[Yasuraka Hitsukai]

It's strange to be back. . .

That simple thought found itself repeated at nausea within Hitsukai's mind as he wandered the city streets. It had been over eight years since he had found himself in Sunagakure proper. Apart from the occasional visit to the Temple of Bishamon on the outer edge of the plateau which the city had hollowed out; he had seen the shinobi village itself which was entirely strange for someone part of their shinobi forces. As he wandered through the village he found several shops or home who's inhabitants he had known were gone, with something new having replaced either the buildings or the people within. It brought a pain to his heart, but at the same time he had expected this; time stood still for no individual. It was only natural that Sunagakure would continue to change over the many years he had been gone.

Hitsukai stopped for several moments out front of the administration building. He could remember the time he had spoken with the Kazekage. The man had been trying to put together a more experienced team he could trust to help keep an eye on his daughter. Hitsukai was supposed to have joined that team, but the temple had made different plans for him, plans which had put his life as a shinobi on hold. He wondered idly what had happened with the team, how the Kazekage might look and act now, if his daughter had managed to progress with the Jinchuuriki within her.

A frown formed on the man's face at the thought of the bijuu. While he personally still did not understand why the Sage tolerated the village making use of such a vile creature; in the end it was a decision beyond his station in life. Still though, he found himself hoping that the devil had not corrupted the Kazekage's daughter. While he had met her on a single occasion, he had heard about her from time to time and more importantly her father seemed already drowning in responsibility. He did not believe that Oonakayama-Sama needed any further burdens to carry.

Forcing his feet to step one after another, Hitsukai moved away from the distant memory. He had no clue what laid ahead of him, both literally and figuratively; regardless though. His only path was forward and in this exact moment, that meant relearning the layout of the village and finding any other changes he needed to know about.

Made by Riley at THQ!

[Oonakayama Arashi]

A Stranger in His Homeland TAG. Yasuraka Hitsukai WORDS. xxx NOTES:

Moment Music "Ya know? Last time I saw a head that bald....my first thought was just how in the hell they got it so clean shaved...and the second was if that guy was supposed to be my new teacher..." A voice would speak out from the side as Hitsukai continued down his path through the village, yet it would appear at the side of him as a woman would approach him with a smirk resting upon her lips. The young woman would then place one hand on her hip, laughing lightly before then shaking her head as she bowed politely. "Sorry...sorry! Ya probably don't remember me....we were on the same squad for a bit...Team 2 under Toshiko Homura? I was the girl with the scowl..." Despite it being eight years ago, Arashi had not forgotten the smell of the monk that had come to the village, seemly dedicated to his goal of being a shinobi. Naturally, their team had not made it passed their first meeting unfortunately and had disbanded only after a short period of time. Which, in truth, had been sad. But there were matters that had come up for not only their leader but also because of its members. Arashi wasn't exactly jolly at the idea of working with anyone, and she imagined that had been part of it. Of course, seeing Hitsukai after all this time was a bit of a shocker. But it was a good surprise considering she had only recently come back herself from an outing. "Long time no see Hitsukai..." SPOILER: Click to show -S.A Used- Will of Sand Will of Sand- Adding the element of her own chakra into the mixture of sand, Arashi is capable of faster and stronger sand manipulation and attacks. The extent of this control is due to the supply gathered within her gourd, granting the bonus of power, but limited to only the amount contained within it. This ability makes her constructions more dense and harder to break down, and the swiftness of their creation is instant rather than requiring the prior time of build-up as before due to the strengthened bond between Arashi and Shukaku. Ultimate Defense A Skill granted by her continued use and developed relationship with Shukaku over the continued use of his control over sand, Arashi has a stronger connection to the element, allowing her to use it at a much more intensive rate than before. As such, her defenses are much more adapt and capable of taking on stronger attacks and reinforcing itself at faster speed. This adaptation to the sand shield allows for it's reaction time to have increased and make it more challenging for attacks to connect and break through the first layer, while acting still on the natural inclinations of auto-repairing itself for the next strike. Sand Control Arashi is granted two forms of defense by the Ichibi. The first one is a subconscious ability granted by the Bijuu is that there is constantly a barrier of sand clinging to Arashi’s skin. This barrier acts as a shield against her skin, absorbing heavy blows and protecting her. Her sand defense is very tough, being very difficult to break through. The sand has been likened to steel and concrete. The second form is one which pulls sand from her surroundings and the sand piled on her skin to form a visible barrier and dome like barrier around her. The sand is typically pulled from the ground and any nearby source. Arashi’s various dogs often have a plentiful amount of sand carried in their thick coats. As such, the sand is often pulled from their coats to be used to protect the girl. Through the course of her training, Arashi has learned to control both of these forms of defense to a degree, making her much more capable of mounting a defense in a variety of ways. But she still at times must incumbent some cooperation from Shukaku to ensure of it's sustainability. Arashi can control sand and wind around herself to whip up sandstorms with powerful gusts. The sandstorm often appears when she’s emotionally strained and damaged. If there is no sand around her, powerful breezes will still gather around her. Shukaku enjoys teasing the girl to the point where sandstorms appear. But with the course of time, Arashi had grown more comfortable with this and developed a thick skin towards such actions by the Bijuu. While Arashi had previous had little to no control over her other sand related abilities, she has a somewhat capable hand at this one. Because of the trauma of her sand attacking her classmates at a young age, Arashi has managed to reign in some of this power. Learning to bend the sand to her will, Arashi can keep it from hurting those she doesn’t want it to hurt. Sand will be gathered from nearby sources to be used as a weapon when this ability activates. This ability typically only activates when Arashi is in severe danger, but it has now become possible for her to do so with ease. Though it is more prone to activating near or on full moons. The sand takes the form of blunt objects or tendrils to bash or choke enemies. During moments of extreme strain, Arashi loses all control over this ability as well. -Jutsu Used- -Items Used- -Familiar Used-

