The Fangless Hound

[Izanagi]

423/400 words

Takeo awoke early the next morning, the sun had yet to rise yet he was fully rested and determine to make the most of his day. He ate a hardy breakfast before moving to the rocky lake shore. The water was likely rather cold before the sun was up and so he opted to initiate a warm up before he continued with pressing the boundaries of his ability. He formed a repeated sequence of seals, creating 30 simple earth clones by the time he was finally done. The morning would consist of a session of drilling his hand to hand combat. It had been some time since he had fought multiple opponents of this magnitude and though they were all rather slow and clumsy it would give him an opportunity to put to use a wide range of his more brutal skills. “Begin” he announced before stepping back and raising his arms. The first clone advanced and the man twisted delivering a powerful snap kick to the clone’s knee. The force was enough to smash through its leg, crumpling the clone to the ground before it de-materialized into a pile of dirt. In a human it would have impaired their ability to walk and thus fight effectively.

Another approached and he repeated the same simple kick, though this time with his back leg, extending outwards in a side kick that snapped out like a whip. The second clone crumpled as well and for good measure the man promptly placed his foot down, spinning with the momentum as his other leg rose to deliver a spinning roundhouse kick to its head, sailing clear through the clump of earth as it sprayed the contents at the next row of clones. Perhaps he should have used a little more chakra and created a few shadow clones among them, though for now the earth clones would do, at least for dummies for his more basic attacks. The next one that approached he made sure to withhold his power significantly, to the point where the clone simply hobbled and staggered backwards as would be the more typical reaction of a true sparring partner. Shifting his weight the man lashed out with another kick to the knee with his other foot. He didn’t bother defending against the clones punch, all he had to do was lean slightly backwards as he delivered his kick. Sure enough the construct stumbled backwards again, collapsing to its knees now as it found itself unable to move and barely able to remain bound together.

Jutsu TrainedShow

Knee Kick
C-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Delivering a powerful snap kick to an opponent’s knee Takeo can put a great amount of strain on their joint, making applying weight to said leg more difficult and incurring a (-3) deduction to speed for the duration of 3 posts while the opponent attempts to recover.

[Izanagi]

418/400

Takeo scanned his opponents as they formed a circle around him. If he attacked outright he could easily clear a path and pick them off from the outside though in this case there was no need. They were each quite low level and could easily be fended off with a defensive approach, even if they attempted to swarm him. Alas they were his clones and had opted to attack one at a time, starting off his day with an almost too easy warm-up and as such he kept his tactics to the barest of basics by his standards. Another clone advanced to the plate and he approached, hands up in a wide and low stance, indicative of a desire to practice a more grappling style of match up. He was well versed in a wide manner of martial arts though grappling counters were easily among his favorite and certainly one of his earlier roots. Darting in he deflected his opponent’s arms, controlling them and negating any chance at striking before it began. Swimming his right arm under his opponents left he secured an under hook, holding his shoulder in place while his left hand gripped the sleeve of its right bicep. His head tucked against his opponents head, controlling his body tightly and preventing any chance at a head-butt.

From there he had several options, he could easily sweep or throw his opponent in a manner derived from Judo or Jujitsu though in this case he opted for a more dirty method, something out of the books of dirty boxing and cage fighting. Pressing himself against his opponent’s body to restrict movement he leaned forward, quickly raising and lowering his foot atop that of his opponents. The quick deliverance of the stomp was difficult to avoid given the short distance his foot had to travel. It made for a reliable and effective move when locked up in a grapple such as this and with repeated blows it was known to make movement increasingly difficult, setting up for an easy escape or simply to throw an opponent off and weaken their ability to maneuver before attacking. A few more strikes and then another to the opposite foot and the clone was visibly cringing, finding it difficult to even walk let alone run. He buckled forward slightly, opening up his face and torso to which Takeo responded with a swift knee, pummeling into the clone with enough force to shatter stone let alone destabilize a construct of mud and dirt.

Jutsu TrainedShow

Foot Stomp
C-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
A useful dirty tactic, when in close quarters Takeo will often first clinch an opponent before delivering swift and brutal foot stomps. Striking at the weak areas of the foot with the base of his heel he can effectively reduce an opponent’s ability to maneuver and run, incurring a (-3) to speed for each foot that is struck. The crippling pain in their foot and thus the de-buff lasts for 3 posts.

[Izanagi]

411/400

With the third clone dispersed Takeo had yet to even begin to warm up, it was more as if he was simply practicing a few basic techniques back at the old dojo that he used to train at as a kid and into his teenage years. Of course even as an S-class ninja it was important to drill the basics to keep ones repertoire fresh and practiced so that every technique came naturally and instinctively and with the utmost precision. Another clone advanced and still Takeo was only just playing around, his hands were raised out of practiced habit and his stance perfect though he had yet to use any move that was more than just a basic test of another skill and pacing. For now he would continue to practice testing the waters, there was no need to use excessive force on such weak constructs. Rather than a snapping side kick of sorts, this time around he would utilize a roundhouse kick to the leg. Its effect was similar to that of the previous kick though rather than just hobbling ones movement there was an additional objective to be achieved. With enough force and upon hitting the opponents leg at the right spot and in the right way one could actually knock both of their legs out from under them. Thus the technique was aptly named a tree cutter kick. Often when an opponent fell they did not expect to be knocked off balance, falling rather abruptly and ungracefully. Such was the case with the clone. Takeo’s leg struck it just under the knee, catching the leg as it attempted to raise it to block in a muay tai fashion.

What resulted was the collapsing of the raised leg as the striking kick passed under it, knocking into the second leg at the knee and causing the clone to be uprooted in a sense, his leg flailing as his body was lifted horizontally before crashing down on the ground on its side. The force of the impact from the kick and the resulting fall was enough to reduce it to dirt. Takeo scoffed, such a basic earth clone was hardly worth the effort of creating it and in fact he decided that after this day he would no longer bother utilizing the technique. The man spun, gesturing for more than one clone to advance this time. Perhaps the next technique he used would actually require some effort tout of him.

Jutsu TrainedShow

Tree Cutter
C-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
This technique is a fast roundhouse kick aimed at the thigh or the side of the knee with the intent of buckling the opponent’s leg under repeated strikes. Repeated kicks of this nature often cause heavy bruising and increased difficulty moving against opponents of equal strength, against opponents with up to 5 less strength repeated strikes can cause the opponent to be forced to their knees for a moment and against an opponent with 10 or less strength even a single kick is often enough to sweep their legs out from under them, knocking the opponent to the ground and heavily bruising the struck area.

[Izanagi]

434/400 words

The next set of earthen clones advanced, attacking as a pair this time around. One of them even opted to draw a kunai, finally wising up to the fact that hand-to-hand combat was an area they could never hope to succeed in. As the first clone threw the kunai the second aimed to take advantage of the opening with a roundhouse kick aimed at the torso. Takeo however hardly moved, simply tilting his body to the left as he rocked out of the way of the projectile which soared past where his head had been a moment before. As the second attack came in he hopped backwards, staying light on his toes like a true boxer for maximum mobility. The kick missed in front of him by a few inches, creating an opening that the man quickly capitalized on. Darting back in he grabbed the pants of the leg with one hand and the back of the clones shirt with the other before spinning with the momentum of the missed kick and utilizing the force to send the already off balance clone hurtling into its ally with a significant amount of force.

Sensing a shift in pacing and determination among their fellow clones this time three emerged together, taking points like a triangle around the S-Class Jounin, the man could see two of them clearly and sense the third behind him. Predictably the one in front of him attacked first as a distraction though regardless of whom attacked they were doomed from the start, he bobbed out of the way of the incoming fist, casually grabbing the elbow of the punching arm as he side-stepped and hefted him towards the advancing clone from behind. They collided and toppled over, though miraculously retained their form. The next clone advanced as they clambered to their feet. Takeo kept his guard strong, dipping and bobbing his way out of the line of jabs, straight punches and hooks. Finally he had enough, dipping under a hook he countered with a powerful left cross to the jaw, his fist cleaving the clones head from its body. Boxing wasn’t his strongest suit but he couldn’t deny the practical applications it had, evasiveness was a key element to fighting and in the realm of CQC striking, boxers were second to none in that regard. Though he implored only a handful of basic techniques from their teachings he had honed them to the level of a master of their craft, such was his way of incorporating his own select techniques from a myriad of styles to craft his own deadly fighting system.

Jutsu TrainedShow

Slight Dodge
C-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
A skill derived from boxing Takeo has learned to utilize his head and body movements to maximum efficiency. So long as his Instinct+Speed/2 is higher than his opponents Taijutsu+Speed/2 he can make minor bobs and weaves out of the path of most basic strikes and linear projectiles, often allowing him to capitalize on counters based on the openings that a miss provides.

[Izanagi]

400/400

The pair of clones stood once more, eying the man warily. They seemed hesitant to advance, unsure of what strategy they could implement that would even have any hope of landing a blow against the vastly more skilled opponent. The first one advanced, shuffling his feet with each motion so as to not give the Jounin any momentum to work with. The next clone drew a kunai, standing at a 45 degree angle to each of them though remaining light on his feet to hope aside if his ally was to be thrown at him. Takeo remained calm as usual, advancing again in a grappler’s stance, seamlessly switching between styles dependent on the scenario. Now that his hands were lower and wider apart the clone decided to take the opportunity to strike at Takeo’s exposed face, a good plan in theory but flawed all the same. He tilted his head slightly before his arms converged on the offending limb with lightning speed. It was akin to a praying mantis striking a fly that ventured too close. The arm was his now, the wrist trapped tightly between his neck and shoulder as his hands cupped from the tricep down to the elbow.

Again thinking the man was left exposed the clone attempted a hook punch with his free right hand. To this Takeo responded simply by applying some pressure to the trapped arm, using the leverage as well as some circular footwork to control his opponent and keep him off balance and in pain, unable to muster up a proper stance to even throw a basic punch. The knife wielding clone attempted to circle around but found that Takeo had a way of always ensuring that his hostage acted as a shield between them. It was a rather basic tactic but one that any notable Jujitsu practitioner excelled at. Forcing the man’s arm behind his back he switched his grip to control his wrist with his right hand while his left came around his throat in a true hostage type defense. Once he had the man’s arm pinned in such a way the options were expansive. He could essentially manipulate him as he saw fit unless he was a shinobi of a similar caliber and thus was able to come up with an effective defense or barring that perhaps manage to overpower the man, though the latter was far less likely.

Jutsu TrainedShow

Arm Trap
C-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
A counter technique used either in grappling or in defense against a striking opponent, so long as Takeo’s Instinct+Speed/2 is higher than his opponents Taijutsu+Speed/2 he can grab an opponent’s wrist from a near miss and use that control to pin their arm against his neck/shoulder area or body, assuming that his strength is higher than his opponents. This can be used to set up a wide array of counter attacks depending on the situation.

[Izanagi]

441/400

He could easily destroy the clone in a myriad of ways though ultimately he opted to finish what he started, raising his opponent’s wrist higher the clone stumbled forward as it tried to alleviate the pressure on its shoulder. That was all the opening the man needed to release his choking arm, looping it back behind the clones back to securely fasten itself under his arm, securing the hold against his own wrist as he locked in a standard shoulder lock. Simple as it may be in theory the applications had painful and debilitating consequences. Without wasting any time he wrenched on the shoulder while driving forward, flattening him out on the ground as his face was driven into the dirt. In that moment another clone advanced, kunai drawn in an attempt to stab the man in the back. Takeo noted the position of the first knife wielding foe ahead of him, he had time to react. Deftly he twisted the arm past the breaking point, wrenching it free of the socket as he delivered a donkey kick of sorts, knocking the knife out of his attackers hand before spinning and hurtling the arm at him with enough force to crater his chest. Both clones dematerialized as Takeo spun to face the other charging knife wielding clone. Mid spin he deflected the weapon wielding wrist before grabbing hold of the wrist and moving his arm far off center to weaken him and degrade his posture while opening him up for further attacks.

An elbow came as a follow up, light and almost as a mock move, an instinct that he refrained from following through on so that he could proceed to the next step. Sliding his elbow across the earth clones face he reached behind his shoulder, securing another shoulder lock as he drove his face into the ground, twisting his arm so that the knife he still held was now pressed against the back of his own neck. Applying pressure against his wrist he forced the release of the weapon before wrenching his arm past his head, leaving it attached though mangled. Swiftly he retrieved the knife which lay across his back and drove it into the base of his skull. He twirled the weapon in his fingers as it reverted to earth, slipping threw his hand as he stood. There were still about 20 clones left, more than enough clones to practice on though he was growing bored with their slow and predictable attacks. He would have to invest some time in creating clones that were more effective though not quite as chakra consuming as a true Shadow Clone.

Jutsu TrainedShow

Shoulder Lock
B-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Another versatile technique Takeo can apply a wide range of different variations of shoulder locks. The most common version is a standing attack, after gaining control of an opponent’s wrist he will bend their arm behind their back, requiring a strength stat greater than his opponents to secure the hold. Once behind their back his other arm will loop through their bend arm, securing a grip on his own wrist as he locks in the hold. From there he can easily apply pressure, forcing the opponent face first into the ground from the pressure. Continuing to bend their arm behind their back he can dislocate their shoulder as long as his strength is at least 5 higher than theirs, 10 higher and he can tear muscle and ligaments making using the arm incredibly painful and difficult and with a difference of 15 or more he can opt to brutally rip the limb from the opponents body.

[Izanagi]

488/400

The next group of clones advanced, four of them, each armed with a kunai. Being an experienced close range fighter Takeo remained completely calm, gauging their distances and readying himself to counter attack. Each of their movements seemed as if in slow motion to a man such as himself, in fact he was confident that he could defeat the lot of them even if he had his eyes closed and didn’t bother drawing a single weapon or even delivering any kind of strike. His jujitsu and judo skills were more than enough to handle a group such as this and so he would continue to focus his efforts on manipulating his opponents via joint locks and throws, utilizing their own numbers and momentum against them. A clone moved in for a stab and he stepped to the outside , deflecting the wrist away from his body as he stepped in, grabbing his opponents collar with his free hand as he kicked his right leg back and pulled his opponent backwards while lifting the controlled wrist. The result was a swift sweep, knocking the opponent on their back as he crouched, following them to the ground as his knee pressed against his opponents chest. Controlling his arm now he twisted the knife wielding wrist, forcing the blade now on the wielders throat before abruptly standing to face the other attackers.

