Tsubaki panted heavily, her hands braced on her knees. She had been working out all afternoon. Her strength and speed had been rapidly increasing but she still struggled with keeping up for long periods of time. So this time, she ran herself ragged and after only a short two hour nap she started up again. Before her body had any time to truly recover.
Shirai had been worried about her pushing herself too hard so she told him that he could come and supervise and even train a little bit himself if he wanted to. While she was stretching, lining her body up against the large stone behind her, she heard him rustling through the underbrush. “Welcome to the show,” she said with a grunt as she braced her back against the stone and began pushing it.
It wasn’t the heaviest stone that she had ever moved but that was the point. The stone moved slowly across the earth, digging a solid divot in the dirt. But steadily, without ever once letting her feet stop moving, she pushed the stone that was at least twice her height across the field. “You gonna train or just watch your girlfriend get even stronger than you?” Talking always helped her train. Especially when she was tired.
Already, a thin sheet of sweat glistened over her skin. Her body ached, begging her to stop and rest more. But she continued to push it, forcing it to do as she needed. Her body had to be able to hold out for longer. And if this is what it took then she would do it. She focused on using every part of her body efficiently so that there was no wasted energy. Each flex of her muscles focused to isolate only the ones she needed to use.
Her feet planted next to each other as she shoved backwards. Her hands kept her sturdy and balanced against the stone. And as the stone got too far away she would step backwards with one foot then the other and she just kept doing that over and over again. Despite the fact that all she wanted to do was curl up and sleep. But if she was in an emergency, even if she was tired, she would have to keep going. She couldn't just stop because her body was tired. She had to learn how to surpass her limits. It was, of course, the only way to become stronger.
Her legs had started shaking by now, the effort with which she had to push the stone growing. She wanted to change positions but she was determined to make it the whole way as she was. It was all she could do to maintain her focus and momentum. She could feel it, that if she dropped either her focus or momentum for a single moment that it would probably be impossible to pick it back up again. But she was so close to the finish line. Each shove was accompanied by a loud grunt of effort.
She was so close to the finish line. Before starting she had placed a white stone off to the side. As soon as that came into view she could stop. So that was all she thought about as she slowly but steadily pushed backwards. Step, push, grunt, step, push, repeat. She started counting each step, trying to focus on anything other than how much her legs burned. How much sweat was dripping down her neck. But finally, just when she thought she couldn't do it anymore the white rock inched into view.
She fell into her butt and looked over at Shirai. “Now just to push it back.”
Again, she didn’t allow herself much time to rest at all. Just a few moments, propped against the stone before she forced herself to get up and walk to the opposite side of it. This time, instead of using the backs of her shoulders she stood sideways to it and placed one shoulder steadily against it. The hand belonging to her other arm also pressed against the stone and she spread her feet out wide. The first push was the hardest, when there was absolutely no momentum to help her move forward at all. So she took a deep breath and steadied herself, lowering her body weight and digging in with both of her feet. Small noises of effort fell from her mouth as she fought against the stationary object. She was about to give up and try a new position when she felt it budge, just the smallest amount. Using that to continue she rallied her strength and pushed harder against it, though she hadn’t known that was even possible.
But just like that the stone began moving forward and there was no stopping now because she was not sure if she could get it started again. She kept her feet sideways as she moved, picking up the furthest one from the stone and crossing her legs to place it as close as possible, using the leverage to push off of that foot. And as it became stretched all the way out she switched, and placed her opposite foot close again. And with each step was a renewed shove from her shoulder that stayed planted in the center of the stone, slightly below the middle. Low enough that she didn’t accidentally start trying to tip it over. If that happened, she for sure was going to quit. Though, she thought, as she gained inch by inch, that might be a good exercise next.
“Think I could flip this thing over?” She said the words in no particular direction, unable to look around and find Shirai. She knew he was close though. She could always tell when he was close, even if they weren’t interacting. It was like a…she didn’t know how to explain it. She only knew that the feeling was always correct. So, she just spoke. “I think I’ll try that next if I have any energy at all left after this. Not looking great for that though.”
It was true. Even though she was only halfway back to the starting point, her legs were shaking relentlessly. She had figured out that working on continuing was much more about her mental fortitude than her body’s. Sure, her body wanted to rest but it was her mind that encouraged her to let it. It was her mind that told her she needed it. But, her mind could hush, she thought to herself. She knew her body well, had been pushing it to and past its limits for a long time now. She knew that while it resisted the physical exertion, it could handle it. It could rest when it was allowed and until then it was going to keep moving. Keep doing what she needed. If someone she loved was in danger, there would be no time for rest then either.
She was nearing the white rock that she had placed on the starting end of the clearing. She didn’t know the exact steps, especially since she was walking a different way, but she had counted on the first path. So even though her legs and lungs felt like they were on fire she kept pushing. She strained and gasped and never for one second let up. Because she was not going to fail this close to the end but if she had to get the stone moving from a stationary position again she would cry. Luckily, it didn’t come to that and as she passed the white stone she again collapsed to the ground, throwing a thumbs up in the air.
“Good job me.”
[Endurance Training 623/600]
[Endurance Training 675/600]
[First Quarter Event Discount -400 words]
Do It For Your Pride
Jon & Amy Train
Do It For Your Pride
My CharactersShow
B-Rank MN • Katō, Tsubaki #A32638
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Do It For Your Pride
Shirai lazily watched Tsubaki as she played with her rocks. He didn’t really understand the point of it all. Tsubaki was already the strongest person he knew aside from Akio, and unlike Akio, she had a whole array of ninjutsu she could use. Just who was she planning on fighting? He yawned as Tsubaki made a comment about him sitting by.
“I stepped into this relationship knowing that you were the big and strong one. If you’re looking for someone insecure about their strength then you can find Akio back at camp.”
He let out a slight laugh before standing up and idly walking around the area as he watched her train. It looked terribly exhausting. It was a good thing that she didn’t expect him to join. Part of him was starting to feel guilty for not doing anything however, so he thought of something less… sweaty he could work on. Finding a good spot to sit down near Tsubaki while she trained, he pulled out a few supplies and decided to practice his stitching. It was not that he was bad at it, in fact he excelled at quick and efficient stitching. Thanks to pushing a lot of the work onto his super medic of a girlfriend however, he had been getting a little rusty.
Shirai wrapped some material that was a close enough approximation to flesh around a nearby branch. The tightly wrapped material alongside the thickness of the branch made for a pretty decent mock up of a human arm. He admired his work for a moment before pulling out his scalpel and making a random series of cuts all across and along the fake arm. Wasting no time, he grabbed his supplies and decided on an imaginary scenario.
Kai had been trying to pet the wildlife again and found himself on the wrong end of an angry badger. The cuts were deeper than anyone had expected so Shirai needed to work fast. Lightning fast, inserted the needle into the fake skin and ran the thread through. Shirai made it look easy as he quickly and efficiently closed up the first wound and moved on to the next. He could almost hear Kai asking him to be more gentle in his mine, but the man would just have to put on his big boy pants. It was important to close the wound tightly, especially considering that everyone in the camp was prone to tearing stitches. Shirai smiled to himself as he closed the last of the imaginary wounds.
