Building Stuff with Heifu

Missions::

Today was a day like any other except for the laundry list of missions now facing both Nemui and his partner of the day, Heifu. He'd grown quite accustomed to the old lady's company and in some way, looked forward to working with her on these missions. Dressing in his newly fashioned clothing, part of which consisted of a near skin-tight black onesie designed to act as armour with Chakra-enhanced thread. This would be hidden beneath some baggy, mostly dark-burgundy clothes with some black accents mixed in. Since Nemui felt he should be a good representative of the village's shinobi, he finally invested money towards looking halfway decent. This wasn't the only reason however, as he'd also been required to meet the Mizukage recently and it was specifically for the meeting that he purchased these clothes.

Nemui felt it would be improper to meet the Mizukage in ragtag patchwork clothes well past their use-by date. Thus, he now proudly wore the new set in his regular, day-to-day life. After brushing the knots out of his absurdly long hair the boy finally made his way to exit his apartment. Though with a very abrupt halt in his actions, he suddenly remembered the snack he was bringing to work. Nemui picked up a small white box containing some strawberry cake he intended to eat after lunch and gently placed it inside his ninja pouch, of which currently rested on his left hip. Now he was finally ready and would leave his apartment.

Stepping out into the sun he quickly assessed the weather. It was a rather hot and humid day, rarely was it hot but not humid due to the moisture in Kirigakure so he was fairly accustomed to this. Locking the apartment door behind him, Nemui immediately walked across the street to his nearest convenience store. After perusing their goods for a few minutes he'd finally pick out what he was looking for and purchase it before leaving, making his way to the mission site. First on the agenda, he and Heifu were expected to demolish a building by the coast and then take care of the cleanup afterwards. The mission didn't provide any information on how they were to accomplish the demolishment of said building either, so he expected it would involve a lot of physical labor unless Heifu carried explosives.

Sighing while he thought about this, Nemui then remembered the conditions for their second mission which involved building a small checkpoint in the same location as the demolished building. They'd at least been provided with instructions and blueprints on how to do this, although he was quite inexperienced when it came to construction. Then for their third and final mission, the pair would be expected to assist villagers with building a bridge connecting the land-mass next to said checkpoint, across the water to a separate island. Nemui wondered why they were specifically picked for these missions given the fact that neither of them, to his knowledge, had any experience demolishing nor constructing buildings.

Still, these were the cards they were dealt and he wouldn't decline. While he gradually made his way to the worksite, Nemui noticed raw materials being carried towards the same destination. They consisted primarily of wooden logs which would no doubt be fashioned into materials for the bridge and checkpoint. With them were many tools, rocks and various other things, some of which he'd never seen before. Nemui could only hope for the best even though in truth, he expected the worst. Trudging along quite absent-mindedly, he suddenly heard the familiar tune of saws and hammers in the distance and would look up to realize, he arrived at his destination. Spinning around to look for Heifu, Nemui would spot the old lady and make his way over to her before talking.

"Nice to see you again Heifu." With some beads of sweat already running down his forehead the boy spoke in an unenthusiastic tone, "Well, guess we should get to work quickly, this could take a really long time." Then, rubbing his head, Nemui walked over to the building they were expected to demolish. Before bringing it down he knew to inspect the area, checking for anybody inside, especially children that might be hiding. He'd call out several times inside and outside, warning that the building was going to be destroyed and to evacuate the premises. Finally, when he felt satisfied with the idea that nobody was going to be injured, Nemui would walk to the side of the building. With the opposite side of the building facing the water, he'd assured nobody was in the path between him and there as well.

Heifu's assistance would be required to keep the area clear before Nemui would eventually form a special handseal. Doing this, a gigantic apparition of a tiger's head would emerge from him and slam into the building, gripping its entirety and carrying it out to sea. Instead of having the tiger's head explode as the technique was intended to do, Nemui would simply allow it to vanish and drop the building's remains on the coastline. This technique's usefulness for the task would now be evident as it left the ground intact so they could immediately begin with construction efforts. With a thumbs up to Heifu, Nemui made his way back over to her so they could discuss the next task. Since the next mission involved constructing a checkpoint and they had the relevant instructions and blueprints for it, he would take his time to study this information with her.

