[Uzumaki Ichigoni]

[googlefont=Crimson Text]

くたばれ
Ever since his recent promotion, Ichigoni had been at his duties on a near constant basis. The training that he did have time typically happened on the deck of whichever captain’s ship he was visiting, and those were truly more inspection than training to ensure that the shinobi under his charge were meeting fitness requirements.

Occasional visits to Kirigakure to conference were usually just as busy, but the Grand Admiral was delayed by business elsewhere for the next two days. Unable to return to Gengetsu to reunite with his fleet, the young admiral found himself twiddling his thumbs for the first time in a long time.

He put in a request for advanced instruction in bukijutsu to make himself a better performer in combat. Ichigoni believed that his merit as a shinobi was just as important as his naval rank, and that his captains would not respect his authority if he didn’t back it up with power.

His request was granted, and the administrative office put in good work to find someone with a great expertise in bukijutsu as well as teaching experience. Sora Minami was to assist him in his continued refinement of skill.

The training area was located indoors and out of the elements. It was in the academy actually, opened up for adult learning after hours. It was a small gymnasium built for sparring, with a lacquered wood floor. A stern jade statue of the first Mizukage holding a hand seal presided over the right center of the arena, a pair of double doors on the opposite side.

On one side of the gym, Ichigoni sat cross legged in meditation as he awaited the arrival of the bukijutsu instructor. As opposed to his normal attire he was wearing his standard Kirigakure garb, with the modification of his own headband being worn and the crest of the village on his belt. He liked being able to blend in among the populace in Kirigakure, the months of naval formalities had tired him for standing out.

🗡️

[Sora Minami]

The Academy felt different, after hours. With all the students (and most of the teachers) gone the halls were quiet, her footsteps echoing through the corridors in the way that only happened in empty places, giving the entire place a thoroughly desolate vibe. The fact that it was close to dusk, and the village was shrouded in its usual nightly mist didn’t help matters, but she supposed it could have been worse. At least she wasn’t out at sea. Which, unfortunately, brought her to why she was here.

The order had come in earlier that morning during team training: an admiral of Kirigakure’s navy, one Uzumaki Ichigoni, had requested assistance in improving his bukijutsu, and out of all the potential candidates to assist him, she had been selected by the powers that be to provide it. Normally that wouldn’t have been an issue, but the man had also chosen for this particular training to take place inside one of the Academy’s sparring dojos, which limited her options on what she could and could not teach. There were certain techniques that simply weren’t meant to be performed inside a building, not if you wanted it to remain standing afterward.

Someone must be shy. Sora thought as she slid open the door to the dojo, sky blue gaze taking in the room at a glance before settling on her prospective student. Ichigoni was sitting, legs crossed in a classic meditative pose, no weapon in sight, his outfit starched and clean and very clearly unused, as if he’d had to pull it out of storage for this. Which he probably had, given how much the uniforms for naval service differed from the standard garb.

She had gone with a far less traditional outfit tonight, a tight, sleeveless hakama of rich blue cotton accented by thin lines of red and gold, tied at the waist with a black floral obi and paired with a set of black leggings and, of course, her Shinobi sandals. Samidare was, as always, situated on her left hip, blade side up, the saya polished and lacquered to a brilliant sheen, the blade itself pristine and nearly glowing. It revealed a great deal more skin than was appropriate, especially given the hakama only came to the middle of her thighs and had no back, but there was a reason for this, though not the one most would think.

"I hope I haven’t kept you waiting, Uzumaki-san." Sora said as she shut the door behind her, voice warm and throaty. It had been a long time since she’d bothered to tease anyone like this, but if an Admiral wanted to ruin her one night a week by requesting training… well. He could deal with a bit of impropriety. Especially if she could use it to teach him a lesson about more than just swordsmanship.

Jutsu/SA's/Equipment Used

SPOILER: Click to show

Jutsu:
Special Abilities:
The Kunoichi That Goes On And On And On… [Endurance SA]
Perhaps part of her genetics or simply a random quirk of fate, Sora is unnaturally resilient, be it to physical pain or the toils of extended combat. While most Shinobi would collapse in exhaustion at having used all but the smallest sliver of their chakra reserves, she pushes on; while most Shinobi would wilt beneath the weight of sleepless night after sleepless night, she keeps going. This does not mean she does not feel pain/the strain of extended combat, but rather that her threshold for shutting down because of it is far higher than others. To give an example, if she were to be stabbed through her abdomen, she would still feel the pain of the injury, and it would hinder her ability to move/act, but it wouldn’t stop her, whereas a normal ninja might freeze up or shut down from the pain.

Bet You Didn’t See That Coming [Speed SA]
A byproduct of her enhanced endurance, Sora (despite what many would think) dislikes being injured- and with that dislike comes the intense desire to avoid getting hurt, a desire that has pushed her to hone her body until it could move faster than most others of her rank. In short, Sora is fast- very, very fast.

