A relatively unassuming looking, ground floor studio apartment sporting a sign that reads "Office of the Sumikage" taped hastily to the door. Though the apartment is what Sumika would describe as her office, it labyrinthine network of underground passageways connects various locations in the village, allowing her to travel to and from them with secrecy and ease.
Type: Castle
Installed Upgrades:
Tatami Room Study Hall Deluxe Kitchen Personal Forge Personal Workshop Lewditorum/Torture Chamber Health Room Private Hot Spring Barracks Watchtower Armory Siege Weapon Mining Rights Plantation Rights
Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2021 8:44 pm
Sumika kicked her feet up on the desk that sat dead center in the middle of her tiny apartment. Behind her a bed of jiton slowly churned away. It'd be a pain in the a**, but it was the only way to assure the JUEI snakes didn't come poking around. If Sadayo wasn't going to let her have any say, Sumika was going to literally carve out her own place to operate. For now it was a slow process. She passed the time by fiddling with a bit of clockwork gearing powered by a small chakra motor.
[ Mechanism Crafting ] - Only taking E rank mission completion, because of Sumika's rank.
A few hours later an Sumika had created a roughly room sized pit of iron sand. It'd be a bit of a pain in the a** to repurpose, but careful compression and mokuton reinforcement around the room would allow her to create a space big enough to accompany a lifting mechanism. Careful design would also allow it to on be used by those with mokuton and jiton. A bit overwrought, sure but there was a novelty to a desk that descended seamlessly to the next level lower. It took a fair bit of testing, but ultimately it worked, complete with an air buffer around the floor boards that comprised it to prevent a noticeable draft.
[ Mechanism Crafting ]
With the main entrance complete and a few trips taken to assess the durability of the contraption, Sumika's attention turned to setting up an actually functional workspace. She'd need to spend some actual dough on the items but she'd at least have some space to work in that wasn't like, on the damn floor or whatever. For now that meant a set of tools a, for the moment at least, neat stack of materials for future mechanism tinkering.
[ Mechanism Crafting ]
A new pile of boxes graced Sumika theoretical castle beneath the surface of Konoha. It'd be a while before she actually fit the bill on that one, however, as there were a dozen small details that needed dealing with. The first was getting the doors in the space working. It was fine if the ones near her own quarters required bespoke jutsu to open, good even, but the rest needed some sort of system to allow other people to move about if she was going to be hosting people of various types. It was a task that was unlikely to ever be complete.
[ Mechanism Crafting ]
What was a lair without some cool technology in it? First up, Sumika set about creating a surveillance system. Nothing terribly invasive, she wasn't intending to spy, but she did want to know if JUEI came snooping around. There would be trouble if they actually found a way in. Or, at the very least, they'd have to have been grossly opportunistic. In which case she would have a bit of leverage for achieving a bit of recompense. If the spooks came haunting her home while the village was under attack, Sadayo's priorities were more jacked up than even Sumika thought.
[ Mechanism Crafting ]
Sumika's next project was actually something for later, back in her own quarters. She'd require access to performance puppets, smaller, non-combat devices meant for putting on a show. She needed to keep her skills fresher with the puppets, and that wasn't going to be done toting around one of the others. Maybe Rollbert could manage that, the rest were primarily weapons, as much as she liked to make them amusing little details. It was a bad idea to clown around with Sumiko or Vogel, either of which was capable of accidentally doing serious damage. These cute little creatures would fit the bill and be much easier to show off.
[ Mechanism Crafting ]
A grumpy, naked Sumika practically kicked in the door of the little apartment that hid her office beneath it, only barely managing to stop her expression of frustration in time to avoid damaging it. A hand hastily flicked and the floor parted as Cobalt pushed his way through the half open door and stepped onto the lowering platform. The puppeteer retrieved the outfit from her only faithful companion as the floor closed again above her and she set to tinkering to let off some steam.
[ Mechanism Crafting ]
It seemed Sumika was back once again to let off some steam. She never did seem to get in here to the workshop when she was in a good mood. Not that there had been a lot of opportunities for good moods lately. No doubt a fresh pile of parts would help distract her from the obvious fiasco that was the kage summit. Finishing her work here was long overdue anyways, and if she was going to be a kookie crafting hermit she needed to get a move on.
[ Mechanism Crafting ]
Her project this time was actually relatively simple. Sheโd been fidgeting and tinkering and replicating the little birds sheโd gotten all those years ago, but it was time they got a proper, modern rendition. When Sumika was a kid chakra batteries were a bit theoretical. In fact, the first sheโd ever set her eyes on was just a modified scroll. Theyโd come quite a long way, so continuing to rely on a winding mechanism and mechanical gyro, while it made the birdโs slightly easier to maintain, wouldnโt really cut it anymore.
[ Mechanism Crafting ]
Several hours of tinkering and a bag of Super Spicy Straws later, a little clockwork bird whirred into life with quite a bit more pep than its spring driven counterpart. The chakra battery allowed for more complex interactions with its surroundings, and even at this size some minor logic circuitry. Not a full automaton, but capable of navigating with relatively the same accuracy as a bird. Of course it wasnโt quite as energy efficient as the key wound model sheโd given to Kai, but it was significantly less of a hassle than a live animal.
[ Mechanism Crafting ]
Sumikaโs time tinkering had been well spent, but she still needed that extra bit to set her over the top. She needed to finish the mechanisms for her human puppet. This called for a bit more careful planning than the puppeteer typically relied on. To this point sheโd been quite loose, approaching things by feel. Her resources were ultimately limited here, however, meaning she very much had to get this right the first time.
[ Mechanism Crafting ]
A large sheet of drafting paper slid out onto one of the unused benches, curling at the corners before Sumika fetched a few objects to weigh it down. This was hardly her first rodeo when it came to designing devices, but sheโd avoided the process of actual design like the plague. Something about turning the pencil over in her hand took her back to the academy and itโs pointless tests. As she drew the writing implement along her straight edge she recalled the once dreaded assessments.
