Do or Do Not, There is No Try

[Closed]

User avatar
Rain21199
Posts: 1075
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2015 8:00 pm

Do or Do Not, There is No Try

Post by Rain21199 » Tue Sep 10, 2019 4:30 pm

It had been a chilly morning, but as the sun rose above the horizon, it's warm light seemed to fight against the cold winds of Konoha. As he walked through the street, he felt a difference in the air as the sun rose. The sky turned a dull blue, and everything seemed to be a bit brighter. One thing that he missed since he had begun to live within the walls of Konoha, was seeing the sun rise. It was a beautiful affair that Zakuro had mostly ignored during his childhood on the farm. It was something that happened every day. It was nothing special, but now that the sun rise was blocked by trees and walls, he found himself missing it. Mostly though it made him miss home. Zakuro saw the gate in the distance, which was nice because the bag on his back was beginning to annoy him. By no means was the bag heavy to Zakuro, but it still did dig into his shoulders a bit causing some discomfort. The walk here from the center of the village was a peaceful one. There was nobody up and about besides the occasional early bird like himself, and it was nice to enjoy the cool morning air without any sounds or distractions. The weather was beginning to get colder and colder with each passing day, but that was the way it went in Konoha. The nights began to get longer and colder this time of year, but it rarely ever snowed. It had been years since the last time Zakuro saw a snow fall, and once the flakes touched the ground, they vanished. It wasn't like up north where it snowed constantly, it the snowfall blanketed the ground.

Upon reaching the gate, Zakuro through the pack onto the ground with a very large thud and a puff of smoke. He leaned against the wall of Konoha and looked as the sun peaked it's way over the wall. When the light touched Zakuro, he felt the first glimpse of warmth that day. It wasn't much, the rest of his body was still chilled by wind and shadows, but the front of his body ways being warmed by golden sunshine. It almost felt good enough to put a smile on his face. So far it was a good morning, but it would soon be disturbed by the person he was going to train. Zakuro wasn't an introvert, but he stilled enjoyed his solidarity and quiet. It had taken him quite a long time to find peace with sitting still and listening to nothing, but when he learned the beauty of it, he fell in love.

Sitting next to Zakuro on the ground was a very large hiking backpack. Inside of it housed 6 katanas, over 200 kunai, 2 chains that were 25 ft in length, 2 chains that were 50 ft in length, one small tent, one sleeping bag, and 400 lbs worth of body weights. In total, the bag weighed close to 700 lbs. Zakuro was here for one reason. He had taken notice of a young Yozei Natsuki. The son of the current Hokage. He was a very talented young man, and certainly could reach very high heights, but his skill in taijutsu had a very significant room for improvement. Taijutsu being Zakuro's speciality, he decided that it might be a good idea to kidnap him for awhile and truly hone the kid's Taijutsu prowess. Especially now since the two were going to be put on a team together, it'd was more important than ever that they got to know each other, and that he wouldn't be a weak link. Zakuro had a plan for how he was going to train this child, but it was up to Yozei how long it was going to take. It could take five days. It could take two weeks. Hell, it could take months. Zakuro knew that no matter what happened, he wouldn't stop training the child until he was strong enough to put up a decent fight.

Zakuro had never really mentored someone in this way, well, he had never mentored someone in anyway. He knew that he was bound to learn and grow from this experience almost as much Yozei would, but as for Yozei, his growth would be significantly more painful.

Mamoru Gerudo
Konohagakure - D-Rank

Resu
Owl Country - D-Rank

" A 7 for Zangy for example, is different from a 7 from Envy who is not quite a nuanced writer as Zangy is (sorry Envy), which is different from a 7 for Rain, who has English as his second language." - Onu 2016

User avatar
Izanagi
Posts: 4019
Joined: Thu Feb 14, 2013 7:00 pm

Do or Do Not, There is No Try

Post by Izanagi » Tue Sep 10, 2019 8:46 pm

It had been quite an eventful couple of weeks since being promoted to Chunin. He had trained Katon ninjutsu with Gene, met new Chunin teammates that he would likely be performing missions with soon and discovered someone who aspired to give Yozei the taijutsu guidance that he needed. Though Zakuro was a Chunin like himself and only slightly older than himself it was clear the young man was in a completely different league when it came to Taijutsu and physical conditioning. In fact, he was so impressive it seemed he was likely similarly as capable as his father, the 17th Hokage. At least if one were to judge his skill on the raw strength and confidence he possessed. Yozei had yet to see the extent of Zakuro’s ability. Fortunately, he had been singled out to embark on a training expedition, camping out in the woods until he had improved enough to satisfy his new squad leader. He hadn’t known it until he was packing and conversed with his father about the situation but Zakuro was actually the leader of one of the divisions of Mamorinuku, further attesting to his competency.

