Sano's Training [T]

[sano]

Tremor Sense Expertise
Rank: "B" Rank
Skill: NinJutsu
Effect: By pouring their chakra into the ground, by using th earth release the user is capable of sensing or seeing in a sense what is along the ground, in the ground, identifying what is around them.
Special: ---
Drawback: Someone needs to touch the ground in order for the person to see. This means that even the user can see by stepping. This also means that the user must be touching the ground at all times. This technique does not work on water, sand, or metal. Reasons why is because of how each is constructed. The ground is to loose for the user to see the vibrations along the ground, or is to concentrated which creates less vibrations. By this time the user has a more of a sense and understanding over the movement of vibrations. This is not a drawback but by now the user is capable of sensing vibrations off of the sense of metal. Mtal is to constricted and the vibrations is weaker so this is why this is needed. Now this does not mean that the user can see with the distance as Tremor Sense and Tremor Sense Advance for Metal, only Expertise gets to allow the user see with Metal vibrations.
Description: When first learned the user is capable of seeing in a radius of five meters. After each time learned it increases by ten meters. When ever the user steps, or when another steps in the radius of tremor sense, the mind of the user picks up the vibrations along the feet creating a somewhat of a picture of the user. Since people have water constricted within their own bodies as well as metalic components of the body a user could see the movements of the body in blur like motion, where they can guess if an attack is coming towards them. The technique here does not stack with the original version the first step of the technique, as well as the second step. This means that this technique can never overlay the first step of Tremor sense, and Tremor Sense Advanced. What this means is this. If a user knows Tremor sense of a Hundred meters, Tremor sense of Fifty Yards then they can not surpass that distance of fifty meters with Tremor Sense Expertise. The advanced form is much better to be capable of seeing then that of the First step. When learned their is a Ninty percent chance that the user is capable of defending against melee attacks within arms reach. This however does not mean that after each attack someone comes forth to role a die. It just means that the chances of trying to stop melee attacks is not as well or as concentrated as one would wish it to be.
Limit: Anyone can learn, but it takes an extreme amount of chakra unless they master earth techniques or is part of the Shitakuma clan. Can only be learned if learning the blind way of life. Must have Tremor Sense Advanced that surpases in distance of Expertise

0/80
Sano’s senses lit up like a Christmas tree as his hand struck the dummy. The vibrations shook through his entire being as the drill made of wind pierced through the dummy as if it were only made of straw and held no wooden substance. His body shook slightly with the effort to stay balanced and follow through with his punch despite the amount of force exerting back at him. When the wind finally dissipated from his arm the bells that hung from the young genin’s jacket thrummed with the local frequency they produced, an after effect after being subjugated to such violent vibrations. His senses still clearly picked up the amount of devastation that had occurred to the dummy. It was a promising technique. Though Sano doubted it could punch through a person or many jutsu it would still be more destructive then just a plain punch and could hopefully deter any taijutsu specialists who got to close for the blind boy’s liking.

As he stood over the rubble of the former dummy his other sight coming in so very clearly, due to the constant jingle of his bells, he was given an idea. Their was still one last part of his tremor sense he had yet to master. He had not pursued this final training because it was a fairly difficult technique. For someone of his clan it did not require a ton of chakra to perform at all times, but it did require a lot of chakra control. The genin hurried back to his family’s estate a small apartment near the outskirts of the village. When he arrived he wasted no time and ran to the back of his house. There in the back was a small ten by ten metal sheet that his father had laid on the ground when they had first discussed the final stages of tremor sense. It would be here that Sano would master the technique, finally.

Sano stepped lightly onto the sheet. He was certain of his decision, but after having recently gained something similar to sight it was tough on him to so willingly let it go even if it was just for a brief moment in time. The second both of his feet were planted on the metal everything went dark once more. There was no more echolocation, only the familiar sounds and smells that accompanied his entire childhood. It took a second to get used to the darkness once more, but he quickly fell back on his old ways of getting around the village and all the unease from the loss of his tremor sense melted away. Now it was time to train. His father had explained to him exactly why he could not see on metal like he could with the ground itself. Due to the weakened vibrations it took much more fine control and understanding of vibrations to pick up on them. Sano had gained a fair enough understanding of vibrations; he just needed to tune his chakra control to pick them up.