At first it looked quite complicated because he was new to this but while reading the instructions it became apparent, this checkpoint just involved fitting together pre-assembled wooden structures and driving support beams into the ground, which they would then be attached to. The checkpoint itself would be directly beside where the bridge started, allowing whatever guards would be manning it to easily monitor the people crossing into or out of Kirigakure. Feeling rather confident now, Nemui would check the time by observing where the sun was currently positioned in the sky. Noticing it was around lunch time he would produce from his pouch, the small white box containing his slice of strawberry cake. However, he would also pull out a small box containing another, albeit vanilla, slice of cake.

Nemui would approach Heifu with the box of vanilla cake before holding it out to her. "I picked this up for you on my way here so I wouldn't be eating cake alone." He succinctly explained. After whatever exchange followed he would sit back down and munch on his strawberry cake. Instead of wasting the time he spent eating, Nemui considered their options for planting the checkpoint supports. There was one rather barbaric method he could use to create the holes which would be a lot faster than digging them, that being to punch holes in the ground using his fist. Although, giving further thought to this idea, it may have resulted in the soil being too loose which would eventually cause the checkpoint's collapse.

Upon finishing his slice of cake he'd make the short trip over to a selection of tools intended for this project. There he'd find the contraption listed in the blueprints, intended solely for creating the holes. The name it was given wouldn't have helped Nemui find it but thankfully a picture was included and so he'd pick up the earth auger. This device had a gigantic drill of one meter in length and forty centimeters in width; a crank on the handle would spin the drill manually, requiring a significant amount of strength. So, knowing his own abilities, Nemui would understand this job best suited himself and immediately got to work. Six support beams were required in the final build and required specific measurements for the other materials to fit.

If Heifu offered to help with measuring distances he would gladly accept, although she would also be quite busy with assembling the other parts that consisted of the checkpoint's walls, floors, door and window. So in the event that she didn't have the time, Nemui would see to the measurements himself for where to dig the holes. Pressing the earth auger into the ground he would find it to be extraordinarily tough, this was due to the previous building's foundations he was now required to dig into. With brute force however and eventually the use of a technique to enhance his strength, Nemui pressed the drill into the ground and began making progress. Grunts of exertion would follow with every tug, push and pull on the drill's crank.

After digging just three holes out of the six he was already exhausted. The drill itself was becoming worn out in the process too, with its edges beginning to chip and the point at the end almost completely dulled. So with no time to waste, Nemui walked back to the collection of tools that were laid out for this job and picked up a new earth auger. He felt quite bad about what happened to the first and furthermore, about what was likely to happen to this second one. Nothing could be done about it though, the foundations they were working on top of would require far more work to dispose of and subsequently replace. Thus, without any complaints to Heifu about this predicament, Nemui got back to drilling the final three holes.

After finally completing this aspect of the job he would approach Heifu to check if she'd finished assembling parts. If not, he would assist her in whatever way possible before moving on to the final assembly. Nemui would grab the support beams and drive them into the ground firmly, pressing them into the freshly dug holes with a significant amount of strain. The walls once assembled would slot in between the support beams, the door would rest into a crevice that allowed it to slide and the window was simply a wall with a hole in it, so it followed the same principles as they did. Then perhaps the most difficult part came, assembling the roof. They would be required to climb up and lay down wooden boards into inlays that were built into each wall, near the top.

After laying down these boards, a large set of tiles had to be laid down individually, interconnecting with one-another; this being the only thing that stopped them from falling off the roof altogether. Considering what happened not too long ago during the attack on Kirigakure and even during the tropical storm, Nemui somewhat despised these roof tiles for their ever-present dangers. Despite his feelings, they had no other tiles to lay and the build specifically required the set they had, so he would follow the instructions diligently while setting them up alongside Heifu. With hours having passed by the time they finished setting up the checkpoint the sun would gradually set, this unfortunately didn't mean their work was finished.

