Chương 16: Investigation Difficulties/Brute Force
Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction based on multiple existing anime/manga series. The characters and settings used in this story belong to their respective owners and creators, and no copyright infringement is intended. This story is purely for entertainment purposes and is not intended to infringe upon any existing intellectual property. I do not own any of the original works that inspired this fanfiction, and I fully support the original creators and their works.
-Story Start-
-The Next Day: Morning Time-
-Third Person POV-
At a small improvised campsite - two individuals of contrasting ages begin to awaken at the first contact of sunlight on their unmoving figures.
The young boy of the duo immediately begins his daily routine, grabbing his necessities from the shadows - Their weight, negligible.
The Elder does much of the same, although taking out his necessities from his backpack and storage scrolls, much to the amusement of the boy who smirked at the Elder smugly.
Who ignored him obviously.
This duo was of course Student and Teacher.
Nara Akira and Nara Eiichi respectively.
-Akira POV-
As I felt the early morning warmth of the Spring Season, I took a deep breath.
My elder, done with his daily necessities simply observed my relaxation with an odd look, "Akira, you stated we'd be done by today, yet you take your time. I am curious as to what you've got in store."
"...Oh, now you are curious about my plans?" I looked at him with skepticism.
At that, he gave me a short smile, "I never stated that I wasn't intrigued by your plans Akira, quite the contrary - I'd like to hear what you've managed to come up with. For one, you seem to have figured out where the Bandits are located according to what you drew yesterday."
Took a peek at my sketched map didn't ya?
I rolled my eyes and wordlessly pulled out the map of the area from the shadows, approaching and sitting beside Eiichi, and placing the sketched map on the ground.
I couldn't help but smile with a touch of satisfaction as I looked at the sketched-out map. "I have to admit, I did a fine job with this one."
At which Eiichi hummed neutrally, neither confirming nor denying that factual statement - to my dismay.
The map of the area showed a zone of around 800 Square Miles- An extremely large area indeed for a search of a group of bandits.
On the map are hundreds of small towns and or villages with their names marked.
I began explaining, "As you know - This is the only map of the area available and cartography isn't something I know or have been taught. So I had to work with what I had. If you notice there is a large circle that includes some towns that are marked in red and are also numbered. These towns along with numbers represent the known victims of the Bandit group that I've been able to gather thus far. The numbers and the date between them should be self-explanatory as the chronological order of incidents." I pointed at the towns and the sketched dates along with the circle on the map.
Eiichi hummed at my analysis, "I see, and this circle I presume is the search area?"
I nodded, "More or less, but it's more to indicate the rough region these bandits have marked as their "Territory". Through the incidents and the other sketched areas Saito-san provided, it seems they indicate ganglike behavior so that's what I've been going with. My reasoning behind why this is their rough area is simple - Unless their main base is in the center of this circle. A rather idiotic position in hindsight which eliminates that option, some towns that are outside of the drawn circle would have been a better option to raid than those inside of the circle, both in terms of distance and in terms of profitability - I have eliminated reasons such as potential wealth and ability to hire Shinobi for those towns - Making them a prime target for our would-be group. The conclusion is simple: They have a set territory of a circle 11 Miles in radius and all the eight towns that are within said circle, any towns beyond that territory are not included. But that still doesn't answer two things for me. Why only this small territory? In theory, they could expand, and there might be an explanation as to why they decided only this much - Perhaps they aren't greedy, maybe they lack the manpower to manage this much territory before problems arise, and so on. Nothing concrete. The second is the motivation and reasoning behind this way of life... Nevertheless, If you take a closer look at the circle there are three even smaller circles that I have sketched that are - In my opinion, these are the possible positions of their base, or perhaps they have outposts. Both in terms of tactical positioning - They would probably not make an outpost in an open and visible area like some of the grasslands on the map. It is worth noting that the number of Bandits that have come to raid towns has always been different. The bandits hide their faces and the numbers are always between 45 to 87 at the largest incident." I completed my narration by releasing a deep exhale.
Phew, that was a lot.
Eiichi took only a second to understand my words as he proceeded to express his opinion, "Not bad, well done thus far Akira. But you are overthinking it. The motivation behind the bandits' decisions and their way of life is inconsequential," He shook his head, "Do Not try to understand them or sympathize with them. Their motivations are strictly a means to an end - you must only understand their methods, mechanical, and cold. Do not sink into their human nature for the sake of understanding - Sink into their mind and thought process for the sake of completing the Mission."
I sighed deeply, "I know."
He patted my shoulder encouragingly, a rare gesture of his as he continued, "Back on topic - You said this will be done by tomorrow, but reaching these suspected areas as well as searching them would surely take a few days."
I shook my head, "I meant we were done with information gathering - now is the time to find them and form a plan of action."
He stated simply, "Information gathering never ends Akira."
I clicked my tongue, "Semantics, you know what I mean! Of course, I wouldn't be against getting more information - but what I have on hand is enough to execute the next phase of the plan. Finding them and evaluating a proper plan of action."
Eiichi continued to lecture nevertheless, "Arrogance and Underestimating your opponent is a way towards an early grave Akira."
Okay, now he's just repeating himself.
"Eiichi-sensei, you're starting to sound like a broken record," I said with a sigh. I shifted my gaze from the map to Eiichi, my patience wearing thin. "We've been through this lecture before. Do you doubt I've gathered sufficient information?"
