Eye on the Ball

[TheLacarix]

The young chunnin’s finger scratched against the wooden bed frame, his head turning to the window, the sun pouring through the window, cutting through the dust as though to be making the sunlight solid. Throwing off the quilt he pulled himself out of the bed, edging towards the window looking through it.

He looked across the farmland within Konohagakure, the Aizawa ranch was filled with farmhands who were already hard at work, picking vegetables, tending to livestock and ploughing the fields. His home was beautiful, something he’d never quite get over. His gaze fell upon the red barn, all across it was white discs with red circles painted over it, kunai and other shuriken stabbed into it. He and his brother trained their long ago, before he passed away. Little did Nobu know that his brother was alive and was becoming a thorn in Konoha’s side.

It was something he couldn’t dwell on, he had reserved a training field that morning and if were to be late, it would likely be taken by someone else. Moving over to his wardrobe, he pulled out his attire for the day and slipped it on, finishing it off with a cream coloured jacket with the Konoha Corps stamped on to it, he drifted out of his room, he elegantly moved down the stairs almost silently. Though no matter how silent he was, he couldn’t escape the ears of his ever vigilante mother.

“Nobu.” She said softly, yet there was a firmness to her voice. Not to define his mother, Nobu turned on his heels and plodded into the kitchen, her smile spread from ear to ear as she saw her son, she stroked her hand across his porcelain white cheeks “Morning sweetheart, do you have time for breakfast?” The Chunnin shook his head, she tutted in response and shook her head “You should wake up earlier, it’s not good to spend the day on an empty stomach.” Nobu nodded in agreement, though he wasn’t really listening. He wanted to focus on his training and didn’t want to lose his booking.

He was about to leave, when his mother passed him a neatly wrapped package that would have a nice bento box made up, he kissed his mum on the cheek before heading out of the door and heading to the training fields.

Sometime later he had arrived, running into no one of consequence or interest on his way. The green field was around 80x80 meters with dummies planted around in various positions, a metal chain link fence stood 3 meters around in a perfect square with a small opening, which he squeezed through.

[Bonroco]

There was a knock, soon followed by a short creak as a crack opened between the door and its frame as the portal gradually slid open – shedding a beam of light into the dark bedroom. Sound asleep on the bead in the corner of the room lay Kazuhiro – the newly anointed Genin, completely unaware of his door opening. It was a plain room, rather uniform with a bed, a small calligraphy desk, wardrobe, and basin – all that a young man could need.

“Kazuhiro, time to get up!” A shrill voice rang out. His mother was not the most subtle on the best of days, and having promised her that he would be up early for training – Kazuhiro knew he would be in for an early start, but he was not quite ready for such an abrupt alarm call. In a slight panic, the young Hyuuga boy threw himself from his bed and onto the chilly wooden floor, leaving his bedcovers in a pile next to his landing spot. After prying one stuck foot from the twisted bedsheets, Kazuhiro stood up, bowing once towards his mother while stifling a yawn.

“I know I know; I was about to get up, I swear.” The words that the young boy spoke were rather slow in tempo as his mind struggled to catch up with the sudden awakening. His mother simply shook her head with a slight chuckle before closing the door to allow Kazuhiro to ready himself. The boy quickly pulled on one of his many similar-looking outfits before returning towards the corner in which his bed resides. He swiftly throws his sheets back onto the mattress, tucking in the sides to make the surface as flat and uniform as possible. It wasn’t perfect, but when was anything?
He raced through the hallways of his home, passing door after door, nearing ever closer to the front door. And to his surprise, both of his parents were stood – waiting for him, a single small lunch box in hand. They both gave him a smile, knowing that today would be his first day of independent training as a Genin – and, after a quick pat on the head, Kazuhiro was gone.

His short form walked quietly though the streets that laced Konoha, observing as the sun crested the canopy of the nearby forest in the distance. Today would be a good day.

Kazuhiro stumbled, his left foot caught on a slightly out of place cobble. His frame lurched forwards, but thankfully the Hyuuga managed to react in just enough time to restore his balance. A light scarlet hue and a slight warmth became present upon the young shinobi’s cheeks while he scanned the area around him. He didn’t spot anyone looking his way, so with a quick shrug, the boy journeyed on but at a greater pace than before. It would be best for him not to waste any more time.
It didn’t take too long for the young shinobi to reach the training fields – it was surprisingly full for this time of day. So full in fact that the young shinobi seemingly missed his chance to grab a field while he could. A light sigh escaped his lips, this was no use. All he would have to do now would be to wait. So, with his first failure of the day in hand, Kazuhiro walked over to a bench – his head lowered, and sat down. Now just to wait for someone to finish with their training.

[TheLacarix]

The sound of the chain linked fenced clinked as his shoulders wrapped against it, the young Chunnin moved over to a large training dummy and dragged it across the grass pulling it to the farthest point at the end of the field. The dummy was surprisingly more cumbersome than one would expect. Hoisting it up from it’s horizontal position, he stood and made sure it was balanced.

He turned on his heels and headed in the other direction, the moment he did he caught sight of a Hyuuga with his head lowered down, sat on a bench across from him. It was apparent to Nobu that he was waiting for a training field, though at this rate he’d be waiting a long time.

Withdrawing a kunai, he spun it on his fingertip as he continued to walk towards the other end of the field, he could train on his own, that’s what he was planning to do. Nobu wasn’t really fond of people and often had quite a cold demeanour.

However as selfish as Nobu was, training on his own would be less efficient and having a sparring would work out much better.

“Oi.” Called out Nobu, the kunai still spinning over his fingertip “I need a training partner.” He said bluntly, with very little emotion behind his voice. He coldly turned on his heels and walked towards the middle of the training field “Aizawa, Nobu.” Introducing himself, though not asking what the strangers name was.

