[Mayonaka Homare]

Homare was antsy now. She had been given the promise of additional training with Ms. Sora, sometimes called Fukyuusha, after her graduation from the Academy, and after two years of mostly training with her foster parents in the use of Suiton ninjutsu and only a bit of self-teaching on the use of her favored weapons, she felt she needed to brush up on the use of weapons. Who better to ask for instruction than her previous Academy instructor herself? Of course, now the older woman was no longer teaching in the Academy, and in fact had her own genin team, but the Mayonaka had only made the request to meet with her old favorite teacher. Although the blue-haired kunoichi didn't make friends easily, she found it much more palatable to be at least somewhat amicable with a teacher than with her peers. She could use being a student as motivation to not simply end whatever conversation she was having with the person in order to go back to her own thoughts; she would have hated to admit it, but Sora did bring her out of her shell a little bit. Perhaps Asuka would do the same for her, with her status as his genin student and his status as jounin sensei providing enough of a reason for her to interact with him more; that remained to be seen.

At the moment, Homare was standing in the training field, with her back to the entrance, and her arms in varying positions of rest; some might think a person with six arms would have even more trouble finding a place for them, but this just wasn't so with Homare. One pair was simply crossed over her chest, one pair at her waist, where her sword, axe, and weapon pouches were, and one pair clasped behind her back, she looked mostly relaxed. She was at least fairly good at hiding her nervousness; she hadn't seen the pink-haired Academy instructor for two years, what would she think about an invitation to train her from out of the blue? Homare had to remind herself that the only way she'd get to work on mending the practically broken Mayonaka clan would be to have them working together, and she couldn't do that if she was completely stonewalling people who would be important in helping her to achieve her goals, too. Her white kimono was still on, and its shoulder opening thankfully wide enough to fit all six arms through each without limiting their movement too much. She also appreciated the floral design, and the slimming crimson corset around her waist. The dark blue bodysuit beneath definitely helped, with her sleeves and leggings of a similar color. The dark blue high heels and the matching Kirigakure headband across her forehead really pulled off the entire look.

The somewhat grassy area of the training ground she'd chosen was the closest in appearance to the Academy training ground, and this one was thankfully more secluded as well. Homare wasn't sure how Sora would feel about training her in weapon arts when she already had her own genin students...

[Sora Minami]

Sora always enjoyed meeting with one of her old students. There was a particular joy in seeing how much the small, sometimes snot-nosed brats had grown, both physically and as Shinobi, though with her duties as a Sensei the chance came about far less than she would have liked. Still, it did happen from time to time, and when the current request literally landed on her doorstep, she had leapt at the opportunity.

"Mayonaka Homare." The Jounin said as she walked towards the meeting place, Samidare strapped to her left hip as it had been, every day, for nearly twenty years. Homare had been an eager student, talented without being prideful about her skill, always willing to learn but never angry when she had to be corrected on footwork or stances. And there had been a lot of correcting to do; the Mayonaka had one of the more… unique bloodlines in Kirigakure, their Kekkei Genkai granting them an enhanced physique not unlike a spiders, complete with three full sets of arms, which Homare had been bound and determined to use to fight with as many weapons as possible.

At least I convinced her to stick with two instead of six. Sora thought, resting her left hand on Samidare’s hilt as she strolled out into the grassy field Homare had designated. The girl was dressed well, wearing a white kimono in a floral pattern, with a slimming corset around her waist and several weapon pouches, as well her chosen weapons, a blade and an ax, on either hip. The pink-haired Jounin was similarly dressed, though her dark-blue qipao (also set with a floral pattern) and red obi were far more casual than the Genin’s, even going so far as to show a little cleavage and a lot more leg, her headband hanging from neck like a necklace. She could get away with that, as a Jounin.

"Long time no see, Homare." She said, voice soft and friendly as she stopped about ten meters behind the girl in a seemingly casual stance, one foot slightly behind the other, every part of her relaxed yet also ready to move, just in case. "You miss me?"

Mayonaka Homare

[Mayonaka Homare]

Homare nearly jumps in surprise when her previous Academy sensei greets her; she'd been so deep in her own memory that she hadn't heard Sora approaching, especially with the blue-haired kunoichi's back towards the entrance to the training field. She gives the other pink-haired kunoichi one of her very rare smiles. When she'd been much younger, Homare had been a smiling, laughing child. That had changed when her parents had died in the middle of the Sanbi attack, with their lives ultimately meaning little to the other people of Kirigakure. Homare didn't blame the village, only the temerity of her parents.

