Lake training.

[sharkman]

SPOILER: Click to show

Akuarungu (Aqualung)
Rank: "C" Rank
Skill: Ninjutsu
Effect: Allows the user the capability of switching between the use of gills and lungs.
Special: Ox, Dragon, Monkey, Snake, Tiger
Drawback: If activated above ground, the user is capable of suffocating to death.
Description: Normally, the Hoshigake's body is set to breath through the lungs, which takes in oxygen from the air and then allows the user to exhale. However, the Hoshigake's body has a secondary set of breathing tools- gills. By activating this technique, the user becomes capable of switching the manner in which their brain commands the body, moving to use the gills instead of the lungs. In this manner, it is impossible for the Hoshigake to drown as they are now using gills to breath. To cancel the technique, the user must simply perform the Tiger handseal, ending the effect and transitioning back to the use of the lungs.
Limit: Must have Same no Gishiki.

0/30

It was a long day for "Sharkface" Kisuke. Most everyone had made their way to the Wave for the chunin exams. At the moment Kisuke wasn't interested in ninja affairs, but clan affairs.

Kisuke stood looking at the lake before him disappointed. Although he was a member of the Hoshigake clan, he still couldn't activate his lungs.

What good is a shark without lungs? he thought to himself as he walked waist deep into the water. He focused all his concentration on using his lungs and performed the necessary hand seals. Ox... Dragon... Monkey... Snake... Tiger...

Kisuke started to feel a change. He realized that he couldn't breathe! He quickly jumped into the water and waited. His gills were working properly....well they were for about 3 minutes. He quickly swam to shore and caught his breath.
"Dammit!" he yelled, "Can't afford to brake my concentration next time."

[sharkman]

??/30

Kisuke's last attempt was a failure. He was only able to breathe underwater for about 3 minutes.

"Dammit, being a shark out of water sucks!"[/color] he said before walking back into the lake. This time his plan was to solely concentrating on his gill movements.

He started concentrating on his gills. On how they moved and how they worked. If I think about nothing but my gills, maybe they'll work longer....at least.... he thought as he performed the hand seals needed.

It worked! He couldn't breathe right now. He submerged underwater and began to time himself. Remember, only think about your gills.[/i]

1 Minute

This is harder than you'd think.....only gills, only gills, only gills...

2 minutes

Kisuke began to think about his childhood, about his father Hakuro, a Same Saishi. He remembered how his father taught him that to be a true shark, one must act only on instincts.

3 Minutes

He decided to listen to his father's advice. Instead of concentrating on making the gills work, he chose to concentrate on surviving.

4 minutes

4 minutes![/i] Kisuke thought, I'm starting to feel winded....or is it waved? Anyway, I think it's about time to stop for now.[/i] Kisuke swam to shore and sat down. He had broke his 3 minute barrier but had still not perfected the usage of his gills.

[sharkman]

??/30

Now to break the 4 minute barrier...[/b] Kisuke thought after he took a brake. He still had not perfected his gill usage and he was determined to at least reach 8 minutes.

"Okay, let's do this again..."[/color] He focused on his gills and made the hand seals. The action was becoming much more natural and fluent for him now. Once completed, he dived into the water. Now, to start timing again...[/i]

1 Minute

Flashback:

[/size][/b]

It was many summers ago, Kisuke was watching his father swim around. The grace and fluidity of it was jaw dropping. Kisuke's father wasn't aware of his presence as he eavesdropped on his lesson. Kisuke's father, Hakuro, was teaching some older members of the Hoshigake clan how to use there gills.

"First, concentrate on only your gills. After that perform the following hand seals." Hakuro quickly demonstrated the seals and activated his gills. After a moment of praise from his students, Hakuro than performed the 'Tiger' hand seal and went back to the surface. "The trick is to channel your chakra along side your 'will'. This will strengthen your brain signals and help stimulate your gills longer."

Flashback End

...6 minutes

Remembering his father's words, Kisuke realized that pure willpower wont due alone, he would need his chakra. He surfaced and held a 'Tiger' handseal.

"Seven minutes, not bad, next time it'll be better."[/color]

[✗ Kaeor ✗]

14 | 30

[sharkman]

14/30

"This time I'm serious," Kisuke said as he went back into the water. He had tried several times to perfect the usage of his gills but had not yet achieved his desired goal. This time he was going to listen to his father's advice.

He went deeper into the water and made the hand seals Ox, Dragon, Monkey, Snake, and Tiger. This time when he made the necessary seals he not only concentrated solely on his gills, but infused chakra within the thought process.

"Time to go for broke," he said as he completely submerged. The sequence was almost as natural as breathing. This thought made him chuckle a little bit. Dammit, not the time for jokes, need to concentrate![/b]

1 minute.

This was becoming easier. He didn't feel exhausted in the water anymore. It was if his body was actually adapting for the water.

2 minutes.

He kept thinking about what his father said. His mind told him to use his gills, but his body said rely on survival. This thought made the process a little easier.