Next instore for the pair would be assisting with the construction of the bridge, of which work had also been progressing on during this time by a smorgasbord of civilians. Thankfully the underwater foundations for this bridge were already set up and support beams jutted from the water's surface connected to them. Heifu's and Nemui's work would involve setting up more support beams horizontally connected between the already existing diagonal and vertical beams. Then, they would need to lay down the planks atop these support beams. Once again, all the joints simply fitted together, interconnecting in a fashion that didn't require screws, nails or glue. Learning about the method in which these things were constructed fascinated Nemui.

He'd never given thought to just what held a building together, or a bridge in this case. To think it was just clever engineering and friction, Nemui could barely fathom just how intelligent the architects of these structures were. Doing the work he was best suited for, he began moving heavy loads of parts for the bridge to the areas they were needed. Starting with the support beams, he would carry them over to the areas they would eventually be set down and place them nearby. From there he would rely on Heifu to organize having the civilian workers assemble the bridge. So he'd repeat this process, running back and forth with support beams that weighed hundreds of kilograms. Despite the physical burden this placed upon Nemui, he felt like this work was far easier than drilling the holes earlier.

As time passed, the sun finally set and it grew dark. Normally this would mean civilian workers stopped what they were doing and went to relax for the night, before starting on whatever unfinished business they had the next morning. In this case however, the bridge's completion was vital for everybody involved. Civilians required the bridge so the island across could provide goods and services, but it also acted as the main thoroughfare for them to reach worksites beyond the island. Despite everybody involved with the bridge's construction being exhausted by this point, they pressed on. Nemui took note of just how resilient Kirigakure's civilians were during this experience, discovering an admiration for them that he hadn't felt before.

Darkness encroached upon the area and yet the sound of hammers and saws never ceased. When Nemui finally moved the last of the support beams to where they were required he took a moment for relaxation. Stretching backwards while taking in a big gulp of nighttime air before slowly exhaling it while stretching forwards. With a moment's respite while the workers finished getting the support beams into place, Nemui would walk over to Heifu to observe how she worked with the civilians, to learn from her. Whether she would be a positive or negative influence remained to be seen. Afterwards, when the bridge was ready to have its planks set into place, he would get stuck back in alongside the civilians.

Thousands of wooden planks lined the streets leading up to the bridge and every single one of them had to be hammered into place. Using his strength, Nemui could at least ease the burden of the workers by doing the hammering himself and so he did. Rather than hauling the planks bath and forth he would instead assist with receiving them, setting them into place and hammering them down. Observing inquisitively how the grooves fit together to create a firm connection without anything else except friction, it truly was a marvel to behold. Nemui barely had time to enjoy his observations however, as the workers kept moving, so did he. Quickening in pace while becoming more familiar with the process, he began to enjoy the work.

What was truly gratifying however was when he finally had time to look up at the work thus far, looking across at the hundreds of planks that were laid down by this point and knowing he helped in its construction. With renewed vigor, Nemui put his head down and thought about nothing else but getting the job done. Hours passed in what felt like minutes until it would finally strike midnight and the bridge's final touches were being put into place. Laying down the last of the wooden planks, he thoughtfully hammered it into place to savor the experience. Just like that, their work was done. The bridge now stood proudly, connecting the island and the mainland as it would for potentially hundreds of years to come.

Giving a sigh of relief, Nemui shook the pain out of his arms and legs before meeting back up with Heifu. "Good work today." He'd start with before continuing, "It's really gratifying to look at after all the work we put in." Nemui's gaze fell upon the bridge and checkpoint building. "Don't you think?" He'd look back at Heifu for her answer. Once their conversation progressed he would speak once again, this time concerning what to do next. "So after all that hard work we definitely deserve a treat of some kind, I'm going to make my way over to a café I recently visited, if you're interested in joining me." Then, whether Heifu agreed to join him or not, Nemui would hurriedly make his way over to the café in question.