He shook his head, a small smirk of amusement on his face, "I am simply observing and reminding you of our lessons Akira, Nothing else."
"...Could you please stop imitating your colleague on this trip? I can only manage to tolerate his antics for a day a week at most."
Eiichi kept his smirk as he replied, "You've been doing fine thus far with my attempts to get under your skin, will you submit this far in the game?"
...I'm ignoring him.
...Wait a damned minute, there is no way this guy would irritate me like this. There's a purpose here isn't there?
Eiichi may have been imitating Makoto - but he sure isn't as sadistic as that bastard.
There's something fishy here.
What am I missing?
Is my plan wrong?
A minute passes by as Eiichi silently observes my state of deep thinking.
...I think I got it.
At that though, my face tightens as I get more serious as I state a flaw in my overall conclusions, "There is only one perhaps major issue in my theory and presumed location of the whereabouts of these bandits."
Eiichi, with a knowing smile that has a hint of pride in it, asks, "And what is that issue?"
My eyes narrowed at the sketched map, "The time gap between incidents. It's too long between each to limit these bandits' territory to this 11-mile radius circle... If they are as smart and methodical as I suspect they are, their base is... Beyond the territory, that they have marked as their own. Beyond this circle." I remarked as I made a concerning and troublesome revelation - the possibility of them hiding outside of their supposed "Marked territory".
Shit. If this is true, this complicates things - A lot.
...From the people I've managed to bribe in Mizugawa Town and ask in Lavender Town, there have been no reports of where the bandits have gone after a successful ransacking or taking of "Territory Tax".
The victims going after and tracking the bandits would warrant a death wish so I can't blame them...
Ah... What a hassle, and here I thought I was practically done with estimating where these bastards were.
Just great, send a Nara on a tracking mission instead of a Hyuga, Aburame, or even a damned Inuzuka.
...Yes the Ten Shadows is versatile - allowing for even tracking with Noc and Mir, but give me a damn break!
I took a look at Eiichi's face to gauge his response - He nodded, "Yes, that is also a valid possibility" He said, clearly not willing to elaborate on his own conclusions, leaving this solely up to me.
Hmm... What to do, what to do.
I guess for now, I'll be optimistic and search the suspected areas - If I find nothing I'll go fish for more information.
But I'm on a time limit, I have to finish this and arrive back home before the 3-week leave I got from the Academy is complete.
...If it comes to it I'll have to risk subtlety and brute force a search with Nue from the sky.
Why would that be a risk of subtlety? Well, An abnormally large owl creature flying in the sky would warrant a few raised eyebrows - Hinting at the usual case of a Shinobi using the Summoning Jutsu. And that would get them to tighten their guard, making this considerably harder than it should be.
I stood up from my sitting position and I grabbed the map with a resolute expression on my face, "Let's go." I announced to Eiichi.
He followed up shortly, following my lead to the first suspected area.
-Time Skip-
-1 Day Later-
-Evening Time-
The first suspicious area and the result is:
...Nothing, absolutely fucking nothing.
I ordered Noc and Mir to spread out and search the area - pinging me if they noticed any noticeable collection of chakra signatures.
It didn't take long for them to scour the entire circle before they pinged me back nothing. Hell, I even had chakra to spare another search multiple times over.
"It's not this one..." I announced tiredly to Eiichi who awaited on a tree branch, sitting at his leisure reading a book.
He hopped off the tree in an instant and said, "I see, then shall we depart to the next one?"
I nodded tiredly, "Yeah... In case the last spot doesn't contain the Bandits, we'll go to the one farthest away from the latest victim of the Bandits - So I can gather information if need be after checking the closest spot to that town."
They are all around a day's worth of travel apart...
Ah... Two to go.
-Time Skip-
-1 Day Later-
-Night Time-
Eiichi sipped his tea casually and asked, "Did you find them?"
I responded flatly, "What do you think?"
He snorted, "Next spot then, but tomorrow, I'm afraid I'm too old to travel at night, I must get my sleep on time."
Too old to travel at night, this guy's sense of humor has been on point lately...
I waved my hand in dismissal, "Yeah I know, I'm not keen on traveling right now as well, I'll go to sleep as well."
As you can see, spot number 2 has come up empty.
If I'm this frustrated, I'd bet Noc and Mir are even more so.
Searching for something that wasn't there, but the loyal wolves persevered.
They don't need food but I might as well see if I can feed them some snacks.
...A little insensitive of me to only think of giving them treats after being together for so long.
Anyways...
As a side note, we've met one traveling merchant on one of the paved roads on the way here.
After questioning him, or more like bribing him to answer my questions he didn't really tell me anything new about the bandits in this area, unfortunately.
Making me waste precious Ryo.
What I have discovered is that these Bandits clever fuckers as they are - Ignore and allow passage to Merchants without ever disturbing them or anything of the sort.
Since the merchant has been trading with the surrounding area, I've also learned that the people in these towns aren't really kind or generous people.
At first, I credited it to a rough financial situation and circumstances - Evident in Mizugawa Town as a result of them being ransacked by Bandits.
According to that merchant - It's a trait shared by almost all of the towns, regardless of being a victim of banditry.
Except Lavender Town, where the residents seemed to be generous with their information, as well as the cheap cost of the map. I had to insist on paying for it as well - You know for a noble impression and all so they'll be much more eager in divulging information.
...Did that fisherman Saito lie to me?
