Upgrading the Workshop

Ryuko grinned as she watched the movers bring in the new heavy equipment she had just bought, supervising them as they installed her new Smelting Furnace, Crucible, and Anvil.  With these new tools the product she could make to stock her store would be better then ever.  Naturally she could have easily brought them in herself with a healthy helping of chakra enhanced strength but such menial labor was beneath a woman of her stature.  

It wasn’t long before everything was in place just the way she wanted it to be.  Her new blacksmithing apprentice would be starting in the morning. He’d be the one to make the everyday average items to stock up the shelves while she herself handed the high end special orders.   Everything would soon be ready to open for business.

- Smelting Furnace | 50,000 ryo
- Crucible | 25,000 ryo
- Anvil | 25,000 ryo
Total = 100,000 ryo
75,000 after 25% Wealthy discount

Shimiko slowly crept towards her Nakama with an armload of stuff. Assuming she wasn't caught or made, she'd pop up behind Ryuko and say: "Boo!" before laughing and doing her best to embrace Ryuko with her load. She'd set everything on the nearest table and say: "Ryu-chan it took me a million years but I've finally completed your new batons. I'm still working on refining my skill with making weapons but they should be of decent quality. I made them from a custom material called Garnett Steel, you can thank Sakata for that by the way, and they are totally awesome! They have lights to blind your enemies, an air pressurized system to deliver extra punishment, and I can reinforce them at will if we're in the field together. I couldn't think of a good name so I'll leave that up to you but my suggestion would be 'Hakkin's Wrath!'" Shimiko was clearly giddy with excitement. The batons were in a large gift-style packaging complete with a big red bow. Next to the gift were some other boxes that were filled with Garnett Steel and Polymer X, enough to make the idea she had in mind. She produced a notepad that had the sketch of her armour and properties she needed it to have. She put it down apart from the gift and explained her request. "Ryu-chan I need some new armour. The ANBU's standard issue armour is boring and nothing special so I came up with some new designs but I'm not really an Armour-Smith sooooo.....if your too busy and this is a bad time I totally understand" she said. She didn't want to overload her friend and she knew that Ryuko was making big moves recently. Aside from the new store she had heard that Ryuko was also a major investor and was living quite lavishly these days. Being an investor, shinobi, and entrepreneur took a lot out of a person so she'd understand if Ryuko couldn't accommodate such a complex and personal request.

(Gave Ryuko: Hakkin's Wrath and all remaining Garnett Steel and Polymer X)

At the word Boo Ryuko nearly jumped out of her skin as she whirled around at super human speed reflexively drawing herself into her favorite fighting stance. It wasn’t often that someone snuck up on her and if it had been just about anybody else she probably would have clobbered them on the spot just to be on the safe side.   The only thing that saved Shimiko was the fact that Ryuko recognized the voice of her one of her dearest friends before her self preservation instincts kicked into full gear.

“By Hakkin’s breath, you almost gave me a heart attack!” Exclaimed Ryuko relieved that she’d managed to stop herself from sending the twin tailed girl flying. “Welcome the Best defence. You won’t find a better armor shop anywhere else in town.” she said her voice giddy as she returned the embrace.  She felt so proud of herself for finally opening her own store which she could use to provide the entire village with better equipment

She watched in awe as Shimiko brought out the new set of batons which looked so fancy compared to the ratty store bought ones she’d bought several years ago.  One glance was enough to tell that Ryuko had taken great care of them, but normal store bought weapons could only go so far and the heavy use over time had taken it’s toll.


“By the gods Shi-chan these are amazing! I can’t thank you enough.” said Ryuko her voice warm with overwhelming gratitude.  Even if her friend still had room for improvement in her future these where a major upgrade from what the priestess currently wielded.  Having something that wouldn’t snap in half like a toothpick the second she needed to go all out was a huge difference.  With a weapon like this on her she finally felt like maybe she could be a proper Jounin now.

“Hakkin’s wrath tis a splendid name. I don’t think there’s would be a better one anywhere in the world” she exclaimed as she unwapped them then gave one of them an experimental spin before nodding in complete satisfaction before putting them into the holsters on her belt.  Even at her own store she made sure to always be armed with something even if she didn’t have her entire arsenal with her.

“New armor eh? Say no more. Tis the least I could be doing. ” said Ryuko letting out a wide grin as she picked up the new hammer that had come with her anvil tapping it against her hand experimentally.  Glancing over the design document that Shimiko had brought she raised an eyebrow at how…..provocative it seemed to be but said nothing. It wasn’t her place to judge her friends style as long as it didn’t go too far out of line.

“Your timing tis perfect, I was just about to test my new equipment. I couldn’t ask for a better first task then this.” grabbing a large lump of titanium and ebony she had just bought earlier that day she shoved it into the nearby furnace before lighting it up.   It’d take a few minutes before it heated up and began melting but that just meant she had some time to make some small talk.

“Congratulation on the promotion to Anbu by the way. Your brother would be very proud of you.” said Ryuko warmly.  She’d only met the man maybe once when she’d been called from the monastery into active service but she had no doubt whatsoever  that her words where true. “How are thinks going with you an Sakata by the way? Has he finally gotten around to proposing yet?” asked making idle chatter.   As a Vestal she did a lot of church duties but her favorite by far was preforming marriage ceremonies.

