LIGHTNOVELONLINE Bounty hunting
-2 weeks later-
"You stay safe you hear me? Keep out of trouble- yeah never mind you're you, ignore that last one, just be alive or something I don't know?"
Naruto gives me one last hug before he bounces off out of my home into the street...
"Ill be back and stronger than ever dattebayo!"
I sigh~ now I'm a part of team 7 huh? At least till Naruto gets back. Lets go finish my boss traveller shall we?
Heading to my basement I flick the lights on and look towards the bench where the torso of my traveller is open and has a lot of machinery.
Sitting down and picking up one of the many tools I start tinkering with its clockwork, making sure that everything clicks just right~
Its about fifteen minutes in that I start locking up all its compartments and begin with its full construction, my favourite part! Feels like piecing together a toy.
After about ten minutes attaching the arms and another fifteen for legs and tail, I plop and snap the head onto the wooden beast and look at my creation.
[Traveller: Jaunt]
A giant wooden wolf stands in my workshop, just big enough for me to ride atop of it, and with a soft saddle on top it is a comfortable ride, but this beast is a Boss monster! It alone cost 5 million ryo! That's not all it can do.
Having two different modes ill introduce you to its [Wolf mode], it focuses on running distances, climbing through terrain and leaping through obstructions, it has multiple parts through its body that make it silent and as quiet as a mouse plus this thing is capable of fighting like a wolf! Not combat oriented mind you but definitely able.
Now if I possess it and flick these switches inside.... *crank* *crook* charrk*
The machine starts to whir and the body sits upright, limbs extending and being filled with the hidden wooden pieces inside eventually the [werewolf mode] is active.
This mode is more for when the obstructions in travel start to become... dangerous. Its claws metal and its teeth as well, it mainly focuses on combat yes but that is a side effect of my original intention to have it clear things on the road, perhaps a tree has torn itself down and needs movement? Werewolf mode! Rubble blocking the cave? Werewolf mode! The thing even extends handles so one can hang on while in this mode, whether upright or on all fours, allowing one to climb mountains and leap from ledge to ledge, this mode is definitely for vertical travel.
Flicking yet again a few more switches and the [Wolf mode] for this beast is unveiled yet again.
Now this may seem underwhelming when facing everything the Almighty has- but the Almighty cant even get taken on most missions due to its slow nature, this guy will run laps around ninja and kill a few too while I'm at it, speed over power is this things work.
And that's what I've been doing the past two weeks, love making these things, cannot wait to make my next model, or get a new mastery over Split Self, been needing that forever now and its what ill be focusing on now that I've finished this guy.
Going upstairs to the master bedroom I sit in a meditative pose and enter my mindscape.
Nothing new here, actually it is hotter I believe, now on to the real question, how do I push my mind further than it is now?
---
Pov: Sasuke Uchiha
I'm currently in the old Uchiha district, most buildings have been reclaimed but the few I wanted here haven't been touched at all.
I'm in the shrine, I went down through the tatami mat, and now I sit here watching- staring at the stone in front of me. How am I supposed to carve a new path? Is the sharingan even capable of such things?
Haaa- lets do what Riku said, firstly write down everything you now about the sharingan and its effects, secondly write in detail what you were doing every time you gained a new tomoe and see if that has any correlation to awakening its next stage.
My sharingan always developed when in combat or doing... that to Naruto. Should I attempt to fake the killing of him again? See if that works? No, the mangyeko isn't obtained from the killing part... its the loss of a best friend, Riku called me an idiot for thinking that is what it was, something about a horrid evolutionary trait that would of ended the Uchiha so much earlier...
So the Uchiha awaken the powers of the Sharingan when seeing the loss of a loved one? But how could I get the power if I don't want to lose those who I lost? What new path to power can I even get if it still relies on these principles... the emotions gotten when you lose a loved one...
Hn?
Doesn't Riku have control over his body and emotions with that Manual Operations thing? Could one potentially awaken the mangyeko by forcing oneself to experience those emotions through emotive control?
But.... that's his kekkai genkai... how am I supposed to do this?
Should I ask for his help?
Haaa-
Getting up I head over to Riku's house and knock on the door, two minutes later it opens.
"Yo! Sasuke what's up I was just meditating"
Meditating? Good he might know how to help after all, I push the folder I have on the sharingan into his hands and nod my head into the insides of his house.
"Course' come in, come in"
I enter into his house and take my shoes off, sitting across from him in the living room.
"I have an idea for the awakening of my Mangyeko Sharingan, but I require your help"
He nods.
"It is emotionally triggered. You have control over your emotions... is there any way you could help me feel... loss? Immense loss without loosing anything?"
He thinks before answering
"Two ideas... the first is meditation, to gain control over your inner self might help you exert certain emotions through yourself. The second is that you let someone into your head to help you, perhaps a Yamanaka who knows what they are doing? You could study and create a jutsu alongside them that could help target the areas in the brain that tell your eyes to upgrade?"
