Fortune Smiles on the Reader

[King of Cats]

Walking swiftly through the streets, Kokou had his chin tipped up proudly. He had recently been given approval by the village for his University. The jounin was a teenaged prodigy and had incredible skill as a ninja. He was incredibly intelligent and the village recognized this brightness by offering him a deal. Konoha would provide a small building for the members of his university to study at. They would also fund any specific research ventures the university put on. Kokou had leads on a roving band of raptor parrots to study, and he was definitely excited to share that research with the village. Of course, in return for the villages favors the University of Konoha would also have to pay a higher rate on taxes. As well they were all expected to provide their shinobi skills to Konoha expressly. Joining the university was no light task but Kokou had managed to get his hands on a few members already. He was leaving one of their homes now.

After the enlightening talk with Kazar about the containment of chakra in the body, Kokou was worked up. He had made some good points and Kazar seemed to be turning on his heel as far as his belief on why chakra was formed in the body went. After a riveting talk like that Kokou felt the glow of knowledge radiate through his bones. IT felt good to make sense. He had left feeling the urge to pick up a book and was heading to the Hyuuga Clan library. It wasn't far from where Kazar lived and that gave Kokou plenty of daylight hours to read in the backyard of the library. Often there were sparring matches going on, young ruffians testing their mettle on each other, and Kokou looked forward to some entertainment as he read. Usually he would study with his Byakugan active so his peripheral vision picked up the happenings of the fight, and he could focus on the words he was seeing too. He figured that would be a good way to spend his early afternoon and strolled swiftly though the village.

It didn't take long for Kokou to make it to the library. Surprisingly there were a lot of people. Six in fact, which isn't a high number but usually the library was empty. While it contained valuable jutsu scrolls of the clan, they were mid rank techniques and most Hyuuga could teach them to one another with just a little bit of study. The library instead contained a treasure trove of knowledge on the Eight Trigram Theory, the science of Gentle Fist Style, and the physiology of the Byakugan. It was a place of great value to Kokou and the teenager was eager to spend his time reading from the books. He had read a lot of them already, but going over information was just as precious to him as discovering it. Kokou was thirsty for knowledge by all accounts.

Once he was checked in, Kokou headed over to the "8 Trigrams" section. It was one of the largest collections of Hyuuga techniques that had ever been gathered. Kokou was more than happy to get knee deep in it. He pulled three books from the shelves and then meandered his way towards the backdoor of the library. Kokou entered through the archway and arrived in the backyard. There were two young Hyuuga fighting, Kokou thought that was just perfect for him. He went to his usual bench and then activated his Byakugan. He began reading the book witout opening it, relying on his penetrative vision to tell him what he could read. Kokou sat with the book in his hand, watching the kids fight with his Byakugan. It was a beautiful early afternoon day, and Kokou was passionately reading about the degrees of the Eight Trigrams Seal. His ass was wet from the bench having been rained on but never the less he contently read his closed up book.

[Drak]

Dressed formally in a white tunic, black hakama, and black haori, Akito walked towards the Hyuuga library. It was a relatively large collection, and it seemed like every time he came through he found something new. On his last deep dive through the more obscure sections, he had found some ancient Hyuuga’s scale armor Doton jutsu. However, today he was not here to search for obscure new jutsus. Instead, he was here to visit some old friends in the Eight Trigrams section.

For most of his career as a shinobi, Akito had primarily gotten by with Jyuuken. He used Doton and Ninpou, sure, but always as support techniques to close the distance or disadvantage his opponents. With war coming to Konoha and his Jyuuken skills hitting the point of mastery, he had finally begun to look elsewhere. However, this journey had also implanted the seed of an idea into his mind, and it was beginning to sprout into the contours of a new extension of Jyuuken.

To turn that outline into a fully-fledged technique Akito had to go back to the basics. It had been some time since he had picked up a book about the theory of Jyuuken. At this point, he was generally more interested in its practice. As he slid open one of the doors to the library, Akito envisioned which book he needed. He had read it dozens of times while studying Jyuuken under his uncle, but hadn’t needed it in probably eight years. As he approached the section, Akito saw a teenaged Hyuuga grab the exact book that he needed and several others besides.

Kokou Hyuuga. He’s the latest rising star of the clan – Jounin at what, sixteen? Depending on how willing he is to look past my status within the clan, he could be a good ally to have. Moreso if he can help me flesh out my Jyuuken ideas, or even just give me a glimpse into the final stages of our clan’s Ougi which the elders have been hesitant to let a half-breed in on.

Luckily, the book Kokou had grabbed was not the only copy of this foundational text. Akito grabbed the next copy and followed the boy as he walked outside. Akito peeked his head out onto the porch just in time to see Kokou sit in a puddle of standing water that had been left on a bench from the previous night’s rain. A brief look of puzzlement came over Akito’s face as he saw the veins around the boy’s temples begin to bulge as he looked intently at the closed book.

Reading through the cover of a book. A good technique to know for intelligence gathering. I never understood why someone would want to read that way for pleasure though.

Quickly, Akito put a friendly, serene smile on his face and approached Kokou.

“Good morning! It appears that we are book twins on this day,” Akito said to Kokou. “Do you mind if I join you?”

Akito looked at the water on the bench, slowly seeping into Kokou’s clothing.

“I might go find a towel before I sit.”

[King of Cats]

As he sat there and read his book, Kokou simultaneously inspected everyone around him. The two fighters were named Zao and Zia. They were brothers and sisters who studied the science of Gentle Fist very religiously. Kokou had seen them fighting there before. There was also a reader nestled in the corner. It looked like they were hiding underneath of hanging vines the library nurtured in their garden, but Kokou didn't recognize them.

