The Great Dig-Out: Adventures in Hole-filling

“Huh, I guess bigger isn’t always better.”  Commented Hibiki, surprised to hear that his big form wasn’t as strong as it looked.  If it wasn’t available at the moment to whip out she idly wondered what the activation conditions might be.  Was it something that could only be used at certain times of the day kind of like a werewolf that could only transform under the moonlight?  

She wasn’t sure why Nakaba could transform or how it worked but she figured he must have a reason for it.  Even if it wasn’t strictly advantageous or disadvantageous it had to bring something to the table his normal form did not otherwise why would he bother going to the trouble of taking a different form like that in the first place.   But before she could attempt to puzzle that out further it was forgotten as Nakaba explained to her why her idea to use jutsu to toss the gravel into the pit wasn’t a good fit for the situation.

“Wow there’s a lot more to consider here then I was expecting. This construction business is pretty complicated” she commented. She’d never even considered relations with the civilians or how this job was helping them.  She’d just been focused on the ends, not the means.  She wanted to help them, but she could have hurt them instead in her quest to be efficient.   

“I’m glad you’re here to help Toru.” she said her face beaming with delight at being told that only his friends could call him by his first name.  Honestly she was a bit surprised since she had assumed that Nakaba WAS his first name.  She’d already considered themselves to be friends but this just clinched it which made her extremely happy. 

“I would have just bulldozed my way though things if I had been left on my own.”  she admitted.   Trying to think about the best way to do things when it wasn’t black and white made her head hurt.    She would have opted for the shortest most direct route.  Sure that would have gotten the job done quicker, but not necessarily better. 

Following him she tried to follow his advice. This new running form of his was as efficient as advertised.  She could feel the wind rushing past her cheeks, almost like when she was doing a Body flicker only she had more control over her movements, not being restricted to only a straight line.  

“Only a bit tiring? I’m not sure how long I could keep this up.” She commented.  In comparison to most of her other physical traits her stamina was only a little above average.  The debuff she was taking for not being a proper black belt Taijutsu user meant this new technique was seriously cutting into her reserves.


[7]


Learning Perfect Form: Sprinting (468/150)



Hibiki 99/110 Chakra
-5 Steel Release: Impervious Armour Stage 1
-1 Perfect Form: Sprinting
= 93/110 remaining

-Stamina is temporarily D+ while running from the PErfect Form: Sprinting debuff

"Only a bit tiring, You'll get used to it. While you run this technique burns you out, but once you are still this technique allows you to more or less recover from the excessive exhaustion." The technique wasn't really supposed to be taught to novices. He was warned many times that it could be fatal if improperly used, but he was hopeful that Hibiki's chakra reserves would recover. At least on the surface level Nakaba seemed to be having a blast as they sprinted through the streets with their wheel barrels. "I believe with my entire heart that the surest way to success is with painstaking, slow moving hard work, Hibiki." Getting to the site he would dump the rumble that he collected and carried in his wheel barrel. "So what do you think Hibiki?" Nakaba would stand with a hand on his hip. He was looking curiously at Hibiki. "Do you want to keep going, do you want to gather a group of civvies, or do you want to take a break for the day? There's a lot of work to be done, but if you have other missions or obligations you should handle those." Nakaba would patiently wait for Hibiki's anwer.

“So it’s more for short bursts then. I can’t see myself winning too many races with this.” commented Hibiki.  It was useful but the way it ate into her reserves could be trouble even if she recovered the energy quickly once she finished running it’d be all too easy to cross some hidden line she really shouldn’t and end up in the hospital if she wasn’t careful. 


Speaking of energy she dropped the steel covering her arms. No need to keep that running if she wasn't going to be punching anything for the moment. It wasn't like keeping it up had any other particular befits. Using it had made it slightly easier to destroy rocks without hurting her hands but she would have pulverized them just the same, the only difference being it might take her two hits instead of one.


At least moving the wheel barrel wasn’t too hard. It was amazing what a single wheel and a little leverage from the handles could do.  The weight of the gravel was enough that even she couldn’t straight up lift it up despite her enhanced strength.  

