Team 5 Gets Tested [Cold Country]

[Texas]

Aki stood there hidden within the limbo realm as the awkward genin both trauma dumped but tried to build each other up. It seemed like all 3 of them had something to prove whether it was stepping out of the shadow of a sibling, overcoming the stink of something as simple as a name, or someone trying to learn more but might be limited on what they could simply teach themselves. All of this Aki gathered from the 3 meeting together. 'Two Arashiyama and a genjutsu focused shinobi. This should be fun!' Aki thought as he waited to see where the conversation was going.

The pink haired brat had been spending most of his time leading the march in Cold Country to make sure that, as a whole, the Country had a legitimate foothold with Kumo's print on it. It became rather difficult with the animals that normally would be herbivores, but were vicious carnivores. There was also the issue of the local tribes that ventured through cold country. Some were friendly and some were not; unfortunately it was nearly impossible to tell the difference between the two.

As the 3 shinobi spoke, Aki kept track of what they were saying and tried to fully get a grasp of their personalities and how it would mesh together. Maybe he just had to see them in action? Or maybe he had to see how they would work together. There was a few spots in the woods he could take them that was dangerous. Perhaps that would be a better place for all of them to test out their powers.

It wasn't until Kyou blurted, "I think that we're all going to work well as a team", that Aki decided this would be a perfect time to pop in. With a slight amount of chakra channeled through his body, Aki lifted up his arm slightly by just his elbow moving. He would then put his right middle finger against his thumb and snap his finger. The snap would probably be heard, but visually Aki would have just appeared out of nowhere. "Well would you look at that, we put you guys together because we thought the same thing!" Aki blurted out loudly as his large white coat pretty much covered his entire body. Maybe white ninja pants and white boots were seen. Aki couldn't help but giggle a little bit in hopes that he would at least scare a couple of them. The young adult would follow up by introducing himself. "In case you don't know my name is Ishiguro, Akihiko. However, most people casually call me Aki. I will be your glorious sensei!" As he finished that statement, the once delinquent lifted both of his arms in the air like he was making some great and marvelous gesture. Was the announcement too grandiose? Regardless, it fit Aki to be a bit.... over the top.

[Kabu]

No sooner had the group's introductions concluded and Kyou had given her awkward speech an unfamiliar voice suddenly sounded, her expression unconsciously twisting into a scowl as she turned around. It was just as soon replaced by a mix of surprise and confusion as the unfamiliar man continued to speak. This strange flamboyant pink haired man... was their sensei? And he was an Ishiguro? Maybe she was just being judgmental and cynical again but something about this didn't quite add up.

"If you're our sensei then where have you been this whole time? And admittedly I don't know a lot about the Ishiguro as a clan but all those I've met have had grey or silver hair." she spoke, clear disbelief present in both her tone and, judging from her raised brow, her expression as well. It was evident that he was older and stronger than any of them but that didn't really mean much in itself. She was aware that she was perhaps speaking out of turn and being rude but far as she was concerned a strange man had just popped into their meeting with no prior notice and that was reason enough for her to be on her guard.

With all that said she couldn't help but glance towards her teammates out of the corner of her eye, watching for their own reactions. Was she alone in her doubts or would they respond more positively? She had to admit... she was interested to find out.

[Throniv]

Arashiyama Raijin

---

Raijin felt the tension snap in the air the moment Akihiko appeared, his heart jolting at the sudden shift--but then he'd grown fairly used to the antics of his erstwhile sensei. The pink-haired Ishiguro was a prankster with a penchant for messing with his students, and their very first interaction had involved the jounin turning himself intangible and tricking Raijin into punching through him--a feat he still wasn't sure how he performed, and was still cool as hell.

Not much actually hurt Raijin, granted, unless something managed to touch his core, but the ability to go completely intangible? He'd be unstoppable.

The elemental genin gave the jounin a grin and a wave as he hopped down from the railing he'd been standing on, coming to stand between the other two genin he'd been paired with. They were a united front, now, and if he wanted to be a leader someday he'd have to start by backing up his teammates.

"Hey, Akihiko-Sensei," he greeted the teen just before his teammate immediately jumped into an interrogation about where he'd been and why he had pink hair--a line of questioning that forced Raijin to cover his mouth to contain the giggle that threatened to escape. He liked Kyou's style--she took no shit and demanded answers in a way he could really respect.

"Nice entrance, Sensei," Raijin said, his tone laced with mirth that juxtaposed his teammate's cynicism. "So, what’s next? You got somethin' planned for us?" His words held a light challenge, tempered with curiosity and respect, the kind only a prodigy eager to prove himself could give. Raijin stole a glance at his teammates, wondering if they felt the same spark of anticipation he did.

"'Cause I think we're ready for whatever you got, ya know," he said, shooting a grin at both of his new teammates.

[Dual]

Tenshi heard the echo of a far off snap, and on instinct turned to look for the source. The silo’s acoustics distorted the sound making it hard to track. She was still searching the room when their sensei, ‘Aki’, appeared, stepping from behind an invisible curtain like a stage performer. She slapped her hands over her mouth, just in time to stifle a gasp.

The pink-haired guy giggled at his own prank. Tenshi refused to reward him with a response, passing off her outburst as a cough and hiding the flush creeping up her neck. Everything about him, from his hair to his blinding all-white outfit, demanded attention. A type of dramatic flair she would admire under different circumstances. At the moment it was a bit like sand-- great at the beach, but annoying anywhere else. Just when she was beginning to think the higher-ups might have some common sense...