[Bonroco]

Kazuhiro sat quietly on the solitary bench that he now called home for the foreseeable future, well at least as long as it would take for one of the training fields to become empty. All things considered, the bench wasn’t too bad – it had solid construction, arm rests, and quite a comfortable back. He was content to wait now, given all things in the world, waiting on a bench wasn’t too bad. For the time being he could watch the others training at all levels, maybe he could even pick up a few tricks just by watching.

His observations were going well for the few minutes he had before he heard a sudden call from one of the nearby fields. Kazuhiro’s off-white eyes rotated towards the source of the sound, spying a boy of reasonably similar age to himself. Not only were they a similar age but they were also a similar height. Kazuhiro noted the plate embossed with the symbol of the leaf village woven onto the boy’s belt – a shinobi too it seemed, maybe a newly graduated Genin too, but he couldn’t help but feel like either the boy was overconfident in his speech or there was something propelling his attitude. Maybe a challenge, but that was still something to investigate.

Kazuhiro stood up, he wouldn’t miss the opportunity to train, especially considering he thought he would need to wait for a while at least. He strode out, making his way over towards the field rather swiftly. His purposeful steps carried him onwards towards the boy who had now introduced himself as Nobu. In a similarly blunt fashion, the Hyuuga responded. “Hyuuga, Kazuhiro.” He gave a slight nod in greeting, though he wasn’t expecting it to be reciprocated.

“It is wise of you to train with someone rather than just a few dummies – other shinobi provide more of a challenge than a stationary target.” Kazuhiro paused for a few moments, closing the gap between himself and Nobu. “What training did you have planned for today? I’m sure I can assist.”

[TheLacarix]

Nobu smiled slightly as the boy spoke quite plainly and entered the field, seeming rather eager to have a training partner himself, the gap between them was quickly closed. The young Chuunin took in the Genin stood in front of him, likely the same age as Nobu maybe a little older but not by much. Taking him in, Nobu couldn’t help but be drawn to the bright white eyes in front of him, his elder brother had seemed obsessed with the notorious Byakugan before he passed away, even finding notes on their entire taijutsu style, though Nobu was far too young to understand them, the most he knew was that they could close down chakra points.

It dawn on Nobu that he had been staring for a touch too long, he quickly pulled away to try and save at least some face, he stepped back a few steps and chuckled as the Hyuuga asked what he’d like to do “We should spar.” He said with a grin, his fingers grasping firmly around his kunai. Nobu’s skill with taijutsu wasn’t anything to write home about, his physical abilities were up to par but his technical knowledge wasn’t ideal. It would be fun to fight someone with such a prowess in taijutsu.

“As I’m a gentleman, you can go first.” Obviously Nobu wasn’t been gentlemanly, it was much easier for someone defending to gauge their opponent and collect information. Nobu span the kunai in his hand, clutching it in an inverted position and lowering himself down readying himself for the incoming attack.

[Bonroco]

There was no hint of anxiety or anticipation as Kazuhiro listened to the suggestion from his fellow konoha shinobi. His dojutsu wasn't quite as honed as many of his clan members, but no optical jutsu was required to see that Nobu had an interest in Kazuhiro’s byakugan. There was nothing to say, instead the Hyuuga took his chance to observe his new acquaintance.

His pre-drawn kunai was of interest. To see such a knife wasn't a surprise, it was a very common piece of equipment; even Kazuhiro had a set in one of his pouches despite his lack of intention to use them. The fact that the kunai was already present in the hands of Nobu implied that it held a relatively important place in his arsenal. Either that or he specifically wanted to train with it today. Either way, having it at the ready and equipped would impede the use of hand seals to a degree. Maybe Taijutsu was Nobu's speciality, if that was the case then maybe the two could share some tips with one and other.

Kazuhiro’s subtle choice to observe his training partner seemed to almost instantly pay off as the suggestion of a spar reached the Hyuuga's ears. His white eyes darted up from the kunai and towards Nobu's own gaze. He locked eyes for a moment before giving a single nod. Without speaking, he confirmed his willingness to spar in that gesture and took half a step backwards, seeing that Nobu had already dropped into his comfortable defensive stance.

To give your opponent the first action willingly is a sign of immense confidence. There must have been a reason as to why Nobu was offering to take the first blow, maybe he had a trick up his sleeve, maybe he was a much higher ranking shinobi, or maybe he was overly confident. No matter what the case was, Kazuhiro needed to be careful.

The young genin took two steps back before bringing two fingers up to his face. A wave of energy radiated out from each eye, veins rose to the surface of the Hyuuga's temples as his brows furrowed. The visual gift afforded to the Hyuuga clan was something that many desired, and even fewer outside of the clan ever experienced. He looked outwards, his vision covered the vast majority of the area around him, though his focus was primarily on his opponent. Kazuhiro scanned his opponent’s chakra network, pinpointing each point of intersection within Nobu's body.

Kazuhiro lowered himself down towards the ground, feet apart in a wide stance. His left arm faced forwards, almost pointing towards the ground while the other stayed high in the air, forming a single diagonal line from one hand to another. The Hyuugs began to channel chakra into his palms and fingertips. The image of eight trigrams formed in his mind's eye and projected onto the ground at his feet, with his telescopic vision, Kazuhiro knew that Nobu was in range.

"Ready?" The genin asked rather dryly. Without waiting for a response, Kazuhiro dashed forwards, looking to close as many tenketsu points as quickly as possible while he still had initiative on his side - even if it was being given to him intentionally. He had a feeling that he would need all the help he could get.

Jutsu UsedShow

Byakugan Doujutsu
One of the most famed doujutsu in the world, Byakugan is the bloodline limit of the Hyuuga Clan. When active, the clan member gains 360 degree vision and Penetrative vision, allowing the Hyuuga clan to see the Tenketsu of their enemies. Their telescopic vision can be activated via jutsu. As such, the Byakugan is capable of ability channeling, allowing the Hyuuga to activate their Doujutsu techniques without hand seals. It should be noted that while using their telescopic vision the Hyuuga experiences tunnel vision, making it difficult to see their surroundings.

