[Yamamoto Shosuke]

Seniority - the very notion of the concept was a little absurd to Shosuke. Or, rather, the idea that he held it was what was so weird. Throughout his career, he had always been someone else's subordinate - He trained under fully fledged doctors in the hospital, then when he joined the shinobi corps he was routinely paired with peers or senior officers, people who had already earned a name for themselves within the village.

As a result, being hired ranked than someone else was a new, strange concept. Hell, even if he had wanted to, it was a concept that had only been made possible in the last couple of weeks, ever since he had received the promotion to Chuunin. Now, many of those who he had seen as peers and equals were lower-ranking than he was, meaning that technically should they be paired together he would have authority over them.

It was strange and foreign, but he had to admit there was some part of him that enjoyed the concept of having someone underneath him. Still, he probably shouldn't admit that out loud, it made him sound weird.

One of those people who were technically beneath him was Yamatsu Ikinokoru, one of the new sage apprentices within the village. The two had never actually officially met, though he remembered seeing him in the Academy when he was younger. At the time, the boy had graduated far earlier than most, so much so that it was remarked upon as strange and impressive. Now, however, it seemed he had been outside of the village system for long enough that he was actively lagging behind.

In a way, Shosuke empathised with that feeling. He may have not left the village to go meditate or speak to wolves or whatever it was that Sage Apprentices actually did, but he had also left the Shinobi Corps in order to undergo medical training and become a licensed physician. In the end, he only had about a year's worth of actual field experience more than this kid despite their difference in ranks.

That was why, when asked to help the kid reach his full potential as a genin, Shosuke had been more than willing to help.

Through various channels, Shosuke had set up a time, place and date. Namely, early morning in the village's westernmost training grounds, which was where Shosuke was currently waiting.

Decked out in his kumo flak jacket that denoted his rank, his hitai-ate resting on his right arm and his sunglasses resting upon the very bridge of his nose, he was currently sat on one of the railings of the grounds, swinging his legs in the air as he waited for the boy to turn up. He had, as per usual, arrived about fifteen minutes early, so he wanted to observe just how and when the boy actually showed up, as if to test just how serious he was being about this whole affair.

496 words | @thedaybay

SPOILER: Click to show

Iryo Suiton: Mizukamakiri [Medical Water Release: Water Scorpion] 1/9
Jutsus Used: None

[Yamatsu]

The Young Pup

Yamatsu looked around the area, buildings he did not recognize surrounded him. Street signs he could not remember pointed in directions spinning him around. He hated to admit he was lost, in the mountains he knew every trail and path. Being back home in Kumogakure had made him feel like he was in a new world. His pride finally crumbled after thirty minutes of shameful shambling. He was going to be late, his father had always told him if you are on time you are late. If he was late then he was in trouble. He ran through the streets before stumbling upon the western training grounds. He stopped to catch his breath, straightening his hitai-ate tied high up on his left arm. He had left his jacket at him wearing only a white tight tee for a top. His pants had been rolled up right above his boots. He did not know who he was meeting just that he was here to learn. His head hung low in his signature slouch making his already short frame seem a few inches smaller. It had been three years at least since the last time he was here. A smile crossed his lips remembering the training his old Sensei would put his team through. He stopped taking in the area around him letting the happy memories fill his mind. Yamatsu sighed before seeing a shinobi in a chunin flak jacket sitting a little bit away. With no one else here this had to be the one sent to train him. "Excuse me, I am Yamatsu Ikinokoru, I apologize for my tardiness I had gotten lost." His voice was timid and a little low, almost a hushed growl.

Shosuke -- 285

LAIKA OF THQ

[Yamamoto Shosuke]

The idea of getting lost in Kumogakure was a little hard to imagine for Shosuke. Perhaps it was the fact that he had lived his entire life here, that he knew the entire city like the back of his hand, but there was also just the fact that it was laid out pretty simply. It wasn't like there were a lot of turnback alleys or dead ends, everywhere connected to somewhere else and if you looked hard enough you could always find what you were looking for. 

Then again, the boy had been away from the village for a long time. He supposed it would be unreasonable for him to expect Yamatsu to know everywhere still after all that time he had spent... wherever he had spent it. 

Come to think of it, Sho didn't actually know a lot about the Sage animals of Kumogakure. He knew they were wolves, the little time he had spent with Daisuke had showed him that much, but more than that? He was clueless. Did they have their own little civilisation somewhere out there in the wilderness? Or was it basically a glorified cave system where they rested between hunts. He didn't want to make any glaring oversimplifications but... well, they were wolves.

