Sympathy for the Devil

[Cylan]

Sync Stat 10-> 11
#10

1527/1500

Mind MeldingShow

Enma did not know how long he lingered in that cave after his fight with its inhabitant. Walking further into the cave with his hunger now sated, he was not particularly surprised to find that it had cubs to nurture and a supply of raw meat had been left for them. Wordlessly, he slaughtered them and the crows basked in how lacking his conscious was. Sitting down and covering himself with his still warm bodies, he leaned against a nap and tried to take a nap. The effort left his mind vulnerable to the crows, who pecked at his mind and nudged him to stay awake. For once, he was warm though and it was so easy to get lost walking down memory lane. The crows all swarmed around Enma's physical body, a few of them still on fire to keep him warm. His thoughts drifted to the past, to his time spent in Konoha. Memories of the kill that made him hate Konoha bubbled to the surface. This time in his mind's eye, there were a hundred billion crows gathered around him, clucking their beaks and spreading their wings, begging him to get on with the kill. When the rogue ronin was burned alive, he fell to the ground and his great carrion beasts swooped in to gorge themselves. But this was not real. There were no crows there that day, sadly. There was only the fire, burning in the distance. There was only the man's flesh as it boiled and blistered from the fire.

The crows pulled him further down into the memories. More and more swarmed in the cave around him. They all wanted to see what lurked within the dark confines of Enma's mind, what the crow sage had been keeping from his charges. Gritting his teeth, he fell back into the first, primal memory that he himself did not even know he remembered. The memory of being picked up right after birth by a Konoha policeman. There was fear in his eyes when he realized what it was he held. Enma cried, kicking and bucking and fighting for the right just to be alive. "The fuck? How the hell am I seeing this?" He asked, but not out loud. The crows were hanging off of the roof, observing what was happening with cold, uncaring eyes. He felt their amusement at seeing his humble origins. Perhaps they were expecting to see him burst out of someone's chest fully formed. They pulled him away now. Just as they had pulled him down, so too did he pull them. He was suddenly in a hundred places at once, totally enveloped in darkness. A great hunger had overtaken these thousand thousand minds and there was nothing to sate that hunger. Reaching up, they all pecked in unison at once. They were bound in a soft surface, whatever warmth there was soon fading. Enma and the birds had one simple choice. Crawl up, get out of there, or die. Forcing their beak against the surface, it was slowly cracked and they broke out weakly, laying in hundreds of nest, breathing their first breath of fresh air.

Looking up, they saw how their parents looked down at them with disappointment. The crows all shook their heads and spoke of how they were lacking. Enma felt a hundred presences get dragged across the floor towards the great mother Izanami. Her cold gaze fell upon each of them at once and laughed, finding them unworthy both of notice and note. They were placed there with each other, those first few members of the suicide squad. Their hatred and rage at the world grew, their anguish lending to screams and rage against the world. They understood how cruel the world could be days after their birth whereas Enma had not been allowed to learn that truth until much later in his life. In reality, Enma heaved, looking up and finding that there was no light coming inside the cave. The crows were all there, all wrapped around him, filling up the space. They wanted to be close to their leader, the man that gave them purpose and a fight where before they had just been left to suffer on the mountain. The crows looked at him reality, their minds melding together so perfectly, and their eyes were as his eyes, cold and blue and devoid of kindness. But they respected his strength. The fire had cooked the meat of one of the cubs so Enma started eating it, allowing the crows to gorge themselves on the body of the other one.

"I never knew bear meat could taste this good." He commented in between bites, once again carefully making sure that the fur was left unharmed. The fur would prove useful for surviving this white wilderness. With his hunger soon sated, he fell down to the stone floor and gasped, finding the crows were not yet done observing his memories. His mind fell to even darker corners in happier times. They observed as he practically flew over the rooftops of Konoha, how he laughed so carefree and people opened their mouths in awe as he zoomed overhead. It was soon after he realized he was capable of using fuuton. He was faster with wind flowing through him, running without a single care in the world. Running to run. The only moments that ever compared to this were the moments when he murdered someone, the moments where he drained life blood from a person and left them less than nothing. Cradled like a baby there in the cave, he remembered Konoha and the rage the village made him feel. He was one cog of many in a great machine that had been around long since he was born. A machine that would be around long after. He stabbed and murdered his way into a position of power. The crows saw the Hokage of the time in his memories. They saw the approving glint in his eyes at the actions Enma had taken. When the crow sage, subtle as ever, turned the conversation to the atrocities he had committed outside the village, the subject was brushed off with a joke. As long as those acts were done for Konoha and done out of sight, the village couldn't seem to care less.

Even now, that attitude perplexed Enma. It perplexed the crows too. They had expected the whole village to be like Enma. Honest, bloodthirsty, never backing down from a fight. Yet what they saw in his memories filled them with disgust. He saw their great mother look at them again, all gathered up right before they were to be sent into the wilderness with Enma. This time, she looked at them with approval. Together, they were strong. Divided, they were weak and utterly devoid of worth. She called them his suicide squad, the harbinger of Enma's arrival. It was strange to hear her speak of him when he wasn't around but she gave him high praise, saying that he was far more powerful than even the five great lords of the mountain. His potential was to be nurtured and it was apparent given how he had even turned a bunch of whelps like them into a fighting force worthy of note. He felt their anger at being individually dismissed. They hated her but they held her in such high respect. They loved her even as they wanted to kill her, as was the way of the crows. As was Enma's way with some people in his life, only love was more respect. The crows saw a flash of golden curls and tried to tear his mind apart to find the memory, but they were not yet that deep into his psyche. Enma fought them off, tearing their minds away while pulling them close.

Gasping for breath, he looked below and saw that the great black tidal wave was pulling him forward, out of the cave. Once again, his hidden desire to fly had compelled them to let him do just that, the whole of the squad forming around Enma's body into the form of a great black bird. Losing himself in them, Enma allowed his mind to become one with them all. Again, he had achieved full synchronization for the briefest moment. Every creature there in the wilderness must have turned and looked at them for Enma saw through their eyes how they were looked upon with a mixture of awe and fear. The crows immediately around him bunched together closely, afraid that he would fall. Enma had no fear of falling. For he was sailing the wind upon jet black wings. There would never be another moment quite like this, quite like the first flight. Enma and his many minds turned the wings, riding the wind and flapping when they needed to do that to stay in the air. Opening his mouth, he released a hearty caw that was heard for miles, sending other birds flying up into the air. He was one step closer to true mastery of these crows and it looked like he would survive this place when all was said and done.

[Cylan]

Strength 8 -> 9
#80
#8
1501/1500

Stronger Every DayShow

Enma was tired. He was exhausted. It was a dreadful feeling, knowing that he still had the rest of the night to spend his time. For the crow sage, he detested this feeling of boredom. He was static, unable to control himself. Killing was fun… but it certainly had its down times. Sometimes when you’re in the middle of nowhere with Yaku keeping a short leash, it kept Enma staring blankly bored into the night. He had to do something. Anything. The S-rank missing nin stared down at the pile of rocks. His face contorted into an unamused grin. For the past five hours, he had fulfill his boredom by moving rocks here and there. He hoped by the time Yaku woke up, the emotionless freak would be surprised to see the whole campsite surrounded by rocks. In these long boring days of traveling, Enma had to find some way to make time. Bothering Yaku was the only thing that kept him going at time.

Enma stared up at the sky, watching as a few crows soared in the distance. He reached his hand out as if he could touch them. Ahhh. So close, yet so far. His head lolled and he trotted around, darting his gaze at everything. Anything. Anything to keep his mind preoccupied. He looked into the forest, his eyes were devoid of the normal excitement. He was as blank and empty as Yaku. Such boredom. Like all good trainings, his eyes finally rested on himself. These were rare moments… moments when he began to reflect on his being. Everything from life to his purpose, Enma thought in deep perplexion. His eyes traced his muscles, staring at himself mutely as he flexed. He knew his purpose, but that wasn’t easily achieved. His success was determined by his strength. Fail in the act of power and everything would come crumbling crashing down. He needed to grow, become stronger. His journey with Yaku had been enlightening, and more importantly, entertaining, but he still wasn’t satisfied. He looked at himself again, wanting to be much stronger than what he already was. Looking up at the forest again, he nodded in understanding. Gathering his things, Enma ran off into the forest, excited to finally find something that would preoccupy himself.

Rocks. Who would have thought? Something so simple, yet so useful. Enma grabbed a rock, determined to test its weight. He let his muscles strain as he winded it up in his arms. His body tensed and he could feel the joints and chakra nodes begin to unlock themselves. His physical body knew what was coming. It knew that when Enma got like this, there was no stopping him. His body groaned, almost reluctant to join the wolf’s mind. He jumped up on two firm feet, the rock still in hand. The weight was decent, heavy, but not too heavy to wear him out in one run. Hefting the rock with both hands, Enma stared back to the forest, surprised that his boredom had led him here. Planting one strong foot into the ground, Enma winded himself up. He spun on his heels and his body began to maneuver. The rock and his body began to spiral. He was moving in circles now, the momentum and speed was building. The rock was now on his fingertips, sensing what was to come. With one final heave, Enma finally did it. He let go and with the fling of the arms, the rock launched itself forward. It ripped and soared past the trees. His strength was just enough and the rock was moving. Enma watched, somehow fascinated by his own strength. This was just the start. If he had thrown it correctly, he hoped for it to be back at camp where Yaku was sleeping. He realized that walking and carrying the rocks like before was moot. This was much more… fun. He grabbed another big rock, pulling it out from the dirt. With another spin of the heels, he threw the rock, letting it soar past the trees from where he had come.

Enma was not easily entertained. Not able to be content with what normal boys and girls did, he found luxury in murder. He always saw his thirst for blood as an intellectual sport. With this activity, the throwing and transportation of rocks, Enma couldn’t help but deny the utter lack of genius in this sport. It wasn’t relatively clever and it really served no purpose. Correct, it did cure his boredom, but still, a very mindless activity. He could only wonder what Yaku would say to the ridiculousness of what he was doing. The thought entertained him and he chuckled quietly in the darkness. His hand grappled another rock, he swung a bit, feeling the exhaustion starting to settle in. He was tired, but like the old adage said, no pain no gain. He hoped to be a bigger and better man after this night was through. Rock after rock was filtered through his fingers. When one load of rock pile was empty, Enma would move, dancing carelessly in the night until he came across the next pile of rocks. It became routine, following a pattern. To pass the mindless time, hums, tunes, and deep songs blew through Enma’s lips. He clapped in fascination. It wasn’t a chore, that was the odd time. Enma became so ecstatic with his activity, that the stress and strain of the rock became easily forgotten. He didn’t care and he continued to throw rock after rock. In time, he didn’t even need to spin. Grabbing a rock with one hand, he would just grip it at the edge, and using his body as leverage, he would catapult it back at camp. If focused, he could do this relatively fast, throwing and chucking rocks one after another. Right as a rock had left his hand, his body teetered and stumbled to grab another. There was no rest and he kept throwing to his heart’s content.

Clink. Clunk. Bmmmph. Enma heard the rocks shatter against the tree. The noise was magical. His eyes lit up at the sound. He watched as rocks sailed through the sky. There was no chance that Yaku was still awake. The thought of waking and annoying his partner somehow gave him devious thrills. He continued to throw however. Rock after rock, pulling at his muscles was hefted in his arms. He began to sway, his body was becoming weak at the extraction of energy. As he went to grab for another rock, he slipped. His body tumbled and he sputtered in the dirt. He cursed his own weakness and slowly picked himself up. His eyes looked back to the rocks. As if it was an obsessive addiction, he sped back to the rocks, seeing his weakness as some sort of challenge to overcome. He refused to be beaten, even if it was his own humanly body that was opposing him. He weakly grabbed a rock, stumbling slightly as he threw it. His body was at its limits, but the pressure only pushed Enma forward. There was no turning back now, only forward. He would do this until boredom was no longer a question. He would do this until he passed out. This. It was this that would put him to sleep. He threw again and again, reinvigorated by the thought of sleep. He now understood the intelligence of this. Screw Yaku and what he might think. Enma knew the intellect behind this mad show of rock throwing. Sleep. Sweet sweet sleep. It could be his, all very soon. He was going to force himself asleep by throwing rocks mindlessly away at the camp. He didn’t care how far they went or where they landed. He didn’t care how fast it took him to throw them. He just wanted to sleep.

Enma and his tirade by the quarry was one way to do it. The missing nin was a man that lived by thrills, but sometimes, the thrills failed to present themselves to him. Murder was one way to get what he needed or wanted, but this for now, was the only thing in this miserable forest for miles. Trees, rocks, veins. All of it, Enma had grown to hate. All so boring. Much more fun to burn it, but Yaku had forbid him. Enma threw another wave of rocks back at the camp. He was so close now. His vision was already becoming blurry, fading to sweet darkness. Soon Enma wasn’t even looking. He didn’t need to. He grabbed and threw, not caring where the hell it went. The darkness was captivating. His oxygen was coming out in slow gasps. He was tired and his body collapsed, he grabbed for anything to break his fall. It was too late. The physical activity was finally taking its toll. His enjoyment was coming to an end. He smiled, content with his training. Blackness became his vision and soon, Enma heard nothing. He fell asleep, tired and beaten.

[Cylan]

Strength 9 -> 10
#81
#9
1547/1500

Mindless SlaughterShow

Physical strength was paramount. Enma smirked as that thought passed through his head. He was surrounded. Utterly and totally surrounded. Nothing would get him out of this situation except raw physical strength. That and his fists would do the talking. The men were angry over some slight. It was probably real. Enma was a dick. He did not really deal in false slights. If someone said he did something, he probably actually did it. Charging the first person that made their way to him, his gloved fist hit them with a fist that launched them off, flying through the air. He smirked and fell into a low fighting position. Unlike many other fighters, Enma had no set taijutsu style. He did not NEED taijutsu. He needed no style. He just needed his instincts. And his instincts he had all the time. This would make for excellent strength training. He never felt more alive than in the middle of a life or death struggle. Panting, he twisted his body and met another blow head on, his fist meeting theirs mid air. Their hand was bigger than his, far bigger than his, but his fists had more stopping power in them. That person, for all of their talk, was just a man. Enma was anything but a normal man. He had been exceptional since the moment the electrodes in his brain started making connections with one another and granted him the ability to read and comprehend. The men kept running at him, sometimes in large groups at a time and Enma kept swatting them back thoughtlessly.

This was more thoughtless than taijutsu. Taijutsu would imply he was some kind of master swordsman or martial arts master. Instead, he was just very good at punching things. He was not trying to beat any taijutsu masters, merely beat up and antagonize some townspeople. That was what Enma called a good Saturday. "Woohoo!" He exclaimed as someone finally thought to bring a sword to a fist fight. Everyone stupidly seemed surprised by this development and Enma prepared to use his strength in a way he never really had before. Blocking a sword with his fists? Shit, that shit was COOL. Cool enough that he would definitely use that trick sometime in the near future. The blade flew through the air, cutting a path. Enma's muscles knew what they had to do before he did. Rushing up to meet the blade, they caught it just in time and Enma laughed. "Ha haha, you're caught now, asshole!" Pulling the man forward, the blade went above his head and Enma wrestled the hilt from his hand. The swordsman looked up at him in fear and Enma showed him no remorse, cutting his body with such force that the blade cut his boy in two. That was the most awesome thing he had ever done. This was all mindless fun. Mindless fun was the BEST thing ever. Mindless fun is what Enma lived for. This was the time for him to improve his strength. It was time to put his bannin level skill to the test. That was what this fight was about. That made Enma smile. Made him laugh like a madman.

People still charged at him as he laughed. They still put their lives on the line and he was not just knocking them back now that he had a weapon of death in his hands. THe katana usually required such precise skill to use but Enma needed none of that. He simply aimed for an area and allowed the strength of his body to do the rest. The blade split the air and although a few tried, no one could match what he was doing. No one could catch a sword with his hands. That would just be stupid. Who could do that but a shinobi? Luckily for him, he WAS a shinobi. Enma laughed again and cut a man with such force that he sliced through the entirety of his body, leaving him cut in two clean halves. His henkou uniform fluttered from the wind created by his body's momentum, charging into the crowd and cutting a swath through them. The katana was an awesome ass weapon, that much he knew. There was no thought, rhyme, or reason to his cuts. He simply cut for the sake of cutting. Under the strain of what he was doing, he felt his muscles tighten. Despite their clear strength, he had never really used a full sized weapon in a fight. This was a first for him. And Enma found first times fun. He was a virgin to katana fighting and these motherfuckers were getting to see his grand debut in all its fury. Their heads split open. They went flying. Bodies were cut. This whole fight was pure bliss. The people around him were seeing him in their final moments and this was just a fun side show for Enma after him and Yaku had seperated for a little bit. This probably was not what the faceless man had meant when he told Enma to grow stronger. Twirling the katana in his hands, he thrust the blade forward and caught someone in the belly. This man was strong. His muscles were copious. They were thick, bulging, his barrel chest looking like it would be difficult to tear apart. The man looked at Enma with a mixture of terror and resolve. "Oh look, some tool with muscles thinks he can beat ME!" Enma said, acting like the psycho that everyone thought he was.

That was a rarity. Well, not so much that he thought he was a psycho, but that he was playing to the expectations of someone that actually was not worthy of note. It was fun to give a pleabian a show before his death. His hands gripped the blade of the katana and Enma started cutting through the muscle. The man's strong hands tried pushing him down but it was no use. The blade would not come out of him and Enma laughed at his pitiful attempts to free himself. More and more muscle mass was cut under his vengeful blades and he spat in the man's face, angering him enough that his fists left the blade for a moment. The slice was clean after that, his muscles straining from all the effort and Enma grunted. The blade was clean covered in the gore of another person. Once again, he saw the end of a person and it made him smile. His eyes were wide in a state of bliss, his breathing so heavy. "Fuck you all! I'm gonna kill you all!" He said in an almost childish voice, katana still in hand. Other swordsmen were rising now, the town's guardsmen ready to make short work of him. But they did not matter. No one in this town mattered. All that mattered was Enma's own strength. And they were furthering that strength. He cut a swathe through them and killed many of them in one hit. He was giving them a real treat. They had probably never experienced terror like this once in their whole lives. They had never felt the fury of a shinobi. A real shinobi, a real god of the battlefield.

He dived the blade deep into someone's head, sheathing it in solid concrete. He was almost done with them. There were only a few more people capable of fighting and he would have to make himself scarce before hunter nin or an army was sent. While he knew he could beat whatever they threw at him, it would be a rather boring fight. It was hard for him to beat other shinobi with his raw strength. Rather, it was always a matter of him having to outsmart them. What he was doing now was a thoughtless task. It was simply him slaughtering wholesale with his physical strength. There was nothing wrong with what he was doing. He liked it better than having to think. His whole uniform was caked with blood and as one of the other townspeople tried to run away, Enma chucked another blade and watched it soar through the air. It flew and flew and flew, eventually reaching their middle and burying itself through their back. This was such a fun slaughter. Picking up another body, he felt how weightless it was despite the man being exceptionally heavy. No, he weighed almost so little that he was NOTHING.

Nothing in death just as he had been in life. He was almost done. This thinkless task was almost totally done. So he saw the last person running away and with easy strength, he ran up the side of a building. With almost no effort required on his part, he chucked the body and watched it too fly through the air. Soaring, it found its destination and crashed on top of the man, leaving him unable to move, struggling to move the larger man and make his escape. Enma was upon him like a plague. Reaching down, he grunted and pulled, tugging until his head was free of his body with so little effort that it was like pulling apart an ant. He had done it. He was stronger. Much stronger. And the world would quake at his strength.

[Cylan]

Strength 10 -> 11
#82
#10
1506/1500

Bear TimeShow

“Fuck you, ya lil’ piece of shit.” Enma was pissed. His nostrils were flaring and a large gash was cut across his eye. He looked up, feeling slightly defeated. The bear roared, daring Enma to try again. The S-rank missing nin in all his life had never felt so threatened. Minding his own business and walking in the forest, Enma was surprised to bump into this wild beast. This bear was like no other. Enma growled, it growled. He stood up to full height, it did the same. He punched, it punched. This bear was not backing down. Stubborn, both of them, Enma refused to leave. Blood clouded his vision, but Enma wasn’t going no where. He was going to win. Yelling at the top of his lungs, Enma began to empower himself. His chakra was bustling, his joints were unlocking. He was preparing to sumo wrestle the bear. He eyed it, readying himself. With one large heave, the bear roared in defiance and they both clashed. Animal vs Human, the two natural entities collided. Strength vs strength. Enma refused to cheat, he would fight this bear at full force using muscles only. He would give it his all. The S-rank missing nin felt the fur against his skin. His body was moist with sweat, the bear as well. Their bodies wrapped against each other, pushing against one another. Neither would budge. He felt his arms ache and the bear’s stone cold gaze betrayed no thoughts. Enma didn’t know what to think. His feet grappled against the ground. He cursed over and over, threatening to cut up the bear when he was done. But the Bear had his own intentions. With one mighty claw, it dug into Enma’s backside, cutting up his scarred body even more.

