I Wanna Be The Very Best [Zakuro's Trainings]

[Rain21199]

The weight of Zakuro's sword felt odd, almost unfamiliar in his hand. It was something he recieved, but never used. Today, that was going to change. He had been given a box that contained various kenjutsu scrolls for him to study from. He had already read through them, memorizing their contents to the last detail in order to perfect their styles. Now all he had to do was practice until he got them down. As a true prodigy in the art of taijutsu, this was something that would not be difficult. He could master techniques in an instant, as he recently showed Yoru, the man who taught him Flawless Aim.

Zakuro had no real training plan in place, so he simply started from the top of the scroll and worked his way down. The first technique, Stream Splitting, for the scroll of Shinden was a very simple yet powerful attack meant to descimate anyone caught in the crossfire. Zakuro moved over to a nearby tree. It would serve as a good enough target. In fact, it would probably be harder to slice through than a person, making it perfect practice. The Chuunin wrapped his hands around the hilt of the weapon. He slowly lifted the blade above his head, feeling it's intense weight. It was bulky and slow in his hands now, but in a few short hours, he would hone his skills in order to make this tool one that causes destruction across the battlefield. He didn't just want to beat his opponents. He wanted to decimate them.

Zakuro's muscles bulged as he tensed his entire body. With intense speed and precision, Zakuro swung down at the tree. Anyone a mile away would be able to hear the sound of metal clashing with ancient oak. It sounded like an explosion, a sound all too familiar in this world of shinobi. As the sword cleaved down through the wood, Zakuro made sure to quickly push the falling tree so it wouldn't crush him or even block the training area. He did admire the absolute strength that this technique held, as Zakuro did with most things. Strength was something he always strived for, as it was what he required to defend what he cared about. His home, the grand village hidden in the leaf. A place that he would protect with his last breath. What he accomplished here on this field would merely decide whether or not he would be able to damage the ones that sought to attack his village.

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*Shinden • Stream Splitting
D-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: 10 Strength
Lifting their sword above their head the user of this technique drives it down in one fluid motion with their blade aimed to slash through or into whatever they are attacking. The force of this technique is amplified by the fact that their stance is aimed to enhance muscle tension and torque, allowing them to make the single slash a very powerful one.

[Rain21199]

Zakuro had awoken this morning before the sun had a chance to even rise above the horizon. It was still dark outside, making seeing around the field quite the challenge. He didn't mind though, as being here this early always meant peace and quite. If nobody was here to bother him, then he could focus on his practice completely. Not only that, but learning combat techniques when the only sounds were your breathing and the sound of your blade was oddly calming. It almost sent him into a trance. It was something he did every morning, whether it be honing the skills he already knew or learning new ones, Zakuro was always training. He had a need to better himself. It was actually more of an obsession at this point as it took over his life. It had been months since he actually sat down with friends or ate with anyone but himself. Being a part of the military gave him a very nice discount at local restaurants, making them a favorite spot for the budding Chuunin. Needless to say it was a boring life, and one with little companionship, but Zakuro felt it was important enough to embrace it completely.

His next technique was one that involved charging. Something that Zakuro did a lot in a fight. Perhaps too much, but hopefully with this under his belt his blind charges may become a bit more strategic. Aparently he was supposed to use his forward momentum to power the swing of his blade, but the catch was that he needed to stop swinging just short of his waist line in order to avoid knocking himself off balance. Like the other first jutsu of all the scrolls he's been given, this one seemed way too simple for him. He could easily skip to the more advanced techniques, but Zakuro understood that there was still an advantage in learning the basics.

Gripping his handle tightly again, Zakuro turned from the large stump that was once a tree and began to sprint towards the other side of the field. Once he reached the other end of the clearing and towards another tree, he quickly swung his sword, slicing it in two. However, the Chuunin didn't stop there. No, he knocked the tree to the side with the flat of his blade and continued his charge. He cut down tree after tree until there was a straight line in the forest. At this rate Konoha would have to start replanting before their forest was gone.

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*Shinden • Branch Cleaver
D-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: 10 Strength
While the basic techniques of Shinden revolve around heavy slashes from standing positions this technique is about harnessing the same destructive potential while moving. Rushing at a foe quickly, the user slashes in a downward motion in order to maintain momentum. The sword is typically swung from right to left or from left to right instead of straight down, the attack usually stopping at waist level to keep from potentially stumbling. While less destructive than some Shinden techniques, it still retains utility in battles of movement.

[Rain21199]

Zakuro had planned to learn 12 separate Taijutsu from the Shinden scroll, meaning that there were 11 left for him to learn. Some of the techniques seemed useless while others were quite breath taking, however Zakuro didn't care. He loved new knowledge of Taijutsu, and in fact wanted to learn everything that was available to be learnt if it were possible. Sadly enough, there was not enough time in one's lifetime to learn everything so he would have to just stick to the jutsu in these scrolls for now. Later in life though, Zakuro planned to be a master of quite a few different styles of Taijutsu, that was a ways away though.

The Chuunin thought about this next technique and how he would go about practicing it. It was a technique focused purely on surprising the opponent. There was no actual way for Zakuro to know whether he succeeded in surprising his opponent if he didn't actually have one. This was the biggest problem with training alone. He loved being with his higher-ups, mostly because they always cast their wisdom on him and he could hit them with all of his force and not be worried that he would break them. He tried countless times to practice with other people that happened to be at the training fields, but most of the time they would end up injured and Zakuro would end up feeling like a piece of shit. That was something he never liked to feel, nor did anyone else, other than the weirdos of the world.

The walk back to the training field was actually going to be a long one, as the Chuunin had ran quite a distance practicing the last technique. He hadn't really been paying attention to how far he was going, and as he walked through the carnage he created, Zakuro couldn't help feeling a little bad. These trees had probably stood here for a few generations at least, and now here he was chopping it down. Not just one either, but a ton.

In order to preserve the rest of the trees, Zakuro found a freshly created stump that stood around human height to perform the technique on. He started by swinging the pommel of his blade down onto the tree. Nothing really happened as it was a blunt object hitting thick wood, but when Zakuro quickly spun his weapon around, he was amazed that he sliced through the stump like it was nothing. This sword was extremely sharp from the looks of it. He was thankful that his father had it made for him, but a little sad that he didn't start using it until just now.

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*Shinden • Fake Out
D-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: 10 Strength
A technique designed to interrupt foes; the user pulls their hands up on their sword to expose more of the hilt while in typical Shinden stance. Once an opponent comes within range, the user yanks the hilt down in a smashing manner against the foe or a similar target. Afterwards, the user follows with a less damaging downward slash at a foe, making this effective for surprise purposes.

[Rain21199]

As time went by, the weight of the sword in his hands felt more and more natural and much less artificial. He very quickly adjusted to the object that he truly never used. It was a feat that made him proud of his own skill. Just like learning to throw kunai not even a month ago. He picked up on the jutsu he was taught in an instant, and he succeeded in performing them all his first try. Well... almost all of them. Either way it was an impressive feat, and one he only just realized that he could accomplish. It was as if learning Taijutsu was a part of his DNA. He highly doubted that was the case though, because he came from a long line of farmers, but that was beside the point. The fact was that everything came naturally to him. Most of the time, it was as if his body already knew what to do before he did it. Often he would find himself moving before he had time to think about the situation. This was something that was extremely advantageous when he didn't have time to think, only to react. Most of the time his body reacted in a way that suited the situation, but every once in a while it messed up. With enough training, Zakuro could overcome that problem.

