Training your beach bod at the Wave Pool [Open]

[Taiga]

A man with caramel skin and blond-white hair set at the edge of a rather large pool, snoring. He wore a open karuyushi shirt, shorts, and beach sandals. His eyes were obscured by a pair of black sunglasses, his nose bridge and cheeks covered by sunscreen, and his head covered in a typical rice farmer hat. He stirred for a moment, muttering something before going back to sleep only for a bull horn to wake him up, accompanied by a shout.

"You're supposed to be running that wave pool as a volunteer!" the voice chastised from a loud speaker before it returned back to yelling "no running" and "no eating near the pool". It was a lifeguard.

Hayate grumbled as he stood up from his folding chair, kicked it aside, then began to stretch. With a low, rumbling voice he shouted.

"Alrightee- can you survive the great waves of Kumogakure? Let's get started with Level 1- brace yourself's in 3, 2-" and with a shit eating grin on 2 he stomped his foot, then swung his hands up causing a series of waves [10 strength] to rip through the pool.

None of this was actually dangerous, of course, and there was always a pause after each level of waves. He also would make sure to stop waves in case anyone went under or at least make the water spit them back up, adjusting the waves in each area of the pool as needed, his eyes moving like a computer behind the sun glasses as they scanned the pool.

"Do some community service dad. It'll be good for you dad." the voice of Eiko echoed through his head. He could of been pounding mimosas right now not operating a wave pool.

[Joker]

Life could be weird, but he never expected it to be so weird that he’d be in a wave pool that was being operated by the Raikage of Kumogakure, the Lightning Emperor of the Lightning Kingdom. A part of him wondered whether his conspiracy was actually turning out to be true; that this was in fact just a way for clients to look up the quality of shinobi under the guise of a weekend retreat.

But he washed that thought away from his head as he grabbed a board. If there was going to be anything he planned on doing, it was to focus on his bodily control; this was as good a time as any if he was going to be perfectly honest with himself.

He grabbed the board, and stood on; forcing himself forward through the wave pool. ”Pleasure working with ya, Raikage-sama.” Man, what if he got it wrong and it was just another moka colored man from the country, would that make him racist? Would racism cause an international problem? Would his though-

More surfing, less thinking, he controlled his weight somewhat alright; he wasn’t a greenhorn genin, but he wasn’t much beyond that either, at least in his own mind. Balance wasn’t easy, he found himself almost falling over a number of times before he stepped back, chakra applied to his feet in order to stand atop the pool before hopping back on the little board. The wave pool wasn’t something to be underestimated…

At least he could feel himself being close enough to crack it, the feeling of the wave moving beneath his feet, below the board; adjusting for it; moving his arms side to side in order to not fall before he caught himself again.

Agility, balance, they would all play back into his speed again, and he sure as hell needed that.

”How’d they get you to operate a wave pool?”

[Kaitos10]

After leaving Kirigakure to come here, leaving her weapons behind as well because this was a safe zone protected by pebble samurai, she arrived in the resort area and began looking around her current living armor turned into something that was called a swimsuit, which was some ridiculous piece of cloth that offered no protection and only covered the private areas. As well as the area around that, she was curious why her dad brought her and some of the other Seven swordsmen here. Though as she looked around soon after arriving he disapeared so she decided to investigate the area.

After investigating for awhile she found a casino as well as something called a night club that wasn’t open yet. As well as other facilities, she wondered what was going on here it seemed like Everyone was just waisting time doing strange activities. But as she continued to look around she only saw people doing what seemed like waisting time. Plus the Casino’s seemed to be designed around waisting time AND money which seemed far worse. Sure there was a small chance of getting lots of money but didn’t seem worth it.

Nozomi was looking around getting frustrated, she wasn’t sure what was the point of this event? Or what was the point of even being here? Everyone was just goofing around, even those from rival Villages, though she figured the sand would be good for Taijutsu training. But she had no idea what kind of Taijutsu she could train and she thought would be difficult to train other jutsu here especially with all the other people here. She was wondering why her father even suggested coming here, she could be back in kirigakure training and getting stronger instead of waisting time here. At least the iron banner festival had places to get stronger, in addition to the other places where people waisted their time.

