Special Delivery

[Tsedas]

The chill rushed along the wind, threatening to cut to the bone as Konoha was held captive to the whims of Mother Nature going through it's winter season. The smell of the trees that surrounded the village was dampened by the cold, the crinkle of leaves announcing themselves with ever shift of the wind. Fluffy white clouds dotted across the sky letting the sun shine down and try to bring some sense of warmth to those not in the shade, but the wind did it's damnedest to ensure everyone stayed cold.

However one young man was living by a saying his mentor had taught him; "The warmth is in the tools." He hadn't picked a training ground, he hadn't gone to the academy, instead he was closing the lid on a carry out container that held a pair of rice bowls. He was working on making himself a little spare pocket change while training his body to be a little faster. Trying to keep warm meant constant motion would be ideal and would help play a part in working his stamina as well. As the address was handed to him, Takamori Jubei locked the container shut and stepped out of the small eatery. As he stepped out into the sunlight, he pulled his scarf up a little to protect his neck from the biting cold wind.

A thicker cold weather kimono was wrapped around his body and he spun on the ball of his foot before taking off down the street, moving with purpose and direction as he glanced at the slip of paper that was handed to him. He had a rough idea of the location and continued on before seeing an opportunity to cut a few corners on his route. Leaping up onto a box, he started springing from foothold to foothold until he was taking to the rooftops and moving across the hidden village at a faster pace.

However as he was moving, he heard a loud crack ahead of him. His green eyes shifted until they spotted the source of the noise. A tall tree had fractured and broken apart, the top half starting to topple sideways towards the street and a building. Swearing at his luck, Jubei changed course as his white clad figure moved through the air. He descended down upon a tall solid stone wall and set the carrying case down as he landed, only to dash forward towards the tree. Leaping up into the air, his left hand came to his side, grasping the scabbard of Juzumaru while his thumb pushed on the blade, loosing the hold the scabbard held on the weapon. As he soared towards the tree, his right hand shot to the handle of his katana, drawing it in a flash before he raised his feet and pushed off heavily against the tree. The broken half was now split from one half into two quarters and his pushing off the topmost section of the tree made it change the angle it was falling until both parts of the tree and Jubei landed in the street.

Looking over, Jubei say the store front that would have been crushed by the top part of the tree and made sure it was in good working order before heaving a sigh. "Here's hoping the food didn't get too cold." He muttered to himself before rushing back, grabbing the carrying case and continuing to his destination which was just up the way. As he stood before the front door, he gave a knock and waited to see who would answer. "I should probably help clean up that tree a little once I'm done here." He mused aloud to himself as he looked back towards the two parts of the felled tree.

[Izanagi]

Takeshi’s byakugan was active as he observed Takamori Juibei from a distance of 200 meters, from behind a tree. The 19 year old Jounin wore a thick winter haori, black with a dark purple trim atop a purple short and paired with black pants. He carried his dao styled sword at his left hip and his standard shinobi equipment, wearing his forehead protector across his muscular right arm, leaving his teal-coloured caged bird curse mark across his forehead visible for all to see. He hummed in consideration as Jubei skillfully sliced through a falling tree. For a Genin, the young man’s kenjutsu was quite impressive. It was one of the primary reasons why was considering recruiting the young man.

Deactivating his Byakugan, Takeshi walked along the path, walking casually toward Jubei as he finished his delivery. Takeshi would wave as he came within 50 meters, purposefully approaching from where he suspected their paths would cross. Despite the fact that their parents were relatively close friends and that they attended the academy only a year apart, Takeshi couldn’t say he considered Jubei more than an acquaintance. “Jubei, it’s good to see you!” he called out with a friendly smile. Takeshi rarely socialized with others outside his inner circle, ever since his father had been killed nearly 2 years ago few people saw him out and about. Yet his relentless training would be immediately evident in the way he filled out his haori, his muscular arm and chest bulging against the fabric. At 5’11 and 180lbs he was an athletic and imposing figure, growing closer to his father’s famed physique. “I saw you cut down that tree” he said, gesturing to the fallen tree, the sun glimmering across the frost laden bark. “I’m not sure I could manage that; my kenjutsu is really quite lacking. My parents are great with their fists but weren’t as helpful teaching the ways of the sword” he said with a somber smile. “Do you have the time to show me some of your technique?” he wondered, hopefully.