I still got it.
Looking over at Tsubaki, he noticed that she had finished pushing her rock. He would have returned her thumbs up, but she wasn’t looking at him. Instead, he called out.
“Yeah, good job, you.”
(I’ll do the math later = 400 Word Jutsu Training)
(More than 400/400)
“I stepped into this relationship knowing that you were the big and strong one. If you’re looking for someone insecure about their strength then you can find Akio back at camp.”
He let out a slight laugh before standing up and idly walking around the area as he watched her train. It looked terribly exhausting. It was a good thing that she didn’t expect him to join. Part of him was starting to feel guilty for not doing anything however, so he thought of something less… sweaty he could work on. Finding a good spot to sit down near Tsubaki while she trained, he pulled out a few supplies and decided to practice his stitching. It was not that he was bad at it, in fact he excelled at quick and efficient stitching. Thanks to pushing a lot of the work onto his super medic of a girlfriend however, he had been getting a little rusty.
Shirai wrapped some material that was a close enough approximation to flesh around a nearby branch. The tightly wrapped material alongside the thickness of the branch made for a pretty decent mock up of a human arm. He admired his work for a moment before pulling out his scalpel and making a random series of cuts all across and along the fake arm. Wasting no time, he grabbed his supplies and decided on an imaginary scenario.
Kai had been trying to pet the wildlife again and found himself on the wrong end of an angry badger. The cuts were deeper than anyone had expected so Shirai needed to work fast. Lightning fast, inserted the needle into the fake skin and ran the thread through. Shirai made it look easy as he quickly and efficiently closed up the first wound and moved on to the next. He could almost hear Kai asking him to be more gentle in his mine, but the man would just have to put on his big boy pants. It was important to close the wound tightly, especially considering that everyone in the camp was prone to tearing stitches. Shirai smiled to himself as he closed the last of the imaginary wounds.
I still got it.
Looking over at Tsubaki, he noticed that she had finished pushing her rock. He would have returned her thumbs up, but she wasn’t looking at him. Instead, he called out.
“Yeah, good job, you.”
(I’ll do the math later = 400 Word Jutsu Training)
(More than 400/400)
CharactersShow
Itotsuki, Abari Kirigakure Chuunin [color=#80a0ff]
Akio B-rank Other Countries [color=#ee4a2d]
Nara, Daisuke D-Rank Missing nin [color=#E4EC32]
Kisama, Yutaka Heart Empire Akibushi [color=#BF0000]
Akari, Touji Iwagakure Genin [color=#C0C0C0]
Akio B-rank Other Countries [color=#ee4a2d]
Nara, Daisuke D-Rank Missing nin [color=#E4EC32]
Kisama, Yutaka Heart Empire Akibushi [color=#BF0000]
Akari, Touji Iwagakure Genin [color=#C0C0C0]
Do It For Your Pride
Tsubaki took a short nap before going back to it. Just enough to trick her body into thinking it was done working for the day. And usually it would be, but not today. She could go a little bit further. She knew that she could. So she forced herself up from the ground, waving at Shirai to pull his attention to her. “I’m starting up again. I expect a good massage later.”
She had had the idea before her nap, something to mix it up, So this time she stood on one of a roughly five foot long log and placed her hands underneath it. She took a deep squat and stood, lifting the log with her. Then, slowly, she led her hands down the log, pushing it forward the whole time until it was standing vertical. And then tipping over, smashing onto the ground with a solid thud. The sound made her wince and she looked over at Shirai with a slight grin. “That’s gonna get annoying fast.”
But alas, she thought as she leaned down again, putting her hands in place before squatting, it was what it was. She needed to keep pushing her body but she also had to keep her mind from giving up. She had to keep both busy. Anything to keep her mind off of the pain her body was feeling. Her legs shook every time she contracted her muscles to lift the log to waist height. Her arms burned as she struggled to push the log upright, hand over hand, slowly but surely. She should have taken her shirt off, she thought, as the log crashed to the ground again, a cloud of dust billowing up.
“This is one of the stupidest things I’ve ever done,” Tsubaki panted as she stepped forward ack into a deep squat. She absolutely could not allow herself the rest that she wanted. She needed her body to do more. For so long she had been a victim. But not anymore. She was getting better at fighting but she needed to be able to keep fighting too. This was how she was going to do that. She could have found someone to spar with but that wasn’t really her thing.
So, raw physical output it was. Plus, she got to show off to her boyfriend. So despite the way her body begged she squatted down again and again, struggling to lift her own body weight let alone the weight of the log that pulled down on her shoulders. She begged her body, just a little bit more. She wasn’t satisfied yet. It wasn’t enough. Her hands were blistered, small splinters littered all over her hands. But that pain, something different from the muscle pain, helped to keep her focused.
She squatted down and stumbled, her body weight threatening to pull her backwards against the ground. She dug her fingers into the log, begging for purchase so that she would not hit the ground. The feeling was apparent. If she fell, she would not get up. So with all of the effort she could gather she held herself up, steadying her weight back on her feet. She settled her body weight as low as she possibly could to help her maintain her balance. And she stood in one huge burst of effort, lifting the log as high as she possibly could. Her hands frantically paddled one over the other and with one giant shove she knocked the log over again. The thud it made was intensly satisfying this time around.
“A really bad idea,” she said to Shirai with what appeared to be an attempt at a smirk.
She took a couple of minutes to watch Shirai train, glad he had decided to train instead of just sitting around. There was no telling when he was going to need more skills. His natural skills were fantastic but he hadn’t learned many of her chakra techniques since teaching him how to use them. For herself, she was still working on her body.
Lifting herself up the ground, Tsubaki looked around the clearing until she spotted her next and last goal of the day. One more burst of energy, she had one more. She went back to the log she had been flipping over and placed her hands on it and began pushing it. Rolling it this time instead of flipping it. Usually, it wouldn’t even have been hard for her. But her body was so sore, too tired, aching. So even this was hard to push.
The muscles in her arms, the muscles in her legs, the muscles in her back all flex at the same time as she slowly pushed against the log, rolling it across the clearing. It was easier to move than the stone was but it still wasn’t easy. Everything burned, everything ached and screamed and begged her to stop. But she wouldn’t let it. This was everything, everything to her. Getting stronger, strong enough so that no one would hurt her or the ones she loved again.
So step after step she pushed forward, grunting with every step, every bit of effort that she was exuding and didn’t want to be. Soon, she would reward herself. With good food, rest, and whatever else her aching body wanted. But not until she knew for certain that she had pushed her body as far as it could go. As far as she could push it. Because it was what she needed to be able to do when it mattered. So for that, she wouldn’t quit.