Prolonged usage of the Byakugan is strenuous and requires a high level of endurance. The maximum operating time a user can utilize their Byakugan at a time is equal to their Chakra Pool stat divided by 4 rounded down, to a minimum of one post. Upon reaching the max duration, the stress of using their Byakugan to it’s limit causes a cooldown period of 1/2 of the duration time, to a minimum of one post. During this cooldown period, the Byakugan cannot be activated and attempting to do so will cause physical pain. Duration is based off total posts where the Byakugan is activated, meaning users can turn it on and off to have a shorter cooldown.

~Jyuuken :: Eight Divination Signs 32 Palms of the Hand
C-rank Nintaijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: Byakugan Active
The weakest form of Jyuuken’s Ougi, this technique combines a sharp mental image with precise strikes. The user first envisions the symbol of the eight trigrams on the ground beneath them to gauge the distance between themselves and the target with the aid of the Byakugan. The master of this technique then channels chakra into their hands and dashes in to engage with the opponent. Using their calculations and precise strikes, the user will then swiftly perform a combination of blows equalling 32 in number; each blow closing a tenketsu point. This technique causes widespread damage to internal tissues, resulting in a lot of pain and damage to the body; while the closed tenketsu reduces the target’s Control by 3 for 6 posts.

[TheLacarix]

Nobu’s eyes were drawn to that of the young man known as Kazuhiro, his temples bulged as chakra poured through them his eyes swelled as though they were about to burst. Nobu pondered whether it hurt he couldn’t imagine his own eyes going through that, it surprisingly made him feel queasy. Then it dawned on him, those eyes looked straight through as though reading everything about him, he started to feel nervous, he immediately shook his head trying to get his thoughts clear for the upcoming spar.

His cheeks filled with air as an almost silent whistle escaped from his lips, readying himself. His nervousness immediately dissipated as the Hyuuga in front of him asked if he was ready, Nobu scoffed in response trying to stifle his laughter, why would he telegraph his attack so much “Ye-“ His eyes widened in shock as the Hyuuga darted forward not even waiting for a response. Luckily Nobu was already in a defensive position.

Kazu’s palms thrusted towards Nobu, however it was apparent to him that he was much faster than the Hyuuga perhaps even twice as fast as the flurry of strikes hurtled towards him, Nobu sprung his kunai out to meet each palm running it across his hand cutting him if he didn’t pull back. He however knew he wouldn’t be able to keep this up, even though he was faster it was apparent Kazu had much more technical prowess than Nobu did when it came to Taijutsu. The Chunnin jumped backwards trying to make some distance between one another, flinging the kunai directly at Kazu as he did so, aiming for his chest.

Turning on his heels Nobu charged away from the Genin as fast as he could, withdrawing a flash tag and closing his eyes for a moment, as he kai’d it. An eruption of light would burst from the tag, hopefully blinding Kazu at least for a moment.

Jutsu UsedShow

*Ochiba • Dance Detour
D-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: 10 Speed
A technique that relies highly on speed, much like a floating leaf being swept away by the wind, the user will attempt to slap away any incoming melee strikes or projectiles with their kunai. The average of the user's speed and strength needs to be higher than the strength the projectile was thrown at, using the momentum of their own speed to deflect the strike.

*[Basic Jutsu • Chakra Kai]
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
A jutsu used with the purpose of activating seals and a range of devices and weapons, this technique begins with a single handseal. Once this has been performed, the user will focus a dollop of their chakra into what they are looking to activate in order to complete the task. Seals activated with this technique must be within 10 meters of the user's position.

[Bonroco]

Kazuhiro lunged forwards, his left palm reaching out towards the tenketsu point located on Nobu's solar plexus with the hope that closing such a central terminal would disrupt his opponent’s entire chakra network. However, as he felt thin metal begin to separate his palm into two distinct hemispheres. Naturally, the Hyuuga channelled more of his own chakra into his hands in an attempt to create more resistance for the kunai, and to in turn limit the damage done to his extremities. But no matter what percentage of his chakra pool he expended on trying to push the kunai away, it would not repair the damage done or re-absorb the crimson liquid that was now warming his left hand.


With each three fingered strike that the Hyuuga aimed towards Nobu he found himself being quickly intercepted before his precise attacks could find their mark. Kazuhiro was forced to continually withdraw each aggressive act, choosing instead to preserve his limbs over trying to avoid the seemingly omnipresent kunai knife. A flash of frustration shot across the young genin's face, it contorted his expression for just a moment - but the boy didn't have the spare time to allow emotions to dwell in his mind.


As the thought passed, his white eyes picked up a subtle projectile sailing through the air between himself and Nobu. It was that damn kunai again, it seemed as though that tool would be causing Kazuhiro even more problems for now. There was little time for him to draw his own and intercept it, and even if he did there was no guarantee that his coordination would be good enough to defend him adequately.


Almost instinctively, Kazuhiro began to turn on the spot. Chakra surged from his tenketsu points as he started to spin. Within moments, the Hyuuga boy was completely encased in a churning orb of chakra. He watched from within as the kunai made contact with the dome, its metallic ringing signalled a successful deflection. But before he could counter attack, Kazuhiro caught a glance of a small note drifting in the breeze. Light then flooded his vision - searing his advanced retina in that instant.

The obtrusive veins on his temples withdrew as the young shinobi couldn't help but deactivate his dojutu. For the immediate future, he was blinded, and as such he needed to wait to recover. His only option was to continue his rotation and defend from any outside threats.

