[Uzumaki Atagi]

Without strength knowledge may not be applied

While it was a far cry from the idyllic weather of the plains that Atagi called his home, today's weather of Kuwana wasn't so bad. It was mostly cloudy, sure, but the sun was bright when it peeked out from the fluff quilting the skies. Still, he supposed it didn't actually matter, all that much. After all, even if it was raining, he'd probably be out there eager to tackle the day, chiseling away at his body and mind in an endeavor to become one of the great people he oft read or dreamed about. Clad in his usual training getup a tracksuit with a marigold shirt peeking out from underneath, he's working through a series of light stretches to limber up, parked right just past the entrance to one of Kuwana's many training grounds.

The only reason he hadn't started already was because he was awaiting someone. While he wasn't the sort of person who minded solitude, and who found value in being able to focus solely on oneself-- he also loved people. A new perspective, a unique thought, the confluence of two personalities coming together to produce something greater than themselves. That, and the hero's always surrounded by folk that are as reliable as they are interesting...isn't that right?

In the morning, when Atagi had been running out of the competitor's hotel to find a spot of breakfast, he had ended up bumping into to someone he had met only recently-- one Shosuke Yamamoto, medical shinobi of the Hidden Cloud. In what was only a wholly expected turn of events for him, the Uzumaki had proceeded to functionally insist that Sho come out with him for some training, along with a series of rapid thanks for the foreign nin's help only a handful of days ago. He was positively beaming, seeming energized as ever after following the advice of the doctor and taking it easy on the chakra consumption for a little.

A meeting time was set (at least an hour after the grass nin ran off to go and find his breakfast, of course) the location being 'training ground 5, or if that's not open, 6, or if that's not...' and so on. There were plenty of them to go around among the litany of competitors there, after all.

All that was left was for his impromptu partner to arrive.

(Yamamoto Shosuke)

aeron at thq

[Yamamoto Shosuke]

Had Sho known about Atagi's desire to become one of those people that others looked up to, he earnestly may have envied him. That sort of conviction, that desire, that compunction was a wonderful thing to have. It was a guiding light, a northern star, something to act as one's compass and lead the way into a bright new future. He, on the other hand, lacked something that crystalline, that defined, that obvious for him to move towards.

It was true that he was currently in the Chuunin exams to become a proper, fully licensed ninja, but that wasn't his dream. It was him wanting to achieve the dream his mother had had for herself all those years ago when she found herself pregnant with him.

Even his work as a doctor, as fulfilling as it was, was something that he had been conditioned to do as a member of the Yamamoto clan. It was what was expected of him, and so he did it.

He did it damned well of course, to the point where he may just be capable of leading the clan and becoming Kumogakure's head doctor one day, but it was something he had picked up because he had been given it.

Sometimes Sho wondered about what it would be like to have something that was entirely his own. Something where he would just decide one day to do it for its own sake, to save people not because it was expected of him but because he wanted to save them.

He had come close to that with the Village back during his mission with Azarea, but even then, he saved people because they wanted him to save them.

Still, for now, working off of second-hand ambitions and the desires of others would be good enough for him. It gave him motivation, and drive, and something to achieve.

But it was that sense of achieving things for the sake of others, that desire to see others happy and their wishes fulfilled, that led to him being out here in the first place today.

---

Once more wearing his traditional outfit, he seemed almost overdressed compared to the one that he was out here with. Atagi being in just a jumpsuit as he was, it looked like they were perhaps the most mismatched pair in the entire village, despite how they were here for the exact same purpose.

Arriving on the training field that they had met on just the day before, Sho wandered in, his hands slipped into his pockets and knocking back the fabric of his coat behind him. With the idle wind of the cloudy day, his fabric seemed to flutter behind him almost like a pair of wings or a long, faltering tail.

"Out of all the people you could have asked for a training partner," Sho began, his voice a little curious and uncertain. ", why me? I mean, I'm glad to hear you're doing better and feel back up to training some more Atagi but surely you've got someone from your own village who would be more of a match for you? I'm not exactly champion material."

Aware of the man's hero complex as he was, Sho couldn't help but wonder why he was spending time with him again. Not that he was complaining, of course, but he wasn't exactly hero material, nor even sidekick material. He'd be happy if he was mentioned in the credits of the movie at all, to be entirely honest.

582 words | Uzumaki Atagi

SPOILER: Click to show

D-rank EXP 1/8
Jutsus Used: None

[Uzumaki Atagi]

Without strength knowledge may not be applied

Upon catching sight of the cloud shinobi's approach to the training grounds, Atagi flashes up a peace sign that turns into a wave, beaming bright as could be at Sho. They did appear to be mismatched, appearance wise, but it belied their respective routes as shinobi that they'd dress for their part and not the others, right? When Shosuke gives away that he's feeling a bit anxious, perhaps slightly insecure, about being someone who'd best serve as a training partner for Atagi....well, incredulous seems like almost too light of a word, for the look of sheer disbelief scrawled at his features.

”What're you talkin' about, yeah? Everyone's good at different things. A doctor fights differently from someone who spits out fireballs, a martial artist assists in a completely alternative fashion than that of the barrier specialist-- and even among the same category of person, no two people are entirely alike. I'm sure that you match me in some ways and surpass me in others, mhm! All people in this world have merit, and are worth both being protected and learning from.” It was difficult to argue with that, wasn't it?

Giving a roll of the shoulder with a balled up fist, the boy does purse at his lips, giving ample space for Shosuke to shoot back some retort or another, if he so pleased. Of course, it's not long that's passed by before he's talking yet again, glancing between Sho's visage and the training grounds before them. ”That being said-- I figured a simple spar's always on the table, but! Since you helped me out recently, I figure it's only polite to offer to help you out, if you've got some particular desire to work at something. Maybe you recently learned something new, or discovered a weakness you're trying to patch up?” He tries to offer up some suggestions, trying to figure out both what the Yamamoto wanted as much as what he was about.

(Yamamoto Shosuke)

aeron at thq

[Yamamoto Shosuke]

Though Sho wouldn't exactly be the first person to say they were a people person, he didn't really need to be in this instance. Everything that the other shinobi was feeling was written across his face as if in bright, bold letters. He was as readable as a book, a large print one at that.

