The Hunt [Bijuu]

The land of Rice... She had certainly heard better about it. The haze covering the land of fire gave way only to a downpour as the carriage she was in passed from the land of Fire, into the land of sound. The rain had not ceased since it had begun, and even as she was arriving at the coach station she was destined too, the rain continued. As much of a nuisance as it was, Coal was not really the sort to complain about things such as weather. As she steps beneath the shielding awning of the station, her bare feet touch down on the wet stone slab that acted as a loading platform. The landscape around her had been beautiful the whole trip and it did not disappoint her now. Even with the rain the stark green of the rolling countryside made her happy. She waits a few moments for her fellow passengers to disembark, before turning to them and speaking once again. Her words are brief and she says her goodbyes politely, turning down offers of drinks and further conversation as she does. Though she did long to continue her conversation, Coal was well disciplined, and had come here for a purpose. She bows politely to the gathering of interesting people, and begins to exit the station.

The small settlement she'd arrived at offered all the amenities she might have asked for. She casts a longing gaze at the small inn that awaited weary travelers like her. As the rain pours down around her she can not help but imagine a hot pot of sake, and a fire to sit near. She could just rest a night, but then the night would be a waste. Behind her lie the forests that cloaked the small town in a strong scent of leaves, and cast a dimming shadow upon it. As the others who were gathering their bags, Coal was already on her way. She'd come with no provisions, no food or supplies. She wore only her vibrant red robes, which were already showing the signs of several drops of water. Perhaps when she was finished with her excursion, however, she would return here, and enjoy some hot sake, and the company of others.

Before the rain soaks her, Coal brings a hand up in front of her. With but a moment's concentration, and a little bit of chakra, she conjures forth her umbrella, and opens it up. It's presented above her head as is typical, the light green silk acting as a portable roof against the storm. It was waterproofed with varied oils, and the black spiral that wound from the outside to the center made it look a little nice. It was one of the simple tools of life she'd grown quite fond of, and once again it would keep her mostly dry. The rural part of the country she had been deposited in held few buildings outside of the small settlement she'd arrived near. The thick forest surrounding it was legendary for its age, and impressive examples of tall growth. Indeed, the trees towered over the puny human, and once the thicker regions of the forest were reached, they almost blocked the rain above.

This forest had stood before the formation of shinobi villages, and its mighty trees measured their lifespan by the rise and fall of nations. Thousands of shinobi perished in only a quarter of the lifespan of the giants around her. Within only 20 minutes of walking she was completely removed from just about any traces of humanity. The small village had its hunters and trappers, but during the rainy season most stuck to their homes and families. The ground was soft and muddy, though Coal did not mind the feeling between her toes. She'd never worn shoes as a habit, so it was quite natural for her. Realizing that this search could take some time, Coal pauses for just a moment. She pauses beside one of the large pine trees that cloaked her in shade with its canopy. She reaches out to it with her right hand, and presses her palm against for a moment. Coal closes her eyes, and for a moment just stands there in silence.

Apparently satisfied, she steps back again. What follows is likely strange for any who were watching. She lowers her umbrella for a moment, and bites it with her teeth. She holds on tight, gripping it there to free up her hands for a moment. She forms both of her hands together in front of her and focuses her chakra. The hand seal for kage bunshin was well known, and as is expected, Coal is soon joined by a multitude of others. Each one is identical to the dazzling beauty, and for the moment it is perhaps the most appealing section of forest to have ever existed. Six of her stand in the clearing, each one growing more and more damp with the drizzling downpour filtering down through the overhanging leaves. Each one grabs their umbrella, and lifts it over their head once more. With six of her, this search would be much quicker. Each one smiles at the next, laughs quietly, then waves goodbye.

Each clone separates and wanders off in a different direction through the forest. As soon as one of them found the single tree they were looking for, this search would be concluded. By studying the tree earlier, she had gained a basic understanding of its inner workings. She felt for the health of the tree, and counted its rings. It was an old tree, for sure, but only two or three hundred years. She was looking for much older trees than that. Her pace quickens after the clones disperse. Umbrella or not, she moves at a good clip. The hunt was now officially on, and she was determined to finish this quickly.

As the six run off, they do not spend their time moving idly. Though it slows her pace to a quick jog, she forms a single handed seal. With two fingers extended upwards, a rather typical symbol from her monastery, she focuses inwardly on the seal that coiled around her body. It'd been something she's had since almost birth, and the seal which had saved many lives. The mass of chakra that it restricted was impressive, and the full size of the tattoo showed off that fact well. Though the single blossom it had grown from was full and large on her back, the smaller blossom on her right hand still contained enough chakra to give her a boost. The six coals focus, and squeeze a little more chakra out of the vessel.

