Encased in Total Darkness [P/T]

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00 of 05———

SPOILER: Click to show

Hikui no Shisei (Lower Level Posture)
Rank: "E"
Skill: Taijutsu
Effect: A stance with a sword held below the waist.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: Hikui no Shisei is the most defensive of the six stances of Gyakusatsu and offers the highest peak of defense, deflecting, and creating striking opprotunities. The user brings his/her sword to point at the opponent's lower body, typically around the knee or thigh area. The hands are held with the dominate hand near the top of the handle and the feet match with the dominate foot in the forefront.
Limit: Gyakusatsu

Some time in the day after he'd met up with his seductive mistress, Tsugahara had found himself a nice room to dwell in during his stay in the city known as Driving Rain. The place was well spaced and had a high ceiling; the bed was close to the wall, thus enabling a lot of movement free from obstruction in the middle of the room. It had been quite a while since he found himself in so confined a space; it had even been longer since he'd brandished the blade Total Darkness. How long he would stay inside the confines of the inn, he knew not. But what he did know is that he would be spending his hours here in meditation, training several stances of Gyakusatsu and perhaps a Genjutsu or two. His efforts would be first pursued by his black steel extension, Makkura. Oh, how great a blade it had been indeed.

As he found himself bare, standing in the middle of the room, Tsuga had taken his katana by both hands and swung it smoothly, getting a feel for the weapon that he had since cast aside in training his ninjutsu. Quick and smooth strokes were made effortlessly in the low-lit room he was stationed in. No one would know of his training but he, his weapon and the ones who watched from omniscient vantage points. The man had known several techniques to compliment his single stance, which was something that he sought to change within this very room: his stance. 

The Lower Level Posture, as it was called, required one to hold their blade below the pelvis. Tsugahara shifted the weight of the blade downward as his arms slid low, his legs spread and his back arched. He felt more defensive and ready in this stance compared to the other one he'd been so accustomed to. Ambidextrous, he was able to hold either hand towards the upper portion of the tsuka, which made him quite the capable swordsman if he were to ever match swords with another. With his leading foot, he would make a step towards the bed, and swung his blade upward simultaneously; in his mind, he thought of himself using lower leg and core muscle to deflect an opponent's blade upward, thus leaving him defenseless as Tsugahara himself would gain the offense. He also took into consideration the strength that could be put into this upward slash from this low stance. He could potentially cut through an opponent's abdomen and torso from this position.

With a swing of the blade, his effortless movements allowed him to come up with many schemes of swordsmanship in his mind: from this Hikui no Shisei, he could sever a foe's leg from their body, or even cause one to stumble had he hit them with the back side of Makkura's blade. He saw this stance as something to be used against opponents that did not expect for him to have much strength of body, or know-how in swordsmanship. While it was indeed a stance of the Gyakusatsu, he would probably opt for another if given the chance in combat. After feeling within himself an understanding of what he could do in the stance, Tsugahara sheathed his weapon and sat down cross-legged, placing his weapon in front of him. He would begin meditation as the candle light in his room flickered once before going out as if by some supernatural presence.

[Nira]

The establishment of setting and intent is always relevant, but not for training.

I'll look from my omniscient vantage point of the transparent fourth wall.

Swinging the sword about is considered proper training preparation, though the other half of that paragraph is insignificant. An extension of the previously established intent.

A stance is an stagnant technique. The training here is proper, since it explores the striking options that start from this position.

Quantity is good.

Ah, and I see your master must be showing up, now.

+5, Learned.

[----]

00 of 05———

SPOILER: Click to show

Kibatsu Genron (Principles For Striking)
Rank: "E", "D", "C", "B", "A", "S"
Skill: Taijutsu
Effect: Training that strengthens offense with a sword.
Special: ---
Drawback: These combat principles only apply to Gyakusatsu techniques.
Description: Kibatsu Genron is the lesson in which a swordsman learns how to use his/her sword in order to break through an opponent's guard or otherwise defensive measures. This type of offense not only learns how to penetrate an enemy's defense, but also incorporate a knock-back effect upon striking.

