Hook line and sinker

Toshi · Post by **Toshi** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 3:33 pm

Eko skimmed through his mother's list one more time just to make absolutely sure he wasn't forgetting anything he was supposed to pick up at the market. The genin narrowed his eyes as he tried to decipher his mother's chicken scratch handwriting on the small scrap piece of paper, to say the least it was starting to grow irritating. To make matters worse Ikko continued to fly right above him which conveniently blocked out the sun exactly where Eko was holding his check off list.

He countered this by continuously moving the piece of paper away from the looming shadow cast by the obnoxious owl above his shoulder. "I must look like the biggest idiot, waiving my arm around like this in public." Eko thought to himself in frustration.

The genin sighed with relief when he got to the last set of items on the list, two fresh tomatoes and a loaf of bread. By far the most simple of his mother's commands. As he thought this he turned the corner and saw a rather conveniently placed produce stand to the right of the bustling street. Eko finally managed to wedge himself between some fat chick who should definitely not be wearing shorts in any way, shape, or form and a frail old man who seemed to be muttering something to himself. He too had a list, which made Eko look down and sigh.

"Is this my fate, to go on errands for my mother or some other woman for the rest of my life? Will I end up like this old geezer?"

Punslinger · Post by **Punslinger** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 12:55 pm

Nearby, a crowd had gathered, and was laughing and clapping at an impromptu street show. Oushi was dancing and generally showing off, whirling his flying claw weapon in graceful arcs as he did so, and then snatching fruits off of crates, which he then skillfully flipped over to Patsu’s waiting mouth. Occasionally, he’d flick the fruit off a little too fast, or a little too high, which caused the goat to react or leap in order to snag his prize. This of course angered the goat, but had yet to not get an impressed murmur from the crowd. Nearby, the fruit stand in question was doing brisk business off of the bystanders, and every now and again, the old woman who was running the stand would catch Oushi’s eye with an approving nod.

Such a nice boy.

Toshi · Post by **Toshi** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 1:27 pm

"Excuse me, ma'am? MA'AM?!" Eko yelled at the top of his lungs, trying to get the vendor's attention over the loud cheering of the villagers around him. The genin finally got the woman's attention by jumping up and down while flapping his arms wildly in the air. To add even more attention to the spectacle Ikko chose that point in time to land on Eko's haid and flap his wings as well. After aknowladging Eko, the woman listened as the genin read off his list of supplies from his little scrap sheet of paper. The woman hurridly grabbed what the young shinobi had asked for and stuffed them even more hurridly into a plastic bag, she then handed him the bad and Eko handed her the money for the produce.

Eko was about to turn to shove his way through the mob of villagers standing behind him when something moving very quickly through the air caught his eye. Something that looked like it would ruin his day if it hit him. Eko instinctively crouched low to the ground and placed his free hand on the hilt of one of his hooked swords strapped to his back. The quick motion caused Ikko, who had been perched atop his head, to shriek with surprise, flap its wings, and fly up high above the street.

A few villagers around the crouched shinobi looked down at him with curious expressions. Eko looked back up at them with an expression that was just as curious, almost as if to say "Yeah, I'm trying to avoid that flying weapon thing. What of it?" But the crowd turned their attention back to the other shinobi in the street, who was holding on to a rope attached to the same weapon Eko had just seen flying through the air.

The genin stood up to his full height and managed to get relatively close to the shinobi who continued to snag pieces of food from the nearby vendors and fed them to... a goat? Yeah, thats exactly what it was. But that didn't make Eko any less confused. He decided that it must be his companion, considering how well the two were working together.

After a few minutes a majority of the crowd passed the shinobi by, probably to go about their tasks and whatnot. But Eko was still standing there, amazed by the skill of the shinobi and his weapon. The man's expertise with the weapon was pretty amazing, Eko couldn't imagine trying to fight against such an opponent.

Punslinger · Post by **Punslinger** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 2:57 pm

After he’d finished his little exhibition, Oushi lazily flipped the claw in the air, wrapping the rope around his waist and letting the claw itself fall gently to his side, where he then placed it in a little holster on his belt. The old woman walked out from behind the stand and hugged the big jounin, which was gingerly returned.

“I want to thank you again for coming out this week. You’ve really been a help.”

“It’s really nothing, Myori-basama. Anything for a friend of Soumei-basama, and Patsu getting a free lunch is always nice.”
After a bit of small talk and joking, Oushi made ready to go, when he noticed the eyes of Eko resting oncomfortably on him, which made him a little nervous.