POWAH! UNLIMITED POWAH!! [Chakra Reserves SA]
After a lifetime of utilizing nearly every ounce of chakra in her body just to survive, Sora’s chakra reserves have expanded a considerable amount to compensate- while she’s no Jinchuuriki, her ability to toss out jutsu after jutsu and still have enough chakra to keep going is quite remarkable, a testament to just how much of the stuff she actually has.

I Am Not Left-Handed [Kenjutsu Mastery SA]
Sora is not merely a Kenjutsu specialist- she is a master when it comes to the art of the sword; after over two decades of training, her skills are unrivaled within Kirigakure, falling short only to the Seven Swordsman themselves… some of them, anyway. This mastery allows her a distinct advantage when fighting other Bukijutsu specialists of similar or lesser rank.

If You Try For Speed, You Do Not Achieve Speed [Bukijutsu Speed SA]
Beyond being a master of Kenjutsu, Sora has practiced for decades to become the faster swordswoman she can be. As such, her Kenjutsu techniques come out faster and move quicker than those performed by others of her rank.

Equipment: Samidare | Spring Rain Blade (In sheath on left hip)
SA’s
Unbreakable
Whatever metal and forging process was used in the creation of Samidare, it worked; Samidare is utterly unbreakable by most any means, capable of being engulfed in an S-Rank Jutsu and remaining unscathed. Though it is possible that the blade could potentially be broken by a sufficiently powerful attack (such as, say, a Bijuu-dama), this has never been tested, so it is not known if it would survive.

Sharper Than Your Average Blade
Due to its nature as an unbreakable blade, Samidare bears a cutting edge that is of particular note, which allows it to slice through even steel with little in the way of resistance, so long as the proper force is applied. Additionally, this edge never needs to be resharpened, as it never grows dull or rolls, thus making it perfect for frontline combat.

Light as Spring Rain
Perhaps a quirk of its forging (or perhaps an intentional feature), Samidare is considerably lighter than a blade its size and length ought to be; while this would normally result in a less effective weapon, Samidare loses none of its integrity or cutting power, as it is somehow able to leverage the same amount of force through less mass. This lightness allows the user to swing the weapon about with much greater speed for the same amount of physical exertion.

Chakra Conduction
Being Chakra Conductive, Samidare is capable of channeling all types of Chakra for use in Bukijustu, and, more particularly, it has a slight affinity for Raiton chakra thanks to Sora’s constant use of the blade for that purpose. This affinity does not do anything of real note, but it does feel as if the blade were more eager to drink in Raiton Chakra than other types.

Uzumaki Ichigoni

[Uzumaki Ichigoni]

[googlefont=Crimson Text]

くたばれ
Hearing the entry of another, the Uzumaki broke his meditation and opened his eye. The woman who entered seemed like she might have been preparing to go to a festival or out to a nice restaurant. Or perhaps she had just returned from an assassination? There was no telling.

"Don’t worry about it,” Ichigoni said, raising up his left hand. The Uzumkai’s weapons were more noticeable now, a pair of claws pleated onto a flexible pair of gloves. It appeared unlike traditional claw weapons they were made intentionally not to interfere with the fine control of one's hands. "I don’t usually get a lot of time to relax. I’ve got the luxury of being in no hurry today.”

The Uzumaki seemed to be oblivious to the woman’s teasing or her scant attire. Having spent most of his life among the Ama, he was used to beach attire and was generally brought up to be respectful. His father came from Gengetsu and had always been pretty modern with clothing. But by now he’d gotten used to seeing people from elsewhere in Mizu no Kuni who had much more traditional sensibilities. He didn’t really know fashion well.

He stood up from being seated, and his tired garnet gaze met with hers. His expression was plain and gave little reading to his demeanor. "You can just call me Ichigoni, by the way, thank you for coming. I hope that they didn’t trouble you with me on your off time, I just wanted to see if I could get a good swordster to show me some defensive techniques to see if I can incorporate it into my own fighting style.”

While in the fleet the admiral would expect the extra honorifics and respect, here he was just another jounin as she was. Ichigo suspected she had been a jounin longer than he as well. Deep down he was excited to interact with someone outside of his command and another jounin.

Ichigoni’s body tensed up and he brought his hands up, an embarrassed smile betraying his usual serious demeanor. "Sorry, I have jumped to business without giving you a chance to give your name. What should I call you?”

🗡️

[Sora Minami]

Sora’s lips flicked down in a frown as the man turned, his voice as casual and nonchalant as could be. There was a part of her, however small, that found his whole lack of a reaction incredibly annoying- she wasn’t the best at seduction techniques, true, but what kind of a man did he have to be to just ignore a beautiful woman trying to flirt with him?

Whatever. The woman thought with a sigh, head drooping for a moment before she shook her head and looked up, any trace of her pouting gone. As much as she still wanted to get back at the man for ruining her chance at a night on the town, she was here now, and that meant he was, at least for the moment, her-

Her student. He was her student.

Oh, this is going to be fun.

"My name is Sora. Sora Minami." She said in the same low, sultry voice, looking Ichigoni up and down as she spoke. His weapon was different from the norm, but she could see why he would choose something like that over a more traditional gauntlet. It certainly didn’t look like it would interfere with forming hand seals, though she’d have to test that out.