As Kokou went over the faces of who he was nearby he saw a another familiar face. Akito Hyuuga was a half blooded talent of the clan who spent much of his life ostracized from the clan. Kokou had heard the family talk of Akito before. He was a smart, skilled, and sagacious enough young man to be recognized by the clan. Kokou had never met him personally, but he recognized his face. Akito had earned a reputation in Konoha, taking on high profile missions was his specialty. With his eyes channeling the Byakugan, Kokou lifted his eyebrow but it was hard to tell from all the veins bubbling around his eyes. Kokou was excited to meet someone as smart and well known as Akito. Akito had displayed prodigal talent much like Kokou as a youth, and knowing that the young Hyuuga smiled.

He was still reading his book, but Kokou had his attention shifted and he watched Akito head in his direction. To his delight Akito came towards him and greeted the teenage genius. Kokou released his Byakugan, his mother taught him it was impolite to speak with others using the penetrative vision. He wasn't one to disobey his mother. Kokou widened his grin and gave Akito a thumbs up. "Well then book twin, pop a squat. Hehe." Kokou shrugged and stood up. "Or we can stand, haha." Kokou didn't care much about trivial things like a wet ass, but he wanted to accomodate his company, so he stood there were his book closed in his hand. He held the book at his side and said to Akito, "So you're readin' 'Eight Trigram Divinations: The Art of Needle Point' too. You looking to better hone your skills? Interesting, Akito. I took you for one to have mastered the basics. You know, it's all about angle of the shoulder. to control your bursts"

As Kokou talked his eyes glanced over Akito once or twice. He noticed the man to be dressed well. Kokou wondered if he was looking for work. The idea tempted him. He was dying to talk about his University. Declare the creed. Announce findings. Recruit people. But he didn't want to come on too strong. Of course he already was. Kokou was a bit of a know it all and he couldn't help but show it. People he just met were met with no mercy.

[Drak]

“Take care then, that the angle of the shoulder be such that the elbows protect the vital organs which lie within the abdomen and not drawn up to the ear but rather pushed down and relaxed. Thus the body is protected and the flow of chakra unimpeded through the pathways and tekestsu of the arms,” Akito quoted a passage of the book in question. It was one that young Hyuuga heard often when beginning their training. “I would never be so bold as to say that I had mastered the basics, but I like to think I am getting close," he said with the modesty of one who had very clearly mastered the basics.

“No, I am looking to refresh myself on some of the theoretical sections. Specifically on the movement of chakra through the body: what exactly it means to charge chakra up in the tenketsu for release, how chakra is used to speed up the limbs in the numbered Trigrams, and the similarities and differences between Jyuuken and other pure chakra Ninpou arts. When applying Jyuuken in battle as I have many times, that side is less important. Of late, I have been engaging in some… let us say research into how one might extend Jyuuken, and adding new maneuvers to the repertoire. And it is there that precise knowledge of that theory becomes indispensable.”

It was clear that Akito was relishing the opportunity to talk about his research into Jyuuken with someone who seemed genuinely interested, even if he kept his words vague.

Not exactly a lie. I have created at least one new technique, but not totally true either. Still, I can’t really go around blabbing about the exact techniques I have in mind. I can’t tell him that I’m trying to reverse engineer the 256 and 361 Trigram techniques. He’s a ‘pure’ Hyuuga and I don’t know if I can trust him yet. If I can, he may prove useful in gaining those techniques. Additionally, I should flesh out my thoughts on Elemental Jyuuken more before I tell anyone about them, much less another Hyuuga.

Akito turned to look at the two young Hyuuga sparring. A servant was standing to the side of the sparring ground, near the porch Akito and Kokou were on.

“Excuse me,” Akito said, raising his voice so the man would hear. “We have a small situation over here. Might we have one of the towels you have prepared for those two?”

The servant looked at the towels, and back at Akito, then to the two sparring partners, and back at Akito again.

“Even a used one would be fine. There is just some water on the bench.”

The servant decided that it would not do him any good to ignore a request from the eldest Hyuuga among the bunch, and quickly brought a towel over to wipe down the bench.

As he attended to the bench, Akito looked back at Kokou.

“How about you? What answers do you seek in that pile of books?”

[King of Cats]

Kokou had a slight twinkle in his eye as Akito recited a short line from the book they were both reading. It was always refreshing to meet another scholar. There was a clear difference between someone studying a subject, and a scholar who engrossed themselves with the subject. Kokou could tell Akito was truly interested in Jyuuken at an adept level. The young man spoke modestly of himself and his studies. Kokou couldn't help but wonder just what kind of practice Akito was interested in. Gentle Fist only offered so many options in application. Kokou thought the things that Akito was studying were oddly specific. He was smiling as Akito spoke and nodded along to what Akito said that rung true to him.

As the Professor of the University of Konoha, Kokou had studied much of the things that Akito referenced. Kokou was a master of the Gentle Fist and had been for years. When he was 14 he put together a dissertation on the practice of the Eight Trigrams Heavenly Rotation technique. Kokou was particularly skilled with burst chakra from his palms, and the Rotation jutsu came naturally to him. In his dissertation the Professor wrote about how chakra travels in the body through chakra vessels. When Akito said he was studying what it means to charge chakra in the tenketsu, Kokou had an answer for him. "Well, if you are interested in the concept of 'charging' chakra in the tenketsu points, I can offer some insight. When I was younger I wrote a paper on Heavenly Rotation, and it included some details on the flow of chakra within the body. Kokou took the towel from the servant and began patting down two spots for the Hyuuga clan members to sit.

"To understand how chakra moves in the body it's important to understand the flow of energy within the body. It begins at your heart. When blood is pushed through your body, your heart chakra pool simultaneously distributes chakra through your body. The chakra travels through chakra veins, into other pools of chakra around the body, and becomes specialized for certain uses such as nature transformation, shape transformation, and various manifestations. This esoteric art is barely understood by most, but I've looked into it. I don't know what you are studying exactly, but perhaps that would help. In my experience i greatly studied the gut chakra, hoping to better control the manifestation of natural energy." Kokou paused. "It didn't work, aha."