As she wandered around in this ridiculous outfit that was called a swimsuit she noticed that there were many different styles of swimsuits. Some of the swimsuits some adult females were horrible, covered almost nothing. Some even only covered the bare minimum possible, so as she was looking around disgusted at the varying styles of the clothing. Eventually she came across the outside of a place called the wave pool. It was then she heard something interesting she turned towards the voice and saw the raikage making large waves with kinesis.

She would then begin to do hand signs and activate a sensory jutsu that allowed her to see the flow of chakra in his body, as well as how it’s being manipulated. She would focus on how sensory jutsu normally works then would try to work off of that, after watching and focusing for a bit she would start to see more and more details on how the chakra was being used. It seemed very similar to the kinesis version of a S rank Suiton ninjutsu. Making her wonder if she copied the way the chakra was being used here would she be able to use the ninjutsu there? It was certainly an interesting idea plus who knew she would get to see the Raikage here and see what his abilities were. She would keep focusing on the jutsu, until she could memorize the unique way the chakra as being used.

She was about to use the jutsu when she wondered if it would be ok? Then she remembered that he’s making waves right? So it can’t be that bad to use ninjutsu to make waves, as long as she tones it down she doubts the pebble samurai would get involved. She would then begin to channel chakra mimicking the way the Raikage was use it as she prepared to cast the jutsu trying to make sure it was just right.

Word count 622-400=222 left

“jutsu trained”Show

[Sensory Style • supernova]
B-Rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: [Sensory Style • Flare]
[Sensory Style • Focused Senses]
The sensor will activate this supplementary technique in addition to a sensory jutsu. For the next [control/5] posts, any time anyone within eyesight beings to prepare a jutsu, the user will see their chakra. By focusing on the chakra with their mind’s eye, the user can quickly determine the affinity, rank, prerequisites, effects, amount of chakra, and control (for ninjutsu), willpower (for genjutsu),
or a combination of those as appropriate, used in the target technique. The user will be able to determine the speed and trajectories of any projectiles they can see. Because of the previously mentioned abilities the user can also use this jutsu to copy any jutsu they see. Copying jutsu follows Fukusha rules with the exception of the user is able to permanently remember any jutsu and keep it as long as it’s a archive jutsu or the user has ooc permission to keep the jutsu if it’s custom. If the user doesn’t have permission they forget the jutsu when this jutsu ends.

[HotelBravo]

Enter Hanako.

Hanako wasn’t interested in Beach Bodies, but she was interested in training. So she had come to the wave pool and had been rather disappointed with the mundane stillness of the wave pool. Hanako was wearing a modest one piece swimsuit that had long sleeves. It was very modest and modern. She was getting bored with the wave pool when who should arrive but the Raikage of Kumogakure no Sato. The Emperor himself. He announced his challenged and stomped his foot. Hanako was ready! She jumped into the water and braced herself and… it was just this meager tiny little wave with almost no strength. The wave crashed against Hanako’s small frame like a wave crashing against an immovable boulder in the sea. The sheer disappointment was obvious on her face. ”that wasn’t really training for a beach body was it? It seemed so weak.” She thought aloud.

Hanako looked over at Joker’s character, who seemed to be a genin, but since Joker didn’t clarify who the character was Hanako wasn’t really able to identify any of his features. It was likely her face blindness. He stood on a board though and seemed to be enjoying riding on the waves, while Hanako was just standing in the pool. Was that how this was supposed to be done? Hanako moved over to Joker’s character. ”Oh, is that how the training is supposed to work? Where did you get that board? My name is Hanako from Hanamura. I’m a shinobi from Kumogakure no Sato. How do you know the Raikage? Did you meet before, or are you from the empire? I’m also from the Empire. “ Hanako proceeded to barrage him with all of her questions and thoughts, while standing in the pool, oblivious to the waves, them being so meager and without power.

Hanako would glance over and see Nozomi standing outside the wave pool and focusing on a technique. This place was for learning so Hanako presumed that was fine, but Hanako didn’t recognize Nozomi, because Nozomi was wearing a swimsuit and not her usual gear. Hanako had met her before, but it wasn’t that Hanako didn’t remember she just couldn’t recognize Nozomi’s face, such was her condition after all. What kind of training was the girl doing she wondered? Hanako would shout at her. ”Hey! You! What kind of training is that?! Is that any good? Tell me what you are doing so I can try it too! Did you want to try that technique while also in the wave pool? Might be good for practicing concentration and control since these waves are so pathetically weak and are only passingly called waves. In fact I think the normal waves of the ocean are stronger than these waves. Probably, but I didn’t ever actually go to the ocean so that is just a guess. The ocean is very big though, so I imagine that the waves in the ocean can also get very big. Maybe even as big as a mountain. I think It might be scary to see a wave as big as a mountain, but I if I ever did see one I would just punch it like this! Heeeya!” Hanako demonstrated by splashing the water. She didn’t put much force behind her attack because she didn’t want to wreck the wave pool.

