Teacher's Discourse {Training/Private}

[R i k i c h i]

0/30 TP

Backing up with measured steps, Uesugi mentally pictured the angle of his body as trying to calculate how everything would piece together until he was finally too excited to see how he would fair in developing this technique. His feet were light on the ground as he again broke towards the tree and performed an agile back flip delivering first one kick driving upwards with his left as he leaned back. Then maintaining the momentum of the run he half spun in the air delivering an upwards kick a little lower on the trunks as he began to fall back towards the ground. Quickly shifting his weight so that his legs reached the ground before his head, Uesugi managed to plop his feet firmly onto the ground without losing an ounce of the kinetic energy that he had built up. Without taking much time to calculate his positioning between the tree and himself he threw a solid uppercut at the wooden surface sending vibrations all the way to the top branches. Leaves danced in small plays as they fluttered to the ground all around the pleased Kenchu. It hadn’t gone exactly as he had expected it, but he was glad that he was able to keep the momentum channeling from one movement to another.

“Phew…” he sighed wiping away a bead of sweat.

Now that he had gone through it successfully once he needed to do it again to be sure that he could replicate the movement and to make sure that there weren’t any more efficient ways to perform. Pacing his breathing as he stepped away from the trunk once more Uesugi waited a moment before counting off a few numbers silently before sprinting towards the trunk again. A wooshing sound was heard as the air rushed through his clothing and hair, sending leaves spiraling annoyingly towards his eyes. None of it fazed the boy as he executed his backwards flip in perfect form and delivered a concentrated upwards windmill into the tree causing it to shake from the ferocity of the attack. Then doing a half spin in mid-air while planting his hands upon the ground for support this time; a minor improvement in his opinion since it served to add more power to the second kick. With his hand on the ground he was able to deliver a more effective second kick despite it being lower on the truck still before he quickly rotated himself into a standing-crouched position on the ground with his body facing parallel to the truck beside him.

“WHOOAHH!” he yelled as he belted out a vicious uppercut with his left hand into the tree for the finishing move.

The tree shook vigorously each time that Kenchu had hit it and the boy was now panting lightly from the exhilarating effort. Using his shirt he cleaned away the salty sweat that littered his face and looked back up at the tree to see that most of the leaves had fallen off. He wasn’t sure if it was because of his attacks or just because a lot of the leaves had fallen off before he had assaulted the massive example of plant life. Brushing the thought aside he readied himself to try it once more before using a more versatile training target; after all if he used this in combat it wouldn’t be on a tree that wasn’t going to move away from him when he struck it.

“Huuu…” he breathed expelling the slight exhaustion that tugged at him.

Again he went flying at the tree executing his well thought out combo without a hitch this time and no variation from the previous attempt resulting in a powerful finishing uppercut which he was sure would send the opponents hovering in the air no matter how heavy they were. His hands and feet were a bit sore from striking the tree so many times and light was breaking over the horizon, but he wanted to try getting the technique down so that he could surprise the man in the morning when they did their daily sparring session.

[Ancestor Febrie]

+20

[R i k i c h i]

20/30 TP

Now it was time to try the same method upon the mound of clumped earth that the man had once placed upon Uesugi’s back to strengthen the boy’s legs in a dramatic fashion; a task that the boy’s body hadn’t soon forgotten. Striking the tree was one thing, but here not only was speed going to be a factor Kenchu would also have to convert his chakra into stamina while at the same time fortifying his fists and legs with chakra.

“Che…” he grinned while wiping away a small amount of grime from his face.

Without hesitating he dashed at the boulder with a full head of steam in his mind trying to focus his thoughts to set himself in a rhythm before he came into contact with the boulder and was forced to confront it. The boulder came up on his too quickly and although he wasn’t ready he attempted anyway hoping that his improvisation would turn out successfully. Back flipping through the air the Gennin drove his left foot into the boulder hoping to raise it off the ground, but he hadn’t channeled any chakra and was instead jettisoned back to the ground. Catching his breath, Uesugi dusted himself off and stubbornly got to his feet again charging the boulder directly, yet again failing because he couldn’t convert enough chakra quickly enough to lift the boulder on the first strike. Further more he was tired and his left leg was numbing from the constant hammering it was taking from first the tree trunk to now the earth boulder that Kenchu kept kicking. Deciding that it would be better to rest Uesugi leaned his back against the boulder and drifted off to sleep. When morning came around the man woke him for the sparring session, but the boy politely asked him to postpone the warm up because he was in the middle of training. With a suspicious look the man nodded and agreed to leave Kenchu be for the time being.

