Lonely Practice [T]

[Hayate Kimura]

SPOILER: Click to show

Accurate Marksman

Rank: "D"

Skill: TaiJutsu/Supplementary

Effect: An attack that allows the user to fire at an opponent who is taking cover with at least half cover allowing the user to attack with greater proficiency.

Special: ---

Drawback: ---

Description: At this point the user is able to hit an opponent who is half covered with great proficiency and power able to hit an opponent with "C" Rank of power. An opponent may be hiding and it becomes difficult for an Marksman to hit that opponent. With this technique the user may shoot 1 arrow against the opponent per movement in which would negate hiding effects unless the opponent is 100% covered from all around. This technique allows the user to hit hidden opponents with much more ease.

Limit: Must be a Marksman. Must know Precise Shot.

0/10

Iwagakure. Village hidden in the stone, nestled in the side of a mountain. Vilagers moved through the city, forming veins of humanity that power the great city. Far away from these masses is where Hayate Kiamura stood. He was in a little used training ground, the area littered with boulders to represent the common fighting ground that most Iwagakure shinobi had to fight in. People walked by occasionally, glancing at the boy who had his bow drawn, seemingly aiming at a large, unmarked stone. For the most part though it was the boy, the stone, and the whistling wind.

Hayate relaxed his hold on the string, letting the wooden limbs of his bow relax for a moment as he lowered it to point at the ground. A moment later, he pulled back again, aiming in the direction of another boulder. But not at the bolder. He aimed at the exposed shoulder of a dummy he had moved behind it, leaving only about a quarter of it visible. He knew it would be better if he had someone else place them, so he wouldn’t know their positioning so intimately, but he had no one to ask. In all honesty, he wouldn’t ask someone if he did. He released, and the arrow leapt from his fifty pound recurved bow… only to deflect harmlessly off the curve of the stone, a few inches away from the exposed target.

Hayate didn’t look frustrated, or surprised, or much of anything really. He nodded slightly, then drew another arrow from the quiver at his hip, placing it on the string. He drew back as he aimed at the ground, then refocused on the first target he had been aiming at. This one was only showing a single leg from behind the large rock, at a completely different angle than the other target. He changed each shot, so he couldn’t simply adjust his aim accordingly. It would not teach him the skill he wished to learn. He carefully targeted, then let loose. This time the arrow struck true, piercing the leg of the mannequin like target.

Once again, Hayate showed little response. However, the slight nod this time conveyed his self-approval. With that, he nocked, aimed, and fired at the other target more quickly this time. Even with the speed, he didn’t feel the need to check his shot. He could tell, even without looking, that it had struck its target. Hayate didn’t always hit, but he always knew if he hit. He swallowed several times, turning pale.

“G…good.” He whispered, his hands shaking from the effort of making himself speak aloud. He shuddered. “S-shot.”

[N A T S U M I]

+10; Learned. Actually a pretty good post, excellent length!

[Hayate Kimura]

OOC: Thank you! I'm enjoying myself!

SPOILER: Click to show

Defensive Shot

Rank: "D"

Skill: TaiJutsu/Supplementary

Effect: A technique in which if the user has his sights set on a target ready to attack, the senses of the Marksman is so in tuned with his surroundings the user is unable to be flanked.

Special: ---

Drawback: The user may only learn this technique by the class that they are. This means that in order to learn the "C" Rank version they must be "C" Class, if they wish to learn the "B" Rank version they must be "B" Class.

Description: A technique where the subconscious mind, where the subconscious body reacts just as they are attacked while flanked or while their back is turn. The body reacts in such a way to where they are capable of withstanding so much. This technique makes it where the Marksman is incapable of being surprised attacked, a sudden second sense kicks in as their body screams out to them yelling at them telling them to move, duck, dodge or anything else within that manner. This works on whenever they are being attacked. This technique however has a major flaw. The user is capable of dodging only whenever the opponent's class is equal or lower to that of the rank of the technique they know. This means that a "D" Class user that knows this technique cannot use this against an opponent that is "C" Class or higher.

Limit: Must be a Marksman.