E Rank: At this level of skill the user only understands the mechanics of breaking enemy defenses.

D Rank: At this level of skill the user is capable of penetrating defenses that are E-Rank and lower.

C Rank: At this level of skill the user is capable of penetrating defenses that are D-Rank and lower.

B Rank: At this level of skill the user is capable of penetrating defenses that are C-Rank and lower, as well as knocking the target back up to two meters.

A Rank: At this level of skill the user is capable of penetrating defenses that are B-Rank and lower, as well as knocking the target back up to five meters.

S Rank: At this level of skill the user is capable of penetrating defenses that are A-Rank and lower, as well as knocking the target back up to seven meters.

Limit: Gyakusatsu

Tsugahara... Tsugahara...

"..Ochi Tsugahara!" the voice rang clearly in Tsuga's mind. It had been his Gyakusatsu sensei calling to him during his stay at his temple in Aokusa. The hawk-eyed Kuranosuke held his bokken with his left hand and beckoned toward Tsuga with his right. The white-haired teen ran up towards his sensei, he too wielding a bokken.

"Tsuga--today's lesson will be on Kibatsu Genron; I am hoping that you remember what you've been taught about the fundamentals of striking?"

"Hai, sensei," he replied with a bow. Both men got into similar stances of the Gyakusatsu as the instructor continued on:

"One must see through their opponents guard to find an opening in which to attack him. Come, allow me to demonstrate what I tell you now." The man known as Badger's eyes tightened into a leer as he began to critique Tsugahara's stance, already noting a few minor infractions that would enable him to break through the Shogakusha's guard.

Tsugahara ran towards Kuranosuke, his wooden sword aimed at striking the man's thigh from an oblique strike starting from his right. With a poised move of the bokken, the master of the style deflected Tsuga's attack and left him sword-less. Surprised by the affair, Tsugahara quickly rolled backwards and retrieved his weapon and lunged at the man once more: his aggression had not been fueled by anger towards the man, but by passion to having been brought in to learning the Gyakusatsu style. He wanted to make his master proud. His second attack, aimed for the left side of Badger's rib cage, was also parried by a quick deflection, causing Tsugahara to lose his balance and go stumbling leftward at an arc. The sensei's eyes were too keen to miss the errors in the novice's stance.

"You are just attacking recklessly, Tsugahara. I have not yet moved from my position and here you are, once sword-less and now scurrying to your feet. Had I been a true opponent, you would have lost your life by now." Tsugahara was catching his breath as his teacher's words filled his head. He had been right: Tsugahara hadn't truly paid any attention to the stance, or tried to find a proper way in getting through his master's defenses. "I want you to analyze my stance, Tsugahara - pay attention to my sword, which hand it is in; take note of how I could possibly move in regard to you moving to attack me... find an opening using the Principles for Striking."

After a moment's respite, Tsugahara gathered himself into a stance. He stood five meters from his sensei and really began to look at his stance before attacking. The way Kuranosuke stood made it so that he was capable of defending his entire left side and lower right side. The only opening that Tsugahara had a chance to attack through was that of his upper right. The Badger noticed from reading his pupil's body language that he had finally figured it out - he could see it in his eyes and the way that a small, but easily noticeable smile appeared on his face. Tsugahara appeared to beam in the hawk eyes of the Gyakusatsu master. His stance widened and he now held his sword to his right side, causing some confusion in Tsugahara.

Before he had had a chance to attack his master's right side, the man had shifted stances and now defended it! Tsugahara's eyes ran frantically along the body of Kuranosuke-sensei, looking for that precious opening that he had just found, only to have it now guarded. Another gleam of hope shot into the white eyes of Tsuga as he noticed that now the lower left leg of his sensei was free from protection. The man's entire left leg, and if Tsugahara was quick enough to maneuver, then his back side, too, was open for attack. The man known as the Badger smiled and lowered his blade to his side.