One came in with an overhead stab from behind and Takeo responded similarly. Instinctively he blocked the wrist, keeping the arm high and off center as he stepped to the outside, grabbed the collar and slammed him to the ground with a swift bending of the arm and a stab to the throat. It was a maneuver that took no more than a second to perform when mastered to such a degree. So long as he was significantly faster than his opponents and they made the mistake of attacking in a way which allowed him to step to the outside then there was little they could do to avoid their fate. The next clone seemed to have observed this fact, opting instead to deliver a short stab to the midsection, lashing out quickly so that the arm would be more difficult to push aside. Instead Takeo simply leaned forward with his upper body, jutting his stomach and hips backwards to avoid the blade as his arms blocked the wrist knocking it straight down. Next he grabbed the wrist with his left hand before pummeling under the other arm with his right, securing his grips he circled with the man, positioning so that he acted as a barrier between the last attacker. With that he simply controlled the sway of the steps, moving his opponent into a rhythm before suddenly jarring him with a change in steps, sweeping in as he kicked the clones legs out from under him, shoving him hard to the ground but not following this time.

Jutsu TrainedShow

Leg Sweep
C-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
After engaging an opponent in close quarters Takeo will typically tie his adversary up in some sort of grappling exchange, making sure to secure a grip on them with each hand, often an and collar or an arm and the back of the neck. From there he will either wait until the opponent tries to step forward or backward, often stepping in a direction himself to force their hand. Once they are in motion he will quickly step behind them while maintaining a strong upright posture. The leg he uses and or traps is dependent on the situation though the result is the same, sweeping their leg in a kicking motion he maintains his hand grips as he send the opponent flying backwards, landing on their back with him often opting to retain his hold and land on top.

[Izanagi]

419/400

Takeo glanced around, the sun was now beginning to rise and there were still nearly 20 clones left to contend with. Perhaps it would be best to cut down a few of their numbers. Withdrawing a kunai the experienced soldier spun the weapon deftly in his fingers before solidifying a ready position. Likewise the remainder of the clones drew weapons, several launching them towards him after positioning themselves in a semi-circle. Takeo dodged one or two of the weapons that came closer to his head before angling his kunai to deflect one of the knives aimed closer to his midsection. The metal clanged against the fake metal of the manifested weapon, deflecting at a sharp yet controlled trajectory into the thigh of one of the clones to the man’s right. A few more quick movements and other weapons were deflected as such, each hitting their mark as the clones began to fall one after another. With such little force between the throws the deflections were slow and clumsy, almost awkward though they served their purpose and hit their marks.

A few clones charged forward and Takeo simply stepped out of the way, redirecting their attacks and using their momentum to send them stumbling, as soon as he did so he was met by another barrage of weaponry. He spun on his heels, knocking a handful of knives from the air and forcing them into the ground under he could control the barrage better and redirect the remaining attacks with more accuracy. In some cases he retracted his hand, cushioning the blow somewhat as he moved with the attack to guide it for only a slight angle deflection, others he met the steel with force, inciting sharp angles that redirected the weapon back towards the direction it came from. There was even an instance where he deflected a weapon vertically into the air, spinning smoothly it came tumbling down directly at him at a rather slow speed, allowing him to pluck the weapon from the air in mid spin before promptly sending it flying hilt deep into a clones chest. When all was said and done he had thinned the crowd to 14, leaving plenty left to complete a great deal more practice though hopefully not so many to grow too bored by their simplicity. Stowing his weapon away he opted to make matters somewhat more difficult for him. He had proven quite capable in deflecting their attacks, now would be the time to face a true swarm of opponents.

Jutsu TrainedShow

[Toryu • Deflect]
C-Rank Kenjutsu Maneuver
A defensive technique done when Takeo has a bladed weapon in hand. Adjusting the angle of his weapon accordingly he can deflect an incoming projectile in order to strike another target or accurately angle the weapon for a particular designation. Deflected projectiles travels at 2/3 of its original speed and the speed of the projectile must be equal to or lower than Takeo’s Taijutsu+Speed/2 stat in order to deflect it with any kind of accuracy.

[Izanagi]

400/400

Six clones advanced at once, each wielding a kunai knife. Takeo cracked his neck, hopping for place as he limbered up. Grappling maneuvers became increasingly difficult the more opponents there were and though he could easily eliminate them with more traditional krav maga style strategies he valued his ability to remain unpredictable due to his wide array of martial arts styles to draw inspiration from. Advancing with a running start he leapt into the air, raising a knee before quickly switching his legs and twisting his body mid-air to deliver a flying roundhouse kick to one of the clones head. Landing without breaking stride he spun again, lashing out with a spinning back kick, his heel impacting another clones rib cage and scattering it to heap of dirt. The next clone he decided to tee off on with a kick sequence, light but fast paced he delivered two kicks before leaping and setting up for a jump kick to its head, though another aimed to stab him in the back as he prepared his leap. Sensing this Takeo shifted mid-air, spinning to bring his heel back against the temple of the clone behind him.

He landed, setting up another series of kicks against the nearest attacker, leaping into the air once more this time the clone was ready, it blocked the kick aimed at its head, though Takeo had anticipated this, keeping the kick intentionally light, giving him enough control and time to retract the blow after first contact and quickly sneak in a second kick in the same leap, coming in under the guard as he shifted his hips and lashed the foot out again in a side kick fashion to his opponents jaw, sending him pummeling to the ground. Takeo however, slightly off balance from the mid-air shift, tucked his head in and landed in a roll before promptly springing back to his feet. Finally the man could feel himself warming up, flashy kicks had a way of doing that, one of the other reasons why he typically used them so sparingly. Krav maga was typically about brutality and efficiency, conserving one’s energy and attacking in the most direct ways though Takeo found that his own version of fighting, a true incorporation of the best pieces from a myriad of martial arts felt the most true to himself as a fighter and certainly the most effective and versatile.

Jutsu TrainedShow

Jump Kick
C-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: Acrobatics
An ideal attack to utilize in a kick combination Takeo has incorporated this technique into his brutal close quarter’s style. Often used after softening the target with a few opening blows Takeo uses this kick to capitalize on any openings he has created. He starts by driving one knee into the air and then scissoring his legs to build momentum, striking with the opposite leg in a powerful kick often aimed at the temple. Due to his sheer control over his body Takeo can adjust the path of the kick even in mid-air allowing him to make adjustments that make guarding difficult, such as kicking twice with the same leg or soaring his leg over his opponents head to deliver a swift reverse strike to the opposite side of their head. He can even switch his body in mid-air to switch the kick to the other leg, making the technique quite adaptable and difficult to read.

[Izanagi]

431/400

Continuing with the energy he had been summoning within himself Takeo stood in a sideways stance, his legs firm though his muscles constantly ready to act. He moved quickly, bouncing slightly and feinting movements as he tested different angles, searching for an opening and keeping his opponents at bay. In a stance more suited for kicking attacks it would be difficult to reach the man with a punch or a stab, one of the clones opted to try something different, approaching with a side kick to the chest it hoped to open him up to attacks from the others. As the kick came in however Takeo seemed to disappear, to all but the most trained eyes, the attack was placed with such lightning speed and precision that even most Jounin, let alone a clone wouldn’t have seen it coming. His heel hooked around smashing into his targets temple with enough force to shatter stone or crater the skulls of less resilient fighters. It was a maneuver that required immense skill and speed to perform correctly but one couldn’t deny its effectiveness or the sheer level of surprise and unpredictability it contained. It was a perfect counter given the right conditions and thus why Takeo chose to master it as one of the few kicking techniques in his arsenal.

As the man’s foot sailed through the clones head he continued in his spin, coming around to a fighting position with his right leg forward once again. It may have telegraphed his intentions to some extent but he only utilized a southpaw stance such as this when setting up for kick centered fighting. Of course typically he changed stances often, ever moving and countering and attacking, utilizing techniques from whatever position he happened to be in at the time. Another clone advanced, more wary it aimed for a simple leg kick to which Takeo checked and skirted backwards, luring his target in. Feeling somewhat comfortable in his advance the clone threw a few more low kicks before delivering a roundhouse to the ribs. The Jounin smirked, disappearing again now that there was an opening, the roundhouse sailed over his back as he stepped in with his left foot, leaning over as he spun and lashed out his right leg on a 45 degree angle aimed straight up at his opponents exposed jaw. The clone was uprooted, sent hurtling backwards 15ft before dematerializing. Slowly Takeo retracted his leg, he had certainly been having fun with those kicks though once again it was time to adjust his style so as not to become too predictable.

Jutsu TrainedShow

Spinning Hook Kick
B-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
One of Takeo’s flashier and few taekwondo inspired moves he will often incorporate this difficult to read attack in the midst of rolling maneuvers and situations with multiple attackers. Typically in response to an incoming kick or charge Takeo will turn away from his opponent, bending forward and ducking so low that his upper body comes a mere foot off the ground as he evades the incoming attack before proceeding to spin around lashing out with an upwards kick with immense force aimed either at the opponents jaw or hooked around to strike them in the temple. The sheer power and surprise of the kick is often enough to knock an opponent unconscious or at least severely stagger them due to the precision placement. If Takeo’s Speed is at least 10 higher than his opponents Taijutsu+Insitnct/2 he will appear to vanish before delivering the kick, seemingly out of nowhere, 5 higher and he will be nothing but a blur.

[Izanagi]

420/400

The crowd had been thinned out significantly now, only 12 remaining and though they were only clones they each seemed rather wary and hesitant to approach. Takeo eyed them warily before noticing an opening, he charged forward breaking through the line of their haphazard semi-circle. He had grown bored of fighting the endless waves of earth clones, at least this way he could stretch out his legs and thin them out before picking them off one at a time. His speed was far superior to theirs and thus after breaking through their lines he slowed drastically as he entered the tree-line. Hiding behind one of the trunk he waited for the first clone to enter and in a sudden dash he charged the man, sidestepping at the last second to leap out of the way of a front kick as he kicked off a nearby tree to change his trajectory once more, following through with a powerful leaping punch that given the change in angle was enough to bypass his opponents guard and catch him by surprise without wasting any of his built up speed or momentum.

And just like that he once again vanished in the trees, the clones arriving on scene just in time to see one of their comrades revert to a heap of mud and stones. In some instances Takeo wished he had never neglected his studies in the arts of Fuuinjutsu, they had allowed for another dimension to traps and ambushes though there was a certain primal allure of utilizing the old fashioned method of hit and run tactics to whittle down one’s prey and spread fear and panic. It was a style favored by his comrade, the Wolf spirit Kurou. The Jounin circled behind the pack, building up speed while still remaining silent to their ears, he opted for a flying knee this time as he launched himself off a moss covered boulder. The stride connected with a thud, sending yet another clone toppling to the ground. By the time the others turned around he had already vanished into the trees once more. Again he circled, moving as if he were a shadow as he selected his next target. Leaping between a boulder and a tree this time he came crashing down on his target from a higher elevation delivering a tackle backed by a flying elbow. He landed atop the clone as it broke apart. This time one of the others glimpsed him but only for a moment before he vanished once more.

Jutsu TrainedShow

Rebound
C-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Often used when Takeo is in high speed pursuit or when fleeing and faced with an opponent. This technique requires a running start and a wall or some other sturdy object. Maintaining his speed Takeo will charge the opponent, then right before he comes within striking range he will leap to the side before rebounding off the wall and using his full force to deliver a flying strike or tackle with incredible power.

[Izanagi]

439/400

The Jounin moved as though a demon wolf, far from his top speed and still he moved in what could only be discerned as a blur of brown and black, most of his steps were silent with only an occasional rustle of a branch or a leaf to give one a direction to turn to, though by that point he was already hidden elsewhere. Five clones formed up in the center of an opening between a hand-ful of trees, weapons drawn. The remaining four paired off in teams of two, staying within eyesight of the main group but venturing out enough to draw the man out of hiding. Takeo watched from above, nestled at the crux of two large branches, his back against the trunk of a tall sentinel tree he waited until one of the patrols neared. Dropping down from above he slipped down behind them, facing away, his posture graceful and silent as he descended. His arms came down simultaneously as he landed, striking each clone in the back of the neck with a rigid hand. The only sound to be made from his landing was that of their heads tumbling across the ground, followed by the sudden thwack of their bodies.

Thus far Takeo had done well to incorporate a wide range of his abilities, it made for an adequate refresher of techniques he seldom used but would do well to keep honed and remembered. Typical Krav Maga was rather direct and simplistic, lacking any kind of subtlety or conversely any flair though as with anything Takeo made a habit of being well versed and adaptable. He gathered the most suitable techniques and created his own style accordingly. The second pair of patrols turned to address him, one throwing its kunai at him but it was too late. He seemed to vanish and an instant later he was past the clones guard delivering a backhanded chop to his neck, though this time it was more refined, done with the control that one usually required with his strength. After all the purpose of the technique was typically intended towards knocking an opponent unconscious rather than decapitating them. The clone slumped, leaning forward as it collapsed. The second clone brought his weapon up defensively though it was a useless effort. Takeo blurred again, feinting to the right and pausing for half a second to allow an afterimage to appear before darting back to the left. As the clone reacted with a stab ahead of him Takeo was already well past his guard behind him. The chop came quickly, short and controlled and without any indication of any effort.

Jutsu TrainedShow

Lights Out
B-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
A highly underrated yet effective close quarter’s technique Takeo will occasionally utilize a swift hand chop to the neck or the base of the skull. If his strength is at least 10 higher than his opponents Stamina they will be knocked unconscious should he land a successful blow. This proves a very effective means of swiftly debilitating lower level opponents without causing permanent damage or notable signs of injury and thus is a favorite on recon or low profile missions.

[Izanagi]

Stat Training # 5 Ninjutsu

1506/1500

With the remaining five clones gathered in a circle formation Takeo wasted no further time in stealth. In truth he was growing rather bored by the warm-up, these earth clones were nothing more than a minor nuisance and in fact he resolved not to bother using them in the future. Approaching from the trees he approached them directly, drawing his sword cleanly in his right hand. As he neared he deftly tucked into a roll, slashing through the legs of the first clone and delivering a second backhanded slash across the hips and torso of a second. The third he impaled as he stood, using it as a human shield as he rammed into the forth, driving it back into a tree and impaling it as well through the body of the other. The last clone approached from behind with a stab to which Takeo countered by drawing his thigh holstered dagger and ramming it into the side of the clones head as he spun and pulled his sword free. Swiping the mud free from his sword he sheathed the dagger before withdrawing a small cloth to wipe clean the rest of his sword before sheathing it as well. “About time” he muttered, clearly annoyed by the warm-up exercise. “Guess it’s time to get started then” he decided as he made his way back to the lake.