0/10

It was gusty today, in the Village Hidden in the Stones. It often was, but today was particularly so. Hayate Kimura was happy about this, as he couldn’t do his training alone, otherwise. He stood in one of the few parks in Iwagakure that was full of heavy foliage. The trees and bushes around him rustled and stirred, dancing to the beat of the wind. The sound made him nervous, for he knew he had set up stones in the branches above. Any wind could drop them down, and with his blindfold he could not see them coming. He would have to sense them. The voices nearby distracted him, making him more nervous. This was a popular park, for the very reason he needed it. Still, he should be deep enough in the trees that no one would find him. At the thought of someone finding him, his mind drew an image of his father, sneaking up behind him with his cane raised, ready to beat seven colors of hell out of him for running away. Hayate went dead still as he fought with the phantom in his mind.

It was then that the first stone fell silently, shaken out of the fork it had rested in by a particularly strong gale. Hayate sensed nothing, heard nothing, felt nothing… until the stone struck his shoulder painfully. Still in the grip of his fear, he struck out wildly, succeeding at nothing more than striking the tree behind him and causing his hand to throb angrily. He cradled it to his chest. This entire episode happened in near silence, as he had neither cried out in pain or surprise.

He took a deep breath, finally forcing the fear into the back of his mind, where it belonged. It lurked there, always ready to jump out at him without warning. Not unlike the stones above him. Not the best comparison, he mused to himself, knowing he had to learn to sense them or he would be extremely vulnerable as an archer. That thought triggered something in his mind. He never needed sight to know if he would hit or miss a target. Something in him just…. knew. He could feel it. Perhaps, if he could extend that feeling around him, he could use it to help him avoid being struck.

Though his eyes were covered by a blindfold, he had held them open, straining. He closed them now; they would not help him. He reached out with that feeling he had begun to think of as his marksman sense. Was that noise a branch shifting, or a stone falling? Were those air currents the signal of danger? No. He had to go deeper still. He sunk his consious mind into mediation, letting go of everything but that feeling.

There.

He sidestepped quickly, and was rewarded with a dull thud. The stone hitting the soft earth.

[KoKoKo]

+9

sorry i can't ten it, it is nice though just a wee bit short

[Hayate Kimura]

OOC: No problem! I was just basing it on the first one lol. This one is slightly smaller, but its only for one point, I'll make sure to make them longer from now on.

9/10

Out among the foliage, Hayate spent many hours. The wind rustled through the trees loudly, people talked and laughed, the sun traveled along its path through the heavens. And Hayate trained. Even as he stood there with his blindfolded eyes, waiting for stones to drop, he ignored all things but this new tenuous sense he was exploring.

It was frustrating. As strong a grasp he held of it while he was shooting arrows, it was nebulous here. The harder he tried to grip it, the more it slipped away from him. Several of the stones he had placed in the branches fell to strike him again, forcing him to don a makeshift helmet he had not wanted to use, made of clothing wrapped turban like around his head. Not only did he look like an idiot, he felt like a failure. Still, he knew it was better than seriously injuring himself while training.

'Perhaps its the holding, not the sense itself, that is the problem,' Hayate thought at last, trying to think about how he felt holding a bow. It was a relaxed hold, even in stressful situations. A gripping, not a squeezing. Maybe the sense is much the same. Thinking of his first success, he knew he was right. Still... it was hard to relax with this blindfold.

Without a further thought, he undid it, tossing it to one side. His eyes remained closed. The knowledge that he could open his eyes and see at any time did make him feel better. He could feel himself slipping into that state of-

Now.

A quick, hard breeze pressed against Hayate, and he sidestepped once, then jumped back. He heard two thuds in quick succession, and the smallest of smiles tugged at his lips. He knew where he would see them, if he opened his eyes. Perfect.

