[Story Mission: The Wudang Bell]

[Xuan Shui]

"New faces and the occasional spirit demon."

---

As the final rays of sunlight fell behind the trees at the Shui Estate, Xuan and Daiyu made their way up the steps to Xuan's childhood home. Pushing past the massive onyx doors, the genin found themselves in the foyer. Black carpet sprawled across a floor made of what seemed to be glass filled with Celestial Water. As if they were standing on a small oasis of carpet amidst the Northern Heavens themselves. To anyone who hadn't seen this everyday, it was breathtaking. To Xuan it was... oh hell, it was always breathtaking. He loved being home.
His reminiscing was cut short however; by the appearance of his father on the main stairs. Liuxing Shui was as immaculate as ever in his attire. Long flowing black robes, black hair bound neatly behind his head and twin swords at his waist. Rather formal for a late-night briefing on a genin mission, Xuan thought. But when he saw his mother, Xingyung Shui appear beside Liuxing, dressed much the same; he knew that matters were more serious than he had initially thought. They both didn't have the lighthearted air of humor that they once had, and that worried Xuan. His mother nodded reassuringly at him.

"I'm glad you're both here and eager. But you're a bit early. We are awaiting your final mission partner; a Genin from the Oasis Village. I called for him because I believe that his knowledge of spirits and... the dead will be beneficial to the group on your journey. I'll save the meat of the details until he arrives. But until then we can help with any questions you might have. Xuan, you know of the Wudang Bell." His eyes probed Xuan, it wasn't a question. Xuan nodded.
"Yes. I do. It's the bell on the Spirit Mountain of Trials. Genin from Torogakure used to ring it every year until it became too dangerous and we stopped being able to go. Does this mean..."
"Yes." Xingyung cut in. "The attack during the Autumn Festival was investigated. The source? That damned mountain. That angry skull spirit grew strong enough to be removed by the same seals that keep your father and I out of it. Our ancestors merely meant for this place to be one of peaceful training for our people. And to minimize parents coming to their childrens' aid, they placed a powerful seal on the world to prevent any access by more experienced shinobi. It was a wondrous feat at the time, and innocent enough. But now that the mountain has been corrupted by death and pain and foul spirits, we cannot travel there to ring the bell and stop any further attacks in our world."
Liuxing stepped up and cleared his throat. "Your mother is correct. She has been researching the seals and the world in depth since the attack. All we can do is create the same doorway for Genin to enter. Though I'll be blunt - This will be the most trying mission either of you will have ever faced so far. The dangers there will be very real. And all your mother and I can do is send you three in with out-dated knowledge from when the trials were still active. The truth is that we have no earthly idea exactly what is waiting for you on the other side. But for the good of the village, it must be done. You both are the best Genin Torogakure has to offer, so it is now or never. We must send you before you get too strong to enter yourselves." His eyes moved from Xuan to Daiyu. "No matters what happens. You must ring that bell. Or whatever breaks free from that world may be stronger than the last and hurt far more people than the last. We have to end this whatever the cost."
A Shui servant girl entered the room with a platter of small iced cakes. Liuxing grabbed one thankfully; his mother grabbed two. Then the girl moved over to the two Genin. Xuan grabbed one and took a lazy bite, if only to excuse himself from talking for a moment. She hovered the tray at Daiyu. "Thith ith a seriouth matter; We figured detherts would help morale." Xinyung said crudely through a mouthful of cake. Liuxing was more proper, and dabbed at his lips with a black napkin before speaking. "Yes, well. As for now all we can do is wait for the Oasis ninja to arrive. Until then I can answer any questions either you or Daiyu might have. Once the Oasis-nin arrives, I will flesh out the exact details of the mission and what we know of the world. Until then let's chat and eat. I've already spoken to your Grandmother, Daiyu. You three will be leaving as soon as possible. Tonight, when the moon reaches its apex."

[daiyu]

As they approached the Shui home, Daiyu did not need her eyes to feel the power that too residence with the walls of this temple. However, as they got closer the dark aura radiating from the home got stronger causing Daiyu to adjust her eyes so that she was not registering the full strength of the aura. The strength level matched that of her own home and that of the other royal families, however, because she did not grow up in this house, like any other clan's house she visited, her yes had to adjust to a certain clan's special aura being that in their home it was stronger since their were more than one clan member.

It was not only the aura of the clan that she was picking up, however, the aura of the temple and buildings around it that she was picking up. This is what impressed her most of all. The fact that the wood and stone used to create the house were still holding the presence of chakra as though it would still be apart of nature. She wondered if when the home was built, the Shui elders utilized their abilities of immortality into the architecture. Or perhaps the ancient Shui learned this ability from nature itself and was able incorporate it in everything they did. It was a subject she would have loved to further study, however, before she could wonder anymore, the two genin were walking through the entrance and greeted by the Shui heads, causing Daiyu to quickly bow in respect. These embodied her goals she had for herself to reach as head of her family and could only hope to one day hold the respect and abilities they held.