In a way, Sho had to appreciate that. It was nice, in a world of subterfuge and danger like theirs, to meet someone who was so transparent. Even so, he couldn't help but wonder about his future as a Shinobi if he couldn't learn to keep some things close to chest.

"Not to put too fine a point on it, Atagi, but you're right - Doctors fight differently than ninjas; mainly in the fact that they don't. Fight, I mean." he said, letting out a slightly exasperated sigh.

It was true, not once in the years he had spent in the hospital had he needed to brawl anyone else. The closest had been having to hold someone down who was writhing in pain, but that wasn't exactly the same as fighting in the field.

Still, he supposed if he was too resistant to this idea, he wouldn't have come in the first place. In truth, it would be good for him to be able to get some training in before the exams began in proper, and Atagi was probably the best person to train against since neither of them knew anything about each other. At least, nothing beyond the superficial level.

This was about as close to getting to fight someone in the Chuunin exams as it was possible to get.

Behind his eyes, his mind was running over exactly what he knew about this guy and about what that could mean for a fight. The man was an Uzumaki and had more chakra than Sho did. The likelihood was that the man was going to rely heavily on being able to throw things out without having to think twice, peppering the field with attacks. That meant he was going to have to be careful about picking and choosing his moments. Atagi had the luxury of going crazy with his chakra, but Sho very much did not.

"You know, you really do have a way with words. One day, people are going to follow you in droves, I'm sure of it. But until then... well, you'd better be able to back your words with actions."

Taking a moment to stretch, almost as if he was doing morning calisthenics, he quickly began to get his body ready for working out. No point overstressing his body, especially not before the exams. He had to keep his body in peak physical condition in order to avoid falling short.

Finally, after a moment or two of getting ready, he moved into a combat ready position, his stance wide, his eyes narrowed and focused. A deep breath in, a deep breath out, a deep breath in, a deep breath out... He was ready.

"Alright. Come at me, Atagi. Let's brawl. Treat me as you would any other opponent in the exams!"

519 words | Uzumaki Atagi

SPOILER: Click to show

D-rank EXP 2/8
Jutsus Used: None

[Uzumaki Atagi]

Without strength knowledge may not be applied

It was true that Atagi was notoriously bad at disguising his emotions, thoughts practically scribbled across his face even when he was trying to keep them under wraps. For example, the entirely bemused grin at his features when Sho lavishes him with praise and admonishes him to make sure that his actions speak louder than words all at the same time. He saw no issue, personally speaking; like he had said, everyone had their strengths and weaknesses. Leaving subtlety and subterfuge to those who were most suited for it was just fine, he reasoned-- something he'd have to learn to rectify sooner or later, in all likelihood. Still, now wasn't the time for complicated thoughts about the future.

”Please! Do I really look like the sort of guy who'd manage to bark without teeth?” For someone who was so 'well read', one would think that he wouldn't mangle such a commonly uttered phrase as 'bark with no bite', but perhaps it was an intentional mangling. And on top of that, an honest answer to that question would almost certainly be yes, considering both his rank and his ability.

The Uzumaki stretches alongside Sho, limbering up, making sure his body feels just right. Indeed, to be injured in the middle of the exams was the worst case scenario, something that he had already narrowly avoided by selfishly relying on his new doctor friend-- to go and hurt himself seriously now wouldn't only be awful for him, but it'd be spitting on the kindness that he'd received from the Yamamoto, something that was nearly more unforgivable than the fact that it'd hurt his own aspirations.

The two take up their positions on the training grounds. Atagi assumes an obviously practiced combat stance, hands raised up to just about chest level, right foot planted in the training ground's dirt, pointed towards his sparring partner, his other leg perpendicular- and instead of being flat, his weight was balanced on the ball of that foot. For someone with a knack for analysis, it'd probably give away immediately that his main and most practiced of the shinobi arts being that of Taijutsu...you know, if his physique didn't already make that obvious.

There's a brief, but not long lived consideration in the crimson-haired grass genin's mind about hiding things in case him and Sho are pitted against one another in the exams at some point. A confluence of ego and naivete dictate to him, however, that relying on surprises and other tricks that only work once is anathema to becoming the reliable type that he imagines himself becoming. As such, he's ready to put out all the cards out on the metaphorical table, even for a mock battle. ”Don't kill me, but don't go so easy that it's a pointless exercise, yeah?”

Hands come together in front of him, performing the seals of Ram → Rat, and he pulls an eddy from the storm of chakra at his insides, drawing it out to the rest of his body. In a moment, maybe three, his body becomes covered in a shimmering, nigh-silver glow, a thin barrier jutsu protecting the entirety of his form, the Kekkai no Yoroi. It had the added benefit of meaning that Sho could go just a little harder without having to worry about seriously injuring Atagi, probably.

Giving someone as smart as a medicine man too much time to think and formulate was a bad idea, though, wasn't it? The Uzumaki's body lurches forward, launching into a run to close the gap between him and Shosuke. If he's not stopped or otherwise pushed away-- that is to say if his compatriot just stands there and waits-- he culminates in a step-thrust, stopping and shifting his weight and momentum forward into a fist thrown at the cloud nin's chest, keeping his left hand free and his body sprightly on his feet to react as would be necessary. ”Pah!” he hollers, sharp amber irises focused on his opponent, excitement touching at his gut, chest, and cheeks in anticipation of an entirely new experience to be had.

(Yamamoto Shosuke)

aeron at thq

Jutsu:

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Kekkai no Yoroi (Barrier Armor)
RANK: C
TECH TYPE: univeral | Ninjutsu
ELEMENT: None
CHAKRA USAGE: High/ Very Low to maintain
DESCRIPTION:
The user creates a small barrier on the very outside of their skin. While this barrier is not anywhere near as resilient as other barriers because of how stretched thin it is, a normal punch being able to break it, it does protect the user from the brunt of all but the most serious attacks. Its effectiveness comes from the fact that it requires no chakra to maintain and is self repairing. However while repairing it is no longer effective and requires two whole post for the armor to becoming functional again after being hit with anything resembling an actual attack, though being hit with things that would not truly count as an attack would not break it. Requires two hand seals.