The Professor scratched his head and coughed awkwardly. "I'm uh... just reading actually. I've long since mastered Jyuuken. I just think it's fun to read over past book and marvel a thow far I've come." Kokou coughed again and straightened his posture on the stone bench. "I'm the head of a big organization here in Konoha. It's new, you haven't heard of it yet. But it's gonna be big. I plan on revolutionizing education in Fire Country." Kokou pulled out a packet of gum. It was a green wrapper, it looked like spearmint. He gestured for Akito to take a piece.

[Drak]

Akito at next to Kokou and listened along politely as Kokou told him the nutshell version of chakra flow and charging, nodding at the correct junctures. His eyes lit up briefly when Kokou said that he had written a paper about Heavenly Rotation.

I'll have to ask about that paper later. The rest of this though: it's all basic stuff. Why is he telling me all of this? If I needed it explained at this level I could have asked any teacher at the academ- Wait, what was that about natural energy?

Kokou was already on to talking about the University and offering him a stick of gum. Akito took the stick and smelled it.

Spearmint. Good, it's a flavor I like. If I didn't like it I couldn't very well give it back to him after smelling it like that.

"I would be interested in reading that paper on the Heavenly Rotation," Akito said, unwrapping the gum. "And about your experiments with, what did you say, 'natural energy'? That sounds similar to something I have been working on. I can tell you more about that, if you would like, but it seems to me that you are very eager to tell me more about this organization. Although I must question how big of an organization it could be if I am unlikley to have heard of it.

Akito smiled wryly as he rolled the stick of gum and placed it gracefully between his lips.

I sense no malice or ill-will from him. He seems like a pure scholar. And from all I've seen and heard around the clan, he is more interested in his studies than politicking in the clan. I may have to reveal some of my research, but I may be able to trust him yet.

[King of Cats]

Pleased that Akito took a stick of gum from him, the teenaged Jounin began kicking his feet. Kokou was pleasantly excited for someone to accept a gesture of kindness from him, but more than that Akito had spoke of Kokou's paper on Heavenly Rotation. It was an incredibly useful and coveted technique among the Hyuuga clan. Each family had their own nuanced style of Gentle Fist and everyone was trying to improve their own. Kokou wasn't surprised that Akito wanted to hear more about the Heavenly Rotation technique, but he was more surprised when Akito wanted to hear about the study of natural energy.

Natural energy, like many things in life, came easily to Kokou. Of course that isn't to say that it came painlessly. One night Kokou was using his Byakugan to study strange gasses in the sky, and to his surprise he saw a blazing pink comet flying right at him. Without anytime to prepare Kokou was struck by the comet =. Kokou didn't know it but the strage gasses in the sky wwas the faint glow of chakra from space permeating with the earth's life force. As the condition progressed it formed comets of pure chakra in the sky that would shoot out. It was quite dangerous, but Kokou was lucky. His body absorbed the natural chakra and his byakugan, unknowingly, evolved.

Sitting there with his pink eyes Kokou didn't attract any attention among the Hyuuga clan. He seemed like a mostly normal boy. Behind that he was harboring a great secret though. Kokou had recently awakened a strong power in his eye related to the Byakugan. He had yet to manifest the power to shrink objects willingly. Mostly it had been on accident, sometimes with effort but there was nothing proving this ability if he failed to perform. Kokou wanted to master this ability before he revealed it to the clan. He had yet to study the ability, but it seemed that shrinking objects was somehow related to natural energy.

To hear someone else was studying natural energy was amazing to Kokou. He wondered if he had perhaps met another scholar like himself. A true searcher for truth. Kokou had a twinkle in those special, pink eyes. "I can give you the paper on Heavenly Rotation. After our time in the library we can swing by my place. And as for natural energy.. that's awesome we're both working on similar projects! Great minds think alike." Kokou put the packet of gum that he was holding back into his pocket. "The University Konoha is a big deal. We're going to hunt for jutsu scrolls, track mythical beasts, gather legendary artifacts, and more! But, anyways, if you know any scholars. Or people who might be interested in those things, send em my way Akito. We pay good for works of science, or even mercenaries."

Kokou coughed a bit, he had a tickle in his throat. "So what I study is the habitat that natural energy occurs in. Specifically the heavens above us in the atmosphere. I've found evidence tha tspace produces natural energy, and I aim to harness it so that we can learn more about natural energy as a people. IT's very mysterious, i'm sure you know. Haha." Kokou laughed and blew a smal bubble inside of his mouth, then he popped it. "Tell me about your work Akito.." Kokou was genuinely interested to hear what kind of studies Akito was undergoing currently.

[Drak]

Akito nodded along more as Kokou described his research on Natural Energy as they walked.

Hmm, it seems I may have misunderstood what he meant when he said “Natural Energy,” but his topic of research seems intriguing nonetheless.


“Very interesting. I have read legends of men of renown – shinobi or not – harnessing energy from the heavens by aligning their actions with the movement of the heavenly bodies, the element and animal of the year, or even more directly by consuming fallen stars. If there were any truth to those legends it could certainly be a powerful thing to use.”

Akito paused for a moment, slowly grinding the gum between his molars.

“My research is still in its early phases, and sounds like it deals with a different understanding of the words “natural energy.” It has been inspired by my preparations for the war. You see, most of my career as a shinobi has been built off of my affinity for close combat in the form of Jyuuken, with some pure chakra Ninpou thrown in. Recently though, I have been diving deep into Doton. In doing so, I found an old jutsu scroll in a storage room in the Hyuuga library. It detailed how one might channel Earth Chakra specifically out of the tenketsu.”