Equally skeptical, Kyou shot a few questions back at their immature sensei. But Tenshi was less interested in his choice of hair dye than his unique ability. She’d been completely unable to detect him– she assumed the snap was another part of the performance. It would be a perfect tool in a ninja’s arsenal, but she held her tongue for now. He seemed like a flashy guy, and the genin doubted it would take long before he showed it off again.

Her other teammate, Raijin, mirrored their sensei’s excitement with a wide smile. That’s right. Their private lessons. Raijin must have had time to adapt to, or perhaps adopt, their sensei’s personality by now. Her gray eyes lingered on the pair as she wondered at what sort of training it was exactly, and what the Ishiguro planned to put the rest of them through. Clearly, he had some things worth teaching. While tense and wary of more tricks, the genin managed a half-smile, her best attempt at matching their excitement. “Ready if you are?” she said, nodding at Kyou, but her tone was closer to a resigned ‘let’s get it over with’.

[Texas]

The once pink haired brat was now a pink haired misbehaved teenager. Well technically an adult? It didn't matter the child Jounin gazed upon his team as they clearly all had very different interactions. His student seemed to have slightly adjusted to his pop ins, Kyou seemed to have been startled but not as he wanted to, but he really seemed to startle Tenshi. Mission complete, Aki could go home now. No wait, he had a mission for them... Well he had a chore to do. Before he could fully think his attention would shift to Raijin who welcomed him with a normal hello. This got a smile and wave from Aki! What simple yet energetic boy; Aki wanted to test what denjiton would do to his elemental body, but in truth he knew tha-----

The pink haired brat couldn't even think properly. Well, on the account of Kyou yappin! Aki would shift his attention to the girl as she accused him of having pink hair. Aki would use his right pointer finger and point to himself, on his chest, with a look of surprise. "Kyou I've been here the whole time. I thought that maybe you guys would accidentally fight each other, but it got a little boring so I decided to jump in." The teenager would move his pointer finger to his hair, still with a surprised look, "are you telling me I don't have gray hair?!?!" The Jounin looked around rapidly as if he lost something, but before he could finish his bit Raijin spoke up about a mission. He would whip his head to Tenshi who also seemed to be ready.

Aki had to think on the spot... he didn't actually think this far to be honest. His first plan was to watch them fight each other... but in retrospect that was dumb to think would happen. His second plan was to surprise them so much that all of their excitement just for the mere presence of Ishiguro Akihiko would cause them to fanboy and fangirl over him... then in proxy forget about training. Since both of those plans didn't work for some reason, Aki internally was trying to connect the couple of braincells he had in order to create a sentence. Then it hit him! He had two reasons for coming this way, one was to check on his team forming up... but also he was given a mission to gather dinner for the silo tonight. Maybe he could combine the two and

By chore, Aki was given a task to bring in some meat for dinner tonight, but why not exploit his students and use it as a "teaching" moment. Maybe they would be willing to take out a couple of animals if they thought it was training..... Yes yes that's a good plan. Aki lifted his finger that was pointing at himself and shifted it to point it in the air. "Well Team 5, we are going to go to the arctic jungle and hunt down some animals! You will be familiar with most of them, they consist of deers, moose, bunnies, and all that fun stuff." The young adult would turn his back to them and start leading the charge.

When they would get outside and heading towards the forest the old lad would open the floor to the group since they had a little bit of ways before getting to the forest. "So guys, what are you three trying to focus on combat wise while you are spending your time here. Also, if you have any questions, let me know!" Aki forgot to tell them that the herbivores that they were used to were actually carnivores here in cold country. Maybe he will remember and give them a heads up before it is too late.

[Kabu]

"Mrrr..." Kyou growled as she glared at Akihiko, cheeks puffed up and arms crossed. She felt like she was being made fun of but now wasn't the time to start picking fights, especially with someone stronger than her. She knew that she could be moody and irritable but she absolutely wasn't stupid enough to lose her cool at a time like this.

As Akihiko gave their task she silently listened, some part of her in doubt that he hadn't thought this up on the fly. It almost sounded like he was just using them to avoid having to put in work himself. Still though... hunting did sound like fun and a good opportunity to show what she was made of. To some degree she even found herself hoping that they would fight back, which in a land like this while not guaranteed was a very real possibility. This was a land of snow and ice, there wasn't much to live off and the wildlife had more likely than not evolved and adapted accordingly. Of course this could go peacefully but was it really so wrong that she hoped for that slim chance that they would have a real fight on their hands?

With all that said... "For now I just want to continue to evolve my existing skillset. I honestly don't know what else I'm really good at or where even to start looking." she truthfully spoke in response to Akihiko's questioning as the group walked on, instructor leading the pack. She still had some doubts and felt a bit wary of their supposed sensei but if her teammates saw no issue with the situation she was willing to be open minded, for now she would just follow along and see what happened.

[Throniv]

Raijin looked mostly confused when Akihiko-Sensei mentioned expecting them to fight each other, which was something he really didn't get. They were supposed to be a team, what good would fighting his new teammates do unless they were sparring? This confusion was immediately replaced with an eye roll as he started off on the sarcasm right away. Akihiko sometimes was just like that as far as he could tell, and the only thing to do about it was go with the flow and not let it bother you too much. He'd found that as long as he did that, then there was plenty to learn from the eccentric jounin.

Raijin shifted his weight from foot to foot, arms crossed loosely as he processed Akihiko’s sudden announcement. Arctic jungle, hunting animals, it wasn't too far off from what a normal D-Rank would be, but Sensei's energy was weird, and he had a sneaking suspicion about the Ishiguro wasn't being entirely forthcoming.

