The Boy, The Sword, The Dream. (Training, join :D)

[Kai, Takizawa]

( OOC:First Roleplay post in over 6 years please feel free to criticize, insult, laugh, join, or assist in my rusty skills )


Location: The Cascading Waterfall

0|30

Quick Strike Training (D, C, B)
Rank: D Rank
Effect: D Rank - Improves strike speed and power marginally; C Rank - Improves strike speed and power slightly; B Rank - Improves strike speed and power moderately.
Special: None
Drawbacks: Cannot learn Reflex Training.
Description: The practitioner is put through a series of rigorous repetitive movements to improve their ability to strike effectively with their sword. As they develop their training, their speed and power slowly increase.
Restriction: Must have a Senpai/Sensei of a Kenjutsu Dojo to learn.



The sword was old and rugged, full of scratches and even chipped at some points, but still very much useful. The boy held in his hands the same sword that was held by over 10 other men who bared his name, his curse, his legacy. The boy held in his hands not only the weight of his family, but the weight of a dream realized. The boy had to yet again raise the bar. The boy opened his eyes to a new world, one where his mountain was not his enemy but his rival, a world where he could achieve his greatest level of success, a world where HIS good was needed more than he ever knew.


Taki sat about 6 meters from where the end of the waterfall ended, legs crossed, eyes shut, and deeply breathing. His heart beat slow for he was concentrated on the task at hand. The technique that would help unlock his full potential was before him. Combining the three arts, swordplay, water release, and lightning release was his family's legacy. Taki slowly opened his eyes and drew a large breath. Suddenly he started to grab his throat and flail from side to side. His hands stayed glued to his neck as he tried to get whatever he inhaled out of his throat, his legs were going berserk with panic and desperation. Slowly Taki fell to his side thinking "Is this it? Could these by my final moments? But I haven't even-" Just as suddenly as he had started to choke a small grasshopper exited his throat as he lay flat on his side in despair. Taki's eyes quivered as the grasshopper went on about its business without giving Taki a second thought "Kai Takizawa.....son of the great Kai, Ao. Brother of the hero Kai, Sousuke. Defeated by an insect......" he muttered to himself as he proceeded to pull himself together. Taki stood and turned his head to the tree behind him. Taki stared down his Katana leaning on tree and smiled.


Taki walked over to the tree and picked up his sword and vest. He was given these tools by his brother, and to fail with them both was unacceptable. Taki patted the grass and dirt off of his vest and sheath before standing up to continue his training. Taki unsheathed his sword in what seemed to be a flash of brilliance. The sword was old and slightly bent, but the its use showed with honor. Taki admired the blade and smiled as he thought about his brother and father. Now he coud work. Taki stood in the Battojutsu stance and took several deep breaths before starting.

The blade rushed from the sheath like the boom from a gun. A gust of air followed and the leaves of the tree began to fall. This was how Taki trained. This is what his master Kouzuki taught him. Taki's head turned from right to left inspecting each leaf and making decisions based on the leaf's fall, weather it was spinning, gliding or falling straight down. The leaves themselves were large enough to cut with a katana and falling at a pace that Taki could keep up with. Just as quickly as his sword left its sheath, it returned with a flawless speedy sheathing. Taki's leg's spread out and his knees bent as he placed his right hand on the katana's handle, his left holding the sheath almost half-way down its length. Taki's eyes grew wide as he saw the leaves fall before him. His first cut rushed out of sheath like a wild wolf after its prey. His eyes were dilated, they stood completely still as he picked his target. The blade, though old and rugged, cut through the first leaf with ease. Taki watched as the blade seeminlgy passed through the leaf, his hand speed moving so fast that his blade was completely through the leaf by the time it separated. A grin cracked from Taki's mouth as he realized is first cut was perfect.

