The secrets of sagacity

Ryuko stood silently in the darkened hallway of a Room in the Royal training facility that had been designed to mimic the interior of a cave system. Clutching her Stardust staff softly in one hand and a summoning contract scroll in another she patiently waited for her student of the day Renny to show up. Today was the day she was going to fulfil several promises to him and begin his sage training.

Traditionally for the Hydra sage that was done in the Abandoned Caverns in the Northwestern section of the land of lightning but since leaving the village wasn’t currently an option for her at the moment this was the next best place that she could arrange. Dressed in her priestess robes she looked to the unwitting observer like she might be here as the sacrifice to some monster, though given that she was one of the strongest ninja in the world perhaps the it would actually have been the other way around since she’d make short work of most creature short of an actual bijuu.

[1]

Ryuko raised a slight eyebrow at how casual Renny was being with her but said nothing about it. Honestly she didn't really care if he stood on ceremony or not when they were in private like this. It wasn’t like he was being outright rude or anything and as long as he was punctual and attentive she had very little to complain about.

“Oh you know, I’ve been pretty busy with the post war clean up.” said Ryuko casually. There was a lot to do and few people she could trust with doing it. With Shimiko retiring soon and Tamwyn having left her service she didn’t have any Jounin that she could rely on to send out on high profile missions besides Seid who obviously couldn’t be in two (or more) places at once. Trying to arrange for someone to lead a mission out to the land of Hotsprings so that they could rebuild Yugakure was proving to be a real headache.

“Before we can get down to training we have some unfinished business to complete. First…” Said Ryuko as she pulled a small ryo scroll out of her pocket containing 1.5 million ryo taken from her personal vault. She wasn’t paying Renny’s loan out of the village’s legers but from her own pocket. “Here’s the money I promised you. I’d advise being careful walking around town with that much on you until you get to the bank.” she said dryly.

Ryuko was one of the strongest ninja in the entire country and she almost always had a pair of royal guards nearby even when they weren’t in plain view. The average person would have to be stupidly suicidal to even think of attempting to rob her. Renny being only B-class ninja not so much. Not that there was much crime in Kumo to worry about but it never hurt to be cautious in her book.

“I was also wondering if you could fix the enchantment on my spear here.” she added as she took a small rod like object off her belt and sent a small pulse of chakra into it causing it to revert back into it’s 7' long true form. “Tis supposed to be able to fly back to the user's hand within 5km or so. Keeps me from losing the darn thing when I throw it during aerial combat.” she explained not wanting to dwell on how it had managed to lose it’s enchantment or why she wasn’t going to the original crafter to have it repaired.

With that out of the way she set the summoning contract scroll onto the ground and opened it up revealing a spot where her name had been signed and then stamped with a bloody thumbprint followed by a blank space below that.

“There are practically as many different kinds of sages as there are stars in the sky. The specific version I’m going to teach you is the Hydra sage. Tis technically can be taught without the use of the accompanying contract but I think you would find doing so much less effective than getting the full package.” she said as she waited for Renny to sign the contract so that the lessons could begin in earnest.

[2]

The queen paused to think when Renny asked her if she needed his help or advice on anything. After a moment of consideration she shook her head no and gave him a warm smile. “Maybe once you get back from your trip, I might need help enchanting some equipment for Tsumi.” She casually mentioned to her student that Renny had met previously.

“I don’t mind if you fix the enchantment after our training session. Sooner would be better then later in this case. I’ll need the spear at full power in order to fight against a God. Or at least the avatar of one anyhow.” she said cryptically. She was just waiting for Shimiko to finish getting ready so that that battle could begin and it would be embarrassing if she wasn’t ready herself after the ample amount of preptime she’d already had.

“Excellent. Now you just need to wear this around your neck if you want to summon anything.” said Ryuko as she took back the summoning contract scroll after Renny had signed it and handed him a small purple crystal the size of a marble attached to a silk string. “Tis a charm given only to those who have earned the Hydra’s trust. Simple channel the correct amount of chakra through it to call upon the creature of your choice.” she explained.