[Yamamoto Shosuke]

Bark with no bite, huh? Ignoring the obvious cliché, there was something about that phrase that didn't strike Sho as quite appropriate here. Perhaps it was just that most of Atagi's power and charm was done without even needing to bark at all, it was in his aura, his disposition, the way he handled himself. Sure, he spoke well and had a kind heart, but it was mostly done through the way he just existed.

To maintain the metaphor, it seemed almost like Atagi was a guard dog. He didn't need to bark or bite, just his mere presence behind the fence was enough to dissuade people from doing something stupid.

Still, the pair moved to face up against one another. This was the first time that either had faced the other, so Sho wasn't entirely sure what he was about to face. Yet, from what he had learned about the Uzumaki, he knew enough - The man had an insane pool of Chakra and was probably at least somewhat trained with sealing techniques. That meant that trying to outlast him, to force him to use up his energy, was a notoriously bad idea.

If he wanted to win, which Sho would hesitate to admit that he strangely did, he was going to have to hit hard and fast, overwhelm him before he was able to exhaust him.

---

With that, the "duel" was on, and the two were able to face each other properly. Yet, where Atagi was already at work setting up armor, Sho instead relied on an old favorite. His hands weaved together through various positions, quickly signing out the necessary requirements before a burst of green energy seemed to shoot out, radiating out around him. As the signs completed, the area beneath them began to flower and bloom, grass seeming to spread out around him in a wide area, forming a bastion of natural life.

Yet, if one were to consider it beautiful, they would be quickly corrected.

Among the grass, great vines shot out, building and bulking until they were each small pillars reaching up towards the sky like botanical stalagmites. Mere seconds after they formed, all of them shot out, each one separately and autonomously reaching out to try and grab and throttle the Kusa-nin.

Each of them reached to grab different parts of his form - Arm, leg, hand, chest, throat. Though he would likely be able to block and defend from a few of them, the sheer number of them would be concerning in of itself.

"I can guarantee I won't kill you, Atagi. But I really can't guarantee this isn't going to hurt a whole lot. I hope you're ready for that eventuality."

449 words | Uzumaki Atagi

SPOILER: Click to show

D-rank EXP 3/8

Jutsus Used
NAME: Budō o sasu [Strangling Vines]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Low
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu
ELEMENT: Mokuton
HANDSEALS: six
TRIGGER: N/A
DESCRIPTION: Once the shinobi completes the handseals vines grow up from the ground within thirty feet winding their way up trees or ledges to drape down and spreading over the likes of a building in a lattice like pattern. From then on the plants will appear to simply be normal dormant vines, but will attempt to entangle and strangle anyone that touches them or comes within their reach of five feet who is not their original caster or designated by their caster. This justu was often left behind as a trap by the Senju or cast over their homes or outposts to prevent intrusion.

[Uzumaki Atagi]

Without strength knowledge may not be applied

No, the mere idea that an opponent, potential or otherwise, would just stand there and let you try and hit them was foolhardy to begin with. Before the Uzumaki can so much as begin his proposed assault, the Yamamoto's answered his armouring up with an attack...but thankfully, it's not a direct attack, merely the preparation for one. Or so Atagi thinks, at least. The initial growing of green around them reminds the shinobi, funnily enough, of the country which he's traveled from, with it's rolling fields and lush forests. It gets a whole lot less homey and comforting, however, when the jutsu blooms proper, those tall plant-pillars becoming wildly flailing, grasping, seeking vines. He's hardly the sort of super genius that can formulate a plan and act upon it in mere moments-- and even in the rare event that he could, it would require a sparkling starburst of inspiration.

Thankfully, he doesn't need to. Synapses fire, full faith placed in his continuously honed instincts. The plants didn't appear to be so quick that they'd grab him if he blinked, but much like when it came to avoiding a projectile, quantity was an issue. Stopping one or two? Sure, no problem. Dodging a dozen, though? That would require something beyond the average. Even as Atagi's already tugging an arm out of a rapidly curling vine, chakra's pulled from the maelstrom of his core and forced out to the tip of every extremity, the ever-present flow increasing in intensity to amplify his movements. A simple, but effective technique. Nonetheless, all that effort's committed just for him to not get hit, weaving and 'dancing' about the plant-pillars while retreating, until he finally finds himself out of the range of those that'd surrounded him, proud of the accomplishment. He's even managed to preserve the armor's 'first charge'.

”To fear pain is to fear growth, yeah? If we're scarred during training, it's only so we don't bleed in a battle proper.”

Atagi responds to that half-reassurance half-threat. His own features are full of contradiction, loosely focused, a playful grin with a serious look to the eyes. The problem now was two-fold, though. The first was that inbetween him and Sho was a bunch of autonomously activating restraining roots. The second was that because he had been so focused on retreating into a safer space, that the Yamamoto had the initiative firmly in his hands-- it would be trivial to use another jutsu or use another attack before the Uzumaki even started to work out how to close the gap between them.

Of course, if for some reason Shosuke doesn't keep pressing, the kusa-nin is ready to seize the counter-initiative as soon as it's presented. Darting to one side of the trap field to the halfway point before hands come together in a single seal, combining a hop alongside the Shift technique to propel his body at his mock opponent in a dropkick. From a bird's eye view, the overall battlefield movement would look like a big sideways 'V', or perhaps a parabola.

(Yamamoto Shosuke)

aeron at thq

Jutsu:

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Kekkai no Yoroi (Barrier Armor)
RANK: C
TECH TYPE: univeral | Ninjutsu
ELEMENT: None
CHAKRA USAGE: High/ Very Low to maintain
DESCRIPTION:
The user creates a small barrier on the very outside of their skin. While this barrier is not anywhere near as resilient as other barriers because of how stretched thin it is, a normal punch being able to break it, it does protect the user from the brunt of all but the most serious attacks. Its effectiveness comes from the fact that it requires no chakra to maintain and is self repairing. However while repairing it is no longer effective and requires two whole post for the armor to becoming functional again after being hit with anything resembling an actual attack, though being hit with things that would not truly count as an attack would not break it. Requires two hand seals.