“Arctic jungle, huh?” he said aloud, mostly to himself. “That sounds… different.” He scratched the back of his head, glancing over at Kyou and Tenshi to see if they looked as curious as he felt. Their sensei probably had some kind of plan to train them on the job, though he wasn't sure how hunting some animals was gonna help them get stronger, unless there was some dangerous wildlife around here that Raijin wasn't aware of. Which, come to think of it, was entirely possible--he wasn't overly familiar with this place, he'd been sent here as recently as the rest of the Genin.

Raijin turned back to Akihiko, his tone bright but uncertain. “Yeah, well, like I said before, I'm gonna be working on my Taijutsu and Chakra control. I've got some ideas for some really cool techniques, ya know?" he said as he rubbed his nose with his thumb in a slightly cocky manner. He was proud of his taijutsu ability, and he'd been working his butt off with Akihiko sensei and on his own to expand his repertoire of Nintaijutsu techniques.

[Dual]

If nothing else her team shared one thing in common: apprehension. She shrugged on instinct when her teammate looked to her for support. Tenshi knew that when dealing with an ‘eccentric’, the best approach was to play it cool, and keep them happy until they got bored. At least his suggestion for a team-bonding exercise seemed like a good way to burn off excess energy, and give Kyou a target for her frustration. But the idea of hunting in the arctic jungle strained her patience– already tested by being forced to follow orders from someone barely older than her.

Tenshi braced herself as they stepped outside, for her it would be a rare encounter with raw nature. She’d traded enough stories with sailors on the way over to know what to expect. Between comparing their black frostbitten fingers and toes, they’d told her horror stories about giant elk and killer rabbits roaming the frozen forests. It came as no surprise. Carnivorous herbivores were exactly the kind of contradiction that fit perfectly in Cold Country.

Despite the apparent danger, the gray-eyed genin fell in line behind her young sensei. She’d come prepared– kunai, shuriken, and all of her gear in place. If her new team failed her, cold steel wouldn’t.

It was a short journey to the edge of the white forest, but their sensei couldn’t stop talking. He invited them to speak, and, like before, the two Arashiyama shared their goals, which left her unique in the worst way. She was still relatively new to the ninja arts, with only intuition to guide her. While the girl had noticed many holes in her combat style, she was reluctant to dig into specifics around strangers, preferring to deflect attention as soon as possible.

“Work on building a better offense, I guess. Illusions and tricks can only take you so far.” She said, her teeth chattering as she quickly tugged her face mask over her blue lips. “Oh, and question? How exactly is hunting going to help us train?"

[Texas]

Before they got to the Arctic Jungle, Aki wanted to make sure he addressed all of their questions. The man child would swivel his head a bit before realizing he forgot to bring his puppets. What a dumbass. He would mentally reprimand himself as he continued walking. The boy would tackle each teammember individually as they spoke. This was his first time leading a small team of genin, during Cold Country and even in Yaseyama, Aki was more used to dealing with large groups of capable individuals. Not to say these genin weren't capable, but the Jounin had to make sure he kept an extra eye on them to ensure their safety completely.

Aki turned his head to look back at Kyou. Maybe her confidence wasn't fully there, but he didn't get that vibe from her. It was more or less exactly what she said, she was still figuring it out. "Okay Kyou, it's fine not to have something specific yet. Maybe after we do some hunting, we can get an idea on a couple of areas you are naturally better at and we can train in that avenue."

The pink hair would bob as he turned to Raijin. "Cool jutsus are fun, maybe I will get to see some new stuff today!" Aki would smile a bit as he mentioned the coined phrase Arctic Jungle. "You like the name Arctic Jungle?!" Aki asked with enthusiasm. After a couple seconds, he would continue, "Oh it's more than different, but you will see!" That comment then followed what Tenshi mentioned. "Illusions and Tricks?" Unfortunately for Aki, this took a couple awkward silence seconds to figure out what she meant. "Oh Genjutsu!" He felt proud and even snapped his finger as he said it as if he cracked a tough clue in a puzzle. "Yeah complimenting offensive techniques with Genjutsu can be incredibly dangerous. I am going to dabble in Genjutsu myself, so maybe we could train together during our time here in Cold Country to both get better at it!"

As the boy walked he would address the elephant in the room that was brought up by Tenshi. "Well animals, especially those on the bottom of the food chain, develop an array of different ways to avoid being naturally hunted by predators. So in order to properly hunt these animals you will have to utilize your ninja skills in order to take them down. Although, you may find these animals that are considered on the bottom of the food chain to be much different than what you are used to on the Main Land."

As they finished up their conversation they arrived to the Arctic Jungle. It was really a forest, that was covered in snow covered trees. Although the trees were dead, the snow combined with the cold caused the trees to hold up the snow as if they were leaves. This gave a dark and extra cold space that inhabited a lot of these animals that they were going to hunt. The trees themselves were over 20' long, which gave a massive feel to the forest. Before they stepped foot, Aki would turn to them with a giant shit eating grin on his face. "Alright guys, I'll tail you and watch from afar. I want to see how you guys work as a team. Don't make any assumptions about these animals no matter what they look like. Looks can be deceiving. If you second guess, or have doubts, you might die." Aki would jump up to a large branch at one of the tall trees and give a little salute. "Good Luck!" A smile combined with a snap of his fingers made him seemingly disappear from sight.

How would this trio begin to work this out? If they would go straight in the woods eventually they would come across a cold spring. The water, like everything else in this country was different. Even though it didn't have salt in it, it wouldn't freeze. The water was still called Frozen water. Mainly because of the incredibly freezing temperature of the water itself. It it so cold, that leaving a body part in there for more than 10 seconds would cause instant frostbite. However, at the end of the 50' river, would be a 10 point buck drinking water from it.