[ Mechanism Crafting ]
Impulsive, foolish, and altogether not particularly skilled or bright - thatโs what she remembered the grade book saying when sheโd gone snooping. Even she couldnโt have gotten away with changing that. Of course, there wasnโt a lot of crafting mechanisms in the academy at that point. Genjutsu, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Bukijutsu - you excelled in these or you were simply considered inferior. Her mind wandered as she gathered materials, but the process had become all but automatic at this point. She was lost in it, hands creating from instinct despite the absence of her focus.
[ Mechanism Crafting ]
With time the paper and pencil gave way to jutsu and tools. Her hands creating raw materials and then shaping them carefully, piece by piece. Next to Sumika a pile of parts began to grow, shrinking every now and again as she turned her attention to laying them out. Each set went with its schematic, an easy to remember scheme for managing the ever expanding clutter. No assembly for the time being, that step was the last, at least for this revision of the different mechanisms sheโd crafted for Sixty Seven.
[ Mechanism Crafting ]
The construction of the mechanisms themselves came second nature to Sumika, about the only thing that did. It was not a hard task for her to focus on, nor did it drain her with quite the same ferocity that the other steps did. No tedium. No confusion. Just an overwhelming sense of bliss and wonder. At what she had created and its potential. At the little sounds of a quickly tested series of gears and latches. At the promise of more specific refinement and the swarm of inspired thoughts that buzzed through her skull.
[ Mechanism Crafting ]
And so the final step came. The testing of completed mechanisms. Though the final step in this particular endeavor, more would follow. A comforting repetition of the exact same steps, continuing on and on until only deployment in the field could present proper challenges for the devices Sumika had fashioned. For now it was enough to make sure they functioned properly. To check that the puppet did not get in its own way, and examine the design for any potential gaps or oversights. Battle would test the true durability of the mechanisms, for the puppeteer could not bring herself to engage in sincere attempts to damage them.
Deconstructed Essence: When custom metal armors, weapons, and items are successfully reduced to iron sand by the deconstruction ability, the jiton user is able to retain [1] of the custom abilities of the original item in their iron sand for the duration of the battle. Up to [3] custom abilities from [3] separate weapons can be obtained in a single battle.
Kakumei no Hono Ryu: techs treated as spiritual in strength for collisions
Flame Breathing Pattern: Defend against an activation without using an activation once every 3 posts. Status: Active
Fluid Movement: Techniques used for a blocking, countering or evasive action have their cost reduced by 5 stamina per rank of the technique.
Whirlpool Walking: In the Deflecting Stance, the user can deflect a technique of their body rank or lower once every three posts for no activation, still requiring the stamina/chakra cost paid.
Move As Water: Techniques that target multiple opponents may now have additional reserves paid in order to strengthen the effectiveness of the individual attack to the next highest rank.These can be paid individually, not requiring chakra or stamina to be paid for every split technique.
Riptide: In the Weak Stance, the user may perform 4 activations in a given post. In the Strong Stance, the user may perform an additional offensive activation each post. Each additional technique costs an extra 20 Chakra to perform and must be either basic combat or come from this Style.
Sen Gekiretsu Nagareboshi: All Simple techniques in this Style are treated as Complex when interacting with other techniques.
Unwavering Balance: Any techniques below the user's body rank cannot knock them over.
Dual Elemental Charge: Able to charge Sen Gekiretsu Nagareboshi with an extra element for [ 10 ] chakra.
Magnet Release: Jiton users can freely convert the earth and their Doton techniques into any magnetic material that they can control for [5] chakra and no action cost.
It seemed that none in the village proper were willing to let Sumika stew in peace. No matter, she was intending to take a peak at the hot springs party anyways. The diminutive shinobi hefted her newest puppet off the workbench and set down one of the corridors. Not long after she was joined by a handful of workers pushing a cart with a slightly upgraded version of Vogel. It was time to go see just what it would take to get Konoha to finally calm the hell down.
Deconstructed Essence: When custom metal armors, weapons, and items are successfully reduced to iron sand by the deconstruction ability, the jiton user is able to retain [1] of the custom abilities of the original item in their iron sand for the duration of the battle. Up to [3] custom abilities from [3] separate weapons can be obtained in a single battle.
Kakumei no Hono Ryu: techs treated as spiritual in strength for collisions
Flame Breathing Pattern: Defend against an activation without using an activation once every 3 posts. Status: Active
Fluid Movement: Techniques used for a blocking, countering or evasive action have their cost reduced by 5 stamina per rank of the technique.
Whirlpool Walking: In the Deflecting Stance, the user can deflect a technique of their body rank or lower once every three posts for no activation, still requiring the stamina/chakra cost paid.
Move As Water: Techniques that target multiple opponents may now have additional reserves paid in order to strengthen the effectiveness of the individual attack to the next highest rank.These can be paid individually, not requiring chakra or stamina to be paid for every split technique.
Riptide: In the Weak Stance, the user may perform 4 activations in a given post. In the Strong Stance, the user may perform an additional offensive activation each post. Each additional technique costs an extra 20 Chakra to perform and must be either basic combat or come from this Style.
Sen Gekiretsu Nagareboshi: All Simple techniques in this Style are treated as Complex when interacting with other techniques.
Unwavering Balance: Any techniques below the user's body rank cannot knock them over.
Dual Elemental Charge: Able to charge Sen Gekiretsu Nagareboshi with an extra element for [ 10 ] chakra.
Magnet Release: Jiton users can freely convert the earth and their Doton techniques into any magnetic material that they can control for [5] chakra and no action cost.
โ Combat Inventory โท
Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 6:29 pm
The diminutive puppeteer yanked up the big rolling door to her puppet workshop with a bit too much energy, as she was wont to do, sending it bouncing off its back stops with a clatter. A light buzzed for a moment and then lit up the deeper recesses in response to the door opening with a loud click. It was a curious little structure, seemingly wedged between two properly sized buildings simply for the fact that there was technically enough space to put a building there that met the villageโs construction standards.