It wasn't something she could do often, but it helped her over come the short supply of chakra she'd been forced to endure for most of her life. Reinvigorated, the clones power onwards. It takes only a few minutes before the clones have placed several miles between themselves, and were each searching through vastly different regions of the forest. A forest is a strange eco system, though it functions like any other. All around her the trees were competing for resources. The sun above caused each tree to slowly wrestle its neighbor in a constant struggle to get the most light. As the sun powered them above, it was the earth which fueled them from below.

The damp soil was rife with worms and fungi. It was an accumulation of years of leaves, bugs, dead animals, and dead plants. The mass just composted over time, forming layer after layer of the floor. This rich soil was full of decaying organisms, and the plants have always survived on such carnage. As they grew they dropped more leaves, and furthered this decaying process themselves. Once initiated, this cycle was a nearly flawlessly self sustaining ecosystem. The only thing such a system relied on was a reliable outside source of water. Oto's proximity to the vast northern sea gave it ample and steady rainfall, and so long as it remained there the forests would continue to thrive.

With so much death, it is not uncommon for trees themselves to die. Over the course of 1,000 years, a forest can change its spots 100 times. Entire regions of trees can be set ablaze by lightning, or put to slow death through infestation of bugs. Tracts of forest are prone to a natural death, albeit an early one and such places give birth to the beloved meadows that feed the grazing deer, and other mammals of the forest. Trees grow even there, however, and in time these clearings are reclaimed by the forest. This constant cycle ensures a forest is supplied always with new and healthy trees. This effect typically limits the age of a tree more than natural life span can manage, for a tree will very rarely die of old age. This is how a forest recycles itself, and only rare circumstance will allow a small patch of woods to remain untouched for long enough to reach into the eons.

Untrue to her word, Coal would not get this done as quickly as she wanted. In the dim and damp haze of the forest, her travels were quick, but she was disadvantaged by the sheer mass of forest around her. Even with six of her exploring the dense thicket she was covering only moderate ground. As each clone raced through the woods, it would stop to test its surroundings. The seal on Coal's palm had been endlessly useful in her medical days, and it was still just as potent. The seal pulled chakra out of the tree and infused it into the seal, while also drawing chakra out of Coal. The two chakras were exchanged in equal measure, and a flowing connection to the tree was made. This trick worked on any living thing, and quickly told her the tree's ailments, and health. Deeper inspection allowed her to feel out the differing bands that marked a plant's age. This method alone is what saved her the most trouble, and time, in locating the deepest, oldest parts of the woods.

It was some five hours of searching before she located the region of forest she believed would house the tree she sought out. The old growth is always obvious. The trunk of a tree is a rare sight, depending on the vine growth. Thick leaves were not uncommon, as old growth sections frequently hold empty patches in their skylines. Elder trees, like elder humans, loose much of their health, hair, and vitality. It was tragic, and when Coal found the region she could easily attest to it's health. The grove was starkly different from the rest of the forest. It was small, and could have been hard to notice, but Coal has an eye for such things. The natural world is her love and joy, and she knows trees as well as she knows people. Simple fact that saplings were thriving outside of an open clearing was proof enough, even at night.

A single clone paused in that clearing to test a tree, and after only a moment's inspection she could read its miserable health. She could not even estimate it's age, which marked it as easily the eldest tree she'd found. Even if it wasn't the location, it would just have to serve as a camp for the night. Coal inspects her surroundings quite well, committing them intensively to her memory. The tree she inspected was close to a natural death of old age, and even its branches seemed to sag. She could see stars through the tree top, which was a clear sign the canopy was breaking apart, and dying. This grove was on a very fast decline. In another two hundred years, it would probably be a clearing.. but who's to say for sure? After her inspection of the area, and her lucky glance at the stars, the clone simply vanishes.

After the clone vanished her experiences instantly transferred into Coal's mind, informing her of every detail of the clone’s travels. She stopped dead in her tracks as it happened, sad to have been wandering across one of the largest meadows the region had seen in some time. A moment later a rush of chakra floods her system as each of the remaining clones pops in turn. Inspection of the stars revealed the direction she needed to head in, and she all but abandons her umbrella. As she casts it away behind her, it vanishes in a little puff of smoke, sent back from whence it had been summoned. She didn't much care about the rain, and in no time she'd be soaked. She needed to travel about ten miles, but she'd do that quickly enough. Like most jounin, her running speed was amazing. By sloshing the chakra in her body she could pull her legs faster and push against the ground harder. In no time she was out of the clearing and was running at a breakneck pace towards the location the clone had vanished from.