[Kabu]

Kyou silently tilted her head as they walked along, trailing behind her comrades as she kept an eye on their surroundings. Did Akihito really mean what he was saying or was he just repeating things he had heard before? Maybe she was being cynical but even still it did bring some small comfort. She was however still a bit jealous to see that her teammates both had some idea of how they wanted to grow and where their talents lie... Oh well, she had to just keep believing that she was simply a late bloomer... She had to believe that or else she was afraid that she may just one day snap. It was scary to be all too aware of her own shortcomings and yet being unable to change.

Putting her bout of self loathing aside she took a moment to more closely examine the environment around them. "I must say, I'm quite surprised. I expected a place called Cold Country to be more... depressing. I guess Ma wasn't lying when she said this outing wouldn't be so bad." she spoke, the awe clear in her tone. They were surrounded on all sides by snow, snow, and more snow. However there was also a surprising amount of plant life and they had even passed by a number of small animals. They hadn't yet encountered anything worthy of a hunt however, at least she hadn't noticed anything but her eyes and ears were open. If anything tried to attack or seemed threatening in any way then she wanted be the first to know, for now that was the least she could do.

[Throniv]

"Well, I don't plan on doin' any dyin', ya know," Raijin said with a grin as he crashed his right fist into his left palm, just before their sensei simply dipped. He got that it was supposed to be some kind of team building-slash-training exercise, but completely abandoning them in a country they'd only been in for a few weeks was a little harsh. Raijin let out a snort of frustration and static collected around his ears as he scowled at the place where his sensei had been only seconds prior.

His attention cut to Kyou and he followed her eyeline, looking up at the impressive canopy that surrounded them--a far cry from the rocky, mountainous terrain of Lightning Country.

"Yeah, it really is pretty out here, ya know," the excitable genin said before he let out a low whistle as he took in the surroundings, one that seemed to carry the pitch of a nearly-broken circuit. The towering trees that surrounded them reminded him of the stories he heard of the Hidden Leaf's Senju trees, except these were evergreens... and covered in a thick layer of snow.

"But hey, teach said we gotta hunt some animals, so that's what we're going to do. If we're gonna be going in the woods, we should try and stay quiet. Akihiko-Sensei is right about one thing, the animals around here are more dangerous than they look," he said, remembering several times that he'd gone out into the woods to train and had to fight off some of the more aggressive fauna. "Are either of you good at tracking? It's not really my specialty."

[Dual]

Tenshi’s eyebrow raised when Akihiko offered to aid in her Genjutsu training. It was rare to have a willing victim and she had a backlog of tricks to try. “I’d like that,” she said with an effort to hide a mischievous grin. 

The gray eyed girl craned her neck towards the dark canopy, watching as the pink-haired showboat took to the branches, and with a snap! vanished. Though unwilling to admit it, she appreciated their sensei's hands-off approach and welcomed the test of their ninja skills. It would be a good chance to see what her teammates brought to the table. For her part, she’d already assigned herself the role of tracker. 

Tenshi relaxed, slowing her breathing to channel stillness for a moment of closed eye concentration. It took effort but she managed to block out her noisy teammates. Though she had to restrain herself from snapping when the kid whistled. Patience, Tenshi… The Arashiyama were just as out of their depth as she was. She reminded herself. 

Still, the way the snow absorbed sound gave her pause. There were remote places where one could stand  No noise at all. It made it difficult, but not impossible to tune into the low song. But slowly, her ears awoke to the music. Deep breaths and sniffles. The rustle that came with slight shifts of weight. A shriek of cold wind broke against the jungle’s borders. Icicles chimed. Beneath it all, Tenshi picked up on a soft, clear, flowing sound. “I hear running water.” A stream, or a river, maybe. “That way.” She pointed straight ahead. 

She may not know how to read tracks, or tell forest scents apart, but Tenshi knew that water anywhere meant life. It’d be a start. Besides, it was too cold to wait for better ideas. “Follow me, and no more words until we get there.” the girl said to her team, meaning it for both of them, but making pointed eye contact with Raijin.

The genin set off at a deliberate but careful pace to maintain quiet so she could follow the sound. At this tempo she could pick up on other signs of life in the dead forest. There was scratched bark, tell-tale marks of a deer path, and the sound of trickling water steadily growing into a rush. 

OOCShow

*[Flawless Aim Style • Blind Sight]
B-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
After much training and study, the practitioner no longer needs to rely on their sense of sight, instead using their other senses to locate and attack targets. This Discipline represents the practitioner's ability to launch attacks at targets that may be behind, above, to their sides, or even behind terrain without sacrificing any accuracy without having a line of sight on their opponents. This Discipline does not allow the practitioner to ignore terrain or obstructions, merely allowing them to account for those factors when aiming and launching projectiles.

[Texas]

The giggling was muffled by Aki's mouth as he made distance from the group. He made sure not to be too far away, just in case he had to spring into action. The adult child shifted a muscle on his back and activated his armor set. The armor covered his general clothing, but didn't cover his jacket or anything. Not like it mattered too much, the young lad was invisible. With his assassin training he was also silent throughout traveling as well. He got far enough to follow them and squatted on one of the branches as he gazed upon the trio getting close to the body of water. Aki was praying that none of them touched the water... it would prove to be dangerous.

