The Fangless Hound

[Izanagi]

*[Earth Element • Revolving Split Earth Palm]
B-Rank Ninjutsu
After the needed hand seals are made, the ninja slams their palm to the ground and focuses Doton chakra through it. Then, a circular area five meters in diameter will begin to twist and churn. The user will find himself on an island of solid ground in the middle of the churning earth. It will then act as a sort of quicksand, attempting to trap the targets within the earth. This is not to be confused with turning into actual quicksand, but mimicking its effects. Generally, the technique is able to pull down a person one foot per post and requires a strength of five to escape. For every foot of their body pulled into the earth past the first, the strength needed to pull their body out is increased by two. This jutsu has a maximum depth of 10 feet.

1290/1250

The sun streamed through the array of leaves overhead, casting shadows against the trunk of the oak tree below. Takeo’s skin warmed as the rays of light touched upon his exposed arms, while shadows in the vague shape of leaves flickered along his clothing, in some instances overlapping with the leaf patterns already etched into his sleeveless cloak. A crunch broke the silence of this pristine morning, the young man chewed the piece of apple that he had bitten off and discarded the core, he’d need his energy for the day of training that he had planned. “I suppose I should get started” he muttered to himself before rising to his feet. He had brought an array of scrolls with him, ranging from Fuuinjutsu to medical to the more familiar earth style ninjutsu. He hadn’t been sure which techniques he would practice when he woke up this morning but now with the light breeze and the immaculate weather coupled with a hardy breakfast he felt an abundance of energy. Might as well get the hardest one out of the way he reflected as he opened the Earth ninjutsu scroll and scanned down to the “Revolving Split Earth Palm Jutsu”.

The seals were simple enough: Snake, Rabbit, Snake, Dog. He formed them several times without using chakra; separately he had performed them many times before so this was simply to get a feel for this particular sequence and building an association with the new technique. Luckily it was a short chain and one that flowed easily so the memorization came with minimal effort. Next Takeo applied chakra to the technique, forcing it into the ground through his feet while manipulating the energy into the earth affinity. That’s it, now to create the pull, on cue the earth sucked downward, making a shallow indent in a 5ft radius of where Takeo stood. “Damn, that’s embarrassing” he muttered upon realizing a few key mistakes. Firstly he had failed to convert the earth to a mud-like state, this jutsu didn’t manipulate earth in the typical manner, and also one would need to apply an almost water-like quality to the elemental configuration. Secondly, the radius needed to be expanded if the jutsu were to serve any purpose, this however would be easy enough to fix. All Takeo would have to do is increase the chakra output, an easy feat for someone with someone with as much stamina as himself. The final aspect however would prove to be the most difficult. In his first attempt Takeo had indented a complete circle, with himself being the epicenter: there was no safe zone, somehow he had to push the chakra away from himself but still maintain the jutsu.

He knew what he had to do; now it was just a matter of applying everything properly. Once more he formed the seals and chakra coursed throughout his body exiting through his feet, saturating the earth with chakra before Takeo pushed it out of his immediate area. For additional control Takeo maintained the last hand seal and focussed on converting the chakra rich earth into mud. After a few seconds the change occurred and this time the radius was a full 15ft past the safe zone. Nonetheless Takeo was unsatisfied and so released the jutsu before creating the suction. Too slow he realized. It had taken far too long to convert the earth to mud. He’d have to move to another location in order to start from scratch again. Gingerly he placed a foot on the mud that surrounded him and as he began to apply pressure his foot nearly disappeared in the readily accepting quagmire. Quickly he retracted his foot and coated the soles of his feet in chakra At least it seems fairly deep, though I’ll need a better way of testing it the man mused as he spanned the distance of mud and set foot once more on solid earth.

After moving to a new section of earth Takeo first created a shadow clone of himself, appearing about 5 feet to his right. Alright, this should be a good test he surmised as his hands performed the seals. This time he pumped out a large amount of chakra right from the beginning of forming the seals, focussing especially on controlling his chakra as he formed the rabbit sign, which was the one seal in the chain that was more commonly used with water jutsu than earth. It would be the one that played the largest role in converting his chakra into mud. Sure enough the effects of the jutsu could be felt throughout the process of sealing, by the time he formed the last seal he had already created a safe zone and the earth had instantly converted to mud. To top it off Takeo held the final seal then slammed his palm into the ground, the direct contact allowing him to easily transfer his chakra deep into the earth and easily manipulate the suction of the mud. After a few seconds the clone was knee deep in mud and already it was obvious by the pulling efforts that the clone would have a hard time escaping. That wouldn’t always be the case though; some opponents would be stronger than himself and as such he continued to feed chakra into the hungry muddy abyss.

Slowly the clone sank into the mud, roughly a foot every 7 seconds. The process was slower than Takeo would have liked but he couldn’t argue against the effectiveness once the target was ensnared, by the time the clone was submerged to his waist it was obvious that virtually no amount of strength would have granted him freedom from the trap. “Not bad” the clone chimed in, “But what’s there to stop me from using jutsu and escaping with a substitution or just attacking you instead?” “Good point” agreed the original, “I guess we’ll have to make sure to bind the targets arms after he’s trapped” “With what? Grasping ribbons isn’t strong enough” the clone countered. By now the clone was submerged up to his chest, and only his hands and face remained visible. Casually Takeo applied chakra to his feet and walked across the viscous quagmire.“We’ll figure something out, just another reason to train I suppose” he said as he reached dry land once more. Expecting a response he turned to see his clones mouth covered as the mud seemed to creep up towards his pleading eyes. Eyes that had begun to show a hint of panic and with a simple look seemed to say ‘Um, forgetting about something?’. Oh, Right he realized, dispersing the clone with a prompt half-seal. Just as quickly the clones’ memories merged with his own and suddenly he was relieved that he released the jutsu. A memory of suffocating to death from his own technique certainly wasn’t something he wished to be burdened with.

Suddenly Takeo smiled; he had just realized how odd it would have looked to any on-lookers, a man essentially having a conversation with himself as his clone calmly accepted his impending doom. As he stood there he reached into his pouch and drew out his canteen. He had actually formed a light sweat, a combination of the warmth and chakra expenditure. Unscrewing the lid takeo brought the metal opening to his mouth and took a sip. The water was luke-warm and had a metallic tang yet the hydrating fluid was welcome nonetheless. Drinking slow and steadily Takeo surveyed his training grounds, the once pristine field had now been into a pockmarked quagmire. Good thing I came all the way out here rather than using Konoha’s traning grounds he reflected. The groundskeepers certainly wouldn’t have been happy and today’s training was far from over.

[Izanagi]

*Speedster
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
A technique focused on boosting the user's speed, Speedster begins with a set of hand seals. After they are completed, the user will focus chakra throughout their legs to stimulate them. With this extra stimulation, users are able to run more quickly (+1 speed) at the cost of their control over other techniques (-1 control). This technique lasts for three (3) posts.

651/550 words

A light breeze caught hold of a fallen leaf, whirling in the eddy that had been formed before regaining its linear motion. Suddenly the leaf was snatched out of the sky, crumpled effortlessly in the fist of Natsuki Takeo. The floating foliage passing by his visage had been too tempting a target to ignore. The breeze that had passed by had felt refreshing however, albeit presenting a slight chill against his bare arms. His hairs rose as a result, though it served to stimulate his senses and re-invigorate his body. He sloshed the water around in his canteen before re-applying the lid. There was still about half a litre left, though he wouldn’t have any dire need for some time. These next few jutsu he was going to practice were quite simple for someone of his skill level. Nonetheless they were important building blocks to more powerful jutsu, although he was certain that he could make some use of even his more mundane skills. First off he would practice a technique requiring little more than basic chakra control. Casually he formed two quick hand seals: Monkey then Ram. Meanwhile chakra flooded his legs, fueling his movements as he sprinted forward. Unaccustomed the moving with the aid of chakra Takeo burst forward though his movements felt uncontrolled as if he was being lurched forward on a treadmill rather than running under his own power. Almost as soon as it began he had been forced to dissipate the chakra flow, else risk spraining an ankle or worse due to an uncontrolled stumble. “Too much power” he muttered to himself. Moreover his start had been too sudden, lurching forward rather than enhancing his running speed.

Once more he performed the seals. This time he slowed the flow of chakra, aiming to distribute it evenly throughout his legs. A hum of chakra around his legs served as an auditory cue that his chakra had stabilized. Testing his perceived improvement he entered into a sprinting stance and took off. A slight indent and a puff of dust appeared in the place where he had once stood. Continuing in a straight trajectory pieces of earth and grass showered the earth in his wake. It felt good, fast and controlled. He tried changing directions, skidding as he manoeuvred his hips sidewise. When he began running in the other direction his speed had noticeably begun dissipating and after a 15ft sprint the technique had been lost. I need to contain the chakra better he reflected. It was an obvious problem; he was still expelling too much chakra from the soles of his feet, thus the debris caused by his movements. In some situations a sudden burst of chakra was ideal; jumping or moving suddenly out of the way for example, but for an extended speed enhancement he would have to contain the chakra in his thighs and calves. The point was to use the chakra as fuel in order to stimulate his muscles, not rely on the chakras raw form in order to accelerate explosively. “Let’s try it this way” he muttered, before launching into a fast jog, as he ran he formed the familiar seal, holding it and slowly concentrating his chakra into his muscles. As he did so his speed increases, it was a similar sensation to being stimulated by adrenaline. Maintaining the seal allowed him to channel the chakra perfectly and after a minute or so he felt confident that he knew how it was supposed to feel. He sped through the trees, over boulders, into ruts in the ground, never slowing down or losing momentum even after he released his hands. “Hell yeah!” he shouted as he jumped over a ditch then stopped suddenly, retaining the chakra for in his legs and continuing on at his blistering pace. After a few minutes the chakra boost dissipated and he allowed his slowed himself to a halt.

[Izanagi]

*[Finger Engraving Seal]
D-Ranked Fuuinjutsu
Prerequisite: 3 control
Concentrating chakra into their finger or a sharp point, the user is able to write seals on almost any surface. If used on a living target, it will cause a discomfort as the fuuinjutsu is scarred into their flesh. This can be used up to posts equal to the user's stamina.

565/550 words

Takeo stood in the midst of the thicket he had entered, simply standing and listening to his own rhythmic breathing as he slowed his heart rate. His eyes took in his surroundings as he allowed himself to become aware of his senses. The trees which encircled him had grown large enough to thwart the sun’s rays, lowering the ambient temperature accordingly. Heat could be seen escaping his lips upon exhalation and his nostrils and lungs felt the prick of the cold with inward breath. Despite this the man remained warm, his skin tingling as it was brought to the brink of excreting sweat. He’d planned to spend the entire day training in the countryside and honing his skills. As he glanced around, the enclosed feeling he had reminded him of an ambush Fuuinjutsu that he had planned on training. First however, he would have to master the basics, namely being able to carve his own Fuuinjutsu seals. “The Finger Engraving technique, basically it’s the same process of wind nature manipulation” he uttered to himself in disdain. Takeo had always had difficulty with chakra control, he had surpassed his troubles for the most part however forming thin sharp chakra was far different than any of the skills he utilized. He was certainly glad there wasn’t anyone around to watch him struggle with such a low level technique.

Thin and sharp, thin and sharp. Like a knife, he reflected as his chakra visibly extended from his finger. The chakra however was essentially just an extension of his finger, not even remotely sharp or dense. He pictured flattening the chakra out, one side then the next, as if honing it with a wet-stone. The accumulated chakra increased in density accordingly and slowly but sure elongated and narrowed, producing a hum which indicated its stabilized formation. First Takeo tested the sharpness by crouching down and running his finger across a fallen leaf, effectively cutting it in half. Cool, that was kind of fun actually he mused, enjoying the idea of being able to cut things with just a swipe of his finger. That wasn’t the purpose of the technique though, it was meant for writing not as a means of attack. Knowing this the Jounin decided to test it on something a little more sturdy, the surrounding trees would suffice. Likewise the bark gave way to the touch of his mighty finger and its keen edged chakra aura. Continuing to trace his finger along the tree Takeo turned the marred bark into a pattern, forming the symbol of the hidden leaf village. He analyzed his work “Hmm, a little shoddy” he remarked. Though he had mastered the jutsu easily enough he would have to steady his finger better in order to utilize it effectively. His circles were too squiggly, meaning he had rushed through the pattern too quickly. Re-focussing he continued to carve the same symbol, decorating 2 square feet of the tree in the pattern. He then proceeded to do the same on other trees. Finally he practiced carving into stone, a feat that required slightly more pressure and time though was ultimately just as rudimentary. Standing back for the last time he allowed the chakra to dissipate. His finger tingled slightly from the extended concentration of chakra though the discomfort was not in vain for he had successfully taken his first step into the realm of Fuuinjutsu.

[Izanagi]

Weapon Block
D-Ranked Taijutsu
A technique used most often against weapon users, Weapon Block is used to prevent a slashing attack before it happens. When the opponent moves to slash with a weapon, the user will lunge forward, aiming to quickly catch or simply stop the movement of the wrist. This allows the user to simultaneously block the attack and open the opponent up to a counter-strike. Of course this depends on the user having a higher speed than the opponent.

540/450

It had been two days since Takeo had devoted a day to learning new ninjutsu and once again he felt the urge to hone his skills. This afternoon however happened to be a Monday and a rather plain one at that, the previously warm weather had been overcome by clouds prompting a slight chill in the air and less than spectacular ambiance. These facts however were of little concern to Takeo for he decided to train indoors today at his local martial arts dojo. Rather than learning any radical new techniques today he would be focussing on honing simple krav maga manoeuvres, hopefully to the point where they could become readily and instinctively useable in actual combat. After a few minutes of warming up via sprints, push-ups, crunches, and squats Takeo took position in front of his sparring partner.

Today they were training during their own time and thus no instructor was present. “Alright, come at me he announced” after both he and the other man had assumed the basic fighting position. The other man gripped a wooden knife and stepped in to slash at takeo’s midsection. This first attempt was only done at about half speed and strength and so Takeo easily managed to step into the attack and block his opponents wrist before the slash could connect, in addition he attacked with a punch to his opponents face with his free hand, stopping just short of contact. This process continued several times, each time Takeo’s adversary would increase the speed and strength of the attack. At full power his opponent was stronger than Takeo though not quite as fast, making him an ideal candidate to practice this type of move on. “Do you want to try the other side now?” his friend asked after about 20 strikes, clearly noticing that the motions were becoming habitual and easily anticipated. “Yeah. Just start off slow again and build up to full speed” Takeo replied. “Of course”. Moving to the right seemed awkward at first but the blocking motion felt fairly even. Soon enough the speed and power had increased to the equivalent of the other side and so the final thing to do was to have the opponent attack at random, varying the angle and speed of the slashes as well as occasionally aiming at the side of the head.

The difference in elevation didn’t have any bearing on the response aside from moving the blocking hand accordingly; they even practiced defending a slashing attack with a larger weapon with the use of a wooden sword. Either way all Takeo had to do was quickly close the distance and block the opponents wrist, though the larger the weapon the faster Takeo had to be, making it a dangerous technique to try against fast opponents. Nonetheless after several hundred repetitions he was feeling confident with his skill and in addition had begun to feel some degree of fatigue, his breathing was elevated and his pores were generously shedding sweat. He had earned a few minutes break and a drink of water before he continued on with his taijutsu training, at least now he was confident that he could defend a slashing attack against someone of roughly the same speed and strength.

[Izanagi]

Blunt object counter
D-Ranked Taijutsu
This technique is used in response to a two-handed swinging attack with any sort of bat-like object. In order to be effective Takeo’s strength and speed cannot be less than 2 points of that of his opponent. When his opponent makes a swinging motion to his midsection Takeo will step in and turn towards the attack and brace the attack in a cupping motion with both arms, ending so that his arms are wrapped around the pole and the opponents arms. From their Takeo uses the opponent’s momentum to turn and throw them onto their back.

506/450 words

Rehydrated, the athletic ninja performed a few brief stretches ensuring that his warmed muscles would remain loose and thus operate at prime efficiency. The next technique he wanted to practice continued on with the theme of weapon defence, though in this case the maneuver would only be effective against blunted objects, such as a pole. That is unless Takeo had sufficient armor to block a sword strike, though he would have to be extremely confident in its durability before he would ever attempt this particular disarm against a bladed weapon. The reason being was...well because the manoeuvre entailed absorbing the impact of the blow and basically wrapping up both around the weapon and the opponents arms.

Takeo’s training partner had retained the wooden practice sword from the previous exercise so that was what he would train against today. “Alright, just come at me with a two-handed grip and a horizontal slash” he announced. After nodding in acknowledgment Takeo’s opponent stepped forward slashing at a moderate speed at the man’s left side of his rib cage. In response Takeo lunged forward and turned into the attack as the slash commenced. His right arm moved toward his own hip, palm up while his right arm reached over the sword. When the strike connected against his side his left arm clamped down on the sword as his right reached under his opponents elbows before grasping his hands together. Basically he was hugging his opponent’s arms against his chest, while only the base of the sword made contact with his ribs while most of the energy (which was focussed at the tip of the slash) had been avoided completely. From there Takeo turned to his left, using his opponents slashing momentum against him as he spun the other man to the ground, forcing him to land on the ground with his dominant arm outstretched, still clinging desperately to the weapon. In a fluent chain, the sparring partners repeated the same sequence, ten times in a row on one side and then ten times on the other side. By then the motion was becoming an instinctual reaction though it hadn’t yet been practiced in a manner representative of actual combat. In order to rectify this Takeo requested that he be struck at the side of his partner’s choice at full force.

In order to prevent the chance of a broken rib or internal damage Takeo first paused to form a few seals, coating his body in protective chakra via the intermediate body reinforcement jutsu. Luckily he had, for the first strike glanced off his elbow on the first attempt. After several attempts however he managed to consistently adjust to the increased speed and power. The key was to redirect the energy, catching the attack and turning in order to channel the force of the blow into the throw, even so against a stronger opponent the attack would still cause some damage to his side. It would be important to utilize his bodily reinforcement technique in conjunction if that was the case.

[Izanagi]

Glide
D-Ranked Suiton Ninjutsu
This jutsu is so simple that it can be done with only a half seal and moderate concentration. It allows Takeo to manoeuvre water along a surface at a speed of 6 as long as the water is within 15 metres of him. This technique is primarily used to manipulate Takeo’s syrup field jutsu after it has made contact with the ground. The water must remain in contact with the ground and when at full speed can only make arching turns, though when moved slowly Takeo has a more complete control over the direction and shape of the puddle.

543/550 words

He had finally done it. Takeo stared at the sponge grasped in his hand, the sponge that he had finally saturated to its threshold. It had been a dried wrinkled crisp of a sponge only a few minutes ago and now, just by holding it he had filled it to the brim with water. Over the course of the last two weeks he had been attempting to utilize his secondary affinity; Suiton. Now, with this simple feat he had officially ‘mastered’ the art of creating water from nothing. This meant that he could begin learning jutsu and developing his skills of water manipulation. Finally he would be able to elaborate on his strategies and provide a more complete style.

It would be best for him to start off slow, something easy. For that however he would have to go outside. Attempting the sponge test had become a regular habit of his during any free time. Today he had been in the middle of his breakfast, feeling quite relaxed after a hot shower. Quickly he donned some clothes and headed downstairs and out of his apartment. There had been puddles around somewhere. He knew it. And there it was; a large puddle in an alleyway. Standing next to the puddle Takeo raised his hands into the tiger hand seal; a standard seal for basic concentration of chakra.