“Uhm, can I help you?” he asked, hoping and praying he hadn’t just run into some freak of a genin who was obsessed with the idea of jounin. He hated dealing with kids like that, especially ones that were only slightly younger than he was.

Toshi · Post by **Toshi** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 3:29 pm

"That weapon..." Eko said, pointing at the man's waist and staring at it with wide eyes. "I've never seen anything like it. It's like some weird whip... claw .... thing!" Eko knew he must have sounded like a complete idiot but he honestly didn't know what to call the weapon slung around the shinobi's belt.

Then Eko looked at the woman who had sold him the last items on his grocery list, then looked back at the older shinobi. "So thats why you were flinging that thing around, to help her out. Somehow..." Eko trailed off, trying to find the connection between helping out the vendor by swinging food around and feeding it to a goat.

"Anyway... I just wanted to say how cool it was, how you grabbed those pieces of food and fed them to your, uh, goat." Eko shifted a little to the side, not knowing what else to say.

Punslinger · Post by **Punslinger** » Sat Apr 04, 2009 2:54 pm

“What this?” Oushi said, looking down at his claw. He was rather proud of it, since it had taken a lot more effort to master than his hammer. “This is just a flying claw. Legend has it that the monks high up in the mountains once used these to pick fruits off trees and grab small game when hunting. The idea is that it’s like a hand with a long arm. Kindof a perfect metaphor for justice, don’t you think?”

The jounin had completely forgotten his fear of weird genin, and was now totally wrapped in his nerd moment. Talking weapons was one of the things he enjoyed most when he came to the marketplace, aside from buying them.

Toshi · Post by **Toshi** » Sat Apr 04, 2009 3:44 pm

Eko laughed at the man's last comment. Not the kind of laugh a suck up would try to use to get on someone's good side, but an honest laugh because he thought the older shinobi was pretty funny. The genin whipped out one of his curved swords and spun it in his hands before saying, "This is my weapon of choice. My dad gave it to me after I graduated, they're my most prized possessions."

At this comment Ikko screeched loudly and dipped through the air past Eko's face, which caused him to jump back a little out of surprise. "Besides Ikko of course..." Eko said sourly, glaring up at the moody owl.

"See, I'm from the Shichiyou clan and we get paired up with an owl after we become genin. We're still getting used to each other though..."

Punslinger · Post by **Punslinger** » Sat Apr 04, 2009 4:13 pm

“You don’t say.” Oushi said, laughing at the antics of the boy and his owl. Digging into his pouch, he pulled out a small piece of jerky that he kept as treats for Fubuki, and held it up in the air for the bird, pursing his lips together like people do when trying to coax an animal. Assuming it was well trained, it probably wouldn’t mind taking food from a human’s hand. While he was waiting with his hand in the air, he glanced down at the hooked swords, mildly impressed.

“That’s fine iron work on the edges there. If you ever need it repaired, let me know; I know a guy who does patch jobs like nobody else.”

Toshi · Post by **Toshi** » Sat Apr 04, 2009 4:19 pm

Eko looked up at the shinobi's outstretched hand and realized that he was trying to feed Ikko. The genin could barely contain his laughter when the older shinobi started whistling in an attempt to get the owl's attention.

"You know... I don't think.... " Eko muttered, but it was too late.

" What do you take me for huh?! " The owl shouted in mid air, swooping in and scratching at the Jounin with its claws, " I'm not some common barn owl! If you want to feed me do it properly and hand it to be like an equal! "

Eko sighed and slapped his forehead with his hand. "I'm sorry... He's kind of proud, especially for an owl."

Punslinger · Post by **Punslinger** » Sat Apr 04, 2009 4:58 pm

Oushi barely had time to form a snake hand seal as the little owl’s wrath descended upon his head. The big jounin laughed uproariously at Ikko’s tirade, as he tried to control himself. It wasn’t his first major faux pas, but it was certainly the first when it came to animals.

“Oh, a summon owl!” he chuckled, trying to gather his poise. “I’m sorry, it’s not every day you run into a clan summon that looks like a normal animal.” he wheezed. A deep breath and a few escaped giggles later, Oushi had his form back. “So I take it you don’t want a snack, then?” he asked, waving the piece of meat in front of his pocket as if to put it away.