Opening the door, if Heifu joined him he would allow her entry first before following in behind and closing it. Then progressing to the counter, he would order a maccha chai tea, just as Heibon'na had when they met up here some time ago. "I was recommended the maccha chai tea when I came here last, you definitely can't go wrong with it." Nemui would comment to Heifu if she came, after placing his order. Then he would walk over to find a comfortable booth where they could both chat about the day they just had, once again, assuming she joined him. This relaxing environment unfortunately wouldn't last forever, alas, it never did. Hearing the sounds of people screaming in the distance, Nemui reluctantly rushed out of the café to see what was going on.

In the distance, roughly four hundred meters away, smoke billowed out from what was obviously a raging inferno. Unsure of whether he even had the right skillset to help, he'd run in its direction all the same. With the source of this fire coming into view after the buildings obscuring it were no longer an obstacle, Nemui was relieved. The building in question was thankfully not a residential one and so the likelihood of casualties was much lower. Furthermore, nobody appeared to be crying nearby which assured him it hadn't claimed any lives thus far. Intent on keeping it that way, Nemui immediately got to work. He would, like many civilians already had at this point, grab a bucket and begin transporting water to the fire.

While its cause was unclear and so there was no telling whether water could put it out or not, they could also douse nearby structures and fauna to reduce the chances of it spreading. With the whole civilian community working together, the fire wasn't spreading but unfortunately, neither was it going out. Overhearing discussions from the people nearby, Nemui had come to understand this was a shop that sold many different kinds of oils. So he knew that depending on their stock this fire could end up lasting for days if not weeks. The solution to this would be quite similar to the mission they did earlier although it would be far more complicated, with the tightly packed buildings of the district they were currently in.

Momentarily stopping his own efforts to assist with holding the fire back, Nemui took the time necessary to observe their surroundings and gain a full understanding of the situation. The northern and southern sides of the inferno were only a stone's throw away from residential buildings. The eastern side bore a similarly distanced tree line, while the western side lead to a small river that flowed through the district and out to sea. Said small river was also the source of the water they'd been using up to this point. Nemui had no powerful water techniques that might smother the fire but he could simply blow the building away. The problem was where its parts and the fire itself would end up if he chose to do that.

The more time that passed, the more likely it would be for the fire to spread. Thusly forced to make a decision on the spot Nemui would settle on using the Daytime Tiger technique once more. However, this time he would push the technique to its absolute limit, planning to carry the building in its entirety and therefore the inferno with it out to sea. In a desperate rush Nemui would organize for the civilians to clear a path along the river so that he could attempt to safely extract the building. It wasn't easy and if Heifu were here, her help would be invaluable. Once preperations were made, with a buildup of anxiety he'd never experienced before, Nemui positioned himself to where he could execute the technique beside the building.

The flames coming off it were hot enough to cause him discomfort despite standing several meters away but he had to get closer. Creeping up towards it, with the heat becoming not only uncomfortable but also painful, Nemui strived to ensure nothing would be left behind. Painstakingly making his way closer until the building was merely two meters away, with flames and embers flicking off it, briefly touching him. This was as good as it was gonna get. With the go ahead from either Heifu or a civilian keeping watch, Nemui would initiate the Daytime Tiger technique using its unique handseal. Once more producing the large apparition, this time to screams and applause coming from the panicked civilians unsure of what they were seeing.

The massive tiger apparition seemingly lifted the entire structure and within its grasp, it looked as though a fireball were being carried in its form. Strenuously, Nemui directed the tiger to carry the majority of the burning building, curving it to follow the river out to sea. The heat from it caused steam to emanate from the river's surface on its entire journey. Following after it to ensure he sent it in the correct direction, Nemui's hands shook with nervous energy until at long last, it reached the coast and shortly after, plunged into the ocean water. Sighing in disbelief that he'd actually managed it, he would turn around to see what damage was caused by this method of action. Aside from a good deal of burnt bricks and an empty space where that building used to be, today there wouldn't be any casualties.

While all Nemui wanted to do at this point was go to bed, he did pay for that maccha chai tea earlier. Feeling compelled to return there first he would calmly walk back into the café and retake the seat where his drink still sat. Practically sinking into the booth at this point, Nemui felt his entire body was tensed up but while drinking the tea, he gradually felt his body relax. If Heifu had accompanied him to this point he would strike up a conversation now, in an obviously exhausted but also hopeful tone. "That really couldn't have gone better today. I can't tell if this is a dream or if some divine entity has finally given us a break." In true disbelief, Nemui sipped his tea while becoming more, and more relaxed.

