Strength Training (2)
2021/2000
The life of a shinobi was hardly an easy one. Least of all for those of the Karagata family. From the moment of his birth Shinjiro had been destined to become an assassin; an honored and respected soldier of Kirigakure. It was a fate that he had learned to accept in his early years and now he wished nothing more than to continually better himself. Of his many siblings he was among the youngest and least experienced. There was a great legacy to live up to and despite all of his efforts thus far he still felt remarkably weak in comparison. As of Chunin of the village it was his responsibility to be able to stand on his own and though he was competent in strategy and assassination there were many whom could best him in a prolonged fight. He would need to gain every advantage that he could.
The best way to start in his own mind was to continue to build up his physical attributes. He didn’t possess the kind of talent to be skilled in every shinobi discipline or learn to adapt for any situation. Instead he would have to follow in the example of his greatest idol, the Legendary hero of Kirigakure; Karagata Shiv. This strategy revolved around being so singularly skilled in deadly assassination arts and sheer strength and speed that any other opponent would be struck down before they had a chance to enact their own strategies and maneuvers.
Since the age of two Shinjiro had trained daily in some form or another. His technique was suburb as was his pain tolerance and resistance to poisons. Physically however while well above those of his age and rank there were still many Jounin who could easily best him in feats of strength and even speed. Even at the young age of 15 it was expected for him to be in the top 5% of the villages shinobi in his discipline of choice. His sister had been an expert genjutsu practitioner and elite medic by this age and his brother Riku set the bar for physical skill which he hoped to surpass. He was a Karagata after all. Recently he had begun revising his workout routines to maximize his continual growth. Standing shirtless and wearing only a pair of shorts Shinjiro began warming up in the weight-room of his family household. There were many pieces of equipment and weights of various heaviness. There too were several training facilities for more hands on practice and conditioning. For at least the next five hours Shinjiro would dedicate himself almost entirely to this room. In fact he had scheduled off a week from taking missions solely so that he could spend nearly every hour of the day honing his body to new levels.
This first day would be focused on chest, back and shoulders. Starting off fairly light the young Chunin took hold of a pair of steel fifty-five pound dumb bells. He would start out with three sets of fifteen curls and shoulder presses, simply to get the blood pumping and flowing to his muscles. Standing opposite to a large mirror he watched to ensure he had proper form, despite the countless scars that riddled his body his exceptionally defined muscles stood out enough that he was able to view the progress of his arms in detail. Despite being only fifteen years old Shinjiro was already remarkably defined and muscular, visually appearing to be an athlete of an Olympic calibre by civilian standards or perhaps a bodybuilder that focused more on definition than sheer size. While there were many civilians whom had larger arms, appearing more bulky and muscular, perhaps even equally defined, the truth was that very few could compete with the strength a shinobi’s body could store. As a shinobi Shinji tended to focus more around speed and efficiency rather than brute strength and yet his power was practically inhuman by most standards. Still, he did not wish for his muscles to grow larger per say, only to become more effective and maintained in a dense, corded fashion. After all large muscles could make certain movements more difficult and impede one’s speed and taijutsu ability.
With his arms beginning to warm now Shinjiro carefully placed the weights down, though they were too light to cause any damage to him even if he should be reckless. It was simply proper precaution. For the next set he would shift to more of a chest exercise, loading up a bench press bar with Two hundred pounds on each side, in addition to the weight of the thick and dense metal of the bar this resulted in a total weight of four hundred and forty pounds. More than triple his own weight. Laying down on the bench Shinjiro slowly lifted the bar into position and with perfect form and breathing began to carefully pump out reps. Seeing as how he built his chest muscles for endurance he would continue to force out reps until near exhaustion. Even in the beginning the weight was significant and he had to fight the urge to clench his teeth or stop his steady breathing. Gradually his pace quickened as he activated more explosive and quick response habits ingrained into his muscle memory. Even when fatigued he had to be able to perform at top standards and efficiency. His body could be shredded, broken and bruised and he could never let himself slip up or falter in even the slightest way.
He was thirty six reps in when he finally reached a point of complete muscle fatigue. He could feel a heavy ache in his arms though years of learning how to endure pain had actually dulled his pain receptors and even the pain he could feel he had an exceptionally high tolerance for. As such on almost every workout session he ended up overexerting his muscles and causing damage to himself as he surpassed the own limits of his physical stamina. It was fortunate his sister was an expert medical shinobi and performed weekly physical check-ups on Shinjiro and their eldest brother, ensuring that everyone was healed up to prime condition. Any injuries sustained within that time however were expected to be endured and overcome without complaint unless they were to be sent off on a mission in which case exceptions were made. Carefully placing the weight down over his head Shinjiro slowly rolled off of the training bench. There were many times where it would have been wise to have a spotter during his workouts though in their household none but the immediate family and their slaves were allowed to watch the Karagata train or partake in any form. Even his siblings were more rivals than training partners.
Drenched in sweat Shinjiro wiped himself off with a nearby towel before cleaning off the bench. He knew his arms needed time to recover despite feeling like he could push them to do more. Still he decided to be smart about it this time and instead switch focus to his legs. Moving to a more open area he grabbed a weighted vest and began loading it up until it carried Three hundred and Fifty pounds, heavier than the largest person that he might be expected to carry to safety or take prisoner. Ideally, he would like to be able to carry two heavy targets, each weighing over Two hundred pounds, one over each shoulder. If he could do that without slowing him down at all then he could remain effective in such a situation. For now however he would start with this current weight. The ceiling in the room was thirty feet high and he kept that in mind as he started with some squats, moving quickly and explosively but retaining perfect form with a straight back, well spaced feet and a ninety-degree angle to his legs at the bottom of the squat.
After getting a feel for the weight and gauging his ability Shinji began to jump into the air with each squat, at first only a foot or two off the ground but gradually pushing himself higher and higher. He needed his muscles to perform with explosive power, releasing all of the pent-up strength in a single burst and without sacrificing performance. Soon the young assassin was leaping ten feet into the air without even the assistance of chakra. Bringing his knees up high each time and then absorbing the impact as he landed. Making the exercise a little more difficult he decided to hop to either side between each squat jump, maximizing the fast twitch muscles in his thighs and involving more of his calf muscles. He would continue in such a way for nearly twenty minutes, again his muscles had been pushed past his own limit, stamina and endurance were not his strong suit, but his mental fortitude allowed him to physically push himself through it, even though he would be incapable of using any but the most basic applications of chakra at this point due to exhaustion.