“Aughhh!”

Enma cried out. The pain was too much, his legs were buckling. His strength was giving away. He wanted so badly to stay afloat. However, like all good things, Enma came to the ground in a crashing halt. His body bounded off the dirt. He rolled, tumbling as he was outdone. The bear roared in triump. Enma was took weak, too soft. His frail fragile human body was no comparison to the power of the mighty bear. “Fuck you, god damn it!” He swore underneath his breath, denying defeat. If there was anything Enma wasn’t, he wasn’t a quitter. He could play every part, every part but that. He resumed his position. He stood slowly back up. Allowing for the bear to eat up its victory… for now. Enma ringed an invisible bell “Ring a ding ding!” He put two fingers up. Round two, mother fucker. He was pissed and the anger only added to the strength. He would funnel his passion into this next round. He would not be defeated so easily. He approached slowly. The bear was much larger, laughing as Enma came closer and closer. From afar, Enma looked insane. His face was now as confident as the bear. He was not laughing, not even cursing. He was determined. His body was cut up, sore, and bloody. Sweat was left untended on his brow. His vision was murky, but there was one thing that Enma felt he could still operate: his brute strength. Enma was ready to kick some bear fucking ass.

The bears eyes were closed, already counting its second victory. Its body flexed, showing Enma one last time what he was dealing with. This was no easy chore. This was the King of the Bears. It got on all fours and put its gaze to Enma, it gave a roar, a mighty holler at the human as if to say “Bring it on.” Enma didn’t hesitate. All his life had came down to this moment. I am an S-class missing nin, renowned and feared. I will not be beaten. He approached, slowly gravitating towards the creature. With one last charge, the assault began. Dashing on all fours before transforming to a two legged stance, the Bear jumped up and locked fists with Enma. The two forces collided. An unmovable object and an unstoppable force. Enma screamed, defiantly maintaining his strength. He heaved, his breath came out in rasps. He was tired and the bear knew it. But there was something the bear lacked: passion. Every defeat, every threat had added to Enma’s anger. He was a spiraling mash of emotions right now. A bomb ready to explode. The second wind was on its way. He itched forward. The bear, momentarily surprised, stepped back in their locked struggle of strength. It bit its lip, retreating only slightly. It would not give the human any more, it refused to offer Enma any satisfaction. However, it couldn’t help but realize that something was different. Enma was stronger this time. The bear didn’t like this. Long lines in the dirt from the struggle was evident. Enma had been pushed and pushed, but he didn’t lose his grip. He had lost some yards, yes, but it wasn’t over. He was still in this fight. He pushed, this time feeling the rush of energy. Renewed, he roared. It was time. The bear moaned, its body feeling the first feelings that Enma had experienced long ago. Who was this human? The bear tried to halt the enraged man, but to no avail- Enma was coming.

Enma fought on. Itch after itch, he pushed the bear. His grip was locked firmly around its forearms. There was no way he would let it to scratch him this time. Not a chance. He matched the bears roar in unison, almost adapting its technique completely. As the bear moved, Enma moved. He was not going to give in. Soon like all things in his way, Enma overcome. He felt it, he knew it. The bear knew it too. Soon it became plainly obvious that Enma was the stronger. As if god himself had come down to offer Enma more strength, the missing nin knew what was coming next. Grabbing the bear by the paws, Enma finally moved back, but not out of weakness. Grabbing the furry creature he began to lift it up into the air. He grabbed it and with another large heave, he spun in several circle. One, two, three, four, five circles. Huzzaah! He released the bear watching as it went acing through the air, ripping through several trees, and watching the branches splinter beneath its weight and his force. He had did it. Enma had beaten the bear. He stood up to full height, finally able to mop his brow of sweat. It was disgusting, but highly rewarding. Though he had beaten the bear, Enma did not feel content. He was not satisfied. He felt as if his strength was still lacking a bit more training.

Enma ran to his old foe. The bear was unconscious, knocked out after hitting several trees. It had been a good match and Enma decided to not kill it. The furry creature still had its use. Sighing to himself, Enma laid right next to it. Petting the creature on the stomach, he dragged the creature onto himself. He needed to have it and all its weight onto of himself. Feeling the full weight, Enma pulled until he was satisfied. It was now completely onto of Enma’s flat body. It was a massive and gigantic creature. This should do. Putting his fingers in place, Enma got into position, his legs were pressed closely together and he spread his arms apart till they were in 90 degree angles. Time to do pull ups. With another heave, he extracted more energy to push the bear. His breath came out in ragged draws for air. He pushed the bear up into the sky. His arms were completely straight now. He felt the strain of the weight. His arms wobbled and he closed his eyes. The unconscious beast was heavy. He then began to draw it towards himself slowly. The training went on for hours and hours. Time after time, he lifted the bear and then brought it back down in a successful pull up. Enma was proud. Surely after today, he would feel complete.

Like after most strength trainings. Darkness began to seep in. The bear became heavier and heavier as his body became weaker and weaker. He couldn’t maintain this forever. He was finally succumbing to the injuries he had suffered earlier. The sweat burned his eyes and Enma with one last roar, one to defy the bear, he tossed the animal aside. He hoped when the bear regained consciousness, the giant creature would take pity on him and move on without harm. I won. “Don’t b-be a poor sport.” Enma breathed, too tired to leave the area. He was going to collapse and sleep here. His energy was ebbing and could feel the second wind departing, subsiding into oblivion. He had mustered up a lot in the amount of time that it had been present. With one last look at the bear, he nodded in appreciation. That was one hell of a training.

[Cylan]

Control 11->12
#83
#11
2027/2000

More ControlShow

This was another stepping stone on Enma's path to success. Crows swirled around him and his lips twitched as he weaved hand seal after hand seal. One after another, it was an exercise in endless repitition. That was all this training ever really was. Just endlessly doing the same things over again until you were a little better. Enma pondered that time and time again as the seals moved, his chakra system channeling life energy to every pore and tenketsu of his body. Closing his pale blue eyes, he could feel the energy roll through him. This was all about not wasting his energy. About being on top of things. If he wasted himself during the Konoha plot, if he looked back, he was lost. Totally, utterly lost. He had to be exceptional. For himself. Yaku Fushinkou, Kawa, that nara girl. None of them mattered. This was all about him. It was his moment to shine. Yaku stood to game some stupid scrolls and the Konoha nin would no doubt gain some fancy reputation that they were the one who stopped the malevolent invaders. None of that mattered. All that mattered was his own success. And with that in mind, his breathing intensified and the seals turned more in his hands.

Looking down, he saw that he was once more at the lake where he had trained before. Water walking was the most basic of shinobi arts. Any fool with halfway decent chakra control could do what he was doing. But a true master of chakra control had to be exceptional. Enma had to be exceptional as he had always been. Sweat poured down his brow as he took a step forward. The whole world, every fiber of his being, all of his attention was focused on that single footstep he was taking. He closed his eyes and felt himself, every last part of himself. He felt pale skin rolling across his body. He felt the muscles that twitched nervously all over his body despite himself. He felt the scars that made movement so hard, twisting and turning as he took his step. And he felt the chakra as it formed under his foot, making a miniature platform on which his feet stood. Enma could almost see his own chakra float out into nothingness, used in excess. Damn. Once more he had wasted chakra from his immense supply. His hand seals were immaculate. How could he be wasting so much chakra? There was one option. There was not a single alternative. He had to improve. Failure would not be tolerated. Failure was weakness and he would not give the special people around him the satisfaction of being known as weak. Weak was boring.

And he would never be boring. Not now, not ever. And so he took another step. He started making laps across the lake. Coupled with how physical activity drained a person's physical stamina, he felt his chakra slowly, surely, drain from his body. It was like rain drops falling into a late. Or more like a single rain drop, really. But the drops would add up. The drops would add up and Enma would be shit out of luck if he was a lesser man. But he was great. He was exceptional. He was the crow sage. And that meant he had to hold himself to a higher standard than everyone around him. As he had excelled in the past, so he would excel here. He tried to vary the angles from which he ran. Sometimes, he would twist his body mid-jog and turn, jumping into another part of the lake and watching as his body reflexively formed chakra under his feet. "That would have gotten a genin. Would've gotten his little ass good. Good thing I'm not a genin." Enma commented as he found his foot wobbling. Once more, he closed his eyes and focused. Focused, and erased all other thoughts in his mind.

Twisting his legs, he did a backflip and felt his body coil during the effort. He felt his chakra pool rush through his body like a roaring river. All of the physical activity and weaving of hand seals had tricked it into thinking something was happening. His own body thought he was in the middle of a battle. The thought made him chuckle because in truth, at seemed, he was at war with his body. That was all there was to it. It was him versus himself. And when he landed with one foot before the other, it seemed, his body won one of the rounds. Enma's eyes widened in surprise as a foot pierced the surface of the water, getting his pants wet and soaking him. Luckily, in a split second he managed to focus chakra into the OTHER foot and it stuck. Grunting, he pulled himself back up. He pulled himself back up and stood on the water's surface. Looking around at the landscape, he felt his body recoil. That had been a close call. Slipping into the lake would have sucked. Unlike a lot of people in Konoha, he could actually swim but it had been a while. Not since the time where he had murdered a whole ship for Tsubaki. Oh, Tsubaki. Just thinking about her made his body feel funny and he went to work again, taking step after step after step. Randomly and with no warning he would turn and start darting off in a different direction. Enma remembered how his spontaneous actions would make his old sensei either very angry or very happy, depending on the circumstances. It was good to be unpredictable. Well, until you became predictable in being unpredictable. Then, you just became a burden.

Or an asshole. Or a dead asshole. And Enma did not want to be a dead asshole despite how he talked about not wanting to die. There was so much more for him to do and he could not do them if he was dead. So, to avoid dying, he improved. He improved and he did not stop improving. He rushed over the lake and felt less and less of his chakra spill out of his body. The lever that controlled how much chakra came out of his body was tightening. It was becoming more precise. Precision was key. Enma played things fast and loose before. He could still look fast and loose, still appear reckless, but beneath the veneer of vanity he had to be precise. He had to be a master. He could not screw up. It was not the fear of death or even the fear of Yaku's retribution that kept him in line. Instead, it was the fear of looking bad, looking like the buffoon that the clans of Konoha expected non clanners to be while sipping tea from their ivory towers. Enma would not be lesser than them. He would not be below anyone His fists tightened and he started weaving seals again, all the while doing his wild movements. Back flips, front flips. Half hearted nose dives only to have his hands save him with their own variation of the water walking technique, Enma did all kinds of things to help improve himself. Grunting, he landed on his feet and closed his eyes. There was one more step to take. One last thing he had to make sure he could accomplish. Again, he felt his body tighten as his thoughts darted from one subject to the next. He felt his anger coil like a serpent as he mentally prepared himself for the single step to come.

Endless grunts exited his mouth as he tried to prepare himself. He had to do this step. He had to do it right and he had to do it for no one but himself. This was his moment to shine, here for himself. The rest of the world did not matter. Not any of the villagers or their lies. This was him, Enma, succeeding as he had always done. Success brought him pleasure. Moreso, it GAVE him pleasure. Beating everyone around him was a treat, a happy task. And he would not fail here. He would not fail to do the single simplest task that a man could do. The water walking technique was basic. Academy students were taught to do it and most of them were smart enough to catch on quickly. If he could not do this simple thing, reduce the chakra cost of the simplest technique a shinobi knew, how could he ever hope to tear down the gates of Konoha with jaw dropping S-rank techniques? The simple answer was that he could not. So, if he hoped to get there one day, he had to have a success today. This first step was important. It was so important that Enma could not stress that point enough. After all this practice, how could he possibly hope to achieve what he wanted if he could not manage to do this one step correctly? His swarm of crows watched him through his mind. He had a large, eager audience.

He remembered words said long ago in a village hidden by leaves. He remembered his sensei scolding him. He remembered the praise. He remembered the single moment where he had felt the most alive. The moment he met Yaku Fushinkou. All the practice sessions, all the training, the crows doing their thing. Enma had to succeed or else the sum of all his memories would be a failure. Enma would. Not. Be. A. Failure. So, he took his single step and focused on his own chakra supply. Time for Enma seemed to stop as he gasped, holding his breath and feeling his chakra supply recoil as the step was taken. Looking down at his feet, he smiled a knowing smile. His body had admitted defeat. His control had advanced to a point where absolutely no excess chakra was spilled when he did the water walking technique. If he could do that with a basic jutsu than he could do that with any jutsu. Before long, he would master the rest of his library. He would master ALL jutsu in that way. He would make it so that not a drop more chakra was used then necessary. He would sling S-rank jutsu like they were nothing. He would fight and claw and coil his way to the top. For that was his way. His moments of triumph were almost upon him and the world would shiver as he fell upon it flying on jet black wings.

For the next few hours, Enma spent his time making sure that he could replicate his success. It would take days of endless training and the same thing over and over again to ever tire him out now. He was a S-rank, like Laxus was. He was on that level of success. That meant he could do things most people could never even dream of doing. His steps drained so little chakra that it felt like he could walk for a week straight if need be. Enma laughed, his laugh throaty like one of his crows. He was tired from all the thinking he did. It was prudent to rest his mind but his body wanted to train a little more. What he was doing now as he did the countless backflips reminded him of the end of a long series of books. The real danger had passed and he was simply giving himself a little extra time to get everything in order. Jumping around, over and under, Enma smirked and allowed his body to do most of the work, closing his eyes and focusing his thoughts on all sorts of things relating to the Konoha plans. Once again, he jumped down and landed on his hands, looking at his handsome reflection in the water and smirking. He'd caught himself fully again. Even in his full Henkou uniform, he was strong enough to hold himself up. His control had improved vastly. There were very few people in the world who could match him anymore. It was with that feeling, and the satisfaction that came with it, that he returned to the shoreline.

[Cylan]

413/400

Blank CheckShow

Defensive jutsu? Ugh. Defensive jutsu had never been Enma's thing. The s rank missing nin had always left tasks like that to someone else. He was all about offense, about being the one to jump in with hand seals waving and shooting fire in front of people. Today though, Yaku had given him a mission. His mastery of Fuuton was well known to his partner. Looking down, he remembered the hand seals he had been taught. There were many that were fundamental to using fuuton. Closing his eyes, he remembered all of the jutsu he used. The ones that were common, the ones that everyone knew and anyone could use. His lips twitched as he felt chakra spill out of his body on accident. Too much was used. Today, he'd be doing a simple D rank jutsu. Nothing complicated. The complicated stuff would come later. The easy steps came before the hard steps. Times were a changing for the rest of the world. The rest of the world just did not know that yet. The hand seals were weaving flawlessly now. His mastery of ninjutsu had increased exponentially over the years and they helped ease the use of jutsu such as this one. Breathing in, Enma calmed his ecstatic mind and started working with the jutsu.

It was all like that barrier jutsu That Kawa had used. Only he wanted his barriers to have some pizazz to them. He did not want just plain chakra. Wind would do nice. He remembered the hand seals he saw the Jounin use and tried to mimic them, adding his own birdish flair to them. That meant that he had to add an element to it. What elements would a bird use? Wind. It was a simple thought process really. So, he focused his attention on an area nearby, knowing that barriers required the user to be nearby. Weaving the hand seals, he focused his chakra and finally found a pattern that he knew would work for what he wanted. Morphing the wind in that area, he caused a light green, almost soundless barrier to pop up. Walking up to the barrier, he found that the winds were too harsh for him to just walk through them. Despite being able to see the other side of the barrier, the crow sage was unable to just walk through. Balling his fist up, he gave a weak punch and shattered his way through. "Done with step one." He commented dryly.

[Cylan]

568/550

Blank C CheckShow

The first wind barrier had been an easy success. This second one would be harder. Enma sat in the same field where he had achieved the first slice of success and experimented with hand seals. These jutsu were all the same. They had the same line of thought, the same logic, the same patterns. It would not be hard to advance what he had done with the first jutsu a little farther and achieve a more powerful barrier. While Ninjutsu was his main focus now, back in the village he had been focused on genjutsu and had never even attended a class on how barriers worked. That was his poor luck but he was making do with his wind supplements. The hand seals were easy enough to do now. Loose fuuton chakra blew off of his hands through the tenketsu as he formed the seals and sent his hair into a scruffy, messy state. This was going to be a long night. Enma would not give up until all of the jutsu he could possibly train for were trained for. Gritting his teeth, he closed his eyes and focused on where he thought his tenketsu were. Yaku had pointed out quite a few of them and those locations ached as he tried to get these barriers out. Wind jutsu were usually more offensive than this but they were Enma's main line of defensive jutsu. The cutting winds would stop people from getting through. This was the task Yaku had assigned to him and the man refused to fail. Looking around the forest, the loose winds that he was sending out scared birds and sent them flying away. Enma's eyes were green with envy. He wanted to fly. Being on the ground was boring and birds had more interesting stories to tell.

Looking back down at the seals, he tried to redo the weaker D rank barrier for a sort of refresher course. Better to do the one that he could already do than something new and uselessly hard. The wind barrier formed and its cutting winds through up loose blades of grass across the area. Enma walked up to it while making hand seals all the while. He knew that the wind barrier was form, the winds from all around the area forming into the wild conglomerate of wind that kept the area contained. But that barrier was weak, the chakra used in it negligible at best. There was more work to be done. This was a slow, boring process but Enma had to do it. In just a few short days, he would need these jutsu. They would mean the difference between triumphant survival and utter defeat. While he did not particularly care if he died, he did not want to make it easy. Nor did he want to die at the hands of a village as boring as the hidden leaf. So, he added more jutsu to the seals. He experimented with the patterns used in numerous other C rank jutsu and finally found one to his liking.

His hair fluttering from his proximity to the D rank barrier, he walked towards an empty space in the field, off towards the trees and farther away than the D rank's max distance. The winds formed into a visible light green pattern and blew at a fierce pace than the d rank wind barrier. Another one had bit the dust.

[Cylan]

885/850

B Black CheckShow

Almost there. Enma just had three more to go. Well, two more wind barriers and then a whole bunch of unrelated wind jutsu that would somehow provide him with enough knowledge that he could do a S rank barrier. How jutsu worked was weird. But Enma was not going to complain. He was so close. Just a little longer and he would have all the skills he needed. A bunch of shinobi took the easy route when it came to jutsu training. Enma was not most shinobi, not by any means. Performing countless hand seals, he weaved chakra through his tenketsu and used longer versions of the familiar pattern. Jutsu used many more hand seals as they ranked up in complexity and he was willing a strong gust of wind to blow. That was going to take some effort on his part to train. The B ranks were where things started getting boring. The process was long, arduous, and there were easier ways to go about doing this. But he was hard headed. Too hard headed. Yaku considered it a fault but the rogue shinobi thought that it was a good trait to have. Really, it was one of his few positive character traits. Looking down at the hand seals, he groaned as he realized he was no closer to figuring out the pattern. These jutsu were really more annoying. As he monologued and thought about how this was all some weird metaphor for how the villages were stupid, his hands were constantly moving. Even when he was groveling, Enma's body was constantly at work. Whistling to pass the time, he held one final hand seal and watched a barrier form prematurely. Despite the b rank strength of the barrier, this one was flawed. Instead of holding itself in one place, the barrier shot outward and leveled a great number of trees. By the time the blast reached Enma, its strength was so vastly reduced that he only got a handful of cuts on his jacket. That was an expensive jacket. He remembered some story he'd been told about Spade and how his suit had been destroyed by the Bannin Bishamon. All anger at the cuts in his jacket instantly drained. Knowing that his first effort was a failure, Enma simply started experimenting with a different pattern of hand seals. There were seals that would stabilize the winds. Others would cause them to run wild. There was a whole science to hand seals and most people never paid enough attention to care about that sort of thing.

While still sealing, he broke into a run. The D rank barrier formed a few feet in front of him almost at the snap of a finger and he jumped through the barrier, bursting through its light green winds like they were nothing. Standing in the middle of the howling winds, he looked at the outside world through the Enma sized hole that had been made in the barrier. Doing a plethora of more hand seals, he once again started grinding his teeth and focusing on the matter at hand. His mastery of jutsu was Bannin level. Even if it was merely the level of an average Bannin, he still had excellent ninjutsu and control that few people in the world could rival. Focusing, his breathing intensified as he worked the same seal patterns again. This time, he was going to do the C rank version. Work his way up the ladder. It would be even more annoy when it came time to do the A rank version of this horse shit. Enma knew that he was almost done though. There was just a bit more work to do and he would be able to take a break, maybe get to do something that was actually fun. A farther distance away than the D rank's formation point, the C-rank barrier was formed. Rushing through the other side of his D rank, the two holes on the barrier made it collapse in on itself and he rushed towards the C rank barrier. His hands were still working the seals. They weaved between the two that would cause the winds to run parallel to one another at a great speed. The effort was straining but Enma was having lots of fun now that he was totally into this training. Jumping through the C rank barrier, he found that it offered much more resistance than the D rank version. This one might actually be able to hold a Genin or a weak Chunin. That was a comforting thought. People that he could probably kill in one hit anyway would be contained instead of slaughtered like the little lambs that they were. With his C rank barrier formed and shattered, Enma focused all of his attention on the last few hand seals needed to push the wind together into the correct barrier shape. Before Enma's blue eyes, the winds started to roll together and howl, forming into a solid barrier. Running towards it, he found that the distance was vast, at least fifty yards away from him. Bashing his fist against the barrier, he found that the winds were much faster and held up better under pressure. Well, that worked out well. Now he just had the damn A rank to worry about.

