[Minamoto Mei]

It was rare for anyone in the clan to contact her about training these days. During Mei’s first tenure as Hanchou and, later, in the waning days of her time as Clan Head, the requests had been near constant, an annoyance as much as it was a compliment, but after her retirement, few from the Yuki clan bothered to try and contact her, let alone make the trip to Byakuya. But with her recent return and reinstatement as Hanchou, that had changed; though there wasn’t a flood of people calling on her to help them progress with their Kekkei Genkai, there were a few, and of those that had come in one stood out above the rest, coming in a hand-written letter delivered by the boy’s mother himself.

The letter had been simple, lacking in the flowery speech and flattering tone most of the others had been draped in, but that merely made it all the more compelling in its sincerity; it was simply the open-hearted request of a mother, looking out for her son as best she could. That, more than anything else, was why the Elite Jounin stood amidst the snow and ice of the Yuki Clan’s main outdoor training ground in full combat gear, the fur of her black coat and vest rippling in the brisk summer breeze.

The weather would be well beyond what a normal person could handle, but both she and her soon to be ward were far from normal; Hyouton flowed through their veins, imbuing them with a resistance (or, in her case, immunity) to cold that bordered on the extreme. So long as the temperature didn’t drop below negative fifty, and it was unlikely to do so in the summer, the boy would be fine. Cold, perhaps, but fine.

All that she needed now was for the boy to show up.

Yuki Kazu

[Yuki Kazu]

It was rare for Kazu's mother to request something of him. For the most part, she let him do as he pleased. While she supported him, she generally didn't wish to interfere with his shinobi lifestyle. Thus, it was quite the surprise when she showed the boy a letter to the jounin hanchou, a fellow member of their clan and Hyoton user. Kazu was never opposed to training, though he didn't like the idea of his mother doing this too often. Yet, he did as she requested and went to meet Minamoto Mei.

Being that he was from the Yuki clan, the cold didn't bother Kazu at all. He still wore his usual outfit, mostly because he found the jacket and everything comfortable. He was up to his knees in snow, but that was mostly just because he was too lazy to use his kekkai genkai at the moment. Upon arriving to the Yuki Clan's main training grounds, he saw a woman who was slightly taller than him, with snow white hair. Not too different from his own. He could tell instantly that the lady was among the members of his clan. Her features alone, told him that was a fact. "You must be Minamoto Mei. I'm Yuki Kazu." The boy would say, introducing himself. 

[Minamoto Mei]

Mei watched the boy as he approached, standing amidst the small, circular pit cleared of snow and ice, hands clasped behind her back, face impassive. He had taken the direct but more difficult route, trudging through the knee high snow rather than follow the winding path that was routinely carved out by lesser clansmen, but that told her little of his attitude. His mother’s letter had been vague on that front, almost deliberately so, and given how the boy stood… well. She would withhold passing judgment for now.

"I am. You must be Kazu." She said, her voice stiff and formally warm, holding only the smallest hint of frost along the edges. He wasn;t late, per se, but he had come close. Very, very close. "I assume your mother informed you of why she requested my services." It wasn’t a question, though it was phrased as one- the boy, supposedly, had quite the talent for one his age, though she wasn’t certain how much she would be able to teach him about Taijutsu with that slim build of his. I’ll have to be careful with my blows. Don’t want to break him in half, after all.

"Unless you’ve questions for me, we can begin."

Yuki Kazu

[Yuki Kazu]

"Nice to meet you." He would say, his voice bitter but warm at the same time. "My mother did inform me of why she requested you to train me and all that, didn't give many specifics though." He was, slightly irritated, that his mother had involved herself in his training. He understood she was trying to help, but she could've at least asked the boy before writing the letter. After all, it was Kazu's career. 

He still wasn't sure what to make of Mei, she seemed almost distant. Like her mind was elsewhere. She more than likely already made some assumptions about Kazu's build. He might look frail, but he was quite the opposite in a fight. "Just have one question. Why's your last name different if you're in our clan?" The boy asked, there were plenty of answers he'd already guessed. Maybe she was married or taken her fathers last name who may not have been a Yuki. There were plenty of explanations, but the boy was curious. 

Following her answer, the boy would mentally prepare himself for a spar, that was usually the first thing any instructor would do in order to get a feel for the student. "Ready when you are."

[Minamoto Mei]

"She was suitably vague in her request to me as well." Mei said, tilting her head as she studied the boy’s body language. His tone was an odd mix of bitter and thankful, warm and frigid, polite and clearly annoyed. Perhaps he disliked his mother’s interference? She could see that. Teenagers were fiercely protective of their independence, particularly once they became proper Shinobi and gained a degree of autonomy. "Though I have a fair idea of what you likely need, given the information in your file." One of the perks of being Jounin Hanchou.

"After my mother died and the clan… moved on, I took the name of my father’s clan." The woman said, hesitating only briefly at the memory of those days. It had been a difficult time for her, especially after her father hung himself, but those days were long gone now, the wounds largely healed. Even if Shiro had vanished into the ether. Again.

"If that is all…" Mei began, shifting her left foot back a half step, turning it at a forty-five degree angle as she lifted her arms, fingers held curled claws, taking the simplistic stance she had developed to for her Hyouryuton style. This would be the first test of the boy’s abilities; his file claimed he was an adept Taijutsu user, even with his Hyouton prowess, but she would be the judge of that. "I would like to test your skills. You may attack me whenever you are ready.”

