[Kyokujitsu Senshi]

Senshi, having found out that she had access to both Katon, Futon, and Shakuton had now felt the need to seek someone with the fire element to teach her elemental control, or at least someone who had an indepth understanding of elemental theory. Looking through scrolls and books was all fine and dandy, but she didn't learn well that way. It was boring and it bogged her down more than she would have liked or could have ever imagined. The small girl forced herself to be astute, flipping through the pages as she bored herself to death. Still, at least there seemed to be some valuable information in here. That was a bonus she could suppose. 

"So...Fire jutsu are associated a lot with the tiger seal huh?" Forming said seal, she focused on her chakra, sitting in one of the training fields near the academy. Channeling her inner energy. A deep breath as she tried to think about hot things. The blazing summer days. Hot chili peppers. A blaring oven. As she opened her mouth and took a deep inhale. Before exhaling nothing but a tiny gout of ash or smoke. Leading her to cough and sputter like a child that had smoked a cigarette for the first time. Not exactly a pleasant experience to say the least. She hunches over, placing her hand on the floor as she hits herself in the chest. 

"O-Oww..." 

[Warai Ameko]

As far as days went, Ameko was having a perfectly pleasant one. There had been no training, for once, and she had seen fit to have a lazy morning. Following a perfectly healthy breakfast of little more than pork and bread, and a casual morning spent loitering around the village, her steps had subconsciously returned her to the academy. It had been a while since she'd last stepped foot near the doors of that institution of shinobi in waiting. It wasn't exactly filled with pleasant memories. Sure, they weren't particularly upsetting ones either, but she had greatly enjoyed the comfort associated with the fact she no longer had to bother with written tests or other such nonsense now that she was a genin.

Practicing jutsu had been fine enough, even if she found that those that did not relate to taijutsu, or on the rare occasion katon, were utterly disinteresting. But she had no great desire to relive her recent childhood. So when she saw the doors of her old school, she involuntarily shuddered, and turned her gaze away. Instead catching a rather peculiar sight.

By the training grounds, a blonde girl was coughing and sputtering ash. Instinctively, Ameko raised an eyebrow, memories returning to her of her own first attempt to practice that particular technique. Kaen Dangan was a flashy jutsu, especially for its relatively easy learning. But actually learning it was far from pleasant.

Wandering over to the spluttering girl, Ameko crouched, resting on her haunches in an almost feline manner.

"Stole your old man's smokes, hey?" She asked, before giggling to herself like a schoolgirl.

[Kyokujitsu Senshi]

Senshi found herself coughing and sputtering, trying to clear her air pathway, as she felt her cheeks redden, and her eyes well up with tears. There was a moment where a shadow came over her, and with it, an older girl, asking if she'd stolen some smokes. She continued to cough, as she adds, "No misses." She says, continuing to cough and sputter, trying to stand back up as she coughs hard. "I'm just trying to learn about ele-ch-chgh-chgh! Elements!" She says, through a raspy breath. She reaches forth and takes out a bottle of which to drink water from desperately.

"I'm not allowed to touch the ciggies miss." She was trying to advance her education so that when she became a Genin, she could utilize her clan's legendary Shakuton jutsu. However, it felt like she was still just a bit off from being able to do so. Ugh. "Do you think you could help me Onee-Chan? Pretty please?" She asks, looking up at her with big wide eyes. Not even knowing if she could do fire techniques, but figuring that she had to be able to help somehow right? Those soft ceruleans looked deeply into Ameko's soft browns, Senshi's hands clasped together almost daintily as she seemed to plead with those puppy dog eyes. It was just about the only genjutsu Senshi was skilled enough to cast about now. It was also incredibly potent.

"I could use someone to teach me more things." 

