Eye of the Storm

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Takumi
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Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2015 7:00 pm

Eye of the Storm

Post by Takumi » Tue Dec 15, 2015 4:27 pm

Chapter I: Baptism by Fire

Arashi Takumi woke up at dawn in his cozy attic room. He quickly washed up before opening the shutters to his windows. He had two windows, one facing the street, and the other facing the courtyard directly outside his home. The quiet street was empty and dark. On the other hand, the courtyard and the rest of the compound was already bustling with activity in the early twilight hours.

The so-called Arashi Compound was a small block in the outskirts of the Military District. It included most of Takumi’s extended family, as well as some families that had strong and historical ties to the Arashi family, especially the Dokuyaku household, who were one of the main suppliers of poisons in Kirigakure no Sato. Even though the Arashi house was neither a Great Family nor a large Clan, its shared, communal focus based on social and religious values tied the families together and allowed them to develop a decently sized compound, not to mention their unique skill sets as shinobi. The compound included housing for many families, a large temple, courtyard, multiple dojos, greenhouses, a small clinic and a large library. The family businesses, including the selling of medical supplies and poisons, as well as other knickknacks, were located on the outskirts of the compound, on the main roads. Aside from the compound, the clan or their business partners own land in each ring of the village and some property throughout Mizu no Kuni, including a few secret bunkers and greenhouses used to develop poisons and antidotes. Because the Arashi house had never officially joined any one of the Five Families, the household allowed its members to sign on to any family it wished. This gave the Arashi house the rare chance to work with multiple families and develop enough wealth to have a stable base of operations.

As the sky was brightening, many Arashi members headed into the temple or knelt out in the courtyard to say a morning prayer. Through the centuries, the Arashi had developed their own religion, which Takumi practiced. The basic tenets of the religion focused on three deities, Banrai, Makaze and Nanmei. Each god represented one of the three elements sacred to every Arashi member: Lightning, Wind and Water. And to complete the trio of sacred trios, the Arashi family members also worshipped three animals, the Thunderbird, a mythical being that is said to carry Banrai and bring storms, the turtle, the protective being and personal companion of Nanmei, and the shark, a being that, like some Arashi members who have developed their sacred and secret doujutsu, can detect electromagnetic waves. Taku himself always felt that the shark was a little heavy-handed, but some of his fellow family members embraced the violent nature of the oceanic predator. For some sects, the title “Samebito” – “Shark-man” was a great honor given only to the most vicious members of the faith. Those vicious sects never appealed to Takumi, who always favored the other aspects of the Arashi faith. Taku meditated for a few minutes, allowing for a short, thoughtful prayer to Nanmei to protect him.

After his prayer, Takumi headed downstairs to meet his parents, already up and active. His kind-hearted mother laid out a breakfast of rice, miso soup, and fish. Taku thanked his mother with a kiss on the cheek and got to work on his breakfast. He had a full day ahead of himself. Meanwhile, Takumi's mother, Arashi Kasumi grabbed her medical bag. "Alright, men, I'm off to the clinic. Taku, be good to your father, he's still recovering from his last mission." She then walked over to her husband, sitting on a chair. She gave him a quick kiss, then left, off to the small clinic the Arashi and Dokuyaku families run in the slums. Taku waved goodbye as he continued to eat. When Takumi had finished and cleaned his dishes, his father, Arashi Masaru, called him over. "Come, Taku, sit with your old man for a minute." Taku sat across from his father, a Go board between them. Masaru motioned for his son to go first, since Taku had the black stones. Takumi grabbed his first stone, and placed in on the hoshi closest to him on his right side. His father mirrored his move, and the game began.

As they were playing, Masaru spoke to his son. "So, Takumi, now that you are a full-fledged shinobi, with the title of Genin, I'm curious to know your feelings on a few things. As we both remember, you foolishly failed out of your first Academy by disagreeing with your instructors on the values of Kirigakure." Of course, he said this last part with jest and a wide smile on his face. Masaru, although he was a powerful Jounin, and could be vicious in his own right, was generally an amiable person, who was not shy in debating the values held by the village. Although Takumi knew his father was joking, he himself scowled. Part of that scowl admittedly was because he was starting to lose the game, even with the advantage of going first. The other part of his scowl, however, was because his father had brought back the memory of the anxiety and stress in the short transition between Academies. Takumi had wanted nothing more than to become a shinobi, and had compromised his morals to make sure he passed. "Well, father, I am very happy to be a member of Kirigakure no Sato, although I recognize some problems. While it is necessary for shinobi to be strong and to be tools for the village, I can't say I support the mentality in our village that a shinobi can only be an emotionless tool. Our experiences and our emotions are what make us human. And while some argue that blocking these emotions make us a better soldier, I disagree. It is important to remember our own humanity, as well as the humanity of others. I'm not afraid to do what is necessary, and I knew what I was signing up for, but I do not think it is healthy to blindly follow this cult of strength. Speaking of cults, our class system is harmful to our society. Not only is the worship of shinobi dangerous, but it inflates the egos of some of the more troublesome soldiers who see their strength as an excuse to do whatever they want, especially in the slums. The 'Untouchables' are unfairly treated terribly. Many are victims of their circumstances, ignored by the rest of the village, unless some of those vicious shinobi with egos too large to fit in their heads. Maybe if we weren't expected to shut out all of our emotions, these soldiers wouldn't have to unleash all of their energy on the civilians they are supposed to protect." Taku was visibly frustrated, but his father chuckled, saying, "Well, my son, that was one hell of a rant. As with any village, we have our fair share of trouble, but the shinobi do protect the village, and the country as a whole. I know you aren't the most physical of shinobi, but there are other forms of strength, and I'm sure you will be respected as you grow. Furthermore, always remember that there are some, like your mother, who do care about those in the slums. Her clinic does great work. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I look forward to our next talk. Although I hope you get better at Go in the meantime. This match is over. Now, you should go train, or whatever. I need to rest." Takumi bowed to his father and headed outside to train.

When the sun rose to its peak, Takumi decided to take a break and go visit his mother at her clinic in the slums. He didn't bother telling anyone, since he'd be back well before dinner. He grabbed a quick bite to eat on the way from a local sushi place, taking a box with a few rolls with him to eat on the go. He enjoyed his lunch on the way through the market district, travelling without a problem. When he crossed into the slums, the difference in attitude and aesthetic was immediately apparent. The ramshackle houses huddled near the roads. Twisting alleys revealed suspicious individuals hiding, or waiting for a clueless mark. Taku, having grown up spending a lot of time in the slums, felt comfortable. Usually, however, any time he was in the slums, he was usually with others or only stuck to the main thoroughfares. As he walked, he saw some people he knew, He smiled, or spoke with them shortly, but kept heading toward his mother's clinic. As he was heading toward the clinic, he heard a shout, and saw a thief on a side street, robbing a young girl, obviously an innocent untouchable living in the slums. The thief seemed to be a shinobi; he had a hitai-ate proudly displayed on his forehead. Regardless of the girl's screams, no one was willing to help; this was just another mugging in the slums. Even a group of shinobi at a nearby bar did nothing. Takumi couldn't take it. He ran down the street and shoved the man away. "Go on home," he said to the girl, who took off running to the main road and out of harm. He then turned to the shinobi. "How dare you assault an innocent young girl. Have some respect for the symbol you wear." With that, he turned to walk away back to the main road, but the other shinobi stopped him. The man grabbed Takumi's shoulder, spun him around, a delivered a punch that sent Taku falling to the ground, a line of blood trailing from the corner of his mouth.

Takumi rose. Wiping the blood from his mouth, he glared at his fellow ninja. The man, agitated, began to speak. "How dare I? Look at you, a pathetic little runt, protecting Untouchables like their lives are worth a damn. I was just gonna take whatever money she had for fun, but now, you've made me angry. I think I feel like killing some fresh meat. No one will miss a weak, little, pathetic excuse for a shinobi like yourself." With that, the man pulled out a kunai knife and charged. Takumi reacted quickly, throwing up a series of handseals, before expelling water from his body to form an Umbrella Defense in front of himself. However, this shield was no match for his opponent, who ripped right through the water in an instant. Takumi could barely deflect the knife as he was tackled to the ground. Taku rolled on top of the ninja and tried to pin the man's arms down. Taku tried to call for help, but was of course ignored. No one bothered interfering. Takumi struggled to hold off the shinobi, but was overwhelmed. The man rolled on top of Takumi and tried to stab him. Taku tried to hold back the knife, but as the man put his weight behind it, the deadly blade inched closer to the young Arashi boy's heart. When the point touched his shirt, Takumi, in a last ditch effort, pushed with all his might, forcing the blade away from his heart, and into his shoulder.