Should Heifu answer him he would listen as intently as he could, although at this point exhaustion was setting in and he found it quite difficult to process information. Echoes of people celebrating in the distance made their way into the shop every time its door opened. A feeling of accomplishment took hold within Nemui as he smiled to himself, staring down into the cup of tea. By this point, Nemui's brand new clothes were filthy and his hair was a disaster to behold. These superficial things were surprisingly of no concern to him at the moment. Nemui would abruptly stand up and make his way to the counter whereupon he would order another maccha chai tea for himself and Heifu, whether she agreed to it or not.

Then sitting back down he would begin to speak rather openly with the old lady. "I never really expected to be spending most of my time helping people when I came here." Nemui stopped talking briefly, taking a moment for thought before continuing. "I'm glad things are less black and white and the opportunity to serve Kirigakure doesn't just involve hurting people." Having heard of Heifu's past directly from her, he knew that she wasn't a stranger to killing, although that was also for Kirigakure's interests. He didn't mean to disparage the work she'd done nor planned to do, rather he was excited that work which suited his particular palette was also available.

Consumed: Strawberry Cake (x1) (Event) | x2 Wordcount for Nemui (up to 4000 words)

WC: 4,000
WC w/ Event Item: 8,000

Heifu woke up grumpily, her back ached and her feet tingled. Her eyes slowly came into a blurry focus. All signs of her age, and she hated being reminded of it. She dressed quickly and boiled some tea while reading the missive left for her detailing her missions for the day. It seemed she was to be working with Nemui, which brought a small smile to her face and broke her out from her somewhat glum morning mood. She was starting to think of him like a grandson, and she knew she would have to be careful of doting on him too much. The best thing she could do for him was help him become the best shinobi he could be, so he hopefully lived a life as long as she had. But she couldn't help it, the doting that is. Even if her version of doting was just being a bit less abrasive. She had found herself worrying about the boy frequently, even when not together. He'd clearly been affected by both of his recent missions and she wished she had a way to make it better. Unfortunately, the cold hard truth was the job brought trauma and the only way to heal it was with time, and to just keep moving forward. She also knew she'd have spat in the face of anyone who told her such a thing when she was young. That was how truth often was, cold and unpalatable.

A whistle broke her from her musings and she quickly served herself some tea from the whistling pot. The warmth filled her up, truly waking up her body and reminding her she was alive and not a decrepit, barely moving mummy. It was only after her morning cup that she felt even remotely like her true self, the her she always felt on the inside. When she looked in the mirror she was always shocked not to see the young girl she always felt inside. But time was kind to no one, weathering all as it advanced it's march ever forward. But at least it was fair. She bared her teeth violently at the thought. She'd outlived all of her competition, so that counted for something.

Reluctantly she put down her cup, now empty of its contents and she looked longingly at the tea pot. But she had a routine and a goal and it left no room for weakness. Only one cup of tea in the morning or she would never get any work done. With that thought driving her she finished getting ready and left the house for her first assignment. She grumbled as she walked, muttering to herself about the ethicacy of assigning construction work to a seventy year old. She'd think the administrators were having a private joke at her expense, but she'd terrified and hounded them enough she knew that couldn't be the case. In fact, they'd be lucky to not hear from her about the idiocy that was today's assignments. But they had placed her with Nemui, so perhaps she could forgive them for that. Just this once.

She smiled as she reached her destination and the boy arrived. From his greeting, she figured today was another hard day, so she decided to not bother him. Too much fuss would do more harm than good. So she instead nodded at the boy warmly and followed his suggestion of getting to work quickly. It seemed he had a plan in place, so she simply kept the area clear, a scowl at passing civilians being enough to send them hurrying on their way. She was impressed when she heard a rumble and crash as a tiger's head appeared and began to carry the building to the coastline. It was a brilliant display of shinobi prowess, and she felt a warm glow of pride fill her at the boy's accomplishment. She may have contributed nothing to his accomplishments, but she was proud of him. He had the makings of an excellent ninja.