“Yah, you’re probably right about that Toru.” Hibiki emphatically agreed with him. “Trying to take shortcuts to get better usually comes at a steep cost….” she said with a slightly haunted look in her eyes.  She would know after all.  The experiments that had been done to her to try and get a stronger Tetsudashi with less time and training had worked after a fashion, but the damage it had done to her mind was virtually irreversible.  

She’d never be able to do stuff like write out advanced math equations or even read a proper novel. The kind without pictures.   Those waste-bags at Hades had deprived her of so very very much.  If only she could personally punch them to death, let them recover for a while then punch them to death again.  

She stopped at being asked what she thought. Now that was a question she hadn’t been asked very often before.  None of the scientists at Hades had ever given a damn about her thoughts and even now a lot of people considered her too stupid to bother consulting about ideas.

“I think…I think I should keep going.  Even if  Big Sis hadn’t asked me to fill this hole, leaving a job half finished just doesn’t sit right with me.”  she said a half frown on her face as she crossed her arms thinking even harder than before about the next step to take, concentrating so that she could push the fog in her mind aside for a few brief moments.

“It’s tempting to just leave all the thinking to you, Toru.” she admitted,  “But if I did that I’d just be a liar… no that’s not the right word.  I’d just be a lia…liability.”  even her mind clear some words where still a struggle.  She was thinking faster and clearer then normal, but if she wasn’t careful anything she came up with in this state would be like a mixed up puzzle the moment her focus slipped. 

“We could get this done pretty quickly if it was just the two of us… but I think we should get the civilians anyway.  Even if that means it takes longer to finish, it’ll help them more in the long run to let them help us, rather than just do everything ourselves.”   Hopefully he wouldn’t ask her to explain why she felt that way because it would be hard for her to put into words even in her current state.  

The sense of pride they would gain from accomplishing a difficult task. This money stuff they would earn which seemed kind of important given how much everyone seemed to want it.  Endearing more good will among the community.   It was the most optimal solution she could come up with with the information she had available to her.  Maybe Toru could come up with something better but he had asked for her opinion so she’d done just that and given it to him. 


[8]


Hibiki 93/110 Chakra
-5 Focused Mind Ua
 = 88/110 remaining

Focused Mind: By focusing very hard on her thinking processes Hibiki is capable of boosting her Intelligence by +1 tier in exchange for lowering her Perception by -1 tier and a cost of 5 cp.

Stats
Intelligence: E (E+ lifestyle) > D+
Perception: C < D

Nakaba would activate his sensory technique for only a moment, extending his range like a pulse of a radar before silencing the technique. "Your chakra levels are above average even for a genin, I would give yourself more credit. That technique is meant for people like me that have low chakra efficiency, but good endurance. It does make you tired, but if all you need to do is run it is more chakra efficient than any ninjutsu. You're right though that technique is primarily meant for use when you've mastered moving the physical energy in your body."

Nothing the haunted look in her eyes, Nakaba wouldn't pry just yet. He had his life, and Hibiki had her own. It is hard to talk about the traumas and hardships that sculpt us into the people who we are. Unbeknownst to Nakaba, that might have been very literal for the young genin. For a moment he would look at her with worry in his eyes, but it would quickly change to a patient acceptance. If it is a problem, then I just need to make myself available to help, and she'll hopefully come to me when she's ready.

It'll likely help you as well. Nakaba had been working with contractors like this his entire life. He shared their idiosyncrasies, and he normally would've taken this as a job or a mission. It just didn't seem right to him this time. He had been accepted under the banner of Konohagakure. This was him proving to its people that he belonged here with them. He was not a weapon, but a force for change and growth in the Land.

"I don't agree with your train of thought. It's too internally focused. It's not that you leaving the whole process to me would make you a liability, but instead that you working with me makes us allies. Mutual equilateral exchange is the bedrock of friendship. Thinking about what another needs and desires, and taking the time out of your day to give it to them. That's the gift we get to give to this community. From where I stand you're more than capable enough as it is."

