The Raven Chronicles: Book 1

Chapter 11- Ideas galore

I just want y'all to know that I love and appreciate you. If you need anything, please message me and let me know. I don't care what it is. Don't hesitate to message me and ask me for anything you may need, and don't be afraid. I'm not going to bite, and I'm not going to be annoyed. It is not a waste of my time. I enjoy hearing from you! So stay rad my dudes, and please message me if you need anything. I'm serious, if I can't do something or can't talk, I'll let you know. I swear.

Shikamaru's pov

Mom showed Raven out, and it wasn't long before she came rushing right back into the living room and straight up to me. I knew immediately what was going to happen. Anytime I even made eye contact with any sort of female, she had the same reaction. "Shikamaru, she's perfect!" She cried out. My face dropped.

"She was so kind, and polite too! She's probably the sweetest girl I've ever met." She ranted. "She's just the cutest thing! And she wasn't even wearing some frilly dress! She was studying medical things and her face wasn't packed full of makeup. She's probably making some sort of new medicine with those antlers. Innovation at its absolute finest!" 

"Mom, every girl you've ever met is the sweetest. And nobody wears frilly dresses for no reason anymore." I sighed heavily. "And I'm only twelve. Twelve, mom."

"I know! Isn't it perfect? You're young, and that means you have plenty of time to get to know each other. That way you can marry when you're of age. And she's really the sweetest out of all of them!" My mother squealed. I choked a little. She's jumping to marriage already? What a drag. I didn't sign up for this.

"If you don't say hi to her in class tomorrow..." My mom turned to me, flames in her eyes. "I'll chop your head off!"

That would be troublesome.

Raven's pov

I still have an entire two hours to kill before I have to meet with Ibiki, and I can use that time to gather some of the other ingredients we're going to need. "We definitely need Rosemary." Kuro piped up. "I was the only one that helped with wounds. We also need to find a way to amplify its medical effects."

'For now let's get the ingredients, and then maybe we can learn more about charka. It could help up increase the Rosemary's properties.' I suggested. He bobbed his head in agreement. 

"After you make your food pill, can you like, make some scented body wash or something? It could heal wounds if you want." Igneous doesn't care how fast I heal. He just wants some damn soap. He's a disappointment as a demon all around. He isn't into torturing souls, and he doesn't enjoy burning down villages and he likes soap more than any human I've ever met does. That, and he's way too into candles.

"That's actually not a bad idea." Kuro acknowledged. I could practically feel his mind reeling.

"I'd also like to invent some sort of explosive." I added aloud. Nobody is around me to hear, and besides, it only looks like I'm talking to myself. People think I'm crazy already, so it's really no big deal, right? 

"Perhaps we could make explosives out of some seemingly harmless things such as necklaces or hairclips in case you're taken... hostage." Kuro suggested, his eyes narrowing. I shrugged. Are we thinking too much into this? I'm a fucking dumbass. How am I supposed to make any of this? 

I'm going to keep suggesting shit that's never going to happen anyway.

"A charm bracelet." I said immediately. "Each charm can be a different type of bomb. And possible a necklace with things stored inside of it." I yawned.

"Maybe something similar to your portable room." Kuro said.

'Yeah, I guess all we have to do is figure out how the backpack is connected to that room in the first place.' I said. Kuro bobbed his head. I could feel his excitement radiating from inside of me. 

"I'm getting quite exhilarated from this!" He expressed happily. 

'Right, we need to slow down. Where do we get Rosemary?' I asked.

"Remember that cute little store with those precious little bottles of soap. Next to it was a store of herbs and spices, and Rosemary is like, totally an herb." Igneous said. "Plus it's so close to the soap store so like, how could it bad?"

"Pray do tell; why are you talking like a lowly teenage girl?"

"Don't tell me how to live my life, asshole."

I went back to the store with the travel size soaps Igneous had fawned over not days before, and sure enough, there was a store of herbs and spices right next door. I entered and made a bee-line for the herbal section to try and avoid talking with the cashier until I absolutely had to. Rosemary is a pretty common herb, and they had it there, fresh. I grabbed some and placed it into one of the clear vegetable bags they provided, also grabbing some various herb seeds. I'm not made of money. If this works out, we'll need more than this. 

I paid as quickly as I could before heading for Kakashi's house. It wasn't far, and running, I made it there in no time flat. I probably shouldn't have gotten the fresh Rosemary. I don't know how to use chakra, and I'm sure we're going to need way more ingredients than this anyway. It'll be bad by the time I get a grasp on how to do much of anything with my inner juju. 

I entered Kakashi's house, frowning. I'm going to need a test subject. Bombs will be no issue. I can test them on things like logs and old buildings. Medicine, on the other hand, is different. I can't use it on animals, because that's horrible from a morals standpoint, and humans aren't the same as animals anyway! 

Testing on myself would be easy, but I already have two demons, and Kuro makes me poison resistant. I may have to try anyway. Bone breaking could be something I could test on, but the supposed "chakra" Kuro and Igneous produce heal up wounds so fast I'm not sure it'll work.

I looked at the time. I need to get to wherever the hell Ibiki is. Training ground 66 and the oddly specific time of 6:09 PM. Now I have no idea where this place is or if it even exists, but my bet is that Granny Momo does. She knows everything about this sorry excuse for a village. She has, according to her, lived here her whole life. I've gotta respect that. 

~

"Hey, Granny Momo." I gave a wave as I shuffled up the path leading to her porch. I've noticed that she's never actually in her house. She's always out front, or at least, she is every time I come over. Maybe she's a hoarder and her house is full of piles of yarn and half-finished sweaters. 

"Hello, Raven. What have you been up to today?" She asked.

"Well, Kuro and I are planning on making a pill that can heal all wounds faster than before. Maybe in the span of a few hours or so. Do you have any suggestions for ingredients we could use to do it, or how we could?" I asked hopefully. When in doubt, as an old person. They know all sorts of random shit. 

"I'll have to think about it. I haven't studied plants in twenty-five years." She smiled one of those old people smiles. There's nothing weird about it. It's just like... it's a grandma smile. 

"Thank you." I pressed my hands together like I was praying to Jesus himself. "Have you ever heard of a portable room?" 

"I don't believe so." She said, but her glasses did that suspicious glinty thing that made me pause. 

"Ah, never mind, then! Can you tell me where to find training ground 66?" I asked. Her eyebrows shot up.

"Are you afraid of the dark?"

"Uh... no, why?" I blinked. 

"Oh, no reason. Now, training ground 66 can be found-"