They put their heads together and studied the blueprints for their next task, but before they knew it Nemui's belly rumbled, signaling that it was time for lunch. As he presented a small white cake to her, she was speechless. It had been a long time since anyone had been so thoughtful to her. She took it and gave him a warm hearted thanks, or at least as warm hearted as her gruffness could allow. She didn't have the heart to tell him she didn't have a sweet tooth, or that she had to protect the few teeth she had left. So as they sat down she picked at the cake and took slow bites, trying to pace out eating the confection, but as the boy stared at her happily she found herself shoveling the damn thing into her mouth so fast she almost choked on it. She couldn't risk him thinking her ungrateful! Once finished she would turn away from him, tears streaming from her eyes as she coughed quietly yet forcefully, trying to dislodge the vast amount of cake she had eaten and get it down the right tube.

Once she had managed to put herself back together she went right to work with Nemui. The kind boy took care of the heavy lifting while she focused on measurements and assembling the parts. It went well with her speed and dexterity being assets she had despite her advanced age. She was able to do the work quickly and accurately and before she knew it they had completed the checkpoint and needed to move on to the bridge itself.

The work had already been started by civilians, luckily, and so the base foundation of the bridge had already been set up. This left them with the assembly portion which was still a large job. Nemui again was a gentleman and took on the jobs that involved the hardest labour, able to move lumber and equipment of a size and speed that five men together couldn't match. This left Heifu with the job of overseeing civilians. When she realized the job she had been delegated she almost backed out. She was horrible with people, anyone in the village who knew her could attest to it. But if Nemui could grit his teeth and do the hardest work, she could grit hers and do her assignment. She quickly organized the civilians into teams and oversaw their work with an eye out for accuracy and detail. After all, they didn't want the bridge to fall apart after it was created. It needed to be safe and useable. The job was challenging though and her hand often ached for her to find a cane or stick to bop some of these incompetents on the head and smack some sense into them!  Some of them almost seemed like they were trying to get themselves killed, and others with them! But she instead held her breath and counted to twenty before correcting their mistakes with a gruff politeness before moving on. She instead tried to dole out compliments to the few who seemed to actually know what they were doing. But she was sparing with them, not wanting to spoil the lot of them. It was irritating work but the approach seemed to work well with the civilians eventually seeming to try extra hard to get some of her rare praise.

She was surprised by the time night time hit, not noticing the change in time until the darkness had almost completely overtaken them. By this time she had only taken one scream break, to wander away from the site and yell loudly at the bushes instead of piling her insults on those who truly deserved them. But even she had to give it to the team, they were industrious and hard workers. She was amazed by their endurance as they pushed on further and further into the night as the work was vital it get done as soon as possible. She had barely done half the physical labour of the others, focusing instead on her job as overseer, and she felt the ache in her bones deepen into weariness. She could only imagine what they all must be feeling. It was as she could see their work coming to a close, much still in sight but an end on the horizon, that she began to dole out much more praise and urged the team to work even harder. They responded well to her insistence and were glad to almost be done. Their drive doubled, tripled even, and they pushed through. The work was finally finished at midnight and the workers nodded at her gratefully, a few lying down in their exhaustion while the others began their slow walk home.

"Good work today. It's really gratifying to look at after all the work we put in. Don't you think?"

Nemui's voice pierced the darkness and she realized he was checking in on her before starting his own journey home. He was a sweet boy and his kindness would be lost in this profession. She smiled at him and replied, "Yes. It's been some time since I've worked that hard at anything. It feels good, like I'm tapping into some latent youthful energy buried inside me, someplace not even I am aware of."

Afterwards, he invited her to a nearby café to celebrate a job well done. She couldn't refuse the boy's sweet invitation and went with him even though she was surprised a place would still be open this late. She took note of his recommended order and placed one for both of them, waving him off and claiming it was her treat if he attempted to interfere. They would then find a booth and discuss the day's events. She was surprised by his fascination with construction, wondering how he could have ended up in the shinobi life instead of a civilian one. He seemed so perfect for such everyday jobs. But she was just happy he was talking, and somewhat cheerful. It seemed his trauma hadn't completely scarred him and perhaps his healing was just around the corner.