Akito’s hands moved through several hand seals. When he finished, he pulled a sleeve up to reveal his forearm. Kokou saw hundreds of stone scales appear across his arm, starting at the tenketsu and spreading outward.

“This jutsu works on the same principle as the Heavenly Rotation: expulsion of chakra from all of the body’s tenketsu. Unlike the Heavenly Rotation though, it is not pure chakra, but Doton. If this technique can be applied defensively, I want to know if it can be applied offensively: What happens if instead of using pure chakra in the Palm Dance of Divination, one were to use Doton? Or any other element?”

Akito stopped walking and faced Kokou.

“As such, I have been seeking to learn more of the other elemental styles, as currently I only know how to work with Earth. I hypothesize that Air and Ash specifically could be used to great effect.”

“Of course, having some support in, say, a university setting would be helpful for the furtherance of that goal,” Akito hinted.

Was that a slight? I definitely want to be part of this, but asking for my help recruiting and not my help directly seems like he doesn’t want me to have a part. I would expect as much from another Hyuuga…

Akito put a stop to that train of thought. Nothing so far had really suggested that Kokou held the same disdain for him the rest of the clan did.

I should simply ask him. Especially as -- beyond myself -- I don’t know that I do know anyone who would be interested. Takeshi and Masaru don’t exactly seem like the scholarly types. Nakano would immediately ask to be part of the anatomy department while giving me that look of hers. Her seal might be of interest as a subject of research, but that is classified information. And it would be a cold day in hell before the Yamanaka let two Hyuuga probe their clan secrets.

“Is present company excluded from your call for scholars, or was that a veiled recruitment?”

[King of Cats]

As Akito was telling Kokou about his studies, Kokou was very interested. It seemed that Akito had an intuitive point of view to combat. Most people would never think to use such practices for varied purposes. Most people simply found a roele for their technique and never pursued something beyond that Kokou saw a confidence in Akito as he spoke about Doton and his aspirations to aquire other affinities for his practice. Kokou was quite impressed and he had a silver twinkle in his pink eyes. Kokou was entranced for a moment, taking in Akito's intelligence and enjoying the mesmerizing flow of thoughts the man's words brought to him.

While he was mystified by the ideas Akito presented, Kokou found himself day dreaming about Akito's technique. It seemed to be like armor, but Kokou was sure there were intrinsic properties to the technique that made it useful. As he considered other elements utilization KAkito changed the subject. The elder Hyuuga hinted around at joining the university, but his confidence seemed to waver. Kokou almost frowned, but he wasn't one to let the darkness overwhelm him. Kokou smiled and said, "I would love to have you. You seem like a brilliant mind Akito, the university would lve to help further your research." Kokou paused for a moment and after a careful round of deliberation, he said, "I'm sure the clan would be thrilled with your studies too Akito. Kokou blew another small bubble in his mouth and popped it.

Kokou wanted to talk about his research for moment. "I think you are onto something fantastic. Considering the explosive nature of chakra channeled out of tenketsu, perhaps Doton channeled in such a way might explode too. Or even the earth formed may afflict tenketsu points similar to Gentle Fist? Or both! Ooh. You're onto something Akito."

Kokou gave him a big thumbs up and stood from where the two were sitting. He straightened his bandana so that the star would be pointing forward and he leaned over Akito. He was being real serious now.

"I think you can join, no problem. First we need to set you up with a receptionist. She will handle the proper documents I need you to fill out to properly work for the University of Konoha. She will also serve as an assistant for you. I have just the woman in mind. Kagura Aburama is a skilled chuunin who works for the university as an intern. She is knwoeldgeable of science and the study of chakra, though not brilliant like you or I. She can help you with experiments. She will also refer you to me, the dean, with proper documents for funding of your studies. If you request a material, we will pay for it. You have A-Ranked clearance to use materials, and conduct experiments. Of course this all must go through me." Kokou paused for a moment and took a step back. He held his finger up to the sky and said; "Now you are given one month to get something going. I suggest, in consideration of the village, you wbegin work on another project to present to the village. Hyuuga techniques are not as profitable as others, of course. If you can't find work, I have three tasks for you. Just say the word." Kokou waited for Akito to reply to him.

[Drak]

Akito’s eyebrows raised up, and he opened his mouth in surprise. When he regained his composure, Akito gave Kokou a deep bow in appreciation. When Akito had asked about the University, he had not been quite sure of his expectations, but an easy position complete with an assistant was far and beyond their furthest bounds.

“Thank you, Kokou-san!”

Akito put his hand to his chin and thought for a long moment.

“With the war as it is, I have been focusing less on chakra research, but there are a few pathways in which I see promise. There is the Elemental Jyuuken of course, but that is limited in applicability. I have invented a few Doton techniques which could be formalized, but that is hardly groundbreaking, to pardon the wordplay. I have also considered delving into the half-forgotten techniques of Ink Release. Hmm…” Akito trailed off, clearly working on a train of thought. “I will have to think on that. Tell me more about these three tasks.”

[King of Cats]

Standing there with Akit Kokou felt like he was doing real work for the village. Where he was just studying the simple science of Jyuuken he was now gaining an associate in the study of great mysteries. Kokou was overjoyed and swallowed his gum. He didn't want to choke on what he was about to say, and truthfully he loved swallowing his gum. That was why he carried two packs with him everyday, whenever he got the munchies Kokou would eat some gum.

Speaking softly Kokou told Akito about the three projects to be taken on. "Alright I'm glad you have some projects to work on, but this one you pick from the three I give you has to take precedence in your work. You need to make progress on this subject and present it to the University periodically. Your funding will depend on this projects headway. Take it very seriously, this is work that the village has deemed vital for the progress of Konoha's military power to progress. We are doing serious work Akito. I trust you, that's why I'm letting you pick out fro these three options. Normally I would just give you one, but you seem to have a sort of intuitive genius unlike these other people we are surrounded by. Now, let's focus." Kokou cleared his throat and reached into his pocket. He had three pieces of paper folded up and gave them to Akito. "Alright, these are my notes on everything. Check them out for more details to make your decision. And remember Akito, you will be working with me on this project" Kokou paused for a second to gather his thoughts.

