[Hyūga Honnō]

Itsuki was amazing. If the Tree-Climbing Technique took him such a short time to learn, then perhaps it would be the same for the Water-Walking Technique. Thinking about it, Hon felt… a little discouraged. Sure, maybe he was just that awesome of a teacher, but someone like Hon would never think like that. Itsuki was such a quick learner, that must’ve been the reason. If anything, it was likely that Itsuki could just teach himself Water-Walking… so why request Hon’s aid again? Why?



Urgh, forget it. Hon had an official duty as the leader of this Genin Team to proctor their training. Yes, it was a great responsibility, so why… why did it hurt him a little? He hoped that shaking his head would clear his mind, but the feeling was still in his stomach. No, he promised to clear his mind… he promised to be better. For Lord Shigure’s sake… for the clan’s sake…



So here, once again, at the pond where new trees had been planted, Hon awaited Itsuki’s arrival once more. Same outfit, same look on his face, and same inner demons to deal with on a daily basis. Was it… was it the best idea to make him lead this Genin Team?

[Yamanaka Itsuki]

Yamanaka Itsuki

Itsuki might not have felt quite the same drive that had pushed him through the Academy course in about a month, but he still keenly felt his own lack of power, a lack of power he desperately felt the need to overcome. To that end, he had made she to (respectfully) pester his sensei into teaching him the Genin basics, wanting to make sure that he covered such important ground as soon as possible.

Knowing that he was being a rather demanding little shit for someone that only recently became a Genin, Itsuki had even come prepared to this training session with a bribe gift for his sensei.



Thus appropriately prepared to appease Honnō-sensei, Itsuki found himself entering the training ground five minutes before the allocated time, his teacher's chakra signature a dark light of doubt and low self-esteem. The Yamanaka frowned slightly as he considered the emotional turmoil within the Hyūga's mind, not quite sure what it was that was bothering the man and so unable to help assist him.

Honnō-sensei was a relatively melancholy man who, despite his clear skill as a Jounin of Konoha, seemed to consider himself practically worthless. Even if Itsuki didn't care about the man's emotions (and he was finding that he probably did) just being near them while the Kagura was active was enough to be unpleasant. Therefore it seemed operation 'Cheer up Hon-sensei' was going to be an ongoing project.

Maybe Mi-chi could help?

"Good morning Hon-sensei~ I brought you a drink, I hope you like it!" Itsuki had another drink for himself, to make it seem less weird that he brought the older shinobi something. He also shot the man his cutest, most innocent smile, hoping to maybe alleviate at least some of that negative energy.

Word Count: 295
Tags:Hyūga Honnō
Training: 1/8

[Hyūga Honnō]

… Ah, there he was. Unbeknownst to Hon-sensei, who started out today wanting it to go faster and faster, the promising shinobi and Genin named Itsuki had brought refreshments with him in form of… what looked like light coffee with a batch of jelly cubes on top-

Wait, those weren’t just any ordinary jelly cubes. Those were coffee jellies, his absolute number one favorite snack- was Itsuki that convinced by Hon’s eating habits after their last training? Was it that easy to tell how much the Jōnin adored that snack? His eyes were constantly glued to the beverage, just the perfect cocktail of energy and crackling bubbles that the older man needed to heighten his spirits.

"… Thank you,” Hon apologetically thanked the Genin for bringing him the beverage before slowly snatching it to have a taste, "… *sip*… Heavy. I like it a lot.” This coffee was spiked with milk, and the dark and pseudo-spicy coffee aroma made it very heavy on the back of his throat.

Just the way he liked it.

"… Okay… let’s begin. You mastered the Tree-Climbing Technique last time – with that, you’re now able to walk on solid surfaces from all angles, regardless of whether they’re trees or not,” he explained before taking five steps over the pond’s surface, showcasing the next technique, "Now, you will learn to use that skill and amp it up times ten. A constant re-calibration of emitted chakra is needed to master the Water-Walking Technique… try it out. Get a feel for it, first.”

... *sip*...

[Yamanaka Itsuki]

Yamanaka Itsuki

Itsuki quickly gulped down his own drink knowing that he wouldn't have a chance to do so later, standing in front of his sensei as the man began to speak. He wanted to get this trick down as well, water walking was such a fundamental technique to be dealing with and his mission with Miroru had made it particularly clear that he really needed to learn how to do so.

Watching how easily the man stepped out onto the water had him a little stumped because... well, Honnō-sensei hadn't actually explained how it worked. The tree climbing technique required an almost cycle of chakra out of the feet to stick to it, but that wouldn't do anything here with water. He also doubted the goal was to make chakra 'stilts' because then the ability wouldn't work on deep waters. That meant there had to be something else that he could do with his chakra to make it functional.