[Cylan]

1285/1250

A rank black checkShow

Almost there. He was so close. Just this one last wind barrier and he would be done with this lame ass line of jutsu training. Just one more jutsu and he would be on to something marginally more interesting. This would be a long, arduous process and Enma had been preparing for hours with a variety of hand seals. Panting, he looked at the wind barriers all around him. The closest was the d rank wind barrier, just a few short feet away from him. Farther away was the c rank, uprooting tress that were caught in the path of where it formed. It was like watching a miniature hurricane. It was interesting to watch the elements his chakra manipulated destroy the natural world around him. He focused once again on the hand seals as he jumped from one barrier to another. Looking at the d rank, he remembered the basic hand seals needed. That barrier was the simplest one. It took almost no effort to make. The patterns were small, the base on which the higher hand seals and chakra costs would lay. Enma was almost there. That thought repeated dozens of times through his head as he did the seals. The patterns would be done soon. He would discover the correct way to go about doing this. When this A rank was trained for, it would be the easiest thing in the world to train for some other wind jutsu and build up to the S rank he needed. That Kawa kid got on his nerves with how he thought a simple barrier could beat him. He'd show that kid just how easy it was to beat his stupid little barriers. Breathing in the cutting winds, he felt the sides of his nostrils get shallow cuts as he sucked the wind inside of him. The d rank barrier's seals were no different from many other jutsu. He had tracked down some missing nin barrier exper and got him to show Enma the proper seals for each rank. It had been surprisingly easy to talk him into showing off. Missing nin seemed to like showing off their powers as a sort of character trait. It made them easy to track down. The only one that did not like to show off their skills was Yaku and that, ironically, was what made him the hardest member of Henkou to track down. "Seals. Do the damn seals. Bird, ox, dragon, mouse." Enma rarely called out the name of his own seals but it helped him focus when he did it for these high ranking jutsu. Sweat rolled down the side of his handsome face and it contributed to this whole situation being a pain in the ass. Things like this rarely strained him before. Hardly anything strained him. Even this A rank was just a drop in the water of his vast chakra supply. It was all just all just a matter of finding the right seals. With how much chakra he had, he could afford to waste time. He could afford to waste part of his supply but the strain was starting to become apparent with how hard he had sealed. "Fuck." He cursed as, for the first time in a long time, his chakra supply felt strained. He had been sealing all day. For several days, actually. It was morning now and he had been struggling to find the right pattern of the seals for this A rank. A ranks and above had always been something that made Enma struggle. But he was a s rank nukenin now. That meant he had to rise to the challenge. It was time to rise to it grandly. Standing up, he shrugged off all exhaustion from his body and started doing a flurry of hand seals. Focused, utterly focused, he looked to a point far away from him and did the c rank seals. He wanted to form a barrier right next to the already formed c rank barrier. It would be a simple task to get that done. "Come on. I can do this. I can do this. I'm not gonna let anyone tell me I can't do this." He was above being told no at this point. He was a S rank. He was one of the men destined to change the world. One of the men that was going to tear the villages down and replace it with something less hypocritical. If he wanted to contribute to that cause, the cause of Yaku Fushinkou, how could he allow a simple A rank jutsu to stop him? That question burned in his mind. It was a challenge. He would rise to this challenge and he would not falter. The seals flew faster still. His ninjutsu skill gave him the slightest edge, allowing him to do them faster efficiently. The wind started turning besides the barrier that he had already formed. A c rank barrier formed and it was the easiest thing to renew the flurry of hand seals. "Dog. Tiger. Bird. Snake. Bird. Dragon. Dog." He muttered as he flew through the patterns. This one was long, more complicated than the c rank. He felt his tenkutsu strain. Those areas of his body hurt. Enma was hurting. It was a sweet ache and he refused to relent because of a thing as trivial as pain. For hours he went on like this until the sun was high in the sky. He had broken off from Yaku for training days ago. No doubt the nukenin would be wondering where he was. Enma refused to return to Yaku before he had something to show for his camping trip. He'd wrestled a bear, grown stronger, but he had to increase his jutsu knowledge before he dared allow himself before the S rank again. Enma was not scared of Yaku. Fear was something that he usually did not feel. Yaku merely willed away his fear. Enma had none. Gritting his teeth, he found the correct seal patterns for the B rank again. It was elementary to do the b rank. It was simple. An exercise in repetition. But now he was getting to the most advanced seals. The longest pattern. One screw up with the pattern of the seals and he would have to repeat them all over again. Enma did not want to have to start over. He had stepped this far as the hours passed. He had advanced, the strain on his body so unreal that he was panting, leaning down. His hands did the seals independent of one another, trying as hard as they might to perfect the pattern. He was so used to doing hand seals that even separated, his hands knew how to blend in with one another, meld and weave until his chakra was used just right. Looking up, he focused on an area far away. Wordlessly, he jumped, landing on the lowest branch of a tree. His mind flourished as he moved, the epiphany of how to do the hand seals correctly upon him. Scaling the tree quickly was not at all a hard task. When he came to the top, he looked off into the distance and saw birds resting on a tree branch. Performing the hand seals in a flurry, he focused on that spot. The long strained series of seals were finally done and a howling wind overtook the spot. The winds formed against one another, forming a square box that would trap all but the strongest opponents. With his effort finally done, Enma looked down at his pants, slapping himself on the knee and giving a sigh of relief. He was done with this damn line of jutsu.

[Cylan]

[Stepping Stone]
D-Rank Ninjutsu
After performing the correct seals, Enma will create a 5 square meter rug of fuuton that pushes upward. This simply creates a mat or intangible floor that can be used to walk on. It can be used up to twenty yards away from the user.

426/400

Enma is a bad personShow

The nearest tree from Enma was a fair distance. Fuck. He needed some kind of stepping stone. Standing on top of the tree with an angry mob below him, he knew that the people would not take too kindly to the slaughter he had wrought upon their lives. They were going to kill him if he did not pull some kind of trump card out of his ass. Enma smirked. He worked best under pressure. There was a slaughter to be had if he could get away from them for right now. Performing hand seals while standing on the tree branch, he remembered a wind jutsu that Yaku had told him about. Gritting his teeth and grinding them, he tried to remember the pattern that he had been shown. The fushinkou had stopped using wind jutsu by that point but he was still a very good, if easily disappointed, school master. The hand seals came easy to him and Enma saw a moving wind platform form in the air away from him. One of the villagers had produced an axe and they were chopping away at the tree's base. Enma knew he had one chance and once chance only. Using what little momentum he could, he made a break for it and jumped onto the platform. It wobbled under his weight. Its design was shoddy but that was okay. His hands flew together and he formed another moving wind platform. Below him, he heard the gasps of the townspeople. They were probably surprised to see him doing hand seals or using wind. Many of them had likely never seen a shinobi before. The seals flew together in a flurry. The platform shifted and Enma jumped without thinking. Landing on this one, he panted and looked down at the townspeople again. This barrier was solid and that meant he was afforded the luxury of being pleased as punch at his work. Again, he formed the seals and found that this third time, he could perform the hand seals to perfection in almost no time at all. When the towns people realized he was coming down for them, they started running in all sorts of directions, trying to confuse him. He made a shadow clone to chase after some of them and hours later, when the clone disappeared, his mind was flooded with its knowledge of the jutsu he was trying to learn. It had done his job for him. Enma had learned a new jutsu and killed lots of people in the process.

[Cylan]

[Air Jet]
D-Rank Ninjutsu
Performing a quick seal, Enma is able to create a blast of wind from his palm. This blast of wind is used strictly to propel him in one direction (Possibly from danger). It can also be used to push away enemy thrown weapons. It has a strength of 3.

408/400

Blow you awayShow

Wind skates on his feet and a smile perched on his face, Enma was having a good day. There was excitement in the air. Real, genuine excitement. He had an idea for another jutsu. Another one of Yaku's tricks from his days as a mist user. A few meters off in the shadows of the trees, he could see the cold eyes of the S rank nukenin watching, observing. He did not blink, did not rest. He merely stood as a silent sentinel, watching as Enma tried to master his technique. Weaving hand seals as he flew all over the area with the wind skates, he did a quick turn and pressed his palm out. A strong gust of wind pushed him back and Enma had to brace himself for the impact. The wind moved surprisingly fast for a D-rank. He could see the use of this technique. It was an incredibly easy way to avoid projectiles. Enma's eyes flashed as he saw kunai fly at incredible speeds from the trees. Only by quickly pushing his hand to the side and exhaling the wind did he manage to avoid the attack, tumbling to the ground before the wind skates and his hands sent him flying off. This was a simple technique. It was d rank and it required almost no effort. But it was a useful trick to have and that was why he was using it. Weaving a much longer series of hand seals, he kneaded his fingers and formed a shadow clone, just as he had done with the stepping stone technique. Both Enma and the shadow clone did their wind skate things, skating and flying away, desperate to avoid whatever new trick Yaku decided to chuck at them. Only Enma's keen eyes saved him from the Kunai. The Fushinkou apparently believed that there was no point to this if he was so slow that he was killed in training so he pushed his hand out, the gale of wind pushing him away. For some reason, he felt the technique slowing him down. Instantly, knowledge flooded his mind. Looking off in the distance, he saw his shadow clone dying with a kunai in its head moments before it poofed. Damn. The thing had shown him a flaw in his technique though in its brief moments of existence. Using that, Yaku and Enma trained for many more hours and he eventually straightened out that flaw. Another technique down.

[Cylan]

[Hollow Step]
C-Rank Ninjutsu
After performing the correct seals, Enma will apply fuuton to the end of his feet. For fifty steps or five posts, Enma is able to defy gravity. If he walks or jumps off a ledge, his feet will instead treat the atmosphere as a flat surface. This allows him to hover in air for a limited amount of time without fear of falling.

576/550

Walking off a CliffShow

There was a lot of work to do today. Enma looked down the side of the cliff and despite all of his practiced bravado, he could not help but gulp as he realized that falling here meant his death. There would be no jutsu to save him. No cheap tricks that would soften the fall. No. Today, he had to be very careful or else he would die from the fall. There was a technique Yaku had sent him here to learn. His partner had informed him of what he needed to do. Closing his eyes, he recalled the pattern of hand seals that Yaku had shown. His voice as always had been patronizing. These jutsu were simple things. There was no challenge rhyme or reason to them. They were utility and that was what the wind element excelled at. Utility jutsu, helping a person fly, helping them stay afloat. All he needed was some sort of absolute defense element and he would be good. But he had no time to learn new elements. His hands had been practicing the seal patterns while he monologued. There would be time to write prose in his mind later. Now was the time to learn some jutsu. He was so close to actually doing something besides just talking about what he was going to do. Enma hated talk. He hated words that never amounted up to anything. He had met hundreds of men that could talk a mean talk but none of them actually did anything with their words. They were meaningless. Like the black haired Fushinkou, Enma had no use for useless things. Knowing that the technique would be very dangerous, Enma did a totally different pattern this time. A shadow clone. Yes, a shadow clone would serve his needs well. The clone formed quickly, appearing in a quick puff of smoke immediately beside him. Enma's nervousness at walking off of the cliff was reflected on the clone. Despite its limited life span, it seemed to not want to spend what little time it had plumeting to a painful death. Finally working up the courage to do what had to be done, the clone started doing the hand seals. Enma experimented with the clone and together, they eventually found a pattern that would work for their purposes. Grinding his teeth, he saw the clone doing the same as they both initiated the C-rank jutsu. Nervously, the clone took his first step off of the cliff. Yaku had neglected to tell him exactly how many steps this jutsu would allow him to walk. Enma watched the clone curiously. He saw the fear in his eyes as he took that first step. It had probably expected to plumeet to its death but instead, it was walking. It was actually walking. The clone was taking step after step and was gaining more confidence by the moment. It was getting cocky, really. Maybe too cocky. Anyway, Enma sighed as the clone eventually reached fifty steps. The clone had a bad feeling about taking the next step. Enma could tell that. The jutsu's seals were down pat, he just needed to know how far this jutsu would allow him to walk. With fear in its movements, the clone took that final step and fell, falling to his death and imbuing Enma with all of his knowledge moments later. Enma had chuckle. The clone's noble sacrifice showed him exactly what he needed to do.

[Cylan]

1269/1250

A rank flight blank checkShow

The human drill? What kind of retard named a powerful b rank jutsu the human fricking drill? Enma sighed at Yaku's inability to tell when something was cool or not. The jutsu made him sound like a dork and Enma thought being called a dork was one of the gravest insults a person could give. Performing the hand seals, he tried to focus on the task at hand. There would be a lot of down time after the Konoha infiltration. For now, all he had to focus on was just getting this jutsu done and out of the way. He was almost done. The effort he had put into this bullshit mess of training was almost done. His swarm was trained. His jutsu were almost to a point where he could use them well. It was all a matter of this human drill bull shit. So, Enma focused and tried not to think about how cheesy Yaku was. He was failing at not thinking his (friend?) was a corny piece of shit. The hand seals were on the more complicated end, taking at least a few seconds to complete. Unlike the D ranks that Enma was used to, these jutsu required a bit more time and effort. Thanks to his extensive knowledge of the wind element, he was at least able to use this correctly. His heart beat fast in his chest and he tried to focus. Focusing was hard. He closed his eyes and focused on the patterns. The hand seals were all that mattered. The seals, the seals! If he managed to get those done, he would be able to just sit back and let some scrub ass shadow clones do the work. Enma was amazed that no one ever used shadow clones for training. They were amazingly useful. He could sit back and let them do all the work while he sat and relaxed. Shit. A bunch of rest and relaxation sounded great right about now. It would serve him better than being in the middle of some boring, generic field with ants crawling all over his slippery boots and trying to climb up onto his juicy heels. No. He could probably get in some chick's pants and get fed grapes for a long weekend. But nope, Yaku insisted that he try to learn some shitty ass jutsu that he called the human drill. No way. Enma would come up with a cooler name. Especially for a jutsu like this. This was the kind of shit that he lived for. He was the crow sage, afterall. This was going to be one of his defining techniques. The one that people remembered him for or something. He could not have it be called something lame or corny like the human fucking drill. Yaku was going to get his ass whooped for calling it that. Looking down at his hands, Enma started focusing intensely on the hand seals. The patterns were intricate and intense. Using jutsu like this took a whole crap ton of time and effort. This one nearly took a full ten seconds of fast sealing to do. Sometimes, he wondered why one a rank took a full minute and eighty six seals to do while another one took just a handful. But such mysteries were thoughts for another time. Pondering the nature of chakra was one of the many ways that Enma occupied his mind while he trained. There would be only a handful of work to do after this jutsu was done. His barriers were all done sans the S rank. When this last jutsu was done, he would practically be done with his wind chakra. Not another one would need to be learned for quite a long time. It was a comforting thought. He was finally getting to the point where he had enough jutsu that he could reliably have a go to reaction in a number of situations. His mind went back to the Black Rock and the training that he gave Laxus. The time spent in the dark. While Laxus trained, Enma would just give the occasional snide comment and work on his own hand seals. He remembered the crushing hopelessness and knew that he could beat anything if he escaped from that place. Finally, he realized that the pattern he was looking for was a surprisingly simple one. The simplicity of the jutsu had surprised him, Enma's eyes widening at the realization that he was overthinking these seals. Every other seal, without exception, was the bird hand seal. That made things simple. Smirking at his discovery, Enma knew that he was almost done. This exercise in repetition was almost done. He could almost rest and go find a big ass harem to enjoy. This would be the time of his life and all he had to do was learn how to fly first. Learning to fly was the kind of thing most people scoffed at when they heard you were trying to do it. Many jutsu in the villages, taught by men with simple, closed minds, tried to achieve a similar effect but they were not true flight jutsu. No. He had to think up his own jutsu for that. His own spin on the technique. He did not care if anyone else thought his ideas were tacky. They were his and he would do them with glee. Breathing intensely, his short breaths lingered in the cold air as he tried to figure out how to correctly fuse the few simple seals this surprisingly powerful and complex jutsu needed. Deciding to take a break, he did quite a number of seals and focused his chakra onto the ground around him. Two shadow clones popped out and smirked at Enma, knowing what to do and immediately getting to work. Enma, the man himself, walked towards a tree and sat down, resting and closing his eyes. He had two of his best minds on the case and that afforded him the luxury of being able to just sit back and enjoy the night air. Sighing happily, he listened to the sound of the crickets and all of that other hogwash as the clones worked. For hours he sat there listening to them, listening to the two copies of himself banter and curse one another out for failures that were in no way shape or fashion their own. No, much like Enma, they always blamed their problems on someone else. It was silly and quite frankly stupid. But that was how Enma was. They were flying by the time Enma fell asleep. His dreams were of soaring the world on jet black wings, blotting out the sound and howling at the moon as he flew past. As he dreamed, knowledge was drip fed directly into his head. The clones were doing their job grandly, both of them spent by morning. As the day's first light gently pressed onto Enma's face, he looked up and felt the knowledge that the clones had imbued him with. They had perfected the jutsu while he slept. They had both faded as the sun started creeping above the treeline. That meant they had really gone at it all night. His rest had even restored his chakra stores. So, he did his own sets of hand seals and kicked off from the ground. That feeling, that orgasmic feeling as he took his first real flight, was the absolute best feeling in the world. The wind coiled tightly around Enma, his gas mask allowing him to breathe at the high altitudes at which he climbed. Today was an excellent day.

[Cylan]

[Burn it all down]
A-rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: 7 Control
A highly destructive technique that holds a special place in Enma's heart due to its high potential for destruction. After finishing the prerequisite hand seals, he focuses Katon chakra both in his mouth and in the chakra nodes located in the palm of his hands. For the next six posts, he gains the ability to blow fire from his mouth and hands, and these flames are capable of both inflicting third degree burns and spreading/starting very intense fires in the area around him. The flames move at a speed equal to his control, up to a maximum of twelve, and can extend thirty yards from their starting point (this being Enma's palms/mouth). The flames spread in a cone shape. At their base, the flames are roughly two inches wide and expand as they travel further from Enma's body, the head of each cone being six feet wide.The technique can be ended prematurely at any time.

1266/1250

Burn it all downShow

Enma was sick of this forest. It reminded him of the Konoha forest and that thought made him sick at his stomach. He had made up his mind on what he was going to do. He was going to burn it. He was going to burn it all down. And to do that, he would need an incredible about of katon. The fires in his tenketsu were nothing compared to the flames of hatred smouldering in his heart, against the villages and against the rest of the world. Twisting his fingers, he started doing the hand seals and crouched down, focusing on what he needed to do. Technically, it was cheating to do this jutsu first, but he wasn't a stickler for traditional jutsu training. No fuck that. Enma liked being against tradition. Finding a short, correct pattern that reminded him of jutsu he had used ever since his time in the village, he held out his palm and witnessed the weak flames flying off and burning the trees. The flames were too weak and he learned that lesson early on when the fires ignited only in a weak, choice area. Fuck. He would need to think of something else if he wanted to burn this forest up. Above him, his swarm was, well, swarming and watching him with interest through the twisted treeline. They had never felt him this angry before, and certainly never at a tree. Now here he was, trying to figure out the correct pattern as he grunted. These fires were weak sauce. No good. No good at all. Fuck, god damn it, he had to do better than that. And he *would* do better than that. He was the crow sage. He was the wolf in sheep's clothing. He was going to change the world and how could he do that if he could not even burn down some puny forest?

As with a lot of these jutsu, his tenketsu were aching from the effort. He had been training for a few hours before his anger randomly spiked. There was only so much he could do before his chakra drained. Lesser men would have already passed out by this point but Enma was no ordinary man. Weaving the hand seals, he tried to figure out a longer pattern. That would up the difficulty of the technique to C rank. He did not mind that. A C rank would surely have the destructive force that he needed. Or maybe he was just wasting his time. Destroying the forest with a C rank jutsu would be next to impossible. The seals he weaved were more complex now, the fires around him burning, putting fire in his blood and striving him to further heights of greatness. The minds of the swarm were looking down at him. They wanted to see him cause destruction. Their minds melded with his. Surprisingly, they corrected jutsu as Enma weaved the seals. Their innate knowledge of katon jutsu was coming it seemed. They were Kagutsuchi's spawn after all. They were masters of Katon even if they themselves did not realize it. The swarm controlled Enma's body and forced his hand forward. The fire spread from both hands, its heat igniting the area all around him. Turning his hands in two different directions, he watched the fire spread. It was a sweet, sweet sight. Enma laughed at the destruction he was rending on this pitiful forest. It would not compare to the destruction caused in Konoha, he knew. That destruction would be the kind of thing spoken of for ages to come. Enma would be a legend.