"For the time being, however, you will refer to me as ‘Minami-Sensei.’ As for why, well…" Sora said, trailing off as she smiled at the man. It was a full one, rare for her, one that spread her full lips to reveal the front row of her perfectly white teeth. An instant later she was moving, right hand pulling Samidare out as she surged forwards and swung the blade out in a perfect horizontal Iaigiri, right to left, that had enough strength and speed behind it to cut Ichigoni’s head clean off before he would even have a chance to react.

Until she stopped it cold, right against the skin of his neck.

"You’re in school, Uzumaki-san. And class is in session." The Jounin waited a moment, allowing Ichigoni’s brain to catch up with what his senses were telling it- and then she withdrew her blade, resting Samidare on her shoulder as she stepped back and spoke again, all teasing and flirtation gone.

"Now. Why was I able to do that?”

Uzumaki Ichigoni

Jutsu/SA's/Equipment Used

SPOILER: Click to show

Jutsu:
NAME: Iaigiri - [Iai Beheading]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Low
CLASSIFICATION: Bukijutsu
ELEMENT: N/a
DESCRIPTION: The user performs a quick and powerful slash with their sword, appearing almost like a blur, in order to cur the intended target before immediately resheating the blade afterwards. In the hands of the right user, this attack can even cut clean through a boulder.

Special Abilities:
The Kunoichi That Goes On And On And On… [Endurance SA]
Perhaps part of her genetics or simply a random quirk of fate, Sora is unnaturally resilient, be it to physical pain or the toils of extended combat. While most Shinobi would collapse in exhaustion at having used all but the smallest sliver of their chakra reserves, she pushes on; while most Shinobi would wilt beneath the weight of sleepless night after sleepless night, she keeps going. This does not mean she does not feel pain/the strain of extended combat, but rather that her threshold for shutting down because of it is far higher than others. To give an example, if she were to be stabbed through her abdomen, she would still feel the pain of the injury, and it would hinder her ability to move/act, but it wouldn’t stop her, whereas a normal ninja might freeze up or shut down from the pain.

Bet You Didn’t See That Coming [Speed SA]
A byproduct of her enhanced endurance, Sora (despite what many would think) dislikes being injured- and with that dislike comes the intense desire to avoid getting hurt, a desire that has pushed her to hone her body until it could move faster than most others of her rank. In short, Sora is fast- very, very fast.

POWAH! UNLIMITED POWAH!! [Chakra Reserves SA]
After a lifetime of utilizing nearly every ounce of chakra in her body just to survive, Sora’s chakra reserves have expanded a considerable amount to compensate- while she’s no Jinchuuriki, her ability to toss out jutsu after jutsu and still have enough chakra to keep going is quite remarkable, a testament to just how much of the stuff she actually has.

I Am Not Left-Handed [Kenjutsu Mastery SA]
Sora is not merely a Kenjutsu specialist- she is a master when it comes to the art of the sword; after over two decades of training, her skills are unrivaled within Kirigakure, falling short only to the Seven Swordsman themselves… some of them, anyway. This mastery allows her a distinct advantage when fighting other Bukijutsu specialists of similar or lesser rank.

If You Try For Speed, You Do Not Achieve Speed [Bukijutsu Speed SA]
Beyond being a master of Kenjutsu, Sora has practiced for decades to become the faster swordswoman she can be. As such, her Kenjutsu techniques come out faster and move quicker than those performed by others of her rank.

Equipment: Samidare | Spring Rain Blade (Drawn)
SA’s
Unbreakable
Whatever metal and forging process was used in the creation of Samidare, it worked; Samidare is utterly unbreakable by most any means, capable of being engulfed in an S-Rank Jutsu and remaining unscathed. Though it is possible that the blade could potentially be broken by a sufficiently powerful attack (such as, say, a Bijuu-dama), this has never been tested, so it is not known if it would survive.

Sharper Than Your Average Blade
Due to its nature as an unbreakable blade, Samidare bears a cutting edge that is of particular note, which allows it to slice through even steel with little in the way of resistance, so long as the proper force is applied. Additionally, this edge never needs to be resharpened, as it never grows dull or rolls, thus making it perfect for frontline combat.

Light as Spring Rain
Perhaps a quirk of its forging (or perhaps an intentional feature), Samidare is considerably lighter than a blade its size and length ought to be; while this would normally result in a less effective weapon, Samidare loses none of its integrity or cutting power, as it is somehow able to leverage the same amount of force through less mass. This lightness allows the user to swing the weapon about with much greater speed for the same amount of physical exertion.

Chakra Conduction
Being Chakra Conductive, Samidare is capable of channeling all types of Chakra for use in Bukijustu, and, more particularly, it has a slight affinity for Raiton chakra thanks to Sora’s constant use of the blade for that purpose. This affinity does not do anything of real note, but it does feel as if the blade were more eager to drink in Raiton Chakra than other types.