No, he didn't.
If I analyze the encounter, at worst he simply leveraged the rough situation they were in as a justification for payment.
Then again, I shouldn't expect someone to draw on my map for free. A proper payment should be granted.
But what about showing some consideration for a traveling duo of Child and Old Man?
...Get a grip Akira, don't get suspicious.
If I want to get a better and more proper grip on the people of this area, I'll have to go to the latest town that was a victim of the bandits to gather information and interact.
...And I had such a great first impression from the residents of Lavender Town.
Especially that mesmerizing Emi-san...
Ahem!
Hopefully, though, I don't have to go and gather information from the latest town.
If something goes as planned - The last spot should contain the Bandits and I can go onto phase two.
-Time Skip-
-1 Day Later-
-Night Time-
The comfortable and yet chilly night characteristic of Springtime in The Land Of Fire was upon us.
Eiichi, paragon of wisdom that he is, sat on a log as he sipped on a blend of lavender tea he had purchased in Lavender Town - His tea addiction coming out strong as usual.
"So? Did you-" Eiich questioned with a neutral expression on his face, staring at the very "Enthusiastic" me who was currently back from scanning a hill with a cave for bandits.
Only for me to cut him off, "Not! Another word! We're going to town at dawn..." I mutter tiredly and with but a twinge of irritation on my face, dismissing Noc and Mir once they've reported back that there was absolutely fucking nothing there.
I mean... A hill and a cave?
Isn't that like the classic bandit hideout in Fantasy Manga or Isekai Manga?
At that, Eiichi went into his lecture mode, "Take this as a lesson in being more meticulous when gathering information and not rushing through the mission. We've just wasted three days searching where you suspected these bandits were located, and we've got nothing to show for it, not even any additional clues. Imagine, if you'd taken more time to gather all the facts and fill the gaps in your plan, we might have finished this mission by now."
I sighed, "Yeah, I figured... Well, there's really nothing I can do but learn from this, no point on mopping on this and we should focus on the mission - lesson learned."
With my words, Eiichi responded with a small smile, "Good, we'll move tomorrow."
This was the fastest way to make him get out of his lecture mode - Agree with him and don't complain.
It's not that he's wrong - I concede that I may have been too quick in forming conclusions.
Apparently, I'm not as smart as I thought I was.
Or this wasn't as simple as I thought it would be.
Or both...
I just wanted to get this over with. I am not in the mood for lectures - No matter how correct they are.
Welp, it's a good thing we checked this spot last - The town that was the latest victim of Bandit activities is relatively close to here, so we should get there before midday tomorrow.
...Now what was its name again?
Too lazy to even pull out the map this late in the night to check...
-Time Skip-
-1 Day Later-
-Morning Time-
Our destination proved to be a more refreshing landscape, up on a forested hill, the town of Ushioka could be roughly outlined.
This town, thanks to its location and spread of trees characteristic of the Land Of Fire was fairly well-hidden.
To the point, it'd be a bit annoying to search for it without a map.
...It is also ironically more hidden than the "Hidden" Leaf Village.
Still don't get what's so "Hidden" about my literal City of a Village.
On my way up the hill with Eiichi following my every step, I notice cows and cattle wandering around freely.
By the by, this town's name is literally translated to: "Cow Hill".
A town that sustains itself through cattle farming - producing milk, meat, leather, and more.
Oh, and it's also on a hill?
Very creative naming.
Nevertheless, basking in scenery isn't what I'm here for.
Partially.
Anyways, Eiich and I arrive at the gates and are greeted by a rather unfriendly and extremely on guard - guard.
It didn't take much convincing to let us go through.
A Ryo here, a Ryo there... These guys are really cheap to convince.
What? Of course, I didn't start by bribing outright, if I did it'd be suspicious - there's an order to these things!
Inside the town, the architecture wasn't much different than Lavender Town.
What is different is the bloody smell.
It smells like bullshit.
Literally.
An Inuzuka would have a field day here for sure.
Hehe.
Eiichi's words snapped me out of my amusement, "Akira, wipe that grin off your face; we're being observed." He said as we walked the grassy path - paved for the sake of creating some kind of pathway.
Yeah, this town rarely gets any visitors in comparison to the last towns I've been to.
Lavender Town seems to be a central town economically and supply chain-wise in this relative area despite its size.
Mizugawa Town is one of the vacation spots for fishermen who travel or want to take a vacation.
This town rarely receives visitors, except for merchants and residents from the neighboring towns who come here to trade.
Their latest visitors being Bandits, so it's no wonder they are observing me and Eiichi.
...Why is everyone so on guard with a child and bloody grandfather?
I get the fact that a grandfather is dangerous - if by chance he is a war veteran he could wipe them out if he wants to.
But me? Come on! I'm no Itachi Uchiha!
...Onto questioning the locals.
Further ahead I see a Teenage Girl of around 14 years of age give or take 1 or 2. The point is she's just at the start of puberty.
Dirty and short beige hair that is unorganized, clothes that are brown with dirt and have a twinge of green from the grass on them.
Calloused hands - Indicating hard work.
Why I chose her is simple, she doesn't seem to care and glare at me and Eiichi in suspicion like the rest of the small crowd here, she is focused on leading the cattle she is currently holding by a rope somewhere - Determination in her eyes to do her alleged work.
Focused on something more important than glaring in suspicion at a duo of Child and Old Man - A trait I can respect.