Nakaba would pause to think carefully as Hibiki had done earlier, and as he had done before, countless times, before speaking again. "Hibiki, you are only as much of a liability as you let yourself be. I don't know who made you feel that way before, but stand proud. You have a good head on your shoulders and good instincts." The man kept the rest of his thoughts to himself. From his pulse earlier he'd seen a few teams nearby. Nakaba would give a strangely specific whistle call. At the top of his lungs he'd yell, "We need ten with wheel barrels to take the gravel that's arrived at the gate to the dump site!" It wouldn't be fast, but they'd meet the duo there. "Hibiki let's go make some more gravel. Till the Sun sets!"

Nakaba would slow down and begin casually walking towards the gate. "Physical energy is the energy that fuels Taijutsu. Like so." Nakaba maintaining his pace he'd take a bigger than normal step before delivering a quick hard to follow kick into the air. A lightning fast strike that almost came out of nowhere, and Nakaba was back to walking as normal. "I personally believe that it's also responsible for things like staying awake and training long hours. This is the area that I train the hardest in."

Slowly Nakaba would make the dragon hand seal. "Your mental energy is the other component of your chakra. It is responsible for Jutsu that deal with the mind like Genjutsu." Pointing around the corner Nakaba would identify a shadowy figure that would vanish as quickly as it appeared. "This is sometimes the creation of illusions, sometimes it's something much more nefarious. These mental energies are, in my opinion, responsible for things like focus or studying." Having released the technique, he'd continue his pace.

Making the Snake hand seal and then placing his two hands palms facing each other strands of chakra would wind out of his finger tips, and begin spiraling together. Chakra was coming out of his fingers like this as well when he moved his other form at the kage's office. "When we delicately intertwine these two energies, that is how we get chakra. Most ninja are prodigious enough to do this subconsciously, but most people have to study for years to even cast the most basic of jutsu. I'm in the second group." A small ball of threads would form between his hands before he dispelled it.

Carefully listening to what she had to say, Nakaba heard what sounded like understanding in her voice regarding being targeted with malice.  "I don't feel like I'm being patient. You've been incredibly helpful to me and the rest of the folks working here already. If I had to guess I would bet that you also didn't spend your childhood in a ninja academy being hand fed information on ninjutsu. Not to be rude, but I've heard rumors that you and Lady Hokage's whole family were cast out of your clan as outcasts."

Nakaba had forgotten about the bands of light glowing on him. He'd wince as he noticed how deeply into his chakra reserves he'd burned. "If that's all of your questions lets get smashing!" Nakaba would begin barraging the rocks with punches, collecting them into piles, barraging the rubble, putting them into piles, and continuing on and on until he was interrupted. The contractors would arrive sometime afterwards, but they'd slowly start filling up wheel barrels. It really did look like this pace would have them here all day.

Teaching:

Jutsu used, but not taught:

“Oh so that’s how it works.”  Hibiki said as she nodded along with Toru’s explanation. She’d always just thought of chakra as being energy that was derived from your spirit.  The idea that it had a physical component was fascinating to the extreme.   If she was to believe what he was telling her, and why would she not then she was pretty good on the physical side but not so much on the mental one.  Maybe that’s why her chakra growth had hit a roadblock.  It didn’t matter how much physical energy she could provide if the mental half couldn’t keep up.  

She’d always been quick to pick up physical related tricks. It was why she had little trouble copying the taijtusu that Toru was showing her.   As she showed her a couple new ways to punch and kick she mirrored them, albeit a little less efficiently.   She wouldn’t be able to use any of the additional effects that came with those techniques, but well she could still a least use them.

Ninjutsu was a little tricker but she could do some as long as it belonged to an element she already knew.  Ask her to cast a water jutsu and well she wouldn’t get very far no matter how long she tried.

Genjutsu or Illusions were another story since they ran off brain power which she had precocious little of.   As such she really wasn’t good at learning those.  She mentally noted the process that Toru had used for the Mist Servant down in her head.  Repeating the information three times to make sure that she committed it to memory.   That one was going to take a bit…well more like a lot of practice on her own before she would be able to cast it reliably. 

“Heh.” Hibiki chuckled weakly. “You’re not wrong but you’re not quite right either.”  she said evasively.  She’d never so much as set foot into an academy but at the same time Hades had hand fed her techniques in a way.  Most of what she had learned before coming to this village had been burned into her brain through the use of malicious illusions. It was supposedly faster then teaching people the old fashioned way but it had given her a general aversion towards Genjtusu which was the real reason she had trouble learning new ones that went beyond the restrictions of her mental disability. 