Titanium | 7,500 ryo per 10 lbs
Ebony | 30,000 ryo per 10 lbs
37,500 - 25 % wealthy discount =  28,125 ryo spent

Forging Chinowakugumi completion time - November 4th

Ryuko's speedy reaction didn't catch Shimiko off guard. She was waiting for it. She had honed her own speed and reflexes during the relentless (and ever continuing) training that came with being a member of ANBU Black Ops. Shimiko was confident in her own abilities but she was more than aware that Ryuko was no slouch. Ryuko had always been the physically strongest of the Thundercats back when they were genin and though she felt she could give the priestess a run for her money nowadays she wasn't sure she wanted to be on the receiving end of the girl's taijutsu. Shimiko giggled at Ryuko's reaction and looked around the store. It was a nice shop and with Ryuko's sublime crafting skill she was sure it would be one of the greatest armour stores in the world. Shimiko smiled and bowed as Ryuko thanked her for the gifts, she even liked the name that she had proposed. "Thank you, thank you, you're too kind Ryu-chan!" she said as she mentally brushed off her shoulder with pride. Ordinarily she would not name any of her weapons after a false God and she was certain her Lady Superior would chide her for her impiety but Ryuko was a special case. She wanted Ryuko to be happy with her weapon and so she suggested a name she knew the girl would like. It was a small sin and Shimiko would ask for forgiveness later but for now the glee on her Nakama's face was well worth it.

Ryuko for her part had assented to the design which prompted another round of "Thank you's" peppered with a brief but tight hug. Shimiko blushed when Ryuko congratulated her on her promotion and said that her brother would be proud. "Thanks Ryu-chan, that really means a lot...I still miss him but I think he'd be happy with how things are turning out for me". She had learned to move past her brother's death. She had taken on more responsibility from all fronts and she had a support network that she could rely on. She had mourned his passing and was moving on from the grief and misery that had plagued her in the months following his death. It was good that her new role kept her busy though as some small part of her would still never be quite the same after losing him. The subject of discussion took a more light-hearted tone as Ryuko asked how things were going with Sakata. Shimiko blushed and gave a devious smile coupled with a "Heheh...its going well" as she contemplated spilling all the pornographic details of their relationship. She loved Sakata, enjoyed his company, and considered him to be a close partner but they were so wildly different in terms of their philosophies on religion. It had put a mild strain on their relationship but that strain was mended by frequent and extremely passionate lovemaking. She didn't feel uncomfortable talking to Ryuko about that sort of thing per se but she figured they could go into depth about that another time, perhaps over wine. She was also sensitive to the fact that Ryuko wanted a partner of her own and that bragging about her amazing sex life would only make her friend feel bad. The subject of marriage was a bit embarrassing but it was an out she was happy to take.

"I don't think either of us are ready for marriage yet...I'm not sure I'd accept if he did propose" she said light-heartedly. It was a bit of a lie. If he had proposed she would say yes but that would cause a series problems. She'd insist on them marrying in the Jashinist Church and the processes around that would probably drive them apart. Before he popped the question they'd need to resolve that issue. That and what would happen with the twins. No...marriage is definitely not in the cards yet...

"There's just so much going on Ryuko. We have our careers, I have the twins and my weapon's store, he is thinking of taking on more students and starting a clinic. Its hard enough to make dinner plans let alone plan a wedding" Shimiko watched as Ryuko immediately started on her armor. "And of course there's well....you know...." she said pointing to her tie. Shimiko's day-to-day wear wasn't especially flashy. She wore a tight white dress shirt with rolled up sleeves (and less buttons to show ample cleavage), a black skirt, and a red tie. However, the red tie was embroidered with a distinct black symbol: the circle and inverted triangle of the Jashinist Faith. Religion was a sore subject among friends especially when the religion in question was as controversial and radical as Jashinism. "He doesn't really approve" she said shrugging.

It was the honest truth and it had been bothering her. She felt it was easy to talk about with Ryuko though and it was nice to finally get it off her chest.

Ryuko hadn’t been expecting a second round of hugs, but she appreciated it just the same. Except for her lady in waiting Sophie and a couple of maids she was pretty much living on her own and had been for the last several years. The lack of physical contact in her day to day life was making her terribly lonely.

Thankfully Shimiko took the words about her brother well. It was a sensitive topic, one that Ryuko had breached carefully not wanting to pick on one of the girls sore spots but lift her spirits. They didn’t linger on that topic long quickly moving on to the good news about relationships. If Ryuko had known Shimiko had been tempted to go into detail she would have thanked Hakkin for her friends restraint.

She wasn’t a naive little girl about sexual relationships anymore, it was kind of hard to be ignorant on the subject when one was a doctor, but the last thing she needed to hear was all the sordid little details on how the two were living in sin together. There where somethings you where just better off not knowing.

“I hear you, life can be hectic but I’d be lying if I wouldn’t be tempted to put most of tis aside for the right person.” admitted Ryuko with a longing sigh as the furnace began to heat up making the metal inside glow red hot. It wouldn't be long now before it was ready to be extracted so that she could begin shaping it to the form she desired. Being used to making items for her team there was no measurments required to get it just right.

Her eyes widened a bit in surprise as Shimiko showed her the tie. They’d never really talked about the subject of religion before and Ryuko had never attempted to bring it up because she didn’t want to seem pushy and because she also wasn’t one to push for new converts. Having studied other religion during her time at the monastery she knew what that symbol meant and sighed.

“Ah I see, I suppose I won’t be the one officiating the ceremony then.” she said mildly disappointed but that quickly fell away as she gave Shimiko a huge grin, happy that she was being confided in. “You know some might think our two faiths are incompatible but I see no reason that has to be the case.”

A few extremists may have given Jashinism a bad reputation but anyone who actually did their research could see plain as day that they weren’t nearly as bad as the media liked to paint them. The fact that a girl as nice as Shimiko was one of them went to show how you couldn’t judge an entire tree just because of a few bad apples.

