Sandy Shores and Barnacles Galore (Mission)

Despite the small exchange of dialogue the two would arrive at their designated location ahead of schedule. Hana preferred being ahead of appointments. Mostly because she hates being rushed and it was little out of care for the other party that depended on her punctuality. Ota could be seen from the path they were on being a fairly large port town. It was generally a nice place to visit on a beach day. Plenty of resorts for visitors and locals as well as a stunning view of the sea. But today they had work to do and didn't get to admire the festive town.

Their footsteps changed from a muffled impact to the click clacking of cobblestone as the ground beneath their feet changed from a dirt road to paved stone. Ota was the docking location for all trade ships servicing the Land of Water. Along the shore were many docks built with ships anchored in. Hana's eye scanned the flags above and wasn't long before she found a logo with a silver colored shark. "This is it. The Silvery Shark. Lets see if we can find a supervisor." Hana felt particularly out of place doing these "low" leveled missions despite her new title. She never really cared about the whole authority nonsense. It all seemed somewhat narcissistic to her, but being titled Mizukage was something she never saw herself as due to her lifestyle she led. And she felt a bit guilty that her standards have not changed. She was always taught to stay humble, and while being humble was important to her she had to acknowledge the fact that she was important now.

Hana cringed at the thought of putting value to her own name but it was a hard fact she had to swallow. She was at a greater risk than Chigetsu being outside the city limits without an appropriate guard, and equally added to Kirigakure's risk factor by not being present in case of an attack. There was a lot she needed to inform herself on regarding protocol and conduct. So much she put it off. Snapping out of her daydream they were at the gangplank. "Hellooooooo?" Hana called out loudly from the dock not stepping aboard the vessel. Certainly someone would drop her a line...

The journey to Ota was uncomfortably silent. Their exchange of dialogue earlier had been brief as well, but the total lack of communication made itself very loud in the silence that came during the traveling itself. Although he had never been one to go out of his way to make excessive small talk in the past, beyond the point of basic introductions, he couldn’t help but yearn for it right now. Without anything to distract himself with, the anxiety welling up in his stomach were threatening to consume him from the inside out. Of course, this was something he wished for carefully, because getting what he wanted in the moment likely wouldn’t do much to assuage his feelings. This was Hana Kaguya, the Mizukage. Not just strangers, the two of them came from radically different places within Kirigakure, with radically different experiences. It was likely that they had nothing in common, or at least not enough for a comfortable conversation. Or maybe that was just Chigetsu’s worries rattling around inside his head.

At the very least, silence meant that it was safe. With nothing but the sounds of nature surrounding them it meant that there was nothing that was threatening to come out of the bushes and end his life. That was something to be grateful for, at least.

Ota, one the Land of Water’s largest ports, would quickly appear within view. While it wasn’t familiar to him, Chigetsu could at least recognize it for what it was. Being that it was the old home of the Hozuki Clan, he was aware enough to have heard about it and its role in both Kirigakure and the Hozuki’s histories. Apparently at least a little bit of those boring lessons had stuck with him. It was different than how he imagined it in his head, but without having previously left the village there was very little for him to pull reference from. While not as large as Kirigakure, the feeling of having so many people around him again brought a sense of comfort back to him. It was nice being back in civilization, even if that short nature hike could barely be called difficult.

In fact, now that they were safely within the town’s boundaries, the journey here hadn’t been that bad at all. It was invigorating knowing that, and if anything he felt like it was something that he could easily do again. Maybe his days of being a shut in NEET who only leeched off his clan and disappointed everyone was coming to an end?

"Maybe I should get out more." He whispered to himself under his breath. Seeing how easy this was made him almost a little bit disappointed.

The ship itself was something that Chigetsu entirely allowed Hana to lead him to, although that was what had been happening this entire time anyway. Even though he had studied the mission description, he was already clueless as to where exactly they were supposed to be. At the very least, it didn’t seem like they were late. Coming across what he could only assume was the correct vessel, Hana would approach and call out for any signs of life.