Taki's blade work was magnificent, his style of swordsmanship was a gamble though, either you come out looking for a block, or you come out looking for blood. It was a chess game with a two sided coin. Taki's blade went back into its sheath flawlessly like his return when creating the needed wind to shake the leaves. Taki very quickly pivoted on his right food and switch sides, just as the first left was beginning to twirl down onto the forest floor another slice came jolting out of the sheath. This time two leaves. Taki was in rhythm and he knew it. His next resheathing wasn't on par with his others and drew sparks as he slid the blade back into its case. After being sheathed for almost less than a couple of seconds the third strike left the sheath, this time rushing for not just one leaf by several others. Taki's eyes were still filled with concentration and pure will power as his blade rushed down the middle of all 7 leaves. The leaves quickly separated and started to twirl down towards the ground This was the clutch part of his training. His goal was to cut all the leaves across and into four separate pieces leaving a total 28 pieces in total. Taki's blade rushed back into the sheath as his left hand tripped the black metal holding his sword. He read the patterns of the leaves and took his next attack. The blade came out a little slower than before but at the expense of accuracy, the reflection of the sun on the blade was magnificent as he cut through the leaves with ease. Three attacks is all it took, 28 pieces lay on the floor of the forest. Taki smiled and held his sheathed sword in his right hand smiling knowing that his sword looked like one from the practice centers, old, beat up, chipped and a little bit crooked "Well at least they'll underestimate me when I show them my blade."

[👺 Usiel]

Hmm, good length, consistent, kept trying. Ya I was expecting to give a low number.

10 TP

[Kai, Takizawa]

Quick Strike Training (Training from D to C)
Rank: D Rank
Effect: D Rank - Improves strike speed and power marginally; C Rank - Improves strike speed and power slightly; B Rank - Improves strike speed and power moderately.
Special: None
Drawbacks: Cannot learn Reflex Training.
Description: The practitioner is put through a series of rigorous repetitive movements to improve their ability to strike effectively with their sword. As they develop their training, their speed and power slowly increase.
Restriction: Must have a Senpai/Sensei of a Kenjutsu Dojo to learn.

10|30

Taki took a deep breath as he lay down his battered sword. The bronze colored square hilt with old blemished carvings lay flat as he took to one knee to draw much his much needed breath. Getting to this level of consistency took over two years of training, but when he shows up to the village there are other ninja who are already surpassed that level. Nonetheless Taki knew he would be facing many challenges and this alone was nothing more than a mountain, a rather tall, steep, cold, unforgiving mountain, but a mountain nonetheless. Taki's breath was long and swelling. The adrenaline has kept him from over exhausting himself but now that it was wearing off his fatigue was apparent. The ability to time the the attacks and the physical demands on one's body were high to achieve this level of perfection. Taki stood and looked to the water. His next task lay before him. The notion of "diamonds are only made when pressure is present" was drilled into his heart and soul every day he worked to support him and his mother. Taki took a few more deep breaths before beginning the second phase of his training regiment. The first part of his training included mental and technical preparation. The second part was to perform under difficult circumstances. Taki had done this over a thousand times, but this time it counted.

Taki picked up his blade and prepared himself to enter the second phase of his training. He slowly walked over to the left side of the pool. The waterfall came down hitting a small plateau of rock where one could easily stand on, while getting brutalized by the falls themselves. Taki walked reached the left side of the pool and drew one last, deep, long, and pain filled breath. The wind started to blow and the leaves started to fall from the trees. The pile of shredded leaves that Taki cut down earlier started to swirl in place from the wind currents. It was as if something was coming. The birds abandoned their nests, the fish scattered to the dark ends of the pool, the clouds slowly crept into clusters as if they were looking for strength in numbers. Taki let the breath out slowly and opened his eyes. He jumped.