What really caught the jounin's greenish yellow eyes was what was drinking on the other side of the mini body of water. It was a deer? No, it was a buck. An adult deer with horns on it, 4 point buck to be exact. By the looks of the size of the buck, it was potentially leading a pack. In the cold country deer were one of the scariest groups of animals in this frozen tundra. Not because they ate flesh and thirsted for blood, organs, etc., but because they traveled in packs. Other than the fire dogs, these animals were like if piranhas grew x10 and then grew legs and.... wait they really weren't like piranhas other than they eat flesh. Aki's mind was what some would call a wonderland of random thoughts....

The pink haired shinobi shifted his squatting to a slightly ready position, grabbing two kunai out and holding them on each hand waiting. Just in case. Would the trio understand, truly, what situation they were in?

The deer would be drinking the water as if it was perfectly normal. Due to Darwinism, the bodies of the animals have adapted to the point where they could drink this frozen water with no issues at all. In fact, it is theorized that they could die if they drank regular room temperature water. Of the trio, one of them may have stepped on a branch. Although the buck was slightly far away from them, it could see forward enough to begin to make it's move. The deer would sprint zero to extremely fast (30 speed) in an instant. Which would indicate it's strength and speed was equal to each other. As the deer shifted into the safety of hiding within the frozen forest, a large noise could be heard from where it relocated to.

The noise itself didn't make sense, was it scared? Was it crying for help? No, that noise was a war cry. A hunter's warning. When the sound ended two younger bucks with 2 points on each end would come from each side of them. A total of 4 deer who were younger and a tad bit weaker than the trio would stealthy lower their bodies and move forward to flank the young shinobi.

If or when they are spotted all four of the dear would spring in a pincer formation at speeds almost comparable to the group (10speed 10 str)! Would the trio be able to stop them before they struck?!

[Kabu]

It took all Kyou had to not click her tongue in annoyance as Tenshi began barking orders at her like she was in charge or something. There wasn't much she hated more than being given orders by those unqualified to do so. In this particular case if she felt she had something to say then she would come out and say it. Now however wasn't the time to be picking fights, they had a job to do and she was going to do it. She would certainly be voicing her objections at a later point but for now she was going to be on her best behavior.

That in mind she silently followed along in the rear, keeping her eyes and ears open for any sudden sights or sounds. To which she soon caught the rush of a river but more importantly... the faint sound of footsteps and branches being tousled. She wasn't a tracker by any means and wasn't sure what it was or where it was coming from but whatever it was sounded quite large and like it was rather in a hurry... Perhaps it was escaping from something?

She didn't want to particularly entertain the idea but... "Perhaps we've already been spotted." she muttered to herself, internally shivering at the thought. It was scary to think about but it was far from unlikely that the animals around here had evolved to have exceptionally strong senses as a means of survival.

She was soon broken out of her thoughts by a loud cry and the sudden sound of more footsteps, these ones growing much closer. She began forming handseals just in time for a group of deer to emerge from the brush. "Shit, it's an ambush!" she groaned in annoyance, this time unable to help but click her tongue in frustration.

"If either of you have any bright ideas, I would love to hear them. I hate to admit it but I've got nothing aside from this..." she spoke. They were surrounded and so she stood her ground as she let loose a stream of ranton from her mouth, aiming towards the area between two deer on the group's opposite side. If successful she would hopefully make some contact with the initial stream but even if she didn't deal any damage it would still leave a puddle for the group to make use of.

JutsuShow

Sea of Storms
C-Ranked Ninjutsu
After performing the necessary handseals or channeling the user spits out a stream of Ranton in a cone 30 meters wide at its longest point and covering a distance of 30 meters at a speed and strength of [Control]. In addition to the splashing effect this stream also leaves behind a puddle of Ranton 20 meters in diameter. For the next five posts, the user can cause a tendril to rise out of the water, lashing out at a target within 20 meters of its location at a speed and strength of [Control].

[Throniv]

Raijin gave Tenshi an eager nod, his usual energy dimmed only slightly by her sharp gaze. He was already itching to say something—maybe a question about her tracking skills or a quip about her sudden authority—but her firm tone and the clear intent in her gray eyes told him this wasn’t the time. Instead, he gave a thumbs-up, his expression brightening despite the cold.

“Got it. Quiet as a shadow!” he whispered, and then immediately clamped his mouth shut, realizing that even his whisper might push her patience.

As they moved, Raijin stayed a step behind Tenshi, doing his best to mirror her deliberate pace. His footsteps were lighter than usual, though he couldn’t resist a quick glance at Kyou to see how she was handling the silence. She seemed annoyed--but then, in the time that he'd known her--all of a half hour, maybe but still--she'd seemed annoyed by just about everything that happened. Honestly, it made Raijin want to tease her a bit, just to see if he could rile her up--but now wasn't the time or place, and he fought down the impulse.

He stayed quiet until he spotted the deer across the body of Frozen Water, his own chakra seeming to run cold as he recognized the animal for what it was. The deer around here weren't normal, they ate meat and hunted in packs. Akihiko-sensei had warned him against letting his guard down around them, because where there was one, there were many.

Raijin let out a quiet curse as the large buck bolted, watching the snow as its retreat kicking up a plume of frost. His brow furrowed as the sound that followed sent a chill up his spine—not from the cold, but from the primal sense of danger that clawed at his gut. He had never heard anything quite like it, but its meaning was unmistakable: trouble was coming.

The crack of branches on either side confirmed his suspicion. His heart pounded, but his training steadied his thoughts. Raijin’s eyes darted, catching the movement of the younger bucks as they crept into view. Four of them. Not massive, but their flanking formation was no accident. These animals were coordinated. Predatory.