[KoKoKo]

for one point you only needed one paragraph of training lol

+1

[Hayate Kimura]

SPOILER: Click to show

Defensive Shot
Rank: "C"
Skill: TaiJutsu/Supplementary
Effect: A technique in which if the user has his sights set on a target ready to attack, the senses of the Marksman is so in tuned with his surroundings the user is unable to be flanked.
Special: ---
Drawback: The user may only learn this technique by the class that they are. This means that in order to learn the "C" Rank version they must be "C" Class, if they wish to learn the "B" Rank version they must be "B" Class.
Description: A technique where the subconscious mind, where the subconscious body reacts just as they are attacked while flanked or while their back is turn. The body reacts in such a way to where they are capable of withstanding so much. This technique makes it where the Marksman is incapable of being surprised attacked, a sudden second sense kicks in as their body screams out to them yelling at them telling them to move, duck, dodge or anything else within that manner. This works on whenever they are being attacked. This technique however has a major flaw. The user is capable of dodging only whenever the opponent's class is equal or lower to that of the rank of the technique they know. This means that a "D" Class user that knows this technique cannot use this against an opponent that is "C" Class or higher.
Limit: Must be a Marksman.

OOC: I figured as much, but I couldn't include everything I wanted to in a paragraph lol

0/30

Hayate Kiamura stood in the training yard, far off to one side. It was another one of the ones rarely used by most shinobi, but today there was one young man training outside of himself. The boy stood on the uneven stone, throwing shuriken after shuriken at the target, a straw man perhaps ten meters away. Though the wind blew strongly, it didn’t seem to affect his throws much. Though they stood in the same yard, neither had acknowledged the other. There were many large boulders strewn around, and Hayate thought it was possible he had not been noticed, but more likely the boy knew him and his reputation.

Hayate was sweating. He did not want to do this, but he could think of no other way to advance his training. He had gone as far as he could alone for this technique… and now he needed a partner. One of the things he avoided as much as possible normally, let alone for this. After a moment, stillness took over him, as it always did when under stress. He would use that while he could. He forced himself to move forward, pulling out his chalk slate as he did and writing on it. Once he was about ten feet away from the shuriken thrower, he stopped and waved.

The young man caught the movement and paused in his throwing and turned, his eyes widening in surprise momentarily. He had known of Hayate’s reputation as a mute and a recluse. He couldn’t think of a single time he had heard of the other boy approaching someone else. He saw the slate and read the words off of it quickly.

“I need assistance with training my instincts. Could you possibly assist?”

He blinked at Hayate a few times, then nodded uncertainly. As soon as he nodded, Hayate turned the slate around, dragged a sleeve across it to clear it and wrote again. This time, as he turned it around, the handwriting was somewhat shakier, as is his hands were trembling.

“I need you to throw rocks at me, while my eyes are closed.”

The young man startled, his eyes coming up from the slate to meet Hayate’s gaze. There was fear in his eyes, though it was obviously being held in check by an effort of will.

“I would not want to accidently hurt you,” The other boy said uncomfortably, shifting slightly to look at the target he had been practicing on. He hadn’t the target at all, but he hadn’t always hit where he was aiming either. He could easily accidently strike Hayate in the mouth with a stone, or somewhere more painful. He glanced back at the mute shinobi, a new message already written on his slate.

“Please. I cannot train my senses any further alone. I do not hold you responsible for any damage you may cause.”

This one was almost illegible. It was obvious that Hayate was becoming even more nervous. That did not relax the other young man at all, but he picked up a stone. Hayate swallowed heavily, then tucked the stone back into his waistline, closing his eyes. His body stilled, now that the communicating was over, though he was still at the edge of terrified. Letting someone throw things at him? He must be going mad. An image of his father throwing dishes flashed in his mind and he had to lock his body in place to keep from opening his eyes, or more likely running. Then he heard a small crack. He flinched, then opened one eye. A stone, the small stone the other boy had picked up, was maybe three-fourths the distance between them. From the stance of the other shinobi, he had thrown it underhand, and badly.


Hayate Kiamura looked at the stone, then at the other boy, who looked sheepish. And relaxed somewhat. This young man’s obvious reluctance to hit him with a stone, though he had been actively pin-cushioning a target moments ago, reassured him. This was someone nothing like his father. Hayate opened his other eye, and mimed picking up a stone and throwing it hard overhand. The boy nodded again, looking a bit less nervous as Hayate relaxed. Hayate closed his eyes again.

