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Not that Hotarubi would ever admit it but it filled him with dread every time he stepped, or rather, hulked his way through the academy walls. It was tenative, in spite of his neutral expression as he walked. He had wanted to be here, and he kept to the side of the hallways and tried to remain inconspicious. Strength was all he wanted. He would do anything to get it - Hotarubi was cautious and careful because his clan respected it. That's all there was to it, protecting his own interests. He didn't care for much beyond that. Today was for more ninjutsu - to his own credit, the academy was an engaging place for learning (which he remembered in his first entrance to the academy) but this time was a little easier. He scratched his face as he headed out to one of his classrooms before a lesson. Today was on the ethics of academia. For some reason, he didn't think it was going to stay in his brain all that well. Ethics were for weak Shinobi and Hotarubi wasn't weak. (That was what he told himself to ignore the fact that this was his second run in the academy from being bullied and forced out of it by a stronger set of Yamakira at the time.) The memory filled him with an uncomfortable rage. "Ohayo gozaimasu." His montonous voice rang through the classroom as he bowed and entered, sliding the door shut past his entry.

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The lesson was as engaging as he had thought it was going to be. Why preach to the choir? The Yamakira had no interest in it - there were elements that he straightened his back for and wanted to understand but they were going to be military. Sure, he was the oldest in the class (and didn't intend on being there for long) but it was why he sat at the front with his arms crossed or taking notes, and didn't really interact with the younger... children there. Hotarubi did think himself better than all those little'uns in there. But, hands in pockets, he filtered out among the other 'shinobi' in the class, ground lightly tremoring in his immediate vicinity as he walked. His weight was the reason for that. But, the next lesson? That was the one he was interested in, ninjutsu theory. That was what he had been waiting for all day and he quickly filtered across the hallways, again to the side, to avoid all others and get into his next class. "Konnichiwa." His montonous voice rang through the classroom as he bowed and entered, sliding the door shut past his entry. He went and sat down at the front again. Today's lesson was written on the board, the Kawarimi technique. There were a few other subheaders which weren't as relevant to his interests - but that certainly perked up the near-man.

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Even as it started getting into the later of the end of the day, Hotarubi would be far from done. He wanted to put into practise what had been learnt. The Kawarimi technique was an intricate application of chakra that seemed too hard to use elsewhere in life, but it required a lot of concentration, and a lot of... well. Problematic things - but it was like someone had figured out a very niche use of chakra before he had even the chance to understand it for himself. And for his own weight, wouldn't that present to be a problem too? Hotarubi didn't know how to put it into practise beyond what had been taught in front of him. But, the instructor had provided an example of the technique and how best to apply it, as well as ironing in the imporantance of the other academy techniques. Hotarubi slugged his body across the hallways, again - at the sides rather than try to be pointed out by anybody. Hands in pockets, eyes droopy and dull but he was more alive than ever. He wanted to go find somewhere quiet so that during his lunch he could practise the technique. He didn't need to eat food during the lunch hours, that was for the weak children and Hotarubi was not weak. He could not be weak. He needed to be strong - and so he did, utilising those muscles of his to get moving along.

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He did eventually find a quieter spot that the children weren't playing in and not as many eyes were watching. Hotarubi liked to dub them the 'serious' students, the ones who were there to train - get out of the academy. Not the ones who needed to live. He took a breath, wondering where Nageku was in all of this mess. They did have somewhat conflicting timetables, so it wasn't that great a surprise. But, he got right to it- performed the handseal, kept his mind's eye on a log that had been provided among many of the discarded tools of the academy available to them, and tried forming his chakra to inspire his body to move beyond the realms of imagination. It was like trying to attach himself to the specific log, to move his body between it and also yeet the log in his place. Was it that simple? Lo and behold, it was not simple. For the soon-adult, he needed to get it right. What ended up happening was him rolling away from the log, going in a similar, but not quite direction. Too much chakra had been applied, and he was not appropriately controlling himself. But, his facial expression remained emotionless, even though he was annoyed at himself. Hotarubi thought better of himself to be troubled by stinking academy techniques.