Wearing a deep brown sweater, olive green shirt and black pants along with his typical assortment of weaponry and forehead protector Yozei set off for the main gates. Of course, he also carried a reddish-brown backpack filled with dried foods, fruit, frozen meat, bottles of water, some basic medical supplies, a tarp, compass, and a few other miscellaneous items. He wasn’t particularly inclined towards the outdoors, but he had been camping at least a half dozen times with his father and his sister Hanako, though she was more proficient than he was when it came to survival. Motivated by Gene to further develop his Katon ninjutsu and hone his chakra control, Yozei absentmindedly channeled chakra into his left hand, producing a tiny fireball, no more than an inch in diameter, though kept in pristine form as a perfect dense sphere that didn’t seem to falter in the slightest as he moved. The warmth against his hand was comforting as the fireball hovered about 6 inches above his palm. He was capable of creating a much larger fire ball of course but that could quickly become cumbersome and even dangerous which was a bit too much for a simple training exercise. The goal was to keep the fireball maintained throughout the entire hike towards their destination, making sure that he didn’t accidentally burn himself or let it go out of control or extinguish completely even if he let it slip from thought that it was there. If he wanted to make it more difficult he could also vary the size of the fire ball every ten minutes or so, having to adjust to the new size he needed to maintain and keep as a passive sort of presence. he needed to be able to channel and mold his chakra without even having to actively look at what he was doing to know precisely how much chakra he was using, if he could perfect this style of training then he could maximize the efficiency of his jutsu though he was still a long way off from that kind of control. That day would come eventually if he practiced every day.

It was a fairly difficult goal even for one as skilled in Katon ninjutsu as himself but he was determined not to leave a single moment wasted in his ambition to reach his potential and close the gap between himself and the prodigious group a few years older than him; that is to say Gene, Fanho, Zakuro and Taiga. Checking out of the village, Yozei received a few off looks due to the fireball, though he was becoming fairly well known by the shinobi often stationed at the gates. Even as a Genin Yozei had ventured outside of the village and even the Country numerous times. Being the son of the Hokage might have helped to pull a few strings though of course he always had to have direct authorization from his father and typically had at least one Jounin level chaperone nearby. After he had been properly cleared Yozei headed past the large wooden walls, glancing around and quickly noticing Zakuro basking in the morning light. Getting up early had never been a preference of his, in fact he had been quite lazy in regard to training until recently. The mornings were beginning to grow on him though. Waving casually with his right hand, Yozei would address his squad leader, “Morning” he greeted with an indifferent expression. That was when he noticed the sheer size of the backpack Zakuro had brought. Being raised by an expert survivalist he naturally assumed it was all essential camping gear and food. “Just how long do you plan on being gone for?” he asked with a hint of surprise and concern. He had only packed for about a week himself and though he was sure he could survive a little longer than that he didn’t particularly want to. Sleeping in the woods was alright for a little while but eventually one grew to miss the comfort of a bed, a proper shower and hearty homecooked meals.

Without realizing it his fireball had grown to about twice its size, its shape losing some of the pristine focus as it stretched to something resembling a more natural flame. Suddenly the teenager noticed the flicker of flames as it caught the corner of his eye and with a moment of attention the flames condensed and formed into a perfect sphere once more. ‘Getting careless already. It’s too early for this’ he bemoaned, but such was the price one paid for growth. He couldn’t afford to slack off and let his natural talent coast him along. He needed to teach himself how to actually work hard and put in the hours and dedication. Luckily there was perhaps no man better for the job than Zakuro to enforce such disciplines.

1000 Words Ninjutsu Training (+1 Stat)
Last edited by Izanagi on Sat Sep 14, 2019 3:51 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Natsuki Takeo - 17th Hokage, former Anbu Commander [DEAD]
Karagata Shinjiro - Kiri Bannin; Jinchuuriki, Overseer of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, Kintsugi
Haziwara Youji- Iwagakure Chunin
Takeda Ichiro - A-Rank Waterfall Country; Black Wake, Chishiki, Setsuzoku
Hyuuga Takeshi - Konoha Special Jounin; Anbu
Jouchaku Shigeko - Kiri Genin; HHD

User avatar
Rain21199
Posts: 1075
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2015 8:00 pm

Do or Do Not, There is No Try

Post by Rain21199 » Tue Sep 10, 2019 9:09 pm

Zakuro looked Yozei up and down. He was doing some weird fire trick. Zakuro had no concept of chakra control. Even back when he could perform ninjutsu, it was an aspect that he barely touched. The only thing Zakuro knew for certain was that the poor kid was going to hate his life. With a grin he couldn't hold back, Zakuro used his right hand to push himself off of the wall and into a standing position. Reaching out his left hand towards Yozei, Zakuro motioned his fingers towards himself, "Give me your bag real quick." Upon receiving said bag, Zakuro would continue to ask, "What did you bring for food?" Regardless of what the food was, upon learning of it, or simply rummaging through the bag and finding it himself, he grabbed the food and tossed it over the wall behind it. "Food for the animals. The forest has our back so we have to have the forest's right?" Obviously that had nothing to do with the reason why he threw the food away. He just wanted Yozei to make the most out of this trip. If he wanted to eat, he would have to work for it.

Closing the bag back up, Zakuro strapped it to the large backpack that he had brought to the gate. For a man of Yozei's size, Zakuro imagined that the weight of the backpack would be enough to make him collapse in less than a mile. It was heavy, but hopefully by the end of this trip, it would feel like the pack he brought to him instead of this intimidating thing. "Your training starts now. You're taking the packs." and with that, Zakuro started walking. He knew Yozei wasn't going to like him very much at the beginning of this training, so Zakuro didn't really care to act likable. "Oh, and if you get tired and want me to carry it, just tap me twice. I'll take it from you." It was obvious that Zakuro wasn't going to wait up, so Yozei had to grab the bag and catch up.