Atop the ship, what appeared to be a weary sailor reared their head in response to the woman’s call. The man, gruff and weathered from his time at sea, only took one look at the two women standing down before the gangplank before wordlessly turning around and returning back to where he had come from. While the sounds of hustle and hard work echoed throughout the docks where the Silvery Shark had anchored itself, there was an interesting lack of noise that came from the ship itself. Several pairs of footsteps creaking across the wooden deck of the vessel marked themselves before the man they had just seen reappeared, bringing with him another. This new individual would be set apart from the gruff sailor he stood aside by their vast difference in dress, spotting a deep navy blue jacket coated in pristine looking buttons over an absolutely ruffly undercoat. Judging by this it was only safe to assume that they were the captain of the vessel, or at least a superior officer.

Their face, being relatively youthful with striking blue eyes and shortly cut blonde hair, had some familiar quality to it that caused Chigetsu to pause. It took a few seconds for him to realize, but this was somebody who he had seen on a few occasions previously at Kirigakure’s Hozuki clan district. He was another member of the Hozuki. The realization brought a stiffness to Chigetsu’s posture, and he began mentally trying to search for the man’s name in his memory.

“You’ve arrived earlier than we expected, so you’ll have to forgive us for not rolling out a red carpet.” The man had a certain cocky atmosphere to him, perhaps coming in part from the confidence dripping off his voice and the extravagant manner in which he dressed. “If you're willing to come aboard without the formalities though, go right ahead. There’s plenty of honest work to busy yourselves with.”

It was impossible for Chigetsu to tell whether the man recognized him, not being skilled enough in picking up social cues or the sort of small tells that people gave off in conversation. The possibility of it hung around his neck like a noose, adding another level of complexity to this mission. While Chigetsu was a nobody, his failures were something that were occasionally whispered throughout the Hozuki, with his parents being well respected members of the clan. Time would tell whether this would end up becoming even more difficult. Not exactly looking forward to it, Chigetsu would resign himself to his fate as he followed Hana up the gangplank.

Hana's eyes shifted over to Chigetsu as she murmured under her breath regarding her regret by being a shut-in. The Jounin had a moment of realization with how she treated the pink haired lady so far. I haven't been myself lately...and I don't think I like this change. Hana was unsure if it was because of the new status change. It was odd to her since being a Chuunin or even Jounin never really seemed to have bothered her. She was notorious for being abrasive and rude, often provoking those she meets. Her eyes were drawn to Chigetsu looking at the girl's somewhat introverted body language as they walked in silence. Hana tallied it was her lack of openness which made their interaction uneasy. Without a proper Hana-style ice breaker it made their presence seem too professional.

When they met up with the captain of the ship he kept the introduction brief. Fortunately for them, no explanation was needed. According to the work request their primary purpose was unload the cargo, which was the most physically demanding giving the regular sailors a break as they could busy themselves with basic tasks such as cleaning, then enjoy the rest of the evening with the pleasures the town offered them. It was a smart investment on their end. Despite being costly there had to be some joy in their lives. That was something Hana could significantly relate to.

She was the first to step onto the gangplank as the old structure creaked. "Here we are! You were smart to tie that bubble gum hair up beforehand. Give me a sec." Hana said reaching into her back pocket and retrieving a small hair tie. Living in the Land of Water conditioned her into always carrying spare hair ties around. The sun breaking through the usual overcast skies could drastically raise the temperature and humidity forcing her big hair to frizz up. She fastened her hair into a high ponytail in a few quick flicks, letting her bangs alone and allowing a few stands of hair fall freely from the sides. Although she did doubt this work would make her break a sweat she preferred to be prepared. It was the practice of caution that allowed her to be where she was today. She was willing to admit that she was not the smartest in the village. Not by a long shot. But she didn't rely on the ability to quickly negotiate problems as much as she did preparing for them ahead of time.

On the deck was a trap door which was left open allowing people to pass through freely. It was a smart idea for Chigetsu to opt out the skirt for some regular pants. Sailors were known for their strong aggression towards pretty women. Being trapped on a boat at sea for months with other men or even internet tended to deteriorate their mind back to their primitive state. Hana wondered if they never returned to shore that they would devolve back to monkeys.