As well as being determined to get the job done - Also something I can respect.
Little is relative of course, I probably barely reach her abdominal area in terms of height.
I don't have much Ryo left for bribing, so I hope this girl won't empty my pockets.
Here goes.
"Excuse me, miss!" My innocent and squeaky voice shines through as I approach her.
She barely glanced at me, her voice curt and dismissive, "Not interested! Go away!", continuing to walk ahead and pass me by with her cattle.
...Sometimes, I think peace was never an option.
Luckily for them, it is an option now - I've got cash.
At that, in a feat of surprising speed, I ran ahead of her and appeared in her front vision, "Oh, I'm sure you'll be very interested~" I pulled out a small amount of Ryo bills from my pocket's shadow.
Which equates to a hefty amount of Ryo in this little town.
Her brown eyes widen slightly as she stops and tilts her head at me, a glare mixed with interest in irritation I surmised, "Okay, I'll hear ya out, Kid from who knows where. But get to the point - I have work to do."
Hmm, straight to the point, a trait I'm familiar with and appreciate.
I'll reciprocate, "Let's get to the point, Miss. I want to know everything about the bandits who attacked this town - what they did, where they came from, all the details, and I'm willing to pay a good sum for it." I smiled as I waved the money around in her face.
The girl smirked at my attitude and words, "Ya sure know how things run around here, that makes it easy... Give me that." She took my Ryo in a flash, pocketing it in her... Uncouth pants.
Coughing she started, "Well, there ain't much to say - They came here demanding Ryo that is fit to what we can produce, we talked with other towns prior about the bandits and they always fit the amount they ask with the town's financial situation... We suspected we had traitors or spies or somethin... We at first refused to give payment but then they... Grabbed me and threatened to hurt me and ransack the village. At that, my father caved in and paid em the price they were asking for." She added the last part with a mix of sadness and rage.
Seeing her expression, I ventured, "Do you blame yourself that your father—whom I assume is the town leader—had to pay? Is that why you're working so hard now?"
Her eyes narrowed dangerously at my rather personal question, "That wasn't part of the deal brat. Don't be asking private questions."
I smiled placatingly, raising my arms in surrender, "Sorry, sorry... Is there anything of note you could tell me of the ones who grabbed you? Something about them that stood out?"
So far... There's nothing new here, except the threat to hurt her - They have a code of honor, but perhaps hurting is alright and killing is not?
Though if it were the case, such a weakness would be abused and for Bandits to not kill and only hurt would prove to be... Unfruitful.
Pragmatically speaking of course.
At that, her face softened a bit and her expression became contemplative, "Erm... The one who grabbed me wore a mask, she was a woman judging by the breasts and she smelled of Lavender. Maybe bought or stole one of them perfumes from Lavender Town or somethin."
Hmm, again there's nothing useful here at al-
...
Wait a minute.
The smell of Lavender?
Surely not...
No, it can't be Lavender Town - It's too farfetched, there were no clues that it was the residents there.
The bandits - specifically the ladies might have bought or even stolen from the owners of said perfume.
It seems far-fetched... I'll investigate if this Lavender scent is a consistent marker.
"I see... Did you, by any chance, get to smell any of the other men or women from the bandit group? Did any of them have a distinctive scent like Lavender?" I rubbed my chin as I continued questioning.
The girl put a hand on her hip and responded with a shake of her head, "Not at all brat. I only got to smell that whore's scent when she grabbed me. The rest of them kept their distance" A snarl of rage at the end of her sentence.
Damn.
I nodded without speaking and inquired, "Okay... Is there anything else?"
She nodded and continued to explain to me for around 10 minutes all the repetitive information I had already known.
I smiled and thanked her for the... Generous and Free help, "Thanks a lot for the info! Do you know someone else I could ask for more information?" I added
She gave me a toothy grin, "It was a pleasure doin business with ya brat. You could ask my Dad, but he'll be back in a week, he's off to negotiate something with a faraway town. I doubt ya and your old man will wait that long... We don't have any houses available for accommodating ya so you could go sleep at the barn, I'll prepare a wheat bed for ya if you want, you paid more than enough to earn that."
...Do I look like Satou Kazuma to you? I'm not sleeping in no barn, Missy! I'm Shinobi Royalty!
I shook my head and politely declined. "You're right; I won't be waiting that long, and a wheat bed won't be necessary. We'll be leaving by the end of the day. Thanks for your help! By the way, I'm Akira." I introduced myself just in case, extending my right arm in greeting.
Her grin widened as she grabbed my arm, and with surprising strength, she shook it. "No problem! As long as you paid, it's all fine. Name's Haruka Tanaka! I see you've quickly paid me up! What do you say about buying this cattle here? He's a healthy boy! Of the highest quality!" She introduced herself as well, giving me a sales pitch at the end of it.
...Great, Akira. Flaunt your money around and you'll be getting Sales pitches from countryside folk, left and right.
You reap what you sow I guess.
I smiled and waved goodbye, "Was nice talking with you! I'll be off!" I ignored her sales pitch and waved her goodbye rushing outa there with Eiichi walking at a steady pace.
...I'll have to ask other people and see if I learn anything new.
For now, if I don't find anything actually concrete, I'll have to rely on the tiny and perhaps inconsequential possibility Haruka gave me and investigate the areas surrounding Lavender Town... Maybe even the town itself.