The sun was still relatively low in the sky though at least it was present in the first place, making for a somewhat warm day. He would begin by making use of the resources immediately at his disposal, the lake itself once again would be utilized as a source of training. Today however would not be spent running underwater, rather he intended to start his morning with a focus on enhancing his ability in Ninjutsu. The waters were still notably murky and debris ridden, a result of his previous training and a fact that he could not in good conscious allow to remain so. Luckily the man was proficient in both Doton and Suiton chakra natures. While he had never had a need to develop a technique for this sort of thing he figured that it just might be possible to draw apart the two properties in order to restore the pristine quality of water. Taking a series of deep breaths and preparing himself for the strain Takeo began walking across the surface of the water until he found himself roughly in position of the middle of the large lake. Such a task seemed daunting even to him. Even advanced Ninjutsu techniques typically had a range of no more than One hundred meters or so, perhaps double at most but certainly never further than one kilometer.

Alas he would do the best he could and gauge his progress accordingly. Initially he decided to simply sit cross legged atop of the water. His eyes closed as he formed a set of hand seals, reaching his senses into the surrounding waters. It was a gamble though it was worth experimenting on whether or not he could actually feel the presence of the earthen particles. Despite only being able to feel to a depth of 5ft Takeo noted a slight difference to the usual feel of the technique. His sensory felt almost fuzzy, an indication of the particles clouding the water. Attempting to remember the feeling of the clouded water Takeo formed a few hand seals: Snake, Tiger, Ram as he flowed his chakra into the water, seeking out the earthen aspects in an attempt to cling to them and group them and push the dirt downwards. At first the water beneath him dipped, moving slightly and rippling outwards as some residual chakra clung to the water. After a moment he refined his chakra, focusing further on the properties of Doton and meeting some success as he could feel the earth lowering deeper into the water. Finding this success he increased the flow of chakra, increasing the radius drastically. The water around him rippled again for a moment. With his hands placed against the surface his control of the dirt increased and he soon found the water in a 15 meter radius around him visibly clearing as the earth was pushed continually deeper, losing connection with the material as it reached a depth of about 80 meters. He reveled in the first attempt for a moment, staring down at the crystalline waters but not for more than a few moments as the sediment from the surroundings waters quickly filled the gaps and just like that he was once again where he started.

If he were to have any success with this endeavor he would have to increase the radius first rather than the depth, pushing down as much debris as possible and moving between locations. If he could clear at least the first 20 meters of water then the sediment wouldn’t return to the surface but rather slowly settle on its own accord or at least give the man enough time to focus on sections at a time, clearing the waters to a much greater depth. Again he formed hand seals: Snake, Tiger, Ram, Snake, Rabbit, Dog, Rat. A great deal had been added this time around, an extra snake to further help manipulate the earth, rabbit to spread his chakra throughout the water for maximum radius, Dog again to keep a strong hold on each of the earthen particles and finally Rat to focus his control over the finite particles as he forced them downward without weakening his output of chakra. Surely enough his chakra surged forth in massive quantities, saturating the water in a 100 meter radius around him. A remarkable feat in itself he now pressed his hands against the water willing his chakra downwards and with it the earthen debris. As if the clouds were parting for the sun the water immediately began to clear, all traces of murky brown were banished into the depths, descending 25 meters. At that depth the debris was no longer even noticeable from the surface, its darkness mixed with the depth of the lake.

Takeo studied the result for some five minutes, examining the pristine waters as he ensured that this tactic would prove fruitful. Surely enough the waters retained their purity. He had effectively cleaned one large section of the lake though there was still more to do yet. Walking down the length of the lake he positioned him in the next section, a more narrow area that his jutsu would surely be able to cleanse while still overlapping slightly with his previously cleaned area. No doubt he should have simply started at one end of the lake and moved in sections until he reached the other, though he had to at least test whether or not he contained the skill to cleanse it from the center. As always it seemed there was room for improvement with his progress. Even a shinobi reaching the skillset of legends revered as gods were bound by limitations on range and ability. Performing the seals once again he cleansed this next section with notably less difficulty. It seemed that with its more narrow width naturally allowed him to reach a greater depth, he could feel his reach extend a full 50 meters in depth at the deepest point, so much so that it reached the bottom of the lake in that area. By the time he was done he could see straight to the bottom. It was almost eerily clear, he had outdone himself it seemed. One last section on the opposite end of the lake would suffice. Some sections had been left untreated though naturally the currents would mix whatever debris remained, restoring the lake to a more natural state.

By the time he reached the last area on his agenda the heat of the Summer day had begun to set in. He was thankful that he had chosen to start by the water and though he wasn’t feeling particularly tired his next section of training he decided would involve being under water once more. Surely enough the last section felt quite natural by this point. He was a quick learner after all with an impressive aptitude towards chakra manipulation. Takeo took a moment to admire his achievement, it wasn’t anything too remarkable by the standards of a shinobi of his caliber though from a standpoint in regards to his great respect for nature it brought a proud smile to his face. He had restored the balance of the lake, ensuring the health of the fish and other creatures that resided in and thrived off of the lake. Of course he wasn’t quite finished with the area yet. There would be a few more disruptions still though he resolved himself to not cause any permanent damage. In the end he wished to become strong and had grown accustomed to altering nature in his training though always he aimed to create a sustainable living environment for the natural world regardless of the changes he instilled.

[Izanagi]

404/400

With his final test to becoming Hokage only a handful of days away Takeo found himself with a great deal of idle time. With so much on his mind lately, including discovering that he was to be the father to twins, training was a natural and welcome relief to his stresses as well as his greater responsibilities. Though in some ways he hoped to channel some of these feelings, the passion and strength of his love for his family and his burning will to protect the village. He could feel within himself that he was of the perfect state of mind to harness the power of Katon and more fully explore and develop his arsenal of fire style jutsu. Naturally he ventured to one of his preferred training grounds, a self-made quarry within a valley, plenty of room to practice Katon without fear of starting any forest fires.

To begin the muscular warrior focused on his breathing. Inhaling deeply, shirtless in the sun he allowed his lungs to be filled with air, flowing chakra through his body almost as if flexing a muscle. Slowly he began to feel heat welling within him, spreading throughout his body and seeping into his skin. Of course Katon was not a rigid element such as Doton, it relied on explosiveness and a strong spirit. The man concentrated on the feeling of love rather than anger building up his chakra and flexing it into sudden bursts, incorporating with it the sense of heat and explosive energy. Throughout his torso flames burst forth, spraying outwards in a short burst before dissipating with each inhale. And then again as he exhaled the flames returned. This time his chakra control came into greater play as he activated many chakra points simultaneously bursting flames forth from nearly his entire body. It seemed a rather suitable warm up exercise, preparing the majority of his chakra points for use. It was unlikely that such minor plumes of flame would have much use in a practical situation though generating heat in any fashion especially throughout his body was always useful in a survival situation. His previous journey into Frost country was testament to that. There was also a great deal of potential when considering higher forms of such a technique. With more intensity and range such an action could be quite deadly indeed. Certainly he would have plenty of powerful jutsu to incorporate such skills into.

Jutsu TrainedShow

*Katon • Ripple
C-Rank Ninjutsu
By channeling katon chakra into their body, the user will release a short, uncontrolled burst of flame outward from their body that travels just a few centimeters and lasts hardly a second. The short-lived burst of flame pushes outward with a strength of 10.

[Izanagi]

415/400

Takeo cracked his knuckles and then his neck before beginning to stretch out. His body had warmed up now which made for an ideal time to limber his body more thoroughly. Surely at some point or another he would be straining himself quite heavily. That always seemed to be the case, he was never satisfied with a day of training until he was left completely exhausted. Ina scenario like this he would also need to learn at least a handful of A-rank jutsu and that meant practicing and honing several lesser jutsu along the way. After all it wasn’t practical to only use large scale techniques, diversity was key, as was conserving chakra in a battle or mission whenever possible. The next technique he considered experimenting with was a slightly more practical and dangerous extension of one of his most basic uses of the fire style. That was the ability to conjure a flame on his fingertip. A useful skill for lighting kindling or other such small material though he wondered just how well he could compress his chakra into a single point.

If he could do this with a fingertip, turning a candle tip like flame into something combat worthy then there was practical no limit to the kind of devastation he could cause with flames compressed into a punch or kick. And so Takeo began to flow his chakra directly into his index finger, focusing until the tip felt as though it was burning itself before even producing a flame. After several seconds he would focus on releasing this pent up chakra in a single linear blast. When the explosion went off however he quickly realized that shaping Katon through a fingertip was an incredibly difficult task. The explosion was abrupt without any semblance of control. Several other attempts yielded the exact same result. With this realization Takeo opted to abandon the thought of utilizing such a tactic as a linear stream. Rather he would harness the power for arguably a more effective means. So long as he could channel the relatively simple technique he could utilize an explosive blast in close quarters fighting. Along this same means of thinking he decided it would be better to distribute chakra to each of his fingers, striking in a tiger claw or grabbing motion and following with a surprise attack in the form of a fiery explosion. Before long Takeo had the technique now, testing its power in an explosive blast against a large rock.

Jutsu TrainedShow

*Katon • Erupting Burning Finger
C-Rank Ninjutsu
By channeling chakra into their fingers, the user then attempts to make contact with the opponent. In the event that the strike is successful, the fingers release a C-Rank Explosion of fire outward towards the targets body. If unused, lasts 3 posts.

[Izanagi]

702/700 words

Now that Takeo had warmed up, testing the more fine control of Katon chakra he decided that it would be best to test the true essence of the fire style. Unlike other elements a Katon user could not simply release a steady flow of chakra, one had to learn to build up massive amounts quickly, condensing the power to an almost painful extent before suddenly releasing it all at once. That was precisely how one nurtured the explosive quality that Katon so often possessed. This meant that he would now attempt to condense as much chakra as he possibly could and then release it all at once in an ultimate attack. It had been months since he had last came to this area for training. The only sparring partner at the time who could be worth his effort had been Aina, though even against her he couldn’t afford to train a jutsu of the likes he was about to attempt. He was to be Hokage now though, it seemed only fitting to be able to perform an ultimate attack of unyielding flames.

He would begin by forming hand seals for his current strongest Katon technique and then add a handful of others afterward, further refining, building and condensing chakra atop of the existing form and technique that he had initially created. Chakra swelled within him, more chakra than most shinobi possessed in their entire bodies was being readied to be consumed in a single attack. His entire body flushed with heat and power, he felt as if he could topple a building if he released the technique now and yet he continued to gather more chakra. Finally as his lungs and chest began to ache furiously he held the final hand seal; the sign of a bird for the expert control he would execute in shaping such a massive plume of flame. Exhaling with all the strength of a launching rocket the thunderous flames collided with the rocky quarry edge with such force to send tremors throughout the valley. The flames spread, the force alone carrying them over 100 feet across the width of the canyon as they already grasped for purchase over the edge.

Boulders could be heard splitting within mere moments, small rocks and sand melting to blackened glass. Testing the destructive power and range of movement, Takeo slowly, carefully turned his head to the left, watching in awe as the massive culmination of flames at the edge of the long stream moved along the rocks. The areas the flame left behind were blackened and smooth with the likeness of obsidian as rocks and boulders had begun to melt and fuse together. That had only been less than 30 seconds of concentrated focus. The power he was expelling was something of legends, to be feared and revered. Less he destroy his training grounds entirely the man allowed his flow of chakra to wane its way down until the flames diminished along the path of the stream. At the end fires still raged on. Molten rock pooled and flowed like a small river towards him.

He had planned to spend most of his time here today honing his skills in Katon and Fuuton so that he could better combat S-rank missing ninja with deadly offence. Seeing the damage he was causing he realized he would have to supplement his efforts with Suiton to extinguish the fires he created and Doton to rebuild the training grounds he would destroy. It would be an exhausting process though would also prepare him for the realities of a battle between S-ranked shinobi. Always he would have to be away from civilians or forests if he could help it. Moreover he had to remember to remain careful not to be caught in the aftermath of his own techniques. When combining Fire and wind even the user was in danger of one’s own jutsu. Perhaps that was why he had avoided such a style of fighting for so many years. Now however he no longer had a choice. The people would look to him to defend their homeland and that meant being able to kill anyone who might pose a threat to them, by any means necessary.

Jutsu TrainedShow

Katon • The All Consuming Phoenix Fire
S-Rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: 40 Ninjutsu
A devastating technique capable of decimating landscapes and suppressing powerful foes, the all-consuming phoenix fire is initiated with a series of hand seals and a massive buildup of chakra, culminating in Takeo’s chest. Holding the final bird hand seal Takeo will exhale a phoenix shaped stream of blazing fire which then reverts to a standard cone shape after first impact. The stream extends 50 meters in length, covering a 25 meter wide area at the focal point of the flames. The heat from this attack is so intense that it can incinerate stone and reduce full trees to ashes. Any who is caught in the direct flames will suffer from intense 4th degree burns. Takeo can maintain this technique for up to two posts and can turn his head to change the angle of the attack accordingly. During this time Takeo must hold the final seal and is limited to minimal body movement. The flames move at a speed of 45 and impact with a force of 35.

[Izanagi]

418/400

Takeo had considered putting out the roaring flames, truly he had. In the end however he didn’t want to waste the chakra containing the effects of his training. For not they had not escaped the canyon which was fortunate. After all starting a massive forest fire would certainly put a damper on his training. Instead he decided to continue to test his offensive capabilities while he had the chance. If need be he could work on correcting the terrain on another occasion. The next jutsu he considered was one that he had witnessed his girlfriend Hyuuga Aina perform the last time they had trained together. It was one of the few Katon jutsu that he saw use in taking the time to form and condense into the shape of a weapon. That is because this particular spear had quite the nasty surprise. He recalled the hand seals she had used, having got her to repeat them to him for this very purpose. Chakra surged into his hand, flowing outward as flames took shape of the spear, condensing as much as he could manage.