Perhaps it was a case of spreading the chakra out? Like a lily pad or something? Distribute his weight more along the water so that surface tension kept him up? That seemed feasible, though he wasn't entirely sure how effective such a thing could be. One hand coming up to tug at a braided forlock, Itsuki stayed where he was as he tried to figure out just how to utilise the technique that his sensei was trying to teach him.

Word Count: 238
Tags:Hyūga Honnō
Training: 2/8

[Hyūga Honnō]

… Maybe he needed some more input. At first, Hon-sensei figured that his explanation made plenty of sense… for an experienced shinobi, that was. There was his mistake – he had to follow Itsuki’s tempo… but Itsuki was so talented-

Talented, huh… was that going to be his excuse? His older sister would pull his ear if he said anything like that – talent or not, Hon-sensei had a duty. Take it seriously.

"What do you think? Should the chakra be spread out, like a raft? Or should it reach all the way down to the bottom, like bridge poles?” Hon asked him, walking around on the surface of the pond with the same, monotone look on his face while sipping that pretty coffee jelly drink, "The answer is… neither.”

If Itsuki would ever be able to visually see chakra with his Sensory abilities, then Hon’s chakra protruding from his soles… had the exact same surface area as those same soles. They weren’t spread out or digging into the water at all, for it wasn’t about floating… it was about forces.

"… Have you ever played with magnets before? Those small, red and white bars that merchants often sell to kids outside the gate?” Hon would continue to ask the young Genin, "Magnets don’t care about surface area or how big they are. They usually stick to iron, but… two magnets can make each other float away from each other, even without touching. It’s purely repulsion.”

[Yamanaka Itsuki]

Yamanaka Itsuki

Recalibration could have meant any sort of thing in Itsuki's mind, and as one skilled in chakra control, it wasn't particularly difficult. Just what needed recalibrating was what was throwing him off. Green eyes turned towards the jounin as Honnō-sensei started to speak again, this time providing him with the direction of thought that he had needed to make everything click just right.

Repulsion, the direct opposite from the tree climbing's attraction. It all made sense, the mention of recalibrating must reference the need to adjust the repulsion based on the movement of the water. It would take some practice, but now that Itsuki knew what it was that he was actually trying to do, he could make the attempt.

"I think I have it sensei..." he declared with a nod.

Stepping towards the pond with far more confidence than he had shown a few moments ago, the small Yamanaka sent chakra to his feet in the same manner he would have for kinobori, but reversed the flow of the chakra to try and repel himself from the surface of the water rather than stick himself to it. It wasn't quite as easy to picture, but on the other hand he wasn't fighting against gravity quite so harshly as he had with kinobori, so as his feet touched the water they sunk only a small amount beneath the surface.

A few more steps had him standing above shin-deep water with the tops of his feet just peeking above the surface, a frown of concentration on his face as he worked to adjust the flow of chakra to account for the ripples within the pond.

Word Count: 274
Tags:Hyūga Honnō
Training: 3/8

[Hyūga Honnō]

After that explanation, Itsuki’s confidence returned with a vengeance, flaring up with bravery to step onto the surface of the pond once more. Without fear, the results were far more uncommon – instead of waking up to the reality that was the harsh environment called ‘chakra control’, Itsuki was actually floating somewhat atop the surface with only the lowest area of his shins and below being submerged.

So now that Itsuki was able to do this, Hon had to give the boy time to readjust his chakra repulsion. This would take a bit, so the Jōnin simply sat down on the water’s surface and waited patiently. "Take your time. Make sure that your soles are standing above the water’s surface,” he reminded him, since submerged feet would only slow him down in any advances across water.

…

Okay, time’s up. Once Hon-sensei felt that Itsuki had gotten a good hang of it, he’d begin sending Palm Strikes onto the surface in order to create large ripples. These ripples would force Itsuki to constantly check just how strong the repulsion was, because any undesired flux of chakra could end up sending him flying or sinking his entire legs deep into the water. The ripples only got stronger from this point.

[Yamanaka Itsuki]

Yamanaka Itsuki

It didn't take the boy too long to get his chakra flow right, it was a little more finicky than climbing a tree, but the overall principal was the same and he'd mastered that easily enough. Really it was just a matter of getting a decent grasp on how to adjust, and Itsuki's chakra control was fine tuned enough to make such a thing reasonably easy.

At least until his sensei started making it even hard by splashing around. Giving the older man a glare, Itsuki found himself riding the ripples out without too much difficulty, having mostly adjusted to how he needed to repel himself from the water. Currently his biggest problem was how much he needed to focus in order to make that work. It was a little frustrating to be sure, but he was certain he'd get the hang of it soon enough.

A particularly strong ripple, more of a wave really, had the young Genin bobbing up and down on the surface of the water like a seagull, or maybe just some sort of float, his hair swaying with the movement but his body remaining on top. The only sign of any reall difficulty that he gave off was the sweat that was starting to form on his brow. 