The strawberry blonde's outfit, even with the blade at her side, was really quite gorgeous, and would have made any number of women, even those younger than her, jealous of her appearance. Mayonaka included, though the jealousy of her good looks wouldn't sour her friendly attitude towards her old mentor. As it was, she had to think quickly to respond before the silence would become an awkward silence, since Sora had greeted her and asked a question and here Homare had only jumped a bit and given her a smile.

"I certainly have missed you, Miss Sora!"

Despite her very friendly response, the old habits of referring to everyone politely as Miss or Mister, even if she knew them well, had apparently returned.

"Although, I'm afraid I have to admit I didn't only get in contact with you for old time's sake, Miss Sora. I also need some additional training for combat... And maybe in a few weaponry techniques. My parents are skilled in Ninjutsu, but have little to offer in the use of close-range combat... And you are, of course, the best swordswoman I know of."

At this, Homare nods in the direction of Samidare, her Academy sensei's prized weapon, and then she waits with a great deal of nervousness for Sora's response, if the fidgeting of all six of her hands was any indication.

[Sora Minami]

Sora’s smile didn’t falter when Homare jumped; if anything, it seemed to grow brighter, as if the Jounin was trying hard not to laugh at the girl’s obvious skittishness. Not to mock the Genin, but rather because she simply enjoyed meeting with some whom for once, didn’t have some hidden agenda in meeting with her.

"It’s nice to see you too, Homare." She said, her smile fading to something more subtle as the girl spoke about why she had asked to meet. The request had been fairly clear in her letter, but the Mayonaka girl had always been a rather formal child, even if she hadn’t always been so somber. Losing her parents in the Sanbi rampage had done a lot to dampen her smile- but it hadn’t put it out, not entirely.

"I’d be more than happy to help you out." Sora began, her left hand still resting on Samidare’s hilt as she spoke, sky-blue gaze shifting from warm openness to something Homare would recognize well, a guarded curiosity that hid a sharp, probing stick that was already evaluating the girl’s stance, her form, the way her weight was just a tad bit too much on that one leg… She was, in short, in teaching mode. "Though I’m going to need more than that if you want me to come up with an effective training plan."

"What, precisely, are you trying to work on?" The Jounin said, tilting her head as she cupped her chin in her right hand, left gripping Samidare’s hilt. "I always assume the basics are best for drilling, but I doubt you’ve lost much skill in those, even without someone to guide you for the last two years." Because she knew Homare; the girl might not have had a proper teacher for her weapon skills, but she would have practiced what she knew, even if it was only once a week.

Mayonaka Homare

[Mayonaka Homare]

Homare, of course, instantly recognizes the facial expression that's now affixed to Sora's face; it was one she'd seen often, and one that her body had a Pavlovian response to, both positive and negative. Positive in that her body immediately stopped fidgeting, because she was no longer worried that she might not be approving of her request for training, since that appraising eye was proof positive that she would be getting some training in after all. Negative in that she was possibly more nervous now that Sora had nonverbally agreed to train her, and now they were no longer in the Academy. Thankfully, in such a situation, her muscle memory instantly sank into her training, and so her nerves barely showed anymore, because although her mind was restless, her body was competent. The result was an instant readied stillness, like a spring coiled and ready to move.

Homare at least feels a little bit of pride when Sora mentions that she likely didn't need any additional drilling on the basics. That was certainly true, since she at least kept up with her own physical training even while she was being taught some of the Ninjutsu that her foster parents had seen fit to show her after she had displayed some natural aptitude for that particular combat art after her graduation.

"Oh, no, basic drills are not necessary. But some additional combat training would do some good. Like when you taught me Iaido, Miss Sora. I could certainly use some more sword techniques."

Granted, Homare was more of a generalist when it came to weapons, with only a simple standard issue katana and a fairly plain, though creatively constructed axe. But the best way for a generalist to improve was to employ techniques taught by masters; a generalist with such a level of expertise in multiple weapons would likely be a force to contend with! Although she'd yet to really find anyone who had particular expertise with axes. In any case, Sora would be the perfect master to learn swordsmanship from, even if it was more generalized sword drills for now, to improve her forms and increase her speed and power with her own, rather simple sword. Perhaps one day, she'd have a blade as renowned as Samidare, but she'd need to be a swordswoman worthy of wielding one.