The idea of a wolf in a human house seemed a little absurd.

Regardless, when Yamatsu did eventually arrive, Sho was patiently waiting for them. He turned to face them, emulating how one would act if they were able to physically see the other person rather than relying on his blind-sense, an attempt to cross some sort of social gap and prevent any additional awkwardness. 

The boy's body language spoke of timidity, awkwardness, a sort of shyness. He supposed, beyond the Sage, the boy simply wasn't used to dealing with other people. Though Sho had never been the biggest people person in the world, he would certainly try to make this encounter easier for him in that case. The boy was here to train, not to be socially excluded. 

"Don't worry, it's fine; I don't mind waiting." 

There was a pause for a moment, as Sho wondered where to begin. He wasn't used to being in this position, it was his first time explicitly teaching someone else, so he was going to have to try and figure out how to do this one step at a time. 

"So, from what I've heard, you're the Sage Apprentice, yeah? So that probably means you've received a bit of training from your master in your time away from the village.

Tell you what, let's start pretty simple - tell me what you're currently able to do. Give me a demonstration of some of your jutsu and I'll see what I can teach." 

408 words | Yamatsu

SPOILER: Click to show

Iryo Suiton: Mizukamakiri [Medical Water Release: Water Scorpion] 1/9
Jutsus Used: None

[Yamatsu]

The Young Pup

"I uh have not done any training with Daisuke-Sama, he had planned on taking me out in to the mountains soon." He hated admitting he was a sage apprentice with no training. He looked around the training yard for the nearest dummy seeing one just about ten meters away. His fingers wove a handful of quick seals before multiple small flames shot from his lips shooting toward the dummy. Taking a quick breath he molded more katon chakra in his belly spitting it up in a small line of fire. He waited a moment for the two jutsu to hit the target before turning back to the Chunin. "I also know the summoning jutsu and can summon wolves as well as use the body flicker technique. I just do not like to summon the pack unless needed." He thought for a moment on if he should confess his lacking of ninjutsu techniques before shaking his head at the idea. The Chunin before his looked a little off as if their gaze was just slightly past him. Maybe they were lost in thought on how to train him best. He decided that it would be in his best interest to be as candid as possible with this new teacher. "I uh... Do not know much more than that however, i can't even walk on water or walls." He slightly whimpered after his words unconsciously.  His singular year of genin training had amounted to what he had just shown off. The wolves had taught him to hunt and survive. Daisuke having found him recently just had not had the time to focus on his new apprentice. His eyes shot wide realizing something very important for the moment. "Umm I apologize I should know this but was not told... May i ask your name?"

Shosuke -- 300

LAIKA OF THQ

[Yamamoto Shosuke]

After Yamatsu had admitted that, there was an audible pause in the flow of the conversation. Though Shosuke wasn't trying to make it too obvious, one could read the disbelief and incredulity on his face. This kid hadn't received any formal training? But he had been gone for years!

Wait, wait, think this through calmly. It wasn't that he hadn't received any training at all, it just meant that Daisuke hadn't given the kid any training. He had probably received some level of education from the sage animals or something... Besides, even if it was the case that he had received no training at all, Sho couldn't claim to have done any better at the hospital. Sure, he had learned how to treat patients and how to medicate and suchlike, but very little of that actually translated to active shinobi skills.

"Right... Well, that's not an issue. You're never too old to learn, I suppose. Though if I run into that Daisuke guy, I'm going to be having words with him, you can count on that."

Moving to stretch a little, rolling his shoulder in its joint as he tried to get more comfortable, he listened to the boy talk. He hadn't even been told who he was? Well, he supposed he had probably just been told a Chuunin had been selected to help give him extra-curriculum classes or something, so it wasn't really all that surprising that he didn't know who he was talking to. It wasn't like Sho was some sort of local celebrity.

"Me? I'm Shosuke - Yamamoto Shosuke, but you can call me Sho. I'm about a year your senior, so don't bother showing me too much respect, alright? I look forwards to being friends with you if at all possible."

With that, he paused for a moment, as if considering what to do next. Finally, he gestured for Yamatsu to take a step back as his hands moved through various brief handsigns. With a surge of suiton energy, a wave of water would shoot out from his hands, almost like a tidal wave splashing against some distant foreign shore.

"TAKITSUBO NO JUTSU."