Sano relaxed his body as he breathed in and out. When he had become comfortable enough that the occasional chirp of birds or hustle of the outside world didn’t distract him he began tapping his foot on the metal. His foot created a constant rapping on the sheet below his feet and Sano focused on that sound. The young boy first began pumping chakra through his circulatory system. He imagined the flame of his chakra pouring itself through his very system like molten lava. When the chakra reached his feet he willed it to pass through his very toes on the foot that constantly tapped the ground. Each time his foot struck the ground he pushed his chakra through and into the ground to run with the vibrations of sound his actions were creating. His world was dark for the moment, but he continued tapping his foot continuing to focus on mingling his chakra with the very sound waves themselves.

[sano]

??/80

Sano continued the tapping of his foot for what had seemed like an eternity. Yet still his senses did not pick up on the slightest change. Eventually the young genin was forced to stop due to the sheer amount of chakra he was abusing attempting to learn this difficult technique. After he had learned it using it would cost him barely enough to phase his day to day living. However, while practicing it he was constantly sending forth wave after wave of chakra into the earth in hopes that it would catch the vibration and sound waves and thus give him sight. It was a taxing process for someone who still had such a small supply of chakra at his disposal. Sano’s breathing was already labored and sweat trickled from the furrow of his eyebrows and fell to what he was presuming was the metal sheet at his feet. It became blatantly obvious to Sano that if he wanted to continue at a healthy pace he would need to take a break and rest.

Sano let his body collapse taking a seated position on the metal underneath him. It was a tad uncomfortable sitting on the cold surface of the metal, but any small iota of relief was a welcoming comfort to the weary genin at this moment. Though he was taking a break from the physical part of the training Sano wasn’t about to completely excuse himself from learning this technique. As he sat there recuperating the energy he had spent previously he mulled over what he could possibly do in order to solve the problem he had encountered while training. It was obvious that something was going wrong and he had to figure out exactly where the error was occurring and fix it.

The words of his father played back in his mind only this time Sano slowed each sentence down attempting to dissect it and then compare it to the problems he was experiencing. It was while he was doing this that a thought came to him. Even when he had used the ice to see with the feel of the vibration had come in fairly easily. Now however, the sense of the vibration was almost non-existent. Before Sano had hoped by pouring his chakra into the metal the moment he tapped on it that his chakra would catch the vibration as it moved through sheet. If his chakra was off even by a second then it wouldn’t be able to hold onto the vibration properly and thus would make it so Sano could not see through it. If Sano wanted to complete this technique he would first need to master picking up on the sounds of the vibration. Only after he had accomplished this could he hope to move on to the next part of his training.

Sano moved into a kneeling position and despite his lack of vision he stared down at the metal sheet that spread out underneath him. Sensing the change in vibration had been impossible when he was tapping his foot against the metal. However, perhaps the combination of his shoes and the weak vibration had kept him from picking up anything. Though eventually he would have to learn how to use this technique while wearing footwear perhaps he could start off small and work his way to the more complex components of the technique. Sano lowered his head and hands to the metal underneath him not stopping until both his face and his hands pressed down against its cool surface. The young genin turned his head so that his right ear and cheek lay against the metal. Then very slowly so that the sound of his wrapping knuckles wouldn’t disguise the vibration he began to knock on the metal, keeping his senses tuned, and withholding another tap of his knuckles until he was certain he was not going to pick up on the vibration this time around.

[sano]

??/80

His hand continued its meticulous work as time stretched on. To the straining genin it seemed like an eternity. The boy was fairly patient for someone his age, but even he found himself beginning to doubt if he would ever even pick up on the vibration needed to advance in the technique let alone complete his training in it and learn it. However, during one of those moments of self doubt came the breakthrough. It was the faintest of vibrations, but Sano felt the small shiver of the vibration as it ran down the metal like a ripple in a pond. Sano let it run its course and then he tapped along the metal once more picking up on the vibration. Now that his senses had finally picked up the low vibration it became more and more easy to continue to read the vibrations he was creating. Occasionally his hand wasn’t able to pick up the created tremor, but as he continued practicing he gradually began to pick up on them time and time again.