"So your first choice and my personal favorite option is the retrieval of a forbidden jutsu scroll. The Body Transfer Jutsu is a secret jutsu that was created in Konoha. Over time it's use heralded an outlaw on the jutsu. With persecution of users of the jutsu we lost the secrets of the jutsu. Now, I have confirmed rumors of a jutsu scroll in Fire Country that has detailed descriptions of how the conciousness migrates from body to body. I require this knowledge for Konoha. I believe we can use hidden techniques of the Yamanaka Clan in conjuction with this scroll to create ideal spies for our warfront. Perhaps we can accelerate the study of conciousness control, a Yamanaka specialty, by decades with this scroll. Before beginning your studies on the scroll you would of course have to retrieve it with a team of village ninja."

Kokou nodded and continued on.

"Second is the easiest study. There are roving bands of raptor-parrots flying through Fire Country this season. Your mission would be to find a flock and study them as intimately as possible. If you could humanely capture one, that would be great for your studies. Raptor-parrots are incredibly dangerous of course. You must be careful and work with a team of ninja to study them. First find them, then watch them, then capture a specimen and study it in Konoha. This is the most profitable avenue, the budget is very high because of the drugs needed to sedate the beast. Of course this study isn't without dangers. Raptor-parrots breathe lightning as you know." Kokou nodded again, his smile wide as ever.

"Finally your third option is the most difficult. If you are up for a challenge that doesn't pay nearly as well as your other choices, well this one is for you. Make no mistake though, this study will prove to be just as fortuitous as the other two. For this study you will take possesion of a demon sword." Kokou furrowed his brow. He wasn't fond of this study but the village was very fond of it. In fact they had silently pushed the letter under Kokou's door knowing he was against these sort of studies. "Demon swords are weapons, not always swords, that have been possessed or enchanted if you prefer to call it that, with fragments of spirits. These spirits are typically dangerous and haunt the demon sword. Demon swords cannot be wielded by normal men. They drive the human spirit mad with rage and anyone holding one is driven to unmitigated violence. Of course demon swords also possess incredible abilities such as cutting chakra, opening portals, raising the dead, and even producing lifelike illusions." Kokou had quieted his tone as he spoke about the demon sword. "Konoha possesses an S-Class demon sword named Ashfar. Your objective is to study the sword safely and provide analysis on it. No one has ever wielded Ashfar, we do not know it's powers. Your job would be to figure that out, and replicate the powers for standard ninja to use. Since we have the sword you won't be paid for retrieving it, but this job also has the most potential to make you famous. If you create a useful item out of the study of Ashfar you will certainly be remembered by generations to come." Kokou smiled again, picking his voice back up from the hushed tone he was speaking in.

"Choose well Akito. It's very important for your first task in the University." Kokou pulled the gum back out from his pocket and popped another piece into his mouth. He started chewing it up and waited for Akito's response.

[Drak]

Akito scanned the notes as Kokou walked him through each of the missions.

This first one seems very much up my alley. Tracking down and locating a scroll seems doable, and could be a suitable application of the Ink jutsus I’ve been working on. I am curious how the clan feels about Kokou launching an initiative in his new university that seems specifically tailored to help the Yamanaka, or how the clan leadership and Yamanaka feel about the Hyuuga prying like this.

The parrots would seem like a clearly optimal choice: easy study, high reward. Some physical danger but nothing worse than what I’ve faced before. My specialty is not exactly in the field of biology however. Moreover, if I fail to capture a parrot on the ground I will be unable to follow them, and as much as I would like to dive into Fuuton, learning it sufficiently to fly after a fleeing parrot would take too long.

Finally, the sword. An intriguing proposition to be sure. An artifact like that surely has many secrets waiting to be uncovered, and as such, has great research potential. Were I an expert in sealing or spirits, I would jump at such an opportunity. As things stand however, I do not know where I would start trying to study such an item safely. Still, fuuinjutsu would be an excellent complement to my emerging Ink jutsus, so if this task is still unclaimed in time it may make sense later.

Akito looked back up at Kokou just in time to see him pop another stick of gum in his mouth, not having noticed him swallow the first.

How many sticks of gum could one person want to chew at once?

Akito produced the gum wrapper from his pocket and discretely spat the gum back out into it.

“Kokou, I have taken a moment to think about these missions. Retrieving the scroll makes the most sense for me. If there is any more intelligence on the scroll and its location I would like to hear more,” Akito paused. “Additionally, I must ask: how have the Hyuuga elders reacted to a mission that seems so tailored to help the Yamanaka?”

[King of Cats]

Chewing on the gum, Koko usucked up the tasty spearmint flavor and swallowed it before he responded to Akito. It was delicious. Kokou put the gum in the side of his cheek, preperation for what he was about to say to his newest colleague.

"Alright Akito. I'll get the transfer of documents to your desk today. It's very important you make headway in this study. Konoha believes this Body Transfer jutsu can be used for great espionage purposes. You will be the specialist on the task." Kokou chewed on his fum for an instant and returned it to the side of his mouth. "So this is what I know of the mission. First you will have to retrieve the scroll from a crypt in the north of Fire Country. The crypt is guarded by necromancers, sorcerers of evil spirits who use magic to command the dead. They are rumored to be studying the scroll themselves. Retrieve it at all costs possible We will have a squad for you to command in your efforts to obtain the Body Transfer Scroll." Kokou paused for a moment to let Akito get acquainted with the idea of his mission. "After you retrieve the scroll you must learn the contents of it. Based on what we know of the scroll, the technique is a Tenkujutsu based jutsu. You may need a specialist on such, but you must understand the technique perfectly even if you cannot use it. Once you have a masters grasp of the Body Transfer jutsu it will be up to you and your team to develop a new technique with the Yamanaka clan, specially designed for espionage. This task can only be completed by you Akito."