With that out of the way she sat down cross legged on the floor of the cave, motioning for Renny to join her. The next part would be the tricky part of their training session. She could explain what Sage mode was exactly and Renny would be more than smart enough to understand but understanding and being able to actually sense nature chakra were two different things. For someone that wasn’t used to meditation already it could take weeks or even months to learn, time Ryuko didn’t have to give. Instead she was electing for a less conventional route.

“Fundamentally all sages are the same no matter which animal they derive from. We draw upon the energy of nature to empower ourselves. The hardest parts are first learning how to sense that latent energy that exists all around us and second learning to balance that energy against your own. Great care must be taken to not take in too much natural energy at once, otherwise you’ll turn to stone.” she warned.

Reaching out her left hand she gently attempted to take hold of Renny’s palm. If he allowed her to take his hand she would circulate a small amount of natural chakra from her own body through her hand and into his. She was being extra careful to make sure that this wouldn’t be enough energy to actually harm Renny, just enough that he would be able to become aware of it.

“Can you feel that? Tis Nature chakra. To gather more one must become still both in body and mind like the surface of a serene lake. In time Ngova and Irah will be able to help you gather energy while on the move but first you must master being able to collect the chakra for yourself. Do you think you can give catching some a try?” she asked. Her main roll once Renny became aware of the nature chakra around him was to keep him from turning into stone if he started gathering too much for his body to handle at the moment.

[3]

“Ha, A tough battle is the only guarantee when fighting gods.” Replied Ryuko with a joking smirk.  Considering she was serious about that fight maybe she shouldn’t be making light of the upcoming trail, but then again without levity the sheer gravity of the situation would be nerve wracking.    

She could take up to 3 other people into the other dimension to fight by her side but not once did she consider asking Renny for help.  Even if he learned sage mode the truth was he had a lot of room left to grow.  As he was now he’d be nothing but a liability in such a high level encounter.  It would be tough enough without being distracted protecting someone that couldn’t hold their own.  

After the training started and Renny said “Yes,I... don’t”  Ryuko wasn’t quite sure what he meant by that statement.  Renny was a hard man to read at the best of times so him being so vague wasn’t helping.   Did he mean that he had felt the tiny amount nature chakra she had flowed into him or was he saying that he didn’t?   Or did he mean that he hadn’t been able to gather any?  That later part wouldn’t be a particular surprise.  Frankly Ryuko would have been utterly astonished if he had managed to accomplish it on the first try.

“Well Rome wasn’t built in a day. Tis not an easy thing to accomplish for anyone. No need to be down about it”  Ryuko commented, trying to sound supportive.  She had managed to pick it up relatively fast herself but then again being a trained martial artist she had a natural advantage since she was already well used to meditation and had been able to adapt the lessons she had learned as a Priestess of Hakkin towards her sage studies.

“You might be a little like me. Constantly calculating this or that.”  Ryuko’s brain was almost constantly buzzing with activity. Even now part of her was subconsciously evaluating Renny in case a fight broke out.   How to counter what he could bring to the table and how to escape if necessary.    Learning to meditate and push all those thoughts aside had been a necessity if she was ever going to concentrate on any one thing.

“I have a secret technique that might prove useful.  Normally one would need to be a master of the martial arts to learn it but someone with your intelligence should be able to manage just fine.”   Out of all her techniques the one she had in mind was something she hadn’t really shared with anyone before.  Ideally she would have liked to teach it to Tsumi first since he was a martial artist but her apprentice didn’t have the mental bandwidth to handle the task quite yet.  

Reaching into one of her hip pouches she pulled out a small scroll and unrolled it to reveal the written details of the Calm mind technique for Renny to read.  Since it was about purposely controlling the subconscious it wasn’t the easiest thing to explain every aspect verbally.

“The calm requires a lot of focus but will increase your perception of your surroundings as long as you don’t get hit.  Tis might not help learn sage mode directly but once you get used to entering a meditative state the rest should come easier.” she explained.