NAME: Sokudo [Literally Meaning Speed]
RANK: B
CHAKRA USAGE: High [Continuous]
CLASSIFICATION: Taijutsu
ELEMENT: -
HANDSEALS: 0

DESCRIPTION:
Sokudo is a method of using chakra passively to reinforce the body's physical capabilities. Such things are movement-based rather than just brute strength would. It gives the user's muscle stimulation, allowing increased hand movement, wrist, arms, and even the legs. This can be used to just have everything work more proficiently. Though, after being used for more than seven posts, the user's muscles will be sore as if they just did an extensive workout. IF continued to be used, eleven posts will begin to break down muscle. Intense pain followed, forced technique shut down.

[If Sho just stands there or something similar flip to page 24 ]


NAME: Haiu[Shift]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Medium
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu
ELEMENT: Fuuton
DESCRIPTION:
A simple jutsu in which after a single handseal [Same as activating an exploding tag] the user uses quick bursts of air out of his body to either propel themselves forward, to the sides or back. This jutsu is very useful in a sword fight as it allows the user to nearly instantly change from stationary to full speed and then back to stationary in an instant. While this jutsu does allow the user so quickly change direction and achieve top speed in an instant, it does in no way speed up the users movements beyond their capability.

[Yamamoto Shosuke]

To fear pain was to fear growth? Ah, another aphorism from the wonderful mind of Atagi, almost completely ignoring the warning that Shosuke had given him not a week before. It might as well have been the old lie "whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger", as if getting knee-capped, having your teeth knocked out or being stabbed in the eye would somehow make you stronger.

He admired Atagi, he truly did, but when he said things like that with such conviction it was extremely hard to not worry about his future. This was the line of thinking that had led to the destruction and early deaths of a lot of good people.

Sho liked the man but he had about run out of patience trying to correct him. There was only so much that he could say when he knew that he was talking to a wall.

For a moment, Sho simply watched Atagi make his decisions in the fight, not pressing. Indeed, it quickly became obvious just why this technique was becoming his signature move; Sho was an observer, a watcher, someone who looked into what an opponent was capable of before making his tactical decisions. Especially when he was fighting against a new opponent, this bought him a chance to see what they were liable to do.

It seemed Atagi was a brutal close-quarters fighter. A taijutsu specialist, which seemed entirely pointless and a waste of good genes. The man was an Uzumaki, he had basically a limitless pool of chakra, and he was relying on low-chakra techniques to fight. It was like having an endless supply of kunai and going in for a punch.

Still, if this was what made the man happy...

By the time that Shosuke decided to make a move, Atagi was already moving in the V formation, preparing to launch his dropkick. As soon as Atagi set off, Sho casually shot through a trio of hand-signs, forming a prismatic barrier between him and his opponent,

The barrier pulsed with energy as Atagi came in, the barrier responding to the attack by standing stolidly still. The technique was one for movement rather than offense, causing it to stand stolidly in the way.

More importantly, all of the momentum that Atagi had put into his shift were suddenly cut off, his movement coming to a sudden drastic stop right in the middle of the nest of vines.

In a second, an uncountable number of vines were all shooting in his direction, looking to grab onto any piece of flesh they could get a hold of - Leg, arm, even Atagi's neck was fair game for the probing, groping arms of the vines, like the tentacles of a particularly ill-mannered squid.

Sho, for his part, casually drew his hand back into his coat and withdrew a handful of kunai, holding them between his fingers. Should Atagi not have avoided the grapple somehow or gotten out of it already he would toss it into his centre mass, aiming to penetrate just enough to draw blood but not to actually penetrate his internal organs.

565 words | Uzumaki Atagi

SPOILER: Click to show

D-rank EXP 4/8

Jutsus Used
NAME: Kekkai: Kabe (Barrier: Wall)
RANK: D
TECH TYPE: Universal | Ninjutsu
ELEMENT: None
CHAKRA USAGE: Very low - Very High depending on size of wall/ Very Low to maintain
DESCRIPTION: The user creates a solid wall like barrier that appears almost instantly anywhere within a 15ft radius. The wall itself is highly durable and requires D ranked jutsu power to shatter anything lower would simply be ineffective against the wall if not outright break after coming in contact with it, with weapons would need to be empowered with chakra to do any damage though that are not are ineffective with projectiles harmless clattering down to the ground. The wall can be sprung up in a moments notice and the shape and size of it varies depending on the users preference and chakra use (anywhere between 5ft and 15ft tall). As many walls can be made as the user wishes to make (or have the chakra to make) however the plus side is that once the walls are created they take no chakra to maintain. Requires three hand seals.

[Uzumaki Atagi]

Without strength knowledge may not be applied

Even in a mock battle like this, Atagi doesn't have anything to hide-- that he was most practiced as a martial artist, and was born with an excess of gas in the tank. Those were his strengths, and he was all too happy to lean on them. Any ninjutsu he did use were in a supportive capacity to his first passion of honing the body into a finely-tuned (mostly non-lethal) weapon. That was likely a grand weakness, but as Sho had figured out, the Uzumaki was the type that needed to learn things the hard way. Press onward, full force, dedicating himself to his current style and way of being...until he falls over. Then, get up, find a solution to the problem, and barrel forth with it added to the arsenal.

There's a stark contrast there, too. Atagi might've proposed that it was a strength to be able to act without wasting any time. Shosuke's cool, calculated approach, though, meant that the doctor could already have likely come up with a 'solution' to the 'problem' that was his training partner's assault. The barrier springs to life after a few nimble handsigns, cutting off the grass genin's path and his attack in equal measure, shoes whumping against the translucent wall and going no further, tumbling back toward the dirt.

Well, he would've, anyway, if it weren't for the fact that now he was in the middle of the vine patch that he had been working so diligently to avoid being stuck in for longer than a few seconds. Mind races. What ability does he have to maneuver out of this technique, if any? He might've been able to dodge or smack them away again, but since he's so thoughtlessly left the ground, maneuverability is low to nonexistent. Anyway, no matter how quickly his mind races, it can't cross the finish line before those vines were snatching at anything they could wrangle. Arm, leg, his neck. The sensation isn't terribly pleasant, and he's stopped from even reaching the ground.