After listening to the information given to them by Xuan's parents, Daiyu had many concerns, however, she awaited her turn to speak after taking a few bites of the delicious treats presented to her. Covering her mouth as she finished her last bite, Daiyu finally began to voice her opinion. "First off, I would like to thank you for informing my grandmother for me, however, Lord Liuxing would it have not been better to inform us of this earlier? That way we could have been better prepared, or in my case packed better. If it would be okay with you, I would like to request access to your supply room." however, even as she made the request, knowing how the Shui trained she was not sure if they would accept the request, but never the less Daiyu continued. "Or perhaps a few scrolls and writing tools. I believe it would be beneficial to all of Torogakure if we documented what we could of the remote territory." Raising her hand to her chin as she began to look down in thought and began to speak out loud. "In addition, if possible, we can perhaps use the fact that the members of Shui Clan have easier access to the spirit realm then others. If maybe I can create a drug to push Xuan into that state we can schedule periodic reports if he would meet one of you there. However, this is only a hypothesis. I must admit I do not comprehend the full extend of your abilities just yet." Shaking her head she pushed the thought aside, not waiting for their reply before looking towards the two again.

There was something the weight on Daiyu's mind even more than how poorly prepared they were. "Also, if you two give me your blessing I would like to add one more part to our mission." Daiyu added, her voice direct as she was taught when serious matters were being discussed. "The seals. As three genin we are not strong enough to remove them. However, there is a possibility that we could possibly "edit" the seal to allow maybe member of our clans on the mountain regardless of strength. Obviously, leaving the area uncheck only has lead to more problems and like you said can only grow worse and cause more chaos beyond its boundaries. This way we can better research the area and perhaps even attempt to make it safer so that the tradition can return." Daiyu proposed before taking another cake waiting for their response.

[Yotaka]

As Daiyu finished speaking, the sound of someone clearing their throat was heard behind them. Standing in the door way of the manor, the inhabitants would find a guard with a sword at his side. Standing beside him would be a dark skinned boy with a large object on his back. A Hidden Oasis headband would be easily noticed on his forehead. "Lord Shui," the guard said, bowing low. Standing back to his full height, the guard motioned to the young man standing with him. "The Hinangakure Shinobi has arrived."

Stepping forward, the dark skin boy bowed as well. "Hello, I am Yotaka, nice to me-" as the young man reached the low of his bow, the large object on his back slid forward, smashing into the back of his head. Reaching up to catch his hat, he'd let it drop just enough to to hide the pained look on his face. Taking him a deep breath, Yotaka would stand back up, an awkward grin on his face, chuckling nervously. "Nice to meet you all."

[Xuan Shui]

"Ring the damned bell."

---

Liuxing nodded towards Daiyu as she asked about informing them earlier. "That is correct, although as Xinyung was studying the seals and the world itself, I was studying this physical world; and just where the demons escaped from in the first place. Without giving too much away - I believe that there may also be someone in our village working externally to drive the mountain into further chaos and harm our village from within. When I learned this I decided two things. We must form a small group to leave as soon as possible, and that details would be scarce until we were all in the same room to prevent tipping off whoever it is working in the real world."


As he finished, Yotaka was brought in by another servant of the Shui manor. Saying his thanks, Liuxing dismissed the man and clapped his hands. The same servant girl from before returned with three canvas backpacks. "In order do remedy that concern, Daiyu. We've taken the liberty of gathering travel clothes made according to all three of your own families' styles. As well as a small ration for food - though depending on your length of stay, you may have to forage for more. There's also a few other supplies we'd hope might help. But by all means, help yourself to our stores and whatever you think it is you may need in the meantime. This goes for all three of you. And Yotaka, welcome to our home." She bowed politely, but not too much to lower her noble station; more of an acknowledgement.


"Ah, yes. Yotaka, I'm glad to see that you've responded to my summons. I am Liuxing Shui, and this is my wife Xinyung; as well as our son Xuan. And your third member here is Daiyu of the Southern nobility. Now that you're here, we can get to the meat of the mission. I've already briefed these two. But here it is plainly. In a few moments, I will open and maintain a portal into another world. You three will be going in and climbing a mountain of trials in order to ring the Wudang Bell at the top; which will purge the mountain and realm of restless and demonic spirits. I called for you because intel stated that you were rather familiar with spirits of this nature as well so I'd hoped you would be a beneficial part of this group. Plus the notoriety earned for yourself and the Oasis village would be a win-win." Liuxing looked around at the assembled genin as if weighing their odds. "I won't lie. Some, or all of you may die on this mission. But it is crucial that even if there is one of you left... you must ring that bell. Even if it means your life. Not only for the safety of the village but because..." He stepped backwards, as the seals were Xinyung's expertise.


She moved forward and spoke loudly and with authority. "The seals of the trial world were designed in such a way that we cannot open the return passage unless the bell is rung. You will be stuck there until the bell is rung. Simple as that." She clasped her hands together and smiled, eyeing the genin. Seeing if any of them would back down. "Now direct any other concerns to Liuxing here. I will head into the cellar and begin the ritual for opening to portal. Daiyu if you need any supplies, we have them I'm sure. Simply ask a servant to fetch them. When all three of you are ready - meet me in the cellar and we will send you off. Until then." She nodded and walked out of the foyer, through a hollow stone passage in the hallway which led down into darkness. Soon after the room began to glow with an ambient purple light.




Xuan gulped. As a shinobi, he was perfectly capable of giving his life for the village. But having all of these facts thrown at him in such a definite way was unnerving, to say the least. He decided to handle what he could, in steps. Firstly he turned to Yotaka and bowed low. "It's an honor to meet you and have your expertise along, Yotaka. Hopefully along the way we can build a bond through our strife." Xuan smiled wide and clasped him on the shoulder for a moment, sparing a glance at the giant coffin on his back; but saving that conversation for the journey. He turned and grabbed one of the packs on the floor and slung it over his shoulder. Xuan then turned to Daiyu, then back to Yotaka. "So, we're a team now, huh..."