Kokou was smiling and said, "Thank you, again. Now to answer your question. The Hyuuga have nothing to do with the University of Konoha. While some Hyuuga like ourselves work for the university there is no bearing of the Hyuuga on the infrastructure of the University. In fact, most of what we do at the university is top secret and you will not be permitted to tell your family about it." Kokou paused for a moment and let Akito speak his mind.

[Drak]

As was his habit, Akito nodded along as Kokou spoke.

Interesting that he is so flippant about the clan’s involvement – or lack thereof. Kokou really is dedicated to knowledge above blood, and to the village above the clan. I may be able to learn something from him. On a more practical note, if we are going to face the undead, I will need a way of handling them. Jyuuken is a fantastic offensive art, but it may not work against the dead. Furthermore, it is better at one-on-one combat. Doton has little in the way of offensive power. I may need to incorporate a new kind of offensive power.

“Very well. This mission sounds like it will be a challenge, but one well-within my capabilities,” Akito said. “And you have no idea how relieved I am to hear that the Hyuuga elders should not hear about this. You could probably live down helping the Yamanaka. I am not afforded that same leniency.”

Akito’s hand went to his chin again and stared off for a moment. When he turned back to Kokou, there was a renewed focus in his eyes, and when he spoke, his voice was sterner and his speech more direct and informal. Kokou had not seen this transformation before, but Akito had entered mission mode.

“The major concern I have with this mission is crowd control. My strengths are in reconnaissance and one-on-one close combat. If these opponents can, indeed, raise the dead, then the upper limit on the number of undead we could face is effectively unknown. Crowd control capabilities in a companion would be useful, but I have concerns about entering without at least some ability to do damage to a crowd. I have long considered trying my hand at Ash Style.”

Akito bowed deeply enough to place his head below Kokou’s.

“Will you teach me to wield Ash?”

WC: 313

[King of Cats]

Nodding to Akito, Kokou agreed to teach him Ash Style. "Consider my teachings as a gift for joining the university. I would be more than happy to oblige you." Kokou gestured with his hand for Akito to follow him and walked out of the courtyard. Some people had joined them and Kokou knew it was no place to teach Ash Style. Ash was a volatile style, it could spread damage easily. It made sense that Akito would want to practice a crowd control style before facing off against zombies. Kokou silently applauded him for his forethought. The pink eyed Hyuuga headed straight out of the library and began walking down the street.

The distance from the library to the universitywasn't too vast and as Kokou broke into the streets he went on a ninja dash. Flying forward Kokou ran through the streets, his Byakugan active and watching Akito follow him. Kokou possessed a scroll for both Sankaton and Ash Style at the University, a gift from the village for his hard work as a scholar. Kokou had made several pivotal breakthroughs in microbiology. The village was beginning to understand how virus's worked thanks to Kokou's flash freeze fuuinjutsu. He could keep the virus alive by freezing it and watch how it multiplied with a microscope. It was a truly amazing process, and it was safe too. The village was thankful, and now Kokou was thankful too. He liked moving from one topic to another swiftly.

Standing in front of the university Kokou had his hands on his hips. He was panting a little bit, but he didn't look tired at all. "Here we are." Kokou had a wide, toothy grin taped to his face.

[Drak]

When Kokou assented to teaching him Ash Style, Akito broke out into a grin. He followed Kokou out of the Hyuuga estate and out into the streets of Konoha, sprinting after Kokou. When they arrived at the University, Akito took a moment to admire the building. It was a far cry from Akito’s traditional sensibilities, but he could not deny that it had a charm to it. The modern building spoke to the University’s role in propelling Konoha into the modern age.

The pair entered through the main entrance and made their way to Kokou’s office. There Kokou handed Akito a scroll marked only with the Kanji for Ash. Akito opened it and began to scan over the techniques within.

I know that producing Ash involves channeling the Fire and Wind chakra natures. I have minimal experience using those, but with Kokou’s instruction I should be able to figure this out. We have limited time to train, so I should prioritize which jutsu I learn carefully. Ash Cloud, Scattered Coal Dust, and Searing Veil seem like the obvious choices for crowd control. It is not clear if I will be able to use Jyuuken on the undead, so Skin of Embers may be useful as a close combat alternative to the Gentle Fist. Additionally, the mixture of concussive and burning effects from Flame’s Rebirth could be highly useful.

After studying the scroll for a minute, Akito rerolled it and spoke: “Very interesting. I think I have identified several techniques which I would like to train.”

The scrolls retrieved, the pair walked out to one of the University’s many training areas.

Akito had seen that many of the jutsu described in the scroll involved breathing: usually inhaling to focus the chakra, then exhaling Ash.

It is a combination of Fire and Wind, so it only makes sense that breathwork would be so important. Air, that is to say, breath, is critical for fire to burn, and it is the very stuff of which Wind is made.

Akito began his training by practicing breathing. Inhaling, focusing his chakra in his mouth, throat, and lungs, then exhaling. With each breath, Akito tried to transform his chakra, heating it up and sending it out with enough force to cut. After many tries, Akito was able to produce a tiny puff of ash. It burned his mouth like he had taken a tip of too-hot tea and left a gritty residue, but it was progress.

Looks like I need to produce a layer of pure chakra underneath the Ash chakra to protect myself.

This time, Akito focused two “sets” of chakra: one pure, one ashy. That did the trick, and Akito was able to exhale a substantial cloud of ash with ease.