Mamoru Gerudo
Konohagakure - D-Rank

Resu
Owl Country - D-Rank

" A 7 for Zangy for example, is different from a 7 from Envy who is not quite a nuanced writer as Zangy is (sorry Envy), which is different from a 7 for Rain, who has English as his second language." - Onu 2016

User avatar
Izanagi
Posts: 4019
Joined: Thu Feb 14, 2013 7:00 pm

Do or Do Not, There is No Try

Post by Izanagi » Wed Sep 11, 2019 11:50 pm

A peculiar feeling coursed through him as Zakuro looked him over and grinned in response to Yozei’s question about the duration of their training. The young royal had a feeling that he might have got in over his head in agreeing to this outing. Without thinking to question such a simple request Yozei shifted his shoulder, letting the bag slide off onto his right hand before tossing it casually. He had packed light, no more than about 50lbs of weight. “A bunch of trail mix, some fruit, a couple of steaks” he answered, only growing wary as he mentioned the steak. ‘He better not...’ he began before sighing heavily as Zakuro began tossing fruits into the bushes, followed shortly after by a large bag of trail mix, granting an exasperated look followed by genuine alarm and insult as he grabbed the packages of meat, “oh come on man, really?” he pleaded, reigning to a miserable experience as he watched them flung into the foliage. Some fox or wolf was going to have a good meal or if it had actually gone right over the wall then perhaps a fellow shinobi would even make use of them.

The teenage shinobi was suddenly very grateful that he had devoured a large breakfast complete with bacon and hash browns before setting off. That would help satiate hunger for a few hours at least but he was sure to get rather irritable without at least trail mix to snack on. His mood sank further when told he was to carry both packs. He was certain Zakuro’s bag would have weighed at least four times the one he had packed. That would be roughly the same weight he had been training with the other day when he first met Zakuro, annoying to carry for a long trek but doable at a moderate pace. “Alright, sure” he sighed, not wanting to throw in the towel already. Despite the clear difference in fighting ability it was still rather irksome to be ordered about by someone of a similar age and technically the same rank. Nonetheless Yozei was used to obeying, more so in his youth though and it was something he was beginning to realize he could slack off with a bit more in Konoha than in the royal palace where he grew up.

Zakuro gave him some further instruction or rather an offer to relieve him of the weight if he tapped his shoulder twice. Something about that couldn’t have been as simple as it seemed. Walking over to the bag Yozei reached down with one hand in an attempt to lift it or at least get a sense of how heavy it was. The damn thing felt like a boulder, it didn’t budge in the slightest. “How in the hell?” he muttered, thinking there was no way he would be able to lift such a weight let alone carry it for an undisclosed distance. Of course, he couldn’t judge it based just off a casual tug with his arm. He’d have to release his fireball, that much was certain. Such a thought was annoying in its own right. He hated strength training and would much rather hone his chakra control. Exhaling slowly, he positioned himself in front of the backpack, squatting low and putting his arms through the straps. A few more deep breaths and sharp exhalations and he felt he might have mustered enough confidence and preparation to give it an honest go.

Making sure to at least use proper form, lifting with his legs, keeping his back straight and looking straight ahead as well as making sure not to bend his legs too low beyond the point of maximum effectiveness Yozei managed to struggle his way to his feet. He staggered a few steps forward as he tried to move and adjust the weight so that he could figure out how to posture himself. He had to lean forward a bit, engaging his arms, back and even his core to keep the weight of the backpack forward enough that it didn’t pull him down on his ass. It was about three times as much as he had ever attempted to lift before, never quite straining himself to his absolute limits in his training. Already he was finding it difficult to breathe, forcing himself to exhale slowly and inhale sharply because the massive strain on his body naturally made him hold his breath to focus on keeping tension in his muscles. “What did you even pack? do we even need anything in here or is it just for the weight!?” he asked, incredulous and raising his voice a bit in frustration. Now he could see what an absolutely hopeless situation it was. He could barely walk with this thing on let alone ever catch up to Zakuro.

His thighs felt the strain on them immediately though he was able to get moving and walk at a slow pace, beginning to figure out how to move in such a way. His face was already red and he was sweating a little bit but mostly he just wished he could teleport to their destination or find some other easier approach. Was he even cut out to be a shinobi if this was the kind of training he had to endure? Maybe not but pride wouldn’t let him give up. He still wanted to be better than his classmates. He also remembered what Kotaru had said about only being able to achieve his level of strength through excruciating hard work and determination. It seemed there was no choice but to press on.