It had been beneficial to start off the day’s training with practice in control and confinement. Afterwards he had trained in the use of power and explosiveness. This particular technique required both. The spear extended to a length of 3 meters. Sizable and deadly in its own right. Lunging forward in a series of deliberate steps the man sent him lance rocketing forth. His strength alone behind such condensed fire would be enough to split a sizable rift in the side of a mountain. As it impacted however he formed an additional seal and the flames lashed out, as if bindings had been removed and the flames had been granted permission to rapidly spread into the world. The shape of the spear remained, a large bulging plume of fire and then a massive explosion at the tip. Debris covered in flame rocketed into the sky as the large crevice in the rock wall expanded further resulting in a gaping and collapsed hole that spanned almost the entire rock face of the quarry edge. Now the flames truly were getting out of hand, spreading onto the fields above and threatening to further gain ground. Takeo sighed. He would have to stop these flames from spreading though at least the technique had certainly been a success. Few people would be able to survive such a blow even if it only came in close proximity of their being.

Jutsu TrainedShow

*Katon • Izanagi's Spear
A-Rank Ninjutsu
After performing the correct hand seals the user will form a condensed 5cm diameter, 3 meter long spear of fire in their hand then throw it at an opponent. At any time during the course of the spear's travel, the user may use Chakra Kai to activate the spear. This causes the spear to rapidly unwind and expand into a 10 meter long, 7 meter diameter whirlwind of fire at a speed of 30. On impact, the spear will then explode at A-Rank strength.

[Izanagi]

731/700

Takeo inhaled deeply, cracking his neck and taking a moment to stretch out his body. What he was about to attempt would likely cause more harm than good though he had no desire to waste chakra on a generic wave of Suiton, one that would have had to have been quite large in order to quell these roaring flames. Instead he considered taking an incredibly unorthodox approach. He would rend and tear at the ground itself, collapsing the offending flames into a deep cavern, not unlike the one he was already in. It was a powerful jutsu, one which could destroy entire villages if used properly or even collapse a small mountain. To think that he had reached such a point in his life where he was capable of performing such feats. Jutsu of a grandiose scale, typically told of only in legend. He would prove himself worthy of the title of Hokage, becoming the most powerful man in Fire Country and if his training was indication his potential could rival each of the other great Kages as well. One day mayhaps he would be able to test his merit against theirs.

Sprinting forward quickly Takeo closed the distance between himself and the blackened wall of stone, much of which was shimmering, molten and turned to glass. The lava that had formed as a bi-product was slowly continuing to seep its way towards him and even from this distance he could feel the combined heat of this lava and the flames that continued to roar and spread. Another massive accumulation of chakra build up within him as he began a very lengthy set of seals. Remembering such sequences had used to be quite difficult for him though now it seemed only to require a strong understanding of the technique itself and the preferences he had for each of the qualities an individual hand seal imparted. Even if he missed a seal he could constantly rectify the technique by forming another similar seal in order to balance his chakra control once more or build up chakra itself. Creating jutsu was largely a matter of intuition and connection with oneself rather than any rigid arbitrary sequence of seals. It was for that reason why shinobi from different lands could discover and create many jutsu nearly identical to one another without even having access to scrolls. Surely seals varied from each individual.

With this thought aside Takeo allowed his knowledge of ninjutsu to dictate the precise measures he needed to take. Finally after a repetition of several finishing ‘Snake’ and ‘Dog’ seals he slammed his hands into the ground. His chakra surged into the earth, spreading through it like a glass of water poured over paper. For all of his exceptional skill and strength as a taijutsu fighter his ninjutsu skills while diverse were often far under recognized. In reality he was a master of ninjutsu, the power he wielded over the elements exceeding even his raw physical might. Until recently however he had never had a need to utilize ninjutsu to his fullest ability. As his chakra solidified, merging with the earth itself and pulling against itself with monumental force Takeo knew that if the time ever came where he had to show his true power the entire world would remember his name. With a low building growl and then a strained shout the earth split before him as if god himself had pried a great chasm with his own two hands. Debris shot out for miles, many of the flames being extinguished with the sheer force while the bulk of the fire was situated at the area of the split that would be most likely to fall within. Still, massive slabs of rock were sent crashing through trees and further littering the circular quarry at the end of the first valley he was within. Now with a second ravine created the depth of this area was massive. He had meant mostly to extend the cavern, only applying the technique to about half depth and with material from the ground level at the top end of the first ravine falling in the staggered effect of the two valleys only shifted a difference of about 15 meters though extended for another 40 or more. He would have to be careful not to rewrite the maps too extensively for the poor locals of the region.

Jutsu TrainedShow

Doton • Great Earth Flow Divide
S-Rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: 40 Ninjutsu
Even more powerful than its predecessor Takeo has taken this legendary jutsu to the next step. After performing the correct hand seals the user will slam their palm down on the ground. Their chakra will violently rend the ground tearing it apart in a 45 meter line at a speed of 30 with a strength of 50. The tearing is 20 meters wide and 25 meters deep, shooting dangerous rubble, rock, and everything on the ground into the surrounding air during the technique. Over all this causes great destruction, leaving a grand valley in its wake. Even standing near the path of this technique is quite dangerous due to the immense force of the flying debris.

[Izanagi]

1161/1100

Takeo had finally been able to get a day away to train. He had left the council in charge for the day, insisting the importance of him keeping his skills sharp and not becoming complacent. It had been a few years since he had become Hokage and shortly after battled Nehan and Kenji. He wasn’t strong enough to defeat them then and he certainly wasn’t going to get any closer to defeating them by sitting around at a desk all day. He had to continue to develop new techniques and adapt his skillset. Training in his usual spot, many miles away from the village the Hokage would start off with some relatively simple techniques. Creating about a dozen basic earth clones he would set the stage for an advanced technique that he had been meaning to test out. It was a fairly in fact just a stronger version of one of his existing jutsu.

It would be difficult to determine the exact strength of the jutsu on such basic clones however so he would also summon forth his wolf companion Kurou. After a brief exchange with the beast the summon took his place among the clones. “Let’s see if you can dodge this” he stated, beginning the sequence of handseals, he would make a few minor alterations to the original multiple chains of imprisonment jutsu, granting the more advanced version more chakra so that he could extend the chains to a greater length, control them from slightly farther away and of course manipulate them with much more speed and strength. It would be a useful jutsu for dealing with groups of more elite shinobi, mid level Jounin or individuals who were less adept in their physical abilities. Kurou would be an ideal test, his strength was about average for a Jounin whereas his speed was among the elite for such a rank. If he could trap him as well as divide his focus enough to snare the other targets then the technique would be feasible and worth utilizing in actual combat.

Once his chakra had been built up Takeo flooded it through the ground. On occasion he might stomp the ground for flair though typically it wasn’t wise to telegraph one’s attack in such a way. So instead he simply utilized his chakra to form the chains and eject them from the ground. 20 chains shot out in a circle from Takeo’s position with him standing on one of the outside curves and the chain most opposite to him closing the loop and appearing from 25 meters away. Within that area it would be incredible difficult for anyone to escape, even if they were marginally faster than the chains. They each shot inward, capable of covering every inch of the large area between them all. Each of the earth clones were snared instantly, one chain wrapping each one nearly head to toe. He could control the movements intricately as he maintained the last handseal and they even possessed enough strength that against many opponents he could even crush them to death or decapitate them if he so chose.

Kurou on the other hand put up much more of a fight. The great wolf spirit darted side to side, quickly leaping over a few chains and maneuvering in an attempt to get them to ensnare themselves. Takeo of course could track the wolfs movement quite well. He even went as far as to toy with him a little, allowing him to dodge a few attempts before retracting half a dozen chains, keeping them on guard so that he couldn’t escape the circle while the others darted in and kept him distracted. All the while Takeo sent one of the chains straight into the ground, burrowing through and then springing up underneath the wolf as soon as he dodged one of the more obvious chains. Snaring his leg the wolf struggled against the strength of the chain to no avail. It overpowered him by a great deal and in an instant the other consumed him, wrapping fully around his midsection and neck and then retracting enough to pull him tight against the ground. “Damn you Takeo, making a fool out of me. You were just toying with me weren’t you” the wolf grumbled. While the beast respected Takeo’s strength he also hated being used as a test dummy especially when it came to ninjutsu and he couldn’t even put up a proper fight. “Ninjutsu is a powerful took Kurou, one of these days we’re going to hone your skills. You’re fast but if you were able to enhance your blade or even your speed with your raiton chakra I’m sure you would have fared much better” he evaluated.

To this the wolf conceded, or at least the low grumbling that followed was about the closest thing to it. Continuing to hold the snake hand seal Takeo decided he would test the execution application of the technique. Honestly it was rather boring using clones, he would have much rather have tested his jutsu on bandits, though Fire Country had been relatively quiet on the slaver front lately, a good thing to be sure but he almost missed striking fear into them and cleansing his homeland. There was still Whirlpool country of course but he doubted that the village could afford for him to be gone for another few weeks at a time as he had done in the first year of the invasion. Now most efforts were on building housing and infrastructure anyway, only the odd group of highwaymen or thugs started trouble, nothing worth his direct attention. So alas he would watch as one clone was thoroughly crushed, another having its head ripped from its shoulders and yet another he lifted by its ankle and simply flung it a great distance. ‘Definitely less satisfying…’ he noted, in fact it was rather unsettling to dispose of clones that looked identical to himself in such a manner. At least shadow clones just poofed in a cloud of smoke, these earth clones spattered mud much like they would blood. Still he had to explore the kinds of maneuvers he could use the chains for. Whipping another chain around like a buzz saw he released one clone just long enough to slice it in half, or perhaps tear would be a better word as the strike was entirely blunt and relied on sheer force to do the job.

Finally all the clones were destroyed. He knew also from experience with the weaker version that they could be used defensively but there was no need to test that. Releasing the handseal he would verify that the chains around Kurou remained firm, holding him in place against the ground even as the other chains fell to the ground, having not bound anything there was no need for them to remain firm though he supposed if he wished he could have ensured their rigidity as well before releasing the seal.

Jutsu TrainedShow

Doton • Advanced Multiple Chains of imprisonment
S-Rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: 40 Ninjutsu
After forming the needed seals Takeo can create up to 20 stone chains, maximum 30 meters long from the ground within 25 meters of his position. The chains are fully controllable, allowing him to manipulate them independently of one another to serve a variety of purposes, most commonly being to capture multiple opponents at once. During the time he is manipulating the chains Takeo must maintain the snake hand seal and while he can move, he is quite limited to his motions and must remain focused on the jutsu. The Chains move at a speed of 35 and bind with a strength of 35. The chains can be manipulated for up to 6 posts after which time they retain their tautness and strength though no longer require concentration to maintain.

[Izanagi]

724/600

Takeo approached his Spirit wolf companion, still bound by the sturdy earthen chains. Bending down he would give them a gentle tug, steadily increasing pressure until he felt them close to breaking. They were quite strong indeed. This brought a smile to his face. “Are you going to get me out of here?” the wolf questioned irritably, its face pressed against the ground. “Not yet my friend, I’d advise preparing a substitution though, you’re not going to like what I’m going to try next” he stated, taking a few steps backward until he was about 5 meters away from the wolf. This jutsu would require a little bit more innovation. Many years ago when he had been a Special Jounin he had utilized a similar jutsu though as the years went by he found he had forgotten the seals and ended up no longer using the jutsu. Now more experienced and with much greater control and chakra capacity he could create a far more deadly version.

Forming a set of five hand seals Tiger, he would build up a large amount of chakra, Snake, he would begin to flow the chakra into the ground, surging outwards in a large radius, Dog, he would saturate the chakra further and begin to infuse the Doton nature, Rabbit, he would include some of the properties of Suiton natured chakra, priming the ground for the change to a more liquid state, and finally a second Snake hand seal, the final phase would end with more Doton chakra, shifting the earth and making room for the technique to pull his target down. As he formed the last hand seal all these components came together, the ground around him turned to mud, dragging down Kurou quickly and with tremendous force. Takeo had made sure to note the build up of chakra in his companion first, ensuring that a substitution had in fact been prepared. As a summon he could have returned to his own realm if he was in true danger but Takeo wasn’t quite done with him yet. The Hokage marveled at the result of his technique, it was certainly a good combination though now the ground was completely unpassable. Even he would have a difficult time getting across it, he could ‘swim’ against the pull certainly but without proper footing it would be tiring and inconvenient to swim to the edge of the mud. Some might assume that one could utilize the water walking technique but when that substance you walked on was ever moving and pulling with great strength it certainly wasn’t an easy task. Maybe if one was fast enough and stronger than the pull they could quickly run across but only if they excellent control and taijutsu ability.

After a few moments Kurou would appear, just enough pause for Takeo to wonder if he had simply returned to his realm after all. If that was the case though he would have felt the slight drain of his chakra diminish. Covered in mud and just at the end of the radius Kurou spat a glob from his mouth, he didn’t say a word but if looks could kill his certainly would have. “Now now, old friend. You know I have to practice these one way or another” he stated, hands raised defensively. He truly didn’t enjoy putting the spirit through such ordeals but not many shinobi even could stand up to most of his jutsu or provide much of a test. The only aspect of the technique left to observe was the additional saturation of Doton he had incorporated into it in the final seal. Theoretically in time the mud should harden and reclaim the proper qualities of Doton once more. And so he would wait for a minute or so, observing the way the mud lurched and churned, still attempting to suck down anything within it and then it gradually began to slow, the texture appearing thicker until it stopped altogether and glossed over, becoming hard as reinforced stone. Takeo bashed his fist against the re-formed ground, testing its strength. Indeed it was consistant with the earth chains from earlier and the pull of the mud. ‘Good, that combination should work quite nicely’ he assessed. It was important that a similar or greater strength was maintained in order to fully trap and kill one’s opponent.

Jutsu TrainedShow

Doton • Swamp of the Underworld
A-Rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: 30 Ninjutsu
After forming the necessary handseals the user will flow their chakra into the ground, altering the earth in a 35 meter diameter area into 20-meter-deep mud that pulls targets down with 35 Strength, dragging down any targets to the maximum depth and continuing to churn for 4 posts, on the 5th the mud will harden to a strength of 17 and become solid once more. The mud forms and moves at a speed of 25. The user may choose to leave a 2 meter wide safe zone around themselves or enact the jutsu from the very edge of the affected range.