Taking a five-minute break to re-hydrate Shinjiro would then move on to core exercises. Leaping up under a strong metal bar often used for pullups and the sort the young assassin would lift himself and then loop his legs over the bar so that he upper body hung upside-down. From there he would clench his legs, still sore they bulged with the heavily worked muscles, tightening to keep him in place though the majority of the strain would be on his core as he slowly and deliberately lifted his upper body, arms crossed over his chest. Immediately he could feel the resistance and the tightening of his well defined abs and obliques. The isolation of the muscles was extreme in this position and we could continue to slowly exercise them, one rep after another. There were times where he felt his body struggling, especially after he surpassed the one hundred rep mark.
The ordeal he was putting his body through was extreme by anyone’s standards and he knew his body would feel sluggish for the next few days until he could recover fully from the strain. Still if he could only push himself and keep going strong until his next medical check up then his muscles would find relief and grow much stronger than they had before. Every month he knew he had to make notable progress in his physical fitness, he was young but that didn’t matter at all to his opponents whom typically had many years to condition themselves. He had to surpass any potential enemy, even his fellow Kiri shinobi and family members. The sooner he could place himself above them all the more likely he was to continue to survive and serve the village as well as prove his own aptitude. These were the thoughts that allowed him to push past any discomfort. Pain itself had become so familiar to him that he hardly noticed it anymore, it was simply his normal.
At last Shinjiro came to the point where his muscles could no longer physically respond to the command he was mentally giving them. Exhausted, sweat dripped from his forehead, creating a pool on the stone floor beneath him. Hanging upside for several long moments Shinji finally unclasped the various ties and mechanisms on the jacket, allowing it to fall to the ground with a thunderous impact. He felt suddenly much lighter and his body seemed to relax for a moment, enough for his muscles to recover just long enough for him to pull himself up once more before shifting his body and sitting atop the bar. He placed a hand on his stomach, feeling the bulging abs pulsating from being overworked. He would need a long soak in the ice bath to cool his muscles and aid them in recovery as well as preventing inflammation though at least he could rest well tonight knowing that he had made another small step towards progress. Tomorrow much of the same would be repeated, exercise, training, pain and killing, that was all he knew and likely all he would ever know.
Journey of the Jinchuuriki
Journey of the Jinchuuriki
Karagata Shinjiro - Kiri Bannin; Jinchuuriki, Overseer of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, Kintsugi
Haziwara Youji- Iwagakure Chunin
Takeda Ichiro - A-Rank Waterfall Country; Black Wake, Chishiki, Setsuzoku
Hyuuga Takeshi - Konoha Special Jounin; Anbu
Jouchaku Shigeko - Kiri Genin; HHD
Journey of the Jinchuuriki
Instinct Training (2)
2106/2000
If there was one thing Shinji strove to improve on above all else it was his reaction time and ability to perceive fast movements. Against opponents of a similar age he was almost always faster than them though on several occasions he had found himself facing off against Jounin level opponents who outmatched him both in speed and perception. They could track his movements and respond with lightning quickness though he would be unable to follow their movements or even those of someone who moved at the same speed as himself. This meant that he had to rely on the very inefficient tactic of anticipating his opponents actions several steps ahead, often before he even made his first attack. Only in this way could he remain competitive in such a fight. Naturally such a tactic had many weaknesses and so the more he could improve his perception the less guesswork he would have to do. His recent spar with his brother Riku reinforced that his anticipations weren’t always correct, had it been a true battle he would be dead. It didn’t matter that his brother was a Jounin and seven years his elder, there was no telling what skill level his targets might be or whether or not they had hired Jounin bodyguards, the more missions he could complete rather than be forced to retreat or sacrifice his life for nothing the better.
There were few ways to hone this perception however given the circumstances of his training regimen. Members of his household very rarely trained with anyone outside of fellow Karagata, genin rivals and in Shinjiro’s case the combat trained household servants. None of the slaves were as fast as Shinjiro however, this left only his two older siblings and his father for none of the younger recruits were nearly up to par. Shinjiro actively avoided training any of his younger siblings though none in the household would consider them that until they had at the very least entered the academy and not truly acknowledged until they graduated among the top of their class in at least one field. And so Shinjiro decided that he would watch one of the rare spars between his elder siblings, often his sister Chiasa would devote her free time towards training the younger generation and practicing her poisons and genjutsu on them whereas Riku would occasional spar with Shinjiro or their father Izune between missions.
He would be lying if he said he wasn’t at least a little bit excited about the prospect of watching the pair of Jounin assassins spar. Watching quietly from the corner of the large main training room Shinjiro would transform his head into that of an owl so that he could view the battle clearly in the darkness and hear their breathing and heartbeats even though they remained notably faint compared to any shinobi that wasn’t exceptional in the art of stealth. The two squared off and immediately Shinji was straining to track his brothers blurred movement as he dashed forward with a spear thrust, testing his sister’s reaction time. The young woman, 5 years Shinjiro’s elder reacted well, dashing to the side she fired hidden senbon from her wrist, a knife sliding out into her grip from her other hand as she parried Riku’s follow-up slash while inhaling, a glow of chakra around her chest and throat was all the indication Riku needed to fall back and twirl his spear around his body at high speeds, shielding himself against the poison that she exhaled in a large cloud around him.
From Shinjiro’s perspective he had barely seen the blur of his brother’s initial rush, clearly not his fastest attack but close to it. His sister had been slightly easier to keep track of, her movements were marginally slower though the subtle way she attacked from seemingly out of nowhere was difficult to keep track of especially from a distance. He hadn’t actually noticed her activate the launching mechanism before the senbon were already in the air and the knife she drew also seemed to come out of nowhere though he saw just enough of its movement in time. The swirling of the spear was once again a blur though with enough focus he could start to make out more of the rotation, seeing the spear crossing at two, then three different points rather than the initial blended blurring appearance. The purple cloud of poison of course obstructed much of his view though he moved in slightly closer, repositioning to better make out what was going on. He was still about twenty meters away from the pair of combatants though even if the poison drifted closer he knew it wasn’t of any concern to him. His sister was immune to her own poisons and she had passed that onto Shinji through years of conditioning, experiments and jutsu uses.