935 Words Strength Training

Natsuki Takeo - 17th Hokage, former Anbu Commander [DEAD]
Karagata Shinjiro - Kiri Bannin; Jinchuuriki, Overseer of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, Kintsugi
Haziwara Youji- Iwagakure Chunin
Takeda Ichiro - A-Rank Waterfall Country; Black Wake, Chishiki, Setsuzoku
Hyuuga Takeshi - Konoha Special Jounin; Anbu
Jouchaku Shigeko - Kiri Genin; HHD

User avatar
Rain21199
Posts: 1075
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2015 8:00 pm

Do or Do Not, There is No Try

Post by Rain21199 » Fri Sep 13, 2019 3:00 pm

Zakuro knew that Yozei would be incredibly useless in terms of detecting would-be attackers and defending himself against them in the state that he was in. It would be up to Zakuro to remain vigilant and watch for someone who may want to do them hard. It would be even more difficult now that Yozei was stomping around behind him, struggling to walk in a straight line, and causing a very loud ruckus. Zakuro gave a slight shake of his head and slowed his pace a bit. Just enough that Yozei wouldn't notice, but it gave him a chance to catch up if he gave it his all.

The Chuunin was intending on breaking Yozei physically and mentally up in the mountains. He was raised in a family of nobles, and has had little to no field experience. While he was getting fed with silver spoons on comfortable chairs, Zakuro grew up on a farm with next to nothing. He didn’t learn how to read until he entered the ninja academy, but compared to those around them, he was much better off physically because of the labor he had done as a child. He didn’t wish any ill will towards Yozei for his upbringing in the slightest. They were both dealt the hands that they were, and honestly, Zakuro’s upbringing made him more fit for this line of work than Yozei’s. That was one of the biggest reasons why Zakuro was training Yozei in this way. He wanted the boy to experience true disparity and pain. He wanted the boy to be challenged in ways he never thought imaginable. When you’re too sore to move but if you don’t you’ll starve, you move. His limits will be tested, but overall, Zakuro hoped he would be a better man for it.

Zakuro would use this chance to practice his perception and situational awareness while also staying alert and watching for bandits or the like. More than likely this was bound to be a boring walk to the mountainside. The likelihood of bandits being this close to Konoha were next to none, and if any did get this close, then Mamorinuku would neutralize the threat. The only entertainment Zakuro was likely to get would be Yozei fumbling around for a bit until he got worn out and collapsed. It was however, looking to be a wonderful day. Not too cold, not too hot either. In the corner of his eye, Zakuro watched as a squirrel started sifting through a bag of trail mix. This did put a smile on his face.

Zakuro did a quick scan of his surroundings. He just moved his head from right to left in one sweep and stared back forward. With that one look, he tried to recall as many details as possible. He decided to start with the bigger, more noticeable things. There was a set of horse hoofprints followed by two sets of human footprints. That likely meant that there was a caravan that passed through here very recently. They went the direction that Zakuro and Yozei were heading now, so there was a chance that the two groups might actually met each other. The next detail that Zakuro noticed was a very large cut in a tree about 30m to his right. If Zakuro didn’t know of a large clearing to his right that is widely used for training genin then he might have pondered that detail a bit more, but his knowledge helped. Thinking back to a book he had been reading in his freetime about battle tactics, it talked of a “home field advantage”. Knowing the environment and everything about the area was the most important benefit to fighting in at your home. You can study maps of an area as much as you wanted, but nothing was more accurate than the mind of someone who had lived there all their lives.

Zakuro knew his biggest downfall on the battlefield was his lack of strategy. Now that he spent most of his time inside, doing paperwork and running things in Mamorinuku, Zakuro has been using the bits of free time he has during the day to read. He’s read up on the history of Konoha, it’s battles, battle strategy on a single person or squad level, and battle strategy on a military scale. It was a struggle at first. Zakuro may have learned how to read when he was 11, but he still was not very good at it. Now, however, he was starting to become a very fast and sharp reader. It’s gotten to the point where he doesn’t have to whisper words to himself while he’s reading, and he needs to open the dictionary on his desk less and less.

Zakuro continued with remembering the details of the forest. Now he was onto smaller, less noticeable things. He saw two birds, they were blending into the leaves of the trees, but he noticed them as they moved their heads to get a better look at the two walking below. He heard a rustle of leaves. That left one. There was, of course, the squirrel at the bag of trail mix. Although they had gone a decent amount of distance since they left the gate, Zakuro was still able to make out the little guy. Likely, he would’ve missed the squirrel if he didn’t know it was there though. Zakuro knew that there was more that he could’ve seen. A lot more, but he was still practicing. It took a lot to gather information that quickly, and he was getting better, but he needed to be on par with those that he once considered peers, but now sat above him. Fanho, Gene, and now from what he heard, Taiga as well. He preferred to train his body, but his mind was becoming more and more important as he approached Jounin.

Zakuro didn’t look back at Yozei once, but he knew the boy would want to give up shortly. Maybe not extremely soon, but he would have to prepare himself for the tap on his arm or shoulder. Whenever the time came, Zakuro was ready. He was paying attention to his surroundings, but he was also listening for the sound of Yozei’s feet and labored breathing. Unfortunately for Yozei, having Zakuro carry the bag would be a lot more difficult than the blond made it seem.