Ryuko's reaction to Shimiko's Jashinism wasn't violent which as good although she hadn't really been worried about that in the first place. She was more concerned that it would force them apart but she was delighted to hear that her friend didn't think the faiths were incompatible. She didn't completely agree from a theological perspective but it showed that there was no love lost. Shimiko returned the grin and said: "And even if it were, we'll always be friends Ryuko" she said optimistically. Ryuko wouldn't be the one officiating the ceremony but she'd still be her maid of honor. Traditionally Jashinists had lived apart from society keeping only their fellow worshipers as friends and lovers. They murdered relentlessly and without mercy until they were either driven out of the area or killed to the last man, woman, and child. Shimiko's sect however was trying to reform those barbaric and old traditions. If Jashinism was to maintain its relevancy and strength in the increasingly connected shinobi world then it had to set aside the ways of the past. Its doctrines and way of life would need to evolve so that the faith could adapt to the present material conditions of its faithful. Shimiko didn't like to think of it as "reformist" per se but rather new revelation by the Church's leadership. It would call for forming bonds with people from other faiths or non-faiths which she had already done. She doubted she would be able to convert Ryuko but perhaps she'd be able to at least put a positive face on the religion. Ryuko had mentioned she'd be willing to put aside the bothers and worries of career for the right person which tipped Shimiko off to the fact that there was no such person in her life at the moment. Shimiko figured it wouldn't be prudent to ask how that aspect of her life was going so she changed the subject.

"I hear your a bigshot investor now Ryu-chan. Making millions are we?"

Ryuko could almost feel her heart melting as Shimiko said that even if they had a difference of faith it wouldn’t get in the way of their friendship. “Strong together, united forever we’re the best of friends.” she hummed aloud as she continued her work. Pulling the hot metal out of the furnace with a set of pliers she began to hammer on it, using her sheer strength to force it to bend into the shape she wanted.

She might not seem like it on the surface but she was pretty strong even when she wasn’t using chakra to boost her might to Herculean levels. Boosting her wouldn’t do her much good however, if anything using excessive force would only slow her down. This was the type of task where one had to work smarter, not harder if they wanted to get it done right. At least now that she had a proper anvil things where going smoothly. The final product would be harder and more durable then if she’d gone without one.

“Making millions? If only. I’ve still got a long ways to go before I scratch that level. Natsuru is way ahead of us in that regard. Can you believe the amount of factories she’s built?” Ryuko commented dryly feeling a just a bit jealous of her friends meteoric success. Not that she wasn’t doing pretty well herself all things considered but she was still along way away from reaching the point where she was comfortable slinging amount of the amount of money that would be required to fully outfit her squad in the ultimate gear.

Between her new shop, the stocks she owned and her monthly salary she earned a pretty penny. It was too bad a good chunk of it was necessarily to maintain her luxurious lifestyle. The problem with being nobility is that it took a boatload of cold hard cash to be one. Having been one her entire life she didn’t know any other way to live. Giving that up to live a slightly less opulently just so that she could save a bit more money faster was a total alien concept.

“Who would have guessed all those years ago we’d open our own stores? We’ve sure come a long way since then. Tis hard to believe the first chain mail I gave you was made from copper. Copper in village known for using lightning. What on earth was I thinking?” said Ryuko musingly with a sad shake of her head.

Shimiko nodded in agreement at Ryuko's words. The two had come to a consensus: they would never let religion come between them. She watched as Ryuko worked on her amour right in front of her. The girl was skilled, probably more skilled than she was when it came to her own ability to craft weapons. She would need to step up her game if she was to equip herself and her fellow Thundercats with top notch gear. Ryuko remarked that she wasn't that wealthy and that Natsuru was the one who was truly swimming in money. Shimiko chuckled and offered a response: "Yeah I see her factories all over the city. She's been busy.". The amount of money that Natsuru made didn't bother her in the slightest. The Senou came from a prominent family of merchants and probably knew more about money and business than Shimiko could ever hope to learn. It was Natsuru's bread and butter and she respected the woman's ability to add value to the economy. That being said, Shimiko was not envious of Natsuru. That kind of work probably cut into one's training and Shimiko was interested in being the best killer in the Lightning Country and perhaps the world not the best businesswoman. She had started her own shop purely because she had the excess funds and because it would give her the ability to craft for others without cutting into her precious time. It was not strictly speaking a business decision rather a question of efficiency that spoke to her skill as a craftsman. Her true focus would always be on her career as a ninja.

"Don't knock yourself Ryu-chan, you did the best you could with what you had available. Copper armour is better than no armour....I read the classified intelligence reports on what happened in the Valley, I'm pretty sure your chain mail saved Natsuru's life" It hurt Shimiko that she was not there to help defend her teammates. When the opportunity came up again she'd stand beside them.

“Thankfully it’s not just factories or we’d be swimming in exhaust. She’s also constructing public work projects like the new library not to mention her new tower.” said Ryuko glancing out the window. Even from here in another district the tower was visible. It was easily the tallest village in the entire city.


“I’m thinking of asking her to renovate my mansion once she gets some spare time. Between the loft here in my new store and the penthouse she’s given me in the tower, tis nice to know that I have options for places to crash while that work is being done.” said Ryuko. “To be honest having a base for the team feels quite exciting. The tower is certainly much grander then the atelier I had in mind for us back when we where all still gennin.” she admitted.

The shape she had wanted was finally taking hold after a couple rounds of heating and hammering it. Plunging it into some water to cool the red hot metal down, the water hissed with steam before Ryuko withdrew the nearly completed set of armor and placed it on a rack to finish cooling. Now she just had to add the material Shimiko had brought with her too it and it’d all be ready to go.

Taking the garnet steel and the Polymer x she plunged them into the furnace turning the heat up even higher so that they would melt down to liquid form that she would be able to cast it. With the Adamantite she had just made serving as the core to give the armor stability this new material would be poured over it to grant it new flexibility that wouldn’t usually be possible.

“Shi-chan I think maybe you’re getting things a bit mixed up. The stuff Natsuru was wearing in the valley was a newer better set of chainmail then the copper one we’d first started out with. We’ve been using those Hauberk for quite a long while now. Tis high time I made us all an upgrade don’t you agree?” she asked. "Thought prehaps you won't need one anymore once this is finished." she added with a light laugh.

Thinking about the valley she remembered her goal, how she wanted to get Nozomi away from the venomous words of the snake that had mislead her. It was probably too late for her to go back to kiri now, what without her old sensai trying to kill her and all but bringing her here presented almost the same problem.