Within mere moments, what had previously been dry land was now a small pool of water. The water level was rather low, only up to Yamatsu's knees or so, but that should be all that was actually needed for this remedial lesson.

"I figure if you don't know water walking or tree walking, its probably safest for you to start with the one where you DON'T fall out of a tree if you fail at it.

Now, this might sound antithetical, but I wanna see you try and get it to work yourself before I show you anything. I want to know if I need to teach you from the bottom up, or if you have some rocky fundamentals down pat. After all, from what I hear, that senjutsu stuff is all about molding and manipulating chakra and this basically works off of the same principle..."

500 words | Yamatsu

SPOILER: Click to show

Iryo Suiton: Mizukamakiri [Medical Water Release: Water Scorpion] 3/9

Jutsus Used
Name:Takitsubo no Jutsu - [Waterfall Basin Technique]
Rank:C
CHAKRA USAGE: Medium [Potential Continuous]
Type:Ninjutsu
Element:Suiton
HANDSEALS: 3
Description: Takitsubo no Jutsu is a Ninjutsu utilizing the Water Element. The ninja will do the necessary hand seals to create a large volume of water. This is a go to for many shinobi who specialize in Suiton techniques. It should be noted that for continually pouring in a moderate amount of chakra the user may keep making water. However while creating water the user can only move at a brisk walk at most.

[Yamatsu]

The Young Pup

Shosuke, with a nod Yamatsu stopped himself from bowing trying to respect the others wish to treat him normally. A little doubt crept in to Yamatsu's mind. Shosuke was only a year older than him and already a Chunin. He wondered how far he might have progressed if he had stayed in Kumo, or if he would even be alive. He pushed the thoughts from his head focusing on the now. Yamatsu was excited for this lesson for this would be the first time in many years he would have the opportunity to learn a new technique. Yamatsu stepped back when Sho motioned for him to do so. The other's hands moved with fluidity before a burst of water surged forth. In just not time at all there was a small pool about knee high resting before him. He reached out his hand plunging in to the sitting water. It was cool, not cold but it had a nice tranquil feel to it. Yamatsu looked over to Sho and back at the water, he had see the technique before from his former Sensei. However he had never been instructed how how to focus his chakra to his feet. "Okay... here we go." His voice lacked confidence. He had molded chakra countless times for his Katon jutsu how much harder could it be to focus it and walk on the waters surface. He stood quietly working on channeling the chakra taht ran through his body. He could not feel any difference to help him understand if he was doing it right. Well he could not just stand there all day doing nothing. With a deep breathe Yamatsu lifted his right leg standing like a flamingo for a moment before moving to set it down. There was no resistance as his foot sank in to the pool. He pulled it out shaking his leg to rid it of the excess water. "Damn, let me try one more time?" He asked more to himself than to Sho.

Shosuke -- 334

LAIKA OF THQ

[Yamamoto Shosuke]

Huh.... He could feel the lack of confidence, the insecurity, the self-awareness that seemed to be permeating from Yamatsu like a black cloud of negativity. That was extremely familiar, painfully so - he had felt like that way himself for quite a long while, the feeling that he was far behind where he should be. Though, if Yamatsu felt that way towards Shosuke, he was pretty sure that meeting Miroru would kill the poor bastard.

Either way, it was weird to be on the other side of that envy. Especially when the kid was so profoundly special that he had been chosen by the Sage Arts - Senjutsu was something that almost nobody in the world was capable of. Sure, he'd known a few himself, but that was just a side-effect of being a workaholic. He happened to rub shoulders with a lot of people in the line of doing his job. If the kid was special enough to be able to do something like that, he should have more confidence in himself...

It seemed Sho was entirely blind to the hypocrisy of that particular thought.

Standing back and quietly watching as Yamatsu attempted the technique, he watched as the boy's shoe plunged into the water, sinking down without any resistance. It seemed the boy was struggling with some of the basic concepts - not a problem, Sho would be more than happy to show them to him. What was more of a problem was the fact that the boy felt the need to ask for another try.

"Hold up - Before we go any further, I think I need to make something clear."

Sho spoke, his tone calm and relaxed but with a certain certainty of purpose that gave an urgency behind the things he said no matter how slowly he said them.

"I can tell you're pretty stressed out by this, but two quick things - One, you do not have to ask to have another go. We're not putting money into a slot machine down at the arcade, you're learning how to do something that may one day go on to save your life. You can have as many tries as you feel you need to get it right. Two, if there's a problem or you're feeling confused or uncertain about something? I want you to tell me. I was in your exact shoes not six months ago, so I'm probably more qualified than anyone else to know how to help."