[Tsedas]

The exchange was rather brief between Jubei and his customer, exchanging the contents of the delivery case for some ryo before the door was shut. The smell of food was pleasing but luckily he had eaten his fill earlier and wasn't spurned into sating his hunger for sustenance just yet. Stepping away from the front door, he glanced back toward the felled tree and sucked a slow deep breath in through his nostrils. Parting his lips, he let it out as a sigh as he knew he might wanna deal with the tree before he got into trouble. Yet before he could shift himself to go handle the mess, a voice reached his ears. Shifting his head, Jubei finally made visual contact with the source as they approached with an arm above their head and waving at the swordsman.

'Tak... Takahashi? No... It waaasss... Takeshi! I remember seeing him before.' Jubei thought to himself before giving the other man's body a once over and getting a brief scowl. 'i]'And of course some people get blessed with a better physique, tired of being mistaken for a girl.'[/i] Jubei mentally groaned in frustration before looking back to the tree. "Well we have that in common, my parents aren't good with a sword either." A jest but also a fact with all things considered. His father knew his way around a blade, but not a sword sized one. With the question posited of showing off a few of his techniques, Jubei turned back to Takeshi and blinked in stunned silence.

"You want to see my techniques? Honestly didn't even know you learned kenjutsu, or are you trying to branch out into some new taijutsu?" Jubei was curious as he recalled Takeshi knowing some of the fist techniques the Hyuuga's knew, but he never recalled him taking up a sword. But it has been some time since the academy, who knows what might have changed since then?

[Izanagi]

Takeshi chuckled as he considered Saigo wielding a sword, “Who needs a sword when you’ve mastered the chakra scalpel technique?” he considered, “Honestly, medical ninjutsu can be scarier than any kenjutsu” he shuddered, he would hate to ever have to face the legendary Bannin in combat. Such a man was still leagues above his own skill level. “Afraid I’m neither skilled in Iijutsu or Kenjutsu though” he noted, before tapping the sword at his hip. “I found this a few years ago though, has served me well with its special abilities but I feel like I could use it more effectively” he said, steering away from going into any detail about what the legendary weapon was capable of. His name was already in the Bingo book for his possession of it, placing a target on his back for all others who coveted its power, but he still didn’t like using it openly.

Still, he drew the blade from its scabbard, the broad, slightly curved edge of a notably different style from the traditional katana. Instead, its design was more similar to the weapons used in Shrimp continent. “Many traditional kenjutsu styles seem ill-suited to my fighting style or to this blades design, I’ve heard you’ve created a unique style” he said simply, assessing the leaner man. Until the last few years he had been of a similar frame, his father’s genetics seeming to kick into overdrive as he pushed his body beyond his limits through diligent training and immaculate diet. He wondered how much further Jubei might be able to push himself if he got serious about training. Perhaps he just needed the right push, some guidance from his peers in order to live up to his own father's legacy.

[Tsedas]

Jubei pictured his father wielding a sword as well, but the image made Jubei scoff as he saw his father wearing classic kimono styles with a partially shaved head and a topknot. It was an amusing scene but he quickly dismissed it from his mind as he focused his glowing green eyes back upon the Hyuuga. The way he spoke on medical ninja being scarier than any sword technique made the youth ponder if his father was a fearsome foe in battle. He knew he was a Bannin and renowned for his healing abilities, but there had to be more to him than just the healing arts. Perhaps the body modification played a part in his fearsome reputation as well? Shifting gears and the focus of things, Takeshi patted the sword at his waist before drawing it. Jubei examined it and saw the blade out of it's sheathe.

"It's not a bad looking blade, but I'm not sure how effective my style would be in regards to utilization with it. I practice Iaido and a style of my own devising called Zantetsuken. It's named after a technique my father has, I've never seen it but the name struck a cord. My style is kind of a mixture of battojutsu and one handed techniques but I use my sheath as a defensive or feinting tool as well." Jubei reached down and gripped Juzumaru near the tsuba, his thumb idly rubbing against it. "I could show you a few techniques if you wanted, but I'm not sure what you'd really be able to take away from it all." The Genin stated, unsure as to how well the other man's blade would function with his style. His eyes were glued to the weapon as he assessed it's design and form, the sheath didn't escape his examination either. He mentally pictured the weapon in his hand, his movements shifting and flowing accordingly with. The handle's design might pose some minor adjustment needs to the style, but there were definitely a few techniques that would work with the weapon in Takeshi's hands.

[Izanagi]

Takeshi nodded, considering Jubei’s styles. “I don’t have much interest in Iaido, my blade required it to be drawn and for me to have a hand free in order to utilize it properly, Zantetsuken sounds fascinating. Please, allow me to see it in action so that I might draw some inspiration from it” he said with a slight bow, before drawing his blade with his right hand. He knew Jubei was a Genin while Takeshi had recently been promoted to Jounin, but he was only a year the other boys elder and was humble enough to learn from anyone, regardless of age or rank.