Admittedly, though, some of the shipyard men weren't so terrible. Hana had a preference for the masculine, pretty type. And while they were far in between they still existed. "Here's the thick of the action. You smell that?" Upon descending the steps to the cargo bay they were greeted with a powerful smell of fermented fish. It was a funkiness only traditional taste buds would appreciate. Hana didn't mind it on occasion. The Kaguya were particularly fond of it given their traditional and health-conscious values. But her upbringing was different than the norm. From the cargo bay there were two men working who turned their attention at both of them, holding eye contract for a little longer than what would be socially acceptable before returning back to their work. Hana noticed this but didn't let it bother her. She'd hug a barrel and lift it off from the pile. The barrels weighed three-hundred and twenty pounds roughly filled with the fish specialty. The crates were filled with tropical fruit, ranging of one-hundred and fifty pounds to two-hundred and thirty pounds.

Slinging the barrel over one shoulder she'd grab another with her spare hand and do the same showing an impressive feat of strength. The two sailors working the cargo bay displayed astonishment upon their faces retracting what negative thoughts they had about her. As for Chigetsu they watched her from the corners of their eyes. "Lets get this bread.
There should be a cart waiting for us just off the docks. That is where we stash the goods." Hana ascended the stairs leaving Chigetsu alone to figure out her limits and get to work. She was curious how long it would take to see the Genin emerged from the ship's bay.

Traveling up onto the boat itself was a process of ever escalating dread. The captain and sailors wouldn’t say anything more than was necessary to the two as they transversed up the gangplank. Following the brief introduction there wouldn’t be much more attention paid to the two other than a quick glance or two. The crew seemed too busy with whatever had previously occupied them to be concerned with the shinobi they hired to carry boxes, and probably rightfully so considering the nature of the mission. Even the Captain, who Chigetsu was half-sure he recognize, had disappeared off the vessel quickly after he and Hana had come aboard. It made sense, after all why else would they be paying shinobi to do this unless they had something better to do?

Things didn’t become so terrible until they descended down the ship’s trap door. The smell hit immediately, and almost made Chigetsu physically cringe back in repulsed horror. Previously masked by the sea breeze, the scent of fermented fish now wafted up and nearly knocked Chigetsu off his feet. Almost immediately his hand would reach up to cover his nose and mouth, lest he begin retching. It was a bit of an overreaction, but with how nervous Chigetsu already had been the threat of his fluttery stomach ejecting his breakfast in response was a very real possibility. After the initial shock wore off the stench became a bit more tolerable, but still not pleasant in any way.

“Eugghh… This is… Is this supposed to be food?”

It was the first thing Chigetsu said at a normal volume so far. Having been raised on silver spoons of caviar, Chi had never developed an appreciation for the unique smells and flavors that fermented fish could have. With his nose still plugged with one hand, Chigetsu would approach carefully and inspect one of the barrels that filled the crowded storage cellar. He half expected to find the contents of the barrel already long rotted away, but instead he was only greeted with an even more pungent stench of fish that punched him in the face as he lifted the barrel’s lid. The rolling stench nearly knocked him off his feet, and immediately the lid would be placed back down.

By this time Hana had already left, slinging one barrel over her shoulder and carrying another in a free hand. Even knowing she was the Mizukage now, just the ease and speed at which she was able to lift them completely caught him off guard. It was only after a bit of staring at her as she left that Chigetsu noticed the stares of the observing sailors, and how their gaze turned to him after they had finished watching Hana’s feat of strength. Turning back to the barrel, Chigetsu would set himself towards the task at hand.

Trying to lift the barrel, even with both of his arms and all of his strength, was impossible. It just wasn’t something he was capable with his petite figure. There was little to no muscle on Chigetsu in the first place, and these barrels felt as if they were over twice his weight. What little he had wasn’t enough to even get them a millimeter off the ground no matter how much effort he put into it. Attempting to drag them produced better results, but the few inches that Chigetsu managed really wasn’t enough. Chigetsu would quickly be forced to turn to a different strategy.