It was not as though she really needed to hurry. The trees were not going anywhere, and they would have been there had she chosen to rest in the wilds. Resting in the wilds, however, meant sleeping in the rain. Her umbrella wouldn't keep her dry through that, and she had still neglected to attach an essence seal to a portable house. She was also very eager. To find one of the legendary bijuu was rare to say the least, and the five tailed dog was one of her favorites. Like her it had its roots in a volcano, and was a proud creature. It had once battled the Kyuubi, though like all the others it had failed. The fact that it had tried, though, shows its fearless bravery, and ability to survive against impossible odds. It was also a balanced manifestation of every element, and such a thing was to be revered, cherished, and respected.

She didn't quite know why she was so compelled to seek out this bijuu. As the numerous trees whoosh by her in her travels, she ponders just what her intentions were. Like her, the creature's nature spawned natural disasters, and havok on the landscape. Perhaps she just felt some connection to the creature. Though they shared similar traits, they were also very different. Perhaps she felt she could tame the beast. The dog is an animal tamed by man, so it should reason it would be willing to follow the right person. With their similarities, she could only hope it would be enough. Even if she could not convince it to become her ally, meeting with such a creature would be an honor unto itself. Just laying eyes on a physical embodiment of all five elements in balance would be enough for her to die happy.

The ten miles or so she needed to travel would take her less than hour. A well trained shinobi can jog all day, and sprint like this for almost as long. She'd not even be winded when she approached the patch of woods she had been searching for all day. When she finally sets down in the grove of elder trees, she's soaked to the bone. The vibrant red robes with fiery trim clinging to her shapely figure, and only enhancing each and every one of her gracious curves. Like some second skin of flames, the silk retains its brightness even when soaked through with rain. Soaked threads of jet black hair are slick with rain and stick in curls and lines to her neck and cheeks. Water drips from her chin and hands, and runs down the full length of her body. In spite of the cool rain and constant breeze, Coal remains wonderfully warm thanks to her own inner fire.

Oddly enough, her excitement begins to get the better of her when she sets down in the ancient grove of trees. As her emotions begin to be stoked, her chakra heats up in response. The flow increases and she can feel it beginning to boil inside her. Her body temperature rises a good ten degrees, spiking well above healthy temperatures for non-Osuhime clansmen. Because her seal keeps her chakra under wraps, she fails to flaunt the shimmering aura of heat most of her clan used to be famous for. Instead, she just begins her search. A single tree amongst all of these is the likely candidate for her search, and with the search radius narrowed down to about fifty meters square, it shouldn't take much longer at all. Of course, she begins with the obvious and just sets off towards the center of the patch of trees.

To Coal's delight, she was granted this one blessing. Upon her arrival to the what she suspected might just be the center of the stand of oak trees stood a most majestic tree. It was with out age, its rough bark wrinkled with the wear of countless centuries. It was missing no branches, and stood like a beacon of health in the center of this dying stand of trees. It was thicker than any of the other trees and a good ten or twenty feet taller. Its upper branches held a vast multitude of thick, vibrant leaves, and completely blocked out the sky above it. Without even touching it she could tell it was in perfect health, but she wanted to touch it anyway. This tree had been alive since before villages and ninja, perhaps even long before people populated the vast global landscape. It bore no mark from axe or saw, and hidden away where it was, it just might never have.

Somewhat apprehensively Coal approaches the tree, unable to stop grinning as she reaches out with her right hand. She focuses a small amount of chakra into the Owl Eye seal on her palm, and lets it collect its sample of chakra from each of the life forms. She receives a small dose of the tree's natural chakra, and exchanges it with her own. The trade continues once started, and Coal closes her eyes. She'd felt many trees today, and none were so powerful. Inside this tree shone with vitality, like it was only a fifty year old juvenile. It had no sign of parasites or sickness, in spite of the growing decay surrounding it. As she pushes deeper still, she could feel that she found the right one. With both chakra networks momentarily connected, Coal knew this tree contained something far stronger than just a tree's spirit. It contained the sleeping Gobi, the god of illusions.

ooc: Correct. You may now continue onwards towards actually getting the gobi if you know how that is ^.^

Stepping back from the tree, Coal can only smile brighter. The tree in front of her pulsed with life and power, and she could feel the beast sleeping inside of it. She was so close, and only needed to free it now. She makes a small amount of room between herself and the tree before calling upon a pair of clones once more. The trio makes their way to the very top of the ancient oak's canopy, and stand amid the top most leaves. Each one looks skyways, towards the relentless downpour of water. The forest around her provided a bounty of Earth, and she could bring the fire. All she needed was lightning, but this storm just wasn't cutting it.