“They're gonna regret it, ya know," he cried out in response to Kyou announcing the ambush, using a singular Serpent seal to engage Coiling Cover, causing his arms, legs, and torso to be wrapped in glowing ribbons of Ranton chakra. If he'd encountered beasts like this before his training with Akihiko-Sensei, he might not have been prepared--but now was a different story.

Dirt kicked up from under his feet as Raijin accelerated to his maximum speed in an eyeblink, outspeeding the Deer's own charge to meet it halfway. He aimed to bury his shoulder into the deer's chest at 15 [Speed] and [Strength], a textbook execution of Lightning’s Shadow • Thunderstruck. Whatever happened as a result of that--more than likely a splintered rib cage for the deer--the young man would turn and blur once more, appearing at Tenshi's side to face down the second deer going after her.

"[Tempest Fist • Storm Binding]!" he cried out as he threw a textbook right straight at the deer, causing 7 ribbons of ranton to come rocketing out of his fist at 20 [Speed] and [Strength], aiming to bind the deer's legs to its torso and around its muzzle and cause it to crash into the dirt.

OOCShow

Stat Pool:
Chakra Pool: 15
Endurance: 15
Control: 20
Strength: 15
Speed: 16
Willpower: 11

Coiling Cover
D-Rank Ninjutsu
The user will perform a sequence of hand seals, spirals of Ranton chakra will wrap around the user covering their entire body. Anyone who makes contact with this will have ribbons burst from the user and chase them down up to 10 metres, with a speed and strength equal to [Control]. This will last 2 posts.

Lightning’s Shadow • Violent Arcing Nature
D-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
The Practicioner has learned how to move at maximum speed at all times, in part by moving in arching pivots that allow him to build speed explosively and keep his momentum when changing directions. This is particularly useful for performing feints or quickly getting out of harms way.

Lightning’s Shadow • Thunderstruck
D-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
The practicioner lunges forwards throws his shoulder down and throws it at the sternum of his opponent. This powerful move makes use of his entire body and its weight to not only knock opponents equal to Hayate in strength or weaker off their feet, but knock the wind out of them creating an opening. Opponents which Hayate is far stronger than (by 5 or more points) will usually have their sternums broken on impact.

[Tempest Fist • Storm Binding]
D-Rank Nintaijutsu Maneuver
When the practitioner makes a strike or attempts a grapple, they can cause a number of ribbons equal to the user’s [Strength]/2 to erupt from their form. These ribbons, each with a [Strength] and [Speed] equal to the user’s [Control], will chase the opponent for up to 15 meters. If they successfully ensnare the opponent, these ribbons will apply the appropriate Ranton effect based on the user’s [Control], and bind the target’s arms at [Control] strength.

[Dual]

Tenshi grinned smugly when she spotted the buck lapping at the water. The inexperienced hunter figured like most things the bigger the better, and she’d found them a monster. But before she could gloat something startled the buck. It disappeared into the woods, but its presence remained– a blood-chilling call to hunt hanging in the air. She sucked her teeth and moved with intent to pursue when suddenly, deer!

She twisted around. Four of them had appeared flanking the genin on either side. She knew the animals were dangerous, but didn’t expect them to employ advanced strategy. They charged forward; Tenshi’s heart jumped to her throat. Caught off guard, the girl had no time to think. It was fight, flight, or freeze. Instinct stole the decision from her, she reached towards her waist–.

A streak of white hair flashed past before she could react. He’s fast. She thought, watching Raijin move to blitz one deer and rein in the other with ribbons of Ranton. “Hmph. Thanks for the save, Raikage-sama,” she snorted. Is that what their sensei had been teaching him in their private lessons? Maybe she had underestimated the pink-haired prankster... Maybe.

Shaking off any stiffness, Tenshi turned in time to see Kyou spew a stream of strobing blue light which puddled between the ambushing deer. “If they’re too much for you, hide in the trees,” the girl said quick as she could. It came out colder than she meant, all warmth lost in the urgency. It was still a sound strategy, giving the Arashiyama space to find her range while remaining out of reach.

Nonetheless, Kyou had already done her part well. The pool of frenetic chakra created an obstacle between her team and the beasts. Making it easier to track the two moving targets as their possible routes of attack narrowed.

Time to clean things up. The genin strode forward with purpose. She raised her hand and summoned Raiton chakra to her fingertips. It always gave her a rush, feeling the electricity crawl over her fingers, making her hair stand on end. The kunoichi had to remind herself to control the voltage, no need to overdo it. She aimed and fired once, twice. Two wild bolts of blue lightning leapt out at the remaining deer with just enough juice to stun them.

Whether or not the team had downed their targets, Tenshi would be back on the defensive, senses piqued for incoming threats.

OOCShow

*[Flawless Aim Style • Tracking]
D-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
After much training and study, the practitioner has learned how to read an opponent's movements and adjust their aim accordingly to compensate without penalty. This Discipline allows the practitioner to accurately hit moving targets, though sudden changes in the opponent's movements will still affect accuracy.

*Raiton • Bright Bolt
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
After performing the correct hand seals the user will extend two fingers toward a target. A bolt of lightning will jump up to 10 meters from their fingers at [Control] Speed and Strength.

[Texas]

They surprisingly worked well as a team.... Aki gazed upon them as they released rather useful jutsu and techniques. The boy smiled under his armor, hidden in the limbo realm, as he watched all three of them take down and stun the deer in their own way. Aki would flex a part of his back and the entire armor would retract back to it's resting position hidden on his back.