A tinge of jealousy surged through the boy as he watched, they were still ahead of him, the gap between Chunin and Jounin ever apparent though unlike them he had neglected his skills in Ninjutsu and Genjutsu in order to quickly surpass all of his peers, his skills in Taijutsu were enough to put him on equal footing with many Jounin and if he truly went all out with the power of his Genma he was confident he could defeat either of his siblings yet he didn’t want to rely on the beast. He wanted his strength to be his own, only using the Genma in combat as a final trump card. That was the only way he would continue to keep his own skills sharp and not become complacent with the power that had been bestowed onto him. Studying their spar he knew he had to adapt to track them more accurately, eventually he hoped to be able to pick up on every little detail and see their motions well in advance, able to anticipate and react to them before they could even complete their action. To be like his father or Shiv, the level of speed and perception to pick apart nearly any target and find themselves unmatched in close quarters. He could only imagine what it would be like trying to watch a spar between Izune and Shiv, it would be over in an instant likely and even if they performed three or four actions it wouldn’t matter, it would all be far beyond him. One day he would be able to watch individuals of their caliber as he watched his siblings.
The poison was dispersing now, blown towards the corners of the room and while Riku had been on the defensive Chiasa had formed hand seals, firing another barrage the senbon deflected off of the spinning double bladed spear. Shinjiro strained his eyes, challenging himself to pick up on which side of the spear each senbon deflected off of. It appeared to be two spins to the left, deflecting off of different ends followed by a counter spin to the right deflecting the senbon off of the same side as the first deflection. ‘Good, it’s getting easier’ he noted though his eyes widened as he realized he had lost track of his sister. It was if she had suddenly disappeared, he could see every corner of the dark room and yet there was no trace of her. He suddenly wished he had means of detection other than sight and sound, ‘Perhaps Ninjutsu and Genjutsu have their uses after all’ he realized, even Riku seemed concerned at Chiasa’s disappearance. It didn’t take long to realize it was a genjutsu, likely an A-rank Illusion meaning that escaping via kai was no easy task. It would be impossible for Shinjiro to break free. He would have to piece together what was happening based on other factors. Riku evidently decided to take the chance of exposing himself by forming the hand seal for kai to release the jutsu and in that instant a slash appeared across his leg. Instinctively Riku lashed out, the sound of his weapon clashing against the blade of an opponent, invisible only to Shinjiro. “Damn Genjutsu” he muttered softly to himself, he was missing out on the best parts of the action. Though if he focused enough he could hear where the clashes sounded from and could still see Riku’s movements.
The exchange ended with Riku panting, his face clammy. In his hectic movements he had sped up the flow of Chiasa’s poison that coursed through his body, courtesy of the knife wound he took to the leg. His body was beginning to slow which would make tracking him easier but Chiasa hadn’t come out uncathed herself. Shinji’s perceptive eyes caught sight of a faint trail of blood leading away from where her and Riku had just had their exchange. Despite the fact that he couldn’t see or hear Chiasa herself he could hear the clashes of her weapons as well as see her weapons if they left contact with her as well as see the blood that she left behind. That was something at least, enough to keep tabs on her. Of course Riku had cancelled the genjutsu and could see her well enough so long as she didn’t slip too far away from him and into the darkness of the fifty meter by fifty meter room. Shinji knew he would have to pay close attention now, his brother would want to finish this fight as quickly as possible, before the full effects of the poison set in and Chiasa made her move to take him out of the fight. Her skills with medical ninjutsu were impressive.
Continuing to watch his brothers flashes of movements as he advanced forward in bursts he could tell that Riku was doing well to prevent further hand seals, keeping the woman on the defensive, though she seemed to be quite tricky, he speculated that at one point she had used substitution, and at one point he had thought the genjutsu had worn off but it turned out it was a water clone instead. It had only taken him a few moments of realizing something was peculiar before he noted that the clone didn’t have a heartbeat, though Riku had destroyed it so quickly that Shinji barely had time to figure it out before it was a puddle of water on the stone floor. Still, as a combination between his increased attentiveness and Riku’s slowed movements Shinji could now see clearly even his fastest attacks, as evident by when he utilized the same move he had used to defeat Shinji earlier in that day. Chiasa too was able to follow the movements, she had in fact adjusted enough to turn and deflect the stab deep into her left shoulder while her right hand lashed out to strike Riku’s leg, enveloped in chakra Shinjiro could suddenly see his sister again. Either the duration had expired or she had been prioritizing her chakra and he could see why. Riku pulled back the weapon, shifting and aiming to slash with the opposite side to force a yield against her neck. Instead he stumbled backwards, his leg giving out from under him due to a broken bone and severed tendons, all the while Chiasa’s wound seemed to be sealing itself shut. ‘Medical ninjutsu and genjutsu, terrifying combination’ he noted, he knew his sister was tough, she had put him through hell as a kid but it had been years since he had properly sparred against her. In some ways that he didn’t want to admit she still vaguely intimidated him.
Surging forward Chiasa knocked the spear out of her brother’s hands, a movement which Shinjiro tracked easily. This came as a surprise, she was about the same speed as himself after all and for quite some time he surpassed the speed of his own perception. He truly was making progress after all then. Riku was pinned against the ground, Chiasa putting her weight against his chest as she pressed a poisoned knife against his throat. That was that then. Shinjiro exhaled slowly, he wasn’t sure to be impressed, scared or disappointed. His brother had bested him earlier that day and now his sister prevailed against him, putting Shinji at the bottom of the totem pole as far as his siblings would be concerned. At least he was able to track most of their movements, if he kept up at this rate he was sure that he could still reach his goal of besting each of them within a year. Without a word Shinjiro’s head transformed back to normal and he left the room in search of another form of training.
