Fitness III

[Oda Nobunaga]

You've managed to go through two rigorous exercises! Can you survive a third?!

Objective: You must hike through the snow wearing weighted gear. Your destination is, at best, 20 miles from your camp. The wind will be fierce, the snow will be falling rapidly, and it will be, at all times, at least ankle high. On top of this, you must carry a large wooden crate on your back, filled with weapons and gun powder. Deliver the goods unharmed!

Rewards: Up to +3 Str. Proficiency: Fitness - B

Prerequisites: You must have completed Fitness II. You must have at least 20 Str.

Location: Any range in the country.

[Amakusa Takehiro]

"Wait a second," the mercenary began, bewildered. "You want me... to walk TWENTY MILES through the SNOW with this HEAVY ASS CRATE on my back?! Why not just take horses on the main roads?!" The Daimyo smiled, shaking his head. "If we could send any random rider into the snow with any random horse, we would have. But, see, we are testing your worth here. If you make it to the camp with these supplies, your pay will triple." The mercenary's eyes widened, and he let out a sigh. Fuck it. It was worth it, right?

"Oh, yes, and you must wear weighted anklets."

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!

Cursing, Takehiro began to trudge through the snow with the package on his back. Normally, this wouldn't be a pain, but he wasn't allowed to use his greaves of awesome jumping, so he was forced to face the weather. It was bad, too. Not even five minutes into the walk, and Takehiro was blinded by the insane snowfall and fierce winds that whipped it into his eyes and obscured his vision. But, he had twenty miles to go, and if he was going to give up after five minutes, then he was never going to make it in this world. Gritting his teeth, the man decide he was going to just bear through it all.

Several hours would pass, and Takehiro lost track of the time. Not even halfway through, the man was already weakened and aching, but he did all he could to go on. The snow only got higher and higher, each step taking more and more effort to actually continue moving. Somehow, he would manage, however, making it to the top of a rather large hill that gave him a good viewpoint. It looked like he had just a little over halfway to go at this point, but it was starting to look like it was going to take days.

A powerful breeze pushed Takehiro forward and he stumbled off of the cliff. Realizing the goods were in danger, he did all he could to keep his front on the ground as he slid, keeping his arms underneath and in front of his face to keep himself from getting hurt too bad. He would halt almost immediately upon crashing into a tree, and, letting out a strained grunt, the man stood to his feet. He almost didn't want to go on anymore. Part of him wanted to just give up and lay here and let the blizzard mull over, but it didn't seem like it would subside any time soon. So, begrudgingly, he marched on.

Several more hours would pass, and Takehiro finally found himself just under a mile outside the camp he was sent to. He literally had to pull his feet through the dirt, leaving large drops in the snow where his legs tore through it. It was about knee-high at this point, and the weighted anklets made it hard to climb atop it. Every muscle in his body on fire, the mercenary let out a roar of pain, giving this one final push to the finish. Legs ripping out from under the snow, Takehiro pushed his body to the limit, running as fast as he could to the village. He could feel almost nothing at this point, but he knew that if he gave up before he got where he wanted to go, his body would shut down, and if he didn't make it, he was going to be mad at himself forever.

Finally reaching the village, Takehiro dropped the crate onto the ground and his body collapsed. He would fall face-first to the ground, no longer capable of keeping his body up. But, at this point, it didn't matter. He delivered the goods. He got his pay. He made it.

[Uesugi Kenshin]

Amakusa Takehiro: +3 Str

Proficiency: Fitness - B

[Kuroshi Maki]

Walking around the small camp, I was being pointed at. They had once again a job for me as I did the last two so perfectly at least to them. They needed a strong man to carry a wooden crate filled with weapons trough the snow. But to even make it more fun put on weighted gear. It wasn't really a test they seem to make fun and see if they could make me finally break. They hated the fact that I could finish the other two and never really wanted to join their force. So they would just try to kill me with this one.

As I walked up to the front gate, a type of armor was placed for me to put on. As I was putting it on, I could feel the weight was more then it should be. But placing it on top of my own armour it would be better. The grate was placed upon back after. If one didn't had the strenght it would be crushed by the weight for sure. The gate would open and I would have to walk 20 miles. How the hell did they come up with things like this anyway.

" You guy's are a bunch of dicks! "

Walking away giving them the middle finger I would start my journey of 20 miles in the snow. To make things even worse the wind would pick up and the snow kept falling. It was ankle deep already. As the beginning would be a slow start for getting used to the weight. It would get easier abit forward. As I was around half way, the trouble would be starting.

" Come on, I need to make this for them! "

My legs would be heavy to raise up time after time as the snow and the weight would make it harder to do so. The snow was falling so fast I was knee deep by now and still had 1/3 of the way to go. My back wasn't holding the crate that easily anymore as a pain would be felt in my lower back. My limits will be surely tested again. But I could not let them win! They thought they would be having the last laugh, well they forgot they just fueled my hate. A loud roar would leave my mouth as I kept pushing myself trough the pain, through the doubts. My eyes filled with hate and my heart filled with anger. Every step would bring me closer to were I needed to be.