This time, relaxed he could feel when the guy threw the stone, feel where it was coming from. But he couldn’t guess where it would strike in time, barely shifting before it struck his shoulder with a solid sounding thump. He let out a quiet grunt of pain, his hand going up to his shoulder to rub it gently, then opened his eyes. The young man looked uncomfortable again, so Hayate gave him a nod and a thumbs up. He was improving, that was what was important. Then a thought struck him and he pulled out his slate, writing on it then holding it up.

“I just realized, I have not asked your name.”

The boy read it, then let out a short laugh, the loud sound almost causing Hayate to step back. But it was not malicious laughter, but honest amusement. He smiled, a small, almost sickly smile in return. As grotesque and obviously underused expression as it was, the young man seemed to understand the idea behind it and didn’t comment, instead smiling a much more natural looking smile back.

“The name is Yamita Hoyami,” Yamita said, still grinning, “And you are?”

“Hayate Kiamura.”

[KoKoKo]

+10 my ninja

[Hayate Kimura]

OOC: I just want to say thank you for being so active and grading these so often. I'm used to sites where waits are measured in weeks or months, not hours or days. Its incredible and I'm very grateful.

10/30

The training yard was still windy, still full of boulders as most were here in Iwagakure. There were still two young men here, Hayate Kiamura and Yamita Hoyami. But now there was a certain companionship between the two, instead of the uncomfortable distance and mutual disregard that there had been before, even as Yamita picked up another small stone to throw at Hayate. If it had been a busier section of the village, this action may have gathered a small crowd of those who knew Kiamura’s reputation, those that had gone through the academy with him. But where they were was not commonly visited, which is why they both went there.

“Ready?” Yamita asked, as he tossed the stone in his hand, catching it again. They were farther apart now, to make it a bit easier for Hayate. He had written on his slate that perhaps more time to determine where the stone would strike would make it easier to avoid. Having never trained this particular skill before, Yamita agreed, not knowing one way or the other. Hayate gave him a thumbs up without opening his eyes, signaling his readiness. Most of his nervousness was gone now, and he hadn’t even had an incident. He marveled at this, silently. And that’s probably why the rock clipped his head instead of being dodged like it should have.

Hayate lost his balance and fell with a surprised sound, nothing so coherent as a word. His hand went up to his head, then in front of his opening eyes. No blood. Good. He heard the sound of running feet and he held up a hand quickly. Yamita paused about two feet away, then sighed as Hayate pulled out his slate. He couldn’t be too bad off if he was going to write instead of talk. Of course, he didn’t realize that Hayate would prefer to do so even if he was dying, but he wasn’t wrong about the other boy being alright even so.

“I’m fine, my own fault. Please go back and try again.”

Hayate held up the slate even as he stood, only a little shaky. He had grown good at judging his own pains and injuries. A dubious benefit of his unfortunate time spent at home. Still, it served him well here. He was fine. He closed his eyes again, holding a thumbs up even as he heard Yamita grumble something about mutes and walk back to where he had been standing before.

The archer shinobi knew he was getting distracted by having someone else here with him and that was part of the training. He had to ignore that presence to a degree, the good and the bad feelings both. He found himself surprisingly reluctant to do this, but knew this training would go nowhere if he didn’t. He knew that… but the rock that caught his shoulder with decent force still hurt. He grimaced to himself, holding up a thumbs up that he was ready again, before Yamita could move forward.

Hayate forced himself to empty his mind. Forget the feeling of almost being able to relax around another person. Forget the fact that someone was about to throw a stone at him. None of that was important right now. What was important was to feel. To let that nebulous sense of awareness flow out around him. Hayate had gotten fairly good at bringing out that sensation in earlier training. Now that he relaxed, he could feel it now. It had been there all along, he had simply been drowning it out with other sensations.

Now he felt like he could almost see the stone, tumbling end over end towards his other shoulder, the unhurt one. He took one, small step to the left. Not very far. But then, it didn’t need to be. The stone passed him, barely ruffling his clothing with the breeze that followed along behind it. He heard a laugh of surprised delight from Yamita, and he smiled, a small smile but a much more natural looking one. The first step was done. Now, for mastery. It could take hours. But Yamita didn’t look like he was in a hurry, and Hayate found himself not bothered by the idea of hours in his company. Another marvel for the day.