2106/2000
If there was one thing Shinji strove to improve on above all else it was his reaction time and ability to perceive fast movements. Against opponents of a similar age he was almost always faster than them though on several occasions he had found himself facing off against Jounin level opponents who outmatched him both in speed and perception. They could track his movements and respond with lightning quickness though he would be unable to follow their movements or even those of someone who moved at the same speed as himself. This meant that he had to rely on the very inefficient tactic of anticipating his opponents actions several steps ahead, often before he even made his first attack. Only in this way could he remain competitive in such a fight. Naturally such a tactic had many weaknesses and so the more he could improve his perception the less guesswork he would have to do. His recent spar with his brother Riku reinforced that his anticipations weren’t always correct, had it been a true battle he would be dead. It didn’t matter that his brother was a Jounin and seven years his elder, there was no telling what skill level his targets might be or whether or not they had hired Jounin bodyguards, the more missions he could complete rather than be forced to retreat or sacrifice his life for nothing the better.
There were few ways to hone this perception however given the circumstances of his training regimen. Members of his household very rarely trained with anyone outside of fellow Karagata, genin rivals and in Shinjiro’s case the combat trained household servants. None of the slaves were as fast as Shinjiro however, this left only his two older siblings and his father for none of the younger recruits were nearly up to par. Shinjiro actively avoided training any of his younger siblings though none in the household would consider them that until they had at the very least entered the academy and not truly acknowledged until they graduated among the top of their class in at least one field. And so Shinjiro decided that he would watch one of the rare spars between his elder siblings, often his sister Chiasa would devote her free time towards training the younger generation and practicing her poisons and genjutsu on them whereas Riku would occasional spar with Shinjiro or their father Izune between missions.
He would be lying if he said he wasn’t at least a little bit excited about the prospect of watching the pair of Jounin assassins spar. Watching quietly from the corner of the large main training room Shinjiro would transform his head into that of an owl so that he could view the battle clearly in the darkness and hear their breathing and heartbeats even though they remained notably faint compared to any shinobi that wasn’t exceptional in the art of stealth. The two squared off and immediately Shinji was straining to track his brothers blurred movement as he dashed forward with a spear thrust, testing his sister’s reaction time. The young woman, 5 years Shinjiro’s elder reacted well, dashing to the side she fired hidden senbon from her wrist, a knife sliding out into her grip from her other hand as she parried Riku’s follow-up slash while inhaling, a glow of chakra around her chest and throat was all the indication Riku needed to fall back and twirl his spear around his body at high speeds, shielding himself against the poison that she exhaled in a large cloud around him.
From Shinjiro’s perspective he had barely seen the blur of his brother’s initial rush, clearly not his fastest attack but close to it. His sister had been slightly easier to keep track of, her movements were marginally slower though the subtle way she attacked from seemingly out of nowhere was difficult to keep track of especially from a distance. He hadn’t actually noticed her activate the launching mechanism before the senbon were already in the air and the knife she drew also seemed to come out of nowhere though he saw just enough of its movement in time. The swirling of the spear was once again a blur though with enough focus he could start to make out more of the rotation, seeing the spear crossing at two, then three different points rather than the initial blended blurring appearance. The purple cloud of poison of course obstructed much of his view though he moved in slightly closer, repositioning to better make out what was going on. He was still about twenty meters away from the pair of combatants though even if the poison drifted closer he knew it wasn’t of any concern to him. His sister was immune to her own poisons and she had passed that onto Shinji through years of conditioning, experiments and jutsu uses.
A tinge of jealousy surged through the boy as he watched, they were still ahead of him, the gap between Chunin and Jounin ever apparent though unlike them he had neglected his skills in Ninjutsu and Genjutsu in order to quickly surpass all of his peers, his skills in Taijutsu were enough to put him on equal footing with many Jounin and if he truly went all out with the power of his Genma he was confident he could defeat either of his siblings yet he didn’t want to rely on the beast. He wanted his strength to be his own, only using the Genma in combat as a final trump card. That was the only way he would continue to keep his own skills sharp and not become complacent with the power that had been bestowed onto him. Studying their spar he knew he had to adapt to track them more accurately, eventually he hoped to be able to pick up on every little detail and see their motions well in advance, able to anticipate and react to them before they could even complete their action. To be like his father or Shiv, the level of speed and perception to pick apart nearly any target and find themselves unmatched in close quarters. He could only imagine what it would be like trying to watch a spar between Izune and Shiv, it would be over in an instant likely and even if they performed three or four actions it wouldn’t matter, it would all be far beyond him. One day he would be able to watch individuals of their caliber as he watched his siblings.
The poison was dispersing now, blown towards the corners of the room and while Riku had been on the defensive Chiasa had formed hand seals, firing another barrage the senbon deflected off of the spinning double bladed spear. Shinjiro strained his eyes, challenging himself to pick up on which side of the spear each senbon deflected off of. It appeared to be two spins to the left, deflecting off of different ends followed by a counter spin to the right deflecting the senbon off of the same side as the first deflection. ‘Good, it’s getting easier’ he noted though his eyes widened as he realized he had lost track of his sister. It was if she had suddenly disappeared, he could see every corner of the dark room and yet there was no trace of her. He suddenly wished he had means of detection other than sight and sound, ‘Perhaps Ninjutsu and Genjutsu have their uses after all’ he realized, even Riku seemed concerned at Chiasa’s disappearance. It didn’t take long to realize it was a genjutsu, likely an A-rank Illusion meaning that escaping via kai was no easy task. It would be impossible for Shinjiro to break free. He would have to piece together what was happening based on other factors. Riku evidently decided to take the chance of exposing himself by forming the hand seal for kai to release the jutsu and in that instant a slash appeared across his leg. Instinctively Riku lashed out, the sound of his weapon clashing against the blade of an opponent, invisible only to Shinjiro. “Damn Genjutsu” he muttered softly to himself, he was missing out on the best parts of the action. Though if he focused enough he could hear where the clashes sounded from and could still see Riku’s movements.