[TyDie]

...Maybe Emi could let herself have a little fun for once.

The young Henrin, clad in a simple dark blue Sukumizu, was at the wave pool of course, hoping that the ebb and flow of the water would bring with it a sense of relaxing hydrotherapy. However, when the volunteer for the wave pool turned out to be a shinobi, she found herself wondering just how strong these waves would get. And, being that there was now chakra in the water that wasn't her own, the simple Act of Water Walking wouldn't be enough for her to stay above the waves. So she needed a vector of bodily movement that allowed her to ride the waves properly, but she couldn't use the techniques she already knew. However, she knew of a basic Fuuton technique that was known for being useful in situations like this, and figured she could apply practice to the knowledge to see if it was worth using outside of a little surfing.

As the waves moved through the wave pool, Emi began to gather chakra in her feet while she stood chest deep in the water. The wave made it's way towards her, small but packed with respectable force for one such as her, and as it closed in she'd leap up with it, the chakra gathering through her body funneling down towards her feet. As she leapt up, the chakra reached the soles of her feet, and with a wobbly stance she found herself standing not on the water, but above it. Small clouds of light green wind chakra danced beneath her feet, and as more waves came down the pool, she found that with a bit of practice she could quite literally "surf" on the waves with the chakra under her feet keeping her afloat. The wind made an excellent pair of roller skates, as Emi found herself smiling while she weaved back and forth between waves. It seemed there were a few other shinobi here as well, some looking to be from Kumogakure by the looks. And as she overheard one of them speaking to the man operating the wave pool, her heart skipped a beat and she lost her focus on the wind skates for a moment, plummeting into a wave and being washed away towards the end of the wave pool. When she got back up, coughing slightly from the water that had gone down her throat, she shook her head and looked the operator over again.

"Did...he just call that guy the Raikage? That's Hayate? What's he doing operating a wave pool!?" She was speaking to herself mostly, though she didn't doubt that others could hear her. Standing up again, the clouds of wind still fluttering underfoot, Emi shook her head to ready herself for whatever waves came next.

Jutsu trained 467/300 wordsShow

Fuuton • Wind Skating
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
After performing the needed hand seals, the user is able to glide on air as if they were skating on ice. This doesn't allow them to fly, but rather to travel over things like land, water, and ice with greater ease. The user is only held several inches off of the ground. This Jutsu does not expire until the user’s chakra supply runs out or the user shuts it off. The fuuton passive is not applied in this technique.

[Izanagi]

Aroma country was as beautiful as ever. It had not been Takeshi's first time to the resort towns and he supected it would not be his last. Only a few short years ago he had been here to witness the Chunin exams and an exhibition tournament. At the time he had enjoyed being a spectator, taking in the festivities alongside his entire family, including his deceased elder brother Yozei and his father, the 17th Hokage.

It felt bittersweet to return now, on the eve of war, the second part to an invasion that had taken his family from him. He wondered who else he might lose. New friends, perhaps even his girlfriend Nakano. But it wouldn't do to lament in his sorrows during such a lively gathering.

Hoping to enjoy himself while he could the teenager headed toward the pool. He wore only a pair of black and silver shorts and wore his dark brown hair tied back in a ponytail. Across his forehead was a green mark, like an X and a line that spread laterally toward his temples. Often he hid the curse seal of the Hyuuga branch family but he had grown to accept his place in the world. Any other tattoos or markings he may have had were hidden to the naked eye.

Approaching the water the athletic young man observed those around him. He recognized the Raikage as well as Emi, and even the white haired girl nearby looked somewhat familiar but he couldn't quite place it. There was another young woman as well who seemed undaunted by the modest waves that rippled across the large pool. "Emi!" He called out, raising a hand as he observed her using a wind skating jutsu to cross the water. He smiled softly, it had been a few years since he had seen her. Not since she had visited to deliver word of her mother's death, not long before his father too had fallen. Such was the burden of being a child of a Kage.