And legends had to start somewhere. Legends started as men. And Enma watched the forest turn orange red from the fire. His heart was racing in his chest. Enma was watching the world burn and loving every last moment of it. He had not had this much fun since the time he met Yaku. And here he was spreading these fires, watching as flames crept up every tree. Oh this was so much FUN. This was what he lived for. THIS was why he left the village. Flames stopped pouring out of one hand as he reached up to take his jacket off, tossing it to the side and rushing towards a new, yet unburnt area of the forest. There was more ground to cover on his playground. This was going to be a fun evening. "I just wanna start a flame in your heart~!" He sang, switching between a whistle and a regular singing voice as an idea dawned on him. Canceling the flames on both hands, he looked down at them, bare for the first time in ages as the gloves had been scorched off utterly. Enma loved when his devious mind came up with good ideas. Because unlike a lot of good ideas, his always had a BANG to them.

He started weaving the hand seals some more. He started performing them, blending them together in a pattern that seemed to work. As with fuuton, different hand seals did different things when applied to katon chakra. The tiger seal seemed to come up a lot in these jutsu. That was something he had learned a long time ago from his old sensei. The fish seal came up in suiton, the bear seal for doton, and the tiger seal always reared its ugly head for katon. Against the cliche that most people imagined, the dragon seal did not pop that much for these jutsu. The crows noticed what he was doing and they took over once again. From their vantage point, they could see Enma's lone body in the sea of scorching hot flames. He would have to move soon, the flames behind him were quickly advancing. They were threatening to catch the crow sage and being caught by a torrent of flames would be no good. He did not want to be the most wanted, most dangerous man on the cinders. "Bird. Dog. Tiger. Birdie. Tiger tiger tiger. Birdie birdie birdie." His voice sounded weird and nasally as he repeated those words over and over. The crows sensed his desire for truly hot fire so they helped him form the correct long series of hand seals that would inevitably lead to the jutsu being a ranked. Oh ho. Enma had not expected the crows to come up with that but he loved them for it as he finally reached his full potential. He had something special planned for his S rank and thankfully the crows did not seem to want to show him how to do one today. Running through the forest waving his hands back and forth, he spread a great fire through the forest. This was an unimportant place, far enough away from mainstream eyes that no one would care about these trees being burned except for maybe the nearby village. But who really cared about those guys, huh?

Enma was almost there. He had the jutsu mastered but now it was just a matter of further exploring the extent of it. Coming upon an old and mighty oak tree, he inhaled deeply and exhaled, his strong flames spreading over the tree and igniting it in seconds. In no time at all, absolutely nothing was left of the tree as he turned his full attention upon it. For the next few hours, Enma and his swarm burned down the whole of the forest. When it was all said and done, he sat panting in the ashen remains, smiling despite how drained his chakra was. He was going to love using this jutsu.

[Cylan]

Katon
415/400

LolShow

Ugh. D ranks. D ranks were a drag. They were simple and anyone could pull them off. They bored Enma but he had to build up his knowledge of jutsu if he was going to stand a chance of using that awesome ass a rank that the crows taught him how to use. Looking down at his hands, he tried to find a pattern for something useful. All katon could really do was ignite. Ignite and burn. So, he did the hand seals again. Weaving them was child's play. He had advanced far past the point where these simple jutsu would prove a challenge for him to think up. These were the techniques that even a genin could do with little difficulty. He was eons beyond the level of a Genin. Enma felt his chakra surge. These d rank jutsu were like drops of water in a vast sea of chakra. It would be no challenge whatsoever to finish this, to do this jutsu. The hand seals were found and his swarm swarmed around him. Their minds melded with his in a heartbeat and he knew that this was almost done. Enma forced the hand seals out one last time and the crows around him ignited. They cawed loudly, their angry voices forming a loud symphony that would not be subdued. Their flames burned hot despite the low rank of the jutsu. They swirled around Enma and it was like standing in the middle of a whirlwind.

There were no battles to fight, no walls to break, so they simple swirled around him. The jutsu was a simple thing to perform. He performed it countless times and more and more of his swarm combusted. It was interesting to watch and he was at the center of a great black mass that was slowly turning the color of flame. "It's working! It's working!" He screamed as he sent the crows up in the air. They flew and they lit the night sky up like a beacon. Their flames would bring about the end of someone's life but not today. Today, he simply did the hand seals over and over, eventually delegating the task to some random shadow clone. Taking a nap under a tree, he allowed the shadow clone to do all the work and it was hours later when it poofed. Opening his eyes, Enma nodded at no one in particular. "Oh. So that's how you do that jutsu." He muttered in a deadpan voice.

[Cylan]

Katon

404/400

Lol Shadow ClonesShow

Enma looked up from his resting spot at the two shadow clones furiously formed hand seals. The crowd argued amongst itself and Enma yawned, laying down to take a nap. With how shadow clones worked, he could learn a jutsu without ever having to lift a finger. He watched a cloud roll by, taking the shape of a fruit. Or was it an eastern dragon? The crow sage could not tell the difference. He was a weird person for thinking that a fruit and a dragon would be anything even slightly related. That was kind of silly. Looking up at the shadow clones, Enma had to kind of chuckle. They were the ones having to do all the hard work while he got to sit there basically getting a give me. They had to think about how the jutsu worked. They had to do the work. They had to experiment, and all he had to do was sit there and basically just jack off. Well, not really. That would be crude, and Enma was never THAT crude when the spotlight was cast directly on him. Instead, he simply sat there wondering what his part would be in Yaku's master plan. Would he be cast aside after the Konoha plot or would the Fushinkou cast him aside as he had done with the rest of Henkou?

Only time would tell. And Enma dared Yaku to try any of that shit. The crow sage was a S rank, just like him. People probably thought that Yaku taught Enma some tricks. Oh how wrong they were. Enma learned almost everything he knew on his own. Now he was a threat that they would enjoy fighting. Looking up at the clones again, he saw them making some good progress with the hand seals. They were almost done with this arduous, arbitrary process. Soon, Enma would be able to take a real nap. Him staying awake was only a token effort so that someone up in the sky would decide that he had in fact earned the jutsu. Little did that person probably know that this was how shadow clones worked. He could sit here and do absolutely nothing and when the shadow clones disappeared, their knowledge would return to him. Enma was a hustler and soon the clones did in fact disappear. Their knowledge flooded his head and Enma sighed in relief. He had learned another new katon jutsu.

[Cylan]

Katon
413/400

LolShow

Enma had two options for how to proceed with the jutsu training he had in mind.

1) Actually train for the jutsu

2) Say fuck it, get drunk, and have some shadow clones train for the jutsu instead.

It was kind of obvious that he went for option B. It was just a simple D rank. The interns could take care of this. Enma yawned and once again leaned against his special tree. Well, it was not actually very special. It was just kind of a place for him to chill as he watched clones do work for him. Performing a slightly complex string of hand seals, he watched as three shadow clones formed into existence. They clawed their way out of his tenketsu and took on a form of their own in a poof of smoke. They bantered back and forth as they all went about learning the jutsu. Flames started popping up all over the area. It would not be a katon jutsu without fire. It would be a shame to call it fire release if there was no actual bang involved. Sighing, he looked up and saw that his swarm had taken an interest. They were probably counting on being used at some point. Those damn pesky swarms. They always wanted to be used and Enma knew he needed them so it was hard to turn them down. The crows started pecking at his mind when they realized that he was talking some mad smack about them in his head.

The shadow clones were once again making good progress. They knew their way around some jutsu. That was kind of to be expected since they had all of Enma's jutsu knowledge and he knew a whole fucking lot about these kind of jutsu. The crow sage watched them work. Again, it was a token effort but it was truly fascinating to see how he worked from a third person point of view. He watched how he carefully formulated the hand seals before the fires were sent out. A few crows up in the swarm combusted, whether from the jutsu or from their own excitement he could not tell. The clones eventually turned to him after the jutsu was mastered and nodded, disappearing in a poof of smoke. Once again, their knowledge instantly transferred back to him. Huh. So *that* was how that jutsu worked. Enma smirked at how much of a genius he was. He was one step closer to doing his Konoha stuff.

[Cylan]

C Katon
553/550

FIRE FIREShow

The chakra hurt. It burned and he snapped his hand back immediately in pain. No, no, no. This would not do. Hell, another failure. He stalked around the session, watching as the fire enveloped the grass. It sizzled out, leading to no where. This. This was his jutsu. He was going to make it sing by the end of the day. He flexed his muscles. When he was done, he was going to burn this whole damn place down. Too many bad memories, too many failures and mistakes to let this place live. He pressed his palms together, letting it clasp in defiance of his mistake. His voice echoed in an all too familiar jutsu “Shadow Clone Jutsu!” His chakra bubbled and with seconds, five clones emerged from his body. He nodded to each one of them. They understood. He was going to learn a katon jutsu today. With more help, he hoped this would help it go faster.

They lined up, each doing seals. They worked in unison, deviating only slightly. Crows encircled them; the battlefield was darkened in the tomb of birds. They trained in the shade. Hour after hour, explosion, bursts of chakra engulfed the area. Some crows fell uselessly to the ground as fire splintered right into them, setting them ablaze and creating a momentary whole. Sparks of flame jettisoned past Enma’s head. Whew. That was close. His line of work was dangerous, but power was never any easy task. Instead of watching his clones, he put his hands to good use, allowing for his fingers to fumble for the right jutsu. He cupped his chakra in his palm, staring as he slowly manipulated it into a small, but usable fireball. His eyes brightened, encouraged by the display. The color slowly came into use, the heat began to churn.

He lifted it up into the air. His clones paused momentarily as they looked up. They all were staring, observing, watching, wishing for his success. Enma flicked his wrists, their eyes darted, the ball moved, ricocheted off the wall of crows. The birds empowered it, carrying it, beckoning it forward. The fire roared, it blossomed, turning into something much different. One clone poofed, its look of awe forever frozen in Enma’s thoughts. The ball wasn’t stopping, it continued, blazing past it all. One clone was too slow to move, it was caught in the fire, defenseless as the fire toasted it in seconds. Nothing, but smoke and char, the clone disappeared. Enma was laughing hysterically. This. It was this that he loved, why he did it. He sucked in his breath, afraid that the tiny miscalculation could fuck it all up. Yes! The fire came to a close in the most marvelous display yet.

This was what Enma wanted, all he wanted. The jutsu had exhibited just as he hoped. It had done better actually. With a snap of his fingers, all the other clones were gone, they had served their purpose. He smiled deviously to himself. Another jutsu was added to his arsenal. Enma felt complete and with a tip of his hood, he gathered his things and left. One more for the road. One more for the road and he would sleep easy tonight after a long, healthy day of training. Enma breathed easy and practiced the hand seal pattern again.

[Cylan]

555/550 C-rank Katon

SpoilerShow

The Chakra burned. It was enthralling, but oh man, did it burn. It came fast, spreading farther than Enma had anticipated. He jumped back, sucking his thumb. That one hurt. He watched, almost stunned in amazement, trying to make sense of his experiment. One dead crow, a flock of feathers, and a fire that was progressively threatening to burn the whole damn forest. Enma had nothing to stop it. That wasn’t what he was used for. He looked back to the ash and then back to fire. Damn, that was big. His eyes lightened up in a marvelous grin. His face was bright, almost happy. His training was one big failure, but god damn, that was one big fire. The smoke was choking and he was forced to pull away. Running far, he dashed into the forest. He beckoned the crows to follow, he escaped his experiment, his hands up in surrender. Time to move his training.

With a flock of crows and a heaving shinobi, Enma appeared. He was tired, exhausted from it all. He had been training all day, uselessly putting the different combination of handseals into something viable. As a scientist and a lab, concocting the right mixture of chakra was the difference between life and death. He gripped his side in pain, feeling the searing heat against his skin. His last fuck up had ended up with his body being smacked silly and licked by dangerous flames. It wasn’t something that the rational human being wanted to do again. Unlucky… or lucky for Enma, he wasn’t rational. He cried the jutsu out and with a last huzzah, he slammed his palm against the ground.

The crow, the center of his focus never had a chance. Doomed to his concentration and ambition for more power, the crow was relegated to the dustpan of his jutsu. A large fiery line of chakra shot out from its back. Enma didn’t mean to kill them… its just what ended up happening. With a loud shriek from the unfortunate crow, it went down in a bit of smoke and fizzle. Ech. This was not what he wanted. His anger redirected itself impatiently at the other crows. Handseal after handseal, his hand became a flurry of motions. It was undistinguishable. The crows didn’t stand a chance. One after another, his concentration zipped back and forth, extracting his chakra. Burst of flames, lines of chakra arched through the sky. All he wanted was a flame to not kill the damn thing, but a flame to fire from its damn beak. The whole process was so damn taxing.

Oh how marvelous it was. He watched, not daring to speak. Finally. He had finally did it. With a flock, a caw and a burst of fire, the chakra emitted just how he wanted. It didn’t die, to the targets luck, and in fact, it killed several crows right next to it. Fire shot out from its body. It was amazing, lifting up the Crow Sages spirits. He had done it. For good measure, he did it several more times. He just loved to see himself in action. Every time, a success. Content with what he had learned, he bowed his head to the dead. Time to move on. Time to find another jutsu to train for on his road to destroying Konoha.

[Cylan]

554/550 C-rank Katon

SpoilerShow

Enma flicked his fingers, letting the katon snap from his finger in a single spark. The chakra wasn’t cohesive. It wasn’t packed or nearly as focused as he wanted it to be. It sizzled for a brief second before it died away. He was trying to focus on one of his crows, hoping to see one explode. In attempt to perfect his control over the crows, he was focusing his time on turning them into miniature kamikaze. By focusing at a single crow, he hoped to make his attack unpredictable. Or rather in the least, he hoped to keep his enemy always alert and to never lose track of his crows. He practiced the hand seals for the jutsu over and over, trying to perfect it as best as possible.

Focusing on a single crow, Enma zoned in on concentrating his chakra in a single point. With the correct timing he could exert his katon chakra in a burst of explosives. His hope was to do as much damage with flames and a stray crow as much as possible. When that moment came and the chakra finally connected, he delighted in watching the creature go up in a burst of katon chakra. The moment was rewarding and he watched as the flames spread. They were weak flames, but it was a start. Enma whistled in joy. This was coming much faster than he anticipated. He hollered in victory.

Turning, he pointed to the next crow in line. “You. You’re turn.” His smile turned devious and he awaited the next creature as if they were clay pigeons. The crow wasn’t necessarily excited to do this, but obliged knowing that it was either an honorable death or death by peers. It swooped in the air and cawed, Enma aiming his expertise at it. He did the seals and then snapped his fingers as if lighting an igniter. The crow exploded in a flock of black feathers. The fire jumped to the nearest tree, but then died quickly out.

Enma frowned. It still wasn’t perfect and had much to define before he could call the technique actually leaned. He waved in for more crows. This time he bid multiple crows to go forth, in this way, it was 1) more realistic and 2) was more challenging to focus one crow while mixed with others. None the less, Enma was an experience shinobi and was able to differentiate. He flicked his fingers and did the correct seals. A burst of fire and feathers followed. The explosion was much more expansive and reached to the nearest tree. This was a delight.

He had nearly mastered the technique. He believed there was only an hour left of training before he could add this jutsu to his arsenal. He beckoned more crows forward. One after another, followed by small explosions and flames, Enma became more and more certain. He looked at the fire spreading in the trees. This should do. He was content and satisfied with what he had learned. Just to make sure that he had truly mastered this fire jutsu, he would do more hand seals for a long series of hours, only occasionally stopping to rest. Finally, at the end of the day, he rested, delegating the task to a pair of shadow clones and their knowledge became his as he rested.

[Cylan]

551/550 C-rank Katon

SpoilerShow

A large tree, untouched and harmless laying standing in front of Enma’s path. He stared at it a few moments more. Before the night was over and the sun had risen, he would see to it that the trees was nothing, but ash. Today, another day off from scouting, Enma would practice in developing his katon capabilities. He pressed his hands together, envisioning the tree. He did a few more seals, trying to channel the correct amount of chakra. Preparation for the jutsu was always the most tedious part of training, but Enma wasn’t discouraged. He kept at it, playing with different combinations of handseals to perfect his control over the fire element.

Weaving chakra into his fingertips, Enma slowly began the process of converting it into a much hotter substance. This was still very basic stuff. He manipulated the chakra even more, trying to give it shape and substance. The color reflected fire by itself, however it was up to Enma to add the finishing touches, to breath life into his jutsu. He performed a few more jutsu, allowing for the chakra to release and exert into the atmosphere. At start, this had little effect. As the fire struck the tree, it would almost completely disperse in a matter of seconds. He tried and tried this same process for hours, looking to expand the effect and damage. Flares of fire sizzled out in sparks. Enma was getting close and he didn’t let up. Soon.

And then it happened.

All of it burned. All of it. Nothing was left unscathed. Enma watched the embers and the flames flicker in the cold night. As he stared into it, his eyes melted with reflection. He had come so far in honing his skills. The Fire consumed it all, enveloping the tree and roasting it in the darkness. The glow illuminated the night sky and Enma watched with Awe. There was something hypnotic about fire. The way it felt, its purpose served only one: To destroy. The fire did not stop, it leapt from one tree to another, catching and spreading as it went. Enma just watched. It was an ecstatic feeling. He jumped and danced in the shadows of the flame, gratified in his success.

He did the seals again, wishing to see it again and again. Performing the seals, he channeled the chakra into his fingertips. With an inhale of his chakra and an exhale, the first streamed forward in a dangerous wave of flames. It engulfed another tree and Enma cackled in the light of the fires. He was enjoying this and did not stop. He did it again and again, proud of his accomplishment, but more excited by the outcome if anything. The fire never did stop. It kept going, leaping from leaf to leaf. Only when the tree was complete ash did the fire finally quit and fall to the ground. It was rewarding. Finally satisfied after destroying several trees, he relinquished his process of burning the forest. He had mastered the jutsu. He had mastered it so well that he managed to do it again for many hours. There was pleasure in his struggles and Enma smirked as he finally finished reached true mastery. For the next several hours, he fine tuned the hand seals he needed while his swarm looked on.

[Cylan]

573/550 C-rank Genjutsu

SpoilerShow

It was time to get off of his lazy rear end and do some work. Enma walked into the clearing and saw the men that he had instructed to come there. They were a bunch of thugs, low lives that no one in their right minds would miss if they went missing. Their knowing eyes sized the crow sage up as he smirked at them. They all wanted to know why they were here, he wagered. "Alright boys. I'm a shinobi. One of the big name ones from the Fire Country. If you want your paycheck, you gotta beat the fuck out of me while I use some tricks." While he spoke, he was weaving hand seals, a whole flurry of them. There was a genjutsu he had been wanting to experiment with for some time. It was a simple C rank jutsu, nothing too terribly complicated. It was the last of many bridges he had crossed while trying to work out a line of jutsu to use while he was in Konoha. The men all seemed to think that was a simple idea. "So we kick yer ass and you pay us? Hell yeah, we'll take that job any day."

As the man spoke those words, the seals Enma was forming shifted in a subtle way. The structure of ninjutsu and genjutsu seals were different. The patterns shifted and he was doing a summoning jutsu. Unconsciously, he mustered his connection to his crews and roused them from their slumber on the other side of the world. Biting down on his hand, he summoned them into this world from the dimension that housed the crows of the mountain. The crows flew up and the men instantly lost their courage as the crows spread up throughout the area. Enma used the cover to shift through the hand seals again. He knew the trigger he wanted to use. He compelled the crows to caw. Their cries heightened and split the air. Their monstrous caws formed into a symphony and Enma knew right away that these men were caught in his illusion. From here, it would be an easy ride to mastery of this jutsu.

---

The mercenary hadn't really known what to make of this assignment. Go out to a field with some creep and practice fighting with him, or so he'd been told. When the hand seals started, he knew something was about to go very, very wrong. He had fought shinobi a few time in skirmishes and he had been lucky enough to come out of the gray alive. This was different. This guy eclipsed them all in skill and that fact sent a chill down his spine. The hand seals were simple enough until the crows spilled out. When their caws filled his ear, it was like something triggered in his mind. Soon, they multiplied by a great many number. They flew through the air and more and more of them spread through the air. Crows spread for miles around and his instincts kicked in. There was only one logical reaction to the madness spread by the crow sage. Run. And run the mercenary did, but it was no use. The crows quickly caught up to him. Some were cut by his sword as he made a break for the treeline, others poofed into smoke. By the time the crows were done with their feast, nothing was left of the man but his bones.

[Cylan]

C-rank Genjutsu
553/550

SpoilerShow

Enma watched from a small ridge, overlooking the Konoha forest. Yaku was gone, probably wondering to which way the Wolf had escaped to. Enma had deviated this far from his partner for a legitimate purpose. His genjutsu was lacking and the Crow Sage hoped to remedy this. A small village, very small, and innocent would become his experiment. The ridge gave him just enough space to see the citizen, or at least a few. His hands flashed and he began performing the handseals. These handseals were not correct or right, but he had to start somewhere. Every great jutsu started by identifying the right ignition. When it came to jutsu, discovering such inventions could take hours.