“Say you know that girl we meet in the valley, Nozomi? Do you have advice about what to do if we meet her again? I almost talked her down last time before things went sideways. I don’t think she’d be so bad if we just gave her a shot.” said Ryuko, blushing slightly at the thought of running into her crush again.

Shimiko's eyes widened a bit at the mention of all of the architecture and construction work Natsuru was doing. In addition to the factories, she was working on public works projects and even their own personal tower. Shimiko had heard about the latter project in passing but she hadn't really stopped by to see how things were progressing. Her eyes followed Ryuko's towards the window where the visage of a massive tower could be seen. The Jashinist smiled noting that its completion was imminent. Natsuru was driven in her craft and she respected that although was a bit jealous of her skill in that regard. She didn't let it get to her too much though. It was, as she had often mused, not her area of expertise. "Its nice of her to be building so much for us and the city....I look forward to hanging out with you guys there. I just hope she isn't neglecting her training." If they got into another fight they'd need to be ready to kill without hesitation.

Ryuko corrected her about the chainmail Natsuru wore at the valley. "Oh I'm sorry!" she quickly apologized realizing that she may have offended Ryuko with her previous statement. Her memory around that time wasn't bad but it wasn't perfect. Details here and there got mixed up and she lamented it might have to do with her coma. Either that or it was the forge heat that often tended to make her thoughts jumbled. Ryuko said it was high time for an upgrade but with the completion of Chinowakugumi Shimiko figured that she would have all the upgrades she would ever need. Or not. "There is always room for improvements and upgrades when it comes to crafts like ours" she replied. The batons were nice but she was already thinking of ways to make them stronger.

The subject of conversation turned to Nozomi. The Demon from Kirigakure that had almost killed her boyfriend and her two closest friends. Shimiko's expression grew dark and serious for a moment but then was replaced with a cheery grin when Ryuko asked what they should do if they met her again. She was about to respond when Ryuko pitched the idea of giving her a "shot" which apparently entailed convincing her to turn her back on Shiroi. She gave her friend a concerned look and placed her hands on her hips.

"Ryu-chan...you can't be serious. I wasn't there when she almost killed you, Sakata, and Natsuru. I think I'll regret that for as long as I live but if I ever see that bitch I'm going to kill her...." It wasn't like Shimiko to curse and speak so viciously but she meant it from the bottom of her heart. She had her issues with Natsuru but she loved that girl to death. When she read the intelligence report that Shiroi had ordered Nozomi to cut off Natsuru's arm she knew that there would be no mercy for the jinchurikki. The Nuke-Nin had nearly succeeded in her effort and while Shimiko did her best not to hold a grudge against Ryuko for apparently trying to heal Nozomi, she did find her weakness concerning.

"At best we can leave her alive and give her to Natsuru as a gift. Chop off her arms and legs and let the Blood Raven use her as a target practice dummy" she chuckled at the thought. Once upon a time Shimiko would have rather severed her own tongue than speak about such brutalities openly. That was then, this was now. She had learned that there was no weakness in being compassionate and loving to those who deserved it but for those who didn't they deserved all manner of abuse. She would not apologize or sugarcoat it, everyone would know she was the most ruthless killer in the village.

At the mention of hoping that Natsuru wasn’t neglecting her training Ryuko nodded in agreement. “Aye, I know firsthand how hard it can be to balance crafting, training and my other duties.  The entire reason I decided to open this store is that I simply can’t supply more then just our team on my own…. well not if I want to remain a ninja anyway.” said the priestess ruefully.

“I’m a Jounin now. I can’t afford to let my training slip, Lives are depending on me. The same goes for Nat-chan.  Tis pains me to say this but if she can’t keep up anymore she should consider retiring from active duty before someone ends up getting hurt.”   she continued to talk a contrite look on her face for even having to consider the possibility of the their squad breaking up.  They’d been  thought so much so far, thought thick and thin.  After three years  together they where more then a squad they where a family.  

But as an old poem once said, nothing gold can stay.  It was inevitable that at some point they couldn’t be a squad anymore, that they wouldn’t be able to but Ryuko wanted to put that off for as long as possible hoping that when the time did come it was for a good reason like one of them getting married and having to take care of the kids.   She shock her head trying to throw off that line of thought before it could dwell on other reasons why the squad might be decommissioned.  

Waving off Shimiko’s apology with shrug to show that she wasn’t all that concerned about the mix up Ryuko continued her work, putting extra effort into it now after what her friend had just said.  Shimiko was right their was always room for improvement.   With that in mind Ryuko resolved to push herself even harder, to go beyond anything she had ever done before and make this her best work yet.  A work she could be proud of.

“Just you wait. I’ll make you something even better then this one day.” she exclaimed as she began to pour the molten metal over the frame core she had finished earlier.   Her steady and experienced hand almost slipped in shock at what Shimiko had to say next.

“Excuse me?” she asked, raising he voice in a way she rarely did.  It wasn’t to the point she was yelling but she was clearly upset at the fact Shimiko was out for blood.  “You read the report. We’re the one’s who attacked her first not the other way around.  She was fairly passive until then, heck I’m almost convinced her to help us escape the dome we’d been placed in until your boyfriend had to go and aggravate her.  The only reason the situation escalated was because we messed up, it’s hardly fair to blame her for our mistakes.” she pointed out.

“And yes she might have tried to hurt Nat-chan sure, but that was only after taking a fatal wound. A wound she only recovered from by virtue of housing a bijuu inside of her.  She was forced to tap into that bijuu’s power to survive gave it an opening to exploit.  The beast was clearing attempting to asserted control of her from that point influencing her actions, making her more violent then she would have been otherwise.” she argued.

“Are we to condemn to death her solely for acting in self defence and then losing control over her prisoner when we pushed her over the edge? In the end we all walked out in one piece so no lasting harm was done.  What’s the point of holding a grudge over it now? What would that accomplish?” she asked pouring out the last of the metal then tossing the tongs she’d been using aside so she could face Shimiko directly and look her in the eyes as she answered that question.