Hmmm... I could do both. Those are great ideas...
"Are you able to help me create a new jutsu? I am aware you have experience."
"Yep. Ill get you my notes- ill actually write a summary of my notes, it is annoying and stupidly hard to create jutsu, I am only so capable due to my kekkai genkai.... Ill actually lend you jewel every day if you want him? He can start studying jutsu that effect the mind and get a head start... perhaps also ask Ino for help in both meditation and speaking with a Yamanaka?"
I nod reluctantly, Riku chuckles at my dismay.
"How about I speak to Ino for you, let her know she needs your help not her clinging.. though you cant expect her to become a robot you know?"
I nod even more reluctantly.
"Thank you for your help, I will collect the monkey tomorrow and ask for Ino's help in a week."
"Tomorrow as well. Ill ask her in the morning and she will find you studying with jewel in the library. Correct?"
Sighing I nod one last time and get up to leave.
"Thank you.... for a lot"
He waves his hand dismissively
"Yeah yeah, ill read this document and see if I have any more insights, see you tomorrow"
---
Pov: Rocks
...
---
-Land of wind-
-1 month later-
Pov: Riku
Chunin exams are in a month and I'm in Suna to help Gaara with a few jobs, specifically bounty hunting some missing nin that ditched sand as soon as Gaara was instated as the next Kazekage- rumour suggests that they are trying to gather and assassinate him in the next chunin exams, why am I doing this and not his own ninja?
Good question. I'm more making a trade with Kankuro, he is going to help me upgrade my Sentinels while I help them hunt the missing nin. Purely foundational upgrades focusing on chakra efficiency and having the split self last longer within the sentinels and Travellers.
I am currently at a desert outpost, haven't heard word from them in a while and I have decided to investigate- hoping to find clues to missing nin trails.
The base is covered in blood and there is a few corpses emptied of ninja supplies, ill get Javelin to go back to Suna and tell them about the bases current situation.
Jaunt can carry me through the desert following towards the nearest place to hide from here, I believe the maps point towards an outcropping of giant stone like pillars in the sand just north of here.
Jumping on Jaunts wolf back he starts dashing through the sand- luckily I brought goggles in suna, the sand would've made me quit this job 10x sooner.
After traveling for twenty minutes I find myself at the giant stones... [werewolf mode] and Jaunt starts climbing one of the giant stone pillars.
Standing on top and peering down below I can see a scout watching for anyone 5-6 pillars away... he could of seen me but from the looks of it he hasn't moved or signalled anyone.. doesn't matter now, lets hunt them.
Hopping back on Jaunts werewolf back he launches us from pillar to pillar until we scrape down the side of the one the Missing nin are hiding at. They look up in terror and immediately get up to fight, the scout... wakes up and joins his 4 friends.
3 chunin and one genin, surely I'm outclassed right? Wrong. I have the advantage of surprise and terror.
I leap of Jaunt as he reaches the bottom and he starts tearing into the panicked chunin, I launch as many [Unseen Push's] as I can toppling over many in the surprised group.
3 of them get hit like a truck by Jaunt and the genin starts to do hand seals, spitting out a blast of earthen bullets at me.
I stand there and [Intimidating deflection].
He looks at me and panic settles into his face, I launch myself at him and when in close range [Body Shunt] then stab a kunai through his throat.
The other three- two who are still alive dodge Jaunts claws and I throw four kunai at one of them, causing him to block them but fail to dodge the maw of Jaunt.
The other sprints away into the desert.
*whistle* "get em' Jaunt"
Jaunt chases madly after the poor chunin.
...
Lets clean the bodies and store them.
---
-one day later-
"Thank you for the coin!"
"Thank you for the ninja."
I head out of the building and into the sandy streets, following the path towards my current lodgings.
(Whisper) "is he the 'Tailed Beast Hunter?'"
(Whisper) "sshhh! What of he hears you!"
Oh yeah... everyone here thinks I'm much more impressive then I really am, well the citizens and lower level shinobi do but its still annoying, I really shouldn't of told Gaara that I told the tailed beast to co operate or die... he takes things way too seriously and told someone else which may have started some rumours...
Haaaa-
Lets just get some sleep and go get my next bounty tomorrow.
---
Getting up I stretch and leave into the streets of Suna once more, heading through the gates I head into the desert again.
Last dudes had an invitation stashed on them, if I can scout out the area and see how many rebels there are I can inform Suna and get a proper team to hunt them.
Alright [Summoning Jutsu] Jaunt appears before me and I hop on as he dashes into the desert.
The location is on the border, closer to the north west of the land of fire.
It should take some time to get there, meanwhile Ill get Javelin to scout ahead, the tiny sparrow flies off my shoulder and into the distance using both [Lift weight] and [Force Burst].
---
Pov: Javelin
The base is in stony outcroppings in the greenery of the next set of lands near wind.