SpoilerShow

Hada Futeki (Hard Body)

By channeling earth chakra through his skin, Oushi is able to make his skin as tough as stone, as well as creating an affinity between his skin and earth, which enables him to form earth into rock armor around different parts of his body when using this jutsu. He is not able to cover his entire body with stone, and will usually only cover his more vital or exposed body parts when using this technique. Lasts for 5 posts.

Toshi · Post by **Toshi** » Sat Apr 04, 2009 5:11 pm

Ikko hovered through the air for a few moments, trying to decide what he wanted more. That piece of food or his dignity. But he realized he had way more dignity than food for the moment so he snatched the piece of meat from Oushi's hand and fluttered off to enjoy his meal in peace.

"Looks like he was more hungry than he was proud." Eko said, chuckling along with the older shinobi. "Well, I'm sure he appreciates it even though he'd never say he does. Like I said before, he's way too proud for his own good."

Eko then turned and looked at the goat standing next to Oushi. "Speaking of weird companions... why is that goat following you around?" Eko asked, pointing down at the strange animal. "I've never really seen a goat in public before, it kind of caught me off guard."

Punslinger · Post by **Punslinger** » Sat Apr 04, 2009 5:33 pm

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that all animals are proud until they get hungry. Right buddy?” he asked, pulling a carrot out of yet another pocket as Patsu trotted over, head butting against Oushi’s still rock-hard hip before taking the carrot (while licking the hand) and trotting off to the side of the street to enjoy it. “Yeah, Patsu’s been around longer than I have, so I kindof take him everywhere. And Fubuki…” he looked to the sky, scanning it for a moment before his eyes lit on a tall building several blocks off. “Is usually somewhere around. Fubuki, say hello to the kid.” Oushi said, intoning the same thing in his head.

In response, a winged figure rose from the building Oushi was looking at, wheeling a few circles in the air before landing once more.

“I’ve also got another little buddy, but he’s at home today helping mom with her garden. He eats bugs.” Oushi said, smiling.

SpoilerShow

Sotsuu (Mutual Understanding)
This works in the same fashion as basic telepathy, but the fact remains that telepathy with animals is little more than an understanding of how they’re feeling and what they’re seeing. This is done through the unexplained powers of the green stones that Fubuki has ingested, and the link between he and Oushi can only work when Oushi has Doki (his weapon) on his person.

Toshi · Post by **Toshi** » Sat Apr 04, 2009 5:41 pm

Eko stared up at the sky, following the bird with wide eyes. "Hello Fubuki..." the genin said in a very small voice. "That is the biggest bird I've ever seen." He added bluntly, not even attempting to hide his amazement.

Then Eko snapped back into reality when Oushi mentioned that he had yet another companion who apparently liked to eat bugs. "That's, uh, great. Good for him." Eko turned his attention back up to the massive bird above him. "I wonder if Ikko is going to get that big.." He trailed off, thinking out loud.

"Anyway, my name's Eko. It's nice to meet you, uh... " Eko muttered, just now realizing he didn't know what the man's name was.

Punslinger · Post by **Punslinger** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 10:40 am

“Sekitan, Oushi.” the big jounin smiled. “At any rate, is there something I can help you with, Eko? It‘s not that I‘m in any kind of hurry, but you‘ve got that look in your eyes.”

Besides, the kid might as well be me at that age. Only difference is that his pain in the ass talks. Oushi thought, still smiling.

[OoC: Short post. I blame you. ASK HIM ABOUT WEAPONS STUFF.[/tirade]]

Toshi · Post by **Toshi** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 2:56 pm

(OOC: FINE. GOSH!)

"I don't think so, Oushi..." Eko said, still looking at the weapon on the Jounin's belt. He wished he could master such a weapon, no one would be able to stand up to him...

And then something clicked. He could master a weapon like that, granted he was thinking of something a little... different. The genin unsheathed one of his hooked swords once more and looked down on it with a twinkle in his eyes, whether it was from the sun reflecting off of the steel or the image he just got in his mind he didn't know.

"Hey, Oushi." Eko said, looking up at the Jounin, "Did you say something about someone you know being good at metal working? I don't know if this will work or not but I just got a pretty strange idea." Eko tried to find the words to explain his idea, he tried to formulate a sentence in his head before he looked down again and saw the weapon on Oushi's belt.