He would start off simple, just move the water. How hard could that be? He knew better than to force his chakra though, it wasn’t like with Doton jutsu where you ‘pushed’ your chakra and forced it to take shape through willpower. Instead he took deep breaths and relaxed himself, allowing his chakra to slowly seep out from his feet, gently merging with the water in the puddle. Then with his eyes closed he imagined moving the water, flowing gently along the street. He opened his eyes, the far portion of the puddle was beginning to elongate, pulling the rest of the puddle with it as it cascaded over the earthen surface. With a continued flow of chakra Takeo increased the thickness of the portion of water that was moving. “Good” he thought to himself seeing the remnants of the puddle join the portion of water that he had been manipulating. Soon he had the puddle increasing in speed, though this acceleration caused the stream to narrow out once more. The water raced toward the adjacent building so Takeo attempted to change direction, though a 90 degree turn proved to be too difficult, especially at the speed the water was travelling.

Instead the thin wave splashed against the stone wall and broke free of his control. “Hmm, looks like with the momentum at that speed I can only make wide turns” he mused out loud before putting his theory to the test. Sure enough when he reduced the speed slightly it was easy to make curved turns and even snakelike motions. It was actually quite fun, racing the water around the lot, what was meant to be a simple control exercise might actually hold some strategic value once he developed his Suiton abilities a little more. With a satisfied grin Takeo recalled the water to collaborate once more in front of him. What would he practice next?

[Izanagi]

Stat Training #1: Strength

1063/1000

Takeo let out an exasperated sigh as he stared at himself in the mirror. His abdominal muscles were still clearly visible but there seemed to be a slight amount of loose skin accumulating. His arms too were beginning to lose definition and were still smaller than he would have liked. It had been several weeks since he had done a considerable workout. Lately his time had been spent training his genin students or performing escort missions, which kept him moving but did little to actually maintain his level of fitness. The days and weeks on the road hadn’t been boring and he certainly didn’t regret performing them but they took precious time and left his body lacking both proper nutrition and starving his muscles of their regular workout routines.

Today he would remedy that and make up for lost time. He quickly downed a hearty breakfast of porridge with some bananas and blueberries mixed in, flavored by a spoonful of sugar. He then changed into his workout clothes; a pair of blue knee length shorts and a perforated navy blue muscle shirt. He would have considered going to the training grounds although this day happened to be one sullied by grey clouds and spurts of rain. Regardless, the outside grounds were better suited for Ninjutsu training and spars, strengthening his muscles were a routine he preferred to indulge in within the comforts of his apartment.

Casually he walked over to an open space in his apartment, and then suddenly he dropped the ground, absorbing the impact by immediately falling into a flurry of push ups. At the speed he was performing them there was enough momentum to make the motions essentially effortless despite maintaining proper form. His pace slowed a noticeable amount as he reached the fifty mark though he continued to press on, breathing more deeply as he felt the blood circulating through his body, reddening his skin and warming him. 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, he counted rapidly, performing nearly 2 every second. Soon he reached his goal of one hundred.

He rolled over and stretched out his arms, enjoying the sensation of the blood pumping into his muscles, causing them to swell and seem to come alive with energy. After one deep yawning stretch he effortlessly sat up to a 45 degree angle, legs still outstretched as he began a barrage of crunches. The motions were slower than that of the push ups, he wanted to maintain perfect form and as such paused a moment after each crunch to tighten his abdominals as much as he could, flexing every major muscle in his core. His hands were placed by the sides of his head as to not interfere or put strain on his neck.

One hundred crunches later and he stretched out once more and then placed a foot on his knee before commencing with a set of cross body crunches. He performed them in a similar fashion, pausing after each crunch. Fifty were done on each side and then satisfied with the tightness and the burn he was feeling in his abdominals he sprung up onto his feet in a kip-up fashion. Next it was time to work his legs. He found an empty spot on the wall and leaned against it, lowering himself to a seated position, just a tad bit higher than ninety degrees. Five minutes should do it, he mused as he stared at the clock on the opposite wall. At first the exercise was simple, as he waited and maintained his position however he began to feel the familiar feeling of his heat in his muscles as they began to strain themselves to support his weight.

He smirked as his legs began to shake as he neared the five minute mark. He really was beginning to get out of shape; this workout was clearly much needed. It had been five minutes now and his body wanted ever so desperately to collapse and land his but against the ground, awarding his legs with the solace they craved. Instead however he maintained his position, “Just another minute” he told himself, feeling his competitiveness surface.

Surely enough another minute came and went. He was beginning to sweat now, the pores throughout his body opening as the shakiness in his legs escalated. “Six is a bad number, one more” he urged, smirking to himself at the fun he was having; this time when the clock hit the mark that indicated seven minutes later than when he had started he allowed himself to sink to the ground. He breathed deeply and stretched out his legs.

“Whew, Good warm-up” he sighed, grinning at the prospect of another hour or so of this sort of exercising. First though he filled up a cup of water and slowly drank back the refreshing liquid. It was important to stay hydrated and he knew he would need several more glasses by the time he was finished with his workout. He gathered his pull up bar and attached it to the door frame before promptly jumping onto it and whipping off fifty pull ups of various versions. Immediately after that he performed a set of fifty push ups as a ‘break’ before moving onto several minutes of high intensity cardio exercises, centering on plyometric activity.

After that he drank another glass of water and brought out a pair of heavy dumbbells, each reading 40lbs. For a shinobi this weight wasn’t anything remarkable but then most people just did a few sets and left it at that. Takeo was not such a person. By the end of his workout he had done over 200 reps with each arm, of a multitude of exercises, taking several breaks in between to ‘shake out’ his arms by doing push ups or giving them an actual break in order to perform squats or calf raises. At some points he even worked his legs while performing curls. Ultimately though he was completely drenched in sweat and utterly exhausted by the end of it. His arms bulged and he felt nearly light-headed and could barely grip the weights enough to put them away he was so tired but he knew that he would have made a considerable difference in his fitness level; especially because he planned to continue working out to such a level in order to maintain a higher level of strength.

[Izanagi]

*[Shrapnel Seal]
D-Ranked Fuuinjutsu
Size: 6''x2''
The user inscribes the needed pattern or writes the seal on a surface. With a release seal, the user can cause the fuuinjutsu to explode with the force of a single exploding tag. Whenever the seal explodes it releases around 7 pebbles of shrapnel around it.

580/550

The tip of his finger felt warm even after the chakra faded from it. It felt different to manifest his chakra physically rather than channelling it through something, still the prospect of diversifying his repertoire excited him. He looked around at the various leaf insignia’s that he had carved. The finger engraving technique had come rather easily to him, as it should considering its simplicity. Now was the time to begin memorizing certain patterns; that was the thing he disliked most about Fuuinjutsu, so many intricate formations that were a hassle to remember and form in the midst of combat. His Doton techniques came naturally to him and often used the same sets of seals and depended on how he manipulated his chakra for which effect was to occur. He wouldn’t have that luxury with Fuuinjutsu but he didn’t plan on making it a tactic to use in the midst of battle but rather for supplementary purposes.

In a casual motion he un-slung his backpack and dug through its contents, finding the scroll labelled, “Introductory Fuuinjutsu” on it. He unrolled it and searched for a basic technique that he might use. Something simple, just to get me started, he reflected, and then he saw it. A D-Rank Fuuinjutsu that utilized Doton chakra, “Perfect” he stated as his finger landed on its description. It sounded simple enough, a basic use of shrapnel. Below the description was a picture of the symbol. He studied it for several minutes, tracing the lines in his mind. Feeling confident he sat up against a fallen log and leaned over to begin etching the simple into a watermelon sized rock. He figured that a rock would be the easiest since it was associated with the earth though whether or not this had any actual bearing he was uncertain of.

His chakra flared, humming as it appeared extending from his index finger. It sharpened and stabilized and he began to engrave the seal, double checking with the scroll as he went. As he did so he formed a half seal with his other hand, allowing him to use it to focus on building up Doton natured chakra. His feet instinctively planted into the earth as he felt a sensation of connectivity and groundedness channel through his body. And then it was completed. He smiled, seeing the deep groves rutted into the stone. His chakra dissipated and he promptly backed off, the seal was facing away from him but just in case he moved partially behind a nearby tree Fire in the hole, he thought with a smirk as he formed a seal and concentrated on the marking. Surely enough there was a prompt explosion, he watched with satisfaction as several pebbles zinged through the air. There were several loud thuds as they rebounded off of trees and zings as they chipped and shattered boulders, fragmenting themselves upon impact.

Takeo pressed his back against the tree as one of the pebbles whizzed by his location. Calmly he walked out of his safe zone and inspected the damage the pebbles had caused. There were noticeable chips in the boulders and small dents in the trees. “Definitely not fatal”, he noted, “But great for crowd control or anti-riot”. A hit to the head from one of those things could easily knock someone out, that was for sure. It would certainly be a handy technique and he couldn’t wait to develop true shrapnel techniques for situations where lethal force was necessary.

[Izanagi]

*[Seal Sight]
D-Ranked Fuuinjutsu
By doing a single hand seal, the user focuses chakra to a seal that they are touching. After half a post, they are able to tell the complexity of the seal.

548/550

So far Takeo knew how to engrave seals and now how to create them, albeit it was only a simple D-Rank technique. A large part of why he was eager to venture into the realm of Fuuinjutsu however was so that he could defend against it. This would require both being able to detect a dangerous seal in the form of a trap and also being able to disarm them. Luckily there was a basic technique that would ease him into the first process.

He read it over, the Seal Sight technique. With this ability he would be able to determine the complexity of a seal. It had several major drawbacks however; first of all he would be forced to touch the seal, which in the case of an explosive could be fatal. Secondly it wouldn’t give him any information on what the seal actually did but rather the rank of the seal, thus allowing him to determine whether or not he was capable to removing it.

Nonetheless it was an essential technique to master as it led to the more versatile and useful jutsu in that branch line. He sighed, feeling irritated in having to learn a technique that he would likely seldom use. At least it wasn’t anything complicated to remember, just a simple, single hand sign. First of all however he would need a seal to evaluate. It seemed a silly thing but he was in the middle of the woods thus he would be forced to decipher the rank of one of his own seals. The problem with that was of course that he only knew one technique so it would be difficult to evaluate whether or not he truly knew the technique.

That would be determined later however, for now he engraved the mark this time into a log and then, thinking of a solution he drew several other symbols at random. His eyes closed slowly as he formed the tiger hand seal, summoning his chakra into his hands. He ran his hand along the clammy wood, stopping to feel the groves as he approached a symbol. His palm pressed into it, covering the entire mark. His chakra flowed into the crevices and he focussed on interacting with the grooves, mentally searching out a chakra source. There was none to be found however, it was a dud. The next symbol yielded the same result. He was beginning to think he was doing it wrong when on the third he felt a pulse of chakra radiating from the symbol. It was of course his own chakra but he could actually feel it’s strength. It seemed to pulse gently, barely noticeable. This must be what a low level seal feels like, I’d imagine higher ranks would simply have a stronger pulse to them That would have to be determined after he had developed other techniques though.

He smiled and nodded, feeling satisfied with his deduction. It was a simple introductory technique after all, he would learn to better decipher seal strength but for now the technique was an adequate step in the door so to speak. He stretched out, thinking about his squad to be, that was part of the reason why he wanted to diversify, perhaps one of them would be interested in Fuuinjutsu.

[Izanagi]

1502/1500

There were times when even a man as rugged as Takeo missed his home; longed for the comforts of the warmth of his bed and of the women whom he often shared it with; reminisced about his friends, family, and students. Now was one of those times, he had been away from the home he called Konoha for a full month, called away on an urgent mission in the midst of a budding relationship and also a crucial period in his pupils lives. He was cold. He was wet. He was tired. But at last Takeo was returning home. Through the rhythmic sound of his boots sloshing through mud the man allowed his mind to wander.

His eyes opened slowly as he drew in a deep breath, raising his head slowly to view the lake before him. Its water was clear, pristine, dotted only by the occasional driftwood or the swimmers who bobbed and splashed at each other, laughing jovially but not straying far from the beachfront. Eying them from across the lake Takeo smiled, that was where he had first met his girlfriend, Hanako, not more than two weeks prior.

However now was not the time to reminisce; he was here to train, albeit with the warmth of the sun against his bare chest and a temperate breeze tingling his skin, he hardly felt like he was training. For this sort of ninjutsu however it was required for him to be clear of mind, calm and at one with nature; at least that was what he had surmised. He had tried forcing his chakra outward, willing himself to detect any signals of nearby life forms but that method hadn’t wrought any sort of success. He could have asked his student Kaen for advice; he was after all a fellow sensor shinobi, though that option hadn’t appealed to Takeo. It was after all, largely because Kaen was a sensor that he wanted to hone his skills and perfect the mind’s eye style. That was just the sort of Sensei he was, beyond his advice which could be taught universally, he wanted to have skills that he could pass on to each of his students; moreover he wanted to grow with them and constantly have something of value to offer.

Once more the Special Jounin closed his eyes and slowed his breath, allowing his respiration to become deep and methodical. At first he focused on his known senses which had been honed to near perfection over the years. Acute ears perked at the sounds of rustling bushes not 20ft to his right, from the pattern of the noises he easily discerned that it was a small bird, fluttering through bushes for fallen nuts or berries. There too was the gently whistle of the breeze absconding from the waterfront, unconsciously his breathing attuned itself with the ebb and flow of the air. With each inhalation he sifted the breeze for scents, the air was crisp and fresh from coming off of the water which only made his olfactory senses more efficient. There was a strong acrid freshness emanating from various points where sap oozed from the great pine on which he had perched himself in; secured with his side against the trunk and his legs hung casually over the branch on which he sat.

It is known that a truly skilled sensor shinobi can utilize mind’s eye simply by calming their thoughts, Takeo however was an apprentice in this regard. He was a practitioner of the empathy style of sensing, where he could channel his chakra through a familiar source, mind’s eye was something else entirely. To have any chance of discovering its secrets he would have to use hand seals, three he surmised would be enough. Slowly he formed the seals he favored for concentration, Tiger; the chakra swelled inside of his stomach, Horse; the chakra channeled through his body, collecting in his brain, Ram; his brain cells went into overdrive, heightened with activity as chakra seeped from his body into his surroundings. He held the final seal as he followed his chakra from his mind, feeling it thin and spread out through the trees, he could feel rough shapes but it wasn’t like with his empathy style. The sensation was fuzzy, like a white noise but as his chakra overlapped his surroundings there were brief moments of clarity. He had to struggle to “see” it, drawn more by an sense of feeling than an actual image but there it was, almost like a pulse he could detect faint signs of life emanating from the tree next to him “Nature Energy” he realized. It was what the static composed of but he had to struggle to pinpoint a specific source. Nature energy wasn’t his target however, rather something that he had to learn to sift through in order to pick up on the readings he desired.

For nearly an hour continued to attempt to tune out the “static”, searching for something else to focus on, sojourning every so often to adjust his position and open his eyes to provide some relief from the strains of continued concentration. Finally however he managed to hone in on movement, with an energy slightly different from the plant-life, he couldn’t actually see the creature but rather feel its presence, A bird or maybe a squirrel, he surmised and then suddenly he could see the chakra, it had moved closer to him, scurrying about at the base of the tree. “Squirrel”, he realized before opening his eyes and cancelling the jutsu in order to affirm his discovery.

Satisfied that he was making progress Takeo decided it was time to test the technique on a human, surely their chakra signature would be much different than that of a squirrel. He knew it was a long shot but he had to at least attempt to stretch his sensing field out, perhaps he could concentrate on a single area and extend his range. A deep breath was taken and then once more he formed the hand seals. His eyes closed as chakra flowed out of his body, moving faster than it had the first time he used the technique. He focused his energy outwards, searching at a single point but alas it was too difficult of a task, perhaps one day he would be able to do so. In the meantime he would have to get quite close it seemed. His eyes shot open though rather than cancelling the technique he decided to keep it active, the swimmers across the lake were likely not the only people around.

He would walk along the trail, back towards the beachfront, his goal would be to identify any joggers before he could see them. It would be difficult to rely completely on the mind’s eye style for this objective as his usual senses were often acute enough to accomplish such a task. As such he decided to eliminate his most prominent sense, his hearing, flowing chakra into his ears to block out any sound. Slowly he walked along the earthen path, stopping occasionally to grab a handful of berries. The world was serene without his hearing, he felt more focused, connected more strongly to the earth as his other senses heightened to compensate. He could feel energies around him and even smells seemed stronger, he closed his eyes also savouring the taste of the berries before continuing on his trek, using the mind’s eye to guide him along the path.

He could sense the energies of all the living things to either side of the path, birds, squirrels, even the trees themselves albeit far more faintly so. And then came a sudden distinct energy, it glowed a bright blue, he focused and soon the image expanded and he could make out the person which the chakra resided within. He took a step to the side, anticipating the path of the jogger while she was still over 15ft away So this is the first level of the mind’s eye, he noted. The range was rather short for his liking though with practice he would eventually hone his skills and find greater use from the technique. Even at this stage, if used properly, this extra sense would become an incredible asset. It was amazing to think that for several years now he had the capacity to learn sensory jutsu yet it wasn’t until now that he had branched out to discover the secrets to the trademark style.

He knew that versatility was key. His earth empathy had saved his life numerous times and had been extremely useful over the years, he could only imagine how the mind’s eye would affect his success on missions. In order to optimize his capability it would likely also be beneficial to learn the Suiton empathy, though for at least a few more minutes he would continue to walk along the path, working out the final kinks of the mind’s eye and allowing himself to fully immerse himself in the sensation.

Jutsu TrainedShow

*[Beyond Senses]
C-Rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisites: Ninjutsu/Control/Wit stats of 5
This sensor jutsu is used by shinobi to feel chakra sources within a radius of 25 yards. While this jutsu is fairly helpful in sensing chakra, it is unable to actually pinpoint specific chakras outside of 10 feet. This only gives the Shinobi an idea of how many entities with chakra are present in their general area. There is no set range, but generally, with greater Ninjutsu and Control abilities, a ninja can see further and further out. The maximum range for this technique is 30 yards for those with average required stats of higher than 6.

[Izanagi]

966/950

Takeo allowed his mind to return to its normal state. He was surprised at how little chakra it took to maintain the mind’s eye. Soon he hoped he would be comfortable enough with the technique to no longer require hand seals. As it often was with training though he preferred to ease his way into the techniques and slowly develop faster and more seamless ways of utilizing them. He exhaled slowly as a breeze came through the trees and off of the water. It was a gorgeous day, though he had come here to train and therefore decided to make the most of it.

Slowly he made his way down the slight bank and to the edge of the lake. Casually he removed his shirt and tossed it aside, landing it on a nearby rock. He then proceeded to kick off his shoes before walking right up to the edge of the water. It was a trick he had been reminded about from his student, in order to be more closely attuned with the water element it was best to make direct contact. The sand was warm on his toes, the earth naturally familiar too him though Water too had become a comforting element. He stepped onto the surface, feeling the cold water send tingles through his feet and up his legs. He continued to walk until he was standing at least 25 feet into the lake. He wasn’t quite sure to begin, he would have to develop his own hand seals though that was a task he had grown quite accustomed to.

The first seal would be ram; to focus his mind and draw out his sensory perception, the second would be rabbit; to attune himself with the Suiton nature, and the last Tiger; to maintain his focus. His mind relaxed, and his breathing became naturally slower. He felt his chakra extend outwards, merging with the water, his consciousness too seemed to extend and he felt himself grow aware of the natural movements of the water. He withdrew a kunai, flinging it into the air, before returning to hold the tiger seal, he closed his eyes and waited for it to hit the water. Suddenly a pinging sensation shot through him, simultaneous with the sound of the splash. He could feel the disturbance and the ripples which continued to emanate from the obstructed water.

Slowly they began to dissipate and the sensation dimmed and faded. That works well, he mused, clearly the mind’s eye training had helped significantly, though, then again empathy sensory had become a natural sensation by now. He had been using the Doton empathy for over 4 years and applying the technique to Suiton came naturally due to the ever growing collection of Suiton jutsu he had trained. Sensing a single Kunai was hardly much of a test however, he needed to know how it felt to detect a person; moreover it would be paramount to discover the extent of the techniques abilities as well as any inherent weaknesses.