Calm mind :

[4]

"I'm curious as to your preparations, if you feel comfortable with that. I expect to fail at the building blocks, and it makes things a good surprise when I don't. Try one specialty, give it up, and find something better's my motto. It won't bug me if the first means don't work," replied Renny, expressing some concern. Risks are the best way to get strong fastest, if the risk's worth taking at the start. All the distractions and nuisances can look appealing to fill yourself up, until you have to wait for the droplets to stop you from something else. Dropping an idea fast for a new one's what Renny has to do all the time to keep up ideals.

"I do think we're alike in a lot of ways. I'd be the worst of you maybe, a compliment to your abilities rather than mine," pouting, Renny's focuses on what he can bring to the table. If he fails at the first step, it's still annoying, and his feeling for Sage Mode hasn't worked out. Positions can be special, and so Renny's found himself here just to spend time with Ryuko moreso than focusing on the task. What Renny can get out of this training doesn't compare to what he can get learning what Ryuko looks forward to.

"Your secret's safe with me. I'll try to learn this. I like to think anybody can be a master in a day, if it's meant to be. If someone's a full master, it can be said they're perfect, and they've stopped learning," said Renny. Reading the jutsu, Renny doesn't find much difficulty, as he'd figured that Ryuko could provide a supplement. Already in the mindset for learning, Renny had been thinking up a similar jutsu to create.

Problems at their core are sometimes unsalvageable. Even with more awareness of his surroundings, Renny could just use that knowledge to want more knowledge. Settling down to learn sage arts is against how Renny looks around at the world in a way. While reading the Calm Mind technique, Renny performed it without much difficulty. Reservations are only needed for those that Renny doesn't trust, if he dies he dies, worst this technique can do is give special brain damage.

"Sorry Ryuko, think it'll be enough for today, not because you're bad at teaching or anything. Self-study for myself will be fitted in later, could use a Sage Mode guide for that if you got one. I'll go repay my debt before anything else; I'll use the village locations and my knowledge to find an untapped place for Kumogakure," exhaling sadly, Renny briskly stood up and put on a forced smile, with a calm shake of his head. Impatient maybe, but Renny knows his limits, and any natural energy he tries to gather dissipates as if Renny's body is unnatural. Changing the subject, Renny looks around to the spear in the dark to be worked on, and also to his surroundings. Avoiding a disappointed gaze, Renny expects Ryuko's gaze sooner or later, as his perception is calmer than ever.

Learned Calm Mind
Calm Mind +1 tier to Perception

Renny expressed interest in her preparations for fighting god much to the Queen’s surprise. She didn’t think he’d want to hear more on that topic. Well she figured she could indulge him a little since most of what she had done was publicly known so there wasn’t any harm in talking about it.


“Very carefully I suppose. First I started by making a top of the line suit of armor comprising of multiple layers. Then I gathered legendary class equipment from a Master craftsman. Beyond that I learned Sage mode to maximize the amount of force I could bring to the table as well as made an enchanted ring to protect me from lightning damage as much as possible since that’s this god's primary method of attack. I would know since tis the very same Hakkin that I worship that I must fight to prove myself.” Ryuko remarked.

“As they say, know yourself and know your enemy and you will be victorious in one thousand battles. I consulted our bible and mythology for any weakness but other than his fondness for Drink I found little to exploit. Perhaps as should be expected really when dealing with a celestial being. There’s little left I can do now but wait for my companion Shimiko to be ready so that we might conquer this trial together.” Short of gaining semi phenomenal cosmic power out of the blue there was little left that could be done.

“You shouldn’t be so down on yourself Renny. Tis silly to compare yourself to me in such a way. I have no doubt there are things that you can do that I can not. Take enchanting for example, I couldn’t do that to save my life.” That alone made Renny incredibly useful in her eyes. She wouldn’t be willing to lend him so much money otherwise.

The only other person around the village who might be able to help in that department was Kara but Ryuko knew better than to put all of her eggs in one basket after what happened with Damian.