She glanced over to where Shirai was still training and called out to him, her voice clearly showing the strain and the pain that she was feeling. “After this,” she paused. “After I sleep.” She stopped again, heavy pants making it impossible to keep talking too much at once. “We should go to town. And get some ice cream.” She would literally saw off one of her feet for something cold like ice cream.
Glancing up, realizing she was only halfway across the clearing, she stopped trying to talk to Shirai and chose instead to focus on the task at hand. Because the faster she made it to the end of the clearing, the sooner she could be done. So she focused on her breathing, slow and deep breaths through her nose even as her body tried to gasp for air. She held each breath for as long as she could, only a few seconds, but as long as she could.
And then with as much control as she could muster, she blew the breath out. Through her nose, and it was supposed to be slow but it was heavy and fast. She pushed with her hands but she couldn’t move the log anymore. So she crashed against it with her shoulder and dug both of her feet into the ground and pushed with everything she had left. Slowly it moved forward, just a little bit at a time but it did move. A little bit at a time, just a little bit and she made it. She fell to the ground, groaning loudly, leaning her head back against it.
“Just gonna sleep right here.”
[Endurance Training 600/600]
[Endurance Training 603/600]
[First Quarter Event Discount -400 words]
She had had the idea before her nap, something to mix it up, So this time she stood on one of a roughly five foot long log and placed her hands underneath it. She took a deep squat and stood, lifting the log with her. Then, slowly, she led her hands down the log, pushing it forward the whole time until it was standing vertical. And then tipping over, smashing onto the ground with a solid thud. The sound made her wince and she looked over at Shirai with a slight grin. “That’s gonna get annoying fast.”
But alas, she thought as she leaned down again, putting her hands in place before squatting, it was what it was. She needed to keep pushing her body but she also had to keep her mind from giving up. She had to keep both busy. Anything to keep her mind off of the pain her body was feeling. Her legs shook every time she contracted her muscles to lift the log to waist height. Her arms burned as she struggled to push the log upright, hand over hand, slowly but surely. She should have taken her shirt off, she thought, as the log crashed to the ground again, a cloud of dust billowing up.
“This is one of the stupidest things I’ve ever done,” Tsubaki panted as she stepped forward ack into a deep squat. She absolutely could not allow herself the rest that she wanted. She needed her body to do more. For so long she had been a victim. But not anymore. She was getting better at fighting but she needed to be able to keep fighting too. This was how she was going to do that. She could have found someone to spar with but that wasn’t really her thing.
So, raw physical output it was. Plus, she got to show off to her boyfriend. So despite the way her body begged she squatted down again and again, struggling to lift her own body weight let alone the weight of the log that pulled down on her shoulders. She begged her body, just a little bit more. She wasn’t satisfied yet. It wasn’t enough. Her hands were blistered, small splinters littered all over her hands. But that pain, something different from the muscle pain, helped to keep her focused.
She squatted down and stumbled, her body weight threatening to pull her backwards against the ground. She dug her fingers into the log, begging for purchase so that she would not hit the ground. The feeling was apparent. If she fell, she would not get up. So with all of the effort she could gather she held herself up, steadying her weight back on her feet. She settled her body weight as low as she possibly could to help her maintain her balance. And she stood in one huge burst of effort, lifting the log as high as she possibly could. Her hands frantically paddled one over the other and with one giant shove she knocked the log over again. The thud it made was intensly satisfying this time around.
“A really bad idea,” she said to Shirai with what appeared to be an attempt at a smirk.
She took a couple of minutes to watch Shirai train, glad he had decided to train instead of just sitting around. There was no telling when he was going to need more skills. His natural skills were fantastic but he hadn’t learned many of her chakra techniques since teaching him how to use them. For herself, she was still working on her body.
Lifting herself up the ground, Tsubaki looked around the clearing until she spotted her next and last goal of the day. One more burst of energy, she had one more. She went back to the log she had been flipping over and placed her hands on it and began pushing it. Rolling it this time instead of flipping it. Usually, it wouldn’t even have been hard for her. But her body was so sore, too tired, aching. So even this was hard to push.
The muscles in her arms, the muscles in her legs, the muscles in her back all flex at the same time as she slowly pushed against the log, rolling it across the clearing. It was easier to move than the stone was but it still wasn’t easy. Everything burned, everything ached and screamed and begged her to stop. But she wouldn’t let it. This was everything, everything to her. Getting stronger, strong enough so that no one would hurt her or the ones she loved again.
So step after step she pushed forward, grunting with every step, every bit of effort that she was exuding and didn’t want to be. Soon, she would reward herself. With good food, rest, and whatever else her aching body wanted. But not until she knew for certain that she had pushed her body as far as it could go. As far as she could push it. Because it was what she needed to be able to do when it mattered. So for that, she wouldn’t quit.
She glanced over to where Shirai was still training and called out to him, her voice clearly showing the strain and the pain that she was feeling. “After this,” she paused. “After I sleep.” She stopped again, heavy pants making it impossible to keep talking too much at once. “We should go to town. And get some ice cream.” She would literally saw off one of her feet for something cold like ice cream.
Glancing up, realizing she was only halfway across the clearing, she stopped trying to talk to Shirai and chose instead to focus on the task at hand. Because the faster she made it to the end of the clearing, the sooner she could be done. So she focused on her breathing, slow and deep breaths through her nose even as her body tried to gasp for air. She held each breath for as long as she could, only a few seconds, but as long as she could.
And then with as much control as she could muster, she blew the breath out. Through her nose, and it was supposed to be slow but it was heavy and fast. She pushed with her hands but she couldn’t move the log anymore. So she crashed against it with her shoulder and dug both of her feet into the ground and pushed with everything she had left. Slowly it moved forward, just a little bit at a time but it did move. A little bit at a time, just a little bit and she made it. She fell to the ground, groaning loudly, leaning her head back against it.
“Just gonna sleep right here.”
[Endurance Training 600/600]
[Endurance Training 603/600]
[First Quarter Event Discount -400 words]
My CharactersShow
B-Rank MN • Katō, Tsubaki #A32638
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Do It For Your Pride
As he watched Tsubaki collapse from all the exercise she was doing, Shirai let out another yawn. She had apparently decided that now was a good time to take a nap and Shirai was eager to join her. Before he could get settled however, he could hear the frantic chirping of birds. Not wanting to wake up Tsubaki, he decided to go investigate. If worse came to worst and he was put in danger, he could always call out to his ninja girlfriend. It was one of the many perks of their relationship.
It did not take him long before he found the source of the chirping. A small group of birds surrounded an injured one and were seemingly calling out for help. It was odd behavior, but Shirai did not make a habit of trying to understand what goes through the minds of animals. With a shrug, he grabbed his supplies and made his way over to the injured bird. The chirping birds mistook him for a predator however and began to swarm him.
“Hey I’m trying to help, dumbasses!”
