Chuunin Exam: Training with a Legend

[Diatenshi]

The first rays of the morning sun gently filtered through the window, casting a warm glow upon the room where Senju Masaru lay in slumber. As the soft light caressed his face, Masaru stirred awake, his eyes fluttering open. He blinked, adjusting to the new day that awaited him. With a surge of energy coursing through his veins, Masaru threw off his blanket and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He stretched his arms above his head, feeling his muscles slowly awaken from their restful state. Masaru moved with purpose as he prepared himself for the long day of training that awaited him.

The path to the training grounds was a familiar one, carved into the lush forest that surrounded the village. Masaru's footsteps were purposeful, his mind focused on the skills he aimed to refine and the progress he desired to make. The air was filled with the faint aroma of pine and the sweet songs of birds perched on nearby branches. He found peace in the tranquility of the surroundings, finding solace in the symphony of rustling leaves and chirping birds. The atmosphere was such that even Iburu was quiet, the fiery spirit admiring the natural beauty around them. 'As much as I hate you humans, your Senju clan has done well taking care of these woods.'

As the training grounds came into view, Masaru's pace quickened with anticipation. The sight of the open clearing stirred a sense of excitement within him. The sound of a gentle breeze rustling through the leaves added to the tranquil atmosphere of the small clearing. The sun's golden rays illuminated the opening, casting long shadows that danced around him as the wind blew through the trees. Masaru found a suitable spot near a tall, sturdy pine and settled himself down, his back resting against the rough bark trying to calm his nerves. It had been quite some time since the young man had met his savior and he'd grown considerably stronger since then despite not having ranked up within the village.

He closed his eyes briefly, centering himself, his anticipation beginning to build. He knew that today's training would be a crucial step in his preparation, and he was eager to learn from his senior shinobi. Even if he didn't learn any jutsu, the man's knowledge of jutsu should be applicable to coaching and assisting Masaru with what ever jutsus he works on himself. Thinking to himself Masaru realized he need to focus on learning stronger techniques. He had a solid grasp of the basics and yet he couldn't truly utilize the strength he had acquired. He could only hope that Fanho could help him solve his predicament.

'In the event that Fanho takes the role of coach rather than direct teacher, do you have any jutsu or techniques you can pass on Iburu?' Masaru could practically see the spirit's head tilting to the side as it thought. 'I suppose I have a few jutsu that I could pass on. Though I'm not entirely sure you're worthy of them, having them will help keep you alive and that at least is in my best interest.'

---

Stat training Willpower 526/500 (chuunin exam discount)

[Director]

The Awai awoke from the Hokage's quarters as he threw together his outfit, and spooled up the old coffee press filling a mug with the wake up juice he rapped his fingers against his chin as he peered outside taking in the time. Early in the morning, not his favorite time to get up, but the time he had promised Masaru he'd help the kid train today. After saving his life it was the least he could do for him. After all it seemed like after he helped seal the spirit that was tormenting him, it seemed like Fanho ran off to go on his Hokage training world tour.

Fanho blew through his lips as they flapped in the quietness of his home before yawning to himself. "Right to it then, huh?" With his free hand Fanho grabbed the Hokage's haori as he draped it over his shoulders before snapping his sunglasses off the wall slipping them over his eyes. One last nod to the rising sun as the Awai peered through the village sensing the location where Masaru was at before silently teleporting just behind the Senju patting the unusually tall teenager on the shoulder signifying his arrival. Perhaps he was even trying to spook the guy, but after all this was a safe space. Just some good ol' tom foolery.

"You think you're ready to learn something today?" The Awai fluttered his eyebrows behind his shades as he took another swig from his mug of coffee bean marinade. Maybe he should've let it steep a little bit longer? Fanho walked over towards a nearby tree as he hung up his Hokage haori not wanting to get it in the way or dirty from training. Despite the promise to always repair/clean the thing, he didn't want to test that theory out in his first month of Hokage-ship. It'd most likely send a bad message to the council.