Sano continued like this for some time. Gradually he began taking away layers of added touch that had helped him pick up on the tremors in the first place. The first thing the young genin did was raise his face off the cold metal sheet. Eventually he was able to lift off one of his hands as well, only keeping his knees and his right hand on the metal. His knuckles continued to tap against the metal and even though he was forced to practice once more continuously until he could habitually pick up on the vibrations it wasn’t long before he felt confident in standing up on just using his feet while wearing his sandals.

Now that he was standing and his bare skin was no longer touching the metal itself he decided to go with a riskier method and then work his way back to something easier if need be. Sano began to pace back and forth on the metal. His feet planted against the sheet causing small clanking sounds yet to Sano’s dismay he felt no vibrations. Fortunately, Sano had already surmised that this might indeed happen. Picking up on the subtle tremors in steel while he had a cheek or hand planted firmly on the metal was one thing, walking around in his sandals with no direct connection was another. Thankfully, Sano had devised a more simple method to work him into sensing through even the lightest of steps.

The young genin picked up his foot and stomped it down with all his might. The metal sheet shook underneath his sandal and even through the material Sano easily picked up on the vibrations. From there Sano gradually began working forwards as he had planned. Each step of his foot was slightly lighter then the previous one. When Sano encountered a press of the foot that he was unable to pick up on any tremors then he pursued that level of strength until the vibration ran through his body like an old friend come home. Though it was tedious work Sano’s ability to pick up on the tremor grew and grew. It was all about tuning himself to a particular level of the vibration and then going even quieter, causing even less of a tremor the next time around. Through this method Sano would be able to move as silently as a mouse a top a steel beam and still he would be able to sense the world around him. The first part of his training was truly a success.

[goliath764]

+30

[sano]

30/80

Sano walked along the cold steel carefully taking each step as if he were attempting to sneak up on an enemy. Despite his soft steps his training had paid off, at least for this part of the technique, for even his lightest step brought the subtlest of tremors up his leg and alerted him he was indeed creating vibrations. Unfortunately, mastering this one part of the jutsu would not be enough to master the technique. Now that he had gotten this part out of the way he not only need to learn exactly how much chakra he needed to pour into each step, but master the timing so that the chakra went out along with the tremor. Learning to time just right was obviously the most important, but figuring out the correct amount of chakra was also crucial. If Sano didn’t use enough then his world would remain darkness when walking on steel. However, if he poured too much chakra when performing each step then the technique could be fatal to him. The last thing he needed was to be running after an opponent along a steel wall and then pass out from using up too much chakra. An unconscious shinobi in the middle of a battlefield was almost too good to pass up for most villages that were suspicious of a village let alone enemy shinobi.

The young genin breathed out easily making his decision that he would first learn to time his chakra with his steps. He would rest when he needed to and after he gotten that down completely he could work on minimizing his chakra usage. With new determination he let out an exasperated sight and said, “First things first. I must move with the tremors.” Sano then focused on the metal surrounding him. The first thing Sano needed to do was to make sure he had chakra pumping through his circulatory system. The shinobi concentrated on the center of his being and began flaring his chakra to life, feeling his whole body get warmer. The next thing Sano had to do was maneuver that chakra to the soles of his feet. The genin pictured his chakra moving down his upper body and to his legs, then finally his feet. It was there that he stored that chakra until he was ready to take his first step on the metal.

All it takes is to do one foot after another, or at least that was what Sano convinced himself of as he made the initial movement. Sano took that first uneasy step. He made the practiced movement and timed himself as best as he could. The moment his sole touched the ground he released the chakra that had built up in the soles of his feet and pushed it into the metal below him. His training paid off and this time Sano heard the vibration shake through the steel beneath his feet. However, his chakra had not been so well used. He could feel his chakra pour through the steel a second after the vibration made its way away from him in all directions. Sano shook his head not at all surprised that on his first attempt that he had failed. Still he was much closer then he had been at achieving this technique when he first started. Sano had figured out the tools he needed to master the technique. The only thing left to him was to continue using them until he had finished what he had set out to do.

[sano]

??/80

Sano’s efforts thus far had proven to be very fruitful. The young genin was finally able to feel the slight tremors as they rippled through the metal and he had even figured out how he would go about the rest of his training to make sure that he mastered this particular jutsu flawlessly. Currently he was taking step after step pushing his chakra through his feet in hopes that he would be able to catch the tremors as they moved through the steel. However, his first step had been to no avail and since then there had been no change. He had taken three to four steps now and each time he felt that he was missing the vibration by a hair’s breath. The shinobi was beginning to get frustrated. He didn’t know what was going wrong. Sano had attempted to pour chakra into the ground a second after his foot had landed. He had pushed chakra through his soles a second before, leaking out some in the process, in hopes that by doing it early it would help. Yet nothing seemed to be working.