Jutsu usedShow

Deactivated Byakugan
~Jyuuken :: Eight Divination Signs Heavenly Rotation
C-rank Nintaijutsu Maneuver
After channelling chakra through all the Tenketsu in their body, the user will begin to spin rapidly on the spot. This will cause an orb of chakra to expand from their body at [Control] speed, pushing away incoming projectiles, ninjutsu and people with [Control] strength. This technique can last a total of 2 posts, and the orb expands a maximum of 5 meters.

[TheLacarix]

Nobu’s eyes flicked open looking over his shoulder immediately after the flash tag erupted, wasting no time he weaved a flurry of seals looking over his shoulder and hoping the byakugan had deactivated, he couldn’t imagine how it wouldn’t though he could be wrong, in all honesty he knew very little about the eye and he doubted a short spar with a fellow shinobi would make him an expert on it.

Nobu slapped his hands together, weaving together a flurry of seals as the Hyuuga seemed to be spinning blindly as an orb of chakra covered him from head to toe. Once the seals were complete, he felt a warm sensation pour through him as he chest and cheeks bulged out a steam of fire shot from his mouth towards the circling orb in the shape of a dragon. The flames would shine brightly, lighting up the area in an orange hue. As intimidating as these flames looked, it was actually quite a weak jutsu, Nobu hadn’t applied his full power, this was a spar after all, and he had no intention of hurting anyone.

Assuming everything went to plan, it would likely smash through the orb of chakra and the leftovers flames would lick against Kazu’s skin, however the orb would take the brunt of the force and absorb most of the damage. If his attack was successful, Nobu wouldn’t continue attacking. He’d stand back and allow for Kazu to prepare himself to strike again.

UsedShow

Katon • Hearth of the Hydra – 20 Control
C-Rank Ninjutsu
The user will perform a sequence of hand seals, puff out their chest and shoot out a trail of flames from their mouth, taking a loose shape of a dragon. A strength and speed equal to the users control, the user is able to maintain this dragon, as long as they hold a single handed seal and will last for 3 posts.

[Bonroco]

Kazuhiro felt the heat before the impact as the raging monster of flame ploughed into his half-spherical shield of chakra. The blazing torrent slammed into the Hyuuga’s technique, he pushed back, exerting himself in the process in a vain attempt to prevent the jutsu from breaching his immediate vicinity. Kazuhiro could feel the shell of rotating chakra around him wain, there was nothing more he could do as the protective surface ruptured – giving way to the torrent of fire conjured by Nobu. It took all his will to remain in place, waiting for the right moment, his body wanted to dive out of the way but that would be a fruitless pursuit, he would be hit either way. A short breath ensued as the Genin tried to calm himself. Searing pain ran up the boy’s left arm as flames licked his extremities, but he endured it with purpose.

Using the momentum of the incoming jutsu against himself, Kazuhiro flung his body backwards and up into a wide arc – aimed for as central in the arena as he could manage. The boy used the extra few moment in the air to begin weaving signs, his chakra gathered, moving down towards his feet and simultaneously into his palms. Kazuhiro skidded to a stop – he lost his balance and drew up a cloud of dust as he slowly drew to a stop on the ground. The boy stood, but to the vigilant his feet were now hovering just slightly above the ground. “It seems as though your technique has bested mine, and you are faster than I am. But with this in mind, do not hold back for my sake if you are. There is no worth in that.” His hands did not cease to move, but instead of seals, Kazuhiro then reached for his equipment pouch, withdrawing two handfuls of kunai knives. They were soon flying through the air; his aim would hopefully hold true to reasonably blanket the general area to Nobu’s left. Not a moment later, Kazuhiro’s right palm shot forward, a blue haze lurched forward from the Genin. His smaller shell of chakra ran forth to accompany the cloud of kunai, though this almost incorporeal projectile was not aimed simply off to one side of Kazuhiro’s opponent, instead it was directed slightly off to the left of Nobu’s central mass. The Hyuuga hoped that this would dissuade the Chuunin from dodging into the chakra blast and the kunai knives, and instead move to his right (Kazuhiro’s left).

Without a moment to wait, Kazuhiro dashed forwards, his Fuuton enhanced speed serving increase his speed. It might not be enough, but it was faster than he was before. With any luck, or some forced movement, Kazuhiro would be able to move to intercept Nobu – quickly looking to close the gap between the pair in preparation for his next gentle fist technique.

Jutsu usedShow

Fuuton • Wind Skating
D-Ranked Fuuton Jutsu
After performing the needed hand seals, the user is able to glide on air as if they were skating on ice. This allows them to move faster (+3 speed) but lowers their ability to translate force (-3 Strength). This doesn't allow them to fly, but rather to travel over things like land, water, and ice with greater ease. The user is only held several inches off of the ground. This Jutsu does not expire until the user’s chakra supply runs out or the user shuts it off. The fuuton passive is not applied in this technique.

~Jyuuken :: Void Palm Strike
C-rank Nintaijutsu Maneuver
After channelling chakra into their palm, the user will thrust their palm toward a target. This technique extends the range of their palm thrust by firing off a shell of chakra in the direction of the palm thrust, moving a speed and strength equal to the user’s [Control] moving up to 25 meters.

[TheLacarix]

Nobu’s eye glared into the orb as the flames enveloped the circle, cascading and licking it with yellow and orange flames until it burst into flames and covered the young Hyuuga in front of him. Nobu had purposefully reduced the strength of his attack, with just enough force to break the defence and only cause slight damage. That slight damage, assuming Nobu had enough chakra after their spar would heal the Hyuuga with his medical ninjutsu.


His glare hadn’t left Kazu, as he weaved a flurry of seals and seemed to be hatching a plan. It was apparent to Nobu he was a talented shinobi, thinking ahead. He now seemed to be skating across the air. Nobu of course didn’t stand by ideally, weaving a flurry of seals at an almost blinding rate. Flames like they had just done with Kazu’s orb of chakra, now engulfed Nobu covering his entire body, the flames flickered with light.