โWelcome to Sumikaโs Marvelous Mechanisms and Community Workshop. We do custom orders, built to spec devices and puppets, mail order purchases, and serve as an open workshop space closer to the bazaarโs superior supplies than the training workshop.โ The space was just on the messy side of organized, but hardly clean. Though there wasnโt much of note in it at the moment, aside from little Yuiโs project space and the one right inside the entrance Sumika kept for herself. Of course, she was leaving out the bit where this was also one of her smuggling routes, but that was for another day; preferably one that necessitated it. The workshop was deeper than it was wide - were Vogel set out in here it would take up almost half the width even in itโs compact form - but not as deep as it seemed like it should have been.
โYouโll have to stop by when thereโs actual work being done, nothing quite like the smell of fresh cut wood.โ She said cheerily as she ventured in, stopping momentarily to peer at Yuiโs work station, before continuing to the blank wood wall at the back of the shop. โDonโt go blabbing about this. I only really have it for when Iโm developing new stuff, because some of the crap I make isnโt something the type of person tinkering in a community workshop should be trying to copyโฆ and also I donโt need people sharing my personal mechanisms around without my permission. Close the shop door for me, would ya? Basically, itโs not really a secret, itโs just mine.โ The woman continued as she rubbed a hand over the wall, and then kicked a bin that had been shoved up against it off under a rather untouched looking workbench.
Sumikaโs hands pressed together a moment later, and the wood shifted slightly to reveal more obvious individual pieces. Her hands separated after a couple seconds as the puppeteer moved them vertically, closing her fists as if grabbing invisible handles as she did so. A scraping sound emanated from beyond the wood and it began sliding apart, iron sand swirling beyond it and coalescing into a column just beyond the shifting slats. On the other side was a relatively simple looking space. A small fold down bed sat on the far wall in the left corner, a bigger bed obviously meant for a certain panda taking up most of the space under it, and something resembling a counter and a sink next to it. A little offshoot that just had enough space for a toilet and a shower, with a little curtain to block it off, abutted the kitchenette - if you could even call the counter space that. The only food storage was what appeared to be a miniature fridge.
It was certainly about as tight as you could devise a functional space to be, helped in part by the fact that Sumika was not particularly large and itโs only being filled with the barest of essentials. The most important feature, however, was a staircase beginning on the right wall and traveling down and around the rear corner of the space before passing under the floor over which the bed sat. It was this that Sumika made for after the slightly showy jiton and mokuton wall had been opened, snagging one of her concerningly colored spicy snacks from a non-descript box as she passed it. โNot the best place to spend a night, but it beats hoofing it back across the village to my kinda also garbage apartment. Come on, nothing to see up here except for underwear I forgot existed.โ
The woman hopped to the first corner landing, letting herself bump into the foundation wall and then kinda skipped her way down the rest. The narrow passageway continued down to one more landing, deeper probably than Kai would have expected, before turning and completing its descent into a space that was considerably larger than the shop itself. โI cut a deal with a bunch of the people in the bazaar when I bought this place. Itโs kinda weird. I guess they built the building to fit the gap between the other two and then nothing stuck here because itโs kinda s**t.โ Sumika said, flipping a lever that shifted with a satisfying thunk and began the process of lighting the space, revealing her primary puppets in neat little storage spaces designed to them, and what looked to be a pale corpse laying on a large workbench at the edge of a little makeshift testing ground.
โI told them Iโd take the building and keep it occupied if they gave me the freedom to use space below the neighboring shops and street. Think I kinda got lucky with that one, that neither of them were interested in having basements and thereโs no sewage running along a little side street like this.โ As the lights continued their brightening, it would become clear that the construction of this space was almost entirely comprised of the same materials as the door above, ironically creating a bunker that could probably survive almost anything someone could throw at the village - even if Sumikaโs intent was only to keep the street above from burying her preferred workshop. Perhaps a symptom of her previous experiences with the villages and what tended to happen to them.
Deconstructed Essence: When custom metal armors, weapons, and items are successfully reduced to iron sand by the deconstruction ability, the jiton user is able to retain [1] of the custom abilities of the original item in their iron sand for the duration of the battle. Up to [3] custom abilities from [3] separate weapons can be obtained in a single battle.
Kakumei no Hono Ryu: techs treated as spiritual in strength for collisions
Flame Breathing Pattern: Defend against an activation without using an activation once every 3 posts. Status: Active
Fluid Movement: Techniques used for a blocking, countering or evasive action have their cost reduced by 5 stamina per rank of the technique.
Whirlpool Walking: In the Deflecting Stance, the user can deflect a technique of their body rank or lower once every three posts for no activation, still requiring the stamina/chakra cost paid.
Move As Water: Techniques that target multiple opponents may now have additional reserves paid in order to strengthen the effectiveness of the individual attack to the next highest rank.These can be paid individually, not requiring chakra or stamina to be paid for every split technique.
Riptide: In the Weak Stance, the user may perform 4 activations in a given post. In the Strong Stance, the user may perform an additional offensive activation each post. Each additional technique costs an extra 20 Chakra to perform and must be either basic combat or come from this Style.
Sen Gekiretsu Nagareboshi: All Simple techniques in this Style are treated as Complex when interacting with other techniques.
Unwavering Balance: Any techniques below the user's body rank cannot knock them over.
Dual Elemental Charge: Able to charge Sen Gekiretsu Nagareboshi with an extra element for [ 10 ] chakra.
Magnet Release: Jiton users can freely convert the earth and their Doton techniques into any magnetic material that they can control for [5] chakra and no action cost.
Kai felt like the trip to Sumika's place was shrouded in secrecy. Being conspiratorial made him giddy in a childish way but he wasn't going to admit how much he liked feeling like he was 'in' on something. He closed the door as she asked and did nothing to hide his awe. He knew she was talented and a hard worker, but he was impressed with all the tools and gizmos he saw and couldn't name. He was glad the only thing he worked with were medicines and poisons, because he didn't he could spend the time to develop the craftmanship it takes to do any of this. It was interesting that she was particularly concerned with her personal mechanisms. He knew puppeteers could be possessive of them, but he was more curious about how potent they were that it'd be unsafe for other craftsmen to make them. He should have paid more attention to her puppet when they fought the Kemono fighting ring.