Irritated, he waved some of them away but they did not relent. Sighing, he assessed the injured bird the best he could through all the chaos. The poor guy had a broken leg and an open wound on his chest. This wasn’t an injury that he could just treat and leave. It was his duty as a medic to take care of the injured, however, so despite the fact that the birds were doing everything possible to keep their friend from getting medical attention, he pushed through.
Shirai tuned out the chaos and focused solely on treating the injured bird. He quickly cleaned and bandaged the wound on the injured bird. Even as the birds began to peck at him, he did not allow himself to lose focus. Next, he fashioned a splint out of what little he had to work with and treated the broken leg. After a successful operation, he allowed himself to feel the pain of all the pecks and scratches across his arms, back, and shoulders. It was only then that he realized that the birds had stopped. They were no longer chirping and swarming. Confused, he looked around to find an elderly man with the birds from earlier in a cage.
“I’m sorry about that, young man. I’ve trained these birds for a very specific task. They’re not used to being around people. I can’t thank you enough for saving one of them.”
“Don’t worry about it. I couldn’t just sit here and let the guy suffer. Do you have it from here?”
“Of course. Unfortunately I don’t have my money with me, otherwise I’d pay you. Where can I find you?”
“I don’t really charge for this stuff nowadays. Just make sure this one rests and heals up and that’ll be thanks enough.”
With a smile, he packed up and started walking away despite the old man’s protests. Waving away the man’s worries, he said goodbye and made his way back to where Tsubaki was. His wounds were superficial so he figured he could hide them fairly easily. The last thing he wanted was for Tsubaki to go all doctor mode on him. With a smile on his face, he noticed that she was still sleeping. Maybe he’d have time for a nap after all.
(I’ll do the math later = 400 Word Jutsu Training)
(More than 400/400)
It did not take him long before he found the source of the chirping. A small group of birds surrounded an injured one and were seemingly calling out for help. It was odd behavior, but Shirai did not make a habit of trying to understand what goes through the minds of animals. With a shrug, he grabbed his supplies and made his way over to the injured bird. The chirping birds mistook him for a predator however and began to swarm him.
“Hey I’m trying to help, dumbasses!”
Irritated, he waved some of them away but they did not relent. Sighing, he assessed the injured bird the best he could through all the chaos. The poor guy had a broken leg and an open wound on his chest. This wasn’t an injury that he could just treat and leave. It was his duty as a medic to take care of the injured, however, so despite the fact that the birds were doing everything possible to keep their friend from getting medical attention, he pushed through.
Shirai tuned out the chaos and focused solely on treating the injured bird. He quickly cleaned and bandaged the wound on the injured bird. Even as the birds began to peck at him, he did not allow himself to lose focus. Next, he fashioned a splint out of what little he had to work with and treated the broken leg. After a successful operation, he allowed himself to feel the pain of all the pecks and scratches across his arms, back, and shoulders. It was only then that he realized that the birds had stopped. They were no longer chirping and swarming. Confused, he looked around to find an elderly man with the birds from earlier in a cage.
“I’m sorry about that, young man. I’ve trained these birds for a very specific task. They’re not used to being around people. I can’t thank you enough for saving one of them.”
“Don’t worry about it. I couldn’t just sit here and let the guy suffer. Do you have it from here?”
“Of course. Unfortunately I don’t have my money with me, otherwise I’d pay you. Where can I find you?”
“I don’t really charge for this stuff nowadays. Just make sure this one rests and heals up and that’ll be thanks enough.”
With a smile, he packed up and started walking away despite the old man’s protests. Waving away the man’s worries, he said goodbye and made his way back to where Tsubaki was. His wounds were superficial so he figured he could hide them fairly easily. The last thing he wanted was for Tsubaki to go all doctor mode on him. With a smile on his face, he noticed that she was still sleeping. Maybe he’d have time for a nap after all.
(I’ll do the math later = 400 Word Jutsu Training)
(More than 400/400)
CharactersShow
Itotsuki, Abari Kirigakure Chuunin [color=#80a0ff]
Akio B-rank Other Countries [color=#ee4a2d]
Nara, Daisuke D-Rank Missing nin [color=#E4EC32]
Kisama, Yutaka Heart Empire Akibushi [color=#BF0000]
Akari, Touji Iwagakure Genin [color=#C0C0C0]
Akio B-rank Other Countries [color=#ee4a2d]
Nara, Daisuke D-Rank Missing nin [color=#E4EC32]
Kisama, Yutaka Heart Empire Akibushi [color=#BF0000]
Akari, Touji Iwagakure Genin [color=#C0C0C0]
Do It For Your Pride
Two days later, Tsubaki stood on the outside of the clearing, stretching her legs. She hated running. But she still needed to be faster. She had already worked on her technique for not losing speed. For not losing momentum. But now, she just needed to be faster and to be able to be faster for longer. “Thanks for coming back out with me,” she said to Shirai as she hopped up and down on her toes. “Now, prepare to be astounded by my speed.
With that, Tsubaki started running. Trees and other landmarks blurred past her. It was still crazy to her, running this fast. She had mostly recovered from her training the other day, her muscles healed and ready for more punishment. Power flooded through her legs, through her chest, her arms as they pumped at her sides. A split second time and time again was all it took for her to weave her way through the makeshift trail she had worked out. Time after time she passed by the starting point again, raising a hand to Shirai every time.
She thought about how much she needed this. How minutes, seconds, milliseconds could be the difference between life and death. Not just on the battlefield, but everywhere. The nearby town knew that she and Shirai were in this camp and they had, more than once, sent someone to call for help. Once, Tsubaki had almost been too late. It was the same when she was in town and the crew needed help. It was so hard to be in two places at once. But with just a little bit more speed, she was positive that it would be almost as good as being in two places at once. Not perfect, but nothing could ever be perfect.
That certainly didn’t mean that she would stop trying though. Tsubaki didn’t think of anything other than her goals as she focused on the way her feet felt pounding into the ground. Sticks snapped under her feet, stones pressed into the ground. She felt alive. Like she was never going to stop or slow down. And in fact, she was not slowing down at all. The longer she ran the more adept she got at using her chakra to make herself go faster. It was like…she couldn’t explain it. She couldn’t explain how it helped. But all she knew was that the seconds it took to circle around to the starting point were lessening. And it was everything she could have hoped for and more.
“You’ll never be able to catch me now!” She shouted to Shirai during a quick stretching break. She stuck her tongue out at him and blew a few raspberries his way before running off again. She tuned into the way her body felt, the way her lungs didn’t burn as she flew through the air. The path she had been running was almost smoothed completely out by her feet. Treading the same path, over and over again. Still, she knew this wasn’t her limit. She knew that she could do more. be more. She loved the way her muscles came alive. Her thighs were starting to burn, just a little bit.
But it wasn’t bad. It was a sign that she was reaching her current maximum, her current best. But she wanted to be more than her best so she kept pushing, embracing the burn of her muscles. Of the way all of her body worked together to move at maximum efficiency. She leaped forward with every step, pushing herself to go further with each step. As far as possible, her legs stretching and stretching. Until her count made it obvious that she was definitely moving faster.