There was a quiet but determined empathy behind his words that made it obvious that he was being entirely earnest with that desire to help. Perhaps it came from just how similar the two seemed to be, but Sho WAS also a doctor. It was in his very blood to want to try to help people.

Reaching down, Sho scooped a handful of water into his palm, holding it up.

"See, the key thing about this technique? It's not a matter of the water, it could just as well be any other medium. The real key is your own chakra. You're basically generating your own resistance, your own friction. When you do that..." he turned his hands over, chanelling his chakra as he did so. Yet, despite the water now being upside down, not a single drop fell out of his hands. It almost seemed like it had been velcroed to his hand.

"... the water might as well be as solid as the earth itself."

579 words | Yamatsu

SPOILER: Click to show

Iryo Suiton: Mizukamakiri [Medical Water Release: Water Scorpion] 4/9
Jutsus Used: None

[Yamatsu]

The Young Pup

His head hung a little lower than usual listening to Sho speak. His words hung around him like a thick mist. What was it that made him so nervous? His limited interactions with others from the village made him feel like an outsider. Was he even supposed to be here? Sho's voice started to fade away as Yamatsu closed his eyes. He could still hear him it was just more muffled. His minds eye turned to that of the mountains and the wolves. Failure seemed like a close friend back in the earliest months in the wild. Sho's voice began to fill his ears again as he told Yamatsu could ask any questions needed. He seemed genuine and that was all he could hope for. Sho reached down scooping a handful of water explaining in certain terms how Yamatsu could mentally go about learning this jutsu. As he turned his hand over showing to Yamatsu how the water clung to his palm the younger boy clenched his fist. He knew he should be able to, no would be able to do this if he could get his mind right. He looked down taking a deep breath before nodding to Sho. "The water is no less solid than the earth itself..." His voice low almost as if he did not mean to speak out loud. He needed to generate his own friction, how was he supposed to do that? He tried again to focus his chakra to the soles of his shoes. How much was he supposed to use? His eyes closed as he forced the latent energy down his legs to his feet. Before he could take a step the excess chakra worked against him like a freshly waxed floor. Yamatsu landed firmly on to his backside howling out in pain. "I think I tried to hard... Sho how did you do it?" The question was genuine as he rose back to his feet. "How do I know if its enough?"

Shosuke -- 331

LAIKA OF THQ

[Yamamoto Shosuke]

The boy's head hung lower than it had before, despite Shosuke's attempts to cheer the boy up. Well, he couldn't say that wasn't completely unexpected - Maybe the pair were more alike than they were different despite their different paths in life. He still remembered how irritated Kizumi had grown when they spoke in Tsuchi no Kuni at how Shosuke had seemed almost blind to his own capabilities.

Perhaps this was good for Sho - It always seemed so much easier to fix problems within oneself after having modelled it on someone else first. But that was for later and this was now, the boy still had to learn his lesson in order to be able to go on.

"Alright, its pretty clear you're having some trouble. I get that, it's pretty hard to conceptualize. It's like...." Sho paused, looking for the right way to word what he was talking about.

"Did you know that the idea that we only have five senses is horseshit? In terms of raw scientific data, we have at least 22, with another 11 being considered as potential senses.

The one that matters most to this training is Proprioception - the ability to feel where your body parts are without having to look at them. Now, the more you consciously use a body part, the more aware of it you are.

To demonstrate... I want you to close your eyes."

As if to aid in the metaphor, Shosuke led by example. His eyes shut, his chakra shut off, and the water that had been scooped into his hand fell back into the central body of water around their feet with an audible plop. Instead, his hands came together, tips of each finger touching its equal on the other hand. It was a clear and simple form of meditation.

"Think about it - Even with your eyes shut, you can feel your fingers at the end of your hands, at the end of your arms, right? Your whole body is a truly majestic feat of biological engineering, brought together by a fluke of evolution.

Your chakra is part of that internal system, that proprioception. With enough training, you will be able to feel it with your eyes shut, how your internal chakra roils and moves like waves throughout your entire body, surging and receding.

Now, here's the hard bit. Control your breathing, let it seep in through your nostrils and out through your mouth. Feel your heartrate slow, your body modulate its internal systems. I want you to see if you can push your chakra outside of your body without upsetting the water currents around your ankles.