" Wait! No, why am I so weak. "

I would crash to one knee as it wasn't able to hold the weight. A grunt of pain would leave my lips. Was this really my end? Was this the limit to my strength and hate. I tried to get back up to my feet but it didn't let me. The snow would raise up and was because being on my knee's chest deep. A image would flash before my eyes, it was her. I made a promise didn't I. I would protect her from those that made fun of her. I would let her use my hate. I can't die because of this stupid snow.

" YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"

I would push myself back up, even though being shaky and all I managed to get up and was able to step by step go forward. My knee was messed up as I could feel it being on the edge of tearing. But I could see the village closer and closer and only one thing was on my mind. I had to make this for her! As I made my first step into the village I dropped the chest in front of one of the soldiers staying their. The look on his face showed me that they didn't expect me to make it. Taking of the weight armor I would drop against a wall not being able to stand anymore.

[Uesugi Kenshin]

Kuroshi Maki: +3 Str

Proficiency: Fitness - B

[Shinomori Katsumi]

For a while now, Katsumi had been doing a lot of work for the Uesugi faction, and now even work for Takeda. Learning more about the two, she realized that that wasn't exactly orthodox and probably wouldn't have made either leader (or members) of the factions very happy, so she kept it to herself. Katsumi had people she cared about and respected from both, and would not choose if she didn't have to. She was a mercenary, through and through, and so she felt that she didn't have to truly ally herself with only one group. … Right?

Katsumi had been spending time with Yukimura, and things were getting hectic with the Takeda faction. There was a lot of work to do, and he was swamped with jobs. Hoping to lighten the load, so to speak, Katsumi offered to take some of them on, hence why she was now weighted down with gear, with a wooden crate on her back, trudging up a mountain.

Well, this sucked. But a job was a job, and it was to help a friend...

The wind was fierce, but Katsumi lessened it with her musou, making at least that part easier for her. But the snow was falling quickly and what would have been snow at most people's ankles was practically up to her knees, and it was fucking freezing! Katsumi's teeth chattered and she trudged along through the cold.

She probably could have stopped and rested, for twenty miles was a long way, but Katsumi was afraid of freezing whilst asleep, so even as night fell after traveling many miles, she continued her journey, body aching and weary.

As more time and miles passed, Katsumi heard the howls of wolves and she stiffened. The girl must have appeared to be easy prey, small and slow, and she grimaced. Removing the crate and setting it down, she pulled out her bow and slowly turned, searching for the wolves. The howls continued and there were snarls, and Katsumi knew this was going to turn into a fight. Wolves were typically fine, but they were hungry and she was by herself. The opportunity was seemingly perfect.

They charged at her, but she quickly took some of them down, and the others fled. With a sigh, Katsumi took the crate and continued on, struggling through the snow all night. It was daybreak and she could barely keep going, forcing herself to move on. Eventually she reached her destination, practically collapsing in the building. She was glad to be by a fire and to get food in her belly, and to finally rest. Very glad.

[Takeda Shingen]

Shinomori Katsumi: +3 Str

Proficiency: Fitness - B

[Sanada Yukimura]

Recently Yukimura had been swamped with various jobs for the Takeda faction, including the current one he had been tasked with. Which is why he was hiking through the snow, wearing weighted anklets, carrying a wooden crate of weapons and gunpowder on his back, to a destination at least 20 miles from Lord Takeda's camp. What a fantastic job Lord Shingen had commanded he complete. As he trudged through the snow, though the wind was fierce, his fire Musou made the hike more bearable, keeping Yukimura warm despite the low temperatures, not to mention the snow that fell quickly, reaching up to his ankles throughout his hike.

Though it was tempting to stop and make a small snow cave for himself to rest in, since 20 miles was not exactly a hop, skip, and a jump away, and his fire Musou would keep him arm while he slept, he was afraid the snow and wind would turn into a full on blizzard, completely burying him and leaving him trapped, and that was something he did NOT want to happen. With night rapidly falling, forming a fireball in his hand to light his way through the falling snow, despite his exhaustion from covering quite a bit of miles, he would push his aching, tired body forward. As time passed on and more miles were covered (though it felt like forever to Yukimura), he heard the sound of muffled voices issue from behind him, causing him to halt immediately in his tracks. Bandits, and the none-too pleasant sounding kind either. Slowly turning around while pulling his dual jumonji-yari free from his back, his eyes narrowing as he searched for the sources of the voices, he could just barely make out the sounds of footsteps crunching through the snow, coming at from all sides. It seemed they intended to surround and overwhelm him with sheer numbers.

Yukimura would not let that happen though, and engulfing the blades of his spears in fire the moment they all charged at him, he would spin as fast as he could, the fire melting the snow surrounding his feet, and let loose a whirlwind of fire, which he liked to call "Flame Wheel." The blades of his spears connecting with the bandits that charged at him first, a few more would attempt to take him down, but when they too fell too his blade, the others remaining would retreat in fright, seeing it wasn't worth their lives or the effort. The confrontation further exhausting Yukimura, on top of his already exhausted state from the journey, with a sigh, he would resume the hike, pushing himself through the snow the rest of the night, and by daybreak, he was still 5 miles away from his destination. Despite how utterly exhausted he was, he would continue onwards, and eventually, he reached his destination, stumbling through the entrance way. Carefully placing the crate down on the floor, afterwards, he would grab some food and then take a very, very, long nap. That had been rough...

[Mōri Motonari]

Sanada Yukimura: +3 Str

Proficiency: Fitness - B