[Uzumaki Ichigoni]

[googlefont=Crimson Text]

くたばれ
Ichigoni did not flinch, though a bead of sweat managed to betray him, trickling down the right side of his face. When she asked him about how she performed her technique he closed his eyes and brought his hand to his chin for a moment to replay the motions through his mind. She had smiled at him, but he didn’t think that the answer was that she used charm, and if she did it was something he probably could not match.

"Hm. I saw you step back when the blade was drawn,” he said. "It looked like it created additional momentum through the use of your body.”

Body motion was his first thought. Most weapon styles had particular postures and movements that maximized force. Perhaps it was a guess answer and not the one she was looking for, but it was at least a truth.

He thought he might demonstrate what he thought of the principle and how it might relate to his own repertoire. Chakra rods might have made more sense in this perspective, but ultimately it was the slashing techniques of his claws that he wanted to improve.

He slashed diagonally upward in an upper cutting motion, using his forward leg to step into the slash, and then after reaching the pinnacle of height, he used the inertia of gravity to assist him in multiply the force as he flicked his arm downwards to perform a back handed slash. The Uzumkai however, had kept plenty of safe distance between himself and Sora.

"That is how I apply a similar principle, although I’m unsure if it is the correct answer to your question.”

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Tsuyoi no Tsume
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Medium
CLASSIFICATION: Bukijutsu
ELEMENT: -
HANDSEALS: 0
DESCRIPTION:
The user strikes the opponent with a diagonal claw slash, with enough force behind the blow to crush through any block and possibly ruining their balance from having to withstand such a blow. This strike is followed up by a backwards slash from the same claw, when they're put out of balance by the first strike.

🗡️

[Sora Minami]

Sora listened to her student with a look of patient endurance writ large across her face. It was a tactic she had learned in the Academy, one that worked against even the most hardened of Jounin; if you held a flat expression for long enough and didn’t speak, people would do almost anything to fill the awkward silence. In Ichigoni’s case, he filled it with an attempt at an answer- a good one, to be sure, but incomplete. He showed a decent grasp of the basics of using a weapon like his, but she could tell his form was self-taught rather than formally trained, as it lacked the fluidity of transition that came with proper training. That, she supposed, was why she was here. To fix such things.

"You’re half right." She said once the man was finished, lowering her blade so that the tip just barely touched the wooden floor. "Body mechanics are a part of speed, particularly breathing, but they aren’t everything." She paused, giving the man time to chew on what she had just said before she continued, lifting Samidare up to serve as a demonstration.

"When I draw Samidare to attack, the blade acts as a literal extension of my body; it bears my will, my intent, and, more specifically, a portion of my chakra." As if to showcase her point, she imbued the weapon with a drop of Fuuton, the air around it stirring to life in a quiet, but noticeable, breeze. "In essence, that makes it a part of me. I am the blade. The blade is me. We are one, not in form, but in spirit."

Sora stopped the flow of her chakra then, flicking her right hand up in a perfect tsuki, a thrust, right leg slamming into the floor as she stepped into and exhaled through the blow, aiming it right for the man’s chest. They were too far apart for it to hit, but that didn’t matter- the point wasn’t to hit him, but to show him. She had slid into the motion with an ease that belied decades of practice, years of beating herself down into the ground just for that one step, that one blink of speed or timing that would make her strike land first. Because you didn’t gain such skill overnight, or in a single session with a master. It developed slowly, if at all, and always through work. Hard, toiling work.

"You see?"

Jutsu/SA's/Equipment Used

SPOILER: Click to show

Uzumaki Ichigoni
Jutsu: N/a - Basic thrust.
Special Abilities:
The Kunoichi That Goes On And On And On… [Endurance SA]
Perhaps part of her genetics or simply a random quirk of fate, Sora is unnaturally resilient, be it to physical pain or the toils of extended combat. While most Shinobi would collapse in exhaustion at having used all but the smallest sliver of their chakra reserves, she pushes on; while most Shinobi would wilt beneath the weight of sleepless night after sleepless night, she keeps going. This does not mean she does not feel pain/the strain of extended combat, but rather that her threshold for shutting down because of it is far higher than others. To give an example, if she were to be stabbed through her abdomen, she would still feel the pain of the injury, and it would hinder her ability to move/act, but it wouldn’t stop her, whereas a normal ninja might freeze up or shut down from the pain.

Bet You Didn’t See That Coming [Speed SA]
A byproduct of her enhanced endurance, Sora (despite what many would think) dislikes being injured- and with that dislike comes the intense desire to avoid getting hurt, a desire that has pushed her to hone her body until it could move faster than most others of her rank. In short, Sora is fast- very, very fast.

POWAH! UNLIMITED POWAH!! [Chakra Reserves SA]
After a lifetime of utilizing nearly every ounce of chakra in her body just to survive, Sora’s chakra reserves have expanded a considerable amount to compensate- while she’s no Jinchuuriki, her ability to toss out jutsu after jutsu and still have enough chakra to keep going is quite remarkable, a testament to just how much of the stuff she actually has.