His eyes glinted as grin fell across his face when Kazu asked him not to hold back he shook his head in response “This is only a spar, if we didn’t hold back we’d kill one another and I don’t know about yours, but my mother would be most upset.”


With that the pair leaped into action, Kazu flung a kunai through the air towards his left Nobu pushed hard off the ground it was barely moving with any real speed “You’ll have to try-“ Nobu flung through the air and slammed into the chain link fence, which shook in place as a blast of chakra caught him off guard.


His armour of katon absorbed most of the blow and still had a little life to it, flickering as it wavered. Wasting no time, Nobu dragged himself up realising he was now backed into a corner he withdrew a kunai and lowered his stance ready to defend himself against a counter attack.

UsedShow

Katon • Hot to the Touch – 20 Control
D-Rank Ninjutsu
The user will perform a sequence of hand seals and will create a layer of katon chakra just above their own body, covering it entirely in flames. Once this coating is made contact with, flames will stick to the user chasing them down up to 10 metres, equal to the speed of the users control. This will last for 2 posts.

[Bonroco]

Kazuhiro pushed down a smile that was building its way up to appear on his face. He could not quite show confidence, especially after his last physical altercation with Nobu. The Hyuuga was glad to see that his tactics had paid off, he had managed to manipulate his opponent into a point at which he would have limited mobility; and given their difference in speed, Kazuhiro would require all the help he could get to slow his opponent down. The Genin had noticed the shift in Nobu’s form as what seemed to be fire grew present, absorbing his previous strike – but that was not too much of a concern; or so he thought.

He had Nobu pinned in a corner now, and from what he could tell, there would be no better time to strike than now. His mind raced mentally as his body raced physically towards the opposing combatant. The light swirling of a gust on grass was all that accompanied the slightly forced breaths of the Genin, there was still time to act as he closed the remainder of the distance between himself and his opponent. Kazuhiro’s fingers began to weave against and between one and other as signs were formed, a gasp soon followed that visibly expanded the Genin’s chest. He exhaled within moments, allowing a ball of Fuuton chakra to cascade outwards and towards his target – though again he aimed slightly towards Nobu’s left in the hope to reaffirm his trap and continue the pinning manoeuvre. With any luck, the soon to expand projectile would continue to force Nobu into the fence while doing a little bit of damage.

Chakra poured into Kazuhiro’s hands, he had Nobu in his sights now and with such a sought-after target came excitement. The boy’s mind grew blank as he readied himself to strike. Chakra surged forwards in his hands, centring in his palms before erupting outwards with a roar. The visage of two lion heads coated the Hyuuga’s hands as he lunged towards Nobu. In that moment, he had forgotten about their difference in speed and how Nobu had intercepted all of his physical strikes earlier. Kazuhiro was just focused on getting a hit in, that’s what he needed right now and it’s all he could think about. His palms thrust forward together, looking for an opportunity to land a strike on Nobu.

Jutsu UsedShow

Fuuton • Wind Bullet
D-Ranked Fuuton Jutsu
After performing the required hand seals, the user expels a basket ball sized ball of wind from their mouth. This ball of wind travels up to 10m at [Control] speed, and explodes with [Control] Strength on contact with solid matter or at the end of its range.

~Jyuuken :: Twin Lion Fists
C-rank Nintaijutsu Maneuver
After channelling chakra through their palms, the user covers their palms in casings resembling two roaring lions. For the next four posts, whenever the user strikes an opponent the lions will strike also, closing tenketsu points to cause -3 control for up to 6 posts.

[TheLacarix]

Nobu in his lowered stance, his eyes darting up and down Kazu watching for a subtle movement anything that would give him a clue of his next step. He caught sight of the byakugan, his veins weren’t bulging, and the eye didn’t seem as tense as before, that gave Nobu a clue that his eye still wasn’t ready to be activated.

That was good for Nobu at least, those eyes of his were an incredible gift. Could they truly see as much as they said they did? It seemed near impossible to Nobu, but then pondered what secrets did the clan have that weren’t out in the open? Perhaps none, either way it was of interest to him.


Then it begun, a strike of air soared towards it was too slow for Nobu as he turned and side stepped to the right, it seemed too easy to avoid. It dawned on him that Kazu was attempting to corner him, unfortunately those attempts had been successful. He was concerned, two sides of chain link fence either side of him. Kazu’s hands engulfed with chakra, two lions shaped around his hands. Quite an intimidating technique, but Nobu wouldn’t waver now was his chance.

He flung the kunai in his hand towards Kazu, aiming for his eyes it was hap harassed and would barely come close to it’s target, but he hoped it would be enough to block his vision as Nobu withdrew a smoke pellet on the ground as Kazu edged closer and channelled chakra towards his feet. Smoke filled the immediate area as Nobu felt a strike of the lion hit across his shoulder, the flames took some of the damage but it wasn’t enough, but Nobu decided to take the blow draw in his target and pulled out an explosive tag and dropped it through the air.

Lifting his foot up, Nobu ran up vertically across the fence hopefully leaving Kazu alone in the smoke and confused. Performing a single hand seal, releasing the seal on the tag in erupted with an explosive force through the smoke, the force almost knocking Nobu off the fence.

Leaping off the fence he landed on the ground with a soft thud and stood up, shaking his shoulder as it now felt rather funny he wasn’t quite sure what was wrong. Little did he know that his control would now be dampened. He waited for a moment, not continuing his attack he’d wait for Kazu to appear from the smoke for now.

UsedShow

1 x Smoke Pellet
1 x Explosive Tag
*[Basic Jutsu • Chakra Kai]
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
A jutsu used with the purpose of activating seals and a range of devices and weapons, this technique begins with a single handseal. Once this has been performed, the user will focus a dollop of their chakra into what they are looking to activate in order to complete the task. Seals activated with this technique must be within 10 meters of the user's position.