"Very good, Tsugahara.. I see that you are paying more attention to my stance instead of running out to attack me. Your understanding of Kibatsu Genron has increased.." As his sensei lowered his offensive stance, so did Tsugahara, "Tomorrow we will begin learning how to break through defenses with the principle of striking, not just noticing how to read through defensive mechanics."

[Nira]

Hm, I'll have to tilt my head slightly here, haha.

Aw, a charming teacher-student interaction. It's easy to visualize, since it's a realistic display. Failure, followed by learning from it in order to improve.

+5, Learned.

[----]

SPOILER: Click to show

OOC// It says in Gyakusatsu that meditation is a part of training; also, once before, Usiel told me that flash back trainings are okay, I just did one mentally in the form of meditation... I wonder if the head tilt is alluding to that.

00 of 10———

SPOILER: Click to show

Kibatsu Genron (Principles For Striking)
Rank: "E", "D", "C", "B", "A", "S"
Skill: Taijutsu
Effect: Training that strengthens offense with a sword.
Special: ---
Drawback: These combat principles only apply to Gyakusatsu techniques.
Description: Kibatsu Genron is the lesson in which a swordsman learns how to use his/her sword in order to break through an opponent's guard or otherwise defensive measures. This type of offense not only learns how to penetrate an enemy's defense, but also incorporate a knock-back effect upon striking.
E Rank: At this level of skill the user only understands the mechanics of breaking enemy defenses.
D Rank: At this level of skill the user is capable of penetrating defenses that are E-Rank and lower.
C Rank: At this level of skill the user is capable of penetrating defenses that are D-Rank and lower.
B Rank: At this level of skill the user is capable of penetrating defenses that are C-Rank and lower, as well as knocking the target back up to two meters.
A Rank: At this level of skill the user is capable of penetrating defenses that are B-Rank and lower, as well as knocking the target back up to five meters.
S Rank: At this level of skill the user is capable of penetrating defenses that are A-Rank and lower, as well as knocking the target back up to seven meters.
Limit: Gyakusatsu

Still in meditation, Tsugahara sat placid in the room enshrouded by darkness, yet his mind was full of life, full of color. The sound of wood striking wood pushed him to delve deeper into the recesses of his mind, back to where Kibatsu Genron had been actually utilized on an opponent...

"Today your opponent will be Naganori, Tsugahara." his Master's voice called to him as both he and his foe stood just meters away from one another, "Remember what you have been taught, boy."

Tsugahara simply nodded as he gathered his stance. Naganori, another beginner in Gyakusatsu, held a stance that Tsuga did not know; but that made no difference, he would just look at the way his opponent held his blade and find a way through his defenses. Naganori was a black-haired boy and was a bit more muscular than Tsugahara. He smirked evilly, beckoning the frail looking Tsuga to attack him. Without hesitating at the offer, Tsuga rushed forward, having thought he'd seen a minor opening to Naga's lower right.

Wood struck wood as the bokken of both pupils hit one another. His attack had missed, Tsugahara had failed. While his opponent did hold his blade to his upper left, he was much quicker in defending himself against so obvious a blow. Naganori had had more practice in than the new recruit Tsugahara. He kicked the stunned boy in his chest as he prepared himself in the same stance.

"Haha, you are too slow, Tsugahara-kun: you are too weak!" Naganori's words hit harder than the kick did. Tsuga picked himself up off of the ground and studied his opponent once more.

He is indeed stronger than I. He moves faster.. what could I do to break through his defenses? Tsuga wondered as they circled around the training ground. His opponent knew that his exposed side had been to his lower right and that made Tsugahara wonder if he should try to attack it again. He entertained the thought and then suddenly, an idea hit him. He could quickly feign his opponent, thus leaving him open for an attack. 

Looking like someone who knew no better, Tsugahara rushed Naga once more, in the exact same fashion that he had done prior.