He chuckled lightly, recalling some of his father’s lessons, “I lied actually, my dad never used a Katana but he did show me some Toryu years ago, though he always used it with daggers” he considered. Perhaps he would draw on some of what he remembered, though he had been a mere 13 year old Genin the last time his father had demonstrated his sword style. Still, perhaps between Toryu and Jubei’s style he could blend together enough pieces to make himself functional with a sword. Though truthfully, he would prefer something more elegant, utilizing movements more similar to his Jyuuken techniques. It was unfortunate he had been ostracised from the Hyuuga clan and couldn’t find any suitable instructors.

[Tsedas]

Jubei watched the Hyuuga bow before drawing their sword. The action caused the Genin's back and shoulders to tense, his sense opening and bringing in a sharper awareness of things. His green eyes practically flared up with the ambient chakra being pulled to them as they darted about to check around the two of them. "Is the middle of the street the best place for an exhibition match? Seems a little reckless to be street level and swinging swords around." Jubei said before his eyes stopped and his head turned to the side. "If you wanna see my kenjutsu, we should try moving up there first."

Gesturing with the hand holding the delivery bin, he indicated a building nearby that was a few stories tall but the roof seemed to have some kind of set up about it. A tree was visibly resting atop the roof and there were pillars that rose up with canvas of some kind to provide artificial shade. Shifting his body, Jubei leapt up and onto a nearby wall before taking another leap, grabbing onto a window ledge and using it to springboard his way up higher until he'd scaled the closest building. Breaking into a run, his footsteps traversed the roof before he leapt over to the adjoining building and then the next. Leaping from the penultimate roof, he crossed over the final street and landed atop a pillar before pushing off and up, his feet finding purchase atop the roof he'd indicated.

He scanned the rooftop and saw it was vacant of people but there were things like benches and even a water fountain. He'd somehow stumbled upon a rooftop garden set up that he hoped was open to the public. "If I ever get a girlfriend, I'm definitely gonna try to bring her here." He spoke softly to himself before glancing around for Takeshi. "Should survive a friendly exhibition match here, no civilians to get caught in the crossfire either."

[Izanagi]

Takeshi focused his breathing, calming his mind even as oxygen surged through his bloodstream, heightening his senses. His weapon called to him, urging him to draw on negative emotions, specifically to give into anger and hatred. He felt stronger when he did, more connected to the cursed legendary weapon. Yet he knew well the dangers of giving into such emotions, over the years he had learned a fine balance of drawing on hatred towards Kirigakure and Iwagakure, focusing all of his anger towards their enemies and allowing himself to develop restraint when training with his comrades. Yet even so, there was a distinct darkness surrounding the young man whenever he wielded his blade. His white eyes and their slight lavender hue seemed particularly distant, his expression cold and focused.

Though as Jubei suggested they move locations, the teenage Jounin snapped out of his focused state for a moment. “Ah, yeah, that’s a good idea” he said, before tensing his legs and leaping directly onto the third story rooftop. It was a far jump, a little over 30 meters from the angle, but nothing too impressive for an elite Jounin. He could have also used Fuuton, but it didn’t quite seem necessary to use chakra for something so mundane. “I’m pretty sure this is a public area” he said, assessing the chosen location. He had never been in this building in particular, it seemed to be a mix of a storefront at the ground level and residential for the upper two floors, not an uncommon arrangement in Konoha, and many had tranquil rooftop gardens that welcomed shinobi to rest in, as travelling by rooftop was a common and expected occurrence within Konoha. Yet some older civilians did tend to be more particular about shinobi running from building to building.

Takeshi chuckled lightly, “I might have to try that out myself” he considered. The only question was which girl should he bring? Though he had been dating Nakano for 2 years, their relationship had hit a rough point when he had found himself drawn to a young woman by the name of Nara Akemi. At the moment he wasn’t even sure for certain if he and Nakano were still together, she had always been quite open and certainly not the sort one thought of when wanting commitment or to settle down and start a family with one day. Perhaps it was time to take the leap and see where things led with Akemi after all. He shook his head, dismissing the thoughts of women and the complications they brought on. “Let’s get started then!” he said, raising his sword once more. Dashing forward, sword held high, he shifted his weapon from pointing outward to raised next to his head and then stepped into a diagonal strike aiming to slash across Jubei’s left side at 10 Speed and Strength. But regardless if his opponent blocked or not his weapon would fall just short of slicing into Jubei’s neck as he twisted and spun low to Takeshi’s right, moving at 15 Speed as he aimed to slash at Jubei’s shins at 5 Strength.