Taku cried out in pain. In his agony, his vision went black. Then, a blinding light as his eyes regained vision, only this time, he didn't see the normal street and man above him. Instead, he could see the man's nervous system. He could see all the energy created by electromagnetic waves, as his Dendougan became active. To the ninja on top of Takumi, it would seem as if a storm was raging in his eyes, with tiny electrical flashes. Takumi, not used to his electrical eyes, released the power. That moment of confusion was all he had to capitalize on. The man's face was so close to Takumi, he could smell his breath. When the man regained his composure, he was sure to kill Takumi. Knowing he wouldn't have another chance to strike, Takumi saw his chance and took it: the man's neck was exposed. Takumi found the fleshy neck and, with a bolt of energy, extended his head forward while his hands pulled the man's head in. Takumi's teeth sank into the man's throat. He bit, hard. Taku could taste blood as he bit down into the flesh. Blood began to gush, as he pulled away, tearing out the man's throat, and ripping his jugular vein and carotid artery. Blood flowed quickly from the man's neck as he twitched quickly before slumping atop Takumi. The man was dead. Blood continued to pour atop Takumi. The smell, and the taste of iron, as well as the shock of what just happened caused Takumi to once again lose his vision. This time however, he also lost consciousness.

A few hours later, rain began to fall. People hurried home, being careful to avoid the two bodies and the massive amount of blood. They didn't care; it was just another brawl in the slums gone wrong, and the combatants killed themselves. Or so they thought, until one of them moved. The rain had roused Taku from his unconsciousness. He shoved the body off of him, and slowly got up. Blood covered his face and clothing. He tried to wipe his eyes free of blood, but had to blink repeatedly before he could see. His shoulder screamed in agony; the kunai knife was still lodged inside. Taku ripped out the knife, and this time it was his turn to scream. The knife had been serrated. Blood began to quickly seep out of the wound. Although Takumi was probably capable of stopping the blood flow himself, his mind was in a daze. Instead of attempting Iijutsu, he decided to hurry to his mother's clinic. He looked back once on the scene: the rain began to wash away the blood, forming little rivers of red running away from the lifeless corpse.

Takumi made it to his mother's clinic, soaked from blood and rain. She screamed at the site, frantically asking what happened, but Takumi simply sat down, gingerly took off his shirt, and muttered "Attacked" while closing his eyes and losing consciousness. Some other practitioners of the Arashi faith were there as well, and were muttering the word "Samebito." Somewhere in the back of his mind, that word - "Shark" - meant something, but Takumi did not care. He didn't want to think. Thinking would only lead to pain.

Takumi awoke back at the Arashi Compound, surrounded by family members. His mother tried to push them away, but they would not leave. One slipped a shark tooth necklace over Takumi's head. Taku's father came up to the boy and said, "Hello, son, are you okay? We heard you got in a fight, and had to bite out a man's throat. Quite vicious. And without the Kirigakure custom of sharpening your teeth. Your mom fixed your shoulder, but some in the family want to add one more, uh, cosmetic addition. Takumi looked around and saw the ink. He then felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see his grandfather, one of the religious leaders of the Arashi faith. He was known to the religious followers as "Seiryu." "My dear Takumi, I know you must be exhausted, but we feel that you have been blessed by the shark, and we must celebrate that gift from Nanmei. Please." Takumi had seen this a few times before: a shinobi, after performing a feat of viciousness, was titled Samebito and given a tattoo of an open shark's mouth. Takumi, even though he did not personally worship the shark, knew that his actions qualified him for the title. He would be the youngest Samebito in the Arashi faith in a long time. He assented, whispering, "Okay, but I'm not sharpening my teeth." The priest laughed, nodded his head, and brought over an artist to get to work.

The tattoo was placed on Takumi's left shoulder and upper arm, inches from the knife wound. He was officially a "Shark" in the eyes of the faith. With that done, Takumi headed to his bed, exhausted. His shoulder hurt and the tattoo burned, but the questions in his head gave him the most pain. What was he? A shinobi? A monster? His first kill had been painful, he wasn't sure he was ready to fight again. Deep down, he knew he had to do what he did to survive, but that was no consolation. As he walked up his stairs he kept seeing the kill, over and over in his mind. Was he ready to live like this? A merciless killer who stops at nothing to see his opponent destroyed. Takumi laid down and began to fade off to sleep. He wasn't sure he knew what he had signed up for, or if he was ready for it. He curled up, falling asleep, trying to escape the torment of the day, and the burning thoughts in his mind.

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Takumi
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Eye of the Storm

Post by Takumi » Thu Dec 17, 2015 9:00 am

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*[Ninjutsu • Chakra Kai]
E-Ranked Ninjutsu
A jutsu used with the purpose of activating seals and a range of devices and weapons, this technique begins with a single handseal. Once this has been performed, the user will focus a dollop of his/her chakra into what s/he is looking to activate in order to complete the task. Seals activated with this technique must be within 20 yards of the user's position.
Arashi Takumi woke up the next day exhausted. He had slept in late, and missed his usual dawn prayer. His shoulder and his arm hurt. The events of the previous day seemed like a dream. He hoped they never happened, but looking in the mirror he could see his scar and new tattoo. He hated them both. Takumi knew if he reflected more on the events of yesterday, he would spiral into a dark place that he just did not want to be in. So, he decided to train. He walked downstairs, past his caring parents and said, ”Going to go train. Be back later.” His parents looked confused and worried, but he didn’t give them a chance to respond. Instead, he walked outside to the cool morning mist. Taku stayed nearby, and decided to train in the courtyard. It had a small fountain which would be perfect for his Suiton training. But first, he went to the family library and grabbed as many scrolls as he could carry. He set them up in the courtyard with some training supplies. It would be a long training session.

The first scroll was incredibly simple. Chakra Kai was something every shinobi should know. Apparently, Taku had missed learning it earlier. The idea was simple: form a single handseal, extend chakra to a seal or whatever it was the used wanted to activate, and activate the seal. Takumi grabbed a dummy made of straw and positioned it in the center of the courtyard. He then grabbed an exploding tag from his supplies and slapped it onto the chest of the dummy. He stepped back ten yards and focused on the seal. Takumi formed the handseal, and began to extend his chakra out toward the dummy. However, as soon as he began to mold his chakra, his mind sent him back to the last time he tried to perform a jutsu. His Umbrella Defense had failed him, and he was almost killed. Instantly, he lost control of his chakra. Damnit, he thought to himself as he tried to regain his composure. I need to get control of this. I don’t have time to worry about the past. Quickly, Taku threw up the handsign and sent out his chakra. He was too distracted, however, and the tag failed to explode; a corner lamely smoldered for a second before going out. Takumi closed his eyes, and practiced deep breathing for a few minutes in order to compose himself. He then tried again. This time, he was in control. He confidently went through the steps, sending out his dollop of chakra. When the chakra reached the exploding tag, Takumi released it, and the dummy exploded. Smoke and falling straw were all that remained. Takumi smiled. He had done it. He was, however, angry that it had taken him so long to complete the jutsu. In frustration and stubbornness, he grabbed another dummy. He positioned it on top of the remains of the first. This time, however, he grabbed a kunai knife with a tag attached. He stood back fifteen yards and threw the knife. Just as the knife began to embed itself in the dummy, Takumi released the tag, destroying the straw man. With that, Taku was satisfied enough to move on to the next technique.

550/400 words

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Eye of the Storm

Post by Takumi » Thu Dec 17, 2015 12:10 pm

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*[Ninjutsu • Hidden Needles]
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
Upon forming the necessary handseals, the user will focus chakra into theirs mouths and into senbon within 2 feet of their position. The senbon will be summoned into the user's mouth, where they can be spit out at a speed of the user's Control up to a max of 3. The maximum distance these senbon travel is thirty yards.
Next, Takumi decided to learn another fairly basic Ninjutsu. This one would complement both his offensive and defensive capabilities. The particular technique was called “Hidden Needles” and would allow Takumi to secretly launch senbon at an unaware opponent. The handseals were simple enough, and Taku had memorized them quickly. He then grabbed three senbon from his supplies, and took them with him to one of the targets set up in the courtyard. This particular target was just a circle made of straw painted with circles. It would work well for Takumi’s purposes. Taku sat down and placed the three needles in his lap. He quickly made the required handseals. The young Arashi focused chakra into both his mouth and the senbon. However, nothing happened. Takumi tried again. This time, he only got the taste of metal in his mouth. Strange, Takumi thought. This is harder than I thought, but I must be getting closer. Takumi tried once again, and this time one of the senbon appeared in his mouth. However, Takumi wasn’t entirely ready for it, and gasped in surprise when the senbon appeared. The shock sent the senbon down Takumi’s throat, making him gag. Taku wrenched forward, as his body forced the senbon out. Luckily, he hadn’t had anything to eat that day.

