fact, I should charge you for taking him off your hands.” Then the sound of frantic swatting drummed on the chest as Gamatobei hit it with his fishing pole and argued “You think you can just swindle Gamatobei, ya bastard? ‘Kumogakure is only a day’s journey from here at worst. I want the full price.” Suddenly the sound of scuffling began as Gamatobei and the thug began to settle their qualm with action. With nothing more than a hole to attempt to see the fight, Hirateuchi could have spent his time watching webbed feet straighten up and dance with muddy boots, or he could have orchestrated something ingenious if he had the will and skill to do so.

A moment of fighting came to pass before the sound of a beaten Toad groaned, and Gamatobei was left penniless and laying on his back. “Stupid frog. I should take you home to Ma’ and put you in a stew, or maybe try to sell you too. I ain’t taking the boy to Kumogakure, he’s going to another land far, far away. But they’ll pay, they’ll pay, I have no doubt, but that’s one thing you’ll do without.” And then the heavy chest began to drag and move, leaving the Toad battered and bruised, without a coin to his miserable name.

What would Hirateuchi do?

 

[Hirateuchi]

A land far away...

Hira thought about the implications of the conversation he had heard. He could tell the toad was trying to sell him off, but what reason could there be for that? Was the frog comment truly that offensive to invoke such aggressive action? At any rate, he couldn't just sit here and let this happen. What would come of his family? His father was still sick and his mother needed help taking care of things; this was not the time to abandon them. On the same note, though, Hira was still only a child. What could he do against grown men? Think Hira, think...

Looking back, Hira remembered how impressed Gamatobei was at his water transformation. Why would he have been so impressed by such a remedial ability? There's no way his mentors would have been bewildered to the point of such an outburst. Which might stand to reason that if he thought I was special... and this man thinks he can make money off of me as opposed to his own power. Well it doesn't guarantee any of these people... or toads... are shinobi, but it only made Hira think back to all the things he has learned from his mentors. He was told that they would not be able to teach him everything and that times may come that he was in danger and would have to fend for himself. That is the way of a shinobi. Up until now, Hira held doubt at the idea of becoming a shinobi, thinking the life not suited to his dreams of leisure and peace, but he was not being given a choice this time.

Just you wait until I get out of here you damn slimy toad... Hira puffed up his chest, inhaling what little air he could from his enclosed space, figuring it would have to be sufficient for what he had planned. Using his Pressurized Mist jutsu, Hira filled his container with a thin layer of moisture, serving a dual purpose. The moisture slowly started to seep into the rough wood, soon making it drop wet and transform into a much heavier object. Between the increated weight and the now slippery floor, it would at the very least slow down the operation enough for him to gather his thoughts and think of another move. The toad also seemed reasonably angry about the sudden turn of events, and Hira made sure to lace the mist with enough of his chakra that the drops of liquid falling from the cracks in the wood onto the floor did not evaporate so easily. He did not know the motivations of the toad, nor did he know how hard he would fight for his prize, but it was a worth hoping the creature may follow the trail of crumbs. Come get me you giant wart.

However, Hira did not want to solely rely on the idea of Gamatobei coming to reclaim his money's worth. He already felt his chakra starting to dwindle from the lack of oxygen and just having woken up from an essentially drug-induced sleep. Straining he managed to move his hands to a barely clasped state, chips of broken timber pressing into and cutting his arms from the strange angle, drawing small, narrow streams of blood at the exertion. If nothing else works this will have to.

And with that last preparation, Hira thought back to the feeling he experienced when he first turned his hands into water, and focused on how he could apply that to his entire body. It would have to work, and if it didn't, at least he went out fighting.

 

[Okada Kaji]

Things were quickly spiraling out of control for both Hirateuchi and Gamatobei, who were equally losing their way. The failure was deserved by Gamatobei though, who was left seeing stars and groaning as the swindling human who clubbed him was making a getaway. The Toad Fisherman was croaking and rubbing the knot on his head, and searching around him for his hat with the other.