Once she was sure she had improved, she took a short break and walked over to where Shirai was waiting. “You’ve been doing good over here. I want to get one more set in then we can head back.” She gave him a quick kiss before going back to the worn down trail she had created. She knew that she couldn’t just keep running and expect to get better. So she thought to herself, what she needed, was more weight. To train her body to run at the speed she currently could with more weight. So that when the weight was gone she would be faster just like she wanted.
Hefting a not too large log up onto her shoulders, Tsubaki began running. Instantly, it had an immediate effect. She was slower. Not a crazy amount, but enough that it was noticeable. So she focused heavily on the push and pull of her muscles, especially her calves and thighs. They started burning more in the first five minutes than they had the entire previous run. That extra thirty pounds from the log was having a major effect. She kept her abdomen engaged, making sure that her back wasn’t taking the strain of the log. And because of that she kept running.
She couldn’t pump her arms because she was holding the log so she had to change her stance just slightly. She kept her body leaned slightly forward and she made sure to lift her knees as high as she could. She also made sure to keep her strides as long as she could, wasting no time with her feet on the ground. As soon as one foot hit the ground she was bounding off of it, in contact with the ground for only a few milliseconds.
For the first time that day her breaths started coming in real harsh sounds. Heavy, deep breaths. But still, it wasn’t bad. It made her feel alive and good. Healthy. Her times were longer than before but not so much longer that she was worried. She knew that she could do it. Already, each lap, even though it was only seconds at a time she was improving. Shaving time off little bit by little bit. She took in large deep breaths, letting the oxygen fill her lungs and propel her forward. She didn’t let herself stop. There were no more breaks. No more time off. She was going to do what she needed to do right now.
It only took a few more laps for her to make it back to her initial speed. But she felt like she could go further. So she kept running, kept trying to improve. If she could shave off any more time it would be perfect. She would be able to be even faster. So she did. One second, two seconds, then eventually more. And then when she plateaued for several laps she threw the log off to the side.
It was like night and day. Instantly, her speed increased. She felt like she was flying through the forest, speed incarnate. She shouted to Shirai, joy clearly lined in her voice. “Now I know for sure, no one can catch me! I’ll race you back to the camp!” She heard Shirai laughing at her from the center of the clearing but Tsubaki wasn’t ready to stop quite yet. So several more laps she took, enjoying the freedom she felt as her body performed exactly as she wanted it to. There was nothing that could deter her, she felt. Nothing that could slow her down. Not even her brain could stop her when her body worked this well. She lifted her face up to the sky and took a large breath, holding her arms out.
[Speed Training 619/600]
[Speed Training 627/600]
[First Quarter Event Discount -400 words]
With that, Tsubaki started running. Trees and other landmarks blurred past her. It was still crazy to her, running this fast. She had mostly recovered from her training the other day, her muscles healed and ready for more punishment. Power flooded through her legs, through her chest, her arms as they pumped at her sides. A split second time and time again was all it took for her to weave her way through the makeshift trail she had worked out. Time after time she passed by the starting point again, raising a hand to Shirai every time.
She thought about how much she needed this. How minutes, seconds, milliseconds could be the difference between life and death. Not just on the battlefield, but everywhere. The nearby town knew that she and Shirai were in this camp and they had, more than once, sent someone to call for help. Once, Tsubaki had almost been too late. It was the same when she was in town and the crew needed help. It was so hard to be in two places at once. But with just a little bit more speed, she was positive that it would be almost as good as being in two places at once. Not perfect, but nothing could ever be perfect.
That certainly didn’t mean that she would stop trying though. Tsubaki didn’t think of anything other than her goals as she focused on the way her feet felt pounding into the ground. Sticks snapped under her feet, stones pressed into the ground. She felt alive. Like she was never going to stop or slow down. And in fact, she was not slowing down at all. The longer she ran the more adept she got at using her chakra to make herself go faster. It was like…she couldn’t explain it. She couldn’t explain how it helped. But all she knew was that the seconds it took to circle around to the starting point were lessening. And it was everything she could have hoped for and more.
“You’ll never be able to catch me now!” She shouted to Shirai during a quick stretching break. She stuck her tongue out at him and blew a few raspberries his way before running off again. She tuned into the way her body felt, the way her lungs didn’t burn as she flew through the air. The path she had been running was almost smoothed completely out by her feet. Treading the same path, over and over again. Still, she knew this wasn’t her limit. She knew that she could do more. be more. She loved the way her muscles came alive. Her thighs were starting to burn, just a little bit.
But it wasn’t bad. It was a sign that she was reaching her current maximum, her current best. But she wanted to be more than her best so she kept pushing, embracing the burn of her muscles. Of the way all of her body worked together to move at maximum efficiency. She leaped forward with every step, pushing herself to go further with each step. As far as possible, her legs stretching and stretching. Until her count made it obvious that she was definitely moving faster.
Once she was sure she had improved, she took a short break and walked over to where Shirai was waiting. “You’ve been doing good over here. I want to get one more set in then we can head back.” She gave him a quick kiss before going back to the worn down trail she had created. She knew that she couldn’t just keep running and expect to get better. So she thought to herself, what she needed, was more weight. To train her body to run at the speed she currently could with more weight. So that when the weight was gone she would be faster just like she wanted.
Hefting a not too large log up onto her shoulders, Tsubaki began running. Instantly, it had an immediate effect. She was slower. Not a crazy amount, but enough that it was noticeable. So she focused heavily on the push and pull of her muscles, especially her calves and thighs. They started burning more in the first five minutes than they had the entire previous run. That extra thirty pounds from the log was having a major effect. She kept her abdomen engaged, making sure that her back wasn’t taking the strain of the log. And because of that she kept running.
She couldn’t pump her arms because she was holding the log so she had to change her stance just slightly. She kept her body leaned slightly forward and she made sure to lift her knees as high as she could. She also made sure to keep her strides as long as she could, wasting no time with her feet on the ground. As soon as one foot hit the ground she was bounding off of it, in contact with the ground for only a few milliseconds.
For the first time that day her breaths started coming in real harsh sounds. Heavy, deep breaths. But still, it wasn’t bad. It made her feel alive and good. Healthy. Her times were longer than before but not so much longer that she was worried. She knew that she could do it. Already, each lap, even though it was only seconds at a time she was improving. Shaving time off little bit by little bit. She took in large deep breaths, letting the oxygen fill her lungs and propel her forward. She didn’t let herself stop. There were no more breaks. No more time off. She was going to do what she needed to do right now.
It only took a few more laps for her to make it back to her initial speed. But she felt like she could go further. So she kept running, kept trying to improve. If she could shave off any more time it would be perfect. She would be able to be even faster. So she did. One second, two seconds, then eventually more. And then when she plateaued for several laps she threw the log off to the side.