“Historically speaking most jinchuriki have not been treated well. Kiri especially does not have a reputation for kindness.  We don’t know why she might have wanted to run away, we never got the chance to ask.  All Shiroi saw from her was a tool. Something to be used and discarded when she no longer proves useful.  If we showed her some compassion, treated her like a human being for once and not a monster it might very well be possible to turn her to our side, or at least turn her away from Shiori so that we have one less enemy to face.”

Ryuko turned on her in anger and in that moment Shimiko's worst fear came true. The physical description of Nozomi. Ryuko's desperate bid to save the girl. The way she was defending her now even though she barely knew her. Shimiko had heard Ryuko call for the death of bandits with her own ears yet she wanted to keep a dangerous foreign jinchurkki alive but not Bayushi? Shimiko had speculated Ryuko might have been smitten on the battlefield but she refused to believe it until now. No...it can't be true...she'd never...Ryu-chan would not betray us like that... Maybe it was that damned Hakkin religion or maybe Shimiko was missing a key piece of the puzzle that was left out of the report. Her sister was confused, naive even but she meant well.

Shimiko laughed and shook her head in disbelief. "Don't be naive Ryu-chan" she said in a condescending tone eerily similar to the Senou. "Sakata was trying to protect you guys from an unknown missing ninja with a Bijuu. He wasn't going to wait around and see if Nozomi could be reasoned with. She was a threat to everyone in the squad and he dealt with her like any true shinobi should. Nozomi didn't refuse Shiroi's order, she didn't run away, she didn't give any indication that she was sorry for what she was about to do. I'm more curious as to why you tried healing a foreign enemy ninja who you knew nothing about! You had the opportunity to finish her off before she tapped into her power yet you hesitated....you wasted precious moments trying to bring her back to life and Nat-chan almost died because of it. That was reckless Ryuko and you can't afford to let it happen again. If she surrendered willingly and if Natsuru was fine with it I might consider life in prison but somehow I doubt she'll come quietly. No. She has a kill-order on her head and if I see her I'm offing her unless there are extenuating circumstances."

Shimiko looked Ryuko in the eyes, defiant and unyielding. One could say it wasn't a good idea to argue with her friend while she was doing her a favor and making her armour but she would not lie to her. She was going to speak her mind and try to get her sister to see what was as plain as day.


"Wild children deserve compassion, wild dogs get put down"

Two years it has been passed since the events at the valley occurred. Morikawa had been worried about his previous students that went out on a mission for a caravan escort. Apparently his students completed the job, but so far they haven't been seen or heard of since then. It just didn't make sense to him since he doesn't know what happened to them other than his students are not in Kumo. Alas a distraction from his worried mind came to him earlier that day.

His steps light on the stone as he walks up to the Best Defense, Ryuko's workshop. Morikawa hasn't really changed much over the years as he still wears his fiery trench coat, but underneath it aside from a clean grey shirt is a flak jacket. Before daring to enter the premises, Morikawa took off his shoes at the entrance as to not trek dirt on the floor. Upon entering, Morikawa sensed tension in the air and sees Shimiko with Ryuko. Normally, from what the Jounin had gathered, these two are part of Team Thundercats and everyone in that team was supposed to be close. Clearing his throat to grab their attention if they didn't notice him already. “Pardon my interruption, but you wanted something to be enchanted?”

If Ryuko had been upset before, Shimiko’s laugh was enough to make her outright angry. “We didn’t even KNOW she had a bijuu yet and we had her outnumbered. Taking a calculated risk talking to her so that we could conserve energy for the bigger threat is hardly what I’d call naive. The smart shinobi avoids battles that don’t need to be fought.” she said while clenching her fists tightly.

“She couldn’t run away because she was trapped the same as us. The fact that she even bothered to stop and listen to what we had to say instead of attacking is proof enough she wasn’t spoiling for a fight.” Ryuko argued further. What went unsaid was how sorry Nozomi had felt as she had laid in Ryuko’s arms dying. She had a feeling mentioning that would do nothing to help change Shimiko’s mind, and in fact might make matters even worse.

“Tis simple really. She was on the brink of death, I needed to stabilize her in order to take her captive and hold her for interrogation. She had valuable information such as the location of her former village that we weren’t going to get from a corpse.” That was the excuse she had given Nariko and she was sticking to it now even if it was only a partial truth.

Realizing that their might be no way to convince her friend Ryuko took the armor she’d been working then dunked into to the water too cool it down first before roughly shoving it, still warm to the touch into Shimiko’s arms. Asking her for advice on the matter had clearly been a mistake. No if she wanted something to change she’d have to take things straight to the top and speak with Nariko.

Ryuko glarred daggers at Shimiko for the dog comment which was going past the line as far she was concerned. She might as well have called Nozomi a bitch which was entirely uncalled for. She was considering demanding that the blond try on her new armor and then dragging her to the training grounds to force her to take it back when Morikawa came in interrupting them.

“What in blazes are you on about Mori-san? Why are you even here?” She spat her questions in annoyance. Her mood was extremely sour from the conversation she’d been in the middle of. “The store isn’t officially open yet and I certainly didn’t order any enchantment to be done.”

Chinowakugumi complete and given to Shimiko

When Ryuko shot back with even more anger than before Shimiko wanted to reply with even greater force. She stopped herself before the words came out. If there was one thing she had learned from her time in ANBU it was the importance of controlling one's emotions. There was no good that would come from this argument. It would only serve to drive them farther apart and when the time came it would only be harder for them to work together. The Thundercats relied on each other in so many ways and a deficit in one link affected the strength of their unit as a whole. She remained silent as Ryuko argued her points passionately. She defended her actions and maintained that she had acted appropriately under the circumstances. The expression gradually faded from Shimiko's face as she recalled her training and let the anger and frustration go for the time being. They were interrupted by Morikawa who asked about an enchantment. Ryuko turned on him, anger still fresh in her voice and eyes asking what he was doing here. At this juncture, Shimiko cut in.