Meanwhile, Hirateuchi was being hauled out of the alley by the trafficker, who was struggling to pull the heavy chest along. “What the hell has this kid been eating he’s so heavy!” The surly swindler pulled Hirateuchi’s chest roadside where a large merchant carriage stood in waiting. It was sturdily made to withstand the harsh northern elements, with a large blue tarp covering the back side. Rather than typical horses or oxen to pull the carriage, a team of two tall, flightless birds called Fire Feathers, were strapped into harnesses and waited patiently. The duo of huge birds was quite rare to the Land of Lightning and came from the Land of Earth, but was prized for their impressive land speed and stamina. The pair were grey-skinned fouls with dense black and red plumage, and long black beaks with slightly jagged edges.

As the Trafficker pulled the chest around the carriage, he passed a logo painted on the side which read Ametsuchi Bros. Moving Service, a family owned business. The thug pushing the chest into the carriage was named Ganjiro (the big brother), while the supposed little brother Danjiro remained behind the reins to keep the two Fire Feathers tame in the busy dockside setting. “Why don’t you put some elbow grease on it, then?” The sound of Danjiro griefing his so-called older brother resembled a father to son more than siblings: Danjiro was the senior to Ganjiro by at least twenty years… if anything their status was more a reference to size than age, or perhaps they weren’t even related at all.

Once the boy was successfully stowed away, Ganjiro raised the back gate of the carriage, and said “Ya hear me in there, kid? Don’t you worry a bit, we’ll let ya outta there soon enough. But ya better keep it down till we’re out of the city, or there’ll be hell to pay.” The dastardly Ganjiro then wiped his free of the water covering his hands, ignoring it as simple residue, common in the port setting. “Shut your face, Dani” the gruff Ganjiro shot back to his brother before leaving Hirateuchi to his solitude.

About a moment later, the Ametsuchi Bros transport was rolling away, leaving a trail of viscous water, though it never quite left the immediate sight of Gamatobei. The toad finally came to his senses and hobbled out of the alley in time to spot the carriage rolling away. “Get back here!” With fire in his eyes, Gamatobei took off after the runaway carriage but knew he’d never catch the fleet-footed Fire Feathers by running on his webbed feet. Instead, Gamatobei clutched his beloved fishing pole tightly, crouched low, and gathered chakra into every strand of muscle in his legs before letting fly into the air with a mighty leap! He’d have to take a few shortcuts, hopping along the rooftops of Port Cirrus to keep up a pace with the runaway carriage.

 

[Hirateuchi]

In the effort of escaping from the scene where the boy was handed over to the Ametsuchi Bros, the carriage was making for a rough ride. Hira was running out of time to make a decisive move. At the time leaving a trail to track seemed like a smart decision. but considering the pace at which they were moving, it would be exceedingly unlikely to help the situation. Struggling against the enclosed confines of his wooden cage, he began hyperventilating. Both mortified at how suddenly his day had escalated out of control and anxious of any wrong step he may tread, he couldn't help but feel powerless. While it may have held true that the path of a ninja was a dangerous and unnerving one, he had never before been put in a situation such as the present one, where upon his success and failure could very well be synonymous with life and... well perhaps not death, but something potentially in an equal realm of dismay.

Like hell I'm gonna go quietly and play nice for these guys, wherever they're taking me. Hira recalled seeing the back gate of the carriage for only a moment as he was hoisted into the unpleasant, speeding contraption. It seemed as though it was well-crafted, and soaking it would more than likely not have any effect as immediately as he would need it. Still, Hira was only proficient in water style jutsu, so if he was going to make a move, it would have to be with just that. As Hira tried once again to form a hand sign, he winced as a grueling pain shot through his wrists. From all of his struggling, he had managed to break part of this inside of the box, though it was now digging into him mercilessly. This display, though, only served to renew Hira's determination. If he could break the box so easily from the inside, chances are any significant amount of pressure would release him from it entirely. The men whisking Hira away must have thought that stuffing him in a box too tight to move him would be enough.