Chanelling chakra to his feet he moved with grace toward her as he performed the same technique. Such waves were effortless to navigate across. "Yeah, that's Hayate alright. Honestly, it doesn't surprise me that much. A good leader immerses themsleves with their people and doesn't take themself too seriously. Our parents had that in common as well" he said simply, though he winced slightly as he recalled that Kiyori was a sore spot for Emi. He had grown up viewing the woman as his fun aunt, seeing her when she was away from her responsibilities within Suna. Emi surely had a very different experience of her.

[Texas]

The sun was bright, the weather was warm, and Aki was truly enjoying his time in Aroma Country. What a pleasant place! Maybe Kumo's high hidden village in clouds could learn a thing or two.. The pink hair bobbed as he walked throughout the beachline and simply soaked in all that big vitamin D. His skin would slightly reflect it normal than the average person, but truthly the child didn't think anything of it. As he got up and moved slightly away from the beach, a tall man with slightly dark skin and a tall muscular build was creating waves. It seemed others had joined in too!

It was surprising but it looked like some form of training? They mostly were swimming but from what he could see, there were a few familiar faces. It seemed his scary friend Hanako was there along with the edgy boy Takeshi who he trained with a little bit when he visited Kumo. The child was excited to show Takeshi and Hayate the progress he had made. Although a deep dark though creeped in his head... What could be a fun way to enter into this wave training? Before he could put the puzzle pieces of random ideas together (what normal people call a thought...) Ryeunso spoke to him through the confines of his mind.

"Boy, can you even do a proper cannonball?" Within his own conscious Aki was confused by the question. "Like the weapon?" It was confusing for the boy, since he was trained to swim, he was never really experienced swimming in a fun way. The confusion was more or less, not fully understanding what the word Cannonball meant in terms of the water. Ryeunso laughed and replied with simple instructions "You simple jump in the pool and put your knees to your chest, while holding them still with your arms. If you do it right, it will create a massive splash." Aki couldn't help but get visibly excited. "Ryeunso, that is the greatest thing you have taught me yet!" The sheer thought of this water jumping technique made the young pain in the ass extremely excited. How could he resist??? This would be a method of entering water that he would embrace forever.

The boy was somewhat far away, so he shifted his body slightly and then clenched up the muscles in his legs. With a push of his right leg, the child lifted his body and began to run towards the water in a full on sprint. With as much speed as he could muster, Aki ran towards the wavepool. When the child got close enough he carefully calculated who was where and found an open spot he could jump into. With extreme excitement in his face, between his wide eyes, and horrific devilish and childish smile. The child channeled chakra to his feet while he stopped right before the pool. Utilizing the characteristics of the Limbo Realm, the boy extended his reach of his legs which launched him extremely high in the air. His arms lifted straight in the air and his legs were locked straight as well, in an attempt to gather as much air as possible. Once he hit the climax of the air, the boy quickly moved his legs up and bent his knees to his chest. His arms came down and wrapped around his knees keeping them in place. The child could feel his momentum sending him down a little faster than just jumping in casually. As he was falling to the ground the boy yelled: "CANNONBALL!"

Akihiko landed in part of the water that was not occupied by another. When the boy's body and the water connected, he made a large splash and sunk to the bottom. Although what the child didn't calculate was how strong the waves were going and it started to send him backward. What was a fun experienced, turned into a nightmare as he was doing flips underwater due to not having full control of his body. After a moment of spinning, the child extended his body and started to swim to the top. Upon reaching the top, he would begin to utilize his full strength to swim forward. It was a little tougher than he thought it would be, but it was something the pink haired brat could handle... for now.

---

Word Count: 729
Stat Training: 600
Word Bank: 129

Jutsu usedShow

₪Extended Strike
D-Rank Nin-Taijutsu Maneuver
pre-requisite: [First Layer of the Limbo Realm]
A simple technique of extending a punch utilizing the chakra residing in the first layer of the limbo realm. Utilizing chakra control and a strike using either a foot or fist, Akihiko can overall extend his reach. He can reach up to 15m. This technique also has a different stat set up. His normal speed will determine the strike physically, however because of the extension via chakra, the Strength is determined by the [Control] Stat.