Another sip from the mug as the Awai scratched his chin stretching his legs with his free hand as he sipped coffee with his other hand. "Its your training, so you tell me where you want to begin, and I'll promise not to rough you up too bad teaching you something." A toothy grin formed on the Hokage's face as he chuckled to himself. "Maybe you'll even get an A-rank to pull off during the exams. Back in my day, I just got broken ribs for my exam. We'll try to avoid that for your exam." The Awai shrugged as he finished the last of his coffee before making the cup in his hand disappear from before their eyes. In reality it just got teleported to the sink at home.

[Diatenshi]

Masaru would jump slightly, startled, as he was listening to Iburu when he felt the hand on his shoulder. He hadn't heard any approaching footsteps or the sound of someone approaching through the forest. Heck, even the wildlife hadn't been disturbed by the hokage's arrival. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised by the man's level of skill. He was recognized as the strongest shinobi in the village after all.

'You know I still hate him right? I refuse to teach you anything whilst he's around.' Iburu grumbled within Masaru's mind as the young man stood up. Masaru couldn't blame the spirit, but he couldn't truly support him either. He was after all sealed to prevent him from rampaging through Konoha. Masaru looked at the man only a few years older than himself wondering what exactly it was he went through to obtain power so quickly. From what he remembered, the previous Hokage was at least in his forties.

"I can only hope to learn something from the great Lord Hokage." Masaru's words held reverence for the man position as he bowed. It was a little strange to call the man that. After all, five years ago he'd been no different from any other high ranking shinobi in the village. Well, that wasn't entirely true at least to Masaru. The man had in fact saved his life.

"Preferably I would like to focus on jutsu and techniques." He paused as he searched for the right way to explain his goals for the day. "I know I'm ready physically for the exams, however I find myself lacking techniques and skills to properly utilize my power."

It was the best he could do to describe his needs. Rumor had it they were going to be ranked then divided into tiers prior to taking the exam. The thought made him nervous as most of his sudden growth had come from the spirit. His muscles and body repaired faster so he'd begun to quickly gain muscle. Looking into the pale eyes of the Hokage, he hoped the man could provide guidance on his struggles.

"As for broken ribs and being beat up, I'm not too worried. So long as I'm not killed outright Iburu has made sure I'll recover." A slightly cynical tone could be heard as he spoke of the spirit. Masaru had come to terms with being a jinchukiri and yet he still held a grudge in his heart.

"My current toolkit includes defensive and offensive elemental jutsu paired with predominantly defensive taijutsu. I lack skills in maneuvering and high level offensive abilities." After explaining his deficits as clearly as he could he'd take his lance from his back and stab it into the ground to have it ready and nearby. He'd await further instruction from Fanho to see how the man wanted to guide his progress.

---

Stat Training Willpower x2 1000/1000 (Chuunin Exam discount 500 each)

[Director]

Fanho raised an eye brow as he heard the spirit pipe up within Masaru. After all what would a good Hokage be without the skills to help manage the unruly spirits within their hosts. "Iburu can hate me all he wants. He knows his techniques don't stand a chance against what I have to teach anyways. After all, he's still zero to one, and always will be." A cocky smile grew on his face. If Iburu wouldn't teach Masaru the jutsu perhaps he could get the spirit to through agitation. After all one of Fanho's best traits was to annoy an opponent until they made a mistake. Spirits were always a cocky bunch and easily fell into the laid trap. Suckers they certainly were for their pride.

"Also first lesson, you can just call me Fanho. I like the position an all, but saying Lord Hokage makes me sound old." The Hokage listened as Masaru discussed his needs, what he lacked, what he could be better at, and most importantly what he was after in this training. As the conversation turned to mobility and high level offensive abilities, it fell right into Fanho's domain almost quite literally. Mobility was what Fanho excelled at, and out of everyone in the village Fanho most likely had the highest offensive output. What the perfect teacher Masaru had picked for such a task.