The exchange ended with Riku panting, his face clammy. In his hectic movements he had sped up the flow of Chiasa’s poison that coursed through his body, courtesy of the knife wound he took to the leg. His body was beginning to slow which would make tracking him easier but Chiasa hadn’t come out uncathed herself. Shinji’s perceptive eyes caught sight of a faint trail of blood leading away from where her and Riku had just had their exchange. Despite the fact that he couldn’t see or hear Chiasa herself he could hear the clashes of her weapons as well as see her weapons if they left contact with her as well as see the blood that she left behind. That was something at least, enough to keep tabs on her. Of course Riku had cancelled the genjutsu and could see her well enough so long as she didn’t slip too far away from him and into the darkness of the fifty meter by fifty meter room. Shinji knew he would have to pay close attention now, his brother would want to finish this fight as quickly as possible, before the full effects of the poison set in and Chiasa made her move to take him out of the fight. Her skills with medical ninjutsu were impressive.
Continuing to watch his brothers flashes of movements as he advanced forward in bursts he could tell that Riku was doing well to prevent further hand seals, keeping the woman on the defensive, though she seemed to be quite tricky, he speculated that at one point she had used substitution, and at one point he had thought the genjutsu had worn off but it turned out it was a water clone instead. It had only taken him a few moments of realizing something was peculiar before he noted that the clone didn’t have a heartbeat, though Riku had destroyed it so quickly that Shinji barely had time to figure it out before it was a puddle of water on the stone floor. Still, as a combination between his increased attentiveness and Riku’s slowed movements Shinji could now see clearly even his fastest attacks, as evident by when he utilized the same move he had used to defeat Shinji earlier in that day. Chiasa too was able to follow the movements, she had in fact adjusted enough to turn and deflect the stab deep into her left shoulder while her right hand lashed out to strike Riku’s leg, enveloped in chakra Shinjiro could suddenly see his sister again. Either the duration had expired or she had been prioritizing her chakra and he could see why. Riku pulled back the weapon, shifting and aiming to slash with the opposite side to force a yield against her neck. Instead he stumbled backwards, his leg giving out from under him due to a broken bone and severed tendons, all the while Chiasa’s wound seemed to be sealing itself shut. ‘Medical ninjutsu and genjutsu, terrifying combination’ he noted, he knew his sister was tough, she had put him through hell as a kid but it had been years since he had properly sparred against her. In some ways that he didn’t want to admit she still vaguely intimidated him.
Surging forward Chiasa knocked the spear out of her brother’s hands, a movement which Shinjiro tracked easily. This came as a surprise, she was about the same speed as himself after all and for quite some time he surpassed the speed of his own perception. He truly was making progress after all then. Riku was pinned against the ground, Chiasa putting her weight against his chest as she pressed a poisoned knife against his throat. That was that then. Shinjiro exhaled slowly, he wasn’t sure to be impressed, scared or disappointed. His brother had bested him earlier that day and now his sister prevailed against him, putting Shinji at the bottom of the totem pole as far as his siblings would be concerned. At least he was able to track most of their movements, if he kept up at this rate he was sure that he could still reach his goal of besting each of them within a year. Without a word Shinjiro’s head transformed back to normal and he left the room in search of another form of training.
Karagata Shinjiro - Kiri Bannin; Jinchuuriki, Overseer of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, Kintsugi
Haziwara Youji- Iwagakure Chunin
Takeda Ichiro - A-Rank Waterfall Country; Black Wake, Chishiki, Setsuzoku
Hyuuga Takeshi - Konoha Special Jounin; Anbu
Jouchaku Shigeko - Kiri Genin; HHD
Journey of the Jinchuuriki
Taijutsu Training (2)
2048/2000
Since meeting Kuro earlier in the afternoon Shinjiro knew that he would spend nearly every minute of the next two days training. He could function off of 4 hours of sleep each day and would of course ensure he ate well and stayed hydrated. He might even have to request additional medical attention from his sister Chiasa if he injured himself to the point where his training became counter productive. He hoped it wouldn’t come to that of course. There was a long list of skills he wished to improve on, he would maintain his physical training and hopefully hone his Kenjutsu and even dedicate some time towards his Genma transformations. He would prove to the Seven Swordsman that he was a candidate with potential and talents unlike any other. He would balance both assassin skills and ruthless open combat tactics. He would be feared by all and one day none would dare challenge him in close combat.
The sooner his superiors recognized this aptitude the sooner he would receive his next promotion. He had to stay ahead of the curve after all. Both of his siblings had reached the rank of Special Jounin at the age of 16 and he hoped to beat that, even if only by a few months. His birthday wasn’t for another 8 months, that was more than enough time to achieve his goal. Eventually he might have to devote some time into Ninjutsu and Genjutsu to more fully prepare for various situations though for now he would continue to excel in Taijutsu and that would again be his focus today. Dressed all in black with both swords strapped to his back and an array of knives and shuriken at his disposal Shinjiro prepared to put all of his weaponry to use over the course of the next few hours. He too would have to hone his unarmed combat, after all he couldn’t leave himself vulnerable in the event he was ever separated from his swords.
For this session he had summoned all 6 of the households Slaves, each was proficient in Taijutsu of various styles, equivalent to that of about an elite Chunin or Special Jounin in their craft. Against all of them at once surely, he would be overwhelmed and defeated but facing them in pairs of two would be excellent training. The stood lined against the wall of a 50 x 50 meter training room, the entire facility was composed of reinforced concrete and intentionally very barren and dimly lit. In fact if two people stood against opposite walls they wouldn’t be able to see one another without a specialized jutsu of some sort. Standing 10 meters from the group Shinjiro would announce his purpose for bringing them here. “You’ll fight me two at a time for 5 minute rounds, persist until I am no longer able to continue” he instructed. None had any objection or question, all had served the household for at least 10 years, the head slave Gorou had served Shinji’s father when he had been a child and served him faithfully for over 40 years. Each would give their life protecting the household as well as train any offspring of Karagata Izune with absolute discipline and little mercy. “As you command master Shinjiro” spoke up Gorou before gesturing to a man and a woman in their early 30’s.