He would pull back the sleeve of his right arm, pushing the fabric up over his shoulder. It was necessary, unless he planned on tearing open the sleeve entirely with what he was about to attempt. The Great Water Arm Technique. One of the Hozuki’s special techniques that they had gained a bit of a reputation for. It was one of the things that all those tutors he had trained under in the past, and given all the time he had spent attempting to learn it, it definitely was something that he theoretically should be able to do in a situation like this.

The musculature of his arm would be liquified, and then moisture from his entire body would be sucked into and compressed into his muscles. It was similar in practice to filling a water balloon, although much more of a dangerous balancing act. It required specifically liquifying the muscles and not the bones or skin. Drawing too little moisture would result in nothing noticeable happening, and drawing too much was dangerous and could result in accidentally inducing the effects of serious dehydration. The compression itself was no easy task either, and if it wasn’t done properly…

His arm popped, expelling itself across the opposite facing wall with an excessive amount of force. The liquid of his lost limb hit the wooden wall with such a great force that it actually bounced off, splattering then all across that side of the room. Without enough compression your arm would turn into jelly, and with too much it would explode like a bomb. This left a sadly now armless Chigetsu, who had succeeded only in embarrassing himself. Fortunately it wasn’t nearly as bad as it looked. While having your arm explode would be pretty bad for anyone else, having the ability to liquify yourself in situations like this was pretty convenient, and thus it wouldn’t result in lasting damage to anything but his pride.

“A-Ahh…” He nearly began to sweat. Even though his back was turned, Chigetsu was sure that those sailors were still keeping an eye on him. Even if they hadn’t before, the sound that his arm exploding just made probably would be enough to catch their attention. The splattered liquid would begin to snake back to his body, collecting from the room to reform into his arm with an embarrassed haste. In his defense, this was a technique that was damn hard to pull off.

“I can do this, I swear. I’ve done it before…” He sputtered that defense of himself out quickly, mostly in response to his own anxieties and what he assumed any potential onlookers were thinking. “I should have practiced more, I should have practiced more, I should have practiced more” would be whispered under his breath in a mantra, berating himself at his past-self’s laziness. Trying again now, Chigetsu would pay special attention on the not having your arm explode part of this technique. The muscles of his right arm would bulge out unnaturally, swelling up and sloshing around with liquid as he tensed to keep everything tight and packed inside. Putting a bit more desperate focus into how tight he kept his shape transformation, Chigetsu would manage to pull off something resembling a success. His arm had pumped up dramatically, enough so that the overly-muscled limb was outrageously unnatural looking on him.

Getting it to pump up was one thing, but keeping it steady as he used his newfound strength was another. Having his arm detonate in the middle of carrying a barrel full of these foul smelling fish wasn’t something he was looking forward to, and so he was a bit overly cautious as he lifted the barrel he had been screwing about with earlier. Very, very slowly, Chigetsu would emerge from the ship’s bay carrying the barrel in his excessively large muscle arm.

"Alright, now don't explode on me..."

[1268/200 Learning Great Water Arm Technique]

Hana leaned against the wagon outside waiting for Chigetsu to emerge from the cargo bay. Hana didn't expect anybody to have a hard time with it. At least not any ninja. The sailors generally carried out the cargo in pairs to help reduce the workload. The crates were much more manageable and could be done by single sailors. They were not superhuman since they did not practice Ninjutsu and train their bodies to their limits. Hana didn't expect Chigetsu to do her job without effort, but she was at least capable of performing it without aid. Her impression of the Hozuki began to dwindle as she waited for what felt like a good minute for the Genin to make her way back to the deck, and after another minute passed she began to worry about her well-being. She didn't want to believe the girl actually tripped and fell or strained a muscle trying to move the goods.

Using her butt she'd bump herself off the wagon and start heading back towards the gangplank where she would step on the deck. It was in that moment she finally saw pink. Chigetsu struggled to make her way to the surface. As her body became fully visible Hana could help but cringe visibly as her most recent modification. "You, uh...been working out?" Hana managed to stay muscular and maintain her femininity, as women seemed to be hardly affected by visible muscle when they developed strength.