"Stupid fool!" Naga shouted, moving his bokken to defend his right thigh once more as he saw Tsuga attempt the same movement, "You aren't stronger than me! You won't break through my Yobousen!!" It was true, Tsugahara could not break through the Guarding Against Attacks principle of Naganori; he could, however, trick him into thinking that he was foolish enough to make the same mistake twice.

As Naga prepared himself to riposte the attack of Tsuga, the latter pulled off an amazingly timed feign attack. Now, with his upper left shoulder exposed, Tsugahara shifted his bokken upward away from the area that Naganori had expected him to attack, and slammed his wooden sword down hard into the boy's shoulder. Naga yelled as he dropped his blade as Tsugahara stood smiling, panting, over him. Their sensei clapped as Tsugahara landed a blow on Naga.

"He may not be stronger nor faster than you, Naganori - but he is indeed much smarter." Those words rang through Tsugahara's ears and hit him in his core. He bowed to his senpai for the compliment, as Naga got back into a stance, this one different from the last.

"Beginner's luck. It won't happen again." Naganori held his blade at his back. He was in the Rear Hidden Sword Stance. Tsugahara showed no sign of acknowledging that he knew that stance and that he knew its weakness. He simply rushed toward Naga, this time aiming for his head. 

Bokken met bokken as the two collided from Tsugahara's attack to the head; instantly, he would kick Naga in the left leg with his right foot, causing the kickee to drop to a knee and lower his guard. Tsugahara brought his wooden sword to the throat of his opponent, sweat dripping down his beautiful face.

"It seems that he, again, has outwitted you, Naganori. If you had known that Tsugahara was proficient in the Hitoshirenu no Shisei, then you wouldn't've tried to use it against him. Very good tactic, Tsugahara." Again, the words filled his mind and caused him not to be prideful, but humble. He offered a hand to Naga as to help him up.

"You move well, Naga-kun - perhaps you could teach me how to use Yobousen just as well as you do?" Tsugahara helped him to his feet as the boy reluctantly agreed to be his training partner. Slowly but surely, Tsugahara was advancing in the Principles for Striking.

[Nira]

Uh, I just meant the italics...

Cause, you know, it's... diagonal...-ish

Yeah, I use flashbacks all the time. It's the whole theme for my personal training.

Sparring, with steady improvement to conquer your foe. A touch of strategy in the form of a feint.

+10

[----]

Tsugahara snapped out of his trance and opened his eyes. For a moment, he had thought he'd gone blind; time soon revealed to him that he sat in complete darkness, and he knew not how long he had been in meditation. As one who seemed to enjoy being encased in shadow, he would begin to focus his mind in another area of growth: the Shadow Perception. Thankfully, there had been an over abundance of it for him to work with, the shadow medium; he simply stood up from his position and let out a deep breath. Tsuga was recollecting his thoughts on the means in which to manipulate senses. 

Not blinded by the darkness, nor ignorant of his surroundings, Tsugahara went to relight the candle in his room. The small flame offered some light in the place, and would be the thing he'd focus on in trying to call upon the powers of the Shadow.

[----]

00 of 30———

SPOILER: Click to show

Shadow Mask
Rank: "C"
Skill: GenJutsu
Effect: User causes a mask of shadows to form around their face.
Special: "Handseals"
Drawback: ---
Description: Affects anyone who sees the user. The user is able to perform this technique on themselves. The duration of this technique lasts for 50 minutes per class level. This technique may be negated. It does not impede their vision, cannot be physically removed, completely hides their features. User also gains a 50% chance each round to avoid having to make a saving throw against gaze attacks, just as if they averted their eyes. When the Jutsu's duration ends, the Shadow Mask fades over the course of 1d4 rounds (rather than immediately), giving the user time to keep their face hidden via other means. A successful Dispel GenJutsu performed against a Shadow Mask effectively ends the Jutsu and causes the same slow fading.
Limit: Must know the Shadow Perception.