[KoKoKo]

+10

no worries on it bud

[Hayate Kimura]

20/30

They sky was darkening and even the wind seemed to be resting, motionless, in the Village Hidden among the Stones. In the unpopular training yard, two young men still stood. Stones littered around one, a small pile sitting by the other. There was an ease of familiarity around them now, these two who had only really met today. They had spoken little, but something about training together binds people together. One looked rested, and almost a little bored, while the other sported several bruises and a sheen of sweat. It was clear who was training and who was helping.

Hayate opened his eyes for the first time in almost ten minutes. He had dodged all of the single throws, but something nagged at him, something not quite finished about this, and that made him push onwards even when Yamita clearly thought he had mastered the technique. Indeed, the exasperated expression on the other boys face made Hayate feel sheepish, but he wasn’t ready to relent yet, and Yamita hadn’t actually protested the lateness of the hour yet. The archer had been thinking about what he might be missing for a while now, and had come to a conclusion. He couldn’t train it perfectly, but it was worth some practice. He held up a hand with two fingers upraised.

Yamita blinked, at first mistaking it for some kind of sign he wasn’t getting. Then it clicked and he frowned a little. It made sense, having mastered one stone moving on to two. Still, he had watched Hayate do a lot for one day. It might be better for him to rest and try again later.

“Maybe we should call it today and try again tomorrow?” He said, not having to raise his voice as they had moved closer together to increase the difficulty earlier. Hayate considered this, then made the two gesture again, then one finger. Two stones once. That wasn’t much to ask for, and Yamita didn’t see what it could possibly hurt. You know, unless he aimed badly on the second stone, and Hayate in his exhausted state failed to dodge a stone to the skull. But he had learned today that the shy and withdrawn young man had a stubborn streak a mile long when it came to training. Yamita respected him for it. He made the same gesture back at the mute. Two stones once. It was funny how often he fell into gesturing instead of speaking after spending all day with the mute archer. He reached down, picking up a stone in each hand, hefting them easily. He felt a light straining at his muscles. They were light stones, but he had been throwing them all day.

Hayata watched Yamita pick up both stones, then closed his eyes, sinking into that feeling of sensory awareness. It was as natural as breathing now, really he was already there, always there. It was like a prickling at the back of his neck, he just had to pay a little attention to it. He was learning to do it without even thinking, after all this time. And he would only get better. Still, always good to end the day trying something new. He waited and heard the crunch of leather on stone as Yamita started to walk. This had been another add on. The stone thrower would circle him so he had no idea where the attack might come from. Sometimes, he’d even throw a stone to make Hayata think he jumped, then toss another at him.

Hayata winced a little, feeling all the spots of pain over his body. Even thinking about the bruises didn’t bring up his fathers memory right now, he was too deep in the training. Tomorrow though, tomorrow would be a bad day. Then he felt the twinge of warning deep in his psyche. He could sense them. Two stones, seven o clock, one high, one low. With a simple, deceptively easy motion, he spun out of the way, and the stones passed through the space he had been before. He grinned, starting to open his eyes when his sense twinged again and he ducked instinctively, a /third/ stone passing above him. He opened his eyes to stare at Yamita in shock.

“You dodged one you were not expecting at all. You’ve got this, Hayate.” Yamita told him, holding his hands up, “It was the best way to be sure.”

Hayata wanted to be angry at this feeling of betrayal… but Yamita was right. He glanced at the stone behind him. That was the best way to be sure. Hayate nodded, then looked back at Yamita and gave him a thumbs up. Yamita grinned widely, glad that he hadn’t been wrong.

[KoKoKo]

Learnefied

[Hayate Kimura]

SPOILER: Click to show

Shot on the Run
Rank: "C"
Skill: TaiJutsu/Supplementary
Effect: When attacking with a ranged weapon, the user may move while attacking while being 2/3rd proficient in range.
Special: ---
Drawback: Only works within 1/2 Proficiency.
Description: Normally an Marksman is only able to shoot within the range of 1/2 of their proficiency while on the move. This technique increases the range up to 2/3rd of the total proficient range. Example: 1st Range Increment of a Pistol Crossbow is 10 meters. While on the move user may shoot within 5 meters proficiency. With Shot on the Run user may shoot within 6.6 meters proficiency while moving around.
Limit: Must be a Marksman. Must know Acrobatic Shot.