Shinji knew their skillsets of course and they his. The man was an expert marksman, sporting a variety of types of projectiles, from household knives to specialized metal cards. The woman on the other hand drew a large kitchen knife in her left hand and a specialized trench knife with spikes knuckled on her right. The two would be a fearsome combination, he had to be warry of all ranges of combat and make sure no not lose track of the man or let himself be overrun by the woman. Though his expression seemed calm and indifferent Shinji’s deadly green eyes didn’t leave his sparring partners for a moment. He knew that underestimating them just because they weren’t shinobi would lead to serious injury. As a kid they each used to thrash him in various sparring sessions, if he were a spiteful man this would be a savored retribution. Alas he only felt grateful to have skilled instructors at his disposal and eager to display just how much he had improved over the years.
Slipping backwards into the darkness Shinji grinned menacingly, he was daring the woman to close in on him, while her attacks were quick and precise they couldn’t begin to compare with his speed and efficiency. The knife wielding woman approached slowly at first, keeping Shinji within eyesight as the projectile specialist flanked, keeping his distance and quickly unleashing a volley of attacks, three knives pierced the air towards the young assassin, spread so that evasion would be difficult but that was just the distraction. Silently and with but a flick of the wrist a black metal card spun through the air, curving to predict Shinji’s movement and attack him from behind. The moment Shinji acted the woman would move in to exploit any possible weakness.
Instinctively Shinjiro drew his sword in an instant, batting each of the three knives out of the air in one swift motion. He had been prepared for a second wave hidden behind the first, his right-handed sword was already back in its sheath, to most seeming to be sheathed before the sound of the clashing metal even met their ears and yet Shinji’s left hand also rested on the grip of his other weapon. Truthfully he could probably attack again with his right hand fast enough if he had to but switching between weapons seemed a nearly imperceivably instant faster and served to create different angles and had become such a integral part of his combat style that the versatility was difficult to ignore. No attack came however, at least not from the front though he did notice the woman moving in, she saw an opening. There was no true time for conscious thought in that moment but something told Shinjiro that there was another layer to the attack, ducking just in time the card flew over his head. His ability to put himself in the mind of opponents and predict attacks was the stuff of legends, when it came to Taijutsu it was like the kid had some kind of extra sense.
Coming out of the roll the woman was already upon him. It would have been easy to stop her with his Iaido draws but this wasn’t about doing things the easy way, it was about pushing himself farther and practicing a variety of combat techniques. What more of a challenge than fighting his opponents in the form of combat they specialized in? If he could best them in their own style then he knew his skills would be improving. So as she advanced, making a quick slash with her left knife and readying her other, Shinjiro deftly drew a pair of combat knives, deflecting the attack just in time, he choose to guide her knife across his, hopefully exposing her back to further attack. He was about to attempt to grab her and use her as a human shield but she was already using the momentum of her first attack to spin and lash out with her other, ordinarily Shinji would have still been fast enough to intercept though at the last second he noticed the pair of metal cards arching around her, aiming to flank him and strike him in the sides if he closed the gap. Thinking quickly Shinji threw the knife in his left hand at one of the cards, while taking a half step and deflecting the other one, redirecting it towards the woman at point blank range. She would attempt to redirect her own attack into a block rather than an attack but she had already committed and her reaction time was a hair too slow for the speed of the projectile.
Just like that first blood was drawn. The metal card sliced deep into her left side. Retreating backwards the woman glanced down at her wound, assessing the damage and in that instant Shinjiro closed the distance, he had bet on the man not attempting the same tactic twice, less injure her more and to an extent that seemed to be true. More projectiles were incoming, though this time they were aimed at his calf and thigh. Leaping into the air Shinjiro’s left hand lashed outward, precisely striking the woman’s collarbone and breaking it before pushing off of the broken bone and twisting his body in the air as he flipped over her, avoiding the projectiles and scanning for his target. The woman slouched, her breath shallow and labored. The servants were tough in their own right but only Gorou had the same kind of pain tolerance as the members of the household family. As Shinji vaulted over the woman he saw the mass of cards coming at him, unlike the knives their angles could be controlled expertly, and each would miss the woman even if Shinjiro moved and with her behind him it would be difficult for him to deflect any of the weapons towards the injured servant. No matter. While Shinjiro knew the tactics of his opponents and they were familiar with much of his skillset he had held back a powerful trump card, several in fact, as he was apt to do. They had never bore witness to the usage of his abilities as a Jinchuuriki.
Without warning a pair of black wings sprouted from the boys back, propelling him upwards at tremendous speed. In fact it would appear that he simply vanished. In the darkness of the room, it would be impossible for the non-shinobi to see him as he hung upside down off of the roof, feet adhering to the ceiling with a miniscule amount of chakra. His wings wrapped around him, enveloping in the black, sinewy skin of a bat. At this height he could not see his target either but that would change quickly. Shinji’s head transformed into that of an owl and suddenly the dark room came alive. What had been hidden to him before seemed clear as day. He could see everything, hear even the individual heartbeats of his targets. The woman hobbled over to the wall of the room, gritting her teeth through the pain but taking up her position, not daring to leave the room without permission though it was clear that she had been defeated. Shinji estimated that less than 2 minutes had elapsed since the round began. He had plenty of time to deal with the projectile user before the next wave came in. He would watch his prey for about 30 seconds, allowing a sense of unnerve to set in as the man silently moved along the edges of the room.
And then he would strike. Unfurling his wings and rotating his body as he fell, the boy would detach himself from the roof, gliding down from above without flapping his wings or even rustling his clothes once. Like a demon he descended on his target, silent as a falling feather. The assassin’s fingers would grow deadly claws, three inches long as and sharp and durable as a kunai. There was no need for him to draw his swords against such opponents. Kicking his legs outward Shinjiro slammed into the man full force knocking him face first into the ground and pressing his claws against his neck. This battle was won. “Well played master Shinjiro” the man praised despite his face being pressed against the concrete, his nose broken and blood beginning to pool around his mouth. Like the woman he would be treated before the end of the day, it was important to keep the slaves in good working order after all, they didn’t need injuries impairing their duties. Shinji’s body would return to normal before he let the man to his feet. “Send in the next pair” he instructed before slowly walking back towards the center of the room. He would give his adversaries the advantage of knowing his position at least so that they could attempt to fight him head, at least initially.