[Sora Minami]

"I thought as much." Sora said, noting the change in Homare’s body language the instant she realized she was getting what she wanted. The Jounin couldn’t help but smile, if only a little, at that; it had been a few years since she’d last seen the girl, but some things never changed. Always eager to learn.

"Alright." She said after a long few moments of silence, calmly reaching across her body to draw Samidare from its sheath. There were half a dozen things she could teach the girl that would help her improve her swordsmanship, but only one that sprang to mind as truly fundamental. She’d fought to have the technique included in the Academy’s advanced Bukijutsu curriculum for years, but the fact that it was considered a D-rank had thwarted her every time. But first… well. She needed to see where the girl was at.

"Why don’t we start with a simple evaluation?" Sora said, holding her blade in a loose, one-handed grip. This, too, would be familiar to the girl, though for a different reason; she had always begun her individual training this way, even back when she’d just been a simple attache visiting the Academy after the Sanbi rampage, and Homare would know the stance, while seemingly casual, was far from exploitable. Particularly for a Genin who was several times slower, weaker, and less skilled than she was.

"I promise, I won’t hit back."

Mayonaka Homare

[Mayonaka Homare]

Homare actually starts to feel a bit antsy when she watches Sora draw her blade, but it was only a nostalgic kind of excitement; her foster parents, though very helpful and patient with her, knew little more than mostly basic throwing weapon techniques and the occasional weapon jutsu beyond their much more extensive Ninjutsu knowledge. Despite Homare's skill in such ninja techniques, she felt that she needs greater instruction in her use of weaponry, in order to maintain a highly dangerous effectiveness at multiple ranges. The Mayonaka watches carefully as her teacher gets into an even stance that she is indeed quite familiar with.

Homare herself bends her knees as she's told that they'll simply begin with an evaluation. It's at least promised that her teacher won't be hitting back, so she's not likely to come away injured, even if she goes all out. She might as well, to be honest, since she's only a genin and her instructor is a highly effective Jounin. And so she starts with her highest level of an effective weapon technique, which is really best used at the very start of combat, anyways, since it requires the katana to already be in it's sheathe.

Homare turns her body at the hips to the left, her knees keeping their slightly bent shape while her middle left hand grabs hold of her katana's sheathe, near the end of it so that her thumb is braced against the tsuba, and her middle right hand takes hold of the handle of the blade. However, her other hands aren't entirely still, and although another genin might be totally focused on the danger of her grip on her katana, they might miss her lower pair of arms slipping the Shinobi Axe from her waist, so that the axe is now held in its extended form in her lower left hand, as Homare uses her own body to block the view of the axe.

Then, with a single motion, she pushes with her left thumb hard against the plain black iron guard of her simple katana, and with a pull of her arm and a flick of her wrist, as well as a rotation of her body, she swings out with her katana. For a genin, the movement would be like a flash, but a Jounin like the pink-haired Jounin in front of her might find it somewhat slow and sloppy, especially as the speed and follow-through of the strike might seem to leave her side exposed. That exposition is instantly covered by a swing of the fully extended axe, turning the momentum of the potentially over-extended strike into a second attack of her Shinobi Axe following the same horizontal crescent, which requires a hasty second black or dodge from most of her peers.

As soon as the strike is made, Homare is already back in a ready position, with both of her lower arms being used to maintain full control and power for her katana.

"I may have come up with a few tricks since our time apart, Miss Sora!"

[Sora Minami]

Sora watched Homare ready herself with calm, focused interest. The girl had always been fascinated with utilizing multiple weapons at once, and though her time at the Academy had provided little in the way of instruction on how to make her dreams a reality, the Jounin was certain the girl hadn’t simply given up on them. So it came as no surprise that, when the Mayonaka shifted into an iaido stance, she also drew the ax from her waist, holding it behind her so as to obscure the majority of the weapon from view. Ah. So that’s what you’re planning. Clever girl.