"Actually I invited him. I figured he'd arrive by the time you were finished crafting and he could apply a special enchantment to the armour. I know its a bit presumptuous and I should have let you know in advance, forgive me Ryu-chan"

Shimiko accepted the armour and looked Ryuko in the eye.

"Let's not fight Ryu-chan. This is not the time nor the place to discuss this. What we do with Nozomi should be something we all have a say on, especially Natsuru. I'm sorry I questioned your judgment on the field though." she said in a remorseful tone. She wasn't quite as sorry as she sounded but she wanted to make peace with the girl. Their enemies would love to see them squabble at such a critical time and they had to resist the temptation of falling prey to their own egos. They'd need to sit down and hammer out a game plan for dealing with the wild animal known as Nozomi and her master. She turned to Morikawa now.

"Let's do this outside. I'm sure you read the mechanics I sent for how I want the seal to function....its going to be very messy and I'd rather not dirty up my friend's new store. Oh! I've had the money wired to your account. 50,000 Ryo right?"

Shimiko would give Ryuko a nod and then make a dignified exit. She hated that the mood had been spoiled with such a heated argument. She drastically underestimated how strong Ryuko felt about turning her enemy back to the side of good. She and Morikawa would walk to a nearby open courtyard type area, she'd lay out the armour. She'd activate her Doujutsu, let some blood drop on the ground, and then create several cubic meters of blood underneath the earth using Iron Mitosis: Grandeur. The technique would be repeated until she reached the maximum amount of blood she could freeform manipulate then rose the liquid out ofthe ground into the area above their hands. Morikawa would apply the seal hopefully and then she could transmit it into the seal allowing her call upon it at will. She held the blood read for the enchanting process to commence and complete.

The angered words from Ryuko's lips confused Morikawa. Was it something that he said? He was polite enough to pardon his intrusion, but maybe that was just him? “I'm sorry?” Morikawa was under the impression that he was expected. Thankfully Shimiko stepped up apologizing for not notifying Ryuko ahead of time. Still Morikawa has never seen Ryuko in such a sour mood so it was quite surprising to say the least.

Shimiko suggested to take the process outside which Morikawa can agree with. She asked about the price, though he nodded his head when Shimiko spoke of 50,000. “Of course.” Stepping back outside before putting on his sandals once more as Shimiko was in the process of producing… Blood? It wasn't an odd sight considering her clan's gift, but to see it in person was something else. Nonetheless Morikawa gets to work as he produced the sealing marks from the touch of his palm onto the armor piece laid out on the courtyard. Each writing held a purpose, and woven together produced function. It took some time as he was doing the process from memory, and thankfully Morikawa's memory is quite sharp in accuracy on recalling details.

By the time Shimiko was manipulating the blood near her hands, the seals were nearly complete. All it was needed is Shimiko's blood from her Doujutsu since the whole function utilizes her bloodline. The moment she places her blood into the seals the final piece is set. Completing the enchantment, Morikawa removed his hand as enchanting can be quite tiring especially using his own chakra for the most part to make such a complex enchantment. “There you go. So what was that all about?” Morikawa asked the Anbu as he was referring to what happened inside the shop.

After some fine enchanting work by Morikawa the armour was finally finished. Shimiko transferred the maximum amount of blood she was capable of manipulating at the present moment into the enchantment and then she was ready to go. She gathered up the armour and slung it over her shoulder. This reminded her that she probably needed to find a way to summon it quickly in battle if a fight were to break out in an unexpected location but she'd worry about that later. Morikawa then inquired as to why she and Ryuko were arguing. Shimiko sighed as she considered simply dodging the question but then she remembered that Morikawa had been in the Valley. He wasn't a part of their group so he'd have a neutral and objective take on things.

"Ryuko wants to give that Nozomi terrorist a second chance...." she muttered before turning to him and facing him directly. "She thinks Nozomi can be rehabilitated and turned away from the Shiroi. Morikawa, you were there....in the valley I mean. What was your read on the whole situation? Do you think she's redeemable or are we putting ourselves and the village at risk by not killing her as soon as we get the chance?"

The look of confusion on Mori’s face as he took the brunt of her misplaced aggression was like a bucket of cold water for Ryuko.  She realized she needed to reign herself in now before she said something she was going to regret and put herself into Mori and Shimiko’s bad books.

“My apologizes…. it’s been a long day what with getting the store ready for the grand opening and all.  I wasn’t expecting more visitors”   she said looking away in embarrassment from her outburst.   If Shimiko was going to be this hard to convince then she didn’t have much chance of talking Kiri into lifting the kill on sight order they must have surely placed on Nozomi.

Why did she have to have feelings for an international criminal?  It made everything so much more complicated.  But well it wasn’t like village was teaming with other lesbians her age.   It was a small miracle that she’d been able to find someone she could connect with in the first place even if the circumstances where hardly ideal to say the least.


“And what pray tell where you planning to do if I hadn’t been here?” she asked with a weary sigh and a rueful shake of the head.  Honestly how would they make ever do without her if she ever decided to leave?   The choice between duty and love weighted heavy on her heart and she hoped the time would never come when she would have to decided between the two.

“Speaking of Nat-chan I haven’t seen her around much lately. Any idea what she’s been up to?” asked Ryuko  in an awkward attempt to change the subject away from her crush and onto one about their wayward teammate. It had been days since she had last seen her fellow thundercat which was pretty unusual considering how often they all hung out together.    

“Actually this is good timing,  I’ve been meaning to get you that armor you asked for to you Mori-san.  Just give me a bit to get it ready while you go do your hocus-pocus.” she said as Shimiko and Mori went to go outside, not wanting to leave a mess which was much appreciated thank you very much. Running into the basement Ryuko began to shift around the boxes that where currently in storage. Somewhere around here had to be the Trench coat she’d made for Mori.   She’d just been so busy she’d forgotten to deliver it until now.