This next attack was a mixture between an offensive and defensive technique. It involved thrusting and then following that up with a single slash. It seemed extremely simple and truly anyone that could carry a sword should be able to pull it off, but this technique took those basic attacks and turned it into a calculated assault. Something that Zakuro would no doubt use to save his ass at some point. Instead of the normal Shinden position, this one had the user holding their weapon at their waist, so Zakuro changed his positioning. It was convenient that he was strong enough to freely move this massive weapon around at ease. Once his arms were in position, he quickly turned to another stump, thrusted his weapon into its bark, pulled the weapon free and sliced it in half. All of these techniques really did work on these trees, which meant that if a person was caught in them, it would be game over. Keeping a fight short and simply was how one stayed alive in the real world after all.

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*Shinden • Grass Cutter
D-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: 10 Strength
With a stance shift, the user quickly draws their weapon to their waist with the blade facing away from their body. The user then delivers a quick and brutal horizontal thrust forward, followed by a slice, inspiring its name by cutting down unwary opponents. The technique is defensive in nature, allowing the user to guard with the intent to counter.

[Rain21199]

Zakuro took a few minutes after this last technique to actually catch his breath. Unlike past techniques that he's learned, swinging this massive sword around ober and over ahain was one hell of a work out. His body could handle going on without a problem, but honestly he was in no rush so there wasn't a real point in pushing himself. After all today was as much a day to rest from constant body conditioning as it was one for training additional jutsu. As much as he'd love not to, his body needed rest from the constant strain he put it under. Now, some wouldn't constitute training new jutsu as rest, but compared to his daily routine, it really was.

Taijutsu stances were very interesting. Some of them were simply movements of the user's body. They position themselves in a way that was beneficial to the style they are using. However, some required one to completely change their mindset. These were by far the more advanced techniques in the world of Taijutsu. Not only did it require physical training, but loads of mental training on top of it due to the fact that the user is going to have to jump into that mindset in a moment's notice. Zakuro didn't have any of these mind changing stances in his repertoire, and although that was likely to change, it wouldn't today.

The name of this stance was Form Improvement, and, like its name implied, its aim was to add structure to the user's attacks. Zakuro started by lifting his sword to his face, holding the weapon straight up with a firm grip. At first it was difficult to keep the weapon balanced in his hands in this stance, but his body eventually adjusted. He read that it was supposed to help the user recover from attacks at a much greater speed, allowing for quick counters and a strong defense, an aspect that Zakuro always needed to work on. His defensive ability was shoddy at best.

As Zakuro began to feel more and more comfortable in his new position, he decided to quickly perform a powerful downward slash, cutting a fallen tree that laid in front of him, in half. Then he quickly brought he hands back into their original position. It worked nicely, and was bound to increase the speed at which he could chain together attacks and defensive maneuvers. Like always, he was gleeful with the thought of using this in combat. He always loved testing himself and using new logic against others in a bout of combat. The only problem was that these sword techniques were not very safe to use against teamates, making him have to wait until he was up against another opponent, or risk potentially injuring or even killing a friend. Zakuro would never put someone he cared about in harms way, making sparring with his sword a definite no.

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*Shinden • Form Improvement
C-Rank Taijutsu Stance
Prerequisite: 15 Strength
The user assumes a somewhat curved stance by drawing one elbow down and bending it back so that the sword points straight up above the user with the left hand at cheek level and the right hand at eye level. This shifts the sword into pointing straight up instead of curved in any direction, allowing for firm and quick slashes and thrusts. This stance also allows the user to recover from an attack at a greater speed, preserving the user's defensive position without sacrificing the power behind their attacks.

[Rain21199]

As Zakuro looked at the pieces of trees around him, he realized just how devastating this style was. He could destroy anyone that got in his way with only a single hit, but now as he became more and more skilled in this style, he was able to do series of slashes and cuts instead of one or two. It was definitely an improvement to him to be able to use his sword as well. Not only did it give him an extra reach for fighting, but an entire new style that was completely different and versatile than his original. The Chuunin would have to adapt in combat and learn which one was superior over the other, but at the very least, Zakuro had the knowledge. All he would have to do is grow from their. It only made sense for Zakuro to learn this style first. Its focus was pure might and power. That was what his style was focused on completely. He needed to be able to destroy anything in his path and this entirely made that possible. Even after training for almost an hour now, Zakuro's body wasn't even close to fatiguing. He was just starting and he knew that he still had a few hours of training left in him before he was spent for a little bit. Of course, on a typical day, he never reached that point. This was because he would normally take a break and eat a couple of meals in between training sessions. His body was constantly needing more and more food as he burned calories like no other. Today, however, he was skipping his breakfast and lunch breaks. He wasn't going to stop until he mastered everything he wanted to learn, whether it be the powerful Shinden, or the rest of Flawless Aim, he was determined to get it all in his repertoire.

The Chuunin gripped his sword and went into the stance he had just learned. His hand raised to his face, sword raised straight into the air. Zakuro knew this technique would have its uses in a fight as it centered towards taking advantage of slower, weaker opponents, and destroying them. Zakuro started by slashing the ground beneath his feet, kicking up loads of blinding degree before slamming his shoulder into the tree stump that stood before him. It splintered into a million piece due to the pure strength of Zakuro, but it didn't hurt. He followed it up with a deep slash to the air in front of himself, but he could hear the devastating nature of the attack. If anyone was caught in the slash, they would end up losing a limb. Which, in most cases, losing a limb meant the end of the fight for all but the most hardcore shinobi. He couldn't imagine the pain of losing and arm or leg, and hoped he would never be forced to live through it.

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*Shinden • Grounding Blade
C-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: 15 Strength
The user he blade of their sword into the ground and then slashes sideways creating a fairly deep deep crater, around five inches, in the ground in front of them, kicking up a splash of rocks and dust to blind and harry foes. The user then lunges into their foe with an attempt to knock them over or slash at their legs. Foes with at least equal Strength to the user can avoid being knocked over and can maintain ground, preventing the follow-up slash.

[Rain21199]

Zakuro was as deadly of a weapon as any sword, but still, he needed this in order to become stronger. His fists were only so useful. If he ever came across another sword user, what was he going to do? Block it using his fists? No, that was not a possibility in the slightest. He needed only block one hit to get his arm chopped off and that didn't seem like a very good experience. Instead, he was going to take this awesome gift given to him by his father and use it to increase his fighting talent by a ton. He needed to do this for his family, and everyone living in konoha for that matter. He need to protect them, no matter how many days he wasted in this field, training day after day, hour after hour. It was as if his life was dedicated to one thing and one thing only. The defense of the village and everyone inside. The only problem with this was that threats didn't come every day, yet his trip with Fanho had proven there where people out there who wanted to hurt the people of the village without even needing to enter. Maybe he was taking the wrong approach to this whole thing. Instead of waiting for someone to come and attack, he might have to go out and find the future threats of the world and snuff them out before it's too late. In order to do that though, Zakuro would need to rank up past Chuunin. That in itself was a feat not done by many shinobi. Chuunin was usually the stopping rank for most, making Sp. Jounin and normal Jounin rarer and revered. Especially Jounin in that matter. Select few had the pleasure of going past that and obtaining the rank of Bannin. It was an honor to be in the presence of those crowned the best of the best. Zakuro knew only a few people who were Bannin and he had the distinct pleasure of training with two of them. Yoru and Takeo. Of course he didn't learn about their rank until a little ways after, but still, he never realized how honored he was that they would take time out of their days to teach a thing or two to Zakuro. He was blessed to be living in the Leaf. It was a village that gave him a purpose, and he would take that and go miles with it.