He didn’t have a training partner with him, though he didn’t exactly need one and for the most part he preferred it that way. Quickly he formed the hand seal for the shadow clone jutsu, gathering a large amount of chakra he tore it away from himself mentally, condensing it to form a likeness of himself and balancing the distribution of chakra evenly between himself and the clone. Many people criticized the shadow clone for the gamble of its inherent high risk, high reward tactics. Takeo however viewed it as one of his most prized techniques, this situation being only a miniscule figment of its many advantages.

The shadow clone of course already knew what Takeo had in mind, a benefit of sharing the same thought process. Nonetheless Takeo felt the desire to speak, “Alright, so, let’s do a little blind spar, have some fun eh?”, he challenged with a grin. The clone smirked in response, “Yeah, sounds good”, it answered. Each of them backed away until they were 20ft apart and then they closed their eyes and formed the same three seals. Takeo smiled, neither man was moving and yet he could feel his clone’s presence. His weight on the water lit him up like a beacon and even his distance was easily discernable, So, it works a lot like with Doton empathy, he mused, satisfied by this discovery. He felt his clone move, slowly circling to his left, each step a new ripple formed, highlighting the man’s position. It wasn’t just like Doton, it was better, the ripple effect of water enhanced the sensory sensation, fine tuning the feeling of its movement to a greater degree than the vibrations which travelled through the dense ground.

Takeo turned and ran, it wasn’t in his nature to flee but he had to test the range of the sensing. As he moved it became noticeably more difficult to determine the clone’s position, largely because of the interference of the ripples he was creating himself but also because the clone seemed to have halted its advance. He too was wanting to test the range. The shadow clone continued to wait, his sensory perception was able to keep up with Takeo’s speed. That was a good sign, chakra travelled quickly in water. After several seconds however he could no longer feel the man’s presence. He had lost contact roughly 100ft out. Not bad, about the same range as mind’s eye, he noted. For now the technique wasn’t especially useful though he could expand on the ability, hone it to become more precise and give him a greater range of possibilities, for rather than mind’s eye he was not sensing chakra but actually gaining the perception of being able to actually feel and map out his surroundings.

Jutsu TrainedShow

*[Riding the Waves]
C-Ranked Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: Control 6
After doing the needed hand seals, the user touches a body of water, flowing their chakra through the body of water, which travels at a speed equal to the user’s control, up to 30 yards. This allows the user to feel the vibrations in the water. At this level, it doesn’t allow for pinpoint movements, but it does allow for the user to sense direction, amount of pressure, and distance.

[Izanagi]

Stat Training #2: Ninjutsu

1181/1000

Takeo passed through the gates of Konoha, the guards knew he could be trusted. He would often leave for the majority of the day, returning before nightfall. Occasionally he would even gain permission to stay several nights, though never more than a few Kilometers from Konoha and with the stipulation that he check in at least once a day. There were sensory seals in the forests surrounding the village after all so it could be easily observed that he wasn’t any risk to the village.

He breathed in deeply, enjoying the crisp sensation of the air pricking his lungs and nipping at his nose and ears. His face however kept warm, save for the uppermost portion of his cheeks. His beard had grown in thick and dense, though still only about half an inch in length. Takeo’s hair too had grown thick and wild. He kept his bangs up out of his face, his forehead protector assuring that it was pushed upward. He wore a black, long-sleeved shirt beneath his flak jacket as well as full length pants and close-toed shoes. Deciding to pick up the pace he began jogging toward his training area of choice.

Finally he arrived in the copse which he regularly frequented. There was evidence all-around of his previous training and now he would add to it. He wasn’t here to learn a jutsu however but rather to improve his skills as a whole. As a warm-up exercise he began to form each of the twelve hand-signs. He wanted to improve his general ninjutsu ability. Currently it took him too long to learn jutsu, moreover he would often require quite a few seals to perform jutsu whenever he was learning them, especially so those of higher rank and of the Suiton variety. That would need to change, as would his overall speed and seamlessness in forming hand-seals.

First he began with signs which he was most accustomed to; Snake, Dog, Rabbit, Tiger, Ram, and Dragon. These came easily to him and he could mix them with each other in numerous ways, as he often did with the majority of his jutsu. There were others though, signs related more heavily with other elements but also with varying purposes of control and shaping. Bird, Horse, Monkey, boar, Rat, and finally Ox. He tried them in random combinations, finding ways to flow them together and finally when he had gotten into a rhythmic flow he stopped to stretch out his fingers and hands. He noticed a tendency to avoid the boar and ox seals, each being commonly used in Raiton ninjutsu and thus being naturally opposite of his element. He rarely used either of them in his jutsu, avoiding them whenever devising seals for custom techniques. Not only had he found it more difficult to control his chakra when using them but also they seemed more difficult to form and blend in sequence with other seals. Likely this was simply a development caused by his lack of use with them though nonetheless it was useful information to be aware of.

It was time to improve the speed of his current jutsu and as such began forming signs for each and every one of his techniques, though without putting any chakra into them. It surprised the man how many jutsu he had come to learn and more than once he had to stop to remember the seal sequence for some of his less used jutsu. It seemed Earth jutsu came easily to him, their seals were short and in more than one instance only required the single snake seal. Most Doton jutsu required no more than 3 seals, even at B-A rank one rarely formed even as many as 5. Suton jutsu on the other hand required much more build-up, especially so when it was required to create the water. Rarely did one find a Suiton technique which used less than 3 seals, most commonly for C-rank jutsu and above there were between 3-6 seals used, sometimes even up to 8. It was for that reason why Takeo preferred customizing jutsu and delving into this sort of training. If he could hone his skill in ninjutsu he could perform jutsu using fewer hand seals, thus not only increasing the speed and efficiency of his combat tactics but also making the techniques easier to memorize.

Having completed his Doton and Suiton Ninjutsu Takeo moved on to general ninjutsu techniques. For the most part these were quite straight forward and didn’t even require particular seals, rather it was up to the user to decide which seal they preferred for concentration and chakra distribution. Typically this meant either the Ram hand seal or Tiger; Ram being more suited for concentration and Tiger better for distribution. As such he mostly skimmed through this section as some didn’t require seals at all, he had been using them for so long that channeling such small amounts of chakra throughout his body had become second nature to him, as easy as performing the water walking or tree climbing technique.

By far the most difficult jutsu however were his recent endeavors; Genjutsu and Iijutsu. Each required expert level control and mental acuteness. The seals favored in these techniques were Bird, Ram, Horse, and Rat. While none were difficult to form or blend together they were taxing to memorize and thus he spent quite some time going over each jutsu. He had only learned the array of techniques in the last month and committing them fully to memory would certainly improve the speed in which he performed them. It was also a matter of committing them to muscle memory. The man shook his head, wondering how he had come to branch out so far. Ten years ago he would never have considered that he would ever have the cability or drive to delve into either of the fields. If only Koji could see me now, I even use Fuuinjutsu Fond memories flooded back of his day’s as a Genin. He had often teased his team-mate, albeit playfully, about his scribbling’s and incessant studying. Takeo and Masaru had been too enthralled in Taijutsu and rough-housing to care for such things.

“I suppose that’s the effect of being a Sensei”, he mused aloud. His students had inspired him to branch out, to be able to offer them instruction on anything they so desired to learn. Takeo didn’t quite know why he felt the need to be their only source of education, most instructors wouldn’t devote their own time and change their own style simply to accommodate their students. There was more to it than just that however. Yoru’s rapid progress had inspired him to achieve his full potential. As a genin Takeo had been rather lazy but Yoru had awakened the part of him which strived for success. No longer was he content with being a Special Jounin, Takeo would ascend to the ranks of Jounin and he would not stop until he became one of the village’s most elite shinobi, someone his students could be proud of. That was his ambition.

[Izanagi]

Stat training # 3: Ninjutsu

1228/1000

Takeo completed one more round of seals for his medical ninjutsu and genjutsu, switching up the order once more. It felt good to refresh his mind and to allow his newest additions to his repertoire a chance to entrench themselves in his mind. He felt assured that his performance would surely increase as a result. Fine tuning his current skills however wouldn’t be enough. Already Yoru had shown himself able to achieve B-rank techniques, and though the boy didn’t know it, that feat in itself had brought him on par with Takeo’s own capabilities. I’m going to get my ass kicked when we fight if I don’t step it up, he reflected, grinning as he remembered the promise they pledged to one another.

He had certainly expanded his abilities in the recent months, though so had Yoru. No, he needed more than that, he needed to reach the next tier, A-ranked jutsu. The man considered what his shortcomings might be. He knew he had enough stamina for the task. That much was certain, he couldn’t even remember the last time he had been fully depleted of his chakra without specifically striving to exhaust himself. His control too was easily on par with most Jounin. It was something more than that, not so much lacking in skill per say but rather being held back mentally. He was so used to conserving his chakra, using only as much as necessary and always ensuring that he never dipped below a third or even half of his reservoir in battle. It was this mindset that allowed him to constantly be ready to adapt and survive and to be ready for additional opponents or challenges. He had to accept that there were times where raw power and large scale jutsu could come in handy, and if he had teammates to support him that he wouldn’t put himself at risk by utilizing such jutsu.

The Special Jounin sighed, it was time to test his theory. He didn’t have time to devise an A-rank jutsu on the spot but he could overpower his B-rank jutsu for a similar effect. He formed three seals, Tiger; Chakra swelled within him and coursed into the ground, Snake; he molded the chakra into Doton, Dog; he formed the Doton chakra, churning the earth to burst from the ground, converging into a large dome. Dust and bits of grass hung in the air, slowly descending to reveal the earthen mausoleum. It stood roughly 20ft across and 15ft height. Takeo sighed, it was the same size as usual. He was too accustomed to only using as much chakra as was necessary to perform the technique.

What he lacked was explosiveness. He could become highly offensive in his taijutsu though somehow he had forgone that state of mind completely when using ninjutsu. He always used the stable earth and the calming and adaptive water for defense, support and capture, or in a handful of instances for precision attacks. He lacked any real explosive or high chakra ninjutsu, the closest thing being a jutsu which enhanced his punching power, again relating to taijutsu for offense.

Closing his eyes Takeo focused on channeling his inner warrior, the primal side of him which came out in the heat of combat. He imagined the sensation of fast paced taijutsu, his vicious unrelenting attacks, he could feel his blood stirring and his heart escalating in pace, Taijutsu excited him, it made him feel alive, powerful. Flexing his hands he began the seals once more, focusing to harness the sensation of power and utilizing his full ability. A massive amount of chakra flared up, surging into the ground and yet still he poured in more, it was thrilling in its own way, to feel so much chakra flowing through his body at one time. The ground rumbled at he contained the chakra, molding it into the earth, he could feel it surrounding him, surging all throughout the ground. The man jumped backwards as he finished the last seal and when his feet made contact with the ground once again the earth burst forth. Suddenly the initial dome was overtaken, trees were uprooted and smashed to pieces as a new dome rose in place. It completely enveloped the first, creating a wake of destruction in its uprising. It stood over 45ft in diameter and rose 30 feet into the sky.

Takeo smiled, exhaling slowly. “Whew, I felt that”, he exclaimed. It was an odd feeling to feel an immediate dip in his chakra, the only other jutsu where he felt an immediate depletion was his shadow clone jutsu, which he of course used sparingly. Nonetheless he felt proud of his accomplishment. The mausoleum was awing to view, and knowing that he had created it was an empowering sensation. For a moment he imagined how a Kage might feel, being able to completely transform the battlefield with their jutsu. I could do that one day, he assured himself. Slowly he strode to the massive dome and then he formed seals and placed a hand on its surface. An opening parted way, just large enough for him to pass through, he entered the tunnel, placing his hands against the side of the wall. It was at least 7 or 8 feet long. The earth was cold to the touch, and the air within the dome’s wall was noticeably colder as well. He reached the opposite side and opened the door which had been formed there. It was a handy jutsu of his that he didn’t often get a chance to use.

He entered the inner circle, it was dark, secluded, and yet comforting. This haven was of his creation. Takeo closed the door behind him and stood completely still for several minutes as he allowed his eyes to adjust to the darkness. Continuing on he climbed to the top of the smaller dome. Almost like a battle arena or a castle, he mused, Might as well make moat, he considered, as he build up a similarly large amount of chakra. It was time to test if he could likewise expands on his Suiton ninjutsu. He held the tiger seal for a few moments, gathering chakra and then switched to rabbit and finally ram as he spewed out a massive amount of his syrupy water. It crashed into the ground, quickly surging around the smaller dome and filling the spaces between the two layers. He had never created such a large amount of the substance, it settled a full two feet thick, covering a 20ft diameter. He could hear it splash against the sides of the wall and satisfied Takeo formed more seals and pressed his hand to the dome, creating a small opening in its roof which he descended into, he then brought his hands together once more and burrowed out of the area. Once he emerged outside he wipes a bead of sweat from his head and took a seat against a tree. His body had become warm from the exertion and was breathing deeply from the back-to-back jutsu though he wasn’t as vulnerable as he thought he might have been from utilizing large amounts of chakra. Certainly if he used A-rank jutsu sparingly he could incorporate them into his repertoire, he would need it he knew if he wanted to compete with Yoru over the next few months.

[Izanagi]

469/450

The Shadow Clone slowly began walking to the direction of the original,“Lost contact about 100 feet out”, he informed, “Come back here, I want to test something” Takeo stopped and turned around, “Hah, So much for a spar” he had a good idea of what his clone had in mind though and as such continued to close the distance. “Let me guess, you want to use the water as a medium for a more in depth sensory technique?” The shadow clone nodded and formed a few hand seals, Ram, Rabbit, and then Tiger. Nothing much seemed to change however, he thought that by recasting the seals for suiton empathy that it would enhance the extent of the sensing.

Takeo had also maintained the suiton empathy jutsu, a challenge with himself to figure out the technique it seemed. He studied his shadow clone, noting that the initial attempt didn’t seem to be working. If the initial jutsu was already in effect it was likely that he simply needed an additional seal or two in order to increase the degree of sensory perception. He considered which seals might yield the best result Bird perhaps, Ram is too basic, so is Tiger And then it came to him, a seal he rarely used but one which was useful for more complex abilities, Rat He formed the seal and focused on the shadow clone before him. His chakra flowed into the water, reacting with the chakra of the shadow clone. He focused entirely on determining the man’s element, he had begun to feel his chakra, and it was simply a matter of sorting out the properties which hid therein. He knew them of course but he had to try to actually feel them. The shadow clone too had begun to analyze Takeo’s chakra, using the same method.

It took Takeo several moments to realize what was going on. He was expecting to feel the solid and stable Doton element though as hard as he concentrated he seemed only to feel more in tuned with his jutsu, with Suiton. This of course was because both he and his shadow clone were channeling Suiton chakra, unknowingly he had been detecting one of their elemental affinities, though because the sensation was so familiar he had cast it aside as being his own doing. “We’re interefering with one another, cancel the jutsu” he informed the clone. He nodded and relinguished his bond with the water. As his chakra returned to its baseline Takeo could begin to feel the distinct presence of Doton. Good, that’ll be much easier with other elements, he noted. Doton and Suiton had become so familiar too him that feeling their unique sensations felt natural to him, other elements would be more easily detected, more jarring. At least that was what he presumed.

Jutsu LearnedShow

*[Anticipate]
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: *[Riding the Waves]
The user does the needed hand seals, then touches a body of water that they have their chakra in. For everyone that they can see that are touching the body of water, they are able to instantly know the chakra affinities of those touching the water.

[Izanagi]

528/450

After a few minutes of staring contently at the massive dome before him while sipping water, Takeo was ready to proceed. He had pushed his capabilities with Doton ninjutsu at least and he wanted to also accomplish great feats with suiton. First however he would have to flesh out his capabilities some more. He wanted to have a solid foundation of techniques and increase his versatility with the element before feeling comfortable embarking on a path to create A-rank jutsu. Continuing to look over the dome a thought occurred to him. Why not coat the top of the dome in his syrup field as well? He smirked to himself, “Feels more like making a dessert than jutsu training” he scoffed, realizing that he had essentially formed a double layered donut with a jelly filling and now he wanted to add a glaze to it.

Nonetheless he formed seals once more; Tiger, Rabbit, Ram, and spewed forth a large amount of adhesive water. He maintained the last hand seal, controlling the water along the ground, causing it to thin out into a line, streaming its way towards the 40 foot diameter boulder. Once it reached the edge he attempted to manipulate it up along the rocks. He hadn’t ever attempted to move the starchy water along a near vertical surface before. In this case there was a natural curvature to the rock, making the manipulation along the surface fairly easy, the large quantity however did make moving it against gravity noticeably slower at first. It would require more chakra than usual to maintain its regular speed. As the water ascended he stretched out the pond once more, gliding it over the surface of the rock to completely envelop it, albeit in a very thin layer. He wondered if the jutsu would even be strong enough to capture someone at that dismal thickness. He would test that soon enough though for now he wanted to expand on his control over the substance. There was a whole new worlds of options available to him.

Takeo retracted some of the water from the lower section of the dome, the small amount was easier to control and that would be needed for what he was about to attempt. He took a few steps away from the tree he had been previously leaning against, and now turning around he guided the water to its trunk. Slowly he began to manipulate the substance, watching in excitement as it crept up the side of the tree. He sent a surge of chakra forth, immediately increasing its speed. The water raced up the bark, its natural thickness and adhesiveness actually making controlling it against gravity a much easier feat than with normal water. It cascaded ever higher and now well over his head he changed its direction, climbing along a small branch, coating even the underside as it extended to the tip. Smirking he brought his hands to his sides and as expected the syrupy liquid maintained its position. Likely this was largely due to the dipping temperature. If it was summer, he surmised that it would begin dripping down, much like a sap or true syrup.

Jutsu TrainedShow

Climb
D-Rank Suiton Ninjutsu
After forming a hand seal or maintaining the last seal of the syrup field jutsu Takeo can manipulate the adhesive liquid to defy gravity to a limited extent, allowing it to move up an ensnared opponent’s body or weapons. This technique can also be used more strategically, allowing Takeo to maneuver his syrup field up the sides of walls or vertical surfaces or even onto a ceiling, allowing for a new dimension to his capturing tactics. If Takeo releases the seal the substance will slowly drip away from the surface it is on. The substance moves at a speed equal to Takeo’s control to a maximum of 6.

[Izanagi]

885/850

The man turned his attention back to the earthen structure. He then formed the seal for the shadow clone jutsu, it poofed into existence next to him and Takeo exhaled immediately. He felt a wave of fatigue though he was still far from complete exhaustion. As long as he kept the shadow clone into play for a while and didn’t waste its chakra he would be able to continue training for a while longer. The clone leaped to the top of the dome. He planted his feet firmly as he landed and tugged lightly, gauging the resistance from the thin layer of liquid. “It definitely feels pretty weak” he assessed and then to assert his point he lifted his foot with a sharp tug, there was a fair amount of resistance though it did seem slightly weaker than normal.

Takeo walked to the base of the colossal boulder, “Hmm, let’s see if I can do anything about that” he wondered aloud as he brought his hands together in the Ram hand sign. His chakra coursed into the liquid, spreading itself throughout the substance. The shadow clone ripped his other foot free, continuing to walk along the substance in slow, lurching movements. “A little bit more difficult, only about as much as normal though.” He updated. Takeo sighed, it was an ineffective method at the moment. He could channel more chakra into it but he had plans to train other techniques as well and didn’t want to completely exhaust himself with this one jutsu. It was then that he noticed that the liquid was beginning to seep, ever so slowly down the sides of the dome. Gravity was finally beginning to take effect now that he was no longer controlling its movement or holding it in place.