*[Basic Jutsu • Act of Tree Climbing]
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
By focusing chakra into his/her feet, the user is able to walk up trees and other vertical surfaces in a similar fashion to walking along the ground. This chakra amount must be precise, and although all shinobi learn this technique, the user's control stat will determine how well this jutsu can be executed. Users with low control 2 or lower will often fall during the use of this technique, while users with average control 3 or higher will be able to use this technique functionally. It lasts for a number of posts equal to the user's Chakra Pool.

[Bonroco]

He had done it.

Kazuhiro had finally managed to land a reasonably solid physical hit on his opponent. His plan seemed to have worked in some sense, his lion fist technique would have had to have taken its almost instantaneous toll by now. In blocking some of Nobu’s chakra points, the Hyuuga had begun to level the playing field hi his favour; given the difference in talents between himself and his sparring partner, Kazuhiro needed this and he also needed to keep pushing his advantage now too. As he readied himself for another strike, the veins upon the boy’s temples grew visible from under the surface of his skin. His Byakugan had activated once again, and for a split moment Kaz was able to observe Nobu’s chakra network – readying himself for another flurry of tenketsu-closing movements.

But his further planning was not to come to fruition, Nobu had launched himself into the air before the Hyuuga could properly react – simultaneously covering the area in a thick cloud of smoke. In his place, drifting down as if in slow motion, was a tag – one that was not quite the same as the previous one. Kazuhiro knew this tool from his days in the academy, and in turn he also knew that to be this close to it was not in his primary interests. There was only one thing he could do in this situation to avoid total annihilation, the explosion would be unavoidable, but he had one trick that he had previously employed to reduce the incoming energy. He began to spin on the spot as chakra poured outwards, a dome soon formed over the Genin to intercept the brunt of the explosion – though it was not enough to keep the overwhelming heat from searing his exposed skin. He let out a yell as the explosion engulfed his dome, but not simply for the fact that he was in pain. Another motivation that hid within his shout was slightly more ominous… at least for Nobu.

The boy’s teeth ground together as he endured the explosion, as it began to die down and the heat became bearable, Kazuhiro held his breath – weaving intricate signs from within the cloud of smoke and dust. It was painful to move now, and the boy could feel that his chakra reserves were beginning to run low – but he still needed to press onwards. A shimmering form took shape in front of the boy and soon grew to match his appearance, swiftly becoming indistinguishable from Kazuhiro. His eyes looked outwards, his byakugan minimising the visual obscureness incurred by the smoke bomb which allowed him to quite easily spot Nobu.

The simple chakra clone knew what it would have to do, and jumped up into the air, mimicking falling to a pile on the edge of the smoke. Its appearance was riddled with scorch marks, cuts, bruises and a manner of other injuries from the blast – the same injuries covering the Genin. As Kazuhiro watched his clone fall to the ground, feigning unconsciousness, he waited – his stance lowering into a familiar stance. One arm stretched out forwards, and the other backwards. If this was to work, then Nobu would soon be within inescapable distance of the coming storm. But for now, Kazuhiro needed to be patient and wait for the right time to strike.

Jutsu UsedShow

~Byakugan: Telescopic Vision
D Rank Ninjutsu
By channeling a small amount of chakra to the Hyuuga's Byakugan, the clan member uses their doujutsu to zoom in like a telescope, allowing them to see much farther away. In doing so, the Hyuuga member is able to see up to 250 meters away as though they were mere feet away. It should be noted that while using their telescopic vision the Hyuuga experiences tunnel vision, making it difficult to see their surroundings. This jutsu can be maintained as long as the Hyuuga channels chakra to their eyes.

~Jyuuken :: Eight Divination Signs Heavenly Rotation
C-rank Nintaijutsu Maneuver
After channelling chakra through all the Tenketsu in their body, the user will begin to spin rapidly on the spot. This will cause an orb of chakra to expand from their body at [Control] speed, pushing away incoming projectiles, ninjutsu and people with [Control] strength. This technique can last a total of 2 posts, and the orb expands a maximum of 5 meters.

*[Basic Jutsu • Clone Technique]
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
After completing a set of handseals, the user forms a slight chakra 'body', thus creating a single, massless clone. The clone created from this technique is very basic and will dissipate when hit with anything. These clones do not possess vital signs or a unique chakra signature, meaning they don't disrupt the environment, and anything on their person is superficial. The clone has 1 in each stat. They are limited to basic movements.

[TheLacarix]

Nobu’s teal coloured eyes darted across the entirety of the cloud of smoke in front of him, watching for the Hyuuga to emerge at head towards him. The explosion had gone off and his attack had been successful. Though Kazu was still within the cloud and anxiety set in, had the explosion done more damaged than he’d hoped for.

His anxieties were spot on or at least he thought, as Kazu slipped out of the smoke falling on the ground with a soft thud covered in bruises, cuts and scorch marks. He’d gone too far, the young Genin was filled with dread as he moved towards not hesitating for a moment. If Nobu was truly paying attention, he’d of realised the Kazu in front of him was a clone but he was too overwhelmed with guilt and concern for his newfound comrade.

He channelled chakra towards his hands as they glowed a teal colour, chakra pouring off them lowering down and running his hands over the Hyuuga in front of him, moving it up and down over his body trying to heal as much as he could as quickly as he could “I’m sorry.” He whimpered softly, his brow raised as he saw none of the wounds were healing, it dawned on Nobu that he’d be caught in a trap. This was not the really Kazu, Nobu thrust his hand into pouch withdrawing a kunai, in hopes of defending himself. Though try as he might.

It was too late.