That being said, Zakuro tried to recall the contents of the scroll as well as he could. This next attack was supposed to be a jumping attack. This was useful if they had no stable ground to stand on, like the top of a mountain or even a marsh. Zakuro started by leaping high into the air. Zakuro's immense strength meant that he could go quite a distance in the air. His body fell towards the ground. Using his falling momentum, Zakuro slashed his sword into the ground, cleaving a huge scar into the grass below. This was bound to catch his opponents off guard and most importantly, deal some series damage.

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*Shinden • Aerial Saw
C-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: 15 Strength
Leaping up off the ground in any Shinden stance, the user draws their blade down and creates a powerful overhead slash which doubles as a defensive movement, the user capable of moving the sword to displace weight and momentum to change direction if needed. With this technique, the user can also form heavy slashes on uneven or unstable terrain without dependency on solid ground.

[Rain21199]

As dawn slowly transformed into morning, a single drop of sweat began working its way down Zakuro's face. He knew that he still had to keep going, even though the heat of the earth was slowly going to be rising, and included in that was his level of sweat. It was something he had to deal with on a daily basis, but sadly enough for him, he didn't bring any water with. Today, he was going to have to suffer. It was a very bad time for him, but in the end, it was going to be worth it. He wasn't going to lose against anyone in a fight. He was going to have more tricks up his sleeve than just running in a and punch. He was bound and determined to go in and get it. He needed to be. It was something important to him that he was the best in village at Taijutsu. Even though that wasn't true, he was still the strongest out of all of his friends and peers, even though after their last encounter, Taiga seemed to be at the advantage between the two. It didn't matter because now, Zakuro was going to be able to fight off against anyone who challenged him, even if he couldn't hit Taiga, he would still make the man sweat as he tried to dodge and make Zakuro go through all of his attacks. Zakuro was very skilled in Taijutsu, and putting more jutsu in his brain would make him even more capable. It was something that the Chuunin needed to become strong, after all strength was of the essence.

This next jutsu that Zakuro was learning seemed to be the most energy wasting of them all so far. Zakuro needed to swing his arm around in a flurry in order to create a large defense around himself with the added bonus of scaring the crap out of anyone who got in close. He could imagine who terrifying this technique was bound to be. Zakuro knew he wouldn't want to get caught in a flurry with a sword as large as his. After all, he could kill a man with a single blow, try 10, 20 or even 30. This was something that Zakuro was happy about. It seemed weird to be happy about your ability to murder, but that is exactly what Zakruo was. Happy about how well he could kill someone. It was his job after all.

So, Zakuro started. He let his sword trail on the floor as he began to slowly move his arm. He didn't want to rush it because if he did then he would likely end up losing his balance. Instead, Zakuro decided to slowly work his way into it. He moved his arm from side to side, slowly getting faster and faster as he did so. His arm was like a blur as it flew from side to side, causing intense wind flow. He had done it.

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*Shinden • Shield of Swings
C-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: 15 Strength, 15 Taijutsu
The user will swing their blade in a seemingly wild fashion without truly aiming to connect with a target, at least not with any real accuracy. While it seems to be totally uncalculated to the untrained eye, the user is in fact swinging their weapon in such a way to protect themselves from other attacks while making their approach. By swinging the blade in large circles around their body, they create a whirlwind of strikes that not only serve to bat away blows of lesser strength, but can easily tear apart an opponent on a direct hit.

[Rain21199]

The next jutsu Zakuro was going to learn was some sort of shock wave. Zakuro had never done anything like it, and he wondered if he could even pull it off. According to the scroll, it required an immense amount of strength, which was something Zakuro really had. He was at least going to try and get it to work. If he couldn't, oh well, at least he worked to it. The man knew that he would need to cause all of his muscle tension to explode into one movement in order to create a giant shockwave that was sent forward from his blade. It was no easy task, but Zakuro had faith in himself. He knew that he could do it if he tried. He could.

The Chuunin thought back to times when he had done even more difficult things. He fought a horde of bandits with Fanho by his side. He sorta fought Takeo, one of the strongest shinobi in the village, although he was going easy on Zakuro, it had been a difficult fight. He though about his Chuunin exam. Going into it solo was one of the most terrifying things he had ever done, but he had come out a Chuunin, leaving his Genin past in his dust. This was all a long series of challenges that he had faced and won. Zakuro knew that these were easy, and he had done those without a problem. This jutsu would be the same. He couldn't help but wonder how many in the village had learned these same jutsu, or if he was the only one. If he was, then it was weird that they would have these scrolls if a lot of people didn't learn them, but at the same time it was nice because he would be using a rare style that would be likely to catch his opponent off guard and he would be able to pay homage to the people who work so hard to create the style he had been work had to perfect. It was weird to think of Zakuro as one to use a sword. He really didn't think that he would ever hold one in his hands in combat, but fists were simply not enough against all opponents, and the more tools he had at his disposal the more people he could fight and win against. That was one reason why he had that special bag made for him. He could use it to carry a ton of senbon and also to deploy them fast and easily. Zakuro knew that was a smart choice on his part, same thing with the sword fighting. Of course, he would have never thought of it if it weren't for his parents buying it for him as a gift in the first place, so he ought to be thank full to them, and in order to make them proud, Zakuro was going to do the best he could to master its use, but at the moment, he was physically not able to learn all of Shinden, as the better jutsu needed a lot more practice and strength than he was capable of mustering, he could still do this one. He was sure of it.

Zakuro tensed the muscles in his arms as he held the blade in front of him. He very quickly, but with intense power, swung his arms forward with intense power. The Chuunin then watched as the slow wave of pure power he had produced flew out of the blade. He did that. He made that thing. Not with ninjutsu, but with the power of his arms. It was truly a marvel to watch.

Zakuro had no clue as to what Taijutsu could really do, but as he learned more and more, he realized that it was much more powerful than he originally thought. It had a few ranged attacks that would be more than useful in a fight. If he could bust one of those out mid combat, Zakuro would be able to take any that fought him off guard in a moment. Even if the attack was super slow, Zakuro was still able to take advantage of them. Zakuro needed to work on his unpredictability, because at the moment, every single move he made could be read by even the most basic shinobi. If he could just get a few more tricks up his sleeve like flawless aim or that jutsu he had just learned, Zakuro would be able to do a hell of a lot more in a fight. After all, that was what he was striving for. He simply wanted to kick some ass and take some names. This wasn't only just a point of pride for Zakuro either, even though it was something he was extremely proud of, Zakuro had also needed this for his job and for the work of protection. He loved the village and he loved everyone in it.

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*Shinden • River Splitting
B-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: Shinden • Stream Splitting, 25 Strength
The user focuses an amount of muscle tension and force of a Shinden stance into a single point on the blade, usually the upper half, and then drives it down with enough force to cause a pressure backlash against everything it hits. This creates a pressure wave that flies 5 meters forward at a Speed of 7. The wave is capable of striking back water and kicking up rocks and dirt as it flies.

[Rain21199]

As the sun rose and rose into the sky, the sweat began to pour and pour down his. Zakuro wasn't one to quit easily though. He tore off his shirt revealing his perfectly toned body. He was strong alright, and constantly got glances from cute girls when he sat in the shared hot, a favorite place for him to visit and 'cool off' but he really had no time for a relationship. Even if he did, he didn't have the nerve to go talk to them. Him. A man who had killed and
slaughtered massive groups of men. It was sad but true. He couldn't build up the nerve to talk to girls to save his life. At least he didn't have to talk to his opponents, even if they were females. His fists and now sword would do the talking for him.