The pink-haired woman was ready when her student began to draw, katana flashing forwards at a speed that would have caught most of her peers off-guard. Her blade flicked upwards as she stepped off to the side, interposing Samidare between herself and Homare. The Genin pivoted, rotating too far for a proper follow-through, exposing her back for a brief moment before her ax came in along the same line- but with her body already out of the way, the follow up attack became a mistake, an over-commitment that any Academy Student could have punished, if they wanted.

And punish it she did though she had promised not to hit the girl back, Sora had said nothing about touching her, and so as Homare’s ax sliced through air, throwing the girl off-balance, Samidare came in swiftly, the blade cutting through the air in a whistle of movement before she laid it, gently, against the blue-haired Genin’s neck. There was silence for a moment, but then the Jounin pulled her sword back, allowing the girl to turn around as she said, almost smiling, "Not bad. But you’ll need to be a lot faster to make something like that work on a superior opponent."

Mayonaka Homare

Jutsu/SA's/Equipment Used

SPOILER: Click to show

Jutsu:
NAME: Ittoryu: Ryuurei Fusagu [One Sword Style: Flowing Block]
RANK: D
STAMINA USAGE: Very Low
CLASSIFICATION: Bukijutsu
ELEMENT: N/a
HANDSEALS: N/a
DESCRIPTION: Less a set technique and more a way of utilizing one’s weapon to the fullest, Ryuurei Fusagu is designed around one core concept- the art of "flowing,” like water, around an attack in order to open up new angles and create opening in an opponent’s defenses that would not naturally be there if you stand against them face to face. To this end, the steps of the technique are rather simple: the user brings their weapon up to deflect an opponent’s blow as normal, but steps around the attack rather than holding their ground (without dropping their block), thus deflecting the incoming blow while forcing their enemy into a momentary overextension, opening them up for a counter-strike. Though quite useful, this technique is limited to use in close quarters, and is utterly useless 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.

[Mayonaka Homare]

Homare had felt pretty clever for her follow-up attack idea, but had been swiftly shown that her plan was not all that she'd thought it would be. Not that she really expected to be particularly effective against a jounin that severely outclassed her by every metric. She instinctively freezes when she feels the metal against her skin, completely still as her body recalls the training drills that she'd participated in during the Academy; as soon as the weapon touched you, you were to stop there so that no further injury would occur. As this was effectively a continuation of the Academy training, Homare had instinctively fallen back to her training at that time, so she was still until Sora pulled her blade back, and the Mayonaka kunoichi returns her blade to a ready but non-combative position, with her extended Shinobi Axe in a similar position, unsure if the evaluation was complete or not. In a sense, Sora had given her something of an evaluation.

"Well, yes. And I'm likely to face many superior opponents- my skill with weaponry isn't much match for your ability, even when you're only wielding a single blade."

Of course, Homare can also use ninjutsu to some extent, even while wielding her weapons, without having to resort to using only one hand for one weapon and one hand for seals, but the evaluation had been for her skill with weapons, not for her skill with ninjutsu or for a combination style. Of course, even with using two different weapons simultaneously as well as ninjutsu, she might only be able to land one hit on a jounin, and it was unlikely for her attack to do much.

"That's my best technique, sensei. I remember you saying that there were some styles that revolved around using multiple weapons at the same time, and I think that might be my next goal for improvement..."

Homare rarely spoke this much to others, but for some reason, speaking with Sora felt somewhat different, perhaps due to the fact that she at least knew Sora on a more personal level than most other people outside of her family. She didn't even really connect with other Academy students she'd been through training with, and although she was trying to improve her interpersonal skills, she was somewhat hoping that she might be able to come out of her shell a little more through training.

[Sora Minami]

"Don’t get me wrong, it was good.” Sora said, her face brightening into a smile as she went over the movements in her head, working out the steps and mechanics of where Homare could improve- and where she couldn’t. "Against another Genin or an unsuspecting Chuunin, that likely would have done some serious damage." The issue, of course, was she wasn’t either of those- she was a Jounin, one who specialized in the art of the sword above all else.

"And there are several styles that utilize multiple weapons at once, though none of the one’s I’m familiar with are quite so… unorthodox in their choices as you are." Her smile faded then, replaced by a look of curious thought; the girl had talent, certainly, but sometimes she had to be prodded into following what (at least in her mind) was an obvious line of questioning. Though perhaps that was a bit harsh- the girl hadn’t had proper weapon instruction for two years, so it was understandable for her instincts to be rusty.