[Zao]

A bit late to the scene, a white-haired boy who was barely twelve it looked like entered through the front entrance of the wave pool, his stature a bit short for his age but a bit of muscle could be seen on his body even at this age. Wearing a simple pair of blue and white trunks and a matching white shirt with blue strips down the side, a dry fit style shirt, that fit tightly around his upper body. This was Ziv, a fifth-year student from the Sky Reach had a pair of bright blue eyes that seemed to be absent of the pupil in the middle of them, appearing solid blue as he glanced around with his inquisitive look, everything about this festival in Aroma was new to the young lad and he was trying to get to experience everything that he could in the short time that his group would be staying here before the end of the event. The beach, the people, actual shinobi that he'd heard so much about from his father and in his studies from not only the teachers but fellow classmates.

It was only a little while ago that he'd came across a sign that pointed him down towards the beach front area, but it wasn't beach he was looking for but the so-called 'wave pool'. After arriving to the festival just earlier today, the kid had rushed down to this area, the second thing on his long list of 'hope-to-do' while in Aroma. Ziv had missed the part about the actual Raikage running the wave pool area, arriving a short few moments after the others who had already jumped onto the wave pool just as the white-haired kid went over to the employ helping rent out the boards, checking in he immediately rushed over to the wave pool to join the others, his eyes scanning the wide pool but all he saw was unfamiliar faces at this point with this being the first interaction with others outside the academy. But he was sure of one thing, even if he wasn't any good at the wave pool, it looked like a lot of fun! With the board tucked under his left arm he ran towards the edge watching as a decent wave smashed through the pool, but he had a faintly puzzled look at the ones that were 'surfing' with just their feet, appearing almost like they had manifested the wind underneath the soles of their feet to 'walk' or 'skate' on the water. 'How neat.'

Ziv nodded to himself, if possible, perhaps he would ask them how they were doing it. But first things first, with a jump he slipped into the pool feeling the rush of warm water wash over him from the tips of his toes up and over his shaggy white hair, still clinging to the board that brought him straight back up to the surface of the pool waters after a brief moment. Wiping his face with the right hand he maneuvered the board under him as he jumped on with his arms and stomach at first, then moved to a sitting position right in the middle of the short surfboard he had rented from the employee earlier. A few of the smaller waves on the side washed through as the youth built up a bit of confidence in himself to try and stand on the board, but about halfway through the movement a small wave came through lifting him up and causing the kid to lose his balance which resulted in a dunk back into the warm water. Not necessarily an unwelcomed thing, but perhaps more that it was slightly embarrassing considering the skill of the others in the pool at the moment.

But paddling back over to his board that was a couple feet away from where he'd taken a quick dive the boy was back and this time he acted like a shinobi as chakra run through the shoeless feet of his, the basic tree walking skill applied in this situation allowing for his feet to 'stick' to the board as he managed to finally stand up completely. A similar wave to the previous one came as he teetered back and forth, trying to find his center of balance as he tipped to far in one direction from the angle of the coming wave only to find himself flipping over, despite still having his feet stuck to the board still. 'Crap!' The others in the pool currently really made it look too easy as he flipped around underwater and grabbed the edges of the board, pulling his head back above the water where he spit out some of the water that had gotten in his mouth and wiped his face off again. 'Again.' If the others there could do it, then so could he, eventually. Recentering himself, Ziv slide his way back up onto the board from the end onto his stomach and then back onto his bottom, trying to analyze the waves before trying to get back on his feet. Already focusing chakra into the soles of his wet feet again, at least he'd be able to stay on the board, he just needed to find his own center of gravity to keep the board upright this time.

887 Words - Chakra Pool training

[Taiga]

Hayate would, playing with the waves, knock a few of them around. He'd also use the waves to place one of the people who had went under back above board before he cleared his throat. His arms were still outstretched. He could tell this was nothing for some individuals; and for others quite a bit. To nurture and make it enjoyable for everyone meant to make it the right level of difficulty.

"Coming up next will be some pockets of Level 2 on those of you who proved yourself on Level 1. The rest of you can stay trying to beat Level 1..." he said with a grin as he flipped his hair back and in a dramatic motion similar to a symphonic orchestra conductor pulled his arms back, crossing them with his fingers out stretched wide like claws.