MADE BY VEL OF GS

[Yasuraka Hitsukai]

As Hitsukai began to step away from the Administration Building, a voice rang out from the crowd. The most minor of twitches at the corner of Hitsukai's left eye occurred at what seemed initially a dig at his shaved head; the voice continued on giving much needed follow up to spark a memory in Hitsukai's mind which served to soothe the initial annoyance. Turning to the now apologizing woman, Hitsukai was definitely surprised at the stark contrast between the face he remembered being connected to that particular story and the one that stood before him.

Gone was the girl who looked more street urchin than defacto royalty and walking human weapon; now a matured and beautiful woman in her place. In all honesty, it was quite the shock to the monk; the sheer contrast between his memory and what his eyes witnessed now made him momentarily doubt if it was truly her. As she continued on in her explanation with details of the team they had been assigned to, the teacher they were supposed to have had and the permanent scowl she had bore back then; the truth finally seemed to snap into place and throw his disbelief to the wind.


"It has been some time Arashi~-Sama. I am very surprised you remembered me."


His manner of addressing her was obviously a bit awkward, caught between the odd predicament of the woman being kin to the Kazekage, a superior ranking shinobi, someone he was supposed to have been on the same team with and the host to a beast his and most religions viewed with disapproval at best. While he did not personally hold her situation as a host against her, it was still awkward to know that the Shukaku laid somewhere behind the eyes that now were looking at him.

Adding to the awkwardness Hitsukai was experiencing was the fact that she had actually remembered him. While it would have been normal not to remember someone you met once so long ago, it was even more abnormal given the amount of dislike she had seemed to view others with back in that time. Further more, from what he had heard the woman had already made quite the name for herself, although he admittedly was lacking in anything in the way or details admittedly.



OOC: (There was definitely a bit of a pause between her name and the sama honorific, perhaps even an unconscious brow raise as if to question if such a manner of addressing her was appropriate.)

Made by Riley at THQ!

[Oonakayama Arashi]

A Stranger in His Homeland TAG. Yasuraka Hitsukai WORDS. xxx NOTES:

While he seemed a bit hesitant in just how to address her, Arashi would simply allow it to slide as it was honestly not a major concern for her. After all, while it could easily have been an insult, it wasn't as if the man had any real indication of just how much she had in the range of respect. Granted, it was a lot more than what she had when the two had first met. Still, it could have been worse if he hadn't even tried, and she was more forgiving than most when it came to such things. "Heh...I try to have a good memory when it comes to faces and names...helps with techniques...seals...and a lot of other stuff..." It wasn't too far off. Arashi just always seemed to have a good memory of things. It was what allowed her to be so good with seals, and with a lot of techniques. It made her capable of recalling events, actions, and styles she had seen. Smells she had encountered her locked deep in her memory, and movements she had seen in the past. They were all in there, some just were hidden deeper than others. Her recall capabilities were indeed top-notch, but she wouldn't call them perfect. Though Hitsukai stood out. Much of their first meeting did. Short as it may have been, they had been some of the most geninue displays of teamwork and what it felt like to be on a squad. It was just sadly not meant to be. "Still...surprised to see you make in Sunagakure...Eight years is quite the leave of duty..." SPOILER: Click to show -S.A Used- Will of Sand Will of Sand- Adding the element of her own chakra into the mixture of sand, Arashi is capable of faster and stronger sand manipulation and attacks. The extent of this control is due to the supply gathered within her gourd, granting the bonus of power, but limited to only the amount contained within it. This ability makes her constructions more dense and harder to break down, and the swiftness of their creation is instant rather than requiring the prior time of build-up as before due to the strengthened bond between Arashi and Shukaku. Ultimate Defense A Skill granted by her continued use and developed relationship with Shukaku over the continued use of his control over sand, Arashi has a stronger connection to the element, allowing her to use it at a much more intensive rate than before. As such, her defenses are much more adapt and capable of taking on stronger attacks and reinforcing itself at faster speed. This adaptation to the sand shield allows for it's reaction time to have increased and make it more challenging for attacks to connect and break through the first layer, while acting still on the natural inclinations of auto-repairing itself for the next strike. Sand Control Arashi is granted two forms of defense by the Ichibi. The first one is a subconscious ability granted by the Bijuu is that there is constantly a barrier of sand clinging to Arashi’s skin. This barrier acts as a shield against her skin, absorbing heavy blows and protecting her. Her sand defense is very tough, being very difficult to break through. The sand has been likened to steel and concrete. The second form is one which pulls sand from her surroundings and the sand piled on her skin to form a visible barrier and dome like barrier around her. The sand is typically pulled from the ground and any nearby source. Arashi’s various dogs often have a plentiful amount of sand carried in their thick coats. As such, the sand is often pulled from their coats to be used to protect the girl. Through the course of her training, Arashi has learned to control both of these forms of defense to a degree, making her much more capable of mounting a defense in a variety of ways. But she still at times must incumbent some cooperation from Shukaku to ensure of it's sustainability. Arashi can control sand and wind around herself to whip up sandstorms with powerful gusts. The sandstorm often appears when she’s emotionally strained and damaged. If there is no sand around her, powerful breezes will still gather around her. Shukaku enjoys teasing the girl to the point where sandstorms appear. But with the course of time, Arashi had grown more comfortable with this and developed a thick skin towards such actions by the Bijuu. While Arashi had previous had little to no control over her other sand related abilities, she has a somewhat capable hand at this one. Because of the trauma of her sand attacking her classmates at a young age, Arashi has managed to reign in some of this power. Learning to bend the sand to her will, Arashi can keep it from hurting those she doesn’t want it to hurt. Sand will be gathered from nearby sources to be used as a weapon when this ability activates. This ability typically only activates when Arashi is in severe danger, but it has now become possible for her to do so with ease. Though it is more prone to activating near or on full moons. The sand takes the form of blunt objects or tendrils to bash or choke enemies. During moments of extreme strain, Arashi loses all control over this ability as well. -Jutsu Used- -Items Used- -Familiar Used-