0/30

The training yard was full today. It was full because it was one of the more popular training yards. Its large size and easy to modify layout included several dozen targets, false scenery for setting up different scenarios, and other useful training equipment. Unfortunately, it was the only dedicated training site with enough room for what Hayata wanted to practice today. He was not happy about this; as a matter of fact he was exceedingly nervous and that would slow him down, his instinct to go still fighting with the technique he wanted to learn.

One of the weaknesses of his archery based combat was the requirement for a set stance if you wanted to shot with any accuracy. He had to surpass that. He wasn’t certain how yet, but he was going to train until he could shoot almost as well on the move as standing still. He was hoping for at least the same accuracy at two thirds normal the range. He had marked off an area for that, uneven terrain, scattered targets, and a running path. He could run it either direction to change up the pattern, and at two different ranges, half his normal and two thirds.

He glanced around again. It almost made him leave. There were a number of curious onlookers, wondering what the set up was for. Oh dear god he couldn’t do this in front of a crowd. That’s it, he’d have to find somewhere else. If it was a smaller area it wouldn’t be as effective, but more useful than this terrifying circus.

‘No. It’s just fear and pressure. If I can’t deal with this, how can I deal with an enemy shinobi trying to kill me?’ Hayata thought, forcing himself into motion, walking to the start of the run and stringing his bow. He checked his quiver, feeling the fletching. He could identify his different arrows at a touch with ease. He had the training arrows in the right location. He stood as still as a statue, trying to find another reason to delay… and failing.

‘Start easy,’ He thought, walking to the half range line, leaning forward a bit and compensating for the loss of balance by lowering his center of gravity. He was glad he had a recurve bow instead of a longbow or this would be even more difficult than it already was. Though his body was stiff, he forced it into motion. It was less of a dash, more of a jog than anything. The eyes of the watchers felt like led weights on his body, but he forced himself to move faster. The first target was coming.

He started to try and shoot, but his body, trained from years of archery at a standstill, tried to slip into the even stance. His feet shuffled, then caught on each other and he tumbled, barely managing to turn it into a controlled roll. He came up, already past the ideal shot area for that target. No matter. The next one. This time, he dropped the arrow from the jostling pace of his run. The third, he staggered and almost fell. The fourth, the arrow went wide. By this point, most of the people were already laughing at his attempts, or simply walking away, shaking their heads. He could feel himself relaxing. The laughter was not the harsh cruel laughter of an incoming blow, and those that left made him more comfortable than even the laughter did. His fifth arrow caught the edge of the target, and the sixth he managed to slip into his stance as he slid, firing the arrow then resuming running without losing much momentum. The seventh, he jumped, rolled onto the higher surface of a boulder, and shot from a crouch. It was a wild shot, but it caught the edge just a little. It was enough. It was a start.

Some of the crowd was laughing still, but several were murmuring appreciatively. It was the first time any of them had seen this set up here, and most were regulars. That meant it had to be his first attempt at this. To hit any was not a terrible feat. Still. He had a long way ahead of him. Hayate moved back to the starting line on this side, reversing the order of the targets. Again.

[Father 'Suke]

+10; 10|30

[Hayate Kimura]

10/30

When Hayata started his training earlier, the yard was full of others training. This was the largest and most popular training yard. Now however, it was still full, though less training was going on than before. Several people decided that watching him was much more interesting and fun than working on their own technique. To his surprise and discontent, a small impromptu betting pool formed around his ability to shoot, betting on if and where he would hit what targets.