Release it without ejecting it, let it flow outside of your body in a smooth wave."

One could feel it, if they concentrated. There was the very slightest current of the water as it slowly receded away from them, pouring over the lip of the training area fence and beginning to drain. If he could release his chakra without pushing it away harder, causing it to drain faster? He'd be one step closer towards learning the technique.

514 words | Yamatsu

SPOILER: Click to show

Iryo Suiton: Mizukamakiri [Medical Water Release: Water Scorpion]: 5/9
Jutsus Used: None

[Yamatsu]

The Young Pup

Frustration was starting to seep into Yamatsu mind. Why could he not grasp this? He was supposed to be an apprentice to the great Wolf Sage. What did he see in Yamatsu that he could not see himself? As Sho began to speak again he snapped out of his funk his head snapping to attention. His head tilted as Sho spoke of twenty two senses, more potentially. He was confused on the basics of what he was hearing until he was asked to close his eyes. He followed the orders he was given closing his eyes tight. With his eyes closed he seemed more at peace. His hands rose fingers touching against each other as Sho spoke. "yes..." His voice was quiet listening to Sho's words of wisdom. He focused again feeling the "waves" of chakra as Sho has said. It was a new sensation he had never felt before. He took a deep breath in through his nose and out of his mouth. There was a new feeling inside of him he had never felt before. As he stood there in a semi state of meditation the chakra within him began to feel heavy. He felt back at home, no back with the wolves in the mountains. A smile crossed his face as he felt one with nature again focusing how Sho had said. The energy that flowed in his body started to disappear. Another deep breath as another "wave" of chakra left him. He could feel the it still in his feet rising to his ankles before dissipating away. Another breath to make sure it held, the feeling of the mountains holding him steady and sure. Without opening his eyes he took a step forward, another breath steady and sure. His foot met with the water taking hold as sure as if he had stepped onto a boulder. He stayed focused with another step before he opened his eyes. His breath was heavy now but not with fear. His eyes widened as he looked down seeing his feet on top of the waters surface. "Yes! I di.." His voice trailed as he lost focus falling into the shallow pool. Yamatsu quickly pulled himself up and back onto of the water coughing all the while. He looked over to Sho and gave him a thumbs up, a silent thank you for the patience the other showed in teaching such a simple technique.

Shosuke -- 403

LAIKA OF THQ

[Yamamoto Shosuke]

For a moment, there was a brief silence as Shosuke allowed Yamatsu to focus on internalising his lessons. Sho knew that he could walk him through it bit by bit, but it was better that the boy come to term with what he was saying, let him learn it for himself. After all, Sho wouldn't always be there to teach the boy how to do it, so letting him get to grips with it for himself and learn what Sho was talking about more directly would result in a better, more impactful lesson being learned.

And, indeed, it seemed for a moment as if Yamatsu was able to cross that gap by himself. Without even realizing he was doing it, the boy stepped up and managed to stand atop the water for just a brief second. But that was just it, for a brief second. After that, the boy fell back, coughing and spluttering into the water. Fortunately, the water wasn't particularly deep so there wasn't very far to fall, but the water did somewhat help prevent him from taking too much damage from falling over.

"There we go! For a moment there, you had it!" Sho said, the smile on his face small but no less genuine for its size. Indeed, he paused for a moment for the other to get up on his own before he continued talking.

"Now, here's the thing - standing atop the water? That's the easy part. Give it a few more tries and I'm sure you'd be able to do so without any issue. More of a problem, however, is going to be actually walking on water."

It wasn't as if Sho was doubting the boy's talents, he was merely speaking matter-of-factly, explaining the larger process. It was all well and good to congratulate the boy for what he was able to do so far, and so quickly at that, but it was another business entirely to lie to him or sugarcoat the larger problem with the technique.

"You see, when you stand atop the water? Your chakra forms a platform, allowing you to stand on it whilst the rest of the water carries on underneath you. But every time you take a step, you need to make another platform, and you can't always rely on actively engaging your proprioception. Especially not if you're in a fight where this needs to come into place."

Sho paused for a moment, considering how to continue with the boy's education. "Now, I want you to try and step up onto the water another time. However, this time, I want you to maintain your platform with your eyes open. You can close your eyes as you step up, but you're going to need to learn how to maintain it before we go any further."