When Takumi had finally recovered, he collected his senbon, cleaned them off, and sat back down. He calmed himself down with some careful breathing, and tried again. He formed the now well-practiced handseals and focused chakra on the senbon and his mouth. Instantly, one of the senbon vanished from his lap and formed in his mouth. This time, Takumi was ready. He focused on the target and unleashed the needle. He missed wildly. Takumi chuckled as he went to grab the needle. Again, he cleaned it off and sat down. Again, he performed the handseals perfectly, and again, he focused chakra to the three senbon and his mouth. Finally, all three vanished and formed in his mouth! Takumi smiled, and shot them out, one at a time. The first missed wildly again, this time to the opposite side of the target. Apparently the young shinobi had overcompensated. Targeting would take some getting used to. The second senbon grazed the edge of the target, but did not lodge in the straw. Finally, his third needle hit the mark, albeit in the outermost ring. Taku couldn’t help but be happy. He had made progress. He grabbed the needles and tried again. With each successive attempt, he got better and better, until finally Takumi was hitting the center of the target. He couldn’t help but be proud as he mastered his next jutsu.

444/400 words

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Eye of the Storm

Post by Takumi » Sun Dec 27, 2015 11:07 am

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*Dense Cannon
D-Rank Suiton Ninjutsu
Replacing speed for power, this technique creates a dense ball of water meant to cause heavy blunt damage. Once the seals are formed for this technique, the user will create a ball of water from within their body and will expel it through their mouth. The ball sits at about two feet in diameter. It will travel at a speed of three, up to five meters, but strikes with a force of four.
For his next training, Takumi decided to mix it up. Now, he wanted to learn a Suiton technique. He already knew some water jutsu, but wanted to expand his abilities. He grabbed a scroll with a single blue line on each end. His family had an extensive library of Suiton jutsu, but Taku knew he had to start at the beginning with the most basic techniques. As such, his first jutsu would be the Dense Cannon technique. The concept for this technique was quite simple: form the appropriate handseals, develop suiton chakra in your stomach, before expelling it out of the mouth toward the opponent. Taku liked the idea of this technique, especially after he just learned the Hidden Needles Technique. Both techniques would seem similar to an opponent, but the difference between senbon needles and a ball of dense suiton chakra could be helpful.

Takumi reread the scroll quickly, and focused on the required handseals. They were simple enough, and Takumi had memorized them easily enough. Takumi, with his affinity toward suiton jutsu, felt that this should be an easy technique to master, and got right to it. He set up a dummy against a tree and positioned himself a few yards away. He formed the handseals effortlessly, and began to form suiton chakra in his gut. As soon as he began to form that chakra, memories erupted inside of him. The last time he had formed suiton chakra, he had almost died. His heart started pounding intensely as he pictured the armed shinobi running straight through his defense. Sweat poured down his face as he leapt back, putting his back to a wall, and his arms up, as if an attacker would appear. Eventually, no attacker came, and Takumi’s breathing slowed. He calmed down and was able to assess his situation. He closed his eyes, breathed deep, and wiped the sweat from his brow. Damn it! I need to be stronger. I am a shinobi of the Mist, no longer some sniveling little child. His meditation helped a bit, and allowed Takumi to step back in front of the dummy. Again, he formed the handseals, and he began to mold suiton chakra in his gut. This time, as the fear rose, he was able to swallow it back down and form the proper chakra. He brought the ball up and ejected it from his mouth. A ball of water shot out of his mouth and hit the dummy, knocking it off its rope and slammed against the tree. Takumi was happy, but not yet satisfied. He formed the seals again, and again launched a dense ball of water at the dummy, lying pathetically on the ground. From point blank, the ball of water completely destroyed the dummy. Finally, his blood settled down and he relaxed, having mastered another technique.

471/400 words

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Eye of the Storm

Post by Takumi » Thu Dec 31, 2015 7:33 am

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Ninjutsu 5-6; first stat training.
After learning a few new jutsu, Takumi wanted to change up his training. Instead of learning a new technique, the young Arashi genin decided to work on increasing his overall Ninjutsu ability. Taku knew his own strengths and weaknesses, and felt that he could best serve the village by specializing in Ninjutsu. As a shinobi of the Village Hidden in Mist, Takumi had rare access to powerful, battlefield shaping Mist Jutsu. While he had previously focused only on regular Ninpou and Suiton jutsu, with some Iijutsu, Takumi knew his path would eventually take him to study the art of the mist. Takumi’s Dendougan would give him the unique ability to see through the mist, nullifying any weaknesses from the limited vision. However, before Takumi could learn about mist and other elements, he had to increase his ninjutsu abilities and knowledge. Takumi, being a lover of knowledge, decided his first stop for his training should be the family library.

Takumi walked across the courtyard and down a small alleyway until he reached another, smaller open space. Across from him was an ornate façade with a pair of large double doors, seals written all over. The Arashi library, while certainly not the most valuable or ornate building in the village, was a source of pride for the family, and housed some of their more valuable scrolls. Acquired over centuries, the small library was the source of all of the knowledge of the family and their small religion. As such, the family valued the library a great deal, and the seals made sure it would be difficult for thieves to break in and learn of their secrets. The clan valued their secrecy and the power of their electric eyes. Taku walked inside the building and headed for the section on Ninjutsu. He grabbed a few scrolls and headed to a desk. He opened up the first scroll and began to read.

Takumi read quickly; most of it he already knew, but a refresher would never hurt. Although he assumed it would be pointless, the passage on handseals was actually quite useful. The twelve basic hand seals each corresponded to one of the twelve animals of the zodiac, and some of those seals could be used to predict the type of jutsu. For example, Takumi learned that a tiger sign is often used with Katon techniques, and the snake sign was often used for Doton techniques. I’ll have to keep that in mind if I ever end up facing someone with those affinities.

Next, Takumi read a scroll discussing chakra in depth. By balancing physical and spiritual energy, a shinobi can become stronger and better at manipulating chakra. Takumi felt at ease with the concept of spiritual energy, increased through meditation, study and practice. He took a mental note to not neglect his physical energy as well. This chakra could be manipulated by shinobi, and manipulated through shape transformation and nature transformation. Takumi primarily focused on the nature transformation, but realized he used shape transformation for his basic ninjutsu and his healing techniques.

Now it was time for Takumi to practice what he had learned. He walked back outside and down the alley to the practice yard. He set up a series of dummies on the wall and went through his various techniques, one at a time. He started with the Hidden Needles Technique, using the memorized hand seals and summoning a senbon from his pouch to his mouth. He spat the needle at the straw target, hitting it in the forehead. Next, he decided to use his Dense Cannon Technique. He noted how the hand seals were similar and different. This time, instead of shape transformation, he used nature transformation to form Suiton chakra inside him. He spat out a bullet of water that hit the needle that was still lodged in the dummy. The force was enough to knock the dummy to the ground. Taku smiled as he knew he understood better his abilities to manipulate chakra. He was well on his way to mastering Ninjutsu.

674/600 words

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Eye of the Storm

Post by Takumi » Sun May 22, 2016 2:59 pm

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Ninjutsu 18-19; 1/50 trainings
Takumi wished to continue his Ninjutsu training. As a Genin, Takumi’s skills were quite limited, but he knew if he pushed himself, he could surpass expectations. Taku knew where his strengths were: he was an excellent Ninjutsu user, but was weak at Taijutsu and Genjutsu. In order to have the most efficiency as a Genin, Takumi could either be a general shinobi, a “jack of all trades” type, but he would be significantly weaker than anyone stronger than him. Or, Taku could specialize early, and become an effective mid to long range support fighter, or even a combat medic. His repertoire already included elemental Ninjutsu and some Iijutsu. It would make sense to expand upon what he already knew and was good at. Therefore, Takumi focused even harder on his Ninjutsu education. He had already studied enough theory for now, and would instead focus on creative ways to use the techniques he had already learned.

This time, Takumi set up in front of the second dummy. Taku wanted to experiment with how his hand signs affected his ninjutsu. Because Takumi wanted to test his versatility and creativity to the limits, he decided to continue to use the same two techniques from before: the Hidden Needles Technique, and the Dense Cannon Technique. Eventually he would add more jutsu to his experiments, but today he only needed the two. The young shinobi began by forming the hand signs for his Hidden Needles Technique. He began to shape his chakra, but then stopped the hand signs. His chakra would not continue to form the senbon. Just as I thought, both the chakra required and the hand signs themselves need to be correct. It seems the hand signs act as a signifier for the technique, and my chakra does not respond correctly without my body (through my hands) telling it what to form. Interesting.