Jutsu TrainedShow

Kaze no Kokyū • Opening Thread
D-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
After years of training and study, the practitioner has learned how to more quickly recognize openings and weaknesses in the opponent's defenses and fighting style. This Discipline represents the practitioner's reduced reaction time required to take advantage of an opening that presents itself in the middle of combat, thus increasing the likelihood the practitioner will successfully hit when targeting the vulnerable area.

Kaze no Kokyū • Airway Expansion
D-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
After years of training and study, the practitioner has mastered basic breathing techniques to fully oxygenate their bloodstream with minimal effort. This Discipline allows their body to reach homeostasis with less energy expended, thus reducing the amount of physical stamina the practitioner uses while attacking and defending in combat, making them last longer in a fight. This Discipline also doubles the amount of time they can act and fight unhindered without having to breath.

Kaze no Kokyū • Swallow's Flight
D-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
After years of training and study, the practitioner has learned how to maintain forward momentum more efficiently while adjusting to changes in the flow of battle. This Discipline represents the practitioner's ability to more quickly decelerate and immediately change direction while moving without losing Speed, thus conserving defensive and offensive momentum.

Kaze no Kokyū • Shifting Winds
C-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Wielding their sword with one hand the user will raise their weapon next to their head, pointed toward their opponent and then slash diagonally, either as a faint or a committed strike, aiming to bait their opponent into blocking, before spinning in the opposite direction and dropping low to deliver a secondary slash to their opponent’s legs. If the opponent does not block, the user can follow through with the primary slash before adding the secondary spinning strike. This technique is also useful for striking a secondary target that might be approaching the user from behind.

[Tsedas]

Looking towards the Hyuuga as they commented on the area being public, the young swordsman gestured towards the streets below with obvious bystanders. "Not as public as a crowded street. This place affords us the privacy and isolation to demonstrate technique and swing swords around without hitting some passerby." As Jubei spoke, his glowing eyes flitted back to Takeshi, hearing him say that it was showtime. Watching them advance, Jubei shifted a hand over and drew Juzumaru quickly, holding the weapon with one hand while the other gripped the scabbard still. As the first blow came his way, Jubei shifted backwards and watched the blade glide through the air before him, missing his body before Takeshi shifted to bring the weapon around for a follow up aimed at his shins.

Jubei released the sheath and jumped up into the air, hopping over the blade as both of his hands took hold of Juzumaru's handle. With Juzumaru in hand and the Jounin's blade swiping beneath his airborne form, Jubei brought the weapon down with the intent of slashing towards the Hyuuga's shoulder. However the weapon itself was coming down backwards, the flat side of the back of Jubei's blade poised to impact and cause some blunt force if it connected. Jubei may have been swinging live steel, but he wasn't stupid enough to risk actually hitting someone in an exhibition match.

As he decsended, whether Takeshi took the blow or blocked or dodged, Jubei would land and promptly spin around while aiming his body at Takeshi. While spinning, he'd switch his grip to a reverse style hold and attempt to land three rapid strikes from his rotations.

Jutsu UsedShow

Zantetsuken • Jinpu
C-Ranked Taijutsu Discipline
Jinpu(Battle Formation Wind) is a mobility focused on rapidly alternating between fast and slow movements and confusing the opponent due to the fluid motion and Jubei's ever changing speeds. Clever footwork and control of movement are used to distract and trick opponents in regards Jubei's movement capabilities and throw off any ability to gauge his real Speed.

Zantetsuken • Fuga
B-Ranked Taijutsu Discipline
Fuga(Elegance; refinement) is a discipline that lets Jubei sense movement and attacks within his 'engagement range'(Maai), meaning anything within reach of his own melee attacks. There is a small margin of time to allow for a reaction to be made against an opponent's attack. This allows him to remain vigilante to anyone coming into his personal space within 3 meters around him

Zantetsuken • Hissatsu: Gyoten
D-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
Hissatsu: Gyoten(Lethality Sword: Heavenly Dawn) is often initiated with a powerful jump towards his foe, this attack designed to be used while airborne in some way as it usually places Jubei above the opponent. Using the momentum of his fall to strengthen a two-handed sword swing that brings his blade down on his enemy's head or shoulder.

Zantetsuken • Hakaze
D-Ranked Taijutsu Maneuver
Hakaze(Blade Wind) involves Jubei rapidly spinning around three times, holding his sword in a backhand grip. While spinning, he will slash the opponent up to three times in an instant.[/