[Instinct Training - 1064/1000 words]

Mamoru Gerudo
Konohagakure - D-Rank

Resu
Owl Country - D-Rank

" A 7 for Zangy for example, is different from a 7 from Envy who is not quite a nuanced writer as Zangy is (sorry Envy), which is different from a 7 for Rain, who has English as his second language." - Onu 2016

User avatar
Izanagi
Posts: 4019
Joined: Thu Feb 14, 2013 7:00 pm

Do or Do Not, There is No Try

Post by Izanagi » Sat Sep 14, 2019 3:50 pm

Despite the massive weight Yozei trudged onward. Despite not having any reason to exercise much until recently he was still Takeo’s son and his genetic makeup took well to exercise. That was in part why he could afford to be lazy usually. Just a small workout was enough to keep in shape where others would need to work twice as hard for the same results. Of course, his dad had always trained to push past his limits, achieving one of the greatest physiques and physical prowess in the hidden leaf village despite his large arsenal of ninjutsu techniques. That being said the 17th Hokage was not the type of person who could defeat someone who had mastered one art to the extreme, often developing a remarkably efficient and creative use of skills. Rather his father was the type of person who picked up techniques so that he could teach others and provide versatile support to his comrades while still fighting alongside them in the front lines. He relied on the strength of the village as much as his own two fists. Yozei on the other hand didn’t quite have the same mindset toward teamwork. He strategized well enough and had been able to work well with Nikuya in his exam but he desired the strength to fight on his own and not rely on anyone else.

He wasn’t sure how much he would need physical strength to achieve that goal. It had its purposes sure, but his true power was his Katon ninjutsu and his chakra control. Spending too much time on his body when he could simply overpower his opponents from a distance with devastating attacks seemed like a bit of a waste of time. Still, he supposed it wouldn’t hurt to have some physical ability, to perhaps train in long range weaponry as well to supplement his Katon and he was always fumbling around in his mind thinking of how to make use of his sword as a deterrent if nothing else if an opponent was able to close distance on him. Those things required some ability to react quickly and with agility and to improve his movement speed he also needed some strength as a foundation. Sighing heavily the teenager buckled down and decided to actually get serious. “It’s just a backpack. This is nothing. Nothing!” he urged himself. With his mind more focused, his attitude changed for the time being to one of determination rather than feeling annoyed Yozei found himself adjusting to the strain. Able to walk without staggering or swaying and even beginning to pick up the pace to the point of taking long strides.

His legs ached already but it was growing to become an almost comfortable pain, something he could push through and get used to. Sweat formed at his back and under his arms though as he focused on his breathing and keeping a consistent pace that all seemed to melt away and be of little concern to him. ‘I’ll be stronger. I need to if I want to keep up with Niku’ he thought. Though he preferred a mid to long-range fighting style it would be useful to have close range options and it was especially important to at least be able to keep up with his allies when it came to moving information and traveling. For that reason alone he needed to be both stronger and faster. If he trained hard enough in the mountains then by the time he returned to Konoha his dad might even be proud of him for his physical ability and not just his knack for Katon ninjutsu. The Natsuki family was after all known for both Katon and Taijutsu, despite his father breaking the mold a bit by starting off his career with a reputation for Doton and Suiton styles. Aunt Ayame, Takeo’s younger sister as well as both of Takeo’s parents were close range fighters, the women both using Katon to supplement their fighting whereas Takeo’s dad had utilized a combination of Katon and Doton as well as being a proficient tracker. Yozei had trained with his Grandpa several times and had learned some jutsu from the man, as well as picking up the signature flame whip technique that Ayame utilized. His Grandma, on the other hand, had only ever achieved Genin status whereas the others were all former or current Jounin so there was little to have been learned from her aside from admiring her toughness and resilience, having been raised by the Inuzuka.

Yozei wasn’t sure if he would ever develop tracking skills. It was a difficult predicament, not wanting to follow too closely in the footsteps of the Natsuki family, wanting to honor the Harukatsu family and develop good standing with them by honing his own unique style and utilizing the ancient katana that had been a long guarded family heirloom. He was very much a person with a world of expectations on him but without any clear path forward. Zakuro was at least forcing himself to better his physical conditioning and perhaps he would help to direct him when it came to developing new taijutsu styles. For that possibility alone he couldn’t give up. He noticed Zakuro had gone on ahead a little bit and didn’t look back at him at all. ‘Have to step up the pace’ he realized, taking bigger strides and moving into a slow jog. “How far out until we set up camp?” he wondered, raising his voice a little as Zakuro was still ahead of him but he was closing the distance a bit. He figured they would be heading at least 5 kilometers, though he hoped they weren’t actually hiking up a mountain with this kind of weight, the closest mountain of any note was a fair distance away and there were still plenty of good training fields outside of Konoha as well as creeks and a few lakes and of course heavy forests all which could make for suitable training places or decent camping grounds. Knowing how to pace himself would also be key. He didn’t want to get too carried away and try to run with this kind of weight on him only to collapse in exhaustion or injure himself before they even hit the halfway point. He had a feeling though that there would be no escape from a grueling training regimen and he would have to learn to push his limits even further.