Casually he focused chakra to his feet and began to walk up the side of the dome. Once he was standing across from the shadow clone, a distance of about 10 feet away, he formed a seal and gathered the liquid around him to converge at the top of the dome. He also maintained the chakra at his feet, feeling himself rise slightly in elevation as the liquid gathered beneath him. Once it was about 2 inches thick he channeled chakra into the immediate area and focused on a 5 foot radius around his target. The area flooded with rich blue chakra and the syrup field visibly grew darker and thicker. It felt good, sturdy and from this distance it was quite easy to maintain the flow of chakra. He smirked, knowing that the shadow clone was now in quite a predicament. The clone struggled, gritting his teeth as he tugged at the syrup. His foot moved when he pulled but the substance was unrelenting, whenever he moved it moved with him, binding him to the mass of the syrup. For a moment it seemed that he would break free and he almost did but then he relaxed. He pulled a kunai from his holster, tugged on his left foot and made a slash at the stretched out portion of the liquid. It cut slightly but stopped in its tracks getting trapped in the substance and forcing him to release his grip. The shadow clone continued to struggle. He focused chakra to his hand, placing it on top of the substance for extra leverage as he continued to try to yank free. Finally the weakened section of the syrup broke off and with a squelching sound his left foot was free. Immediately he focused chakra to the sole of his foot and placed it down, though the substance still clung to his shins.

The original was now the one with the dilemma. He could cause the syrup to rise up and re-ensnare the man, though that would weaken the hold to its baseline and in that brief moment he would be free. He could attack the clone physically but that would also weaken the hold. All he could do was maintain it and watch as the clone struggled to slowly break free. It was a powerful binding but it left Takeo vulnerable and moreover it prevented him from taking further action. He knew now that it was a jutsu that was best used if he had allies around who could finish the job or failing that he could form a shadow clone beforehand. Having a shadow clone in play however shortened the duration of the technique, a fact that he was beginning to realize, though if he acted fast and efficiently, as he often did then it wouldn’t be a problem. Finally the shadow clone managed to free his other leg. He was breathing heavily, as was the original. “That’s a son of a bitch to escape from” the clone said as he righted himself, huffing as he slowed his breathing. He did his best to act casual. Takeo laughed, “Yeah, not bad eh?” he agreed, "it’s definitely an improvement, wanna try from different distances?” the shadow clone took a look at the gaping holes in the substance where his feet had been and then at the syrup which still clung to him, “Nah, I’ll pass, let’s move on to some other jutsu, conserve our chakra” the original nodded and the two of them leaped off of the dome.

Jutsu TrainedShow

Containment
C-rank Suiton Ninjutsu
Focusing additional concentration into his syrup field Takeo can increase the strength of the hold to be equal to his control for as long as he continues to channel chakra into the technique, requiring a higher strength in order to break free. During this time Takeo cannot perform any other jutsu and he must be within 25 feet of the area of increased strength. Due to the high amount of chakra it takes to reinforce an entire syrup field with chakra Takeo can only maintain the technique for posts equal to his stamina/2. If he focusses specificity on an area of less than five feet in diameter however he can maintain the technique for posts equal to his stamina at a much more reduced chakra cost.

[Izanagi]

869/850

The shadow clone formed a half seal, clearing away the residue of the syrup field from his legs. They had the same chakra and thus it didn’t matter that he wasn’t the one had cast the jutsu. “Alright, let’s work on that water stream jutsu” he instructed. Takeo had been thinking the same thing, he had after all had a list of jutsu he wanted to complete by the end of the day. “You know you’re the clone, I should be the one giving out orders” he said chuckling, though it was apparent that he didn’t really care and was simply amused by the situation. The clone smirked, “Yeah, yeah, doesn’t really make a difference now does it?” he countered. “No, I suppose not” Takeo conceded. “So make it a challenge then?” he suggested, “Of course”the clone answered as the men moved to take up position across from each other, a distance of about 20ft.

They each breathed deeply and cleared their minds, regulating their breathing and closing their eyes. Once they had their eyes opened and they performed the hand seal simultaneously, Dragon; chakra accumulated in the pit of his stomach, Tiger; he channeled the chakra towards his chest and gullet, Rabbit; he focused the chakra into a stream and as he exhaled he molded it into the suiton nature. A small spurt of water shot out, each only travelling about 10ft and splashing anti-climatically in the middle before falling to form a small puddle. Takeo smirked, they were both taking it easy, trying to figure out the mechanics of the jutsu before investing too much chakra in it. He had less chakra than his clone however, due to the effort of keeping him restrained in the syrup field. It would be foolish to attempt to overwhelm him early on, though if he waited too long to go all out surely the shadow clone would take advantage of his greater chakra and strike when Takeo was weaker. Of course the clone also held the risk of dissipating if it used too much. Each had a rough idea of how much chakra the other had; after all they were technically the same person and knew their own abilities. They could gauge each other’s chakra for a more accurate depiction though that would be a waste at this point.

Once more they each formed seals. Their crisp blue eyes locked in determination. Again they each spewed forth a jet of water, this time however they were more powerful, both matching in strength, they collided mid-way, spraying each of them in water before the mass crashed down and sent a small wave spreading in every direction and soaking their shoes. Takeo breathed heavily and the shadow clone smirked. Immediately the clone followed up with another assault. Takeo too formed seals but as the shadow clone spewed forth a powerful torrent of water Takeo held the chakra in his chest, rolled low to the side and avoided the stream and then from his knees exhaled the water towards the clone. “Not bad, for a cheater” the shadow clone teased as the smaller and more precise stream blasted him in the chest. “Whatever works” said the original with a smirk. The clone smiled from his knees, now drenched in water and a moment later it dispersed in a cloud of smoke.

Takeo smiled, it was a relatively easy jutsu to learn. A few basic seals and a very rudimentary delivery system, simply a focused stream of water which could sweep an opponent away in a wave if enough chakra was invested. It was very similar to the syrup field jutsu in terms of building and shaping chakra. It was actually easier to perform in the fact that one didn’t have to change the properties of the water. It was however perhaps even more versatile than Takeo’s original technique. The water wave jutsu was more suited to counter Katon style ninjutsu or as a means to knock down an opponent, sweeping them off their feet and soaking them in water. The water created could then be used for other techniques, a benefit that Takeo didn’t have with his syrup styled jutsu which focused only on sneaky ways of capturing an opponent.

Surely the jutsu, though basic, would be a useful addition to the man’s repertoire. It was the sort of jutsu he preferred, simple yet versatile and useful and without a heavy chakra drain. Although in this case he was in fact quite exhausted. There was one other jutsu he had planned to acquire, though at this level of fatigue it would be impossible without a water source. Even then he doubted he would be able to muster enough chakra to utilize it more than once. It was a good thing he had brought food, and hopefully in the time it took him to walk to the nearest lake he would be feeling more refreshed. And so he began his trek, first grabbing a small bag he had brought which contained several trail rations; namely fruits and mixed nuts. It would be a long walk, though the day was early and the air crisp, he could afford to move at a leisurely pace.

Jutsu LearnedShow

Violent Water Wave
C-Rank Suiton Ninjutsu
Forming the Dragon, Tiger, and Rabbit hand seals Takeo will build up a large amount of chakra in his chest and expel it as a powerful stream of water. The stream is about three feet in diameter and can be as long as 25ft though 15 feet is more typical. The stream travels at a speed of 6, impacting with a force of 5. The amount of water created can vary depending on how much chakra is used though it is often enough to carry weaker opponents off in a torrent of water or counter a similar-ranked Katon jutsu.

[Izanagi]

1416/1150

Takeo dipped his hand into a small bag, withdrawing a fist-full of assorted nuts and seeds. He brought them to his face and tossed them into his maw. The texture was rather dry and the husks from the various seeds clung to the roof of his mouth and the back of his throat. It was a good thing that he always carried water on him. His other hand darted into a pouch at the small of his back, emerging with a canteen in hand. He drank from it and though it was rather tepid and contained a certain degree of acerbity from the metal container, the hydration was refreshing. It cleansed his pallet and washed down any stray pieces of sustenance that otherwise would have continued to vex him throughout the duration of the hike.

He was progressing at an ample pace, despite not being in any sort of hurry. It was easy for the man to find his way in these woods, he descended down the winding path, his moderate speed coupled with a light breeze flowing through the open sections in the trees created a pleasant wind which rustled his messy hair. He had developed a light sweat and had decided to remove his forehead protector temporarily, stashing it in his pouch in the meantime. Without it his hair was wild and somehow he felt more beast-like. The weather was crisp and nearing winter and as such he had allowed both his hair and his beard to grow wild, a look he reserved for the colder months, especially when embarking on lengthy missions. He was close to Konoha now, training himself primarily in expanding his abilities with Suiton. That was the reason he had abandoned his usual mountainside grove. There was a lake not far from the bottom of this small mountain and soon he would arrive. He would need the water in order to utilize the jutsu he had in mind. It was a powerful defensive technique; The Water Encampment wall jutsu. Ordinarily he would be able to conjure even the massive of amount of water it required, though he had already spent much of the day training and he was beginning to regret not having had a larger and more satisfying breakfast or at least packing a hardy lunch as opposed to some simple snacks.

Finally he arrived at the lake. It was late afternoon now, this would be his last jutsu to train for the day. It was still easily an hours trek back to the gates of Konoha and he was beginning to develop a hunger that trail mix and apples was unable to satisfy. He was however a man with a large chakra supply and he recovered quickly. He would have several attempts to work out the kinks in the jutsu he was about to attempt. He wondered how large he could make the defense and just how strenuous it would be to keep in in place. There was only one way to find out of course. He kicked off his shoes and walked out onto the lake. The frigid water sent a jolt throughout his body which culminated in a brief fit of shivering. Surely he would want to remain as dry as possible, though he was adept at survival and knew he could easily manage his way back even if he was submerged in the freezing lake. Chakra gathered at his feet instinctively and he began walking across its surface, stopping about 50ft away from the shore.

He took a moment to simply breathe, preparing his mind and body for the usage of Suiton natured chakra. He had become quite familiar with the element, he would even go so far as to say that the Suiton element now felt as comfortable to him as his innate affinity; Doton. They were starkly different and yet each represented him in many ways. He formed the hand seals, slowly and methodically at first as he always did when memorizing a new jutsu. Tiger; chakra gathered throughout his body, Snake; he channeled the chakra through his feet and into the surrounding water, spreading it out in a radius around him, Ram; the chakra converted into Suiton nature, merging with the water, Snake; he focused his chakra upwards, shaping it into a large cylinder. The Water rose in a 5ft radius around him, spraying high into the air and then as quickly as it rose it crashed back into the lake. He smirked at the failure I’m not used to having to maintain it, he mused, with most of his suiton jutsu he simply fired them off and with Doton the earth held its form naturally. The only jutsu he had to compare to this technique was a water tornado which utilized its momentum to help shape and stabilize the water. This jutsu called for the water to rise straight up around him and continuously rise as the excess flowed down around the cylinder and swept away hostiles. It was in a way both a defensive jutsu and a minor offensive one.

Again he formed the seals, this time raising slightly less water. He wanted to perfect the mechanics of the jutsu before going full scale; it was the surest way of success while conserving chakra. The water roared to life, rising around him and cascading down the sides. Takeo closed his eyes and allowed the feeling of controlling the wall to become natural. Suiton wasn’t about forcing the element to bend to his commands as Doton was, rather it was about serenity, peace of mind and the natural flow. The water cascaded down the sides of the wall, crashing into the lake like a mini waterfall. He could sense the waves being formed and the ripples which they dissipated into on one side and the overflow onto the shore which resulted on the other. It brought greater inside to have Sensory abilities, especially empathetic sensing with the two elements he utilized. Perhaps that was how elemental ninjutsu came so easily to him, often he could nearly master a technique on only his first or second attempt. It was simply a matter of fine tuning the particular jutsu as opposed to any real struggle to create or manipulate the element.

The wall had risen above his head, it was fairly thick too and moving quite quickly, surely it would be able to deflect many weak projectiles or taijutsu attacks. The greatest benefit however was in its near perfect defence against all but the most powerful Katon techniques. There was one other thing he wanted to be sure of however, he needed a larger radius in case he had to protect several team mates in his proximity. More slowly this time he released the jutsu, allowing it to dissipate gently rather than collapsing on itself. He took another deep breath, he was feeling the strain though it wasn’t anything excessively taxing. He would make one last attempt and he would give it his all. “Last one best one” he recited with confidence. It was a common mantra of his whenever he trained or worked out. The man was constantly pushing himself to improve and the more tired he was the better quality he expected from himself, as it was then that is counted the most.

He could feel the chakra surging from his body, flooding him with a cold damp sensation. He poured out as much as he could muster and then he summoned forth more, adding to the massive amount already in the water. He formed the hand seals quickly, having already summoned forth a great deal of chakra. The water rose around him in a 15 foot radius. It was far larger than necessary, he doubted he would ever create a watery barrier of larger than 8-10 feet in radius though it was satisfying to know that he was capable of such a feat if it was absolutely required of him. The next test would be to maintain such an enormous amount of water. It rose far above his head and after 30 seconds he was already breathing deeply and beginning to shake. Nonetheless he held it for another minute and a half before finally giving way, collapsing to his knees and panting from exertion. “Yeah, that’ll work” he wheezed, feeling suddenly light-headed. He would remain in that position for a minute or two and then walk over the shore where he would take a quick nap before walking back to konoha.

Jutsu TrainedShow

*Water Encampment Wall
B-Rank Suiton Ninjutsu
After performing a string of seals, the user will expel a large amount of water from their body as a sweeping defense against hostile techniques. The water from the technique flows around the user, approximately five meters around and one meter thick, leaving only the top unprotected. Most projectiles will simply be deflected unless a heavy projectile weapon pierces with a strength higher than the user’s control. The wall lasts up to three posts unless dispelled earlier by the user.

[Izanagi]

459/450

It had been quite some time since Takeo had seen his old friend and what better way to reunite than to drill some Taijutsu together. It was after all their countless hours sparring as kids that had created their bond of friendship. They met on neutral ground, a local dojo which had open mats for general training and sparring sessions. Takeo was grinning as he approached his friend, noticing his bright blonde hair and gleaming red eyes from across the room. “Masuru, it’s good to see you” he said, grinning as he hugged the man. “You too Takeo” he paused for a moment as they hugged and they spaced out. “I hear you’ve been training students lately, I hope you haven’t got rusty in your down time” he teased. “Actually, I really haven’t had much time to practice taijutsu lately” Takeo confessed, “But that’s why you’re here” he added.

They decided to begin simply enough, starting with weapon defences, something Masuru was more inclined towards. Masuru held a boken, Takeo a wooden dagger. He wasn’t a swordsmen himself though it was important to learn how to fight against one. It was a simple technique in theory though there were a lot of factors to consider. One had to be fast enough to strike the opponents weapon without exposing oneself to attack or parry, therefore it was best used in closer range, which suited Takeo’s style and use of a dagger quite well. Takeo moved quickly though not quick enough and he promptly found Masuru’s boken at his chest. “You should know better Takeo, you can’t just charge in” Takeo furrowed his brow, what he needed was another weapon, one to compensate for the bokens reach. And so he did just that; he picked out a second weapon, a wooden kunai held in his left hand. Much better this was his preferred many of fighting, dual wielding close range weapons so that he could dart in quickly and dispatch multiple targets as seamlessly and efficiently as possible.

Once again he moved in, this time using the wooden kunai to first deflect the boken before twisting his body and smashing down on the hilt with his wooden dagger. Surely enough the weapon dipped substantially, allowing Takeo to follow up with a mock stab to Masuru’s throat. Of course the man hadn’t been trying to his fullest extent, that was the nature of practice after all, though he knew it was a useful technique to drill and thus he continued to do so, practising the various methods in which it could be used. He had used the technique in combat before and knew the effectiveness, it was also a quasi disarming move, a substitute for when both of his hands were occupied with weapons.

Technique TrainedShow

*Toryu • Guard Break
D-Rank Kenjutsu
Prerequisite: 4 Strength
After rushing in on a foe and initiating an attack the user waits for the opponent to guard, either with arm or weapon, before quickly lashing out with their hand or pommel of their blade and attempting to smash the guarding hand or arm aside with a wrist smash. The pain as well as damage can interrupt the guard of opponents and leaves them wide open for the initial attack to hit.

[Izanagi]

730/700

Masuru looked down at the weapon at his throat, “That’s more like it, maybe you’ll become Jounin on day after all” he teased, flaunting his superiority but doing it light-heartedly enough. In truth despite Masuru always being one step ahead of Takeo in Taijutsu they were essentially evenly matched. Takeo retracted the weapon, moving back into starting position. “I don’t need to be a Jounin to beat you” he countered confidently. Rank certainly wasn’t everything and Takeo knew that, he had bested plenty of Jounin in his days, though a true test of their abilities would have to wait for another day as today was designated for drilling and honing Takeo’s skills, in this case Masuru was a training partner and not a rival. Nonetheless he was hoping to rile him up a little, perhaps make his attacks more chaotic and unrefined to better simulate a typical opponent.

This time Masuru charged in with an overhand strike and Takeo opted to try for something different and unorthodox. He spun around and crouched low lashing out with a back-kick aimed at his opponent’s wrist. Instinctively Masuru side-stepped and slashed down on Takeo’s leg. “What the hell was that? I haven’t seen you try flashy moves like that since we were kids” he chastised, bewildered by the unexpected technique though also failing to grasp its relevance or usefulness. Takeo winced as his leg was struck and quickly rolled forward and to his feet, spinning to reposition himself. “I know, I wouldn’t use it one on one, It’s something I want to work on though for against multiple opponents.” Masuru nodded in understanding, the technique would be even more surprising if Takeo had been engaged in conflict and he had attacked from behind. He could see the usefulness now and decided to drill it accordingly.

Many times Takeo fought against Masuru ahead of him and then placed his own earth clones around him, moving to attack when an opportunity presented itself and then Takeo would lash out with a powerful kick, directly behind himself, roll, continue fighting and then lash out a side-kick. Spattering mud as his foot burst through the arms of his clones and de-stabilized their forms. Eventually the technique had become second nature to him, and though it was challenging to maintain aware of his surroundings while fighting his opponent a larger concern was if he would be successful against more skilled and more physically adept opponents. As such the roles were reversed, Takeo would fight and earth clone and then Masuru would strike, holding back slightly. It was found after much trial and error that against a stronger opponent the two handed boken was only staved off and not disarmed whereas defending against a kunai or one handed weapon was much easier.

Also one had to move quickly and usually chain in rolling to avoid being hit by the first opponent, of course if one could kill the first target in the moment before defending against the next then the sequencing was much more fluid. Finally Takeo drilled an easier variation, having opponents come from each side and occupying his arms while he used a front kick to knock a dagger out of his opponent hand in front of him. Although defending against overhand attacks were the easiest Takeo soon found slight variations, shifting his hips and flicking his foot under a hand to knock a weapon free from a stabbing attack being one of them. Even arching swings could be intercepted and stopped at the wrist and in some cases the force was strong enough to have the same effect, sending the weapon flying. Ultimately and while not a go to move, disarming an opponent with a kick seemed to be an effective and useful trump card when in a dire situation so long as the opponents were lower tier fighters. Perfect for bandits and thugs though not something he would try against a shinobi.

After one last exchange Masuru’s weapon clattered to the ground and Takeo retracted his leg. His breathing was steady and yet his body was dripping with sweat. “That’s enough for now” he deemed. It would be a long day and there were plenty of other techniques to go over and hone. His body warm now Takeo would take the time to stretch out more fully, towel off and drink some water before continuing.

Technique TrainedShow

Disarming kick
C-Rank Taijutsu
Typically Takeo will only resort to this style of disarming if he is facing multiple opponents and his arms are preoccupied. Leaning slightly he will lash out his leg, aiming to make contact with the opponents wrist to knock an object or weapon out of their grip; the weapon will be thrown from their grip if their Taijutsu + Strength/2 is 2 or more less than Takeo’s strength. Takeo has mastered this skill to allow him to strike from virtually any angle or direction, leaning appropriately and balancing to compensate.