Buying
Leather | 1000 ryo ea. 10'x10' x2
Steel | 5,000 ryo per 10 lbs x2
Titanium | 7,500 ryo per 10 lbs
Insulation | 500 ryo per 10 lbs Cotton, Horse Hair, Plant Fiber, etc.
Petroleum Oil | 500 ryo per liter.
Sinew | 500 ryo per 15 ft.
21,000 ryo - 25%   wealthy discount =  15,750 ryo paid by Mori giving the cash to Ryuko

Crafting Mad Mori Trenchcoat - Completion time  Nov 20 (Using Rush Job UA)

It did appear that Shimiko was going to brush off the question which to be fair Morikawa had no business in asking. However if there is some form of dispute going on Morikawa wouldn’t mind to try to quell the tension. After all they cannot afford to be divided when the enemy could be knocking down their gates at any second. Then Shimiko muttered about Ryuko wanting to give a particular individual named Nozomi a second chance. Turning to face Morikawa directly, he is immediately faced with a serious question.

His eyes drifted slightly to the upper right for a moment as he recalled the events at the Valley. Remembering how confused the blonde Kiri-nin was when the head of the snake pitted the little one against a whole squad. It was practically overkill since in a small manner of time she normally would’ve been bleeding out, but then of course her bijuu saved the girl’s life. Thinking back on it, Morikawa can see the moment when the girl was about to be swayed by Ryuko’s words. It showed that she wasn’t committed to the task at hand, and maybe it was perhaps a little too late now.

Adjusting his yellow eyes back to the Anbu he gives an answer. “That situation was more of her eagerness to fight and prove herself to someone. When she was pitted against us it was more of this Nozomi was backed into a corner fighting for her life. Confusion and fear is what i read from her, and as i recall how quickly she reacted between Ryuko’s attempt in diplomacy and Sakata’s speech riling her up. Nozomi was emotionally unstable at the time as well. So I’d say under certain circumstances Ryuko might have a chance to redeeming the girl.” Then Morikawa’s eyes looked down at the stone floor for a moment before he sighed.

“However that was two years ago. A lot of things can happen during that time and Nozomi might be more committed to the fanatic’s crusade. Speaking of philosophy, it’ll be potentially difficult to persuade Nozomi out of it now and all signs point kill on sight to prevent risking the village’s safety.” There was a hint of passive hatred in Morikawa’s tone when he spoke of fanatic. Religion was one thing, but he absolutely hates it when someone goes around slaughtering anyone that is not part of their zealous cause that can bring everything to ruin. If anything though, Nozomi is definitely being manipulated whether she knows it or not and the moment she stopped being useful the fanatic will likely discard Nozomi like a broken tool.

Shimiko gave a shrug when Ryuko asked what would be done if she wasn't here. It would have been a missed connection but quite frankly she was ANBU and if Morikawa's time was wasted then so be it. This was was official state security business and while she might have previously been fare more embarrassed she found no reason to be overly apologetic for her presumptuousness. When she was asked what Natsuru was up to there would be another shrug this one even more casual than the last. "I'm not sure you know...I assumed she was busy with her industrial projects but in truth I have no clue what she's been up to" They'd need to hang out together sometime, for fun of course but also to discuss what the rules of engagement were concerning Nozomi. And with that Shimiko took her leave to get her armour enchanted. The process went smoothly and was punctuated by a bit of conversation regarding Nozomi. Morikawa gave a tempered and neutral response. He confirmed that Ryuko was correct in that Nozomi was very hesitant to fight and that at the time there was a strong chance of her being turned to the side of good. However he also stated the girl was deeply emotional and now that she was under the sway of Shiroi a kill on sight approach might be best. Shimiko shook her head and considered his words. It wasn't the resounding confirmation of her opinion she would have liked but it was a fair and objective assessment. There was no telling what sort of brainwashing Nozomi had been subject to so she decided it was better to be safe than sorry. Until she received other orders or until the Thundercats had talked it over and come to a different conclusion as a group she'd treat the jinchurikki as S-Class threat and terminate with extreme prejudice. She bowed to Morikawa and said "Thanks for the intel" before giving him a smile, wink, and wave goodbye. She then walked off with her newly enchanted armour in tow.

Exit

It seemed neither of them had a clue what Natsuru was up to. That bode ill on Ryuko’s mind as she was busy searching for the Trench coat she had made for Mori and forgotten to deliver. If her friend didn’t show her face soon she was going to have to go looking for her just to make sure everything was alright.

Finally after a searching a few boxes in futility she spotted what she was looking for. Picking the trench coat up from the pile of mantles it’s gotten mixed up with she quickly dusted it off then folded it it up neatly before dashing back up the stairs egear to hand it over to it’s proper owner as soon as possible.


“Sorry for the wait.” said Ryuko as she exited the store to find Mori standing alone in a nearby courtyard having just missed Shimiko’s departure. Wither she was referring to how long it had taken her to deliver the armor in the first place, or just having him stick around after his enchantment or even both wasn’t clear but she held the folded Trench coat out for him to take.

“Well what do you think?” she asked hoping he would approve of the final product she had worked so hard to produce for him. “Did you by any chance talk about anything intresting while I was gone?” she asked curious about what Shi-chan might have told him about their previous conversation.

Morikawa wasn’t certain if his recollection of the past events and his own thesis aided Shimiko in some way. However Shimiko presented a bow before thanking him for his input. Perhaps it might not be the one she was looking for specifically, but Mori’s view was a neutral party looking at both sides of the story. He isn’t entirely agreeing with Ryuko, but agreeing enough that Ryuko had a chance and may still have a chance to converting Nozomi over though perhaps that chance slimmed over the years. At the same time Mori also agrees that Shimiko should approach Nozomi with extreme caution and that perhaps a kill on sight order is perhaps necessary considering who Nozomi is associated with.