From the ridge, he latched onto the town like a miserable wretched leech. He wanted to propel their worst fears to reality. He stood back, watching as he finally stumbled onto the right handseals. Now it became the method of dispersement and activation. He had to create the correct trigger. With a caw of the Crow, Enma thought he had it. He grinned, maliciously, his voice altered and he began to caw into the air, igniting the genjutsu. The start had been made. His genjutsu would manifest itself from this.

Like a sudden burst of chakra, Enma watched as it sprawled itself all over the town. He could barely contain himself in excitement. He eagerly waited the reaction. He heard a loud scream. Most likely from his bizaare creation… he melded his chakra, to make the illusion just perfect. His target was a portly fellow, screaming as he bolted from his spot. Try as he might, Enma couldn’t allow this illusion to end so easily. He took a sadistic pleasure from this training. The man ran and he ran, falling, stumbling to get away. However, there was no running from this illusion. It clung to him and never let go. Staying on for as long as Enma’s chakra allowed, the illusion chased the man. This was his punishment for hearing the caw of the crow.

Enma did a couple more seals, recreating the jutsu, picking new targets. The bewildered victims had no idea what was going on. They became his little play things, subjected to the cruelties of Enma. This would be too easy. Too easy indeed. They fled and Enma watched. When he had the whole small village up in arms, he watched in deep awe. They were banding together out of some cheap parlor trick. It wasn’t a big town, poribably only 15 of them existed to play his games. The thought amused him and he awaited to tell this to Yaku. How fascinating. He did his seals one more time, letting the jutsu rub in as he created the malicious looking creature in the minds of the townfolk. They were in fear and he ate it all up. For the next hour, Enma practiced his jutsu, honing his skills to the detriment and horror of the villagers It wasn’t long before Enma felt content, satisfied with what he had learned. Leaning against where he sat, the crow sage started fiddling with the hand seals once again, making shadow clones and having them harass passerby to ensure his total mastery over this jutsu before he returned to the side of his partner, Yaku. It was a good night.

[Cylan]

C-rank Genjutsu
559/550

SpoilerShow

Enma was enraged. He was angry and pissed off. Thrown out of the bar, he wiped the mud off from his robe. Yaku was going to be pissed. They had just paid for it to be washed two days ago, Enma couldn’t believe this. He stood up to full height, staring at the bar for a couple more seconds. Like all things that annoyed him, he usually destroyed it. However, Yaku’s voice restrained him. He knew the old man would constantly nag him if he did anything stupid. So instead, a smile slowly brightened on Enma’s face. He would utilize the opportunity to train another genjutsu. Who could be mad at an innocent little training. Besides, they would never see him.

Handseals, handseals, handseals. Enma couldn’t even count how many times he had wasted away practicing useless pointless seals, all just to create the perfect effect. It unnerved him and he found the whole process a bore. Once again however, he bit his lip and continued with the process. It had become almost ritual to the S-rank missing nin now. It came with the job as boring as he regarded it, it still was necessary. Performing seal after seal, he analyzed the chakra dispersement to see if he was minimalizing the chakra usage as much as possible. He frowned after the first couple failed efforts. His fingers motioned into the seal of the rat and snake. His eyes lightened up as he felt that he was going in the right direction. He continued, not letting up until he had all seven seals.

Enma now focused on the victims. To reach them, he would need to utilize a far reaching genjutsu, something that could get them without being seen. So sight was out of the question, unless he could throw it. Taste and smell obviously not. His eyes lightened, looking at the crow circling above. Of course. He cawed, letting his hoarse shriek pierce the air. The noise was just enough that was necessary for the genjutsu. It triggered, activating the jutsu and clutching his targets with sound. Little did they know, the illusion was about to begin. They were his to torment and Enma relished in the thought. He wove the chakra together, as he fashioned their minds to his own demented conscious.

Illusion after illusion bombarded the unlucky targets. Enma was free to enact his revenge, hearing the screams with delight. It all was so very amusing. Illusion gave him a type of control and power that enthralled Enma. He danced in their despair, flicking his fingers to the beat of their hearts. He crafted the horrific creation to their conscious, unseen to all but Enma’s mind and the target. People stared at the victim as if he was insane. His screaming never did stop. Even after his chakra ran out, drained and the illusion fell away useless, the man never did stop. He kept screaming and Enma watched, slightly taken back. Not bad. With a wave, Enma quickly departed. The illusions he had practiced on the man were enough to ensure he had mastered the technique but over the course of the next several days, he would occasionally have to set shadow clones to the task to ensure that he was up to par. Afterall, it wouldn't do to not be able to perform in the heat of the moment.

[Cylan]

B-rank Genjutsu
853/850

SpoilerShow

Enma stood away from it all, his eyes were downcast. It was raining and he watched the ground. The forest was empty. He was isolated and alone. No one was there to talk to. Yaku was gone and the Konoha forest echoed his shouts. No one but the echoes of his own shouts to answer him. He stared for a moment longer, regretting his decision to scout ahead. What a terrible idea he thought to himself. This was not what he wanted. He stepped forward, letting the rain fall on him just a little bit more. The leaves from the trees didn’t protect him, the rain was too strong.

What now?

Enma clasped his hands together. Slowly staring as if enchanted by the movement of his fingers, he was beginning the formation of handseals. He had done and reviewed these handseals for years. They were the same ones, revealing a variety of new jutsu, locked away by the different combinations. He tried again, putting his hands up for a second to catch the rain. He had seen these hands take away life, but within the confines of genjutsu, it was fascinating to think, if only for a second, he was creating life just as much as he took it. He marveled in what he could accomplish. If they were going to die, it best be by the best parlor trick possible.

With a look back into the sky, the rain clouding his vision, Enma thought to himself. His eyes trailed west and with a soft sigh, the missing nin was breaking towards the nearest road. He cut past the trees, cut through the long thick blades of grass and stumbled through the thick bushes that worked to block his path. By the time, he made it to the road, he was a bit miffed from the run. Relinquishing back to the road, he stood back a bit and halted. Now was time to do his least favorite part. Wait. His victims or aka, targets for practice would hopefully come down this way. While Enma waited by the road, he practiced the correct hand seals, trying to replicate the best formations possible before he put it to use. For this genjutsu, he planned to manipulate their inner thoughts and feeling against them. This would be taxing, but once complete, Enma relished in the outcome. Genjutsu always resulted in some of the most satisfying turn of events. He pulled his body closer to the trees, not wanting to be seen. His hands were still working all the while, never stopping, almost obsessive to the S-rank missing nin.

The target finally arrived. Or rather… targets. It took a while, but soon Enma’s waiting paid off. Bounding down the road on a carriage, a small family came into the proximity of his sight. His face brightened up at the prospects. This was the jackpot. He had to contain and restrain himself from revealing himself and slaughtering the innocent but naïve travelers. Instead, he would just torment them. His eyes widened, realizing that he still had practiced a trigger. It came natural to Enma to resort to his trademark activation. The caw of the crow. The noise permitted from his mouth had became almost routine to the mn as he had utilized this sound to trap hundreds in the confines of his genjutsu. Weaving the correct handseals, Enma let out a loud shriek, “Ca-caw!” his voice rang, sounding almost exactly as you would expect a normal crow to sound like. The noise was perfect; it didn’t alarm the family at all. They kept going on their merry business, not realizing what they had fallen victim to. With the handseals made and the trigger set, it was now time for Enma to get down to business. His eyes narrowed. Here come’s the fun.

The emotions he put them though made Enma chuckle. He turned everything upside down for these poor people. Everything they knew became foreign as Enma tweaked the feelings they felt. Instead of the typical response you would expect from a typical fire country resident, complacency, dullness, lack of passion, they became thriving with it. Enma couldn’t help but laugh. He didn’t even care if they heard him. He already had them trapped and their reactions were lovely, just absolutely lovely. The illusion kicked in and he watched with amaze. They struggled to fight it, but it was no use. His emotions set in and friend became little to nothing in their existence. They became irrational and soon they were at each others throats, tricked and deceived by the mastery of Enma’s genjutsu. He backed away, proud of the result of his training. The seals could use a bit of tweaking, but he was happy with it. He backed away, exiting back into the forest. Yaku was probably getting curious to his departure and Enma decided it was time to get going to fill in his partner about his findings. He had mastered a new genjutsu. And as he always did with these sorts of techniques, he would set shadow clones to the task to ensure it was up to snuff.

[Cylan]

Hardened Summoning Jutsu
A-rank Ninjutsu
After an annoying encounter with a certain Konoha shinobi, Enma started experimenting with the summoning jutsu for different ways to empower it. Eventually, he came up with this jutsu. By performing a longer series of hand seals and increasing the chakra output of the jutsu to A-rank, he can keep his summons on the field unless dismissed by an A-rank banishment jutsu or his own will.
1260/1250

A-rank troubleShow

The sympathetic devil looked down at the rest of the world from atop the mountain of the crews. His summons were all around him, too afraid to even look at him because of the terror in his eyes. It had been years since he'd returned to the mountain. Years since they had taught him lessons or regaled him with tales of their exploits. It was their king that broke their silence. "It's good to see you've returned, Enma. I did not think to see you again in person for many years." The human crow lashed at them and the sheer speed surprised even the mightiest of the crows. "Don't fuckin' talk to me." He said to the king with all the impudence that one would give a sibling rather than a respected leader. Like the elemental deities of the mountain, the king had a few human features and could shift himself to a bipedal form if it suited him. His almost human appearance was assaulted by Enma before Kagutsuchi and Dojin, the mightiest of the deities, could restrain him. "Normally, if a member of this flock were to assault me, I'd order their death immediately. But our Mother looks favorably upon you. Tell me what troubles you so that we can do something about it, Enma. We're only as useful as you make us."

Enma's lip twitched and he struggled for some time but finally, he calmed down, going limp in their arms. "What's the point of summoning you guys if some random kid with a barrier can just de-summon ya?" The crows all looked at him with understanding. That had been a problem many of them had anticipated and they were ready to help them. With a nod to one of the meaningless members of the suicide squad, the bird took off and flew down, no doubt going to fetch the great jailor of the mountain. It had been sometime since he had been called from his cells deep in the heart of the Mountain. Flying to the surface with a Kanji for 'Jail' emblazoned around his neck, the creature looked at Enma with knowing eyes. "So, you are the summoner who contracted we crows years ago. We haven't had the pleasure to meet. I am Gyojin, the jailor. When not busy guarding our prisons, it has often been my duty to guide young members of our murder such as yourself in training exercises. Barriers have been a problem when we walk the physical plain for centuries." The crow explained. The two deities let go of Enma's arms and let him stand.

"You must now train past that. There are ways to overcome barriers and Fuuinjutsu. Different ways to do the summoning jutsu. You must harden it. There are ways past the barrier." Closing his eyes, the crow seemed to do some strange talon seals. He looked at Enma with closed eyes and gasped. "Your chakra supply is monstrous. Yes. I think I have a solution to your problem." Enma was led down to the cells, riding on the back of his swarm who packed together in the form of a greater bird. Placed in a cell, he was told to work and perform the summoning jutsu. Any bird would do. Any thug that was worthless in its own right. Enma shrugged and failed to understand what they were trying to get him to do. The summoning jutsu was, perhaps, his most used technique and he knew that doing it was easy. There were few other missing-nin that possessed barrier jutsu. With the hand seals done, he slammed his hand into the ground and a great crow emerged from it. The creature smiled at him dumbly.

Instantly, a barrier spread through the cell and the crow disappeared. The crow sage screamed in rage. Another, smaller barrier had formed on the entrance to the cell and he charged at it and broke it with a single punch. "What the hell was that about? I thought you were supposed to be helping me?" The question was asked dumbly and the crow scoffed at him. "You must figure out a method to beat the barrier. Use that creative mind that earned you the respect of our swarm." Enma grunted with anger but walked back to his cell. Looking down at his hands, bare ever since he had returned to the mainland of the shinobi world, he started doing his hand seals again. The summoning jutsu was so simple. Perhaps too simple. Enma remembered how Kawa managed to avert his strategy with something as simple as a barrier. It was a cheap tactic and whatever victory that the Konoha shinobi earned was a cheap one. Enma took his victories by force. He didn't let some pansy ass barrier do his fighting for him. "A barrier. Yeah...how do I beat a barrier?" He mused in a voice barely above a whisper. He'd need more hand seals. "Hey, Gyojin. Get back here." He called out and the great jailor flew into view.

"Stay there. I'm going to need you here for this. It's gonna be complicated. I...I think I have an idea that might work." Jutsu were ranked on their complexity. The basic summoning jutsu was C rank. C ranks, by themselves, were not particularly powerful. They were supplementary. Bug bites on shinobi like him or Yaku with copious amounts of strength. If he wanted to get past the limitations of the summoning jutsu, he had to increase the input. Closing his eyes, he could almost feel the chakra that was coursing through his body. There was enough of it inside of him at any given time to destroy a village. Inside of Enma was power. And he had to apply that power well or the whole effort of training with the crows would be worthless. "I'm gonna up the complexity. We're going to see if I can make my summoning jutsu more powerful than your barriers." The great crow merely nodded at Enma's idea. Increasing the complexity of a jutsu could be a dangerous, oftentimes fatal endeavor. Just a few seals misplaced and he could do something far from the intended purpose. The summoning jutsu was just a few seals off from a bomb jutsu, for instance.

Focusing on the seals, he finally found a pattern that worked for the purpose of upping the complexity to B rank. Perhaps the equal ranking of the jutsu would override the barrier? Another dumb, shallow crow was summoned from elsewhere in the mountain. Fear filled its eyes at it saw the jailor. Wordlessly, the jailor sealed and before long, the crow was banished back from whence it came. That gave Enma more than enough information for him to go off of. The b rank seals hadn't been enough. That was understandable. Performing the seals he needed for the technique, he worked and worked until he knew that the jutsu was A rank. He increased the chakra input and the complexity. He made countering his chakra a more difficult feat. Slamming his hand into the ground again after drawing blood, he summoned a third crow. Gyujin once again did seals and, to his surprise, the crow did not banish back into the other parts of the mountain. Looking at Enma approvingly, the crow jailor walked off and allowed him to continue some rudimentary level of practice. While on his way back to the mainland, the jailor traveled with him part of the way and they practiced the A rank seal until it was perfected. He'd done it. He was done for now.

[Cylan]

Control 12 -> 13
#84
#12

2019/2000

SpoilerShow

If you asked someone in a shinobi village for their opinion on an optimum place to train, they probably would not say alone, in the middle of a vast wilderness, with no one to help them. They'd probably insist that having someone to help them that knew more about the subject would be for the best. Enma had no one better to teach him. Grunting, he felt the rich blue chakra course through his being. Today was going to be a challenge. Today was going to be hell. And he would be stronger for the effort. Enma and three of his clones all stood around each other. Divide and conquer, some asshole that had probably never fought a battle with chakra said.

"You guys wanna get out of here and find some broad tah bang." One of Enma's clones said in an untraceable accent.
"Nah buddy. Right now, that'd just be silly. I'd much rather feed a girl to some crows or something. They make funny sounds when they die.[/color"
"You're gonna cut yourself with that edge. Better watch out. Enma A doesn't get the chakra back if we die before the task is complete."
"Dammit. Enma A's a real bitch. Yaku and him are invading Konoha and all we get to do is be thoughts inside his head."
"Hey now. Don't play like that. Ole Enma A's gunna do right by us. We're just thoughts in his little pretty head, after all."
"What's us being thoughts in his head matter? We still don't get to be there when the Hokage monument goes BOOM."
"Enma A hasn't thought that one out, I tell you what. They're just going to pop up with a Doton jutsu and the Hokage will be back on the mountain side just like that." The clone snapped his fingers. The other clones gave him very snide looks.

"You're going to ruin the jutsu. Maybe you'll discover Enma A has suiton and accidentally summon a water dragon to eat you up."
"What'd I tell you about edge, Enma B? People in the know don't like Enma A because of that edge."
"Will ya boys be quiet 'bout Enma A's wee little plan? It's gonna go off without a hitch. Sure they can rebuild the monument but it's not like it'll take away what he did."
"You think he has that much forethought? Enma A never thinks that far ahead. He's a very in the moment kind of person. You should know that."
"Wait just one minute, lads. We've all talked about Enma A like he's not one of us. But he has tah be one of us. Now this just doesn't make a wee bit of sense, I tell you."
"Beats me who Enma A is."
"We could all cut our throats until we find out."
"That comment earlier about edge just keeps popping up again and again. You are the reason we can't have nice things."

The clones bantered. It was a simple method to pass the time. They each formed hand seals at a rapid pace. That was Enma's plan. Divide his chakra source. Cut it into four halves and experiment with different techniques to preserve chakra. It was better than just sitting there and letting his chakra flow out like crazy. His reserve of chakra was like an ocean. An ocean ran deep but there was always fear that it would run out. Fear, Yaku had made Enma realize, only made him stronger. Without fear, he would become reckless. Diving headlong into danger was fun. Some battles were worth the risk while others only served to make his life miserable. The real Enma, whichever he was, could feel the different ways his mind worked. The clones, much like the man that made them, were masters of acting. They could assume totally different patterns of thought. They could assume different roles and that led to different ideas. One of them was the voice of reason. A reasonable man with reasonable thoughts and reasonable ways to go about things. His mind was boring but it seemed to lead to some results. Each of the clones knew that this was going to go very, very poorly for them if they did not do their job correctly. That, perhaps, was what got the Enma that spoke of death and devils and evil to actually do his job. The slight trace of Enma's mind that had chipped off to form him wanted to live. It clung to life and stubbornly refused to die simply because Enma thought him dying would be funny. Their jutsu supplies had been divvied up. The ocean was cut into four. Sweat beaded down his forehead. Things could only go well for them from here. Enma and his clones had stripped of their constraining clothes and felt the wind blow against the battle scars that their bodies seemed to bear with pride. The forehead protector that brazenly proclaimed 'fuck konoha' sat nearby. Enma hungered for greater knowledge. He hungered to further hone his control.

He knew the legend he wanted people to say about him years from now. Enma. The orphan who became the finest practitioner of ninjutsu that the world had seen since the days of the men who first wielded the power of Ninjutsu. That was a legend worth telling. It was a legend that made him swell with pride just thinking about it. All of the clones knew that Enma's dream was coming incredibly close to fruition. All they had to do was train. Be patient. Wait for opportunities to strike. Konoha would be the first of many victories. Seals formed on the hands of the different clones. Clouds of gray ash formed all around them over the surface of the lake. The task of controlling his feet as they strode across the water was rudimentary. Every basic academy student could do that. Well, most of them. Any worth their salt. And if they weren't worth their salt, they'd fail to rise to the heights he aspired to. Clouds formed, fires burned, crows cawed to try and spur Enma on. The hatred of a hundred thousand crows burned into these four clones and the clones could do nothing but take the sheer force of their hatred. The hatred fueled them when the chakra left. One of the clones coughed as the fire he'd been funneling into the water began to boil around them. Another began to ride the wind. They seemed to each be experimenting with different types of jutsu as well.

Crows around them would sometimes burst into flame as well. That was to be expected. The throaty little creatures cawed as they breathed their last. All of the Enmas detected no small amount of glee coming from them. This was the sum of their existence: dying in some forest for what more or less amounted up to the amusement of their masters. Enma felt like he was over the hump. Halfway there and living on a prayer. The bad news was that, despite the excellent control displayed by all three clones, his chakra supply was slowly starting to drain. That would lead him to destruction. Food, and with it, nourishment for his chakra system waited on the shore but he would not go there just yet. These clones were hungry bastards. A right bunch of vultures, they were. This was a test. If he could not last in a safe, controlled environment, how could he possibly hope to survive within the crazy, messed up situations in which a S-rank Missing-nin would inevitably find themselves?

He grunted. His idea of training was boring and terribly uncreative. All he was doing was seal after seal after seal. The few times he'd ever had genin train under him, he told them to make training interesting or get lost. Like so many great men, Enma could not seem to follow his own advice. The clones still bantered back and forth. Their energy was catching for one another, it seemed. It had to be or else they would all lose spirit. Two of them became wobbly. Amongst them was the one that talked endlessly about blood and guts. The clone made the stupid mistake of trying to discover an affinity for an element Enma did not possess. The effort was in vain. The energy was wasted. Shit. That Enma had to go. The other three Enmas looked at one another and performed seals at the same time. The fourth Enma was taken totally by surprise. He screamed and jeered and laughed when the flames licked his body. He exploded and the others had to jump back. Water overtook one of them and he panted, screaming a wordless scream as he swam for the top. His natural strength and a few seals to help him go faster pushed this Enma up over the water line. He floated and saw the destruction. The fear made the clone want to live. Inside, he felt the chakra unspent by the clone swell up inside him and make him grow. The other two, who had not been wholly affected by the blast, seemed to feel much the same.