I Am Not Left-Handed [Kenjutsu Mastery SA]
Sora is not merely a Kenjutsu specialist- she is a master when it comes to the art of the sword; after over two decades of training, her skills are unrivaled within Kirigakure, falling short only to the Seven Swordsman themselves… some of them, anyway. This mastery allows her a distinct advantage when fighting other Bukijutsu specialists of similar or lesser rank.

If You Try For Speed, You Do Not Achieve Speed [Bukijutsu Speed SA]
Beyond being a master of Kenjutsu, Sora has practiced for decades to become the faster swordswoman she can be. As such, her Kenjutsu techniques come out faster and move quicker than those performed by others of her rank.

Equipment: Samidare | Spring Rain Blade (Drawn)
SA’s
Unbreakable
Whatever metal and forging process was used in the creation of Samidare, it worked; Samidare is utterly unbreakable by most any means, capable of being engulfed in an S-Rank Jutsu and remaining unscathed. Though it is possible that the blade could potentially be broken by a sufficiently powerful attack (such as, say, a Bijuu-dama), this has never been tested, so it is not known if it would survive.

Sharper Than Your Average Blade
Due to its nature as an unbreakable blade, Samidare bears a cutting edge that is of particular note, which allows it to slice through even steel with little in the way of resistance, so long as the proper force is applied. Additionally, this edge never needs to be resharpened, as it never grows dull or rolls, thus making it perfect for frontline combat.

Light as Spring Rain
Perhaps a quirk of its forging (or perhaps an intentional feature), Samidare is considerably lighter than a blade its size and length ought to be; while this would normally result in a less effective weapon, Samidare loses none of its integrity or cutting power, as it is somehow able to leverage the same amount of force through less mass. This lightness allows the user to swing the weapon about with much greater speed for the same amount of physical exertion.

Chakra Conduction
Being Chakra Conductive, Samidare is capable of channeling all types of Chakra for use in Bukijustu, and, more particularly, it has a slight affinity for Raiton chakra thanks to Sora’s constant use of the blade for that purpose. This affinity does not do anything of real note, but it does feel as if the blade were more eager to drink in Raiton Chakra than other types.

[Uzumaki Ichigoni]

[googlefont=Crimson Text]

くたばれ
The fuinjutsu specialist watched carefully. His world was full of formula and mathematics, and what was on the inside was something literal— a thing being contained.

"Ahh, I can often feel that connection with my primary weapon,” Ichigoni stated. Although in that case, the connection itself was rather literal, as the chakra rods were manifested from his body. He lifted the claws upwards. "These, they are rather new to me still. But I want to improve with them.”

He tried to think of how he could incorporate such a clean thrust into his own technique. He typically used his sealing stakes in thrusting attacks, but he could see the uses of a thrust over a slash even from the claws that he wore. He thought about a direct copy, although the range of the weapon was much shorter. Then an epiphany hit him.

"It should be an extension of my body, as my other weapon. The two should be working together in harmony.”

The Uzumaki began with another strike of his claw, imagining it sending a foe reeling back to avoid its shorter range. Then, with the other claw coming forward he lunged and dipped his knee, pushing his palm up towards Sora (though being careful to stay out of striking range). Bursting from his forearm came a narrow stake that surged from his hand and pointed out in a thrusting motion. He used the momentum of his arm movement and gripped the stake as he reached the point of hyperextension.

It wasn’t executed flawlessly, but he had at least gotten a basic transition from weapon to weapon down. He kept himself in the knee dropped position gripping the chakra rod like a small spear. He tried to think of what the most natural movement would be to get him back into a neutral position. If he did managed to penetrate someone, he would want to leave the rod inside of them and switch to the gloves, but it was difficult to think of a way to do so with efficiency.

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Hisan Fūgui [Soaring Sealing Stake]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Low
CLASSIFICATION: Hiden | Fūinjutsu
DESCRIPTION:
With his clan's secret style of wielding seals, the Uzumaki manifests an iron-hard meter of chakra in the form of a sharpened stake-like rod, created to be wielded as a weapon. To be pierced by this metal-rending spear is to activate the sealing effects of its nature, as it quickly binds to and paralyzes the actions of the surrounding body parts. The stake itself actually fails to wound its target, despite how it may appear, only petrifying the tissues surrounding the seal. This works to immobilize the enemy, as a single stake to one's limbs or torso is enough to turn a fight against their favor. Implied by the name, the user may also create and launched a stake from their body, manifesting as an unexpected flying projectile with sealing capabilities. When added into another seal, this technique acts as a temporary paralyzing defense mechanism against those who physically tamper with the benefitted seal, save for its user. This includes outside threats as well as those within the seal, preventing captives from releasing themselves through rudimentary means.

-

Quills of the Sea Urchin
Hisan Fūgui is Ichigoni's specialty technique. The durability of his rods allow them to go toe to toe in clashes with most chakra enhanced weapons without breaking, and they possess the chakra reactive trait.

Javelin Dragon
Ichigoni excels at maneuvering and utilizing his sealing stakes as javelins to deadly effect. He is better at maximizing his reach, parrying, and throwing javelins than his peers.