-Time Skip-
-Night Time-
Eiichi and I made it out of the town to set up camp a decent distance away from it.
After questioning, more like bribing the residents to provide me with information.
I have learned... Absolutely nothing new.
My only Ryo left is what Uncle and Auntie gave me for emergencies.
This smug old man has yet to show his uses this trip besides the occasional needlessly enlightening lectures.
As the fire of our camp emitted warmth and light in the dark forest, Eiichi asked, "So Akira - What's the plan now?" His tone betrayed no emotions other than a trace of curiosity.
I shook my head in frustration, "Honestly... I'm at a dead end. These bandits are too good at what they do. If I had more time - I'd try to predict their next target and arrive there just in time to eliminate them. But then that wouldn't be an assassination mission in addition to being impossible with the time it'll take to figure out, plan, and for the aforementioned attack to happen. If I judge their relative times - the next attack would at the earliest be in 2 weeks. I have to be back in the Village in 2 weeks."
Frustrated, I turned to Eiichi. He asked, "What's your plan now? Not what would've been your plan. What's your current plan?"
Can't you catch a hint, old man? My plan is hanging by a tiny, tiny thread here.
Really, my only option here is to brute force a search with what I can vaguely guess might be where their base is, "My only clue now on where they are is the smell of Lavender of all bloody things. Perhaps it was paranoid of me to be suspicious of the Lavender Town residents - but after more time to think and judge, the chances that they are the actual bandits are really really low, it's a weak connection at best... Nevertheless, I'll probably search the surrounding area near Lavender Town. Perhaps the bandits exist right under the residents' noses. Lavender town is, after all, outside the "Marked" Territory."
At that, Eiichi hummed wordlessly, without a comment this time about my plans.
Is he pleased or disappointed?
Even I couldn't figure that one out.
Ah, I'll go to sleep and we'll head out tomorrow towards the surrounding area of Lavender Town and I'll hope for the best.
...Can I afford to fail this mission?
Probably.
Can the victims of the Bandits afford to continue living like this?
They can, but it's a rough regime and situation.
Ah... What a drag.
-Time Skip-
-2 Days Later-
-Morning Time-
Finally arriving around 5 miles away from Lavender Town, I'd decided to brute force a search for these bandits.
The strategy is pretty straightforward.
Search with Noc and Mir as long as the sun is up.
And when it's nighttime, search with Nue.
Taking breaks here and there to regenerate my Chakra and sleep.
Noc and Mir during the day because Nue is extremely eye-catching.
Nue's feathers are suited for the night so no one will see it when it's pitch dark outside.
Thankfully, Nue has night vision so it can tell me if we find anything.
Owl creature, remember?
In reality - It's pretty disappointing I'd resorted to having to use such a method to find the bandits.
And even then it isn't certain I'll find them here.
They seem to have been just that thorough, leaving me barely any clues as to where I can possibly find them.
...And that brings me to the current situation.
"Divine Dogs" I mutter as I form the dog Shadowgraphic handsign.
With that, liquid shadows move to form the familiar figures of Noc and Mir.
I stare at my loyal wolves and say, "You know the drill guys, let's get to work."
They nod and immediately dash in opposite directions, optimizing the limited range of their Chakra Detection, such so they don't intersect but also don't miss a single spot.
Their mental connection is a way to communicate their position amongst each other.
Although I say let's get to work. It's only Noc and Mir doing the search while I laze around and relax.
No, it's not because I'm lazy.
...Well it's partially because of that, but the actual reason is to optimize Chakra Regeneration.
Unfortunately, there isn't a strict and rigid variable to estimate how much Chakra you'll regenerate.
I'll elaborate.
For example's sake let's say you regenerate 1 Chakra per minute.
But that isn't the case at all times, sometimes it'll be 1, 1.5, 2, or even 3 Chakra, maybe even 0.5 Chakra per minute.
It fluctuates in a manner that is not measurable... Sadly.
What is known though - is that there are states in which Chakra Regeneration is strengthened and states in which it is weakened.
Some examples of Chakra Regeneration being strengthened are: when you meditate, sleep, are in a physically healthy condition - in terms of sustenance, and much more.
Examples of Chakra Regeneration being weakened are: Currently using chakra, exerting yourself physically or mentally, being hungry, injured etc...
Obviously, your Chakra Regeneration isn't affected by a single variable at a time. Instead, it is a culmination of all the variables that are currently in effect on your body which estimates how much Chakra you really will regenerate.
The point I'm trying to make here is that if I meditate and relax - I can keep Noc and Mir active for longer.
My Chakra drain from keeping Noc and Mir manifested will obviously overcome my natural regeneration.
However, meditating and relaxing buy me some extra time by boosting my natural Chakra regeneration so I can keep both manifested for slightly longer.
I'd say an extra minute or so on average.
Which is much more effective thanks to their Chakra Detection and superior speed than for me to run around in that minute and search for bandits, perhaps risking revealing myself accidentally.
...Though if I made that rookie mistake it'd be pretty embarrassing.
Akira, you are a rookie.
Yeah, yeah, voice of reason, I know. But no one asked you!
Thus... Hopefully, I'll be able to find these bandits way before my deadline.
Because finding them is one thing... Assassinating them is another.
Eiichi knows the drill by now as he is sitting beside me reading another book he brought with him silently, planning to not bother me in my meditation.