935 + 1077 = 2012 Words Strength Training (+2 Stats)

Natsuki Takeo - 17th Hokage, former Anbu Commander [DEAD]
Karagata Shinjiro - Kiri Bannin; Jinchuuriki, Overseer of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, Kintsugi
Haziwara Youji- Iwagakure Chunin
Takeda Ichiro - A-Rank Waterfall Country; Black Wake, Chishiki, Setsuzoku
Hyuuga Takeshi - Konoha Special Jounin; Anbu
Jouchaku Shigeko - Kiri Genin; HHD

User avatar
Rain21199
Posts: 1075
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2015 8:00 pm

Do or Do Not, There is No Try

Post by Rain21199 » Sun Sep 15, 2019 1:16 pm

The walk was long, and they still weren’t half way to their first stop. Despite having a wonderfully fun time observing his surroundings and watching for bandits and the like, Zakuro knew he would lose his mind if he didn’t do something to entertain himself quickly, so, he took a fairly large book out of his cargo pocket. The cover was worn and faded. It’s pages were yellow. Zakuro made sure to be very careful with it. The thing wasn’t about to crumble at his touch or anything, but the leather that bound it was dry and pages had turned soft with age. They would likely easily rip. It was an account of the tactics used and descriptions of the battles fought in the second shinobi war. Of course, it started with slavery, the same practice that started the third, and something Konoha was still fighting to this day. Zakuro understood the benefits of being a slave owning nation, but being from a hard working farming family, Zakuro couldn’t imagine putting in the work he did and getting nothing from it. Not to mention that he couldn’t imagine the conditions that they lived in were the best either. Zakuro was a man with just ideals and a strong conscious. He believed that everyone deserved a fair chance at life. Hell, Zakuro started from nothing and look at where he was now. If he was a slave he might not ever have had the chance to become something greater.

Zakuro gave a quick shake of his head and started to read. Of course while reading, Zakuro would still be on high alert, glancing around whenever he heard a noise, and being wary of Yozei. Zakuro wasn’t sure when the boy would start to fall behind, but he had to be aware of when it happened. Honestly, Zakuro was expecting him to put up a bit more of a fight over carrying the bag, but he was very glad the way everything went down. It was the first step to solidifying his position as the alpha of the group. Yozei might not know this, but he would soon be put on a team with Zakuro. It was something that the Chuunin had requested himself. It was bad for a team if there were some type of power struggle. In a way, they were wolves. Zakuro was simply asserting his dominance. Hopefully that’s how this outing would go for its entire duration. If Zakuro had to show Yozei exactly how strong he was, then he would do just that. If not, well it would be a lot easier on both of them and it would save Yozei some pain.

Zakuro was roughly 2/3rds of the way through the book. It was written in a chronological order which made digesting what he was reading that much easier. Some books written on old wars were just an amalgamation of documents and notes thrown together and you had to figure out what was going on. There were still things to be learned from manuscripts like that, but these were more interesting. It was more like a story and was designed to be studied from. Konoha’s biggest strength in these wars was its ability to persevere and keep morale high. The will of fire to others was just a bunch of words with no meaning, but to the people of Konoha, it was their strongest weapon. Zakuro smiled, remembering to back when he lost his arm. He stood against a dragon multiple times his size, fueled by nothing but his will of fire. He was willing to die right then and there, and for what? A few words. No. An ideal. It was a powerful thing.

There were notes on proper formation strategy and difficulty keeping formations amidst the chaos. Shinobi are notorious for working in small fire teams or solo. Once hell breaks loose they go back to what they know best, but if one can utilize the strengths of their army as a whole, they can have a significant advantage over the enemy. The example given was with the biggest battle of the war. It was the battle that turned the tide of the war. Konoha was going to lose everything, but Suna turned on their allies and launched a devastating attack, throwing their most powerful ninjutsu at Kiri and Iwa all at once. Their numbers plummeted. It was the bloodiest battle in history, and that was the main reason why. You can defend against multiple attacks, but everyone has their limits. If your side is split and doing their own thing while the other side still has good synergy and they launch an assault of multiple attacks all at once, there’s not a whole lot you can do to defend. Sure some shinobi will be able to erect defenses in time but a large number are going to get hit. It was all interesting stuff. Stuff that Zakuro hoped to never have to use, but interesting nonetheless.

Zakuro heard a noise to his right. Without making any large movements, he glanced over and observed with his peripheral vision. He saw the lush green forest foliage. There were a few smaller animals scurrying in the distance, but they were too small and too far to make the noise he heard. Overall there was nothing significant at ground level to note, no moving branches or shrubs, no depressions in the dirt or disturbed leaves, certainly no humans had been off the path anytime recently, so whatever made the noise was likely to have been higher. He turned his neck and looked up into the trees. Sitting in the leaves was a very large crow that was staring down at him with the side of its head. It seemed to stare into his soul, but was ultimately harmless. He looked back to his book and continued reading. It would likely be soon that Yozei would make an attempt to tap out, so he made sure to pay very close attention to him.