"Well you came to the right place. I'm the fastest and can do the most damage in the village." The Awai flexed his muscles humorously as he then dusted his hands before putting them together and holding them up to his face as he thought. Masaru was a Senju with the ability to utilize doton, mokuton, katon, and his own release mosuton. An interesting pair up as well as the lance Masaru carried with him. There were some avenues of development for Masaru to take down this path, certainly ones that'd take his mobility up a notch.

"Alright so you're a doton user right? Take mobility and offensive, then mash them together. You have terrain control. Use your doton to turn the field into a mud bath that only you can skate in. Its not so much enhancing your mobility as it is making everyone else's worse." He thought for a minute as he thought how to visualize this so Masaru could better understand. Fanho shot a finger gun at Masaru as he formed a single hand sign with one hand as Fanho formed one his new jutsu around himself. At first it would appear nothing had changed other than an odd purple aura around Fanho formed reaching 3 meters away. A small aura but felt oddly dense.

The Awai waved his hand towards Masaru beckoning him to come and attack. "This is a bit more advanced than you're ready for, but come attack me and I'll show you what I mean." The Awai stood still as he stretched his hands wide above his head before locking his hands together slipping them behind his head relaxing. It was quite obvious by his relaxed body language he was in no danger.

Jutsu UsedShow

Ninjutsu • Infinity
S-rank Ninjutsu
By focusing on the space around him, Fanho creates a field of ninpou surrounding his body. By creating this space from himself up to 10 meters, all things that enter aside from himself are debuffed by -12 Speed. This field lasts for 5 posts.

[Diatenshi]

Masaru could practically see flames shoot from Iburu's nostrils as it snorted in indignation. The flames coming off its skeletal body growing even stronger in its anger at the Awai's provocations. He was a haughty prideful being that ruled over life and death. Who was this mortal to deride him, the Father of Rebirth? Masaru felt his body warm up slightly as the spirit pawed its cloven hooves in his mental space. 'If this boy hadn't trapped me within his body I wouldve burned through you till not even a soul was left...'

Masaru was about to transmit the message when he realized that Fanho could hear the spirit in his mind. It didn't surprise him in the least, but it was interesting to have someone else privy to the thoughts of the spirit that corroded his mind and filled him with anger. Masaru got flash backs short mental snippets of powerful katon techniques the spirit knew and had used. Unfortunately in the spirit's anger they came in such a rush Masaru couldn't properly process all that he saw. The only real impression was incredible heat.

Masaru shook his head and focused on Fanho's following words. Mud. An alternative way of mixing suiton and doton. It'd definitely add a new aspect for him to take advantage of when fighting. He pictured creating a marsh around him, thick and sticky that even the water walking jutsu would quite work as the mud would cling to his opponent's feet. As he was contemplating what seals would be needed he felt a wave of chakra pass over him and all of his movements became incredibly sluggish. He felt like his body was moving through sap or syrup.

"I can see what you mean. This feels impossible to get through. I still feel my strength but without the speed to actually use it, it becomes worthless. Masaru would focus his chakra and begin forming seals. Upon completion he'd stomp his foot creating a ripple in the ground. The ground around him would morph softening into a sticky mud. He glanced up at Fanho and paused wondering how effective this new jutsu would be.

"So something like this? Feels weird... Mixing suiton and doton like this it feels incomplete. I dont think it's as effective as your technique however. My own feet are still sinking into it. The standard water walking and tree climbing jutsus not allowing me to traverse it." Masaru would contemplate how the same two elements being mixed together could create vastly different results. Mud lacked the growth and natural aura of life that mokuton had and yet it embodied both of the parent elements incredibly well.(445/400 110+250=360/2=180x10=1800 word discount 400 minimum)

Jutsu TrainedShow

Mud • Wetland
D-Rank Jutsu
After performing the required seals and channeling chakra to their feet the user will stomp releasing a wave of chakra into the ground turning it to mud with a diameter of [Control] meters at [Control] speed. The mud is sticky and sucks ones legs in resulting in a temporary -1 to speed to those in contact with it until it dries after 5 post. Debuff doesn't stack per round as it doesn't actually drain or lower the target's stats but imposes a penalty for difficult terrain. Waterwalking jutsu does not work on the mud as its sticky nature clings to what it touches.