“Alright. I’ve been given the time, now I have to do something with it” he told himself in a motivational fashion.

Again he broke into a sprint towards the mound of earth this time pouring out chakra into his muscles and not converting any of it into stamina; he waited until just before he reached the tree to do his back flip. Kicking upwards with his left foot out of the back flip Uesugi found to his great amazement the huge mass was hoisted a few feet off the ground. Quickly he planted both hands into the ground and rotated his hips to strike hard with his left leg, but found that his muscles were already screaming in agony from the effort of striking the boulder. Ignoring the pain he struck out with his left foot hoping that it would be enough, but the boulder sank back to the ground nearly crushing his leg in the process. With a flop Uesugi rolled through the dirt away from the boulder and let out a frustrated sigh as he continued to lay motionless in the dewy grass allowing his face to be cooled by the still wet blades of grass. The technique called for too much concentration despite it being his creation. He had to figure out a way to convert his chakra into stamina during the high energy movement while still being able to channel power into his blows.

[R i k i c h i]

20/30 TP

Then it came to him and he rose to his feet. He would simply convert his chakra into stamina during the movement while all the pumping his chakra out as he sprinted towards the boulder, leaving his hands and fists intact to deliver blows strong enough to lift the boulder.

“Yosh!” he shouted excitedly.

After two intense efforts the boy finally managed to lift the boulder upwards with both kicks then as it hovered a few inches over his head and his body was screaming for a break he blessed his fist with the remainder of his chakra as he drove upwards delivering a powerful uppercut that sent the boulder sailing into the air. Watching as the object of great mass lifted above his head he began to feel amazed with himself for having come up with this technique; maybe he wasn’t as bad a ninja as he originally had thought.

Maybe even a genius. Possibly.

[ladynatsumi]

+10; Learned

[R i k i c h i]

SPOILER: Click to show

Taibu Yaibasattou (Greater Blade Rush)
Rank: B
Skill: Taijutsu
Special: ---
Effect: In Description
Drawback: Leaves back exposed, if the enemy can get to it that is. Heavy on chakra usage. Can only be used 3 times a day
Description: The user gathers a significant amount of chakra into their bladed weapon of choice and then dashes forward for about 10-20 meters with the blade pointed outward. The chakra is released in a large burst that flares outward from the blade in a cone shape. Aside from the impact of the blade, the chakra involved causes the enemy to be knocked backward, breaking through most defenses. Even if the strike is blocked, the force of the chakra is enough to break bones and destroy an opponent's defenses.
Limit: Must have a bladed weapon equipped

0/ 80 TP

Time had passed by the months now since Uesugi had seen his sempai, Ickichumo and he wondered if the man was worried sick about the student that had lost out here in the plains of Kirigakure. Of course the young shinobi knew that he would never truly be endanger for the old man had proven that he could take care of most enemies whether shinobi or not. It was just past dawn and the old man snored loudly, enough to wake the disturbed Uesugi from his own troubled sleep.

“Perhaps a little training will be of help” he thought to himself threw the sleeping covers away from his skin and rose to walk away into the field determined to quell his worries with the intensity of hard training early in the morning.

“Rest up kid. Later today I have one final lesson for you and believe me for the next couple of weeks possibly even month you will need all the sleep you can get” the old man chirped from his bed roll.

At that statement Kenchu wondered what the old man could have possibly meant by that, but he knew he would find out later today so he simply walked back to where his own sleeping sheets lay on the ground and feigned sleep til about midday. Of course he had drifted off into his dreams for a few minutes at a time, but for the most part he had remained alert so when the old man came to shake him the boy rose to his feet quickly. The old man laughed amusedly before asking the boy to go stretch while he polished off the bokken that he kept for training purposes though as Uesugi had noted, even the gnarled wooden weapon became a weapon in the man’s hands.

“Alright boy, I want you to thrust at me using your Yaibasattou” instructed the old timer with a strange look in his eye as Uesugi nodded and took a few measured steps away from the old man quietly gathering chakra into the blade he held in his right hand.

Without warning and with expert speed he brought the blade up, pointed at the old man’s heart before crossing the minimal distance between them with unnatural speed; his training in the art of Shunshin had in turn given him mastery of his movements to a certain extent. Just as the charka embued thrust looked as if it would run the old man through a swift yet powerful upwards swat of the bokken threw Kenchu off balance with such surprise that for a few brief moments the boy floated inches above the ground with his mid section exposed. As expected he received a devastating kick to the stomach that sent him flying a foot before he skidded through the wet grass into a rolling stop,

“Good. Now then, I was only able to block that technique because I’m stronger than you” the old man explained with a smile, “…however I can show you a move that even the strongest man in the world would have some trouble parrying, you interested?”