Taki landed square on the rock with both feet, each one constantly slipping and readjusting to bear the weight of the falls themselves. His teeth started to grind as he bore all the weight of the water on his shoulders. At first he kept his arms and shoulders square to better gain balance, but eventually he could feel the pressure of the waves completely overtake him. His eyes grew wide as he felt the full power and pressure of the water unrelentingly hitting his back over and over again as if he were the punching bag. Taki's knees started to shake, his arms started to quiver and his shoulders started to buckle under the shear pressure. His vest became soaked along with the rest of his clothes. Suddenly Taki felt it. He let go. The water pressure pushed him forward face first into the pool. He clutched his eyes shut as he went into the water holding his sheathed Katana in his hand. He had failed. These falls were probably five or six times the strength of what he trained under with master Kouzuki, but still it stung him to fail after executing his previous training so flawlessly. Taki opened his eyes under the water, the pressure from the waterfall still pushing him under. Taki's shoulders were badly bruised, his arms exhausted, his legs lifeless, but still he had his will and determination to fuel his rage. Nothing angered Taki like him failing himself. He clenched his first and squeezed the Katana in his hand. He was mad. Really mad now. Taki finally hit the bottom of the pool with his feet squared, he absorbed the impact by crouching and preparing to prepel himself. He focused his chakra into the bottoms of his feet and concentrated on letting all of it loose in one burst to propel him from the bottom to the top of the pool. Taki closed his eyes and began to remember why he trained and all the promises he made on the way to becoming a ninja. Taki shot from the bottom of the pool like a rocket, his speed was miraculous as he zipped past fish and other marine animals in the pool. Taki hit the surface with what seemed like a boom, water flew every which way as he propelled himself into the air clenching his Katana in one hand, while his determination was apparent in the other. Taki quickly readjusted himself so that he would be able to land near the spot where he first jumped. His rage was turned into determination, his anger turned into strength, his reason for living became his motivation.

Taki stood soaking wet. The sun was about half way down, over three hours had passed since he began the second stage. Taki had tried over eight times to be able to withstand the waterfall's pressure alone. So far no luck. Taki's brown eyes stayed glued to the plateau as he saw the prize he was seeking. His will was bent, but far from broken. His hands still gripped the sword as if someone were trying to take it from him. Taki finally approached the falls for the ninth time today. Taki stared down the rock with his eyes as if it were going to make a move against him. He leaped forward once again in hopes that this this would be different. Taki's shoulders had become swollen red under his vest and his legs were beginning to cramp up from being in the water and straining them on and off so many times. Taki showed his determination and hit the plateau with ease absorbing all that the falls were giving him. He clinched his sword tightly as he prepared himself. This time was different. He could move. He could stand with his eyes open. He could stand. Taki slowly released the pressure from his legs and started to move them closer together. His body became more relaxed as his shoulders were no longer tense. Taki stood under the falls, his shoulders pounded on relentlessly, but he did not move. He had achieved this small goal. He became relaxed as the pain started to slip away an his muscles quickly adjusted to the task at hand. Taki's eyes opened slowly to see that the twilight had started and that the sun was setting soon. But he stood there in that spot waiting for the moment he yearned for this entire time training to withstand the pressure of the falls. Just as Taki's muscles were adjusting to the weight of the waves and strengthening themselves, taki heard something, it was a bad sound. Taki tilted his head up the best he could and saw above him a falling log [red]"One chance. Make up for wind speed velocity, pressure from falls versus my draw, how the smooth Noir will slice while accounting for the power slicing against the wave will give me......"[/red] Taki had to account for all of these variables, one missed step could result in a perfectly split log, a mild concussion, or drowning from a concussion into the pool. Taki closed his eyes for a split second, he knew that this was the kind of challenge he was looking for.

(N/F will finish in morning computer acting up again T_T)

[N A T S U M I]

+10; space your paragraphs a bit more please dear, even with glasses my eyes bleed!

[Kai, Takizawa]

(Sorry T_T I wasn't finished editing the post, I will also try to keep it to at the most six or seven sentences a paragraph)

SPOILER: Click to show

20|30

Quick Strike Training (Training for C)
Rank: D Rank
Effect: D Rank - Improves strike speed and power marginally; C Rank - Improves strike speed and power slightly; B Rank - Improves strike speed and power moderately.
Special: None
Drawbacks: Cannot learn Reflex Training.
Description: The practitioner is put through a series of rigorous repetitive movements to improve their ability to strike effectively with their sword. As they develop their training, their speed and power slowly increase.
Restriction: Must have a Senpai/Sensei of a Kenjutsu Dojo to learn.