"Is that the best you can do, sensei?" he asked, shooting the Hyuga a cheeky smile. Sometimes it was easy to forget himself and really test fate... he was twelve after all.

Word Count: 245
Tags:Hyūga Honnō
Training: 4/8

[Hyūga Honnō]

… Was that really the best that he could do, huh? Interesting question, Itsuki.

No, Hon-sensei could do much more than this. He could send a current through the water’s surface with Raiōken, but Itsuki wouldn’t want to be electrocuted in the midst of training, right? That would be some… Blood Mist type of brutal regime.

Nah, instead Hon-sensei sipped away at his coffee treat and kept a close eye on Itsuki’s advancement. He was able to focus while uninterrupted… but every enemy within a 100-meter radius would want to throw hands with him regardless of where he stood. He’d have to be able to meet their attacks without sinking into the pond’s crystal-blue deep of defeat.

Hon’s hands rose up with the monotone look on his face deceiving the viewer to his growing courage. He would meet Itsuki’s challenge head-on, and he did so by weaving… 1, 2, 3, 4, 5-

"Never lose focus.”

-6, 7, 8 handseals. With a blitz of a slam with both hands on the water’s surface, Hon formed a giant sealing circle with black sealing lines traveling out at the speed of flying kunai. The lines came straight from where his hands were planted and darted straight towards Itsuki, attempting to turn this water-walking challenge into an escape arts course.

[Yamanaka Itsuki]

Yamanaka Itsuki

Itsuki was a smart boy, really he was, but like any young boy he could be really, really dumb too. Taunting his Jounin sensei while standing atop a pond was, by any metric, a dumb move. He couldn't follow the handseals being made, but he knew it couldn't be anything good if it was going to be his teacher's response to his taunting.

The spreading black circle around him had his eyes widening, the young Genin stepping back from where Hon-sensei was in an attempt to get out of it, but it was too late, the circle closing behind him before he could even take a backward step. Uncertain, Itsuki glanced around to see if there was a best course to take right now.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed as the first 'rope' shot out towards him, hopping to the side as the strand of what could only be fuuinjutsu tried to grab him. A few more lines of dark chakra shot out towards him, and he was forced to duck and weave if he wanted to avoid being grabbed. He could feel himself bob slightly on the water as he did so, his focus split between keeping himself up and on the surface of the pond and avoiding being grabbed by his sensei's jutsu.

He was managing it right now, but it was tricky, and he needed to figure a way out of the technique if he didn't want to end up captured and embarassed for his insolence... he didn't want to have that happen again.

Word Count: 255
Tags:Hyūga Honnō
Training: 5/8

[Hyūga Honnō]

Hon was in no hurry, and he didn’t really mind waiting until Itsuki was so tired that he physically couldn’t channel chakra through the soles of his feet anymore. Now, Hon-sensei as sensei as he was, he would’ve probably stopped by now… the boy was pushed to a corner and everything, and the black sealing lines weren’t slowing down at all. But…

Sensei had a coffee drink to finish. Itsuki’s attempt at buttering up to Hon was ultimately what led this training set to last so damn long.

Hon would immediately cancel the Sealing Technique the moment Itsuki fell into the water in full, and not a second before that…

Not a second before that…

And time went on…

And on…

And on…

And on…

And at one point, it was time, and Hon cancelled the Sealing Technique. Now, if things went as planned, then Itsuki would likely be very low on chakra at the moment. However, Hon didn’t give him permission to leave the pond just yet… for now, his true training could begin. "Are you tired?” Hon asked him out of the blue, after what felt like hours of silence, "The more exhausted you are, the more you’re forced to adapt. A shinobi’s adaptation to their surroundings, and to their weaknesses, is second to none. So let me see how sharpened your Chakra Control is.”

[Yamanaka Itsuki]

Yamanaka Itsuki

Up, down, left, right, left, right, bob, and weave. Itsuki's body moved each time to avoid the tendrils of his teacher's jutsu, the small boy performing feats of desperate athleticism as he tried to find his way through the entangling fuuinjutsu. It was always just slow enough for him to dodge, though it definitely seemed to speed up as time went on. Itsuki found himself flipping, cartwheeling, and rolling over the water as he put his new control over his chakra into practice. He still got somewhat wet where it wasn't quite instinctual, but overall, he managed to stay above the water.

For a while at least.

Itsuki's chakra pool was average, and his control meant that he spent it much more wisely than most, but eventually he started to run lower, and lower, until one particular attempt to roll out of the way of a grasping tendril turned into a surprisingly graceful dive has the Genin found himself unable to bring enough chakra to his limbs to push off the water.

Emerging from the pool spluttering slightly, Itsuki flopped onto his back and let the water carry him as he tried to catch his breath, his eyes closed and his chest heaving. He should have been irritated by the fact he was soaking wet, but frankly the cold water was a massive relief after the sweat he had worked up.