He thought the workshop was a good insight into who Sumika was. Someone who could make things that were showy and remarkable, but do it in the shadows so others couldn't see it until she was ready. He had no idea how many people had been privy to the workshop, or how many had really seen so much of Sumika's other side. He tried not to read into it.
"I've seen a lot of elemental manipulation work in my days, but nothing so intricate. You designed this place and then made it yourself? I've never seen mokuton used like this," he said as he traced the walls with his hands. The jiton didn't warrant mentioning as he knew nobody else who could manipulate metal to begin with. He followed her down a narrow passageway with only one intrusive thought that she could easily kill him and hide his body down here with no one ever knowing.
"My bad," he said as he turned to her, "I forgot a housewarming present. I need like, some flowers or a bottle of wine since you're having me over as company. If you ever, uh, meet my mama, don't tell her I forgot. Serious-not-serious, by the way." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and took another look around, feeling pretty secure in the bunker. He felt she was a pretty well-equipped defensive fighter, but she was also great at defending her own area and transforming nothing into something. He wasn't so imaginative himself. "It kind of blows my mind that you made all of this. And, like, use it to build even more stuff. I need to come up with a lair of my own and like, establish some lore or something so I can keep up." He laughed nervously, but did really feel like he was underwhelming in comparison. Time to pretend that wasn't the case. "Not that I'm critiquing or anything, but a puppet that looks like me would make this place ten percent cooler."
-
Chakra Pool: 2,225/2,225 Stamina Pool: 1,900/1,900
Rocket Punches
ok i fixed it
Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2021 8:32 am
โReally? Huh.โ Sumika said as Kai mentioned heโd never seen mokuton used like this before. The puppeteer came about her wood release naturally, but not via genetics - at least as far as she knew. She didn't have a particularly high view of the clans that birthed the element, but the idea that no one was using it for anything remarkable irked her more than a little bit. โWell, Senjus are one of you lot, yeah? Whatever the pretentious ones call the Uchiha, Hyuga and all those old clans. Iโm not one of those, Iโm just good at ninjutsu. If an actual Senju ever used their jutsu for something other than being a bigger stick in the mud than the last one, Iโm sure they could make something better. I canโt even do the fancy jutsu.โ
She glanced over her shoulder as she headed to the edge of the larger space and the body on the table, messy platinum curls bouncing with each step as she examined Kaiโs obviously mixed emotions. โIโll forgive you if you bring something cooler than expired grape juice and a decapitated flower, next time.โ Sumika replied nonchalantly to the Uchihaโs fretting over decorum, with a not so subtle hint that she expected this to not be the last get together. She had to admit to a bit of surprise that heโd assume sheโd care whether or not he bought her stuff. She was at least getting a better sense of where she needed to nudge Kai out of the conventional, though. โCongrats, you came for rats but I also need some help with a project so you get to experience something no one else has. Eyes please.โ Her hands raised over the body and it moved a moment later, sitting up and turning to face her.
It slid off the table with remarkably fluid motion as she spun to face Kai again, closed eyes beneath red hair appearing above her head, a skin-like substance filling in gaps of the face and recreating features where a skeleton of wood and metal had previously been exposed. A pair of hands drifted eerily over her shoulders, brushing through her hair as they reached out. Another set curved around her waist and formed a hand seal. โMeet the super duper rogue. This is my latest puppet, Sixty-Seven. Heโs, well, special.โ Sumika said, just before the puppetโs eyes flitted open to reveal something that was likely especially interesting to Kai considering what he knew of her prior to their conversations: an active pair of Byakugan. โHot s**t here thought heโd have some fun with me when I was on my way to the sage lands to find the rats. You know, the kind you donโt get permission for.โ
The allusion was obvious, but whether Kai fit the puzzle piece into the larger picture of Sumika and her previously expressed biases was up to him. She formed a seal of her own as she spoke, a swirl of jiton and mokuton building a puppet that very closely resembled Kai, though this time chakra strings from the hand controlling Sixty-Seven caught the new creation. MokuKai wandered over to the real thing, giving a very Sumika gesture of finger guns as it positioned itself about the same distance from Sumika as the Uchiha, just slightly further over. It tapped its temple with the dull thunk of wood on wood as the woman spoke again. โEyes. Please. I really need to know how this looks to you, because I canโt wait for a real fight to find out if it works like I think it does.โ
It was the last warning the Jonin would get before one of Sixty-Sevenโs arms extended, launching a hand through Mokukaiโs head using a strike that would be identifiable as the Hyugaโs Gentle Fist to anyone who had previously encountered it. โThere chakra on that? I kinda just tap into this guyโs past knowledge to use it, so Iโm not sure if itโs actually working or if the mechanism is just over tuned. My sensory isnโt that specific and I havenโt figured out how I can actually use his Byakugan yet.โ She said as she absentmindedly ran her free hand along the puppetโs well-defined upper arm while inspecting the now exposed joint at the elbow between the extension mechanism and the puppetโs proper skeleton.
The limb retracted back slowly, the two skin surfaces stitching themselves back together as the process completed, and Sumika took the hand in her own, turning it over and examining the slender digits carefully like a manicurist critiquing their work. Despite its dull, pale complexion, the surface of the puppet was remarkably lifelike in most of the rest of its appearance - an uncommon trait even among human puppets and one that lent it a rather more sinister air than any of the others in the room. Especially when paired with Sumikaโs obvious, but normally untapped talent for creating uncannily believable movement in her puppetry. Sure, Vogel could be creepy, especially sitting without its jiton here in storage, the rest were just a bit silly though. Rollbert had an absurd name and did little other than roll around, and Sumiko, well, Kaiโd seen Sumiko in action. The arm didnโt look over tuned to the puppeteer, as itโd come back unscathed, but unlike Kai she couldnโt see chakra, at least at the moment, and manipulating a human puppet felt a bit like playing a game of telephone to her.
The lower arms retracted back into Sixty-Sevenโs torso, and Sumika wandered over in the direction of Kai again, MokuKai patting around his shoulders in search of his head as she giggled a bit and then formed a seal with her free hand that rebuilt his missing piece. โSo, eh, whatcha think? I can build you a real one of these, not one of these fancy training dummies I taught myself how to make in a pinch.โ She said as she wrapped an arm around the puppetโs waist and draped its opposite over her shoulders. โOh, oh, maybe an automaton! I havenโt got to make one of those outside of the little birds. AutomaKai!โ She continued, bouncing a little giddily in a manner that caused MokuKai to wobble in the absence of her direct attention.