It was as if time had stopped and the hand of fate had given Taki the moment he needed to complete the task before him. The grip on his sheath loosened, his right hand on the sword became soft. His body was no longer tense. Taki's eyes were relaxed, the closed eyed squinting had become a thing of thing of the past. He had achieved the level of training he was looking for. Taki's entire body was relaxed for no more than a second in real time. This was what he needed. The ability to speed up his reaction time along with his mind's ability to process the situation and create a counter for the task at hand. It was not only the body that needed to be trained. It was the also the mind. The split second of relaxation and something similar to a nirvana was all Taki needed to be able to split his opponent in half.

In what seemed like slow motion, Taki's muscles suddenly tighterend, his eyes ripped open, his arns and legs bulging with strength. For what seemed like an eternity he performed a small jump into the air, while in mid-air he assumed the Battou style position so that he would fall back to the plateau in his stance. Taki landed flawlessly on the plateau with his left hand gripping the katana near his waist as if it were attached to his belt, Taki gripped the sword like the 10 men before him did years before, they all went through this training but never utilizing this much difficulty. Taki had, in a small way, reached a level that even his brother the prodigy could not reach.

Taki's eyes were fixed on the target as he looked straight up to see the large thick log coming right at him without mercy. His blade was quick, the release flawless, the timing perfect. Taki ripped the blade from its sheath, as soon as the tip of the blade was clear of the sheath the speed started to show. In a brilliant flash of metal the blade ripped through the water reversing the polarity of the stream for no more than one and a half seconds. Taki's veins bulged as the blade finally cleared the sheath and started its slice. His eyes stayed locked onto the target without blinking, the water in his eyes gave him no trouble as he directed the blade to the falling log.

Taki slashed through the log with ease, his blade went through the log as if it were the leaves he had decimated earlier. The sword, though old and battered, proved to still be very much useful. The log stopped in mid air for a moment as the force from the slash stopped the object in its tracks. Suddenly the log split into two even vertical pieces and split apart, one piece falling to his left the other falling to his right. Taki realized at that moment that he had the strength to do more. A grin cracked along his chin as he sheathed his sword again at blazing speed.

Taki pivoted on his right food and did a complete 180 degree turn as the logs were about to his waste. Taki's grip once again suffocated the sheath and sword. Sparks flew once more as his blade came rushing out of the sheath with over three times the force he had exerted on the leaves before. The log halves were once again split, but this time across. The slash itself was brutal and lightning fast, one crescent moon shaped slash is all it took for the logs to split. As soon as the logs were cut they stood in mid air for a moment, the force of Taki's swing kept them in mid-air for no more than a second. Just as the logs were regaining momentum from gravity the logs shot out from the in front of Taki and into the pool going about two to three feet deep. Taki's swing had enough force to stop the initial momentum of the logs falling into the pool, and enough follow-through force to launch them about a meter in front of Taki.

As the log-pieces were launched into the water Taki's entire body felt like it shut down. He fell backwards into the pool. His entire body was exhausted from the training, that he had just only passed the half way mark. The third part of his training was mental reconditioning. His heart beat was fast as if it were a drum on the front lines of a war, his arms and legs still tense and gripping to his katana and sheath as he lay floating in the middle of the pool, eyes closed and face to the sky. Today was enough, But in a matter of hours he would begin again.

Taki formed his palm into a small bowl to hold the water. Taki turned his head to see the water in his palm. Today was hard but tomorrow would be harder. Taki sat there for about an hour regaining his strength before making his way back to the tree. Taki picked up his towel hanging on a near by branch and prepared to journey back to his apartment. The grip on his katana was still clasped, unlike the rest of his body which was relaxed. He never let the Katana fall, nor would he let it be stolen. It was his family's legacy, and it was his tool to cut into the future.

[¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

+10

[Kai, Takizawa]

SPOILER: Click to show

0|10

Suiton: Senpabanpa No Jutsu (Water Release: Art of the Onrushing Waves)
Rank: "D," "C," "B," "A," "S" (Training to D)
Skill: Ninjutsu
Effect: The user creates a multitude of waves on either side of the target, which crash into the target repeatedly.
Special: "Handseals"
Drawback: Use must have a water source readily available; the user cannot be performing any other technique while this is active.
Description: The user performs handseals and creates eight waves on either side of their target. The user has the waves crash into the target by whipping each hand in the direction they want the waves to travel, the left arm controls the left-hand waves and the right arm controls the right-hand waves. At "D" Rank the waves are four feet high. At "C" Rank the waves are ten feet high. At "B" Rank the waves are sixteen feet high. At "A" Rank the waves are twenty-one feet high. At "S" Rank the waves are twenty eight feet high.
Limit: Water Release

Taki took a couple of days off from his training in order to rest his body, which had been severely strained. But in that time he attempted to compensate with push-ups and other exercises he could perform in his small apartment. Taki's shoulders were bandaged and still slightly bruised, but it was nothing he couldn't handle.

Taki walked over to the same tree he had used in the past and laid down his sheathed sword and old and worn out blue vest. He placed the sword in a leaning position against the tree so that it was visible from afar. Today Taki wouldn't need his weapon, he was going to practice his water jutsu. Taki slowly made his way towards the middle edge of the pool and then immediately walked backwards while whispering to himself [red]"One...two...three...four...five...six."[/red]


Taki gripped his fists and gathered his surroundings. He quickly deduced that his ideal and prime distance from the water was five to six meters. The distance itself would give him enough room and enough sight to master the technique. Taki raised his hands and prepared his mind. Taki stood there with his eyes open concentrating on the boy of water in front of him. The sound of falling water calmed his soul and gave him the needed rhythm to shape the water to his will. Taki took three deep breaths. In what seemed like a wild flash he performed the hand seals needed to trigger the jutsu. It had begun.

At first the ripples were small but it was clear there were two ripples perpendicular to each other creating small currents under the water. Taki's eyes stayed shut as he molded the chakra with his mind. Creating small ripples was the extend of his training so far. Taki's face tightened up as the ripples started to slowly hit each other faster and faster. Taki's fought to keep the ripples in perfect order meaning that the ripples had to be equal in timing, strength, and speed. Matching all three of those aspects was very difficult for a boy who's small set of jutsu was missing a water based attack. Taki concentrated harder on increasing the power of which the ripples were hitting each other with, while while at the same time maintaining the steady speed of 1.5 ripples per second.

Taki slowly lifted both hands from the final seal of the jutsu and brought them together in a slow clapping style movement. But it was broken in a mere three seconds. Taki opened his eyes to find what he was afraid of. The left ripple had overtaken the right ripple and was speeding towards the right side of the pool. Taki had put too much strength in pushing the left ripple, instead of colliding at the center and knocking each other back with equal force the left ripple had been too strong and completely overpowered the right ripple. The jutsu was a failure. Taki started to talk to himself "If my allies had been next to my target they would have been hit by my wave. I could have been responsible for their death." Taki sat and watched as the pool of water slowly turned back into a calm steady still body.

Taki fell back on his bottom as he took one of his many deep breaths when training. The concentration for this technique was almost on the same level as his quick strike training. The ability to imagine and mold his chakra into the form he wanted proved to be a daunting task. Taki's body still ached from the training he endured the day before and because of that pain his concentration was off. Taki had seen this jutsu performed only once, and it was when his brother used it to bully Taki when they were younger and playing in a small lake. This technique was vital though, it was a staple in his family's swordplay, to drench and pound the enemy with water jutsu, and to further decimate them with lightning attacks.