As if that statement required any answering.

[// One]

+10

[R i k i c h i]

10/80

In the coming days the old man had Kenchu concentrating his charka to the utmost level continuously and became especially fond of the stopping the boy mid thrust saying that more chakra needed to be applied for the technique that he was going to show the frustrated young Genin. His arms ached and his back craned, but he trained tirelessly focusing his chakra towards the tip of his katana and there were a few times when he focused completely on his weapon “feeling” as the chakra swelled in large amounts. After a few meager seconds of this monumental effort the boy would drop to his knees perspiring intensely while the old man looked on with an expressionless face only bothering to speak after a few minutes to order the boy to rise to his feet once more. Now a week had passed and irritation began to temper Uesugi’s perspective on the training as well as his ability to continue taking lessons from the seemingly dawdling old man,

“Keep your back straight! Don’t lean into the strike. That makes it harder for your chakra to flow through your body and into the sword” the old man chastised as he rapped the hardened back of the young swordsman with no remorse or sense of empathy for his student’s efforts.

Unable to deal with anymore of the old man’s constant nagging a bout of rage overtook Uesugi as he wheeled on the old man with a wild look in his eyes as his normally placid features had twisted into a horrid expression of malice. Not thinking he roared at the old man as he threw himself into the air thrusting with all his might at the old man utilizing everything that he had learned in the past week. As the tip of the blade that now glowed with chakra progressed towards its target the old man didn’t defend himself much less move as he remained rooted to the same spot with his hands behind his back. Just as it looked as if Uesugi’s rage powered “Yaibasattou” would rend the wrinkled senior into pieces the chakra that had taken on a crude a bulbous form at the very tip of his blade dissipated in a shower of blue light around the two as suddenly Uesugi’s feet were weak allowing him to crash onto the ground. The moment he hit the ground was the same moment that he had passed out from exhaustion, but even the old man knew that Kenchu wasn’t too far away from being ready,

“That’s my good prodigy…” he murmured as he carried the young boy to rest in his sleeping bag.

[R i k i c h i]

10/80

The sound of crickets snapped the boy upright with wide eyes as he stared out into the blanketing darkness in confusion and apprehension. A playful wind toyed with a few strands of his hair tossing them about while he silently removed himself from the sleeping covers that he had been placed under so as not to wake the old man lying only a few feet away from him. Shame gripped the young lad as he trudged away a few miles to perfect his technique some more in order to make penance for his behavior earlier in the day which had led to his consequent pass out; in short he had risked his own life in more ways than one despite the kindness that the old man had shown him. Kirigakure seemed very peaceful at night as the moisture that loomed in the whole town seemed thicken the air with a lulling, yet deadly calm that matched the demeanor of the inhabitants of the land. Gripping the sheath in his hand in inner turmoil as he stared determinedly into the night intending to master the training that the old man, the closest thing that he had to a sensei had wanted him to complete.

Keeping his back in line, the boy’s eyes seemed to glow with power as he removed all other distractions from his mind choosing only t o devote his attention to the faintly visible tip of his weapon. Chakra flowed from his being up the length of the blade concentrating at the tip of the blade in a ball of energy which Uesugi knew was not the truest form of the technique, but for now he would only focus on drawing out more power from his being before anything else. Furrowing his brows in concentration the immense draw of the summoned amount of chakra left him feeling a bit dizzy as he continued to press despite the stinging droplets of saline that dripped from his body; he wouldn’t fail here, not again. As if responding to his determination the tip of his katana flashed with a bright blue hue as the immediate area around him seemed to come to life as the chakra created a vacuum of force around Kenchu,

“Che…I can do it…” he said confidently as now the blade began to glow in its entirety, but even with this the Genin continued to press himself mentally in hopes of attaining a new level; he knew that he had always been capable of going this far on his own, but he needed to press further if he was truly going to realize his own potential, “…come on…come…on…” he goaded himself as the strain forced him to grit his teeth.

By now the ball of chakra had grown big enough that it was almost the same height as Kenchu which startled the boy for he had thought that he had more reserves of chakra, but he never realized just how much he failed to harness when in the heat of battle. Moving slowly he angled the blade straight into the night as he stepped forward, eyes alight with chakra as his clothing rippled around him; power surged through every part of his being and he seized the moment to see if he could do it. In a standard thrust the boy dashed forward exactly ten steps before thrusting the blade forward with all his might while at the same time forcing the chakra out from the tip in a semi-blast of inner energy causing a gust of wind to ripple as the power dispersed into the environment around him and he fell wearily to the ground. Panting as he held himself up on all fours the shinobi smiled slightly as he realized that he had indeed managed to surpass himself in that moment in time and yet he knew that there would be even greater heights for him to reach. He had only to focus his mind and body in unison; with that train of thought there was nothing that he couldn’t accomplish.