An interesting dilemma. The very same prospect that promised a chance at salvation simultaneously threatened to take Hira out before it gave him such a chance. If he was going to break the box, he would have to think of a way to escape the harm of such a scenario, while still attempting to get away from the carriage. The carriage... that's it! Just apply force to the carriage and the box at the same time! Hhira focused his breathing, gathering chakra into his fingertips, then his palms, as it slowly coursed upwards through his body. If he couldn't move his fleshy human appendages, he would just have to make do without them. As he concentrated, his hands began growing translucent as they slowly turned into water. With the luxury of claiming ownership over now-pliable and unimpaired hands, Hira weaved hand signs, albeit slowly from a lack of experience moving his watery appendages. The water that soaked his prison and the carriage itself began to gather around the side of the box closest to the driver, from what his senses could tell, forming a sphere that grew quickly and with much force. Without delay, Hira activated his Grand Waterfall jutsu as the sphere shot directly away from the box with torrential force. At first, it only served to splash the area, but soon enough it thrust the box backward. With a thud, the box and Hira were halted by the back gate, but the creaks and moans of the wood foretold that it wouldn't last much longer under this assault.

Wait... with how fast I'm moving backward and how quickly the carriage is still moving forward... Just as Hira realized how much he had worsened the situation, the back gate splintered before giving way to the water's force. Hira quickly resonated his chakra through his entire body. He had no reason to believe that he could turn any other part of himself into water in his current state, but it was his only chance at getting out of this unscathed. Life, for perhaps just a moment, seemed to slow down before the box crashed into the earth, tumbling along the ground as it cracked and shattered with every bounce. After what seemed like an eternity, the water around the remnants of the box began gathering together, molding itself into a humanoid shape at a slug's pace. With some time, Hira was able to look down at his hands, just finishing their solidification and changing back to their original pigment. With a sigh of relief, he took a moment to catch his breath, almost entirely out of chakra from the endeavor. He began thinking of his next move. Eventually, the men would come back and...

Searing pain suddenly arose in Hira's leg. As he looked down he saw a large shard of the box lodged what he could only presume to be several inches into his thigh. It seems that his water transformation had not completely finished when he hit the ground. Well, this complicates things...

 

[Okada Kaji]

The wind whistled around the flying Fisherman Toad as he was flung Airborne buy his mighty leaps. From rooftop to rooftop— Gamatobei was keeping pace with the carriage, traveling swiftly in an effort to keep the swindling bastards from getting away. Luckily, the streets of Port Cirrus were full of busy people going about their own lives. They served as perfect obstacles to keep the carriage swerving, slowing, and speeding up again, all challenging the fire feather birds’ stamina. Gamer Toby knew that he would eventually get his chance to catch those bastards, but he really had no idea what was yet to come. It appeared that he Hiratuechi had his own plans for escape, and wasn't going to go so silently into that good night in the hands of his captors.

The toad was moving along this side of buildings parallel to the road when Hirateuchi went on the offensive. Gamatobei was swinging from flag poles hanging, and running along the banisters of second level businesses. The toad was a ninja warrior with his acrobatic prowess, doing everything in his power to keep up when a sudden commotion erupted from the back of the carriage. It actually took the Ametsuchi twins a moment to realize what has happened as their Carriage skidded to a halt further up the street. A crowd was gathering to watch the spectacle unfold as a boy begin to form from the water splashed in the street. The people were almost foolish in the ways they made ooh’s and ahh’s at the sight before them. Some took it for a show in progress and looked about as if they hope to find a hat to drop coins in his tips. Some of the people clapped, and many pointed at the boy. At least one bystander was sensible enough to come forth and asked the boy if he was okay, but he was quickly driven away by the two captors who had quickly gotten down from their carriage and we're stopping to wards the accident they left behind.