"Then let's ring that damned bell!"

He laughed despite his fear and threw a fist up into the air before heading down towards the basement.

SPOILER: Click to show

[Travel Pack + Contents]

Waterskin filled with fresh water. x1

Military Rations Pills x 3

Banish Scroll x 2

Ninja Food Rations x 5

Fresh Clothes x 2 sets

Exploding Tag x 2

SPOILER: Click to show

[quote=兵糧丸, Hyōrōgan][list][*]Item Name: Military Rations Pill

[*]Description: Special pills that replenish one's chakra and nourish the body. It is made up of powerful stimulants and nutrients.

[*]Effects: For 5 posts after consumption, a user will have +40 action points for the duration of those 5 posts. However, after the expiration of this temporary buff the user will suffer -60 to their action points. Should they hit 0 or lower the user will be KO'd.





[/list][/quote][quote=起爆札, Kibaku Fuda][list][*]Item Name: Explosive Tag

[*]Description: Scraps of paper inscribed with a special writing, centring around the kanji for "explode" (爆, baku). Infused with chakra, they will explode after a set amount of time, remotely, or after being ignited by flame. The tags can be attached to a surface or wrapped around a weapon to be thrown at an enemy. They are very versatile and one of the basic ninja tools. Ninja can confuse their enemies by obtaining fake explosive tags. They work even under heavy rain. When an explosive tag is detonated remotely, ninja tend to use the "Snake" hand seal. Similarly, when used remotely, explosive tags can be detonated in sequence, allowing them to be used to trap opponents.

[/list][/quote]



[quote=スクロールを追放 Sukurōru o tsuihō][list][*]Item Name: Banish Tag

[*]Description: A small tag similar to an exploding tag in look, this tag was designed by Torogakure for dealing with unruly spirits. Placing this tag on a spirit's body will paralyze it for 3 turns. [/list][/quote]

[/spoiler][/spoiler]






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[daiyu]

Daiyu's full attention were on the words the Shui spoke, not paying any attention as the foreigner appeared. She was not ignoring him to be rude, but she knew that with the information of a possible traitor among the civilians, the matter became more serious. So once Xinyung made her exit, unlike Xuan, Daiyu made her way to the servant with the backpacks and quickly assessed their contents. Careful she considered the items she had on her own person. A small medical kit containing clean bandages and medicines of her own making that she carried at all times, a few senbon needles, wire, and kunai. It seemed the basics were covered, however, Daiyu was also considering the miscellaneous items that she would need, especially if she were to edit the seal. Looking to the servant Daiyu spoke in an authoritative,yet kind tone as she handed her the backpack back after taking an item out "I need you to retrieve me a blank scroll, a sharping stone, a few vials, ink, and two brushes, but make sure that one is wrapped very well."



She watched as the servant nodded and walked off to get the items that where requested. These were very simple items, however, Daiyu's worries were too many to focus on one objective. She knew what she had to do. Most importantly ring the bell, document what she could, and try to change the seals. But, most importantly survive along and protect her teammates' back. This caused her to take an uneasy deep breath as her hand found her way to the mala necklace round her neck, twirling one of the beads between her fingers. She didn't want to let the village and especially her teammates down.



That's right. Teammates. She recalled as she heard Xuan's declaration causing her to turn her attention to the two males, realizing that she had allowed her mannerism to leave her and caused her to make her way towards the new comer, her crimson eyes scanning over his body, including his aura, as well as the aura from the large item he carried on his back. "Forgive me for my rudeness." the female apologized with a bow once she got closer. "I am Shang Daiyu, I look forward to working with you." she simply said before looking toward Xuan. "I will be right back." she informed him as she spread her arms out slightly as her long casual long kimono was less than idea for the mission. "I don't think this would be beneficial to the mission." she laughed before exiting the room, having been here before and knowing where the restrooms to change into one of the outfits that Xuan's parents had made available for her.

"Then let's ring that damned bell!" 

The Shui female would hear her nephews voice echo through the halls of her family's home causing her to stop walking and rub her ear with her free hand. "Damn, looks like that boy gets more than most of his looks from his mother." she noted in a dull voice before continuing to her destination towards the foyer of the home. However, instead of announcing herself like she would usually do, a sly smile formed across her lips seeing the two young males "bond" before their big mission. Placing two of the items she held into her kunai pouch, carefully wrapping her index finger around the small sphere, quickly forming a few quick hand seals.



This trick usually would have been caught easily by other, more experienced Shui members, however, being that Xuan was young and they were in the Shui house, which was filled with a similar energy to their clan's eternally flowing through the house, her movements were easily hidden. So when she disappeared from her position in the shadows of the hall at the top of the foyer's stairs and teleported behind her nephew, she quickly grabbed his side playfully, not knowing if he was ticklish or not. If he would laugh she would reach around and throw the item she held in her hand in his mouth. However, if he wasn't or didn't open his mouth she would simply put it against his lips and say "The old man requested that I give you these pills to make portal trip easier on your young bodies." she would inform him either way.