The next technique was Skin of Embers. It started similarly to Ash Cloud, but involved blowing ash directly onto the hands. Still feeling some pain in his mouth from his first attempt at using Ash, Akito tried to focus a layer of chakra over his palms to protect his skin.

This feels much more natural – almost like preparing Jyuuken strikes.

Building up a reservoir of ash in his mouth, Akito exhaled onto his hands, coating them with the stuff. He began to go through some of the Gentle Fist forms he knew, figuring the technique could be used to apply ash just as well as to close tenkestsu. Despite the sticking power of the ash, Akito found that the supply of it on his hands quickly depleted. He tried again, blowing more ash onto his hands in hopes that it would last longer, but could only do so much. It was clear that there was some property of the jutsu that Akito was misunderstanding.

Akito paused his training, released what he had of the jutsu, and approached Kokou, who was hard at work on a technique of his own, it looked like.

“Kokou-san, I have a question for you,” Akito announced as he walked up. “I am practicing the Ash Hands jutsu, but I cannot get the ash chakra to stay on my hands for longer than a few moments. I do not believe it is an issue of quantity of the ash, but rather one of how I am balancing the two competing forces of casting ash jutsus. I want to keep the ash close to me so I can transfer it with a touch, but not so close that I cause myself harm.”

Akito demonstrated what he had learned so far for Kokou, showing him how easily the ash slid off his hands, being careful to avoid getting any of the ash on Kokou. The last thing he wanted to do was to repay his kindness with burns!

Jutsu LearnedShow

*Ash Style • Ash Cloud
D-Rank Ninjutsu
After performing hand seals, the user will take a deep breath and expel a cloud of Ash from their mouth at a Speed and Strength equal to [Control]. The cloud will travel 5 meters in a single direction and will cling to whatever it comes into contact with. If it hasn’t made contact with anything after travelling 5 meters, the cloud will harmlessly dissipate.

*Ash Style • Skin of Embers
D-Rank Ninjutsu
After performing hand seals, the user will blow a covering of ash onto their hand at a Speed equal to [Control]. Over the course of the next 3 posts, the user will attempt to make contact with their opponent, transferring the Ash on their hand to the person. The Ash has a Strength of [Control] and can be removed by an opponent with equal or higher Strength.

[King of Cats]

As he rushed to the university, Kokou was filled with excitement. He hadn't gotten the chance to train any elemental ninjutsu in some time. Kokou had recently been so swamped with paperwork he simply didn't have to time to set forward and practice jutsu. He was, of course, very skilled with understanding ninjutsu, and that expertise was something that came naturally for him. Kokou would be depending on this natural prowess to teach Akito. He was excited to have fire at his heels and hurried to the university.

When Kokou and Akito arrived at the university Kokou proudly stood before the great doors. They were sliding glass doors. "Alright, here we are. The University of Konoha. Get familiar with everything. As you can see we have full security, including ninja. As well the doors remain open twenty four hours a day. We take learning very, very seriously. Welcome Akito." Kokou opened up the door by pressing on a Fuuinjutsu. The seal scanned his chakra signature and approved of him, then let Kokou and Akito in. Kokou made a note to get Akito's signature stored in the seal.

The university was very modern. The walls were painted white, and the floor had a black and white, checkered pattern to it. Every five tiles was a red one. There were various paintings on the wall, including various framed books, some of which Kokou had written. The two walked swiftly through the halls and made it to the Ninjutsu Holding Tank. This was where people could rent various scrolls, with permission of course. As well as being a place to hold scrolls the NHT also had a small chamber where up to three people could safely perform jutsu in practice. Kokou picked out a copy of the Ash Style scroll and headed into the chamber with Akito.

In the NHT it was brightly lit, and there was a bunch of safety focused Fuuinjutsu sealed into the room. It would be tough to start an accident in there, but of course it was possible. They were advised to be extremely careful with their practice, and with that the two began to study.

As far as Ash Style went Kokou had mastered just a few jutsu. Of those jutsu Kokou had skillful practice with Skin of Embers. As a taijutsu specialist Kokou was very interested in any technique that made his physical capabilities greater. When it was confirmed that he had a Katon affinity Kokou had long since decided to master Konohagakure's fiery arts. Kokou could use both Sankaton and Ash Style. He was a dept with both, but his talent wasn't truly ripened yet. It would take him many years to master Ash sTyle, but he had a few pointers for Akito surely.

Speaking softly Kokou put together a few hand seals and then cast the Skin of Embers jutsu. He blew a small cloud onto his hands. As the Ash began to cling to Kokou's skin it was clear that a thin film of chakra was covering his hands. "Alright you got the idea. Now when you mold your chakra for the Ash, you should be simultaneously molding regular chakra to coat your hands. You want it to be a thin film. As you mold the chakra draw on energy from your sacral chakra pool. Draw on the power to protect, the will to receive and the courage to put forth your efforts.. then blow the Ash. Don't blow the Ash until you feel like your chakra is good and sticky. You want it to be adhesive, the natural properties of chakra will protect your hand so it doesn't need to be too thick. Try it like that." Kokou was smiling widely. He loved talking about jutsu application. He had written several books on how to mould chakra properly, he was an intuitive master of chakra control.

OOCShow

Word count: 646
Training:

(300/300)
*Ash Style • Skin of Embers
D-Rank Ninjutsu
After performing hand seals, the user will blow a covering of ash onto their hand at a Speed equal to [Control]. Over the course of the next 3 posts, the user will attempt to make contact with their opponent, transferring the Ash on their hand to the person. The Ash has a Strength of [Control] and can be removed by an opponent with equal or higher Strength.

(300/300)
*Ash Style • Ash Cloud
D-Rank Ninjutsu
After performing hand seals, the user will take a deep breath and expel a cloud of Ash from their mouth at a Speed and Strength equal to [Control]. The cloud will travel 5 meters in a single direction and will cling to whatever it comes into contact with. If it hasn’t made contact with anything after travelling 5 meters, the cloud will harmlessly dissipate.