“Hey get away from him we found him first” said the first brother crudely, referring to the boy as if he were merely an item. The bystander backed away, if only due to the fear of the imposing by the time the brother Bandits approached here Itachi the fisherman toad was only a hundred or so yards away and all three were witness to the boys mystical Reformation. He had been hurt in the act but it seemed as if none of them cared, even Gamatobei emerge from afar and took action but did not observe the injuries inflicted upon Hirateuchi. The toad emerged with a surprise attack unleashing a croaking sound which hit the first brother— the one who started the chase, with the kinetic blast strong enough to knock him prone. Gamatobei landed in front of Hirateuchi in a flicker of high-speed and engaged the second brother with his fishing pole drawn as a weapon. The fishing pole was nimble in his hands as if wielded by a true master of the improvised tool. In fact, the toad had removed the rod all together and tossed it aside, revealing a thin rapier blade, ready to poke and Slash. Legend has it that the two Ametsuchi brothers weren’t much for fisticuffs, at least not when they didn’t have the drop on Gamatobei. And the proof was evident as the first brother never got back up, and the second received a single S-shaped gash that covered his chest. “The S is for stupid” Gamatobei shouted at the scarred man, “because you’re a stupid man! Ya' see! This is what you two get for trying to cross me and my boyo! ‘Get on up outta here! Fool, ya fools!”

The Toad stood there guilt free and gloating as he watched the two human traffickers make a break for it, stumbling and bleeding wildly like trapped hogs set free. Gamatobei admired his handiwork and bulged the lump in his throat while posing with one hand on his hip, and the other pointing his Reelblade at the carriage that was racing away.

The sound of Hirateuchi wincing with pain caught Gamatobei’s attention though, especially if the boy tried to flee as well. Now that there was a sword-wielding frog in the mix, bystanders were less inclined to get involved, and many began to flee for dear life. Noticing their responses put a damper on Gamatobei’s pride, and he saw the harmed child as the product of his previous greed. “Hey tadpole, you alright?” Gamatobei approached Hirateuchi with his Reeblade returned to its unassuming disguise as a fishing pole and sought to help the boy walk as if he never tried to sell him to a human trafficker before. “Good thing I showed up right in the nick of time, huh tadpole?”

 

[Hirateuchi]

"Yeah, I guess..." Hira looked from the fleeing townsfolk to the toad attempting to offer his help, furrowing his brow before looking towards the soil. "Not that you would care. You're the one that got me into this mess in the first place." Hira didn't remember much of what happened, but he was able to at least piece his minimal information together: A strange meeting with a toad that ended in a strange dream, the same toad talking to strangers about payment as he was stuffed in a box. He couldn't tell for what reason. but someone was trying to have him sold off and all evidence led to the culprit being Gamatobei.

Hira's thoughts were racing around, not sure how to feel about the situation. On one hand, he had been taken without consent to be shipped off to whatever local, or even foreign, place those strange men were off to. In this regard, Hira wanted nothing more than to use every last bit of his remaining chakra... if he even had any left... to lash out at the toad. Then again, the whole situation had forced him to think on his feet and come up with his own solution, something that even his classes had not been able to yet teach him. It was exactly the kind of hands on practice he needed to grow stronger.

As Hira tried to push the toad to the side and stand up on his own accord, he winced in pain as his leg gave out from under him. Although the shard of wood protruding from his leg was not the worst injury he could have sustained, the boy's adrenaline rush fused with frustration was enough to cloud his mind, making the pain in his leg one of the only things he could immediately focus on. "What do you want with me, anyway?"

 

[Okada Kaji]

Humans are such sensitive creatures. Gamatobei drew a cynical expression as he received Hirateuchi’s reaction to their adventures. As far as he knew, the score was settled between them when he freed the boy from the smugglers. The chunk of wood sticking out of Hira’s thigh looked gruesome and painful, sure, but that was due to his own actions— Gamatobei couldn’t possibly be at fault. Though, with all those prying eyes watching from afar, Gamatobei felt the urgency to deal with the boy. Leaving the boy to bleed out meant winding up blacklisted in his favorite fishing spot— or worse, wanted.