"If the waves of Kumogakure weren't a challenge, just wait till you try the waves of southern tea peninsula!" he yelled out as he threw his hands out, his fingers moving wildly as his body wiggled and he moved the waves all over the pool.

For the weak, he'd keep it somewhere around a light strength [10-15], but for the others he'd now release waves of 25 which battered against them. For Hanako specifically, he'd make sure to hit her with a forceful wave [40 strength] playfully. Maybe it'd catch her off guard. He'd continue that for a bit, before stopping the waves to take a quick water break and breather.

Without the usual breakneck pace of combat, he'd be able to sustainably do this for at least an hour probably before he tired out.

[Kaitos10]

Nozomi was standing off to the side out side of the wave pool. Possibly out of sight of most people so was easy to miss. She was currently processing what she saw with the jutsu. It would be nice if she could copy it immediately but she knew that was impossible given the complexity of what she was doing. Thankfully because she was only analyzing and making a copy of what she saw by using their jutsu as a base it wasn’t taking as long as usual. It was ready soon after Hanako arrived and punched the wave. She was worried she would be noticed by Hanako and she would do something stupid in front of the Raikage. That would hint at the fact she wasn’t really kidnapped, though thankfully that wasn’t an issue yet but you never knew how later could turn out. Hopefully she would know better then to act like she knew then to act like she knew Nozomi.

By now more people had arrived, she was seeing lots of people from konoha and even some she thought may be suna. She was currently finished channeling, but before she could release the jutsu she made by copying the Raikage kinesis. Then analyzing it and using it as a Jutsu, he had already increased the difficulty in certain areas. On one hand she felt it was better thing to test herself against. On the other hand it would require her to show more of her abilities.

For now she figured, regardless it was better to finish training than to worry about that for now. So she would currently activate her new S rank wave Jutsu being careful to avoid people with it. The wave would be a 30 strength that was the size of the Raikage’s waves and would impact and negate the 25 strength wave the Raikage made. Of course since he was using kinesis she figured he could increase the strength, of the wave but seeing as he didn’t do that for Hanako she figured that was unlikely.

Especially since she felt, she didn’t hurt anyone by making the wave hit his. Plus she had a feeling that a leader of a nation like Kumogakure would be unlikely to do something like that. Though recently Konoha was starting to act less like the image they portrayed so maybe Kumo would too? Only way she could find out for sure is by waiting to see what they do.

“jutsu used&trained”Show

Suiton • Tidal Wave
S-Rank Ninjutsu
After performing the correct hand seals the user creates water from thin air and forms so much that it creates a tidal wave up to 100 meters wide and up to 40 meters tall. The wave will flow forward at [Control] speed and strength, crashing into and destroying everything in it's path for up to 80 meters before running out of power.

[Texas]

This was so easy for Aki, he truly was the gre--- wait. The pink haired boy shifted from left to right as his arms went in opposite tandem. The movement of a truly trained swimmer... While the boy was swimming, thinking so high of himself, one thought crossed his mind. Was he getting tired? That couldn't have been true.. the boy had only been swimming for a little bit. It's not like he could really swim forever, but he wasn't this weak. Before the child could fully process his poor swimming skills, the child looked up in great confusion as his Raikage yelled with determination. Was... Hayate getting too into it? Wait was this going to turn this water into a tsunami??

The pink hair continued to bob as the boy swam forward. It was clear by the Raikage's announcement that the water would get more difficult. What a pain! Before the boy could fully prepare, the waves pushed out with much stronger of a force. The child focused on his muscles within his arms and legs. It was important for him to be kicking, while at the same time cupping his hands while extending his arms. With each stride, his head face turned the opposite way to get enough of a breath to continue to push through.

Although Aki wasn't considered the strongest child, he could at least handle this second wave of stronger tides.... barely. As the child continued to swim with the might of a thousand men, his mind ran amuck. It wasn't often that Aki indulged his inner mind, usually he would just blankly think about something or even just let the monkey with the drums play. Regardless, the boy could only think about his muscles and trying to utilize them to the fullest of his ability.

As the child was swimming for his dear life, he would try to analyze the people around him who were either floating, sitting out of the pool, or swimming with him. Based on what he was seeing... Aki was struggling the most??? Was he really behind all of these other shinobi. How embarrassing. The shame and frustration filtered passed his mind. What was full embarrassment evolved into full anger, which evolved into heavy and stronger strokes. With great ferocity the child swam like his life was on the line. He was no means going to fall behind others and if his goal of being the strongest ninja in the world and a force for the empire were to come true, he would have to overcome something as simple as water.