After his first experiment of the training session, Takumi wanted to try something new. The first dummy was susceptible to the combination of the Hidden Needle jutsu followed by the Dense Cannon Technique. Next, Takumi would try using them both at the same time. Theoretically, since if Takumi summoned the senbon needles from his pouch to his mouth first, he could then perform the Dense Cannon Technique and form suiton chakra in his gut. When he spat out the suiton chakra, the needles would come with it. Takumi had never combined jutsu in such a way before, but he was willing to try. First, Taku grabbed a fresh dummy from storage and set it up beside the one that had been knocked down. Nex, following his planned strategy, Takumi first made the hand seals for the Hidden Needles Technique, and summoned a senbon from his pouch to his mouth. With the senbon needle in place, Taku next formed the hand seals for the Dense Cannon Technique. However, while he was forming the hand signs, he forgot about the needle in his mouth. It moved, and jammed into the side of his mouth. ”Shoot! Arashi Takumi, you idiot! You can’t go about killing yourself by swallowing a senbon.”

The young Genin spat out the needle and started over. He slowly, methodically, formed the hand seals for the Hidden Needles Technique. He formed chakra in his mouth, and summoned five senbon needles from his pouch. Next, he formed the hand seals for his Dense Cannon Technique. As he formed chakra in his gut, he noticed that he could not maintain his chakra on the senbon. After he formed the necessary Suiton chakra, he formed the bullet in his mouth, making sure to line up the senbon. He tried spitting out the needles, but they only flew a few feet before falling, completely unaided by chakra. His sigh of frustration would have been hear a block away, except that he still had a giant ball of Suiton chakra in his mouth. His lack of focus caused the water to release from his control. Some water was ejected forward, but most went back the way it came. Takumi coughed to try to stop the water from filling his lungs, and dropped to his knees, gagging. A group of people nearby looked and him, some concerned, some laughing at his idiocy. What kind of shinobi chokes on his own jutsu? I’m a failure. I can’t do this. Takumi was exhausted, breathing heavily, and completely defeated. Ninjutsu was supposed to be his strongest area of expertise, and yet he failed so completely. He didn’t think that maybe combining jutsu in such a way was beyond the scope of a genin, only that this particular genin could not do it.

Frustrated, Arashi Takumi went back to the drawing board. Taku’s shoulder didn’t ache as much as it did, but instinctively, he placed his hand on the scar above his heart. It served as a reminder that he was still weak, too weak to even protect those around him. He needed to get stronger. And so he needed to continue to train. Although he was quite disappointed that he was unable to finish that particular training, he was adamant in continuing his practice of his current abilities.

In order to get in the right mood and calm down, Takumi made some tea. On one end of the large courtyard, near his family’s home, there was a small cooking fire that was always kept ready. In the Village Hidden in the Mist, it was always important to have safe, warm spaces for comfort. Takumi sat down on one of the waterproof mats and prepared the tea leaves as he put a pot on a hook above the fire. While waiting for the water to come to a boil, Takumi prepared his plans for his next step of training. He already practiced his basic ninpou and some suiton techniques, so the young ninja decided the next step would be to practice his mist techniques. When the water was hot enough, he added it to his leaves and let it steep. For a few minutes, as he let the tea cool, the young shinobi decided to practice meditating, to try to get into the right mental state. Takumi’s previous frustration started to melt away as he balanced his emotions. He drank his tea and relaxed, keeping at a calm level.

With his tea finished, Takumi was ready to train. The Arashi began with the most basic Mist Technique, and the technique that made Kirigakure no Sato so famous: the Hidden Mist Technique. He slowly, meticulously made the hand seals for the jutsu. As he formed the techniques, he noticed some connections between the hand seals for Hidden Mist and those for his suiton techniques. Of course, they were by no means the same, but some seals were common between the two. As he made the final hand sign, he released a blanket of mist out over the courtyard. The peaceful courtyard, normally somewhat safe from the constant mist from the village, was now completely covered in mist. From years of training in the courtyard, Takumi knew the area by heart, but he chuckled as he heard someone knock over a flowerpot and curse under their breath. Apparently, the mist had expanded into the alley.

In the mist, Takumi could barely see. Apparently, his Dendougan, the hereditary doujutsu of the Arashi family, would allow him to see in the mist, but he had not yet perfected it, and would wait to use it for a different training session. Instead, Takumi wanted to work on his techniques without his electric eyes. So, based on his memorized layout of the courtyard, Takumi went to the untouched dummy from his failed experiment. When he was about four meters from the dummy, he could finally see it. Takumi took note of the distance. He needed to know everything he could about his techniques. Taku turned with his back to the dummy and marched off about ten meters or so. He turned on the spot to face where the dummy should have been. All he could see was mist. Trusting his memory, Takumi decided to try to hit the dummy. For this target practice, Taku decided to use another one of his mist techniques. Taku aimed out into the blank mist, and slowly performed the hand seals he had memorized for Mist Bath. Again, he noted the similarities and differences between the current technique and Hidden Mist Technique. The two techniques were much more similar than just his Suiton techniques, but it did share some similarities between his various projectile techniques, including Wind Bullet. After the seals were completed, Takumi extended his hand out toward where he imagined the dummy was. From around his hand, mist concentrated and formed five small bullets. He sent them out forward, and he felt a series of satisfying thuds as the bullets hit their mark. Taku smiled, and ran toward the dummy. There were a few dents in the target. The young Genin was happy, even though he knew he had a lot of work to do. The end of that particular training session and his success at hitting the target left him excited to train more.

1526/1500 words

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Eye of the Storm

Post by Takumi » Mon Nov 27, 2017 8:57 am

TrainingShow
Instinct (14-15)
Training 21
On top of the already dismal mist, today it was pouring. Although usually, Arashi Takumi felt comfort in the mist, and even the rain, today it just made him feel exhausted. The drowsy weather seemed to sap all energy out of the young Genin. While normally a physical training in the rain may prove beneficial for, as an example, increasing his stamina, Taku had no interest whatsoever in leaving his family home. Takumi began to look for a certain scroll located in one of his many secret compartments scattered across his second-floor bedroom. Over the years, in an effort to increase his ability to conceal and deceive, Takumi had created a complex labyrinth of hidden doors and alcoves to hide different objects, and expand the amount of storage space in his bedroom. Some were hidden beneath the floorboards in his room. These differed in complexity from simple loose boards to intricate wire contraptions. For instance, pulling on a light fixture may unlock a board on the other side of the room. Other objects were hidden in the walls. In reconstructing his bedroom, Takumi even included a secret escape hatch in case of emergency. Behind a hidden door, Takumi found the particular scroll he was seeking. It was one in a series of writings that emphasized skills for shinobi. Takumi had read through all of the beginner level information for each scroll, even though some were based on taijutsu, a skill which he sorely lacked. Today, however, he began reading an advanced scroll on tactics and strategy.

This text was originally adapted from an even earlier text for samurai on the principles of warfare. In summary, the original author divided military planning into three categories. The first category, strategy, called “the art of the general”, focused on using warfare to achieve political goals. The second, the operational art, encompassed organization and employment of military forces, essentially where to employ the military. The third, and the focus of Takumi’s interest today, was tactics. The author defined tactics as usually small-scale decisions made to achieve the greatest value. In warfare, they deal with the use of force and how to employ the military. Takumi decided to focus on tactics for today because he felt that having a firm grasp on the subject would be most useful in battle, and best be able to help him make decisions while in the midst of combat. Although strategy and operations are critical, and with the death of Aisu Hiroto (a known genius when it came to military strategy), there may be a gap in strategic leadership, Takumi felt that as a Genin, he should focus on his place in the military, namely as a cog in the wheel. If he could master his personal tactics in battle, he would be able to rise in the ranks and eventually be able to focus on operations and strategy to help his great village.

The advanced scroll the young Arashi decided to focus on today described the basics of asymmetrical warfare. The text began with a quote from the original samurai author: All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near. This formed the discussion of a large portion of the scroll. The author of the work for ninja expanded on this analysis and stressed the key roles shinobi play in deception. Through various methods, a shinobi is capable of hiding the goals of his army, and similarly, is able to determine when an enemy is concealing their true strength. By knowing to look for deception and how to determine an enemy’s strength, Takumi could be at an advantage in warfare.