2048/2000
Since meeting Kuro earlier in the afternoon Shinjiro knew that he would spend nearly every minute of the next two days training. He could function off of 4 hours of sleep each day and would of course ensure he ate well and stayed hydrated. He might even have to request additional medical attention from his sister Chiasa if he injured himself to the point where his training became counter productive. He hoped it wouldn’t come to that of course. There was a long list of skills he wished to improve on, he would maintain his physical training and hopefully hone his Kenjutsu and even dedicate some time towards his Genma transformations. He would prove to the Seven Swordsman that he was a candidate with potential and talents unlike any other. He would balance both assassin skills and ruthless open combat tactics. He would be feared by all and one day none would dare challenge him in close combat.
The sooner his superiors recognized this aptitude the sooner he would receive his next promotion. He had to stay ahead of the curve after all. Both of his siblings had reached the rank of Special Jounin at the age of 16 and he hoped to beat that, even if only by a few months. His birthday wasn’t for another 8 months, that was more than enough time to achieve his goal. Eventually he might have to devote some time into Ninjutsu and Genjutsu to more fully prepare for various situations though for now he would continue to excel in Taijutsu and that would again be his focus today. Dressed all in black with both swords strapped to his back and an array of knives and shuriken at his disposal Shinjiro prepared to put all of his weaponry to use over the course of the next few hours. He too would have to hone his unarmed combat, after all he couldn’t leave himself vulnerable in the event he was ever separated from his swords.
For this session he had summoned all 6 of the households Slaves, each was proficient in Taijutsu of various styles, equivalent to that of about an elite Chunin or Special Jounin in their craft. Against all of them at once surely, he would be overwhelmed and defeated but facing them in pairs of two would be excellent training. The stood lined against the wall of a 50 x 50 meter training room, the entire facility was composed of reinforced concrete and intentionally very barren and dimly lit. In fact if two people stood against opposite walls they wouldn’t be able to see one another without a specialized jutsu of some sort. Standing 10 meters from the group Shinjiro would announce his purpose for bringing them here. “You’ll fight me two at a time for 5 minute rounds, persist until I am no longer able to continue” he instructed. None had any objection or question, all had served the household for at least 10 years, the head slave Gorou had served Shinji’s father when he had been a child and served him faithfully for over 40 years. Each would give their life protecting the household as well as train any offspring of Karagata Izune with absolute discipline and little mercy. “As you command master Shinjiro” spoke up Gorou before gesturing to a man and a woman in their early 30’s.
Shinji knew their skillsets of course and they his. The man was an expert marksman, sporting a variety of types of projectiles, from household knives to specialized metal cards. The woman on the other hand drew a large kitchen knife in her left hand and a specialized trench knife with spikes knuckled on her right. The two would be a fearsome combination, he had to be warry of all ranges of combat and make sure no not lose track of the man or let himself be overrun by the woman. Though his expression seemed calm and indifferent Shinji’s deadly green eyes didn’t leave his sparring partners for a moment. He knew that underestimating them just because they weren’t shinobi would lead to serious injury. As a kid they each used to thrash him in various sparring sessions, if he were a spiteful man this would be a savored retribution. Alas he only felt grateful to have skilled instructors at his disposal and eager to display just how much he had improved over the years.
Slipping backwards into the darkness Shinji grinned menacingly, he was daring the woman to close in on him, while her attacks were quick and precise they couldn’t begin to compare with his speed and efficiency. The knife wielding woman approached slowly at first, keeping Shinji within eyesight as the projectile specialist flanked, keeping his distance and quickly unleashing a volley of attacks, three knives pierced the air towards the young assassin, spread so that evasion would be difficult but that was just the distraction. Silently and with but a flick of the wrist a black metal card spun through the air, curving to predict Shinji’s movement and attack him from behind. The moment Shinji acted the woman would move in to exploit any possible weakness.
Instinctively Shinjiro drew his sword in an instant, batting each of the three knives out of the air in one swift motion. He had been prepared for a second wave hidden behind the first, his right-handed sword was already back in its sheath, to most seeming to be sheathed before the sound of the clashing metal even met their ears and yet Shinji’s left hand also rested on the grip of his other weapon. Truthfully he could probably attack again with his right hand fast enough if he had to but switching between weapons seemed a nearly imperceivably instant faster and served to create different angles and had become such a integral part of his combat style that the versatility was difficult to ignore. No attack came however, at least not from the front though he did notice the woman moving in, she saw an opening. There was no true time for conscious thought in that moment but something told Shinjiro that there was another layer to the attack, ducking just in time the card flew over his head. His ability to put himself in the mind of opponents and predict attacks was the stuff of legends, when it came to Taijutsu it was like the kid had some kind of extra sense.
Coming out of the roll the woman was already upon him. It would have been easy to stop her with his Iaido draws but this wasn’t about doing things the easy way, it was about pushing himself farther and practicing a variety of combat techniques. What more of a challenge than fighting his opponents in the form of combat they specialized in? If he could best them in their own style then he knew his skills would be improving. So as she advanced, making a quick slash with her left knife and readying her other, Shinjiro deftly drew a pair of combat knives, deflecting the attack just in time, he choose to guide her knife across his, hopefully exposing her back to further attack. He was about to attempt to grab her and use her as a human shield but she was already using the momentum of her first attack to spin and lash out with her other, ordinarily Shinji would have still been fast enough to intercept though at the last second he noticed the pair of metal cards arching around her, aiming to flank him and strike him in the sides if he closed the gap. Thinking quickly Shinji threw the knife in his left hand at one of the cards, while taking a half step and deflecting the other one, redirecting it towards the woman at point blank range. She would attempt to redirect her own attack into a block rather than an attack but she had already committed and her reaction time was a hair too slow for the speed of the projectile.