Soon it had changed to only where he would hit the targets. He had developed a method of shifting into his stance, just for a moment, sliding and taking a shot before resuming his motion. It was a crutch, and one he’d have to break, but for now it was working excellently. He had the motion and the shooting down. Now he had to relax his set stance and instead focus on the feeling of the stance. After all, the even stance wasn’t exactly a placement of body. It was about having your weight evenly placed, your body free to move as needed. Now that he was comfortable with shooting on the move the easy way, it was time to step it up. The odds were about to drop out of his favor.

He ran the reverse run, coming up on the seventh placed target, the first in this run. Instead of setting his stance and sliding, he turned mid run, firing the moment his weight was balanced on both feed, between steps. It was not a good shot, but it could have been much worse. It struck the outside ring of the target even as he spun and continued, keeping his momentum without stumbling. The murmurs of the small crowd grew and he could hear the bets changing. This distracted him enough that when he tried to time the second shot, it flew wide and he cursed himself internally. Even his thoughts and self-recriminations were soft and without harsh edges. It made it difficult to take his own disgust seriously.

The third shot was better, as he used the almost meditate state he had learned in mastering the defensive shot. The sound vanished and he took a shot between steps, the arrow embedding just outside of the bulls-eye. The fourth was much the same, though he fell back into his bad habit on the fifth, sliding in the set stance. On the bright side, he did strike the center on that one. The sixth he fumbled the shot, catching the edge of the target but not landing a clean blow as he almost fell. The last though he brought all his attention in on, drawing on all his concentration and willpower. He fired between the steps, and before the arrow left the bow, he knew where it would strike. Bulls-eye again. The arrow struck a moment later, just where he knew it would.

The crowd, ever-present behind him, let out an appreciative murmur at the action. He had to admit, in some ways it was nice having them there. Even though it made him uncomfortable, people at his back, watching him, endangering him, there was something to be said for being judged by your peers…. And sometimes your betters. He was a little surprised no one had offered him serious advice, until he realized most shinobi did not choose the bow as their weapon, for some of these very reasons. It was bulky and hard to use on the run. Still, they understood the concept of it and what he was trying to do.

And it wasn’t enough, not yet. He looked down at the line he was following. The half way point. He looked at the other line, meters away. The two thirds point. Those few meters could mean the difference between life and death. He stepped to the second line. It was time to take this to the next level.

[N A T S U M I]

+10

[Hayate Kimura]

20/30

Dusk had arrived in the Village Hidden in the Stones. There was quiet now in the training yard. Most of the gawkers had left, leaving only a few serious shinobi training. The slowly diming light made it slightly more difficult to hit targets. However Hayate had been shooting these targets all day. The light changed little. He knew those targets, even if he couldn’t always hit them. Still, he was getting better and better. He thought he had it. This might be his last run. Every time it was closer, the feeling of rightness, the sense that his body had it down and ingrained. The mastery.

He stood at the start of the two thirds path, letting his eyes skim over the seven targets. They were familiar to him now, intimate. That wasn’t really the point though and he knew it. It was the timing, the shot on the run. The stance outside of the stance. Both of these things are vital to the mastery. He could see the path he had taken in his minds eye, where he had shot before, where he should shoot. He held the idea loosely in his mind. If he focused on it too much, he’d mess up the shots. If he focused on it too little, he’d lose the timing.

Then, he started to move. His run had refined itself into a ground covering lope, and he quickly reached the first target. Both his feet hit the ground, he turned just enough, and an arrow leapt from his bow. He didn’t need to look. Bullseye. Then he was at the next target. Bullseye. Target after target. Center. Center. Center. He reached the last, rolling easily and coming up to an even stance, the arrow gone before he even thought to aim it. Bullseye. He lowered his bow, breathing hard with exertion of mind and body and a long days work. He had done it.

And behind him, he heard someone clapping. He turned to see Yamita grinning at him from nearby, leaning against a tree. The slow clap was slightly mocking, but that was Yamita’s way. Hayate made a very insulting gesture which Yamita pretended to ignore. Then he held up three wooden disks.

“Up for a real challenge?” He asked, making a throwing gesture. Hayate hesitated, then smiled his small smile back, nodding. He lined up on the line, while Yamita moved to a location that he could throw the disks from.

“Go!”