"What if I combined your rope claw claw weapon and my hooked blades. I would be able to fend off anyone around me if I learned how to control it properly." Eko nearly bounced up and down with excitement. "I'd finally have the edge over my brother. He's really good at Taijutsu you see.."

The genin sheathed his weapon and asked the Jounin, "Could you take me to him please? The person that works with metal I mean."

Punslinger · Post by **Punslinger** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 8:29 pm

[OoC: K controlling Eko for a post. Well, not really, just have him following along, etc.]

“Uhm…” Oushi gave it a second thought before his face lit up. “Yeah, sure. You up for a trip to the warehouse district?” Without waiting for a response, the jounin was up above the street and moving across the rooftops with Patsu bouncing happily along behind. A few miles later, the streets started spreading out into proper roads, and Oushi moved to ground level, running just slow enough that the genin would be able to keep up. Not far behind, but high above, Fubuki was winging himself along loftily, curious as to why Oushi was not heading home; tonight was lamb night, which meant the vulture was allowed to feast on the succulent bones of the little animal.

“Make sure you show the utmost respect to Chuutetsu-sama. He’s very old, and he’s been at this a very long time.” he called back. Arriving at the back end of the village, Oushi stopped in front of a large building with a cliff forming the back part of the complex. A large sign on the front read:
Dragon Fire Forge

Toshi · Post by **Toshi** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 10:59 am

"Wow." Eko muttered to himself when he caught sight of the building they were running towards. He had been expecting a normal forge at the most, not a building about twice as large as his house. The genin was becoming more and more nervous the closer they got to the building. What if the metal crafter rejected his idea, or what if he didn't have enough money to pay for the weapon he wanted to make? And worst of all, what if Oushi and the man just laughed at his idea? The genin began to feel like he was getting over his head.

Eko nodded, heeding the Jounin's words. "But you're the one who just called him old..." he thought to himself.

The genin put his hand to his brow to block out the sun as he looked up into the sky. He didn't see Ikko anywhere nearby. It wasn't very surprising, the owl was still probably munching on the strip of meat Oushi had given him.

"So, is that all I need to know? No secret passwords or handshakes or anything like that?" Eko asked half seriously.

Punslinger · Post by **Punslinger** » Thu Apr 09, 2009 4:57 pm

“Well, sortof.” Oushi smirked, walking inside. A few of the workers stopped their work to wave to the jounin, calling out their gruff salutations before going back about their business. Pulling one older man aside, Oushi spoke gently, but loud enough to be heard above the bustle of the shop work and machinery.

“Is Chuutetsu-sama in today?”

“Yeah, he just came in a couple hours ago…said he felt like he’d need to do something and went to his roof garden to meditate.” the man said with a wry glance at Oushi and his tagalong group. Patsu had, of course, made himself at home behind Oushi, daring some poor fool to try and move him.

With a word of thanks, Oushi lead the little group to the back of the shop, where a door in the bedrock led to a set of stairs carved into the mountain itself. A few flights later, the narrow corridor (or so it looked with Oushi’s broad shoulders shoving through it) opened onto a rock garden, dappled with smallish banzai trees, and one ancient-looking pear tree in the middle. On the other side was a bench, and on that bench, a pair of drooping but still impressively broad shoulders could be seen. Oushi drew Doki off his back, knocking lightly against the ground, letting the ring echo through the air. As the harmonious vibrations subsided, a low, gravely voice rang out in reply.

“Well now, it seems that I’m becoming psychic in my old age. Oushi, Patsu, it’s been a while.” there was a moment of silence as the old shoulders shifted, and a well dressed old man’s head rose so high that it could be seen through the branches of the tiny pear tree. Walking around the tree, the old man reach down to pet Patsu, (who was already helping himself to the windfall pears) turning to the pair before him and smiling slightly through a moustache and exceedingly long beard. “So, what brings you by? It’s not Doki, by the sound of it.”

“Well, I brought you a visitor, Chuutetsu-sama. He’s got an idea about a weapon, if I heard him right.” Oushi gestured to Eko by way of an introduction.

“Hmmmm…” Chuutetsu rumbled, letting his voice trail off into his stomach, “Let’s have your name first, young-un, then we talk business.”

Toshi · Post by **Toshi** » Thu Apr 09, 2009 5:14 pm

Eko stepped forward, swallowing hard as he looked up at the old man. He was very impressive looking to say the least. He was nearly as big, if not bigger, than Oushi. He also looked like a man of great wisdom and strength, just being in the presence of the man made Eko want to listen to what he had to say.