The next chapter focused on guerilla warfare, a form of asymmetrical fighting that is most often employed by a weaker force defending in its own territory. After reading the two chapters, Takumi thought of how to apply these tactics to his own situation as a shinobi for the Village Hidden in the Mist. As a Kirigakure no Sato shinobi, Takumi had access to the secret Mist elemental ninjutsu. This gave him and his fellow ninja an advantage when it comes to concealing an army. With advanced sensor ninja employed by both sides of a conflict, having access to high-level mist that blocks the senses could be critical in hiding the true strength of an army, or even hiding small assault squads. If the enemy does not know the strength of their enemy, they are at a significant disadvantage. Takumi even thought of how he could use the mist to confuse enemies to the size of a force. By having pockets of mist throughout a region, a sensor, even if they can find the mist, would not be able to ascertain where the bulk of the army is located. Takumi noted to focus on increasing both his ability with Mist, as well as his ability to find enemy forces. Regarding guerilla warfare, Takumi realized that this tactic would be perfect for the organizational structure of Kirigakure no Sato. With the village’s focus on individual and squad-based strength, Takumi could envision a strategy that would allow each individual squad to use guerilla-based strategies to harass the enemy and escape before being noticed. Again, the use of mist could be critical in this tactic. However, for this tactic to work, the squads would need to be familiar with the terrain, a critical factor in strategy, even when dealing with shinobi. For this purpose, Takumi noted a need to map surrounding areas and other countries. If the Five Great Shinobi Villages went to war again, knowing the lay of the land would prove critical in any battles. For this purpose, Takumi realized the need to explore countries outside the great five. Countries like Tea Country could prove vital for future battles, and so it would be necessary to explore the country and map it.

On a personal level, Takumi noted the need for deception in battle. By tricking an opponent, Takumi could gain an upper hand. This could prove vital in future missions or even in the Chunin Exams in the future.

1052/1000 words

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Re: Eye of the Storm

Post by Takumi » Tue Sep 18, 2018 5:25 pm

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Control
5019/5000 words
Takumi wished to continue his Ninjutsu training, this time focusing on his control.  As a Genin, Takumi’s skills were quite limited, but he knew if he pushed himself, he could surpass expectations.  Taku knew where his strengths were: he was an excellent Ninjutsu user, but was weak at Taijutsu and Genjutsu.  In order to have the most efficiency as a Genin, Takumi could either be a general shinobi, a “jack of all trades” type, but he would be significantly weaker than anyone stronger than him.  Or, Taku could specialize early, and become an effective mid to long range support fighter, or even a combat medic.  His repertoire already included elemental Ninjutsu and some Iijutsu.  It would make sense to expand upon what he already knew and was good at.  Therefore, Takumi focused even harder on his Ninjutsu education.  He had already studied enough theory for now, and would instead focus on creative ways to use and control the techniques he had already learned.  Takumi’s understanding of the way Ninjutsu worked was certainly above average for his low level Genin rank, but his control over his chakra and his ability to manipulate Ninjutsu effectively was lagging behind his knowledge.  If he didn’t have the efficiency to use his advanced knowledge of Ninjutsu, what was the point of having it?  Takumi had the potential to access some higher level Ninjutsu techniques, but with his new power, the cost to his energy would be vast, unless he could manage to be more efficient in how he uses his stamina.

There were still a number of dummies set up in the courtyard from the last time Takumi had trained.  The first dummy had been destroyed, but the others remained structurally sound.  This time, Takumi set up in front of the second dummy.  Taku wanted to experiment with how his hand signs affected his ninjutsu.  Because Takumi wanted to test his versatility and creativity to the limits, he decided to continue to use the same two techniques from before: the Hidden Needles Technique, and the Dense Cannon Technique.  Eventually he would add more jutsu to his experiments, but today he only needed the two.  The young shinobi began by forming the hand signs for his Hidden Needles Technique.  He began to shape his chakra, but then stopped the hand signs.  His chakra would not continue to form the senbon.  Just as I thought, both the chakra required and the hand signs themselves need to be correct.  It seems the hand signs act as a signifier for the technique, and my chakra does not respond correctly without my body (through my hands) telling it what to form.  Interesting.

After his first experiment of the training session, Takumi wanted to try something new.  The first dummy was susceptible to the combination of the Hidden Needle jutsu followed by the Dense Cannon Technique.  Next, Takumi would try using them both at the same time.  Theoretically, since if Takumi summoned the senbon needles from his pouch to his mouth first, he could then perform the Dense Cannon Technique and form suiton chakra in his gut.  When he spat out the suiton chakra, the needles would come with it.  Takumi had never combined jutsu in such a way before, but he was willing to try.  First, Taku grabbed a fresh dummy from storage and set it up beside the one that had been knocked down.  Next, following his planned strategy, Takumi first made the hand seals for the Hidden Needles Technique, and summoned a senbon from his pouch to his mouth.  With the senbon needle in place, Taku next formed the hand seals for the Dense Cannon Technique.  However, while he was forming the hand signs, he forgot about the needle in his mouth.  It moved, and jammed into the side of his mouth.  ”Shoot!  Arashi Takumi, you idiot!  You can’t go about killing yourself by swallowing a senbon.”

The young Genin spat out the needle and started over.  He slowly, methodically, formed the hand seals for the Hidden Needles Technique.  He formed chakra in his mouth, and summoned five senbon needles from his pouch.  Next, he formed the hand seals for his Dense Cannon Technique.  As he formed chakra in his gut, he noticed that he could not maintain his chakra on the senbon.  After he formed the necessary Suiton chakra, he formed the bullet in his mouth, making sure to line up the senbon.  He tried spitting out the needles, but they only flew a few feet before falling, completely unaided by chakra.  His sigh of frustration would have been heard a block away, except that he still had a giant ball of Suiton chakra in his mouth.  His lack of focus caused the water to release from his control.  Some water was ejected forward, but most went back the way it came.  Takumi coughed to try to stop the water from filling his lungs, and dropped to his knees, gagging.  A group of people nearby looked and him, some concerned, some laughing at his idiocy.  What kind of shinobi chokes on his own jutsu?  I’m a failure.  I can’t do this. Takumi was exhausted, breathing heavily, and completely defeated.  Ninjutsu was supposed to be his strongest area of expertise, and yet he failed so completely.  He didn’t think that maybe combining jutsu in such a way was beyond the scope of a genin, only that this particular genin could not do it.

Frustrated, Arashi Takumi went back to the drawing board.  Taku’s shoulder didn’t ache as much as it did, but instinctively, he placed his hand on the scar above his heart.  It served as a reminder that he was still weak, too weak to even protect those around him.  He needed to get stronger.  And so, he needed to continue to train.  Although he was quite disappointed that he was unable to finish that particular training experiment, he was adamant in continuing the practice of his current abilities.

In order to get in the right mood and calm down, Takumi made some tea.  On one end of the large courtyard, near his family’s home, there was a small cooking fire that was always kept ready.  In the Village Hidden in the Mist, it was always important to have safe, warm spaces for comfort.  Takumi sat down on one of the waterproof mats and prepared the tea leaves as he put a pot on a hook above the fire.  Takumi was an avid lover of tea, so made sure this cooking hearth always had a variety of leaves available in watertight containers for his use and for anyone else who was in the courtyard.  The warmth from the cooking fire already began to calm his mind and warm his bones.  While waiting for the water to come to a boil, Takumi prepared his plans for his next step of training.  He already practiced his basic ninpou and some suiton techniques, so the young ninja decided the next step would be to practice his mist techniques.  When the water was hot enough, he added it to his leaves and let it steep.  For a few minutes, as he let the tea cool, the young shinobi decided to practice meditating, to try to get into the right mental state.  Takumi’s previous frustration started to melt away as he balanced his emotions.  He drank his tea and relaxed, keeping at a calm level.  In order to control his various ninjutsu techniques, Taku knew he needed to remain calm.  The tea certainly helped, but he also prayed to Nanmei, one of his family’s household spirits, to protect him in his training.  Even if the prayer went ultimately unheard, he felt a sense of calm and ease after.

With his tea finished, Takumi was ready to train.  The Arashi began with the most basic Mist Technique, and the technique that made Kirigakure no Sato so famous: the Hidden Mist Technique.  He slowly, meticulously made the hand seals for the jutsu.  As he formed the techniques, he noticed some connections between the hand seals for Hidden Mist and those for his suiton techniques.  Of course, they were by no means the same, but some seals were common between the two.  As he made the final hand sign, he released a blanket of mist out over the courtyard.  The peaceful courtyard, normally somewhat safe from the constant mist from the village, was now completely covered in the thick mist.  From years of training in the courtyard, Takumi knew the area by heart, but he chuckled as he heard someone knock over a flowerpot and curse under their breath.  Apparently, the mist had expanded into the alley.