[Izanagi]

401/400

Takeo sipped back his water casually tossing his wooden kunai and catching it again with his free hand. He flipped it around in his hand, switching between normal and reversed grip, they were standard habits of his to get a feel for the transition and weight of his weapons. It was then that he had an idea, with enough practice he could extend his habit into a genuine combat tactic. Setting down his water now Takeo tossed the weapon higher into the air, clasping his hands together in a seal and then catching it again. A single seal was simple enough and even just a couple rotations in the air was plenty of time to do so but that wouldn’t suffice. No, he would have to be able to perform a full jutsu, preferably even a moderately powerful technique and not only did that take time but also more concentration.

Once more the weapon sailed through the air, higher this time and his hands came together in a flurry of seals his chest flooding with chakra and soon after a torrent of water sprayed forth from his mouth and then the kunai descended, Takeo’s hands broke apart and the water stream continued for a moment and then sputtered out as his focus was transferred from molding chakra to reaching down for the kunai, snatching it at hip level. It was a good attempt though not nearly as fluid as he would have liked. He would have to drill the motion in much more depth so that judging the time and catching it became instinctive and didn’t detract from his ability to control his chakra or judge his actions.

This time he opted for a different approach. The weapon was tossed, spinning eloquently as he performed a set of punches and then a side-kick followed by a back kick with the same leg and sure enough as he straightened the weapon was in front of him and promptly he snatched it from the air. Luckily it was a wooden weapon however as due to its spinning and his frantic motion to catch it before it dropped too low he had grasped it on the blade end. Still, the technique was promising, with an acute feeling for the weight of his actually weapons he would be able to judge the timing better and certainly the practice would become part of his daily routine.

Technique TrainedShow

Toss and Catch
D-Rank Taijutsu
After many hours of honing this skill Takeo has come to a point where he is able to throw up to two objects he’s holding up into the air and then forms seals or perform a brief fight sequence before catching the item or weapon again. As long as Takeo doesn’t move more than 10 feet from his position he can accurately predict where the item will land and catch it in time. The height of the thrown item varies depending on how much time is needed to execute the maneuver.

[Izanagi]

422/400

Takeo squared off against Masuru once more, again wielding his wooden dagger and kunai. However before he proceeded to further develop his skills with his chosen weaponry it was imperative that he mastered his stances and basic movement. Masuru adjusted his boken, angling up and to the right and Takeo shifted his stance accordingly, spinning the kunai around in his left hand to switch to a reverse grip, simultaneously doing the same with his dagger, he fumbled though and Masuru capitalized, striking hard and knocking the kunai from his hand with a quick smack, Takeo’s right arm darted across his body, punching high and striking the boken with the reverse gripped dagger, causing his opponent to recoil and allowing Takeo to quickly step in before wrapping his opponents arm in a sort of clinch, his dagger pressed firmly into the Awai’s ribs. “Not bad” the Awai commented, “But don’t forget that if this was real you would have lost you hand” Takeo smirked, “Better my hand than my life” he retorted, though he knew he had made a key mistake. His finger dexterity would need improvement, the motion of switching grips had to be seamless and habitual. And it usually was, though spinning both at the same time seemed to be the greatest contributing factor to the mistake.

The men parted and Takeo shook out his hand and re-claimed the kunai which had skirted across the ground. His hand was red and sore but that was no reason not to continue. Again he settled into his stance, it was far different from his un-armed fighting position, though even that stance varied depending on whether or not his opponent had a weapon. His dagger hand stayed low at his waist held in a reversed grip while the kunai was staggered forward and higher, chest level, held normally. It was firm and versatile, an adaptation of the Toryu kenjutsu style which he had recently taken to studying. Several times more Takeo darted around his opponent, switching his grips and angles depending on the scenario, moving fluidly offensively and defensively. It felt strong and despite having less range or cutting power than his opponent, the dual weapons served to greatly increase his movement, adaptability and versatility, also making him quite prone to utilizing the quick combos and counter-fighting techniques which the man so heavily favoured. Truly it was the optimal weapons style for him, swords requiring far too much commitment to one’s attacks, something his opponent was now beginning to realize much to his irritation.

Technique TrainedShow

*[color=#8B4C39][b]Toryu • Close Quarters[/b][/color]
D-Rank Kenjutsu
Prerequisite: 4 Taijutsu
The signature stance of the style, Close Quarters teaches users of this style how to rapidly change the angle, position and even grip of their weapon without moving their hand from its signature position at the user's waist for maximum versatility. Users of this style often assume a one foot forward, one back, slightly swayed stance to free up movement as well at the expense of leaving their center open.

[Izanagi]

418/400

Takeo grinned as Masuru became increasingly frustrated with his dual wielding weapons. “Alright, you’re pretty good against swords” he admitted in an attempt to play off his annoyance but it was there, obvious in his tone. “How about we switch it up a little” he suggested before moving towards the weapons rack and trading in his boken for a pair of kunai. “Fine by me” Takeo agreed and in fact there was a technique he had been meaning to practice which suited this type of scenario quite well.

The two men squared off again. The awai was no slouch when it came to kunai, as a Jounin he had become adept with a sword though of course in his youth the kunai was a universal tool and he felt confident with his abilities. Most shinobi however used kunai more towards projectile use than close fighting however and Takeo knew this, regardless of how comfortable the weapons were in his friends hands, when it came to using them appropriately he felt confident that he had the upper hand. As expected Masuru charged forward, slashing wide with his left arm and readying for a stab with the other. As he moved though so did Takeo, darting in and pinning the Awai’d forward foot as he blocked the slash before quickly darting the blocking arm in and looping around his opponents shoulder, isolating the arm and twisting to expose the man’s chest. Takeo’s own left hand blocked against Masuru’s right and the two were held in a momentary power struggle. It was fortunate for the Awai that he held two weapons, if it had been only one Takeo would have been able to attack immediately and finish the match.

The blonde-haired man however, while slightly taller than Takeo and on par regarding speed fell short in strength, if only barely. The Special Jounin redirected his friends kunai using that brief moment to make a mock strike to Masuru’s throat, though the Awai not one to concede so easily made a show of meeting Takeo’s rib-cage with the point of his weapon. Each grinned, again they were ever so close in skill, Takeo only barely having the advantage in this skirmish. “You seem to be getting better” Masuru admitted. “Or maybe you’re just getting worse” Takeo joked, though it was true that Masuru’s hastiness had been his downfall. Most importantly though the technique had proved its merit and with continued practice it would no doubt become a stable move in Takeo’s repertoire.

Technique TrainedShow

*[color=#8B4C39][b]Toryu • Foot-Arm-Block[/b][/color]
D-Rank Taijutsu
Prerequisite: *[color=#8B4C39][b]Toryu • Close Quarters[/b][/color], 4 Taijutsu
A dangerous close quarters 'option closer', the Toryu user will sweep in close and try to slam their foot down on an opponent's as well as quickly sweep their arm around the opponent's to lock their elbow with the user's own. This technique is usually utilized for setting up blows or blocking off the weapons of dual-wielding foes and it forces the opponent to break out of the move before counter-attacking.

[Izanagi]

432/400

Takeo stared down his opponent, circling the man like a wolf as he readied himself to counter whatever rush he knew was to come at him. But none came, “What’s wrong Masuru, don’t tell me you’re scared” he taunted, flashing a toothy grin. Now it was Takeo whose blood was beginning to boil. The man loved fighting and combined with re-united with an old squad-mate he was thrilled and energized, rearing to go and enjoying every moment of their training. “You don’t honestly expect me for such a blatant taunt do you friend?” he countered, it seemed he had regained his focus. Takeo’s previous words had struck home, it was Masuru who had been slipping up. Now with his mind calm he would attempt to force Takeo into action.

The Special Jounin watched warily, slowing his movements and feinting charging his direction, constantly searching for an opportunity, a moment of indecision or poor placement of weapon or foot position. The man truly was a predator, eying the bright eyed Jounin as if he were his prey, though he knew him to be equally dangerous as himself hence why he was so cautious to attack. He made several slash and stab attempts, all of which were parried aside or deftly avoided. He was fortunate Masuru was not as adept at counter-fighting as himself though he was still certainly a challenge. It was a welcome change to fighting one of his shadow clones, which in taijutsu especially became limited and predictable. Finally an idea flashed through his mind, a trick his dad had taught him and also a Toryu maneuver if he recalled correctly. It was best used as a counter to a lunge or failed kick, when the opponents leg was forward and exposed, though if timed properly it could be used offensively as well.

He lunged forward with a thrust and Masuru swept the weapon aside but Takeo continued with the motion, bending his arm and using his elbow to drive into the man’s chest as he stepped in deep, across his opponent and behind his legs, trapping him and pushing him back over the extended leg. With his added momentum it nearly worked though Takeo’s leg hadn’t been extended quite fully enough, Masuru managed to brace and then spin and leap backwards. The Special Jounin shook his head, his opponent was too fast and skilled for such a basic technique to work, at least not without mistakenly creating the opening first. Strength too was a factor and if Takeo had been strong enough he could have simply overpowered the man regardless.

Technique TrainedShow

*[color=#8B4C39][b]Toryu • Lock Sweep[/b][/color]
D-Rank Kenjutsu
Prerequisite: 4 Speed
A basic technique of the style wherein the user moves in for a basic lunge-thrust with their weapon, only to turn in mid thrust and attempt to sweep their leg under the opponent's own. This tends to be useful as a basic feint and can usually knock down those with 3 less strength than the user.

[Izanagi]

716/700

Takeo sighed, he needed another way of creating offense. There was the basic guard smashing of course but he strove to become a more dynamic fighter in his hand-to-hand combat, less predictable and more like his student Yoru. He was adept at rolling but even that was not suitable in all cases and those who knew him had grown to expect such an attack from him. No, he would draw upon the realms of Toryu once more, the ruthless samurai style more akin to a bar fighter than a true warrior though such a thing suited the man just fine. Efficiency was all that mattered and he was willing to take a less honourable path if it meant survival. The technique he had in mind however would take a great deal of practice in order for him to become truly comfortable in performing it in a real fight.

“Bear with me Masuru, I want to try something a little different” he prepared, hoping that his friend would go easy on him to start until he got a hang of the technique. And then Takeo charged forward, it was an odd feeling, not the sort of approach he was comfortable with in the slightest and as such his charge was too timid. Takeo faked a jump, hoping to throw the Awai off before attempting a slide instead though alas the motion was clumsy and easily read by his opponent whom simply side-stepped and struck Takeo lightly on the side of the face.

The Special Jounin clicked his jaw, feeling the sting and the taste of blood where his teeth had bit against the inside of his cheek. He felt the wound with his tongue, swallowed back the bit of blood and stood once more, Masuru having backed off temporarily. “You’re going to have to commit a lot better than that if you want to pull of that sort of thing” he stated, though Takeo was already well aware of that fact. And so Takeo decided to practice several times by himself, ignoring the smirk from his rival every time the man stumbled. He found after several attempts that despite his desire to feint with a jump that the extra movement detracted greatly from his ability to slide. Luckily the man was wearing pants, protecting his legs as he continuously slid against the wooden surface. Perhaps the move would be easier outside along dirt or grass, something which gave way rather than a rigid unwavering surface. Nonetheless he continued and finally he had the initial slide figured out, at least on his right side, the left would be like learning the technique again entirely, being completely opposite and yet again feeling foreign.

Still, he was making progress and after several minutes he had begun to drop more seamlessly into the slide, now comfortably being able to alter side to side and reduce his impact. Now he had begun to incorporate mock strikes and slashes and soon he went to fetch Masuru, whom having grown impatient had stepped outside for some fresh air. “Oh look, finally ready are you?” he asked smugly though a quick grin followed after indicating that he wasn’t as bothered as he let on. “I guess we’ll find out” Takeo responded confidently though in truth he was rather apprehensive. And with that the two readied into their combat stances. As expected Takeo charged forward, feinting with his upper body to the left and then sliding right, his right hand rose, his dagger defending against a downward slash as his left extended, smacking against the Awai’s hamstring. Takeo then continued with his momentum, transferring his weight forward and seamlessly rolling away, spinning mid roll, turning backwards and springing to his feet. His opponent turned and in a single leap Takeo threw his legs forward, moving directly underneath his opponent threw his legs.

Both weapons raised, defending dual slashes from his opponent before following through with the motion and smacking his wooden weapons against his inner thighs. Of course many shinobi would jump to avoid such a technique though if Takeo was fast enough they wouldn’t be awarded the opportunity. Nonetheless this new tactic seemed to flow perfectly into his style, adding a new depth to his maneuverability and versatility on the ground. Even Masaru seemed impressed.

Technique TrainedShow

*[color=#8B4C39][b]Toryu • Sweep Cutter[/b][/color]
C-Rank Kenjutsu
Prerequisite: 6 Taijutsu
During close quarters or after engaging a foe via a rush, the user quickly forces themselves back as they divert body weight downwards typically causing a quick and controllable slide under the opponent's field of control, usually between the legs or to the side. During this slide the user attempts slashes, stabs or even hooks or drags the opponent down with them to open up for more techniques or just deal considerable damage.

[Izanagi]

406/400

Takeo found himself in the woods, he had pulled away from his duties for the day, taking some time to train himself rather than his students, though more pressing as of late were his duties for the shadowy organization known as ROOT. Sifting through files, searching for potential candidates as well as identifying those whom deserved more scrutiny for their actions, looking for any early indicators of potential desertion. And of course all of this had to be done in secret. It was paramount however that the man not slack off, he had already risen to the ranks of the uppermost Jounin of the village and he would need to continue ascending in order to fulfill his duties. Such was the reason he had been studying the Katon element over the course of the last few months.

He had made a breakthrough several days prior, being able to produce the flame in his hand, enough so to burn a piece of paper. The initial conjuring of the flame had been the most difficult, being that the philosophies of its creation was so drastically different from the elements he had already mastered. The man sat now cross-legged, staring at his hand, he could feel his chakra gathered, coating his hand like a glove. Ignite my chakra, explosive, powerful and passionate, he reminded himself, allowing the will of fire to swell inside of him. He remembered why he had chosen Katon to learn, it was a symbol of the village and he yearned to serve his home to his fullest. Moreover, he knew deep within there was a passion in his heart, a passion that sometimes awoke during combat. It was that passion, that primal drive that he would have to harness to master this new element. Unlike Doton and Suiton this type of chakra was not about connecting to the land but rather discovering and harnessing one’s own power.

With that in mind Takeo’s hand suddenly flickered to life, a glove of chakra providing a thin barrier between his skin and the flame. The heat was miniscule, a gentle warmth but it was a start. He ran it over his opposite arm, the flame singed his hairs slightly but otherwise it was rather pleasant and comforting. Simple as it was he could certainly find some use for such a skill. Camping in particular would become much easier with the aid of Katon, that he was sure of.

Jutsu TrainedShow

Fire Element • Warming Hands
E-Rank Iijutsu
After concentrating Katon chakra into his palm Takeo’s hand will be enveloped in a thin veil of fire. The burning potential is miniscule, only singe-worthy and barely able to set anything alight though the warmth emanated is enough to soothe muscles or help dry wet clothing or simply help heat oneself through a cold night.

[Izanagi]

403/400

After several moments of warming himself Takeo began seeing how the flame affected other objects, rocks could be held and warmed slightly, enough to heat him somewhat for a few minutes, though kindling was hesitant to catch fire, the flames were simply too weak for such a thing. He would have to harness the flames to a greater extent and find a way to increase the heat at some point. For now however the man was simply attempting to become familiar with the mechanics of Katon, as such it was best to keep the jutsu rather simple.

Next he decided he would attempt to concentrate the fires focus and fire it off as a projectile. This was more difficult than said. The flames around his hand were focused to a point though quickly became destabilized and the jutsu dissipated. He scowled for a moment and then decided to start from scratch, with only a small flame. Just a finger-tip then, he affirmed. The warmth surged through him, gathering through his hand and into his pointer finger. A flame appeared, wavering and unstable, threatening to disperse at a moment’s notice. Fore was so much harder to control than the other elements he had practiced with, there was no substance, no structure like Doton and even the shaping of Suiton was different, at least water was sustainable, fire on the other hand it seemed needed constant fueling of chakra in addition to any shaping that was required.

After only a few more moments however Takeo found the balance, a steady, burning flame at the tip of his finger, next was the task of firing it off, his arm extended outwards as he attempted to ‘push’ the chakra away. It moved only a foot or so before dispersing. Once more he conjured the flame and this time made sure to channel the chakra more explosively, firing it off in a sudden burst. This time the flame moved much further, though due to the loose concentration and small size it moved quite slowly and dispersed immediately upon making contact with a nearby tree. Of course Takeo hadn’t expected anything to catch fire, it had simply been a test of the mechanics of Katon and in that regard he had succeeded. If nothing else he surmised that with proper accuracy the small flame would be enough to light a candle and even that had some degree of purpose.

Jutsu TrainedShow

Fire Element • Finger Lighter
E-Rank Ninjutsu
Channeling Katon chakra to a finger-tip Takeo creates a small flame which can then be shot off at a speed of 2 for a maximum distance of 15 feet. The heat produced is so miniscule that at best the flame can light a candle or set fire to only extremely flammable substances such as cotton or gasoline.

[Izanagi]

450/450

Takeo considered his surroundings, a forest in early summer. There was plenty of foliage, lush trees, leaves and twigs covering the ground and many rocks of varying sizes. If he was going to progress further with his displays of Katon he would have to be careful to keep it under control. With his mind already set on his camping excursion he had been planning with his students it took little time to decide to make a camp-fire. Of course, the rugged Jounin was an experienced woodsman, he had often build fires and ignited them with no more than a flint though that didn’t mean he was opposed to more effective means.

Before long a small pit was dug out, rocks placed around it and thin, dry twigs set up in a miniature log cabin style with dried leaves in the middle to act as a fast burning fuel. The man then formed two short hand seals, Tiger then Dragon, harnessing Katon chakra into his chest, building it up as he inhaled. This sort of chakra molding was far more familiar to him, the difference of course would once again be the explosive element required to convert chakra into Fire. Exhaling the man held the dragon hand seal, feeling the warmth build inside of him and then suddenly his breath converted to sparks and embers, a wide birth of flickering lights, each burning hot. The breath was sputtering and the formation loose, as if he were a dragon with a cough. And yet the embers persisted for a moment, clinging to the dry leaves and trying desperately to spread their fire, only to fizzle out with but a few black scorch marks and a few haphazard wisps of smoke to show for the effort.

This would not deter the man of course. In wilderness survival everything was a bout patience and persistence. Often it would take half an hour or more to create a sustainable fire in ordinary circumstances, at times even it was impossible if the rain had been too heavy. In comparison, using a jutsu felt almost like cheating and he would make sure not too rely too heavily on chakra in the future, less his practical survival skills diminish too greatly. As expected though his second attempt was met with far more success. The breath was more even and the sparks greater in number and more condensed, maintaining a steady flow for several seconds the leaves quickly caught aflame and in turn so did the twigs. This prompted the man to quickly follow up with larger sticks that he had collected, resting in a pile next to the pit. Within a minute the man sat before a crackling and modest fire, a satisfying accomplishment to be sure.

Jutsu TrainedShow

Fire Element • Flickering Embers
D-Rank Ninjutsu
After channeling Katon chakra through his chest and into his mouth Takeo will exhale, producing a breath of hundreds of miniscule embers. These embers while not damaging are hot to the touch and can easily set aflame combustible materials. The maximum range of this technique is 5ft.

[Izanagi]

475/450

Casually Takeo warmed his hands by the fire, luckily it had rained only a few days prior and at present the temperature was only modest at best, there would be little risk of spreading a forest fire. Though in honesty with Takeo’s skill in Suiton even if a wildfire were to occur he would likely be able to extinguish it with ease. Passively while sitting before the fires Takeo began to channel chakra to each finger, creating the same small flame as before and then allowing it to extinguish before moving onto the next finger. It was important to be able to flow his chakra through all parts of himself and this was a simple and effective way to do so. It seemed more difficult to channel the chakra to his pinky fingers, in fact even choosing a specific finger was rather new to him yet with his control it was easy enough to get used to.