After taking a small break Taki stood up with even more determination, his "hate to lose" attitude was really showing as he stood up grinning at the pool of water. Taki walked about a two meters closer to the pool, making him 4 meters away. He closed his eyes and mediated for a moment before the burst of hand seals were performed. Taki's hands quickly formed the needed seals to perform his jutsu, he screamed out as his hands broke the final seals and the water began to head his commands spoken through his hands [red]"Suiton: Senpabanpa No Jutsu.[/red] The waves started to gather, one foot, then two feed, and finally clearing two and a half feet. The waves hit each other slowly as his arms moved synchronized to the waves. Taki started to reassure himself from his failure before [red]"I will not be responsible for a careless accident like this!"[/red] The waves started to moves faster and hit each other at a faster rate. His pinpoint accuracy had proven to be enough to handle a technique like this. But this was only the beginning of this ordeal.

[Flower]

+10

Learned D-Rank~

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Kai, Takizawa]

SPOILER: Click to show

Sandangamaegiri (Triple Cut)
Rank: C Rank
Effect: Three moderate (C Rank) strikes on one opponent
Special: None
Drawbacks: Cannot be done twice in a row - needs a moment before being performed again
Description: Commencing from a kneeling position, the practitioner rises and draws to make three fast strikes at one opponent
Restrictions: Must have a Senpai/Sensei of a Kenjutsu Dojo to learn; must have Quick Strike (C Rank) or Reflex Training (C Rank) Sandangamaegiri (Triple Cut)
Rank: C Rank
Effect: Three moderate (C Rank) strikes on one opponent
Special: None
Drawbacks: Cannot be done twice in a row - needs a moment before being performed again
Description: Commencing from a kneeling position, the practitioner rises and draws to make three fast strikes at one opponent
Restrictions: Must have a Senpai/Sensei of a Kenjutsu Dojo to learn; must have Quick Strike (C Rank) or Reflex Training (C Rank)

0|30


Taki prepared himself for another day of training by the waterfall he was starting to grow fond of. As usual is sword hung on his back in its idle position, because in his style of swordplay his sword was usually carried on his waist or in his left hand. He had adapted the sword play to better suit battle as a shinobi.Taki’s headband was usually strapped to his right arm, about half way up, but today he had it strapped to his left thigh in preparation to learn this new technique. The technique in question was a fast three slash combo. His quick strike training would prove to be useful because of the drawbacks that came with the technique.

Taki propped his backpack, full of food and several medium sized logs, on a tree and took a deep breath, it starts now. Taki held the sheath of his old cherished sword in his left hand and placed it close to his waist as to imitate it being attached to his waist. Taki bent his knees and prepared to open his attack. He hesitated for a moment to gain his poise for the attack. Silence ran over the area as he stood still in the battoujutsu position prepared to execute his attack. A slight gust rustled the trees, leaves fell and branches shook. Taki’s draw was almost perfect now, his sword came out of its sheath as if lightning had struck and the thunder’s boom had been delayed. The blade flew flawlessly out of the sheath as his first cut, down the middle, was executed with precision. As soon as the middle cut was executed fully the second cut would be a lateral cut coming from the left to the right. The last cut would come from the opposite of the second slice going from right to left. The technique itself was easy enough for Taki because of the extensive training he had in improving his speed and precision. His increased speed proved to be more than sufficient to learn the basics of the technique, but to master it was a different story.

Taki’s next exercise would be vital. Being able to fight from place to place, on different terrain, and on the move was essential to survive as a shinobi. Taki sheathed his sword quickly and flawlessly, he had become adept to doing so, and prepared for his next task. Taki would run and jump from stone to stone in front of the waterfall and choose the best spot to perform his technique. Taki prepared himself for the run, he wasn’t as fast on his feet as he wanted to be, but what he lacked in ground speed he made up for in precision and power. Taki suddenly ran out of his position with as much speed as he could gather, Taki leaped into the air and aimed for one of the smaller rocks in the pool. The tip of his toe barely touched the rock as he was already pushing off the rock and jumping from rock to rock before realizing that there was no space on any of these rocks to perform his technique [red]”There’s only one alternative…[/red] Taki jumped high into the air and hit the ground outside of the pool with the grass around his landing spot being pushed back.