[Warai Ameko]

"Misses?" Ameko baulked, "How old do you think I am?" Temporarily taken aback by the formality of the spluttering girl's words, her tongue was stayed. Instead she struggled for an adequate comeback to a coughing, wheezing, and sputtering young girl who was in the midst of explaining that, no, she was not touching the ciggies. Instead. sje had been trying to use her elemental jutsu. Evidently, fire. Katon was Ameko's own element, albeit one that she often neglected in favour of the tried and true strategy of hit hard.


Still, the girl had asked her with big dough-y eyes. Pathetic as she looked, Ameko could not help but be reminded of one of the runts of the most recent litter of Warai hyenas. A scrawny little thing, all bulging eyes and nobby knees. Quite cute and pathetic. Besides, Ameko had been learning from those more experienced from her, it would only be proper to pass on those same lessons. Would it not? Even if paying it forward meant temporarily taking a pup under her wing, a pup who seemed to immediately call her onee-chan. That could be addressed later.

Ameko sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Fine. Because I am a generous soul with endless compassion and patience," She did not add that she would likely be reprimanded harshly by her own teachers for denying the same opportunities they had provided to her to the younger girl.

"Based off the fact that you are coughing like a spinster aunt, I take it you are attempting to use Katon. Right, try it again, show me what you're doing. Explain your process." Ameko raised to her feet and folded her arms. It was a pose she had seen before. Granted, it was the pose her mother used to tell off pups for eating shoes. But it was close enough to teacherly.

[Kyokujitsu Senshi]

"Umm...Older than me. Right?" She says looking a little confused, but within the next moments? Ameko had conceded with an annoyed sigh maybe. "Yatta! Thank you Nee-Chan!" She found herself swaying her arms back and forth in large exaggerated motions, before putting her hands together as a ring over her head, and swaying her hips and body left and right in some form of cheerful cursed dance. Before doing a pivot twist on her heel and smiling absolutely brightly. Giggling happily at the prospect of the help. Not realizing how annoyed Ameko might be by her boisterousness.

"Umm...Yeah. I was trying to learn Katon. You know. Playin' with fire!" She says with a bright grin. Though, when asked to explain her process, and show her again? She thinks for a moment. "Well. You know how Katon uses the tiger seal right? So. I was doing the sign, and trying to really focus on my chakra! Feel it, gather it, and kind of condense it down, before trying to let it all out!" She proceeds to first do the ram seal, as to get a better control of her chakra, before then transitioning into the tiger. She takes a deep breath, and she tries to gather the heat, feel it in the pit of her stomach, before trying to make it even deeper.

Before trying to exhale. Only for the familiar sensation of clumped up ash shooting out of her throat, as if she was vomiting out cigarette buds and the ashtray that came out with them. Coughing and sputtering, as she seemed to make marginally more than before, coughing hard, as she begins to spill soot all over the floor. She began to cough up a storm, more tears welling in her eyes; mainly because it felt like she was vomiting rocks or something. Falling onto her knees, as she continues to cough, her eyes growing wet as she desperately reached for her water again. Giving an insight to her...limited understanding, and application of the fire techniques.

[Warai Ameko]

Ameko stared at the girl as she did her dance, unable to comprehend the events that were unfolding before her. She had seen a whole lot in her fourteen years, she had seen some rather impressive feats of ninjutsu that defied explanation and had left her humbled. The dance was an affront to all things in creation. She blinked. But stayed silent as she let the girl explain. Immediately, she was taken aback by her explanation. Her knowledge of the tiger seal's use in fire-based jutsus was accurate, one of the things she had no doubt been taught at the academy. But, the particular jutsu she was attempting was an exception.

Still, Ameko remained silent as the younger girl made the sign of the ram, the sign of the tiger, then proceeded to cough and exhale ash and soot. The racking noises of the academy student were joined by the mocking laughter of the genin, a shrill and feral kind of noise. But as the coughing ceased, so too did Ameko's giggling.

"Sorry, sorry, that's just... too precious," Wiping a tear of her own from her eye, she gave a couple of firm pats on the back to the kneeling girl.