"My name's Eko, sir." the genin bowed before the old man, showing as much respect as possible. "Shichiyou Eko. I'm a genin of the Shichiyou clan and I've come to ask for a favor."

Ikko chose that time to fly across the roof of the building, screeching the entire way with what seemed to be like an aggrivated tone. The blue and white owl circled the building a few times, dipped down towards the roof, and landed on the pear tree in the center of the garden.

"And that's Ikko, my companion. Please excuse his.... obnoxiousness."

Punslinger · Post by **Punslinger** » Thu Apr 09, 2009 5:50 pm

Ikko had either very good timing, or had attracted Oushi’s attentive eye in the sky, because right behind him, Fubuki materialized from the high blue, landing uncomfortably close. If the bird could make any expressions whatsoever, this one would have been a stern reproach at the lack of respect in his entry. But the reproach itself needed little body language. Looking down at the little owl, Fubuki’s wild eyes eye glared coldly.

“Is that any way for a member of the High Species to conduct themselves in the presence of an Elder?” he clicked his beak quietly in Chuutetsu’s direction, indicating that the little bird show some form of decorum in the future.

“Well now.” Chuutetsu said, chuckling, “It's been many a year since a Shichiyou owl graced the branches of my old pear tree. I was actually once commissioned to craft a pair of fighting spurs for your leader, little one.”

Turning his attention back to the genin, he cleared his throat. “Now Eko-san, you may convince me as to why I should make a weapon for you.”

Toshi · Post by **Toshi** » Thu Apr 09, 2009 6:07 pm

Eko grinned when he realized that the old man was actually going to listen to him. It was more than the genin could hope for so far.

"Okay, here it goes. I got to see Oushi's hook claw in action earlier today. It is amazing, the way it can spin through the air and snatch objects off of the ground or a vendor's counter. Then that got me thinking, the claw idea isn't much different from my hooked sword mechanic."

The genin unsheathed one of his silver hooked blades and offered the grip to the old man. "Then that thought also got me thinking even more. What if I could combine the two? Then I could keep anyone at bay or even latch on to them from a safe distance. Do you know what I mean?" Eko began to feel frustrated, he didn't really know how to say what he was thinking.

"My idea is this. I want to learn how to use a weapon that can be lethal at both short and mid range. The weapons themselves would be in the form of sharp hooks that are attached to my person by long, tough leather that is also flexible. Then, I could use my chakra to manipulate the belts and therefore, manipulate the hooks." Eko paused for a moment and looked down at his feet.

"Maybe I'm just over thinking the whole thing." he muttered to himself, with very little confidence.

At the same time Eko was explaining his weapon idea, Ikko was busy with Oushi's bird companion.

"Then how should I act?" Ikko retorted in "bird language." "You should just be lucky I decided to empty my bowels before I got here, or this tree would have a little bit more fertilizer to help it grow."

Punslinger · Post by **Punslinger** » Thu Apr 09, 2009 7:09 pm

Chuutetsu’s laugh was punctuated by the sound of his iron walking stick on the concrete roof as his eyes twinkled at the genin’s proposal.

“So, the young Shichiyou wants his own spurs!” he laughed, allowing the irony to settle on him before continuing on, “It just so happens that I have exactly the thing lying around somewhere. You would be amazed at the things we old men craft in our free time.” he grinned, moving off toward the door.

“Well, come on then. To the arms room!” he chuckled, moving much more quickly than before, letting his long legs carry him through the door and down the steps with a very apropos grace.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fubuki’s wings opened slightly and slipped shut almost imperceptibly fast as the big vulture visibly forced himself not to maul the mouthy little raptor. The feathers that formed his “beard” ruffled gently in the wind as he once again directed Ikko’s attention to Chuutetsu’s retreating back.

“I was hunting and eating things twice your size before you or your master’s parents were conceived, but this man has been doing favors for your family since I was a fledgling. The weak are not to make themselves seen, much less heard until such a time as is appropriate.”

Fubuki’s beak clicked, an indication that he wanted peace and quiet. This was, after all, a place of meditation.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Down the stairs and into a vault-like door that led even further into the mountain, Chuutetsu gestured to a large, domed room, the walls of which were lined with mechanics and steel work of all shapes and fashions, all of which were done with exquisite finishes, the product of a master’s hand.

[OoC: Feel free to take a look around. Use your imagination….and Ikko should really watch it. Fubuki might want his snack back.]