“You’re welcome.” Morikawa responded as Shimiko smiled, winked, and waved goodbye before departing. Shortly after Ryuko comes out of her workshop with a folded object in her possession as she approached Morikawa. An apology slipped from her lips and frankly Morikawa chuckled. “Relax Ryuko. I did tell you that you can take your time with it did i not?” Whether he was nice or just being cold in nature is a bit hard to confirm. However his smoky voice did not hold anger nor disappointment as Ryuko held out the coat to him. Morikawa genuinely accepted the trench coat into his hands before unfolding it. Forming the clone seal Morikawa conjured a shadow clone whom took Morikawa’s fiery coat off and hold it from touching the ground. Then Morikawa will put on the Mad Mori. It was a little heavy, but that’s what happens when someone gets leather and then add patches of scales. The smell of leather always had a nice scent to Mori’s perspective.

A smile spreads over his lips before speaking to Ryuko. “It fits quite nicely, and quite frankly it exceeds what i was originally picturing if i’m going to be honest.” Morikawa glanced over at his clone as he reached over to pick up the old coat before the clone dispersed in smoke. Now when Ryuko questioned about Shimiko’s conversation with him, Morikawa knew better than to lie to Ryuko. “She asked about my perspective over the events at the Valley of Jehoshaphat, and i simply told her from a neutral perspective.”

Taking your time was one thing, but taking several years to deliver on a product was still pretty extreme even if Mori was happy with the end results. Still she couldn’t help but beam with pride as the doctor proclaimed her work to be even better then he expected.


“Good I can’t afford to be handing out shoddy products.” Declared Ryuko. She had a reputation to uphold after all and Her store was named the best defence for a reason. Apart from sounding snappy she really did want her armor to be the best around.

“Ah I should have guessed as much, but Shimiko is right to be concerned. Even If Nozomi can be turned from Shiori she’s still a missing ninja. Tis will be no easy task to convince Kohana to take her off their bingo book let alone Kiri.” said Ryuko with a long sigh.

“Without any leads towards a bijuu I am at a loss on how to overcome Shiori. I’ve already about reached the limits of my natural potential but how do I break them? In my researched I’ve come across some old tomes referring to sages and I think she might be one of them. Her powers certainly resemble the tales at least. Alas I have yet to discover how one would go about becoming one.” she explained feeling bitter about not being able to make any forward progress.

She was supposed to be a Jounin and yet even with all the techniques she knew she hardly feel like one. She needed something to up her game and take her to the next level. If she couldn’t get a bijuu or become a sage she would have to settle for powering up other ways for now.

“Say Mori-san would you be willing to place a black lightning seal on me like you did for Nariko?” she asked him recalling the time they had first met and how she had walked in just after he had finished applying it. If she had at least that maybe she’d finally be able to feel like she was a real Jounin

“That would be correct Ryuko. It would be quite difficult and complicated for Nozomi to switch sides. For we still have to worry about the other two major villages to worry about who are no doubt hunting Nozomi on the spot. It would put Kumogakure in a bad spot if i am going to be honest.” Morikawa admitted as there was no point hiding his thoughts on the matter. Truthfully he was looking out for the village’s best interest.

It seems that Ryuko has reached the pinnacle of her human limitations, and is currently theorizing on how to break those limits once more. No bijuu has been sighted recently and chances of encountering a bijuu in the future is a bit small for the present. Ryuko then spoke of sages, or at least hearing tales of sages capable of performing inhuman feats. Such a thing Ryuko believes that Shiroi is a sage of some sort. Morikawa has an inkling of what Ryuko was talking about, but they’re mainly stories and sometimes it can be difficult on determining what is fact and what is fiction.

Finally Ryuko asked the doctor if he could apply the black lightning seal on her, and though Ryuko is a jounin and by rights she should acquire it without issue. “I wouldn’t mind it, but just a formality it’ll be wise to ask Nariko for permission. It is still an exclusive technique that needs to be handled and monitored with care. Even i would have to ask for permission even though i can easily apply it on myself.” Which he has not apply the seal because Morikawa felt like he didn’t deserve it yet. It was something that he had to earn, and frankly he was aiming to acquire his bloodline’s technique. It would no doubt come in handy in the future.

That was the million ryo question.  What to do if Nozomi switched sides so that it wouldn’t land Kumo in hot water with the other villages.   It’d be one thing if they where already at war with Kiri, then it would be just a drop of water in a larger storm but thankfully they weren’t at war and Ryuko would never wish for that.

She might be the priestess to a dragon god of war but he was also the god of wisdom.  Anyone who wasn’t a fool knew that the best wars fought where the ones that where avoided entirely.   If someone else started one she’d have no problem putting a stop to it if it was within her power but she really wasn’t supposed to start one unless it was in service to some greater good.

She could justify one if Kiri was up to some shady business but as it stood at the moment things where all quite on the western front.  With everything peaceful souring relations between two major counties for just one woman would be in extremely poor taste.

Sadly Mori didn’t have any leads for her on where to find a bijuu or on how to become a sage.  If anybody in the village would know it was him so she’d have to search elsewhere.  Biting her lip Ryuko could feel her frustration mounting.  How the heck was she supposed to be able to go toe to toe with inhuman monsters like Shiori when she herself was still stuck by the shackles of her human limitations?

“I guess it’d be one thing if tis was an emergency, but for now we must follow protocol and procedure no matter how forgone the conclusion.” she said with a long sigh.  “In any case enjoy the jacket Mori-san. I’ve got some more research to do.” she said as she left him.   Locking up her shop for the night she headed towards the training grounds.

If she didn’t do something to vent her pent up frustrations she was bound to explode.  Pounding some boulders into dust would be as good as any way to do just that as well as practice the second level of chakra enhanced strength.  For the next hour or so she would hit them as hard as she could trying to send them rocketing to the moon.  

Yet no matter how hard she hit them, no matter how high they flew they could not escape the bonds of the earths gravity and came crashing back down to the ground…..

[exit]

Learning Chakra Enhanced Strength Version Two  449/300