I sit in a meditative position and begin to control my breathing.
Ultimately, the plan is to clear a large search area around Lavender Town.
If I don't find them by then... I'll have to ask Eiichi for advice, to my dismay.
It'll be way too late to fish for information, find the bandits, and form a plan of action by then, leaving me with no choice but to seek advice from Eiichi.
...I'll hope for the best.
Ah, optimism.
-Time Skip-
-1 Day Later-
-Early Morning Time-
As I sat with my back leaned on a sturdy Hashirima Tree.
The wind blew, and a more chilly wind than usual breeze passed me by - By no means was it a comfortable chill.
Sounds of ruffled leaves and grass along with the breeze attempted to harshly break my concentration.
But despite these distractions, I remained firm in my meditation.
A ping in the back of my mind, however, was the straw that broke the camel's back and my meditation was released.
I blinked my eyes open and focused on the sixth sense connecting me and my Shikigami - specifically the currently manifested ones: Noc and Mir.
'Found Large Collection Of Human Chakra Signatures,' was the translation of the ping and my heart began to beat in a mixture of emotions, my mind began to form conclusions along said emotions in rapid-fire motion:
Satisfaction - Finally! I'm able to get to the next phase of the plan!
Excitement - It's time for actual real combat! Time to see how I hold up!
Fear And Anxiety - Killing people... Will it be easy? Will I succeed? Maybe they have a Shinobi among them?
My mind, through one simple message, was in disarray.
But... I've learned to deal with this.
Inhale
Exhale.
Calm down, Akira.
You need to confirm if these are really bandits firsthand.
If they are... Get to work.
For now... I need to wait for the next message from Noc and Mir as I ordered them in case they find a large collection of people.
Upon seeing my determined expression, Eiichi approached, "I assume you've gotten a hint of them?"
I nodded, "Nothing concrete - I'll have to wait until Noc and Mir are done with their orders before I send Whiskers in to confirm."
Eiichi hummed, "I presume Makoto has advised you in regards to the flaw your rabbit summon has in terms of information gathering and espionage?"
I waved him off, "Yeah, he already told me about the Whisker's fur color being white as a terrible flaw - Noticeable as well as suspicious since White Fur Rabbits aren't native to this part of the world."
I flashed a small smirk, "But I've come up with a solution!"
A hum of intrigue came out of Eiichi when I grabbed a storage scroll out of my shadows and unsealed it with a puff.
Out of it came...
A bucket of brown paint.
A logo of: "Konoha Premium Paints - Treebark Brown".
...That shit was expensive.
Wait! Wait! Don't go!
This is genius! I swear!
"I'll use this to paint the Original Whiskers and his clones will also be "Brown" furred rabbits when they copy his "Blueprint". Thus, they will all look natural and not suspicious in this mission."
A moment of silence passes me and Eiichi by, a little awkward, but I'm used to his contemplative silence.
"A... Rather simple solution to the issue you were presented. Not bad." Eiichi praised
I stood up and gave Eiichi a thumbs-up, "Simple is best, right?" I smirked
Eiichi grunted his agreement, and at the same time, another ping came my way.
I met eyes with Eiichi, "Hold on a moment, Noc and Mir reported back to me."
Okay... Good, they are done pinpointing the numbers.
Time to write it down.
I check the connection and see the messages they have transmitted to me.
...This connection has always been radio-like and it's odd.
Sad that I haven't really been able to do any delivery of messages.
So far I've only been on the receiving end.
Nothing has worked thus far...
Anyway!
'133 Total Human Signatures.' Noc reported
'Most, close together - 6 of them stay in place. Guard.' Mir reported as well.
133? That's more than the reports, but that makes sense, if they are bandits they'll never go full force on a tiny town.
Good, I'll be dismissing them now.
As they are large wolves and this is daytime, I can't safely have them scouting without alerting this group of people - It need not be emphasized that I ordered them to stay out of sight.
I felt the familiar Chakra Drain stop as I dismissed Noc and Mir who are quite far away from here.
But I'm glad...
The evidence points to this being the actual bandit group.
The reason is simple - They are a decently large settlement of people.
Enough to compose a tiny town.
As well as this camp area not being drawn on any map and them having guards stationed.
It doesn't confirm anything to me just yet.
But it has gone from a: "Maybe" to a "Very Likely".
Hmm...
I'll rest for a few hours to get back to perfect form and then I'll send Whiskers in.
Of course, not the entire army.
That'd be... Eye-catching.
However, after experimenting with Whiskers, there is an interesting utilization I have found with him.
It goes without saying - Especially thanks to this trick, that Whiskers is my most versatile Shikigami yet...
-Time Skip-
-A Few Hours Later-
Okay! Phase two!
"Rabbit Escape!" My hands form the shadowgraphic rabbit handsign, creating a hoard of hundreds of rabbits at willing the chakra - Liquid shadows move with impressive speed to form the bodies of said rabbits.
A familiar dip in my chakra, thrice as large as the dip I feel when Noc and Mir are summoned.
The Drain though... Is decreasing with every moment.
Because I'm dismissing the Whisker's Clones.
The bodies of hundreds of Rabbits melt away...
Leaving but a party of around 22 Rabbits.
"Hmm..." I hum, concentrating on the feeling of my Chakra.
My sensitivity and awareness of my own Chakra have been a topic of intrigue for both my teachers and Uncle.