Soon he grew bored of the exercise and opted instead to create one flame and keep it active, dancing it between fingers, the feeling was certainly much more entertaining though he didn’t have full control of the flame, simply he could move it between finger tips after a moment of concentration. It occurred to him that the flame was still rather low in temperature and that if it were hotter such a skill could be utilized for a different purpose, he could cauterize wounds quickly and easily. In certain situations such an ability could be incredibly useful and perhaps even save a life or at the very least allow for greater ease of functioning in a hostile environment and/or prevent infection. Being a survivalist this idea was especially exciting and without wasting a moment the intensity of the flame increased, burning strongly now until he could noticeably feel the heat emanating from the flame. The concentration increased too as did the intensity of its colour.

Unfortunately there was no way to test if it would actually work. Not without burning himself that is and without any need for such a thing that idea was rather counter-productive. Instead he simply found a rock and brought the miniature torch emanating from his finger against it. Instantly the area became black and scorched, already proving its increased potency. In fact the tip of the flame had even grown white hot and from experience Takeo knew that such a heat would suffice. Nonethless he continued a straight line across the rock, keeping his hand steady and watching the dark black line form across it, even a few feet apart he could feel the heat with his other hand and the light of it brightened his face. Surely that would suffice, though he wouldn’t know for certain until he had to use the painful technique on himself one day or perhaps on another.

Jutsu TrainedShow

Fire Element • Cauterization
D-Rank Ninjutsu
By channeling chakra to the tip of his finger Takeo is able to increase the potency of its flame, allowing him to seal and cleanse wounds through the use of fire. Wounds sealed in this manner cannot be any wider than half an inch and only superficial wounds will be mended completely as anything deeper than an inch will be unaffected.

[Izanagi]

453/450

Staying true to the theme of wilderness survival and camping it was rather apparent what other sort of jutsu Takeo could benefit from. A signal flare and not only would this serve in a survival sense but also on missions. It could be used offensively to declare coordinated attack if communications were interrupted or unwanted or be used as a signal of retreat or even a distress beacon for danger. Such uses were invaluable tactical assets in his line of work and especially in his specialty of scouting and hunting. As such it would surely have to be both bright and long-lasting, at least enough so to draw attention. At night as an added benefit it could even help to illuminate an area somewhat.

The man’s mind was set, so many possibilities with Katon it was a wonder how he ever excelled without its uses. For such a technique the Jounin would certainly need hand seals. Dragon first, gathering the chakra in the pit of his stomach and then drawing it into his chest, next was the tiger seal and then he brought his head back, creating the flame at the moment of exhalation. It shot into the sky and hovered for a moment before fizzling out. It was then that Takeo realized the impracticality of his initial design, it would do now good to have to stare directly up as he fired it off, distracting himself and potentially even blinding himself from his own technique. Rather he decided on his next attempt to channel the fire into his hand and fire it off by raising his arm.

Such a model was far more effective from a tactical standpoint and also as a technical aspect. The flame hung in the air, pulsing and emanating light though maintaining its position and composition. It hung slightly too low however and arched back to the ground after a few moments, luckily it had been composed for maximum output and not with internal composition and heat in mind. As such it quickly fizzled out upon landing, not even disturbing the leaves it landed it. One last time Takeo performed the technique, this time exerting a more powerful burst of chakra upon releasing it as well as altering the shape slightly, making a more narrow projectile rather than a orb of flame to increase its aerodynamics. It streaked through the sky like a firework and then at its peak it hung in the air hanging for nearly a full minute before slowly descending to the ground as its chakra began to dissipate. Good. That will be quite useful, I think I’m just about ready to work on more offensive techniques, he mused, content with the progress thus far.

Jutsu TrainedShow

Fire Element • Signal Flare
D-Rank Ninjutsu
After forming a brief set of hand seals Takeo will channel chakra to his hand and raise his arm in the air, firsing off a 1ft long plume of fire that travels at a speed of 4. If aimed at the sky it will hover for a maximum of 4 posts, the maximum distance this flame can travel is 70 feet, though due to its concentration being on maintaining itself and producing its bright light it is unable to cause burns or set anything on fire. The light produced is noticeable from a great distance though not enough to blind anyone unless perhaps they were to stare directly at it on a dark night. In such a case it is capable of illuminating a 50ft diameter in a soft red light.

[Izanagi]

450/450

Takeo considered offensive uses of Katon, of course there were the standard fireballs and ranged attacks though somehow the man wanted more than just that. He wanted something suited to himself, which he could create himself, something not everyone would expect or be prepared to fight against. The answer to the question was of course utilizing the element to enhance his taijutsu, both armed and un-armed. Of course in order to imbue his weapons with fire he would first have to learn to imbue them with regular chakra and strengthen the structure of his weapons and equipment so that his own techniques wouldn’t ultimately damage them.

Starting off simply, the bearded Jounin reached into his weapons pouch, withdrawing a simple, standard kunai. The steel projectile knife felt rather light in the powerful man’s hands, its surface cool to the touch and balanced perfectly for combat. Grasping the hilt Takeo began to flow his chakra into the metal. It would be easier of course with specially made blades though alas the man did not have that luxury and thus he was forced to learn to re-enforce them himself so that they could be suitable for elemental conduits. He could feel his chakra extending into the blade, though not without significant resistance, he had to continually push it further along, like stretching a cold rubber band, though slowly but surely and with repeated attempts it became easier to mold his chakra into the structure of the knife. The blade began to glow slightly, humming in an aura of light blue chakra. As a test Takeo stuck the weapon into the ground, releasing it for just a moment and already in that time the chakra dispersed. “Hmm, still some work to do” he noted. It might suffice for some techniques to require direct contact but others he knew, especially for projectiles would need to maintain a chakra presence.

Again his hand clasped the hilt, the flames before him flickered against the metal. With any luck soon he would be able to contain such power on his weapon. This time he held the blade for a few moments longer, condensing the chakra and refining it to the point where it hardly glowed at all. And then the weapon was thrown, thudding against a tree roughly 15ft away. The aura remained even as it struck “Better” not only would such an aura made his weapons more durable but also they would set up for a new myriad of techniques for offensive purposes. Next the man drew his signature dagger, easily his favourite weapon, the blade was longer than that of the kunai, infusing it with chakra would be slightly more difficult though essentially the same.

Jutsu TrainedShow

*Basic Chakra Infusion
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: 4 Control
By channeling chakra into their weapons, the users of this jutsu are able to make their weapons more resilient to ninjutsu. Users at this level are usually able to resist both physical and ninjutsu techniques.

[Izanagi]

473/450

With his dagger now drawn Takeo looked over the sharp blade, a foot long and already adept at slicing through limbs, even known to be the cause of a decapitation or two over the years. He wondered just how much more efficient he could become after infusing an offense-based element. Katon would revolutionize his entire Taijutsu style, neigh his who fighting style, making him far more deadly and relentless than ever before. It would allow the savagery and brutality of his close range skills to reach an entirely new level. That was the power of Fire. These thoughts alone were enough to stir the passion in his heart, Katon chakra coursed through the man’s body, slowly becoming more familiar, less of a new skill now and more something dormant within himself that he was finally learning to awaken and harness.

First was the pure chakra, forming into and around the blade, allowing Takeo to get a feel for precisely how much chakra was required to saturate the dagger. It was becoming easy now, the next step would surely be harder. It was time to incorporate Fire into the blade. He decided to start simple, focusing on only the outer blade, along the fine point of the rim. He was somewhat tentative to use his dagger at first, the weapon was precious to him and had been used as an instrument of death for many years. It would be tragic to damage such a weapon, though he had to perfect the skill with his weapon of choice for Kunai were seldom actually used. Determined to succeed the man opened and closed his hand, clenching it tight and feeling the katon chakra dance along the blade. In that moment the chakra ignited, flames coursing along the edge of the weapon, its fire flickering and sending shadows along the face of the steel. The Jounin marveled at the feat, his eyes lost almost in a trance at the beauty of the fire. Slowly the man brought his left hand before it, feeling the heat emanating from the weapon.

A flame however would do little good aside from acting as a minor distraction or as a sort of intimidation factor. If he were to make use of the technique against fellow shinobi however he needed something extra, something more unexpected. As such he stood, already considering an idea based off of his previous experiments with Katon. If he could fire it off as a projectile, then certainly that would add a useful layer to his offence. And with a swing he did just that, maintaining the line of flames together and launching it off, curving into a slight crescent as it flew through the air, dissipating before it reached the tree he had aimed at, yet still the distance it travelled would be sufficient for his purposes.

Jutsu TrainedShow

Fire Element • Eyebrow Singeing
D-Rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: Basic Chakra Infusion
Channeling Katon chakra into a bladed weapon the metal produce a thin aura of flame along the blade. When Takeo makes a strike with the weapon he can then release this small crescent of fire which then travels at a speed of 4, causing first degree burns on contact and thus if aimed at the eyes often forcing the opponent to shut them, else risk damage. The maximum distance the fire can travel is 10ft.

[Izanagi]

894/850

There was something satisfying about unleashing a burst of fire from the swing of his dagger. Something exciting about the very nature of Fire that pushed the man’s desire to rapidly consume and expand his skills with the element. It had been years since he had awakened Suiton and though he had learned many skills since then there was nothing quite so rewarding as discovering a new affinity. He would have to tread carefully of course, Katon was unstable and attempting more powerful jutsu too soon could be disastrous and easily back-fire. In fact in some regards it was a rather poor idea to do most of his training in seclusion, if he were to injure himself it would be a long way back to Konoha with nobody to aid him until then. But then, Takeo was no ordinary man, he thrived when challenged and was an expert at survival and first aid. No matter the injury he could persevere and tend to the wound, his skills so vast he could easily survive and train in the wilderness, completely self-reliant and without the need to worry about being attacked by wild animals or criminals.

There was comfort in that and a creeping ego that the man did his best to keep at bay. It was keeping his ego in check and maintaining his caution that forced him to hold off on increasing the power of his Katon jutsu, at least for the moment. His blade had handled a flame just fine though he wanted to be surer of his chakra infusion abilities before testing the steel against a more pure, concentrated heat. Unfortunately since Takeo didn’t have any elemental cutting techniques, nor burning or shocking capabilities his ability to test his own chakra enforcement was rather limited. Instead he would have to test the physical structure with brute force. He could call upon his summon though he preferred not to bother the wolf with trivial matters, he had his pack to attend to and was not keen on being summoned to be used as a test dummy. Instead Takeo would resort to his age-old training partner; himself.

The Jounin brought his hands together in a sequence of seals, culminating in a poof of smoke and a perfect clone of himself. The clone nodded, understanding perfectly what Takeo had intended, they were after all for all intents and purposes the same person. The dagger had been sheathed at this point and now instead each of them drew two kunai before moving into a more open space though within eyesight of the small fire which had now begun to diminish, it’s sticks almost all burned through and collapsing in on themselves. Standing opposite one another the men raised their weapons, the original channeling chakra into the structure and the other not. And then they began, a simple drill, first a backhanded high slash aimed for the eyes, blocked by the other, and then a midsection slash, a spin and a high slash with the other kunai and then low. After each set the men would switch the attacker, flowing seamlessly into a ritualized pattern. It was an extract from some of the man’s background in karate training, though the hand strikes had of course been replaced with knives.

Kunai clashed against one another as the Jounin’s pace grew faster, the strikes more powerful, each trying to outdo the other though ultimately falling into perfect synchrony. It was an exhilarating exercise, fighting against oneself, always it forced one to push oneself to the utmost of their ability. Moreover the harmony and understanding of your opponent forced one to think outside the box in order to be victorious. Of course in this instance neither man was truly aiming for victory, it was a simple drill and each knew exactly which moves were to come next.

Over a minute passed and still there seemed to be no noticeable difference, a testament to the natural resilience of steel. As the tempo increased however so did the amount of chakra Takeo flowed into the blades, forcing the metal to the brim with chakra and then forcing more, until the knife began to glow and hum a shade of light blue. And then it happened, the greater density prevailed and with a sharp, metallic crack one of the clones Kunai snapped at the point of impact, the tip of the broken shard narrowly missing the clones face, whom only due to his immense speed and skill managed to avoid it. The two men stopped, each to inspect their weapons. The chakra coating dispersed, leaving a blade which looked as pristine as can be, running his finger along the bur of the weapon it was confirmed that the brutal clashes hadn’t dulled it in the slightest. The clone’s weapons however were in a different state entirely. One kunai was clearly broken, a full third of the weapon snapped off and below the break were several chips and dents. The other was much the same, it’s blade now chipped and dulled at various points, rendering it innefective and by Takeo’s standards no longer usable. “I’d say that worked” the original said slyly, grinning at the outcome. The other nodded, “Hopefully it can stand up to Katon as well, best to use Kunai at first to be sure” the clone added, to which Takeo agreed.

Jutsu TrainedShow

*Chakra Infusion
C-Ranked Ninjutsu
Prerequisite: 8 Control
By channeling chakra into their weapons, the users of this jutsu are able to make their weapons more resilient to ninjutsu. This also involves a boost in the weapon’s physical structure. Users are able to resist physical and ninjutsu techniques.

[Izanagi]

Stat Training # 5: Ninjutsu

929/800 words

The blizzard raged across the land, miles of nothing but snow and ice packed upon hard stone. Takeo knew better than to be caught in such madness. It was a complete whiteout and even with the wooden snow goggles he had carved there would be little point in continuing his exploit in the current conditions. As such he had sought succor in a shelter fashioned of stone and earth. A simple dome 20ft in diameter with a 1ft circular hole in the roof. Billowing smoke found the escape, being lost in the winds and snow that swirled around the foreigner and his unnatural creation. There was little of use in terms of kindling in the mountains of Frost Country, especially in the dead of winter. It was fortunate that Takeo had brought with him an ample supply of food and kindling, requiring a cart and donkey to transport it all.

His hands warmed over his fire, meat cooked on a spit, filling the dwelling with a rather pleasant aroma. The meal turned out to be rather tough and dry, the meat cooked more than his usual liking though it served well to be cautious. The donkey had served its purpose well enough to this point though had the misfortune to break its leg on a hidden crevice beneath the snow. He had given it a swift death and made sure to not waste its life, even if the meat was less than favorable. It would take days to make use of it all, which meant the man had time to kill. The blizzard had continued for well over a day with no sign of letting up, the bearded warrior was growing stir crazy, he needed to stretch his muscles, let off some steam.

And so he found himself not far from his shelter, standing amidst the storm. His hands raced together in seals. Already he could feel the numbing bite of cold sinking in. Soon his sealing would become sluggish and strained, all the more reason to practice in such conditions. Gathering chakra in his chest the man inhaled, feeling the prick of cold against his lungs despite the cloth mask he wore. Exhaling, his hands rose to his mouth, shaping the fireballs that formed, a sudden flicker of warmth caressed his face for each of the 5 spheres he created, the warmth fading as quickly as it appeared. And so too did the fireballs. It was impossible to say how far they had travelled or whether or not the storm had simply extinguished them. He knew only that there were flickers of light as they raced into the storm and then they vanished into the howling, biting wind.

Not good enough, he mused, they would do little in a real fight in such conditions. Aiming would be impractical if he couldn’t clear a wake in the storm. He needed something with more heat, more intensity and much more substance. Katon was a relatively new field for the Jounin, having only begun practicing the element in the last year or so. His chakra reserves were however quite impressive, he could afford to let loose and discover what his potential truly was. Again he formed seals, gathering a greater amount of chakra this time. The seals too he had adapted slightly, increasing the length by a few signs. It would be a similar technique but far more potent. And so it was, only 3 fire balls this time but each more than double the previous size of the others and far more hot and dense. Not only that, they emerged together, swirling around one another as they rocketed into the abyss. Their speed, momentum and heat in this case served a much greater cause.

The whiteout parted, the bright flames providing an eerie glow in the night, visible to a distance of over 50ft before exploding in a torrent of flames, the heat of which hit Takeo like a basking wave of the Summer sun. The Jounin smirked beneath his mask, his crisp eyes glimmering with the reflection of the flames. The power of fire was intoxicating, it wasn’t often the man was able to let loose, especially in Konoha where the danger of starting a forest fire was ever present. Here however he felt completely alone, isolated and free to do as he pleased with no restraints, no casualties or repercussions to worry about. The bearded shinobi took three long, deep breaths, savoring the prick of the cold against his skin and the steam which escaped his lips on every exhalation. As ever his senses took in his surroundings in full. Chakra surged through him, eager for an outlet.

Again seals formed, this time he would bring his ninjutsu into a new level. His specialties were controlled, stable jutsu, exacting precision amounts of chakra. This time he would hone his ability to use a large amount of chakra at once in a pure destructive and explosive charge. The chakra welled within him and then suddenly it was compacted and erupted in the form of a massive fireball shot into the sky. It lit up the tundra like a newly formed sun before breaking off into a barrage of smaller fireballs, raining down fire and destruction of the likes he had scarcely seen before, least of all from his own hand. Fire coated the snow, melting through patches and clinging stubbornly to rock before slowly, reluctantly dwindling away. The power of Katon…I could get used to this, he decided as he slowed his breathing rate down to normal once more.

[Izanagi]

Stat Training # 6: Ninjutsu

1372/1300 words

The storm seemed to rage harder then, a defiant act against this invader and bringer of fire to these frigid and barren lands. The man supposed he shouldn’t stir too much attention onto himself, he had come to the Frost Country on a mission though had found himself lost and off track in the storm. He had already met the representative whom had hired him, departing the small village several days ago. The issue had become that nobody had any idea where the outlaws were hiding, only that they robbed, pillaged and destroyed and then vanished into the snow and ice, leaving little to pursue. Even for a master hunter and tracker such as himself Takeo was out of his depths. The forest was his natural and preferred terrain and he had little experience that compared to his present conditions. He could survive certainly but to thrive, track and eliminate an unknown quantity of adversaries located someone within many miles of mountains and hidden fissures and catacombs, all covered in ice and snow. It was a daunting task.

An idea struck him then, perhaps it would be best after all to draw their attention. At least rouse their curiosity and bring them out of hiding. Perhaps they would even meet him in combat once they deemed him low enough on chakra reserves. There was potential for backfire, though as long as he reserved at least half of his chakra he calculated that it was worth the risk. The weathered Jounin glanced around cautiously, searching for any sign that he may have already rooted out his foes. Alas there was no sign, nothing but the wind and the ever present bite of harsh coldness. “Only a fool would venture into this storm” he muttered to himself, his voice lost in the wind. His strong hands clenched and opened again and again in an attempt to warm his numb fingertips and create some circulation. His thin gloves seemed to offer little protection against the cold. He possessed thicker mitts, worn during travel though forming hand seals with them on was impossible and as such he was forced to resort to the meagre protection of black cloth. “Screw it” he muttered under his breath, pulling free the material. The cloth had begun to freeze solid, restricting his dexterity.

His hands were now bare and naked and if not for his proficiency with Katon and surefire ways of warming his hands on short notice he wouldn’t dare forsake the fur lined gloves stowed in his pocket. Think of it as training he decided, if I can form seals when my hands are numb and half frozen then I won’t be impaired in combat It proved to be a feat easier said than done. While his fingers formed the familiar shapes with routine, ingrained body memory, the speed at which they were completed decreased significantly. After a mere two minutes he had lost feeling to the small extremities and without the ability to feel his own fingers their dexterity too suffered greatly. Perhaps utilizing jutsu rather than dry sealing as it were would spur him to seal faster. It was worth a shot and the heat, brief as it was from his Katon jutsu would serve as a worthy reward. The first jutsu was again a barrage of phoenix fireballs, simple and to the point, only five seals which as predicted were each completed faster than the repetition of all the standard seals. The natural flow of chakra and how it built up when forming a jutsu served to enhance the pacing and rhythm of the seals, allowing him to complete them with greater efficiency.