Acting on instinct, he tugs with his limbs and thrashes in the grips of the vines, but even if his physique is (relatively) impressive, he doesn't have the sort of strength necessary to just tear away at the thick plant matter. As such, he's left completely open to the attack.

Well, not completely.

The armor's still there, with the vines not having enough striking force to penetrate it. So the multiple kunai find their mark, but since they all land in roughly the same second or so, the barrier prevents injury to the Uzumaki's precious physical form. It does, of course, shatter to bits in spectacular fashion, the glow still present at his form...but not as thick, as before. If the kumo-nin was particularly astute (or just knew of the jutsu) he'd be able to tell that it was slowly repairing itself, without so much as another seal from Atagi.

For all the good that absorbing the attack does, though, there's no immediate escape route from the vines-- if Shosuke wished, hitting him again was in order. Still, Atagi tugs away at them, as if 'testing' their tensile strength. ”Man, what a pain, these are! I don't s'pose you'll tell me some magical secret to escape if I ask nicely, yeah?” It seems he just can't help himself from making some comment, stupid quip, or shameless query-- perhaps it was some kind of disease, yet to be diagnosed.

(Yamamoto Shosuke)

aeron at thq

Jutsu:

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Kekkai no Yoroi (Barrier Armor)
RANK: C
TECH TYPE: univeral | Ninjutsu
ELEMENT: None
CHAKRA USAGE: High/ Very Low to maintain
DESCRIPTION:
The user creates a small barrier on the very outside of their skin. While this barrier is not anywhere near as resilient as other barriers because of how stretched thin it is, a normal punch being able to break it, it does protect the user from the brunt of all but the most serious attacks. Its effectiveness comes from the fact that it requires no chakra to maintain and is self repairing. However while repairing it is no longer effective and requires two whole post for the armor to becoming functional again after being hit with anything resembling an actual attack, though being hit with things that would not truly count as an attack would not break it. Requires two hand seals.

^- Currently busted – 0/2

NAME: Sokudo [Literally Meaning Speed]
RANK: B
CHAKRA USAGE: High [Continuous]
CLASSIFICATION: Taijutsu
ELEMENT: -
HANDSEALS: 0

DESCRIPTION:
Sokudo is a method of using chakra passively to reinforce the body's physical capabilities. Such things are movement-based rather than just brute strength would. It gives the user's muscle stimulation, allowing increased hand movement, wrist, arms, and even the legs. This can be used to just have everything work more proficiently. Though, after being used for more than seven posts, the user's muscles will be sore as if they just did an extensive workout. IF continued to be used, eleven posts will begin to break down muscle. Intense pain followed, forced technique shut down.

[Yamamoto Shosuke]

It seemed like Atagi was as good as captured - In the moment he took to think about what to do in his situation, the vines had already moved in and captured him. They wrapped around his body, forming a cocoon covering everything but the man's face, leaving him seeming almost like a mummy in mid-air, keeping him tightly restricted and bound.

The armour shattering under the assault of the kunai, Atagi was left completely defenceless. However, if he would notice, the binds around his wrists were left specifically loose, allowing him to continue to produce hand-signs if he had any that he was going to produce.

"Weaknesses to my vines? Well, there's quite a few. They're basically mindless so they operate only under my direct commands. If I was distracted then they wouldn't be able to work properly.

They also don't attack me so using me as a meat-shield would be a very effective tactic. Then there's the fact that they're plant matter, so they're innately flammable and weak to Katon techniques.

I could go on, but I think you get the point. There's any number of weaknesses and vulnerabilities in my abilities, Atagi. The question is whether or not you're able to take advantage of them."

Though Sho had been anticipating more of a straight forward fight between the two of them, it seemed this was the direction that the challenge was going to go. Atagi was a strong man, someone who relied on taijutsu, but what would he do when his back was against the wall?

Did he have anything that would allow him to break free of this situation or would he just end up being kept in restraints until he asked politely to be freed?

The truth of the matter was, this sort of technique was rather elementary. If it wasn't mokuton it would be being sucked into the earth via doton or binds of water.

Restraining and capturing techniques were some of the most basic techniques taught to Shinobi because of just how helpful they were in capturing and restraining criminals and other dissidents. It was also why slipping out of bonds was an Academy technique, though in this case his entire body was encased so it would take a little more than an academy technique to take it off.

"This is the Exams, Atagi - There's gonna be people much stronger than me, and if you can't beat me? You're probably safer going home. So prove to me that you're good enough to represent your village."

It almost sounded in the way that Sho spoke that he wanted to be beaten, that he thought that was a fairer outcome. In truth, there was a part of him that did indeed feel that way. Atagi was older than him, his convictions were stronger than his, he had done this longer. In exchange, he was someone who had run away from the life of the Shinobi to become a doctor. He didn't regret his decision but against a born and bred Shinobi like Atagi?

Well, it was only natural that he would fall to the wayside.

505 words | Uzumaki Atagi

SPOILER: Click to show

D-rank EXP 5/8
Jutsus Used: See Last Post

[Uzumaki Atagi]

Without strength, knowledge may not be applied

 

Of course, it’s not like the man had no recourse, when it came to being trapped like this. He’s reminded of a scenario that took place during one of his very first bouts of training (with one ‘Hoshi-kon’), getting swept up by the ankle in a trap that was, ostensibly, for animals. The good-natured smile is hard to keep off his face– while he wasn’t a blood knight the likes of some of the Hono back in the land of grass, the very act of acquiring a bit more knowledge and experience, an extra stair in the building blocks towards further greatness that he imagined, is something wonderful to him, and he does have something of an undeniable fervor for battle. That, and Sho earns even more marks in Atagi’s mind towards ‘good guy’, with being so forward about his own technique’s blind spots. That, and what seems like an obvious verbal jab to try and stoke some competitive flames in the Uzumaki with a shameless show me you deserve to be here.

”Wow, I guess they’re right when they say ‘ask and you shall receive’, yeah? You might be born to be a teacher, on top of the rest of your talents.”