🗡️

[Sora Minami]

He catches on quick. Sora thought as the Uzumaki started to work out what she had hinted at. It was fumbling and more than a little awkward, but the sheer fact that he got it and tried to integrate the concept into his own fighting style was… impressive. Particularly given the claws seemed to be a recent addition to his arsenal and that stake he had sprouted from inside his arm was his primary weapon.

"Exactly." She said as pulled her blade back, resting it on her shoulder as she thought over what to say next. His request had been vague in its nature as to what, exactly, the man wanted to learn, but there were a few jutsu she knew that would probably elevate his combat capabilities with a blade, if only due to their sheer utility. Kiretsu. Samidaregiri. Shishi Sonson. But of the three… well, only one really stood out as a must have for anyone using a weapon.

"Tell me. How much of the Ittoryu do you know?" Sora asked, once again tilting her head as she looked the man up and down. His form was decent enough, and with that stake of his he ought to be able to get enough reach to perform a decent cut, even if it was more of a thrusting weapon. Yeah, definitely Kiretsu.

Uzumaki Ichigoni

[Uzumaki Ichigoni]

[googlefont=Crimson Text]

くたばれ
The question of his knowledge of Ittoryu sent the Uzumkai’s mind racing to unpack as much information about it as he could. Coming to the forefront of his mind was a lesson in this very structure some sixteen years ago.

-

"Trash like you could never become one of the swordsman of the mist,” a figure spoke to him. Their appearance lost in the recesses of their mind, only a shadow. "Why they let a foreigner in here puzzles me, but soon enough you’ll be gutted in an alleyway, so no need for you to have any delusions of grandeur.”

The figure took his bokken and snapped it like a twig in front of him.

-

Closing his eye. Ichigoni took in a deep breath and pushed the memory aside. He looked back at Sora. "I practiced the basic kata of Ittoryu as an academy student, but I didn’t end up specializing in kenjutsu. I would not consider any of my knowledge of ittoryu as being refined enough to use in battle at this point.”

He paused for a moment, and then thought of his time with several of the summons in the toad contract.

"I have dueled with enough kenjutsu specialists to recognize the basics however, and have learned several weapon styles. I believe I can grasp the fundamentals that will be required for many techniques you may wish to try to teach me.”

🗡️

[Sora Minami]

Sora listened as Ichigoni spoke, his words adding an interesting counterpoint to the mixture of information she had of him. She had already deduced he wasn’t formally trained in anything more than the basics, but to hear from his own mouth, to hear the slight hint of bitterness that crept into his voice at the fact, told the Jounin much. Plenty of Instructors took a balanced approach to teaching at the Academy, but it hadn’t been all that long ago that those who had been born outside of Kirigakure had received… less than stellar treatment.

"I can work with that." She said, half-turning from the man and walking to the other side of the dojo. She paused, thinking about how best to demonstrate the jutsu she had in mind- and then, with a glance at the stake in his hand, Sora smiled, knowing what to do.

"Tell me. Have you ever seen a kenjutsu specialist cut through a jutsu?" The question was a rhetorical one; anyone who fought with or against a kenjutsu specialist would have seen them perform that feat, though few understood the how behind it. "The technique is known as ‘Kiretsu,’ a variation of the Saber Jutsu developed by the Samurai to protect against long-ranged ninjutsu, though most every Hidden Village has knowledge of it."

Sora raised Samidare up in a horizontal stance, holding the blade in two hands as she pushed her chakra, unaltered by any element, into the weapon, molding it against the edge until the two were utterly impossible to separate.

"It works by utilizing the flow of non-elemental chakra against a technique in a manner similar to magnetism; you "match” the strength of the jutsu coming against you, essentially using your chakra to cut what is otherwise immaterial by interacting with it on its level." The technique had its limits, of course, but it was incredibly useful in a fight, even if one wasn’t a kenjutsu specialist- being able to cut a fireball or lightning blast in half had saved her many a time she couldn’t dodge.

"Of course,” Sora began, lowering her blade but not dropping the chakra flow within, "That’s just the theory. You’ll need a proper demonstration before you can really grasp it. So…" The Jounin trailed off, giving Ichigoni the universal "bring it” gesture with her other hand as she stood, knees slightly bent, every muscle ready. "Throw something at me."

[Uzumaki Ichigoni]

[googlefont=Crimson Text]

くたばれ
Ichigoni’s own ninjutsu typically fell into the arena of utility, but he had two techniques that could be used for an attack. However, the conditions in the current environment didn’t suit what he did know how to do. So, he would rely on something that he wasn’t necessarily proud of.

He formed five hand seals, bit his thumb, and slammed his hands onto the ground. A black seal formed followed by a cloud of smoke. A rotund toad with merigold flesh and a blue jacket appeared, standing only about four inches shorter than Ichigoni.

"Good day everyone!” Gamatatsu said. "Oh, Ichi-chan. Long time no see, are we going to go for manju again?”

Ichigoni raised his hand up. "Not today. Do you see that woman over there?”

"Huh? Oh yea. Hello! I like your hakama!” the toad called, giving Sora a wave. "You should take us out for manju, Ichi-chan.”