After her nephew would eventually take the medicine if she didn't throw it in his mouth, she would step to the side of him look toward the Oasis kid. "يو، لطيف لمقابلتك." (Yo, nice to meet you.) she would greet him in the on greeting she had learned when she had passed through the village when she was traveling. "Wouldn't happen to have brought some Eesh baladi with you would you?" she questioned him, remembering the taste of his village's amazing bread that she pretty much ate her whole stay.

[Yotaka]

Yotaka listen patiently as the two adults explained their upcoming mission. Travel to a spirit world, avoid death, fight a bunch of spirit monsters, and ring a bell. Piece of cake. Over the last few months, Yotaka had seen all kinds of frightening spirits, and nearly been killed by a few of them. It was for this reason he'd been chosen for this mission.

As the older Shinobi exited the room, Yotaka turned his attention to the other Genin. As the male shinobi, the one known as Xuan, bowed, Yotaka would barely notice the female walking away. He didn't assume she meant any ill will, and simply assumed she had a lot on her mind. It wasn't everyday Genin were sent on such a dangerous mission. Unfortunately, because of the nature of the seals, they were the only ones capable of doing it.

As Xuan spoke, Yotaka would smile kindly at him. "I'm honored to be working with members of two of the honorable houses of the Hidden Lantern village." During his journey from the Hidden Oasis village, Yotaka had been ordered to learn what he could about the village from various scrolls supplied by the Intel division of the Oasis Black Ops. From this, he had learned that both of the Shinobi accompanying him were from two of the great families of the village, each of them possessing unique family skills that made them the perfect choice for this mission.

"So I guess we're a team now huh..."

At the word 'team' Yotaka lowered his gaze for a second. Since he had read the Scroll of the Dead and unlocked the abilities associated with it, his training had become specialized. He was kept away from the other Shinobi of the village except for those related to his training. This included his team mate, Aisuru. While the two had only been team mates for a short time, they had quickly become friends. It had been several months since the two had seen one another.

"Then let's ring that damn bell!"

At that, Yotaka let a grin cross his face. Looking back up, he nodded to Xuan. "Yeah, let's do it." It was at that point the female Shinobi, the one as Daiyu, would approach and officially, but briefly introduced herself. Then she made a comment about her clothes and ran off. Yotaka chuckled slightly. "Women are strange creatures..." Yotaka thought.

As if on cue, another, less dressed, female appeared behind Xuan and grabbed him. Stepping back, Yotaka reached behind his back and gripped one of the Kunai strapped to his belt. The woman would then raise her hand to Xuan's mouth and speak to him. From her tone of voice, Yotaka could assume the woman was not an enemy, but held his grip on the Kunai either way. Then the woman turned to him and began to speak a language he'd never heard before. As she finished talking, Yotaka stated at her for a second. "What?

[Xuan Shui]

"Piercing the veil."

---

Xuan was turning to walk down the stairs when something squeezed his side and he couldn't help but let out a loud half-laugh-half-yelp that was cut short by him choking on a foreign object before swallowing it entirely by accident. "Eck... tastes like... dirt. Or worse than. There has to be a better way to give medicine. Heh..." Xuan nervously rubbed his head, not sure how to respond and slowly excused himself awkwardly to continue down the stairs into the basement without saying anything else.

Xuan was ready to run to his mother with concern over the mystery drug that now coursed through his system when he passed the threshold into the basement proper and he lost any semblance of worry to the crazy scene before him.

His mother was absolutely radiant with power before him. He wasn't sure if it was from the same substance being within his veins, or just the weight from the wanton chakra spreading across the room. Before he knew it, a sound like crackling thunder boomed throughout the building and a blinding flash of light; forcing Xuan to shield his eyes with his forearm. "Wha-" He lowered his arm and before him seemed like a regular Shui portal. The same nebulae and stars floating around within a swirling oblong circle, but in the center was an actual object. It was a dirt path that seemed to lead to a large stone gate at the base of the trial Wudang mountain. "Whoa... Was all he could manage.

"Impressive, huh? This jutsu usually takes four Shui members to maintain. She stated in a bragging tone, whilst feigning a yawn to show its ease. His mother was never very modest. But then again, none of the women in his family were. He had a vague memory of his half naked aunt and brushed it to the back of his mind with a shudder and a gag. But this was the opposite - it was very impressive; he had to give his mother that much. "That's amazing, mother. But before everyone gets in here; I know that this is one of our worlds and I should take responsibility for these two... I don't know. I just wanted to say that, if it's as dangerous as you guys are making it out to be, it would be my duty to die to let them ring the bell. And I wanted to say that if it comes to that, I will. We'll fix this. I feel it." Xuan slammed his right fist into his open left palm, eyeing his mother and then the portal with a youthful determination.

Xingyung smiled softly and looked down from her work with keeping the portal open. "I'm not going to give you some useless speech about 'no don't talk like that you're my baby blahblahblah' because that's not who we are. I'll give you the honest answer. Because I'm old enough and have seen enough of the shinobi life to know that you may be right in your sacrifice - and being aware of that makes me extremely proud. But don't go giving your life for something that can be remedied, Xuan. Don't rush to martyrdom whilst there are other ways. Never forget that. Basically just don't be stupid, and don't die unless you have to." She kissed his forehead and then roughly smacked him in the back of the head and ruffled his hair.