All three of the clones gather up their chakra and begin to form hand seals. The jutsu is simple, and the ease of the seals is reflected in the superb speed she executes the simple maneuvers with. After each focuses chakra into their lungs, they proceed to blow out great gouts of fire into the sky. Three at a time bursts of flames would issue from their lips, expelled outwards with great force, and filling the dark sky with light and heat. Over and over the three Coals’ repeat this process, further heating the clouds above. The effect is quick, and immediately noticeable. The rising heat creates a huge updraft of hot, dry air. This sucks the whole storm inwards and causes it to churn around the rising heat. The heat warms the upper clouds, causing them to sink and release more water. A great convection current begins, and the looming clouds begin to move faster and faster.

The motion of the clouds causes their molecules to gain a positive charge, and they begin to build up a dangerous static charge. In short order the sky above is rumbling with thunder, and the first flickers of static discharges can be seen rippling through the clouds. It had taken a considerable amount of chakra to blast so much fire into the sky, but the three copies of Coal still seemed eager enough. She was just slightly short of breath when she retreated back down to the bottom of the tree. The requirements were close to complete, and the storm could build natural while she was busy preparing the rest.

She still lacked a real source of fire. The blasts of heat she could create were impressive enough, but too short lived to do anything but create heat. A true blaze would be needed if she was going to truly consider fire's presence to be sufficiently represented. Coal walks through the rain, looking over the older trees that lingered around most of the clearing. She felt bad for them, but at least she was sparing them the last few centuries of languished disease, and eventual demise. After getting some good distance on the tree, she angles herself to be facing just past the tree. This was important, as the jutsu she was about to use traveled only in a straight line. Unlike the previous jutsu she had used, this one took a great many more hand seals.

The complex string of seals included the quick execution of some eleven hand seals, and the expenditure of a great amount of chakra, but its effects were immense. As soon as she charged her hands with her unique blazing chakra and touched the ground, a horrible rift would open in the landscape. The earth would shake as a cleft over 100 feet long tears open through the ground, opening outwards in a straight line from the Leaf shinobi. Before the earth can even stop shaking a huge amount of bubbling hot, molten magma wells out from inside of the earth. It bubbles forth quickly, filling the wide gash as the trees that had been previously standing along the line fell inwards. Entire trees would topple over and fall into the lava, then instantly burst into flames.

The flames would pour skywards from the boiling hot fissure created in the earth, adding more heat to the warm sky, and adding the last of the five elements needed. Everything was in accordance with the scrolls she had read. If this was to work, there was little else to do. The last part of the legends referred to pouring the sprit on the creature’s roots, which can go either way. By the time she was done walking back to the oak that held the bijuu within it, the sky was crashing with lightning and thunder. Truly the place was becoming terrifying to remain in, but she had a mission to complete. Though she had no love for storms, she would brave it out, and see the last part through to the end. If it did succeed, the storm could be the last of her problems anyway.

Once back at the tree, she looks up to the ancient tree. The violence of surrounding atmosphere reminded her of the natural disasters said to follow the five tails where ever it goes; but again just thinks of the disasters that follows her family. She had tamed those well enough. Like before Coal calls forth three clones, filling the area around the tree with four of her. Each of the clones remains more serious then before, and sets immediately to work. She begins to gather chakra, each of the copies of her. They each hold a tiger hand seal and force the chakra containment seal open, squeezing out chakra bit by bit. Over the course of about three minutes, the four Coals have built up quite a supply, and there was only one thing left to do.

All at once two of the clones poof away, and vanish. The chakra each had gathered instantly refills Coal's network, charging her well beyond her bodies recommended capabilities. This feat allows her to almost fully simulate her normal chakra supply, but only for a fleeting moment. Charged with 8 A ranks of chakra from nowhere, her body instantly burns with power. The molten chakra inside of her instantly flares well beyond healthy ranges causing a 50 degree spike in her already heated body temperature. Instantly she’s burning hot at 175 degrees the air around her ripples and shimmers with waves of her inner fire. As soon as the chakra forms her seal begins to eat it, so she works fast.

The last clone waits above the surface, fully charged with chakra as Coal sets off to finish off this ritual. She forms the hand seals for an earth jutsu, then reaches downwards. As though she was water on dry sand, her body easily sinks into the ground and soaks into the earth beneath her. She swims downwards and forwards, pulling herself through the dense earth and towards the trees roots. With her excellent control over her own chakra, Coal forces a huge amount of it to push into her arm and fill her network to capacity. She gathers up the chakra required for one of her S ranked jutsu, but doesn't charge it with the energy required to short a mind. All she wanted to do was release a huge amount of chakra into the roots of the plant. After pulling herself close enough to touch a root, she reaches out and does just that. The large charge of her own heated chakra is forced deep inside the roots and into the heart of the ancient tree.

Spoiler:

Ill replace this post with the actual Bijuu post when I get out of class