Gripping the water, he pulled himself up like he was climbing out of a pool. Seals were formed and once again it was business as usual. Once more unto the breach as they said. Enma was still young. People didn't believe him when he said that. His twenties were almost over. But he was still young. If what he had planned after Konoha was said and done came to pass, he'd be around for many more years. He had to get this out of the way. This boring training. The phase where he was nothing but a mediocre man. The clones all looked at one another and nodded. The crow swarm above their head closed in and swirled. They cawed and jeered more as they knew what their masters required of them. Many of them began to burst into flames. His control was feeling more finely tuned. The Enmas all looked at one another and nodded. Two of them quickly disappeared, leaving the original Enma with their knowledge and their increased knowledge. The effect was instant and immediately noticeable. There were numerous, slight, minute flaws in the way he did seals. When he did them at a high pace, he would make slight errors that would upset the balance of his chakra receptors. He had to perfect them. More errors were caught. The faucet was becoming shorter and shorter.

The jutsu were performed at a frantic pace. He was close to perfection. It wouldn't be long anymore. His muscles tensed as the seals reached their crescendo. Their would be more training after today but it would only take a few more minutes and he would reach a point where he could stop. The break his mind drifted towards even while he worked was well earned. Oh boy was it ever well earned. His fingers tingled, every node in him quivered with excitement. There were new days on the horizon and the power he was drawing up now would be there to help him meet them. The chakra that the clones gave back to the original Enma, whichever one that had been, was proving more than enough to be effective. Jutsu were forming quick. Wham, bam, thank you ma'am. The way his hands moved from one seal to the next was perfect. Stellar. The sweat still rolled down his cheek. The ram seal. The bird seal. The dragon seal. These were perfected. The tiger and snake seals had been perfected a few days earlier. The rest would come, along with absolute mastery of his chakra nodes.

Walking towards the shore, he felt the effects of his earlier training as he still practiced his seals. Pinpricks held his feet up from the water. Fire flew from his hands that weaved and flickered and snapped at his command. Wind blew him quicker in the direction, directed just as he wanted. Ash moved behind him. Crows were bursting into flame and diving in the water, these still greatly desiring life. Enma smirked. His work was just getting started.

[Cylan]

Ruby TuesdayShow

Yamanaka, Akino walked into a house in one of Konoha's most affluent residential districts. In his hand was a case file. Enma was fresh on the minds of many of the villagers. Somehow, in the heart of Konoha, a man managed to get away with seven murders underneath the nose of every bloodhound the village had. They had sent him to find out how. Inside was everything they knew about Enma. His record was spotless. Perfect scores in absolutely every area in the academy. A 100% success record for missions. Many considered him Bannin material despite his young age. Instead, he wagged his finger gleefully at the village and left.

Standing before a door, he delivered three crisp knocks and waited on a response. "Shizume, Kaiko?" He asked when the door opened. The woman before him was pretty. She was, perhaps, twenty-five. A baby was in her arms sucking on a bottle. She hadn't aged a day from the picture that was in Enma's file. She saw the forehead protector he wore and a worried look crossed her face. Having a Yamanaka show up on your doorstep was never a good thing. Akino was used to that look. He'd seen it countless times when he showed up at someone's door.

"Y-Yes?" She stammered. Kaiko looked vulnerable when she was afraid. It somehow enhanced her beauty. Perhaps that was why the man known as Enma had been so attracted to her.

"My name is Yamanaka, Akino. I need your help with an investigation." His words were spoken in a deep, precise voice. He had to be by-the-book when on the job. Professional. The voice still sounded odd when he really listened to himself. "It concerns a man you knew some time ago."

"Enma." She replied instantly. Fear had been replaced by terror. She suddenly had the look of a woman that felt like she'd had a brush with death. "I wasn't involved with anything he did! We haven't talked in years." Akino didn't need to read her mind to know that was true. She was married to another man. Enma had grown bored of her and left her.

"I know that," Akino continued, "but I still need to peruse your memories for anything that might be helpful to the investigation. Lives are at stake and your mind is valuable for giving insight into who he is, or was, as a person."

She looked him right in the eyes after he said that. Something he'd said must have steadied her. "Will it help you catch him?"

"Yes." He replied instantly. She nodded and invited him into her home.

Kaiko's house was as affluent on the inside as it was outside. Various scrolls lined the walls showing art from some of Konoha's finest painters. Her husband was one of the finest merchants in the village. She herself had given up a career as a shinobi before even getting past genin. In her youth, she'd been the daughter of two people wealthy thanks to an ancestor. She'd been born into money. In many ways, Akino reflected, she was Enma's polar opposite as far as their backgrounds were concerned. To use a cliche, opposites really did attract. "Would you like some tea? I'd like to put my daughter to bed before, you know..." There was nervousness in her voice. Nervousness had no place anywhere near a shinobi. Her stunted genin status was well earned.

"Yes. By all means. Take your time." Akino found a scroll near her couch while he waited. It was some short story by an obscure fire country author. The prose was lacking and words were often repeated where the repetition did little to add to the text. She either enjoyed the story or it was bought secondhand. Considering her opulence, he expected the former. She quickly returned with a warm cup of tea.

Her duties were attended to and she eventually came back, sitting on the couch beside him. "You make good tea. This won't take long. You won't feel a thing." The Yamanaka formed hand seals. It was a long string of them but it was a formation he was used to after months of doing this sort of thing. Usually, he'd privately admit, it was just for routine check-ups on retired shinobi who returned to the village regularly or other scheduled meetings of the sort. Enma inspired a different sort of reaction.

When the seals were formed, he closed his eyes and placed his hands to her forehead. Breathing in deeply, he dove down into the well of her memories.

Enma. Enma. Where are you, Enma? He asked. There were so many memories to sort through. He took care to avoid the private ones. There were sweet, hushed words spoken to her husband. Kaiko seemed to dwell on Enma. He latched onto one and went down the rabbit hole.

---

Keiko knew genjutsu wasn't her cup of tea the moment she first started trying to learn the stuff. At least Sensei had enough sense to put her with a guy that actually knew what he was doing. The boy sitting next to her forming seals had a curious expression in his face. He seemed so intrigued by the hand seals he was forming. "Enma? Aren't you gonna do something besides sit there?" Something about him made her nervous in a good way. She giggled nervously. His clothes were a little tattered but he was still cute.

"Oh. Yeah. Sorry. These seals are so cool!" His voice was high but not squeaky like a lot of the other boys. "There's some really fascinating ones, you know?" A look of concern suddenly crossed his face. She immediately felt concern as well. "Hey. You'd better watch out. I think there's a bug on your shoulder." Enma reached across and brushed her shoulder. She gasped all the same and jumped up, screaming and drawing the attention of the whole class. She felt the bugs crawling all over her. They were everywhere. It was distracting and she couldn't even focus.

"It's obviously a genjutsu, Satanaka. You know, the thing we're here to learn about." One of the other students quipped from a nearby table. He wasn't handsome or well spoken or anything despite his nice clothes.

"No, really, Kai! You've got a bug! Let me do a jutsu to get it off of you." With just one Kai, Enma got the bugs off of her. How interesting. Was that what someone that was really cut out for this line of work could do? She sat back at her table, still shivering from the sudden assault by the bug.

"I hope you're okay. You flopped funny." He said with a grin that lit his rosey cheeks right up. There were little dimples in his face that made him look younger than he was. Her nervousness only got worse when he made that face. "Here. You try." Suddenly, he seemed much more serious. "Hold your hands like this and do the jutsu Sensei instructed us how to do." Enma demonstrated hand seals slowly. He walked her through each one slowly, carefully.

"You have to twist your fingers like this or chakra will spill out." He casually said while getting her to correctly form the hand seals. "We're not fighting for our lives or anything. You can take your time." She followed his advice. The jutsu was just a simple one that made him see a butterfly. She thought it was cute that the Sensei taught them that.

"Oh. Okay. The ram seal's really hard, though..." She said while pouting. Eventually, she managed to get the jutsu just right. It made her giddy when she tapped Enma on the shoulder. "Do you see it?"

Enma's eyes went wide as saucers. Slowly, he backed away. His nimble little fingers pointed up to the ceiling. "W-W-Woah. You made the biggest butterfly I've ever seen! It started out as a caterpillar, though. I think you must be a really good shinobi if you made the illusion so thorough." His back was turned to her. Some instinct made Kaiko feel like Enma was yanking her chain.

"Are you pulling my leg, Enma?"

He looked back at her and smiled. "Relax. You can trust me." Instantly, she knew that to be true. Enma was a good guy. Someone that the sensei had given her because she needed help and he'd given her help. "I just can't believe how skilled you are. I think you'll ace this part of the Genin exam for sure!" That grin widened.

"T-Thanks Enma. You're really helpful. I think I misjudged you." She thought she saw something for a second. She didn't know whether it was pride or the slightest hint of anger but she dismissed it quickly. Enma was just proud of himself was all.

"Say, Kai, maybe you'd let me take you out sometime. You know...just around the town..." There was something approaching a puppyish whine to his voice. His eyes were big. "I don't have any money but it's the best I can do."

"Kinda like a date."

"If you wanna call it that."

---

"I can't believe you're a Chunin, Enma!" Kaiko said with excitement. She thought back to that day in the academy, so long ago, when Enma had asked her out. Looking into his deep blue eyes, she remembered all the times he'd walked her through life's troubles. His bare hand brushed along her wrist, taking her hand in a firm, tender grip. "You earned this."

She'd seen the fight. The other two genin performed admirably. Enma was the one that stepped up like a leader should. He carried them through that trial. The genjutsu he'd pulled off had been one the proctor hadn't expected. It created an opening for the group's taijutsu and he took it. The ploy won them all a promotion to Chunin. Enma had a hungry look in his eyes. He didn't say a word. There was a smile on his face and it wasn't the smile she was used to.

He leaned in and his lips pressed against hers. He tasted sweet. Sweeter than she'd expected a guy to taste. Kaiko felt her heart thumping in her chest. Enma slowly pushed her back against her chair. They were home alone but who knew when her parents would come home. The risk thrilled her for some reason. She'd never done this before. It wasn't on her terms, but things rarely were with Enma. She liked that. Oh did she like that. He took her and left without a word. That night, she felt oddly...empty.

---

It was rare that Kaiko got to go on a mission with Enma. His other genin team mates were out doing other things for some reason. The gray haired boy looked dashing even when he was dirty. They'd chased a stray cat all over the village. Kaiko noticed a flash of anger when he finally caught the sweet little creature but thought nothing of it. Enma was exhausted and lay beside her underneath the tree by their usual training ground. His breathing was heavy but he looked satisfied. "Hey, Kai." He asked in a voice that was getting deeper every day.

"Yeah, Enma?"

"What does the will of fire mean to you?" Off in the distance was a memorial to shinobi lost in a great war of the past. The question took Kaiko aback. She hadn't thought about that in a long while.

"I guess, at the end of the day, it means that everyone in the village is connected. We don't always get along. There are girls I really don't like. But at the end of the day, everyone in Konoha would stick up for anyone in the village." She looked at Enma and gave him a warm, gentle smile.

His face was motionless. The blue eyes she adored so much were hidden by a veil of gray hairs. The corner of his lip finally twitched. "You don't think there's ever been a bad apple? I mean, I wouldn't leave, but you've got to admit...the idea of running away and seeing the world is pretty cool." She didn't know what to say to that. It was an odd statement. "I'm kidding. Who'd want to be anywhere but here~. I've got you and all my friends and a whole big village to keep me safe. I want to protect you too, Kaiko." His words made her blush greatly but she tried to hide it.

"T-Thank you, Enma. I want to protect you, too. I've been practicing my genjutsu more like you wanted. I think I've got the henge perfected to where I can be anything, too."

"That's good. I'll be sure to get sent out to hunt down the people that would betray our precious will of fire."

---

From there, it was just little things for Akino to go through and comb for useful data. The only other thing that particularly stood out was how Enma broke up with her. It was just a note on the door. Two words after all that. "We're done." He felt pangs of pain from her. Her tears were his tears when he saw the world through her eyes. This was interesting. When he left her memories, Akino nodded.

"Thank you for your time." He knew he was leaving her with painful memories. This not hurting was a lie. Later, he'd start writing a report for the Hokage. One of the many being filed about Enma. He didn't understand the man. He'd led that girl on for years even as a small boy. The talent for genjutsu was there as in the file.

He met her in the academy and spent a number of years in a relationship with her. It blossomed into a physical relationship that both parties seemed to agree to. Enma displayed many passive-aggressive tendencies and attitudes both towards her and the village itself. His skill for genjutsu in the academy was such that he could use a C-rank genjutsu. Enma showed contempt and expressed doubts over Konoha Missing-Nin. Many children do this. It was an easy mistake to make.

These were all easy mistakes to miss.

But someone should have caught them.

[Cylan]

Wit 10 -> 11
#85
#13
2008/2000

Witty WritsShow

These people were so stupid. Enma observed them from the corner of the bar. Nearby, a drink sat unmolested. Ordered but not touched, it simply served to cement his image as a member of this establishment. Today was something of a training exercise. Since falling in with Yaku, his mental facilities seemed to stunt. His mind stopped trying to figure out new ways to fight or slip out of situations. To wit, Yaku had made him terribly, terribly uncreative. Thinking about the blank, uncaring Fushinkou soured Enma's mood considerably. Today was going to be a refresher course in how to be a stealthy, clandestine individual.

Step One: Observe with every sense

There was a process to this. There had to be. As unpredictable as he liked to think he was, having a procedure to follow meant that he didn't always have to improvise. Given his status as a S-rank missing-nin, Enma's senses were already keen. His eyes could see things most other people couldn't. From his quiet, dark corner (he'd extinguished the light of the table lantern), he observed a pair of people in formal robes discuss pressing issues around the country. Blue eyes traced along their body.

What do I see?

The robes were well made. Silk, if he had to guess. Imported from a place that wasn't backwoods as all hell. Their posture suggested they of gentle body. The words he caught despite not particularly paying attention to their words at the moment suggested they were not of gentle hearts or minds. The eyes kept going. There was more. Ryo was stuffed carelessly into one of the pockets. It was sticking out, an easy target for pickpockets. The man he was observing didn't seem to care much for money. He and the crow watching him had that much in common. There was still more. Why was he so slow in noticing all of this?

Tan lines? That was odd. The skin just above the wrist trailed off from a deep tan to something that was almost creamy. How odd. How interesting. His body was gentle but he was out in the sun a lot. Another piece of the puzzle was falling into place. The ring on his finger sealed the deal. It was a kanji. 'Officiate' or something similar was the rough translation. Ah. So he was someone important in the town. He tapped on the table restlessly, soft hands fingering the ring possessively. He must have loved that title they gave him. Magistrate. Pfft.

The person sitting across from the magistrate was also in robes. He had a shady look about them. Knowing what to look for now, Enma easily spotted the ring on his own finger. The tan lines visible above the arm of the other magistrate weren't there. His complexion was creamy all over. Both men wore the same top-knot. Enma also had the luxury of being able to see this man's face clearly. People grossly underestimated the power of being able to read another person's emotions.

There were very, very few people that could wear the blank mask as well as his partner.

This man's face was a beady little thing. His eyes were untrusting. Enma read his chapped lips and knew he was into something bad. There was a mole on his cheek. The corners of his face were tight as he talked. The savory meat that the bartender made especially for him despite this not being an establishment where food was served wasn't touched. Steam was rolling off of it and Enma sniffed the air. There was a well done smell to the meat. That information wasn't useful but it did make him hungry as hell. There was something else there. Some clue to what the man did.

It popped out pretty quickly, actually. The handle of a blade was jutting against his robe. Huh. Not every magistrate carried a dagger despite how prudent that was. There was also a symbol of some sort of small police force emblazoned on the front of his robe. Should've noticed that earlier. One dot connected to another. Damn, he'd gotten slow. How had he not noticed this before?

How had he survived long enough to meet Yaku if it took him that long to notice that the magistrate facing him was the head of a police force? That made him want to listen in on their conversation.

Sitting up from his position in the corner, Enma did a few hand seals. Nothing spectacular. He wasn't here to train his ninjutsu skills. His mind was what needed sharpening. The gray haired shinobi closed his eyes and felt his appearance meld into something else. Suddenly, he was shorter. Prettier. Enma became a blonde lady with a lost expression in her eyes. Pressing against the table, she stood up and walked out of the darkness. Out of pride, Enma left one detail about himself the same: the eyes. He liked his eyes a lot.

Every eye in the bar turned towards him for a moment save the two men. Every bumpkin with a straw in their mouth drank in the sight of the pretty lady. He'd made himself into something they'd never have. There was a handsome enough samurai sitting at the table behind the two men. Without a word, Enma sat down in the lap of one of the men. The conversation nearby was much louder now and uninterrupted despite what he was now doing. The man looked at him in surprise for a single moment before Enma's full, plush lips pressed against his. There was a horrible taste to the man. His breathing was too loud and his teeth clearly weren't taken care of.

This man was disgusting in every way but he adored Enma suddenly. His lips met the 'woman's' eagerly and pressed into the kiss. The missing-nin's ears were open now. Listening to the conversation. He tuned out the disgusting breathing of the man below him and focused on what truly mattered.

Their voices were deeper than he expected. Enma had this preconception of officials that their voices would be high. Maybe nasally. He didn't have a lot of respect for authority. After hearing stories of Yaku in his Henkou days, Enma was kind of glad he didn't meet his partner until after they were on equal terms.

The words they spoke would probably trouble a lot of people. They spoke in low, hushed whispers to avoid being overheard by the people around them. They were talking nervously about some meet and greet that was going down tonight. Apparently, a whole lot of money was going to be exchanged. The farming magistrate, it seemed, was in with the local yakuza that controlled the fertile riverland. The police magistrate was in on some protection racket and money was going to be exchanged.

Pulling out of the kiss he was engaged in, Enma took a long whiff of the air around him. The musky smell of the samurai waded into his nostrils. No no. That smell was unimportant. He had to filter it out somehow. This was where he could improvise. Pressing against the man's neck, he found a nice place to suck on while sniffing the man behind him. The smell of ink drifted into his nostrils now. There was perfume on him, too. This great magistrate had been writing a lot of letters it seemed. Moreover, he was trying to cover up the smell of ink. Someone didn't want someone finding these letters.

A plan was forming in his head. Giving the man below him a high giggle, Enma stood up and began strutting out of the bar. Behind him, he heard the samurai make a move to follow him.

When the samurai stepped outside, he'd find the street absolutely devoid of people. The lady he'd been smooching on moments earlier was nowhere in sight. Enma was hiding on the roof of the bar. It took him less than a moment to get there. The only sound the samurai heard was the cawing of crows. After a few moments, he cursed his luck and ran off to look for her. Enma spent the next half hour out of sight, thinking about how he was going to handle this situation. There was no money in it for him, not that he wanted any. Any criminal who was in this business for the money deserved to die. That was how he felt.

The world deserved a better class of monsters. Eventually, the magistrate appeared outside the bar. By now, Enma had transformed back into his true form. The mission now was to trace this man back to his place of office. The conversation made it seem like that was where he was heading. Enma's eyes fell upon a rooftop across from him. Now he had to remember how to silently tail someone. Yaku was getting him so out of practice. For a few moments that passed quickly, Enma regretted training himself to the point where he was a S-rank Missing-nin. There was no challenge. It was just gods walking over ants. Turning his attention to the man in the streets below, oblivious as he was to the fact that he was being watched, Enma mused over how that man deserved better than to be crushed like an ant by some jutsu.

No. No no no no no. He deserved something much more personal than that.

The process of tailing him was a slow, arduous thing. The man made numerous stops to various establishments. As far as Enma could tell, he was gathering money for the meeting. The people were directly related to agriculture if the signs on the door were anything to go off of. This guy was shaking down his own people for money. That amused Enma. It amused him greatly. The shadowed figure stalked from roof to roof as he watched the magistrate eventually make his way to the office. This was where the real fun began.

Enma had to figure out how to get inside. Looking from his vantage point across the street, he observed the various windows on the upper levels of the building. It wouldn't be hard to find a vantage point. Given how late in the afternoon it was getting, Enma very much doubted many people would work their way across this street at this time of the day. He also doubted anyone would be inside sans the magistrate and a few other people that had to work late.

Standing up from his crouching position, the crow cracked his knuckles. It was time to get this show on the road. Backing up to the opposite end of the roof, he got a running start and made a leap. Enma grinned as he positioned his body mid-air to grab onto a ledge. His hands gripped on tightly as he worked to pull himself up. The window was locked. Great. Pulling a senbon out of his pack, he had to remember how to pick a lock.

A shinobi must always be versatile

One of his older sensei in the academy said that to him long ago. The razor sharp pin fiddled with the inner mechanisms of the lock. Enma mused over how odd it was to have a window that could be unlocked on either side. Eventually, he heard the mechanism click. It was music to Enma's ears. Slipping inside quietly, he allowed his ears to open up yet again. There were voices coming from a room nearby. Muttering, talking about something unrelated to what he was here for. Ignoring them, he began creeping through the building.

Eventually, he came to door bearing a name plate and a 'director of agriculture' title. That was his magistrate. Pressing his ear to the door, he heard footsteps on the other side. This was what he'd came here to do. Enma leaned away and began fiddling with this lock again. The second time, it came easier than the first. The senbon clicked and clacked and eventually, he felt the lock turn. There was silence on the other side.

Enma walked through the door standing as tall as a giant. A massive grin was plastered on his face.