Sano placed his hand to his chin his mind attempting to decode the riddle that he was currently encountering. There had to be some way for him to do this. For both the regular tremor sense and the advanced version he had simply moved chakra into his feet at the last second and then transferred the newly pooled chakra into the ground. Sano stood there wondering just what he was going to do in order to complete this highly difficult technique. The genin was tempted to go ask his father who he was sure had already successfully learned this technique. However, Sano quickly decided against it. There would be a time where he could not rely on his father. If there was one thing Sano most definitely strived to accomplish it was surpassing his father. His father was an accomplished shinobi, but almost the entirety of his techniques revolved around the wind release and the shitakuma secrets. Though it certainly gave in an edge in a fight against a chuunin Sano knew that no matter how proud he was in his father the old man would never be able to take on a jounin.

Sano didn’t allow emotions to cloud his judgment, but just because he was a boy who did not use them to express himself didn’t mean he wasn’t human. He thought back fondly to the day his father had taught him to walk on walls and how to concentrate ones chakra in order to accomplish that. Sano’s eyes went wide as the realization came to him. All this time he had been making the act of pouring his chakra into his feet and then into the ground two separate acts, but why would it have to be. When he walked on walls it was his chakra that kept him glued there. It made perfect sense then that the tremors caused by his feet if made while he formed the thin layer of chakra at the soles of his sandals would take with it the chakra as well.

Sano knew what he had to do and he could not wait to set out to see if his theory was correct. The shinobi created the same layer of chakra he did when he ran along the wall. He then took his first step after becoming stumped by the vibrations. His foot planted on the ground and as it did a surge of confidence revitalized Sano’s frustrated muscles and mind. As he had hypothesized the tremor started out from his feet and shot out in all directions carrying with it his chakra. Not only was this a major success in learning to perform this technique, but it would also help him with the earlier versions of tremor sense.

[goliath764]

+20

[sano]

50/80

Sano couldn’t contain his smirk as each step he took on the metal sheet sent tremors that he could not only sense, but that he was tracking through the chakra that ran through the metal within the vibrations. In a short time he had already come a long way from when he had first stepped on the steel sheet and had been almost overcome with frustration over his own inability to advance. Sano thankfully was persevering. He took solace in the fact that even the Mizukage himself had probably come across similar roadblocks such as this one. The shinobi simply needed to grit his teeth and bear through. Though the careful planning Sano usually preferred strategy over stubbornness in cases like these they could help break through the walls that kept genin from ever becoming chuunin. With this and hopefully many more difficult jutsu like this one Sano would become strong enough to go through the exams and with a little luck even beyond that. This was just one more test on his path to being a true shinobi.

Sano was getting a bit ahead of himself though for now. He still had a bit to go before he even mastered his current technique let alone tackle those future problems. However, despite it all Sano couldn’t help, but feel a little bit excited for the future that was to come. The young genin did have the presence of mind though to once more focus on what he was doing. He blew out a sigh as he looked down to where his feet should be, his vision still not complete. At this point in time if he had wanted he could have put all the pieces together and once more Sano would have been able to see only on steel now. However, Sano didn’t want to finish like that it wouldn’t be truly mastering the technique. In a combat situation or if chasing someone down he wouldn’t be able to rely on this ability in the slightest. Even now his whole body felt sluggish and his muscles felt worn out. Just getting this far had already wasted much of his charka. If he wanted to press on he would need to figure out just how much was enough. It was the only way to continue using it without having to fear that at any moment he would collapse under the strain of using this new way of seeing too much.

Sano took a deep sigh and attempted to recuperate as best as he could. When he felt he was ready he took another step. The chakra poured out from the soles of his feet and moved with the tremor itself. However, when he took the next step he took away some of that chakra that had formed at his sandals, a sliver in size. Again his chakra went with the vibrations, a successful step. Yet it was not enough, his body still felt as if it had drained too much. So once more as Sano took a step he held on to more of his chakra. It continued like this for some time. Occasionally Sano was forced to take a break, a light sweat breaking out on his forehead, and his breathing become labored once more. However, each moment of reprieve was just that, a moment. The young boy continued on with his training and he did not stop until one something happened. Sano took a step and the chakra in his sandals was not enough to run with the tremor. He felt it wither away as it hit the ground in a moment.