Taki landed with his knees bent to absorb all of the force, he pushed off of the ground and used to momentum to go faster that he had before. Taki jumped from side to side and then quickly stopped in his battoujutsu stance. It was perfect. With this style of attack he could quickly get into close range, where he had an immense advantage against normal shinobi, and strike. Taki drew his sword and performed his technique. One slice to each side, the middle, left, and right. The ability to get close to his enemy would prove to be the weakness in his swordplay. Speed was needed. Speed was the only way he could get close to them.

[¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

+10

[Kai, Takizawa]

SPOILER: Click to show

Sandangamaegiri (Triple Cut)
Rank: C Rank
Effect: Three moderate (C Rank) strikes on one opponent
Special: None
Drawbacks: Cannot be done twice in a row - needs a moment before being performed again
Description: Commencing from a kneeling position, the practitioner rises and draws to make three fast strikes at one opponent
Restrictions: Must have a Senpai/Sensei of a Kenjutsu Dojo to learn; must have Quick Strike (C Rank) or Reflex Training (C Rank) Sandangamaegiri (Triple Cut)
Rank: C Rank
Effect: Three moderate (C Rank) strikes on one opponent
Special: None
Drawbacks: Cannot be done twice in a row - needs a moment before being performed again
Description: Commencing from a kneeling position, the practitioner rises and draws to make three fast strikes at one opponent
Restrictions: Must have a Senpai/Sensei of a Kenjutsu Dojo to learn; must have Quick Strike (C Rank) or Reflex Training (C Rank)

10|30

Taki sat down by the tree for a moment, his sword lay on the grass next to him. With eyes closed Taki leaned back on the tree to concentrate on the task at hand [red]”If my opponent is faster than I am, how can I get close enough to strike them…oh yeah.”[/red] Taki stood up and walked over to the original spot where he started to train, but this time without his sword. Taki spread his feet out and prepared his hand seals. Taki’s hands seemed to blaze as he performed the needed hand symbols [red]”Raiton: Thunder Clap Technique!”[/red] Taki clapped his hands and touched the ground as the grass around him was pushed back by the invisible electrical current [red]”Lure them in, stun them, cut them down.”[/red]
Taki walked back over to his equipment and picked up his vest and sword. Taki zipped up the old tattered vest know that mastering a technique without battle gear would be useless. Taki patted the vest to acknowledge his brother’s gift to him. Taki knew that he had to be able to strike not just with the speed of his blade, but also with the power of his arm. Take walked over to a large dead tree that was apparently used for blade and target practicing. Taki’s regiment would consist of 300 slashes to the solid wood trunk in an attempt to strengthen his arm and further his stamina.
Taki stared at the trunk for about six seconds before starting his ordeal. His sword drew quickly and cut the trunk three times in less than two seconds. His blade was fast and powerful, but his succession was slow. Almost as fast as his sword was drawn, it was sheathed again. He kept repeating this over and over and over again. His slashes became faster at some points while slower at others. He had to ration his strength and stamina if he wanted to complete his training. But at the same time he had to push himself or else he would stay on the level he was now and not be able to advance.

Sweat drenched and tired, his slashes kept coming. The pace was slower but his strength was steady. The more he built strength the more stamina he could harness. Taki’s hands started to blister as his slashes started to get faster and faster, attempting to finish his desired training before sunset. Taki’s breathing was deep and heavy. His last three cuts were proving to be the hardest. His hands we covered in dry blood as he tried for the technique’s perfection. Taki finally drew the strength within him to make the last three slashed. He sheathed his sword and prepared for the final rep. The sheathed sword was held in his left hand as his right hand gripped it tightly. Taki took several steps back. Suddenly Taki ran towards the stump and jumped into his kneeling stance. Taki slashed the tree trunk three times and stood for a moment. Taki eyed the trunk wanted a reaction from it.
After about three seconds Taki sheathed the sword again stop slightly under the hilt. Taki slowly snapped the hilt into the sheath before the top layer of the dead tree trunk fell to the ground in pieces. The top layer that had endured so much damage over the years and Taki’s training was the straw that broke the camel’s back. The pieces of bark lay on the ground destroyed and sliced into three perfect pieces.

[butterflyart]

+8