[R i k i c h i]

(OOC: Please excuse me if this post has a few sentences that don’t make sense. I’m kinda half asleep still trying to post…)

10/80

Using his blade to help him stand up with an audible yet insuppressible grunt, the “Spirited Youth” rose to his feet shakily with a crooked grin on his face despite the lack of strength that now filled his body; with child like defiance his limbs obeyed the tenacious will of his mind. He definitely wasn’t in any position to attempt something of that nature again, in fact he knew that should he attempt to use that “power” for he had no clue what else to call it again, he may very well faint or worse case scenario die from exerting so much power into one technique. Straightening his back in a great display of endurance Uesugi clutched the hilt with both hands noting how much heavier it seemed when he didn’t have the strength to wield it with ease. Although he had managed to draw out his maximum chakra, he assumed that the old man had wanted him to make a more powerful version of the “Yaibasattou” utilizing the extra exertion of his chakra. In order for this to happen he would have to “sharpen” his chakra towards the tip of the blade in hopes that he could indeed manage to release a focused energy attack in battle though even he had his doubts about his abilities in this venture. Cracking his neck both ways Uesugi flourished the sword over his head and took an even horse stance as he held the hilt tightly in his grasp. He ignored the trembling of his muscles along with the pain signals that assaulted his brain beseeching him to give up on this task and simply wait for the old man to wake up tomorrow and train him. The very idea of the thin haired, snaggle-toothed, grungy old man instructing him rudely as he had done yesterday filled the boy with the fire he needed to try it once more.

The charka shape manipulation would have to wait until he could manage to gather all his chakra into his blade tip in an instant then it wouldn’t matter if he moved onto the first step or not,

“I guess I have no choice then” he said again with a goofy smile on his face, “AHHHH!” he yelled forgetting that the man had been sleeping only a few yards away, but nothing seemed to have caught his attention except for the light that glimmered up the edge of the beautifully crafted weapon that he held in his hands.

His mind once again blocked out the environment as suddenly a whirl of chakra blasted from underneath him this time rising up from the ground upon which he stood in column of bright light. The weapon trembling in his hand made the boy more aware of just how much he needed to progress if he was ever going to achieve his goal of being Mizukage. This train of thought quickly was forgotten as even more power was churned out of his body enveloping him in a dim blue light, but Kench cut through the light angling his blade in a thrusting position while the swords’ edge seemed to crackle with the desire to kill; a foreign feeling as one of the youngest in the Genin class took hold of the valued location of and he knew that later now would be the time to release the power if there was a way such as that.

The chakra immediately congealed into a ball once again as it had in the previous attempt though this ball had grown somewhat in power and size though that didn’t say much about whether or not it would be resourceful or extremely cognitive thinking. Still Uesugi wanted to be able to attack the way that the old man attacked; like a bull dog with no one to stop him or a dragon, soaring high above the world looking only to destroy the opponent without having to deal with any mishaps.

“I can do this…” he muttered

[// One]

+30

[R i k i c h i]

40/80 TP

Hoping that he could press a bit further in his own personal training the determined young man’s body trembled as he leaned solely upon the katana as a crutch, no longer able to support his own weight. After a few minutes of failed commands for strength to return to his legs Kenchu simply let go of the katana allowing himself to crumble in a heap in the grassy meadow. The softness of the earth beneath him was comforting and it was there that he lay until the next morning when the old man startled him from a dream,

“You’re a stubborn one. At least that means you have some guts though, come, show me how far you have gotten with this “new” technique” the old man instructed the boy.

Though his chakra had somewhat returned Uesugi still felt a bit faint and his mind clouded as he brushed away the moist blades of grass that clung to his white shirt showing no signs that he was going to give in to fatigue; while he had come to regard the old man as a teacher, he still was reserved in some ways with him. Once he was on his feet he slowly parted his feet angling his right foot behind his left foot while maintaining a shoulder width distance as he stared coldly at the old man. Raising the katana that he had slept next to the night before the boy’s eyebrows furrowed in deep concentration as he dipped into the well of chakra that he had tapped into only the night before hoping to remember what the sensation felt like. To his surprise an abundance of chakra leapt forth at his command swirling around him uncontrollably like an angry blue inferno and it pleased him. The old man remained quiet and reflective as he observed his student’s progress even though the air was thick with the unusual amount of chakra,

“Here goes nothing…” the hopeful lad whispered to himself as his eyes peered at the edge of the blade he held, focusing the wild inferno towards that singular point as he had done the night before.