[Izanagi]

1132/1100

Takeo looked over the state of Kurou, deciding that perhaps testing him any further wouldn’t be a great idea after all. The wolf was clearly not in a mood for being a test dummy and besides the next jutsu he had in mind was far too dangerous anyway. “That’s enough for now Kurou” he stated, releasing the summoning as the spirit dispersed in a cloud of chakra smoke, returned to his own realm. This next jutsu would require a change in scenery and so Takeo made off at a steady pace. There was a lake less than 5 miles from his preferred training ground. Even at a moderate pace he could get there in a minute or two. Arriving at the fairly large lake he would walk out to the center, he had trained many of his Suiton jutsu here and for this one in particular he would have to use existing water to manipulate else drain about a fifth of his chakra reserves if he had to create the waters in a dry environment. To most shinobi such a feat was unimaginable but Takeo was among about a dozen of the worlds strongest shinobi, perhaps fewer.

Forming seals for a shadow clone the Hokage knew he had to put his jutsu to the test. Once his jutsu was complete the shadow clone would throw his strongest Katon technique at his protective water dome. First Takeo would start with his standard water dome defence. The cylindrical barrier sprung up with almost no effort. B-rank techniques were to him what D-ranks were to Chunin. He could feel a slight drain sure but he could also perform many of them in a row before beginning to tire to any notable extent. S-ranked jutsu on the other hand he certainly felt. It would require a massive buildup of chakra to get the result he had in mind. He wanted to develop a Suiton jutsu that could defend against even the more advanced Katon natured attacks. His current watery defence would have evaporated in an instant against his phoenix flames and even the weaker dragon flame version would be able to overwhelm the defence after sustained.

Experimenting with the technique Takeo would switch around the order of two of the hand seals and add in the Ram and then Rabbit hand seal, the ram would help to increase his control over the defence, allowing more coverage and faster and more powerful rotation while the Rabbit hand seal would infuse a greater amount of Suiton natured chakra allowing him to control a much larger quantity of water. Flowing his chakra into a large radius around himself the water rose up around him, the shell of water forming over him in a complete dome and thickening to about 5 meters. He would sustain it for several seconds, getting a feel for the speed and power before suddenly a kunai came bursting through the one wall and into the opposite side, narrowly missing Takeo whom stood in a safe zone in the center of the swirling water. “That wont be enough, didn’t even throw it at full strength and it went through like butter” the voice of his shadow clone called out. Takeo nodded and released the jutsu, the water forming waves as it crashed back into the lake. “Should I go bigger then?” he wondered, assessing the shadow clones opinion. “Definitely, that was probably 5 meters thick, you’re going to need more surface area and volume to stop flames of S-rank calliber and protect from the heat” Takeo nodded again, taking in the information. ‘5 meters eh?’ he assessed. It was difficult to tell the exact thickness from the inside beyond a rough feel. The chakra expenditure was notable but he knew he could manage far more. “Guess it can’t be helped then. I’m going to have to match the chakra levels of the Phoenix flame” he decided, “This time use the jutsu” he instructed. Nodding in understanding the shadow clone would back off to a considerable different. He had to make sure he was out of the range of the Suiton technique and gave his Katon technique room to reach its full length.

Takeo knew there was no room for error this time. He was putting his own life on the line in this training exercise. While it would have been wise to have the roles reversed with the shadow clone defending Takeo was not a man who did things the easy way. He thrived under pressure with the threat of death looming over him, it was one of his greatest flaws but it was also what get him sharp and combat tested. Performing the seals again this time he would add three more to the sequence. It now went Rabbit, Tiger, Ox, Ram, Rabbit, Boar, Rabbit, Tiger. On the final seals he would infuse a tremendous amount of chakra, taking a majority of his remaining chakra. The lake notably receded from the shoreline, water levels dropping by at least a foot as hundreds if not thousands of gallons rose up around the man, 15 meters thick on all sides the water roared ferociously. Despite it being water the dome spun at such speeds that being trapped within its currents would feel like repeatedly having a mountain slammed against ones body.

The shadow clone meanwhile formed his seals as soon as the water had been erected. He could tell from a glance that this defence was worthy of their most powerful Katon attack. After a similarly long sequence of seals the shadow clone would inhale before releasing a massive stream of flames, shaped in the likeness of a phoenix before rocketing towards its target and becoming a cone shaped wave of flames that could instantly incinerate trees and melt rock. The two colossal attacks collided, creating a 3 meter thick area of pure steam around the entire dome as the water was heated and rapidly distributed across the surface area. Takeo could feel the temperature rising inside the dome, even in the most protected area the water would feel warm, nearing on hot to the touch. After a full minute of this battle of S-rank techniques the flames eventually relented, outlasted by the persistent swirling waves. What remained of the dome was only a 5 meter wide shell, the rest having been evaporated, though with an extra burst of chakra Takeo stubbornly added in more water from the surrounding area, returning it to its former size in a final display of defiance before allowing it all to crash back in place. Dispersing his shadow clone the man felt a surge of renewed chakra though he still estimated he was down to about 30% of his total reserves. This training session was certainly taking its toll on him.

Jutsu TrainedShow

Wrath of the Sea Gods
S-Rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: 40 Ninjutsu
After forming the necessary handseals Takeo will manipulate or create a large body of water, swirling it around himself with 40 Speed and 40 Strength. The dome surrounds him in a 15 meter radius, leaving only a 3 meter diameter bubble around him untouched by water. Anyone of less than 40 strength who makes contact with these currents will be pulled in, the jutsu acting as both an offence and defence. Targets with less than 30 Stamina will pass out after 1 post as their lungs collapse and then are filled with water. Those up to 35 Stamina can endure 2 posts while those of a higher Stamina can resist passing out though will still find themselves battered severely by the waves. This jutsu lasts a maximum of 4 posts.

[Izanagi]

771/740

Walking over to the shoreline Takeo decided that now would be a good time to take a bit of a rest. Hydrating himself he took a few sips of water and washed his face of the slight bit of sweat that had accumulated, even going as far as to remove his shirt and forehead protector and set it on a rock. He wasn’t wearing his Kage robes outside of the village, only a pair of blue knee length shorts and his usual weaponry aside from his sword. Wearing black shinobi shoes he moved into the forest. It was time to relax and restore some of his chakra and there was nothing better for that than some good old-fashioned meditation and inner focus. It was something the man had done often when first learning how to perform Sensory ninjutsu nearly a decade ago.

Today he couldn’t afford to spend the chakra however, not if he wanted to keep training techniques. So instead as he sat cross legged on a open stretch of dirt he would close his eyes and focus on his physical senses. At first the scents would come to him, wafting in from all around. His sense of smell was the strongest of his bodily senses and had become so deeply a part of him that he didn’t need to focus much at all to discern scents of people, animals or anything at all unusual or distinct. What he could look to improve however was his sense of hearing and so that was what he aimed to focus on. While he could hear better than the average person, enough to know when someone was approaching, drawing a weapon or breathing heavily from within a respectable distance of himself the Hokage was woefully underprepared for detecting any shinobi that could muffle their sound through ninjutsu or advanced taijutsu.

As leader of the village he held himself to a high standard and knew that he had to up his game for detection skills. Many had outmatched him in such abilities by a drastic margin: Kuodachi, Yosuke and of course Kazuo. While he would never have a sense of smell as adept at a true Inuzuka or perhaps even the tremor sense of Yosuke or the expert taste testing of Kuodachi he was sure that with enough practice he could at least be their equal in his sense of hearing. It was a skill he had relied on for many years, fighting with his eyes closed on many occasions, relying largely on his hearing and his combat instincts. He wanted to expand his range however and delve into the next tier of possibilities with such hearing. Even if it was more difficult for him, requiring some more focus rather than a passive ability he was okay with that. In a way it made him both more vulnerable and less at the same time. If it wasn’t a constant state of heightened hearing then loud noises would be less likely to be used to his disadvantage though of course one did not always have the luxury of taking the time to concentrate in the heat of battle making his uses much more limited than that of his comrades.

Nonetheless as Takeo focused he could tell that it was working. He could begin to isolate various animals, honing in on them with his sense of smell first and then noting their breathing patterns and with enough focus even hearing the distinct patterns of their heartbeats. He could hear their every movement and noted the way the heartrate and breathing patterns and rates changed when the animals were spooked as well as those that were hunting their prey or even young chicks eagerly awaiting food and filled with excitement. It was all drastically different and he looked forward to learning more about such patterns and testing his senses against humans in various situations. After well over half an hour of sitting like this, honing his senses, Takeo heard something that didn’t quite sit right with him. It was beyond his range of scent but the pattern of its movement, the number of legs, it was a spider but far bigger than any that should be native to these forests. His brow furrowed. The man disdained invasive species being brought into Fire Country, he had encountered such spiders before when he had visited Waterfall Country with the relief efforts. No doubt someone had thought such a rare creature would be worth something to someone but the spider had either escaped or been released upon realizing how dangerous it was, no doubt growing larger even while in captivity.

Jutsu TrainedShow

Sounds of the Forest
A-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
By closing his eyes and focussing for half a post in a near meditative state Takeo is able to greatly enhance his sense of hearing. Even subtle sounds such as breathing and heartbeats can be detected within a 30 meter radius. He can also determine the intent and state of fatigue of individuals based off of these cues. For every post that Takeo remains focused with his eyes closed the range of his hearing increases by 10 meters to a maximum range of 100 meters.

[Izanagi]

747/740

There was no question what needed to be done. For someone of his skillset killing a spider was easy work but it also provided a good outlet to train with. From his encounters in Waterfall country he found that most spiders of this species were about 2 meters in diameter and 1 meter tall, possessing physical traits similar to that of a Chunin shinobi, in some rare instances growing considerably stronger and larger. The man wondered for a moment if there was any connection between this species and the colony of spider spirits that plagued Yosuke. He doubted it but if this spider was a spirit rather than an invasive species then that too was cause for concern, even more so in fact. For this reason especially it was important that he didn’t underestimate it. He was planning on killing the Spider Queen and freeing Yosuke from his curse and so there were many skills he wished to hone. Stealth would be of the utmost importance in order to sneak into its lair and take the Queen by surprise. While it was likely she contained a form of tremor sense there was little he could do about that, aside from a tactic or two that he already had in mind. Instead he would aim to move with the utmost silence and perfect his stalking approach. He could already do so quite effectively at a walking pace but against the Queen he had to be able to move at his full speed.

Opening his eyes Takeo would stand and begin his approach, his training and experience from his days in ROOT and ANBU kicked in immediately as he began the hunt. Moving swiftly and low to the ground he deftly moved through the brush, starting off at a speed of about 15 he found it was easy enough to put his training to good use. A barely notable amount of chakra coated his feet, almost a subconscious act to supplement the careful way in which he placed his feet and stepped very precicely, his body motions were kept minimal and efficient. Given that he wasn’t wearing much clothing it was especially easy to keep anything from rustling around and his natural instincts and years of experience hunting allowed him to blend with the shadows, moving from behind cover and picking up his speed in burst of swift and fluid movement whenever he came across a more open area.

Gradually the man found himself able to pick up his pacing and interestingly enough it became almost easier the faster he went, to some extent at least. When his body was moving exceptionally quickly, now at a speed of about 30 he realized that his feet touched the ground for such a brief instant that he didn’t even need to place his full foot down on many steps, instead balancing on the ball of his foot and making his placements of his feet even more precise than normal. He could even take more unorthodox routes, avoiding areas of heavy foliage such as dry leaves and fallen branches in favor of darting off of a boulder or tree, touching against the solid surface for only an instant before redirecting his trajectory. By now Takeo had already located his target, the spider appeared to be laying in wait for a nearly rabbit, ready to quickly pounce on the creature as soon as it came within a few feet. Currently its body was condensed in the crag of a pair of boulders, the rabbit about twenty feet away, prancing between some bushes and a more open grassy area.

Neither seemed to notice Takeo in the slightest, a testament to his skills thus far, picking up speed he tested his full speed for a few laps around the creatures, moving along the ground and some of the lower trees. As silent as Takeo was however his sheer speed was enough to generate notable winds, spooking the rabbit towards the spider. Slowing down suddenly Takeo moved himself in position in a tree above the spider, focussing on his breathing to keep it soft and even and being carefully not to rustle the branches of the tree. He would wait until the spider exposed himself in order to attack the rabbit before he made his move. In the meantime he would silently lay in wait, keeping his back close to the trunk of the tree and his body hidden above the thick branch he crouched on.

Jutsu TrainedShow

Stalking Shadow
A-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Taking the art of hunting to the realm of combat Takeo is able to stalk his target with professional skill, moving up to his full speed while shadowing their movements and moving with the utmost silence. So long as his Taijutsu+Instinct/2 is higher than his targets Instinct he is able to approach them undetected by traditional means. Often this means his target isn’t even aware of his presence until his knife is already pressed against their throats.

[Izanagi]

438/400

As Takeo waited for the spider to act he considered a set of new jutsu he had been speculating on. It was something he hoped to even the odds against opponents who outmatched him in speed, it was one of the man’s greatest weaknesses, finding it difficult to stack up to assassination style swordsmen. If he could slow them down through means of chakra however, rather than relying on inflicting substantial damage to them, which they were more likely to avoid, then he could potentially turn the tide of battle in his favor. He had seen similar jutsu used before so he knew it was possible and he even utilized one technique which overloaded an opponents body with chakra, temporarily paralyzing them. If he could harness that same concept but refine it and focus his chakra on simply impairing the connection between mind and body rather than overloading it, something which didn’t work on shinobi of exceptional physical strength, then he just might have a more practical technique at his disposal.

Now was as good a time as any, so after forming a relatively short series of handseals he would focus chakra into his right hand, there was no elemental nature required just pure raw chakra and excellent chakra control. After a few long moments the time to strike finally came, the spider quickly surged out of its crevice, aiming to grab the rabbit no more than a meter away from it. Before it could however Takeo plummeted downward with remarkable speed, grabbing the rabbit by the scruff with one hand and gently touching the spider on the abdomen with his other before rolling out of the way. His chakra seemed to do its job, surging through the spider’s body, startled the spider attempted to scurry backwards though it stumbled and seemed quite sluggish, moving at about half the speed it had previously attacked at. ‘That might just work’ Takeo assessed, releasing the rabbit and shoeing it along as he turned to slowly approach the large spider. Though slowed the large spider still had quite potent venom that even Takeo wasn’t immune to. It probably wouldn’t kill him, his body was far too hardy for that but it certainly wouldn’t be pleasant and moreover it would be just plain embarrassing to let a simple animal inflict any kind of harm to him. The spider, taking in the sight of its aggressor seemed uncertain how to proceed. It moved defensively but also seemed to be sizing the man up, confused as to what had happened but also very much still hungry and seeing him as a potential prey item.