"Hello.

[Cylan]

Control 13 -> 14
#86
#14
2093/2000

Foresty stuffShow

Ah, the fantastical things in life. Women, booze, the death of a loved one before their goals could be achieved, sushi, the fancy lights that hang outside houses, what were they called? Ah, right. Lanterns! Well, Enma didn't have any of those things. He was in a really boring place.

He was in a dark place. A forest perhaps? The sun wasn't rising, the darkness was never ending. There was a foul stench. It was as if he was inside the deeper ends of his mind. Maybe he was. This place was similar to how he would have imagined it.

It wasn't so difficult to accept the situation. Enma had been in strange situations before. He could not recall how he got here either or what he was doing earlier. Curiously, he made his handseals, lighting a flame over his hand to try to see what was ahead. The fire shed light to the area around him, illuminating the thick tree trunks around him and the rough, decaying soil underneath him. But that was about it. There was no path, there wasn't anything to go on.

He couldn't see further, it was blackness going on forever. He could've either waited for the sun to rise or risk getting further lost. Enma wasn't a pansy, he took this a challenge. Perhaps training of some sorts.

As he moved on, he heard cawing. He had not let any crows loose. This wasn't him. He had not let any crows loose. Was he being watched? An enemy? Enma, scary as it sounds, was getting a bit uneasy. He regained his composure quite quickly, however, re kindling the flame around his hands.

Where were they? Three on his left? Two on his right. There were two or three ahead of him as well. There was cawing everywhere. It was getting louder and louder, becoming infuriating. He wanted it to stop. He needed it to stop. He threw his flame at the crows, but it just past through them. It wasn't working.

Enma chose a direction and started walking in it. Tearing down the trees that came his way, burning them down at the risk of a forest fire. But the flames kept dissipating. The crows only got louder and louder. The noise
had increased. It was crushing his mind.

He needed to calm down. He needed more control. Fire wasn't working. Perhaps Ash? When something fails so miserably, it really hits your confidence. Enma felt weak somehow as he stood alone in the darkness. It was swallowing him whole. He frantically thought about all the jutsu he had in is arsenal, thinking of something to do.

He needed to concentrate. Ash wouldn't illuminate, Fire was his only option. His jutsu weren't weak and the crows or the forest weren't strong. He was not going to lose. He needed to become stronger. His fire wavered. It wasn't as refined as he imagined it to be. He needed it be brighter, stronger and shine the path ahead of him.

He shut his eyes and clenched his teeth. Concentrating. Blocking every other thought out and focusing on his flame. Trying to restore its power. He needed it to shine. Darkness will not stand in his way. They think they can control the darkness? No! Enma was born in the darkness, he was nurtured by it. He had never seen a flame before and when he first created it, it was blinding. He needed to bring that flame back.

He stood, forming his handseals, igniting the flame and tried to focus everything into this one technique. He wanted it to shine and oh, how it shined! He fire flung forward, brightening the path of about five meters ahead of him. He fire had dissipated but the path stayed lit. This was his power. He had control over his flame.

But... was that all? Sure, the path was lit, but it wasn't much. He had a dense forest to clear. His concentration was definitely working, but a single jutsu could only handle so much.

Enma had started to realize what was wrong. He had grown much too confident in his abilities. He always expected things to go right on the first try. Everything was taking for granted. He always mocked people for the stupid things they were doing and he was just as bad. Enma had to return to the basics.

He had come to accept the forest as a more serious challenge than a hindrance. Fair and humble. He had gotten too cozy in his days and he was just now realizing this. It had made him weaker and that is what got him stuck in a forest.

The basics. How do go back? Enma sat down in the illuminated area. Blocking the sound of the cawing and the situation he was in. He needed to do two things: regain his control over his abilities and get out of the forests. Pretty basic, right? The two were related. These were training grounds. The forest was his obstacle and the crows were his targets.

What was this the shinobi called it back in Konoha? The Will of the Fire? Was it something about his soul? Digging deep. He was indeed searching deep inside of himself to find an answer. He was refining his spirit. He sat there for the entire night, focusing. If he had kept time, another day had gone by, but by the density of the forest, it was too dark to tell.

Yaku might have been right about Enma. He was always in the knack of getting into trouble. He always relied on his power or the power of others that he hadn't really tapped into his own power deep inside for so long. He needed to tap into it again. He needed the fire to shine brightly once more.

After deep thought he rose, with new determination, he did his hand seals, brightening up the area around him up to a radius of ten meters. Things were looking much more clearer. He could see his footsteps, what he had been doing wrong. He could see his hands and his feet again. He could see how tall her trees were. He had learned a lesson from this. He needed to be more patient. Patient than he ever was. Find other means of solving the problem.

The cawing had gotten less audible. Enma assumed the fire might have brushed them further back. He climbed up the trees near him to get a better view of the area.

Climbing felt so useless, but now that he was focusing his control and relying on the basics, it deemed necessary. He actually felt he was going to slip once or twice. Jumping up also seemed like a bad idea because he wasn't sure where he was heading either.

He was feeling the area. Focusing and sharpening his mind to every chakra speck in his body. Three hundred and sixty one chakra nodes. Each one was flaring in movement, beckoning to forth the precise amount of energy. He needed to calm down, take a breath.

He almost felt completely weak, but at the same time, more free. His chakra nodes opened and exhaled. They littered his body and his hands clasped together as his mind fixated itself on the area. His chakra channeled through each node. He had been getting better and better at doing this over a normal shinobi due to his frequent practice. But he was in his situation for neglecting the basics.

He examined each node individually, stopping and pausing only when he would notice something about himself that bothered him. He had to block all distractions out. Settled on to the tree top, he cradled on each node separately, applying pressure to see how each node would act individually and how they would interact. By controlling these nodes, he could control the amount of sensation he would feel. Lower stamina loss, stronger and more effective techniques.

What he was learning today could not be forgotten. The little success he had with his fireflies and only a fragment of what he could do if he laid focus on his emotion and his pain. He could no longer make mistakes. Everything had to be precise. With the heightened precision, the heightened control and the lesser release of chakra and effect on his body. He was weak but he knew that this was the only way to achieve true power. He was staring into himself.

His meditation broke for a slight second as he felt a burst of emotion erupt into his brain. He looked alertly into each node, wondering where the problem had persisted. He looked deeper and deeper until he cornered it on the left side of his brain.It had leaked out into the rest of his body.If he couldn't control himself, he would fail in controlling others. His body tensed and his arms could not relax as the feeling washed over him. It was an odd feeling and it disturbed him.

The darkness around him seemed to envelope. The trees started to blacken. It was as if he was standing on nothing. It was a terrible sensation. He detested it and winced in surprise. His meditation broke and his hand quickly rushed to his face as he felt the blood drip onto his fingers. His eyes opened and he slowly watched as the pain simmered away. Nothing, but liquid on his fingers.

His eyes closed once more as he extended his arms above his head. he Chakra in his body was boiling. He was using all nodes and he could feel them exhale exuberantly. It was an enchanting feeling and the sun was just beginning to go down. His nodes echoed in unison as they played his chakra source down to a key. They filled his arms and moved down to his torso. His neck tingled and his face became completely numb. He moved to talk, but even his words were silenced as the chakra overwhelmed him. He didn’t give up. He experimented further and he felt the chakra slowly wash over him. It consumed him and he reviled the feeling. Soon his own color emanated from his body with the large release. It was all coming out at once.

His fist hardened and he could feel his fingers clench into a ball. The chakra was there, he just couldn’t grasp it. It wouldn’t listen. He fumbled in his step and his eyes widened. The nodes fought, but Enma fought back. He wanted every instance and every bit of pain to seep into every part of his body. When the tingling of chakra crept into his would, he slapped it away. He shook his head and kicked his feet, he would have complete control over himself. He wanted to enjoy and partake in every thing that the world provided... even pain.

He shouted, bursting his control. His eyes watched as drops of blood fell from his mouth to the ground. The sight of red was all he could see. He felt perhaps he was on a cliff. He stood up to full height and his body swayed in the wind. He counted every second his clothes flowed in the cold breeze.

His body was oozing. He could feel every chakra node burning. He had exerted himself, fighting to have control over his own body. In truth, he felt fine. He knew he was improving. His control over his chakra had been refined. His body was covered in a border of flame seeping out of his body.

Chakra circulated and bolstered into his palms. Pure chakra excreting out of his body. With stronger releases of chakra, he manipulated all back into his body. The chakra molding into a ball, exploding into thousands of shards of chakra, revitalizing himself. This gave him a slight boost of energy enough to try it once more. But he did not stop at one or two times, he continued this action for roughly twenty times. Each time was more difficult to the last, till the point he could not move.

The entire forest almost burned down. The cawing had ceased. Chakra was evaporating out of the smallest pores of his fingers... He needed to drag his body toward a nearby stream. His body lifted and sailed through the air with one delicate motion, and he landed perfectly flat on the water. He was tired.

[Cylan]

Control 14 -> 15
#87
#15
2026/2000

LegendShow

The path into legend was not one easily tread. At best, it was slippery with many diverging, false paths. At worst, it was simply deadly.

Not for Enma, though. He'd come far too far to fail. Before the S-rank was the same challenge many ninjutsu users joked about when they were a bit too far in their cups. A roaring waterfall stood before him. It was one of the tallest he'd ever seen. Fitting, considering it was near Waterfall Country's capital. Yaku had told him about this place. He felt the eyes of the Fushinkou on him somewhere nearby. Every ascension into legend needed a specter watching over it.

On the shore in the distance, people gathered and pointed. Waterfall was one of the few minor countries where the average citizen might have an idea what a shinobi was. They did, afterall, have regular contact with individuals who practiced the arts. Perhaps some recognized him. Perhaps others merely saw this as a fun side-diversion to their day to day lives. Either way, their voices were too quiet for Enma to hear. Their deaths would come later, and not at his hands. His gray hair dangled in tatters from his head. It was damp from the waterfall.

Looking down, he felt how perfectly his chakra nodes channeled the exact, tiny, minute pinprick of chakra needed to keep him afloat. He flexed his feet and felt the precision with which the chakra moved to make sure that he did not fall into the water. Enma breathed heavy and stepped forward. The first of many.

"It wouldn't just be a challenge of your Spirit, Enma." Jounichi, his old Jounin mentor, said to a much younger Enma. The older man and the freshly promoted Chunin were standing underneath a similar waterfall. This one, though, was man-made for the exact challenge Enma in the present day faced. The people undertaking the challenge failed. The water was too fast. None of them could scale waterfall quick enough.

"Yeah, I know. You'd probably need the footwork to make it up there and the peace of mind not to be full of yourself while you're doing it."

"You'd have problems with that whole 'not being full of yourself' part, eh kid?" Jounichi's smiles were incessantly rare but the gruff Jounin gave Enma one before punching him on the shoulder lightly. "It's okay, I guess. You deserve a chance to celebrate before your life takes a more serious turn. You're a Chunin now. Life isn't going to be about finding cats for old women anymore.

The memory faded as quickly as it appeared. Enma looked up and cracked his knuckles. Quickly, he broke into a run and made for the waterfall. One foot in front of the other time after time. That was how he lived his life. No thought beyond that except when it was suddenly convenient. Enma jumped.

The water was just too fast. Enma made the effort to run up the waterfall. His feet couldn't catch a hold. Not wholly. His chakra nodes whined from the incredible strain suddenly placed upon them. The water did not hold together enough for his foot to stick, either. At best, he would make it up a meter or two before plummeting back down to the water below. The cold liquid filled his mouth and he struggled to climb back towards the surface.

Breathing in heavily, Enma looked up at the waterfall above him. It seemed to taunt him in the uncaring way that nature taunted everything. It was a challenge that would always be there. Enma climbed to the surface and readied himself again. There was nothing to be gained by sitting around and being pissed off at his failures. HE could do this. HE was better than the others.

With stellar chakra control, his foot's node found a speck of water on which to hold. His legs moved instantly and found another speck of rapidly falling water on which to rest for the half-moment Enma allowed before he moved to keep climbing. He had to keep climbing. To do otherwise was to give up. To give up was as good as death. He had survived the black rock. He had survived meeting Fushinkou Yaku. Failing underneath this waterfall would be the epitome of lackluster. He was S-rank. Men looked to him with envy and craved his power and influence. Inch by inch, he climbed the waterfall. A flock of nearby crows had noticed his struggle. They must have found the whole thing incredibly amusing considering the way they jeered and loomed over him at the top of the tall, tall waterfall.

Were these crows stragglers from his swarm? Were they trying to goad him into failing so that he, like them, would simply be some waste left by the wayside of better men? Fuck that.

For a while, his arms had been held out behind him. They were excellent for balancing himself on as he ran. These crows wanted a challenge, though. They wanted to piss him off and they passed with flying colors. The hand seals were quick and precise, as to be expected of someone with such high control. Tiger, bird, tiger, bird, tiger. Seals done one right after another while his chakra traveled to the crows. They began bursting into flames one by one. They fell screaming. They died screaming.

Their falling bodies were heading right for Enma. His chakra pool, deep as it was, had not expected the strain that Enma had suddenly placed on it. It was small, too. Despite the rank of the jutsu, he felt like almost no chakra had been drained. Oh boy.. Enma smirked gleefully as the crows neared him. To jump would be death. Gravity would take back over and he would plummet. No. Instead, he had to dodge left. Shifting his body's slight weight, he shuffled a few feet away with footwork any Jounin would approve of. The flaming bird corpses kept raining down, black on orange one after another. Enma moved skillfully and narrowly avoided many of them.

"Seeing you afraid is strange." Jounichi said as Enma sat shivering on the shoreline. He was a Jounin now. One of the elites. It was only a few years before his sprees of murders began. He was one of, if not the youngest, Jounin in Konoha's history. Enma, the seventeen year old Jounin. Lots of important people knew about him. Grunting, he heaved and coughed up water from his lungs. "You weren't afraid of death when that bandit in the burning village charged you. You didn't fear losing the Chunin exams because you knew you'd pass them." Jounichi's long fingers pointed towards the waterfall. "But you fear not being able to do the impossible."

"You're damn right I do. If you can't do some crazy feat like that, you may as well just be yesterday's news." The water drained off of Enma as he sat by Jounichi's side. He stood up again and started walking over the water. Surprisingly, Jounichi followed. Enma was a Jounin then but his control was still above average. The pin-pricks of chakra were much bigger. It felt like his whole foot was covered in the substance. Even then, Enma knew that it was a waste of a precious resource. Despite being an assassin, his true strength relied on the energy within him.

"Bet you couldn't do it." Enma muttered while looking up at the roaring falls. Jounichi chuckled at that and pushed his glasses up his face.

"No. I couldn't. The difference between us, Enma, is that I know my limits. Then again, perhaps that is what sets a great shinobi from a good one." He looked at Enma like he expected him to get back to climbing. Enma nodded and ran towards the waterfall. The jump was always the trickiest part. Timing himself right, he sprinted and jumped just so that his legs landed on the waterfall.

From there, it was all about forward momentum. Enma, freshly minted as he was, wasn't as fast as the other Jounin. At best, he could hope to run with the special jounin. The waterfall did not care about whatever his excuses were. All he could do was struggle time and time again. The Jounin rushed against the waters. It was a valiant effort. He felt his feet strain and coil around the water. The clean water splashed on his face, slowing him down and preventing him from moving at his full speed.

Even with all of his effort, he was essentially just running in place. Enma roared as he fell into the water.

That was not the case today. Enma was making progress. His speed was now more than up to the challenge. His legs weren't the problem. His fear wasn't the problem. This required exact, precise control. The water was moving rapidly. From far away, it carried the illusion that it was one long downward stream of water. The truth was much more hard to deal with than that. Enma had to carefully maneuver. His footwork was impeccable. His control over his own chakra allowed him to stay on the tiny specks of water and use them to propel himself up.

He could see the top drawing closer and closer. His chakra coils were straining from the work and it felt amazing. Almost no chakra was leaving his body from this effort. Enma had once heard a story about fish swimming up waterfalls and becoming a dragon. Men, he assumed, became gods by ascending the waterfall. It was a hefty feat and he felt so close. Just a quarter more and he'd be there. Somehow, his ears managed to pick up on the sounds of the people on the ground. They were gasping. He actually managed to do it.

There was even a sensation in the back of his mind that did not resemble disappointment. Was that Yaku? What an asshole. Enma would love to see him do this feat. Step by step, little by little, Enma climbed the waterfall at his hectic pace. The funny thing was that, despite the effort, he didn't actually feel tired. That was what came of having some of the best stamina in the world, he assumed. There was no time to waste. The top was close, the peak from which he could observe all others.

Enma was a freshly escaped A-rank Missing-nin. The posters demanding his immediate capture and internment were everywhere. The killings in Konoha were fresh on everyone's minds. Enma was standing before a waterfall. The thought of meeting Fushinkou Yaku had never crossed his mind. Henkou was some pipe dream far, far away that he didn't care about. No. What HE was here for was the simple pleasure of the climb.

It was the same waterfall that Enma in the present stood under. Massive, roaring, daring him to ascend to the top. Ha. Enma could do this. He was the best. His pride ran deep. Running into the same running start he'd done so many times, the world faded away as he climbed. His speed was more up to par now. His chakra control was better. Something was missing though. That spark of godhood that separated men like he was then and the man he had become. Fear grew in Enma as he climbed, the fear of his inevitable failure. He wanted to pass this self-proctored test so badly. The top was so within reach.

But he fell. As he always had before. The test before him was a test for gods, not men.

Enma in the present though had persevered. The top was right there, right within reach. His feet had moved and maneuvered and now he was on the very last leg. There was less than two meters distance between him and the top. With all the momentum Enma had built up, he did something incredibly reckless.

He jumped.

Somehow, gravity did not carry him back to the ground. The speed with which he propelled himself forced him up and forward. Soon, he was standing at the top of the Waterfall and looking down. A grin crossed his face as he realized the people down below on the shore were cheering. Enma sat on the nearby shore and breathed easy.

His legend had truly begun.

[Cylan]

Genjutsu 9 -> 10
#88
#16
2854/2500

Damn these trainings get long as hellShow

Power is not measured solely on physical strength. It is also determined on other factors, such as restraint, metal strength, control, and most importantly, intellect. To play with one's mind, or rather, to fool one's mind. This was the art of Genjutsu. Illusions. It controls the world. Lies, hypocrisy, ...fear. Illusions bring fear to one's heart. But, illusions were illusions. They weren't real. However, a master of illusions... His illusion would be as real as they could be.

This was what Enma was going to do today. There were no physical tests today. Mental training, mental torture, genjutsu. Enma had decided to pretend he was an absolute dumbass. Someone who knew nothing, absolutely nothing, about genjutsu. He wore that mask and got into character. He was an absolute dumbass. He played the part well, as he'd played many other parts. This dumb Enma knew absolutely nothing about genjutsu. At the same, he didn't know much about how to release himself from genjutsu. A great weapon is as a great weakness. Enma didn't have much of teacher, nor did he have many friends. He couldn't simply ask someone either because they would simply run away from Enma on sight.

On such occasions, there was one such thing that could never fail. Enma entered a local village's library. All the people had already ran away, making this so much simpler. He walked to the Genjutsu section and carrying all the books he could carry, he started going through each one at a time.

There were several aspects to Genjutsu, he read in one. It involved Illusion, Status and Overlay. The three basic types of genjutsu. There were more complicated scrolls of Hypnotism and different styles of Genjutsu, but it was better to start from the beginning in line. The first scroll: Kai

Before Enma could learn Genjutsu, he needed to know how to escape Genjutsu, otherwise, he would have been doomed from the start. The art of Genjutsu could completely immobilize the strongest of creatures on this planet. Never had killing something seemed so easy, however, the art of killing was never easy.

The first chapter read, "Pain", Pain was the true way to learn. When a person knows he is trapped, pain was the answer. A strong jolt to the nerves would cleanse them, bringing the victim back into consciousness. It was either win, or die.

Genjutsu was only as strong as the user. If the user has a weak mind with no wit, there was no need for training. Enma, however, had already cleared this objective. He was separated from society. He maintained a strong wit and a mind as sharp as a blade.

Genjutsu was determined on chakra. A good sense of control would allow one to channel himself with energy to master to jutsu. The chakra would fuel a person's mind as the genjutsu would channel it into an art. With the effective control of chakra, one could control his genjutsu. This was a must requirement. If he could not control the balance of his chakra, his training was over before it had begun.

Genjutsu could create emotion. From paranoia to fear. From anticipation to bravery and arrogance. Emotion was the weakness of Genjutsu and the weakness of mankind. Enma was lost in his mind of the genjutsu ability that he could create. It meant incredible power. His lost in thought allowed his body to move with the flow of his chakra. Genjutsu could become addictive. The excitement fueled his mind with a unique form of stimulant.

This was more of a simple dosage of thought, but rather a gateway into another universe. This wasn't the real world, but a world of fantasy, illusion and facade. Nothing was real in the world of Genjutsu. If someone, including Enma, become too involved, it could turn fatal. The first step was to see reality. To feel the ground and feel metal pierce into his body.