He couldn't find the words to answer experienced knowledge like that, and he was a little choked up - but he wouldn't show it. Xuan blinked away light tears and instead began laughing. At that moment the remaining Genin, and his father and aunt descended the stairs and stirred at the sight before them.



Xuan turned and faced the group with his back towards the glowing portal. "No matter what the consequences are. I cannot wait to try. We'll all survive this and surprise everyone with our power. We're leaving here today three different ninja. A new face with us to help us when he didn't even have to come. The spirits will guide us. A few months ago a demon spirit wrecked our Autumn Festival and killed people. I don't know about you guys -- But I'm ready to fight so that doesn't happen anymore! It could happen in Oasis next for all we know! And we're the only ones who can do this. We're going to climb that mountain. And we're going to ring that bell together. I don't care if we have to drag each other up this giant thing! We're different shinobi but today we become the Tozan-ka! The Mountain-Climbers!" He looked towards his father, who nodded and mouthed 'well said', tossing Xuan his Bo-staff. His mother was just grinning like she did at the start of their fight.

Xuan smiled cheesily and gripped his Bo. He held out his left hand in silent prayer, holding his mala beads; eyes closed for only a moment. Then he gave his Genin partners one last glance... and turned and jumped into the portal.







Liuxing shouted and clapped. "Oh-ho-ho, that's my boy! Talk about showmanship, huh?! How unexpected of our quiet little boy, eh?" He whooped again and Xinyung laughed heartily. "Yes, well. You heard the boy. Get in there and give it your all - because he sounds like he certainly is. No point in wasting time with some sentimental bullshit." She said boldly, but seemed misty-eyed nonetheless. Liuxing openly had comical tears trailing down his face and a fiery passion in his eyes as he stood behind the two remaining Genin. "Yeah! Don't waste those words; GET IN THERE! WOO!" And with that, he unceremoniously shoved Daiyu and Yotaka into the portal behind Xuan.

SPOILER: Click to show

The three Genin find themselves somewhat nauseated at the shift between worlds, but otherwise arrive unharmed. What they see as they stand and look around is a world much akin to their own. Everything looks, feels, smells, just as real as their own world. Because in it's own way - it is. Before them at the base of the Wudang mountain is a set of stone steps carved through a lush forest. Paper lanterns hang in the trees and a red shinto shrine can be found several meters down the path. This stairway will end after the shrine, after which a spiraling dirt trail will appear. It curves around the base of the mountain itself, though none of them could see the top. Only a thick layer of ominous fog at what they could only assume was the halfway mark.

Part one ends after Two Confirmed travel nights.

[daiyu]

t did not take long for Daiyu to change, reappearing in a short, black yukata that bore a white silhouette of her clan's crest. This would be much more efficient than her formal kimono was, which would have only restricted her movements during the mission. Upon entering the foyer again, Daiyu's eyes were still examining the quality and fabrics used in her attired, holding her previous attire folded in her arm. But then she heard Xuan's comment about medicine as he exited the room, this caused her to giggle. "I am pretty sure I have gave you worse." she added, considering how he has been her guinea pig for new concoctions multiple times. Sometimes she felt bad for Xuan when she either made him digest, or even get injected him with unknown elements. Although, he was the crazy one who always agreed to it before hand, so then again she did not feel as bad.

Raising her head, Daiyu stopped walking as she saw the familiar face of Shui Lian, causing her to quickly bring the folded kimono to her chest and making sure her chest was protected from the energetic woman. However, even though she was wary of the woman, Daiyu bowed to her in respect. "Lady Lian, it is nice to see you again." she greeted her nervously. Even though her sexual assault seemed to be a misunderstanding, and her perviness towards Daiyu had only become cheesy pick up lines, the Shang woman did not trust her, but knew she must still respect her.

Luckily, the servant that was retrieving supplies for Daiyu returned just in time, handing her the backpack. Daiyu inspected it's contents before placing the kimono neatly in the bag. She figured that while not an ideal outfit, the kimono's fabric could atleast prove to be useful. As she threw the straps of the backpack over her shoulders, Daiyu approached the Shui accepted the medicine after ignoring whatever perverted saying Lian would say simply saying "No thank you." before she would place the medicine in her mouth, mentally agreeing with Xuan, however, you could not tell by her facial expression as she made her way to the basement.

As she descended the steps, Daiyu allowed the medicine linger in her mouth as she attempted to asset the different ingredients used. However, once she got closer the landing and the portal to the mountain appeared, Daiyu couldn't help but swallow the remaining medicine and look at the portal in awe. However, she couldn't help but over hear Xuan and his mother's conversation. This caused Daiyu you to simply mutter the word "idiot". Apparently, Xuan felt as though he would be responsible for the other two, so to Daiyu this meant she would have to keep an eye on him. That way he wouldn't do something stupid, or try to unreasonably perform a self sacrifice. This made Daiyu sigh, but as she shook her head she couldn't help but smile to herself, atleast this mission was going to be interesting.

Stepping into the room, and being joined by the others, Daiyu listened to Xuan's before he entered the portal. Daiyu was going to follow, however, couldn't help but watch his parents reaction, not sure if she should laugh or promise to watch over their son. But, she didn't get time to react, being pushed into the portal by the elder man.