[Director]

Fanho clapped a single hand together mocking Iburu's temper flaring as the spirit mouthed off once more. "Yeah, yeah, gloom and doom is all you spirits know." Iburu getting indignant at the idea of being trapped and having such searing rage that no one would stand a chance was ironic considering how easily he was imprisoned. Its almost as if a thousand years of history hadn't knocked them off their perch on the totem pole, and they'd realize the glory days were over. Their tenacity and fervor was impressive, but a waste of their capabilities when they could offer a better life working in peace with humans.

The Awai watched as Masaru's hamster wheel picked up speed taking in the technique present and working out how to apply the fundamentals to his own skills. It wasn't long before Masaru had formed the jutsu quickly displacing the viscosity of what was solid dirt into a muddy playground that Fanho could feel his feet start to slide, and for the uninitiated would make walking difficult. However for Fanho after rolling in the dunes of Suna for a few weeks he had become quickly acclimated to uneven terrain battles. "You're getting the picture. Now for enhancing your mobility you have your lance right? You heard of a sport called pole vaulting? Take that idea and use your lance with your combat to get the literal drop on people. You've got a weapon with reach so people think you're gonna keep them at bay, but use that opportunity to throw yourself at opponents to surprise them."

The Hokage tucked his hands into his pockets as he peered over his concealing violet sunglasses at Masaru revealing his piercing blue eyes. "You can also use your lance to attack and vault away at the same time to create distance. Don't think of it just as a weapon, but a tool for you to leverage for your mobility." He then lifted a foot as he looked at the bottom of his shoes covered in mud before taking a large step out of the mud onto solid ground before wiping his shoes off in the grass wayside. "It would at least keep you out of the mud if your opponent gets the same bright idea as you. Yuck." The man stuck his tongue out as his shoes painted the grass brown until running dry on the underside.

Fanho channeled chakra to his hand as he waved it over the mud making the mud dry instantly ending Masaru's jutsu. It was as if the moisture that would gradually disappear over time instead rapidly was sucked out the dark browns turning into light browns before returning to its usual lumpy dry state. The Awai would flick his head back as his sun glasses reoriented hiding his gaze once more behind a pane of swirling opaque purple clouds. "Why don't you try coming at me using some of these concepts we've talked about, and once you seem to get a hang on the approach I'll flip the switch and start pressing you so you try evading? No broken ribs yet alright?" He cracked a cocky grin as he leaned back rolling his shoulders and stretching his back. His hands still firmly relaxed in his pockets.

[Diatenshi]

As the young Awai spoke to him, the gears of creativity and inspiration began to turn in his mind, his orange eyes aglow with inspiration. His polearm techniques currently centered around his Immovable as a Mountain stance, drawing heavily on the concept of immense weight and being an immovable object. The idea of rapid movement using the polearm for mobility rather than defense made him think of the wind blowing freely through the air as it pleased. He had a new aspect in which he could explore and expand his fledgling martial style.

As distracted as he was with the machinations of his thoughts, he failed to notice Fanho canceling out his jutsu, making the mud dry rapidly. He instinctively moved, trying to bring to life the ideas in his mind, to take a loose stance. Instead he tripped, having completely forgotten his own jutsu, the dried mud clinging and trapping his feet. Though he had more than enough strength to extricate himself, it had offset his balance in his hyper focused state and he'd fallen flat on his rump. Shaking his head, he got up and brushed the dried dirt from his feet and clothes before preparing the stance he'd developed in his mind just moments ago.

His twin headed lance was held loosely in his right hand, close to the head of the rear blade allowing the long weapon to reach out with its great length. His weight shifted to his back foot, ready to spring forward or jump back at a moment's notice. With the long reach of the weapon held forward it gave the impression he would be capitalizing on the weapon's reach. Whilst this was true, it'd be done in an unconventional way, using the weapons extended reach to move around freely.