UsedShow

*[Iijutsu • Mystical Touch]
B-Ranked Ninjutsu
The user is able to focus chakra into their hands and place them over a wound and channel chakra through it. The chakra will interact with cells and tissue of the designated area, the wound will regenerate and heal over until there is no remnant of it ever being there. To heal small-to-moderate wounds it takes 1 post, large wounds take 2 posts and mortal wounds 3 posts. This lasts for a total of three posts, due to it’s due to its chakra-extensive nature, users are not advised to treat multiple large wounds in a single use.

[Bonroco]

The injured genin looked onwards to the area outside the cloud of smoke that obscured him from the vision of his opponent – well that was his assumption, Kazuhiro could only see through the obstruction thanks to his byakugan and he wasn’t quite sure how Nobu would be able to tell exactly where he was. The Hyuuga continued to crouch in the stance only his clan knew how to properly utilise. A quiet yet long breath escaped his mouth as he watched on to see his opponent move to engage his clone with medical ninjutsu. 'An interesting technique, that’s for sure.' Kazuhiro thought to himself as he watched Nobu begin to gather chakra and move it towards his hands, though not quite in the same vein that Kazuhiro use his chakra-empowered extremities. At least now he knew that his injuries would be taken care of to some degree after this spar, well that was if Nobu made it though his next set of strikes.

His mind’s eye activated once again, projecting a mental image of green symbols onto the floor to allow Kazuhiro to gage his next motions. With the eight trigrams in place in his cerebral vision, Kazuhiro bent his knees and readied to engage; he waited a few moments. Nobu was in range, right where he wanted him. A droplet of sweat rolled down his cheek, stinging one of the boy’s facial grazes from the recent explosion – though this did not do anything to distract the heavily focused shinobi. The drop fell from Kazuhiro’s cheek, it tumbled downwards though the particulates of smoke that continued to shroud the area. With the most subtle of patters, the drop landed on the dusty ground – it was in that instant that the Hyuuga darted forwards.

Kazuhiro charged forwards with three fingers on each hand pinched together. Chakra poured into each striking vessel as the gap between the two young shinobi lessened in the space of a few seconds. The Hyuuga lunged, looking to strike out at his opponent – gradually building himself and his momentum upwards. “Two palms!” He paused while pivoting on the spot. “Four palms!” Kazuhiro took a breath. “Eight palms!” At this point Kazuhiro’s arms seemed to almost be flailing uncontrollably through the air, whipping towards various sections of Nobu’s body. But to the trained eye the motions were calculated. “Sixteen palms!” The volume of precise strikes only increased, each time growing faster and faster. With a sudden and final burst of vigour, Kazuhiro shot out his hands looking to make his final assaults on Nobu’s chakra network. “Thirty-two palms!”

The onslaught was over almost as soon as it had begun. A myriad of precise blows had been directed towards Nobu. If Kazuhiro had strategized correctly (and with a bit of luck) he should have had some impact on his opponent’s tenketsu points. But in truth, the Hyuuga had been so focusing heavily on his technique that he wasn’t sure if his attack had the desired outcome. It was quite possible that Nobu had countered him, but only time would tell now.

Kazuhiro took a step backwards as he finished, his body struggled to stay standing. It was more comfortable to let his arms dangle at his sides thanks to all the damage that had been done previously. His form was one of cuts, scrapes, bruises and burns. A mixture of dirt and sweat plastered his face and exposed skin, his mother wouldn’t be best pleased, but at least this was a challenge. At least he was pushing to improve himself.

Jutsu UsedShow

~Jyuuken :: Eight Divination Signs 32 Palms of the Hand
C-rank Nintaijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: Byakugan Active
The weakest form of Jyuuken’s Ougi, this technique combines a sharp mental image with precise strikes. The user first envisions the symbol of the eight trigrams on the ground beneath them to gauge the distance between themselves and the target with the aid of the Byakugan. The master of this technique then channels chakra into their hands and dashes in to engage with the opponent. Using their calculations and precise strikes, the user will then swiftly perform a combination of blows equalling 32 in number; each blow closing a tenketsu point. This technique causes widespread damage to internal tissues, resulting in a lot of pain and damage to the body; while the closed tenketsu reduces the target’s Control by 3 for 6 posts.

[TheLacarix]

The young genin’s fingers gripped firmly around the fabric wrappings that covered the handle of the steel kunai, he knew he was about to be attacked that was apparent, but he had next to no time to react. Every muscle in Nobu’s body tensed as pair of white eyes glowed through the smoke, it was about to happen.

The Hyuuga hurled his body forward, Nobu brought up his weapon to meet the oncoming strikes. Even though Nobu was faster than Kazu, maybe even twice as fast it wouldn’t matter. He’d been caught off guard and his kunai met nothing, slashing simply through the air.

The first strike hit, it felt as though a warm liquid was pouring through his body as he felt the alien chakra invade his tenketsu system. Nobu moved his blade once again to meet the next strike, but the simple pivoting and repositioning, combining that with the Genins speed it was difficult for Nobu’s eyes to keep up, swinging blindly and just as before. The flurry of ferocious strikes continued.

As Kazu stepped backwards, so did Nobu though it was more falling backwards then stepping backwards, his hands grabbed through the air as though clutching to an invisible bar, of course their was nothing to grab but it did however help him keep his balance and stopped him from falling flat on his arse. He felt the same sensation of warm liquid as before, however this time it wasn’t chakra as blood poured from his mouth down his chin, the onslaught had done more than just damage his chakra points.

He spat the remaining blood from his mouth, scattering it across the training his brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed as he glared at the waning Hyuuga in front of him. He hadn’t expected such a dirty trick from a member the honourable Hyuuga clan. He’d asked Nobu not to hold back, even his his angered state, Nobu knew he couldn’t go all out his control over chakra was much more advanced than an average genin and it would likely kill the tired Hyuuga who stood infront of him. His nostrils flared with anger as he weaved a flurry of seals his eyes somewhat menacing, he felt a sensation of warm fiery chakra pour though him, even though his control would be weakened, it would still be powerful enough.