The Wudang Shrine

Action Points: 135/140
-5 subtracted for eyes
-10 for using her chakra to change her pupils


Once the female's foot touched the earth of the mountain, she immediately felt her stomach turn. However, she didn't feel as sick as one would usually be from traveling through a portal, especially if they were not accustom to it. She figured it must be a result of the medicine administered to them before they departed. This made atleast the beginning of their mission a little better. But, who knew that troubles laid before them. She started considering a few of them as she began to examine what she could see of the mountain. As her crimson eyes eyed the mountain, she used her chakra to adjust her four pupils so that she was able to observe as much of the aura in the area. At first, all the chakra's coming together blinded her only briefly, however, all the energies began to come clearer as her eyes adjusted to the site. This way she could be more observant to anything with energy, including spiritual energy coming their way or watching them.

Making her way towards the bottom of the stone walk way, once her stomach and sight settled a bit, carefully she eyed the area. Especially that of the fog ahead which like everything around them, radiated with energy, so it could not be for certain as to what laid ahead. This caused Daiyu to reach for her mala beads around her neck and say a small prayer to the Vermilion Bird, before taking her first few steps up the stone stairway.

[Yotaka]

Yotaka watched as Xuan pulled away from the strange woman who had appeared behind him and commented on the medicine she'd shoved down his throat. Very strange method she had of making sure he took it. Letting his hand drop from the kunai he'd gripped, Yotaka opened his mouth to ask if he would need to take one of the pills, when Daiyu reappeared. Listening to the exchange between the two women, Yotaka's eye began to twitch. "She wanted to give it to her with her... mouth..." The young man felt like his innocence had been violated by the brief conversation before him. Then the woman turned to him and tossed him one of the pills.

Making his way down the stairs to the basement, Yotaka would not hear much of the conversation going on between Xuan and his parents. In his head, he kept replaying the strange scene he'd witnessed only moments ago. "Women in this village are much stranger than I'm used to..." he said to himself. Next thing he knew, he was being shoved through the portal by the Elder Shui male. His eyes widened as he realized he hadn't taken the pill given to him by the black dressed woman.

-----

As soon as Yotaka felt his feet hit solid ground, he leaned forwards and vomited. A small puddle of puke soon formed directly in front of himself and Daiyu, as the two had been standing next to one another as they entered the portal. Once his stomach was cleared, the boy fell back, landing hard on his ass and kicking up a cloud of dust. His face was covered in sweat as he tilted his head back and stared at the sky, waiting for his vision to clear. After several minutes of this, Yotaka began to feel less nauseous, taking a drink from his canteen before undoing the strap of his sarcophagus and using it as a crutch as he slowly stood.

With his vision back to normal, Yotaka began to observe their surroundings. He found the area, especially the forest before them, beautiful, as he did most places that were not sand and palm trees. Testing his own legs for a moment, the genin would find that he was able to stand now, and would return the sarcophagus to it's position on his back. Walking over to the other two, Yotaka would smile nervously at them, sure they thought much less of him now that he'd basically put his lunch at their feet. "So I guess we go that way?" he asked, motioning towards the stone stairway, ready to follow his teammates, heading up the rear.

[Xuan Shui]

"Between hell and wudang."

---

Xuan breathed through his nose heavily, taking in the world around him. "This isn't the real Wudang that I need to get to for training... But the replica feels close enough. It's beautiful." He said, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. It may seem like a menial place for his comrades, but Shui spent their entire lives trying to get to the real version of this mountain. A man-made substitute of the real thing felt closer to the real Wudang than he would get for some time, and just a glimpse felt worth more than the rest could know.


He stared for a long moment as the others dropped into the world behind him. Yotaka's squelching behind him breaking him out of his stupor. Xuan couldn't help but laugh kind-heartily as he patted his teammate on the back. "Guess this is why we took the medicine, aye?"


Xuan's forest green eyes scanned the horizon as Daiyu activated her special eyes. Peering into that blanket of thick mist, he was already glad that Daiyu had come along. He started spinning his bo staff absently in his right hand, holding onto the strap of his backpack with the left. "We need to start moving. If not to encounter the trials ahead then to find a spot to camp before it gets dark." He looked up at the sun sitting high in the sky. "By logical reasoning, we should have half of the day left. But it was midnight in our world; so I don't know how time works here. If it does at all. But there it is. We'll just have to move and deal with issues as they present themselves, yeah?" Xuan nodded confirmation to himself, clutching at his mala beads at his wrist - fiddling nervously, but he began walking either way. A soft pattering was all he heard as his feet met the stone pathway. No birds...? No wind through the trees? Small things, but by Genbu's shell that's ominous.



"Weird place, that's for sure. It's beautiful aesthetically, of course. But it... feels weird."He said after they had walked in silence for some time."I wonder if it always felt this way to the people who used to come here for innocent trials."Only to end up dead, turned into monstrous demons made from residual fear and anger. He shook his head. Thinking on what happened did no good for their present situation. All that existed was right now, no matter how it got that way - and what to do next.




Not seeing anything up ahead but the end of the trail, still a ways off, Xuan decided to make some mindless chatter as they walked. "So Yotaka. What's the Oasis village like? I've never been. Recently Daiyu and I met a Genin from the Swamp village, but before that I had never seen a foreign shinobi.Xuan chewed nervously at his lip out of habit, peeling the skin away. "You're only the second person I've ever seen in my entire life that wasn't from Lantern. Without voicing it because he wasn't sure if it was polite or not, Xuan found himself considering that from the three villages he had come to meet people from, he thought he could recognize foreigners by now. Whether it was a new tone of skin he had never seen before, or simply the way they moved or dressed. It interested him in a way he couldn't grasp. Ethereal interest - knowledge for the sake of it, he assumed.