There is an abandoned village.. probably abandoned during the last war, the missing nin are currently camping out here... I can only see 10, I need to get here so Jewel can figure out how many are hiding within the buildings deep basements.
Hmmm. Annoying.
---
Pov: Rocks
...
---
Pov: Jewel.
Just transferred from Javelin when me got here, I should investigate the camp further.
Hopping through the outcroppings of stone and into some of the rotting wooden houses I sneakily climb through a window and hide behind a chair, then I expand my senses.
Hmm there is one, five, eight- wait there is more than just Sand missing nin in here? Oh shit they are outsourcing for other missing nin to help rebel against Gaara?
Okay lets head back.
---
Pov: Riku
Lets go back before they spot me-
Is that?
In the distance I spot two people approaching, deciding not to risk it I climb the rocks and hide above.
Yep two Akatsuki members... what are they doing here? Who are they? I don't recognize them...
"Ya' know cant I take this one!? You always make things sooooo boring kakuzu!"
So that one is Kakuzu...
"Shut it."
The nameless one begins to whine some more before Kakuzu severs his head.
"Tch- another one"
I watch the scene unfold as Kakuzu massacres all the rebel ninja, not one left standing in around five minutes of hunting, he is on another level... these are the guys I have to protect Naruto from?
"You. Up there, show yourself"
Panic. [Manual Operations], [Imbue Costume] into fully dressed and donned black robe that resembles a mix between the grim reapers cloak and a classical ninjas outfit, my headband swirls into a cloth curtain, I pull my now hood over my face and walk out into the open.
Kakuzu, just killed his teammate for talking too much, lets keep my words simple and punctual.
"Apologies, it seems we were after the same bounty"
Kakuzu looks at me dangerously, threads calming down from his massacre.
"Do you wish to claim them?"
Hmmm... no, even in his massacre he had made sure to cleanly cut the heads, he seems to be a practiced bounty hunter.
"No. After all I did not get them in the end"
"Good. I do not recognize you, perhaps you have a name in the bounty books?"
He is looking me up and down, trying to discern my mettle. Diffuse the situation and claim that I am strong enough to leave yet have no bounty worth chasing me...
"No. I am a spy above all I'm afraid, a bounty on my head would be disastrous for me"
"Tch- Lets test how strong you are then. I was told not to break my new partner... but if I bring back someone capable..."
What? How the hell do I solve this conversation puzzle..?
Lets think... he thinks I'm a spy without a bounty.. why does he think I'm strong? Like at all....
He noticed me here how? Hearing? Smell? Did I control all those as soon as he spotted me and he thought I was hiding my strength?
"And why do you think I'm worth it for the Akatsuki?"
"Hnn? So you know our name, and here I thought the money spent on spreading word to those who would hire us was wasted."
I scoff.
"When you hire high profile members like Itachi Uchiha it tips off a few investigations. Now I will ask again, why do you think I'm worth it for your organization? I do not like meaningless talk."
Hopefully that last bit earns a few brownie points.
"You say that yet think I cannot hear the thumb of your organs, the smell of your sweat? You wanted to get caught, get noticed and stopped sweating like a pig when you showed yourself"
Ah. He thought I was taunting him...
Lets leave it vague and leave, the best chance to get out alive here.
"Apologies I was merely testing to see if the Akatsuki was really all that- I mean, hunting tailed beasts is a rough business"
He starts to unwind his threads and looks in my direction with a hint of anger.
"That is not public knowledge"
"That is my job. You wanted to test me and I have tested you. Are we done?"
He thinks before his threads wind back down.
"Hm. You do know your stuff, follow me."
What? Did I just pass his test? Am I joining the Akatsuki? Why the hell does he think I'm strong? Wait he likes money right? Perhaps if I...
"Perhaps another time, I have an employer who is waiting and money to collect, I have heard your invitation but I am in too many places to just leave. I will find you when I am prepared"
He stops before nodding with understanding- mainly at the words 'employer' and 'money'
"Fine. Your name?"
"Don't have one. Comes in the job description. You may call me... {Luke} if you are of need to call me anything"
I say Luke in English and he nods before walking away... 23 bodies in tow.
I wait on the rock till ten minutes pass and then I start walking away, having Jaunt and Jewel take a long route to Suna while I go in its direction. If he is still watching me as I go...
Holy hells that was stupidly dangerous! Thank fuck I decided to act like a busy money maker, If I decided to do anything else he would have killed me.
Though what do I tell Lady in my report? 'Oh yeah did some light bounty hunting... then stumbled upon an Akatsuki member and then passed his test and nearly got recruited' like what!? What the hell was that... I pat my left shoulder, my luck is up and down in this world, all over the place... except in gambling, I'm pretty great in gambling.
I eventually arrive after a long long walk, back into Suna's embrace and undo my disguise... I have to get some sleep... I also have to report the Akatsuki sighting to Gaara then Lady... damnit Kakuzu! Making me so damned busy!
---
Thank you for reading :)