The means by which Tsugahara would gather the information to perform the Shadow Genjutsu he sought to learn came from some prior words he had heard from someone in the Land of Stone; they, too, were adept in the perception and had taught him what he already knew. The thought came as thus:

"Remember, Tsuga-kun - shadows are your friend. They can and will protect you from the sources of light; from enemies who seek to end your life. Call upon your shadow and those around you in your time of dire aid."

The voice, belonging to a female, sounded more eerie than he remembered. The basic genjutsu she had taught him made him subject to willing the shadows around his body, or in dimming a light that proved to be too bright. He would take prior knowledge of the Shadowskin technique and use that to craft a Shadow Mask. Consumed by darkness, he thought of what it should look like if it ever were to be seen by another. He took the vision of a gruesome oni mask and applied dark features to it in his mind. The thing was to become another skull or helmet about his entire head. He could use it to instill fear into someone and hide his true visage, making this Genjutsu one truly worth learning.

As he began to close his eyes and visualize himself within his own head with a black demon mask on his face, he took notice of the terrible features. Serrate teeth, elongated canines, a wicked snarl! Just the mouth of the Shadow Mask would cause an onlooker bouts of fright, if not complete terror. Although the thing would be crafted from atrous shadows, he made sure to think of a way to tighten the look of them, making it appear more muscular and corporeal than ethereal. Illusion arts required one to dig into the recesses of another or one's own mind. Tsugahara had to look inside himself to pull out what he wanted the mask to appear as. To further delve into the composition of the mask, he would think of adding a single, curved horn to the middle of the piece. Holding such an ominous looking guise would require much chakra control, something of his that had since increased since his acquirement of Doton no Jutsu.

In this world within his own mind, standing on a platform surrounded by abysmal darkness, he began to call forth his chakras--his spirit--to subjugate and combine with his mental efforts. Shadows began to spiral down towards his pale face before consuming it in a gluttonous manner. Fear had hit Tsugahara momentarily, but he remembered that it was he who was the caster of such an art; the creator of such an innate fancy. The thing began to build upon itself as the shadowed mass tightened around his face. The horn extension came, soon followed by the gnashing maw. He took to a knee within his mind, panting as he began to breathe. He had done it. He had crafted the Shadow Mask deep inside his own head.

Now, he had to make the thing in the physical realm.

[----]

SPOILER: Click to show

OOC// First training post was basically Tsugahara thinking within his own mind on how to come up with such a Shadow Mask. He did so mentally, now must do so physically. BTW, I suck at Genjutsu training.

I tried to look at it from a mental pov, since it is Genjutsu, then add it to a physical one, making his thoughts tangible.

?? of 30———

The light of the candle wavered as he stared at it, casting handseals. In that instant upon completion, he felt his chakra surge and the mental image - he had just moments ago created - spring forth in his head, as he slowly pulled his hand towards his face. Tsugahara felt as if though he was calling the shadows towards his head as he slowly swiped in front of his face, his vision of light now blocked by his hand.

Shadows began to warp around his head as his chakra manipulated the blackness around he. His mind had been set on the gruesome image of the mask, and via chakra control, he would will his creation of the Shadow Mask to life. This proved to be much harder than he had done in his head; even Doton ninjutsu didn't appear to be as difficult as manipulating shadows. His mouth first became wrapped in the tangible shadows as it slowly began to weave upward, looking to cover his face before the aesthetics would be applied. Just as the mass reached his eyes, Tsugahara's vision became blacked out, sending him into a world of total darkness once again. He did not freak out, however. He could still breathe and the darkness reminded him of meditation. What he focused on now what adding more shadows to the thing to give it its gruesome appeal, and to tighten it in areas so that it appeared more corporeal.