They amount it to my Kekkei Genkai - How it makes me intimately familiar with my own chakra pool as I have to be aware of my own Chakra pool at every moment as well as the fact that it is constantly being drained upon its usage.
This is consistent with other Chakra Draining Kekkei Genkai like the Byakugan and Sharingan - Its users are intimately familiar with when to turn it off and on and are always on point and sensitive to their own Chakra pool.
By all means, this explanation makes sense to my own keen awareness of my own Chakra pool.
Though, personally, I like to credit this acute sensitivity to my status as a reincarnated individual who originally didn't have chakra.
...What? Ten Shadows doesn't make me special enough!
Nevertheless, as I focus on my own Chakra drain - I am satisfied with the results.
Regardless of the ever-fluctuating natural Chakra regeneration that I have.
Currently, my Natural Regeneration is stronger than the drain I feel of having 21 Whiskers Clones along with the Original Whiskers himself.
To give a mathematical example - Let's say I regenerate in my current resting state 5 Chakra per minute.
The current party of Whiskers drains 3 Chakra per Minute.
Thus, I regenerate 2 Chakra per minute.
Technically... I can keep these guys manifested forever.
Err... Pretty broken if you ask me.
And no, 22 Whisker's Clones isn't overrated.
I kept this low amount of rabbits just in case my chakra fluctuated in regeneration and not to draw suspicion.
I have to be in tip-top condition for Phase 3 later on!
Their uses, after all, are not in combat - but espionage.
At that, "Original Whiskers get over here!"
Of course, I can differentiate between who the Original Whiskers is and who's a clone when I try and dismiss them, and yet I can't see the difference visually speaking.
Odd, but I work with what I have...
I dismiss the 21 Whiskers Clones and Original Whiskers in his lonesome arrives beside me.
A deadly serious and perhaps even homicidal expression on his face.
There is no doubt in my mind this creature thirsts for the blood of men.
...Glad he's on my side!
I lower myself to reach for the Paint Bucket.
With a metallic screech, the rather expensive lid of the high-quality TreeBark Brown Paint is taken off.
Like a commanding officer, my face a picture-perfect imitation of Eiichi's stoicism, I order, "Get in the tub Whiskers."
Without hesitation, the white-furred rabbit hops into the paint tub, his body sinking inside of it for a literal swim.
A small splash is caused by the aggressive hop coloring my arm with a little brown paint.
...Great, now I need a shower.
"Okay, you can get out now." I approach the paint bucket, glaring at the air bubbles coming out of it as I command Whiskers to hop on out.
...If he'd drowned and I'd lost Rabbit Escape right here.
That'd be really embarrassing and sad.
...And slightly funny.
On second thought, it'd probably have been better to just splash him with the bucket instead of risking the recklessly loyal rabbit drowning.
Thankfully, another splash is launched from the bucket as Whiskers hops out of it, his feet probably using the bottom of the bucket as a launching pad.
Causing an even larger splash than before, hitting my face and coloring a large portion of it brown.
...I spoke too soon.
Without my irritation showing, I channel chakra towards my connection with Whiskers, creating new clones of Whiskers.
As a side note, renewing the numbers costs more Chakra on average Whiskers summoned than the initial swarm - So this isn't very cheap.
Chakra problems, yikes.
Liquid Shadows form Rabbits one by one, slowly, as I try my best to not make too many and keep my chakra pool rather healthy.
As predicted... Each Whisker's clone has taken the blueprint of the Original Whiskers and is also now colored brown.
And no... Items or armor Whiskers wears or anything of that nature does not get cloned or registered in the "Blueprint" unfortunately, only stuff that has been embedded into him.
Like paint and injuries etc...
A Chakra Armored Whiskers army is but a faraway dream...
Anyways! 21 Brown Colored Whiskers Clones are now ready to be deployed.
Hmm... Chakra Regeneration seems to be not enough considering my pool is a little low, so, on second thought, I'll dismiss a couple.
A waste and miscalculation, but I make mistakes!
A little too many but ya know, what doesn't kill ya makes ya stronger.
However, making such miscalculations in real time would be really troublesome.
I should tread more carefully, my Ten Shadows at my current point is basically a resource management game.
That's partially the reason why I need to become a powerhouse without having to rely on it, in case I play that resource management game inadequately.
Now... With 15 Brown Whiskers Clones ready to be deployed.
"Alright, my loyal soldiers!" I announce, beginning to pace back and forth as I command my loyal whiskered soldiers.
They stand straight - Well, as straight as rabbits can.
"Original Whiskers stays with me to relay information. The rest of you... Spread out towards the locations Noc and Mir reported... It's that way! Report on what you see in the alleged Bandit Camp to Original Whiskers and he'll tell me. Stay out of sight! I repeat! Stay out of sight! If you are noticed, run away! Do not allow yourself to be killed! If you are in a situation where you are about to be caught - Hide from the hunter's line of sight for a few moments and report to Original Whiskers, I'll dismiss you where they can't see. They must not see you melting upon death or dismissal. Am I clear?" I glare at my loyal cadets, pointing in the direction of the search area.
They all wordlessly nod and salute at me, as they hop away towards the direction of the alleged bandit camp.
Fantastic.
These guys must be a Dictator's wet dream - Loyal, eager, serious, and murderous soldiers, who would sacrifice their lives without hesitation at a wave of my hand.
I feel the power!
-Time Skip-
-Evening Time-
So... Status update.