466 words | Yamatsu

SPOILER: Click to show

Iryo Suiton: Mizukamakiri [Medical Water Release: Water Scorpion]: 6/9
Jutsus Used: None

[Yamatsu]

The Young Pup

Yamatsu stood in the pool of water running his fingers through his hair combing it back. It was for just a moment before he lost focus but he had done it. He shivered as a slight gust blew past before shaking in an attempt to dry. Some of the tendencies he picked up from the wild had stayed with him for better or worse. The smile on his lips had yet to cease as he filled with pride. Even for a moment he had succeeded and had the the concept firmly in his mind. He had done it once and now just needed to make sure he could continue to improve. As Sho commended his efforts Yamatsu could not help but notice the small smile on his teachers face. He stood there in the water listening to the words Sho spoke. So far everything he said had helped Yamatsu progress further than he had imagined in such a short time. He told him that standing was easy, it would be the moving that would be difficult. He kept his eyes open before beginning his deep breathing focusing on his chakra once more. The water around him almost seemed to meld with his chakra as he let it flow out stopping at his feet. With a step up he rose foot firmly planted on top of the waters surface. His next step brought him fully upon the shifting pool as his body swayed to and fro. He felt the motion rise up his legs moving his body back and forth before settling. It was slightly unsettling not having his feet on solid ground however the area below his feet felt solid enough. He looked up at Sho wavering for a moment but keeping his balance. "It's like standing on top of... solid mud. It shifts like the water of course will do but with this its like its as solid as the ground below it. This is amazing i can't believe it!"

Shosuke -- 331

LAIKA OF THQ

[Yamamoto Shosuke]

There was a reason why, even with all the books accessible to him, Sho had always sought out education from other people. He had learned from medical textbooks, yes, but he had also studied under senior doctors. Simply put, there were a million unique variables that a book simply couldn't account for. A book had to be accessible by everyone, it couldn't tailor its content to specific individuals. In that way, having someone be able to teach you directly was always going to work the best.

It seemed like his method of teaching was rubbing off on Yamatsu too, as in such a small while he was managing to make his first tentative steps across the water. They were slow, precarious steps like a deer who was learning to walk for the first time, but they were steps nonetheless.

"Honestly, Yamatsu? I'm proud of you - No bullshit, this is actually a pretty advanced technique for a genin. Most genin need to practice walking up trees first before they even consider doing what you're doing. If you apply this principle to walking up solid surfaces, you should have absolutely no problem."

This was probably something that he should have let the kid know first. But he figured doing so would make the tension incredibly difficult. It was easier to do something hard if you didn't know it was hard in the first place, one's brain was incredible at putting unnecessary obstacles in front of oneself.

"Now, there are two additional things you need to consider before I can say this technique has really been learned. And for that reason..." Once again, Sho's hands wove together, forming a series of handsigns before a large pillar of wood emerged from the ground behind him. In but a brief moment, the wood was chiseled and narrowed down, forming itself into a wooden replica of Sho before that too dissipated, making the two shinobi perfect mirror images of one another.

However, the new clone moved to walk up into the water, stepping atop the surface as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Compared to Yamatsu's trepidacious footsteps, it almost seemed as if this was the most normal thing in the world for Shosuke. As he moved forwards, however, his hands came together. This time, though, rather than forming handsigns he simply cracked his knuckles, making it entirely clear what he was planning.

"My clone is going to come at you, and he's going to try to kick your ass. Now, I am absolutely useless at taijutsu so it shouldn't be too hard to dodge my strikes. But you're going to need to make those platforms of yours in a hurry, one after another. Now, begin!"

With but that brief warning, the clone shot forwards, aiming to deliver a simple punch to Yamatsu's stomach. Yamatsu might note, if he failed to dodge and got struck, that Shosuke was still attempting to pull his punches, but the threat was no less real. Pulling punches with a baseball bat was still hitting someone with a baseball bat.

513 words | Yamatsu

SPOILER: Click to show

Iryo Suiton: Mizukamakiri [Medical Water Release: Water Scorpion]: 7/9

Jutsus Used
NAME: Moku Bunshin no Jutsu [Wood Clone Technique]*
RANK: B
CHAKRA USAGE: Medium
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu
ELEMENT: Mokuton
HANDSEALS: 3
DECRIPTION:
A clone that is created by altering the user's own cells with chakra to create vegetation. Possessing more endurance than the normal shadow clones. the doppelgangers are more resilient to damage. The clones have the ability to travel far distances from the user and are able to communicate with the original albeit the can only pass reconnaissance or simple messages with more complex thoughts and strategies depriving them from their full combat potential. The clones can be as simple in function as a wooden dummy for use in the Body Replacement Technique.