Prompted with a question of his intentions, Gamatobei merely shrugged. “Wadda I want? Apparently, a whole lotta nothin’ the moment I got in the mix with you.” His bulging eyes were focusing acutely on Hirateuchi’s wound. While Gamatobei didn’t know a thing about human anatomy, he knew the worsening trouble that would come attempting to move the boy with the wooden spike still lodged. “Well,” he started, but paused a second to wipe his long tongue across his wide mouth, “try not to scream, eh?” The long magenta tongue suddenly shot out like an arrow in flight and wrapped around the chunk of wood. By the time Hira registered the impact, the tongue retracted and ripped the spike free. “Don’t worry everybody, this situation is under complete control,” he said at the height of his volume, echoing aloud in an attempt to overshadow Hirateuchi’s reaction.

While the boy was still surprised and most-likely grounded by the sudden pain, Gamatobei reached for the gourd on his belt again and repeated his toxic bubble routine. Hirateuchi took on a burst of the familiar sleeping potion again, and before he knew it, that acid dream was having a sequel. “Goodnight, sweet prince” the toad bantered as the boy felt his grip on reality fade.

 

[Hirateuchi]

The brisk air brushed against Hira's face, waking him from his once again forced slumber. Grunting and rubbing his eyes he attempted to look around, only to notice his vision was still impeded. He began to wonder if it was a lingering effect of what Gamatobei had done to him or if he had once again been dragged off to some shady part of town to be included in a 'business' deal.

"Gamatobei!" Hira shouted out impatiently. "If you're there you better tell me what's going on. I'm not going to be part of another one of your failed deals."

Already the boy was taking note of his chakra reserve. The results were not impressive, and it did not bode well if he was forced to mount another escape attempt. As he thought to himself about the possibility of trapping himself in a water prison at the very worst, his vision slowly began to come back to him, showing what had earlier been shrouded.

 

[Okada Kaji]

When Hirateuchi awoke, he quickly discovered a complete change of setting, most-likely nothing like he had encountered before. He was indoors in a small bedroom suite with round walls which curved into the roof. These walls were made from a spongy material soft enough to make an indentation and overlapped with long strands wicker wood for more protection. Hira was lying in a comfortable leather hammock strung up to resilient wooden branches grown from the walls and had a red yarn-knit blanket keeping him warm. The pain in his leg was gone, and one he moved the blanket to look, he’d discover himself fully-healed with only a minor scar left as proof of the deed. His shoes were gone from his feet, but it seemed reasonable given he was in bed. Within the room, there was a cabinet and dresser made from coarse wood, and on top sat picture frames of colorful amphibians, many of which donned in attire, even armor. The boy was alone and absolutely free to take a look around in this room for a moment. The floor was covered in a patchwork of straw matting which felt nice under the feet. The area was lit by large fire braziers which kept the room toasty and bright. The light revealed a tray covered in bloody rags and a healing elixir placed on a stand at the side of the bed. There was a pair of forceps on the tray as well, along with a scalpel, and a few splinters, though the big chunk of wood removed from Hirateuchi’s leg was gone.

There were no walls to the outside, and one doorway with no door, which met a perpendicular hallway. To the left, the hallway curved into an upwards stairway, and to the right, it curved downward. Above the doorway was a placard which hoisted a large fish head with thousands of small teeth. The room was totally silent here with Hira seemingly alone: now might have been his moment to escape if the strangeness of it all scared him into a frenzy. If not, the room was fairly comfy, at least inviting enough for a bit more napping.

If he did choose to make a run for it or just investigate the halls, he’d discover that the stairway curved down to a large first floor, where the shadow of some large creature was moving with slow, labored steps. The foreign shape of the creature was anything but human, presumably toad-like considering the day’s events, but how was Hira to know unless he took a closer look?