Zakuro's next jutsu he wanted to learn would be useful for keeping his opponents on their toes. It was one where the quickly change the direction of their blade mid swing in order to catch them off guard or confuse them. Zakuro was glad that he could add another jutsu capable of confusing an opponent to his list. It was a shame he wasn't proficient in genjutsu, because he would have a field day messing with the minds of his opponents. As Zakuro had continued contemplating the jutsu and the actual form require to pull it off, he couldn't help but turn his attention to a previous thought. Who had made these techniques anyways. Was there some old buff dude living in the mountain somewhere? If so, Zakuro would love to meet the guy and learn a thing or two about him. Zakuro was after all eager to learn from his elders as they had a lot of old knowledge to share. Zakuro was in fact a knowledge hog, and indeed hated to see old techniques die with the user. One day he planned to pass his jutsu off to someone else. That day was not near though, as Zakuro was only a student, and far from being a master. His comrades Gene and Fanho had both picked up training a few people. but it honestly wasn't something Zakuro could do at the moment. He had so much more to learn before he was actually ready to pass down his knowledge. There was no urgency to teach another his jutsu as he hoped that he wasn't going anywhere soon. He was merely 16, He would have time for a student when he was 40. For now he would be selfish and take knowledge from others while he focused on himself. His knowledge was growing though. He could easily by considered highly adept at using a sword now, when at the start of the day, he could barely hold it. Zakuro knew that in order to properly wield it, he would need a lot more that a day of training, but he could just add sword practice into his normal daily training in order to perfect himself.

Zakuro lifted his sword up. In order to create the effect he needed, not only would he need to be effective, Zakuro would also need to be fast. He had never actually needed to take a sword or any object this big for that matter, and actually flip it around in his hand. He felt sorry for his wrist as he began to perform the jutsu. As the initial slash was only a feint, Zakuro put more effort into speed than he did strength. That really seemed to be the best way to handle taking care of it. Then, as the blade came crashing down, he quickly twirled it, switching his hold on the weapon to be one where the blade is pointed backwards. The point of the change was not to make a new stance, but the change itself was meant to cut the opponent. It was something they were doubtful to expect. It would be even harder to see it coming if it were mixed in with a flurry of slashes and punches. Zakuro had to be very sure to keep that in mind as he finished up the technique. Focus on mixing these in with each other. In order to make it work they have to believe its just another hit or technique. If you make it look like something special, they'll think its something special. Do not let them know what you're thinking.

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*Shinden • Lightning Bolt
B-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: 25 Strength
A technique similar to the Fake Out technique, it can cause incredible damage for anyone caught in it. The user assumes a standard shinden stance, bringing their blade down. In mid-slash, however, the user quickly spins the sword and grips it like a dagger, switching from a slash to a quick downward thrust that can trap weapons, impale objects or skewer through most normal substances with the length of the blade.

[Rain21199]

The Chuunin set off to learn the last jutsu that he would from Shinden. This one was a lot like Form Improvement, and changed the way the user actually used the weapon, but to Zakuro's amazement, it was loads better. He needed it in order to become quicker and a lot more agile with his weapon. If he wanted to uses other styles of sword fighting with his giant blade, this is the stance that Zakuro would take. It allowed him to move the sword around like it was nothing, allowing him to slice speedy people into oblivion. Of course, Zakuro would want to do that. People that were fast were just annoying. There was nothing worse than swinging only to hit air. It was a terrible feeling and every time he did it, he wanted to kill someone. There was nothing more agitating. The last person to be faster than he was was Yoru. He wasn't only faster, but his speed was blinding. Zakuro barely saw him move. One second the man was in front of him, the next he appeared behind Zakuro. It was crazy to think about how fast that man truly was. Zakuro knew that is was likely he would never actually get to that level, but at the very least, he could try to strive for it. Zakuro needed a little extra push to force himself to carry on and comparing himself to the best of the best was the only way he could do it. Zakuro needed the push. He needed to gain in strength. He needed to become as strong as possible, but he couldn't do that if he quit. He couldn't do that if he just gave up and started sleeping in every day or just not train every morning. Somehow Zakuro had been slipping, and Fanho and gene were far ahead of him in terms of strength. Hell, Fanho already rank up and Gene was ready for a promotion too. The only one who wasn't was Zakuro. It made their upcoming spar even scarier as he knew that they outclassed him. It was for this reason that Zakuro pushed himself to the limit during his more recent trainings. His body was used to the pressure, so it wasn't like he was going to wear himself out by the time of the duel, but he was likely to make himself strong enough to face against them. He hoped that Zakuro learning flawless aim was going to come as enough of a surprise to them. That and a few more tricks he planned to learn and he might be able to go toe to toe with the group.

Zakuro knew that with each jutsu he learned he got that much stronger. One more variation that he could use against his opponent. One more thing that he could do that they hadn't seen before. If Zakuro was forced to use the same jutsu twice in one fight, you know that they would catch onto it. They would easily counter it, so he was going to have to build a large enough grouping of jutsu to make sure that just never happened. Zakuro was one to lose sight of what training was all about. Focusing too much on his physical body and how making that stronger would help him, but not enough on what he actually knew and how he would use that to his advantage. Zakuro took his trainings to the extreme and this was nothing different. If here were to make any changes to how he took training, then he would fall behind even further. He didn't care that he was starting to feel slow and tired. He wasn't going to stop. Never. He was determined as all hell to learn multiple multiple styles by the time the sun set, and by hell he was going to do it. Zakuro looked down at the ground before focusing on the weight of his sword. He found it hard to believe that soon he would be able to wield this thing as deftly as a katana, but after all, he would get there. Zakuro needed to be able to use this sword as fast as his fists for it to be an advantage in the slightest for him. Sure it would have an extra range, but if it never hit anything, what was the point? Zakuro really needed for it to be used with expertise, and now that he had the sword in his hands and was training it for over an hour, Zakuro could say that expertise was met.

The Chuunin grabbed the swords handle tightly, and maneuvered it just as the scroll said. He knew that he had to move it in a certain way with his wrists in order to make it very deft and fast. The chuunin swung it and sung it over and over. He had nothing in his mind but how fast he could go. He started to move faster and faster, swinging the blade over and over. Every time he swung it, the sword was easier and easier to control. Zakuro felt the blade get lighter and lighter as well. It wasn't physically, but in his mind, the weight of the blade became easier to deal with. It wasn't just something he could quickly swing normally, but it was something that he had the knowledge to know do. He wouldn't consider himself an expert as using his weapon, but he really was someone who could use it with ease. When Zakuro had finished swinging the weapon, there was no doubt that his control over it had grown significantly.

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*Shinden • Titan's Grip
B-Rank Taijutsu Stance
Prerequisite: Shinden • Form Improvement, 25 strength, 25 Taijutsu
A stronger version of the Form Improvement technique, a user of this stance is capable of using their oversized weapon with such ease that the usual encumbrance of such large weapons are as if nothing to them. This allows a Shinden user to use their weapon with the same speed and control as a smaller, more easily controlled weapon, such as a ninjato or katana. The benefits of this are incredibly useful, as this allows a Shinden user to attack with incredible speed and accuracy without sacrificing their power, as well as block efficiently between blows.

[Rain21199]

After taking Shinden as far as he could, normal people would call it a day and take break there. Zakuro was no ordinary person however. He remained ever vigilant and determined to carry on. He needed to skilled enough to face Gene and Fanho in their upcoming spar. If not then he would just humiliate himself. The two of them were already leagues above him in terms of strength. He might not be able to close the gap between them in this short time, but he could at least lessen it to be able to hold his own. It had saddened Zakuro greatly when he found out how far he had been outclassed by his friends. There was a time when he was the strongest of the three, but that has been long over with. Now he was slow and weak. Gene was a master at ninjutsu as well as taijutsu, but still the man was faster and stronger than Zakuro. It was depressing to say the least.