[I'm not tracking it in the format, but I'm pretty sure I properly listed Sixty-Seven on Sumika's profile and MokuKai was created using her puppet creation custom.]
Deconstructed Essence: When custom metal armors, weapons, and items are successfully reduced to iron sand by the deconstruction ability, the jiton user is able to retain [1] of the custom abilities of the original item in their iron sand for the duration of the battle. Up to [3] custom abilities from [3] separate weapons can be obtained in a single battle.
Kakumei no Hono Ryu: techs treated as spiritual in strength for collisions
Flame Breathing Pattern: Defend against an activation without using an activation once every 3 posts. Status: Active
Fluid Movement: Techniques used for a blocking, countering or evasive action have their cost reduced by 5 stamina per rank of the technique.
Whirlpool Walking: In the Deflecting Stance, the user can deflect a technique of their body rank or lower once every three posts for no activation, still requiring the stamina/chakra cost paid.
Move As Water: Techniques that target multiple opponents may now have additional reserves paid in order to strengthen the effectiveness of the individual attack to the next highest rank.These can be paid individually, not requiring chakra or stamina to be paid for every split technique.
Riptide: In the Weak Stance, the user may perform 4 activations in a given post. In the Strong Stance, the user may perform an additional offensive activation each post. Each additional technique costs an extra 20 Chakra to perform and must be either basic combat or come from this Style.
Sen Gekiretsu Nagareboshi: All Simple techniques in this Style are treated as Complex when interacting with other techniques.
Unwavering Balance: Any techniques below the user's body rank cannot knock them over.
Dual Elemental Charge: Able to charge Sen Gekiretsu Nagareboshi with an extra element for [ 10 ] chakra.
Magnet Release: Jiton users can freely convert the earth and their Doton techniques into any magnetic material that they can control for [5] chakra and no action cost.
Sumika caught Kai's interest when she mentioned a project, and forgot all the questions he wanted to ask about her ninjutsu in pursuit of this new mysterious thing. He was surprised at how human-like the puppet was until Sumika began describing him, and very slowly, he realized she was talking about taking down a rogue and turning him into... this. There was no other way for a puppet to have anything resembling a Byakugan.
"Y-You really turned him into a puppet?" He looked over the puppet, sure the rogue got punished severely for trying to jump her but unsure how to take the whole... mummification-projecty thing. He couldn't imagine how long it took Sumika to do, or how much special attention it required for such a transformation. He flicked his eyes on at her second mention, looking over the puppet!Kai right as Sixty-Seven hit with gentle fist.
"Hey! You can't just hit little me without letting the guy defend himself!" Kai whined, though he let it go without much more fight as he looked over the uncanny human puppet. "Well. It's different from your chakra. Moves differently, too. It would make anyone else think it's just a regular ol' Hyuga."
He peered at the puppet's hand as Sumika did, strangely unable to resist the view of its skin re-stitching. It was like iryojutsu but without the comforting green aura to surround it. He hadn't seen anything like it, but he hadn't really experienced much in the way of puppetry. He focused on ninjutsu and genjutsu at the academy instead of specialized arts. "Well... what kinds of things do you need a puppet like him for?" He knew quite a bit about the Byakugan, but her purposes would help him determine what uses she could get out of it.
"I think this guy is all you need," he said as he jabbed a thumb in the direction of the newly re-headed Kai puppet. "AutomaKai would be a great hype man on stage, too." He then waggled his eyebrows at Sumika. "My eyes aren't as creepy as they are useful now, eh?" He grinned. "I knew you'd come around. We could use AutomaKai as bait so I can go back to my regularly scheduled heroics instead of, y'know, meat-shielding." He flicked his three-tomoe off, returning to his dark eyes.
"I don't know how you're so willing to share the spotlight with your puppets and your rats, though. I feel like they'd have to work in the shadows if they were mine. I can't let them take all the glory, y'know?"
-
Chakra Pool: 2,225/2,225 Stamina Pool: 1,900/1,900
Rocket Punches
i would like to applaud my self-restraint in not outright stating that the prospect of being a human puppet who gets a lot of her undivided unattention and gets made into exactly what she needs is a turn on but it was very tempting to canonically pin him as a freaky lil service bottom
Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2021 9:00 am
Sumika positively beamed at Kaiโs confirmation that the puppet was working as expected, although he seemed a bit taken aback by it. Not an uncommon response, in her experience, but maybe showing would explain a bit more. Sixty-Seven crossed the space between them with elegant gait, as Sumika just couldnโt stop herself from really leaning into her performance skills with it. It stopped next to her as she deftly swiped a kunai from inside her jacket and carved into the puppetโs bare chest. โWell, in the case of this guy I need someone who can defend me close quarters. I donโt have a lot of taijutsu or bukijutsu knowledge. Iโmโฆ still a little clumsy when I try to fight back.โ She said with a noticeably more sheepish tone and an obvious blush as she peeled away the white layer again. Kai might recall in the cave that despite the nature of the encounter, Sumika had still leaned on puppetry and ninjutsu.
As she lifted the material free it clung ever so slightly, and revealed an array of jiton spikes as it pulled away. โExplosive Clay, and a nasty surprise for anyone who tries to get too hands on.โ She set the clay back and it molded itself back again. โItโs inert until itโs used, but it helps sell the puppet as a real person if it doesnโt sound like someoneโs clacking some coconuts together whenever its on a hard surface.โ She was glad Kai was into the idea of an automaton, sheโd wanted to fuss with those for a good while but the puppets always superseded them. However, her attention was drawn to a different thought for the moment as she looked the uncovered, doll-like puppet up and down. She mumbled a thought to herself, before Kaiโs bringing back up of the rats shifted her brain suddenly back into gear.