Although it was easier than the grueling effort of last night Uesugi’s body still pained him and the amount of control that he was granted was fairly limited as some of the energy simply dissipated into nothingness while some of it remained floating around him despite his best efforts to focus the energy. The old man obviously taking note of this scolded the boy in a gruff voice,

“Concentrate harder! You’re wasting precious chakra that you need. Remember this may be your strongest attack, but what’s the point if you burn yourself out and die because you can’t economize your chakra, boy!”

At this Uesugi gritted his teeth angrily, embarrassed that the old man still scolded him even after so much training and through his frustration his concentration sharpened to a keen art sending the chakra which had been floating aimlessly around him in a shroud rushing towards the tip of the weapon he held angled towards the old man. Raising the hilt of his blade to the side of his head as he would have for “Yaibasattou” Uesugi’s eyes widened as the chakra bloomed into a massive ball of energy which he took three lumbering steps with for the effort of moving while maintaining such an output of chakra was indeed difficult. At the last step he thrust with all his might shouting as he felt the dizzying wave of exhaustion already beginning to wash over him as the ball of charka first expanded then exploded forth in a rush while Kenchu’s sword struck a hard object.

“Wha-” was all the young boy could manage to utter in disbelief as he stared at the old man blocking his strongest technique with the shabby, gnarled wooden sword that he kept laying around the camp at all times.

The old man’s face remained impassive as he parried the blow exposing Kenchu’s rips by flicking the tip of the blade upward and with a quick strike struck the defeated youth with such ferocity that the young Genin was blown back a few feet despite managing not to fall to the ground,

“Nice effort however , you missing one thing, kid…shape manipulation” he explained as with one hand he rose his own bokken in the air though it wasn’t pointed at Uesugi.

[// One]

+10

[R i k i c h i]

50/80 TP

In awe Uesugi watched as his teacher’s chakra gathered submissively towards the tip of the bokken creating a vacuum in the space around them as chakra thickened the air almost gagging the now stunned Genin who had collapsed onto his knees,

“That form…that chakra…this must be the real technique” he looked on in awe as the old man suddenly drew in his bokken keeping it waist high while staring off intently at some unknown target.

Quick as lightening the old man broke into sprint running just past the fallen Kenchu who craned his neck to see what would happen next. Like a viper in every sinuous motion leading up to the thrust the old man struck out and at the last instance, the awestruck Uesugi’s eyes widened in disbelief as he observed a massive conical explosion of chakra erupt from the tip of the bokken. The amount of chakra was so great that it created a gust of wind powerful enough that the young boy had to shield his eyes from any flying debris that would have been kicked up into the air.

When the dust settled once again, Uesugi found himself staring up at the old man with a newfound sense of respect; it was hard to believe that such an ancient man was capable of releasing so much chakra. Granted the level of the old man’s chakra was nothing compared to the highest level of shinobi in Kirigakure, but Kenchu in his short time as a Genin was impressionable and thusly dumbfounded by the feat,

“Well don’t just sit there drooling, kiddo” the old man said with wily smile on his face as he walked over the Kenchu and tapped him on the cheek with the bokken.

The residue of chakra that remained on the lame weapon sent chills down his spine and it seemed to spark with a fire to surpass the old man though whether that was his own determination revving up due to the awesome display power was mystery.

“I want you to meld the chakra that you are able to gather into a cone with a sharpened point,” the old man instructed as Kenchu assumed a crude stance in preparation for the thrusting portion of the technique.

This was so different from any of the other techniques that the old man had shown him and he worried that perhaps his level of ability wouldn’t be great enough to eventually master it. Responding to his own disbelief in himself his feet wobbled awkwardly beneath him, but he remained resilient in his conviction as he howled drawing out as much chakra as he could manage going as far as allowing the pain from last night’s brutal session to seep even more intensely into his body. His unnamed katana glowed brightly with the blue aura of his chakra and it occurred to him that his level of mastery was indeed rudimentary for this level of technique as he recalled only seeing the man’s chakra when the thrust was completed. As his thoughts went astray his form slackened and his chakra flickered flimsy rousing a fair amount of shouting from the old man telling the boy to remain within the moment further throwing Uesugi out of focus. Despite his best efforts the boy couldn’t manage to gather the energy under control and eventually he exhausted himself to the point where he simply passed out on his feet knowing that he had failed in his attempt. Blackness surrounded his mind as a deep rooted sense of resentment descended him the darkest corners of his mind.