However, instead of letting those facts crush his spirit and keep him from advancing in life, Zakuro embraced them. He let them fuel his need for more strength. He let those thoughts circle around his head as he sweat and panted in the hot, rising sun. His body was his weapon, and he would tune it to perfection. Zakuro set his sword down and began his first jutsu in Totem Style. It was a stance simulating the movements of a cobra. Fast and precise hits in order to destroy your foe. Zakuro could always make out the benefit of using these techniques. The benefit of this one was definitely the awkwardness of the attack patterns and the precision of the attacks. It was almost similar to Juuken, the fighting style of the Hyuuga in a way. The attacked precisely and with two fingers in order to hit pressure points. This performs the same, but it uses the whole hand to increase the surface area and allow more power to each strike.

Concentrating, Zakuro slowly moved his hand into a cone-like shape. He focused his mind on maintaining accuracy with every hit, and gracefully moved around. The trick to Totem style was to summon your inner animal. Zakuro tried to do that. He felt the slithering snake overwhelm his being, allowing him to enter a sort of trance. He didn't have to think about his precision. He could just do it. He knew he could because he felt the change in himself.

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*[Totem Style • Cobra's Strikes]
D-Ranked Taijutsu Stance
The user folds their hands over where the thumb and fingers make a cone-like point. Their defenses consist of dips and sways to dodge attacks. Their offenses are focused on pin point application of pressure using these points and lightning quick strikes.

[Rain21199]

With every step Zakuro took, he knew that he had untapped power in his body, waiting to be released. He knew that he was constantly growing bigger and stronger, but lately he stopped. It was as if his body didn't want to grow anymore so it simply didn't. Zakuro needed to continue. He had to, but maybe, just maybe this is why some people stop advancing when they hit Chuunin. Maybe they just couldn't become strong enough to become a Jounin. Maybe because Zakuro didn't have shinobi parents, he wasn't going to be able to surpass Fanho and Gene. They might just keep advancing, and Zakuro will stay right where he's at. It was a complete possibility, but one that Zakuro didn't want to have to face. No, he would face it head on. He was going to get better. It didn't matter if his body wanted to advance of not, he would get there. He would become stronger.

Zakuro constantly doubted himself. It didn't seem like a health thing, but every time he did it, he always bounced back with even more fire in his eyes. Anyone that knew the man would be able to tell that he didn't give up easily, and every opponent that outclassed him in a fight knew this better than anyone. Even against the top level shinobi Takeo, Zakuro didn't quit. The man beat him to a pulp and still Zakuro kept coming at him until he could barely move. Zakuro had to limp himself to the infirmary after, but he was proud of himself. He was proud that he was strong. Of course, knowing when to quit was another strength that a shinobi could learn, but Zakuro had ignored that completely. Either he was going to kill his opponent or his opponent was going to kill him. There would be no middle ground. No safe zone where people come out unhurt. No, this was a game of life and death. There was no second place. Only winners and losers, and Zakuro was no loser. It wouldn't be long before he became a Chuunin and signed up for his first missing ninja hunting mission.

He knew that this style would help fight others as it carried a lot of diversity in its techniques. The next one Zakuro was going to learn truly fit his fighting style. It was called Bear's Endurance and required Zakuro to maintain a rigid frame while using brute strength. Zakuro spread his legs slightly, making them a bit further than shoulder width apart. He tensed his muscles and let the power flow through his body. He was ready to attack.

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*[Totem Style • Bear's Endurance]
D-Ranked Taijutsu Stance
The user takes a stable stance with their arms wide and their legs slightly past their shoulders. They are turned slightly so either shoulder is facing their opponent. This stance emphasizes powerful sweeping blows that are designed to break bones and cause great damage. Defense is resilience and forcing through to cause your own strikes to land through theirs.

[Rain21199]

Zakuro thought that the writing on the scrolls about being controlled by animal spirits and letting them use your body as a vessel for their power was a load of crap written by some ancient crazy guy who thought he talked to animals when he first read it, but as he started to learn these stances, and actually preform them, he felt, off... It was weird, he was still himself, and he still had control, but he felt different. It was hard to put a description on how he felt, but it wasn't going to deter him. He read through the entire scroll and he knew that the advantages of mastering this style were worth this uneasy feeling he was getting. Summoning flames with only your hands, after all, was quite an amazing feat. Zakuro would easily give an eye up to be able to do that, so this was barely a set back.

The Chuunin, wanted to continue walking around filled with the brute strength of a bear, but he had to move on. The next stance flowed with the power of a tiger. It was one of the strongest predators known to man, and something that Zakuro would not want to face in combat, yet here he would become one with the animal, or so the scroll described it as. Zakuro took a deep breath and snapped out of his bear stance. He was ready. Sinking down low, the Chuunin felt something take over him. He felt aggressive, hungry, and most of all, like he needed to hunt. His first instinct was to scan the surrounding area for food, but he stopped himself. He wasn't some sort of wild animal. What was wrong with him?

Zakuro's hands were raised, but as he moved around the battlefield, it felt natural to weave back and forth. He wanted to pounce. Attack. Maim. Kill. If only he had a target. No, not a target. Prey.

Zakuro didn't really walk. It was more akin to a smooth, sly movement around the place. Ever foot he placed flowed into the next. It was as if all of his movements were fluid. Zakuro moved over to a nearby tree, and began to attack it. He rapidly punched, elbowed, and clawed the bark. It was a swarm of attacks that would make any opponent stumble around as they failed to defend against it. Zakuro was a predator.

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*[Totem Style • Tiger's Hunt]
D-Ranked Taijutsu Stance
The user's stance is low and focused on fluidity. They advance with each attack given or received, dodging to the left or right rapidly but always closing the gap. Once closed they attack with rapid, if unaimed, strikes focused on overwhelming their opponent.

[Rain21199]

As he pranced around the field, he could feel the spirit of the tiger occupy his body. He could feel it filling every part of his being, and as he learned more and more techniques, Zakuro knew that he would become more in-tuned to these spirits and would feel their presence more. Zakuro already wanted to rip the head off of someone like some sort of savage. He was just glad the next stance was something a bit more docile. It was a turtle. Turtles were nice. Hopefully he would be too. He thought of the characteristics of a turtle. They adapted to survive by not becoming a fierce predator, but by being impenetrable defensive walls. Zakuro would have to do the same. Instead of going in for the kill, he would have to stand his ground, take a beating, and wear down his opponent that way. As Takeo told him, he had to work on his defense. This should help with that.

Zakuro began to tighten his muscles, turning them into stone. He knew that he was able to take a considerable amount of damage, but the was only going to expand on that in this stance. He moved slowly and carefully towards the trees to his right. He faced them head on as he paid very close attention to all of his surroundings. The Chuunin almost felt a tinge of fear in his body. It wasn't the bad, paralyzing fear that makes one act up in combat. No, it was the type of fear that was good. It kept him on alert and made his mind focus on the dangers around him. Again, he could tell this would be another advantage to the stance. Zakuro was glad the academy teacher had turned him to this scroll. It would lead him to a very powerful style.

Zakuro had accomplished the four animal stances of totem style. By the end of this first step of learning this powerful style of taijutsu, Zakuro had discovered the presence of the animal spirits. They didn't possess his body, but they guided his hand. He also noticed that they felt like his equals, unlike other spirits that wanted nothing but to be worshiped and given gifts. These spirits were simply helpful and flowed within the stances he took up. It was unlike anything he had ever felt, but he was glad to be feeling it.