โAh s**t! Right, we came here for the rats not my dumb puppets.โ Sumika said as both MokuKai and Sixty-Seven hastily made for a closer workbench to park themselves on. With them out of the way she pressed her palms together and focused, a task a bit more difficult down here in the workshop away from any easy sources of nature chakra. Within a few seconds though, the evidence of transformation was apparent. Rat-like ears, a pink tail drifting through her jiton cloak, and more strikingly, as she opened her eyes again, jet black sclera with only a hint of her normal green catching the inconsistent light. โSage mode. The grand prize of signing a summoning contract. Just donโt tell the rats I said that. Youโve already met Ninkilim, so...โ She didnโt finish the sentence, instead forming a string of seals, and then dropping to press them onto the ground. The array spread, forming three circular patterns on the floor around her, followed by the classic poof of smoke - although it was a small Futon jutsu that cleared it since they were inside.
Sumika had barely risen to her feet when the snow white rat to her right bonked her unceremoniously in the side of the head with a staff. โOw ow ow, whhhhyyyyy?!โ She replied, pushing the stick away and rubbing her rat ear. [P] โI thought we had a conversation about this.โ Palefur said in a wizened tone. Behind her the normally intense Marrow Gnawer glanced past her to Kai and cackled loudly. [MG] โHA ha! Gotta admit, maybe the most interesting thing Iโve seen someone risk petrification for.โ The white rat bristled at the statement, as if offended by the very suggestion. [P] โSummoner, sage mode is a very powerful and dangerous technique. Do not tempt fated winds like a reed reaching above its brethren to steal more of the sun. Your lack of concern for its use will get you in trouble one day, child.โ He said, shaking his head as if shamed by the whole ordeal. โI have a name, old rat.โ She shot back, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms as she put on an annoyed scowl.
While the other three duked it out in a war of words, the largest rat, bedecked in scavenged armor, ignored the scene being made and stepped towards Kai. Slightly taller than the Uchiha, she leaned in to examine his face, before shifting to circle behind him. [IE] โHow fair the demon eyed clanโs flying pets, boy?โ
Deconstructed Essence: When custom metal armors, weapons, and items are successfully reduced to iron sand by the deconstruction ability, the jiton user is able to retain [1] of the custom abilities of the original item in their iron sand for the duration of the battle. Up to [3] custom abilities from [3] separate weapons can be obtained in a single battle.
Kakumei no Hono Ryu: techs treated as spiritual in strength for collisions
Flame Breathing Pattern: Defend against an activation without using an activation once every 3 posts. Status: Active
Fluid Movement: Techniques used for a blocking, countering or evasive action have their cost reduced by 5 stamina per rank of the technique.
Whirlpool Walking: In the Deflecting Stance, the user can deflect a technique of their body rank or lower once every three posts for no activation, still requiring the stamina/chakra cost paid.
Move As Water: Techniques that target multiple opponents may now have additional reserves paid in order to strengthen the effectiveness of the individual attack to the next highest rank.These can be paid individually, not requiring chakra or stamina to be paid for every split technique.
Riptide: In the Weak Stance, the user may perform 4 activations in a given post. In the Strong Stance, the user may perform an additional offensive activation each post. Each additional technique costs an extra 20 Chakra to perform and must be either basic combat or come from this Style.
Sen Gekiretsu Nagareboshi: All Simple techniques in this Style are treated as Complex when interacting with other techniques.
Unwavering Balance: Any techniques below the user's body rank cannot knock them over.
Dual Elemental Charge: Able to charge Sen Gekiretsu Nagareboshi with an extra element for [ 10 ] chakra.
Magnet Release: Jiton users can freely convert the earth and their Doton techniques into any magnetic material that they can control for [5] chakra and no action cost.
Kai's eyes widened at the reveal at the explosives. He had no idea how Sumika had so much command over these different kekkai genkai, but he was very glad he didn't strike the ticking bomb of a puppet. And then the next reveal: sage mode. He wrapped his arms around himself in a hug to keep from touching the pink tail that peaked out of her coat. He couldn't catch the reflex as the white rat bonked Sumika - jumping into a fighting stance - though he held still long enough to realize there was no threat here at all. He returned to a more casual stance with a flush, hoping that, if it was noticed, it wouldn't be commented on. She wasn't defenseless and he didn't want to offend her with unnecessary machismo.
Though, he was still pretty lost as he tried to figure out the dynamic between the rats. "Petrification?" His mentor at the hospital had mentioned it once as a rare condition when it came from nature chakra, but he had no idea how absorbing nature chakra could terrify someone enough to need iryojutsu intervention.
He turned to the largest rat as she addressed him. "D-demon eyed? Are you guys the one making Sumika think we're all weird or evil?" He laughed it off half-heartedly, genuinely suspecting the rats might be a cause. "I don't, um. I don't really know." His face grew red. "I've never, like, summoned before. I know I'm supposed to have a connection with them by blood, but I don't know how I should feel about it. I want to ground myself in nature and learn the way of the animal sage, but I don't know if I should learn from the crows. I don't want to feel like my path is decided for me. Like my heritage requires me to follow their path instead of my own."
He looked between all the rats thoughtfully. "You guys are all, like, so cool, yanno? I mean, this armor? Your eyes? You look sick as hell. Your path has got to be more interesting, right?" He averted his eyes and rubbed the back of his head, feeling dumb. "I dunno. I just don't feel any pull towards the crows. Maybe it's not something you 'feel' and I'm just wrong."
-
Chakra Pool: 2,225/2,225 Stamina Pool: 1,900/1,900
Rocket Punches
Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2021 4:15 pm
[IE]โAre you really an Uchiha?โ Ink Eyesโ question was blunt and to the point as she circled, a big black eye searching his face as she moved back in front of him. [IE]โYour clan is famed for dojutsu powerful enough to tame the biju, the chakra demons, yes? Or is that myth? And no, I did not seed the girlโs wariness, your kind did that themselves so far as I know. Though I would not encourage apathy if she sought my counsel.โ Despite the ratโs rough tone, she did not seem particularly aggressive at the moment, even if her curiosity presented itself quite unabashedly. The other present parties regarded Kai as he spoke, though Ink Eyesโ peering continued.