"Your idea is right, gather the chakra up in your diaphragm, let it settle and condense," Ameko tapped the side of her nose before continuing, "But the jutsu is more than just tiger seal alone, you know that right? Tiger seal isn't a be-all end-all for throwing fire."

She paused, before adding, "You good?"

[Kyokujitsu Senshi]

The girl before her kind of radiated bully energy in a way. The way she laughed kind of made it seem like she was laughing at her instead of with her. However, when she was mentioning the logic about fire jutsu, she found herself looking over. "Well. Duh. I know it isn't the end all, but I don't know how I'm s'pposed to train the fire unless I know a jutsu!" She huffs, her cheeks puffing up as she was pat along the back. It felt awfully patronizing! Was she good she asked?

"Yeah. I'm fine! I...think? You know. You laugh like a hyena dog. But...You kind of feel more like an ostrich." She says out of literally nowhere. "It's gotta be like, your spirit animal." She says, honing the fire chakra as she takes a deep breath, pursing air through her lips as if she were taking a puff of a cigarette. People could laugh at her all they wanted. But someday, Senshi was going to be the one on top. She planned on being the Kazekage someday after all. The strongest ninja in all the hidden sand! Even though she really wasn't sure everything that they did, or really how much of administrative government worked.

"Katon!"

[Warai Ameko]

Ameko did not know what she was expecting from the younger girl, perhaps indignation, that was what Ameko would have responded with. She'd certainly not been expecting to be called an ostrich. She'd never much thought about the animal, or birds in general, truthfully. For as long as she could remember, her life had been surrounded by hyenas, except for when the clan hunted the antelope or wild camels that roamed the desert. An ostrich? She barely had a frame of reference for the bird. It was only as she was considering what she'd been called, that she realised that she was putting serious thought into the words of a child who was not only insane, but completely annoying. "The fu-" The words dyed on her lips as the girl pursed her lips and exhaled with a puff. The word 'katon' was spoken, and true to form, a stream of fire shot forward. Whatever the girl had done, she'd managed to hone into her inner chakra, bringing forth the fire within. Ameko leapt backward, escaping from the fire with naught but singed hairs on her arms. But her pride was wounded. She had struggled with chakra, with ninjutsu as a whole for her entire life. The use of it just didn't seem to make sense, she'd struggled and finally managed to wield katon, and she'd been proud as could be. This girl. This dancing, insolent, ostrich-loving girl had managed to breathe fire in a fit of a tantrum. Rage swelled within Ameko, "You trying to set me on fire? I 'ought to teach you a lesson you won't soon forget? Who the hell do you think you are?" The questions were rhetorical, and the feline-like snarl that plastered Ameko's lips said more than they did.

Kyokujitsu Senshi

[Kyokujitsu Senshi]

Hey! She was starting to get the hang of this thing! Though that thought was short lived when the Warai girl was nearly caught in the crossfire. Dodging back as she avoided being caught on fire. Probably not very strongly, but enough to be an annoyance. When she was accused? She looked over with big wide eyes. "Oops...I-umm. I'm sorry." She says with big puppy dog eyes. She in her excitability seemed to get herself into trouble. It usually did. She was asked who she thought she was? Blinking, she looked at the older girl, uncertain on how to answer.

"I dunno. Just. You got a fiery personality. And...you're acting all tall and mighty so. I figured you were kind of an ostrich. And you were making fun of me too. So. I dunno. Not like ostriches are bad though. They're pretty scary." Senshi due to her lack of social cues was kind of escalating the situation maybe, or wasn't aware of how much danger she might be in. "Also, you did teach me a lesson I won't forget. How to do Katon and stuff!" She said with a bright and bubbly grin as she places her hands on her hips, seemingly proud of her accomplishment. Evidently though. That might not have been what Ameko meant.

Shimmying to the left, and then to the right, she tilts her head. "My name's Senshi." She says, answering the question, not understanding rhetorical questioning. "Am...Am I in trouble?"