Hayate fell into his run, his eyes on his left. A wooden disk flashed past and without thought his bow came up, an arrow on the string before his mind could even think of drawing. He heard the clatter, but he had already known the target would be hit. The second came about seven meters later. Yamita was really changing things up. Still. Clatter. The arrow against wood. The third he almost missed. He saw the slightest movement on his right and he spun, still moving, taking a snap shot at the wooden disk sailing out of range. Clatter.

“Cheap.Bastard.” Hayate called out thoughtlessly, his voice dry and raspy from lack of use. His eyes widened and one hand went to his mouth. Yamita looked as shocked as he was. Before anything else could happen, Hayate quickly ducked out of the training yard, heading home in an icy cold sweat.

[KoKoKo]

Learned

[Hayate Kimura]

SPOILER: Click to show

Shunshin no Jutsu - Ken'in (Body Flicker Technique - Pull)
Rank: "D"
Skill: NinJutsu/TaiJutsu
Effect: A Jutsu that allows a user to rush backwards in almost instantaneous speed. Allows the user to retreat from the opponent.
Special: ---
Drawback: Takes away the number of usages Shunshin no Jutsu - Oshi (Body Flicker Technique - Push). Same distance applications apply. Same drawbacks apply when over using.
Description: User is able to move backwards in a straight line along the ground in almost instantaneous untraceable speed while temporarily masking the user's movements within 10 meters. A puff of smoke is occasionally used to disguise the user's movements. Supplement of Shunshin no Jutsu - Oshi (Body Flicker Technique - Push) while using same schematics.
Limit: Universal NinJutsu or Universal TaiJutsu, Must know Shunshin no Jutsu - Oshi (Body Flicker Technique - Push)

0/10

Iwagakure was dark. It was early, before the sun had managed to lift over the edge of the horizon. The clay roofing tiles were cold and hard under Hayate’s bare feet, the early morning breeze cold against his skin. He stood in the cold darkness, used to its dark embrace. From the moment he called out across the training field, he couldn’t bring himself to return. His training occurred here, on the rooftops, in the dark. He shivered a bit then, remembering. He had gone into a relapse when he returned home. Curling in a ball for hours. But now was not the time for such things.

It was the time for practice. He had learned Shushin no Jutsu Oshi a while back, but in all honesty the technique was a stepping stone. He would very rarely want to move forward, he would want to put some distance between himself and the target. He needed Shushin no Ken’in. Of course, now that he had learned one, learning the other was all just repetitive training. He knew the theory, knew it well. Drawing chakra into your body for a burst of near instantaneous movement. Bad for the body, but not if used sparingly. A great tool in the ninja’s arsenal.

Hayate stood on the edge of the roof, staring out over space, before he relaxed his body and began kneading his chakra within him. He sent it flowing down to his legs, having done it many times before and launched forward. Forward? Hayate managed to hit the ground with a roll, keeping himself from sustaining any serious injuries more than scrapes and bruises. He stood, rubbing his arms and looking up at the rooftop he had effectively jumped off. Of course. Oshi was so ingrained when he went through the motions he moved forward rather than back. He would have to break that habit to master Ken’in.

With the ease of a master of the tree climbing technique, Hayate scaled the wall and resumed his perch on the rooftop edge. If there was one thing he had learned, pain was a great motivator. He’d learn it, or he’d be bruised up and down his body at best. At worst…. Well, no point in thinking about that. Don’t give it a hold on your mind, defeat, or it will take it all. He began again.

This time, he leaned back a little, hoping it would give him the difference needed to break the habit in his body and mind. It did not. He climbed up again moments later, rubbing ruefully at the skinned elbows. Perhaps there was a difference here. Something in the focusing of the chakra. In the legs yes, but maybe a slightly different manner? He tried again. Good thing he knew tree climbing jutsu, or all this climbing back up would become quickly tedious.

It took him long enough that the sun had crested the horizon before he picked up the knack of it. He was covered in bruises on his back and shoulder, and scrapes over his exposed arms and legs. But he had gotten it. Now that he knew how to make his body follow his minds orders, he could interchangeable use Ken’in and Oshi. It was enough, for now.

[Father 'Suke]

+4; I see little training here on the Shunshin pull.