Just like that first blood was drawn. The metal card sliced deep into her left side. Retreating backwards the woman glanced down at her wound, assessing the damage and in that instant Shinjiro closed the distance, he had bet on the man not attempting the same tactic twice, less injure her more and to an extent that seemed to be true. More projectiles were incoming, though this time they were aimed at his calf and thigh. Leaping into the air Shinjiro’s left hand lashed outward, precisely striking the woman’s collarbone and breaking it before pushing off of the broken bone and twisting his body in the air as he flipped over her, avoiding the projectiles and scanning for his target. The woman slouched, her breath shallow and labored. The servants were tough in their own right but only Gorou had the same kind of pain tolerance as the members of the household family. As Shinji vaulted over the woman he saw the mass of cards coming at him, unlike the knives their angles could be controlled expertly, and each would miss the woman even if Shinjiro moved and with her behind him it would be difficult for him to deflect any of the weapons towards the injured servant. No matter. While Shinjiro knew the tactics of his opponents and they were familiar with much of his skillset he had held back a powerful trump card, several in fact, as he was apt to do. They had never bore witness to the usage of his abilities as a Jinchuuriki.
Without warning a pair of black wings sprouted from the boys back, propelling him upwards at tremendous speed. In fact it would appear that he simply vanished. In the darkness of the room, it would be impossible for the non-shinobi to see him as he hung upside down off of the roof, feet adhering to the ceiling with a miniscule amount of chakra. His wings wrapped around him, enveloping in the black, sinewy skin of a bat. At this height he could not see his target either but that would change quickly. Shinji’s head transformed into that of an owl and suddenly the dark room came alive. What had been hidden to him before seemed clear as day. He could see everything, hear even the individual heartbeats of his targets. The woman hobbled over to the wall of the room, gritting her teeth through the pain but taking up her position, not daring to leave the room without permission though it was clear that she had been defeated. Shinji estimated that less than 2 minutes had elapsed since the round began. He had plenty of time to deal with the projectile user before the next wave came in. He would watch his prey for about 30 seconds, allowing a sense of unnerve to set in as the man silently moved along the edges of the room.
And then he would strike. Unfurling his wings and rotating his body as he fell, the boy would detach himself from the roof, gliding down from above without flapping his wings or even rustling his clothes once. Like a demon he descended on his target, silent as a falling feather. The assassin’s fingers would grow deadly claws, three inches long as and sharp and durable as a kunai. There was no need for him to draw his swords against such opponents. Kicking his legs outward Shinjiro slammed into the man full force knocking him face first into the ground and pressing his claws against his neck. This battle was won. “Well played master Shinjiro” the man praised despite his face being pressed against the concrete, his nose broken and blood beginning to pool around his mouth. Like the woman he would be treated before the end of the day, it was important to keep the slaves in good working order after all, they didn’t need injuries impairing their duties. Shinji’s body would return to normal before he let the man to his feet. “Send in the next pair” he instructed before slowly walking back towards the center of the room. He would give his adversaries the advantage of knowing his position at least so that they could attempt to fight him head, at least initially.
Karagata Shinjiro - Kiri Bannin; Jinchuuriki, Overseer of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, Kintsugi
Haziwara Youji- Iwagakure Chunin
Takeda Ichiro - A-Rank Waterfall Country; Black Wake, Chishiki, Setsuzoku
Hyuuga Takeshi - Konoha Special Jounin; Anbu
Jouchaku Shigeko - Kiri Genin; HHD
Journey of the Jinchuuriki
Ever since his match against the pair of Konoha Bannin in Aroma Country, Shinjiro had realized he was severely lacking in any kind of area of effect attacks. Poison was not a bad option, but it didn’t hurt to have other options to render his opponents immobile or deal with those particularly evasive types and especially that frustrating phasing ability of Taiga. Fortunately, he seemed to have a natural affinity for raiton, taking to it much better than the handful of Doton techniques he had learned as a Chunin. He almost never even got any use out of them except for the early days when he was primarily an assassin killing ordinary people. Against other Bannin however and he simply didn’t have the talent or drive with his Doton ninjutsu to make much progress.
However, learning from his father he had discovered his chakra nature had actually been raiton after all. Now, as electricity surged in his hand, he could feel the power and natural synergy with his style of aiming to paralyze or assassinate his targets. Concentrating he flowed chakra into a kunai, watching as it sparked with green lightning. He had already learned how to imbue his weapons with a charge, but from there the possibilities had only begun. Naturally it would make his ranged options better if he could utilize some kind of surprise attack on added danger to make up for the fact that he was by no mean an expert marksman. His legendary arrow in particular would benefit, though his normal weapons too would be benefited. Aiming the kunai at an invisible target he focused on shaping his chakra through the weapon, building it up and then releasing its chaotic energy in a sudden burst as it naturally took on the most comfortable form of a arc of lightning.
However, learning from his father he had discovered his chakra nature had actually been raiton after all. Now, as electricity surged in his hand, he could feel the power and natural synergy with his style of aiming to paralyze or assassinate his targets. Concentrating he flowed chakra into a kunai, watching as it sparked with green lightning. He had already learned how to imbue his weapons with a charge, but from there the possibilities had only begun. Naturally it would make his ranged options better if he could utilize some kind of surprise attack on added danger to make up for the fact that he was by no mean an expert marksman. His legendary arrow in particular would benefit, though his normal weapons too would be benefited. Aiming the kunai at an invisible target he focused on shaping his chakra through the weapon, building it up and then releasing its chaotic energy in a sudden burst as it naturally took on the most comfortable form of a arc of lightning.
Jutsu TrainedShow
304/300
Raiton • Lightning Surge
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
After channelling chakra into a weapon the user will imbue it with raiton. Then, anytime over the next 3 posts the user can release an arc of lightning from the weapon that shoots out with Strength and Speed equal to [Control]. This arc of lightning surges out in a single direction up to 10 meters.
Raiton • Lightning Surge
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
After channelling chakra into a weapon the user will imbue it with raiton. Then, anytime over the next 3 posts the user can release an arc of lightning from the weapon that shoots out with Strength and Speed equal to [Control]. This arc of lightning surges out in a single direction up to 10 meters.
Karagata Shinjiro - Kiri Bannin; Jinchuuriki, Overseer of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, Kintsugi
Haziwara Youji- Iwagakure Chunin
Takeda Ichiro - A-Rank Waterfall Country; Black Wake, Chishiki, Setsuzoku
Hyuuga Takeshi - Konoha Special Jounin; Anbu
Jouchaku Shigeko - Kiri Genin; HHD