"Stay with me, Gamatatsu. I need you to cast a jutsu towards her, so that she can show me a technique to defend against it.”

"Oh, gosh. I’ll try my best,” the toad said.

Ichigoni watched the toad form three hand seals and then expel a stream of water from its mouth towards the kunoichi. They only did just enough to make a stream that was about the size of their body, but it was highly pressurized and deceptively powerful coming from such a strange toad.

SPOILER: Click to show

Summoning jutsu. Gamatatsu (has a suiton power enhancement SA)

NAME: Suiton: Sessaku Mizu Tsuba [Water Release: Slicing Water Spit] ❖
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Medium
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [General]
ELEMENT: Suiton
HANDSEALS: 3
DESCRIPTION:
The user will perform the needed hand seals, and then use Suiton Chakra to gather water into their mouths, before spitting the water out as a continuous powerful stream that travels about fifteen meters. The power of the stream can slice through skin, but incapable of digging further, if anything after that, it’ll just push the opponent back.

🗡️

[Sora Minami]

Sora didn’t move when the man stepped back and performed the steps necessary for a Summoning Jutsu. She didn’t flinch as the medium sized toad appeared in a puff of smoke, didn’t blink when the pair spoke back and forth for a few moments, the Uzumaki trying to reign in his summon. No, she was too focused for such distractions to bother her; every part of her being had been distilled down, channeled into the coming cut, the moment where a thing that had no mass or substance would be split in half by her blade. Where the immaterial was brought down into reality and cut, as if it were any other thing.

The toad, Gamatatsu, eventually turned his head towards her and, with a bit of coaching from Ichigoni, formed the hand seals needed for a Suiton jutsu. The toad spat a thin stream of water at her, the pressure of the jutsu increased by the restriction of its size, but she didn’t worry about that. In flash of movement, Sora brought her blade down, arcing it through the water in a perfect yokogiri, the edge of her blade flaring with chakra as it met the jutsu… and cut right through it, splitting the stream of water clean in half and forcing it away from her body. Unfortunately, with the enclosed space, that didn’t mean much, and before long water was everywhere, soaking her hakama as she held against the justu.

She held the cut for a second as Gamatatsu kept up the stream, but then it ceased, water sloshing against the walls and onto the floor as she lowered her weapon, smiling despite being rather wet from the back-spray. "You see?"

Jutsu/SA's/Equipment Used

SPOILER: Click to show

Jutsu: Uzumaki Ichigoni
NAME: Ittoryu: Kiretsu [One Sword Style: Crack]
RANK: A
CHAKRA USAGE: Medium - Very High
CLASSIFICATION: Bukijutsu
ELEMENT: -
HANDSEALS: 0
DESCRIPTION: A unique variant of the Saaberu no Jutsu, Kiretsu is a Jutsu based around a singular idea- to cut through even the most ethereal of Jutsu, splitting it in half and therefore keeping it away from the user. This is achieved by coating their blade in chakra, which is then honed into a razor point, capable of slicing through Jutsu such as Katon: Endan or Raiton: Gian without bringing the user to any harm.

As a rule, this Jutsu cannot be used on any Jutsu greater than A rank, or against Jutsu that affect an area wider than the user's total body length. In addition, the Jutsu costs an amount of Chakra equal to one level higher than the Jutsu that is being cut/split (so a Jutsu that uses a Medium amount would take a High amount to split, while one that costs High would cost Very High to split), and cannot be used at range.
Special Abilities:
The Kunoichi That Goes On And On And On… [Endurance SA]
Perhaps part of her genetics or simply a random quirk of fate, Sora is unnaturally resilient, be it to physical pain or the toils of extended combat. While most Shinobi would collapse in exhaustion at having used all but the smallest sliver of their chakra reserves, she pushes on; while most Shinobi would wilt beneath the weight of sleepless night after sleepless night, she keeps going. This does not mean she does not feel pain/the strain of extended combat, but rather that her threshold for shutting down because of it is far higher than others. To give an example, if she were to be stabbed through her abdomen, she would still feel the pain of the injury, and it would hinder her ability to move/act, but it wouldn’t stop her, whereas a normal ninja might freeze up or shut down from the pain.

Bet You Didn’t See That Coming [Speed SA]
A byproduct of her enhanced endurance, Sora (despite what many would think) dislikes being injured- and with that dislike comes the intense desire to avoid getting hurt, a desire that has pushed her to hone her body until it could move faster than most others of her rank. In short, Sora is fast- very, very fast.

POWAH! UNLIMITED POWAH!! [Chakra Reserves SA]
After a lifetime of utilizing nearly every ounce of chakra in her body just to survive, Sora’s chakra reserves have expanded a considerable amount to compensate- while she’s no Jinchuuriki, her ability to toss out jutsu after jutsu and still have enough chakra to keep going is quite remarkable, a testament to just how much of the stuff she actually has.

I Am Not Left-Handed [Kenjutsu Mastery SA]
Sora is not merely a Kenjutsu specialist- she is a master when it comes to the art of the sword; after over two decades of training, her skills are unrivaled within Kirigakure, falling short only to the Seven Swordsman themselves… some of them, anyway. This mastery allows her a distinct advantage when fighting other Bukijutsu specialists of similar or lesser rank.