This makes this technique extremely convenient and a perfect clone technique that only the most powerful and fully developed dōjutsu will able to see through. By directly touching the wood clone with their hand, the user can absorb the information it gathered or change the shape of the clone. Because clone is made up of the user's own cells.

NAME: Suimen Hokou no Waza [Act of Water Surface Walking]
RANK: D
CHAKRA USAGE: Very Low [Continuous]
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [General]
ELEMENT: None
DESCRIPTION:
A slightly more advanced version of the Tree Climbing Skill, this technique allows a shinobi to walk on water as if it were a solid surface. What makes this so difficult is a very precise amount of chakra ust be applied, as balance is harder to maintain on a not so tangible and even moving surface.

[Yamatsu]

The Young Pup

Yamatsu's body swayed back and forth with a smile spread across his lips. The adulation Sho gave him made him feel proud of himself. He took a tentative step forward letting the "platforms" form for him with each small step. He looked up surprised when Sho told him this technique he was learning was more difficult than its counterpart the surface walking. He let that thought sink in before a small rumble snapped him back to reality as he almost lost focus slipping into the water again. A wooden pillar emerged from the ground before him shredding away until it became a perfect clone of Sho. "Uh Sir I'm not sure what.." He stopped mid sentence when Sho warned the clone would attack. He had no time to prepare as the wood clone rushed him hitting him in the stomach sending him into the water. His body skipped across the surface like a flat stone before he submerged. It was like getting hit with a tree branch without being able to brace against it. It took all the effort and focus he could muster to climb back onto the waters surface. His stomach wretched as the water he had just swallowed came rushing out leaving him there gasping for breath. "Sho one second please..." Again his words cut off but this time from another swift blow by the clone. It seemed a vicious cycle of him having enough time to not drown before the wood clone was upon him again. Over and over for what seemed an eternity had Yamatsu wanting it to end. He had no time to speak and ask for Sho to stop the clone needing every ounce of his focus to keep from going under the splashing waters around him. The clones advances reminded him of the pack he used to live with. The wolves never relenting on their prey attacking constantly until it was dead. He wondered if this clone would do the same to him. It had probably been only an hour, but an hour of constant punishment had taken its toll on Yamatsu. His legs were shaking leaving him wondering if he could even keep going. He could feel his ribs bruised and new he would need a few days to recover. He could taste the iron in his mouth as his lip bled. Again the clone attacked its leg driving into Yamatsu's ribs again sending him rolling. His hand shot out reaching for a hold as it skimmed the waters surface. He was the prey right now and he was tired of running. His hand stopped catching the water like a stone on the mountain side. His breath was labored as he looked up at the advancing clone. His eyes determined and sure, he was tired of feeling weak and insecure. A low growl formed in his throat as the clone came closer. No more was his only thought as he stood to his feet. If his eyes could kill the clone would have turned to ash, that was it! As the faux Sho swung its fist again this time missing its mark as Yamatsu seemed to disappear only to reappear on the other side of the pool. "My turn." His hands wove into three quick seals as he molded the chakra in his belly. "Housenka no Jutsu!" Yamatsu yalled as multiple small flames shot from his mouth towards the wood clone of Sho.

Shosuke -- 572

LAIKA OF THQ

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Shunshin no Jutsu [Body Flicker Technique]
RANK: D
CHAKRA USAGE: Low
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [General]
ELEMENT: None
HANDSEALS: 1
DESCRIPTION:
By invigorating one's entire body with chakra, a shinobi can seemingly disappear and reappear in another location faster than most people can see. Often times one's movements are disguised with the use of an extra element, be it a smoke bomb, leaves, water, sand, etc. in order to hide the user's trajectory from those with skilled eyes. Though it mimics teleportation, it is important to remember this jutsu merely boosts the agility of its user. As useful as this technique is, it can only be used 4 times in a battle thread, compounding in exertion and difficulty each time. with any more usages beyond that result in muscle tears in the legs from overexertion. The hand seal for this technique must be held until the shinobi reaches their destination, making it impossible to utilize other techniques regardless of any preparation.