His hands lifted to his forehead as chakra remained around his palms. He would pull both hands upward, as if in a curving motion, to will the shadows to follow his pathway set out by control to form the single horn he had envisioned the thing having. With his left hand he would gently pat the tip of the spiked horn, noting its acuteness and length in doing so. Next, Tsugahara began to pull at his eye sockets, causing the shadows that covered his eyesight to be removed, thus allowing him vision. The candle, smaller than it had once been, still flickered it small flame as he then pulled at the sides of the mask. His chakra poured into the shadows as he tightened the mask around his head. The tautness barely fazed Tsuga in terms of comfort. His final task was to create the mouth he sought. Which seemed to be the hardest part of what constituted the Kagemen technique.

Tsugahara used his hands to delicately pull shadows upward at curves, and downward in spikes to create the maw of the mask. He had even opened and widened his own mouth, feeling that it would aid in perfecting the masquerade in which he was learning. All of his mental visions were coming to fruition as he studied the texture and characteristics of the mask. They had matched up near perfectly with his visions of the thing. What he would have to do now is perform the Genjutsu several times more, thus increasing his speed of performing the technique with everything already in place in terms of its composition.

[----]

?? of 30———

He would dispel the Illusion Art and began to complete more handseals. Again, his mind had been set on what he desired wholly, as he once again swept his left hand in front of his visage. The result had been the same as before: shadows began to materialize above his face and around his head as he pulled the darkness onto his guise with spiritual efforts.

The aesthics of the mask could not be noted within the darkened room, but by placing both hands upon the Kagemen, Tsugahara felt the characteristics that he had came up with in his mind right here along the surface of the thing. Somehow, he felt that he had managed to conjure the entire effects of the Shadowskin technique into one area of his body, thus increasing his control of chakra and his manipulation of mind and shadow. What happened next was a result of attempt, that happened to turn into fear and soon an understanding.

The Ochi man attempted to pull and take the Shadow Mask off of his head, yet to no avail. Fear consumed him as he thought he would be forever trapped behind a mask composed of inky blackness, and as he became freightened, his spiritual energy subceded back into his body, which slowly caused the mask to evaporate. Surprised by the event, Tsugahara took notice that it could not be physically removed but had to be mentally removed, or taken off by the absence of chakra control.  He would then perform the required seals, after a moment's respite, to bring the murky manifestation back to his visage. 

While no where near proficient in the arts of Shadow perception, let alone Genjutsu, Tsugahara had a vague grasp on what he had been doing here in this room encased in darkness. He felt that he was conjuring dark thoughts to bring about the mask; what chilled most others, he found solitude in. Total darkness was something he could embrace and not be afraid of; hell, his katana could even be said to have aided him in his grasp of the dark side. Makkura had indeed been so fine a weapon..

"Tsugahara. Remember what you have been taught here," it was the voice of the woman again, calling to him as he knelt before her essence that was caked in shadows. "You are a member of the Shadow - someone who can call upon its essence in the time of travail. Use this Genjutsu perception to elude foes and strike terror into their minds. One can not understand what they can not see: become one with the Shadow..." Her hand stretched out to him before the mental imagery faded away. 

For about half an hour, he stood still, lost in thought and perception of time. The Shadow Mask slowly faded away after several minutes, denoting that it had some sort of time limit restriction on the Genjutsu. Half tired and half amazed, Tsugahara went to lay down on the wall-side bed as he fell into a deep slumber.

[Nira]

Hm, these three are significantly shorter than a few posts before. It's at the percise borderline of a full point post with its current length.

Drawing from what you know, and applying it into a new division of jutsu.

A bit of fear as the jutsu momentarily left from the control of a character.

It's good, especially the control issue near the end.

+30, Learned.

[----]

SPOILER: Click to show

OOC// Man, training Gen's takes a toll on my miiiiiind. It's hard to come up with things to write about for me, lol.

A loud boom woke Tsugahara up in a cold sweat. It had been the thunder resounding in the near empty room that tore him from the dream realm. His time had come to an end within the dwelling and he saw no reason to linger within Yokoburi anymore. Gathering his items, he left the place. He was headed to the north towards a land most familiar.

He would be returning to Kusa-no-Kuni.

--exit