[Instinct Training - 1012 + 64 = 1076/1000 Words]

Mamoru Gerudo
Konohagakure - D-Rank

Resu
Owl Country - D-Rank

" A 7 for Zangy for example, is different from a 7 from Envy who is not quite a nuanced writer as Zangy is (sorry Envy), which is different from a 7 for Rain, who has English as his second language." - Onu 2016

User avatar
Izanagi
Posts: 4019
Joined: Thu Feb 14, 2013 7:00 pm

Do or Do Not, There is No Try

Post by Izanagi » Sat Sep 21, 2019 7:45 pm

Once again Zakuro ignored him, resulting in a growing sense of annoyance and hostility. Yozei wasn’t typically an overly talkative sort, mostly he kept to himself and he didn’t really have any friends. He had entered the academy a year behind and had quickly excelled to near the top of his class. The teasing he had received had quickly turned to envy and jealously with many speaking ill of him behind his back but attempting to get on his good side and befriend him to his face. This made him naturally wary of others and typically he preferred to leave out his heritage when meeting new people. He rarely trained with others his own age and didn’t keep in touch with anyone he knew from his academy classes. He wasn’t sure what he thought of Zakuro quite yet, he only knew that he was strong and someone who could push him to better himself, at least physically. For the time being, then he could be considered a means to an end. He could endure the rudeness if it meant getting stronger. Taijutsu was not something he felt a knack for, but he wanted to excel in all areas and cover his weaknesses.

Perhaps in time, if he could overcome the hurdles of the coming days or even weeks then he would learn to enjoy the rush of Taijutsu. Success would require pain and already he was vividly aware of that. His legs ached and even his back and shoulders were a little sore. Sweat dripped down his back and his forehead, causing him to wipe it away from his eyes every so often. Even with the forehead protector it pooled and dripped down. He noticed that he had been furrowing his brow in frustration and had unintentionally slipped back into the bad habit of clenching his teeth which had disrupted his breathing. Breath control was key. It was something he tried to train on a daily basis. As a Katon user, he honed his lung capacity and the timing of utilizing his breath with chakra conversion. If his breathing was off when he utilized certain Katon ninjutsu it could disrupt the whole technique or even cause it to backfire and explode in his face. He needed to apply the same discipline to physical exercise, making steady breathing part of a subconscious reaction. Otherwise, his muscles would seize up and he would collapse from exhaustion too quickly.

Taking sharp, shallow breaths he would force his lungs to be actively engaged, flooding his bloodstream with a fresh supply of oxygen and helping his muscles purge the lactic acid build-up within them. This process helped dramatically, giving the teenager a second wind so to speak. Building up his stamina was important, and this would help not only the taijutsu ability he hoped to improve but also his overall chakra reserves which would work towards making him a more exceptional ninjutsu user as well. He would purge his mind of thoughts on how far away their destination was and instead enter almost a trance-like state as he ignored any sense of discomfort or pain and just focused on the task at hand. Moving forward at a steady and consistent pace until Zakuro told him to stop. That was all he had to do. An easy task if there ever was one. He felt this was something he could keep up for some time. Eventually, he would need to switch off. He wasn’t sure if Zakuro would try to evade him touching his shoulder or if the hard part would come after he took the weight, but he was determined to push himself as far as he could until then.

Staring ahead at Zakuro and forcing himself to maintain a consistent distance of about 5 meters behind him, Yozei noted him subtly glance over his shoulder every so often. In fact, despite reading a book the slightly older Chunin seemed quite vigilant. It was a difference that seemed to indicate the great amount more combat experience Zakuro had and not only that but his time that he had spent as a fugitive. ‘I should develop my awareness more at some point’ he realized. He had no ability whatsoever to detect potential ambushes, no enhanced senses or sensory ninjutsu not even just good intuition and situational awareness. It was certainly something he should try to remedy to some extent before he started going on proper combat missions. Sure he would likely rely heavily on his teammates for such things but he didn’t want to be a dead weight and knew he needed some way of being able to react and defend against more stealth-oriented shinobi. Otherwise, all the Katon ninjutsu in the world wouldn’t make a difference. Perhaps Zakuro could give him some pointers on that too although Yozei’s first thought was to see if he had any talent for Mind’s eye techniques and hopefully even practice some empathy sensing through either the ground or fire itself. Those two in combination might just be enough to get him by, especially if he could figure out a way to give himself some sort of passive sensory technique. These were things a little outside his area of expertise though, thoughts for when he returned to Konoha after their training session.

Picking up the pace a little, subtly he began to close the distance between himself and Zakuro. He could have kept going for a while yet but he was beginning to get rather bored and was a little curious to what would actually happen if he attempted to switch off the pack load. Perhaps he would need some reserves of energy and it was best to make the attempt before he was completely exhausted. Every five minutes he would close the gap by another meter until he was only 2 meters behind Zakuro where after walking at such a pace for 10 minutes he would suddenly dash forward in a burst of energy and aim to touch him on the shoulder. His heart rate was a little elevated though he had been focusing hard on keeping his breath control even, making the physical drain slow and steady up until now. He was hopeful that he would actually be able to touch the blonde-haired man’s muscular shoulder and that he would live up to his end of the deal and take the weight he had been carrying. There was no reason to say anything, he had been ignoring him thus far so Yozei would simply make the attempt and see what happened.