In the mist, Takumi could barely see.  Apparently, his Dendougan, the hereditary doujutsu of the Arashi family, would allow him to see in the mist, but he had not yet perfected it, and would wait to use it for a different training session.  Instead, Takumi wanted to work on his techniques without his electric eyes, and learn to control his techniques in the mist without such a visual crutch.  In Kirigakure no Sato, Takumi knew that he could not always rely on his sight, and wanted to make sure he was never put in a position where his survival was threatened due to the loss of one sense.  So, based on his memorized layout of the courtyard, Takumi went to the untouched dummy from his failed experiment.  When he was about four meters from the dummy, he could finally see it.  Takumi took note of the distance.  He needed to know everything he could about his techniques.  Taku turned with his back to the dummy and marched off about ten meters or so.  He turned on the spot to face where the dummy should have been.  All he could see was mist.  Trusting his memory, Takumi decided to try to hit the dummy.  For this target practice, Taku decided to use another one of his mist techniques.  Taku aimed out into the blank mist, and slowly performed the hand seals he had memorized for Mist Bath.  Again, he noted the similarities and differences between the current technique and Hidden Mist Technique.  The two techniques were much more similar than just his Suiton techniques, but it did share some similarities between his various projectile techniques, including Wind Bullet.  After the seals were completed, Takumi extended his hand out toward where he imagined the dummy was.  From around his hand, mist concentrated and formed five small bullets.  He sent them out forward, hoping to hear five small thuds as the bullets hit the target.  However, Takumi was left with silence; he had missed.  

Takumi sighed in frustration.  He wanted to scream, but remembered all the time he spent meditating, and didn’t want it to be a waste.  He calmed down again and found a balance within himself.  Breathing deeply, he closed his eyes and focused.  Without his sight, he had to rely on his instincts.  He knew the layout of the courtyard, he knew the location of the dummies in the courtyard, and he knew his distance from the dummies.  Apparently, when walking away from his target, he had adjusted his aim poorly.  He slowed down his breathing and traced his steps and his actions.  He readjusted his perceived target and used Mist Bath again.  This time, when he sent out his five bullets, he heard two distinct thuds in return.  Two bullets had hit their mark, but the other three had missed, rocketing out into the courtyard before fading away into the mist.  Taku wasn’t happy, but he was glad he was improving.  He readjusted his aim based on the sounds from the bullets, and tried again.  

Once again, he performed the handseals for Mist bath, and he felt a series of satisfying thuds as the bullets hit their mark.  Taku smiled, and ran toward the dummy.  There were a few dents in the target.  The young Genin was happy, even though he knew he had a lot of work to do.  Takumi once again walked back, counting his paces.  He again performed the handseals for Mist Bath, and again released the bullets.  The five bullets flew to the target, each hitting the mark.  Taku was ecstatic; he was getting better.  Takumi ran back to his dummies.  This time, he focused on another dummy that he had put up.  This one had a series of targets on it with a soft padding that could show exactly where it was hit.  Takumi straightened the dummy and made a mental note of where the targets were on the dummy.  Walking back about ten meters, Takumi focused on where he believed the dummy to be.  He once again formed the necessary handseals for Mist Bath, and released the five bullets, aiming for the target on the dummy’s chest.

Focusing the bullets at a smaller target proved more difficult than Takumi had anticipated.  With his first attempt, he had aimed for the torso, but only heard three thuds.  Apparently, his attempt to focus on one part of the dummy made the attacks less accurate for the moment.  Taku ran up to the dummy and located the three dents on the target.  They were all spread out on various corners of the target.  Takumi needed to get his grouping tighter if he ever wanted to excel as a Ninjutsu focused shinobi.  Takumi marked the three dents so as not to confuse them with fresh ones, and marked off his distance.  At this point, Taku was confident in his ability to regularly locate the target in the mist.

This time, Takumi decided to focus only on the ten ring instead of the target as a whole.  Aim small, hit small.  Once again, he formed the hand seals for the Mist Bath technique and formed the five bullets.  He sent them careening off toward the target, focusing on a smaller section of the target and controlling the trajectory of the bullets more accurately.  This time, he heard five distinct and equally satisfying thuds.  The young Arashi ran to the target to see how he had done.  Although he wasn’t nearly perfect, his grouping was significantly tighter than it had been previously.  Three of the bullets had his close to the center, but the other two were still not where Taku wanted them.  Once again, he marked the locations of the five dents, and walked away from the target.

Once again standing at range and staring into the mist in the direction of the target, Takumi began to perform the hand seals required.  As he formed the bullets, Takumi could feel himself getting more exhausted.  His fatigue caused him to lose focus and the mist bullets faded back into the mist.  Although he wasn’t completely drained of energy, Takumi was frustrated at his foolishness and wasteful behavior while training.  Every time he had performed the Mist Bath technique, Takumi had only focused on the end result: his ability to hit the target.  But there was another aspect to this jutsu that he had not been focusing enough on.  Takumi needed to learn to control the amount of energy he released in order to perform the jutsu.  He needed to find the sweet spot where he could use the least amount of his energy while still properly performing the technique.  So, once again, Takumi performed the hand seals for Mist Bath, but this time focusing on using as little energy as possible.  Unfortunately, Taku used too little energy and only three bullets formed.  He released the chakra in the bullets, and they sadly faded out of existence.  He tried again, this time with too much chakra.  Five large bullets began to form, before exploding, one after the other.  This test left Taku strained and needing to rest.

Takumi slowly walked over to the cooking fire in the courtyard and again made himself some tea, this time using a blend of leaves that would help rejuvenate him.  Sitting and meditating briefly, Takumi was able to get back some of his lost energy, and by the time he had finished his tea he felt ready to tackle his efficiency issue again.  He walked to the dummy, counted off his paces, and turned to face it.  Again, he tried to use as little chakra as possible in forming the bullets, although more than his failure.  Four bullets formed: progress.  Taku let them fall before and tried again.  He added a bit more chakra, and this time five small bullets formed.  He sent them toward the dummy, making sure to keep them in a small grouping.  He heard five soft thuds.  The young genin ran up to the dummy, excited.  His aim had been significantly better, all five bullets had hit close to the center, but the diminished chakra had formed weaker dents; Takumi could barely see where they had hit.  So, with determination in his eyes, Arashi Takumi walked back and faced the target.  He added a bit more chakra to the jutsu and tried to find the sweet spot.  Five stronger bullets had formed, and the sounds they made when hitting the dummy were much more satisfying.  Taku raced back to the dummy to see much larger dents than before, in a tight grouping.  The young shinobi smiled in satisfaction.  He had learned to more carefully control his jutsu, and he couldn’t be happier.  However, he still had much more progress to make, but he would have to save it for the next day.  Even though this last batch of training had left him with more energy due to his more efficient performance, he was still drained from a day of ninjutsu and knew he needed to rest, but the end of that particular training session and his success at hitting the target left him excited to train more.  Takumi ate a large bowl of rice and fish for dinner that night before going to bed early, committed to spending the whole next day training.

The next day, Arashi Takumi rose before the sun.  He followed his typical morning routine, praying to his household gods before quickly cleaning up and walking downstairs.  He ate a quick bowl of noodles for breakfast before walking outside.  By the time he left his family’s home and entered the rest of the Arashi compound, the sun was just rising, its golden rays reflecting off the mist.  This was Takumi’s favorite part of the day, when the world was quiet and beautiful.

Today, Taku wanted to continue his training on control.  Takumi decided the best way would be with some precision techniques.  Therefore, Taku left the interior part of his family’s compound and walked the short distance to a small grocery run by the family.  This grocery store, located on a busy road on the outside border of the compound, served as one of the family’s many business enterprises.  Inside were fruits and vegetables grown in the various Arashi and Dokuyaku greenhouses and gardens.  Takumi’s mother’s aunt, a member of the Dokuyaku family, ran the grocery for the family.  Takumi smiled and gave his great aunt a hug before grabbing a couple oranges and a bunch of bananas.  He showed the fruit to the grocer and she smiled and waved him out; free fruit was one of the perks of family.