His whole body felt lighter, though the stance would make it hard to resist oncoming attacks he'd be able to potentially avoid them all together. He paused and began visualizing the different ways he could combine his stance and polearm to maneuver around the area. Aside from simply vaulting, he pictured throwing the weapon to use as a hold for climbing on vertical surfaces or to utilize the hook of the blades as a pivot point to swing from trees.

"Fanho I really have to thank you. My initial style of Taijutsu was limited, rooted in place focusing on being heavy and immovable like a mountain. However, simply defending isn't always the best answer, sometimes one must move like a swift breeze. Lets give those techniques a shot."(425/400 D rank Taijutsu Stance)

With his body light and airy masaru rolled his weight forward, stabbing his blade horizontally into the ground as he vaulted forward. He swung his outside leg forward in a straight forward kick. Unfortunately, using the polearm in an unfamiliar way his accuracy and ability to control his direction was completely off. As his own body peaked in height he found his polearm stuck unable to use his forward momentum to go further. Losing his grip on the pole arm he'd fly past Fanho completely.

The young Senju stumbled trying to regain his footing as his momentum carried him further forward without his weapon. Whilst the idea was simple and sounded easy in theory, it was harder to put the technique to use in actual practice. He took a small moment to figure out what went wrong and where the struggle to control his direction came from. A mistake like this in actual battle could be fatal as it had disarmed him and taken him by surprise.

"The principal seemed easy when spoken but I suppose like learning anything new it still requires practice to appropriately learn how to implement techniques and abilities..." Though he spoke out loud it was mostly to himself. As he was looking for a clue to what could fix his issue Iburu chuckled within his head. 'I don't know which is worse the idiotic pupil that can't figure out basic physics or the teacher that can't properly instruct how to complete a simple maneuver kekeke.'

For his part Masaru ignored the spirit's venomous tongue mostly used to dealing with his irritating personality. His eyes scanned the ground where he had stabbed the polearm and noticed the issue. By stabbing the blade horizontally the blade was facing the wrong direction, unable to cut through the ground following the momentum of the maneuver. Recovering his weapon, he tried again this time stabbing the blade down parallel to his directional movement. This time the blade pivoted through the earth allowing his momentum to carry forward. His kick went forward, properly landing though having seemingly no effect on the Awai.

"So vaulting forward into a kick allows me to close the distance with an attack. But, for proper flow and further progression, I should be adding a launch off the target to regain tactical advantage with the polearm that tends to struggle in close quarters range... Either up or back towards the original position. What do you think?"(409/400 D Rank Taijutsu Maneuver)

---

Jutsu training requirements: 110+250=360/2=180x10=1800 word discount.
D- rank= 400 word minimum

Jutsu TrainedShow

Feather Step
D- Rank Taijutsu Stance
The user shifts their weight to their back foot, ready to spring forward or jump back at a moment's notice. The polearm is held loosely in one hand, the attacking end away from the body. The stance increases speed by +3 whilst reducing strength by -3. This stance provides the base form for further jutsu.

Wind Tossed Leaf
D-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: User must be utilizing the Feather Step Stance
The user leaps forward using their polearm to vault forward towards a target rapidly closing distance whilst attacking with a kick. This technique is often followed through by launching off the target to increase impact force.

[Director]

The Awai watched as Masaru twirled the lance before stabbing it in an attempt to vault flinging himself clear past the Awai a good ways away. "You gotta hit your opponent for it to work. At least land in the same zip code as them." Fanho flubbed his lips as he pouted and watched Masaru spin the polearm once more figuring out the flaws in his own movement. Instead of utilizing it like a pole vault, he stabbed it at an awkward angle. Twas just learning pains, once you have a style or technique built in your mind and body its hard to shake that feeling and movement.

Once more with feeling Masaru had landed the second attempt stabbing a bit later at a better angle so that the blade would flex, but be retrievable at a better angle. His kick soaring towards Fanho before Fanho teleported behind Masaru before the kick landed. Fanho lightly karate chopped Masaru in the head as the teen started to recollect on his attempts to improve on-top of them. "You're getting the hang of it. That's a good idea if your opponent is a short range master. Attack once, regain the distance. However, if its someone also long range you'll just have to stick up close and duke it out. If you choke up your grip on the lance you can use it as a like sort of dagger-half-staff-thingy-mabob."