MADE BY VEL OF GS

[Yasuraka Hitsukai]

It seemed that his attempt at respect had been accepted, that or Arashi did not care at all as to how he addressed her. Either way Hitsukai planned to stick with the honorific for the time being. Arashi continued on with her statements and Hitsukai could really only take her word on a good memory helping with techniques and seals, since he had never learned to use any of them himself; it made some amount of sense though. From what little he did know, most jutsu required a chain of handseals and remebering the order of those seemed likely to be troublesome.

Hituskai simply gave a nod of agreement to her words for the time being, listening intently as she eventually touched upon his lengthy absence. A small frown appeared on the man's face, not because the statement upset him or anything; the frown was more due to his lack of understanding as to why he had been taken off his path so long.


"It was indeed a long time away. I am unsure if you heard or not, but I was transferred to the Prophets of Bishamon. I was told by Tenmura-Sama that he could sense doubt in me and that I needed to see to good that the order was doing throughout the world. . . then when I was in my final year before earning my arrows Tenmura-Sama came to me once again with a choice. Either take my arrows or rejoin the Warriors of Bishamon."


Hitsukai's right hand drifted up to the back of his shaved head and gave a faint scratching movement as his eyes glanced towards the main entrance to the village, the same direction where the Temple of Bishamon laid. It honestly had left Hitsukai entirely confused. He did not know if this had all been some sort of grand test for him and if so what exactly its purpose would have been. All he could do was make his decisions and do his best to meet what was required of him.


"I must say though, it seems I will have quite a lot of catching up to do. My travels left little time for much in the way of proper training outside of the basic drills I had already learned. You on the other hand have come quite far from what I have heard."

Made by Riley at THQ!

[Oonakayama Arashi]

A Stranger in His Homeland TAG. Yasuraka Hitsukai WORDS. xxx NOTES:

"Life seems to give hard choices to everyone it seems...even dedicated monks..." A small smirk crossed her lips as she kept her hands at her sides, listening as the man continued to explain his initiative. Apparently, he intended to continue his training, though he was certainly far behind than most. Still, the effort was always what counted in the end. She'd seen seasoned shinobi become eclipsed by others thought less talented before, it wouldn't be the first time it happened. Still, he seemed impressed with her own progress since those days of old, prompting Arashi to cough into her hand as she shrugged her shoulders. "I've just been lucky....and fortunate to have met a lot of people over the years to help me grow. It took some time but I started to get it together..." Looking off to the side, the person she had been was still there, but it certainly had smoothed out with some of her edges. Honestly, it was more impressive that she had lived long enough to see it with the lack of judgment she had in situations. But, the trust had to come from somewhere, and it had shown with her even becoming the Jounin Hanchou of Sunagakure. "But thanks...I owe a bit of that to people like you too...Can't see the girl I was in those days being responsible for a village of people..." In the end, she was starting to grow more comfortable with the idea and honestly, while she may not have wished it, deep down, she was starting to see just what it was that her father saw in her to consider her a likely successor to the role of Kazekage. "Though enough about me....I take it that with ya training again your gonna try for the exams?" SPOILER: Click to show -S.A Used- Will of Sand Will of Sand- Adding the element of her own chakra into the mixture of sand, Arashi is capable of faster and stronger sand manipulation and attacks. The extent of this control is due to the supply gathered within her gourd, granting the bonus of power, but limited to only the amount contained within it. This ability makes her constructions more dense and harder to break down, and the swiftness of their creation is instant rather than requiring the prior time of build-up as before due to the strengthened bond between Arashi and Shukaku. Ultimate Defense A Skill granted by her continued use and developed relationship with Shukaku over the continued use of his control over sand, Arashi has a stronger connection to the element, allowing her to use it at a much more intensive rate than before. As such, her defenses are much more adapt and capable of taking on stronger attacks and reinforcing itself at faster speed. This adaptation to the sand shield allows for it's reaction time to have increased and make it more challenging for attacks to connect and break through the first layer, while acting still on the natural inclinations of auto-repairing itself for the next strike. Sand Control Arashi is granted two forms of defense by the Ichibi. The first one is a subconscious ability granted by the Bijuu is that there is constantly a barrier of sand clinging to Arashi’s skin. This barrier acts as a shield against her skin, absorbing heavy blows and protecting her. Her sand defense is very tough, being very difficult to break through. The sand has been likened to steel and concrete. The second form is one which pulls sand from her surroundings and the sand piled on her skin to form a visible barrier and dome like barrier around her. The sand is typically pulled from the ground and any nearby source. Arashi’s various dogs often have a plentiful amount of sand carried in their thick coats. As such, the sand is often pulled from their coats to be used to protect the girl. Through the course of her training, Arashi has learned to control both of these forms of defense to a degree, making her much more capable of mounting a defense in a variety of ways. But she still at times must incumbent some cooperation from Shukaku to ensure of it's sustainability. Arashi can control sand and wind around herself to whip up sandstorms with powerful gusts. The sandstorm often appears when she’s emotionally strained and damaged. If there is no sand around her, powerful breezes will still gather around her. Shukaku enjoys teasing the girl to the point where sandstorms appear. But with the course of time, Arashi had grown more comfortable with this and developed a thick skin towards such actions by the Bijuu. While Arashi had previous had little to no control over her other sand related abilities, she has a somewhat capable hand at this one. Because of the trauma of her sand attacking her classmates at a young age, Arashi has managed to reign in some of this power. Learning to bend the sand to her will, Arashi can keep it from hurting those she doesn’t want it to hurt. Sand will be gathered from nearby sources to be used as a weapon when this ability activates. This ability typically only activates when Arashi is in severe danger, but it has now become possible for her to do so with ease. Though it is more prone to activating near or on full moons. The sand takes the form of blunt objects or tendrils to bash or choke enemies. During moments of extreme strain, Arashi loses all control over this ability as well. -Jutsu Used- -Items Used- -Familiar Used-

MADE BY VEL OF GS

[Yasuraka Hitsukai]

Just as Arashi had listened attentively to his own explanation as to where he had disappeared to the past several years; Hitsukai listened with undivided attention in turn. Admittedly there was a small part of him that was surprised by the amount of humility Arashi displayed. While he understood she was not the person she was before, it was still unexpected that she would chalk up all her accomplishments to others rather than herself or even the bijuu within her. Perhaps the most surprising was her saying that she owed it to people like him as well.

Hitsukai could not help, but reflexively give a slight bob of his head as thanks for the vague credit he and the rest of Suna's population had been given. It certainly had caught him off guard, but what surprised him even more after was the pivot to questioning whether he intended to participate in the upcoming exams. With a slight amount of embarrassment, Hitsukai's right hand instinctually rose up to scratch the back of his head. Hitsukai was definitely not used to compliments or being made the subject of a conversation.


"While I may not have many missions under my belt or certain skills those of my rank have, I was considering it. Tenmura-Sama hasn't said anything against it, but I get the impression he doesn't necessarily agree. Even if I don't do particularly well though I feel it would be a good experience for me; even if just helps me understand what I may be lacking."


As Hitsukai spoke, there was an odd mixture of confidence and uncertainty to his words. While he was confident in his reasoning to participate, the fact that the leader of his order had not given a clear agreement or disagreement had left him unsure if it really was the best thing to do. He could not figure out if Tenmura was trying to discourage him participating in the exams without discouraging him from continuing on the path of being a Warrior of Bishamon or if it was something else entirely.


"I suppose that just brings us back to what you said, hard choices and all that."


He gave a bit of an awkward chuckle after his words, a bit embarrassed by airing his uncertainty to someone who had not seen him in years. After all in Hitsukai's mind these types of social interactions were meant to be niceties, catching up on the highlights of what happened since you last saw one another and idle conversation rather than serious topics. Unfortunately Hitsukai had never exactly mastered the perfectly stoic demeanor expected of the monks. While he could attain something close during a fight most of the time, situations outside of that he tended to wear his heart on his sleeve.

Made by Riley at THQ!

[Oonakayama Arashi]

A Stranger in His Homeland TAG. Yasuraka Hitsukai WORDS. xxx NOTES:

Arashi remained quiet as the older male explained just where his position and thinking was on the subject of joining the many others of the village in taking on the exams. It certainly was a big decision, but one that many took as a means of progressing further into their place within the village. Of course, with someone who had as many commitments as Hitsukai had, she could imagine why he was hesitating just a bit. "Ya seem to take what they say to heart huh?" It was a fair assumption, considering how serious he was taking their words and thoughts on his path. Of course, Arashi couldn't say that she didn't do the same. Though in the end, it came down to just what it was that she wanted to do. Granted, taking the wisdom of others wasn't a bad idea, it didn't change the fact that in the end, it was the choice of the individual that made the impact. "Kinda comes down to what ya want...ya know? Otherwise, all your doing is just following the path of another and not your own...." Crossing her arms, the Sunagakure nin would then smirk as she looked toward the monk with a calm expression. "So what is it that you want? Do you want to continue being a shinobi or do ya want to follow the traditional walk of a monk?" SPOILER: Click to show -S.A Used- Will of Sand Will of Sand- Adding the element of her own chakra into the mixture of sand, Arashi is capable of faster and stronger sand manipulation and attacks. The extent of this control is due to the supply gathered within her gourd, granting the bonus of power, but limited to only the amount contained within it. This ability makes her constructions more dense and harder to break down, and the swiftness of their creation is instant rather than requiring the prior time of build-up as before due to the strengthened bond between Arashi and Shukaku. Ultimate Defense A Skill granted by her continued use and developed relationship with Shukaku over the continued use of his control over sand, Arashi has a stronger connection to the element, allowing her to use it at a much more intensive rate than before. As such, her defenses are much more adapt and capable of taking on stronger attacks and reinforcing itself at faster speed. This adaptation to the sand shield allows for it's reaction time to have increased and make it more challenging for attacks to connect and break through the first layer, while acting still on the natural inclinations of auto-repairing itself for the next strike. Sand Control Arashi is granted two forms of defense by the Ichibi. The first one is a subconscious ability granted by the Bijuu is that there is constantly a barrier of sand clinging to Arashi’s skin. This barrier acts as a shield against her skin, absorbing heavy blows and protecting her. Her sand defense is very tough, being very difficult to break through. The sand has been likened to steel and concrete. The second form is one which pulls sand from her surroundings and the sand piled on her skin to form a visible barrier and dome like barrier around her. The sand is typically pulled from the ground and any nearby source. Arashi’s various dogs often have a plentiful amount of sand carried in their thick coats. As such, the sand is often pulled from their coats to be used to protect the girl. Through the course of her training, Arashi has learned to control both of these forms of defense to a degree, making her much more capable of mounting a defense in a variety of ways. But she still at times must incumbent some cooperation from Shukaku to ensure of it's sustainability. Arashi can control sand and wind around herself to whip up sandstorms with powerful gusts. The sandstorm often appears when she’s emotionally strained and damaged. If there is no sand around her, powerful breezes will still gather around her. Shukaku enjoys teasing the girl to the point where sandstorms appear. But with the course of time, Arashi had grown more comfortable with this and developed a thick skin towards such actions by the Bijuu. While Arashi had previous had little to no control over her other sand related abilities, she has a somewhat capable hand at this one. Because of the trauma of her sand attacking her classmates at a young age, Arashi has managed to reign in some of this power. Learning to bend the sand to her will, Arashi can keep it from hurting those she doesn’t want it to hurt. Sand will be gathered from nearby sources to be used as a weapon when this ability activates. This ability typically only activates when Arashi is in severe danger, but it has now become possible for her to do so with ease. Though it is more prone to activating near or on full moons. The sand takes the form of blunt objects or tendrils to bash or choke enemies. During moments of extreme strain, Arashi loses all control over this ability as well. -Jutsu Used- -Items Used- -Familiar Used-

MADE BY VEL OF GS

[Yasuraka Hitsukai]

Ya seem to take what they say to heart huh?

The words had Hitsukai positively confused for several moments, in his mind it was hard to imagine not caring about what was effectively his family thought about him. Apart for what had probably been a few hours in the time between his birth to the point he had been left on the temple steps, he had been among the other monks. They had been the ones to care for him, teach him and in general gave some purpose to his life that he could only imagine his parents had felt was without value.

Perhaps Arashi noticed his confusion or maybe the continuation of her words had always been intended. Either way Hitsukai would do his best to refocus on what she was saying. Her words still left him a bit confused, but at least he could understand the point she was trying to make. A small frown formed on his face as he contemplated Arashi's words. Hitsukai would slowly give his answer, still actively thinking of what it was he wanted even as the words began to escape his mouth.


"I'm not quite sure if any of our paths are solely decided by us. We might like to think that only we decide what we do, but there are many other factors. What we are taught, what is expected of us, what we desire; and to me at least, what is needed of us. I was taught the importance of law and order, that it's something to be defended. I honestly don't know what others expect of me, I can guess, but I can't be sure."


There was a slight pause as Hitsukai's arms moved outwards as he stretched and turned a bit to look towards the temple at the entrance of the village. His slow words had gradually began to speed up, something akin to a floodgate being opened due to seemingly simple question. His arms moved again after the stretch to interlace with one another behind his head as he finally began to speak once more.


"My desire. . . I just want to find some way to pay Bishamon, the other monks and this village back for giving someone dumped on their steps the opportunity to prove they weren't worthless. I could just walk around as a Prophet of Bishamon giving arbitration and picking up petty criminals, but that just smooths the edges; it ain't gonna stop a hammer from coming down and smashing all of this. Maybe in the end I'll do less good than I could in a lifetime with the Prophets, but it just seems like it that path which would provide the biggest of differences for everyone here."


Hitsukai finally blinked a bit, realizing just how informal he had become and how much he had begun to ramble. While it was to a degree embarrassing, it had also been somewhat cathartic to get it all off his chest. Turning slight, Hitsukai's eye would peek back towards Arashi to try and gauge her reaction while still hiding the bit of embarrassment on his face.

Made by Riley at THQ!