The young Arashi walked back into the interior of the compound, back to his training area.  Instead of setting up dummies like before, this time, Takumi just sat down underneath the tree with his fruit.  The young Genin took an orange in his left hand, and grabbed a kunai in his right.  With one smooth slice, he cut a line through the orange, slicing into the soft flesh beneath the skin.  Placing the orange down on the ground in front of him with the cut facing up, Takumi formed a series of handseals.  As he finished the seals to Iijutsu: Chakra Stitching, Takumi focused his chakra into his right index finger.  The potential future medic placed his energized finger onto one edge of the cut, feeling his energy seep into the skin of the orange.  Slowly, he traced his finger to the other side of the opening.  The young shinobi felt the energy flow into the orange, and a thin stitch of chakra appeared, connecting the two sides of the gap.  Takumi slowly, methodically continued to stitch back and forth until he reached about three quarters up the slice.  At that point, there were a number of stitches, each crossing from one side of the orange skin to the other.  However, at this point, the stitches began to fade from the beginning of the stitching work.  At first, Takumi was shocked, but he remembered his training when he learned Chakra Stitching originally.  Remember, you idiot, the stitches feed off the chakra of your patient.  An orange can’t maintain the stitches.  Always the creative thinker, Takumi’s mind instantly leapt to alternative methods for practicing chakra-based sutures on a non-living person.  I could always practice my Iijutsu on cadavers, it’s not like they can complain.  Too morbid.  I could help in my mother’s clinic, helping the Untouchables in the slums.  That idea was more acceptable, but he didn’t want to mess up and hurt anyone.  It never crossed his mind that, as a shinobi, he could just go to the slums and perform any experiments he wanted.  That would just be too evil mad scientist-y for him.  If only there was some tool, maybe with Fuuin, that could store some chakra and be used for practicing basic Iijutsu techniques.  Someone should really design something like that.  Until some mysterious inventor made the young Genin’s life easier, Takumi would have to work with what he had.  Even if the fruit couldn’t sustain the stitches for long, at least Takumi could practice his speed and control over his Chakra Stitching technique.

The young silver haired Arashi went back to his sliced orange, and decided to try again.  Once again, he performed the necessary handseals, and felt his chakra coalesce in his fingertip.  This time, Takumi rushed, trying to stitch the entire cut before his chakra faded.  Unfortunately, while he did make it all the way to the end of the stitch, his stitches were sloppy, and could barely hold the cut together.  He had once again failed.  In his haste, he lost control of the stitches.  If this were in the field, his work would have easily fallen apart, causing the wound to open again.  The young Genin, frustrated, knew he had to get better if he ever wanted to advance as a shinobi, and become an effective field medic for his teammates.  Sighing, Takumi tried again, this time focusing on controlled movements.  His stitches did not make it all the way to the end before fading away, but they were further than the first attempt, and much cleaner than the second attempt.  Even if it were frustratingly slow, progress was being made.

Takumi tried a few more times, each time getting a bit closer to the end.  His stitching was also getting more fluid, and more accurate with each attempt.  After about an hour, he decided to take a break.  Performing the same jutsu over and over again was getting tiring, and he was beginning to lose focus.  As was his custom when training, he walked over to one of the cooking hearths in his training area, and put a kettle of water on the fire for tea.  Takumi had a love for tea; not only was it delicious, but it also gave him a much needed boost and some energy.  As the water heated up, Takumi grabbed some tea, placed it in a nearby cup, and decided to peel the orange he had been practicing with.  He threw a piece of the rind in with the tea to add some flavor, and chomped on the orange slices while he waited for the water temperature to rise.  Once the water was ready to go, he poured it directly on the tea leaves and let it steep.  Eventually, Takumi drank the tea, enjoying the invigorating warmth that managed to cut through the constant mist.

With his tea finished, Takumi got back to work.  This time, he decided to practice on a banana.  The skin was slightly different, and he was able to slice the entire length of the fruit, giving him plenty of space to work with.  As he had done a dozen times before, Takumi performed the necessary handseals and began to stitch the banana’s wound back together.  After drinking his tea, the young man was more focused, and had greater control over his stitches.  His hand moved with a practiced ease.  With his movements more in control, Takumi quickly maneuvered his finger across the cut, going back and forth very quickly.  As he was getting close to the end, the stitch began to fade from the opposite end.  He was getting closer, but he was not yet fast enough.  Even though he had come up slightly short, Takumi was smiling.  He was getting noticeably faster, and cleaner in his stitching.  Soon, he would be able to beat the dissipating chakra, and stitch the whole fruit, and the young boy was visibly excited.  He could see his growth, and knew he was becoming stronger.  Eventually, the young shinobi would outpace the fruit training, and need to practice on a live body.  He could, the silver haired Arashi noted, even potentially use himself as a training dummy, slicing his skin and healing it, but Takumi would rather use his skills practically, in healing others.  Eventually, it is likely that Taku would have to heal himself, but the majesty of Iijutsu lied in helping those around him.

Determined to be at his best before attempting the technique on another person, Takumi settled down his excitement and tried again on the fruit.  He made the proper handseals (at this point they came as naturally as breathing), and focused chakra to the fingertip of his right index finger.  He quickly, but carefully, stitched the cut, crossing from one side to the other, left right left right left right, until he made it to the end of the cut.  Shocked at his speed and control, he hesitated, forgetting to finish the stitch.  In his hesitation, the other end of the stitch began to fade, unraveling his perfect stitch.  The young Taku chuckled at his error, but felt pride for making it to the end.  Determined to see this training complete, Arashi Takumi set himself to one last attempt.

The young Arashi Takumi once again performed the handseals for the Chakra Stitching technique, which at this point were second nature.  He focused chakra to his fingertip and began the process once again.  Just like last time, he was surprised by how quick he was getting, his control over the chakra stitches getting better and better.  This time, Takumi was able to completely finish the stitch on the entire banana before the chakra began to fade.  Takumi's control over his jutsu had increased rapidly.  In celebration, he ate the banana.  Although he was happy at his success, he knew his training was not over.  Knowing there were about five hundred words left in his training, Takumi decided to practice his Chakra Stitching Technique with the other fingertips on his right hand.  Quickly, he grabbed another banana and sliced a long cut down its length.  Once again, he formed the practiced handseals, but this time focused chakra into his middle finger, and began to stitch up the banana.  Using a different finger was a bit awkward, but his earlier practice certainly helped his ability and his hand eye coordination.  Unfortunately, about halfway through he accidentally switched to his index finger, and began stitching nothing.  With a sigh, the silver-haired medic watched as his chakra stitching vanished.  A simple, boneheaded mistake caused by a lapse in focus and his muscle memory, if this had been a real patient, he could have caused some serious injury.  Takumi needed to focus, and drill, until he had the same control with each of his ten fingers.  He started again with his right hand middle finger, and this time got closer to finishing the stitches, with no terrible lapse in focus.  One more time, and he had it down.  Next he moved onto his ring finger.  This was more difficult, but after a few more tries he was getting better, and eventually finished.  He continued the exercise with his pinky and thumb, until they were just as good.  Finally, to finish his right handed training, he practiced his index finger again.  As he was finishing the stitch, suddenly his chakra on his fingertip just faded.  Takumi had pushed himself too hard, and felt a surge of exhaustion roll over him.  In his effort to master the technique, Takumi did not realize how much of his reserves he was draining.  Happily, Takumi noted that he was able to perform more techniques than previously.  This time, however, the young Genin decided it was too late for tea, and decided to get an early sleep before finishing his training the next day.

Takumi went to bed early, deciding to have some of his fruit for dinner, and rose before the sun.  After his usual morning prayer and shower, Arashi Takumi got back to training.  He prepared a new banana for stitching, since he had eaten the last one.  Quickly, he cycled through the fingers on his right hand, happy that each was successful in its test.  Then, he switched to his left hand.  Immediately after forming the handseals and focusing chakra into his left index finger, Takumi could feel the difference in ability between his right and left hands.  The attempted stitches were spread out, sloppy, and slow.  Takumi noted that he would have to increase his ability in his left hand if he were ever to become a successful medic.  He knew that he would have to become ambidextrous.  For now, Takumi just practiced, trying to keep in control of his stitching.  After a few attempts, Takumi was satisfied, for now.