1095/1000 Stamina Training (+1 Stat)

Natsuki Takeo - 17th Hokage, former Anbu Commander [DEAD]
Karagata Shinjiro - Kiri Bannin; Jinchuuriki, Overseer of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, Kintsugi
Haziwara Youji- Iwagakure Chunin
Takeda Ichiro - A-Rank Waterfall Country; Black Wake, Chishiki, Setsuzoku
Hyuuga Takeshi - Konoha Special Jounin; Anbu
Jouchaku Shigeko - Kiri Genin; HHD

User avatar
Rain21199
Posts: 1075
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2015 8:00 pm

Do or Do Not, There is No Try

Post by Rain21199 » Mon Oct 21, 2019 10:36 pm

Zakuro continued to read his book, seemingly completely ignorant of what was going on behind him, but Zakuro was all too aware of Yozei’s movements to be surprised. Through his regular searches of the environment, Zakuro picked up on a few bits of information. As they walked, Zakuro noticed him slightly pick up the pace and close the gap between them. He could tell that while it wasn’t much faster, it was still causing him to exert himself slightly past the point of comfort. Zakuro was also able to tell by the look on Yozei’s face and his sudden change in breathing that the boy was starting to tire, and rather quickly at that rate. So, why would a person who was tiring out decide to increase their pace, slightly overexerting themselves, but not to the point where the trip is going to be any quicker? There was really only one conclusion that Zakuro could come to and it somewhat disappointed him. He wasn’t sure how much discipline Zakuro was going to have to instill in his new student, but every second they spent together gave Zakuro a better idea. This training could have gone easily and nicely (well, to a point) or extremely hard. It looks as though it was leaning one way.

The bulk of his attention was still on the surrounding environment and his book, not on the young Chuunin behind him, but he certainly listened a bit more to the going ons behind his back. The pitter patter of his weighted feet on the ground. The labored breathing. All of it gave a clue as to what Yozei was doing. He also glanced behind his shoulder at a slightly more frequent amount, noting how much closer that his companion was getting, but never letting his eye focus directly on the boy. Zakuro made sure to not let Yozei clue in on that fact that he was aware of his movements and intentions. If he did that, then Zakuro’s plan would be ruined.

If Yozei would’ve waited until he couldn’t take another step to tap out, then Zakuro would have gladly taken the boy’s load, and if needed, carried him the rest of the way. To be fair, that was a bit much to ask, but a truly selfless individual would’ve done just that. At the very least, Zakuro wanted to see Yozei slow down significantly, but as far as he could tell, Yozei was still traveling at the same speed. Not to mention the fact that he was barely sweating. Even though he was beginning to show signs of tiring, it would be a long time before Yozei would actually be unable to continue. It seemed, however, that Yozei was going to take this trip easy. He would just pass off the load and have an easy rest of his journey. Zakuro turned his head again, examining Yozei out of his peripherals. He really thought that Zakuro wouldn’t notice him get that close? If he didn’t care if Zakuro noticed, he wouldn’t have done it so slowly, but still here he was, taking his time, trying to be inconspicuous. The boy had a lot to learn.

Since Yozei had no intention of waiting until he was nearly drained of energy before passing off the pack, then Zakuro was going to drain him a different way. Yozei’s face was blurry in the corner of his eye, but he could still make out a face filled with determination. Zakuro knew it was coming soon. He prepared himself for the attack. Suddenly, Yozei dashed forward, closing the distance and reaching a hand out. The speed at which Yozei had moved was likely enough to impress anyone watching due to the weight on his back. Hell, it probably impressed Yozei too. Zakuro bet that he never knew he could move that fast under that much weight. It just goes to show you what you could do when you really wanted something. The one person that wasn’t impressed at all though was Zakuro. The speed at which Zakuro moved towards Zakuro was similar to what a deer would feel seeing a turtle charge at them. There was no immediate threat. Hell, Zakuro could probably move faster than that if he had no arms or legs and was just slithering on the ground. It was almost sad.

Zakuro carefully waited until the very last moment. Yozei’s hand was mere inches away, ready to tap onto its target and feel the sweet release of the weight from atop his shoulders, but then, as luck would have it, Zakuro’s foot “accidentally” ran into a root. The man stumbled forward, narrowly dodging the tap from Yozei’s hand and dropping his book in the process.

“Oops, I got a little clumsy there.” Zakuro let out a hearty laughter. Expecting Yozei to make another attempt at a tag, especially now that Zakuro was standing still, he would wait again until another tap neared his body before bending over and picking up his book. “Welp, we have a pretty good ways to go, so it’s best if we keep going.” Zakuro set off again, only this time he moved a bit faster. It was enough to make Yozei jog behind him, but Zakuro seemed as though he were still moving at a leisurely pace. Obviously Yozei would probably realize that Zakuro purposefully dodged those taps. Maybe not at the first one, but almost certainly the second time around. It would only be natural for the boy to get frustrated and lash out. Likely using a bit too much energy to try and catch up and attempt to tap out again. That was good because it was exactly what Zakuro wanted. He wanted to push Yozei to his limits again and again and again. Every single day Yozei was going to have to push past the point where his body wanted to give up. This was just the start of it all. ‘Good luck Yozei. I don’t envy you.’

1000/1000 word instinct training.

Mamoru Gerudo
Konohagakure - D-Rank

Resu
Owl Country - D-Rank

" A 7 for Zangy for example, is different from a 7 from Envy who is not quite a nuanced writer as Zangy is (sorry Envy), which is different from a 7 for Rain, who has English as his second language." - Onu 2016

REPLY

Return to “Konohagakure no Sato”

×