The Jounin performed the jutsu twice more, the C-rank technique barely exerting any effort from the elite shinobi. Upon completion he examined his hands, any longer and frostbite would begin to sink in. There was a line between enhanced training procedures and pure carelessness and he was growing near the boundary. That’s enough of that, he decided as Katon chakra flowed into his hands, warming them considerably, it was a welcome relief and one he indulged in for well over a minute until he was satisfied with the progress. Utilizing Katon jutsu had finally become second nature to him, though there was still growth to be done. A-rank techniques were coming easier to him though he had still yet to master any S-Rank jutsu of any element. The explosiveness and sheer quantity of chakra was more than he was usually willing to commit to a technique. In this last year however his views in that regard were shifting. In some cases it served well to have a trump card worthy of the title of Bannin, a goal which was only just becoming a feasible aspiration. The only way to ascend to such a level was to push his boundaries and for that he would need to utilize his most powerful Katon jutsu. The All Consuming Dragon Fire a dreadfully powerful technique which he had never had the opportunity to practice at full strength. Now was his chance.

Chakra swirled within him as he furiously began sealing; Tiger, Snake, Dragon, Rat, Dragon, Tiger, Horse, Ram, Ox, Tiger. It was his longest chain of hand seals of any jutsu that he knew, and for good reason for it was also his most powerful. Chakra surged inside him, building to the point of becoming physically painful to contain and then when he felt as if his lungs were about the burst through his ribcage the man exhaled. A torrent of fire exploded from his chest, blazing across the tundra, its reach seeming practically indefinite and its width expanding for every foot that it extended outwards. The ground below the unrelenting flames instantly melted, rocks cracking and shattering and a visible vacancy appearing in the storm. For tens of miles around him and from nearly even mountain peak in the Frost country the fire could be seen. The Jounin moved his head from side to side, relishing in the power of the flames under his control. At the apex of the flames 20ft snowbanks vanished in an instant, the ground cratering and melting as smaller rocks blackened and fused together with one another. Takeo’s heart raced, he felt akin to a true dragon and for a moment he was afraid of just how powerful he was becoming. And then the moment passed and he harnessed the power, embracing a momentary feeling of invulnerability as he raised his head to the sky. The storm seized almost instantly, pushed away by the sheer heat and power of the technique. A moment later and Takeo found he had squeezed out every bit of chakra he had molded, his lungs too had relinquished what air they possessed. The flames lingered for the better part of a minute before the cold cautiously returned, with a show of effort managing to smother the persistent flames.

Takeo breathed heavily, in that one jutsu alone he had expended nearly twenty percent of his total chakra reserves and combined with the previous techniques he now retained only about 60% of his original chakra. He would need time to rest and regain his composure before continuing any longer. It was as the man was returning to his shelter that he felt a sense of being watched, someone, something had taken notice of him, a stalking sensation at first, quickly replaced by a sense of imminent danger. It was then that he heard the thundering charge, an explosive laden kunai was drawn and thrown on one swift motion as the Jounin spun to face the threat. The charge detonated, illuminating a massive hammer in mid swing, emerging from the smoke of the explosion and followed closely behind was a gargantuan figure worthy of wielding such a weapon. The ground split and rumbled from the impact of the strike, Takeo leaping backwards as the impact effected the ground beneath him, even from a distance of over 20ft from the original strike. In mid-air Takeo caught a first glimpse at the beast before him, an armored bear standing at well over 8 feet tall. A foe in this instant though in time this creature would become a great ally.

[Izanagi]

Stat Training # 7: Speed

1388/1300

Takeo’s fists clenched as he stared into his hands. His apartment had been destroyed in the invasion two days ago and now he sat atop a nearby building which offered a clear view of the destruction around him. So much had been lost, incalculable property damage and countless shinobi and civilians alike injured from falling debris, many had been killed, mostly civilians. Even with the shinobi forces at the Villages disposal, Senju and Doton ninjutsu users namely the reconstruction would take months. The seasoned Jounin lifted his gaze, a frown forming across his stern countenance. His piercing blue eyes raged with an uncharacteristic fury and of the many regrets and thoughts that flooded his mind one stood out above the rest. I was too slow… While Takeo had never been the fasted shinobi of his rank he had always been at least average and more often than not had the advantage. Typically only compared to Yoru did he feel outclassed and even then he was able to track his movements and defend adequately. Compared to Yaku and the Hokage however he felt akin to an untrained child in the face of a Jounin.

If he wanted any hope of being able to compete with the likes of them and feel confident once more in his ability to defend the village he would need to push through his limits. And so he made the decision to dedicate any time beyond the reconstruction of the village towards training. Within an hour he had filled his flak jacket pockets with smooth rounded rocks with weighted fuuin seals inscribed upon them, items commonly used for specifically this purpose; 100lbs total on his chest and then 15 pound cuffs on each ankle and wrist. It took some adjustment at first though he was strong enough that it didn’t impede his normal movements by much, though it certainly slowed his pacing. With all the construction crews throughout the village there were few streets to offer much area of free running and even the village training grounds were relatively flat and not of the man’s preference. Instead as usual he opted to take to the forests and mountains beyond the walls. Isolation and the wilderness were the man’s true home, likely he would build a shelter in the woods to reside in until the housing market had returned to stability.

A few kilometres outside the village Takeo arrived at the starting point of his destination. The light jog towards the mountain had served as a warm up, giving the Jounin time to adjust to the shifting weight as he ran. For the most part it was quite stable and in fact it even felt comfortable. Typically running felt almost too easy for an elite athlete such as himself, the weight provided just enough resistance to offer a challenge. And to a normal person, even by shinobi standards the weight alone would be sufficiently difficult. Takeo however had a tendency to hold himself to much greater standards than anyone else, he was constantly pushing his body and stretching his own limits. There was an inner drive in him that demanded excellence in his physical conditioning. As skilled as he was in Ninjutsu it was his physical attributes and his skill in hand-to-hand combat that the man valued most. He would not see himself be outdone, the bar had been raised and he was determined to meet it.

As always the Jounin took a few minutes to stretch after warming up. He didn’t want to risk injuring himself, he couldn’t afford the inconvenience with his hectic schedule and new training regimen. With his stretches completed he lowered his stance slightly, tensing his muscles before charging up the mountain in a full sprint. For a full 15 minutes he maintained his top pace, pushing himself and blitzing up the steep terrain, making short work of the winding paths, covered in roots and boulders, even going as far as to jump upwards of 10 feet off the ground, clearing boulders and continuing on without breaking stride. It was only then, at nearly a third of the way up the mountain that his pace began to slow marginally. The tree-line broke away for a moment as he found himself racing across a swath of barren, rocky mountainside. The footing was loose at places and required his full attention to navigate, opting to leap between larger rocks rather than tackle the sliding and shifting gravel and dirt. In total it took the man just over 50 minutes to reach the peak of the mountain. 16 kilometers of steep terrain, unweighted his record for completion was little over half an hour. His goal would be to match that record with the addition of his weights. Every morning he would take to the mountain, building up the routine and pressing himself to go faster. The downhill runs served to inspire him as to what he hoped to accomplish, with the added momentum of weight and average return trip took him only 20 minutes, the speed blinding and exhilarating, though maneuvering at such speed proved to be difficult at first and often he found himself bashing through branches and once even levelling a tree that had been in his path.

The coming days yielded gradual progress, each attempt served to shed a few minutes off his total time. Luckily his body was used to regular exercise and as such his muscles weren’t particularly sore the next day, it was simply a matter of harnessing explosiveness and speed to the upmost of his physical ability rather than actually developing his muscles. Coordination and agility helped considerably too and soon he was ducking and weaving around trees with natural fluidity and grace. Throughout the rest of the day, more often than not the man removed his weights, allowing him a sense of lightness and increased agility in day to day activities, there were days however where he felt particularly spirited and opted to retain the weights throughout the course of his normal duties, relinquishing them only to bathe in the river and sleep in the temporary home he had constructed in the woods.

Five days had passed since the training regimen had been implemented. Yesterday’s run had timed in at 38 minutes, he was closing in on his record, growing faster and more confident every day. The weight felt natural at this point, comfortable and reassuring. His legs were stronger than ever, his muscle tightly wound and itching to be used to their fullest extent. So much energy flowed through his body, speed was an intoxicating and addicting experience. Nothing else compared to the feeling of the wind against his face and the objects around him blurring and disappearing as he left them in his wake, his body constantly pushing himself faster, changing gears with sudden newfound bursts of energy. Today would be the day, the Jounin was eager to accomplish his goal so that he could move onto the next step, for even after accomplishing this feat he would not be satisfied. As fast as he was becoming he still felt human, not like the speed that Yaku and Tousha could achieve.

With his mind focused on the end goal Takeo sprinted with everything that he had, unrelenting and squeezing out every ounce of power he could manage. His legs burned and he embraced the feeling, using his speed and momentum to ascend the mountainous terrain. Not a single step was wasted. He had discovered the best routes by now, which rock to jump off of, the most efficient way to shift his weight and propel himself forwards. He even kicked off of trees on occasion, leaping through the air at times and never for a second slowing down or halting his forward momentum. It was a furious charge, befitting a wild beast or a man possessed with some insatiable drive. Everything else slipped away and nothing mattered in those moments aside from moving forward. Faster. Don’t stop…Almost there With one last leap he cleared the last ledge, rolling as he stopped the timer. Breathing heavily the Jounin laid on his back, slick with sweat. 33 minutes, 5 seconds the timer read. The man smiled before closing his eyes and laying his head down. The leap in progress warranted a well-deserved nap in the sun.

[Izanagi]

Stat Training # 8: Speed

1353/1300

Takeo stretched, preparing for his routine morning run. Already this one felt different. Yesterday he had matched his previous record while wearing his weighted outfit and now he rewarded himself by removing the weights. This would reveal how much progress the man had truly made. The athletic Jounin jumped up and down, feeling an incredible flow of energy, his muscles yearned to be put to use and already he was visualizing sprinting up the mountainside. A few quick jabs and roundhouse kicks were thrown as he reveled in the newfound lightness and fluidity of his motions. This would be a good day. Inhaling deeply the man crouched, legs staggered and ready and then he exhaled slowly before bursting forward, taking off like a lightning bolt. He could hardly keep up with his own legs, darting around trees and vaulting boulders at a 50-60 degree incline and moving as easily as if it were flat ground.

In total it took the man only 24 minutes to reach the peak although at the end of it he was exhausted, pushed to the brink of his ability. Sweat poured down his body, enhanced by the summer sun. It was a trip that would have taken hours for an average person, even many Jounin would have difficulty completing the hike in under an hour, already Takeo’s stamina far excelled most of his peers, combined with this newfound speed and it seemed he was finally breaking off into a new league. The rankings of the elite Jounin and prospective Bannin. His goals were finally becoming a tangible possibility. Perhaps soon he would even be able to match the speed of Yoru, whom had surpassed the man, at least in that aspect several years ago. Again the man would nap in the sun after hydrating himself and satisfying his hunger with various energy boosting protein bars and snacks. He even sprayed himself down with Water ninjutsu before attempting the return trip. Next time he climbed the mountain perhaps he would simply walk and enjoy the scenery, though today he couldn’t help himself but to race down at his full speed. He had to know. He had to feel the exhilarating freedom and sense of flight that it awarded. His speed was so great that it felt as if his feet never touched the ground and in fact they seldom did with all of the great leaps and jumps, he knew exactly where to jump to clear straight sections and bypass trees, hitting one at such speeds after all would be quite painful, though there was no doubt in his mind that it would be the tree which would emerge worse for wear.

Upon reaching the base of the mountain the man realized he had forgotten to start the timer, though it mattered naught. He had felt the difference and if he were to wager on a time he would guess that it took only about 10 minutes. It was such a remarkable speed that the sudden change in elevation actually left him a little dizzy with a painful sensation in his ears. It was well worth the discomfort however and despite the pain that lasted for several minutes the walk back to the village was quite enjoyable. It would be a few days before he would return to the mountain, he decided to give himself some rest and also to adjust his training regimen. He had accomplished all that he could with the mountain, at least for now. His body had gotten too used to the routine and any further development would decrease significantly. Instead after a full day of rest from training the man would continue just outside the walls of Konoha. This time it was an open field that he had chosen.

Takeo arrived on a Saturday morning, arriving at close to noon, since his talk with Yoru and induction into Mamorinuku he had taken to sleeping in the headquarters in the past few days, finally having a proper shower as well as trimming his hair and beard and washing his clothes in something other than river water for a change. Sleeping in an actual bed was also a refreshing change and after a full day for himself and a late morning of sleeping in he was ready to resume his training. A kunai was drawn and promptly thrown at a tree and immediately Takeo took off, sprinting behind it in an attempt to catch up to it and swat it out of the air. The effort was to no avail, he trailed behind by nearly 10 feet, unable to close the distance at all. The kunai thudded hilt deep into the tree and Takeo veered off course before skidding to a stop, sliding just past the tree. “Again” he declared. It was an unfamiliar training exercise and would take time to adjust to. There were several key elements and the first he would address would be his start-up speed and timing. As soon as he released the kunai he would have to run, and no matter how he timed it the kunai would always have a head start. That meant that he would have to be able to run faster than the speed of his throw, which was quite impressive considering his remarkable strength. He could use chakra to enhance his speed but that would defeat the purpose of the training.

For 20 minutes he repeated the task, utilizing the same kunai and the same tree. His timing had improved marginally though no matter what modifications he made the result was the same. Nearing his 50th attempt Takeo made note of the condition of the tree. Large chunks of wood had been cut out of it and slits marred the entire side. If he had not that to aim at different locations then surely it would have cracked in half by now. “Maybe I should have went to the training ground after all” he noted with a grimace, it was a shame to cause so much damage to a healthy tree. Likely it would die as a result of the damage. With that in mind he decided to finish his training focusing on a different objective. The kunai was thrown into the ground, its blade marred from the continued usage. His hands moved into seals, creating two shadow clones next to him. A preferred and effective training tool of his was to use himself. Double the experience and a perfect partner to test his ability to overcome his own limits. Even with his massive chakra pool he never formed more than 3 shadow clones at a time and seldom more than 1 during training.

The next hour consisted of Takeo racing himself in 50 meter sprints while the second shadow clone watched and timed them. When both runners were sufficiently tired the shadow clones switched out with one another, leaving Takeo to race against a fully rested version of himself. If he could manage to beat this clone then it would mean that he had made progress in the last hour. After taking a short break to replenish some energy he began the newest trial. The Jounin sprinted next to the likeness of himself and much to his relief he managed to surpass himself, crossing the finish line nearly 10 feet ahead of his clone. I should be able to catch the kunai now, or at least close, he realized. The following day he would put his speculation to the test and as expected he managed to knock the kunai out of the air. Throughout the day his progress even increased to the point where he could run ahead of the kunai, draw another kunai and deflect the thrown weapon out of the air. The man grinned widely after the first successful attempt of said act. He had made remarkable progress in the cumulative week of intense training. As always there was more work to do be done but at least the man could rest easy for a few nights knowing that he had begun to bridge the gap in ability between himself and his superiors.

[Izanagi]

New System Stamina Training #1

2620 /1500 words

It had been several months since the attack on Konoha and since then Takeo had improved himself drastically. He was truly at the peak of his physical fitness, even his ninjutsu had developed to the point of contending with the level Bannin were renowned for. He had progressed further than the man could have ever imagined and yet somehow, impossibly, it was not enough. If it were a matter of personal achievement he would have been content to boast his newfound ability for several years before gradually diminishing in skill and physique as he shifted priorities towards a family life. However he no longer possessed the luxury of being able to think in such a manner. His strength was no longer his own to dictate, with Tousha abdicating his position to wander the world the role of Hokage had been left vacant. To make matters worse the top contender for the possession, the young Bannin Kawa had been recently and tragically killed in action on an S-rank quest in order to prove himself suitable. This left the ranks of the leaf shinobi weaker than ever. Sure there had been two new Bannin recently promoted, both close friends; Aizawa Yoru and Hyuuga Aina though each were young and headstrong. It was evident the village needed a leader with experience and composure in order to break the cycle of the council’s decision to instate leaders whom were all brawn and no brain.

The village would look to him, he was sure of it. Both of his Bannin comrades backed him for the position and his track record as a leader and a tactician was unmistakable. Of course however in order to qualify he would have to demonstrate the strength the council so desperately sought. And so his training never ceased, growing grander in scale by the week. On this morning Takeo found himself in his preferred training ground, a valley that he had created via his own ninjutsu. It was nearly a full day’s journey from the village and that was at his pace. The Jounin’s hands came together in a series of seals. In order to fight at the level of an S-Rank shinobi he would need to be able to overwhelm and outlast his opponents. Expanding his already massive chakra pool would take priority on this day. From around the man several bursts of chakra formed into existence creating five clones of himself. The Jounin flexed his hand, adjusting to the sudden drain in his chakra reserves. “No, I can do more” he stated, he would have to push himself to the absolute breaking point in order to progress. More seals were formed and another four shadow clones appeared. The bearded Jounin nodded, already he could feel his heart rate and breathing becoming slightly elevated. He looked between each of the likenesses of himself, considering his options. A free for all would be chaotic and test his reflexes though perhaps it would be more beneficial to split the group into teams so that he could discern the true potential in his abilities. “Alright, you 5 will be one team, tie your forehead protector around your right arm, the rest with be with me” he decided. The shadow clones nodded without hesitation before doing as they were told and standing with their teammates. “Coin-flip for the high ground?” stated the shadow clone that seemed to step forward as the opposing side’s team leader.

Takeo nodded, allowing the clone to withdraw a small silver coin. The clone smiled and flung it into the air. “Tails” he announced as it spun before deftly catching it and flipping it over onto his other hand before revealing which end was left face up. Sure enough it was the tails end, a depiction of a stag rather than the face of the fire country Daimyo. With their positions dictated the men set off for their respective starting areas. Just as Takeo had anticipated he had been tasked with the more difficult position, fighting uphill against enemies whom possessed abundant cover. The beginning of the battle would be the most difficult, with his chakra divided so extensively he could only justify himself in performing B-rank or lower jutsu less put himself in a vulnerable position. If he managed to destroy some of the enemy clones before they could cast jutsu however his own reserves would replenish somewhat though so too would that of the others, ensuring that the battle would remain intense and deadly until the very last man. After a few minutes of settling in to their position’s Takeo formed a brief set of seals before raising his arm in the air, firing off a flare to signify the onset of the battle.

He advanced with a clone to either side, the others keeping back and following from a distance of 20 feet to provide support. One of the clones at the back formed seals, depicting a sensory layout of the location of all the combatants, as no doubt one of the opposing teams clones would do as well. “One on each ridge, another approaching 80ft ahead of us, he’s being supported by one following underground beneath him. Last one is out of my range, probably acting as sentry” the clone relayed. It was easy enough to analyze attack patterns and strategies, after all they all thought in the same way which made a team skirmish against oneself all the more challenging. It would come down largely to outside factors such as the environment and minute mistakes and differences. As team 1 advanced further into the canyon the members of team two moved into position to enact their ambush. Each clone on the ridge formed seals, destabilizing the earth and creating a small rockslide from either side which would crush the advance group. “Form up, fall back” Takeo ordered quickly as he first looked to the two clones to either side and then towards the two at his back. His hands blurred into seals before slamming the ground as a B-rank defensive dome of earth surrounded them and granted them protection. The others nodded to one another before scaling their respective sides and making a charge towards the attackers. The team 1 clone on the left began his attack with a barrage of fireballs which was which was quickly countered by a crashing wave of water which pummeled into the clone with enough force to destabilize him in a poof of smoke before the waves careened over the edge. The other team 1 clone had began his attack simultaneously, though had opted for a wave of mud which incidentally was responded to in the same manner of as the other team 2 clone. A wave of water. The two forces collided with the Doton based wave winning out, fanning out in a large sheet it encapsulated the clone, restricting his movements for just long enough to deliver a swift finishing strike.