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Takumi
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Eye of the Storm

Post by Takumi » Tue Aug 13, 2019 2:41 pm

TrainingShow
Stamina
2129/2000 words
A new day, a new training regiment. Takumi felt he had increased his control over Ninjutsu to a good level, but knew he needed to raise his physical abilities. The young Genin decided to start with his stamina. Although his control over ninjutsu had increased, he still noticed that his stamina was not at the point he wanted it. So, he decided this morning that stamina would be his focus. As per his usual morning routine, Takumi got up, prayed, and washed. He then walked downstairs, said hello to his mother (his father was out on a mission for the Karagata, Taku knew better that to ask what it was he was doing), and ate a hearty, but quick breakfast. He needed the energy for his training later that day. For his training today, Takumi would have to leave the quiet of his family's compound that expanded over multiple blocks. Instead of leaving out the back door of his immediate family's home, Takumi left out the front door onto a busy Kirigakure street. The compound was located on a busy road, with a canal running parallel for shipping goods via boats. Takumi decided to jog to the training ground he had in mind, in an attempt to work on his physical abilities. The training ground he planned to work out at was located about halfway around the village, in the merchant district. Takumi tried to run as hard as he could, for as long as he could, but only made it part of the way to the training ground before tiring. He slowed down, and walked for a few minutes as he caught his breath. As he was preparing to run again, the young silver haired genin spotted a small tea stand, with some delicious smelling tea brewing. Even though he had barely started his training, Takumi decided to take a small break and try some tea. He sat down and ordered one cup of green tea. The friendly operator of the stand smiled, nodded, and poured him some tea. Unlike some of the finer tea shops in town, where the tea would be brewed to order, this small stand made its money by having ready made tea available for the hard workers in the merchant district. Takumi smiled, paid the man, and took a sip of the delicious tea. Even though it did not involve the same process as the more involved tea shops, this tea was spectacular; the man clearly knew his stuff when it came to tea. After Taku was finished, he thanked the man again and left a few extra Ryo in appreciation before heading off toward his training destination.

As before, Takumi tried to run as fast as he could for as far as he could. With a warm belly full of energizing tea, Takumi was able to reach his destination before needing to stop, winded, and catch his breath. Taku was at the small entrance to a grotto, nestled between two rows of buildings. This particular training ground was quite obscure, more of a small hiking area than a proper training ground. The land was well preserved, and the various training obstacles were placed within nature. As this was in a pretty hard to get to location in the merchant district, it was usually not populated, which is what Takumi preferred. In fact, Taku only knew about this because a few friends of his family managed the location. Takumi walked past the homes and stepped into a small forest, with trees all around him. The young shinobi followed the dirt path until he reached a small waterfall. The waterfall dropped down from about twenty feet above Takumi straight down into a ravine about fifty feet below. It poured into a small underwater lake. The Dokuyaku family, of whom Takumi's mother was a member, cultivated small mushrooms and plants from the outskirts of the lake bed. Takumi, however, had little interest in fungi at the moment; he was here to train. Takumi began by using the Basic Jutsu: Act of Tree Climbing technique, to walk up the side of the cliff adjacent to the waterfall. Takumi made it up the cliff and looked down as the waterfall crashed into the lake below. For this training, Takumi knew he would be pushing his body, and risking injury, but he knew it would make him stronger in the end. Taku took a deep breath and started by walking back down the cliff. This time, instead of continuing down, he walked sidways, into the waterfall. As the water began to pelt him, Takumi tried to focus, holding on with his chakra for dear life. He did not want to fall from this height, either into the lake below, or even onto the ground. He held on for as long as he could, but eventually, the water proved too punishing, and Takumi lost his grip on the cliff face. He fell, but as he fell, pushed off, and was able to land on the ground and not deep in the cave. Unfortunately, he landed on his shoulder, hard. Luckily, it didn't pop out of his socket, but it still hurt a lot. Frustrated and aching in pain, Takumi stubbornly jumped up and tried again. Unfortunately, in his anger, he lost focus, and as he was walking up the cliff face, lost track of where he was walking, and lost his footing. Once again, he tumbled down onto the hard ground. Another bruise, but luckily the fall was significantly shorter than the last, so the biggest bruise was to his ego instead of to his body. Taku punched the ground in frustration, taking his anger out on the object of his pain, although knowing deep down it was himself he was angry with.

Learning his lesson, Takumi decided to regain his composure. He sat on the ground and focused on his breathing. As his breathes became more peaceful, he slowly let his frustration fade. He had been prepared for pain and suffering, it was a part of the process. He knew he had to become stronger, and this was how he would do it. Stamina is not earned through relaxation or sitting at home, it must be fought for, and earned through sweat. With a newfound determination, the young silver-haired Genin stood up and began his training again. Slowly and more meticulously, he once again scaled the cliff face using the Basic Jutsu: Act of Tree Climbing technique, this time much more careful about where he stepped. As he reached the top, Takumi stepped to the side, into the heavy destructive force of the waterfall. As soon as the water hit, he felt his focus shift temporarily, but was able to reign in his control before losing his footing. He focused on his feet and core as the water pelted him from above. He could feel his strength waning as the never ending stream of water rushed over him. Still, he held on for dear life, not willing to quit. There was no rest for Takumi, no break from the constant downpour. After what felt like an eternity of pain and struggle (but in reality was only a few minutes), Takumi became exhausted. As his fatigue overcame him, he tried to hold on, but his body failed him and the chakra connecting him to the cliff face vanished. Unable to push off to the side, Takumi’s weakened body deep down into the underground lake. Fortunately, the water was deep enough, and was constantly disturbed by the waterfall. Unfortunately, the water was deep, dark and cold, and it shook Takumi’s body as he plummeted deep down. He had no idea which was was up, and did not know where to swim, even if he had had the strength to do so. As he slowly began to lose consciousness, he felt himself grabbed by the collar, and he began to ascend. As he began to move up, he allowed the strange force in the dark to move him, and succumbed to the darkness.

When Arashi Takumi regained consciousness, the first thing he noticed was the warmth of a fire, giving off a soft light. He stirred, and slowly forced his aching body to move and look around. He was in a cave off to the side of the underground lake. He had been here before and knew the layout fairly well. This cave was used as a room for the resident Dokuyaku caretakers, Dokuyaku Aoi, an elderly gardener, and his wife, Dokuyaku Chiharu, a retired Shinobi. The family spent about half their days maintaining the underground spring network and the park above, and the rest of the time they lived in their home near the entrance to the park. Dokuyaku Aoi was sitting by the fire, tending to a large pot sitting above it. While down in the cave, they, as is practice in Kiri, often left a perpetual fire going with some cooking supplies. He ladled out a bowl of soup, and handed it towards Takumi. Dokuyaku Chiharu helped Taku sit up and said, “Here you go, young Samebito, eat up. It’s our special Mushroom Soup and should be able to give you a boost of energy. You took quite the fall.” Takumi thanked the family and quickly ate the soup. The warm soup was delicious, and he could immediately feel the warmth move through him. The various mushrooms that grow in the cave were both delicious and had significant health benefits, which was why the Dokuyaku family took such care of the underground area.

After finishing his meal and recovering from his fall, Takumi thanked the family again, making sure to remember to say hello to them at the next religious gathering. Like many in the Dokuyaku family, they were tied to the Arashi family through their faith. Taku made the short trek up through the caves, back to the surface and open (well, mist covered) air. The cave entrance was close to the park entrance, although hidden a bit behind rocks and vines. Takumi hiked back to the waterfall to begin his training again.

Once again, Takumi performed the Basic Jutsu: Act of Tree Climbing technique and walked up the cliff face next to the waterfall. Stepping to the side and into the rushing water, the young genin felt once again the now familiar rush of cold water pouring down upon him. Although the water was straining, his brief respite had given him some much needed rest and his fatigue was not as bad. In fact, he felt stronger, more capable of withstanding the onslaught of white water. Focusing, Takumi was able to hold onto the slippery rock with his chakra, not allowing his feet to slip. He held on for what felt like an eternity before he started to feel himself losing control. The young silver haired teenage ninja decided, instead of falling again, to push off. He flipped once in the air as gracefully as he could manage, and landed on his feet on solid ground. Well, he almost landed on his feet, but his momentum carried him too far and he ended up tripping and falling on his back side. With a bruised rear end and a slightly bruised ego, Takumi chuckled to himself and began again. Every time he stepped into the raging waterfall, he felt a small shiver down his spine, but this time he felt better, more adjusted to the pain and cold. He could almost smile as he was buffeted by the white water. This time, as he felt himself start to slip, Takumi decided to try to climb up the waterfall. As one foot began to lose its footing, Takumi focused his chakra into the sole of his other foot, making sure it held strong. Slowly, surely, Takumi lifted up his foot, now only anchored to the slick stone by one foot. He moved his foot up and planted it back on the rock, above the other foot. He carefully transitioned his chakra to the other foot and planted it firmly back on the earth. Unfortunately, the focus of the young genin started to fade, and Takumi was forced to jump off the cliff to the ground before he lost his grip and fell uncontrollably again.

Satisfied with that attempt, but not willing to give up yet, Takumi was resolved to climb up the waterfall completely. Noticing the sun was setting, Takumi put everything he had into the next attempt. He planted his feet firmly on the cliff, and one after the other, walked up, bracing himself against the onslaught of the waterfall. After what felt like an eternity, he finally made it to the top. Satisfied, he decided to end his training there for the day, and went home.

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