The shinobi stared at the ground expectantly. It was as if at any moment he assumed the chakra would flare back to life and continue on with its course, but it did not. Sano let out a low sigh. He was almost done. He didn’t just want to settle though for the last step that had worked. No, he knew he could cut away even more of his chakra and from here he would build up ever so slightly until he had found the perfect balance.

[goliath764]

+10

[sano]

60/80

Now that Sano had figured out how much chakra was too little he needed to work his way up to the exact amount that would give him just enough. The young genin was not normally a man of compromise and this was most definitely one of those occasions where he would not give in. He could have settled for the last step he took in which he had been able to move his chakra along the tremors, but unless he knew without a doubt that was the exact amount of chakra was as low as he could go he would not fall back upon it so easily. Instead Sano began acting on the exact opposite in which he had been doing previously. Now when he took a step he began adding on more chakra. However, it was different from before. It was not just a sliver he was placing atop the already made layers, but the width of a hair. Learning to walk on water, walls, and up trees, had given him a fairly decent amount of chakra control. He was now putting that to the test as hair width after hair width stacked on the chakra beneath his sandals.

Sano walked along the steel moving back and forth practically pacing. His steps made hollow clanking sounds on the metallic surface. It took a few moments, but eventually he uncovered the exact amount of chakra that was necessary to pull of the technique. By the time he had done this though his whole body felt exhausted. Even if he was just adding such a small amount of chakra every time it still didn’t take away from the fact that he had been abusing his chakra levels the whole time. Despite the fact that he was now hunching over and breathing heavily Sano still managed to smile. He was there! Just a little bit more and the Shitakuma clansman would have learned one of the more powerful techniques of his clan. There were only a few moves that the clan considered to be too difficult to be attempted by people of low ranking in the clan and yet Sano was about to achieve one of those techniques. It was such an accomplishment that even the normally somber Sano found himself beaming.

Now all that was needed was to put all the pieces together. Sano had finally found all the pieces to his puzzle, but he had yet to put them together to form a picture. In this case that metaphor translated to something quiet literal. In light of his achievements thus far Sano allowed himself to take a quick breather. He waited until his breathing had become somewhat regular and his body no longer felt like it would give out on him at any moment. The boy knew he needed to rest, but he refused to give himself a proper break until after he had finally learn this particular technique. After this he would go inside his house and plop onto his pillow and just sleep the next day away or at least that is what he promised himself to help motivate his weary muscles.

Sano thought back to everything he had done, everything he had learned. As he prepared himself he let his mind relax. Finally Sano pushed chakra through his body so that it gathered at the sole of his sandals just as he had realized to do previously. Only now when he did it he created the exact amount of chakra he had discovered was necessary from just moments ago. With the proper chakra created he took his first step. His senses easily picked up on the tremor he created and his chakra did the same launching out with the vibrations. This time he kept his mind open. With luck his field of vision would come to life with a success.

[sano]

??/80

Sano took that first step and it was as if everything came together to form this perfect picture. Sano’s vision expanded revealing images that had been available to him before he had ever stepped on the steel platform. Sano had to restrain himself from jumping he was so ecstatic. Everything he had learned up to this point had carried him through allowing him to complete the technique and to what he believed officially mastered it. All that was left was for him to continue with practicing the technique. One successful step could have been a fluke, but if he managed to move around freely for some time without encountering any failures then he would know for certain that he was able to learn the technique.

He began moving around on the steel platform more quickly. His pace gradually increased as he moved starting off at a very slow walk and then quickly building up to a brisk gait. Lucky for him he had yet to come across any problems with either using echolocation or any of the other things that had messed him up when he had begun the training. He seemed fine, but Sano needed a harder test. The young genin wouldn’t exactly be speed walking after an opponent if a chase needed to be made. He leaped on his home and from there jumped onto a long steel beam his father had set up in his back yard. It was almost like a tight rope connecting one side of the back yard to the other only a lot sturdier and a hell of a lot harder to maintain when the mist caused rust to be a constant problem for metal devices.