“I must say I find your point of view on mastery to be quite perplexing. There are plenty of things that can’t be learned in a mere day’s time. For example as a martial artist the road to mastery is both arduous and without end. No matter how strong one might get there will always be new peaks to climb, new techniques to uncover.” She just didn’t have the world view to understand being able to give up so quickly. Maybe Renny was just the kind of guy where most skills just came to him naturally and he wasn’t used to having to work for them.

Well if he wanted to self train that was no skin off her nose. “Very well then. Just promise me you’ll be careful. I don’t want you ending up as a lawn ornament in my garden. ” Ryuko warned him out of concern. “I’d give you a written guide if I had one. Sadly you won’t find such a thing even in the halls of the forbidden library.” If such a book existed she would have learned how to become one much sooner. How to become a Sage was one of the hidden truths of this world, not something easily uncovered.

“However you may feel free to call upon Ngova and Irah for assistance as needed. They are experts in sage mode and won’t lead you astray.” As far as guidance went he couldn’t ask for better. Hopefully in time he’d be able to learn sage mode with their help, if not well she wouldn’t think any less of him. It wasn’t like she’d hired him for his prowess in battle to begin with so not being able to harness nature energy wouldn't diminish his value in the slightest.

“I suppose you’ll be enchanting my spear now then.” Ryuko said as she handed the weapon still in it’s compact travel mode to Renny once more. From her experience placing a new enchantment wasn’t nearly as time consuming as recharging an existing one. She’d once witnessed Mori power up some equipment and the process had been completed after only a couple minutes. Then again the time involved could be different depending on the complexity of the enchantment being cast. It wasn’t like she was an expert on the subject.

[5]

Renny lowered his head gently following along with Ryuko's words. "I see you've taken the time, with the proper respect to the process. But have you prepared new ideas over time? If you had fought at the start, would your god not have grown stronger and the encounter harder?" he replied.

"It is not a shame to see if a fondness for drink is a vulnerability to exploit," Renny said. There's no injustice to the means. Once something's done, it's done, and it doesn't need to be worried about afterward. Success is granted by any shortcuts necessary. A fast and hard commitment can outweigh many improvements to Renny. New goals can always outpace an original objective, and this includes tying himself to someone else primarily. Finding success in all of Ryuko's joys isn't inconvenient to Renny.

Listening to Ryuko still, Renny let his spoken words sink in for his worldview. "Thank you, I promise I'll be careful. Hmm, you could use Sage Mode as a political bargain if you want," Renny contemplated. Renny thinks briefly of who else he can find to explore the potential of things.

Getting on with his work, Renny takes the spear with some final words. "I'll see you soon, my return to business will be quick. I plan on only exploring for this 1st outing. If I'm lucky in my progress, I would be happy to help you for your trial immediately on my return," Renny reassured. Rushing doesn't mean he doesn't value every fleeting moment with Ryuko.

Looking for the village locations from Ryuko, Renny takes that, and if not he'll see if he can follow-up on it when at the gates. Helping in the background or present, Renny doesn't need to appeal to all. Completing the enchantment or recharging of the spear, Renny had it handed back to Ryuko after a period of time, before leaving the training grounds.

[exit]

Renny was being Mercurial as always. Ryuko was once again struggling to understand what point he was trying to make. If she had fought at the start without her preparations it should be obvious enough that it would have made for a more difficult battle. One of the nice things about the test was that it was against something that wouldn’t get stronger over time, unlike say a fellow human.

“Thank you” she said simply as she took back her spear. Renny had done an excellent job with the enchantment. She might not be able to place one on her own but she could tell it was just as good as the day when the spear had been first forged. Now she was truly well and ready for battle.

Watching Renny go Ryuko privately couldn’t help wondering if she would ever see the money she had lent him again. Only time would tell if that had been a wise investment or not. If nothing else he was already making himself handy so she was pretty happy to have him around. She was looking forward to hearing what the results of his trip would be once he got back as she made her own way out of the cave.

[6]

[Exit]