Toshi · Post by **Toshi** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 12:21 pm

Eko grinned and looked up at Oushi as the old man shuffled back into the building. "He seems like a pretty cool guy." With that the genin followed Chuutetsu through the doorway and down the stairs.

Ikko did not follow, however. He was preoccupied with trying to escape the roof in one piece. After Fubuki's rant Ikko was more than ready to leave, mostly because he started to fully notice just how big the bird was compared to him. And, more importantly, that he could very well eat him if he wanted.

"I'll uh... be going now..." the owl muttered, launching off of the branch and flying as fast as he could back to the Shichiyou district.

Eko's jaw fell when the trio entered the arms room. The genin had never seen so many weapons, not to mention so many different weapons in his lifetime. His eyes darted back and forth across the room, trying to understand what each weapon was used for before another distracted him. It was overwhelming, to say the least.

"wow... you made all of these?" Eko asked before walking over to one of the dozens of weapons racks. The genin didn't dare touch any of the beautifully crafted weapons, he could only imagine the old man's rage if he were to drop one of his prized creations. But that was fine with him, Eko was more than happy to just look at the masterpieces.

"Swords, spears, axes, maces, daggers, kunai, shuriken.... everything any Taijutsu user could possibly need."

Punslinger · Post by **Punslinger** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 1:51 pm

Fubuki ruffled his feathers pleasantly as he settled down to wait for Oushi to finish his business, while Patsu still happily munched on pears below him. At least the goat never presumed to take liberties with anyone stronger than him…although, the old bird knew few entities in existence stronger than the old goat.

“Just taijutsu users?” Chuutetsu said as he moved across the center of the room to a rack full of roped, chained, and otherwise lengthy or flexible weapons. “I’ve made weapons for every jutsu and specialty user that you’ve probably ever heard of. In fact, did you know that every element requires its own steel recipe? Doton weapons are easy, you just make sure there’s plenty of metal to reinforce, but…well, I’m off topic. Besides, if I continue to insult Oushi-san’s weapon anymore, he might see fit to use it on me.” the old man laughed, beckoning Eko over to where he was as he sorted through the rack’s contents.

“Now I know I remember something…ah! Here we are.” He exclaimed, pulling out a pair of arm bands and shin guards, both of which were sporting dangerous-looking curved blades, well capable of digging into just about anything.

“Here try these on for a fit.” he instructed, showing the genin the weapon’s features as he spoke. “I’m actually rather proud of how clever I was when I made these… the hooks are attached to reels of wire reinforced leather, which are built into these toward the joint there, and they’ll reel back in once they’ve reached a maximum distance, or when you press the button on the arm bands. If I remember correctly, these were made for a hiker who just thought they were a little too excessive. Now, why don‘t you see what you can do with those on those dummies over there. Oushi-san, a little instruction might be in order.”

Oushi was already lounging over by the dummies in question, and he now sidled up to an appropriate distance from them, and began whirling his claw idly, waiting on Eko to join him.

“The great thing about a lot of Chuutetsu-sama’s gadgets is that they’re all chakra-activated, so all you’ll have to do is aim and channel chakra to the area just outside your arm there. Just make sure you don’t do the same to your legs until you want those going off too.” he chuckled, but only slightly. Trial runs for weapons were no joking matter

Toshi · Post by **Toshi** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 2:13 pm

Eko turned the strange devices over and over in his hands, looking down at them with wide eyes. He could tell that these weren't weapons that he could screw around with and walk away unharmed. Things were about to get serious. Fast.

Without a second thought Eko slipped the first arm guard onto his forearm. It fit surprisingly well, he hardly even had to adjust the tightness of it. After he had slipped on the other arm guard he knelt down and fitted the leg guard over his shin. He would have to figure out a way to release the hooks without tearing his pant legs to shreds later.

Once the genin was ready he stepped over to one of the training dummies in a determined manner, he wasn't about to make himself look like a fool in front of a jounin and a master weapon crafter. He'd never hear the end of it.

The genin rolled his long sleeve up to the elbow, he examined the arm guard and quickly located the small button that activated the mechanism that shot the hooks inside forward. He heard Oushi mention that the weapons were chakra activated, so he gave it a try. He flooded the guard with a small amount of his chakra, he heard the button on the weapon click. The next thing he knew the hook that had once been sitting idly by in the guard shot out as if it had been thrown.