[Oonakayama Arashi]

A Stranger in His Homeland TAG. Yasuraka Hitsukai WORDS. xxx NOTES:

Factors in life decide our path as much as we do.... Arashi may have not liked the idea, but there was certainly a lot of truth in the monk's words... She was living proof of it... The fact that she wasn't some rampaging monster or a crazed lunatic with an absurd amount of power was in large part due to just the way she was raised. It had value in just about every aspect of her being, even if she didn't want to admit it. The choice had often been an issue for her, but many of her choices had been things that her parents had expected and that she knew or at least believed to be right. Granted, she cut corners at times, but her morals were no more different than those close to her. Moment Music So hearing how Hitsukai's desire was to give back and to protect the village by making the biggest difference, it prompted her to flash a toothy grin as she then allowed one of her arms to hang down at her side before brushing the dust from her robes. "Heh hehe...they don't make many like you anymore...Sounds awesome..." That said, the young princess would then close her eyes before making her way toward him and passing him briefly. "Then ya can't be standing around lookin all dazed. Ya got a exam to get ready for right? Thankfully...ya got me here and I happen to be the best test dummy around...lets get to work..." SPOILER: Click to show -S.A Used- Will of Sand Will of Sand- Adding the element of her own chakra into the mixture of sand, Arashi is capable of faster and stronger sand manipulation and attacks. The extent of this control is due to the supply gathered within her gourd, granting the bonus of power, but limited to only the amount contained within it. This ability makes her constructions more dense and harder to break down, and the swiftness of their creation is instant rather than requiring the prior time of build-up as before due to the strengthened bond between Arashi and Shukaku. Ultimate Defense A Skill granted by her continued use and developed relationship with Shukaku over the continued use of his control over sand, Arashi has a stronger connection to the element, allowing her to use it at a much more intensive rate than before. As such, her defenses are much more adapt and capable of taking on stronger attacks and reinforcing itself at faster speed. This adaptation to the sand shield allows for it's reaction time to have increased and make it more challenging for attacks to connect and break through the first layer, while acting still on the natural inclinations of auto-repairing itself for the next strike. Sand Control Arashi is granted two forms of defense by the Ichibi. The first one is a subconscious ability granted by the Bijuu is that there is constantly a barrier of sand clinging to Arashi’s skin. This barrier acts as a shield against her skin, absorbing heavy blows and protecting her. Her sand defense is very tough, being very difficult to break through. The sand has been likened to steel and concrete. The second form is one which pulls sand from her surroundings and the sand piled on her skin to form a visible barrier and dome like barrier around her. The sand is typically pulled from the ground and any nearby source. Arashi’s various dogs often have a plentiful amount of sand carried in their thick coats. As such, the sand is often pulled from their coats to be used to protect the girl. Through the course of her training, Arashi has learned to control both of these forms of defense to a degree, making her much more capable of mounting a defense in a variety of ways. But she still at times must incumbent some cooperation from Shukaku to ensure of it's sustainability. Arashi can control sand and wind around herself to whip up sandstorms with powerful gusts. The sandstorm often appears when she’s emotionally strained and damaged. If there is no sand around her, powerful breezes will still gather around her. Shukaku enjoys teasing the girl to the point where sandstorms appear. But with the course of time, Arashi had grown more comfortable with this and developed a thick skin towards such actions by the Bijuu. While Arashi had previous had little to no control over her other sand related abilities, she has a somewhat capable hand at this one. Because of the trauma of her sand attacking her classmates at a young age, Arashi has managed to reign in some of this power. Learning to bend the sand to her will, Arashi can keep it from hurting those she doesn’t want it to hurt. Sand will be gathered from nearby sources to be used as a weapon when this ability activates. This ability typically only activates when Arashi is in severe danger, but it has now become possible for her to do so with ease. Though it is more prone to activating near or on full moons. The sand takes the form of blunt objects or tendrils to bash or choke enemies. During moments of extreme strain, Arashi loses all control over this ability as well. -Jutsu Used- -Items Used- -Familiar Used-

MADE BY VEL OF GS

[Yasuraka Hitsukai]

While there was still a hint of embarrassment, Arashi's response helped to dissipate a great deal of it. While some might have mocked him for being too idealistic or maybe even accuse him of just saying such things because he was in front of the Jounin Hanchou, Arashi simply accepted it as truth and praised him all the same.

As she began to walk past Hitsukai, a part of him felt worried that their conversation was already over and that she had decided to leave. To pour your guts out to someone, them praise you and then seemingly moving to leave had him in a storm of unexpected emotion which was then made all the more turbulent by her stopping and stating that they had work to do. Honestly, Hitsukai was a bit dumb founded by then; the monk giving a level nod before his mind fully processed what she had said at which point his eyes widened a bit and brows shot up.


"Eh?! Is that really okay for us to be doing? Aren't you busy as Hanchou? I would not want to pull you away from something more important."


Hitsukai was genuinely caught off guard by the suggestion and while he did indeed have concerns as to whether he would be keeping her from more important work, the truth was he also was unsure about her offer to be a test dummy. Then again he could also see that it was likely the only way she could be of help to him given the vast differences in their methods of fighting and the large gap between their levels of skill.

Even with the concerns going through his mind, Hitsukai admittedly also found himself considering just how exactly he would go about even trying to fight her. Surprisingly the idea of such an uphill challenge had part of him incredibly excited. If Arashi confirmed that it was indeed fine, then Hitsukai would agree to it as well.