Hopefully with every stride the boy could really have his muscles tune in. Maybe he could even try the next wave if there even was one. Otherwise, the child would have to find an alternative way to withstand these powerful yet, grand scheme, not really that powerful tidepool waves.

---

Words: 480
Total: 1,209
Strength Stats: 2
Word Bank: 8

[Zao]

"Coming up next will be some pockets of Level 2 on those of you who proved yourself on Level 1. The rest of you can stay trying to beat Level 1..."

When the soaked youth was trying to steady himself on the board he could hear the voice of the wave pool operator calling out to all the participants in the tank, thankfully he wouldn't have to face any waves that were stronger than the one earlier that he had wiped out on, the taste of the salty wave from the salt water pool still fresh in his mouth as he spit a little out off to the side. Hints of gentle blue chakra could be seen for anyone that was paying close enough attention to the boy's bare feet where they met the medium length surfboard that wasn't much taller than himself really. This tiny gap that was filled with a paper-thin layer of the student's chakra more or less gluing his feet to the board this time around. "Think I've got it this time!" Though he spoke only to himself the words were filled with excitement, despite the setback that he faced a little bit ago he was back and with renewed confidence in himself. His bright blue eyes filled with a look of determination as he witnessed the wave pool operator making wide hand gestures, causing him to question just how he was able to control the large pool with such control that he was able to adjust the waves to match the skill level of each of the multiple people on the water.

"If the waves of Kumogakure weren't a challenge, just wait till you try the waves of southern tea peninsula!""

"Waves of Kumogakure?" A mental question that just happened to be spoken from Ziv, from the standpoint of a young man who truly didn't know much about the rest of the world outside of the academy walls he'd never personally met another shinobi, being here in Aroma for this festival was partially to expose the student, himself included, to people from other countries, but more specifically to expose them to shinobi. But in his childish mind when he heard that the man was obviously from the Hidden Cloud, didn't they specialize in lightning? Guess it was simply a child's assumption as he was still learning about the world and the shinobi nations, but that only made sense to him in that moment. But it didn't have time to really start thinking about it before the next wave was inbound and he'd have to push the thoughts about Kumo and the southern tea peninsula to the back of his mind so that he could look them up on a map. 'Next one, let's go!' The level one level swerved in and this time the boy readied himself but turned his body to much and before he even realized what had happened the youth found himself once more at the mercy of the waves tossed about by the ruler of the Lightning Empire. Releasing his grip on the board he gave a hard frog kick and pulled upwards with his arms as he white hair once more broke through the surface of the water. A small stream of water was spit from his now open mouth as he felt the tug of the safety line around his ankle attached to the surfboard now and he could once more only shake his head.

'I was so close that time, just need to stay straighter on against the wave.' The second attempt had been a better one for sure, lasting all of about five seconds more than the first one but each attempt that landed the short kid back in the wave pool was one that he was able to learn a bit from and now he started to climb back up on the board from the side as he glanced across the pool to see how the others were fairing now. Closest to him, he could see a kid with hair that would stick out anywhere, especially here in the wave pool where Ziv could only really see the boy's head full of pink hair and his powerful arms swimming directly against the wave he had just tried to surf, maybe an even stronger one. It helped the boy to steel his nerves a bit and determination as he crawled his way back up into a standing position and connected the board to his feet through chakra once more. 'For sure this time!' Another level one wave crashed his way, the boy told himself that if someone was able to swim against the powerful current of the waves that were being sent their way by Hayate then he should be able to a least surf on the smallest wave in the entire pool, right?

Bending at the knees he began to use his legs and hips to maneuver the board, his feet being glued with chakra against the top of the board allowed for him to fully control the angle of movement as he maneuvered the tip of the board along the edge of the wave as it started to rise up out of the wave pool under control of the powerful Kumo shinobi, but Ziv didn't care about who was controlling the waves or even how at this point though that would for sure come later on. No, he was focused on the wave and his own body as he controlled the board up the edge of the wave and ultimately over the small level one wave allowing for him to successfully conquer the first wave of the day and on only his third try. Not too bad for a newbie, he guessed.

887 + 958 = 1845