Yuki Kazu

Jutsu Used

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Hyōryuton: Hyōryu no Stansu [Ice Dragon Style: Stance of the Ice Dragon]
RANK: D
CHAKRA USAGE: Very Low
CLASSIFICATION: Taijutsu
ELEMENT: None
HANDSEALS: None
TRIGGER: N/a
PREREQUISITES: Requires Hyōryu no Hasami to be active
DESCRIPTION:
A simple technique that nonetheless garnered its own classification as a jutsu, Hyōryu no Stansu is, at its core, nothing more than a method of moving one’s body in combat in order to best utilize a set of long, razor sharp claws attached to one’s hands or feet. The stance is codified by lng, sweeping strikes set up by quick, flickering stabs and fast, shallow feints meant to control an opponent’s centerline and open them up to a devastating slash or puncture wound.

[Yuki Kazu]

It was as the boy suspected, the first item on the docket would be a spar. It was a pretty understandable start to training. However, Kazu still hadn't quite processed her reasoning for a different last name. That being said, it wasn't too heavily important at the current moment. He took a normal fighting stance, nothing too special. 

He started with something relatively basic, but it had worked for him before pretty well. After running up to Mei, the boy quickly ducked before springing himself up in one fluid motion, twisting his body in the air in an attempt to hit the womans jaw. Regardless of the techniques success, he'd then weave a single handsign before placing both hands on the ground in the direction of Mei. As a result, ice particles would begin to form in the air. If one were to touch Mei, well it wouldn't be very fun for her. To finish off his onslaught with a single senbon ice needle, made in the palm of his hand, firing it at the lady's arm. 

Once his onslaught was finished, he backed up a bit to gain some distance. "No verdict yet, I'm assuming." He'd smile playfully. It wasn't often that he could do this much in a fight from the get-go, but he wasn't gonna lose his focus anytime soon. He put his guard up in preparation for whatever attacks Mei might throw his way.

SPOILER: Click to show

Jutsu used:
NAME: Sun Tōketsu [Snap Freeze]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Low
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu // Kekkei Genkai
ELEMENT: Hyōton
DESCRIPTION:
Without needing a hand-seal, the user will create a single senbon ice needle in the palm of their hand and send it flying towards their opponent. When the ice comes in contact with a person or object, it will snap freeze whatever it touches in a half a meter radius. For example, if it comes in contact with an arm or leg, it will freeze the limb, same goes with a sword of Ninja tools.

NAME: Hyōton: Juhaku [Ice Release: White Tree]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Medium
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu
ELEMENT: Hyōton
HANDSEALS: 1
DESCRIPTION:
After weaving the hand sings the user touches the soil/floor in the direction of the intended target as particles of ice began to emerge in the air. Should the technique strike the opponent, ice will begin to cover them, surging from the ground/ soil and creeping slowly over their bodies, rendering them immobile and susceptible for another strike. While useful the technique is better used as a surprise attack. Additionally the technique works better on an environment with abundant moisture in the air.

NAME: Shoryuken [Rising Dragon Punch]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Low
CLASSIFICATION: Taijutsu
ELEMENT: -
HANDSEALS: 0

DESCRIPTION:
In one fluid and quick motion the user ducks themselves in front of a foe and springboards off the ground with their legs to jump into the air. Within in the same jumping motion they twist their body into a slight spin as they deliver a powerful uppercut to the opponent's jaw. With enough force they can potentially send a foe flying away with this powerful rising punch.

[Minamoto Mei]

Mei watched the boy as he charged her, frowning. Going for a front assault against an obviously superior opponent was something a child would do- so when the boy ducked, springing up in a spinning uppercut aimed for her jaw, the Jounin didn’t just counter it. She countered it hard. Stepping forwards while simultaneously leaning to her left, the Kunoichi slipped Kazu’s punch, allowing his fist to slide harmlessly past her cheek while she torqued her body into a searing right straight into his sternum, forming the fist a half second before impact.

She held back on the hit, using only about a third of her full strength- not enough to break bone, but enough to knock the absolute shit out of him, winding the boy before he could finish bringing his hands together for whatever jutsu he had planned to use. She followed the strike up with a shove, slamming her left palm into his already bruised chest hard enough to send him flying onto his ass a good four meters or so, head plunging into the snow. The Jounin held still for a second, allowing the boy a chance to catch his breath before she shifted back to her original stance, face and voice devoid of emotion.

"I see why your mother wanted me to train you. That was incredibly stupid of you."

Yuki Kazu

Jutsu Used

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Hyōryuton: Kaunta Hakai [Ice Dragon Style: Crush Counter] - 1/3rd power, no broken bones
RANK: B
CHAKRA USAGE: Medium
CLASSIFICATION: Taijutsu
ELEMENT: N/a
DESCRIPTION: A simple technique on the surface, yet one that require a great deal of time to master, Kaunta Hakai is a two-step attack that works by using an opponent’s momentum against them; after slipping into an attacking opponent’s guard rather than away, the user then throws a powerful punch at the opponent’s sternum which, if the user does not have a Strength SA, can wind others, bruise internal organs, and potentially break smaller bones like ribs. If the user does have a Strength SA, it can cause serious damage, pulverizing bones entirely, smashing in internal organs and causing serious damage to the skin surface.

Due to the nature of the technique, it is incredibly difficult to dodge or block, requiring either a Speed/Reaction SA of similar rank to the user to avoid, or outright inhuman endurance to tank, making it an effective means of ending a fight.