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*[Totem Style • Turtle's Shell]
D-Ranked Taijutsu Stance
This stance is focused on resilient defenses at the sacrifice of nearly all offensive ability. The user holds their hands open and their body perpendicular to their target. They use their strongest points to absorb incoming damage, protecting their core. Often they will grab or redirect attacks to simulate them sliding off a turtle's shell.

[Rain21199]

Zakuro was starting to get the hang of these jutsu. He was getting into nth mindset that the style required. Every single style required that you entered the mindset of the attacking style or the defensive style. This one however was a bit different. Zakuro had to enter the mind of a wild beast in order to keep maintaining the jutsu. It wasn't just one beat. It was multiple. Zakuro had to keep going from animal to animal in order to keep going as fast and powerful as possible. Zakuro needed to switch on and off which animal he wanted to be in order for the jutsu to work, and in doing so, he became a fighter unlike he ever was. He was never as defensive as when he was the turtle, never as aggressive as when he was the tiger, never as powerful as when he was the bear. It all made him become strong. It all made him be the best he could possibly be in every situation. Zakuro was going to master this style because with the change in fighting styles so rapidly came the ability to confuse your opponent. If they can't see it coming, then Zakuro would be able to destroy them. Being able to change your outlet of attack on the fly like this was not only an amazing way to win a fight, but it also took those people who new ninjutsu and taijutsu and mixed them up mid fight and threw them out of the window. Zakuro needed this to be able to be on par with those types of fighters, which is exactly what Gene and Fanho were. He was here because of them after all. He was going to win that fight no matter what. Not only had it become a goal, but it became a need. Zakuro was either going to go in there and win, not because he was stronger or faster, but because he had more skill, or he was going to go in there and lose. Either way, he would get something out of the situation.

Zakuro's next task that he had to learn was the ability to fluid switch from one stance to the next. At the moment, the Chuunin was stuck in a stance for a while as he tried to get his mindset back to where it belonged. Zakuro focused on all of the aspects of the animals and let his mind rapidly process each one. He was training his mind to go from one to the other. It was going to take a bit of time, but by the end, Zakuro would be able to do it with the most intense proficiency. Zakuro was after all very good at this already, he would just become an expert at it by the time he finished learning. Punching the air was a sad way to train, but he wasn't a teacher, and therefor he had very little access to training equipment, but he did needed to make the most out it. He started in Tiger and attacked the air rapidly. Mid thrust, he changed. He was no longer aggressive but instead he was cunning. He watched as his hands natural formed into a point and let out a single, powerful thrust into an area. Good, he changed in an instant.

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*[Totem Style • One With All]
C-Ranked Taijutsu Discipline
The user focuses on their animal spirits and drops into a pseudo-meditative state. They focus their mind against goading and unnecessary internal distraction. While like this they have a lessened sense of self, seeing themselves as a vessel through which the animal spirits flow. However, they are more capable of switching between their stances with absolute fluidity, often doing so mid action.

[Rain21199]

The next jutsu in the scroll was one called balance. It would help the user determine which stance to use at which time, giving Zakuro an advantage over any situation. Not only will this stance give Zakuro the ability to decide which totem style stance to switch to, but it also includes all of his other stances as well. This one stance could put Zakuro a step above his opponent, even when they overpower him. Of course, there were a few things that would make learning this stance difficult. Those were, clearing his mind, but also absorbing information from his surroundings and using that information to make a decision. It was no easy task, that much was for sure.

Zakuro started by putting himself into the position. His hands went together as if praying, with his elbows completely parallel to the ground. He shifted his legs to be slightly wider than shoulder width apart and then he let his mind do the rest of the work. His thoughts and doubts of whether or not he could accomplish this feat slowly melted away. Suddenly his mind began to wander to different objects. He focused on a tree in the distance. The best way he could take it down was switching to his Shinden stance, chopping it down, then going bear stance to push it to the ground. Good. Let's try something else. Zakuro looked up to the sky. He saw a bird flying in the distance. Easy. Tiger stance to hop around the trees and pounce on it. What a simple solution.

Actually, Zakuro decided he wanted to challenge himself. The Chuunin switch his stance. He was now low to the ground, and began to sprint incredibly fast towards the distant sparrow. He wasn't going to kill it, but he did want to get to it, just to see how well he could. The Chuunin rapidly sprinted, and began to gain on the bird. The only problem was that it was heading to the edge of the trees and into a clearing, which would make catching it impossible. That was something that couldn't happen. He would get it. Quickly, Zakuro switched back to his balance stance, and an idea formulated in his mind. The bird was almost into the clearing, but Zakuro was actually slightly in front of it now. He drew his sword, cut down a tree at the very edge of the clearing, and as it fell, he began to run up it. The bird entered the clearing, but Zakuro was able to gain height into the field as the tree fell and he continued to go up it. Once he reached the edge of the tree, Zakuro switched to Tiger Stance and leaped. The bird, who was confused and panicked, began to flutter away, but not before Zakuro touched its wing and fell to the earth. With a thud, Zakuro hit the ground, but he made sure to roll and avoid damaging his legs. That was a success.

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*[Totem Style • Balance]
D-Ranked Taijutsu Stance
This is a neutral state that is often the start of most combat. It consists of feet spread shoulder width and arms held in a prayer-like position. They focus their senses to best understand which stances will be needed, and cleanse their habits from other stances to better emulate their next one.

[Rain21199]

The next jutsu on the list is one by the name of Cobra's Bite. It can be used to turn the tides of a fight by giving the opponent injuries that can lower their ability to put up a good fight. This will be extremely useful if Zakuro were to be up against someone of a higher skill level. It could turn the tides of the fight in his favor, and may even win him the fight in the long run. With every jutsu Zakuro learned, he gained another advantage. He learned one more thing that he could use to destroy anyone that he faced. Now, he wasn't looking to destroy Gene and Fanho, but he did want them to see that Zakuro was still someone not to be messed with. He had been in the shadow of those two for as long as he could remember. They were promoted before Zakuro, and now Fanho was promoted again to Special Jounin. It was only a matter of time before Gene joined that rank as well. Zakuro's next promotion was a ways away, so this fight meant a lot to him. If he could hold his own against two superior opponents, it might prove a thing or two to the village that maybe he was well on his way to a rank up as well. He needed to be on par with his teammates again. Hell, Taiga even surpassed him in strength. That was something Zakuro hadn't been expecting at all. That's what made him decide to train as hard as he did. He didn't want to be known as the guy that fell behind while the others went to greatness. He wanted to be up there with them. He wanted to be strong. He wanted to have his name known instead of being another number in Konoha's army.

Zakuro started off in Cobra Stance. His hands raised as he pictured a man in front of him. He imagined his attack. Throat, shoulder, collarbone. He was to disable the person and put them in pain, giving himself the upper hand. Usually training jutsu like this required a partner, but Zakuro preferred to be alone while he trained, not to mention the fact that he didn't want to hurt anyone just for the sake of learning something new. Zakuro took a deep breath and his body struck out. He delivered quick jabs to the fake opponent that he imagined in front of himself. Throat, collarbone, shoulder. Over and over again, Zakuro struck. His hands moved in a blur as he constantly struck, mixing the order up as to not be predictable. He had never experienced it, but from what he heard, breaking you collarbone is one of the most painful bones to break. He hoped he would never have to deal with that pain. He was a tough guy though, so even if he did, he knew he would fight through it.