[Warai Ameko]

For a moment, Ameko calmed down. The girl was younger than her, and just over-excited. It was like she was a pup learning the limits of play. They would teeth, and occasionally draw blood, but they did not mean any harm. Her shoulders relaxed as the girl's eyes widened into begging, and she felt the instinctive desire to tell her that it was okay. Of course, the girl then had to go and open her mouth. Whatever goodwill Ameko felt was shorn away as the blonde continued to speak. Tall and mighty!? Was she calling Ameko haughty? The absolute nerve of this little- and making fun? She was not! A little bit of light teasing was to be expected, it was how one learned how to behave. When a pup stepped out of line, it was necessary for one of the more senior members of the pack to nip their heels. Perhaps being raised alongside wild animals had altered her development to some degree, but she was sure that similar rules applied to humans. The girl felt the need to mock her words, to twist them in an excuse to dodge the question being asked. Ironically, it was the smile and shimmy that set Ameko over the edge. Be it intentional or no, the message Ameko took was clear. This girl, Senshi, was mocking her. Answering her questions with false saccharine sweetness and giddyness. "Don't play dumb," Ameko almost spat, stalking toward the younger girl, "You know damn well what I meant. In trouble? Yeah, if you keep mocking me, you'll be in a spot of trouble, I'd say. Pretty sure ostriches can kick pretty hard? Care to find out?" It was Ameko's turn to tilt her head, as if a fox examining a bird, an utterly unfriendly smile plastered on her face.

Kyokujitsu Senshi

[Kyokujitsu Senshi]

Blink. Blink. She could tell Ameko wasn't too happy. "Huh?...I'm not mocking you. I don't think I'd make a good mocking bird anyway. I think I'm more a sparrow. Or a robin." She says in a contemplative manner as she thought about what kind of animal she'd be. Honestly, with how friendly and good natured she was, she'd probably be a golden retriever. When gazing upon Ameko and her frown, she spoke back. "If you're not an ostrich, then what do you think you are? I mean. I guess maybe you aren't one. You are kinda short." She asks childishly, those big eyes looking at Ameko with no seeming jeering nature or animosity. More so curiosity as she was trying to understand why the older girl was so upset.

"Also, you got an Ostrich?! I wanna see! I bet it kicks really hard, since it's got those big long legs! And I heard it can run really fast too! Can you please show me Nee-Chan?!" Bright and excited, her eyes were lit up like stars. Her grin as bright as ever! When looking at Ameko's smile, she had to look on and wonder what kind of smile that was. It kind of looked like the senseis when they saw her doing something she wasn't supposed to, but then she told them she did it for a good reason. Like when she was six and she said she was trying to put a leash around her pet fish so she could take it out for a walk with her. That kind of stuff.

"What's your name? Can we be friends?"

[Warai Ameko]

Her eyes may have been blue, but all Ameko could see was red. With each word said by Senshi, the fire within her burned hotter and brighter. It seemed as if every word was designed to strike at Ameko, coated in mock sincerity and joy. There was no way anyone could be so genuinely stupid as to behave in this way, and Ameko was offended that the girl would even consider that she may fall for it. The genin shook her head, muttering under her breath as she did so, "Mocking bird... Short..." Her teeth ground into one another with each word. Senshi's smile was so mocking, so bright and glittering with falsity that Ameko could not help her own grimace from widening. Two blue-eyed girls, smiling at one another from a short distance away. Were it not for the murderous intent radiating off of the taller, darker one, the scene may have been somewhat sweet. "Ameko," She gave her name, her voice dripping with venom and ice. But she did not answer the second question. Senshi had wanted to be shown an ostrich, perhaps she had assumed that Ameko lacked the grit, lacked the force of will to follow through with her threats. She did not. With her abnormal strength, she lashed out with a simple side kick, pivoting her posture to deliver the blow to the girl's chest. "Friends? What the hell do you think?"