“To be honest I’m not actually related to Airi.. er to the Lade Hokage.” she said to clear up that particular misunderstanding. She wasn’t sure if he knew her first name so she made sure to tack on the Lady Hokage part at the end, almost as an afterthought.   

“I just call her big sis because she’s the one who saved me and gave me my name.”    she continued being stupidly honest and unguarded as usual,letting a little bit of her past slip.  Even with her focus up making her mind a little clearer for a short while her basic personality remained the same. 

Following Toru’s example she too began to mindlessly break rocks and other rubble down. It was a repetitive task, but she was suited to those since they didn’t require much thinking to accomplish. 


[11]



Learning

Straight + _  
Perfect Form: Invisible Strike
Mist Servant Technique
539 /400 words



Perfect Form: Kick (Hibiki is C-rank so 0 words required) 

Hibiki 88/110 Chakra
-3 Straight +-
-3 Perfect Form: Invisible Strike

-1 Perfect Form: Kick
 = 81/110 remaining

Mindlessly breaking down rubble, it was easy to move from spot to spot as Nakaba chopped, punched, and battered the rocks into submission. He could feel his entire train of thought skip over Hibiki's declaration that she wasn't related to the Kage. The looked incredibly related. The bright red hair and eyes like the ocean. "Eeeeehhhhh? By the Sage! I'm sorry for making the assumption. I didn't mean to touch on a sensitive subject. That was so tepid." Nakaba looked almost dazed as he tried to regain his composure. "Excuse me." With a deep breath he'd cool down a little. "I'm glad that you found each other. It's hard to find people that care for you like that. As scary as she is, she is a great Kage." Maybe it's because she's so scary that she's a great Kage, not that Nakaba would say that part out loud. Refocusing, Nakaba noticed that Hibiki's form was pretty good for a novice. He wouldn't press the matter any further. "By the way Hibiki, why are you entering the Chunin Exams?" Completely changing the subject, Nakaba didn't think now was an appropriate time to talk on what seemed like a sensitive subject.

Not knowing Natsuki's name, Nakaba barely stifled a laugh as he imagined a bishounen with long hair flowing in the wind. He could feel his face flushing as mirth threatened to pour out from his sides. The mirth died down a little as it struck Nakaba what that likely meant. Saved resonated in his head. A thousand silent questions rang through Nakaba's mind as he refined his focus. "You'll likely find many more." It was only natural for people to bounce questions back on you, but it looked like Nakaba hadn't predicted that he'd have to answer this one. "I'm in it to get famous, and I want to prove some things to myself." It was a little embarrassing, but that was how he felt. As he continued crushing the rocks to rubble, his eyes narrowed into focus.

As Nakaba started getting into the flow of things, he started moving into chained combos. His brain began flowing a little more clearly. "I hope that you can find a reason that is internally focused. I would love to hear that you have some more selfish reasons later on." He'd hold the thought tender in his heart for a moment, but he wouldn't try to change her mind. He didn't love the way that it felt though.

"She has a speech impediment. Her name is Innocence." There was no judgement or apology in Nakaba's voice. He was simply stating facts about the world. "If you want to be good friends with her, I think you should start by working out what her speech impediment is called and how it works." Hearing her call Innocence a friend, Nakaba would seamlessly attempt to nip this misunderstanding in the bud. Hopefully, at least, this'll get them to continue in a healthier direction.

Nakaba would strike a pose with a large grin. "They better watch out, all the men in the area won't be able to handle me." He flexed all of his muscles, he wasn't exceptionally strong, but he was very well toned. Nakaba was a man who had been doing this kind of work his entire life. That was written all over his body. He'd make a fairly decent statue.

"Hibiki, those things and the circumstances around them. will change your entire life, and it'll be important that you and your circumstances change with them in order to keep them. Not that the Exam can make that happen, but you can't let yourself get too stale." Nakaba's breathing would pick up, but it didn't really seem like he was getting tired or his pace was too fast as he continued to pulverize rocks.

“I’d like that.” Nakaba had some other thoughts, but they could wait till tomorrow.
[Exit]