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*[Totem Style • Cobra's Bite]
C-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: *[Totem Style • Cobra's Strikes]
The user makes a string of rapid attacks aimed at the collarbone, throat, and shoulder. They focus more on speed than power, causing each attack to be slightly weak but still damaging and very draining. If the user has more strength than their opponent the collarbone will be broken, the shoulder severely bruised and difficult to move, and they will have trouble breathing.

[Rain21199]

The sun still hung high in the sky, filling the day with heat, humidity, and light. Zakuro was sweating his ass off, but he was still full of energy. Maybe the idea of winning the spar motivated him, maybe he was just a badass. He didn't know. He did, however, know that he wasn't planning on slowing down anytime soon. Zakuro walked over to where he placed a canteen of water. He drank a large amount of it, and set it back down. Hydration was of course, key to good blood flow. In order to keep going at this speed, Zakuro would need to stay nice and filled with water.

The next jutsu on the scroll was one that Zakuro was going to like. It used raw force to pick up his opponent and slam them on the ground. Nice and forward. There was no thought involved, just pure strength and damage. It was definitely Zakuro's favorite way of operating. The Chuunin let himself enter Bear Stance, and felt the wave of power flow into him as he did. It was a great feeling. The way these stances changed his physiology, and the way his body wanted to act. He loved it dearly. He knew that picking up this style was a great decision. He was already in love, and he knew that it had a lot more to offer as well. Zakuro was going to test this jutsu on a tree. He probably wasn't strong enough to pull it out of the ground, but he would see if he could. It was a test of strength. One that would push him to his limits. Something that he loved doing.

The Chuunin wandered over to one of the trees nearby. He wrapped his massive arms around it, found a few places to hold on to, and felt his arms begin to bulge and struggle as he tried to lift it. The thing didn't budge. It was cemented into the ground, but that wasn't going to stop Zakuro. He pulled and pulled, using all of his might. The veins in his arms began bulge, and his muscles were crying for help. It was around this time that Zakuro thought about quitting. He was actually in pain, but then, he heard something. A loud crack resounded from underneath him. He must've torn one of the roots. The tree suddenly shifted. Here we go! It was far from being pulled out, but that gave Zakuro all the motivation that he needed. The Chuunin continued to use all of his might to lift the hulking piece of wood out of the ground. One by one, Zakuro heard the roots giving away to his might and tearing apart. Slowly, the tree began to lift out of the ground, until eventually, Zakuro heard the last of the roots snap. He lifted the tree above his head and threw it to the ground. It definitely wasn't a massive tree, but it still was big. Zakuro's arms screamed in pain, but he didn't care. All that mattered was he accomplished a feat like that. It was impressive, even to himself.

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*[Totem Style • Bear's Slam]
C-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: *Totem Style • Bear's Endurance
The user charges forward in a surge of speed for momentum. When able they will bring both arms around in powerful slams to either side of their target's body. From here they will lift them up over their head before coming back down in a powerful slam against the ground. If done right their opponent will most likely have broken ribs and a shattered spine or skull.

[Rain21199]

Zakuro needed to take a breather after that one. He sat down on the newly fallen tree and breathed in and out, letting his body recover. He used a lot more energy with that last one than he would have liked. In fact, Zakuro was almost spent now, as opposed to his ready to kick ass attitude a few minutes prior. Now the sun seemed to be his enemy instead of a beacon of hope and light. Still, Zakuro was determined to learn the jutsu on every scroll he brought in order to win the upcoming fight. If he had the ability to use all of these jutsu, there would be no way he could lose. That was, unless the two he was fighting had just as much training under their belt, but seeing as how training was Zakuro's entire life, he doubted that was the case. He had a few weeks to learn and master as many jutsu as possible, and right now he was pushing himself to his breaking point in order to get all of these jutsu down. That didn't matter to him though. If he had to break himself in the process, Zakuro would continue to fight his way to the top. There was no denying that he fell short. His trainings had not been intense enough to keep up with the others, but now, now he knew that he would keep up.

The next jutsu used Tiger style. By far it was the most aggressive. One had to put everything on the line in order to attack in this style, but the decimation that followed when one broke through and attacked seemed to be well worth it. Zakuro was excited for this next one. It was basically mauling his target in order to defeat them. That was something that seemed oddly gruesome, but fun to the boy. He couldn't tell if that was normal for a shinobi to love the thought of destroy his enemy or if he was just crazy. It didn't matter to Zakuro though. Whatever it took to be strong, he would do.

Zakuro got down low. He was supposed to charge at an opponent, knock him down, and maul them. Without a partner, it was hard to practice it, so instead, the Chuunin was just going to go through the movements, and hope that would be enough for combat. He started by sprinting at full speed. He moved from left to right in order to avoid attacks. He closed the gap between where he started and where he wanted to stop in a matter of moments. Then Zakuro jumped into the air, making sure he would be putting his full weight on anything that would be below him. It was awkward without a person or a training dummy, but he didn't have easy access to those since he wasn't high ranking or a sensei, so he did what he could. The movements seemed to work nicely. Zakuro had no doubts he would be able to recreate those movements in a real fight.

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*[Totem Style • Tiger's Pounce]
C-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: *Totem Style • Tiger's Hunt
The user makes a full sprint at their target, using their legs to rapidly move to the left or right of any incoming attacks. Once there they will leap at them with full force, aiming to place themselves on top of their opponent, using their body to push them down. If this works they will unleash a flurry of strikes to take full advantage of the situation and end the fight quickly.

[Rain21199]

This last one was defensive. That was the biggest hole in Zakuro's fighting style. He had barely any defense, so with every defensive jutsu he learned, it was another step in making his fighting style perfect. He felt the strength in his body slowly returning to him, which was nice. Luckily, this next jutsu wouldn't require him to use any of his strength. It was simply used to push aside attacks. Something, that with practice, Zakuro should be able to do with ease with this new technique. Now, the Chuunin wanted to listen to what Takeo told him. Defense was key. Zakuro had the offense part down, but his defense was subpar. After seeing Takeo use that rock skin jutsu, it really made Zakuro jealous that he had no skill in anything other than Taijutsu. He could become nearly invincible if his body could withstand attack after attack without so much as a scratch. Now, this jutsu would allow him to avoid attacks altogether, which was just as good as being able to block it with his flesh. Of course, if one were to put the two together, it would make an unstoppable defense. Maybe Zakuro would look into it, but for now, he was just going to focus on the task at hand.

The Chuunin put his body into turtle stance, and focused on what he had to do. He started with just imagining attacks were coming at him, and slowly he began to block and deflect hit after hit. It was still lame without a partner, but it could be worse. After that, he began to ramp up the speed slightly. As time went by, Zakuro went faster and faster. If he were to do this jutsu in combat, he would have to use the full extent of his body's speed in order to block attacks from equally skilled opponents. The real deal would be much different than this imaginary combat, so somewhere down the line, he would have to find someone to practice with. Possible a Jounin with a more skill than Zakuro, that way he wouldn't have to be worried about hurting the guy while also pushing himself to his limits.

Zakuro began to ramp up the pace of his movements more and more until eventually, he was going at his full speed. The Chuunin's arms were flying about, pushing away fake attack after fake attack. Once again, he could feel himself slowing down, but he wasn't stopping. He would just have to push through it. By the time he was done today, Zakuro would be a master of everything Konoha had to offer that he had the skill to learn. He was sure of it. Nothing would stop him.

Zakuro stopped the jutsu and took a breather. He was going to start taking small breaks after every jutsu now. That much was apparent. As long as he could keep going and training, Zakuro would be satisfied.