Kyokujitsu Senshi

[Kyokujitsu Senshi]

Not only was Ameko physically more impressive. Weighing nearly thirty pounds more than the younger girl before her, but she was also far more athletic and fit. Senshi herself was fairly energetic and loved to run around and play, and she was alright, even pretty good at Taijutsu. Other than her being freakishly strong for a girl her age, and also specialized almost solely in martial arts? There was a moment where her side kick would collide straight with Senshi's chest. Before she got sent flinging and quite literally flipping in the air as if she were kicked by a horse before landing unceremoniously onto her back. Ameko could probably quite literally feel the bones shift as her kick lands.

As she lands, she gasps for air, a sharp pain filling her chest as the wind was knocked out of her, and yet, her body felt extremely sharp pain when she tried to take a breath. The answer? Well. The young lady just got herself some bruised or broken ribs. A mix of both as she felt the cracking sound as her back arches and she convulses on the ground, spasming as she tries to immediately sit up, only to fall onto her back. Her breathing intensifying as it becomes more rapid and frantic, before she then just suddenly tenses up. Then goes completely limp as she lays back. That...Probably wasn't good. Maybe wasn't supposed to happen. 

All of that taking place in the span of a minute or so.

[Warai Ameko]

At first, Ameko watched with smug satisfaction as the girl was thrown through the air, flipping end over end. It was with a satisfying thud that her foot had impacted, and with another satisfying thud that Senshi landed. Ameko smirked, the animalistic part of her mind taking pleasure in putting the girl in her place. Then cool reason took over. The girl was not getting back up. Hell, after a rather weak attempt to do so, she wasn't moving at all. Panic flooded through every fibre of the genin's being. Vivid images of the girl ceasing to breathe, of her life slipping away, of Ameko being responsible for taking the life of another, of a child. She sprinted over to the downed girl, checking her limp form. "Hey, hey, you okay?" Ameko asked, her voice fraying on the edge of hysteria, "Kid? Senshi?" Utterly unaware of what to do, untrained in first aid, medical jutsu or anything remotely related to caring for the injured, she felt every reasonable part of her brain flee away in a flood of panic and emotion. What was she supposed to do? Had she just killed someone? It was just a kick. Just a simple kick! "Come on, don't be like that. I'll let you hit me back twice as hard," Childish desperation crept into her words, "Shit. Shit. Come on." Was she supposed to move her? Was that bad? The hospital wasn't too far away, was she supposed to take her there? Did she need a stretcher? "H-help!" Ameko called out, to anyone who would listen, "Sh-she's hurt!"

Kyokujitsu Senshi

[Kyokujitsu Senshi]

Kind of funny how that worked. Didn't it? As Senshi lay there, she wasn't really sure what happened. Things were moving so fast, and her ears were ringing. Then everything was just going black. In retrospect, maybe if Senshi had been a little bit more self conscious and aware of Ameko's anger, worded things with a little bit more tact, she might have been better off. Then again, she was a kid, and an immature one at that, despite her eagerness to excel and become a ninja. She hadn't really lived life yet. When she checked her body, she'd have felt her heart beat at least if she checked that.

Senshi had no sense of consciousness. However, when the medics did come to heal her, assess her, and then move her to the hospital at a fast pace, to get her into a medical bed, Ameko might have learned some things over the passage of time. First being that the girl she just kicked in the chest was Kyokujitsu Senshi. Of the Kyokujitsu clan. A bloodline wielding clan. What she might not know or find out was that Senshi had the aptitude to use that rare ability, and even if they didn't? That clan was fiercely protective of their members with strong family values. So, over the span of the next few hours, if she was religious. Ameko might have been praying to every god, spirit, or deity out in existence that the little blonde wasn't dead.

Assuming Ameko waited in the waiting lounge? She'd slowly see the door open with a medical ninja looking her over and motioning for her to come follow him. A somber and stoic expression on their face.