The genin from the grass hardly has any jutsu so convenient as to suddenly burst into flames or to shoot blades out of his body, nor does he possess genjutsu to occupy Sho’s mind, or any other immediately obvious method to get rid of the vines ensnaring him. But when there’s no obvious answer to the problem, no straightforward tunnel through the mountain, the only thing a shinobi has left is their creativity. What do I have, and how do I leverage it to get out of this situation?  Even if it’s not the correct answer, oftentimes an answer is plenty. 

He should’ve taken an opportunity to swipe a cutting implement from his fanny pack ninja tool pouch before his limbs had all been restricted, he realizes. Ah, well– teaching the body directly was the best way to learn lessons, for some. Just something to hold in the back of the mind for the next time. The vines are tough, and he doesn’t have the strength to tear them to bits just by tugging…but they’re not so firm that he’s totally immobilized. Especially around his wrists; was that intentional, he briefly wonders? And on top of that, the ‘cocoon’ that shifted and writhed about him in that uncomfortably life-filled way would at least somewhat do to disguise Atagi’s movements. Another two points added to the ‘Shosuke is a nice guy’ meter.  

 A look of great deliberation is etched on the redhead’s features, eyes flitting from Shosuke to the training field within his (currently somewhat hampered) vision. While he’s doing so, hands’ve come together within the confines of the plant matter, blasting through a handful of seals in haste. It’d take a smattering of moments…

”Besides, what if it’s more like I’d just rather not beat you? Maybe hurting someone with healing, life-blooming hands like you is somehow ethically objectionable!” That was…well, while someone like Atagi might actually agree with that, it’s not true in this instance, especially because it’s a simple spar. But he hopes and figures that he’s bought enough time proper to use the substitution jutsu (what with it’s relatively long ‘cooking’ period and all), the mass of vines instead ensnaring a wooden training dummy, with Atagi crouched in the dirt, still holding the final handseal for it. It's a simple matter to then go into a body flicker to close the gap, vanishing for the second time in a short period. It feels off-- perhaps the muscle accelerating/straining effects of the Sokudo technique combined with that of the body flicker compound, in some way.

Nonetheless, the long and short of it is that he reappears within melee range of Shosuke, upside down, seal still held-- at that point abandoning the ninjutsu in favour of planting his hands against the ground to support himself, 'springing' towards the good doctor with another kick.

(Yamamoto Shosuke)

aeron at thq

Jutsu:

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Kawarimi no Jutsu [Body Replacement Technique]
RANK: E
CHAKRA USAGE: Very Low
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [General]
ELEMENT: None
HANDSEALS: 5
DESCRIPTION:
After performing the necessary hand seals (one post prior to the technique's use) and locating a nearby object within a 10 meter radius (typically a log or something of similar size to their body.), the user switches places with the said object just before an attack lands, creating an optical illusion. During the small interval where they have left their opponent surprised, they may take the time to attack or flee.

NAME: Kekkai no Yoroi (Barrier Armor)
RANK: C
TECH TYPE: univeral | Ninjutsu
ELEMENT: None
CHAKRA USAGE: High/ Very Low to maintain
DESCRIPTION:
The user creates a small barrier on the very outside of their skin. While this barrier is not anywhere near as resilient as other barriers because of how stretched thin it is, a normal punch being able to break it, it does protect the user from the brunt of all but the most serious attacks. Its effectiveness comes from the fact that it requires no chakra to maintain and is self repairing. However while repairing it is no longer effective and requires two whole post for the armor to becoming functional again after being hit with anything resembling an actual attack, though being hit with things that would not truly count as an attack would not break it. Requires two hand seals.

^- Currently busted – 1/2

NAME: Sokudo [Literally Meaning Speed]
RANK: B
CHAKRA USAGE: High [Continuous]
CLASSIFICATION: Taijutsu
ELEMENT: -
HANDSEALS: 0

DESCRIPTION:
Sokudo is a method of using chakra passively to reinforce the body's physical capabilities. Such things are movement-based rather than just brute strength would. It gives the user's muscle stimulation, allowing increased hand movement, wrist, arms, and even the legs. This can be used to just have everything work more proficiently. Though, after being used for more than seven posts, the user's muscles will be sore as if they just did an extensive workout. IF continued to be used, eleven posts will begin to break down muscle. Intense pain followed, forced technique shut down.

[Yamamoto Shosuke]

A teacher, huh? In all earnestness, Shosuke had never even considered it. It wasn’t arrogance or malice, he didn’t think himself above it. In fact, quite the opposite, he seriously had to wonder exactly who thought they had anything they could learn from him.

He was a competent doctor, but there were people who were more competent. That was the same in everything that he did, he wasn’t stellar at anything really.

Again, this wasn’t some self-pitying viewpoint, he was just extremely aware of his own limitations.

Still, it was a nice thought, to have someone wanting to learn from him. Some student at his heel who he could help and tutor, and yet who could also give him validation that he was doing a good job. A nice thought that.

What was significantly less nice of a thought was the words that Atagi said next.

_{"... Shut up.”}

Despite Sho’s usual politeness, almost to a fault, the words seemed to slip out of his mouth without even thinking about it. It was instinctual, primal, and oddly aggressive.

It wasn’t red hot and fiery, it lacked the same temperate heat. Instead, it was cold and sharp like granite or a shard of ice, matching the look in his eyes that seemed to come from that comment.

"Don’t you DARE speak to me like that, Atagi. You have no right to put me on a pedestal like that - Beyond being a medic, I’m a Shinobi just like you!

Fighting and bleeding for our villages is as much a part of my life as it is in yours. Don’t you dare treat me like that’s somehow wrong!”

It was a weird thing to get upset about - If someone heard it out of context, they might assume that he was demanding to be hurt like some sort of masochist. Yet, despite the fact that his relationship with Atagi was young, the young Kusa-nin would know enough about him that it was clear it wasn’t that.

It was something deeper, more profound, more intimate. A frustration boiling to the surface that Atagi had accidentally brought about without meaning to.

Regardless, it seemed that Atagi had already slipped the nest. Though Shosuke had to wonder where the other man had gotten the log to use in the trap, he nonetheless recognised the jutsu. It was a basic academy technique, yet it was also something that was wildly inconvenient.