[Drak]

Akito listened intently to Kokou’s pointers, doing his best to absorb and internalize what Kokou was telling him.

“I see, I see,” Akito muttered as Kokou gave him pointers. “Almost more an issue of intention than technique. Interesting.”

With that, Akito paused his efforts to blow ash and focused on the first step of the jutsu: imbuing his hands with chakra that was both sticky and protecting. As he focused, Akito saw where his problem was. Comparing Skin of Embers to the Jyuuken was not totally inapt, but it had led him astray nonetheless. The chakra movement at the heart of Jyuuken was an expelling one: you charge up chakra to be ready to shoot into an opponent’s body. Therefore, charging chakra in the same manner would not keep the ash on his hands.

Akito tried again to focus chakra into his hands, this time using the same flow that he would use when creating his scale armor: expelling chakra but keeping it layered on top of his skin. When he felt that the thickness and consistency of the energy was correct, he began to practice his breathing again. When he had the hang of breathing while maintaining the chakra layer, Akito channeled Ash from his sacral chakra gate and up into his lungs. He exhaled, but a slight burning sensation in his fingertips caused him to flinch. Instead of sticking to his hands, Akito breathed the ash out into the air in front of him.

There it formed a cloud which hung in the air for a while, slowly drifting away from Akito and Kokou.

Interesting. I may need slightly more chakra in that case, but not quite so much as I was using before. Fire release does not have a reputation for being quite this subtle, but I suppose the influence of the Wind element on Ash introduced a fair amount of subtlety. Being able to breathe a cloud of ash like that might prove useful though.

Akito tried again, channeling slightly more chakra to his hands. This time,he could breathe the ash onto his hands without any burning. Akito moved his hands slowly, and when he was sure that the ash was well and truly stuck to him, he began to move faster. Akito went through form after form, ramping up in speed with each movement until his activities could be better described as shadowboxing than kata.

Eventually, the ash cooled and faded, but by then, Akito was convinced that he could use the jutsu. He recalled his earlier mistake and the cloud of ash he had created with it. Refocusing his efforts, Akito tried to replicate that technique. He reached back down to his deeper chakra gates, and breathed the energy out in the form of Ash. Again, it formed a cloud of blistering ash that hung in the air. As it drifted against the fuuin on the walls, chakra began to spark out, neutralizing the damaging effects of Akito’s new jutsu.

As the ash cloud dissipated, Akito returned to the jutsu scroll and unspooled it further to reveal more advanced techniques. He spent a moment studying the hand seals for one of the jutsus, muttering the sequence to himself. Placing the scroll down, he prepared to begin practicing the jutsu, then clearly thought better of it and started a new sequence of seals.

An earthen wall leapt up from the floor in front of Akito as he turned his head to Kokou.

“Insurance,” he said with a grin. “This one could be dangerous.”

Akito jumped up to the top of the wall and crouched atop it, going back through the first sequence of seals and focusing his chakra about a meter out from the base of the wall where a pile of ash began to slowly accumulate. Once it had reached sufficient size, Akito ducked behind the wall and made one last hand seal to activate his ash bomb. Nothing happened. Akito stood there for a moment, waiting for the explosion. Ten seconds passed, then twenty. Cautiously, Akito peeked around the corner of the wall just as the ash exploded outwards. Akito ducked back behind the wall just before the spray of ash jetted out around each side of the wall.

“I am going to try that again,” Akito announced to Kokou, slightly louder than was necessary to hear himself over his ringing ears. “I think I can do better than that.”

Once the ash had settled, Akito peeked around the wall again and made his hand seals. Again, a pile of ash began to appear, and it quickly gathered to a decent size. Akito ducked behind the wall again and made the sign of the Ram. This time the explosion was immediate.

Again, Akito waited for the ash to settle and cool, then he lowered the Doton wall he had erected in the training area and walked over to Kokou.

“Thank you for your help, Kokou,” Akito said, bowing. “This training will serve me well on my mission. I am looking forward to working with you more.”

Jutsu LearnedShow

WC: 844/800

*Ash Style • Scattered Coal Dust
D-Rank Ninjutsu
After performing hand seals, the user will expel Ash from their mouth to make a cloud of about 3 meters by 3 meters at a Speed of 9 and with a Strength of 1. This cloud will hang in the air for 3 posts before dissipating. If anyone walks through the cloud, the Ash will cling to them with 3 Strength.

*Ash Style • Flame's Rebirth
C-Rank Ninjutsu
After performing hand seals, the user will create a condensed pile of Ash on the ground at [Control] Speed. This ash will lay dormant until the user performs an additional single-handed seal, causing the pile to explode with [Control] Strength. In addition to the concussive force, the Ash will cling to anything it touche. This pile of Ash will dissipate if not activated within 4 posts.

[King of Cats]

Once Akito was done practicing Kokou put away his scroll. He had gotten in some practice, but he didn't learn anything he didn't know. He had studied that scroll before briefly, and with prodigal talent he was capable of refining his skills. Kokou was happy with himself and stored the scroll in his back pocket to be returned later.

"Well then, I think we are done here. Let's get some rest. You have a lot of work ahead of you, and I am sure that you will need to be alert to deal with the necromancers. It's a very dangerous mission you are about to undertake, but I trust you Akito. I don't hold any reservations about your background, and look forward to working with you here in Konoha." Kokou pulled another piece of gum out of his pocket and popped it in his mouth. "I must be off my friend. I shall refer to this encounter again, of that I am certain. Come by the University as soon as you can and we will get you up to date on all the information relevant to your mission. Now, have a good day." Kokou walked away from Akito, confident in his new friends ability.