Aki gazed as the deer literally had no chance for the three genin who had magical powers. These animals were smart and adaptable, but when trying to fight against magical powers.... they were simple animals at the end of the day. The deer fell, died, paralyzed, etc. as the three did what needed to be done to take them out. Aki jumped down from the tree and landed on the ground. He was somewhat farther away, closer to the middle of the little spring as he released his jutsu and exited the limbo realm. Aki would raise his right arm and wave it as he jumped in the air a couple times. Aki shouted to the trio "Hey great job guys! Tag em and bag em!" Aki began to do a light jog towards the three of them, but something was off. This was far too easy. Also didn't the big deer call upon them to strike.

Wait were these deer organized? A crazy thought went through Aki's head as he got closer (around 10m) to his genin team. "You know what something is---" Before Aki could finish that sentence the big deer erupted from the water and lunged towards Aki's back from behind. The boy could help but giggle as his chakra surged through his own body. The child stood there in the same position as the deer rammed through Aki missing him as if he was a mirage.

This caused the pointed buck to stagger for a few seconds before gazing upon the three genin in front of him. It would kick it's feet forward and run towards them at it's max speed and strength (25 in both). The pink haired Jounin simply stood there waiting to see if they could handle a foe stronger then them. Worst case, Aki could jump in and help but he didn't really want to do that.

Jutsu UsedShow

₪Reverse Limbo; Entire Body
C-Rank Ninjutsu Technique
pre-requisite: [Reverse Limbo; Entry Level]
The nature of Reverse Limbo is utilizing the properties that Layer being reversed has to offer. Akihiko had spent years mastering the Genma within him and is capable of pulling the properties of the 2nd Layer. With this technique, Akihiko is capable coating his entire body in Reverse Limbo, ripping from the 2nd Layer. This changes his body so that the rules for the 2nd Layer phases through him. This jutsu lasts for 6 posts or until it is dispelled.

[Kabu]

"Well that was surprisingly easy. Kyou noted, frowning as the deer went down without so much as a fight. It had been so easy that she couldn't be happy about it even as Aki returned and congratulated them. Maybe it was just a symptom of being a natural pessimist but she couldn't help but feel as if it had been too easy. Sure they had shown some surprisingly excellent teamwork but it should have taken a bit more than that...

And not but a moment later... I hate being right... she thought to herself, eyes growing wide as another much larger deer suddenly emerged out of the water. The group was helpless to watch as their sensei was... not... impaled by the giant deer. If the situation hadn't been so dangerous she may have been almost impressed by how he suddenly seemed to vanish.

She knew however that the deer would likely be attacking them next and so she was already on the move running over towards the puddle she had created with her earlier attack. Once in position she focused on the chakra lingering within, a tentacle rising out of the water. With a wave of her hand the tendril lashed out towards the now charging deer with all the strength she could muster. "The only chance we have here is to coordinate our attacks! This guy is clearly much stronger than the small fry!"

NotesShow

Sea of Storms Post 2, tendril at 7 speed and strength

[Throniv]

---

"Tenshi, get ready and don't miss! Let's light him up, Kyou!" Raijin called out as he braced his feet and began going through hand seals, knowing that he wouldn't be fast enough to avoid what was coming and accepting that fact--the antlers were aimed at his chest, but his core should be safe if he was reading the spread of those antlers correctly. Besides, the Coiling Cover he was using should grant him quite a bit of protection for what he was about to do, which he couldn't say was wise.

Raijin opened his mouth as a bright blue glow began to build, focusing on increasing the strength of the Jutsu he was about to perform at the cost of its speed, before a beam of intensely bright light shot out of his mouth aimed at the lowered skull of the deer that he was banking on not abandoning its charge.

At 30 [Strength] and 10 [Speed], it wasn't exactly the fastest--but it was as much power as he could shove into the technique without making it pathetically slow. Theoretically, with the deer's antlers lowered at a full sprint towards him, the deer wouldn't have time to change course. That meant that it would get hit by his Mine of the Storm technique, strike him as it went and take another 10 streams of Ranton chakra at 20 Speed and Strength a piece as his Coiling Cover broke apart and attempted to pierce into its flesh. He knew that he'd still take some damage, but part of the reason he had a body like his was to be able to take the punishment others couldn't.

OOCShow

*Mine of the Storm
D-Rank Ninjutsu
The user will perform a sequence of hand seals and will shoot out a beam of Ranton chakra from their mouth, that will project out at a speed and strength equal to the users [Control] up to 10 metres if this makes contact with anything, it will erupt into five ribbons that will splash out 3 metres. This will last for 2 posts.

[Dual]

Get ready? Ready for what? She thought to ask, but being with the threat so close there wasn’t enough time for a quick huddle. Intuition told her to give them space to work. Tenshi took off, clearing the way for the Arashiyama cousins' coordinated attack. She’d seen the chaos of Ranton. It was not something she wanted to get caught in. She scaled the trunk of a tree and, once high enough, kicked off with enough force to crack the icy bark.

The climb gained her a new vantage and she saw the opening her teammates had provided. When their combined ninjutsu proved insufficient, it was Raijin who used his body as a shield. Squinting as the boy burst into watery sparks, Tenshi wondered if he was in any real danger, considering his unique anatomy. Either way, it was funny to think that the smallest among them would show the biggest heart. His display of heroics gave her all the motivation she needed, she wasn’t going to be shown up that easily.

With fluid motions the genin slid four kunai between her knuckles. The stag had taken the brunt of Kyou’s assault, charged through Raijin’s, but hopefully slowed enough for her to catch him. Focusing her chakra, she charged the steel. She felt the wind, the cold, the dampness in the air, and accounted for it all before she flung her arm out. The electrified kunai leapt from her hands, aimed with precision. The buck’s lowered head revealed its weak spots. One flew towards his exposed neck and two along the ridge of its back. The last would sink into his hind as she landed– skating on an icy patch before finding balance. Confident in her aim, she would turn to their sensei and, grinning, take a bow. None of what had happened had been what Tenshi expected, but she was proud of the team’s improv skills.