"I think the best place to start would be… Yes." Sora said after a long moment, lowering Samidare from her shoulder as she shifted into that same, loose stance she’d been in before, ready. It was key that the girl understood the principle the technique she had in mind was built upon; if she got that, she could apply it to so much more than just the sword. "Attack me again, slowly. I want to show you something you missed in our exchange."

Mayonaka Homare

[Mayonaka Homare]

Despite the previous show that she was not even nearly at the same level as Sora, Homare's own face still brightens with a smile when she's told that her attack was still good, and could even be a strong attack against an unsuspecting Chuunin, which really was some high praise coming from Sora. Of course, Sora wouldn't be much help with techniques or combat styles that make use of multiple weapons, and so she's about to put away her ax when it seems that her teacher has another idea in mind, particularly in having her attack again, though more slowly. There was apparently something she had missed in their training already. Feeling a bit worried that she'd almost definitely lost some skill in weaponry since her Academy years, Homare returns her simple katana back to its scabbard, returning to her previous stance and returning her hand to the scabbard as well. She even prepares her ax the same way as well, with it kept behind her body so that she was blocking the view of her own ax. It was worth practicing how she actually planned to use this attack, after all.

This time, she performs her motions more slowly, though it's a bit harder to do the Iaido cut with such a slow speed, but she's able to do it despite the discomfort. She moves at about half speed, so the katana is easier to track, but this also means that Homare herself is better able to keep track of her old sensei's movements, so this time she's much more fully focused on Sora's response to the swing of her blade. She can also feel that her balance is slightly off, which makes a bit of sense; the technique was made for people who only had two arms, after all, and she had six, with at least one additional arm actually wielding another weapon. Homare quickly figures out that this might mean she has to be more careful in her techniques from now on, but she puts that in the back of her mind for now so she can bring her attention in full towards Sora, with her pink-hued eyes fully locked to the techniques that the pink-haired Jounin used in her own deflection of her strikes. Despite her knowledge that she's throwing off her own balance, she knows that changing her movements now might distract her from her sensei's lesson, so she ignores it for now.

[Sora Minami]

Sora stood, waiting for Homare to move, her sky-blue gaze focused on the girl’s shoulders. It wasn’t the be-all, end-all for reading a person’s movements, particularly when the most skilled of fighters could explode into motion in the blink of an eye, but it did give some insight into what the girl was doing. Her student moved slow, about half-speed, and as she drew her blade the Jounin could tell the girl knew where her stance was off, her balance thrown by her weapon’s weight and the slightly shifted center of gravity needed to use the ax effectively. Something to point out, later.

The pink-haired woman met Homare’s iai with the same motion she had before, flicking her blade up as she stepped to the side, holding Samidare between them so that the girl’s cut slid down and to her left, out of danger. Sora moved then, going slow so Homare could see what she was doing, and stepped in, twisting her wrist to bring her weapon down against the girl’s exposed back, this time before she even managed to bring her ax around as a follow up.

"Did you catch what I did, Homare?" She asked, pulling her sword back once the girl froze in place. "Or do I need to explain it?" There was no judgment in her tone, no reproof- just a question, and the understanding that, even now, her student might need a little help understanding what it was she wanted to show her.

Mayonaka Homare

[Mayonaka Homare]

Homare frowns a little after the exposition is done, but it's clearly not from frustration or any other emotion; this is simply the face she makes while she's thinking and considering all that she saw. She'd definitely over-extended her movements, providing an opening for Sora to slip inside and take her down before she could even get out her second attack. This was troubling for more than one reason, and especially because Homare didn't know what to do about it, really. In order to ensure there wasn't any room to move in on her initial strike, she'd have to start her second attack before the first was complete, as well as improve on her balance and footwork in order to ensure that her initial strike was given the proper amount of power from a firm and steady base. The second question about needing an explanation barely even registers with Homare's high pride, focused as she is on all of the information she can glean from this careful self-study.

"Not only what you did, but the shortcomings of my own attack, as well. My over-extension makes my initial attack weak enough to be deflected without much effort, and then it leaves me far too open in the wind-up for my next attack, which lets an opponent move in to strike me before the second attack comes out."