It wasn’t hard to keep his footing on the steel beam his chakra keeping him glued to its surface. He prepped himself on its surface and then took off. He sprinted as fast as his legs would carry him to the opposite end of the beam. When he reached it he pushed off that side and ran back to where he had started this little foot race. His feet planted firmly on the steel beam and thanks to training and perhaps a little luck his vision seemed to stay clear the entire time. At least for now nothing seemed to go wrong and Sano was happy for it. That was until out of his senses he noticed a kunai soaring towards his face. He side stepped the near blow and stretched his ‘vision’ as far as it could go. His sight on metal was not as efficient as it was on anything else he could walk on and he barely noticed his father on the outskirts of that vision. He was smiling and revealed that he had three more kunai in his hand.

His father shouted out to him, “Let us see how you do when you have to rely on that technique not just for vision, but to keep you alive.” The man then began throwing the kunai one at a time at Sano. The young genin moved quickly. His father had trained him in similar ways in the past so he wasn’t exactly scared of this sort of attack. Sano merely attempted to remain calm and hold onto what had carried him this far. He continued to use the exact amount of chakra that had been successful this far and moved to avoid the flying kunai.

[¤ Lady Raиu ¤]

+20+

.Learned.

[sano]

(One Day Later from Last Post)

Fukuwajutsu (Ventriloquism)
Rank: "D" Rank
Skill: NinJutsu
Effect: A technique where the user throws their voice off in a different direction so then opponents or those who wish to hear coming from the user wont be capable of hearing.
Special: "Hand signs" and "Hold with Ram"
Drawback: Can not throw more then six words at a time. Maximum distance of this technique is fifty meters in radius.
Description: The user concentrates on the chakra within, and along the mouth. As they do this the user transmits a few words and uses their sound release to where the sound does not come forth. As the user does this the words are "thrown" out. This allows them throw their voice or move any sounds they can make with their mouth to any location without the sound fading. If by chance the user is capable of noticing or knowing the exact location of an ear, the user is capable of whispering the message into their ear.
Limit: Sound Release

0/10

Sano woke up from his warm sheets completely revitalized. All of the aching muscles he had accumulated over the past day’s training had seemed to melt away during his slumber. Sano had to admit he was a bit relieved that even after all that difficult training he had not do any sort of irreparable training to his body. His father had seemed at ease at the state of his body when he had retired last night, but his mother sure had yelled up a storm, mostly at his dad. Sano had known the risks he was undertaking by using so much chakra and training the way he did. The young boy was just glad that he would be able to train some more today instead of being bed-ridden like his mother had said would happen.

Deciding he didn’t want to have to deal with his mother’s worrisome tone by going out the front door to pursue more training he decided to simply sneak out the window. He got out of the sheets and changed into his everyday wear. When he reached the window and opened it he couldn’t help, but cringe as it creaked. He knew his father had to have heard that, but he was hoping his mother had not. Sano bent his body as he stepped through the open window and into the fresh air of the village. However, he froze suddenly as he heard a knock at the door and his mother’s concerned voice. The genin silently cursed his bad luck and wondered what he was going to do. If he made a run for it no doubt his mother would be furious with him when he got back and if he scurried back into his bed his mother would hear the noise and be angry with him.

It was during his moment of distress that an idea dawned on Sano. Being of the Shitakuma clan one learned a lot about sound and the sound release. One thing his father used quiet frequently was throwing his voice. Sano had never attempted such himself, but his father had described how simple it was and just how to do it many times before. His mother had exceptional hearing as all their clan did, but not enough to use echolocation. If he were able to use ventriloquism so it sounded as if he were still in bed she might just believe it.

Sano thought back to what his father had shown him the last time his dad had used it. The man had taken great lengths to emphasize each step so that they would be engrained in Sano’s memory. The first thing Sano did was picture his circulatory system, when the blue veins of his body seemed to be flare with life in the image within his mind he focused on the chakra that moved up his throat and into his mouth. Sano concentrated on the bed, where he wanted the words to go, he then whispered aloud. As the words began to form on his lips he infused the chakra and the words themselves with that of the sound release. His lips moved and no words came out, Sano just had to hope in the next second they would reappear near his bed.

[¤ Lady Raиu ¤]

+5+

.5/10.