It was like night and day. Instantly, her speed increased. She felt like she was flying through the forest, speed incarnate. She shouted to Shirai, joy clearly lined in her voice. “Now I know for sure, no one can catch me! I’ll race you back to the camp!” She heard Shirai laughing at her from the center of the clearing but Tsubaki wasn’t ready to stop quite yet. So several more laps she took, enjoying the freedom she felt as her body performed exactly as she wanted it to. There was nothing that could deter her, she felt. Nothing that could slow her down. Not even her brain could stop her when her body worked this well. She lifted her face up to the sky and took a large breath, holding her arms out.
[Speed Training 619/600]
[Speed Training 627/600]
[First Quarter Event Discount -400 words]
My CharactersShow
B-Rank MN • Katō, Tsubaki #A32638
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Do It For Your Pride
Tsubaki stretched, pulling her arms across her chest. She waved over at Shirai who had decided to join her again. Together, but each doing their own thing. Another day, more work to be done. After she was comfortable with the stretch in her arms and shoulders, Tsubaki dropped to the ground on her hands and toe tips. Keeping her core tight, she lowered her body down until her elbows were at a ninety degree angle. And without slowing down she continued the motion. She knew that she could do push-ups for quite a long time so this was less about how many she could do but ensuring her form was perfect so that she could add more weight. Similar to her training in running, she was certain that by adding more weight she could increase her strength faster than just doing them until she was tired. Plus, it would probably be much faster.
Once she was confident that there was no possible way for her to improve her form she got the weights. With Akio’s help she had shaved down some stones so that they were flat and drilled holes in each side. Using some rope, she was able affix the stone to her back so that it would not slide off. Once it was secured she got back into position and began working out again. At first, it didn’t really seem like enough weight which was fine, she had more, but she wanted to give it time. And it was very good that she did because it only took about twenty minutes for the strain to set in. When usually, it would have taken several times that long. Since she had already perfected her form all she had to focus on was maintaining it and breathing. Keeping her core tight and a straight line from her ankles to her shoulders. She didn’t let her back bow inwards or outwards.
She was careful to keep her body weight steady on the up and the down movement of the exercise move. She didn’t let her weight fall too fast and she was careful to not spring up so quickly so that she lost form. Her abs and shoulders had started a slow burn, one that was not yet entirely unpleasant. It told her that her plan was working and that she was already making upward movements in her current regime. The most uncomfortable part of the whole thing was the stone digging into her back. She would have to add some padding as she upped the weight, she noted to herself. For now, she wanted to see if she could push this new weight to the max.
Even as her arms slowly began to tremble she didn’t lose form but she did start to slow down. She was careful to not stop for too long at either the top or the bottom of the move but she couldn’t help the fact that she was moving slower. But she knew that once she started to stop that she would be almost done. She wanted to push herself to the limit though so rather than taking a break and coming back to add more weight, she kept going. The down was still easy enough but as she went up, the struggle had started. Her body fought against gravity, her arms threatening to collapse beneath her. But it wasn’t time yet. She narrowed her focus so that all she could think of was her breath. As she sunk down towards the ground, her chest burning, breathing in so slowly along with the motion. And on the way up, breathing outwards, as though she could blow so hard against the ground that it would help propel her up wards. That was all she had though, her body finally crashing down as she spread her limbs out, breathing deeply.
It was only a short rest later before Tsubaki was ready for another go at it, but this time with a few changes. She wanted to up the weight again for sure but she wanted to work on a few different forms first. So that she could reach a few additional muscle groups. Retying the weight to her back, this time with a cloth between the weight and her back, she got back into position. This time though she kept her arms at a much wider stance. As she went down she felt it way more in her chest and towards the middle of her back. This wasn’t a new form for her so she was very used to the way that it felt. But the extra weight was a lot for this position. She knew that she would never be able to go as long like this as she could with the normal push ups. But she wasn’t going to quit just because it was hard.
Everything was always hard. That didn’t mean you stopped trying to get better. So she was persistent. Following the same method as before, focusing on her breathing and keeping her form correct, Tsubaki did push up after push up. The time of rest had helped a lot but her muscles hadn’t fully recovered so she knew that she was going to get tired way faster than she had gotten tired before. But she would deal with that when she got there. For now, she was only consistent. If there was anything that Tsubaki excelled at it was being consistent. It was how she had gotten through most of her life. Forcing herself to be consistent.
She breathed deeply through the pain, doing her best to ignore the shaking in her arms. The burning that radiated down the entire length of her body now, whereas before it had been focused in her shoulders only. She could feel herself trying to make it easier on herself. The desire to not go quite all the way down, to let her back bow in to take some of the weight off. The urge to not go quite as high. But she refused to let herself compromise. If she wasn’t going to do it right then she might as well stop. And she certainly wasn’t going to do that.
Unlike before, this set of exercises would not be finished quietly. Tsubaki couldn’t help but to let out a small grunt with every upward movement that she made. It helped to ground her, to remind her what she was doing was important. It kept from from drifting too far away from her body where she would be more likely to compromise and make a dumb decision.
She knew that she was nearing the end. Soon, her arms would give out. Not only from the extra weight but from all of the work that she had done that day. It had all added up. But she wanted to get at least to the same number that she had gotten to before. It wouldn’t be exact, but close. So she estimated how many more she needed to do and she started the countdown. It wasn’t easy, but it did make it easier. It made it easier to push through the shaking limbs and the burning in her chest. To be able to know it was almost over. The last five were somehow the hardest. Because it was easy to say just stop now. But she forced her muscles to keep working, her form to hold out.
And when they did, when they did what she asked of them, she fell to the ground and stayed there until her arms stopped shaking. Calling out to Shirai "When will this stop being so hard?"
“Can you go get me some water?” Shirai had offered to run back to camp for supplies and it was the only thing that she needed. The strength training was going great but it was way too early to stop now. They had been camping out in the area training. It just made it easier. She had spent the morning rigging up a device for her new training method. She hooked up all five of the plates that she had and wrapped the rope around her shoulders, holding the ends in her hands. And then, bracing her feet on the ground, she began moving forward. She coughed with the sudden exertion, briefly wondering if she should have started with less weight. But, where would the challenge be in that. So instead of releasing some of the weights she just doubled down and dug in harder. She wasn’t going to make the mistake of only training strength in her arms, her legs needed strength too.
It would help her a lot with her running and speed as well as any physical attacks she needed to perform. She made sure that she kept her knees bent and her back straight, directing her strength and power straight to her feet versus putting any strain at all on her back. That would be a sure fire way to end up hurting herself. She tried to balance the extra weight between her shoulders and her legs. She kept her body at a steady angle and tried to balance on the balls of her toes as she used her forward facing angle to press forwards. The stones dragged dirt along with them, forcing her to keep a constant pressure. There was no way to build up momentum with the constant rolling pile of dirt. That was preferred though. If she built up a bunch of momentum then it wouldn’t make a very good strength training exercise.