Jutsu TrainedShow

[Iijutsu • Slow Down]
B-Ranked Ninjutsu
Often used while wielding a weapon or when one hand is occupied Takeo will channel chakra into his free hand and then make contact with his target, flowing chakra into their body and affecting the way their body reacts to signals from the brain, effectively lowering their speed by 6 for a duration of 5 posts.

[Izanagi]

695/600

Sizing up the spider Takeo figured that the creature certainly could grow to become more dangerous in time. It wasn’t nearly the sort of thing he would wish to train as a pet and even Yosuke had his own spider summon already, better to kill the creature and protect the native species of the land as well as Genin or inexperienced Chunin whom might one day accidently cross paths with such a being. He could kill the creature easily in over one hundred different ways but there was something that he had been wanting to save for a life target, though it wasn’t exactly humane to use against a human. It was a technique he had been experimenting with in his ANBU days and had come quite close to perfecting before he no longer had much need for it upon shifting focus to rebuilding the village and becoming Hokage. What he had found before was that while he could incinerate a target through a myriad of ways it was difficult to do while causing minimal collateral damage. Thus the idea came to him to utilize a focused sphere, something that could contain the flames and focus all their burning power on a designated area.

But why stop there he considered? Disposing bodies wasn’t the only application he could consider for such a thing. If he could restrain a target, especially one with regenerative abilities such as Nehan then perhaps he could utilize a similar jutsu on her while she was still technically alive. The problem with this came with the fact that living targets, especially shinobi were quite resilient to burning, if he had spread flames directly onto them they would likely be unable to overcome the regenerative abilities. If he stored chakra up in one spot however and then supplied it with additional chakra the delayed activation would increase the overall power of the technique, making it less applicable in a direct fight but much more useful for the purposes he had in mind.

Unfortunately this spider didn’t possess regenerative abilities though at the very least he could see if his theories about a delayed activation and the presumed effectiveness against a living target played out. Forming the appropriate hand seals Takeo would approach the spider slowly, making himself appear less of a threat despite the fact that he didn’t make a sound in his approach. The spider could see him though of course and slowly it advanced, adjusting to its temporary loss in speed. It was hostile and whether it saw Takeo as a threat or prey it knew that it had to kill him. When the two came within a meter or two of one another the spider lunged, rearing up its legs in an attempt to grab Takeo by the shoulders and wrestle him to the ground as its fangs plunged into his neck. Of course that didn’t go quite as planned for the spider, as it reared up Takeo simply slipped under its legs, touching softly against its exposed thorax and quickly slipping out behind it, turning to watch the spider swipe frantically at its chest, attempting to put out the stinging flames. At this point they were still mild, a minor inconvenience for most shinobi but still it was expected that most would try to remove or douse the flames. They were not easily extinguished however, requiring significant force to pat them out. After a few seconds the spider even gave up and turned its attention back at Takeo with newfound fervor, though its advance was short-lived. With an additional handseal chakra surged throughout the flames, fueling them and releasing the stored chakra within the small circle of fire. In an instant the spider was enveloped, Takeo scooting backwards to evade the expanding flames. He would stop a mere meter from the edge of the range. Chakra persisted through the flames, lining the outside circumference and containing the focus of the burning. Everything in the area would be completely incinerated before the flames would relent and burn themselves out. In a matter of minutes there was nothing left of the spider but a blackened scorch mark on the ground.

Jutsu TrainedShow

Body Disposal
A-Rank Katon Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: 30 Ninjutsu, 30 Control
After forming the needed handseals Takeo will touch a target, leaving behind a glowing 6 inch diameter sphere of condensed flames. These flames will cause only 1st degree burns and can removed with 30 Strength. With an additional handseal however Takeo can release the pent up chakra. The flames will then expand out at 30 Speed, consuming up to a 5 meter diameter area and forgoing the spreading passive in order to completely incinerate anything within the flames. The flames are potent enough to reduce a corpse to ash in seconds, even being able to melt steel and shatter rock. Against a living target however the flames will instead cause severe 3rd degree burns, continuing the cook the target alive until extinguished by some other means.

[Izanagi]

442/400

In recent years Takeo had become well known for his grandiose use of jutsu and seemingly endless chakra pool but what few knew was that his true love was for Taijutsu. He was still incredibly deadly in close quarters though he was beginning to realize that he had done little to expand his knowledge over the last five years. Soon even foreign shinobi would be well aware of his preferred style and against shinobi of his calibre it was unlikely that his skills as they were would be enough to hold up. This was proven true even against Nehan, while he held his own he was clearly at a disadvantage in close range. That was something he decided he would go to great lengths to remedy, adopting the best of a variety of styles and greatly enhancing his versatility and overall effectiveness. To start, he would delve into the styles of Konoha itself, seeing that he was Hokage it was only fitting that he embodied the villages founded styles.

He had seen them used many times and so learning how to perform them himself would be fairly easy for the most part, it was just a matter of repetition, honing his muscle memory to adjust to different movements. To start he would get a feel for the basic stance of the strong fist style. It felt a little awkward to him to be honest. Typically his hands were up, weapons often drawn and aimed to engage with brutal efficiency. Strong fist was less of a counter style and more about straightforward attacks paired with hints of elegance. Still, he could see the strength in such a stance, with his body turned, one hand raised and the other behind his back, he could easily spring forwards or backwards and his hips were open, able to launch into powerful kicks. His face felt vulnerable but that just meant he had to rely on speed rather than making contact with his opponents via grips and holds. It was a little odd, to be seeking to adapt his style to pick up techniques that Yoru was more well known for. Strong Fist and Ochiba. With the Bannin travelling often it didn’t hurt to have more skilled users in such styles. Aina of course was also a skilled practitioner, yet another high level combatant that he had sparred against many times. The bearded warrior grinned as he considered what their reaction might be to him using their own techniques and movements against them. His speed, agility, and acrobatic ability were often underestimated compared to his strength and brutality and that might just prove to become his advantage.

Technique TrainedShow

*[Strong Fist Style • Balance]
D-Ranked Taijutsu Stance
A neutral stance taken by even entry level practitioners. This stance involves turning your body to be perpendicular to your opponent. One foot is rested directly in front of the other with just the toes in contact with the ground. A hand is held back while the other is forward, pointing up. This stance provides ease of dodging incoming blows by using the least amount of motion possible while still being ready to launch into an attack.

[Izanagi]

410/400

Alongside Takeo in this training session or more accurately, watching from a distance was one of his most loyal ANBU guards, readily available to act as a sparring partner. For the time being however Takeo was content to train alone, not to mention that he doubted Masuru would be able to keep up with him in close quarters or even survive a single punch if he were to come at him full force. And for many of these techniques he would have no choice but to train to draw out his fullest strength and explosive speed. Next up was a classic entry technique, a move that Takeo would ordinarily consider unorthodox but to get into the spirit of the style he figured it would be important to learn. There were likely a handful of occasions where he might use such a tactic. Ordinarily he preferred stealth and assassination techniques when taking out guards but coming in with a sudden kick could be effective especially now that he had reached a level of speed that most couldn’t perceive and even the strength of his kick would be enough to decapitate most opponents. Even if he didn’t utilize the technique to take out an opponent without being detected it was valuable for a shock and awe approach. He did quite like making an impression and using fear to his advantage.

Readying himself in his stance Takeo would quickly draw a kunai and throw it lightly towards a tree, just enough to act as a distraction before he would flex his powerful legs, exploding from his position and leaping into the air, drawing one leg back and bent close to his hips while the other extended almost fully, not quite enough to actually lock out his leg and put strain on himself. Striking with the ball of his foot and from a leaping elevation of 6 feet in the air he would strike the trunk of a two and a half foot thick tree, snapping it in half as he continued to soar past it, retracting his leg as he descended and landing back in the strong fist stance, shifting to the opposite side as he angled his body to look back at the result. It was a simple technique but still it felt satisfying to do. The tree came crashing down, luckily they were outside the village walls, even his taijutsu training could become quite destructive and this was barely the beginning.

Technique TrainedShow

*[Strong Fist Style • Dynamic Entry]
D-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
In this technique, the user builds momentum and speed in order to bridge the gap between themselves and a distanced target. After covering an appropriate distance, the user then lets loose a form of distraction, like a thrown object, in order to misdirect the target's attention. The user then leaps with their momentum, delivering a strong kick to bridge the rest of the distance.

[Izanagi]

416/400

Takeo looked back in the direction of the fallen tree, scanning further still and picking up the scent of his comrade, whom had done a fine job of concealing himself. “Shujaku, you’re up. Try to keep me at bay” he instructed before charging forward, soon closing in on the masked man. The Jounin was considerably slower than his Hokage but still had respectable skills in taijutsu and was still fast by most standards. Still, as Takeo closed in all he could do was perform a quick jutsu, resulting in a blinding flash. It was enough to create a split-second pause to which the ANBU agent threw a kunai and backpedaled, hand on his sword now. Takeo’s eyes shut, needing time to recover from the light. He should have anticipated as much, though he had intended on a taijutsu spar he couldn’t fault his friend for using whatever means he had at his disposal, that was how ANBU were trained after all, he should know, he led them once.

Still, his other senses were not as easily fooled. Instinctively he dodged the kunai, hearing the sound of the throw and gauging its trajectory well by intuition and combat experience. Even as he evaded the man advanced, honing in on his opponent via scent and immediately lashing out a kick to the mans left side, interrupting his attempt to reach for his blade. Continuing to press he lashed out with jabs and body shots, every once in a while mixing in various kicks aimed at his opponents arms and towards the hilt of his sword or at his kunai holster, on several occasions forcing the man to drop a kunai or interrupt his handseals. Already Takeo was slowly opening his eyes, able to blurrily see his opponent. At this range he could prevent him from forming even a short series of seals. Truthfully he was just playing around and both men knew it. He was having fun testing a new style, keeping the masked operative on the defensive even though at any moment he could strike with full force or engaged with brutally efficient combinations to leave him immobile. “Remember the days when I used to be faster?” the masked man commented between strained attempts at evading. He was confident nobody else was around who might begin to piece together their shared history. Behind the mask was Takeo’s first rival and former genin teammate and to this day he remained one of his closest and most trusted friends.

Technique TrainedShow

*[Strong Fist Style • Dynamic Action]
D-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
Because distances tend to become the problem in most taijutsu, the practitioner will advance with every strike. This creates a tempo of advancement that is designed to wear down their opponent through ever pressing strikes, giving little chance for escape or recovery.

[Izanagi]

414/400

Takeo smirked, holding off his assault for just a moment. He had already proven his point. “There’s still time, train harder and you might be able to hold your own again” he responded. It was a statement easier said than done of course. “I’ve seen how hard you train, we’ll be seventy before I’ll be considered an equal match for you once more” he admitted as he darted away, moving behind a tree. The muscular warrior allowed him to retreat for the moment, shifting and strengthening his stance as he prepared a powerful technique. He had seen Yoru perform this move dozens of times. He hoped Masuru would be able to survive this next attack, the cover of the tree should serve to at least give him some protection.

Without any warning the Hokage exploded forward into a leaping front kick, pushing off the ground with tremendous force before switching his legs in mid air and bringing his back leg forward to lash out with immense power and speed. He was holding back slightly but not by much. The tree practically exploded as he made contact, large splinters flying everywhere around a 3 ft radius around the point of impact, severing the tree above that point as it collapsed back towards Takeo. The falling tree moved astronomically slower than the bearded warrior and protector of the leaf village however. By the time it began falling Takeo was already through the tree, his foot driving hard into Masuru’s back. Fortunately he had the good sense to prepare a substitution, otherwise he likely would have been done for the day. Disappearing in a cloud of smoke the log that replaced him was sent barrelling into the distance, at least 30 meters from the point of contact. As Takeo landed he scanned the area, searching for his opponent. He heard and smelled him at about the same time, spinning to face the direction where he reappeared. It was higher up on the same tree that he just kicked through, allowing the man to reposition above and behind Takeo. Already at kunai was being thrown towards him. The Hokage ducked under the weapon easily enough before advancing and aiming to intercept the man as he landed. The masked Awai already had his hands on his sword, his drawing speed not to be underestimated. ‘Not bad Masuru’ Takeo considered. If he had the physical ability to actually keep up with Takeo he would still be a very formidable opponent.

Technique TrainedShow

*[Strong Fist Style • Great Leaf Flash]
C-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: *[Strong Fist Style • Balance]
The user will tense the muscles in their lower body to a great degree. Doing so causes them to briefly become immobile but creates an enormous amount of pent up energy. By bringing their back leg forward in a straight kick they release all of this energy in a single explosive burst. This can take out a lot of defenses and unless they’re supported by outside forces will knock a kicked foe back a number of yards equal to the difference in their strength and the practitioner's.

[Izanagi]

403/400

Alas, Takeo knew that if he moved at full speed Masuru, or Shujaku as he was known when in uniform, would be unable to even see his movements, making reacting to him next to impossible. Still he knew that regardless of how fast he approached he would draw his weapon and attempt a slash nonetheless. Unprotected the blade could deal significant damage to Takeo if he rushed in half-heartedly. And so he would minimize his exposure and attack from an angle that would be difficult to anticipate or defend against in this situation. As Takeo’s movements sped to a blur Masuru’s sword slid out of its sheath, perceivable to Takeo quite easily though too fast for most to track. Lowering his body into a roll Takeo moved forward, springing his leg outward in a powerful sweep as he came out of the roll. The mans legs were knocked out from under him as he seemed to hover in the air from the point of view of Takeo’s incredible perception. Following up he lashed out to same leg, springing off his hands to add extra force to the push kick, launching his opponent high into the air. This was a completely new avenue to explore for the man. He typically avoided aerial combat at all costs, preferring to keep to the ground, moving low and utilizing doton jutsu frequently. He had been gaining many knew options however to enhance his versatility in the air and so it was important to also be able to incorporate taijutsu into that mix.