Jutsu TrainedShow

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*[Totem Style • Turtle's Iron Wall]
C-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: *[Totem Style • Turtle's Shell]
The user will use their open hands and forearms to slow the momentum of incoming physical attacks. They will then angle and push against to force the attack behind them and away. While not complex, this nearly negates all damage from physical attacks that aren't pierce of slash based.

[Rain21199]

As he went down the list of jutsu he set out to learn, each one had gotten more and more complex. More and more tiring. He knew it would be but a matter of moments before he had to stop, but there was still a good number of things he wanted to learn. He had to. He was so far behind the others and this was the only thing he could do to catch up. Zakuro sat on the grass laden forest floor. Each breath he took began to fill him with more energy and determination than the last. If he were to beat Fanho, Gene, or Taiga, he would have to step up his game big time. There was no denying it. He had fallen behind despite his greatest efforts. Regardless of the fact that Zakuro tried his hardest to become strong, their were already leagues above him. His best would just have to be better.

Reading over the manuscript one more time before he began, Zakuro noticed that this technique was raw strength. To pick someone up and flail them around like they were nothing would easily tire Zakuro out more than he would ever imagine. Zakuro had some good endurance in him and was decently strong, but this was pushing it. At least the technique was simple in its execution. All it would take is a few movements and then a whole lot of flailing like some over grown baby throwing a tantrum. Right down Zakuro's ally honestly. He didn't have a problem with this one, but looking ahead, there might be issues to come with the follow jutsu. Especially the phoenix ones. Those didn't even seem possible to the Chuunin, but he would attempt it none the less.

The blond wonder got up and dusted himself off. Looking around, he decided to use another log as his target. It would be awkward since he'd have to grab onto some branches to pull the jutsu off, but he'd just work around that. Taking a deep breath, Zakuro approached the log, lying helplessly on the forest floor. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the non-sentient log. He had already cut it down, now he was about to abuse its corpse. Zakuro grabbed two of its limbs and attempted to heave it up over his head. With every inch it lifted, his breath became more rapid and shaky. He was running to the end of his fuse already, but the kid was determined. Slowly but surely, the log was in the air. Zakuro then proceeded to move off to his right, way too slow to actually do any damage to anything before tipping himself over on accident. That was not fun at all.

Try two apparently. 'C'mon Zakuro. Strength of the bear, strength of the bear, strength of the bear.' He lowered his shoulders, widened his legs and tried again. This time almost roaring as he picked up the tree again. It didn't feel lighter, he just felt more powerful. He still thought that the animal spirit stuff was kinda bullshit, but it helped to go along with it. If you feel like a bear, you can do bear stuff. It seemed to be working for the most part. The log was lifted over Zakuro's head. Time for this again. He threw his arms to the side again, this time much faster, but the force damn near threw him onto his ass again. A quick step with his right foot steadied himself however. Then, again with the other side. This time is was much easier. Going fast and just whipping it to the other side seemed to be the best solution to the problem of not mustering up the strength to perform the attack. Letting momentum do the work made the whole experience that much easier. Zakuro threw that log into the ground over and over again like he had some sort of vendetta against it. If someone were to walk by, they'd probably think he was some sort of weird shirtless crazy guy that was strong as all hell. He wouldn't blame them for running. Not only was it loud, but it was also intense as hell. After a few more hits, Zakuro threw the log to the side, and boy, was he tired.

SpoilerShow

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*[Totem Style • Crushing Bear's Paw]
B-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: [Totem Style - Bear's Endurance]
Requiring great strength and amazing tenacity this move can end most matches in a single stroke. By buckling down and pitting strength against strength the adept will attempt to grapple their opponent. Once achieved the will grab any of the limbs and repeatedly slam them against the environment or any terrain, often doing so with such speed and force as to forbid any real retaliation. The final slam is done by gripping an arm and a leg, leaping into the air, and sliding the grappled target beneath them mid leap. They will then come down full force with their feet firmly planted in their target's spine. Such a display is taxing and can only last for a number of posts equal to (stamina/10).

[Rain21199]

Zakuro again collapsed to the ground. The next jutsu was tiger style. It required him to relentlessly attack a target until they were no longer able to keep up and just submitted to their fate. This fighting style was tiring but by god did Zakuro like the sound of that. There was nothing better than completely overwhelming an opponent and seeing the defeat in their eyes before the fight was even over. It was incredible how a display of raw speed and power could destroy the morale of an opponent. Throw in a crazed cackle and some over the top show of strength and they're running for the hills. Damn bandits have no back bone. They steal from women and children. Throw them in the way of an actual warrior and they wet themselves. This attack will hopefully not only be a show of physical prowess but also a perfect attack for slower, more defensive opponents. It might be good for putting more offensive opponents on the defensive as well. Of course Zakuro wouldn't know until he actually sparred with someone to see the effects, but until them, he'd have to assume its uses.

This technique wouldn't require a target to practice. Hitting the air would be enough, although an actual training partner would really be helpful. Maybe next time he'll ask some poor soul to be his training buddy. It sucked to have to hurt another but things are what they are. At this point he was constantly breathing heavily. He couldn't help it anymore. Every breath was a gasp for air. His muscles were losing oxygen and they would be losing even more before the day was up. He would learn this jutsu and at least one more before he called it a night. The sun had already began to set, meaning he had been working at it for hours. This had easily been Zakuro's most productive training session thus far. It was amazing how much better he had gotten. He could train for an entire day now without stopping for more than a couple of minutes.

The Chuunin readied himself for the next step. He entered his tiger stance and filled his mind with the ferocity of a predator. He needed to kill. That was his number one objective. The death of those who challenged him. Zakuro began moving. His attacks were slow and sluggish, but he was at least attacking from multiple angles, directions, and with various body parts. That was the focus of the attack. Never let the opponent know what you were going to use next and where it was going. Zakuro saw his knees, feet, elbows, and fists fly up in front of him as his body moved on its own. He was trained as a weapon of war. In a fight you had little time to think, so you had to let your body do that for you. Zakuro didn't need to consciously decide what form of attack he would do next, his body just moved. That was the beauty of these techniques. They all flowed perfectly and just felt natural as you did them, despite being quite different from anything he had done before. Zakuro continued the onslaught for as long as he could muster. Each punch had a bit less energy, strength, and speed than the last. There was less force behind each kick, and he began to feel dizzy as he continued. He knew that these attacks were bound to eat away at his energy at unprecedented rates so he had to be careful when using them. He didn't want to collapse mid fight because he did too much in too short of a time.

Zakuro stopped and fell to his knees. 'Damn it! C'mon man, just one more. You've got this. Just one more jutsu and you can go home. Do the rest tomorrow. That's it. You've got this. YOU'VE GOT THIS!' Zakuro's face contorted into a rage as he willed himself to his feet. He was going to do it, despite what his body thought. He was Zakuro Gerudo, shinobi of the leaf and he was proud to be a taijutsu prodigy. If anyone could master any style, it would be him.

SpoilerShow

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*[Totem Style • Furious Tiger's Claw]
B-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: *[Totem Style • Tiger's Pounce]
Relying on great speed and ferocity the adept will close the distance in a series of lightning quick bounds. Once close they will unleash a flurry of attacks with little aim, but great in number. These attacks can be made with feet, head, limbs, or any other implements they might currently have. However, this assault leaves minimal to no room for a counter attack. The most powerful aspect of this assault is it's ability to be made while their opponent is on the retreat, and the seemingly impossible angles they're able to strike while still moving forward. Such a display is taxing and can only last for a number of posts equal to (stamina/10).