She caught the bottle of water Shirai tossed at her and took a drink without stopping her trail. Around and around she walked the clearing, plowing a trail of soft dirt behind her. She had the brief thought that when she was done, she should come back and plant something there. Maybe some vegetables. Thinking about that helped to distract her from the intensity of the workout. Her thighs were on fire, way more than they had been during pushups. Probably because she was using some of the same muscles that were still in recovery mode. After, she would have to try to find something that would give those muscles a rest so they could truly recover.
She knew things were going to be over soon when her feet started to slip beneath her as she struggled to find traction. It was so hard to find traction in the soft tilled earth that she had created. But all the better to struggle than for it to be too easy. So with each step she dug her toes in a little harder and put her head down a little more. She increased the angle of her body so that she could press forward just a little harder, build up the dirt behind her toes. Basically, create a little landing pad of dirt to press off of. She heaved forward, pressing against the rope around her shoulders as hard as she could. It dug into her skin but she ignored as she neared the starting point. Ten laps. That seemed like a good place to stop for a break. One final jog forward pressing as hard as she could, Tsubaki fell to her knees. Enjoying another deep drink from her bottle.
After a short break Tsubaki untied the ropes from her shoulders and looked around the clearing, trying to decide how to continue. Her legs needed a break so something that was just for her upper body. Nothing wrong with some simple presses, she supposed. It was boring but it suited exactly what she was wanting to accomplish. Using the rope she securely bound three of the plates together and situated herself on a somewhat flat log with her feet balanced on either side of it. She made sure that her feet were flat and situated at a good angle. Then, she leaned down and grabbed the tightly tied bundle of weight and pulled it gently into her lap. She leaned backwards, balancing herself on the log. Once she was settled, she pulled the plates over her body and held them right above her chest.
With a firm breath out, Tsubaki lifted the plates over her head until her arms were fully extended but not locked in place. With a slow breath in, she then allowed the plates to move back downwards towards her chest. She held them just a couple of inches above her chest before heaving them back upwards. She focused on keeping her form and also, almost more importantly, never stopping at the top or the bottom of the move. There was a certain momentum that she simply had to keep. It didn’t matter so much right now, when her arms were mostly rested and ready to go but when she started to get tired it would be important to keep the momentum going.
She kept her eyes glued up at the sky, occasionally glancing at her grip or down at her feet or abs to make sure her positioning was holding. When she verified, she went back to focusing on the weights in her hands. She focused on activating as many muscles in her chest and arms that she could, making small adjustments to the angles in her wrists and the positioning in her arms. Every time she felt herself start to drift forwards or backwards she made sure to recenter herself again. If her arms got too far off center it would be all too easy for the weights to slip from her grasp. Now, she would obviously be able to catch them but still. It would be embarrassing, especially if Shirai saw.
Once the familiar ache started, Tsubaki took extra care to keep her pace. Her arms trembled just slightly as she reached two hundred count which was pretty good for her. Usually, it took around three hundred but with this extra weight she was pretty proud of herself. Her breathing got a little more exaggerated as she pressed the weights up with a large push, being careful to not let them fall too fast back to her body. She didn’t need any embarrassing mistakes like that either. She was getting tired, her arms hurting, but she wanted to get higher.
She was feeling so good that she was sure she could get at least fifty more in. So she narrowed her focus to only the movements in her arms. Up and down, up and down. She didn’t give herself any time to break. Even as her lungs burned and her arms ached she knew that she could reach her next goal. All that existed was the weights. All that mattered was the next step. Tsubaki heaved, a low groan coming from her mouth as she reached the apex again, letting the weights fall slowly. A second time, a huge groan leaving her mouth again, Tsubaki completed the set. She sat up slowly, balancing the weights on her lap before sliding them to the ground. One more set. One more and she could finally take a real break.
[Strength Training 624/600]
[Strength Training 620/600]
[Strength Training 609/600]
[Strength Training 633/600]
[First Quarter Event Discount -400 words]
Once she was confident that there was no possible way for her to improve her form she got the weights. With Akio’s help she had shaved down some stones so that they were flat and drilled holes in each side. Using some rope, she was able affix the stone to her back so that it would not slide off. Once it was secured she got back into position and began working out again. At first, it didn’t really seem like enough weight which was fine, she had more, but she wanted to give it time. And it was very good that she did because it only took about twenty minutes for the strain to set in. When usually, it would have taken several times that long. Since she had already perfected her form all she had to focus on was maintaining it and breathing. Keeping her core tight and a straight line from her ankles to her shoulders. She didn’t let her back bow inwards or outwards.
She was careful to keep her body weight steady on the up and the down movement of the exercise move. She didn’t let her weight fall too fast and she was careful to not spring up so quickly so that she lost form. Her abs and shoulders had started a slow burn, one that was not yet entirely unpleasant. It told her that her plan was working and that she was already making upward movements in her current regime. The most uncomfortable part of the whole thing was the stone digging into her back. She would have to add some padding as she upped the weight, she noted to herself. For now, she wanted to see if she could push this new weight to the max.
Even as her arms slowly began to tremble she didn’t lose form but she did start to slow down. She was careful to not stop for too long at either the top or the bottom of the move but she couldn’t help the fact that she was moving slower. But she knew that once she started to stop that she would be almost done. She wanted to push herself to the limit though so rather than taking a break and coming back to add more weight, she kept going. The down was still easy enough but as she went up, the struggle had started. Her body fought against gravity, her arms threatening to collapse beneath her. But it wasn’t time yet. She narrowed her focus so that all she could think of was her breath. As she sunk down towards the ground, her chest burning, breathing in so slowly along with the motion. And on the way up, breathing outwards, as though she could blow so hard against the ground that it would help propel her up wards. That was all she had though, her body finally crashing down as she spread her limbs out, breathing deeply.
It was only a short rest later before Tsubaki was ready for another go at it, but this time with a few changes. She wanted to up the weight again for sure but she wanted to work on a few different forms first. So that she could reach a few additional muscle groups. Retying the weight to her back, this time with a cloth between the weight and her back, she got back into position. This time though she kept her arms at a much wider stance. As she went down she felt it way more in her chest and towards the middle of her back. This wasn’t a new form for her so she was very used to the way that it felt. But the extra weight was a lot for this position. She knew that she would never be able to go as long like this as she could with the normal push ups. But she wasn’t going to quit just because it was hard.
Everything was always hard. That didn’t mean you stopped trying to get better. So she was persistent. Following the same method as before, focusing on her breathing and keeping her form correct, Tsubaki did push up after push up. The time of rest had helped a lot but her muscles hadn’t fully recovered so she knew that she was going to get tired way faster than she had gotten tired before. But she would deal with that when she got there. For now, she was only consistent. If there was anything that Tsubaki excelled at it was being consistent. It was how she had gotten through most of her life. Forcing herself to be consistent.