Eko laughed in surprise and amazement, he had never seen such a device. "This is perfect..." he muttered to himself.

The hook whipped through the air around the genin for a moment before returning back into the guard, all in all Eko had to admit that he was already getting the hang of his newfound weapon. He then put his attention on the training dummy Oushi was standing near. Eko pointed his arm forward, releasing his chakra into the weapon which shot the hooked spur flying through the air once more.

The hook barely missed the dummy's head, but Eko had been hoping for that to happen. Quickly the genin stopped the mechanism inside from moving, which stopped the hook from moving any further. Then he grabbed the tough fabric attached to the guard and yanked it back towards himself as hard as he could. The spur shot back towards its owner and latched onto the back of the dummy's neck, dragging it forward as Eko pulled.

The spur sliced through the dummy's "skin", which snapped the taught length of fabric and caused the hook to fly high into the air. Then, Eko activated the mechanism inside the guard once more. This time in the opposite direction. The hook zipped back towards Eko, spun around his body once, and then set into the guard with a metallic clicking noise.

"Oh man, did you see that! I thought I'd screw that up for sure!" He shouted, raising his arms into the air and laughing with a goofy grin on his face. "These things are so awesome!"

Punslinger · Post by **Punslinger** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 8:46 am

“Huh. Very nice.” Oushi said, looking at the doll with a slightly worried look. True, the kid had hit his target, but the weapons were still just as dangerous as anything Chuutetsu had ever made, which made him wonder a little about Eko’s safety. Walking over to stand in front of the old man, Oushi drew Doki and gestured again to the dolls.

“Alright, now try using the leg blades. Careful, controlling weapons (or anything else, for that matter) with your legs is mothing to sneeze at. Just in case you’re having trouble with it, I’m going to stay over here and guard Chuutetsu-sama.”

“Oh, have a little faith in the boy.” Chuutetsu laughed, pushing Oushi out of the way, “and move over; I want to see this.”

Oushi sighed, smiling before turning his attention back to Eko, “Okay Eko, go ahead and try doing what you did last time, drawing the hooks back inward after they’ve passed the target, but more importantly, you might want to take a moment to make sure you can focus your chakra at just the right time.”

Toshi · Post by **Toshi** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 11:58 am

Eko nodded, taking in Oushi's advice. He needed to focus, even though he'd gained a little control over the weapons it didn't mean he couldn't hurt himself with them. Not to mention how much harder it was going to be to use the hooks attached to his legs.

With his arms it was easy. Swing forward, release hook, stop hook, grab hook, pull. He couldn't just pull on the cloth if it was attached to his leg. He imagined that ending very badly for his health. But before he tried to attack another training dummy he followed Oushi's advice and tried to activate the weapon strapped to his calf first.

It was released the exact same way as the one on hi wrist, so the hook shot out of the guard with relative ease. But, unlike the hook that flew from his wrist, this one did not stop. To Eko's horror the spur slammed into the wall opposite of the old man and Oushi with a loud metallic clank. The hook then ricocheted off of the wall and into a rack of what looked like long range weapons. The rack leaned forward, threatening to fall over, which would then send the weapons hurling forward and onto the cold, very hard ground. Luckily, however, the weapon rack clattered back into its normal position before Eko could even gasp in dismay.

The genin looked back over at the two men over his shoulder, a very tense expression on his face. "That one.. uh... got away from me. Sorry." he muttered, flooding chakra into the mechanism inside the shin guard. The hooked spur jumped to life, whipping through the air and quickly returning into its original position, giving off a pleasant clicking noise as it did.

Eko repeated the process three or four times before he was comfortable with his skill at controlling the mechanism that either pulled or pushed the hooked spur. He set his feet about shoulder length apart and took a deep breath. He focused on exactly where he wanted to his the dummy, right under its left shoulder blade. A relatively small target but Eko needed all the practice he could get. So without a second thought, Eko bent at his left knee and stuck his right leg out across the floor, releasing the hooked spur as he did.

The genin spun on the ground, the sole of his foot kicking up a cloud of dust and dirt as it slid across the floor. The hooked spur followed his leg, looping around his body as he spun. After the second full rotation Eko kicked off of the ground with his bent left leg, sending him barrel rolling through the air towards the dummy. Eko had always been very acrobatic and flexible, he had flipped through the air like this countless times during his training.