And then Hon-sensei had to point out that things weren't over yet, asking to see more from the small boy. "I'm nearly drained sensei..." he grumbled, not opening his eyes but keeping a close watch on how his teacher acted with his sensory abilities, "what more do you want me to do..."

It wasn't whinging, really, it was just asking!

Word Count: 291
Tags:Hyūga Honnō
Training: 6/8

[Hyūga Honnō]

And just like that, Itsuki was soaked in the pond’s water, unable to stand on the surface for any longer… perfect. Itsuki, right now, was at a very desperate state of mind – exhaustion was filling his mind, and he prioritized catching his breath with refreshment from the cold of the water. However, he was also open to sneak attacks and ambushes in this state – tsk, tsk, tsk. If he wanted to catch a break in the middle of battle, then he’d have to do so in the blink of an eye. Like… like a sort of super-recovery.

"Control your breathing,” Hon informed him without pause, "Disregard the numbness of your limbs. The heat building up in your chest, and the dryness in your throat… take full control over your breathing. All you need is one, deep inhale… use the excess oxygen to recover yourself. Enemies won’t wait patiently for you to catch your breath in a clash, so make the most out of the small openings in battle that you get.”

Just a small pause… just a small one, to let Itsuki catch his breath, should the Genin take his words with dead-dreading seriousness. Once he did so… once Itsuki attempted to break his limits… Hon would have one more test in store for him.

You see, a ball was floating slowly towards Itsuki. It was the size of a tennis ball, but… Itsuki was a shinobi. Itsuki should know their tools, especially the more standard ones. This was… a bomb coated in sealing tags.

A bomb. Coated. In. Sealing. Tags.

"If you can avoid getting hit by more than 3 senbon, we’ll call it quits,” Hon revealed to him, "Otherwise, we’ll continue until nighttime. No buts.”

And with a single Tiger seal, Itsuki should know what was to come next. Break your limits, Itsuki.

[Yamanaka Itsuki]

Yamanaka Itsuki

He wanted to whine, exhausted as he was, but that was a waste of the valuable air he was trying to inhale as per his sensei's instructions. His body ached, his core was almost empty, and he was going to have to keep going. Intellectually Itsuki knew that he would prefer to try and push through his limits in a more safely controlled environment like this, but emotionally it was hard not to give in to the temptation to be upset.

The genin thought he was kinda clever when he tried to subtly use the water walking jutsu to slowly raise himself out of the water on his back, limbs still dangling in the pond to add extra emphasis on the idea that he was still just floating normally while he actually tried to give himself a better platform to move should he need it.

Unfortunately for him, a Jounin was more observant than a Genin could hope to be, and so his eyes opened as something tapped gently against his cheek. Green eyes went wide as he realised he was staring at a bomb right near his face, the Yamanaka curling his body instinctually as he forced himself up into a handspring and tried to leap backwards as far as he could. His momentum had him flipping into a series of handsprings across the water to try and get away from the bomb before it could go off, his chakra instinctively gathering at his hands and then feet as the limbs alternated between touching the water.

When the bomb went off however, and senbon hurtled towards him at high speeds, Itsuki simply straightened up in midair and plunged into the water to try and avoid getting struck, hoping the water would stop the projectiles enough that he wasn't going to get hurt.

Word Count: 303
Tags:Hyūga Honnō
Training: 7/8

[Hyūga Honnō]

Once the bomb went off, Itsuki’s time to shine showed… and it proved worth it. Worth all of the sweat, his heavy breathing, his pains. Itsuki was still able to evade all of the senbon by diving underwater. Now, it wasn’t exactly how Hon had imagined that he would try to dodge – still, with how exhausted Itsuki was, to think that he’d be able to somersault backwards like that while still staying above the water’s surface was a surprise.

And not an unwelcome one.

Now, Itsuki would likely be too tired to even move, so Hon weaved a couple handseals and manifested the same sealing lines from before. Those lines looked like ink-drawn scribble that would dive down and grab Itsuki’s leg before fishing him back up to the surface and pull him to the shore for some well-deserved rest. "You’ve already mastered it, Itsuki. You couldn’t have done what you did right then if not,” Hon informed him with a small smile, "Tree-Walking and Water-Walking… those two skills are now under your belt. Now…”

… Wait, where was his coffee? He had placed it somewhere here before helping out Itsu-

The faint glance at the water’s surface revealed to him the terrible fate of his coffee. The cloud of white-brown liquid floating on the surface… and the pieces of jelly… his coffee had succumbed to a damn coincidence that Hon wasn’t aware of. Had he gotten too comfortable with the water’s surface that he totally forgot that it was a liquid surface, not a solid one!?!

"… … … … … … … … … … … …”