Tendrils of katon chakra engulfed Nobu’s arm, as he extended it outwards the sleeve of his white coat flickered as five tendrils of katon chakra moved at a speed of 20 towards the Hyuuga, if they met their mark they would wrap around the young man burning him and entrap his arms, finally wrapping around his neck and lifting him off the ground.

UsedShow

Katon • First Foot Forward – 20 Control
C-Rank Ninjutsu
The user will perform a sequence of hand seals, five tendrils of katon chakra will shoot from the users hand equal to a speed of the users control, these tendrils will lash out at the desired target grabbing them by the ankles to stop them moving, their arms to stop them performing hand seals and then around their neck, choking them. This lasts for 3 posts.

[Bonroco]

Kazuhiro had done it, he had successfully used the situation and the movements of his opponent to his advantage. It was more than clear at this point that Nobu was far faster than the Hyuuga, but such an advantage had thankfully been nullified – at least for one set of strikes. He could see Nobu reacting as the Hyuuga technique came to an end. Between deep breaths and through the sting of sweat against his eyes, Kazuhiro could tell that Nobu was not happy – almost as if he had been betrayed. At least now his opponent was likely to take him more seriously, even if this spar didn’t have much longer left. Dirt caked the boy’s skin as it mixed with the vile mixture of blood and sweat.

The boy took a breath, looking over towards Nobu. A small smile grew on the young boy’s face as he looked on to see the intricate hand movements of jutsu seals. It seemed as though a fire burned in Nobu’s eyes. Kazuhiro couldn’t hold back the slight smirk that crept across his lips in response to the emotional state of his opponent. He could tell that Nobu was readying to take things up to another level, the Hyuuga couldn’t afford to be hit and so he too began to weave his own signs – hoping that there was enough time.

Tendrils of Nobu’s chakra surged forward, closing the gap between the two Genin in an instant and began to wrap the figure of Kazuhiro in its flaming maw, a shout of pain rang out before the Hyuuga stopped, smiled, and then disappeared into a puff of smoke. In his place was one of the nearby targets. A substitution jutsu.

About nine metres away, the form of Kazuhiro became obvious again. ”Thank you for taking this a bit more seriously.” He took a breath and stepped forwards, thrusting his palm outwards, a shell of chakra exploded forwards, this time towards Nobu directly. While not the most powerful of jutsu, it was Kazuhiro’s best option for that moment.

Justu UsedShow

*[Basic Jutsu • Change of Body Stance Technique]
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
After completing the necessary handseals, the user is able to quickly substitute his/her body with a nearby object that is at least 2/3rds his/her size, but no bigger than their body. This substitution allows the object to take the force of the attack that was meant for the user, additionally allowing the user to create distance between him/her and the opponent. The object used in this jutsu may not be objects that are imbued with chakra or controlled by it, and they may also only be single, solid objects within a 10 meter radius of the user. This technique may only be used a total of one time in a single thread, give or take how many times Shunshin no Jutsu has already been used.
~Jyuuken :: Void Palm Strike
C-rank Nintaijutsu Maneuver
After channelling chakra into their palm, the user will thrust their palm toward a target. This technique extends the range of their palm thrust by firing off a shell of chakra in the direction of the palm thrust, moving a speed and strength equal to the user’s [Control] moving up to 25 meters.

[TheLacarix]

Nobu’s eyes glinted the flames reflected against his bright blue eyes as they soared towards their target, wrapping around the Hyuuga genin pulling his arms apart, stopping him from performing seals and wrapping around his throat. It wouldn’t be long now, the spar though it had exacerbated, would soon be over. A victorious smirk fell across his face as Kazu was stretched apart, the flames burning through his skin and clothing. That same smirk soon washed away as the pain on Kazu’s face was apparent, Nobu had gone too far a spar was meant to be just that. Nobu was a skilled medical shinobi, but he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to heal Kazu if things continued down this path.

Luckily his woes were unfounded, as Kazu’s screams turned into a smile and with a poof of smoke he disappeared. A substitution? Nobu’s eyes wildly searched the field, looking Kazu however Kazu spoke and it his position revealed. Strange he didn’t select a more strategic item to replace himself with, but perhaps it was more a sense of desperation and self-preservation rather than a tactical decision.

After Nobu’s last attack, he was close to exhaustion, it was apparent to Nobu that the pair wouldn’t have long left and Kazu wouldn’t be able to use substitution again, Nobu wouldn’t fall for it twice. If he preserved his chakra he could muster one more jutsu but it really would be all or nothing, he’d have to rely on taijutsu to end the bout, but Kazu had the advantage, specially with that damn eye of his.

Kazu wasted no time and sent a blast of chakra towards Nobu, he in turn pushed hard off the ground dodging to the left the blast of chakra wasn’t too large and was avoidable. Nobu had to act quickly, he pushed his hand deep into his pocket pulling out an smoke pellet and throwing it on the floor, knowing well that Kazu’s eyes would allow him to see straight through it but that was part of his plan, he yanked out a flash tag and leaped out of the smoke, letting the tag float through the air making sure Kazu would see it. However, he didn’t erupt the flash tag, but hoped Kazu thought he would. Nobu hoped that he’d deactivate his byakugan once again to avoid been blinded. Slamming down another smoke pellet, he didn’t however land within the newly form smoked and leaped back to where he just was. Back into the first smoke cloud.

If Nobu’s technique had worked, he hoped that Kazu would believe Nobu was in the second smoke cloud and the famed Byakugan would be once again out of action. His fingertips wrapped around the circle disk of his windmill shuriken that was placed on his back, his thumb pressed on the mechanism and launched the large shuriken from the first smoke cloud aiming at Kazu was hoping that the shuriken would catch him off guard.