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[Oonakayama Arashi]

A Stranger in His Homeland TAG. Yasuraka Hitsukai WORDS. xxx NOTES:

"I don't think the village is gonna burn to the ground if I take a few moments to help ya out. Sides...I came out here to get some air anyway...this way I get some training in and you also get to improve and come up with new ideas to succeed. I'd call that a win-win..." With a smirk on her face, she'd look over her shoulder to make sure that Hitsukai was still behind her, continuing forth as they made their way to one of the sections of the field that were prepared for training purposes. "Anything ya wanted to work on specifically?" In stating this, Arashi would begin to create a seal across the surface of her hand, causing it to glow before allowing her sand gourd to appear across her back. Adjusting the strap across her shoulder, the young female would then turn to face the monk with a grin. If a part of her seemed a bit eager, it was because she was. After all, she had never faced a true monk of the order before and they were renown for their skills. Naturally, it did make her wonder just what talents they possessed. Of course, she also wanted to help an old teammate. Brief as it may have been, it did allow for some questions of what if they had made it as a squad? Would they still be around? Or would something had happened? In truth, what would their team have been if they had stuck together? SPOILER: Click to show -S.A Used- Will of Sand Will of Sand- Adding the element of her own chakra into the mixture of sand, Arashi is capable of faster and stronger sand manipulation and attacks. The extent of this control is due to the supply gathered within her gourd, granting the bonus of power, but limited to only the amount contained within it. This ability makes her constructions more dense and harder to break down, and the swiftness of their creation is instant rather than requiring the prior time of build-up as before due to the strengthened bond between Arashi and Shukaku. Ultimate Defense A Skill granted by her continued use and developed relationship with Shukaku over the continued use of his control over sand, Arashi has a stronger connection to the element, allowing her to use it at a much more intensive rate than before. As such, her defenses are much more adapt and capable of taking on stronger attacks and reinforcing itself at faster speed. This adaptation to the sand shield allows for it's reaction time to have increased and make it more challenging for attacks to connect and break through the first layer, while acting still on the natural inclinations of auto-repairing itself for the next strike. Sand Control Arashi is granted two forms of defense by the Ichibi. The first one is a subconscious ability granted by the Bijuu is that there is constantly a barrier of sand clinging to Arashi’s skin. This barrier acts as a shield against her skin, absorbing heavy blows and protecting her. Her sand defense is very tough, being very difficult to break through. The sand has been likened to steel and concrete. The second form is one which pulls sand from her surroundings and the sand piled on her skin to form a visible barrier and dome like barrier around her. The sand is typically pulled from the ground and any nearby source. Arashi’s various dogs often have a plentiful amount of sand carried in their thick coats. As such, the sand is often pulled from their coats to be used to protect the girl. Through the course of her training, Arashi has learned to control both of these forms of defense to a degree, making her much more capable of mounting a defense in a variety of ways. But she still at times must incumbent some cooperation from Shukaku to ensure of it's sustainability. Arashi can control sand and wind around herself to whip up sandstorms with powerful gusts. The sandstorm often appears when she’s emotionally strained and damaged. If there is no sand around her, powerful breezes will still gather around her. Shukaku enjoys teasing the girl to the point where sandstorms appear. But with the course of time, Arashi had grown more comfortable with this and developed a thick skin towards such actions by the Bijuu. While Arashi had previous had little to no control over her other sand related abilities, she has a somewhat capable hand at this one. Because of the trauma of her sand attacking her classmates at a young age, Arashi has managed to reign in some of this power. Learning to bend the sand to her will, Arashi can keep it from hurting those she doesn’t want it to hurt. Sand will be gathered from nearby sources to be used as a weapon when this ability activates. This ability typically only activates when Arashi is in severe danger, but it has now become possible for her to do so with ease. Though it is more prone to activating near or on full moons. The sand takes the form of blunt objects or tendrils to bash or choke enemies. During moments of extreme strain, Arashi loses all control over this ability as well. -Jutsu Used- -Items Used- -Familiar Used-

MADE BY VEL OF GS

[Yasuraka Hitsukai]

Following behind Arashi, the two eventually reached a training grounds. It was very strange to be back on the training grounds after having been outside the village so long. In a certain sense though it was also very motivating to be back taking steps towards his training once more. When Arashi asked if there was anything that he wished to work on, Hitsukai took a few moments to consider his options before rolling his shoulders and answering.


"Honestly, I have no idea what I need to work on. I'm fairly confident in my power and speed, at least in comparison to my peers. Outside that I really do not even know where to begin. Perhaps you could just give me your assessment?"


Hitsukai listened for her response, but also took the time to move to a proper starting distance from her. It might not have been the best thing for him, since he would need to immediately close the distance again, but it seemed like the proper thing to do if he wanted a thorough evaluation of what he needed to work on. Once he got to roughly thirty feet away from Arashi, the monk began to do a few stretches, listening for her response as he did so. The monk could feel the various weights strapped to his body shifting, but as they began to do so, Hitsukai called upon the gift of Bishamon so their weight began to be absorbed into his body, ready for redirection.

Made by Riley at THQ!