 

[Hirateuchi]

Hira slowly sat up while studying his surroundings. He had never seen anything like the place he was in now, and could only assume it was once again Gamatobei's doing. This time, though, he was in a much more comfortable spot than the inside of a crate, so there was at least a chance that things were looking up for the boy. Within time, Hira found his shoes lying near where he was resting, but decided against putting them back on as he noticed the comfortable straw pressing beneath his feet. Taking a moment to let the dizziness from standing up too quickly fade off, Hira attempted to gather his bearings to no avail. There was not a single thing in the room that he could use to identify if he were still even in Kumogakure.

Taking some initiative, he decided to step out of the room, looking for Gamatobei in order to ask him where this place was. Grimacing at the many-toothed fish hanging from the wall as he passed, Hira stayed close to the wall, trying not to make too much noise. It didn't make sense for him to be in too much danger if he were just in bed bandaged up, but the still foreign home put him off guard. Peering around the corner and seeing both staircases, he decided it would be wise to follow the one leading down. At the very least, it would help him further determine if he were underground or in a vertical standing structure.

The descent felt slow and intimidating, as though there were eyes on him, but Hira continued on, determined to find out why he was taken here. Approaching the bottom of the steps, Hira heard the labored steps of the large creature moving around. Hira attempted to peek around the corner, but couldn't get a good enough view. Choosing to stay in the bottom of the stairwell, Hira called out to the creature, hoping for any stroke of luck at this point. "Gamatobei, is that you?"

 

[Okada Kaji]

Once Hira called out, he created a stirring in the large shadow which filled much of the floor at the bottom of the stairwell. “Ah, the tadpole is finally awake,” said a new, unfamiliar voice which sounder deeper and girthier than Gamatobei. “Come on down lad, dinner is just about ready.” Once he built the courage to look around the corner, Hira would discover a large toad, whose only similarity to Gamatobei was her rubbery, lime green skin. She was at least twice as tall as Gamatobei, and three times as wide. There was a pink apron tied around her neck and waist which read “Kiss the Chef”, and she was waddling about on two feet, apparently tending to a pot of stew within a funny looking stone oven at the center of the room.

The room itself was a rather large common area and kitchen. Half of the round room was suited for all culinary things, with an abundance of wild game, sausages, veggies and herbs hanging from racks to cure, dry, and such. A fresh water system ran through the wall and bent back out through another hole, offering a constant supply of potable water and a waste system: all seemingly advanced for the home of a non-human creature. The other half of the room had a more casual design, with a shelf that contained books, knick-knacks, more portraits and trophies, a hookah, and jars of various elixirs. Everywhere, Hira would see evidence of a few different amphibians, and with enough staring, he'd recognize that many of them included Gamatobei. Finally, he’d get a glimpse of a few windows within the home, and a round closed door. It was early evening outside, with the sun dancing closer towards the horizon.

“Did ya’ bump your head too, tadpole?” The question came from the hulking female toad keeping Hira company. “I’m not Gamatobei” she answered with laughter seeming through, “he’s my dear sweet baby boy.” Meanwhile, she was stirring the pot of stew, and then waddled to the kitchen to grab something. “Come, have a seat at the table, you need to stay off that leg for a while.” The mama toad seemed trusting towards Hira and turned her back to him while she began placing items on a large banana leaf on the counter. The table she referred to was a shabby looking one with a rough finish and four chairs with green cushions. “Gamatobei should be back soon… but you can dig in now since a warm meal is just what you need for that injury.” The Mama Toad seemed rather ho-hum and chipper as she turned to bring a platter of roasted carrot, shallots, and steamed escargot. “It’s not very often that Gamatobei brings friends home to visit— especially not a…” she paused, trying not to say human as if it were an offensive term to call someone. “I don’t care what they say about your kind, any friend of my boy is welcome in my home.” She’d then usher Hirateuchi to a see if he hadn’t willingly sat down before, and loom over him, waiting to watch him slurp down the fist-sized helpings of snails on his plate.