[daiyu]

As the team began to make their assent up the path laid before them, Daiyu remained cautious. Considering the big deal that the Shui Clan had made about this mission, she thought it best to be overly caution rather than be caught off guard. This caused her to turn her head to the side every once in a while to inspect the areas out of her peripheral vision. It was when she turned her head to inspect the area behind them that she noticed that the foreign teammate's condition, having not thinking anything when she stepped in his vomit as they exited the portal. Working at the hospital she had stepped in much worse, so the vomit did not phase her. However, she knew that she would have to do what she could for the male so that it would not cause trouble for the mission.



Looking up to towards the top top of the mountain, Daiyu knew that all the rain, or melted snow from the peek (if any) would end up making its way down the mountain. This meant that with the lush greenery presented to her, and the climate, their was something she should easily be able to find that would help him. This caused her to slightly move off the course as she inspected the base of the trees around them.



Quickly, Daiyu found the plant she was looking for and broke a few leaves off the stem inspecting them for bugs, before finding the best looking on and placing the rest in her kunai pouch in case she would need later. As she did that, she also retrieved a clear pill that allowed the ground up herbal contents to be relieved.



"Mentha." she simply said as she held out the leaf and the pill to the foreigner. "Also known as a Mint Leaf. If you suck on it, or even eat it, it should settle your stomach. I would suggest sucking on it. Once your stomach starts to feel a little better, take the pill. It's packed full of herbs which will help your regain some strength. And don't worry about the taste, I usually make these for Xuan to help him recover after he decides to take training to far." Daiyu informed him waiting for him to take the remedy. Once he would she would simply turn and continue on her pack. Listening as Xuan made idol talk, returning to scanning their surroundings.

[Yotaka]

Yotaka followed his comrades closely, forcing his body to move, despite the fact that he felt like lying down. He knew they had to keep moving. This place wasn't exactly safe, even if it was quiet. Yotaka had never been much of a sensory ninja, but for some reason, he felt like he could sense something near them. Perhaps it was his imagination, or his weakened stomach. Or maybe the power emanating from this place. Glancing over his shoulder, the genin would narrow his eyes. There were definitely spirits here. And they weren't happy. That much he could tell.

Turning back to face his team, Yotaka would almost run smack into Daiyu as he came face to face with the girl, her hand out stretched to give him something. However, finding her standing directly in front of him startled him, causing him to lose his balance for a moment. His hands swirled in the air at his sides as he tried not to fall. After a few seconds, he threw his body to the left, catching himself on a tree so as not to fall. Taking a deep breath, Yotaka turned back to Daiyu with a large grin on his face. One hand behind his head, he gave her a thumbs up as he chuckled nervously. "They must think I'm such a clutz by now. By the power of Orbris, please don't let me slip up in front of them again."

Realizing that Daiyu was holding out a leaf and a pill for him, Yotaka stepped away from the tree and took the items from her. As she explained what they were for, the boy would pop the leaf into his mouth and begin sucking on it. A few seconds later, he could feel his stomach beginning to settle. Perking up immediately, Yotaka opened his mouth to thank the girl, only to have her turn away from him before he could. "Yup,''he thought, "She hates me." Trying not to fall behind, Yotaka adjusted the strap of his sarcophagus on his back and began to follow the other two again.

As Xuan began to ask him questions, Yotaka couldn't help but blush. It wasn't every day someone began to ask about his home, and he was very excited to talk about it. "The village is built along a great river, which runs down the center,'' he began,"Other than that, it's lots of sand and a few trees... Suddenly, his excitement began to fade he'd always found the Hidden Oasis village beautiful, but in comparison to a lush forest, maybe it wasn't as beautiful as he'd thought. "It may not sound like much, but it's truly an amazing place," he said, looking down at the ground.

"This is also my first time meeting people from another village," Yotaka said in response to Xuan's next statement. "Imagine my surprise when everyone in your village had light colored skin!" At that the boy began to laugh loudly. Not everyone in Oasis had skin the color of his, but he'd never expected to find an entire village of light skinned people. Finished laughing, Yotaka would pop the pill given to him by Daiyu into his mouth and swallow it with a drink of water before continuing. "But coming to the hidden Lantern village has definitely made me want to see other places now. Assuming we don't die here, that is." He chuckled softly at his joke, not really sure if it was one or not.

[Xuan Shui]

"Home on the 'planes'."

---

"Those medicine balls taste like something you'd give a polluted river spirit in a mythical bath-house. Or maybe a dying dragon." Xuan chuckled and walked, hopping off of the small rise at where the stone walkway stopped and turned into a spiraling trail. With the mountain to his right, he let his hand graze the side as he walked. "The mint leaves are pleasant, though. I'm also a fan of licorice root soaked in mint tea. Feels good to chew on something." His nonsensical ramblings aside, the rough rock-face of the mountain dragging against his palm felt nice in an axious sort of way. Like the tapping of a foot when he was confined to a chair.

Xuan's head bobbed pleasantly as they walked, listening to Yotaka. "Well when we all get out of here, you can show us for yourself;" he corrected and smiled even though no one could see from this angle.