She breathed deeply through the pain, doing her best to ignore the shaking in her arms. The burning that radiated down the entire length of her body now, whereas before it had been focused in her shoulders only. She could feel herself trying to make it easier on herself. The desire to not go quite all the way down, to let her back bow in to take some of the weight off. The urge to not go quite as high. But she refused to let herself compromise. If she wasn’t going to do it right then she might as well stop. And she certainly wasn’t going to do that.
Unlike before, this set of exercises would not be finished quietly. Tsubaki couldn’t help but to let out a small grunt with every upward movement that she made. It helped to ground her, to remind her what she was doing was important. It kept from from drifting too far away from her body where she would be more likely to compromise and make a dumb decision.
She knew that she was nearing the end. Soon, her arms would give out. Not only from the extra weight but from all of the work that she had done that day. It had all added up. But she wanted to get at least to the same number that she had gotten to before. It wouldn’t be exact, but close. So she estimated how many more she needed to do and she started the countdown. It wasn’t easy, but it did make it easier. It made it easier to push through the shaking limbs and the burning in her chest. To be able to know it was almost over. The last five were somehow the hardest. Because it was easy to say just stop now. But she forced her muscles to keep working, her form to hold out.
And when they did, when they did what she asked of them, she fell to the ground and stayed there until her arms stopped shaking. Calling out to Shirai "When will this stop being so hard?"
“Can you go get me some water?” Shirai had offered to run back to camp for supplies and it was the only thing that she needed. The strength training was going great but it was way too early to stop now. They had been camping out in the area training. It just made it easier. She had spent the morning rigging up a device for her new training method. She hooked up all five of the plates that she had and wrapped the rope around her shoulders, holding the ends in her hands. And then, bracing her feet on the ground, she began moving forward. She coughed with the sudden exertion, briefly wondering if she should have started with less weight. But, where would the challenge be in that. So instead of releasing some of the weights she just doubled down and dug in harder. She wasn’t going to make the mistake of only training strength in her arms, her legs needed strength too.
It would help her a lot with her running and speed as well as any physical attacks she needed to perform. She made sure that she kept her knees bent and her back straight, directing her strength and power straight to her feet versus putting any strain at all on her back. That would be a sure fire way to end up hurting herself. She tried to balance the extra weight between her shoulders and her legs. She kept her body at a steady angle and tried to balance on the balls of her toes as she used her forward facing angle to press forwards. The stones dragged dirt along with them, forcing her to keep a constant pressure. There was no way to build up momentum with the constant rolling pile of dirt. That was preferred though. If she built up a bunch of momentum then it wouldn’t make a very good strength training exercise.
She caught the bottle of water Shirai tossed at her and took a drink without stopping her trail. Around and around she walked the clearing, plowing a trail of soft dirt behind her. She had the brief thought that when she was done, she should come back and plant something there. Maybe some vegetables. Thinking about that helped to distract her from the intensity of the workout. Her thighs were on fire, way more than they had been during pushups. Probably because she was using some of the same muscles that were still in recovery mode. After, she would have to try to find something that would give those muscles a rest so they could truly recover.
She knew things were going to be over soon when her feet started to slip beneath her as she struggled to find traction. It was so hard to find traction in the soft tilled earth that she had created. But all the better to struggle than for it to be too easy. So with each step she dug her toes in a little harder and put her head down a little more. She increased the angle of her body so that she could press forward just a little harder, build up the dirt behind her toes. Basically, create a little landing pad of dirt to press off of. She heaved forward, pressing against the rope around her shoulders as hard as she could. It dug into her skin but she ignored as she neared the starting point. Ten laps. That seemed like a good place to stop for a break. One final jog forward pressing as hard as she could, Tsubaki fell to her knees. Enjoying another deep drink from her bottle.
After a short break Tsubaki untied the ropes from her shoulders and looked around the clearing, trying to decide how to continue. Her legs needed a break so something that was just for her upper body. Nothing wrong with some simple presses, she supposed. It was boring but it suited exactly what she was wanting to accomplish. Using the rope she securely bound three of the plates together and situated herself on a somewhat flat log with her feet balanced on either side of it. She made sure that her feet were flat and situated at a good angle. Then, she leaned down and grabbed the tightly tied bundle of weight and pulled it gently into her lap. She leaned backwards, balancing herself on the log. Once she was settled, she pulled the plates over her body and held them right above her chest.
With a firm breath out, Tsubaki lifted the plates over her head until her arms were fully extended but not locked in place. With a slow breath in, she then allowed the plates to move back downwards towards her chest. She held them just a couple of inches above her chest before heaving them back upwards. She focused on keeping her form and also, almost more importantly, never stopping at the top or the bottom of the move. There was a certain momentum that she simply had to keep. It didn’t matter so much right now, when her arms were mostly rested and ready to go but when she started to get tired it would be important to keep the momentum going.
She kept her eyes glued up at the sky, occasionally glancing at her grip or down at her feet or abs to make sure her positioning was holding. When she verified, she went back to focusing on the weights in her hands. She focused on activating as many muscles in her chest and arms that she could, making small adjustments to the angles in her wrists and the positioning in her arms. Every time she felt herself start to drift forwards or backwards she made sure to recenter herself again. If her arms got too far off center it would be all too easy for the weights to slip from her grasp. Now, she would obviously be able to catch them but still. It would be embarrassing, especially if Shirai saw.
Once the familiar ache started, Tsubaki took extra care to keep her pace. Her arms trembled just slightly as she reached two hundred count which was pretty good for her. Usually, it took around three hundred but with this extra weight she was pretty proud of herself. Her breathing got a little more exaggerated as she pressed the weights up with a large push, being careful to not let them fall too fast back to her body. She didn’t need any embarrassing mistakes like that either. She was getting tired, her arms hurting, but she wanted to get higher.
She was feeling so good that she was sure she could get at least fifty more in. So she narrowed her focus to only the movements in her arms. Up and down, up and down. She didn’t give herself any time to break. Even as her lungs burned and her arms ached she knew that she could reach her next goal. All that existed was the weights. All that mattered was the next step. Tsubaki heaved, a low groan coming from her mouth as she reached the apex again, letting the weights fall slowly. A second time, a huge groan leaving her mouth again, Tsubaki completed the set. She sat up slowly, balancing the weights on her lap before sliding them to the ground. One more set. One more and she could finally take a real break.
[Strength Training 624/600]
[Strength Training 620/600]
[Strength Training 609/600]
[Strength Training 633/600]
[First Quarter Event Discount -400 words]
Last edited by Amy on Sun Mar 31, 2024 6:38 pm, edited 2 times in total.
My CharactersShow
B-Rank MN • Katō, Tsubaki #A32638
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80
Sp. Jounin • Kirigakure no Sato • Araki Kiyo #DDA0DD
Akibushi • Heart Empire • Kimura, Misaki #FF80BF
Genin • Iwagakure no Sato • Kazuma #00BF80