[sano]

5/10

Sano listened intently for the sound he had made to form near the bed and for his mother to be assured that he was still in it. Sano’s ears picked up as the sound popped into being. However, it wasn’t how he had hoped it would be. His voice came out garbled and not at all the noise he had been trying to make this entire time. Instead it sounded as if he was having some sort of fit in his sleep. His mother was the over protective type and a worried chill ran down Sano’s spine as he pictured his mother walking in to wake him up from whatever nightmare he was sure she was entertaining him having in her mind.

Sano had to move swiftly if he wished to avert this disaster and still make it out of his home without being discovered. He thought back at what he had done in his previous attempt and just what could have gone wrong. The young genin could have sworn he followed everything his father had said down to the letter, but clearly something hadn’t gone right. Either he messed up when performing one of the steps or his chakra control was not as fine tuned as he believed it was. Since Sano doubted highly that he had failed so miserably when it came to chakra control for something as low as a D-ranked jutsu it must have meant that he had made a mistake when going through the steps to perform the jutsu.

Sano didn’t have much time. At any moment his mother could barge in through the door to see what was the matter. She was already continuously knocking on the door to see if he was awake. The shinobi’s mind played the words back in his head like a recording. He picked at every word until finally he thought he discovered what he had done wrong. When Sano began to relax his muscles and body in preparation for using this jutsu he was confident that he had discovered exactly what had tripped him up last time and with this attempt he would be successful.

With his body limber he concentrated on the chakra still built up in his body. Sano could almost picture the chakra moving through his circulatory system just waiting for an outlet to be used. Sano focused on summoning it around his throat and mouth. The genin willed it to move and as it stored he molded that raw chakra using the sound release. Sano used his knowledge over basic sounds and performing jutsu with sound to fuse with the chakra inside his body. If Sano concentrated on the chakra flowing inside him as he used this release he could almost hear sound as if it produced a melody of its own. However, it was probably a figment of his own imagination. Sano then formulated the sounds and words he wished to speak and began giving them form. His lips moved and his mouth opened as if to give what was flowing in his mind voice. However, no words came out of his mouth, no sound came out of his mouth. Sano had to believe that he had successfully thrown his words. Now it was just time to wait and see if he did it.

[|Ayame Unbound|]

+5

[sano]

Mokuton no Jutsu (Wood Release Skill)
Rank: "B"
Skill: NinJutsu
Effect: ---
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: With this skill, or release, the user is now capable of using, and performing techniques that deal with the element of Wood. This means that any NinJutsu or specialized TaiJutsu that deals the Wood Release will need this in order to be performed correctly.
Limit: Must have Doton no Jutsu (Earth Release Skill) and Suiton no Jutsu (Water Release Skill).

0/80

Sano raced across the open grasslands. He had left his village after alerting all those who needed to know where he was going. He was in search of a master. His father was an accomplished shinobi, but he was still overshadowed by many in the shinobi world. Besides, Sano was in pursuit of a technique that his father could not teach him. The young genin had learned how to use many basic types of releases since he had first graduated those few months ago. He had not mastered any of them, but he had learned a few low ranking jutsus that would aid him if he were ever in a fight. However, Sano wanted something more. He had heard of a release that was more complex, more advanced. It involved mixing two different releases that Sano had already learned, Water and Earth. By utilizing these two releases one could essentially tap into a wood release and use the power of nature itself against ones foes. Since most of world besides Sunagakure itself housed an abundance of trees Sano thought it was an excellent idea to master this release first.

That is what brought Sano to his current location. He stood in front of a large swamp, the trees gnarled branches hooking in his direction forming a giant maw that seemed as if it would swallow him whole. The genin had heard rumors of a powerful Mokuton user who lived within this swamp. He had given up working for anyone individual village and instead had secluded himself to this place. The rumors stated that he had given up taking on apprentices, but that would not stop Sano. He peered into the thick canopy for signs of life and then made his first step into the foreboding place. Sano’s feet quickly began to be sucked into mud like swamp and he was forced to use chakra to walk on it lightly or spend minutes at a time with every step unburying himself. As he walked on ravens began to accumulate on the treetops. Sano could sense them through his version of sight and he wondered if they knew something he did not. Perhaps they waited for some hidden danger that they were just waiting for him to succumb to so that they could pick from his bones.