[MG]โStuff the Crows. If this oneโs actually an Uchiha I like him. Keep getting compared to us rats, but theyโre meddlers, the crows.โ Marrow Gnawer growled, maybe a bit too eager to denounce the other contract animals. โKai, meet the rats. Rats, Kai.โ Sumika said exasperatedly. โAnd yeah, petrification. Too much nature chakra, not enough control, bing bang boom, suddenly youโre-โ Sumikaโs explanation was, ultimately not to be, however. [P]โLike a stone cast into the ocean.โ Palefur interrupted, drawing an annoyed look from the summoner. โHow the hell is turning into a statue like a rock getting thrown into the water?โ The old rat chortled at the question. โTossed into the ocean, a stone will drift into deep darkness, unable to return to the surface for it cannot float. There it will be eroded by the passing tide until in time it is washed away, grains of sediment on the floor of life.โ Sumika gave Kai a sideways glance as Palefur prattled on, a hand making motions like a mouth.
[IE]โOf course itโs feel.โ Ink Eyes interjected before the old rat could find more nonsensical ramblings to devolve into. [IE]โIn the same way you would not attempt to use a fighting style meant for a knife while wielding a bow, it makes no sense for you to attempt to commune closely with a sage clan you have no harmony with. Could you imagine this one summoning the turtle clan? Or the dog clan? Your crowsโ The rhetorical question was presented with a gesture towards Sumika, who had momentarily dispensed with her annoyed expression to whisper something to Palefur and Marrow Gnawer. โThose who do not harmonize with their contract will never get the most out of it. Those who do...โ Behind Ink Eyes, Palfur began speaking a chaotic, forgotten tongue as the leader of the rats stopped in front of the group and held her paws out as if gesturing to the others.
A black fog rolled past the ratโs form, filling most of the workshop, accompanied by the sound of drawing blades. A distraction in the dismal mist, as Marrow Gnawerโs kusarigama appeared over Kaiโs right shoulder - the Uchiha would be along for the ride as it bound his chest and pulled him back hard. The blunt side of one of Ink Eyesโ katana came to meet his momentum at the meaty part of his calves, and an unfamiliar hand caught the chains binding him before he could land on his back outside the smoke - holding him there almost horizontal to the floor. For the young squad leader it would be a seemingly impossible instant, one that even his unique visual prowess would be unable to find a response to if he even managed to call upon its power.
The fog cleared rapidly a moment later, revealing a woman that had not, at first glance, been there previously. Unlike the rather slightly built puppeteer, the muscles of the notably taller womanโs forearm bulged below the sleeves worn just below her elbows. She filled out Sumikaโs outfit and then some. The bomber jacket tucked tight just above her waist, while it had fallen well over the puppeteerโs hips, and now obviously would not be able to close. The jeans sheโd been wearing were clearly stretched to their limits, now resembling a pair of kapri leggings as they attempted to contain legs meant for kicking and lifting. Platinum blonde hair tucked uniformly into a tight, neat bun, accompanied by a pair of swooping, carefully curled tails at the temples.
โYou need to be able to work in tandem, without giving your motions a second thought. More importantly, working with them should inspire new ways to solve problems. They should alter your approach to moving, attacking, and defending - and you should be able to work with them so precisely you can function as a squad within a squad out in the field. More importantly, your harmony with them will determine how difficult it is to draw on their power to tame sage mode.โ The voice was unmistakably Sumikaโs, but it was refined in the way you might expect of someone whoโd trained to take a leadership role. Her word choices were more complex, and the tone of her voice was obviously lower and better suited for composed conversations. Put a bit of makeup with a better fitting - and in the case of her stuffed into the smaller Sumikaโs clothes, significantly more appropriate - outfit, and sheโd look right at home entertaining high ranking village guests. Palefurโs jutsu working its magic, temporarily rewriting a tiny piece of history and presenting Kai with the Sumika that might have been. A woman whoโd gotten better care while growing, and thus stood nearly as tall as the Uchiha. Whose relationship with Sanae was less sisterly but still exceedingly close - demanding she comport herself more respectably while standing at the Uzukageโs side; enticing her to more closely emulate her other half and dedicate herself to the physical arts so they could harmonize better. There was still a spark in her eye, a slightly mischievous expression and obvious amusement at the current situation, but everything about her gave a better sense of composure.
This Sumika looked at her company in momentary silence, thoughtful, before leaning back and forming a seal with her free hand. A little burst of chakra released Palefurโs jutsu as she let her weight pull Kai back upright and she became the same Sumika sheโd been before - well, absent the sage transformation. As she let go of the chain it too poofed away. The puppeteer rubbed her back a bit and stretched, readjusting the sports bra under her tattered tank top as she did so. โMan, bizarro Sumikaโs tits are WAY too big! I donโt know how San fought with double that. Yeesh, maybe shoulda just gone with a version of me that was like good with knives or something. Think Iโll stay small from now on. Anywho, that help you figure out what you wanna do?โ
Deconstructed Essence: When custom metal armors, weapons, and items are successfully reduced to iron sand by the deconstruction ability, the jiton user is able to retain [1] of the custom abilities of the original item in their iron sand for the duration of the battle. Up to [3] custom abilities from [3] separate weapons can be obtained in a single battle.
Kakumei no Hono Ryu: techs treated as spiritual in strength for collisions
Flame Breathing Pattern: Defend against an activation without using an activation once every 3 posts. Status: Active
Fluid Movement: Techniques used for a blocking, countering or evasive action have their cost reduced by 5 stamina per rank of the technique.
Whirlpool Walking: In the Deflecting Stance, the user can deflect a technique of their body rank or lower once every three posts for no activation, still requiring the stamina/chakra cost paid.
Move As Water: Techniques that target multiple opponents may now have additional reserves paid in order to strengthen the effectiveness of the individual attack to the next highest rank.These can be paid individually, not requiring chakra or stamina to be paid for every split technique.
Riptide: In the Weak Stance, the user may perform 4 activations in a given post. In the Strong Stance, the user may perform an additional offensive activation each post. Each additional technique costs an extra 20 Chakra to perform and must be either basic combat or come from this Style.