The Hokage grabbed Masaru's lance as he effortlessly twirled it in his fingers working his grip closer to one of the ends giving him a decent half sword length to slice and stab with, while the latter half obnoxiously waved in the back. Fanho then took a step back as he playfully jutted it towards Masaru giving plenty of distance to not stab the kid, but show what he meant as he could get in closer to attack giving him mid-to-close skills. "You can even finish it out with a round of this if they try to back off from your approach. We choked up on the lance and you've got all this length on the tail end." He then swung his arm out in-front of him wrapping it around to the opposite side of his body swinging the longer portion of the lance further out than he was able to stab just til it came within an inch of Masaru's nose. "Now with the choked up grip it gave me a lot more on the other end to reach out and bop you with." The Awai twirled the polearm once more before flipping it playfully in the air for Masaru to catch.

The Awai took a few more steps closer to the center of the field pushing his glasses further to his face as he reoriented his hands back to their home in his pockets. "Try it once more with feeling, this time really go for it. If you're not trying to kill me I'll start to think you're not taking this training seriously." Fanho grinned as he chucked to himself. "This time try to think of something yourself. Give me a surprise I'm not expecting."

[Diatenshi]

Masaru watched carefully observing the way changing the grip resulted in adaptability in mid to close range fighting with the variance in its reach. The flexibility fit remarkable well with the mobility themed wind stance and as his eyes tracked the spinning weapon it reminded him of a powerful yet unpredictable form of wind. A tornado. Tornados attack fast and furiously but with a measure of unpredictability able to "hop" to a new location. The sudden change in reach would be very much like the hopping and a new technique began to form in his mind.

Entering his feather step stance, he'd begin releasing a flurry of spinning strikes as he choked up on the grip of his weapon. Each strike would be made following a leap either forward or backward always pressing the attack but constantly on the move. As Masaru's body spun and danced like the wind the technique would slowly become more refined mixing in feints with the short end only to follow through striking with the rear blade. Each strike is made with the momentum of a jump behind its swings. Jumps forward give increased penetrative power for direct stabs, whilst giving momentum for a rotational attack with the rear blade. Even the retreating leaps pull the longer end in towards a target.

Masaru eventually begins to lose himself in the fight, his mind and body connecting to the essence of the wind itself as his taijutsu adapts to reflect it. When met with a block his spinning suddenly reverses using the enemy's strength to power the reverse rotation. The maneuver never truly loses its momentum as its in a state of constant flux, full of aggressive and unrelenting blows that aim to overwhelm the opponent through sheer frequency of blows. This miraculous state of enlightenment only last a short time as the higher level of movement and speed begins to wear on Masaru's stamina.

Panting he leans over and glances at the kage who appeared unfazed. Unable to get a clean hit in all his attacks dodged or blocked gis inner anger was urging him forward. Or perhaps instead it was simply Iburo fanning the flames with his own resentment towards the young leader. Taking a moment to collect himself, he'd think on his previous move and refine it contemplating on how Fango had denied every blow aimed at a vital point. The weakness of the technique slowly became apparent in his eyes. While the switch between choked and enlongated reach allowed for variance in his strikes, the flow of momentum often telegraphed the angle of his moves. It required suppression in speed in order for the strikes to land and overwhelm the target. Something he clearly lacked against his mentor.

---

456/400 110+250=360/2=180x10=1800 word discount.
C- rank= 400 word minimum

Jutsu TrainedShow

Storm Dance
C-rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: User must be in Feather Step Stance, 5 speed higher than the opponent.
Utilizing the leaping movement of the feather stance the user attacks with a choked grip on their polearm making one side significantly longer than the other. The user relies on momentum and blows mixed with feints from switching between ends of the polearm, to overcome an opponent's physical defenses.