For Chigetsu to make significant gains Hana chalked it up to some sort of Ninjutsu technique, though her knowledge of what it is was beyond her. She'd let Chigetsu pass her by and descend back into the ship. The first thing she'd notice was the two sailors working in the bay disappeared. She was a bit curious herself as she didn't see them leave the ship. Along the interior wall was recently given a splash of water as the wood looked especially damp. It was interesting to be welcomed to, but she didn't pay it much attention. Little did she know the sailors hid the moment they witnessed the girl's arm explode.

Hana repeated the same procedure slinging two barrels over her shoulders and ascending the steps. She'd likely catch up to Chigetsu before she could make it to the wagon across the docks parked in the street. She'd slow her pace to be behind the girl as they both traveled to the wagon together. "So I couldn't help but notice you had a little accident down in the cargo bay. Is it a Hozuki thing to just spray water at random intervals? What does that symbolize?"

The consequences of having one ridiculous, roided-out looking arm attached to the rest of their body wasn’t something that Chigetsu took into account when attempting to use the technique. How incredibly jarring it was to see was something that was pretty obvious though to anyone with eyes. But it took an impressive amount of concentration to keep the liquid compressed in his arm as he carried the barrel up and out of the cargo bay, at least for what Chigetsu was used to, and so the looks that he was surely getting weren’t something he could think about all too much. Even though it was tough to focus, the comment Hana made almost made him break out into nervous giggles. It was a pretty silly situation, all things considered.

That Hana managed to essentially lap him in the process probably wasn’t something that should have surprised him, given the vast distance in experience between the two. Still, the easily spooked Chigetsu was easily spooked, and thus nearly jumped as she spoke behind him. He hadn’t noticed her up until the moment she began speaking. The shift in focus caused a slight tremor to run through his massive, oversized arm, with the entire thing wibble-wobbling like gelatin for a moment before reforming. As if he were trying to plug a leak, Chigetsu would clamp his other hand over his massive bicep in an effort to keep his arm steady and stable.

“Oh! No! I didn't… It’s just…” Searching for the right words wasn’t the easiest. The word accident had some weird implications as well. “It was just my arm. Getting my arm to be like this is really hard. If I don’t do it the right way the entire thing pops like a balloon.” So casually admitting to having your arm pop probably was a strange thing, but Chigetsu couldn’t conceive of sort of convincing excuse at the moment. The truth itself didn’t sound all that convincing either, honestly.

“I’m not really… good at it yet. At all.” Approaching the wagon, Chigetsu would find themselves revealing maybe a bit more than they usually would. “I’ve always hated practicing it because it makes me look like a man … or something.” With a bit of effort, Chigetsu would lower the barrel down from over his head and deposit it into the wagon. Turning around then would be when he noticed the two barrels that Hana had hauling over her shoulders, casually completing the same work four times as fast as it took Chigetsu. “I’m sorry, I hope I’m not slowing you down or anything.”

Hana's first instinct was to question if the popping of the arm hurt. The Kaguya pretty much lost their skin and muscle tissue whenever they pop bones out, but since that is a voluntary action it has no effect on the user. The thought of an entire arm exploding sounded unpleasant and a complication due to poor chakra control, which was something involuntary. That baffled her was the lack of blood on the scene. Hana knew the Hozuki were unique being on their own having an abnormal affinity towards water, but never really knew they were actually water themselves. She wondered if they had the same body layout as humans did, and if they did, were their organs like clear blobs of jello? There were so many questions she had about their anatomy it was hard to consider them human. She wanted to dissect a Hozuki just to learn more about their body.

Hana held her tongue having little desire to inquire further about Chigetsu's bloodline limit in order to prevent making the conversation uncomfortable. The girl had an excuse to not being proficient in the technique already expressing her strong dislike for appearing too masculine. Hana was far from a Mary-sue. Some could even consider her a tomboy given her dislike her feminine things, but even Hana had to agree with Chigetsu on this one. Taking a closer observation she saw the finer details of the technique. The arm was well-cut and ripe with veins. It almost appeared unnecessary, like if someone photoshopped a body builder's arm onto a little girl. Hana's face cringe.