If You Try For Speed, You Do Not Achieve Speed [Bukijutsu Speed SA]
Beyond being a master of Kenjutsu, Sora has practiced for decades to become the faster swordswoman she can be. As such, her Kenjutsu techniques come out faster and move quicker than those performed by others of her rank.

Equipment: Samidare | Spring Rain Blade (Drawn)
SA’s
Unbreakable
Whatever metal and forging process was used in the creation of Samidare, it worked; Samidare is utterly unbreakable by most any means, capable of being engulfed in an S-Rank Jutsu and remaining unscathed. Though it is possible that the blade could potentially be broken by a sufficiently powerful attack (such as, say, a Bijuu-dama), this has never been tested, so it is not known if it would survive.

Sharper Than Your Average Blade
Due to its nature as an unbreakable blade, Samidare bears a cutting edge that is of particular note, which allows it to slice through even steel with little in the way of resistance, so long as the proper force is applied. Additionally, this edge never needs to be resharpened, as it never grows dull or rolls, thus making it perfect for frontline combat.

Light as Spring Rain
Perhaps a quirk of its forging (or perhaps an intentional feature), Samidare is considerably lighter than a blade its size and length ought to be; while this would normally result in a less effective weapon, Samidare loses none of its integrity or cutting power, as it is somehow able to leverage the same amount of force through less mass. This lightness allows the user to swing the weapon about with much greater speed for the same amount of physical exertion.

Chakra Conduction
Being Chakra Conductive, Samidare is capable of channeling all types of Chakra for use in Bukijustu, and, more particularly, it has a slight affinity for Raiton chakra thanks to Sora’s constant use of the blade for that purpose. This affinity does not do anything of real note, but it does feel as if the blade were more eager to drink in Raiton Chakra than other types.

[Uzumaki Ichigoni]

[googlefont=Crimson Text]

くたばれ
Ichigoni watched carefully at the kunoichi, who shed the persona she was wearing to reveal a warrior with electrified focus beneath. Gamatatsu seemed intimidated by the look in her eyes as he spit the water towards her and brought his hands up over his head in fear as she swung her blade. The Uzumaki watched the demonstration with an unblinking eye, throwing his own sleeve up over it as the splash of water that resulted enveloped him.

The wispy waves of red hair atop his head fell straight under the weight of the water. He felt a familiar cold trickling down his neck and back. The Uzumaki had always been an aquatic fighter, so he was used to it. He looked over at Sora, noticing that she too had been wetted. A tinge of guilt fell over him.

"Sorry. Water seemed the safest option to deal with,” he muttered. "I saw your jutsu, though your striking speed is beyond anything I’ve seen before. I almost think that you could have cut through it twice if you needed to.”

"Ichi-kun, I did a bad thing huh? Sorry lady,” the toad apologized. "I can pull the water off with another jutsu, maybe?”

The admiral wasn’t sure. She might want to demonstrate a few more times or have him try. He’d look to her for an answer.

🗡️

[Sora Minami]

Well that was… not the best idea. Sora thought as she lowered her blade, lips held in a tight, thin line as she looked down at her hakama. Her silk hakama. Her thoroughly wet, now almost see through silk hakama. Yeah. Definitely not the best idea.

"Yes, I would appreciate that." She said, lowering Samidare to her side as she spoke. The toad seemed upset about getting her soaked, but she gave the thing a smile, hoping to reassure it. It wasn’t anyone’s fault but her own, after all. "Did you catch it, by the way?" She wouldn’t have been surprised if he hadn’t- Kiretsu was a difficult technique to master. Getting it on the first pass would be… more than impressive, really.

"I know there was a lot of spray, so you might not have."
Uzumaki Ichigoni

[Uzumaki Ichigoni]

[googlefont=Crimson Text]

くたばれ
Ichigoni took a moment to respond. Seeming to gather his words and tact.

Meanwhile, Gamatatsu weaved several hand seals and watery shurikens began to pull out of Sora’s clothing, flying out of the way and onto the ground. The toad gave Sora a thumbs up and seemed to be staring at her in hopes of reassurance that they had done well.

"I think so,” Ichigoni said. "I was a little distracted because, well, like I said I feel bad. I didn’t think that through.”

He drew his chakra rod and studied it. It differed from her blade, as the only sharp part of it was at the end. The Uzumkai wondered about it, and whether it was something that could truly be suited for the technique in question. However, it wasn’t truly the slice that gave that jutsu its power.

"The energy itself went into the point of the blade, didn’t it?” he said. "That is something I think I can emulate.”

In order to show her that he understood a similar principle, he did a similar motion to kiretsu. Raiton chakra was his most recently learned elemental release, but would be the easiest for her to see. As he pushed his spear forward in a slashing motion, he channeled electrical chakra through the spear and into the point. The electricity would crackle upwards through the stake and then fix itself to the center where it resonated and buzzed.

"It’d be— something like that, but with a different chakra moulding, right?” he asked.

🗡️