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"Watch it!" Another student spoke loudly, harshly and with a tone of commandment over Hotarubi as he rolled, and the student had to jump over him. The second attempt had not gone much better than the first. "You can watch your fuckin mouth." Hotarubi slowly came to a stand, pushing himself up on his front, onto his knees and back up - placing a hand onto his knee to help him up. The annoying thing about being a Yamakira was the constant weight. He moved slower than others did - all because of it. He touched at the scar between his face, rubbing some dirt out of it. But, he stared rather belligerently at the other student - and clicked through his teeth as they had nothing to say and he walked past, barging his shoulder at them. Clearly, being the weight Hotarubi was, was easily able to do so. He ignored the following condescending shouts. Back to his spot, the log had not moved from its original position. He really needed to focus. Wanted to focus - had to see in his minds eye how he would have to move in one swift motion from the fingertips to his ankles in the turning, the turning back and the placement. He held his eyes shut, considering the movement, the way he would try to apply his chakra. And then it happened: He fell over, but the Log was in his former position. "Ah-" A sound of some ease in that he could, in fact, do a single and simple academy student technique. Most people would have been happy to do it, but he was not. Would he be quicker than Nageku in passing out of the academy? He hoped so.

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It didn't really appease other students to see him getting the technique; but then again they also very likely did not care. If Hotarubi was feeling pleasure at the sight of having accomplished something, it would not be shown on his uncaring, one-tone face. But, the hour had passed inevitably quickly. He made his way back indoors, ambling with various thoughts in his mind - about what to eat later, about what he was going to deal after he was off school. God, he felt so much taller and out of place in the academy. Made his way into next classroom, more makeshift than the rest of them - with a more open dojo type of space. Physical exercise - this was to try and break them down and build them back up. It was one that he wasn't particularly gifted in. Not because he was bad at it, but because his body weighed as much as it did in the tight musculature of his body. How did sweat work? Well, he was having to actively use chakra to be human so that he could work out, not using the earthen body instead. It was how he got all of his sick muscles, but even as he worked his face would not change: more focused on how he would achieve similar results again when it came to performing the Kawarimi technique once again.

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Hotarubi skipped his next class. History. Ugh. He hated it - couldn't stand it. The only history he was interested in was the glory of the Yamakira, and he only needed his clansmen for that - who had recently begun to speak to him again on account of rejoining the academy as a student. That was a story for another day, but he would go back out to where he'd been before - out of the eye of any preening academy teachers and to practise the Kawarimi again. It was actually quite... exhausting. When you combined the energy he needed to make his weight move and the use of chakra earlier in the day, as well as physical exercise? Hotarubi was feeling a little bit rough. But even so his mental fortitude would carry on for him until he was dry as dirt. The log had not moved since he had been out there last - the sun was well into the afternoon by this point and it was setting itself into a bit of a lull period insofar as the temperature went. He enjoyed it, the sleevless shirts were perfect for this weather, but he stripped himself of that too - knowing it was about to get hot and heavy in the forest for him.

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Chakra exhaustion was more of a tale for Yamakira than most others. Because no chakra meant being unable to turn into a human - and being unable to turn into a human meant that you couldn't eat shit fuck. Or, at least, he hadn't figured it out yet himself if there were in that form. You couldn't do all of the things necessary to survive and thrive, and that was something all of them needed to be able to do. It wasn't impossible, and you could do it under That being said, Hotarubi was starting to veer toward that territory of having no dinner for the night as he worked, taking breaks here and there and using the same technique. It was so low level, so why was it so difficult? He believed more in himself - had more pride and cockiness to believe this was a simple hurdle. So, why were other students doing better than him? It infuriated him to no end, and so as he stood there, lunch having rolled past and other students performing techniques as well he tucked his hands underneath his armpits and stared with jealousy. Not that his face would show it, but he certainly felt a rosiness in his sharp cheeks. Whether they were there or not because he was currently made of earth was another problem.

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All of the things he wanted to do did not really end up happening, because it had gone into the evening - the sun was setting at this point and only the dedicated students were there. He had continuously since his thriving absence been focusing on the technique and was performing it, albeit with all of the grace that an academy student could: and would consider it a part of his repertoire from that point. Now, he would actually need to achieve it mid combat! That was something he was looking forward to, so that he could blow everybody's minds - and himself - out of the academy. That would leave the remaining transformation technique, and if he was being honest it was the one he was least looking forward to do. But right now, all he wanted to do was go eat some noodles, and he packed up his things, and would leave the academy for the evening to return back to the clan compound. He noted that he had not seen Nageku at all today, wondering where the other near-adult had gone to. He wanted to brag to his brother, being as brothers did they were quite tight knit considering they were both Yamakiras. "oi oi oi-" he entered his own home. "Nage-" he called out, closing the door behind him. And the noise would become a muffle to the rest of the world. [end]