[Ancestor Febrie]

+10

[R i k i c h i]

60/80 TP

In the coming weeks Uesugi had managed little more than making his chakra into a rounded edge deepening his resentment of his own lack of ability to the point where he no longer trained alone to improve his skills sulking most of the time that he had off. The old man saw this, but said nothing as his student continued to digress further until finally the boy could barely hold the katana in his hands correctly during their training and still the old man only observed as the child continued to beat himself up. On a particular day Kenchu and the old man had walked out further than usual with Uesugi following somberly behind the old man until they finally reached the spot where they were to train,

“Alright are you ready?” the old man asked with a curious expression on his face as he stared at the despondent boy whose psyche had all, but gone to pieces; it was time for a wakeup call.

Nodding slowly with downcast eyes the young boy wasn’t prepared for the brutal strike that struck his collarbone and sent him spiraling through the air before hitting the ground tumbling. Scrambling to his feet he looked up with shocked eyes to see the old man descending upon him with the bokken held over his head preparing to deliver even more punishment than before. Rolling to the side the nimbly the Genin managed to avoid the attack, but as soon as he rose to his feet he received a quick kick to his chest pushing him back several feet through the marshy soil of the meadows of Kirigakure. Gripping his aching chest the boy looked at the smiling old coot with dismay as he couldn’t understand what he could have done to deserve this sort of punishment,

“Ossan, what are you-” he started to say, but he old man rushed him with his bokken held up in a familiar fashion and the boy quickly realized what technique he was about to witness; Taibu Yaibasattou.

“Why would Ossan use that technique against me?! Is he…is he really trying to kill me?!” thought the now thoroughly frightened boy as he watched the old man coil like a tiger with his eyes slanted viciously in young Kenchu’s direction; there was no sense of recognition in those eyes, only the desire to kill was what Kenchu was able to pick up on.

Something in him rebelled and he found his body responding to the danger out of fear prepared to defend himself until the very end; consciously he hadn’t accepted this decision, but his will to survive, to live now commanded his movements. Purposefully he drew his own blade close to his head gripping the hilt tightly with both hands as he almost instantly transitioned his chakra into the tip of his blade this time with no energy visibly swirling about him, but the air around the boy pulsated with power; his power. It was a feeling that he had never experienced before akin almost to being swept up in a current and as if by signal the two swordsmen rushed at each with frightening speed, their images blurring as the crossed the expanse that existed between them in a single moment. Instincts alight, his mind and body drew in every image of the man that he could catch, but even in his adrenaline heightened state a few of the old man’s expertise moves were missed. The two shouted in unison while thrusting with all their might towards the other, both determined to live and not die by the other’s hands,

“Taibu Yaibasattou!”

A clash of the chakras was suddenly birthed blowing away the grass and much of the soil beneath them as a flash of light engulfed the two fighters. After the light had disappeared leaving the two individuals standing on opposite sides of the clearing once more with their backs facing towards each silently the wind blew woefully as if signaling the end of the bout. The old man spoke with a smile on his wrinkled face as a strand of his hair fluttered in the wind before him and a streak of blood dripped hotly down his face,

“For someone that didn’t believe in his talent, you certainly matured fairly quickly in that battle…” he said as he closed his eyes knowing what would happen next.

Uesugi’s body lurched once before the boy fell over face first dropping his katana in the process and he remained there unmoving for a few moments as silence filled the expanse between the two combatants cloaking the weight of their feelings. The old man chuckled happily a little to himself as the grip of his bokken fluctuated slightly because something seemed off about the way it felt in his hand and as he looked down at his trusty weapon the bokken shattered before his eyes much to his amazement. He let out a laugh of surprise as he held up the fragmented hilt of his broken bokken examining it with a renewed sense of interest as he turned to look at the boy who laid still on the ground a few paces from him,

“You really are a frightening kid sometimes…Uesugi Kenchu” he whispered wistfully.

[R i k i c h i]

60/80 TP

After the showdown between the two things began to come together for Uesugi as he had only to master himself in order to learn the technique which he had sought and the young boy poured ever ounce of his being to this end waking once more early in the morning to recapture the feeling of what drew out his power that day. It would soon be time to leave the old man and he knew he had to at least master this ability from him or else all their time together would be considered nothing more than a waste. It was an unusually cold morning as Uesugi remained completely still in his stance with closed eyes. He wasn’t gathering chakra nor was he thinking a single thought instead he was simply listening to his own heartbeat. After that day, he had figured out that in order to heighten his fighting prowess he must be able to train as if his life where on the line as he had assumed it was on that day. Cold air seeped into his bones making his jaw lines go rigid from the effort of keeping his teeth from chattering, but his mind was a calm sea as he slowly shifted his stance angling the sword at a nearby tree.