Screams rang out, distracting from their conversation and causing Heifu to look at the door with concern. She got up hurriedly with Nemui to inspect the cause of the alarm. The familiar scent of smoke alerted her to the fire as soon as she came outside. She could always pick up its scent before others, years of using the element made it smell less acrid and almost like home. Unfortunately, it was only a homey smell to her and she quickly worked with the panicked civilians to bring buckets of water to the fire, forming a fire line to pass them back and forth. It was at times like this that she wished she specialized in a different element one that was much more common in Kirigakure, water. But their efforts seemed to be for naught, with the fire spreading too quickly to be contained. With a signal from Nemui she started to organize the civilians to clear a path. She was sure she had an idea of what he was trying. A few moments later and to no surprise to her but plenty to the civilians he executed his tiger head jutsu once more, with the apparition carrying the building out safely to sea.

With the fire safely taken care of they retreated back to the cafe, leaving the civilians to celebrate on their own. She sat with the boy and drank the tea he gave her without protest. It seemed the boy just needed a listening ear and simply nodded along to his words. As she suspected, he was still shaken up about his previous missions. But today had been a turning point for him, an experience that showed him that being a shinobi wasn't all about blood and death. If he hadn't had the skills he had he wouldn't have been able to help these people today and that fire could have been a lot worse. She told him as much, encouraging him and trying to instill the lesson that being a ninja could be far more than combat. That his ninja way could be anything he wanted. Once he was settled and seemed content she would say her goodbyes and head home.

The walk home was one filled with contemplation. She was happy this village had turned out a ninja of Nemui's caliber. That they were no longer dubbed the Village of the Bloody Mist. She promised herself that she would take on that title again, that of Zankokuna Kemuri the Cruel Smoke. The more she could cover her hands with blood, the less there would be to stain the hands of the idealistic blond ninja. For once, she didn't see idealism as a weakness, perhaps that boy's idealism would be enough to save the village one day. And she would do everything in her power to ensure he lived long enough to do that.

WC: 2,172
TWC: 2,172
MTWC: Exceeded/6,000

Exit:

1,501 WC Body of Smoke (The rest learned here)
671/1000 WC Spark Smoke Smite D rank learned, working towards C

Stats:
+21 Vigor

Mission Completion:
+12,000 ryo
+60 AP (Bonus total AP: 180)

After Heifu and Nemui parted ways he would sluggishly make his way back to the apartment in which he lived. Upon arrival he'd unlock the door and practically stumble into the room before locking it again behind himself. Then, lazily so, he trudged over to bed while removing the clothes he'd worn for the day as to not dirty it. Once he finally found himself laying down, staring at the ceiling, Nemui reflected on the recent events. For a change, he was proud of what he'd done. Turning onto his side with an uncontrollably smile, the boy fell asleep without any regrets.

[Exit]

WC: 102
TWC: 4102
TWC w/ Event Item: 8102 Post Used, Event Item Used, Event Item Acquired

Claiming with Wordcount: 25% off with Max Stats
Perfect Body B > A | 1867/2063 > 2063/2063 (196)
Eight Inner Gates (Jutsu) Gate of Opening (A-Rank) | 0/1875 > 1875/1875 (1875)
Eight Inner Gates (Jutsu) Gate of Healing (A-Rank) | 0/750 > 750/750 (750)
Eight Inner Gates (Jutsu) Gate of Life (A-Rank) | 0/750 > 750/750 (750)
Eight Inner Gates (Jutsu) Gate of Pain (A-Rank) | 0/750 > 750/750 (750)
Crashing Thunder Charge Power Mastery x1 | 0/3750 > 3750/3750 (3750)
Talented 500/3750 > 531/3750 (31)

8102 WC Spent

Mission Rewards: x2 D, x2 C | 12,000 Ryo / 60 AP
Converting AP to Ryo: 3,000
Current Ryo: 62,190
New Ryo: 77,190