Name: Housenka no Jutsu [Phoenix Sage Fire Technique]
Rank: C
Chakra Usage: Low
Type: Ninjutsu
Element: Katon
HANDSEALS: 3
Description: After performing the necessary handseals, the user expels a series of small fireballs, each one about the size of a kunai. This are fired in succession and in such numbers that it makes it difficult to dodge by simple means. They are light in form and so they can even be used to hide shuriken within them without being disturbed.

[Yamamoto Shosuke]

It probably would give Yamatsu very little comfort to know, but Sho didn't enjoy watching his clone go to town on Yamatsu, nor did his clone enjoy doing it. It was clear in their body language, even though the clone was holding itself back from doing real major damage to the genin the attacks slowly began to add up.

Even so, as uncomfortable as this was, Shosuke knew that this was the way that this had to go. It might have seemed cruel to an outsider, and Yamatsu may not appreciate it, but this was a major part of the training of this technique. Though it was not the central point of this technique, it was nonetheless a necessary reality that sometimes one would need it to fight against enemies or to ensure that they weren't backed into a corner against a running river should a mission go wrong.

A shinobi had to learn to fight anywhere and under any circumstances, or they were just inviting themselves up for problems down the road.

Fortunately, something Yamatsu would begin to notice was that the more he did it, the more he focused on making platforms, the easier it was to make them, and the easier it was to make them one after the other after the other. It was like riding a bike, once one developed the necessary muscle memory one could do it in one's sleep and one would never forget.

As long as Yamatsu had chakra, this would never become an issue that he would have to actively think about again. His body would simply be able to do it without putting any greater amount of thought into it.

Speaking of no greater amount of thought, it seemed that Yamatsu was finally ready to fight back as he managed to commit a body flicker across the water, the water shifting in his wake like skipping stones before firing a trio of fireballs at the clone. In turn, the clone almost mimicked Yamatsu itself, getting out of the way of the flames as they shot past and exploded within the water, sending a violent spray of scalding liquid across the air of the training arena.

"Yes! Just like that!" Sho called, ever the erstwhile cheerleader and number one supporter of his own students. Perhaps in that way he was taking after Kizumi after all, the earnest and sincere desire to see those he tutored improved worn on the smile on his face, a smile that had faded into concern since the harder parts of the lesson had begun to unfold.

However, as he had said, there were two parts of the jutsu that Yamatsu would need to familiarize himself with before he could be considered to have mastered it. The first of which was the ability to fight atop the water, and the second? Well, the second was yet to come.

Once more weaving handsigns, Sho brought out a familiar jutsu as he summoned yet another geyser of water, filling the training grounds further. However, this time he kept the waterfall up, creating a rapid torrent of a current rather than a simple lilting flow. Yamatsu would be able to feel it underfoot, needing to create more platforms and at a faster pace than before, the water having slipped out from under him before he could really think about what he was doing. It all had to rely on the development and formation of instincts.

"Kick his ass, kid!" Sho yelled, as if the one who's ass he was encouraging Yamatsu to kick was not essentially himself.

597 words | Yamatsu

SPOILER: Click to show

Iryo Suiton: Mizukamakiri [Medical Water Release: Water Scorpion] 8/9



Jutsus Used
NAME: Shunshin no Jutsu [Body Flicker Technique]
RANK: D
CHAKRA USAGE: Low
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [General]
ELEMENT: None
HANDSEALS: 1
DESCRIPTION:
By invigorating one's entire body with chakra, a shinobi can seemingly disappear and reappear in another location faster than most people can see. Often times one's movements are disguised with the use of an extra element, be it a smoke bomb, leaves, water, sand, etc. in order to hide the user's trajectory from those with skilled eyes. Though it mimics teleportation, it is important to remember this jutsu merely boosts the agility of its user. As useful as this technique is, it can only be used 4 times in a battle thread, compounding in exertion and difficulty each time. with any more usages beyond that result in muscle tears in the legs from overexertion. The hand seal for this technique must be held until the shinobi reaches their destination, making it impossible to utilize other techniques regardless of any preparation.

Name: Takitsubo no Jutsu - [Waterfall Basin Technique]
Rank:C
CHAKRA USAGE: Medium [Potential Continuous]
Type:Ninjutsu
Element:Suiton
HANDSEALS: 3
Description: Takitsubo no Jutsu is a Ninjutsu utilizing the Water Element. The ninja will do the necessary hand seals to create a large volume of water. This is a go to for many shinobi who specialize in Suiton techniques. It should be noted that for continually pouring in a moderate amount of chakra the user may keep making water. However while creating water the user can only move at a brisk walk at most.