“Focus only on defeating what’s in front you…never allow yourself to be overwhelmed…never break, never yield…protect that which needs to be protected most” he reminded himself as he pictured himself being attacked by the old man once again, reliving the fear that had been instilled in his heart on that day; it didn’t take much for a man to take another man’s life.
Remembering his fear also brought him to the first time that Ickichumo had attacked him with similar vigor; the desire to kill evident in his eyes,

“Those eyes…those eyes…those are the eyes used to kill a man…I will protect myself from those eyes” he thought emotionally feeling as his pulse quickened and his skin tingled with the surge of blood that came with the sudden elevation in adrenaline.

His eyes opened after what had seemed like ages although truly it had been only one hour of meditation and Uesugi directed his chakra towards the point of his sword as he had done on that, yet this time it was almost effortless in practice. Of course the substantial amount of chakra he was devoting towards this end still would leave him drained however his focus, the central aspect of any great swordsman’s ability had reached a peak that seemed to improve his knowledge of the flow of his chakra. Rather than drawing it out forcefully he coaxed it gently reducing the mental strain that the previous method had forced him and his body seemed to respond more readily to this approach. Bounding to the tree in three powerful steps that new Uesugi Kenchu drove his blade into the tree releasing a blast of chakra into the tree as he plunged his physical weapon into the wood boring through the hard material with relative ease; his physical ability as well as the intensity of his chakra had improved. Loosing a final battle cry Uesugi left his feet plowing completely through the trunk of the tree to the other side landing softly with a smile on his face; his improvement evident in his abilities as well as in his confidence.

“I think that’s alright for a morning workout” he muttered to himself cheerfully wiping away the moisture on his forehead as he turned back towards the camp staring into the foolishly grinning face of the old man he knew had been watching him.

Behind him the tree groaned loudly as it tumbled to the ground with a resounding boom that echoed throughout the meadow sending any animal life in the immediate area scurrying for dear life, but the boy didn’t mind just this once worrying about nature, “Ossan…I think I’ve done it” he stated, smiling with a clenched fist raised up about chest high and the old man only nodded before turning to walk back towards the camp, a proud grin muddling his old features.

[Ancestor Febrie]

Learned ~

[R i k i c h i]

SPOILER: Click to show

Shunshin no Jutsu - Ko (Body Flicker Technique - Arc)
Rank: "D"
Skill: NinJutsu/TaiJutsu
Effect: A Jutsu that allows a user to rush in an arc in almost instantaneous speed. Allows the user to avoid the opponent's attack and gaze.
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 in an arc along the ground in almost instantaneous untraceable speed while temporarily masking the user's movements within 10 meters. User may move forward, or backwards if they know Tweh version of Shunshin. This Jutsu is used to get around and behind an opponent without sacrificing multiple Shunshins. Supplement of Shunshin no Jutsu - Oshi (Body Flicker Technique - Push) using same schematics.
Limit: Universal NinJutsu or Universal TaiJutsu, Must know Shunshin no Jutsu - Oshi (Body Flicker Technique - Push)

0/10 TP

It had been a week since he had mastered the Taibu Yaibasattou and young Uesugi was becoming restless as he mainly occupied his time maintaining his flexibility while practicing the techniques that he had already learned in order to keep them fresh in his body’s memory. Truthfully he was itching to leave the old man’s camp because it had been coming on a year since he had left his ninja village and a few months since he had seen Ickichumo, who was sure to beat him, senseless for running off the way he did. With a smile the boy wondered how he’d fair against the delinquent Chunnin if they were to truly test their skills against one another in combat at this point and surmised that he still would beaten relatively easy as the sempai would no doubt have improved his skills,

“Che…I should tell the old man th-” he mused to himself while lounging against a tree next to the camp; he’d been training in a general sense though working on nothing in particular,

“Tell the old man what?” came the gruff interjection to his thoughts startling the young man, but he didn’t allow his surprise to show for he’d learned from the old man that even when surprised reveal nothing of your emotions instead allow the opponent to inference what they can about you.

Kenchu sighed heaving his chest slightly before rubbing the back of his head, “Tell you that I’m leaving of course” he said with a calluous look in his eyes as he regarded the old man; he’d miss the old timer and they’d had many discussions about whether the old man would come back to the village, but the results were always the same.