3 minutes...

[sharkman]

??/30

....10 minutes...

Kisuke had been submerged for 10 minutes, his mind locked on survival and chakra channeling. This was the longest he had used his gills before and a grin crept onto his face.

CAN'T BREAK MY FOCUS! he thought as he approached 11 minutes. He had to keep a steady, low amount of chakra flowing to help stimulate his gills.

11 minutes...

This is starting to become very natural,[/i] he thought again before quickly wiping his mind clean. At this point, he couldn't afford to break his concentration. He had gone so far this time and he couldn't afford to risk failure.

12 minutes...

Kisuke started to relax. It started to feel as though he didn't have to concentrate so much anymore. He began to reduce the amount of chakra he was sending to his gills.

13 minutes

Kisuke began moving around. His body had almost completely adapted to gill usage.

14 minutes...

Let's step this up a notch,[/i] he thought as he began to swim around. His gills were almost at about 100% efficiency. He didn't even need chakra to stimulate them anymore.

15 minutes...

[← KIRA →]

+8

22/30

[sharkman]

22/30

...20 minutes...

Kisuke had become almost 100% in tune with his gills. He could feel every aspect of them moving. The water passing through them; the conversion and brake down of the liquid into useful gas; hell he could even sense the slight sensation of their movement.

Another 10 minutes...[/i] he thought to himself. If he could last half an hour of only gill usage, he was pretty sure he could use them more long term. He kept his resolve strong.

Eventually though, his gills began feeling tired. They had stopped working almost completely. Kisuke quickly started to channel his chakra towards the gills in hopes of givig them energy. He concentrated on the movement and the unique structural design. Luckily, he was quick enough. That was close. Guess I might still have to use a little chakra at some points.[/i]

Kisuke was reaching the 28 minute mark. His gills had not stuttered again and were performing close to perfect. It was safe to say he had almost mastered their usage.

29 minutes...

His time was almost up. He had learned a lot from tis exercise. He had learned everything from using chakra to stimulate the gills to appreciating and understanding their uniqueness. He quickly thought back to his father and how he used to use his gills almost all the time. He smiled at thought of being like his father and began to ascend.

30 minutes...

Kisuke surfaced and quickly made a 'Tiger' hand seal. He took a deep breath as he sucked in air for the first time in 30 minutes. But it felt....different. Somehow, air just didn't feel as natural anymore. It was safe to assume that Kisuke had finally taken his place among many fellow Hoshigake members.

[sharkman]

22/30

Kisuke decided that performing the 30 minute goal twice would prove his gill function. He waded out into the water and made the needed hand seals, channeling his chakra alongside his will. "Here goes nothing..."

Flashback

[/size]

Kisuke looked up at his father. Hakuro was giving a lecture about the history and usage of gills.

"Even though we have the devices," said Hakuro, "they're not as functional as our cousins."

"What do you mean, father?"

"Well, Kisuke, we may have our gills but we lack the instinct to use them."

"What?"

"What I mean is that our cousins need them for survival, whereas we, the Hoshigake, only use them as an advantage. That is why we need to perform hand seals, so we can go around that fog of uselessness. our chakra acts as fuel towards our goal."

End Flashback

.....29 minutes...

His father's words stick with him to this day. Why was it really necessary for chakra usage if their gills were full functional?

30 minutes...

Kisuke performed the 'Tiger' hand seal and proceeded upwards. He had been able to stay submerged for 30 minutes twice now, and this meant success. He walked up to shore and laid down triumphantly.

[← KIRA →]

+8

[sharkman]

SPOILER: Click to show

Suiton: Sazanami no Jutsu (Water Release: Ripple Technique)
Rank: "D", "C" Rank
Skill: Ninjutsu
Effect: Allows the user to imbue chakra within a source of water. Whenever something moves through it, the rippling will alert the user.
Special: Dragon, Dog, Monkey, Tiger, Ram
Drawback: Can only affect a small area.
Description: The user will rapidly perform handseals, channeling chakra into a small portion of water, ten meters in all directions from the user, whose distance can be increased through training. When the "D" Rank of this ability is learned, it allows the user to know when someone has entered the rippling effect. At "C" Rank, this ability allows the user to know exactly where the perpetrator is within the ripple effect. This effect lasts for five turns.
Limit: Must have Suiton no Jutsu. Must be a member of the Hoshigake Clan.

0/10

Kisuke approached his lake sanctuary. He had deemed this place a suitable environment for training Hoshigake skills. Today, Suiton: Sazanami no Jutsu (Water Release: Ripple Technique).

He walked out on top of the water and waited. It was time for him to focus his chakra. He pictured his chakra as a slow falling drop, start from his core and going down. He quickly perforemed the necessary hand seals and released. Failure...

"What the HELL!" he said as nothing happened. He assumed the 'drop' didn't fall the way it should have. S he treid again, this time, focusing more chakra but as a flowing stream rather than a small drop. As he made the hand seals he felt the chakra release almost perfectly.

To be continued...