Sen Gekiretsu Nagareboshi: All Simple techniques in this Style are treated as Complex when interacting with other techniques.
Unwavering Balance: Any techniques below the user's body rank cannot knock them over.
Dual Elemental Charge: Able to charge Sen Gekiretsu Nagareboshi with an extra element for [ 10 ] chakra.
Magnet Release: Jiton users can freely convert the earth and their Doton techniques into any magnetic material that they can control for [5] chakra and no action cost.
Kai considered Ink Eyes' question about the bijuu control. "Unless they lied to me at the academy, I s'pose the Sharingan can do that. I've never tried any kind of hypnosis or whatever, though. Not my style, yo." He grinned at the approval he got from Marrow Gnawer, but he didn't have the time to capitalize off of that momentum. He felt a pit of worry grow in his stomach at the idea of Sumika turning to stone from the use of nature chakra.
"Isn't harmony fostered over time? I wasn't originally really good with rhythm, but I kept at it and now I'm a locally renown rapper." He tried to puff up his chest subtly, but he could tell his bravado was falling short. He wondered if all contracts could see through the kinds of performances he was prone to, or if there were animals that could enhance it instead of pierce it.
Vertigo forced a groan out of Kai as he was manhandled almost instantaneously, hanging precariously as the fog cleared. The not-Sumika Sumika looked way different and talked like a sensei. He was still processing her words - and, perhaps more so, her appearance - when she reverted back to the Sumika he knew. He was slow to avert his eyes as she adjusted her clothing again and had to cough to clear his throat before he could trust himself to speak. "I think it's made it clear that I need more time. I shouldn't rush into anything... I'd probably get myself turned into a rock. And that's bad for the cred. I guess I'll just stick to my own studies, though I would like to visit the Crows and just talk to them."
He thought about how Sumika's craftsmanship and sage arts put her on a level that he didn't feel he stood close to. Of course, he wasn't going to communicate any feelings of inadequacy. "I hope you won't resent me if I come back and I style on you, though. I have a feeling my sage mode would look sick as hell." -
Chakra Pool: 2,225/2,225 Stamina Pool: 1,900/1,900
Rocket Punches
Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2021 6:49 am
โYou know, you could have done the clothes too, old rat. Think the jeans got one of my kidneys.โ โPreposterous.โ โPre poster us? Talk normal you old ball of dust.โ โYour potential histories are like frayed yarn wrapped lazily about the earth. It is hard enough taming one strand without throwing in the unrelated.โ โ. . .โ โBesides, you have no shame and would not like an outfit I chose anyways, so why would I?โ โโฆOkay thatโs a decent point. But also because it hurt dude.โ โI will keep this in mind, summoner.โ
Ink Eyes regarded the start of Palefur and Sumikaโs conversation momentarily before taking up the task of responding to Kai while Marrow Gnawer wandered over to look at the new puppet.
โYou are correct, a fair portion of the relationship between summoner and summon is built through work and experience. However, as you are finding here with your questioning of the Crows, a contract without innate harmony can be rendered borderline useless. It is impossible to truly work closely with someone you lack interest in working with at all.โ She listened rather a bit more intensely as the boy spoke, clearly fascinated by this strangely atypical Uchiha - and perhaps understanding why he was allowed down here at all.
The short lived back and forth ended with Kaiโs interjection about their next meeting, drawing a laugh from Sumika. โI wonโt stop you from trying.โ The woman said, poking him in the chest with a smirk and letting her finger run just below his collarbone as she sauntered past him and then broke into what could only be described as bouncing towards Cobalt who was squeezing out of the stairwell in the back. โYouโre welcome to come back to my place and chill, but big guy here is gonna be doing some training with the rats to improve their coordination so you canโt stay here.โ She said as she rubbed the big bear behind the ears and then started up the stairs back to the main workshop.
Deconstructed Essence: When custom metal armors, weapons, and items are successfully reduced to iron sand by the deconstruction ability, the jiton user is able to retain [1] of the custom abilities of the original item in their iron sand for the duration of the battle. Up to [3] custom abilities from [3] separate weapons can be obtained in a single battle.
Kakumei no Hono Ryu: techs treated as spiritual in strength for collisions
Flame Breathing Pattern: Defend against an activation without using an activation once every 3 posts. Status: Active
Fluid Movement: Techniques used for a blocking, countering or evasive action have their cost reduced by 5 stamina per rank of the technique.
Whirlpool Walking: In the Deflecting Stance, the user can deflect a technique of their body rank or lower once every three posts for no activation, still requiring the stamina/chakra cost paid.
Move As Water: Techniques that target multiple opponents may now have additional reserves paid in order to strengthen the effectiveness of the individual attack to the next highest rank.These can be paid individually, not requiring chakra or stamina to be paid for every split technique.
Riptide: In the Weak Stance, the user may perform 4 activations in a given post. In the Strong Stance, the user may perform an additional offensive activation each post. Each additional technique costs an extra 20 Chakra to perform and must be either basic combat or come from this Style.
Sen Gekiretsu Nagareboshi: All Simple techniques in this Style are treated as Complex when interacting with other techniques.
Unwavering Balance: Any techniques below the user's body rank cannot knock them over.
Dual Elemental Charge: Able to charge Sen Gekiretsu Nagareboshi with an extra element for [ 10 ] chakra.
Magnet Release: Jiton users can freely convert the earth and their Doton techniques into any magnetic material that they can control for [5] chakra and no action cost.
Kai stifled a laugh at the conversation between Palefur and Sumika. He wondered if that was the kind of harmony he should expect. Maybe he needed to try to banter with each of his potential summons to determine if they were going to be harmonious enough for him to channel nature chakra effectively. "Hm. Well, if I'm interested in damn near any contract, I guess I'll have to find who is interested in me. See how that harmony seems to come along." He didn't have any concrete answers even after their Q&A, but he did feel more confident about going to the sage lands altogether.
"Sure, sure. I'll bring something interesting the next time I come along." He grinned and gestured to her with a finger gun before returning to the surface.
[exit] -
Chakra Pool: 2,225/2,225 Stamina Pool: 1,900/1,900
Reply