JutsuShow

*Raiton • Conductor
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
After performing the correct hand seals, the user will coat a weapon they are holding in Raiton electricity for 5 posts. This causes the shock effect to be produced on any contact with a target, while also granting blunt weapons the ability to cut through skin to produce shallow wounds. This also works for thrown weapons, however if the projectile remains out of contact with the user for more than 2 posts the technique will dissipate early.

[Texas]

The shinobi team thought quick and great. It was as if they were a team for a long time, the chemistry was undeniable. Aki was keeping watch on their reaction, along with the progress the Deer was making, just in case he had to step in. But for a minor moment, Aki was incredibly impressed by the group. Aki flexed his back ever so slightly and the armor formed behind him which was formed into a puppet. This was Aki's favorite one, it could be an armor or a puppet and it was the armor in particular Aki and his assistant Shin had been working on during the course of their expansion into this continent.

The pink hair bobbed as he took control of the puppet, yet Aki stood still and simply watched. He waited, maybe it wasn't necessary to jump in yet.

The combination of jutsu were rather impressive. The water tentacle latched on to the deer. This being an animal and not a human AND, on top of that, it had never seen "magic" like this, it hesitated for a moment in confusion. That moment of hesitation resulted in it getting attacked by the other two boys. Although the true shock was it getting stuck by the water tentacle, the Deer broke out of it by utilizing the leverage of all four hooves on the ground. It would burst out and head towards Raijin. However, by the time it got right close enough to strike, it had been sent multiple different electric attacks which caused it to waiver once again.

However Aki and the deer did not expect for the head and body to pop like a body builder squashing a watermelon with his or her thighs. The splatter of blood and body parts would expel outward. Aki would gaze upon his genin group and laugh his way to the ground holding his belly.

[Kabu]

It was more than a little surprising to see just how well the three of them were working together. With minimal effort they had coordinated their attacks and down their target went. There was a brief scary moment where the deer broke her tendril's hold and attempted to charge through. However as it turned out... even an enhanced animal was still an animal. It couldn't withstand an onslaught of high powered electricity.

"That was unexpectedly easy..." Kyou muttered, frowning as she stared down at the deer. She had heard so many stories of missions like this going awry due to a lack of teamwork or an unexpectedly opponent. Maybe she should have been happy that nothing had gone wrong? Even as she had that thought she couldn't help but feel unsatisfied at how anticlimactic it all had been.

In that moment... the deer's body suddenly popped, Kyou letting out an uncharacteristic squeal as she hopped back several paces, even hiding behind Raijin to avoid the splatter. "Mrrrr...." she growled in annoyance, her cheeks puffed up in a pout.

Her annoyance only grew as their sensei came into view, laughing his ass off. "What's so funny? All of our hard work, gone to waste just like that?" she grumbled, peeking out at Aki from behind her cover. "I didn't know that animals could even just pop like that..." Honestly, she had enjoyed getting to meet her new team but at this point she just wanted to go home where it was less cold and she didn't have to witness animals popping in front of her...

[Throniv]

---

Raijin blinked in surprise as he was covered head to toe in a fine pink mist as the deer that had menaced himself and his new teammates simply exploded from the force of his Mine of the Storm technique. Raijin stood ready for a moment, his body still tensed from the dangerous situation he found himself in, before he let out a loud raspberry followed by a boisterous, hearty laugh as he took the time to wipe his eyes clear of the viscera that covered his not-entirely-corporeal form. He'd expected to be able to kill the thing, but outright detonating one of the more dangerous creatures that Cold Country had to offer wasn't on his radar of things that he could do.

Maybe the training with Akihiko-sensei was more effective than he thought!

"Sensei, you coulda warned us, ya know?" Raijin said between guffaws and giggles, simply sitting down on the frozen ground and leaning back on both of his palms. He focused for a moment and his entire body fritzed, nebulizing the gore that still clung to him and leaving him spotless as he rested. "How'd we do, though? Did we pass?" The young boy asked with an infectious, million-watt smile.

[Dual]

Splat!
Tenshi flinched at the gross, squelching sound behind her. She barely dodged the shower of blood and nameless bodily fluids, raising her hands up to protect her hair. For one heart-stopping moment, she thought their attacks had failed and Raijin had popped. After all, who knows what kind of damage a hit like that could do to his freaky, electric insides? Even Kyou sounded unnerved. Though every instinct warned against it, the genin looked over her shoulder. and saw the boy sporting a new red-pink paint job. But when she saw their Akihiko descending in a gale of laughter, Tenshi sneered and crossed her arms. For all they knew he might have died, and here he was giggling about it! But then she heard Raijin laugh and join their sensei and she couldn’t help snorting at the childishness.

Tenshi’s gray eyes trailed over the carnage they’d created. Not that she was one to keep score, but her ego swelled from the sight of the two deer she’d zapped. Naturally, she compared them to the two Raijin had outright killed. Though she was loath to admit it, his performance had been the most impressive of all. Then again, it took all three of the genin combined to send the beast back down the food chain where it belonged. We’ll call it 2 - 2..

“Pass or fail, can we talk about it inside?” she said, her nerves only just settling. The cold was sinking in with a vengeance. It felt like they’d been freezing out here for months, and she did not want to lose a toe to frostbite.