His opponent soared into the air, about 30 meters, staggered but not beaten yet. Flexing his legs and chaneling a bit of Fuuton chakra into his feet, Takeo leapt into the air after him, propelling himself quickly, soon coming alongside him right as the man began his descent. The technique seemed like it could be a useful one but he also didn’t expect to send him so high into the air. With such possibility it would actually have almost been easier for him to utilize ninjutsu to take advantage of a vulnerable opponent. Of course, depending on one’s jutsu repertoire and style that might give them enough time to recover or turn the tide in their favor whereas taijutsu allowed him an immediate follow up. It likely wasn’t a strategy he would use often, at least not unless he learned some better follow up techniques.

Jutsu TrainedShow

*[Strong Fist Style • Skyward Strike]
C-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
An often difficult attack to accomplish but good for setting up a string of further attacks. The user will sweep low, attempting to kick their target's feet from beneath them. Before they fall, a second kick will attempt to launch them airborne a number of meters equal to the difference in the practitioner's strength from their target.

[Izanagi]

415/400

Surely there was a vast array of flashy combination moves Takeo could perform against an airborne opponent and it was likely he would later experiment and put together a few practiced sequences. For the moment however he would keep it quite simple. His opponent was already reacting, bringing his hands together to form seals and so Takeo would first smack downwards against the ANBU operatives wrists, disrupting his ability to form ninjutsu. The two would go back and forth with Masuru attempting to reach for a weapon or form seals, even lashing out with a kick or punch here and there, and Takeo would respond by batting away his hands, constantly fighting to control the pace and prevent any real action. Against an opponent faster than him he might not even be able to draw his own weapons in time or form handseals himself. And so when he grabbed hold of each of the masked man’s wrists, holding him firmly in place, Takeo would deliver a short but swift head-butt, just enough to slightly disorient his opponent before releasing a single wrist and pulling his opponent by the other, positioning Masuru so that he was beneath him as they continued to fall through the air.

The Hokage would then keep his free hand in tight, not wanting to telegraph too much of his movement or create much opportunity to block. Starting with his fist only a few inches away from his opponent’s midsection he would recall the form and explosive technique he had seen Aina perform countless times. All of his power could be condensed and released explosively even with a short amount of build up. Lashing out like a striking snake his fist impacted the Awai’s stomach, sending him rocketing towards the ground and gasping for breath. It was only as his fist made contact that he released the man’s other wrist, allowing him to plummet to the ground. Once again the Awai proved his tenacity by forming a brief set of seals as he fell, creating a set of three barrier platforms layered beneath him as he fell. He would crash through each one, offering little resistance but still serving to slow his fall and made the landing more tolerable. He would thud into the ground, groaning in pain. “Anyone ever told you, you don’t know how to hold back?” the man grumbled. Clearly he wasn’t going to be moving for a few minutes and was surely in much need of a break.

Jutsu TrainedShow

*[Strong Fist Style • One Inch Punch]
D-Ranked Taijutsu Discipline
When fighting in close quarters it becomes difficult to generate energy for full powered strikes. Practitioners have learned how to explode force from every muscle with minimal energy wasted and space needed. Every strike done by the practitioner has the potential to be at full strength, so long as they have at least one inch of movement.

[Izanagi]

541/400

Takeo chuckled lowly as he landed softly, “Quite the contrary, usually I hold back too much” he responded. As skilled as he was he rarely gave his sparring partners the true sensation of a life or death battle, instead fighting with an intensity relative to their skill level. It was something he had been attempting to remedy lately, to instill a sense of danger when testing the youth of the village. The problem was that as ruthless as the man was with his enemies when it came to Konoha shinobi he worried greatly that they wouldn’t be able to withstand even a fraction of his true ability and he might accidentally kill someone if he overestimated their strength. Even against trained ANBU Jounin the Hokage could barely fight at half capacity without endangering their lives. Certainly his allies would need to become much stronger if they were to be entrusted to protect the village after Takeo eventually retired or was killed. As Masuru took a few minutes to recover, the Hokage would form two brief sequences of handseals, the same ones repeated twice. A few moments later two plumes of smoke would form and from them now stood two powerful figures, neither of them human.

One was a monstrous war bear in full armor, over 7ft tall and physically even more powerful than the Hokage himself. The other was a wolf that stood at about the same size as a large Siberian tiger, clad in ornate samurai armor, he too was quite formidable. Without wasting time Takeo drew his dagger in his right hand, “The three of you versus me” the Hokage clarified, giving instruction to his summons whom each grumbled in acknowledgment. They didn’t always like being called forth but understood the need for training and respected their pact. Chanelling chakra to his left hand it began to glow a pale green, the trademark of medical ninjutsu techniques. He wanted to test out something he was working on lately and Sesshoujin would be the perfect target. Few people were physically stronger than the Hokage so it would therefore be difficult to tell how much he could weaken them by. If he could decrease the strength of the war bear to less than his own however he would know the jutsu was effective and could even help turn the tide in battle against someone like Nehan. Bursting forward with incredible speed, the man appeared in front of the bear for only an instant, already emerging again behind the creature as it was lashing out with its massive weapon. Striking the bear on the exposed back of its neck he would allow it to turn to face him as he ducked under the creatures swing and aimed to tackle the beast, matching his own power against it. The war bear buckled down, digging in its hind legs as it pulled its weapon tight across the mans back, aiming to crush him. Much to the beasts surprise however Takeo resisted its crushing force, even beginning to push the creature backwards, it was slow and required the man’s full power, his muscles straining as he put everything he had into holding onto the bear and driving him back. ‘So, it actually works!’ he realized.

Jutsu TrainedShow

[Iijutsu • Weaken]
B-ranked Ninjutsu
Often used while Takeo is wielding a weapon, he will channel chakra into his free hand before making contact with his target, flowing chakra into to their body and directly weakening their muscles. The opponent will feel immediately sluggish and weak reducing their strength by 6 for a duration of 5 posts.

[Izanagi]

864/740

As Takeo struggled against the war bear he could hear the wolf, Kurou rushing around to flank him. Lowering his hands to press against the bear's hips, preventing creating resistance against his attempt to push him backward, Takeo would exhale slowly, focusing his mind as the world seemed to calm around him. Between his keen senses and finely tuned control over his body he was a remarkable taijutsu fighter and by utilizing a serene state of mind, focused on instincts and quick reactions he was sure that he would prevail against even the combined forces of his summons. At the very last instant, when Kurou drew his blade and aimed to slash across the Hokage’s calves, the man pushed back against the bear, creating a tiny bit more space between them before suddenly pulling his knees to his chest, raising his feet off the ground to now press against the armored stomach of the bear. Kurou’s slash would then narrowly avoid Takeo and without resistance the bear would surge forward suddenly, barreling straight into the wolf’s attack. The blade held in the beast’s mouth would deflect against the bear's armored legs and Kurou would take a hard hit to the side, sending him tumbling into a distant tree. It was nearly enough to cause him to retreat into his own realm, only the mitigating force of Takeo’s legs pressing against the bear was enough to keep it from trampling the wolf completely.

Flexing his shoulders Takeo would press against the pole pressed against his back, creating more space now as he extended his legs before releasing a slight amount of pressure and springing out of the created opening with a sudden backflip, pressing down on the weapon with his hands for good measure to ensure he escaped cleanly. Tucking through the air he would roll three times and then land against the trunk of a nearby tree, adhering his feet to the bark briefly before leaping off to regain a better position. He would land behind both of his targets and spin, again taking a deep breath and keeping himself centered. It would take a bit of trial and error but he figured such an approach to combat could have its uses, he didn’t always have to rely on overwhelming aggression. “Regroup and try again” he instructed calmly. The war bear growled lowly and turned, clearly confused. “How did you get so strong?” he wondered, considering possibilities. He had yet to be overpowered at his current level of strength and had sparred against Takeo not more than a few weeks ago. To overcome such a staggering deficit in such a short time, it shouldn’t be possible. The thought that it wasn’t that Takeo was stronger at all but rather Sesshoujin whom had become weaker hadn’t occurred to him quite yet. Kurou was already up and circling into position again, “Got me all figured out. I may be predictable now but I wont back down” the proud warrior vowed.

Masuru too had come to his feet now, stretching side to side and massaging his back a little he determined that he could still fight. “If nothing else we can work on our teamwork” he said, he wasn’t nearly as experienced working alongside the summons as they were with one another but that also meant Takeo was less prepared for whatever combination tactics they would come up with. At least that was the theory. The truth was Takeo had put a great deal of thought into various strategies he could implement and practice with them but as always he would allow them to find their own natural rhythm before making suggestions of his own.

Each of his opponents were of roughly the same speed, faster than most Jounin but still greatly outclassed by Takeo himself. Still, if they layered their attacks well enough they might just be able to keep him on his toes. Masuru would form handseals, emitting an aura of bright light around himself. It would give himself an advantage at least and Takeo would have to rely more on their scent and hearing. Closing his eyes Takeo noted that each of the summons were in front of Masuru when he performed the jutsu, the brightness might be enough to force them to squint slightly but as it was coming from behind them it wouldn’t debilitate them completely. The war bear would charge forward first, instinctively Kurou thought to flank again but realized he had to come up with new tactics. Instead he moved behind the bear, shadowing him and masking his own scent and the sound of his movements. As he came into range the war bear sprayed dirt up at the man before quickly changing trajectory, sidestepping and allowing Kurou to lunge at Takeo while he attacked from the side. Shielding his face Takeo spun in preparation to block an incoming strike from Sesshoujin, only picking up on Kurou’s scent at the last instant. Even with his enhanced reaction speed there was nothing he could do, blocking the powerful bear's swing took both arms and his utmost effort and so his side was left open to the slash that cut across it.

Jutsu TrainedShow

Mind like Water
A-Rank Taijutsu Stance
Focusing on a relaxed state of mind and standing in a neutral position of his hands near his lower abdomen and feet shoulder width apart Takeo can enter a state of enhanced perception and reaction time. While using this stance the mans movements tend to be much more fluid, flowing like water around his opponents and focussing highly on counter attacks and utilizing an opponents force and momentum against them making this an ideal stance for fighting multiple opponents or dealing with a particularly fast or aggressive opponent. +5 Taijutsu, +5 Instinct, -5 Ninjutsu, - 5 Control.

[Izanagi]

414/400

Takeo grinned as he felt the sharp pain flare up his side followed by the slick feeling of blood soaking into his brown haori even while dripping down his skin. It was as if someone had lit a fire, something in the man ignited. No longer was he calm and serene. Instantly he lashed out, kicking either side of the war bear in rapid succession, with such immense power that the reinforced steel chest piece crumpled against his shin. Seeming to vanish for a moment he would reappear behind the bear, unleashing a flurry of punches to its lower back and then lashing out with a quick pair of kicks aimed at its legs, causing the beast to groan in pain though he was far from defeated, not even buckling under the incredible power. As the bear turned , Takeo would again vanish and attack again from behind with more kicks. ‘So this is Konoha’s Great Leaf Whirlwind’ Sesshoujin realized, he had heard of such a technique but had never experienced it first hand nor seen Takeo utilize such a tactic. It he wasn’t so damn strong it would almost feel like being swarmed by insects but with his incredible power he was truly being battered relentlessly with no sign of the assault letting up.

Luckily the great war bear was not alone in his struggles. Though his companions would have an equally difficult time attempting to track Takeo’s movements that didn’t mean they couldn’t find a way to assist. The masked man would rush forward, hand on the hilt of his sword. He could anticipate Takeo’s movement by watching the way the grass and leaves rustled after each movement as well as by the sound of the thuds against the bears armor. While the Hokage’s speed was in a league of its own, the technique he was using was predictable in order to keep up the pattern for an extended period of time. One target trapped within such attacks might have a difficult time of counter attacking, given the strain on their body but for an outside force it was relatively simple to interrupt the pacing of the attack. Surely enough, As Takeo was about to kick again from behind the creature he heard the movements and the drawing of Masuru’s sword, halting his own action to lower himself into a sideways roll. Coming to his feet he would leap backwards, visible now with his pacing interrupted Kurou would already be upon him.

Jutsu TrainedShow

*[Strong Fist Style • Great Leaf Whirlwind]
C-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
A combination attack started by the user unleashing a powerful kick to either side of their opponent. They will then place themselves behind the target and unleash a quick flurry of punches before kicking another side and repeating the process. This process can keep going ad infinitum or until the practitioner disengages.

[Izanagi]

411/400

Kurou lunged at Takeo, aiming to slash his other side now in an attack from behind. This time, however, the Hokage would be ready, spinning around quickly and lashing out with a countering kick, thudding against the side of the wolf’s armor and interrupting its charge. In an instant a second kick would lash out to the other side, propelling the beast backward now as its tanto flew from his mouth. Before the wolf could hit the ground however Takeo was already behind him again, unleashing a flurry of punches and causing the beast to crumble. He could have continued to kick the creature and overwhelm him completely but he didn’t want to cause either of his summons to disperse just yet. He was still holding back significantly and just trying to get a feel for the rhythm of these techniques. At this rate, though he worried they might not be able to take much more.

Darting over to Sesshoujin he would unleash another kick sequence of kicks and once again Masuru moved to intercept though Takeo was already upon him, lashing out with more kicks and punches and overwhelming the defenses of all three opponents. He was simply too fast for them to properly react to, even if they could anticipate the type of attacks he would use. When he could move almost instantaneously between all three targets, preventing any one of them from moving let alone getting an attack in, there was truly nothing his opponents could do to fend off his barrage. By the time he was done the bearded warrior was actually breathing a little heavily. “Not a bad work out…and lots of fun” he almost taunted. Each of his opponents groaned as they sluggishly forced themselves to their feet. Takeo had always been fast but he had never utilized his speed so efficiently against all of them at the same time like this. “I think that’s my limit, everything aches” the wolf admitted. Ever proud Sesshoujin refused to acknowledge his own limitations. “…I can keep going” he determined, though as he made a step forward he had to steady himself with his long hammer-scythe. “We could all use a break” Masuru decided, clutching his ribs, even behind his mask it was evident he was gritting his teeth in pain. “Yeah, you’ve all earned it. Dismissed” he stated, forcibly cancelling the summoning techniques and leaving the ANBU operative to stagger over to a tree to rest against.