The group walked in silence for some time, Xuan with his eyes half closed and heavily lidded in prayer. Moving his fingers deftly along the beads of his wrist mala, shuffling to the next bead as he finished one set. The sun began to sink lower upon the horizon as the incline of the hill and trail started to steepen. "It's a little early, but we should start looking for shelter for the night. This is a foreign world so we may need the extra time. Better safe than sorry, though."



Some time later and after thorough searching, the group found a small cave a few yards off of the main trail. After inspection, the cave wasn't luckily very deep, so they needn't worry about being approached from the depths of the earth in the night. The sun had fallen even lower by now, and Xuan had gathered kindling and several branches to start a fire. Even though they as shinobi could easily find a way to do so using their strengths, building a fire through no exceptional means was always a slight inexplicable pleasure for Xuan.


With the fire started, Xuan placed his pack and bostaff against the inner walls of the cave and sat by the fire, staring at the dancing shadows. "Even with this mild weather, the morale boost from a fire is always nice, eh?" He watched the sun sink even lower behind the horizon until the sky became flecked with small stars. No matter how far, Xuan couldn't help but feel pride at being connected to those magical cosmic beauties. He sighed heavily. "Quiet first day, luckily." He muttered softly, doing his best to treat this place as the normal world and relax.

[daiyu]

"You do not seem to mind the taste when you can barely stand." Daiyu pouted towards Xuan's comment about her medicine. Being someone who spent most of her time studying herbology and devoting that knowledge to creating various remedies, she took this as an insult to her work. "Besides, if I would chose to add in a pleasing favor, that would only take away from the nutrition value. Thus, the strength of the medicine less than satisfactory." she explained pointlessly aloud before looking down at her hand to examine her skin tone carefully, then towards their new acquaintance's dark skin not really paying attention to it before. She never really thought herself as pale, however, upon closer examination, it seemed as though if she would become any paler, she would be identified as a ghost herself. Perhaps, she need to invest more of her time in the sun.

Daiyu ignored the distracting thoughts that began to fog her concentration about flavored medicine, other lands and her pale skin and once again went through scanning the forest. So far, most of the energy came from just plant life that inhabited the forest. However, she knew that that could be either a good or a bad sign. But, luckily, the leader of the mission, Xuan, suggested that they should look for shelter. Something that she agreed whole heartily on.

Once the three of them were settled in the cave, Daiyu searched the area near the cave for some edible plants, while also keeping herself on high alert. She knew that they Shui family had provided them with food, however, it was unclear of how long they would be residing here, so she wanted to attempt to stretch their rations as much as possible. So, when she returned, Daiyu laid out two different varieties of plants next to the fire. Pointing to the first one, which held the appearance of Asparagus except thinner, because it was actually Asparagus, just wild. "Asparagus officinalis." she informed them "If you eat this raw it's a good source of vitamin C, thiamine, potassium, and vitamin B6." Her finger moved to the next plant which was a purple flower with the leaves' veins in a circular rather than terminating on the edges of the leaves. "Epilobium angustifolium or Fireweed is a great source of vitamins A and C. They are still young so the leaves and stem are tender, and won't be too bitter. However, if you eat the flower or seeds, it might be a little peppered. Depends on how sensitive your taste buds are." she finished before taking some wild Asparagus and beginning to nibble on it. She figured she should inform them, that way if they ever found themselves without her and out of food on this mission, they could atleast know what plants could be eaten.

Taking out a blank scroll and her writing utensils, Daiyu began to note things that she had noticed as she traveled, trying to add small sketches of random things that might hold some importance later. As she began to inspect the written kanji, she couldn't help, but look towards him. "If only we could count on that being a good sign."

[Yotaka]

Yotaka followed his team mates further up the massive stairway, chewing on the mint leaves until his stomach had settled. Listening to the two of them argue over the taste and quality over medicine, Yotaka couldn't help but smile. Though he'd only been with the two of them for a few hours, he was beginning to feel like a true member of a team. Popping the pill given to him by Daiyu into his mouth, Yotaka was taking a drink of water from his canteen as Xuan made the comment about coming visit Hinangakure. "I would very much like that," he said, screwing the cap back onto his canteen and slipping it into a pouch on his belt. The rest of his supplies were still in the bag supplied by the Xuan family, but he had slipped the bag inside his sarcophagus to make it easier for him to carry both. A few minutes later, Xuan would suggest that they find shelter, and Yotaka would nod in agreement.

Once the team had checked the cave to make sure it was safe, Yotaka would make his way to the back wall, lowering the sarcophagus to the ground and placing his hat on top of it before stretching extensively. His joints popped loudly as he stretched his arms, then his legs, and began to roll his shoulders. Though it'd been a few months since he started carrying the sarcophagus, he had yet to make such a trek with it on his back before. Turning back to face his team mates, Yotaka found Xuan attempting to make a fire in the center of the cave. Though he was sure there were matches in the pack supplied by the other genin's parents, something told Yotaka that Xuan was enjoying creating a fire on his own. Once the flame sprung to life, Yotaka grinned at his team mate. "Good job. You are quite the survivalist," he complimented, lowering himself down to sit on the ground, his back leaned against his Sarcophagus. He reached up and grabbed his hat, lowering it onto his head and tipping it down to block out the light of the fire, listening to his comrades talk about the day.