This type of introspection wasn't common for genin, most likely, but Homare was somewhat older than most genin as well, and would have therefore been a bit more mature about her pensiveness. Just as a bit of a test, Homare carefully returns to her starting position and readies herself for her Iaido attack once more, though of course her blade is kept from reaching Sora at such a distance.

"If I get my balance and footing right for this first attack, that should at least lead to a better follow-up strike coming out sooner and with more force, and without any over-extension. With that, even my second axe swing will come out with protection when I can ready my katana to defend myself or even to start a third strike..."

Now, Homare is more speaking and thinking aloud to herself, rather than to Sora; she does a slow Iaido, stopping as soon as she loses her balance, and shifting her lead foot and her back foot until her balance is fully centered once more, and then she continues this process for each attempt at using Iaido.

"Thank you for the assistance so far, Miss Sora... Unless I was missing even more?"

[Sora Minami]

Ah, Genin. Sora thought, smiling as Homare set her wheels turning, trying to grind through the steps she had taken to get to where she was. Her insights were sound, her reasoning solid- but like so many young people who were just starting to grasp the nuances of combat, the Mayonaka got lost in the minutiae, seeing the small details but missing the big picture. That was why teachers existed; to show people the things they missed, and inform them about why it was important.

"You’ve good insights, Homare, but you still missed something." The Jounin said, smiling as she sheathed Samidare, watching the girl practice her Iai for a moment before continuing on, allowing her the chance to work on her footwork and balance while staying on topic. "You’re too focused on what you did in that exchange. There were two people involved in it, but you didn’t question how I managed to block your strike and maneuver around you, simultaneously throwing off your balance and opening you up to a counter-attack.”

Sora formed a single seal, a Kage Bunshin appearing next to her as she motioned for Homare to watch. The clone took a several steps back, mirroring Homae’s stance (save, of course, for the ax behind her back) before stepping forwards and drawing in the same instant, flicking the tsuba of her blade with her thumb as she exhaled and ripped her fake Samidare free, only to be met by the real one, interposed between her true body and the oncoming cut, all while the true Sora slid to the side and pushed up, allowing their blades to lock for a brief moment before inertia took over and bobbled her clone’s balance, loosing their weapons enough for her to flick her blade down, cutting the clone’s throat in a single slash. Tch. That was sloppy. I need to practice my Iai later…

"Did you see it?" The Jounin asked, looking at her student as she sheathed her blade once more, smiling. She was certain the girl would catch it, since the stark change in speed of her clone’s blade would highlight the technique she wanted her to pick up.

Mayonaka Homare

[Mayonaka Homare]

It seemed that Homare had, indeed, missed more, and she felt more than a little embarrassed that she'd been so self-involved that she'd actually missed what her sensei had been expecting her to catch, and so had almost missed out on a learning opportunity. She watches with interest as Sora creates a shadow clone in order to use as a teaching aid, letting Homare see exactly how her attack had been deflected and she'd been able to knock the genin off-balance so easily. Of course, the jounin didn't really need such a technique to knock her off-balance, but now it was clear that such a technique would let the Sora do it with even less effort involved.

"Ah, I see it now..."

Indeed she did; instead of trying to meet the strike head-on, Sora was almost able to "flow" around the attack by side-stepping it and then counter-attacking. The technique should be simple enough to learn now that she'd seen it in use and had it used on her already, so maybe she would be able to practice it herself, given she maybe finds a partner for her to practice with. This might be a good chance to ask her old Academy teacher if she'd be willing to train her even more at a later time, since for now Homare had been thinking of just training for combat experience. For now, she would have to figure out a way around such a defensive technique.

"A defensive technique like that would definitely be very helpful... and could definitely counter any attack I use against an opponent faster than me. Uff..."

Homare now gets into a stance similar to Sora's stance when she'd deflected her shadow clone, having seen it multiple times now, and even from different angles, so it was simply an exercise in mimicry, a teaching method she'd definitely become accustomed to in the Academy, and one that she had found was best for her to learn from. She holds her drawn blade ahead of her steadily with her two lower hands, while she'd returned her Shinobi Axe, now compressed back to it smaller form, to her belt, where its handle was nicely pressed against her waist to allow it to be drawn quickly by one of her middle hands if she ever needed to do so. The hands holding her blade are lowered to just below her waist, allowing Homare to be able to move the blade in most any direction to help her deflect attacks.

"Hmm... Like this..."