This was the pain he read about. Pain would bring him to see reality. Genjutsu aims to lure one into a false world. To distinguish illusion from reality was the key of Genjutsu. Was his everyday life just an illusion of someone's else? Could he be trapped in a genjutsu now? Could the library, the cluttered books, broken furniture around him simply be an illusion? To determine this was the art he was so willing to learn. Everything around him might as well be fake.

Perhaps in the real world, he could be something different. Perhaps there was no such thing as chakra or demons in the real world. He could simply be a normal man, probably weak looking, unattractive, unhealthy and lazy. Probably someone interested in other people's lives other than his own. It could all be very much true.

Genjutsu, like taijutsu and ninjutsu was ranked from D rank to S ranked. The power he read about S ranked jutsu seemed so frightening, yet so interesting. For a demonic human, he was a bit shaken at what sort of ordeals he might face during a fight with a Genjutsu specialist.

To master Genjutsu, one needed to learn how to exploit emotion and gain knowledge. There was so much to grasp and Enma needed to fully understand what he was reading right now.

False perception. Lies. A shinobi's instinct when they change their environment is to use their sight and foundation. Only then they can achieve the impossible. Only then they can make their troubles disappear... as if they were an illusion.

The Release, or Kai was the center of it all. Once the basic art of Genjutsu was understood by Enma, he could understand the Release. Resistance to Genjutsu. Only the keen of mind, those who have mastered Genjutsu were able to defend jutsu and avoid the option of pain. Pain was the starting to learn Genjutsu and counter it, however, the Release was how to avoid it during any occasion.

Kai was a simple and handseal. It was what set the false world away from the original. Enma learned this during his Academy days but back then this seemed useless. Kai could have been the single most important thing he could ever learn in his live.

His fingers were already channeling chakra. Eagerly, he made the sign."Kai"

Moments after reading the first scroll of Kai, Enma took a moment to meditate, trying to retain everything he just learned. The basics never needed to be forgotten, He had learned about Kai during his Academy days, but never had he realized its true importance until today.

He eagerly reached toward the second scroll as he grabbed a bench.

The second scroll: Illusion

Illusion was the epicenter of all Genjutsu. The most common, the most used. Illusion meant Genjutsu. For hundreds of years, shinobi have dabbled in the art of genjutsu. The form of illusion was a whole other world in the premise of reality. It had become an obsession, a stimulant for chakra, no one knows fully the working of the human brain, but Genjutsu was the very first breakthrough. It showed humans exactly what our minds were capable of. Just like the lies that the villages spoon fed their ninjas.

Genjutsu worked almost in the very same manner. With a little tweaking, it was easy to influence the average human. So very easy. Too easy in fact. Dictators and trained professionals could sway whole populates with a single genjutsu. The world was at the disposal of illusion.

Enma was on the edge of his bench, enlighten by what could be the most important words he was reading right now.

Peace and quiet. This was a requirement to master any sort of Genjutsu, as well as to master Genjutsu resistance. Each form, whether it was Illusion, Status or Overlay, had different resistances and different attributes. They required different traits of a person and each had their own particular skill.

Illusion was the most basic and relatively the easiest of the three, followed by Status and then Overlay. But being the easiest of the three didn't mean it was easy. His mind needed to sharpen further.

Genjutsu needed peace and quiet, but it required one third thing. Uncomfort. An odd requirement, however, he had just learned Genjutsu was blindness and pain. He needed to be on edge, he needed to be alert at all times. He had no time to be comfortable.

It was so strange to think such a small requirement could have such a large impact. It was similar to how the roof of the library covered him from the sun, or sheltered him from rain. The sun was, metaphorically speaking, the essence of Genjutsu. Thinking of it was a beacon that wanted to get across, yet the roof, that small barrier prevented it from doing so.

This was the resistance to Genjutsu. Its defense and the key to master illusion to reality. The roof above Enma was the barrier between reality and illusion. This barrier must always be there. If Enma could not create this barrier, there was no sense in training. Failure, was in his character, was unacceptable. He needed to always be alert and watchful for genjutsu. He needed his barriers to be up.

To Kai out of Illusion would be the most common use for Kai. Kai required speed. Kai should be used as much as his wit allowed. Enma needed to react to Kais, not only to himself, but to others when trapped in his Illusions. Only then he could strike down opponents before they exit their genjutsu.

Genjutsu creates an opening. Within a single second, it could mean life or death. If you do not Kai out in time, you can die within a single stroke.

There was a basic, rule for Genjutsu.

"If it didn't make sense, it was probably a Genjutsu." It seemed so simple and so vague. But yet, it made so much sense. Genjutsu was determined by a person's intelligence. If a person was smart enough he could be able to tell his surroundings apart and tell if something is amiss.

Illusion was a weapon, an art. Both powerful and unpredictable. How it is used decides the fate of a battle. It was the triggers of a Genjutsu that were to be challenged. The more cunning and clever they were, the more difficult they are to avoid and to tell apart. You could fall into a genjutsu without even knowing it if you cannot tell the trigger used. And every genjutsu had a trigger.

The human mind was incomprehensible, but the art of illusion, the power that is Genjutsu, is the first step of man to understand it. A creation invented by man, this it was man's own creation that changed the world. A world that never existed. Nothing is real and everything is real. We were all being manipulated somehow. This was Genjutsu - an art that made this world an illusion.

Perhaps the blue sky above was never really blue. Or perhaps life itself was its own illusion. Would that mean death is an illusion as well? It might be. Death was silent. Your senses fade - almost like in a Genjutsu. Death might very well be the most powerful illusion. Death without pain was its own puzzle. Pain was what distinguished illusion from reality. One could not work effectively without the other.

There was no pain in an illusion. Enma needed to remember this. He only felt more and more powerful as he read about this. Truely knowledge was real power. A keen mind, a clear mind and a strong mind. It was real power and it was essential to build a mind for Genjutsu. Enma had all the key essentials to become a great Genjutsu specialist.

He contiuned reading as the word 'fear' started to repeat. There were over three hundred chakra nodes in every individual's body and each one was fueled with chakra. In an illusion, these sparks of chakra are filled with lies. There was no uncertainty. Without knowing what was to happen, without knowing how to stop it, it created fear.

Fear was what manipulated people's hearts. Fear is a sub creation of Genjutsu. Fear was an emotion and Genjutsu was the art of manipulating to emotion. To focus and to eliminate fear was the key to survive genjutsu, while creating fear on others was the key to enslave a person into a genjutsu.

Enma's eyes lit up. His aspiration was to bring fear into the hearts of every living creature. Genjutsu allowed him to do so without lifting a single finger. Fear was the true weapon of illusion.

Over four hours had passed before Enma had finished his second scroll. The fascinating things he was reading... So much so, he could continue for several more hours. However before he did, he used the same tactic as he used after the first scroll. A moment of meditation to retain everything he learned. From the basics to the art of illusion. As eager as he was for his first scroll, he reached for his third scroll.

The third scroll: Status Infliction

Status infliction genjutsu was something else entirely. It began with the manipulation of senses. These last two Genjutsu scrolls looked increasingly difficult. The wording was much more complicated than illusion as well. Status infliction genjutsu was the genjutsu that could ultimately knock out a target in a single go.

There are five human senses. Sight, Sound, Touch, Smell and Taste. Status genjutsu could those senses non existent. It seemed so impossible to imagine and even more impossible for any human to do single handed. But yes, it was possible.

Sight and Sound. Probably the two most valuable senses out of the five. While the others were incredibly important too, the loss of these two senses could cripple a person entirely. Handicapped people can take years to get used to living with a single sense. Imagine losing your sight during mid-combat within a fraction of a second? Death. Thats all there would be. Sight and Sound are the most commonly used to trigger a genjutsu as well. It was so amusing. People rely on their sense to live, Genjutsu users rely on other people's senses to be trapped in their jutsu and Genjutsu users could manipulate those very senses they relied on.

While sight triggers were much more easily avoided, sound triggers and smell triggers were truly devastating. It was nearly impossible to predict a genjutsu, let alone cover their nose and ears before they could be trapped in infliction. Sight is heavily relied on most people, however, one could easily divert their eyes, making sight triggers easier to avoid if they are not done properly. This made Enma think how would he set up sight triggers. They would have to be incredibly clever, random and unpredictable.

Touch was an interesting sense to manipulate. Taijutsu was the first thought that would come to Enma's mind. How fascinating. Using taijutsu to trigger genjutsu. It also occurred to Enma that Sound, Smell and Sight could also be triggered by Ninjutsu. Using ninjutsu and taijutsu to set up a genjutsu? It seemed so interesting. Truly genjutsu seemed like the strongest of all jutsu to have such an honor.

A simple touch, a person might or might not even feel it. It could be done so subtlely, a person would not even notice that they just became trapped in a genjutsu. How truly frightening. The unpredictability, cunning and cleverness... Enma wanted to be apart of this facade, to manipulate, to bring fear in the hearts of others.

However, there were restrictions. Status wasn't an easy thing to do. Status infliction is visible, unlike Illusion which can fool the mind, and a wise enough person could Release themselves from it. For example, Enma read, Sleep Genjutsu were incredibly high ranked. A rank jutsu in fact. And that was not all, those who notice the trigger of a sleep jutsu are much more easily to Kai out of it, despite their genjutsu training. In fact, with the training Enma had, with no genjutsu at all, he could see a Sleep jutsu coming and avoid it. He had seem some in the village as well. A common one was the Temple of Nirvana. Sleep jutsu were too predictable.

The five sense was one aspect of Status Infliction. There was still much left, for example, Status could effect the body as a whole. From making a person shiver, burn up, throw up. All the things that were possible by Status infliction. This could really fuck a person. In reality, nothing would really be happening to them, but they would think it would be so much so that their body would actually react to it that they somehow to getting their bodies fucked up somehow in a matter similar to their status infliction. Like illusion, this played with their minds. A weak mind was a vulnerable one.

Enma took an interest in this one particular aspect of disorientating a person. It could render a full capable, powerful person into a baffling baboon that would trip over himself. A simple set of handseals and a once powerful, respected person would be throwing up and pushed down at his feet. Genjutsu had this power. It could take everything away from a person. Their pride, their power. Some people valued this more than their lives.

[Cylan]

Taijutsu 7 -> 8
#89
#17
2505/2500

TaijutsuShow

Not having the home turf advantage was something Enma was used to. He found himself surrounded in this dojo far off the beaten path. Yaku had made some jab about how his taijutsu skill was lacking, especially for a S-rank that dared to call himself a legend. So, the pair had found themselves in this place: a dojo dedicated to numerous taijutsu styles. The katana in Enma's hand was heavy. His arms were strong and they could bear the weight of the blade. It was still a strange, vexing challenge. The students sneered at him and made jabs at him over his appearance. Enma smirked and took it all in stride.

He was here for the dojo's banner, but first the sensei was allowing him the opportunity to have some practice.

Years ago, when he was still a young boy, he gripped a smaller blade tight in his hands. Panting, looking up at a gruff, masculine, black haired man with a konoha headband plastered on his head. Enma saw a slight smile form on his face. "Is this the extent of your taijutsu ability, Enma?" He held his sword like he was born wielding it. The elder shinobi exploited a rudimentary weakness in his pupil's fighting style to force him back. There were no practice blades today. Men like Enma's sensei didn't know how to hold back. Enma knew that when he stepped onto the mat with the old man. Their blades clashed once, twice, thrice. Each time Enma found himself being forced farther back. His form with the weapon was clumsy. Only his natural grace allowed him to maintain his footing. A strike with all of his sensei's strength in it came high and Enma leaned back. He fell. To his surprise, he felt his body instinctively go into a sort of one handed cartwheel as he backflipped.

Standing there with a stupid grin on his face and his sword loose in his hand, he didn't feel the fist until it connected with his face. It sent him flying. Somehow, he managed to regain his balance when he fell back. He was more surprised at being able to stand after that punch. "Don't smirk when yer fightin' someone stronger, Wildfire. It'll only end badly for you." His sensei advanced on him with blade in hand.

Strange memories were left in Enma's mind as he began to work with the sword. Several of the robe clad samurai moved back as his blade whirled around them. Many of them found this shinobi floundering about like he was a taijutsu master amusing. Enma would show them how amusing this was. He didn't know why he was so nostalgic these days. Why was he thinking about Jounichi, his sensei, so much? Why was he thinking about the man he butchered while making his way to the mountain of the murder? Enma howled as he drove his blade through the chest of a training dummy. For some reason, even when he wasn't tired, sweat would pour down from his brow.

"Come on now. Hold the sword steady!" His eyes were blindfolded. His sensei sometimes said he could taste the fear on someone. The deep, gruff voice broke the silence. "Any swordsman that can't fight with his eyes closed isn't worth the headband he wears. Anticipate the blows, Enma." The first one hit him smack dab in the forehead before he could even attempt to dodge. He saw stars amidst the darkness when the blow connected. "You have to do better! I would not have picked you for my squad if I knew this was how you conducted yourself." Enma wanted to lash out. He wanted to yell at Jounichi and tell him to take that sword and shove it up his ass.

But he didn't. Instead, he spoke in a calm voice and tried to regain his composure.

"Hai, Sensei. Thank you for the lesson." He almost said he was going to try again but thought better of announcing his plan before he cut. The blade connected with thin air. He'd hear his sensei gracefully step away. The room was quiet. There was no possible way for him to anticipate these hits. He grunted when a softer smack hit him in the back of the head. "Just duck when I tell you to, then. You'll get to the more advanced Taijutsu lessons later, I suppose. It must have been a sad bunch at the academy if you were the best." Enma just knew his sensei was trying to get a rise out of him. It was working. He HATED it when people made light of his background.

"Now." Enma tried to duck in time. He felt the muscles in his bodies twist and contort. He was too slow and the blow caught him on the top of the head. "I'd have taken off the very top of your head if this was a real sword. Some savage shinobi from Kiri would be feasting on your body now if this was a real fight. You like your guts inside, don't you Enma?" He took another swipe at his sensei. He simply dodged and gave Enma a chuckle for his efforts. "You'll need to do better than that."

"You're going to regret being so condescending the day I learn how to use this stuff properly."

"Oh am I? NOW!" This blow was even faster. Enma felt like he only had one chance. He jumped back, angling the jump so that he fell right on his ass. The wooden shinai glanced his face. It wasn't a full on cut. He found himself shaking a little there on the mat. "One day, perhaps, you'll be able to fight me, Enma. That day is not today" Enma heard the blade smack down right between his legs. "You won't exactly make for good breeding stock if I take that, will you?" Enma stood up and charged his sensei again. He felt a hand twist behind his head and grab the blindfold.

The sudden return of light took him by surprise and the shinai was thrust between his eyes. Again, he saw stars. By some miracle, he was able to maintain his balance. "You've got spirit. It doesn't mean anything if you can't back it up. You've gotta learn how to control your body. Be wild if you want. Make 'em think you're unpredictable. That's good. Just don't be an idiot about. Let there be a point to the madness. That's how you get 'em."

His training in the present was much different from that in the past. Enma was faster, stronger. His mind was even sharper. His body was no longer weak. The S-rank nukenin knew the right ways to twist his body so that he could avoid a blow from a Samurai's blade. Those were the main people that used Taijutsu. Them and Yaku. Yaku he wouldn't be able to deal with one way or the other, probably. Samurai would be child's play. The katana twisted through the air. Enma's mind mused over different ways he could twist his blade inside of the men around him that observed his warm up. He couldn't wait to murder them all and take their stuff.

Twisting the blade in his hands, he took practice swings. The form was sloppy. Good for a genin, but sloppy. "Your Chunin exams'll be here before you know it. You don't wanna look bad in front of the elders, do you?" His sensei had said with a smile. Both hands griped the blade now. There was an imagined opponent before him. A ghost of his sensei, tall and black and proud. He remembered the way he fought. The graceful randomness to his movements. He tried to counter a strike and found a sword at his throat.

Sloppy.

He tried again. He made his movements off. He jumped back at a random point for no other reason than it felt like a good idea at the time. He ducked low just as he predicted a blow coming. He grinned at this specter. He'd beat the ghost. He had to. This figment of his imagination would fall to him as his sensei fell to him-

There was no time for this. Enma stood up to his full height. There was a growl in his voice when he spoke. "Come and get me, assholes." He said to the Samurai. Sure enough, they rushed him. The first one fell. It was one of the faster students, but his form was sloppy. Sloppy as Enma's had been years ago. The next person he met with a clash of steel. He was stronger than him. Others were waiting behind this man, waiting to take their turn. They were very polite for people that had just seen Enma draw blood. The next slash was wild. Enma howled with laughter at them and their failure to stop him. This whole messed up situation made him grin. The robes that had been white moments before were now stained crimson.

"Want to hear something funny? Your whole lives amount up to an opportunity for me to better myself just a little bit more. How messed up is that, eh?" Enma mused before taking a harsh swipe at someone that was making an attempt to run at him. The dead pooling at his feet must have been the weak ones. The rest of the samurai with their serious expressions and their top knots looked like they were all business. Enma was going to enjoy taking them down. Still unseen off in the corner of the dojo was the shadow of the Fushinkou who silently watched. Enma privately wondered if the Fushinkou would even care enough to get his hands dirty with what was going on should Enma require the help.

Enma's heart was beating at a frantic pace. Now he was a Chunin. His taijutsu training was coming to a head. Most of it didn't exactly involve direct combat but it was still an important part for him. He had to learn how to defend himself in case someone got close. Jounichi, his sensei still despite his rank, stood in his robes. His family owned a dojo on the richer side of Konoha. As he did when Enma was a child, his sensei was training him here. Enma would occasionally see members of Jounichi's family look in to observe.

He was, after all, the family's golden boy. Enma wasn't strong back then. His arms lacked the chakra enhanced strength. Holding his sword up, he blocked the first strike Jounichi aimed at him somehow. Enma was honestly surprised, despite his immense pride, that he could even stand after that strike. A wild grin spread on his face. Even with Jounichi's strength, this fight still felt a bit fairer than the one before it. Jounichi allowed his pupil to stay on the defensive, it seemed. Enma tried to beat him back time after time but Jounichi simply parried. It was as if he wanted to observe and match his pupil's skill.

Beads of sweat were rolling down the cheeks of the young Enma's face. His chakra pool was immense even back then but his physical stamina had not grown to match. Enma eventually fell to one knee. "Is that still the extent of your strength, Enma? You've come so far only to pull back at the last minute." His Sensei smiled. Jounichi liked him. Enma knew that. He still tried to goad his pupil on sometimes. "Perhaps you should stick to climbing waterfalls. It's much less hazardous to your health. Perhaps you're not cut out to be an assassin after all."

Enma stood up and started running towards his Sensei. He had the blade just above the ground and heard a windy sound as it cut through the air. He brought it up with all of his strength. Jounichi's eyes went wide for a single moment and he had to jump back or risk getting a severe cut. A gentle smile once again crossed his Sensei's face. It seemed that the cut he just delivered impressed the man somewhat.

In the present, Enma had made short work of the elites somehow. The warm-up practice had some him some good. The samurai did not quite know what to make of that. Their banner was almost in his hands now. He could taste it. Something approaching an emotionless chuckle ran through his head. It was cold and sent a shiver down his spine. The sensei stepped up now, dismissing his two pupils. The man had brilliant mis-matched eyes and a middling smile. His face was ugly but his sword was not. For this sensei, the battle he was about to engage in was the end result of his whole life spent training.

For Enma, it was a stepping stone. He charged and was surprised when the sensei effortlessly parried. He was used to obvious maneuvers. He retorted with a blow of his own from on high. Enma's eyes went wide and he was forced to roll to avoid the maneuver. The sensei was a small, slight man. Old and long in the tooth. He moved like a much younger man. Admirable, but mistaken. Enma doubled back onto the offensive. This man was no god but he was close in certain aspects. His taijutsu for one. Unfortunately for him, for every skill he focused on, Enma had some knowledge as well. Every skill that he ignored to bring the things he cared for up were left undefended. Enma struck these undefended points and found his leg speed lacking, as well as his strength of arms.

Enma forced the sensei into a lock. Their blades were pressed tight against one another. Their eyes locked for a few long moments. Enma grinned at the man. He saw the brown, wise eyes. There would be no wisdom in them anymore after this. Enma recoiled quickly and came up with an underhanded blow. The blade dug into the sensei. Enma saw life leave his eyes and then the man went limp.

The crow sage pulled away, cleaning along his blade and musing over how the people standing before him today were all failures. Their lives meant nothing. In his triumph, a kunai flew from the corner. Enma had to quickly lift his blade up to defend himself. "Hey! Knock it off! I'm almost done here!" The reply was met by another kunai and another. They were flung with absolutely incredible speed. Enma was amazed he was even able to block those blows.

After a long time spent torching the dojo, Enma walked out whistling merrily with the dojo's banner tied around his waist. He'd done great improvements to his own technique. Just to test that out, he began twirling kunai through his fingers, having the handle go from one finger to another. "I think we made great progress today, don't you, Yaks? I feel like we're finally on the same page, you and I." The katana was left but there was a certain undeniable pep to Enma's step from there on out. His taijutsu skill would be S-rank in no time flat!