As the genin spun in mid air the hooked spur began gaining more and more momentum, which was exactly what Eko had been hoping for. The genin grunted as he flung his leg forward, performing a rather graceful looking kick that crossed his torso and opposite shoulder. This kick caused the spur on his right leg to fling forward with blinding speed, even Eko himself could hardly keep his eyes on the weapon as it made its way towards the dummy.

The metal from the spur caught the light coming from the ceiling for a moment before embedding itself deeply into the dummy's left shoulder. After it did so Eko shifted his body weight in the air by rotating the left side of his body towards the ground. The genin slammed his left palm into the ground, and then his right, to pull the dummy off of its feet using the momentum he had gained while he had spun through the air. The strategy seemed to work, because as Eko's feet smacked against the ground the training dummy was pulled off of its feet.

After the dummy smacked against the floor Eko focused his chakra into the mechanism inside of his shin guard which caused the spur to snap back towards him, leaving a long gash through the dummy's shoulder and arm. Just as Eko landed in a crouched position the hook whipped around his left side and clicked back into the guard strapped to his right shin. Eko exhaled slowly, grinning from ear to ear as he did.

"I did it..." he thought to himself, half in shock half in excitement.

Punslinger · Post by **Punslinger** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 4:46 pm

“Very nice, very nice. I’m not going to say I told you so, Oushi, but I most assuredly told you so. The boy was made for these.” Chuutetsu was clapping as he approached Eko putting a hand on his shoulder proudly and making a wry face Oushi, who was still looking critically at the weapons on the boy’s arm’s and legs. Being a little more critical than Chuutetsu, he’d seen a few problems in Eko’s technique that bothered him, but he quickly put the look aside

“I know, Chuutetsu-sama, your judgment of character is unimpeachable…I-” Oushi’s speech was interrupted as one of the floor foremen came through the door, bowing low before announcing his reason for coming.

“I hate to interrupt, Chuutetsu-sama, but we need your critique on the purity of a batch of fuuton steel. It may be a little too light.”

“Alright.” The old man sighed, moving toward the door. “Oushi, I trust you’ll let yourself out when you’re done. Business is business, and so on. Eko, you’ve found a great thing today, and I hope that fact isn’t lost on you. I’m happy to have found a use for those spurs, so don’t worry about the cost. Just don’t tell anyone I let you have them for free; bad business, you know.”

Chuutetsu smiled and was gone, leaving Oushi and Eko alone.

“Eko, come here for a second.” the jounin’s face had reverted back to the thoughtful, almost concerned look he’d worn before. He was obviously brooding over something, but again, he wiped it away once he realized he was wearing it.

“I figure you already know that it’s going to take some work to perfect those, and I’m sure you don’t need me telling you that commitment is almost as important as skill where matters of taijutsu are concerned.” he smiled, scratching his head as he started guiding Eko to the door, “I guess what I’m trying to say is that you’re on the right track for a boy your age; you should be proud of that. Keep it up, and people are bound to take notice. After all, even the immortal Kinjuu need replacements every generation or so.”

Toshi · Post by **Toshi** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 5:05 pm

Eko thanked the old man by bowing before he left Oushi and himself in the arms room. He knew he would be grateful to the old man for the rest of his days for giving him such an amazing gift. They were more than he could have ever hoped for.

Then Eko turned his attention over to the Jounin beside him. He listened intently to Oushi's advice, knowing that he had gone through exactly what Eko was going through when he was his age. And when the jounin mentioned that he could someday replace him, he swelled with pride, a wide grin stretching across his face.

"I understand Oushi. But don't worry about me, I've never been one to let my ego get the better of me. I'm going to train with these every day and get as skillful as you are with your own weapon." Eko thought about that for a second, "Well, maybe not that good quite yet, but I'll do the best I can."

A few minutes later Eko was walking through the bustling streets of Konoha once more, his mother's groceries in hand. She was probably worried sick about him, he had been gone for nearly two hours. Whenever he went to the market he was usually back home in a half an hour at the latest, but at least he had proof that he hadn't been out goofing around.

The genin drew his sleeve up his arm, gazing down at the shiny metal on the edges of the new weapon strapped to his wrist.

"I can't believe my luck. I got to meet one of the strongest jounin in the village, the finest weapon crafter possibly in the entire world, an ancient bird nearly as big as my room, and I even got to see a goat." The genin looked back at the old man's forge, the setting sun giving it an orange tone.

"Not a bad day at all."

Naruto Saigen Roleplay