[Oonakayama Arashi]

A Stranger in His Homeland TAG. Yasuraka Hitsukai WORDS. xxx NOTES:

"Hmmmm...." Crossing her arms, the young woman would look down for a moment, listening to what the monk had to say. It was clear that he seemed confident enough in his strength and speed to trust it's development. If so, it would be a hard fight for someone to get in close. Of course, that wasn't the only thing involved with the exams. There was also one's dedication to their craft, their comrades, and their ability to adapt to different situations. That being said, with him waiting for her assessment, the Suna nin would open her eyes as she then held a calm expression. "Okay...so your solid on your Taijutsu...I'd say then we work on your ability to adapt to situations where it's put to the test...." Arashi would then allow her one arm to rest at her side, using the other to extend outward as she presented the seal of confrontation. From there, she'd hold her ground and allow a moment to release a breath as she swept her hand forward, causing a gust to rush through the air as she placed her hand down upon the ground. With sand beginning to move upward, the flurry of wind began swirling the dust around her, allowing for a near visible shield as she kept her gaze upon Yasuraka. "Lets see whatcha got..." SPOILER: Click to show -S.A Used- Will of Sand Will of Sand- Adding the element of her own chakra into the mixture of sand, Arashi is capable of faster and stronger sand manipulation and attacks. The extent of this control is due to the supply gathered within her gourd, granting the bonus of power, but limited to only the amount contained within it. This ability makes her constructions more dense and harder to break down, and the swiftness of their creation is instant rather than requiring the prior time of build-up as before due to the strengthened bond between Arashi and Shukaku. Ultimate Defense A Skill granted by her continued use and developed relationship with Shukaku over the continued use of his control over sand, Arashi has a stronger connection to the element, allowing her to use it at a much more intensive rate than before. As such, her defenses are much more adapt and capable of taking on stronger attacks and reinforcing itself at faster speed. This adaptation to the sand shield allows for it's reaction time to have increased and make it more challenging for attacks to connect and break through the first layer, while acting still on the natural inclinations of auto-repairing itself for the next strike. Sand Control Arashi is granted two forms of defense by the Ichibi. The first one is a subconscious ability granted by the Bijuu is that there is constantly a barrier of sand clinging to Arashi’s skin. This barrier acts as a shield against her skin, absorbing heavy blows and protecting her. Her sand defense is very tough, being very difficult to break through. The sand has been likened to steel and concrete. The second form is one which pulls sand from her surroundings and the sand piled on her skin to form a visible barrier and dome like barrier around her. The sand is typically pulled from the ground and any nearby source. Arashi’s various dogs often have a plentiful amount of sand carried in their thick coats. As such, the sand is often pulled from their coats to be used to protect the girl. Through the course of her training, Arashi has learned to control both of these forms of defense to a degree, making her much more capable of mounting a defense in a variety of ways. But she still at times must incumbent some cooperation from Shukaku to ensure of it's sustainability. Arashi can control sand and wind around herself to whip up sandstorms with powerful gusts. The sandstorm often appears when she’s emotionally strained and damaged. If there is no sand around her, powerful breezes will still gather around her. Shukaku enjoys teasing the girl to the point where sandstorms appear. But with the course of time, Arashi had grown more comfortable with this and developed a thick skin towards such actions by the Bijuu. While Arashi had previous had little to no control over her other sand related abilities, she has a somewhat capable hand at this one. Because of the trauma of her sand attacking her classmates at a young age, Arashi has managed to reign in some of this power. Learning to bend the sand to her will, Arashi can keep it from hurting those she doesn’t want it to hurt. Sand will be gathered from nearby sources to be used as a weapon when this ability activates. This ability typically only activates when Arashi is in severe danger, but it has now become possible for her to do so with ease. Though it is more prone to activating near or on full moons. The sand takes the form of blunt objects or tendrils to bash or choke enemies. During moments of extreme strain, Arashi loses all control over this ability as well. -Jutsu Used- -Items Used- -Familiar Used-

MADE BY VEL OF GS

[Yasuraka Hitsukai]

As Arashi began her response to what Hitsukai had said, Hitsukai began to breath in deeply and proceeded to begin swallowing additional air down into his lungs with the *Heavenly Inhalation Technique. The goal was to use the time before they truly began to build up as much pressure within his lungs to add to the kinetic force he could redirect into his blows. Truly the monk doubted it would make too much of a difference given the gap in their skill levels, but he also understood he had to give it his all in order to get a proper evaluation.

Hitsukai understood what Arashi was getting at with her comment about him needing to be able to adapt to whatever situation he found himself in. It was an entirely fair point, but at the same time it was easier to say that and harder to actually grow such capabilities outside of just gaining combat experience.

With pressure in his lungs, the force of his weights and his own natural strength all being redirected into his movements and eventual strikes, Hitsukai began to move the moment Arashi instructed him to show what he had. The initial movement was a mixture of *Heavenly Stride mixed with a sudden use of the *Rabbit Walk in an attempt to quickly move to one of Arashi's sides before charging directly towards her. Striking towards Arashi, Hitsukai had first thought to use the Heavenly Rush, but then at the last moment decided he needed to focus the force on a smaller area and instead used a basic * Iron Chop, transferring as much kinetic energy as he could into the strike. Unfortunately for Histukai, his blow would meet with the near-invisible shield currently surrounding Arashi's body.

Made by Riley at THQ!