After all, where the hell would one get a log if you weren’t a Senju or someone like Shosuke?

In response, Atagi shot forwards with a lowkick once again. Though Shosuke had the time to generate the barrier again, it was a cheap and quick technique, it seemed like he had something else planned.

Indeed, in the moment of the strike, Atagi would find the leg that kicked Shosuke being grabbed, both hands forming around the ankle of the foot and dragging him along the floor with him as he was blasted backwards, tearing atagi’s back against the rough earth of the training area.

Unless Atagi was able to get his leg out of the grasp, he would find a sudden violent heat around his ankle. This wasn’t the heat of katon, there were no flames involved, it instead seemed like a friction burn, almost like an incredibly nasty carpet burn.

This technique wasn’t designed for combat, it was meant for healing, but with its focus on the boy’s ankle it should make walking on this foot nearly impossible until healed.

Even annoyed as he was, he was still going for disabling strikes rather than excessively hurting the other.

617 words | Uzumaki Atagi

SPOILER: Click to show

D-rank EXP: 6/8

Jutsus Used: See Last Post

NAME: Shōshaku no Jutsu [Cauterizing Technique]
RANK: D
CHAKRA USAGE: Low
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [Medical]
ELEMENT: -
HANDSEALS: 0
REQUIREMENT: Chakra Control SA
DESCRIPTION: A simple medic jutsu that needs little chakra, but some modicum of control. The user will gather concentrated chakra in the palm of their hand until the blue hue of chakra can be seen. Then, it will place the hand upon the wound and forcefully cauterize it.

[Uzumaki Atagi]

Without strength knowledge may not be applied

While Atagi's emotional intelligence was of a debatable level, it doesn't take an empath to recognize they've stepped on a landmine, with a reaction like that. There would be some apologies in order, it seemed. He winces, quick enough it might've been imperceptible. Truthfully, it was supposed to be tongue-in-cheek, but it looked like it'd ended up being foot-in-mouth. On the flip side, it was a testament to how fond the grass-nin was growing of Sho that he so rapidly regretted uncovering what was one of the Yamamoto's sore spots.

Already, the crimson-haired shinobi is preparing to either shift his weight into an upright position after recovering from the kick, or to bring his hands together for the production of more seals, if the barrier had been generated. Alas, the kumo-nin is smarter than to use the same trick two times in a row, long fingers encircling the Uzumaki's ankle and dragging him along the ground, smartly using the force of the blow to his own advantage. ”Uwah!” He yelps, partly from surprise and partly from his back scraping against the dirt of the training ground, shirt and jacket pulling up as they get caught on the terrain and giving him a nasty scrape, to boot.

”Sorry, I must've misspoke! I'm not sayin' it's wrong, yeah?” he shouts back, trying to find the time to get the words out even in the midst of combat-- impractical, surely, but every shinobi he had ever met did it, so there must've been something there. There's no immediate countermeasure to remove his leg from Sho's grip, but he takes a page out of the medic's book and leverages the fact that he's taking an attack to return one of his own...something that he was uniquely suited to, someone had told him once upon a time. 'Trading' would always be beneficial if he had more physical ability and chakra to begin with, at least in theory.

The point being, Atagi plants his hands on the dirt to try and wrench some leverage back, expression warping from the bubbling discomfort, and then pain at his ankle from the burning sensation at his skin. To the ever merciful Sho's credit, it's not nearly as bad as some Katon techniques, just as he's internally chewn over. ”Tch!” he hisses, wrenching his foot back and bringing the other up to snap off a series of snapped off kicks towards Sho's upper body, though he has the sense about him to not go for the face, since he, too, doesn't want to do any damage that's too lasting. To an outsider, they might've looked like they were playing a game, forming a 'human wheelbarrow'.

The muscle stimulation and extra speed afforded by the Sokudo technique allows him to manipulate the body better, perform maneuvers quickly, and cram more attacks into a shorter time than even a peer who specialized in Taijutsu like himself-- but Atagi can already feel the extra strain placed at his body for sustaining it almost their whole spar, so he shuts it down, the torrent of chakra through his body's network returning to a less impressive, if still choppy state. Additionally, that barrier of his has finally completed it's regeneration, though Sho might notice (if he hasn't let go) that it reforms around all of Atagi's body save for where he's currently being grabbed, something about the physical connection preventing that foot from being coated.

”But medic-nin are unique assets, even among shinobi! Your life isn't just your own, but everyone in the future you could save's life too, yeah? It's okay to value, treasure, and cherish oneself-- and if you won't, I'm fine doing it for you, bahaha! The phrasing was a little awkward to nail, since Atagi had to morph the usual wisdom about someone's life being not just theirs to lose but also their family's, country's, etc. Still, it's reflective of his optimistic nature that he tries to turn a faux-pas into something positive, to immediately right whatever emotion wrong he's done, however crude the method.

(Yamamoto Shosuke)

aeron at thq

Jutsu:

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Kekkai no Yoroi (Barrier Armor)
RANK: C
TECH TYPE: univeral | Ninjutsu
ELEMENT: None
CHAKRA USAGE: High/ Very Low to maintain
DESCRIPTION:
The user creates a small barrier on the very outside of their skin. While this barrier is not anywhere near as resilient as other barriers because of how stretched thin it is, a normal punch being able to break it, it does protect the user from the brunt of all but the most serious attacks. Its effectiveness comes from the fact that it requires no chakra to maintain and is self repairing. However while repairing it is no longer effective and requires two whole post for the armor to becoming functional again after being hit with anything resembling an actual attack, though being hit with things that would not truly count as an attack would not break it. Requires two hand seals.

[Yamamoto Shosuke]

Sho had once heard a piece of wisdom about physical fitness - If you could continue a conversation whilst jogging, you were truly fit. He wasn't quite sure if that applied in this situation here and now, but the fact that they could continue talking whilst they fought seemed to speak volumes about both shinobi's competency.

Still though, it was far from the first time that Sho had thought about himself as something owed to other people. It was a perspective that one had to have when one was a potential clan leader - Even if he lost the election to Eri or to one of the less worthy potential heads, the very fact that they had considered him at all meant that he had to repay that faith and interest with as much of him as he was capable of giving.