"I'll say. I think I prefer buying new clothes over having a hulk arm. Though I guess it ain't too bad. Unlike the Kaguya, you don't have to worry about going nude if you use your ability too much." Hana placed both barrels onto the back of the wagon as Chigetsu placed her first. It was a sight Hana felt pity for. Chigetsu really tried her best only to yield a quarter of Hana's efficiency. Not to mention it was a lot more taxing for her to even sustain her technique. "I have an idea. Why don't you stay up here? I'll drop off what I bring up from the cargo bay here and you can stack them neatly on the wagon. I feel it'll be less strenuous if you remain stationary and only lift the boxes in short spurts."

Seeing the expression that Hana had, cringing at what Chigetsu could only assume was his massive right arm, made the young boy flinch. He would shrink under her gaze, immediately turning down to stare at the ground rather than dare any sort of eye contact. He couldn’t help but feel disgusting now, and for good reason. Up until this point he really didn’t think about it, putting too much effort into just maintaining the technique without the entire thing popping like a balloon. Even now Chigetsu was forced to keep his other arm held over his massive bicep in order to just keep the entire thing steady. Even when talking about how he didn’t like using this technique, it hadn’t really been in the forefront of his mind.

“Haha, yeah. Me too.” Chigetsu would cough out a response to Hana’s comments about going nude in battle without really thinking about what was said. Probably for the best, as having to imagine that scenario applied to himself wouldn’t have been pleasant. “I, uh…” The offer for Chigetsu to stay here, at the wagon, and work on stacking the barrels instead of carrying themselves broke through though, an offer that Chigetsu would nod his head at. “Okay. That does sound like it would be easier, without me holding you up... I’ll try to do my best.”

There had been a choice for him to make regarding the limb. Whether he kept it and continued using it to lift the boxes with somewhat-ease, or release it and be forced to do this the hard way. The extremely hard way, since he could barely even lift the boxes a few inches off the ground before. Still, it wasn’t exactly a hard choice for him to make right now. As soon as Chi would finish accepting Hana’s offer he would release the technique on his arm. The entire limb would deflate, with the compressed water streaming back into the rest of his body and returning to where it had been taken from. Chigetsu would rather sweat and struggle than feel like some sort of freak. Other excuses came to mind immediately to help justify the decision, but it was mostly born out of that insecurity he had with his physical appearance. He fiddled mindlessly with the sleeve of his hoodie as he pulled it down, fidgeting a bit without realizing it.

"Alright, let's do this!" With a sudden burst of energy Hana leaped from the cart into the air. Her descent would bring her down to the ship's deck as she descended into the bay area. Fortunately for her no matter how hard she worked the cargo would serve as no challenge. It would take days of unloading the cargo straight to be worn down by such a measly chore. She didn't mean to patronize Chigetsu but Hana had better things in mind than watching the girl struggle with moving boxes while attempting small talk. Hana would pile her cargo high, up to five crates before squatting low and picking up the load. It had some hefty to it, but it was a moderate load. Given how well her endurance was it proved to not be a challenge as she ascended to the deck. She'd drop off the load just outside the trapdoor before going under and repeating the same process. Her goal was to pull all the cargo to the surface to eliminate the process of going down the stairs.

It only took a couple minutes to complete her task with getting the cargo to the surface. Now came the chore of bringing them Chigetsu. Hana held up the Shadow Clone seal and created two more versions of herself. They all had the same plan so immediately sprung into action. There was a brigade of Hana's equal distances apart. The main Hana would toss a crate off to the clone, and the clone would do the same to the next clone. The last clone in the sequence would only be a few meters from Chigetsu. The clone would toss the crate softly onto the ground next to Chigetsu where she would be able to execute her task.

Naturally, though, the crates would pile up on Chigetsu's end given how efficiently the clones and Hana worked together. In just five more minutes the cargo would successfully be removed from the ship and now there just remained the task of stocking the wagon. Hana sustained her clones as she fully intended on helping Chi. It would be cruel to stand by for a good two or three hours waiting for her to do the task herself. "This is the last thing we have to do. Once we do this we can take the wagon for a ride back to the city." Hana was sure the cattle that hauled the wagon could take two extra females on their cargo load. She didn't feel they were being overworked one bit.