With two clones destroyed, one from either team each member regained a surge of chakra. The men on the ridge turned to address one another, the team two member began seals first, a powerful Doton attack to which the team one member recognized and began his own seals. The large sphere of Doton was launched across the ridge being met in the middle by a slightly faster trio of condenses Katon spheres which orbited around one another. As they collided with a thunderous impact the Doton attack exploded revealing its true purpose. Fire and shrapnel blasted outwards, striking both clones and destroying each before raining down on any within the canyon. The only exposed clone deftly tucked and rolled, finding shelter under a protruding overhang as flaming chunks of rock rained down around him. From his relatively secure position he wasted no time in launching a counter attack, hurling an explosive laden kunai with enough force to easily pierce through the defensive construct which contained the 3 sole surviving members of team 1. Of course one of the clones within the dome was monitoring the situation via doton empathy techniques. “Move!” it shouted as it noticed the shift in the attacker’s stance, indicating a throwing maneuver. In an instant the three burst from the dome, smashing through the rock in an abrupt charge. One of them made for a taijutsu confrontation with the assailant while another found himself pulled underground and promptly stabbed by the clone whom prowled below ground.

The original Takeo whirled around, forming hand seals before stomping on the ground, ripping it apart in a deadly fissure that split apart the earth where the clone hid. When he barely managed to launch himself upwards and out of his hiding spot Takeo was already upon him, delivering a stone shattering punch to his jaw and immediately dispelling him. The man inhaled as he felt another wave of chakra surge through him. Now only 4 remained including himself and while he was breathing heavily he knew it was coming down to the wire, to the point where he would have to push himself to his absolute limits and that meant pulling out all of the stops. Nearby two of the clones fought one another. The member of team 2 using the newfound surge of chakra to fuel a powerful rasengan while the team 1 member opted to conserve his chakra, simply blowing a burst of sparks at his opponents face before checking the rasengan wielding arm and delivering a powerful flying knee to his opponents jaw sending him tumbling backwards as the rasengan destabilized and cratered the ground before the shadow clone dispersed. The surviving clone slowed his breathing, “There should be one more” he realized, scanning his surroundings as he turned to the original for insight and guidance.

“There” responded the original, pointing towards the top of a large earthen rampart that stood at the widest part of the canyon. It was a remnant of a previous training session which meant that thus far the sole surviving clone of team 2 had yet to use a drop of chakra, which despite the 2vs1 scenario gave him a slight advantage. The men nodded towards one another before advancing. It would have been tactically wise to scale the ravine though their present location was highly unstable and mostly collapsed. They had no choice but to advance. As they came within range however a dragon formation emerged from the side of the rampart, “Shit” Takeo muttered, he knew what was coming. It was one of his fastest and most powerful wide range techniques and it could be fired from a long distance and maneuvered to follow targets at that. He only had one technique that could fully defend the onslaught though didn’t possess enough chakra to utilize it in his present condition and as such he would have to rely on half measures. “Take us up” he instructed. The clone began forming seals immediately, knowing that even in his haste he likely wouldn’t be able to complete them in time. As such Takeo began his own set of seals, a lower ranked jutsu that just might buy them a few moments. A series of long earthen spikes began to launch like a machine gun from the dragons mouth. Each one blitzed through the sky, closing the sizable gap between the combatants at a breakneck speed. With not a moment to spare the maw of a large earthen wolf rose up in front of the two men, it opened its mouth wide, swallowing the first few projectiles though seeming to shutter under the impact of the repetitive blows. It began to crack and show signs of weakness under the constant barrage when the clone finally finished his seals. The earth lurched upwards, ascending them out of the way of the assault which struggled to follow the jarring motion upwards. By the time the platform reached its full elevation the dragon had fired its last spear.

The adversaries were now staring across at one another at equal elevation, a distance of about 75 feet between them and a similar distance from them and the ground below. Takeo’s companion regarded him as he assessed his options. There were few techniques that could span such a distance, though it wasn’t exceptionally far shinobi though incredibly powerful in their jutsu’s effects seldom had much of any true range to their techniques. There was however another option, the canyon now stood along each side of them, nearly level with their current elevation. “Split up and then attack together, try to force him from the high ground or distract him to give me an opening” he instructed, leaving some room for situational interpretation. With that they split off, the clone going left and Takeo right. Each of the three men began forming hand seals, drawing forth nearly all the chakra they possessed in one decisive technique that each would have to commit to. The original was the first to complete the seals, his hands becoming enveloped in long blade-like formations of highly refined and potent flames. Next came the team 1 clone, he inhaled before releasing a highly pressurized stream of water aimed left to right in line with his opponents mid-section in an attempt to cleave him in half or failing that either force him towards the incoming danger that was the original Takeo, or cause him to abandon his position for the low ground. Tactically it was a wise choice, though the sole remaining member of team 2, the leader as it turned out possessed every bit as keen of a mind as the true Takeo. His skin changed color and texture as Doton chakra encased his body. It was arguable his most powerful technique, a nearly impervious defense that naturally enhanced ones formidability in close combat. Bracing for impact the clone took the impact of the pressure cutter head on. There was no point in compromising his stance by ducking as it would simply follow his movement.

While his opponent was pinned down to some extent under the relentless pressure Takeo advanced sliding low as he struck the clones leg in what would normally part limb from body. The armor held strong however. The clone moved to roll to the side, increasing the chance that the original would be struck by the stream as the clone attempted to follow his movements. Cautiously the clone released the jutsu, its reserves already nearing there limits regardless. Panting heavily the suiton casting clone dispersed, leaving the final combatants to the deciding showdown. The men swiftly got to their feet, arms raised as they cautiously circled one another. The rampart was only 15 feet thick leaving little room for error. Each of the men were breathing heavily, every ounce of their chakra was being pushed into maintaining their current techniques. Takeo advanced taking advantage of the range of his fire blades he crossed his arms moving to them outwards to slash his opponent in half, any direct strike he knew he would counter and thus this gave him the highest chance of success. The clone assessed the incoming danger, the blades possessed too much range to grab his opponent’s wrists as he normally would. Instead he leaned backwards as far as he could while extending a powerful kick to the man’s pelvis. Their attacks collided, the blades scraped across his armored chest, finally wearing down the defense as they ran an inch through the clone’s body. Ordinarily it wouldn’t have been a fatal wound though it was enough to disperse the clone. Takeo collapsed, buckled by the kick and the overwhelming toll on his chakra reserves as the flames diminished. He groaned in pain as he allowed himself to rest for a few minutes.

[Izanagi]

Stat Training # 2 Stamina

1574/1500

Gathering himself up Takeo looked across at the scenery awarded from his vantage point. The sun was still high in the air, the heat basking the valley below and nourishing the dense forests beyond. For nearly an hour the man meditated from this view point, centering his mind and refreshing his body. When he finally descended from the earthen rampart it was to retrieve his lunch. The meal consisted mostly of dried meats, fruits vegetables and washed down with ginger infused water to keep him hydrated and soothe his ever working muscles. No doubt by the day’s end he would require a more filling meal, though this would do to grant the man with another boost of energy for the time being. He had decided to devote the entire day to pushing the threshold of his stamina and as such he would continue to do so. Without any further delay he made for a different location, a place within a few kilometers of his current position that wouldn’t take more than an hour to arrive to even at a walking pace. Along the day he ate various local berries that he came across, already he could feel his chakra reserves returning to manageable levels. This next test however would hardly rely on chakra at all. Instead it would be primarily a test of physical stamina.

Arriving at a moderately sized lake Takeo set down his pack by a tree as he began to undress. By the end of it he had changed into a pair of blue swim shorts, tucking away the rest of his clothes and equipment, save a combat knife strapped to his thigh, inside of his pack. Though he was able to dry his clothes relatively easily the feeling of wearing them when submerged was distracting and not preferable. Making his way to the edge the man tested the water. It was pleasantly cool, especially in contrast the distinct heat of the day. His body was already coated in sweat and dirt and as such this training would prove to be quite refreshing in the most literal sense. After a few moments of scanning the area and seeing nothing suitable Takeo walked over to a more dense section of earth and formed a few hand seals before stomping the ground and forcing a 3.5ft diameter sphere of rock into the air in front of him. The man grabbed the boulder, wrapping his arms around the large object. He estimated it weighed upwards of two hundred pounds though for him that was to be considered relatively light. Holding it against his chest he returned to the water, slowly wading his way in as he sighted in the furthest distance across the lake. Travelling lengthwise the lake was about 8 kilometers long, a daunting distance if one were to hazard a swim across it though Takeo had something far more ludicrous in mind. The sort of training that only a shinobi could accomplish.

With the improvised weight in hand he continued to step out into the water until he was submerged, gradually finding himself submerged as he walked along the rocky lake floor towards the middle of its width. In honestly he hadn’t realized quite how deep the waters were, luckily the sun was bright overhead and the quality of water was high, meaning he could still retain visibility even as he descended to a depth of 100ft. He could feel his ears pop from the pressure difference, adding an additional strain to the already substantial weight he carried. Up until now he had simply been holding his breath, his oxygen reserves seemed an inhuman amount considering his relatively average height and weight. Thus were the perks of a shinobi however. He wagered that even without the use of chakra he could maintain his breath for a good half an hour, perhaps more if he trained specifically for such a task. Of course walking 8 kilometers would take a great deal longer than half an hour. As such as the man drudged towards his goal he made a stipulation that he would hold his breath for as long as he possibly could and then just at the moment of gasping for breath he would channel chakra into his lungs via his aquatic rebreathing technique granting him with a minute of regained oxygen before once again pushing his physical limits. He would repeat such a strenuous endeavor all the while carrying the boulder, which after a while would begin to take its toll even on his hardened muscles.

It was around the 2 kilometer mark that Takeo was forced to reposition his grip for the first time. He had been at the threshold of his lung capacity, struggling for breath as the last of his air bubbles escaped towards the surface. There had been a brief urge to simply release the boulder and make for the surface though even without any air he forced himself to take a few more steps before being awarded with replenished oxygen. He paused for a moment, allowing his heart rate to slow as he fixed his grip on the boulder, ensuring that his arms were locked comfortably in place without putting undo strain on them. It would have been easier if the boulder was small and he could wrap his arms around it entirely. Even if the weight was the same that grip would be maintained with far less strain than his current outstretched position. He could feel a growing strain in his fingers and biceps, even the posture of his back was forced out of perfect alignment. Nonetheless he would not fail. The elite Jounin steeled himself, allowing himself a few extra seconds of oxygen as he looked around, noticing a school of large lake trout swim by him. His stomach grumbled, he craved a full meal and as such made a decision to reward himself with a feast of fish upon reaching the other side.

For a few minutes the man closed his eyes as he walked, enjoying the soothing feeling of the water. It had grown much colder at this depth though his body naturally warmed itself with the exertion of carrying the boulder. The ground was solid and relatively flat though on occasion he had to maneuver around small crooks as well as boulders and fallen waterlogged trees. His eyes opened again, protected by a layer of chakra to ensure visibility and protect his eyes from the irritation of dirt or continued exposure to the water. After some time Takeo decided to increase the pace and as such his heart rate which would also make holding his breath all the more challenging. Perhaps he would make further use of the lake at another time. He wondered at how much fun it would be to see how fast he could run underwater when he allowed himself a steady flow of oxygen. It was an exciting prospect to consider the great scale of feats he could accomplish, things that any ordinary human would never even dream of. Truly he was entering the realm of legends, those that could be considered demi-gods in the scale of their ability.

By the time he spanned roughly 6 kilometers his body was feeling the strain of repetitive oxygen deprivation. His lungs craved the air of the surface or at least a steady supply of the filtered oxygen he produced via chakra extraction from the water molecules around him. His chest ached from the burning sensation in his lungs, no doubt his breath capacity would increase as a result though in the meantime he was suffering for it. His fingers too had become stiff with pain jutting in at the joints. Even his back and biceps were aching with soreness from constant test of endurance against his muscles. He decided that instead of risking failure he would push his body to summon all of its strength and stamina for one final burst. A 2 kilometer run. The S-ranked level Jounin shifted his grip and stance to accommodate a faster pace and then he began, building up speed and even jumping horizontally on occasion, enjoying the sensation of resistance against him as he ran. Though it was the recovery time of his lungs that were put to the greatest test. They burned and ached and instead of allowing himself to breath the man forced himself faster in an almost frenzied burst of speed. He was so very close, he could feel the elevation changed as he began to run uphill, a telltale sign that the shore was coming closer. The man came to a drop off of about 30ft. Rather than awkwardly scaling the ledge he crouched low and jumped the majority of the height before kicking his feet downwards and scraping his toes against the wall in order to propel himself upwards. He reached the ledge and continued onwards, now only about 40 feet underwater. The water was growing warmer and brighter, he could finally see the blue sky above him and when his ears popped to re-adjust he could even hear a light breeze against the trees. His face bulged red and strained as his mind grew dizzy though in just a few seconds the man had eliminated the remaining distance. When the ground grew shallow his head burst above the water, drawing in a deep, sputtering breath as he hurtled the boulder ashore in a celebration of his success.

[Izanagi]

Stat Training # 3 Speed

1737/1500

Takeo took a few minutes upon dry land to regulate his breathing and bask in the sun as he slowly set to stretching out the minor aches of his body. His body adapted well to immense strain and as much as a part of him simply wanted to take a nap he knew that his work for the day was not over just yet. He would take a brief break however, his body needed some time to recover and more importantly he required more fuel to nourish himself and ensure a successful day of training. As a fulfillment of the reward he had promised himself the man set to carving a fishing spear and gathering rocks and sticks for a fire. Once his preparations were complete he set off to the lake once more. He estimated by the height of the sun that it was still in the early hours of the afternoon, a benefit of his early starts to his days. He had spent the previous few days at the edge of Fire country and wagered that it would be another two or three days before he was content with his most recent growth in ability. Within a matter of minutes the man had speared 3 large trout, each weighing in at roughly 20-25lbs. With practiced efficiency he gutted them and roasted them over a fire before picking apart the tender meat with his fingers.

The meal had proved to be quite satisfying, returning his energy levels to that of the likes he had before he had even begun training on this day. He figured he had enough time left for one last session. It would be a test of his speed, a continuation that he had thought up while undergoing his lake walk. Once more he would procure a rock, though this time it was one that only weighed about 50lbs coming it at a very manageable 1ft diameter across so that he could easily hold it and maneuver while still being heavy enough to keep him submerged and add some additional resistance. The man cracked his neck, stretching quickly one last time in order to ensure he was fully limber. And then he was off, leaping into the water with a powerful jump and a dive before righting himself as he touched down on the floor of the lake. Immediately he channeled chakra into his mouth, nose and lungs, effectively enacting his aquatic rebreathing technique which he would maintain for the duration of his test. Sprinting forward the man surged across the rocky floor. Already he noticed the stark contrast in his speed compared to when he was on dry land. The water all around him increased resistance significantly, a factor increased dramatically by the added pressure of the depth as well as the weight that he carried in his arms.

Still the man pressed onward, finding that as his speed and momentum increased he had created a current of his own. The water flowed around him, following his path to such an extent that even 100feet above him the water rippled and waves began to form, parting in different directions from the wake of the path behind him. The underwater current that moved with him was growing so powerful that he had to channel chakra to his feet in order to keep adhered to the ground. What had started as being more difficult was now in fact enhancing his speed and giving the man a taste of a level he had yet to achieve. He felt as though he was in a different world, completely consumed in what he was doing. From his position everything around him seemed to bend to his will, contouring around the man to such an extent that he wondered if it would actually be possible for him to create a massive rift in the lake from his sheer speed and power alone. It would certainly be a technique worth investing in and an idea to note for a later time.

Within a matter of a minute or two he had crossed the lake, emerging at the other side for just a moment before planting his feet and spinning to return to the waters for another lap. He noticed that emerging from the water itself had lost him a great deal of momentum as well as creating a sense of discomfort from the rapid shift in elevation and pressure, though his body was far more hardened to such changes than that of an average individual. He could withstand forces that any ordinary human would perish under. He was determined that he would now run back and forth along the deepest part of the lake, testing his speed against his own wake that followed behind him. The force behind the churning rapids that assailed him when he changed directions was immense though he planted his feet firm, bracing for a moment before charging through to continue his sprint. Even after just 2 laps he could feel the wear on himself. Though his chakra expenditure was constant it was relatively minor, instead it was the physical toll of running at his fastest pace against such harsh conditions that was truly depleting his energy. Nonetheless he pressed on, he could sense that he was on the verge of achieving something extraordinary.

In order to fully reach his potential Takeo threw the rock he was carrying aside. The unburdening of the weight itself would make little difference, what would however was the fact that he could now move his arms freely and thus run more comfortably and with greater efficiency. Chakra hummed throughout his body; his legs and feet, his mouth, chest and even his eyes. Swinging his arms in time with his strides he felt his pace quicken to such an extent that the water seemed to begin parting in front of him, only a few inches at first though as he neared the end of the flat stretch of ground he noticed a momentary pressure bubble being formed, lowering resistance suddenly as the water flared out around him, contouring around the vicinity of his body. His legs burned with every stride and once again he found his limits being pushed to the brink. Above him the waves grew more chaotic, now rising up to 10ft in the air before crashing against the surrounding shores. Speed had never exactly been Takeo’s forte though he could now feel himself edging closer to the superhuman speeds of the likes of his comrade Yoru and the dreaded blur that was Yaku.

At this rate he began to doubt whether or not he would be able to stop outright and turn around, even with his endurance the following pressure wave created in his wake would surely send him careening into the rock-face where the water dropped off. Rather than abandon his momentum and pose such a risk to himself he opted to adjust the course of his path, angling to the left in a wide arc to turn himself around. The lake was relatively wide, about 2 kilometers at the point in which Takeo was at. This gave him plenty of space to make his arcing turn, completing a large circle before backtracking roughly in line with his original path. The current behind him swirled and collided, forming a slight whirlpool that spiraled and dipped about 15ft at its center with the surrounding waters churning arounds forcefully. Of course Takeo was unable to witness the full extent of his effect on the surroundings, his goal-set was singular and determined. To continue to push the limits of his body and draw out every ounce of his potential. If the water were not there to cool him he would be sweating profusely, his legs burned and ached in a familiar sensation and his breathing was elevated and strained. The faster he moved the more difficult it seemed to be to maintain his rebreathing technique, made even more difficult due to the fact that at the precipice of his velocity the water around him was forced away, the space between him and the water being a pressure wave of extremely low oxygen content. As he began his fifth lap he realized that finally he was nearing his limit, he had certainly increased his speed; he could feel it in the force of the water that bashed against him at every turn.

He wondered just how fast he would be above water, though that would be a test for another day. The man was thoroughly exhausted, everything he had left he was forcing into the final lap. Even with the resistance of the water he moved in a blur, his arms shifting back and forth with enough momentum to create currents strong enough dislodge large rocks and driftwood and send them careening behind him. His feet impacted the lake floor, compressing the ground beneath him and even indenting certain segments of stone. In fact throughout the course of his training he had done quite the number on the lake, an afterthought that he would have to remedy somehow. The waters had gone from clear to murky and high in sedimentation. Even with a chakra coating protecting his eyes he could no longer see clearly in front of him. Fortunately by this point in time he had a precise accounting of how long each lap took. Granting him with some judgment of how far he had left to go. As he neared the end of the stretch Takeo gradually slowed down before simply allowing the current to carry him the rest of the way, a distance of several hundred feet. The slope of decent was more gradual on this end of the lake, allowing him to carry to the current all the way up to the shore, he made a few minor adjustments, keeping himself from scraping against rocky areas before finally ascending to be pushed ashore by a large wave.

The man gasped loudly as he pulled himself several feet further inland before collapsing and allowing himself a short rest. It was already late in the afternoon, though even so enough sun remained to warm him, allowing him to bask and gradually dry. Soon he would set to making a shelter and another fire as he prepared himself for the coming night. He had done enough training for the day and would resume again tomorrow after a much deserved rest.