Good news and bad news.
Good news - These are the actual bandits, Whiskers have reported their equipment, masks, and weapons.
Talks about their next target being a town at the farthest part of the territory that they haven't had the chance to ransack or threaten yet for the purpose of, and I quote: "Fatten the calf for the slaughter".
How do I have such fine information?
Well, Whiskers clones, the mad lads that they are, managed to get deep into the camp.
By my command, of course, I was informed that these bandits were feasting on some good food and weren't low on it whatsoever - The risk of them killing a wandering Rabbit seemed low.
I was willing to take that low risk.
By using Original Whiskers as sort of a communication device between me and the clones, I gave them orders and received information in turn.
The 15 Clones are all keeping good track of all the bandits and their positions reporting it back to me in live time.
That's about it.
Of course, I ordered Whiskers to only give back relevant information - Nothing private or wishy-washy, or humanizing.
...It'd only make my job harder than necessary.
Quite the contrary - If they'd heard something I considered inhumane or trashy behavior, I'd like to know, just so I won't feel too bad.
Now onto the Bad News - 5 People are currently unaccounted for.
Whiskers have reported back only 128 Bandits in the camp.
Contrary to the report of Noc and Mir when they initially detected the camp back in the early morning.
They must have left either during the period when I rested to get my Chakra back to summon Whiskers, or they left before Whiskers had the chance to keep count of the Bandits.
Either way... That's a problem.
Nevertheless, it's a headache I'll take care of later - If need be, I'll linger at the remains of the camp awaiting the missing 5 to return if there aren't any more wandering about prior to Noc and Mir finding the camp.
Now... I must act.
-Time Skip-
-Night Time-
As the sun set, the moon took its place as the main beacon of light in the night sky along with many stars that shine alongside it.
Creating a mesmerizing night and spectacle.
An especially chilling wind was constantly sweeping through the forest, causing the bandits themselves to hide in their tents for the purpose of warmth and proper slumber.
And it was on this mesmerizing and beautiful yet cold night.
...That I truly felt the warmth of another's blood on my hands.
To Be Continued!
-Omake Start-
(I've decided to add these to the story as an experiment, this won't affect chapter length at all, just as a fun little bonus, if you liked this - I'll continue to add these.)
-Akira POV-
At the Academy, one of the first lessons seemed to be an attempt to establish friendly relations and connections with the kids in my class and deepen existing ones.
An innocent question at first, "Okay kids! Who is your best friend? Raise your hand if you want to proudly announce your undying friendship!" The teacher asked cheerfully.
...Should I take a nap? Shikamaru seems to have already fallen asleep.
""Me! Me! No, Me!"" Many kids raised their hands innocently to announce their friendships.
At that, the teacher picked out one of the kids and to my surprise, it was Choji, "Yes, Choji-san. Would you like to tell us who your best friend is?" She asked with a friendly smile.
Choji responded cheerfully and innocently without hesitation, "Shikamaru!"
CRACK.
My... My heart...
Choji... How could you?
...The betrayal!
"Very good Choji! You hear that Nara-san? ...Oi Nara-san! Wake up!" The teacher cheered, only to get mad at the slumbering Shikamaru.
Unbeknownst to Choji and everyone else, my heart has turned to the dark side.
Forever.
After managing to awaken the sloth, the teacher let out an exasperated sigh, only to reform her smile and ask, "Anyone else wants to announce their best friend?"
I raised my hand this time, and luckily I was chosen, "Yes, Nara-san! Who's your best friend?"
My eyes, cold as the winter in the Land Of Iron, I responded without hesitation, "That would be: Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga."
At that, the entire class looked at me in bewilderment and confusion as if I were a madman.
The teacher with a confused and awkward smile replied, "Erm... Who's that? Nara-san?"
Ah... Oops, forgot to form the hand signs.
My bad.
-Omake End-
-Author Note Start-
Yo, people!
Now, now, let down those pitchforks and torches!
I know I promised action!
And I will deliver!
Next chapter!
The point of this chapter was... To frustrate both you and Akira.
BAHAHHAHAHAHA!
Originally I had wanted to include the whole fight scene - but if I did that it'd reach the 12k-15k chapter word mark.
And that'd be a bit fatty ya know.
So it gives me freedom to focus on it the next chapter properly.
Anyways... Did you like the Omake? Want more? Do tell me, I'll start adding em - Chaotic humor has always been my (self-proclaimed) Specialty.
How "Canon" are the Omakes? Hmm... That depends on what I write - this scene was definitely not canon lmao.
The next chapter will be entirely dedicated to the elimination of the bandits.
Now then... From a rate of 1-10, how did I cook this chapter?
-Down here is the copy paste stuff-
As always people! If you see any inconsistencies, wrong information, Illogical statements, etc... Notify me, please! I'll fix it ASAP! And or explain it later on in case I had planned to make it vague in the first place.
Also, all comments, reviews, constructive criticism and so on Are much appreciated! I especially love Constructive criticism because it allows me to improve the story in real time! I try my best to follow your advice!
I enjoy responding to you all! So do send them comments! Also, ideas are also welcome! I'm not that creative so assistance from you guys is always nice! Yup!
I hope you lovely people have a fantastic rest of the day/week. And I'll see you in a week's time or so :P
Ants are capable of carrying objects up to 50 times their own body weight. Here's this week's random fact.
-Author Note End-
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