Hana’s burst of energy would catch Chigetsu off guard. After witnessing her sudden acrobatic technique of jumping all the way from the cart into the bay, Chigetsu would begin clapping for her. It was incredibly impressive, and a feat of dexterity and strength that he had never seen before. Is this the sort of stuff that high ranking shinobi could do? It was honestly pretty cool., enough so to distract him from his emotions for a moment. The speed that Hana was able to work at was also something he hadn’t expected, along with the entire Shadow Clone assembly line. It was… It was… Why didn’t he think of that?

When the first crate would be tossed to Chigetsu, he would already be in the progress of making the Shadow Clone hand seal. Two copies of himself would be made, which was the best that he could do, and the three of them. All things considered he was actually pretty good at basic ninjutsu, or at least adequate enough at it to sometimes pull off that thing with the huge muscle arm and making one or two basic clones. Working together now, the three Chigetsus would lift the boxes together. It took a good deal of effort even with the three of them together, but Chigetsu would use every box lifting ability that he knew in order to make it easier. Lift with your knees, not your back. Don’t twist or turn while lifting. Make sure not to wear open toed shoes. By these powers combined the Chigetsu*3 would have enough strength in order to lift the crate into the wagon! It was a completely successful operation. Now he only needed to do it another nine hundred and ninety nine times.

The crates piled up faster than the Chigetsu*3 could manage them. With that giant water arm he had managed about one-fourth of Hana’s efficiency when she wasn’t trying very hard, but now without that the difference was much, much larger. Compared to hauling the crates all the way from the ship to the wagon his work was a lot easier, but when all three of the Chigetsus were needed to lift just one crate that disparity evened itself out pretty fast. Chigetsu would end up being maybe forty percent done by the time that Hana had finished, but luckily for him Hana and all her clones would help along with the rest of Chigetsu’s work. Once she got involved everything sped up pretty quick. It wasn’t long until they were done, with the whole load being packed up into the wagon somehow.

“Done! Somehow…” Chigetsu would brush a bit of sweat off his forehead. All that heavy lifting had tired him out, but not nearly as much as it would have without Hana’s help, or the assistance of his clones. Luckily he was able to do it without needing to use that stupid big beefy beef arm any longer than necessary. It was so much easier to use the Shadow Clones for this too. Why didn’t he think of that in the first place? The two clones that he had made would be dispelled after that, with their chakra returning back to him. “So, we can just ride the wagon all the way back to Kirigakure? That sounds pretty nice.”


[564/200 Training B-Rank Shadow Clone]

Chigetsu utilizing the Shadow Clone technique essentially made the two of them a three times more efficient full sailor staff. The cargo was loaded in a matter of minutes between the lot of them. With all the crates and barrels neatly stored in the back of the wagon their job was done. Hana hopped up on the back of the wagon on top of the cargo. "Lets get ready to head back. The coach should be here any moment." Whether Chigetsu decided to walk along side the wagon or not was her choice. But in a couple minutes the coach arrived with the oxen on a lead. Strapping them securely to the wagon he hopped in his seat and prodded the ox with the whip getting both of them to start moving. The wagon would travel back the same way they came following the stone road down the main street until they hit the unpaved dirt roads leading into the Land of Water's wilderness.

[Exit -> Kirigakure]

Chi would hop up on the wagon, joining Hana among the cargo. Even if an hour walk wasn’t that long, there was no way he was going to willingly walk all the way back all the way to Kirigakure after having just lifted all those barrels and crates. As the coach arrived Chigetsu would watch curiously as Hana strapped the wagon to the cart. It was another foreign experience to him, someone who had never left the bounds of the city before today. As naive and childish as it made him sound, he had never seen an ox in person before today, and so his attention would be captured by the strange animals and their horns. Getting comfortable in the wagon among the cargo, Chigetsu would idly watch the scenery as they returned back to Kirigakure.

[Exit -> Kirigakure]