He wasn't the self-sacrificial, dive on the grenade type, but that didn't mean that he was any less of a servant to the people.

"Do you think I don't know that? But that's the same with every Shinobi, even you owe your life to Kusagakure!"

Though Shosuke's hand on the leg was prevented from going any further by the armour, the fact that Atagi had been forced to stay still for long enough for the vines to once again take their place in the field of battle. Yet, instead of binding him into a cocoon this time, one of the vines moved to take over from Shosuke, aiming to wrap around that leg and drag him up into the air like a snare trap.

"But if we're talking from a tactical perspective? You should want to hurt me all the more." He said, once again showing that teaching side of himself.

It was a cruel but pragmatic fact that the Medics in the field were able to bring up and heal injured enemies. Though Shosuke and Atagi's villages were allied, the fact couldn't be ignored that if that wasn't the case Shosuke would be a high value target in any battlefield scenario.

From a purely logical standpoint, a single lost medic could cripple an entire team.

Should Atagi not have managed to slip the bonds of the vine attacking his leg, he would soon find the less merciful side of the vines. Like a toddler playing with a rattle, the vine would begin to thrash from side to side, slamming Atagi against the ground over and over again, dashing him against the earth.

"If my life belongs to every person that I'm ever going to save? Then by ending it sooner, you would stop those people from being saved in the first place.

If we were enemies, killing me would be the logical decision. Ethics doesn't even come into it - We're soldiers, Atagi. We don't always get to make ethical decisions.

That's why I can't afford to be treated with child gloves - No enemy will. I'm a high value target, if anything I have to be all the stronger as a result!"

502 words | Uzumaki Atagi

SPOILER: Click to show

D-rank EXP: 7/8
Jutsus Used: See last posts

[Uzumaki Atagi]

Without strength knowledge may not be applied

If there's nothing else to be taken away from the spar, Atagi would certainly remember at least one thing-- if you're going up against someone with Mokuton, don't stop moving for any longer than you absolutely have to. That applied to a great many type of shinobi, but this was the first time he Uzumaki had experienced firsthand the difficulties produced by gripping vine and tangling root. There's a wry grin at his lips as Shosuke reminds him that, if they really were on a battlefield or in the midst of an operation, that a medic should be the first target. Part of him wonders if his personal sense of ethic would take issue with such a thing, but such questions are to be answered later. That, and something about Shosuke suggesting that Atagi should want to stop an enemy doctor from saving those he was going to is...well, it's difficult to imagine that being a good thing.

Here and now, the grass-nin has a much more pressing issue, that of the plant fiber curled about his ankle. ”Keh!” There's a noise that might've been a curse or a shout, but he cuts it off to focus, as he's hefted up into the air by a single leg. This time, though, he's adequately prepared for the (potential) restraining, deftly slipping a hand behind his body and into his ninja fanny pack, snatching out a kunai. Still, it's not so easy to 'just' slice away at the vine holding his leg. He's not limp, per se, but the way his body moves along is like that of a doll when the vine thrashes one way, putting Atagi in the dirt. The impact was dizzying, but, thankfully, that armour jutsu had come in clutch to stop him from taking serious damage, absorbing the brunt of that smash into the ground and shattering once more, which'd kicked up a fair amount of dust.

Curling his body, arm moves, swiping and chopping at the vine to get himself free, even as the Uzumaki's being swung the other way and smashed again-- this time the armor isn't there, and he whumps into the ground painfully, adding yet another bruise, scrape, and marr to his physical form from their day's efforts. The trickles of blood or the growing of welts would start, soon. But after the second, he manages to haphazardly get loose of the vine's grip.

There's no time wasted-- it might've looked like the vine just dropped him off, even, from how prepared he was to move once he could. Scrambling, pushing up against the ground with one hand, he flings the kunai Shosuke's way. There's no way he expects it to actually disable or damage him, though, since no shinobi worth their pepper would fall prey to a single tossed ninja tool. But, importantly, it covers Atagi for the time he spends rocketing off the ground, like a runner in a race at the sound of a shot, right behind the kunai.

He predicts that it'll occupy Sho long enough for him to attack, and this time, Atagi doesn't lob a softball his way, as he was admittedly doing. It seemed that, being given such an earnest request to stop trying to hit the medic and just hit him, that it was only right. A quick jab to the gut, followed (relatively) seamlessly into a followup from his other side to the solar plexus, the intent behind them to make his opponent start to keel forth on instinct, as most human beings were wont to do when their 'sensitive underbellies' were under assault. The strikes are so quick, so practiced, that they had to have been drilled gods know how many times. If that worked, then he'd slam a fist into the top or back of Sho's head, to send him to the dirt for once-- though admittedly, even if he's supposed to be taking it more seriously now, there's a level of restraint, there-- he doesn't want to cause a friend serious traumatic head injury, like cracking his skull or being the cause of some sort of brain damage.

(Yamamoto Shosuke)

aeron at thq

Jutsu:

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Kekkai no Yoroi (Barrier Armor)
RANK: C
TECH TYPE: univeral | Ninjutsu
ELEMENT: None
CHAKRA USAGE: High/ Very Low to maintain
DESCRIPTION:
The user creates a small barrier on the very outside of their skin. While this barrier is not anywhere near as resilient as other barriers because of how stretched thin it is, a normal punch being able to break it, it does protect the user from the brunt of all but the most serious attacks. Its effectiveness comes from the fact that it requires no chakra to maintain and is self repairing. However while repairing it is no longer effective and requires two whole post for the armor to becoming functional again after being hit with anything resembling an actual attack, though being hit with things that would not truly count as an attack would not break it. Requires two hand seals.

[Broken, 0/2]

NAME: Hamon [Ripples]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Medium
CLASSIFICATION: Taijutsu
ELEMENT: -
HANDSEALS: 0

DESCRIPTION:
A three hit combo. The user first starts off with a quick punch to an opponent’s midsection, right below the rib cage, winding them and causing them to bend forward, followed by a second strike to the solar plexus then finishing with a hard knuckle strike to the top of the opponents head, unbalancing them and causing the opponent to hit the ground.