Sano did his best to pay them no mind and continued on his trek. That was until a loud caw caused the ravens to flap their wings frantically and cause everything to seem to slow to a standstill. Sano’s expression turned almost ghostly as one of the raven’s spoke, its voice cracking, “Halt he who enters Ido’s swamp. Only death awaits you. Turn around or else become fertilizer for the trees and be nevermore!” Sano was tempted to take heed the word of the raven and to turn tail and escape this horror story. However, he was a shinobi and regardless of how low standing he was in the village he represented them. Sano spoke clearly to the bird, unsure if the thing was just repeating the words of its master or if it could comprehend him, “I am here to learn from master Ido. I understand the risks, but I must find him. If I am to die here at least it is amongst the earth that once birthed me.”

The crow looked him Sano over, its head cocked to the side as if measuring every inch of him. After a very long scrutinizing second the raven cawed and said, “Fine thee shinobi. You may enter. Be wary though that dangerous beasts roam these woods. If you can find Ido then perhaps there is hope for you yet. If you cannot then I assure you there is no escape once you venture in. You will become one with your mother and be nevermore, nevermore!” Sano could swear he heard the other ravens take up the call of nevermore and he had to fight a shudder. Determined though the young genin trudged on.

[sano]

??/80

Sano was enjoying this swamp less and less as he moved through. He had been walking through the murky waters for what seemed like ages now. The scent of the swamp wafted up to his nostrils and offended them. The smell of death and stagnant water clung to the ground level of the swamp as if the dense canopies of the trees themselves kept the stench from escaping this place. Mosquitoes darted in assaulting his body and draining his essence with every chance they got. They were a constant annoyance as he swatted them away and Sano entertained the image of him escaping this place looking as if he had been turned into a prune by these little bloodsuckers. To make matters worse the ravens hovered over his head. They fluttered along the tree branches watching him with their black beady eyes as if waiting for their moment. Sano was beginning to loathe the little rats with wings and his senses strained to pick up anything that would give him that second’s notice that would save his life. For Sano did not trust that the little beasties were just following him out of sheer curiosity.

Sano was soon very glad he had been keeping himself fully prepared for the young genin was forced to take a sudden leap back as a large alligator snapped at where his leg had been moments before. The giant jaw of the creature could have easily snapped his leg off as if it were a twig beneath Sano’s boot. The mouth was so large that if Sano had enough time to measure the beast’s mouth with it fully extended he would have discovered it could have bitten into everything from his ankle to his knee with ease. Sano’s pulse was beating rapidly. He had done his best to train his mind up to this point; he had learned that as a shinobi he would need to be prepared to die at any moment. Yet this was the first experience where someone or something had ever come at him with the intent to kill. It was just an animal attempting to survive, but the sense that his life was in mortal danger still caused his heart to race frantically in his chest.

As Sano did his best to calm his beating his heart as the alligator moved to catch him. It moved through the shallow waters of the swamp with lethal grace and glided through the water as if it were as deep as an ocean. Sano was forced to take control of his shaking limbs and he went into action. The shinobi withdrew a kunai and waited for the right moment. Sano did a sudden flip as the creature came in with those gigantic incisors landing squarely on the gator’s back. A hand steadied himself on the beast as it did its best to launch him off it. He came down the kunai repeatedly piercing the thing in its face, first aiming for both eyes. The struggle went on for some time the alligator thrashing as Sano came down again and again with the kunai his teeth gritted as a scream threatened to tear from his throat.

Eventually only Sano’s arm continued moving. The alligator had stopped moving long ago, but so lost in the fight was Sano that his arm had continued it’s stabbing. Sano got a hold of himself suddenly and he stared down at the lifeless animal. A part of him was relieved the battle was over and cherished his life; the other knew there would be more to come in his life. He stood up slowly and the crows cawed over head alerting him that they were still around. The largest one, the one who had spoken previously, now stepped up before the others. It spoke to him once more, “You have survived one of many trails in this swamp. Know these ye shinobi. Mokuten is the earth and it is the water. It is life and death itself. To understand it one must understand more then just thou birth. One must also understand the hand in which one will be using to take life. Does thee still wish to continue?” Sano gave no response to the raven. He understood the lesson and he took it begrudgingly. The boy continued on aware that other alligators now watched him waiting to feed on their fallen brethren and for him to make a mistake. Once more he could swear he heard the murder of ravens taking up the call of nevermore as he walked on.

[goliath764]

+17