“Hmph…I’ve one more thing to show you then I have an offer to make you” the man smiled one of his curious smiles to the suspicious Genin.

Truthfully Uesugi wasn’t sure whether he could trust the old man or if he should always be on his guard when dealing with the old man, but in their time together the harsh instruction had brought the sniveling young Genin that had once been Uesugi Kenchu and created a respectable man. Sighing again he responded reluctantly to the old man more brazenly than he had ever dared to before; his ability to master the Taibu Yaibasattou had transformed him in more ways than to simply wield a sword with more effectiveness than the average Genin.

“As I recall you were pretty skilled in Shunshin no Justu…in fact the best I’ve seen in years” the old man laughed as he approached Uesugi with something in his hands, but Uesugi couldn’t discern what it was because of the angle at which he was standing, “…however…you are only capable of using the ‘Oshi’ and ‘Ken’in’…there are still three other basic techniques you must learn in order to be capable of considering yourself a genius of the Shunshin no Jutsu”

At this information the boy’s attention was drawn and his haughty pretense had disappeared melting into sheer curiosity for he wanted to master Shunshin.

“Alright teach me one” he begged with such desire that the old man couldn’t help smiling at the sudden urge that his student was expressing to learn.

“To use ‘Ko’ or the Arc aspect of Shunshin you must be able to gather chakra into your feet and spin yourself while performing ‘Oshi’, in doing this you create an Arc or a singular path behind your opponent without having to use multiple Shunshin thus saving your chakra” the old man explained.

Uesugi nodded absorbing the knowledge hungrily as he readied himself to try while the old man watched keenly how the boy’s body moved; there was something that he needed to know and it seemed this shinobi may have the answer that the sought. Keeping the man’s words in mind Uesugi gathered chakra into the sole of his feet and bounded forward at unperceivable speeds towards the old man who remained completely unmoving as the shinobi attempted his maneuver. Instead of winding up behind the old Uesugi simply appeared crouched in front of the old timer who smiled knowingly at him with a grin that was mocking at the same time an attempt to encourage the boy to try harder. With burning cheeks he leaped backwards through the air giving himself just enough distance to attempt the feat another time. This time he made sure to step parallel to the old man which would ensure the spin that he was looking for and as he stepped pressing his chakra into the ground at the same time, the keen young man felt a breeze as the world blurred by him until he found himself standing behind the old man.

“Not bad…” muttered the experienced man as he glanced back at Uesugi with the same grin on his face as before.
Where he’d been standing was nothing more than a small puff of smoke as the only reminder that he’d been in that spot and Uesugi couldn’t help the silly grin that spread across his face as he spoke with confidence in his voice addressing the old man yet again,

“Teach me all of them” he demanded.

[R i k i c h i]

0/10 TP

His movement had improved after a few attempts with the man and after the old man became satisfied with the young Genin’s progress they decided to eat the remainder of the rations that the old man had saved with his belongings. As they ate it struck Kenchu odd that the old man was nearly out of food, but he seemed to be unaffected by the developments or more precisely he seemed as if it was of no consequence. Not wanting to stir any trouble the boy laughed with the old man and joked with him as usual until finally it was time to sleep through the night in order to resume training early in the morning.

Blinking away the sleep from his eyes Uesugi awoke to dawn and slipped away from the camp quietly to improve upon his ability with the new movement he had learned; his understanding of it had been crude at best and it still felt awkward to him as he transitioned into an attack movement. He knew that on his path he couldn’t afford to leave things until later, he would press onward no matter how long it took him to improve.

Finally reaching the designated area he picked a small sapling that was wet with morning dew to practice his craft upon. Standing approximately 10 meters away, Uesugi remained motionless preparing his body for the sudden burst of movement; his fingers moved in small circles as anticipation got the better of him. Rushing forward he channeled chakra into the sole of his foot immediately, but as he stepped forth he angled his foot slightly inward causing him to spin while using Shunshin as he had first learned it. The result was a sickening whirl of motion that left him standing precisely behind the tree that he had targeting though he wasn’t sure if he’d really mastered it or if he’d simply been lucky. Breathing sigh the Genin moved back to his spot, but this time he didn’t turn to face the tree. He would attempt to use the ‘Ko’ aspect without looking at his target solely relying upon his precision with the skill along with memory of where the tree stood.

“Calm down…” he said quietly as he exhaled as released the tension of the training from his body.

This time he didn’t waste any type attempting the technique and his image disappeared as he the chakra he channeled sent him spiraling once again leaving him facing away from the tree with h his back to it; he had done it.