Jutsu TrainedShow

*[Strong Fist Style • Herculean Leaf Whirlwind]
B-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
A progression from previous variants, this attack focuses on multi-opponent fights but utilizes the same principles. By employing superior speed the user will dance between targets to create openings and strike as before. However, rather than unloading on a single target they will move to a new opponent and do the same to them in the time it takes the first to recover. They can keep this process up as long as they are allowed.

[Izanagi]

434/400

With his allies out of the fight Takeo would turn his attention to solo training for some time. He still had quite a bit of energy left in him, the brief series of spars served as an adequate warm-up. It was for the best really, now that he could feel a light sweat begin to form he would stretch out thoroughly and then begin to attempt a series of far deadlier techniques that he doubted any of his companions would even be able to survive, save perhaps for Sesshoujin. This next technique was one that he hadn’t seen quite as often as the other’s but he was still familiar with it. He had witnessed Aina punch through large boulders or topple his earthen barricades with such a technique a number of times. Recalling the stance she used and how she positioned her body, Takeo would emulate such preparation. His elbow shifted in a bit of an unorthodox stance as he sighted in the tree that he would target. For an ordinary person punching a tree or rock full force was a fast way to break one’s hand though for a shinobi of his calibre his body had become far more dense and resilient, able to bash through such defenses as if they were made of paper.

Tensing his legs, the man ensured he had a stance slightly wider than his shoulders to allow him to dig deep and propel quickly. It would take some time, several long seconds to prepare himself and fully prepare his muscles, fine-tuning his stance until it felt just right. It had a bit of a drawback that it needed time to prepare rather than the quick moving and rapid attacks he had practiced thus far. The benefit he hoped would outweigh the risk however and even if it didn’t serve useful against multiple opponents if he had the right distractions or simply needed to break a defense or deal a great amount of damage to a single opponent then it was something he could make work. The target he sighted in was about 35 meters away, a substantial distance to be sure but if the technique worked as planned he wouldn’t need more than the single stride to bridge the gap. With everything prepared, the man finally launched from his position, vaulting forward like a lightning bolt, everything along his path was pushed back from the sheer force of his movement and when his fist impacted the tree it exploded almost along the entire length, bursting into splinters that shot out with deadly force, impaling other nearby trees.

Jutsu TrainedShow

*[Strong Fist Style • Leaf's Flashing Might]
B-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
Requiring a full post of charge time the user tenses their entire body in preparation, becoming immobile. During this time they will look for their direct path and position themselves with their elbow pointed forward. At the end of the post they will release all of this pent up energy with extreme force, leaping nearly instantaneously a number of yards equal to their strength. If their strength is high enough this can punch through obstacles on their path and create extreme damage to opponents who are hit by it. Often used as an opening attack and cannot be done more than twice per thread.

[Izanagi]

765/740

Takeo noted the fatigue of his bodyguard, Awai Masuru. Even as his other ANBU guard arrived, Senju Toshiaki, he decided that they were simply outclassed for the level of taijutsu he intended to perfect. “Tend to Shujaku and keep your distance. I’m going to do some training on my own” he informed his loyal operatives, whom beneath their masks and uniform were actually very close friends whom he had known most of his life. He couldn’t risk either one of them getting caught up in the backlash of his attacks. The Hokage knew what he wanted to train, both his prodigious student and now Bannin Aizawa Yoru and Takeo’s own wife and also Bannin, Hyuuga Aina, were exceptional practitioners of the Strong Fist style. It was a wonder that it had taken Takeo so many years to delve into the style himself, though he always had been one to view his companions strengths as extensions of his own power. He had never needed to utilize such techniques because one of them was always by his side. However now with Aina retiring to provide a stable upbringing for their four children and Yoru once again journeying across the world, it was finally time that Takeo stepped up and became the all in one power that he needed to be.

Moving away from his operatives to a distance of about 500 meters Takeo would survey his new training grounds and deem them worthy. He would rest for a few minutes first, snacking on some dried meats he had brought along as well as re-hydrating from a large bottle of water. Once he was satisfied with his current state and had even taken the time to stretch one again, the man would take up the Strong Fist stance, tensing his legs first and then spreading that rigid build up of power throughout his body.And then in an instant he would relax and harness all that power expertly, shifting his weight and opening his hips as his right leg rocketed off the ground, splitting through the air with such ferocity that a compressed wave of force followed behind it. To most the movement of his leg would be unable to be seen it was so fast but the following wave would be notable to any. Like a Hurricane it would push forward, toppling trees, some cracking clean in half, others being uprooted and some miraculously only having the branches ripped from them. The wave continued for quite a ways, growing larger as it spread out though it was only for about the first ten meters that it contained his full power, after that diminishing to about half. For a first attempt it was remarkably successful though Takeo wasn’t quite satisfied with that. He wanted to ensure that he could achieve the same result with each of his legs, having used his dominant leg first.

And so after stretching again and feeling the ache in his right leg already he would reverse the stance, right hand forward now and left leg back. There were select occasions where it would be easier or preferable to strike from his non-dominant side, perhaps if he was injured or if his opponent was more vulnerable on their right side. Tensing his muscles again, starting with his left calf and thigh and working his way up his body, Takeo would prepare to strike. Breathing was of course also essential and so even as his muscles became rigid and locked in place he did not hold his breath but instead maintained a steady inhale and exhale. Once he had sufficiently built up his power Takeo would again shifht his body, opening up his hip as he lifted his left leg off the ground, focusing all of his power into his right calf to stabilize him and his left thigh to generate the immense sweeping winds. Following through with the kick he would be mostly satisfied to see that he was also able to generate powerful winds from this side. The range seemed like it may have been a few meters shorter but any remaining trees were quickly blown apart, clearing a barren swath of dirt in the once densely forested area. It seemed the power was more or less on par and he certainly felt comfortable kicking from either side. “Good, that will be a useful addition to my arsenal” he reflected. Even just being able to push multiple opponents back like that was handy and while it didn’t have the cutting quality of true Fuuton the blunt force could still be damaging on lesser opponents.

SpoilerShow

[Strong Fist Style • Vajra Leaf Whirlwind]
A-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
An attack meant to be used against multiple targets. By tensing every single muscle in the body the user can release a sweeping kick that disrupts the air around their leg. As the kick is unleashed it creates a wave of compressed air that moves outwards from them at a speed equal to 4/5’s their strength in a wide cone-like line. This line travels for 1/2 the user's strength in meters and grows just as wide. It carries with it 3/4 the user’s strength for the first half of it's travel, diminishing to half strength for the second half.

[Izanagi]

Expanding on his skill in close quarters, Takeo decided to create a shadow clone to use as a means to develop his technique with his bladed weapons. Though he didn’t utilize any full-length katana’s he did have a Wakizashi with a 22 inch blade length strapped to his back, in addition he utilized his preferred weapon, which was a dagger with a 10 inch blade. If he could utilize some of the Tea Countries famous Iaido style, adapting it to his weapons then his effectiveness in close range would skyrocket. The first technique was very simple in nature, a simple quick and fluid block. He was no stranger to using his weapons or drawing them, being quite adept in the Toryu style of fighting. He was seeking however to refine those base skills into something more fearsome.

His shadow clone would draw his sword, following in a clean attack, coming from up to down in a 45 degree angle. In a bit of an unorthodox method, Takeo would step to the left, ducking down as he partially drew his own Wakizashi, letting the attack glance off of his sword and be directed along the length of his blade, protecting his neck as he spun, stepping his left leg out and behind his opponent as his left hand swiftly drew a combat knife from his thigh, spinning it in his hand in a reverse grip as he stabbed the weapon into his opponents chest using the momentum of the stab to push his opponent over his extended leg, knocking the clone hard on its back with a knife protruding out of its chest. The entire sequence of events occurred in the span of a second, most of the sequence being a natural reaction, however the initial block was a new technique that he had tried, the rest following up with his own skill and Toryu experience, blending the two samurai styles seamlessly. It was certainly unorthodox but it would serve him well and he hoped to continue honing his skill with Iaido techniques and finding ways to blend them into his more gritty method of fighting. The more ways he could catch his opponents off guard the better but he also had to be careful not to overextend himself or put himself in a dangerous situation for the sake of attempting fancy maneuvers. After all his skillset thrived the most on simple, efficient and brutal counter attacks and too much flair could jeopardize everything his taijutsu stood for.

417/400

Jutsu TrainedShow

*[Iaido • Block]
D-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: 8 Speed
A technique developed out of need to protect himself from other weapon users, Block is simple in its use, but highly effective when used right. By partially drawing their sword, the user of this technique is able to use the back of their blade to block incoming weapon attacks should they time it correctly. The user must be careful when using this technique, should the attacker have a high enough strength, this technique could very well shatter the user's weapon.

[Izanagi]

Having practiced the basic blocking style using the drawing motion of Iaido the next step was to work on the striking aspect of the sword style. Typically the man favored dual wielding short sword and knife though there were times where he would benefit from greater skill with his Wakizashi. It was unorthodox to utilize Iaido techniques on anything smaller than a Katana though he Wakizashi was only slightly smaller than the standard Katana length and so he felt confident he could adapt it well enough. The drawing position would make it more difficult however, being that his sword was drawn from his back, across his shoulder rather than at his hip.
The man would attempt to draw the weapon with one hand in a quick slash for many repetitions, he was relatively familiar with the drawing method and confident in the range of motion he had with the sword. For this particular technique he had to support the blunt side of the blade with his other hand to increase striking power.

The timing of the technique would be crucial and he would practice on a large boulder that he found. The durability of his blade was quite considerable and so he wasn’t worried about it chipping at all against the stone. Drawing the weapon cleanly he would wait until it was about neck height in the downward swing before propelling his left hand against the blunt side of the blade, driving into the sword as he legs shifted to keep his body out of the path of the swing. The strike cleaved into the stone with ease, splitting a foot-deep fissure in the boulder that caused cracks to further extend along the stone. The man hadn’t nearly been using his full strength, instead focussing on form though the motion felt smooth and satisfying. Pulling the blade free he would inspect it for any damage, satisfied that it seemed well intact before once more sheathing the weapon as he stepped to the side a few paces, aiming to approach the boulder from a different angle.

This time the man would drop to his knees as he drew the sword shifting his body to the right to slice on a 30 degree angle this time, using his left hand to guide the blade and keep its path lined up as he drove extra power into the cut. The Slash was deeper this time, running the blade almost to the hilt, nearly the full 22 inches of the blade as drawing it all the way down to the dirt, resulting in the new cut and the previous one connecting and cleaving off about a third of the large boulder as it hit the ground with a heavy thud and rolled once. The technique had its uses, even if it was fairly limited given how his sword was carried.

476/400

Jutsu TrainedShow

*[Iaido • Beheading Draw]
C-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: 15 Speed
The user draws their katana with one hand and slams their palm into the back of their blade to increase the force behind the swing made in any direction. This works with blunted side of a sword, but it can also draw out their strength and the blade's cutting power in full to quickly slash apart obstacles. Re-sheathing after this technique may take a bit longer; the placement of the hands following this technqiue make it difficult to resheath properly.

[Izanagi]

On this day Takeo decided to venture out into his more advanced training area, far from Konoha out in the northern region of Fire Country. It was here that he practiced any of his ninjutsu that could be considered S-rank, creating his own landscape in the process in the form of a large cavern with a river flowing through it and a open quarry around a large pond at the end of it. With rock walls surrounding him and extending to a height of 100 meters he was far from any significant foliage and could safely perform Katon ninjutsu without causing any forest fires. He already had an array of breath attacks and one version of an aura meant for explosive bursts, however now he aimed to refine the technique, adding a defensive layer and shifting the focus from several small explosive bursts to a sudden pulse. Both variations would be useful for their own purposes though this new one would contain more sheer destructive ability.

As always with Katon ninjutsu one’s breathing was essential, he would calm his mind and body, relaxing himself with powerful breath control techniques. Once he felt comfortable he would perform similar seals to his first version of the technique, substituting a tiger hand seal for Horse and trading out a ram seal for the monkey seal. With a layer of chakra coating him in protection against the flames the man would suddenly erupt in blazing fire. The power of the flames and the heat emanating from them was enough to cause the nearby water to begin to steam and small bits of vegetation to wither and wilt. Even the small rocks around him were violently pushed back, some melting under the intense heat and pressure scorching the earth black where several meters around where he stood. The man focused his chakra controlling the range at which the flames emanated from him, finding that maintain them at about a meter felt the most comfortable and would also allow the flames to spread quickly for maximum destruction, for this was the sort of jutsu he would utilize only when he was prepared to annihilate an entire village or whatever landscape he fought on. He would have to be certain no allies were in the vicinity if ever such a technique was used in battle.

Moving about slowly the man noted how even boulders rocketed away from him when he moved too close, flames clinging to them in a blazing inferno and continuing to spread rapidly as they crashed into the cliffside. Though there was little around him that could truly be considered flammable the fires persisted, greedily consuming the rocks, splitting them into blackened pieces as they fractured under the heat. In a matter of moments the fires were blazing around a 30 meter area around him. And that was before he even tested the pulse of flames he intended, doing so now as he willed a sudden burst of chakra, expelling powerful flames that surged out to a 75 meter radius. The 40 meter diameter pond began to evaporate at a startling rate as the entire quarry was engulphed in flames that now licked at the cliff walls and began to climb. If he wasn’t careful even his finely crafted training ground would not eb able to withstand this jutsu. Leaping into the center of the pond he would disperse his aura of flames and perform another jutsu, infusing his chakra with the water around him to increase the quantity and summon a massive sphere or water that spread outward putting out a good majority of the flames. From that point he would leap onto a barren section of cliff and move to an elevation high enough to perform another Suiton jutsu, manifesting a large waterfall which crashed down, flooding the quarry and finally putting an end to the fires.

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Jutsu TrainedShow

Katon • Avatar of the Divine Sun God, Amaterasu
S-Rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: 40 Ninjutsu
After forming the necessary hand seals the user will emanate katon chakra around their body protecting themselves from and coating themselves in flames. For 7 posts, their body constantly exerts 1 meter of flames which push out from their body at a strength of 50. This causes the user's body to become a living inferno, causing fire wherever they go and burning all life in their path. In addition to this, the user can just once over the span of the 7 posts cause their encapsulating flame to pulsate and expand out 75 meters at a speed of 30 for an instant before returning to its normal size.